#and then her husband shows up and hands her a new replacement baby and says 'oh yeah marcia gave him to me'

[chaos-has-theories]

⭐️⭐️

OKAY OKAY HI :DDD for the director's cut ask thingy

The Long Way Home, because it's my longest fic yet, and while I'd already like to edit some of it it has a very special place in my heart <3

I give you: the mess that is Marcia/Cerys/Milo.

Except today, Madam Marcia had shown up, and had argued with Cerys. That part wasn’t unusual, but this time she’d at least half-way won the argument: His mother had stood back with crossed arms while Marcia had explained to Septimus that Cerys wasn’t his mother, and neither was Milo his father. (chapter 2)

When Madam Marcia had arrived to warn them about the Hunter, Cerys had tried to take her into the Sitting Room in which they usually shouted at each other. Marcia had refused, and had also stopped Cerys from sending Septimus out of the room. “No,” she’d said. “This concerns him, too.” “Does it, now,” Cerys had asked, clearly irritated (...) “Was she telling the truth?” he’d asked. “Am I the seventh son of a seventh son?” His mother had pursed her lips and nodded. “If anyone would know, it’s Marcia Overstrand. She brought you to us, fourteen years ago.” “So the man she mentioned…” “Silas Heap.” Cerys had paused briefly at the top of one stairwell and taken a deep breath. “Yes. That would be your father.” (chapter 3)

Behind him, the great double doors opened again. Out stepped Marcia Overstrand, closely followed by Queen Cerys. They were arguing, as usual, but there was no bite behind it. Jenna was starting to suspect that this was what they did for fun. (chapter 7)

and finally:

She’d asked Septimus about it - he had lived with Cerys after all, and hadn’t just watched her from various corners - but he’d nodded. “I don’t know if it’s just because you’re back," he’d said, and smiled apologetically. “I think it helped, but it’s not quite why. Something happened while she and Milo were staying with Marcia.” “Ah.” Jenna had thought for a moment. “You mean that they’re all dating now?”

I really, really want to write tha fic where those three idiots (affectionate) are stuck in the Wizard tower together. They had a lot to talk about.

Cerys may have labored under the assumption that (first) Milo and Marcia cheated on her with each other (which is SO unfair because she wouldn't have minded if they'd just INCLUDED HER) or (once Marcia told them that his name was Septimus, and once it became clear that "Tim" was the whitest boy who'd ever existed) that Marcia had CHEATED ON BOTH OF THEM (<- girl who was not actively dating Marcia) with SILAS HEAP and then left them with the baby.

In her defense: Cerys had a rather bad 14 years, and a really bad day leading into it. She gets better once the three of them manage to talk for more than 10 minutes without one of them storming out.

[starcrossed-lov3rz]

The Vow Spoken Through Time - Part 12

Daemon x Rhaenyra x Wife!Reader

Series: Series Masterlist

Warnings: MDNI

Tags: marriage, poly relationship, Daemon being hopelessly in love with his wives, Queen!Rhaenyra

Words: ~1.3K

Description: Y/N is having a rough morning. She's fired. She's hungover. She's in a stranger's bed. She's waking up in a new world? She's married?!

Rhaenyra and Daemon's day started normal. Waking up next to their darling wife before tending to their duties. The difference? Their wife is speaking in riddles and has no memories of them.

Check out more works in my Masterlist!

Your alarm jerks you awake, and you blindly reach out to find your phone and turn it off. A yelp leaves your lips as you feel someone roll on top of you and throw the now silenced phone across the room.

“Daemon,” you whine, voice raspy from sleep, “what the fuck?”

He sits back, his thighs caging your body in. “What in the hells was that noise?”

“It was my alarm,” you rub at your eyes in an effort to wake up. “I really didn’t want to waste today.”

You push at Daemon’s chest in an effort to get him to let you up, but your husband doesn’t budge at all. “My love, as much as I want to explore your world more and try this ‘pizza’ again, our wife is probably worried sick.”

“I’ll get her a fucking t-shirt then, I want to have a nice latte and give my vibrator one last ‘hurrah’ before I go back to the dark ages-LITERALLY.”

Daemon slings a leg over, standing up to dig out the clothes you had bought for him yesterday. He shuddered as he pulled on the monstrosity you referred to as ‘cargo shorts’ when you bought them as punishment for his comments about modern attire for women. 

You smirk as you get dressed. As much as you love your husband, there was something so vindicating about making him dress a little silly. If he had some much to say about jean shorts and crop tops, then he could dress like a dad going to Disney. “You look ravishing,” you tease. Digging through your closet, you slipped on a sundress. Today was going to be a little bit of shopping for the kids and Nyra, as well as working your way through some foods you needed Daemon to try.

Daemon slid on his plain tshirt (you had saved the “Dad of the Year” shirt to give him when you returned). “I look ridiculous,” he complained, “do all men here insist on showing their legs? I don’t like it.”

You snort out a laugh, doing your best to keep it in. Daemon’s eyes narrowed, and he stalked over. His one hand gripped the waist of your sundress, pulling you towards him as the other slipped under. The hem of the dress hiked up as his palm stopped to squeeze your asscheek. “Laugh as much as you like, my love,” Daemon purred, “but I promise I will make you pay for every single joke.” Your laughter dies, replaced by a short moan as Daemon lays a light spank across your asscheek.

“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to make each one count,” you say, winding your hands through his hair. You gently pull at his hair, leaning in to kiss and nibble at his throat. His moan vibrates against you as you kiss up his jawline to his ear. You gently bite at the lobe before pulling away and grinning. “As much as I want to get those shorts right back off, I promised you a fun day in my world.”

“I assure you, my love, it is no hardship to stay inside today.”

You drag Daemon out of the apartment, slipping your hand in the crook of his elbow. “I can’t wait for you to meet my ride, Glenda.”

“You have a horse?”

“Kinda,” you laugh as you lead Daemon to your garage. “I don’t know how much horsepower she gets, but she’s my baby.” You click the lock button and listen for your car. There she is…right where you left her. “She’s not as fun as Caraxes, but she’ll get us where we need to go. She’s probably cheaper to feed too.”

Daemon eyes the Prius warily. “Where is the saddle?”

“Inside,” you say, urging Daemon forward. 

“You want me to go inside that beast?!” he hissed. “You’re mad.”

You roll your eyes, unlocking the doors and opening his. “Come on, I’ll let you be passenger princess this time.”

After quite a bit of convincing, you manage to get Daemon in the car and buckled in. He was heavily opposed to the seatbelt, but after a long lecture about road safety, he put it on just to get you to stop lecturing. You rolled down the windows so he could lean out and watch the buildings fly past. 

You pulled into the parking lot of a local coffee shop, helping Daemon figure out the release mechanism on his seatbelt. “Would you like something sweet or bitter?” you asked, unsure whether or not he would be familiar with half of the drinks and pastries here.

“I’ll eat whatever you give me.”

“Thanks not an answer, but I love the enthusiasm,” you laughed, giving Daemon a peck on the cheek. You order an iced chai latte with a shot of espresso for yourself and the ‘drink of the month’ for Daemon. After asking the cashier for two warmed pastries, you pay and lead Daemon to a table in the back. He is looking around at all the decor-photos of the owner from 50 years ago, cookie jars, and a wall of postcards.

“Did someone paint all of these?” he asked, pointing towards the photos.

You shook your head, pulling out your phone. “They’re like paintings. You can use a camera or any device with a built in camera.” Turning your phone on selfie mode, you slide into the seat next to Daemon. You snap a pic as you kiss his cheek, and show him the screen. He hums, looking at the picture of you both. 

“Nyra would love this,” he murmurs. “Can we bring her a camera?”

“I think we could pick up a polaroid and some film,” you muse. “There is no way to keep a phone alive back there, but a polaroid would work.”

The barista calls out your name and Daemon walks up to collect your order. You watch as he and the young barista go back and forth. “Hey, need any help there baby?” you ask, winding an arm around Daemon’s waist.

“The barmaid here was asking for my number-”

“I am so sorry!” the barista apologized, blushing. “I asked if he had a girlfriend and he said no so I-”

“I don’t-”

“He has a wife.” 

You try your best not to laugh a little at the ridiculousness of it all as you take your drink and assure the barista there’s no issue. Daemon and you down your pastries while you try to explain the concept of democracy to a real life monarch. 

“That sounds incredibly complicated.”

“I take it Nyra won’t be instituting one in Westeros,” you tease.

“As much as she loves you, not a chance.” Daemon snorts. He stands when you finish your food, offering you his arm. “But that idea for the orphanage reform is something she would love,” he says with a nudge. “Nyra knows you’re getting restless, and has been looking for projects you can head.”

“Really?” you ask excitedly. “You think she would let me?”

“For you? Of course,” he says, kissing your forehead. “Now, you promised me we could pick up some of these ‘legos’ for the kids.”

“Want to try your luck at driving?” you ask with a wicked grin.

“Not at all.”

NOTE: New chapter!!! I am SO SORRY for the lack of Nyra...I MISS HER TOO SO MUCH AND I'M BENDING SPACE AND TIME TO GET HER BC I MISS MY POOKIE/ANGEL!!!!! Anyway, pls enjoy some modern hijinks. Also if you're AT ALL interested in a Logan Howlette x Popstar!OC/Reader story.....I am posting chapter 3 soon (Me and the Devil). They start off disliking each other so YOU KNOW we are gonna have some fun banter. Also, currently writing and hope to have chapter 13 of TVSTT up in the next few days! ~ Lacie <33

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[cultofdixon]

Plagued by the horrors of the past

Daryl Dixon • She/Her Pronouns • All Daryl wants to do is make sure his pregnant partner remains safe, even from the nightmares • ANGST/SFW • TW: Pregnancy / Nightmares / Minor Injuries

Requested by: Anon

Eeny…WACK

Meeny…WACK

Miny…WACK

Negan stopped right in front of Y/N gripping the handle of Lucille with both hands.

“Moe” and right before the bat met her skull

Y/N opened her eyes feeling the tightness in her chest grow worse but she relaxed slightly when feeling her husband secure his arm around her middle just above her bump. She gently tapped his arm indicating for him to let go so she could get up and pee. At least that’s what Daryl thinks.

But all she did was sit on the edge of the bathtub holding her belly and thinking about her nightmare.

It’s been happening since she found out she was pregnant. Along with a million other things that made her feel guilty since the end of the Savior’s war.

How could you?

How could you be happy and pregnant with a loving husband when your best friend lost hers?

He will never get to see his son grow up.

Never get to hold his loving wife at night and whisper sweet nothings to her.

Same with Abe and Sasha.

They never got the life they wanted to share with each other.

But you did.

Isn’t that selfish?

“Sunshine…”

His voice startled her slightly as she lifted her head showing the exhaustion written all over her face.

“Are you feeling alright?” Daryl knelt on the cold tile positioning himself in front of her and resting his hand on her belly which brought out a more concerned look. “She giving you trouble?”

“No she’s perfect…and I’m just. Tired” Y/N sighs running her hand through her hair as she watches Daryl bring himself back to a standing position, extending his hands to her.

“I don’t think being in here will help much with that” Daryl knew about the nightmares. He tries to help in any way without addressing it because Y/N would deny that she’s not ok. Constantly telling him she’s fine.

He knows she’s not.

Y/N did manage to get at least three hours in before she received a hard kick in the ribs which woke her that time. Besides it was the now morning instead of late in the night when she woke so time to do things around the place. Even if Daryl tells her not to do a lot of things. But to his surprise…

“I think you should take it—-“

“I’m gonna lay in bed for a bit longer…don’t let me hold you back from your day, Dar” Y/N didn’t see the worry in his face when she said such, even if it’s what he wanted. For her to take it easy.

Daryl readjusted himself to lean against the headboard noticing Y/N inch closer when he did such. He brought his arm around her shoulders leading her to lay on him and while she was hesitant at first, she didn’t care for much long and brought herself to lay on him.

“You won’t be late for anything?”

“Don’t got stuff til the afternoon.” Daryl gave her a soft smile that she didn’t see. But it was obvious to why. Y/N fell back asleep in his embrace, snuggling closer when she felt his lips press a soft kiss to her hairline. He did have stuff in the morning. But didn’t care.

When it came to actually help around the community, Daryl kept his attention on Y/N whenever he saw her while he helped Aaron fix the gate mechanism. Aaron would glance over every time Daryl did and that would spark a few things.

“How far along?”

“What?”

“Y/N. When are you going to experience the joys of a baby like I’ve been experiencing?

“Didn’t you say Gracie projectile vomit on your shirt this morning?”

“Yeah…but there are other things” Aaron laughs handing Daryl the new wheel. “You can see the exhaustion on Y/N’s face so she must be far”

“Six months, and it ain’t cuz she’s carrying” Daryl knelt to the floor with what he needed to replace the gate wheel. “She hasn’t been sleeping”

“No? Think she’d need a sedative? I bet you Siddiq can find something that will be fine for her and the baby” Aaron tried to find a solution as Daryl kept his focus on finishing the task at hand so he could keep an eye on her.

But she was simply reading another baby book that Carol found for Daryl originally while sat on the porch. Which also meant Y/N put herself in a position for anybody to approach her.

“Do you think he looks like Glenn?”

Y/N shot her head up from her book with a confused look being met with an equally confused one from Rick. “What?”

“I asked how are you feeling”

“Oh, I’m just…tired.” She breathed out a laugh, setting her book down for a moment.

“I bet. Lori used to fall asleep anywhere when she was pregnant with Carl, then well. With Judith she kept having to move around remember?” Rick invited himself to sit with Y/N which made her tense slightly but he didn’t read that. “I would appreciate the shit we have now. You’re safe to have your baby. Have a doctor. Can rest when you want. The whole package…”

“Are you…trying to make me feel bad?” Y/N questioned watching Rick instantly turn his head at her.

“No why would you say that?”

“Because I know what we have now compared to when times were extremely difficult…are you…” Y/N didn’t know where she was going with her words and decided to forget it. She grabbed her book along with the mug she brought out earlier and made her way inside. “I’m sorry” she whispered before shutting the door behind her.

Rick sat there for a moment, feeling more confused than anything. But there was a hint of regret for his words. He struck something and she wasn’t going to tell him. Especially not him. As he left the porch to take care of something, Daryl noticed from his spot and wanted to leave his task to check on his wife because at one point she was outside, then Rick appeared, now she’s nowhere in sight.

“Go”

“Huh?”

“Go check on her. I know you want to” Aaron has been around Daryl long enough to understand his body language.

“I owe yea, Aaron” Daryl tells him while setting his tools back in their box along with his gloves before leaving.

The sound of the door opening snapped Y/N out of her thoughts as she lifted her head from resting against the couch watching Daryl look for her and instantly lock onto her in the living room.

“Are you okay?” Daryl brought himself to sit with her watching her nod with a small smile. “Are you sure?”

Y/N didn’t know what to say as all she did was shake her head before bringing herself into his lap keeping mind of her bump. Daryl instantly wrapped his arms around her after helping her get comfortable.

“Can you stay home the rest of the day?” She whispers feeling his hand sprawl itself on her bump as she rest her hand on top of his.

“Of course, sunshine” He felt her relax when he said such.

The rest of their day consisted of staying on the couch, making dinner together, running a bath for Y/N, working on Daryl’s bike while she relaxed in the bath, and then helping her with her night routine before going to bed together like every night.

“What do you have to do tomorrow?” Y/N asked as she adjusted her pillows for her to sit up while Daryl rubbed her feet using a lotion gifted from Carol.

“Mmm. Just a watch shift I think, and to check the snares. I shouldn’t be out long”

“…can I join you?”

His immediate answer would be no and the look in his eyes gave that away. But Daryl seemed to go against what his mind was telling him.

“As long as yea take it easy” Daryl says calmly while working on a knot in her sole. “You can even bring your hunting rifle and we’ll check out the closest hunting grounds”

“Babe…are you messing with me?” Y/N pulled her foot away watching Daryl bring himself to lay beside her propped up.

“When was the last time I messed with yea?”

“I dunno…”

“Then I ain’t messing with yea. As long as yea take it easy, and follow my lead. We can do this. Okay?” He gave her a smile as she nods before shifting to lay down watching him do the same after he turned off the lamp.

Listen carefully…I will always have a chokehold on your life. That when you least expect it

Daryl and your baby are as good as dead

Y/N jolted awake instantly reaching for her belly making sure everything was alright as for her movement she woke her partner.

“What’s wrong?”

“N-Nothing. It’s…” Y/N felt the baby kick and only started to sob afterward. Daryl fully brought himself to wrap around her bringing her close to him.

“It’s okay. It’s okay” Daryl held her close in hopes the sobbing would stop. But she cried for an hour and he did his best to calm her even if after the sobbing resulted in both staying up the remainder of the night.

When the next day came around, Michonne took it upon herself to check on the Dixons given Daryl didn’t relieve her of her watch and an Alexandrian had to take it. She knocked a few times and waited an appropriate amount of time before letting herself in finding Daryl blankly staring at a French press he found to make coffee for him and tea for his partner. But when Michonne drew close, he snapped out of his daze and realized he didn’t even get it ready with either caffeinated beverage.

“Long night?”

Daryl quickly turned to her realizing he forgot and cursed under his breath. “Sorry. I was supposed to take watch after yea”

“It’s okay, someone took care of it” Michonne gestured for him to sit as she took care of getting the coffee and tea ready for them. “Where’s Y/N?”

“Nesting. She didn’t want me to help until I’ve made tea for her but I honestly think she said that so I wouldn’t talk about last night”

“What happened last night?”

“A night terror? Nightmare. Whichever. She had a bad reaction and couldn’t sleep. So I didn’t sleep” Daryl frowns watching a cup of coffee come into view giving his thanks.

“Yknow. Rick won’t admit it. Nor would he tell you what he thinks he did.” Michonne poured herself a cup given her early morning shift. “He gets nightmares about Carl and his…failure in saving him. He gets a few about the line up and he cries in his sleep.”

Daryl took in a sharp inhale before sipping his coffee. He knew what could be plaguing his wife’s mind during these moments, but never thought she would be too afraid to tell him about them.

“What did Rick do?”

“He thinks he made Y/N feel guilty for the luxuries we have that clearly…those we’ve lost will never have.”

“Well. He’d have to pay for that” Daryl jokes, for the most part. “But her nightmares started since before she was pregnant. They weren’t as bad…guess her emotions are all over the place because of the pregnancy”

“It does that” Michonne laughs lightly as the lightheartedness only lasted a few seconds when they both heard a crash upstairs. Resulting in both of them quickly running to the commotion.

Y/N tried to move the crib and given its weight, she misstepped accidentally cutting herself on a sharp corner which Daryl took note to sand down later.

Now in the infirmary, Siddiq had checked the baby before taking the time to stitch up her arm so it would less likely scar. Not that she minded scars but after being told neither of them have slept and have been having a hard time, he wanted to bring some relief in it all.

“Do I need to be forced on bed rest?”

“No? You only cut yourself and your blood pressure went down after the crisis was averted. I’d take it easy but you don’t have to be confined to a bed” Siddiq finished with the wrap and handed Daryl extra bandages for the future redressing.

“She’s uh. She’s been having—-“

“Nightmares…” Y/N frowns. “Do you think you have sleep medication?”

“I do…but I don’t think you’ll need it” Siddiq taped the bandage to be secure, giving the rest of the roll to Daryl. “I think you’ll do better with a change in scenery”

“And what do you suggest?”

It took about two weeks to plan this out and Carol was more than happy to welcome her two closest friends, her family, into the Kingdom to stay for a while. Even if it meant living in a studio like apartment, not that Y/N cared. She was just happy to be with Carol and Ezekiel…while outside the radius of Negan’s presence.

“I’m surprised Daryl let you drive here”

“It’s just so he could have his bike” Y/N laughs softly.

“His first love if you will” Carol jokes receiving a hearty laugh from Y/N as she took her hands into hers admiring her and the bump for a moment. “He really is getting the life he’s always deserved”

“He sure is”

“Cmon, let me help you get settled. Let him scout around the place” Carol smiles wrapping her arm around Y/N leading her to the living quarters.

After a while Daryl found himself sat on the edge of the bed in sweats waiting for his wife to finish getting ready. He brought his attention from the floor toward the sound of the bathroom door opening and Y/N making her way toward him.

“You don’t like it here”

“What do you mean?”

“New place. For however long…you know we’ll go back right?”

“What if you don’t want to?”

“Alexandria is my home, Daryl. Where we found security, where we got married…and I want to raise our baby there. I just…needed a break, from being constantly reminded that Negan is still alive and what he took from us”

“Rick was a moron for keeping him alive” Daryl frowns as Y/N sat beside him taking his hand resting it on her bump letting their little one kick against the touch making his frown fade. “All I want to do is take care of you. The both of you”

“And you are. We will go home”

“Once you’re comfortable. Okay? I’ll help around the Kingdom and Carol will definitely hover around yea if I’m not”

“That’s okay” She laughs resting her head on his shoulder. “You better take it easy too. Negan took a lot from the both of us”

“I will”

The night progressed as Daryl found himself wrapped around Y/N, hand on her bump as her hand rested on top of his. Her finally asleep without stirring to anything but his small movements and even then, she went back to sleep immediately.

Honestly they’ve stayed in bed for a few days…enjoying the quiet and peacefulness

[radioisntdead]

AHAHHAHAHSHSHHD I HAVE A REQUESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT IF YOU DON'T MIND BUT CAN YOU DO A HUSBAND ALASTOR X CRYBABY READER

Good evening my dear! Indeed I can!

I'm on a songfic fix at the moment so hopefully you don't mind me turning this into one, if you do just let me know and I can write a proper oneshot, drabble or headcanons

Crybaby

Warnings:

Murder, Alastor being weird, mild angst, OOC, the ending is a bit muddled because lack of motivation hit me like a TRUCK.

The song I chose for obvious reasons

You seem to replace your brain with your heart, You take things so hard and then you fall apart

You always had what one would call a bleeding heart, tears would overflow at the slightest instance, you fell onto the ground? Tears, you saw a rabbit munching on a carrot? Tears fell because it was just SO cute, you sobbed as you stabbed a guy to death, blubbering out apologies saying you wouldn't have to do it if he had JUST kept his mouth shut and didn't say those awful, awful things.

You try to explain, but before you can start

You met Alastor when the two of you were alive, he was an aspiring radio host at the time and well, your father ran a rather popular radio station.

Those "Cry baby" tears come out of the dark

You were considered the favorite child, (or the only child depending on the route you go) and Alastor knew that, he wasn't above using people to climb up the social ladder.

Someone's turning the handle to that faucet in your eyes

Everything was planned out, like how the two of you met, he found out what places you frequented, choosing a cafe to be the place to run into you.

You had accidentally poured warm coffee on his clothes, you cried out apologies as you patted him dry with napkins, offering to pay for drycleaning.

You pour it out where everyone can see

And that was it, it started with him charming you, asking you out for coffee, lunch, dinners and eventually he had you hooked.

Your heart's too big for your body, it's why it won't fit inside

Him eventually catching feelings for you was just the icing on the cake, a bonus, you and him felt similarly to certain affections.

His mother quite liked you as well asking him to bring you by again when you met her the first time.

You pour it out where everyone can see

As the relationship grew, he became a prominent radio personality, eventually proposing to you leading to marriage.

They call you cry baby, cry baby

Alastor was supposed to be working late that night, you weren't expecting him to come home as you washed the blood off of your hands, blood stained the bathroom sink, dried tears leaving faint streaks on your face.

But you don't fucking care

"Mon étoile?"

You slowly turned around as if you were in a horror movie, the one person you didn't want to see you like this.

Cry baby, cry baby

You burst into tears falling onto the ground, not even trying to explain yourself, Alastor grinned and moved next to you, gently wiping away your tears taking silent joy from them.

So you laugh through your tears

You laughed as Alastor gave a light smooch onto your face.

Cry baby, cry baby

And that begun a new era of your relationship,

You'd act as bait luring in the folks you and Alastor felt like taking away their living privileges.

'Cause you don't fucking care

You lived like that for years, taking many lives, shedding many tears, a killer couple.

Tears fall to the ground

Unfortunately all good things come to an end.

You'll just let them drown

Alastor went to dispose of a body while you cleaned up the aftermath.

You'll just let them drown

The police showing up and breaking the news to you that your dearest Alastor was shot in the head and attacked by dogs shattered you.

Cry baby, cry baby

You spent your days crying, barely being able to organize a funeral that no one other then you attended, after all who would attend the funeral of a murderer.

You're all on your own and you lost all your friends

You were alone now, sure your family urged you to move back home, you were still a sweetheart with a bleeding heart to them, you just fell for Alastor's schemes, that no one saw coming.

You spent your days crying, clinging on to any remnants of Alastor, your social life took a huge hit.

You told yourself that it's not you, it's them

They whispered behind your back, theorizing if you were apart of the murders or not, if you knew, if you were truly innocent.

You're one of a kind and no one understands

You were found dead in your home, alone.

But those "Cry baby" tears keep coming back again

You woke up in hell, you knew you probably weren't going to heaven but still!

Someone's turning the handle to that faucet in your eyes

Tears swelled up in your eyes but you wiped them away before they could fall deciding to look around and assess your situation.

You pour it out where everyone can see

Wandering around you passed by a shop with a radio present in it, reminding you of your dear Alastor.

Your heart's too big for your body, it's why it won't fit inside

The tears started pouring, and before you could do anything else, someone touches your shoulder.

You pour it out where everyone can see

You've been down below for who knew how long now, bring found by Mimzy of all people, a good friend of yours, and Alastor's.

They call you cry baby, cry baby

Mimzy showed up at Alastor's home banging on the front door, you stood a few feet away from her, He opened it displeased at the sudden visit but he smiled wide nonetheless.

"Mimzy dear, pray tell why you are banging on my door at this unholy hour?" He asked, simply hearing his voice the waterworks began as Mimzy pulled you out from where you stood.

But you don't fucking care

Alastor's eyes ever so slightly widened, it hadn't been that long since he died, he suspected you would follow suit eventually but not this quickly.

Cry baby, cry baby

"I believe this one is yours, they've been crying on and off, it's driving me crazy" Mimzy said shoving you into Alastor as you grinned up at him through blurry eyes

So you laugh through your tears

"I missed you." You said as Alastor touched your face, brushing a claw over it, you, much like him and every other sinner looked different from when you were alive, you had permanent gold tear streaks stitched into your face, how ironic.

Cry baby, cry baby

Alastor simply grinned, wiping away a tear.

"You haven't changed a bit, Mon étoile."

'Cause you don't fucking care

"You can pay me back for reunitin' ya lovebirds later!"

Mimzy laughed before running off to do who knows what, making a swift exit for plot convenience.

Tears fall to the ground

And that was that, you were finally reunited.

You'll just let them drown

While Alastor was given the name of The Radio demon you were referred to as the Crying demon,

How original.

Cry baby, cry baby

While Alastor stuck fear with a smile, hearing you wail in the distance stuck fear into others, you'd apologize as you ripped sinners apart just like you did in life.

You'll just let them drown

You watched as Alastor developed a cannibalistic taste for sinners, he opted to bring you sinner hearts as a token of affection,

You teared up from how sweet the extremely messed up act was.

Cry baby, cry baby

You also watched as Alastor's personal hygiene got worse, to the point where you'd chase him down with a sponge and a bucket of water, or before bed with a toothbrush and some toothpaste.

Much to his chagrin he was never able to escape you chasing him.

You'll just let them drown

Alastor's more sadistic tendencies were revealed in full force, with him biting and pinching your cheeks just hard enough to make you cry.

It wasn't a deal breaker but it did weird you out at first.

I look at you and I see myself

Alastor brought you to the Hazbin hotel after Husk and Niffty were pulled from wherever,

You quickly gained an affection for the hotel and it's residents, Alastor may have been using the hotel for his own entertainment but you genuinely believed in Charlie's dream of redeeming sinners.

And I know you better than anyone else

Becoming another parental figure for the princess you showered her with advice and familial affection, saying if you had a child you'd want them to be just like her.

And I have the same faucet in my eyes

Vaggie wasn't spared from the parental affection either, Alastor might not have been fond of her but you were.

So your tears are mine

You eventually became like the hotels therapist, a very prone to crying therapist but a therapist none the less.

You and Charlie tended to cry together especially if the two of you decided to put a emotionally charged movie on for movie nights

They call me cry baby, cry baby

You cried when extermination day happened, taking out exorcists left and right, your tears were filled with anger as you witnessed what happened to Sir Pentious.

But I don't fucking care

You cried tears of joy when the hotel was rebuilt and when Alastor came back from wherever he was.

Cry baby, cry baby

"You are an complete and utter MORON,"

"Mon étoile, W̴̝̖͙̩̹̓͆̏͌̒̔̑͐̕h̶͔̲̄ă̵̟̥͙̥͖͚̋̍̓̓̇̕ţ̶̧͇̞̟͈͔͉̦͋̄͂̌́̉͗ ̸̛̟̖̰͛͐̂̌̃d̷͎͍̦̩̯̂̐̈́̒̇͜ͅï̷̙͎͙̱̲̾̓̓̂d̵̛̛̲̤̺̟͒̈́̽́̑̈́̈͜͠ ̴̬̥̱͓̊̒͛ȳ̶̢̢̛̛̘͓̱̱̭̩̣͈̈́̀͋͘͝ő̴͓̜̥̪͇͙͉̞̜ủ̴̢̖͙̞͈̳̈́̑̋̂̉̈ ̵̩̈́̋̂̾̓̎̌̕̚j̶̛̗̲͚͖̼̻̥͕̚ù̸̫̯̎s̷̛̹̠̠̰͇̬̟̤͖̃̋͋ť̵͇̹͕̞͌ ̵̢̹͖̯͆̀̽́̎̐̐̽̆̃c̴͍̼̤̓̉̃̒̕͠a̶͖̙̭͂͋̓l̸̢̧̨͙̯̹̯̱̳̏̈́̀l̷̡͖͉̟̼̳̹͙̏́̄̃͋ͅ ̶̧͓͍͑m̶̨̡̠̖͇̫͓̅̈́-̷̞̱̪͓̞̅̈́͊̇̎̐͝"

"Don't pull that radio demon bullshit with me right now Alastor! How hard was it to arm yourself? You aren't invincible to ANGELIC WEAPONS!"

You shouted at Alastor as you paced around your newly restored shared room, first aid kit open, bandages wrapped around, angry tears in your eyes.

If you were anyone else, you would be dead for rubbing salt into the still aching wound.

Alastor sighed and swung one leg over the other, crossing his arms intending to wait until your 'temper tantrum' was over.

I laugh through my tears

Normally he rather liked your tears, in a Alastor way, but they were annoying to him in this instance.

Cry baby, cry baby

You grabbed his face, locking your eyes with his,

"You could've died, You would've left me again."

"Dearest,"

"Al,"

"I won't leave you again."

"Promise?"

You asked dropping your hands from his face only for him to hold them in his hands.

"Promise."

'Cause I don't fucking care, Tears fall to the ground

With the hotel rebuilt, bigger, more grand then before, sinners began to trickle in.

Wanting to give redemption a shot,

Some wanted to see someone they knew that more then likely ended up going above, some had nothing left to lose, some just wanted to change, hating what they've become since they fell below.

I just let them drown, Cry baby, cry baby

You quite liked how things were developing, seeing Charlie's face light up when hotel residents improved, getting clean from addiction, proving to be better.

I just let them drown, Cry baby, cry baby

Alastor originally got involved in this place for his own entertainment or otherwise, bringing you with him, he didn't think that his darling crybaby of a wife would get attached.

But maybe he was getting attached too, not that he would ever admit it even to you.

You'll just let them drown, They call you cry baby, cry baby

You and Alastor sat comfortably on the couch in his radio tower, with you laying on his shoulder, his arm gingerly wrapped around you.

I just let them drown

"Al, look how cute they are!"

You said as you held your phone to Alastor, you had to remove a few qualities in order to keep the phone, you didn't mind since you mostly used it to communicate with the hotel residents or look at animal videos on the Internet anyways.

He simply hummed as he grimaced at the phone, you were trying to show him a group of hellborn kittens,

"We should get a cat,"

"We already have a cat."

"Husk doesn't count."

You said frowning as Alastor moved his hand to your cheek, pinching it until tears swelled up in your eyes.

Cry baby, cry baby

You were sobbing at the red creature you held in your arms,

"It's adorable!" You sobbed out holding the catlike creature that you found on the side of the road much to Alastor's displeasure you wanted a cat, and you got a cat thingy

"It looks like Alastor."

"Exactly!"

Alastor squinted at the cat thing you were crying with pride over, he would throw the damned thing out the window but unfortunately you were already attached, and he preferred you to cry over literally anything else other then the failed clone of his.

You'll just let them drown

Good evening folks! Thanks for tuning in! I scheduled this for Saturday so that should mean this is the last of the songfics! [For now anyways] [post-post edit, I LIED THERE WILL BE MORE SONG FICS THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING]

I wanted to go more into how Alastor would probably enjoy the readers crying but it got a little too weird.

Have a wonderful weekend folks!

[iskinpeople]

yoriichi fluff PLEASE PLEASEEEEE i love him smmm 🙏 🙏 🙏

Yoriichi Tsugikuni x PREGNANT!GN!Reader

Title: 'Normal life...'

Genre: One shot

NOTE: You replace his wife and also Yoriichi has succsessfully got other people to join the core so now he can live a normal life with you!

Fanart Links!: https://pin.it/3JxtykSNM https://pin.it/3W9fy3yZO

You're Yoriichi's wife. You've been pregnant with his baby for 5 months, he's so happy that he can finally try and be normal with his family. Yoriichi spent so long training and preparing his next generation of Demon Slayers. Recently he got others to be able to train other future slayers, it made Yoriichi's family life easier for him.

He came behind you as you were cutting up some food into small chunks, and put his hands on your stomach, gently rubbing it.

"How are they doing? Any movement?" He mumbled, snuggling into the crook of your neck.

You tilted your head just a tiny bit to your side as you smiled, "Yep! They just got started on kicking. The doctors say that's good, means they're healthy!"

He just hummed. "Is that so? I'd hope so." He mumbled. You just smiled and nodded. You just smiled, continuing back to the cutting. "They also said that I'd have to start relaxing and not lift heavy things," "Then what are you doing making dinner, crazy woman." He teased, poking your stomach. You just giggled and swatted his hand away.

"Making sure me, my baby and my husband are fed for tonight," I smile. He just huffed at me.

"Well I think we should switch." He grumbled out, resting his hand on my waist. "Are you sure, honey? You sounded like you had a pretty long day...I think you need some good food and a nap!" I turned to face him, wiping my hands on my apron.

"I'm sure." He grumbled. He stood up straight and looked at me in my eyes, before moving me aside and finishing cutting up what I was before. "Go sit and read or something, sweetie, you have to relax." He turned and gave me a small smile. I just nodded, taking my apron off and going to the couch.

Over the next few months, I'd be sat somewhere or helping Yoriichi with small things. Until eventually, our baby girl was born! She was so beautiful. She had my (H/C) (Hair color), Yoriichi's eyes and scar. He was so happy. He wouldn't stop smiling the whole day and refused to let our daughter go. He showed her everything, her new home, her room, our room. (Though she was asleep for most of it)

He loved his small family, more than he could express. He was also so proud of his family, showering them with love, praise, kisses, gifts every single day.

[riveroftales]

😗Ummm…. Do you think you could do a little Drabble or some HCs about Genya with a mom figure? Like, maybe Himejima gets married and his wife meets Genya and is determined to give him a stable family and a good female role model. Like sure he totally ignores or is embarrassed by her at first but then she makes him food or cuts up watermelon for him 🥺 Maybe he eventually opens up to the “mom” and she tries to help him untangle all his teenage anger. MY POOR BOY NEEDS A FAMILY AND HIMEJIMA CANT DO IT ALONE. (Also pls feel free to ignore if you don’t like the prompt. Tysm I love your writing and the blind Genya AU kills me in the best way possible)

➳ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ

𝖢𝖢'𝗌 𝖭𝗈𝗍𝖾: AHHH IM SO SORRY FOR BEING INACTIVE MY EXAMS LITERALLY START THIS THURSDAY AND IVE BEEN CRYING BECAUSE OF IT🥹

Himejima was like a father to Genya. His father was an asshole, so having a good role model made Genya adore him so much more.

He loved his mother. His mother was gentle, smiled a lot and despite being weak, she was able to protect.

He didn’t have anyone in his life to replace his mother and he wanted to keep it that way. That is, until Himejima got married.

Genya was beyond happy that Himejima got the chance to fall in love with someone who loved him and who he loved back, but he didn’t know how to approach the new addition to their tiny family of two.

The poor boy’s cheeks would always flare up intensely whenever he saw you. At first, you thought he genuinely liked you which led you to reject him politely during the hashira training one day in front of everyone else.

It was after Genya passed out from embarrassment when Tanjiro told you Genya just got nervous around every girl whether he liked them or not.

Genya was basically your son, so you had a mission to get him to think of you as a mother.

Even though he ignored you at most times, you managed to talk to him even if he didn’t respond. You opened up about everything and told tales of your past.

You ruffled his hair often with a soft smile before you always went up to your husband to kiss his large hand since he was far too tall for you to kiss his cheek.

Genya stayed up late often to train, so you also started staying up to make him little snacks occasionally.

You would call his name and give him a small plate of a few pieces of onigiri and smile when you see his eyes light up as he ate. Your favourite part was occasionally surprising him with another small plate of watermelon cut into adorable shapes.

You really babied him a lot. He was a huge kid, but you couldn’t help it. Genya was like a shy tiger.

The kid occasionally started warming up to you and he started initiating conversations. He could see the way your eyes lit up every time he made effort into your relationship.

You often say together with the three of them, showing them how to make some of your dishes. Himejima would help with the cutting and washing, while you guided Genya with the cooking.

You cried for the first time in years in your husband’s arms after Genya had left for a mission and he had said, “Bye, mom! I’ll be back soon! Please make a lot of food for me when I get back!”

You obeyed your baby’s request. How could you not? You loved seeing the hidden joy in his face whenever you fed him some food directly. Himejima smiled to himself when he heard the laughter his newfound family let out. He was beyond thankful to the gods above that he was alive to experience something so precious.

Genya soon realised that you weren’t his mother. You were never his mother, and you would never be his mother, but he would love you the same. He loved his mother, but he also loved you. His mother taught him how to love because it was all she could teach before she passed, while you helped teach him the rest.

You were there to hold him when he cried in your shoulders on the day his older brother nearly blinded him. You didn’t judge him for eating demons. You didn’t look down at him when he confessed he couldn’t use breathing forms.

You were there for everything. You were there during both Genya’s and Himejima’s sparring sessions, you were there to cook for your family, you were there to listen, you were there to love them. You were even there when Himejima had to leave abruptly to the demon amuse headquarters after an emergency meeting was announced. You were there when you saw Genya fall in the trapdoors on the floor which appeared so suddenly because you didn’t have a good feeling of leaving him alone, making you run up to his training ground to retrieve your son.

You ran as fast as you could when your husband’s kasugai crow led you to where the big battle was happening, only reaching during daybreak.

You felt your heart drop and tears sting your eyes when you saw corpses everywhere, but the sight of your unmoving husband was the only thing you were focused on.

The kakushi had to hold you back even when you screamed at the top of your lungs, yelling at Himejima to open his eyes.

You choked on your tears when you asked about Genya, your son. You knew he was also gone from the silence you received.

You couldn’t even cry anymore. Your eyes just closed before you passed out.

You woke up with a message from Sanemi that Genya had turned into ashes. Your little boy didn’t have a body to bury, meaning he’ll never have a proper funeral.

You folded Genya’s clothes really neatly and placed it in your dead husband’s arms as he laid so beautifully in the casket. You placed your son’s gun on top of his uniform, unable to watch the burial since tears were blurring your vision.

You woke up the next day, wishing you could feel the weight of Genya’s leg over your stomach as he slept in the most atrocious position ever while Himejima’s arms refused to let you go even in sleep one last time.

[lethalchiralium]

canon happiness series lore:

if simon ever dies, he would make price promise to be a father to his daughter and keep you happy.

ghost made price swear on the little cross he wears after his first meeting with mellie that price has to protect both his daughters and keep you happy.

price breaks his promise every day by keeping simon alive. he couldn’t die when he has two beautiful children waiting up all hours of the night for him, simon couldn’t die when he was all you had.

UNCANON LORE:

if simon did die, price would move in and immediately be at your side. he’d take care of the funeral, he’d take care of the girls, he’d sit with you when you needed to sit under the shower spray and cry.

it would be years later that the lines would get blurry, the girls older and their memories hazy of their real father - only winnie remembers simon. mellie only knows price as her dad, the one who walked her and her sister to and from school, the one who showed up to career day, the one cussing out the principal for not disciplining the boy who had hit winnie. mellie wouldn’t remember the days where she clung to her real father, crying whenever anyone dared to take her from him.

he would sleep in your bed. his arms around you and your back to his chest. you didn’t know that you subconsciously face away from him, because you always faced simon when he slept and now he’s dead. if you face away, you won’t feel the pain when price leaves too. price’s presence doesn’t replace simon’s, he just creates a new mold to fit into - being the loving father and doting husband that simon was. just now, he wears a silver wedding ring and you still wear the gold one from many years ago.

you would have a son. a little creature that simon was so scared to love, but john cradled that boy in the delivery room like the most precious thing in the world. john’s little boy murmured in that little blanket and all you could feel was simon’s fear. simon had rubbed off on you more than you thought. you loved your son, he looked beautiful but you were so scared that that little boy would become something that price could still be - lifeless, a bullet to a heart with only his best friend to comfort him as he went.

price would love him anyway. he loved you anyway. he had retired right after simon was killed, so taking care of all of the kids would be no hassle. even as little oliver got older, he was just like his sisters, which in turn meant he was just like simon. loving, caring, emotional. price took pride in the girls and his son. god might have taken away his best friend, but He gave price a chance to see simon again.

you told price once that you hoped you went before he did so you never had to live without him, and you did. peacefully, on a wednesday afternoon in your sleep. winter grace, melody ivy, and oliver simon were by your side, captain john price held your hand and told you that it was okay. your babies were grown, kids of their own; little kittens and big dogs to keep them company. that he would be okay, that simon was waiting for you.

he had passed two days later of a broken heart. the woman who gave him a family, even if you didn’t mean to, had given him the one thing he wanted in life and now you were gone. only melody was with him, helping him pick out photos that he wanted to use for your funeral. she had asked a question about simon when she found a photo of him and you, price couldn’t utter a word. her whole life she believed price was her father, you wouldn’t correct her as it would bring up too much pain. only winnie would talk about him. he told her what flowers you wanted, that he would like white tulips when he goes. melody only laughed, saying, “dad, you’re not goin’ for a while.” price made sure that melody knew you were to be buried next to lieutenant simon riley, that price’s grave stone be smaller than the lieutenant’s. he wanted to be buried next to you, and to make sure that you got your favorite flower every month and that the cross that you wore when you died be kept by winnie. he had promptly gone upstairs to take a nap and simply never woke up.

mellie kept his wishes. she, winnie, and oliver attended the joint funeral - burying them together next to their mother’s lover and their dad’s best friend. the two children named by simon riley and the one named after him stood over the gravestones, all three children grieving a different parent. captains mactavish and garrick, as well as colonel vargas and his husband former sergeant major parra would stand with them. the four soldiers left dimes on price’s grave. three soldiers left dimes on riley’s, but only one placed a quarter. captain mactavish.

those men would watch over the riley girls and the price boy, walk the girls down the aisle and hold oliver’s son when he was born. they would take care of any of their needs, did anything they asked.

the 141 was buried together, and when they joined their friends in the afterlife, everything was finally alright. your hand held onto simon’s, price’s hand on your shoulder. a little boy was on simon’s hip, one who looked exactly like him and you. the son you lost. and that little boy squealed at the arrival of every one of his uncles, a little boy that was full of happiness.

you had a good life.

———

yeah i just rambled for thirty fucking minutes. what did you expect from me. i’ve cried over this. now i want to write a price family fic because FUCK that’s why

also if you know the coin rule that we do in america, good on you.

also oliver’s name will make more sense in the lover chapter of happiness

[altocat]

It’s been a long while since I have read the avatar comics, so I’m wondering why you don’t like Ursa? I’m very likely not as informed to form a fuller opinion of her so what’s your opinion?

Ohhhh god the Ursa thing...

They revealed that Ursa's disappearance wasn't caused by her being dead or held hostage or lying low and waiting for the right opportunity to reveal itself. Oh no. It's revealed that she selfishly decided to give herself amnesia and live out the rest of her days with a new husband and child while leaving her two kids with Ozai where they would no doubt be warped and abused for the rest of their lives. The Search expanded on her past and showed us point blank that Ozai was an abusive and toxic husband and father. So Ursa choosing to never go back for her kids or have any intention of even REMEMBERING them is really, really vile. Sure, she's in exile. But her choosing to sacrifice her memories of them solidifies that she never intended returning to them, much less think about them.

On one hand, I would be totally fine with Ursa starting a new life with a new family, albeit while still dwelling on the children she left behind. It would be really interesting and bittersweet, especially if she was biding her time waiting for the day when Zuko became Firelord and she could return home at last. But the fact that she had no intention of ever seeing or remembering Zuko and Azula again while KNOWING the kind of person Ozai was is pretty irredeemable. Zuko and especially Azula have huge hang-ups about their mom and Ursa legit not giving enough of a shit to ever come back unintentionally makes Azula look CORRECT when she says that her mother never cared. And worse still, the comic seems to brush Ursa's actions under the rug like it's nothing. Zuko immediately forgives her and--bonus--gets a shiny perfect supportive new baby sister to replace the problematic OTHER one. Azula is no angel by ANY means, but The Search is basically an excuse to torture her psychologically for three issues with no catharsis, with Ursa subsequently not bothering to look for her daughter in the comics to follow, even after regaining her memories.

Azula's big insecurity that drives her nasty behavior is centered on the internal fear that her mother saw her as a monster and never really loved her. Turns out, she was probably right. Or at least, her mom didn't love her enough to fight for her, allowing Ozai to corrupt and twist her. Ursa wasn't coming back to prove to Azula that she always loved her and wanted the best for her. In the flashbacks, she's only ever shown ignoring or scolding the child Azula, basically giving the reader no indication that she actually cares about her daughter. At least not anything that's especially solid. That's not even digging into stuff Zuko went through after she left. You'd think Ursa would take one look at Zuko's scar and apologize for not being there to protect him. But no. No mention at all. Sure, she left in order to save Zuko's life. But there was still never intention of rescuing her kids, no intention of ever wasting another thought on them now that she's found what she's looking for. They were an afterthought. The comic is all about her reclaiming autonomy with a new husband and family as a fuck you to Ozai, but it ignores the really messed up fact that Zuko and Azula NEEDED their mother more than she seemed to need them.

The Avatar Comics have honestly ruined Ursa beyond repair imo. There was a better way of writing this and they choked it. She is truly detestable and the fact that the comic never actually calls her out on it just makes it worse. Characters like Lucrecia are characterized as intentionally flawed and were FORCED away from their kids, with whom they had no prior relationship. But the difference between Ursa and Lucrecia is that while Ursa completely abandons all thought towards her kids in pursuit of a selfish happiness, Lucrecia does nothing BUT wallow in self-loathing and blame. Lucrecia was suicidal after losing her son, and sought to punish herself for eternity for it. Ursa fucked off and willingly chose to forget her responsibilities as a mother, all while her children suffered.

It really fires me up. Azula and Zuko deserved better. The READERS deserved better. This was a long-running mystery in the ATLA community and the answers we got were really disheartening and kind of fucked up. And without the narrative nuance to explore the grayness or negativity behind such actions. It's really just a shame.

Anyway, rant over lol

[deceitfuldevout]

Hidden Treasure (Part 8)

Arranged Marriage AU: Dark!Tommy Shelby x Wife!Reader

Warning(s): Angst, Fluff, Mentions of past domestic violence.

Author's note(s): Innocent heartfelt chapter (cue the fluff).

Your husband would have Finn either send messages to you, or simply keep an eye on your wellbeing. Although Finn hadn’t a clue of what was going on, he knew you of all people didn’t deserve this sort of treatment. He made sure to visit as often as he could for company.

You were grateful the moment Tommy finally let you out that dreadful basement. You hadn’t forgotten the promise made a few weeks ago to Finn. To bake him a signature custard from your bakery. He’d been dying to try. Soon, it became common for the youngest Shelby brother to stop by. He would either have a letter or message from Tommy. Most of them were if your husband would be late or earlier from work.

You’d pack Finn some lunch before bidding him a farewell. Most of the time it was just you and Charlie in one big, empty house. To say that he was a sweet child was an understatement. He had the power to make anyone’s cold heart melt. How could such a charming child come from a man like Tommy? You hadn’t a clue.

Of course, you could never replace Grace. You weren’t the one who’d given birth to him. But Charlie was your son in every single way that mattered. There were even a few special moments you’d spend with the other Shelby family members. You especially enjoyed bonding with the women of the family. Teatime with Polly was a particular favorite. She would give you as much advice as a wise woman could. In a way, Polly became your second mother.

As you were setting up the table Polly had been bouncing Charlie on her lap. Finn decided to stop by since today’s work was slower than usual, he choose to stay a little longer. Polly examines her finished tea. Her expression was confused at first, then startled. She shows Finn the cup, and it was as if he'd read something from it.

Polly let’s out a small sigh, “Tell me my dear…” she places her cup on the table, “…has my nephew been treating you well?”

You’re at a loss for words. How could you answer to her? Should you tell her the truth? How would she react? You made up your mind to keep it short and subtle, “Tommy provides me with everything a wife may need. What more could a woman want?” you try your best to force a smile, hoping that it was a good enough answer.

But Polly was suspicious that something wrong within your marriage. She could sense it, “You didn’t answer my question dear, has he been treating you well?” her voice is sterner this time. You tense. Your heart races, “I-I’m not sure what you mean...” you play off. Polly could tell that over the period of time since you've been married, the flicker of light in your eyes had disappeared. Blown out by the cold blues that followed into your nightmares.

At that point, Finn has had it. As soon as Polly leaves, he tells you of his plan, “Tommy’s going to some event next week, and he won’t be back until the morning,”

“Finn…” you warn. It wouldn’t be a good idea breaking your husband's trust. A man like Tommy never forgets. Finn grumbles, “I’m sick and tired of seeing him treat you like--like the dirt on his shoes! The bloke!” his hands ball into fists. You don’t think twice about his statement, in fact you understood completely why your new brother had the right to react like this. You sigh, reaching for his hands to hold, “Could you do me a favor?”

You were kept busy for the next few days, planning on yet another escape. Hopefully the last. Finn would send letters to your sister who lived in the next town. It had been quite a while since the two of you would communicate. Her and her husband had been busy since delivering their new baby.

So, it would take time to pack up their belongings before moving in with your parents. Finn would stop by the postal, on the way to wherever he was heading in order to avoid suspicion. For once it felt like everything was going your way.

As each day went by, you grew more excited to leave this place, once and for all. You let out your hair, made yourself more presentable, you even started smiling again. Tommy took note of how the corners of your lips would curl upwards on their own as you hummed a tune while making supper.

He’d been silently observing you adjusting to your new life. After putting away the dishes, you hoist Charlie on a hip before leaving the kitchen. Tommy listens carefully to your footsteps leading up the stairs before following them. He stops in front of his bedroom door, reaching for the knob.

But before he’s had a chance to twist it open a faint sound of laughter erupts. He opens the door to spot you and Charlie on the bed. Your hands reaching to tickle the boy’s sides. Seemingly unknowing that your husband is witnessing the display of affection.

You hoist the toddler into the air. Tommy notices your expression. For the first time in months, you're actually smiling. It was like some sort of trance. He leans against the door frame. Seeing you with his boy felt, in a strange way, right. As if you both were meant to be. His son loves you. You drop Charlie onto your bosom to catch your breath.

Soft giggles manage to slip out of every exhale. Charlie’s hair tickles your chin so you tilt it to the side. That’s when you notice Tommy standing at the doorway. His posture is more relaxed than usual. For how long had he been standing there?

You look away from his gaze. It always did make you nervous. His fingers twitch, curling into his palms, “I uh...” he slides them into his pockets, “I want you to be my guest for an event,” Tommy looks up, waiting for an answer. You raise a brow and sit up, still holding the boy in your arms, “Who’ll watch over Charlie?”

“Finn offered to keep an eye on him.” of course.

“Alright,” you agreed, already knowing how it would play out. Tommy nods, “I’ll be back, ‘bout three hours from now.” he checks his pocket watch. Double taking the time. You hadn’t planned for him to take you anywhere. It’ll only delay your plans. But you couldn’t risk him questioning his decision, “Sure thing.” you return. Tommy looks as though he had one last thing to say, “And uh...wear something nice,” He turns away, leaving as soon as he came. Now that was odd.

[dasphinxone]

Dark Hitman Attuma and Mob Wife Okoye

He's a hit man and Okoye is his target…and it's because she's his boss' wife. W'Kabi wants to get rid of her for the insurance because it's cheaper to kill her than divorce her. For some reason, Attuma just can't kill her. So he figures, "I'll just kidnap her, let her know her husband is a POS and take her for myself." And then they go on the run.

Hit man Attuma had a falling out with his cousins, who run the Talokan mob, so he left to go work for W'Kabi. With no place else to go, he shows up to Namor's door with Okoye…and it turns out Namor and Shuri just allied their gangs together.

Shuri hasn't seen Okoye for years since W'Kabi is an asshole who's isolated her from her old friends. So the tables have turned, as Namor doesn't fuck up Attuma for having the nerve to show up because he doesn't want to piss off Shuri due to Okoye.

This can also be full of brat, pampered, spoiled Okoye shenanigans. She is SO SICK of Attuma's shit and irritates the fuck out of him once she realizes he's not gonna kill her.

Attuma: "Get in the trunk."

Okoye: "Are you serious? This is a $10,000 Gucci dress! I got this in Milan! I AM NOT getting in your dirty-ass trunk. How many bodies have been back there?!"

Attuma: [eying her] "I can always add one more. Get in the trun-"

Okoye: "You and I both know you aren't going to kill me. Why can't I ride in the car like a normal fucking person?!"

Attuma: "Cause you're supposed to be dead, remember?!"

Okoye: "It's not my fault you suck at your job!"

Attuma: "…do you prefer me to be GOOD at my job in this instance with you?"

Okoye: "That's not the point. I'm not ruining this dress!"

Attuma: "Dammit woman, just get in the god-damn trunk!"

Okoye: "MAKE ME!"

Attuma: [manhandles her into the trunk and slams it closed] "Just so you know," he yells at the trunk, hearing her cuss him out and pounding on it, "I get my car thoroughly detailed and cleaned after every job. You'll be fine, warrior. [he calls her that sarcastically]"

ETA, Attuma buys Okoye a new dress to replace her old one she wore when he tossed her into the trunk:

Attuma's in the dressing room, sitting on the bench at the expensive boutique and growling at her in her new dress, "Gimme a spin, baby."

Okoye pouting: "NO."

Attuma grabs her by the hips and pulls her down into his lap while one of his hands settles in a grip on the back of her neck: "What did you just say to me?"

Okoye, purposely squirming against him: "I said noooooo. Are you deaf?!"

Attuma, nosing at her cheek before he hisses into her ear: "Do you want to see how much I can make you scream right here and now to test that theory?"

Okoye: "I'd like to see you try."

Attuma: "Such a spoiled little princess."

Okoye: "No wonder my husband tried to kill me, right?"

Attuma: "His fucking loss," he groans before he kisses the breath out of her.

[sequinsmile-x]

In the Hopes That We’ll See Them Someday

It was easier to pour all of her focus into moving house than it was to acknowledge the fact she was only supposed to be weeks away from having a baby.

A follow-up to Collect Every Dream.

-x-

Hi friends <3

This is for @astridncs, who requested a follow up to this fic. I hope this lives up to what you were hoping for <3

-x-

Words: 3.7k

Warnings: Pregnancy, pregnancy loss, abortion, miscarriage

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

“Let me help you.” 

Emily cranes her neck to look at her husband as he crowds her against the shoe wrack in their closet, reaching over her head to grab the shoe boxes stored on the very top. She narrows her eyes playfully at him and unsuccessfully fights a smile. 

“I could have reached them,” she grumbles, turning to face him, taking the pile of flattened boxes from his hands.

“Of course, you could,” he replies, his smirk spreading across his face as he reaches up again to get the remaining boxes before the two of them walk out into the bedroom, their appearance making JJ and Penelope look up at them from where they were helping with packing up all their things, “I just thought I’d save us some time.”

“I’m not that much shorter than you,” she grumbles, unceremoniously dropping the boxes onto the bed, smiling as he wraps his arms around her in front of their friends and kisses the side of her head, an unusually public show of affection that makes her skin fizz, affection for him thrumming under her skin already because of what they were doing. 

“I know you aren’t, Em,” he says, kissing her temple again before pulling away, his hand still on her lower back, “But I’d quite like to move into the new house this weekend as planned, and that means getting started on your shoe collection.” 

Moving house again had never been part of the plan. 

She’d been very determined that once they’d bought somewhere that was it, it would be their forever home. A place they’d stay permanently and grow old in together, the place they’d both find what they’d always been searching for. 

The place where they’d raise their children. 

She loved the house they’d lived in the last few years, but it hadn’t been the first one she’d fallen in love with when they started looking for somewhere together. The first place they’d found was her dream home. A place she’d imagined long before she’d seen it. The kind of home she’d wished she’d had as a child. Vast and warm and welcoming with a swing set in the backyard. Pictures of the family who had lived there before hung all over the walls, pictures she could easily replace with ones of her, Jack and Aaron when she closed her eyes as they walked around. It was sold out from under them, their realtor sounding apologetic as she explained the sale had happened quickly, and after the disappointment had worn off they’d moved on. They’d found the house they then bought in the same neighbourhood and had fallen in love with it too. 

Then, four months ago, just two months after she’d lost the pregnancy she’d so desperately wanted, the original house that she’d loved, the one she still lamented over occasionally when she allowed herself to wallow in the ‘what could have beens’, went back on the market. 

It was the first time since her doctor's appointment that had gone so wrong that she’d felt genuine joy. A flash of something deep in her gut that made her cheeks warm, hope and excitement flooding her veins. She’d mentioned it off-handedly to Aaron, avoiding eye contact as she tried, and failed, to sound unaffected by it. 

He’d suggested they look into buying it within seconds, his smile wide as she looked up at him and asked him to repeat himself. He’d told her since that he’d been so happy that she seemed happy, that he’d have moved them to the other side of the world if it helped, that a couple of blocks was nothing. 

She’s sure she’s never loved him more, never appreciated how much he loves her more, than she had in that moment. 

It had taken a while to get everything organised, but they were finally here. Moving into their dream home, the place she knew they would live in forever. The place she hoped they’d, someday, expand their family. 

They’d only started trying for a baby again the previous month. Her doctor had given them the go-ahead months ago, but Emily hadn’t been able to face it. Her grief from the pregnancy she’d lost in the very bedroom she was standing in so overwhelming she needed some time to try and wade her way through it. Get used to the heaviness of it on her chest, how it stopped her from breathing sometimes, the weight of it all only increasing as they crept towards what would have been her due date. 

It was easier to pour all of her focus into moving house than it was to acknowledge the fact she was only supposed to be weeks away from having a baby

“You guys are so cute.”

Emily smiles as she feels Aaron stiffen next to her, his body tensing as it always did when one of their friends commented on the small insights they had into their private lives. She shakes her head lovingly at her friend, who is in the process of packing up Emily’s clothes, and she raises her eyebrow. 

“What do I keep saying, Pen?”

Penelope sighs in response and places the sweater in her hands in the box in front of her, “If I keep bringing attention to it he’ll stop doing it.” 

“Exactly,” Emily replies, smiling as JJ laughs from the other side of the bedroom. 

“I’m not sure I should be here for this conversation,” Aaron says, leaning in to press a kiss to Emily’s cheek, his frown only deepening when all three of the women laugh, and he goes to leave, but he’s stopped in his tracks as Penelope speaks again. 

“I should keep my mouth shut or I’ll never have another BAU baby to spoil.” 

It’s a joke, and Emily knows it is, but it makes her freeze. The only thing she’s aware of is Aaron’s palm pressing into her back, how he steps closer even though he’d been in the process of leaving the room entirely. No one knew about the pregnancy they’d lost, about the baby they’d hoped and tried for, so she knows that this, and the relatively frequent comments, is not her friend being cruel. Aaron had asked his wife more than once in the last six months if she wanted him to talk to Penelope about it, to ask her to stop making the comments about them having a baby that they knew were well intended, but she always said no. A sad smile on her face as she shook her head. 

It was easier this way. Even if it hurts in the moment. 

Any further conversation is cut off by a crash downstairs, followed by Dave and Derek yelling simultaneously at Spencer. Emily chokes on a laugh and shakes her head, and she tilts her head to look at her husband.

“Can you please go check those clowns aren’t breaking our furniture?”

He stands a little closer, his hand drifting from the small of her back to her hip, squeezing gently and his eyes meet hers, briefly ignoring the fact there were two other people in their room.

“You sure?” He says, and she knows he’s asking so much more than the two simple words he’d said. Love and care and grief shining in his eyes in a way only she could see. Hidden behind a code only she could crack, the keys to them all stuffed away in her heart. 

She knew the upcoming due date, a day still circled on the calendar in their home office, was something that was affecting him too. His embrace a little tighter these days, his kisses lingering a little longer. 

She nods and places her hand over his on her hip, briefly linking their fingers together and squeezing, “I’m sure,” she smiles as they near another loud noise, “Tell them if they break my couch they are replacing it.” 

Aaron smiles and nods dropping a kiss to her lips before he leaves the room, already calling out for their friends before he heads down the stairs. Emily looks back up to see that only JJ is now in the bedroom with her, and she frowns.

“Pen has gone into the bathroom to start in there,” JJ explains, smiling as she continues to pack things away, “She didn’t see you kiss so you’re safe.” 

Emily chuckles and shakes her head, “We’ve been together for four years, you’d think she’d be used to it by now.” 

JJ joins in on her laughter, “Well, in her defence, you and Hotch are very private.” 

Emily opens her mouth to respond but is cut off by a squeal from the bathroom, loud enough to make her and JJ both jump. Before they can ask what’s wrong, Penelope runs out into the bedroom, a familiar white stick in her hands as she screams in excitement. 

“You’re pregnant!” She exclaims, holding out the positive test she’d found whilst packing up the bathroom her joy evident. 

Everything slows down around Emily, her breath caught in her chest as she looks at the small piece of plastic that had become her anchor at times over the last few months. More than once she’d stood with it over the trashcan like she had the day she’d had to end her pregnancy, pain starting to creep through her body, and been unable to drop it in. Her eyes fixed on two lines that were slowly fading, the only evidence she had that she’d ever been pregnant something she could hold. The false promises it had made, ones that had filled her with such joy until she’d seen her doctor, were still painful even now. 

“Pen,” she starts, her voice shaking slightly, “I’m not-”

“How could you not tell us?” Penelope says, her excitement taking over everything else, making her miss the signs JJ clearly picks up on, the items she’d been packing abandoned as she walks towards them. 

“Pen-”

“I’m so happy for you guys,” she says, pulling Emily into a hug that she doesn’t return. It’s the warmth of her friend's touch, the scratch of her cardigan against Emily’s arm, that brings he back to herself. She steps back, removing herself from Peneloe’s embrace, and she crosses her arms over her chest. 

“I’m not pregnant,” Emily says, looking down at the floor, her stomach churning. When she looks back up at her friends she sees a mix of confusion and concern in their eyes and she sighs, “I was pregnant, a few months ago,” she explains, swallowing thickly, “Now I’m not.” 

“Oh, Peaches I’m so sorry,” Penelope replies, stepping forwards, pausing in place when Emily steps back, well aware that a hug would be her undoing. “Why didn’t you say anything? We’re your friends. We would have been there for you.” 

Emily clears her throat and presses her lips together as she forces herself not to say that it is none of their business. That she didn’t want anyone else to know. It was something just between her and Aaron, a secret of theirs that they protected and kept safe. Something that had brought them closer, yet another thing they had endured. 

“You always say I’m private,” she says, forcing a smile that shakes, “This…wasn’t something I wanted to share.” She answers diplomatically.

“When did it happen?” JJ asks softly, a look in her eyes Emily doesn’t have the energy to place, and she swallows thickly.

Part of her wants to tell them she doesn’t want to answer the question, that she just wants to get back to the task at hand, but she sighs and decides she’ll tell them. Something about JJ’s demeanour, how she’s tense herself, telling her to share. That this might be something she has in common with her friend. She decides to file that thought away for later, reminding herself to ask her friend about it when it was just the two of them. 

“Do you remember when Aaron and I were both off with the flu?” She asks, waiting for them both to nod, her eyes drifting again to the test still clasped in Penelope’s hand, “It was then. I had an appointment that Monday and we found out that the pregnancy was ectopic,” she swallows down unexpected anger at how they both sigh sympathetically, finding it irritating more than comforting, “We…I had to end the pregnancy and we took the week off to recover,” she clenches her jaw tightly, forcing back tears she wouldn’t shed now, the back of her throat burning with it. So stuffed full of grief that never seemed to get any easier she feels like she can’t breathe. “I would have been due next month.” 

She isn’t sure why she shares that final detail, why it breaks through the defences she’d built months ago, but it does. They fall into silence, awkward and stifling around them, and Penelope tries to speak first, “Em-”

“Can I have it back please?” Emily says, stepping towards her friend as she cuts her off, her hand already out. Penelope looks confused for a moment and Emily sighs, “The test. Please.” 

Penelope nods and hands it over, “Of course, I’m sorry.” 

Emily nods and holds the test tightly, pressing it against her chest, the relief she feels palpable, “Thank you,” she replies, smiling tightly at her friend, “I know it’s stupid it’s just a test-”

“It’s not stupid,” JJ assures her, squeezing her shoulder before letting go, well aware that her friend’s boundaries had already been pushed this afternoon, “You’ve got to do what feels right for you.” 

Emily laughs wryly, the sound wet as it catches in her chest, and she nods. “We should carry on,” she says, turning around for a moment to wipe a stray tear from her cheek, “Aaron will be pissed if we haven’t made any progress next time he comes up here.”

It’s a flimsy excuse and they all know it, but JJ and Penelope simply nod, the latter heading back into the bathroom without further comment, the usual bounce to her step somewhat diminished. Emily looks at JJ who tilts her head at her. 

“You okay?”

Emily shrugs, “Yes and no,” she replies, “I don’t know.” 

JJ nods, her arms crossing over her chest, “Do you want me to leave you alone for a little while?” 

She chokes on a laugh and nods, grateful that her friend understands her enough to ask, “Yes please.” 

JJ smiles at her and squeezes her shoulder, her hand lingering for a moment, “If you ever want to talk about it to someone other than Aaron…” she says, drifting off before she clears her throat, “You can always talk to me.” 

“Thank you,” Emily replies after a moment and they exchange a tight smile, “I appreciate that.” 

JJ nods and walks towards the closet, walking into the space so Emily is alone in the bedroom again. She blows out a steady breath and looks down at the test in her hands.

She grasps it tightly, and she closes her eyes. For a moment she can send herself right back to the first time she looked at it. The timer from her phone still ringing in her ears, Aaron’s impatient pacing in the bedroom a backing track she still sometimes heard when she couldn’t sleep. The overwhelming joy forcing tears down her cheeks as she gasps loudly enough for Aaron to hear her through the door. 

When she opens her eyes and looks back down, the once bright pink lines now lighter, tears spill onto her cheeks again. She sighs as she places the test in a box full of important things she, Aaron and Jack are gathering.  Social security cards and Jack’s birth certificate. A picture of him and Haley, Aaron and Emily’s marriage license. Their favourite photo from their wedding. A box of things they’d ensure were in their car on the short move two blocks away, a habit she’d picked up when she was young and wanted to make sure the movers her mother would hire didn’t lose her most precious belongings. 

She lets her fingers linger over it for a second before she hears Aaron call her name from downstairs, and she puts the lid back on top of the box, hiding the test away again. Keeping it safe until she next needed to look at it. 

She turns and heads out of the room, “Coming, honey.”

___

6 Months Later

“Let me help you.” 

“No.” 

The seriousness of her husband’s reply, the speed at which he says it, makes her laugh. The sound loud and booming as it echoes around the room they are in, bouncing off the sage green painted walls. She feels movement in her belly as she laughs, the baby, her son, shifting as he always does when she is happy. 

“Seriously?” She asks, readjusting her position in the armchair she was sitting in, trying to ease some of the discomfort in her back, “Just ‘no?’” She says, smiling when he turns to look at her, his eyebrow raised, “I can help. The painting is all done, now you’re just making the crib.” 

Aaron shakes his head at his wife, his eyes lingering on her bump, on how she rubs her hand over it, and he stands up, abandoning the partially made crib on the nursery floor. He groans as his knees crack as they straighten and he walks over to join her, sitting on the arm of the chair she’s in as he wraps his arm around her shoulders. 

“And you’re busy making the baby,” he says, kissing her brow as she rolls her eyes at him, “You’re literally growing a person, sweetheart,” he adds, smiling at her, resting his hand on her stomach next to hers, smiling when he feels their son kick, “Just let me do the rest.” 

She smiles at him, shaking her head and she cups his cheek. Ever since they’d found out she was pregnant again he’d been protective. Channelling his anxiety, his worry that something would go wrong this time too, into looking after her. She’s sure in another life where her first pregnancy had been viable, she would have found it irritating. That she would have yelled at him months ago for treating her like she was made of glass, but she doesn’t.

Because there were moments, especially whenever they had appointments or check ups, when she felt like she was made of glass. As if everything she had could shatter in an instant, her happiness robbed from her again as it lay in pieces around her. There were times when she’d lay in bed at night, lost in the feeling of her son moving inside of her, her hand pressed into her belly as she revelled in it, allowing herself to look forward to the future for the first time in months. Everything she had to look forward to dancing in the shadows cast across the bedroom in the early morning light. 

“Are you ok, Em?” Aaron asks, and she looks at him, only realising when she frowns at him that she’d drifted off. She sighs and looks at her stomach, at their now linked hands over their child, and she shrugs at him as she looks back at him.

“Yes,” she replies, smiling softly when he raises his eyebrow at her, “I don’t know. I think I’m just worried,” she feels familiar tears burning at the back of her eyes, her ability to control her emotions long gone, “It just all feels too good to be true.” 

He runs his hand up and down her arm and kisses the top of her head, “What do you mean, sweetheart?” 

She chokes on a sob and shakes her head at herself, “I have the man of my dreams,” she says, tears spilling down her cheeks, “The house of my dreams. A little boy I love so much it hurts sometimes and another on the way,” she looks up at him, leaning into his palm when he presses it to her cheek, “Sometimes I wonder if I deserve it all. If it will all get snatched away.” 

He wraps his arms tightly around her, pulling her as close as he can with their slightly awkward angle, and he runs his hand up and down her back, “Em, you deserve everything you have and more,” he says, sighing as she holds him even tighter, her hands forming fists in the back of his shirt. He pulls back to look at her, smiling as he tucks some hair behind her ear, “I’d give you the world if I could.” 

She smiles at him and rests her forehead against his shoulder, “I don’t need the world, just this. Our family.” 

“And you have us, sweetheart,” he assures her, tilting her head with his finger under her chin, capturing her lips in a kiss, “You have us.” 

She nods, stamping a kiss against his lips, letting herself settle into his comfort. His love. They sit in their embrace for a few minutes in silence, both of them enjoying the movement of their son, and the thought of the future they were on the precipice of both exciting and terrifying in equal measure. 

“You know what else I need?” She asks, the playful lilt to her voice letting him know the tone of the conversation was about to change. He pulls back and smiles at her, a spark in his eyes that she couldn’t live without.

“Pizza?”

She beams at him and nods, “You know me so well.”

He chuckles and kisses her before he stands, “Well, you are my wife,” he says, “The woman of my dreams.”

She grumbles at him, narrowing her eyes at the smile on his face, well aware he wasn’t making fun of her, merely acknowledging it wasn’t something she’d usually admit to, even to him. “Don’t make me regret saying that.” 

He smiles at her from the doorway, “The usual?” 

She nods, “Yes please,” she answers, “I’ll meet you downstairs in a couple of minutes.” Once Aaron disappears from view she feels a particularly hard kick and she chuckles, “Daddy loves us very much, sweet boy,” she says, her smile soft, “And we love him,” she feels another kick, “I can’t wait to meet you.” 

When she holds her son for the first time just shy of three months later, the baby wriggling and screaming until he’s laid on her chest, she can’t help but believe, for the first time in a long time, that everything really was going to be okay. 

She feels her heart get bigger, making more room for him next to his brother and Aaron, and the baby they never got to meet.

-x-

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[mollymauk-teafleak]

darlin', darlin'

This was an anniversary present for my wonderful gf @nb-fearne. We both wrote each other icemav fics inspired by Jerry Maguire scenes so if that doesn't tell you why we've been together for six years, nothing will. Love you baby 💙

Please reblog and go leave a comment on Ao3 if you liked this!

---------

As far as weddings that weren’t weddings went, Tom thought it had gone pretty well. 

All day long and well into the night, their little house had been full of noise, laughter and music and clinking glasses. But now the record on their old player had finally wound down and no one was replacing it. The plates and glasses were piled up on nearly every flat surface and all the guests had staggered home. Expect for a handful who hadn’t made it past the couches.

Tom was hardly surprised, he even came prepared. He moved through the living room as quietly as he could, arms full of the blankets he’d set aside, dodging abandoned wine glasses and kicked off high heels to cover the snoozing Kerner twins, their mother who was slumped over the arm of the couch, her hand stretched out to loosely entwine with Slider’s, who looked like he’d fallen from a great height to collapse in Ice’s armchair. One for his sister, Sarah, whose face looked less like his own when it was gentle and relaxed in sleep, though she curled up in the same tight ball he did. Another for Carole, curled up on the floor in a tight little ball, her head pillowed on Alice Kerner’s jacket and one arm draped with a natural protectiveness over little Bradley. 

Sundresses instead of gowns, linen shirts and jeans instead of suits and definitely instead of navy whites, a room full of exhausted parents spending what was left of the morning sleeping off cheap beer rather than a lavish hotel. Their wedding that wasn’t a wedding and it had very little of the things that made an actual wedding. 

But Tom wouldn’t have traded it for anything. 

Once their guests were as comfortable as he could make them, he whipped around and gathered as much cutlery and glassware as he could carry without dropping it and undoing all the hard work he and the booze and food had done. It wasn’t far to their tiny little kitchen where he was a little unsurprised to find his new sort of husband with his shirt sleeves pushed up to his elbows, wrist deep in dish suds. He’d promised to be on his best behavior after all. 

Maverick caught the movement in the corner of his eye and turned with that brilliant smile, not even dimmed with how long he'd been awake, “Hey, baby. Everyone out for the count in there?”

Like always, Ice couldn’t keep from smiling back if his life had depended on it, “Quietest I’ve ever seen those Kerner girls. And that includes Alice.”

“If I ever want you dead, I’ll tell her you said that,” Mav winked, “Come on, stick those dishes in here, I’ll do them.”

Tom did, moving to grab a dish towel instead, ready to do his part. He nodded towards the water and chuckled, “Don’t lose your ring in there, you only just got it.”

“Thought of that!” Maverick lit up like a school kid with the right answer, catching his dog tags on one sudsy thumb and showing off his wedding ring, dangling there on the chain alongside the steel stamped with his name.

Ice beamed, leaning and pressing a kiss to his cheek, “Smart and pretty. Good thing I locked you down when I did, Mitchell.”

Mav nudged him with his hip, grinning, “I’m basically the whole package…I was thinking I could maybe keep it on there? Say it was my mother’s if anyone asks?”

Tom fought for his smile to stay in place, to keep the sudden pain confined to his own rib cage. Everything he knew told him even that small lie, that wink and nod, was too much. It was skirting far too close to the lines he’d drawn around parts of himself. Tom had been planning to keep his own ring well out of sight, he was wearing it today but after that it was going in the same box he kept all his precious weak points- his babushka’s recipe book, sheet music done in his mother’s shaky hand, the drawing his sister Sarah had done in preschool when she’d been asked to draw her family and had only done the two of them, side by side. In Tom’s mind, hiding was safe. Hiding was the only way. 

But that fear was his own and Tom was determined to keep it that way. He wouldn’t clip Mav’s wings, certainly not today. 

“That would be sweet,” was all he said, kissing his cheek again because he just had no other answer to Maverick’s reckless bravery, “Come on, we should really get these dishes done before we go to the airport…”

Mav laughed, “So we’re just giving up on the idea of going to bed, huh?”

Tom waved his hands, indicating the clock on the wall, the rising sun outside and the living room full of sleeping friends in one swoop, “I’ll owe you a wedding night.”

“Hey,” Mav’s eyes softened and he nudged him again, “We’ve got every night for the rest of our lives, baby. I’m easy.”

And they really did. The words they’d said to each other, out there in their tiny backyard with the ocean rolling behind them, didn't mean anything legal and Tom had little faith they ever would. There were no contracts or documents to back up that ring hanging there alongside Mav’s dog tags. But like Maverick himself had said, when they’d come up with this a month ago, curled up together in a tangle of blankets and limbs and crazy ideas, a wedding was just a party. You got everyone you loved in one room, or at least as many as you could, and you told them all hey, I’m nuts about this guy and I want to be with him forever. If the government was honestly happy for them to risk their lives but not while openly loving each other, then they- in Maverick’s words- could go fuck themselves. They weren’t getting an invite. 

Tom didn’t need Mav to write his name on a piece of paper to know he loved him. He trusted his wingman. 

Suddenly, getting the dishes done didn’t seem all that important. The old record player was still sitting in the corner, half covered under the bomber jacket Maverick had thrown aside after enough dancing to flush his cheeks. But he knew the disc he wanted wouldn’t be in the pile stacked up next to it, threatening to topple over and slide onto the tile. Those were all party tunes, songs from their teenage years they were dragging into this new decade, songs for Slider to pick Alice up and swing her around to, songs for little Bradley to bounce around to with his mama’s hands in his own. But Tom wanted something slightly different. 

“Thanks for your support!” Mav called out sarcastically as he watched him disappear into the hall where the shelves of books and CDs and vinyls were neatly arranged by type then genre then color. 

By Tom, naturally. He’d once caught Mav putting a CD in the wrong case just because it happened to be closer. And somehow he’d married him. 

“Something occurred to me,” Tom said airily, coming back with the record he wanted, setting it into the player before Mav could see what it was. They had it on CD too but Tom would always prefer the way vinyls crackled, “Besides, Slider can do the dishes when he wakes up. I’m mad at him for that speech.”

“Because he made you cry?” Mav smirked, wiping off his hands. 

“Maybe,” Tom grunted, gently setting the needle down. 

“I thought it was adorable…so what occurred to you?”

After that static scratch and pop, there was that smooth, rhythmic plucking of strings, like the notes were going down a set of stairs, accompanied by those bright, happy barks of brass. Stand by Me, the original Ben E. King version naturally, Mrs Rosie Mitchell’s favorite and the one of the many soul tracks that had scored Maverick’s childhood. One of the ones he claimed to have gotten sick of but he’d still always reach for when he was given the chance. 

Tom turned and offered out his hand, “We never got a first dance?”

And it was true, after they’d said whatever they wanted to say to each other out there in the yard, after Slider’s best man speech had made Tom cry and Carole’s had made Maverick laugh so hard he blew champagne out of his nose, they’d all just piled back inside to drink and dance and sing. It had been a brilliantly hectic whirlwind since then, this was probably the first time Tom and Mav had been alone since they’d kissed under the rosewood tree out back. 

But this was one part of a traditional wedding Tom thought he’d like to have. And if the smile on his face was anything to go by, Pete agreed. 

Two steps brought Maverick into his arms, just as the words began. He placed a hand on the small of his back, the other joined with his husband’s in a loose hold. Neither of them were really dancers, they couldn’t manage more than a simple step and sway without their legs getting tangled or knocking into the counter, but that hardly mattered. As Ben E. King sang about how he wouldn’t be afraid, the golden sunrise painted the two of them into a Klimt, into something more than beautiful. Something that didn’t need to be seen to know how precious it was. 

Tom found himself humming along without even realizing, formless sounds that became words as his heart ran away and left his usual nerves behind, as Mav’s hair tickling his nose and their fingers threading together became much more important than how he sounded. Maverick beamed and tucked his head in against his husband’s chest, so he could feel the words as well as hear them. He always insisted he loved his husband’s voice, as hard as Tom found it to believe, always asking him to sing for him when he was feeling under the weather or in the quiet moments when that incessant Maverick branded energy finally wound down and he became soft and clingy. One of those things Tom was prepared to do for Maverick and only Maverick.

And he sang for him now, gladly, not caring that his voice was rough with beer and the lack of sleep or that he dropped out of lines to kiss Mav’s forehead. There were so many things Tom struggled to say, simply because he hadn’t been taught they existed, let alone how to put them into words. So he sang them instead, he rubbed small circles into the small of Mav’s back instead. And he trusted his husband would hear them all the same. 

Tom didn’t quite know what he was going to do when the song finally ended. Of course it said something about him that he was here in this warm, loving moment and already worrying about when it would end but Tom wasn’t about to linger on that. Not on his wedding day. 

But as he was inhaling the amber smell of Mav’s cologne and that edge of jet fuel he never seemed to lose, as he was singing in his rough rumble to ask him to stand by him whenever they were in trouble, there was the sound of footsteps. Footsteps that weren’t swaying over slightly cracking linoleum. 

Tom lifted his head, chuckling as he watched a tuft of blonde, curly hair waver behind the counter like a submarine periscope. 

“Mr Bradley Bradshaw, you have not slept long enough to be on your feet,” he laughed, watching the tuft come to a guilty stop. 

A set of blue eyes peered up over the edge of the counter, “Sun’s up!”

“The sun may be up but you went to bed at three in the morning,” Maverick snorted with laughter, peeking up at him in a similar way over Tom’s shoulder.

Bradley’s gap toothed smile followed his eyes, “I can’t sleep…”

Tom kissed Mav’s cheek and let him go with some reluctance, going to lean on the counter so he could see the kid grinning up at him, wobbling on his tiptoes. His hair was a cloud of curls, so blonde in the sunlight that they seemed white, like he was wearing a halo along with crumpled overalls and striped socks. 

“How about your mama, is she still asleep?”

Bradley nodded, “I tucked her in!”

“You’re a good kid,” Tom reached across to pick him up, swinging him safely into his arms, his heart warming as Bradley laughed and clung to him. 

“Whatcha doing?” his little fist grabbed for the chain of Tom’s dog tags like a reflex, the way he did with Mav too. 

The way he’d probably done with Goose.

“We’re dancing,” Mav grinned, coming up and poking his cheek lightly, “It’s our wedding, you see.” 

Bradley made a sleepy grab for his finger, “Nah…that was yesterday…now it’s today…”

“Well, that's the fun thing, you see,” Maverick could have pulled back easily but he let himself be caught in the toddler’s free hand, “After you have your wedding, you get to be married to that person forever and ever. And you get to dance in the kitchen every morning, if you feel like it.”

Tom could hear the record crackling as the needle scraped through empty valleys and came to a halt. He smiled.

“And you get to go on vacations together. Which we’re leaving for in a half hour and I’m guessing you haven’t packed yet?” he grinned at Maverick. 

Mav did in fact blush lightly and laugh, “Yeah…I’ll go get on that…”

He gave Bradley a kiss on the cheek, Tom a longer one on the lips before heading off to the stairs, still whistling Stand By Me. 

Bradley seemed to have no desire to get down from Tom’s arms, though maybe he wasn’t quite as awake as he thought, yawning against the shoulder of his dress shirt before mumbling, “Can I come on vacation?”

Tom chuckled, “I don’t think we’ll be doing anything you’d find fun, kiddo.”

In fact, he had very few plans when they got to the little rental on a Hawaiian beach, chosen mostly for its seclusion rather than its luxury, beyond closing the door, pressing Maverick into the bed and fucking him every which way he could think of. Maybe reading some poetry books while his husband caught his breath. 

Bradley huffed softly, his grip tightening, “But you’ll be gone so long…gone forever…”

Tom held the kid a little tighter. He knew Bradley was too young to be so used to goodbyes, too young to know how ‘gone for a while’ could turn into ‘gone forever’. He pulled back so he could take Bradley’s hand in his own, helping him put up five fingers. 

“This is how many days we’ll be gone, kid. And then we’ll come home. I promise.”

Bradley fluttered his five fingers, humming thoughtfully, “That’s not so many?”

Tom smiled, “Nah. We’ll be back before you know it and I’ll even bring you back something cool.”

“When you come back,” Bradley nodded, still clutching that thought like a talisman. 

“When we come back,” Tom closed his little fist, holding it safe within his own so the promise held fast, “Everything we love is here.”

Bradley held onto that as Tom coaxed him back into his mama’s arms, back into the sleep which the toddler was clearly losing the fight to. He certainly seemed pleased as a still sleeping Carole wrapped her arms around him and brought him close, burying his face against her as Tom gently fixed the blanket back around them. 

He took a moment to glance around the room again, making sure that everyone was sleeping soundly. The twins were still curled around each other like puppies, Alice and Slider’s fingers were still loosely threaded together like even crashed out on their friend’s couch, they were looking for each other. Tom smiled as he took his house key off the ring and left it by his RIO’s head. 

By then, Maverick was waiting for him at the door, bags at his feet, whispering, “Ready to go?”

Tom grinned, lifting the man he loved right off his feet, muffling his soft noise of surprise with a searing kiss. 

“I’m very ready.”

Carrying Maverick to the car, stealing kisses between half hearted protests and laughter, Tom took a brief glance back at the house, dark and silent now but full of everything and everyone he loved, the life that was hidden but safe for all that. 

Maybe he didn’t have to be afraid of what would happen when the song ended. 

Maybe Tom could just believe there would always be another. 

[mrsamaroevans]

15 | ONE THING RIGHT

Fandom: Mayans M.C.

Pairing: Miguel Galindo x Female OC Adelaide Lancaster.

Summary: After her crush rejected her for so many years, Adelaide found the love of her life, but not everything is perfect. Not when she fell in love with the devil.

Words: 2,602.

A/N: So... HI. It's been sooooo long and I'm so sorry. I'm not gonna come up with excuses, just so you know, I'm sorry lol. Uh... I don't know if someone is reading this, but if you are... thank you so much. I was sad for the news that the next Mayans season is the last one we'll get and I finished this chapter. I don't know what I'm gonna do once the show is over, but I guess will be our time to keep on writing about them idk lol... As always: English is not my first language, so, sorry if there are grammar mistakes or if the redaction is poor. *gifs not mine*

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| Now |

“Your husband called.”

It was eight in the morning and Adelaide woke up when a nurse walked into her room. The first she told her was that she’ll have an intravenous antibiotic, but she didn’t pay too much attention. Truth was that she barely listened since the doctor told her that they didn’t find her baby’s heartbeat.

Dita got into her room during the night to leave her purse and ask her to let Miguel inside. She just thanked her for taking her stuff and for being there. She completely ignores what she had told her about Miguel. She didn’t care how worried he could be; she didn’t want to see him.

“He said he’s coming to replace his mother and wanted us to ask you if you could let him in.” The nurse says once she pulls out the syringe. Adelaide doesn’t turn to her.

“I don’t want to see anyone.” She repeats and the nurse just nods and walks out of the room.

Adelaide lays on her right side, her back to the door and her gaze to the window. She knows that she has to face Miguel at some point, but she still doesn’t want to do it. She would like to think that he didn’t mean what he told her the night before, but his words keep repeating in her head, and she is not sure she could stop them.

When she started to work after she got married, she had the purpose to leave her work in her office and be completely present at home. Her only job when she was with her son, was protecting him. Make sure he was fine and… she couldn’t do it. With neither. Both of them are gone.

“I said I don’t want to see anybody.” She says when she hears the door being open. She’s not sure how much time has passed by now, but she’s sure it’s not a nurse or a doctor, they would have knocked on the door before. So, she keeps her gaze on the IV that’s on the back of her hand and wipes the tears off of her face.

“And you know how much I fucking don’t care?”

When she hears that voice, Adelaide turns around to see her best friend a couple of feet away from her bed.

“Who called you?” She asks, sitting up as fast as she can ‘cause her back still hurts from the epidural she got. Ez translates that as the chance to get closer to her.

“Emily.” EZ says, shrugging “She said you didn’t want to see anyone, that maybe you’d talk to me.”

Adelaide's eyes start to fill with tears and Ez sits at her side to hug her, letting her cry on his shoulder as much as she wants.

She doesn’t understand why but there is something in Ez that, somehow, calms her down. She had to be mad at him, she had to tell him to go away and not get close to her again, but now that she has him near, his closeness comforts her.

“Emily also said that Miguel deleted our numbers…” She hears Ez say once she controls her tears. She texted Emily Ez’s number once Dita brought her things during the night, and she also told her what had happened. She never thought her friend would dare to talk to Ez that soon “How did you get them back?”

“I called Riz’s sister and she gave me his number, then he gave me yours,” Adelaide explains, but she realizes that Ez doesn’t pay that much attention to her. He looks like he has so many things in his head “What?”

“I don’t like what he did… it’s not right.” Ez says after sighing.

“He knew I saw Angel yesterday…” Adelaide looks at his friend and when she sees the confusion on his face, she realizes he doesn’t know the context of the situation “He always loses his mind when your brother is involved.”

“Why?” Ez asks even more confused.

“Because he hates him.” She simply says.

“Why?”

“You’re not gonna let it go, right?”

“Nope.”

Adelaide sighs and even though she’s not in the mood to tell him about her past with Angel, she does it.

“Before I knew Miguel, I confessed my feelings to your brother. At first, he said that he didn’t feel anything back, but then he did. We started dating, I guess… at least everybody thought that we were but we never talked about it, we never felt we needed to.” She half smiles. “We were like that for eight months or so, and it was everything I imagined since I was a teenager…”

“Ugh…” Ez looks disgusted and all Adelaide can do is hit his ribs with her arm.

“Shut up, you wanted to know.” They laugh for a few seconds, and once their laughs calm down, she continues “Then, one day out of the blue, Angel came and said that what we were doing wasn’t right. That you saw me like a sister and your father as a daughter. He said that the only relationship he wanted to have with me, was the brother-sister one, and he left before I could tell him I was pregnant.”

Adelaide feels his gaze on her, but for some reason, she can’t look at him.

“I was so mad, Ez… I’ve never felt like that before, and… what was I gonna do? He didn’t want anything with me and I didn’t feel ready to have a baby without a father, so, I went to Los Angeles to get an abortion.” She pauses, ‘cause the memories of last night come back to her. She waits until the lump in her throat vanishes and thanks Ez that he doesn’t push her to continue before she’s ready “Two weeks later, Angel came to me to ask me for a pregnancy test my mother found… I had other options; I could have lied to him, but I noticed he was happy and I felt the necessity to wipe that smile off of his face, I wanted him to feel the same that I felt so I told him, and I know it’s your brother but…”

“He’s an asshole most of the time, I know…” Ez says. Adelaide nods and even though she feels she doesn’t deserve it; she thanks the Lord because his best friend’s not judging her decisions.

“I got what I wanted. Angel was so mad, he even told me that he hated me for what I did. We stopped talking to each other until I went to the clubhouse for Coco’s birthday… I just went to give him a cake I baked but Angel asked me to stay, that he didn’t have any problem with that because I was Coco’s friend too, so I did… Angel got so drunk and he apologized for what he said. He told me he missed me, that he wanted us to go back to the friendship we had before all of that, and I missed him too so I pushed my feelings for him aside and I accepted.” She looks at the rings on her finger and she smiles ‘cause the words she’s about to say are forming a memory in her mind. She still can see it all perfectly and the butterflies are still there “A couple of months later I met Miguel…” she says “Angel didn’t like it at all when I started dating him. Even the club tried to convince me to leave him, but I loved him. It just… happened too fast. Then, two months before Miguel proposed to me, I had a pregnancy scare… I was at Lore’s house and I was crying when Riz stopped by. I tried to pretend to be okay but he knew something was wrong and he told Angel… When he asked me, I told him the truth and you know what he said?”

“Bullshit, I guess…”

Adelaide nods.

“His exact words were ‘Well... if you are, you already know how to get rid of the problem’.”

“What the fuck, Angel?” Ez mutters, shaking his head.

“That’s what I said.” Adelaide shrugs “I talked to him again the day after Miguel proposed…”

Ez doesn’t say anything for a moment. She sees him trying to digest everything she said. She also doesn’t add anything. She feels she talked way too much. Probably was way too honest.

“Miguel knows all of this.” Ez doesn’t ask. These few days, she’s been in charge of letting him know that Miguel is the one that she leans in, so he wouldn’t be surprised if she had told him everything.

“I had to tell him because your brother threw a scene at my parent’s house when I was pregnant with Cristobal. He held me in his arms the whole night while I cried.” That’s the moment when she can’t keep on with her words. It doesn’t matter how much she tries to put the events of the night aside; she can’t make them go away “I was thinking about all of that the whole night… that was the first thing I thought when the doctor told me that… that my baby was gone…”

Her hands land on her eyes trying to stop the tears from going out. But the blame she’s feeling for the decisions she made in the past is even stronger than when she made them.

“They told you why it happened?” Ez asks once she sighs and uncovers her face.

“No… they said that sometimes happens. It can be for long periods of stress, ‘cause the baby wasn’t completely fine… but I think it was karma.”

Ez shakes his head, disagreeing with her “You said Miguel loses his mind when Angel is involved… you can trust me, Addie. You can tell me what really happened…”

Adelaide takes her gaze up to him once she understands what he said between the lines. His words take her by surprise but she’s aware that more than one person in her social circle could and would think the same way.

“You think he did this? No… I mean, we argued but he didn’t touch me. He would nev—”

“I have seen him doing things that—”

“That I haven’t, I get it…” Adelaide says, a little bit mad ‘cause out of all the people in her life, she thought Ez would be the one that could never doubt her common sense “I know what he does, Ez, I know who he is. I don’t need anyone telling me about it.” Ez tries to speak, but Adelaide doesn’t give him the chance “I’m not that helpless little girl you met, anymore… you need to understand that.”

“I do…  I just… I don’t trust him.” He looks at her and, again, she’s not surprised by his words. It’s not the first time she hears them “The fact that he deleted our numbers because he was jealous…”

“Who said he was jealous?” She lets out a laugh and Ez throws her a glance “Miguel is not jealous of Angel…”

“No… he’s jealous about the life you used to have.” Ez tells her but she can’t imagine Miguel feeling that way “He’s insecure about you wanting to go back to that, after everything you left behind—”

“Why would I?” She interrupts him “I love him, and I know I said shit last night but I’m happy with him…”

Ez doesn’t insist anymore and she’s glad. She’s been listening to a lot of people saying that what she feels for Miguel isn’t love since the moment she started dating him. Even now that they’re married. She was tired of that.

“You said you saw Angel… what did you talk about?” He asks.

“You really don’t know?” She lifts an eyebrow and can see his regret for asking that crossing his face in less than a second.

“You know it…” Ez says and sighs “Listen, I didn’t know that she was trying to take Cristobal, if I knew, I would have warned you, I wouldn’t have—”

“Ez, I don’t care anymore.” Adelaide interrupts him, shaking her head no and making Ez turn to her “Cristobal’s fine and he has to come back tomorrow.”

“Adelita said something that I didn’t understand…” Ez says after a couple of seconds. Adelaide doesn’t say anything back ‘cause she knows Ez hasn’t finished talking “She said that she didn’t understand how could you marry one of the responsible for your father’s death.” At this point, Adelaide freezes. She doesn’t speak not because she doesn’t have anything to say, but ‘cause she doesn’t know how Adelita knows that “I thought your father died in a car crash…”

“I thought that too.” She finally says.

| Then |

| ONE YEAR EARLIER |

“Your abuela made it…”

She wasn’t her grandmother, but Alonso’s mom loved her as her granddaughter and she almost threw a big party when Adelaide and Miguel told her they were expecting their first child.

Adelaide was almost six months pregnant. She could no longer hide her bump and that only made her and Miguel even more excited about starting their own family. The nursery was almost done; Adelaide and Bridget designed it and Miguel was also being part of the process it didn’t matter how tired he whenever he got home. Sure he had more money than what they needed to hire someone so his wife wouldn’t have to work, but he was enjoying so much being part of creating the place where his child would spend the first years of his life in.

“It’s beautiful, thank you.” Adelaide smiled as she looked at the white knitted sweater that Alonso gave her. She was so thrilled to know her son would be loved by many people and she couldn’t wait any longer to have him in her arms, but she couldn’t say anything else ‘case her parents’ doorbell ranged. “I’ll go…” Adelaide said and still with the sweater in hand, she went out of the kitchen towards the front door. There, she found someone unexpected “Angel…” Adelaide said surprised and the smile that was forming on her face, disappeared immediately when she noticed Angel’s gaze was on her bump.

“You were the one I wanted to talk to…”

With those words, she confirmed that he was drunk. She took a glance at the jeep outside and saw Gabriel about to walk towards them, but she shook her head to let him know everything was fine.

“What happens?” She asked looking down at his hand, he still had a bottle of beer.

Angel looked at the bump on her belly again and didn’t say anything, as if he couldn’t do something else than look at that spot on her body.

“I was about to tell you, it’s just that Miguel and I decided to keep it between us for a couple of months…” she started to say. The moment she told Miguel she was pregnant, he said the news had to stay in their inner circle, just family and very close friends like Bridget and Emily knew. But Angel didn’t seem to be listening to her words. He just shook his head and looked up at her face slowly.

“You’re a piece of shit…” He said. Hatred irradiated out of his eyes as she gave a little step back not understanding what he was talking about.

“Angel…” She whispered looking back to see if anyone listened to his words but there was nobody near “What are you saying?”

“You…” he repeated slower “Are. A fucking. Piece of shit.” Angel gave a step towards her, and leaned to be closer to her face “That’s what you are…”

“You should go, you’re drunk.” Adelaide asked giving another step back to close the door, but he didn’t let her by placing a hand on it “Angel…”

“Why?” he asked raising the tone of his voice “Who’s in here? Here’s your husband? I didn’t see his lap dog outside…”

“Angel…”

“No, it’s fine.” He said lengthening his last word and stepping into the house “Let’s tell him what kind of woman he married…”

“It’s everything all right?” Amanda asked coming out of the living room.

“Yes, mom,” Adelaide said nodding and about to ask her to go back to the kitchen. She didn’t want anyone to hear ‘cause at that moment she knew exactly what Angel was talking about.

“You never told her, right?” Angel said laughing under his breath “You didn’t have the guts to…”

“What’s happening?” Adelaide’s mom asked again but she only shook her head.

“He’s drunk; he doesn’t know what he’s saying…”

“The fuck I know!” He shouted, “You… you’re walking around, really happy, showing your bump, so proud for Galindo’s baby, but… what did you do to the other one?”

“Angel, please…”

“You… you killed it!” Angel shouted again.

Amanda looked at her daughter, but Adelaide only could look at Angel. Now, both of them had tears in their eyes. She pressed her lips together and tried to hold back the tears.

“You didn’t tell me shit!” Angel continued getting angrier “I would have been there for you and him, or her… I wouldn’t have run!”

“Angel…”

“Angel! Angel!” He said laughing “Is that everything you know how to say?” Angel looked at her, both of them forgetting about the fact that Amanda was there and now, Alonso too “You let some doctors kill my baby… our baby.” He pointed to her and then to himself, and that was the moment when neither of them could hold their tears “And that’s something I’ll never forgive you for.”

“You should go, mister.” Gabriel tried to grab Angel’s arm but the Mayan moved.

“I hope you remember what you did every time you see that kid’s face.”

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Taglist: @glimmerglittergirl @calif0rnia-lovers @scapricciatello @keithseabrook27 @rosey1981 @piccasoe @ntlmundy @dirtynerdy98 @mheart27 @enamouravecleslivresetlechocolat @luckyharley1903 @thejulietfarciertlove

[all-risejd]

After Shine Part 4 (Damian Priest x OC) (Eventual The Judgment Day x OC)

Dominik

July 11 – San Antonio, Texas

The travel bus was an expense he was relieved his dad was paying for (seriously, it’s so expensive to get a bus and a driver, honestly). They left San Diego on Tuesday, after they got the bus, and headed for the next location - Dominik wanted to get a chance to explore the city and take as many moments with his twins as he could before their new little one was born, call him selfish all you want, he wanted memories. San Antonio, Texas is somewhere he’d been before, as well as Danika - but they’d been there with Rey on the road in their teen years. It isn’t always easy for Dominik to blend in when he’s out in Texas and some of the more Hispanic populated cities, but he does his best. 

They spend Wednesday and Thursday just wandering around the town, Danika’s grandparents live there but they don’t stop in, she doesn’t have a relationship with them. By the time the following Monday rolled around they’d been in the city for almost a week, Danika had spent Friday working on her influencer stuff, doing tours of the city, and convincing Angie to be her ‘special guest’ for a series of ghost tours and garden tours around the city. Dominik spent his Friday and Saturday doing house shows nearby. Saturday and Sunday they’d spent with Angie and Rey, mostly Dominik working out with Rey while Danika worked on his gear - he didn’t ask her to make repairs, but she did, she also tended to pick the designs on them, he’d pay her as his personal assistant if she wanted him to, but unfortunately… She was the more sought after celebrity in their friendship, and definitely had the bigger bank account. 

She’s in the arena again, tonight without backup, holding both babies, and tucked away safely close to the barricade. He thanks his lucky stars every time he wakes up and she’s still in his life, they really are platonic soul mates, the problem with them - is that she can’t seem to say no to him. Which is why she’s pregnant again, and the mother of his twins. He pouts and she does her best to brush his tears away, it always ends up in a bottle of topshelf tequila from Mexico, and then a morning of what the fuck, not again. But, he digresses, he has bigger fish to fry. Currently he and Rey are watching Brock and Theory run their mouths again, with Paul Heyman between them. He was trying to find a way to talk Danika into getting him a dog of some sort, for when she can’t be on the road with him. 

They go out after Brock’s thing, which is funny to a point, in red, white and blue tonight. Well, Rey has a match against Finn Balor by himself, and Dominik is beyond sure he’s going to be the one in pain before the end of the night Damian likes to help Finn win, however that shakes out. So far it’s ended with him in pain. After they entered, he looked through the faces - finding Danika, with holy shit Shaul Guerrero standing next to her. Shaul might as well be Dominik’s older cousin, they hang out sometimes, but Shaul’s appearance is something of a surprise even to Rey, who when the lights go out whispers to Dominik that he didn’t know Shaul was coming. She has only watched him a handful of times since he debuted, she herself didn’t stick in the WWE longer than getting her husband. “All rise.” Damian ordered in the mic, when it didn’t work, he shouted, “All rise and show proper respect for the Judgement Day.”

Dominik clocked it when Damian sighted Danika in the fans, a sort of smile bloomed on the man’s face, quickly replaced by a violent smirk, “Dominik what happened last week to you and your father, that was justice. Justice for the Old Guard, justice for the way things used to be. Like in two weeks at Madison Square Garden, Rey Mysterio will be celebrating his 20th anniversary in the WWE.” Rey nodded his head at Damian’s truth, “Yeah, face it Rey, you're done.” The cheering of the crowd tapered off with the statement. “You're washed, it’s over.” The crowd booed, “Dominik, your father has nothing else to offer you.” Danika had said the same thing that morning, when Dominik mentioned how much training Rey wasn’t doing with him anymore, “No wisdom, certainly no strength, all he has is an ugly mask and some old, tired, circus-like tricks that aren’t even yours.” The last part was yelled into the microphone. “However, we have something more to offer. A whole new set of rules, Dominik.”

Oh shit, Dominik realized, this was his heel. He was actually going to join the Judgement Day at some point, just like Danika had guessed. He’d sort of hoped it would be them, he liked the way Damian treated him, when he wasn’t beating the shit out of him. “Yeah, it sounds good doesn’t it.” Damian’s voice softened as he said it, directly looking in Dominik’s eyes, “The future of this business will be decided by the Judgement Day.” That was a ballsy statement, especially since they were down a member currently, and had pissed off all the legends with their treatment of Edge, “And you're welcome to join it, man.” Rey’s hand landed on Dominik’s shoulder, he had been swaying lightly on his feet, eyes watching Damian, prepared for the attack that was sure to come. The crowd started to boo, “That doesn’t matter.” Damian promised as he pointed to them, almost directly at Danika who winked when Dominik did look, Shaul looked amused herself. “None of that matters,” It sounded like Damian was talking about more than the WWE Universe disliking him, “Join the Judgement Day, step out of your father’s shadow.” 

He wouldn’t admit it, but that struck a nerve. “Blaze your own path, man. Elige tu vida.” Dominik sort of hated how beautifully Damian spoke Spanish, honestly, “Rise with the Judgement Day,” Damian stepped into his space, “Or continue to fall alongside your father.” This close he could smell Damian’s cologne, the same that was wrapped up in the hoodie that Danika was apparently keeping regardless of what Dominik said. True to his character, baby face or not, he scrunched his nose up as Damian glared toward Rey, afraid to look at Shaul or Danika, both of them would know exactly how effective the speech had been on him, regardless of if Rey noticed or not. 

Finn’s accent always made Dominik want to smile, it was bubbly and elegant even when he was yelling, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Priest.” He slid his hand down Damian’s arm bringing him back to his side and giving Dominik clean air again, although he sort of missed the man’s presence. “Dom, when are you going to learn? You need to start seeing things like Judgement Day, you think your daddy can protect you?” Dominik had to sink his teeth into his bottom lip, no my dad thinks he can protect me from decisions I make, I don’t want his protection, “Woooo Rey Mysterio the legend, you know who else is a legend? Edge.” Well that was a threat, now wasn’t it. Dominik glanced at his father, while Finn continued, “And we all saw what happened to Edge, you know what? Why don’t we take another look?” He motioned to the screen above the gorilla. “Boom.”

They really had taken out Edge in a very violent manner. They were proud of what they did, proud of how they treated Edge, Rhea had been instrumental in their violence. Dominik might be the only one who thought it, but he had a feeling Rhea was the one calling the shots, “That’s right, Edge is gone.” Finn gloated, “Not coming back, adios, goodbye, and you know why?” Damian waving goodbye and smirking was sort of hilarious next to Finn who looked so serious with the veins in his neck popping, “Because he was a bad leader. And you know what Rey? Just like I told you before, not only are you a bad leader, but you're a bad father.” Ok, Finn went there, and Dominik? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, actually. The crowd booed so loudly, Rey held his ground, glaring up at Finn with his bright blue contacts through his mask.

Rey turned to Dominik, “¿Crees que soy un mal padre?” He wasn’t on the mic when he said it, but Dominik probably didn’t answer fast enough. Dominik tried to reassure Rey, he did, but he wasn’t vocal or maybe the residual truth of Damian’s stupid speech was ringing in his ears, and poisoning his brain, rotting him from the inside out, he was so good on the microphone it wasn’t even fair. Rey moved first, attacking Finn. Dominik moved to help his father, and it seemed like it’s going to work as the Judgement Day dropped out of the ring, for the time being. They had a few moments to regroup, Dominik watched as Damian stalked in front of the barrier, shooting a wink toward Danika who did her best not to roll her eyes. When Dominik met her gaze she mouthed ‘ebb and flow’ at him, he tilted his head just a little to let her know he’d heard her, just as Shaul asked her a question. 

Once the referee had the match organized again - with Priest and Dominik on the outside of the ring, while Finn and Rey locked up in the ring, he wasn’t sure how it happened, the movement between the two faster than most of the moves that Dominik pulled off regularly, Finn had his knees on the back of Rey’s neck, holding him down. There is a trade off, of some sort, a natural rhythm to Finn and Rey in the ring that Dominik felt a spike of jealousy for - he only connected with a few people in the ring: Seth Rollins, Damian Priest, AJ Styles, Buddy when he’d been in the WWE officially. Taking his eyes off the match for just a moment, Danika had Nico and Rosa on her hips, their noise canceling headphones on, while the three were cheering for Abuelo! A smile pulled on Dominik’s lips, his kids might not understand what was going on, but they loved their Abuelo. 

Finn had Rey on the ropes, and was using his leg and strength to push Rey’s chest against the biting material. Damian punched him while the referee was hauling Finn back. With the speed up, again, Dominik paced the outside of the ring mainly near his father’s corner, everytime his dad dominated, he would jump up and down and cheer for his father, Finn got Rey down for a two count, but Rey kicked out. Finn got a chin lock, and another two count. Dominik continued his rhythmic tapping at the mat to encourage his dad, shouting at Finn, while Rey forced them up. The vertical suplex looked painful, Dominik winced, as a few minutes later his knee was injured by the dangling down the ropes, Dominik glanced toward Shaul and Danika - Shaul pulled a face, flicking her gaze to Damian and Finn - he felt seen and judged and Dominik didn’t like the disapproving glance. “You're dad can’t protect you all the time.” Finn taunted as he brutalized Rey, Dominik had inched toward the side of the ring opposite where he’d been loitering, not sure that he could interrupt the match at all - afraid that Rey would be upset with him if he helped. 

It looked like Rey was going to remain in control, but Finn was smart, and determined (possibly a little unhinged). Finn continued to target Rey’s knee. He attempted a 619, executed it perfectly, as he limped to the corner, and climbed to the top rope, he flew - but no one was there, but somehow Rey managed to drop them into a rolling crucifix and get a two count. Trading blows with the ropes between them, was always a risk - Dominik watched on in irritation as Finn got another two count, Finn resumed targeting Rey’s knee, as he climbed to the top rope, a perfect Coupe De Grace to the chest, the Judgment Day’s music flooded around them, as Dominik moved to check on his father, Damian and Finn boxed him in as their music blared, the pair moving back, Damian raising Finn’s arm - the seeds of doubt had been sewn, and as much as Dominik didn’t want to even think about it, when Hunter came to him one on one and asked him to flip - he was going to do it. Something like resolution settled against his rib cage. Dominik carried Rey backstage, during the next break, following along behind the Judgement Day without realizing he’d fallen into their flow again. 

He had to take Rey to medical, his knee really had popped out there. On the way he found Shaul and Danika had joined them with Danika holding Rosa and Nico on Shaul’s shoulders, “Hello cousin.” Shaul winked at him, “Uncle.” She smiled at Rey, “That was a good match, I had a meeting with some business partners down here this week, so I offered to tag along tonight, but I wanna get back to the hotel and Matt.” She passed Nico back to Danika, “Before I forget, Matt told me that Priest can be a bit of a bastard.” She met Dominik’s eyes, “Be careful who you trust, ok? I know some of that is a storyline, but Dom, I saw…” Danika elbowed Shaul, and shook her head slightly. Shaul rolled her eyes, “Fine, ok.” She hugged both Dominik and Rey, before turning and walking away. 

“I’m going back to the bus.” Danika offered, “I need to get some paperwork together for Lainey.” She explained.

Dominik nodded his head, “Nos vemos luego. Te amo mis corazones.”

“We love you too.” Danika whispered, before she headed out of the backstage area, walking toward the side parking lot where the buses were waiting. Dominik turned his attention back to Rey, to find his father studying him. Dominik hugged him, hoping to brush his worries off. Whatever fears Rey had about Dominik, the younger man didn’t want him to be attempting to work them out right now.

Danika

Rey had been cleared for his knee, the physician encouraging him to get lots of rest and ice it for the night, with Nico crying over an ear infection that wasn’t going to happen, so they’d had dinner together, admittedly late, before he took off to a nearby hotel. Dominik offered to put Rosa to bed, since Nico wouldn’t let his mommy go. Danika, after about three hours of frustration, decided to take him for a walk around the parking lot, in the lights above, obviously, so Dominik wouldn’t worry. 

It was on her walk that she sighted a familiar tall figure lurky around the side of the building. Did this man not have anything else to do at night? When did he sleep?

“If we keep meeting like this people are going to start talking.” Damian turned to look at her, “Luis.” She approached, slowly, in a loose t-shirt and he assumed shorts, with converse on her feet, in her arms Nico was asleep, “Nico has an ear infection, so he won’t sleep in his bed, or alone.” She explained, when Damian motioned to the child, “His sister mercifully does not have an ear infection, and is fast asleep with her stuffed animals.” 

“You are a sight, you know that.” He hummed, in shorts and a TapOut muscle shirt his hair was pulled up in a bun and he looked less than friendly. “I promise only one question,” she made a motion like go on, “How long are you staying in San Antonio? I’ll be here until tomorrow night with Finn.” He offered. 

“We are here for the next two days. Dominik and his dad have someone to visit with.” She rocked Nico slightly. 

“Want to get lunch with me? I need to apologize for not remembering you, more clearly and I want to apologize for assuming things and I think you're nice.” 

She narrowed her eyes on him, “That was two questions. You do understand I’m currently pregnant, with my third child, right? I may be twenty-three but I am not at all the rockstar lifestyle Luis, and I never expected you to remember me, I was pretty forgettable.” 

“No I can see that, but you call me by my name.” He countered, “I’m not a character to be billed or played for you. You don’t see me as a menace to society or whatever they are calling me. You see me. You saw me back then, too, holding me back from bad decisions even when I lashed out at you, taking care of the mistakes I did make, making sure I got from place to place, you held me when I would cry because I lost or I missed mi familia.” She shifted Nico again, he was almost too tall for her to comfortably hold while pregnant. “May I?” Damian reached to gently take Nico from her arms and cradle him against his toned chest. 

“Thank you, my arms were tired.” She admitted, “So why were you creeping around the parking lot at nearly two in the morning after a show?” She asked around a yawn. 

He seemed in awe of the little boy in his arms so she gave him a long minute, she could read the longing on his face - had Luis been a father once? Had anyone ever loved him enough to allow that?  “I was honestly hoping to run into Dominik.” He admitted, “I wanted to talk to him a bit about some moves I think he would be able to use with limited disruption of what Mysterio has already taught him.”

“Hm.” Danika looked up at him thoughtfully, “Come on, Mysterio as you call him got a hotel because of Nico’s crying.” She tugged on his hoodie pocket to get him moving and led him back across the parking lot to where the rental bus was parked. She climbed up the stairs and gently took Nico back once she was at the top, “Dominik your friend is here.” She hummed as she pushed into the living area on the bus, “Well, come on Luis.”

Dominik looked surprised to see Damian Priest trailing behind her. She supposed that was fair, “Rosa still asleep?” Dominik nodded, “Ok, I’m going to bed, te quiero.”

Dominik 

“Te quiero.” Dominik kissed her forehead as she passed by with Nico, his eyes on Priest. “It’s like two am?”

“If you're up for it there’s a gym that stays open all night like two blocks from here. We can work out. I have a couple ground grapples I think you should try.” Damian offered, “And I asked you're not-girlfriend to lunch with me tomorrow, if that’s cool?”

Dominik snorted, “She makes her own decisions, she makes a ridiculous amount of my decisions, actually.”

Damian shrugged, as they headed back off the bus. “It’s this way.” He pointed toward the lights of town past the arena, “Finn is waiting for me there, I figure you know Finn and probably won’t hate spending time with him?” Dominik shrugged, he didn’t really know either of them very well, he knew they were older - just turned forty he thought - and had been working together for over twenty years, in WWE and in the Indy circuit. “So, you really don’t mind me taking Danika to lunch tomorrow?”

“I’d like to remind you that the world doesn’t know the connection between myself and Danika, so try not to take her out somewhere too public.” Dominik offered as they continued to walk through the darkened parking lot, their long legs eating up the distance a lot faster than he normally moved - Rey and Danika couldn’t match his stride, so normally he matched their strides. 

“I figured.” Damian hummed, “I have a friend in town who is going to let me rent out his tiny restaurant, just going to cook her traditional food.” He explained, “I looked up this whole list of things she can’t have while pregnant, before you ask, and I’ll make enough for her to bring you back some.” 

Dominik snickered, “Thank you, what are we doing, anyways?”

“You're papi taught you his style, you're good at it, a little tall, and a lot lanky, but those moves are made for speed not height and striking power. I want to show you some moves that will help you with the luchador stuff he’s already taught you. No matter what Balor or I say, both of us agree, your father is a legend, and a good man in the ring.” 

Dominik frowned, “But you're right, too, he doesn’t connect with me, like he used to.”

Damian tossed an arm across his shoulders, “You're father and son, already legends, eventually you are going to have problems in the groove.” He explained, “No one has done before what you two are doing.” 

That was what made Dominik want to share with Damian, and want to tell him the truth. “Danika is my best friend. I don’t want you using her,” Dominik stated as soon as they moved from the parking lot to the sidewalk, “Everyone always guesses about our relationship but… the thing is we're platonic soulmates. I’m the one who crossed the line when I was heartbroken twice and we have the twins and are expecting another. My mom wants us to get married and my dad wants to keep pretending I’m perfect and innocent and can do no wrong. It’s a lot ok. And I don’t want you or anyone else jerking Danika around to get to me.”

“One, I'm not that kind of asshole.” Damian snapped at Dominik, “And two I had already figured out you two were complicated.” 

Dominik stopped short, “You were just going to leave it on complicated weren’t you? I just blabbed for no reason. Jesus, my dad is going to be pissed.”

“I won’t tell anyone.” Damian rolled his shoulders and nudged the younger man, “She’s a different kind of scary than Rip, you're Danika.” Dominik would be the first to agree. Rhea Ripley and Danika Wesson were both scary in much different ways. “We don’t need to talk about her with Finn, I haven’t exactly told him my plans to spend lunch with her tomorrow.” 

“There is one other thing, she’s in the process of fighting for her younger sister, Delainey.” He explained, “There is a huge age gap between them, Lainey is only five.” He explained, “So, she’s going to be a mother of four sooner rather than later.” 

Damian gave him a look, “Are you telling me to back off or are you warning me she’s a bit messy?”

“Both?” Dominik shrugged as they turned a corner a block away from the arena, and headed toward BURKS 24 HOUR GYM. Damian held the door open, the only other occupant was Finn who looked up a bit perplexed, then looked at Damian who must have done something with his face, because Finn offered a smile of sorts, and motioned them over.

“Dominik.” Finn grinned, “Nice ta see ya, mate.”

“You too.” Dominik agreed, before he looked between them, “Do they have a ring here?”

“They have something better.” Damian looked like a kid in a candy store, “They have an olympic trampoline.” 

Finn nodded excitedly, rubbing his hands together just as excitedly, “Come on, kid, let's polish that drop kick, some crossbodies, you have a killer arm drag thing, but we wanna show you another one, that works with your height…”

“We wanna do some DDT stuff other than the tornado, don’t get us wrong, you are killer with the lucha moves once you get in a groove, you're pretty good with flying with your height, and agile.” Damian grinned, “Big Shows Alley Oop, a variation of the backbreaker I do, Khali’s vice grip, and Khali’s Punjabi Plunge.” 

“Wow, in one night?” Dominik blinked.

“Nah, chico, we want to start working on this stuff tonight, next week there will be another gym and we will work on this stuff again - if you want.” Damian offered, and Dominik - he grinned, excited about the prospect of a work out. What he wanted more than anything was to be good in the ring, better than what everyone expected of him - his heart felt like it was flying, from the moment Rey had told him Creative wanted to move him toward solo competition… he’d been sort of floundering, looking between Damian and Finn he could feel something shift, the thrill of something that was just his flooded his veins.

Danika

Dominik’s text message had been vague, just before seven in the morning. Can you make breakfast for me, and two guests? She assumed Fergal Devitt would be their third guest, so she worked on making a simple European Fry-Up for breakfast, food and cuisine culture had been what had sprung her to stardom in the first place, she’d attend culinary school before she started creating ‘college recipes’ taking elaborate meals and making them easier for college kids to utilize on a budget. 

Her morning had been interrupted before the text, with a call from Angie letting her know that their lawyer had arranged for Angie to assume temporary custody of Delainey, on the condition that Angie fly the younger girl out to Danika immediately. Danika was so excited about her little sister joining her on the road. The five year old had been in foster care since her father went to prison, following their mothers overdose, three years ago. It had been a long, hard road for the court system to take Danika seriously. She doubted they would have if not for Angie and Rey supporting her pleas and helping her get a family lawyer that kicked ass all over San Diego. 

Dominik pushed the door of the travel bus open, and led both Luis and Fergal in, “Morning, Luis, morning, Fergal.” She nodded her head at them both, Damian shot her a smile but Finn looked perplexed, she wondered if no one ever bothered to call them by their real names. She shrugged it off as she set the table, “Good work out, cariño?” She asked Dominik, who had plopped down at the table between Nico and Rosa’s high chairs, he dropped a kiss on both their heads, before looking up at her and nodding his head proudly. She loved when Dominik was confident, when he was feeling himself. In her opinion he should always be feeling himself, honestly. 

“Danika,” Dominik grinned, “This is Finn Balor, who looked completely thrown off since you called him by his birth name.” He gave Finn a sharp smile, “Danika does her homework on WWE stars, anyone I might work with, so I have some sort of advantage, you know?” Finn found himself being pushed into a seat by Rosa, while Damian ducked into a seat by Nico. Danika settled plates of food in front of them, then set about making tea for Finn, like she just knew, and coffee for Damian. She poured orange juice for Dominik, ruffling his hair affectionately, then handed both Rosa and Nico sippy cups of milk, before she made her own plate and poured herself a glass of ice water. 

“Did you three have a good work out?” She grinned watching all three of them tear into their food, like starving men. She knew how much food Dominik had to consume to keep up with his training regiment, so she could only imagine how much both Fergal and Luis had to eat on the regular. 

“We’ve agreed ta teach ‘im new moves.” Finn offered, “This tea is spot on, love.” He added, “Did your research, proper.” He added, before ducking his head back down and shoveling more eggs in his mouth.

Damian rolled his eyes, “This is delicious, Danika.” He winked at her, “Thank you for feeding us, Finn is flying out after he showers at the hotel, so he’s probably going to eat like a mad man.” He snickered at her amused look toward Finn, “Hello again, little man.” Damian grinned down at Nico, “Ears feeling better today?”

“For the most part he seems like he feels better.” Danika agreed, “And Rosa doesn’t seem like she’s getting an ear infection, so we are mercifully peaceful this morning.” She looked at the nearly empty plates, “Would you like some more, I made a full English.” She glanced between the trio, and smirked as three plates were tentatively pushed toward her, “What time is Papi supposed to be here?” She asked Dominik even as she moved to plate their second helpings.

“Around nine, we are going to see some legend who apparently lives around here.” Dominik said with a shrug.

“Make sure you call Vickie at some point today, Shaul no doubt sent her a worried message or three after last night, you know she thinks you should be elevated and in singles already, that you are putting in the work and Papi isn’t supporting it correctly.” She brought their plates back to them, “Also, Mami called, and Lainey will be flying in today with Mami, to go on the road with us. I’m so happy I could burst.” 

“That is good news, mi mejor amigo.” Dominik caught her wrist and kissed her palm, before leveling Damian with what she assumed was supposed to be a meaningful look.

“How old is Lainey?” Finn asked, “Another child of yours?” He didn’t ask Dominik, smart enough to know he wouldn’t get a straight answer, she assumed. Smart man Fergal Devitt, she decided, obviously the current brains of the Judgment Day while Rhea Ripley was away. 

“My younger sister, she’s five this year, we share a mom but have different dads. I’ve been fighting for custody of her for three years, she’s been in foster care.” Danika explained, “I just want her home, with mi familia.” She explained, “With Abuelo and Abuela, with Dom, with Aalyah, with me.” She knew she sounded a bit devastated, but honestly she had spent three years worrying about her younger sister, flying every other weekend to San Diego to check on the little girl at whatever foster home Lainey was in. 

“That sounds like good news.” Damian gave her a warm bright smile, “La familia lo es todo.”

“Yes.” Dominik sounded stricken for a moment, “Family is everything.” Danika reached for him and squeezed his wrist, whatever discord was brewing between him and Rey was getting worse, she wanted him and Papi to bridge the gap before the heel turn, which she could tell was coming - with or without the Judgment Day, Dominik wasn’t being utilized like he should be. 

The pair left after breakfast with Finn promising to bring her a cook book full of Irish recipes she could play with, and Damian promising the same with Puerto Rican traditional food. Danika watched them leave before she looked sharply at Dominik, “You like them.”

“I do.” He nodded his head, “Liking them makes it easier to work with them in the ring, they have this list of moves they think I can pull off, sure they belonged to legends but they are helping me modify them, so they will be my moves, I’m going to work out with them on Monday nights, so I might need your help. I don’t want Jefe to know, just yet. No lo haría sentir orgulloso.” 

“No, he wouldn’t be proud.” Danika agreed, “But you have to live your life, Dominik.” 

Before their conversation could continue Dominik’s phone sounded, “I’m going to shower, answer him please.”

So Danika found herself on the phone with Rey, explaining that they hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, while she washed dishes and kept him on speaker phone. He was on his way from the hotel, and would like Dominik to be dressed and ready to go - in a sort of passing way he asked if she wanted to keep the twins with her or not, but she assumed she would be doing that anyway, Abuelo very rarely took the twins out when he was in his mask persona. She’s almost jealous that they are going to see Undertaker (Mark Calaway). 

She spent her morning getting ready for what was sure to be an interesting date with Luis, she even dressed both of the kids up. Might as well look adorable, just before noon, there was a knock on the bus door, she opened it to find a mostly normal looking, with a rental SUV behind him. “Car seats?” He asked, when he noted the toddlers with her.

“Yeah, can you grab them, I’ll grab the carseats and the diaper bag.” She waited for him to scoop up both Rosa and Nico (they called him big bear, well they called him gran oso), then headed back to the table to carry each car seat down individually before doubling back to grab the diaper bag, and her keys to the bus, along with her cell phone and wallet. “Alright, let’s put these in…” She was quick at putting the carseats in the back, Damian watched her before he moved to settle Nico into the rear-passenger car seat, then headed around to the other side of the car to buckle Rosa in as Danika walked him through it. 

Once the kids were settled in, and the doors shut, he rushed back around to open the door for Danika, taking her bag to put in the backseat between the two car seats, Damian carefully shut the door, and hurried around to the drivers seat again, “Thank you for coming out with me today?”

“Oh, you're welcome.” She shot him a bright smile, “Dominik had to go with Papi to see the Undertaker.” She offered casually, “Something about Edge, no doubt.” She added with irritation in her voice, “Sorry, I don’t like Uncle Adam, or how he treats Dom or Aalyah.” She shrugged, “What are we doing?”

“I want to cook for you, chica bonita.” Damian offered, “And I am dying to know how you got so fluent in Spanish.” 

She snickered, “I failed Spanish in seventh grade, did you know that?” He chuckled as he shifted the car in drive, “That was the year my dad took off, and my mom overdosed.” She said with a shrug, “I had to take the class over again, but I was immersed in Spanish, it's rare for Dom and his family to speak English in the house, so I picked it up quickly. On the fly, I got this little trophy that said most improved student. Naturally I took Spanish all four years of high school to learn proper Spanish, since half of what I learned was slang, but.” 

“You're good, could easily pass as a native, if not so pale.” He guided the car out of the arena parking lot.

She rolled her eyes, “Yes, weto.” She muttered, her voice sour with the affect.

“Where did you learn that?” Damian asked, a bit worried.

She shrugged her shoulders, “I’ve traveled as part of the Mysterio familia for years, you hear things.” 

“That word, often, is not nice.” Damian huffed. Danika didn’t respond, she’d heard it her whole life, usually hurled at Dominik by other members of their family, Vickie had been the one to explain it to her, at first, what it really meant. “We are going to Cocina El Jibarazo Latin Cuisine, I know the owner Papote Rodriguez.” He explained, “And he is going to let me use one of his food trucks to cook for you, pequeño. He also made food for you to take back to Dom.” 

She gave him a warm smile, “That sounds lovely, Luis.” 

The building was a sort of bright yellow that was almost off putting. Damian climbed out of the car once he parked, and headed to talk to a man who looked jovial. He pointed to a food truck that was blocked off at the end of the block, with a sort of fencing around it. She assumed that was to prevent people from joining them, the truck was facing away, so she was curious if there was a table or something prepared. Damian was back, and pulled the SUV around to the far side, where a rather nice table had been set up, complete with an umbrella overhead, and two high chairs. 

The pair climbed out and helped the twins out, she secured them in their high chairs, and provided them with some toys. She watched amused as Damian moved them into a safe spot in the food truck, out of the way, “Want to be my sous chef?” He asked softly, she grinned at him, nodded her head, and laughed when he passed her an apron, she instantly pulled her hair up into a messy bun, and winked at the kids. “We are going to make Mofongo.” Damian explained, “We are going to use chicken as our filling because you are pregnant.”

“Ok.” She offered, “What do you need me to do?”

“First our ingredients.” Damian hummed, “We need four of the unripe plantains.” He pulled them down from somewhere above them, “The crushed garlic.” She found it on the spice rack and added it to the counter they were working on, “I had Papote prepare the chicharrones for us.” He pulled a basket free over the stove, “Olive oil.” She found both the olive oil and vegetable oil, holding them both up, Damian nodded, “We will need both.” Then he settled the salt and pepper down, “Alright, ready?” 

“So ready.” She grinned, she pressed to the side, kissing both Rosa and Nico’s heads, “You should be glad these two have absolutely no qualms about eating everything.” 

Damian pulled a large pan free from where it was hanging over the twins, “Alright, we need about two inches of vegetable oil in the pan.” She poured the vegetable oil liberally, making Damian grin at her, he poured the heat on, then motioned toward the plantains, “You make a shallow cut along one of the lengthwise ribs of the plantain and carefully peel the skin by. It will also be easier if you soak the plantain in hot water for no more than two or three minutes to soften the skin.” She did as he asked, heating the plantains in warm water, then peeling them, “You’ve worked with plantains before?” She bobbed her head, “Ever made Mofongo?”

“No.” She admitted, “I try to stay away from extremely traditional food.” She admitted, sheepishly, “I sometimes cook traditional Mexican food for Vickie, but…” She shrugged. Damian split the four peeled plantains between them, and showed her how far apart to cut them, dicing them up into roughly one-inch round slices. Then he put the first batch of plantain slices into the heated vegetable oil, turning them golden for the right consistency.

“Put a paper towel in that bowl, all the cooked plantain pieces need to go in it, until they dry.” Damian offered, watching as Danika did as he asked, with no complaints. “Can you reach that mortar?” He asked, pointing toward a wooden pestle and mortar set, she tried to reach, but was too short, so he snagged it for her, and settled it down on the counter, “Take four or five pieces of plantain at a time, smash them up with the garlic cloves, we add the chicharrones, a pinch of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and mash.” He snagged another pester and mortar and got to work, she copied him. 

“Next we shape our mixture.” He rolled some in his hands into a ball, then flattened the bottom, “Like this.” She copied him, hers coming out smaller, he grinned, “You make two, for the bebe mama, I will make two for us.” 

“Don’t make fun of my small hands, Luis.” She warned, before slinging a bit of the mixture at him.

“Do not waste the food, pequeño terror.” He warned, giving her a rather menacing look, she gazed up at him innocently in a or what sort of way, “Eres problemático.” He bent down enough to press a chaste kiss to her forehead, “So much trouble.” He grinned at her warm smile. “Alright, make a little pocket at the top, a little hole…” He pressed his knuckle into the first one he had made, to make a concave hole, she again copied him, “And now we add our filling.” He scooped some of the premade chicken out of the bowl, and pressed it into the pocket, “You're turn.” He grinned as she again did what he asked, “You follow direction, very well, mi amor.”

“Thank you, I try hard.” She looked at their four Mofongos, “What else goes with it?”

“Normally a salad of some sort.” He offered, “But today we are going to have Brazo Gitano, made by Papote.” He explained, “I’ll plate everything if you want to carry the plates out, I’ll get the twins.” He moved quickly, plating the food so she could carry them out to the table, Damian carried the highchairs with the twins, one in each arm, back to the table, before he took his apron off and helped her out of the one she’d borrowed, he sat the table while she cut up the Mofongo and Brazo Gitano for Rosa and Nico. He poured glasses of lemonade for them all.

“Thank you, Luis, for showing me your cooking side.” She offered, as she bit into the Mofongo, “Oh my Dios.” She moaned, “This is the best.” She breathed out, “So good!” Damian snickered, as the kids set about destroying the food on their plates, “I told you, they eat everything.” She grinned even wider. When they finished up eating, they headed back to the bus, the kids napping. Danika led them into the travel bus, and ordered them to an afternoon of cuddling on the couch. Danika smiled as Damian held her to his side, the kids stretched out over his legs, as they watched the WWE and Scooby Doo crossover. She grinned to herself as he pressed kisses to the back of her head every now and again. With a text message from Dominik, Damian untangled himself, and bid her goodbye, not wanting to be there when Rey and Dominik made it back.

Dominik

July 18 – Tampa, Florida

Monday’s are a never ending sort of high in his opinion. A rollercoaster of emotions that start Sunday at midday and don’t seem to fade away until midday on Tuesday. He was feeling himself all the previous week, working on the moves that the Judgment Day had taught him. He’d even asked Danika to look back on older WWE footage to see if there was a move he might look good doing, a move that he might be able to call his own. Lainey had settled in, happy to be with Danika full time, and had taken to calling Dominik papaíto like Rosa and Nico did. She’d moved to calling Danika momma like the twins did. 

It helped that this venue was like a second home to most of the Superstars - Tampa Bay, Florida was where the training center was, Creative, Talent and pretty much the whole brain of the megamachine that was World Wrestling Entertainment. Tonight Danika was watching from ringside again, Angie was staying with Nico and Rosa - and Lainey was going to her first big event as Dominik Mysterios eldest daughter (his mom was going to lose her mind, honestly). Dominik and Rey were on the card tonight, for the second match, going against Damian and Finn once again. He was starting to see a trend, honestly. All he knew tonight was he was supposed to tell the Judgment Day he’d join them in an attempt to save his father. That wasn’t the biggest thing on his mind, however, they were headed toward SummerSlam, and he had enough nervous energy about that to sink the Titanic without the iceberg helping.

Everytime the camera swept the fans behind the announce table, Dominik who was in the back watching the discussion between Becky and Bianca - he thought they were both amazing wrestlers and actresses, really - looked for Danika and Lainey. They were both wearing old school shirts that featured Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero. Dominik was pretty sure that they had belonged to Rey and him back in the day, considering how big they were on both girls, Lainey had practically been wearing hers like a dress, while Danika was using the oversized stretch of the shirt to hide her baby bump. Another thing Dominik had to worry about, he didn’t like her being near the barrier while this pregnant. 

Rey next to him was bouncing on his feet a little, happy that Aalyah and Murphy were meeting up with them for lunch the next day - which worked well for Dominik, he had plans tonight with the enemy. He snickered in his head at the truth of the statement - Rey did think Priest and Balor were a problem, admittedly one created by Edge, but Rey felt like it was his job to finish what his best friend started. Dominik wasn’t sure if Edge and Rey had always been friends, but Adam had been around his whole life, and was a good Uncle - but he wasn’t Eddie, as far as Dominik knew, no one had the same relationship with his father as Eddie had. Which brought him back to the fact that he always wondered what Eddie would think about him, about who he was becoming. Eddie, whose relationship with Dominik was complicated in so many ways, and the murky waters were never going to be completely gone there. The boos from the television reminded him where he was and what he was doing.

“¿Qué es este silencio?” Rey asked, softly.

“Just thinking about Eddie.” Dominik admitted, and then regretted it because Rey immediately kissed his fist and pressed his fingers to the heavens. “If he’d be proud of me or not.” He explained, and watched a bit of confusion wash over Rey’s face, before the mask of neutrality would be gone, “I know you are proud of me, but…” He trailed off, “Would he be proud of me?”

“Dominik, he would be.” Rey promised. “We both had such dreams for you.” Rey explained, “Dreams together.”

The promo with the Street Profits made Dominik pay special attention, he wondered what it would be like to have a hype man. He supposed he was Rey’s hype man, honestly. Always in his corner, always supporting him, even with the tension between them. Which had sort of always been there since before Aalyah and Buddy, since before he had his up and down roller coaster with Seth Rollins. Even as he watched the KO Show start, he wondered if he’d ever been the dream Eddie and Rey had for him - the pair legends he didn’t think he’d ever really be able to touch. Sometimes he wanted to disappear, his anxiety was sending him toward that sort of a spiral when his pocket vibrated, he pulled his phone out.

From: bebé mamá >> you got this tonight, even if you don’t, Lainey está tan emocionada, te amamos papaíto.

He smiled at his phone, he was glad that Lainey was excited, and grinned at the adoration and love he could feel from the text message. He and Danika had set Lainey down to tell her that he was going to be working with Abuelo, but that more than likely he and Abuelo would lose the match, but he wouldn’t be really hurt, and it was all pretend. Lainey hadn’t looked like she believed him. The sounds of the Judgment Day’s music starting had goosebumps erupting across his flesh. The backstage segment with Seth Rollins gave him and Rey time to pull off their over-layers. Danika’s red hair would be his focal point tonight, he wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers with her and their kids and be done with tonight already, anxiety seemed to settle in the pit of his stomach. 

“Rise.” Dominik felt something twinge against his heart when Damian’s fierce growl emanated across the arena. “Rise for a Prince, Rise for a Punisher, Rise for The Judgment Day!” The crowd booed more than they cheered, “Last week we chose not to injure Dominik Mysterio.” Call him sick in the head, but he loved how Damian said his name, full of nuances that even his father sometimes lost, “Because we believe he is going to make the right decision.” He already had, long term, “And join us. In fact we guarantee tonight Dominik will join the Judgment Day.“ Oh, so they got that memo too - the one where he was going to ‘attempt’ to join only to save his father, “Dominik, we’ve seen the look in your eyes, We know you're just waiting to drop your father.” The words rang true, a bitter taste left in Dominik’s mouth, “Well, do it.” The crowd booed the loudest, “Stop letting him hold you back.” Honestly, were Danika and Damian comparing notes at this point, “He is stifling your potential, let us remind you what happened the last time some legend tried to stifle us. Roll the footage.”

Man they really liked the torment they’d caused Edge. Rhea looked beautiful in that clip, he had to admit, Dominik frowned as he thought about the woman, since she was currently out with an injury. Once she came back he wondered how fucked up she would make the ‘join us’ pleas. Finn’s voice held a level of command that even Dominik found charming, “I can watch that video over and over and over and over again.” Dominik heard Rey’s music go up, and that little nagging monster in the back of his head reminded him that they didn’t have a separate entrance as a tag-team, one that was just theirs. It grated on his nerves, unsettled him, even more, as he and Rey prepared to make their way out to the ring. In the ring Damian and Finn shared a look, before turning their attention toward the megascreen. Dominik had to be the dotting son, again, a role he was so good at faking it was painful. Rey shouted at him, with exuberance, promising the win, but Dominik knew as well as he did that they weren’t going to win, not tonight, maybe not for several matches. His dad and ‘Taker had worked out a plan with Adam, and he wasn’t allowed to know most of it, Rey’s reassurances that ‘everything will go back to normal’ after they were done with the Judgment Day didn’t help him.

Danika and Lainey were at the barrier, smiling when Rey and Dominik made it down, Rey pushed his forehead against Lainey’s, even as Dominik risked brushing his palm against Danika’s waiting hand, she winked at him, and something inside of him wished the cameras caught it. Wished someone would question Rey Mysterio about the red haired girl that was always with the Mysterio family. The match started in the way these things always do with Damian and Finn - unfair. Dominik winced as Damian punched Rey mid-air, it looked painful. Internally Dominik wondered if Priest would teach him the jumping leapfrog elbow smash he’d just done to Rey, not that he got to think about it long, Priest was destroying Rey in the ring. The first two count wasn’t all that surprising, Damian lacked the speed that Rey could operate at. Dominik continued to look concerned, every now and then he’d chance a glance at Danika and Lainey, the five year old had her hands over her mouth and big green eyes locked on Abuelo. Maybe they shouldn’t bring the kids to these things? He paced distractedly, watching his dad speed the pace back up again, Damian was powerful and strong - but with Rey pushing the pace, it was hard for him to keep up. 

Finn was on the apron, so Dominik yanked him down, just in time for Finn to counter, sending Dominik into the barrier, then Rey knocked Finn back into Dom, who steadied him, hoping the camera had missed how gratefully Finn had tapped his thigh. They both remained out of the camera angle for a while, just watching Damian and Rey, the Razor’s Edge from Priest ended the match, but that didn’t stop Finn or Damian from introducing chairs to the ring.  “Dominik, I told you, you're joining the Judgment Day tonight.” Damian paced around the ring, while Finn watched, they put Rey on one of the chairs, the man looked a bit like a frog stuck on his back. “Or we take his head off.” Oh shit this was the moment, the play he was supposed to make. Well, fuck, Danika was going to have a field day with this. Finn flung himself upward to jump down on Rey’s shoulders and the chair, a second chair in hand, Finn landed three kicks to Rey’s chest, just as Damian started to talk again, “I guess…” He trailed off as Dominik finally slid back into the ring. Drama and build up.

“STOP, STOP, PLEASE!” Dominik didn’t have a microphone but he needed to be loud and be heard. “I’ll join, just stop.” He belted it a little less loud. Danika was going to have so many questions, later.

“What was that?” Priest mocked, and seriously Dominik wondered if this dude got off on being some sort of sadist in the ring, but the adorable derpy big brother figure out of the ring. 

“I’ll do it, I’ll join.” Dominik was positioned over Rey, protecting him, hands out placatingly, and when had he become one of his father’s props. The thought left him feeling hollow even as he continued to act like the good son he apparently wasn’t.

“What’s that?” Finn asked, chair dangling dangerously from his hand, no microphone needed to carry his sadistic smile. Eyebrows raised, he looked like a real prince, looming over him as he guarded his dad.

“Just stop, and I’ll join.” Was apparently the right thing to say because Finn grabbed his outstretched hand and pulled him to his feet, between Damian and Finn he felt more like a child being scolded by his parents. Finn yanked him up by his hoodie, holding him in a way that promised violence. They don’t believe me, hell I don’t believe me, I wouldn’t join them to protect Rey, not really. 

Damian gripped his other shoulder, sliding his hand to his neck, and tightening a hold there, “Why don’t you tell the world what you just said.” Okay, no longer scolded parents, he was in a monumentally stupid spot, and the pair of them were predators with their prey ready for the kill, he’d fucked up when he agreed (when Rey had agreed) to allow this in the match.

Dominik had always had a bit of a rebellious streak, his mom and Vickie blamed it on Eddie Guerrero, as Damian pushed the microphone toward his mouth, Dominik gripped his wrist, hanging on for dear life - with them this close, with them on watch by the whole universe, Damian’s cues were tiny, Finn’s body language was the only thing letting him know their hate wasn’t really aimed at him, but more for his recent bout of protectiveness over his father. “Just stop.” Dominik growled into the mic, he tightened his grip on Damian’s wrist, and felt the man’s hold on his neck squeeze reassuringly twice, while Finn loosened the choking hold he had on Dominik’s hoodie, they weren’t really trying to hurt him, they wanted him, but they didn’t want him out like they had wanted Edge out. It was a comforting thought, he supposed, even if his ass was about to be handed to him, “I’ll join the Judgement Day.”

Damian moved the microphone away with a smile, Dominik let his hand drop, eyes trailing the taller man, while Finn continued to hold him in what fans would think was a punishing choke, Damian squeezed his shoulder twice again, as if telling him good job, kid before laughing into the mich, he took a step away, now almost an arm's length away, but still anchoring Dominik in place, while Finn turned to look at the main camera, oh shit, Lainey was going to witness him getting destroyed, on live television. Fuck. Damian used his hold on Dominik to balance himself enough to curbstomp Rey’s shoulder, before he stalked back, “He said he’d join, hear that, now he wants to join.” He was speaking to Finn, the Irishman had that same murderous grin back on his face, Dominik glanced at Damian, watching for a cue, as the hand on his shoulder squeezed again, “Hey Dom,” They were sort of rocking him back and forth between them, gleeful, but their eyes were not hard like when they attacked Edge. Damian’s face turned serious, “It doesn’t work that way.”

Dominik felt the anxiety drop low in his stomach, yeah this was going to suck. He should have known it was going to come from Finn, considering Damain was holding his gaze, the chair to his middle damn near cut him in half, there was no way to avoid that, even if the chairs were made of a softer metal. He dropped to his knees, just in time for Finn to bring the chair down over his back, stinging him, he raised up in pain, before throwing himself into a roll out of the ring. Finn moved to bring the chair down on Rey again, but his father also rolled out of the way, as if he’d been laying there listening the whole time - and Dominik supposed he had been, a prop in the story sort of. Dominik and Rey were both down on either side of the ring while Damian and Finn were celebrating in the center of it, victorious bastards once more. Dominik had hit the barrier, and whilst laying there he caught sight of the non-descript security human that led Danika backstage every Monday night, tonight was no different, except Lainey was hiding her face in Danika’s hair, and crying hard. 

It felt like a walk of shame, him carrying Rey back up the ramp in the wake of the Judgment Day, his father was fuming at the thought that Dominik would so easily agree to turn, even if it was to save him. Dominik just wanted to comfort Lainey, who he’d often visited with Danika, she’d always asked him to be her daddy, and now he was, but he didn’t want her to think he was injured badly. As soon as they were behind the screen, he dropped Rey, who found his feet like the cat he was, he pulled his phone out and texted Danika.

To: bebé mamá >> Let Lainey know I’m ok, should be back to you soon, seeing if we are doing any promo. 

They had to cut a promo, apparently, that would be aired later in the evening. The pair standing by the lovers, holding their ‘injuries’ were framed with Dominik in the front for once, and he got to talk first, “Finn, Damian, did you actually think I would ever join the Judgment Day?” He really hated these scripted things, “Honestly I may have failed your so-called test, but at the end of the day, I lived up to the Mysterio name, and the Judgment Day doesn't know a thing about the Mysterios.” He pointed between himself and his father. He only half-ass knew what the promo was about, apparently Damian and Finn were cutting their own in a few minutes, which would air before this one.

Rey shook his head as he looked at the camera, “You guys think you're the first ones to threaten the Mysterios?” That seemed like a bit of a rhetorical question, but Rey played it well, “Hell, you ain’t even the first ones to try and tear up this family and you sure as hell won’t be the first to fail on trying to do so.” Was that a vague mention of Eddie? Probably, Rey loved to bring little reminders of Eddie Guerrero everywhere, keeping his legend alive, “Check this out, next week at Madison Square Garden, I’m going to celebrate twenty years in the WWE. Dom and I are going to cap out that celebration by excitedly showing you,” Rey chuckled, “The Judgment Day, what it means to be a Mysterio.” Dominik nodded as he rocked alongside his father, itching to move - itching to run away, “Orale. Ariba. Mi rasa.” 

Dominik kept his eyes trained on the camera, while Rey turned into his side, looking up at Dominik, then the camera was gone, and they could finally go to medical. As they finally started walking away, Dominik asked the question he had wanted to ask earlier in the day, but hadn’t found a good window, “Next Monday is your twenty year celebration.” Dominik offered to his father, “Danika and the kids can be a part of that, right?” Rey just gazed at him for a moment before nodding his head slowly, “Hey, that was what I was supposed to do, right, in the ring? The whole scripted promo thing is still weird to me..”

“Dominik, it sounded like you wanted to join them.” Rey offered, as they walked toward their dressing room, “Like you really wanted to be with them, I know Hunter is planning your heel, but I… I’ve asked him not to do the Judgment Day. I don't think that’s where you need to go, it would end your ability to ever be the true good guy again.” He counseled.

“You went to Hunter?” Dominik felt his anger spike, “To make a decision about me?”

“It’s for the best.” Rey patted his chest.

“The best for you or for me? Are you worried I’ll be like Eddie, better at being a Rudos than a Técnicos?” Dominik snapped at him, then lowered his voice, “Yo soy el hijo de mi padre, pero ¿quién es mi padre? Esa es la pregunta, ¿verdad?” He hated throwing that up, throwing up the fact that he was his fathers son, before demanding Rey tell him who his father really was. 

Rey stepped away like he’d been burned, there had been a storyline, once, and then there had been question after question - and then his mother had told him a little nugget that had stuck with him, all kayfabe has its start in truth, baby. Vickie wouldn’t tell him the truth, Angie wouldn’t tell him the truth, they both told him he should hear it from Rey - but he didn’t want to hear it from Rey, he just wanted answers. “I’ll get a hotel tonight, perhaps you just need Danika to sort you out.” Dominik was sure there was an insult in there somewhere, but he couldn’t find it. He watched his father’s retreating form, even as he pushed back against the nearest wall, and tried to talk himself through what was no doubt a panic attack.

“Breathe with me, Dom.” The voice belonged to Finn, who was pressing his forehead to Dominik’s, and had pushed them into a shadowy alcove, “Come on, man, match my breathing.” It took a few tries for Dominik to be able to do that, to be able to breathe along with Finn, exhaustion sweeping in as the tears slowed and he was finally able to breath, his chest no longer constricting with pain as if an elephant was sitting on it, “There we go, baby.” Finn didn’t say it condescendingly, he said it fondly, with affection that had Dominik sinking forward into his hold, pressing his tear soaked and sweat covered face into Finn’s neck, just breathing in the sweat and leather scent that hung to the Irishman over his cologne. “I have you, baby.” Finn promised, “Me wife gets these attacks, too.” He explained, even as he huddled closer, grounding Dominik in his warmth, “Don’t know what happened ‘twen ya and Mysterio, but know it must have been bad, baby, he barely spoke on his way past Hunter, and us shooting our promo.” Finn explained, which was rare because everyone talked to Hunter, he was their boss, and their friend, and fellow superstar. 

Dominik wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but slowly he came back to himself, Finn was still rubbing his hands up and down Dominik’s back, and offering him soft words, Dominik slowly pulled back, “Damian said he took Danika and the wee one back to the bus, mentioned you're mum took off once Danika was there, muttering about needing to check on Rey. Want me to take you to the bus?” Dominik nodded, his head hitting Finn’s collarbone, “Alright, let me go, baby, need to see if anyone is watching.” He peaked out of the dark corridor, seeing no one and no cameras, he tugged Dominik out of their hiding spot, and guided him toward the side exit, the pair cut across the parking lot in the darkness, to the lot that housed the travel buses, Damian opened the door, still in his ring gear, and helped Finn shuffle Dominik in.

“Mi corazón, tuviste un ataque de pánico, déjame mirarte.” Danika brushed past Damian and Finn to check him out, Dominik pushed her back shaking his head, before looking past her at Lainey.

“Come here, mi corazón.” Lainey darted into his arms, he hauled her up to his chest, “I’m ok, Luis and Fergal wouldn’t really hurt me.” He explained, as he motioned first to Damian then to Finn, “They are my friends, Lainey baby, we were just acting.”

“Ok, papaíto.” She whispered and hugged him again, tightly. 

He set her on her feet, “Danika do you mind if we change clothes?” She stepped aside, Nico and Rosa were both in a playpen by the television watching Spongebob, Danika ushered Lainey over to join them, while she moved to start making something for them to eat. “Do you two need to grab your clothes?”

“I brought them when I came with Danika.” Damian offered, “Sorry you missed your mom, hermano, she said it was a good match but she wanted to check on Rey.” Dominik led them to the large master bedroom on the second floor of the bus, so they could change clothes. They changed in near silence, from ring gear to work out gear, with Damian looking over his back to make sure the chair hadn’t broken any skin. As a group they moved back down to find Danika had made tacos, and poured lemonade for them all. “Thank you.” Damian offered as he took a seat at the table.

“You are welcome, Luis.” She patted his shoulder, “Are we going to talk about it?” She looked around the group, “About what brought on your panic attack,” So Dominik told them, in stop-starts, about how Rey had gone to Hunter about his future without even asking him. “Dom, you have to talk to Mr. Levesque.” She reached for his hand, and threaded her hand in his, “You have to live your life Dominik, he can’t make every decision for you, mi amor.” 

“She’s right.” Finn gazed at Danika, “You're, uh, friend, is right.”

Dominik groaned, “She’s the mother of my children, we aren’t dating, never have, platonic soulmates.”

“Well, that wasn’t what I expected, but, it makes more sense than my theory, which was that she belonged to Rey or Eddie Guerrero, somehow…” Finn trailed off, “Congratulations on this baby,” He motioned at her waist, “And uh, you're older three are adorable.” He looked at Damian as if looking for help, “You knew didn’t you?”

“I sort of asked Danika out on a date in Texas.” Damian offered, “We had a nice lunch…”

“And we have plans tomorrow.” Danika said softly, then looked at Finn, “Fergal, I’d like to ask you about two former moves of yours… Devitt's End and Shingata Prince's Throne.” The man’s eyes widened, “Could those be modified for Dom to use when he joins the Judgment Day?” 

“She’s like a superpower, goodness.” Finn hummed, he looked ready to talk about those moves when a knock sounded on the bus door. “Are we expecting anyone?”

“No.” Danika smoothed down her t-shirt, and headed for the door, “Oh, Mr. Levesque,” she stepped back up the stairs, “Welcome to our humble slice of heaven.”

“Ms. Wesson, you look radiant as ever. I’m looking for Dominik.” He paused, “Well, this is a turn of events I was not expecting, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Devitt.” Finn and Damian both waved, “Interesting.” He hummed, “I’d like a word with you, Dominik, come take a walk with me.” Dominik scurried out of his seat, Danika nodded her head, she’d put his food up for him, “Now.” Hunter ordered, already headed out the door, Dominik glanced at the other two men before jogging to catch up with his boss, “Your father came to me earlier, questioning Creative’s plan for you, for the future.”

“He told me after the fact, he doesn’t think Judgment Day is the right fit for me.” Dominik admitted.

“And what do you think, son?” Hunter asked, softly, “I’ve watched you grow up, you're practically Vince’s grandchildren, you, Danika, and Aalyah. I want to help you reach your full potential, Vince wants you to reach your full potential.” He continued, “I don’t think you can do that as a tag-team with your father right now. You need to be marketable as your own, or you need to be in a faction that you can shine with.”

“If I need to turn heel, Hunter, I’d prefer it be with Judgment Day. Those two are both helping me work on techniques in the ring that my dad wasn’t comfortable with-”

“Dominik, I have something for you.” Hunter offered, “Something that might help you make the choice I think you need to make for your career, I know how much you love your father. But I think you need to have all the facts, everything he’s probably never told you.” Hunter let out a slow exhale, “Stephanie found this…” He pulled a folded up envelope from his suit pocket, “When she was cleaning out some of Vince’s office. If you want Judgment Day, you’ve got it, but you need to come to Creative so we can figure out how this is going to work. Rhea is going to be back soon, and I think you should consider her the game changer.” 

“Thank you, Hunter.” Dominik watched as a limo approached from seemingly out of nowhere, “I won’t let you down.” Dominik promised as the driver opened his door, stepped out, and moved to open Hunter’s door.

“I know you won’t, Dom.” With that Hunter was shutting the door and his driver was back behind the wheel.

Dominik looked down at the folded up envelope in his hands, he wasn’t ready for whatever this was, not tonight, he’d have Danika put it up for him for the night, and he’d look at it in the morning. He made his way back to the bus, “All sorted.” He promised as he climbed in, “Want to go work out?” He asked the other two men, who were looking at him perplexed, “Are you ok here, Danika?” He handed her the envelope.

She gazed down at it, one eyebrow raised, “I’m fine, I’ll put this in your room.” 

“Thank you.” He hauled her into a hug and kissed her temple, “I talked it out with Hunter.” He offered the other two men, as he moved to lead them off the bus, “Let’s get started, ok?” The pair shared a look, and hurried out after him, Dominik watched as Damian stopped long enough to press a kiss to Danika’s hand, he didn’t hear the soft words they whispered to each other, but he understood them just the same. Damian liked Danika, and Danika liked him back, regardless of what was going to happen with WWE, they had a vibe, and he was going to support the shit out of that if it killed him. 

Danika

She’s not nosey by nature but the envelope is old. The fold is creased and it looked like it had been done with force. Luis and her were not going out until around eleven that morning so she had time to read the contents and put them back she supposed during the twins' nap. Hesitation almost held her back, but she had always taken care of Dominik. Whatever this was, it was an old secret. And she considered it her job to spare him unnecessary heartbreak. Unfolding it with careful hands the front threw her - it was confidential mail, the kind that spoke of records requested from government agencies. The recipient was Eduardo Guerrero. 

She had a feeling this was about that stupid custody match in 2005. 

With a tremble in her hands she slowly pulled the paperwork out. They’d taken Eddie’s blood, Vickie’s blood, Angie’s blood, and Rey’s blood before they took Dominik’s. Then they tested it. The report was on the last page, a piece of history otherwise forgotten. Dominik was biologically Eddie Guerrero's son with Angie. Heart in her throat she folded everything back up, and wondered just how many people had seen the report. She’d be willing to bet Rey had, and probably Eddie. Maybe Vickie, but definitely Vince who had decided to hide the truth. Keep it a secret. She quickly tucked it away, and hurried out of Dominik’s room. Biting her bottom lip she wondered how long she’d have to sit on that secret herself. While the fact changed nothing for her it did change everything for Dom and their children, Lainey included (since Dom and Danika had been granted joint custody of the girl, and it had allowed Lainey to take Dominik’s actual last name: Gutiérrez). 

It would impact the legacy Dominik was set to inherit, biologically the Guerrero legacy, but he was raised a Mysterio. Maybe he could take both mantels - be the new Latino Heat and honor them both. But that didn’t seem like Rey’s plan. 

When Damian picked her up later, again in a rental SUV, she was still feeling slightly off. “You ok, Corazón bonito?”

“Yeah. Just a lot of things on my mind.” She admitted. “What are we doing today?” She asked eagerly.  

“I am not a fan of animals in captivity so the zoo and aquarium are out. Might we go to Glazer Children’s Museum?” Damian guided them onto the road from the arena. “Or we can go to the Sunken Garden.”

“I am dying to see you at the children’s museum. You legitimately look like a gothic prince of darkness right now.” His jeans were black, his shirt was an Ozzy tour shirt, he had on one of his leather vests, his hair was braided in two braids for once, and his boots were clunky with chains on them. Danika meanwhile was in a bright yellow maxi dress and gladiator sandals. The twins were in aqua and peach respectively, their shorts solid colors with matching shirts that had taco prints on them. Both also had adorable gray fisherman hats on with their nicknames embroidered on the front of them. 

“You look like happiness in a dress.” He admitted sheepishly. She burst with giggles, and he couldn’t help but smile, she hadn’t put much stock or worry into their age gap, but with her at twenty-three and Damian at thirty-nine there was a sixteen year age difference which would no doubt make waves if anyone ever publicly linked them. “I’m not sure why you keep saying yes to these dates, but thank you.”

“I like you, Luis, or I wouldn’t come out with you.” She shot him a bright smile, “Want me to put the address in the GPS?” He nodded as went to work, “Are you gonna turn your music on, I know you like metal, just don’t go too loud.” So he turned his Spotify on and tried not to overthink things when she tangled her fingers in his over the shifter. She caught the look of reverence he sent their hands, before deciding someday she was going to ask him who the hell had hurt him so badly. But not today, not yet. Not when they were so new, so tentative.

The Children’s Museum was large, square and angular, predominantly white with yellow hued accents. The front of the building was framed with palm trees. It looked massive, and Danika was so excited about spending the day there. They parked, and helped all three of the little ones out, Damian surprised Danika by grabbing the diaper bag. They stopped in at guest services to buy their tickets - the teenage girl behind the counter looked up at Damian with a bit of fear in her eyes, “Don’t mind Luis.” Danika offered, as she patted the man's arm, “He’s just an adult sized goth.” 

“Rude.” He muttered, even as with tickets in hand they headed for the first exhibit - well he walked at a slower pace than normal as they had released all three little ones, Lainey holding both Nico and Rosa’s hands the trio sort of daring ahead Danika moved at a subdued pace, her hand in Damian’s much to the near-giant’s amazement. “So, do they need more supervision?”

Danika snickered, “You can see much further than me, Lurch.” 

“Alright, I’ll keep my eyes on the babies, you just hold on to me.”

“Like I was planning on letting you go, again.” She smarted back, as he trailed along after the kids, headed straight for a room called Tugboat Tots. It looked like the twins were having a blast but Lainey wasn’t having as much fun, Danika watched as she tugged on Damian’s sleeve, the tall man bent down and she whispered in his ear, “Go ahead, you two can head to the Kidsport, we will probably be here for a bit.” She admitted with a smile, she watched a mask of confusion twirl over Damian’s face, “Luis, I trust you with Lainey, go ahead.” The little girl took his large hand and tugged. 

Danika grinned as the pair disappeared into the next room. “Momma!” She grinned as Rosa called her, and hurried over to play in the little water maze that had toy tug boats set up on it. She helped Nico set up his own boat, she grinned as they splashed and splashed, playing happily as they talked to themselves, and splashed at her with water, she craftily snapped a few pictures, not sure how long they played before Damian and Lainey came back, then headed up the stairs to find the Farm Play area. This time Lainey led the charge, giggling as she pulled the younger too along with her. Damian after a moment's hesitation joined in the play, helping them ‘plant’ a garden, while Danika gathered eggs. Damian’s smile was less murderous and more adoring as they moved through the upstairs - playing in the Firehouse (Damian was tall enough to helped the twins slide down the fire pole), they went grocery shopping in the Publix room, the kids getting all the food they normally wouldn’t and tossing it into the buggy, Danika was the one that enjoyed the ice cream parlor, making elaborate scoops and creations for the other four to pretend eat, they skipped the Central Bank - Danika was pretty sure the kids were never going to have to worry about money. 

They treated all the sick animals in the Vet Clinic, Danika had to convince Nico not to steal multiple stuffed dogs - apparently Dominik wasn’t the only one in the family who wanted a pet dog, Damian led the kids in the Engineer’s Workshop, they took apart what amounted to several mock planes and one boat, before they were reassembling them, Danika couldn’t stop laughing in the puppet theater room, because Damian did different voices for every single puppet, the kids got a laugh out of it as he staged an elaborate play using three puppets. They didn’t spend much time in the Pizza Place or the Global Café but they adored the time in Water’s Journey, playing like they were in the clouds. They somehow missed the St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital exhibit, but managed to spend almost two hours in the Art Smart, where Danika and Damian drew various pictures that the three kids then attempted to color, all of which Danika was taking home. They found their way back to the Tugboat room, this time Lainey although yawning opted to stay with the twins, so Damian posted up against the doorway, while Danika leaned on his chest, his left arm around her collarbones, rubbing a slow circle with his thumb over her shoulder, while his fingers curled around her right upper arm, holding her steady.

“You like me, huh?” He whispered.

“I like you.” She confirmed, “Wasn’t sure about you in the start.” She flicked her gaze up to him, “But now I am.”

The man bowed his head with a soft smile, “We should get going, I’m pretty sure that man on the second floor recognized me.” He whispered, as the man from the Farm area was hurrying down the steps. Damian let her go, and turned to face him, “Can I help you?” Danika moved to gather up the kids.

“Sorry, man.” The man offered, “I just, you're Punishment Martinez, right? Damian Priest?” Damian nodded his head, she could tell he was angry from the way he was holding his shoulders, “I’m sorry to bother you dude, but could I get a picture with you?” He looked hopeful as he said it. 

“Here, let me take the picture.” Danika offered, rubbing her hand across Damian’s arm, the man didn’t seem to notice as he handed his phone off to Danika, “Lainey stay with the little ones, ok, keep playing.” The little girl gave her a thumbs up, “Do you want to take it over here, where there are no kids in the picture.” She suggested as she ushered them towards a blank wall that sat next to Guest Services, both men moved to lean against it, Damian did his archer pose and the fan looked exuberant, she took a couple, then handed the man his phone back, and ducked around the pair of them to check on the kids. She couldn’t hear the conversation they were having but when Damian came back, he looked irritated still.

“We should go, I asked him to wait to post it, but…” He trailed off, as he hurried the twins into his arms, Danika grabbed the diaper bag and Lainey’s hand, trailing along behind him, “I’m sorry, Danika.”

“Luis, this isn’t your fault, people recognize Dominik all the time.” She offered, “I’m just good at not being noticeable, it’s sort of a defining factor.” She shrugged her shoulders, “Let’s find some place to eat, yeah?” 

“Got somewhere in mind?” Damian asked, curiously as they made their way across the parking lot and secured the twins in the car seat, Lainey climbing into the middle of the backseat and fastening her seat belt around her booster by herself. Danika hurried into her passenger seat, while Damian climbed behind the wheel.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Danika reached for the GPS, and started keying in the address, “It is outside of Tampa though, ever been to Dinosaur world?” Damian shook his head, softly. “Luis you are going to like this.” 

“What if I’m afraid of Dinosaurs?” Damian asked, teasingly.

“Then our relationship is not going to work, because I love dinosaurs.” She teased right back, a smile on her features, “We could compromise I suppose, but Dinosaurs and lunch, and I know the people who own both thanks to Rey.” She hummed, pleased, “So we shouldn’t have any problems with your adoring fan base.” 

The ride out to Keel Farms isn’t that awful, as far as Danika could tell the man liked their back and forth when it came to planning. Five Finger Death Punch radio from Spotify danced around them, in the speakers, Danika wouldn’t admit it, but she was starting to like the rattle and heavy rock. When they arrived Danika grinned as Damian took it all in, it was a Farm, she’d been honest about that much, but it was so much more. There were places for the kids to pet animals, a tour of the farm, tons of alcohol to be had - even as she led them into the restaurant area, she could tell they all wanted to pet the pigs. 

“We are going to take a tour, right?” Damian asked as he trailed behind her.

“Of course, Luis.” She hummed, as they were seated off to the side, she said a quick hello to the owners, as they came over to greet her, before their waitress appeared, “Can we start with Gator Bites? I know these three want sweet tea, and I’d like ice water, Luis, what would you like to drink?” 

Damian seemed to think about it, “Do you mind driving us back to Tampa?” Danika shook her head, “Alright, can I try Pirate Punch?” The waitress wrote it all down, then disappeared. “Where are the dinosaurs?”

“Down the road a bit, be patient, Luis.” She winked at him, “Lainey do you want a hamburger or a grilled cheese? Nico and Rosa are going to get chicken nuggets.”

“Can I have a ‘burger, momma?” Lainey asked, softly.

“Of course, you can, and do you want dessert?” She asked, evenly. “Cheesecake or Chocolate cake?”

“Chocolate, momma,” Lainey giggled like she thought it was funny, Danika winked at her.

“Good choice, pequeña mamá.” Damian offered to the little girl who grinned up at him, so bright and full of love that it nearly broke Danika’s heart, she’d never been that happy at Lainey’s age. “I think I want the Shrimp Tacos,” He hummed, “What are you going to have?”

Danika was flicking through the menu, “Probably the Berry Salad, with very light Strawberry Riesling.” She hummed, “So, Luis, tell me how you ended up in the WWE.”

He blinked, “You were around for some of it. And I know you did your research.”

“Oh, I did, but you don’t write your own wikipedia page do you? I know you were born in New York, but raised in Dorado, Puerto Rico. You learned Japanese karate that I can’t pronounce from your father, and you won two national championships with those skills. You returned to America, and basically learned English on the fly like I learned Spanish on the fly.” She gave him a serious look, “You were trained by the Monster Factory, I know you are a melophile, you collect hand-to-hand weapons, and you’ve held many championships.”

He blinked at her, “Dios, you do research.”

“Still didn’t answer the question.” She hummed.

“I like power, and recognition.” He admitted, “I didn’t like being in my dad's shadow.” He added, “Sound familiar?” She gave him a pointed look, “I wanted to be on the world's stage, I wanted to bring respect to mi raza.” He looked at her a bit sheepishly.

She gave him a bright smile, “That seems familiar, yes.” She winked as the appetizer of gator bites was brought out, the kids liked them when they were able to get them, she wasn’t too fond of them, she watched as Damian tried them for the first time, “No offense, you are beyond sweet to me, why is there no familia?” Something painful danced over his face, and she wanted to take the question back, “Eso fue grosero, perdóname, no debería haber preguntado.”

“No, it wasn’t rude, uh, I just don’t do… this.” He motioned between them, “I was almost married once.”

“Oh.” She gave him a soft look, “I’m sorry I brought up bad memories, Luis.”

“The thing is, they aren’t bad, Danika.” He hummed, as he reached for her, this time, his voice smooth in a way that made her understand the country song Tennessee Whiskey. “She died before we could get married, she was pregnant, they don’t have an answer for what happened, she just… faded away, the baby too.” He looked down at the hardwood table, and visibly flinched when Lainey, who had demanded to sit next to him, wrapped around his arm not held by Danika, “It’s… I brought the mood down.”

“Thank you for telling me.” Danika offered, quickly, “Lainey wants to hug you better.” She whispered, as Damian looked down to see Lainey squeezing his arm as tight as she could, wrapped around him like a little snake coiled, he immediately shifted the little girl so she was in his lap, and pressed his face into her red hair, just breathing in for a moment, “I must be terrifying to you.”

“No, no.” He said quickly, shaking his head, “Not terrifying.” He squeezed her hand where he still had a hold of her, “A much different woman than Tessa, yes, but… good different.” He decided on it after a long moment. 

She shot him a real smile, full of white teeth and warmth, “Luis,” She squeezed his hand, “Thank you.”

After that Lainey climbed out of his lap, but it took some coaxing, and a lot of promises that he’d play with her later in the day. They ate and laughed, and Danika let Damian into the parts of her life she held precious, the pictures of her children that she never posted, her fear that Nico was going to have hearing problems when he got older because of his near-constant ear infections on his left side, how Rosa was ahead of him in milestones, how Lainey had been the first baby she or Dominik had ever felt connected to, how they’d fought to have Lainey with them for three years, the pair even considering getting married if only to be able to legally adopt her. He told her of Japan and Puerto Rico, of traveling Europe and working with all the different brands he had been with, he gushed over meeting Metal Gods, and then nearly lost his mind when she told him that she knew the members of Metallica because of some work she’d done for one of their wives. They trade funny stories, of their youth, and then more serious ones : how Danika grew up in a broken home, and at eleven was saved by Dominik who was thirteen, how Damian had to learn a new language and a new country all while his father was upset with him for giving up his mixed martial arts for something he considered trivial and fake. 

After, they met the pigs and goats, the twins got diaper changes and were once again encouraged to go potty in the big kid potties, before Danika plugged the address into the GPS for Dinosaur world, and adjusted the seat for her much smaller body, before pulling them out of the parking lot and toward the next attraction. They spent the rest of their afternoon covering the parks large acreage, seeing two hundred life size dinosaurs, playing in the interactive boneyard, and playing on the skeletal playground, they went through the Prehistoric museum where they watched animatronic dinosaurs, could play with prehistoric dinosaur eggs, raptor claws, and spent a ridiculous amount of money in the gift shop. Lainey had a tendency to snag Damian’s larger hand and haul him around the exhibits, while Danika walked at a much slower place, holding both of the twins hands, and smiling over the fact that Damian had slung the diaper bag over his shoulder. 

It was almost eight when she got a text from Dominik, asking her if she and the kids were still out, Damian was driving them back to Tampa, all three of the kids in the back sleep were fast asleep, honestly Danika was almost asleep herself, feet tucked under her, shoes kicked off, Damian’s thin jacket tossed over her, she wasn’t sure the music playing on the radio - but she liked it, liked the large hand of Damian’s on her thigh, squeezing every now and then. She typed out a quick message on her phone, then put it back in the cup holder in the middle console. 

To: mi corazón >> we are otw to Tampa from Plant City, should be there by nine 

“Dominik?” Damian asked, softly.

“Yeah, he was just worried about when we were getting back.” She said around a yawn, “I think he’s ready to get on the road, again. More than likely we are going to spend time adventuring around New York, when are you getting to the city?”

“I’m flying out tonight, after I check out of the hotel.” Damian offered, “Mysterio going by bus?”

“Yeah, or I’d offer you a ride on the bus.” She grinned at him, tiredly, “Can I take a nap, novio.” She was already drifting off, not realizing she had called Damian her boyfriend. 

[gogandmagog]

thus further confirming my opinion of you as the person with the Most Correct TM Montgomery opinions, I saw your ff.net bio that the superior AoGG tv show is the PBS one and that you have everlasting beef with Kevin Sullivan---SAME. When he nails it, he really nails it (I think all of his stories have more charm than any of the new shows) but also some of the choices he made...sir....I simultaneously want to shake that man's hand and also make him answer for his crimes. On that note, if you could have a faithful adaptation of any of other Anne books like the PBS show, which would you choose? (we don't talk about the continuing story in this household)

Are you me????

KEVIN SULLIVAN is basically a full-on level-nine cuss word in this household. And I’m pretty sure it’s a cuss in Megan Follows’ household too. If Kevin Sullivan has a million haters, I’m one of them. If he has 1,000 haters, I’m still one of them. If he has 1 hater, it’s me. If he has 0 haters, it’s because I’m dead. ‘An iron has entered my heart.’ You surely never asked, but you have to let me tell you... when I say it’s on sight with this man!

Certainly, the first mini-series he did was a film masterpiece! Casting was on point (I used to google ‘Jonathan Crombie wife’ when I was eight, and get this rush of relief when it said he was unmarried and just be all like YES HE’S STILL SINGLE, and be all YEAH BUDDY I know why too, it’s so obviously because he hasn’t met me yet! Haaaa, fast forward to growing up, and catching on to all the musical theatre and then being like oooooh), the scenery was so lush and gorgeous, and there was hardly a single line that strayed from the books. 10/10, chef’s kiss, all the heart eye emojis imaginable.

The Sequel? Like... okay, we’re sliding downward, because we’re missing out on some wonderful, imaginative, sometimes hilarious Montgomery characters. Ginger the Parrot, Mr. Harrison overall, the AVIS, Paul Irving and Miss Lavendar. Charlotta the Fourth. We miss out on Phil Gordon, and Stella, and Pris! And maybe worse, now Gilbert is given actual Theodore Laurence lines. Literally word for word from the original Little Women film (Sullivan didn’t even try to change it), same proposal, and I could almost stomach it if I hadn’t been a book reader, knowing that the real, shining, sweet Gilbert only met with rejection with grace and kindness, instead of a cold “I hope he breaks your heart.” Those suit Laurie just fine, because Little Women readers know that Laurie is a spoilt trust-fund baby with some super not-cute anger issues (issues totally downplayed in every production, to make him more likeable). And the cherry on TOP, man, was this absent-father (tbh, it’s giving weird 19th century sugar daddy), one old enough to be Anne’s own father, being cast as a Roy Gardner replacement. But in the end, we get some beauty, too. I loved seeing John Blythe and Marilla’s interactions, I loved how Rollings Reliable was done, and even the matter of Dolly the jersey-cow, even I loved that Anne went to Gilbert in the height of his illness. So I could forgive much, on account of that! 8 out of 10.

UNTIL two things happened

First, of course, is the Continuing Story. I have never been so affronted by a movie in my liiiiife, lol. Total L. It quite sincerely achieved something that I did not think was possible in that it made me not like Anne. Utter character assassination. (I realize that by this point, LMM’s family was disinterested in working with Sullivan after the mess he made of the Sequel. Which was fair, for them. I get that, and support that for them.) Jack was a goofy, philandering dudebro, and his whole ‘international spy’ arch was so contrived and cheesy. It fell so flat. And the sheer notion that Sullivan sat there and thought, “Yeah, Anne could fall for this guy” is laughable, betraying instantly that he doesn’t understand her as a character. BUT OH WAIT, we can’t forget that Anne, whose kind doctor husband is out there risking his life while saving the lives of others in the middle of a world war... ACTUALLY engages in an emotional affair with this man. She slapped him when he published their book without her name. But what does Jack get, when he says, “Your husband is probably, most likely dead... but on the flip side, now WE can be together”? NOTHING. Anne hugs him. Pfft. PFFFFT. BE SO FASTIDIOUSLY FOR REAL. I get so mad when I think about it, lol. The whole movie just screams “male gaze” to me, because Kevin Sullivan is so incapable of seeing and realizing or transmuting the Montgomery magic. Best part of the whole thing was when Jack was shot. I felt nothing. I give this whole production .5 stars, because we did get a couple cute deleted scenes, lol.

The second thing that happened that took back all my Sullivan forgiveness was watching lengthy and/or recent (within the last five years) Megan Follows interviews. I learned so much! She doesn’t speak to Sullivan anymore, but she mentions the Continuing Story often enough, and that she had to fight Sullivan, because he wanted Anne to kiss Jack. THANK GOD she was successful. Megan’s also noted for saying that the reason the first series was such a success was because Sullivan had ‘help’ and basically nothing to do with the script. (Bonus reason to despise this man, in case we needed more: Megan mentioned that they filmed three separate endings to the first series, because Sullivan wanted Anne to hit Gilbert for giving up the Avonlea school for her. I… I can’t.) When Sullivan was approached about making a sequel, he said he read all the remaining books and thought, keep in mind this is REAL quote, “Gee, no thanks!” He goes further and says that the thought basically they were dull, and that he wanted to do his own version. Could you be more short sighted??? Again, to me, this just proves that this man places no value on quiet, lovely, non-noisy (if that makes sense) stories that are centered in the home, and around women. I think it’s that same interview where we learn also that Kevin based Morgan Harris on his own father, who was something like apparently 25 to 30 years senior to Sullivan’s mother. And that? Was the sound of my last Sullivan-tolerant--nerve breaking into a million pieces, lol. HOW DARE YOUUUU, Sir.

I AM SO SORRY THIS IS LONG. 😭

All this to say, lol, that Kevin Sullivan does not deserve your hand shake! You are too wonderful, and thoughtful, and so insightful, and that man doesn’t get up to your ankle! He deserves no less than a life sentence in literary jail.

BUT BUT BUT, to answer the question… I struggle. I would be happy with any, to be fully honest. But if I got to pick, and they said “you can only have one” I’d be flipping a three-sided coin between Anne of the Island, House of Dreams, and Rilla. 🥺 We could skip Windy Poplars easily (sorry Rebecca Dew, and Katherine-with-a-K), even though if I won the lottery, I’d personally pay for start-to-finish-by-the-book production. HOW ABOUT YOU?

[dragonbanexxi]

Soul of Bronze; Blood of Fire

Not Canon Compliant!!!!!

Helaena Targaryen x OC Targaryen Royce

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

The Heir of Runestone would often joke that he should be referred to as Rhaegar Stone. Seeing as his father (Prince Daemon Targaryen) had no want for him and his mother (Lady Rhea Royce) was long dead. All jokes end when he and Ser Gerold Royce are summoned to the capitol by none other than King Viserys the First of his Name. The King wanting nothing more than to bring his estranged nephew into the fold, Viserys offers Rhaegar his so called Targaryen Right. A betrothal to the Princess Helaena and the chance to claim a dragon. Will Rhaegar be able to claim such a beast? Even if his valyrian skills were lacking? Prince Aemond seems to think so. Though he’s mostly is just thrilled to finally have someone around who’s willing to be his friend. Also the court begins to notice that the Princess Helaena seems to have taken a liking to the new prince. Much to her mothers dismay, who’s fighting tooth and nail to have the girl be given to Aegon. Something neither sibling wanted. To Rhaegar everything was going smoothly until the news of Laena Velaryon death had dampen everything.

Chapter 6: Laena

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

“Laenor has written” the beautiful woman says quietly as she sits next to her husband.

“Rhaenyra has delivered another son.” The Exiled Prince scoffs.

“Did your brother mention if this one also bears an unremarkable and coincidental resemblance to the commander of the City Watch?” The man saw his wife roll her eyes.

“He seems to have left that detail out.” She drawls.

The beauty’s expression softens “I miss my brother Daemon, as I think do you.”

Ever the sarcastic her husband responds with his classic snark “I miss Westerosi strong wine, it could be drowned on for a few hours of peaceful oblivion.”

Throwing out the last few sprinkles of wine from his goblet to the floor.

“Not like the shit they drink here” he gets up walking to get a view of the glimmering ocean, moon reflecting serenely.

Daemon heard his wife’s gentle footsteps behind him.

“Laenor mentioned something that might interest you.” Laena says in a weary tone that makes the prince nervous. Not that he’d openly show it.

The man turns and leans the on ledge. “Humor me dear.” His wife gave him an unsure look.

For all the seven and a half years of marriage with Daemon, the Velaryon Woman had never spoke of Daemon’s firstborn. Rhaegar Targaryen had always felt like a forgotten memory to her. Guilt had only began to eat away at her during this new pregnancy she was bearing. Even when she was pregnant with the twins, Laena never bothered to speak about the forgotten boy hidden in Runestone.

“Rhaegar Targaryen is in Kings Landing.”

The familiar expression of her husbands kind face was replaced with one he uses for the Rogue Prince. A million emotions fluttering in the mans indigo eyes, Laena couldn’t decipher.

“Laenor says that his grace King Viserys proposed a match between your son and his daughter. The Princess Helaena.”

The war in Daemons mind was no longer able to be hidden. His jaw clenching tightly, and his aquiline nose flaring in anger.

“HOW DARE HE!!!” The man roars while slamming his goblet on the floor. His breathing becoming erratic.

“HE IS MY SON!!”

Laena flinching at his outburst. Perhaps she has made a mistake in telling him about his firstborn. The Velaryon Woman put her slender hands on his shoulders to help calm him down making soft cooing noises.

“Viserys is always doing this Laena!” He hisses “To use my firstborn against me! My brother has sunk to a new low!”

His wife doesn’t know how to respond. Truthfully she had thought Daemon was just going to dismiss the news and act like he has always done when it came to the boy. Ignore his existence.

Guilt swarming in her belly as her baby moved in her womb. It was as if the baby was showing its disappointment to their mother. Making Laena feel worse.

She was no better than Daemon. Carrying on with her life with Daemon not caring if her stepson was being well taken care of. A boy who has suffered life for fourteen years with a dead mother and a deadbeat father. With no one to give the boy any parental affection.

By the Fourteen Flames she truly was a despicable woman.

“Laenor says the boy is faring well.” She begins once more.

“Rhaegar is apparently good at wielding a sword, stating that he has potential of being a strong knight.”

Daemon only hums as he’s taking in the information. Laena wonders what he’s thinking.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this last bit or not.” Seeing as how he reacted badly earlier on, this last bit would surely upset him even more.

“Just say it.” He spits out.

Laena hesitates but continues nonetheless.

“Rhaegar has petitioned to respectfully drop his last name Targaryen in favor of Royce, the king has yet to decide.”

A look of dejection crosses the insulted man’s face. He turns around to view the ocean once more.

“Do you never long for home?” She asks meekly.

“No”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Believe what you please.” He cuts her off.

“You’ve lore the virtues of Pentos but you have no interest in it. If you did, you would venture into the city but instead you spend your time here in the library, reading accounts of the same dead Dragonlords who’s legacy you claim has no hold on you.”

Daemon still doesn’t turn around but he responds with “I didn’t know I was being so closely observed.”

“You do not sleep” she cries out softly.

“Well how can I with you haunting my every move?” Still not facing her. He didn’t see the hurt in his lady wife’s eyes.

“Perhaps I have disappointed you. Perhaps I too am not the wife you would have wished for yourself.”

“Laena” he says softly.

“It does not pain me, I have made my peace.” She gets closer to him. Caressing his shoulder.

“But you are more than this Daemon, the man I married is more than this.” She kisses his clothed shoulder.

“Write to Rhaegar dear. A boy needs his father.”

The Rogue Prince only scoffs as he walks away. Leaving Laena alone in the moonlight.

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