#and look at little Peter rabbit sticking his head up in the last one

[happyheidi]

The world of Peter Rabbit and Friends (1992-1998)

[jungle-angel]

Nesting Again (Miles Miller x Reader)

Summary: It's getting close to an important day in yours and Miles's lives but you're determined to make the house as cozy as ever

Two year old Benny ran through the upstairs hall, back and forth from one end to the other, giggling like mad as his father ran hot at his heels. Both of them were covered in paint, more of it smeared all over Benny's little face and his little white t-shirt.

"C'mere ya little ghoul!" Miles called after him.

"No, no Daddy, no bath for me!" Benny exclaimed.

"Oh yes, you're getting a bath Mister," Miles half laughed.

He playfully scooped Benny right up into his arms and hauled him back to the room where you were busy cleaning some of the brushes. At long last, the walls in the new nursery had been redone, the Peter Rabbit scenes on the walls appearing straight from one of Benny's favorite books.

"You ok?" you chuckled when you noticed Miles's reddened cheeks.

"I feel like Wile. E Coyote chasing Roadrunner," Miles answered. "And I've just caught said Roadrunner."

Benny leaned in and kissed Miles's cheek, giggling as he left a paint stain on his father's face. You laughed a little at the sight of it, Benny giggling and the exasperated look on Miles's face.

"I can go stick him in the bath if you want," you told Miles.

"Nope, don't even think about it," Miles warned you. "You remember what Momma said, no heavy lifting."

You laughed again. "Miles, c'mon, I'm pregnant. I'm not made of glass."

"I just don't want you to hurt yourself (y/n)," Miles reminded you.

You couldn't help but move into his arms, wrapping your own around his waist, but slightly inhibited by your bump. Miles's cheek came to rest on the crown of your head, your little one's feet kicking you and Miles's stomach at the same time.

"Now you knock that off," he chuckled, stooping to one knee to kiss your bump. "Your big brother is already wreaking enough havoc, I don't need you doing that as well."

You laughed a little, but you were excited. Everything was coming together perfectly and you knew that all your hard work would pay off. Otis, your father-in-law had already hired two more hands, one from Livingston and another from the Bozeman area while the rest of the ranch had done well enough for you and Miles to make some much needed repairs to the house.

He swiftly carried Benny into the bathroom, stripping off the two year old's clothes and plopping him right in the bath full of warm water, adding plenty of fruity smelling bubble soap and Benny's favorite bath toys.

As soon as he had been thoroughly washed off, Benny was stuck right in his warm little pajamas and sent off to bed with his blankie and his stuffed puppy. Outside it had grown completely dark with the air being far too cool for any more air conditioning or leaving the windows open. Benny was tucked right into bed as the clock downstairs rang in the eight o'clock hour and as soon as he began drifting off to sleep, Miles went straight to your shared bedroom to help you.

"Whatcha up to Mrs. Miller?" he asked.

"Stripping the bed," you answered. "It's getting to be that time of the year again. I walked out this morning and needed my shawl."

"Here, you strip the bed, I'll get everything out o the trunk."

You and Miles stripped the bed of the summer sheets and blankets, hauling out the duvet and the crocheted blankets that you and him would need in the fall and winter. You shuddered a little just thinking about it. Winters in Lake Tahoe were nothing compared to winters in Montana. Though you and Miles had yet to experience it for herself, you had a feeling that this one would be one worthy of the Viking Sagas.

The sheets went on first and then the blankets, so soft and snuggly and always smelling of freshly dried sage, pine and cedar. The blankets weren't horribly old, but old enough for you to know that they had once belonged to Otis and Kathy when they were first married, the knitted and crocheted ones belonging to Otis's mother, Essie Miller.

You felt a dull throb of pain in your lower back, taking in and letting out a deep breath as you turned down the covers. Miles helped you steady yourself on the edge of the bed, his hands gently rubbing up and down your arms.

"I hope the little one comes soon," you sighed. "I had to walk off my swollen feet this morning when I went to go and check the chicken coop."

"Soon my sweet pea, soon," Miles said before he kissed your lips. "You hoping for a little boy? Or a little girl?"

"Either one as long as they're healthy."

"Who knows?" Miles chuckled softly. "Maybe we'll get lucky and have one of each."

He helped you right into bed before drawing the covers up over you and scooted in beside you, his arm tucked protectively around you with one hand coming to rest on your bump. You were both perfectly at ease and content, snuggled in warm beside each other and counting down the days until your little one would enter the family.

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

TH Masterlist

I watched Noah yesterday and all I could think of was this.

ALFIE WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOATHE THAT MOVIE.

But it also sparked another wee modern Papa Solomons headcanon, so let’s crack on with that, eh?

Just Alfie Solomons Things: Movie Night with Your Little Dove

Movie nights are only spent in the living room during summer. The rest of the year, they’re held in bed (and without question when his sciatica plays up).

Although, perhaps it’s better to say your movie nights. Alfie prefers books, even deeming it the ultimate form of entertainment and learning.

You’ll have your laptop open on your lap, tucked in with a cup of tea or coffee on the bedside table and headphones on your head to let him read in peace.

Nevertheless, one night, you catch him watching along. Of course he tries to give off the impression he doesn’t, quickly averting his gaze to the novel in his big wolf paws when you glance at him.

“Want me to rewind and start from the beginning?” you ask after catching him for nth time in ten minutes.

Alfie shakes his head, lips pursed as he feigns interest in his book. “Nah, you go watch that. I’ll read.”

“You sure?”

“Mhm.”

“Is the book interesting?”

“Certainly.”

Letting out a sigh bordering on a breathless laugh, you turn off your headphones and rewind to the start of the movie. You hadn’t gotten far anyway, so there’s no harm in rewatching those few minutes. “Please watch the movie with me, Wolfy.”

How can he not humour you when use the nickname he’s secretly incredibly proud of? You gave it to him when you ran your hands through his beard for the first time, accidentally voicing the thought that popped into your head.

Look, in your defense, Alfie has his wolfish ways. He grumbles, grunts, loves beard scratches, is territorial, has a nice furry chest, surprisingly soft body hair in general, and sometimes purrs rather than hums.

Anyway, he humours you.

You scoot closer to him, snuggling up into him with the Peter Rabbit stuffie he bought for you the last time you two visited the V&A. It’s a good thing you two are in bed because the sight of you, curled up in his arms with your favourite stuffed animal, leaves Alfie weak in the knees.

Now, despite not always adhering to it, he loves to teach you about his heritage. Sometimes he can info dump a lot, but sometimes little bits of the flood of information stick.

“Erm, is it me or do they look like golems?” you ask after a few minutes. Concerned, you look up at him, jaw tense with the gnawing sense you might just have been accidentally disrespectful. “Or did I just say something completely ignorant?”

“I can see why you’d say that. ‘Owever, dove, golems are made of mud or clay.” He presses a kiss to your temple and runs his fingers through your hair, his rings smoothing out minor tangles in it. “Although, I suppose they’d qualify, being made of rock. But the Watchers certainly didn’t look like that. They were indeed fallen angels, but nothing like those… whatever they are.”

And that’s only one of the criticisms he has to offer.

Throughout the movie, he occasionally snarls at the deviations from the original story.

“Tubal-Cain? Is that supposed to be some off-handed yet obvious reference to Cain? Might as well hang a sign around ‘is neck with Super Villain Nr. 1.”

“Ham had a wife! Why is ‘e bein’ a horny teenager in this while ‘is brother is the one with kids? That ain’t right.”

“Shhh, Y/N, it’s only CGI. Those animals ain’t real. No need to cry.”

At some point, movie night turns into browsing the Internet and Torah studies with Alfie explaining what actually happened in Genesis.

You are both aware the film is an adaptation and therefore takes creative liberties. Nevertheless, Alfie’s absolutely not having it and you’re more interested in what he has to say than watching the movie. After all, he’s a damn good storyteller and excellent (albeit gruff) teacher.

Regardless, you somehow make it to the end. And it’s only then you finally hear a slightly more positive tone in his voice.

“Well, at least they’ve got the walking backward correct,” he mutters under his breath when Shem and Japheth cover a naked drunk Noah.

“But isn’t this also where Noah is supposed to curse Ham?” you ask, remembering one of the things that stuck from one of the floods of information he drowned you in.

“It is.”

“There’s just one thing, though, I don’t understand. I know there are varying views, but why does Noah curse Ham? And why is it called the Curse of Canaan?”

Alfie opens and closes his mouth, struggling to find the correct words. Eventually, he settles for a groan which gives away the question is rather uncomfortable. “Well, sweetheart, it’s a matter of interpretation. There are those who say Cham castrated Noah, depriving him of the ability to have a fourth son and therefore Noah curses Cham’s fourth son. ‘Owever, ‘seeing one’s nakedness’ is biblical language to indicate sexual acts.”

“So, Ham and Noah…”

Alfie clears his throat. “Yes.”

“Why…”

“It’s Cham who’s at fault, not Noah.”

“Yeah, but still, I mean, why would you f-“

“Right!” He cuts you off by stealing a kiss off of your lips, disarming you in what he knows is the most effective way. “The moral of the story is, right, when it comes to the curse, that Cham should ‘ave shown empathy towards ‘is father. ‘E ‘ad kids ‘imself, in the story, not this awful stuff. So ‘e should ‘ave been able to place ‘imself in ‘is father’s shoes, know ‘ow difficult it is to be a parent. But did ‘e?”

You shake your head. “No, he doesn’t seem to care for his father at all.”

“Exactly! And this is what the story means to teach us. If you act insensitively to a person in need, yeah, if you are unable to control yourself and show compassion, you’re nothin’ but a slave. A slave to your own needs and passions.”

“Did they really have to go the extra mile, though? I mean, zeitgeist and cultural differences are of course to be considered, but really?”

Alfie merely chuckles. “Don’t worry your pretty little ‘ead over such gruesome matters, Y/N. Rather worry about gettin’ enough sleep. Come on, love, time for bed.”

This is his favourite part of the night.

You, sound asleep in his arms and nuzzling your stuffie. Safe and sound.

It’s only then he can allow himself to give into the waves of slumber.

The damned man and the dove.

Tag list: @potter-solomons @zablife @buttercupsandboys @liliac-dreamer @vir-tual @solomons-finest-rum @babaohhhriley @dreamlandcreations @hecatemoon87 @wandawiccan60 @rose-like-the-phoenix

[astroluvr]

Jack dating an education major though. I just feel like he would love to date a girl going to school to be a teacher. Like imagine him with a first grade teacher omg. -🤠

Being a teacher was probably one of the most fulfilling parts of your life. Since you were young, you would force your friends and younger family members to sit and let you play teacher. You’d make fake worksheets and hand out your books. You always had a love for kids and it only amplified the first time you stood in front of a group of young minds to be molded. You enjoyed allowing a place to foster creativity, to let kids be themselves, and overall being a role model. Each morning you walked into your colorful classroom was better than the last.

“Ms. L/N, look, look!” you turned around from where you were helping a frustrated child.

“What is it?” you turned around with an excited expression and looked at Isiah’s illustration of Peter Rabbit. “Oh, my goodness, this is wonderful, darling. Are you going to hang it up or take it home?”

“Can I make one for here and another one for home?”

“Absolutely. Do you want to leave this one in the classroom?” you took the brown bunny cut out and immediately felt the glue starting to stick to your hands.

“Yes! Are you going to hang it up?” he pointed to the wires you had on the roof, taking all of their artwork and placing it clothespins above their heads.

“You know it, buddy. Go in the bathroom and wash your hands, okay? You’re super sticky!”

Just as you were taking it to your desk, another voice chirped from behind you. “Ms. Y/L/N?”

“Yes?”

“Your boyfriend is here.” you followed Megan’s finger to the door where Jack was standing in a pair of blue jeans and a hoodie.

With your hands on your hips, you narrowed your eyes at him. “What are you doing here?”

“I heard we were making bunnies!” he sauntered in and all the children got up to flock him.

They loved Jack’s little pop-ins, always questioning him when they saw him for the first time in weeks. He never really stayed for long, just enough to bring you lunch and a discreet kiss, so this was different.

“Hi, little people.”

“Hi, Mr. Jack!” they all chirped and he held his hands out for them to slap high-fives onto.

“Please, call me Jack.”

“Hi, Jack!” they all spoke in unison once more, causing Jack to smile and look at you.

“Alright, you guys, let’s get back to work. We have music in a few minutes.”

“I can teach them music.” Jack offered as they all ran back and you laughed.

“They’re learning more about recorders than rapping.”

“Hey, the more you know!”

“Ms. Y/L/N, I’m finished!” Ruby rushed up towards you and you reached back to swat Jack’s chest when he made a noise in confusion.

“This is so great, Ruby! Do you want to take it home or do you want me to hang it?”

She hummed thoughtfully, tapping her chin before jumping in excitement. “Hang it.”

“Alright, good job. Clean up your area, okay?”

“Okay.” she ran back and you looked at the messy shape before setting it on your desk.

You furrowed your eyebrows when you turned around to not find Jack standing there. It wasn’t long until you found the curly head peeking up from the back of the classroom, his long legs stretching all underneath the table and his New Balance shoes coming together as he began working on a bunny.

“Ms. Y/L/N?” the child next to Jack yelled and you rushed over immediately.

“What is it?”

“Jack isn’t sharing.”

You looked at Jack who was hunched over his piece of paper with a glue stick in his hands. “Jack, please-”

“No, he’s had all day with this!”

“Jack, please give the first grader the glue stick.”

“When I’m done.”

“Ms. Y/L/N.” Sam whined and you reached over to grab the glue, but Jack gripped your hand quickly.

“Baby, when I am done, he can have the glue back.” Jack said calmly and you scowled.

“Give him the glue stick.”

Jack groaned and let it go, allowing you to hand the stick back to Sam. "Always talking about healing an inner child, but taking my glue stick when I try to."

"Stop being dramatic."

Jack stuck around for the last few minutes of the activity before you sent the kids off to music class, marking the end of your day since they had it right before dismissal. You returned to your classroom and found him cleaning up.

“Thank you, Jack.” you sighed, feeling yourself relax.

“It’s no problem, babe.” he stood up straight from where he was sweeping cotton balls into the trash can. “I love being here, you know? Seeing you in action.”

“I like having you here, except for when you act immature and steal glue sticks from small children.”

You laughed and began getting started on cleaning other tables. As you were finishing with the last one, you felt Jack’s hands on your sides. “We are still at school.”

Jack laughed and turned you around. “These kids are going to remember you forever. They’ll remember how you did Peter Rabbit and treats when everyone does well on a test and how you stay after school to help them learn how to read. You’re a doing a wonderful thing. I’m proud of you.”

“Jack.” you chuckled, but tears of sentiment were welling behind your eyes. “Thank you, honey.”

“And it’s only your first year. I can’t wait to watch you teach a shit ton of stingy kids.”

You giggled and kissed his lips. “I’m proud of you, too.”

You two stood in with each other for a few seconds before Jack cleared his throat. “Now, can I get a glue stick? I want to make a bunny and I want it hung up."

"Alright, baby." you laughed, watching him settle at a much too small desk.

[inkdemonapologist]

SESSION TWELVE of the BatIM Call of Cthulhu game, aka Continuing to have a Great Time At The Masquerade! : )

Joey and Bendy destabilised early on, meaning Joey went through the ENTIRE masquerade UNABLE TO STOP SMILING

getting some mixed messages here, Joey

Sometimes u dress ur characters up as rabbits for fun but then you have a lot of emotions about them losing their minds and then u gotta draw them losing their minds while dressed as rabbits... anyway Jack being mind-controlled did NOT help Sammy hold onto his mental stability at this nightmare party in case you were wondering,

ANYWAY HAVE, MORE OUT-OF-CONTEXT QUOTES, UNDER THE CUT

[Sammy is played by me, Joey is played by Boo (inkyvendingmachine), Henry is played by Maf (inkcryptid), Jack is played by Mochi (whatyouwantedmetosee) and Thren (haunted-hijinxer) is our GM!]

[GM] Joey, make a POW roll also... [Joey] Oh, boy, [GM] ...because Bendy was also told to enjoy this party, and you guys just passed a plate of food, and he wants to eat! [Jack] FEED YOUR SON! [Joey] No!!! [Henry] HES A HUNGRY BOY! [Sammy] A GROWING BOY!

[Henry] Henry will look back to see if Moonlight is trying to follow them! [GM] He will see that Moonlight has grabbed onto the railing of the stairs and is hobbling slowly down them. [Joey] *extremely evil-sounding cackling*

[Jack] All Cthulhu Official Dice actually come weighted, to make you fail.

[Henry] Gotta try harder than that, bitch! [Henry] ....that wasn't in character. [Jack] It's in character, but he's only thinking it. [Sammy] That's the golden text you see on the wall if you use the seeing tool

[Henry] My Luck is 68, I don't know what y'all are doing! [Jack] We're spending Luck so that we'll fail! [Sammy] BEING UNLUCKY! I've barely spent any Luck, I'm just NOT A LUCKY GUY

[Henry] Oh, Avedon's here, [GM] There's a gunshot, and he tries to shoot Fowler! [Joey] Um, well, uh, whoops!, rest in peace Fowler! [Sammy] Yeah, that'll sort itself out, let's go! [GM] Moonlight seems to reconsider from telling people to grab you guys, to grabbing Avedon instead. [Joey] Oh! THANKS AVEDON, your sacrifice will, not be thought about in the slightest!!!

[Sammy] Is... weird question, does this room look like it matches the architecture of the rest of the house? [GM] [GM] [GM] ...make a sanity check.

[Sammy] It would be a like, Come on Jack, do you know where you are, shake it off, snap out of it, kind of thing. [GM] Why don't you make a... a.... oh boy, [Sammy] One of my REALLY persuasive social skills?

[GM] This probably just registers to Jack as, Sammy griping about a party, which isn't that strange. [Jack] Yeahhhh, he wants to leave. He always does that. I wanna stay at least a little longer! [GM] That just means it's Jack's job to find them something fun and good to do. [Sammy] Oh boy, [GM] I don't think Jack is being compelled to be aggressive about this necessarily, he just feels like he's Jack at a party, doing the things Jack normally does, and trying to have a good time! [Sammy] Ah, and everyone else is being weird, [GM] Yeah! Everybody's being really weird! You're at this nice party, and now you're in this weird room? The party's back there somewhere! [Jack] I mean not that he's opposed to bein' dragged into side rooms at parties by cute boys, but,

[GM] The table looks like a table that Henry has in his house, actually. [Sammy] Have I ever been in Henry's house? These are questions I didn't expect to need to ask tonight.

[Sammy] Jack, this is weird! You see this is weird, right?! [Jack] Well yeah, it is kinda weird that we're in-- what are we doing here? [Joey] Joey is going to grab Jack's arm, and point to the next door, and go "Party is this way!"

[GM] Peter looks worried... [Sammy] Sammy looks worried too! Well, Sammy looks angry, but in a worried way.

[Joey] Joey is going to scream frustratedly. [Sammy] Is there ink in this room? [GM] There is not. [Jack] Is there a party in this room? [GM] Definitely no, only the party you bring with you.

[Joey] Joey is going to scream again. [Joey] He's also going to kick the door. He might stub his toe. [Sammy] Through all this, Joey is smiling. I just need us all to remember that. [Joey] YES. Also his tail is furiously going. [GM] Bendy is also upset! There is nothing to eat here.

[Joey] Joey is going to try to feed Bendy some ideas, [GM] He doesn't want ideas, he wants food!

[Joey] So.... what happens if you fumble a sanity roll?

[GM] See, here's the silly part. At this point, right? At this point, the best place to do the tasks you want to do, involve either getting the stone out of the room with the safe, or having the staff that Henry is currently holding. [Sammy] So you would arrive, by completely different means, to the same place that we are! [GM] Clearly Joey is inside the safe.

[Jack] Bad and naughty Joey Drews get put in the safe to atone for their sins!

[Henry] Henry is going to channel his inner Joey Drew and round the corner and say "No, sorry about him, we're just here on inspection, we need to check the safe." [Henry] Which is probably a Fast Talk, which I hope it isn't, because my Fast Talk is a 5. [GM] Unless you wanna try to turn that into a persuade somehow? [Henry] I'll do Persuade! [GM] What are you doing to persuade them, rather than just lying? [Henry] *rolls* I failed... I'm gonna push it... [Sammy] *uneasy noises* IF YOU PUSH IT AND IT GOES BAD, IT GOES WORSE [Henry] AH! HAHA! I ROLLED A SIX! [Sammy] THAT'S STILL NOT LESS THAN FIVE! [Henry] WELL IM DOING PERSUADE! [Sammy] That means you have to NOT LIE! [Henry] ....Fuck. [Henry] Okay, uh, there's an emergency, we need the contents of that safe. [Sammy] THATS STILL A LIE??? [Joey] NO actually, THAT'S TRUE! [Henry] It IS an emergency!!

[Sammy] Sammy cannot believe that this is working.

[GM] Bendy does wonder what his plan is for getting out of the safe. This does not seem like a fun party place. [Joey] Um, [Joey] Joey says it's a surprise.

[GM] Henry, the safe does indeed open! And there's a Joey! [GM] Bendy says "Oh wow!" [Henry] Henry tries his best to keep a straight face, like yes! this is exactly what he came here for! [Sammy] (Sammy is NOT keeping a straight face) [Jack] (Straight? In this party?)

[Jack] He's probably saying something like, "What are you doing, he's one of us!" [Jack] And that could go either way. That could mean "No, he's chill, I will persuade you to stop!" Or that could mean, "We are also criminals!"

[GM, as the guards] Then why does he look like the Yellow King's messenger? [Henry] *not missing a beat* We get that a lot.

[GM] Something falls from the sky and lands in front of him. And it's a person! [Joey] Is he alive? [GM] Very much not. [Sammy] How... how Illusion of Living canon-compliant is this Joey...?

[Jack] So... it would probably occur to Jack that this is weird for a party,

[Henry] Joey don't touch it! [Joey] Why not? [Henry] There's runes around it. I don't know if you can touch it. [Joey] Joey's gonna touch it. [Henry] *long-suffering sigh* If you get zapped, I'll tell you I told you so!

[Jack] Jack really wishes we were just back at the party right now, you guys... [Jack] Only bad things have happened. [Jack] Pete's traumatised, Joey's goopy, the Lurker ate all of the snacks,

[Sammy] Can I try to break free from Henry? Sammy's gonna try to run over there. [Henry] At this point, Sam can go, if he wants. [Sammy] Okay, cool. Then Sammy's gonna go and put ink in his mouth! [Henry] Goddammit. I was hoping you were going to check on Joey!

[Joey] You can’t take all of the sanity hits! You have to leave some for other people! [Jack] Says you! You got so many temps!! And an indefinite!!

[GM] Bendy probably is complaining loudly about WHY DID HE WALK THROUGH THE RUNES??? [Joey] Oh! I thought he was going to complain about the party, or lack thereof, [GM] That’s part of not having fun at the party, he’s not into that! [Joey] Well, [GM] This is not a fun party activity!!

[GM] But he doesn’t think it will destroy either of them, if you do it right! [Jack] That’s a nice, way to end that sentence,

[Sammy] Let us hurry! May I take the stone? [Joey] Joey shrugs. [Sammy] Sammy will, uh, attempt to reach inside of... whatever this is, and find the stone. [Henry] Reach INTO your LOCAL boss, and you will find A Friend And Boy,

[Sammy] Is there anything in this room that I can pick up, and then hit him in the head with? [GM] Henry has a stick... uh....there’s a projector.... [Sammy] Can I pick that up? [GM] No, you cannot. [Sammy] It would be REALLY funny if Sammy dropped a projector on someone else’s head. [Sammy] HOW THE TURNTABLES!!!

[GM] ...Can you impale with a rocking horse...???? [Sammy] I don’t want to impale, I want to knock him in the head so he passes out!!! Rest your head, it’s time for bed!!!

[Jack] I don’t think Jack has any plans after this! [Jack] I meant that in the sense that he doesn’t know what he’s doing next, but the way I phrased it, now it just sounds like he’s hitting on Fowler, like, he doesn’t have anything to do after this, are you free? That’s not canon.

[Joey] I don’t know how this will go, [Sammy] Good luck! [Joey] But Joey would like to-- [Sammy] Sammy believes in half of you! [GM] w-which Sammy? wHICH HALF?!

[Jack] I know you said “note.” But my brain at first processed that word as “milk.” [Henry] *laughing* “Did you get my milk, Fowler?” [Jack] He drank the last carton and he didn’t buy more! [Sammy] “I’m going to the store, want me to get anything? *jumps into the lake*”

[GM] Combat Jack! [Jack] *exasperated* He’s not a Combat Boy! Jack is soft and warm, like mashed potatoes!!!

[GM] Norman is wondering to Henry if he oughta be concerned about you all getting what you want out of this. [Henry] .....Maybe.

[pitviperofdoom]

"Vet AU" as in veterinarian? Definitely curious about that, vets don't get nearly enough love in fiction :) I had never considered that as an AU, but now I'm immediately picturing how it would go!

The Vet AU! Yes, Vet as in Veterinarian.

This one’s a bit scattered, so I’ll just post what I have written and let it speak for itself:

---

Martin was in the middle of doing payroll when Sasha poked her head into the office with a polite knock on the doorframe. “Hey Martin, Room 2 is ready for you.”

“Oh! Thanks.” Quickly, Martin finished filling in the last number, then saved the spreadsheet and got up from his chair. At the sight of her, he bit back a chuckle—she had one of the new puppies settled against her shoulder, wiggling and poking around like a furry little worm. “Tim leave you on babysitting duty?”

“Not his fault,” Sasha said with a grin. “He’s dealing with the rottweiler situation in 5. You good?”

“Yeah, fine—remind me who’s waiting for me in 2 again?”

“According to the appointment schedule, you’ll be handling a general check-up for ‘Sticks’,” Sasha replied. “New patient, new owner.”

“Right, right, yeah.”

They usually stuck him with the first-time patients. Not that Tim and Sasha weren’t perfectly friendly and welcoming, but Martin—at least according to them—had very calming manners. He had the appearance of someone pleasant, patient, and according to Sasha, far less likely to go off on people who came in asking to declaw their cats.

“I have gone off on people for asking to declaw their cats,” Martin had said when she told him this.

“Oh, obviously. You just look like someone who wouldn’t, that’s all.”

That was what he got for being the only one with years of retail experience.

As he approached the door to the examination room, he took a few settling breaths. First-time appointments weren’t always a big deal. A majority of the time, they went smoothly; the animals weren’t familiar enough with what went on in a vet office to be nervous about it, and their owners were just as eager to be polite and pleasant as he was. But once in a while…

Well, once in a while you got someone like Peter fucking Lukas—

He shook his head. No, don’t think about Peter Lukas. Peter Lukas wasn’t worth wasting the space in his brain.

Martin settled his face into a resting pleasant expression, and opened the door.

It didn’t take a great deal of self-control not to stop in his tracks, but it did take a little. More than none. It wasn’t anything bad! Nothing against this new pet owner.

Less than nothing, if Martin were privately, sheepishly honest with himself.

The person was standing by the examination table, with a cat-sized pet carrier beside them. They were tall enough for Martin to look them in the eye without tipping his chin down, which put them a cut above most. Their hair was shoulder-length, mostly black with a bit of dark blond creeping in at the roots, framing a jawline and cheekbones so sharply defined that there had to be at least a bit of makeup involved. The snakebite piercing and the bar through the eyebrow really rounded out the whole look, especially with the long black coat, and the tattoos on the hand that rested on top of the box.

Very nice hands, Martin noted, then shrugged off the observation and funneled all his nervous energy into the safety of politeness.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’m Dr. Blackwood.”

They shook the hand he offered. “Gerry. Ke—Delano. Thanks for seeing me.”

“No trouble at all,” Martin replied, nodding toward the pet carrier. “I assume that’s my patient in there?”

“Oh, right, yeah—gimme a second.” Gerry Delano unlocked the carrier, then carefully reached in and lifted its occupant out onto onto the table.

“Oh, aren’t you lovely,” Martin murmured. “This is Sticks?”

“That’s him,” Gerry replied, as the small, fluffy, and perfectly black rabbit stretched forward to give a spot on the table a sniff, then retreated back into a loaf shape. Gerry stroked him gently. “Least I think it’s a him.”

“Well, let’s see, then.” Martin reached out, careful not to spook his new patient, and started examining her. He—yes, he—handled it all about as calmly as a nervous rabbit could. Martin didn’t have to grab a towel, at least, nor did he have a repeat of the time a nervous lop tried to jump off the examination table entirely. Sticks tolerated all the poking, prodding, and manhandling, and only got wriggly once before a quick pause and readjustment calmed him back down.

“So how long have you had him?” Martin asked, once he was done. Sticks immediately fled to the nearest safe haven, which turned out to be his owner’s armpit.

“Less than a week, since Monday,” Gerry replied, petting him as he attempted to burrow deeper into his jacket.

“Well, he’s a touch underweight,” Martin told him. “There’s some information I can give you on rabbit care, if this is your first time owning one. He’s not neutered, is he?”

“Probably not,” Gerry replied, grimacing. “I don’t know much about his history. I took him off an acquaintance who got him as a present and wasn’t doing a very good job of things.”

Martin pulled a face. “Pets make poor presents, yeah. Well, he’s old enough to be fixed, and with history like that he probably hasn’t gotten the shots he needs. After we’re done here, you can talk to Rosie out front, schedule another appointment to get those done. What do you feed him?”

Gerry, as Martin discovered, was an absolutely model rabbit owner. He’d done his homework, read up on how to keep a rabbit happy and healthy, and hadn’t scrimped on expenses. It was no wonder Sticks was happy to hide under his arm for the remainder of the appointment; he had a good home with good food and toys and what sounded like a nice setup, habitat-wise.

“What sort of vegetables are good for him?” they asked at one point. “I’m thinking of growing some. I’ve got the space, but I’ve heard too much causes problems?”

They want to grow vegetables for their pet rabbit, Martin thought, a little dreamily. “Leafy greens are a safe bet,” he replied out loud. “Romaine, parsley, cilantro, kale, that sort of thing. Work them in slowly if he’s not used to them, and he’ll be fine. I can give you a list, if you’d like?”

When the appointment was done, a future one scheduled, and the patient safely back in his carrier, Martin finally let himself ask the question that had been on his mind.

“So, is there a special meaning to ‘Sticks’?” he asked. “Is it short for something, or does he like to play with them, or…?”

“What?” Gerry looked confused for a moment, before the question seemed to click. “Oh, no, not Sticks like—he’s Styx as in the river.”

“Oh! Styx, of course. Sorry, I just—I heard it, but I didn’t see it written down—”

Gerry’s grin was crooked, like they were trying to hold it back but only partially succeeding. “It’s fine. And thanks for everything.”

“Oh, no problem, you’re doing great,” Martin assured him, smiling back. “He’s lucky to have you.”

He was pleasantly baffled when a bit of color crept into Gerry’s face. “Right, well, who can resist a bunny.”

“You’d be surprised,” Martin said as he showed him out of the room. “If I get one more new rabbit owner telling me about their lovely outdoor hutch—”

Gerry looked scandalized at the thought as he left, which was another point in his favor.

“What’s that look for?” Tim asked as Martin passed him on the way back to the office. “Oh dear. Don’t tell me Jon has competition again?”

“Oh my God, Tim, give that a rest. There was never any competition!”

“Yeah, Tim, keep it straight, will you?” Sasha called out from the temporary puppy pen. “Oliver wasn’t competition. Martin was jealous of him, remember?”

“Nothing straight about it,” Tim shot back.

“I have payroll to do,” Martin reminded them primly. “You trust me with our finances and then you treat me like this. How dare you. I’m defrauding both of you, see if I don’t.”

***

It wasn’t that Martin fell in love easily, per se. It was just that he had a very specific set of standards when it came to who he found attractive, and in his line of work he always ran into people who either met every single one of them, or disappointed him in every possible way.

When he stepped into examination room 4 and found Jon Sims trying to herd three kittens away from the edge of the examination table at once, he kept his deep sigh on the inside. Jon was batting a thousand, and he’d been coming around long enough for everyone in the clinic to know about it.

“Hello again, Jon,” Martin said, doing a wretched job of hiding his smile.

Jon looked up with a helpless expression. “It’s kitten season,” he said, and Martin poured all his sympathies into a more situation-appropriate sigh.

“It’s kitten season,” Martin agreed. “So, where did these little ones come from?”

“These came from the colony in Battersea,” he replied. “Well, sort of. The mother already has an owner, and said owner keeps letting her out every day, even though I’ve told her time and again there’s that unfixed tom I’ve never been able to catch—and that’s just the one I know of—”

Martin scowled as he examined one of the squirming kittens. Much easier to manhandle than rabbits, he thought, apropos of nothing. “Better than being born on the street, I suppose.”

“Small mercies,” Jon agreed. “Anyway, when the kittens were born she told me either I could take them or she was going to take them to the park and give them out for free, which really isn’t a choice at all. Poor things.” The ginger kitten in his hands squealed until he settled it more comfortably against his shoulder, where it calmed down and immediately tried to eat his hair.

“Gonna find a foster for them, then?” Martin asked.

“I don’t have much of a choice,” Jon sighed. “I’d do it myself, but—you know how Duchess is.”

“Yes. How is Duchess, by the way?”

“Cantankerous as ever. You don’t happen to have room, do you?”

“Room, yes. Time…” The black kitten was finished with her exam, and protested when she was put back in the carrier. “Did Sasha tell you about the puppies?”

“I haven’t seen Sasha today,” Jon replied, handing over the ginger kitten when Martin reached for it. “What puppies?”

“Rosie came in early this morning,” Martin informed him, wincing when the kitten bit hard on his thumb. “There was a box waiting by the door, with four puppies inside. No note or anything. So, that’s been fun.”

“I can imagine,” Jon said distastefully. “Are you serious? Someone just left a box of puppies on the doorstep? Like foundlings in a Dickens novel?”

Martin snorted before he could think better of it, startling the kitten into biting him again. Jon was the only person he’d ever met who would use a word like foundlings. “More or less. They are cute, though. Tim says his brother might be interested in taking one, and Sasha says she’s got friends who volunteer at a dog rescue. Retrievers usually aren’t too hard to adopt out.”

“Well, good luck to you. I suppose the season’s hard on everyone.”

The three kittens were in good health, which Martin was more or less expecting. Kittens tended to have a better chance when born in a home than out in the street—even in a less than responsible home. Between the two of them, Martin and Jon got them back into the battered old carrier, where they went back to wrestling each other in the blankets. Jon reached in to tickle one between the ears and got nipped for his troubles, but it only made him smile.

“Well, anyway,” Martin went on, realizing that he’d been staring long enough for it to be rude. “I don’t think you need any follow-up care instructions?”

Jon laughed quietly before closing the carrier. “No, I think I’m alright. Thank you, Martin.”

“It’s not problem. Always a pleasure.” Martin beamed. “Good luck on finding them a foster. And—catching that tom.”

“One of these days, I swear.”

Martin showed him back out to the front. Not necessary, considering how often Jon walked that hallway. But it felt nice to walk beside him, talking shop or chatting about nothing, all to the background tune of healthy, vocal kittens.

After waving Jon off, he turned back to find Sasha watching him from behind the front desk, chin in hand, the very picture of unimpressed.

“What,” said Martin.

“He’s been coming in for months,” she said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Are you going to make a move or not?”

“No I’m not going to—Sasha, he’s a client.”

“So? It’s not like you’re his doctor. There’s no conflict of interest or weird power dynamic when your role in his life is taking care of animals he brings in.” Sasha sat back, letting the swivel chair roll backward. “You’re already chatting like old friends every time you see him.”

“I know, I know, it’s just—it’s weird?” Martin shrugged helplessly. “We only ever meet during business hours, so it’s like—how much of our, our, our friendliness is just a working relationship?”

“Easy fix!” Sasha spread her hands wide. “The man works at a cat rescue! You can just swing by and say hello anytime!”

“He works there part-time, and I don’t know what hours! Not like I can just stand outside and case the place until I see him.”

At that moment, the door to the back swung open, and Tim poked his head out. “Could I get some help? Bailey’s giving me some trouble and I need an extra set of hands.”

“Be right there,” Martin replied. To Sasha, he said, “Look, I’m fine. It’s not a big deal, we’re just two people who keep meeting in very specific circumstances. And that’s all it needs to be.”

Sasha sighed. “I just think you’re making this out to be more complicated than it needs to be.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Martin muttered, and followed Tim into the back.

[bumbleartz]

So got inspired by @sondrawr and @gotham-mother-of-monsters and had this ramble pop into my head. Hadn't flipped through my Mercy books in a while so it was fun to go back and refresh. Covers from the first book up to Storm Cursed and has spoilers if you haven't gotten that far.

Jesse has heard the title Marrok on and off throughout her childhood. Usually the title is whispered between the wolves or her father in tones she isn't supposed to hear. These conversations always ended in her being hustled off to the care of her mother or after the divorce being sent off to her room. The first time it became more than a hushed precursor to her being shuffled off is after being taken hostage. Her father had pulled her into his office and given her a name to go with the title along with a number to enter into her phone. "He is the head of all the wolves. If something happens regarding pack business or you feel for some reason you can't get to any of us or Mercy you call that number." She'd dutifully filed the number away as instructed under Bran Cornick and promptly had the conversation fade to where she kept the rest of what was considered pack information. 

The first time she sees the Marrok is in the entryway way to the house in the middle of the night. She's too distracted by the fact her father is home safe to pay much attention to the others in the room as she is carefully wrapped into his arms. He looks like crap and smells worse even to her normal human nose. She can't bring herself to care as the tears she's fought so hard not to shed wet her eyes. When she unburies her face from her father's chest long enough to take note of the others there she's honestly too tired from the stressful nights of waiting to register anything beyond them being in one piece and alive. Later, after the first good night's sleep she's had in days, there will have been too many new faces for her to register who was who. The only one she can place a name to with any certainty is Charles. Mercy laughs and tells her Charles has that effect on people when she goes to see her later. 

The first time Jesse meets the Marrok is not long after on a midnight escapade to calm her nerves. Another nightmare has had her shooting awake and the images are still playing in full technicolor behind her lids each time she closes them. It's been almost a year since she was taken hostage and yet the blinding terror feels as fresh as ever. She'd turned down therapy when it was offered. What was she supposed to say? Yeah, some werewolf thought they could use me as leverage to make my dad behave so they could use him in some murder plot with a side of treason? She'd known how well that would have gone over. She'd thought they would fade over time. Maybe they would have if things had gone back to normal; a demon vampire threat, murder plotting psychos, and the attack on Mercy had happened instead. Jesse didn't bother adding the destruction of her social life and ongoing mom issues to the list since they just seemed to pale in comparison to the rest. Anymore Jesse found herself waiting for the next horror story. The most recent of which was currently causing all the wolves various fits. She currently wasn't clear which was bothering them more: one of their own being resurrected or Mercy being pulled into the pack. The kitchen light is on as she rounds the corner and she expects to see any number of people outside of the vaguely familiar stranger currently staring back at her. Somewhere between him asking her if she couldn't sleep and making the hot chocolate the same way Mercy does it dawns on her this person who looks barely older than her is the Marrok. Her tired brain tries to summon up the awe with a side of shock she should be feeling and fails miserably. Instead she finds herself nursing her mug of cocoa and making small talk while the Marrok takes drinks of his own. In the midst of the conversation he manages to get her to verbal vomit about her nightmares and the troubles she's been having at school. She manages to find out he has a deep dislike of Shakespeare, has a deep love for music, and possesses a terrifying wit. By the time she is making her way back to her room and he to the guest room she is feeling better then she has in months. He's already gone when she gets up leaving her without ever getting a chance to say thanks. While it isn't a big thing it bothers her just enough to pull her phone out and send a text to the number she'd all but forgotten. The simple thank you is accompanied with a YouTube link to her favorite Lindsey Stirling video. After all, Jesse views not knowing who she is and being a violinist as a crime. The little smiley face emoji she gets in reply makes her grin. 

The next time they meet she's the one providing the hot chocolate. The pack has managed to get themselves entangled with a fairy queen and Mercy has yet again made the sacrifice play. Everyone is chasing their proverbial tails trying to find her while remaining outside of her father's war path. In the meantime, Jesse feels she's improved in her chaos handling as she's only broken down twice. Apparently having your boyfriend kidnapped and going on to a fairy queen's court doesn't have the same punch as other things she has dealt with lately. When she sets the mug on the coffee table it's the wee hours of the morning and the Marrok has been seated cross legged on their monstrosity of a couch for the better part of a day. If she hadn't gotten to know him a little better over the previous months she would have felt she was intruding. However, Bran was not against using all available resources and she'd been pulled in regarding the newest resident of Aspen Creek. Kara and Jesse had clicked right off the bat and become faithful texting pals ever since. Bran rubs the bridge of his nose and blinks hard a few times despite his eyes having been closed before reaching for the mug. He looks beyond exhausted and she knows not all of it has to do with the current situation. Kara has confided in her about his lack of sleep and the way he's been running himself ragged. Jesse does her best to lighten the mood with a joke about the fairies contacting them any moment begging them to take Mercy back. Her effort is rewarded with an amused smirk and a quiet chuckle. She ends up rambling about different ways Mercy is driving the fairies nuts and is encouraged when Bran joins in. Jesse wakes to the noise of people rushing around. Bran is smiling and gripping a walking stick with a white knuckled grip from his spot on the couch when he tells her Mercy has been found.

Jesse is biting her lip to keep from laughing too loud as she informs everyone the butterflies have succeeded where the dove idea failed. Marji is cackling on the video feed in victory while Bran seems too amused to care he has just lost a hundred bucks. Two days pass in a blur of emergency calls and group texts. Despite the short time frame the wedding goes off without a hitch. Mercy is surprised and Jesse can't remember the last time her father looked so blissfully happy. Once the two love birds are off Jesse spends the rest of the reception twirling around the dance floor with Gabriel. The raised eyebrow this gets her from Bran makes her stick out her tongue. The fact Mercy comes back from the honeymoon in a wheelchair shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Jesse can picture Bran doing his iconic bridge pinch when she sends him the picture. 

Bran's text to Mercy makes Jesse's lips quirk in amusement. After the destruction of the Rabbit she could use the humor. That humor plummets when the number comes up disconnected when Mercy tries to reply. The knot of concern only tightens with each person Mercy tries and fails to reach. The pain of it becomes near unbearable when they find Ben and no one else. The pain doesn't start to ease until she recognizes the dark haired man fighting beside Tad. After months of having Asil tease her about her hair after seeing it during a video chat with Kara she'd know him anywhere. Seeing her father and the pack alive and well makes the knot come undone. At least it does until she realizes one is missing and hears of Peter's death. She knows how her father will take the loss and can't bring herself to add more weight to those already overburdened shoulders. So she turns her focus to looking after the younger Sandoval children and burying her feelings as deep as possible. This works until Asil catches up to her in the kitchen getting together snacks for the kids. All he has to do is ask if she's alright and she falls apart. Asil pulls her into a hug and gives reassurances in Spanish. Jesse doesn't understand a word but it soothes her all the same. He tells her everyone in Montana is safe and she sags in relief. When everything is over and she gets a new phone that has been programmed by Charles, Asil's number is listed in the contacts. 

Her mother has only been living with them for a day and Jesse wants to scream. She loves her mother but watching the resulting train wreck her mere presence is causing makes her wish she'd just leave them all alone. Even though her talk with Mercy has eased some of the hurt and anger, it hasn't gotten rid of it. Mostly because despite what Mercy said she can see the way her mother has gotten under her skin and cut her to the quick. Anger and the need for a voice of reason has her contacting Bran. Bran gently reminds her Mercy is more than capable of holding her own in a dominance dance. He must know this isn't what she was looking to hear because the next message contains Charles' number and instructions to text him. Jesse has no idea why Bran would have her talking to Charles but she copies and pastes the message she previously sent like instructed. Bran must have warned his son because Charles doesn't seem surprised to get the message. Charles turns out to be an unexpected fount of wisdom when it comes to the difficulty of broken family dynamics. It's odd how hearing from someone else that she is allowed to love her mother and yet not like her makes it feel OK. By the time her mother's stalker has been dealt with Jesse thinks she might finally be finding the path between love and hate. 

Jesse isn't a wolf, but she can still feel the moment Bran breaks ties with the Columbia Basin Pack. She doesn't wait for her father and Mercy to come out of the office. Tad seems to know something is up but doesn't say anything when she gives the excuse of homework and heads to her room. Her phone is a lead weight in her hand because what do you say to someone who just had to throw away someone they love? A part of her is angry too. Angry at the pain she knows this has caused Mercy and the difficulty it will cause her father. However, Jesse knows what it is like to be caught in a situation outside your control due to the actions of those you love. She types out a promise to do what she can for Mercy and to send a warning the instant something happens requiring help. She ends the text with a little heart emoji. Current circumstances might make it harder but family out ranked all else. Jesse already knew if something happened Bran would help. She's proven right when Baba Yaga saves her father in Underhill.

Jesse's proven right again when Bran goes with her father to get Mercy back from the Lord of Night. He sends her a message promising her he will bring Mercy and her father back in one piece. She replies telling him she knows. She also tells him to come back in one piece too or she's going to have to go all Buffy the Vampire Slayer. At this point she's gone to battle to protect her new pyro of an adopted younger brother and managed to keep him from burning the house to the ground. She's pretty sure she can at least annoy a vampire lord. The fact she'd have backup from an Italian mercenary, a Dark Smith and more than one werewolf pack was completely irrelevant. After all the one thing she knew for certain was you always looked out for your pack, your family. Which is why as soon as she hears everyone is returning from Italy in one piece she sends a message to Tad for him to tell his dad. She also makes sure Warren passes on the message to Stefan though he doesn't need reminding. She snaps a picture of everyone getting out of the car when it pulls up and sends it to Charles and Asil because she knows hearing someone you care about is safe is not the same as seeing it. And because he is family in her eyes at this point, after she hugs her father and Mercy, she hugs Bran too. 

[gothamsglam]

How Wonder-land-a-ful!

Transferring to SHIELD high did many things for Tony, one of them was reuniting him with James Rhodes. Just not how he wanted to.

Ever After High/Marvel Fusion. Ironhusbands, of course. (You don't have to know much about Ever After High to read this, think just some fairy tale AU and you'll be fine!)

AO3 LINK IN NOTES

I wanted to churn out one more story for the end of 2020, I thought something more silly would be a great way to end this uh year.

This idea has stuck with me for a while, and I finally wrote it.

Hope you enjoy!!!

~Vix

SHIELD High was so bland . Yes, it was grand of course, structured like the classically large fairy-tale castles of Ever After. The hallways were marble with lockers and vines lining the walls and trees and plants growing willy nilly around the school. Chandeliers hung from the high ceilings, and large arched windows showed off the beauty of the lands around them. In the distance, Tony swears he can see Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

But SHIELD high was just bland in comparison to home. To Wonderland . Not even the personalized dorms could make up for the fact that school was all year long— ew , who made that rule—instead of one day a year. Tony missed the nonsensical beauty of SI High, where the hallways ran instead of you, where you had to find the paintbrushes in passing period to paint the doors—free art credits!—, and the cafeteria that was switched with the auditorium.

But the castle-teria at SHIELD was just a long hall with rows and rows of marvel benches, pillars in the corners to honor the greek storylines and pay tribute to the last generation of Fairytale legends.

It was so boring. And just looking at it made Tony want to *poof* right there and then.

“Hi Tony,” Steve Rogers asked, coming behind him in the castle-teria, “Need a place to sit?”

Oh and this, this was another thing Tony wasn’t fond of. Transferring to SHIELD high meant he actually was walking among the children of fairy tale legend.  Disgusting.

Father was too fond of them, far too fond of them. Back when Wonderland and Ever After had many open portals between one another—back before the curse on Wonderland by the Evil Queen of the HYDRA family. Howard was an ambassador , the git.

Howard didn’t get the White Rabbit legacy as Tony did, no, Uncle Jarvis had. Howard was a part of the Wakandan court, one of many peace ambassadors to the other royal families, particularly the ones in Ever After. Oh, the tales Tony was told as a young bunny, of the Rogers Family’s legacy brought forth by the apple, of the Red Hooded Romanoffs, and the Rose pricked Wilsons.

Tony was glad he didn’t have to walk among them at SI High, he was content to only have to see them in the crowd at Legacy day. Tony was actually really excited for Legacy day, his own legacy wasn’t following his father, but rather his mother and Uncle Jarvis. Signing his page in the Storybook of Legends was a milestone Tony didn’t mind looking forward to.

However Tony also understood why James Barnes, heir to the Evil Queen, wouldn’t want to sign. To each their own, he supposes.

But ugh, SHIELD high had too many Princes, he hated it.

His nose twitching, Tony ducked away from Rogers—who was bigger, blonder, and oh the clocks was that a red crown on his stupid head? “Thanks, but no thanks, golden boy. I’ll just—uh—”

He looked out at the rows and rows of tables, at the heads of up-dos and flower pins, and the sea of gelled down curls and impeccable sleeves. Seriously how does no one have a stain on their shirt? It’s mud-loaf day!

There! Out in the crowd, a hand popped out waving him over, Tony grinned, popping up a bit and rushing away from the other guy, “See ya, Rogers!”

“Bye…?”

Resisting the urge to stick out his tongue, Tony padded away with swift steps, the click of his shoes drowned out by the noise of the castle-teria. Reaching the table in the back, he grinned at the sight of familiar friends.

He wasn’t the only one apart of the exchange program of course, in fact, he was the second wave of students, prepared by letters sent by the other students. Tony had his own assigned group of the next exchange student. A lovely little trio of kids. Peter would not stop asking about the royal classes offered at SHIELD and MJ was more interesting in the classes offered by Maria Hill. Tony wouldn’t know, of course, he switched out of those classes the second day after running into pig shit mid-chase. For a house on chicken legs, it was surprisingly very fast.

Virginia ‘Pepper’ Potts was donned in swirls of light peach and blue with subtle armor around her waist and shoulders. Her hair was curled, pinned away from her face in a half updo, with the rest falling around her and nearly touching the table as she leaned in to pat the now empty spot across from her.

“Tony!” She exclaimed, freckles dancing across her face as she broke out into a smile, “got lost?” She teased.

Tony blew a raspberry, “Pssht, no, How could I get lost here? Wonderland was more interesting, this place is just boring,” he waved, twirling his fork in his food.

T’challa laughed, the matte gold detailing on his black jacket catching the light beans from the windows, it covered his purple and black card-like patterned dress shirt “That’s what you think, Stark. But with everything looking the same, you’ll pass by the same five classrooms over and over without noticing.”

Tony also laughed, “True. Remember, how—when you missed the upside-down sidewalk outside of bio-mechanics—you could end up in fishing class because of the fountain step? Every time the freshmen would come in dripping halfway through class.”

“Oh, does everyone still call them fish?” Sharon asked, pulling out Earl the dormouse from her empty teacup. He hopped up her shoulder to hide in her mini top hat. Her suit jacket was draped over her shoulders—rather than it being on the bench—and her cream shirt had mini hats detailed, blending in with the folds as it was only a few shades darker.

“Classically,” Tony replied with a wink. They turned back to their conversations, gossiping about their peers such as Maximoff—from Cinderella’s line—who was enamored with Vision—from the hunter’s line. Scandalous.

Tony halfheartedly listened to the discussion but was really on the verge of nodding off. His roommate—Justin Hammer, stupid son of the Cheshire cat—kept playing pranks on him and ruining his things with paint bombs. He almost got a fairy fail in physics because his latest essay had swamp goop over it! He had to stay up rewriting it, which wouldn’t be a problem normally but he had stayed up trying to make weld a new type of gear for his pet project.

Tony must have dozed off for a bit, because when he blinked open his eyes, he was resting on his elbows, folded under some familiar fabric. Blinking blearily at the side of his tray, Tony sat up. Well, that’s embarrassing, so much for his reputation. Pushing a hand through his hair, he avoided glancing around and instead went to look at his lap and pull out his pocket watch. However, someone else reached out to poke his side, resulting in a leap and an ‘eep!’.

“Hey there, sleeping beauty!” Rhodey smirked at him, “I think you and Wilson were supposed to have each other’s destinies. That was some impression you were doing.”

Damn him, Damn it all. Of course , Tony would fall asleep right then and there, drooling over his arms in front of James Rhodes . Of course the first time he’d see the precious son of the Alice bloodline—after literal years in different worlds—would be when he’s conked out in front of his dripping mashed potato tray in the flipping Greek castle-teria. Unbelievable, Tony.

And Rhodes— Rhodey —has the literal audacity to sit there with a playful smirk on his face. Sit there in his v-neck— v-neck!!! —map patterned shirt that should make him look like a dork but he doesn’t , and a necklace that dips over his collarbone —and oh stars —his hair .

Tony really should say something, “Uh—Hi, honey bear?” His voice cracks, because of course, it does.

“Hi, Tones,” Rhodey replies with a smile, and it’s dazzling . Tony just might scream.

Everything is muted, he couldn’t tell you if Pepper and Sharon were still talking, if T’challa had left the table or if lunch was even over. It feels like, for a brief moment, there’s only Rhodey.

Rhodey, who’s turning around to address someone else. Tony also looks away, trying to keep his ears from burning up and turning red.

“Tony, were you drawing in your mash potatoes?” Rhodey looks over, pressing slightly against Tony to peer over at his tray.

Which prompts Tony to dart out and pull the tray towards him with a, “Nooooo?”

Rhodes looks back at him, raising an eyebrow, “Really?”

“Maybe~?”

That prompted a laugh out of him, gaining the attention of Pepper sitting a bit away from them. “Oh, Tony’s still doing that? I thought that was only a Wonderland thing.”

“Hey!” Tony wrinkled his nose and glared at her, silently grateful at the fact that pulled him out of mentally gaping like a fish at his best friend—are they even best friends anymore? Rhodey probably has like a billion of them at SHIELD. “I can do it anywhere. It’s called art.”

“You wouldn’t know art if it slapped you in the face.”

Tony opened his mouth, literally about to say, ‘I mean if Rhodey slapped me in the face I would say he’s art.’ before he’s stopped by the one jellybean of a brain cell in the back of his mind.

Well that and Rhodey’s “If anyone can bring wonder with them to SHIELD, it would be Tony.”

Which, oKAY , Tony needs to stop exploding inwardly and actually say something, “Um, speaking of wonder, does anyone know anything about that one well myth?”

“The well of wonder?” Sharon asked, polling her hand from her mouth where she was probably stifling giggles, which rude, ok.

T’challa also answered, “I believe I might be of help. Why are you asking Tony?”

Tony darted a look at Rhodey—he can’t see his face because he’s looking at T’challa, but he swears that under the table his fist clenches. Weird—before looking at T’challa, “It’s a surprise,” He winked.

And it was! But for Rhodey. He was supposed to have it done pre-meeting him at lunch, but thanks to Hammer he missed his mental deadlines. It wasn’t like he had sought out Natasha Romanoff beforehand to ask about James’ schedule so he could know when they had lunch together or anything, absolutely not.

See—back when in Wonderland—, Tony and Rhodey would galavant about, exploring the lands and falling down many rabbit holes, quite literally. Tony remembers how in his workshop, Rhodey would always love seeing Tony design the swords and spears for the Wonderland card-guards—the Dora Milaje. However what Tony specialized in was watch-making, specifically enchanted watches. Watches with personality, with faces that weren’t just hands and numbers or mini mirror-pods, but near people like. Pixel-faires born of Tony’s creation. DUM-E was his first.

‘You’ was meant for Rhodey, he’d been making them ever since he heard he was chosen for the second era of exchange students. It really shouldn’t have taken so long, but without the wonder of Wonderland and his workshop, it was harder.

So when he heard about the well of wonder, the last remain flow between the two worlds, he knew he had to find it. Too bad it disappeared every night, popping up all over Ever After.

“It would be best to go with someone Tony,” Sharon said, “The well likes to frequent the forest.”

“I could go with you!” Rhodey exclaimed, well not exclaimed, that was just Tony projecting. Mostly... Maybe? No, probably.

“Really?” Tony asked, “You don’t—?”

“It’s my free period anyway," Rhodey shrugged, “Besides you’re already using my jacket, so now you can wear it in the forest too!”

“I—” Tony looks back at the table, and oh.

Oh , that’s what he was sleeping on.

T’challa mentioned stopping by their—his and Rhodey’s—dorm so they can get directions. There’s more regaling of the well, and mentions of seeing Bruce Banner and Thor frequenting the area, which ooo? But all Tony really remembers is seeing Rhodey reaching over, draping his jacket over Tony’s shoulder.

“It’s a date,” Rhodey grinned with a dazzling smile.

~FIN~

So do you like who is who? I didn't recast everyone, but I might continue this AU so maybe I will later down the line! Please let me know what you think in the comments and leave a kudo too! Love you all!!!

[fangirlbase]

The Howl of the Moon - Remus Lupin

Summary:

After a terrible accident in the battle at the Ministry in 1995, Hermione Granger wins a one-way ticket to the past. Unable to go back to his time, his only chance for survival is to adapt to the late 70s and get on with his life, interfering as little as possible so that the future does not fall apart.

However, everything goes downhill when Remus John Lupine starts to notice too much the new girl who clearly wanted to go unnoticed by Hogwarts.

Chapters: Prolog | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven

Warnings: matureSummary:After a terrible accident in the battle at the Ministry in 1995, Hermione Granger wins a one-way ticket to the past. Unable to go back to his time, his only chance for survival is to adapt to the late 70s and get on with his life, interfering as little as possible so that the future does not fall apart.However, everything goes downhill when Remus John Lupine starts to notice too much the new girl who clearly wanted to go unnoticed by Hogwarts.Chapters: Prolog | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | SevenWarnings: mature

                                         5.The one of the fight

- Come on, Remus! It's no problem for you to spend Easter at home! - Peter offered just before they boarded the express for the holiday.

- I would be a nuisance, Rabbit. Your parents wouldn't know about my arrival, and I haven't even told my parents about the change of plans.

- But if you thought it best not to come back this year...

- I'll be fine, Pete. It's not even close to the moon, it's just a few days. - Remus calmed his friend, saying good-bye to the rest of the group, and as usual Sirius would spend the holiday with the Potters, after all he had been practically adopted by Euphemia.

That hadn't been a lie at all. His parents were really going through a fight at the moment-and he didn't want to go into an environment where they were at war-but the decision to stay in school had been his alone. He knew that Jean would stay in school, and since she didn't have any other friends he thought it was a good idea to stay and keep her company.

I mean, at least he had thought about it, since Jean didn't seem to be that interested in his company. She had unfortunately found another poor soul to disturb-or at least that was how Severe Snape liked to grumble about her company. Since the day the girl had helped him with his transfiguration work, time and again they had met and studied together in the library - not together, together, but in the sense of coexisting at the same table, with occasional exchanges of words where they would clear up a question or two with each other.

That was the most Snape could allow himself to do considering the amount of eyes around, after all, he was a sonserine and proud of it, but he also had to consider the presence of his housemates - not that his fellow diners would attack her just for asking a question, but they would make the Griffin girl's life a living hell if they wanted to (as hellish as Sirius Black calling her out daily) and he didn't want that for her, after all she was even tolerable. After all, Severe Prince Snape had acquired a mild sympathy for Jean Granger to the point that he wanted her to have peace during her years as a student - and of course even sporadically study with him.

"Only Griffin girl who has a bit of brain matter" - he had muttered one day, eliciting a low chuckle from her, as well as a small smile of his own.

Remus did not share the same hatred for Snape that Sirius and James had. To tell the truth, he was perhaps at the same level of dislike that Peter had for the sonserine, which was nil. He honestly had nothing against Snape, he just thought he was snotty, but this whole situation of comp-dividing Jean's attention was irritating Moony, at least that's what Remus was telling himself, that it was his wolf side that was really bothering him and not him per se, not completely, maybe a part of it?

Truth be told, since Remus had witnessed the whole Severo-Lillian situation (two years earlier) he felt duty-bound to spare Jean from going through any situation merely similar to the one starring the sonserine. She didn't deserve to be called names or anything like that! So, in Lupin's eyes, Snape was far from being someone to be trusted, especially considering the other friendships he maintained when he was away from the girl.

Thus, unconsciously, Remus had taken it upon himself to be the "knight in shining armor" for Jean, not that he needed to or much less that she would accept it if she knew what the boy was thinking, but in any case for him to protect her from the evil sonserines he needed to find her first. Come on, it was almost eleven o'clock in the morning on a Thursday, where could the witch be?

The common room? No.

Great Hall? No.

Astronomy tower? No.

Library? No.

Black lake? No.

Whomping Willow? Yes.

Yes!?

What the hell was Jean doing there? Was it really her? Forcing his eyes open, Remus saw a figure sitting in the line just before the range of the Whomping Willow, staring up at the tree with a lost expression on her face. Approaching without any care, Remus could not hold his curiosity as he sat down next to her.

- Why are you alone here?

- The castle is almost empty, I would be alone anywhere else.

- But why here?

- I woke up in a mood for fights, and since we don't have an active dueling club at school, I thought that watching the willow fight with the air would be a good substitute.

- Wouldn't that be hurting any tree protection rights? - Remus amused.

- I'm not the one hurting or attacking the tree, I'm just here as a spectator! - Hermione defended herself. - By the way, in all your time here, have you by any chance ever seen it treated by a gardener? - Hermione pondered, remembering when the Weasley's car had crashed into her in her second year.

Professor Snape had gone to a lot of trouble to get the bodywork back that night, along with Madame Hootch and Pomona Sproutch.

- I think only a couple of times... Did you know that she was almost killed once?

- Hit by a car? - She joked.

- What?

- I mean, I guess it takes an accident like that to almost kill a tree that fights with anyone who comes near it!

- Actually, it was just a very intense winter. He even kept a scarf wrapped around his trunk, out of respect.

Hermione bent her body to the side, leaning her head briefly on Remus' right shoulder, imagining the situation - but as she giggled from imagining the willow tree with a thermometer in its knot measuring its temperature, Remus froze. Wide-eyed, his breath caught in his throat. Was she really lying on his shoulder?!

Looking away, he could see that yes, she was. Should he move? Should he sigh? At least breathe again!

But with his breathing, came along Jean's scent, penetrating through his entire respiratory and cardiac system, making a....

"Yummy..." - Nosy Stupid as always allowed himself to pay attention to the conversation.

Oh my! He had stopped himself for a second before sticking his nose into the short hair of the girl next to him!

"Get a grip, SLOUTY" - Remus scolded the wolf, hearing a snort in response.

- Sorry. - Hermione realized where she was, pulling away immediately.

- No problem. - Remus replied, blushing.

- If you don't mind my asking, why did you stay here?

- Did you think I was going to leave you alone with that snotty guy? - Remus was amused, but when he saw Jean's closed expression, he realized that jokes didn't work on her. - Besides.... I didn't want to go home. My parents... They're fighting, and I didn't want to be in the middle of it all just when... I feel guilty about everything.

- Guilty, Lupin?

- I said, you can call me by my first name. - He gave a half smile.

- I like your last name, it's nice.

"Just the last name?" Moony took offense.

"With the scars you left me no one will ever think I'm handsome, you idiot."

"I a comma, you who did this to yourself trying to suppress me!"

- Caham - he huffed, focusing again on the conversation and not on his mental monologue with his other animal part - They fight a lot because of me, so I prefer not to be around, so as not to cause or feel pain.

- Nothing is your fault, Remus. - Hermione looked deep into his eyes, holding up her hands on impulse.

She hated the feeling of guilt she knew he always carried. He was a child, damn it! If there was one guilty party in that story, it was Greyback!

Remus just stared in shock at her joined hands. God, would she ever stop surprising him?! Hermione realized what she had done, but when she tried to pull her hands back, she felt him hold them tightly, preventing the movement. But Lupin had nothing to add to the conversation, he just wanted to feel the comforting touch in her hands some more, with the cool breeze hitting his face, bringing along with it Jean's scent and calming him in unthinkable ways.

He was letting someone else - and more specifically, a girl - touch him, and enjoying it.

* * *

- I didn't know your favorite chocolate, but I thought you might like this one. - Hermione passed the candy to Snape as if it were contraband when they bumped into each other in the hallway on Sunday.

- Chocolate with mint? - Severus looked at her strangely, stopping in his tracks to pay attention to her.

- Yeah, not sour, but weird enough to give you a reason to frown. - She joked, receiving a cold stare from him.

- Is this some kind of joke?

- It's not cursed, it's an Easter present, that's all!

Suspicious, Snape opened the package and broke off two pieces, handing one to her first, informing her that she would be his guinea pig. Rolling her eyes, Hermione put the candy in her mouth, making a face, being followed by him.

Who, instead of grimacing, smiled.

- It looks like I swallowed a tube of toothpaste!

- And you're happy about that?!

- It's a two-in-one chocolate, Granger! You eat it and brush your teeth in the process.

- Was that a joke?

- It was just a thank you, that's all. - He closed his expression again, but gave her the slightest smile before walking back towards the dungeon.

Just the fact that he could see she was running from those stupid Marauders and preferred to spend her time with him was a good softener for his ego.

And just as quickly as they had met, the two of them parted, each to their own corner. There were not supposed to be more than fifteen people in the school during that holiday, so that supervising the students became much easier - and gossip-worthy among the faculty, that is.

Minerva McGonagall stood at the end of the corridor, keeping an eye on her pupil. Not that she was curious, but she had already noticed that Mr. Lupin was no longer the only one the griffin girl interacted with, as now more recently Mr. Snape had become a constant in the girl's daily life. Of course Minerva as teacher and tutor was happy that little by little Jean was opening up to the reality she found herself and was making new friends, or perhaps more than friends. Was there something going on between Remus and Jean for their estrangement? The incorrigible romantic part of her wanted very much to believe so - even more so with it being a love triangle! Lupin and Snape would excuse her, but the thrill of a love story between quarrels and declarations had always attracted her, but since it wasn't her place to get involved, she could only observe Jean, and once in a while interfere, just like now.

- Jean, dear, are you all right? - Minerva intercepted her as she passed by.

- Yes, Professor. Is something wrong?

- Just checking.  As head teacher of Griffin, I can't go out on holidays, unless no one from my house is staying.

- But at Christmas some people stayed...

- That was a separate situation. Principal Dumbledore took over the supervision of our house and gave me a leave of absence. Anyway, is everything all right?

- Yes, yes. I didn't used to celebrate Easter so much before, so it's just... another Sunday. A Sunday with chocolate. - Hermione gave a half smile.

- If you need to talk, you know where my room is.

- But talk about what?

- Just about anything. - And with a wink, Minerva left.

Which meant nothing to Hermione, who thought her tutor had a nervous tic in her eyes.

____________

On holidays like this one, where only a small number of students remained at school, Dumbledore usually abolished the house system and unified everyone at a single table - and this Sunday dinner was no different. However, not everyone was comfortable with the situation, preferring to stay away from each other.

- Do you mind if I sit here? - Remus asked, already sitting next to Jean.

- Would it make any difference if I said no? - Jean asked with a smile.

- Not much. - He returned it with another, setting the alert for the gossips on duty. - I haven't seen you all day.

- I was out and about, nothing very special. Have you looked for me? Do you need anything? I thought we were only going to go over the lesson plan for the tutorial on Tuesday.

- Actually, there's not much to do on holidays around here. - He shrugged. - Sirius, James and Peter aren't here and I'm already ahead of schedule with all my assignments.

- So I'm only your third choice for company? I'm disappointed, Mr. Lupin. I thought we were friends. - You teased.

- I would say fourth, since I only looked for you now in the evening and not in the afternoon.

Neither of them had noticed when the flirting had begun, but if you were to bet, it was more of a flirting situation - just like Sirius with anyone, or James with Lily at the beginning of his romantic pursuit of the redhead.

- You've been reading all afternoon, haven't you? That's why you only remembered me now.

- Studying is quite different from reading. - He shrugged.

"I think you spend too much time with boys.

- By the way, since you reminded me. I think we could take the opportunity to discuss some of the monitoring stuff later in the communal hall. - Remus couldn't help himself.

- Do we have to?

- For some reason people in my year prefer your mentoring to mine.

- I didn't realize this, but if you say so.

Their conversation was interrupted by the dinner in front of them, occupying them for the next twenty minutes. Contrary to what Sirius had said months before, Hermione didn't murder the chicken thigh with her hands, she ate it delicately even - but she had no reason to be upset and take it out on the chicken.

As the two of them got up together, one or two gossiping professors exchanged galleons of a bet not at all worthy of educators. As they passed the stairs, they had to wait five minutes until they decided to return to their original position, giving them permission to go up towards the tower, in the meantime they talked quietly as if the whole scene created by Evans had never happened and had shaken their friendship. Once in the communal hall, Remus sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace, waiting for Jean to sit down on the couch next to him.

- You know, not that many people go to the monitorship.

- But of all the three who went, two went to you.

- In contrast, the four below in seventh grade ignored me and asked you for help, and I'm not complaining about that.

The truth was that most of the people who went to talk to him were only because it was the only possibility and opening he gave them to approach him.

- Probably because they think you will jinx them. - Remus commented, pulling a chocolate bar from his coat pocket.

- And why would I do that? - Jean asked, taking the chocolate he offered her.

- You're not one of the more sociable ones, you know. - He looked at her as he bit into the candy.

- Neither are you.

- But you're different. I've been here for seven years, you've just arrived, and you still have that frown on your face. That's scary, you know?

- At least the person I wanted to scare the most, the one I wanted to scare the most, the bridge of running away with my tail between my legs, is still giving me a hard time.

- Sirius?

- That's right. How do you manage to hang out with him without going crazy? Worse, how can you eat so much chocolate and still have this body?

- This body? - He was surprised.

- Come on, don't play dumb! You don't seem to know how you... Yeah!

"She likes what she sees...?" - Moony found it strange.

- My metabolism is fast, that's all. - He shrugged trying to hide that he was slightly embarrassed both by her noticing him and by the unnecessary comment from the wolf that divided his body and clearly was the reason he kept stuffing himself with candy and never gained an ounce more.

'You're welcome.' - The wolf had the nerve to say thank you.

- Well, mine is too, and if I don't control myself, I'll win very quickly.

- I don't think... I think you're fine the way you are, it's just your hair that I have my disagreements with, but you already know that. - Remus said without thinking, stuffing a giant piece of chocolate into his mouth to keep himself occupied.

- Was that a compliment? - Hermione was amused.

- I only returned what you said before, but I really preferred your long curls.

- Thank you, Hermione. For the compliment and well... for liking my curls.

* * *

As fast as it came, the easter holiday was over, and as far as our couple "friends" were concerned it was as if all the misunderstanding of Valentine's Day hadn't happened, Hermione and Remus went back to talking quietly, exchanging books of common interest, preparing the tutoring classes and when they didn't study together it was because Remus was with the Rascals while Jean was in the library with a certain sonserino.

Saturday had arrived once again and naturally the morning was busy with the various groups of students coming and going from their tour of Hogsmeade! Hermione had left early, intending to buy some new feathers, since hers had mysteriously appeared enchanted the previous afternoon, just writing...

"Sirius Black is a handsome fellow"

"Sirius Black is calling you to go out next weekend"

"My dream is to go out with Sirius Black"

"Why does the pretty girl pay attention to nerdy Lupin and not Sirius Black?"

She had to admit, Sirius had style - he even managed to get a smile out of her with that tactic (followed by a celebration a la Pele and Galvão Bueno at the 1998 World Cup final when the older man noticed her smile in the communal room). But although she found the gesture funny, Hermione couldn't hand in her assignments with those sayings - how funny would it be for Professor Binns to receive an essay with only invitations to leave Sirius?

Making sure to leave her feather case well away from the naughty ones, Hermione slipped into the local bookstore, spending the next fifty minutes lost in thought, just perusing the new titles.

- Why isn't it a surprise to find you here? - Snape blinked as he pulled a book from the shelf and bumped into her.

- Probably because this is my natural habitat.

- A complete library pussy. - He replied in a sour voice, causing Hermione to look strangely at him, only to see Malfoy walking past them.

Which meant nothing, since he was more interested in wooing Narcisa Black than anything else.

- Since you insist on it... -Hermione shrugged, ignoring the sonserino, if he wanted to be her friend away from the eyes of others she wouldn't mind, it wasn't anyone's "dirty little secret"!

-Problems? - A third voice chimed in beside her.

Remus and Peter had arrived a few minutes ago only to hear the slight cursing.

- Why would I? - she wondered. Okay, Snape's tone when he called her a "Library rat" was anything but cordial, but she was a library rat and proud of it, so she would let herself be taken aback.

- Isn't that snotty guy bothering you? - Peter, who was not even in the bookstore of his own volition, made himself present, holding up his nose.

Oh, he hadn't done that.... Until then Hermione had treated him as politely as she would any other student at school, she kept reminding herself that he was still a normal person, a good friend of the rascals who hadn't yet betrayed them like the real rat he was. But calling Snape by that ridiculous nickname for no reason had given her every possible reason to disdain him, at least for the moment.

But she remembered that Remus had also called Severus that.

Gee, this floor is dirty, isn't it? You'd better give it a good wipe, that's for sure.

- Sorry, what?

- Snot...

- I heard perfectly well what you said, I just don't understand what or who you're referring to.

- Snape. - Remus translated uncomfortably, realizing how annoyed the girl was now with them.

- If you want to refer to him, call him by his last name, not by unnecessary nicknames. And no, I haven't had anyone bothering me so far. - She pointed out, and the next second she saw Lily walk through the doorway, which caused both her and Snape, who was still in the next hallway, to shiver. - If you'll excuse me.

She quickly left, or rather fled, the establishment - Hermione intended to hide from the redhead as long as she could after all the misunderstanding on Valentine's Day. Not that she thought Lily was going to make any little jokes about her and Lupin or anything, but she wanted to avoid any uncomfortable talk about apologies or anything like that. Hermione knew that the older girl hadn't meant any harm, it was actually a big misunderstanding, but running away seemed much easier than facing the redhead who insisted that she should get out of her bubble and make friends with the other girls she shared the dorm with...

Remus, on the other hand, had misinterpreted the whole situation.  In his perception, Jean had left because she was really upset with the way he and Peter had treated Snape. That is, he who was already annoyed by Sirius' last attempt to get the girl's attention, was now infinitely more unhappy for having disappointed the witch. Come on, just when he thought he had succeeded in catching the attention of a pretty girl, Sirius went and tried and succeeded before him! Worse, even Snape had been defended by her! He was not happy about that at all.

"GO AFTER HER!" - Moony imposed his opinion, moving his legs and sending him after her.

He didn't have to walk very far, as soon as he left the bookstore leaving Peter with Lily and James he managed to spot her at the end of the street passing just followed her to .... House of Screams. Well, this was probably the first time he had seen her in the village, so it was only fair that she went there to see the famous haunted house... He just hoped she wouldn't be curious about the screams, since the person responsible (Him) had been trying to be noticed by her for a long time - he definitely didn't want it to be in the context of: "Hi, is I'm the reason people think the house is haunted because once a month I turn into a beast with claws and fangs that likes to howl at the moon." Ignoring his mental outburst he took a deep breath to build courage and ease the tension before getting the girl's attention.

- Is everything all right, Jean?

- Why wouldn't I be? - She didn't look at him.

- It's not like you to leave like that.

- If I had stayed, you would either have started a duel with Snape in the middle of the store, or Evans would have come to disturb me. Since I wanted neither, I left.

- Does she annoy you that much? - Remus didn't like the way he felt cringe at that idea.

- Doesn't she annoy you? It would be the same if you started pestering me that I was dating Snape, or worse, Malfoy. - She had been thinking about Draco at that moment, she admitted. I mean, not that she is this matchmaking or pushy person. I know she is a wonderful person, but she is trying very hard to get me to fit in with people and any sign of any interaction I have with any other student or pupil she turns into a huge happy thing

Every statement about a possible flirtation with Snape or Malfoy irritated Moony a little, so much so that Remus himself barely paid attention to the end of the girl's statement as he was trying to convince the wolf that eating snakes was not healthy at all.

- Can I ask you a question? - Hermione roused Remus from his bubble.

- He just did.

- What do you have against Snape?

- I have nothing against him, exactly..." She began to say, remembering not to call the boy a snot. - He is a sonserino who insists on mocking, even if not as openly as the other snakes, any Griffinian. And, well, after the whole situation with Lily in fifth year... I don't know if you know, but... In short, they were best friends until he said horrible things to her! So I can't tolerate guys like him on principle. Not to mention the company he keeps. It seems that I have a lot of things against him...

It wasn't as if Hermione had an answer for the situation, she herself knew how horrible it was to be called a bad blood, so it wasn't as if she could defend Snape in that sense. And the Griffinian-Sonserine implications were a rivalry as old as time, meaning both sides were wrong and unless someone decided to be an adult in the situation and put an end to those implications nothing would be solved. But soon her contemplative silence was interrupted when Remus turned to her.

- That's why I don't like him! - said the boy as if he had just discovered the real reason for his dislike of the Sonserine. - He hangs out with Avery, Mulciber, Malfoy, and Black, and if you haven't noticed, all of them are the offspring of dinosaurs!

- Sirius is also a Black and the son of a diner, and frankly I don't see either you or James becoming one. - Hermione let it slip, losing her color after the quick realization that she had left Peter out of her statement.

A fact that Remus, thank God, didn't notice.

- But they are diners, diners, Hermione! - Remus said his real name, low and exasperated. - The ones who destroyed your village, killed your parents and friends! The same ones who sent you here, made you need to change your name and... e.... cut your hair! - He spoke louder the last part, putting too much emphasis on his haircut than on everything else.

- It's just hair, Remus! - Hermione was already a little annoyed that he was insisting so much on this and wanted to divert the subject from anything about her "dead" parents or the attack of diners on her "village".

- Very nice hair! - His voice had come out a little huskier, with a golden glow quickly passing through his eyes.

"MOONY!" - Remus scolded the wolf, who was struggling to be heard since he had realized that all that arguing between Jean and her human part was certainly heading for a fight. Their first fight, by the way.

- Lupin, honestly... - Jean shook her head negatively, holding back from rolling her eyes. - If you're really going to give me a hard time about my friendship choices, I might as well do the same.

- What do you mean by that?

- You say I can't hang out with Snape because of what he's done to Lily in the past and because he's friends with "proto" dinosaurs, but you forget that you're not in a good situation yourself. If you really want me to stay away from Snape, I'll do it.

The smile began to grow on Remus' face, only to be interrupted with a

- But only if you stay away from James. - She would have liked to include Sirius in the speech by mentioning when the boy had set Severus up to go to the screaming house on a full moon where he could have died! But in theory she didn't know that so she wouldn't say anything.

- What? What does this have to do with anything?

-You complain so much about him calling Lily a Bad Blood, but you forget that he only did that after being hung upside down with no pants in the middle of the garden! By the way, why didn't you stop them?! You can't dislike people to the point of being irrelevant in matters like that!

- He told you...

- It wasn't only you who tried hard to keep me away from someone potentially dangerous. - he joked.

Remus took a deep breath, processing all of this. He couldn't, he just couldn't do that for just one girl, even if she was the most amazing, intelligent, beautiful girl he had ever met. James was his brother, the one who knew his secret and wouldn't give up his friendship even if it meant befriending a monster.

- I'm sorry, Granger. I can't do this.

- I know, that's exactly why I won't stay away from Snape either. They both made mistakes, but that doesn't mean they can't get a second chance and change for the better. James did it for Lily and I believe Snape just needs a little better friends. After all, as you pointed out, the company he keeps is dubious to say the least, but that doesn't mean he is evil. I'm not asking you to approach him and invite him over for tea, I'm just asking you not to worry about it.

- But I do worry about you! - he let slip, watching Jean's body tensing immediately. - I mean, you are my friend, and you are clearly associating with witches who will surely become the same as... those who took everything from you.

Indeed they would, but it would take them twenty years to do so.

- Remus, I'm not marrying him, just studying together. But if it worries you so much, I think you should start reviewing your list of friendships as soon as possible. - she said, turning her back to the boy.

Remus didn't know what to do when he saw her leave. He hated her disappointed tone, disappointed in him and his friends. And worse, he didn't know how to fix it, he couldn't just walk away from his best friends to defend his point of view, after all he himself knew that wasn't what Jean wanted when she forced the topic. But he also couldn't stop worrying about her and the risk she was taking by getting close to Snape and consequently other sonserinos who could be a real risk to her!

James' fights with Lily seemed much more fun, mainly because they were settled in the next second. Why couldn't his fight with Jean be the same way? He asked himself as he walked back to the village alone.

"It wouldn't be bad at all to get a reconciliation kiss" - Moony opined, remembering how James and Lily's fights were resolved.

Remus just laughed defeatedly, considering that lately the Wonder Couple's heated fights ended in a public spat, but Jean was just a friend?

No, she was definitely more than that! She was his best friend! And maybe... Anyway, he just wanted to work it out with her as soon as possible.

They needed to work it out!

[formeandmyfics]

More Than You Know (Part I)

JUGENEA FAN FICTION

warning: sex, language, minor drug use

(PHOTO EDIT @ohmygarlands​)

August 1951

Judy stormed out of the master bedroom slamming the door shut behind her. "For heaven's sake," she hissed as she head down the stairs and rounded the corner heading towards the back of the house.

Gene opened the bedroom door looking pissed and shouted from the banister, "Am I going or what?!" When there was silence he shouted her name, "JUDY?!" His response back was an echo of the kitchen patio doors slamming shut.

"Acting like a brat," he mumbled heading back into the bedroom, "like a little fucking baby."

Out in the backyard, Judy was packing a carton of cigarettes against her palm when Gene opened the balcony doors to their bedroom on the 2nd floor and looked down at her. When she looked up at him, he held his arms out wide as if saying 'Uh, hello.' Judy placed a cigarette between her lips and mocked him, just the same.

He pointed at her about to yell but quickly stopped himself. He exhaled roughly through his nose and ran a hand through his hair keeping calm before turning back to her. "I'm meeting up with the guys," he said as more of a statement this time, instead of asking her again.

"I told you, I don't give a shit," she said, the cigarette dangling from her lips as she searched her pockets for a lighter.

"Fine then. Here," he said and threw his expensive lighter down at her. It was a silver-plated, flip-lighter monogrammed with his initials on it that Judy had gotten him as a gift during their wrap party for The Pirate.

Judy barely had enough time to react as she caught it, a bit startled at the force of it. When he slammed their balcony doors shut behind him, Judy lit her cigarette and threw the lighter behind her, landing in the bushes.

"Harry and Jo having a brawl?"

Judy exhaled her smoke as new neighbor, and girlfriend, Lauren Bacall walked into the backyard from their connecting fence gate.

"Yeah," she replied and sat on the edge of the trampoline that Gene had built for Kerry and Liza.

"Can I bum a smoke," the blonde asked scooting onto the trampoline next to her.

"Sure. But if you need a lighter, better go find a flashlight. I threw my lighter somewhere back there."

"I saw," Lauren giggled and took a smoke then took out her own lighter. "What are you two fighting about?"

"What aren't we fighting about, Betty."

"Why," Lauren asked surprised, "You two are finally free to be together, you just got this house, Gene's on the top of the Box Office at work, you're on top the world with your new concert career...you shouldn't be fighting. You should be swinging from the god-damn chandeliers."

Judy laughed, "We've been swinging from the chandeliers together for years. We've done that bit."

"Darling, just because you're playing house now doesn't mean it has to stop."

"I know, and it won't stop, but right now we're just so damn irritated with one another. It's been like that since we got back to LA."

"It's probably just stress. You've been traveling around Europe with your concerts, Gene's been flying back and forth while doing post-production for his film. You're both just having a burn-out. And instead of relaxing together you're both lashing out."

Judy nodded agreeing, "You're probably right."

"When do you go to New York to start planning for your Palace show?"

"I’ve been planning it here. We start rehearsals next month. October 1st I’ll be in New York to start rehearsing on the stage.”

“How long will you be in New York, about 6 weeks?”

“Yes, unless they extend the show. We’ll see what happens.”

“Where are you going to stay?”

“I think I’ll just be at the Ritz while rehearsing and then probably sub-let an apartment in Kay’s apartment building for the rest of the stay.”

"Is Gene going to be traveling back and forth?” Judy nodded, “Then I suggest you two put the bullshit aside and act like rabbits before you're separated again."

Judy laughed and shook her head, "We don't have to put the bullshit aside to do that. Sometimes it makes it even better."

"Oooo," Lauren said seductively.

"Unfortunately, we're both stubborn as hell, I admit that, so we don't just sweep it under the rug easily."

"Well, you better before this weekend."

"Why, what's this weekend?"

"Lawford and I were chatting and he said that he's going to invite some of us to his lake house in Palm Springs. Kind of an, end-of-summer mini vacation."

"Kids or no kids?"

"No kids. Adults only. My husband can't go, but it'll probably be us and Frank and Richie and Junie."

"Frank and..," Judy mentioned with a cautious tone.

Lauren immediately shook her head, "I don't think so. She's shooting a film as we speak. Will you go, it's not too long of a drive. It'll be fun."

"I'd love to just lay on his boat out there on the lake, but I can't promise anything yet. I'll have to talk to Gene about it."

"Make him say yes. You know, with much persuasion."

"With the way his attitude's been, I'm not doing any 'persuading'. He don't deserve it."

"Maybe that's why his attitude is so bad. He ain't gettin' any," Lauren teased and hopped off the trampoline, "See ya later, doll."

"Goodnight, darling."

It was going on 10:30 in the morning when the door to the guest bedroom opened. Gene had his arm bent over his face covering his eyes from the bright sunshine but he looked over at the doorway when he heard the door open. Judy, in a terry robe, sighed and gave him an all-knowing look.

“Wipe that smile off your face, soldier,” he said mimicking a drill soldier.

She walked over to him, “What time did you get in?”

“A little after 2. Didn’t want to wake you.”

He was a little surprised when she got onto the bed next to him and immediately laid her head on his chest. “Does this mean we’ve made up,” he teased swooping an arm around her.

“No, but I still love you.”

“I love you, too,” he replied kissing the top of her hair, “Are you still mad at me?”

“I’m not mad, but I’m not happy.”

“When why are you being so cuddly?” He quickly broke out in a smile, “Morning sex?”

He moved to roll her over but she placed her hands on his chest and sat up, “No, don’t even think about it.”

“Then what,” he said getting a little irritated again.

“Nothing,” she whined in a cute voice.

“Oh, it’s something. The only time you want to lay with me when you’re mad is if you want sex or…” off her look he sighed, “Alright, what do you want?”

She cut straight to the chase, “Well, Lauren was talking and said that Peter wants to get some of us together at his lake house for a mini vacation.”

“In Palm Springs?”

“Yeah.”

“When?”

“This weekend.”

“Are the kids going?”

“No.”

“Not our kids, I mean, everyone else’s kids.”

“She said no.”

He kept on, “Because if we’re going on a last minute vacation, as much as I love all the kiddos, right now I just want to relax without a dozen kids running around.”

“Gene, she told me adults only.”

“Who’s all going?”

“Us, Betty, Frank and Richie and Junie I think.” When he didn’t respond, she continued, “We’ll all have fun together at the house…doesn’t that sound like a good idea?”

“It’s not a bad idea.”

“I really would like you to go, but if you don’t, I think I’d go anyways.”

“Oh, you would?”

“Darling, I want to go to the lake with my friends away from Los Angeles. I can go on the boat and maybe play some golf.”

“It does sound relaxing.”

“Sure it does.”

“Ya, let’s do it.”

“Good. Besides, Lauren did say she also thinks it’ll be good for us.”

“How so?”

“She heard us fighting last night.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

She ignored his request, “And I didn’t appreciate you throwing your lighter at me like that.”

“I’m sorry. Give it back.”

“Can’t.”

“Why?”

“I threw it somewhere outside last night. No idea where it landed.”

“Jesus, Judy. I really loved that lighter.”

“I’ll get you a new one - with a new inscription,” she said as she slapped his knee and got up.

“I don’t even want to know what it’d say,” he teased back.

“Two words,” she giggled and walked out shutting the door behind her. 

It was a gorgeous, Friday afternoon as Judy and Gene drove his new Chevy Bel Air convertible the few hours east to Palm Springs. The first hour, Gene drove, then Judy switched when they got gas, as she actually loved driving. Now they were only five minutes down the road and Judy couldn’t wait to get there. Both of their demeanor had changed with each other. Except for Gene getting impatient and screaming, “Let’s Go!” as she already made them late on the road, they actually were quite affectionate during the drive. They held hands, snuck a few kisses in and sang together to the radio. Glancing in the rear view mirror, Judy noticed another fancy car speeding up quite fast to them. When they got on her tail, they started honking. “What in the sam hell…” Gene glanced behind him, “Don’t do anything. Just let them pass.” When the car still didn’t pass, Gene turned around more and lowered his sunglasses. The blonde woman had her hair pulled back and sunglasses on but it was most definitely a familiar face. “Oh my God.” “What?” “It’s Lauren,” he said relaxing and turning back around in his seat. “What the heck is she doing,” Judy screeched. At the red light, Lauren pulled up beside them. She smiled and waved. “Hi.” Judy, with her head wrapped in a summer scarf, smiled back, “Hi.” “Hey, Gene, you actually trust Judy to handle your stick,” Lauren joked. Gene smiled wide, “Oh, yes, I do.” Judy slyly smiled and lowered her sunglasses provocatively, “I’m surprised Bogie let you take his car to Palm Springs.” “Always. I bet my husband’s stick is better than Gene’s,” Lauren joked with a pun. “I beg to differ, darling.” Gene chuckled and put his arm on the seat behind Judy’s back, “That’s my girl.” “Bet I’m faster,” Lauren quipped. “I bet you are,” Gene said and Judy hit the back of her hand to his chest. Lauren revved her engine and Judy raised an eyebrow before revving her own. “What are ya, doin’, Judy,” Gene warned. Judy looked at her him and pushed her sunglasses back up on her nose before looking back at the light. “Woman, you better not race my brand new car…” “Call me woman again and I’ll drive your brand-new car off a cliff.” When the light turned green, off Lauren went with wheel screeching but Judy took her time to press on the gas and they smoothly went through the intersection at the speed limit. "You're terrible," he chuckled.

"Please, you really think I'd do that?"

"Hell yes you would, but I just don't want you to do it in my new car. She's a little spit fire that one, ain't she?"

"She sure is."

Dick Powell, or Richie has his friends called him, was helping Lauren with her small suitcase when Judy pulled up behind them. She didn’t park until she was a mere few inches away from the back of Lauren’s bumper. When the couple got out, Lauren looked at the space between their cars, “You are so lucky. If you were any closer, I’d have to kick your ass.” “You can try,” Gene said opening their trunk, “She might be small, but she’s a ninja.” Judy smiled and grabbed her purse as Lawford met up with them, “Hey, the gangs finally all here!”

“Hi, hun,” he said as Lauren gave him a kiss on the cheek and then went over to Gene who shook his hand, “Hey bud.” “Thanks for the invite.” “No problem, it’s going to be fun. Hi, baby,” he said walking around to Judy. “Hi, honey,” she said giving him a kiss on the lips. “Gene, tell ya what, you get those bags, and I’ll take care of this one.” Suddenly, he bent down and lifted Judy up over his shoulder as she happily shrieked, and headed towards the house.                Everyone got settled in and figured out the sleeping arrangements. Peter gave Lauren his room, he took the couch downstairs in his ‘man cave’, Richie and Junie took a guest room as Frank was in the other and Judy and Gene agreed on the pull-out bed in the living room. After having a fabulous dinner that they men barbecued, Judy, Lauren and June washed the dishes in the kitchen as the four men stood outside in the backyard chatting over beers. There was a large window in front of the sink and as Judy rinsed off the dishes for Lauren to dry, she watched Gene. At the moment he was laughing and it made her heart flutter, she couldn’t help but smile. In mid swig of his beer, he mindlessly glanced over and saw her smiling through the window. He took his beer away from his lips and smiled back affectionately. Judy suddenly felt the urge to be in his arms. She bit her lower lip before pointing towards the front door, motioning for him to follow her.  Gene gave her a nod before swigging the last of his beer. Judy dried her hands and excused herself from the ladies. Judy walked out onto the front porch as Gene made his way up the porch stairs. She took his hand and together they sat down on the porch swing cuddling. In silence they watched the sunset over the lake gently swinging back and forth. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Gene turned his head to study her face, glowing in a hue of pink and orange from the dusk sky, “You’re beautiful.” “Aw, darling, that was so sweet.” “It’s the truth,” he softly said putting a hand on her jaw before giving her a soft kiss. Pulling back just a tad, they rest their foreheads together, and Judy whispered, “Hi, darling.” “Hi, darling,” he said back before leaning in for another kiss. Gene softly pulled on her plush lower lip before moving his mouth up to suck on her upper one. When he felt the tip of her tongue nudge his lip, he rearranged his body towards hers more and angled her neck to kiss her deeper. Her mouth was already open to receive him. They’re tongues slowly glided over one another before withdrawing to suck at each others lips again. When they repeated the action again, Gene brought her legs up on his lap to caress her lovely legs that were bare in her high-wasted black shorts. It had been almost two weeks since they had a good kissing session, the same time that it had been since they last made love. Their make out session heated up slowly until the kisses were harder and very sexually charged. Gene didn’t stop until he heard her slight whimper against his lips and withdrew. His face was full of arousal as hers was flushed. He kissed her neck and ran a finger tip down the curve of her breast. Judy was just about to tell him to take her into one of the extra rooms for a quickie when they heard their names being called. The two scooted away from each other a tad just in time for June to stick her head out the door, “Oh, there you are. Come inside, we’re going to have a drink.” Judy took her legs off of Gene’s lap as they got up. He ushered her inside where everyone met downstairs in the ‘man cave’ and gathered around the mini bar. June placed an arm around Judy’s waist as they waited for Peter as he made a drink concoction for each of them, “Are you excited for your Palace show?” “I am so excited, I cannot tell you.” “When do you open?” “I think they’re pushing for October 16th. Tickets should go on sale next weekend.” “Well, we’ll be right there in the front row.” “Make sure that you do.” “It’s a 4-week run like the Palladium, right?” “Yah, mm-hm. If we have a good turnout, I might extend it. I go to New York soon to start production. I’ve been working on it it with Kay and Roger and Hugh Martin.” “Here ya go, Junie, Judes…” Peter said as he went around and handed each of them a small glass cup with liqueur that filled the cup just enough to be a double shot. Junie took the cup but didn’t drink, “That’s a hellava team, sweetie. Like Metro again, but without the slave drivers.” Judy giggled and took her cup, “Exactly. I’m excited to open the theater back up, but I just hope I have enough stamina for the two-a-day.”

“Oh, you’ll be just great.” “Alright, what do we toast to,” Lauren asked. Judy sniffed the drink. She rarely did shots, but when she did, she liked to know exactly what she was taking. She sniffed a second time when she couldn’t recognize the smell, “Alright, what is this?” They ignored her and Lauren spoke up, “Cheers to friends and beer, love and tears and legs behind your ears!” “To all of those who wish us well,” Gene started and Peter chimed in with him, “And the rest can go to hell!” Richie then continued, “And may all your ups and downs be between the sheets.” All of them touched the bar surface with the bottom of their glass before taking the shot, some of them making a funny face including June and Judy. “Oh, what the hell was that,” she asked. “Cognac and a hint of ginger ale.”

“I’ll never be doing that again,” she said wiping a drop away from the corner of her mouth and handed Gene her empty glass.

After some more drinks, a lot more drinks, they were all just hanging out downstairs when Frank chimed up.

“Alright, well, gang, it’s only ten, what do you all want to do now to keep things interesting?”

“Strip poker,” a tipsy Peter chimed.

But everyone immediately responded as if he had mentioned in a million times,“Noooo.” “Truth or dare,” June asked.

“Can’t go wrong with Truth or Dare,” Lauren said blowing smoke from her long cigarette holder.

“Alright, Truth or Dare it is,” Frank said and they all sat down.

“Honey, you thought of it, you go first,” Rich said patting her leg.

"Ok, we'll go clockwise," June said and looked at Judy next to her, "Truth or Dare, ma'am?"

"Dare," she replied confidently.

They all "oo'd" not expecting that from her. Gene's eyes opened wide and he smiled.

"Alright, do something right now that will surprise the heck out of your man."

Judy laughed, "He's known me so long I'm not sure there's much that would surprise him."

"Oh, yes," he laughed, "Yes, there is."

Judy looked at him and thought a moment before pushing on his knee to stand up, "I got it. I'll be right back."

They watched as she disappeared up the stairs.

"Bet she don't come back," Frank chimed in.

"No, she's got something up her sleeve," Richie said.

"I'm actually really curious what she's doing," Gene said his eyes glued to the stairs waiting for her.

She could be quite bawdy but she was not one to do something actually naughty in public - talk about naughty, yes, do it, no. Not a minute later, Judy came down the stairs. Without hesitation, she immediately walked to Gene and placed something in his hand before sitting back down next to him. He looked at it and it was the lighter she had given him that she "lost" outside.

Gene chuckled and just slyly looked at her. She giggled and he reached over giving her a peck on the lips.

"What is that?" Peter asked.

"My favorite lighter," Gene said chipper and placed is in his pocket.

"Why is that such a surprise," June asked.

"It's a private thing between us. Honey, your turn, ask away," Gene said.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

“Alright, mmmm…” she trailed off thinking and a light bulb went off, “Oh, I have one. I’ve actually always wanted to know but never asked you. Who is your biggest celebrity crush or someone you’d love to be with if we weren’t together.”

“Your one-time pass, Gene,” Frank said cutting to the chase.

“Gene never has one-time anything,” Rich said.

“Oh, Oh, ho ho,” Judy sarcastically laughed.

“There’s been one or two,” Gene said before Judy did, embarrassed. “I mean, I am a dancer so I have to say Ginger Rogers. The moves on that woman, and the pair of legs on that broad. Everyone knows I’m a leg man,” he said pointing his thumb at Judy and purposefully lifting his eyebrows like Groucho Marx.

“Ginge, doesn’t have Jack anymore, Gene. There’s your free card,” Lauren said.

“But he still has Judy,” Judy sang before taking a sip of her wine.

“It wouldn’t mean anything. It’s just a crush-fuck,” Lauren went on.

“Yeah, besides you jumped into the sac with everyone you ever had a crush on, Judes,” Frank said knowing how to push her buttons.

Just as Frank said that, Gene had taken a sip of his Bourbon but spit it back in his glass in shock. He then looked at Judy with his fist up to him mouth trying not to crack up for her benefit.

Judy calmly tapped the ash buds off her cigarette into the ashtray as she replied, “Not everyone, darling.”

Frank, sarcastically placed his hands on his chest, and acting surprised mouthed, “Me?”

“I wasn’t about to be a notch on that belt.”

Everyone laughed, including June who rubbed her friend’s back, “Good girl.”

Judy and Frank finally broke out in giggles at their playful banter.

“Alright, I guess it’s my turn,” Gene said turning to his buddy, “Truth or Dare, my man?”

“Dare.”

“Oo, dare, ok, let’s see…” Gene thought, “I dare you to genuinely propose to someone in this room right now.”

Frank nodded towards Lauren and June, “Well, you’re both already married…” he pointed at Gene, “You’ve got a dick,” he pointed at Peter, “You’ve got a dick,” he then pointed at Rich, “You are a dick...” he then immediately jumped up and plopped between Gene and Judy placing his arm around her, “Gene, old pal, do we have your blessing, Sir?”

Gene shrugged his shoulders, “That's between the two of you, not me.” Judy laughed, “No!" “It's up to her, not me,” Gene repeated. “Well, I said no,” Judy repeated herself. Peter chimed in, “Francis, you've got to get down on one knee the right way, whattaya doin’,” 

“I have bad knees. Judy, darling, can I see your hand?”

Judy looked at him cautiously, but with a smile, and hesitated until he wiggled his fingers wanting her hand. Then she gave it to him. He held it lovingly and caressed her skin with his thumb.

“Despite what rumors have been said in the past, we've never been romantically involved, but we are best friends and I love you dearly. I think it's time to develop a companionship into old age. I would like to ask you…”

“Oh, no,” Judy said, “Nope.”

June spoke up, “Frank, you've got to get on one knee.”

“Judy, will you…”

“No,” she said sternly.

“Fix me another drink?”

Judy laughed and got up grabbing his empty glass, “I'll fix you all the cocktails you want as long as you aren't proposing.”

“Oh, you would've said yes,” Lauren said.

Rich nodded, “I think she's more upset that he didn't ask!”

Gene agreed, “I think so, too.”

As Judy handed Frank another cocktail he looked at Rich, “You ready? Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Let’s spice things up. You’ve been around a while. Have you ever caught a famous person doing the dirty in a public place and who was it?”

Rich nodded and smiled cheesy, “I have and they’re in this room.”

They all looked at one another but soon all eyes landed on Judy and Gene. When the couple realized they were who Rich was talking about they both looked surprised.

“You are such a fibber,” Judy shrieked, “You have not.”

“Oh, yes.”

“When,” Gene asked.

“The after-party for Summer Stock. My car was parked next to Gene’s in the private parking lot and when I went out there, you two were rollin’ around in the backseat like a couple of horny teenagers. It was dark, but it was totally you two.”

“We were just fooling around,” Gene said as Judy turned red.

“Oh, please, you two were totally humpin.”

“I honestly, don’t remember, I had so much to drink that night.”

“Gene doesn’t suffer from whiskey dick,” Lauren said.

“And how would you know,” Judy asked giggling.

“You told me!”

They all died of laughter.

“Did we,” Gene genuinely asked her.

“Probably,” she said and changed the subject, “Richie, your turn.” 

“Alright, Betty, Truth or Dare?”

“Let’s stick to truth.”

“Then let’s stick to keepin’ it dirty. Tell us a dirty little secret.”

Lauren thought a good moment before speaking up casually, “Van Johnson and I had a one night stand once.”

“Oh, I knew that,” Peter said taking a sip of his drink.

Judy and Gene turned to each other mouths both wide in complete shock as Van had been very good friends with them for years and he was notorious for spilling the beans about every nook and cranny in his life. 

“When?!” June asked.

“You’re putting us on,” Gene said seriously.

“What about Evie and Humphrey?” Judy asked almost appalled as those two were the loves of their lives.

“Oh, please, this was a one-time thing before either of us were married.”

“Does Bogie know,” Frank asked.

“Yah. I don’t know about Evie. Don’t you go around with that either, Sinatra. Alright, Junie, Truth or Dare?”

“Truth.”

“Who in this room would you want to see naked the most? I actually want to know this one.”

June pointed to Peter with a bashful smile. 

“I get double question,” Lauren made up, “Peter, I dare you to get in your birthday suit right now.”

A drunk Peter stood up and immediately took off his shirt revealing his surfer body, which he did often as a hobby. Everyone cheered and laughed but when he kicked off his shoes and started on his buckle, they realized he was really going to strip. When he got down to his skivvies, the girls were all shrieking and the men were cheering him on. When he yanked his boxer-briefs down, June and Judy both screamed and looked away. All the while, Lauren smiled and tapped her cigarette butts off. 

Peter jumped onto the couch and started hugging on June who screamed with laughter and tried getting away, nearly climbing onto of Judy in the process. She kept her hand out to block her view and got up.

“Where you going, honey?” Gene asked roaring with laughter.

“Judes, where you going?” Peter asked getting off of June to go after her. “I’m done, I’m done!” 

Peter covered himself and ran towards her. She screamed and bolted up the stairs losing a shoe in the process. 

Shortly after, since it was still early for the night owls, they all gathered outside to the small fire pit in the backyard and sat around in folding chairs as music played over the portable speaker. 

Gene stood at the edge of the lawn, watching the reflection of the moon on the lake in the distance, as he smoked a cigarette as the girls chatted on the other side of the fire pit.

Frank came up next to him and spoke with an sly voice, “I forgot to tell you, guess who I ran into the other day?”

“The last time you asked me that with that kind of tone, it had to do with that girlfriend of Ben Siegel,” Gene gave him a scheming look, “You know I’m not interested in anything to do with the mob.”

“Dalton Trumbo,” Frank said.

“Or that Hollywood Communist bullshit,” he added but remained in conversation since he had known Dalton from around MGM, “Is he out now?”

“Yep. He got out a few months ago.”

“How’s he doin’?”

“Happy to be back with Cleo and his kids.”

“I bet.”

“But he’s Blacklisted so who knows what he’s gonna do. Probably get into some B-movie studio if he remains in the business.”

“Too bad,” Gene said sincerely, “He’s damn good writer.”

An eruption of laughter from the three women got their attention and they turned around. Gene smiled when he saw Judy cracking up holding onto June’s hand as Betty was practically falling out of her chair.

“They’re a bunch of crazy gals,” Frank chuckled, “I’m glad you came. Betty said Judy might have to do some convincing.”

“It took me a moment to consider it. We’ve both been tired as hell from work and traveling.”

“Her European tour was a smash, I hear.”

“It was, man. She worked her ass off.”

“I wish I could have seen it, but I’m going to be there at the Palace for sure.”

“I’ve seen her work on camera, in the recording booth, on radio programs, but I have never witnessed her the way she was on stage. She’s got this magnetic hold on an audience. All she has to do is stand there and talk and they’re eating out the palm of her hands.”

“She’s like that when she performs live at Ciro’s or some other club.”

“Yeah, but this is different. A concert career was definitely the way to go after MGM booted her out. I thought she was at home doing what she was doing, but no. She really is her true self on stage.”

“She’s a vaudeville kid, it’s in her blood.”

“Yep.”

“Did everything run smoothly?”

“There were some hiccups, but with that one, things aren’t always going to run smoothly. That’s just Judy.”

“What, did you fly back and forth?”

“Yeah. I was there for her opening night at the Palladium and then her closing night, then flew over to Scotland with her to help her get settled in but left after her first night there. When her tour was over, she met up with me in France for a rest when I was finishing work on American in Paris. Liza was there with Vince so we all had a reunion.”

“What are you doing after this?”

“Singing in the Rain.”

“I heard about that. With Don.”

“Yeah, and this new girl Debbie Reynolds.”

“I met her, she’s a sweetie pie.”

“Green,” Gene said as he knew he was about to spend the whole movie teaching someone who wasn’t a dancer.

“So, are you going to be flying back and forth from New York then during this Palace run?”

“Unfortunately, but I’ll be there the first week. All the old gang is involved in preparation for it.”

“That place has become run down, I hope they’re renovating the hell out of it.”

“They are. It’s getting a whole makeover. Sol said it’s going to be ‘elegant as fuck’.”

“Whoever thought about putting Judy back on that Vaudeville stage is a genius.” Gene smiled, “Thank you.”

“You did? I thought her agent did.”

“No, he came up with the idea of a concert tour in Europe. When she got back, we both wanted her to continue here in the states. I’m not making this shit up - For Me and My Gal was playing on the Lux Radio Theater one day and I was listening to it and I thought, she should do that. She should really be Jo on stage at the Palace. Then a light bulb went off and I got on the phone right away.”

“You do remember what happens at the end of that movie, once they’re both on stage at the Palace,” Frank said grinning.

Gene chuckled nodding as he took another drag of his cigarette, “I’m planning on it, Buddy.”

Another eruption of laughter came from the girls and this time Judy was standing up, imitating someone, probably from the studio or from vaudeville, that she often did when she told stories. She was very good at storytelling and exaggeration. 

“She seems so much happier since leaving Metro,” Frank quipped. 

“It was a little daunting for her at first. As much as she wanted to be let go, it was all she knew really. She said to me, ‘I’ve been performing since I was  2, I’ve been working since 12, now I’m unemployed for the first time in my life. I don’t know what to do.’ I told her that she hadn’t had time off in like 16 years, to just enjoy it and be with Liza. But she got restless after a while and irritable and started getting depressed again, so I’m glad this concert thing happened. But I tell ya what, stress has been a major thing between us for a while.”

“It’s good you’re here then.”

Gene nodded, “It’s only been a day, but Judy out here, is a different person. I’m starting to feel that way myself.”

“Away from Hollywood, away from the bullshit back home.”

“Exactly. We should do this once a month” Gene said, “Fuck it, once a week.”

Frank laughed, “I think Lawford might frown upon that.”

Suddenly, a piercing scream came from Lauren and she knocked her chair over as she got up and ran.

“What?!” Peter shouted concerned as he came out the back door with a guitar. “Something just bit my ass!”

“Nothing bit your ass,” Frank said walking over.

“Through your shorts,” June asked.

“Let me see,” Rich said but Lauren pushed him away.

“Darling, it was probably just a mosquito,” Judy said trying not to laugh.

“Nope, I’m done. Goodnight ya’ll,” Lauren said waving as she walked towards the house leaving everyone laughing. 

“Nothing is biting my ass,” Frank said as he followed Lauren. 

Peter sat down on a chair, “Wuss’s. Alright, any requests?”

“Know any Ray Noble tune’s,” Richie asked.

“Very Thought of You,” Peter asked.

“The Very Thought of You,” Junie urged on.

On his guitar, by the fire, Peter started playing the 1934 jazz standard. June smiled and rest her chin on her husbands shoulder as her arms were wrapped around his arm. Gene motioned for Judy and she walked over to him. He immediately brought her against him and together they softly swayed to the romantic tune. 

“I love you,” he whispered.

“How much,” she teased.

“I love you more than singing and dancing, I love you more than ping pong and pool, I love you more than Paris…I even love you more than sex.”

Judy let out an amused snort, “That’s contradicting.”

Serious this time, he pulled back to look at her, “I really do love you, more than you know.”

“I know,” she said tracing her finger along his jaw, “I love you, too…but not more than sex.”

Together they laughed and continued swaying. 

The next morning, was a little after 9 and the Lawford house was still and quiet with the sounds of California birds happily chirping outside. In the semi-darkened living room, Gene and Judy were both curled up comfortably on the expensive pull-out couch. Gene was slightly hovered over her, softly applying butterfly kisses along her neck as his wrist moved ever-so-gently between her legs under the covers. Judy seemed asleep, but she was just relaxing to her man’s attention, a titillating alarm clock. Suddenly, they heard a door shut from upstairs and Gene stopped his caresses, rolling away from her so they wouldn’t be caught. “The hounds are waking up,” he said a little disappointed. “Why don’t you join me in the downstairs shower in a minute,” she whispered getting out of the bed and grabbing her robe then walked out with her small toiletries pouch Gene made up the bed, and put the mattress back in the couch, before he head downstairs. The shower was already on when he shut the door behind him. “Did you bring my shampoo, or do I have to use your flowery shit,” he said removing his pajamas. “I forgot, but Pete has some shampoo in here,” she said from the other side of the curtain. Gene examined his face in the mirror and ran his hand along his jaw, “Baby, should I shave or just wait until we get back home?” “Wait until after. I like you with a little 5 o’clock shadow.” “You like a little scruffiness, huh.” “Mm hm. Darling, can you grab my little loofa that’s in my bag?” “Only if I get to do your back,” he teased grabbing it. “I’d be insulted if you didn’t,” she said as he stepped into the shower with her. Shortly after, Lauren went down the stairs in her silk robe as Peter head up, “Morning.” “Morning, doll.” “If you want the bathroom down there, it’s occupied.” “Who’s in there?” “I saw Judy go in there. I think she’s in the shower.” “Oh, good, she won’t mind,” Lauren said as she kept down the stairs. In the bathroom, Gene spoke impatiently behind the curtain, “Come oooonnn.” “I told you, after I shampooooo,” she mimicked but then a few seconds later she started whining, “Honey, stop.” “You have about 1 minute until I start fucking you,” he chuckled. Suddenly she gasped and accidentally hit the shower curtain, “Don’t you dare tickle me,” a few seconds later she broke out in laughter, “Geneee.” “Shhh,” he laughed trying to keep their voices down, “Come here, sweetheart.” The room was silent for a moment when suddenly the door opened. “Judy, are you in here,” Lauren asked popping her head in. “Ah, y-yes,” Judy’s nervous voice answered. “Do you mind if I get ready in here while you shower? Richie’s taking forever. You know how well groomed that man is.” “We do mind,” Gene said peeking his head out from the curtain grinning naughtily. Lauren smiled flirtatiously, “Ooo, whatchu doin’ in there?” “Washing each other’s backs. You wanna join?” “Gene,” Judy shrieked embarrassed. “I’ll have to pass, darling,” Lauren casually commented. “Then get lost, would ya?” “Next time I would advise to lock the door, dear,” she said pushing the lock button in for them and then walked out shutting the door behind her.                As Judy unsteadily grabbed the small bar in the shower, a shampoo bottle fell with a loud bang, but it didn’t startle either of them as they had sex for the first time in almost two weeks. Only the sound of the shower water erratically hitting the shower floor and their heavy breaths echoed throughout the bathroom. Gene couldn’t see her face, but the look of her knuckles turning white as she held onto the bar for dear life, and her body tightening around his cock, was sure signs she was close. They were both maintaining, but struggling, not to be vocal for neither wanted the gang to hear them.

Gene was struggling even more not to explode. Every vein in his body was popping, muscled strained, as he pumped in and out of her in long, hard strokes. He was about to release A LOT of stress. Gene took his hands off her hips and maneuvered he up so her back pressed against his chest. He placed his left on her breast and the other between her legs. The extra stimulation as her climax neared, made her drop her head and softly cry out in desperation. It was only a few more seconds when her body tensed. Gene quickly placed his hand over her mouth muffling her tiny scream as her eyes squeezed shut. He bit back his own pleasurable moans as his orgasm soon exploded into her warmth. He continued, growling from his chest, until they were both completely saturated.                It was around 10:30 when everyone met up in the kitchen all dressed. Peter and June were making brunch for all of them as Lauren made her famous Bloody Marys. The early morning blue sky was now gray as it started raining. Judy and Gene walked in as the first clap of thunder from the distance rolled in which made Gene stop in his tracks.

“Oh, what the hell,” he said seeing it raining.

“My sentiments exactly,” Peter quipped, “I wanted to get right on the fucking boat after we ate.”

“Shush, it will stop,” June said nudging his arm as they continued with the breakfast.

Judy walked over to the counter and switched on the radio as Gene walked over to Lauren, “Your famous Bloody Mary’s.”

“Yes, sir. Would you like one?”

“Not right now, but thanks,” he declined. He and Judy both weren’t drinkers before dinnertime except on special occasions.

“How was your shower,” Lauren smiled.

Gene didn’t answer but he returned the smile. Judy glanced at them over her shoulder turning red but ignored Lauren’s gaze and walked around grabbing a grape from the fruit bowl. “Do you want one, baby, extra vodka,” Lauren asked her. “Yes, please,” She saw Gene’s surprised look, “I’m on vacation.”

Gene put his hands up as if not to argue with the lady.

“Where’s Francis?” Rich asked.

Peter pointed to the sunroom. Rich and Gene both looked into the sunroom and there was Frank, lounging on the couch swing, fast asleep with a newspaper on his chest.

“Should we dare?”

Gene smiled, “We dare.”

The men walked back into the kitchen and Rich picked up a thin slice of pastrami from June’s cutting board. He handed it to Gene to which Gene walked into the sun room quietly. Judy sipped her Bloody Mary but leaned to the side to see what they were up to.

Lauren walked over to the doorway not knowing Frank was asleep, “Frank, do you want a…”

The two men quickly shushed her. She saw Gene standing over him with the pastrami and she placed a hand on her hip giving the a mother’s look. Judy walked in the doorway to watch as well. Gene made a funny face, trying not to laugh, before he smacked the pastrami slice right on Frank’s face before practically hopping away.

Frank opened one eye confused but remained completely still. When he realized there was meat on his face, he shut his eye to go back to sleep. Meanwhile, Rich and Gene were cracking up and Judy was bent over laughing hysterically.

“I’m gonna pee my pants,” she was able to get out.

“What happened,” Junie asked intrigued.

“They threw something on Frank,” Peter answered.

Lauren walked into the sunroom and took the meat off his face, “Do you want a Bloody Mary?”

“Yeah,” he grumbled.

“Would you like me to roll this up and put it on the olive stick?” she smiled.

“You boys love pranking each other,” June giggled as they all started placing plates on the long table off the kitchen.

“Remember MPD,” Gene said.

“What’s MPD,” Lauren asked.

“Metro Prank Day. It was on the Friday before Halloween every year.”

“For the whole studio?”

“Most of us knew about it,” Gene said, “I think it started between Mickey Rooney and Jackie Cooper in 1940, right honey?”

“Ya, mm hm. Went on for 10 years until LB found out after that food fight in the commissary and put an end to it,” she giggled.

“I wish we could’ve seen it,” Gene added.

“I was there. It was nutso. To think a bunch of movie stars having a food fight,” June said recalling it.

“Not just movie stars, but grown ass adults,” Rich added who was also there that day.

“That was the same prank day that Gene put shaving cream in my heels,” Judy retorted with a raised eyebrow.

“He what?” Lauren asked shocked.

“Yeah,” Judy nodded, “We were doing Summer Stock and he put shaving cream in my heels that I was to wear on set.”

“She stepped right into those suckers, too,” Gene said laughing remembering.

“Tell them what I did to you that year.”

“She drew this big, Italian-cook style mustache on me with her eyeliner and big bushy eyebrows when I fell asleep between scenes.” Judy started laughing remembering and he continued, “I walked onto the scene like that until Charlie Walters said, ‘Gene, what the Sam hell is on your face?’”

Gene and Judy both cracked up.

“That prank day, I witnessed a different side of Judy,” Peter said.

Judy thought a moment before gasping, “Oh, when you were going to…”

“Oh, the water,” Gene cut in.

“What happened,” June asked.

“At the end of the day, I was going to throw a bucket of water on Judy and Gene as they were leaving, but she caught me and she was so angry. She called me a motherfucker.” They all laughed. “She practically pushed Gene down and ran away and said, ‘Get the hell away from me motherfucker.’”

“Baby, you’re turning red there,” Gene said Judy tried not to smile.

“Your heels with shaving cream was nothing, Judes,” Peter said, “How about getting chaffed by Phil Silvers?”

“Chaffed,” Lauren asked shocked.

Gene responded excitedly, “Oh, I remember that!”

“My god damn inner thighs were on fire. I had flamin’ thighs.”

Judy started cracking up.

“I have this distinct memory of you walking on the studio lot the next day and you had these big over-sized pants on and you kind of just waddled in like you just got off a horse,” Gene said as they all laughed.

“You were going, ‘Oh, my legs, my legs,’ You had baby powder and lotion…”

Judy nearly spit out her drink laughing, “I remember the sensitive skin lotion he had to moisturize.”

“Did you learn some stuff from that,” Lauren quipped naughty.

They finished setting the table and Frank walked in, “Here it comes.”

“What?”

“Listen.”

They all were quiet a moment when all of a sudden the roof was pounded with a downpour.

Gene groaned with sincere annoyance, “I didn’t come all the way out here to spend my vacation in a monsoon.”

“Like I control the weather,” Peter said.

“There goes your golfing today,” Gene said to Judy as if he wanted to get her as annoyed as he was.

“Oh, stop whining,” she said.

“Someone’s being grumpy,” Junie said.

“I’m surprised you’re so grumpy after your shower session this morning.”

Gene looked at Lauren with wide eyes as Lauren was usually not one to kiss and tell in regards to others.

“Would you shut up,” Judy whispered embarrassed. When Lauren gave her a sorry look Judy giggled, “Jesus.”

Suddenly, they heard the front door shut.

“Expecting someone?”

“No,” Peter said baffled as he left the room.

“Here,” Judy said as she shoved a small, rolled up piece of meat towards Gene’s mouth.

He quickly made a ‘gross’ face and leaned away, “What is it?”

“Here, just take a bite.”

“No,” he said swatting her hand away.

“It’s only prosciutto and feta cheese,” she said.

“I don’t like ham, babe,” Gene said.

“It doesn’t taste like American ham. Here,” Judy said and shoved the bite size piece into his mouth.

“Shh,” Lauren suddenly said.

“What?”

They were quiet and suddenly heard a familiar women’s cackle from the other room getting closer.

“Oh, you’re kidding,” Frank said surprised as he bolted out of the room.

Judy looked at Lauren displeased, “I thought you said she wasn’t coming.”

“He said she wasn’t.”

“Who,” Gene asked.

“Ava,” Judy answered. Then she and Gene shared the same understanding look as they sat down next to each other at the table.

Peter entered the room followed by Frank who had his fiancé, Ava Gardner, on his arm. Everyone gave her a hug and warm greeting except for Gene and Judy who remained seated. As the rest seated, Ava touched Gene’s arm with a friendly smile, “Hey there.”

“Hi,” he said friendly back but didn’t return the smile.

“Hi, Judy.”

Judy forced a bit of a smile ignoring the other woman’s eyes as she purposefully reached for the fruit bowl.

“I’m glad you were able to make it, honey,” Frank said.

“Me, too. I have to be back on Tuesday, but at least I have a few days off. Thought I’d surprise you. What a lovely spread,” she said as they all started eating.

They all started chit-chatting and when there was a lull in the conversation, June spoke up, “Was it raining the whole way?”

“No, but it started to downpour when I got into town. Has it been raining here since you all came?”

“No, just started,” Pete said.

“Hopefully it stops soon so you can join in on the fun,” Rich said.

“I know how tight-knit the group is. I’m grateful to be a part of it. I’m glad you’re all happy to see me,” Ava’s eyes darted to Judy and Gene as they remained to themselves, “Well, all except you...” she looked at Gene then to Judy with a giggle, “And you.”

Ava said it as if to maybe have the couple immediately respond with, ‘No, of course we’re happy to see you,’ but all of a sudden, the air was thick with tension and everyone continued to eat in silence for a moment.  

“So, Judy, how was your concert tour in Europe?”

Judy placed her elbows on the table and rest her chin on her hands, her eyes piercing. When she didn’t answer, Ava repeated the question getting irritated herself. She looked at Gene as if you had to get through him first before Judy, “Gene, how was her concert tour in Europe?”

He wiped his mouth with his napkin, “It was a big success.”

“Why do you care,” Judy tilted her head at the woman inquisitively.

They all looked at Judy surprised at her catty tone.

“Because I’m your friend,” Ava said a little baffled.

“As far as I’m concerned, friends do not betray one another.”

“How on earth have I ‘betrayed’ you? I haven’t even seen you since before you left for London and that was what, February?”

“Here we go,” Peter said leaning towards Lauren, as they were well aware of the situation.

“When we were all out at Mocambo for Elizabeth’s birthday, I specifically asked everyone in our group, including you, to not mention my divorce. And every one, but you and David Selznick, respected that. We had press surrounding us that night. I was being asked nonstop about it and I ignored the subject out of respect for my husband and my daughter. I expected my friends to do the same.”

“I was listening to Dave go on about it. I didn’t say anything,” Ava responded matter-of-factly.

“But you're my friend, as my friend, you’re not supposed to just ‘listen’. You do what everyone else did when they were asked about it: you ignore it. You could have said, ‘Now is not the right time, David.’”

“I am going to listen because he’s also my friend. I am not a rude person to tell him to put a sock in it. What did you want me to do?”

“Frank declined to comment when Louella asked him about us,” Judy said trying to get her point across.

Gene chimed in, “Lauren, when you were at lunch with Hedda, what did you do when she started talking about her divorce?”

“I shut her up real quick,” Lauren said nodding.

“Judy, I was not speaking about it, he was.”

“You allowed it to be talked about and you knew reporters were around us. I’ve not spoken to David since that night when Dorothy Kilgallen came up to me and told me what he was saying. But, he was LB Mayer’s son-in-law so I expect that from him.”

“That was 6 months ago. I’m sorry if I offended you in anyway, but it’s over with now. Your divorce is done, you’re living with Gene, can’t you just forget about it?”

“If you were just anybody, then I would forget about it. I’m still upset about it because you’re planning on marrying one of my best friends which means we’re going to be together a lot. When we were filming Girl, Crazy, people were asking me nearly every day about your split from Mickey and I told them it was none of our business. You weren’t even my friend then, but Mickey was, so I respected your private life.”

“I do appreciate that. But can I say one thing? Why didn't you just say something to the press about your divorce? Maybe then they would've left you alone. They're still writing about how you and Gene broke up the 'finest marriage of MGM'.”

Gene exhaled through his nose and pushed back against the table with his hands trying not to respond. Judy tapped him on the leg as if telling him to just ignore it.

“I told you, I respect my child and I respect Vince. Respect, and pleading the fifth to the press is the right way to get a divorce,” she pointed sternly at Frank, “And you listen up as well mister, do you hear me?”

“Listen up,” he asked as he didn’t want to get involved in the argument between his best girlfriend and his fiancé.  

“You have been going around the columnists bragging about Ava. How do you think Nancy feels?”

“I don’t brag. I own my shit. And Nancy hasn’t been showing me respect.”

“Gee,” she said with her best, sarcastic, actress voice, “I wonder why.”

Gene looked over at her with wide eyes not expecting that from her especially to Frank.

“Judes,” Frank said a little shocked at her behavior.  

Ava leaned forward on her forearms as if challenging Judy, “You’re really sitting there, talking to us about our affair, when you cheated on both of your husband’s with Gene here, and God knows who else…” she trailed off.  

Judy looked at Gene with a serious, but sly expression, who gave her the same look back. The couple never discussed, or explained, their private life in regards to their affair at MGM except with the very few who had known about it since the start which were only Dottie, Kay Thompson and Frank. And to this day, none of the trio had spoken to anyone else about it. Everyone sitting at the table, right now, didn’t even know the entire backstory. They found out like everyone else - when Judy and Gene came out publicly with their relationship in September of 1950 after Judy was fired from MGM and each were legally separated from their spouses.

Judy was about to speak when Gene placed his hand on her leg and squeezed it. He didn't want to make her explain anything and put her vulnerability out there, so he took the bait instead.

“I understand what you’re getting at, Ava, and although some of the circumstances are relevant, there is no comparison.”  

“Oh, really,” she asked sarcastically.

“Really,” he said getting angry, “I never say nothin’ to nobody regarding my personal life, but the fact that you, and everyone else, assumes our relationship is what broke up her marriage to Vince is why I’m gonna say somethin’ now…”

“Gene,” Judy said uncomfortable.

He ignored her, “Now listen up…every one of you fuckers here at this table…”

“Darling,” Judy said embarrassed.

“No, Judy. I’m tired of everyone assuming things. We’re finally free to be together, why not just tell them? These are our friends,” he said and all she could do was just give a willful nod. “Judy and I have heard the rumors, like all of you have heard, but we usually laugh because we don’t give a shit what people think because we know the truth. But you’re our friends and we love you so here’s our truth. We’ve been hearing that people are saying we started an affair during Summer Stock and that’s what broke up Judy’s marriage which is probably the funniest rumor of them all. We actually started going together during our first picture together, almost 10 years ago, when Judy was still married to Rose. Our relationship…you see how I say ‘relationship’ and not ‘affair’,” he said eyeing in on Ava to prove his point, “…was on and off for all those years. Yes, it was extramarital, and yes, we were involved with other lovers throughout that time, but together, we weren’t just ‘fucking’. We were best friends, equals, soul mates. I know I sound like a sap, but it’s true. We fell in-love, but timing was never right, but that’s not relevant. During our last picture, things got very serious between us as I was separated from my wife and Judy was estranged from Vince. Betsy and Vince both knew we were together at that time. Up until then, we had kept it a secret all those years, except for Frank here…”

They all looked at Frank shocked and he smiled, “I’m a good friend, what can I say.”

Gene continued, “Our ‘good ol’ buddy Selznik’ that we’ve talked about said to me that night at Liz’ party, ‘Judy cheated on her first husband with you, her second husband with you, she’ll cheat on you, too.’  I said, ‘How can she cheat on me with me?’”

Judy looked at him surprised, “You never told me that.”

“We’re not proud of what we’ve done during our marriages, and I know Judy often feels guilt-ridden, but we both believe everything happens for a reason. I’ve known this girl since she was eighteen. I’m in it for the long run,” he looked at Ava, “This ain’t no ‘fuck em’ and leave em’ Hollywood story that you think, dear.”

Lauren made a ‘Ooo’ smile as June got Judy’s attention and mouthed ‘marry him’ to her. Judy gave her an appreciative look, but the subject had been all too heavy for a smile.

“There is no comparison with us related to you two,” Judy added calmly.

“Maybe not in that way, but Frank and I fell in-love, too, and let’s face it, I bet everyone of us at this table hasn’t always been monogamous,” Ava added.

Frank chimed in to Judy, “Baby, stop being so protective. I know you mean well, and I adore you for it, but I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself. And I do love her, ya know.”

“I just don’t want to see another one of my good friends get hurt by her again. First Mickey, then Artie, now you.”

“Just so you now, Mickey cheated first, and from what I heard was even porking some chorus girl when I was in the hospital for a appendectomy. And Artie was the biggest fucking bully out there. I don’t think this is really about me and Frank. I think it’s about you.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You’re just jealous Mickey, Frank and Artie all preferred me and Lana over you.” 

Gene’s mouth opened and he immediately took Judy’s arm afraid she might throw her drink in the other woman’s face starting a brawl. Instead, Judy whipped her arm away, and scooted her chair back with a screech, before walking out of the room. Gene sighed heavily before he got up to follow her out.

“What, no retaliation back from Mr. Mayer’s precious Dorothy,” Ava said sarcastically.

Suddenly, Gene turned on his heels and shouted, “Hey!” Some of them jumped, including Ava, who turned to look at him and his eyes were looking straight at her, “Don’t call her that. You have no idea what that girl’s been through.” Without another word, he left the room.

“It’s called ‘having class’, darling,” Lauren said as she lit a cigarette.  

Frank sighed and leaned into Ava, “You know her history with the Artie shit. Did you have to hit so low under the belt?”

“She started attacking me, first. What did you want me to do?”

Frank looked at the others and shrugged having to agree with her, “I mean, she has a point.”

“What shocks me the most is that Judy is not a confrontational person…” Lauren said.

“At all,” Peter added taking another bite of his food.

“At all,” Lauren repeated then continued sincerely, “And she never gets involved in the subject of others’ relationships. So, imagine what she was feeling for her actually speak up the way she did just now.”

“It wasn’t an attack. I think she just felt betrayed by you, as her friend, for not defending her to David with the divorce thing and now she sees you about to marry someone that’s like a brother to her. She wanted to get things off her chest. She’s being protective is all, just like Frank said,” Junie added.

“I can’t believe they been together since My Gal. Do you know how many times I worked with them during that time,” Rich said amused.

“Ava, look,” Lauren said, “Judy may be little, but she’s a feisty, son-of-a-bitch who will not let you forget it. She has two sides…she’s either the funniest, life of the party dame you will ever be with or, what she calls herself, ‘the Black Irish Witch.’”

“One time I said something shitty about Fred Finklehoffe in front of her. She stared at me with this dark look, I nearly pissed myself,” Peter said.

“I can attest to that. She can make you so scared your balls r’ touchin’ the back of your shorts,” Frank said to Peter.

“If you want to be her friend, do not get on her bad side. I would swallow it and just apologize,” Lauren urged.

Gene walked around the house looking for Judy but didn’t find her so he made his way to the back of the house when he heard a small noise coming from another room. “Hun?” “I’m in here,” he heard her voice say and he walked into the office library. Judy was standing facing one of the book shelves, her hands on her elbows as her eyes gazed upon the literature curiously. “You, ok?”

“Yah,” she said and reached for a photo album that caught her eye. Gene sat on the arm of the leather love seat, “Liar.”

Judy looked at him and her face was completely neutral, “I am. I just needed to…remove myself from the situation.”

“Before…” he asked smiling cheekily.

She raised her eye brow warningly, “Before I did something I’d regret.”

“That’s why I grabbed your arm. She ain’t worth it.”

“I know. It doesn’t matter anymore. I just needed a moment,” she said sitting down next to him with the photo album labeled ‘MGM’ in her lap.

“What she said to you was low. She had some hellava nerve.”

Judy let out a long sigh and opened the album, “Let’s just drop it.”

“Well, at least you were able to say everything you’ve been thinking’.”

“I prefer not to have conversations like that.”

“I know you don’t, baby, but doesn’t it feel a little better to get it off your chest?”

“Does it feel better after telling everyone our whole story,” she said back in a bit of a bitchy tone.

“Well, one, it was the synopsis version. The actual details are no one’s business. And two, yes, it does feel better. I know we’re private about it, but like I said, I was sick of everyone assuming. Doesn’t it make you feel better that our best friends know the truth instead of them also assuming from what they hear around the lot?”

Judy had to agree as she looked at the photographs, “Yes. All of this just makes me uncomfortable.”

“Me, too,” he said reaching over and leaving a kiss on top her head.

“Oh my gosh, darling, look,” Judy giggled and pointed to a photo of them.

It was them on the Easter Parade set. He was standing with his crutches watching as Judy was filming her ‘Mr. Monotony’ scene.

“That’s always gonna be my one regret,” he said shaking his head, “Breaking that damn ankle and not working on that picture.”

“Me, too, but at least you helped get the next best thing for me,” she said pinching his cheek referring to Fred Astaire coming out of retirement to work with her.

“I’m still a little miffed they cut this scene. I really liked it.”

“It was a little sexy.”

“Probably why they cut it,” she joked.

“If that’s true, they should’ve just thrown away Pirate, hm?”

“Well, they did get rid of that Voodoo number,” she quipped.

“Now, that was sexy,” he said his eyebrows rising intrigued, “I had to rub one out after that scene.”

“Gene,” she laughed shocked.

They commented on other photos of their Metro peers when coming up on another one of them. It was Gene and Judy laughing as he gave her a piggy back ride down the studio lot in their ‘Ballin’ the Jack’ costumes from their first picture. Judy placed a finger on it and they were both quiet a moment sharing silent memories during that time.

“Man, I didn’t know shit back then,” he murmured.

Judy leaned into Gene in awe, “Look at them.”

“We were so cute.”

“I remember that day,” she said softly.

“So do I. I remember every single day during that time,” he said with a bittersweet tone but then his expression changed a bit naughty, “We had a lot of fun.”

Judy giggled, “Yes, we did.”

They leaned in for a kiss and he replied, “Seeing this photograph of us, no one would ever know what we were going through behind the scenes…how unhappy we were in our personal lives.”

“The only time I actually really enjoyed coming to the studio was when I knew I would be working with you.”

“That’s why I agreed to Summer Stock, sweetheart,” he said patting her leg.

“I’m so grateful you were part of my last movie there,” she said a little emotional.

“Yep, and a successful one at that. But now, onward and upward, baby. Your Europe tour was a hit but your Palace run is gonna lead to a whole other career for you.”

“You really think so?”

“I do..”

“I just want it to be fucking fantastic,” she said with great efficacy.

“It’s gonna be huge, you can bet on it.”

“I’m still so damn nervous, Gene.”

“You have rehearsals coming up soon. And you have the best of the best putting it together with you. You’ll be just fine. Plus, I’ll be there in the wings, opening night, so there’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“You promise,” she said grabbing his hand. 

“I promise.”

“No matter what?”

“No matter what. I never want to let you down, Judy.”

She smiled before engulfing him in a hug.

That afternoon, the storm cleared and it was nothing but sunshine and blue sky with a perfect Summer temp in the upper 80’s. The whole clan piled onto Lawford’s large speed boat in their sunbathing clothes and swim wear.  

Peter drove the boat around Lake Camille, but after 20 minutes, stopped in a good area so they could float. Surprisingly, the lake wasn’t busy. Just a few other boats were scattered around.

In the back of the boat, Judy, in a plunging, black one-piece suit, with a skirt wrapped around her waist, and Lauren, in a white, high-waisted bikini, were sunbathing against the back cushions in relaxing in silence as the radio played some slow jazz tunes.

Lauren looked over at Judy and lowered her sunglasses, “What’s with this music?”

“I was just going to say that. We’re on a boat having fun and he’s playing some sad music.”

“Yeah, why is he playing sad shit? I’ll go tell him to change it. He’s playing some mellow stuff. We need to get boppin’,” Lauren said as she got up.

Lauren passed Ava who came walking up with a daiquiri in her hand. Judy pretended not to pay attention as Ava cautiously sat next to her. They were both silent, but Judy could sense the other woman wanted to talk so she looked over at her. When she did, Ava gently smiled. “I’m sorry.”

Judy took off her sunglasses and placed them on top her hair that was pulled into a French twist, “I’m not usually like that. I hope you understand why I confronted you about it.”

“I do sympathize, but I want you to know, I never did anything purposefully to hurt you.”

“Except for the comment about the boys.”

“That I am truly sorry for. It was beneath me. I was just retaliating because I felt like I was being attacked.”

“I never, ever want anyone to feel attacked by me, because I know what it feels like, so for that I’m also truly sorry. All of it is just a very sensitive subject.”

“I do know you were just being protective of Frank, too. But believe me, Judy, I really do love him. And he loves me.”

Judy softly smiled, “Who am I to get in the way of love then.”

“I know we won’t always see eye-to-eye, but can we just agree to disagree?” “Of course,” Judy said sincerely.

Frank got Ava’s attention and she excused herself but Junie came bouncing over to Judy.

“Why are you over here all by yourself?”

“Just relaxing. I’ll join the party soon.”

All of a sudden, a small paper plane fell onto Judy’s lap startling her a second. “What the heck,” Junie said.

Both the ladies looked up, and on the small second tier of the boat where the captain seat was, they saw Gene, clad only in his swim trunk and sunglasses. He was looking up whistling trying to be inconspicuous.

“Dang, he’s got good aim.”

“He does have great coordination. He’s great at all sports. My paper plane would’ve landed in the water.”

Judy looked at it, and it said ‘open me’ on the wing. She opened it and it simply said 'I love you' in Gene’s unmistakable handwriting. June leaned over to look and immediately made an ‘awe’ face.

Judy smiled and fold the paper back up before looking back at up at him. This time he was looking at her smiling. She gave an air smooch to him and he winked before turning back to Pete. The music suddenly changed to more of an upbeat and Lauren gave Judy a thumbs up.

“He is just so sweet,” June commented.

“He is a darling.”

“Handsome,” she said raising her eyebrows provocatively.

“He’s dreamy,” Judy agreed, “After knowing him for 10 years, I still get butterflies when he looks at me a certain way. And I can still get emotional when he does cute things like that. I just hope Liza finds someone like that. How did I get so lucky, you know?”

“That’s how I feel about Richie. We all have to go through the trial and error of frogs, before the right Prince Charming, honey.”

“Funny…I always think they’re Prince Charming in the beginning.”

“We all do. But this one is it, isn’t it?”

Judy nodded, “Yes.”

“And now you both don’t have to sneak around. I think it’s absolutely delicious that you two have been a thing all this time. Was it the dancing that attracted you to him? ‘Cause let me tell you – watching him dance on screen is a major turn on.”

Judy laughed, “You’re terrible. No, it was his smile..and his arms.” Both ladies laughed.

“And now you have the whole package.”

“I know. He takes care of me. And more important, he’s a nice fella. He brings me my tea when I wake up, when he’s at work he’ll call me and make sure I’m okay. He helps me with my career. He does anything for me.”

“He’s head over heels for you, too."

“You think that, really?” Judy asked honestly.

“Of course. You can just see it the way he looks at you. Do you not see that?”

“I’m afraid I suffer from a bit of self-doubt, darling.

A lot of people knew this about Judy, especially June, who then took Judy's hand in hers, "Judy, the way I see it – look how long it took for you two to finally be together. Knowing Gene as I do, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have bought a house with you if you if he weren’t 100% sure of your relationship. Look how long it took him finally get out of his unhappy marriage. He's a very thorough person."

“That’s true. He never makes life decisions on a whim.”

“You better marry him.”

“Oh, I plan to. But not for a little while.”

“Have you talked about it?”

“Not really. It’s something we know will happen but we never officially discussed it.”

“Do you think he will propose soon?”

“Maybe. Maybe when his next picture is over and I’m done with Palace. I know he’d want to get married once we can have some time off.” Judy’s eyes darted up where Gene was, “But I'd marry him right now on the spot if there was a judge and marriage license."

A few hours later, after they came back to shore, everyone went for a swim before retreating back to the house and lolled around. The sun was setting as everyone remained outside but Judy and Lauren hung out inside  listening to music in the living room fresh-faced, clad already in their pajamas. Both were enjoying a glass of wine. The radio started playing Doris Day’s ‘Tea for Two’. 

“Oh, I loved this movie,” Judy quipped. 

“She is probably the most genuine girl out there. Have you met her?” 

Judy nodded, “I seen her around town, but I was able to officially meet her a few years ago at a premiere of a film she made with my friend Jack Carson.”

“Oh, you know, Jack?”

“We worked the Vaudeville circuit together when we were kids.”

Gene walked in and looked a little surprised seeing the ladies ready for bed, “Are we having a slumber party?”

“We’re pooped out from the sun,” Lauren said.

“Wanted to get comfy,” Judy added.

Peter walked into the room, inhaling from a joint, then casually handed it to Lauren who took a hit. She then handed it towards Judy.

“The last time I had marijuana was when I was still married to Dave and I fell straight on my face.” 

Lauren handed it to Gene who took a hit. When Judy saw this, she thought, ‘What the hell.’ It might relax her. And she ushered Gene over. The four sat around for a little bit, chatting and passing it around, listening to music. Alright folks, now here’s a an oldie but a goodie by America’s past-time sweethearts Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. The song was requested by little Shirley Mae as it’s her 10th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Shirley and enjoy your song.

Suddenly, Judy and Mickey’s ‘Good Mornin’’ started and everyone smiled as they looked at Judy. They assumed she would tell them to change the channel but instead she got up and started singing with her younger self. Gene laughed knowing it was the weed. Frank walked into the room and immediately joined in singing Mickey’s part. They put on a show as the others watched delighted. 

When it was over, Judy laughed and hugged her friend, “That was fun.”

“Where is everyone else,” Gene asked.

“They went for a walk,” Frank replied. 

As the three started a conversation, Judy mindlessly walked over by the piano in the corner and ran her finger over a few keys as if concentrating on which to play. She hummed and then played a few keys as if trying to get it right. 

“More than you…” she sang before humming it again and played some keys.

Lauren noticed and walked over, “What’re you trying to play.”

“More Than You Know. Song’s been in my head.”

“I know it. How about this? I’ll play it, you sing it,” Lauren said sitting down on the bench.

“Alright,” Judy said and sat down next to Lauren.

Lauren started playing and then Judy started singing the intro verse of the song, very softly, as if it were background music in a restaurant with everyone else chatting. But quickly the men all came to a hush as they watched.  

More than you know More than you know Man of my heart I love you so Lately, I find You’re on my mind More than you know…

Gene watched her intently as her voice, always seductive but sweet, hummed around the room straight into his soul. Her bare face looked fresh, her skin had a glow from the sun and her hair was forming curls still damp from the water. Usually she sang around the piano like this at parties, looking like the starlet she was, with her black lashes, red lips and party dress. That was Judy Garland. Right now, she was Frances Gumm.

“I’m going to marry that girl,” Gene softly said.

Frank didn’t know if Gene had murmured that to him, or to himself, but he replied, “She needs someone like you.”

Judy’s eyes looked into her love’s, a hint of a smile on her lips as she sang the lyrics. Gene looked back, a twinkle in his eye.

The next morning, Judy stood on the back porch with a cup of tea in her hands, her long, black, silk robe blowing in the breeze. Everyone was still asleep and the sun was bright orange rising along up in the dawn sky, along the lake front. The early morning birds were chirping and the water was still. It was all so peaceful, it felt like Judy’s mind, at the moment, didn’t have one ounce of anxiety, which is what occasionally plagued her throughout the day.

“What are you doing up?”

Judy turned as Gene stood in the doorway. He still wore his gray t-shirt, navy pajama pants and his hair was messy.

“I woke up and couldn’t fall back to sleep.”

Gene walked out and gave her a peck on the lips, “Good morning.”

“Morning.”

He rubbed her back as he looked at the scenery before him.

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“It’s very nice.”

He looked over watching as her face was probably the most relaxed he had seen it in a long time and he bit his bottom lip with an idea.

“Come walk with me.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just down there.”

“Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” she hesitated and giggled, “Honey, it’s so early and I don’t feel like dressing yet.”

“We don’t have to dress. It’s just a morning walk on the beach. No one’s out here. Here, let me take that, I’ll be right back. Stay there.”

She watched a little surprised as Gene darted inside to put her cup of tea in the kitchen and was gone not 30 seconds before he popped back out and took her hand. Together, they walked down the steps and to the beach just below the house. Barefoot, they held hands and walked slowly along the front in silence for a minute just enjoying the calm of the early morning and of each other.

“See, isn’t this nice.”

“Yes,” she said laying her head on his shoulder a moment, “Although I feel silly walking out here in our pajamas.”

“You love the spontaneity.”

“I do,” she giggled.

As they walked some more, Gene released her hand, but kept a hand on her back for a little as they walked. Subtly, he took his hand off her back and slowed his steps as she continued walking not noticing that he stopped. “Darling, do you think one day we could get a vacation spot out here?” When she didn’t get a response, and noticed he wasn’t next to her anymore, she furrowed her eye brows, “Gene?”

Judy turned around and let out a gasp. She placed her hands over her mouth as Gene was six steps behind her, on his knee, with a velvet ring box in his hand.

When the first initial shock of seeing him faded away, Judy laughed delighted, “What?!”

Gene smiled as she rushed up to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and spoke almost with a hush tone, “What are you doing?”

His smile faded and he spoke with a very loving but serious tone, “Judy…”

Judy let out a whimpered cry as she placed her hands back on her mouth. She looked away a moment, shaking her head, in disbelief that it was finally happening.

“Sweetheart, come here,” he said reaching for her hand.

She gave her hand to him and she fell to her knees in font of him to be equal, “You’re crazy,” she laughed through her tears. Gene laughed with her and she continued, “Where did you get that?”

She looked at the closed ring box. He head barely left her sight for a moment since they’d been here. She had so many questions.

“I’ve had it for a while. Do you want to see it?” She nodded but he continued, “I have to say something first,” he took both her hands in his and they sank down sitting on the back of their heels in the sand, “I know that you’ve been expecting this since we moved in together. And I know you wanted to marry me after you divorced David. At that time, I couldn’t. You understand why, don’t you?”

Judy gave one simple nod, knowing he wasn’t ready to leave his wife and daughter for their fresh, extramarital relationship back then.

“So, I know you’re going to say ‘yes’. But, I need you to know this…” he saw her take a breath in as her eyes continued welling up with tears and he tried to swallow his one, “You always tell people that I’m different because ever since we met, I’ve seen you as a person, as an equal. And that’s 100% true. And I know you hate it when people only see you as a voice, or as a movie star or a celebrity. But, marrying you means that I’m also marrying that voice, that movie star and that celebrity. I’m marrying Frances Gumm and Judy Garland. I want both of us to understand that.”

“Like Eugene Curran and Gene Kelly,” Judy said joking, trying to make light of the situation which she often did when things got a little too heavy even if it was a good situation.

“Exactly.”

“Did you plan this?”

“Not at all, sweetheart. I was going to propose on the opening of The Palladium, but everything was amazing and just too much. I didn’t want to take away from what you were experiencing then. And I wanted to wait until the Palace, but…I don’t know. It just seems like the right time. I can’t wait.”

Judy giggled and wiped a tear away, “It’s very romantic.”

He became serious again, “I love you, Judy. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to help each other and grow together and get through whatever life throws at us, together. You’re it for me, baby. You have been for a long time. I just…” he paused and looked down clenching his jaw getting emotional.

Judy tapped him under the chin, “You’re an honest man, I know that. You had a wife and new baby. Because of your decision to stay with your family, I ended up having Liza. Glass half full, darling.”

“I know we both haven’t had a good track record in the relationship department, but I think now we’ve finally got it right….” he said sincerely and suddenly Judy got a split image of her father in her mind and she started crying knowing he was right, this marriage would be it for them.

“Judy…” Gene opened the ring box showing a beautiful, vintage large diamond ring and she laughed and gently pushed on his arm still not believing this was happening.

“This is crazy…” she interrupted.

“Will you marry me?”

She smiled and nodded, more tears falling as he placed the ring on her left hand. They kissed passionately before she jumped in his arms excited nearly toppling over into the sand.

“WHAT’S GOING ON?!”

They looked up and on the porch saw June standing there confused. Judy stood up and lifted her left hand yelling, “WE’RE GETTING MARRIED!”

June jumped and “WOOOO!!!!” before she ran inside to wake up and tell everyone. Gene and Judy both laughed. Gene pulled her back to him and cradled her face in his hand.

“I love you, more than you know.”

[hypnoticwinter]

Down the Rabbit Hole part 18

My eyes flutter open and for a moment I lay there, not comprehending what I’m seeing. There’s a window ahead of me, and the blinds have fallen down halfway, and a ray of sunlight is stabbing at me slyly through them. The air is soft and cool and comfortable and carries the same familiar stench of acrylic paint, and when I put my hand down to my side and feel at the blanket covering me it’s a scratchy, rough, worn one that I know very, very well.

Then I bolt out of bed and dart over to the window and rip it open, stick my head outside and stare. The bright blue sky leers down at me, and when I crane my neck and look down the side of the building I can see the street signs, one canted at a crazy angle like it’s always been. Corner of Franklin and White, Corpus Christi, Texas. I look back in the room; it’s empty. Queen bed. The other side is made up still and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

After a long, long while I go back in and close the window, pad over to the dresser and take one of the oversized flannels out and shrug into it, leave everything else bare. It nearly comes down to my knees anyway, I’ll be warm enough in just this.

I end up sitting in the overstuffed armchair in the living room staring at the dull blank slate of the ancient cathode-ray TV that’s been squatting decrepit in the corner for at least the last four years. In the screen my distorted image glowers back at me.

Either this is a dream, or the Pit is.

I’ve been pushing and prodding at the conclusion like a toothache for the last half an hour or so, my legs tucked up under me to try and keep warm, but I can’t see any other way I would have gotten here. Not realistically, anyway.

I keep thinking about what Peter told me, about the dreams he’d had, and wonder. Then, fifteen minutes later, when I don’t see any sign of waking and I’ve pinched at myself enough to cause bruises, I conclude that I’ll wake later.

Or maybe I am awake, and the Pit was a dream. But why do I shy away from that so heavily? It’d be a neat get-out-of-jail-free card, wouldn’t it?

Maybe it’s because if it was a dream I would have woken up in my own bed in my own apartment. Wouldn’t I have? I can’t imagine a series of circumstances that would have lead me back to –

A shadow passes the window, blotting out the light, and then moves past. Something about it gives the impression of stateliness, of a slow lumbering bulk. The light is different in its wake and I can feel a twinge in my stomach as I look over. The curtains in here are drawn and I cannot see out but the color of the light is wrong, there’s something off about it. It is, I realize belatedly, the wrong shade. I’d just woken up and the light was blue and hard and sharp but now it’s dull and orange and aggressive, the color of a Florida sunset.

Something inside myself screams at me not to, but I get up, feeling suddenly vulnerable, standing there naked except for the flannel. I go to the window and reach out to open the blinds. My hand is shaking, I notice, and my lip curls. Then without giving myself time to hesitate I fling them open and stand there gawping at the roiling mountains of ropy, sinuous flesh outside. The sun is struggling through a gasping red haze in the air and all of a sudden I can smell it, I can taste it on my tongue, that meaty umami Pit smell, so dank and organic I can feel it coating the back of my throat. I gag and paw at myself and my hands come back with an oily sheen.

Outside the world is like someone threw a fleshy sheet over everything. I can see apartment buildings and skyscrapers downtown prodding through but they’re wrapped in it, great twisted whorls of flesh, rivers of mucus and slime and blood, weeping sores, trees crackled and half-bent beneath fatty folds. I can see things moving, far off, indistinct crustacean things lurking in the dark beneath the shadows of the coated buildings. I can hear screams.

My heart is pounding and then after a moment I realize that it’s the door, that someone’s at the door, hammering at it, and then Thor calls out and I stop, everything stops.

I haven’t heard his voice in so long and part of me aches at its touch, like the sound were made of heated steel.

I go to the door cautiously and look out through the peephole; I can see the rivulets of flesh running along the hallway, and in fact they are so thick that it might as well have been straight out of the Pit. Only a few errant little patches where the ugly floral wallpaper peeks through give any indication that the room is inside of an apartment block.

Whatever anger I might have expected to feel when I see Thor isn’t there inside of me when I reach for it. He just makes me sad now. Especially like this, looking around anxiously, watching his back. I throw the latch and open the door and he jumps a little, and I am devouring him with my eyes, sweeping him from head to toe. Massive slab-like chest heaving, beard and cheeks rugged, eyes dark and stormy. Christ, I shouldn’t have opened the door, why the hell did I –

Thor sweeps me into his arms just like he always does, and I melt just like I always do. He holds me there, feet a solid six inches off the ground, just staring into my eyes, and I’m halfway towards slapping him, halfway towards yelling at him to put me down, that he doesn’t have any right to just act like nothing’s changed, when he kisses me, and the rest of my willpower flutters out of my body.

Then inside of my mouth his tongue splits apart into multiple individual entities with scuttling legs and chitinous carapaces that wriggle around and then force themselves down my throat, and I can feel them all the way down. Though I try to struggle he crushes me to his chest and I can feel it break apart like his ribs were toothpicks and he stuffs me inside of himself, my arms and legs bending backwards until they snap, but I can’t feel it, all I can feel is the raw abraded stump of his tongue writhing deeper and deeper inside of my mouth, and I’m screaming but I can’t breathe, all I can do is make wet moaning shrieks while I stare into his eyes, watch his pupils pop and multiply like frog eggs, his head having followed me somehow inside of his chest, and –

“Roan!”

Something slaps me across the face and I sit bolt upright and smack my head on the upper retaining bar of the tent. I open my mouth to scream again but then I realize that I’m staring into Elena’s wide-eyed, worried face, and I can’t do anything but burst into tears. “God,” I keep muttering, hiding my face in her shoulder as she pats my back softly and murmurs against the side of my head that it’s okay, that it was just a bad dream.

Someone outside rattles on the tent bars. “What the fuck is going on in there?” the Sergeant barks, and I feel Elena stiffen next to me.

“Roan had a nightmare, Sarge, that’s all,” she calls back. “We’re fine.”

“Well,” he says, his voice taking on a horribly cutting tone, “tell Merriweather there to keep it down. The rest of us are trying to sleep.”

Something about the way he spits the name makes me shudder, even if it isn’t my real name. Elena feels it and holds me tighter, and I lean my head up and kiss her on the neck. “Don’t worry about him,” she tells me when we break apart. “His bark’s worse than his bite.”

“I just don’t like yelling,” I tell her, inwardly cringing at how infantile it must sound. “I’ve never liked men who yell.”

“Well,” Elena laughs, “I think you might be on the wrong team for that.”

“Yeah,” I groan, flopping back onto the sleeping bag. I still feel a little nauseous; I keep running my tongue over the inside of my mouth, cringing at the way it felt in the dream. It had seemed so real…

“Can I ask you something?”

I flick my eyes over at Elena just as she darts her gaze away from mine, pretends to busy herself with smoothing out the little compressible camp pillow at the head of her sleeping bag. “Yeah.”

“Who’s Thor?”

“Fuck,” I blurt as soon as the name passes her lips. “Don’t tell me I said –“

“You were yelling it,” she tells me. “And then you were doing this weird thing with your tongue like you were choking –“

“Oh my god,” I groan, putting my head in my hands. Elena reaches over and runs her hand along my back.

“Hey, stop,” she says. “I want to help.”

I think about that for a while, trying to loosen my tongue and just tell her, dammit, if she hated you she wouldn’t act this way, but something in me revolts at it, and it isn’t until she leans over and digs my face out from my earthen palms and kisses me, very seriously, that I relent. She starts to say something and from the look on her face I can tell that she thinks there must be some sort of damage, there must be some sort of…I don’t know, underlying pain, and it’s that look that snaps me out of it, that sets a curl to my lip that I quickly banish.

“Thor,” I tell her, “is the name of my ex-boyfriend.”

“Oh.”

“It’s not like that,” I say quickly. “I dreamed – It doesn’t matter what I dreamed. It wasn’t a sex dream or anything like that, it –“

Elena is laughing too hard for me to go on. I can feel myself blushing and I set my mouth very harshly and roll over, but she feels me moving and holds me tighter so I can’t. “I wasn’t laughing at you,” she explains. “I wouldn’t care if it had been. I just thought it was so funny that that’s what you were concerned about, that you were worried that I would, I don’t know, be jealous that you even have an ex-boyfriend.”

I think about that for a while. “I guess I still don’t know what to think of you,” I tell her. I lean my head into hers and touch her nose with mine; I feel it scrunch up as she smiles at me. “I don’t have a name for the way you make me feel.”

“In a good way or a bad way?”

“In a hopeful way.”

She grunts affirmation, kisses me again, a quick peck that traces down my neck and my bare chest and settles on one nipple.

“Then let me make you feel good,” she breathes, and then her hand is working along my thigh to the moist cleft between my legs, and I feel my heart do a funny little throb in my chest. I reach down and stop her, bring her hand back up to clasp around my back. She looks up from my breast, shoots me a confused glance.

“If we’re going to be serious about this,” I tell her, stomping down on the little voice in the back of my head going but what if, “I want this to be based on something more than just sex. Because sex is great and you are very good at it,” I tell her, trying not to grin too widely, “but I want to – I want to fall in love with you, not your fingers and your tongue and your pussy.” I wince at her. “Okay, that might have sounded better in my head, but –“

“I know what you mean,” she tells me. “And I think that’s very, very sweet of you.”

We lay there in silence like that for a while. I run my fingers through her close-cropped mop of blonde hair. Eventually I just ask her, and brace myself for the response. “What do you want this to be?” I say, and she turns her face up to me. “If you want this just to be sex I’m okay with that but – but we should know what it’s going to be, we should –“

“I haven’t been in a real relationship in about three years,” she tells me, settling her head back down onto my chest. “Not because my last one was particularly bad or anything, but because for the last three years I’ve been on this team and I knew how bad of an idea getting involved with any of them would be. Yeah, there’s been some sex. There’s been some brief emotions involved here and there.” I feel her lips draw back as she laughs at herself. “But I knew that anything definite would have torn this team apart because I was the only woman on it, so I’ve played the cold bitch for a long time.”

“I don’t think you’re like that,” I say reflexively, and she laughs.

“I know I’m not. But if you play a role like that for long enough you find it hard to stop.”

“So what –“

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman,” she says, flicking her eyes down to my breasts. “I’ve been with more men than women but sometimes you just run into…into someone special. That makes you go, ‘god, women are just so…” she makes a little growly grunting noise in her throat and I laugh. “You know?”

“God,” I groan. “I actually think I know what you mean. I always thought I might be bi, but aside from one time in college when I made out with a girl at a party –“

Elena slaps me very lightly across the cheek and I squeak in surprise.

“I thought you told me I was your first!” she cries in mock outrage, and then when I try to explain she laughs and starts tickling me and the situation devolves from there, and then when we’re done and I’ve stopped shuddering I look at her, still hunkered over me, and reach down and slap her face lightly.

“I thought I said I wanted this to be based on something other than sex,” I tell her, and she laughs, still a little out of breath, and collapses onto her mattress next to mine.

“Then you shouldn’t have sucked on my nipple so much.”

“Uh, you started this.”

“Nope, I was just tickling you. You’re the one who went there.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Tell me about Thor,” she says, and I look over at her.

“This is really what you want to talk about?” I ask, and she nods.

“Yeah,” she says, reaching for me. I settle my leg above her hip and she puts a hand on my ass. “I want to get to know you better.”

“Bit of an odd place to start,” I grumble, and she laughs.

“You don’t have to tell me.”

I think about Thor. It’s a little like poking a sore on the inside of my mouth, one I’m hyperaware of but have been trying to avoid.

“Well, his real name wasn’t Thor. It’s Richard, but everyone called him Thor because he looked the part, you know. Big muscles, beard, long hair, everything. We met in college. Well, actually, I was in college but he was bartending at this pub I’d go after class most nights. Then I ended up interviewing him for the college paper I was writing for cause, Christ, what was it? Right, because he was an eyewitness for an armed robbery at the liquor store down the road. We sat down for a couple of hours in the bar on his day off and did way more flirting than interviewing and then after that he asked me if I wanted to go out with him sometime and I was already smitten by then so of course I said yes. The rest’s history.”

“He sounds nice.”

I open my mouth, then close it again while I try to think of an adequate way to respond to that. “Yeah,” I say finally. “He could be nice.”

“How long were you two together?”

“Six years.”

“Damn. And you never got married?”

I laugh. “No. I was too scared of the commitment. And Thor – I don’t think he really wanted to get married. We talked about it sometimes, in the abstract, about getting married and having a kid and all of that shit, but I don’t think either of our hearts were really into it.”

“Do you think that was because of who you are or because of your relationship?”

“What do you mean exactly?”

“Like, do you personally want kids? Or to get married? Not necessarily to him but just in general.”

“I don’t think I do. I’d be too scared I’d fuck it up. Like, both, I mean. I’d fuck up a marriage and I’d fuck up a kid.”

“I don’t think you would,” Elena tells me, and I smile at her.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“I know you don’t believe me,” she says, rolling her eyes. “But I really don’t think you would.”

I gather her tighter to me and leave a kiss on her forehead, and then from somewhere against my chest she asks me what ended up happening between me and Thor, how the relationship ended, and I sigh to think about it. “What was your last relationship like?” I ask her. She shrugs.

“Fine. Lasted about a year. Sex was good but I didn’t love him.”

“And he loved you?”

“Yeah,” she laughs. “It’s an old story.”

“The oldest,” I agree. “Well, me and Thor, I think we did love each other, but if you’re with someone for six years you end up hating them, all of the stupid little things that they do that they never change, you start seeing the bad more than the good, and I don’t think we loved each other enough to stick with it through that. We didn’t handle it well, though, we both wanted to make it work so we’d get in these huge screaming fights over really stupid shit and then we’d break up furious with each other and we’d resolve not to see each other again, we’d go meet other people, and then when they hurt us we’d come back. We always did. There’s something about that familiarity, about knowing someone so well that you can always come back to them when you’re hurt, that would glue us back together for another month or two, and then we’d get in a fight again. Rinse and repeat.”

“It sounds awful.”

“It’s something you grow into. Then he ended up getting HIV from someone he’d fucked and giving it to me, and now I’m here. I was furious at him. Aside from when I called him and screamed at him when I got the test results I haven’t talked to him since.”

Elena is quiet for a long while. “I’m sorry,” she offers finally.

“It’s okay. Both of our faults, really. With that kind of lifestyle we both probably should have been getting tested for things like that more often than we were. It was just this great big self-destructive spiral and you don’t…you don’t have the energy or the willpower to change it until it chews you up and spits you out.”

“Well…” she says, looking up at me. “What’s the next step? You’ve got to keep moving forward.”

“I don’t know,” I tell her. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I think right now I’m focusing on just…existing by myself. Six years is a long time. I have to figure out what I think of myself again.” Then I realize how that must sound and I start to backtrack. “I mean – you’re…you weren’t part of the plan, but I don’t mind rethinking –“

“Roan,” Elena laughs, reaching up for me and tugging me back down against her, “you overthink everything, don’t you?”

I settle against her, let the tension flow out of me. It takes a moment but I’m able to do it, let myself relax. “Maybe,” I grumble, and she laughs again, rich and throaty.

“Why don’t we just let things go however they go?” she suggests. “Don’t worry about anything definite, don’t worry about stupid fucking labels, let’s just get through the expedition and then see how we feel about each other after?”

“I like labels,” I say in a small voice. “I don’t like feeling uncertain.”

“You feel uncertain about me?”

“Not really,” I admit. “I’m just afraid that –“

“Then shh. Save it.”

“But –“

“Roan, it’s three in the morning,” she says, gently admonishing, and I start.

“Wait, really? I thought it was way later –“

“Well, it’s not. Now, you want to hold me so we can both go back to sleep? Tomorrow’s going to suck if we stay up much later.”

And with that she nestles her head against me and closes her eyes and it is very simple for me to just lay there and breathe, feeling her hands gripping my back slowly grow more and more limp, and then I manage to fall asleep as well, despite her soft whispery snores in my ear.

 * * *

 The morning is relatively quick. We wake at seven or eight or so – I left my wristwatch back in the barracks so I don’t have access to an accurate measurement of time, and trying to work the geriatric software in the wristpad is a little beyond my sleep-addled brain. I feel relatively well-rested; waking up at three certainly didn’t do me or Elena any favors but she offers me a caffeine pill and I take it gratefully, and once it kicks in later during our leisurely MRE breakfast I do feel a little more alert.

The mood is more cheerful than I’d expected. It feels for all the world like we’re just on a camping trip. If anyone is feeling anxious about having to go deal with the copepods they’re doing a very good job of not showing it. I take a couple of candid shots while we’re sitting around the communal stove – Crookshank gesticulating, big grin on his face, telling a story to Slate, who’s lazing back on his elbows, MRE tray resting on his chest; the Sergeant sitting cross-armed and alone but eyes cut to the left, listening to the story as well; Fumi and Ellis in the middle of trading their cheese spread packets; Peter grinning at me and waving from across the circle; Euler rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

It all feels very distant from yesterday, but maybe it’s because I’ve done so much since. Even the shamble seems like it was a whole month ago at least, it doesn’t seem real. And I can even manage to look Crookshank in the eyes; after last night I didn’t think I’d ever be able to, but when our gazes accidentally meet we offer perfunctory smiles to each other and then carry on as though nothing had happened, although perhaps for him that’s less surprising than it is for me.

Altogether too quickly breakfast is over and then we’re on the move again. The next couple of hours take us to the terminus of the Organ Trail, a vast bowl-like depression of flesh that Elena informs me was once a bile bladder of some kind, and then we take a left and go through a man-made channel bored through the flesh of the Pit. I stare at the ceiling, wondering at it, at the scarified criss-cross of the retaining plates and stents. Everything looks very old here, and for a while I’m concerned, wondering if it’ll come crashing down on top of us, but it stays very still and strong and resolute throughout our passage, even when Joker’s clanging footsteps resound off the metal walkway and put an unhealthy shudder to the entire enclosed path.

I look back at Joker today less than I did yesterday. I haven’t observed any more episodes like in the gondola ride down, and so I’ve gradually begun to let my guard down around the machine. Not like keeping my guard up would do anything; if it did decide to go crazy and kill all of us I don’t think there’d really be anything we could do about it. Maybe if someone nailed it with one of the big forty-millimeter slug rifles that about half the team carry, that might put it down.

I’ve been around guns before, even shot some, but the slug rifles are in another league entirely. They are without a doubt the biggest guns I’ve ever seen, and the slugs they fire are so large that my mind doesn’t even register them as bullets, more like big cartoony grenades, like something you’d throw.

My own little pistol weighs heavily on my hip. Even though I qualified, I flinched too heavily whenever I pulled the trigger, and though I hit those shots, if I were in a pinch? If I had to? I don’t think I could do it again.

It makes me feel nervous, holding a gun again. I feel hyper-aware of it, like a part of my mind is just staring down at the matte black grip of it, prodding out of the holster.

A little nine millimeter pistol isn’t going to be helpful against anything that’s really determined to hurt me down here anyway. And there’s no way in hell I could handle one of those forty-millimeter guns. They wouldn’t even let me even try to fire one at the range, even braced, because there was a decent chance it’d dislocate my shoulder. What I could use is something like a bowie knife, but I guess they didn’t think about that very much. Everyone else has one, or at least a similarly large knife, hanging off of their belts, but they didn’t issue me one. Maybe that’s what I should be concerned about, that I didn’t get my standard-issue ranger knife.

Lots to think about, stamping along there in the back with Elena and Euler and Joker. Lots of conversation up in front, lots of laughter, but aside from soft murmurs here and there Elena and I seem to be content to just enjoy our mutual presence, and Euler is equally quiet and reserved. Personally I think he’s still a little unnerved by our surroundings; I’ve grown used to them far more quickly than I thought I would have, but sometimes when I look back I see Euler gazing at the walls or the ceiling or the wet, sticky, red-veined floor with something approaching trepidation in his tight-set lips, clutching at the remote control like a talisman, working the joysticks mechanically without even looking to make sure Joker keeps putting one foot in front of the other. I’d squeezed Elena��s hand and then fallen back, walked with Euler for a while, asked him all sorts of questions about Joker.

The remote, he told me, seemingly happy to have someone asking about something, I gradually realized, that might have been his life’s work, wasn’t for fine motions or anything incredibly precise. The machine brain inside Joker knew, he said, how to balance, how to grab things, how to walk, the remote was just for telling it where to move, what to grab, and so on. The eventual goal was for the remote to not be necessary but they weren’t confident enough in the robot’s autonomy yet for that to be possible, outside of limited and controlled circumstances.

I think again of Joker’s hand clenching hard enough to strain metal, there in the dark of the gondola, just inches from me, and wonder.

I say goodbye to Euler, filter back up. Elena has worked her way up into the rest of the group and is speaking animatedly to Fumi and Ellis about something. I watch her for a while, lit by the bobbing headlamps from behind, smiling to myself, and then someone nudges me and I look over to see Slate walking alongside, tall and handsome and shining even inside the helmet and the lumpy ranger suit. He grins at me but more gently than the other night at the party, and I can’t stop myself from smiling back at him. We haven’t spoken much, other than a few perfunctory comments here and there, but now he inclines his head down to me, nodding ahead at Elena.

“You and Novak, eh?” he says, his tone mildly congratulatory, and I flush immediately but it’s accompanied by a warm, slightly fuzzy sensation that I recognize after a moment as gratification at implied acceptance, and so I grin cheekily up at him, and shrug.

“Is it that obvious?”

Slate tilts his head as if considering. “Well, you do spend most of your time together, but I wouldn’t think that was out of the ordinary considering you’re the only two women on the team…” he says, and I start to say something, but then a smirk curls his lips. “…except I saw you two holding hands here in the back for like six hours yesterday, so I put two and two together.”

Something about this strikes me as so funny that I laugh hard enough for Klaus to slow his pace, fall in step with us, and ask what the joke is, and then me and Slate are both laughing at Klaus’s slightly bemused expression, but I reach out and put my hand on his shoulder and assure him that we aren’t making fun of him, that it was something else, and he’s a good sport about it. I walk there for a while sandwiched between the two of them, washing in the realization that the acceptance I was so hungry for back when I first met the team has come and found me so subtly that I didn’t even realize.

Slate and Klaus and I talk for a while and I only have to make up a couple of stories about my dismally ordinary life in Admin. Klaus is very quiet, I discover, but whenever I look over to see if he’s still paying attention I see his eyes glittering at me very alert and contemplative, the cast of his face screaming ease at me from every pore. And Slate – well, Slate isn’t so bad, not really. Maybe I had been too quick to judge at first, even if he does keep calling me ‘little lady.’

It feels like a knot somewhere inside of my heart is undoing itself and the feeling of looseness is so distantly-remembered that for a while it feels as though something is wrong.

Eventually Slate has to go up and put the hydraulic stent he carries into a narrow passage, and so he leaves us, pulling a face as he does, and then it’s Klaus and me, standing there in the middle of the pack, Crookshank, the Sergeant, and Slate up at the front fiddling with the jack and the rest of us watching. I realize something after a moment and then lean over to Klaus.

“Hey,” I say. “What’s the Sergeant’s name?”

Klaus laughs softly. “He’s South African,” he says. He has a soft, lilting Spanish accent. “So he has a long, unpronounceable Dutch-sounding name. He got tired of all of us saying it wrong so he just told us to call him Sergeant.”

I think back to my brief high school Die Antwoord phase and suppress a grin. “Reasonable,” I mutter.

“Eh?”

“I said that that’s reasonable.”

Klaus nods. He’s only a little taller than me, and very slightly built. I’ve wondered a little about what his role on the team must be but after watching him move over the past couple of days I figured out that he must be some sort of scout. There’s a lithe kind of panther’s grace in the way he moves, even in the bulky plated suit, and he’s accidentally startled me a couple of times just because of how quiet he can be. We talk for a little longer but he’s mostly interested in stories about my ‘work’ at Admin and I keep steering the conversation in other directions and he picks up quickly that I don’t really want to talk about it. He isn’t rude enough to pry, though, and we quickly lapse into small talk. He has a son and a wife back there in Gumption somewhere, and the way his face lights when he talks about them does something funny to me that I can’t immediately identify.

He fumbles around in a pocket for a while, there in the middle of the crowd, bobbing headlamps and quiet conversation and the grunt of effort and muttered curses there in the front while Crookshank and the Sergeant and Slate struggle with the goddam motherfucking wing nut on the side of the goddam motherfucking son of a bitch fucking hydraulic jack, goddam it motherfucker turn will you, and pulls out a photograph of the three of them, looking like it was taken at a barbecue or something. Wide smiles. His wife is very pretty. I tell him so and he smiles at me, an echo of the miniature one in the photo.

Then the jack pops into life and we’re stomping through the vein. I end up behind Elena and goose her lightly and she turns around, neck awkward and stumpy in the suit, and grins at me through the glass plate of the helmet. She reaches back for me, catches my hand and squeezes it tightly. “You doing alright?” she asks. “Haven’t seen you much all day.”

“I’m great,” I tell her. “Just been hanging out. Smile,” I tell her, and she looks down at the camera and sticks her tongue out, holds it there. I let her go for a second or so, then laugh. “It’s video.”

“Oh, right.”

We eat a quick perfunctory lunch a little later, there at the lowest point of the organ trail, a sort of off-branching tributary that meanders horizontally through about a mile of flesh before we reach the Cord.

Spectacular doesn’t even begin to cover it. I hadn’t really asked questions about our destination because I’d made assumptions about what it was, but when we came to the hollowed-out clearing and the Sergeant had opened the enormous and terrifically old metal submarine door set into the exposed bone there and ushered us inside, I hadn’t known what to expect – but certainly not a spiral staircase set around the inside of the Pit’s spinal cord. There in the middle, suspended in air and protected by a solid case of glass and metal, is a intensely complex filigree of thin gossamer nerves, tangled and bundled and flowing with light, thick corded globs of it surging blisteringly fast up and down the length of the spine for as far as I can see in both directions, until it fades into murky darkness above and below.

Elena catches up to me while I’m standing there gawking and laughs at me, especially when I take her hand and hold it there, just for a moment, catch her up and get her to just stand next to me and stare.

“Pretty, huh?”

“I had no idea,” I say softly, my eyes tracking a particularly fat and slow-moving bundle of light, “that they’d built inside the spine of this place –“

“It’s not really the spine. There are a bunch of cords like this, there’s like five or six,” she informs me, cutting her head to the left and getting us moving again. “This one was just the most convenient to use for getting up and down vertically. It goes all the way down to the Gift Gardens.”

“To the what?”

“The bowels. Long story. Tell you sometime later.”

“But these nerves –“

“They put this in a long time ago,” she says, gesturing at the burnt-out lights, at the metal stairs. “When they didn’t really care about the Pit’s wellbeing. We’re probably the first people to have used this in at least a decade.”

“Why don’t they get rid of it?”

“Too much effort,” Euler guesses from behind us. “Not enough budget.”

“Yeah,” Elena grunts, glancing back at him. “And too much damage taking it out, now that the Pit’s grown back around it.”

We walk in silence then, accompanied only by Joker’s echoing footfalls, until finally, what feels like a couple hundred feet down, we pass through another thick door and into Oyster’s Shame.

I understand the name, or at least part of it immediately, for as I look around my light catches the surface of the vast, rugose, spleenlike organ and it shimmers and breaks apart into a soft pearly opalescence that reminds me of the ocean, of the way the light catches the water in a tidepool.

The surface is deep and spongy and pockmarked with perfectly round craters, each about as big around as a queen bed or so. Here and there the craters still have occupants – vast round balls of something, cakey and flaking, a dirty off-white color. Some of them have crumbled but others, perhaps newer ones, have more of a lustrous shine to them, similar to the sheen on the walls but deeper in a way, like layers of more and more subtle colors and gradations of white. Craning my neck upwards I see dozens if not hundreds of tinier bulbs forming there on the ceiling, dangling down from thick fleshy strands. Some of the larger ones sway lightly, bulging and pregnant. Are they eggs? Some kind of cocoon for the larva of a creature that lives down here? I go to ask Elena but something in her face stops me. There is some kind of air of reverence here, something I can’t put my finger on. Even Crookshank and Slate up in the front have grown quiet.

We pass in a winding single-file trail through Oyster’s Shame towards the squatting bulk and artificial lines of the Deep Listening Station, hunkered there like a cat licking its lips, light pouring from its portholes, but the closer we get to it the more I feel as though something must be wrong.

The door is open, the great porthole standing open, and the light inside is flickering and indistinct.

We stop and spread out in a rough semi-circle ahead of the doorway. The Sergeant’s face is drawn and grim and for a moment I don’t understand why, but then I look inside and see the trail of blood leading into the station and curving a sharp left out of sight, see a bloody handprint on the wall like it were a scene out of a horror movie.

As everyone around me unlimbers their guns and coaxes as many reassuring metallic clicks and taps out of them as they can, all I can see, all I can train my camera on, is the cold, pale hand lying limp on the floor, the arm it’s attached to extending further back deeper in the station, into gloom that my eyes can’t penetrate, the fingers curled as though beckoning us in.

Continue with Part 19

Back to Table of Contents

[lockdownfest]

Lock Down Fest Masterpost PART I (20-30 March)

1917

feed me just enough that i’ll never need a cage by Cunninglinguist. (E) 7.4k,  Tom Blake/William Schofield. “Come on.” Sco stops walking, runs a hand over the faintest marking on a tree trunk. “It’s just a little farther now.” “I’m coming.” Tom huffs a sigh, yanking his shotgun strap over his shoulder so the barrel lands in his hands. They’ve been on the road for nearly a week now, an unfortunate consequence of their last shelter getting swarmed by an army of dead ones. Though skinning rabbits to eat over hastily made fires and taking turns sleeping against trees, spending the days and nights consumed with fear, and jumping each time a stick cracked were hardly desirable circumstances, it certainly wasn’t their longest or harshest stint on the run. They had endured worse, by far, and Tom had no doubt that this particular stretch of time would come to an end when Sco said it would. He knows the way, he always knows the way. Plus, Tom wouldn’t want to spend this time with anyone else in the entire world.

If The World Was Ending by RisingShadows. (not rated) 3.7k, Tom Blake/William Schofield.  When a dangerous virus begins spreading across the country William Schofield and Tom Blake quickly find themselves the last two standing of the team working in their lab.

AKB48

#unmeida by summoninglupine. (G), 788 words. Sashihara Rino/Watanabe Mayu, Kashiwagi Yuki/Watanabe Mayu.  Ready for an all-girl vacation in Okinawa, Watanabe Mayu doesn't see why she has to be the one to nursemaid their sick tour guide. Things would be different, she is sure, if Yuki was there!

ALL FOR THE GAME

I see truth somewhere in your eyes by DeyaAmaya. (M) 2.8k, Kevin Day/Thea Muldani, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, other background relationships. In a moment of insanity, Kevin decides to check Instagram. In the multitude of inane celebrity posts telling the mass people to stay home, he finds a lovely, recent photography of Thea. Someone from their College took it. The lighting perfectly captured the dried tear tracks down her unmoving face. Kevin disregards the emotional caption and instead checks the date. 18 March, the night he-  (The night he thought he had a hallucination.)

Quarantine and exy by Fornavn.  FANART. (G) 116 words, Andrew/Neil.  The monsters is stuck at home while coved-19 is terrorizing the world. They are bored.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES

Alone and in a Circumstance by middlemarch. (T) 700 words, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert & Anne Shirley, Diana Barry & Anne Shirley. Anne had a key, so she let herself in, quiet as a mouse, arms laden with bags from the market. Her sophomore class's papers on A Tale of Two Cities were poking out almost jauntily from the quilted bag Diana got her for her birthday.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Worry by Neverever. (T) 2.4k, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark.  During the pandemic, Steve wants help the best he can but immuno-compromised Tony worries about his company and his health.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Poetry and Plants by the_many_splendored. (T) 1.9k, Adam/Belle. It's amazing how much you can open up to a person when you're locked in a bookstore reading together.

BELLEVUE

Knives and Lighters by goreds. (M) 2.1k, Annie Ryder/Peter Welland.  Annie Ryder finds herself in Bellevue's psychiatric hospital. She pretends to tolerate the whole experience, even if she really hates it. When a new, quiet guy comes to the ward, though, she finds herself intrigued.

BLACK SAILS

If this is Our Last Night by remuirius. (E) 2.3k, Captain Flint/John Silver. Silver and Flint are locked up together on the Walrus. Certain of their looming death at an enraged crew’s hands, Silver finds the courage to do things he’d only dreamed of until now.

BLACKKKLANSMAN

Someone Like Him by cowboykylux. (M) 2.2k, Flip Zimmerman/Reader. 'If there was one thing true more than anything else about all the reasons you loved him, it was that once your husband had his heart set on something, he was going to accomplish it.' Or, a sudden snow-storm cancels your plans for a date, and Flip Zimmerman decides that nothing, not even snow, will get in the way of treating you to something special.

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA

Tell me it won’t always be this hard by Graendal. (T) 4.3k, Midoriya Izuku/Todoroki Shouto. He’d met Midoriya a few months ago during a field trip to the library. The kids had adored him, of course, even the ones who were usually shy about participating in new activities. Midoriya had a way of projecting a sense of all-encompassing safety and comfort with just his smile.Shouto had adored him too, maybe, even back then. A silly crush that had only grown during every subsequent field trip — which is truly absurd, considering the vast majority of their interactions at the time consisted of occasional eye contact while singing children’s songs.But now that they’ve spent hours talking almost every day for the past few weeks… calling it a silly crush might be an understatement. The idea that he’s actually been able to help Midoriya through this is inordinately pleasing.If there’s a silver lining to this at all — for him personally, at least — it’s that he’d seen Midoriya’s post requesting a virtual board game buddy. And that Midoriya is a patient enough person to teach Shouto how to play everything from scratch. He’d actually seemed excited at the opportunity.Maybe the opportunity for any sort of ongoing social interaction is worthy of excitement. These are strange times.

CALL THE MIDWIFE

Sanctuary (In Each Other) by WednesdayGilfillian. (T) 2.6k, Bernadette-Shelagh Turner/Patrick Turner. Set during the Christmas Special in S2. Specifically, during the unsettled night that Shelagh turned up on Patrick's doorstep.

CAPTIVE PRINCE

When We Went from Strangers to This by Aerica_Menai. (T) 3.5k, Damen/Laurent. Laurent is really sick, and decides to shut himself in his apartment and deal with it alone. His downstairs neighbor, Damen, gets worried enough to check on him, which went just fine - and then Damen got himself locked in. Featuring Star Trek TOS, coming outs both accidental and intentional, and Damen being his usual sunshine puppy self.

DCU

would you lie with me by Glove23. (G) 660 words, Diana (Wonder Woman)/Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne. Bruce catches a virus, and Diana and Clark come to help him.

DEADPOOL/SPIDERMAN

Avengers Monopoly by MsCaptainWinchester. (E) 1.4k, PeterParker/Wade Wilson, James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers. The Avengers are quarantined in Avengers Tower, and Peter and Wade see this as the perfect opportunity to try the new Avengers Monopoly set. They have their own house rules for property negotiation. No one told Tony. Oops?

omg they were quarantined by Jdragon122, LunaStories. (M) 2.6k, Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Spidey has a cold and Deadpool, being the sexy boyfriend he is, goes to take care of his baby boy. But they're under quarantine and oh no, there's no more lube? What should they do?

Superheroes Don’t Get Scared by DefendersofMCUniverse. (T) 3.6k,  Peter Parker/Wade Wilson. Peter, fresh out of college, gets invited to the tower to stay in one of the guest floors that has been left unoccupied for some time since the previous tenant ‘hero’ decided to leave for unknown reasons. Of course, a few weeks into living there and getting into a routine, the last hero pops onto his balcony. Peter offers for him to stay on his old floor because the dude looks like he could use a familiar place, and also dude is kinda terrifying, and like hell he is gonna admit that to the other heroes in the tower.

DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN

Games. Family. Love. by heizl, NickEllis1314. (G) 1.8k, Carl Manfred & Markus. Because of some rebellious protesters, Androids, and owners of said Androids, were ordered to stay inside. It'd been a long day of restlessness, and boredom, and Markus was almost genuinely excited to get Carl to bed so it could all finally be over. Carl wasn't exactly tired yet though, so they reminiscence for awhile.

DOCTOR WHO

What We Did During Our Quarantine by badxwolfxrising. (M) 4.6k WIP, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler. Rose and the Metacrisis Doctor return to Torchwood from Bad Wolf Bay and are placed in a mandatory 72 hour quarantine. However will they pass the time? }:-)

DRAGON AGE II

shaking fingers, open palms by asexualf. (T) 2.4k, Fenris/Merrill. Kirkwall has issued her people remain in their homes until the sickness overtaking the city is gone. As always, the Alienage suffers the most under this new rule - and those who enforce it.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Three in a room by Tagus Knoll. (T, Underage) 4.6k, Kazuto/Darius Maynor/Chester Hayes. When Kazuto finds out they all have to be in the same room, he didn't expect that Chester, Darius and him end up dating.

FALL OUT BOY

‘Cause Everything Else is a Substitute for your Love by PadawanRyan. (G) 1.9k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz.  Patrick and Pete are each self-isolating with their kids during the coronavirus pandemic but well, Patrick’s in Chicago and Pete’s in LA.

quarantine, or: how to land a boyfriend in 14 days by TooRational. (T) 6k, Patrick Stump/Pete Wentz.  Patrick turns his head in Pete's direction and sees him, Patrick sees him, and his frown goes up a notch, and a fisted hand settles on one hip in that typical Patrick-is-a-grandma-pose, and Pete grins and runs full-tilt into Patrick's arms, disbalancing them both until they slam into the side of the house, tangled and half-frozen and definitely soon-to-be-bruised. He interrupts whatever rant Patrick had prepared that starts with 'you idiot' by tucking his frozen nose into Patrick's neck and sucking the warm air coming from Patrick's skin into greedy lungs, and grins even wider when Patrick yelps, offended as he always is by a breach of his personal space.

FIRE EMBLEM SERIES

Shelter from the Storm by Dameceles. (T) 4k, Elincia Ridell Crimea/Tibarn.  It's a dark and stormy night when Elincia lends aid to Tibarn. He wants to return the favor, but she doesn’t have wings.

FRONTIER

Fever 1793 by goreds. (M, MCD) 2k, Samuel Grant, Cobb Ponds. Cobbs Pond and Samuel Grant experience the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, 1793. One of them gets better.

FROZEN

It all comes out in the wash by middlemarch. (G) 1.1k, Anna/Kristoff.  She'd knocked. Really, she had. It was their en suite bathroom, the room he said was over-the-top and extravagant and aggressively tiled, so it wasn't exactly her fault that she'd effectively barged in on him.

GAME OF THRONES

The Luckiest Man in the Whole F***ing World by OrangeTabby. (M) 7.2k, Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark. Sandor Clegane is in isolation at home after picking up the virus in the line of duty. Luckily, he’s got his cat for company and plenty of rubbish TV to stream. Then Stranger decided to go next door for a visit…. A story about friendship, food, romance and dubious television. And a pandemic.

GARGOYLES

Cabin Holiday by Isimile. (M) 1.2k, David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos, Owen Burnett/ David Xanatos/Janine “Fox” Xanatos.  After everything that happened, they decide to spend a week away in a cabin, to relax and to perhaps talk about their relationship. They're unexpectedly snowed in, which triggers memories of the Unseelie War.

GILMORE GIRLS

How dare the robins sing by middlemarch. (T) 900 words, Rory Gilmore/Jess Mariano, Dean Forester/Rory Gilmore, Dean Forester & Jess Mariano, Luke Danes & Jess Mariano. The two of them, the diner, for how long? At least the coffee shipment had made it in time. What he wouldn't have given for a fifth of Jack-- or anyone else. Literally, anyone.

HAIKYUU!!

Anchor by farfetched. (G) 5.3k, Semi Eita/Tendou Satori. Spreading their arms out either side of them, they stare at the ceiling. This is pulling on them in so many ways they didn't expect; laying here, on Tendou's floor, in Tendou's clothes, right down to their underwear because who expects a lockdown to get enforced overnight? They didn't bring anything much. They should have. They ought to chance going home. But they can't, so they don't. Home is an empty place right now anyway, and here there is food and laughter and music and in between all that is their realisation that they're not so over this Tendou thing after all.

Lockdown by needles. (T) 1.5k, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru.  You never know what will escape from a box when you open it, just ask Pandora. For some it may be a disaster, for Iwaizumi could it be a golden opportunity?

Lockdown With A Fox by runningfromrealitytoanime. (T) 4.1k, Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi.  Sakusa Kiyomi was a very careful person when it came to cleanliness so what happens if a certain setter with no sense of hygiene crashes at his place when Japan goes under a 2 week lockdown period?

HANNIBAL

Crumbles of unfulfilled expectations by Cinnamaldeide. (M) 11.9k, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter and other multi. Collection of ficlets of the length of a tweet or two ❀

Professor Graham’s Cheekbones Hotty & Extraordinary Foodie Husband by TheSilverQueen. (T) 3.3k,  Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter. Online classes due to the quarantine are Professor Graham's students learn that: 1) Professor Graham has a cute dog; 2) Professor Graham is married; and 3) Professor Graham's husband is smoking hot.

HARRY POTTER

A Long Night on The Bus by CuriousEmWanders. (E) 3.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. In which Draco & Harry are Auror partners stuck on a bus overnight. Draco has some memories that cause him to make some choices. Smut ensues, obviously.

A Pandemic by Theodore_Writes. (T) 611 words WIP, Luna Lovegood & Weasley Family. A new strain of Dragon Pox breaks out becoming a global pandemic. Many were unaware due to Fudge covering it up in an attempt to look better as a minister but when Xenophilius Malfoy/Lovegood reveals to his long time friend Arthur Weasley about what is happening around the world the entire Weasley family is horrified and takes immediate action. This is the story of what happens when a pandemic hits the Magical and Muggle world's.

A Welcome Distraction by MaesterChill. (E) 2.9k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  Draco and Harry get trapped in a Ministry lift. Whatever shall they do to distract themselves?

An Intangible Embrace by Drarrelie. (G) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  Harry is bored. Thank Merlin his husband had finally agreed to start using Muggle mobiles after Score was born, or he would've surely gone mad now.

And on the Seventh Day... by slytherco. FANART. (T) 0 words,  During an Auror raid, Harry and Draco are separated from their partners and end up being hunted by the wrong people. Desperate times require desperate measures, so both men are sent to an unmarked location where a temporary safe house was set up for them. Stuck for Merlin knows how long, they have plenty of time to examine their turbulent relationship.

“Are you sure you know how to play that?” by julchen_in_red. FANART. (G) 0 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. Harry and Draco offer comfort and entertainment to their neighborhood under lockdown by performing a traditional wizards' evening ballad on their balcony.

Better Side of the Bed by gnarf. (T) 2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  It was all Malfoy's fault. Harry could be at the Burrow right now, but instead he was trapped in Malfoy's tiny flat. All because that dick couldn't stop bothering him about a stupid life debt he didn't even care about.

Breaking Point by Drarrelie. (T) 365 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  After almost two years as Auror partners, they've learned to function quite well together most of the time. Right now, though, Malfoy seems to be more on edge than ever.

Civil Hands (Unclean) by p1013. (E) 8.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter. While he and Malfoy reached something like a truce in the years between the end of the War and now, their Quidditch rivalry has only grown. And with it, a simmering tension that is absolutely not sexual, no matter how many times Hermione raises her eyebrow when Harry's drinking at her and Ron's house. Not even when his head is resting on the kitchen table next to his empty glass, and he's moaning about Draco bloody Malfoy, and his bloody perfect seat on a broom, and his bloody perfect technique.But as Harry stares over his teammates heads towards the Puddlemere United bench, he catches a flash of wet white-blond hair and flashing grey eyes, and he thinks that Hermione's eyebrow might have a point.

Conservation for Beginners by Aneiria. (E) 4.6k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy. Hermione Granger didn't think twice about taking guardianship of Hoddholm Island for the summer. A deserted, peaceful island among the endangered Golden Snidgets is just what she needs to escape the anxieties that the end of the war brought with it. When Draco Malfoy arrives as the other guardian and they are left to themselves for a month, they both seem to be struggling in their own ways. Can they be there for each other when they most need it?

Exposure by Bridgette_Hayden. (M) 2.6k, Harry Potter/Severus Snape.  Snape and Harry volunteer to quarantine themselves for charity, and to comfort the world. Isolation leaves them feeling exposed. 

Flames by Aneiria. (E) 3.9k, Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott.  The whole of the Ministry of Magic and its workers are forced into an in-place lockdown quarantine following a magical accident at the DMLE. When Hermione Granger and Theo Nott are put into isolation away from their boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, how will the triad cope?

G Guess I'm Stuck With You by LittleSixx. (T) 4k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy.  Draco and Hermione are stuck in a Ministry lift on New Year's Eve.

In a Week by Suchsmallhands. (M, MCD) 12.4k, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin.  Sirius goes under quarantine in his flat, but fortunately he was able to get some reading material and a friend to keep him occupied during isolation.

Into the Wine Cellar by vivi1138. (E) 2.5k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  Harry should know better than to touch random objects that do not belong to him. Getting stuck in a cellar with Malfoy, of all people, leads to an interesting development.

Lockdown with the Malfoys by a_reader_and_writer. (G) 1.2k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy. Dracos's parents are just visiting Harry and Draco for their weekly dinner when the Ministry of Magic announces a total lockdown. Awkward situations happen.

Lockdown Husband by Houseofmalfoy. (T) 4.7k,  Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. "Got ready to leave after a hook-up for the guy to break the news that we’re on lockdown. We’re stuck together. this is the start of my bad rom-com."

Risk and Reward by nagemeikenu. (G) 2.6k, Rodolphus Lestrange/Augustus Rookwood. Augustus (Gus) Rookwood manages to survive completely alone in a burned down cabin for nearly three weeks. He's rescued by a gorgeous state trooper. Fluff ensues.

She’s A Rainbow by Ladderofyears. (M) 4.8k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  Draco never dreamt that he'd have to give birth without Harry, but when his beloved husband is put under MACUSA quarantine, he finds that he doesn't have a choice. With all the bravery he can muster, the best friend in the whole world and a pilfered magic mirror, Draco discovers that hope can be found even when you least expect it.

Stay with me through the storm by Pinkelephant42. FANART. (NR) 23 words, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  Dragon Keeper Draco finds ways to keep his boyfriend Harry on the dragon retreat longer. Harry probably doesn’t mind.

Ten below and falling by agentmoppet. (E) 8.6k, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter.  In which a pandemic results in Harry being locked in the Astronomy tower with Malfoy while they struggle to find the cure.

The Question of When by Misdemeanor1331. (G) 5.3k, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy.  When a global pandemic emerges, Draco and Hermione are once again called upon to discover a vaccine.

Unlikely Quarantine fellows by Isimile. (T) 861 words, Neville Longbottom & Blaise Zabini.  Neville and Blaise are quarantined together following an accident in their potions class and they get talking.

HAWAII FIVE-O

Spring Break by stephmex. (T) 3.5k, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams.  Danny had been looking forward to this trip for weeks, ever since the Christmas holidays when he had planned the Spring Break vacation together with Grace. But as much as he’d been looking forward to it, boarding the plane with Charlie's small hand grasped tightly in his own feels slightly off. One thing feeling off is this stupid new virus that you just can’t ignore because the news coverage is all over the place. The other thing feeling off goes by the name of Steve—and Danny is leaving him behind with insomnia and a concussion and the sure knowledge that there is something that Steve is not telling him.

HOUSE OF CARDS

Skilled Hands and Talented Tongues by goreds. (M) 1.2k, Remy Danton/Jackie Sharp/Alan Cooke. Frank Underwood's made enemies, so it's no surprise that Jackie Sharp and Remy Danton get locked down due to a threat during one of their meetings at the White House. But Alan Cooke's there too, which just creates a brand new dynamic.

IT

Isolated by Slashaddict96. (T) 1.3k, Connor Bowers/Richie Tozier.  Richie and his parents get stuck isolated at the hospital when a dangerous outbreak occurs. What's worse it's with his least favorite person

IWATOBI SWIM CLUB (MAZE RUNNER CROSSOVER)

Free from the Maze by runningfromrealitytoanime. (Graphic Depictions of Violence, MCD). 33k, WIP, Gen.  Haru finds himself without his memories except for his name before he was chucked into the Glade populated entirely by boys. As he tries to make sense of his new life amongst the Gladers, Haru realizes there is only one goal in mind: to run and escape the Maze.

KINGSMAN

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by andthenshesaid-write. (T) 2.3k, Harry Hart/Gary “Eggsy” Unwin.  Eggsy and Harry get stuck in a train. Some important things need to be said.

LITTLE WOMEN

a party hardly ever goes the way it is planned by middlemarch. (G) 900 words, Theodore Laurence/Amy March, Friedrich Bhaer/Josephine March.  Teddy had written she must come. He had run out of arguments.

Distances by MercuryGray. (G) 1.5k WIP, John Brooke/Margaret March.  A Modern March AU - In the midst of global pandemic, the March and Brooke families are trying hold it together.

MCU

Bracing by babywarg. (G) 2.5k, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange. In which Tony Stark makes a few declarations in response to a disease outbreak, and brooks no dissent.

Must Love Dogs (Right Here at the End of the Line) by bookjunkiecat. (G) 2.3k, Bucky & PTSD, Bucky & Pal (dog), Bucky & Steve.  During the virus pandemic, an already fragile Bucky has to venture out to pick up more of his very necessary meds. Returning home, he has a panic attack and retreats into an alley. While there he rescues a dog...or rather, the dog rescues him. Once he calms down, Bucky calls a veternarian's office, and reaches a warm, calm man named Steve.

Take Two by heyjupiter. (T) 14.1k, Bruce Banner/Tony Stark. When Tony Stark is injured in Afghanistan, he wakes up in captivity to find that a mysterious American doctor has plugged his heart into a car battery and saved his life. Tony is determined to repay the favor; when he escapes from the Ten Rings, he's taking Bruce Banner with him.

MERCY STREET

I took my Power in my hand by middlemarch. (G) 1.9k, Jedediah Foster/Mary Phinney.  It wouldn't do to consider just what it was that had spilled. It was war, it was a kitchen with a corrupt steward, it was a rapidly warming April in Virginia and the man she wasn't supposed to have any finer feelings for was looking at her quizzically.

MERLIN

Merlin Versus Quarantine by coconutknightshade. (T) 1.3k WIP, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Leon/Morgana. Merlin isn't quite 50 Shades of Done with Quarantine, but he and Arthur do have dry-erase "Day's Since Last Meltdown" boards mounted in the kitchen.

The Night Is So Long When Everything’s Wrong by Hum My Name. (G) 4.2k, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon. One month after banishing Merlin, Arthur's given a message in the form of a dirty red neckerchief. His ex-manservant's been captured and the captors want the king to pay the ransom.Going after Merlin is the easy part. Spending a long night in a small cell with no one but Merlin with him is a bit more difficult.

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

Love Bug by onetruthree. (T) 3.3k, Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng.  Marinette feels the safest with her friends by her side. But when the dead come back to life, that safety is tested.

Quiet by BookGirlFan. (G) 669 words, Chat Noir & Ladybug. Ladybug and Chat Noir sit on a rooftop in an empty Paris.

MIRAGE

Murder Scarecrow and His Pissed-Off Handler by goreds. (M) 1.7k, Gabriel Taylor/Doug Marsh. Gabriel screwed up a fairly simple mission, and now he and Doug are trapped in a tiny safe house somewhere in Eastern Europe. Sort-of romance ensues.

NCT

I Go Where You Go by CocoaBop. (T) 5k, Dong Si Cheng/Lee Taeyong. Taeyong thought he was prepared for another global pandemic. But this pandemic was different. In just a few weeks of isolation, Sicheng went from the shy, awkward roommate Taeyong rarely saw to his only anchor to the outside world.

OCEAN’S 8

Every Princess Needs a Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 1.3k, Lou Miller/Debbie Ocean. Being stuck inside is sending Debbie a little bit crazy, even though she knows it's for a good reason. Fortunately she has Lou and a foster dog to help keep her sane.

Your Princess Is In Another Castle by ShadowHaloedAngel. (T) 3.3k, Nine Ball/Tammy. Nine Ball decides if she's going to be locked down, she'd rather it was with Tammy and her kids.

ONE DIRECTION

and the sun will shine by leighbot. (G) 5.1k, Zayn Malik/Harry Styles. They're practicing self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two little boys shouldn't be too hard to entertain, right?

PITCH PERFECT

Basic Sickness by CamGray. (M), 1.3k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Chloe snaps the mask over her face and replies, “I was always smart, you just weren’t paying attention.  Vet school didn’t hurt either.  Now come on.  I’m going to rest, why don’t you go get some work done.  You can’t nanny me all day.  You’ve got more important things to do.” Beca shakes her head.  “What could be more important than this?”  She says, stressing each syllable.

Dry Spell by aliciameade. (E) 2.7k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. Tumblr prompt: Just imagine Beca and Chloe casually watching a porno together and when I say “casually” I mean “getting horny and ending up doing it right there.”

High-Speed Connection by aliciameade. (E) 4.1k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Aubrey Posen, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell/Aubrey Posen. So Beca is a bit of an exhibitionist. So what? What could possibly happen when she decides to play with Chloe while she Skypes with Aubrey?Sin. Sin is what happens.

Ready Or Not by aliciameade. (E) 4.6k, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. In a time of social-distancing, Beca and Chloe finally find a way to pass the time.

She’s Such a Bad Girl by CamGray. (E) 711 words, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell. “Chloe!” Chloe pauses her singing to call back to Beca. “Yes, love of my life?” Beca rounds the corner. “You’ve sung ‘Work From Home’ every day for the past 128 days. You know I love your singing voice, but can you please, for the love of the Carona gods, do something else.” Chloe pouts. “Well what should I do?”“I don’t know. I’m about to clean the house.” Chloe flips her hair flirtatiously and rests her arms loosely on Beca’s shoulders before saying, “You do too much. You’re not Superman you know.”

Watch Our Bodies Intertwine by tmylm. (E) 7.2k,  Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell.  Beca and Chloe are quarantined (yes, another "and they were quarantined!" fic) in Beca's Los Angeles home. Beca has managed to push away the feelings she harbored for Chloe back in college—they're adults now, she can behave herself. Or so she thinks.

you are my favorite thing by iPhone. (M) 3.2k. Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell.  Beca and Chloe find themselves alone in their apartment after the instruction comes to self-isolate. Set pre-PP3. Just pretend PP3 doesn’t exist.

POLDARK

Tenderness is not like money by middlemarch. (T) 599 words, Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark, Demelza Carne & Dwight Enys.  What was the real crime?

QUEEN

Stay Right Where You Are by Stormtrooperinclogs. (T) 2k, John Deacon/Brian May, Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor.  Brian and John are under government-mandated quarantine because of the virus. What are they gonna do???

RED WHITE & ROYAL BLUE

bend the rules by perfect-porcelain. (E) 6.8k,  Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor.  Alex is stuck inside with his roommate Liam and Liam's boyfriend Spencer and he thinks he's going to go insane but when his neighbor in the alleyway across from his window moves in he supposes that the quarantine won't be so bad after all.

Just Checking In by JessJesstheBest. (G) 1k, Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor.  In an au where COVID-19 happens to Henry and Alex, they try and stay connected through self-isolation.

SHADOWHUNTERS

Malec Malaise by Fluxx. (G) 2.9k, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood.  Magnus has a cold! In the absence of his magic, it seems he managed to catch some common Mundane bug. Well, that should be fine. Nothing a little rest and tea can't take care of... right?

SHERLOCK

Going Viral by trillian_jdc. (G) 1.1k WIP, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade.  Mycroft Holmes has been exposed to the coronavirus and prepares to self-quarantine, which he's very used to. His isolation is accidentally interrupted by Greg Lestrade, who winds up sheltering in place with him.

Thank You John by AnAnYaH. (G), 352 words, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson.  Quarantine day fic.

SHETLAND

Remote Communities by aurorlaura. (T) 3.4k, Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez.  Jimmy Perez, Duncan Hunter and their daughter Cassie experience the Covid-19 lockdown in Shetland.

STAR TREK: PICARD

Of Malady and Mother by Boldlynyooming. (G) 4.1k, Elnor & Zani. There was an outbreak of Beluxian flu on Vashti, and Elnor was not allowed to go out.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER

Confined To Quarters by ShayneyL. (E) 1.6k, Harry Kim/Tom Paris. Tom and Harry are in trouble again. Will they find a way to entertain themselves while confined to quarters? (Spoiler: yes.)

Social Distance by MiaCooper. (T) 1.2k, Chakotay/Kathryn Janeway. The terrible trials of a captain in quarantine.

STAR WARS

Fever of Love by ladyofreylo. (E) 8.1k, Rey/Flip Zimmerman.  Rey and Flip shelter in the library overnight during a flu epidemic. Rey believes Flip is part of a racist group, and Flip can't tell Rey he's undercover because it jeopardizes his investigation. He asks her to trust him. Will she? And will she allow him to help her friend's brain-damaged brother escape the clutches of the evil organization?

I Know You by Idrilhadhafang. (M) 739 words, WIP, Poe Dameron/Kylo Ren.  After a dogfight outside the Raddus, Poe Dameron and Kylo Ren are trapped on a planet below, with no memories for either of them and only being able to rely on each other.

Please don’t take him just because you can by middlemarch. (T), 911 words, Finn & Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Finn & Rey & Rose Tico. It wasn't a terrible job, it was the pandemic. Rey kept telling herself that, hoping she'd believe it. Or that it would all turn out to be a bad dream caused by eating government cheese before bed. Still, there were bright spots.

Something To Look Forward To by spacewitchqueen. (G) 1k, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren.  While self-isolating, Kylo manages to make a new acquaintance. Perhaps even a new friend? Perhaps in time something more.

There’s been a Death, in the opposite house by middlemarch.  (G) 100 words, Kylo Ren/Rey.  Crisis was supposed to bring out the best in people. That was the silver lining, Rey was pretty sure that was the line anyway.

STAR WARS LEGENDS

Cabin Fever by Keldae. (G) 1k, Gen. Theron hates being locked down in one location on the best of days. Being isolated with only a Sith Lord, an irate Wookiee, and (the head of) a protocol droid that won't shut up for company? He's pretty sure he's in at least the second Corellian hell.

Pinned Down by Keldae. (T) 696 words, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan.  The only option is to stay hidden inside and hope for a rescue.

The Waiting Game by Greyias. (T) 4.4k, Female Jedi Knight/Theron Shan, Satele Shan & Theron Shan. The worst part about all of this was the waiting. Theron hated standing on the sidelines as everyone else risked their lives. He needed something to do. Anything to keep him distracted from his own thoughts.

SUPERGIRL

Darkest Before The Dawn by Val_Creative. (T) 1.4k, Kara Danvers/Lena Luther.  Lena ends up diagnosed with a serious virus. Kara gets a little panicky about this and worries enough to visit her.

SUPERNATURAL

Fourteen Days and Four Dozen Eggs by Mandala Rose. (E) 5.6k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester.  As the Milton-Winchester household prepare to hunker down and #flattenthecurve, Dean makes a trip to the grocery store, for what was supposed to be their normal weekly grocery run. After all, they aren't the kind of people to panic and over-buy, right?

Hickory Dickory Dean by Carrieosity. (M) 2k,  Castiel/Dean Winchester.  When Castiel's library has to close because of the coronavirus pandemic, the librarians need to get a little creative in order to keep serving the community. Castiel has no problem recording virtual storytimes, but when it comes to adding in songs and things, he needs to call in a little extra help.

Knock by hit_the_books. (E) 2.5k, Castiel/Dean Winchester, past Dean Winchester/Lisa Braeden. Dean and Cas have been living together as roommates for about a year when the COVID-19 pandemic forces Douglas County health officials to issue a "stay at home" order. With Dean working from home and Cas trapped there with him, Dean starts to realize that he doesn't really know much about the younger man he's living with. And then he knocks on and opens up Cas's bedroom door one day and discovers far more than he was expecting.

It'll Be Fine. by ChloeDarling. (G) 1.4k,  Castiel/Dean Winchester.  Forced to self-isolate, Castiel finds himself succumbing to the boredom as he runs out of ways to keep himself entertained. Luckily, Dean Winchester has a plan to save the day.

Next Time, I Choose Death by CeliPuff, Winchesterlovr0508. (M) 1.2k,  Castiel/Dean Winchester.  In light of this pandemic, I decided to write some daily journal entries on how we survived the 14 day quarantine. It’s me, my brother and my best friend, what can go wrong?

No Dent by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (E) 7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester. Because the Impala is the best place to lock Dean and Castiel away when in the middle of another fight. They really need to talk and close the distance created by their stubborn heads. At least, Jack thought so.

Throw Away the Key by CeliPuff, Ketch22. (E) 2.1k WIP,  Castiel/Dean Winchester. multiple other relationships. After his father dies and leaves him nothing but the coolest car ever manufactured, the whole world turns to shit. Caught in the middle of a pandemic while attending the funeral, Dean is told he can’t return home and has to find somewhere else to ride out the mandatory month-long quarantine. Out of options, he calls his best friend Benny.Cas has lived with Benny for awhile - the bed was comfy, rent was cheap... the orgies were just a bonus. It wasn’t a half-bad place to live out a permanent bachelor lifestyle, or an irritating lockdown - but he’s about to get more than he bargained for when Benny takes in a stray.

Outbreak 2019 by spnsmile. FANFIC AND FANART (T) 1.7k, Castiel/Dean Winchester.  There's a spreading virus around and against it the medical staff are in the front lines. Castiel is a doctor and he just texted his husband he's positive of the virus.He awaits his fate in silence thinking of Dean.

THE 100

In Fair Corona by eternaleponine. (M) 8.3k, Clarke Griffin/Lexa. While returning from a service trip abroad, Lexa volunteers to take another flight when theirs is overbooked, and Clarke is forced to accompany her. When someone on the flight gets sick, they find themselves quarantined far from home with only each other for company. Can they overcome their differences and realize that they're in this together?

THE AVENGERS/MASS EFFECT TRILOGY

Stuck with You by sgteam14283. (G) 3.3k WIP, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Female Ryder/James Vega, Kaidan Alenko/Female Shepard. Adults can handle being stuck somewhere for a long period of time. For the most part.

THE EXPANSE

How to Have Fun in Quarantine at the UN by goreds. (M) 1.4k, Chrisjen Avasarala/Sadavir Errinwright, Arjun/Chrisjen Avasarala.  Chrisjen Avasarala and the whole of the United Nations, including Sadavir Errinwright, are on lockdown during a pandemic. Mild non-social distancing ensues.

THE FLASH

Between Hope and Fear by Purpleyin. (T) 4.1k, Cisco Ramon/Hartley Rathaway.  During the pandemic, Hartley tries to help. He tries to keep going and do whatever he can, from a distance. Everything is going as well as can be expected, until his world comes crashing down with one phone call from Caitlin Snow.

THE GRISHA TRILOGY

watch the world go by by JemDoe. (T) 823 words, Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov. “The plague of 758 was a very serious issue, made worse by the Fold, Alina. Supplies were so hard to reach to the other side of the country…” “Wipe that smile off your face before talking about a plague that was made worse by your actions, then."

THE HOBBIT

Cave in by Isimile. (T) 1k, Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield. Of course the cave in has to happen just when Bilbo is accompanying Thorin to a visit of the newly re-opened mines. Thorin just have the worst luck.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Nowhere else by Roselightfairy. (T) 1.2k, Gimli/Legolas Greenleaf. In preparation of an anticipated attack from nearby Dunland, Éomer has ordered that Aglarond go into lockdown.At least Legolas and Gimli are together.

THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES

a melody played in a penny arcade by aguntoaknifefight. (T) 2.7k, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims, Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas. Jon is trapped in the Institute. Things change.Or: Peter Lukas’s post-divorce pettiness inadvertently saves the world.

THE SIMARILLION AND OTHER HISTORIES OF MIDDLE-EARTH

A WORLD WITHOUT GRANDPARENTS by bluehair. (G) 1k, Maglor & Finwe.  I really didn't plan this. But it wanted to be written.

THE SOFT DOCTRINE OF IMAGINOS

On the Wrong SIde of the Mirror by Imaginos_Buzzardo_Desdinova. (M) 2.1k, Gen.  Trapped on the wrong side of mirror, Imaginos must find his way back to stop the evil Desdinova. He finds only one other person who also was tricked into the mirror.

THE TERROR

Lift Fire by Gigi_Sinclair. (G) 2.5k, Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little.  "Tom doesn't speak, either, until there's a strange grinding groan, the lights flicker, and the lift shudders to an unexpected stop.Oh, you have to be joking, Edward thinks, as Tom says, 'I'd heard they'd been having some problems with this one.'"

Look for the Helpers by goreds. (T) 1.2k, Captain Francis Crozier/Commander James Fitzjames.  Dr. Francis Crozier, stuck at home, lends a hand to his sick next-door neighbor, James Fitzjames.

THE TRANSFORMERS

Maybe it’s enough by choomchoom. (T) 2.8k, Drift/Rodimus, Prowl/Starscream. The boys deal with the pandemic.

Quarantined by pipermca. (G) 2.7k, Gen. Even when the Decepticons are forced into quarantine to stop the spread of a deadly disease, Soundwave still has work to do. If only his cassettes would keep it down...

THE UNTAMED

The Usefulness of Bunnies as Messengers is Strictly Dependant on the Bunny In Question by theskyandsea. (G) 2.8k, Lan Wangji/Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is quarantined in an apartment with Jiang Cheng and it's going about as well as one would expect. Which is to say, the second Wei Wuxian discovers just how hot his across-the-street neighbour is he jumps at the opportunity to talk to someone else.Even if that talking is through the medium of messenger bunnies.

We’re on a boat and... by chatcolat. (T) 1.4k, Gen. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian get stuck on a boat and accidentally end up talking to each other for five minutes while they wait for rescue.

THE WITCHER

Carefully We Gather by tackytiger. (M) 2.4k,  Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. They've been snowed in at the inn for six days now, and Jaskier still isn't speaking to Geralt.It's just, killing monsters is what Geralt does. Just because this one came a little bit too close to killing him first, doesn't mean that Jaskier has to get in a sulk about it. And why does he care so much, anyway?

Distanced Dears by jaskiersvalley. (T) 2.2k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Geralt of Rivia, Geralt of Rivia/Yennefer z Vengerbergu, Cahir Mawr Dyffryn aep Ceallach/Jaskier, Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer/Cahir.  Given the fact Geralt worked in the Accident and Emergency department, it was highly likely he would catch the virus, even with every precaution. Not wanting to put his whole family at risk, he and Cahir move into Cahir's old flat and they try to weather the storm by themselves when Geralt does get infected.

No More Water, but Fire Next Time by ladivvinatravestia. (T) 7.7k, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon & Jaskier, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier.  Jaskier and Ciri take shelter at a refugee camp following the fall of Cintra, where they find that Pestilence and War often ride together.

oh my god they were plague-mates by wombatpop. (T) 4.3k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. “They’ve closed the streets, Geralt. We’re stuck in here.” Jaskier and Geralt stuck in an inn together. What could go wrong?

The Fortnight by Elizabeth. (E) 7.5k, Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier.  A plague is ravaging the Northern Kingdoms. First Oxenfurt is locked down, and then Novigrad. Geralt is immune, but Jaskier isn't. Rosemary and Thyme is a pretty nice place to spend a fortnight, but it's still a long time to spend with just one person--even if that person is your best friend.A lot can happen in two weeks.

Trouble In Here by Val_Creative. (M) 2.5k,  Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier. Jaskier accidentally barricades himself into Geralt’s room when he’s been cursed, forcing them to isolate together.

YU-GI-OH! DUEL MONSTERS

And they were quarantine-mates by Alecto. (T) 4.8k, Jounouchi Katsuya/Kaiba Seto. The order came down while they slept. Now Kaiba was stranded at Joey's place for the foreseeable future.

YUYU HAKUSHO: GHOST FILES

Six Feet Apart by Penguiduck. (G) 2.4k, Kurama/Reader.  You've only been living in your condo for two months, but you have yet to meet your neighbor. When you're sentenced to working from home due to the recent COVID-19 virus, you step onto your shared balcony for the first time. You meet Shuichi and really like him. The only problem? You have to stay six feet apart.

[hemaris]

Hello I love your penumbra art and I showed some to my friend who finally started listening to Juno Steel and she said that she's been enjoying penumbra fanart but keeps on seeing fantastic Peter designs and then having to ask where his pockets are. This is not at all a criticism I just needed to share the thought because now I'm wondering too

OKAY THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION so here’s a trio of highly unlikely options for your consideration (put into fic format by someone who has little to no experience writing fic and is, to be completely honest, miles outside of their comfort zone):

nureyev’s pockets contain a - for the lack of a better word - pocket dimension

“You’re full of shit, Steel,” Vespa says. “If you wanna brag about sticking your hands down the thief’s pants, go find someone else to do it to.”

And really, Juno has been at the business end of Vespa’s blade before, but twice in one morning is probably a new record. He bristles. “Okay, first of all, would it really kill you to not wave your knife at me every single time we’re in a room together? Can’t we have one conversation where this doesn’t happen?”

“You started it! You got your finger all up in my face!”

“Yeah, well, my finger doesn’t have a long and celebrated history of gutting people when-”

“Keep it civil, sweethearts,” Buddy says from the other side from their makeshift recreation room, where she and Jet are playing a game Juno has never heard of involving a set of oddly shaped dice, some old Uno cards, and, inexplicably, a pineapple. Vespa moves to sheathe the knife, but makes a whole show out of doing it without averting her icy stare for even a split second. Juno has to suppress the fleeting urge to do something petty and potentially life-threatening, like sticking out his tongue at her.

“Second of all,” he continues, his voice only slightly lowered, “you asked! You asked me about Ransom’s - about his pocket situation, I’m just telling you what I know. And for the record, I never said anything about anyone’s pants. Or where I’m sticking my hands. Or, you know, whatever. Shut up.”

Vespa still hasn’t broken eye contact. “No, Steel,” she says, “I asked you how the thief managed to get an entire cupboard worth of Ming dynasty porcelain off of Titan and onto our ship. What you’re telling me is that he has magical mega pockets that are bigger on the inside, which isn’t a thing.”

“That’s what I used to think about teleportation, and mind reading, but here we are.” The truth is that the porcelain thing is a mystery to Juno as well. He has asked Nureyev, of course, but all he got in response was a that’s for me to know and for you to figure out, isn’t it, detective, which is more than a little annoying. “All I’m saying is that it could be an option. Don’t rule it out just yet.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Vespa says. “Ask him to pull, I don’t know, a live rabbit out of his breast pocket, and maybe I’ll buy into it.”

Juno has to roll his eye at that, and immediatey realizes he’s lost their little staring match. Not that it matters - the odds were stacked against him from the get-go anyway, with Vespa having a whole extra eye to look pissed off with. “Fine, whatever. But just for the record - have you seen a rabbit lately? Because I can guarantee you those things won’t go down or come out of anyone’s pocket willingly, regardless of pocket size.”

It might be a trick of the light, but for a brief moment, he thinks he sees the corner of Vespa’s mouth quirk up just a little.

a strategy once used by juno himself: Just Put It In Your Mouth! it’s mother nature’s built-in pocket!

“Uh oh,” Nureyev says once Rita has successfully hacked the giant metal door to slam shut behind them and they’ve skidded to a halt. He tentatively presses a hand to his throat.

“What- are you-“ Juno wheezes from where he’s doubled over, "Are you okay? They didn’t hit you, right?”

Nureyev makes a dismissive fluttery motion with his free hand. “Nothing of the sort.”

Juno squints at him, giving him a once-over, and seems to sag with relief once he sees Nureyev is not actively bleeding. It’s a little bit endearing, Nureyev thinks. “Okay, whew, good,” he says. “So then - what’s the ‘uh oh’ for? We got the blueprints, we-”

“Let’s say,” Nureyev interrupts him, “hypothetically speaking, that there was some ancient and priceless treasure in the vault we took the blueprints from.”

“That’s not really a hypothetical,” Juno says. “There was enough old Earth monarchy junk in there to bedazzle the entire Carte Blanche with.”

"Right. And now let’s say, once again purely hypothetically,” Nureyev continues, “that someone with only the noblest of intentions noticed the Koh-I-Noor diamond among that treasure, and that that someone decided to free it from the monstrously tacky diadem contraption it was stuck onto, because it’s a waste for something like that to be gathering dust in a vault.”

“You know,” Juno says warily, “I’m not sure I like where this is going.”

“The problem is that this outfit, while very stealthy, does not provide a great amount of secure pocket space, so i had to improvise.”

“Oh no,” Juno says.

“So I put it in my mouth, but then the guards arrived and while we were running I-”

“Oh no,” Juno repeats, a little louder this time. “Ransom, you - did you eat the Koh-I-Noor?”

“I accidentally swallowed the Koh-I-Noor, there’s a difference-”

“You ate it. You- Ransom, who would even-”

“Who would even what, Juno” Nureyev interrupts him, “There’s this old saying, something about a pot and a kettle, I believe.”

Juno’s comms crackle to life. “RIGHT,” Rita chirps loudly, “I know the both of you are very busy talkin’ about who ate a conifer and why - and i’m not judgin’, mista Ransom, you eat your greens however you wanna! That’s what my mom told me that time I dipped my green beans in marshmallow fluff - which I wouldn’t recommend, by the way, at least not with the beans, it was a WHOLE mess. Maybe with some broccoli, though, or baby carrots, or - anyway, what I was gonna say is they’re about to crack this door open, so I’m just thinkin’, maybe now isn’t the best time for this conversation?”

“He didn’t eat a conifer, Rita, it’s - actually, don’t worry about it,” Juno says. “Let’s get moving. I’m sure Vespa can figure something out to make you hurl the thing up again. But for the record, Ransom, don’t expect me to ever let you hear the end of this.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Nureyev replies. Juno grins a little, crooked and pretty, and Nureyev’s stomach almost somersaults enough to throw the stupid diamond out.

and lastly - why use your own pockets when you can use someone else’s?

“Nureyev,” Juno says against his neck, “can I ask you something?”

They’ve folded themselves onto Nureyev’s cot, neither of them up for more than just lazing around. Nureyev has been trying to study some floor plans for the last twenty minutes, but if he’s being honest with himself, he has no idea what building, owned by what person, built on which planet in whatever system he’s been looking at. He’s mostly been lost in thought, only grounded by the weight and warmth of Juno pressed against his side. He had thought the lady asleep until now.

It’s a little ridiculous, the effect his own name being spoken by Juno Steel has on him. He’s fairly sure that with Juno this close, he should be able to feel the shiver it sends down his spine, pick up on the stutter in his pulse. It’s okay if he does, he tries to tell himself, it’s okay, it’s only Juno - but at the same time Juno is infinitely, immeasurably more than 'only Juno’ to him.

“Of course,” he replies. “Anything, anytime.”

Juno hums. “Earlier, when we got back from the media bigwig backstabbing competition-”

“It was an award show, dear Juno.”

“I said what I said. Anyway, when we got back, there was something in my pocket that I definitely didn’t put there myself.”

Oh.

“A flash drive,” Juno continues, “that had the name ’M. Valderrama’ engraved into it. And a crazy amount of plastic rhinestones glued to it, but that’s not the point. I didn’t wanna risk it containing a virus and blowing up the ship, so I didn’t plug it into anything. But I did do my research, so I know Mignon Valderrama was at the backstabbing- I mean, the award show, and is the acclaimed director of titles such as ’The Notebook Part 44: This Time They’re All Ancient Mercurians’, the entire ’Ultra Magma Tsunami’ franchise, and the upcoming-”

“The upcoming blockbuster ’Cerebral Cephalopods: Rise of the Mathematician Octopi’,” Nureyev finishes.

Juno shifts against him. "Yeah, that’s the one. Didn’t know you were a fan.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Nureyev replies airily.

“Still,” Juno says, propping himself up on an elbow. “I have to wonder. How and why did mx. Valderrama’s flash drive, rhinestones and all, end up in my pocket?”

“Hmm. Would you believe me if I told you mx. Valderrama tripped, and the drive flew out of their pocket and into yours?”

Juno shakes his head. “C'mon, Nureyev.”

And for a moment, he hesitates. It’s not the best of stories. There’s no real noble, for-the-greater-good, Robin Hood-esque reason for him stealing the drive. He didn’t do it for the challenge, either - Valderrama might as well have presented it to him on a silver platter. Sure, he could make something up, spin a tale, make it sound big and impressive and sensible. But despite the alarm bells going off in his mind, he also thinks it might not be so bad to tell the truth, to bare his throat to Juno just a little. Of course, his own voice echoes, anything, anytime.

He sighs. “I might not be a fan, but I believe your secretary is. She’s been talking about those Magma Tsunami movies for days. They are horrible, by the way - she made me sit through two of them and I can’t believe I’m never getting those four hours of my life back. Valderrama should be liable for damages to my psyche. The drive, as you probably guessed, contains what I’m pretty sure is the final cut for whatever that octopus movie is supposed to be, so I snatched it up for her. My dress didn’t have any pockets, so I slipped it into one of yours. I must have forgotten to slip it out again.”

Juno frowns. “Wait - Rita? Did she ask you to? Because at this point i’m pretty sure she could hack into the studio’s servers in a heartbeat, and rip the whole thing-”

“She didn’t ask,” Nureyev says. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. But she wouldn’t have been able to get her hands on this by hacking. Valderrama is famously paranoid about leaks. All of their works-in-progress are stored on only a handful of physical drives until the day of release. One of the drives goes into a vault with a nightmarishly difficult analogue lock, one goes to the executive producer, and Valderrama keeps one of them on their person at all times. I saw my chance, so I took it.”

“Huh,” Juno says, “that's… that’s kind of sweet of you, actually.” He prods Nureyev in the chest with a finger. “And very illegal, and you shouldn’t do it again. But still. That's… yeah. That’s sweet. She’s gonna be over the moon.”

That’s what he’d been hoping for. He smiles, shrugging a little. “We’re space pirates, Juno. Most of what we do is illegal. We got into the award party illegally, and for illegal reasons. Valderramma will make their billions with or without that drive. It’s just-” he sighs again, raking a hand through his hair. “Rita is very important to you, which - which makes her very important to me. She’s been there for you all these years, and she’s never been anything but kind to me either. I’m not trying to buy her friendship or her appreciation, I suppose I just… think she deserves something nice, especially if that something is within arm’s reach anyway. Even if that something is a movie about hyperintelligent squids taking over Mars’ moons.” He lets his head fall back into the pillows. “I know that might sound a little foolish.”

Juno leans into him a little more, cupping Nureyev’s jaw in his warm hand, looking a little bit puzzled and a lot fond. “I’m pretty sure you already know that I love your particular brand of foolish,” he says after a second.

And before Nureyev has the chance to think about what that means for too long, Juno is kissing him, wiping any semblance of thought from his mind.

[hecohansen31]

22,23, & 24 with Peter Rumancek please?❤❤

(A/N): So... I am sorry... for how long this took... and I hope that the fact that this is more thought might make it seem better than anything else I might have written...

Also I love Peter, so... if you want to send anything else... please do... I love my dumb wolf...

I hope you’ll enjoy this sweetie!

WARNINGS: Mention of Public Sex, Jealousy, Werewolves Being Idiots.

22) “Mine.

23) “We cant do that here!”.

24) “Behave.”.

“Behave” you mumbled, meanwhile Peter tried to lower your shirt, so that he could bite your shoulder to push a mark on it “We can’t do that here”.

Because you obviously couldn’t fuck in some stranger’s house, meanwhile the rest of Peter’s family was celebrating someone’s birth…

… and you were just fucking like rabbits in the first darkened hallways you had found.

Everyone was in the garden enjoying the sunlight and warmth, and you were dealing with your werewolf boyfriend, trying to calm him down after one of the guys at the party had tried to chat you up, and even worse… he had ducked in to kiss you.

Hadn’t Destiny been ready enough to push the idiot away at the last minute, he would have been probably dead by Peter’s hands and she had told you to drag him away, from there, before he exploded.

Peter usually wasn’t the jealous type, although he would get mopey if you spent some time with Roman, which you did usually just to avoid that the upir did something stupid (like sticking his dick in other blonde girls), but he never showed true aggressive jealousy like in this case.

“…mine” he simply huffed, before he hurriedly brought his hands to sweep your legs out of you, pushing them onto his waist and you had to immediately link your arms behind his head to balance your body, against his.

When you were more stable, you immediately sent an annoyed look at his way, pulling onto his hair, to get him to finally face you, meanwhile he just growled at you, as if your gesture wasn’t nothing more than teasing at him.

And he enhanced the thought of it pushing his hands to knead your breasts, already heavy for your arousal… and something more.

Something which you had been hiding from Peter due to his past experiences.

“… why are you like this?” you mumbled, right onto his lips, as you finally managed your ‘wolf’ to focus on you “… you usually can control yourself better”.

“That’s because it isn’t only about you that I am worried” and quickly his hand moved from your breasts onto your stomach, enhancing the concept he had spoken about, meanwhile your eyes opened, at his revelation that he knew about it all “… you are pregnant, (Y/N), aren’t you?”.

You hadn’t felt well a week prior to the event and Destiny had suggested that you did a test, although you were sure that it wouldn’t be necessary.

‘I am on birth control’ you had mumbled, meanwhile Destiny handed you the positive stick ‘… how the fuck…?!’.

‘You screwed a werewolf, not a human, honey’ mumbled Destiny, meanwhile she pushed herself to reach down her ass to the floor, so that you could be at the same level ‘…this is the least weird thing that might happen to you, sweetie’.

You hadn’t been able to tell it to Peter, not wanting to awaken some bad memories about Letha, so you had just thought that you would let him know as soon as you felt ready, even offering of taking care of the baby on your own, hadn’t he wanted it.

You couldn’t even think about that possibility without tearing up.

“This morning, when we woke up, all tangled…” you definitely remembered the tenderness of waking up softly next to him “… you smelt different, I thought it was just a different perfume or something… and then it hit me: you are with child, (Y/N)”.

The room had gone so silent that you were sure that a little pin falling would be heard.

The party outside stilling, meanwhile you waited for Peter to decide.

Your breath stuck in your lungs, meanwhile you trembled lightly, worried this might be the last moment between you two.

“… you are with my child” this time his voice was joyful, before he twirled you around, and you just gripped tighter onto his shoulder, meanwhile you smirked happily as he giggled softly, happiness shining from each pore of his body “I love you… so fucking… so fucking… much, (Y/N)”.

“I am sorry for having waited so long… I just didn’t expect you… I didn’t want you to feel bad… for” ‘Letha’, whose baby wasn’t his, but he had loved it as such-

And who died with that baby…

… because of that baby.

Fear appeared on his face, before his joy overtook it and he grabbed you tighter, although he was mindful of your stomach, gently nosing your shoulder, immerging himself completely in that newfound smell.

“I am grateful at you for being so considerate, but this time I won’t let anything happen to our little family” he swore, before from gently nosing your shoulder and he went back to nipping it, before he delved a soft bite onto it, one that made you moan in pleasure “… I won’t let anything hurt you, my sweet wolf of mine”.

Want To Send Me Smut Prompts: WELL YOU CAN!

[thwip--thwip]

Hey, I was looking for some new reading material and wondered if you could give me some recs? Please and thank you sm!

ho BOY anon, COULD I! I’ve got over 2,000 bookmarks on AO3 - what are we looking for? I’m going to assume IronDad, or at the very least Peter Parker-centric; short or long? MJ or Gwen Stacy? Angst, fluff, whump? Sorry this took a minute; I went into the vault for you and pulled out some rare gems:

LONG FICS

In the Home by @captainkirkk | 68k

The Avengers have been infected, turned violent and aggressive against their will. And Peter, the only one unaffected, is trapped inside the Tower with six feral teammates.

“Natasha,” Peter says cautiously, “what happened here? Steve attacked me, and if there was ever a sign that something was wrong, it’s having the embodiment of Truth, Justice, and the American Way throw you across the room—”

Natasha comes closer, her stride controlled. Nothing necessarily out of the ordinary, but there’s something in her face, in her eyes—

Natasha lunges across the space, and slams into Peter, hard.

This just…hoo. A classic if I’ve ever seen one. There’s going to be plenty of aloneintherain on this list because she’s the bomb dot com and its no secret I’m in love. we Stan in this house; this might be my favorite Spidey fic ever written.

POW Avengers by Punny_Puck |122k

Tony Stark is thrown into a new Nazi POW camp. It’s his fifth–or sixth–and he’d really like to make it to his fiftieth escape attempt this time. But Stalag III isn’t like any of the other POW camps he’s been in. He suddenly finds himself facing an impossible task: Getting two-hundred and fifty men out of the camp in one massive escape attempt. And dammit if he’s not going to make it work.

Very impressive, very lengthy and detailed historical AU set in WWII. This one is more Tony than Peter, and quite a fair bit of Loki (this author does a great job with all the different POV’s, that’s why it’s so long!). Nice and juicy!

5 Times Peter Fell & Tony Caught Him, and The 1 Time He Didn’t by eva7673 | 35k

Peter has a nasty habit of falling. And Tony, bless him, will catch him every. single. time. Until the day he can’t.

I love this series with all of my heart, but especially this first fic! It’s the perfect amount of whump and IronDad, and oh man, that last time? GETS me. Eva definitely put in so much work on this series, and it SHOWS!

Twelve Days of Peter Parker by @upcamethesun | 27k

In each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas, Tony runs into one Peter Parker — for better or for worse.

In other words, an excuse for this author to write gratuitous Peter fluff/angst/nonsense with a Christmas theme, because ‘tis the season.

This fic is so cute I Die. Perfect bit of holiday nonsense! I read it every year lol. It’s got everything you’re looking for and more, to scratch the itch you didn’t know you had. 

ever in your favor by @iron–spider | 153k

Peter startles awake when someone shakes him.

“Sorry, honey,” May says. Peter blinks a couple times and she comes into focus, her hair pulled back from her face. She’s trying not to look a certain way, but he can see it in her eyes anyway. She clears her throat, keeps talking. “But it’s…” She glances away, wets her lips. “You gotta get ready.”

He remembers what day it is, and his heart beats like a drum at someone’s execution. But he tries to put on a mask, make it all seem normal. It’s everything but, despite the fact that he’s been dealing with reaping day since he was born, between himself, Ben and May. That fear that one of them could be taken away. Sent to surefire slaughter. But now Ben is gone, taken despite never having his name drawn from a bowl, and May’s finally safe. Now Peter’s name is in there alone. The last Parker sitting on the chopping block. He doesn’t know how to be. He doesn’t know what normal is, when the Hunger Games are looming on the horizon.

I mean…how could I possibly do a fic rec list without this on it? Iron–spider’s latest masterwork, and it truly is a masterwork. The Hunger Games AU your soul has been crying out for, and quite possibly the greatest AU to ever live. Do yourself a favor and get settled in - you’re in for a ride.

Magazineverse by @copperbadge | 56k

Heroes In Manhattan: From Captain America’s Hidden Talents To The Truth About The Hulk, We Debunk The Myths And Expose The Daily Lives Of The Avengers.

Avengers-centric, takes place post-2012. The Avengers team we deserve! The whole series is amazing, and I definitely didn’t see the twist coming (SO original, and you totally got me. Well played.)

MEDIUM FICS

devil in a sunday hat by @captainkirkk | 14k

Peter wishes he hadn’t gotten out of bed that morning. Then, maybe, he wouldn’t be reduced to this—limp-crawling through the rabbit burrows that is Oscorp Tower, a monster of a man on his heels, bloody and bruised and choking on a panic attack.

This series really speaks to Peter, and his experience as a street-level hero. I don’t think I’ve ever not cried reading this series - it’s really beautiful. Aloneintherain always manages to capture how much weight and anxiety sits on Peter’s shoulders - and how dire his consequences can really be.

5 things that change for Peter after the end of the world by @iron–spider | 14k

…and one thing that always remains the same.

(SPOILERS FOR INFINITY WAR)

Peter knows he’s different now.

The first three months were like a bubble. He didn’t think about the newness of his old life, he didn’t think about the state of the world now that it had been saved—he just worried. Worried about Tony and Steve recovering. Worried about May worrying about him. Worried about everything in general—he didn’t allow himself specifics because specifics didn’t make sense, not yet. He just focused on his routine, kept it normal, the same schedule every day so he didn’t throw himself off.

It felt like the bubble popped when the party ended, and everything became clearer. The differences in who he is now were highlighted, like there was a spotlight on his every move, like everybody could see the invisible scars the world-ending experience left on him.

The first thing he notices is the sleeping. Or lack thereof.

(a follow up to my story “the rattle of their hearts” from Peter’s POV. You can read this one without having read the original, but it would make more sense if you have read it!)

Everyone knows Rattle, and if you don’t, definitely read the first fic in this series! But this second one is really special to me (and MJ never fails to make me laugh out loud, every time). Peter’s PTSD is dealt with intimately in this fic, and I love it to bits.

the conspiracy kids by @tempestaurora | 13k

WHO IS SPIDER-MAN?

The screen showed Peter Parker, sixteen years old and determined to prove the identity of Spider-Man over the course of the three-part documentary he was making, unknowing that it would become viral within days of the first part being released. Behind the camera, way off screen, was Harley Keener, Tony Stark’s other prodigy child, grinning like crazy as Peter started the documentary. Only a few people knew what was to come, and those few people were about to have a great few weeks.

“My name is Peter Parker, and with the help of my friends, Ned Leeds, Harley Keener, and my Aunt, May Parker, who provided me with a lot of red yarn for this project, we’re going to uncover the identity of Spider-Man.”

OR

“what if peter just decided to fuck with everyone who didn’t know he was spider man and make a documentary about him trying to uncover the Truth.”

Looking for a fun, Peter-and-Harley-being-ridiculous-teenagers fic? This is the One For You. I can see it all in my head, and it never fails to make me laugh. Delightful piece of fluff and probably the best social-media-esque fic I’ve read.

Primary Reason Tony Stark Would Throw Down With An Anti-Vaxxer In The Street by @caraminha | 12k

Prompt from my Tumblr: Have you heard of tetanus? I’m studying it for school and it’s got lots of angst potential - it causes severe, seizure like muscle spasms which can break the patient’s bones, but they’re conscious and fully aware of what’s happening. It also causes fever and lockjaw, and difficulty breathing. I’d love to see an angst fic where Peter has bad tetanus and Tony and co are looking after him whilst his symptoms get worse and worse.

Looking for some Peter!whump? This fic is so sweet. Tony is Dad. What more do you need?

SHORT FICS

Come Together by @captainkirkk | 1.8k

From the ground, Tony squints at Thanos and the young heroes the villain is chasing through the city. “Are they…” Tony begins.

Steve, being lifted onto a gurney by starstruck paramedics, laughs a little. “Leading the man who almost destroyed the Earth in a wild goose chase?” In the sky, Johnny Storm sticks his tongue out at Thanos, ducking and weaving out of the villain’s grasp. “Yeah. I think they are.”

Didn’t I promise she’d be on here a billion and one times? All of her stuff is so good, for every fandom. Go READ this queen who’s been killing the game for years. This fic is such a sweet one, an Endgame fic before Peter was even in the MCU. It’s perfect.

Only Road by @garamonder | 2.8k

A rare breather between fighting should have been a relief for the Avengers. Instead, one small comment triggers a confrontation Peter had been avoiding for months.

Oh wow this one…this dialogue between Peter and Tony is incredible. One of my favorite things in a fic is a good argument, especially one where Peter has a distinct and mature point. 

Every Penny and More by Princessfbi | 1.2k

She forced herself to inhale air and hold it before releasing it from her lips. She grounded herself in the cheap vinyl in a crappy diner that she wasn’t sure she was ever going to be able to look at the same way again. She thought of the life Peter would have if she said yes because she knew that’s what all of this was about: Tony asking her permission to let him do this.

May and Tony co-parenting Peter is…oh, be still my heart. This is such a sweet little fic of something that definitely happened off-screen :’)

5 Times Spider-Man Saved An Avengers’ Ass (and the 1 Time They Saved Him) by TunaFishChris | 7.2k

What it says on the tin.

Going through an angsty Spider-Man phase. I regret nothing.

YES give me Peter x Avengers team! Peter gets a great moment with each of the Avengers, proving himself a capable hero (and getting assistance when he needs it the most :’) baby makes some friends!). Really cute, a fun little romp.

unbearable loss by @iron–spider | 1.6k

“Peter…he was so afraid, Pep,” Tony says, his voice breaking. “He…he just lunged for me, he was so afraid, he wanted—he needed someone to be there for him. And I tried, I tried—I held him, I told him he was alright, which was a—goddamn lie, and the only fucking thing that came out of my mouth. The last thing I said to him.” He shakes his head, swallowing hard. “The last thing I said to him was a lie.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Pepper says, quietly.

“I do,” Tony says. “He trusted me. That kid trusted me, and I failed him every possible way I could have. I couldn’t save him, I couldn’t—he died in my arms and I couldn’t do one single solitary thing about it. And I couldn’t—me, the human fucking chatterbox—I just stared at him. He was dying, turning to fucking dust and apologizing to me and I just stared at him, like a moron.”

This fic Fucks. Me. Up. Iron–spider’s Tony angst is unparalleled. It hurts me every time, and the dialogue between him and Pepper is just…it’ll get you. 

yesterday, I saw a change by @captainkirkk | 6.8k

Inspired by prompt: ‘Peter is unmasked on live television, and everyone goes berserk—you’ve already heard this one but here’s the twist—he’s wide-eyed, staring into the camera, frightened, but not because of his own safety. The first thing that comes out of his mouth is, “Someone please, please protect my Aunt May.” And the entirety of New York cries out simultaneously. Heroes and neighbours and fellow students rain down on the Parker house, ready to defend her.’

This is - surprise! - a May Parker fic. This fic will move you. You will probably cry. I love it with all my heart. If I ever need a refresher on who May is and how she feels - how New York feels, about Spiderman - this is my go-to.

Hope that gave you some new stuff to check out! I have more, do I ever have more. Enjoy & remember to leave comments for all of these wonderful writers!!!

[maddrmatt]

Kairi’s Epic Journey: The Quest for Sora

New to this fanfic? Click here to properly begin!

Chapter 12: The Battle of the Jolly Roger

Never Land

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

“No sign of the beast anywhere!” exclaimed Damien Salt as the pirates continued to peruse the waters.

“There’s not even a bloomin’ ripple,” said Bill Jukes.

“Now men, we can still hear the ticking.  So, until we don’t hear it anymore, we keep looking,” said Smee.

“Perhaps the captain was only hearing things,” said Mr. Starkey.

“Then how come we all can hear it?” asked Mullins.

“Simple.  We’ve put up with the captain’s paranoia for so long that now whenever he thinks he hears the crocodile near, he has a way of making us all think we’re hearing it,” said Mr. Starkey.

The other pirates began to consider this outlandish notion.  But ever faithful Smee refused to believe.  “Now let’s not have any bad talk about our captain, men.  He’d take it as mutiny talk,” he said.

Suddenly, everything went silent.  The ticking had ceased.  The pirates gazed around in confusion.

“There, you see. The crocodile probably realized the captain wasn’t out, so he finally left,” said Smee.

“Then how come we didn’t see it?” asked Damien Salt.

Smee shrugged. “Maybe it’s trying to be sneakier. Heh-heh.  Not that it would help it in the slightest.  I mean the moment we hear that sound; we know immediately…”

“COCK-A-DOODLE DOO!”

The sudden crowing caused Smee and the pirates to nearly jump out of their skins.  They barely had the time to recover from the shock when a flash of green flew out from behind them and float in front of them, laughing his head off.

“It’s Pan!” exclaimed Black Murphy, an unshaven pirate dressed in green.

“Hello, fellas! Nice day, we’re having, isn’t it?” asked Peter as he tipped his hat.

“Why, yes, it is,” said Smee pleasantly causing the other pirates to glare at him.  

Realizing that he was not striking the proper tone, Smee cleared his throat and said, “Peter Pan, what business brings you to the Jolly Roger?”

“Oh, no reason.  Just thought I’d drop by and teach you ruffians a lesson about using my friend as a bait for my other friend!” shouted Peter angrily.

“Friend?” asked Smee confusedly.

“He means me!”

Smee turned around and gasped as he found himself face to face with Kairi as she pointed the tip of Destiny’s Embrace right in his face.  Pluto, Tink and the Lost Boys stood around her glaring at the pirates.

“If there’s one thing you pirates should know, it’s that I don’t appreciate being kidnapped to be involved in plans against my best friend,” Kairi declared as her friends nodded in agreement.

“The prisoner!” exclaimed Bill Jukes.

“She’s been freed!” exclaimed Mr. Starkey.

“Say your prayers, blackguards! We’ll teach you a lesson about how to treat a girl!” shouted Peter as he flew down to Kairi’s side and took out his dagger.

“Get them!” shouted Damien Salt as the pirates, with the exception of Smee, took out their weapons and charged at the Kairi and Peter’s crew.

“Scatter, everyone!  Except you, Kairi!  You stick with me and Tink!” said Peter.

“Right, Peter!” exclaimed Kairi as she ran alongside Peter and Tink while the Lost Boys spread all over the deck with the pirates charging after them.

Smee, however, just stood where he was and watched the battle unfold.  ‘The girl has a Keyblade?  Oh, the captain is not going to pleased about this at all.’

Then he realized what he should have been doing.  “The captain! He should know about this!” he exclaimed as he began to run toward the end of the ship where the captain’s cabin was.

But before he could get far, he was intercepted by Pluto.  His teeth were bared as he growled savagely.

“Uh nice dog?” asked Smee timidly.

Pluto responded with rapid-fire barking. With a shriek, Smee ran with the dog in hot pursuit.  Coming to one of the masts, he leapt onto it and began to climb.

Before he could get far up, Pluto leapt and caught the seat of Smee’s pants in his mouth.  The pants ripped revealing his underwear.  Smee scrambled up further until he was finally out of reach of the dog’s teeth.

“Shoo, dog!  Shoo!” Smee shouted as he kicked his leg at Pluto while clinging on for dear life with the irate Pluto barking at him as if he were a cat he chased up a tree.

In the meantime, the entire deck of the Jolly Roger had erupted into chaos.  Members of both sides were now scattered around engaged in combat with each other.

Kairi and Peter’s side, unfortunately, was at a disadvantage. The pirates were in far greater numbers and since Kairi and Peter were the only ones who could take the pirates head-on, Tink and the Lost Boys were outsized and outgunned due to the pirates being bigger and bearing better weapons.

Fortunately, they had ways of compensating for that.  They had their small size, their cleverness and they knew how to use the environment to their advantage.

“Come back here!” shouted Black Murphy as he chased after Nibs.  But the rabbit-suited boy kept running until he lured the pirate right where he wanted him.

Before Black Murphy knew it, the Twins pulled a cannon across his path.  He tripped over it and slammed face first into the deck.  He moaned in pain.

“You really ought to watch where you’re running!” said the Twins as they and Nibs ran off.

At the same time, Cubby had come to a pile of cannonballs.  Using all his strength, he struggled to pick one up.  Just as he finally did, he was confronted by Mullins who pointed a knife at him.

“Drop it!” the pirate commanded.

“If you say so,” said the boy as he dropped the cannonball right onto Mullins’ right foot. The pirate screamed in pain and clutched his foot while Cubby made his getaway.

As Mullins continued to hold his foot, he hopped backward.  He was so engrossed in pain that he didn’t see the looped rope on the deck. Once the foot he was hopping on was in the loop, Slightly and Cubby pulled on a rope and hoisted Mullins so that he was dangling from a beam much like Pluto had been earlier.

“It worked!” exclaimed Cubby as he and Slightly tied the rope down to leave Mullins where he was.

“Good thing you set up these traps while we were distracting the pirates with our ticking,” said Slightly.

“Well, let’s go see who else needs our help,” said Cubby as he and Slightly rushed off.

“Come on!  You almost had me that time!  Do you want me to slow down a little?” taunted Peter as he dodged a punch from the large tattooed pirate.

“Is it really a good idea to mock your opponent like that, Peter?” asked Kairi as she crossed her Keyblade with Mr. Starkey’s sword nearby.

“Of course, it is, Kairi. It’s actually one of my favorite ways to fight.  You see, the angrier your opponent is, the more careless they get.  It makes the battle easier and a lot more fun,” said Peter as he dodged another blow from the pirate, zipped around behind him and stuck him in the rear with his dagger causing him to yelp in pain.

‘I don’t know about making a battle more fun.  But getting an opponent mad to make them careless in battle?  That actually sounds like a good strategy,’ thought Kairi as she blocked another slash from Mr. Starkey.

Throughout the entirety of the battle with the pirate, Kairi had been trying to find a way to defeat him without killing or hurting him too badly.  Though she knew that even Sora had taken lives in battle, she didn’t want to resort to that unless absolutely necessary.  Unfortunately, this had kept her on the defensive and she had yet to make a single attack against Mr. Starkey.

“How pathetic!  If that’s the best you can do, girl, then you’re better off giving up!” cackled the pirate as he raised his sword for another slash.

‘Maybe if I just hold back a little, this could work,’ thought Kairi as she saw an opportunity and raised the tip of her Keyblade to the sky.

“Thunder!” she shouted causing a small bolt of lightning to shoot out of her Keyblade.  It struck Mr. Starkey’s sword like a lightning rod and shocked him into a daze.

‘Can’t believe that worked!’ thought Kairi.

Suddenly, Tink flew to Kairi’s right ear.  She tinkled while pointing in an upward direction.  Kairi followed the fairy’s instructions and looked up to see Bill Jukes swinging toward her on a rope while waving his sword.

But thanks to Tink’s timely warning, Kairi ducked just before the deadly blade could take off her head.  Jukes sailed past her and over the railing. Before he could swing back, Kairi threw her Keyblade at the rope, slicing through it and sending the short pirate falling into the water.

“You’re doing pretty good, Kairi!” complemented Peter as he dodged another blow from the tattooed pirate.

“Thanks,” said Kairi as she caught her Keyblade as it returned to her.  She then turned her attention to Peter’s fight with the tattooed pirate. Then she looked behind herself and what she saw gave her an idea.

“Tink, could you tell Peter something for me?” she asked as she turned to Tink who nodded in response.

Kairi whispered something to the fairy. After she finished, Tink flew to Peter’s ear and whispered what Kairi had told her.  Peter nodded in understanding.

Positioning himself between the tattooed pirate and Kairi, Peter stuck his thumbs in his ears, wiggled his fingers and mocked, “Hey, you big lug!  Nah nah! You can’t get me!”

That was the last straw for the tattooed pirate.  With an enraged grunt, he charged at Peter like a bull.

But before he could lay his hands on the boy, Peter dodged to the right just as Kairi shouted, “Light!”

A bright blast of light emitted from her Keyblade blinding the pirate.  Kairi and Peter then stuck their feet out and tripped him.  The pirate careened headfirst into a cannon.  The force caused the cannon to flip up and slam down on his head.  He was knocked out cold.

“Alright!  Your idea worked, Kairi!” exclaimed Peter.

“Yes.  It actually did,” said Kairi who could hardly believe it herself. She even had a hard time comprehending the fact that she had taken three opponents out of the battle.  She felt a sense of pride in that accomplishment.

‘I can’t believe I’m actually pulling this off.  Glad all that training these last few months is paying off.’

Kairi and Peter then scanned the deck and the ongoing battle.  So far, it appeared to be going in their favor.  The Lost Boys had incapacitated many of the pirates who were either out cold, tied up or knocked overboard.  Pluto still had Smee cornered up the mast causing Kairi, Peter and Tink to laugh.

“Once we finish with the crew, then it’ll be Hook’s turn,” said Peter.

“Peter, about fighting Hook.  I’d like to…” Kairi didn’t get to finish her request when she saw something awful happening.

Currently on a plank overlooking the edge of the ship was Toodles.  He was being forced near the edge of it by Damien Salt.

“Peter!” shouted Kairi pointing in the direction of the Lost Boy in trouble.

“Huh?” asked Peter as he turned to look. But just as he did, he was suddenly lassoed with a rope pinning his arms to his sides.  At the other end were a couple of pirates laughing wickedly. Peter struggled to get free as the pirates attempted to pull him to the deck.

“I’ll get you free, Peter!” cried Kairi as she aimed her Keyblade to throw it and cut Peter free.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Kairi saw Mr. Starkey charging toward her.  She quickly turned just in time to block his sword with her Keyblade. The pirate pushed her backward until she was up against the edge of the ship.

‘I guess I held back a little too much with that Thunder spell if he recovered so quickly from it.’

“Tink!  Go help Toodles!” she cried.

The fairy nodded and streaked across the deck.  When she reached Salt, she immediately grabbed onto one end of his moustache and pulled it.  The pirate stopped advancing on the Lost Boy and turned his attention to Tink, trying to swat her with his sword and free hand.

However, Salt had moved too far onto the plank.  Even with Tink distracting him, there was no way for Toodles to get past him and back onto the ship.

“Slightly!  Cubby!” Kairi called hoping that one of the other boys would hear her and help their comrade.  But all of them were currently occupied with fighting their own opponents.

Mr. Starkey gave an evil grin. “Yer wasting your breath, girlie. I hope the sharks like the taste of skunk!” he cackled.

Finally, Salt sliced through his moustache with his cutlass sending Tinker Bell flying away from recoil.  He then raised his cutlass and prepared to swipe it down on Toodles.

With no one to help him, it looked pretty bleak for the youngest member of Peter’s crew.  It looked like, for the first time, they were going to lose one of their own.

‘No!  I can’t let that happen!  I won’t let it happen!’

Then, to the surprise of Mr. Starkey, Kairi’s body began to glow with an ethereal white light.  The light erupted into a blast sending him flying overboard.

In the blink of an eye, the princess then vanished into a streak of light.  It travelled across the deck until it reached the plank.  Kairi rematerialized directly in between Salt and Toodles just in time to block the pirate’s attack with her Keyblade.

The pirate was stunned at Kairi’s sudden appearance.  But it was nothing compared to the princess’s own surprise.

‘What just happened?  How did I do that?’

But realizing it would have to wait, she took advantage of the pirate’s shock and leapt into action.  She quickly used her Keyblade to knock Salt’s cutlass out of his hand and then used the flat side of it to push him off the side of the plank.  The pirate screamed as he splashed down into the water.

Kairi gave a sigh of relief and turned to the Lost Boy she just saved.  “Are you all right, Toodles?”

The Lost Boy, as usual, said nothing. But with a big smile on his face, he hugged Kairi around the waist.  Kairi smiled down at him.

“Great job, Kairi!” called Peter who was now flying above the water.  He still had the rope tied around him with the two pirates who had been holding it now dangling from it.

“Let me give you a hand with those pirates, Peter,” saidd Kairi as she threw Destiny’s Embrace at the rope.  The Keyblade sliced through the rope and the two pirates dropped down into the water like a stone.

“And that’s the last of them!” announced Peter as he flew back to the ship and landed on the deck.  Kairi, Tink and the Lost Boys gathered around him.

“Nice fight, everyone!  I knew we’d win just like we always do,” said Peter as Slightly and Cubby removed the rope from him.

“We may have won, Peter.  But Toodles nearly walked the plank.  Weren’t you worried that he’d be hurt?” asked Kairi.

“Not at all.  I knew he’d be fine.  And he is, thanks to you and your incredible trick.  You never mentioned you could do something like that.  I never even saw Sora do something like that,” said Peter.

“To tell you the truth, Peter, I have no idea where it came from,” said Kairi who was still mystified about the mysterious power that enabled her to save Toodles.

“Smee?  It’s been far too long.  Is the crocodile gone?” asked a familiar voice

The group turned in the direction of the voice.  They saw that Captain Hook had finally emerged from his cabin.  And upon seeing his crew incapacitated in many ways and his archenemy standing in the midst, his face contorted in anger.

“Smee!  What happened?!” he demanded.

“Well, captain, it seems that while we were looking for the crocodile, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys snuck onto the ship and freed our prisoners.  Then they attacked us with absolutely no provocation at all,” said Smee as he continued to clutch onto the mast with Pluto growling below him.

“By the way, Hook, how’d you like the clock impressions we gave you?  We’ve been working on them for quite some time.  So good to know that they work because they certainly fooled you,” said Peter smugly as the Lost Boys laughed.

“You mean I was tricked?  Blast you, Pan!  This be the last straw!” shouted Hook as he drew his sword.

“Come face me, boy!  Today, we settle it once and for all!”

“You’ve said that so many times before. But I’m always happy to give you a fight so say your prayers, Hook!” shouted Peter as he drew his dagger and prepared to fly off to face the captain.

But before he could, Kairi held out an arm in front of him.  “Wait, Peter. Let me fight him.  One on one.”

Peter and his crew gasped.  “Are you sure about that, Kairi?  The other pirates are easy opponents, but Hook is the best swordsman out of all of them.  He won’t be as easy to defeat,” said Peter.

“I need to do this, Peter. Remember what you said about teaching Hook a lesson?  About using friends as bait for other friends?  I have to be the one to teach him that lesson.  He really crossed a line when he captured me as bait for Sora and he needs to answer for that,” said Kairi with determination.

“Kairi, I’m as mad about that as you are.  But that doesn’t mean you have to face Hook alone.  Sora didn’t even do that.  Even if it was just you and me, we could beat him,” said Peter.

“I know we could, Peter.  But it’s not just about that.  It’s also not just about teaching him a lesson,” said Kairi.

“What do you mean?” asked Peter.

“I don’t know what I am going to face on my journey.  There may be worse enemies than Hook out there and I may not have anyone to help me. I need to know that I can hold my own in a fight against a major enemy and not just minor ones.  It’s the only way I can get stronger so I can find and save Sora. So, please Peter.  Let me do this,” pleaded Kairi.

“But Kairi, what if you lose?” asked Slightly.

“Then you won’t be able to find your friend at all,” said Nibs.

“I’m aware of what may happen, boys. But, unless I call for you or it looks like I am going to lose, none of are you are to help me in this fight.”

Kairi then heard a whimper.  She turned and saw Pluto approaching her with a worried look on his face.

“The same goes for you too, Pluto. So, can you all promise me you’ll let me fight Hook on my own?”

Everyone looked reluctant to make that promise.  Kairi couldn’t blame them for that.  Truthfully, she herself would never have wanted to watch a friend try something so risky even if they felt it was something that needed to be done.

Finally, Peter smiled and put his hand on Kairi’s shoulder.  “If it’s that important to you, Kairi, then we’ll stay out of it.  We give you our word.  Right, everybody?” he asked causing Tink, the Lost Boys, and Pluto to nod.

“There you go.  We’ll cheer you on from the sides then.  But we’ll be watching the fight and the moment you call for us or it looks like you need help, then we’re jumping in no matter what.”

Kairi looked at everyone surrounding her who were all nodding in agreement.  She smiled gratefully.  “Thank you, Peter.  Thank you all.”

“What keeping you, boy?!  It’s bad form to keep your opponent waiting,” cried out Hook.

“Sounds like he’s getting impatient. Better not keep him waiting any longer. Also, here’s a little advice. Remember what I said about getting your opponent mad so they’ll get sloppy in their fighting?  Try it out on Hook.  It’s quite effective,” said Peter.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Kairi.

“Go get him, Kairi!” cheered the Twins.

“Show him that no one messes with our friends!” exclaimed Nibs

“Knock him overboard!” exclaimed Slightly.

“But be careful.  We don’t want to see you get hurted,” said Cubby.

Tink tinkled encouragingly while pumping her fist in the air.

Pluto let out several encouraging barks.

Toodles, silent as always, gave Kairi another hug around the waist.  She smiled and patted him on the head before he let go.

With a grateful nod to everyone, Kairi made her way to the stairs that would take her up to where Hook was. Behind her, she heard the cheering, tinkling and barking of encouragement from her friends.

‘I guess I should be grateful the Wayfinder brought me to a world where I can put my skills to test against a relatively easy enemy.  Compared to the likes of villains like Maleficent, the members of the Organization or Xehanort himself, Captain Hook is definitely not in the same league. Still, I’d better not take this battle lightly because the boys are right. I lose this fight and Sora’s lost forever.’

Kairi steeled herself for the upcoming duel with the pirate captain.  Whether it would end in her first great triumph over a major opponent or in a disastrous defeat remained to be seen.

________________________________________________________________

Onto the next chapter!