#but that's just stupid and I need to stop getting fake passports to flee my fandoms

[stygiusfic]

deep in my feelings today about everyone who has stuck around since my Hades days and everyone who's been along for the ride for even a little while

in a little over a month, it'll have been 4 years since I made the stygius account on ao3, which makes it one of my most long-lived accounts!

now and then I still get the itch to make a wholly new one, shed the snakeskin all over again, but... this one is getting homely...

[21st-century-daydreamer]

This Stupid Little Thing Called Life. pt.2

Summary: 6 teenagers got kidnapped while on a trip across Europe. The reader finds out that it’s not just a usual kidnapping. That the world is not what she thought it was. The mundane girl got swept into the world S.H.I.E.L.D and H.Y.D.R.A.

Word Count: 3,731

Warnings: A little makeout, violence.

Pairing: Eventual Steve Rogers x Reader, Bucky Barnes x Reader, OC x Reader, Avengers x platonic!Reader

if you wanna be tagged on the next part or have a request please message me here.

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

We manage to find some money with Vincent’s pickpocketing skills. At first, I thought we could go to the police, but we’re not sure who to trust anymore. Vincent found us a little motel for us to sleep in. We decided that we would take watch, he offered to be on the first watch but I told him that he’s done enough already and he needs to rest. I couldn’t sleep anyway. Don’t get me wrong my body felt like dying but I just can’t bring myself to close my eyes. 

I sat on the twin bed that was closer to the bathroom staring at the mold invested celling, the realization that we’re out just hit me, but it doesn’t mean that they won’t go after us. From now on we’ll always be on the run. The sooner I accept that the better. I got up from my bed wondering what had changed from the world after two whole years. I peeked from the window and realized that I can’t really see the changes in a small town. 

The sun had started to set and I could finally see the sunset again after two years, it’s things like this that I took for granted when I was free. The fresh air of the morning and the stars at night, I never thought how special they were until now. Tears escaped my eyes and in no time I started sobbing, out of happiness and pain at the same time. Suddenly the light started to flicker and out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the coffee table started floating. I turned around and every furniture in the room is floating and there was a blue hue or some kind of mist in the air. I gasped and all the furniture all fell down with a loud thud, thank God it wasn’t too high otherwise I could break all of them. But the thud woke Vincent up, “What the hell? Was there an earthquake?” he said groggily still half asleep. 

“It was me, sorry...” I whispered. He sat up and rub his eyes, finally realizing that my eyes were bloodshot red. He walked up to me and cup my cheek with his hand. “Hey, we’re out. We’re safe.” he smiled softly. His hands were rough, I looked up to his brown eyes and felt safer for some reason. “They’ll come for us..” I said softly.

“I know, but I won’t let them hurt you again. Never again.” He pulled me into a hug. I stayed right there for a while, I haven’t been treated with such soft and gentle touches in 2 years, it was always pushing, beating, etc. I figured it was the same for him.

“I’m gonna take a shower.” I pulled away first. 

He giggled “Right I forgot about that...” he continued “Well, it’s just that I was super tired and stuff you know.” 

I found a towel and in the wardrobe, I haven’t even grabbed it yet but I can already smell the unpleasant smell of cigarettes. Why the hell does the towel smell like cigarettes? Well, I need to work with what I got so cigarette towel it is. The bathroom was not so bad, considering the price of this place. I turned on the shower, and I take back what I said about the bathroom being not so bad. 

Even though I set it on hot, the water was ice cold. I shrieked and almost slipped in the shower. I heard the door burst open and the panic voice of Vincent, “Y/N? You okay?” thank God for the shower curtain. “Yeah sorry, turns out the hot water doesn’t work.” I sighed. “Did you break the door?” I asked him.

“No, you forgot to lock it.” Oops. “I’ll leave you to it then.” and he left.

Vincent was sitting on the edge of the bed when I got out of the shower. After we’re done cleaning up we realized that the only clothes we had were the one that we just stole on the way up here.

“Vincent we need to earn money and clothes and food. How are we gonna do that?” I asked him while sitting cross-legged on my bed.

“Like we just did, I’m gonna get us some clothes, and food and maybe burner phones and laptop.”

“You gonna steal all that?” I asked him.

“Well, we can’t exactly get a job can’t we?”

The next few weeks Vincent and I survived on stealing stuff. He taught me how to do it. On the second week of being out, Vincent already found a way to get us fake ids and some fake passports. Over those few weeks, we learned more and more about each other and we become closer. Vincent was an ex-military, he said that he got a better job offer from a private organization, that’s why he’s so good at this stuff. Well too good, his fighting skills and body counts piqued H.Y.D.R.A’s interest on him. That’s why they want him for the experiment. I couldn’t really judge for the body count part, considering I killed my own friends' and multiple other people that they threw at me. And in between our free times, he told me to learn to control my powers and we have a lot of free time. It’s not like we can go out and explore, we won’t risk it.

Tonight Vincent thought we don’t need to get out again because we got enough money for a couple of days to buy food and pay the room rent. Russia was cold at that time of years, I was freezing my ass off underneath a useless blanket. “You know I have higher body heat than most people,” he said. I contemplate for a second whether it’s gonna be awkward or not if went over to him. Fuck it I’m not freezing my ass off.

I went over to his bed and got under the cover. When I was doing so I realized that his hair was shorter, “Did you cut your hair?” I asked.

“Yeah, I found a pair of scissors,”

“You look great.”

I was still sitting down when I stopped moving, hoping that he got my signal that I don’t know what I should do.

“Here...” he pulled me down and put my head on his chest and his arms circle around me. He’s right, I’m so much warmer now. “Thank you.” I titled my head to look him in the eyes, and in that split second his eyes went to my lips. I didn’t realize what was going on until he planted his lips on mine. My mind went blank but I didn’t pull away. After a few seconds, I started giving in to the kiss. His lips were surprisingly soft against mine. We move in sync and it became more and more desperate as each second passes. He licked my lips and I opened my mouth letting him in. I let out a quiet moan as he did, and he flipped us so that he was hovering over me. His mouth went to my neck and I couldn’t think straight anymore because of his lips and his hands roaming around me.

“Hello, excuse me.” We heard a knock on the door and that’s when we were snapped out of it. He got up and walked towards the door with a gun in hand. How did he even get that? He puts his body to cover the gap from the door. 

“How can I help you?” he asked.

“I think I accidentally bumped into your car when I parked outside, do you wanna take a look at it? I will pay for the damage,” he said with a thick Russian accent. “Yeah no it’s fine... just leave it be. Good night.” he closed the door and turned around “We need to leave.” he whispered. “Wha-” he puts his finger on his mouth silencing me and he put it to his ears, signaling that someone might be listening. “Listen that guy knocks on our door and miraculously knows that we speak English? Even though we’re in a small town in Russia and the car that he mention has a Russian plate? They found us.” I jumped out of the bed a put on jeans and jackets as fast as I can. I grabbed the duffel bag filled with things that we need on the run from the table. Vincent said that our thing must always be inside this bag so that if we ever need to flee we can do it in seconds. Our bathroom has a small window that can fit us individually but we need to work together, it’s situated pretty high on the wall. We escaped through there. We ran from the back and decided to go to the train station, We bought a ticket to a bigger city so that we can flee Russia from there. On the station, Vincent spotted some sketchy guys but we manage to avoid them.

We decided to stay in Vienna, we were pretty hidden there. Vincent did some dirty work here and there and manage to have enough money to rent a small apartment. It’s pretty basic the mattress was on the floor and we didn’t really have any furniture, we just had the ones that came with the apartment.  With our fake credentials, we manage to get a job at a small underground club, 90 Proof. Vincent got a job as a mechanic. A few weeks into this job I realized that this job has its perks. The people that go here are not exactly ‘normal’, turned out that this club is just a cover for crimes syndicate activity from drugs, prostitution, and last but not least illegal human experimentation. One of the names that were circling around was Dr. Grerad Guirera. It wasn’t hard on collecting information off of drunk patrons. But no one really knows where he is. In 90 Proof I met with someone that would offer me jobs of heist even assassination, anonymously. After a couple month, I made a name for myself. They call me The Zircon. I don’t really know why, but I’m guessing it was because of the blue hues. I kept this a secret from Vincent, thinking that he was finally settling down after all the bullshit we went through. Little did I know that the mechanic was just a cover.

I was given instruction to take a package that was left by one of my client's men at the club. They told me it will be ready at 2 AM. But because I work there, I was already present when the drop happened. It was Vincent. I dragged him and the package to the bathroom, “Hey sweet...I was just visiting you at work, Surprise.” He smiled.

“Cut the bullshit, you’re working for one of my clients?”

“Clients? I thought you’re only a bartender?” I glared at him.

“And I thought you’re a mechanic.”

“Cats out of the bag now.”

“We’re gonna have a little talk at home.” I took the package and left.

“I’m dating the Zircon?” Vincent smiled to himself.

After my shift, I went home and had a very needed conversation with Vincent. “I’m doing this to get to Doctor Asshole, babe. That’s it. I want him to pay for everything he did.” I told him. He was pacing around the living room, back and forth. “Can you stop that. It’s giving me a headache. And technically we’re even, you also lied to me about your job.”

“Yeah, I heard what you did. I know you’re kicking ass or whatever, but you’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“Maybe you’re forgetting that you are not the only one who got training in that facility. I can do this. The sooner we get to him, the sooner I stopped all of this.” I wanted to settle down more than anything, but I couldn’t rest until he’s dead. Not only because of my grudge against the asshole but he won’t stop hunting us.

“Fine! But I’m coming with you with every mission.” he proposed.

“NO! My clients ask for one assailant, not two. What if words get out that it was two? What about the guys you’re working for. I don’t have any loyalty to anyone, but you do.” For me, mercenary work is better, no strings or loyalty shit.

“I’ll kill them, they’re asshole anyway,” he said simply with a smile.

“You can’t kill an entire cartel or whatever they are. Are you insane? If even one escape-” he cuts me off.

“Sweets,” he pulled me in his embrace. “You’re forgetting that you’re not the only one with powers here.” He smirked. That smirk of his, I can’t help but smile.

“Fine... you cannot let even one escape.” He nodded. “And do it after I got the payment alright?”

“If I’m going to kill them we might just steal from them too right?”

“Careful okay... If you die, I’ll kill you.”

“What?” He laughed and gave me a peck.

And afterward, we got a lot of resources and ammo. We started working together and started receiving clients from the web. We’ve been taking missions that might lead to doctor asshole but nothing ever came out of it.

2011

After years of doing those shit, our name was a household name in the underworld but we’re getting frustrated. Vincent got more and more ruthless with every kill, he no longer has any regards for civillian casualty. For him, they’re just collateral. He’s no longer the man that I loved. But who am I to judge, I’m not exactly a saint myself. I’ve lost count to how many body counts I have. I didn’t only kill men but women too. Vincent is rougher now, in every way possible. Not that I’m complaining but I’m worried that this was permanent. I know that blood lust is a dangerous addiction and hard to cure.

The more our name got out there, the more people know. Words on the street is that some big organization was looking for us. All I got was the name, SHIELD. Vincent and I got an assassination mission, our opening was a charity gala in Germany that our target threw. He was the head of a technology company, George Benn. I guess he had an enemy in the business.

“Why can’t we just blow the whole place up?” Vincent said while munching on his chips. “We can’t because that means more casualty and more investigation on shit that means...”

“More exposure for us” he finished my sentence. He laid on his back on the hotel bed. He let out a long sigh. I moved from the table and straddled him, “Why the long face baby?” I asked him. 

“I just wanna kill him, for everything that he did to you...” he looked up at me. “You know what I wanna kill all of his friends everyone he holds dear...”

“Vincent they’re innocent, Guirera did this,” I asked him with concern.

“I want him to feel what you feel.”

“I know, but they don’t deserve it.” he thinks that he’s doing this for me, but what he didn’t realize is that this blood lust, this ambition will eat him alive.

“I don’t care.”

“VINCENT!”

“What?”

“They don’t deserve that. I know that your doing this for me, but don’t be like them, Vincent. Don’t let this consume you.”

“Whatever, come here.” He grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me down to meet his lips. And with that, the problem was lost. I rolled my hips a little and that earn a little groan from him. I smirked and did it again. “You little minx.” He flipped us over and he hovers on top of me. Let’s just say the mission planning was forgotten.

The day of the gala, I got my hand on a neurotoxin that can leave no trace on the victim’s body. I wore a black body fitting gown, I was curling my hair on the bathroom when suddenly I got this gut-wrenching feeling out of nowhere. “Baby you re-” he walked inside the bathroom, “DAMN...”

“No...stop. We’re not doing that.” I warned him.

“Do what?” he walked closer and closer to me.

“Vincent!”

“Fine..but after.”

I turned around towards the mirror again and sigh, “What’s wrong baby?” he wraps his arms around my waist from behind me. I met his eyes in the mirror, “I have this feeling in my gut Vincent like something bad is gonna happen.”

“Babe this is like a walk in the park for us okay... This is so damn simple, nothing is gonna happen okay.” he kissed the top of my head.

“But this is the same feeling that I got before I was taken. Vincent something is up.”

“Y/n nothing’s gonna happen... I promise you, we’re gonna finish this and head back, alright?” he assured me.

When we arrive at the gala, I walked around talking to people. And finally, I saw George. I took two glasses of champagne from Vincent that was posing as a waiter. One of them is laced with the neurotoxin, it would start to work for 30 minutes, with no warning signs. It was the perfect toxin. It gave him time to eat something else so that they won’t be suspicious of the champagne. It went smoothly, he didn’t even seem suspicious over anything. Well, maybe he was too distracted by the cleavage of my dress to notice anything.

I signaled Vincent that we’re done. He didn’t respond over the earpiece.

“Vincent,” I called him again, no response again. My panic mode set in, I walked toward the kitchen and saw it was deserted. “Vincent,” I called out his name.

“Hello, little thing... Nice to see you again, after what? A year? Let me tell you, you and your boyfriend here are good. But then again we did train you didn’t we?” It was Guirera.

“Where is he? What did you do to him?” My hands started glowing blue. My gut was right.

“Careful with that, you want him alive, don’t you? Vincent is just another experiment, we have dozens like him, but you? You’re one of a kind.” He walked closer. 

“Come with us and he’ll live.” 

One of his goon brought him with a collar in his neck. “Oh that... yeah, he can’t use his power anymore.” He kicked the back of his knees and he went down. His goons pulled out a huge knife and put it on his chest. I tried to hurt the man with the knife, he started groaning. “ You killed any of us they’ll explode the chip that we implanted on his neck.” He showed me his tablet with the controller. “Fine,” I said. They put the same collar around my neck. And they brought a small glass jail cell and put me in there. “Gamma-ray... You’ll be useless in 10 minutes.” The moment I stepped foot in there, I lost my footing.No matter what I’ll always protect him even if I have to go back. “Sir, SHIELD is here.” A man walked into the kitchen.

“Well..kill him.” he turned around and left.

“NO!” They plunged the knife into his heart. “NO!” I banged on the glass as hard as I can. “Please no...Vincent!!!” They dragged his body away.

The man behind my cell started to cover my cell with a tarp and I felt the cell moving. It was cramped in there, as I hugged my knees to my chest crying in the pitch black cell... I remembered everything that we did. Suddenly I felt my cell fell forward and I face planted. I heard gunshots through outside.

Someone opened the tarp, but I don’t even care anymore. “I think I found her,” he said.

I turned around and see a suit of armor. Tony Stark, what the hell is he doing here. He brought the cell up again, I kept my position crouching and leaning on the glass wall. A man with an eye patch walked in as Stark was opening the cell door. “Don’t!” he said.

  “Whatever HYDRA did there, it contained her power. She can’t hurt anyone. Take her.” They took me in my cell dragging me towards the back door. I saw his blood when we passed it. And after that, my body just collapsed into darkness.

3rd person POV

Fury stared at the unconscious girl in the infirmary. He hides his emotion well, Maria Hill that stood next to him couldn’t pinpoint whether her boss wanted the girl to be executed, imprisoned, or taken as an asset. She reviewed her files once more and saw the horror that she went through, that made her understands why she did what she did for a split second. But crime is a crime. Natasha came inside the viewing room, “that’s the HYDRA’s asset? She’s really young.” Natasha asked him.

“Y/N Y/L/N. 21 year old. Taken when she was just 17,” he said.

Hill gave Natasha the folder and she read it. “Jesus Nick, she went through a lot. We’re gonna need one hell of a psychiatrist in the F.R.I.D.G.E. (shield special containment facility).” She said.

 “Why is there a cat in there?” She saw an orange cat sleeping next to the unconscious girl.

“We’re not sending her to the FRIDGE.” he replied.

“What?” Hill was confused. 

“Goose likes her.” he simply answered.

“Then where are you gonna put her? She needs a lot of supervision and interrogation. The chances are the world security council will want her locked up after the interrogation, even if they decided not to they will assign her at least a level 7 agents to supervise her.” Maria argued.

“I’ll take her.” Tony walked in.

“You are not level 7. You’re technically a consultant for shield.” Maria said.

“Alright, she’s staying in your Miami house?” Fury asked.

“Sir.” Maria tried to argue.

“Nope, Director’s order,” Tony said.

A/N Hey guys... For some reason my story won’t show up on tags so... please help reblog this post so that more people can see them. And I know it’s kind of a long wait to see some of the characters but I promise you that after this chapter a lot of familiar faces are gonna be main. This is my first series and I hope you guys like it.

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

Sneak for Chapter 30

Kay sighs and flicks the balled-up paper in his hand into the paper bin. “Unexpressed emotions will never die. They are buried alive and will come forth later in uglier ways.”

“What?” Cassian asks, looking up from his file.

“You know who said that?”

“No. Let me guess, Napoléon?”

A tiny smile tugs at Kay’s lips. “Not even close. Sigmund Freud.”

Cassian puts his coffee down with a scoff. “Seriously? You’re quoting Freud at me now? Am I fucked-up enough to deserve you psycho-analysing me, too?”

“Somebody has to,” Kay replies flatly and stares at the whiteboard. “When are you leaving?”

“I’ll leave before lunch, tell Kes I don’t feel well or something.” He sighs and closes the file. “And what are you implying I’m burying?”

Kay raises a brow at him. “First of all, Kes won’t buy that.”

“He doesn’t have to, and Draven will assume I’m sitting in my apartment, staring at walls or something. What am I burying, Kay?”

“The need to do exactly that under the influence of some kind of socially accepted toxin?” his colleague gives back drily and gets to his feet.

“Kay, this is my second language,” he says and attempts a smile that doesn’t turn out too well. Kay looks genuinely worried, and Cassian feels a tragically familiar pinch of guilt. He shouldn’t have let this happen in the first place – don’t get attached to your colleagues, damn it, isn’t that the first order of business, Cassian? If he’d paid attention, Kay wouldn’t be upset and Cassian wouldn’t feel bad because of it.

Then again… people need other people, Mothma said, and he knows she’s right. He does. He’s always known that, contrary to what she probably believes – the concept he’s struggling with is that other people need him, too.

But Kay… in some ways, Kay has always been the exception, because Cassian would be dead without him, but Kay would be dead without him, too. His shooting abilities are barely this side of passable, and as great an analyst he is, out in the field, he thinks too much. There were at least four instances just in the time they were partnered where, without Cassian’s intervention, he’d have got shot. That and Kay’s razor-sharp focus that he’s incapable of leaving at the office has never exactly made him the popular colleague – and Cassian knows that feeling, too. He’s been that kid since he was seven. They both are the odd ones out, and have been for a long time; they’re both foreigners, and they’re both the killjoys at the bar who can’t stop talking about the job no matter how many beers they have.

In fact, they’re once again at the office so late that Kay has dared to light a cigarette indoors because the chances of anyone still hanging around to catch him are so low at this point.

He takes a drag and frowns at him. “Oh, so you’re saying you don’t want to sit in a dark corner and cry into a glass of mezcal, then?”

Cassian grimaces at the file in his hand. “Isn’t that my overall state of mind?”

Kay moves to the window to flick some ash down onto the pavement. “That’s very funny.”

“Well, no. Not as long as I have other things to worry about.” He kicks back his chair and takes a sip from his cup. The coffee has gone cold. “You know what’s funny about all this?”

“No. I fail to see any hilarity in this stupid plan, Cassian.”

Cassian feels a wry grin tug at the corners of his mouth. “If I’d been killed undercover, you know, putting my life on the line twenty-four seven, doing…” His voice catches. Damn, it’s late, but he can’t afford his poker face to be this rusty. He clears his throat. “If they’d killed me then, no one would have cared. Just another file sealed, and they’d have sent someone else in a few years and the rest of the world would have never known the difference. But now?” He shakes his head and stares at the badge on his desk. “Now if they kill me, someone will have to get off their ass. Now they shoot a DEA agent, right, with American colleagues and an American boss. I mean, I flee my own country with a semi-fake passport and suddenly, my life has value. That’s fucked-up.”

“Easy, Camarena,” Kay says drily, flicks the cigarette out of the window and sits back down. “What you’ll do is make Draven lose face when it’s all over the papers that the guy he asked to be assigned to his office went off on his own, all because of a screwed-up operation in January that killed several other American agents. Not to mention a botched op that was buried so sloppily we could probably use some advice from your old precinct.”

“Still. You can’t tell me it wouldn’t be in the fucking papers.”

“Sure. You might even make it into a rally speech, knowing that clown they want to elect president,” Kay mutters, shaking his head. “Why are you still using printed maps like a caveman? You know that one was accurate three years ago.”

[davidcarner]

Sarah vs The Life Unexpected: Growing Pains Ch 2, Are You Sure?

A/N: If you don't follow me on twitter, my daughter dressed up as Brenda, Grace's personification of evil and way of torturing me. What does she want you might ask? What do you think, MOLLY! We return to the Mollyverse with the question we've been wondering since Christmas…It is a baby brother, right?….I give you Ch 2, Are You Sure?

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck, or Molly, but I need Brenda to go away.

"Chuck," he heard the voice say. He opened his eyes and looked up at the lights. "Chuck," it was the voice of an angel, his angel…Sarah. He smiled, and then he thought about the video he had just watched. He jumped to his feet, ran out the door, skidded to a stop on one foot, entered the men's room, and got to the toilet just before his stomach emptied. "Oh, boy," Sarah muttered.

The rest of the class looked at her in pity. She shrugged, and grinned sheepishly. They had just watched the birthing video. Chuck had been nervous about the birthing class, but Sarah was so excited, he had kept his mouth shut. This was one of those times he really missed Ellie. She could of prepared him, or at least talked to Sarah about it. He was going to get through the class. He had decided that, and then the video began. He wasn't sure why the mother had to be naked. He had always heard about the beauty of birth, but there was nothing beautiful on that screen. In fact, he was wondering why any of these women had not only had sex if there was a chance to do what he was watching, but some of them did it with nothing but this purpose!

Chuck felt the room get hot, spin, and a couple of times he wished he hadn't had that burrito for lunch. He got himself under control just in time to look up and see the baby crowning. That was the last thing he remembered. He splashed cool water on his face while standing at the sink. He looked down at the sink and the water running.

"I don't know if I can do this," he said softly to himself.

"Well, luckily you don't have to do that part," he heard her say. He spun around and there was Sarah, standing in the men's room. He thought she'd be mad, upset, embarrassed, or something, but all she was, was concerned. "Unlike that video," she said gesturing behind her. "There is usually some type of partition between the top half and bottom half, and I think it's best if you work the top half, or out in the waiting area."

"I can't do that," Chuck said. Sarah smiled at him.

"Sweetie, I love you, but when I'm giving birth I really don't have time to wake you up from off the floor. I'd have to let you lay there," she said.

"If you never want to have sex again, I understand," Chuck blurted out. "I mean…" he turned a little pale, turned to the sink, and felt her hand at his back and on his shoulder. "I'm useless."

"Kinda needed you to get to this point," she said with a grin.

"Ha!" he replied. Sarah gave him a side hug.

"As long as you're there for everything after," she said, giving him a smile. He stepped away, and looked at her, mock affronted.

"Woman, please, you know I am, and will be," he replied.

"I know, Chuck, I know," she said, and gave him a kiss, but quickly pulled away.

"Mouthwash," he muttered. She dug in her purse and found some gum.

"Come on, let's go home," she said.

}o{

"So why was she naked?" Carina asked the next day at lunch. Sarah shrugged.

"I'm really not sure," Sarah admitted. "The narrator said, but Chuck was turning funny colors and making gurgling noises." Carina laughed.

"You know, if you went into labor, and couldn't get to the hospital the nerd would probably deliver the baby just fine," Carina said, shaking her head. Sarah was nodding.

"Right?" she answered. "But put him in a spot where his mind can think and really process what is going on…" Sarah shuddered, and Carina belly laughed. "I love him, but sometimes…"

"Stick with the first part of that sentence," Carina said. "So today's the big day, huh?"

"Yep," Sarah said, blowing out a breath.

"Have you considered what you are going to do if it's not a boy?" Carina asked.

"Flee the country," Sarah said. "I have fake passports and IDs ready for both Chuck and myself."

"Sarah, you wouldn't leave that girl, either of them," Carina said, grinning.

"But she scares me sometimes," Sarah admitted. Carina leaned in.

"She scares me all the time," Carina answered.

}o{

Chuck and Sarah sit in the driveway of their home, neither making a sound or moving a muscle.

"Baby's healthy," Chuck said after some time.

"Yes," Sarah said, nodding. "Looks like it will be a normal delivery, nothing complicated."

"Which is awesome," Chuck said with no enthusiasm.

"Absolutely," Sarah answered. They sat there for minute.

"Could we get a second opinion? Chuck asked.

"Chuck, we got three while we were there," Sarah said.

"Different hospital?" Chuck asked. "Different country?"

"Chuck," Sarah began.

"Sarah, they said it was a girl!" Chuck said, his eyes wide. "I have to go in there and tell her I failed!"

"You failed?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, my sperm didn't do something right," Chuck replied. Sarah closed her eyes. "What?

"I don't know that it's anyone's fault," Sarah said, shaking her head.

"What if we move and don't tell them?" Chuck asked.

"You could leave Molly and Clara?" she asked, him a look of, "are you stupid?" on her face, knowing the same thought had crossed her mind.

"You know I couldn't, and neither could you, it's just…Sarah, she scares me," Chuck admitted.

"Chuck, she scares all of us," Sarah said, taking his hand. "I'll protect you," she said with a wink.

"You know I like it when you get all protectory," Chuck said, grinning. Sarah leaned across the seat.

"Yeah?" she asked. Chuck nodded. "Then you tell Molly, and I'll protect you, all night."

"Nope, no, unh-uh, net, nein, no freakin way!" he said, looking scared to death.

"All night?" she asked, pouting. Chuck shook his head.

"You can pull out every trick in the book they taught you, you can use every feminine wile you have, and there is no way it works. We do this together," Chuck said. "I don't put my foot down on much, but this, this I do." Sarah nodded.

"You're right," she said, and opened the door.

"Hey, any chance later-" he began.

"Nien," she said, looking at him batting his eyes.

"I'm not sure that was necessary," Chuck grumbled.

}o{

They had gone in, made dinner, and were sitting at the table, nervous as can be.

"How's my brother doing?" Molly asked. Chuck dropped his fork onto his plate mid-scoop, and Sarah stopped chewing. She looked at him.

"A week," she offered. Chuck shook his head. She closed her eyes, reached over, and took his hand.

"Molly, sweetie, the doctor saw the baby today," Sarah began.

"How is he?" Molly asked, her face excited.

"He's a she," Chuck said. He watched her face. She turned and looked at him.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Pumpkin, he had everyone check it to make sure," Chuck explained. "The baby is a girl." Molly nodded.

"You know after the baby is born, and we've had some time to get adjusted, we were planning on having another one," Sarah said. Chuck looked at her.

"We are?" he asked.

"Well, you didn't seem to mind the idea," Sarah replied.

"How about we see how you handle this one," Chuck said, going a little white. Sarah grinned as she fought not to roll her eyes.

"Chuck, I'll be fine," she said. Molly was watching them and shook her head.

"Maybe he's right," Molly muttered. Chuck and Sarah shared a look and Emma jumped up.

"I'm taking Clara for her bath, and get her ready for bed," Emma said grinning. "I suspect we might be about to get some more Jerry wisdom, and it's been awhile so I'm sure it's a doozy."

"Take me with you," Chuck said. Sarah and Emma burst out laughing. Emma left and Sarah and Chuck waited. "What did Jerry say?"

"He said his brother told him, his mom and dad had to practice a lot before they got a baby brother," Molly said. Chuck just blinked. He couldn't speak. Sarah looked at Chuck, fighting to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Sweetie," Sarah began, wondering if she shouldn't just leave this alone but finding she couldn't help herself. "Doesn't Jerry only have his older brother?"

"Yes, and it took a lot of tries for him to come along, so they had to practice a lot," she said. She stared at them. "Well?"

"You are not telling us to go practice right now," Chuck said.

"Daddy, you always tell me if you want something you have to work for it," Molly said, standing. Sarah clapped her hand over Chuck's mouth.

"Molly, in many situations that's true but in this one, there is no way to know whether the baby will be a boy or a girl," Sarah said, giving Chuck a warning look as she removed her hand. Chuck was close to bursting from the laughter he was holding in. "There are a lot of old wives tales and myths, but nothing scientific."

"So, you just have to keep trying?" Molly asked. Chuck put his hand over his own mouth.

"Yes, sweetie, we have to keep trying, if we want a boy," Sarah said. "Your father is right though, we do need to see how things go. I plan on having another, but something could happen." Molly stared at Chuck, and Chuck wondered.

"Pumpkin, can I ask you a crazy question?" he asked. She nodded. "Are you worried if we have a little girl, that is ours, we're going to love her more than you?" Molly didn't say anything. Sarah's smile and laughter were gone. Such an idea had never occurred to her.

"I mean she would be yours," Molly said softly.

"Molly Bartowski," Chuck said, giving her the stink eye. She couldn't help herself, she giggled. "You better know that your mother and I consider you to be ours. We couldn't love you more than if you were our blood child. What did I tell you so many months ago?"

"That we were lucky because someone chose to love us?" she asked.

"That's right," Sarah said. "And I don't want to ever hear another crazy word that we don't love you. You practically harassed this poor guy until he married me."

"Thank you, by the way," Chuck mocked whispered. She gently elbowed him in the ribs, grinning.

"Plus you harassed me until I asked him out, causing me to embarrass myself," Sarah continued.

"You didn't cry in a beautiful women's home you just met because it used to belong to your dead sister," Chuck countered. Sarah turned to him.

"I really owe her one don't I?" Sarah asked.

"More like I do," Chuck replied. They both turned to her. "So we love you, you got us together, and you will always be our daughter, got it?" She nodded. "Good, now go see if Emma needs any help, and we'll be up in a minute." She got down, came over and kissed Sarah first and then Chuck and then headed upstairs. Chuck turned to Sarah.

"So were you going to ask me if we could work harder, or promise her you would, or what, because it was right there and I know you couldn't resist it," she said, grinning.

"The only thing I could resist less than that is you," Chuck said with his own grin.

"Wow! We are trying hard tonight," she said, emphasizing the night. "Mr. Bartowski."

"And?" Chuck asked. She moved in close.

"Chuck, you know it works," she said and gave him a big kiss.

"I will always love our children," Chuck said.

"But you owe Molly big time," Sarah said with a coy grin on her face.

"You ain't kiddin'," Chuck said, getting up and clearing the table.

}o{

"Wake up!" Molly said, landing in the middle of the bed. Chuck shot straight up.

"Wha? Where? Is there a fire?" He asked.

"No, we have to go shopping and get the best deals!" Molly said.

"What are you talking about?" Sarah asked, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"

"We have to go when it's black on Friday to get the best deals for baby things, and it's Friday, and it's really dark outside," Molly said. Chuck looked at the clock.

"It is 3:14," Chuck said.

"Baby, that's for the day after Thanksgiving," Sarah explained. "We'll go this weekend."

"Oh," Molly said. "Guess I better get back to bed. You-" Sarah cut her off.

"Molly, before you say another word," Sarah began in a mom voice. Chuck bet she used that voice in the CIA to control assets and they did exactly what she said, every single time to the letter of the law. "Do you remember when Chuck told you to stop about the baby brother?" She nodded. "You need to stop about the practicing." She nodded and left. When Chuck heard her door close, he couldn't help himself.

"She could be right you know," he said. He was whacked by a pillow. "I could be concussed."

"You'll get over it," she said, snuggling into him. After a minute she raised up to look at him. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Chuck asked, confused.

"Aren't you going to lock the door?" Sarah asked, grinning.

"I thought you wanted her to quit saying that stuff?" Chuck asked, still confused but getting up.

"Oh, I do," Sarah admitted. "But, you know," she said, bouncing one shoulder. "What if she's right?"

"So you just want me for practice?" Chuck asked, trying to appear affronted.

"Do you really care that much?" she asked, grinning. Chuck shook his head with his own grin. "Then get over here!" And he did.

}o{

Saturday Afternoon

They had shopped all day for baby things. They were all tired, and Chuck wanted to lift their spirits. He pulled into an animal shelter, and Sarah gave him a look.

"This is why I don't let you drive," she said, winking.

"I thought maybe we could go visit some animals and cheer us up," he said. "The shopping kind of put us all in foul moods."

"Good idea, Daddy," Molly said. They got everyone out of the car and Sarah sided up to Chuck.

"Is this a good idea?" she asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Chuck asked. Sarah gave him a look and shook her head. They went through the shelter and Chuck stopped in his tracks looking at one of the puppies.

"Chuckkk," Sarah said, worried.

"Sorry, he looks just like Peaches," Chuck said. "He was my dog, back when my whole family lived together." Sarah looked at him. Molly went over to the puppy in the cage. One of the volunteers came over.

"Does she want to play with him?" the volunteer asked. Sarah looked at Chuck, who was lost in his thoughts, a sad look on his face.

"Yes," Sarah said. The volunteer got the puppy out and within minutes, Sarah was rolling her eyes. Molly and the puppy had bonded, and Chuck just watched them, joy on his face. Sarah sat Clara down and she walked over and began to play with Molly and the puppy. The puppy was good with the two little girls. "Can you watch them a minute, I need to take care of something?" Sarah asked.

"Sure," Chuck said. "You okay?"

"Never better, Chuck," she said. She walked out of the room, and the four never really noticed how long she was gone. When she returned, Chuck sighed.

"Girls, we need to go," Chuck said.

"Bye, puppy," Molly said.

"I believe the puppy's name is Peaches," Sarah said. Chuck's head whipped around.

"Are you sure?" he asked, shocked.

"Well, I'm told the owner gets to name the puppy," Sarah said. Chuck's jaw dropped.

"Peaches," Molly said. Peaches licked Molly's face. Chuck pulled Sarah into a hug.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Chuck," Sarah said smiling. "That puppy is a member of the family, and if I made them put him back, they'd be heartbroken."

"Right," Chuck said grinning.

"And, you'd pout for days," Sarah said.

"Weeks," Chuck replied. Sarah kissed him. "Come on, Peaches, we're going home." Peaches barked in agreement.

A/N: For the record I never passed out during the birthing video we had to watch…the rest of the running…that may be based on a very true story….Take care…Until next time

DC