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saiilorstars · 4 years ago

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Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance • Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 22: Finding Each Other

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: The Scream makes his final play against the travelers, leaving them trapped in his own personal world. Only Avalon and the Doctor seem to mildly remember that perhaps the lives they live now aren't correct.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

Disclaimer: The arc is part of an actual comic story that I’ve rewritten to fit the story here! But the essential plot and part of the dialogue belongs to the comics!

Avalon ran as fast as she could through the 'forest' that now was the TARDIS. She could hear it hissing behind her, coming to get her. It was all too much like the…

"AAAH!" She screamed when the Scream itself jumped in front of her, all dressed in a white suit and looking far bigger than the last time they met.

Her eyes widened.

He's what they met shortly after the Silence in 1969. "I...I remember you. It's you. I...I forgot you, just like with the Silence." She stepped away from it. "It's you who's been following us. How could...how could I just forget that!?"

Lena had brought them back to Earth because of a mysterious letter with coordinates. They traveled to the planet where they bumped into the ugly thing who nearly sucked out hers and the Doctor's memories to create the Sapling! She just...she just forgot all about that! She forgot the Scream was still coming for them. How could she forget something like that!?

"I wassss folllowing the Doctor, not hissss pet!"

Avalon frowned. "I am more than a 'pet'. But you would know about that, huh? Your Silence brethren haven't left me the hell alone!"

"I witnessssed your capture...your trrrrrips...Koooovarian…" Avalon swallowed hard as she took a few more steps away. "They arrrrre not doooone with yourrrr family."

"I should've known, you're part of them!"

"Nooooo!" the Silence seemed to shout. "They know noooothing offf meee! They cannot rrrrremmember me!"

Right, it was why he was an special type of Silence. Not even his own kind could remember him.

"That must suck," Avalon could say that honestly. "Not even your own kind can remember you? Must be lonely." The Scream seemed to stop for a moment, staring at her through its hole-eyes.

"Avalon!" Rory stumbled into the clearing. His eyes eyes widened at the sight of the Scream. "I remember you!"

"Yeah, its super power made us forget he was chasing us down the galaxies!" Avalon quickly rushed to his side.

The Scream fired purple electricity at them, forcing them to break into another run. "I ammmm the Screeeeam! I exisssst! Don't turn yourrrr back on meeee!"

The two kept running and running until they could hear Amy's frantic voice paired with the Doctor's. They crashed into them, actually, knocking them to the grassy ground.

"I found you!" Avalon beamed at the Doctor. She had fallen over him but didn't seem to mind the harsh crash.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor sat upright and kept a tight hold around her. After the Sapling sprouted roots, the whole TARDIS went haywire...but at least they were still together, litrealy. The box was still together.

"Yeah, Rory and I were running from…" Avalon trailed off with a curious expression taking her face over. "Never mind."

"Doctor, where are we?" Amy took Rory's hand to stand back up, prompting the other pair to do the same. She had been running from something, or she was just running, and she stumbled into the spot where the Doctor was.

"Still in the TARDIS of course! And good news: the Sapling's mature form is mnemomimetic! It's literally turning our stolen memories into fruit!"

Avalon blinked, her eyes drifting to the funny looking branches hanging from above. Some of them seemed to be shaped like people. "You mean...my memories are...hanging all around us?"

"Yours, but mostly mine! I have a lot!" the Doctor didn't look as bothered by her. He grabbed her hand and motioned for them to follow him. He brought them down the 'forest' into a room resembling their console room, only this one was covered in moss, branches and leaves. "Okay, well I still haven't found a console room with power. My shiny new one's been completely swamped by the Sapling's root system."

"But...but the TARDIS is stable at least, right?" Amy shot him a look. That was the whole point of the Sapling sprouting his roots. Not a minute after asking, the branches around them started to grow more, some of them wrapping around Rory's arms.

"Hey!" he frowned and fought to free himself. Amy quickly hurried to help him.

"No, no! Stop!" the Doctor frantically called as if the Sapling could still hear then. He...wasn't sure if the Sapling could hear him. His hearts sank. He wasn't sure where the Sapling was or if he still was around. "If the Sapling doesn't stop growing then the dimensional dams will break entirely. If that happens then all the 'bigger on the inside' will continue leaking, taking the Sapling - and our memories - with it."

"We can't let that happen," Avalon quickly said, not even speaking for their memories. The Sapling was waiting for them to find him. "We're going to get to him before any of that happens!"

"Of course we are!" the Doctor nodded but then quietly admitted he wasn't sure how to go along with it.

"Uuh...Doctor? There's a corridor," Amy said, making them turn in her direction. She was pointing at a metal corridor that hadn't been there when they first walked in. It was wide open for them.

"But it's new," Avalon said. The metal wasn't covered with any moss or branches.

"If I know my TARDIS, she's desperately trying to contain the Sapling's roots so we can find a clean console room," the Doctor squeezed Avalon's hand still holding his. "She's literally shifting her own internal organs around."

Avalon could literally feel her heart cracking. "The TARDIS is doing that for us?" She pulled him into the corridor and stopped to look around. "She must be in agony."

"She is," the Doctor knew it. He gently touched the walls and thanked the TARDIS for soldiering on for them. They needed to solve this quickly.

The group hurried down the corridor and found a brand new console room...to them. For the Doctor, it brought out a small nostalgic laugh. "I can't quite believe it's still here after all these years." The console room was the very first one he had back in his first incarnation.

"What, this is actually a real console?" Rory looked around without seeming that impressed by it. It didn't really look like the Doctor, but then again there were so many versions of the man. Maybe this one represented whatever version used it.

"She knows me better than I know myself but she didn't back then," the Doctor came up to the console with Avalon. "That's why she gave me this beautiful blank canvas to begin with."

"And then you proceeded to draw all over it with crayons," Avalon innocently said, meeting the Doctor's sarcastic frown with a smirk.

"It was a foundation! A promise! With every regeneration she gets to know me a little bit better! The adventures we had in here though, the ones I can remember anyways. Monoids, Aridians, Voord, Krotons…"

"There are aliens named after stale bread?" Amy raised an eyebrow, genuinely making Avalon and Rory burst into laughter.

"No!" the Doctor huffed. "Well, yes, actually but these are spelled differently. Krotons are nasty, crystalline mental energy vampires! Oh...oh, I'm getting so slow in my old age! I once used the H.A.D.S. to save the TARDIS from the Krotons!"

"H.A.D.S.?" Avalon made a face. "What the hell is that?"

"Hostile Action Dispersal System. It's a defense mechanism which temporarily distributes the TARDIS' atoms over a wide area - or teleports it - when a breach is imminent."

"And why is that useful to us right now?" Rory inquired.

"If I can convince the TARDIS that the breach threat is internal before I activate the H.A.D.S., then it'll dematerialize around the Sapling, effectively separating them!"

"That could work!?" Avalon jumped on the chance.

"Hold on there mister!" Amy suddenly pointed a finger at the man. "If the TARDIS does that then it'll leave all of us outside in space! Last time I checked, none of us are space-proof!"

"I was getting to that!" the Doctor huffed. Honestly, did they think he would forget that detail? He moved around the console, and gently tapped the glass time rotor. 'Hello? I know you're busy trying to contain the Sap...the infection, but I have a plan. If you can give me any manual control, then I promise I'll get all of us out of this in one piece!"

"Did you just call the Sapling an infec-" Avalon was cut off by a strong, glowing white light erupting from the Time Rotor.

If the TARDIS believed it was an infection causing this mess then she would definitely agree to giving some control back to them.

The Doctor cheered. "That's my girl! To think, if it hadn't been for that very timely intervention, I'd have borrowed a crummy old Type 53 instead!"

Avalon raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so somebody helped you steal the TARDIS? You had an accomplice!"

"Doctorrrrr," the Scream emerged from the branches on the wall. "You mmmmemoriesss will keep the wood from ssswallowing my consciousnesss whole! Ssssurender to me or you pets diiiie!"

"He really needs to stop calling me a 'pet' or so help me!" Avalon snapped.

"Oh my God, I remember him," Amy blinked behind them. She and the Doctor were going through the same realization that they'd forgotten all about the Scream coming after them. That was the thing about the Scream, it's what made him extra deadly. All on his own, he had the power to make his enemies forget he was hunting them down.

"You remember evvverything," the Scream came closer to them.

The Doctor jumped in front of Avalon, putting on his best grin. "Hello! I'm the Doctor, lovely day, isn't it? And you are?"

"What!? I ssstole some of your memmmoriesss! I know you, Doctor! Yet you dare mmmock me? You maaaake light of my pain!?"

"Pain?" frowned Rory. "Has he seen what he's caused!?"

The Scream seemed to grow in size. White steam was billowing from its body. "You willll pay for thisss insult, Doctor! I have the your TARDISSSS and the Sssapling, my plan issss complete!"

The Doctor's grin dropped from his face to be replaced by a glower. "You're the Scream. You're part of the religious order. And you're angry because no one remembers you." But if anything, it should be afraid of him. He was part of the Silence and the Doctor still remembered what he promised to do if he ever saw another Silence again.

They would die for hurting his Ava.

"You will know when I have all the endless memmmories of your TARDISSS core. I shall use the Sssapling to ssspread across the universe and all will know mmy nnname!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at the Scream. "You want to be remembered? Then earn it. You know what your kind never get?" Avalon watched his hands reach back for the console and she stepped closer to hide his arm movements. "You think by some terrible act or other that your name will go down in infamy. When, really, even if you succeed in whatever plan you've cooked up, people are just going to pity you. They might even despise you, if you give them reason to. The Sapling's an innocent, scared child. He has the potential to be anything, absolutely anything so leave him be!"

The Scream stayed silent for a moment, almost looking like he was considering the Doctor's words, but then…

He struck his white energy towards Avalon. She screamed and fell back with her eyes shut.

"AVALON!" the Doctor turned completely for the console to activate the H.A.D.S.

Amy and Rory wanted to get Avalon up but the energy around her enveloped her. She writhed in pain with her eyes still shut. She was seeing so many images in her mind at the moment, all of them rushing as light speed like a movie. She couldn't tell most of them apart but...some of them were of her time with Kovarian.

Not those. I don't want to see those!

But suddenly, the Scream was forced to stop. The H.A.D.S. was in full motion! The TARDIS was groaning altogether, pushing the Scream away. Avalon sucked in a sharp breath once she was set free, but her mind was far too frazzled to understand what was happening. Amy and Rory quickly snagged up their granddaughter from the ground, keeping her between them.

"Doctor, what's happening!?" Amy exclaimed just before the TARDIS properly exploded.

The last of the TARDIS' energy went into shielding everyone while they drifted in space. The Doctor was barely able to use his sonic to bring everything back together...everyone. And when they joined together again, a certain pair joined together, combining memories and branches and Silence all together.

~ 0 ~

Avalon's eyes snapped open as she woke with a sharp gasp. She sat upright on her bed, her eyes scanning her bedroom like there was something she was going to find…

"Avalon?" She heard Lena knocking on the door. "Avalon! You need to wake up! Mels, Amy and Rory are going to be here in one hour!"

Avalon blinked for a few seconds before slowly getting out of bed. "I'm...I was sleeping…" She whispered and cast a glance at the bed. Why was she repeating that? Yes, of course, she was sleeping. It was night time, so she slept. That's what she always did. She shook her head without thinking.

NO.

She stiffened. "Where'd that come from?"

"Avalon!" Lena knocked, or banged, on the door again. "Seriously! We're going to be late! Mum and Dad are already eating breakfast!"

"Mum?" Avalon whispered. "My...my Mum?"

Lena groaned and Avalon heard her stomping away. Why was she acting so weird? Yes, her parents made breakfast. That's what they always did. And...and she had plans today. Yes, yes, just like always.

She came up to her window to check for the weather. It looked like a lovely day. The sun was shining so brightly, reflecting beautifully on the far-off Citadel's dome. Avalon stared at it for a moment more, wondering why it was only that city that had a dome.

Becausssse it's a higher part of the town.

Avalon gasped at the new sound. She looked around and then a moment later thought herself a fool. Who else could have spoken to her? It was just her in her room.

~ 0 ~

Avalon came into the kitchen to see Emmalina Reynolds coming to the table with a new pile of pancakes that Rylan and Gavin were practically ready to devour. Lena chuckled as her mother smacked Gavin's hand away from the plate until it was set on the table.

"Honestly, you act like I never feed you!" Emmalina sighed until she saw Avalon at the threshold. "Good morning. You slept well!"

"Just like always," Lena added. "Wish we all slept like Avalon."

But Avalon didn't speak, nor move. She was staring at Emmalina with eyes wide. She felt something in her stomach, something like...like she wanted to throw up.

Look!

"Avalon," Emmalina softly called. "Are you alright?"

Avalon blinked and realized there was something on her face. When she touched her cheek, she found a tear. She was crying. Why was she doing that?

From the kitchen window, the Scream silently watched the Reynolds 'family'. The girl was stronger than he anticipated. Her mind was trying to warn her that the setting was fake, but why? He expected such a thing from the Doctor, but this girl? He would just have to keep manipulating all the memories he had, and since he and the Sapling were joined now...he had plenty of memories to draw from.

~ 0 ~

Avalon and Lena came skipping down the front steps of their home to where Amy, Rory and Mels were waiting for them.

"Took you long enough," Mels huffed. "Seriously, what took you so long?" Avalon tilted her head at Mels. Seeing the stare she now claimed, Mels arched an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"She probably recognizes her dress," Amy joked and shared a laugh with Lena and Rory.

"I borrowed it!" Mels exclaimed.

"Right!"

"I...like your hair," Avalon's hand came to rest over her own hair. Mels' hair was as curly as hers, but more ashy brown of course.

Mels smiled like she already knew her hair was good. "Thank you, sweetie. And just so we're clear, this is your dress."

"Avalon, what's the matter with you?" Lena spared her sister a weary glance before talking to the others. "She's been acting so weird today, it's not funny."

"Ah, she's just sad she couldn't find a date for the concert!" Mels came over to put her arm around Avalon's shoulders. "It's alright, I'm sure we'll find you someone to go home with."

"Mels!" Lena, Amy and Rory all chorused with the same groans.

Avalon, however, flinched at the idea of it. "I wouldn't," she said all too certain as well. Something about going home with someone...didn't settle right. It gave her that feeling of throwing up again.

"Let's just go before we're late," Rory motioned them to start walking.

Somewhere along the way, Avalon moved so that she was walking with Amy instead. There was something nagging in the back of her head, making her believe that perhaps Amy could help her out. "Hey Amy, do you ever get the feeling that...that something's kind of off?"

Amy made a face at the question. "Off? Like what?"

"I don't know," Avalon shrugged. "Like...like there's something you're missing?"

"Don't think so…" And yet, as Amy answered she began to look away. Avalon noticed it and thought that maybe she would change her answer. But just like that, Amy shook her head. "Nah! I think you're just tired!"

"No, I...I've been sleeping a lot, actually." Avalon thought that was pretty weird. Sleeping...a lot. She did that a lot, right?

"Yeah, and talking in your sleep from what Lena says," Amy chuckled. "You've been dreaming about someone, huh? Some nice fella out there that's caught your eye?"

Avalon blinked. "What? No I haven't!"

"Yeah, you have!" Lena chimed in from behind. "I bet it was some princess stuff cos you kept saying 'Fairy Tale Man' over and over."

"Oh," Avalon came to an automatic stop, even though she had no idea why. Something was sparking in her mind...a faint image. A man. She saw a man.

"What's wrong now?" Lena groaned.

"I thought I saw someone...in my head," Avalon brought a hand to her forehead. She rubbed her skin in hopes of getting that image back. "A-a man. He…"

"Ha, I knew it!" Mels laughed. "Avalon's thinking of her dream man!"

"Aren't we all?" Amy said, only to have Rory huff at her.

"Husband!"

Amy laughed and went along with him. "Right!"

"I swear Avalon, we'll find you a boyfriend by tonight," Mels promised, never noticing the way Avalon's face crinkled.

Something about the term 'boyfriend' didn't sit well with her.

~ 0 ~

"I can't put my finger on it but something's just not quite right about this place...this city." A homeless man maneuvered himself through the plant matter - er, forest - as best as he could. He was sure that if he kept pulling on one of those branches there would be something underneath it. The forest just didn't look right to him.

You need to ressst, that'ssss all. Too many adventuressss.

The man stopped. He had broken a part of a branch and stared at it, like something was supposed to be coming back to him. "You might be right. Perhaps I've been pushing it a bit." The man allowed for the Scream to take the branch from him. "What would I do without you, old friend?"

The creature was his only friend on the streets. He didn't have anything else, anyone else. Although, it was funny because he kept thinking of this woman...he couldn't quite see her but he could think of her. And he could smell her too if he really concentrated. Lavender. She smelled like lavender. Lovely scent. But she was probably just a dream. He dreamt someone up to make him feel less lonely.

"You would losssse yourssself in the night. Don't you thiiiink you look ttttired? Let'ssss go to the ssshelter? Get a hott meall." the Scream pulled him out his thoughts. That was the problem with the Doctor: he thought too much. The girl, while more aware, was more malleable. He didn't need to physically appear to her, much less the other two travelling with them. Those two were puppets.

The Doctor stopped to look at himself in a reflection. Funny, there was a mirror amongst all the plant matter. His eyes widened. He didn't quite like the beard on him but he liked his hat. Although, maybe it should've be more red and a bit more bowl shaped. What were those things called again?

"Maybe I do feel tired," he realized when his thought once again drifted to the woman. For some reason, he didn't think she would like that red hat he imagined. "I feel like there's a fog in my mind. Like something's just out of reach but you can't recall what. But there's still so much to see out there! I've never seen a Star Whale keening for its mate! I've never seen a sycorax ship deploy its faith coils to pray its way out of a gravitation blizzard!"

Doctorr, weee talked about thisss. You delusssionesss...

The Doctor stopped and exhaled. "I...was making things up again, wasn't I? Maybe Avalon could write them down for stories…" He trailed off, where did that come from?

The Scream ushered the Doctor away from the plant matter. One more pull of a branch and he would've discovered a hidden console underneath it. But now there he went again naming that pet! "All nonsensssse. No one else is hhhhere. It'ssss jussst you and meee, rememberrrr? Besides, every adventurrrer is rrrright heeere where you left it. Out here, on the streets."

The Doctor stared at the city ahead of them. Tears came to his eyes. There was a whole big city and he had no one to see it with. He would wander the streets on his own all day. "Yes, yes, of course. I don't need a home. I never did." He had no home.

Funny, that woman he kept thinking of would be a nice someone to see that city with, but she wasn't real.

~ 0 ~

Music blared, leaving ears ringing but no one cared. The crowd cheered and sang along to the music.

Except for Avalon. She was more preoccupied with the crowd itself. Everyone seemed to be having a good time but she couldn't help think that some of them...were just weird. It wasn't a nice thought at all, she knew, but the more she stared the more she couldn't shake the feeling off.

There was a metal man, for starters, bobbing his head to the music. Avalon felt like she should be afraid and yet...no one else seemed concerned. Then there was this lady who was all gray and her skin seemed kind of hard. For a moment, Avalon thought the woman should be covering her face.

Sssstop looking.

Avalon snapped her head behind her, as if the hissing voice would be right behind her. Where did that keep coming from!?

"Avalon, what are you doing!?" Amy laughed and pulled Avalon closer to her. "Sing along! He's singing your favorite song: Blue Box Blues!"

"Blue box…" Avalon whispered. She wrapped an arm around her stomach. She wanted to throw up again. "Amy...Amy something's not right."

"Yeah! You're not singing!"

"AMY!" Avalon shook the woman. "Just listen to me! Something's not right! All day I've been getting these feelings like...like I know that I've forgotten something but I don't know what it is! Plus...there's just something off!" She brought a hand to her hair, grasping strands as she frantically looked through the crowd...as if there was someone she was supposed to find.

"Okay, geez, Avalon. Just calm down," Amy cautiously grabbed Avalon's arms, keeping her steady. "I'm listening. I'm really listening."

Avalon felt tears in her eyes. Her breath was raggedy like she'd run a marathon just then. "There's...there's a voice inside my head. It keeps...hissing at me…" She scrunched her face. It made her body shiver just thinking about it. "I need help, I need a doct…"

There was a spark of recognition across her eyes for just a brief second, half a second. Though Avalon forgot about it, she knew she had to get out of there. Actually, not just her. "Rory!" She reached past Amy and grabbed Rory's arm. "We have to go!"

"What, hey! The song was just about to end!" Rory complained as Avalon dragged him and Amy out of the concert.

"Avalon, I think we should get you home!" Amy exclaimed just as Avalon brought them to the streets.

"You two need to get a grip and realize that it's not…" Avalon let go of the two when she saw a swirling portal across the street. Her eyes widened as it stretched out to become like a crack in the air. "What's...that's not...this isn't…" She looked around the street with both hesitance and fear. "Is this real?"

"Hey...that looks…" Amy blinked at the crack. She shook her head and that odd feeling she got from just looking at the thing.

"Cracks," Avalon breathed in. "There's cracks in the universe. I...somebody said that. Somebody else said that too, and I…"

"No, it's true! I found three more cracks in the last street!" A man's voice carried over, pulling the trio's attention to the end of the street where a homeless man was running down, excitedly babbling on. "I wonder if there's more!"

"There's one right here!" Avalon found herself blurting and promptly covered her mouth when she realized it.

The Doctor came running down to stop beside them and see the crack proudly scarring the air. "Interesting! Do you know what the crack is?"

"Clearly we don't or else we wouldn't be here, right?" Avalon's sarcasm made the Doctor smile.

"It's a crack!"

"But that we clearly knew!"

"Avalon!" Rory hissed. "Stop fighting with a homeless man!"

Avalon turned around, her hair flipping with her. The Doctor sniffed the air when he got a whiff of...lavender.

"You smell like lavender," he turned the woman around without even thinking it. Avalon looked at him strangely and despite being a homeless man, she didn't really feel scared. Actually, he was kind of cute.

"I don't like your hat," she had to say when she got a look at the ruddy thing.

"Yeah, and you don't like fezzes either!" The Doctor's eyes widened as soon as the words left his mouth.

"...Doctor?" Avalon's hand shakily reached to touch his face and the Doctor just let it happen. There was something quite warm about her hand and her gentle fingers.

"Ava…" He hummed in content.

"Enough!" the Scream hissed as it appeared in front of them. Avalon yelped and jumped back. Amy and Rory did the same from their spots. The Doctor quickly barred the way to Avalon, not even realizing when he did it. "You two togetherrrr againnn! I ssssupose it was inevitable! I tried to make thissss painlesss. The memory transferrrr is ssso much cleaner with a living victimmm, but ssso be it!"

"How did we forget again!?" Amy cried angrily, shooting Rory who was also remembering the real situation.

"What!? Don't look at me! You forgot too!" he shouted back.

But their argument was cut off when the Doctor and Avalon cried in pain. They were disintegrating like Orphan had, only instead of white bits they were releasing small green leaves.

"Everyone thinkssss they want to ffind the truth…" the Scream watched the pair fall to their knees on the ground. Roots sprouted to force them down. "Until the truth findsss themmm. You wanted a home, Doctor? I shall eat you now. A hot meal for the homeless man!"

"Ah, Doctor, how do we help you!?" Amy ran towards them but the Scream fired at her to keep still. Rory yanked her to his side, motioning they would freeze there...at least until they figured out a way to help the Doctor and Avalon.

The roots, which were the Scream's own tendrils, wrapped around each of them. It invaded their minds, intending on taking everything he could find. He just failed to realize that it was a two-way connection. Memories were flowing out from the pair but at the same time memories were flowing in from the Scream, the very memories the Sapling once upon a time took at the time of his birth.

"The Sapling…" the Doctor sucked in a sharp breath, "He's a tree isn't he? That's where we found him...a forest planet?"

Avalon could see the memory he talked about, but she literally felt her insides being crushed. "He's...going to kill us!"

"How sweeeet that you rememberrrr again. You think of the Scream and you knooowwww fffeear! Soon you shall beee entirely consumed. Sooon you shall nottt existtt. You shalll only exisssst in here! In my head! My memoriesss! NOthing will exist, other than the Scream!"

And then the Scream, everyone for that matter, heard the Doctor laugh.

"Are you seriously laughing!?" Amy incredulously stared at the Time Lord.

He was. He truly was even when the branches were wrapping around his body. "I just realized...well, I remembered. This entire world is populated by my and Avalon's memories. You just threw in Amy and Rory cos you had no idea what to do with them yet-"

"Thanks," Rory cut in with the exact flat face his wife had.

"-and because the Sapling wouldn't let you get rid of them. This place is an entirely subjective environment and you're about to kill us! Then Amy, and Rory...so what happens when we're all gone? Who will be here to remember you if it's just you?"

"Ha…" Avalon found strength to laugh for a tiny moment. The branches were squeezing her tight. "If a tree falls in a forest and no one's around…"

"...does anyone know?" the Scream realized.

"Ava, I'm passing a psychic message to you via the root system." the Doctor quickly said before the Scream could enact what promised to be even more outrageous than what he already did, "A plan. Listen to me, Ava. Just listen."

Avalon wanted to point out that she had no idea how to receive such a message, but the Doctor went ahead anyways. She closed her eyes and let whatever happen, happen.

The Scream...screamed. A white light had eradicated his entire world, leaving only him in a white place. Was a room? A world? He didn't know.

"Is anyone there?" he called out. "Can anybody hear me? I...I don't want to be alone!"

"Because it sucks, right?"

The Scream turned around to find Avalon standing a few feet away from him. She was scowling at him. "I know how it feels to be alone. The Doctor does too. And you used that against us. And you know the funny thing is, if you had just asked the Doctor for help...he would've done it. I know he's said that he'd kill any Silence for what they did to me but I know my Doctor. You weren't part of the Silence. You didn't do anything. All you needed to do was ask for help...but you didn't."

"Youuuu will diiiie!" the Scream pointed at her.

Avalon swallowed hard. "You absorbed the Sapling. You took his powers, right? So use them. Why don't you just make copies of yourself? Then you never have to be alone again."

"I...yes…" the Scream realized that would be an even better plan. With thousands of him, he could take over every planet and force everyone to remember him.

Avalon watched the Scream multiply and multiple until there were really near a thousand of them just staring at her, maliciously planning no doubt. She felt her breath leave her. "Is...is the Sapling inside you somewhere? Can...can you release him? You've got what you wanted. There's so many of you, why keep him?" Her eyes teared up as the memories of the Sapling started resurfacing in her mind. "Please...he's...he's my son. I want him back."

The Scream flatly ignored her. "I can make endless copiessss of me! They willlll spread acrossss the universe! With the Sapling'sssss power I caaaan make millionssss...billionsss of me! I will absorb alll life! The universe willll only be the Screammm!"

"Fine," Avalon spat, her eyes narrowing on the Scream.

"Oi! Bighead!" the Doctor's voice hollered, making every copy of the Scream look away from themselves.

And once they looked away from themselves, it forgot that it existed. Each of them faded away into nothing, leaving no trace that it had ever existed in the first place.

Avalon turned around to see the Doctor, Amy and Rory. It was funny, the white room - she decided it was a room - seemed endless. She had to run for a few seconds until she could join them.

She jumped into the Doctor's arms, hugging him tight. "I did it! I got your message! I did it!"

"I know you did," the Doctor hugged her tight, getting that strong scent of sweet lavender. He truly did love it.

"So he just...he just forgot himself?" Rory felt a headache coming along with just that detail.

"We literally used its own weapon against it," the Doctor said to them as he let Avalon go just a bit. He had completely forgotten her for a moment there and he wasn't interested in letting her go anytime soon.

"So then shouldn't we have faded from existence when the Scream did?" Amy gestured to the white room. "We were inside him, after all. He absorbed us."

"You'd think so, the Scream vanished but…" there was a familiar grin on the Doctor's face that Avalon saw first. "Remember that he merged with the Sapling and now the Scream is gone, so that means we're currently inside…"

"The Sapling!" Avalon gasped, soon sporting the same grin as the Doctor's. "He's still alive!"

"That's really great, but how do we get out!?" Rory exclaimed.

"Hello! Hi!" Amy started shouting into the air. "Sapling, if you can hear us...I'm really tired! Can we just go home!?"

There was a light whooshing air, almost like the TARDIS would make. Before they knew it, the outline of a door appeared a few feet away from them.

"Is it really that easy?" Avalon blinked, stepping towards it.

"If he knows that I'm tired then yeah," Amy shot them a smirk and hurried up to it despite Rory's warning call to wait. Amy opened the door and stepped into the console room, their console room. "Aha! Yes!" But she gasped when she saw the Sapling across from them.

Everyone else did too.

The Sapling was back but he was a little different…and not so little anymore...

"Sapling!" Avalon zoomed right past the group to hug the Sapling, although she had to go on her tippy-toes because now the Sapling was as tall as the Doctor.

"What's wrong with him?" Rory whispered to the Doctor.

"Nothing! He's...matured!" the Doctor grinned and hurried over as well.

The Sapling had grown into a man - a tree man. He had lost his brown wooden skin to be replaced by a white, pinkish skin. His eyes had shrunken a bit, stretched out only slightly. Even his head was no longer that pointy!

"I grew up, Mother," the Sapling pulled away from Avalon to hug the Doctor, revealing his lower voice in the process.

"Yes, you did!" Avalon laughed out of surprise.

"We all go through a difficult adolescent phase where a homicidal memory-stealing alien from a strange religious cult wants to use us to take over the entire universe and turn every living thing into them!" the Doctor stepped back beside Avalon and found her glaring at him.

"Please stop talking."

The Sapling laughed. Avalon gave him a strange look for that. "You even laugh like a grown up. When Rory was a kid, his voice broke so much when he laughed!"

"Avalon, shush!" Rory frowned. This was no time to bring up his teenage years!

"You found me," the Sapling breathed out with a nervous smile. "Just like you promised you would."

"You are family," the Doctor reiterated to him. "You're our son."

"Yes," the Sapling nodded, as if only now just coming to terms with it. "You are my Father, you are my Mother…" He looked past the pair to Amy and Rory, "My...aunt and uncle." The two thanked him for not revealing their true relationship. "I wanted to thank you all for believing in me. You saved me. My race, my DNA...it said that I had to destroy and spread across the universe. That I was a weapon."

"But you're not," Avalon shook her head. "You are so incredible! You're my son!"

"Truly," the Doctor agreed.

"Father, you stole this TARDIS, ran from your people, refused to be what you were told to be. You decided to be kind. You are an inspiration!"

"Oh, well..I…" the Doctor stammered as he looked around, making the others laugh.

Avalon threw her arms around him. "I agree! And you made him blush!"

"No, I'm not!"

The Sapling smiled as the two bickered for a few seconds. They didn't even hear him when he pointed out that they both had their memories back.

"Alright you two, break it up!" Amy came marching up to them and physically ripped them away from each other. "Sheesh! Bad influence on your child!"

"Yeah, yeah," the Doctor waved them off. "So, Sapling, where to from here? Would you like to stay or…?"

"Or?" Avalon frowned, her eyes flickering from him and the Sapling. "What do you mean 'or'?"

"Well, it's just...the Sapling is - as he put it - all grown up. Sometimes, typically, that means he might want to go exploring on his own."

Avalon's entire face fell at the idea of the Sapling leaving them. Without realizing it, she'd become so attached to him. She'd gotten used to having the little one around…

But he's not 'little' anymore and that's the point!

"You're all grown up," she said sadly. "Of course you want to leave."

"It's not that I want to leave you, Mother. I'm just curious," the Sapling smiled softly at her. He walked up to her and put his hands over her shoulders. "But it doesn't mean I won't come back. You're my Mother."

"Not a very good one, I'm afraid," Avalon sniffed. "I-I didn't really know what to do half the time. I'm sorry about that."

"You were wonderful, Mother! So much fun! I will always love our movie marathons! And the Heist! That's my favorite memory with Father."

The Doctor grinned. "Don't fret, I'm sure we'll have another one!"

"No, we won't!" Rory huffed. They just didn't understand that heists were wrong, didn't they!?

The Sapling smiled at all of them. "Yes, I won't go away forever. I'll be back to visit!"

The Doctor moved for the console and rummaged through the under compartments until he pulled out a familiar device. "Take this, Sapling. In case you wander to some, uh, not so advanced parts of the galaxies. And Earth."

The Sapling took the device from him. It was what changed his appearance to a human boy when he visited Leadworth. "Thank you, Father."

"Well...can I have another hug before we have to drop you off?" Avalon was already holding her arms out. She felt like she was about to burst into sobs. So, the Sapling hugged her for a little bit longer than the others.

~ 0 ~

Following into his mother's footsteps, the Sapling chose to start his own adventures in the 51st century. With tears in their eyes, the family parted and went their separate ways. As soon as everything was back to normal, Avalon was shipped off to the medbay for a thorough examination. After breathing in the air from Zoline and undergoing the Scream's own personal world, they needed to make sure Avalon hadn't suffered any setbacks in her health.

"I still think this is all just a tad too much," Avalon sighed in her spot. She scooted to the edge of the medbed while the Doctor hurried back to the computers to upload her latest blood samples.

"Nope! You're not getting up from that bed until I'm done with you!"

A smirk played on Avalon's face. "Ooh, I didn't know you were thinking like that, Fairy Tale Man."

The Doctor winced and shot her a look, though as upset as he wanted to seem the bright red blush on his face greatly contradicted it. "Not like that!" Before she could say anything else, he dove his head to the computers instead. She needed to stop playing with him like that because one of these days…

"So, how is everything?" Avalon asked after a moment of listening to computers whizzing.

"Pretty normal...for you," the Doctor was happy to read. He literally felt his hearts returning to their normal beating speed. Her lungs didn't hold on to any of the poisons from Zoline's air and her brain scans showed nothing was damaged from the Scream's attacks. She was perfectly normal.

He could breathe again.

He turned around and went straight to the ginger, pulled her right off the bed to hug her. "I promise there'll be no more invasions into your head." He kissed the top of her head.

"That would be nice," Avalon hummed. "Although, it does feel kind of nice knowing that even when we forgot about each other, we still found each other."

The Doctor smiled and swayed her a bit. "Of course I'd find you, Ava." Because I love you. Oh, those were still too strong words for her. He didn't want to freak her out after everything that already happened.

Avalon hummed for a few seconds until she spoke again, "Well, I just want to make it clear that you do have a home." She raised her head to meet his gaze. The Sapling had heard all the conversations they had in the Scream's world and was fairly good at giving Avalon the quick run-down of the Doctor's most popular thoughts in that world. He felt like he didn't have a home and that could not be. "You said you didn't have a home, but you do. It's me, Amy and Rory. We're not Gallifrey but I can try to make it as best as I can."

The Doctor brought his hands to cup her face. "You are absolutely wonderful," he said, feeling truly touched with her words. Yes, of course you're my home. I was just so alone in that other world...it's actually not that far from what I used to be."

"Well that's never happening again," Avalon was quick to say, "Because I am never leaving you. I'm here until the end..." Those words brought her to the next point she wanted to discuss - she wanted to yell actually but she didn't want to make things worse. "Doctor, is it really true that you don't have any regenerations left?"

The Doctor's expression turned grim fast. He should've figured that was going to come back sooner or later. He dropped his hands from her face and sighed. "Yes..."

"But didn't you say you were in your eleventh incarnation?" Or had she misheard that bit? She was sure that she hadn't.

The Doctor brought a hand up to the back of his neck. "I...this is my last body. My previous incarnation wasted one regeneration."

"How!?"

"He, uh...I...liked that face, a lot. So I kept it." Looking back at it, it truly was a waste of a regeneration.

"That's one, where's the other one?"

The Doctor would prefer not to talk about that incarnation. He didn't even consider it an incarnation but Avalon wasn't going to let it go. She wanted to know the truth and after everything, she deserved some truth. "There's one incarnation that I don't really like to think of, nor remember. It was the one during the War. That's two incarnations there so...this me...is the last one."

"How could you not tell me that?" Avalon thought about Lake Silencio. River had been wrong. The Doctor didn't die 'mid-regeneration'. He had just died. He would die because he was shot, not because he couldn't make it to the next regeneration. Had the astronaut known that?

You're learning it right now. She stiffened. What if the future was cementing right now?

Tears filled Avalon's eyes when her thoughts started spinning with multiple Lake Silencio scenarios. "Oh my God," she covered her mouth.

The Doctor sprang into action when he saw her tears. "N-n-n-n-no, Ava! I'm okay! I'm alright!" He yanked her into another hug, this time holding her as tightly as he could. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you that. I-I didn't know how to bring it up."

Avalon knew there was no way to bring that up into a conversation. If roles were reversed she would probably struggle too. But she knew it wasn't why she was crying. Her tears belonged to the future. She couldn't let that happen to him. If she was the astronaut, then she would make sure she never hurt him. She could do that. She could really do that.

She rested her hands over his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart beats. "Then I guess we'll have to make sure nothing happens to these hearts." She raised her head to meet his soft smile. "I can take care of them."

"Yeah?" the Doctor wouldn't mind that one bit.

"Mhm, I'll be gentle with them." Avalon watched him near her lips, her own lips curving into a smile. I'll love them. She paused so subtly that the Doctor never saw it. She had no idea where that thought came from but it brought about special butterflies in her stomach. She looked at him in a whole different light and suddenly the only thing she wanted to do was kiss him until she ran out of breath.

"They couldn't be in safer hands," the Doctor murmured just before kissing her, unknowingly fulfilling her current desire. Avalon quickly moved her arms around his neck to bring him closer and leave their bodies firmly pressed against each other's.

Unfortunately, they were interrupted shortly afterwards…

"What kind of exams are you running here, exactly?" The sharp voice of Amy broke them apart.

"P-Ponds!" the Doctor sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of both Amy and Rory at the doorway. This was bad, bad!

"I told you they needed supervision!" Rory huffed at his wife and crossed his arms.

"Shame, I lost a bet because of you two!" Amy pointed at the pair who were frozen in their spots. Glumly, she reached into her pant's pockets to pull out the money.

"You bet on us?" frowned Avalon before it hit her. "Wait! What about!?"

"That you could handle this relationship like adults obviously!"

"You knew!?" Avalon and the Doctor yelled with the same red blush on their faces.

"Since when!?" Avalon demanded.

Amy and Rory looked at each other to make the calculations. They went back and forth for a few minutes until they agreed. "Two weeks ago!"

"What? And you didn't say anything?" The Doctor arched an eyebrow at them, for a brief moment wondering if they were truly the Ponds.

"Well, it was obvious you guys weren't ready to tell us," Amy shrugged then flashed them a smirk. "Course it just seems like you were a lot more busy snogging than anything else."

"Yeah, since this is all out in the air can we just dial it back a bit?" Rory properly shivered. He did not enjoy catching his granddaughter snogging the hell out of the Doctor two weeks ago. That was not a way to start a morning. He would've yelled for them to stop if Amy hadn't pulled him out of the console room in time.

"You're not...you're not mad?" the Doctor's voice was a tad squeaky, much to Amy's amusement. He was clearly nervous of their reactions.

Avalon moved one of her arms over his shoulder and looked at his anxious face. Poor thing really did look scared. It warmed her heart that he truly cared a lot about what Amy and Rory had to say about their relationship, but at the same time she felt the need to point out it didn't matter what they thought. She wondered why he was so fixated on their opinions anyways.

"We were surprised that you started a relationship without letting us in on the secret," Rory was the one to say and for the same reason the Doctor had asked the question in the first place. He made it very clear in the beginning what he thought about the relationship if it ever were to happen. He supposed that even after he apologized to the Doctor and told him that he would really be okay with a relationship between them, the Doctor would still be nervous. "But we're happy for you, really."

Once again, the Doctor felt like he could breathe again. Avalon shook her head at him with a laugh. "I think your hearts were doing the salsa for a moment!" She gave a light pat to his chest.

He rolled his eyes at her. He didn't care. He just heard that her grandparents were okay with their relationship. They didn't want him away from her!

"Avalon, are you happy?" Amy asked her even though the answer was clear as day.

The Doctor still had one arm wrapped around her waist while she adjusted his bowtie. "Like you wouldn't believe it," Avalon hummed contently. She had just made the biggest realization in her life and she wasn't going to let anyone take it away. "My Fairy Tale Man has made me so happy."

"That's great," Amy nodded before clapping her hands together. "So now that we're all in the loop we can implement the rules."

That certainly snapped Avalon out of her moment. "The what now?"

"The rules!" chorused her grandparents.

"One of the most important rules is you are to sleep in separate rooms, young lady!"

"Oh, c'mon-" Avalon was in the middle of rolling her eyes when Amy reached over to yank her away. "Amy!"

"No, you actually do need to rest tonight Ava," the Doctor pointed at her and earned himself a glare. "Goodnight Ava!"

Avalon gasped as Amy dragged her out of the room. "Doctor! I hate you!"

"Yeeeeah," Rory clapped a hand over the Doctor's shoulder, "For your own safety, you're going to always want to agree with Ava. It's survival. She gets that from her grandmother." Of course he winced when he remembered that Amy wasn't that far away and could possibly overhear him.

The Doctor could half-smile now. "Thanks Rory. So...are you really okay?"

"Yes, of course. I told you this, Doctor. I'm really sorry for what I used to think but I know where Avalon is safest and where she's happiest. And even though Amy and I caught you two weeks ago, we knew something was up," Rory crossed his arms and smirked when the Doctor paled for a few seconds.

"Y-you did?"

"Of course. Avalon was a wreck after Berlin. Three months we spent trying to build her health and her mental health...and then one day, poof! She's not grumpy anymore, she didn't cry as much...she was smiling. My granddaughter was laughing again. You made that happen and I will always be thankful for that."

The Doctor was touched to hear Rory's words. To know that Rory, the person who was most against this relationship, was truly thankful for him...it relieved the Doctor of several layers of guilt. "Thank you Rory. Really."

"There's just one thing I'm going to ask of you," Rory warned, his face softening as he spoke again, "Please keep her safe. I lost my daughter, I couldn't keep her safe. I don't want Avalon to keep suffering. Please promise me that you will always keep her safe. When Amy and I are long gone, promise me that you'll put Avalon's safety first."

"Rory, don't talk about that…" the Doctor hated to think that one day he and Amy would...they would...die. It truly hurt his insides, made them churn too.

"No, we have to. Especially now that we know Avalon's lifespan is just like...doubled or tripled, whatever it is...it's a lot longer than what Amy and I are going to live combined. And that's fine. I would never want to bury her or River first. They need to bury us first. So when Amy and I are gone, you promise me that Avalon will come first no matter what."

"I swear Rory," the Doctor ultimately said. He understood where Rory was coming from. He was, after all, a father and grandfather himself (at least he once was). The need to keep one's family safe was a powerful force. It overrode anything else. Rory felt that towards Avalon and he couldn't dismiss it simply because he wasn't comfortable talking about death. "Avalon will always come first. Her safety will be my first priority."

Rory nodded firmly. "Thank you." He wouldn't share with the Doctor, nor Amy for that matter, that there was still a tiny part of him that still felt like there was a moment coming for them; something that would hurt all of them. He just hoped that the Doctor would fulfill his promise if the time ever called for it.

Author's Note:

And that concludes the Sapling's arc but don't fret, he's not gone forever! He'll be making some visits later on! When I first read this arc I thought the ending was SO cool and yet so sad. I mean, all they had to do was get the Scream to look away from itself to defeat him. I don't know, I just got chills when I read that moment. It was written so nicely and so sadly...*Jake Peralta's voice* Chills, literal chills!

#ocappreciation #doctor who #11th doctor #dw imagine #11th doctor imagines #doctor who fics #11th doctor fics #dw fics #amy pond #rory williams #oc: Avalon Reynolds #fic: falling in temptation

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valzilla-the-keen · 8 years ago

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Alright, I’ll do the thing.

Tagged by: @smith-hadeon Rules: Tag nine people you want to get to know better

Relationship Status:

Married for 18 years

Lipstick or Chapstick:

Chapstick. Keeps my lips soft and shiny. But I try to use Blistex or chapsticks that don't sneakily put in that stuff that actually dries your lips more so you have to use more chapstick. I am against those shinanigans yo.

Last Song I Listened To:

"Little One" by Highly Suspect and dude. They are so good. They are totally gonna be the newest musical thing I gush about for awhile, replacing Hamilton (for the moment). Particularly since I'm going to see them in May. SERIOUSLY LISTEN TO THIS:

Highly Suspect - “Little One”

Last Movie I Watched:

The last movie I saw all the way through was Justice League Dark, which was really good and made me more interested in both Constantine and Zatanna, who I did not know very well before.

Top 3 Characters: (This was so hard. I decided to go back to my roots - characters I've loved all my life)

Gandalf: Ever since I was a wee little 5 year old Valzilla I have loved the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and my very favorite character was a smart-ass wizard who totally trolled a bunch of dwarves into taking his pet Hobbit with them by convincing them he was this awesome burglar. Then I grew up and read more, and found out that in reality he was actually a really salty angel... who liked to smoke weed and thought hobbits were hilarious and awesome. Gandalf will always be my gold standard for smart-ass wizardry, knowing a lot and saying a little, and when to throw your weight around versus when to come off as a grumpy old codger who makes fireworks. Gandalf for prez. Morgan le Fay (aka Morrigan): Specifically the version from "Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Reading that book sparked an intense interest in early British/Celtic cultures, and I enjoyed seeing this perspective of the traditional Arthurian legend where this woman had to work with, manipulate, and adapt to her circumstances in order to see her beliefs preserved. It thus also encouraged me to look more closely at the motivations and viewpoints of people who are vilified. Hamlet: Here's the thing; Hamlet isn't my favorite Shakespeare play. But the thing about Hamlet himself is that I super, super relate and sympathize with him. This kid is an intellectual, way too smart for his own good, to the point where his overthinking literally screws him over again and again. He deals with depression and politics and just thinking too damn much. The kid is the Prince, HE is the actual heir when his Dad dies, but beyond salty mutterings about "more than kin and less than kind," he clearly has no desire to push the envelope and take the throne. And when he has to, when he finally figures out he absolutely has to and there's no getting out of it, the dumb kid has basically has screwed over everyone he cares about, ruined lives, and fumbled into vengeance. I sympathize with Hamlet a lot, yo, and I see his dumb clever self at the heart of a lot of my favorite characters.

((A lot of the things I love about these characters provide the basis for characters I’ve grown to love in later times. Jareth from Labyrinth has a bit of Gandalf and Morrigan in him. Spike has a bit of Hamlet and Morrigan in him. Iloam Blacksong has a bit of all three >;o) ))

Top 3 Ships:

Hades x Persephone: I ascribe to the interpretation of the mythology where Hades seizes Persephone in accordance to his agreement with her father as was typical of Grecian marriage traditions at the time. From the point that he stole Persephone from her mother, he loves her and is loyal to her unlike his brothers Zeus and Posidon as well as all the other Greek dieties. He makes her Queen of the Underworld, ruling at his side like an equal rather than a subordinate, and she thrives to the point where she is known as the Iron Queen, feared and respected. And she will break anyone who disrespects her husband.

Jamie x Claire (Outlander): This couple goes through SO MUCH, SO MANY TRIALS, and all the while they continue to love and support each other. Both have their differences, both have seperate strengths, but I love how they mutually learn to respect each other in what they are good at. I just. Love them so much.

Hawke x Varric (Dragon Age): Here’s the thing y’all: Hawke and Varric are friendship goals. They are literally the best Hero/Sidekick or buddy cop story I can think of. From the moment I saw that amazing chest hair get shoved down into that chair and get questioned by Cassandra at the beginning of DA2, Varric was my favorite dwarf ever. But as I played the game and heard the banter, and then the stuff in DA:I, I literally was like, “I can never play this game without making sure Varric is always in Hawke’s party.” They will fight for each other. Die for each other. Cover each other’s asses. Exaggerate for each other. Bury the freaking bodies for each other. Hawke and Varric: because friendship is a ship too <3

Huh. I detect a couple themes in my preferred types of ships. And not one I disapprove of ♡ Tagging: uh... everyone who hasn't done this. I'm really bad at figuring out who has and hasn't. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it if you want to. DO IT, AND TELL THE WORLD VALZILLA TAGGED YOU. @duskwrath have you done this? @fairstrike? @kharrisdawndancer? How about you, @worgenspandasgnomesohmy, you always tag us in stuff, have you done the thing yet? @kavtari? @riverblade, you did it right? Everyone, do the thing!

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ruffsficstuffplace · 8 years ago

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The Keeper of the Grove (Part 45)

They all went to the Trader's Guild first thing in the morning, taking jerky, cookies, and several pounds worth of stewed meat to go. Because of a penalty for “misuse, misinformation, and misconduct” from when Qrow had delivered Weiss' message to Winter, he and her waited in the lobby with the Eluna plushie, while the others—including Zwei—went off to go renegotiate their salaries, be they in Shinies, or in ingredients for baking cookies.

Though not nearly as busy as when Weiss had last been there for the Job Gauntlet, she could still hear that same musical clinking of Shinies being shaken by the counting machines ringing in the air.

“Does this place ever close up shop?” Weiss asked as they sat on a bench. “Even just for a few hours or on holidays?”

“Nope,” Qrow replied, “Guild pretty much handles all financial matters in the Valley bigger than buying booze in bulk off your local grocer, or writing a check to your cousin to pull them through for the next month, after they spent all their Shinies on buying booze in bulk off their local grocer.

“Just think of having all of your human banks, corporations, and insurance companies under one government-run location, and have a few satellite branches for convenience here and there.”

��And how do you protect against corruption? All this money and valuables under one roof is a gigantic temptation for embezzlers.”

“Very, very, very strict regulations, security, and supervision, and much more serious punishments than getting roasted over the Info-Grid, before getting away with it anyway when the red tape and the corruption doesn't let anyone actually do anything,” Qrow replied. “Authoritarianism has its perks.

“Well, that, and the shiftier clerks tend to have governors installed.”

“Governors?”

Qrow pulled up a patch of feathers that covered the back of his neck. He showed off what looked like a tiny stump growing on his skin, where his spine would be. “Guarantee for good behaviour,” he said as he hid it once more. “Mine's a deluxe that also doubles as my chronicle.”

Weiss looked at him in a mix of curiosity and horror.

“We've got ethics here in Fae society, don't worry,” Qrow said. “It's just that they can get VERY flexible when someone like me fucks up, big time.”

“What happened?”

Qrow closed his eyes, trembling as flashes of memories ran through his mind:

A cottage in an isolated island village, one of those “back-to-nature” farming communities that were escaping the city states' governments.

His sister Raven, murder and madness in her eyes, fresh blood dripping from her sword.

Summer, calmly handing him a crying bundle of blankets with two tiny nubs sticking out from it.

“Take care of Ruby for me.”

He looked away, discretely wiped the tears welling in his eyes. “It's… it's a long story, and one that I'm not allowed to tell you anyway, princess...” he muttered as he turned back.

Weiss frowned. “I… I see. Sorry for bringing it up.”

Qrow shrugged. “You didn't know, Weiss.” He stared off into the distance. “None of us did.”

“… I'm going to go review some homework Penny gave me now, if you don't mind,” Weiss muttered as she pulled out her comm-crystal.

“Knock yourself out,” Qrow said, leaning back in his seat.

The others came back while Weiss was in the middle of the beginnings of the Eldan Council, formed from the larger of the independent tribes of Fae that roamed Avalon several millenia ago. Penny and Blake got raises from their original salaries because of their training and education of Weiss in addition to being her parole watchers, Zwei managed to get a sizable advance on his from being “very persuasive,” and for the first time in a thousand years, Ruby changed the Keeper's salary from ingredients for baking chocolate chip cookies.

“Now I'm getting paid in that, and seeds and supplies for the farm so you can eventually grow them yourself!” Ruby announced happily.

Weiss shot out of her seat. “SERIOUSLY?! Ruby, Penny, we are marching back in that office and getting you a better deal!” she said, taking Ruby's hand and dragging her off with her.

“But it is better!” Ruby said as she came with. “Penny said so.”

Weiss stopped, and turned around to Penny.

“I made the calculations: with the sheer amount of calories Ruby needs to consume thanks to all her activity, eventually taking over production of some if not all of the ingredients will have us ending up with far more Shinies than if we took her payment in cash, and bought food with the equivalent amount of caloric content.”

“It's why Keepers have been paid in cookies for all this time, and the amounts were only ever adjusted for inflation,” Qrow added. “Turns out, Gabija and her beau figured out the cheapest, most efficient, and completely complaint-free way to feed these gals without bankrupting themselves, or forcing the Council to spend WAY more than they really need to.”

Weiss stared. “… Are you shitting me right now?!”

Qrow shrugged. “Hey, most of those Keepers went on to live long, happy lives, and have perfectly healthy kids on almost-exclusively cookie-based diets, right?”

“It's supported by their vitae vine data,” Penny said. “Among the many unique physiological quirks of Keepers are their ability to thrive on a diet composed almost entirely of milk, sugar, and chocolate. They're quite the treasure trove of bizarre, baffling phenomena that stump makers to this day.”

Weiss slowly turned to Blake.

She shrugged. <Valley. Don't think too hard: head-hurt.>

Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, and nodded slowly. “Let's go pawn my sister's Eluna plushie...” she muttered.

They had to wait a while at the Loans and Securities section for Nivian-speaking clerks to assist them, as Weiss was considered the borrower and the others were co-signers. Eventually, their number was called, and all of them walked up to the counter.

“Oh hey!” Nora said as she and Ren sat behind the security glass. “What a coincidence! I was wondering what kind of borrower would need someone who knew how to speak Nivian, and then I thought, 'Huh, what if it's Weiss?' and it turns out I was right!

“Isn't that neat?”

Weiss nodded slowly. “Uh… I suppose? Was the Guild short on employees today?”

Ren shook his head. “We're part-time workers here and in lots of other places,” he explained. “Me and Nora used to work all sorts of odd jobs back then, and we never truly lost the habit. So, how may we help you?”

Weiss put the Eluna on the counter. “I'd like to pawn my sister's Eluna plushie.”

Ren's eyes widened, Nora whistled. “Oh, Eluna...” she whispered, “is that an actual, limited edition Eluna plushie? I thought you could only see ones this nice in museums and collections that have their own security staff and fancy systems just for them!”

“No offense, but we'll have to verify that it's authentic first; we're still getting counterfeit Elunas every once in a while...” Ren said as he strapped on some gloves, and pulled out one of the Guild's own magical containers. “Unlock it, please?”

One by one, they pressed their hands, talon, or paw on the bubble, until it disappeared in a flash of magic.

Ren swiftly, carefully grabbed it out of the air and placed it in the Guild's container, a new bubble surrounding it. “Thank you, we'll be right back,” he said as he took it deeper inside.

Nora grabbed her hammer from under the counter and followed him.

Some time later, they returned with an entire cadre of watchers, complete with a guard wolf.

Ren set the Eluna back on the counter. “Good news: it's definitely real, and can be used as collateral for a loan.”

Weiss nodded. “How much is it worth?”

“741,000,000 Shinies,” Ren replied calmly.

Both of Zwei's jaws dropped.

“Holy fucking shit...” Ruby muttered.

Penny blinked. “I am sorry, I had not reserved enough processing power beforehand to comprehend such a large sum.”

<That… that is a LOT of money!> Blake said.

“All this time…” Qrow whispered, “all this time… we were sitting on a fucking Etherite mine…!”

Weiss finally recovered. “Is that in the condition it's in right now?”

“Yes,” Ren replied.

“It's been 12 years since production ended!” Nora added. “That's enough time for all the kids who saw their classmates showing off their Elunas to start earning serious money and want to buy their own, so they can show them up on Storybook and go, 'Look who's got an Ellie NOW, bitch?!'”

“A restoration job and the removal of the tears, snot, and despair smell is nothing compared to what people will pay for an Eluna in good enough condition,” Ren finished.

“How much is that in Urochs…?” Weiss mumbled.

Ren punched in the numbers on his terminal. “49,400,000 Urochs,” he calmly read off the screen.

“And how rich does that make me here in Fae society?” Weiss asked.

“Well,” Nora said, “we could bother you with all sorts of boring statistics about average wages, the cost of living a decent life here, and how much the richest Fae tend to have, or I could just say this:

“Money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, motherfucker!”

“Please don't ask for all of that in cash,” Ren said calmly. “The Bastion does not have enough physical Shinies to pay you, and the logistics of producing that many new gems, shipping it from the other Council settlements, and transporting it to Keeper's Hollow will be EXTREMELY difficult, time-consuming, and complicated.”

Weiss held up a finger. “We'll be right back.”

“Huddle up everyone!” Ruby cried. “Emergency meeting!”

They all moved to one area, with Zwei looming over them and protecting them from eavesdroppers.

“Weiss, you're not TOO attached to that plushie, are you?” Qrow asked.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby snapped.

“He does have a point in that selling the Eluna plushie outright will allow us to live very comfortably,” Penny added. “With proper investment, reasonably responsible spending, and no major disasters of any sort, your descendants for the next 1,000 years will most assuredly be living extremely comfortable lives.”

“See?” Qrow said. “Penny's with me!”

“I'm not, actually,” Penny replied, “I'm merely explaining that from a purely financial standpoint, selling the Eluna plushie outright is the better decision. From a more holistic perspective, the loss of such a valued sentimental item, and the definite emotional and psychological repercussions to Weiss makes it a terrible decision.”

“We're getting that Eluna back, Uncle Qrow,” Ruby growled.

They paused for Penny to summarize and translate it for Blake.

Qrow whined. “We could use the money, can't we?”

“Yes, there is no question about that,” Penny replied, “but taking out just a small portion of the total value will allow us more than enough capital to invest into Weiss, her farm, and general improvements to Keeper's Hollow, and give us time to pay off the loan within two or three years and reclaim the plushie.

“We can even safely squeeze in a sizable amount for luxury spending, such as tickets to Eve of the Ether for four of us!”

“But no kicking back with kickass beer and market-bought meat for the rest of our lives…?” Qrow asked.

Penny shook her head. “No, all my calculations assume we continue to earn our current wages or more, and my projections on the return of investment for Weiss' farming and training, erring on the side of caution.”

<Let's vote!> Ruby said. <Sell Eluna, raise your hand!>

Qrow raised his talon.

Everyone else raised their hands or their paws.

Qrow sighed. “Alright… alright… you girls win. But can we buy a still with it first, so Weiss here can start making booze…?”

“Yes, we can, so long as you promise to keep up your end of our payments!” Weiss replied.

“I will, I will...” Qrow replied.

Penny redid their plans, and after signing contracts and earmarking money for investments for the long-run, they had four tickets to the Eve of the Ether festival in Candela, four new fake IDs in the works, and some extra money for making costumes and converting into Urochs for the night of the event.

<Are you sure you don't want to come with us to Candela, Uncle Qrow?> Ruby asked as Blake and Weiss had their pictures taken.

Qrow sighed and shook his head. <Nah, you just take Penny, and enjoy yourselves; I'm pretty sure if I meet up with you-know-who again, it'll be anything but a heartwarming reunion.>

Ruby frowned. <She stopped hating you a long time ago—what does that say about him?>

<It's not him I'm worried about, Rubes...> Qrow muttered. He smiled. <Besides, I'll probably just end up getting totally wasted with all the 'witches' brews' going around, and ruin things for everybody.>

Ruby didn't smile back.

<Next!> the photographer called out.

<Go on, they're waiting,> Qrow waved her off.

Ruby sighed, and did.

Penny was ecstatic to hear that she was getting the fourth ticket instead, and had one of the biggest, brightest smiles Qrow had ever seen when she had her picture taken. After they got their fake documentation and Info-Grid histories, memorized all the small details and answers that'd throw off suspicious Peacekeepers, they left the Guild, the girls taking about their costume plans, and Weiss advising them on which places to hit up, and in what order to get the most out of their night.

He knew he should have been happy for them, but he just couldn't shake this feeling in his gut that something very bad was going to happen soon—and as his chronicle would attest, it was never wrong...

Note: 741,000,000 Shinies = 14,820,000 US Dollars

#rwby #white rose #the keeper of the grove #fanfic

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gulescamisade · 8 years ago

Text

New York: Day 17, Trickster Party

RUFIOH: -even being indoors was making him restless. Rufioh emerges from the safety of the hotel rooms, breathing out. Interestingly, the cold isn't biting at his skin but then... even while he was living on Avalon, it wasn't. Just an interesting thing as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. Trudging thru the snow.-

KANKRI: -It would seem Rufioh wasnt the only one feeling antsy, however after all that has been happening Kankri feels it is a reasonable uncomfortable sensation. He had even for the time being stopped checking the message board, if only to save himself from worrying about things he did not really have any control of right now.-

KANKRI: -He was actually returning from a brief walk when he saw Rufioh exit out of the hotel and he has to do a double take because didnt Rufioh drop off the face of the uu and go to be a farmer or something??-

[The town seems to have an unusual kind of energy today. Some kind of... sweet scent rising in the air. No one seems to be outdoors, marching around brandishing weapons, but all of the buildings are lit up with lights. ESPECIALLY the candy shop. It's been closed ever since they got into town, sure, but now it's practically lit up like a christmas tree-- BRIGHT SHOWLIGHTS showcasing dozens of kinds of candies. CHOCOLATES AND JAWBREAKERS AND SKITTLES AND EVERYTHING UNDER THE RAINBOW.]

ROSE: -She's standing just outside it, looking in through the window with her arms folded. OBVIOUSLY CURIOUS-

KANKRI: -Bright lights AND rufioh?? This is getting weird fast.-

RUFIOH: -No... that's not... well. It's not like Ruf kept in contact with Kankri of all people. It's easy for him to catch sight of him and fix him with a shrewd look. For some reason he hadn't made the connection that Kankri would be here too.-

RUFIOH: ...

RUFIOH: -Before he can bother trying to shoot a greeting to him, he is immediately distracted by the bright lights of the shop. And Rose standing by the shop. With an nimble flap of his wings, he lands next to her.- uh. hey, rose.

RUFIOH: long t1me, no see.

KANKRI: -WOW. Okay well hes going to go stand on the other side of Rose, and not because he's being petty but because yeah this is actually strange and hes curious too.- This st9re has n9t 9nce 6een active 9nce since we have g9tten here...right?

RUFIOH: -kind of mesmerizing... he gazes.-

JOHN: huh. they sure are feeling festive.

RUFIOH: ............ -where the fuck did John come from.-

ROSE: No.

JOHN: -PHASED INTO EXISTENCE BEHINDT HEM. jk. or not???-

RUFIOH: -Don't...-

KANKRI: -From the creation of joy in the universe thats where.-

JOHN: -aww........-

KANKRI: Then this is a little 6it strange.

KANKRI: Als9 hell9 J9hn.... And Rufi9h. -Still inspecting the store front.-

ROSE: Perhaps.

ROSE: ...

RUFIOH: hey. -He can be petty too.-

ROSE: I don't suppose you're curious.

Because I am.

KANKRI: En9ugh t9 g9 inside?

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: But probably not alone.

KANKRI: Hm. Frankly I am hesitent t9 d9 s9.

RUFIOH: anybody got cash cuz... 1'm out.

JOHN: i'll heroically sacrifice myelf to the cause. and i'll even be the official taste tester if there is actual candy inside. -wink-

KANKRI: Did y9u c9me t9 ask f9r m9ney?

JOHN: -snort- kankri that's rude.

JOHN: -he's laughing tho-

KANKRI: Its a genuine questi9n.

JOHN: -what a penis-

KANKRI: -But John dont worry for once he is intending to be one.-

RUFIOH: }:/ RUFIOH: can't walk 1nto a candy shop w1th no money, dogg.

ROSE: And we are in canada.

KANKRI: 9h I think y9u certainly can, y9u w9uld just n9t 6e leaving with anything.

ROSE: I have managed to find one single coin of canadian currency.

ROSE: It is called a Loonie.

ROSE: I find it bizarre and unsettling.

JOHN: can i see? -hovers-

ROSE: -Holds up the shiny coin in two fingers.-

RUFIOH: a loon1e... RUFIOH: -also swishes a horn, opting to NOT discuss this with Kankri.-

JOHN: :O -ooooooh.-

KANKRI: - BI -

ROSE: Here.

ROSE: -HANDS IT OVER TO JOHN-

ROSE: Please don't drop it.

JOHN: wouldn't dream of it! what do you take me for? -rolls it into his sleeve-

RUFIOH: buy yourself someth1ng n1ce, yo. -aww. This is cute.-

KANKRI: -Turns to peep at it with John since Rufioh wont answer his question.-

JOHN: hey, i'll share. or maybe they use the barter system.

JOHN: -come to think of it how have they even been staying here with no money...-

RUFIOH: -Ask the adults probably.-

RUFIOH: -wait, we're adults...-

JOHN: soooooo....are you guys coming or what? we're loitering.

KANKRI: -More or less.-

KANKRI: I still d9 n9t kn9w if I wh9ly trust any place 9n this planet.

KANKRI: I am s9rry if any9ne takes 9ffense t9 that.

JOHN: -sighs- nah. it's okay. i have to admit, they really let the place go.

JOHN: -just walks into the shop-

KANKRI: -John no.- KANKRI: -Hhhhh, he hesitates to go in but he doesnt want him to go in there alone.-

KANKRI: -Deep breath and hes trailing Johns heels like the pathetic worrier he is.-

RUFIOH: -This is the gayest thing he's ever seen in his life. And he's Rufioh.-

RUFIOH: -keeps hands in his pockets and waits back, just in case Rose wants to go first.-

KANKRI: -Rufioh you cannot judge.-

---

[For the most part, the "LEGAL HUNTERS" have been offering hospitality, if suspicion. Especially with their story of escaping from Flavor Town. It's meager living, sure, but they're helping, so long as the group continues to hunt for their own food and doesn't ask too many questions or attract too much attention. They're a lot more willing to part with necessities like water and a place to sleep than they are anything else, after all. ]

[IT SMELLS SWEET IN THE STORE, regardless. And it's bright! Much brighter than anywhere else in town has been. Everything's been pretty dismal and dark, what with the snow rolling in in waves, but this place is bright and lit and a practical BOMBARDMENT OF COLOR. The candy is extravagantly expensive, worth a whole ASSTON OF LOONIES PER QUARTER POUND, but there's a giant taffy pull, a soda station, ice cream... really, almost anything you could imagine in this deceptively large building, ]

[There is also a clerk. Dressed in pink and white candystripe pants with an apron and paper hat, with a grin from ear to ear. They look pretty heavy, and... human-like? They don't have horns, but most of the other details of their appearance seem ambiguous. Not like looking at a mannequin, no, but it's pretty hard to retain even the slightest memory of this person's general... anything.]

[Aside from the demeanor. The demeanor is FRIENDLY.]

CLERK: :D

KANKRI: -Well at least they seem friendly.-

RUFIOH: -Awww.... he bets Emilet would like a treat from this place. Damn. Rufioh will be careful of his horns in case he swoops by a display.-

RUFIOH: ...sup. -raises hand to the clerk.- sorry to barge 1n outta nowhere.

CLERK: Ha ha! Everyone comes from somewhere! And it's just the right day for a barge! Consider me a harbor, in fact!

JOHN: -he has so many questions, but the most pressing at the moment...is ASSTON a real unit of measurement? and if so, how many Loonies in an ASSTON?-

JOHN: hi there!

JOHN: -he's kind of salivating???-

CLERK: Hi there, son! What can I get for ya?

KANKRI: -John please.-

RUFIOH: -Yeah... this much candy proximity is really distracting.-

KANKRI: -Although this is quite this display, he will give it that.-

KANKRI: Y9u have an extensive c9llecti9n 9f c9nfecti9nary items here.

CLERK: Well, it's a candy store, don'cha know!

JOHN: uh yeah well. nice place you got here.

ROSE: Yes.

ROSE: It is certainly...

ROSE: Colorful.

JOHN: what could we get this for this? -SMOOTHLY PLACES HIS SINGLE, SOLITARY LOONIE ON THE COUNTER.-

JOHN: -nothing but confidnece, folks-

KANKRI: -So smooth..-

JOHN: -sparkles-

CLERK: -LEANS OVER AT THE COIN... peers at it. PICKS IT UP AND BITES IT.-

KANKRI: -Isnt that unsanitary.-

CLERK: Well, I can tell ya that this here is a legitimate piece of currency, yessir!

CLERK: Tell ya what, you seem like nice kids.

CLERK: -he reaches over the counter... and pulls out one of those LARGE SWIRL LOLLIPOPS.-

CLERK: -He holds it out, RIGHT TO JOHN-

JOHN: wow thanks! that's generous of you. C: -his eyes get... VERY big. he's magnetically drawn to it. IT'S SO COLORFUL.-

RUFIOH: -Bruh... Also mesmerized by the swirly colors.-

KANKRI: -Man he just has an odd feeling about this he cant shake but on the other hand thats really actually pretty generous of the clerk, maybe they are a nice guy after all.-

JOHN: well if you guys don't mind my cooties i'll totally share. -kind of distracted now. he wants this in his mouth like NOW.-

RUFIOH: -Lmao. Snrks.- clerk's got swag, 1 th1nk.

KANKRI: I w9nt say swag 6ut I d9 think that it is really nice 9f y9u, mr...?

JOHN: -he can't wait another minuite, he's gonna LICK IT.-

[it tastes...]

[OVERWHELMINGLY SWEET]

[ 🍭]

[Sweetness invades his senses. SWEETNESS IS EVERYTHING.]

JOHN: -!!!!!!! OH SHIT. this is the best thing he's ever tasted. touched heard? felt? just kinda goes quiet as all the colors in the store go all MARIO STAR POWER on him. He even hears the music.-

CLERK: Ha ha! Please leave the premesis.

JOHN: -THESE COLORS SMELL DELICIOUS!!!!-

RUFIOH: um................... -Oh my g od.-

RUFIOH: -backing away slowly before BOLTING OUT THE DOOR.-

KANKRI: ...? Wait what? -Looks back at John for a moment and then goes wall eyed.-

RUFIOH: -FUCK THIS SHIT BYE.-

KANKRI: -FUCK.-

KANKRI: -IS THIS WHAT HE THINKS IT IS.-

JOHN: -he doesn't really realize it but he has started YELLING, losing all conception of an inside voice- HAHAHA WOW!!!! CANADIANS REALLY KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT CANDY, I GOTTA SAY. THIS IS THE LEGIT FLAVORTOWN!!! HAHAHAHHAHA!!!

ROSE: -STEPS BACK-

ROSE: Oh.

ROSE: I see.

JOHN: ROSE ROSE!!! YOU GOTTA TRY THIS!!!

KANKRI: -Steps back with her but isnt fleeing like Rufioh.-

KANKRI: R9se, d9 n9t try it.

KANKRI: D9 n9t d9 it, d9 n9t g9 near it, I am n9t even certain y9u sh9uld g9 near J9hn at this p9int.

JOHN: WHAT THE HECKITY, DON'T GO NEAR ME? BUT ALL I WANT TO BE IS NEAR YOU.

JOHN: I LOVE THE TWO OF YOU SO MUCH!!! I CAN BARELY CONTAIN IT.!!!

JOHN: -phases out of existence.-

KANKRI: -HHHH NO.-

KANKRI: That.

KANKRI: That is very sweet 6ut als9 J9hn I think y9u really need t9--

KANKRI: -Where did he go..-

JOHN: - I GUESS YOU COULD SAY HE'S GONE...WITH THE WIND.-

ROSE: I'm... not...

KANKRI: -WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN.-

KANKRI: UM. -Hes turning around and scanning for any sign of his rail, this is a nightmare.-

ROSE: -She's gonna slowly back out of the store.-

RUFIOH: -Outside the shop, Rufioh is flying OUTTIE. He saw this happen last time and it was HORRIFYING. Never again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-

RUFIOH: -rapidly typing something with his comm.-

JOHN: -POPS! right in front of rufioh- NOT SO FAST, BUDDY! BATTERRRRRRR UPPPPP!!!

JOHN: -HE'S SWINGING THE LOLLIPOP RIGHT AT HIM.-

KANKRI: -Hears Johns voice and he is bolting outside the godforsaken shop.-

ROSE: -She's sitll not much more than MILDLY PERTURBED BY THIS.- ROSE: You seem to have some understanding of this.

ROSE: As a thing that's happening.

JOHN: -His appearance has changed somewhat.-

JOHN: http://static.tumblr.com/e4acae9096a43fe04e7d2ef3de8e0637/kfbxgjb/eydn4clnm/tumblr_static_emvxq80dwfcoocksos0cogg.gif

RUFIOH: -freezes in the air, fumbling and then dropping his communictor as John bat swings the whole lollipop at his face. He keel spins in the air with a holler... at least until the spinning colors fill his vision and everything feels and tastes PIXIE STICK ROCKIN'.- johnnnnnnNOOOOOOOOOOOHYEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JOHN: -thumbs up- geeEEEEEEEET DUNKED ON!

ROSE: o-o

KANKRI: 9nly s9mewhat...

KANKRI: If I am c9rrect in my assumpti9n s9mething like this t99k place while we were still 9n Aval9n, its like an 9ut6reak 9f a temp9rary disease 9r drug. I had the... unpleasant misf9rtune 9f 6eing c9ntaminated with it. It is n9t lethal I think, h9wever I will n9t say its n9t destructive 9r danger9us c9nsidering I came 9ut 9f the high c9vered in 6ruises fr9m 6ein sh9t with a p9wer h9se and--.........

KANKRI: 9h dear.

RUFIOH: -The next time the other two see Rufioh, his vest is lit up with a rows and rows of flashing pixie stick candy and the grin is wide on his face. He flies but has no need to flap his wings. He flaps them anyway, spreading SPARKLING SUGAR EVERYWHERE.- WHAT'S UP, DOGGS!!!!!!!!!!

ROSE: ...I--

ROSE: Should we do something about this?

ROSE:

ROSE: Did the hose actually work?

KANKRI: -He is covering his nose and mouth with his hands to keep the dust out of his lungs just in case.-

KANKRI: -Looks at Rose and shakes his head, his voice coming out muffled.- (N9 it didnt.)

KANKRI: (I had t9 wait until it left my system.)

ROSE: Oh.

RUFIOH: -bounces to the beat of some music, summoning up a giant candy sword.- HEY YA'LL LOOK A L1L FUCK1NG GLOOMY DOWN THERE!!! WHAT G1VES??? THE N1GHT'S YOUNG AND 1 TH1NK 1T'S T1ME WE CELEBRATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! }8D

ROSE: -She holds up her hand, just in case. A TINY SPARK FIZZLES OUT OF IT. Nothing, still. Crap.-

ROSE: Hngh.

JOHN: -POPS IN RIGHT BESIDE ROSE.-

KANKRI: -Rufioh no please.-

JOHN: I COULDN'T AGREE MORE, BUDDY!!!! A FRIEND DOESN'T LET A FRIEND STAY DOWN IN THE DUMPS. THIS PLANET MAY BE FUCKED BEYOND ALL RECOGNITION, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T HAVE A GOOD OLD TIME! ROSE! YOU LOOK MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER! THAT HAIR! THOSE EYES! OH GOOD GRAVY! OH MY STARS AND GARTERS! YOU'RE SUCH A SPECIAL GAL. SUCH A FRIEND!!!

ROSE: Please stand still.

RUFIOH: -swooping down to crack the candy sword clean in half over Kankri's head.- YEAH BO1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROSE: I am trying to work majyyks upon you.

ROSE: Nhgh.

JOHN: BUT HOW CAN YOU WORK YOUR MAGIC...WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE ME UNDER YOUR SPELL??? -POPS ALL AROUND HER, CACKLING.-

ROSE: How are you doing that????

KANKRI: -He turns to look at the suddenly appeared John and had lowered his hands to say something when suddenly fucking Rufioh comes in and cracks the sword over his head and not only does that SMART but when he inhales a gasp of shock hes taking in the cloud of pixi dust that explodes from the broken sugar weapon.-

JOHN: -APPEARS RIGHT NEXT TO HIM, TO CATCH HIM IN HIS ARMS.-

JOHN: -BUT HE SPINS HIM A LITTLE, LIKE THEY'RE DANCING.-

ROSE: -She's not entirely sure whether or not she should yell for help. MAYBE SHE SHOULD.-

KANKRI: -Coughing in a thick cloud of sugar dust but before it even fades his wheezing is turning into giggles. His wardrobe has had a complete color change, his hair is green, and is littered with chalky candy hearts with various #warnings on them.-

KANKRI: -And who?? Spin ME??-

RUFIOH: LOL LOL LOL. THAT WAS WAY TOO FUCK1NG EASY DOGG!!! I LOVE 1T WHEN YOU MAKE SH1T EASY FOR ME! }8D RUFIOH: KANKS, MY MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET'S GET CRUNK!!!!!

JOHN: WHO ELSE??? :DDDD -DIPS HIM-

KANKRI: -OH WELL THIS IS JUST LOVELY, He is spun and poses with his leg out when dipped.- HEH99!

KANKRI: 9H MY I TH9UGHT ID NEVER FEEL LIKE THIS AGAIN.

JOHN: WHAT A SILLY QUESTION! IT'S EASY! LIKE EVERYTHING IS EASY RIGHT NOW.

KANKRI: -Turns head to Rufioh.- CRUNKED Y9U SAY, RUFI9H??

JOHN: YOU JUST NEED TO ACCEPT WHAT YOU CAN'T CHANGE AND BECOME THE CHAOS!!!!

RUFIOH: -pumps his arms and spins in the air, wings tucked close to him.- CRUNK'S THE WORD THE VERB OF THE N1GHT!!!!!! A1N'T NOTH1NG HOLD1N' ME BACK NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KANKRI: I W9ULD 6E M9RE THEN WILLING T9 D9 S9 WITH Y9U 6UT 9NLY IF J9HN MAY J9IN AS WELL!

ROSE: That is certainly a philosophy that has very little to do with the candy on your head, yes.

KANKRI: 9H!! -Dramatic two hand gasp.- AND R9SE T99!

KANKRI: -360 degree spin in Johns arms to stare right at her.-

KANKRI: -8D-

ROSE: ...

ROSE: I don't like that someone just said my name.

RUFIOH: ROSE 1S BOSS!!!!! HAVE YOU SEEN HER DO ANYTH1NG, DOGG???

KANKRI: YES THAT WAS ME I SAID Y9UR NAME, R9SE.

ROSE: This is growing increasingly worrying.

JOHN: ROSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE. YOU'RE SO GREAT!!! I JUST WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY AND SAFE.

JOHN: FOR A MILLION BAJILLION YEARS!!!

KANKRI: ALS9 YES RUFI9H, SHE IS INDEED THE 69SS! MY 69SS EVEN HAHA. SHE IS S9 PATIENT AND PUTS UP WITH MY C9NSTANT INC9MPITENCE SHE IS S9 W9NDERFUL.

JOHN: -SPIN ATTACKS KANKRI INTO RUFIOH'S ARMS AND GOES TO EMBRACE ROSE IN HIS TID.- YAHOOO!

ROSE: HRK.

ROSE: -SHE IS CRUSHED.-

KANKRI: -WOOP there him go Hi Rufioh-

KANKRI: -Crashes into him-

ROSE: CAN YOU. PERHAPS.

JOHN: SO GOOD. SO PRECIOUS.

ROSE: PUT ME DOWN?????

JOHN: IF I MUST!!! I'D DO ANYTHING FOR YOU!!!

KANKRI: -Also pulls out his comm device feeling the notifications of Rose's posts.- 999H!

KANKRI: R9SE Y9U ARE 6RILIANT AS ALWAYS YES EVERY9NE SH9ULD KN9W A69UT WHAT IS TAKING PLACE RIGHT N9W, QUICK RUFI9H W9ULD Y9U PLEASE D9 ME THE H9N9R 9F TAKING VISUAL D9CUMENTATI9N WITH ME HEEHEE.

JOHN: WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! -FLIPS OUT HIS OWN PHONE FOR SELFIE MAGIC! - SAY CHEESE, MISS LALONDE!!!

ROSE: -SHE IS STILL KINDA CRUSHED HERE THOUGH. PLEASE SAVE HER FROM THESE BOYS-

ROSE: -MAKES THE SIGN FOR 'HELP'-

RUFIOH: -hups Kankri up in his arms.- DUDE, 1 WOULD DO ANYTH1NG FOR YOU!!!!! WHY DON'T YOU JUST CH1LL 1N ONE ARM AND 1'LL USE THE OTHER FOR BANGARANG1N' SELF1ES, BRO???? HAVE YOU NOT1CED 1'VE BEEN WORK1NG OUT??????????

JOHN: -GIVES HER A BIG FAT SMOOCH ON THE HEAD, BUT HE HAS ALSO RELEASED HER. fortunately he's got the attention span of a lemur on aderall.-

MEULIN: -hiding in the bushes.... but then LEAPS OUT to tackle Rose-

MEULIN: ... -HOW CONVENIENT HE ALREADY LET HER GO. GREAT. NOW SHE'S JUST. TACKLING HER AWAY FOR NO REASON.-

ROSE: -She falls from John's arms... ONLY TO IMMEDIATELY GET TACKLED AWAY FROM MEULIN.-

KANKRI: -Settles in his arms.- WHY YES I HAVE ACTUALLY!! -feels the muscle with his free hand.- VERY IMPRESSIVE! KANKRI: ALS9 HERE KINDLY USE MY DEVICE! -hands it to him.-

ROSE: -WHEEZES MORE.-

ROSE: -she's gone limp and accepted her fate.-

ROSE: ...Hi Meulin.

MEULIN: -ROLLS, and tries to scoop Rose up- RUUUNNN!

RUFIOH: 1 GOT YOU MAN!!!!!! -holds the device up and snaps a sweet selfie.- }8D

ROSE: -She is carried, limply, like luggage.-

MEULIN: 😤

ROSE: I see you have some experience with this too.

MEULIN: NOPE!!!!

KANKRI: -YES take all the selfies.-

ROSE: I am incredibly weirded out.

ROSE: ... ROSE: Please keep carrying me.

MEULIN: YOU CAT IT!

JOHN: -SQUEEZES BETWEEN RUFIOH AND KANKRI AND STICKS OUT HIS TONGUE-

KANKRI: PERFECT! MAY I HAVE THE PH9NE 6ACK S9 I MAY-- J9HN!! -Smooches the humans cheek.-

RUFIOH: HAHAHAHA, WOAH! THREE DUDES AND A CAMERA! SEEN ENOUGH HENTA1 TO KNOW WHERE TH1S 1S GO1N'!!!!! -laughing.- YA'LL ARE FUCK1NG ADORABLE!!!!!

JOHN: HOO HOO!!! FUCK YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSS!!! SHOWER ME IN KISSES!!!

MEULIN: ε=ε=ε=ヾ(э^・ｪ・^)э -dives into snowy bushes and tucks them both down-

ROSE: -wheezes.-

ROSE: Thanks.

ROSE: I, um.

ROSE: According to Kankri?

ROSE: We have to just...

ROSE: Wait it out.

ROSE: It's some kind of magic.

ROSE: He said drug, but I'm sure this is magic.

JOHN: I WANT TO BATHE IN THE GLOW OF FREE AND LOVING MALE AFFECTION!!!

RUFIOH: THAT'S THE WAY TO GO, DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!! 1T'S GREAT, 1SN'T 1T???????????

JOHN: IT'S SO!!!

KANKRI: RUFI9H THAT IS A VERY VULGAR T9PIC T9 INTR9DUCE T9 THIS SU6JECT, AS HANDS9ME AND W9NDERFUL J9HN IS I W9ULD NEVER DREAM 9F ENGAGING IN SUCH ACTIVITIES WITH MY M9IRAIL. KISSES WILL SUFFICE JUST FINE! -Peppers john's face in them. please take a picture of this.-

JOHN: L I B E R A T I N G!!!!

MEULIN: IT LOOKS PRETTY MURRGICAL...

MEULIN: BUT WHAT THE HELL IS IT? (=ΦェΦ)

ROSE: -wait god damn it-

ROSE: -She actually leans up a lil-

ROSE: (I refuse to believe these are the circumstances John is coming out.)

JOHN: -MAKES THE DIAMOND SIGN IN SOME OFTHE SELFIES.-

RUFIOH: -snap snap snap 📸- };D };D };D

MEULIN: COMING OUT OF WHAT?

KANKRI: -Hate to break it to you rose but john has been gay for some time.-

KANKRI: -Reaches for his comm now.- THANK Y9U S9 MUCH RUFI9H!

ROSE: Nothing.

ROSE: Forget it.

KANKRI: I THINK EVERY9NE SH9ULD GET T9 SEE THE GL9RI9US SIGHT 9F 9UR THREE WAY AFFECTI9NS HEE H99!

ROSE: ...I suppose we just live here now...

RUFIOH: HEY KANKR1!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT 1 HEAR??? 1 HEAR...................................

RUFIOH: A FR1END. }833 -sprouts a little anime cat ear headband up at his horns.-

MEULIN: YEP. -nestles into the snow... she doesn't need this-

JOHN: COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF KANKS!!! MY LOVE FOR YOU IS PURE AND UNAFFECTED BY LUST!!! BUT NOTHING COULD BETTER SERVE TO DISTRACT ME FROM THE DEAD AS DOORNAILS LOVE OF MY LIFE THAN EXPLORING THE UNCESSARILY TANGLED AND COMPLICATED JUNGLES OF HUMAN SEXUALITY!!!

KANKRI: -Wait on his horns or your horns.-

JOHN: I MEAN REALLY, WHAT A TRIP!!!!

MEULIN: BUT IT'S NICE TO SPEND THIS CLAWLITY TIME WITH YOU, ROSE.

ROSE: If that's what you'd like to call this.

ROSE: ...Wow, that sounded kind of mean.

RUFIOH: -On his own horns, obviously. And now he has cosplay piddy paws on his hands. Shit's getting mega furry up in here.- THE Y1FFEN1NG 1S FUCK1NG NYA-GH, BRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KANKRI: 9H J9HN I AM S9 T9UCHED I C9ULD CRY!! IN FACT I MIGHT 6E RIGHT N9W IF IT WASNT F9R MY C9MPLETE INA6ILITY WHEN I AM S9 G9SH DARN HAPPY THANKS T9 THE UNG9DLY SUGAR C9URSING THR9UGH MY VEINS.

KANKRI: I T99 L9VE Y9U S9 DEARLY.

MEULIN: IT IS WHAT I AM CALLING IT IN ORDER TO BE IN DENYAAL. (´⊙ω⊙)

ROSE: Without the circumstance of mind-bending sweets, it would be unambiguously nice, sure.

KANKRI: -Rufioh give him his comm device back before you become a furry.-

JOHN: DUDE YOU LOOK SO CUTE!!!

RUFIOH: -puts the comm back in his butt pocket.- };33 HELL FUCK1NG YEAH 1 LOOK KAWA11 AS SH1T!!!!!!!!!!

MEULIN: ... DID SOMEONE JUST SAY YIFF?

JOHN: THAT ANIME BULLSHIT HAS ME LIKE...!!!

MEULIN: MY GLASSES ARE GETTING REALLY CONFUSED RIGHT NOW. -pulls them off and wipes at the lenses-

MEULIN: (^･ｪ･^)ﾉ⌐■-■

KANKRI: -Rufioh oh my-

KANKRI: THANK Y9U F9R RETURNING MY DEVICES, I D9NT EVEN MIND THAT Y9U JUST T9UCHED ME.

KANKRI: ALS9 RUFI9H I AM S9 GLAD Y9U ARE ACTUALLY HERE, I CANT 6ELEIVE Y9U WERE G9NE F9R S9 L9NG H9W DID ANY 9F US SURVIVE.

JOHN: RUFIOH I HAVE TO BE HONEST, MY FRIEND AND PAL I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND ALL THIS TIME, NOR WHERE YOU CAME FROM. BUT PRETENDING LIKE I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IS SO FUCKING STUPID. I'VE DECIDED TO EMBRACE THE CHAOS! HAHAHAHHAHA!!!

ROSE: :T

RUFIOH: THAT'S HOW 1 FEEL TOO BRO!!! D1D YOU KNOW 1T WAS DR1V1NG ME BATSH1T NOT KNOW1NG 1F YOU WERE OKAY??? EVEN 1F 1 WANT TO PUNCH YOU 1N THE GODDAMN FACE! MAYBE ESPEC1ALLY!!!! BUT HEY! HOLD THAT THOUGHT! -the shape of him dissolves in the air... until he shows up behind Meulin in all his anime candy catboy glory.- }833

MEULIN: -OBLIVIOUS. She's working on these lenses.-

ROSE: I don't know if you can read this, but it's probably true. It is all probably terrifyingly true.

RUFIOH: };33 -at Rose.-

ROSE: ...

ROSE: Oh.

ROSE: You see us.

ROSE: -SHIFTS... BACKWARDS...-

MEULIN: -slides shades back on- DO WHAT?

KANKRI: MY TH9UGHT SHALL INDEED 6E HELD! -he calls out after the vanishing Rufioh and clings to John 83-

RUFIOH: 1 SEEEEEEEEEE YOU, MEU MEU. -spreads paw beans in saccharine disposition.- }8D

JOHN: DANCE WITH ME BUDDY! WE'LL DANCE TO THE RESPECTIVE MUSIC IN OUR HEADS!

KANKRI: HE IS S9 L9VELY, EVEN F9R A TR9LL WH9 ATTEMPTED T9 MURDER THE EQUIVILENT 9F MY STEP FATHER, I AM S9 GLAD HE IS HERE AND 6ACK.

JOHN: OH IS THAT WHAT HAPPENED??????????????????????????? RIGHT!!!!

ROSE: ...

JOHN: I REMEMBER NOW!!!

ROSE: Hey, um.

ROSE: Run.

MEULIN: .... FURK. -SCURRIES under the bush and liquids beneath it-

JOHN: EVEN THOUGH I FUCKING HATE DAVENFORTH FOR BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF DAVESPRITE I DON'T KNOW IF HE DESERVED TO BE STABBED! STILL! I REMEMBER HOW BAD I FELT FOR RUFIOH AND EVERYONE IN THAT SITUATION!!! I DID MY BEST TO ENSURE HE'D BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF!!! BUT IT SEEMS HE'S DOING FINE AND DANDY THESE DAYS!!!

JOHN: LOOKS LIKE EVERYTHING WORKED OUT FOR EVERYONE! WHAT A JOY!!!

KANKRI: YES! IT IS WHAT HAPPENED, AND HE AND I ALS9 ENGAGED IN C9UNTLESS FIGHTS WHERE I AM QUITE CERTAIN HE WISHED ME PHYSICAL HARM DEPSITE US 6EING NEAR 6EST FRIENDS F9R A TIME UNTIL HE SUDDENLY SEEMED T9 DISPISE ME 6UT THANK G9SH THAT IS ALL IN THE PAST AND N9W WE CAN JUST 6E HAPPY AND CHEERFUL!! KANKRI 9H AND YES I WILL DANCE WITH Y9U J9HN! I AM IMAGINING THE PERFECT SIMPLE MEL9DY F9R US T9 C9NTENTLY SWAY T9.

RUFIOH: WOAH!!! WHY ARE YOU RUNN1NG AWAY??? THAT HURTS MY FEEL1NGS!!!!!!!!

RUFIOH: YOU WOULD TH1NK YOU WERE T1RED OF 1T AFTER 1 OPENED MY BLOCK AND HOUSE FOR YOU!!! 1'VE ALWAYS JUST WANTED TO HELP, YO!!!!

ROSE: Yes, that is... completely... untenable... and... ROSE: -FLINGS A SNOWBALL AT HIM AND DASHES-

ROSE: -NAILED IT-

JOHN: YOU'RE SO GOOD AT IMAGINING, BRO!!!!

JOHN: WHY CARE ABOUT ANY OF THAT WHEN WE CAN JUST!!!

JOHN: SWAY TOGETHER.

KANKRI: 9H J9HN Y9U ARE S9 RIGHT AS ALWAYS.

JOHN: -SINGS- I JUST WANNA

JOHN: KEEP ON LOVING YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

MEULIN: -WHEEZES under this bush. it's taking time to read all this dialogue on her glasses but it all makes her... kinda sad. because it all feels like stuff she might have said once, trains of thought she might have had.-

MEULIN: YOU CAN'T, THOUGH!!!! -why is she even trying to argue, she sort of laughs anxiously under this bush. THE HECK.-

KANKRI: -Look at these two gayly sway.-

JOHN: -They sway in the air.-

RUFIOH: -DOOFS and eats snow a little bit. Shaking his head with a sparkly laugh.- HAHAHA, THAT'S COOL. 1 M1GHT BE A FUCK FOR BREAK1NG YOUR HEART BUT. LOL! THAT'S 1T! 1'M JUST A FUCK! HEY MEUL1N!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SHOULD DO??? FORGET ABOUT ME TOO! YOU'RE DAMN GOOD AT THAT! 1 TH1NK THAT WOULD HELP EVERYONE 1F YOU ASK ME!!!!!!!!!!

RUFIOH: WHY D1DN'T 1 TH1NK OF THAT SOONER?? HOLY SH1T!

JOHN: (that's the spirit, buddy)

JOHN: -distracted and hypnotized by swirling around in the air with kankri)

KANKRI: -He is so content air dancing with John, he doesnt even mind the heart breaking shit happening with Rufioh right now.-

KANKRI: THIS IS S9 L9VELY I AM THRILLED I DID N9T PAY ATTENTI9N WHEN RUFI9H SMASHED THAT WEAP9N 9VER MY HEAD.

RUFIOH: -cups hands around his mouth and hollers at Kankri.- HEY KANKR1!!!!!!!!!! BRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RUFIOH: DO YOU WANT TO BE MEUL1N'S NEW BFFS1E??? YOU'D DO A HELL OF A LOT BETTER A JOB THAN ME! 1 COULDN'T EVEN ST1CK AROUND TO SEE 1T THROUGH THE END! D1D YOU KNOW YOU'RE JUST A BETTER PERSON THAN ME???

RUFIOH: YOU SHOULD TEACH ME TO BE MORE L1KE YOU! }8D

KANKRI: -suddenly owl turns, craning his neck too fast to be comfortable.- I W9ULD L9VE T9 6E HER NEW 6EST FRIEND, 9H AND RUFI9H IF Y9U W9ULD LIKE LESS9NS 9N H9W N9T T9 ALIENATE PE9PLE FR9M Y9UR LIFE DUE T9 Y9UR NATURAL 9FF PUTTING NATURE I CAN CERTAINLY D9 MY 6EST T9 ASSIST Y9U!!

JOHN: HAHA! KANKRI IS TERRIBLE AT INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS TOO. THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS SHOULD BE FRIENDS. YOU HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.

KANKRI: H9WEVER I AM ALS9 DESPISED 6Y ALM9ST EVERY9NE I KN9W S9 I CAN 9NLY H9PE I CAN S9ME H9W TEACH Y9U T9 6E 6ETTER THEN ME!

KANKRI: HAHA!

RUFIOH: -hands on his hips and laughs heartily- HAHAHAHA, 1 TH1NK JOHN 1S R1GHT! THERE'S JUST SOME TH1NGS 1 SHOULD HAVE BEEN UPFRONT AND FREE TO ADM1T! 1'M GLAD 1 DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT ANYMORE!

KANKRI: THAT IS S9 TRUE!! RUFI9H PLEASE D9 N9T EVER W9RRY AGAIN A69UT V9ICING Y9UR SH9RT C9MINGS!

JOHN: I KNOW EXACTLY HOW YOU FEEL. I SUPRESS LITERALLY ALL MY EMOTIONS ALL THE TIME UNTIL THEY BURST FORTH IN A SPASMODIC GEYSER OF AGRESSION AND ANGST!

KANKRI: ITS TRUE HE D9ES THIS ALL THE TIME!

KANKRI: -Wraps his arm around John's shoulders.-

JOHN: I'M GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO BE INSECURE ANYMORE ABOUT WHETHER MY FRIENDS STILL CARE ABOUT ME AND WANT ME AROUND. I'VE REALIZED THAT I AM AWESOME AND FLAWLESS. WHO WOULDN'T WANT ME AROUND?

KANKRI: I CERTAINLY WANT Y9U AR9UND J9HN!

KANKRI: Y9U ARE MY FAV9RITE PERS9N AND DESERVE T9 6E THE FLAWLESS C9NFIDENT PERS9N Y9U ARE!

KANKRI: REALLY THANK G99DNESS Y9U AND I F9UND EACH 9THER WHEN WE DID 9R I MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY L9ST THE ENTIRETY 9F MY SANITY AFTER L9SING MY PLANET, MY H9ME, MY DIGNITY, AND ALM9ST THE ENTIRETY 9F MY WILL T9 C9NTINUE EXISTING! KANKRI: EVEN IF ALL THAT STILL MATTERED ANYM9RE IM JUST S9 GLAD I HAVE Y9U REGARDLESS T9 PICK UP THE PREVI9USLY DEFECTIVE PIECES 9F MY 6EING. -paps his face.-

MEULIN: -What's worse than what he's saying is the fact that she's quiet amongst the leaves and sharp twigs that she knows she's going to tear out hair to free herself from, and she feels more trapped here than she had in the infirmary.-

MEULIN: -And yet, they all just keep going. She isn't sure if it's the pain behind their words or her own emotions that sting more, but, eventually it's too much, and she squirms out of the bushes, scraping and tugging and scratching herself up, wet with snow and flushed with green.-

MEULIN: YOU... ARE ALL... MEULIN:

WRONG!!!!!!!!

MEULIN: THIS ISN'T HOW TO HELP YOURSELVES OR EACH OTHER... OR ME.

MEULIN: THIS ISN'T HOW F33LINGS WORK.

MEULIN: THIS ISN'T WHAT YOU WOULD WANT.

MEULIN: PLEASE... STOP.

MEULIN: I DON'T WANT TO S33 MY FRIENDS HURT ANYMORE.

KANKRI: MEULIN THERE Y9U ARE!!

KANKRI: ARE Y9U READY T9 6E 6EST FRIENDS??

RUFIOH: -This should be breaking his heart but it just makes him giggle. Throwing his hand out at Meulin like OH YOU.- WHO'S HURT?? NOT ME!!! 1 FEEL H1GH AS THE SKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! -zooms up, doing a loop de loop.-

KANKRI: -applauds Rufioh's trick.-

MEULIN: YOU DON'T S33 IT, BUT I DO.

MEULIN: I ALWAYS DO.

MEULIN: IT DOESN'T JUST GO AWAY... EVEN WITH MAGIC.

MEULIN: AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT!!!

MEULIN: THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH F33LING BAD!!!!

KANKRI: -Wiggles out of John's arms to slide over to her, hands tucked behind him.-

KANKRI: MEULIN Y9U S9UND RATHER D9WN AND 9UT! IT PAINS ME T9 SEE ANY9NE THIS WAY. -Yet his smile is still uncomfortably wide.-

RUFIOH: LOL! YOU SAY THAT BUT HEY!!!! 1SN'T FEEL1NG BAD WHAT LEAD US TO HURT PEEPS, MEU????? WHAT 1F WE STOPPED DO1NG THAT AND JUST FELT GREAT ALL THE T1ME! THAT WOULD BE FUCKIN' BANG1N'! -kick dances in the air-

JOHN: -HE WAS SO WRAPPED UP IN KANKRI'S DECLARATION OF LOVE, THAT HE STARTED SINGING "HOW CAN I LIVE WITHOUT YOU" AND FLIPPING CONTINUOUSLY IN THE AIR.-

KANKRI: CAN I 9FFER Y9U AN 9P9RTUNITY T9 FEEL IMMENSELY 6ETTER? I PR9MISE IT D9ES N9T HURT AND Y9U WILL 6E QUITE ALIVE AND FINE AFTER!

KANKRI: I SPEAK FR9M EXPERIENCE!

ROSE: (You did not concur with that point several minutes ago.)

JOHN: IF I HAD TO LIVE WITHOUT YOU. WHAT KIND OF LIFE WOULD THAT BE.

KANKRI: -Somehow is able to whisper in roses ear from where he is.- (9PINI9NS CAN CHANGE MY DEAR.)

JOHN: I NEED YOU IN MY ARMS! NEED YOU TO HOLD!

MEULIN: -she considers backing away... but she doesn't. she stands there and meets Kankri's gaze, balling up her fists.-

MEULIN: I DON'T WANT TO F33L BETTER.

JOEY: =With no sudden movements (and nearly laying down on the floro so no one can see her), she carefully pulls her curtains closed=

ROSE: -FLINCHES.-

KANKRI: -Keeps smiling at her.-

KANKRI: 9H 6UT I THINK THAT Y9U D9! EVEN JUST F9R A LITTLE WHILE. IT REALLY IS N9T ANY DIFFERENT FR9M Y9UR RECREATI9NAL ACTIVITIES IN FACT IF ANYTHING IT IS S9 MUCH 6ETTER!

KANKRI: WITH 9NE YES Y9U WILL FEEL 9N CL9UD NINE AND N9THING WITH 6E WR9NG ANYM9RE! ITS REALLY JUST WHAT EVERY 9NE 9F US NEEDS RIGHT N9W WHILE WE ARE TRAPPED HERE!

JOHN: YOU'RE MY WORLD, MY HEART MY SOUL. IF YOU EVER LEAVE!!!

KANKRI: -Moves his hand from behind his back to offer her a small candy heart that says "#Happy!! <3"-

KANKRI: -It all somehow fits on there.-

RUFIOH: -floating in the air, chinhandsing with a happy smile on his face.- DAAAAAMN, KANKR1'S GOT GAME!!! HAHAHA!

MEULIN: -stares at Kankri, and then down at the candy heart. She stares at it for a long moment, her mouth a serious frown, and then glances back up at him.-

MEULIN: ...

MEULIN: -swipes out her hand and SNATCHES the candy heart.-

KANKRI: -HE CERTAINLY DOES.-

KANKRI: 8D

RUFIOH: }8D

KANKRI: Y9U CERTAINLY WILL N9T REGRET THIS MEULIN!

JOHN: NOW THAT I MENTION IT, ISN'T IT FUCKED UP THAT FEFERI'S BEEN DEAD FOR ALMOST AN ENTIRE YEAR AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN GROWN THE BALLS TO HOLD ANY KIND OF MEMORIAL OR FUNERAL SERVICES? HONESTLY I'VE BEEN AFRAID TO BRING IT UP BECAUSE I'M JUST WAITING FOR HER TO COME BACK! THIS WHOLE TIME!!! I STILL BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER AND GET MARRIED. BUT I CAN SEE HOW SAD EVERYONE'S FACE GETS WHEN I MENTION HER RETURNING. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY THINK THOUGH!!! HAHAHAHAHHA!!! I DON'T GIVE A CRAP!!!

KANKRI: HEEHEE!

RUFIOH: LOL LOL! WOAH, JOHN!!!! THAT'S SOME HEAVY STUFF!!!! 1T'S SO GREAT TO CLEAR THE A1R AROUND A1N'T 1T????????

JOHN: IT'S SO!!! LIBERATING!!!

KANKRI: THATS IT J9HN!! D9NT EVER GIVE UP Y9UR H9PES EVEN IF IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT SHE WILL!! I THINK ITS S9 ADMIRA6LE THAT N9 MATTER WHAT Y9U STILL C9NCIEVE THE N9TI9N THAT SHE WILL C9ME 6ACK T9 LIFE!

KANKRI: AWE INSPIRING TRULY!

JOHN: THANKS BUDDY! I THINK SO TOO!!!

RUFIOH: YOU'RE AWE 1NSP1R1NG, BRO! 1F YOU CAN NAB ONE CHO1CE MO1RA1L L1KE JOHN, ANYBODY CAN!!!!

KANKRI: 9H RUFI9H Y9U ARE T99 MUCH!

RUFIOH: HELL YEAH, 1 KNOW! };D

MEULIN: -She practically crushes it in her grip, but it's all too quick. She changes color, and now she's flooding with cotton candy pink, red, and green.-

ROSE: Oh.

KANKRI: I THINK S9ME DAY Y9U T99 WILL FIND AN9THER EVEN IF Y9UR LAST 9NE LEFT Y9U! LET N9THING STAND IN Y9UR WAY!

KANKRI: -👀 meulin-

KANKRI: -welcome to the party!-

ROSE: -She draws in a deep breath, and just sits in the snow.-

KANKRI: -Throws his arm around her.-

RUFIOH: MEU MEUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RUFIOH: LOL, DUDE! HE NEVER LEFT ME! HE WENT BACK TO BEFORUS AND BLEW THE FUCK UP! 1SN'T TH1S WHY WE FOUGHT 1N THE F1RST PLACE?

MEULIN: -she winces, tail puffed out, still standing there... and then blinks open her eyes.-

RUFIOH: 1 SURE AS SH1T D1DN'T WANT TO L1VE ANYMORE AFTER THAT! WOW!!!!!!! JOHN! D1D YOU KNOW YOU SAVED MY GODDAMN L1FE??? YOU'RE A HERO!

JOHN: -POPS NEXT TO ROSE- YOU DON'T WANT TO JOIN IN THE FUN, ROSE? I KNOW YOU'RE SAD AND TIRED. I KNOW YOU FEEL HELPLESS SOMETIMES. MAYBE THIS COULD RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE!!! I'D JUST BE OVER THE MOON IF I COULD HELP YOU.

MEULIN: ....

KANKRI: 9H I HAD N9 IDEA THEY WERE DEAD! I JUST REMEMBER 6EING CREAPED 9UT 6Y H9W IT FELT LIKE Y9U MIGHT HAVE 6EEN TRYING T9 USE ME AS A SUBSTITUTE F9R THEM, HAHAH!

MEULIN: -chucks off her sunglasses.- NO!!!!!!!!!!!

KANKRI: -owl turns to meulin.-

KANKRI: -8000-

KANKRI: N9???

RUFIOH: YEP!!!!!!!! HE SURE WENT BACK TO BEFORUS TO D1E! AND 1 SHOULD HAVE GONE W1TH H1M!!! THAT'S HOW YOU MADE ME FEEL, DUDE! 1T WAS SO MESSED UP! NO WONDER 1 HATED YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

KANKRI: DID Y9U N9T LIKE Y9UR GLASSES?

MEULIN: NO!!!!!!

ROSE: -She looks like she's about to say something, face... barely certain of what to make of this, before the shout.-

MEULIN: THIS IS ME.

MEULIN: THIS IS HOW I'M GOING TO BE.

KANKRI: ALS9 RUFI9H I AM S9 GLAD Y9U ARE TELLING ME THIS N9W, THAT MAKES A L9T M9RE SENSE!

RUFIOH: -does more dances in the air. ^w^ -

JOHN: WOW. THE GIRL IS PERSISTENT! GIV EIT UP FOR MEULIN!!!! -CLAPCLAPCLAP-

KANKRI: HM?? WHAT IS Y9U MEULIN? D9 Y9U FEEL 6ETTER N9W?

KANKRI: H9W A69UT N9W?

MEULIN: I F33L. LIKE I'M SUPPAWSED TO F33L. BECLAWS I'M ME!

ROSE: -She rises, slowly, stepping over towards Meulin.- ROSE: What just happened here...?

KANKRI: -smiles at Rose and keeps his arm around Meulin.-

KANKRI: -Grins with his pointy teeths.-

MEULIN: I DID WHAT YOU WANTED. BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING!!

JUDE: -takes notes outloud while he's recording this mess- this candy may or may not only effect men... or they're just weak willed...

MEULIN: -shrugs off Kankri's arm and reaches out a hand to Rose-

KANKRI: IT D9ESNT?? -Doof is shrugged.-

RUFIOH: -👀 the voice on the wind. Grins in Jude's direction.-

KANKRI: 9H DEAR!! -Slides over closer to Rufioh even if he is in the sky.-

ROSE: -GRABS THE HAND.-

JUDE; -HE'S INSIDE THE HOUSE DON'T EVEN TRY IT.-

ROSE: I am not sure why or how but I consider this a miracle. ROSE: Thank you.

KANKRI: RUFI9H I D9NT THINK MEULIN IS ENJ9YING HERSELF ALL THAT MUCH..

JOHN: -HE'S STILL APPLAUDING- LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS!!!

KANKRI: WILL Y9U 6E HAPPY WITH ME INSTEAD?

MEULIN: -hups her up and fucking... FLOATS INTO THE AIR??? YOU KNOW WHAT FINE SHE CAN DO THAT NOW.-

MEULIN: -THIS IS INCREDIBLY STRANGE BUT SO IS EVERYTHING-

RUFIOH: WHOOP WHOOP! -loops arms with Kankri, beaming.- THAT'S COOL, DUDE!!! NOT EVERYONE 1S GO1NG TO FEEL THE SAME AS YOU. THAT'S WHY WE SHOULD ST1CK TOGETHER!!!

RUFIOH: BTW, WHO'S THE HOT W1NDOW PEEPER???? 1 KNOW FOR SURE 1'VE NEVER SEE H1M BEFORE!

ROSE: -She is HAULED LIKE PRINCESS PEACH.-

ROSE: That was... very well spoken, you know.

JOHN: THAT'S MY COUSIN. JUDEY JUDEY JUDEY JUDEEHHHHH.

JOHN: I MEAN I'M SAYING COUSIN BUT HE MIGHT BE MY UNCLE OR FATHER OR SOMETHING.

KANKRI: H9T WIND9W PEEPER Y9U SAY??? -Make those hand telescopes and looks around until some how he makes dead eye contact with Jude even this far away.-

JOHN: I DON'T HAVE ANY CLUE HOW MY FAMILY WORKS AT ALL!!!

RUFIOH: HE'S HOT, DUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A HOT DAD!!!! HAHAHAHA!

JUDE: -clears throat, speaking up- half brother... technically...

JOHN: -YELLS BACK- THANKS JUDE!!!!

JUDE: wait, don't-- JUDE: don't look at me

KANKRI: 9H YES HIS FACIAL SYMMETRY IS RATHER PLEASING T9 L99K AT.

JUDE: -DIVES AWAY FROM THE WINDOW-

JOEY: =slapping/pulling on Jude's pant leg trying to get him to duck down=

KANKRI: J9HN Y9U HAVE EXCELLENT GENES.

JOHN: YEAH, I KNOW.

KANKRI: -Links arms with Rufioh, look at them being best buddies.-

JOHN: -SPINS IN THE AIR AND KISSES HIS OWN BICEPS-

KANKRI: J9HN Y9U ARE S9 6EAUTIFUL.

RUFIOH: YOUR FACIAL SYMMETRY HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD TO LOOK AT, KANKS. -arms over Kankri's shoulder now.- }BD

JOHN: HE HAS A REALLY CUTE BUTT TOO!!! -SHOUTING-

KANKRI: S9 ARE Y9U RUFI9H REALLY QUITE STUNN-

KANKRI: 9H THANK Y9U!!

KANKRI: -Then his arm is going around Rufiohs waist.-

RUFIOH: THANKS, BRO!!! 1 ALWAYS FELT L1KE MY GOOD LOOKS GAVE ME MORE TROUBLE THAN 1T WAS WORTH BUT HELL!!!! 1F 1T MEANS MY FR1ENDS ST1CK AROUND FOR EVEN A L1TTLE WH1LE, 1'LL SMOOCH ALL OF THEM!

JOHN: I ALSO REALLY LIKED YOUR COOL COSPLAYS!!! REMEMBER WHEN YOU MADE ME THAT GHOST BUSTERS OUTFIT?

JOHN: THAT WAS SO RAD!!!

RUFIOH: FUCK YEAH, 1 REMEMBER, JOHN!!! THAT WAS FUN AS HELL!

MEULIN: -She twitches her ears -- somehow, she feels like she can hear Rose, even without hearing. Maybe she's reading her lips. It doesn't have to make sense, but she's trying to ignore how her eyes are stinging as she glides over the rooftops, trying to put the chaos of her yelling friends behind her.-

MEULIN: ... I'M SORRY. -sniffs and smiles at Rose, just a little.- FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO HELP.

MEULIN: I GUESS IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE... I'M MORE SCARED OF NOT BEING ME.

KANKRI: Y9U MADE THAT F9R HIM?? THAT IS S9 GENER9US 9F Y9U RUFI9H!

JOEY: (what the actual heck is going on out there?) =peeks under the curtain a little=

KANKRI: ALS9 I SHALL A6S9LUTELY STAY 6Y Y9UR SIDE N9W THAT Y9U ARE HERE WITH US AGAIN, F9R ANY PRICE!

JUDE: -ALIENS hand gesture- cherub magic...

RUFIOH: 1 TOTALLY L1KED JOHN BEFORE YOU D1D, HAHAHAHA. F1GHT ME BRO!

JOHN: NOW, NOW MY GOOD BROS. THERE'S ENOUGH JOHN TO GO AROUND.

ROSE: -She smiles a little bit, sadly.-

ROSE: I...

ROSE: Yes, I understand.

ROSE: You don't say things like that so easily. Not unless it becomes impossible to care.

ROSE: I think I prefer this.

ROSE: I don't believe I've ever been rescued quite so gallantly before.

ROSE: In defiance of all known physics.

KANKRI: WHAT?? I SHALL N9T FIGHT Y9U 6UT RUFI9H TH9SE S9UND LIKE CHALLENGE W9RDS!

RUFIOH: AND WE BOTH KNOW YOU L1KE CHALLENGES, KANKS. };D

RUFIOH: WHY NOT TRY TH1S ONE ON FOR S1ZE???????????? -then swoops down to plant a sugar smooch to Kankri.-

JOHN: :O!!!!

JOHN: -GASP-

JOHN -THE SCANDAL-

KANKRI: -HELLO!!-

KANKRI: -Is so smoothly smooched, he leans with the swoop and places his hands on either side of Rufioh's face for this wonderful kiss. What a reunion!-

JOHN: I SUPPORT AND FULLY ENDORSE THIS WITH NO REGRETS WHATSOEVER!!!

JOHN: I JUST WANT YOU AND KANKRI (BUT ESPECIALLY KANKRI) TO BE HAPPY!!!

RUFIOH: -Thanks bro!! He's had practice, dipping Kankri back to perpetuate the SUAVE. Insert spanish guitar riffs here.-

KANKRI: -Swooning to the part.-

JOHN: -UNCAPATCHAS....HIS KEYBOARD. HE'S GOING TO GIVE THIS LOVELY MOMENT SOME THEME MUSIC. Nevermind that he's playing it without it being plugged in at all. Magic.-

KANKRI: -John you are perfect.-

MEULIN: HEHEH33. WELL... I ONLY TOOK YOU BECLAWS YOU WANTED TO GO WITH ME.

MEULIN: AT LEAST... I'M ABLE TO HELP YOU.

KANKRI: -Also takes pictures of this kiss too somehow.-

RUFIOH: -volcanos explode, dragons swoop, everyone is so jealous.- <333333333333

KANKRI: -If anyone is jealous he can smooch them too!-

JOHN: -HE'S CONTENT WITH SMACKING ON HIS KEYBOARD JOYFULLY FOR NOW. Somehow the music sounds like xylophone and a trombone.-

KANKRI: -Breaks the kiss for a moment however.- RUFI9H HAVING PREVI9USLY ENTERTAINED TH9UGHTS 9F WHAT IT W9ULD 6E LIKE T9 KISS Y9U IN THE FAR DISTANT PAST I WILL SAY IT IS RATHER SATISFYING!

ROSE: You are.

ROSE: ...

ROSE: -She frowns, suddenly.-

ROSE: I imagine it must be terrifying to lose control like that.

ROSE: But you've grown a lot stronger since we first met.

ROSE: As hard as it's been, I have seen it. I am seeing it now.

ROSE: Even if the only evidence you have is overpowering the strength of whatever bewitching candy demon presented us with that hell-sucker.

RUFIOH: -snuggling him close, the happiest bull.- HAHAHA, DUDE SAME!!! 1 THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE BEST FR1ENDS FOREVER UNT1L YOU PULLED THAT EX-MO1RA1L SH1T!!! BUT NOW WE'RE TALK1NG ABOUT 1T AND MACK1N 1NSTEAD OF F1GHT1NG AND 1 TH1NK TH1S 1S POSS1BLY THE BEST OUTCOME OF ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!

RUFIOH: LET'S RUN OFF TOGETHER DUDE! LET'S L1VE ON AVALON AND BU1LD UP BEFORUS L1KE 1T WAS ALWAYS MEANT TO BE!

ROSE: These things happen in degrees. It tends to make them a great deal more surprising, in the end.

ROSE: ...So.

ROSE: Thank you.

JOHN: DON'T HOLD YOURSELF BACK, KANKRI! YOU DESERVE EVERY EXPERIENCE THIS UNIVERSE HAS TO OFFER!!!

JOHN: YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH!

KANKRI: -Brightens more, if thats even possible when hes in this state.- 9H THAT S9UNDS S9 W9NDERFUL!!! I W9ULD L9VE T99! I HAVE STR9NGLY C9NSIDERED CHANGING 9CCUPATI9NS SINCE I AM A FAILURE AT THE 9NLY THING I TH9UGHT I MIGHT 6E G99D AT, THERAPY! PERHAPS I C9ULD 6E A C9NSTRUCTI9N W9RKER! I C9ULD 6UILD A R99F!!

KANKRI: 9H 6UT J9HN SH9ULD C9ME T99! AND GAMZEE I W9ULD N9T WANT T9 LEAVE EITHER 6EHIND, THEY ARE QUITE FRANKLY TW9 9F THE M9ST IMP9RTANT PE9PLE IN MY LIFE.

MEULIN: -She doesn't know what to say anymore, and at this rate, her throat feels too tight even if she wanted to. Her eyes are blurring quickly with -- what is that, lime green?? That's not normal, and she drifts down to a snow-covered rooftop in the more dimly lit areas of town, just sort of caving down to sit with Rose when she starts to cry.-

KANKRI: AND THEY DESERVE S9 MUCH 6ETTER THEN THEY ARE DEALING WITH N9W!

ROSE: -She rests a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.-

JOHN: HELL YEAH! FUCK THIS WAR! I'M TIRED OF PRETENDING TO BE STRONG WHILE WATCHING MY FRIENDS CONTINOUSLY SUFFER AND DIE.

ROSE: -Silence. She ignores how bright and vibrant her colors are, right now. Or the absurdity down below-- how hard it all is to process. That feeling of helplessness when faced with a barrage of everything wrong with her friends-- her family-- and the hellish situation they've lived with for so long.-

RUFIOH: -looks both astonished and delighted to hear Kankri's suggestion. Wafting off more sparkling sugar.- THAT'S THE BEST FUCK1NG 1DEA 1 HAVE EVER HEARD OF 1N MY L1FE!!!!!!!!!! RUFIOH: LET THE FOUR OF US L1VE TOGETHER, BRO! YOU, ME, JOHN, AND THE LOVE OF MY FUCK1NG L1FE!!!!!!!!!!

ROSE: -Better to just... be herself. She cozies up against Meulin and wraps an arm around her fully.-

KANKRI: YES I AGREE FUCK THIS WAR! -Snuggles Rufioh, this is so great.-

KANKRI: WE ARE ALL S9 6RILLIANT THIS IS PERFECT!

RUFIOH: -smooches all on Kankri's face.- YOU'RE PERFECT, DUDE! 1 DON'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE TO TELL YOU YOU'RE NOT!

KANKRI: -Laughs loudly as he is so smooched.- LIKEWISE RUFI9H LIKEWISE! I MAY HAVE SAID TERRI6LE THINGS A69UT Y9U T9 9THER PE9PLE 6EHIND Y9UR 6ACK 6UT FR9M N9W 9N I WILL DEFEND Y9UR NAME AND THE G99DNESS 6EHIND IT WITH MY DYING 6REATH!

JOHN: AWW YES!! I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO LIVE WITH THREE OTHER DUDES ON A FARM IN BUMFUCK NOWHERE. I'LL BE A PEDIATRICIAN AND KIDS WILL NEVER GET SICK UNDRE MY WATCH. HELL, MAYBE I'LL RETIRE FROM DOCTORING AND JUST BE A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER.

JOHN: AND RULEUS CAN GROW UP WITHOUT ME HAVING TO WORRY THAT HE'LL BE SHOT OUT OF THE SKY.

RUFIOH: -spins with Kankri in his arms.- YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. 1T CAN ONLY GET BETTER FROM HERE, DOGG!!! YOU AND ME VERSUS THE WORLD! }8D

MEULIN: -A part of her still wants to feel embarrassed at knowing how hard she's crying already, but then, she can't. She doesn't want to. And the heavy warmth of Rose's arm around her confirms that this is right.-

MEULIN: -She leans into Rose, and she lets herself feel the emotions she's been carrying. At last, she feels sure this is the way to heal.-

KANKRI: -They spin!! And its Rufioh's turn to get so many face kisses! Hes feeling so affectionate and its so W9NDERFUL to have Rufioh back and the thought of rebuilding beforus is great too.- TRULY Y9U ARE S9 RIGHT! RUFI9H NEVER LEAVE MY SIDE AGAIN!

JOHN: HAVE A GOOD TIME YOU CRAZY KIDS! I HAVE SOME BUSINESS TO TAKE CARE OF!!!

JOHN: BUT I'LL BE BACK!!!

JOHN: *NYOOM. POP!!!-

JOHN: -HE POPPED OUT OF EXISTENCE AGAIN.-

RUFIOH: BYE JOHN! HAVE FUN! }8D

KANKRI: !!

KANKRI: G99D6YE J9HN, I L9VE Y9U 6E SAFE!!! <><> -Who knows how he emotes those diamonds.-

JOHN: -THE LEFT OVER BREEZE TENDERLY RUFFLES KANKRI'S HAIR.-

KANKRI: -('8B-

#tenebrousThorns #circuitousgrievance #aerugotourBillon #ardentcupid #effluentBalatron #gyratingEonian #euphobicGeotech

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saiilorstars · 4 years ago

Text

Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance • Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 24: With Love, Z

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: The Doctor takes Avalon to see an old friend down the 1920s French Riviera. At the end of the night, they finally say a couple things that they've been struggling to keep hidden.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother @anotherunreadblog @maaaaarveeeeel @stareyedplanet @perfectlystiles

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

An angry Avalon stormed down the corridors with an equally angry Amy following her. It seemed like no matter how quick she walked, Amy was just as quick. She hated this unintended synchronicity.

"You are just wrong, Amy!"

Amy huffed. "Am not!"

"Are too! They gave me the dress! It's mine and I'm not giving it back!"

"But where the hell are you even going to wear a Louis Vuitton gown!? Leadworth!?"

Avalon audibly growled that even before she made it to the console, both the Doctor and Rory heard it. They also heard Amy's shout afterwards. The two men shared a dreadful look. It wasn't odd that Avalon and Amy disagreed on something to the point of arguing loudly. They were very similar in personality traits which often made them butt heads.

"Any idea what they're arguing about?" The Doctor quietly asked Rory.

"Nope." Rory's gaze lowered to the glass floor. "Is it too late to hide?"

"AMY! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Avalon stormed into the room with a look of death on her face.

"That would be a yes," the Doctor mumbled to Rory before dashing to meet Avalon. He put on his best smile for her, extra cheery for good measure. "My Ava! You are looking lovely today!"

"WE'RE NOT FINISHED!" Amy came in shortly after, startling everyone in the room.

Avalon whirled around. "Yes we are! It's my dress and I'm keeping it!" She then turned right back to the Doctor, suddenly wearing a pout. "Fairy Tale Man, she wants me to give back the gown that Louis Vuitton gave me! Tell her I don't have to!"

"Uh, she does, because it's not right," Amy came up beside them, arms folded, "It's a priceless gown that Avalon practically stole. The only reason Louis Vuitton even let you have the it is because you already had it in your arms. He was being polite. Rory, tell her she has to give it back!"

Rory's eyes widened. "Uh, well…"

Avalon turned back to Amy, glowering at her grandmother. "Don't bring Rory into this!"

Amy did the same. "You just brought the Doctor into it!"

Said man was quietly retreating from them, moving back until he was standing next to Rory. Their heads turned from one angry ginger to the other, trying to follow their argument while simultaneously attempting to cut in and stop them. It sounded ridiculous, really, and after a few minutes they stopped trying to interrupt them. Maybe if they got it out of their systems, it would all end nicely...they foolishly hoped.

"I'm right!" Amy snapped, but Avalon scoffed.

"You wish, Pond! I'm right!"

"Rory, tell her I'm right!"

"Doctor, tell her I'm right!"

And suddenly, both gingers were looking at the Doctor and Rory, waiting for them to agree with each of them. It left a very terse air in the room.

Rory, on his part, swallowed hard with fear. "Seriously, is it too late to hide?"

The Doctor's eyes did flicker to the console for a moment as he truly considered the idea. "There's always a black hole we could jump into."

"You want to jump into a black hole?"

The Doctor was halfway nodding his head when Avalon growled at the two. "You two are cowards!"

Giving up their delirious plan of escape, they went to gather up their angry Ponds and separated them.

"Instead of arguing, why don't we go somewhere?" The Doctor asked them, bringing back his cheery smile that Rory quickly adopted as well. "I've been meaning to take Ava somewhere important, just been waiting for her to get a little bit better."

The curiosity got the better of Avalon as the Doctor suspected it would. "Where would that be?" She asked him with glimmering eyes. "Another fashion designer? I could definitely do with meeting, say, Coco Chanel?"

"No more fashion designers," Any sternly said, making Avalon look back at her and stick her tongue out. "Avalon!"

"No, no, well, there might be since we don't know exactly who's-"

"Doctor," Rory purposely cleared his throat, making a motion for him to skip over that part before it caused another argument.

"Right, it's a surprise! So," he turned to face Avalon, "Go find a dress for the 1920s! We're going to the French Riviera!" He laughed at how wide Avalon's eyes got in just a few seconds.

"Seriously!? The 1920s!? French Riviera!?" She repeated everything she heard just to make sure that it was all correct. She squealed when he nodded his head. "Oh my God! The 1920s! I love it! Amy! We need dresses!"

"What-" Amy barely had time to say when Avalon reached for her wrist and yanked her towards the corridor.

All arguments forgotten for sure.

"Nice save," Rory said to the Doctor when they were alone.

"Mhm, I've got a whole list of places I have in case I ever get into trouble with Avalon. You should probably make your own for Amy."

"But is taking Avalon to the 1920s a good idea? She's doing a lot better with her health and the 1920s aren't exactly that clean…"

"She will be just fine," the Doctor assured him. "Just, um...no alcohol. Bit early for that to re-enter her system."

"Have you met Avalon!?"

The Doctor nodded his head but there was no way he was taking the 1920s away from Avalon. Her grandfather was more than welcomed to try. He would not be the fool.

~0~

Somewhere along the dressing up process, Avalon lost Amy. That was just fine with both of them. They were no longer arguing but Amy couldn't see why Avalon put so much effort into the dressing up part. Usually all gowns for them were so uncomfortable, but Avalon was Avalon. She went above and beyond to get herself ready. She was finished before Amy and before returning to the console room, Avalon stopped by her bedroom first. She grabbed her journal - she was more inspired to write ever since she read her work to the children at Leadworth - and grabbed a cute cream-colored purse to stuff it into. She was coming out of her room when the Doctor called for her name.

"There you are!" He should've known that she would come back to her bedroom first. He was aware of her writing habits coming back to her and he couldn't be more happy for her. She wasn't letting anyone see what she was writing but she did promise him that when she thought her work was good enough, he'd be the first to see it.

"Doctor…" Avalon was breathless at the sight of him, much like he was with her. For the first time ever, he had changed for the era they would be visiting. He wore a white button-down shirt tucked under dark brown pants. She could see red suspenders matching his red bowtie. But what really drove things for Avalon was the fact he'd chosen a very familiar coat to go with his outfit. "That's the coat I told you about a while ago...the one you wore in Berlin." He'd chosen to abandon his tweed jacket for the day in favor of the thicker dark brown coat he'd found for Berlin (or rather the coat Lena forced on him because he'd been avoiding a proper change while searching for Avalon and Melody).

The Doctor grinned with the effects his wardrobe change caused. He was hoping for something like that. "Since we're going to the 1920s, I thought I'd go for a little change."

"I love it," Avalon stepped closer to him, her hands going back and forth as if unable to decide what to do with him first.

"And I love your dress! Look at you!" the Doctor looked her over, losing breath like Avalon had earlier. Visiting the 1920s was such a good plan!

Avalon's hair was left down with only a white headband with matching white feathers to keep it out of her face. Her lips were painted a rose-gold shade, matching the dress she'd chosen for the day. It was a pastel pink, beaded flapper dress that was a the bit on the daring side with its fitted form and low cut neckline. There were shiny pearl beads near the hemline above the layer of white tassels. The same pearl beads, with a touch of smaller golden beads, made up the straps and…

"Check it out!" Avalon smirked and turned her back to him, revealing the dress's very low backside was made up of plunging pearl straps instead of fabric. It was a shock as it was...the most the Doctor had ever seen of Avalon's body and it was...doing things to him. Avalon turned back to the Doctor, her smirk widening to the edges of her face. "I picked good, huh?"

"Yes…" The fact he was momentarily speechless spoke volumes of what he thought. She was always stunning but to see her show off like that was just further confirmation. "You look amazing, Ava," he gingerly touched her hips.

Avalon was past the careful touching. She had decided what she wanted to do first. "I'm hot, you're hot, that equals…"

She pushed him against the wall and kissed him. She slipped her hands under his coat to grab onto his suspenders. Though initially surprised, the Doctor caught onto the game fast. He moved his hands to her back, absolutely loving the feel of her warm skin under his fingers. He could really just stay there with Avalon for hours (and hours) touching her and kissing her, especially when she seemed to love letting those hands of hers wander over his body.

Avalon pulled away from his lips but that was the only thing she did. Her body was still pressed against his. "Seems like we're both out of words." She smirked at him then added, "And out of lip gloss, it seems."

"Faint taste of strawberry again," the Doctor proudly said. He long ago perfected that talent of recognizing her series of lip glosses and lipsticks. "That's my favorite."

Avalon laughed. "Right. I'll need to re-apply again." And it just so happened that her Rose-Love lip gloss was one of the things in her purse.

"If you don't get off me I wouldn't even bother doing that." He was sure that she was purposely pressing even more against him.

"Ooh, someone's bold today," Avalon bit her lower lip and finally stepped away from him. "But I really do want to see what's in the French Riviera so I'm going to press pause on this."

"Pause?" The Doctor caught on, another smile coming to his face. He liked that idea very much.

"Let's go," Avalon linked her arms with his. If they stayed where they were, she would lose the little control she was clinging to.

~ 0 ~

It was a pretty warm night in the French Riviera, perfect for the dress Avalon chose. She still couldn't believe the reactions it got from the Doctor then Amy and Rory a short moment afterwards. Sometimes, things were just too easy. Now the group walked along a path leading up a hillside, none of them knowing where they were going except for the Doctor. He kept telling them to trust him, that he had the perfect spot for them and that they really needed to issue some patience. They almost laughed in his face when he started going on about patience.

"You all need to be kinder," the Doctor muttered to them as they came up to a beautiful two story building on the hillside above the sea. Lights were flashing as people kept arriving. One could easily tell there was a party going on.

"I don't know where we are but I know that I'm going to love it," Avalon's smirk promised fun times.

"It's the Villa Saint-Louis," the Doctor told her, and Amy and Rory, but he seemed to hold onto her arm that curled around his in a tighter manner. "And before I start with anything else, Avalon, it's imperious that you listen to this. You're cannot drink tonight."

Her smirk fell to the ground in that one moment. She uncurled her arm despite his grip on it and turned to him. "What the hell do you mean? I've not touched a single drop of alcohol in, what, half a year?"

"Yes but we can't risk you intoxicating yourself right now, especially in a place where emergency medical attention can't be delivered as quickly as we're used to. And I need certain tools!"

Avalon folded her arms, huffing like a child. "You don't just bring me to the 1920s, in the French Riviera, and then tell me not to drink outside the door of a party!" She gestured towards the building.

"Avalon, you're overreacting," Rory said. "The Doctor's right. You've been making very good progress and you're not going to ruin it because you want one glass of vodka."

Avalon groaned. "I thought we were done with this!"

"Done with what?" Amy curiously asked.

"This!" Avalon's wild gestures now went to them. "You've been looking after me nonstop for months now! I thought it was finally going away because we started travelling again but...no, you all still see me as the fragile doll you rescued from Berlin. Well, it's not Berlin and I am okay! So just stop with all these rules! You know I hate them!"

"Ava, the last thing I want is to upset you, I just want to be cautious." As the Doctor said those words, Avalon groaned all over again.

"You are so lucky we are in public or I would kill you on the spot!"

"Avalon, quit being a baby and just stay away from alcohol!" Amy hissed at her granddaughter. "It's either this or we go home. You should be thankful that the Doctor thought of this place for you."

Avalon had her arms folded in her angry stance but her eyes flickered to the Doctor every few seconds. He was encouragingly smiling at her in his usual goofy manner that despite her irritation with him, her heart warmed. "Fine," she huffed. "I really hate you and your stupid rules."

"And I…" the Doctor trailed off, knowing he wouldn't be able to finish that sentence with the words he wanted to, so he settled for the next truth, "I think you are positively beautiful tonight." He got her to smile at him and that was a huge win. "C'mon, there someone inside I think you're going to want to see." He unfolded her arms and took her hand, bringing it up to his lips for a kiss. "Shall we?"

Avalon sighed. "Yes. Sorry," she said very quietly.

"I know," the Doctor chuckled. He led the group up the front steps, warning them all to be cautious because "There's important people here" and the last thing they needed was for history to be changed. It just made the group wonder where exactly he had brought them to.

Inside was a lovely living room, spacious too, full of fancy-dressed guests. They could feel the warm air breeze in through the open terrace at the end of the room. Avalon immediately eyed the lovely piano sitting in the corner of the room, near the terrace. No one could recognize anyone they were supposed to be excited over meeting, at least not until the Doctor started pointing out some specific people.

"You're telling me that's the Pablo Picasso," Rory had to rub his eyes when the Doctor pointed them to a man standing to their left with a beautiful woman at his side, a ballerina named Olga Khokhlova.

"His wife," the Doctor said then added, "Well, his first one anyways. Wonderful ballerina dancer."

"Are they all painters?" Amy asked, now really taking a scan of the room in hopes of recognizing one of the big names from history.

"Nah, we've got Jean Cocteau over there," the Doctor nodded to the man across from them mingling with other guests. "He's an artist but he's also a poet and novelist. Go on then!" He motioned Amy and Rory to go talk to people.

"What are we supposed to say to them?" Rory stayed right where he was.

"I don't know, invent something," the Doctor still tossed him his psychic paper in case they stuttered too much. "You can be anyone you want with or without the psychic paper. Just please don't leave the Villa. I really don't feel like going searching for you."

"What are you going to do?" Amy arched an eyebrow at him. "Not going to sneak off, are you?"

"No, Avalon's got someone to see here," the Doctor squeezed Avalon's hand in his.

Hearing that again made Avalon look at him. "You keep saying that but I don't recognize anyone here."

"You'll see," he smirked far too mischievously for her liking. He sent her grandparents off to explore then took Avalon in the opposite direction.

"Doctor, what are you up to?" She asked him while continuing to study the guests. She had already crossed gazes with a few of them, mostly the men, and she assumed it was more of her dress they were looking at instead of her.

"Something to help cheer you up," he stopped walking suddenly to turn to her. "I know you're still a little sad about the Sapling…" True to his words, Avalon's gaze lowered. "I just want to help you out. I hate when you don't smile."

Avalon smiled without even intending to. "I would've been fine with a movie night in the TARDIS."

"I know, but I think seeing an old friend might help you out a little bit more, especially now that you're starting to write again."

"Alright Fairy Tale Man, tell me what you're doing," Avalon laughed lightly. Instead of answering her straightaway, the Doctor turned her around so she could see more guests. "What am I supposed to be lookin…" She trailed off when she spotted a familiar blonde amongst the guests. It was cut in a short bob but Avalon picked her out straightaway. "No way," she breathed in.

"Go on Ava, say hello," the Doctor nudged her only a bit because from there, Avalon knew exactly what she needed to do.

She maneuvered through the guests until she came up to the blonde-bobbed woman and tapped her shoulder. "Hello?"

The woman turned around to see the giddy Avalon standing in front of her. Her eyes widened. "Oh my...Avalon?"

"Hi!" Avalon waved a hand, unable to help her short bursts of laughter. She was more than delighted to get to see her old friend Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald again after the whole fiasco in Montgomery

"How...when...how are you here?" Zelda had her own moments of laughter to match Avalon's.

"Are you upset that I'm here?"

"God no! Come here!" Zelda took Avalon into a hug that Avalon immediately responded to. The Doctor was right, it was really good to see Zelda again. "Oh, it's been so long!"

"Exactly how long has it been since you last saw me?" Avalon curiously wondered. The Fitzgeralds had lived in the French Riviera for a long time and then kept coming back every so often, making it harder to pinpoint which year it was.

"Why, 4 years," Zelda pulled away and happened to look at Avalon's dress. "That is a gorgeous dress! Very daring. I love it!"

"You're looking fantastic yourself!" Avalon said, pointing then to Zelda's hair. "And you cut your hair!" It was so funny that the first time she met Zelda, she was older but now Zelda was older.

"You haven't aged a bit!" Zelda took Avalon's hands and spread her arms to the sides. "Well…" She stopped for a moment to meet Avalon's gaze, "There's something different in your eyes."

Avalon swallowed hard. Of course Zelda would notice the eyes. She was brilliant like that. "Oh, you know, just things that happen in life."

"Mm," Zelda seemed to take that to heart, like she was living it herself and if Avalon was right about her history, Zelda was. The French Riviera for the Fitzgeralds was such a turbulent era for them as people and a couple.

"Avalon," the Doctor came up behind Avalon with a rather smug smile.

She flipped her head back at him and rolled her eyes. "You utter sneak!" He specifically wanted her to meet Zelda again and she couldn't be happier for it.

"Told you," he said, dropping a kiss to her temple. "Lovely to meet you again Mrs. Fitzgerald," he held a hand out for Zelda.

"Zelda, please," the woman said, almost sounding like a plea instead of a request. She looked at the pair with a knowing smile. "How have you two been? Last time I saw you, things seemed a little rocky."

"Things got rockier...and then they got pretty good," Avalon shrugged, preferring to skip over the details of that 'rockier' period. "Really good."

"I can see," Zelda hummed with a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Why don't you and Zelda catch up while I go see where our friends have gotten into?" The Doctor was already searching for Amy and Rory despite having seen them only five minutes ago. He could never be too careful with them.

"Mhm," Avalon practically waved him off. He rolled his eyes and kissed her cheek before taking off.

"I so knew that would end up in marriage," Zelda set her hands on her hips, shooting Avalon a smug look. "Didn't I tell you? I told you!"

Avalon rolled her eyes. One of the last things Zelda told her the first time they met was that she saw something between her and the Doctor. At that time, Avalon would try her best to dissuade any ideas like those. "Yeah, but we're not really marr-"

"I do like being right," Zelda sighed dramatically. "And he did look like he cared for you, I hope you're very happy."

Avalon pursed her lips together and glanced to find the Doctor pulling Amy away from a woman. Whether she wanted to or not, her lips formed a smile. "Yeah, we are." So she let one person believe the whole marriage thing, that wouldn't be bad. She'd just tell the Doctor that she couldn't convince Zelda otherwise.

Soon, Avalon and Zelda found a spot in the living room for them, ironically struggling in the beginning even though it was Zelda's own home.

"I quite liked Paris a bit more but this is also nice," Zelda said when Avalon remarked about the lovely villa she was now residing in. "Scott says he's going to finish his novel but...we'll see." There was wavering hope in her husband's work, one that Avalon wouldn't even try to change. She read all about these troublesome years and how Scott Fitzgerald made himself and his wife miserable by drinking instead of finishing his novels. "But I'd rather not talk about my husband right now. What has Avalon Reynolds been up to in these past years?"

"Umm…" Avalon would've preferred to skip over that as well but doing that would be saying that everything after visiting Montgomery had been bad and that just wasn't true. "I have been traveling with the Doctor and Amy, you remember her right?"

Zelda nodded. "Yes, same ginger hair as yours. Sure you're not related?" She'd also made the mistake of presuming that the last time.

Avalon laughed. "No way. But she did get married to my best friend. I'll introduce you to him. Rory's a sweetheart. Um, I...I sort of…" She debated whether or not to talk about the Sapling, but if she did she would have to figure out how to explain it in a way that wouldn't freak Zelda out.

"You alright, sweetheart?" Zelda asked when she noticed the grimness setting on Avalon's face. She sighed and nodded, but it was a weak smile. "Oh, it seems like I haven't been the only one in her own rocky ship. Is it trouble with your husband?"

"No, no," Avalon said but stopped, making a face, "I mean, the only problem we have right now is he's being so overprotective. Can't drink a drop of alcohol, mind you."

"Oh don't tell me you're pregnant too!"

"What!?" Avalon's face went red fast, her arms wrapping around her stomach. "N-n-n-n-n-no! Not at all! No!"

Zelda laughed, or howled, at the sight of such a stuttering Avalon. "Sugar, you are making it far too easy here!"

"I am not pregnant," Avalon shuddered at the idea. "I just...I sort of had an adopted child for a while and...well, he's left. Making his own way now."

"Oh, that's a wonderful thing you did," Zelda smiled in admiration. "I've heard people do that but none of the people I've met even think about adoption. Sad really."

"He was a very good boy," Avalon sighed. "And I just really miss him. I know I wasn't the best of Mothers - I don't know how to be a Mother - but I did come to love him. Now that he's gone I'm a little bit lost." Among other things. It wasn't just the Sapling's departure that left her feeling lost. Too many things had happened in a short amount of time and it was all sort of spinning in her head.

"Is that the only thing?" Zelda was clever to ask.

Avalon dropped her arms to her side, thinking by now the pregnancy thing was over. She spared a small smile at Zelda. "You really do see everything."

"I don't know about everything but I certainly know when someone's struggling. You, my friend, are struggling. What else is bothering you?"

"I...well, if we're being honest, I got into deep trouble and...and that sort of left me sick, near death…" Avalon purposely paused to see how Zelda would take the news because if it was bad then she would stop right there and change topics. However, Zelda only seemed to wait for her to continue, giving no indication that she was freaking out even on the inside. "I lost something that usually helps me stay very healthy. I was very weak for a long time. The Doctor had to take care of me, a lot...and my best friend Rory, he's a nurse. He's had me on all these restrictive diets. Beyond the biological parts, it just leaves a mark in you, you know? Makes you feel lost."

"I am so sorry that happened to you," Zelda reached over for one of Avalon's hand, giving it a friendly squeeze. "If you need anything from me, please let me know."

"I just really need my friend Zelda," Avalon didn't hesitate to say. The two shared a chuckle together.

"Well your friend Zelda could be a little bit of a better friend. I didn't even know you were coming. Though I'd never see you again."

"Part of the Doctor helping me out is taking me to these nice places, get myself back out there little by little. That included you. He, uh, he sort of found out you live here now."

"Like a detective he is," Zelda said. "I am so happy he found us, though. Truth be told, I'm a little lonely here. We've only just come up to live here so I'm still figuring myself out here."

"You'll find something to do, I'm sure," Avalon happened to see Picasso crossing the living room and remembered the painting interest Zelda would pick up soon. "Have you spoken to Pablo Picasso yet?"

"I have, actually," Zelda said with a nod of her head. "He has a dazzling mind when it comes to art. I've been eyeing the terrace as a new painting room for me."

"You should do it," Avalon said immediately, making the woman smile. "I think you would be wonderful at it."

Zelda appreciated the support. It was one of the things she always remembered from Avalon. Avalon's incredible support for her work that she hadn't even thought of doing properly. It still warmed her heart to know that Avalon trusted her enough to place her faith in stories that she hadn't even seen. A short moment later, Zelda had gotten herself a glass of wine. She had just handed Avalon a glass of ginger-ale when the Doctor, Amy and Rory found them in their little corner.

"Avalon, you can't drink!" Rory exclaimed, frantically taking the glass from Avalon.

"Rory, the fact you don't know that's ginger-ale embarrasses me," Avalon flatly said. "Me, a professional drinker, hasn't taught you what proper wine looks like?" She gestured to the glass in Zelda's hand. The blonde giggled as she raised her glass.

"Oh," Rory slowly handed the glass back to Avalon. "Sorry."

"Well, that's my best friend Rory," Avalon introduced him to Zelda, figuring she'd seen enough to know what he was like in general. "And you remember my friend Amy."

"Nice to see you again," Amy waved a hand. "I love this place by the way. Thinking of moving here." She flashed a smile at Rory, making the man groan.

"No, no we're not."

Amy still smirked like it was actually happening.

"I am truly thankful that you brought Avalon back to see me, Doctor," Zelda saluted her glass to him. "I could use a good friend for a while."

"Don't get used to her though, I have to take her back home soon," he warned as he came to sit on the armrest of Avalon's seat. "She's on a bit of schedule, you know."

"Oh, I know," Zelda laughed as she watched Avalon's face fall flat again. She really did not like that routine. "Keep doing it, though. Somebody's got to take care of her or who knows what trouble she might get into."

Avalon snorted. "You're one to talk!"

"I am, aren't I?" Zelda smirked before laughing with her.

"You're terrible!"

"Zelda, dear," a slightly older blonde man walked up to the group, holding his own glass but Avalon knew that wasn't wine. It was whiskey. "Who are your friends?"

"Old friends, actually," Zelda rose from her seat to introduce them. "Scott, this is Avalon Reynolds. I met her a bit before I met you back in Montgomery. Avalon, this is my husband, Scott Fitzgerald."

Avalon got up with a polite smile. She had mixed feelings about this man and she had to do her best to keep them hidden. "Hello."

"A Brit in Montgomery?" Scott eyed her curiously. "That's definitely unheard of."

"I was being punished," Avalon threw a look at the Doctor, letting him know that she still remembered that very clearly.

"Taj Mahal," he whispered in her ear so that she knew he remembered why he had 'punished' her in the first place.

She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The Taj Mahal was still standing so there was no reason why he should be upset about it. "These are my friends, I sort of brought them along for the ride. Amy and Rory and that's the Doctor."

Scott greeted each of them, subtly commenting on their surprise appearance. Zelda blatantly rolled her eyes beside him. "Avalon wanted to surprise me," she said, quieting his questions about Rory's profession. He had already assumed the Doctor was exactly what he was called. "She stopped by the Villa, isn't that wonderful?"

"Of course," he nodded.

"And she's a talented woman too. Don't think I forgot you write too," she winked at Avalon.

"She also sings," the Doctor added, loving the reddened tinge on Avalon's face. He dropped a kiss to her hair and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Really?" Zelda's eyes widened. "You sing?"

"N-not really…" Avalon tried to say before Amy cut in.

"Yeah she does! And she's pretty damn good at it!"

"Maybe you could sing a little bit here," Zelda suddenly said, glancing at Scott. "Wouldn't that be nice for the guests? You got a singer for entertainment."

"That would be really good," he agreed slowly. As a newcomer to the French Riviera, it was important to place himself as a top tier writer. "Very good, actually. I'll get thing settled for you."

"No, wait!" Avalon's call made no difference as the man was already gone. Suddenly, she whacked the Doctor, Amy and Zelda. Rory, for good measure, stepped away before he became the next victim.

"Ow!" The three culprits rubbed their injured spots.

"How are you so strong?" Zelda shot a look at Avalon.

"I don't know how to sing in front of people!" She hissed at all of them.

"Sure you do," the Doctor said, though as soon as he did she threw a glare at him. "You have a beautiful voice."

"First you don't let me drink and now you want me to sing in front of people I don't know? In front of important people?"

"You don't have to," Rory said as a means of comfort but she snorted.

"Get real, I have to now that these idiots brought it up."

"I resent that," Zelda pointed at Avalon. "And I haven't heard your voice but I do trust what the Doctor says. Just sing a little bit, please? This party is as boring as it can get. You are bound to turn things around."

"I just don't think I'm that good," Avalon sighed.

"Ava," the Doctor tugged her away from the group for a moment. "You sang with Mary Costa and for your favorite movie. What's so different about it now?"

"That it's in front of people who don't sing," Avalon looked around the room nervously. "You said it yourself. There's writers, artists, dancers...musicians. There's other musicians here. What if I don't sound as good as them?"

"You'll sound much better than them," the Doctor said with the utmost certainty. "Because you are Ava Williams! Remember that?"

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. "Of course I do." How could she forget the alias she gave herself when she couldn't remember Rory at all.

"So go out there and share that beautiful voice of yours. Just do me a favor and remember me when everyone starts to talk to you, alright?" The Doctor cupped her face as she laughed. "I mean it. You're stunning in that dress. Eyes wander and lips are tempting."

"And yet the only temptation I have right now is to snog you up against that terrace over there," Avalon flashed a smirk at him.

The Doctor spared a glance at the terrace and immediately thought up that scenario. It ended very nicely and a few loose beads on the ground. Soon, there was a bright blush on his face. "You are absolutely paying for that," he warned now that he couldn't get the image out of his head.

Avalon snickered at him. "Okay, now I can sing." She gave him a kiss on the lips, purposely kissing him a second time just on his lower lip for extra flair.

"Oh, I hate you," the Doctor huffed as he watched her leave.

"No you don't!"

No, he really didn't.

~ 0 ~

As it turned out, one of Zelda's talents included playing the piano. It was a wonder for Avalon because it was actually something she didn't know about the woman. At least she would feel a little less lonely now that Zelda would be playing the tune.

"Evening," Avalon cleared her throat once Scott got the guests' attention. He had introduced her as an 'aspiring singer', something that Avalon wouldn't really fight him on. She didn't know what she wanted to do but singing wasn't something she was against. Now here she was, standing in the middle of the living room, all eyes on her...the eyes of very important people to history.

Avalon controlled her breathing and waited for Zelda to begin playing. She did want to make a good impression on everyone, she was just so nervous. She met her friends' gazes, all of them wearing encouraging faces. Rory was even secretly holding his phone out, no doubt to record the event. Lena would have a hoot! The Doctor was smiling at her so softly, it made Avalon's heart skip even quicker than when she was just nervous. She couldn't read his mind like he could read others but she could see, she could literally see that he really did care for her.

And all you do is snap about him trying to protect you. She felt guilty remembering the bits of disagreements they had earlier. She would have to make that up to him. When she heard the soft tune, she gathered up all her courage and opened her mouth. She would make a damn good show, at least for her Fairy Tale Man.

'Why do I do, just as you say,

Why must I just, give you your way,

Why do I sigh, why don't I try to forget,

It must have been,

That something lovers call fate,

Kept me saying, "I have to wait",

I saw them all,

Just couldn't fall 'til we met',

She sure captivated everyone's attention...and she liked it. No one was moving, not even a step to the side. They were all watching her...

'It had to be you, it had to be you.

I wandered around and finally found the somebody who

Could make me be true, could make me feel blue,

And even be glad just to be sad thinkin' of you.'

Some others I've seen,

Might never be mean

Might never be cross,

Or try to be boss

But they wouldn't do

For nobody else, gave me a thrill

With all your faults, I

Love you still

It had to be you, wonderful you

It had to be you

Avalon finished with her eyes locked on the Doctor. Somewhere along the way she'd forgotten there were other people. She only thought of him and how she thoroughly needed to apologize...and maybe spend some time with him.

As it turned out, everyone loved the new aspiring singer. They all clapped for her, making her go as pink as her dress. Avalon found herself the center of attention, only being pulled around by Zelda who loved watching the young woman react to it all. Eventually, Avalon warmed up to the night and played along with Zelda. In no time, they were laughing away with the other guests.

"She does look happier," Amy remarked to the Doctor and Rory. They were watching Avalon like hawks in case any alcohol made it into her hands or - because both Amy and the Doctor remembered how Avalon got when she and Zelda were together - things went too far.

"I live for these moments," the Doctor admitted quietly. He was watching Avalon with the fondest of smiles. She should always be smiling and laughing, having fun. He was guilty for taking that away from her. "Kovarian has taken too much from you Ponds. I refuse to let her suck Avalon's life away too."

"You don't have to keep proving that to us," Rory said, getting the feeling it was a huge factor for what the Doctor decided to do for Avalon. "River is...fine, she's good where she is. Because she has us and Avalon."

"Yeah, but things would be so different if Avalon could've had River with her too. So I'm doing my best to give her bits and pieces of what I can to keep her happy."

"And you're doing just fine," Amy said, motioning to Avalon who had entered into a laughing fit with Zelda again. "Those two have so much power together. It scares me." She made the Doctor and Rory laugh but she was actually very serious.

~ 0 ~

As the night turned old, many guests started to disappear. Amongst the disappeared was Scott Fitzgerald himself, making the group wonder at what point did the author slip out of his own party.

"Oh, he does that," Zelda shrugged carelessly. "I go days without seeing him sometimes." She was picking up a few glasses left by the kitchen. The Villa was mostly clean thanks to the combined efforts of the travelers' and Zelda herself. It made Avalon wonder exactly who did the cleaning when it was just Zelda.

"Where does he go?" Amy curiously asked.

Zelda shrugged again, planting her hands on the kitchen table. "I have no clue. But it's got to be somewhere with a decent stock of whiskey and whatever alcohol they can find."

"And you stay here by yourself?" Rory looked out to the open terrace. The sea was calming but he didn't quite like it at night.

Zelda smiled at him. "I do just fine, thank you."

"Still," Avalon said, making her own face.

"I do have my daughter but we're still fixing things so she won't be here until next week. But what about you four, do you have a place to stay?"

"Uh, well...we were just gonna head back…" the Doctor began to say, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, "...to, er, our hotel…"

"Nonsense, you should stay here," Zelda moved out of the kitchen, stopping beside Avalon with an absolute grin on her face. "It would be so wonderful! I have spare rooms and, well...maybe I am a little lonely."

"I don't know…" Avalon wouldn't outright say it was a fantastic idea. She didn't know if the Doctor planned on letting them stay overnight. For all she knew, he might want her back in the TARDIS to run new tests on her.

Luckily for her, the Doctor knew her very well. One look at her and he knew exactly what she wanted. "I suppose one night wouldn't hurt."

Avalon's face lit up. "Yeah!" It was fairly similar the way Zelda's face lit up, like they were one of a kind together. "Oh, that'd be so much fun!"

"Well that's just perfect!" Zelda clapped her hands together. "Let me show you your rooms in case you want to turn in early."

"I sure won't," Avalon laughed behind her. "We've got loads to talk about!"

"But no leaving the villa," the Doctor warned her. "I don't want you overexerting yourself."

Avalon came by to his side while Zelda went to show Amy and Rory their room. 'Thanks for this, Fairy Tale Man. I really appreciate it. I know I'm not always very kind...I have a very big mouth."

"I think you have a wonderful mouth," the Doctor said, bringing his fingers to her chin. He tilted her head up. "I certainly lo…" He really needed to control his words before they slipped out. Avalon was waiting for him to finish that sentence so he scrambled to fix it. "I think you have an adorable mouth."

She laughed. "Well thank you. And I want you to know that I'm sorry for snapping so much before. I know you're only watching out for my health."

"And I know that you're not used to it. Plus, it has been a long time since...Berlin. It's hard but I really only want to make sure you're as healthy as you can be now that...that you lost your immunity abilities."

Avalon leaned up to kiss him. "Something I will never regret, alright? In case that's still lurking in your head. Never have I regretted it. If roles were reversed, I know you would've done the same for me, so...let's move on from that."

The Doctor could only nod. He was fairly sure that he would never forgive himself for making her give up such a huge part of her, a part that was responsible for keeping her safe and healthy. It was why he would always be extra protective of her. He stole something, it was only fair that he kept her safe in return.

~ 0 ~

"I love this view," Avalon said as soon as she and Zelda had made themselves comfortable on the terrace. Even though it was far later in the night, the air was still warm enough so that they didn't even have to get blankets or change altogether. The sea was calm with only a few gentle waves crashing every now and then. It truly was the perfect place to live in…

"It's nice for a while," Zelda said, shrugging lightly. She was nursing another glass of wine.

Avalon glanced at her sadly. "You don't like being here, do you?"

"I do," Zelda clarified first. She leaned forwards on her chair, eyes cast out into the dark sky. "But truth be told...I'm a little bored up here. Scott's either out with friends or trying to work on his new novel. My daughter is usually with her Nanny. I, uh...I spend a lot of time on my own or...at the beach."

"Ah, right," Avalon followed her gaze to the ocean. She suspected she knew what things Zelda had gotten up to as of late. She read about that as well.

"Can I tell you something?" There was a hint of fear in Zelda's tone that Avalon picked up on. She was still staring at the ocean, now on purpose to avoid Avalon. "I know we've met just once but I really did consider you a friend. No other friend has ever showed that much support like you did."

"Of course you can tell me something," Avalon offered Zelda a kind smile. "You can tell me anything. You and I...we really are very similar."

"Not that similar, sugar. You love your husband, I'm not sure I still love mine."

There were oh so many wrong things in that sentence that Avalon had trouble deciding which one to go with first. "I don't really...um, you think I lo...love the Doctor?" She swallowed hard as she felt the flames over her cheeks. Zelda Fitzgerald had to be a psychic, that was the only explanation for how she knew these things that Avalon wouldn't say out loud.

Zelda tore her gaze away from the ocean to smile just as kindly as Avalon had. "I can see it in your eyes. They're a bit sad and troubled but I can see it. I saw a glimpse of it the last time I saw you in Montgomery. Does he treat you nice?"

Avalon gave a nod of her head. She would let those comments slip by before anyone heard them. She wasn't brave enough to come clean to the Doctor just yet. "He does. He, um, probably over-does it sometimes."

"Well, as a wife, it's supposed to be that way. You're supposed to let yourself be pampered and petted in return for your loyalty."

Avalon laughed at that. "As in never argue with him even when he's wrong? Please. He's wrong half the time and I, as Avalon Reynolds, have to tell him he's wrong."

Zelda's smile only saddened. "Does he get mad if you do?"

"More like annoyed but it's fun. We go back and forth until one of us wins. But it's never toxic, you know? It's all good-natured because...because we're the same type of people." Avalon looked at Zelda again and saw how her words affected the poor woman. She was having doubts.

"We started out so nicely," Zelda began after a moment. "It was all so nice and easy in Montgomery. Scott was full of dreams and I...I liked the sound of his perfect world. I still do but...I feel like I'm sort of floating now. Scott and I get into so many arguments. He doesn't listen to me. When we argue, it's not good-natured. Makes me wonder what happened. You should've seen us in New York, Avalon. We took that city by the horns. It was ours."

Avalon wanted to point out that that period seemed more like an extended honeymoon but that would be senseless, not to mention there was no point. Zelda was troubled enough. "What's happened?" She settled for that instead. She knew that there were very few people in Zelda's life who would listen to her without judgement. She would be honored if Zelda considered her to share with.

"There's a man I met. Edoard. He's a year younger and...he's...he promises me stability. He doesn't go around wanting to know what other people have in their lives, not like Scott. And he's kind. He...he kisses me. Scott hasn't done that anymore. Barely gives me a hand to hold."

The affair. Avalon remembered that bit in the biographies. "May I ask if you are in love with this man?"

Zelda's shoulders shrugged with an expression that screamed indecisiveness. "I'm lonely. And he offers passion."

"Can I give my two cents?"

"Please."

"Passion isn't love, it's just...passion. I've never had that. I mean, I've dated but it was more casual. Now with the Doctor, it's fun but I know that it's serious. It's not just fun kisses and fooling around. I know, I'm sure, that he cares for me. Is that what Eduard offers you?"

Zelda once again shrugged. "I don't think so. It's just nice being with him, you know?"

And yet the truth Avalon knew, and she suspected that Zelda was beginning to know, was that she would always love Scott. However much they argued, whatever they threw at each other, they loved each other. If only they were a little kinder to each other.

Zelda shook her head and drowned the rest of her wine. "I'm sorry. I'm just pouring out all my feelings here. That's not what you came to the French Riviera for."

"I came to see you," Avalon smiled. "You're my friend."

Zelda met her smile with her own. "You're my friend too. You're an odd friend…"

Avalon laughed. "Oh, thanks!"

Zelda's lips stretched into an even wider smile. "No, no, you know what I mean. You're...there was always something strange about you. I remember you back in Montgomery. You seemed so lost, like you were mourning. That's what I saw in your eyes last time. That and so much conflict. Now I see it's not just that but...a long story. There's a long story in your eyes."

Avalon tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm not your local normal girl."

"You're not," Zelda agreed with a hum. "I think the story of Avalon Reynolds is a long, interesting one that I would love a peek of."

"Oh, it's pretty impossible. Call me the impossible girl," Avalon chuckled.

"I, uh...I have actually…" Zelda suddenly looked nervous all over again but Avalon was pretty sure it no longer dealt with her husband. "Give me a second." She got up from her chair and went back into the house, returning a few minutes later with a leather green book in hand. A journal.

Avalon barely held herself together at the sight of the journal. "Are you...are you writing again? Have you published Our Own Movie Queen?" It was only after she asked the last question that she realized it was a huge No-No.

Fortunately for her, Zelda nodded her head. She just assumed that Avalon had gotten word of her latest short story. "A few weeks back. Have you read it?"

"Aha! I love it!" Avalon grinned. "I loved the ending. Gracie sort of got some revenge and I am always impartial to women who have been wronged by men. Personally one of your best."

Zelda chuckled. "Well I thank you."

"And just so you know...I know that it was your story, not a collaborative effort between you and Scott."

Zelda smiled despite her obvious confusion. "How would you know-"

"Your words are not like Scott's," Avalon gently cut her off. "I would know your words anywhere."

"How?" Zelda asked. It wasn't that she didn't believe it but it still didn't answer how Avalon would know that if she never saw her work. Is the same question she asked herself back when they met in Montgomery. Avalon seemed to know a lot more about her than anyone else at that moment. There were things that she had never told anyone and yet Avalon knew them so perfectly. Truth be told, Avalon made no sense and yet she still inspired trust, which was why Zelda brought her journal out. No one, not even Scott, had seen the insides of it.

Avalon's shoulders shrugged before she could come up with a reasonable answer. "I just...I know. I really do and I know it doesn't make sense but just trust me, okay? I love your work even though you haven't published it. I know you're writing but you hate that whatever you present has to have your husband's name next to yours or that it just has to be his and only his name. I know it, and I'm so sorry."

There was no way she could know all that. Zelda had dozens of more questions but she decided to save that for tomorrow. Right now, she wanted to do something else. "I'm in the middle of writing something new. Care to lend me some of your critiques?"

Avalon's eyes dazzled when Zelda opened up her journal. That journal would be lost to history, thanks to the fire that would one day consume it, and now Zelda was actually showing it to her. "Oh my God…" She whispered when Zelda deposited the journal on her lap to scoot her chair closer to hers.

"Well go on, look through it," Zelda laughed after watching Avalon stare at the green cover of the journal for a few minutes.

"You want me to open it?" Avalon was flabbergasted, only making Zelda laugh even more.

"Yes!" And because Zelda was so impatient, she had to open the journal herself. She took Avalon through the pages she specifically wanted her to see.

Avalon had never felt so frozen in her life. Her eyes, though, were taking everything in. Every last detail Avalon took in with a rush. She recognized some drafts that would later become a published short stories throughout history and there were others that would never make it. Those were the ones that would be lost either because of Zelda's self doubt or because of the fire that would end her life.

"What do you think, then?" Zelda asked with her tongue between her teeth, absolutely nervous to hear Avalon's opinions.

"These are fantastic," Avalon laughed. "I-I would love to see these be published one day."

"Really? All of them?"

"Yes! I like this one," Avalon flipped through the pages to go back to a certain draft that would fortunately make it to the public in a few years. The Original Follies Girl is what Zelda would eventually settle on for the title. "I know the ending isn't all that nice but the first part makes you want to be that girl. Somebody who everyone wants to be friends with, a somebody who's admired by people."

Zelda's lips thinned into a smile. "I think that will be you someday, Avalon. Course I think it'll be because of your work, not because of your looks, though that might also be a factor."

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. "Right."

"I mean it. I know that your work is going to be amazing whenever you decide to publish it. And just like you once told me, I in you you. I believe that anything you write is going to be a hit."

Avalon looked at the journal in front of her, truly touched that she was able to see such a magnificent journal. "You really think so?"

"I know so, honey!"

There was a brief moment of indecision for Avalon but holding Zelda's journal made it fade into the deepest part of her mind. "Hold on." Like Zelda had done before, Avalon left the terrace to grab her purse from the couch. She returned holding her journal against her chest. "I, um, I've never really shown this to anyone before. There's so much stuff in here." It's an endless journal, after all. The Doctor made it so. "You'll think it's crazy."

Zelda laughed with a shake of her head. "If you think it's crazy, then it means you've created fantasy. Can I have a peek?"

Avalon bit her lip as she sat down again. Before the voices started layering the self-doubt in her head, Avalon held her journal out to Zelda. "You're the first person to see it," she said as she intently watched Zelda flip through the pages. If there was anything outstanding in it, Avalon was sure she could play it off as a fantasy story, just like Zelda said. But there were true drafts she'd began that would mean a lot if Zelda took a read.

Short minutes felt like hours as Avalon waited for Zelda's verdict. Eventually, Zelda looked up with a wide grin. "You have an incredible mind. Such impossible things you write about. Metal men? Wedding crashers? A child made out of a tree!? Avalon...your mind is a cavern of stories!"

"You don't think it's weird?" Avalon studied the woman for any indication that she did think it weird and was just lying.

Zelda shook her head. "Of course not! No one else has thought of these things! And creatures that make you forget them when you look away from them? You wrote some deep things for that. The trauma, near depression...God help that poor character of yours." Zelda realized Avalon was crying before Avalon herself. She curiously watched the girl, trying to work something out before Avalon would notice it.

"All just stories," Avalon said once she checked back into reality. She rubbed her eyes and yawned for good measure, hoping she could pass her little moment off as a sign of sleep.

"Ava," the Doctor cautiously poked his head into the terrace, smiling when he found the two women. "I don't mean to interrupt but I really think you should get some rest."

"And yet you just interrupted," Avalon playfully rolled her eyes. She wasn't quite sleepy but it was futile to argue with him. Minimum he wanted her to at least try to sleep.

"Oh let him be," Zelda looked back at the Doctor with a smile. "Taking care of her must be a hassle, huh?"

"You wouldn't believe it," the Doctor relished in Zelda's support. He leaned against the doorframe, dramatically sighing. "All I want is for my Ava to take it easy and it's like she hears 'you're never going out again'."

Avalon glared at him. "Funny, all I'm hearing right now is 'you're going to die'."

"Avalon," Zelda chuckled and handed her journal back. The Doctor was quite surprised to see that in Zelda's hands. "If you were sick and your husband wants to take care of you, let him. Sometimes it's nice to be pampered."

Avalon awkwardly coughed and avoided the Doctor's shocked face at all costs. Yeah, that one came back to bite her for not saying the truth. She got up from her chair, her journal to her chest. "I think maybe it is time to sleep."

"Well, I showed the Doctor your bedroom earlier. I even left some clothes you might want for sleep. That dress, while stunning, is not very comfortable for sleeping." Zelda watched Avalon carefully make her way around the chairs. She was immediately enveloped in the Doctor's arms. He tenderly kissed the side of her head and murmured something in her ear. It had to be something either sweet or annoying because Avalon rolled her eyes at him.

Eventually, Avalon shooed him into the house and awkwardly smiled. "He's...I apologize for his dramatics."

Zelda laughed and rose from her chair. "I think he's funny. Definitely a sweet fella who wants to take care of you."

"I was sick a while back, but I'm really better now," Avalon assured her before she started taking a leaf out of the Doctor's book.

"Still, one more night can't hurt you. If he wants to, oh I don't know, tuck you into bed, let him." She folded her arms and smirked. "Could be ground zero for some yummy times."

Avalon's face went stark red while Zelda snickered. "I think...I am going to sleep," Avalon declared.

"Mhm."

"I really hate you," Avalon shook her head.

"Oh don't be shy, sugar! It's alright!"

Avalon shook her head again and her hand. She did not want to hear anymore of this. "Goodnight Zelda. I'll see you in the morning." She hurried back inside the house and was so relieved to see the Doctor waiting for her by the hallway, nowhere near the terrace. That meant she only had to explain for the husband part and not...not the second part.

"I am so sorry," she started when she pulled him into the hallway.

"For what?" he cluelessly asked her.

"Zelda just assumed that we were married and I was going to correct her, I swear I was, but she just kept talking and talking so...I sort of let it be."

The Doctor stopped walking and forced her to do the same. "Why would I be mad at that? It's not the first time someone presumes I'm married. I don't know what it is, it just always happens."

Avalon keenly studied him. "You're...you're serious? You're not upset?"

"No! So someone thinks you're my...my wife." A smile started spreading across his face. Something about that made him feel all warm inside. "That is not the end of the world."

Avalon blushed under his gaze. "Really?" She whispered. From her end, she couldn't see any problem with someone thinking she was his wife either...she just wasn't brave enough to admit it.

"Have you seen yourself, Ava? Anyone would be lucky enough to be your husband." The Doctor took her by the waist and lowered his head down for a short kiss. "I think a handful of the men at the party wished that after you sang so beautifully."

Avalon waved that off. "How unlucky for them that I was only singing to you." She went on her tippy-toes to kiss him again.

"C'mon, you really should try to rest."

Avalon dramatically groaned as he led her to their designated bedroom. "But I'm really not tired."

"You always say that and yet there's a handful of times where you end up falling asleep," the Doctor stopped by a door and grabbed the knob. "After a day like today, I'm pretty sure it's going to be one of those times."

"But I don't feel tired," Avalon insisted and slipped in-between him and the door. "I would much rather do something else." Her fingers danced along his chest as she suggestively smiled up at him.

"Don't be confused, I do love all the kissy moments but I can't let my Ava go without sleep," the Doctor tapped her nose but before he could draw his hand away, she grabbed it and settled it on her hip again. "Avalon…"

"How about this, I'm going to kiss you and if you don't kiss back then I will try to sleep," she promised with her typical sly smile. She knew exactly what she was doing, always did, and it was a shame that she always won. Her hands crawled up to his neck, loosely joining behind, and in two seconds she had planted her lips against his.

The Doctor could smell her rich lavender scent, just further adding to the unfair fight. He learned long ago that it was useless trying to fight her off because every time she kissed him, he wanted to kiss her back. Today's moment had her wearing a dress that made her simply exquisite. His hands had already found her exposed back - at what point that happened, he had no idea. He only knew that he couldn't move his hands off that part.

Avalon unwinded one arm to find the doorknob behind her because she wanted no interruptions and Amy and Rory were very good at that. She had no trouble finding it, despite being very occupied, and pushed it open. The Doctor had to hold her tighter due to the sudden loss of their support but Avalon managed to walk them inside, leaving him to shut the door behind. They fervently kissed each other while they crossed the room. The Doctor was aware that the longer they spent kissing the harder it was to want to let Avalon go. She fit so nicely between his arms and no matter where his hands roamed (or lips) on her body, it felt right. It felt like he needed to touch her, feel her warm, smooth skin and keep her sweet lips plump with all his kisses.

That's because you love her. Youloveheryouloveheryouloveheryouloveher-

Avalon's legs had hit the edge of the bed, knocking them both into reality. For Avalon, it was a mere nuisance that she would gladly ignore and go back to the happy kissing but for the Doctor it was a reminder. He needed self control, for his part and hers. She was still recuperating after all.

"No, don't," Avalon pouted when he untangled her arms from him. "I thought we were having fun." She looked past him to see her purse on the ground. No idea when I did that, she realized with a smirk.

"I was, am," the Doctor clarified quickly before she got any ideas. "But you need your rest and this...this is not resting."

"So?" Avalon sighed. "Fairy Tale Man, I have to ask if this and sorry for being daring because I know that you blush but...do you want me?"

"What!?"

"You heard me."

"Ava…" the Doctor cleared his throat, his face warm as ever and he was sure that it was red too.

"I have to ask because each time you just kind...recoil from me," Avalon bit her lower lip like it was gum all of a sudden. "It's never really happened to me before." She waited for an answer but all the Doctor did was stare at her with a smile working its way across his face. "Are you going to answer or did I just humiliate myself into the next century?"

"You asked a fair question but I'm just not sure how to answer it without...making you blush." He smirked when he saw just that happening. "What kind of question is that?" He reached to touch her cheek, tracing a pattern over it. "You're intelligent, passionate, stunning...an absolute princess. Who wouldn't want you?"

"I don't care about anyone else, only you," Avalon said quietly.

"Yes, absolutely yes." The Doctor was able to pull her back to him. He kept an arm around her waist while he nuzzled the side of her face. "You have no idea how much self control I've been exercising lately. You drive me crazy."

Avalon's lips twitched into a smile, soon into a smirk. "So what are you waiting for?"

The Doctor chuckled lightly, though his hearts did skip a beat at her light request. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. "Not the moment, certainly not the place." Avalon's eyebrows knitted together, puzzled until it shifted into annoyance. The Doctor sensed where her thoughts were going and turned her around so that her back was to his chest. There he lightly swayed them and pressed a kiss to Avalon's neck. "See, when I finally get to kiss and touch you the way I want to...we're going to need a room with thicker walls…"

Avalon blushed but her smirk widened. "Ah, so you're confident."

"Very."

"If you start saying from your experiences, I'll kill you."

"I won't if you won't. You seem to know your way around things as well."

"Well…"

"What I just say?"

Avalon laughed. "I love…" She caught herself at the nick of time. Oh my God. She turned around wearing a usual smile. "Thanks for explaining that." She fixed his skewed hair and took in a breath. "I look forward to that moment."

"As do I," the Doctor promised. "Get some rest please. Try."

"I can't do that unless my Fairy Tale Man is lying right next to me." She shrugged and backtracked from him. Zelda had left folded clothing on the foot of the bed so she swiped it off and pointed at the Doctor. "I won't try unless you're here."

"Where else would I be?"

Avalon triumphantly grinned. In a few minutes, she had forgone her beaded dress and put on a simple silk chiffon nightgown. She wasn't that surprised it hung a bit below her knees. For a time that thought it daring, Zelda was no stranger to the different fashions. Avalon wasn't interested in the shorter styles. Her mind was stuck on the accidental near slip up from earlier. Even though it was a slip up, after everything she heard, would it really be that bad if she finally told the Doctor? Her heart pounded at the idea of telling him but there was also an excitement she couldn't deny. Maybe it was time.

With those jumbled thoughts she climbed into bed and patted the spot next to her for the Doctor to join her. She giggled when he tickled her side and brought her closer to him. Even if she wasn't tired, she could lay there with him all night (or at least what was left of the night).

"I did have fun today. Thanks for bringing me here," she said after spending some nice quiet time. "It was good to see Zelda again."

"We can come back anytime you want," the Doctor said, knowing Avalon would love the idea.

"I'd like that," she nodded, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "She showed me her journal...and I showed her mine. I've never done that. Are you mad I never showed it to you?"

"Of course not. One day I'll get to see it," he said, tucking a few strands of her curls between them.

"I just want to make sure it's perfect before you see it," she said, biting her lip. "Zelda kinda gave me pointers on a few drafts. But I also let her see the, um, things I wrote about our travels. She thought it was fake of course. Was that bad?"

"Nah, you'd be surprised how many people in the past know about me and my, uh, unique nature, and they deal with it rather well. We've become good friends."

"I know it's silly but I really do consider Zelda a friend. She's my special friend cos, you know, she's like my writing idol. Thanks for giving me that opportunity. I never thought in my life that I would get to meet her."

"You don't have to thank me, Ava. You know I'd do anything for you." He gave her a sweet kiss on her lips.

She rested her hand over his cheek when he kept his head hovering over hers. He kept saying that, didn't he? He made her feel so special all the time. Even when they bickered she got a thrill that absolutely no one gave her...and she had done a lot of bickering with other people. Everything he did, even if he was making her try to sleep when she didn't want to, had her feeling special.

"I love you," she whispered and suddenly her eyes couldn't meet his anymore.

Initially, the Doctor couldn't really decide if he had heard her right. His hearts had started hammering the moment he thought he heard her say those words. That sure made it easier to decide. Avalon didn't repeat it, she stayed quiet and kept herself busy by playing with the buttons of his shirt.

She was waiting.

And she was incredibly nervous.

"Ava…" the Doctor gently pulled her fingers off him and kept her hand within his.

She looked at him very briefly before finding the ceiling very interesting, but the Doctor was quicker in that moment. He'd seen the nervousness in her eyes, how anxious she was to hear his response. He almost laughed. If only she knew.

"I love you," he finally told her. He laughed at how quickly her eyes snapped back to him.

"Yeah?" She still whispered but even then her voice sounded like it'd lost air. She had lost air. "You do?"

"You have no idea the time I've spent swallowing these words down. I thought I'd freak you out if I told you."

"What? Why on Earth would you think that?"

"Because we've only been dating for a few months? Pretty sure saying 'I love you' months into a relationship is a huge no-no."

"And when exactly have we ever been the normal type of relationship?"

The Doctor opened his mouth to argue...then shut it. That was right. Very right. Nothing about them was normal. "I do love you."

"I love you," Avalon tested the way she would say those words from now on. She loved the way the words sounded each time she repeated them, and she repeated them several times. The Doctor eventually laughed at her but she whacked him until he apologized and said it back to her as many times as she had to 'make her feel better'.

And as it turned out, it became one of those nights where she was a little bit tired. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was still sleeping a little more than usual due to the medication she was still on and because of her recuperating health overall. She fell asleep somewhere in the middle of their bickering, missing when the Doctor declared a triumphant 'I win' at her sleeping form.

~ 0 ~

"So sorry I can't offer you a decent breakfast," Zelda offered yet another apology to the group after setting out the little bits of biscuits and fruit she had left in the fridge. "Each party wipes us out, believe it or not. They do eat while drinking."

"It's really fine," Amy tried to stop the woman from going crazy in the kitchen but Zelda kept searching through cabinets while they watched from the table. "We're not that big on breakfast anyways."

"Nonsense, I know Avalon's on a specific diet for her health."

"Yeah, but I'm fine," went the woman in question. "Really Zelda, come sit down. We'll be leaving soon and I'd rather talk instead of watching you search for an apple."

Zelda smiled at the group, though rather nervously if Avalon had to describe it. She pressed her dress down as she returned to the table. "Avalon, can I show you something? Before you go?"

"Of course," Avalon was quick to get up from her chair. She wasn't hungry anyways.

Zelda led her back to the living room where she picked up her green journal from the coffee table. "I, um, I sort of started something last night...after we talked. I hope you don't mind but it's about you, sugar."

"Me?" Avalon blinked, pointing at herself as if there was someone else in the room and Zelda had just spoken to the wrong person.

"Yes, I think it's fitting that whatever I publish next should be about you. An impossible girl, right?" Avalon looked at the journal and Zelda until the latter pushed the journal into her hands. "Read it, please?"

Avalon silently looked at the draft. There were still notes on the margins but she saw the title clear as day. 'The Impossible Girl'. A smile came to her face as she read through the lines. Despite understanding very little of the future, Zelda had managed to capture the essence of the adventures Avalon had gone through. She twisted it into her own world, making it so that Avalon still retained her beautiful human nature. Zelda made her the girl everyone wanted to be but absolutely no one could be.

"I...I love this!" Avalon exclaimed with the happiest of smiles on her face.

Zelda beamed. "Really? Oh, that means a lot!"

Avalon laughed. The irony of things. Her favorite author was telling her that her opinion meant a lot. "Zelda, thank you for writing this. I...I can't believe you managed to make this fantasy into, well, a good story."

"Oh," Zelda gently took the journal from Avalon with an odd expression on her face. "I could only do so much to make it good, nothing to what you must have truly experienced in these moments."

The laugh and smile faded from Avalon's face. "What...what do you mean?"

"I don't understand how it's possible but...I'm fairly certain all those things you wrote in your journal are true."

"What…?" Avalon nervously laughed. "Why-why would you think that?"

"Because no one cries as sad and scared as you did last night," Zelda touched Avalon's arm with a soft smile. "And I am so sorry for all the horrors you had to go through."

"Zelda, I don't know what you're thinking but it's not...it's not true. I mean, really, creatures that make you forget?" And yet as Avalon made the best argument she could come up with, tears were pooling in her eyes. It was the same sad, scared tears Zelda saw last night.

Zelda reached over to wipe a few tears off Avalon's face. "Oh sugar, no more tears. I think you've cried enough." Avalon tried her best not to cry but she was already sniffling. Zelda pulled her into a big hug. "You've gone through so much and yet you decided to come back and visit someone as insignificant as me."

"No, never," Avalon sniffed and hugged her tighter. "You're my friend. You're my friend who I wish lived near me."

"Where are you from? Really?"

Avalon hesitated to answer her, but the Doctor's words flew into her mind. 'Nah, you'd be surprised how many people in the past know about me and my, uh, unique nature, and they deal with it rather well. We've become good friends.' Could it be that Zelda would be one of those people for her? Something in her heart told her that she was right.

"2011," Avalon said and immediately felt Zelda stiffened. Before she could pull away, Avalon gripped the author into the hug. "I'm from a small town called Leadworth in England. I grew up learning about people in history and I always loved learning about Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald. She was my idol and I-I always wished I could meet her to tell her how much her work meant to me because I was always an outcast at home. We're very similar despite the hug gap between our lives. Being your friend has been a dream come true."

Now it was Zelda who had tears in her eyes. Avalon loosened her grip and allowed her to part. "It's impossible but it's the only way things make sense. You...you really learned about me?"

"You are not insignificant," Avalon took her hands and smiled. "You are an icon. I once dressed up as you for Halloween."

"What?" laughed Zelda.

Avalon's smile widened. "I did. You have always been my inspiration to write and the day I do write something it'll be in your name. So please, please, don't let anyone tell you that your work doesn't matter, that you don't matter."

"Avalon Reynolds believes in me," Zelda chuckled, remembering Avalon's very similar words she said in Montgomery. Avalon firmly nodded her head. "Well, you go back home then and think of me each time you want to scrap up whatever you drafted because I want you to pick it up and rewrite it. I believe that one day you will write an amazing book, a book so fantastic that you'll have everyone reading it. Zelda Sayre believes in you, Avalon, and she also believes that you are strong enough to keep going. Don't let those, um, Silence things and that woman win. You show 'em who's boss."

Avalon chuckled with fresh new tears in her eyes. "Oh, come here!" She encased Zelda in another hug.

Later on, when the group left the villa, Avalon excitedly babbled on about what transpired with Zelda. Amy and Rory were shocked and soon worried that Avalon had made a huge mistake revealing she was from the future but the Doctor seemed fine with it...almost like he expected it. When the Doctor had Avalon in the medbay later on, Avalon still went on about Zelda and lingered on the short story Zelda wrote about her.

"She called it 'The Impossible Girl'. It was so good and not because it was about me. The way she wrote it...Doctor, don't tell me I have to make her get rid of it," Avalon gave him her best pout in hopes that this time they could let history be changed just a tiny bit.

She was incredibly lucky.

"Ava, do you remember that I told you that you had no idea how much of an impact you had on people?"

Avalon distinctly remembered that as part of his sweet words he said to her the first time they visited Leadworth after Berlin. "Yeah…"

"And then I suggested we go visit Zelda again?"

"Yes," Avalon's eyes immediately narrowed on him. "What have you been up to, Fairy Tale Man?"

It was the Doctor's proud moment to show her the short story Zelda Fitzgerald published in 1924 - with her husband's name on the same byline - under the title 'The Impossible Girl'.

Avalon read the entire story and cried tears of joy. At the very end of the story was a small little letter.

'Everyone believes the impossible is just that but sometimes, if you are truly lucky, you get to see it in person...or you get to meet the impossible girl.'

With Love, Z.

#ocappreciation #doctor who #11th doctor #fd: doctor who #dw imagine #11th doctor imagine #11th doctor fics #doctor who fics #dw fics #oc: Avalon Reynolds #fic: falling in temptation #z: the beginning of everything

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