#and my backup was the guy i call ‘the sheriff’ who is well into his 50s and suffice to say i want to fuck that old man

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Minimal Loss: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.2k

Summary: You and Spencer go undercover to a ranch that is run by a man who thinks he’s God. When you and Spencer are trapped there, you will do anything to protect him, even if it means putting yourself in danger.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

With the police on edge at being shot at, your team was called in for backup/help. They know you and Spencer are in here, but they don't know exactly what's going on. Hotch made sure to coordinate with the commander in charge only because he knows Hotch has two agents on the inside.

"Dave, they've left the choice of negotiators up to me," Hotch says to his friend.

The police and FBI have set up camp on the edge of the property so that they can be there in a flash if needed.

"I taught most of the hostage negotiation unit. Do you want a recommendation?"

"I'm making you the lead negotiator. Why go to the students when I have the teacher?"

"Because the teacher is emotionally involved, so is the agent in command," Rossi sighs.

"I know I am. This is a unique situation. We have two agents who could affect the outcome on the inside."

"True, but I can't be objective! I know them too well."

"This outcome depends as much on our ability to predict the moves of Y/N and Reid as Cyrus. That's why you're the best man for the job."

"Assuming that Reid and Y/N are still in a condition to make moves."

"I know how bad this is. That's why I want you doing the talking."

"Alright," Rossi finally gives in.

One of the sector members, Nathan Cole, approaches Hotch and Rossi with an angry look on his face.

"You're obviously not in charge. I can see that! I demand to know why I wasn't told that the FBI was sending undercover agents into the Septarian Ranch!"

"The only thing that you're in the position to demand is a lawyer," Hotch glares.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief. I'm the guy who's gonna tell the Attorney General of the United States whether to charge you with obstructing a federal investigation or negligent homicide."

"You can't talk to me like that."

"Get off my crime scene," Hotch says coldly.

Nathan Cole knows that if he stays, he will be arrested. To avoid that, he has no choice but to leave. Hotch finds the true person in charge, Dan Torre, who knows more about this than anyone else.

"You know Dave Rossi. I assume introductions aren't needed," Hotch says to Dan.

"We've been here before, haven't we?" Rossi chuckles.

"Waco. Ruby ridge. Freeman standoff. Let's hope someone listens to you guys this time."

"Oh, they did more than listen. They put us in charge."

"Bring us up to speed."

"I've sent the state police packing. They started this mess. We lost a man in the process. Hope that's okay."

"If you hadn't, we would've."

"Good. County sheriffs have had no run-ins with the sect. So, we're using them as support. We've had no contact with them so far. They've got solar power which we can shoot out the panels if you think--"

"No. That's an escalation," Rossi cuts him off.

"Okay, but that means they have access to the news."

"I'll get JJ to talk to the press. Are your men ready to be briefed?" Hotch asks, and Dan nods. "Let's go."

Hotch, Rossi, and Dan head inside the small trailer where Derek, Emily, and the rest of Dan's men are gathered.

"This is how we're going to do things," Rossi starts. "I call this the 'minimal loss scenario'. Every person we get out is a life saved. We won't save them all. All of us have to be prepared to accept that situation."

"Cults are structured like pyramids. You got the leader at the top, the diehard believers beneath, and the biggest group--the base--followers or the women and children. These are the people we can save," Derek adds.

"The 'trickle, flow, gush' strategy is designed to get base followers out. First, one or two, then three or four, and then as many as we can as fast as we can. If at any point it starts to go bad, we go in. The leaders are charismatic sociopaths who target those most susceptible to their seduction. They have the ability to see what each person needs, and then they become that thing. We have to undermine their perception that we're an invading army laying siege to their home."

"We'll lose the fatigues. Will rancher's clothes work for ya? Like we did at the Freeman standoff?" Dan asks.

"That's perfect. Anything we can do to demilitarize the situation," Rossi nods.

The next step is actually calling Ben and trying to negotiate, which takes some time. Ben has a secure line that is hard to get into, but once he does, Rossi is able to make a call to him. However, who picks up isn't what Rossi expects.

"Hello?" Rossi asks when no one speaks.

"You killed my mom and daddy. Are you going to kill me too?" the little girl that Jessica was holding asked.

"No one is going to kill you, honey," Rossi sighs.

There is a pause, and someone else takes the phone.

"This is Benjamin Cyrus. Who am I talking to?"

"David Rossi, an FBI agent. We sent the state police away. There's just us and the local sheriff. All we want to do is resolve this before anyone else gets hurt."

"Then leave us alone."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Benjamin. One of the police bled out on the way to the hospital. So, let's just stop this before things get worse. Please, just put down your guns and come out."

"We're believers, Dave. We believe that God says what he means and means what he says. His laws don't depend on what state you live in."

"I have no issues with your beliefs."

"You don't, but the state does."

"I can't answer for other people."

"Oh, God will answer for everyone in the final battle I've foreseen."

"That's why I'm here--to make sure that this is not a battle. Now, the three child services workers--"

"One of them is dead. It wasn't us."

Everyone stops what they are doing. Hotch holds his breath as he waits to hear which one is dead. If you or Spencer is dead, he won't ever forgive himself for it.

"I need a name to inform the family," Rossi says, trying to contain his emotion.

"Her name was Nancy Lunde."

Derek closes his eyes and lets out a silent sigh of relief, and Hotch lowers his head so the others don't see the worry in his eyes.

"Okay. Now, please, Benjamin, send out your wounded. I promise you they'll be well taken care of."

"With enough supplies, we can tend to our own."

"Okay. I need a few hours to put it together. I'll bring them up myself at first light."

Ben hangs up, and Rossi lets out an audible sigh of relief that you and Spencer are okay. It's sad about Nancy, for sure, but both of you are okay... for now.

"You know they can take you hostage, right?" Dan asks.

"I'm going to confirm the kids, Spencer, and Y/N are okay."

"Rossi, let me go with you," Derek begs.

He thinks of you as a sister and Spencer is his best friend. He has to make sure you both are okay.

"No. This is about building trust. I will go alone."

"I want the parabolic arc mics fixed on every window in that structure," Dan says to his men.

"They won't pick up much. They have blinds on all the windows. Unless they're shouting, the glass won't vibrate enough for us to get an audio."

"Well, if they're not shouting, these bugs will pick 'em up, at least until the batteries die. How familiar are agents Y/N and Reid with our playbook?" Dan asks.

"The BAU wrote the CIRG handbook. They'll know that we're trying to get ears in there at all times," Hotch answers.

CIRG stands for Critical Incident Response Group, and they are responsible for providing rapid assistance to incidents in a crisis, such as this one.

"Good. Let's hope they can get these people talking."

"They will."

Your team is here, you can feel them. You overheard Ben talking to someone on the phone, and he could only be talking to one person: Hotch or Rossi. You know they're out there, but you don't know what they're waiting for. Ben told you and Spencer that you could sleep well knowing you'll be safe, but you can't sleep like this.

All the kids are confused, all their parents are panicking, and all of that is being siphoned by you. You're in full-on panic mode, and pushing it down all night has made you jittery. Spencer tries to help however he can without raising an alarm, but you can't accept it at this point. The only thing that will help is if you put distance between you and this entire ranch.

Something is happening when the sun comes up, but you don't know what. When it does finally arrive, you and Spencer are brought to the church where everyone else is. Women, children, men, Ben, and his followers. There's virtually no space between you and Spencer since you need him close for comfort. Spencer has your hand in his, but it's obstructed by your bodies so Ben doesn't see if he were to look over.

Ben is expecting someone to come, and soon, they show. The door to the church opens and Rossi walks in wearing normal clothes, not his FBI outfit. He looks around until his eyes land on yours and Spencer's. He can see how scared you are, but he doesn't acknowledge you in fear it will ruin everything.

He's holding a box full of supplies for Ben, and he welcomes him with a curt nod.

"Dave? I'm Ben. Come on in. These are the children and our guests," Ben says, welcoming him in.

"I'd hope you'd let me take the children."

"No, they're under our protection. They stay for now while I pray for God's guidance. Please don't try to force us out."

"No one's gonna try to force you out of here. Trust me."

"Trust is earned. Tell them I'm not crazy. Tell them I'm just a man living by God's law."

"I will."

Since Rossi has no business being here anymore, he glances over at you as he leaves the church. He knows you two are okay, and you also know that whatever was in that box he brought over, it has something on it that will allow your team to hear what is happening inside. Maybe they have bugs attached to it or whatever, but you know they'll hear everything happening.

"Prepare the wine," Ben says to Chris. "We are celebrating. Everyone drinks. Everyone rejoices because today, we are one day closer to being with Him."

Chris passes out cups with suspicious liquids in them. You refuse to eat or drink anything Ben and his followers hand out, so you politely decline when they pass by you. Luckily, they don't give you a second glance. They had no intention in giving you whatever they're serving, and you're grateful for that.

You look around the church and spot Jessica who looks at Ben with admiration and love. Something isn't adding up. Jessica looks to be in love with him, so why would she make that 911 call? Right next to her is her mother, and as soon as you see her body language, you know exactly who made the call.

"Look at Jessica's body language and the way she looks at him. She literally worships him. There's no way she made that 911 call. I think her mother did," you whisper to Spencer.

"Trust in God with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. Trust in mine," Ben says.

Kathy gets up and tries to block her daughter's view of Ben, but Jessica is quick to look around her.

"Look how she comes between Ben and her daughter. She's inserted herself between them. She made the call so we'd come here and save her."

"Acknowledge him in all things, and he will guide your way. Drink to acknowledge Him, and I will guide our way."

Everyone holds up their glasses, and they all drink to celebrate together. Something isn't right. Ben is too calm. It's like he was waiting for this to happen, and now that it has, he feels vindicated.

"We will be with him soon. We have drank the poison together. Mothers... Fathers... Children... Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we fear no evil. For thou are with us. God will wipe the tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death nor sorrow nor crying. There will be no more pain. For all of the former things have passed away."

"He's going to commit mass suicide," you whisper with wide eyes.

Your heart beats faster as your breathing picks up, but Spencer lays a hand on your thigh to calm you down.

"You're letting your panic cloud your judgment. I don't think it's real. I think he's bluffing."

"Why do you think that?"

"Just after he told them about the poison, he waited for them to start to react. Then he nodded to Chris, and he started writing. Look. They're scanning the audience looking for reactions."

He's right. His followers are writing down the names of those who are crying, which shows they aren't loyal to Ben.

"It's a loyalty list, so he knows who will follow him to the end."

After a few moments of silence, Ben speaks again.

"Be still. There was no poison. Instead a test of faith. Because your adversary, the devil, waltzes about as a roaring lion! Choosing whom he may devour. Watch each other for signs of weakness. You are your brother's keeper."

"I can't take this anymore, Spencer. I want to go home," you whisper and look up at him.

"I know it's overwhelming for you. I know you're scared, but you can't freak out. If you do, you, me, and other people might die. Just look at me when you're feeling this way. I'm right here."

He's right. You have to pull yourself together. You'd slap yourself if you weren't frozen to your seat. Whatever plan Rossi has, he better do it fast because you need to get out of here.

x

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[damnhotmsimmons]

17x09-Stars and Stripes

caution: spoilers below, mentions of rape

I feel for Jade

She's clearly spiraling without Damien

The flashback and conversation they had in 17x08

She's being pulled over, that's not good for the guy trying to talk to her

Wendy Quinn but the patrol officer is not fooled cause of the photo

Enter

You sent

Jade taunting him means she's getting away with it

Shit, Dana is here

Not so subtle considering a black car passing by when it turns out that Dana is in the car

Jade and Dana don't care that the guy has a family

Jade taking the guy's eyes out

Now back to Elias and Vincent visiting him

Elias knew that Jade killed Damien and that the BAU prevented their plans to kidnap and kill Jill

Elias also knows Vincent is under surveillance

I like how Elias always knows everything

Vincent wants Rebecca off the case but Elias says no

They discuss their court hearing and reduced sentence and Elias is determined to be out in five

Rossi comforting Jill after what happened but he's still disapproving Jill's decision to use the kiss as a distraction for him to leave so she can talk to Damien alone. Can't blame him as Jill could've gotten herself killed

Damien and Jade agreeing to a mercy kill

A reference to of Mice and Men

Even with Damien gone, Jade still has backup like Dana and Peter B

Peter B a sign of foreshadowing

Emily calling Rossi over

Rebecca telling them that Director Madison is honoring Elias' please agreement. I too would be pissed considering how smart and dangerous he is

Emily and Rossi are rightfully pissed

Tyler trying to find proof of Elias' crimes

Luke in Garcia's office

Another Reid mention

Garcia is able to find connections to all 11 stuart house doctors and sheriff deputies cause they were paid through an encrypted routing number

Also AIDA reminds me of Agents of Shield

The contract was voided due to criminal misconduct and profiteering. Yea this part is giving me ideas

Frank Church being the ceo of AIDA Limited

Something tells me that AIDA Limited could be the next major antagonists in s18

He’s finally been mentioned

The charges against Church were dropped but he still has friends in high places. He's gonna be difficult to be stopped let alone in two episodes

And we got a photo of him

Church and AIDA are also known around the globe for their security expertise

Which also means they're mercenaries

I swear the ideas we'll get from this scene alone for my fics

Like like what if someone with a particular skill set has an assignment relating to AIDA Limited..

Between Reid and Matt, one of them has military experience

Shit, Garcia and Luke are struggling to find proof that AIDA Limited funded the strike team before being interrupted by an alert of the guy Jade and Dana killed

The guys named is Martin Sanz

Martin is alive but his eyes are gone and Jade threatens him to talk to the BAU only

It’s interesting the guy only wants to talk to the BAU

Emily getting Tyler to look up Frank church

Tara sees it as Jade wanting the team to know her pain for Damien's death and for reinforcing the conspiracy about Stuart House

Emily getting Tyler to look up Frank Church. I'm afraid this won't go well

Back to Jade and Dana

Dana trusting Elias only cause Damien does

Jade finding a bunker and storage container unit

Oh shit, Elias giving Jade and Dana profiles on the BAU and a majority of the cases they worked on and unsubs they stopped and killed

Reminds me of the replicator

Elias knows a lot about the team and the team doesn't know how much and to make things worse, Elias is definitely fueling Dana and Jade and trying to weaken the BAU so that they can take care of them while Elias himself can go free

It’s interesting how Elias is able to do that

Idk why Hasting's photo is on Luke's section when JJ's photo is on the other board. Oh and Jeremy Grant's photo is on JJ's section as well wtf. How do you fuck up a mistake like that?

Frank Church has friends in high places. It has to be the one who took photos of Emily and Brian

Now Jade and Dana know who the BAU are and are at the end of the conspiracy

They used actual photos of AJ for this

Imagine what kind of photos they'd use for other cm characters

I wonder if Frank is responsible for this cause friends in high places could also mean he could have friends in the bureau

Jade using these boards to her advantages

Dana reminding Jade that they have each other and Peter

Dana saying to go home

The zoom up of Emily and Rossi is not good

Martin telling Rossi and Tara that Jade was with Dana, who shot him

Martin telling Rossi to kill Jade and Dana

Jade saying she had no choice but she wants to go and home and find peace but will not hesitate to stop and kill anyone who tries to find them

Jill thinking the strike team was being sent on purpose to test the gold star subjects if they can distinguish between friend and foe

With Tara saying how they were most likely gaslit into thinking everyone was an enemy but Stuart House

Luke and JJ telling Rossi they found a kill kit

It’s sad how they were manipulated so much

They realized Elias helped Damien and Jade by giving them the kill kit

Jade and Dana left a trap knowing that troopers would find them

The team finding the boards

JJ looking the most terrified, can't blame her

Elias definitely had his network do the research for him which means someone from the bureau is a part of the network and conspiracy

Rossi calling Elias a mother fucked and angry that he's endangering his teammates

Vincent telling Rossi to calm down, shut up

This confrontation won't go well considering that Vincent is present

I didn't even notice Elias was in a fancy suit and not a jumpsuit

Elias trying to claim that Benjamin is still Sicarius

The BAU trying to procedure Elias as Lee Duval backfiring on them

Elias saying Toodles and Rossi being rightfully pissed

Tyler and Emily seeing Frank

Vincent is so annoying and smug

He's not going to be so smug once Elias no longer needs his help

Frank Church mentioning Emily's mugshot. I already hate him

Emily saying Tyler is from military intelligence

Emily and Tyler interrogating Frank

Frank knowing fully aware that Emily is profiling him

He's even more smug and worse than Elias, Vincent and Bryan

Frank mentioning Brian

Not Frank being concerned with law enforcement

Not Frank Church accusing Emily of assaulting Brian whom he most likely hired men to beat up and frame Emily for

Oh this guy is so sexist

Oh this piece of shit did not just rubbed Bailey's death onto Emily

Women are you fucking kidding me?

Ugh, not Rebecca interrupting them and telling Emily that the Director wants them to stop

Emily and Tyler thinking Director Madison is under Frank's pocket

Does Frank know Madison?

So Madison is not compromised

Really Rebecca? Protecting the BAU? Even Emily doesn't believe that

So far the only good thing he did was reinstate Emily as unit chief

Bailey mention

So Bailey told Madison about Gideon and Rossi's paper weeks before Elias mentioned Gold Star to him

If anything Bailey was the one protecting the BAU more than Madison

I feel like had Clark been available for more of the filming, we would've gotten more of Madison trying to be helpful

So someone else leaked gold star and the white paper ?

So Madison showed Rebecca Bailey's report

But who?

Reporter?

I feel like Madison is using Rebecca a lot since he doesn’t want to face them

That’s very possible it was a reporter

Okay, Rebecca has a point

They risk bringing the Bureau down if they mess up their attempts at stopping Frank

Where's Jack Ryan when you need him?

The BAU and Jill discussing Frank Church while eating

I really need Matt so back so badly

Frank Church does scream cult leader

You sent

So many military guys

Seeing this is giving me ideas for fics after seeing AIDA Limited

Frank telling Jade welcome home

Ewww. Jade and Dana looked disgusted and uncomfortable hugging Frank

Seeing Frank being concerned and trying to be father like to Jade and Dana is gross

Maybe a part of them realize something is wrong with Frank but the brainwashing is too deep

Jade telling Frank that Damien and Aidan are dead cause of the BAU and Peter is nowhere to be found

Frank planned this whole shit

Seeing Frank being concerned and trying to be father like to Jade and Dana is gross

It felt so weird and you can see the girls see it too but are in too deep

Frank wanting to talk to Dana about Peter

By the time they realized something is wrong, it'll be too late

I wonder if Peter is connected to Bailey

Frank killed Dana, not surprised

Oh no, not the gold star program

This scene makes me feel disgusted

Frank comparing Mila to Jade

Same here. It’s creepy how it’s a lot of young girls too

"Free these young people" bitch, you're brainwashing them and turning them into killers

His fascination of young girls and hate over women in power positions like Emily pretty much sums up his views on women. And his views on poc and lgbtq people wouldn't be any better

Frank is drilling this “conspiracy” into them. Not helped they see Frank as a father figure

He's a disgusting piece of shit

Frank manipulating Jade. I worry for Jade, can't believe I'm saying that

Frank giving up the original training site

Jade remembering what she went through

He screams Republican Senator who does shady shit

It wouldn't surprise me if he has some conservative political friends

And far right allies

So Mila's been missing for 8 months cause she's actually in AIDA Limited

The deputies were paid off by Stuart House, who track runaway teens

So did Frank abduct Mila?

Jade and Mila bonding

They deputy was paid to kill her

Mila looking up to Jade, I have a bad feeling about this

Jade telling Mila she has nightmares

They tell stories about jade and the others

You can see how vulnerable jade is

Memories of an awful place?

Jade realizing not everything is as it seems and it's a bad feeling

Frank being a rapist

Oh my god no no no no

I’m now worried about Jade

I feel sick

Fuck fuck fuck fuck

Just when Frank can't get any worse, he does and my hatred of humor grows stronger

Jade remembering her last moments with Damien

But since he’s introduced now he’ll probably be in s18

This guy needs to fucking die

He needs to suffer

He makes Elias look tame in comparison. At least Elias isn't a fucking rapist

Damien not having any nightmares when he’s with Jade

Also this means that Frank only raped the girls

Damien telling Jade how everything frank told him might he a lie

It sums up how he views women

It wouldn't surprise me if Frank considers Holly a next target

If Elias kills Frank in s18, I wouldn't be mad

That would be satisfying

And Elias would make sure Frank suffers

If Elias doesn't get to kill Frank, I want either the BAU ladies doing that

Jade seeing Mila get taken away before being tasered by someone, possibly Frank

Rebecca telling the team that the judge approves of the search warrant for the training center but knowing the synopsis, they might be too late and something bad happens

Sadly no one is there to save Jade, I'm fucking pissed

If only they got the warrant quicker

Jade deserved better. I wished someone could save her. Or maybe she saves herself

Tyler warning the team that the people running the training center are combat ready, and we know there's a lot of military guys at the training programs and AIDA Limited

You wanna hope the team aren't too late to save Jade

Emily letting Tyler join the team in the takedown

Luke patting Tyler on the arm

Not Rossi also bringing Jill to the takedown

Jill it's not your fault, it's Frank's fault

Ewwwww

Oh not this again with Jill and Rossi

I DID NOT WANT THAT

No no no no

I do not want to see this scene

what the fuck

Considering Frank's obsession with young girls and Matt being protective of his daughters, especially as he mentions a hostage victim being the same age as his twin girls in 1x06 of cmbb, just imagine if Matt found out what Frank does to girls like Jade and Mila

Frank telling Jade she was his favorite makes me feel disgusted

Jade killing her captors

And arming herself

The team are all at AIDA Limited

I wonder if the team will get to Jade in time

Jade is trying to escape and the team is there

We don't know but I have a bad feeling that something is gonna happen

The guy refusing to let the BAU in and they're calling backup

Especially as she’s arming herself too

This will be bloody especially as Frank knows they're there

Imagine Matt there

Frank planning on using Mila

Jade trying to help Mila escape and she knows Mila and the others are in danger

Jade giving Mila a gun, this is not gonna go well

"Don't let anyone stop you" I have a bad feeling about this

Rebecca telling Emily not to escalate the situation, not helped that Tara is with them

Rebecca and Garcia being concerned for the team

Yea her determination is too strong for her which makes her impulsive and reckless

Don't leave Emily and Rossi alone

I like how Tara pointed out how it sounds familiar with the FBI standing off against a armed cult

Jade, Mila and the others all escaped

But will they all make it out? Now that Frank found out, not everyone will

Oh thank god the kids escaped. But oh no everyone is armed, Rossi and Emily are coming in

I like how Tara pointed out how it sounds familiar with the FBI standing…

Callbacks to minimal loss

Shit, Frank has a gun

Tara and JJ found them?

Wtf Emily? Don't get yourself and the team killed

I’m confused. Did JJ and Tara find them?

Is that swat following them?

lol Emily defying Rebecca and Garcia

Shit

And I don't know what Jade is doing

Mila and the others are out but not Jade

I can't watch

No Jade

Nooooo

Jade saying "save the children"

She had to save herself and sacrifice herself to get those kids away

My heart is broken

I don’t like this at all. I want a better ending for Jade

I'm so pissed

Her love for Damien is strong

It really is. Also makes sense why she’s doing this since she and Damien don’t want to be stuck in a cage

This is more tragic than minimal loss

I'm a fucking wreck

Jade deserved better

[the-firebird69]

There's a lot of problems here these people are scumbags I think they get stuff by harassing our son. Don't have any time for you and we don't need you doing it so we're going to come find you and they're going to be done we didn't need you doing all that stupid s***.

-some things are happening today and the biggest is that there is a Counter-Strike loan it's by Mac and he's hitting the s*** out of you. He's dropping you and it's taking you down all your morlock. There's some things that are changing because of it because they've dropped so many of you. The mail in many areas is getting through on time without a massive fight. Used cars are selling all over the world. There's a lot less fighting in the street no there's more of that. People can go shopping now and the morlock is getting beaten to death in the shopping areas quite easily and fast and the trucks and the buses are moving them out very quickly they put a lot of them on buses and just escort them to the incinerator what's going on now that they have no backup in the eastern hemisphere. There's a cloud line that goes straight up to Tampa and North it looks like they're going there, they are and it's Mac and others and they're coming from the south and they're bringing stuff with them to eradicate you idiots. Right now they're plans to your ranks in the USA and South America in fairly soon they're going to light you up like a Roman candle. You're going by your houses then you didn't notice because you're used to driving by and bothering people but they're going by looking who's here and they're verifying with visual and some rudimentary gear. Did you hear John rimelord chatting and then one shut down and others they're calling to be cut off and to do that they have to defend the state and they're prepping in the foreigners have to do the job too and we do too. What bja was doing and the laundromat was disgusting but he almost got hit didn't notice it almost hit you stupid and he says oh how would that work out it says well he knows who you are you're at war with him and also he looks over and the parking lot is full of sheriff's, it was standing with him he said you're useless even in the face of almost nothing and he meant our son. No son said aren't you blasting the s*** out of them that's what our son said I said no why would you say that said why wouldn't I because I want you out of the place I said who gives a s*** what you want you're a little turd and you're going to get flushed and he looks around his little turd oh f****** a****** you're this dick messing with me too f*** you up you didn't sound such a s*** you little gay boy. He strains to see what you're saying and he leaves but he knows what it is he's a little guy bother you all the time you get fed his head like a million times and yeah he's going to be out, goes into the museum which is Brian's, sister saying so what I'm having him harass you isn't taking his payment his dick in with you you're a stupid s***. Stands up straight and tall and says why don't you f*** off you little gay boy for a second straight. You threatened my house again I'm going to mess you up so bad you're going to wish you died. You got a smile on his face start doing it so you're going to f*** him up he gets killed and really bad, needs a few bodies too.

Back to what we're doing and thanks to the interruption DJ Trump and others are going to make you pay for it and stan.

Who's on the phone trying to get assistance as his bases are disappearing now his areas of operation overseas and it's the Max and they're over running him and they're using the shield to control it and they are blasting the s*** out of them there are about 50,000 volts hitting each base the large ones the whether they're very large ones so the only ones left every minute.

They are going a little frantic right now and they are in trouble and they're not getting much of a market pretty soon however

-we are going to formulate a new drink and it's based on the warlock drink of fake beer. Just rather simple to make and you just add some components and it's mixed with whiskey. And the complaining in Minnesota saying they have body cam imagery and the body cams are collected. And we have a lot of idiots say dumb s*** to him but for real that's seeking and seeking fast but this idea is not bad it tastes rather good it is carbonated and almost anybody can make it no you know how to make it and using stuff that you can find basically out of every household but if you mix it yourself you have to drink it right away like a smoothie or mixed drink. I'm going to go ahead and make it now have an idea what he's saying. You want to make money off me the whole time soon to make it off you on your way out and it sounds great and it feels perfect.

-I'm going to release this new drink today and they're going to love it it's very cheap each beer is like 50 cents or less you can buy a six pack for about $3.25. it's a kind of beer and there's a name for it. It's not whiskey beer it's not cheap a beer and it's not cheap whiskey beer that's what they usually do and that's what they're doing. She wants a life together she says he says I couldn't tell she said shut up you idiot and is laughing cuz she did it on purpose. It's a great idea and we haven't had it before but then we have the cheap beer too and these guys are trying to drink stuff so sending it out there shortly really takes a day to brew now we have the components ready and the beer and the whiskey are mixed but they're held together with something and it's a normal ingredient that people use in making beer it holds the alcohol and suspension and you just put a little more in and a couple other things we're going to deliver our first delivery fairly soon in parts of Europe and they'll deliver it to Britain it's really really cheap and plastic bottles and a specific bottle too are you going to make tons of it.

-your calls coming out of ears wondering why because you start blabbing when they drink beer and they won't shut up and they're already useless right now most of their bases are destroyed overseas there's only 10 very large bases that are about 10 to 20% operational within the hour they will be out.

-they're losing their areas of operation rapidly and they are going to be out pretty soon 50% of the areas of operation are at 1/4 power 25% are at half and 25% are at 3/4 power. There areas of operation are being flooded all other parties are evacuating and will be out within the hour and they will have made their final mistake

Thor Freya

We feel are going to repeat their mistakes here they usually do and they are gigantic the areas of operation are huge and their presence in the populace is not for a big and a lot of it comes from those areas and they go back to them so people are going to that means they're leaving the populace and in great numbers and they're not making it

Nuada Arrianna

They're a few more things going on today they're seeking out groups like the one we see on TV. And it is a huge error letting these retarded people do what they want and Mac figured it out. It's a horrible day if things are not going well.

Are getting very beaten up they're losing tons of troops and people it is a massive loss. The numbers are very huge it's so huge that these guys stopped making noises well no not yet but they will and here in the states everybody is gearing up they are going to have to defend themselves against these more luck and they're going to have to fight them and they will be vanquished and will be gone

Frank Castle Hardcastle

Our son says you're not good enough you don't cut the mustard more or less and said it's only a few Good Men within each of your battalions and you need more than that and you're not going to do it and they were telling people we can't do this you're wrong we need people to do this for us we're hardly here now and out of desperation they did it. Of course he's right and people have to try and get ready. There's a huge number of people who think that the clones when acted on their own but it's not true these are trying to steal it and you're amazed but that's what they do things for and they're losing miserably. It's a nightmare for them and they are falling apart and they're looking like what they do and they can't figure out why and they are getting beaten up and disposed of all over the world and it's not stopping

Duke Nukem Blockbuster

Their areas of operation are under siege and we are going to publish but they're now losing a lot worse than they were about 20 minutes ago and it's because the areas of operation are filling and emptying and filling and emptying these are useless people okay

Olympus

[lils-writes-stuff]

A Thin Line

spencer reid x reader 

Best years part 4 | part three | part two | part one

summary: the team takes on a case in California involving home invasions. the reader has a surprise for her when they get back. 

warnings: normal criminal minds things, mentions of racism and sexism (are those warnings idk)

A/N: based on season 7 episode 15; this ones cute ngl 

“I think you should tell Spencer,” Penelope said turning in her swivel chair to Y/N who was sitting behind her. 

“Tell him what, ‘Hey Spence, guess what, this girl who tormented me through my college life has come back to haunt me.’ Yeah, okay,” she said, shaking her head. She took a sip of the coffee in her mug, “And besides, there’s nothing really to tell him, she could just be trying to scare me, she loves to play mind games.” 

“Well, you should at least tell him what’s going on, you’ve received two more notes from her since the night that you called me, and it’s been almost a month,” Y/N sighed knowing that Penelope was right. “And you guys have been going out for that long now, so I’m sure he’ll understand if you don’t want to tell him all about your past right away.” 

“You’re right,” Y/N said, her finger trailing along the rim of her mug as she thought about when she should tell him. 

“And you should also tell Hotch.” 

“Tell Hotch? Why would I need to tell him?” Y/N asked looking up at Penelope. 

“I think it would just be smart, you know in case something happens,” Penelope responded with a small sigh, remembering back to the whole Emily situation and what happened when she didn’t tell them.

“I’ll tell him if I get another note.” 

“Okay, good,” Penelope said, then she smiled and began to get really excited. “So, you have to tell me, how have you and the good doctor been doing?” 

Y/N giggled as she watched her friend get excited about her relationship. “It’s been going good, we’ve gotten to know each other a lot more on our dates, the other night we went to this museum, and at first I didn’t think that would be a cool place to go on a date, but then it turned out really romantic,” Y/n smiled as she thought back to the night of the date. Spencer’s hand grasping her’s as they roamed the halls of the museum. Her eyes trained on him as he spoke about the parchments in a case or as he explained in depth about the artifact on the wall.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so adorable!” Penelope exclaimed, clapping her hands together excitedly. “Have you two kissed yet?” 

“No, we haven’t, but I’m not rushing this, I don’t want to rush it.” 

“Oh my- that is so mature, look at you, you're all grown up,” Penelope said, taking Y/N’s face in her hands squeezing her cheeks together. “I remember when you first joined the team, your 26-year-old self all antsy and ready to catch some serial killers. Now, look at you! 27 and so grown up I-” 

“I’m 28 actually,” Y/N corrected Penelope with a laugh. 

“Did we miss your birthday?” Penelope asked with a guilt written face. 

“Yeah, but don’t worry about it, birthdays are just days,” Y/N said trying to reassure her friend. 

“Don’t worry about it? You and Spencer both, he did the same thing awhile back on his birthday,” Penelope said referring back to when Spencer had turned 30. “And they’re not ‘just days’, it’s the day that you were born, they are wonderful days! We need to do something for it, when was it?” 

Y/N just shook her head with a laugh before standing, “It was last week, but we really don’t have to do anything.” She tried to explain to the bubbly woman in the chair. 

“No, we do, we are going to have dinner together as a family, and you are going to like it,” she stopped her rant when she saw her case alert go off and a text from Hotch. “Right when you get back from this case.” 

--------

   Y/N walked into the round table room smiling at her co-workers then making eye contact with Spencer. “Hi,” she said with school-girl glee as she took a seat next to him. 

“Hi,” he said back, the light blush on his face growing. 

“Y/N and Spencer, sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-,” JJ began to sing the schoolyard rhyme.

“Shut up,” Y/N said giggling looking at the blonde who just laughed at her. 

“Alright let’s get started,” Hotch said, taking his seat Derek and Emily following closely behind him. 

“San Bernardino, California,” Penelope began as everyone opened up their tablets with the case file. “Two home invasions in less than a week, only a block apart, exact same M.O… Both houses were burgled, power and phone lines cut, and they broke in through a back window.” 

“In each case, the entire family was shot and killed?” Spencer asked, eyebrows raised at the thought. 

“Yes, that is right. I present to you the Mitchells and the Lewis family,” Penelope grabbed her remote from beside her, pulling the pictures of the family up on the screen. 

“They took out the power and phone so what, they could feel isolated?” Y/N asked. 

“The alarm system wouldn’t work and they couldn’t call for help,” Rossi explained the probable reasoning for why the power was cut. 

“Most modern alarm systems have a backup generator and a cell phone connection to the security company,” Spencer said wondering why this didn’t happen in this scenario.

“Yeah, but the Mitchells had an older system, and the Lewis’ were behind on their account, so it was inactive,” Penelope explained. 

“An assailant was killed in each case?” JJ asked, looking at Penelope next to her.

“Affirmative, but the sheriff hasn’t I.D.’d them yet.”

“So both families were armed, and fought back and shot one of their attackers,” Emily said looking around the table. 

 “Is that a coincidence or a connection?” Derek asked looking over to Emily. 

“What concerns me is the frequency of the kills,” Hotch said looking up from his tablet. 

“Only four days apart,” Y/N said looking at the dates. 

“Alright, it’s a long flight, we better get going, wheels up in 30.” Everyone stood up and headed out of the room to grab their go-bags. 

-------------

“Brian Mitchell was an avid hunter and Matt Lewis was an Iraq war vet, so it doesn’t surprise me that they both owned guns,” Y/N said looking up from her tablet. 

“Last year, southern California’s inland empire ranked fourth in the nation in foreclosure rates. Typically, as the economy falls, the crime rates will rise,” Spencer said. 

“Times are tough, desperate people do desperate things,” Rossi said, agreeing with Spencer’s statement. 

“Greetings all,” Penelope said as she appeared on the screen. “Your herald bears tidings.”

“What you got, Mama?” Derek asked as he turned to the screen. 

“The sheriff I.D.’d both the dead home invaders,” Penelope began to type on her computer pulling up some of the files. “First up is Alex Collison, twenty. Made an impressive list of bad life decisions before he croaked, included but not limited to...possession, a couple of drug charges, a card-carrying member of the Verdugo heights boys.”

“They’re gang members,” JJ realized as she listened to what Penelope was saying. 

“Oh, he was, but slow your roll, home-girl,” Penelope said before she told of the next victim. “Because next up is Ronald Underwood, 19. Zero records, unless you want to count some volunteer work. Straight-A student, putting himself through school.”

“Not exactly the home invasion type,” Emily said. 

“Both from a poor area of town, grew up a mile apart,” Hotch said while he looked down at the tablet in his hands. 

“Hard to actually tell from the crime scene photos of how many assailants there actually were,” Y/N said as she swiped through the photos. 

“Well, if it was gang-related, there could be a lot of them,” Emily said looking at Y/N.

“The homes that got invaded were on the other side of town, a predominantly white area full of middle-class families,” JJ explained the demographics.

“Hey, guys,” Penelope said, bringing the attention to her. “The M.E. report just came in, both of them had high levels of oxycodone in their system.” 

   “That’s strange. Violent crimes like these are normally associated with stimulant drugs,” Spencer said puzzled as to why that was. 

“Like meth?” Y/N asked turning her head to look at Spencer next to her. 

“Yeah, like meth.” 

 “Underwood’s as straight as an arrow,” Derek began. “Collison’s a garden-variety gang-banger. I grew up with knuckleheads like that, high-risk break-ins, and oxy, that’s not their M.O.”

“Regardless, we need to get ahead of it. The press has got a community on the verge of panic,” Hotch explained. “JJ and I will coordinate with the sheriff’s office, I want the rest of you at the crime scene.” 

------------

Y/N walked into the home of the Lewis’, inspecting all the blood on the walls. It almost felt like she could hear them scream for help and she so desperately wanted to go back in time and save them from all this. The shattered family photos and the torn-up house just made her feel so unsettled. 

 Y/N turned as she had finished with the room she was in and headed out meeting Emily in the hallway. 

“You alright?” She asked as she saw Y/N’s sad face.

“Yeah, just family annihilators, they always hit me differently, you know?” She said as they turned and walked down the hall towards the stairs. 

“Ballistics confirmed that the rest of the Lewis family was shot with the same 357,” Spencer said as he turned and watched Y/N and Emily walk down the stairs together.

“So if it was a gang, there was only one shooter,” Rossi stated after processing the information he had just received. 

“The second and third victims were Trisha Lewis and six months old Blake,” Emily said. 

Spencer shook his head at the thought of a six-month-old being killed. 

“The injury patterns suggest that Mrs. Lewis tried to shield the baby with her own body,” Y/N said with a sigh trying not to let herself get worked up. 

 “Matt Lewis was found right here,” Rossi said with his hands pointed to the floor. “Ronald Underwood just over there-” he pointed to the blood spot to his left- “Underwood was shot eleven times in the head and abdomen.”

“But Lewis himself only had a single gunshot wound to the head at almost point-blank range?” Spencer questioned.  

“How did someone get that close?” Y/N asked looking between Rossi and Spencer. 

“He could’ve been subdued first,” Emily proposed. 

“The M.E. didn’t find any signs of a blitz attack or struggle,” responded Spencer. 

“Well, it had to be an ambush of some kind,” Derek said as he inspected some of the walls with blood spatter. “Probably when he was confronting Underwood.” 

“But that’s almost impossible based on where the body was found,” Spencer said looking over at Derek. 

“It’s right in the middle of the room,” Emily said as she looked at the bloodstains. 

“It’s too out in the open to surprise somebody,” Y/N said agreeing with Emily. 

“Matt Lewis wasn’t shot here,” Rossi said as he pointed to the spot where the body was found. 

“No, but someone moved the body to make it look like he was,” Spencer said. 

“Forensic countermeasure designed to make us think that these guys died in a gunfight that never occurred,” Derek said as he realized what probably happened. 

“Bullet and blood everywhere, too messy for an accurate reconstruction,” Rossi said. 

“Okay, so the unsub gets the drop on Matt Lewis,” Y/N said as she pointed to where Matt Lewis was found. “He then kills the rest of the family, and then leaves behind a drugged-up patsy to cover his tracks?” 

“This wasn’t a burglary at all. There was a higher purpose here, they’re staging the crime scene as some kind of message,” Spencer said. 

“This guy’s trying to make it look like black kids from the hood are killing white families, in white neighborhoods,” Derek said. 

“Pretty powerful message,” Emily said.

“No kidding,” Y/N added as she shook her head. 

The five finished up in the house and decided to head back to the station

“You good?” Spencer asked her as they walked out of the house, noticing how she was looking a bit upset. 

“Yeah, yeah, I just can’t believe what happened in there really, family annihilators you know they just get to me, this one more than the others,” she explained to him. 

“Yeah, this one is sad, I get it,” he said as he looked at her. “But we’ll catch him like we always do, and if you’re lucky you’ll get to put the cuffs on him.” The last statement was a hope to make her smile because he loved her smile so much.   

It worked. 

A smile crept up to Y/N’s face. “I might just do that.”

-----------

 Y/N sat in the station the next morning. Head laying on her arms as she looked at the crime board on the wall. Another family had been killed last night, so they had been added to the board.

 She stared at the victims of the first two families, they looked so much like hers. She saw herself in the shoes of the young girls, the memories of her childhood overwhelmed her. She lifted her head up and rubbed her face with her hands lightly, not wanting to rub the makeup on her face off. 

The feeling of a warm hand on her back made her pull her face out of her hands. She looked beside her and saw Spencer as he sat down after taking his bag off, a coffee in his hand. 

“You didn’t bring any for me, I see how it is,” Y/N said with a fake hurt expression on her face as she leaned into the back of her chair. 

“Actually-” he pointed to her right side- “I did think of you.” 

Her heart fluttered, “You sure know the way to my heart Spence.” She grabbed the large coffee cup and took a sip from it. The warm liquid running down her throat soothing her. 

“Hey love birds, we’re about to give the profile,” Derek said leaning into the room they were in. The two stood up and made their way to where the rest of the team was.

 “We believe we’re looking for a white male, in his late twenties to early thirties,” Hotch said, beginning the profile. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” A deputy said quickly. “I’m sorry, I thought we were looking at black gang-bangers?” 

“The unsub has been staging the crime scenes to make it look like black gangs and undocumented immigrants were responsible,” Derek said to the deputy.

“Why would anyone do that?” The deputy asked. 

“We think he’s trying to create some racial conflict,” Y/N said hoping that was the best way to answer. 

 “In 1969, Charles Manson orchestrated the Tate-La Bianca murders, in the hopes of creating a race war between the blacks and whites that he referred to as Helter Skelter,” Spencer explained. 

 “A name he stole from a Beatles song,” Rossi added, the comment only being funny to the team since they knew that Rossi’s friends with Ringo.

“Members of the Manson Family left watermelon rinds at the scene of the crime and also painted panther paws on the wall in blood in the hopes of convincing authorities that the black panther was responsible,” Spencer continued on his explanation. 

 “Hate groups like the Aryan Nation believe that race war is not only inevitable but necessary,” Hotch said looking over the see of officers. 

 “Our unsub may be a member of one of these groups,” Emily added. 

“Aryan gangs have a strong presence in prisons, so he may be an ex-con or even possibly related to a convict,” Y/N said. 

“We think he may also be some kind of zealot,” Rossi began. “He believes his war is already being fought, and these murders are a mission to him.”

“And like a soldier, he is willing to put himself in harm’s way,” JJ added. 

“The unsub may also be vulnerable somehow, weak mind, or even lonely. His cause gives him a sense of power and belonging,” Spencer said giving more depth to who the unsub might be. 

“He’s physically fit enough to move dead bodies, so he’s probably young,” Derek said. 

“But not too young as to be impulsive,” Y/N added quickly.

“These attacks took planning and focus. So, he’s disciplined,” Rossi said. 

“He uses oxycodone to drug his unwilling partners,” Spencer explained. 

“He does this without killing them, which shows that he is knowledgeable about dosages,” Y/N said. 

“And oxy is expensive, so look at medical care professionals and caregivers, anyone with access to prescription drugs,” Emily said. 

“This unsub is dedicated and driven, it makes him especially dangerous. Surrender is not likely part of his strategy,” Hotch said as the profile came to a close. 

---------

“Hey Hotch, Y/N,” Derek said as he walked over to the two that were sitting at a desk going over some geographics to help Spencer with his profile. “There’s a mayoral race in town, and there’s a guy named Clark Preston all over the news.”

“Looks like he’s running a close second,” Y/N said as she looked at the tablet in Derek’s hand. 

 “Yeah, and check this out,” He scrolled down and clicked on the video. 

“These vicious home invasions are a sign of the times,” Clark Preston said in the video. “As demographics change, so do crime rates. Now we may not be able to slow the browning of America, but we can sure as hell take our city back. And if you elect me, I’ll lead that charge.”

“The browning of America?” Y/N asked with astonishment. 

“That’s a damn near hate speech,” Derek said as he looked at Hotch.

 “He’s using the murders to further his campaign and I guess people are rallying behind it,” Hotch said. 

“So what if our unsub is nothing like Manson? Manson never got his hands dirty, what if our unsub is more like his followers?” Derek proposed. 

“You think he’s being manipulated?” Y/n asked pulling her legs up in the seat she was sitting in. 

“Maybe even unintentionally, but either way, rhetoric like this could fuel his fire,” Derek said. 

“We should talk to Preston,” Hotch said, nodding to the tablet. 

“I already sent a car,” Derek told Hotch. 

“Good,” was Hotch’s short response. “Y/N, do you mind talking to him with us, your knowledge in political science might help,” Hotch said turning to the woman in the chair. 

“Sure,” she said with a nod. 

“I can’t tell you how happy I am you’re here gentleman,” Preston said, not even acknowledging Y/N in the room. “Maybe now someone will stop these savages, what can I do to help.” 

Derek looked at Y/N with one raised brow in question, after noticing that the politician in the chair wouldn’t even look at her. She just shook her head while she shrugged her shoulders and listened to what Hotch was saying. 

“We were hoping to talk to you about some of your rhetoric,” Hotch asked as he looked at Preston across from him. 

“My rhetoric,” Preston said, it wasn’t a question just him repeating what Hotch said hoping he heard him right. 

“We believe the recent murders maybe hate crimes,” Derek said walking closer to Preston. 

“Some of the things you say, well they maybe be construed as inflammatory,” Y/N said while she moved spots to stand behind Hotch.

“Agent Y/L/N’s referring to some of your recent campaign speeches and the references to the murders,” Hotch explained.

 “We believe that whoever’s responsible for these crimes is impressionable and may be responding to the vitriol,” Derek said. 

“You think I’m responsible?” Preston asked, turning to look at Derek. 

“Nobody said that,” Y/N said crossing her arms. Preston never even looked at her when she spoke. 

“If this person is motivated by racist sentiments, then what you are saying publicly may be affecting him,” Hotch explained making Preston turn his attention towards him.

“You’re profilers right?” Preston asked. 

“Right,” Hotch responded. 

“You study behavior, not actual facts,” Preston’s comment made Y/N sigh. “And then you come up with theories.” 

“It’s really, not that simple,” Y/N said as she looked at the man. For the first time, he looked at her, and then he rolled his eyes at her statement.

“I’m sorry, who are you a secretary or something?” The blood in Y/N’s body boiled with rage at the question. She then watched Preston turn to Derek, “I’ll bet you had to work extra hard to get in the bureau, didn’t you? Probably still have to prove yourself on a regular basis. I respect that. I wish there were more like you.” He took small pauses in between each statement.

The man stood up from his chair and began to head towards the door. “I’ll cut back my media appearances, for now. But I suggest you start proving some of those theories of yours. And get some of those hard-working men to arrest those punks doing this.” 

The way he said men made Y/N want to punch him so bad that she had to fit the urge to walk over to him and do just that. 

“You gentlemen enjoy your day,” Preston then let himself out, once again not acknowledging Y/N. 

 “We should check out his list of contributors and his staff, it might be somebody in his camp,” Hotch said standing up from his chair.  

“We need to check him out, too,” Derek said. 

“No kidding,” Y/N said stilled enraged by the man. “Did you see what he was doing? Or more like wasn’t, he wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence and than he dared to ask me if I was a secretary.”

“The guy is no doubt a racist and is also very sexist,” Derek said.

“Oh yeah for sure,” Y/N said as she walked over to Derek by the door. 

  “Come on Pretty girl, don’t let him get you all riled up,” Derek said to her as they walked out of the room. 

“I know, I know, it just makes me angry,” Y/N said as she and Derek walked over to the area where the rest of the team sat.

“What makes you angry?” Spencer asked as she sat down beside her. 

“Clark Preston, not only is he a racist, and let that be known when he spoke to Derek, but also he is majorly sexist,” she grabbed a paper cup from the middle of the table and then poured herself some water. “The whole time we were speaking to him, he didn’t even look at me, and the one time he did he rolled his eyes and asked me if i was a secretary.” 

“Are you serious?” Emily asked with disbelief.  

“That’s ridiculous,” Spencer said while he shook his head. 

“Uh-huh, you know Derek if he is a part of this, you know what would make me so happy,” She said as she turned to Derek. 

“What’s that?” He asked her. 

“If we got to arrest him, but I want to put the cuffs on him, just to let him know that a woman has power over him,” she said with authority.

Derek laughed before agreeing and promising her that if Preston was a part, they would do that. 

The team sat scattered at various desks around the station they were at. Y/N stood next to Emily and Spencer as they looked over some maps of the area. Rossi sat at a large desk to left and Derek in a desk behind them towards the right. 

“Hey, talk to me, doll face,” Derek said answering his phone to talk to Penelope, everyone’s attention now drawn to Derek and the woman on the phone. 

  “I got some dirt on your mayoral candidate, Clark Preston,” she spoke. 

“He’s a politician, that shouldn’t be hard,” Rossi said as he walked over to be closer. 

“Yeah, he’s a real estate lawyer who ran for city council last year and lost,” Penelope explained. “And he’s rich, as in if money was dirt he’d be filthy. He quadrupled his net worth in the last ten years, mostly from real estate.”

“So he managed to thrive despite the area’s economic downturn,” Spencer said in realization. 

“What do you mean by mostly?” Y/N asked leaning closer to Derek’s phone so that she could be heard. 

“Well, he is on the board of several financial institutions. Hedge funds, pension funds, oh, he likes to shuffle his money around. Even found some offshore accounts of his, I did,” she said giving what other dirt she could find on Preston.

 “You only do that if you’re trying to hide it,” Emily said.

“What about his staff and contributors?” Spencer asked the woman on the phone.

“Uh-uh. No, they’re clean,” she said.

 “Alright thanks, Garcia,” Derek said before he hung up the phone.“Preston’s a part of this, me and Y/N both think so.”

“Yeah you should have seen him in there,” Y/N said as she turned to Emily. 

“He’s sexist, racist, and a little shady, maybe, but a murderer?” Emily asked as she looked between the two.

“It may be just a feeling, but I know he’s in this, we just need to figure out how,” Derek explained.  

------------

The next morning the team arrived to bad news, as another family was killed earlier that morning. Surprisingly this time, the guy the unsub would have left for the blame got away.

 “His names Ramon Gomez, he’s an undocumented immigrant from Mexico City and he’s pretty freaked out,” JJ said as her, Y/N, Derek, Spencer, and Emily stood in front of the room Ramon was in. 

“That’s pretty understandable,” Y/N said while she folded her arms over herself. 

“Was he able to give a description of the unsub?” Spencer asked as he looked at JJ. 

“Uh, just of the vehicle, his English is not that good,” JJ explained. “We put an APB out.”

 Emily nodded her head, then turned to walk into the room with Ramon in it. “Hole, mi nombre es Emily Prentiss,” she said to Ramon. 

The four others stood outside and watched as she interacted with the man sitting at the table.

“This poor guy,” Y/N said as she looked at the frightened man sitting at the table. 

The three beside her hummed in agreement as the continued to watch and somewhat listen to what Emily was saying to Ramon. He pulled his arm out showing scars on his arm. He then got a look of realization on his face as he remembered more.

Emily then thanked him and walked out of the room to the other four. 

“He remembers hearing a train and then loud music,” she said as she came to the four standing. 

“That’s something, let’s get started,” Y/N said and the five began walking towards the area they had been working in. 

“There are approximately two hours between Ramon’s abduction here-” Spencer pointed to one spot on the map- “and his escape here. He crossed the train tracks here. Now, given the time and distance parameters, there’s no way the unsub could have ventured outside this radius.” 

“Okay, so he said the train was close, and he heard laughter and loud music,” Emily said. 

“I looked at points of interest next to the train tracks and there really isn’t much. There’s a warehouse, a taco stand that would have been closed, and a bar called the drunken dog ” Spencer explained.      

“Why stop there? He need a drink?” Rossi asked. 

 “He doesn’t seem like the drinking type,” JJ said. 

“Yeah, he’s not impulsive or sloppy enough,” Y/N said sticking her hands into the back pockets of her pants. 

“I live to serve you, sir,” Penelope said as she answered Hotch’s call. 

“Garcia, what can you tell us about a bar called The Drunken Dog?” Hotch asked.

“Ooh, I like it already. Let’s see- uh- it’s been around thirty years. It was opened by a warehouse worker named Manny Gresham, upon his death six years ago it was bought by a hedge fund company called First Advantage.”

“Why would a hedge fund company want a bar?” Emily asked. 

“Let’s see. Well, they bought it for a song,” Penelope began. “And, poor man, his medical expenses bankrupted him, I guess that’s why-- shut the front door.” 

“What is it?” Y/N asked. 

“Clark Preston is on the board of First Advantage, which explains why the bar is on a shortlist of local businesses that support Preston for mayor,” Penelope answered.

 “Of course it is,” Y/N said as she sat down on the desk behind her.

“Okay we missed something, we need to go back over his staff and contributors again,” Emily said looking at Spencer beside her. 

“They all came up clean,” JJ said.

“Garcia, look up DMV records and find every registration in the area that matches the description on the unsub’s vehicle,” Derek said to Penelope over the phone. 

 “Okay, 79 names and I’m way ahead of you, none of them match anyone Preston’s team-” she stopped. “What the what? Oh. I’m good at my job. Pamela Mills donates monthly to Preston’s campaign. Her son Trevor, his car matches the description, and it’s registered in his name.”

“Got a photo and an address?” Y/N asked.

“Yes, I do. I also have a place of work for Trevor. He is a part-time messenger, I’m sending it now,” Penelope said pressing ‘enter’ on her keyboard aggressively. 

“Alright JJ, Morgan, and Prentiss take the workplace, we’ll take the house,” Hotch said dismissing everyone to go off. 

  ---------

“What do you have, Garcia?” Hotch asked as he sped down the road, lights on in case they were stopped. 

“Sir, I found the connection between the Mills family and Clark Preston. Ten years ago, the Mills were the victims of a home invasion. Robert Mills, the father, and 10-year-old Julie were killed. Pamela was raped, and now she has a lot of brain damage, that has left her in a near vegetative state,” Penelope said explaining the sad story of the family. 

“What about Trevor?” Spencer asked. 

 “He hid in the closet and when it was over, he called 911,” Penelope answered. 

“That’s why he stuffed that boy in the closet,” Hotch said referring to the last family that was killed.

“He was reliving his own victimization.” Y/N said in realization.

“He didn’t do that to the other children he murdered because he didn’t relate to them,” Rossi said. 

“Garcia was anybody convicted of the crime?” Hotch asked.

“Yes, a Ronnie Green and Carlos Jackson. Both African American, both serving like in Folsom,” Penelope said before she continued with her story. “And then after the murders, Preston, he financially supported the family almost entirely. “ 

“So they’re close, he’s known the family for years,” Rossi stated. 

“That must be how they’re paying Pamela’s medical expenses,” Spencer said. 

“Yeah, it would be really hard to cover with Trevor’s part-time messenger salary,” Y/N added looking to Spencer beside her. 

‘Yeah, I mean, it’s a top-flight policy,” Penelope said reading the health care bill.

“So Preston is playing the savior,’ Rossi said. 

“And it looks like that monthly donation, that Pamela makes to Preston's campaign, is her disability check,” Penelope added.

“My guess is Trevor authorized that because he feels beholden to Preston,” Rossi said piecing together why that would happen. 

 “He probably Idolizes him,” Y/N added. 

 “So Preston is manipulating the Mills family to further his own agenda, he’s behind everything,” Hotch said coming to the conclusion that Preston was part of it all along.

 “He took advantage of Trevor in a vulnerable state and made him trust and then brainwashed him,” Y/N said. 

“Turned him into a killer,” Spencer added. 

 “Uh, guys,” Penelope interrupted. “There’s something else, Preston bought the Mills home after the invasions.”

The tires came to a screeching halt as Hotch pulled up to the Mills house. The four hoped out of the car, taking out their guns and walked to the front door. 

 Hotch pounded on the door, “FBI!” 

When no answer came, Hotch pushed the door in and entered the threshold of the house. Y/N stood between Rossi and Spencer as they walked into the house. They then split up and looked around the house, Hotch and Rossi downstairs, Spencer and Y/N upstairs. 

  Y/N held her gun out in front of her as she entered a small guest room. She made sure the room was clear before walking out and meeting Spencer in the hall. 

“You find anything?” She asked while she holstered her gun on her hip. 

“Yeah, this note,” Spencer said as he inspected the note in his hand. 

“Come on, let’s go find Hotch and Rossi,” She said before they walked downstairs. 

 “He’s not here,” Y/N said as she walked into the room with Hotch and Rossi. Spencer close behind her. Pamela Mills was seen laying in the bed not moving but looking at the four by her door.  

“I found this in his bedroom,” Spencer said holding out the letter he found. “It’s addressed to her,” he said referring to Pamela.

“ ‘The price of peace is sacrifice, and I’m prepared to pay that price, no matter how high. I hope you’ll still love me.’ This is a goodbye letter,” Rossi said after reading the letter. 

“Or a suicide note,” Hotch countered. 

“He doesn’t profile as suicidal,” Spencer said in a hushed tone not wanting to disturb the woman in the bed. 

“No, but he knows this could be his final mission,” Rossi said. 

“He may want to go out in a blaze of glory,” Y/N said as she glanced at the woman in the bed. 

“It’s all about the election, he’s only got one move left, we need to secure Mayor Wennington, I’ll have the rest of the team find Hilary Ross,” Hotch said pulling out his phone to call Derek. 

They headed back out to the car and got an address for Mayor Wennington heading over to his house. Y/N walked up the front door, the three men with her following behind closely. 

“Mayor Wennington?” She asked when the door opened and a white-haired man in a loose-fitting tie answered.

“Yes,” he responded. 

“Hi, I’m Agent Y/N Y/L/N, this is Agent Hotchner, Rossi, and Dr. Reid, we’re with the FBI,” she said introducing the men behind her. 

“Is this about those recent murders?” The Mayor asked with concern. 

“Yes, sir, we have reason to believe you might be in danger, would you come with us,” she said gesturing to the car in his driveway, 

“Yes, of course, let me grab my coat,” he turned around and walked ten steps to a coat rack to grab his jacket before he headed out the door with them. 

“Yeah, Morgan,” Hotch said answering his phone while they walked to the SUV.

“We’re on our way to Hilary Ross’ house now, she’s still not answering her phone,” Derek said.

 “All right, call local police, he’s not going to go quietly,” Hotch ordered.

“You have Mayor Wennington?”

“Yeah, keep me posted,” Hotch said before hanging up. 

----------

The next day, Y/N pulled into Clark Preston’s campaign office parking lot with Rossi ready to arrest him. 

“You want to do the honors kid?” Rossi asked Y/N as they exited the vehicle they were in.

“Absolutely,” she said with a smile, her wish from the previous day coming true. 

“I hope this is a good enough birthday present,” Rossi said with a smirk looking at Y/N.

“Who told you? Penelope? I thought she would’ve dropped that by now,” she said with a laugh as she opened the door to the office.

The two agents walked back to the room where Preston was sitting. 

“Clark Preston you’re under arrest,” Y/N said as she walked over to the man sitting at his desk. She pulled him out of his seat and placed her handcuffs from her pocket on him. 

“For what?” He asked defensively. 

“For orchestrating the murders of the Mitchells, Lewis’, and others,” Rossi said as he and Y/N began to lead Preston out of his office. 

“What proof do you have?” He asked trying to find a way out of the situation. 

“Voicemails left by Trevor Mills,” Y/N said shoving him when he stopped walking.

“Voicemail messages? That’s ludicrous, that boy is mentally unstable, always has been,” Preston said. 

“Clark Preston you have the right to remain silent,” Y/N said, not only because she had to but because she really didn’t want to hear his pathetic excuses anymore.

“I’m Innocent!” He tried to protest. 

“And please feel free to exercise that right,” Rossi said grabbing Preston’s other arm as he tried to move out of Y/N’s grasp.

“Anything you say can, and will be used against you in a court of law, you have the right to an attorney, if you can’t afford one, one will be appointed to you,” She continued as Rossi opened the door and led them out. 

--------

“Come on, Spence please tell me where we are going,” Y/N asked, her arm linked with Spencer as they walked down the street. 

“I can’t do that Y/N, you know that,” he said as he led her further down the road. 

“Can you tell me if this has to do with my birthday?”

“Maybe.”

“Oh, come on, I told Penelope that we really didn’t have to do anything,” Y/N said as she shook her head. 

“Well, I learned that you need to let them have their moment with you, cause they’re the closest thing you’ve got to family here until you have your own,” Spencer explained to her as he looked at her with a smile.

Y/N sighed in defeat, knowing Spencer was right. 

“Oh look we’re here, can’t believe you didn’t notice where we were going before,” he said as he turned to Y/N’s favorite dive-bar in the downtown area of D.C. Spencer began to pull her inside but she stopped him before he could walk up the small stairs to go inside. 

“Wait- Spencer, before we go in, I have to do something,” she said pulling on his arm making him turn to her. 

“What is it?” He asked facing her with a curious look. 

She replied by placing her lips on his in a gentle kiss. It was a kiss that made both their stomachs do flips. His hands reaching up to grab her face as hers gripped the front of his coat. A year and a half's worth of bottled up feelings were expressed as Y/N deepend the kiss. 

“I just really wanted to do that,” she said to him after they pulled apart. A smile came on Spencer’s lips and he pulled her in again for a shorter but just as meaningful kiss. 

“I really like you Y/N,” he said face still close to hers. 

“I really like you too, Spencer,” she said back with a smile. “Come one let’s go in.” 

The happy couple walked into the bar seeing their friends standing in a corner to the left of the door. 

“There’s the birthday girl!” Penelope said as she saw Spencer and Y/N walk in. 

“Happy Birthday!” They all said. 

Y/N blushed as she approached the table, “Thanks, guys.” 

The team laughed, drank, and danced till the late hours of the night. Even Hotch laughed and gave Y/N a hug as they all danced to the music. A smile stayed on Y/N’s face the whole night as she danced with all her friends and drank happily. 

Spencer watched the woman he was beginning to fall in love with belt the lyrics to a Coldplay song that played through the speakers and dance with Penelope and JJ. Y/N looked over and saw Spencer staring at her at her and walked over to him. 

“You know it’s rude to stare,” she said with a giggle.

Spencer laughed, “I wasn’t staring.” The blush on his cheek told Y/N otherwise.

She quickly grabbed his arm and started to pull him onto the dance floor.  

“Oh no, I don’t dance really-” he tried to protest but Y/N wasn’t having it. 

“You do tonight!” 

She brought him to the dance floor Penelope and JJ yelling ‘Hi!’ over the music as they started to dance again. Y/N tried to help Spencer move less awkwardly and he eventually started to get the hang of it. Taking Y/N’s hand in his he spun her around and danced with her. A smile formed on their faces hoping the moment would never end.

tag list (let me know if you want to be added!!):

@throughparisallthroughrome​ @word-scribbless​ @nintendumbfuck​ @confused-and-really-hungry​ @justine-en​

[verobatto]

Destiel Chronicles

Vol. LXXXVIII

It was a love story from the very beginning.

The Empty is Coming (Part. II)

(12x18)

Hello dears! How are you feeling for tonight's episode? I'm not ready...

Okay, i had to make a whole meta for this episode for the huge symbolism related to Sacrifice and the Empty.

Castiel walking on the Empty, a prelude...

When episode 12x18 starts, we have another dar forest, representing the Empty, and a young guy named Jorred walking on it...

If you pay attention, he wears a brown coat, blue pants. Is a blatant Cas' mirror, and the obscurity surrounding him, symbolizes the Empty.

Jorred gets trapped and then dies.

Where's Cas? Is reaching a high level of worrisome

Dean tries to call Cas but... He can't. So, all theses days he didn't have news about the angel and he is reaching high levels of worrisome.

I wrote an entire meta about this episode time ago, I don't want to be repetitive, so i will be quoting here things I already put in that meta. You can find the analysis here.

DEAN: Come on. Cas, it's me. I've been trying to get ahold of you for days. I don't know what's going on, but we got a line on Dagon...And we got our asses handed to us, even with the Colt. So...Could really use the backup. Call me back.

Dean is mad at Cas, first because he is pointing at he have been days trying to get ahold of him (remember Dean praying to him every night in Purgatory?) and then he is mad because he doesn't know what's going on with Cas. So basically, he is mad because Cas is not calling. Is not giving living signals.

SAM: So no luck with Cas, huh?

DEAN: Yeah, still AWOL.

SAM: All right, so let's find him.

DEAN: I've been trying, Sam. The GPS on his phone is turned off, and there's nothing in the system about some weird guy in a trench coat getting arrested or turning up dead.

This is the thing here, he reveals another details of why he is mad and worried, because Cas turn his GPS off! That means that maybe he doesn't want th to find him. And then, Dean is saying HE SEARCHED FOR HIM IN HOSPITALS AND POLICE INFO LIKE? Yeah... A little kind of desperate.

And if you pay attention bro the pic, you wikl find how worried is Sam watching his brother in that shape.

SAM: Right. Dean, it's Cas. I mean, this isn't the first time he's dropped off the map, you know? And whatever's happening, he'll be fine. He always is.

DEAN: Yeah.

This scene is very rich in body language. Also Sam assuming Cas will always be fine, is like settling the idea that something could take them by surprise anytime about the angel.

But watch Dean here while Sam tries to comfort his brother...

I will quote here what I wrote in my meta about this episode:

"Priceless... Avoiding Sam's eyes, looking to a side, dimples of discontent, that sniffing is like... He is so mad... He just can't stand it. Can't stand CAS not answering his phone calls, not being there for weeks. Not knowing if he is dead or alive. Makes feel so uneasy, he can't control what he is feeling... He is mad, but worried at the same time."

How do I fill this emptiness?

Not being able to have any hint of Cas, and feeling he was being rejected by him, the unrequited love idea hits Dean again.

Is big, cold, hole inside of him, and it needs to be filled immediately. And what Dean does, which will be the last time he does it? He hooks up with random waitress. Why? Well. I will quote here again my insights from the other meta.

"... and I know the fandom had pointed the "Castiel coded coat" this waitress is wearing... Like... "YEAH I'M JUST AN ASSHOLE FOR BEING IN LOVE WITH MY BEST MALE FRIEND WHO WILL NEVER LOVE ME BACK, HE ABANDONED ME AND DOESN'T' GIVE A FUCK IF I'M WORRIED OR NOT. LET'S JUST HOOK UP WITH RANDOM WAITRESS HERE AND HEY! THAT COAT REMINDS ME TO CAS DAMN!"

I want to add the waitress is not just dressed with the coat but with a pink dress too. The pink color will be very called in the incoming seasons. Is a symbolism of happiness. Related to Castiel's deal with the Empty made in season 14, and the ultimate Sacrifice for love and Castiel's love confession in season 15. But in this case, it talks about Dean. Dean's happiness is Cas and viceversa.

Another thing Dean did in this episode to fill the emptiness of his Unrequited Love was eating too much. As he always does. It maybe wouldn't caught our attention if Sam wouldn't watched him with disgust and scolding face.

Sheriff Barret Bishop and the Black Bill legend. (Cas and Empty mirrors)

Look how Sam describes the legend of Black Bill at first:

SAM: And when the fun was over, the satyr would, "feast upon the flesh of his victims until his belly was full to bursting with their moist, slippery meat."

I find this very interesting, because he talks about a party, something they celebrate (an orgy) that could be related with lust, the thing that will taken as a forbidden feelings in Castiel's POV in episode 14x15. And the punishment is became the monster's food. But but, is not the first time we see a monster feeding of people or energy in legends. In episode 14x17, the one that gave me the spec about Dean rescuing Castiel from the Empty, they talk too about this legend and how the mosntrrs feed from his prays. So, is this the Empty's story then? Is he feeding with energy from dead angels and dead demons? Hahaha just a few days and we will know.

Then, Castiel's mirror trying to do his best to change things, but by himself.

Sheriff Bishop: Moloch used his power to make us rich. After my father died in '97, I put a stop to all of that. Look, I couldn't...I never killed anybody. I just wanted to help people to make up for all the bad we've done. I wanted... To leave a legacy. - I kept him locked up. Hoped he'd starve to death.

Okay, this is kind of the idea of what Chuck did with the Empty. The thing is... The monster scapes.

And then we have the Sheriff saying "It was on him"

Sheriff Bishop: You should go.

SAM: No, sheriff, uh, we can help clean up.

Sheriff Bishop: No. This...I'll take care of it. It's on me. This? This is my legacy.

Again a Cas mirror doing the dirty work. It's on me. Is the same thought in Castiel's mind, and we will see it in the next episode.

Winchester's legacy:

SAM: But the people we saved, they're our legacy. And they'll remember us and then I guess...We'll eventually fade away, too. That's fine, because we left the world better than we found it, you know.

DEAN: I wonder what's gonna happen to this place. After we're gone, you think some hunter'll move in, keep fightin' the fight?

SAM: Yeah, I hope so.

DEAN: Yeah. Me, too.

Dean gets out his knife from his pocket.

SAM: What are you doin'?

DEAN: Leaving our mark. Here.

This is a parallel to 15x19, the fake bro ending. The dialogue is also a representation of THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

But you know what they did in 15x19, they carved Cas and Jack names too.

And you know what happened in episode 12x19: THE MIXTAPE OR THE WAY DEAN USED TO EXPRESS HIS ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR CAS. So, this is another clue for us to think Cas will come back after bro only ending to hear Dean's true love confession. (I'm talking about tonight's episode.)

To Conclude:

More than another foreshadow of the Empty and Castiel's dead, we had once more Dean Winchester's unrequited love inner fight.

This is another proof Dean feels the same way as Castiel. He really feels his love is Unrequited and he will never be able to have Cas in the way he wants.

Even with Castiel's speech in the barn in 12x10, giving Dean some hopes and gifting him with the Mixtape, as a representan of his romantic love for him, Dean is facing now that maybe that confession was totally platonic. And it hurst him. That's why he behaves by trying to fill that empty with sex and food.

But it won't go away until both men complete their love circle.

Hope you like this, see you in the next one!

Tagging @magnificent-winged-beast @emblue-sparks @weird-dorky-little-d @michyribeiro @legendary-destiel @a-bit-of-influence @thatwitchydestielfan @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover @lykanyouko @evvvissticante @savannadarkbaby @dea-stiel @poorreputation @bre95611 @thewolfathedoor @charlottemanchmal @neii3n @deathswaywardson @followyourenergy @dean-is-bi-till-i-die @hekatelilith-blog @avidbkwrm @anarchiana @dickpuncher365 @vampyrosa @authorsararayne @mybonsai1976 @love-neve-dies @dustythewind @wayward-winchester67 @angelwithashotgunandtrenchcoat @trashblackrainbow @deeutdutdutdoh @destiel-shipper-11 @larrem88 @charmedbycastiel @ran-savant @little-crazy-misha-minion @samoosetheshipper

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts @mishtho @dancingtuesdaymorning @nerditoutwithbooks @mikennacac73 @justmeand-myinsight @idontwantpeopletoknowmyname @teddybeardoctor @pepevons @helevetica @isthisdestiel @dizzypinwheel @jawnlockwinchester @horsez2 @qanelyytha

@destielle @agusvedder @spnsmile @shippsblog @robot-feels @superlock-in-the-tardis @superduckbatrebel @2musiclover2 @madronasky @anon-non2 @cea1996

If you want to be added or removed from this list, just let me know.

If you want to read my previous metas, here you have the links.

LXXV, LXXVI, LXXVII, LXXVIII, LXXIX, LXXX, LXXXI, LXXXII, LXXXIII, LXXXIV, LXXXV, LXXXVI, LXXXVII.

Buenos Aires, November 14th 2020, 10:30 PM

[440mxs-wife]

Tea of Love

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Other Characters: Sam, Castiel, Crowley, Rowena

Imagine: You’re hunting a witch with Sam and Dean, only to fall victim to her curse.

A/N: This is my contribution to the SPN Bi-Weekly Writing Challenge offered by @supernatural-jackles. I signed up to contribute on a monthly basis, but it looks like I missed the deadline. Here it is all the same. Enjoy!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dean parked the Impala a good distance away from the two-story farmhouse. Far enough away to be hidden from sight, but still within running distance for a quick getaway if needed.

You had received word that a witch was causing trouble, and had tracked her to the town of Smithville, Arkansas. The plan was to sneak in to the house, with you going in through the back entrance, while Sam and Dean went in through the front door.

"All right, weapons check," Dean whispered. Each of you ejected the clip from your handguns, yours from your .380, to make sure it was full of witch-killing bullets. Satisfied, you re-inserted the clip and pulled back on the hammer so that a round was in the chamber. After a successful weapons check, Sam went up the steps and started picking the lock on the front door.

"Ready?" you asked as you turned to head for the back door.

Dean nodded. "Hey? Be careful," he remarked softly.

You sent him a quick smile. "Always, Dean. See you inside," you replied. You and Sam be careful too, Dean, you said in silent prayer.

Quickly and quietly, you made your way to the back door. The wooden steps to the porch looked like they had seen too many blistering summers and frostbitten winters to still be stable. You carefully climbed the steps, sticking to the edges where the wood appeared to be less worn.

You gingerly tested the doorknob, only to find that it turned easily in your hand. An unlocked door could mean one of two things: a careless witch or you had just walked into her trap. While you were hoping for the first option, with your luck, you had a feeling it was probably door #2. You tiptoed through the kitchen, through the living room and down the hall to the bedrooms. First bedroom on the right was clear, second one across the hall was also clear.

As you carefully approached the last bedroom, you realized that you hadn't seen Sam or Dean yet. You stopped and strained your ears for any confirmation that they had even entered the house yet. Just as you were about to resume your progress towards the bedroom door, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You whipped around, only to be confronted by the mossy green orbs of one Dean Winchester.

With your heart hammering in your chest, you took a moment for it to return to normal before continuing your trek down the hall. "What is wrong with you?" you hissed. "You shouldn't just sneak up on me like that!"

"Well, excuse me," he shot back. "First of all, I didn't expect for you to have gotten this far without running into the witch. And 'B', isn't it better to go in knowing you have backup than only hoping you do?" he retorted.

You took a deep breath before answering. "You're right. Sorry Dean," you whispered. "Let's get this witch taken down so we can blow this popstand," you replied.

Dean nodded and motioned for you to continue down the hall. You turned the doorknob and slowly swung the door open. You entered the room first to assess the situation, while Dean stood just outside the door, ready to bust in if needed.

The witch had her back to you as she sprinkled something into a bowl. All of a sudden she raised her arms above her head as if in victory and turned to face the doorway. "I was wondering when you hunters were going to show up. I've been expecting you," she smirked.

Before you could raise your weapon, she picked up the bowl and threw its contents at you. The blue powder from the bowl doused you almost completely from head to toe. As she chanted some words in Latin, the powder started to glow and burn a bit wherever it touched bare skin. You cried out in pain, at which time Dean entered the room and fired his weapon. The witch fell to the floor, dead from the witch-killing bullet he fired.

"Dean," you pleaded softly as you started to feel faint.

"Whoa, hold on there. Stay with me, sweetheart," Dean said as he rushed to catch you before you could hit the floor. He called out for Sam, who had finally caught up with you and Dean. Sam scooped you up in his arms and carried you out to the Impala.

Dean filled him in on what had happened between you and the witch. "I don't know what kind of spell she got hit with, so we're going to have to be ready for just about anything," Dean said grimly.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You carefully opened your eyes enough to notice that you were back in your room, in your bed instead of the backseat of the Impala. You decided to sit up, only to be met with a splitting headache. A groan of pain escaped your lips as you eased back onto your pillow and draped your bandaged arm across your eyes.

There was a soft knock at your door, then you heard it creak open. "Hiya, sweetheart," Dean said softly. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck. Twice," you grumbled.

Dean chuckled. "Here, I gotcha," he said as he handed you a couple of painkillers and a bottle of water. He helped you up to a sitting position, putting pillows between your back and the headboard.

"Thank you," you replied. "What the hell happened? The last thing I remember is that witch throwing a bowl of some kind of powder at me. Then I remember her chanting something, the powder burning into my skin, then you killed her," you finished.

"Well, that's about it, you collapsed after that and we brought you back here in the Impala," Dean explained. "Sam brought you in and put you on your bed," he remarked.

"How long was I out?" you asked.

"You've been out for about a day and a half, sweetheart," he remarked softly. "We called Rowena to see if she could tell what you may have been hit with, so we'd know how to counteract it. And, oh yeah, Crowley tagged along, just so you know," he grumbled.

"Oh. Fabulous," you deadpanned. "I'll bet he's just been a joy to be around," you snorted.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, he said he was bored in Hell, so he latched on to Mummy's magic bag to show up here," he grinned.

You reached over and took Dean's hand in yours. "Hey, in case I forgot to tell you, Dean....thank you for getting me out of there and taking care of me here," you remarked softly.

He shifted a little in his seat and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sure, no problem. All in a day's work, you know," he said as he jumped up from the chair. "Um, I'm uh....gonna just....yeah. I'll check in on you later," Dean then bolted out of your room.

What the hell was that all about? you thought, as you replayed the conversation in your mind. When you got to the part where you took his hand, you mentally smacked yourself in the forehead. He was fine until then, you realized. After that it was awkward, because he doesn't want you to get the wrong idea. He's telling you that he doesn't think of you in 'that way'. You leaned your head back against the headboard and squeezed your eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It's been almost ten years since you came to live in the bunker. You met the Winchesters through a mutual friend, Sheriff Donna Hanscum, whom you've known since high school. She never knew you were a hunter until after Sam and Dean showed up at that spa she went to. You had caught wind of some strange things happening at that spa, so you went in with her, but undercover as a patient.

You and Sam clicked instantly, becoming best friends. You both nerded out about the same things, like books, sci-fi, and research. You liked the same kinds of movies and were more at home in a library than the bar.

You and Dean were a different story. At first, you didn't get along at all, because he thought you would be someone else he'd have to be responsible for. That is, until you stepped in front of the swipe of a werewolf's claws to save his life. Despite your condition, you still managed to fire off three silver bullets at its heart to kill it before collapsing from your injury. After that, Dean seemed to see you as a fellow hunter, rather than a civilian he had to constantly keep watch over.

Too bad he didn't also see you as a woman--full of passion, kindness and understanding, with eyes only for him. You watched as he showered his attention and affections on countless other women, just not on the one woman who truly knew and loved him. So, you handled your feelings by using the Winchester Method: you shoved them down out of the way and pretended that they didn't exist.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A couple of hours later, you carefully got out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. You picked up the teakettle, filled it with water and added several pinches of your special blend of tea. While you waited, you grabbed your favorite cup from the cabinet and took a seat at the table.

"Well hello, dear! Nice to see ye up and around, 'specially after what ye've been through, darlin'," a voice from behind you said. You turned to see it was Rowena, which brought a small smile to your face.

"Hello, Rowena," you replied. "Any luck figuring out what we're up against?" you asked.

"Not yet, dearie. Still workin' on it, but don't ye worry abou' it," Rowena assured you.

"I hope so," you murmured. "Would you like some tea?" you asked.

Rowena shook her head and smiled. At that moment, Sam, Dean and Castiel came into the kitchen and walked over to the table. Sam and Cas each squeezed your shoulder as they took their seats. "Hey, sweetheart, you must be feeling better," Dean remarked as he kissed the top of your head.

You smiled and nodded. The teakettle whistled that it was ready to serve, so you rose from the table. "You guys want some tea? I made some from my secret stash," you grinned.

The boys all nodded, so you got out three extra cups, along with the cream, sugar and honey. You poured cups of tea for everyone, then resumed your seat at the table. You added a bit of creamer and some sugar to your tea.

"So, what's in this 'special blend' of tea you made?" Sam asked.

"Well, it's got some dried orange zest in it, some cinnamon, black tea leaves, ground nutmeg. And a few other secret ingredients," you winked conspiratorially.

"Mmm, I think it's delicious," Cas remarked as he took another sip, with Sam nodding in agreement.

Dean watched as you absently stirred your tea, while the others talked among themselves. Your furrowed brow showed him you were still coming to terms with what had happened in the past few days.

It had not yet been determined what kind of curse you'd been hit with, and he knew you had to be worried. Your eyes glistened a bit with unshed tears which told him you might be more than a little scared of that unknown. You stood up from the table just as he was about to reach out for your hand to comfort you.

"I think I'll go take a shower. Might feel a bit more human if I do, after wearing the same clothes for the past few days. Excuse me," you murmured as you left the kitchen. Dean stared after you, wanting so badly to help you. To show you it was okay to be scared, and that he would do everything in his power to figure out how to reverse the spell.

At that moment, Crowley waltzed into the kitchen. "Hello, Mother, Feathers, Moose, Squirrel," he drawled. "Where's our little Mouse? Can't complete the clubhouse roll call unless she's here to sound off," he smirked.

"She left to go take a shower," Dean grumbled as he brushed past Crowley out of the kitchen.

Crowley noticed Dean's full cup of tea and took a drink. "This is wonderful, delicious, wherever did it come from?" he asked. Sam told him it was from your own homemade blend of tea and spices. Crowley shrugged and continued to drink the tea.

As the men continued to drink the tea, Rowena noticed a bit of a change in each one. Their thoughts seemed to become more focused towards you, and had also turned more amorous in nature. Before she could voice her observations, Sam left the table after downing the rest of his tea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After your shower, you brought your favorite book and settled into a chair in the library. Once you had made yourself comfortable, Sam approached you and knelt beside your chair. He smiled up at you as he took your hand in his and brushed his lips across the back of it.

"Sam, what's going on?" you asked in bewilderment.

"N-nothing, I just wanted to spend some time with you, be around you. What book are you reading?" he asked.

You were a bit confused at the sudden focus of Sam's attention on you. But you pushed it aside for the moment and explained the plot of the book you were reading. He asked if he could read it aloud to you, which you politely declined. Then he broke out the best version of his puppy-dog eyes, and you were powerless to resist. You relented with a smile, and he suggested that you curl up with him on the couch to be more comfortable.

Moving from your chair to the couch, you made sure to bring your favorite blanket with you. Once you got all settled, you showed Sam where you left off in your book so he could start reading. The gentle lilt of Sam's voice as he read to you caused your eyelids to feel heavy until you could no longer keep them open.

Dean walked through the library just in time to see you curled up with Sam, and for Sam to press a kiss to your forehead. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his chest, but he had no idea why. He shook it off for the moment and headed for the garage to work on the Impala.

About an hour later, you awoke to find Sam's arms around you and his cheek pressed against your forehead. You tried to extract yourself, but Sam tightened his embrace a bit more. "Mmm, don't go Baby, stay here with me a little longer," he mumbled.

Baby? you wondered. Since when am I 'Baby' to anyone around here?!? your thoughts screamed.

You managed to wriggle yourself out of his arms and into a upright position. "Sam, wake up. Sam! Wake up!" you shook his arm to try and rouse him. Your efforts were unsuccessful, because he stayed asleep. Puzzled, you picked up your book and your blanket then returned to your room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, you woke to find that Castiel had set the table for the two of you to have breakfast. "Good morning," he greeted you with a wide smile.

Not quite awake yet, you answered him with a yawn then a smile. "Good morning, Cas. What's going on here?" you asked, gesturing towards the table.

"I thought it would be nice to have breakfast made for you when you awakened, Honeybee," he stated.

'Honeybee'? What is going on with the men in this bunker lately?!? you thought. "Well, you certainly brought out one of my favorites, peanut butter and banana toast," you grinned.

You reached for two slices of bread from the wrapper. Cas took them from your hands before you could put them in the toaster. "Please, allow me," he said. He added the bread to be toasted and proudly pushed down on the lever.

When it was finished, the bread popped up, perfectly golden brown, with no burnt edges. Cas placed the toast on a plate and set it on the table. Just as he was about to pick up the knife to spread the peanut butter, you stopped him. "Cas, not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't mind fixing my own toast. You've done so much already, why don't you take a little break?" you suggested.

His face fell a bit, then all of a sudden lit up. "I just remembered that you like to drink milk with your peanut butter toast. Be back in just a moment," he grinned, tapping the end of your nose before heading to the fridge. Cas returned shortly with a small glass of cold milk. "Here you are, Honeybee," he remarked shyly.

"Thank you, Cas. Exactly what I needed. So, what are your plans today?" you asked.

"I'm glad you asked. I was going to see if you would like to go on a walk with me, maybe see some wildflowers? I know of a lovely field we could visit, if you are interested....?" he asked, his voice full of hope.

You were planning on doing some research to try and find something to counteract the curse. You also didn't want to be too far away from the bunker in case a cure was found. From the look on Castiel's face, though, you couldn't bear to disappoint him.

"That sounds lovely, Cas. We could leave in an hour, if you wish. That would give me time to finish my breakfast, take a shower and all that," you added.

"I shall endeavor to keep myself busy until you return, my sweet Honeybee," Cas said as he took hold of your hand and gently kissed the back. With a whoosh of his wings, he was gone.

As soon as he had gone out of sight, you slumped over the table, putting your head in your hands. Dean arrived in the kitchen shortly after hearing you let out a groan of frustration. "What's with you this morning?" he asked.

You returned to an upright position. "Good morning, Dean. Cas made me breakfast today, which was very sweet, and now he wants me to go with him to check out a field of wildflowers. I think there's something very strange going on around here. I wish I knew what it was," you grumbled.

"Why is Cas wanting to spend time with you and do things for you 'strange'? Do you not enjoy his company? I mean, if you don't want to go, just tell him. Don't string him along, Princess," Dean retorted.

You looked at Dean with a mixture of shock, anger and hurt on your face. "Like I said, something strange is going on around here. First Sam, then Cas, now you," you retorted as you bolted from your chair.

Dean closed his eyes and instantly felt remorse for what he had said, because he knew you weren't like that. You didn't play games with people's emotions, and when you loved someone, you did it with your whole heart. Unfortunately, doing so had led to your heart being broken by too many others along the way.

He understood about your independent nature, which was one of the things he admired about you. To have anyone do anything for you was sometimes hard for you to accept. You were so used to being the one who cared for or catered to others, not so much the other way around.

As he gave it more thought, he realized that neither Sam nor Cas had shown any romantic interest in you until recently. Dean began to wonder if maybe you had a point about strange things going on in the bunker. He promised himself that when you came back from your outing with Cas, that he would apologize.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

You and Cas spent a lovely afternoon walking through a field of wildflowers. Cas told you about every species of flower and what each color meant. He found a spot underneath a willow tree, where he produced a picnic basket containing assorted fruits and cheeses. You showed him how to make flower crowns as someone had once shown you. Then you placed one on his head and took a picture.

Upon your return to the bunker, you searched for a vase to hold the wildflowers you and Cas had picked. As you arranged the flowers, Cas placed his hands on your shoulders, then began to run them up and down your arms. When you had finished with the flowers, Cas took one of your hands in his and led you into the library.

Cas punched some buttons on his phone. After appearing quite frustrated at times, he finally relaxed and music started playing from his phone. He pulled you into his arms and started dancing with you, a love-struck grin on his face.

At one point, Cas spun you out away from him, which is the exact moment that Dean walked into the library. He looked at you and Cas dancing with a raised eyebrow, which caused your face to grow warm. "C-Cas, th-thank you for a lovely afternoon," you stammered. "Sorry," you mumbled as you brushed past Dean and out of the room.

"Cas? Is there something going on between you two?" Dean asked.

A large grin spread across Cas' face as he sighed deeply before answering Dean's question. "I'm not sure, Dean. I've never felt the way I do except when I'm with her. I would be the luckiest man in all of Creation if she loved me," he answered dreamily. Then he seemed to snap back to reality. "I must go, I am needed elsewhere," Cas said, returning to what Dean considered "normal" for Cas.

Dean shook his head, even more confused as to what was going on. First, you were snuggled up with Sam, then dancing with Castiel. He decided to check in with Rowena to see if she knew anything more.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While Dean was in the library trying to figure things out, you were sitting on the edge of your bed trying to do the same thing. A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts. Your visitor was literally the last person you ever expected to see. Crowley had on an apron, covered in flour and bits of what looked like cake batter stuck to it.

"Good evening, Love," he bowed and took your hand in his. "I was wondering if you would consider, um, helping me with a small problem. You see, someone told me you were a fan of cheesecakes, and I ran into some difficulty trying to make you one. Might I request the honor of your assistance in the kitchen, so you can show me the proper....technique?" he suggested.

It took every ounce of self-control you had not to break out into laughter or tears. The absurd events of the last two days were leading you to believe the witch put an insanity curse on you. Quickly regaining your composure, you told Crowley that you would meet him in the kitchen in about 10 minutes. "Until then, my darling," he remarked softly, placing a lingering kiss on your cheek.

As soon as the door was closed, you sank down on the edge of the bed again. "This is too weird," you whispered to yourself. "Now Crowley wants to spend time with me?? This is some curse I've got on me. I think it's making me lose my mind," you mused.

When you opened your door, you heard a heated argument occurring in the kitchen between Sam, Cas and Crowley. You walked slowly to the kitchen, catching bits and pieces of the harsh words spoken between the men. Each one claimed to love you more than the other two, and promised to fight anyone who dared try and take you away.  Insults were traded and fists were raised, ready to do battle.

You turned around and were headed back to your room when you ran smack into Dean. "Well, Princess, looks like you hit the jackpot in there," he snarled, his arms folded across his chest.

"I--" was all you could say.

"Congratulations, you've got every woman's fantasy going on in that kitchen. Three men fighting for her affections," he taunted.

"Not every woman, Dean. Not me," you choked out as you pushed away from him, tears streaming down your face.

Dammit! How did I end up doing and saying the exact opposite of what I wanted? Dean thought. I need to go talk to Rowena, see if she knows anything else about this curse, he decided. First things first, though, he was going to put a stop to what was happening in the kitchen.

"ENOUGH!" he thundered. Sam, Castiel and Crowley all turned to look at Dean. "Everyone retreat to a neutral corner until we can figure out what's going on," he ordered.

Dean turned down the hallway to Rowena's room. As he came around the corner, you briefly met his gaze as you passed him in the hallway, only to quickly drop it again. Dean reached out his hand for yours. "Wait," he pleaded.

You shook your head at him, fresh tear tracks evident on your cheeks. "No, Dean. I don't want to talk to you right now. I never meant for any of this to happen. I think it's best if I remove myself from the equation for the time being. At least until Rowena can figure out how to reverse the spell," you finished. With that, you closed and locked your bedroom door.

Dean's heart ached to hear the pain in your voice and to see your tear-stained face. He knocked on Rowena's door and entered her room when she granted him access. "What can I do fer ye, Dean?" she asked in her lilting accent.

He mentioned how he had just left the kitchen, where Sam, Cas and her beloved son were fighting over you. "They've all been paying extra attention to her, being all romantic and stuff. What's weird, is that they've never even shown any kind of interest in her before," Dean explained.

"Sam's reading with her and snuggling on the couch, Cas is taking her out for a picnic and to pick wildflowers." He turned to Rowena, pointed his finger at her and narrowed his eyes. "Your son is wearing an apron, asking her to teach him how to bake a damn cheesecake," he huffed. "I swear, it's as if that witch cast a--" he broke off.

"A love spell?" Rowena asked. "Tha's exactly what it was," she confirmed.

"Can you reverse it?" Dean asked.

"I can, but.....," she started.

"But what?" Dean asked.

"It's no' real love that Samuel, Castiel and Fergus have for her. When they realize that fact, it's bound to be a bit awkward at first. They may act a little distant towards her, and she will think she’s done something wrong to make them pull away. She'll believe that the friendship she has with each of them has been ruined, that it's over. It could break her kind and generous heart," Rowena explained.

Dean dropped his gaze to the floor. He knew Rowena was right, and that you would probably isolate yourself in an attempt to maintain order in the bunker.

"Of course, once the right man declares his feelings for the wee lassie, her heart will mend. In time, anyway. Then Samuel, Castiel and Fergus won't feel like they have to stay away from her," she continued.

Dean noticed how she had suddenly focused her attention on him and scoffed. "Whoa, do you mean me? That I should declare my feelings for her? I'm not--"

"Aren't ye?" Rowena asked softly. "Search your heart, Dean. Ye've been in love with her for a while now, haven't ye? Seeing her together with another man, let alone three? Doing the type of romantic things that ye've thought abou' doin' with her? I'd say it's enough to make any normal man just a wee bit jealous. I can only imagine what it's doin' to ye," she remarked.

"Pfft," was the best response he could muster for the moment. "Start working on that spell reversal. I need to head into town for some supplies," Dean replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Rowena announced that she had prepared the antidote for the witch's love spell. Turns out, it was your tea that had triggered the exaggerated feelings of love. You touched the tea blend with your fingers to add it to the water in the teakettle. Then, the effects of the spell were transferred to whomever drank the tea.

Each man drank the concoction and waited for its effects to kick in, which didn't take long once the antidote was consumed. As predicted, there were profuse apologies to you from all three men. They all assured you that though they didn't think of you romantically, they still loved you in their own way. You smiled and assured them that you were fine, no harm done, that you knew that the right someone was still out there.

But behind your closed bedroom door, it was a different story. At night, you laid awake, staring at the ceiling. You understood that their attention to you was only because of the spell.

You remembered how Sam, Castiel and Crowley all looked at you. You tried not to think about how it would feel to have Dean look at you just once the way they did. Still, you knew that the chances of Dean feeling that way about you for real were slim to none. Especially after everything he said while the others were under the spell.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Today marked a full week since you'd gone into hiding, emerging only for little more than a shower and something to eat. You took most of your meals in your room, instead of eating at the table with everyone else. Dean was growing increasingly worried about you, and was determined to get you to break out of your sanctuary.

He knocked at your door relentlessly, trying to coax you out with offers of a movie marathon with your favorite snacks. He even suggested a midnight stargazing outing in the Impala. However, nothing seemed to be working.

At one point you heard, "You can't ignore me forever, sweetheart," he muttered against your door. Oh yeah? You thought defiantly. Watch me.

Halfway through week two of your self-imposed exile, you needed a new book to read. You carefully unlocked and opened your bedroom door, then looked down the hall. No one was in sight in either direction, so you tiptoed out of your room and into the library. You chose a nice, thick book, then rushed back to your room before anyone could see you. Once back inside your room, you quickly closed and re-locked the door, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Hey, sweetheart," a voice rumbled from someone sitting in the chair in the corner.

The heavy book dropped from your hands and nearly fell on your toes. You gasped in surprise and clutched at your hammering heart. "What did I tell you about sneaking up on me?!? Not to do it, if I recall," you retorted.

"Didn't really leave me much choice, though, did you? I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to see me again, but I wanted to see you. Been hiding in here for almost two weeks now," Dean remarked softly.

"I've had my reasons, Dean. This whole curse thing has left me more confused than ever. Sam, Cas and even Crowley never thought of me romantically until that spell came along. And you? You've made your feelings clear about the whole situation at every turn.

"So," you continued. "On the one hand, it takes a 'love spell' for guys like Sam, Cas and Crowley to want to be with someone like me. On the other hand, when I am with someone like them, you don't like it and make nasty remarks about the whole thing. Please tell me, Dean, where's the incentive to make me want to be anywhere but in my room by myself? Hmm?" you challenged.

Dean rose from the chair in the corner and strode over to the door where you were still standing. He stood close enough for you to detect his woodsy cologne, mixed with the mint of his mouthwash. He reached up and tenderly tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

"I understand how you feel. But, before I do this, I need you to know that I have always loved you," he said softly. The hand that had so recently fixed your hair slid around to the back of your head. It pulled you closer until your lips meshed with Dean's in a hungry, demanding kiss.

Dean swallowed the soft moan of pleasure that escaped your lips. His free arm snaked around your waist to bring you flush against his body. His kisses roamed everywhere, trying to leave no territory untouched. Your cheeks, your neck, collarbone and more was all fair game for Dean. "So beautiful," he murmured against your shoulder.

"Dean," you whispered. You reached up to cup Dean's face with your hands, stroking his cheek with your thumbs. You tangled your fingers into his spiky hair and gently tugged on it, earning a groan of appreciation.

Dean's hands roamed up and down your back, gripping and releasing the fabric of your shirt. When the need for air became too great, the kissing was broken, leaving you and Dean each trying to catch your breath. You put your foreheads together as your breathing slowly returned to normal.

Dean took your hands and guided you to sit next to him on the edge of your bed. "Baby, I'm so sorry for what I said to you before when that whole thing with the spell was going on. I guess it was because I was jealous of Sam, Cas and even Crowley," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, my love. There wasn't anything to be jealous of. It was kind of weird, all of a sudden having those guys chasing after me," you giggled. You brought your hand down to cup his cheek, running your thumb over his stubbled jawline. "It's always been you that I've been in love with for so long. But, I thought you'd only ever see me as a fellow hunter, or at most, a best friend. Never as the woman who loves you," you replied softly.

"Darlin', what I see before me is a woman who lights up a room whenever she walks into it. A woman with a kind and generous heart that tends to put the needs of others before her own. I see a woman with an exceptional sense of humor, who's smart and sexy as hell. And just as she has chosen me, I choose her. Every time," he finished.

"I love you, Dean," you said softly.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied as he leaned in to recapture your lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @supernatural-jackles @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @deanwanddamons @janicho88 @magssteenkamp @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @hobby27 @jay-and-dean @waywardbaby

[crystalstar8]

Knights of the Night (ch 20)

Chapter 20

Ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5, ch 6, ch 7, ch 8, ch 9, ch 10, ch 11, ch 12, ch 13, ch 14, ch 15, ch 16, ch 17, ch 18, ch 19, ch 20

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29139240/chapters/71536491

pairing: Jungkook x oc

genre: vampire au, college au, twilight, romance

word count: 1,193

warnings: blood (obviously), kidnapping, child kidnapping, needles, France, human trafficking

notes: vampires, vampire au, college, college au, so many twilight references, blood, needles, kidnapping, children, homelessness, dance, ballet, flashbacks, romance, slow burn, probably no smut, idk yet tho, France, French things, attempted genocide, inaccurate French history, bisexual main character, @strawberriewithchocolate-blog @mozy-j  @daechwitad-2​ @zobadak​ @fallenstar-7​​​

summary: Catalina starts college in a small town all the way across the country. She doesn’t know anyone and isn’t exactly looking for friends. She just wants to focus on dance. But when she meets fellow dance major, Jimin, and adventurous, fellow freshman, Jungkook, Catalina ends up discovering a whole new side to the small college town; one that is dangerous but oh so enticing...

              “Whoa! Is this your house?!” Caleb screeched as they got out of the car.

               “No, I wish,” said Jimin. He pointed to Yoongi and said, “It’s his house.”

               “Wow! You must be super rich or something!” Caleb said to Yoongi. Jimin took his hand as they walked up to the front door. “You paid that guy fifty thousand dollars, and you live in this big house!”

               “Yeah, and apparently you’re more valuable than I am,” Jimin said, swatting Yoongi across the shoulder.

               Yoongi didn’t respond to any of this as he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. Footsteps pounded through the house towards the foyer, revealing a frazzled Taehyung. He took one look at the group before pushing his way through to wrap Jimin up in a tight hug. Taehyung pulled away with damp eyes.

               “Oh! You brought someone with you,” Taehyung said between sniffles, reaching out to shake Caleb’s hand and wiping his eyes with the other hand. “Hello little one. Forgive me for not greeting you before. If you like, we have some cold soda pop or I can get you a wine-“

               “He’s eight,” said Jimin.

               “Oh…um,” sniffle, “Can you not have caffeine?”

               “I’ll have wine please!” Caleb said with a giggle. Jimin shushed him.

               “He’s fine,” he said.

               Just then, Namjoon and Hoseok came around the corner, their eyes widening when they saw the child.

               “Yoongi…” Namjoon said.

               “I know! They were in the same cell, what was I supposed to do?” Yoongi snapped.

               “I’m not…I’m not opposed,” said Namjoon. “Here, let’s move to the lounge. We can look at the recording there as well.”

               “And we’ll find your parents,” Jimin said to Caleb.

               Everyone piled into the lounge to watch the recording. Jungkook connected to the TV and played it. Namjoon took notes and sketched a rough map. Since Jimin no longer had a phone, he took Hoseok’s phone and stepped out with Caleb to call his parents. Catalina stepped out with them. She wasn’t keen on watching their journey again.

               Jimin was opening Hoseok’s phone while Caleb examined the ceramic vase on display in the hallway.

               “Do you know their phone numbers?” Jimin asked. Caleb nodded and took the phone. He typed in a phone number and held it up to his ear. It sounded like whoever it was picked up immediately.

               “Hi mom!” Caleb greeted. He held the phone away from his ear as a cacophony of voices shouted and cried on the other end. Jimin kneeled beside Caleb and took his hand as tears gathered in his eyes. “I’m okay mom…I’m with Jimin right now…no he’s my friend, we were roommates at the bad guy’s place. His friends saved us…we’re at his friend’s house…um…”

               Caleb turned to Jimin and asked, “Where is this place? My mom says they’re gonna pick me up.”

               “Tell her we can text her our location from this phone,” said Jimin. “I don’t know the address.”

               “Jimin says that we’re gonna text you the location,” said Caleb. “He says he doesn’t know the address…okay I won’t…yeah, they’re all in the room, they’re making a plan to kill the bad guys…”

               “Caleb!” Catalina whispered. She shook her head.

               “Oh right,” Caleb said. “Never mind, it’s top secret…no, they’re not killing anyone, they’re not doing anything, it’s top secret…okay…”

               “Jimin, you should call your mom as well,” Catalina said, handing her phone over.

               As Jimin called his mother and had a very similar conversation with her as Caleb, Jungkook came out of the room and joined Catalina. His face was pale.

               “You okay?” she asked. He nodded.

               “I hate seeing it again,” said Jungkook. “I can’t wait to get those people out.”

               “Yeah, me too,” said Catalina. They both spoke quietly, as to not disturb the two phone calls happening next to them.

               “But I learned something interesting in there,” said Jungkook. “Apparently Yoongi used to go around finding organizations like this and he would buy all the kids from them.”

               “Like, he’d just go around rescuing kids?” Catalina asked. Jungkook nodded. “Yoongi? I can’t picture that.”

               “I know right?” said Jungkook.

               An hour later, there was a knock at the door. Jimin went with Caleb to greet his parents. After their tearful reunion, Caleb said, “Am I gonna see Jimin again?”

               His parents agreed to keep in contact with Jimin before going on their way. Jimin’s mom showed up shortly after with another tearful reunion.

               “I should probably go home,” Jimin said to Catalina and Jungkook.

               “Yeah, ya think?” Catalina said. Jimin rolled his eyes.

               “Anyway, make sure you guys kill all those sons of bitches,” he said.

               “You know we will,” said Jungkook. Jimin hugged them both before leaving with his mom. Once they were out of sight, Catalina and Jungkook went back inside.

               The vampires were still sitting around the coffee table in the lounge, planning for their next step when Jungkook and Catalina arrived and sat down.

               “Jimmy K and Jin should be here any minute to help us plan this out,” said Namjoon.

               “Is Jin fighting with us?” asked Jungkook. “Can he handle that?”

               “Come on, he’s not even here to defend himself,” said Catalina. Jungkook snickered.

               “You’ll have to ask him yourself when he gets here. I’m not sure,” said Namjoon.

               “Well, in the meantime, would anyone like some tea to calm our nerves?” Taehyung asked, standing up. “Ever since Jimin came back safely, I’ve just been feeling a bit murderous.”

               “That’s the spirit!” said Jungkook.

               “I’ll just make some for everyone,” Taehyung said, leaving the room.

               He came back several minutes later carrying a large tray filled with teacups and a fancy teapot. He served everyone, then sat back down, sighing and sinking into the couch with his first sip.

               Jimmy K and Jin arrived after that, taking seats in the lounge.

               “Alright, down to business,” Jimmy K said, rubbing his hands together.

               “My ears were ringing on the way here,” said Jin. “Who was talking shit about me?”

               He eyed the group, his narrowed gaze finally landing on a giggling Jungkook. Jin pointed a finger at him and whispered, “You’re dead meat,” which only served to make Jungkook laugh harder.

               “So, what’s the plan so far?” asked Jimmy K.

               “We’re thinking about splitting up into two groups: one to fight off the vampires, the other to evacuate the hostages,” said Namjoon. “I hate working with police, but we’ll have emergency services waiting above ground.”

               “It’s unavoidable,” said Jimmy K. “Those people will need medical attention when we get them out. Have we considered backup? By that, I mean other vampires.”

               “Yes,” said Namjoon. “I called a few friends from up north. They should be flying in by tomorrow at the latest.”

               “Good,” said Jimmy K. “We’ll need all the help we can get. As for the police, I’m sort of buddies with the Sheriff in this town. I’ll talk to him and explain what’s going on so that they don’t mess up our plan. In the meantime, how about some more training, guys?”

               Catalina and Jungkook stood up.

               “Is it flamethrower day?” Jungkook shouted.

               Jimmy K laughed and said, “Sure, why not?”

[lo-mindpalace]

13 - Ladies

(JODY’S POV)

“Come on, Joe, why would I do that?” I said, sighing.

“Because they are on my property, Sheriff!”

“This is not your property anymore, Joe. This is a public property since 2014.” I said, showing the man a statement. “And yes, you are still living here but you have only one hectare left for your house and a bit of the meadow.”

“This is unfair!”

“This is what you signed for because you were lacking money.” I sighed again. “Look, I am not the right person to talk to about properties or something. I’m just doing my job by saying that you shouldn’t have chased those young people. It’s a public property and they bought a part of it to build a youth center.”

“I have money now! I can buy this property again!”

I passed a tired hand on my face and slowly shook my head.

“Not according to the law.”

“But-“

“Okay, enough, Joe. I’m the Sheriff here, not a lawyer or a property expert. So, give me a break. I’m freeing you because you are supposed to be a good man and that you weren’t that violent toward the young people. You are lucky enough that they didn’t file a complaint. Now, get out of this station before I change my mind and lock you up again.”

I saw Joe’s face darkening but I didn’t care. Gosh, what a stubborn man.

 * * *

 “Yeah, I checked everywhere with Claire. Not a vamp, or a werewolf, or a demon.” I said on the telephone while still standing near the two dead bodies.

“Okay, no EMF?” Dean’s voice said.

“Oh, I didn’t check that, hold on.” I said. “Claire? Check the EMF.”

I didn’t have to tell Dean because we all heard the EMF detector going crazy. A ghost. I sighed. I admit I wanted a human or a simple accident so I could call my guys to do their job as the police. But no, it was a hunter thing. I looked at Claire and she seemed pretty glad about this. Dean’s voice got me out of my thoughts.

“Do you need backup? Sam and I can join you or I can call Cas.”

“Nah, it’s okay, Dean. The thing is, Donna is here and we were supposed to have a great dinner tonight.”

“Ah, that sucks. Sorry Jody.”

“It’s okay. We will handle this.”

“Okay. Call us when it’s done, to know if you’re okay.”

“Don’t worry, Winchesters. We got this. See you soon, take care boys.”

“Bye Jody, be careful.”

 * * *

Claire and I got home. When I opened the door, I saw Kaia, Donna, Alex and Patience looking at us with a big smile. But their smiles faded as they saw that we were bringing bad news.

“Oh… bullocks.” Donna pouted. “Don’t tell me there is a hunter case…”

“Well…”

“Oh heck no. I wanted to eat that delicious chicken.”

“We will eat it after the case, Donna.”

Donna pouted again. Claire packed some stuff for the hunt while Alex and Patience put the dinner in the fridge.

“Okay” I said. “I think I have a lead to this case. Joe Goldberg who lost 80% of his land wants it back. And he chased the six young people who are building a youth center. I let him go out of the station, telling him I won’t help him. Two days later, which means now, two of the six young people are found dead.”

“So, it’s not a monster?” Kaia asked.

“It is. We think Joe is using a ghost to kill the people.” Claire said.

“Is the meadow haunted? Like an old cemetery?” Alex asked.

“Nope. All clear. Just some EMF around the dead bodies.” I said.

We looked at each other. It was clearly a simple case. I told the girls the victims were new in town. No one hated them except Joe. We tried to find other possibilities but it was clear that Joe was using a ghost. So, we packed salt, iron weapons, some gas and a lighter.

It’s been a long time since we’ve hunted all together. Patience and Alex would stay in the car as backup, Donna and I would go straight and Kaia and Claire would team up and keep their distance. Our plan was simple. We would interrogate Joe and find the object to which the ghost is linked to. Easy. It was funny in a way because I’m pretty sure we all wanted this case to be done so we could have our dinner peacefully. That was why we were six women for one bad guy and a ghost. We could have called Sam and Dean to do this case instead of us but nope. This is my town. I’m the Sheriff. I’m a hunter and there are already enough badass women to take care of it, no need for the Winchesters.

When everything was ready, I looked at the girls and nodded, raising an eyebrow.

“Alright, Ladies… We have work to do.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hey, hope you liked it... I admit I wasn’t really inspired by this word...

[takadasaiko]

For the h/c meme: Logan/Veronica h and s please and thank you

FFN II AO3

Summary: When one of Veronica's cases follows her home, it's Logan's life that's put in danger.

Requested Prompt: H+S Stabbed + Someone catches them as they stumble

Worth the Pain

He was running late. The test flights had gone a little longer than usual that day and he'd gotten on the road just in time to find the rest of the traffic heading northbound on the PCH. His commute back to Neptune - usually just over an hour - turned into a two hour affair, and he was starting to count even that as lucky with the way they had come to a complete standstill at one point. He had sent Veronica an update via text and she'd said they would just meet him at Mama Leone's.

Right. Dinner with Keith. Of course that would be tonight.

It was everything Logan could do to get home, get changed - as little as Veronica would complain about him showing up in uniform, Navy whites and pasta did not mix - and get over to the restaurant before the texts started rolling in.

Veronica and Keith were deep in discussion when Logan arrived, dodging a couple of kids that darted back around like they were looking to score points if they took his feet out from under him. He stayed upright though, and sidestepped towards the table in the back corner where the father-daughter PI duo were tucked away. Veronica glanced up. "Hey there, flyboy. I was starting to think you weren't gonna make it."

"Sorry. Long day." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. Less than he wanted, but he could already feel another set of eyes focused on him with a comment loaded if not fired yet. He flashed their owner a quick smile. "Hey, Keith."

"Logan," Keith greeted. "What had you so tied up today?"

"You heard about the issues the Hornets have had with OBOGS going out?" Logan asked as he slipped into the open seat next to Veronica, across from her father. "We've been trying to pinpoint what's causing it."

"Oh sure, we were just chatting about OBOGS, weren't we, Dad? Daily conversation," Veronica quipped with that very specific smile he had quickly learned meant he was using Navy lingo no one else in the conversation knew.

"On-Board Oxygen Generation System. It pumps oxygen in through our masks so we can breathe. Thanks," he offered to the waitress as she set a basket of breadsticks down.

"What happens when it goes out?" Keith asked curiously.

Logan took a sip from the glass of wine that had been waiting for him. "Best case, you get switched over to the backup and can get on the ground pretty fast. You've got maybe ten minutes before the backup runs out."

Keith's expressions remained carefully neutral and Logan risked a glance over at Veronica who was gaping a little. She recovered quickly. "You know, I never want to hear you complain about how dangerous my job is again."

Logan chuckled. "C'mon. It's not that bad at this stage. It's controlled, every precaution taken. The engineers are trying to fix the multi-million dollar aircraft, not have us crash it."

"Have you been able to replicate the problem?" Keith asked.

"Not yet. It's been smooth flying every time." He reached for a bread stick. Time for a change of subject. "So, why am I calling your job dangerous today?"

"Today, any day," Veronica answered flippantly.

Logan arched a disbelieving eyebrow in response. "Huh-huh."

The conversation shifted again and he let it as they settled into easier topics of baseball, cameras, a particularly absurd stunt Vinnie Van Lowe pulled, weekend plans, and the newest non-chewable chew toy that Pony had gotten into.

"He ate Logan's fancy loafers," Veronica chuckled, still far more amused by it than Logan was. "The ones that cost almost as much as our rent."

"I swear that dog is learning to open doors. There's a reason I like to hang my uniforms up on the highest bars in the closet."

"I think your cap's safe on the shelf."

"I wouldn't put money on it."

"How fast would he become my dog instead of our dog to your captain if Pony got a hold of it?"

Logan flashed her a grin. "So fast."

"Excuse me," Keith mumbled and Logan saw him pulling his buzzing cell phone to his ear as he stood, leaning heavily on the cane he had had to use since the wreck. He mentally cringed at the word. Wreck didn't do it justice. Drive-by with a vehicle was closer, and who was ultimately responsible for it was actually something Logan would be willing to put money on, unlike the safety of his uniform from the chew-happy puppy. He just hoped that Neptune remembered all the shit Lamb had done by the time the election rolled around.

"So does it take the sheriff nearly twelve hours to follow up on every B&E or are we just special?" Keith groused into the phone, reclaiming Logan's attention. Think of the devil and apparently he calls.

"B&E?" he echoed. "Did your dad's place get broken into?"

"The office."

Logan blinked hard a couple of times. "Your office?"

"Yep." Veronica took a long sip from her wine glass and he waited as patiently as he could. Finally she set it down, the glass clinking against the hard table. He saw the subtle shift when she realized he wasn't going to just let her drop it. "We got in this morning and the place was ransacked. Door was broken in, Mac's monitors were trashed, and the filing cabinets had been forced open."

"You think it was someone you're after?" Logan asked, working hard to keep his tone neutral.

"Probably."

"Any idea which case?"

She shot him a look and he knew he'd already pushed it into dangerous territory. It was a delicate balance with their work. While Logan was on shore duty there weren't nearly as many secrets, but overseas he had to stay tight lipped about where they were and what they were doing. On Veronica's end, confidentiality was a must in her day-to-day work life. He understood that and worked hard not to push. Sometimes she'd vent in a vague sort of way without names or details, but mostly they erred on a respect for the confidentiality of each other's work.

Granted, his work only had people attacking him when he was deployed.

"I'm not asking for names," he said after several long, tense moments. "Just…. do you have any suspects?"

"I do."

"And?"

"Well it's not like we can arrest him ourselves," Veronica huffed and Logan reached across the table for the wine bottle to refill her nearly empty glass. She motioned for him to keep pouring and sighed. "We had a woman come in a couple of days ago. Abuse case." He knew he made a face, but if hers was anything to go by it wasn't nearly as toned down as he'd hoped. "She wanted to file a restraining order, we started gathering some evidence to back it up, hopefully get him arrested… I guess he spotted us."

Us meaning her. Her father didn't do a lot of tailing these days.

"Does he know who you are?"

"Obviously he knew where to find us."

"I mean, on sight."

"I don't know. I can usually tell when someone catches me tailing them, but he didn't show any of the usual signs. It's gotta be him though. Dad's been trying to get in touch with the sheriff's department over it all day."

"Useless assholes," Logan breathed, risking a glance at how Keith was pacing as best as he could on the phone with Lamb's office.

"Yeah."

His gaze swiveled back to her and he reached forward, his touch hesitant against her hand, but a sense of relief flooded through him as she turned it over, taking his. He ran his thumb up and down the inside of her wrist in a soothing motion. This was the best opening he had. "Hey, I know you hate it when I -"

"Oh, you know I do."

He stopped, smirked, and waited until her lips twitched into a small smile before he continued. "I know a guy that can install top-line security. I know you guys have cameras, but they're outdated, don't give a clear image. Brian can get new ones hooked up with an alarm system and -"

"We don't have it in the budget."

"Then let me do it."

Her lips quirked up devilishly. "Oh, you're going to hook it up?"

And it was his turn to shoot her a withering look. "Let me pay for it."

"Logan…."

"Please?" He held her gaze, stuck in a battle of wills with one of the most stubborn human beings he'd ever met.

"When's that election again?" Keith groused as he limped his way back towards his seat, unintentionally interrupting the stare-off. He seemed to notice that he had as he slid back into his seat. "What's wrong?"

Fine. She could be stubborn, so could he. "Office or our place, your call," Logan directed at Veronica and saw her stiffen a little at that.

"We don't need a security system at our place."

"What about the drunk Spring Breaker that just about broke down our door last year because he thought it was the place he'd rented?"

"That was one time."

"You're right. I think your office would benefit more from it, but hey, I don't get to make calls on that because I don't work there. I do live at our apartment, so….."

"You're an asshole."

There was less spite in her tone than the words themselves might have indicated and Logan smirked. He turned his attention to Keith as the waitress delivered their food. "Veronica mentioned you guys had a break in. I know a guy that does topnotch security for very reasonable rates."

"Very reasonable when you pay for it," she grumbled and he ignored her.

"It's not like the sheriff's department would respond even if an alarm were to go off at our office," Keith answered with a shrug, digging into his risotto.

"See?" Veronica pressed and Logan kept his focus on her father.

"Still, that alarm'll scare most thugs off from ransacking the place."

"Logan, while I appreciate -"

"Can we just focus on dinner?"

The snap caught him more off guard than he would have liked and Logan glanced over at the woman he loved. She was stressed. From the day, from the case, and from the conversation that they were in right then. Okay. He couldn't fix the first two, but the third he could handle.

"Yeah. Sure." He managed what he thought was a pretty convincing smile. "So, Riles tells me he thinks he can snag some Padres tickets next weekend. Anybody in?"

And that was that. The Mars clan was a stubborn one, and despite Veronica's affections, he was still somewhat on the outside of it. Any offer to contribute was still seen as charity, even if he just wanted to see the people he cared about safe.

------------

Logan resisted the urge to ask about the case or push his opinion on Mars Investigations' dated security for the rest of dinner. Veronica did her best to pretend everything was normal, but Keith remained distant and irritable the entire meal. He paid for them and Logan bit his tongue, thanking him instead and said he'd give Riley the green light on the tickets.

He felt the long day and the evening weighing on him as they returned home, cleaned up the newest mess Pony had left of what looked like had been one of Veronica's scarves, and took him out. He wasn't the only one, though, and he circled around Veronica as she stripped her shirt over her head to start getting ready for bed. His touch was gentle and he pressed a kiss to the side of her head. She sighed, but leaned back and he took the invitation to let his kisses start to travel down to the crook of her neck, the apology for making her day even harder in each one. Finally she turned, draping her arms over his shoulders and her fingers teased at his hair. Those clear blue eyes pulled him in and her smile didn't look nearly as forced as it had been all evening. "Hey."

"Hey yourself," he answered softly and she tilted back, letting her hands slide across his shoulders and down his chest until her fingers wrapped in the fabric of his shirt. As she fell back against the bed, she pulled him with her. He leaned in to kiss her and she wrapped her legs around his middle. Logan braced himself with a hand on either side of her shoulders and he could feel her fingers pulling at his shirt, working at the buttons in a way that made him think they weren't going to last long. He smiled into the kiss and deepened it.

A loud pounding at the door startled them both out of their moment. Veronica released him reluctantly and started for her discarded shirt.

"I got it," Logan offered and received a pointed look for it. He held his hands up in mock surrender. "Out of the two of us, which one is still dressed?" He started down the hall before she could argue the logic.

"If it's that idiot from next door tell him he's never allowed to borrow our vacuum again after last time!" Veronica shouted after him and Logan felt his lips quirk up at that.

He reached the end of the hall to get his first look at the figure outside. He was hidden under a baggy windbreaker and a baseball cap, but it could be a guy that lived several units down. Martin? Marty maybe? Something. He'd caught a couple waves with him one early Saturday morning several weeks back. This guy was definitely tall enough.

Logan pried the door open a crack. "Hey, man—"

The figure finally looked up, giving Logan the first clear view of his face. Definitely not Marty. "Where is she?"

"I think you have the wrong apartment," Logan tried, watching the other man carefully. He was twitchy and aggravated like he was hyped up on something. Logan had been in a lot of fights over the years, but these days he liked to think that he knew the ones to avoid. Strangers showing up tripped out on something? Not a gamble he was interested in taking on his own porch.

"That bitch Mars! She thinks she can wreck my marriage?" he howled and tried to push past Logan into the apartment.

Logan shoved back, ready to slam the door in his face, but the would-be intruder didn't stumble as far as he'd hoped and swiped back at him. It felt like a punch to the gut and he loosed a frustrated breath. Okay. Apparently there was no avoiding it.

The intruder stepped back and Logan blinked hard as his eyes focused on the knife in his hand and he risked a glance down to his white dress shirt that was quickly turning red just below his ribs. Shit.

"Logan, move!" Veronica shouted and he turned to find her standing behind him, his Colt .45 in her surprisingly steady hands, and a determined look aimed directly at their assailant. He stumbled back to give her a chance to level the weapon for a clear shot if she needed it. Time to find out if that weapons training she had taken had taught her anything. "Cops are on their way. Don't—"

He moved and the shot went off, sending the man crumbling onto their front porch. Logan stared at him for half a beat, adrenaline still pumping hard, and turned back to see Veronica frozen in place. "Hey," he said softly. "You're okay. We're okay."

"He's the one that broke into our office. He was harassing his ex wife. How did he…?" She trailed off, her gaze fixing on him and she paled. "Logan?"

He glanced down and grimaced. Right. Amazing how singularly focused the brain could be in these situations. All at once he felt the adrenaline dissipate and everything pulsed dangerously. Veronica's arms were around him and she was doing her best to ease the inevitable drop to the floor so he could lean against the side of the couch. She stayed down there with him, fingers pulling his shirt away from the injury and he didn't like the barely contained panic etched onto her face. "Veronica," he breathed, her name coming out quieter than he'd intended.

"They're sending an ambulance too," she managed, her own voice trembling. "Okay. Just…" The pain spiked as she put pressure on the bleeding wound and the room pulsed again. "This was my case and he…" She squeezed her eyes closed and he saw tears escape. "I'm so sorry, Logan. I'm so sorry. You're going to be okay. I'm going to make sure you're okay."

He wasn't going to be conscious for long and she was spiraling. The last thing he wanted was for her to blame herself. He reached up clumsily, looking for her hand. "Hey. Not your fault."

She looked up at him and he could see the angry tears in her eyes, but he felt her free hand tighten around his. "You're going to be okay."

"I know."

"Logan?"

He swallowed hard, trying to force the response out, but he felt himself slipping under, Veronica's face fading slowly to black.

----------

He had clips of memories, fractured and scattered. Voices that he didn't recognize. Someone pushing something down over his nose and mouth, but air flowing easier once he stopped fighting it. Veronica's face. Those eyes. They were like an anchor against the riptide trying to drag him away from her.

Come back to me.

Always.

Logan came back to consciousness in what felt like disjointed steps, much like losing it. He wasn't even sure how many times he came back around or if every time that sterile smell filled his nose, the too-bright lights made him wince and want to go back to sleep, or the chill that couldn't be helped even by the thin blanket draped over his legs just felt like the first time. He finally pried his eyes open to find Veronica asleep in the chair next to his bed, bent at an awkward angle with her head resting on the thin mattress. Logan found his lips curling up ever so slightly as he flexed his fingers to find her hand holding onto his.

She stirred at the movement, mumbling sleepily and he squeezed her fingers in his. Veronica popped up with that, none of the stiffness she might have felt at the awkward sleeping arrangement showing as she flashed him a relieved smile. "Hey. You're awake."

His lips parted to answer, dry and cracking from the ventilator they must have had him on, and he found his throat equally rebellious. He had to clear his throat to force any sound out, and decided on important rather than direct response. "Love you," he rasped.

Her smile only broadened at that and she pulled his hand up to her lips, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. "How are you feeling?"

"'kay." Logan could feel himself fading already and he wasn't ready for that. He shifted a little and while the movement brought some pain - distant and certainly a survivable amount - it brought a little more focus with it too. He let his gaze drift over her from her rumpled t-shirt to the bags under her eyes and the messy ponytail she had her hair pulled back in. He swallowed hard to try his luck at coherent words again. "You been home?"

"Once. Caught a quick shower, made sure Pony knew we didn't abandon him. Mac took him to her place last night. Fair warning: we may never see our dog again."

He snorted a soft laugh and caught her gaze. Thankfully she seemed to understand the question even if he couldn't quite get it out. "Sneider - the guy that stabbed you - died. Lamb's had a field day with that."

Okay, that warranted a real attempt at speech. "He trying to get you on murder?"

"It's like you've dealt with a Lamb or something."

The sound he made this time was decidedly less amused than his response to her last joke. Between the two brothers they had managed to wrongfully accuse him of murder three times. Hard to forget.

"I guess you don't remember waking up when I was down at the station, huh?" He shook his head. "Dad said they gave him hell when he tried to get in to sit with you. Kept saying that he wasn't family so he couldn't come in. Apparently he got them told."

Logan frowned a little, drawing a blank where he knew he shouldn't. Maybe they had pushed another dose of painkillers or something. "Told what?"

"That you're family."

"Must have been a riot," he huffed.

Veronica looked confused for a moment. Then something seemed to click and he watched a lopsided smile tug into place. "You know, my dad has tells. They're tiny, easy to miss, but I know every one at this point, even when he's just telling the story." She reached forward, her touch gentle but firm as she made sure he was looking at her. "He meant it. Not sure when you won him over, but I think you finally did."

"Guess ya gotta keep me, huh?"

"Planning on it," Veronica said, her voice wavering just a little. "Just don't you leave me."

"Not going anywhere. 'Cept maybe to sleep," he mumbled, feeling his eyelids drooping.

"I'll be right here when you wake up."

She started to sit back in the chair and he made a small, irritable sound at that and reached up clumsily to catch her wrist. "You're tiny. You'll fit."

"On the bed?" He nodded. "Logan, I don't want to hurt you…."

"You won't."

She sniffed and he cracked an eye he hadn't realized had slid closed back open to find her staring back at him through frustrated tears. "This is my —"

"No," he cut her off. "You saved my life, just like you alway do." Logan tugged as hard as he could manage, which wasn't saying much at the moment. Her laugh was soft as she finally crawled onto the bed, able to fit when she laid on her side and an arm wrapped around his rather than draped over his middle. He settled back against his pillows with a satisfied smile. "See? Pint sized."

"Sure you're okay?"

He made a small sound of acknowledgement. Loving Veronica Mars would always be dangerous - sometimes for her, sometimes for him, and sometimes for them both. That had become clear a long time ago, but if it meant being close to her, if it meant spending the rest of his life with her, he had learned that any amount of pain was survivable because they came back to each other in the end. Always.

[stayextrafrosty]

I am Your Future, I am Your Past: Chapter 4

A Roswell New Mexico soulmates AU

I enjoy writing flashbacks too much.

Also, my love of Fall Out Boy always finds its way into my writing so... sorry

Read on AO3

-

Alex stared at the ceiling, racking his brain for some sort of logical explanation. Tessa was not some god or angel. She cared deeply for people and was by no means perfect. If he remembered correctly, perfection was a requirement of celestial bodies.

He groaned, pulling himself up from the couch. He needed to go somewhere. Anywhere that wouldn’t let him be alone with his thoughts. He would go see Liz. That always helped. He didn’t know if he could face Maria right now. Whatever Michael was telling her was a lie. He could feel it.

He tried listening to the radio on the way to the Crashdown but nothing ever stuck. Every song that played just annoyed him and every podcast on the local stations was about Aliens. He had grown tired of rumors.

Even the worst traffic was manageable in a small town like Roswell. The streets looked crowded but rarely was there any delay. But today was different. Cops directed the traffic away from where he needed to go. He turned off to a side street, still remembering all the ways to avoid being seen.

He pulled up to the Crashdown only to find police cars with their lights on. He parked his car in the back next to the dumpster before walking around front. He looked around and saw Max first.

“Hey! What’s going on?” He ducked under the police tape and one of the other officers stopped him.

“Sir, this is a crime scene—”

“Easy, Osorio. He’s a friend of the family,” Max said, walking up to them. The cop tipped his hat and headed over to the larger group.

“Max, where’s Liz? And Rosa?” Alex had seen his fair share of hate crimes directed at their family. It doesn’t usually require this much police involvement.

“You shouldn’t be here, Manes.” He laughed humorlessly. Was Max really trying to make him leave his friends?

“The hell are you talking about? What’s going on?” He straightened his shoulders, shifting his feet slightly. He was a commanding officer of the air force; he wasn’t going anywhere until he knew what was going on. Max grabbed his arm, pulling him to the side. His whispers were angry.

“Alex, it is not safe for you here.” His eyes widened as he glanced over Max’s shoulder. This was something targeted? At him? He yanked his arm away from Max.

“I’m going inside.” He walked as quickly as he could. Max would have to handcuff him if he wanted him to comply.

He pushed the doors open, taking in the broken glass and tables. Liz and Arturo stood toward the back of the restaurant. Neither of them seemed hurt so he allowed himself to release a breath.

“Liz,” he called. She looked up at him, her face tear-stained. He rushed over to hug her. “Where’s Rosa?”

“She wasn’t here when it happened, thank god.” She paused for a moment, seeming to realize who he was. “Shit Alex, you need to get out of here.” He shook his head.

“Why does everyone keep saying that? What the hell is going on,” he demanded. He looked around and then he saw the graffiti. Sprayed across the wall were giant red letters.

Bring Alex Manes or everyone will die. The old cattle ranch.

He could hardly comprehend what he was reading. Why wouldn’t they just come after him directly? Why go through all this trouble just to get his attention?

“How did this even happen while you were open?”

“Flashbang. Multiple actually.” Alex turned to the new voice. A boy with green hair and rubber gloves held three flashbangs. They didn’t appear homemade. They could have easily been official US Army gear.

“And who are you,” he asked cautiously.

“Forrest Long. Weapons consultant for the Roswell police department. By the look on your face… I’m guessing you’re Alex?” Forrest offered a sympathetic smile.

“Those look like something professionally made,” he said without answering the question. He hummed in agreement, looking impressed.

“Definitely. US army quality, actually. Did you serve?” Alex was almost put off by how friendly he was being. Shouldn’t he be questioning him about the graffiti, not his background?

“Uh, yea. Though I’m on leave now.” Forrest smiled at him.

“I thought so. You give off that vibe,” he said casually. Another officer called to him. He looked over his shoulder and gave a polite nod. “Sorry, duty calls. Hope to see you around Alex. And don’t worry about that. I’m sure we’ll catch them.” Alex smiled, thankful for the reassurance. Max took his place as he left.

“Alex. The sheriff thinks it would be best if you went into protective custody. Or at least stay home until we find this person.” He raised his eyebrows in shock.

“You can’t be serious? Did you forget I served in the Air force? It’s literally my job to protect people and you’re not even gunna let me do that,” he asked, enraged. Max opened his mouth to retort, but he cut him off. “Everyone that was here was threatened! I’m not going to sit back and wait while you guys do a half-assed job at finding this guy!” Liz rested her hand on his arm.

“Alex—”

“No, Liz. I’ll figure this out myself. I will not let other people get hurt because of me.” He stormed out the front door, fully intending to drive over to that ranch right then.

Whatever this creep wanted, Alex was going to find out. He just had to stop at home and pack extra weapons. He would put on a bulletproof vest. Go in at 1900 hours. Use the shadows as cover. He almost made it to his car before Max stopped him again, shaking him from his daydream.

“Hey. You do not get to rush in there without thinking,” Max scolded.

“I’d rather die than let anyone else get hurt because I was too scared to show my face,” he yelled back. He’d made the mistake before…

“Think about Michael!” He froze. Michael’s name woke him up. His rage vanished. “If you get hurt…” Max didn’t need to finish the sentence. He clenched his fist, slamming it against the side of his car.

“Damnit!” He looked back at Max. He watched him sympathetically.

“Look, I know it sucks. But I swear to you, we will figure this out. Do not go to that cattle ranch,” he promised. Alex ran a hand through his hair. There was nothing he could do. He was useless. “Call Michael and tell him what’s going on. This could be a trial.” He nodded, opening his car door.

Alex watched Max walk back to the front of the building. He covered the mark with his hand. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Michael got hurt again. The way he was talking earlier made it sound like he didn’t have a choice. He would be hurt again and there was nothing Alex could do about it.

He pulled onto the road, pressing Michael’s contact. The Bluetooth in his car was finally working. Would he be annoyed? Maybe he should just go back over there. Then again, if Maria was still there…

He shook his head. He was happy for them. They were good together and seemed healthy. Something he and Michael never were. They didn’t have time to figure it out.

“Alex, what’s up? Weren’t you just here a few hours ago?” Michael’s joking tone helped relieve some anxiety.

“We have a problem, Guerin. Someone all but destroyed the Crashdown.” He sighed.

“Probably Wyatt Long and his friends. Bunch of racist pigs. I’ve kicked their asses enough times they don’t go to the Wild Pony anymore though.” Alex wanted to laugh at his cockiness. Too bad that wasn’t the case.

“It wasn’t them. It was a targeted attack… At me.” Michael went silent on the other end. He was worried the phone disconnected until he spoke.

“Are you ok?” Alex could hear the shaking in his voice. He rested a hand on his chest, feeling that something was wrong.

“Yes, I’m fine. The attacker left a note. They disoriented everyone before writing a message on the wall. ‘Bring Alex Manes or everyone dies.’ I can’t just leave this alone.”

“Did they give a time or location?” Alex turned onto his street, hardly noticing he was in his neighborhood.

“No time but they said they wanted to go to the old cattle ranch. I’m guessing they’re talking about the one just outside of town.” He and Michael had spent nights out there stargazing when he needed to get away from his father.

“Well then they’re not professional. What kind of criminal doesn’t set a time limit for a bounty?” Alex pulled into his driveway.

“They’re some kind of professional. They used Army level flashbangs.” Alex heard shuffling on the other end of the line, followed by loud clangs of what he guessed was metal.

“Ok. I’ll go with Max to check it out. You stay home where it’s safe.” Alex couldn’t stop the sarcastic laugh that followed.

“Fuck, now you sound just like him. Did you miss the part where I said I can’t leave this alone? I’m not just going to hide.”

“Please, Alex…” He sucked in a breath. Was Michael Guerin begging? As much as he wanted to give in, he stood his ground, though he softened his voice.

“If this is some sort of trial… I need to be with you. We’re better off together,” Alex reasoned. He didn’t have time to consider how it may have sounded. He heard him sigh again.

“Fine. I’ll be by tomorrow with Max to figure something out.”

“Fine.”

“Why do you have to be so bullheaded,” Michael teased. His tone lightened considerably, but he could still feel that something was wrong.

“And why are you pretending to be calm about the issue?” He sighed heavily into the phone.

“Because.” Alex shook his head and scoffed. “What do you want me to say Alex? That the idea of anyone hurting you makes me want to hurt them ten times worse? Somehow I think you’d frown on that.” He had no idea how to respond. The idea was barbaric, but that certainly didn’t stop the flutter in his heart. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The line clicked off.

He sat there, considering his words. The mixed signals were dizzying. Sometimes he’s talking about Maria and pushing him away. Other times he holds him close or says things like that. Alex needed off whatever ride they were on.

-

Michael cursed Max sometimes. He understood they needed backup but who was this guy? Some ex-military weapons specialist? Sure, he seemed nice enough but should they really be getting outsiders involved in this curse business?

“He’s one of the best we got. Jenna couldn’t come because she’s stuck questioning witnesses. This isn’t exactly official business. Actually, the sheriff specifically told me not to go to this place.” He was grateful for him bending the rules. He knew Max could get fired for this. He looked over at the guy with green hair talking on his phone.

“What was his name? Forrest?”

“You’re not always the smartest person in the room, Michael” He rolled his eyes

“Yea yea.” Forrest hung up and made his way over to them.

“Sorry about that. Family crap. What’s the plan?” He stood with his back straight and feet planted. He showed complete respect for Max even though he was probably higher ranked from a military standpoint.

“This is my cousin Michael. He’s helping us out with this. He’s a friend of Alex’s,” Max said. He reached out his hand. Forrest took it with a smile.

Were he and Alex friends? He wasn’t sure. They talked about things, but it wasn’t the normal stuff. Did he still like music? Does he still have a bag of cheap makeup? What was his favorite color? It was always about curses and the past.

“I look forward to working with you. If Max trusts you, then so do I.” Michael gave a stiff smile and nodded.

Shortly after, he was climbing into the passenger seat of Max’s undercover car. Forrest followed behind them in a van that had a handful of tech and tools. He watched the desert zip by, not usually having the chance to take in the scenery.

A small town like Roswell didn’t have the funds to have tree’s imported so there was mostly just cactus and some bushes. They needed rain otherwise there was going to be issues for the farms on the outskirts of town.

The cattle ranch where they were headed seemed too specific. He and Alex had spent a lot of time there. Michael had often thought about it while he was gone. They were some of the good memories they had before he started pushing him away…

-

Alex shivered next to him, curling up against his side and burying his face in his shoulder. Michael smiled, wrapping his arm tighter around his waist.

“You sure you don’t want to go back? It’s a bit colder than normal.” Alex shook his head.

“Not tonight. With Greg dropping the news that he was leaving for the reservation, my dad’s in an extra bad mood.” He pressed a kiss to his head. He wanted nothing more than to get a small trailer where they could live together. Then maybe Alex would have a chance at the life he wanted.

And maybe they could go through it together.

The curse hadn’t manifested. Maybe they wouldn’t have to go through more pain and suffering at the hands of the gods or whatever. He watched as clouds started to cover the stars.

“Hey, I understand about not going home but we should find some shelter.” He felt him shift to look up at the sky.

“Let it come,” he said, sounding almost depressed. Michael chuckled.

“You say that now but what happens when we’re both soaked and looking for someplace warm?” Alex shook his head, laughing along with him.

“I mean, you’re pretty hot so…” Michael was glad it was dark so Alex couldn’t see the blush. He was always surprised by how bold he could be. And he loved that about him.

He pressed another kiss to his forehead, then to his cheek and finally his lips. Alex laughed into the kiss but responded eagerly. He ran his hands up his chest to rest on his jaw, deepening the kiss. He ignored the pain in his hand to hold him tighter.

Lightning cracked and the sky opened up, dumping water onto both of them. They both burst out laughing, scrambling to collect the blankets and make it back into the truck. Jumping out of the back of the truck, Michael yanked the door open, shoving blankets inside. Alex handed him the last of them. Michael took in the image of the soaked boy.

“What—”

Michael pulled him in, kissing him again. The rain soaked him clean through but he didn’t care and Alex didn’t seem to either. They held each other, letting the rain fall around them. Alex’s hands were tangled in his hair. They separated, just breathing each other in.

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere,” he promised.

Michael wanted to be foolish enough to believe him…

-

A particularly rough bump shook him from his daze. Rain, the cattle ranch, and promises that were broken too soon. He looked around the now residential streets.

“Welcome back to the land of the living. You know I said your name like ten times?” Max glanced over at him, an eyebrow raised.

“Sorry. Just old memories.” Max rolled to a stop on the curb in front of Alex’s house. He turned off the engine but grabbed his arm before he could get out.

“I still think it’s a bad idea to bring him with us,” he said. Michael was in full agreement, but it didn’t seem like there was much they could do.

“I’m aware it’s a bad idea but if you can talk Alex out of it, please do.” They got out of the car, walking over to Forrest next to the van.

“We picking someone up,” he asked, seeming slightly confused? Max nodded and started up to the front door. They didn’t even have to knock before Alex had opened up welcoming them all in. He did a double take when he saw Forrest.

“Not to be rude or anything but what are you doing here?”

“Max asked for my help, though I should be the one asking the same question. We don’t usually bring the target of the bad guys on missions,” he said, though not accusing. Did they know each other?

The three of them stepped inside. The inside of his house was almost claustrophobic with all of them. Michael couldn’t stop looking between Alex and Forrest. Alex was smiling, being more open. Alex lead them all to the kitchen, offering water.

“What’s the plan? I can go in as bait, I have vests and the like.” He wanted to shoot down the idea immediately. Thankfully, Max was way ahead of him.

“No way. The idea is to keep you safe Manes.”

“You don’t just throw a hunk of meat into a wolves den and expect it not to attack,” he added. Alex sighed, looking between the two of them.

“I mean. It’s not the worst operation plan. We used to do stuff like that all the time in the Army,” Forrest said. Michael wanted to punch him in the face. This is why they shouldn’t have brought in outsiders. Alex was looking at Forrest appreciatively.

“He goes in, wearing a bullet proof vest, hell we could probably throw him in full combat gear if we want to be extra cautious. This person obviously wants him for something so we really have no reason to think he’d get hurt anyway. I have thermal imaging in the back of the truck. We can use that to pick out the assailant. We’ll all have weapons and we open fire when they show themselves. If you want to get greedy, we can have Alex question them beforehand but I recommend making sure they’re immobile first.”

The way he talked made it hard to argue. Some details were missing though. Before Michael had time to say anything about the obvious plot holes, Forrest continued.

“I can walk with Alex, make it seem more like we’re giving him up so no one else gets hurt. They’ll probably ask me to surrender my weapons, which I will do. We’re going to need the cover of the night for this. Not that I don’t trust you two and your stealth but just to be safe. Alex, I’m sure you can handle yourself but I’m going to need confirmation you’ll run if things go south.” His face fell slightly. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen Alex run. Walk quickly yes, but never run. Did his leg allow for it?

He reached down, lifting his pant leg. Forrest followed everyone’s gaze to the metal and plastic prosthetic.

“I would say yes but I haven’t quite gotten to the running part of physical therapy.” Forrest blinked a couple times before smiling at Alex.

“Then you can just count on me to have your back,” he said, raising a hand to salute him. His little smile returned. Michael clenched his fists, wondering when the last time that smile was directed at him. He turned toward Max. “What do you think? You’re the boss.”

He and Michael looked at each other. The plan itself was simple but with the little information they had, it was pretty solid. As much as he hated the idea of Alex’s safety being anyone’s hands but his, a former soldier was probably the best bet.

“I can’t disagree with anything you said so I’d say we’re good then. We’ll ship out at 8. We’re going on the assumption the person who wants him will be there. Considering they didn’t give a time. We have to also consider the person who wants him might not be there at all. We need to take whoever shows up alive.” Forrest and Alex nodded.

“We’ll talk about positions as we drive later, see what kind of cover we have,” Michael added. Everyone nodded. “If you’re waiting for a ‘hands in’ thing it’s not happening,” he joked after a few seconds of silence. Forrest grinned and Alex chuckled. Max just shook his head.

“Let’s go get food, Michael. We’ll all need it,” he said, heading for the front door. The tugging at his heart tried to keep him from leaving but he couldn’t think of a good reason not to leave him with Forrest. He glanced over his shoulder at Alex, who just watched him. Then he turned and followed Max. He was almost out the front door when he heard Forrest say something to Alex.

“We should go get something too. Wanna come with?” His blood boiled but he forced himself to keep walking, digging his nails into his palms.

“Sure.” And he had to pretend his heart wasn’t ripped out of his chest.

-

Alex sat in the van with Forrest. Whatever he had felt earlier had him worried. He had physically grabbed at his mark, then had to try and play it off as stress tension in his shoulders. The drive thru was running slow but Forrest had insisted the place was worth it.

“All I’m saying is good Mexican food or even tex-mex doesn’t have a drive-up option,” He said, laughing. He shook his head.

“You only say that because you’ve never had this.” The window finally opened and the worker handed the bag of food over. He thanked her and pulled into a parking spot to adjust how things were being held.

He handed the bag of food to Alex and he had to admit that it smelled delicious. He slipped his wallet into his back pocket before pulling out of the spot slowly. Someone in another car honked and the van jerked as he hit the brakes. He laughed as Forrest shook his head.

“Am I going to die due to your inability to drive a car without a rear window?” He watched the SUV drive past. He raised his finger, telling him to wait.

“In my defense, the person obviously ignored that I had the right of way,” he said, smiling.

“Suuure,” he drawled. Watching this guy be so comfortable with himself made Alex hopeful. He wasn’t bad looking either. Did he like him? Maybe a bit. But with his luck, he’d be straight. He could rarely judge correctly.

“You into music,” he asked?

“Yea. Used to play guitar in my angsty teen days.” He laughed and turned on the radio. He tuned until he found an alternative station. There wasn’t much other than country and top 40. The signal wasn’t great, but it was enough.

“Well this station plays a lot of stuff from the two thousands so as long as you’re still ok with listening to angsty pop-punk.” He smiled, watching him tap along to an old Fall Out Boy song.

Ok. He really liked him.

Alex half sang along, still embarrassed about singing in front of people. It was easy talking to him. They shared interests. He understood some of the things he went through while at war. They pulled into his driveway; Max’s car wasn’t back yet.

“This was fun. Maybe once all this is over, we can go out again?” He blinked in surprise. Wait… He’s serious.

“Uh…”

“You don’t have to answer right now. Best not to make promises on adrenaline.” He took the bag from his lap and hopped out of the car. Alex shook himself from shock and followed him. He half jogged to catch up, still unsure of what his leg could take.

He pulled the keys from his pocket, unlocking the door. How could he tell? Was it obvious? Was that even a bad thing? Was he seriously interested?

They moved through the house and back to the kitchen. Forrest pulled the food out of the bag, setting it down in front of two seats at the table, respectively. He watched him.

“How did you…” The green haired boy glanced up at him then smiled sympathetically.

“I didn’t. But I figured I’d give it a shot. Not exactly a fan of the closet after spending so much time in it.” Alex was jealous. He was out but only to his close friends. He’d tell someone who asked but he wasn’t comfortable displaying it openly.

“Look. I’m comfortable with myself. But if you’re not, then I won’t force you to do anything you’re not ready for. If you ever feel like giving it a try, just give me a call.” Alex smiled at him. Maybe it was time he learned to be ok. His father didn’t control him anymore. There was no reason for him to be scared.

“If your offer still stands… I’d like to hang out when this is all over.” Forrest grinned at him, nodding appreciatively.

The two of them sat at the table, chatting casually. Alex refused to admit the food was good, even though he ate everything. Then again, he had always been a nervous eater. Whatever happened tonight, he had to make sure it ended. He needed to protect his friends.

The front door swung open, Alex hearing Michael and Max talk quietly. He looked over at the clock, realizing it was almost time to leave. Time had never gotten away from him like it did while he was talking to Forrest. He needed to mentally prepare. Alex cursed his lack of awareness. It was one of the first things they taught in basic. Always be aware.

“Hey, don’t panic. I’ve got your back,” Forrest said, resting a hand on his arm.

As much as Alex wanted to relax, the only way this mission was going to go smoothly was if he was in fight mode. Shut down all emotions. No thinking. Stick to the plan.

A quick stab of pain in his chest made him turn. He locked eyes with Michael. How long did they just stare at each other? It felt like years, but it must have only been a moment. His eyes had glanced down at Forrest’s hand on his arm. He saw the way his jaw clenched. The muscles in his neck. The way he scrunched his nose when he sniffled.

They looked away from each other, Alex casually pulling his arm away from Forrest, concentrating to make sure it didn’t seem like he was embarrassed to have it there. Although that might have been the case. He liked Forrest. There was just something off about Michael seeing it.

“You guys ready for this? Alex,” Max asked. He nodded, letting his mind shift into battle mode.

“I’ll grab some extra supplies. Be right back.” He stood, his arm brushing against Michael’s as he passed.

“Do you need help with anything,” Michael asked before he got too far. He paused. He didn’t really, but something felt off.

“Sure.” He followed him in silence. He stood at the door, just watching Alex move about his room. He pulled open the closet, moving clothing to the side to access the safe where he kept guns and ammo.

“Do you like him?” The question caused him to miss a number for the combination. He shook his head and restarted, laughing at his suggestion. He just needed to play it cool.

“Max? I mean he’s alright,” he joked, trying to deflect.

“You know what I mean, Manes.” The flutter in his heart returned. He pulled the safe open, looking for as much time to come up with an answer as possible.

“What if I do? Careful Guerin, you almost sound jealous.” He tried to keep the bite out of his voice. What right did he have to be jealous? He was the one always pushing him away. He stood from the safe, slowly turning back towards him. Michael's fists were clenched.

“I just mean that you should be careful. Relationships complicate things. Remember Maria. I have to keep her in the dark so she doesn’t get hurt. I’d just hate for you to have to go through that,” he said, not meeting his eyes. Even without the mark, Alex knew his tells at this point.

“And you still try to lie to me. You’ve never been good at that,” he said, focused on loading his gun. He snapped the mag into place, double checking the safety was on before setting it down.

He felt Michael’s presence beside him. He had moved silently. Alex looked up, almost bumping his nose against his. He didn’t move away. A soldier never backed down. No matter how hard and fast his heart was beating. Michael glanced down, then proceeded to lay a hand over his heart.

“Remember that works both ways,” he said softly.

He backed away, picking up the boxes of ammo he had laid on the bed. He left the room without another word. Alex took a deep breath, calming himself. He would worry about that later. He had to focus on the mission.

He walked back to the closet, pushing things around, looking for the bulletproof vest. Once he finally located the damned thing, trying to pull it out was more effort than planned. Stuck on the closet door. Alex cursed, trying to find where the strap had snagged on. He groaned in frustration. There was a chuckle from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Forrest stood there with a grin.

“Need some help with that?” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

“Yea, I guess so.” Forrest came and reached over him, close enough to smell whatever cologne he was wearing. So different from Michael. More of a spice. He unhooked the vest from a metal part of the door and pulled it out.

Alex smiled and stood with him. He looked back at the closet, thinking if there was anything else he needed. Then he shut the doors.

“Thanks. Probably just stress. I’ll be fine once we get going.” Forrest rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I have no doubt. You are a hero after all.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “I do my research purple heart guy.” Alex couldn’t stop the grin. He was flattered. He had gone through the effort of learning about him.

“Well I’m glad I’ll have you there as my backup,” he said, picking up the gun from earlier. He reached for the bulletproof vest too, but Forrest shook his head.

“I’ve got this. Let’s go.” He followed him back to the other two. Once they reached the kitchen, they all fell silent. The pressure to make sure nothing went wrong weighed on all of them. Alex straightened his shoulders and lifted his head.

“Let’s do this.”

[lifebeginsbyleaving]

Spooky ol’ woods alone

Derek is the worst boyfriend ever, and Stiles will be so disappointed in him.

***AN*** I wrote this for last years spooky week (so its not that good), but didn't finish it till months later. So here ya go.

Also I’m sure you've seen it but this is the best, so watch it again.

 DEREK P.O.V. To say I was stressed was an understatement. I was frantic. I mean the desperation in my eyes would normally make Erica laugh, but apparently holding a couples costume of a slutty nurse and a doctor in one hand, and peas and carrots costumes in the other made her take pity on me.

"Put that back you know Stiles would say something like that it's unfair the gender roles enforced on people and that how the woman being slutty and not the man is completely bogus and he'd make you wear the nurses outfit just to prove a point." Her eyes lit up with a devilish glint that matched the horns and tail she was wearing. "On second thought-"

"You're right." She deflated a bit as I set it back on the shelf. "But the only other one they have is this one. Erica, we can not throw a Halloween party that will out do Lydia's from last year dressed as vegetables!"

"That's why Boyd ordered our costume weeks ago. Why didn't you?" I sighed as I realized how terrible of a boyfriend I am and doubled down on my effort to search every shelf in the last store in Beacon Hills.

"Because I looked and looked and I couldn't find anything that meant enough, so I just stopped looking thinking I'd eventually think of it. And then it was two days before so I rushed a Han and Leia costume. But then Scott showed me pics of him and Allison dressed up last year as them and Stiles went as Chewie. And now we're here in this fucking store that has gender roles and healthy foods! God I messed up. I just wanted to find something special, you know something that I saw and it was just, us. Something that would make stiles happy."

"You, you big dork. You, make Stiles happy." Half my face lifted with the hope that statement brought and half fell knowing I don't deserve him which resulted in a face I'd imagine looked like I was constipated.

"Ugggggh. That's not good enough."

"Why? Why are you making such a big deal of this? It can't be the party because no one expects you to throw a better party than the queen herself. Is it because it's your first Halloween together?"

"No, well sort of. Look, a couple months back Stiles was over watching tv and he was looking for something to watch. As he was scrolling he paused on nightmare before Christmas. I joked that it was to far away from Halloween to watch it, and then he smelled of sadness so I thought maybe he really wanted to watch it. I apologized and said we could watch it if he wanted to. But then he just held the remote and looked at the carpet as his scent alternated from sad to happy. I was about to ask him what was wrong when he quietly spoke. 'Me and my mom used to watch Halloween movies together.' I just understood instantly. There are things that are personal and special, some you share some you don't. I wanted to be there, but I didn't want to pressure him so I told him how Laura, Cora, and my mom used to say they were the witches from hocus pocus and that they'd eat me if I wasn't good."

When I looked up I could see Erica's face soften into a fond smile. I continued my search on the bottom shelf of aisle nine and my story.

"And then he told me how they would hide the candy from his dad and eat it and watch Halloween movies while he was on night shift. Then I told him about the year I went as a tax consultant because Laura dared me to. He talked about how he went as a sheriff five years in a row until he outgrew his originally way too big uniform."

Also about how his dad would pin his badge on him and it made Stiles feel like he could protect people someday just like his dad. And I admitted that it made me feel important, like the pack trusted me to be responsible when I took my cousins out trick or treating, but those were not things I wanted to tell Erica just then so I went on.

"At some point he had turned on the movie with it playing in the background we just went back and forth all night talking about our favorite Halloween traditions. When silence finally fell we realized the movie was over and half way into the next. In the silence I ached for old memories and I could tell he did too."

Erica didn't know what to do with my sadness so I told her what Stiles did.

"In true Stiles fashion the silence didn't last long. He told me that he wanted to have more happy memories on his favorite holiday. Our favorite holiday. He said maybe two people who were too sad to celebrate because they lost people could celebrate together. And so I asked him if he wanted to plan a party with me." I looked at her after I finished glancing at the last aisle.

"Oh my God you are the worst boyfriend."

"Ugggh. Erica, bad friend. Make me feel better."

"No, you totally screwed this one. Batman deserves better." She finished right as we were putting the completely useless cart back while walking out the door.

"See! Even you have a thing you could do. You be Stiles' boyfriend you'd have Batman and Catwoman costumes already." She rolled her eyes at me.

"One, Boyd wouldn't be very happy. Two, Stiles loves you not me. And three, you know after a few shots Stiles would want to switch costumes and he'd look better than me in it which is not allowed."

"Erica it doesn't matter if he loves me or not he put me in charge of costumes after he found out I made one of Cora's, he's going to be destroyed when he finds out I couldn't do the one thing he trusted me completely with."

"You made one of Cora's costumes?" I turned to her as we approached my car.

"Erica!"

"Okay fine." We got settled in the car as I started it. "You know he trusts you right?" I was pretty much resigned to her terrible advice by now but I figured she'd try harder than that.

"Erica stop making it worse."

"Just answer."

"Yes he does. Which is why I'm such a terrible boyfriend we've established this."

"Right he trusts you, but he's still Batman and Batman always had a backup plan. I wouldn't be surprised of he had two pairs of costumes not just one ready to go."

"You're right, but that's worse I couldn't even get one costume and he got two and I was in charge of it! That's it I'm not going to the party so he can't breakup with me."

"You have to go. He's not going to break up with you. Look Derek if you just explain he'll understand. Your heart was in the right place." I sigh and nod knowing she's right he will understand but he'll still be disappointed in me. I hear my phone buzz with a notification.

"Can you check that."

"Yeah. It's from Stiles." I take a deep breath.

"What does it say?"

"'Can you pick up more cashews babe?' Why does he need cashews?" I put on my turn signal as I reply.

"His mother used to make homemade chocolates on Halloween and bear claws are his dad's favorite."

                 STILES P.O.V.

I get chocolate all over my phone as I send the text. I hum along to spooky scary skeletons as I finish up the latest batch of treats. Just as I'm swatting away Scott and Isaac's hands I hear my phone chime. I give them both a glare that says I see your fingers in my chocolate one more time you're losing them and check my phone.

"No problem sexy." Derek calls me sexy but never like that.

I type out a quick reply before putting my phone away. "Thanks Erica."

I complete the last batches of chocolates I can make without the cashews and turn off the burner. There isn't a single counter space that isn't covered in some sort of chocolate or another. I wonder if I made too many. I definitely made too many. What if I didn't make enough? What if I didn't make enough of a certain kind and they all get eaten first because the rest are gross? What if they all are gross? I sample a chocolate and moan around the taste of sweet cocoa decadence. Not gross, perfect.

A crash comes from the living room followed by a suspiciously rushed statement. "It wasn't me." I go out to fix what ever broke and put the finishing touches on everything.

"What did you idiots break."

"Boyd broke the remote."

"Uh-huh I'm sure he did. Boyd you're a disgrace." He didn't even look up from his book as he replied completely deadpan.

"I feed off chaos." I smile as I snatch the remote from Issac.

"Hey! I was trying to fix it. But I'm pretty sure the batteries don't fit anymore." I roll my eyes.

"You'd think if you guys broke the remote as often as you do at least one of you would learn how to fix it. Or does Jackson have the one brain cell you all share, right now?" Scott interrupted all the shouts of protest and indignation.

"Allison is here!" I poured all the chips into bowls as I waited for my turn to hug Allison.

"Stiles you don't have your costume on yet." She said as she hugged me.

"Derek is bringing it. I love yours though I just thought Scott felt like wearing a dress but he must be Maid Marian. Wow! That's a real bow."

"Yup."

"Somehow I keep thinking you can't get any more badass and then you do."

"Thanks Stiles. Oh you have something on your face."

My eyes widen and I see Scott race to his feet. I take a breath to act cool and wipe it on my sleeve. "Oh thanks."

"Stiles was that chocolate? Allison was it chocolate?" He whips his head back and forth between us instead of answering she just turns away to not get involved in it.

"It wasn't chocolate Scott."

"It better not have been Mr. No one gets any till every one is here not even me."

"God Scott it wasn't chocolate."

He squinted at me. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Because I'm your bestfriend and I wouldn't lie to you."

"Breath in my face." I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. I breathed out a big breath.

"There."

He wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what I'm more concerned by, the fact that you just breathed out in my face knowing even someone who isn't a werewolf could smell the chocolate on you or the fact that you did it with such confidence."

"I was hoping conviction out weighed evidence."

"Don't let your dad hear you say that."

I finished handing out the chocolates one per person as Lydia suggested after everyone's unending whining.

Then I checked the clock only forty minutes till the party starts. Some people will probably get here early. I hope our costumes don't require a lot of effort. Derek is cutting it kind of close. And I can't wait to see our costumes. I'm bouncing out of my skin. I wonder if he made them. No that would be too much work. He probably got them online. Or maybe he went to a really big store and looked through every one until he found them. Or maybe he bought them piece by piece. I was brought out of my little daydream by Isaac saying they were here.

I ran to the kitchen and threw my apron in, then ran to the door to wait patiently while tapping my foot. I was about to rip open the door to shout what's taking so long when it swung open. Erica walked in and passed me she was wearing the devil to Boyd's angel. I turned to see her lay herself over Boyd. "Nice to see you too Erica." As I turned back I smiled seeing who I'd been waiting on coming up the steps.

"I didn't think there'd be that many options for cashews and after five minutes of debating Erica chose for me. If I got the wrong ones I can go back." He was looking down in the bag like they would magically change into the wrong ones if he didn't keep an eye on them. I stepped out on to the porch and closed the door behind me. "Stiles you'll get col-" I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him backwards till I hit the door and went up on my tip toes to kiss him. I kissed him till when we parted harsh warm breaths fanned across our faces.

"You better not let me get cold. That'd be rude, especially after I missed you so much."

"You taste like chocolate."

"And you taste like that bubble gum Erica buys, but only ever shares with you and Boyd."

"I'm going to kiss you again."

"As you should." This one was short, but after I couldn't fathom how I was supposed to open my eyes and end the moment. He bumped our noses together.

"Stiles we should go back in your nose is cold." I hugged him and buried my nose in the super werewolf heat of his neck.

When I spoke my words were muddled by being squished against him. "We should, before they figure out I pulled you out here to make out."

From inside we heard a yelled smartass comment. "We're werewolves Stiles, we could hear you."

I yelled back. "Can you hear me flipping you off Scott?" Derek chuckled and unwrapped himself from me, which I did not appreciate.

He opened the door for us. And as we walked in the bag of cashews hit the door frame and I remembered. "Oh, you forgot to grab our costumes from your car." His face switched to one of discomfort. "Don't tell me you forgot them at your loft."

"They aren't at my loft." Now I was confused. "Stiles we should head upstairs."

"Derek I know my room is soundproof but do you really want to have sex no-"

"Gross."

"Tmi."

"No Stiles that isn't wh-"

"Oh! I can't believe I didn't think to look! I told you we were all getting ready in my room, so you hide them there." I turned to run up the stairs as he called after me. "Come catch me if you don't want me to find them." The bastard took his time coming up the stairs like he thought I'd never find them. I smiled as I ripped clothes out of my closet trying to get a glimpse of something that could be a costume.

"Stiles." He said it in his exasperated tone the one he saved for when he really didn't know what to do.

"Alright fine. You don't want me to find them. Then show me." Normally my gleeful smile and antics would bring a scowl hiding a smirk, but this time it was a pinched brow and sadness in his eyes. My smile dropped. "Der, what's wrong?" I brought up my hand to cradle his cheek, and he looked away from me.

"I didn't get them." I was confused.

"What?"

"I fucked up. I'm sorry I didn't the costumes." He looked so broken so I took a breath to keep my sadness and anger from overwhelming both of us.

"Why." It was his turn to take a deep breath, one that made it seem like he was gathering courage.

"Because of a million different reasons. At first I just thought about the basics do we want to go sexy, funny, elaborate? Then when it was time to start looking for one and I just knew it had to be perfect. It had to be us. We're not the ketchup and mustard couple or the peanut butter and jelly couple or the- or the-"

"Or the salt and pepper couple."

"Yes perfect and we're not the slutty nurse and doctor couple either."

"Of course not because that is an old gender role shitstorm of a costume idea that needs to die in a hole."

"Exactly and then I thought about making one, but how am I supposed to make a costume that perfectly represents us when you're so you and I'm so me and I don't know how that works in real life much less in a fucking costume! And soon enough it was too close to make something. And then it was close enough to need to be overnighted. And then Scott showed me pictures of him, you, and Allison last year so that was out. And th-"

"You got us Han and Leia costumes?"

"Yeah but we can't do that because you and Scott have a rule of not doing each others costumes."

"No we can't."

"And then it was Halloween and none of the stores in Beacon Hills had good costumes. I just wanted it to be good for you. For us. This is such a big deal for so many reasons. It's your first time actually celebrating not just wearing a costume since your mom. It's my first time even going anywhere near anything with Halloween since my family. It's our favorite holiday. It's our first Halloween together. It's our first party we planned together. And I couldn't fit that all into a costume so I just gave up and you deserve so much better. I'm the worst boyfriend in the world."

I walked up to him to get him to look up from the floor and into my eyes. "Hey, hey, hey. No room for that mister. You are not the worst boyfriend. You just put too much pressure on yourself. Derek it doesn't have to be perfect. Isaac is dressed as fucking blue. And quiet frankly I don't think he's getting that paint off any time soon."

I count his slight smile as a victory so I continue.

"I do agree that it should be us though, but it doesn't have to be all of us at one time. That's impossible unless we dressed as ourselves. But that's the point of Halloween you get to be someone else or just a part of you that you don't normally get to be."

"You're right. I'm an idiot. And I ruined the party."

"You did not ruin the party. We'll figure something out."

"Aren't you upset with me?"

"I'm just upset that you didn't ask me. That you stressed about this for that long and didn't tell me. So next year just ask."

"Next year? You mean you're not going to break up with me?"

"You're stuck with me, and about eight thousand chocolates."

"What?"

"I have a confession to make or rather I made too many confections. I remember those raspberry things are Laura's favorite, maple are your dad's, cherry cordial mom, Cora the heathen likes dark chocolate. But I couldn't remember what you said your favorite was. So I kinda make every chocolate known to man. Then bought all candy the store had. Whoops?"

"How come you're stuck with a I messed up the one thing I did solo boyfriend when you're a whoops I made too many chocolates boyfriend?"

"It must be to balance out the you getting up early in the morning to make me breakfast, or maybe your super hotness, or maybe your magic di-"

He looked at me fondly As he interrupted. "I don't know how I deserve you."

"And I don't know how I deserve you."

"I'm serious Stiles I messed up and you're just-"

"Loving you anyway? Derek, it's okay. I didn't know what to do so I made and bought everything. You didn't know what to make or buy, so you didn't buy anything. We both had different ways of doing things. We didn't know how to make each other happy, so we stressed about it. But it doesn't matter, we're new at this. We're new together. We'll learn. We have time." I don't think I've ever seen him smile that big. "What? Derek did you not think we'd have time? Do you not want ti-"

"I love you too. I don't know if you meant to say it. If you meant it like that. Or even if you mean it. But I love you."

"Wha- Oh." I grab his hand and intertwine our fingers. "It wasn't meant to be said like that, but I do mean it." He smiles wide enough to show off his bunny teeth, and suddenly his free hand is pulling my head towards his and our lips meet in something the romantics have for centuries called a head on collision.

"Ow!"

"Sorry." He tries again slower this time. Soon enough I'm melting into it, but someone must have forgotten rule one of chocolate making. Low temperature with constant stirring. Because pretty soon I'm burning. Our hands are no longer joined in favor of feeling each other up like over eager TSA agents. He squeezes my ass hard enough for me to know if I don't stop this soon little Stiles won't get the memo that we have a party about to start downstairs and not in the way he wants.

"Der, come on we have people downstairs." With my lips moving he has found purchase on a very sensitive part of my neck. I indulge him a little longer, and allow him more room to work with by baring my neck. I know he loves it. He growls. Honest to God growls! I laugh at his behavior that is usually reserved for mind bending orgasms or fits of jealousy. "Der, you know I think it's hot when you do that, but not now. We have to stop." He starts kissing me again, but this time it's filthy. He starts pushing me back while following tightly. When my back hits the wall it jars our lips loose long enough for me to suck in a gulp of air. Immediately after, he steals my breath again as he lifts me up two hands on my ass. My legs wrap around him on instinct. He starts harshly grinding his hips into mine. "Derek, Oh my God Derek!" My head clunks against the wall and tilts up as I thank the lord I invested in soundproofing my room. "What- Oh fuck! What has gotten into you?" I tilt my head back down to look at him and I startle at his half shifted face.

"Jesus!"

My shock fades and I laugh again. I love finding out new triggers for the more animal side of him. "Do tell, what has got you so worked up this time? It's not that cologne. Or that pair of jeans. Or th-" I look him straight in the eyes. "Is it because I told you that I love you?" His answer is a flash of definitely not green eyes and a sharp hip thrust. "Fuck! Stop doing that." Damn it I really don't want him to stop, but we have things to do. He growls and does it again. "Okay that's enough." I tap on his mouth intill he opens up and shows me bunny teeth. Then I tap on his ears and they slowly lose their edge. I tap on one of his arms and he digs his fingertips into my ass to rudely show his claws are put away. Next is his sideburns and with them his whole face goes back to normal. His hips have slowed to a gentle rock, but by now people have to be arriving so they need to stop. I tap on his hips, he stops. His chest is heaving harder than it does for most of his workouts. His voice is hoarse as he speaks.

"Sorry for losing control like that."

"Don't be sorry that you did that, be sorry that it wasn't at a time when we could finish it. If it was any other time I would have loved to been fucked like that."

"Oh yeah? The sideburns do it for ya?" He asks with a teasing tilt to his voice and face.

I respond to his joke with honesty. "No. It's the fangs. But you know that chompy." He nips at my neck and my dick jumps. "Okay I love being between a wall and a hard dick, we both know this. But it's doing absolutely nothing to kill little Stiles' mood." He huffs and tucks his face into my neck. "No, bad Derek. Drop it." He licks a stripe up my neck in retaliation. I unwrap one of my hands from the back of his neck to tilt his chin up so I can give him a soft kiss. Then I tap one of the hands he currently has glued on my ass and he reluctantly lets me down. "Thank you."

We're both trying to calm down so he asks a question to distract us. "So what the fuck are we going to do about costumes?" I smirk at him.

"Don't worry I already figured it out.

"You had a backup plan this whole time?"

"No, I thought of it just now."

"Just now, like now now. Or when we almost had sex?"

"When we almost had sex."

"Ho-I-Wh- You know what? Okay. I accept that I'll never know how your mind works. Stiles what is your idea?"

"Well it came to me when you flashed your ey-"

"Baby."

"Yes?"

"The short version please."

"Little red and his big badass wolf."

He scoffed "No Stiles." I ironically gave him puppy dog eyes. "It's offensive."

"Well you know what I find offensive? My boyfriend forgetting costumes." His shocked and betrayed face was priceless.

"I did not forget!"

"And isn't that almost worse?" He let out a breath.

"So do you have ears for me or something?"

"Derek. Sweetie. You have fucking ears."

"Wha- That's your plan! Just have me partially shift? Wow genius idea."

"I know. I had a really hot muse." He let out a soft chuckle and looked at me with fondness.

"Alright what about you red? I'm assuming you don't have a slutty little red riding outfit just hanging around?" I lifted an eyebrow in challenge as I sauntered to my closet.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"Oh I really fucking would." I pull out my red hoodie and ripped jeans for me and an old ripped and blood stained shirt for Derek.

"Too bad. I'm thinking a badass modern day red for today. With a misunderstood werewolf boyfriend." He comes up behind me as I lay it on the bed. He hugs me from behind as he says in my ear.

"Does that mean I can still gobble you up later?"

As he presses a kiss to my neck I complain. "That so nearly didn't work for you."

"Really? How about, I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow you."

"That's from three little pigs not red riding hood."

"I get around."

"Oh really? Well get around to getting changed. I have to find my bat. Lydia said there was some leftover fake blood and make-up in the bathroom."

All said and done I think I did pretty good. My jeans look great so does the split lip. And I did such a good job on the only kind of bruising that Derek's werewolf healing can't make go away. So I sat on the counter waiting for Derek. He was looking in the mirror at both of us with a furrow in his brow. He caught my eyes. Then he spoke.

"Do you think we look okay? Are you disappointed?" Pulled him in between my legs.

"Yes, we look more than okay. It's very us. No, I'm not disappointed. How could I be? It's Halloween. I'm celebrating it again and with you. I'm about to make all the parents on the block hate us by handing out way too much chocolate. I have the kind of boyfriend that doesn't just pick out the first costume he sees, but was so worried about it he couldn't even pick one. I'm about to eat my body weight in chocolate. I'm about to go downstairs to see my friends and family. I'm about to watch all the best Halloween movies. I'm hopefully getting a blow job from the big bad wolf tonight. I'm happy. And I'm inlove with my boyfriend." I added the last one just to see the reaction, and his flashing eyes was a welcome outcome. "Oooo save that party trick for scaring the naughty kids." He hugged me and I laid my head against his shoulder, careful not to smudge any blood.

"I love you too." I smiled into his shoulder at his words.

[the-firebird69]

So some exit the neighborhood and is sitting in there threatening our r son and it was lame. The cops on too I saw it and they don't want him out they followed him here from the gym the song changed several times they said they're going to do it so they have his identity and why he's doing it he's holding him a hostage and they're pressing charges and they're going to apprehend him and he's going to go try to be the sheriff they're going to be waiting he's driving there now up to Port Charlotte.. and yeah John remillard is the guy now they're going to arrest him too

These guys are pipsqueaks and a stupid they need to be out and the pulling the s*** on her son like every day and just mentally and physically threatening it with it they're trying to do this all the time so now this guy is going to go back to jail we hear is arriving.

It's through the gate and they put him into it tank and he's just sitting there but he's under arrest and they read him his rights and they told him the charges attempted to impersonate a police officer trying to incarcerate a VIP with credentials and they went through this big list harassing him and following him after the police instructed him not to it it's a big list and then said we have had enough of your stuff as well everyone has you're a big mouth you're a liar like your father so they did throw him in there and he's under arrest and that's going to go pick him up... They are talking through the bars at him and he's saying he's in a TV show but it's not. And there's telling him what they're going to do and it's not exactly right and he says I'm going to Lawrence and you don't really get one and he's saying oh no help me and this kind of stuff so next guys are arriving and they pull up they have Patty wagon have caravan and the calling for backup and ships. So they're putting them in there and they're going to take them away I'm tired of them getting out and running around and getting out and running around harassing everybody including him you should just hold them but it's disgusting what you're doing is very disgusting and these people are big now who knows how big he has children too who do what they're doing and who released him to bother him they're coming and killing them by punching them once and their head explodes and he's saying it in code and then he says do you listen to your boss or what he's your boss he says cause and effect to Bill easy and he goes in who is he asked for the cause and effective in this case he has to do and is he asked him he says it means that if you do this this will happen to you and they've been telling you to you he says so yes it's good guys everybody is recording this s*** happening since I don't care I'm ignoring them they can do it as much as they want so that's what these idiots said I'm sick of you being so stupid that you're dead meat and they took off and the idiots trying to intercept and they're getting wasted and so are the trumpsters and Trump and all dying and it's really big okay this is a big event these guys are going down those people can see that they don't have any respect for the law at all

Thor Freya

You go brush my teeth you go brush your teeth and I'll comment in a minute Hera we have to say this this is awful but it's working and they're getting a crap kicked out of them and hopefully it's for good Olympics Olympus that really sucks but hey it went okay kicking the s*** out of them those ships are going up there they're going out there to the prison and a whole bunch of them are coming towards the prison and they're hitting them it probably is about 2 trillion and they're down and 10 trillion are up and it's going to go on that way for a while and it's probably about 200 trillion and we hear that about 50 trillion are up and they're going to be dead there's so many of them going there it's insane it's all just sitting here having you abused and it needs to die they're so damn dumb they're spent the whole whole bunch of them below and above or spent I'm going to write it now hardcastle Frank Castle and his backwards but okay the name

[bamby0304]

Apple of my Eye- Ch.21

Series Masterlist

Summary: When Sam and Dean were pulled back into their world, you were left behind. Stuck in the hustle bustle of Hollywood life, you have no choice but to play along, leaving almost all of your old life behind. Seven years later, when a rip in time and space opens up, you are finally able to go home… but you don’t go alone.

Warnings: Angst. Fluff.

Bamby

You jumped out of the car and reached for the door behind yours, opening it up to find Dakota stretching her arms and legs.

“Come on, you.” Reaching in, you unbuckled her belt and pulled her out of her seat.

She yawned as she clung to you, not exactly making it easy to get her out of the car. You didn’t say anything, though, because you needed her close. Soon things were going to get messy, and you needed this moment where everything was fine. Having her close meant she was safe, which meant you could breath easily for now.

“Why are we stopping?” Kaia asked as she got out of Patience’s car which was parked by yours.

Everyone was moving to stand between the two vehicles when Jody answered, “We’re taking a breather. I called in some backup.”

Patience shoved her hands into her pockets. “Like what, the National Guard?”

“Oh, better,” Jody assured her.

Right on time, a car honked as a pickup drove down the road and by the edge of the lake where the rest of you were. Standing there, with Dakota on your hip, you watched as the truck parked before the door opened and a woman jumped out.

She smiled widely at your group. “Hiya ladies.”

Alex didn’t waste a moment before heading over to the newcomer. “Hey Donna.”

Donna wrapped her up in a tight hug before looking over Alex’s shoulder at Claire. “Okay, you too Rainbow Bright, come on bring it in.”

Claire’s lips actually tugged into a smile before she joined the hug.

“Patience, Kaia, this is Sheriff Donna Hanscum. She’s uh, she’s killed a lot of vampires.”

“Vampires?”

Everyone paused at the small sound of your daughter’s voice. It was easy to forget a child was around when tensions were high...

“Oh gosh, Y/N, I’m so sorry.”

You shook your head at Jody reassuringly. “It’s okay.” Setting your daughter on the ground, you crouched down in front of her, and grabbed her hands. “Hey.”

Her eyes looked to the other women. “Mummy, what’s going on?”

“Okay, so…” Might as well get it over and done with. “You remember the show I was in, when we lived in that other world?”

She nodded quickly. “Supernatural. You worked with Uncle Jen, Jare, and Mish.”

“Exactly.” You smiled up at her. “You remember how I wouldn’t let you watch it because of all the monsters?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Well… in this world, those monsters are real. And in this world there are people who really fight them.” You looked over your shoulder and gestured to Jody. “You see her?”

“Yeah.”

“She fights monsters, and she’s a cop,” you explained. “And Claire? She was hunting a werewolf before she came home.”

“What about Alex?”

“She’s a nurse, so when everyone comes home with cuts and bruises, she fixes them up.”

“And Patience?”

“Oh she’s special,” you started, smiling up at your daughter as she looked at all the women. “She can see the future.”

Her eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Really.” You nodded. “And Kaia.” You gestured to the girl in question. “She can travel to different worlds in her sleep.”

“Wow.” Dakota was in awe.

Looking up at her, seeing the way she looked at them, it made your heart swell. Hiding the truth from her had been hard but something you thought you’d always have to do. The world you were in before had its own dangers, and that included the lack of belief. If you were to say something back there it could have put you in an asylum.

Here, however, things were different. Things were less black and white. But with those murky grey moments came two facts. One, monsters were real here, and so danger levels were higher. Two, you didn’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not… you didn’t have to lie or act anymore.

“Are you a hunter, too?” she asked suddenly.

“I was,” you admitted. “And then I had you.”

Her brows furrowed. “So you don’t hunt the bad guys anymore?”

“Well, I gotta be home to keep you safe.”

“Who keeps everyone safe, then? There’s lots of monsters, we need lots of hunters.”

“There are lots of hunters. Sam and Dean are hunters, too.”

“So every time they leave they’re out hunting?”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re at home.”

“Yeah…”

“So they could get hurt because you’re not helping them?”

Ouch. “It’s not like that, sweetie. Someone has to be home to take care of you.”

“I go to school now,” she countered. “And we have friends.” She nodded to the other women. “There are people who can take care of me while you go to work. Back in the other world you would work really late and Cliffy would take care of me.”

“Back in the other world I didn’t have to worry about monsters.”

“There’s monsters everywhere, Mummy. Just because there’s vampires here doesn’t mean this world is more dangerous.”

Your daughter’s intelligence often surprised you. The way she could so easily understand and accept things… it amazed you. But then you’d remember who her father was and it all made a little more sense.

“You should hunt, and you should help Jody find De and Sammy.” Her mind was made up, there was no getting out of it now.

“Okay.” You nodded. “Okay.” Getting to your feet, you turned to everyone else. “You heard the girl. We’ve got some Winchesters to save.”

Donna smiled widely. “You got yourself a strong girl there.”

Pride filled you as you looked down at Dakota who was now standing strong and determined. “I know.”

“Anywho, so, I brought the basics.” Donna turned to the back of her truck and opened it up, revealing a trunk full of weapons.

“Ooh!”

You reached out to put an arm in front of your daughter. “Look with your eyes, not with your hands.”

“Why do you have all this?” Patience asked as she stepped up to the trunk.

“I’m from Minnesota.” Donna shrugged, smiling widely once more.

“Kaia,” Jody called, catching your attention. “Where were you when this went down with Sam and Dean?”

“I don’t know.” Kaia shook her head. “We were heading west out of Mankato towards Sioux Falls.”

“So Route 14,” Donna filled in.

Kaia went on, “We got run off the road. We pulled into an abandoned boatyard, I didn’t see a sign.”

Alex pulled out her phone and did a quick search. “There’s a Larsen Brothers shipyard just off Route 14, shut down in ’08.”

Jody looked to Donna. “We’ll check it out?”

“Yeah.” Donna gave a quick nod.

“I’m going, too,” you told them.

“Okie, but what about…?” Donna gestured to Dakota.

“I got her.” Patience stepped over to your daughter. “I’m not much of a fighter, and someone has to make sure she’s safe.”

Shrugging, Donna reached into the back of her truck and pulled out a shotgun. “You ever used one of these?” she asked Patience, who promptly shook her head. Donna stepped up to her and handed the gun over. “Aim in their general direction, relax and squeeze. Squeeze, don’t pull.”

Patience looked down at the gun with uncertainty. “I don’t-”

“I would feel safer if you had that with you,” you noted. “Here.” Stepping up to her, you handed your car keys over. “When things get crazy, get in the car and drive. Don’t stop. If they’ve caught our scent they’ll follow the cars. If you keep moving you shouldn’t need the gun, but you should still have it just in case.”

“Just in case.” She nodded slowly. “Okay.”

...

Donna was looking out of her window with some binoculars, checking out the abandoned shipyard.

“You think this is the place?”

“Oh yeah, you betcha.” Donna reached back to hand you the binoculars.

Taking them, you looked out at the yard and instantly spotted Baby. “This is the place.”

Seeing her out there, alone, it broke your heart. Dean would never leave his car. Ever.

Not needing anymore evidence to know if this was where you needed to be or not, you climbed out of the car. The two other women were right behind you, jumping out and heading for the back of the pickup. Donna handed out some guns before you all started for the shipyard.

You noticed a pathway by Baby that led to the large abandoned ship that was still in the water. No words were needed to be shared before you began following the path, knowing the others weren’t too far behind.

Entering the ship, you scanned the place for anything abnormal.

“There.” Jody gestured to a doorway on the next level.

From where you stood, you could see a bright glowing light coming from upstairs. The buzzing that came from the light was familiar…

Not thinking it through, you bolted.

“Y/N!” Jody called out for you.

You didn’t stop, though. You rushed up the stairs as fast as you could, taking two at a time. Reaching the next level, you followed the light and went up another level. Eventually you threw yourself around a corner, only to come to a stop when you saw it.

It looked exactly like the one Jack had stepped through when he found you.

As you stepped towards it, Donna hurried around the corner and grabbed the back of your jacket. “What are you doing?”

“Sam and Dean are in there.” You didn’t fight against her hold, but you didn’t look away from the portal either. “I need to go in there. I need to save them.”

“You need to stay alive, for your daughter.”

At the mention of Dakota, you froze.

Donna seemed to notice and went on, “What are we supposed to say to your little girl if you get stuck over there? How are we supposed to tell her that, huh?”

Jody stepped in front of you, blocking your view of the glowing vertical crack floating in the air. “If things go bad, we need to make sure you’re on this side of that portal, understood?”

You hesitated, not wanting to give in so easily. While you understood their logic, and you knew they were right, you couldn’t get passed the horrible feeling in your gut. That feeling that made you feel like a failure of a mother.

“She doesn’t even know he’s her father.”

“Then you should tell her.” Jody tilted her head to meet your gaze. “You should tell her yourself.”

The thought of leaving her without a dad and a mum… that’s what broke you. Putting yourself in danger was like second nature to you. Stepping into the role of a hunter was like stepping into yourself. With a gun in your hand, and a job to do, you felt more at home than you had in years.

But all of those things were from a life without Dakota. Being a hunter, saving the world, saving people and hunting things… you never had to worry about whether or not you made it out alive because there was never anyone you had to stay alive for. Now there was. No you had someone dependant on you, and that changed everything.

“Okay.” You nodded, relaxing, no longer on the edge of fighting against Donna’s hold to get to the portal. “Okay.”

Jody opened her mouth to respond but was cut off at the sound of something crashing down on the bottom level.

“Ah, ladies… I think we’ve got company,” Donna noted, letting your jacket go to get a better hold on her gun.

…

Moving through the ship carefully, with Jody taking the lead, you were just about to round the corner when you spotted not one but two of the creatures. Acting quickly, the three of you ducked around the corner again, pressing yourselves against the wall.

“Jeez! Is that a... umm?” Donna asked.

“Yup,” Jody answered shortly.

The sound of the monsters moving had you all falling silent and going tense. You listened, waiting as they moved about. Eventually, however, you realised they weren’t heading your way but were moving to the next room over.

Looking to each other, the three of you made up your minds without a single word. You needed to get the hell out of there, and fast. Three measly guns weren’t going to be enough to keep you alive. You needed more weapons, and backup.

Dashing towards the exit, you all carefully made your way down to the bottom level. You could see the exit, practically smell the fresh air. It was so close…

A monster snarled behind you. Turning quickly, the three of you began to shoot. Pulling the trigger over and over, trying to stop the monster as it ran towards the three of you, you shrieked as a second jumped down from the second floor.

“Come on!” Jody grabbed your arm.

You tried pulling the trigger again, only to find you were out of bullets. “Shit.” Dropping your gun, you didn’t resist any longer and let Jody tug you away as you made a break for it.

Bamby

[stereksecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @cryptomoon!

Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy!

Read on AO3

*****

Figure it Out

Stiles didn’t run into the sheriff’s department so much as stomp, carrying a bat and duffle bag filled with supplies of every kind—ranging from cold medicine to chains in cases of accidental lycanthropy.

Jordan met him by the front desk. “He’s in his office,” he said tersely. “We don’t know what’s going on, but he hasn’t spoken a word all day, he’s forwarding all calls to the rest of us, and then forty minutes ago…” He showed Stiles his phone. “He sent this.”

“He’s sending out memos?” Stiles nodded. “Okay. Keep everyone away from his office. If you don’t hear anything in ten, I might need backup.” He checked his duffle—the cold and flu meds were at the top, mixed in with tissues and large wound gauze pads and suture kits, sequestered away from the wolfsbane and mountain ash in sealed jars.

“Got it.” Jordan retreated to where the rest of the deputies were hovering.

Stiles squared his shoulders and went into the office marked “Sheriff”.

John was at his desk, reading glasses perched on his nose while he squinted at his computer. He glanced up when Stiles walked in and winced.

“What’s going on?” Stiles demanded. “What happened?”

His dad’s face sort of…twitched, mouth opening as if to respond, before he twisted his lips and grabbed a pen.

“Oh my god. Okay. Just—write it down and tell me—is it a cold, or some horrible injury? Did you sell your voice to a sea witch?”

John made a face at him and held up the paper he’d been writing on. ‘NOT A COLD. I CAN STILL TALK. MIGHT HAVE ENCOUNTERED A WITCH.’

“Well, good to know you write just like you text,” he muttered. “Okay, if you can still talk, why don’t you? And how do you know you encountered a witch?”

John sighed wearily, like these were unnecessary and inconvenient questions.

Stiles threw his hands up. “Okay, how?”

John turned his monitor around; he had the department security footage pulled up. The timestamp on the screen was from around 7 that morning. John was at a desk helping a woman with some paperwork, smiling as he spoke to her. Nothing unusual happened until she was leaving, when she shook his hand for a second too long and he flinched before she let go.

John tapped the desk, drawing Stiles’s attention to his newest note. ‘AFTER THAT, I TOOK A CALL AND THIS HAPPENED.’ He sighed heavily and lifted his office wastebasket.

It was brimming with flowers of all colors and types, some crushed, others whole.

“Uh…hang on.” Stiles frowned at the flowers. “Flowers appear when you talk?”

John grimaced, shook his head, and sighed again. “Not…exactly,” he said, fumbling over the lily that fell from his mouth. Something thunked heavily onto his desk with it. He lifted a small, red gem and showed Stiles.

Stiles’s jaw hung open like a broken hinge. “Uh, uh…okay. Wait, hang on, I need…backup…” Scott was out of town, Lydia was busy… He grimaced and poked his head out of John’s office. “Hey, Jordan could you get—buh!”

Derek crossed his arms, glowering at Stiles from beside the door.

“What, do you just eavesdrop everywhere?”

Derek’s eyes narrowed; he was somewhat rumpled, though he still wore that damn uniform well.

Ugh. “Fine, since you’re here anyway, I need your…help. Come on.”

Derek sighed through his nose and followed Stiles into the office.

Stiles flapped a hand back at Derek. “Show him the video, maybe we can find her with his-”

John was scribbling furiously before Stiles even finished speaking. ‘HE GAVE HER THE TICKET I WAS HELPING HER WITH.’

Stiles whipped around, but Derek was gaping, too. “How did you not know this?”

Derek shrugged, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

“Okay, I don’t—I don’t understand, are you both cursed? I mean, why not curse the guy who gave you a ticket instead of the guy helping you with it?”

Derek looked at John sharply, brows furrowed.

John gestured limply at the flowers.

Derek frowned harder.

Stiles yanked at his hair. “I haven’t heard of this curse, what is it doing to you? Oh, god, what if it-”

“He isn’t cursed,” Derek said suddenly, “I am.” As he spoke, no less than three lizards tumbled from his mouth. He caught them before they hit the ground, clutching them in folded fingers.

Stiles dropped his hands as a memory stirred from the deep recesses of his brain, the pieces slotting together like a puzzle. He felt his mouth twitch, fought it, and ultimately lost. He laughed his ass off. “Oh my god,” he gasped. “Derek, you were so rude to a witch that she gave you the curse of Toads.” He snickered and looked at John. “And you were apparently so nice she gave you the opposite. It’s a fairy tale curse,” he said, voice trembling. “Dad, you’re the Nice Daughter,” he giggled.

One of the lizards escaped Derek’s grasp and Stiles started laughing again.

“If you don’t stop,” Derek snarled, spewing frogs, “I swear, I’m going to-” He hiccupped out a python and fell silent.

“This is no laughing matter,” John tried, nuggets of gold and silver scattering over his desk. “We can’t exactly wander around like this.” Emeralds, sapphires, and roses dropped into the pile of gold and silver. “I don’t know enough ASL to get by for long.”

Stiles wiped his eyes. “Fine, fine, don’t get all worked up.” He bit his lip to keep from laughing again; the office was filled with flowers and lizards, gems and frogs. It was amazing. “Just…don’t talk. Give me the witch’s info so I can try to figure out how to break this curse.”

John wrote, ‘TAKE DEREK WITH YOU.’

“I got it, I don’t need help.”

Derek snorted.

Stiles glared at him. “Hey, she cursed you. I doubt seeing you is going to give her the warm and fuzzies.”

Derek lifted a brow and smirked, wide and arrogant.

Unimpressed, Stiles drawled, “I said warm and fuzzies, not hot and gooeys. She clearly doesn’t like you. If I take you with, she’ll probably make your curse worse or get pissed off.”

John dropped his head in his hands.

“I am coming with you,” Derek growled, enunciating carefully. Snakes slipped from his mouth.

“Fine, fine, just—stop.” Stiles looked around. “Uh, let’s, um, go get the witch’s address. You have that from her license, right?”

Derek nodded, so Stiles hustled him out.

“Hey, what about these-” John coughed, and something thumped heavily.

“I’m sure animal control can help, Dad, good luck!” He shoved at Derek’s shoulder to get him moving faster.

Darian Vanderpo, the witch, lived in one of the nicer suburbs in Beacon Hills and drove a red sports car.

Stiles tsked lightly. “I’m guessing she was going about eighty in a forty?”

Derek nodded seriously.

“And then, while giving her the ticket, you were lecturing her about the dangers of hurtling around in a three thousand pound hunk of metal and gasoline?”

He nodded again. “Road safety isn’t a joke!” he snapped, and two lizards scampered free.

Stiles snorted. “That’s so funny coming from you. Catch them,” he added, pointing at the lizards. “I’ll be right back.”

“Stiles-!”

He jumped out, slamming the door on Derek’s swearing. He fully expected the witch to dramatically sense him and appear on the front porch or something, so when he made it to the door unimpeded, he was a little surprised, unsure. He knocked, because what else was he supposed to do?

“Ugh, what?” The door swung open, revealing a glowering woman with a robe on, her nose red and chafed, eyes watering.

“Uh…” Stiles glanced back and swore when he saw Derek coming. “You—you cursed my, er, friend. You need to undo it.”

She stalked toward him.

He narrowed his eyes, ready to meet her nose to nose, and was thrown unceremoniously to the yard.

“I don’t have to do shit. Get off my lawn.”

Derek helped Stiles to his feet, fangs bared.

Stiles glared at her. “You can’t just go around cursing people because you’re mad you didn’t get your way.”

“Why not?” She grinned and lifted a hand.

Derek shoved Stiles out of the way, knocking him into the grass again, and braced his legs.

Darian pursed her lips, gaze flicking between them. She rolled her eyes and pulled a tissue out of her pocket, wiping her nose. “Ugh, whatever. If you bring me the ingredients for the counter curse, I’ll break it.”

Stiles got up, carefully testing his bruised hip before putting weight on it. He shot Derek a dark look. “What are they?”

“Just three things.” She fluttered the fingers of her free hand; a rolled up piece of paper dropped into her palm. “Here. Bring these to me, and I’ll break the curse.”

Derek took a step, but she backed away, glaring.

Stiles took it from her. “On my dad, too?”

Her brows furrowed. “Your dad?”

Fuck. “The sheriff.”

Her face cleared. “That isn’t a curse. It’s a blessing.”

“Uh-huh…”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, that, too. But I’m insulted.” She stomped back to her house. At the slam of her door, Stiles found himself in the jeep, seated in the driver’s seat clutching the paper she’d given them, as if he’d never gotten out.

Derek was in the backseat, strapped in with three seatbelts. “Shut up,” he muttered when Stiles laughed at him. A frog landed in his lap.

Stiles texted John that he and Derek were handling it and drove back to his place. He was dying to read the ingredients, but he had a feeling Darian wasn’t the most patient of witches, and she’d made it pretty clear that she wanted them away from her.

Stiles shooed Derek to the couch. “Stay there, don’t talk, I’ll be three seconds.” He ran to the bathroom for the mop bucket he kept with his cleaning supplies, and thrust it against Derek’s chest. “There. Keep your critters contained.”

“Thanks,” he muttered.

Stiles unrolled the paper and started reading. “‘Bathe in living water, and once cleansed, collect Nerites’ shield. Dry it out in the light of the moon.’” He looked up, frowning, but Derek gestured impatiently for him to go on. He rolled his eyes and looked back at the paper. “I can’t read the rest.” He tilted the page, squinting.

Derek snatched the paper out of his hands. Instead of trying to read it, he lifted it to his face. He scoffed and thrust it back at Stiles. “She spelled it. We probably have to complete the first thing before we can read the rest.” He caught a toad before it could escape the bucket.

“Great. What the fuck is Nerites’ shield?” He pulled out his phone and leaned against the side of the couch, tapping quickly. “He’s a shellfish,” he muttered. “That’d have to be abalone, wouldn’t it?”

Derek blinked at him, then smirked. “I forgot how quick you are at that.” He grimaced deeply as more frogs came loose.

“Uh-huh. Here’s hoping that’s actually what she meant. Let me go get you some water.” Stiles left the room at a quick clip, filling a cup at the dispenser, and fortifying himself. “Okay, frog mouth, let’s get to work.”

Derek glared at him.

“What? We’ve got to go to the ocean, get a shell, and dry it out in the light of the moon. So we have to get it before dark,” he explained slowly, annoyed. “So it can dry all night.”

“Oh. Alright.” The lizard that scampered out with those words had blood on it this time.

Stiles caught it. “Did you bite him?” he demanded, but it didn’t have any visible injuries.

Derek shook his head, looking puzzled.

Stiles released it into the bucket. “Come on,” he said slowly. “We should go so we have time.” He updated John and checked that he was doing okay before they hit the road.

They swung by Derek’s apartment so he could change, then headed out of town with towels, the paper, and Derek’s newly emptied bucket.

The beach was fairly empty when they arrived—considering it was December and about 53 degrees, this wasn’t that surprising.

“This is going to suck,” Stiles muttered as they walked out into the sand.

Derek shook his head. “I’ll get in the water. You’ll freeze,” he added.

“I can handle it. Besides, I think I’m supposed to do it. She wouldn’t let you take it, remember?”

“She doesn’t like me, and I’m a werewolf she just cursed. She was probably worried I’d rip her throat out.”

“Well…”

He glowered.

Stiles patted his shoulder. “You stay up here so you can warm me up when I get out, lizard lips.”

“I hope you step on seaweed,” Derek hissed.

Stiles laughed as he yanked his shoes off. “Well, you’ll certainly know if I do. The code word will be, “Argh!” and I will levitate.” He tossed his shirt on his socks and shoes, followed by his jeans. “Oh, god, this is going to suck.” He sucked in a huge breath, embraced the goosebumps all over his body, and ran. “Oh, holy motherfucking balls,” he cursed as he hit the water, but he didn’t let himself stop. “Dear purple licking son of a bitching hag, oh my god, I hope she suffocates on her own snot.” He got in up to his ribs and dunked himself under, then looked back at the shore. Derek was bent over his knees, laughing and just pouring reptiles and toads from his face.

“Dick!” Stiles shouted. He was shivering so hard, his jaw didn’t want to open, so he took the opportunity to wonder how long he had to stay in the water. The paper had just said “bathe”. He halfheartedly went under again, longer so that his hair was fully saturated, then bounced back up. He shuddered, swearing, and wiped water out of his eyes. Now he just had to miraculously find an abalone shell. Sure. Did it need to be whole? There were plenty of fractured ones around.

He spent three minutes searching, then started back to shore. “I’ll t-try again later, I’m too c-cold. I have to—ow!” He’d stepped on something. Without pausing to think, he curled his toes around it and lifted it to his pruned, half-frozen hands. “Yes!”

On shore, Derek grabbed a towel and ran for the water. He met Stiles in the shallows, wrapping him up tight in a warm towel.

“How’d you keep it so warm?” he wondered dazedly, letting Derek usher him to the jeep.

“I put it under my shirt.” He shoved Stiles into the jeep and cranked the heat.

Stiles used the edge of the towel to wipe his eyes. “I got the shell, go get the paper.” He sniffled. “I can’t believe how easily I found that shell, that was awesome.”

Derek just nodded. He flipped another towel over Stiles’s head, scrubbing over his hair for a second before grabbing the paper and unrolling it. “Says-”

A frog landed on Stiles’s lap, making him flinch. “Dude! Where’s your bucket?”

He grimaced and backed away, holding the instructions out to him.

Stiles took the paper between two fingers. “‘Burn jasmine, bay, and wintergreen, waft in circular motions, and put ashes into moon-dried shell.’ So we have to wait until after it’s dry.”

Derek held his hands up near his mouth. “We could go get the herbs we need now so when we can use them, we have them.” He dumped all of the critters into the bucket at his feet.

Stiles nodded. “Let me get dressed, there’s one of those new age-y incense shops up the road, next to that gas station that should have all of those.” He squeezed the towel tighter around himself for a moment before throwing it off.

They decided to stay near the beach, just in case the third set of instructions required anything nearby. They put the shell on the hood of the jeep and Derek made an illegal campfire for them to keep warm as it got dark. This left them in awkward silence, eating from family sized bags of Doritos and fending off the seagulls brave enough to try to take Derek’s food.

Stiles wasted time texting John an update, filling Scott in, and browsing social media, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t multitask, and it was awkward just sitting there. “So…how’re things as a deputy?”

Derek lifted his brows.

Stiles shrugged. “It’s just weird, seeing you with a real, actual job, let alone as law enforcement.”

“Thanks,” he said dryly.

“You didn't exactly make a good first impression, you set the bar pretty low.”

“While you decided to throw the whole bar out.”

Stiles sneered at him. “Can’t fail to meet expectations if there aren’t any.”

Derek laughed. “Don’t be stupid, you don’t fail at anything.” He turned away swiftly, flicking a Dorito at a seagull.

Stiles looked down, smiling to himself.

They took turns napping in the jeep until, while Derek was sleeping, dawn began to creep up on them. Stiles figured he’d leave Derek to sleep while he was burning them and grabbed the herbs. He’d bundled them together after they’d bought them, so he just snatched the lighter he kept in his duffle and crept away from the jeep. He glanced back, but Derek was still asleep in the passenger seat, head tipped against the glass, fogging up the window.

Stiles lit the bundle and grabbed the shell. He flipped it over so the cupped part was facing upwards and began wafting. They didn’t burn as quickly as he’d expected, a slow smolder with lots of smoke, which made it easy for him to follow the circles with the shell, catching the ashes as he went.

They were half burned when Derek lurched out of the jeeps, boots sliding in the sand, and caught Stiles around the waist, yanking him off balance and burning the tips of his fingers.

“Hey, quit it!” He managed to keep from spilling the ashes by planting his feet. “What’re you doing? Stop!”

Derek let go, panting, and stepped around in front of him. He glanced at the burning herbs in his hand. “What the hell, Stiles,” he snapped.

“Excuse me, did you want to keep spitting up pythons for the rest of your life?”

His nose twitched, but he didn’t respond.

Stiles looked at the smoldering herbs in his hand, burning toward his already overheated fingertips. “Oh. Sorry. I thought you’d sleep through it.” He avoided Derek’s gaze by focusing on wafting the smoke in circles.

Derek muttered something and stalked away.

Stiles tapped the last of the ashes into the shell and leaned into the jeep to put it in a cup holder so they wouldn’t blow away. He caught up to Derek by the water, shoving his hands deep into his hoodie pockets. “Hey, I’m sorry. I thought I could get it done before you woke up.”

Derek shook his head. “Thanks. I was confused,” he added defensively, and a lizard fell from his mouth. They watched it scamper over his boot and then out of sight. “That’s all.”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, totally. You were sleeping, couldn’t have known.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Let’s go get that third ingredient so you can throw away your promising future career of providing the entire reptilian cast for Snakes on a Plane 2.”

Derek kicked water at him, making him howl with fury, and raced him back to the jeep.

The paper was stashed in the middle console, rolled up around a pen. Stiles glanced over it and grunted.

“What?” Derek caught the frog before it could hit the ground.

“‘River clay mixed with the blood of the gatherer. Mix with the ashes and put all in the shell.’ Ugh, I knew I was gonna have to do something gross for this.”

“Why you?” Derek snapped.

“Blood of the gatherer, dude. I got the shell, I bought the herbs—and I’ll definitely be getting the river clay.” He glowered at the instructions. “Gross. At least it probably doesn’t need much blood.”

“No,” Derek muttered, “wouldn’t want that.” He sputtered slightly over a little green snakes with red spatters all over it.

Stiles stiffened, eyeing it while Derek didn’t seem to notice or care. “Just…get your phone and find us a river, dude.” He shook his head and went to his side of the car. He leaned against the door to check on John, paranoid that he, too, was spitting up blood.

John merely sent a photo of his desk, which was piled with gems of various colors and sizes, gold, silver, and flowers.

‘Congrats,’ Stiles responded, ‘you can retire now.’

John didn’t find that very funny.

“Found one,” Derek called. “Turning on the-” he coughed- “GPS.”

Stiles glanced at him through the windows and wondered if he suspected what Stiles suspected—that the curse was doing more harm than just inconveniencing him.

The river was off some obscure hiking trail and was very small, but it was in fact marked “Forthead River” so he guessed it counted. He gathered the clay into an empty cup he’d had in the backseat.

The shell wouldn’t hold nearly that much, but he figured having extra wouldn’t hurt, just in case they messed up. Then came the real problem.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “So it’s okay for you to ask me to cut your arm off, but I can’t ask you to cut my arm a little?”

Derek glared. “Would you let that go? And it’s different.”

“How? Because it isn’t you?”

“You’re human,” he said, spitting a frog out without even flinching, which was frankly impressive. “I’m not asking you to bleed for me, and I’m certainly not cutting you.”

“One, I’ve bled for you before, and worse, and two, you’re being unreasonable.”

“How’s that?”

“I don’t have anything sharp enough to draw blood and you know how I feel about blood, so you’re—you’re being—mean!”

Derek’s jaw dropped. “Mean? Are you in third grade?”

“Yep. You’re being mean.” Stiles pointed at the reptiles and frogs at their feet. “Now, do you want to stop that or not?” He walked back to the jeep before Derek could answer. “I have bandages and peroxide, we’ll be fine.” He smiled when he heard Derek following him.

“How much do we need?” he muttered while Stiles was digging through his bag for the bandages.

“Uhh, we’ll go with enough to mix with a bit of the clay.” Stiles shrugged. “I don’t know how witchcraft works.”

“Uh-huh.”

Stiles took his top two layers off and rolled his sleeve up. “Okay, I have another cup here-”

“Why?”

“-because I’m prepared for everything, so we’ll try to get the blood in that, add a little bit of the clay at a time, and see what happens.” He moved so he was sitting in the jeep and held his arm out. “Okay. Hit me with your best shot.”

Derek made a disgusted face at him.

Stiles shrugged. “What? I’m nervous. I could just swoon if you’d prefer.”

He just rolled his eyes and took Stiles’s arm, turning it gently as he chose a spot.

Stiles averted his gaze. “Um, so, make it, y’know, deep enough to bleed, so we only have to go once. But, obviously, not deep enough that I’ll need stitches,” he squeaked.

Derek muttered something, and sharp pain lit up Stiles’s arm just a second before numbness spread. “Sorry, I tried to do it at the same time.” His thumb pressed gently into the bend of Stiles’s elbow, rubbing. “Gonna need the cup.”

Stiles passed it over without looking. The only thing worse than blood was his own blood. He felt Derek pressing and prodding at the cut to coax more blood free and hoped they wouldn’t need to make another cut.

“I think that’s enough,” Derek said in a strangled voice. He set the cup beside the tire and turned around to cough out two snakes. They were both bloodied.

Stiles grimaced and turned his attention to cleaning and covering the cut on his arm. It was smaller than he’d been expecting, stirring concern that it wasn’t enough to make the spell work. He grabbed the cup of clay and a butter knife, hopping out to combine and stir.

Only a little would fit in the shell, even tightly packed, so they’d certainly gotten enough blood. Stiles wrinkled his nose as he studied the poor shell. “Ugh, I hope she’s not gonna make you eat this or anything.”

“Gross.” Derek looked at the shell cupped in Stiles’s palm and grimaced.

“At least you won’t be spitting up Kermit every time you speak anymore,” Stiles pointed out. “Not that you talk that much anyway.”

“Who can get a word in edgewise when you’re around?”

“I let people speak when they have something worthwhile to say, and since you’re currently spewing snakes like the Chamber of Secrets, well…”

“There was only one snake in the Chamber of Secrets,” Derek said after a second.

“Yeah, that wasn’t my best work.” Stiles jerked his shoulder. “Come on, I need some coffee so I can insult you properly.”

They were halfway to town when Derek said, “Thank you.”

Stiles glanced at him. “For what? You bought the coffee.”

“For helping me.”

“Only the best for the fine deputies of Beacon County,” Stiles said lightly.

“Are you a faerie?” Derek blurted.

Stiles frowned. “Uh—what? In what context?”

“Fey. The Fair Folk. Because you have this maddening habit of just never accepting thanks and I’d like to know if you have fey magic before I strangle you.”

After a few long moments of silence, Stiles said, “You’re welcome,” as casually as he could.

They both started laughing hard enough that he had to pull over for a minute.

John looked dubious when they met outside of Darian’s house. “You two look like you’re in good spirits.” He had a bucket of his own to catch the flowers and gems he was dropping.

“Just ridiculously tired,” Stiles chirped.

“And caffeinated.”

John shook his head and shrugged, waiting beside the jeep as they climbed out.

Stiles took his duffle bag up with him to ring the bell, since he wasn’t sure how she would react this time. John and Derek stood to his right, tense.

Darian looked like she was still sick; she bared her teeth when she saw them. “What?” she croaked.

Stiles held the shell out to her. “I got everything you asked for.”

“What?” she snapped.

“For breaking my friend’s curse,” he said through his teeth. “You said if we got this stuff, you’d-”

“Right.” She snatched the shell, looking shifty, and set it on something out of sight next to the door. She frowned, shooting Derek a disgusted look. “All you had to do was kiss, you morons.”

Derek and John looked at each other with open horror.

Stiles felt revulsion run so deeply through him that he couldn’t do more than wheeze.

“Goddess,” Darian muttered. “Not him, the other one.” She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. “There. Curse gone.” She turned her head away to cough violently into her elbow.

“Is mine gone, too—Well,” John said, looking pleased, “guess that answers that. Thanks.”

Stiles narrowed his eyes. “Derek?”

“I think I’m good,” he said, unimpeded by reptiles. He looked puzzled, staring at Darian.

“You didn’t actually need any of that stuff, did you?” Stiles growled.

Darian shot him a flat look. “For that curse? No.” She scoffed. “What kind of witch do you think I am that I can’t break a curse I cast without tools?” She sniffled and wiped her nose on her balled up tissues, then looked over at Derek. “You. You’re incredibly rude and apparently pretty dense.”

“Hey,” Stiles snapped, “you’re the one cursing people because you have a cold.”

John shifted his feet awkwardly, like he wasn’t sure if he should try to diffuse the situation or not.

Darian studied Stiles, then stepped over to Derek, lifting a finger and pointing at him like a scolding teacher. “People don’t wade into the ocean in December, hold fire, and bleed for just anybody. Get it together.”

Stiles darted a quick, nervous look at him, and winced when he saw the blank expression on his face; his cheeks had reddened, eyebrows had drawn down, but that was it. He swallowed.

Darian hmphed and stalked back to the door.

Stiles said, “Wait!” without thinking it through. When she turned toward him, he dug the cold/flu meds out of his duffle bag. “Here. Thanks.” He shoved it into her hands.

She looked at the box, frowning, so they all made a quick retreat while she was distracted.

“Well,” Stiles said cheerily at the cars. “That was awesome, glad it’s done. Dad, you can drive Derek, right? Great!” He jumped in the jeep and drove off before they could answer.

Unfortunately, recently cursed or not, Derek was still a werewolf, and beat Stiles to his apartment. He was sitting outside when Stiles got there. “I told your dad that I didn’t need a ride,” he said casually.

“I guess,” Stiles muttered. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, rubbed a hand over his head, and sighed irritably. “What?”

“What?” Derek repeated.

“What do you want? You’re just…sitting there.”

Derek stood.

“Not what I meant, asshole.” He scuffed his shoe, then shrugged and decided to bluff his way through the awkwardness. “Whatever, I’m starving, do what you want.” He unlocked his door with stiff, uncomfortable movements, acutely aware of how close Derek was standing. Fucking witches.

Predictably, Derek followed him inside. “I just wanted to talk to you,” he said once the door was shut.

Stiles spun around to face him with a wide, almost manic grin. “Okay. You’re talking. What’s up?”

“About what the witch said,” he said slowly.

“Oh, the ‘get it together’ thing? I don’t know, man, I think she was wrong, I mean, you’ve got a job and an apartment with an entire roof now, I think you’ve got it together.”

“Stiles-” He stepped toward him.

Stiles threw his hands up. “She wasn’t wrong,” he said, “I’m your friend and I’d do anything for my friends. Okay?” His voice sounded light to the point of fragile, even to him. Why’d she have to do that? he thought desperately. We were fine. They only saw each other rarely, and Stiles was happy in his bubble of denial, and then he’d helped someone out and here he was, having a crisis over feelings? Over Derek? He wished he could curse her.

“Okay,” Derek said gently. “Do you want me to go?”

Stiles started to say yes—too much to risk right now, there was a lot happening—when he noticed, on the table by the door where he kept his keys, the damn shell, still filled with clay and ashes and Stiles’s own blood, which he’d let Derek draw. “No,” he said, “you could stay for dinner.”

They ended up making out on the couch and burning the stir fry Stiles was making, but it was worth so much more than the price of the pizza. Even if Derek shoved Stiles right off the couch when he said, “Mmm, talk froggy to me,” mid kiss.

[writingforthepack]

Beacon Hill’s New Alpha Prologue

Alpha!Reader 

ReaderxStiles(platonic)

Author’s Note: This chapter acts as background for the rest of the series. A few of your favorite Teen Wolf characters (which I don’t own the rights to or whatever) will be introduced in this chapter but the entire pack will be introduced next chapter. 

The fading sunset peeking through the foliage, the running water of a creek nearby, chirping cicadas and groaning frogs.

You had walked this trail thousands of time with your Aunt but something felt off tonight. You continued your leisurely trek as she rambled on about her coworker's antics.

"I couldn't believe it she had swallowed the entire fax machine-"

"yeah good old Miranda" you muttered, still lost in thought.

Your Aunt gave you a quizzical look. "So you really have not been listening for the last 10 minutes have you?"

"uh- well I mean I remember what you said about Jim's new beard and how it makes him look like a gnome." you stuttered.

"So you haven't been listening for the past 15 minutes!" Aunt Jane threw her head back and laughed.

Jane had been taking care of you for almost as long as you could remember. She was the only family you had and that was more than okay with you, you cherished her more than anyone else on this planet. She was nearing her 40's but her fun energy always made her seem a bit younger.

 You didn't like to talk about what happened to your parents. You doubted anyone wanted to hear about your father's absence since the beginning and how your mother died from cancer when you were young. Not exactly what you'd call a lighthearted conversation.

 "I'm sorry," you chuckled, "I've just had a lot on my mind with school lately"

She raised her eyebrows "oooh boys?"

"Biological sciences" you correct, stepping over a root with a small laugh.

 This was the part of the path that always got a bit more dense and bumpy, it didn't help that the sun was staring to rapidly set. The brush was starting to catch on your ankles and the bugs were nipping on your limbs.

 You both had quickened your pace, you assumed it was to get out of the woods before the bugs got to bad but your gut was telling you there was something more.

"Is it just me or do you get the feeling something is following us" you whisper.

"Seriously? Are you trying to get casted in a horror movie because that is so-" Jane stops in her tracks looking ahead of her.

"Jane?" you follow her line of vision, a few yards into the brush on your right two scarlet orbs float in the darkness. Eyes? You question before it charges at the two of you.

You get knocked to the ground as you watch a hand clasp around Jane's leg and drag her deeper into the brush, her screams echoing throughout the secluded pathway.

"NO!" you yell, pushing yourself up and stumbling to where you heard her.

You're met with the sight of your aunt collapsed on the ground, her head pushed to the side and her glassy eyes open but unfocused. A figure of a man is hunched over her in an animalistic manner as he digs his hands through a gash in the body's side.

Not the body

Jane's body.

You grab a nearby fallen branch and charge the man-creature?

You bring it over his head splintering the branch but the creature seems unaffected as he sets his scarlet eyes on you.

Shit

His arm pins you to the ground by your throat and you feel the other grasp your arm. You feel a sharp pain in your shoulder but everything seemed to be spinning. All you knew was that you couldn't go out like this. Your free arm reaches to your side trying to find anything to defend yourself with.

Your hand grasps around a stone the size of your fist and you don't waste any time before bringing it over his head.

It disorients him enough for you to push him off of your body. You stood over him, he gave a sick bloody smile as he started to push his body up.  You didn’t give him the chance bringing the rock over his head with all the might left in your body.

The scarlet fades from his eyes as you let out a sob, crawling over to Jane's body you cradle it and continue crying.

You try to wipe your tears away as you pull your phone from your pocket, ignoring the blood on your hands and the way they shook as you dial for the police.

"Beacon Hills Sheriff Station, what's your emergency?"

You open your mouth but no words come out  all you could do is stare at the scene before you, thoughts rushing through your mind. What the hell is happening?

The world seemed to fade away as the events of what just happened played on a loop in your head.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You sat in the back of the EMT still in shock.

The police had traced the call and arrived. They guided you out of the woods, getting you checked out by the paramedics. They said there wasn't a scratch on you although you could have sworn there being a wound on your shoulder a few moments prior to your check up.

A deputy with kind eyes who’s nameplate read "Parrish", had stopped by a bit ago to try and get a statement from you but all you could sputter out was "his eyes, his eyes were glowing" which made him back away cautiously and pull the sheriff aside, probably to discuss how I sounded absolutely crazy. 

Maybe you were crazy, the image of the red fading from the creature's eyes haunted your thoughts. At least it was clear everything that had happened was out of self defense.

 The sound of boots on gravel finally shook you from the vision taking over your mind. Sheriff must have finished his discussion with Parrish.

"So glowing eyes huh" he sighed.

You gave a small nod.

He gives you a once over before speaking again

"Well seeing as we don't know why this specific pair of glowing eyes

 were set on you we should-"

"I'm sorry did I hear that right? GLOWING EYES?!!

You look at the teenage boy in front of you, to call him energetic would be an understatement. He seemed to be a ball of energy from his high tops to his spiked hair.

Sheriff pulls him back from the ambulance by his arm. "Stiles what the hell are you doing here?"

To be fair you had been wondering the same thing.

"Oh hey Dad didn't see you there."

Dad? I guess that makes a bit more sense you thought to yourself

"Under any other circumstance I would be unmeasurably pissed about you snooping around crime scenes but seeing as I'm still relatively new to this…other world, I could use backup"

Okay that was enough to snap you out of your stupor.

"Um I'm sorry, how did you become sheriff if you're new and isn't your backup right behind you in uniforms and why are you asking a teenager for help regarding a murder case. Because that's what happened remember? My aunt was murdered right in front of me…" you couldn't stop the tears from spilling down your face as you spiraled.

The kid crouched in front of you and offered you a piece of gauze as a tissue. His voice softened "Hey y/n was it? y/n we're going to take care of you alright?"

Why was this kid being so nice to you.

Sheriff spoke again "speaking of which, do you have anyone you can stay with for tonight just so you aren't alone?"

"I am alone, it was just my Aunt and I" you sniffled

The two in front of you exchange a look.

"You can stay with us." Sheriff states.

"What?" you say slightly miffed.

Stiles rises back up. "Yeah, Well you see a lot is going to change in the near future, and we want to help you as you go through this transformation." He gestured a lot towards his father throughout his explanation.

You stand up, tired of his antics.

"Listen, I appreciate the concern but I think that I can handle this on my own". You turn to Sheriff, "Am I free to go?"

He gives a slight nod and you sprint to your car, ignoring  Stile's squabbles behind you.

You drive the familiar route to you apartment and make it in the door. As soon as you stepped in the door memories flooded your memory all at once. The kitchen table where Jane helped you with your math homework. The couch where so many nights were spent watching stupid rom coms. It was all too much, you collapse against the wooden door and settle on the cool floor letting the tears fall.

You allow yourself to grieve for a moment before going to your room to pack a bag.

You couldn't be back here, not yet.

You drive to the Police Station and had barely made it in the door before being greeted by an overly excited Stiles.

"Hey! Hey Y/N. Whatcha doing here"

"I've decided to take you guys up on your offer"

 his eyes travel down to your duffle bag before awkwardly stumbling into his Dad's office to let him know.

"Alright let's get going" he said swinging his car keys.

You parked your car in the road and met Stiles by the front door.

"This is weird" you state.

"What never been to a sleepover?" he jokes and you shoot him a glare.

"I mean I just met you and now I'm staying with you"

"Hey don't worry about it" he says guiding you into the house to the guest room, "Maybe tomorrow you could even meet my friends."

"We'll see" you say mustering up a small smile.

"Well bathroom's  right there if you want to wash up and the rest is here"

"Thank you" you say. "For everything"

"Goodnight Y/N"

"Goodnight Stiles"

[ahnsael]

Semi-long post, but no “read more” because I’m just too ANGRY to even bother.

So...we have a guy who comes into my work once in a while Maybe two-three times a week (although I only saw him once this work week, and he left without being served before I could tell him he wasn’t welcome).

He’s usually already VERY drunk when he arrives. Once in a while, he’s not, and we’ll sell him a beer or two before we decide he’s had enough (he’s “perma-drunk” enough that it doesn’t take much to get him back to his normal drunken state). I mean, we’re a casino. We usually give away drinks for free. But this guy doesn’t gamble, so we make him pay for his drinks. Despite what some people think about drinking in casinos, we’re not an open bar. Maybe it’s different in Reno or Vegas, but...we’re a small casino in a small town. We’re GOING to notice, when there are less than 10 people in the casino, when you’re asking for a drink but not gambling (or, in the case of other people we charge for drinks, if you’re gambling 1¢ per game, in which case we’re gonna charge you for your drink -- we have certain levels of gambling you have to meet if we’re gonna comp you a drink).

But we’re also not “all-you-can-drink.” We do our best to serve responsibly. Even our big gamblers have to wait 20 minutes between drinks. The human body can process two drinks per hour, so even at 20 minutes in between, we’re serving more than the body can process in an hour -- but we don’t mind people getting tipsy (if they have a designated driver)...that’s good for business, in all honesty, in the casino game. But...what’s bad for business is letting people get HAMMERED and creeping out other guests (or our staff).

When we cut this person off (we know his name, but we mostly refer to him as “Tall Guy” since he’s about 7′ tall), it’s final for the night. Which the shift before me, knowing that I have dealt with this jerk many times, is very good about telling me that he’s been there and that they cut him off or refused to serve him due to him already being drunk when he showed up.

I mean, even when this guy is deemed okay for a drink or two at my work until we cut him off, he then walks to another casino a couple blocks away and drinks more there until THEY cut him off (and they take WAY longer to cut someone off than we do), and then he comes back to our casino to try to drink more. I’ve honestly turned this guy down for drinks WAY more often than we’ve served him.

I tried to talk one of my bosses into letting us permanently cut him off -- just not serve him any alcohol, ever, no matter how sober he may seem. I lost that battle. To be fair to this boss, he fought the same battle over someone else, and lost that battle to HIS boss, so he was basically just giving me the same answer he got.

But last week, on one of my days off, he came in. Drunk, of course.

Our other graveyard manager is a lady. And he came in on my night off and was not just hitting on her, but following her around after she said she wasn’t interested, accused her of “leading him on” (trust me, I know this lady -- she does NOT lead people on; she’s not looking for a man), and apparently badgered her for quite a while during her shift. She has been nice to him in the past because IT’S OUR JOB TO BE NICE TO PEOPLE. And she’s been on the job for maybe 5 months. It took me three years in this job to realize that sometimes you HAVE to be an asshole to people (like one guy last night, different guy than the one I’m talking about, who came in drunk off his keister, and got mad and me for not being willing to give him a beer even though he was gambling; he said “why can’t I get a beer?” and while all my Disney training says to respond in a kind and non-confrontational way, my current state of mind had me ready with my reply of “because you’re already drunk” -- no sugarcoating required on a casino graveyard shift; when he argued that he wasn’t drunk, I just replied with “yes, you are” and walked away).

I found out about this situation four days ago from another guest who was there and saw it. The next day, the manager involved texted me to tell me about it herself (which I was glad she did, because the guest who told me about it is known to embellish things). And I unfortunately know this guy well enough from his past behavior in the casino to know, once she told me about it and it wasn’t hearsay from another guest, that it’s true. I don’t NEED Tall Guy’s side of the story (even if he actually remembers it in his perma-drunk state).

I’ve been nice to this guy in the past. It led to my first dates in 11 years (not with him, obviously), but more on that below.

So I reminded our other grave manager when I worked with her this week that she DOES have the power to 86 this guy for up to 72 hours without getting higher approval. I also showed her how to get our county sheriff’s department (the non-emergency line) on speed dial, which I have programmed into our wireless phones (obviously if she feels in danger 9-1-1 is best) in case she doesn’t have time to look up their non-emergency number, and told her that if this happens again when I’m not there to help, CALL THEM. And if she wants to 86 him, CALL THEM before she presents the trespass notice so a deputy or two can be there in case he has the urge to react in a stupid way -- he’s usually good at rejection from me, when I refuse to serve him or ask him to leave, but...given what I learned about him this week, that may not be the case with my other grave manager (and honestly it pisses me off more that he reacts differently to her if I’m not there than he does to me when I am there than anything else -- if he’s treating her as “less-than” because she has boobs, that is inexcusable). In this county, at least, deputies are MORE THAN HAPPY to back us up on stuff like this (and, trust me, I much prefer being on their good side to being on their bad side -- they LOVE doing their jobs).

But, aside from policy and aside from “call the cops if you need them,” the next time I see this guy, he and I are going to have some SERIOUS words with each other.

I mean, it’s gonna be off the record. I’m not going to report it unless it escalates (and I will grab my cell phone, which I’m not supposed to carry at work, just in case I need to call for backup, though I doubt I will need it), and it will be on surveillance since the door I take him out of leads to an area that is covered by several cameras, but...the next time I see him, which will likely be within the next week, I’m going to ask him to accompany me outside for a conversation, so I can do this out of the view/hearing of our other guests. And then I am going to verbally LAY INTO HIM. In more crass terms, I’m going to CHEW HIS ASS OUT.

I had to clarify with the other manager last night that when I said I was going to “take him outside and have words with him” that I wasn’t saying I was going to take him outside and beat him up. Even though I kind of want to, that’s not my style. I’d rather use words than fists. And I’m honestly probably more effective that way in an altercation.

I mean, on the off chance that he does square up against me, I am confident in my ability against him (I’m not overly confident in my fighting abilities overall, and would rather not test them, but if it came to that and deputies couldn’t get there in time, this guy is perma-drunk enough that I’m pretty sure I could fake an uppercut or left hook and then go for his knees to take him down, and hopefully hold him in place until the law arrived).

But I’m gonna go off on him. He can NOT treat my fellow employees like that. Manager or not. He cannot keep bugging guests, like he was doing before I tried to get my boss to let me permanently cut him off from alcohol.

(Come to think of it, I think I’m going to make the solo call to permanently cut him off anyway, despite my boss -- who has never seen this guy -- saying no; that’s a liability that we do NOT need, and I’d rather get in trouble for refusing to sell someone a $2.50 beer than to end up on the hook for him doing something stupid after we served him alcohol -- the basic rule of running a bar is that if someone does something stupid, or gets hurt, or worse, hurts someone else while drunk, it’s on the last place that served them, unless they were drinking out of a bottle at home in which case there’s no bar to blame).

But...

I mean, this is the guy who set me up on the two dates I had a few months ago (and then immediately acted like he was jealous that she was going to go out with me when she wouldn’t go out with him, even though HE was the one who tried to get us together). He later told me he tried to set me up with her because he had offered her a place to stay, and he hoped that after a couple dates I’d let her move in with me so he could get her out of his house (I’ve learned to know better than to do that -- through experience). She moved on from his house before our second date and was staying with a co-worker -- she wasn’t for me, but she WAS smart enough to get away from this asshole.

So...aside from the fact that I’ve had to tell this guy on at least a dozen occasions that I’m not going to let him drink at our casino because he’s already drunk as heck, I’ve got history with him.

And I’m DONE being nice to him, regardless of his blood alcohol content when he shows up.

I can handle my own stuff (most of the time, until about 6-10 years later when I have a total meltdown like I did recently -- but since I just had one I’m hoping I should be good for a while now). But...you fuck with my co-worker? You’ve fucked with me, whether you meant to or not.

I had a TERRIBLE co-worker’s back when a regular guest flirted with her to the point it made her uncomfortable (in that case, he was pretty much harmless, but I had to tell him to back off, but in a friendly non-confrontational “Please lay off on that, she’s not comfortable with that kind of flirting” sort of way).

But this situation is different. Tall Guy followed this other manager around wherever she went. He kept interrupting her while she was doing regulatory things that she HAS to do. He told her that she was LEADING HIM ON because she’s been nice to him in the past -- but IT’S OUR JOB TO BE NICE TO PEOPLE. She ended up hiding in the women’s restroom to get away from him. And I CANNOT have my co-workers having to fear dealing with our guests. That’s not on her, she’s a strong woman who, in the time we’ve worked together, I’ve seen stand up to things that I would struggle with. This is ENTIRELY on this one asshole who doesn’t know when to say when -- on alcohol, or on interpersonal communications. Because no matter how many times she excused herself, or how blatant she was about “I have work to do, leave me alone,” he just kept at it.

So...the next time I see this guy, I’m going to tell him that he is not welcome in our casino. I don’t have the power to permanently 86 someone, but I’m going to pretend that I do, and I’m just going to start issuing 72 hours trespass notices as many times as it takes for him to take the hint. And if he comes in DURING one of those 72-hour periods, I’m going to have him arrested for trespassing.

But none of that is going to happen until I have my chance to CHEW HIM OUT. I don’t know that I can teach him manners, but I’m certainly going to let him know that he lacks them.