#but she still curls up into Maddie’s side after a long day

[whatohitsonfirewelp]

I think it would be really fucking funny if Jee-Yun ends up taller than both her parents. She took the talk genes that skipped Maddie and Chimney.

[sugdenlovesdingle]

If you’re still taking prompts, Tommy spending time with Maddie?

Oh I like this!

----

"At least this time it was planned." Maddie offered

"Yeah... And the nurse did say everything is going according to plan earlier."

"But you still worry."

"Yeah." Tommy chuckled. "I convinced him to get it done now so he'd be back on his feet by the time the little one starts walking."

Maddie smiled and rubbed her pregnant belly.

"Yeah I think he is looking forward to meeting his family. He's about to walk right out of there in a minute. Jee wasn't this restless."

"I guess he takes after his father then. I've never known Howie to be calm and relaxed." Tommy commented "Well... off the clock at least." he added after a beat and they both laughed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking bad hospital coffee and Tommy's eyes fixed on the door.

"What about you two?" Maddie asked.

"Hmm?"

Tommy reluctantly tore his eyes away from the door and looked at her.

"One of these." she gestured at her belly.

"I don't think either of us is at risk of getting pregnant any time soon." Tommy deadpanned and laughed when Maddie slapped his bicep.

"You know what I mean. Am I going to be an aunt any time soon?"

Tommy sat up straighter and played with the lid of his coffee cup.

"We've talked about it. Marriage, kids... the whole nine yards... and we want the same things..."

"But..." Maddie prompted.

"But... not just yet." Tommy shook his head. "We've only been back together about six months. And the last time we rushed into things it didn't go so well. So one step at a time for now."

"Isn't he moving in with you when he's discharged?"

"Yeah but that's because he's going to need a lot of help. Especially the first few months. And those stairs in the loft are lethal."

"He managed before..."

"Maybe. But he doesn't have to anymore now. I have a bedroom and a bathroom on the ground floor at my place and the stairs aren't so damn steep, he can easily manage them with crutches if needed."

Suddenly the door opened and one of the doctors walked up to them.

"Evan Buckley's family?"

Tommy was on his feet in seconds.

"That's right. How is he?"

The doctor gave him a tired smile.

"The operation was a success. No complications. Straight out of the medical text books."

"So he's ok?"

"He has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but I don't see why he shouldn't make a full recovery in due time." The doctor told them. "He'll still be asleep for a while, but one of the nurses will come get you when they've gotten him settled back in, in his room and you can sit with him."

Tommy let out a sigh of relief while Maddie thanked the doctor before they left the two of them to it again.

"He's ok." Maddie said, slipping her arm through Tommy's. "He's ok."

About ten minutes later a nurse came to get them and took them to Buck's room. He was still fast asleep but apart from a pulse oximeter on his finger and a cast on his leg, he looked just like he would on a regular day at home.

Tommy sat down next to the bed and softly brushed the curls off his forehead, while Maddie sat down on the other side and held Buck's hand in hers.

"You know he always hated that?"

"Hated what?"

"His curls. People playing with them." Maddie explained. "I used to do it when he was little but when he got old enough to pick his own hairstyle, the curls were gone and everyone was forbidden to touch his hair. I think I still have some pictures of when he gave himself a haircut when he was about 12 or 13."

Tommy grinned.

"If you can still find them, I'd love to see them."

"I'll get Howie to look for them." Maddie promised. "But what I'm trying to say is... he's changed since he met you. For the better."

"I did tell him I liked the curls once... He hadn't had time to get a haircut in a while and his hair was getting longer and the curls just made him look... soft." Tommy smiled, running his hands through Buck's hair.

Maddie smiled.

"Not just the hairstyle. Or wearing clothes in his actual size instead of at least two sizes too small." She laughed. "But he's... more comfortable in his own skin. He's content. Happy in a way I've never seen him before. And that's down to you."

"I don't know about that..." Tommy ducked his head.

"I do." Maddie insisted. "You're good for him. You're good for each other."

Buck began to stir and groaned as he opened his eyes. He rolled his head to the side and smiled when he saw Tommy.

"Hey you." Tommy said and got up to press a kiss to the top of his head. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"

"Hmokay... better when the room stops spinning... and there's only one of you. is my leg still there?" he reached out to touch his leg and then realised someone was holding his hand. He turned his head and saw his sister. "Maddie!" he said happily, like he hadn't seen her in years.

"Hi." she giggled and squeezed his hand. "They've got you on the good stuff, huh."

"They fixed my leg." he explained. "Tommy said I should do it now. For the baby." He frowned. "Not our baby." He turned his head back to the other side to look at Tommy. "You're not having a baby... right?"

Tommy bit his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"No, no I'm not. But your sister is."

Buck turned back to Maddie.

"You're having a baby?" he asked, and then noticed her pregnant belly. "You're having a baby! Wait... i-is that Tommy's baby?"

"What? No!" Maddie said and both her and Tommy burst out laughing. "I don't think I'm really his type."

"Yeah, sorry, I prefer the other Buckley." Tommy said laughingly.

Buck frowned.

"Who?"

"You." Tommy told him and softly kissed him. "I'm going to get a nurse. Let them know you're awake. I'll be right back." He got up and left the room with Buck looking at him with a dopey smile that wasn't just the anaesthetic.

"I love him." Buck declared, still looking at the door.

Maddie smiled and gave his hand another squeeze.

"I know. He loves you too."

"Yeah? Yeah!" Buck replied answering his own question. "I'm going to marry him. I have a ring." he said, just as Tommy came back in with a nurse.

"Hello mister Buckley, glad to see you awake." the nurse told him as she quickly checked him over. "The operation went well, and you should be able to go home in a few days."

Buck nodded and turned to Maddie.

"You need to call Eddie for me. He has the ring. I need it... for Tommy. I'm going to marry him."

"I'll call him." Maddie promised. sharing a look with Tommy over the bed.

"Good. I'm just... sleep..." Buck mumbled as he started to drift off again.

"He probably won't remember this conversation when he wakes up again." the nurse told them. "I'm guessing you're Eddie?" she asked Tommy who shook his head.

"I'm Tommy. And I guess I better start working on my surprised face."

---

send me a prompt and I'll write you a fic(let)!

[megalony]

You Look Happy

This is an Eddie Diaz (911) imagine requested by a lovely anon, I hope this is what you wanted and I hope you all like it. Any other requests or feedback would be great.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogmeddows @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez-blog @jonesyaddiction @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me  @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh @onceuponadetectivedemigod @ceres27 @avyannadawn  @noonenuts @sleepylunarwolf @coverupps @justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway

Masterlist

Summary: Eddie keeps his private life away from the team, leading them to think he's single. They all get a shock at the annual BBQ when he brings a few special people along.

Enjoy.

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

"So, is everyone bringing someone on Friday?" Hen waved her fork in the air and glanced around the kitchen at her coworkers.

"I'm bringing Maddie along, she's excited to see everyone." Buck found himself a seat at the table and reached across the table for a slice of pizza.

It was the annual station cookout on Friday, they would have a BBQ going and everyone would be bringing a range of food, cakes and drinks along to make the day a big event. It was a chance for family to come and visit the station and see the team in their 'work habitat' as Bobby called it. They all needed any excuse they could get to have a party when their line of work wasn't always pleasant.

And everyone was encouraged to bring someone along, whether it was family or just a friend.

"Hmm, no special lady for you then?"

"There might be," A smirk started to form on Buck's lips and he glanced over at Eddie with a raised brow like it was a competition. "But it's too soon to bring her along to the station and meet everyone." He didn't want to push things too far, not yet when they were only just starting to go out on proper dates. Meeting the team Buck classed as his family would be a step too far too soon.

"What about you Eddie, do you finally have a lady to introduce us to?" Hen poked her tongue between her teeth, showing off a smile as Eddie looked up from his glass, suddenly realising he was being pulled into this conversation.

He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and a splash of colour coating his skin just from the thought of bringing his special someone along to the cookout.

"The bachelor over here who lives at the station?" Buck turned around in his chair to look behind him at the coworker he classed as one of his best friends but his smirk dropped when he took in Eddie's stoic expression. "What, do you actually have someone in mind to bring?"

Eddie's lips pursed to the side and his jaw tightened just a little but after taking a deep breath, he managed a small smile to try and lighten his own mood. He didn't realise all of the team were in agreement that he was single. Although that was probably his own fault for keeping his life so shut off from the rest of them, but still, Eddie never denied it when they used to say he probably had someone waiting at home for him. It wasn't a secret.

It was a tough transition from the army into the fire department, Eddie was so used to keeping his life private because talking about his family when he was thousands of miles away from them only dampened his mood and brought him down. And he couldn't bring himself to put his wedding ring back on his finger after having it on a chain around his neck for so long.

It was always safer to have his ring tucked away beneath his uniform and in the dead of night when he was out on watch or he couldn't sleep, he would curl it in his fist and indent the shape into the palm of his hand. Eddie couldn't sleep if the ring wasn't around his neck, the small weight on his chest was a comfort he had grown used to.

But Buck had seen him leaving the showers and changing into his uniform hundreds of times, he thought his friend would have noticed the ring around his neck. He thought Buck knew but was just being respectful of his privacy.

"I have some family here in LA that can come along,"

Eddie took a swig of his drink and rested his hand on the counter, smiling around the rim of his glass. The team knew most of his family was back in Texas, his parents, his sisters and their families, a few of his aunts and uncles but he still had two aunts here in LA, plus the family his team didn't know about.

Part of Eddie wasn't sure if he would make it here in LA, if he would like the transition or get used to being here. It was why he kept himself so closed off from the rest of the team, he didn't want to get close if he was going to head back to Texas.

But it had been a year since he started at the station and he knew without a doubt that this was where he wanted to be and all of his family had adjusted to being here. They were here to stay. It was about time he let the team meet his family, after all, the team were like a second family to Eddie. He spent most of his time here with them and they were all important to him. It was time he merged both worlds together.

"That's great, you know you can bring anyone along. Siblings, nieces or nephews or friends, everyone's welcome." Bobby patted Eddie's shoulder as he passed him but his words didn't comfort Eddie as much as they unnerved him. Even Bobby didn't think Eddie had anyone special here, he was under the same impression that Eddie was a single guy who willingly spent all his time here at the station.

He was doing the extra shifts for the money, not the company or the thrill.

"Perfect," He was going to surprise them all.

***

A smile formed on Eddie's lips and he tried to balance his weight on his heels and keep his steps as light as possible so he couldn't be heard traipsing through into the kitchen. He'd already kicked off his boots the moment he walked in the door which gave him the advantage of being quieter.

He passed through the doorway into the kitchen where the radio was playing softly in the background, helping to cover up the sound of him returning home.

His sights set on the one person he was hoping to surprise and while she had her back facing him, Eddie picked up the pace and he seemed to time it perfectly right. Just as (Y/n) turned around, Eddie pounced and wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet in a split second. His smile broadened into a grin when she shrieked and he spun round on his heels as he felt (Y/n)'s arms deadlock around his neck and her face bury into his shoulder.

"Eddie!" (Y/n) swatted her hand down on his back and breathed his name into his neck but she could already feel him laughing against her before he kissed the side of her head.

He was always one for surprising her.

"You'll give me a heart attack one day," (Y/n) mumbled the words into his shoulder but she couldn't hold back a smile. Her arms tightened around his neck when he carefully set her back down on her feet and she could feel his hands roaming around her back and hips before he settled on cupping her stomach instead. "Oh, that's why you scared me is it?"

"What?" Eddie kept his head nuzzled against hers until (Y/n) cupped his face and tilted his head back so he could look down at her and he took the liberty of resting his temple against hers. He had a very innocent expression on his face but the way his eyes gleamed and his pupils started to expand gave away everything. And when his lips curved up and he flashed his teeth, (Y/n) couldn't help but laugh.

"You forget just how well I know you, Mr Diaz. You scared me to wake her up."

(Y/n) let her hands move down from cupping his cheeks to rub up and down his shoulders as he threw his head back to let out a hearty laugh. He had been rumbled.

Every time when Eddie was around and (Y/n) started to feel some movement from the baby, Eddie was there with his hands roaming her stomach only to find that their girl had settled back down. It was like she was teasing him and he didn't like it, he wanted to be there for everything, he didn't want to miss a thing and he loved to feel her kick more than anything.

Eddie just so happened to realise that whenever he snook up on (Y/n) or gave her a little jump scare which he was prone to doing, the baby woke up and she would wriggle and kick up a storm. If Eddie got (Y/n)'s heart racing, he could hold her stomach like he was doing now and he wouldn't miss a thing.

"Ah, you caught me, but I was right. See, she knows it's me." He continued to smooth his hands up and down her stomach while he pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested his lips there for a while.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Not too bad all things considered. Do you have plans for Friday?"

Adrenaline sparked in (Y/n)'s stomach when Eddie's hands moved to caress her hips and he walked her back until her hips bumped against the kitchen counter and he had her caged in. He stepped closer until he was practically stood between her legs, their hips and chests merged together and his forehead tipped down until it was resting on hers. His hands moved from her hips to rest on the counter either side of her, caging her beneath him like his prey and it sent her knees wobbling in the best possible way.

She tightened her hands on his biceps before she moved her palms to smooth her hands and fingertips up and down over his chest. It was something she knew drove him crazy and she could feel each breath becoming deeper and steady beneath her fingers.

"No, I don't think so. Why, what did you have in mind?"

"We're having a family day at the station in the afternoon, there will be a BBQ and Cap said we can bring anyone along. Fancy joining me with Christopher?" Eddie glanced his eyes down to (Y/n)'s lips as he spoke and subconsciously licked his own lips before he looked back up to her eyes.

"It sounds lovely… what's that look for?" (Y/n) rubbed her thumb across his chin and up along his jaw.

She knew that look in his eyes and the way his lips twitched up on one side like a slanted smile. It wasn't a bad or worried look but it was something different to excitement or happiness, he looked apprehensive.

"No one's expecting me to bring anyone,"

(Y/n) wasn't surprised. She knew Eddie like the back of her hand and he was a very closed off, private person. He could joke around at work and have a laugh and get to know people, but letting them into his life was much different and it was harder than it seemed. But Eddie was ready to let everyone in now, he knew they weren't the kind of people who would hurt him or turn on him, they were a new family and he wanted them in every aspect of his life.

Eddie kept his eyes on (Y/n)'s lips for a few seconds until she cupped his face in her hands again and brought him closer so their noses brushed together. But it was her smile that made his heart skip a beat and his eyes creased from the wide smile that spread across his face when she kissed the corner of his mouth.

"We'll just have to show them how loved you are then, won't we?"

He brought his hands up to cup hers before he leaned forward to press a feverish kiss on her lips. His fingertips itched and tapped against her hands and he shifted between her legs with a buzz of energy. He would have kissed her deeper, harsher, quicker. He would have lifted her up off her feet again and spun her round or sat her high on the kitchen counter if a certain voice didn't stop him in his tracks.

"Daddy, you're home!"

***

"Are we here?"

"Yep, this is where daddy works," A small bubble of anxiety dwelled in (Y/n)'s stomach when she approached the fire station looming ahead of them.

The only time (Y/n) had been here was when she had dropped Eddie off and picked him up from shift when his car was in the garage. She had never actually been inside and seen what it looked like on the other side. It loomed large like a beacon in society.

Where was she supposed to go? Did she have to sign in or let someone know she was here? Did they have a checklist or was anyone allowed to turn up unannounced? Eddie did say that anyone was allowed to be here and he had told everyone he was bringing someone but she knew he hadn't specified who was coming. He was going to surprise them and show them that he did have people waiting at home for him when his shift ended and his work like came to a finish.

(Y/n) unhooked her bag from her shoulder and looped it over the handlebar of Christopher's wheelchair that she was gripping so tightly her knuckles were almost popping through her skin.

Her eyes did another sweep over the pair of them, triple-checking that they looked okay to be here. Christopher had chosen himself a dark blue button up shirt and trousers and (Y/n) had gone with a floral yellow dress that looped up around her neck and came down just beneath her knees. It was one of the only dresses (Y/n) had that looked more sophisticated but also stretched enough to cover her six-month bump.

Clothes were starting to get snug at the moment and Eddie was coming home to find (Y/n) had confiscated a lot of his shirts and button ups since they fit her better than her own clothes.

The wide red doors that opened up for the trucks to get out were pinned open to let people flow in and out and (Y/n) could hear the music before they even got inside. And the atmosphere seemed to buzz through the air like speckles of sugar glistening all around the station.

"Are you ready?"

"Yep."

Smiling, (Y/n) reached down and ruffled his curls and looked down to make sure he was holding the two trays tightly. They had spent the morning baking cookies and a lemon cake which was Eddie's weakness and Christopher wouldn't let go of them all the way here.

Pinning a loose curl behind her ear, (Y/n) took a deep breath and pushed the chair forward into the station that was crowded with people moving about from all angles. Some were up high in the loft, leaning over and laughing and joking. Others were near the gym towards the right and people were dotted between the two trucks and the ambulance which had all been cleaned today by the looks of them.

Where was Eddie hiding? He had been here since eight this morning because he was technically on shift but he promised (Y/n) as soon as they arrived, he would be right beside her and he wouldn't leave unless he had to go out on a call.

She was sure the panic was written across her face when an older man approached them with a soft smile, bright eyes and broad shoulders.

"Hi, welcome, come on in. I'm Captain Nash but everyone calls me Bobby," He waved a hand over before both his hands moved to rest on his hips but he had a calming voice that made (Y/n) feel at ease. If everyone seemed as welcoming as him then this wouldn't be as daunting as she first thought.

"Hi, I'm (Y/n) and this is Christopher."

"We made cake!" He held the silver tray out for Bobby to see but it was clear he wasn't about to hand it over. He was proud and showing off what they had done but he was still protecting the treats they had made. He wouldn't put them down until he saw Eddie.

"Wow, thank you! Everyone here as a sweet tooth. Who are you here for and I'll go let them know you're here."

"Eddie, thank you," (Y/n) rung her hands together when Bobby raised a brow but his open mouthed expression quickly turned into a grin and he nodded. He waved them to follow him towards the buffet table where a lot of people were crowded round sharing jokes and playful taunts before he wandered off to find Eddie.

"Hey, look, someone made cookies!"

(Y/n)'s eyes darted over to a tall man who looked to be a little younger than Eddie, he had a broad smile and a playful aura about him that seemed to radiate to Christopher who smiled proudly. He crouched down beside the chair and folded his arms over on the armrest but his eyes were on the cookies Christopher was already trying to get the clingfilm off.

"Thanks, these look great," He kindly took the cookie he was offered and ate it in one, causing the eight-year-old to giggle happily. "I'm Evan, but everyone calls me Buck."

"Oh, you're Buck, Eddie talks about you a lot." (Y/n) smiled down at him before she leaned around the chair and carefully slipped her hands beneath Christopher's arms to pick him up from the chair. It was always easier to take him out in the wheelchair than make him walk too far on his crutches but (Y/n) knew he would be fine to walk and hobble round the station if he was slow and careful. "Why don't you put them on the table, baby?"

She took the lemon cake from him and put it on the chair so he wouldn't be carrying too much and he could focus on putting the cookies down on the buffet table across from them. When she turned back to Buck, he was stood up again, hands in his pockets and a curious smile on his face.

"He talks about us, does he? Are you his sister?"

Something flashed across (Y/n)'s eyes and she forced herself not to laugh, settling instead on a kind smile. Surely she didn't look related to Eddie? They weren't similar in looks or features or height and (Y/n) certainly didn't look like any of his big sisters.

"Hey Buck, who's this?" Hen appeared at his side, handing him over a drink before she turned towards (Y/n) with one of the brightest smiles she had seen before- other than Eddie and Christopher of course.

"There you are," Eddie's voice was unusually soft and quiet but he knew (Y/n) had heard him when he saw her head turn to the side to try and see where he was. It had been a tempting idea to sneak up behind her and give her a small jump like he had done the other day but he refrained because they were in public and he didn't want to embarrass her.

He walked up behind her and his hands instantly found their home on her waist, cradling her hips comfortingly through her dress that stood out to Eddie from a mile away. He knew as soon as he walked down the stairs that his wife, his girl, was the one in the yellow summer dress that had sequins sewn into the hem and her hair curled into ringlets, pinned to the back of her head.

His chest glued up against (Y/n)'s back and she could feel his deep breaths resonating through her, no doubt full of anticipation about introducing his family to his work family. But (Y/n) could feel how oddly calm Eddie was behind her and she found herself closing her eyes when he kissed the side of her head and leaned down to keep his lips smothered against her cheek for a few seconds.

"Guys, this is my wife, (Y/n). Sweetheart, this is Buck and Hen, and that's Chimney over there."

Something about the way their jaws dropped made Eddie grin against (Y/n)'s cheek and he could feel pins and needles tingling down to his fingertips. They were expecting his aunts to be his company today or some distant relative or just a new friend he made whilst living here. They weren't expecting him to be married or to have a child either.

"It's lovely to meet you," (Y/n) shook Hen's hand when she held it out but her eyes were narrowed in on Eddie and her lips were pressed together like she was waiting for an explanation.

No one would have made fun of him or commented if he told them he was married. He knew all about their love lives, or Buck's lack thereof and he had met Hen's wife Rachel before and her son Denny. But this was the first they were hearing of him having a family.

"Wife? So, so you're married?"

"That's generally what it means, Buck." Eddie pressed another kiss to (Y/n)'s cheek before he hovered his lips over her ear when he noticed the cake sitting on the vacant wheelchair in front of her. "You made my favourite," He whispered the words quietly against the shell of her ear, feeling her shiver against him which only made his grin broaden.

"Oh, so he's your boy?" Buck pointed across to the buffet table where Christopher was already making a dozen friends with anyone who was within his reach. But as soon as his head turned and his eyes landed on Eddie, he was clapping and making his way through the crowd to get back to his parents.

"You have a kid too?" Hen turned round to catch a glimpse of who Buck was pointing to. This day just kept getting better and better.

"Yeah, here's my boy."

"Daddy!"

Eddie unravelled one hand from (Y/n)'s hip and crouched down enough so that when Christopher hurried over to him with open arms, he could scoop him up. He curved his arm around his boy and effortlessly lifted him up in one arm and perched him on his hip while his other arm stayed around (Y/n)'s waist, keeping the two most important people close at hand.

"Shall we go cut this cake? I'm starving," He bounced Christopher on his hip before he kissed (Y/n)'s forehead and reached down to grab the lemon cake that was calling his name. "I won't be a minute," He mumbled quietly against her skin before he headed over towards the buffet where Bobby was starting to plate a few things up.

His arm nudged against Bobby when he went to cut the cake and he smiled up at his captain when he felt his boy nuzzling into the crook of his neck with a big smile.

"Do you know what you're having yet?"

"A little girl," Eddie knew it was a sensitive topic but he couldn't stop himself from grinning like the Cheshire cat even as he bit down on his lower lip to calm down his smile. He had his son in his arm and soon he was going to have a little girl to spoil and show off to the team. He was beyond excited.

"That's why you've been picking up the extra shifts?" Bobby kept his voice quiet so no one else would pick up on their conversation but he spoke with a smile and a calm tone. He wasn't being rude or insinuating, he knew better than most what it was like to keep your family to yourself and have something that the rest of the team didn't know about. But Bobby thought it was good that Eddie was opening up to them all, he had been with them long enough to be one of the team and be part of their family.

"Yeah, I'll need to put in for a few weeks off soon, thought I may as well do extra now while I can." He was going to be asking for time off in a few weeks because in just over two months he wanted to be home with (Y/n) ready for when she went into labour and then afterwards to help her at home with the baby.

Eddie knew it was the best idea to do overtime now while (Y/n) was pregnant so it wouldn't affect them when he had to take leave and be home with her. He wouldn't be able to take a lot of extra shifts after the baby was born, he knew (Y/n) would need him home with her.

"Good for you, you look happy."

"Oh I am Cap," Eddie let his eyes wander back over to (Y/n) who was smiling and laughing along with Buck who was trying to cautiously feel her stomach but it wasn't something he had ever done before. "I am."

[kinardsevan]

30 days of fluff challenge: day 11

"crying during a movie"

Tommy doesn’t expect it. 

Evan picks the movie that night. It’s a newer one, from the past decade, and Tommy doesn’t really stay up on anything that isn’t a romantic comedy or an action flick, but Evan had found it in the midst of a twenty-minute search for something to watch while they have dinner, and he turns it on without either of them having much information on the movie. 

They’re not far into the film when Tommy questions whether it was the right choice. It’s heavy—a filim about a girl who loses her entire family in an accident, and then has to decide whether she wants to survive alone, or die to be with them—and before long, he can see the way it’s affecting Evan on a much deeper level than they generally go for. Still, as they watch, Evan seems enamored by the film.

Somehow, Tommy gets sucked into it too, even though he’s concerned about the way his boyfriend is being affected by it. Still, it isn’t until the credits roll, and he glances over to see Evan’s reaction to the end of the film, that he finds him nearly beside himself. 

“Babe?” 

Evan inhales a shaky breath as more tears run down his face. He shakes his head and holds up a hand, intimating that he needs a moment. Tommy watches him wordlessly for a time, gives him the requested time to reign it in. 

Except he doesn’t. Maybe he intended to, but Tommy sees him crumple and the quiet sobs that wrack out of his chest, and at that point, Tommy can’t just watch. 

“Baby,” he interjects, reaching up for Evan’s hand. He pulls it to his mouth and kisses the blonde’s fingers before shifting even closer to him on the couch and pulling him in. “What’s happening right now?” 

Evan forces in several deep breaths, which seem to help, because he’s calmer afterwards. Tommy pulls him in and presses his lips to his birthmark as he runs his fingers up and down Evan’s bicep. 

“I’ve had that moment,” Evan finally admits after five long minutes of silence. 

Tommy settles back, not letting go of him, but enough inches back into his own seat that he can see Evan. 

“What moment,” he asks. 

“After I was struck by lightning,” he explains. “When I was in the coma, I had this dream. A-and it was this life where Daniel was still alive, and Maddie never left Doug, and my parents actually cared.” He pauses, takes another breath, his eyes searching the floor. “Back then, I thought I decided to live because of everyone else. Because in the dream, Bobby didn’t live, and Eddie didn’t have custody of Christopher, and my sister wasn’t safe, but my parents cared and for a minute, all of that was really tempting.” 

Tommy hums in understanding. They’ve had enough discussions about both of their parents at this point for him to understand that what Evan’s referring to isn’t as simple as just making a decision, even if it felt that way at the time. 

“B-but there was this moment. I had this out-of-body experience, and I don’t know how I know it, but when they took me off the ventilator, they were concerned about me being able to breathe on my own. But in my head, I was fighting with…something akin to the devil on my shoulder?” He looks up at Tommy then, his brow furrowed at the recollection. “Like I had to decide to live. And obviously I did. But I could’ve chose not to.” 

Tommy nods as he listens to him. He leans forward and kisses the side of Evan’s head again. 

“But you did live,” Tommy reminds him. 

Evan nods, and there are more tears running down his face again, which Tommy doesn’t love. 

“That’s more upsetting?” He asks warily.

Evan shakes his head and then tilts his head back onto Tommy’s arm, looking up at him. 

“You didn’t exist in that dream,” he rasps. “Because I didn’t know you. And if I hadn’t chosen to live then…” His voice trails off, shaking, but it makes sense to Tommy then. He doesn’t need the end of the sentence to understand why Evan’s upset. 

Tommy takes a deep breath and then drops his head down, curling his fingers under Evan’s chin to tilt him in. This kiss is soft, but also quick and urgent. There’s a line that sets into his forehead as he presses his forehead against Evan’s, dignified by the pain of the mere suggestion of a version of a life that Evan Buckley doesn’t exist in. 

“But you did,” he reminds him again. “I’m so glad you did.” 

“Mmm,” Evan hums, lifting a hand and curling a loose fist around the collar of Tommy’s shirt. He looks back up at him, staring into the depths of Tommy’s ocean blue eyes, sapphire pools of adoration staring back at him. 

“I used to have this checklist,” he adds. “When I would wake up in the morning, to make sure I'm alive, and not still stuck in the dream. Make sure night time came, make sure Bobby was alive, make sure Doug is still dead…” 

Tommy nods again. 

“But you said used to,” he states softly. “So you don’t anymore?” 

Evan inhales a deep breath, the tinest of smiles pulling at the corner of his mouth. 

“I do actually,” he replies, flatting his hand out against Tommy’s chest. “It’s only one thing now.” 

Tommy’s brow creases, curious. 

“Can I ask what that is,” he murmurs, adjusting his head on his own shoulder so that there’s only half an inch of space between his nose and Evan’s. 

Evan nods. His eyes trail down briefly, and then back up to Tommy’s. 

“Find this chest,” he rasps. “And make sure the heart inside of it still beating.” 

[television-overload]

of our own making: beginnings

(an X-Files fanfic)

Chapter 2/2 - candlelit restaurant

[Read on AO3]

A/N: Hopefully this fills in some of the blanks for you that were left by me skipping to the epilogue in ooom after they finally got together. No more slow burn this time! Your patience has been rewarded! I have a feeling this won't be the last time I write in this universe...

Mulder blinks awake, a ray of sunlight hitting him right in the eyes from the gap in Scully's blinds. It takes a second for him to adjust to his surroundings, the unfamiliar sheets and warm body beside him still new and exciting. His arm tingles from loss of feeling, trapped beneath her head. The last time they'd awoken to Madeline's cries, she'd slipped right back into his embrace after tending to her, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

How had it taken them so long to get to this point?

Breathing in a sigh of contentment, he allows himself a moment longer with her, curling his arm around her middle and filling his lungs with her scent. He parts the soft, coppery strands of hair covering the back of her neck and presses a kiss there, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against her head. 

He's so unbelievably lucky. If only his younger self could see how everything would turn out.

It takes all his strength to drag himself away from her, but he wants to get a head start on the day while Maddie is still asleep, so he carefully extracts his arm and presses one more tender kiss to her head before heaving himself off the bed. The shirt he’d discarded the night before had been claimed by Scully the first time Maddie woke them, so instead, he heads to his room, digging around in his drawers for a suitable alternative.

In the mirror in the bathroom, he catches sight of his own reflection, and he stops for a minute to inspect it. For the first time, he’s actually seeing himself as a father, as the man that Scully loves. It's somehow revelatory, a groundbreaking discovery. True happiness visibly changes a person, and he sees it in himself, for probably the first time in his adult life. He likes it.

Before heading into the kitchen, he pokes his head back into Scully’s room to check that both his girls are still asleep. Scully has rolled into the divot he left on his side of the bed, and his pillow serves as his stand-in, wrapped tightly in her arms. His heart squeezes with affection. Despite every inclination telling him to go back and claim his space next to her, he shuts the door with a soft click, making his way to the kitchen.

The fridge, filled to the brim thanks to Margaret Scully and her church friends, contains plenty of food to get him started on breakfast. Bacon and eggs is easy enough, and since being domesticated by Scully several months ago, he's picked up a thing or two. He might even be able to put together a nice mixture of fruit for them to enjoy, something healthy she might appreciate. He has no delusions that the energy to make such an effort in the mornings will continue in the coming days, but today he is ready and willing.

After all, there's something else he really wants to do today.

Just as he's putting the final touches on their meal, he hears the whimpers of their daughter, and the sound of Scully stirring in the bedroom. Perfect timing. He sets the skillet aside, turning off the burner before making his way over there. He knocks lightly on the door before pushing it open.

“Morning!” he says, smiling to himself at the sight of her messy hair.

“I wondered where you went,” she replies, in the process of lifting Maddie from her bassinet and carrying her to the changing table. She sniffs once in the air, her eyes meeting his with curiosity. “Did you make breakfast?” she asks.

“I did, it’s all ready when you are,” he answers, drawing a beautiful smile from her. “I can get her changed if you want to go on out there.

Her brows furrow. “Are you sure? You've already–”

“Hey,” he stops her. “I can do it. You get ready for the day and I'll meet you out there, okay?”

“Okay,” she says, smiling softly.

He walks toward her to collect Maddie, pausing to give her a quick kiss before taking the baby into his arms. 

“I love you,” he says, the relief at being able to freely say those words feeling like a weight lifted off his shoulders.

And to his delight, she says it back. “I love you too.”

-.-.-

He feels ridiculous, asking his own wife out on a date, but he loves her so much, he does it anyway. It's going to sound silly no matter what he does, he thinks, so he decides to really commit to it, and writes out:

Will u go out with me?  □ yes / □ no

on a scrap of paper, and slips it to her across the table at breakfast.

A grin lights up her face, which she attempts to conceal with her hand, and she shifts Madeline into her other arm so she can pick up the pen and check the box for “yes.”

Mulder feels a burst of giddiness from his head to his toes.

Tomorrow?

he writes, passing the paper back to her again. He watches as she scrawls in her neat little handwriting:

Where?

-.-.-

When Maggie arrives the following night, it’s to find them both dressed to the nines, her daughter putting the finishing touches on her hair while Mulder takes care of Madeline’s diaper in the other room.

She had been delighted to receive their call. After the unpleasant conversation she'd had on the phone with her eldest son, she had worried about them, wanting to check up on them, but unsure if Dana would appreciate the prying. She decided to give it a few days, and maybe stop by to offer her services however she may be useful if there are no objections.

To her surprise, her services are requested before she can even offer. Babysitting. Just for a few hours, they say. She hardly dares to consider the possibilities.

But seeing the two of them, looking as polished as ever, sets her heart ablaze with hope. She drops her purse onto the kitchen table, hurrying across the room to the bathroom where Dana is attempting to set a curl so that it lays just right on her head.

“Dana?” she asks, eyes wide as she tries to silently convey every question that has passed through her mind in the last few minutes.

“Mom! Thank you so much for coming.”

“Anytime, sweetie,” she says. 

She feels restless. Jittery. Her hands, she doesn't know what to do with her hands. It would be imprudent to ask, but she has to know. 

“So… you're all dressed up,” she notes. “Is it a… court date? Something to do with the adoption?”

She doesn't think so. Or rather, she hopes that it's something else.

“A court date?” Dana laughs, looking at her incredulously. “At this time of night? No, it's just a date date.”

Maggie releases a gasp of air, immediately enveloping her daughter in a bone-crushing hug. 

“Oh, thank the Lord!” she cries, grinning from ear to ear, powerless to stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.

“Mom, you’ll wrinkle my dress,” Dana complains half-heartedly, though she smiles on in amusement. 

“Oh…” Maggie says with a sniffle, wiping her eyes and pulling back just a little. “Honey, he'd love you even if you wore a plastic trash bag,” she assures her.

“Yeah, but I just spent fifteen minutes ironing this,” Dana replies, unable to hide her brilliant smile. Not for a minute does she bother to deny that Fox Mulder loves her. Not even for a second. Maggie could collapse in relief, to see her daughter so at ease. So openly in love.

She hugs her again, headless of the carefully ironed dress.

“I’m so happy,” she says, cupping Dana’s cheek with her hand. “So happy for you. Oh, Dana!”

Dana chuckles, taking her mother’s hands and stepping backwards out of the bathroom. “Madeline’s bottles are in the fridge,” she says, her eyes practically shining with elation.

“Right, yes,” Maggie says, soberly remembering why she's here. But it's hard to pull back on the restraints of her pure joy at finding all her prayers finally answered. You can't put a dimmer on that amount of happiness.

“You have mine and Mulder's phone numbers,” Dana adds. “Try to put her to bed at about 8:00, I'm hoping to get her on a schedule.”

“Of course.” She'd expect nothing less from her pragmatic daughter. 

No sooner does Fox step an unsuspecting foot in the living room than he's overrun by his mother-in-law, pulled into her tight embrace. With the baby cradled in his arms, he's powerless against her, looking up at Dana in surprise as he endures the shower of kisses she bestows on his cheek.

“I knew you could do it,” Maggie says, fondly patting him on the cheek and gazing up at him with pride. “You have told her, haven't you?”

“I've actually got Bill to thank for that,” he jokes, and Maggie huffs.

“Oh, that boy. I've given him a piece of my mind. He won't bother you again.”

He had better not. She and Bill Senior had raised him better than that. She was horrified by his appalling behavior.

“Mom,” Dana interrupts, fastening an earring in place as she walks over to give her a parting kiss on the cheek. “We've got to head out. We have reservations.”

“Of course!” Maggie answers. Fox goes to hand her the baby, but she waves him away. “Oh, put her down for a minute and let me take a picture of the two of you! Where is your camera?”

“Mom…” Dana whines, and is that a hint of pink she detects on her cheeks?

Fox, for his part, obeys, chuckling all the while. “Oh, come on, Scully,” he says as he hands the camera to Maggie. “Don't you want a memento of the night the handsome Fox Mulder took you to prom?”

She rolls her eyes, even as she finds herself being wrapped in his arms, her back pulled against his chest.

“We're going out for dinner and drinks, Mulder,” she says, raising a doubtful eyebrow. But when he nuzzles her neck with his nose, she can't help the brilliant smile that blooms on her face, overshadowing any embarrassment she might feel in front of her mother.

Maggie snaps a few photos, grinning like a mad woman at the happy sight before her.

“Okay, really, that's enough,” Dana giggles, turning in Fox’s arms and pushing him away. “Mom, thank you for watching Madeline. You'll call us if you have any trouble?”

“Of course! Though I have raised four children, sweetheart, I think I know what I'm doing.”

“But–”

“Oookay, Scully, let's get out of here,” Fox says, stopping her with a hand on her shoulder before she can argue any further. He grabs her jacket and holds it out to her, helping her into the sleeves. “Thanks again, Margaret,” he says.

“Anytime! I'm happy to be of use!”

Fox lifts Maddie from where he'd laid her down, holding her against his chest and bouncing her gently. She stares up at him with big bright eyes, and he angles his neck down to press a kiss to her fuzzy little head.

“Bye, my sweetheart,” he says. “We’ll see you in a little bit.”

After adjusting her hair to the outside of her collar, Scully joins him and says her own goodbyes. Maggie catches the forlorn look on her face that every mother has when leaving their child for the first time. She remembers the feeling well.

“Get out of here, you two,” Maggie urges good-naturedly, taking the baby into her arms. “Stay out as long as you’d like, we’ll be just fine here.”

With one last doubtful glance backwards, Dana is guided by her partner’s hands on her shoulders out the door as he whispers words of encouragement. Maggie can't help but smile as she watches them. Her daughter is in good hands.

-.-.-

“It's weird, isn't it?” Scully asks, sitting across from Mulder in a candlelit restaurant.

“What, this?” His eyes scan their surroundings. Fancier than their usual digs, sure, but not particularly odd.

He takes a sip of the white wine he’d ordered for them, something far more expensive than his usual tastes, but worth it for the occasion. She's not getting cold feet at this point in their relationship, is she? It's a little too late to back out now. 

“Are you about to break my heart, Scully?” he asks, chuckling to hide the twinge of nervousness.

“No,” she assures him with a small smile, plucking another bite of her breadstick off and popping it into her mouth.  “No, I meant being away from Madeline. It's weird. She hasn't even been with us a week, and it already feels like…”

“Like there's a person missing from our party, yeah,” he finishes for her, knowing exactly what she means. “I guess it is kind of weird. It was just me and you for so long, you'd think it would feel like it always has.”

“I guess a lot has changed.”

He smiles, tapping his foot against hers under the table. “I guess it has.”

But at the same time, there are plenty of things that stay the same. Mulder performs a magic trick, making his spoon disappear from beneath his napkin, to the embarrassment of Scully, who enjoys his antics more than she lets on. When they get bored waiting for their main course to be served, he scoots his chair over to make room on his side of the table so they can whisper outrageous made-up stories about their fellow restaurant-goers to each other. The couple in the corner, she decides, are rival investment bankers for high profile clients. Their love affair would jeopardize both their companies, but they're powerless to stay away. Mulder says their waiter is actually three guinea pigs in a tuxedo, that's why their food is taking so long.

There's no shortage of laughter, despite the prim and proper atmosphere of the restaurant. They get more than a few concerned looks, but they're used to those by now. He does, however, attempt to stifle her giggles after a particularly loud snort erupts from her, holding her face against his shoulder to shush her while carefully steeling his own features. Something she'd said had caused water to spill from his nose, and she'd been laughing at his expense ever since.

“Real mature, Scully,” he says, his fingers tangling in her hair as his shoulder muffles the sound of her laughter. “I think that's enough wine for you.”

After a moment or two more, her shoulders stop shaking and all that's left is the most brilliant smile he's ever seen. She turns her head sideways, resting her cheek on his shoulder and releasing a contented sigh.

The waiter brings them the bill. He doesn't even look at the price total before slipping his credit card into the folder.

Whatever he'd paid for the night was well worth it.

-.-.-

Outside the restaurant, the evening air is cool—a reminder that summer has yet to officially arrive, to keep a few sweaters handy for when a cold front blows through. His hand is warm in hers, though, and there's music playing softly from somewhere down the block. It's a perfect night.

With dinner completed, their next stop is a classy little bar a few streets over that plays the kind of jazz music that Scully likes, and Mulder barely tolerates. But this had been his idea, and she appreciates his willingness to suffer in exchange for her enjoyment. How very Mulder of him.

They come to a stop at a crosswalk, the red “stop” hand telling them to wait. Cars drive leisurely past, the hum of their engines and rumbling of their tires blending in with the whip of the wind that comes to tangle Scully's hair. Mulder beams down at her, brushing the errant strands from her face—a fruitless task until this gust blows through.

He opens his mouth as if to speak, then closes it again, glancing around at the passing cars, at the marquee lights from the theater across the street.

She follows his lead, standing beside him and wondering at the slow pace of life they seem to have dipped their toes into. Not every day has to be like this, of course. They'd both go crazy if it were. But this is what she'd meant by ‘getting out of the car.’ Just sometimes, to be like other people. To slow down and enjoy the world around them, the infinitesimally small moments that would otherwise pass them by. She thinks they deserve that.

The crosswalk beeps at a steady rhythm, as unhurried as they are.

“Scully, would you–” he starts, clearing his throat. He looks down at his feet, his thumb fiddling with the diamond that sits on her finger. “You know, now that your family knows, we could–”

“Aren't you supposed to be down on one knee?” 

Her question leaves him completely dumbstruck, and she wishes she had a camera to capture the look on his face.

“Scully?” he rasps in confusion. 

She shrugs nonchalantly, concealing a smile. “It's just, you forgot last time. You just kind of blurted it out.”

Now he knows she's teasing him. One corner of his mouth quirks upward and she sees playfulness illuminate in his eyes to match hers.

“Do you want me to hire a professional photographer for this too, or will you let me finish?” he says lowly, leaning in close and squeezing her hand.

She looks at him with a smirk, one eyebrow raised, and he kneels, right there on the sidewalk. 

“Scully… my lovely wife,” he starts, gazing up at her with the pale yellow light of the street lights reflecting in his eyes. Her heart skips a few beats. “Would you like to have a big white Catholic wedding with me? Tuxedo, bridesmaids, the whole nine yards?”

She pretends to think for a moment, her eyes drifting to the heavens. Then comes her response.

“Mm—no.”

“No?” He seems appalled. 

And as fun as it is to mess with him, she can’t leave him hanging for long. 

“I would like to have a small wedding, though,” she says. “Just our families and closest friends.”

She can see the relief written on his face plain as day. As if she'd ever say no to marrying him again. Doesn't he know, now, how much she loves him?

She tugs on his hands and helps him to his feet, finding herself suddenly face to face with his infectious smile.

“Easiest guest list in the world,” he says. Then he lowers his lips to hers and kisses her. Across the street, the display on the crosswalk flashes with descending numbers, and they've missed their chance to go. But this side of the street is just fine, thank you very much.

“You know, technically what we're talking about here is just a vow renewal, not a wedding,” she informs him, pulling back just enough to look him in the eye.

He grins. “Oh, I'm well aware. You're already hitched to my wagon, honey.”

That earns him an eye roll. They're back to waiting again, this time without the other pedestrians who have left them behind. One of them probably ought to go press the button again, if they really want to cross.

“I know it was crazy, and probably stupid, looking back, but… I liked our wedding just the way it was,” Scully says. “Just you and me.”

“Me too.”

Thinking back on that day, it still doesn't feel real sometimes. Some days, the sight of the ring on her finger catches her by surprise, and the one on his fills her with a kind of primal possessiveness.

“We really did this all backwards, didn’t we?” she says.

“Definitely. Remind me to thank your brother for giving me the motivation I needed to tell you. He can come to the wedding—”

“Vow renewal.”

“—just for being the one to get our heads out of our—”

She kisses him, stealing his words from his lips. His hands find her waist, then her back, and she can't believe how right this feels. How quickly they've gone from friends to more.

Then again, maybe it wasn't so quick after all.

“Is that how you're gonna shut me up from now on?” he asks, breathing deeply to catch his breath.

She nips at his bottom lip again, then his jaw. If he needs a verbal answer after that, then she has severely overestimated his intellect

But it seems he’s catching on.

“I can live with it.”

-.-.-

In the end, they decide that drinks and jazz music can wait for another day.

“Would you be offended if I said I'd rather just go home?” Scully asks.

He gazes down at her beside him knowingly. “You miss her, don't you?”

Her lower lip juts out in an exaggerated pout. “Yes.”

“Me too.”

And so, they instead turn around and go straight back to their car, setting course toward home. Mulder can tell without even looking at her that she spends the entire car ride worrying over Madeline’s welfare, despite the fact that Margaret Scully is sure to be a more than adequate babysitter. It’s such a maternal instinct, though, that it fills Mulder with pride. 

Dana Scully is many things—an enigma at times—but on top of all that, she is now a mother. It only makes him love her more.

Back in the hallway of their apartment building, he stops her in front of their door before she can open it. If this is their first real date, then he wants to close it out properly.

“I had a really nice time,” he says, and though it’s a joke, he means it sincerely.

Her doubtful eyebrow arches toward the ceiling, as predictable as Old Faithful. “Really, Mulder?” she asks, looking at him in that way he knows means ‘I think you’re a dork.’

“Did you have a nice time?” He makes it clear he’s expecting an answer, leaning in close to draw it from her.

The corners of her mouth twitch, and thanks to his expert knowledge of Scully’s many microexpressions, he knows she’s amused.

“Yes, I did, Mulder.”

He grins and pokes her in the arm. “Now say the next part.”

This time she rolls her eyes at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I was given a script.”

He playfully pinches her sides, pulling her closer. “Oh come on, you know the words…”

She sighs, looking up at him with the smallest of smiles gracing her face. “We should do this again sometime?”

There it is.  

“Yes, we should,” he agrees. Then all there is to do is seal the deal with a kiss. He takes it slow, chuckling a little at how silly it all seems. He hasn’t kissed a girl on her doorstep after a date (with the girl's mother waiting just inside) since he was in high school. What he hadn’t expected was that he would feel the same rush of exhilaration as he did back then.

“Mulder,” she says between kisses.

He hums, his brain only barely capable of comprehending language.

Pouty Scully is back. “I miss my baby.”

Oh. Right.

Behind her back, he manages to slip his keys in the lock, and she shoots him a thankful smile as he turns the doorknob. She breaks from him just in time for him to crack open the door.

“You’re back early,” Maggie comments as they enter, looking up from the book she’d been reading while waiting for them on the couch. In the kitchen, freshly cleaned baby bottles are stacked on a drying rack beside the sink, and the place is spotless. For as little time as they’d been gone, her mother had obviously gotten a lot done, proving once again what a master at her craft she was. They still have a lot to learn.

“Mulder missed Maddie,” Scully says in explanation.

“Hey, so did you!” he defends himself. Maggie merely shakes her head and smiles, clearly entertained by their playful bickering.

Scully sets her purse aside, then starts removing her coat. “Did she do okay?” she asks, her brow furrowed in thinly-veiled worry.

“She was a perfect angel,” Maggie answers. “Only one dirty diaper, and she finished her whole bottle. She did fall asleep a little early, so she might be waking up again soon for another feeding.”

Mulder can see the relief as it eases the tension in Scully’s shoulders. He takes her coat from her, hanging it on the coat rack behind him along with his.

“Okay, that’s great, Mom,” she says. “Thank you so much for watching her.”

“Anytime, dear. She’s just the sweetest baby. If you ever need me to babysit overnight, am I correct in assuming you now have a spare room for guests?”

“Mom!” Scully blushes.

“Actually, we were just talking about turning it into Maddie’s nursery,” Mulder says, wrapping an arm around Scully’s waist and pulling her into his side. To his delight, he succeeds at getting her to turn an even deeper shade of red.

Maggie scoffs in amusement at her daughter’s uncharacteristic bashfulness. “You are married , Dana. I’d be surprised and disappointed if you weren’t—”

Scully hurries to gather her mother’s things, ushering her to the door. “Okay, I think we’ve kept you for long enough, Mom, thanks for coming. You’d better get on home.”

“We’ll call you,” Mulder adds with a cheeky smile, earning him a smack on the shoulder by an indignant Scully.

“You’d better,” Maggie threatens teasingly. “I trust you had a good night? Fox, I must say, that shade of lipstick suits you very nicely.”

Scully groans. “Bye, Mom,” she says insistently, practically shooing Maggie out the door. She’s reached a level of red-in-the-face that Mulder previously thought impossible to attain, and it just makes him want to squish her cheeks and tell her how adorable she is.

“Love you too, Maggie,” Mulder says for them both, his heart almost bursting with joy at really being a part of a family again. This is what he’d been looking for for so long. Who would have guessed he’d find it with his FBI partner and her stalwart Catholic mother?

“Goodnight, Dana. Goodnight, Fox,” Maggie says, stepping out into the hall. “I love you both.

And that sweet girl of yours.”

Scully sighs. “Love you, Mom. Goodnight.”

-.-.-

“I was thinking about what your mom said earlier,” he whispers in the darkness, his arm wrapped around her waist underneath the covers of their bed. She turns her head to glance back at him.

“Mulder, we do not need her to babysit overnight,” she says. “I don't want to be away from Maddie that long.”

He breathes a laugh. “I know. That's not what I was going to say, actually.”

Her brows furrow, and the sheets rustle as she turns over to look at him properly. His hand slides over her silk-clad torso, and he rubs his thumb over her side in soothing circles as she settles. 

“Oh. Then what is it?” she asks. 

He hums thoughtfully. “I was thinking, it would be nice to have space for guests, and a nursery for Madeline.”

Again, he finds confusion written on her face. “Well, there are only two rooms in this apartment, Mulder, so I'm not sure where you think we're gonna—”

“What about a house?”

That silences her.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” he says, smiling. “Come on, what do you say?”

“I–” She's not sure what to say. “I don't know.”

“If we lived somewhere bigger, I'd have less reason to say no to a dog,” he offers temptingly.

Her eyebrows raise. “You want to get a dog?”

“I didn't say that,” he answers, laughing softly. “I said I wouldn't have as much of an argument against it. There's a difference.”

“Who are you and what have you done with Mulder?” she asks jokingly, her own smile pulling at her lips.

“I'm right here, honey,” he says, wagging his eyebrows at her and digging his fingers into her sides. Then, turning serious again, “It's not that I’m against dogs. It was just your yappy cannibal dog, specifically.”

“It's not a cannibal if the thing it eats isn't of its own species,” she corrects. “Dogs are animals. It did what it needed to survive.”

“Stop, stop, you’re gonna give me nightmares,” he says, covering her mouth with his hand. “You're not helping your case, you know.”

She smiles and brushes his hair back. He's noticed she has a thing for his hair. She can't seem to keep her hands off even during idle conversation.

“Hey, you brought it up,” she points out. “A house, though, Mulder? Are you sure?”

“Why not? I've told you before that I'd live away from the city if I could. Wouldn't you?”

She smiles and closes her eyes, humming. “It does sound nice,” she admits.

“Well then, let's look. Let’s just see what's out there.”

“Okay,” she agrees. “I want it to have a porch.”

“Oh, that's a must,” he says, nodding seriously. “And a couple acres of land, at least.”

“What are we going to do with several acres, Mulder?”

“Start a garden, put in a pool? Maybe build an underground bunker for doomsday prepping?”

“Can I veto that last one?” she asks.

“We’ll talk about it later.”

She grumbles even as he pulls her to his chest, snuggling her close. 

While in some ways, the birth and adoption of their daughter felt like an end to their long and fraught journey, he hopes it's clear now that it's just the beginning. Their lives will look a little different from here on out, but there is so much more to come. A house, a real wedding. Maybe even a dog.

Oh, who is he kidding? Of course they're getting a dog.

“Dana?” he murmurs into her hair. Already her body has relaxed in his arms, and he knows she's moments away from falling asleep, his adorable little narcoleptic wife.

“Mm—what?”

“I love you.”

He can feel her smile against his chest, and she snuggles in closer.

“Oh brother.”

He knows that means, ‘I love you too.’

-.-.-

Tag List: @today-in-fic @agent-troi @angegova @baronessblixen @calimanc @captainsolocide @cutemothman @danasculls @deathsbestgirl @edierone @enigmaticxbee @figureofdismay @frogsmulder @hippocampouts @invidiosa @is-on-its-way @limnsaber @monaiargancoconutsoy @numinousmysteries @pookie-mulder @primrose19 @randomfoggytiger @skelavender @skylarksong @stephy-gold @teenie-xf @the-redhead-in-a-dress @vincentsleftear

[therogueheart]

Familial | Evan Buckley & Bobby Nash

Relationship(s): Evan Buckley & Bobby Nash | Background Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz Rating: Gen Warnings: N/A

“Well, well, well, how the tables have turned.”

Buck flopped into the chair with a grin, all long legs and dark smudges under his eyes that betrayed his light mood.

“Is this where you lecture me on safety and tell me I’m benched for the next month?” Bobby croaked, turning his head with a tired smile. Buck looked down, scuffing his heels on the floor and shrugging.

“Nah. I’ve never been on that side of the lecture. I wouldn’t do it as good,” the kid smiled. “Besides. Doc said six weeks minimum, that’s longer than a month.”

“So it is,” Bobby agreed. He took a moment to observe Buck, to note the way he clenched his fingers around the chair arms, the torn skin on his lips and the way his hair lay in rampant curls, free of its usual pomade.

“When did you last sleep?” he asked, reaching for his water.

“I slept,” Buck answered, launching forwards to grab the glass and pass it over. Bobby took it with a patient, bemused smile.

“Uh huh. When?”

“Within the last three days,” Buck hummed vaguely. Bobby squinted at him but knew a losing fight when he saw one, so he dropped his sword with dignity.

“That for me?”

On his beside was a bundle of flowers, an ornate cross pinned in their midst and a lopsided teddy bear with a stuffed heart proclaiming get well soon, Dad!

Dad.

His heart ached, a deep, innermost pain different to the rest. Buck’s cheeks had flushed now, one knee bouncing where nerves had begun to stack like building blocks.

“Nah. They’re for the other guy,” Buck answered, even though Bobby had found himself in a private room. He gave a low hum and finally sipped his water, letting Buck set the glass down when he was done.

“Not that I’m expecting a parade–but where are the others?”

“Eddie bullied Athena into going home to eat something and shower. Hen and Chim are on B-shift, Eddie’s dropping Chris off at Abuela’s.”

Abuela’s. Not his Abuela’s. Just Abuela’s. Bobby fought off a weak smile, relaxing back against his pillow. He could’ve slept again, except a poorly stifled sniffle cut through the quietness.

“Buck?” he rolled over, catching Buck as he hastily tried to wipe his eyes. He was crying, Bobby realized, fat tears rolling down his cheeks. “Hey, hey. C’mere. We’re both okay.”

He opened his arms and after a moment of uncertainty his youngest pushed himself up, tripping across the room and folding that mile-long body onto the edge of the bed and into Bobby’s arms. He smelt like old aftershave and faded laundry detergent and the tar that masqueraded as coffee in the hospital cafeteria. 

It was a tight fit and he had no idea how Buck had managed to tuck his legs up so tight, but Bobby clutched at him all the same, petting through his hair and murmuring low comforts. 

“I-I’m sorry,” Buck hiccuped after a while, fingers twisting in the front of Bobby’s hospital gown. “I didn’t mean to cry. You're hurt and I’m making you take care of me, and—”

“Nobody could make me take care of you, Buck,” Bobby interrupted, scuffing him gently upside the head. “I do it because I want to. Because I’d do it anyway. I’m glad you’re here, and I’m glad I’ve got an excuse to hug you.”

Because Bobby had learned not to take hugging his loved ones for granted over the years. He’d learned that any and every hug could be the last. Not least; he’d learned that Buck had barely been hugged at all aside from Maddie, and if the Buckley parents weren’t going to step up then Bobby damn well would.

“You don’t need an excuse,” Buck sniffled, clutching him tighter. And no, Bobby didn’t. But Buck still had issues with asking for what he needed and if Bobby could ease that burden he would, as he’d ease all their ills.

“I’m an old man who likes to cling to his kids. Indulge me, spring chicken,” he murmured, movement in the doorway catching his eye. It was Athena, her expression soft and unguarded when she saw them, and when she met his gaze she pressed a finger to her lips and backed away with a smile.

How he adored her.

“I thought I lost you,” Buck rasped, shifting. And then; “don’t ever do that again!” in his best impression of Bobby’s ‘stern captain dad’ voice, as Buck called it. 

(And now, too, Eddie, because where Buck led Eddie followed.)

"Ain't gonna make no promises," Bobby managed in a poor imitation of Buck, though his voice ached with held back tears.

God, he loved this kid. He loved all his kids, of course, but there was something innate about Buck that brought out the paternal urge to protect and guide within him.

“You don’t have the right kind of Penny twang,” Buck snuffed, but some of the sorrow had lifted from him as he carefully tucked an edge of the pale blue blanket tighter around Bobby’s ribs.

“I can’t be good at everything,” Bobby shrugged ruefully, pursing his lips. And then, because it had to be said; “Buck. I know you’re blaming yourself. I want you to know none of this is on you. No blame, no responsibility, nothing.”

Buck’s face twisted.

“Don’t make me call Athena,” Bobby warned, and smiled when Buck abruptly dropped the brewing argument. Not for long, he was sure. Guilt had a way of sticking to Buck, but they could work on it.

“Now.” Petting at Buck’s arm, he turned a fond gaze to the ceiling. “Tell me how long you and Eddie have been dating in secret.”

Buck spluttered so hard Bobby was grateful they were already in a hospital.

“We’re not—!”

“I was dying, kid. Not blind. I saw that kiss.”

[mama-qwerty]

WIP Wednesday

This is something that came to mind a while back, and is in my Knuckles MacPherson au. I don't see Knux being all mama's boy with Callie right away, it'll take some time for both of them to really realize how much they care about the other. And thus, this was born.

This takes place after Lost & Found, where he agrees to stay with her.

~~~~~

The truck rocked as it traveled down the side roads of Green Hills, heading for Callie’s house. Tom drove, while Maddie held Tails tightly in the passenger seat. Callie sat in the backseat, bookended by Sonic on her right, and Wade on her left.

She was sore. And dirty. And shaking slightly from the adrenaline still coursing through her from her and Maddie’s weekend of terror. They weren’t quite sure who had grabbed them right off the street a few days ago, but the intention was clear—to force their alien children to come. This organization had big plans for the kids, and they figured kidnapping the mother figures would give them an easy capture.

They were mistaken.

What happened instead was an all out war, complete with explosions (courtesy of Tails), electric shockwaves (Sonic), and a whole bunch of destroyed walls and equipment, with a number of broken bones for good measure (Knuckles). The boys had been scarily focused and determined, Sonic barely made any comments at all, and took down the secretive group in record time.

After the dust settled, the remaining baddies had run for the hills while Sonic and Tails rushed forward to leap into Maddie’s waiting arms. Tom and Wade hurried in after, and the sheriff joined his family in a tight group hug.

And Knuckles stood off to the side. Hands curled into tight fists, brow deeply furrowed, and gaze turned away from Callie.

Wade came over, giving her a hug that was a little too tight for what best friends should probably share, but then again, maybe it wasn’t. She didn’t exactly have any experience to know. And her mind was still kind of reeling from everything that had happened, so she wasn’t really in any condition to determine what was ‘friend appropriate’.

Not that she had cared in that moment. She’d wrapped her own arms around him, relishing the warmth and comfort he offered.

Now Callie turned her head, getting a peek out the back window at the echidna sitting in the truck bed. He sat with his back to her, legs pulled up and arms resting on his knees.

He hadn’t said a word to her since the rescue.

Tom turned down Mockingbird Lane, bringing the truck to a slow stop in front of her house. He threw it in park, and turned to give her a little smile.

“Here you go,” he said, his voice soft and tired. She imagined he and Wade didn’t get much sleep while she and Maddie were missing. “You gonna be okay?”

Callie let the question settle for a moment, before pushing a tired smile to her lips.

“Sure. I’m just gonna go in, eat something sugary and fattening, then get a long, hot shower before falling asleep for two days.”

His smile stretched a little, and he gave a nod. “Sounds like a plan. You call if you need anything, okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” The words were out of her mouth before she was even aware she’d spoken. Old habits and all that. She turned to Sonic. “You and your brother were so brave. Maddie knew you’d come.”

Sonic pushed his chest out, a little smirk on his lips. “’Course! That’s what heroes do!” He quieted slightly. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks to you guys,” she said, and the truck rocked as Knuckles hopped out of the back. He walked toward the house, stopping halfway to the porch. Callie let out a soft sigh, as Wade slid out his side to let her out. “I’ll let you get home. Thanks again, guys.”

The Wachowskis gave her a little wave as she slid out of the truck and moved to her front walk. Wade came closer, stopping in front of her.

“I’m glad you’re okay, too,” he said, his voice soft. “I knew the boys would save you, but I was so worried about you.”

Callie gave him a little smile, casting a glance to the echidna, still stubbornly avoiding her gaze.

“Glad someone was,” she said, almost to herself.

Wade seemed to catch her meaning, because he moved to hug her again.

“He was worried, he just doesn’t like to show those kind of things,” he said softly. “You know that.”

She did. Knuckles’ picture was practically in the dictionary under the word “stoic”. He wasn’t a hugger. He wasn’t a worrier. He didn’t express things like fear or concern or affection or love. She’d known him for months and knew all that about him.

A soft laugh caught her ear and she turned to watch as Sonic reached around the seat to hug Maddie from behind. Tails was still in her lap, and the fox wrapped his arms around her, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.

Callie turned the other way and watched as Knuckles crossed his arms over his chest.

She knew how the echidna was. Their little arrangement as kinda-sorta child and if-you-squint-and-tilt-your-head-a-certain-way guardian wasn’t exactly mother and son territory. He was an independent kid, on his own since he was practically a kindergartener. He could take care of himself. He didn’t need a mother. She knew that.

But that didn’t mean his lack of relief that she was safe didn’t hurt.

[scrambledsun]

this thing i made but havent finished. not sure what to do with it yet. have a read anyway!

Two months. It had been two months after he had done what needed to be done. And now he teaches the two students he had perfected. The girls sat at their respective desks and dutifully took notes.

Maddie, now known as Maudine, had black yarn hair with a low puffball tail and brown perfected eyes. no more silly glasses. After all, everyone knows a perfect doll doesn’t need glasses. Wearing glasses would suggest something was wrong with their eyes, it would suggest they didn’t have proper vision, that they were broken in some way.

What child in the big world wanted a broken toy out of the box?

Moxy, or now Maxine, was a doll with sugar pink yarn hair, styled in a short cut that curled upwards at the ends. She now had the body he felt was more suited for a proper doll. no more ugly doll felt, her body was now made from the same fabric as her fellow pretty dolls were. No more of that obnoxiously loud hot pink skin color. It was replaced with tan skin; the only downside was her face.

She had pesky freckles sprinkled on her nose and cheeks now. Damn it. Oh well, he had given her that pocket concealer for a reason. He remembered how happy she was with it, how he had to remind her to stay still and calm her giggle fits as he helped her apply it for the first time. Every now and again he would have to remind her that those freckles were showing. After all, it was his job to point out awful imperfections like that.

Really, he had done them a favor.

He found himself often having to remind himself of that.

He gave them the kind of chance he would never be able to have. They, with a little more time, could soon be able to go to the big world. Their grades and performance were part of the higher grades. He was thinking about assigning them as tutors for dolls with less-than-stellar performances. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use the help.

 Try as he might he was only one doll at the end of the day, a bitter pill he had to swallow a long, long time ago. He oversaw hundreds of dolls a day. So there came times when he had to rely on other dolls that had proved to be borderline near perfect, to help the dolls that had trouble keeping up.

Truth be told, he HATED recycling his dolls, he hated hearing them beg and plead. And their screams, dear doll their screams. Often broken and desperate. He knew how the recycling process worked too, it was part of his job to know the steps just in case it broke while a doll was still in there, and for whatever reason the robots couldn’t fix it, it would fall on him to fix the abomination.

 The first step is the most terrifying to him for a specific reason. When a doll goes into the recycling machine, it is his responsibility to personally oversee them and make sure they don’t escape. That means he must watch.

 Therefore, when a doll or more is put in and shot down the chute, he ensures no dolls are clinging to the inside. He goes to the surveillance room after. A place he hates just as much (if not more) than the recycling machine itself. This room is so he can make sure that the first step is done. It was the most important part because it was supposed to ensure the victims.

Ehm. The imperfections were rendered immobile, making the rest of the process much easier.

He had to watch dolls fall into the grinder room. If they were unlucky enough to fall and land on their legs or sides, they would have to endure the worst last few seconds of their life. Those few seconds always felt like hours to him. Watching their limbs flail about as their bodies were eaten alive by the gluttonous grinder teeth.

 And he could hear everything happening. Every cry every choke every plead. because for some fucked up reason when whatever doll-forsaken maker made this place, decided that they felt like a microphone was more than necessary.

Those moments would haunt him in his sleep for months on end, only letting up with time and distractions. He couldn't afford to fail other dolls because he was too busy thinking of the ones he failed.

His mind is wandering too often these days.

“And with that class is dismissed for the day, study hard now,” he said putting down the white chalk on his desk and then grabbing a tissue out of the blue cubed box that sat next to the pencil holder and began to wipe his hands clean of the white powdery substance.

The students stood up from their respective seats and the noise began. Notebooks are put away, friends grouped back together, and his dolls begin to filter out.

He watched as Maudine and Maxine talked while they put their things away. Maxine must have said something funny because the other doll covered her mouth to try and hide a laugh. Ever since they were perfected the two were borderline inseparable, not that that surprised him.

They were close in their shared end too.

Stop thinking about it.

“Maudine, Maxine, could you girls hang back a minute, I would like to chat about something.”

“Yes, Lou!” They both replied at the same time, looking at each other for a moment before giggling about it.

Lou didn't even bother to try to stop the smile on his lips. Chuckle nuts, the both of them.

Girls stood side by side in front of him. Maudine stood dutifully still and expectant hand at her sides, while Maxine subtly swayed back and forth, arms crossed behind her.

“you girls have been making quite the waves lately hmm,” he said making sure to use one of his trademark smiles that would have pretty dolls swooning.

Maudine had a bashful look while.  

[inkinmyheartandonthepage]

Recovery

For day two of Flufftober2023: Family, Friend, Loved One and with the bonus/extra prompt: “You’ve told your family?”

AO3 Link here

“-do you think they are?”

“Well, that one is our grandson –“

There’s a solid smack to someone’s body. “Ramon, I know that.”

“And that one is Buck.”

“I know that too. But who is the woman and the child?”

“Helena, I know as much as you do.”

The voices don’t make much sense as Buck transitions from sleep to wakefulness. There is a familiar ache in his body that has been there since he had woken up in the hospital after being struck by lightning. Buck knows that when he moves it will become more pronounced and so he simply allows himself to stay in the limbo between sleep and awake. He can feel fingers in his hair and there is a solid weight on his chest. Jee-Yun, if Buck’s sluggish mind is correct. And the smaller body pressed against his side, radiating a comfortable warmth, a head rested on his shoulder. That would be Christopher.

There is the sound of a door opening and closing and the rest of the noise is lost on Buck as he slowly sinks back into sleep.

“Mum, dad? What are you doing here?”

Buck feels himself pulled out of sleep once more at the sound of his best friend’s voice.

“We decided to come for a visit,” Ramon answered. “To check up on you and Christopher. And Buck of course, too.”

“Oh,” Eddie said, and he sounded flustered. Buck willed himself to wake up further, but he was so comfortable and the thought of dealing with his aching body made him stay where he was.

“Who are they?” Helena asked.

“Well, you know your grandson, Christopher,” Eddie started to say.

“You and your father are not funny,” Helena huffed.

“You know Buck. That’s his sister Maddie and her daughter Jee-Yun.”

“That doesn’t explain why they are asleep on your couch, Eddie,” Helena said, her voice strained. “Buck shouldn’t be on the couch. He should be in bed, not squashed up like this with the little one his chest.”

“Mum,” Eddie said softly. “It’s been a very long week, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t wake them. They need rest. All of them and if they get that on the couch, then I’m happy to leave them there for the time being.”

“Oh sweetheart, I just don’t want him being sore –“

There was some shuffling, and the voice grew weaker and then Buck was lost to sleep once more until fingers started poking at his cheeks. He snuffled, snorting and blinked his eye opened. He blinked away the film that coated his gaze and when it cleared, he found himself staring at his niece.

“Buck,” Jee-Yun cooed, poking her fingers at his cheeks again.

“Jee,” Buck’s voice came out rough and sounding like gravel.

“Wakey, Buck. Snack time,” Jee-Yun said as she pushed herself up on Buck’s chest, her little fingers curling into the hoodie he wore.

Buck gasped as Jee-Yun’s hands pressed into his lightening scar which was still tender to touch.

Maddie jerked awake at the sound, her fingers tightening in Buck’s hair, yanking tightly.

Buck let out a strangled yelp that startled Chris awake, his elbows digging into Buck’s still broken ribs. Buck let out a groan as everyone struggled in the tight puppy-pile they had created for themselves on the Diaz couch.

“Oh, shoot! Buck, I’m sorry,” Maddie cried, releasing her fingers from Buck’s hair, petting him almost frantically to sooth the pain.

Jee-Yun was struggling to change her position, her knobbly knees digging right into Buck’s groin.

Buck let out a strained, pained noise in the back of his throat, arm tightening around Jee-Yun to get her to stop. Another wave of pain flared through his side as Chris attempted to wiggle out of his spot where he was still pressed up between Buck and the couch.

“Jee! No, stop!” Maddie cried, trying to shift out from where Buck head was in her lap.

“Everyone, stop.”

At the sound of Eddie’s commanding voice, the living room of the Diaz home fell still. Buck realized that the commotion must have brought Eddie running from somewhere deeper in the house. As Buck looked at Eddie, and he could see the way he was assessing the situation like he was out on a call. Buck could also see Helena and Ramon hovering nearby, hovering uncertainly.

“Alright, come here Jee-Yun,” Eddie said, his voice soft as he reached for the toddler.

“Dee Dee! Snack time,” Jee-Yun told Eddie as she was scooped off Buck chest, the pressure easing off his groin instantly. It still smarted but at least her knees were no longer digging into his sensitive area.

Eddie pressed a kiss to Jee-Yun’s cheek, making a growly noise that had her giggling before he set her down on the floor. He made sure she had her balance before turning back to the couch.

“Okay Chris. You’re next. Arms up,” Eddie said.

Chris didn’t protest, knowing the no-nonsense tone Eddie had taken on. He stuck his arm up in the air, careful not to hit Buck as he did. Eddie leaned over Buck (and Buck swallowed at how close Eddie was to him and tried not to let his thoughts drift into something entirely inappropriate for the situation he was currently in) and Eddie placed his hands under Chris’s armpits. With a small grunt, Eddie hoisted Chris up from his position, careful not to let Chris brush against Buck in anyway, and into the air. He whirled Chris around, gently depositing him feet first on the floor.

“You good?” Eddie asked Chris, smoothing a hand across his hair that was sticking up in all directions.

“Yeah,” Chris said, clinging to Eddie for a beat before he was pushing himself away, shuffling over to Jee-Yun. Buck watched as Chris took Jee’s hand in his and the sight made his heart melt and the pain lessen.

Eddie turned back to Buck, giving a little grimace. “Are you okay?”

“I’ve woken up in worse ways,” Buck grunted. The pain had faded to a dull throb, but he knew that if he didn’t have something for it soon, he would be worse off for it later.

“Maddie let’s get him up,” Eddie instructed gently.

“I’m so sorry,” Maddie said, dipping to press a kiss to Buck’s forehead. “Ready?”

With the help of Maddie and Eddie, Buck was shifted into a sitting position. By the time he was upright, he felt as if he had run a marathon.

“Buck? Are you okay?” Chris asked, watching Buck worriedly.

“Yeah, superman. I’m good,” Buck smiled at Chris. “That was a pretty good nap, wasn’t it?”

“One of our best ones yet,” Chris agreed, a bright smile lifting his cheeks.

Buck laughed, the pain seeming to ease in the wake of Chris’s comment.

Maddie smoothed a hand over Buck’s back before she climbed to her feet. She moved over to Jee-Yun and Chris, pausing to run a hand over Eddie’s arm as she passed him. When she reached her daughter and Chris, she took each Jee’s other hand in hers. “How about I get us some snacks?”

“Snack time!” Jee-Yun cheered, jumping up and down on the spot.

“Can we have the yoghurt pouches?” Chris asked, perking up.

“Yep! I brought your favourites,” Maddie smiled. “Do you want your crutches, Chris? Or can you make it on your own?”

“I can do it,” Chris said, walking forward but never released Jee’s hand.  

As they headed to the kitchen, Buck heard Chris say – “What kind of snack does Buck want?”

“Pain scale?” Eddie asked quietly, sitting down on the coffee table opposite Buck. Buck looked down as Eddie’s knee pressed against his own and his thought’s drifted as he got lost in how good it felt.

“Buck?” Eddie prompted, dragging Buck to reality.  

“Oh, uh, yeah. Pain. I have some.”

Eddie snorted, giving his head a little shake. He tuned to look at his parents and Buck started as he realized they were still there, watching the whole scene. He cheeks flushed hot, and Buck ducked his head to avoid their stares.

“Dad, could you grab a glass of water and the pill box on the kitchen counter. Maddie knows where it is,” Eddie instructed.

“Of course,” Ramon said. “I’ll be right back.” And then he was disappearing through the door to the kitchen.

Eddie’s strong palm landed on Buck’s thigh, gently smoothing back and forth in a comforting motion. Buck’s mind was still a little sluggish after waking up (and the doctors assured him it was normal and as he healed it would get better) and Eddie touching him was distracting in a pleasurable way that wasn’t helping the situation.

“You with me?” Eddie asked softly.

“Getting there,” Buck admitted. “You left?”

“To get some groceries,” Eddie explained. “Maddie was the only one awake when I left. Guess your puppy pile was too good to resist.”

Buck hummed. “Should have joined us.” Then Buck’s mind caught up with what he said, and he flushed pink.

Eddie squeezed his thigh, a smile flickering at his lips. “Next time.”

Ramon was striding back into the living room before Buck could give it anymore thought. Ramon crossed the room, handing the water to Buck and the pill box to Eddie. In a routine they had become familiar over the years of one of them having an injury, Eddie placed the pills in Buck’s hand, and he swallowed them down.

“Thanks,” Buck said, handing Eddie the glass of water.

Eddie took the glass, handing it off to Ramon who took it easily. When Eddie’s hands were free again, he placed them back on Buck’s knees.

“Do you need to eat with those pills, Buck?” Ramon asked, drawing Buck’s attention away from the heat of Eddie’s palms.

“Yeah, I think so,” Buck said, looking to Eddie who nodded with confirmation.

“I know your sister was talking about snacks,” Helena said. “But I’ll get started on some dinner for you all.”

“I can cook –“ Eddie begun to say but Helena cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“Nonsense! Like you said, you’ve all had a big week. Let us take care of you boys,” Helena said and before Buck could form the words thank you she vanished into the kitchen.

“I’ll go get your snack,” Ramon chuckled, following his wife into the kitchen leaving Buck alone with Eddie in the living room.

“When did you parents get here?” Buck asked, frowning with confusion. “Did you tell me they were coming?”

“No, I didn’t know either,” Eddie shook his head, smiling softly. “They came down to check on us, see how we were doing after everything. To check on you.”

Buck was still trying to connect the dots, feeling as if he was still two steps behind. “Why would they come and check on me?”

“Because you’re my partner and they want to make sure you’re okay,” Eddie said gently.

Buck’s only been out of the hospital for a week but in those moments when he was waking up from his coma, he and Eddie had finally come together in the way they had been building towards for years. It was still new, still so fresh, but it felt so right. Eddie had been the one to bring him back to Diaz home and get him set up for the long recovery (and Buck suspected that if Eddie had his way, Buck would never see if loft again. He couldn’t say he was too disappointed by the thought).

“You’ve told your family? About us?” Buck asked, looking at Eddie with surprise.

Eddie squeezed his knees. “Yes. I love you, Buck. This is it for me. You and me.”

Buck released a long breath, staring at Eddie with wide eyes. “I love you too. Eddie, I love you so much. I can’t believe you told your mum and dad about us.”

Eddie ducked his head, cheeks flushing pink. “Me either.”

Buck chuckled and he leaned forward, capturing Eddie’s lips in a light kiss. “I’m so proud of you. I love you.”  

“Love you,” Eddie repeated, kissing Buck one last time before pulling away. He lifted a hand from Buck’s knee, cupping Buck’s cheek instead. “I’m so glad you came back to us.”

Buck leaned into the warmth of Eddie’s palm; eyes fluttering shut at the wave of emotion that crashed through him. “Me too. I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this. On us.”

Eddie’s thumb stroked Buck’s cheek, the touch, the safety of being in Eddie’s hands, and the rhythm of each stroke lulled Buck into a light doze.

“Hey,” Eddie’s voice was soft but firm. “Don’t fall asleep. You need to eat.”

With what felt like a herculean effort, Buck forced his eyes back open and blinked blearily at Eddie. “And then we’ll take a nap?”

Eddie chuckled, Buck’s favourite smile lighting up his face. “Yeah, sweetheart. Then we can take a nap.”

“You owe me one,” Buck said, taking Eddie’s hand from his cheek and linking their fingers together instead.

“That I do,” Eddie grinned.

“Okay, I have snacks,” Ramon said, coming back into the room. “Buck, are you okay to eat there or do you want to move to the kitchen?”

“Kitchen,” Buck said, squeezing Eddie’s hand. “I want to eat with my family.”

Eddie’s smile lit up his whole face and Buck’s heartbeat was loud, and so wonderfully alive, in his chest at the sight. Recovery didn’t seem as hard now, not with his family by his side.

[pankowperfection]

Hate to Love You - Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry this took me so long and sorry its so short. Wanted to end this one on a sweet note <3 Hope you all enjoy the end to this series. Might write blurbs in the future, but finished for now.

Rudy POV

I can't help but think to myself how perfect y/n is. Her presence in my life had taken me by surprise, pulling the rug out from under my feet as she challenged me at every turn.

At first, sure, it was just about sex. I had seen her as a conquest, a trophy I could acquire by playing the game just right. Looking back on how I treated her in the early days made me cringe, wondering why she even was still speaking to me.

I could tell after our motorcycle/beach date that something had changed for y/n. Every time I call her baby, she blushes and looks away. When I catch her looking at me when she thinks I won't notice my heart skips a beat, genuinely curious as to if she could feel the same way as me.

That night as she curled up against my body, head on my chest as her breath tickled me, I realized that I loved her. I waited until I thought she was asleep, softly stroking her back until I told her myself.

"I love you y/n. I think I've been in love with you for a while but I wouldn't admit it." I whisper to myself in the dark, somehow feeling lighter like a great burden has been lifted. My dreams were full of our future together, bright and happy days ahead of us.

Y/N POV

Waking up the next morning, the atmosphere felt different. You can't help but smile at how Rudy is wrapped around you: one of his legs trapped between yours, left arm under your pillow while his right is wrapped around your torso holding you tight to him. You turn over gently, admiring his sleeping form. His lips are slightly parted, long lashes fanning over his sun-kissed cheeks. You bring up your right hand, tracing the sculpted line of his jaw lightly so you don't wake him up. You press a soft kiss to his cheek, feathering more over his entire face before settling back down into the crook of his neck.

He stirs awake, kissing your forehead softly as he shifts onto his back. "Good morning beautiful." You blush at his compliment, warmth spreading through your system at the deepness of his sleepy voice. You prop up on your elbow, gazing down at him once again and wondering how you ended up here.

"What's going through that pretty mind of yours?" He brushes your hair back out of your face, hand lingering on the side of your head.

You give him a soft smile, heart racing at what you're about to say. "That I need to tell you something. I love you Rudy, I'm in love with you. Sort of think I have been since the beginning, but I was trying to convince myself otherwise."

You let the breath you were holding escape from your lips, weight lifting from your shoulders after finally confessing your feelings. He's quiet for a moment, making you worried he doesn't feel the same way as his gorgeous blue eyes rake over your face, looking for something he apparently finds.

He rolls you to your back, coming to rest lightly over top of you before leaning down to kiss you sweetly, taking his time to explore every inch of your mouth. "Oh y/n, I love you too sweetheart. You drive me crazy sometimes, but I can't imagine my life without you. Will you please be mine? Officially?"

You heart explodes as you laugh, pulling down into a bear hug and smothering him in kisses. "So is that a yes?" he asks, pulling back to look you in the eye.

"Yes Rudy, consider me yours."

@adventuresinobx @starkeyobx @paradisehamilton @ailee-celeste @pankhoeforlife @outerbankspov @houseofperfecttaste @drewbooooo @maybankslover @maybanks-luver @blueicequeen19 @toystory2wasjustokay @onmykneesforrafe @penny4yourthoughts @maddie-routledge @ilovetheavenger143

[prosperdemeter2]

Perspective flip for any one of the rewrite fics (I love that series)

stuck chapter 10

Bobby didn’t consider himself a stupid man.

Still, even Athena had laughed in his face when he asked her in a quiet voice - once the shock of the day had worn off and he had scrubbed his hands raw in an effort to clean Buck’s blood off of them - just how long Buck and Eddie had been a thing. “Long before they started working together.” Athena had said decisively and then narrowed her gaze at him in suspicion. “Don’t you go saying anything but support, Bobby.”

He had been offended at the suggestion. “Why would I?” He asked with a blush.

“After all they’ve been through,” Athena told him sternly. “They don’t deserve to have to explain themselves to you.”

So Bobby wasn’t planning on asking, really he wasn’t.

He hadn’t been planning, either, on running into Eddie at the hospital.

He shouldn’t have been shocked. He wouldn’t have been able to leave Athena’s side if it were here in Buck’s place (and it certainly made things look very similar to how they had been when Bobby had first met Eddie, actually. After the allergic reaction, with Eddie curling his body around Buck’s longer one as if to shield him from view. Teasing instead of condemning, looking at him the same way Bobby had noticed him looking at Buck every single day.). Bobby paused, lingered by the window into the room. “He looks worse than he is.” Maddie said from the end of the hallway, her voice shaky and eyes watery but her smile real and bright.

Bobby could see Buck in her - they had the same smile, the same sparkle in their eyes, the same fighting spirit. She had a coffee cup in her hand, steam curling up to wrap itself around her chin, and her phone in the other, the screen lit up to show her background - a picture taken what must have been not too long ago, the Buckley twin smiles on both her and Buck’s faces, a ferris wheel in the background (they had gone to the pier, Bobby remembered because he had run into them there, Athena and the kids on a ride and Bobby taking a break from the crowd by the railing. Neither of them had noticed him at first then and Bobby had been able to observe, the way he always did, how Maddie wrapped her arm through Buck’s, stole his backwards ballcap to pluck onto her own head and kissed his cheek.). “Has he woken up yet?” Bobby asked because he didn’t know what else to say.

Athena waved Maddie into her side, squeezed her tight around the shoulders and held her there, strong and comforting. “No.” Maddie shook her head with a frown. “But the doctors said that we’re just waiting on the sedation to wear off.”

“Looks plenty awake to me.” Athena snorted and nodded towards the window they were huddled around.

Bobby flushed and Maddie coughed into a laugh. Bobby was okay with a lot of things - he didn’t care who Buck dated, who Eddie slept with, what any member of his crew did. That didn’t mean he wanted to see it.

“He…” Maddie cleared her throat, her cheeks a light pink, and looked curiously at Bobby. “He’s really happy.” Her expression turned begging, a hint of threatening, even. She narrowed her eyes and swept her gaze down his height before meeting him head on. Courageous and daring. “He deserves to be happy, okay? Don’t mess that up for him.”

The threat was clear. The meaning behind it even clearer. Bobby’s opinion mattered, for one reason or another. He was Buck’s superior, his Captain, maybe even his friend.

He would never do anything to… to threaten that happiness.

Bobby nodded. “I wouldn’t dare.”

Besides, who was he to judge? Bobby was the reason why Buck was in that hospital bed in the first place, the reason why his happiness was threatened, the reason why he almost lost more than months of recovery. They were lucky, Bobby knew, that they didn’t have to bury any of their crew-mates. No one should have gotten hurt in the first place, but Freddy Costa had wanted to hurt someone and he had, unknowingly, hurt the one person who… who Bobby was pretty sure he wouldn’t recover from losing on the team.

That wasn’t fair. Bobby loved all of his firefighters - Hen was a wonderful friend, Chimney was one of the people Bobby was closest to, Eddie was a single father that Bobby respected more than he had words for. But Buck… there was something special about him. Something about the way he took to life that reminded Bobby what it was like to live. He hadn’t had much when he took over as captain for the 118 - nothing but bravado and a hope to repent for all of the death and destruction he had caused back in Minnesota. Buck could have washed out so easily, under the wrong leadership he would have. He challenged Bobby every step of the way. But he was one of the best Bobby had had the pleasure of working with. He had heart.

His heart, apparently (from what Bobby had overheard in the back of an ambulance), belonged to Eddie Diaz (who Bobby had seen cry when Buck said the words. It was true, then, in a way that Bobby feared most things in the world weren’t. It wasn’t fake, it wasn’t a fluke, it wasn’t a game. It was the sort of all consuming love that Bobby had thought, once, only came once.).

(He had thought parental love, parental fear, could only be extended to the children he had shared DNA with too, once.

He was wrong about that too.

Bobby had felt the gut twisting fear he did when Buck was trapped under the engine once before. He thought it was pretty terrible of him that he was glad this had a different outcome. He would do anything for Robby and Brooke to be back again - he wouldn’t trade Buck to make that happen.)

Softly, he knocked his knuckles against the doorway and, slowly, Eddie pulled back, his hand still as gentle as Bobby had ever seen it against Buck’s scraped up cheek. They passed something between them softly and Eddie’s eyes met his with barely an ounce of anything but relief in them. “Hey,” Eddie’s fingers tapped Buck’s cheek until he was blinking his blue eyes open. “Look who’s here.”

[anniesocsandgeneralstore]

@indynerdgirl requested: "#1 - werewolf, NFL, or Regency AU"

|| prompt list ||

prompt: watching their baby/babies sleep while holding each other in their arms

au: werewolf, nfl, & regency

word count: 750

warnings: domestic fluff to the max, dad!jake, some labor and delivery talk

✎……masterlist on pinned

✎……my b for this taking one million years, to make up for it, have a three-for-one special lol

Werewolf AU

Noah was fast asleep in the co-sleeper bassinet pushed up against the side of their bed. Swaddled up tight in a blanket green as the forests outside. The sun was just beginning to set on his first full day in this world. He would be awake in the next hour to eat again, but for now he was sound asleep under the watchful eye of his parents. 

Jake and Ronnie laid curled up next to the bassinet — her back to his chest. He was propped up on his elbow, temple rested in his palm as he rubbed soothing circles into his Luna’s hip, eyes trained entirely on the rise and fall of his son’s little chest. And Ronnie laid with her head upon the pillow, arms tucked to her chest as she fought the exhaustion pulling at her eyelids. 

She was tired. Down to something inside her that ached along with the rest of her body. Labor had been long and excruciating, but she had done it just how she wanted. At home, no medication, with Jake right there with her and the pack just outside. The pain was worth it. Noah was here, sleeping and perfect and everything she had been praying so long for. 

“You asleep, little one?” Jake asked softly, thumb coming to a rest on her hip. 

“No,” she replied, voice small and barely there. “Can’t stop looking at him.”

He chuckled lightly as he pressed a kiss into the side of her neck. “Me either.”

NFL AU

Jake hummed the tune of his favorite George Strait song softly as he laid Maddie down for the night. He kept as close to her as possible, bending over the wooden railing to leave her gently on the small mattress. She fussed when he pulled away, lips pursed and a whine catching in her throat. But she settled after only a moment with a sigh.

Not being able to help himself, Jake reached into the crib and rubbed the back of his finger over her soft, chubby cheek. She turned six months old today. He had to wonder where the time went. Pretty soon she would start walking and talking and not need him at all. He wanted her to just stay this little forever. It still hurt, twisted inside him like a knife, that at one point he didn’t want this. That he told Ronnie to just take care of it. His thumb ran over her warm cheek, trailed down her arm to her little hand curled at her side. It opened in her sleep like a flower, and closed again around his finger. All the trust in the world he felt he didn’t deserve. 

“She being fussy?” Ronnie asked quietly from the doorway, making Jake jump. 

“Nah,” he answered, pulling his finger out of Maddie’s grip. “She’s asleep.”

“Good.”

Ronnie padded into the room and came to stand at Jake’s side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close as they watched their daughter sleep.

Regency AU

Miss Veronica always had a beautiful singing voice. But Mr. Seresin never thought her voice sounded sweeter than when she sang lullabies to their daughters. Her tone clear, sweet, soft, and full of so much love as she paced around their rooms with a babe in her arms. And he got to watch from his seat at the end of the bed as her pacing slowed, as her singing turned to a gentle hum. 

Then she stopped all together, a smile on her face as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. 

“Asleep?” he questioned, rising from his seat on the bed. 

“Yes, Papa,” she teased lightly. 

But he paid it no mind as he came up behind her, encircling her and their daughter in his arms. His girls. Two of them anyway. The eldest were already in bed. Lydia was nearly a year old, her hair dark as her mother’s. Of their three daughters, the youngest looked the most like Veronica. 

But it felt like only yesterday they could hold her in one arm. That they felt her kick from within her mother’s womb. Subconsciously, as he looked upon Lydia’s red-cheeked face, his hand drifted lower down Veronica’s frame. Until his palm rested flat against her stomach. 

Jacob felt his wife kiss the side of his neck as he swayed them all from side to side. Then she whispered affectionately, “Do you want another one, love?”

He hummed affirmatively, squeezed her tighter. 

“Alright, let’s have another one.”

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[bluerosefox]

Its an uphill battle for Vlad, sometimes he has good days others he believes he's back in an isolation ward and wants to leave/escape and find the other baby halfa. it a slow progress to help him but its still progress regardless. (Since Vlad is the older and only other halfa around, with a few years of learning their powers under his belt, I can see them setting up tiny training sessions for Danny with Vlad but it honestly depends on Vlad's mood that day before anyone takes him close to Vlad.) Also I like to think that since Vlad is in therapy he starts realizing how extreme his emotions towards Jack and Maddie had started turning (Jack had been his best friend for years and Maddie had been the girl he liked, and BOTH of them killed him, accidentally but still, due to safety neglect.)

Since Jazz is a smarty smart, she totally figures out Tim does more than 'sponsor' the cape community like the news says. He's far to comfortable with the capes than being saved or sponsoring them. Especially around Superboy, Impluse, and Wonder Girl. She figures out he's Red Robin not long after. She has a tiny talk with Tim when Danny is in his own therapy time (walls are Super grade sound proof so he can't hear with his slowly growing enhanced hearing) and says she wont tell Danny because its not her secret to tell but does encourage him to tell Danny soon so Danny doesn't mistake or misunderstand things when Tim has to be a vigilante, or leave, or gets busy. (Mainly cause Jazz had held her brother when he cried when their adopted 'parents' never had time for them due to their own 'important' work.)

Tim's team is there when he returns to Gotham with them finally, they're all in their civilian clothes and set up a tiny little 'Welcome Home Mini-Drakes!' party for the tiny tots at Tim's place (its just them for now, the kids seemed to be okay with people around Tim's age so he's holding off letting his family 'meet' the kids for a few days). Food from everywhere, so much food for a Speedster, a Super, and a tiny tot but a blackhole for a stomach growing Halfa. Even Jazz eats herself a bit into a food coma now she doesn't have to worry about fighting off food monsters. Danny and Jazz are sleeping the same rooms for now, until they're okay with sleeping apart, so the two are curled in on each other once the party is over. Jazz has her Bearbert and Danny has his own bear now, a gift from his older sibs (Tim paid for it (the start of making up for all the birthdays he's missed) and Jazz helped picked it out), an astronaut themed bear he named Dipper (after Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the bear constellations aka the Big and Little Dippers)

Tim, is no doubt gonna start overthinking once the kids are asleep and wonder if he really can take care/raise them. Yes he's no doubt going to be much better than the 'Fentons' (I can see the name being kinda spat out in disgust with Tim's team, they never should had been allowed to even be approved to adopt/take care anything) but still he has his doubts about raising them (which is something he knows he'll have to talk to his therapist about) it takes some talking with his team but they do tell him he isn't alone in this, he has not just them and his family but the rest of the cape community and even those kind ghosts that come to see Danny.

Also the next day, Tim pulls out the few photos he has of their dad and Danny's mom Dana he saved. Lets Danny pick his favorites so Tim can make copies so Danny can keep and tells the small stories he has of her. Despite Dana being in Tim's life briefly he did like the woman and does have good memories of her trying to be a good/great step-mom to him. He even showed both Jazz and Danny the home-made soup recipe she had taught him when he had been dating Steph years ago. (one of the few things Tim can make from memory, he likes making it when wants something warm on cold days)

Oh and side note, someone had an idea of Jazz being the daughter of Magenta (not off the 'deep end' yet so to speak but knows she can't raise a kid) and Wally West, and I think its a neat idea. I can totally see the heroes mistaking some her other abilities as side effects from being exposed to ectoplasm until she does some HUGE power move that hints her parentage. (Rogue attack and she moved to protect Danny or something) (CAN you imagine Wally's reaction to finding out, he feels bad about how he treated Magenta in their teens, can you imagine his emotions when he finds out she had his kid and left her in the hospital just hours after birth, not even 24 hours). Although if we don't go with this idea I wonder who Jazz's parents would be in this AU.

Have I read this prompt somewhere or was this a fever dream from my bored mind.

What if, now hear me out.

What if we bring up Dana Winters-Drake (whose confirmed to at least be alive in the DC verse but no one knows where she actually is)

What if instead of when she had a mental breakdown and getting committed to an Bludhaven clinc she wandered away before anyone noticed and by the time Tim or anyone did notice a lot of stuff started happening at once in both Gotham and Bludhaven (Steph dying, The Bludhaven crisis, etc etc)

Tim still tries to find her though but even with best resources it was like she just disappeared into the wilderness and the stress of trying to handle more and more problems get worse.

So when out of the blue, a couple of years later, he gets a call from an unknown number. On his private, only for friends and family, phone and when he answers he meet with a young girls voice on the other end.

A very young, maybe six or seven, girl who informs him about his apparently half-brother Danny Drake-Fenton. And how she loves Danny so, so, so much but knows her home is dangerous for him to be in.

Tim is stunned and before he could question her, she says Danny is Dana and Jack's baby and that her parents had adopted him years ago and put Dana's stuff that the hospital had away for him to look at when he was older but she just had to fight off their lunch from eating her brother and she knows he needs a better place to live and so she snooped around and found Dana's diary and that she had to unscramble the nonsense Dana wrote and found Tim's number with the words 'tell him about his brother Danny' hidden in it. And-

But before she could keep rambling she hears Danny screaming "JAZZY THE MILK WENT BAD AGAIN AND HISSED AT ME!"

Tim is left with silence after hearing Jazz yell to Danny to lock the fridge and step out of the kitchen as she gets the bat.

[missmewts]

friends//maddy perez

pairings; maddy perez, she/her reader

rating; pg-13

warnings; slight language, use of the f slur (uncensored), cassie being fake af, use of the r slur (censored), use of the d slur (censored), slight mention of masturbation, poorly written in like, 30 minutes

“maddy, if i had a dick, i would fuck you.” you say. bb sat reclined on one of the armchairs in maddy’s room, one leg over he arm and the other spread away, a bottle of champage in her hand. “yoo, you ain’t a fag, are you?” kat hopped up from maddie’s bathroom counter, her eyes panicked. “i mean, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if you are.” she said quickly. bb nodded. “no shit.”

while you were still processing what happened, joint in hand, cassie crossed one of her perfect, slim legs over the other, leaning forward slightly into the makeup mirror, doing her eyeliner to mimick maddy’s. “i think the actual term is d.ke.” she said, using the nail on her pinky nail as a guideline. maddy sighed. “you all are r…..ed.” she sighed, relaxing on her bed and scrolling through her phone.

as you slowly got caught up, your eyes unfocused, you laid your head on maddy’s chest. her arm slithered beneath you, and came to rest on your shoulder, her fingers running through your hair. you noticed that goosebumps raised on your arms when her long, claw-like fingernails grazed your scalp. 

your hand ran up and down her bare stomach, her barely-there teeshirt just barely covering her tits, the bottoms still peaked out. your eyes ran down her velvet bell bottoms, a shade of purple to match the font on her shirt. her dark hair was pulled back into a bun, not quite neat but not quite messy. one of her pet peeves was her ability to never ever achieve a messy bun. you remembered that when nobody else did. you liked the look of gratitude she gave you every time you reached up to fix her hair when it held a bun.

“you wouldn’t need a dick, i would fuck you as you are.” maddy says, kissing your forehead. bb and kat left it, but cassie furrowed her eyebrows. you watched it in the mirror. “ew, maddy.” she said, going back to perfecting her cat eye. 

maddy lifted her head and lowered her phone onto her stomach. “what?” she said snarkily. cassie shook her head. “nothing. you just make everything so sexual all the time.”

maddy scoffed, sitting up. you groaned as your head slid off of her, raising your arm to keep the blunt from touching the sheets. “i make everything sexual? you’re the one who can’t stop talking about how her-“ kat made a loud noise, and the bickering ceased. “whatever.” cassie muttered, standing up and heading toward maddy’s closet. maddy laid back down, holding her arm out. you curled back into her, wrapping your arms around her waist.

another time this happened was the day after winter break came to a close. you, kat, bb, cassie and maddy were all hanging out at theo’s place, with permission from his parents. maddy floated on a lime green floatie, while theo, cassie, kat and bb played chicken fight. 

you steadily kept yourself afloat, your nose up being the only thing out of the water. maddy lifted her dark purple sunglasses to see you, watching as you made a slow beeline for her. she smiled at you when you straightened back up, resting your chin on her knee. her fingers found your hair, but she didnt run them through it because of her nails. you liked that you were the only one that could get her soft like this. you lifted your leg up, and placed it between maddy’s. she leaned to the opposite side of the floatation device, to even out the weight for you to get on. it rocked and dipped dangerously, but stayed afloat. eventually, with some effort, you were cuddled into maddy’s side, one leg ontop of hers, and one beneath, holding her thigh against you. her arm was wrapped around you, running over your shoulder. 

after a long game of cassie pretending to struggle against the young boy on bb’s shoulders, cassie dove off of kat and theo stood victorious. he turned around to make sure maddy saw, but she was preoccupied. her eyes were trained on you, and yours on her. soft eye contact that made both your stomachs flutter. theo sighed, before cupping his hands around his mouth. “maddy, i won!” he called. maddy looked over, and gave him a thumbs up. cassie wrung water from her hair, looking over. “seriously?” maddy squinted, sitting up slightly. not enough to disturb you, but enough for you to unwrap your arms from around her. “what?” she called back. “you give her all your attention. im still your fucking best friend!” kat cupped her hands over theo’s ears.

“suck a dick, attention whore,” maddy responded, before laying back down. you wrapped your arms around her again. and things went back to normal.

you knew maddy only saw you as a friend. a close friend and nothing more. but you couldnt help the thoughts that plague you at night, the thoughts of her loving you, just like you’ve always dreamed of. but it would never come true. maddy still loved nate. 

[five-rivers]

Ancestral 8

There were two more visitors after that.  The Speaker for the Assembly, a woman whose popularity had been derived from her position as poet laureate many years before, and Father Gylefa, who wasn’t quite the head of the rather informal Church of Avlynys.  Like Matthew, they wanted to go over coordination and what, exactly, would be said.  

“Are you sure you want to do this before Alicia gets here?” asked Father Gylefa, tugging at his cross-and-eye necklace in a familiar nervous gesture.

Matthew gave him a long-suffering look.

Father Gylefa raised his hands.  “It would be a reasonable excuse.  I stand by what I said about you needing time to process.”

“The country can’t afford it,” said the Speaker.  “We only stayed out of the economic crisis the Faroes are having by the skin of our teeth and the efforts of the School of Heroes.”  She curled her lip.  “And I just heard from the First Shadow that we have some billionaire tech mogul trying to bully his way through the flight lockdown.”

Danny felt his stomach drop.  Vlad.  Couldn’t he mind his own business for five minutes?  The list of things that Danny didn’t want was very, very long at this point, but he had the impression that Vlad coming to Avlynys would be explosive one way or another.  

(Especially given that harassing a princess was technically still on the books as a capital offense.)

The Speaker looked apologetic, but she continued.  “We need a king.  Or a queen.  And a Secretary, which we can’t elect without a monarch.  I’m a legislator and advisor, I’m not supposed to be directly receiving spy reports.”

“I know,” said Matthew.  “God and all those gone before help me, but I know.”

Father Gylefa patted his shoulder, then looked past him at Danny and Jazz.  “Ah,” he said, “it has been a while, Danny, Jazz.  You’ve grown.”  His expression grew a touch colder.  “Madeline.”  Then, frostier still.  “Mr. Fenton.”

The Church of Avlynys came into being when, upon being given the cover of Henry VIII’s founding of the Church of England, the entire archipelago leapt gleefully into open heresy.  As such, in addition to being only loosely organized, it was also distinctly heterodox… and had been a staunch opponent of witch trials.  

That wasn’t to say it didn’t have problems and had never, ever, participated in any form of religious oppression (it had, sadly).  But it could pull out a very plausible moral high ground now and again.

No one in the family had really approved of Maddie marrying Jack, a ghost hunter.  The extensive background check turning up witch hunters in the family tree hadn’t helped.  

Most of the family had… lost some of their hostility towards Jack over time.  Father Gylefa hadn’t.  

And, unlike the situation with Vlad, Jack was very aware of it.

“Mr. Gylefa,” replied Jack with the exact same intonation.  

“Haha, yeah,” said Danny.  “That’s us, just shooting up.  Maybe we’ll beat the family height record, yeah?”

One of their medieval ancestors was supposed to have been seven feet tall, so…  that was unlikely.  But Danny wasn’t sure what else to say.  

The Speaker sighed.  “I’ll go get things started.  It won’t be long before we call for you, your highnesses, lords and ladies, Mr. Fenton.”

Jack watched her go with an expression of resigned offense.  From there, Father Gylefa made small talk with the rest of the family while Matthew fretted, Maddie watched silently, and Jack attempted to make friendly overtures.  

It was so painful that Danny was almost glad when they were called out into the Assembly Hall, leaving Sophia, Irene and Jack to watch from the doorway.  

The huge room resembled an amphitheater in some ways.  There were seats in curved tiers around the sides of the room, and in the center was a circular raised dais with a small moat-like channel cut between it and the first rank of seats.  The dias had a mosaic map of Avlynys set into it, the nine islands picked out in surprising detail.  

The Assembly itself didn’t take up all of the seats.  In less grim circumstances, the upper ranks would be filled with a wide variety of observers, from schoolchildren, to lobbyists, to would-be politicians, to ordinary citizens there on a whim.  Right now, the only observers were local journalists and a singular camera crew.

(Danny hoped that no one he knew back in Amity watched the governmental news channels of tiny nordic countries as a hobby.  This was the first time he and Jazz were publicly appearing as part of the royal family, and he hadn’t really thought through what that entailed.)

Behind the seats, the walls of the hall were filled with traditional Avlynyse heraldry.  The Tree and Pond, nine stars picked out among the curling branches and reflected in the blue-green waters.  The Ancestors’ Eye, bright green and multiplied.  The Nine Sisters, standing on the islands they anthropomorphized like stepping stones.  The Hero’s Arms, rendered variously as a spear and scroll or a knife and a book.  

It was an impressive room.  Not as big as parliament, or congress, but still impressive.  

Also very intimidating.

The family gathered around the edge of the dais, with Matthew standing tall in the middle of their line.

The Speaker walked out along the walkway to the center of the dais and began to speak.  “Hyr, todag, sy folk sal coronyn Mathyw Alfryd sy Bisige yf sy Hys Dyryse Avlynyse, Sunn Ynyse…”

Danny mentally translated for himself: Here, today, the people shall crown Mathyw Alfryd the Diligent of the House of Dyrys of Avlynys, Son of the Isles, Blood of Kings and Heroes.  Are there any of the House of Dyrys who would oppose this?  One who speaks would call those of the blood to bear witness.

There was a beat of silence.

“Athlyng Yonna Loryn Dyrys Avlynyse, do thou beryn wytnes?”

Lovely thing about Avlynys was that everyone born there had a completely legal English name, and an equally legal Avlynyse name.  

Joanna stepped forward, spine ruler-straight, hands clasped in front of herself.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn.”  I bear witness and say nothing in opposition.

“Athlyng Madlyn Myra Dyrys Avlynyse, do thou beryn wytnes?”

Maddie took her place next to her cousin.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn.”

“Ledyn Yugyn Kartyr Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

Eugene took his place significantly more gingerly.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn.”

“Ledyn Lwys Theydyr Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

Lewis nodded before answering.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn.”

“Ledyn Irys Yvlyn Dyrys, Ledyn Georg Lyk Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

The twins moved forward together.  Born at the same time, they had the same rank in traditional rituals.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn,” they said together.

“Ledyn Leo Alfryd Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

“Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn,” said Leo, his voice cracking.  He looked past Lewis and the twins to where Vivian would usually stand during something like this.

“Ledyn Yazmyn Roz Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

There was some whispering from the Assembly, but Jazz stepped forward, leaving Danny alone at the edge of the dais except for Matthew, apparently unaffected.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn.”  She broke protocol by just a hair to look back at Danny.  

“Ledyn Dannyl Ymaz Dyrys, do thou beryn wytnes?”

Danny, full of nerves, almost tripped over his own feet, but he managed to reach his assigned place.  “Yn beryn wytnes ekyn sagyn no agyn,” he said, echoing all the others, but very aware of how American his accent was.  What else was he going to say?  That he should be declared king?  

That was ridiculous.  

The Speaker bowed to them, “So, kumyn, Athlyng Mathyw.  Syon thy folk.”

Matthew walked past them, to the opposite edge of the dias.

“Athlyng Mathyw, wel thou sweryn…”  Prince Mathyw, will you swear to your people to serve and defend them, in all ways written in the law, in body and spirit?  To lead them in the dark and the light?”

As far as binding oaths went, Danny thought it was simple and elegant.  The metaphor might be used by someone being a literal genie like, say, Desiree, but as far as humans went, it was understandable and clear.  

“Yn wel sweryn so,” replied Matthew.  

The Speaker nodded sharply, and called for the Cup of the Oath.  The Cupbearer - yes, it was an official position, but it didn’t hold all that much responsibility… or at least, it hadn’t - hurried in from the wings, holding up the ancient gold goblet.  Other aides followed in his wake, moving to distribute more modern glasses among the Assembly.  

Danny hardly noticed them, however.  His attention was on the furious and frightened-looking ghosts following the Cupbearer.  Danny hadn’t even noticed when Vivian and Gwensyvyr had slipped away, too caught up with his own nerves, but now…

Vivian flew up into his face, teeth bared, cuts on her skin bleeding pink.  Danny looked at her, looked at Gwensyvyr’s broad and exaggerated pointing at the goblet, looked at Matthew, who was even now reaching out to take it, reached a conclusion, and made a decision.  

“Wait!” he said, stumbling forward, one hand raised.  “Stop!”

One of the servers dropped a wineglass.  Matthew turned to face him, every inch of his skin drenched in consternation.  Maddie grabbed his elbow and dragged him back into line, albeit in the wrong spot.

“Don’t,” said Maddie, quietly.  “You don’t want to expose yourself to the pol–”

“I’m probably just being paranoid,” said Danny, loudly, clearly, projecting his voice.  He tried not to look at the ghosts, more than one of whom had taken on a distinct posture of relief.  “But, cousin…  Will you test it?  Before you drink?  Just in case.”

The Cupbearer’s mouth, already open, dropped even further.  “I tested it!” he objected. 

“Danny,” said Matthew, quietly, clearly trying to salvage the situation.  “Dannyl, we’ve tested everything here dozens of times, after what… happened.  It’s fine.”

The ghosts seemed to think otherwise.

Danny pulled away from Maddie and took a couple quick steps forward, wanting to make his case again - or be in a position to knock away the cup if Matthew suddenly grabbed it - whereupon the Cupbearer threw the contents of the goblet at Danny.  

Wine dripped down his face.  

Matthew inhaled deeply and pressed his hands together as if praying for patience.  Danny wasn’t paying too much attention, having noticed something much more disturbing than Matthew reaching the end of his rope.  

“Your Majesty,” squeaked the Cupbearer.  “I’m so sor–” 

“Not crowned yet,” said Matthew.  “Danny–”

“I can’t feel my skin,” said Danny.  Belatedly, he remembered basic lab safety - a common problem in his family, apparently - and started stripping off the clothes that had been soaked by the wine.

“Oh, god,” said Maddie, barely audible.  

“What?”  

“I can’t feel my skin,” said Danny.  “I’m going numb.  I can’t - ow, heck.”  Formal clothes were hard to get off when your vision was doing funny things.  

“Medics!” snapped Matthew and there was a small commotion that Danny could hear but not see.  “Security, arrest this man!”

“Sir, we have to move you to a safer location.”

“I will not–”

“Danny–”  

“Don’t!”  Danny told Jazz.  “I don’t want you to get any of this on you.”

“Danny, are you–?”

“Dad, don’t!”  The words came out slurred.  The wine was still on his face, on his hands, dripping and dribbling down his neck.  Was it safe to use his clothing to try and wipe it off?

Danny could feel his heart and breathing start to slow.  Not to the point where it was dangerous to him, but he didn’t like the implications.  

“Jazz,” he said, “my kit–”

“I’ll bring it to you, as soon as I can.”

“Sir?” said someone.  “My name is Emily, and I’m trained in first aid.  If you could turn towards me…”

[phantomrose96]

Buds After the Frost

This was supposed to be a short warm-up writing exercise yesterday and then it got... longer. Enjoy!!

...

The doors opened for Maddie Fenton with a pneumatic hiss. Pressurized nitrogen released, splitting open the vacuum seal on the door as its twin halves slid apart, slotting into the wall-mounted sleeves. The nitrogen misted out, cold and dry, air currents catching in swirls around Maddie Fenton’s lab coat. Her feet thocked against hollow metal, amplified by the coldness and the vastness of the containment room beyond.

She paused short of the specimen’s cell, mindful attention drawn to the panel of controls nested rightmost against the wall. The monitor read out stats, tracked metrics of the specimen’s heartrate and blood oxygenation and blood pressure. Dials beneath the screens offered her means of interaction, manipulating the cage’s environment without needing to tamper with it by hand. She ignored these, as she had been ignoring them the entire time, and paid mind only to the single switch which would seal shut the doors behind her.

She pressed it. Another pneumatic hiss followed, locking out the world behind her. Her breath curled, cold. She and the specimen were alone.

“No coffee this morning?” he asked.

Maddie sat down at the control panel, elbow leaning against the dashboard for support. She turned to the cage. “No. One of the interns broke the pot last night. New one should be delivered today.”

Phantom let out a huff of air. “You mean in this whole gigantic mega-hyper-futuristic government lab, there’s nothing that can stand in as a coffee pot?”

“I wouldn’t stay employed long if I tried using equipment to brew coffee.”

“Use one of the big ectoplasm beakers. Ectoplasm washes out with soap and water. Just suds it up and throw it in the coffee maker. I’m an expert about these things.”

“It’s more about protocol.”

Phantom waved her off. “’Protocol.’ Bureaucracy is standing between you and a delicious cup of ectoplasmic coffee, Dr. Fenton.”

Maddie looked forward now, taking him in. He’d hovered to the front of the cell, translucent reinforced glass separating him from the rest of the lab. Green eyes shined above a cheeky smile, a dusting of loose white hairs falling over his eyes, the rest of his bangs swept slightly to the side. His tailed flickered, his aura pulsed, his vital readings blipped out steady, normal, healthy.

“Phantom?”

“Yeah?”

Maddie paused.

“Why are you still here?”

The ghost boy let out a small guffaw. He motioned his arms around him, hands waving. “I dunno. Maybe the big ghost-proof box I’m in has something to do with it?”

“The shield is down, Phantom,” Maddie answered quietly. She set her eyes to Phantom, investigating. “…I put it down last night. It’s down now. You knew this.”

Phantom took just a moment too long to react, eyebrows arching up. “Oh, huh! Nope I didn’t notice. I mean it’s not like I’m constantly throwing myself at the barrier to electrocute myself so no I just didn’t try getting past it last night so I didn’t notice.”

“Phantom,” Maddie said again, voice measured, words stern. “You saw me crank down the dial that controls the shield.”

“Well I don’t know what all those buttons and dials do.”

“Yes you do. You’ve been observing me since day 1. You knew.”

Phantom kicked back in the air, floating a fraction back and higher. “Well maybe I thought it was a trap, I dunno. Or maybe I just like to get in your head, you know? What unpredictable thing will Phantom do next! Gotta write another 200 equations about ghost theory to figure that one out, Dr. Fenton.”

“Phantom.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you not want to leave?”

“Oh I wanna leave.”

“Then why aren’t you?”

“We’re having a conversation. That’d be rude.”

“Will you leave as soon as I exit the room?”

“Who knows?”

“Phantom.”

“Yeah?”

Maddie stood. She left her chair and the control panel behind. She walked up to the specimen cage instead. It was cubic, a skeleton of metal bar ribbings with a metal mesh that plastered the glass sides like a membrane. The top anchored to the ceiling, the bottom—raised by about a foot—anchored to a pedestal on the floor. Maddie stared through the mesh into Phantom’s eyes.

“Is there anyone who realizes you’re missing?” she asked.

Phantom chewed on the question. “Nah. Well um, trick question, actually. Probably not. Assuming I do this right, then no one has even realized I’m gone.”

“Do what ‘right’?”

“You know that thing about Clockwork I explained?”

“You said he’s the ghost that controls time and reality.”

“Yeah. SUPER powerful.”

“And you said you …were from one of those other realities.”

Phantom nodded. “Maybe I touched some things in Clockwork’s lair I wasn’t actually allowed to touch. Jury’s still out on whether I’m in trouble for that or not. I’ve been a little too ‘stuck in this reality’ to know if Clockwork is pissed. But yeah, I got um, bopped into your reality instead of mine. So technically my reality is lacking me right now, and yeah there’s people there who’d know I’m missing.”

Phantom flipped upside-down, as though laying on his back. He rested his palms beneath his head, elbows out, suspended in an invisible hammock, head tilted far back so that he still stared at Maddie. “Especially since it’s been, what, a month that I’ve been gone?”

“2 weeks.”

“What? No way. I’ve been here absolutely forever it has to have been at least a month.”

“This is day 14 of your observation, Phantom.”

Phantom blew a strand of hair out of his face. “Anyway. Two weeks is still long enough to have a search party out on my butt. But whether or not that’s happened is up to – it’s kind of a Schrodinger thing. Because here’s my strategy. Assuming Clockwork hasn’t banned me from reality-hopping forever, I can just get him to send me back to my own reality at the precise moment in time I vanished. And then bam, no one ever knows I was gone. And it makes no difference whether I do that today, or next week, or next month. So assuming you eventually let me go, then I’m all set there.”

“You say that almost like you don’t care when it happens.”

“I dunno, more like I’m just not losing sleep over it. It’s not like I have a say in the matter. You do. I don’t.”

“Is the time you spend here just meaningless, to you?”

“I wouldn’t say meaningless. I’m still aging goddammit.”

“You’re a ghost.”

“I’m complex.” Phantom flipped right-side-up again. “If I start growing facial hair, send me back. I’m gonna have some awkward questions to answer if I show up again with a ghost beard suddenly.”

“…And what if I never send you back?” Maddie asked, careful with her words. “How does your plan work if you stay here forever? If I destroy you first?”

“Um. …It doesn’t, I guess.” Phantom set a hand to his chin, thinking. “Yeah um, please don’t do that. I don’t wanna worry my whole family like that.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“What part?”

“That you have a family.”

“I mean. I think that came up in Interrogation Session #3. Consult your notes.”

“I just have a hard time believing you.”

“Because I’m a ghost?”

“Yes.”

“I’m a complex ghost.”

“I know. You keep saying that.”

“It’s true.”

Silence filtered in between them.

“…What is your family like, Phantom?”

Phantom stiffened a fraction, his eyes finding Maddie’s and shifting away. “Oh, you know, family.”

“Do they exist here too?”

“Huh?”

“You’re from another reality, at least you’re claiming you are.”

“I gotta be. The me from this reality died 6 months ago, didn’t he?”

“The you from most realities is dead, Phantom. You’re a ghost.”

“A complex ghost.”

“The you from this reality was destroyed 6 months ago.”

“Which you validated with your own sciencey equipment, right? You said so! So you know I’m not lying. Unless you think I recombobulated myself from being a protoplasmic smear on the sidewalk.” Phantom caught himself, registering the flinch in Maddie’s body. He deflated a bit, eyes averted. “S-sorry. Inconsiderate phrasing.”

“Why?” Maddie asked, tone flat, blunt.

Phantom’s eyes shifted back. “Um. Just. You know. That accident was. There were um, you know—”

“Human causalities.”

Phantom squirmed. “We don’t have to talk about that, you know? No one wants to talk about that. Okay as a ghost I guess ‘talking about how I died’ is sort of a bit more normal, but this is weird yeah, ‘talking about how an alternate-me died permanently’? That’s morbid. No one wants to talk about that.”

“Okay then. You can go back to answering my previous question.”

“Um. I forget.”

“Does your family exist in this reality?”

“Um, well who really knows, you know? I had like a grand total of 20 minutes of freedom in this reality before you captured me, so, don’t ask me like I’m any kind of expert about your reality. What’s it matter?”

“I want to know if there’s anyone in this reality who’s mourning you.”

Phantom’s face schismed with surprise. His front dropped, and the first look of genuine emotion sank into his glowing eyes. “Woah… That’s um, weirdly nice, of you, I guess. Why do you… want to know?”

Maddie said nothing.

“I. Um. I think the answer is no? So don’t um. Worry about that. If you were worried? Which is weird. I’m the enemy, aren’t I? Evil spooky ghost to be studied?”

“I’m not so sure what you are…” Maddie answered. “I heard you got destroyed trying to save them.”

“The um… the human casualties?”

“Yes.”

“I said we don’t have to talk about that.”

“Phantom.”

“What?”

“Do you know who they were?”

“The… casualties?”

“Yes.”

“Come on we’re on a different topic now.”

“Do you know who they were?”

“I don’t—how’m I supposed to know? I don’t know how I died here, you know? You think I’ve got some kind of like… parallel-universe death vision?”

“So you don’t know?”

“N-no.”

“I have a different question, then.”

“Okay, good, because I haven’t been liking these previous ones.”

“Are you staying just to keep me company?”

Phantom faltered. He looked left, then right, hand scratching at his chin. “I’m staying because I’m in a ghost-proof box.”

“It’s not ghost-proof anymore. The shields are down.”

“I feel like you’re circling around some accusation I’m not smart enough to follow. This feels like entrapment.”

“Then I’ll be more direct.”

“Oh no there is an accusation.”

“I think you do know how you were destroyed in this universe, Phantom.” Maddie took a step forward, and she let her left hand touch the glass, eyes focused on her fingers. “I think you know what happened at the Nasty Burger.”

“That’s—um—the human food… consumption… location… that the local human adolescents meet at, yes?”

Maddie looked up, and she locked Phantom with her stare. He squirmed, and he relented.

“I um…” he continued. “I—yeah—yeah, okay? I know about the Nasty Burger accident. It was supposed to happen to me too in my reality but I—Clockwork—stopped it from happening in my reality.” Phantom glanced left, right, as if staring beyond the confines of his cage. “When I first got knocked into this reality, I went to go find the Fenton portal so I could try to refind Clockwork and fix this and… Well it wasn’t there. And I tried to find some people I know and… I checked out the library in case the Fentons just lived somewhere else and. I um. I found the articles.” His eyes focused on hers again. “They all say you were the only survivor, yeah…?”

“I was sick, that day. It was just a cold. My husband Jack went without me.”

“I’m sorry…”

“It took my daughter and my son too.”

“I’m so sorry…”

“And it destroyed you.”

Phantom opened his mouth, but no words followed.

Maddie looked up.

“You knew this. You’ve known this ever since I captured you.” Maddie let her hand slide away from the glass. “Did you let me capture you?”

“Why would I let you capture me?”

“Because you feel sorry for me.”

Phantom’s eyes flickered about, unwilling to meet hers. “…Nah. Nah. I don’t—come on ‘sorry’? I’m a ghost you know? Bane of humanity! We’re enemies. You were just too skilled a hunter and you captured me.”

“And yet you won’t leave.”

Phantom lapsed silent.

“I um… I wasn’t happy to read about—to know the, the thing at the Nasty Burger happened here, okay? That’s something that I kinda didn’t want to believe existed in any reality anymore, but I guess… And if you were still alive. I was… maybe just kind of happy to see you? That you were okay. And still hunting. That was kind of, like a small relief.” Phantom glanced away, back again. “I wasn’t evil, you know. In my reality or this one. I care about what happened to the Fentons…”

“You let me capture you. …And you did it because you thought it would be a nice thing for you to do for me.”

“I Just—I thought maybe, um… I mean when you phrase it like that. I mean what else could cheer up renowned ghost hunter Maddie Fenton quite like a ghost subject to study? Me, especially? The ghost boy or public enemy #1 or whatever. I’m fun, aren’t I?”

Silently, Maddie pushed away from Phantom’s cage. She moved to the control panel, stiff movements and numb fingers. She entered the release code into the console, and unslung the key from her neck to twist into the override, and she threw down each successive lever in the row of four lining the top of the mechanisms.

The scrape of glass sliding away sounded behind her. All four walls of Phantom’s enclosure dropped away, metal mesh sliding away piece-meal. Phantom stared at her, blinking, floating in place.

“You’re free to go, Phantom.”

“I—uh—well hang on, I don’t think the Guys In White would be too happy about that. You can’t just let me—”

“Go, Phantom.”

“They could like, fire you.”

“I don’t care about this job.”

“I—come on, you still wanna study me, don’t you? Chat with me? If you feel bad maybe just get me a couch and some video games for my cage then I’ll be—”

“Phantom.”

“What?”

“Go home to your family.”

The half-hearted smile dropped from Phantom’s face.

“Come on. You can’t just evict me on such short notice. I’m not ready for Clockwork to kick my ass so soon.”

“Go home.”

“I’m not in any rush! I like talking to you. Don’t you—don’t you like talking to me too? In like a scientific way?”

Maddie lowered herself into the chair by the control panel. She leaned forward, arms pooled in her lap, eyes to the floor. “You have a family to get back to, Phantom.”

“It’s—there’s time travel shenanigans! Like I said they don’t even know I’m gone.”

“Every single day, Phantom,” Maddie looked up, eyes stern, “…I wish every single day that my own family would just come back home. I won’t do the same to you. I won’t do the same to your family.”

Phantom said nothing. A somber acceptance sunk into his eyes.

“They’re… alive, you know. In my dimension.”

Maddie dropped her head, and she blinked away the wetness in her eyes.

“I actually… in my dimension I’m kind of closer to the Fentons than I think the, the Phantom in this dimension was. It’s… complex.”

Maddie said nothing. Silence built between them.

“Jazz is um… Jazz is applying for colleges, y-you know. She got in early-acceptance to Yale but um, we all—they all—visited Columbia last month and I think that’s what she wants the most. I can see Jazz in New York City. I think she’d rock it.”

Maddie blinked again. Tears plicked into her lap.

“…Should I stop?”

“Jack… Tell me about Jack.”

“Oh. Yeah he um… big and goofy as ever. He’s got some kind of eight-armed-octogun he’s working on. I know because I was his target practice, involuntarily by the way. He keeps trying to merge “Fenton” and “octopus” together with mixed results. We—Mo-addie—you… are still trying to talk him out of ‘Fentoctopus’.”

Maddie’s ribcage shuddered, a repressed sob, a repressed laugh.

“And Danny?”

“Danny… um… Danny is...” Phantom’s shoulders fell a little bit. He looked away, and then back at Maddie. “He loves you. I know that.”

Maddie blinked, and blinked again, and her eyes wouldn’t clear.

“And are they happy?”

“They’re happy.”

“Am I happy…?”

“You’re…” Phantom’s tail bounced. “You’re happy, I think. I like to think so. I think you’re very happy. You have a great family.”

Maddie nodded.

“Now go.”

“But I still—”

Maddie reached forward, and she grabbed the ecto-gun propped against the control panel. She lifted it into her shoulder, and flicked the safety, and the charge built along the rising whine.

“Go.”

Phantom balked. He blinked. He kicked away from his wall-less cage. “Not forever. I’ll be back. You won’t be alone here forever.”

He was gone.

And Maddie was alone again.

…

Clockwork surveyed the boy in front of him whose head was bowed nearly to the floor, white bangs trailing along cobblestone, hands clasped, apologies repeated, begging case made.

Clockwork ran a hand along his beard, which unfurled, drew back, undid itself with the shifting of his form to a simple child.

“So let’s see. You have the audacity to break my rules andbeg me to meddle on your behalf in the time stream, all in the same breath? Apologies don’t usually come with additional requests for favors.”

“I know,” Danny’s head dipped lower. “You can punish me however you want for touching the restricted timelines but you have to help it, or let me help this one timeline. Please, please just send me back to the Nasty Burger incident so I can save it.”

“It’s already been saved.”

Danny faltered. He looked up.

“You died at the Nasty Burger incident that night,” Clockwork elaborated, form shifting older. “There is no you to ruin that future. That timeline is safe. It’s a very lucky timeline.”

Danny blinked. “N-no. No that’s not what I mean. Save it like you saved my timeline.”

“That did happen. You’re describing your own timeline.”

“I mean do it to THAT one.”

“You are misunderstanding timelines.”

Danny lapsed silent. Worry bled into his eyes, and Clockwork sighed.

“There is no undoing timelines, Danny. There is only forking them by meddling in the stream. All futures and pasts you witness exist, and do exist, and continue to exist,” Clockwork paused, “with the exception of realities I needed to cull, to prevent utter catastrophe.” His gaze fixed on Danny. “The futures that your evil self destroyed, I did have to cull. And culling a reality is not to be done lightly.”

Clockwork motioned with his staff. “There were a handful of surviving realities that I was able to save. That room you meddled in without my permission—they contain the realities off the main track where, for one reason or another, something else succeeded at destroying your future self. …Your own deaths, in fact. In every one of those realities, Danny, you are dead.”

“I don’t…” Danny shook his head. “So then just tell me how to save that one I was in, okay?”

“Oh, that’s easy.”

“How?”

“You don’t.”

Danny said nothing. Clockwork shifted young.

“You can let it live on in that room, or you could ask me to cull it, Danny. You could ask me to cull every reality in that room, so that the main branch, the one you’re from, is the only reality in existence. So you never have to worry about any existence where your family is unhappy. And it will be that way until you, or I, or someone else, meddles with the timestreams again, and more splits occur.”

Still, Danny said nothing. Clockwork continued.

“Sometimes, a mass culling of realities is healthy for the tree of time, like pruning a plant down to its stalk to survive an unforgiving winter, or a terrible disease. But I did that, just recently, to save all of time from the blight of your future self. It would feel cruel to snip off the first buds that have come after the frost.”

Danny lowered himself to the floor.

“Okay…”

“Okay?”

He nodded. “Okay. Just. I have a different question then.” He looked up, a young devastation wet in his eyes. “Can I still go back and visit that reality, sometimes?”

“No. I cannot give you permission to do that.”

“Please!”

Clockwork spun his staff. A portal swirled into being in the space between him and Danny. Washes of color formed patterns, shapes, objects, images. Like a mirror, it reflected Clockwork’s lair beyond its shimmering surface.

“This is a portal back into your own reality. It is set to the location and the time that you vanished. Go there, and leave through the Fenton portal, and nothing will be amiss.”

“No. No no I won’t. Clockwork you have to let me—”

“I am doing you a favor, Danny, getting you home after you caused more trouble. Do not make further demands of me.” Clockwork curled forward, old, sallow skin sagging, and he turned his back to Danny.

“You have to give me permission—”

“I am the only one who has permission to meddle in realities, Danny. This is an absolute.” Clockwork glanced over his shoulder. “And because this is an absolute, I have no reason to have a lock on the room housing those budding other realities.”

Danny blinked.

“I wonder if anyone might break my rules anyway. I wonder if anyone might be nosy, and enter that room anyway, and water the plants in that greenhouse without my permission.” Clockwork stared forward again.

“Clockwork…”

“Luckily I am the master of all time. I would be able to see this coming. And maybe plan for it. If ever such a person would come into my lair, and meddle in my timelines, and try to spread a bit of his own kindness to the realities he couldn’t quite save, I would be fully prepared to stop him.” Clockwork spoke into the green abyss beyond him. “Unless, maybe, I were to accidentally have my back turned.”

Silence trailed after Clockwork’s words. He kept his back to Danny, staring into the abyss of swirling green ether beyond.

“…Thank you,” Danny answered, quietly. “I’ll be back.”

“I imagine you will. Those realities may get lonely without you.”

When Clockwork glanced back over his shoulder, both Danny and the portal were gone.