#anyways LOOK HOW ITTY BITTY LUCA IS

[cindernet-exploded]

Helping out

[ft. @sparrowsong-7's Mel and baby Luca]

[alaenawrites]

Falling For You (part 3!)

Part 3 of Falling For You!

You can read part 1 here and part 2 here. Enjoy :))

~~~

The next morning, Remus woke up before the birds could peck at his hair. The sun was barely rising above the lake, and he could still see dew on the Quidditch fields from his dorm window.

Marcus, Theo, Luca, and Ezra were still asleep, he assumed, curtains on their four-posters closed. Glancing at the alarm clock next to him, he realized classes didn’t start for another three and a half hours. Why am I awake?

With a jolt of excitement, he remembered the previous night, the words spoken only eleven hours ago. “Meet me at the astronomy tower Friday night. Seven o’clock.” He stretched his arms above his head and swung his legs onto the soft, dark blue carpeting, not bothering to contain his grin. Sliding his feet into the brown slippers beside his bed, he stood slowly, stretching his neck. As he stepped into the hot shower a few minutes later, he couldn’t help but think, “Three more days!” 

~

Remus was buttering his toast in the Great Hall, chatting with Grace, when Marcus slid in next to him at the Ravenclaw table. He nodded in greeting, but Marcus looked distracted.

“Have you seen him today?” 

Remus froze, toast an inch away from his mouth. Panic swirled through his head. First, No. I don’t think he eats breakfast. Or supper. Then, How did he know? Did James tell him? No, he wouldn’t, they’re not even friends, was it Sirius? Maybe he had seen them together at the Ball- Remus’s quickly spiraling thoughts were interrupted- Marcus must have seen his eyes widen and taken it for confusion, though he would have been only partly wrong. 

“Luca,” he explained, glancing up from the plate he was piling with food. Remus sighed in relief and started in on his toast. “Have you seen him today? I’ve been looking all over for him. I haven’t talked to him since last week, the Yule Ball, we-” Marcus turned an interesting shade of red. “I saw him there. Anyways, he wasn’t in his bed this morning.”

Remus shook his head. I guess not all of the boys were still asleep. “Sorry, mate. Hope you find him!” Marcus just nodded, and got up to leave, taking his plate with him to the other end of the table. A few moments later, James sat down next to Remus, looking a bit frazzled. 

In a low voice, James said, “Sirius told me about your plan to meet up this Friday. Don’t forget what I told you. I can’t tell you what to do, but you know what I think. Don’t go.” Puzzled, Remus opened his mouth to ask why, but James was already standing and walking out of the Hall. What happened between Sirius and James? Why did Sirius tell James if they don’t like each other?

~

On Friday morning, Remus woke even earlier than Wednesday. It didn’t even take him five minutes to remember why he felt so excited and full of anticipation- tonight! Only one more day! He struggled to make it through all of his classes, and even Theo pointed out how strangely he was acting. 

Finally, dinner was over and Remus was sitting on his bed, staring at his clock. 6:35. He closed his book, stood up, and pulled his curtains closed. Hopefully the boys would think he was asleep when they got in and wouldn’t bother him. 

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he ran a hand through his hair and smoothed his robes. Taking one last shaky deep breath, he smiled and walked out the door to the dorm room. 

Getting out of the common room was easy- a group of Ravenclaws was studying for an upcoming Herbology exam in one corner, and various students were reading or writing essays in the armchairs around the fire, but nobody looked up from their books. Everyone else was either in a teacher’s room getting extra work or in their dorms (or someone else’s- Ravenclaws weren’t particular about where they slept. He had woken up to quite a few Ravenclaw girls asleep on his dorm floor over the years). He opened the door and walked right into the hallway, no questions asked. Now came the hardest part: making it down the tower, across the school, and up the Astronomy tower without getting caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris- or McGonagall. He stuck to small corridors, ducking into open classrooms whenever he heard the telltale meow of detention for a week. At last, he made it to the top of the tower. 6:59. With one last deep breath and a glance down at himself, he pushed open the door to the roof.

Remus gasped. Sirius was right- this truly was the best place to look at the stars, and it was a perfect night for stargazing, but that’s not why he gasped. Sirius, dressed in dark blue robes, was staring at the sky, leaning back on his hands, neck craned up, sitting on a large blanket that he had spread in the middle of the tower’s roof. On it was a large picnic basket, open, full of chocolates, Honeydukes’s best candy, and various desserts snagged from dinner. Two bottles of butterbeer were sticking out the top, and there were napkins and cups next to the basket. Three small candles, charmed blue, were flickering a few feet away, and Sirius had obviously enchanted an air bubble around the blanket, preventing the wind from knocking things over. 

Remus took a step forward, barely believing his eyes. Sirius must have heard his footsteps and turned to look towards the door. When he saw Remus, his face lit up with the huge grin spreading across his face. He stood up and looked right at Remus, staring into his eyes. Remus felt like the sun had just floated about a million miles closer to earth.

“What do you think?”

Remus was speechless. He could barely whisper out the words, “For me?” Sirius nodded, grin fading slightly. 

“Do you like it? I mean, I wasn’t sure if it was too much, I just assumed you like chocolate. You do like chocolate, right?” Remus nodded, smile growing. “Okay good. I thought the candles might be a lot but I didn’t have time to get rid of them and now…. Here you are.” Sirius grinned again. 

Remus shook his head. “No. It’s beautiful- it’s absolutely perfect. Wow.” He laughed a little, “Thank you.”

Sirius just smiled, perhaps a little brighter than before. He gestured for Remus to come join him in the magical bubble and sat down again, facing the edge of the roof. Remus passed through the enchantment, feeling the cool magic wash over him for a minute before joining Sirius on the blanket. He looked up, into the night sky, just like he had in his dream. He couldn’t point out any of the constellations, but he noticed the North star, one his mother had taught him when he was younger. 

Sirius took the butterbeer and the sweets out of the basket, pouring two glasses. He gestured towards the pile of desserts. “Do you want anything? There’s a little bit of everything in here.” Remus smiled. As he took a chocolate frog, he felt his fingers brush Sirius’s. Electric shocks fizzled through his hand, up his arm, through his body. He thought he felt his brain fry, just a little. 

They sat on the roof in comfortable silence, drinking their butterbeer, eating their snacks, looking at the stars. Every now and then, one of them would make a joke, or talk about something that happened in class that day, and the other would laugh and tell another story. 

Once, Sirius took Remus’s hand in his own (Remus almost fainted) and used it to point out something in the sky. “Do you see that constellation?” he had asked. Remus had shaken his head, partly distracted by the fact that Sirius was still holding his hand. “It’s Gemini. The twins.” After that they hadn’t said much of anything for a while, holding hands, staring into space, occasionally eating chocolates or tarts.

“Do you ever think about space,” Sirius said suddenly. Remus looked up from a muffin he was about to eat, surprised. 

“What do you mean?” Huh?

Sirius smiled. He went back to where he was fiddling with his wand under the sleeve of his robe. “I mean, we think we’re so big, so important, y’know? But really, we’re so itty bitty. Even the continents on Earth seem huge to us, but Earth is gigantic.” His eyes widened, “And the sun is, what, 110 times larger than Earth? And then there’s all the other planets. That’s just our solar system. Think about the whole Milky Way, it must be so huge. What happens after space, does it just go on forever? How far is infinity? It just makes you wonder….” He trailed off, looking up into the night sky, eyes wide. He cleared his throat, cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Looking down and then back at Remus, he shook his head slightly. “Nevermind. That’s kind of silly. Anyways.” He looked away again, moving to unwrap a muffin.

Remus realized he was staring and quickly shut his mouth, nodding slowly. “No.” Sirius’s eyes snapped up. 

“No?”

“No,” Remus confirmed. “I think about that a lot, actually. People act like every single movement is important, and, don’t get me wrong, it is, on Earth, but…”

“Not in space,” Sirius finished. Remus nodded. Their eyes met, and Remus’s breath caught. Sirius’s eyes were wide and sincere, and he wasn’t quite sure when either of them had moved, but they were suddenly right next to each other. Sirius smiled a little. 

“Hi,” he breathed.

“Hi.” Remus hoped Sirius couldn’t hear his heart pounding.

Sirius brought his hand up slowly to Remus’s face, giving him time to pull away. Remus leaned in slightly. He could feel Sirius’s breath tickling his lips, his thumb tracing shapes into his cheekbone. He ducked his head down slightly, their lips only millimeters apart. What if he doesn’t want- Sirius moved forwards, pressed their lips together, answered all of the unasked questions swirling in his mind. 

He was amazed that he had gone so long without this, without this closeness and this feeling and the taste of Sirius on his tongue. He let himself explore his mouth, bringing a hand up, cupping the back of Sirius’s neck, deepening the kiss that much more. Sirius made a little noise, low and breathy, and Remus felt the familiar fireworks explode in his stomach, his brain, his spine- but this time, they were that much hotter, that much more intense. It could have been seconds, but it felt like hours, days, years. Remus couldn’t bring himself to care. He could have sworn one of the enchanted candles had tipped over onto him; he felt like every atom in his body was alight with Sirius. Even the heartbeat in his ears seemed to whisper SiriusSiriusSirius. He had never felt this alive. 

After what felt like forever, they both pulled away slightly, heavy breaths on each other’s lips, kissed red. They both laughed a little, ducked their heads down. 

Sirius looked up at him, traced the line of his jaw with one finger. The smile on his lips seemed to dance there, light and breathy as a feather. “I suppose I should have asked you this before, but…” he leaned in to press a soft kiss to Remus’s left cheek, then his right. Remus’s entire body felt like a sparkler, fizzling into the night sky. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

Remus smiled and brushed his nose against Sirius’s, placed a soft kiss on his lips. “As if I could say no.”

[mind-reader1]

My Promise (Part 2/3)

A/N: This was meant to be just a sequel but it was so long that I’ve broken the sequel into the two parts. Sorry in advance!

Warnings: Angst, some cursing

Word Count: 5,015 (oof, sorry it’s so long)

Recap: Taylor made a deal with Vannu on the rooftop during the final battle with Rourke. One year and a day, that was all the time she had with Jake before she had to return to Vaanu. Shortly after their deal, she discovered she was pregnant, leaving Jake with a little girl, who he named Aurora after his forever sleeping princess, her mother. This picks up after Taylor leaves. 

You can read part 1 here and part 3 here!

It had been three years since Taylor gave herself up to Vaanu, three years since she’d left him with the most precious gift of all, his daughter. It was the anniversary of her leaving, just after Aurora’s birthday, the group had planned to meet on La Huerta this year, to celebrate Taylor, normally Jake would find a babysitter, maybe ask his parents to watch her, but it didn’t feel right to leave her this year. Aurora helped him feel closer to Taylor than anyone or anything ever could, besides, she was always asking about her mom, it felt right bringing her along this year. 

 Aurora bounced excitedly in the co-pilot chair of Delilah, an old helmet of Jake’s sliding on her head, far too big for the little girl, but she didn’t care, she was just like her Daddy. Even had a similar outfit too, a green bomber jacket with a black sparkly T-shirt and jeans, and a pair of black spiked combat boots. She’d insisted on having an outfit just like her Daddy and so Jake obliged, he was wrapped around her tiny little finger. 

 “Is this where you met Mommy?” Was the very first question out of her mouth once she was in the cockpit, she knew her Dad was a pilot and knew from their friends that her Mom and Jake had met on the plane, but she still loved the princess story, easily imagining how it could be the front of a carriage. 

 “Yeah, it is Squirt. I was taking a nap right here.” He sat down and kicked his feet up, pretending to sleep while Aurora shook him. 

 “Daddy! Wake up! No naps, silly.” She giggled as he opened an eye and glanced down at her.

 “Fine, I guess I’ll stay awake for you.” She cheered and watched him intently until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer and fell asleep on the long flight to Costa Rica where he’d be picking up the rest of the group. Aurora slept until they landed on the island, stirring as Jake picked her up and rest her head on his shoulder, carrying her and their bags up to the hotel. He settled into the suite he had picked originally, it was dusty, unused with the exception of one or two times by him before he moved into the honeymoon suite with Taylor. He couldn’t go back to their room, for one the window had never been fixed and it was trashed, but also there were too many memories there, he thought about showing her their house where she was born, but he wasn’t sure he could face that either and it was a long journey, one she probably couldn’t handle yet. 

 “Daddy?” She rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up in bed looking around. 

 “Hey Squirt, we’re here.” He whispered, sitting next to her and brushing her hair back from her face. 

 “Is this yours and Mommy’s room?” He smiled softly and laid down beside her. 

 “No this is my room, from before Mommy and I were together.” She nodded and settled back in beside him, cuddling her favorite princess doll. Jake rubbed her cheek until she fell asleep, fighting his own heavy eyelids, but eventually giving in, falling into a fitful sleep as he was haunted by thoughts of Taylor. 

 The next day Aurora was up bright and early before Jake, running around harassing their friends as they took shifts watching her so they could all drink their coffee in peace. He momentarily panicked until he heard her bubbly laughter floating down the hall before there was a soft knock and the door flew open. 

 “Wake up Daddy! Wake up!” She jumped on the bed before landing on him making him groan in pain. Now that she’d gotten bigger, it wasn’t as cute when she jumped on him full force. 

 “The little twerp is anxious and ready to go,” Zahra announced handing him a cup of coffee he gratefully took. Everyone knew that returning to the island was hardest on him, Zahra could tell he hadn’t slept well by the bags under his eyes. 

 “Thanks, I’ll be down in a minute.” Aurora had wanted to play on the beach and since they didn’t have any plans before their annual bonfire, later today, he decided to take her down there and relax. His favorite hammock was already set up, he settled in with a clear view of Aurora building a sandcastle. Diego slowly sidled up next to Jake and glanced down at him, asking with his eyes if he could take a seat next to him. Jake sat up and shifted over, letting him take a seat, they’d both lost their best friend, Diego was the only one who had some kind of idea of what he was going through. They sat in silence for a long time, just watching Aurora and the waves. 

 “How are you doing?” Diego whispered. Jake sighed and dragged a hand down his face. 

 “It never gets easier, it’s good having Squirt here though. She wants to know everything about her mom, asks me all sorts of questions.” Diego chuckled, he was all too familiar with the chatty nature of the little girl.

 “She’s a good mix of both of you, you’re doing an amazing job, Jake. Tay would be so proud of you.” Jake nodded and swallowed hard fighting back tears, Aurora had filled most of the void in his heart, but there was always still a little piece missing that she just couldn’t fill, that no one could. He hadn’t even tried dating again despite his friends and family pushing him to do so. He wasn’t ready, and he didn’t want to bring a bunch of strange women around Aurora, he didn’t want to confuse her and he would never let someone take Taylor’s place as her mom. 

 “She’s perfect.” Jake sighed and looked up at his little girl, frowning when he saw her talking, she wasn’t one to talk to herself or have imaginary friends. She pretended to talk to her stuffed animals and dolls, but that was it. Jake stood up and took a step closer, it was then he saw the translucent figure, sitting across from her, shifting with the moving light as she talked to it. 

 “Aurora!” He’d recognize that figure anywhere, he raced down the sand toward her as fast as his legs could move, almost tripping a few times where it was so thick. 

 “Jake?” Diego stood behind him and didn’t realize what the problem was until he saw the figure that had sent Jake into a panic, Diego scrambled out of the hammock to get back to the hotel and warn the others. Aurora turned to look back at her dad confused, he never used her name unless she was in trouble or he was scared about something. 

 “Daddy! This is-“ 

 “I know who it is Baby, get away from it.” He scooped her up in his arms and warily watched the figure, it seemed smaller, Aurora’s size, and it was visibly upset as Jake backed away. 

 “Daddy stop! That’s my brother.” She beat on his chest and Jake stopped, frowning in confusion at her. 

 “No sweetie, that’s not possible. Mommy had to leave when you were just a little itty bitty baby. There’s no way you have a brother.” Jake fought back tears but they spilled anyways, he would have loved to have a son, someone for Aurora to grow up with and play with, but that wasn’t possible. 

 “Yes, it is Daddy!” She fought him tooth and nail but Jake refused to let go, he turned back and watched as another translucent figure appeared beside the other, this one was much larger and scooped the other up in a protective manner, similar to how Jake held Aurora. He couldn’t believe his eyes, Vaanu had never separated like that, this was cruel, even for Vaanu. He couldn’t look away though, he took a step closer, and then another, and then another. He felt drawn into it, the closer he got the more connected he felt, the more he could feel his heart finally mending, it was then he realized the larger figure was female. He squinted and took a few more steps, he was only a few feet from it now, the others gathered at the edge of the beach watching this unfold.

 “Taylor?” The thing shimmered and began shifting again, Jake stumbled back, keeping Aurora hidden from view as he watched the things manifest into people starting with the feet. The child was whole first and Jake was staring at the spitting image of himself, the child’s bright blue eyes were clearly Taylor’s though, there was no mistaking it. Jake was frozen as he watched the other person manifest completely, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Taylor was standing there holding a toddler about Aurora’s age, and there was no denying that he was Jake’s son. 

 “Princess?” Jake stammered out. She nodded and began crying, Jake rushed forward with Aurora still in his arms and slammed into her, pulling her close as he cried into her hair, breathing in her familiar scent, never wanting to let go. 

 “Daddy you’re squishing me!” Aurora whined, forcing Jake to let go. He set Aurora down and she scrambled behind his legs, staring up at the beautiful woman in front of her. The little boy had said he was her brother, but that would make the pretty lady her mom. She’d only ever seen one picture of her and so Aurora wasn’t sure. 

 “Is it really you? How?” 

 “I have so much to tell you, Jake. First, there’s someone you guys need to meet. Jake, Aurora,” Taylor smiled at the suddenly shy little girl behind Jake’s legs, in awe of how beautiful she was, “this is Michael Lucas McKenzie, your son, and your brother.” Jake felt dizzy and light-headed, he had a son, Taylor was standing in front of them with their son. He was forced back to reality as the little boy reached out for him. 

 “Daddy?” Jake began crying again and took the little boy from Taylor’s arms, squeezing him tight as the boy latched onto his neck, he already loved him so much that it scared Jake. 

 “Daddy is that Mommy?” Aurora whispered, tugging on his pants leg. 

 “Yeah, Sweetie. I’m your Mommy. You probably don’t remember me, you were so little when I left. You’re beautiful though, just like I remember. I missed you so much.” Taylor cried, squatting down in front of the little girl who cautiously walked up to her, looking back to Jake unsure. He nodded, encouraging her but the little girl didn’t move. 

 “Why don’t you tell her how we met Princess, that’s her favorite story.” Taylor chuckled and looked up at Jake before focusing on Aurora. 

 “Well, your Daddy was taking me and a group of our friends to this fancy island. I got worried and so when I went to check on him, I found him taking a nap! I woke him up and he didn’t like that very much so he said ‘don’t you know it’s rude to wake someone when they’re napping Princess.’” Taylor didn’t get to finish her story before Aurora launched herself into Taylor’s arms, nuzzling into the crook of her neck, satisfied that this was her mom. Jake moved next to her and wrapped his free arm around Taylor’s shoulders as the family finally reunited for the first time. The rest of the group watched from the beach in stunned silence at what was happening in front of them, mixed feelings coursing through them. They all wanted to see Taylor again, but they didn’t want to interrupt her moment with her family, they also wanted to know where the second kid had come from, and what this meant for Jake, how long she’d be back. 

 The four of them sat there holding each other until the sun began going down. 

 “Let’s go inside, get you guys some jackets, we have a lot to talk about.” Tay chuckled incredulously. 

 “Boy do we ever.” 

 “Should the kids be here for it?” He whispered, watching them play with each other just a few feet from them. She sighed and shook her head. They walked up to the rest of the group who watched quietly, respecting their space. 

 “Diego, can you watch the kids, Tay and I have some things to discuss in private.” Normally someone would make a witty joke about what talking meant, but they could tell by Taylor’s somber look that it wasn’t that kind of talking. They wandered up to his room and Tay sighed, looking around and breathing in his familiar scent as he sat down next to her on the bed. She curled up in his arms and let the comforting feeling of his embrace wash over her, she’d missed it, him, so much. 

 “God, I have so many questions, Princess, I don’t even know where to start. I also want to kiss you so bad, throw you back onto this bed and never let you leave. That look in your eyes tells me that ain’t possible though, I don’t know that I can stand to lose you again Princess.” Taylor cried at his words, Jake fighting his own. 

 “I’m so sorry Jake, so so sorry. I understand if you hate me, but I wouldn’t change a single thing. You and Aurora have a life now.” He shushed her gently and ran his hand down her hair and back trying to soothe her. 

 “I know Princess, I know.” He whispered. When she finally calmed down, Jake pressed his forehead against hers and sighed, steeling his nerves to ask his first question. 

 “How is...I mean...Michael.” He wasn’t quite sure how to word it, he knew how babies were made, but he didn’t understand how he was alive since Taylor had gone with Vaanu. 

 “Our anniversary, none of us knew when Vaanu took me that night. I stayed in this form and he didn’t know why, until the pull to you grew with my belly. Mike is more human than anything, and that part of him was drawn to you. Between that and our desire to see each other again, Vaanu couldn’t take it anymore and sent me back.” 

 “Why now? Why not when you found out? Why put us through all that?” Taylor sighed and Jake knew it wasn’t going to be a good answer.

 “He’s still not complete without me, but he can survive without the little pieces inside of Aurora and Mike. Mike gets to stay down here with you and Aurora, but I have to go back.” Jake felt his blood boiling, it wasn’t fair that Taylor had to stay behind, forced to watch her children grow up without her and Jake grow old alone. It wasn’t fair that he was forced to be a dad with no one to help him, no one to share those milestone memories with. 

 “That’s bullshit, Taylor! It’s not fair! Why can’t you stay? I can’t do this alone!” 

 “Jake, our daughter is beautiful inside and out because of you, I know you’re going to make sure both our children become the best they can be. You’re an incredible dad, it has been such a privilege watching you.” He stood up and hit a vase next to him, sending it flying into the wall. 

 “You should be here with me, raising them with me Princess. Our kids should know who their mother is! Aurora barely even recognized you. That’s not fair to any of us.” 

 “I know Jake! Trust me! Having to watch from the shadows is the hardest thing I’ve ever done! I don’t want to fight about this, nothing’s going to change, but I do have something that will ease that pain a little.” 

 “What?” 

 “It’s kind of an um, agreement with Vaanu, much like my first one. I get to come back for the kid's birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, every year.” Jake searched her eyes, not believing what he was hearing, it seemed so generous on Vaanu’s part considering how selfish he had been, he would take any time with Taylor he had though. 

“So how long are you here this time?” He whispered. 

 “Mike’s birthday is in two weeks. I leave that night.” 

 “How did you get him to agree to this?” 

 “He can sense my pain Jake, he can sense how much I miss you all, he hopes that giving me some time with my family will ease that pain some.” He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. 

 “This is our life now. Seeing each other four times a year? This isn’t a marriage Taylor! It’s a fucking joke. I know it’s not your fault, but god I hate it!” 

 “Maybe you should find someone else then. Someone who can give you the love you deserve.” He spun around shocked by her words. 

 “You don’t seriously mean that?” 

 “I do Jake. We promised each other a year and a day and our souls are forever linked. We have children, there is no separating us no matter what. You deserve to have a partner in life who can be there all the time and love you as much as I do, please Jake. It’s the one thing I want for you.” He shook his head in disbelief, he didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to even think about it. He walked out of the room, done with the conversation and Taylor chased after him. 

 “We should check on the kids.” He said cooly, this isn’t at all how either of them imagined their reunion going. 

 They re-joined the bonfire and her kids clung to her as her friends told her about everything she had missed in their lives. Marriage, kids, new jobs, finishing school, her head was spinning with how much they’d done. She excused herself to get some air, sitting down in the sand, she started to build a sandcastle with Aurora and Mike. The two were wary of each other at first, but they ended up taking to each other well as if no time apart had passed at all. 

 “Can I join you?” She recognized Jake’s gruff voice behind her and she sighed, he hadn’t spoken to her since their fight earlier. She patted the sand beside her wordlessly and he sat, watching Aurora spin a wild tale of a prince and princess living in the castle, just like their Mommy and Daddy. 

 “I’m sorry about earlier Jake, I shouldn’t have dropped it all on you like that.”  

 “I’m sorry too, Princess, I just missed you so much and to hear you say that…none of this is easy.” 

 “I know. We’ll figure it out, Jake.” They sat in silence for a moment, their shoulders brushing ever so lightly, the sensation still sent shivers down their spines. 

 “Tell me about Mike.” Taylor cracked a small smile and watched her son giggling with unbridled joy. Aurora was the first kid he’d ever actually met, he’d only ever been able to watch and play with Taylor, it was good for him to be around other kids. 

 “I don’t even know where to begin… he was the best thing to happen to me after Vaanu took me. He’s such a goofball, he loves to play and laugh, he’s chatty too, like you wouldn’t even believe.” Jake chuckled and nodded. 

 “Squirt is too. Oh, I mean Aurora, sorry.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, realizing she didn’t know he’d taken to calling her that. 

 “Why Squirt?” Jake shrugged.

 “Her favorite movie, besides every princess movie ever made, was Finding Nemo. She’s a natural fish too, loves the water.” Taylor chuckled and watched her little girl, a pang in her heart as she realized she had missed and would continue to miss out on so many things in her daughter's life, her first child. 

“Mike doesn’t know how to swim… there’s not exactly any water where we were. He loves to climb though, anything that looks climbable he’s there. We kept an eye on you and Aurora, he loves you so much already Jake. He couldn’t wait to meet his Daddy.” Taylor’s voice faltered as she choked on her tears, Jake looked over at her and pulled her close and she leaned her head on his shoulder. 

 “I love him too, Princess. I love all of you, my sweet little family.” 

 “But our daughter doesn’t even know me, Jake. I saw her outfit, she looks up to you so much, so enamored with her daddy, both of them are. I’m just a stranger to her and Mike’s going to forget me too eventually.” 

 “I would never let that happen, Taylor. You know her favorite outfit is this princess dress Becks bought her. She says that she feels like a princess, just like her mommy anytime she wears it. I can already tell Mike is a mama's boy, the way he latches onto you, trust me, Princess, they’re never gonna forget you. We’ll take pictures and I’ll put them up all over the house.” 

 “Thank you, Jake.” She whispered, nuzzling into his side as the bonfire continued around them. After a few days at the reunion, it was time to go home. Jake dropped everyone off in Costa Rica before flying his family back home, taking Taylor to his new house. They spent every day together with the kids, trying to soak it all in, Jake even invited his family over to finally meet Mike and Taylor. Jake had told them the story, but they never fully believed him until they met Taylor, they thought Jake had hooked up with a girl and she had left him with a kid. The days seemed to fly by and before they knew it, Mike’s birthday was here, their last day together, they decided to take them to the park. 

 Taylor watched her kids playing together, so carefree and happy, not quite yet understanding the gravity of the situation the family found themselves in. They knew Mommy only came to visit a few times a year, Mike had a better understanding since he had lived with her and Vaanu for three years, they didn’t understand why Mommy always looked the same though, unlike them who seemed a little different every year on their birthday when they saw her. Jake’s hand gently ran up and down her back, a crooked smile on his face as he stole a glance at her, all he’d ever wanted was a happy little family together, and she’d almost been able to give that to him. She feared for the future though, and what it meant for them, letting her mind wander to what it would look like. 

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

 The kids were forced to grow up so much faster than they should’ve, parents, teachers, other children whispering about where their mom was. Jake always told them the same thing, she was a government agent who was working on top-secret things overseas, even he wasn’t allowed to know where or what, but she always made it home for their birthdays and holidays. People began to wonder though, some thought she was in rehab, some thought she had just walked out and Jake didn’t have the heart to tell his kids, some thought she was in a mental institution and only got certain days to visit. Others thought she was dead and Jake didn’t have the heart to tell his kids. The one thing they all agreed on was that he was a dedicated dad who loved his kids more than anything on this Earth and that he was a doting husband, never taking his ring off despite his wife’s seemingly permanent absence. It wasn’t until people actually met, saw what an incredible and devoted mother and wife she was that they started to consider his story. Of course, people also began to notice and whisper as Jake got older but Taylor stayed forever young and beautiful as if she was stuck at 22. It got to be too much and they moved, somewhere nobody knew them, where the whispers wouldn’t follow. Instead, people whispered about their seemingly large age difference, how old was she when their kids were born, the scandalous rumors spread like wildfire. 

 The day finally came when Taylor had enough, she could remember the fight vividly and she hated that it was a conversation they even needed to have.

 “We can’t keep introducing ourselves as husband and wife, Jake! We can’t tell people that I’m Aurora and Mike’s mother!” She screamed, tears flowing down her face as she tangled her hands in her hair, frustrated beyond belief.

 “Why the hell not, Taylor? Screw what everyone else thinks! I love you and I’m proud of it, and our beautiful family! I’m not going to let some bored housewives get in the way of that.” She shook her head.

 “Our children hardly have any friends, Jake! They think you’re a predator and don’t want their children near you! It’s not fair to you or them. I love you with all of my heart and I love our children more than anything, it’s why we have to fix this.” 

 “What do you propose we do? Hm? Move to a deserted island like La Huerta and live there? That’s exactly what you didn’t want for us! Am I supposed to keep you hidden here during the limited time we have with you? I don’t see a solution, Taylor!” She could see the frustration boiling inside of him, his neck turned red, the vein in his forehead bulging, his eyes glassy from the tears threatening to spill.

“They’re 15 now Jake, they’re going to start dating soon, I can’t look as old as the people they’re dating. We can tell people I’m your daughter, you had me when you were young. I only visit for my sibling's birthdays and holidays because I’m at school for the rest of the time. People will believe it.” She whispered and instantly regretted it. Jake’s face fell as did the tears from his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It would change everything, turn their life upside down. 

 “You can’t mean that.” Her silence told him everything, she was dead serious. 

 “It’s the only way, Jake.” He shook his head violently at a loss for words. 

 “I won’t be able to kiss you, to hold your hand, to whisper things in your ear that make you smile. I’ll have to pretend that the sight of you in mom jeans and my t-shirt tucked in at the front doesn’t turn me on. What am I supposed to say about my wife? Are you supposed to be dead now? A tragic accident? What about our kids! They have to pretend their mom is their older sibling and watch their friends drool over you? You can’t be my princess anymore!” His last words cut her so deep she really thought her heart might break into a million pieces, that would always be their thing, she would always be his princess, so she had thought. She knew what he meant though, he couldn’t call her that and pretend she was his daughter at the same time, the meaning it held to them, the way he said it...it wasn’t what fathers and daughters do. 

 “I don’t like it any more than you, Jake! It’s just how it has to be now!” They heard a soft gasp behind them and turned to realize they’d left the door cracked, the kids standing there listening to everything as tears stained their cheeks.    

 “Squirt, Monkey. I’m sorry, I- your mom and I were just...talking about some things. Come here.” They cautiously opened the door and clung to their father, finding comfort in his tight embrace. 

 “I understand Mom.” Aurora finally came over to Taylor and hugged her tightly, they almost looked like twins the older Aurora got. 

 “You’ll always be our mom, no matter what the rest of the world thinks.” Mike came over and they both wrapped her in a big hug as she sobbed and held them close, kissing the tops of their heads gently. It wasn’t fair to put any of them through this. 

 Pretending to be Jake’s daughter was quite possibly the hardest thing Taylor had ever done until it came time to change the story again. She had to pretend to be her own children’s daughter, to be Jake’s granddaughter. He had aged well she thought, he still had a full head of hair, only it had turned white and wasn’t nearly as shaggy as his younger days. Freckles and wrinkles intermixed on his face, but his eyes still sparkled as bright as the day she married him and made him a father. His once strong muscles had weakened, but he still liked to pretend he was a tough proud Navy pilot. Really he’d become an even bigger softie, spoiling his grandkids even though they weren’t little children anymore. It took them a while to understand that Taylor was also their grandma and that she didn’t age like Grandpa. Taylor hated to watch him grow old without her, they were supposed to be on their porch together in Louisiana, sitting in matching rocking chairs, watching the sunset together as they held each other’s hands, giving each other shit for their gray hair. 

Taylor wasn’t even by his side when he went peacefully in his sleep, she didn’t find out until she came back for her kids birthdays and it devastated her, a piece of her was missing, she’d never felt such intense pain in her life, and she didn’t think she ever would again. She was wrong though, as she watched her own children grow old, and had to pretend to be their grandchildren, she thought it would destroy her. You understand that you’ll lose your parents and maybe even your spouse in a lifetime, but nothing ever prepares you for losing a child. 

Tagging:  @brightpinkpeppercorn @sleepwalkingelite @ooo-barff-ooo @endlessly-searching-for-you @agent-bossypants @roonarific @likethetailofacomet @zaffrenotes @mysteli @vickypoochoices @kayann9 @jlouise88 @zigortega4life @findingdrake @drakesensworld  @endlesstaylormckenzie @sophie-summer @feartheendlesssummer @darley1101 @emomoustache​ @xo-endlessmayhem-xo​ PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE REMOVED! 

[theartistdetective]

The Joker x Harley Quinn-Mephisto Part:4

Hey guys, thank you for your patience. As a compensation for my extremely short third chapter, I’m presenting you a long one! Things are getting tricky with some action!

 Warnings: Out of character Harley Quinn, Sherlock references, violence

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

Harleen grunted as Jonny Frost pushed her onto the cold metal surface of the stretcher and started to tie her down using chains, trapping her beneath them. She wasn’t used to being treated like this. She let out an disapproving huff and stared at the henchman. She realized she couldn’t hear the head doctor’s screams anymore. That meant her interesting and fellow patient would grace the painfully boring room earlier than expected. How delightful! Frost gave the doctor an unsure look and wondered why she stopped struggling. Hell, it was pretty easy to bring her to his boss as well. She hadn’t even struggled that much, just trying to get off of his grip by wiggling around. No bite, no scratches, no punch, no kick in the nuts. Didn’t she value her life? Well, she must be crazy anyway; he thought. Falling for a dangerous madman… As the Joker –naked torso and sweatpants, a blood covered bat in his hand- made his appearance in the room, the atmosphere suddenly changed. The chaos died down, unexpectedly, Harleen just laid on the cold surface without moving. Mr. J approached to her from behind and looked at the laying woman beneath him. Harleen could tell she was about to receive an electroshock therapy, looking at the things he held in his hands. But she calculated that something else would happen first. And she knew she wasn’t born to be tied down. And she told the henchmen that they would be sorry if they didn’t get off of her. She was a woman of her words. She just stared at those steel blue eyes, waiting for him to speak his mind. “Are you married?” “Look at my ring finger.” J knew that there was nothing on there before, he just thought she didn’t choose to wear it. For… reasons. “Do you have a child?” “Although I might be quite motherly at times…” J grunted at that response. He remembered how she told him stories about her family, how much she loved them and so on… Little Susie and her perfect father Lucas. A bright student and a successful businessman. The sunshine that lights her world and the heat that keeps her bed warm. He remembered all those times she tormented him. He listened to all kinds of domestic stuff: Susie’s first word, the first time she talked and walked. And that annoying man that he swore to kill… Ugh! Why would she fucking lie? “If you want an answer, ask a question.” Harleen chimed, snapping the Joker out from his drunk~in~anger state. “Why?” he whispered, his tone reeking of murder. And then she laughed. Laughed! Out of all things she could have done, she started giggling like a maniac. The Joker was frustrated. How dare she! He felt his gun getting heavier on the small of his back, ready for him to engrave her smile on her face for the eternity. Or maybe the knife in his pocket, shall slice her exposed neck; covering the floor with flesh blood. He struggled to choose between two options. Eeenie meenie miney mo… But his hand didn’t move downwards, it rose up: going farther away from the two weapons. He didn’t want that, but since his hand was up anyway it would have been logical to go for a slap. But his hand stopped mm’s away from her face, ‘cause a loud thudding sound made him look behind him. One of his henchmen was knocked out cold and hit the ground. And then the other, the other and the other… He noticed the suspicious looking white gas leaking through the pipes as all of his henchmen fainted, including Frost. The gas was moving towards him, center of the room. He held his breath, trying to think of something. Suddenly someone behind him put a mask on his face. He turned around to see Harleen, free from the chains and wearing the same mask. She giggled: “Well, Puddin… Did you enjoy the show of Houdini?” Everything happened so fast. Suddenly, she reached into her inner labcoat pocket. She swung her arm and J felt pain on his left shoulder as she pricked him using the needle in her hands. He tried to apply pressure on it with his right hand. But he couldn’t move it. He felt like his hands were paralyzed. In less than a second, he was on the floor; not able to move any parts of his body. But he was still awake. He heard the woman approaching. “Well, that was for you to hear my answer. I need you awake for that. But, I don’t want you to think you’re getting special treatment or something.” she threw her head back and laughed, a mischievous look in her eyes. “So, being awake but paralyzed would be fair… I guess.” She then looked at him, her eyes scanned his half naked body up and down for brief seconds. “Screw it. Might be giving a little bit…” she mumbled as she bit her lower lip. She then jumped suddenly with her eyes wide open, exaggerating her mimics. “Now where were we… Ah… yes… My itty bitty lie… Let’s think over the reason together, shall we?” she laid stomach~down on top of the paralyzed clown prince of crime and looked into his eyes. “What would the reason be?” she laid her hands on the top of the other on his chest and rested her chin on them. After she asked the question, she tilted her head to the side, pouted her lips and raised her eyebrows like a child. “What? Tell me already!” wanted to say the King but couldn’t. Harleen noticed that. “No no no no! No rush… We’ll figure it out together. Even if you cannot talk, you can think, you can guess things. But I won’t be that cruel, I’ll give you a clue. Everything that has happened, every thought that has crossed your mind, every emotion you had to bear… they all occurred just as I wanted them to. What was your plan in order to break out? Be frank with yourself and me.” I would use you by making you fall in love with me. “You’d use me. Did your plan succeed?”  No. He thought. “No no no no, Mr. J!” she exclaimed as if she could hear his thoughts, cupping his face –as much as the mask let her- and bringing their faces closer together. “It did, you’ll be at your hideout tomorrow as a free man. And I should be frank too, if I wasn’t interested in you I really wouldn’t pull off all that crap! You totally got me handsome!” Mr. J was puzzled, why the hell was all this narcotic gas thing? She noticed her look and giggled playfully: “Mr. J, I would be damned if I let every guy I meet perform an electroshock therapy on me! You can’t inflict pain on me without my consent, I won’t be letting that.” she got closer and whispered in his ear. “If you’re prepared for a battle, you should expect a counter-attack; you should know that the best in this world.” “But let’s go back to our topic, my lie. Another hint: I knew the reason behind you approaching me. I wasn’t unaware of the trap, I just closed my eyes and walked. I knew you thought you didn’t love me back.” The Joker furrowed his eyebrows. Thought? The woman smiled. “Oh, so you caught that.” “Yes, thought. What did you feel when I told you I was already taken?” He thought about himself, being angry as hell; wanting more information regarding the man. “Me being happy; even having a kid. You don’t need to answer, I already saw it. You were hella’ angry. But not in the my plan fails with this development way…” He wanted to laugh then; wanted to mock her, he knew where this was going. And he knew she was hella’ wrong. She continued talking as everything started to unravel.“Well, that may be defined as “making him jealous” in some women’s magazines. It was a mere test, whether I’m wasting my time with you or not. But it is a good tactic, let me tell you… you may think it was stupid for me to even think about something like you being jealous of me when I was clearly aware of your plans… well, I had a reason…” J was laughing angrily now in his head, that stupid woman! Of course it was stupid! He wasn’t in love with her, it was all a game. How could she think… What kind of reason? He suddenly felt the mask being snatched away and saw the white smoke hovering over his head. Harleen moved her face closer to his and spoke, “You could’ve easily scared me to death like you did to the others before, why choose to make me fall in love? My goal never was to make you fall in love with me. I thought you were a genius and shouldn’t be locked up in this hellhole. I offered my help, but secured myself. My aim was to make you interested in me: an interest that it would stop you from pulling the trigger when the barrel laid on my forehead.” Her smile got wider as she got closer, their masks touching to each other. “But even I couldn’t calculate that I would make the King of Gotham unable to draw the gun, just with looking at him in the eye.” J felt her slender hands reach to his cheeks, her soft lips touching his as the her voice echoed through his mind. “Goodnight and farewell Joker…” “I want you to remember me… The woman who beat you…” were the last words he heard as the darkness took over him.

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