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thenatashamaximoff · 1 year

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Broken Love; Ch. 8

Summary: You and Natasha break up after finding out about her secret affair. Wanda’s there to comfort you.

Pairing: Natasha x Reader; Wanda x Reader

Warnings: mentions of cheating, mentions of death

Words: 8,951

✎ | ❦

Please keep in mind that this is a reimagined version of Dangerous Love and it goes a completely different route. Please do not expect anything to be the same aside from the love triangle aspect. I hope you enjoy!

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“You’re not going to win,” you claimed, breathing out heavily. He stared down at you from his spot at the top of the hill, rocks crumbling around you as the ground shook. The lava pooling around you nipped at your heels, but you held no concern for the molten liquid as your hands clenched into fists by your sides. “This world… It’s going to crash and burn. And it’s too late for you to save it, Iron Man.”

He lifted his arm up, his gauntlet as bright as the eyes of his helmet. “I didn’t want to do this,” he declared, shaking his head softly, “but you left me no choice.” The high-pitched squeal of his repulsors reached your ears, and your eyes widened as he jumped off of the hill…

You were pulled back into reality, your arms stretched wide to bring the little boy into your arms as his giggles echoed through the room. You huffed as you looked at him through his little toy helmet, cradling him against your hip as you used your free hand to move the mask off of his face.

“You caught me, mommy!” he laughed, wrapping his arms around your neck to steady himself. “I knew you would.” He flashed you a toothy grin, and you couldn’t help but chuckle softly as you shook your head.

“Of course, sweetie,” you stated. “I’ll always catch you.” You plopped him onto the ground, taking the toy off of his head gently as you sent him a warm smile. “But let’s not jump off the top of the stairs again, okay? It’s dangerous.”

“But I’m Iron Man!” he expressed. “I live for danger!”

“Oh, yeah?” He nodded with a proud smile, large swoops of his chin up and down with smug confidence. You pulled the elastic band around your head, positioning the mask over your face as you looked down at him through the slim eye holes. “I’m Iron Man now.”

“No!” he squealed, laughing as he started to run away from you. Your movements were instinct, chasing after him into the other room, zipping around the corner only to come to a halt when you saw a pair of legs through the mask. You cleared your throat, ripping the toy off of your head as you met her green gaze, an amused smile tugging the corner of her lips with her arms crossed over her chest. The little boy hid behind her legs, looking at you with a grin of victory.

“I hope the two of you are having fun,” she said, raising an eyebrow with mock curiosity, “because we’re late.” She looked down at the boy, running a hand through his short hair as she said, “Go get cleaned up, T.”

“Yes, mama.” He stepped away from her, sending you that smug grin once more as he left the room. You laughed softly as you placed the toy down, running a hand down your face and around your neck to grip the back of it, looking down as you chewed the inside of your cheek.

“Hey…” She stepped towards you, bringing your face into the palms of her hands gently. Your head lifted at her touch, meeting her warm gaze as she smiled lightly at you. A thin layer of tears covered your eyes, biting your cheek harder to fight against the urge to cry.

“I don’t think I can do it,” you said, your voice a low whisper.

“I know it’s hard. Just because so much time has passed doesn't make it any easier, but I’m here for you, okay? And I’m not going anywhere.”

You nodded against her hands, breathing in softly as you said, “Promise?”

“I promise.” Her smile was warm and kind, it caused your stomach to twist as you stepped closer to her.

“I love you, Nat.”

“I love you, Y/N.”

You leaned forward, your lips just mere centimeters away from hers to the point where you could feel them brush against each other, but the moment was quickly interrupted when a small human squeezed himself in between the two of you, cutting you off from her as he expressed his readiness to leave. Natasha laughed when you rolled your eyes, ruffling the boy’s hair as you said, “Alright.” You reached for Natasha’s hand, meeting her loving gaze once more as she accepted it. “Let’s get this over with.”

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You peeked through the curtain, eyes wide as you looked at the number of people in attendance. Reporters mainly filled the first two or three rows, while everybody else was simply there for the service. Monitors hanging around the room held the Avengers logo. What was once a symbol of hope was now only a memory of loss.

You felt your stomach twist uncomfortably, nausea working its way through your body as you swallowed your mouthful of saliva harshly. But when you saw your little boy at the front of the crowd, talking Dr. Woods’s ear off, you felt a bit better. Even so, you had to force yourself away from the view, turning your back as the curtain swished close behind you. You ran your hands down your thighs in an attempt to rid the sweat building on your palms, but it didn’t seem to work no matter how many times you wiped them.

“Are you okay?” Steve stepped up to you, his arms crossed tautly over his chest as he raised an eyebrow at you. His face was filled with concern. Was it that obvious you weren’t?

“I am fine,” you lied, nodding as you shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s just, y’know… the one-year anniversary of the day we lost everything.”

He pursed his lips together, moving his arms to grip his hips as he said, “To lose everything you had grants you everything you need.” You couldn’t help but scoff, yet you did manage to fight the urge to roll your eyes at his fortune cookie quote. He was only trying to help ease your nerves, and - though it wasn’t doing anything to make you feel better - you were grateful for his attempt.

A woman stepped up to you before you could make a comment. “You’re all up.” She gestured towards the curtain, sending you both a soft, pitiful smile as you turned back around to face the music. “Good luck.”

You sucked in a deep breath, shaking your hands as the curtain parted in front of you. Natasha was already on the stage, sitting in one of the three seats lined up behind the podium. Her eyes were that same loving warmth she displayed earlier, and it helped ease your stomach as you made your way to her. She reached for your hand, giving you a comforting squeeze when you met her as the flashes of the cameras started going off the moment you stepped into view. “We’re just going to say some things and then we can go,” she whispered into your ear. She, too, was trying to ease your nerves, but the judging gaze of everybody in the crowd seemed to lock onto you.

Your stomach started doing nauseating flips once more.

You sat down next to Natasha, refusing to release her hand as Steve took a spot at the podium. He cleared his throat, tapping his finger gently against the microphone as he laughed nervously. All eyes were on him now, giving you a moment of reprieve as you leaned against the Russian, listening carefully as the patriot began his speech.

“One year.” You chewed the inside of your cheek, averting your gaze to your occupied hands. “On this very day one year ago, we were unfortunate to witness the fall of the Avengers. Today will be known as Avengers Day.” Pictures of the people you had always felt privileged to call family illuminated the monitors as Steve continued, “Clint Barton. Tony Stark. Bruce Banner. Pepper Potts. Wanda Maximoff. These are just a few names of the many lives lost that day.” Your breath caught in your throat as you stared at the screen displaying Wanda’s photograph. Her big smile, her shining eyes. Your best friend, how close the two of you had gotten throughout the years.

You were so transfixed by the image that you hadn’t realized Steve’s speech was finished until Natasha released your hand. You looked at her, distress glinting in your irises, but it was ultimately subsided by the small smile she was sending you. She was gesturing for you to step up to the podium as it was your turn to give a speech, and you were hesitant to do such a thing. Though you had practiced your speech a million times in the mirror after hearing about the event, all of it managed to disappear in your mind as you cleared your throat into the microphone.

“Hello,” you expressed softly, squeezing the edge of the wooden podium. Yet the next time you opened your mouth, not a single word could be heard. You could see everybody’s eyes piercing through you as if you were just… nothing. But you looked over, meeting the bright, hopeful gaze of your little boy, watching his face stretch out into a smile as he held up a thumb. You returned his grin before looking back to the crowd, feeling a bit more confident than you did five seconds ago. “Today’s just a grave reminder of all the people we’ve lost. And we’re here to honor the lives of-”

“May I interrupt?” Your eyes landed on the source of the voice - a young woman had stood up, holding a pen and paper as she flashed you a cocky smirk. “Hello, Mrs. Romanoff.” Your gaze averted down to your left hand, staring at the ring as the reporter continued, “Karen Delroy from the Times. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” You picked your head up at her question, eyebrows furrowed with confusion. You weren’t informed that you were going to be interviewed, that you were just coming in to make a speech on behalf of the fallen and then you were more than welcome to leave. But, considering you couldn’t really recollect your entire speech to begin with, you figured this was your way out of making yourself look like a fool in trying to remember.

“I don’t see why not,” you expressed softly, nodding as you gestured for her to carry on with a hand.

“What do you remember?” She held her pen poised over the notepad, prepared to write down whatever words came out of your mouth.

“Oh, well… I-I remember all of it,” you claimed. “I remember the…” But you trailed off, eyebrows pinching together with confusion once more as you looked down. Your eyes squeezed shut, nerves causing your body to shiver. You had to think. Remember. You had to remember.

“Y/N?” Natasha’s voice was low behind you, a soft whisper so the rest of the room wouldn’t hear, but you chose to ignore her calls.

Remember.

“Maybe we should put an end to this,” Steve suggested just as quietly.

Just remember.

“Just think, detka, it’s okay.”

I don’t remember.

“Why don’t I remember?” you asked faintly, eyes wide as you looked back at the woman. Dread struck you when you saw the brown in her eyes glow an ominous purple as she seemingly stared right through you. But, within the next blink, her eyes went back to normal yet the fear that floated in your veins remained. Everything in your brain told you to move, to walk away, but nothing in your body was listening. You were frozen to your spot at the podium, a ball forming in your throat threatening to take away your ability to breathe. Your grip on the podium tightened, causing your knuckles to turn bone white. You can’t remember…

“How did you defeat the Matriarch?” Your eyes snapped onto another person - it seemed to be the only part of your body that was capable of moving - to witness an older man standing up with a microphone aimed towards you. “Lyle Davies, Channel 6. Wanda Maximoff had converted to the Church of Truth as their Matriarch when the Avengers Tower collapsed. You had a pretty close relationship with her according to my sources. Even got to the point of intimacy.” He grinned smugly, proud to have known that much information. “So, how did you manage to take her down?”

You could feel the knot in your stomach tightening.

“You seem to be having difficulty recollecting the downfall of the Avengers, Mrs. Romanoff.” Another reporter stood up, not even bothering with the introductions at this point.

You shook your head, soft, subtle movements that could only be seen if one was paying close attention and, surely, everybody in the room was.

“Do you even remember how they died?” It was another reporter, another question, yet the voice was familiar. You could pinpoint that Sokovian accent at a concert if you were so inclined to. Your eyes scanned the crowd, searching for her face. Searching for any sign that she was here, in the same room as you, living and breathing and not lying six feet under the surface. But you couldn’t find her. And it only seemed to overwhelm you, the combination of flashing lights from snapping cameras and reporters who seemed to have no more room for manners as they started overlapping each other to ask their own questions. You couldn’t even make out what they were asking, and her voice was no longer ringing in your ears.

“Come on.” Natasha’s breath fanned across the side of your cheek as she whispered into your ear, feeling her hands fall onto your shoulders as she started to guide you away from the interrogation. Steve didn’t hesitate to take your place, his hands in the air in an attempt to calm the crowd as you disappeared behind the curtain.

“I can’t remember, Nat,” you expressed, panic only causing that knot in your gut to tighten. You stopped walking to turn around, eyes wide with fright. Was this a dream? You could only hope it is, interlocking your fingers behind your neck as you tried to control your breathing. “Why can’t I remember!”

“Y/N-”

“What happened to Wanda?” Your eyes snapped onto hers within an instant.

“She was the Matriarch, Y/N,” Natasha explained calmly. She stepped closer to you, bringing your face gently into her hands as you moved to grip her wrists softly. “The Church got to her. And her powers combined with theirs… It made her a worthy candidate to become the Matriarch.” She sighed, a breath full of sorrow as her thumbs made gentle circles across your cheekbones.

You could feel the knot in your stomach tightening one last time, causing you to break out of Natasha’s comforting hold to get to the nearest trashcan to dispose of whatever was in your gut. Sickness drove through you like a river, goosebumps crawling up your body as you sank to your knees. Sobs wracked your chest, fingers clenched at your head.

It didn’t feel like much time has passed before you were staring at the ceiling in the comfort of your own home. Whatever happened between the event to now was all a blur. But the queasiness that lingered in you remained to the point where Natasha made you keep a bucket next to you.

The door creaked open slowly after what felt like an eternity of being stuck in your thoughts. You didn’t find the energy to pick your head up to look at whoever was entering the room, the footsteps were quiet as they made their way to you. “Mommy?” It was an instinct, ignoring the fatigue plaguing your body to give your child the attention he demanded.

“Yes, T?”

“Mama said you needed some alone time because you’re not feeling good,” he claimed, standing at the edge of your bed as his fingers twiddled together nervously. “But when I get sick… You’re always there to hold me and that makes me feel better.” You couldn’t stop the smile from twitching your lips, lifting an arm up to signal that he was more than welcome to join you on the bed. And he didn’t hesitate to do so, climbing onto the mattress and crawling over to you so he could cuddle into your side. Though as much as you enjoyed the silence and cuddling, his voice was always music to your ears. “You named me after Iron Man, right?”

“And Hawkeye,” you confirmed. “Anthony Barton Romanoff.” You smiled, staring up at the ceiling as his eyes trained on you. “Some of the most amazing people me and mama have ever known.” You tilted your head down to meet his gaze.

He ran a finger up and down the sleeve of your shirt, chewing the inside of his cheek for a moment before he asked, “How did they die?”

“They were in the Avengers Tower when it fell, sweetheart,” you answered, your voice a soft whisper as if you were fearful to speak any louder than that.

“Why did the tower fall?”

“That-” Your voice caught in your throat as memories flashed through your mind, how terrified the woman looked as you held up a small device, the vision shrouded in a faint, purple glow. Your eyebrows pinched together, head tilting to the side as you blinked yourself back to the present. “That was the Church’s doing.”

“You survived the fall,” he claimed, beaming brightly. “You and mama.” You nodded, smiling sadly as you looked back at him. “I’m glad you did. I don’t want a different family.” You breathed out slowly, your stomach lurching in your chest when that ominous, purple glow returned to color your boy’s eyes.

Panic took over your body, causing you to quickly climb out of the bed and stagger away from him as confusion painted his features. “I… I don’t…”

“Mommy?” He sat up on his knees, his bottom lip quivering as you shook your head. He watched you carefully, no trace of purple remained in his eyes. But you weren’t willing to take the risk, keeping your distance from him as you pressed your back against the wall.

Laughter emitted from your throat in a humorless tone, realization dawning on you as your eyes snapped onto Anthony’s. You didn’t win. No. No, the Church was still alive. They were laying low, poisoning the world one person at a time. You should’ve caught onto it earlier, seeing the reporter’s eyes glow the color that’ll forever haunt your dreams. How quick the moment was, how smooth and undercover. Nobody would be the wiser as they all carried on with their day. But your mind didn’t make the connection at the time. Now… They have control of him. Your boy. “Let him go,” you pleaded softly, your head moving side to side very subtly.

“Mommy, you’re scaring me.”

You moved forward, pointing a finger at him. “Why are you here?” Your voice came out low, dangerous through clenched teeth. Your pupils narrowed with an anger Anthony has never seen on you before, your steps quiet and steady like a predator stalking its prey.

“It’s me!” he cried, his face red with tears as you gripped his shoulders. “It’s me, mommy! It’s your T!”

“Leave him alone!”

“You’re hurting me!” Sobs erupted from his throat, and it was in that instance that a force pushed you away.

Natasha stood in front of him protectively, her green eyes narrowed onto you as you staggered backward, still reeling from the strength of her push. “What are you doing?” Her voice, just like yours, was low and dangerous. Only hers was a lot more threatening than you could ever dream of being. “That is our child.” She was eerily calm, yet you weren’t oblivious to the hidden tone in her words.

“No,” you claimed, shaking your head. “They’re still out there. They- They got to him. They’re taking our child away from us! That” - you pointed at the kid who looked like your boy, but you knew better - “is not Anthony.”

The Russian crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw tight, her stance set. “What is going on with you, Y/N?”

“Please, Nat.” Your voice was still low, but it was pleading now. You needed her to see the truth before they won this silent war. “The Church is alive.”

“The Church has been gone for a year,” she said. “We got rid of them. They’re not possessing anybody. And they’re certainly not taking our boy. He is still T.” She was calmer now than she was five seconds ago after seeing the genuine fear in your eyes. Her shoulders relaxed, and her protective stance crumbled as she took a small step toward you. “Don’t you remember how happy we were the day we brought him home?”

You blinked at her question, eyebrows furrowed tightly together as you straightened your form. “I…” You tried to convince yourself to recall the day you had adopted the little boy, even if it was made up, yet the memory of what should be a joyous, memorable day was lost on you. Any good parent could tell you the story of their child coming into their life - adopted or not - but you were finding difficulty in doing just that. Your heart started playing drums on your ribcage as you stared at Natasha. “I don’t remember,” you whispered, shaking your head. “Why can’t I remember?”

The memories of important events were nothing but black holes in your mind. Avengers Day, Anthony’s adoption, your… wedding. Natasha in a wedding gown surely would’ve made a permanent home in your brain, yet you got nothing.

It was during your mental battle in trying to remember that Natasha turned to whisper something to Anthony before he ran out of the room as fast as his little legs could carry him. But you couldn’t care about whatever it was she sent him to do as you made eye contact with her once again, pupils wide with panic. “I can’t remember, Nat,” you whispered, your nose burning as tears threatened your vision. Her face softened as she took one more step to you, bringing your hands into hers as she breathed out softly. “I can’t remember. I can’t remember. Why-”

“You’re just tired, detka,” she said gently, a warm smile tugging her lips as she moved one of her hands to rest against your cheek. You leaned into her touch, your eyes fluttering close allowed you to feel just how truly exhausted you were. “This day was very stressful, I know. It brought back so many memories that we all just wished to forget.”

“I’m sorry,” you murmured, shaking your head against her palm as a tear slipped through your eyelid to crawl down your cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“Come on.” She used the hold on one of your hands to tug you back to the bed. “I’ll take T out for dinner and you can apologize to him when we get back.” She smiled at you as your eyes fluttered open, nodding your head as you sat down. “But, in the meantime, you get some rest.” She planted a soft, warm kiss against your forehead, giving your hand a squeeze before slowly walking out of the room, flicking the light off as she closed the door behind her.

But, instead of doing as she said and closing your eyes to get some much-needed sleep, you waited. You held your breath, straining your ears to listen to the front door open and close. Followed by the sound of the car starting and driving off. You were on your feet in an instant, leaving the bedroom and stepping into the living room. You eyed the framed photos lined up on the fireplace, but none of them triggered any memories for you. No, they all just felt as if they were planted here. As if they were… fake. Just photos of you, Natasha, and Anthony at a studio with different backgrounds and different clothes.

They could’ve been taken on the same day.

You found yourself making your way to a closet sitting next to the kitchen, only used mostly for storing cleaning supplies such as brooms and vacuums, but lingering at the top of the small cubicle was a photo album sitting on top of the shelf. After moving the necessary things to achieve your goal, you had the book in your hands within a few minutes. But flipping through the pages only caused the panic that had settled at the pit of your stomach to grow once more. No photos of your wedding. No photos of your friends. Not even any photos of your days as an Avenger. Just the same type of pictures that sat on your fireplace mantel. Different backgrounds. Different clothes. Yet the same smile in every single one.

“Hello?” You had a broom in your hand within mere seconds, aiming the point of it at whoever entered your home unannounced. You huffed when you met Dr. Woods’s eye, his hands in the air as the pole of the cleaning supply dug into his throat. “A little on edge, are we?” He laughed, though it was a nervous sound as you returned everything to the closet, including the photo album.

“Why are you here, Woods?” you questioned, turning away from him to make your way into the kitchen.

“Tony called me,” he answered. “He was pretty hysterical on the phone, I barely understood him.” He let out a long, hefty breath as you grabbed a cup from the cabinet. “Do you want to-”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” you claimed, running the faucet to fill up your glass. “I was tired. That’s all there is to know.”

“You think the Church is back.” It wasn’t a question, you knew that. And your grip on the edge of the counter only tightened as you turned the faucet off a bit too harshly. “What’d you do yesterday?” You turned around to look at him, leaning against the counter and ultimately ignoring your glass of water left in the sink. “I’m not here as your shrink, Y/N. Just consider it two friends catching up.”

You crossed your arms over your chest, your eyes staring at him as you thought about yesterday. It was a simple question, one that should hold an even simpler answer… So why were you having so much trouble giving him one? Even going as far as making something up would please the doctor. You chewed the inside of your cheek, your shoulders falling as you were forced to face the issue at hand.

“Okay,” you stated, stepping towards him. “I don’t remember.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” he questioned.

“This morning,” you answered. “I played with Tony-”

“Before that,” he interrupted.

You sighed, shrugging your shoulders carelessly as you worked your brain. “Uh…” You blew air out between your lips, sounding a bit like a motorboat before finally confessing the truth. “I remember watching the news,” you said.

“That’s good,” he expressed, nodding in approval.

“Wanda revealed herself to be the Matriarch.”

“O-kay… Not good.” He watched you carefully, resting his hands on his hips as you raised an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing is making sense, Woods,” you claimed. “Why are there no actual pictures? W-Why can’t I remember key dates like my own wedding? It’s like I was just… planted here. Like I’m… I’m living someone else’s life.”

“What do you remember before that?” he asked, and he shrugged when you met his gaze. “I’m curious.”

“Waking up in your house after the collapse.”

“Before that.”

You huffed, turning away from him and furrowing your eyebrows as you rubbed the back of your neck. Your eyes fluttered close, sucking in a deep breath and giving yourself a moment to actually think. There was the explosion, traces of purple floating through your memories as you watched Natasha’s eyes change, succumbing to the Promise once again. “Natasha stabbed me.”

“During your fight with the Church,” he claimed, nodding as you turned back to look at him. “She told me about that. Honestly, I thought you were a goner, but, damn.” He laughed lightly, causing you to raise a curious brow at him, silently questioning what he found so humorous. “You’re like a boomerang, Y/N. You keep coming back…”

“You’re like my boomerang, Y/N.” You turned your head to look at her, meeting her gaze with curiosity. Her dazzling green eyes shined brighter than any light that has ever existed, causing your stomach to twist with warmth and fuzziness. “You keep coming back to me.”

You laughed softly, leaning forward slightly as you asked, “What do you mean?”

“I tried to move on. Many times.” Her smile held a hint of sadness, and you fought the urge to reach out to her. “Maybe I’m just bad at letting you go. Maybe because, every time you leave, I lose a little piece of me.”

There was a heavy fist coming from the front door, pulling you out of her mesmerizing gaze to look up at the ceiling. You said nothing, but you felt an uncomfortable pressure against your chest as his voice seemed to echo through the house, reaching the bedroom, begging the woman laying next to you for a second chance. Yet you both ignored it as she rolled over, draping her arm gently across your shoulders as you instinctively wrapped your hand around hers.

“Y/N?” You blinked yourself out of the past, furrowing your eyebrows to see Woods snapping his fingers in front of your face. He took a respectful step back as he cleared his throat, though his gaze held interest as his eyes lingered on you. “Where’d you go?”

“I…” You huffed, replaying that moment in your head over and over again. The moment felt real, genuine. You could remember the feeling of the heat radiating from her body as if it had just happened yesterday. The kisses, the touches, the way she whispered your name in your ear breathlessly. Wanda… You’re not dead, are you? “I don’t know…”

Why was the memory so much different than the others? Why did it feel more authentic?

“I don’t need a shrink,” you claimed, pulling yourself out of your mind before you spiraled even further in front of the doctor. “I just need something to eat and some sleep.” You turned away from him, pulling open the refrigerator as you stared at the contents inside. Yet, you didn’t move to grab anything.

“I can’t help you if you won’t let me,” Woods claimed, but you didn’t look at him as you continued to stand in front of the opened fridge, chewing the inside of your cheek. You could hear him sigh, defeated. “You know my number if you decide to want my help.”

You listened to his footsteps depart, and then released your hold on the refrigerator, allowing the door to swing shut.

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Laughter could be heard throughout the house, drawing you out of your dreamless slumber. You released a soft sigh, allowing your eyes to flutter close once more. Though you knew there was no more sleep you were going to get today, you were going to allow yourself to lay in this comfort for a bit longer.

Yet the more you stayed there, the more your mind wandered. Trying to decipher the memories your brain was conjuring up, stuck in this endless loop of uncertainty. And you were half-expecting to see Wanda when you rolled over, huffing as you run your hands down your face. You could hear her voice, a distant whisper in the back of your mind. Her warm laugh echoing in your head. Her death - though so long ago - felt as if it were fresh.

Just like everything else.

It took you a moment, but you finally managed to force yourself out of bed to follow the heartwarming giggling to the kitchen. There you could find your family sitting at the kitchen table, a couple of mugs and a plate of cookies sitting in front of them. Natasha met your gaze the second you appeared at the doorway, her smile slightly fading away as she watched you with wariness. You didn’t blame her. You held a sense of caution with yourself. Especially around Anthony.

“Hey.” Your voice was soft as you entered the room, yet it earned Anthony’s attention either way. He shot you a wide smile from his seat, his legs kicking underneath the table as he showed you the same love he always does... As if your whole episode last night didn’t happen at all.

“Hi, mommy,” he said. “Mama’s letting me have Oreos for breakfast.” He chuckled happily as he reached for another cookie, and you smiled lightly as he popped the entire thing into his mouth.

“I don’t think we raised him right, Y/N,” Natasha claimed, earning a muffled giggle from Anthony. “He’s just eating the entire Oreo at once…”

“Did you just eat an entire Oreo at once like a heathen?” Her light laughter echoed in your head.

“I’ve been eating Oreos for a long time, Y/N, I would think I know how they should be eaten.” She was happy. Despite everything, you were happy. How did it ever come to an end?

“Show me how you eat it, mama,” the little boy challenged, his voice pulling you out of your head. He picked up a cookie and wiggled it at her. Natasha wasn’t really the type to turn down a challenge, whether it be against a child or not, so she didn’t hesitate to snatch it out of his tiny fingers, quickly dunking it into his milk and laughing in victory while biting half the cookie off into her mouth. Anthony’s mouth formed an O as he looked down into his cup.

“Look at all the little crumbs floating around.” Your chest tightened uneasily.

“He’s your child,” she declared with a playful grin, earning another giggle from the child as he grabbed more Oreos. “How’re you feeling, detka?”

You pursed your lips together tightly, nodding at her question as you quickly averted your gaze to Anthony, who had now resorted to taking the cookie apart so he could get to the cream in the middle. “Hey, buddy,” you expressed, making your way to the table to sit in the empty chair next to him. “How about we do something fun today? We can go to the movies. Maybe get ice cream later.”

“He’s got school,” Natasha pointed out.

“After, then,” you suggested.

“Uncle Steve is taking me to the park,” Anthony expressed, and you sighed softly as you leaned back into the chair, crossing your arms over your chest and chewing the inside of your cheek. You watched the little boy bite into the cookie, flashing you a wide, proud grin. But you could only laugh when you noticed the bits of chocolate stuck in his teeth.

“C’mon, T,” Natasha started, “it’s time to get ready.” She pulled the plate of Oreos towards her, preventing him from snatching another cookie as he hopped off the chair.

He started walking away as you rested your elbow against the table, placing your chin in your palm, but he stopped abruptly to turn around. “Can we go tomorrow?” You turned your head to look at him, smiling softly at his offer.

“Of course, sweetheart,” you promised. “Now go on. You don’t want to be late.” You straightened your form when he ran off, leaving you alone with Natasha. You could feel her eyes boring a hole in the side of your face, drawing circles with your nails on the surface of the table. You wondered how long she was willing to sit here in silence before she broke it, but you also knew the Russian was more than ready to go as long as she needed until you were the one to break first. “I’ll clean-”

“I got it.” She stood up before you could beat her to it, a sigh passing your lips as she collected the dishes on the table and walked away. “Is there a reason why you ignored my question?”

“I am feeling great,” you said, getting up and slowly making your way to her. “Refreshed. Energized.” You looped an arm around her waist, spinning her around and pulling her flush against your body. You swayed back and forth to invisible music, sending her a mischievous smirk as you added, “Since Tony’s going to be gone, we’ll have the entire house to ourselves.”

She laughed lightly, her breath fanning across your face as your lips brushed across hers. “As fun as that would be, you know I have to go to work.” You stopped swaying, blinking as you stared at her. Your eyebrows pinched together slightly, your head tilting to the side, and you allowed her to step away from you so she could finish cleaning the dishes.

“Work?” Honestly, you didn’t even think about that. You can’t really even imagine Natasha having a job that isn’t being an Avenger, or something of that extent. It was reasonable for her words to catch you off guard… if you were hearing it for the first time. And it felt like you were.

She hummed in agreement, nodding as she turned the faucet on. “The house doesn’t pay for itself, Y/N,” she pointed out, chuckling under her breath. “And we got the bills, and we need to get food, and-”

“Alright, alright. I get it,” you claimed, and she laughed once more as she turned the sink off, turning to look at you once more. “I have errands to run today anyway.”

“Are you not going to work?” You blinked at her, her question echoing in your mind as if it was the worst thing she has ever said to you in your entire life. You have a job?

And a job you did have. It wasn’t the best job considering the last job you had was saving the world from threats nobody else dared to face, but it was something that - apparently - paid the bills. No, this job just had you saving parents from having to work with a babysitter. A daycare was the last place you expected to be, but it wasn’t the worst.

All the children knew you, shouting your name with excitement when they entered the building, running up to wrap their arms around your legs in a hug as their mom or dad snuck out of the room unseen. You were loved here as if you weren’t a complete stranger to all these kids. But that’s what you felt like. These kids knew you, but you didn’t know them.

“Miss Y/N?” You turned your head to look at the little girl, crouching down to her level so you could make eye contact with her. She smiled widely, her fingers pinching the hem of her shirt as she said, “I built something and I wanna show you. Follow me!” She ran off, and a soft laugh slipped through your nose as you ultimately followed her command.

She guided you across the foam floor, standing in front of a pillow fort that towered against the corner.

“Do you like it?” She beamed brightly, turning away from you before you could answer her question to pull open the blanket door. “You can come in! But you have to tell me the password.” She stepped forward, holding her free hand around her mouth to whisper the password in your direction before she disappeared into the fort.

You cleared your throat before asking, “May I enter?”

“What’s the password?”

“I’m pretty sure you won’t be sitting underneath an impressive pillow fort if nothing happened.” You chewed the inside of your cheek, eyebrows furrowed tightly.

“You think my fort’s impressive?”

You walked away, and the little girl’s voice calling your name from behind was just a distant echo as the reminiscent feeling of all the pillows collapsing onto you overtook your body, the sound of her fading laughter filling your mind. Your vision was clouded with memories of Wanda’s smile, of her nose scrunch, of her sparkling eyes. But they were ultimately replaced with her frown, the sorrow in her eyes, a purple tint to the memories as she glanced at you sadly from the other side of the room. You could feel your chest tighten once again, suffocating your heart as you stumbled to your car.

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It was hard reading her name engraved into a stone used to mark a grave. It made all those questionable thoughts about her death disappear as it became more real, crouching down to wipe away the loose dirt that built up at the bottom of the tombstone. You couldn’t stop the tear from crawling down your cheek, but you managed to run your arm across your face to prevent it from getting much further.

“I’m not sure when the last time I visited you was,” you confessed, pursing your lips into a thin line as your hands lingered on the headstone, “but I bet you’re still watching me from wherever you are. You’re always keeping an eye on me.” You sucked in a shaky breath, running a hand across the engravement. “And I bet you’re just absolutely floored to see where I am right now.” You laughed, though the sound was humorless as you looked down at the grass. “I married Nat. And we have a kid now.” A soft smile tugged the corners of your lips. “I know what you’d say. You’d probably call me all different types of names in Sokovian.” Tears fell from your eyes as your nose burned, and the next thing you said came out uneven, “But I forgave you, huh, so why not forgive…”

The feeling of realization hit you so fast, it brought a nauseating twist to your gut as you looked up at her name once more. Your eyebrows pinched together, and the tears that poured from your eyes turned hot with anger as your jaw locked dangerously tight. You climbed to your feet, your hands balled into fists, and fury formed a tight knot in your chest as you turned to walk away once more.

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“We’re home!” Her voice nearly echoed through the dark house, followed by the door closing shut behind them. It was always an instinct to flicker the light on whenever entering a room, and that’s what she did. She turned on the light and instantly found you sitting on the couch, a cup of amber liquid dangling from the tips of your fingers. Her face contorted into confusion as she sent Anthony to get ready for bed before making her way to you in slow, calculated movements. “Y/N?” She stopped at the doorway of the living room, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I figured it out,” you expressed, your voice monotone as you snorted out a humorless chuckle. You shook your head, lifting the glass in the air as you continued to stare at the blank TV. “It’s all coming together quite nicely now.”

“What are you talking about?” She took a few more steps toward you. “Are you drunk?”

“Not drunk enough,” you countered, turning your head to look at her. You made eye contact as you took another sip of your drink, and she released a heft breath as she sat down on the other end of the couch.

“Y/N…” She cleared her throat. “Maybe you should get some rest.”

“What did you do that made me forgive you so fast?” you questioned, your tongue flicking out to lick your lips as you awaited an answer. She could only seem to stare at you with an unchanged expression.

“I don’t know what you’re-”

“That’s the thing, Nat,” you interrupted, leaning forward to place your drink on the coffee table. “I didn’t forgive you.”

She scoffed, shaking her head. “Of course you did,” she argued. “We wouldn’t be married if you didn’t.”

“We’re not married.”

“Our certificate says otherwise.”

“So show me,” you challenged, raising an eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“Show me the certificate, Nat.” But she just sat there, unmoving. As if your demand wasn’t to be taken seriously. You could feel your heart speed up the longer she didn’t say anything. “You can’t, can you?”

“I shouldn’t have to,” she claimed defensively.

“It’s too bad Bruce is dead,” you expressed with a casual shrug. “You would’ve married him instead.”

“What has gotten into you?” she demanded, standing up. “It’s been over a year since I-”

“No, it wasn’t!” Your voice was loud, you couldn’t control it. The anger unraveled in your chest, bringing you to your feet as your eyes grew red with unshed tears. You couldn’t bare to look at her, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to turn away. Her pupils were wide, wrapping her arms around you as she maintained eye contact. “It wasn’t to me,” you sneered.

“Y/N-”

“It hasn’t been a year since you broke my heart. It hasn’t been a year since you destroyed my trust. It’s been a month since you ruined my life!”

“You need to calm down right now.” Her tone was serious, a warning just as it had been last night. You refused to cower away from this. No, you had to get to the truth. You had to know why you couldn’t remember anything that led up to this life. Though you knew you shouldn’t. It was a happy life. You had a family; a kid and a wife. You had taken that next step with Natasha, the step you had always wanted to take long before. But not like this. Not anymore.

“I stopped wanting to marry you the second I caught you in that bed with him,” you said. “That was the day I realized that we had very different meanings of love.” You rubbed your forehead as your eyes fluttered close, smirking. “When I said I loved you, I meant forever. When you said you loved me, you meant temporarily.”

“I do love you,” she expressed defensively. “I loved you then and I love you now, Y/N.”

You shook your head, opening your eyes to look at her once more. “Our love is broken, Nat. And we need to stop pretending it isn’t.”

“We can fix it.” She stepped forward, ignoring the anger still boiling in your veins as she reached up to bring your face between her hands. Her touch was gentle, warm, and you had to fight everything in your body to stop yourself from leaning into it. “Y/N, detka… We can fix it.” Her voice was much softer now, and her eyes… Her eyes were shimmering with hope, sparkling like you were looking at the night sky. She had a light smile on her face, and her thumbs were running smooth circles against your skin. You could feel yourself giving in, your hands twitching as you resisted the urge to feel her. But your shoulders fell, your muscles easing out of their tense state as you slowly succumbed to her touch.

“Please fix it,” you whispered, feeling her swipe her thumb quickly to catch a stray tear.

“I will.” She nodded, her small smile growing very slightly as you stepped forward to close the distance, wrapping your arms around her to bring her into a tight hug. You rested your chin on her shoulder, your eyes closing as she pulled you flushed against her. “I promise.”

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“I’m glad you called me.” You placed a steaming cup in front of him, smiling as he accepted the offering. You watched as he blew on the liquid for a moment before taking a timid sip. “Actually, I’m more shocked than anything.” Woods laughed lightly as he looked back up at you, meeting your gaze.

You nodded, crossing your arms over your chest. “I want to talk,” you said. “Something hasn’t been sitting right with me and I was hoping you’d fill in the blanks.”

“Well, I’ll do my best to ease the uneasiness.” He laughed softly once more, and you pursed your lips and raised your eyebrows briefly before turning away from him to sit down. “What’s been on your mind?”

“Everything that happened between now and Avengers Day is just… blank. But I keep getting overwhelmed by all these memories,” you started, rubbing your hands together. “Some are just normal. Others have, like, this… sickly purple tint to them.” You picked your head up to meet his eye once again, catching him in deep thought as he listened. “I just want to understand why.”

“Do you still believe the Church is alive?” You stared at him for a bit longer, wondering if he was trying to lead you into a trap. Natasha had practically looked at you as if you were absolutely insane for suggesting the Church was still around. Was he trying to do the same? “Because, if you do, that could lead to the delusion that you’re seeing purple in your memories.” He cleared his throat, picking his hand up as he added, “It’s like someone thinking they’re being followed. Allowing yourself to strongly believe such a thing is causing you to become paranoid.”

“When Steve succumbed to the Church, they went to the Avengers Tower. How much of a coincidence could it have been that the only survivors of that entire battle were Vision and Bruce?” Two people you most definitely didn’t want to deal with amongst everything else at the time.

“Well, I wasn’t there, so I wouldn’t really be able to calculate that math,” he confessed, though the smile he was fighting to hide showed he was joking.

“And Wanda…” You remembered pulling open that front door; the way he was kissing her, and the way she was kissing back. The feelings you experienced at the time. “She kissed Vision when I thought that we… But she wouldn’t ever do anything like that to me, right?”

“But she did,” he claimed, furrowing his eyebrows, tilting his head slightly.

“I got Nat, I got Tony. I…” You huffed. “I love them. They are my… my family.” Despite the doubts that were placed in your brain, Natasha was the one you wanted… right? “And I want to enjoy this time I have with them. I want to… live this life like I always wanted.”

“What are you getting at, Y/N?”

“It’s like my-my brain is fighting something and I...”

“Y/N-”

“Maybe I never beat the Church. Maybe… I never got out of the Promise.”

He sighed, scratching his chin.

“I think I’m still in it, Woods,” you explained, leaning forward, “and I need you to help me believe I’m not.”

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She was lost in thought, her eyes distant as she chewed the inside of her cheek. She wasn’t focused on the conversation going on around her, racking her brain for a solution to the problem at hand. But nothing she could think of provided the answer she wanted. They all only led to unwelcoming conclusions.

“Nat.” She was pulled out of her daze by the gentle call of her name, focusing her gaze on the patriot sitting across from her. “You okay?” His stare was soft, sympathetic, with his arms crossed over his chest in a casual manner. He was in no rush at the moment, taking the time now to relax before getting to work. “She’s going to be okay. We’ll figure this out, we always do.”

“I suggest locking her up in a cell and throwing away the key.” She looked towards Tony, who was sitting against the wall, coddling his left arm. Her pupils were narrowed with annoyance, but he was never one to cower away from her glares. “She’s the reason for-”

“Stark is right.” The Russian huffed, her eyes snapping on Bruce. “She should be punished for what she did.”

Natasha scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest in a much more defensive way than Steve. “We all did things we’re not proud of.”

“She’s done a lot worse, Nat,” Bruce expressed, his voice filled with a worry that only irritated her more.

“We didn’t blow up the tower,” Stark countered.

“Once she snaps out of it-”

“If,” Tony corrected, but the scientist continued as if he didn’t.

“-then we have to prepare ourselves for whatever happens afterward.”

Natasha turned to Steve, who had been staring at her with calculating eyes the entire time. “You’re not going to arrest her,” she stated. It wasn’t a question, he knew that, but he wasn’t going to delve into a problem that was set in the future. He needed to return the focus to the now.

“We’ll talk about that after,” Steve assured, bringing sadness to Natasha as she looked down at her hands. “For now, we have to figure out a way to help her. She’s the only one who can fix this problem.”

“She’s not the only one who can fix it,” Tony announced, causing the patriot to roll his eyes.

“We don’t need any more deaths, Tony,” Steve declared. “Wanda thinks she died in the fall, but if we manage to pull her out-”

Natasha picked her head up to look at you once more, and it made her sick to her stomach to see you tied to that chair. But she was nearly certain you weren’t aware of your surroundings at the moment. With your posture straight, your stare unblinking, and the purple aura surrounding your body, you were lost in a paradise formed by your own mind.

“-we can save everybody.”

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torukmaktoskxawng · 4 months

Note

Hi!

In Ch 16 of the Ronal Tonowari Makayla story (I forgot the name) you mentioned them giving her a top... am I able to ask what it looks like? if there's any images?

Have a good day!!

An excerpt from the chapter:

It was... well, more conservative than Kayla had expected upon being given a Na'vi-styled top. The pieces meant to hang around the chest area are tightly woven together without a hole in sight, covering as much as possible. The beads were of a variety of blues and greens, and the pattern swirled fittingly like water. Kayla tilted her head as she eyed the pattern, a faint memory forming in the back of her head as it reminded her of that one Starry Night painting she once saw in a museum as a child. Woven grass was braided through the beads and up into a large hoop at the top of the piece, meant to wrap around her neck, with soft, feather-like straps dangling from the sides of the top, meant to hang off her shoulders.

I tried to put that description into Bing, and these were my results. Keep in mind that the inspiration was the Starry Night painting by Vincent Van Gogh:

(Below) These two are the closest to what I envisioned, but the one on the left I think is the winner!

#tsamsiyu ta'em fic #ask anla #na'vi oc #atwow fic #atwow fics #atwow fanfic #atwow fanfiction

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jerzwriter · 1 year

Text

The Missing Piece

Book: Open Heart (Post Series)

Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC), The Carrick Girls

Rating: Teen

Category: Domestic Fluff

Summary: Casey's heading out for a night with friends, and Tobias is on Dad duty. The night goes well overall, but it's not complete until Casey returns home.

Words: 2,000

A/N: So this ask is now over three months old, and I'm so, so sorry for the delay! But I hope that you will find it was worth the wait! This was just SO much fun to write! I hope it brings a smile or two! Participating in @choicesmonthlychallenge All the Fluff and, if I'm not too late, @openheartappreciationweek - The Future.

When they first got married, they made themselves a promise. Time together as a couple would still be a priority, but time alone was something they’d make time for, too. Before Samantha was born, their goal was one date night a week and one night to themselves. They joked that it could be dangerous, reminders of a less chaotic life may not be the best idea, but they often found it hard to tear themselves away.

Flash forward to the present: three girls, seven, five, and one. With them, and two busy careers, they laughed when they realized how naïve that earlier schedule had been. Still, they made sure to have a date night once a week… a happy marriage was one of the greatest gifts they could give their daughters, and it was a priority. But the nights alone, they often fell by the wayside. But when Tobias learned Sienna, Aurora, and Jackie would all be in DC for the Women in Medicine conference, he insisted Casey make plans to go out. She needed the grown-up time, and he looked forward to some time with his girls. The night had finally arrived.

Casey sat before a mirror in her bedroom, holding earrings up, unable to decide which pair worked best. When Tobias sauntered into the room, he took one look at his wife, and he began reconsidering their evening. Her hair was pulled into an elegant chignon, and her make-up was done to perfection. And she was wearing that dress…. the little black velvet wrap number he loved so much… and not only because it was so easy to get off. As he approached, he let out a low whistle, reminding himself again that he was the luckiest of men.

“Looking good, baby,” he cooed as his arms wrapped around her waist. Casey giggled like a schoolgirl as he nuzzled into her, peppering kisses along her neck.

“Tobias! Stop,” she laughed as he finally relented.

“What, ticklish?”

“That… and if you keep it up, I won’t leave. It’s been such a long week. I’m looking forward to seeing my friends, but I’d rather just be home with you.”

“Case… you haven’t been out for a night alone in months now. It’s important; besides, you don’t see them often.”

“I know, and I am going. I’ll just… miss you… and the girls.”

“Well, of course, you will!” He smirked, playfully flexing in front of her. “Who wouldn’t miss this? But in all seriousness, we’ll be here when you get back. Just make sure you come back. Looking like that… you may get a better offer.”

“As if,” she smiled, slipping on her rhinestone cluster earrings. She was all set now, and it was time to go.

After an extended goodbye in the foyer, Tobias nudged his wife out the door. He threatened to get Jackie involved if she didn’t leave already. Then, when she was out the door, he turned around with Kayla on his hip to find his other daughters glaring at him. Kayla’s arms wrapped around his neck, happily sucking on her pacifier; she hadn’t a care in the world. But Samantha and Brooke had their arms crossed in front of them… they were looking to be entertained.

“Yes?” he droned sarcastically. “Mom’s not out the door a full five seconds, and you’re already giving me those looks?”

“We just want to know what we’re going to do tonight, Daddy,” Brooke all but sang.

“Yeah. Mommy and Grammie always have something for us to do,” Samantha chided.

“Oh, really, little lady,” he jabbed back, “and what about your nights home with Daddy? Are you saying we don’t have fun?”

“No, we always have fun,” Brook insisted.

“I’m waiting for you to answer, Sammy. And remember, your Christmas gift may depend on it!”

He placed Kayla in her high chair, and once he made sure he was secure, he rushed over and tickled his eldest daughter, who dissolved into a fit of giggles.

“Daddy! Stop!” She laughed, curls thrashing around as she attempted to escape. “You’re fun too, Daddy. But Grammie says I need to keep you on your toes!”

“Ah, what do I say about Gramme?” he asked.

“Only listen to her after you’ve run it by Mom and Dad,” Brooke recited proudly.

“There we go!” Tobias laughed while opening the front hall closet. He reached up, pulled down a box, and instructed the girls to join him at the kitchen table.

“You think Dad’s no fun, but Dad’s lots of fun! On top of ice cream later, I got this.”

The older girls clapped with approval at the new Bluey puzzle Tobias tossed on the table.

“Now, you know how much Dad loves Bluey, but there is no way I can put this together without your help. You gonna help me?”

“Yes,” they both shrieked as Tobias opened the box.

“That’s a lot of pieces!” Brooke noted. “How do we even know where they go?”

“Well, it’s a good idea to find the four corner pieces first, and then we take it from there.”

Samantha nodded in agreement. “After we find those, we look for pieces with the same colors and try to fit them together.”

“It’s gonna take a long time,” Brook sighed.

“Well, do you have a date Daddy doesn’t know about tonight, sweetheart?”

“No,” Brooke laughed. “I’m too little to date, Daddy!”

“Well, thank God for that… in more ways than one…” he mumbled. “Then we have plenty of time to work on this puzzle.”

The night went smoothly, with only a few minor catastrophes as they worked…

“DADDY!” Samantha yelled. “Kayla is eating a piece of the puzzle!”

Tobias took it from her mouth, assuring the older girls that a bite mark or two would not ruin the puzzle. Crisis averted.

“Daddy, I have to do poopies,” Brooke announced.

“OK, you can use the bathroom in the hall.”

“But I need you to hold my hand!”

Samantha gave her dad a serious look. “She’s been having some difficult poops, Dad. She needs the emotionional support.”

Tobias choked back a laugh. “Oh, does she. Well, then let's go, little lady,” he said, taking Brooke’s hand. “Sammy, this means you’re in charge until we get back. Think you can handle it.”

Samantha briskly saluted her father with a smile. “I’ve got it, Dad!”

“That’s what I like to hear!”

After “emotionally supporting” Brooke, Tobias returned to the table with some veggie snacks. In no time, they only had about ten pieces left to place.

“Daddy, what do we do with the puzzle once all the pieces are together?” Brooke asked.

“We could do one of two things. Take it apart and put it back in the box, so we can do it again. Or, I can leave it on the mat and bring it to be framed.”

“Framed! Framed!” The two older girls chanted in unison. Even though Kayla couldn’t say the words yet, her happy little gurgles let Tobias know she fully supported her big sisters.

“OK, OK! The little people have spoken! Daddy will get the puzzle framed. But first, we have to finish it.”

After the cheers receded, they put the last pieces in place until….

“Uh oh…” Samantha fretted.

“Daddy?” Brooke queried anxiously. “Where is the last piece?”

“It’s gotta be here someplace,” Tobias insisted. “Did it fall on the floor?”

Kayla stretched her neck in the high chair as the other three looked under the table.

“Not here!” Brooke hollered.

“OK, let’s look on the table….” Tobias offered.

“In our chairs….”

“Kayla’s high chair?”

But they were coming up empty.

“Maybe you took it with you to the bathroom?” Samantha insisted.

“I wouldn’t take a puzzle piece to the bathroom!” Brooke grumbled.

“Not you, beautiful, but maybe Daddy did by mistake. Let me check.”

Sammy turned to Brooke once Tobias was in the hall. “I think we should take the cushions off the sofa. Maybe it’s under there.”

“Good idea!” Brooke agreed, even though they hadn’t been near the couch all night.

When Tobias reentered the room, it was minor bedlam. The two older girls upended everything in search of the missing piece as Kayla happily tossed her last bits of carrots around the room.

“Girls! What are you doing?” Tobias demanded, doing his best to keep his cool.

“Daddy! We have to find it!” Brooke’s lip quivered. “We can’t get it framed if a piece is missing!”

“Yeah,” Samantha agreed. “Especially since it’s the piece with Bluey’s eye!”

“We’ll find it. It has to be somewhere.”

In all the commotion, no one heard Casey enter the front door nor the clicking of her high heels as she walked toward the kitchen. Her brows raised when she saw the state of the room.

“Hey, everyone. What’s going on?”

“Mommy!” Brooke yelled. “We can’t find the last piece of the Bluey puzzle…it’s… it’s GONE!”

“OK,” Casey tried to reassure her daughter. “It’s OK, it has to be here someplace. We’ll find it.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” Samantha sighed. “Now I feel better.”

“You… you what?” Tobias huffed. “I just said the same thing, and you didn’t calm down.”

“Yeah,” Samantha smiled, “but Mommy sounds more confident.”

Casey looked at Tobias with a giggle. “Don’t take it personally, dear. Let me take a look around.”

“You’ll never find it!” Sammy insisted, “we’ve looked everywhere, and….”

Casey’s eldest's words halted, and everyone but Kayla looked at Casey, astonished as she held the missing piece between two well-manicured fingers.

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

“How… what… where did you find that?” Tobias blurted.

“It was right here on the counter,” Casey laughed. “What would you all do without me?”

Sammy placed her hands on her hips. “Daddy must have put it there when he got us snacks!”

“Look at you! Throwing Daddy right under that bus!” Tobias turned to Casey. “That’s it. She has to stop spending so much time with my mother.”

Casey laughed and kissed her husband’s cheek. “OK, so who gets to put the last piece in?”

“Why don’t you do it, Mommy?”

“Yeah,” Sammy agreed. “Then we can say we worked on the puzzle.”

“That sounds perfect to me,” Tobias concurred.

All three girls cheered as Casey put the last piece in place.

“Now it’s all done!” Brooke giggled.

“And we’re going to frame it, Mommy!” Sammy informed.

“Oh really? And what room are we hanging this in?”

“I think it should go in Daddy’s office,” Brooke offered.

“My office?”

“Yes, Daddy. We all know how much you love Bluey, so that’s where it should go.”

“I’m sure your patients will find that endearing,” Casey chuckled.

“You know what! I bet they will! Great idea, Brooke!”

“Mommy, did you have fun tonight?” Sammy asked.

Tobias smacked himself in the head. “God, with all the craziness, I forgot to ask you! Did you enjoy yourself?”

“I did,” Casey beamed, “but I’m still happy to be home. Why don’t we put on our pajamas, and we can watch one episode of Bluey together before you girls are off to bed?”

“Yes!” Brooke yelled, racing for the stairs. “I’m going to put on my Bluey pajamas!”

“So I am!” Sammy said, chasing after her.

Tobias fell back against the cabinets with relief the second they left the room; his laughing wife fell right into his arms.

“What the matter, baby? Are you sad that you don’t have Bluey pajamas, too?”

“Hey, I can always buy a pair,” he grinned. He placed a kiss on top of Casey’s head. “I’m so glad your home, and not just because the rugrat to grown-up ratio is more in balance now.”

“I’m glad, too. Now, let's get ourselves and Kayla into our jammies. We have some quality family cuddling time ahead.”

“Ah, my favorite time,” Tobias beamed. “Case, how did my life ever become this perfect?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” she teased. “You met me.”

“Don’t laugh, princess… you were absolutely the missing piece.”

“Mmm, I’m so glad you were better at finding me than Bluey’s eye!”

“I can’t argue with you there,” he said as they ascended the stairs. “Can’t argue with you at all.”

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wrestlersownmyheart · 2 months

Text

“Chances Are” Ch. 11 (Book 2 In the “Chances” Series) Finn Bálor X OC

Pairing: Finn Bálor X Female OC Summary: After a traumatic childhood and a murder attempt that left her with a heart condition, Miracle Seanoa wants nothing more than to find some peace and fulfillment in her life. Working as a writer for WWE, she's shocked when Stephanie McMahon takes a gamble on her skills and assigns her to a new RAW roster member. None other than Finn Bálor—the man who'd long ago saved her life and captured her heart.

Finn Bálor left his career as a police officer behind in order to chase his true dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Working incredibly hard within NXT, he soon finds himself drafted to Monday Night RAW. He's shocked to see Miracle again, but even more shocked is he to see what a stunning woman she's become.

However, someone else has had his eye on Miracle for a long while. With his infatuation turning to a deep, dark obsession, he's not going to give up on her easily. Finn will have to resort to his past skills as a cop, to protect the woman he loves.

Because if her weakening heart doesn't kill her, her stalker just might... Disclaimers: I own nothing or anyone associated or affiliated with WWE. I own only the original characters. This is just a fictional story that came from my imagination.Chapter Content & Trigger Warnings: Stalkery behavior

Chapter 11

Brooklyn, New York

Barclay's Center

Gerald Collins stalked through the hallways of Barclay's Center, in search of Miracle. He'd already been by the cluster of writers' offices, but with no luck. Finally, he went to the other correspondents and asked them of Miracle's whereabouts.

Their answer didn't make him happy.

In the least.

"Miracle is taking some time off," Renee told him.

"Rumor has it that she might not come back either," Kayla Braxton added. "And I hate it too. She was so good at her job and easy to work with. Fun to be around."

"Why wouldn't she come back," Gerald asked, his temper igniting.

"Well, I heard that there is some sort of love triangle between her and Finn and Becky Lynch," Kayla said.

"Kayla," Renee scolded. "Quit spreading the rumors. That's how they get out of hand!"

"Sorry, it's just what I've heard," Kayla said, a slight flush creeping up her face. "Like I said, they're just rumors, Gerald. There may not be any truth to them."

He nodded dejectedly. "I see. Thanks for the info. I'll see you ladies around."

He walked away, seething. Why wouldn't she have told me about leaving? About taking time off?

He stalked down the winding hallways till he came to Finn's dressing room. He knocked.

There was no answer, so he turned and headed for catering, the only other place he could think of to check.

Once he reached catering he pushed past the swinging double doors and entered the makeshift cafeteria. He quickly spotted Finn sitting across the room with AJ Styles and Seth Rollins. He instantly marched over and jerked Finn around by the shoulder.

Immediately on his guard, Finn surged to his feet and got into a fighting stance. "What's your problem," he asked, his voice rising. His stance relaxed a bit when he saw that it was only Gerald.

"Why'd you go and run Miracle off," Gerald demanded. "She was happy here."

"Whatever happened between me and Miracle is none of your business," Finn started calmly. "She's not your girlfriend, lad."

"She's not yours either," Gerald retorted. "Otherwise she'd be here with you."

"She will be with me," Finn remarked. "Mark my words. If she wanted you, she'd have been with you long before now. If she wasn't interested in me, she wouldn't let me kiss her, that's for sure."

With a growl, Gerald lunged at Finn and tackled him to the floor, landing a punch. But that was as far as he got. Finn threw a punch at his face and landed it right on his nose. Blood began gushing from both nostrils.

"You son of a-" Gerald moved to attack Finn again but was stopped by Stephanie McMahon's authoritative voice ringing out, "Whoa! Gerald, my office. Now."

With that, Gerald reluctantly stood to his feet and followed Stephanie out of catering, pinching his nose with his fingers.

"What was d'at all about," Finn asked, sitting up on the floor. He stood to his feet and took his seat next to AJ and Seth who were too stunned to move at that moment.

"I knew I didn't like that guy for a reason," Finn said, looking over at his friends. "He's a bit too possessive of Miracle where he doesn't have the right to be."

"I've noticed that for the past couple of years," Seth agreed. "When she first started working here and gave him some of her meds to have on hand, he was possessive of her ever since."

"Well, it's going to stop now," Finn said. "Because I can also be pretty possessive of what's mine."

"She's not yours, yet, brother," AJ replied.

"Oh, yes she is," Finn retorted. "She just doesn't know it yet."

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

"Bye, Daddy. Bye, Mom. I love you guys. Tell Nathan goodbye for me." After her parents said goodbye over the phone, Miracle hung up and slid her cell phone into the back pocket of her jeans.

She made a quick scan of her apartment to make sure all lights and electricity were off. Feeling a twinge of sadness, she turned to head for the door when there was a loud knock.

Groaning and feeling sure it was Finn stopping by to make one last ditch effort to change her mind about leaving, she finished her trek to the door and answered it.

A delivery man stood on the threshold and offered her a bouquet of scarlet-colored roses.

"Ms. Seanoa?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Flowers for you." He handed them over and then turned around and left.

"Oh, Finn," she thought out loud, closing the door and taking the flowers to the kitchen. She giggled. "You're gonna go broke, buying me flowers at this rate." She laid the bouquet on the island and began looking for another vase for the second round of flowers.

But then she noticed the note tucked into the roses.

Curious as to what FInn had said to her, she pulled the card out. She quickly scanned the single line of text, and gasped.

I told you I'd be back for you.

Her hands shaking, she dropped the note on the island beside the roses. Her breath shuddered in and out of her chest. The roses aren't from Finn, her mind finally computed. They're from him. He's coming for me. I have to get out of here. He knows where I live.

It occurred to her then that she could possibly find out who the culprit was. She dug her cell phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed the flower shop's number on the back of the card. It rang a couple times before someone answered the phone.

"Orlando Flower Delivery. How can I help you?"

"Yes, I had a bouquet of roses delivered to me a few minutes ago and wanted to find out who sent them to me."

"Is the order number on the envelope?"

"Yes. It's MS53049."

"One moment."

Miracle waited as the worker checked the order.

"Oh, yes, I took this order. He paid extra to remain anonymous and to have the delivery made today. Paid with cash. Didn't leave a name or anything."

"I see. Can you describe him?"

"Not really. He was average height and wore a baseball cap over his hair. He just looked like some generic guy."

"Thank you," Miracle said softly, disappointed that she'd learned nothing. "Goodbye."

She hung up the phone and then scrambled for her suitcase at the door. She grabbed it by the handle and rolled it out of her apartment. Quickly, she locked the door and checked it to make sure it wouldn't budge. Then she was heading out to her car and loading the last of the luggage.

Seconds later, she was in the driver's seat and driving toward the highway that would lead her to her Uncle Jeff's cabin.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

"Where do you think she went," Finn asked, dying to know where he could find Miracle.

"No idea," AJ said. "Probably some random place."

"Maybe she's hiding in plain sight," Seth suggested. "Maybe the whole time she's been planning to stay at her apartment."

"I doubt it," Finn sighed. "But I will check and see as soon as I get the chance." He puffed out a sigh again. "I get that it's my fault she left but I just don't know how I'll function without knowing where she is."

"We all have that problem," AJ told him. "I imagine it's the worst for Joe and Ella.

Seth and Finn nodded their agreement.

"I just don't like her being out on her own by herself and that weasel, Gerald running around asking questions about her. What if he's the one that attacked Miracle?" Finn asked suddenly. "What if he finds her before one of us can?"

"Don't panic," AJ said softly. "She's not advertising where she went, so he won't find her, I'm sure." Although his tone indicated that he was now worried as well.

"I've got to find 'er and warn her," Finn said, slamming his fist on the table before them. "It wasn't safe for her to run off like this."

"Well if you find her let Joe and Ella know where she is. They deserve to know before anyone else," AJ replied, taking a sip of his water. "I didn't like this going off on her own either. Not one bit."

"I'm calling her," Finn said, standing up and pulling out his cellphone. "I need to hear her voice." WIth that he dialed her number and then headed out to the hallway to have a bit of privacy.

"Hi, this is Miracle. Leave your message at the beep."

"Miracle, it's Finn. Listen, I really need you to tell me where you are. Gerald is asking about you, and pretty aggressively at that. Don't let him know where you are, love. I have this…" He swallowed hard. "I have this bad feeling that he may have been the one to attack you. Call me as soon as you get this, okay? I love you, Miracle. Bye."

He hung up feeling even more hopeless than before he called her.

}i{}i{}i{}i{}i{

Meanwhile in Tennessee…

Miracle stopped her car in the large circular drive way of the Jarrett's mansion and killed it. She'd decided to stop for a visit with her aunt and uncle before she went to the cabin.

Hurrying from the car, she went to the front door and knocked.

The door opened and Jeff immediately pulled her into his arms, "Hi, darlin'. So great to see you!"

"Hi, Uncle Jeff! It's great to see you too," Miracle returned, hugging him close. "How are y'all doing?"

"Doing wonderful," Jeff said, his blue eyes lighting up. "Couldn't be better."

"I'm glad."

"Well, let's get you inside. Stay for dinner? Kayla and Jennifer will be here in a bit. I know they'd love to see you."

"I'd love to stay," Miracle answered. "It'd be great to see them as well." She paused for a moment and spoke softly. "Thank you again for letting me use the cabin, I really appreciate it. I got a spooky bouquet of flowers right before I left, so I'm glad to have somewhere to go and hide."

Jeff led her inside and closed and locked the front door. "What do you mean, spooky flowers," he asked. He showed her into the living room and they sat down on the sofa together.

"Well, the attack I had? The guy told me he'd be back for me. Well, the note in these roses I got said "I said I'd come back for you." She pulled the note out of her purse. "I actually have it right here."

Jeff scanned the note and almost paled. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have not at least told your parents where you are?"

"I've considered telling just them," she replied. "But no one else."

"Baby, you need to," he said. "It's really not safe to not let anyone know."

"You're right. I'll call Daddy tonight and let him know."

At that moment, Kayla and Jennifer walked in from outside. "Hi, Daddy! Hi, Mom!" They called out. And then their eyes fell on Miracle and they nearly squealed.

"Miracle! It's so awesome to see you!" Kayla hurried over to Miracle and leaned down giving her a hug. "It's been so long!"

Jennifer leaned down and gave Miracle a hug of her own. "Can't believe how long," she added. "How old are you now?"

"I'm 20 soon to be 21. What about y'all?" Miracle asked.

"28," Jennifer replied, while Kayla answered with "32."

"How is Ella and Uncle Joe doing," Jennifer asked. "Uncle AJ?"

"AJ isn't really our uncle you know," Kayla said with a gentle swat at her sister.

"Neither is Joe but we still call him Uncle Joe. It's because you've had a crush on AJ since forever, isn't it?"

"Oh, hush," Kayla said with a roll of her eyes. "And so what? He's a good looking guy," she chuckled.

"Dinner everyone," came Nina's voice from the kitchen. She walked into the living room and saw Miracle. "Oh, my goodness! I didn't hear you come in! Oh sweetheart, it's wonderful to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too," MIracle said, rising from the sofa to greet her aunt.

"How are you doing," Nina asked, returning Miracle's hug.

"I"m doing pretty good," Miracle reported.

"What happened to your finger, and your head," Nina asked, gently touching her hand and forehead.

"Well, I'm sure that Uncle Jeff told you about the attack I had a few days ago. These are just a couple of my injuries is all."

"That's all," Nina parroted with a horrified look on her face. "Who would want to hurt you in the first place? Are you okay now?"

Miracle nodded, "Yes, I'm okay now. Just a little banged up."

Sensing the young woman didn't wish to talk anymore about it, she led Miracle to the dining room, "Well come on. Let's get some food in you. You're much too thin."

"Oh, Mom cut it out. You think all of us women are too thin," Jennifer quipped.

"Well excuse me for not wanting my girls to deprive themselves."

"Oh Mom," the women groaned in unison. Miracle burst out laughing.

This is what I needed, she thought, feeling at home. Some time to relax and recharge.

Later that evening, she drove down the road to the cabin and got herself settled in. Then she turned her phone on and put a call through to her father.

"Daddy," She greeted when he answered. "I decided to let you know where I'm staying, but please don't tell anyone. Especially Finn, okay?"

"Okay, baby," Joe agreed over the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm staying at Uncle Jeff's cabin. You know the one out in the woods?"

"Well, I have to say that I'm relieved you're close to a relative at least. Be safe, okay?"

"I will, Daddy. I love you."

"Love you too. I've got to get warmed up now. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye."

MIracle hung up and then checked her voice mail. She had only one.

It was from Finn.

"Miracle, it's Finn. Listen, I really need you to tell me where you are. Gerald is asking about you, and pretty aggressively at that. Don't let him know where you are, love. I have this… I have this bad feeling that he may have been the one to attack you. Call me as soon as you get this, okay? I love you, Miracle. Bye."

"Gerald," she thought out loud. "Could he have been the one?"

She decided to hold off on calling Finn. At least for now. She needed some rest.

Little did she know that almost a thousand miles away, someone was watching Joe put his phone away, a triumphant smirk on his face.

Bingo, he thought. Her uncle's place.

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