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mirkwoodshewolf · 4 years ago

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Robin and Gale Hood; Ben Hardy x reader Chap. 5

*Author’s note*

Okay now that all over our initial characters have been introduced, it’s time for some REAL action. This one is a bit long so sorry not sorry but everything is important here in this chapter. So expect some blood, violence and some medieval claims against women.

Chapter 5,

The Archery tournament

Taglist:

@plethora-of-things

@waddles03

@psychosupernatural

@ixchel-9275

@simonedk

@jd-johndeacon-or-jackdaniels

@queen-paladin

@queensdivas

@queendeakyy

@geek-and-proud

@wormzteef

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The next day just as promised, everyone in Nottingham was gathered out in the fields to see the archery tournament. Every eligible archer had signed up for the chance to win either the golden arrow or get the kiss from the lovely Maid Marian.

As a parade marched around the field while the villagers gathered around to find a good seat, up on the throne stand, Prince John and Sir Heston stood looking over the crowd. Prince John was lightly bouncing with excitement as he told his serpent advisor.

“Heston, the time has come for me to finally enact my revenge. My trap is baited and set and then revenge! Revenge!”

“Shhh. Not so loud sire. I know how much this has meant to you but you don’t want to give your plan away to capture Robin Hood so quickly.”

“That insolent blackguard! Ohh! I’ll show him who wears the crown!” Prince John proclaimed as he plopped down on his throne and slammed his hand on the armrest.

“I share your loathing sire. That scullery scoundrel who fooled you with that ridiculous disguise. Who dare insult your intelligence and superiority…..”

“ENOUGH!!” Prince John exclaimed as he tried to hit Heston over the head but the python dodged his attack. “Heston, you deliberately dodged.”

“But-but-but sire…..please.”

“Stop sniveling and hold. Still.” The prince sneered lowly. Heston straightened his head up and he was then hit on top of the head by Prince John.

“Thank you sire.” Heston lowly groaned.

Soon arriving to the field grounds were Maid Marian, Prince James and Arthur Kirkland. Marian hugged her cousin and best friend saying.

“Oh you guys I’m so excited. But how will I recognize him?”

“Ohh he’ll let you know somehow. That young rouge of yours is just full of surprises.” Arthur said as he took Marian’s hand and patted it.

“Yes cousin. If I remember that rascal, he’ll do whatever it takes to get to you.”

“Well don’t leave yourself out James. I’m sure that wherever Robin goes, Gale is not far behind.” Marian told her young cousin and the three of them walked on.

But oh little did they know was that just behind them hiding in the bushes and trees were the gang of rebels. Robin and Gilbert wearing similar peasant clothing and they each had their own handmade bows and arrows (that differed from the ones they normally used as to better hide their true identities).

While Little John and Gale wore royal clothing that befitted Hungarian royalty, and David wore a count’s robes and Kit wore a captain of the Guard’s armor.

“There she is lads. Golly—has she gotten even more beautiful.” Robin said in awe.

“He grew his hair out. I did once tell him he’d look good with long hair. Never did I think it—he’s like a God.” Gale also whispered in awe.

“Cool it you two lovebirds. Your hearts are running away with your heads.” Little John said as he handed Robin a large grey hat.

“Oh stop worrying. This disguise would fool our own mum, right Gale?” Robin said as he placed the hat on him and tied the blue bandana around his neck.

“Yeah. But our mum is dead. You and Gilbert need to fool ol stick up his arse over there.” Soon walking towards them was the Sheriff of Nottingham himself. Gilbert and Robin winked at their friends and walked out.

“Sheriff your ‘onor!” Gilbert spoke with an exaggerated Irish accent.

“Yes…..” the sheriff muttered before both his hands were suddenly taken and being shaken with such strength and force as Robin now spoke in a Irish tone.

“Meetin yah face to face is a real treat for me brother and I. A real, real treat.”

“Well thank you.” the Sheriff said as he managed to get his hands free. “Now if you both will excuse me I’ve got a tournament to win.” As the Sheriff walked away, Robin and Gilbert signaled to the others of the success playfully laughing behind the Sheriff’s back.

“Well that’s phase one done.” Gale said.

“Yeah they’re not bad actors. But wait till they see the scene we lay on Prince John. My Queen.” Little John spoke as he bowed and held out his hand for Gale.

She giggled poshly and took his hand and the two of them walked on with Kit and David walking behind, holding the train of Gale’s dress. As the two of them finally stood before Prince John, Gale spoke up doing her best Hungarian accent.

“Ahh mi lord!” the four of them walked up to the Prince as she continued, “Our esteemed high King of England. The all mighty God himself. You’re magnificent.” She praised as she and the boys bowed.

Prince John who soaked in this praise from this strange woman chuckled softly and said.

“Well, she sure does have style ehh Heston?” Gale let out a posh laugh before saying.

“Oh you are a flatterer PJ.”

“PJ? I like that you know I do. Heston put it on my luggage. PJ. Ha-ha! Hahahaha! Ha-ha! PJ yeah…..” the Prince proclaimed before laughing and muttering to himself as he stroked his tache. Heston however wasn’t buying it. He lifted himself up to Gale and Little John and hmphed.

“And just who might you be miss?” he hissed out.

“How dare you insult our lady Queen and Duke!” Kit proclaimed angrily using a thicker Hungarian accent.

“Easy now my dear Captain. This creepy thing obviously has no class whatsoever.” Gale said.

“Excuse me?” Heston gawked.

“This is our beloved Queen of Hungary, Queen Elizaveta I. And I am her royal Duke Sir Reginald. And it’s rude to stick your tongue out at a lady.” He took Heston’s hat off his head and put it over his nose and mouth.

“If I may my liege, allow me to lay some protocol upon you.” Gale said as she curtsied and took Prince John’s hand to kiss it. He quickly removed his hand away from her and said.

“Oh no forgive me but I lose more jewels that way. Please, both of you sit.”

“Thank you PJ.” Gale giggled as she sat down to his left while Little John took the seat to his right. “I always enjoyed the tournament of the peasant folk. Oh! OH!! HEY WHAT!!! CAPTAIN! COUNT!” Gale spoke before feeling something squirming underneath her butt.

Quickly David and Kit came into action and pulled out Heston from underneath her.

“Oh my. Excuse me serpent.”

“Serpent? You vile harpy have taken my seat!”

“How dare you insult the Queen of Hungary!” David sneered angrily.

“Your majesty, if you would permit me, allow me to silence this snake once and for all.” Kit threatened with a dark smirk as he withdrew his sword. Heston shuddered in fear as Prince John said.

“Oh never mind him. Besides he should now be out there keeping his snake eyes open for you know who.”

“Wait—sire you—you mean I…..I’m being dismissed?”

“You heard his mightiness move it creepy get lost. Be gone long one.” Little John said as he slapped Heston with his cane and Heston slithered off backstage.

“What vulgar beasts. Creepy? No class serpent? Long one? Oh whose that dopey Duke and Queen of Hungary think they are anyway?!” he then slithered off to do his job assigned to him.

As the good Friar and I stood side by side each other and we watched that vile snake slither off muttering to himself, I turned to Friar Tuck and said.

“Now you know he’s up to something darling.”

“Indeed. Come on Alan.” He told me and we raced off to find that serpent before he could ruin anything. For now my darlings until Friar Tuck and I find that snake, you’re just gonna have to watch for yourselves on what happens next.

The fanfare sounded off and soon all the archers came walking in single file across the field with their bows in hand and their quiver of arrows on their backs.

Finally arriving on the stage were our three young royal characters. Marian was the first to step up on the stage and she curtsied to Prince John who gave her a slight acknowledgment. Arthur was next and he bowed before the Prince who just gave him a sideways glance.

When James finally came up and bowed before him, Prince John flat out turned his head aside and refused to even look upon his half-nephew. Which to be honest didn’t upset James at all, for he loathed his half-uncle for sending his father away and ruining the people of Nottingham.

But soon his eye caught sight of Gale. At first he didn’t see it at first, all he saw before him was the radiant woman who felt familiar in a way. He walked over to her and when the two of them locked eyes she gasped and quickly took out her fan and opened it up and hid from him.

“Oh I—beg your pardon my lady. I—you just look like someone I once knew.”

“And just who would that be young man?” asked Kit slightly interrogating him.

“A……a girl I once knew long ago.”

“Well may we introduce our majesty, Queen Elizaveta I of Hungary.” David said.

“Your majesty.” Prince James said as he knelt down on one knee and took her right hand in his. It wasn’t until he looked down and saw the ring on her thumb. He quickly looked up in shock, that’s when ‘Elizaveta’ lowered her fan just until her eyes were visible and his heart stopped.

He knew those eyes anywhere. Only one women had entrancing eyes like that. And even through the disguise, he knew she had gotten even more beautiful than ever before.

“I have seen many wonders of the world, but none can compare to the beauty that lies within your eyes.” James praised in awe as he gave a sweet, loving kiss to Gale’s hand.

As his thumb gently brushed the back of her hand and down her fingers, Gale felt that bolt of electricity that only James had given her in the past.

“Why thank you my fine young English man. And you have a face that would make the archangel Michael boil with envy.” James softly smiled and kissed her hand once more, making Gale’s heart go BOOM. She softly gasped, the two of them not breaking eye contact once.

Marian who had been watching her cousin with intrigued eyes, knew right away that the so called ‘Queen’ was actually his Gale Hood.

As she smiled happily for her cousin, a throat cleared before her and when she turned she saw a man dressed in an oversized robe, wearing a very large grey hat and a blue bandana that almost kept his face hidden.

“Ahhh your ladyship. Begging your pardon but it’s a great honor to be shooting for the favor of a lovely lady like yourself.” He spoke in an Irish accent and held in his hand a white daisy.

She reluctantly took it from the strange man who then whispered to her.

“I hopes I win the kiss.” Before giving her a wink. She let out a soft gasp and when she looked into his eyes, and he looked back into hers she knew just who this man was.

“Well thank you my fine, bow-legged archer.” She said as she stroked the flower under her chin before softly giggling. “I wish you luck,” she then leaned closer to her love and whispered so that only he could hear, “With all my heart.”

The two of them stared lovingly at each other before Robin snapped out of his daze and took his place with the other contestants.

Soon coming up towards the royal stands was the captain of the guard who held on a fluffy pillow the prize of the golden arrow. He presented it to Prince John and said.

“Your highness, with your royal permission we are ready to begin.”

“Proceed captain.” Prince John said. He then gave the arrow to Maid Marian who bowed her head to the Captain.

“The tournament of the golden arrow will now begin!” the Captain proclaimed to one and all. As a final fanfare of the trumpets played out, the contestants readied their bows and soon arrows went flying out.

The crowd cheered and whistled as arrow after arrow flew from one side of the field to the range of targets spread out on the other side. Many people were hitting various places on their targets but not quite worthy enough to gain a spot for the golden arrow and the kiss.

That was until the Sheriff of Nottingham took his shot and got close to the center of the bullseye. Of course when that happened, the crowd all hissed and booed at the arrogant, vile sheriff. Next up Gilbert and Robin readied their arrows and fired two straight bullseyes into their targets, to which the crowd applauded.

Marian clapped for Robin’s success knowing that he was one step closer to winning their kiss.

“A perfect bullseye. Well, well.” Prince John said intrigued as he stroked his mustache.

“Yeah, that’s what we in Hungary call pulling back and lettin it go PJ.” Little John said to him.

“He’s gotten better.” Prince James said. “I’m sure you must be honored to see such skill from him.”

“Indeed I am, my prince.” Gale said as the two of them secretly hooked pinkies with each other.

“I’m gonna win that golden arrow! And then I’m gonna present meself to the lovely Maid Marian……” Robin boasted as the Sheriff readied his next arrow.

“Listen you Irish hound dog. If you shoot half as good as you blabber you’re better than Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood he says! Wow-wee you hear that brother!?” Robin exclaimed as he playfully slapped the Sheriff in the back.

“My brother is tip-top but we’re nowhere as good as he is. In fact I’d say I’m better than that rouge.” Gilbert teased as he fired his arrow behind his back without even looking at the target. It landed right on the bullseye and as the crowd continued to cheer, the Sheriff couldn’t believe his eyes.

Back on the stands, Gale fanned herself and she said.

“My, my. Those two have class. Don’t you think so PJ?”

“Indeed they do, Eliza. Bravo! Uh, bravo. Yes.” Prince John said before doing a light applause and grinning to himself.

Robin took out an arrow and observed it as he began to make conversation with the sheriff about a topic that he knew would make the sheriff explode.

“Oh umm….by the way. We hear you’ve been having a bit of a fascination with Robin’s clever little sister Gale Hood these days.” The sheriff lowered his bow and he said.

“She’s a witch that’s why. Just like her wench of a mother, she’s inherited the black magic of her people. I wouldn’t even be surprised if she’s put a spell on that brother of hers in order to hide from me.” Robin would’ve slugged him right then and there but he held back his anger to hide his cover.

Gilbert also had to hold in his anger cause even worse than Robin, he wanted to kill the sheriff for saying such a thing about Gale.

Unbeknownst to the three men, Heston (who had been observing the two young archers since the beginning with utter suspicion) slithered up towards Robin and peeking through his robes, he could see the green attire underneath.

He softly hissed and slithered through the thick bush muttering to himself.

“I knew it. It’s Robin Hood. Oh he thought he could hide but no one can hide from a snake.” As Heston continued to slither, he was soon stopped by a lute guitar in his path. When he looked up there before him stood Friar Tuck and you guessed it, me!

“Going somewhere Heston?” I asked snidely. Before the snake could speak again, Friar Tuck and I grabbed him and muzzled his mouth shut.

We then found an ale barrel and I uncorked the top of it while Friar Tuck straightened Heston out and carefully lowered his body into the barrel. The snake’s muzzled demands fell on deaf ears as Tuck punched him in the head and I closed the barrel with the cork once more.

“That’ll take care of him for a while.” I told him.

“Thank you my friend.”

“Anytime my darling. We better get back to see if Robin and Gilbert made it to the finals yet.”

“C’mon then.” We raced back towards the crowd and heard the Captain proclaim.

“Attention everyone! The three final contestants are……the honorable sheriff of Nottingham!” The sheriff stood up and took his bows but he was only met with hisses and boos from the crowd. “And the Walsh brothers of Bristol.” The crowd cheered as Robin and Gilbert high-fived each other and waved to the crowd.

When Robin turned to the royal stands, he gave a friendly wave and kiss to Maid Marian who waved back to him with a loving smile. Prince John turned to her noticing her favoritism and said to her.

“My dear I suspect you favor the bowlegged Irish archer, hmm?” Marian smiled shyly and said.

“Uh. Why yes, sire. Well—at least he amuses me.” Prince John laughed before saying as he turned back towards the field.

“Coincidentally my dear girl. He amuses me too.” He chuckled darkly.

“For the final shoot out! Move the target back 30 paces!” the drums rolled and that’s when the Sheriff ordered one of his guards.

“You heard him Wormtail! Get going you rat on two legs!” the stoutly man soon got behind the target and the Sheriff whispered to him. “And remember what you’re supposed to do.”

“Yes sir, sheriff sir.” Wormtail said as he moved the target back 30 paces before setting the target back down. The Sheriff readied his bow for one last shot. He took careful aim and released his arrow which went flying. But to everyone’s surprise and no one’s foul calling, Wormtail jumped up into the air and the Sheriff’s arrow went straight into the bullseye.

The Sheriff grinned proudly and said.

“Well, guess that shot wins the golden arrow, the kiss, the whole nine yards.”

“Now just a second Sheriff. Don’t go counting my brother and I out just yet!” Gilbert snapped.

“Your right, my apologizes. Good luck you two.” Gilbert brushed past the Sheriff and readied his arrow. He aimed right for the Sheriff’s arrow, ready to split it down the middle, but before he could take the shot something happened.

Gilbert suddenly let out a pained scream and he collapsed to his knees, holding his lower back in agony.

“BROTHER!” Robin cried out.

“Get a medic over here now!” The Sheriff called out. Soon medics arrived and they soon found that his lower hip was bleeding rapidly. They patched him up as best as they could before taking him away.

“Wait, wait!” Gilbert groaned as he gripped Robin’s sleeve and whispered to him. “Split his arrow Rob!” Robin nodded and soon the medics took Gilbert away to patch him up.

Robin then saw the Sheriff tuck in a small bloodied up dagger back into his sleeve and felt utter rage within him. He hoped that after this was over, he’d get the chance to really beat the hell out of the Sheriff.

For not only did he have the gawk to insult his sister, but he also attempted to kill one of his best men right in front of him.

As he took his stand and readied his arrow, he inhaled deeply before exhaling out softly.

‘This is for you Gilbert.’ He thought to himself. Suddenly his bow was tipped upwards and his arrow went flying sky high. The crowd gasped and using his last arrow, Robin fired his arrow at his old one.

The second arrow struck the tail of his first arrow which dipped it downward, soaring through the air like a falcon diving. And miraculously it not only hit the bullseye, but it obliterated the Sheriff’s arrow right off the target.

The crowd soon cheered loudly at Robin’s victory. Marian above all else was most excited as she embraced Arthur excitedly. James and Gale both whistled and cheered for Robin.

Prince John clapped slowly but turned to the Captain of the guard and gave him the signal. The captain nodded and winked before looking around and whispering to one of the royal guards.

Robin tossed his bow into the air and caught it doing a victory twirl and headed on over to the royal stands and escorting behind him was the royal guard. Maid Marian staring at him lovingly and smiling as she now sported the daisy behind her ear and resting against her long blonde locks.

As Robin now stood before Maid Marian who held the golden arrow, Prince John stood up from his throne and said to him.

“Archer I commend you. And because of your superior skill you shall get what is coming to you. Our royal congratulations.”

“Oh thank you kindly your highness. Meetin you face to face your high and mighty is a real treat……”

“Yes, yes, yes I know!” Prince John interrupted him before clearing his throat. He then took out his sword and began to knight Robin as he said, “And now I name you the winner. Or more appropriately,” he chuckled darkly before tucking the blade into Robin’s robes destroying his costume and revealing himself. “The loser!”

The crowd all gasped in horror, and even Gale, David and Kit stood there horrified.

“Seize him.” Prince John nonchalantly decreed. The guards soon wrestled with Robin Hood as he tried to escape and fight off each of the guards, but they easily overpowered him and had him bound and chained up. “I sentence you to instant, sudden and even immediate death!” Prince John hissed.

“Oh no!” Maid Marian gasped fearfully. Tears formed in her eyes and gently seeped down her cheeks. She turned and pleaded to Prince John. “Please, please sire! I beg of you to spare his life, please have mercy!”

“My dear emotional lady why should I?” Prince John asked not caring at all for Marian’s tears.

“Because I love him.”

“Love him?” Prince John asked in surprise. “And does this prisoner return your love?” Robin turned to see his beloved’s tears run down her face. He longed for nothing more than to break out of his binds, hold her in his arms, and kiss those tears away.

“Marian my darling, without you it’s like there’s no air for me to breathe.” Marian placed her hand over her heart at Robin’s declaration of love, while Arthur wrapped a comforting arm around her.

“Ahh young love.” Prince John mocked. Marian and Arthur turned to Prince John. Arthur glaring while Marian continued to allow some tears to fall down her face. “Your pleas have not fallen upon a heart—of stone.” He continued to mock sympathetically before proclaiming out “But traitors to the crown must die!”

“Traitors to the crown? That crown belongs to King Richard! LONG LIVE KING RICHARD!!” Robin exclaimed.

“LONG LIVE KING RICHARD!!!” the people of Nottingham echoed back.

“ENOUGH!! I AM KING! KING! KING! That’s it! OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!!”

The drums soon started playing that dreading death beat. The executioner soon came up with his axe as the guards forced Robin on his knees. The crowd went dead silent with horror as they were about to witness the beheaded of their beloved hero.

Marian sniffled and sobbed into Arthur’s chest. He embraced his friend trying his best to comfort her. Suddenly screaming through the air was a female voice.

“NOO!!!” everyone gasped out and covering his body like a shield was Gale. She glared with pure hatred at the executioner and she sneered.

“If you kill him, you’ll have to kill me too!”

“Queen Elizaveta get away from that blackguard at once!” Prince John proclaimed.

“Never you filthy dog! I’ll never let you touch another hand to my brother again!”

“You’re what?” she stood up and removed her disguise and the crowd all cheered as they now saw Gale Hood in her traditional clothing. The with one swift stroke of her dagger, she freed her brother. “Robin Hood has a sister?!” Prince John exclaimed in surprise.

“He does indeed sire. And this one’s a witch just like their filth of a mother was.” The Sheriff told him.

“Takes a demon to know one Sheriff! You both abuse the people of Nottingham, the same way you both abuse your power of authority! You both speak of loyalty and keeping the law yet you are cruel to those most in need of help! Manipulating and mistreating them for your own selfish gains!”

“SILENCE!!” Prince John whined out.

“But there is one man who knows well the difference between power and respect. And you Prince John took that right away from him when it rightfully belongs to him! LONG LIVE PRINCE JAMES!!”

“LONG LIVE PRINCE JAMES!!!” The people of Nottingham echoed back Gale’s proclamation, just like they did for Robin. James turned to Gale who looked back at him with soft eyes.

“Sheriff of Nottingham, arrest them both!” Prince John proclaimed.

“It will be my pleasure.” The sheriff growled lowly. He snapped his fingers and soon his guards surrounded the two siblings.

“Hmm let’s see now there’s……” Gale then began counting out the number of guards to herself then said. “So there’s ten of you and two of us. What’s a poor defenseless woman to do?” Gale pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket.

She then began to fake sob into the handkerchief before blowing on it which erupted red smoke out of it and soon both siblings disappeared.

“I knew she was a witch.” The Sheriff muttered.

“Oh boys~ we’re over here!~” a voice soon cooed out. The guards all turned and hidden within the toys and trinkets were both Robin and Gale.

“Kill them! Don’t just stand there! Kill them!” but then leaping from the royal stand, Little John, David and Kit sprang into action and helped out their fearless leaders.

Little John took on two of the biggest guards while David and Kit tag-teamed a few other guards from reaching the two siblings. Together Robin and Gale sword fought against a few guards while sneaking up behind them was Prince John with his sword raised.

Turning around, Robin easily knocked away the prince’s sword and he quickly turned from sneaky failed assassin to trembling child in a matter of seconds.

“Please, please don’t hurt me! No don’t hurt me! Help! Help!” Prince John fled to the safety of some drinking barrels before exclaiming out once more “KILL THEM ALL!!!”

From the royal stands James withdrew his sword and told Arthur.

“Get Marian out of here Arthur.”

“But what about you?” he asked.

“Don’t worry I’ll be fine. They didn’t call me the lion’s fang for nothing. Now go quickly!” James charged forward and joined in the fight.

When Robin was distracted from fighting off a guard, another one was aiming his arrow right for his back. Just before the guard took the killing shot, James stopped the guard and with one swift swipe across his back, the guard fell to the ground.

After knocking the guard he was fighting, Robin turned to see Prince James standing a few feet away from him.

“Thank you.” he told the Prince.

“Figured you could use an extra sword.” James said.

“Where’s Marian?” Robin asked.

“She’s fine. Arthur’s taking her away from here. And don’t worry, he’s just a friend of ours.”

“I wasn’t worried about that.” Robin said.

“I know, but just in case you were. Arthur only has viewed her as a sister from when we first met him in London. Now where’s Gale?”

“I don’t know. But she’s alright, she can handle herself.”

“I hope so.” The two then raced off to continue the fight.

Meanwhile deep within the woods Laura, Michael and Robert had gotten lost in the woods in the midst of the chaos of the crowd fleeing since the battle began. The three siblings were frantically trying to find their parents when they got lost in the woods.

“Mama! Pa!” Robert cried out. Suddenly they heard a branch snap and coming out of the trees was the Sheriff of Nottingham, his sword withdrawn and when he spotted the three Sharpe children, his eyes narrowed.

“Just my luck.” He sniped coldly. Michael trembled with his arrow and fired at the Sheriff but his aim was terrible and it only embedded itself into a tree. “That was your first mistake child.”

“You dare touch a hair on those kids and you’ll regret it!” a female voice snarled protectively. The Sheriff then felt a blade right at his neck and he slowly smirked.

“The demon!” he hissed.

“The only demon I see is you. Now step away from those children and draw your sword on me you coward.” As the Sheriff spun around and tried to slash at Gale, she quickly side-stepped and stood guard in front of the Sharpe children.

Protecting them like a mother bear would her own cubs.

“Kids get up into the trees, now!” The kids quickly climbed up as high as they could go to keep away from the Sheriff and watched with awe and terror at the fight that was about to go down. “You claim me to be a witch, well I can certainly say I can take you down without black magic.”

“You’re a vile succubus of the Earth Gale Hood. Hypnotizing anyone with your charm before you taint their souls to the darkness. Using men to do your dirty work for your own selfish gain.”

“You know sheriff you would’ve made a great judge. What happened? King Richard saw your perverted side and put you in the lowest rank possible away from the palace?” The Sheriff then lunged for her but she spun around him and gave him a good cut along his cheek with her hidden knife.

As she stood behind him she told him as he wiped his cheek and saw the blood on his hand.

“That was for Gilbert. Now you both have a matching set.”

“Enough tricks siren!” the two then began to go full on at each other, spinning around each other and nearly making close calls with each other.

Of course the Sheriff had one more dirty trick up his sleeve. After Gale had gotten him on his knees after slashing his leg with her sword, he secretly took some dirt in his fist.

“Ms. Gale watch out!” Michael cried out but it was too late, he tossed the dirt right into Gale’s face. She cried out as the soil stung her eyes and she continued to scream as the Sheriff now had her pinned against him, her arm bent far behind her back and his other hand gripping her hair pulling her head backwards.

“As magnificent as you are, you are still a woman. And women are feeble creatures.” He tossed her down to the ground up. Her head hitting against the trunk of the tree.

He raised his sword high in the air ready to strike down at Gale and finally end her. Robert tucked his brother’s and sister’s heads into his chest and he too closed his eyes not wanting to see the inevitable. His sword then swung down and through the forest a loud CLANK was heard.

The kids slowly opened their eyes and that’s when Laura gasped happily. The sheriff stood there in fear for standing right before him blocking his attack on Gale was Prince James.

“I knew he’d save her. Just like the princes do in the storybooks.” Laura said to her brothers.

He pushed the Sheriff’s sword aside and with a fast strike, he managed to cut a small chunk of the Sheriff’s long black hair. As it fell to the ground the Sheriff looked up at the Prince with horrified eyes.

“Touch her again, and I’ll cut off more than just your hair.”

“My-my Prince…….I-I meant no harm. Please have mercy on me.” The Sheriff pleaded as fell to his knees.

“If you have the pride to attack a woman and attempt to kill children, you should have the balls to fight against me. Now on your feet!” The Sheriff’s fear soon melted away as his cold exterior came back up and he stood back up.

“So she’s corrupted you too? The future king. Never fear your highness, I shall remedy of your tainted soul.”

“Oh you’d be surprised just what she’s taught me.” Challenged James. The Sheriff cried out as he lunged towards the Prince.

But ohh James was indeed a clever fighter. Just like Gale did to him earlier, he spun around the Sheriff but instead of using his sword he thrusted it to the ground and quickly mounted onto the Sheriff’s shoulders.

Using his momentum and the Sheriff’s own body weight against him, the Prince spun the Sheriff of Nottingham right off his feet. When the Sheriff, dazed and confused of what had just happened to him, he heard a snap of his bone. It was then he realized that the Prince had pulled his right arm behind his back and actually broke it.

Before the Sheriff could even turn onto his back, he soon found not only the Prince’s sword, but his own sword crossed over each other over his neck, ready to behead him.

“Please……my Prince….mercy.”

“Every breath you take is mercy from me. I should kill you where you stand for your crimes against Nottingham.” The sheriff closed his eyes fearfully awaiting his punishment. “But unlike my bastard of an uncle, I know self-control. And I won’t kill before children.” He released the sheriff and gave him a final threat, “But harm those children or Gale’s family again, and next time my sword won’t stop.”

He tossed the sheriff’s sword to the ground and like a frightened dog, the Sheriff ran with his tail tucked between his legs. James put his sword away and looked up at the tree.

“You children alright?”

“Yeah we’re okay.” Robert said.

“Thank goodness. C’mon down now, he won’t be back anytime soon.” Robert was the first to scale down the tree, with barely any help from James (Robert was a pretty skilled climber and said he didn’t need any help getting down). Michael then followed behind and James helped him down to the ground, which left Laura clinging onto the trunk fearfully once she saw just how high they really were.

“C’mon Laura jump!” Robert called out to her.

“No!” she cried out fearfully.

“Laura it’s not that far, come on we gotta find ma and pa!” Michael urged her on.

“I can’t! I’m too scared!” James took his sword off his belt and went up the tree to go get Laura. Once he was half way up the tree, he gave Laura a comforting smile and he told her.

“It’s okay Laura. Can you give me your hand?” he extended his hand out. Laura looked down and clung onto the tree tighter, her small body trembling with fear.

“What—what if I fall?” she asked.

“I’ll give you a Prince’s vow that I will not let that happen. I’ll be right here to catch you.” her eyes went to look back down but James told her to not look down, only to look at him.

Soon Laura took James’ hand and slowly he brought her closer to him until she clung onto him like a bear to a tree.

“Now, just keep your arms wrapped around me okay, and you can close your eyes if you wish.” He told her as he wrapped an arm protectively around her. Laura buried her face into James’ neck, his long blonde hair gently tickling her face with each movement he did as he carefully scaled down the tree.

Once they were safely on the ground, James comfortingly rubbed her back and told her that they were safely on the ground. Laura opened her eyes when two familiar voices began calling out to them.

“Ma!”

“Pa!” soon coming through the trees were Adam and Veronica Sharpe. James set Laura down and the three children raced up to their parents. The Sharpe family reunited with each other through hugs and kisses as the kids all spoke at once about what had happened.

Adam looked up at the young Prince and said to him.

“Thank you my Prince.” He went to kneel but James stopped him and he said.

“There’s no need Adam Sharpe. Your children’s safety was my only concern. And I’m happy to see that they’ll be in their parent’s care once again.” Adam stared in awe at this young Prince but smiled and nodded.

“We—we wouldn’t know what we’d done had anything happened to any of our children.”

“Misses Gale!” Laura exclaimed. James soon turned around and saw Gale starting to regain consciousness softly groaning in pain. He quickly raced over to her and saw her eyes still covered with dirt and dust.

“Keep your eyes shut my love.” He adjusted her so that her head was on his lap. He quickly took his water pincher and dumped some water onto his hand before spreading it over her eyes then using his sleeve to gently wipe the water and dust again. He repeated the process a few times before finally allowing Gale to open her eyes.

And once again he was caught off guard by the ethereal beauty of her brown eyes. The two young lovers stared at each other, almost feeling like the world was slipping away and the only thing that mattered was just the two of them.

“James.” She whispered.

“Hey Gale.” He softly greeted with a smile.

“You—you managed to find me in time?”

“Like I told you when we first met. No matter where you are, I will always find you.” he brushed some of her hair away from her face.

“How romantic.” Praised little Laura softly.

“Sissy stuff!” Michael gagged. It was then Adam and Veronica decided to take their leave and take the children back home (but really it was to give the young prince and their female heroine some privacy).

Once the Sharpe’s had left, James continued to gently stroke through Gale’s raven hair and stare into her eyes. Gale soon reached up and took a strand of his long blonde hair in between her fingers and twirl it around.

“You took my dare?”

“Yeah I—I remember you saying long hair wasn’t easy to manage. And you were right.”

“But it—it looks good. Finally gives you the real Charming look.” He faintly chuckled and said.

“God did I miss hearing you call me that.”

“I thought you hated when I called you that the first time we met?”

“Being away from you all these years, made me come to appreciate all the things that we used to do. Every small thing you did or even called me. And—you calling me Charming has been the one thing I missed the most. Cause it makes me think back to the day we met.” Gale smiled solemnly.

James helped her stand up and he said.

“C’mon. Let’s find your brother and the rest of the gang.”

“Onto Sherwood forest then, Charming.”

“Lead the way then, Gale Hood.” She grinned and walked on ahead with James following right behind her.

Back at the tournament, with the battle that had broken out, the field was in disarray. Tents had been knocked over, the royal stand completely destroyed, and the field completely emptied. Prince John who was the only one still there exclaimed.

“HESTON! You’re never around when I need you!” that’s when he began to hear a drunken hum coming from the barrel of ale that he was hiding behind. He pressed his ear to the barrel before uncorking it.

Soon drunkenly raising up was Heston. He removed the muzzle from his python’s nose and that’s when Heston slurred.

“Oh! Oh hey th-there you are old man! PJ you won’t believe this…..but the archer boy is really Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood…..” Prince John sneered softly. Heston nodded proudly. Prince John then exclaimed in anger as he took Heston out of the barrel and began to throttle him furiously.

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hbe-selfshipping · 3 years ago

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💜 Hello and Welcome!

This here is my self shipping blog, I’m so happy you could make it!

So, to introduce myself:

💜 Call me Hope, I’m 25 and use She/They/It pronouns 💜 I’m asexual 💜 I’m super cool with sharing, so if we share F/O’s, feel free to gush to me, cuz I’ll probably join you!

Romantic F/Os:

💕 Rose and Delilah, two OCs I’ve been married to since high school

💕 Charlotte Katakuri (One Piece), husband

💕 Ashwatthama (FGO), fiancé

💕 Yautja (none specified) (Predator), varies on plot

💕 Xenomorph (none specified) (Alien), uhhh don’t worry about it

Platonic F/Os:

💛 Usopp (One Piece). I don’t need to explain why he’s here

💛 If they were a popular Creepypasta circa mid-2010s, I count them among my blorbos in some capacity

💛 Kama (Fate), I have decided they are my friend

Familial F/Os:

🧡 My kids with my wives: Briar, Neveah, Michelle, and Julius

🧡 Every Hassan in FGO, relationships vary depending on which Hassan it is (Cursed Arm: Uncle, Serenity: Little Sister, Hundred Personas: Cousins, First Hassan: Grandpa)

🧡 Sanji (One Piece), Nephew-like relationship

🧡 Michael Myers (Halloween), my son despite being older than me in at least a few versions of canon

🧡 The Charlotte Family (One Piece), In-Laws

🧡 Mordred (Fate), Child (Mordred is not a girl nor a boy, Mordred is a knight and that’s IT lmao)

🧡 Angra Mainyu (Fate), Son

🧡 The Indominus Rex (Jurassic World), Daughter. Yes I’m serious. The Indoraptor is my daughter too. I call them Indy and Kelly, respectively

🧡 MASH MY BELOVED KOUHAI (FGO)

🧡 Antonio Salieri (FGO), He appeared in my dreams to try and wake me up so I wouldn’t miss my bus, that’s dad behaviour, so he is my dad now

🧡 Jinako Carigiri (Fate), Sister. She is precious to me and if you want to bitch about her being a bad unit, fuck off, this darling tank has carried me through so many tough fights and I ADORE her for it

🧡 Arjuna (Fate), Brother (I think?), he just sort of showed up here one day. It’s cool though, I love him

Due to the nature of some of the content I post on here, I have to request that you please be at least 18 to follow. If you aren’t, please look elsewhere for self shipping content, but feel free to come back once you are of age!

#The above lists are always updating lmao #banner is alt text enabled

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ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes · 5 years ago

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Blue Eyes Part 13

Summary: After the Garrison is shot up, the youngest Shelby daughter finds a new home in London. She strips herself of her last name and tries to live a peaceful life far away from her brothers’ chaos in Birmingham. But fate leads her right back into it after she runs into Alfie Solomons.

Part 13: Ella makes a deal with the Inspector. Alfie tries to distance them from the real world, or at least just London.

//I’m so sorry I lied to you, Anon. But my wifi improved drastically since this morning. Here ya go :* Also, my D key popped off and I haven’t found it. So if I’m missing a d here or there, that’s why. It’s impossible to type it without the key cover. Other than that, enjoy!

Some time passed but Ollie reported that none of the men had come across Inspector Blackwell in their territory. So Alfie called off the search and brought Ella back home. She was a little out of sorts. Although she’d held her ground against the man, she felt unnerved after the fact. Not only did she now know her family was freed, but she was terrified that whatever Tommy’s plan was it was beginning soon.

The confrontation also interrupted Ella’s little bubble she had created with Alfie. It was all she could do to try and keep a hold of that peace.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Want to take a bath? Have a cuppa?” Alfie suggested as they entered the flat together. He helped her out of her jacket, gently rubbing her shoulder.

“I don’t know.” Ella wasn’t really paying attention to what he was saying. She knelt down to give Cyril a pat.

Alfie frowned with worry and locked the door behind him. He checked out the small window beside the door. Two men stood across the street, watching the house under Alfie’s orders. It might’ve been excessive, but Alfie wasn’t taking any chances with a man of the law. “C’mon, love.” He offered a hand out to her and kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you head upstairs, I’ll make you tea.”

She nodded absent-mindedly and went up to the bedroom. Her thoughts were consuming too much of her mind to think straight. Almost in a haze, she slipped into a nightgown and went to sit on the bed. Slowly, she began to pluck out the pins in her hair. Her curls were starting to graze past her shoulders. Every time she realized how long it had grown, her heart ached for her sister and aunt. That inevitably led to missing her brothers and cousin. And finally, her thoughts would settle on Tommy. Anger and hurt enveloping her until she was close to tears.

The hairbrush combed through her hair mindlessly, her eyes fixed on the open bedroom door. She didn’t stop brushing until Alfie came upstairs with tea in hand. His entrance snapped her out of the daze and she set the comb aside.

“What’re you thinking ‘bout, love?” He asked gently and placed the teacup on the nightstand nearest to her. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his.

“My family.” She admitted quietly.

“Maybe you should call them? Least your aunt.” Alfie suggested softly and kissed her knuckles. “Or have Ishmael drive you over? I’d go with you but I…” He winced. “Don’t think they’d want to see me.”

Ella closed her eyes when she felt the sting of tears beginning. “That’s just it, isn’t it?” She mumbled. “Things can’t go back to the way they were. Ever. But I’m…I’m starting to become okay with that.” After focusing on her breathing for a moment, she opened her eyes to look at him. “I love you. And if that doesn’t mesh well with my family then that’s that. Won’t change anything.”

In response, he forced a weak smile. He desperately wanted to agree. Fuck her family; they were perfect on their own. Things could keep going as they were for another lifetime. But it wouldn’t be in her best interest. Alfie knew her family would always be in the back of her no mind no matter how many times she denied it. He couldn’t take the place of her entire family.

“Perhaps you should call Polly.” He said again. “Just to make sure she’s okay. I’m sure she’s wondering the same about you.”

Ella sighed and relented. “I’ll ring her tomorrow. Tonight, I don’t want to have to think about anything else. Just want to go to bed.” She frowned and reached for the tea that was still steaming on the nightstand.

“I’ve got a bit more paperwork to do downstairs.” Alfie stood up, shaking out the stiffness in his leg from kneeling.

“No, stay.” She pled quietly. Her blue eyes yearning for him. “Please?”

She made him absolutely weak. Paperwork could wait. “Alright, just let me wash up, just be a mo’.”

Ella smiled victoriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hello?”

Ella was appalled at how quick she was to cry those days. Perhaps she just had too many emotions all building up that they were eager to break out for any reason. The sound of her beloved aunt’s voice was one such reason.

She was sat on the steps in Alfie’s flat one evening. The telephone wire threaded between the banisters so it would reach from the table in the front hall. She spent the day mulling over what Alfie had suggested the night before. Finally, she gathered the courage to dial Polly’s number.

“Pol, it’s Ella.” She choked out the words.

“Ella!” The older woman sounded delighted to hear from her niece. “I’ve been speaking with your father…”

The single sentence was more alarming than anything Ella had expected to hear. She supposed Polly would ask if things were okay or tell her what happened to get her released from prison.

“What do you mean? He’s dead, you know that.” Even if Arthur Senior had faked his death for whatever reason, he wouldn’t go right to Polly. Their relationship had been very strained over how he treated her nieces and nephews.

“Full of regret. They’re always full of regret.” Polly didn’t sound all there. Her voice didn’t carry the same vigor and strength that it normally did. It almost sounded like she was drifting away due to an extreme high. She’d seen it happen many times to different people before.

“Pol.” Ella tried to interrupt the ramblings of a lost woman. “Polly, can you give the phone to Michael? Is he there with you?”

Instead of answering, there was a shuffle of movement and Michael stepped onto the call. “Ella?” He was in disbelief. Tommy had said she’d been released from prison but didn’t mention her again. Michael didn’t know what happened or where she went after she abandoned all her things at Watery Lane. “Where are you? Are you alright?”

“I’m perfectly fine. I’m more concerned about your mother.” She insisted. “What’s she on about hearing my dead father talking to her?”

There was an uncomfortable pause on the other end of the line. “She’s been taking tablets that the doctor gave her for sleep. Now she’s all in sorts, saying she’s communicating with spirits.”

Ella put a hand over her eyes and had to wait until she spoke again. She heard Cyril’s nails clicking on the wood floor, approaching her from the kitchen. Her eyes lifted when she felt his wet nose nudging at her hand. He rested his chin on her knees, his brown eyes on her, and his tail wagging. She smiled weakly and began to stroke his fur. The motion calmed her down enough to reply to Michael. “Well, why don’t you tell her to stop taking them?”

“She won’t let me. Afraid she’s worse when she’s off them. What happened…it really affected her.” His voice wavered. They had all suffered. The event had rocked Michael to the core and all he could do was try to be there for his mother and hold himself together as well. But nearly every night, he woke up in a cold sweat. That stark white room loomed in his mind. The three ropes hanging from the ceiling. The way the noose felt around his neck. It would drive anyone mad.

“Then talk to the doctor to see what else can be done.” She urged. “This isn’t normal.”

“Tommy said I should agree with her. Say the spirits are real.”

A white-hot venom shot through Ella’s veins in a split second. “What?” For a moment she wasn’t sure she’d heard her cousin right. “You mean you’ve spoken to him?” She let out a scoff and stopped petting Cyril for a moment. “Bloody hell are you still working for him?”

Another drawn-out pause lingered between the telephones. It was enough of an answer for Ella but Michael did admit to it. “He needs me right now. Without John, Arthur, and my mum he’s understaffed.” He tried to explain steadily.

“Understaffed. We’re his fucking family, not his soldiers!” She shouted into the receiver. “Michael, that man is the reason your mother is like this. And you’re listening to him? Obeying his orders? Still?!”

Cyril whined and scratched at Ella’s leg as if to try and comfort her. Alfie, who was upstairs, also heard the commotion. He came out of the bedroom and stood at the top of the stairs.

Ella’s back was still to him and didn’t hear his footsteps over her own voice. “That man has destroyed this family and it is never going to be the same again!”

“Ella…”

“No, fuck off!” She shouted and tossed the receiver away from her. The wire caught on the banister and limply hung off the hook. “That fucking disgrace!” She stood and stormed past Cyril. The mastiff looked up at Alfie who was a little dumbfounded.

Hesitantly, he walked downstairs to follow her into the parlor. He wasn’t sure whether he should interrupt or if she wanted to be left alone. “El?”

“What?” She snapped and spun around. Her hands clenched into fists and fire in her ice-cold eyes.

His body subtly retreated, one step out of the parlor and holding up a hand in defense. “Sorry, just wanted to know if you were okay. But you can tell me to fuck off if ya want.”

Ella deflated a little when she realized she was taking her anger out on the wrong person. She slumped onto the sofa and put her face in her hands. “He’s ruined so much but he never faces the consequences.” She whispered.

Alfie walked over to her, assured she wouldn’t lash out at him. Even if she did, he was sure he could handle it. “What happened? What did Polly say?”

“She’s lost her fucking marbles because of him. Can’t handle it anymore and now she’s seeing spirits ‘round the house.” She told him honestly. After furiously scrubbing her hands over her eyes a few times she looked up at him.

By all accounts, Alfie heard that Polly was a very strong woman. It was disheartening to hear that she had been so traumatized. Not that there was anything he could personally do about it. “Well, I…” He leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest. “There’s a good doctor I know, right, might be able to help with any sort of…” He was really struggling to find tactful words. “Issues of the brain.”

Ella chewed on her nails, her foot shaking with agitation. “This isn’t a matter of doctors, it’s a matter of making Tommy pay for what he’s done.” Rage clouded her sight and judgment. She stood up suddenly and made a beeline for the door.

Alfie grabbed her before she could pass by him. “Oi, where you going at this hour?”

“Doesn’t matter.” She shook him off and reached for her coat.

“Fucking matters to me, don’t it?”

“Fine.” She huffed while hastily stuffing her arms into the sleeves. “If that inspector wants to harass us then he ought to harass the right fucking person. I’m going to go find him and tell him everything Tommy’s done. Anything that’ll get him the same sentence he gave my family.”

“No, no.” Alfie stepped between her and the front door. “Be having none of that. Why don’t you go sit down, take a few breaths?” Despite his attempt to be caring, his tone came off as demanding.

“You telling me what to do?” Ella challenged and stepped up to him. “You know as well as I do that my brother needs to be accountable for his actions. He leaves a fucking mess in his wake no matter where he goes. His wife is dead ‘cause of him. His son will be motherless. My aunt’s gone off the deep end. For God’s sake, we’ve all gone off the deep end at this point!” She shouted.

“If you go off spouting what he’s done then you’re just gonna get wrapped up in it, ain’t ya?” Alfie spoke over her, trying to grab her attention. Try to make her think rationally even in the state she was in. “They could damn well lock you and your family up again because everything Tommy does, he’s involved you lot. You’re his collateral damage, yeah? Because if he’s going down, so is everyone else around him. That’s just how he works, innit?”

Her lip trembled and she hit her fists against his chest. It didn’t hurt much as her entire body had gone weak with grief. She let out a sob and pressed her forehead into his shoulder. “We’ll all be dead ‘fore December.” She cried. “Something’s coming, I just know it is.”

“Hush now, love.” He gently removed her coat and wrapped his arms around her. “Polly’ll be alright. Just need to keep on.”

She whimpered a reply but the words were lost into his shoulder. Her fingers wrapped around his shirt and held him close.

“Just promise me you’ll stay away from that inspector.” Alfie kept his voice soft but he hoped she could tell he was being serious. Any information about Tommy could have a lot of people locked up, himself probably included. And he couldn’t free Ella again if he was imprisoned too.

Still, he agreed with her. Tommy certainly was up to something and it was about time Alfie figured it out. He didn’t want to be blindsided by anything. If it was something he could handle, then he wanted to be prepared. If it weren’t, then he would plan for that as well. Probably fuck off to Margate with Ella and live the rest of their lives in peace. If that was even possible.

Alfie kissed her hair. “Want to get away for the weekend?” He asked softly. “Leave London?”

“I have to work.” She mumbled into his shirt.

“Yeah, so do I but I don’t fucking care now do I?” He smiled and tucked a curl behind her ear. “C’mon love, I know somewhere nice. Not too far.” He coaxed.

Ella sniffled and after a thoughtful moment, she nodded. “Okay.”

“Good. You’ll love it, I promise.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Friday before they were due to leave for Margate, Ella walked to work as usual. Alfie tried again to get her to take the car. Would even let her drive it as long as she wasn’t walking. Now that he knew there was a detective looking to extract information from her, he was even more worried about her well-being. But she won the battle a second time.

“Strong women don’t adjust their routine even if there’s a pesky fly trying to disrupt it.”

At the risk of calling her weak, which Alfie was more than positive wasn’t true, he relented. Simply watched as she loaded her small handgun and slipped it into the holster by her side, and tucked the blade into the holster on her thigh. She did it with such daintiness and disregard. Truly the air of a woman who had been raised around weapons her entire life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

However, that Friday morning, it appeared that Alfie’s worries were warranted. Out of the corner of her eye, halfway to the law firm, she spotted the flash of someone familiar. The inspector doing his best to blend in with the rest of the early morning crowd shuffling along to work. Ella’s pace didn’t stutter, she didn’t speed up, and she didn’t try to shake him off. She simply changed direction. A man collecting donations by the steps of the church smiled and tipped his hat towards her. She smiled back and headed into the church as if it were her destination the entire time.

The chapel was empty and nearly silent. Void of any hymns or organ music. Ella’s heels echoed through the lofty vaulted ceiling. Steadily, she made her way halfway down the nave, stopping at a row. With a deep breath, her eyes lifted to the vacant altar. A single candle burning. She knelt and made the sign of the cross just as Polly had taught her ages ago. Another set of footsteps made their way into the church by the time she was sat.

Calmly, Ella placed her hands in her lap and tried to adjust to the wooden pew. She’d nearly forgotten how hellishly uncomfortable they were. Her eyes remained ahead as the footsteps stopped and shuffled into the row behind her. The wood creaked as someone sat.

“I didn’t know you were religious, Miss Shelby.” Inspector Blackwell removed his hat, placing it on the pew beside him.

She didn’t glance back at him. He’d be able to hear her just fine without looking at his smug face. “I’m not. I’ve lost my faith a long time ago. As has the rest of my family.”

“And yet you’ve led me to a church.”

“A sanctuary. A good detective wouldn’t harm someone in the lord’s house, now would he?”

There was a low chuckle from behind her. “Your family likes to play games, isn’t that right, Miss Shelby?” The wood whined as he leaned forward. “You think the rules don’t apply to you, but you use them when it suits you best.”

“Were you in France, Inspector?”

A moment of silence indicated his confusion. “Yes.” He answered, unsure of where the young woman was leading him. Detectives of Scotland Yard were usually commanders of the conversation, but not many of them had the pleasure of speaking to a Shelby.

“My brothers were commanders of the Small Heath Rifles.” Ella sat straight, her eyes barely moving from the elaborate altar. The gilded candelabras and large crucifix hanging high above so that all in the church could see. “They left for France when I was thirteen. Claykickers. The absolute worst fate. But shouldn’t we all be used to it by now? Forced into the ground, the walls shaking, threatening to cave in and bury us all. I trust you know a lot about our family by now Inspector, but you’ll never know what it’s like. Born into the lives we were. And then my brothers, to be sent to France only to be placed underground again. No one above them giving a flying fuck whether they made it out of that tunnel or not. My aunt and I received a letter saying their unit had been buried alive.” Ella gritted her teeth. “They returned to us. But they were dead. Dead men. That’s why they’re not afraid of you, Inspector, because they’ve met Death and made acquaintance with him.”

“That’s all well and good, Miss Shelby, but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re criminals. And I’ll be happy to put them back underground. Underneath the prison to rot. You can join them if you’d like.”

A hint of a smirk formed on Ella’s face. “The other day, I was about to give my brother up to you. Tell you everything you’d need to lock him up. Bury him under the prison. Then I remembered I fucking hate cops, much more than I’ll ever hate my brother. I may be angry with Tommy, but I’ll never betray my family the way he did.” She stood and turned to finally look at Blackwell. “You’ve made a grave mistake, Inspector.” She informed him smugly. “You’ve upset my dear Alfie and now you’ve received attention from the Shelby Company. I wonder what it’s like to have two of the most dangerous men after you.” She shrugged and went to exit the pew. Before walking out of the church, she paused. “When one of us dies, we burn them. We’d never bury them again. But rest assured Inspector, we will bury you so that you might know what it fucking feels like.” She smiled. “Good day.”

Blackwell stood up before she could walk off. “I think you’ll be interested to know about a warrant I’ve issued.

“I’ve been to prison before, Inspector, I think I could handle it again.” Ella attempted to sound reassured even if she spent less than twenty-four hours in a cell.

“It’s not for you.” Satisfied that he was controlling the conversation again, the inspector smiled and took a step towards her. “It’s for Alfie Solomons.”

Her jaw tightened and stinging pain of fear stabbed her in the side. “For what? You have no evidence against him for anything.” She forced the words through her teeth.

“I’ll charge him with whatever I damn well please.” He grinned and picked up his derby hat off the pew seat. “Extortion, assault, burglary, murder. Whatever will have him sent faster to the gallows.”

“I don’t believe you.” She whispered and did her best to hold her ground. The man was doing nothing more than trying to intimidate her. Trying to scare her into spilling information about her family.

“Then you can believe it while I lead him away in handcuffs.” He shrugged and adjusted the collar of his coat. “But it’ll be too late then.”

Ella’s eyes flicked towards the doors of the church. She had to remember all the things her brothers taught her. Every trick to make herself appear tougher and colder even if she was shaking with anger inside. Like she was reining back a wild stallion, she rolled her shoulders back and lifted her chin. Stay in control. “What would make you rip up the warrant?”

“Now you’re asking the right questions, Miss Shelby.” He chuckled and tipped his hat back on his head. “Your brothers, aunt, and cousin were all released because of information Thomas Shelby had. Now he walks around with an OBE. As far as I’m concerned, your brother ought to be locked up. Instead, he’s wandering around doing the same things he’s done before.”

“I told you,” Her voice was like daggers, anger seeping out beyond her control. “I don’t know what he did. I have no contact with him anymore.”

“Then you best give him a ring.”

The thought of calling Tommy was enough to make Ella see red. But the threat of Alfie’s arrest was enough to make her feel nauseous. “He wouldn’t tell me anyway.”

Blackwell clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Well, that’s a shame.” He began to walk past her.

“Wait.” She called after him. Her hand twitched by her side. She wanted nothing more than to shoot the inspector where he stood. Instead, her fingers curled into a fist. “Give me a day. I’ll find out what you want to know.”

“You have until Sunday, noon.” He continued walking down the nave and exited the church.

The heavy doors closed, creating a ripple of sounds across the empty space. Ella hugged her arms around herself and turned to face the altar. She didn’t want to choose one or the other. No longer did she want to be pulled back and forth. But Tommy left her no option.

“I’ll ask for forgiveness later.” She whispered to whoever would bother to listen in the silent chapel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfie knew there was something wrong with Ella. But he figured that she simply needed some time away from London. Everyone did at one point or another. An escape from the constant smoke, the sounds, the crowds. Alfie loved his city but there was nothing like Margate.

He hoped to see the relief on Ella’s face when they finally arrived at the beachside cottage. To be fair, she seemed happy, but there was still a hint of apprehension in her blue eyes. Ella took his hand as he helped her out of the car. Cyril jumped out of the backseat too and began running around the shell-covered drive.

She smiled as she took in the beautiful spot of land. A small stone cottage resting comfortably on a good-sized lawn nestled among an untamed garden. Roses flourished in the thick growth of lilies, and begonias. Ivy crawled up the cottage, etching itself into the grooves of the stones. A waist-height fence enclosed the little parcel of paradise. A path of flat rocks led away from the gate of the fence and snaked around the length of the fence, beckoning towards the bluff that overlooked the ocean.

“It’s beautiful.” She said softly.

Alfie was pleased. It was modest, certainly not a countryside estate that Tommy had, but it was peaceful. Damned if he ever needed more than just a few rooms to live comfortably. “Had it for a few years. Don’t come here as often as I like.” He picked up their bags and walked with her to the front gate. “Cyril loves it, loves having space to run ‘round. Don’t ya, mutt?”

The mastiff barked and bolted into the lawn. He sniffed around the perimeter as Ella and Alfie brought their things inside.

“Want to have a walk around before lunch? Town’s not too far from here. We could walk if you’d like. Or drive, doesn’t matter much.”

Ella didn’t answer at first. The cottage was cozy on the inside. There wasn’t much ornate detail or unnecessary luxury. The front room led into the kitchen and small breakfast nook. Further back was a sitting room that faced the ocean and was encased in glass almost in the fashion of a greenhouse. Warmth radiated from the room, soaked up by comfortable armchairs. Finally, a hallway led to two small bedrooms on the side of the cottage.

She paused in the sitting room by a bookshelf bolted to the wall. The books were sparse, unlike Alfie’s flat in London. Instead, photographs, shells, sea glass, and uniquely formed driftwood took up the shelves. Ella picked up one of the frames. “Is this your mum?” She asked quietly.

The woman in the worn photograph wore a tichel over her hair denoting her status as a wife. She wasn’t smiling but Ella surmised it was from a time when photographs took much longer to take. A smile was too difficult to hold for the amount of time it took. But Alfie’s mother didn’t look harsh or cold. She had a gentle look to her eyes, which Ella imagined were the same blue color as Alfie’s.

Alfie nodded. “Yeah, that’s me mum.” He said quietly. Her picture stayed in Margate for good reason. He didn’t want to remember her as the woman who suffered in London. The widow who took care of two unruly boys who were nearly always brought home by the cops before the sun set for the day. The woman who worked tirelessly to keep food on the table but still never had enough to scrape by. In London, she was always tired, sore, and heartbroken.

In Margate, Sofia was brought back to life by the salty air and sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. It was simply a short holiday they took every summer when Alfie and Joseph were younger. When she stood on the shore, watching her boys splash around in the cold water, she felt at peace. And that’s how Alfie wanted to remember her.

“She was beautiful.” Ella murmured. She carefully set the frame back in place next to a peach-colored conch and a perfectly intact scallop shell.

“Yeah she were, weren’t she?” He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “Unbelievable she had someone like me for a son.”

Ella stuck out her lower lip and turned to him. “Are you fishing for compliments?” She teased and touched his chest.

He chortled and shook his head. “Fucking hell, you think I need to be told nice things?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Everyone likes to be told nice things.”

“Eh, don’t need to be fluffed up with things that ain’t true.”

“Well, I’m telling you the truth right now.” She replied firmly and moved her hand to his cheek. “You are, by far, the most handsome man I’ve ever met. And I adore seeing you every day.” She inched closer to him, her lips mere inches from his. “You’re charming and sweet and affectionate and clever and funny…”

Alfie’s lips parted and he felt like he was burning up with a fever. “Fuck, you tryna butter me up for something, love?” He asked a little breathlessly. His eyes dancing between her pink lips and blue eyes.

Ella smiled coyly and shook her head. Her thumb grazed over his bottom lip. “No, just trying to remind you how much I love you.”

“Message well received.” He laughed and tried to close the gap between them and kiss her.

But she slipped away, taking his hand. “You said you’d show me the beach?”

He groaned in disappointment. “Cheeky girl.”

“C’mon, I’ll kiss you on the beach.” She promised and tugged on his hand. For just an hour, she could ignore what she had to do. The call she had to make. The information she’d have to extract in order to keep Alfie out of handcuffs. Sunday. Sunday could wait.

Permanent Tag: @papa-geralt-of-cirilla @giftofdreams @biba3434 @kimmietea

Tag list: @deaflikehawkeye @octaviareina @mylovelykelsifer

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#alfie solomons #alfie solomons x oc #alfie solomonsxoc #alfie solomons imagine #peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #peaky fookin blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #fanfiction #ofc #oc #shelby ofc #shelby sister #shelby oc #tommy shelby

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watchathon · 4 years ago

Text

12th Day of Christmas

In case you’re finding this post just by browsing the tags I’ve used, this is the Watchathon, a blog where I watch a movie or TV show and then write a review of what I watched.

Right now, I’m doing the 12 Days of Christmas, a 12-day-long Christmas special where each day is a different Christmas movie or special decided by a randomizer.

And today, for the 12th and final Day of Christmas, I’m feeding a much smaller list into the randomizer of my favorite Christmas special (which is severely underrated) or what I believe is the best Christmas special I’ve ever seen (which is technically a movie), while the other one is saved for next year!

Now, you might be thinking, doesn’t this mean I’ll only have two years worth of grand finales to 12 Days of Christmas? ...Well, yes. Yes, it does. *awkward silence*

On the 12th Day of Christmas, the randomizer gave to me~

The best Christmas special (which is to say, movie), The Muppet Christmas Carol! Really, as much as I wanted to give even a microscopic spotlight to an underrated Christmas classic, this feels only fitting considering I’ve covered two other Christmas Carols this year.

I missed out on this one as a kid, which I do kinda regret since I loved the Muppets so much, but watching it for the first time last year really showed me why so many people hold it in such high regard, especially other Muppet fans. And I hope to show you all the same, in the review I give right after watching it again to refresh my memory:

I’ve said a couple times that adaptations of stories told as often as A Christmas Carol need to bring something new to the table as well as doing the story justice. And that’s a goal that this telling accomplishes with aplomb, being surprisingly faithful as well as doing some stuff that makes it better than any other version I’ve seen.

First off, there’s the involvement of the Muppets, something which will appeal to fans such as myself. But it’s not just novelty; having these parts played by such beloved characters can add impact to sad moments. For example, Tiny Tim’s death is always sad, but it hits even harder when it’s Robin the Frog who succumbed to illness.

But even outside of the Muppets, Michael Caine gives quite possibly the best portrayal of Scrooge I’ve ever seen. When he puts off wiping the snow from the grave, holding back tears and begging to know whether he can still change the future, it brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.

He’s certainly the only one I could think of where I really bought the character development. With other adaptations, it feels like Scrooge just suddenly turned into an entirely different person.

And that segues nicely into the topic of what this version does differently, as I brought up at the beginning: For one, this Scrooge does have visible character development, and it’s not just because of Michael Caine’s brilliant performance.

In most versions, the Ghost of Christmas Present will just show Scrooge his nephew and Bob Cratchit’s family, focusing purely on the negative effects that Scrooge’s greed has on those around him. In this version? Scrooge is also shown the magic of Christmas, why people love it so, in the form of a musical number sung by the spirit as well as the people of London.

Then there’s Bean Bunny as the boy who Scrooge asks to buy the turkey at the end, doubling as a poor beggar boy who Scrooge turns away at the beginning, and who spends Christmas Eve freezing on the streets.

It’s a staple of the Christmas Carol story for Scrooge to refuse to donate to charity, but here we see for ourselves someone who that money might’ve gone to, and who Scrooge’s grimness has (albeit indirectly) affected. And again, a moment that hits even harder because it’s a beloved Muppet that we see in that situation.

Getting back to the musical numbers, those are another thing this movie does that add something to the story. They’re all very well-written (I’ve added quite a few of them to my Christmas music playlist) and they contribute to the story.

I’ve touched on what It Feels Like Christmas brings to the table, but then there’s songs like Bless Us All, a gentle song sung by Tiny Tim and family on Christmas morning. Or Thankful Heart, which displays the change Scrooge has gone through better than anything else could.

While we’re on the topic of the songs, that does unfortunately bring us to one of the few negatives: The absence of When Love Is Gone in modern releases. I’ve seen it said that it messed with the pacing of the film and brought it to a screeching halt. But for better or worse, the song is baked into the film.

The background music as Belle is leaving clearly is the lead into a number, but in the version without the song, it simply peters out. Thus leaving Scrooge and Belle’s parting as simply a short exchange before she walks off.

Then there’s the issue of the reprise at the end, When Love Is Found. Without the earlier number for it to be a reprise of, it loses a lot of the effect it’s meant to have. It just serves as a closing number and credits song, rather than yet another display of how Scrooge changed for the better.

*sigh* Why, Katzenberg, why...?

Luckily, the negatives have been found for this song, and it’s to be reinserted in the 4K remaster. Who knows, maybe it’ll be my least favorite song by far. But, the film will be complete again. It won’t just awkwardly be missing a scene.

I could go on all day about why this film is so great, but I get the feeling that this post is on the long side already. Needless to say, I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. And I recommend a rewatch for those who have.

#Christmas #12 Days of Christmas #The Muppet Christmas Carol #long post

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sageclover61 · 5 years ago

Note

Cas raised Sam right and took him with him to confront Raphael. Raphael recognized Sam for what he is instead of what he's meant to be but isn't, they fell in love. Amara still got freed, as did Lucifer. Raphael died in the fight against Amara. When Jack starts dying because of the loss of his Grace, Sam prays to his beloved archangel to return from the Empty to heal him the way only Heaven's Healer could.

Does this fic have a title? It does not, (yet). Also, I wrote this with the intention of both Sam and Raphael as being asexual.

Word count: 3074

Rating: TPairings: SaRaph + Destiel

Sam was torn, as he stood before the small cairn of stone in the backyard of the bunker. There was a much fresher memorial beside it, but he paid that one no mind.

He probably should have been inside, offering what little comfort he could to the bedridden and dying nephilim inside. But Jack was sleeping. And as he looked down as the paper in his hand, he knew he had to try. Jack was the closest thing to a son he'd had ever thought he could have, and he had to try this one last desperate measure. Especially if it meant sharing the child he considered to be his adopted son with the love of his life.

This was not the first time he had done this, read a letter to Raphael at the spot he has built the memorial to them. It wasn't a grave, not with Amara having imploded Raphael and leaving nothing behind to burn or bury. Knowing what he did now, Sam half hoped Raphael had been able to hear them, but also felt divided on whether or not he wanted to succeed at this. Did Raphael not deserve the peace they all craved? But he also knew that if he did manage to wake Raphael, the Healer would fix this, if they were able to. And maybe this could be the very last time they all tried to save the world. It was time to retire and raise the new generation of hunters and let them take over.

Sam didn’t need the white picket fence and the apple pie life, but he wanted his mate. The one who understood him better than anyone else ever had.

Amara had given Dean a “gift”, but no one had ever asked him if there was anything he wanted or needed.

“Dean Raphael,” Sam said, hoping, praying. He had poured every ounce of his lover and hope into this letter. This prayer. “If we had known Gabriel was alive all those years ago, I know you would have led the battle against the Prince of Hell and his legions of demons, I would have been there right by your side. I wish you had been here to dissuade him from yet more self sacrifice. You were the same way, I recall, and I’ve always been that way too, but we were good for each other. I also just wish I could have gotten to know the side of him you always talked about when you talked about your little brother, and I wish you could have seen him again. But I talked about Gabriel in my last letter and I have something a little more pressing to tell you now.

“I’ve told you about your nephew, Jack Kline. He saved us from the apocalypse ‘verse Michael and helped us get out of apocalypse World. But there’s something wrong with him and he’s dying. I wish you were here to heal him, and I wish you could have met him. He’s a sweet little kid for all that he looks like a young adult, and because we’ve been raising him, I suppose I can’t help but think of his as kind of like my own son, and I do really wish I could share this with you. I know we never really talked about having our own kids, biological or otherwise, especially what with us still being firmly rooted in the hunter lifestyle. But I’m definitely ready to give that all up if I can just share this with you. Please.

"But you deserve your peace, too, and I hope that at the very least you are at peace. I just want you to know that only you will ever hold the keys to my heart, and I miss you so much.

"Please come back to me.”

Sam took the matchbook from his pocket, and used it to set the letter on fire over the cairn, just as he had with all the other letters. He knew it probably affected nothing, meant nothing, but it mattered to him.

“Please come back to me,” he repeated, whispered, as his eyes watered. He didn’t want to lose any more of the people that he cared about. Not both the love of his life and the kid he would never stop wishing he could have raised with his mate.

Amara had obliterated Raphael near the beginning of that whole thing. She’d gone straight for Heaven, intent on killing the first of Chuck’s creations that she had so despised.

Neither she nor Chuck had offered any condolences for that. They’d never said anything at all, with the possible exception of calling it “a most unfortunate tragedy” but he couldn’t really remember that conversation, as he had been too filled with anger and grief to really register it. They had just… left. Like nothing else mattered at all, and Dean hadn’t understood his grief either. No one had.

But you don’t share life altering love with another being for five years and then just let it go when they disappear from your life entirely.

“Look what I found!”

The shout from a voice he wasn’t expecting to ever hear again in either life nor death had Sam turning around as he blinked past the tears falling down his face. Cocky Gabriel was standing there, cocky grin on his face, but as soon as Sam saw who he had brought with him, he had eyes for nothing else. The vessel was new, taller than he was, and more obviously androgynous, but besides that it seemed to be an almost perfect mix of their two last vessels. Sam hoped that meant Raphael was would be more comfortable in it than in their previous vessels, but Sam cared nothing about their physical appearance.

“Raph!” he shouted running forward and wrapping around his mate. “You’re here!”

“I love you,” Raphael whispered in Sam’s ear, as they returned Sam’s hug in the way best done by the taller person. There were reasons they had waited so long for Gabriel to help finish making them this perfect vessel. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Hey! What am I, chopped liver?”

Sam glance over at Gabriel, but the younger archangel did not appear to actually be offended, as he was grinning happily at them.

“Gabriel," Raphael scolded without looking at their brother. "I have not seen my mate in four years, let us have this moment.”

“Okay, okay. But I’m pretty sure Sam mentioned a matter of timely importance.”

“I would like to meet this child you want to be ours,” Raphael agreed, but allowed Sam to pull away from the hug first. They didn’t not remain separated for long, as Sam took one of their hands a second later.

Sam studied the way Raphael’s hand fit snugly into his larger hand. He had missed this so much it still ached like a fresh wound. But Raphael was here before him and he almost couldn’t believe it.

“Jack’s inside,” he said finally, and then led the way. Dean was nowhere to be seen when Sam led the two archangels into Jack’s room. Castiel alone sat in the chair by the head of the bed.

Castiel looked up as they entered the room. “Gabriel, Raphael. I am glad to see you both alive and well.”

“Where is Dean?” Sam asked. He knew he had to reveal this to Dean sooner over later, but he was glad Dean was not in the room because he didn’t want any screaming matches to occur in Jack’s bedroom.

“I sent him to the store,” Castiel said, “to buy some random objects. It should keep him busy for the next two hours. I didn’t want him to cause a scene when there are more important things at stake.”

Raphael nodded. “Thank you. I would like to heal the child, if I might have a closer look? Can you tell me what you know about what happened?”

“He’s dying from low grace levels,” Castiel explained, standing so Raphael could take the seat he had been occupying. “His organs are failing.”

“Low grace levels isn’t usually fatal...Nephilim do have a higher chance of death from that, but only when… What did you do?”

“We tried to give him the remaining vial of Gabriel’s grace we tracked down from a shaman. But Jack had a bad reaction to it,” Sam explained. “The low grace levels are from destroying the Michael in the alternate universe, and whatever he’s been up lately.”

“Of course he had a bad reaction to my grace!” Gabriel shouted. He sighed, taking a moment to compose himself. “I ran with the pagans for a really long time. Long enough it made permanent alterations to the makeup of my grace. Think STDs, except for Grace. But it also means that it isn’t compatible with anyone else’s anymore, even those with whom it would have been compatible in the beginning.”

“Grace has compatibilities?” Sam asked.

Raphael put a hand on Jack’s forehead. “It’s a little bit like how human blood has rules for whose is compatible with who, with a few things such as Gabriel’s experiences with the Pagan or Lucifer’s causes it to shift, but it also has natural rules it follows as well. In the beginning, each archangel had a different type, and all the ranks of angels that followed had one of those four. My grace is a bit like the universal donor, probably for cases like this. There’s probably instances where it could be rejected, same for the incredibly rare human blood types such as hh, but I’ve never seen it happen.”

“Even Lucifer’s?” Castiel asked.

“Jacks’ grace is not identical to what Lucifer’s grace looked like in recent times. There’s a small genetic component sure, possibly similar to Lucifer’s original grace type, which was not the universal recipient, but his own choices and actions are also apart of the equation. I would be shocked if my grace was rejected by the good kid Sam described to me the last two years.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “You heard my prayers?”

“I heard all of your prayers addressed to me,” Rapahel answered. “I was just unable to return before now, and I apologize for that.”

Rapahel’s eyes glowed the soft blue of grace being used and Jack’s flew open, unseeing but filled with the same effect.

“Do you want a snack, Sam?” Cas asked.

Sam didn’t register that Castiel was talking to him, too busy entranced by Raphael’s ethereal presence.

All too soon, the light faded and Jack’s eyes closed. Raphael took an unsteady step backwards, but Sam was right there to support them. “Are you okay?” Sam asked, and Castiel asked if Jack would be alright.

“I’m fine, Sam. It’s just been awhile since I’ve done something like this. But I wouldn’t be opposed to retiring for the evening. Jack is also recovering. I imagine he will sleep until sometime this evening or tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me, Sam?”

Sam nodded, and they walked hand in hand back to their shared room. The room looked untouched to Rapahel, as though no one had stepped into it since Amara had exploded him almost four years previously. There was also not a single spec of dust, thought it almost felt as if that had been a recent change, as there was a very faint feeling of lingering grace having performed the single act of freshening the space. But it was clear to him that Sam had not been sleeping in here. Not once.

“Do you want to change into something more comfortable?” Sam asked. “We might need to go shopping, but I think this will fit?”

Raphael agreed about about getting some new clothing, their new vessel was taller and shaped differently than their previous ones. Gabriel had helped them finish it, but it had been an idea they’d contemplated even before Amara had imploded them.

Sam was holding a long silky sleep shirt that they had given to him, though he’d only worn it a few times.

They had worn it more, back then. It wasn’t really Sam’s aesthetic, but there was just something pleasant about stealing clothing from Sam’s wardrobe.

This form was built more petite than Sam, still, just taller. They had mainly wanted something androgynous, so they could really feel like themself in this skin, but they’d kept Sam in mind too.

They smiled at Sam. “I would like that.”

There was a wicker laundry basket under the desk and Sam put his jeans and flannel into it, leaving his t-shirt and underwear on.

Raphael stripped, slowly so that they could show off this vessel to Sam, but not so slowly that it was a tease. Sam hummed appreciatively, but he did not seem interested in anything more than that.

“Gabriel helped me make this vessel for me, do you like it?”

Sam smiled and nodded. “Are you happy and comfortable in it?”

“I like that it allows me the freedom to change what gender is present down there. Are you feeling up for a demonstration?’

“Maybe some other time?” Sam shook his head, but he was still smiling. He passed Raphael the sleep shirt. “Will you just hold me, tonight?”

“Of course.”

Together, they pulled the comforter back from the top of the bed so that they could crawl under the sheets and blankets.

Sam intended to fall asleep last, as he wanted to savor that he was lying next to his mate who he had missed so much, had longed for the return of. But he had not slept well in so long that it was impossible to say awake.

Raphael took longer to fall asleep.They were tired from the grace transfusion, but they did not really need sleep. Just to rest quietly.

The unaltered state of the room concerned them, because it felt like Sam had not moved on at all, had perhaps not had the opportunity to finish grieving.

Sam looked small tucked beside them. Weary, desperate. It did not suit him, and Raphael hoped their return could help ease him. They closed their eyes, letting Sam's presence soothe them in return. They had missed sleeping and waking up with their mate in their arms.

Sam’s cry woke Raphael sometime later. It seemed to have woken Sam as well, though Raphael noticed that Sam did not wake instantly as he used to.

Was that because they were here now and Sam’s subconscious remember he was safe? Had Sam broken the habit of waking instantly himself? Or was this something else entirely?Sam woke slowly in a tight embrace, tears falling down his face. He’d been having a nice dream about Raphael being back and he didn’t want to wake up for fear of it having been nothing more than a dream.

There was a gentle rumble next to him, followed by what had to be an Enochian lullaby and he blinked wearily at the figure holding him. “Raphael,” he croaked hoarsely. “You are here.”

“I’m right here, Beloved,” Raphael swore. “Right where I belong.”

Sam cried harder into Raphael’s shirt, fingers wrapping tightly around the hem of the fabric.

Raphael held Sam tighter and resumed singing the Enochian lullabies they had half forgotten. Sam did not seem settled enough to go back to sleep, but that did not mean that they were not going to soothe and comfort him to the best of their abilities.

Sam could not sleep and did not want to. He layed curled in Raphael's arms and let their voice ground him in the present and reassure him that this was very real and that everything would be okay.

Raphael was sure that Sam was almost ready to fall asleep unintentionally a while later, but that was right when their bedroom door opened quietly.

Gabriel stood in the dark corridor, a platter in his hands. Besides him, Jack was gripping Gabriel's shirt. Raphael was unable to tell whether that was because Jack was unsteady on his feet, or simply terrified.

"I brought some grilled cheeses," Gabriel said. "I thought you lovebirds might like some nourishment."

Sam blushed crimson and tried to hide under Raphael and the blankets. Raphael laughed because it was nice to see Sam embarrassed rather than so afraid of losing them again.

"Uh huh," Raphael said. "Sam? Do you think you can eat some sandwiches?" Even if Sam said no, they intended to see if they could get him to eat a little. Sam looked more gaunt than they remembered him being and they had both missed the reasonable dinner hour by sleeping it away.

Sam shrugged, which Raphael was going to take. "Looks like we could eat those sandwiches."

"I also brought Jack. He got lost looking for you guys so I got him to help me make these."

That got Sam's attention and he sat up. "I'd love a sandwich. Jack, do you want to come lie down up here? There's plenty of room for all of us. You were sleeping, but my mate, Raphael, here, saved your life."

Gabriel handed the tray to Jack and Jack brought it over to Sam. "You did?" he asked, addressing Raphael.

"I did. I've heard a lot about you from Sam, but circumstances prevented me from coming sooner. I'm really glad to meet you now though. Are you feeling better? I don't think you'll be completely well for a few days, but you should be fine with a few days of rest and low energy activities. No smiting anything."

"I'm okay, thank you."

Sam took the tray from Jack as Gabriel shut the door as he left. "Why don't you climb up here between us? It's nice and warm up here."

Jack considered the instruction for a moment, then followed the directions, scrambling over Sam and into the space between them.

"I was just singing some Enochian lullabies for Sam, would you like to hear them too?" Raphael asked as they tucked Jack under the covers.

Jack nodded, so Raphael resumed their singing and Sam held their hand behind Jack's head as he leaned against the headboard eating the sandwiches.

Raphael banished the tray to the kitchen when Sam had eaten his fill, and they smiled as Sam curled up protectively behind Jack and followed the child's lead at returning to sleep.

This was the "Heaven" they had all been waiting for.