#but because she didn't know if he would or not. couldn't risk any contact

[toodrunktofindaurl]

"Death's child"

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[yinwaryuri]

Jack and Joker: The Bank Scene

Happy Monday my friends, we finally are getting our gay heist show! YinWar truly have outdone themselves with the level of quality they've put into it and I couldn't be more excited or more grateful.

I wanted to break down the scene where Joke robs the bank because, given my experience in banking, it's was scripted very purposefully in favor of suspending our belief. Admittedly, my experience is in the US, and not all financial institutions operate the same, but for safety and security measures they're pretty standard across the board.

I was really appreciative of the disclaimer given ahead of time. It speaks to the research that was done for the sake of how much they could accurately portray the events, and when that seemed impossible and they couldn't let go of the scene, they said fuck it - gay story over realism it is. This break down is certainly not to dig at the writing; it's more to buff my knowledge than anything.

We love you YinWar, thanks for having respect for bank employees. Now let's get to the employees I don't respect, and the non-employee that I do.

For the most part, security officers don't need to do more than greet customers, and if there is any suspicion he shouldn't immediately interrogate someone. He's there for when things get escalated, or if there are any faces he should be looking out for (anyone banned from a branch for any reason), then he can confront them. If Joke had made an attempt at another location and that one tipped off others, then he would have a reason to suspect him.

Joke's mistake here: Being seen. He is so identifiable throughout. The show didn't bother checking any CCTVs, but he makes no attempt to hide from them. Instant jail. Sorry my guy. He also chooses a very unusual method and time of day to strike.

Since the officer did confront him, Joke gives an excuse.

This was a good call. If someone from another location or office, or a third party contracted service is coming, the employees would be notified beforehand of whom they should be and during which times. And even if the person is easily recognizable physically, they will have company identification on them, and if the security measures are extra strict, a form of government ID would also need to be shown.

LOUD WRONG ANSWER BUZZER

So what Joke is going to look for is someone who appears less competent. He looks at the older woman who likely has years under her belt and knows he has no chances there. But the girl to her left....

TARGET ACQUIRED

And she's already in trouble.

Oh hon.

That's never a situation I'd want to be in. Calling customers to inform them that there's been a mistake made on their account is never fun and it often is hard to reach them. There are ways of simply correcting the error and informing the person after it's been done just so they know what to expect when they look at the activity on their statement. Whatever the case, she's new, inexperienced, and having a bad day.

The balls he has to say this. Bestie. Have you ever touched banking software.

He's just getting her out of the way. If she had received any proper training and meant to apply it at all, this would've been a red flag. She is trusting the judgement of the security officer. Joke hasn't introduced himself by name and if he meant to help fix the mistake he wouldn't make her leave. It would be her responsibility and a good training opportunity. Instead, this happens....

She's risking so many things! Security within the immediate premises, security of the bank's information, confidentiality of the customers' information (which is literally their government ID, home address, other contact info, ALL of their accounts and activity). Absolutely a bad move.

GIRRRLLLL. That is on you. I saw her hesitate, but in the end just knew it was bad. At least where I've been, that possibly means fines and/or jail time for her as well, depending on the severity (most likely fines though). This poor girl is gonna have the worst confidence about her ability on the job after learning she helped a guy embezzle money. Where's her story?

Joke sends the security guard away, gets behind the desk with Carbon's ID and is likely planning to simply empty his account and leave. Then who should show up but Jack! (Next time please direct him to wait in a queue, your "manager" is supposedly still fixing your little check blunder, remember?)

And even Joke is nervous for a moment because he definitely didn't want to get the cute bartender involved.

Nevertheless, he humors Jack and listens to the bittersweet story of his childhood and his dream of opening a school. I love Jack, I really hope that he is able to open that school someday too.

So this part of the loan process is called the interview. It's where the employee will get an idea of the customer's needs and see if the bank's service is what they're looking for or if there is any particular offers they can make at this time. It's an important process when dealing in person because it will hopefully help the customer know which steps they can take depending upon approval. It's also where documentation is asked to verify what can be approved.

For the most part, Joke's charisma would be fantastic for a banking career because he seems natural at facilitating a conversation that requires someone to open up about their financial needs. He loses marks for not checking actual information, not filing any copies of the information he has been given, not explaining any details about paying the loan down or how having an account works, not starting the account opening process, and the numbers they talk about are vague so we don't even know how much money is in question here (which is probably a writing choice and I'm fine with it).

Instead Joke pulls a Picard and decides to make it so. And flirts at the same time. There's no signage around the branch to speak of this program and he doesn't go into any details, he simply grabs the stamp and seals their fates together.

I do think it's a sweet little change of mind he has. He was simply going to inconvenience Carbon, but what better way to do it (in his mind) than to give the money to the guy who got snubbed because of him?

The office being truly empty does crack me up. Who is supposed to be there and why are they gone? Also, for a bank, that vault is incredibly small. That is a home safe, that is not for securing the assets of the public. Also, most places have updated their protocol to use two people when opening the vault because having two people present also ensures less opportunity for employee theft.

His ass is not wearing gloves!

And, in a final un-bankerly move, he does not count out even the bundles.

FLIRT

I also love that he goes by Joker, but is constantly pulling a Batman exit on Jack.

I feel bad for knowing that I would have absolutely apprehended this man by asking the simplest questions. But I no longer work in that capacity and couldn't give a fuck! Let him do what he wants!

[blkp3arl]

something like that

Theseus Scamander x gn!reader

You believe the ministry isn’t trying their hardest to capture Grindlewald. Theseus gets angry that you don’t believe in them and causes reader to find things out themselves.

warnings: sad :(

It’s been months since the ministry was able to find any clue about what happened to Grindlewald. Their last lead had them in Paris where many Aurors had met their fate.

You’d been to the ministry loads of times after, but each time you went everything seemed so chill. Like the most dangerous and powerful wizard wasn’t trying to create war between wizards and No-Majs.

You tried voicing your complaints to your boyfriend and the head Auror, Theseus Scamander. But he all but shrugged his shoulders when you mentioned it.

It wasn’t any different this time.

You and Theseus stood in his office, his attention not completely focused on you.

“I’m positive everything is going the way it should be. There’s no need to worry.” He said his eyes focused on the stack of papers on his desk.

You didn’t say anything in return. It was like he really didn’t care that this was happening. As if everyone didn’t care that this was happening. You’ve watched every Auror in and out of this building live there lives like it wasn’t at risk everyday.

“Look I know it’s scary. But I promise your in good hands, there’s nothing you should be worried about.” He said, with a lack of response he looked up. You were staring off into space, lost in a world of thoughts.

“I just don’t get why you can’t try harder.” You stated after a moment of silence.

He stood there, stunned.

“Excuse me?” He asked as a genuine question.

“It just seems to me like your not really doing anything. Like your team just doesn’t care.” You spoke up.

Theseus’ eyebrows furrowed, a frown cascading down his face.

“My team is working the hardest they can, just because you can’t see it on the outside doesn’t mean they aren’t doing anything.” He said, his body tensed up as he sat down.

“Now if you don’t mind I have some paperwork to do.” He spoke angrily, hinting for you to leave.

With no second thought your body vanished from the room leaving Theseus to his own thoughts. How could he sit here and just wait for Grindelwald to make a move? At that point it would be too late. He has already took enough from wizards, and his next move might just corrupt the wizarding world forever. You couldn't just sit there and wait. You knew his last place of action. And though most of the mausoleum had been destroyed by the fire, you figured there might be some clues for you to find. After packing and contacting your illegal portkey man you set off to Paris. ----- Seeing the rubble made you second guess yourself. The cemetery was huge, and even months after the accident it had looked fresh. Echo's of the event sounded in your head, reminding you of exactly what went down. Queenie, someone you came to love. Her gentle voice, her calming personality. And the fact that she could literally read your mind. You didn't have to say anything, she understood you in a way no one else ever could. Leta, Theseus' former. She was a lovely person. Someone who in the end only thought of herself as a monster. The girl. Only in times to vow for what she believed in. Killed in cold blood. The growing flames of the blue dragons. The feeling of complete uselessness trying to dissipate the flames. You were utterly distracted. The spell placed around the ruins doing its purpose. Three figures stood behind you. Dark. Ominous. Red dazed your vision as you crashed to the ground, writhing in pain. ----- You felt the throbbing in your veins before noticing anything else. Heart beat quickened as you realize what happened. Sitting up, you took in your surroundings. Queenie sat in a chair in front of you. Face pale, skinnier than when you had last seen her. You were on the ground, cold concrete, so were the walls. She stood up from the chair and made her way around your body. Leaving out a metal door behind you. Only after turning to watch her leave do you realize your arms were chained to the ground. You weren't alone for long. The door scraped open behind you. You kept your head low. "I assumed someone would have gotten these chains off of you." He spoke. "Not like you really have any place to go." A shudder ran through your body. He was different. A different aura. "Sorry for my ungrateful hospitality, would you get these off her please." Grindelwald spoke. Palms reached for your arms, untangling your wrists from their shackles. Immediately you reached for your wand. "I'm sorry sweetness but of course I have to take my own precautions too." He said pulling out your wand from his coat, waving it in your direction. He stuffed it back into his pocket. "Now we have a lot to talk about." ----- "Where could she have gone?!" Theseus yelled. He had walked to your office to ask you some questions about your paperwork. You weren't there. He called his brother, Newt, over to help him find you. "Well I'm not too sure, I don't really have a tracker on her." Newt spoke. "Everything is still here so she couldn't have gone home." Theseus spoke. "Let me see her jacket." Newt spoke, his arm open for his brother to place it in. Creating a type of tracker new did locate where your last location was. But it only led him and Theseus to a small alley way. "Maybe she got robbed! Or kidnaped!" Theseus spoke. "I'm sure she's strong enough on her own to fight off a robber. Plus it would have shown us where she was if that was the case. She had to have taken a portkey. But to where?" "We were talking about Grindelwald the last time I saw her. You dont think..." "We have to go"

----- After arriving, the jacket continued to lead them where you had visited. The ruins seemed to have the same effect on them that it did on you. They stood still. Crunching leaves alerted them, finally allowing them an escape from the past. You stood there. Only it wasn't you. A hollow shell of the bright mind that once had hold over your body. Your wand was raised. Pointed at only Theseus. "y/n?" He spoke softly. Not even a blink. Figures appeared from smoke behind you. Credence, Abernathy, Vinda, Krall, Queenie. And finally Him himself. Newt and Theseus drew their wands. "What did you do to her?" Theseus voice almost broke. "Whatever do you mean?" Grindelwald spoke. "Look at her!" He screamed. He didn't have to turn around to see you. Under a charm that holds you a hostage. Trapped in your mind. Forced to watch. Grindelwald smirked. "I'm going to FUCKING KILL YOU!" Theseus screamed. A beam of orange threw itself out of his wand. No incantation. The black smoke covered anything that could be seen. But as it cleared up it was only you. On the ground. They both ran up to you. Theseus took your head in his lap, lightly tapping his palm to your cheek. "y/n?" He whispered. It wasn't a terribly strong spell. But you were weak. Frail. Paper. Your head felt weightless in his lap. Like you were a figment of his imagination. Newt sat there. No words. Only staring at his brother. He had reached down to your neck. No pulse. "What did he do to you." Theseus cried. Regret. Shame. He should have listened to you. He shouldn't have just brushed you off. To be totally honest the ministry wasn't trying as hard as they could have. They were waiting for him to make a reappearance. Anger. Why? Why would you come back here as if you had any authority in the first place. As if you wouldn't just remember everything that had happened when you showed up and realized you couldn't do it on your own. You knew how dangerous this was and you were still so stupid to do it. "You knew we were at least trying! We had an eye on his every move. So why! Why would you do this! To your job! Your family! Me." His tears continued to fall. Landing along your skin. Dripping on your forehead and your chin, falling down the sides of your neck. Your skin glowed. Weight finally pressed into his thighs. He looked down. Your eyes meeting. "Your alive?!" He got up. Pulling you by your shoulders to sit upright. Newt supported your back. Completely in awe that your still here. "He only kept me in my head. Your spell must have cracked the curse." You smiled up at him. "Or it could have been his love." Newt whispered. You blushed. "You cant scare me like that again, I wont let you leave me." He said pulling you into a tight hug. "I'm sorry for not paying attention to you. But you have to realize how dangerous this all was for you. Please make me listen to you next time, I cant live without you." He whispered. "I love you." "I love you too"

[angstigone]

WARNINGS: manga spoilers, angst related to such spoilers, she/her - afab character (she's called 'miss').

ten years have passed when you meet again the love of your life.

the birthday cake for denji is an afterthought when you are faced with the many beauties laid and exposed on the window of the bakery that you have been suggested by yoshida to visit after having received the task of ordering the cake for the birthday boy.

ten years had meant much - and an apocalypse avoided - and albeit devils still needed hunting and chainsaw man couldn't yet rest, there was a sense of peace that makes birthdays almost... good.

you are all trying to do better and task isn't excessive, especially when you are already on your way to work.

especially with the various beauties exposed as you think about sneaking a pastry with your coffee.

still, with the focus on the pastries, you don't notice the man adjusting them till it's too late to avoid awkward eye contact.

the situation is already awkward with you making bedroom eyes to a specific eclair, but the familiar features are what sold you.

dark blue hair and eyes of a shade that was just lighter although troubled by the dark eyes right beneath them. stress didn't seem to abandon aki hayakawa even in his second lifetime.

immediately your mind wanders to an explanation but the deer caught in headlight look is stronger and hence you and the baker-who-is-aki-but-also-isn't-aki find yourself staring at each other through the glass till it gets all back to you.

a snowball fight, not even a funeral and being forced to hide as to avoid makima.

maybe ten years might have been enough to get over it or not.

you ran then and thought of never going back.

and yet, it isn't like you could show up to denji's birthday party without cake, simply because you had met somebody that looked like the man that you had loved the most in your whole life. you could choose another place, you doubt that denji would notice the difference but there's a morbid curiosity as you walk in the shop this time, glad when the blue-eyed baker simply stays at the till while you look around the different cakes on the shelves.

albeit, it might not seem, though, you feel his gaze onto you and no matter the slightly cold air coming from outside, you are a sweaty mess once you have done your choice - you are glad that you had already made it the previous night - asking for the matcha and chocolate tiramisu.

you don't know why - this man isn't aki, you didn't see his body but you felt it when he died - but somehow you expect recognition from him, as if at any moment he might say 'hello, it's me, I am back'.

it shouldn't be that startling nor surprising to know that it won't happen.

"he is gone" you repeat to yourself, over and over "... he is gone, he is gone, he is go...".

«I am sorry, miss» the voice - it's the same, it's haunting how much it sounds the same and for a moment you think of asking him to say 'I love you' one more time - questions as you raise your eyes, risking of dropping your bag on the carpet «... I... well, will it be all?».

of course.

of course, he's a simple baker, not your aki.

«yes... ahem... no actually... I saw some eclairs would I be able to take them on the go, today? I... my friend will come to get it on the day of the birthday. should I leave you an account of the total for the cake?» it's a normal conversation.

a totally normal conversation with somebody that seems like aki and sounds like him.

«oh no, it's alright. just... I need a phone number for any... delays or such» he explains professionally although not without a sheen of nervousness, probably thought it's a mixture of tiredness and awkwardness.

you give him your number, although it'd be better to use yoshida's since he is the one doing the pickup but it's a self-indulgence that you allow, sure that from the moment you exit this place you won't ever think about the baker that shares so many traits with your beloved.

it'll just worsen everything for you.

«alright, miss... I'll call you for any delay but your friend should be able to pick it up at any time in the afternoon of thursday».

you nod, now your head downcast while your eclairs are packed and you give him your card, cursing yourself for not having chosen to pay in cash when the awkward time that awaits for the bank confirmation stretches uncomfortably.

«... I also... do know this might be a personal question and I... I just had this sensation... have we met before?».

no, this can't be happening. it defies any law that you have ever known, because people don't come back.

especially people that you prayed to come back at night while holding to their shirts till they lost the telltale smell of smoke and cologne and not eve a combination of cheap cigarettes and the specific perfume brought it back.

your legs want to go, but you find yourself anchored on the ground as you awkwardly stammer.

«I don't... I don't think so... I... it's the first time I came around this part of the city» not wholly a lie, but you feel like it'd be much to spring the truth: 'you look like a whole lot like the man that I loved with all my heart and who took it with him when he was gone' «... but I... well, it seems that I feel the same way... I mean... I got the same sensation».

because you know him, you wish to say, because he's your aki.

and he does smile like aki, all open and soft, holding his teeth back and all lips.

«oh then maybe... we have known each then...» he hands you your receipt as finally the bank sends the confirmation of your transaction «... in a previous lifetime».

[iplayguitarbutshesintodrummers]

Love is not a real thing | Calum Hood x Reader (she/her)

Autor note: I wrote this based in something i read on the 5sos wikipedia when i started to stan them that said that calum didn't believed in love

Also, sorry if there's any grammatical error, english Is not my first lenguage.

summary: you were friends with 5sos even before they started the band, Calum Is your best friend and to be honest you always had a tiny crush on him, until some time ago where your feelings started to grow stronger.

The problem here Is that calum wasn't a love believer, he would always complain about how hard relationships and love in general Is, just because he had some failed relationships for dating mean ass people.

But maybe..

Just maybe

You could make him think otherwise

Warning: dramatic confession, fluff too much fluff lol

Pov Y/N:

I would be lying if i say that i didn't felt anything for Calum, i've been having this weird feelings since we met, not so long ago i realized that i was in love with him.

But it was late now, we already have a strong friendship, telling him about my feelings would be like throw me off a cliff and im not willing to risk my treasured friendship for just some silly feelings that probably are just something that i would forget about as soon as i met someone else, right?

But i couldn't help it.

Sometimes i would just watch him exist when we hang out with the boys, getting lost in his eyes or just admiring his features, fantasizing about pressing my lips against his or whisper into his ear how much i loved him

A voice took me out of my thoughts

"Y/N, you okay? You have been dissociating for 20 minutes now"

Ashton said with a confused and worried expression

"yeah, everything's okay"

I took a sip of my drink and tried to catch up with everything the boys have been talking about, remembering the old times and getting nostalgic since the other day i was going to move to Nashville

calum was a little more quiet tonight, i tried not to make eye contact with him since i sweared that he was almost staring into my soul.

Luke turned towards Calum

"what's up with your love life, cal pal?"

"nothing new, mate, you already know how i feel about the whole love thing"

"what about you, Y/N?"

Luke asked me making me get out of my thoughts once again

"what about me...?"

"do you have a partner?"

Calum asked being straight forward

"uhm.. no i don't"

The topic stayed there and we didn't touched it again for the whole night.

It was past midnight when we decided that we should leave the bar.

Mostly because Luke and Michael were getting a little bit too tipsy.

Ashton offered to take them home, leaving Calum and me alone.

"i'll text you when i get home"

I was planning on walking back home, i needed some fresh air and a little walk won't hurt anyone.

"where are you going?"

Calum said with his arms crossed sightly raising his brow

"to my house..?"

"without me?"

Calum said sightly teasing before wrapping one of his arms around my shoulders as we started walking

"thanks for coming with me"

"whenever you want, rockstar"

as we walked towards my place we talked about a lot of random topics, sometimes we were even stopping our tracks to just talk

Like if we never wanted to arrive my place and end this night.

However, sooner or later that was going to happen.

we arrived to the front door of my house.

I unlocked it and turned to look at Calum.

"thanks for the walk"

"no worries, mate"

He waved at me and turned around as he started walking away.

It was now or never

"Calum!"

He stopped his tracks and looked at me

"hm?"

"..."

I took a deep breath trying to find the correct words

"i.."

"i love you"

His eyes widened sightly and then he smiled kindly

"love you too"

He turned around and kept walking away.

What the hell have just happend..?

He thought i said it in a friendly meanor..?

I noticed that it started to drizzle, i just hoped he would get home safe and dry at least.

Pov Calum:

I left Y/N's house as soon as i could, even if i didn't meant to but i just felt like i needed to leave running out of there.

I felt my breath heavier, a huge weight over my shoulders and how my heart was beating like if it was going to get out of my chest at any moment.

It was just a simple, friendly "I love you" right?

I shouldn't be overthinking it that much, but i couldn't help it.

There was something in they way she said it that it made it have so much power over me.

I arrived to my place and just lied on my couch looking at the ceiling just trying to think of something else, but my thoughts always leaded to her, to Y/N.

The question flooded my mind "what did she meant by that?" Was she just being friendly? Or was she flirting with me?

I started to get frustrated because i had so many questions and not a single answer

I would be lying if i say i haven't been some kind of attracted to Y/N lately, but i feel like she's completely out of my reach, not only because she's one of my best friends since forever but because i feel like she's too much for me, i wouldn't be able to give her what she deserves, and i would end up messing everything up like i always do in my relationships

However

I needed to get it out of my chest, we hated having secrets between us, after all, she was moving to Nashville tomorrow and it was my last chance.

I stood up, took my car keys and opened the door to leave my house and go to look for Y/N

What i didn't expected was to find her there right in front of me under the rain

"Y/N?"

She interrupted me

"when i told you that i love you"

"i was being serious"

"Cal, if im going to leave i think you deserve to know what has been through my mind lately"

"i.. i think i developed feelings for you"

My eyes widened, the hell we actually shared braincells..

"Y/N-"

"don't say anything i don't want answers, i just want to get this out of my chest"

"i really like you Cal."

"im not saying we could be something like boyfriend and girlfriend because i don't know how you feel about this and also the fact that you say "you always mess up" in relationships and that you don't believe in love"

"and that's what i wanted to talk to you about"

"you sticked to the idea that you are not worth of love and that you always mess up your relationships and it ends up happening just because you are constantly thinking about it. And i hate seeing you torturing yourself like that. You are worth of love Cal, you are a good partner, you are everything anyone would wish in a relationship"

"and im sick of you not believing me, you think you always mess up because you think you are "too boring" or "too simple"

"When in reality you are not anything of that, and your exes just couldn't actually see who you really are and what you actually worth"

"you are the most talented, kindest, funniest, and romantic person i know and i can't stand you not believing that because some bullshit people made you think otherwise"

Her voice started to break

'i just-"

"i wished you could see yourself like I see you so you could understand why i like you so much"

"i wish you could see that love Is a real thing, that love Is not really what you think it Is"

"i wished you could give me a chance to prove to you that you never were the problem and that you just needed to find the correct person.."

I felt a knot in my throat i just needed to hug her and cry in her arms, i needed to hear that so bad.

I just didn't thought that hearing it from her could be so relieving

There was a long silence between us while i was trying to find the correct words to say.

Suddenly she took a step closer

"Calum.."

I looked at her

"promise me that when you fall in love again.. you'll think about what i told you

And promise me that, in that case, you would be positive enough to make things work"

"Y/N.."

My voice breaking

"i promise i would be positive enough to make things work between us"

"wait wha-?"

I didn't wanted to hear anything more, I cupped her face with my hands and kissed her without warning.

At first i felt her tense, she didn't expected me to do that, but then she gave in and kissed me back.

some seconds after we both pulled away and i pressed my forehead against her's

"am i being too dramatic if i say you might be my end game?"

I said with a silly little grin in my face

"kind of, but that's what i like about you"

Pls reblog if you liked this, you would help me a lot

The fics requests are open btw! Tysm for reading <3

[afleetoftrashships]

Edit: now calling this 'unknowingly claimed' cause it won't leave my head. Here, have a Masterpost

After Sam left, and Baby was Dean's, he ran his fingers over this carving every chance he got. Whenever he slept in Baby, he would sleep with one hand over touching it, remembering how close he and Sam were before.

It took him days to accept that Sam was really gone, weeks to accept he wasn't coming back, and months to accept that it was better that way.

Their dad was right, if Sam was out then Dean couldn't risk keeping in contact, couldn't visit or talk to his brother. It would only put a target on his back.

But Baby didn't feel like home, not anymore. Not when there was noone there to roll their eyes when Dean put on Zeppelin, or to insist he eat something green once in a while, or to snore safe and sound in the passenger seat on a cross country drive. Dean would never admit it, but he kept one of Sam's dumb Celine Dion cassette tapes in his duffle and after Sam had been gone two weeks dean knew it by heart just in case Sam changed his mind.

After 6 months, Dean accepted he would never see his Sam ever again. He got blind drunk, and got Sam's initials tattooed on his hip, as a mark of ownership (because the first thing that defined who he was as a person was Sam so he would always be first and foremost Sam's), as a reminder of why he has to keep hunting/living/fighting (Sammy never wanted this life), and as a reminder that everyone will leave. He sobered up and realised what he'd done, and it was the first time he felt peace since Sam left.

Most one night stands didn't care about the initials - why would they? But Cassie did, and her stubborn drive to know and inability to leave it alone pushed him past all the feelings of pain/failure/loss/despair and for the first time he was able to talk about his Sam without being three sheets to the wind. He talked about his Sammy, and sobbed because he failed/lost/can't protect his Sammy, but never specified who that was. She thought it was his only true love, someone who has died.

When he told her about the hunting the next day, she thought he was trying to find an excuse to leave because he'd been vulnerable, when in reality, he had already told her the most important part of his existence, so why hide anything else?

But when he came back and introduced his brother Sam, his Sammy? She knew she never had a claim on any part of Dean Winchester. Because he was already claimed in every way.

>>Sam

[pixeldolly]

The Sacrifice - Part 5

Evelyn's sensitive nose identified apartment A3 as Roman's last known destination, where his scent faded into nothingness. Her nerves were on edge: something about that place made her heckles rise, although she couldn't put her finger on it.

Meanwhile, Jacob tried to gather information using more conventional methods.

"Damn it! There's no name on the mailbox."

"We could just try knocking."

"And say what? 'Oh hello, sorry to disturb you at this hour, perfect stranger, but have you, by any chance, seen our missing friend? He's tall, blond, completely gorgeous?'"

"Gorgeous, huh?"

"I didn't mean it like that! I'm just stating an objective fact."

Evelyn decided to stop teasing him; they could revisit the matter of Jacob's unresolved feelings for Roman once they found him safe and sound.

Like it or not, someone needed to try talking to whoever lived in apartment 3A and see if they knew anything about Roman's whereabouts. It was their best lead. Their only lead, in fact.

Heart pounding, Jacob summoned up his nerve and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, he knocked again, louder this time, then a few more times after that.

Still, nothing.

If anyone was at home, they weren't answering.

Frustrated, Jacob signalled for Evelyn to come out of hiding. That had been her idea, since the sudden appearance of a werewolf on one's doorstep after dark tended to make people less than willing to open the door.

"I don't like this, Jake. There's something really weird about that place. Being close to it feels like approaching a bear's den; your fur stands on end and you can practically taste the danger."

Jacob, who liked it less and less himself, turned his attention to the apartment on the left.

"There's a light on in Fiona's bedroom; that means she's at home."

"It might also mean she's busy, if you know what I mean."

Jacob was willing to risk it; his sister would be supremely pissed if he interrupted her date, but this was important.

To his relief, Fiona turned out to be home alone. Not that he expected her to be eager to help; the two of them had never been close, and Fiona was no fan of Roman Turner.

Well, if he had to beg, he'd beg.

"Hi, sis. Sorry to drop in on you like this, but we, uhh...we need your help. It's about Roman..."

He glanced at Evelyn for support.

"He's...kind of gone missing, and we have reason to think he might be in this building."

"Possibly against his will. Can we talk? Please?"

Fiona Merridew stared at her impromptu visitors, hand on hip and an unimpressed look on her face. The silence stretched uncomfortably long, becoming brittle.

"And I thought this was going to be a boring evening," Fiona said at last. "Please, do come in, and bring me up to speed on the latest drama involving your ex."

Her acid tone and withering gaze made both Evelyn and Jacob wince.

"This is ridiculous, you know that, right? Even if he is next door, has it occurred to you that he may want to be there? And that he doesn't want to be contacted? It wouldn't be the first time he's gone off with a new lover and left you high and dry."

Jacob bit his lip; what if his sister was right, and he'd made up this whole kidnapping fantasy because he didn't want to consider the more mundane alternative?

But no, Evelyn and Ulf believed it too!

"There's some bad vibes coming out of that place. Whatever's going on in there, I don't like it."

"What's going on is probably Eliza casting some spells -"

"Wait - Eliza? You know her, then?"

"I know her name's Eliza Clare and she's a dark witch who recently moved back into town. We spoke a bit the other day, but she's not my friend or anything."

Jacob felt his legs turn to jelly on the spot, and a lump of ice settled into the pit of his stomach. The room, together with Evelyn and Fiona, swam before his eyes.

"Oh no...oh no no no!"

"What's the matter with you?"

"That's her! Roman's mother! The witch who did terrible things to him as a child! He told me! He said her name was Eliza Clare!"

"Now you're making even less sense than before. The woman who lives next door is in her 30s - there's no way she's old enough to have a son of Roman's age."

"She's a witch! Couldn't she make herself younger with magic?"

"Well, there are various illusion spells one could use to project a different appearance, but they're inconvenient to cast and maintain long-term...Then there are the more permanent methods, but that's where we start getting into blood sacrifices and demon-summoning."

There was a pause, during which the temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

"Hmmm...come to think of it, she does resemble Roman quite a bit."

"Well, shit."

[carlsdarling]

Your first time with Carl headcanons (it's also his first time)

Sexy and fluffy alphabet. Everyone is 18 or over.

WARNINGS: smut, nsfw

A - Aftercare

You lay there completely exhausted and cuddled together, a little embarrassed but happy. Carl kept apologizing that it had hurt at the very beginning, but you reassured him and told him that it was normal and that you liked it anyway. Again and again you affirmed how much you love each other.

B - Body

It was unusual at first to see you completely naked, but the awkwardness quickly faded, and then you couldn't stop exploring and caressing each other's body. Carl, however, didn't want to take off his bandage, even though you know what his eye looks like and don't care. But you respected his wish to make him feel comfortable and safe.

C - Cum

Carl used a condom, so you didn't have direct contact with his cum. However, you are curious about his cum, how it feels, how it smells and tastes.

D - Dirty Secret

What Carl doesn't tell you: He practiced using condoms beforehand because he was afraid he wouldn't get it done at the crucial moment. He even asked Glenn about it, and you can believe me - Carl was fiery red in the face and was stuttering. He was very very ashamed xD

E - Experience

You both didn't have any, all you did before was kiss and fondle each other over your clothes. You didn't really plan your first time, it just came up because Rick and Michonne were out of the house in the evening to attend a meeting.

F - Favorite position

Since you were both inexperienced, you did it in the missionary position. At first you couldn't handle it and you were both awkward. You had to laugh. The angle wasn't perfect, the pillows fell off the bed, and Carl was uncertain how to proceed until you took his cock in your hand and guided it to the right position.

G - Gentle

Carl was very careful and gentle, fearing he might be hurting you. But there was a long foreplay, and oh my, were you wet for him, so it didn't hurt very much, although he is on the larger side.

H - Hair

You had just shaved the night before, which embarrassed Carl because he doesn't really shave his pubes and then was unsure if you would prefer him to. You couldn't care less though, you like him just the way he is.

I - Intimacy

It was very intimate and loving and brought you even closer together. You literally can't imagine living without Carl by your side now. And you keep thinking about doing it with him again.

J - Jealousy

You're constantly jealous of Enid, even though Carl gives you no reason to be. But she's always stalking him, and it bothers you.

K - Kink

The two of you are far to inexperienced to even think about kinks rn ;)

L - Location

Carl's bed. Of course you chose a comfortable and safe place for your first time. Anything else would have been unthinkable, you were nervous enough as it was.

M - Motivation

You both had the desire, and when you started kissing and caressing each other, it was very quickly clear that much more was going to happen that night.

N - No Go

Cheating on you. He would never do it, he loves you with all his heart.

O - Oral

You did each other briefly, it was new and unusual, but you both liked it and want to do it again. Carl loves it when you suck his cock while stroking his balls.

P - Pace

At first, Carl was so hesitant that he barely moved. It wasn't until you let him know you were ok that he made slow and gentle thrusts, and then it was over really fast.

Q - Quickies

Maybe after you've had sex a few times. Right now, everything is still too new for you, and you prefer an undisturbed place where you can both take your time and be with one another. Therefore, quickies are out of the question.

R - Risk

You thought it wasn't risky because Rick and Michonne weren't there and you had planned to go home afterwards. What you didn't plan on was falling into a deep slumber afterwards. When Rick and Michonne returned home, there was a thunderstorm, so Michonne went into Carl's room to close the window and discovered you tightly curled up in bed together. You were obviously naked under the blankets, and there was a used condom stuck to a piece of toilet paper on Carl's nightstand. Michonne's first impulse was to wake you both up and scold you, but she chose not to. You were that age, you had at least used protection, and it was clear that sooner or later it would happen. So she quietly closed the door behind her and then carefully taught Rick that Carl was now sexually active. Rick is glad you're the one - he trusts you.

S - Stamina

Carl has no stamina at all yet, he literally cum after a minute. He was still trying to hold back, but you told him to let himself go, and then he was cumming right away.

T - Time

It happened later in the evening. By then you had been together for a few months and you felt you could trust Carl.

U - Unfair

When you guys did it again the next morning, Carl wanted to try a different position, but that was too much for you and you wanted to keep the missionary position for now. He pouted a bit and said that was unfair; he would have liked you to ride him and to bounce on him.

V - Volume

There were only small sighs and sharp breathing at first, but as the two of you proceeded, you started moaning his name, and that turned Carl on so much that he started moaning as well.

W - Wildcard

Enid had planned to seduce Carl in the near future to steal him away from you that way. She thought if she outran you and had sex with him first, he would fall in love with her and finally leave you. Since she and Carl are friends, she knew you guys hadn't slept with each other yet. She tried to hook up with him before, but Carl rejected her immediately and made it clear that they are just friends and he loves you. He kept that to himself because he knew how much it upset you and he wasn't going for it anyway.

X - X-Factor

Carl would never admit it, but he was afraid of maybe not getting it up due to nervousness. He was worrying about that for nothing, his cock was as hard as a rock. He was also afraid he would come too quickly, which turned out to be true, but you didn't mind. You thought it was cute how excited he was.

Y - Yes

You don't regret that Carl was your first and, vice versa, he thinks you're just perfect for him. He's glad he chose you over Enid.

Z - Zzzzz

You fell asleep together afterwards and didn't wake up until Judith was crying the next morning. You looked at each other a little shyly and then kissed, giggled and started a round of morning sex.

[hand-picked-star]

The 13th Anniversary Arshi Fiesta

Moodboard :Historical AU

Whispers of the Heart | Chapter 16

I am not very good at writing ffs. I even read ffs very selectively. But it was an attempt of me to participate in the 13th-anniversary arshi fiesta.

I might be wrong about certain aspects of that age and era, but it's a fantasy, so why not? I don't own Arnav and Khushi and the story is purely fictional and has no relation to any living or dead. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

WARNING: 18+, MATURE CONTENT

Chapter 16

Dear Arnav,

I am writing with the last hope of reaching out to you with my words. I know you don't want to talk to me, and that is completely justified. This is my last attempt to contact you. I will not disturb you again.

First of all, I just wanted to say sorry for hurting you and your family unknowingly. I didn't know your father was married. As a sixteen-year-old girl with eyes full of rosy dreams, I couldn't resist the charm of my handsome neighbour. I was living with my old mother as my father died in the war when I was very young. Your father did marry me under my mother's persistence. And these are no justification for how I hurt your mother. I am truly sorry for what happened because of me. I didn't know any of that until your father shot himself.

Shortly after your father's death, I discovered I was pregnant. My mother refused to take any responsibility for me, so I moved to the other side of the city to start a new life with my baby. But perhaps God is punishing me for my misdeeds. I am dying. My liver is completely destroyed. The doctors say I only have a few months to live.

I had completely lost all hope, but one day I saw you at the farmer's market. You looked so much like your father, and upon asking, I learned your name. I knew in my heart that you were his son. I know it's extremely selfish of me to ask for your help, but you are the last hope of this dying mother. Please take care of my daughter after I die. She is only eleven. After I pass away, her only options will be either an orphanage or the street. I don't have any relatives left. Please, Arnav, take care of your sister. You are her last hope.

And if possible, please forgive me. I am leaving my address on the back. If you can, please visit us, your sister would like to meet you too. Even if you don't want to fulfil my request, I would still like the chance to apologize to you face-to-face.

Natalia Singh Raizada

As Khushi read the letter she found on the coat rack, which must have fallen from Arnav's coat, she felt her world flip upside down. Her mind went back to their fight last night, and Khushi remembered all the horrible things she had said to him. In every way she could hurt him, she hurt him where it hurt the most.

Last night, Arnav came back after a few hours and then locked himself in the study. Khushi spent the night on the living room sofa as she couldn't go back to the bed they shared and fell asleep in the wee hours of dawn. Arnav went to work before she woke up. Now, Khushi sat at the dining table with the letter, looking at the cold toast and omelette he had made for her. The food made her cry, not because it was cold but because the person who had made them. She had hurt him terribly. Still he was considerate enough to make breakfast for her. She polished off the plate like it was the most delicious meal she ever had.

Khushi knew she had to apologize to him. She would bear all his anger and do whatever it took for his forgiveness. An overwhelming sense of failure as a wife, as a best friend, as a lover gripped her heart in a vise-like grip. She had known him her whole life. He had always taken care of her. He had defied his conscience, risked facing scrutiny from the society and her babuji's wrath to marry her, always providing her with the best of his world. All she needed to do was love him and trust him. And she had failed at that.

She had reached a conclusion without verifying the facts, believing him to be a liar, all because she felt insecure. She had believed someone's words who clearly wanted to drive a wedge between them, instead of believing her husband.

As time seemed to crawl by, each minute feeling like an eternity until Arnav returned, Khushi found herself unable to sit still. In an effort to occupy her mind and pass the agonizing wait, she began meticulously cleaning the house, hoping the physical activity would distract her from the tumultuous thoughts swirling in her mind.

Arnav returned very late at night, entering the house silently. Khushi had been waiting for him in the living room. When she saw him, she stood up, and they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.

"Did you have dinner?" Khushi broke the silence, her hands wringing continuously.

Arnav nodded silently, looking at the floor, and turned towards the study, likely intending to spend the night there. However, he stopped midway when she called his name.

"Arnav... I'm sorry," her voice caught, but she managed to get the words out. Khushi was so ridden with guilt that she couldn't say anything more.

Arnav nodded silently. "It's okay," he said, still looking at the floor. When Khushi didn't say anything further, he spun on his heel to go to the study, locking the door behind him. Khushi walked up to the door and tried to knock, but instead, she placed her hand flat against the wood and pressed her cheek against it, desperate to feel his presence through the door.

(end of flashback)

That was seven days ago when Khushi apologized to Arnav. Although Arnav said it was okay, things were not the same anymore. He didn't sleep in the study anymore, but he didn't hold her in bed either. He didn't reject her touch though. But one time when Khushi draped her hand across his chest, he stiffened. Khushi withdrew her hand silently as her whole body burned with hurt. She never thought her touch would hurt him someday. He hadn't touched her at all, and it was the longest they had gone without being intimate with each other. He only replied when asked a direct question and couldn't even look at her. His nonchalance had made Khushi so emotional that she couldn't initiate a heart-to-heart conversation with him. All her words had jumbled into a giant mess. Khushi feared whether she had killed the part of him that loved her. She was terrified he wouldn't be able to forgive her for how she had hurt him. That was the one past he had tried to escape his whole life, and her behaviour, her accusations, brought him back to square one. Khushi could feel he was hurting but didn't know how to make things right.

All these thoughts swirled around her head as she sat on the bench. She usually sat there every afternoon, feeding the swans that gathered in their front yard. Some of the swans had become friendly and let her pet them. One such swan came to her, seeking attention. Overcome with emotion, Khushi hugged the swan and let go of the tears she had been holding back. She missed Amma so much. Amma would know what to do in this situation, how to talk to the love of her life, and how to break down the wall he had built around himself. As Khushi calmed down, she thought she knew what Amma would say. Amma would say that Khushi just had to apologize sincerely. She had to make things right between them, and for that, she needed to talk to him and bare her heart and soul.

She gathered herself up and went inside the house. She changed her saree and tried to present herself a little better. But Devyani ji came and whisked her away to a nearby tea party. It was already dark when she returned, and she knew Arnav was home by his shoes at the door. But he was not in the bedroom, and the study door was closed. It was no surprise that he was there. Khushi sighed sadly, realizing her opportunity of talking to him for that day was gone. She went to their bedroom to change for bed. One of his shirts was lying there on the back of a chair. She took it in her hand and brought it to her nose, pressing her face in it. Tears gathered in her eyes. She took the shirt and wore it over her pyjama bottoms. Instantly, his scent engulfed her in a tight embrace, making her miss him even more.

Not being able to get into the bed without him, she went across the living room to the study door. She knew it was locked but still gave it a try to twist the doorknob. Surprisingly, it was open. She went inside silently and spotted him lying on the sofa, sleeping soundly, still in his work clothes. There were dark circles under his eyes. She wondered if it was more peaceful for him to sleep here than with her. Khushi missed his touch so much. She sat on the floor near his hip and softly, without trying to disturb him, placed her head on the side of his thigh and closed her eyes. This little touch would have to do for now, she thought to herself.

But Arnav's eyes flew open, and he got up with a start, surprised to see Khushi on the floor.

"What are you doing down there? Come here," Arnav said, grabbing her by the shoulders and making her sit on the sofa, face-to-face with him.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I just couldn't sleep, so I came here and found you on the sofa," she prattled on, clutching her night clothes.

The Arnav looking at her was the Arnav she knew and loved throughout her life, not the one who couldn't even look at her. And Khushi's dam broke. She continued looking at him as her tears became uncontrollable, and she started talking rapidly, hardly making any sense.

"Arnav... I am so sorry... what I did was wrong... I shouldn't have done that... I am so sorry... please, forgive me," she let out with great difficulty amidst her hiccups.

"Shhh... Khushi, it's ok....stop crying," He took her face in his hands, wiping her tears urgently with his thumb. Khushi placed both of her hands over his on her face.

"No, it's not ok. What I did was completely wrong. I should have talked to you, I should have believed you."

"Why didn't you?"

"I...I felt so.... I don't know why she made me feel that way, Arnav.....She, I mean, Ms. Kashyap... " She took a deep breath and continued, "When I found out about her last summer, I thought you would marry her. And I loved you, and I assumed you didn't love me back.... that you loved her. My mind kept forming scenarios with you and her. It was.....it was horrible." She paused for a bit and then whispered, ".....But it isn't an excuse for what I did, or what I said. It was wrong."

Arnav looked at her with an unreadable expression, grasped both of her hands in his and raised them to his lips. He placed a kiss on her knuckles as he got lost in his thoughts. But Khushi wasn't finished.

"And then I saw you coming out of that lady's house." Arnav's eyes snapped to meet hers.

"Which lady?"

"Who came to our house the other day."

Realization dawned on Arnav as she continued talking. "And the lady has a 'Raizada' in her name. I should have been smarter. I judged too quickly. I thought of the worst..." Khushi lowered her eyes and continued, "I read the letter she sent you. It might have fallen from your coat jacket... "

As Arnav absorbed all the facts and contempleted about what she had actually thought, his face became horrified.

"Oh, sweetheart, I am so sorry," Arnav said, engulfing her in his arms. Khushi clutched the back of his shirt tightly with both hands, hiding her face in his neck. Arnav held her close by her waist, gently rubbing her back to soothe her. "Shhh... I should have told you about her sooner, but I was caught off guard. I wasn't ready to deal with her yet."

"You don't get to say sorry today," Her voice muffled in his neck, tears soaking his shirt. "I am sorry. I should have believed in you." She let go of his shirt and peppered kisses all over his face.

"Shhhh... calm down," he said, taking her in his arms again. As she calmed down, their heartbeats synchronized against each other. Her limbs felt heavy.

Arnav brought her face to meet his and cupped her cheeks to wipe the remnants of tears. Her hands wrapped around his wrists instantly. She was starving for his touch and his thumb tracing her cheeks gently made her believe that everything was right in her world again. He tilted her head slightly to look in her eyes.

"And I am sorry about Lavanya too," he said softly. When Khushi was about to protest, he silenced her with a shake of his head. "There was nothing between her and me, Khushi. And I am saying this for the last time," he whispered, touching their noses together, their breaths intermingling.

And, then he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, "I've loved you for the last two years, Khushi and I love you now..... and I'll love you even when you have some of your front teeth missing." This made both of them laugh and their laughter dissipated some of the sadness around them. As their skin continued to touch, the air filled with a different kind of electricity.

"We probably should talk some more," Arnav murmered in the space between them.

"We can always talk tomorrow."

Their lips met with a fierceness that surprised both of them. All the hurt, guilt, longing, and anxiety blended together, transforming into this fiery exchange. Arnav pulled her onto his lap, clutching her waist in a bruising grip, while she clutched his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, holding on desperately.

Soon, Their kiss calmed down, transforming into a more languid and relaxed pace, the frantic energy calming into something more smooth- a contained burn rather than a wildfire. His fingers traced a tender path along her jawlines, her hair and settled into the curve of her neck. She responded by pulling him closer as a silent plea for more. Their bodies moved in sync, drawing closer until there was no space left between them. Her hair cascaded around them like a curtain, cocooning them from the outside world.

His hands, full of desire, began to wander across her body, moving slowly but purposefully toward her chest. With a gentle squeeze, he caressed her soft curves over the shirt she was wearing, eliciting a shiver from her as she felt his body responding accordingly underneath hers. Breaking the kiss Arnav looked at her deeply, both of them breathing heavily. His hands continued to explore, tenderly tracing the contours of her form. He undid the first two buttons of the shirt and placed a kiss on the centre of her chest. He continued unbuttoning and kissing the newly exposed skin as he went, gradually revealing her body inch by inch.

A soft whimper escaped her lips, when his fingertips came in contact with her naked skin, their roughness grazing her soft and sensitive flesh, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body. He wrapped his lips around one of her hardened peaks and sucked it softly.

Cradling his head in both of her hands, She placed a soft kiss on the crown of his head, then on his forhead, his eyebrows and kept planting tiny kisses in between soft gasps wherever her lips could reach as he showered her chest with attention. His lips and tongue explored each inch of her with tender care. His kisses travelled to her collarbone and neck as he asked against her skin, "And why are you wearing my shirt?"

"Because it smells like you, and I was missing you," she whispered into his ear, placing a soft kiss before sinking her teeth into his earlobe.

"Did you just bite me?" A smirk threatened to form on his lips as he looked at her sternly.

"I might have." Khushi bit her lower lip to control her giggle.

"You know I can bite you back, don't you?"

"You will bit me back anyways."

"Tell me to stop biting you and I will. I am an obedient husband after all." They grinned at each other, eyes twinkling with mirth. "And stop biting your lips, that's my job."

Arnav pressed his lips to hers and as promised nibbled on her lower lip. They began undressing each other. When Khushi tried to take off the shirt, he stopped her and said in between kisses, "Keep it on. It looks good on you."

He carefully positioned her in his lap again by holding her by her bottoms and they both hissed at the contact. Khushi steadied herself by gripping his shoulders as he slowly guided her down onto him, inch by inch. She whimpered in his neck as he sheathed himself into her to the hilt. Without delay, he began to move her in a steady rhythm, repeatedly filling her as her nails dug into his skin. His each deliberate and measured move sent waves of pleasure through both of them. Her soft gasps near his ear, as his length pressed deeply into her, causing shivers to run down his spine. His hands glided along her back, her sides, her bottom, her thigh, everywhere he could reach. And she melted into him. Her breathing quickened and she pressed her lips fervently against his as she surrendered herself to the sensation.

Khushi alternated between kissing him and gazing at his eyes, as she moved over him. She explored every inch of his skin available to her with soft, lingering kisses. From his neck to his jaw, his shoulders to his nose, as if she worshipped him with her lips. Her hardened peaks brushed against his chest as his hands gently controlled her movement. Their rhythm was unhurried, akin to a slow dance. In between deep strokes, he held her tightly for a bit and simply breathed her in with his forehead resting on her collarbone, his breath tickling her skin, while her fingers combed through his hair.

As Khushi savoured every moment of their togetherness, she realized she liked gazing into his eyes up close like this. She was captivated by the emotions swirling in his caramel-brown gaze. There was an intensity in his touch, in his kiss, his gaze tonight, that unsettled Khushi. And she hated it. It wasn't the kisses or the touch she disliked, but rather the fact that she made him feel like he needed to reassure her of his love. He didn't need to. Not anymore. She knew he loved her and she promised herself to always trust in his love. Now, she needed him to have the same faith in her as well.

"I love you," she said, cupping his face and gazing deeply into his eyes, feeling a slow, intense fire threatening to consume her.

"I know," he whispered as he closed the distance between their lips. As he deepened the kiss, one of his hands joined her body where they were joined. With time, they both welcomed the fire that ran through their veins as the sensation wrapped them in its warm embrace.

"I love you more than you know,'' she breathlessly murmured against his lips.

<previous> | <next>

@arshifiesta @featheredclover @phuljari

[renren-006]

Hi! Can you write a request for dead reckoning Ethan Hunt? Maybe something where the team, Ethan and the reader are on the mission looking for the key (reader and Ethan are a couple). The mission turns out well. Ethan gets the two parts of the key, but just when he is about to go back to the rest of the team, Benji tells him that the ‘bad guys’ took the reader and Ethan feel his whole world falling and he is willing to risk the whole mission to save the reader.

After fighting a lot of men, he finally finds the reader in the hands of Gabriel and Ethan fights Gabriel with all the hate in his heart for hurting the one he loves.

Then Ethan goes to the reader and he is just really sweet and tender comforting her and asking if she’s okay and he is just happy that she’s alright.

I really hope you can understand, I’m not the best with words😩

It’s totally fine if you don’t want to! Thanx!

Reckoning | Ethan Hunt x Reader

word count: 1972

warning: fluff, good backstory, action, kiddnapping and blood

a/n: hey hey!! yesss!! thank you so much for requesting something!! i loved the movie and i thought about like a love interest other than Ilsa (i do love her character) in the movie!! hope you enjoy!

(for the gif, your ilsa!)

“So, you need my help?” you asked Benji, Luthor and Ilsa who were all three sitting across from you at a coffee shop in Italy. You had been there a few days, tracking Ethan after he told you to go off the radar but you were never one to follow orders, even from the man you loved. 

“In short yes” benji said, “Ethan doesn't know any of us are looking for him”

“Of course he doesn't” You said, sighing, your purse hung on the back of your chair, which you picked up. You dug around for some money for the table. “So when are we leaving?” you asked. Benji smiled.

“He's going to be mad when he realizes we got you involved,” Ilsa told you. She flung her arm between yours as you walked out. The two of you had become close in the years since you first met. Years since Illsa first realized that Ethan already had the one he loved and that's why he never would have left with her. Once she found me and apologized, I told her that I could use a friend like her, someone who trusted Ethan, and who would fight with him. You and her had your own ways of keeping in contact with one another. 

“I know, but that's just something he'll have to deal with,” you told her. She smiled and the four of you walked out to get ready to go and track down Ethan, which was simple enough seeing as multiple different people were after him in Rome. When you managed to pinpoint his location and get him into the truck he was quite surprised at the gang in the car and soon more surprised by you sitting in the seat next to Luthor. 

Ethan stood on the balcony of the building you all took up residence in. The golden sky shone over Venice and created a lumenus look to Ethan. When he noticed your presence a wide smile replaced the solom one he had. 

“I didn't want you involved with this Y/N” Ethan told you, you laughed slightly as you walked into his arms. 

“I know” you told him, hugging him hard, “i love you too much to let you handle this on your own” 

“I love you too Y/N” Ethan told you. The two of you had been together for years. It started when you joined the mission during the collapse of the IMF after the bomb at the Kremlin. You were a friend of Benjis and he wanted your help with the team so you promised to meet at the train station before it left. So when you met Ethan that night and continued to work together, you couldn't help the developing feelings that you had. You knew about the truth of his ex-wife and you knew he had moved on. You knew this because Ethan told you the first night in that train car. You had sat atop the car that night, couldn't sleep after knowing that you were about to stop a nuclear attack. When Ethan joined you he told you, spilling everything he had been thinking about because he said he needed a friend and that you were new, knew almost nothing about him, and for some reason trusted you. You were friends for a bit but then you told him you loved him and he took you out to some nic restaurant and told you he loved you too. 

“I'm going with you to that meeting tonight,” you told him. Ethans face paled at the thought of you there with Gabrial and the others, it made his skin crawl. 

“I can't let you go, hunny if something happens to you…''Ethan said, begging almost that you didn't follow him into the White Widows den. “Nothing will, Ilsa will be there, she wont let something bad happen to me” You told him, holding his face to look at you. “Nothing bad will happen to me”

Ethan, you and Ilsa turned up at the meeting that night. You wore an old dress Ethan gave for missions, something easy to run and fight in, but also something fitting. It was a blue dress, almost silk. You walked into the party, your arm through Ethans as you walked around looking for Grace. Once you found her, and the rest of the party arrived for that special little meeting the night turned sour and memoryless. After the meeting commenced and Gabrial decided that your life was one he's considered ending for the sake of divinity and driving Ethan crazy you knew your promise to him was going to be broken. 

“You choose the girl, or you can let her die the pretty one with the dress” Gabrial said, eying you up. He knew how he could have known. Ethan stuterd and glanced between you and Grace. Ilsa sat there shocked, wondering what her life was worth and seemingly nothing in Gabriel's eyes. As he walked away you remember the hatred in his eyes towards Gabriel. 

You didn't remember how Gabriel got you alone in that halfway with five other men around you, but it happened. Ethan was off somewhere and Ilsa was too, it was just you in that hallway. You reached down to your thigh grabbing the knife you had there. You readied yourself for the men that were coming after you, one after another you took them down, slice, punch, kick, slice, punch, kick slice. You were remarkable with a knife and hand to hand combat. When it was Gabriel walking towards you, two knives in hand you knew you had to fight to stay alive. The two of you slashed and jabbed, your arms cut and bruised, your sides kicked and stabbed. You were limping, barely able to hold yourself up and your dress now had several slashes in them revealing your skin underneath. That fight ended with you dropping unconscious. 

Ethan was chasing after Grace while Ilsa was on the Widow getting her half of the key. Once they both had their respective keys and the other party seemingly unhappy, they met up and connected the key. 

“Ethan” Benji's voice sounded over the radio waves. 

“Talk to me,” Ethan said. The static over the radio was deafening.

“They got Y/N” Benji said. The deafening silence that followed made Ilsa tense. Her friend and the love of Ethans life was taken from both of them. Ethans whole world felt like it was crumbling away. “Gabriel is heading twords a bridge” Benjis voice broke ethan out of his inner thoughts. He looked up hatred clear on his face. 

“Benji, get me there now” He said running off, Ilsa still standing with the key in hand. “Ilsa get that to Luthor” and he was gone. Ilsa ran back to Luthor Key, placed safely in his hands. 

“Ilsa, you need to stop Ethan, if he kills Gabriel then we might not know what this leads to and how to kill the entity” Ilsa stopped from walking away, knowing that if she stopped ethan form the revenge he seeks for his past and for his lover right now, he could hate Ilsa for the rest of his life. “Promise me you'll stop him”

“If it means stopping the entity, then ill do it” Ilsa said, “but he wont like me taking…”

“I know, but revenge comes later,” Luthor told her. Grace sat peacefully in the chair across from him, worrying over her life and the lives of those set back out to fight gabriel. Once she had given the key to Ethan she raced back to the safe space of this room after being instructed to. She didn't want to run anymore, not after everything her life had led her too. 

Ethan raced down the paths that Benji gave him, and soon he reached the bridge. There he saw you a knife to your throat, wounds on your skin and Gabriel behind you. Your neck was twisted at an uncomfortable angle while he dig the knife further in, little drops of blood seeping out form under the knife. You lipped when Gabriel walked or studdard in his moves, you were in a great deal of pain and you wanted to lie down. Ethan's view turned red at the sight of you. He wanted to kill Gabriel and Ilsa was still blocks away from the bridge. Ethan walked up the bridge, jacket forgotten at the bottom. At first Gabriel tried to use you as a way to deter Ethan, but with your injuries you only made Gabriel weaker. He threw you down onto the concrete, making you get a splitting headache from the contact with the concrete. Ethans rage only intensified and the fight began, no guns, onl knoves and fists. 

The fight went on for ever, your vision got blurry and blurier and the blood you had leaking from your wounds only intensified. Ethan was running out of time to sve you if he wanted you alive. Ilsa was closer racing faster towards the fight, and faster twords stipping Ethan from killing the only informant they had for the key. Ethan only say hate and anger as he fought Gabriel. He hurt the woman he loved and almost killed her infront of him. He wanted to end the life of the man who made his life spiral, and sent him to be the spy and international rogue agent he was. 

“Stop!” Ilsa yelled as she came across the bridge, stopping all movement from Ethan and Gabriel. Before ethan tried to stap Gabrial and Ilsa had to run towards the fight again, Ethan wouldn't let you, too blinded by rage. Illsa stepped in taking the brunt of  a blade but shocking the two enough that she got a good hit on Gabrial sending him down and cuffign him. Ethan stood there, helpless and watching.

“Go get Y/N, Ethan” Ilsa said as she secured the man before Ehtan. Snapping Ethan out of his trance he ran over to you. You were barely continuous at this point, and bleeding onto the concrete of the bridge. 

“Y/N” He said to you, barely hearing the ringing in your ears. It was Ethan, you were positive. Your eyes slightly opened to see his worries. face. “Stay with me. Stay with me” He said again, muttering the words to himself like they will help you stay alive. You smiled and closed your eyes again, knowing you wouldn't die on that bridge tonight. 

When you woke up back in the little room of the safe house, your body killing you, you knew they had won. The feeling and overall pain in your body was almost exhausting as you sat up. Ethan stood by the balcony door, watching the sunrise over Venice. 

“Ethan” you said, voice horse and head pounding you watched him turn to look at you, a small cut on his cheek held together by tiny bandages. He walked over to you, sitting on the bed beside you. The morning sun shone into the room, casting  aglow to the room. Ethan looked tired and he looked happy.

“You scared me” he told you, holding your face, you melted into his hands. 

“I'm sorry, I held out for as long as I could. He's calculated,” you told Ethan. 

“I know, I fought him too sweetheart,” Ethan said, cracking a joke. As the sun rose higher in the sky you could truly see how saddened he was by how hurt you were.

“Your my hero Ethan” you told him, he smiled down at you, soon all the sadness was replaced by joy. He had you in his arms again. 

“Let's go home shall we?” Ethan asked you, just as the sun rose over the buildings and a new day, full of more savings to do.

[bisexualchaosdemon]

What if Neil was trans and had a baby after Mary died?

I've seen a few atfg fics where Neil has a sibling or kid but all the ones I've read were heavily influenced by Mary's presence. It got me thinking about what it would be like if she wasn't around when the kid came into the picture. I wrote a little prologue, lemme know if it's something you guys might wanna read.

**trigger warning: mentions of SA, forced pregnancy, and traumatic childbirth**

Hope was a dangerous, disquieting thing

🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵Prologue🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵

When Neil was fourteen, his father caught up to them in Seattle and he got separated from Mary. Nathan went after Mary and a couple of his men went after Neil. While they were apart, Neil was raped for the first time and Mary was beaten for the last time. Somehow, they both escaped, managing to reunite at one of their emergency rendezvous and take off running.

That's where their luck ran out though because they only made it to California before Mary's injuries finally bested her. In the end, his mother couldn't go on but she made Neil promise to keep running because one of them had to make it. With no other choice, Neil burned her body, buried her ashes on the beach, and did what he had promised.

Then, impossibly, things went from bad to worse — After a month of just sort of drifting in his grief, Neil found out he was pregnant.

He had no way out this one, there was no backdoor to slip through or bus to catch. He couldn't risk someone contacting the police or social services when a fourteen-year-old turned up at a clinic to request an abortion without parental consent. And, even if they weren't incredibly dangerous, any illegal methods for a termination risked Nathan tracking him down. So, with no choice but to keep the pregnancy, he spent the next eight months jumping from place to place, trying to remain out of sight whenever possible. And he hated every minute of it.

He spent the entirety of his pregnancy terrified and alone, and he gave birth alone too. He hadn't been able to see any doctors or go to a hospital for obvious reasons. He tried his best to have a healthy pregnancy but the research he had managed to do on childbirth was extremely limited. He didn't even know what was happening really before he ended up giving birth in a back ally somewhere — fourteen years old and completely alone.

The baby hadn't cried at first and Neil had never been more terrified than he had been in those few seconds. That first cry brought a relief heavy enough to break him completely. His plan the whole time had been to give the baby up, just leave them at a fire station somewhere and pray they'd have a better life than he did. He thought about it a thousand times but every time he looked at his daughter's face, and he just couldn't do it. He couldn't give her up. He didn't want to be alone again.

So he picked himself up, skipped town with his daughter craddled close, and decided to do the one thing he had always wanted; He cut off all of his hair, taped down his chest and started telling people he was a boy. He had always felt like being a girl wasn't right for him but he never dared voice this while on the run with his mother. Without her controling everything though, he was free to do this one thing for himself, and he hoped it might even help him stay hidden. More importantly, it helped him reclaim part of himself he thought he lost after the rape and pregnancy.

The first few years, they moved around a lot because Neil was always worried someone would start to notice the teenager and baby without parents anywhere in sight. However, when his daughter was almost three, they ran a ground in Millport, a dying town where they could squat in an empty house unnoticed. Neil just needed a moment to breathe. So, he got an ID that said he was eighteen which let him go to high school and play Exy without anyone needing to speak to his parents. Then he forged the signatures of their fictional parents to get his daughter enrolled in preschool and after school childcare for the days he had practice. Finally, he got them phones for emergencies and pretended to be his mother any time someone called.

He became Neil and he gifted his daughter his middle name, Anastasia, and on paper they became the Josten siblings.

He knew they would need to pack up and leave soon enough, but he was exhausted and he just wanted Ana to have a semi-normal life for a year. He'd clear out after graduation and figure out where to go from there. But just as their time in Millport is running out, in walks David Wymack with an offer that's too dangerous to trust but too impossible to leave behind...

[irenadel]

When Homelander comes home and finds you asleep on his sofa under one of his capes cos you missed him whilst he was away

By hour 40, you've called everyone. The phone number they gave you. Ashley. Your mother. Friends. Some of the other members of the Seven. When serious men in serious suits knocked on your door and told you there had been an accident, you had sat down, a strange, distorted ringing in your ears. Something about nuclear. Something about this being normal. Sometimes it was just communication that was cut off. No reason to worry, Vought had a policy of informing the emergency contact of any supe after 24 hours without contact during a mission... It had just never been implemented for Homelander. You didn't ask whether it was because he had never gone missing for 24 hours or if he had never had an emergency contact. There's an outraged, hysterical part of you that is just waiting to know so she can start screaming at anyone even vaguely responsible for this. For the callous disregard with which Vought treats the man you love.

But you didn't scream. You sat in your chair trying to breathe and started making calls. The first ones to friends and family because you DID need to calm the fuck down. Because you knew you'd be spending a sleepless night and would need someone to talk you through it. The next ones were to Vought officials, because by hour 35 you've gone beyond keeping calm to cold certainty that this isn't really the routinary scenario they've tried to feed you. You kept your cool. Years of customer service have taught you people respond better to weary, continuous insistence than to angry outbursts

It makes no difference.

So, by hour 40 you've dragged yourself to John's condo in Vought Tower. You've been talking for four hours straight and you've been awake for the better part of two days. You broke down in front of Ashley and she, half-terrified, half-pityingly suggested you come up here. She'd personally keep you informed, she assured you.

You stare at the cold, empty rooms. HIS cold empty, rooms. Not a single ounce of his personality in them. Not a single personal object to remember him by if... if this is it...

You storm into his bedroom, furiously rifling through his toiletries, his clothes, thinking of the many conversations you've had with him about privacy, not giving a damn about your own hypocrisy here. All his personal things, the books you've given him, civilian clothes he's bought at your request, the brush he uses when he's not being professionally styled... they're all at your place.

There's a couple of dirty super suits in his laundry hamper and you get it now. You get his Proustian obsession with scent, you get how one stoops to this, desperate measures and everything. You don't dare think you'll be able to tell him when you see him again. You give his bed a wide berth, because that you've shared, not a week ago. If you have to lay down on the bed you fucked in you'll start screaming and never stop.

Homelander suspects they've let him go because he looks PISSED. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even have let them near him. He was long past the days when he would tolerate nervous people in lab coats prodding at him anxiously. He especially did not wish to tolerate them now, jittery and ready as he was to just go, get out of here, get to you and make sure you were alright. He was fine of course, of course. Nothing to worry about. These little medical cocksuckers should have taken the fucking hint on the first round of tests, but they had said contamination risk and he had, gritting his teeth, allowed them to do whatever needed to be done to keep you safe.

By the time he's done with the shower and tests and a fresh change of suit he's already worked himself up into fury. He is deeply considering who among the medical team is disposable and would have gone through with it for sheer stress relief if Ashley had not chosen that instant to break into the medical bay. Now THIS he couldn't be expected to put up with.

"No, no, no," he cuts her off, pointing at her warningly. "Whatever it is, it can wait. I've got, whatsit called, paid leave after an incident. It's company policy. Stop. No. I don't fucking care. Deal with it without me."

He takes off before he can hear Ashley's protests, already heading to your apartment. He knows he'll get some peace and quiet there at least. And he's positively itching to see you after your time apart. Who could have told him he'd become such a sentimental fool over you? He chuckles to himself and stays the course. All he needs is a hot meal, a good fuck and two or ten hours in your arms and he'd be good as new. You'd even be proud of him. First paid leave he'd ever demanded.

But you aren't home when he gets there. The place in disarray, the phone ringing, a cold cup of coffee and the faint stench of your fear around it. He's unprepared by how much this wounds him, like the bottom's dropped out from under him and he's been set adrift. He'd felt like that the first time he had flown, with how little control he'd had over it.

He stops himself dead, refusing to be this pathetic, and reaches for the old familiar anger. Ever ready for him to pick up and hammer you with it as soon as you deign to show yourself. He tells himself it is this, and a liberal dose of SPITE, that makes him leave (flee) this place before you make it back (not the hurt at your absence, the fear). A place, that for all its lack of luxuries, feels more like home than his fucking tomb of a condo ever did.

He's not crying when he makes it to Vought Tower. His eyes are defiantly dry. His hands hurt from being clenched so tightly (Homelander is routinely the only thing that can hurt Homelander). Oh you will hear him as soon as you show your face, oh little lady you've earned yourself a fucking problem, he thinks to himself furiously. (He refuses to glance at the mirror on his way in, refuses to even consider whatever he would propose he do about you.) He's more than enough to put you in your place, more than enough to make sure you never forget what you OWE him.

Your heartbeat hits him first.

Then the salty aftertaste of your tears.

He turns around, bewildered for a second, and is met with the sight of you, his dirty cape wrapped around yourself like it could protect you from the world (John knows, oh he KNOWS what that looks like). He freezes for a moment, mouth dry, the pit of his stomach clenching in some unknown but powerful emotion. He drinks in all the details (drinks them up like a man dying of thirst, consumes them before he can even react). Your little, white-knuckled hands clenched around the fabric. Your eyes, screwed shut as if sleep is a monumental task requiring all your effort. God knows how long you've been here, asleep, FINALLY asleep. He knows because of the coffee and the dark circles under your eyes, peaking from behind his cape, he knows from the sharp smell of your cortisol, pumping steadily through your sweet veins to signal stress, sleep deprivation, worry...

For him.

He feels himself smiling, the edges of his mouth tugging against the exhaustion (and fear, fear he will never admit to) of the last couple of days. He wants to watch you like this forever, wants to savor your anguish, your LOVE for him, so clearly delineated by the bittersweet taste of your despair.

But he also just wants you.

He gives you no warning, just gathers you up in his arms, and chuckles cruelly at the scream of fright you give out. He's kissing you with no time for explanations, licking the tears off your face, as you protest, as you cry again, relief coursing through you like a drug. You try to hold unto the cape slipping from your shoulders as he carries you with one hand under your ass while using the other to stop you.

"That's enough, little lady," he says through that too-wide smile full of sharp teeth you love so much. "You don't need that anymore, you've got the real deal. And the real deal is going to teach you not to worry your silly little head over me. Nothing can hurt me, remember?"

Nothing.

Nothing but himself... and now you...

[joelswritingmistress]

Last Halloween: Chapter 16

Summary: After a tragedy involving Joel happened on Halloween one year prior, the town now shuns him while ignoring the details of the now closed case. You are seemingly the only one to offer empathy to a man the town is making out to be a monster.

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Joel burst in through the doors of the police station. Right away you spotted him and rose to your feet from where you were speaking with Officer Tate at a table.

"Hey," he breathed, greeting you with a hug. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

Officer Tate maintained her professionalism and welcomed Joel into the conversation as you continued to provide whatever details you could remember over the course of the last few days.

"This isn't exactly a cyber crime," she informed the three of you, "However, I am going to contact thee cyber crimes unit to see if we can locate the origins of this photo."

"Thank you," you said simply and then added, "We also had two run-ins with Vic Champagne."

"Define run-in," Office Tate requested.

You glanced at Joel and then back to her. "We were out the other night and Vic approached Joel. I didn't know who he was at first. He was confrontational and it caused Joel to leave to diffuse the situation."

"Did he threaten you?" Officer Tate asked Joel.

"No." He shook his head.

"He threatened me," you spoke up, knowing you had sort of told Joel that he hadn't. You saw Joel glance over at you out of the corner of your eye. "He told me if I continued what I was doing then he would run me out of town."

"Continue what you were doing?"

"By being with Joel," you clarified. "He basically said to stop hanging out with him or else."

"Go arrest the bastard," Jessie chimed in enthusiastically. In other circumstances her tone would have made you laugh but you couldn't even smile.

"Easy." Officer Tate put her hands up and then refocused on the flyer on the table, placing just her fingers on it. "I'm going to start with this and I'll get someone out to the Champagne place to see if we can get him to fess up about any of this." She then added in all honesty, "Doubtful."

"And if he doesn't?" Joel asked.

"Well, then we're going to have to prove that he was the one who either took this photo, shared it or created and distributed the copies." She put a hand up when all three of you tried to intervene, "That means we're going to get peoples' doorbell ring cams around your house, see if there are any cameras within an eye shot of the coffee shop and so on. It's going to take some time so you have to be patient. Because there is no way Champagne is confessing to any of this."

You thanked Jessie before she parted ways and drove back to the house before focusing your attention on Joel. He looked more than just a bit defeated.

"I'm sorry," you said to him, the same way he had to you. "You don't deserve any of this."

"I don't want you to be by yourself," he said, "But I'm starting to think that being with me is a hundred times worse."

"Believe it or not, it's a hundred times better." You managed a genuine smile but it didn't nothing to resolve the confliction in Joel's eyes or the somber look on his face.

"I mean it," he said, barely able to make eye contact with you. "If it weren't for me you wouldn't be dealing with all this."

"No, if it weren't for Vic neither of us would be dealing with all this."

"At the end of the day, regardless of who's at fault, you're going to be at risk just by associating with me."

"I don't care."

"Well, I do." Joel motioned to his chest and you sensed his voice harden. He then softened up again and shook his head. "I just.."

You reached for his hand and ran circles on his palm with your thumb. "Please don't distance yourself from me." When he looked up at you, you actually begged. "Please."

What you had together was too real to just let go. It wouldn't be right or fair to allow someone like Vic Champagne to dictate and ruin it.

Joel placed a hand on the side of your face and leaned in to kiss you. "You deserve better than this," he said quietly.

"I deserve you," you said back. "Maybe Vic will get arrested and we'll win."

"Just a small battle," Joel reminded you. "He wouldn't just stop. He single-handedly, or many him and few others, destroyed my name. I can't do a damn thing without people looking at me funny.. or smashing my mailbox."

"What if I get finish my master's.. and then we get the fuck out of here."

Joel gave a barely-their smirk. "Maybe."

You pulled him in for a hug and he held you there in the parking lot for a long while.

"I should get back to work," Joel said. "If you'll be okay."

"I'm okay." You gave a nod. "I'm going to do the same."

"I'll call ya."

"Okay." You looked him in the eyes and then closed yours to kiss him. "Don't leave me."

"I won't."

You both let out simultaneous sighs and parted ways to head back to your respective places of employment.

..

Joel drove with the radio off toward the outskirts of town. He winded down each wooded road with racing thoughts of all that had taken place for the better half of that month. The good and the bad felt overwhelming.

"Fuck." He whispered the word to himself and felt a headache creeping in. The only thought was that maybe after Halloween was over, things would die down a bit. On the same tangent, he couldn't help but wonder if they had something planned for the thirty-first that was even worse.

Joel wasn't scared for himself. He was scared for the only woman who dared to look his way; who dared to be kind and befriend him. Become lovers was just an unexpected bonus that left him feeling even more protective.

As the truck rounded the bend in the road that gave a clear view of the junkyard's main gates, Joel straightened up his posture when he saw the flashing lights of two police cars down by the bays. Accompanying them was an ambulance.

"What the hell?" He said to himself, as he attempted to hurry down to see what was going on.

Joel barely had the truck in park when he hopped out of it and ran up to the ambulance where Ronnie sat on the back with his legs dangling off. A deep swelling pooled under his eye, blackening the area.

"Ron." Joel's shook his head frantically and approached, but was pushed back by one of the paramedics.

"Give him space," the man instructed.

"What happened?" He asked, still attempting to get by.

"Let him over here," Ronnie barked.

The paramedic eyed Joel up and down in s way that oozed with disapproval. However, he stepped aside and Joel stood in front of his friend and boss.

"What happened?" Joel asked again, grazing Ronnie's black eye with the backs of his fingers.

"Vic Champagne, that's what happened."

"What?" Joel stepped further into his personal space, breathing heavy and clenching his jaw.

"I tried to step in between him and your motorcycle, but the second son of a bitch tackled me from behind." Ronnie shook his head. "He destroyed the bike, kid. I'm sorry."

"Fuck the bike," Joel hissed. "They need to be arrested." He turned toward one of the cop cars and marched up to where Steve and Rich were talking back and forth. "Are you two going to arrest this asshole, or what?"

"We're here, aren't we?" Steve asked, putting a hand out to the side.

"He just beat the shit out of a fifty-five year old man who's made a living his whole life in this town."

"Who's one mistake was hiring you," Rich said in a snarky fashion.

Steve put a hand on his chest and a look as if to say, 'shut up'. "Look, we have the statement and we're collecting evidence from the security camera. If the old man's story checks out, which I'm sure it will, Vic Champagne and whoever was helping him, will be arrested and charged accordingly." He added, "We have officers going to his house as we speak."

"And is he actually going to serve time this time?" Joel motioned to Ronnie, noting how banged up he was.

"You should be the one to talk about not serving time," Rich intervened. "None of this is your business anyway, Miller. So you might as well just go home."

"You have no idea what you're fuckin' talking about," Joel growled back. "I didn't spend any time behind bars because I was attacked and strangled."

Rich made motions with his hand as if to say, 'blah, blah, blah'. It made Joel smack the side of his cruiser with his hand.

"You want to add destruction of police property to-"

"Enough." Steve stepped in between the two of them.

"You hear about the photos that are being spread around town?" Joel asked, looking Steve right in the eye. "Hmm?"

"What photos?"

Joel put a finger right in his face. "If you ever cared about her, even a little bit, you'll find whoever's doing this shit to her, to me and now to Ronnie and put a fucking stop to it. Because I guarantee it's the same asshole that kicked the shit out of the kindest man I know." He motioned to Ronnie. "That man is like a father to me with a heart of fucking gold. If you let this all go, you might as well give up your fuckin' badges because you ain't protecting this community from shit."

He spit on the ground and wiped across his mouth before rejoining Ronnie at the back of the ambulance.

CLICK HER FOR CHAPTER 17

@untamedheart81 @amyispxnk @grogusmum @ghostwritesthings @strawbunnyx @ayamenimthiriel @noisynightmarepoetry @jiminstinypinky @tuquoquebrute @pedr0swh0r3 @runningmom94 @mellymbee

[xjulixred45x]

Ling Yao x Abused Reader

This is technically the last part of a series that my sister had asked me for at the beginning of my account but that I forgot over time and I apologize for that (I may write on my own about this fandoms in the future I have several ideas but now I'm going with this).

Genre: Headcanons

Reader: female

Warnings: Mentions of child marriage, implications of physical and mental abuse, bad parents, egregious and alarming age difference, Hurt-Comfort, Fluff, Happy Ending.

To be fair, these two already knew each other in Xing.

(reader) is the only daughter of the war secretary of one of the many clans that were under the emperor's orders, the Han Clan.

But despite this, her father was not very interested in teaching her his work or making her stand out in general, he wanted her to become a "proper society lady" so he forbade her to come into contact with activities that could distract her from that task.

Her mother teach her, giving exhaustive lessons in etiquette, posture, manners, preparing tea and giving it a try (even if you didn't like it, since according to her "that would please your future husband"), teaching cooking, throwing dishes bad things in the trash or your head, etc.

Your parents prohibited or banned any type of material or activity that incited rebellion or that seemed "inappropriate for a girl." Learn to fight? "Boys don't like girls to have muscles" Politics? "Keep quiet you look prettier" Any type of physical activity that was not related to what is traditionally feminine? "It's not attractive to be running around like a beast."

And sometimes it was just too boring.

So you went out to see REALLY interesting things, like fights!

That's how you initially met Ling.

You both knew each other superficially through your parents, but when you started showing up to watch the Yao Clan's training, he became curious.

From time to time Ling would go straight to talk to you, thinking that maybe you wanted to join the fighting practices, but you couldn't really risk getting caught, so you would just talk or watch the other clan members train.

You went to Ling when you needed a break from the "lady" life your parents imposed on you. It was very liberating.

Ling, even at a young age, understood that kind of pressure quite well, not only having to fit into the mold but also having to constantly compete with his brothers and sisters.

Thanks to this they made friends quite quickly. You run away a lot more often just to be able to play with him. He was the only boy your age you REALLY got along with after all.

Your parents, even if they were against it, couldn't do much once you stepped on Yao land or found out WHO you were playing with, so it was AMAZING for you to finally be a girl.

Ling was more about acting before thinking, while trying to keep a cooler head, which made for a fun dynamic to watch.

At some point you even gave in and Ling taught you some basic fighting moves! Nothing great but at least it was a lot more fun than your dance classes.

Ling would even secretly pass you books about politics or books that your parents had forbidden you to read (things that you shared very lightly) and you would finish them in DAYS (but not without first giving Ling a kiss on the cheek as compensation, for his delight).

I think it's a little obvious that Ling may or may not have had a case of a childhood/youth crush on (reader) while they were growing up, but after a certain...situation, he didn't have the chance to really realize it.

Because one day (reader) simply disappeared.

She stopped going to training, she didn't go to the places where one normally found her to play, she stopped showing up.

What Ling didn't know was that (Reader)'s family had come up with an idea to end this rebellious phase and benefit once and for all now that she was finally of age.

Arrange a marriage, with the son of the emperor of the Han Clan...he was an adult and you were just a teenager.

Ling only found out out of mere courtesy of the clan.

And for a couple of months it was a pain trying to contact you. Not because he didn't want to! But because your family (and new "husband") made it very difficult.

The clans themselves had a complicated relationship with each other, after the emperor get sick it was even worse. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't risk generating even more conflict.

Although he had a chance to see her before he had to travel to Amestris, at a "family meeting" where the Han clan was.

Where would it be (reader)

....part of him is grateful he went and part of him wishes he hadn't.

Because when Ling came and looked for (reader) and found her, it was like seeing a ghost.

(reader) had become somewhat taller in recent months, she was well dressed and with several capes of makeup on her face, with a vacant and empty look, quite distant from the happy and unrestrained version.

She also didn't talk much before Ling arrived. Or even when he arrived, but at least her expression changed, that made Ling feel a little better.

Luckily her husband was busy enough getting into discussions about the country's military with his other brothers that he didn't notice Ling quite close to his "wife."

Despite everything, Ling was happy to see her being just as friendly, but quite tired, they took the opportunity to catch up.

(Reader)'s husband...could be worse. According to her. It wasn't easy, it's complicated, he got angry very easily and his friends are... shameless. but (reader) had been able to survive the situation well thanks to certain charms.

Even if (reader) is trying VERY hard to maintain control, Ling can see the anguish in all of this. They comfort each other in the situation.

The time before Ling goes to seek immortality, he spends it making small secret visits to the Han house or rather, visiting (Reader).

Try to make them have good memories before you don't see each other for a while :')

Imagine Ling drops the "I used to have a GIANT crush on you when we were kids" bomb☠️

During much of her trip in Amestris Ling thinks about (reader), sometimes she even buys things that she thinks she might like there (accessories, a book, things like that).

I can even see Greed making fun of him for that when it takes over his body☠️

When he eventually returns to Xing, he is mentally preparing to see (female reader). By coming up with a plan, you may not be able to help (reader) directly, but you can definitely do it externally.

(Reader) is DEFINITELY very surprised when Ling arrives not only completely changed, without Wu, and with his sister from the Chang Clan, but also comes with IMMORTALITY ITSELF...he achieved it..

All the commotion of Ling's arrival and her triumph over her other brothers means that (reader)'s husband does not notice when she sneaks away, wanting to have a talk with Ling.

They don't manage to say much to each other, precisely because of the rush and urgency of discussing Ling's appointment, but at least she manages to give him a big welcoming hug, telling him that she misses him and that she's glad he's okay.

Ling freezes for a solid second before returning the hug tightly and pulling away. Temporarily.

(female reader) is also present when he is declared the new emperor some time later.

Knowing Ling, he, May and Lan Fan will probably look for incriminating evidence of adultery on the part of (reader)'s husband so she can divorce him without problems. They leave the evidence "anonymously" but (reader) can recognize Ling/Lan Fan's writing patterns very well.

Ling and (Reader) keep seeing each other at family events, which is hilariously awkward for almost everyone but them, since no one can REALLY say anything to Ling now that he's the emperor, not even (Reader)'s husband, who He only stands on the sidelines while his wife and half-brother catch up on the adventure he had in Amestris.

When (Reader) decides to divorce of her own free will, guess who makes it official? ;)

If we look at their current relationship, it's better than either of them would expect!

Ling was pretty depressed after Amestris, Wu and Greed, but at least (Reader) never fails to make him smile or laugh, which helps his mental health a lot.

You can even bring out your old habits, like embarrassing/angrying (reader) a little and see her expressions, it doesn't matter if she gets her butt kicked. It was worth it!

(reader) must be the most sheltered woman in all of Xing, and no wonder, although at least she always has someone to talk to ☠️

When (reader) goes outside with Ling they have to have limited physical contact for etiquette issues, but Ling always holds her hand or hooks her arm around hers to keep her close :3

Both at some point can talk more openly about their traumas and cope with them with each other's help lots of cuddles during bedtime on those types of days.

At this point they would be very lucky if (Reader)'s parents are even still in Xing after what they did to their daughter and Ling becoming emperor 😅

This man is cuddly as fuck! Sure, you have to reserve the PDA in front of the other clans for appearance and etiquette issues, but once you're alone or with privacy? Nothing stops him. Especially with hugs.

I think Ling would be very interested in his partner learning basic defense, especially with Lan Fan being highly trustworthy. Even if (reader) is contrastingly protected, she knows that she is never too much.

In short, very sweet love that rots your teeth❤️

Shares, reblogs and comments are very welcome!

[jm-2406]

Hi,

I was wondering if I could make a request for a matt murdock x reader idea. You could make it into a headcannon or a dribble I dont mind ✨.

Basically I’ve always found interesting the idea of matt either loosing his powers or his hearing senses (like in season 3)

So id think about something like that happening to him and the reader helping him found himself in his new routine without his vigilante identity.

(insecure and « in need of love » matt is my weakness jsjs)

Lots of angst but a happy ending if possible

(Also its preferable if reader is just a civilian too)

Thanks 🦋

Love me tender.

Summary - an unfortunate accident almost cost your boyfriend's life but you are there to help him recover, even if he gets emotional and says stupid things.

Pairing - Matt Murdock x teacher!reader.

Word count - 855.

Note - I'm sorry for being so late in delivering this, I got my exam results and it was not good. I was upset, so I couldn't get anything done.

Warnings - rushed ending, mentions of accident/injury, Matt and reader having a heart to heart.

Requests - open || find my work - here.

It came as a shock to you when a phone call disturbed your sleep at 3 a.m. informing you about your boyfriend's accident. You were the only person on his emergency contact and the hospital staff were quick to inform you. When you reached the hospital gates, a fear gripped your heart. You were not sure what happened with Matt exactly but you could make out that it was something very serious from the nurse’s words.

“[Y/N] [Y/L/N], I am here to visit Matt Murdock.” You informed the receptionist. She typed something on her computer and directed you towards the ward. That night, you had the biggest shock of your life as you waited for the doctors and nurses treating Matt.

“It was quite a fatal accident, Miss [Y/L/N]. We're lucky that he survived but he might take some time to recover and from what we have gathered, he might have some problems with his external auditory canal.”

“But… he'll be okay, right? He will recover, right?” You asked him. The doctor nodded his head and left because of another case. It was all up to you now, to let him know. You knew how upset he felt if treated with sympathy, you felt like that too. You just wanted him to recover completely before taking any risks with his life.

A few days later, when you were sitting quietly in the living room and grading the test papers, you heard a cracking sound. Rushing to the kitchen, you saw your boyfriend standing and in front of him, a broken glass. “Are you okay? And what are you doing here?” You carefully reached him and brought him back to your room.

Before you could scold him for being so careless and not resting enough, you saw him sitting quietly, too quietly like a statue. He was holding his mask in his hand. It was high time now, you needed to talk. You placed your hand on his shoulder and got his attention. Matt was still quiet.

“You can't carry on like this, Matt.” You said after a moment of silence.

“I don't know what to do. I'm lost, okay. This feeling… the feeling of being helpless and staying at home all day… it kills me. I feel like I failed.”

“No matt. Please don't say things like that.” Your voice was thick with emotions. “We can go through anything if we are together. Please don't shut me out.”

Matt gave you a sad little smile and you knew that you had a long road ahead of you.

A few days passed with you and Matt adjusting to the new life without his vigilante identity. It was a struggle in the beginning but slowly, he recovered… at least physically.

One evening, you were sitting on the couch, watching one of your favourite films when you noticed Matt standing in the corner, lost in his thoughts. “What happened, babe? You alright?” You rushed to him and to your surprise he jerked your hands off him. That had never happened before.

“I think we should take a break.”

“What?” To say you were shocked would be an understatement. You didn't know what came over him suddenly.

“Yes, [Y/N]… we should.” He sounded serious.

“But, at this point? I don't understand Matt. What happened?”

“Because I can't give you a normal life, [Y/N]. Why is it so difficult for you to understand that? You were sitting there, all peacefully, watching a move. We couldn't do that together, or anything normal couples do. How many times we had to cancel our plans because of me being daredevil and trying to save the city. You don't need to go through all of this. You deserve better, [Y/N].” He breathed hard after his confession, sightless eyes following where your figure should be.

“Leave it to me to decide what and who I deserve. I love you, Matt. I know that I never said it before, I didn't want to push you away. I don't want ‘normal’, I just want you.” By the end of it, you had wrapped your arms around his neck and forced him to sit down. It was one of the few raw moments you shared.

“I'm sorry.” He said after a few minutes of silence. “Promise me, you won't do anything stupid like this again.” You asked, gently massaging his scalp. Matt just nodded his head. You knew that you had a long road ahead of you but you were satisfied with the journey. In the end it's just you two, together.

THE END.

[revnah1406]

MASON'S LEGACY

Chapter 7: The beginning of something new

<- previous chapter

Words: 10.131

(this chapter was inspired by a videogame. Can you guess which one it is? Hehehe. Also there are small hints form another famous black ops fic from a friend and mutual of mine 🤭)

"At least we know where to start." Weaver mentioned crossing his arms. His hip was resting on the table, his old bones complaining from having been on his feet for so long. Technology had advanced enough to bring him back to life but not to take away his back pain. Ironic. 

Hudson put his sunglasses on the table. He sighed exhausted. 

"We can't take chances and keep moving forward. At least not here." Hudson put both fists on the table. "The last thing we need is for Langley to happen a second time." 

"What do you suggest?" 

"A safehouse. Somewhere remote in the country. Far away from all this chaos." 

"Northward?" 

"It is an option." 

"So what happened in Berlin is happening again?" 

"Same story in a different era." 

Suddenly the office door burst open. Adler stormed in. Hudson straightened his back and took a breath. Here it comes… 

"Where is she?" Adler demanded, approaching the table. Completely ignoring Weaver. 

"What are you talking about?" Hudson pretended not to know anything, ignoring him as he sorted the papers on his desk. 

"Don't be an idiot, Hudson. Where's Abigail?" Adler slammed his hand on the papers, forcing Hudson to stop his actions. "I left you alone with her for two days and she already ran away from you again?" 

Hudson took his time answering. He looked up to look Adler in the eyes. 

"She didn't escape. I let her go. I ordered her to leave the facilities as soon as possible" 

Adler almost laughed. He rested both hands on his hips and paced around the office. 

Sims appeared at the door.

"Organize a search party." Adler ordered. 

Sims nodded but Hudson stopped him. 

"The girl is no longer in Chicago." 

"Where is she then? Huh?" 

"I hope far enough." Hudson answered. 

"Are you aware of what you have caused?" Adler pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Are you aware of what you would have done if you had tied that girl to that chair? If you had filled her arms with needles and IVs?" 

"That girl is hiding valuable information."

"She's a Mason, Adler" Hudson didn't hesitate to approach Adler. Imposing his point of view.

"Everything has its price. Stopping Perseus has its price." Adler wasn’t intimidated by the other man. 

Hudson could see the obsession growing behind those sunglasses. That was no longer just for work, or for a need to do justice or save the world. This had become personal for Adler. Why? Maybe because he couldn't kill Perseus with his bare hands. And now he had been given a second chance to try again. Adler wasn't going to waste it. 

"And everything has its limit, Russ." Hudson answered very coldly. 

Adler spent a few long seconds, looking Hudson in the eyes. 

"Organize the Search party." He ordered Sims again without taking his eyes off Hudson. "Find her." 

And without saying another word Adler left for the office, leaving Weaver and Hudson alone again. 

He sighed, rubbing his temples. There was a long silence. 

"Should we contact Woods?" Weaver asked. 

"It's not possible. He doesn't carry any type of radio. It was better this way, we minimized the risks." 

"Then let's pray that they don't find them." 

Hudson sighed again. 

“Call Mason.” 

____________

"Mom." Abby looked away from the window, watching the rain fall heavily outside the hospital. 

"Mmh? Yes honey?" Alice closed her eyes, she was tired, the chemotherapy robbed her of all her energy. She looked like she was about to fall asleep in that chair. But her daughter woke her up. 

"What is a legacy?" Abby asked curiously. 

"Where did you hear that?" Alice opened her tired eyes. 

"On the news, a politician was talking about our country's legacy prevailing." Abby pointed to the small television on the wall. 

"Well... A legacy is what you leave in this world after you die." Alice explained, settling down on the couch. 

"Our corpse?" The twelve year old girl raised an eyebrow. 

"No, no. It's something more metaphorical." 

"Like what?" 

"Mmmh... for example, you are dad's and my legacy. You are what we leave in this world when we die. Dad is grandpa's legacy, and I am my parents' legacy." 

"I see…" 

"A legacy can be more complex, like an idea, a philosophy, a way of thinking. It can also be something very important that you have done that has affected other people." 

Abby walked over to her mother and sat next to her, resting her head on Alice's shoulder. 

"Will I leave a legacy someday too?" 

Alice smiled with her eyes closed and stroked her daughter's hair. 

"We all leave a legacy, honey."

Abby opened her eyes slightly. She took a deep breath and frowned. She blinked a few times trying to get used to the low light. The sun had not yet risen. It smelled like cigarette smoke, she was still using Woods' jacket as a blanket. It was cold. She stretched her arms and legs, trying to relax her stiff muscles. She lifted her cheek from the cold car window. She looked around. How long had he been driving?

Woods took his eyes off the road for a moment and glanced at Abby. 

"Look who's awake." Frank greeted. "Did you sleep well Abs?" He asked, looking back ahead. 

"My back hurts." Abby answered in a sleepy, hoarse voice. 

She sat up better on the seat. Feeling her bones creak. She left Woods' jacket on her lap, covering her legs. The poor girl was still trying to wake up. Her eyes were half-closed, her brow furrowed, and her hair was completely disheveled. Woods chuckled at Abby's expression.

"What are you laughing at, old man?" Abby groaned as she rubbed her eyes. 

"With the sleepy face you have, I'm sure you reached fucking Nirvana while you were taking that nap." Frank joked. 

"Well maybe I'll go back to that Nirvana again." Abby settled in better, sinking into the padded seat of the truck. Closing her eyes again. She covered herself with Woods' jacket again. The smell reminded her of home. 

"Come on, don't leave me alone again. It's boring to drive in silence for hours." Woods complained. 

He waited for a response but when he looked at Abby again he realized that she had already closed her eyes again. 

"Hey." Woods took one hand off the wheel to pat Abby's shoulder. 

She simply shook her shoulder in protest. 

"Are you listening to me brat?" Woods started pulling on Abby's ear. 

Abby growled. 

"Leave me alone." She complained, shaking her head. 

Woods laughed, satisfied with his work. 

"Give me some conversation, c’mon. This looks like a fucking funeral." 

Abby thought for a moment, she remembered the dream she had. She looked at Woods, taking in his profile. 

"What has been your legacy?" She asked. 

The older man frowned in confusion. 

"My legacy? What's with that question?" 

"I don't know. It just came to mind." 

"Mmmh..." Woods thought for a moment "I haven't had children, I haven't gotten married either. I guess my legacy is what I've done." He paused. "Although… it could be that my legacy was David. And you, of course." He looked at Abby for a few seconds. 

The young woman seemed satisfied with his answer. 

"I don't know what I will leave as a legacy." Abby asked, looking at the road. 

"You're too young to worry about that shit Abs." Woods replied, trying to take away Abby's worry. 

"I guess you're right." 

There was silence. It was comfortable.

"Where are we?" Abby asked looking at the landscape where they were. 

"On the way to Fort Wayne. Maybe an hour left. We've had to take several detours." 

It was true that from Chicago to Fort Wayne it was only a few hours of travel, but due to the war and the years the roads had deteriorated and they had to constantly take detours, looking for new safer and more hidden routes. If you travel on the main roads or highways you are cannon fodder for looters. So Woods did not hesitate to take precautions. 

A Pat Benatar song was playing on the radio. For a moment Abby wondered how it was possible if radio stations no longer existed, let alone music stations. But her question was answered when she saw an old cassette case resting on the glove compartment. 

The rattle and sway of the vehicle due to the deteriorated road rocked Abby gently. She never felt so relaxed since she arrived in Washington with David, hells, she didn't even remember the last time she could let her guard down like that. Maybe it was the effect that Woods had, that long-awaited familiarity, that feeling that transported her home. Abby leaned her head back against the window, blinking slower and slower until finally her eyes closed again. 

Woods glanced at the young woman when he noticed that the silence lasted too long. One of his corners tugged up, Abby's completely relaxed face was a little hard to see. The last time he saw her like this, Abby was unconscious, in serious condition, and tied to the hospital stretcher. It was nice to see her being able to rest properly. So he didn't bother her anymore, he looked back at the road and with one hand he placed his jacket on the young woman's lap and slightly lowered the volume of the music. 

That time Abby didn't dream, she simply let herself be embraced by Morpheus's arms. Abby didn't know how much sleep she got that time either. It was one of those naps that felt like they had knocked you out and couldn't wake you up even if they screamed right next to your ear. But the sound of the truck door closing jolted her awake. Abby raised her head, completely disoriented. She looked around, Woods was gone. She yawned and wiped away the trail of dried saliva that descended from one of her corners. 

She heard someone open the trunk while muttering curses, taking out a couple of things and closing it again. She unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the truck. The sun was already high in the sky, there were no clouds, the light shone on the snow and made Abby's eyes hurt, forcing her pupils to shrink as quickly as possible. 

Woods appeared to be packing a few things in his backpack, supplies, ammunition, and a gasoline canister. 

“Did we run out of gas?” Abby asked, closing the vehicle door. 

“Hudson gave me the fucking truck with the tank half empty.” Woods replied grumpily. “Luckily the city is a couple of miles from here. We can go on foot. Find gas and return. It will take us a day at most, maybe half a day if we are lucky.” 

Abby handed her his jacket when she saw him start to look for something. Woods grabbed it and put it on. 

“Grab your things, kid. We’re leaving." Woods ordered, slinging his backpack over his shoulders and holding the rifle in one hand. 

Abby obeyed, and grabbed her backpack and the rest of her things, leaving nothing valuable in the car. Someone could steal from them in their absence. 

They began to walk along the half-ruined road, covered in snow and ice, she couldn't even see the asphalt. They preferred to take the risk of being ambushed in the middle of the road than to walk along a secondary path. The fluffy snow and frozen grass could make them go too slow. It was still quite early in the morning, Abby was hoping that the raiders in that area weren't early risers. 

They were silent, listening carefully for any suspicious noises around them. Luckily there was only the singing of birds, the leaves of the trees swaying lazily and the wind raising powdered snow that had not yet frozen and stuck to the ground. The sun warmed their skin and the snow kept their boots cold and wet. A strange feeling. 

Woods walked a couple of steps behind her, checking the rear from time to time. He also kept an eye on Abby, she seemed to be lost in thought, staring at the snow. Woods noticed the hunting sniper hanging from her shoulder. Guns and Abby… it was a combination he had a hard time imagining. Well, Abby had changed a lot in those last few years. She had changed but she was still the same. Woods didn't know how to put it. It didn't matter how much Abby grew, how much she cut her hair, or how much she changed her clothing style. Beneath those green eyes he continued to see the little Mason who begged him to read books about astronauts and trips to the moon. 

“Do you know how to use that rifle?” Woods asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Mhm.” Abby made a sound of affirmation without even turning to him. 

"Who taught you?" 

"Dad." She responded simply. 

Woods snorted and nodded. Obviously it had been Dave. 

There was silence. 

“And you're good with that?” He asked again. Five years had passed that had felt like an eternity. Woods had to catch up with her. 

Abby finally turned to Woods. The sun illuminated those green eyes with a light so warm that they almost seemed to have turned gold. She smiled sideways. 

“You'd be surprised, old man.” 

Woods rolled his eyes but didn't hide his smile. Knowing what Abby managed to do to Adler, that response didn't surprise him. Abby paused for a moment so Woods could catch up with her so they could walk side by side. 

“How things have changed, huh?” Frank sighed, looking up, towards where some little birds had taken flight from the top of a tree. It was amazing how despite how broken the world was, things always found their way again. Abby nodded. “Do you miss the good ol' days?” 

Abby nodded again. 

“Things seemed simpler.” She answered nostalgically. 

“They looked like it, but that doesn't mean they were.” Woods corrected her. 

There was another silence. 

“And tell me…” Woods looked at her, earning a curious look from the younger girl. “How did that story end with that girl?” 

"What a Girl?" Abby wrinkled her face not understanding what he was talking about. 

"You already know. That girl from your school. What was her name…Martha?” 

“¿Mary?”

"Yeah."

“Oh god, Frank…no…” Abby chuckled as she shook her head. 

"Huh? How bad was it? I remember you liked her a lot.” 

“She… just wanted to know what it felt like to kiss a girl. Nothing else." Abby gave a sad smile, pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows. “I guess I was the one who misinterpreted the signs.” 

“Abs… you were thirteen, you were too young to understand those things.” He put his arm over the shorter girl's shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. “Besides, first loves don't always turn out well.” 

“If you talk so much as if you were the most experienced person in the world, then tell me about your love life.” Abby gave a little smile and wiggled her eyebrows. 

“My life isn't full of romance Abs.” Woods rolled his eyes. 

“And what about that girl? The one in that photo?” Abby remembered when five years ago she found an old photo in Woods' room. A woman talking casually to Mason, as if they didn't realize their photo was being taken. 

“She is… Long story…” Frank sighed as he remembered those times. 

“Well, judging how long it will take us to get to Washington, I think we have plenty of time.” She shrugged. 

“I'm not going to tell you the whole story like it's a fucking gossip session.” He defended himself. It's not that he wanted her to know that part of his story, like many others. 

“Pfff Boring... At least tell me how it started. Where did you take her on the first date?”

Woods thought for a moment whether or not to answer that question. He grumbled a little but eventually gave in. 

“Burger Town.”

“To fucking Burger Town?! Are you serious Woods?!” 

"What? It's good, and cheap. You say that as if you didn't enjoy it every time I took you there when you were little.”

“But you can't take her there on the first date! Oh my goodness Woods…” Abby shook her head. 

“She was a woman who knew how to appreciate the simple things in life.” Woods answered. 

“I feel sorry for her. If putting up with you as a grandfather is already torture, imagine having you as a lover, pff…” Abby pretended to be tired. 

Woods opened his mouth in surprise, clearly not expecting Abby to make fun of him at that moment. 

“You little piece of shit.” Woods put his arm around Abby's neck in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles hard over her head. 

“Hahahaha! Hey!" Abby tried to get out of Woods' grip. 

“You think it's funny to laugh at me, huh?” Woods was infected with the youngest's laughter. 

“I only speak the truth!” Abby continued laughing. "Let go! Hahaha!” 

They continued talking and catching up as they walked. In the end they arrived in the city earlier than expected. The skyline of Fort Wayne was what you would expect from any city. Demolished, a set of ruins. The few skyscrapers that had fallen like defeated giants. The shorter buildings threatened to fall as well. Debris everywhere, huge holes, streets sunken into the ground, leaving huge holes and uncovered sewers. It wasn't a very big city, but Abby had heard rumors that it was one of the hardest hit during the war. Now she had been able to verify it. 

“What a sight…” Woods murmured, observing how gloomy everything looked. 

“Is this the first time you've seen a city like this?” Abby raised an eyebrow. 

“No, but never as destroyed as this one.” Woods replied, shaking his head. 

“Fort Wayne was one of the first victims of the Cordis Die drone attacks. There were rumors that this was hell during the first year, and not precisely because of the drones.” Abby began to explain as they both walked deeper into the ghost town. 

"How was it? The beginning of Cordis Die, the war…” Woods asked. 

“Haven't they told you what happened?” Abby turned around with a face of confusion. 

“I know the official version. But I want to know yours.” 

Abby was silent for a few seconds. It was difficult for her to remember those years. 

“When… Menéndez committed suicide after…” Abby pointed at Woods, implying that she was referring to the incident at The Vault. She didn't even dare mention it out loud, her stomach turned just thinking about it. Furthermore, it was a delicate topic that she had not yet discussed with him. 

Frank nodded understanding what she was talking about. 

“After Menéndez's death, we thought everything was over. Cordis Die had been stopped. The happy ending we were all waiting for.” Abby began to narrate. “A month later, a group of anonymous terrorists called the new Perseus appeared. They hacked all public television channels and social networks. They assured that they would make a better world for everyone, far from corrupt governments, famine and wars.” 

They were both walking through the alleys, searching every gas tank of every car they found. All empty. Woods listened to Abby as he watched the windows of buildings and possible ambush sites. 

“At first no one paid attention, they took it as a joke. But then they continued sending messages saying that the revolution had already begun in Eastern Europe and South Asia, sending images of revolts and violent demonstrations. Perseus was trying to convince people to rise up against governments, to demand answers. Many believed the lie, and the same thing happened. Attacks against the government, demonstrations, barricades, homemade explosives, robberies, murders in the middle of the street... The country became an anarchic place. And from what we saw on the news, the same thing was happening in the big cities of the rest of the countries.” Abby sighed and rubbed her face. It was difficult for her to remember those years, it was as if her brain was determined to forget. 

Woods remained silent. Abby's expression was gradually darkening. He was beginning to regret asking.  

“That freedom, revolution and knowing the truth were children’s dreams. A simple strategy to keep us messy, separated, like headless chickens. Perseus took advantage of the chaos to hack all the military systems of international powers. The United States, China, Russia... I don't know how they did it. Somebody made a deal with the fucking devil or something like that. Because the next thing we knew was hell on earth. All the military drones of the army were thundered against us, both by land, sea and air.” Abby sat on the hood of a burned-out car. Her hands had begun to shake. “The military drones in the streets of our neighborhood, I still remember when they entered our home. Dad and I miraculously came out alive. They shot anyone in sight. It was... like a swarm of drones that destroyed everything. There were bombings that destroyed the city. We had to take refuge in the subway. The number of deaths that occurred each day was enormous. The government tried to stop the drones with tanks, fighter planes... but it was useless, they didn't last even six months, then they disappeared as if they had never been there. Abandon us to our fate.” Abby gave a bitter laugh. “I guess you were right when you said that technologies were going to destroy us one day.”

“Abs…” Woods called after her. 

The young woman made a gesture with her hand. 

“The first year was the hardest of all. I guess I wasn't used to so much chaos and death. The few of us who survived were trapped in the city all that year, traveling through the subway tunnels so as not to be seen. Going to the surface only to look for supplies, clothing, weapons, medical supplies... We created a small underground refugee camp. We were busy healing the wounded, feeding the children, and creating a small oasis in that horrible place. By then I was already fifteen years old, I was no longer considered a girl. “I went out to the streets on expeditions with Dad, to look for food or survivors.” 

Abby frowned and thought for a few seconds. 

“I still don't know if it was my fault or not…” She paused, trying to find the right words. “One day dad had to stay in the refugee camp because of a problem with one of the hydroelectric turbines. So I had to go on an expedition alone.” Abby swallowed, trying to lighten the weight she felt in her throat. Lost in her thoughts and memories, trying to relive that event, looking for some detail that had been overlooked. “Maybe… I left the subway gate open or some emergency exit… I don't know…” She shook her head. 

Woods waited patiently in silence. 

"I was happy. I had found several boxes of insulin syringes and antibiotics at a pharmacy on the other side of town. When I returned... Everything smelled of gunpowder, gasoline and blood. There were corpses everywhere. Women, the elderly, children... There were also destroyed military drones. Luckily I found dad and a few survivors.” Abby sighed as she swung her feet that dangled over the side of the car where she was sitting. “Some blamed me for it. Dad said it wasn't true, the drones had appeared through the western tunnel and I had left through the eastern one. Whatever the story was, they were mad at me, and banished me from the refugee camp. Obviously dad came with me. We spent two years wandering the country, traveling with other nomads. It was better to go in a group than alone. Then we found a little hunting cabin in the woods and Dad and I stayed there for six months. I must admit that I liked it, it was a quiet place. But one day we heard some robbers in the area and we had to leave. It was a matter of time before they found us. We heard rumors that things were calmer in Alaska, that people had begun to organize to build small towns and return to normal, and that there was a smuggler pilot in Washington DC who could take us to Fairbanks.” Abby looked up at the sky. “We arrived in Washington, we found the Guerrillas called The Wolves, we discovered that it was a cover for the government that was still working in the shadows, the Hyenas attacked us, President Bosworth gave me the pendrive, they kidnapped us both, and well… You already know the rest of the story.” Abby looked at Woods and smiled. A smile that didn't reach her eyes. 

Woods was silent for several seconds, taking in everything Abby had said. He could see the weight of those hard years in her eyes. In a way she reminded him of him when he was young, when he spent his youth on the streets of Philadelphia. 

“Some busy years, kid.” Woods ruffled Abby's hair. “We will find your father, don't worry.” 

“We will have to hurry. I don't know how long he will stay in Washington. Or is he even still alive.” 

“Well we better find some gas soon.” Frank nodded for Abby to follow him. “Come on Abs.”

Abby nodded and followed him. 

They walked through the streets of Fort Wayne, watching each other's backs with every step they took. The place seemed completely deserted, there wasn’t a single soul in the place, nor signs that people had passed through there. Fort Wayne was so dilapidated that perhaps people thought it impossible to repopulate. 

They arrived at an abandoned square, with a small playground buried by snow and fallen trees. Woods put his arm on Abby's chest to stop her and pointed to some large boxes next to some trucks in front of a church. Before Abby could look closely, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her to the corner of a building so they wouldn't be so exposed. 

"Over there." 

Abby peeked around the corner and looked into the distance. She analyzed the place for a few seconds. 

“There seems to be no people.” 

“Oh yeah?” Woods wasn’t convinced. The signs of nearby human activity made him tense, you never know who you might encounter.

“Look at the snow accumulated on the roof of the trucks, they haven't been moved in days. There are also no tire marks in the snow, nor footprints. The windows of the vehicles are frozen, no one has used these vehicles for at least weeks.” Abby deduced. She craned her neck a little to see a little better. "Look. Over there." 

Abby pointed to some gas cans next to some cargo boxes. 

“Looks like it's our lucky day.” Woods said when he saw them. 

"What are you saying? Shall we risk it?” Abby asked, looking at him. 

Frank thought about it for a moment. He didn't like the idea of ​​interacting with people. And much less risk being ambushed. But they couldn't waste much time, they had to hurry and get gas soon. And if Abby was right and those canisters were full, they would have enough for quite a few more miles. So he sighed and nodded. 

“Okay. Let's go, grab the gas and leave. But you stay behind me, understand? come on." 

Abby nodded. 

Woods took the rifle from his shoulder and began walking in the direction of that half-demolished church. He didn’t hesitate to monitor possible places where there could be people hiding, he didn’t like that place, he had a bad feeling. 

Meanwhile, Abby kept an eye on the rear and the windows of the tallest nearby buildings. 

When they reached the collection of trucks and cargo boxes, Abby tentatively kicked one of the gas canisters, which fell onto the snow without any effort. 

“Fucking empty…” Woods growled in annoyance after checking that the others were also empty as well.

 Abby looked around trying to find something else. “Maybe there's something in the trucks' fuel tanks.” Suddenly she realized something. “Hey, old man.” Abby called Woods and pointed her chin at the church door.

“Mmh?” Woods looked up at where Abby pointed. 

Right next to the door there was a sign that said: “DANGER: flammable material.” Woods signaled for Abby to stay where she was and he approached the door. He stuck right against the wall next to the door, waited a few seconds in silence trying to hear something, but there was only silence and wind. With the rifle raised he slowly opened the door and looked inside to investigate. He made sure the place was empty and then with a nod told Abby to follow him. 

They both entered the church and Abby closed the door behind them. 

“Oh wow.” Abby was amazed to see the place. 

It was a small, ordinary abandoned church. The wooden benches were broken, as were the windows, and there was debris everywhere. The roof had holes and let in light and snow, giving the place a magical atmosphere. 

“Hey Abs. It seems that not everything is lost.” Woods snapped Abby out of her shock. 

The girl looked in the direction where his voice came from. In one corner were more supply boxes and a fuel tank. 

“Do you think there will be gasoline inside?” Abby asked, approaching her grandfather. 

“Let's find out.” Woods put his backpack on the ground and took out the fuel bottle. 

“maybe the gasoline has frozen.” Abby commented watching what Woods did. 

“Gasoline freezes at -60 degrees Celsius. There’s no way it can be that cold here.” Woods moved the canister to the opening of the fuel tank and opened it.

“Well, it's too damn cold.” Abby rubbed her hands in a vague attempt to warm them.

“Oh hell yeah baby.” Frank smirked.

“Hey, watch your language. This is the house of God.” Abby pretended to scold him.

“We got some gas.” Woods informed. 

“Oh fuck yeah!” 

“Bring the other jugs from outside, we will fill them and take them too.” Woods ordered, after he had filled the jug and put the cap back on. 

Abby brought them and they filled them all. They had three 20 liter drums, that added up to 60 liters in total. With that they could fill the car's tank. 

“Do you think you can carry one in your backpack?” Woods handed her a jug. 

Abby put her backpack on the floor and checked the extra space inside. 

“I think I can carry one.” She answered.

"Good." 

They kept the gasoline cans in their backpacks. Woods carried one in his hand. 

“Aren't you carrying too much weight?” Abby asked, raising an eyebrow. Her backpack was beginning to weigh quite a bit. 

“I've carried your grandfather on my shoulders for hours. Believe me he weighed more than this.” Woods responded by slinging the backpack over his shoulders again. 

Abby raised an eyebrow. “I will remind you of those words when you start complaining about back pain.” 

Frank rolled his eyes. “Come on, let's go, I think I've seen a couple of buildings where we can take a shortcut.” 

They both left through the back door of the church. Always making sure no one was around. Although the city seemed more than abandoned. They crossed the street quickly and entered a large building which seemed to be in much better condition than the rest. 

They found a large hall, with a polished marble floor and high ceilings. 

“This building seems to have been preserved quite w—OH MY GOD!” Abby exclaimed suddenly. 

"What? What's happening?" Woods didn’t hesitate to put himself on guard and look in all directions. Danger? A corpse? Explosives? A trap? 

"Look!" Abby pointed to a sign on one of the walls in the hallway. 

On the poster he could read in large blue letters: “SCIENCE EXHIBITION: FROM THE DINOSAURS TO THE MOON”

Woods read the sign several times and then looked at the girl with a serious expression. 

“Abby…” 

"Can we go? Only five minutes!" Abby put both hands together “please please please please please please.” Abby pleaded but was already walking backwards towards the exhibit. “Please please please please please…”

Frank sighed, perhaps this was the first time he had seen her eyes shine like that since he met her again. For a moment he found little Abby again, and perhaps that was what finally softened his heart.

“Okay… but only five minutes.” Woods began to follow her in the direction of the museum entrance. 

"YEAH!" Abby raised both hands in victory. 

As the sign indicated, the exhibition began with the dinosaurs. There were skeletons and fossils everywhere. Prehistoric giants made of bone, it was incredible that all of it had survived the war, there was rubble, cracks and holes in some places but other than that, everything was incredibly well preserved. 

Despite the weight Abby was carrying on her back, she didn't hesitate to run around like a kid. Her inner child was jumping for joy. When was the last time Abby visited a science museum? Not even she remembered. 

She stood in front of a fossilized stegosaurus skeleton and watched it for a few seconds until Woods came to her side. 

“Did you know that this dinosaur had a brain the size of a walnut?” Abby commented. 

“Wow, yours is almost as big as his.” Woods smirked. 

“Hahaha… very funny.” Abby rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder, but she was unable to hide her smile. 

Woods chuckled, satisfied with his joke. 

They walked around some more, looking at models and fossils, until Abby found a small reception area, sat down in the chair, and put the phone to her ear as if someone was calling. 

“Oh sorry all the dinosaurs are busy right now so…” she pretended to talk to someone. 

"What are you doing…?" Woods walked over and placed a hand on the table. 

“Oh! It's your lucky day! I have one of the dinosaurs right in front of me.” Abby handed him the phone. “Frank, is for you.” 

“You wouldn't be the funniest person in the world by any chance?” Woods raised an eyebrow. 

Abby laughed and stood up, satisfied that she had returned the joke. “I'm actually quite funny.” 

“Whatever you say, Miss Comedian.” Woods ruffled Abby's hair as he passed her. Abby laughed again as she felt Frank's heavy hand on her head, which made the veteran's smile wider. 

Abby walked over to a model in the center of the room. 

“It's a Mbiresaurus Raathi.” Abby read aloud the name of the dinosaur on the information sign: “It says that it lived about 230 million years ago. The oldest known dinosaur.” Abby whistled in surprise. “He's almost as old as you.” 

“I look better than him.” Frank responded looking at the two meter tall lizard.

“The CIA has resurrected and rejuvenated you almost fifty years; a meteorite fell on him.” Abby raised an eyebrow. 

Woods shrugged. 

“I would call it natural beauty.” 

"If you say so…"

They continued walking through different rooms, Abby was commenting on the things that were on display and Woods joked from time to time. Almost for a moment they both forgot the situation they were in.

“No fucking way.” Abby almost couldn't believe it when she saw a huge model of a space shuttle.

“Big Spaceship huh?” Woods walked around it to get a good look at it.

“It's not a spaceship. It's a shuttle! With this, the astronauts were taken to the international space station.” Abby looked at it like a little child looks at cotton candy, full of excitement and happiness. “This is a model of the Endeavor shuttle, the original is in California, if it is still in one piece. They launched it into space for the first time in 1992.”

“I had almost forgotten that you were a nerd about these things…” Woods walked around the large room a little more, there were more models on display.

"Hey!" Abby complained and quickly caught up to Woods that he seemed to have become interested in another model. “That's the Sputnik satellite. It was the first satellite to be sent into space in 1957, crazy huh?.”

"Sputnik?" Woods repeated. “the Russians sent this one.”

“Yeah.” Abby shrugged. “The Soviets were more advanced than us in space technology. Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right. The Cold War ended almost forty years ago.”

This was a topic on which Woods and Abby had different opinions. But Frank didn't feel like arguing with her and ruining the moment. Luckily Abby wasn't interested in getting into that debate either since her attention was completely diverted when she saw a broken display case with an astronaut suit.

“Hey Frank! Look!” Abby grabbed the helmet and didn't hesitate to put it on her head.

Woods crossed his arms and leaned against the display case. "Looks Good on you. Ready to go to the moon?”

“We're going to have to find another helmet for you. I’m not going to go alone.”

Woods smiled softly.

“Is it comfortable to wear that?” he asked again.

"More or less. It smells like space, or probably like dust.” Abby took off her helmet and turned it over. She watched her reflection in her visor. “I would like to take it with me…”

“Then take it. Who's going to stop you? The security guard?” Woods looked around, implying that they were completely alone. "I thought you were the rebel one who doesn't care about rules."

Abby's smile widened.

“It's better to take the astronaut helmet than that space shuttle over there.” Woods nodded at the model of the Endeavor.

Abby laughed and looked at the helmet for a few seconds, her green eyes turning a little sad. She sighed and shook her head.

“We still have a long way to go and this helmet would only be a hindrance. I don't even know where I could keep it” And she put it in the display case again.

Woods didn't say anything, Abby was right but he didn't want to discourage her further either. But suddenly something shining on the ground caught his attention. He walked towards it and grabbed it. He ran his thumb over it to remove the dust. It was a pin in the shape of an incredibly detailed moon, with its craters and irregularities. It had a phrase written that said “to the Moon and back.”

He returned to Abby and handed her the pin.

“And how about this? It's more practical to carry it, isn't it?"

Abby's eyes lit up again. She grabbed the pin carefully and looked at it for a few seconds. She smiled and clipped it to Woods' jacket, over his chest pocket.

“it was meant to be yours, Abs…” Woods said as he watched Abby adjust it to his jacket.

“I know, but I would be happier if you wore it.” Abby responded.

"Why? I’m not the space nerd here.”

Abby rolled her eyes and looked at the pin on Woods' jacket, it fit him well. She patted his chest and smiled.

“Because I will always be your astronaut and you will always be my moon.”

That response took Woods completely off guard. To say his heart had melted was an understatement. But he'd never been good with emotions, so he simply smiled and pulled Abby's ear affectionately.

“Come on, let's see what's out there.” Woods had seen in the distance an even bigger room with something that Abby would like even more.

They arrived at what looked like the main exhibition hall. Abby found it difficult to close her mouth. The room was huge, there was a glass dome on the ceiling, from there hung a huge model of the solar system. There were walkways and stairs leading to higher floors, probably to other smaller rooms in the exhibition. There were models of rovers, spaceships and meteorite rocks displayed in glass cases. But what caught the most attention was the enormous globe of Mars in the center of the room. An incredibly detailed model of the red planet. 

They both remained silent for a few seconds looking at the enormous planet in front of them. 

"We used to look up at the sky and wonder what our place is in the stars. Now we just look down and bury our heads in the dirt" Abby sighed and shook her head,completely lost in her thought.

"Who knows. Maybe there will be astronauts again one day.” Woods tried to cheer her up. 

“You've seen how the world is, Frank… humanity is not going to recover from this blow for a long time. And I doubt people will ever be interested in what lies beyond the stratosphere again.” Abby was staring at Mars. 

Woods didn't say anything, he knew Abby was right. Maybe humanity had more important things to do before returning to space, who knows, maybe it will never go there again.

“In 2024, NASA managed to send six astronauts to Mars with the intention of starting a colony there.” Abby began to explain. “The mission was a success. But when Cordis Die started and everything became complete chaos, the world forgot about them. They never came back.” 

"They are dead?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no. It's like Schrödinger's cat. They are alive and dead at the same time, we won't know until we see them.” Abby paused. “Maybe they have managed to survive, maybe they managed to create a stable source of water and food, it's pure chemistry, it could be done. Or maybe they died asphyxiated by Martian dust five years ago. We just don’t know.” 

Woods nodded. It must be terrifying to die alone in a place so far from home, he almost experienced it several times. 

“What a terrible way to die. And you dreamed of being an astronaut? Why would you want such a dangerous job?” Woods put the gas can on the ground.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Abby looked up at the veteran. She smiled as a sign that she had no intention of offending him. 

Woods was quiet for a few seconds. He knew Abby was referring to his work at the CIA, and how after he died he could continue working for them.

“...Because it's the only thing I know how to do”

Abby's smile turned a little sad again. 

“That's not true Frank.” 

Again Woods didn't know what to answer. It surprised him how many times Abby cornered him like that. Perhaps in her short life, she had known him more than she had known him. In some ways it reminded him of Mason. 

Suddenly something pulled him out of his thoughts. A red dot appeared on Abby's chest and slowly rose until it was between both eyebrows. 

All his alarms went off. 

“Abby!” Woods forcefully pushed her out of the path of the sniper rifle. The deafening noise of a gunshot was heard, somewhere on the walkways to the upper floors. A sharp stabbing pain pierced Woods' shoulder from behind. 

Frank staggered from the impact force of the shot but managed not to fall. 

“Woods!” Abby grabbed his shoulders worriedly. 

“Don't dawdle now, run!” Woods grabbed Abby's arm and ran until they both took cover behind some display cases. 

Voices and screams began to be heard, people running and shots being fired everywhere. 

Woods grabbed his shoulder and grunted in pain. 

“They hit you.” Abby spoke terribly worried about the sergeant. 

“It's not as serious as it looks.” Woods lied. “Who the hell are these people?” 

“Probably the raiders of this area. The trucks we saw before must be theirs.” Abby responded as she took her rifle off her shoulder but Woods stopped her. 

"Not yet. Let them get closer.” Woods put his backpack down and grabbed Abby's rifle. He poked his head out slightly and quickly counted how many enemies they were facing. “Four, six, seven… seven motherfuckers.” He returned to hide behind the display case just as a bullet hit too close. “I Can handle them.” 

Of course Woods could handle them, he had been in much worse situations than that. The only thing he really worried about was Abby. 

“Abby, leave your things here, just take the gun and the knife.” Frank turned to the young woman. “There is an emergency door in that direction, do not shoot unless strictly necessary, do you know how to use the knife? No, of course you know how to use knives, you stabbed Adler without thinking.” 

“Frank, what are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

As soon as Woods saw a shooter lean out to shoot again, he grabbed Abby by the collar of her jacket and pulled her down to hide better. 

“Listen to me for once in your life, Abigail.” Woods' tone of voice sounded authoritative. “You are going to do what I tell you whether you like it or not.” 

Abby's worried eyes traveled back to the gunshot wound in Woods' shoulder. Frank realized this and sighed. 

“I'll be fine kid, I'll catch up with you before you know it. Now go." Woods nodded toward the emergency door. 

Abby wanted to reproach him again but she knew there was no point, Woods was just as stubborn as she was. So she nodded, left her backpack there and when the assailants took their time reloading their weapons, she ran towards the nearest door. 

As soon as she crossed, she closed the door behind her, there was a smaller museum room but she didn't even stop to see what was displayed there. She ran across the room until she reached the emergency door, opened it and found a long hallway where at the end there was another door that surely led to the outside. She stopped for a moment. Maybe there were more people outside, she didn't know how many people were fighting, maybe they were waiting for them outside. 

Suddenly footsteps were heard approaching. Had Woods finished with those bastards? Abby had no way of knowing. But she soon discovered that there were several people. 

It wasn’t Woods.

“Shit…” Abby cursed as she pulled out the knife. 

The footsteps got closer and closer, until they stopped right in front of the door, a tense silence filled the place. 

“She must be around here… Keep your eyes open, boys.”

Abby was on guard. Were those men the same ones who were fighting with Woods? Were they other guys? Had they done something to Woods? That possibility made Abby nervous. 

The door opened slowly, letting some light into the dark hallway. She didn't know how many she was going to face. But no matter what, Abby was going to kill them. She was going to kill them all. 

Woods finally managed to shoot the sniper on the upper catwalks. Of the seven men there, he managed to kill three. 

“Not Tommy!” A man was heard screaming. 

That almost managed to distract Woods, out of the corner of his eye he saw someone lunge at him. Frank managed to dodge the knife and hit him in the face. The man staggered back, and Woods took the opportunity to shoot him in the leg with his pistol. The man screamed in pain and before he could react Woods put his arm around his neck and pulled him towards him, using him as a human shield. 

With the man in front protecting him, Woods allowed himself the luxury of coming out of hiding and managing to shoot another man in the shoulder. Frank was about to shoot a second time, this time in the head, when a voice stopped him suddenly. 

“Pull the trigger one more time and I swear to God I’ll kill the girl!” 

Everyone stopped. The shooting stopped and the museum fell silent. Two men appeared, they were covered in bruises and signs of a fight. One was bleeding and limping on one leg, the other was holding Abby by the neck and jamming the barrel of the gun into her temple. Abby locked eyes with Woods, her nose was bleeding and she had a split eyebrow. 

“Let go.” The man holding Abby ordered. “Let him go or I'll stain the floor with her brains.” He threatened. 

Abby shook her head slightly. Woods was breathing hard, it was a too compromising situation, he couldn't risk Abby getting hurt. So Frank reluctantly let the man go. 

As soon as he did, someone kicked him behind the knee and pushed him to the ground. 

“Frank!” Abby screamed. “Let go of memotherfucker! I'll kill you!" 

The man holding her pressed the gun even harder against Abby's head. 

“Abby!” Woods exclaimed worriedly, he wanted to get up but one of the raiders put his knee on his back and the rifle pointed at his head. 

"Wait wait! Don’t shoot!" The man who had earlier been taken hostage by Woods tried to stop his partner. 

“Why?” The other man threatening Abby didn't seem in a good mood. “The girl killed Joe and Billy! She deserves to die!" 

“That girl saved my son.” The man looked at Abby, hoping she would recognize him. “Back in Chicago. Remember?” 

Abby stared at him for a few seconds. She tried to loosen the grip on her neck without success. 

“I remember you.” Abby answered. 

The man nodded and then looked at his companions. “She gave me medicine for little Simon. She saved him. I owe her my life.” 

The man behind Abby didn't look very happy. “They have killed three of our people, they have stolen our gasoline too.” 

“He killed Tommy! My brother!" The man who had his knee on Woods exclaimed. 

“They came from Chicago. They may have valuable information.” The father tried to insist. “She has saved my son. Your nephew, James.” 

The man holding Abby and who seemed to be the leader spent a few seconds thinking. 

He growled in frustration and shook his head. “Knock them out. We’ll take them to camp with us.” 

Hearing that, Abby became upset and tried to free herself even harder. 

“Abby no!” Woods exclaimed. 

But for Abby it was too late, she felt a strong blow to her head and everything went dark. 

____________

David ran to the hospital. The plane had been delayed two hours, since he had received the news he had done everything possible to return home on time, but apparently despite his efforts he didn’t succeed. 

He crossed the hall until he reached the table where the reception desk was located. The receptionist seemed to be typing something into the computer when David arrived.

“Hey.” David greeted, somewhat agitated in an attempt to remain calm. The nurse looked up from the screen and looked at him with a bored expression. “Huh… I'm looking for Alice Mason, her water broke this morning. I am her husband.” he showed the ID.

The woman checked the ID for a few long seconds, looking at the ID and then at David repeatedly. Then she typed some more on the computer. David shifted impatiently on the spot. 

“Alice Mason already gave birth two hours ago, she is resting in her room.” The woman reported. 

“oh…” David realized that he had missed the birth of his first child because of work. He ran his hand through his hair and laughed nervously. “My wife gave birth alone. I must look like a horrible husband.” He smiled sadly. 

The woman changed her bored expression for a slightly more compassionate look.

“I am not the woman who should judge that. Your wife is in room 240, second floor. The elevator is on the left.” The receptionist pointed there. 

David nodded and left with a final, polite “thank you.” 

He took the elevator and arrived as quickly as he could to the room that the woman had indicated to him. Some nurses even called him out for running through the hospital hallways. 

When he arrived at the indicated door David made an effort to calm down. He had just become a father, he was a father. He almost couldn't believe it. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. 

As soon as he entered the room he met his wife's tired eyes. She was lying on the hospital stretcher, her hair completely tangled and huge dark circles under her eyes. But still, for David, he still saw her as the most beautiful woman in the world. 

“Hey…” Alice smiled and stretched out her hand towards him. 

David did not hesitate to shorten the distance and take her hand in his. He sat on the edge of the stretcher and kissed her knuckles. 

“Hey…” he said back with a small smile. He placed Alice's knuckles next to his cheek as he stroked the back of her hand gently with his thumb. "How do you feel?" 

“Exhausted.” Alice sighed, her face looked like she hadn't slept in days. 

David leaned towards her and kissed her sweetly. He wanted to kiss her more, with more passion, to tell her how much he had missed her, that the days without her were horrible. But in the state his wife was in he had to be more delicate. 

“You've done an amazing job, momma.” It was the first time David had called Alice that, and he was surprised by how sweet it sounded. They both knew that they had to get used to the life of being parents, but luckily they would do it together. 

“And you're late.” Alice scolded him, but the tired smile indicated that she wasn't really angry. 

"I know. I am so sorry my love.” David kissed her forehead and knuckles again. He wanted to make excuses, that the plane had been delayed for two hours because of a storm, that the traffic jam from the airport to the hospital had been eternal... but David knew that at that moment those excuses were worthless. He made a mental note to make up for it with lots of massages and good food.  

"It¡s ok honey. She has also arrived earlier than the estimated date.” Alice cupped David's cheek with her other hand. 

He looked up. 

“She?” He asked surprised. 

Alice's smile widened and she nodded. "It's a girl." 

David and Alice had made the decision not to know the gender of the baby until it was born. David never had a preference for one gender or another, but upon hearing that it was a girl, his heart skipped a beat. It is always said that daughters have a special place in the hearts of fathers. 

“Have you decided on a name?” David asked curiously. 

Alice stayed for a few seconds looking at her husband. 

“Abigail. Abigail Mason.” She answered. 

That surprised David, it wasn't that he disliked the name either. 

“Abigail? I don’t remember that name on our list.” David remembered that they had a long list of names for their future baby. They never managed to decide on one. 

Alice chuckled. “I didn't name her. It was Woods.” 

“Woods? Are you letting the old sergeant choose our daughter’s name?” He joked. 

Alice rolled her eyes. “He just proposed the name, and I liked it. Do you like it?" 

Dave nodded. 

“And where is our dear Abigail?” David looked around. He noticed that the crib next to the hospital bed was empty. 

“Frank took her to the waiting room for a little while so I could rest a little.” Alice explained. “She has very strong lungs.” She chuckled. 

“Has Woods been with you during the birth?” 

“He was waiting outside. As soon as I called him to tell him that my water had broken, he didn't hesitate for a second to come to the hospital.” Alice answered. 

"And your family?" 

“They said they were on their way but had gotten into a traffic jam.” She sighed. “I guess it's better this way, you know how Woods gets when he sees my parents.” 

David remembered the last family meeting, and nodded. "Then I'll go find those two." David kissed Alice, a slow and tender kiss. “You rest in the meantime.” 

“Yes sir.”

Alice nodded and closed her eyes as soon as David left the room. 

David searched the hospital floor until he found a small waiting room. There was old Woods by the window, sitting as always in his wheelchair, and with a small bundle of blankets in his arms. David approached without making much noise.

“You like grabbing the finger huh?” Woods spoke in a very soft tone, something strange for him. “Yeah, you have a really strong grip, Abs.” 

“Hey old Man.” David greeted, taking care not to scare the veteran. 

“Oh Dave.” Woods smiled as soon as he heard David's voice. Frank looked down at what was in his arms. A small baby's face peeked out from between the blankets, big green eyes that stood out. “Look Abby, your dad's already here.” 

David's heart melted the moment he saw the girl, his girl, his daughter. David had just met her and had already fallen in love with her, that baby had become his ray of sunshine. 

“Do you want to hold her?” Woods asked. 

David was a little nervous but he didn't hesitate and nodded. Woods carefully handed the baby to his nephew. Little Abby stirred at the sudden movement but once she settled into her father's arms she relaxed again. 

"Hi gorgeous." David murmured sweetly. His legs were shaking, his heart was going to burst, and his eyes were beginning to fill with tears. 

Abby opened her small eyes as she recognized her father's voice. David had spoken to her so many times while she was inside her mother's belly. Which Abby didn't take long to recognize. 

That made David's smile wider. And Woods's.

David rocked Abby gently, trying to put her to sleep. 

“So Abigail huh?” David looked at his adoptive uncle. “I didn't know you had a name in mind.”

Woods sighed. 

“Not exactly my idea.” Frank answered, looking at his hands, old and calloused. “More like your parents’.” 

David raised his head curiously. 

“Well, more exactly from Em, from your mother. Although your father also liked the idea.” Woods began to explain. “When Em was pregnant with you, she thought that if there was a chance you were going to be a girl, she would name you Abigail.” 

That caused a wave of thought in David, about his mother and father. He tried to remember moments of his parents together. They were all blurry. 

A whimper from Abby brought him out of his thoughts. David looked down and saw Abby thrashing in her father's arms. Surely she was starting to get sleepy. 

“Abby…” he murmured. "I like it." He smiled at Woods. 

Frank nodded. 

“She has a good father. She will do great things.” 

“Section.” Harper's voice woke David up from his little nap. The lack of sleep had taken a huge toll on David. 

David looked around, they were outside the White House, the Wolves seemed to be reorganizing again. He was sitting on some cargo boxes. Delta was lying next to him, resting his head on David's lap.

“Are you okay brother?” Harper asked, seeing his friend's exhausted expression, he had terrible circles under his eyes. 

"Yes Yes. I just had a strange dream.” He brushed it off as he stroked Delta behind the ears. The dog raised his head, happy to see his owner awake.

Harper nodded unconvinced. “The truck is ready.”

David climbed down from the cargo boxes and picked up his backpack. "Thank you. You didn’t have to do it.” 

“I wanted to make sure everything was in ordert.” Harper guided David to the truck he had mentioned. “Provisions, ammunition, gasoline…. Everything you need to get to Chicago.” He handed the keys to the vehicle to David, who accepted them with a nod. 

David opened the passenger door and with a quick whistle ordered Delta into the car. The dog obeyed without question. He closed the door and sighed. 

“I hope your contact was right.” David looked his friend in the eyes. 

That same morning a group of the Chicago Wolves had arrived. David didn't hesitate to ask about his daughter Abby. The men confirmed that before they left they had heard rumors that someone had brought in an unconscious girl. That only fueled David's hope.

“She will be there. Don't worry." Harper assured him. 

Both friends hugged each other as farewell. 

“Be careful out there. And bring Abby back.”

"I will." 

__________

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