#cos my friend once said this to me i said HUH MA'AM

[simminginstars]

no tears left to cry...literally

[libraford]

We interrupt the feral celebration of ousting an oligarch to bring you a story about Yeehaw and his Branch of Mystery.

  It has been a while since we last had some co-worker drama, but man- has it been a weird summer. I mean... we all had a weird summer in 2020, but I don't think I was really expecting this particular... flavor of weird?

 This is a story about Yeehaw, but it starts off with a story about Aggie.

 Aggie was someone we were excited to hire and part of our excitement was that it's rare to find someone with prior floral experience and we'd concluded at this point that it does no one any good to be picky about new hires in the middle of a pandemic. So finding someone who knew the difference between a carnation and a rose was a big deal for us.

 I say that in jest, but saying that we do 'on-the-job training' means that we've had to explain that yes- the flower in my hand that looks like a carnation is a carnation and not some other flower that looks like carnation but is not a carnation. Floristry is a very straightforward practice and for the most part a rose is a rose and a daisy is a daisy and if someone asks for those things, you give it to them.

 The hard part is, as always, making them look good together.

 Which is why we were pleased with Aggie- who previously did weddings for her friends and seemed to have a basic understanding of how to do things with her hands. We were happy to have her aboard.

 ... until you gave her criticism.

 She made her vases embarrassingly short, and if you tried to tell her how to fix it, she'd snap back with "I'm not DONE yet."

 She was done until you said something.

 If you gave her an order for two dozen white roses, she would take it upon herself to mix white and yellow roses together 'because it looks better.'

 It did not.

 Hashtag: #selftaught

 When a client asks for all white roses, there is likely a reason they asked for all white. Given that 90% of our work is funerals, it stands to reason that they are asking for all white because that is a traditional color for mourning. Working with a client means doing exactly what they asked for. Doing a wedding for your friends may get you high praise from people who trust you to work in the same aesthetic as them, but in a shop setting you are being paid to follow things to the letter. Doing so shows that you can follow directions, and they may come back next time.

 You don't know customer entitlement until you've been torn another asshole for leaving out a single rose.

 This seemed to never occur to her, and so criticism was a painful realization that perhaps she wasn't perfect at an art that was exceptionally susceptible to criticism. There were plenty of opportunities to make something in her own aesthetic, it wasn't like she was being stifled. There was a considerable amount of downtime where she filled the front cooler with her own creations- enigmatically giving each of them their own names like "Autumn Walk" or "First Snowfall." (This is not something that we do, on the whole.)

 Not very many of those sold.

 But I think what bugged me the most is that she only ever designed. She didn't take out the trash, she didn't answer phones, she never helped customers. She just... did flowers. Nothing else.

 Oh... and the chatter.

 "Do you travel? Oh, you simply MUST go to Bali sometime! You've never been to Asia? Well, there's nothing like achieving inner peace at a Buddhist temple on a mountaintop in Nepal. They have temples here in Ohio, but it's nothing like the real thing! You say you've never even been off the continent? Well, what are you waiting for? You only live once, you know!"

 Ma'am... we're in the middle of a pandemic. Ma'am... I only get paid so much...

 While trying to relate, I talked about my summer in Montana and she gave me the BIGGEST stank-face. "Montana? Ew, WHY?"

 Look, lady- I lived on a mountaintop next to an active, world-destroying volcano system. If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

 But thankfully, she only worked on weekends. See, this was her fun job. The job she does to stay social during a pandemic and flex her creative muscles while she makes money at her much more lucrative,but boring,HR job. So I only had to see her twice a month when I was manager on duty.

 Then she got fired from her weekday job and went full-time at the flower shop. Poor thing wasn't used to waking up at 7am every day. She was full of suggestions.

 "I think it would be easier for me if we only opened at like... 11am."

"Don't you think we should be taking proper photos of our work? All we would need is a nice camera and a soft lighting setup. Couldn't be much more than $1000."

"Oh I know! We should be doing inventory on tablets instead of writing things down!"

 Okay, you go buy those things then. It took her about a week of making those suggestions to realize that she wasn't real clear on how things worked around here and stopped. She became quiet, less enthusiastic about her 'fun' job now that she wasn't immediately the star of the show.

 Enter Yeehaw.

 We were excited about Yeehaw, too. He didn't just have experience with flowers- he had experience with a flower shop. He gave a good interview, he seemed like he knew what he was doing and was very passionate about flowers. He was definitely an entire hippie, but about 1/3 of all plant people are. Most importantly, we still had like three spots to fill left from our pre-Covid staff.

 Hired.

 There was an overlap of about a week where Aggie and Yeehaw worked at the same time. His work was... immaculate. Just... astonishingly beautiful work. You didn't even have to show him how to make anything. He just... knew.

 Well, Aggie didn't  like that much- we had only nice things to say about this new guy but all she ever got was criticism. And if we complimented him on something he made, he would give a little 'namaste' bow. And I could see her fuming with rage each time he did this.

 One day, she rushed into the back to take a phone call and any time someone went back there for a vase she would lower her voice as if keeping a deep secret. Twenty minutes later, she called Grandpa into the back as well to discuss something. Ten minutes later, Aggie left the building with her Live, Laugh, Love bag, looking pissed.

 "Where did Aggie go," I asked Grandpa.

 "She got a new job," she said. "Doing HR somewhere."

 "She didn't even say good-bye," Blue said, appearing unsurprised.

 And so we went on with out lives without really putting much further thought into Aggie, apart from the occasional 'you simply MUST visit Bali' line thrown in for bougie emphasis.

 Which brings us to the next part of the story, and that is Yeehaw.

 There are some details to know about Yeehaw that are kind of difficult to fit into a story neatly. Here is a brief list that may come in handy to know later.

-He lives with his mother.

-He drives a Tesla.

-He can afford the Tesla because he was in a terrible wreck that had him hospitalized, and a lawsuit was won.

-Because of this, he has two screws in his head at the temples.

-Unrelated, he has hair that goes all the way down to his back.

- And...

 "Grandpa, we need to tell you something," Blue said. "In private."

 Blue and Kali pulled Grandpa aside while Yeehaw slowly put together a funeral order. "Grandpa, there's no polite way to put this: Yeehaw is drunk as fuck."

 "He smells like whiskey," Kali said.

 "He's stumbling everywhere."

 "And he won't stop... burping."

 Grandpa paused. "There's something I need to tell you," she said, and she reached for a manila folder. "Yeehaw has something called... what's it called..." She leafed through the file and produced a paper, reading from it. "Auto-brewery Syndrome. His body actually produces alcohol anytime he eats bread or sugar. If he's drunk, it's because he can't help it."

 We each had a chance to go over the doctor's note, verifying that yes- that sure does look official. Everyone had questions, but it did answer the one I had about why he was sitting in the break room literally drinking peanut butter from the jar.

 So that was incredibly interesting and we no longer asked about the burping or why he was so slow.  

 However, the fact that he was so slow was extremely frustrating. Our average number of orders runs approximately 100 per-day. This can be eased somewhat when we have a full-staff with five designers- an average of 20 designs per person in an 8-hour day, 3 per hour.

 But it's a fine line some days, and if one person cannot keep up it turns into a struggle for all of us.  

 We did our best to accommodate. We gave him all the day-ahead orders so that we wouldn't be behind and he'd have all the time he'd need to make his gorgeous pieces.

 We were willing to make it work.

 A number of factors came into play one day, but most notably: Yeehaw's Tesla wouldn't start and he had to take the bus. So he was late.

 I think I saw him make one entire item in the two hours that we were in the same room. He went to lunch around 12:30, I took mine around 1:00. I saw him stumble back in from lunch, looking... out of it. Just... absolutely incomprehensible- mumbling, barely upright, his hair out of the bun, quite possibly sleepwalking- who knows?

 I saw him for that brief Sasquatch moment... and that was the last that I saw him that day. It was around 4:00 that  Grandpa asked the question:

 "Where's Yeehaw?"

 And no one had an answer. We all had places that we thought we'd seen him: cleaning the cooler, in the break room, heading to the bathroom... but no one had really... seen him since he stumbled back in around 1:30.

 We checked all these places.

 None of them.

 The person who actually managed to find him was Sarge, who noticed his feet sticking out from behind the bushes behind the building.

 "Huh," he said, presumably. He gave the feet a light kick and Yeehaw slowly sat back up. "Hey dude. You... okay, there? They're lookin' for you inside."

 Yeehaw mumbled something to Sarge and got to his feet, stumbling back into the shop without further interaction. He appeared into the workspace, holding a branch in front of his face for mysterious reasons. There were still twigs entangled in his long hair.

 "Where were you at," Grandpa asked, concerned.

 "Oh, I was in the bathroom," he lied from behind the branch of mystery. "I'm pretty tired. Is it okay if I go home?"

 Bewildered, Grandpa gave him permission to leave. It was soon after he left that Scout found his phone in the empty sink. "Who's trying to wash their phone," he asked in the loud manner that is characteristic of old white men. It rang while in his hand and one of our designers snatched it from him. It was his mother.

 "Hello," said the designer. "Yeehaw went home early, but he left his phone behind. Can you bring it home to him?" Mom agreed, she was just over at Trader Joe's anyhow.

 We thought, of course, that we were doing something smart and nice. Yeehaw's mom looks just about what you would expect the mother of a 30-year-old hippie that drives a Tesla to look. Grandpa, in a polite way, explained that he'd fallen asleep in a bush. To which Mom seemed neither surprised nor concerned about his behavior.

 "Okay. I'll be at Hallmark."

 Somewhere between the bus stop and Bexley, Yeehaw must have realized that his phone was not with him and so he came back looking for it. Despite his mother being literally in the same strip mall as we were, he seemed irritated that we'd taken the initiative to make sure his phone got to him.

 "Well, I bet if you just went down to Hallmark she'd give you your phone and probably give you a ride home."

 He mumbled something and then left.

 This seems like a decent place to pause, because him leaving the second time in the day should be the end of the story. However... at 5:00 in the evening there was still two hours left in the work day and from past experience... that is plenty of time for a lot of things to happen.

 The thing to happen was a phone call.

 "Hi, this is Jade from the main store. We've gotten... some... interesting phone calls. Is there... a... hmm... is there a dead body out in front of your store?"

 Pause.

 "We'll take care of it, bye."

 Who wants to be the one to poke the cadaver on the sidewalk? A volunteer from the audience! Ms Crowe: won't you come down?!

 I have had it planted firmly in my mind that Crowe certainly understands the concept of fear but does not recognize it. Apart from being one of our most reliable drivers, she is also a performer, a street medic, an activist, and most notably... a fire-breather.

 You have your hobbies.

 Point is- she's brave enough to check to see if the person laying on the sidewalk was dead or simply overdosed.

 As it turns out, it was Yeehaw- curled up in the fetal position with his arm covering his face.

 "Hey," Crowe said, poking him with her foot. "Heeeeeeey," she said again but more firmly this time. He moved, blinking in the evening the sun. "Buddy, you can't be laying around on the sidewalk. You gotta move on."

 Again, he slowly got to his feet. At this time, his mother emerged from Hallmark to see him talking with Crowe. A group of four people escorted him into Mom's car while he stopped every few feet to perform another 'namaste' bow.

 You think this is the end. But what have we learned?

 There's always more.

 He came in the next day as if none of this had happened. Conversation was difficult because we both desperately needed to know what the fuck happened and also did not want to trigger something. So we didn't bring it up. He apologized for leaving early: chronic fatigue syndrome, you know.

 Other places would have fired him, but we're a very forgiving workplace. Falling asleep on company time is not, in any way, the worst thing that someone has done at this location while still keeping their job. There was Sugar and her drugs, there was the dude that used the company van to pick up prostitutes (this was before my time), there was the guy that screamed at customers over the phone... it's a long list.

 The primary concern of our employers is whether or not you are a reliable person. If you routinely show up for your job and do the work, you're going to be okay at least for a little bit. And Yeehaw, for all his impeccable fuckery, at least showed up every day.

 We kept this at the back of our minds.

 One day, after the Day We Found Him In a Bush was behind us, one of the designers mentioned that they'd seen where Aggie works now. It was not in HR.

 It was our major competitor.

 Now, Grandpa knows this competitor well. She knows all her competition. It is the nature of a lot of florists to, once they've gotten sick of one place, move on to the next one and spill the beans on their operations there. So Grandpa gets the dirt on everyone.

 This particular shop was very regimented. You don't wing it- you follow the recipe as listed. He's been known to pick discarded flowers up off the floor and tell you exactly how much  money you're costing the company by letting it fall, to the cent. If you get so far as to make casket sprays, he will take your first one and chuck it across the room if it even looks like the stems are in there too loosely.

 This is what I mean about us being an easy place to work.

 Hashtag: #ohfuck.

 People come in and out of your life like that, in little ways. Sometimes you just have to have a little laugh at it. But what I thought was funny was that she felt the need to keep her new employer a secret, as though we would get jealous or tattle. Curious thing.

 Now that the glamour of Yeehaw's arrangements had worn off, we were starting to see more and more odd behaviors that didn't seem completely related to drunkenness.

 "Did you just fart?"

 "No, that was a spider barking."

 Amazing.

 Conversation with him was becoming... difficult. As I sat in the break room with my quick lunch and he drank soup out of a mayonnaise jar, he mentioned his area of study in college.

 "Cognitive Psychology and Hindu Philosophy, huh? That's an interesting combination."

 "Yeah," he said, funneling an amount of squash soup down his throat. "It'll take the rest of the world about 100 years before they catch up to where I am."

 I sat, posed in front of my beef and broccoli which I was eating with a fork, trying to process a logical reason why the rest of the world will be sleeping in a bush in one hundred years. "Uh... huh."

 This was followed by another thirty minutes of silence where I desperately wanted to know what he meant by that but didn't want to be the one to ask him.

 People will tell you that a hippie is generally an ineffective, benign kind of person who chants 'love love, peace peace' in a circle and consider that to be an action for change. But I can say with absolute certainty that I have met some downright egotistical hippies in my life. Those were lessons in bias- which I will have to save for other times.

 Eventually, Grandpa became frustrated with his slowness. We presumed that his speed of choice was a combination of his meticulous nature and his various ailments, but with the Christmas season coming upon us it was becoming much more than a series of symptoms.

 Previous persons who lacked speed were chatty, would play on their phone, or get distracted. But Yeehaw... Yeehaw simply moved like a tranquilized sloth. He slowly picked off each leaf, each thorn, each guard petal and took a minute for each action. He would put in his greens and then contemplate it powerfully for ten minutes before putting any flowers in... slowly.

 In the time spent doing this, I had already made something of a similar size and was starting on the second one.

 It was during one of these times that Grandpa finally said something.

 "Yeehaw, that spray is due in thirty minutes. Is there a way you can go any faster?"

 He looked up from his greens, held one carnation to his face, and said:

 "If you wanted me to move faster, you would pay me better."

 Let me start by saying that we do not get paid well. We don't. Compared to other flower shops in our city, we are probably the lowest-paid. This is something that the company is starting to work on with benefits and raises, but any amount of change takes time. (And its still better paying than when I worked in retail. But that's another book.)

 Yeehaw had been here for exactly one month. I don't know a single workplace that gives you a raise after one month and still lets you sleep on the clock without firing you. He knew what he was getting paid when we hired him.

 So anyways, he slowly grinds down our nerves to a very fine dust- burping, farting, falling asleep on his feet, staring intensely into space, talking about how much he should be making but isn't, bragging about his enlightenment, and generally just slowing down production.

 And then Grandpa had her well-earned vacation week. Blue was in charge for the most part and the week leading up to Halloween is generally pretty slow, so it was a good week for her to have a break with few mishaps.

 Eh... hehe. Yeah.

 Yeehaw... disappeared again. We checked the cooler, we checked the break room, we checked the bushes out back, we checked the sidewalk out front.

 He was in the bathroom.

 So we left it.

 He was still in the bathroom an hour later.

 We had one of the male drivers pound on the door to check on him. When Yeehaw opened the door to the men's room, there was a wad of toilet paper on the floor that he'd been using as a pillow.

 If I may pause here to explain- our men's room is disgusting. I have deep cleaned it several times only for it to become a germ-fest once more in a matter of hours. I don't ask who is peeing all over the floor because, honestly, I have no desire to know what grown man can't aim his willy in the right direction.

 So in order to fall asleep in the bathroom, you have to be willing to sleep in pee. During a pandemic.

 He reappeared in the workroom, put his apron back on, looked around at all of us still working and said: "Wow, it must be really hard to get fired here."

 It was at this point that Blue informed Grandpa.

 "Tell him that he's fired," Grandpa said, clearly 1001% done with this.

 "I'm not going to fire him," Blue said. "I don't think I can fire anyone."

 So she had the driver that found him do it, which was confusing for all of us. He ended up calling Grandpa to clarify. And by 'clarify,' I definitely mean 'beg for his job back.' A synopsis of the 20 minute phone call went like this:

 "What do you mean, I'm fired?"

 "Just that. You're fired. I'm tired of it, Yeehaw. You don't work here anymore."

 "Why?"

 "What do you mean 'why?' You spend all day making a total of three arrangements and then you wander off somewhere and fall asleep."

 "I can't help it if I have chronic fatigue syndrome!"

 "This is a physical job. If your body can't handle an 8-hour shift without falling asleep for two hours, this isn't the job for you. Tell me: where is that fair to the girls that you do 3% of the work while they pick up the slack and you wander off to sleep on the clock?"

 "I simply do not care about them."

 "You don't care that you're shoving all the work on your coworkers, and that's why you're fired."

 "I wish you'd given me a warning."

 "Tell me, Yeehaw: how many employers can you find that will allow you to sleep on the clock for two hours and let you off with a warning?"

 End of discussion.

 Now, you're probably wondering where Aggie comes back into this. Just hold tight, I'll get there.

 The Sunday after he was fired, he came in to pick up his paycheck. I was busy handling a minor emergency where one of our funeral homes forgot to order a spray and I had to make one as fast as I could. We held a brief conversation while I made the spray in a hurry.

 "I'm here to pick up my check," he said while I greened the spray and leafed through the paychecks simultaneously.

 "Here you go," I said, handing it to him without much fanfare. I presumed that he was looking for sympathy or some kind of followup or... I don't know. Sorry you suddenly care about your job?

 "So what are your next plans," one of the designers asked, trying to coax more information out of him while I did the work of three people.

 "It's kind of funny," he said slowly... as he did all things. "I've only ever been fired from flower shops." He paused, thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to go apply to the shop in Bexley that Aggie went to."

[pinktwingirl]

Spider-Man: No Way Home Rewrite (AKA No Way Home but with Squirrel Girl)

Hey guys! Here’s my No Way Home rewrite! I bounced ideas off @oh-its-jennyyy for this, so I hope you like it!

INT. HAPPY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

After Peter is done face-timing with MJ, we hear a TAPPING at the window.

HAPPY

Who's that?

Peter glances out the window.

PETER

It's Doreen!

He starts to crawl out the window.

HAPPY

Hey, hey, what are you doing?

PETER

I'll be right back!

He crawls up to the roof, where Doreen is sitting.

(Beat)

DOREEN

So, this sucks. Ass.

PETER

Beck got you too?

DOREEN

Yup. It's not as big of a story, though. Looks like Spider-Man's beating Squirrel Girl in the popularity polls. Which I guess I should be grateful for, but... it still kinda hurts, to be honest.

PETER

Oh... sorry about that.

DOREEN

They're calling me your "accomplice" in Mysterio's murder. So that's fun.

PETER

Well, my lawyer said that he doesn't think any of the charges against me will stick, so that means you should be off the hook too. Did you get a lawyer yet?

DOREEN

Yeah, uh...

(She glances at her phone.)

"Jennifer... Walters"? I hear she's good. Dr. Banner recommended her, so...

Peter glances at her hair, and notices that it is significantly shorter than before.

PETER

Did you cut your hair?

DOREEN

Yeah, I figured that and hiding my tail would help make me a little less recognizable out in public.

PETER

But... if you go out with short hair as Squirrel Girl, then everyone's still gonna know it's you anyway.

(Beat)

DOREEN

I think I need to take a break from Squirrel Girl. 

PETER

What?

DOREEN

Just for a while, until all this burns out. It's... just way too much for me to handle right now.

PETER

Oh...

(Beat)

You must have it so much worse. I mean, I only got my powers a couple years ago, but you were born like that. I can't imagine having to hide who you are for your entire life.

(Beat)

DOREEN

I've never been ashamed of who I am... But it's just... College was the first time in my life that I ever felt... normal. I had friends... like, actual, human being friends... No offense, Tippy.

Tippy-Toe squeaks, as if to say, "none taken."

DOREEN

I felt like I really belonged somewhere for once... I wanted the chance to just be Doreen... even for just a little bit longer... And now it's gone.

(Beat)

PETER

Doreen, I am so sorry I got you wrapped up in all this-

DOREEN

Hey, hey, don't. I would do it all over again. I will always be here to help you. And I'm not just saying that as your co-worker; I'm saying it as your friend. Okay?

Peter nods.

PETER

Thanks.

(He sighs.)

It's my first day of senior year tomorrow...

DOREEN

That'll be fun.

PETER

Now I gotta start applying to college. I'm so freaked out; I want to get into MIT so badly...

DOREEN

I mean, hey, if that doesn't work out, there's always...

PETER

...Empire State, yeah, yeah, I know.

DOREEN

Did you at least apply?

PETER

Yeah. I did. For your sake.

DOREEN

Thanks. I'm just teasing, though. I hope MIT works out for you.

(She stands up.)

Alright, I gotta get going. Hey, let me know if anyone gives you a hard time tomorrow so I can beat them up for you. Because I will do it!

She leaps off into the night.

EXT. BRIDGE - DAY

After Doc Ock appears, Peter begins fighting him. Doc Ock uses one of his tentacles to choke Peter. Suddenly, Doreen shows up wearing a new red and silver vibranium suit. She knocks Doc Ock's tentacle away, freeing Peter.

PETER

Thanks! Hey, I thought you said you were taking a break!

DOREEN

Yeah, well, that was before you almost got yourself killed by Mr. Tentacles over here!

They start running towards Doc Ock.

PETER

That's a cool new suit! Is that vibranium?

DOREEN

Can we talk about this later, please?!

DOC OCK

Well, well, well, Peter, did you get yourself a new girlfriend?

PETER

Wha-huh?! No, no, no, she's not my...

DOREEN

He's in high school; I'm in college. That's just weird...

Suddenly, the vice chancellor's car starts to collapse.

PETER

U-Uh... I'm coming, ma'am!

He rushes towards the car. Doc Ock starts to go after him, but Doreen blocks him.

DOREEN

Wait!

(Beat)

Did you know that 11 is 3 in binary?

(Beat)

DOC OCK

What?

DOREEN

Yeah! See, to count in binary, you start with 0, then you go to 1. Then, to add another digit, you go from 1 to 10, since 1 is your last counting number. So instead of 1, 2, 3, it's 1, 10, 11-

DOC OCK

Yes, I know how to count in binary, you annoying little-

DOREEN

Let's add more digits! Count it with me! 100, 101, 110... See?! We're learning so much today!

Doc Ock shoves her out of the way with his tentacle and heads for Peter.

DOREEN

Oh, shit...

She rushes towards Doc Ock and smacks him with her tail. He grunts and grabs her with one of his claws, but she wriggles out. Peter uses his tentacles to prop himself up as he holds onto the Vice Chancellor's car with his web. He leaps down to her.

PETER

Ma'am? Stay calm! Are you okay?!

VICE CHANCELLOR

No!

Doc Ock suddenly yanks Peter away with his tentacles.

PETER

I'm coming! I've... got this all under control...

Doreen battles a few of Doc Ock's tentacles while Peter struggles with the other half. Doc Ock suddenly pins Peter to the underside of the bring and yanks off the chest piece of his suit. We hear a mechanical voice from the suit.

VOICE

Suit compromised.

Doc Ock examines the piece as he incorporates it into his tentacles.

DOC OCK

Nanotechnology... You've outdone yourself, Peter... I underestimated you... But now, you die.

DOREEN

No!

Before she can stop him, Doc Ock tries to stab Peter, but his suit protects him, and his face is revealed. Doc Ock scowls and brings Peter closer to him, taking his glasses off.

DOC OCK

You're not Peter Parker...

Peter groans.

PETER

I am so confused right now...

One of Doc Ock's tentacles suddenly starts moving.

DOC OCK

What's happening?

VOICE

New device detected.

A holographic image of Doc Ock's tentacles pops up on Peter's wrist. Peter begins tapping a few buttons.

VOICE

Pairing new device.

Peter begins moving Doc Ock's tentacles.

DOC OCK

You don't listen to him; you listen to me!

Peter begins waving his hand around as the tentacles follow his movements. He and Doreen laugh.

PETER

Hey!

He starts making the tentacle wave, and uses it to bring the Vice Chancellor's car back up to safety. Doc Ock tries to strike Peter with his hand, but Peter dodges. Doreen grabs Doc Ock's hand.

DOREEN

Uh-uh. I don't think so, pal.

Doc Ock growls in frustration as Peter rises.

DOC OCK

Hey. Hey! Listen to me! No, not him! Me!

Peter brings the car to the ground and Doreen opens the door.

PETER

Ma'am, you okay? Come on, you can still make your flight!

The vice chancellor glances at him in shock.

VICE CHANCELLOR

Peter... You're a hero.

PETER

No, well, I mean... no, I'm...

VICE CHANCELLOR

I'm gonna talk to admissions about your friends... and I'm gonna talk to them about you.

Doreen grins at Peter.

PETER

Wait, ma'am, ma'am, this isn't about me...

DOREEN

Peter, Peter, let the nice lady talk...

VICE CHANCELLOR

I am going to talk to them about your friends and you. Okay?

PETER

Really?

VICE CHANCELLOR

And if you keep your noses clean, maybe you'll have a fair shot. Here.

(She tosses her purse at Peter.)

Get out of the way. Let me get that man. 

(She barges towards Doc Ock.)

You! I see you... Come here! That was not okay... Unbelievable...

Doreen smirks. Peter approaches Doc Ock.

PETER

Who are you-

Before he can finish his question, Doc Ock tries to punch him.

PETER

Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Can you stop trying to kill me?

(He opens his pocket.)

I'm in control, buddy. Of this whole... tentacle situation you got going on here. Okay? Now who are you? What is going-

Peter's spider-sense suddenly goes off, and he turns away.

DOREEN

Peter... You're making the face. I don't like when you make that face; what's going on?

One of the Green Goblin's bombs suddenly lands on the bridge. Peter and Doreen jump as it goes off. The GREEN GOBLIN suddenly flies in, cackling.

DOC OCK

Osborne?

DOREEN

What is he wearing?!

As the Green Goblin flies in, one of Dr. Strange's portals sends Peter to the undercroft, leaving Doreen behind.

INT. SANCTUM SANCTORUM - DAY

Peter walks in with Doreen, MJ, Ned, and Nancy, who is wearing a hand-knitted sweater that reads "I <3 MY CAT."

NED

Whoa... I can't believe I'm in the Sanctum Sanctorum...

STEPHEN

Neither can I...

NED

So... How did you know you were made of magic? Because my Nana says that we have it in our family, and sometimes I get these tinglings in my hands...

STEPHEN

You should talk to your physician.

MJ

Peter! Hey!

PETER

Hey!

They hug.

PETER

I'm so sorry for dragging you into this. You just gotta help me find these guys...

MJ

Peter, you don't have to apologize, okay? You got us a second shot at MIT.

NANCY

So, what exactly is going on here?

STEPHEN

He screwed up a spell trying to get his friends into college.

NED

Wait, you did that with magic? I thought you talked to the vice chancellor...

PETER

Yeah, that was after... Look it doesn't matter-

NANCY

What do you mean you "screwed up" the spell? What happened?

STEPHEN

We started bringing in people from other universes.

Doreen's eyes widen.

NANCY

O-Other universes? As in, like, the multiverse?

STEPHEN

Yes.

NED

Whoa... That's so cool...

STEPHEN

And dangerous. I've read up on all kinds of different dimensions, alternate versions of reality, but the multiverse is one big gray area. So the best thing to do is-

DOREEN

I might... actually be able to shed some light on all this. The... the multiverse, I mean...

Stephen raises an eyebrow.

DOREEN

I think the Peter these guys are looking for is from an alternate timeline. So... he's you, but he's also not you.

Peter stares blankly at her.

DOREEN

Okay, that didn't really make any sense, um... How do I explain this...?

We cut to later, where Doreen is drawing on a whiteboard as the others watch. She draws out the main timeline.

DOREEN

So... We are on what is considered the main timeline. But...

(She begins drawing out branch timelines.)

Sometimes, things can happen that aren't supposed to happen. These are called Nexus Events, and they create branch timelines. Now, in these timelines, there can be alternate versions of people on the main timeline called "variants."

PETER

So... You think the "Peter Parker" these guys are looking for...

DOREEN

... is a variant of you. Yes. And variants can have slightly different lives, different appearances, but they are all still fundamentally the same entity. So, MJ, in an alternate universe, another version of you could be... say, a white chick with red hair.

MJ raises an eyebrow, and Doreen shrugs.

DOREEN

I'm just throwing some examples out there.

STEPHEN

So, how do you know all of this?

DOREEN

Uh... Funny story... So, uh... After my identity got leaked, I kind of had a bit of an internal crisis... You know, as one does, so I may or may not have hacked into Tony's time travel machine to go to the 1970's...

STEPHEN

I'm sorry, what?

DOREEN

I was careful! I just wanted to get away for a little bit... Anyway, so, I called my friend Loki for a little bit of help, and, um... it turns out he wasn't actually supposed to still be alive, so he kind of caused a nexus event... Um... and he got arrested by these people called the TVA...

NED

The... TVA?

DOREEN

Yeah, it was their job to eliminate branch timelines and maintain the main one.

(She erases a few of the branch timelines she drew.)

And they did that by capturing variants like Loki. Now... to erase the branch timelines, they would either erase the variant's memory and force them to work for them, or... they would send them to die.

MJ

Wow... That sounds... awful.

DOREEN

It was. Which is why Loki destroyed them.

Everyone stares at her in shock.

DOREEN

So now...

(She gestures to her diagram of the multiverse.)

The multiverse is open... Yay...

Doreen puts her marker down and joins the rest of the group.

STEPHEN

I'm sorry... You're telling me all of this is happening because you and your little god of mischief friend decided to mess around with the very fabric of reality?

DOREEN

Hey, don't throw all of the blame on us! You still cast that spell to bring all these guys here! And besides, the TVA took away people's free will, so destroying it was the right thing to do.

STEPHEN

And in doing so, you've unleashed something far more dangerous. Besides, since when does Loki ever want to do the right thing?

DOREEN

Hey, Loki might be a dick sometimes, but he's not a monster!

NANCY

To be fair, she does also think Loki's super hot.

DOREEN

Wha... Um... N-No I don't...

NANCY

You were literally sketching pictures of him in lecture the other day-

Doreen quickly covers Nancy's mouth.

DOREEN

Shut up, Nancy...

(Beat)

STEPHEN

I need an aspirin...

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

Peter and Doreen hunt for Electro and Sandman while MJ, Ned, and Nancy watch from the undercroft. As Peter and Doreen walk around, we suddenly see a quiet FLASHING behind Doreen. She slowly turns around to see ELECTRO beginning to charge up. Startled, she tries to whack him, but he only fries her tail. Peter whirls around as she gasps.

DOREEN

He singed the fur... NOBODY SINGES THE FUR!!!

Electro begins to shoot electricity as Peter and Doreen dodge while MJ, Ned, and Nancy yell instructions at them.

PETER

Guys! This is NOT HELPING!

Doreen yelps as Electro shocks Peter with a blast and he falls to the ground. Before Electro can shock Peter again, the SANDMAN shows up and blocks it.

PETER

Whoa!

SANDMAN

Peter! It's me! Flint Marko! You remember?

PETER

U-Uh, I'm Peter, but I'm not your Peter...

SANDMAN

What do you mean, you're not my Peter? What the hell is going on?

(He turns to Doreen.)

And who's she?

Doreen gives an awkward wave.

DOREEN

Hello...

PETER

I'll explain everything, but first, can you help me stop this guy?

SANDMAN

Okay!

PETER

You try to surround him, and we'll pull the plug! Let's go!

Sandman surrounds Electro while Peter uses his webs to knock down the transmission towers. Meanwhile, Doreen's squirrels begin chewing on the lines.

DOREEN

Hey, guys, careful! Don't get-

Before she can finish her sentenced, one of the squirrels gets shocked, causing its fur to stand up on end.

DOREEN

...shocked...

She holds the squirrel in her hand.

DOREEN

You okay?

The squirrel chirps and nods as she smooths down its fur.

SANDMAN

I can't hold it much longer!

Finally, Peter and Doreen are able to bring the towers down, causing Electro to lose his electricity. Peter takes off his mask.

SANDMAN

Different Peter. Weird.

PETER

Thanks.

He tries to high-five him, but accidentally takes his hand off.

PETER

Sorry.

SANDMAN

Don't worry about it.

Electro wakes up, now naked and back in his human form.

DOREEN

Gah!

She shields her eyes. Electro examines the few sparks left flowing from his hands.

ELECTRO

I got my body back...

PETER

Hey, um... This is gonna sound really crazy, but, uh... This isn't your universe.

ELECTRO

Another universe?

PETER

Uh-huh.

SANDMAN

What?

ELECTRO

That's what I was feeling... The power... It's different... I like it...

His eyes start to glow.

SANDMAN

Easy, buddy...

PETER

It's actually my fault that you're here...

ELECTRO

The universe? Or the woods? I hate the woods...

PETER

I meant the universe... sir.

ELECTRO

So what? Y'all just gonna stand there and act like I ain't butt-ass naked?

SANDMAN

I am.

DOREEN

Nope, I've been trying very hard not to look at you for the past minute...

Peter tosses some clothes to Electro.

DOREEN

Okay, Peter, why don't you... uh, take care of them? We'll take care of the transmission towers. That we just destroyed.

The squirrels sulk.

DOREEN

Don't give me that, guys, come on! We don't want people to blame this on Peter again...

INT. THE UNDERCROFT - DAY

Peter and his friends are talking with the villains, who realize that they will die if they return to their universes. Doctor Strange reappears in the undercroft, holding the box. Norman turns to him.

STEPHEN

Oh, great. You caught another one.

PETER

No, no, no, wait! Strange, he's not dang-

Before he can finish, Strange transports Norman to one of the cells.

PETER

It's okay, um...

(He frowns when he glances at the box.)

What is that?

STEPHEN

It's an ancient relic. The Macena Acadavis. It trapped your corrupted spell inside, and once I finish the proper ritual, it will reverse the spell, and send these guys back to their universes.

DOC OCK

And then what? We perish?

ELECTRO

Nah, no thanks. I'll pass on that.

NORMAN

Let me out of here! Peter!

(Beat)

PETER

Strange. We can't send them back. Not yet.

STEPHEN

Why?

(Beat)

PETER

Well, some of these guys are gonna die.

STEPHEN

Parker... It's their fate.

Doreen looks aghast.

DOREEN

Their "fate"? You know what you sound like? The TVA told me the same thing.

STEPHEN

Yeah, well, maybe your little "TVA", whoever they are, were right. You and Loki brought chaos to the multiverse all because you can't accept that there are some things that you just can't change.

DOREEN

That's bullshit, Stephen. Everyone can change.

Stephen shakes his head.

STEPHEN

Not everyone.

(Beat)

I'm sorry. If they die, they die.

He begins the spell to open the box. Peter looks at his friends nervously.

NORMAN

Peter!

Before Strange can finish the spell, Peter uses his webs to grab the box.

INT. THE UNDERCROFT - DAY

After Peter defeats Strange, he runs back through the portal. Ned, MJ, Doreen, and Nancy rush up to him.

NED

Dude, what happened?!

DOREEN

Are you okay?!

PETER

I just had a fight with Dr. Strange, and I totally won!

NED

What?!

Peter holds up the sling ring.

PETER

Look, and I stole his ring thing!

Ned takes it.

NED

Whoa!

Peter takes off his mask.

PETER

Uh... We went through the city and then I went through this massive mirror thing... and then I was back in-

MJ

Where is he?

PETER

Uh, he's trapped, but I'm not sure for how long...

Nancy laughs.

NANCY

Oh, you're definitely screwed when he gets back...

DOC OCK

You could've just left us to die... Why didn't you?

(Beat)

MJ

'Cause that's not who he is.

Peter smiles at her, then turns back to the villains.

PETER

I think I can help you guys...

DOREEN

Yeah! It sounds like you guys were all the victims of science experiments gone wrong, so... if we can fix what happened to you, then maybe when you go home, you'll have a second shot!

ELECTRO

What do you mean, "fix us"?

PETER

Look, our technology is advanced. I-

NORMAN

I can help you. You know, I'm something of a scientist myself. Octavius knows what I can do.

DOC OCK

"Fix us"? You mean like a dog? I refuse.

DOREEN

Oh, come on, Otto! It'll be fun! Science is always fun!

Doc Ock scowls at her.

PETER

I can't promise you guys anything... but at least this way you actually get to go home and have a chance. A second chance! I mean, come on, isn't that worth trying?

LIZARD

Trust me, Peter. When you try to fix people, there are always consequences.

PETER

I mean, you don't have to come. 

(Beat)

I also didn't know that you could talk. But if you stay here... you're gonna have to deal with the wizard.

LIZARD

Ah, so we go along or die. Not much of a choice, is it?

NANCY

I mean... What's the alternative? Being stuck in a random universe you don't know?

SANDMAN

She's right. I just want to go home.

ELECTRO

Well, I myself don't want to be killed, especially by a guy dressed like Dungeons and Dragons, so... what's your plan?

(Beat)

PETER

I... have it all under control...

(He turns back to the others.)

What are we gonna do about this thing?

MJ

Uh... well... we need to... find somewhere safe for it, right?

NED

Yeah...

PETER

(to MJ)

You gotta take it.

MJ

Wait, what?

PETER

If something bad happens, I'll text you, and then you just push this, and then it's all over, and they'll all be gone-

MJ

Peter, we're going with you! We're not gonna leave you!

PETER

You can't come with me! It's too dangerous! You guys have already done enough-

NED

Peter, we're in this together.

PETER

I know that we're in this together, but I can't do this if I know that you're in danger. Okay? So, for me, MJ, please just take this. Doreen and I can find a cure... I need the rest of you to watch over this.

(Beat)

MJ

Okay.

She takes the box.

PETER

Thank you.

MJ

But Peter, I swear, if I don't hear from you, I'm pressing the button.

(Beat)

PETER

Sure.

MJ

Okay.

(She turns to the villains.)

And I will do it...

NANCY

Oh, she will. You don't mess with MJ.

ELECTRO

Yeah, we all believe you, Michelle...

LIZARD

No way that's his girlfriend, no way...

INT. HAPPY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Peter and Doreen enter the apartment with the villains.

DOC OCK

So this is your plan, Peter? No lab, no facilities, just performing miracles in a condominium? Hmm? What, you're gonna cure us and cook us some frozen burritos in a microwave?

DOREEN

Wait, do you actually want some burritos? Because I could make some...

DOC OCK

Will you stop being so irritatingly nice?!

DOREEN

Okay, I was just offering...

We cut to later where Doreen is on the phone in a separate room.

DOREEN

Okay, so... do you think this will work, though? Like, hypothetically, once we send them back?

(Beat)

Yeah, yeah, we're just gonna cure them and then send them back.

(Beat)

Awesome! I knew it! See? The multiverse can stay open, and if any issues come up, we can handle it!

(After a pause, she frowns.)

Hey! It's not "over-confidence"! It's "thinking positively"! You're not getting invited to my graduation party with that attitude!

(She laughs.)

I'm just kidding, Moby, of course you're invited. You still have your tem-pad, right? So traveling to... you know, another universe won't be a problem?

(She smiles.)

Awesome! Thanks, Moby! Oh, and send me more pictures of your jet ski!

She hangs up and heads to the other room, where Peter and Norman are working.

DOREEN

Good news! I just talked to one of my friends from the TVA, and he says that he thinks our plan's gonna work!

PETER

Seriously?! That's great!

DOREEN

You know, if we can cure everybody first...

PETER

Well, we're working on that right now.

After Doc Ock is cured, Doreen checks on Electro to make sure his cure is working. He fidgets uncomfortably.

ELECTRO

Something feels off...

DOREEN

You're not in any pain, are you?

ELECTRO

No, just... I don't like this...

DOREEN

Hey, well, just leave it alone, okay? It'll only take a minute.

Peter's spider-sense suddenly goes off. He walks around the apartment as others ask him what's wrong.

DOREEN

Peter? Peter, are you okay?

ELECTRO

Why are you looking at me like that?

After a pause, he suddenly webs Norman's hand to the wall.

DOREEN

Peter, what are you doing?!

Norman, who has now become THE GREEN GOBLIN, smirks at him.

GREEN GOBLIN

That's some neat trick... That sense of yours...

DOC OCK

Norman?

GREEN GOBLIN

Norman's on sabbatical, honey...

ELECTRO

The hell?

PETER

The Green Goblin...

He glances at Aunt May and Doreen nervously.

GREEN GOBLIN

No more darker half? Did you really think that I'd let that happen?

Doreen slowly starts to unleash her knuckle spikes. Peter grabs her hand as if to stop her. She nods at him.

GREEN GOBLIN

That I'd let you take away my power just because you're blind to what true power can bring you?

PETER

You don't know me.

GREEN GOBLIN

Don't I? I saw how she trapped you... Fighting her holy moral mission... We don't need you to save us... We don't need to be fixed!

(He turns to Electro.)

These are not curses...

Electro looks down in uncertainty.

DOREEN

Max...?

GREEN GOBLIN

They're gifts...

DOC OCK

Norman, no...

GREEN GOBLIN

Lapdog!

PETER

You don't know what you're talking about...

GREEN GOBLIN

I watched you from deep behind Norman's cowardly eyes... Struggling to have everything you want... While the world tries to make you choose... Gods don't have to choose... We take.

PETER

May... run.

All hell breaks loose. As the Green Goblin attacks Peter, Electro uses his powers to shove Doc Ock out the window.

DOREEN

No!

She jumps out the window and grabs him as he falls. He uses his tentacles to clutch onto her as she claws the building walls with her knuckle spikes, trying to slow their fall. Eventually, they land, with a crowd of squirrels holding Doc Ock up.

DOREEN

Are you okay?!

Doc Ock looks at the squirrels in amazement.

DOC OCK

You... saved my life... Thank you...

Doreen smiles.

DOREEN

You don't have to thank me, Otto!

(Beat)

It... is okay if I call you that, right?

Doc Ock smiles.

DOC OCK

That is my name after all... I'm sorry for how cruel I was to you... I wasn't myself...

DOREEN

It's okay! Really, I get it.

They suddenly see Electro escaping and fleeing into the city.

DOREEN

Uh... I should... probably go after him... um...

(She hands him her apartment key and a scrap of paper.)

Here, go to my apartment. It's this address here. You'll be safe there until all of this is over.

DOC OCK

What? But I can help you!

DOREEN

No, please, don't put yourself at risk! Just go! Keep yourself safe!

Before Doc Ock can protest, she rushes off.

INT. NED'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

After Aunt May dies, MJ, Ned, and Nancy are waiting in Ned's apartment. They all jump when they hear a knock on the door. They quickly open it to see Doreen standing there, panting and covered in soot.

DOREEN

I... I lost them... I don't know where they are... They got away-

NANCY

Hey, hey, it's okay...

(She hugs her.)

Just come in.

MJ

Any word from Peter?

DOREEN

No... I... I don’t know... I’m sorry...

(After a pause, she turns to Nancy.)

Oh... I sent Otto to our apartment, so... heads up if there's like tentacle parts lying around, that's why...

Nancy lets out a weak laugh.

NANCY

That's fine, D...

Doreen sighs as she sits down. MJ looks at the box.

MJ

I'm gonna press it.

NED

Wh-What? No...

DOREEN

W-We aren't finished yet-

MJ

I know he told me to wait, but... I'm gonna do it.

NED

I just wish... I just wish we could see him...

A faint hint of a portal suddenly appears in the room. Everyone stands up.

MJ

Ned...

NED

Yeah?

MJ

Do that again...

NED

Yeah...

Ned waves his hands around again.

NED

I just wish we could see him...

A faint portal appears again, then vanishes.

NED

Okay...

(He forms a more complete circle with his hand.)

I just wish we could see Peter...

A portal suddenly opens. We see the outline of SPIDER-MAN...

Ned's Lola gasps.

NED

Whoa...

NANCY

Ned, you did it!

Ned's Lola begins speaking to him in Tagalog.

NED

You're right... I am magic...

MJ squints at the silhouette.

MJ

Is that him?

NED

Yeah, yeah, it has to be...

They begin calling out to him. Everyone suddenly freezes when the Spider-Man that appears is not their Peter, but rather ANDREW GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN. Ned's Lola begins screaming.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Hi...

Ned's Lola begins chucking pillows at him.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

No, no, no, it's okay, it's okay, I'm a nice guy...

He takes off his mask.

(Beat)

MJ

Who the hell are you?

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

I'm Peter Parker... 

MJ

That's not possible...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

I am Spider-Man... in my world... but then, yesterday... I was... I was just here...

Doreen gasps.

DOREEN

Ooh, ooh! See?! See?! These are the variants I was telling you guys about!

Garfield's SM walks around the room.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Wow... String theory... Multidimensional reality... And matter displacement... All real?

Doreen and Nancy grin and nod while MJ and Ned look baffled.

DOREEN

Mm-hmm!

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Knew it!

NED

This has to be because of the spell...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

The spell? Like, magic spell?

NED

Uhh, there's no spell...

MJ

There's no spell...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Magic's real in this universe too?

NED

Well...

MJ

Shut up, Ned.

NANCY

I mean, it's complicated...

MJ

Shut up.

NED

I mean, there's not magic magic...

MJ

Shut up!

(She turns back to Garfield's SM.)

Prove it.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Prove what?

MJ

That you're Peter Parker.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

I... don't carry an ID with me... You know, it kinda defeats the whole anonymous superhero thing...

MJ tosses a roll of bread at him and does a defensive pose.

(Beat)

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Why'd you do that?

MJ

I was trying to see if you have the tingle thing...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

I have the tingle thing, just not for bread...

MJ lifts another roll of bread.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Could you not... throw the bread again? You're a deeply mistrusting person... And I respect it.

He jumps up and clings to the ceiling with one hand. MJ does her best not to look impressed.

MJ

Crawl around.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Crawl around?

MJ

Yes.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

No...

MJ

Yes, crawl around.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Why do I need to crawl around?

MJ

'Cause it's not enough.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

This is plenty.

MJ

No it's not.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Yes it is.

MJ

No it's not.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Yes it is.

MJ

No it's not.

NANCY

I mean, honestly? I'm convinced.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

See? She says she's-

MJ tosses another roll of bread at him.

MJ

Do it.

Ned's Lola begins speaking Tagalog again.

NED

My Lola was asking if you could just... get the cobweb up there... Since you're, like, up there...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Yeah, sure!

He crawls to the other end of the ceiling and brushes the cobweb off.

NED'S LOLA

Thank you.

Garfield's SM drops to the ground.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

We good?

MJ

For now.

Garfield's SM looks confused as the portal closes.

NED

So... I opened the wrong portal to the wrong Peter Parker...

MJ

Yeah, I... I guess you just keep doing it until we find the real one.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Ouch.

MJ

No offense.

NED

Okay...

Nancy pats Ned's back.

NANCY

You got this.

Ned starts to open another portal.

NED

Find Peter Parker... 

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

What's the thing on his hand?

MJ shushes him.

NED

Find Peter Parker... Find Peter Parker!

Another portal opens up and TOBEY MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN steps through.

NED

Great, it's just some random guy...

Maguire's SM waves at them awkwardly.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Hello. Uh... I hope it's okay, I just came through this, uh...

The portal closes.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

It just closed...

(Beat)

MJ

You're Peter...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Yeah... Peter Parker.

(He glances at MJ, Ned, Doreen, and Nancy.)

I've... seen you four...

He glances at Ned's Lola, who waves.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Hi...

(He freezes when he sees Garfield's SM.)

Wait, he's not your friend...

There is a long pause. Suddenly, both Spider-Men flip around and shoot webs at each other. After a pause, they grin.

NED

Wait, so you're Spider-Man too, why didn't you just say that?

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

I generally don't go around... advertising it... it kinda defeats the whole anonymous superhero thing...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

I just said that...

MJ

That's what he just said...

Ned's Lola begins speaking Tagalog again.

NED

My Lola asked-

NANCY

She was asking if you guys could clean up the webs you just shot.

Everyone looks at her in surprise.

NANCY

What? I took a Rosetta Stone course on Tagalog.

Ned looks at her dreamily.

NED

You did?

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Oh, yeah, sorry...

NED'S LOLA

I'm going to bed...

INT. SCHOOL LABORATORY - NIGHT

The Spider-Men and Peter's friends are working on cures for the villains. The other Spider-Men look surprised when Doreen approaches them with baskets full of cookies and other treats.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Uh... wow, what's all this for?

DOREEN

I made you guys some "welcome to our universe" gift baskets!

(She hands them to Garfield and Maguire.)

Peter... and Peter!

(She turns to Holland's SM.)

Uh... Sorry, I didn't make you one... 'Cause, you know, you... already live in this universe.

Garfield's SM looks at Holland's SM in amazement.

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Are all the superheroes in your universe this nice? She's so nice!

DOREEN

Aww, thank you!

We cut to later. Doreen slowly scoots her chair up to Maguire and Garfield.

DOREEN

Um... So... You know, just out of curiosity, um... There wouldn't happen to be any Squirrel Girls in your universe, would there?

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Uh... No, I don't think so...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Not... Not that I know of...

(Beat)

DOREEN

Damn...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

So, how exactly did you get your powers, anyway? Were you, like, bitten by a radioactive squirrel?

DOREEN

Uh, no, I was actually born like this...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Really?

DOREEN

Yeah, altered DNA. The doctors aren't really sure how it happened...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Fascinating...

Ned hands Peter his web cartridges.

NED

Here's your web cartridges.

PETER

Oh, thanks, man.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

What's that for?

PETER

Uh, it's my web fluid. It's for my web shooters. Why?

Maguire's SM shoots webs out of his wrists. Stunned, Doreen glances at his wrists.

PETER

Whoa!

DOREEN

Did that just... come out of you?

Maguire's SM glances at Peter.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

You can't do that, huh?

PETER

No...

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

How on earth does that even...?

Doreen picks up another web shooter.

DOREEN

Is this a spare, or...?

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Oh, no, actually, I made that for you.

Doreen looks stunned.

DOREEN

For me?!

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Yeah! I figured you could be, you know, an honorary Spider-Man! Er... Spider-Woman...

Doreen gasps.

DOREEN

Spider-Squirrel!

She tests out the web shooter and grins.

EXT. STATUE OF LIBERTY - NIGHT

Doreen is aiding in the battle, while using her web shooters. When she misses a swing, Garfield and Maguire catch her and lift her up.

DOREEN

Oof! Thanks...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

You're getting pretty good at that!

DOREEN

Really?

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Yeah, you just gotta remember to aim your fingers where you wanna go.

DOREEN

Oh, right, right, right...

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Anyways... ladies first!

GARFIELD'S SPIDER-MAN

Ladies first!

They grin at each other, realizing they spoke at the same time. Doreen uses her web shooters to leap off into the battle.

DOREEN

LOOK OUT, EVERYONE! SQUIRREL GIRL'S GOT WEB SHOOTERS NOW!!! WOO-HOO!

Later, when Maguire's SM is stabbed, Doreen uses a healing spray to close the wound.

DOREEN

Here... This'll close the wound so you don't lose too much blood.

MAGUIRE'S SPIDER-MAN

Oh, thanks.

(He smiles at Holland's SM.)

She really is the nicest.

With Dr. Strange's cape, Ned lands on the ground.

NED

Thank you, Mr. Cape, sir!

(He rushes up to Nancy.)

Nancy! If we die, I just want you to know that I've always had a huge crush on you, but I also respect that you're a career-driven woman who's probably not looking for a relationship right now, but if you ever reach that milestone in your life, just know that I'm always here if you're interested!

Nancy looks bewildered. After a pause, she pats him on the back.

NANCY

Talk to me in, like, five years when it's not weird, okay?

NED

Okay!

Later, when Peter makes his plan, he rushes up to his friends.

PETER

Guys... You're gonna forget who I am...

(Beat)

NED

What?

MJ

Forget who you are? What are you talking about?

(Beat)

PETER

It's okay... I'm gonna come and find you... And I'll explain everything... I'll make you remember me... And it'll be like none of this ever happened... Okay?

MJ

Okay, but wh-what if that doesn't work? What if we can't remember you? I don't... I don't wanna do that...

PETER

I know, MJ...

MJ

There's... There's not something we can do? We can't come up with, like, a plan or something? You know... There's always something we can do...

(Beat)

PETER

There's nothing we can do...

He says goodbye to MJ and Ned, then hugs Doreen and Nancy, who have tears in their eyes.

DOREEN

You'll still come to our graduation, right?

Peter smiles tearfully.

PETER

I wouldn't miss it for the world...

Nancy lets out a tearful laugh.

NANCY

You can be that one weird guy that shows up even though nobody knows who you are...

They all let out a weak laugh.

(Beat)

PETER

I guess I'll see you...

EXT. EMPIRE STATE UNIVERSTIY - DAY

Peter waits in the crowd at Doreen and Nancy's graduation. He sees Nancy cheer as Doreen walks across the stage to collect her diploma. He smiles when he sees some students holding up a sign that reads "WE'RE NUTS FOR SQUIRREL GIRL!"

Later, Peter tries to approach Doreen while she's chatting with her family and Nancy.

PETER

Doreen! Uh... Doreen Green! Squirrel Girl?

Doreen glances at him, then turns back to her family.

DOREEN

Would you guys excuse me for a moment?

(She walks up to Peter.)

Excuse me, sir, this is really not a good time. I'm with my family, and I-

PETER

No, no, no, no... I don't want to bother you or anything... I just, um... I just wanted to say congratulations on graduating.

DOREEN

Oh... Uh, thank you...

PETER

I'm... actually an incoming freshman here, so...

DOREEN

Oh... Oh, awesome! Um... Okay, if you want my advice, stay away from Birch Dining Hall. My friend Nancy found dirt in her salad there once.

PETER

Oh... Ew, that's gross.

He laughs a little.

DOREEN

Yeah. Your best bet is Maple. They make a bomb-ass mac and cheese.

PETER

Oh, uh... Thanks for the advice.

Doreen smiles.

(Beat)

PETER

Um... I just wanted to say... I could never do what you do... I mean... being Squirrel Girl... while everyone knows who you are... I know things might get harder for you... and some people don't see you as a hero... but you should know that you are. This city needs people like you. And... there's always someone out there who believes in you.

Doreen looks touched.

DOREEN

Thank... thank you... Really, I... I don't think you know how much that means to me...

Peter smiles.

PETER

I think I have some idea... And...

(Beat)

I know Tony's proud of you for keeping your promise.

DOREEN

Thank...

She pauses, surprised. Before she can say anything else, Peter walks off. She looks down, contemplating for a moment, before walking away.

THE FEELS!!! (Also I probably completely botched the spelling of Strange’s magic box sorry lol XD)

[msmarvelouswinchester]

Hey Sweetheart

Summary - Dean was suddenly pampering you too much. Not that you don't like it, but what happens when a Winchester lets his guard down?

Pairing - Dean x Reader, Sam x Reader (platonic)

Warning - Fluff, so much fluff you will have cavities (check the tags for more warnings)

"Hey Sam, have you seen your brother? He's not in his room," You said plopping down on the chair beside Sam.

"Nope", Sam replied without taking his eyes off his laptop's screen, "he is probably in the garage".

"I swear that man loves his car more than his own girlfriend", you grumbled causing Sam to chuckle but you saw Sam's eyes were still glued to the screen.

"What are you upto? Sammy?" You waved your hands frantically in front of your best friend trying to gain his attention and also annoy him.

"Y/N", he warned but a little smile was playing on his lips, "Y/N come on, let me work".

You pouted at Sam, "Leave that laptop of yours for-"

"Chef Winchester at your service, Ma'am", You were startled by Dean's sudden obnoxiously loud voice.

"Wha-you made this?" You pointed at the plate of homemade burger and looked at Dean who had a proud smile on his face.

"Try it. It's tastes real good", Dean grinned.

"Dude? Where's my burger?" Sam asked making you giggle.

"Are you my girlfriend? Go get your burger from the kitchen", Dean said and pecked your cheek lightly. Sam left the library with a huff. You took a bite of the food in front of you and moaned loudly when it's delicious taste hit your taste buds.

"That good, huh?" Dean smirked.

"Oh God Dean! It's amazing. I love you", You moaned.

"Me or the burger?" Dean wiggled his eyebrows.

"...buhguh", you spoke with your mouth full. Dean placed his hand on his chest and put on a hurtful expression. "And here I thought I will take you out on a date tonight", Dean pouted at you.

Your eyes widened at his words, "What is it Dean? Am I m-missing something? Is it my birthday today?"

"Oh come on. Can't a guy just pamper his girlfriend for a day?" Dean rolled his eyes.

"Not when the end of the world is near", you teased.

Dean sat down on the chair where Sam was previously sitting. "Can we, for one fucking day forget that God is trying to kill us? Chuck is MIA and Sammy is always keeping an eye out for any unusual activity. I just want one day for us. If that's not what yo-"

You silenced him by pressing your lips to his. He pulled you closer deepening the kiss and only let you go when you both felt your lungs screaming for air.

"I love you and I would love to spend an entire day, heck my entire life with you", you smiled softly at your boyfriend.

"Dinner date tonight. Meet me at the garage at seven", he pecked your lips and got up from the chair.

"De, where are we going?" You narrowed your eyes at him.

"It's a surprise", Dean winked at you.

"Dean! What am I supposed to wear if I don't know where we are going?" You asked.

"Trust me, you will find the right dress", he winked at you again and sauntered off to somewhere inside the bunker. You went towards your room to find an appropriate dress.

"A date tonight, huh?" Sam smirked at you as he emerged from the kitchen.

"You know it's bad to eavesdrop on someone's conversation?" You raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shut up but honestly Dean is really happy you know even with the end-of-the-world crap hanging over our damn heads. You both deserve this day", He smiled at you.

"Well you want to clear out of the bunker for tonight or do you have noise cancelling headphones?" You teased.

"Oh I'll be out of the bunker as soon as possible and leave you lovebirds alone", Sam chuckled causing you to laugh with him.

You went to your room and found a box lying on your bed. You suspiciously opened the box to find a beautiful blue dress. Your eyes widened when you realised that it was the same dress you saw at a shop during your last hunt. How did Dean even manage to buy the dress? A note slipped out of the dress when you picked it up from the box.

'Hey sweetheart, hope you liked my surprise. Don't worry, I have a bigger surprise planned for you tonight. Love ya baby"

You looked at the time, you had another two hours to get yourself ready for the date. You had a stupid grin on your face that you couldn't seem to rub off. You had never seen Dean being an adorable sweetheart like this and truth be told, you were already in love with this side of Dean.

Two hours passed by. You got dressed and put on some light makeup. You didn't see Dean in that two hours and the suspense was killing you. You reached the garage as the clock struck seven but you froze when you saw the scene in front of you.

Dean was all dressed up. He was wearing one of his FBI suits without the tie and that made the look so much better. There was a table set in the middle of the garage. How did he bring the table up here? Or was it already there? Dean was arranging the chairs and he didn't notice you. The clicking of your heels made him look up at you.

"Hey sweetheart you look beautiful in this dress", Dean smiled at you and came closer, wrapping his arms around your waist.

"Wha-what is all this, De?" You looked at Dean.

"Do you like it?" Dean caressed your cheek with the back of his hands.

"I love it", your eyes turned moist, "I love you so much Dean Winchester".

"I love you too, sweetheart. Come on let's go to the table. I made your favourite for the dinner", Dean slowly guided you towards the table.

You took a seat at the table but you froze when you saw the man in front of you. It was not Dean.

"Surprise Y/N", the man in front of you smirked, "Nice dinner date Dean arranged for you. I always knew he was a hopeless romantic".

"C-chuck?" You got up from the chair, "Dean?! Where is he?"

"Dean? He is right behind you", Chuck pointed.

You looked behind you to see Dean lying on the ground writhing in pain. You rushed towards him. "H-hey", he managed to speak out.

"What did you do to him? Sam?" You called out.

"Sammy is not here. Remember you told him to clear out of the bunker?" Chuck shrugged. You looked at Dean and noticed that your hands were red. Blood? You turned Dean on his back and saw that he had a large gash on his stomach and blood was seeping through it.

"Is this your grand ending? To kill us when we don't have our game face on? You coward", you eyes were starting to tear.

Chuck didn't say anything but let out a dark chuckle and snapped his fingers. You looked up and saw Chuck had disappeared.

"Dean? Hey, hey, stay with me. You're gonna be fine, okay? Cas, I hope you can hear me. I need you right now", you prayed. Tears were now flowing freely down your face.

"H-hey s-sweetheart", Dean's breathing was laboured, "Pr-promise..me, you won't do anything s-stupid. P-promise me, y-you w-will take c-care of Sammy. I-I lo-love you s-so m-much...i-it's going to b-be a-a-alright".

"No no no, De. Keep your eyes open. For me please. I love you. You-you are gonna be just fine", You wrapped your arms around him, "Damnit Cas, where the hell are you?"

Dean gave you a bloodied smile and his breathing became shallow-

You woke up with a gasp. You realised that you had been crying in your sleep. You wiped the tears from your eyes and got up from your bed. You reached the library of the the bunker and saw Sam sitting at the table nursing a glass of whiskey and occasionally rubbing his temples.

"Don't you think it's better for your headache if you go to sleep rather than staying up all night drinking?" You asked.

Sam turned around and gave you a sad smile and you could see his eyes were red indicating he had been crying. "Why are you not sleeping?" You kept quiet. "Bad dream?" Sam asked you softly and that simple question made the walls that you had been putting up since that fateful day break down. Tears started streaming down your face. Sam got up and pulled you into a hug, trying to soothe you. But you needed him. You needed Dean.

"I know we gotta a-accept t-the fact that h-he is not co-coming back", you hiccuped, "b-but I-I can't. He's gone, Sammy. H-he is gone".

"Hey, hey, shh..shh. No one's telling you to move on right now. Take all the time you need okay?" Sam's voice was soft, "We both are hurting now but you know what I'm proud of my brother. He saved the world once again. He defeated Chuck. He-" Sam's choked on his voice.

"I'm proud of him too Sammy. He is a h-hero", you sniffled into Sam's chest, "I love him so much. It hurts, it hurts really bad. He left me a note, you know", you pulled out the note from the pocket of Dean's flannel that you were wearing.

"We're gonna make it through this. Together. Dean would want that for us to finally live a happy life away from this hunting but you can take all the time you want, okay?" Sam assured you.

You showed the note to Sam. He read and pulled you into a hug again. A single tear rolled down the younger hunter's cheek. You clutched onto Sam as if your damn life depended on it. You closed your eyes and remembered the words on Dean's notes.

"Hey sweetheart, promise me you won't do anything stupid. Promise me, you will take care of Sammy. I love you so much. It's going to be alright".

.

.

Forever taglist - @donnaintx @devil-in-my-boots @amandamdiehl

[layce2015]

The Last of Us Part 2 (Joel x Reader)

Bonus Chapter: How (y/n) and Joel met

The Last of Us Part 2 Masterlist

"Okay, one frappuccino." One of my co-workers, Miranda, shouted as she hands the cup to the customer while I worked on another order. "Man, just seems like it won't stop." My friend, Kelsey, said and I nod. "Yeah..." I said as I grabbed another cup and start to make a new drink.

"Ooohhh....check out the guy that just walked in." Kelsey said and I look up and see a man with black hair and a beard, wearing a t-shirt and jeans, walking in with a little blonde haired girl holding his hand. Aww, that's cute. I thought as I look at them. "Damn..." Kelsey said, her eyes roaming the guy as he comes up to the register and talks to Miranda.

"Mmm...damn, Mr Cowboy there....I'd like to take him to the rodeo." Kelsey said and I slap her shoulder. "Whoa down, girl." I said and she chuckles. "Oh come on, don't tell me you wouldn't love a round with Cowboy there." Kelsey said and I look over at the man as he pays for his drinks then he and his little girl go to a table.

"I mean...he is very handsome...but...knowing my luck, he's probably already married. He has a kid." I pointed out. "So, that don't mean nothin'. Could be a single dad?" Kelsey said and I roll my eyes. 

"Hey, (y/n). Can you take this iced tea to table 2? I'm going to lunch." Miranda said as she walks past us. Kelsey and I exchanged looks then rolled our eyes and I take the cup and start to walk towards the table.

Suddenly, I stumble and I lose my balance, the tea slips out of my hand and lands on to Mr Cowboy, as Kelsey called him. "Oh shiii....shoot." I said, stopping myself from cursing in front of his kid, as I get up to my feet. "Sir, I am so sorry." I said, panicked, while his daughter was giggling behind her hand.

"It's alright." He said to me as I go and grab napkins for him. "Just lucky it wasn't coffee or hot tea." He said and I smirk a bit before I hand him the napkins. "Oh then you'd definitely be steaming hot." I said, jokingly, and I glanced over him and noticed that his cheeks turn a bit red while the girl laughs at this. Then he begins to dry himself off while I grab more napkins and clean off his table.

"Now you have a new cologne, dad. Sweet Tea Eau de Parfum." The girl jokes and I chuckle a bit while her father rolls his eyes. "Hey, if every guy wore a sweet tea cologne instead of that Axe body spray crap, every woman would throw themselves at them." I said and the girl smirks a bit.

"Well you're the first to notice then." The man said and I glanced over at him and I felt my face burn up as we share a smile at this. Then I turn my head, quickly, then cleared my throat and said. "Anyway...I'm very sorry about all of this, if you want me to..." then the man raised his hand.

"Ma'am it's alright. Accidents happen. Though I would be more worried about the person who bought that drink." He said, chuckling a bit then I jumped slightly at this. "Oh yeah, right." I said and I go throw away the napkins then ran back to redo the drink.

After everything is said and done, I go back to the counter when Kelsey pulls me to the side. "I saw you getting a little cozy there with the cowboy, there." She said, with a smile. My face heats up again at this then said. "No, no i-it was an accident." I said and she chuckles. "Uh-huh, is that what you call it?" She asked and I rub the back of my neck.

"Well, I don't want to alarm you but...he kept stealing glances at you. I think he was staring at your ass as well." She said and I gasp then slap her on the shoulder. "Shut up!" I said, embarrassed. 

"Hey, you need a new man in your life. I mean, I know that whole shit with Markus has hurt you but....you've gotta move on. It's been a couple of years. Plus, when I delivered cowboy's drink, I didn't see a wedding band." Kelsey said and I look down then let out 

"But...I barely know this guy." I said, nervously. "Well you won’t know unless you try. Also who knows, maybe after you two hit it off, you might just find a ring on your finger." Kelsey said and I roll my eyes again. "Yeah, right, Kel. Me, married?" I scoffed. "Hey, it could happen...if not then I'm sure he'd be a great one night stand." she said and I scoff again while Kelsey looks over my shoulder.

"And from what I can see, it looks like his kid is doing some matchmaking also." Kelsey said and we turn to where the man and his daughter are sitting.

They looked like they were in some sort've deep conversation and his daughter must've said something as his face begins to turn red. Then he looks up at me and both of us stared at each other. I give him a smile before I turn my head away, quickly, and pushed a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I do a quick look back at him and see that he was trying not to look at me but I saw his eyes dart towards me.

"Come on, (nickname), he looks like he's interested in you." Kelsey said and I bite my lips at this, thinking over what she said and what happened.

Few Months Later

I let out a sigh as the morning rush finally finished. "Man, I need a drink." Kelsey said, exhausted, as we stand in the back of the shop. "I know, right?" I said while I wipe away the sweat from my forehead. "Thought it would never end. So fuckin' stressed."

"Maybe you could call up your cowboy and ask him to come by. And then you two could have a quickie in the back. You know, relieve some stress." Kelsey said, wiggling her eyebrows. "Kel, stop! Joel is too much of a gentleman for that." I said as I shove her shoulder.

After the whole tea spill incident, the man and his daughter, which they introduced to me as Joel and Sarah Miller, started coming by the shop almost every day. We would talk and get to know each other a bit, plus I guess you could say there was a bit of flirting between me and Joel but I still wasn't for sure if this was just one of those friendly flirting or he was actually interested in me.

"Oh, I'm sure he wouldn't oppose it." She said and I shake my head at this. "I'm not sure if he even likes me in that way." I said. "Bitch, come on! He is totally in to you!" Kelsey exclaims. "I can see it on his face whenever you guys talk."

I give a small smile at this as I feel my face heat up. "See? You're into him as well! Your face goes red everytime we talk about him. You smile and laugh more and you seem elated everytime he comes here." she said to me. "Okay, so...maybe I do have a crush on him but...I just...I don't know...how do I know if he feels the same way?" I asked just as the bell rang from the front door, alerting us a new customer has come in.

Kelsey looks over my should and smiles. "Why don't you ask him yourself." She said and she nods forward and I turn around to see Joel walking in and I smile, my heart leaping for joy when I saw him. "Good luck." Kelsey said as she lightly nudges me and I walk up to the register.

"Hey." I greet him.

"Howdy." He said and my heart thumped in my chest, rapidly. Then I looked at the clock up on the wall and noticed he was here early, usually he was here in the afternoon with Sarah but now it was the middle of the day and she wasn't with him.

"You're here early." I pointed out and he gives an embarrassed smile at this. "Sorry, when you work at a coffee shop, you tend to know the routine of regulars. Didn't mean to sound like a stalker." I said, trying to joke around. "Nah, it's fine. Actually, I'm here early cause I wanted to talk to you." He said and ny eyes widen a bit.

"Um...do you have a moment?" He asked and I turn to Kelsey, who nod enthusiastically. "Sure. The rush is done for now. We can talk over there." I said and I nod to one of the tables nearby. He smiles at me and I leave go around and meet up with him, both of us head towards a table.

Once we get there, he pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit down. "Such a gentleman." I said and he smiles at this as I go and sit down in the chair. "So what do you wanna talk about?" I asked him as he sits across from me.

Then I gasp and place a hand over my chest, pretending to be upset. "You're not seeing another coffee shop behind my back, are you?" I asked and he chuckles at this. "No, no. It's not that..." he said and I let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good!" I sighed and both of us chuckle, which made my heart jump once I heard him chuckle.

"I came by early because....well...I wanted to ask you something." He said and I raise an eyebrow at this. "Oh?" I said and he nods. "You don't have to say yes, if you don't want to..." he said and I start to smile. "Well depends...is it legal?" I asked and he chuckles a bit. "Yes, it is. Um...I wanted to ask you...if you were doing anything tomorrow night?" He asked and I felt the breath leave my body.

Is he asking me out? I thought and I stammer a bit. "N-n-no. I have nothing going on tomorrow. Just hanging around my apartment." I said and he smirks again. "Oh good. Cause I was wondering if you..maybe...would like to go to the movies with me tomorrow night? Just the two of us." He said and my heart leapt for joy at this. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I would understand...it's just..." he started to stammer as I sat there, shocked.

I couldn't believe that he was asking me out on a date! This has to be a dream! I subtly pinch my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming but I was still there; so this wasn't a dream, this was real!

"I would love to." I said as my lips curled up into a smile as I said this. He looks over at me in shock, I guess he was surprised about my response. "Really?" He asked me and I nodded. "Really really." I said, chuckling at the look of relief on his face.

"Okay then. Um, I'll pick you up at seven?" Joel asked me. "Yeah sure. If you want I can give you my number and I can text you my address." I said and he nods. We exchange numbers then we stare at each other for a moment, a comfortable silence between us before he runs his hand behind the back of his head.

"I better go. I'll see you tomorrow?" He said and I nod at him. "Yeah, I'll see you." I said and he smiles again then he leaves. I place my hands over my mouth then looked over at Kelsey, who had this I told you so look on her face.

"I am a fuckin' psychic!" She exclaims and I roll my eyes and laugh. At that moment some customers come in and I bite my lips, trying to contain my excitement, then I head back over to the counter to help Kelsey with the orders.

I don't know where this whole thing between me and Joel will lead to but I have a weird suspicion that somehow, some way, it'll be worth it.

@sleepylunarwolf

@fangirl-inthe-us

@critical-musings

[oohfluffy]

TIHM Ch.11 | BBH

Group: EXO

Member: Byun Baekhyun

Theme: Angst | Fluff | Rated M | University!AU | Football!AU

Word Count: 1,839

chapter 11

What was he thinking? Am I that weak and dumb to believe him?

You scoffed as you glared at your locker door, Baekhyun's annoyingly handsome face entered your mind⁠. You just wanted to smack his pretty face on the wall.

"You alright?" 

You quickly closed your locker door, and smiled at your manager, Jisoo. You grabbed your brown apron with your small name plate plastered on the chest area, carefully wearing it and tying it to your back.

"Yeah, manager-nim." You formally said as you looked down, fingers successfully tying your apron on your back. Jisoo chuckled as she shook her head.

"Just call me unnie. Manager-nim is a bit awkward." Jisoo smiled as she looked at your apron. "Rocky's shift will end in a bit, he has this dance practice for a competition. That kid's dancing skill is no joke." 

As you and Jisoo went out of the locker room, you see Hyunjin on the cashier stand as usual. Jisoo mentioned that he's the most quiet kid in the crew, but the most matured one. You smiled as he looked up at you.

"You'll be the waitress along with Yeonjun today since Rocky will leave⁠—" Before Jisoo could finish, you see a black haired guy running out of the locker room. "now."

Rocky just bowed in front of you, and waved at Yeonjun on the other corner of the area. 

"Goodluck." You said, trying to be a little friendly to a co-worker. Rocky smiled appreciatively before glancing at the manager.

"I'll be going now, noona."

"Hm, do well." 

When the chime above the door rang, you immediately went to work. You've done a lot of part-time jobs before. Waitressing, transcribing, delivering, and many more, you did it all. Since freshman year, you sought for part-times, not because you wanted to, but because you needed to. After your grandmother died, you felt like you lost everything. 

She was everything.

You needed to do something for yourself, or else she'll be so disappointed in you. That's what motivated you to go on. Even if your friends turned out to be not as real as they are, you needed to get going. Even if you felt alone fighting your own battles, you needed to get going.

Because no one's gonna stop for your sake.

"Serve this to table 6." Mingyu said, making you bounce up from where you stood. He raised his eyebrows at you. "Nervous?"

You smirked. "Nah, I'm good." You swiftly but carefully took the wooden tray with two cups of caffè americano, a slice of strawberry shortcake, and a piece of garlic bread. Your posture remained confident and strong as you walked towards the table on the farthest right, just by the huge windows. 

"Your order, ma'am, sir." You formally said with a smile, placing the drinks on the round brown rubber mats for the cups. The plates on the bamboo placemats along with the fork and knife. "Enjoy."

You were on your way back to get another tray, when a customer raised her hand to order. You immediately took out a notepad from your apron before walking towards her. You greeted her before nodding at her statements. You still stood confidently and looked easy to approach.

"Well, she's a good waitress, huh?" Mingyu nodded his head before looking at his side. Hyunjin was staring at you with awe in his eyes, looking like a puppy who saw his master. "Am I right, Hyunjin-ah?"

The said boy blinked his eyes before nodding quickly. "Y-Yes, noona is."

⁠—

Sighing loudly by your locker, you tapped your fingers on the surface as you thought over your answers in the long exam you took an hour ago. Taking your lower lip by your upper teeth, you slightly frowned while remembering that one answer was uncertain.

"Shit." You mumbled under your breath incredulously. All the relief due to accomplishing the exam left your system, and was replaced by dismay.

That's why you shouldn't think about the exam after taking it. It's done. No matter how hard you contemplate the right answers, nothing will change.

"Why the long face?" You hear a familiar gentle but dark voice beside you. You shut your locker door and faced your cute senior on your left. You smiled as you slightly bowed. 

"Just post-exam thoughts, Kyungsoo sunbae." You sighed as you nodded at him. You glanced around and saw that there are a number of glares being thrown on your way. You cleared your throat before stepping back. "Lunch break?"

"Yep. I'm on my way to see the boys. You?" Kyungsoo said as he looked around, ignoring the stares he was getting. He probably got used to it already. 

I'm not putting up with that kind of attention either.

"I'll be going to my haven." You mumbled, shrugging as you looked back at him. His thick brows furrowed in curiosity, but his heart-shaped lips curved into a small smile. "Have a nice meal, sunbae. I'll get going."

"Oh." Kyungsoo nodded as he stepped away from you, eyes following your excited steps while you headed for the elevator in front of the current building. He tilted his head to the side in wonder. "Our building?"

You let out a breath as you pressed on the 4th button, the elevator doors closing instantly. You were alone as usual. It's been a few days since you last ate up here due to finishing up school works in the library as all resources are there. Since you have started working at night on certain days, some tasks were delayed and needed to be done quickly. This was your only free time to eat lunch there.

"I wonder if my pianist is here." You mumbled under your breath, slightly giggling at your claim. How possessive, Saejin.

The elevator dinged as it arrived at your desired floor. You stepped out of the lift and went to your usual spot near the staircase. Looking at the empty hallway, you caught a glimpse of the light through the last door on your left. The blinds inside are slightly open, so you could see that someone is using the room. You grinned in expectation as you sat down on the floor.

"Please play something." You prayed as you took out your lunch box in glee. Your eyes kept on looking back at the last door in the hallway as you ate your lunch, blinking rapidly while you waited for your favorite pianist play. 

Twenty minutes had passed and nothing was heard. You couldn't deny the disappointment you were feeling right now. You placed your empty lunch box inside your bag again, sighing as you leaned on the wall. 

"Maybe it's not⁠—" 

Notes filled the air, soothing sounds coming from the piano. It's as if it was to lead you into a dream. A beautiful one. You closed your eyes in relief, feeling the gentle taps of music into your ears. 

"With what words can I express this feeling?"

That voice. It was like the wind whispering in the form of singing. 

"How can I look at you for you to know what's in my heart?"

Your lips curved as the singing tickled your senses. It was lulling you enough to make you sleep peacefully, but at the same time, it makes you want to hear the end of it. 

No. You don't want it to end.

"No matter where you are, I'm loving you"

Your eyes opened a bit, feeling the welling of tears on the sides of them. Your lips quivered at the words he sang. It was as if his heart was the one who was speaking.

"I will be with you"

You sniffled, feeling a lump in your throat as you thought of your loved ones that you lost too early. 

"Always, my love for you"

It was as if he took the words you wanted to say out of your silent heart.

You quickly stood up from your seat and grabbed your bag. Your tears were waterfalls trickling down your flushed cheeks. You almost coughed, choking on the lump stuck in your throat. You walked back in the hallway, eyes piercing through the last door.

You stopped in front of the door without any intention to do so. Your feet just dragged you here. You unhygienically wiped your nose with the sleeve of your jacket. Forcing to gulp down the roughness in your throat, you looked up at the ceiling to calm yourself. 

Let's just go down, Saejin. Go down. 

You closed your eyes as you calmed yourself down. 

Just a peek?

Tilting down your head, you opened one eye and slowly tried to see beyond the small gaps of the blinds. 

Just wanted to put a face on the person that keeps on shaking my feelings. 

You looked closely, nose almost touching the glass door. You can see the well-lit room now. There were various instruments on the left side, arranged neatly as if no one has been playing them for a while. There were mic stands too, and a small stage. Since the blinds don't give you the full image, you found it hard to see the piano. You keep on moving from left to right, until you see a white surface on the farthest right. 

"There." You exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief. "How unlucky. Why would the keyboard be away from the door?" You rolled your eyes as you stepped back. You couldn't see who was playing as he was on the other side, the lid was up, but then the music rack was so tall that you cannot even catch a glimpse of the pianist's hair.

You were about to peek again when the lights inside turned off.

That could only mean one thing.

"Oh sh⁠—" You bit down on your lower lip as you ran to the elevator. Quickly pressing the down button, you breathed in and out rapidly. You wiped your wet cheeks and tried to compose yourself. You nervously watched as the numbers on top increased. 

You hear the glass door opening with a squeak, resulting the drumming of your chest. You looked away from his side, trying to look casual and⁠⁠—

*TING

You almost jumped out of your wits as the elevator doors opened, eyes wide as a few students get out of the lift. With the new noise entering the once quiet place, you quickly entered the elevator. The students were chatting loudly in the hallway, until they went to the left as if seeing a celebrity. 

He's the only one there, right? He must be popular. Especially with his singing and piano skills.

You sighed as you pressed the close button. 

Maybe not this time.

"Byun hyung! You're here!"

Your ears perked up as you heard one of the students call. Byun?

And the elevator doors closed.

You stared at the doors for a while, the silence uncomfortable for the first time. 

"Nah. Impossible." You shook your head as you laughed it out until it didn't sound with humor anymore.

Is it?

—

♫ Ch.12

[newobsessioneveryweek]

Sleep

I had LOADS of fun writing this 10k masterpiece with @jinmukangwrites. She’s an amazing writer and if you haven’t heard of her I suggest you check out her blog.

Inspired by a post made on @linkeduniversetweets (asked by @toschiworlds) 

Brief spoiler-free summary: The Links spend a few days at Lon Lon Ranch during which Time manages to get himself concussed.

Enjoy

The Links had endured countless battles, vicious monsters, cascades of blood, and cold, unforgiving nights in the wilderness for several months but what laid before them offered the heroes a vital reprieve.

Blue skies and a gentle breeze greeted the Hero of Time when he climbed the small hill leading to his home in the early afternoon. The sun shone brightly upon him, almost unbearably warm, but a comforting feeling nonetheless. The smell of hay perfumed the air and left a lingering sweetness. But the sight of the woman that greeted him made the experience one hundred times sweeter. Time swung Malon once before leaning in and leaving a gentle kiss on her lips, relishing the bliss the reunion brought. The pair embraced and the remaining heroes either coed over the joyous moment or turned away to give the couple their privacy.

“I’ve missed you,” Time whispered into Malon’s shoulder. Malon could only barely stop herself from tearing up at her elation at hearing her husband’s voice.

“I missed you too,” she responded, her voice cracking slightly.

Lon Lon Ranch had become a haven for the travelling band of heroes and, though their job was far from finished, the Links felt that their abundant efforts could be rewarded with the few days they were able to spend in safety behind the walls of the ranch. But that luxury didn’t come without its small price.

***

“Chores!” Malon slammed a metal pail on the kitchen table, causing the Links who were having breakfast to jump in surprise. A beaming smile adorned her bright face as she looked around the room at each individual face.

Wild nearly dropped his sausage and Wind gasped the water he was drinking down the wrong pipe at the sudden raucous noise, causing him to cough excessively. “Who’s milking the cows and who’s feeding the cuccos,” Malon asked.

The Links around the table glanced at each other before quickly responding. “I’ll milk the cows,” They volunteered in unison. Malon laughed and took the bucket back. “If you can’t decide I’ll dish out the work myself. Wild, you can stay with me and wash dishes-”

“Lucky bastard,” Legend said.

“Language young man,” Malon chided. Legend immediately shut his mouth and listened. Malon tapped her chin before she turned to Legend. “Legend, you’re on cucco duty.”

“What? Why?”

“Because of that potty mouth of yours.” Beside Legend Warrior snickered. Malon huffed. “Alright Warrior, you can help him.”

“Oh, come on,” Warrior complained, which prompted a laugh from Legend in return.

“WInd, you can feed the pigs.”

“Yes,” Wind cheered. He liked the pigs.

“Twilight, you and Sky are on shovel duty,”

“What’s shovel- oh,” Sky then realised the odd job he’d been given and cringed.

“Yeah,” Twilight said.

“Hyrule and Four, hmm, you two are on milking duty with me.”

“Aw, yeah! I love milking duty,” Hyrule exclaimed.

“I don’t. The milk always gets on me,” Four grumbled.

“Well, maybe you should get a higher stool,” Legend joked.

Four stuck his tongue out at the remark and took the offered bucket from Malon once he cleared his plate.

“What about Time?”

“What about Time- I mean Link?”

“What’s his job?”

 “Oh! I sent him to fix up one of the stables in the old barn. We’re planning on breeding the horses so we need more space.”

 “Cool! Epona needs more friends,” Wind said excitedly. “Can I name the babies, please?” Wind practically begged her, and Malon easily granted his wish.

“Of course,” Malon said simply, smiling widely. “There’ll be plenty of names to give next time you happen to roll around our neck of the woods.”

***

“Let’s see,” Time muttered to himself as he took inventory of the tools on the shelf in front of him. “Wrench, saw. What’s that called again?” Time snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name of the strangle apparatus. “Gimlet,” he exclaimed. Time had long since finished his repair job, but he decided to make a list of their belongings while he was busy. He liked order and he knew Malon would appreciate the extra effort. Just knowing what you had made missing items easier to identify.

After he was done counting the hand tools he moved on to the gardening section of the barn where the heavier instruments were kept. Hoes and shovels, rakes and spades, pickaxes and regular axes hung neatly on hooks right above the Hero of Time, making it easy for him to see each individual item. “Okay, what do we have here?” Time took note of all the different items hung on the wall, jotting them down on his bulleted list as he went along the row.

“Alright, that seems to be- huh?” Time whirled around just in Time to see Epona barreling towards him at top speed. Her eyes held a spark of panic, she moved frantically as if trying to escape something. It all happened in a split second.

Epona charged, ramming straight into the startled hero and carrying him into the wall, causing the tools hung on the short, narrow hooks to fall on top of him. Epona whinnied in surprise and ran away from the scene, leaving the Hero of Time crumpled on the floor.

Time was faintly aware of the serious head wound he had sustained as a result of multiple sharp, heavy objects landing on his head. It took him approximately two seconds to realise how weak he felt and that if he moved his head even slightly overwhelming nausea would wash over him. His ears were ringing, his head ached and he felt absolutely helpless.

Sleepiness slowly began to creep upon him but Time fought the feeling with his entire being. He would spend his energy trying to avoid the inevitability of sleep. He had to fight it! If he didn’t… he would not be the same when he woke up.

In his stupor, he hadn’t realised the day’s coming to an end and so the feeble hero laid helpless on the floor of the old barn, desperately trying to stay awake. 

-o-o-o-o-

"This brings me back," Twilight said, shoving the shovel down in his hands for the dozenth time that evening. He dug the blade of the shovel under a particularly large pile of manure and lifted it so he can dump in an ever pulling wheelbarrow graciously provided by Malon.

Beside him, Sky grunted as he too worked a shovel into the ground. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and then continued. "This brings you back?" 

"Oh yeah. Growing up, I didn't have parents. I had to get money to fend for myself by doing odd jobs for the people of the village I lived in" Twilight explained, "one of those jobs was mucking up the fields. Didn't enjoy it at the time, but it was good and honest work for a child. Now that I'm older, I help out with herding and taking care of the animals. We have the younger kids cleaning the fields now."

"Odd jobs where I came from normally included carrying books," Sky said somewhat bitterly as he unloaded his shovel into the wheelbarrow, "or cleaning blackboards."

Twilight let out a chuckle and stuck his shovel into the ground, looking around the field to admire their work. Malon did a fantastic job with caring for the ranch herself, but she was probably overworked with her husband gone off on another adventure, and seeing her field all clean-looking filled Twilight's chest with pride. 

"So, what now?" Sky asked, looking at the pile of manure with a wrinkled nose. Twilight shrugged and grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow. 

"I'm sure Malon has a place for us to put this so we can let it decompose."

"Oh," Sky hummed. "How long does that take?"

Twilight shrugged. "Depends. We can see if Malon wants us to throw any unused crops in there to help the process, but, either way, it should be fine to use as fertilizer by the time fields are ready-"

"Wait, did you say fertilizer?" Sky squawked and Twilight grinned. 

"Oh yeah, city boy. Every farmer does it."

"U-uses poo to-"

"There you boys are," a new voice chimed in and Twilight turned to find Malon walking towards them, a smile on her face. "All done?"

"Yes ma'am," Twilight nodded while Sky stood there gaping. "Was just wanderin' where you wanted us to put this?"

"Oh, we have a spot for it by the mill, that way it doesn't stink up the house while it bakes," Malon said with a wink.

"I think I'm going to barf," Sky said, clutching his stomach and both Twilight and Malon burst into fits of laughter. "This isn't funny! I'm never going to be able to eat a vegetable ever again!" 

"Oh honey, wait until you hear what we feed the pigs," Malon joked, and Twilight would have laughed along as Sky cried out in horror, covering his ears, but a different sound met Twilight's ears that took every drop of his attention away. 

As a goat herder, there are sounds that he was trained to recognize. One of those was the sound of frantic, escaping hooves. 

He turned his eyes away from Malon who was punching Sky's shoulder jokingly and looked towards the sound, only to see a horse raging right towards them. 

Epona. 

Instinctively—ditching the wheelbarrow—he rushed away from Malon—who at this point had noticed the startled horse as well—and threw his hands up, calling out. She was barreling right towards them, ears pinned back in panic and mouth loudly panting, until she reared up and cried out right before she could run into him. 

Something scared Epona, if the way she remained agitated until Malon pushed her way through and began to sing a song, something scared her badly. 

"Is she okay?" Sky asked hesitantly. 

"I don't know," Malon said softly, rubbing Epona's mane with gentle movements. "What scared ya, girl?"

"If Epona is anything like my horse, nothing small," Twilight mused, he too joining in to stroke Epona's neck. 

"We should find the others," Sky mumbled, pulling out his sword. Twilight agreed with a nod and unsheathed his own, the joking and good mood a mere fading memory now.

"If you don't mind, ma'am," Twilight said and gave his most assuring smile towards Malon, "you should head inside. I'll take care of Epona."

Malon looked like she was about to argue but then her shoulders sagged. "Bring everyone back safe. I'm sure it's just a wild animal."

-o-o-o-o-

"That'a'gal," Twilight hummed, leading Epona closer towards the stable, one hand still with his sword. Epona seemed to have calmed down some, but he's still worried about her. What could scare a horse that has been through so much?

He sighed and took another step towards the stable, and then he was knocked painfully off his feet by something appearing out from the ground. He landed harshly on his back with a grunt, just managing to avoid biting his tongue, but the sound of Epona's loud neigh was enough to get him quickly back onto his feet. He's back on solid ground just in time to jump to the side to avoid a fleshy, slug-like body and it's sharp pincers. 

A leaver. An almost true constant between worlds. Annoying, fast, and persistent. However, they are normally found in the desert. 

Twilight would wonder why this leaver was here if it wasn't for the disgusting inky tone to its body. 

Infected. 

Twilight jumped into battle without another second to lose. He didn't even have time to regret sending Sky to the opposite side of the field to search for the others before the leaver burrowed its strong body into the ground. Epona stomped the dirt with her hooves, whinnying loudly and angrily and he understood why she was so startled now. Any horse would be startled by something popping up from below them. 

A section of ground popped up a bit and Twilight was on it in a heartbeat, jumping forward and sending his sword down. He could hear an agonized gurgle come from the creature but it wasn't done yet. It shifted and pushed forward, knocking him back. He lost grip of his sword and with a startled yell he was once again on his back. He just barely had enough time to look up for the creature but didn't have any more to spend on defending himself when it raced toward him. 

Then, four raging hooves stomped on it and kept stomping on it until it was a gross pile of mush. 

Twilight relaxed against the ground, forcing his heart to calm down. 

Well, that happened. 

He shoved himself once again to his feet and grabbed his sword, glaring at the creature now turned pudding. Epona didn't look like she'd calm down again anytime soon if the way she was huffing and snarling and stomping her feet indicated anything. So, he decided he'd let her be and go inside the stable, remembering that the old man should be in there. He could calm her down better.

He walked towards the door, gave a small knock, and opened it. "Hey, Time?" He called, the smell of horse meeting his nose. There was no answer, so he went all the way in, eyebrows furrowed by the silence. 

Then, a groan. 

He turned his neck, and his blood froze. "Oh Hylia. Time!'

Time laid miserably on his spot on the floor, tools strewn on and around him. Twilight sprinted towards his mentor, desperate to see what had caused the strong hero to look so vulnerable. Upon closer inspection, Twilight noticed the blood coating Time’s hair and face. “Goddesses, Time what happened to you?”

Time could only reach up and touch his forehead, wincing at the pain the simple action brought on.

Twilight was quick to sling Time’s arm around his shoulder but couldn’t manage to haul him up. If only the hero had removed his armour he would have been easier to lift. “Holy Hylia, Time, you weigh a ton.” Twilight sighed. “Okay, I’m going to get help. I’ll be right back.” Twilight ran as quickly as he could from the stable as Time groaned again and slumped back against the wall. It wasn’t long before he ran into Warrior and Legend who were busy tending the cucoos.

“Always remember,” Legend said beside Warrior who was holding a bag of feed at arm’s length, a cucoo standing innocently in front of him. “They can smell fear.”

“I’ve fought cucoo wars, my friend,” Warrior said eliciting a snicker from Legend, “I am not afraid of feeding these little punks.” As if on cue the cucoo crowed and Warrior visibly startled. Legend began cackling at his side, doubling over at the hilarity. “Shut up. I just got a fright.”

“Guys,” Twilight called, catching the pair’s attention. They turned to Twilight, seeing the weary look in his eyes.

“What’s wrong,” Warrior asked, concern in his voice.

“Time’s hurt. I can’t carry him alone. I need your help to take him to the house.”

“Say no more. I’ll come with you.” Warrior stepped over the fence keeping the cucoos and joined Twilight’s side.

“Me too,” Legend said, making his way over when Twilight stopped him.

“No, Legend. I need you to tell Malon what happened. She should be in the house.”

“O-okay. I’m on it.” Legend dashed off to the house and while Warrior and Twilight made their way hastily to the barn.

“How bad is it,” Warrior huffed as they ran across the field.

“I don’t know. He was pretty out of it when I got there but I hope he’s doing okay. He might have a concussion.”

Warrior hummed in thought. “What exactly happened?“

“I don’t know, but by the looks of it, some tools fell on top of him. He was lying under a bunch of gardening equipment.”

“Shit,” Warrior cursed. “I think you might be right about that concussion. How did that even happen?”

“I don’t know. He can tell us when we get him inside.”

They came to a stop in front of the red and white wooden building and pushed open the large wide doors.

“Old man,” Warrior called, peering inside, “You okay?”

Time was still on the floor, covered in blood and moaning. His eyes were glazed over but they held a note of fear behind them.

“Time, we’re going to help you. We just need to-” Twilight began as he knelt next to the man and slung his arm over his shoulder for the second time when he was interrupted by a sudden outcry.

“Get away from me,” Time yelled as loudly as he could in the state he was in. Twilight startled at his mentor’s harsh words, but he continued to lift him with Warrior’s help. “No, NO! Leave me,” Time continued to shout, fighting to free himself from Twilight and Warrior’s firm grip.

“Time, calm down, we’re just trying to take you home-”

“No, please,” Twilight spared a glance at the old man and his heart sank. Was Time crying? “Not again. I beg of you.”

“Time,” Twilight said gently, “It’s going to be fine.”

Just then Legend burst through the door. He doubled over, breathing heavily. “Fuck,” more breathing, “Okay,” he straightened and looked at the trio, Time’s teary-eyed visage and blood-soaked hair catching his notice above everything else. “Goddesses, Time, what happened?”

“We don’t know, but we need your help getting him to the house.”

Legend needed no more instruction and jogged over to help Twilight and Warrior carry the injured man. He took hold of Time’s legs but got kicked in the face for his efforts. “Ow! What-”

“Let go of me!” Time was frantic. He began kicking and flailing his arms to try and get away, but his efforts were weak despite his dedication.

“Time, we need you to cooperate,” Warrior scolded. “Malon’s probably worried sick.” Legend tried again to take hold of Time’s legs, but Time wouldn’t relent. He kept thrashing. “Time please-”

Time began wailing out of nowhere. He stopped fighting and fell to his knees, escaping from their grips but making no move to run. “I can’t. Don’t take me back there. The sacred realm,” Time sobbed, “I don’t want to go back.” Twilight froze. The sacred realm? Time had been there? Could that mean he was imprisoned with Ganondorf? And if that was the case, could that be why Time had been fighting them so relentlessly only a moment ago? Maybe his head wound was more serious than Twilight originally thought if Time was freaking out about events from that long ago. Twilight moved to pick him up again and this time his mentor didn’t flinch, probably having spent all of his energy trying to keep them away.

Soon the three heroes managed to get Time to the house without too much trouble. But the whole scene was still on Twilight’s mind. Why did Time think that they were going to take him to the sacred realm? What had traumatised the hero so much that he showed such vulnerability; such helplessness, and fear?

Before Twilight could ponder any longer Malon rushed to help her husband. She shouldered the weight Warrior had been carrying and they both managed to nearly drag Time upstairs to bed. All the while Time muttered words of protest, though he was unable to fight back effectively.

 He seemed so lifeless. Boneless even. So unlike himself that it had Twilight swallowing something stuck in his throat. Something that felt like a seed of panic. Yet he knew he couldn't panic, not yet, because if he turned around he'd see the others looking at him, looking for some sort of direction, something to do. 

Twilight didn't have anything for them to do. He barely knew what to do himself. 

So he swallowed that seed and turned, keeping his face as neutral as he could manage, and looked at each hero in the eye. Legend, of course, was there, but until now Twilight hadn't noticed Wild and Four were there as well. Sky must have still been looking for the others.

Well, he supposed there was something to do. 

"Head out, find the others, and bring your swords," he said calmly, a stark difference from what he was actually feeling. "I ran into an infected Leaver out there. They travel in packs, there could be more."

"Alright," Wild mumbled, grabbing his sword and walking out the door even though Twilight didn't think Wild knew what a leaver was. Legend shared a look with Twilight before nodding and running out to follow the champion.

"I'll go check on the traveler," Four said, "he's cleaning up the cow pen. The pig parlor is near there too, so I'll see if Wind is still there." And then he was out the door.

Then, Twilight was alone, looking at the empty house and feeling almost… lost on what to do. He supposed he could head out and search for Sky, but his feet didn't seem to want to move from their spot. 

Then, the sound of creaking floorboards made themselves known behind Twilight. He turned around to see Warrior standing there.

Warrior gave Twilight a small smile and Twilight found himself smiling a tad bit back. Worry was a knot in his chest, but he was sure with the help of the others, this would just be a bump in the road. 

"While they're finding the others," Warrior offered, "you and I can check the perimeter for more monsters."

Twilight was about to respond that it sounded like a plan, but then Malon made her appearance as well. "Actually, I need one of you boys to help me a little more," she said softly. Twilight glanced at Warrior and he shrugged, fixing his scarf around his neck so it wrapped a little around his chin. 

"Why don't you help the lady," Warrior said, "I want to see these leavers for myself."

Twilight nodded, making a mental note to thank Warrior later, and then turned towards Malon as the other hero took his leave. Malon gave him a kind look before she stepped forward and brushed her finger across his cheek. "Look at you," she said, "you need a hose down more than the pigs."

Twilight released a breath and stepped away, folding his arms across his chest. "How is he?"

A grimace passed over Malon's features. "Tired. Confused. Scared. Nothing I haven't tackled before."

Twilight knew nightmares were not exclusive. Anyone could have them. Someone with a perfect life. Someone who've seen more war-torn days that simple days. Nightmares crept up on the cowardly. Pounced on the brave. It shouldn't surprise him that things like this had happened to Time before. 

"Thankfully, he's keeping himself awake," Malon continued, beginning to head towards the front door. Twilight quickly followed along. "I don't know if he's conscious enough to purposely keep himself awake, or if… if he's subconsciously doing it. But either way, it gives us time to find help."

She walked out of the house with Twilight at her heels, and eventually, she stopped by a small garden of berry bushes. She worked her way past them and revealed a small birdbath.

Well, a fairy bath actually. 

"Drat," Malon cussed, "there's only one."

"You collect them?"

"You boys and your collecting," Malon mumbled, walking forward to where a small ball of light hovered over the water in the bowl, dropping every so often to perhaps take a sip. "We're looking for one." She reached forward and gently cupped the fairy in her hands, mumbling a soft plea for help that they both knew the fairy would oblige without a single hesitation. 

"Navi," Twilight whispered in reverence. Malon slowly pulled her hands to her chest, the fairie's light glowing through her fingers. 

"How… how much do you know about my husband?" She asked.

Twilight swallowed. "Um, more than the others. B-but less than you, I'm sure."

She shook her head and began to head back to the house. "There's not a single thing I don't know about him. Do you know about the true nature of his adventures? Why he had been given the title of Hero of Time?" 

"I, uh," Twilight stumbled, placing his hand on the back of his neck and rubbing sheepishly. "Not really. I know he… traveled a few times. Back and forth into the future and the past."

"That doesn't just happen you know," Malon said as they walked back into the house. They stopped right in front of the master bedroom and she sighed, looking older than what he had ever seen her before. "He tells me that when he was a boy, he went to obtain a sacred sword. But his body… was too young and weak to wield a sword like that. Against his will and knowledge, he was locked away in the sacred realm… for seven years, only to wake up in a body that was older than his mind. To a world torn apart by power.

"He… he tells me he does not remember those years locked away, but sometimes he wakes up screaming to let him go. Let him leave. That he's afraid and he doesn't want to be there anymore. I think… I think the memories of that place are somewhere in his head, and when he's asleep or things like this happen, they're unlocked."

Twilight nodded somberly in sympathy for Time’s circumstances. Time had endured much more than any normal Hylian could even fathom, though Malon seemed uninterested in Time’s heroics and more in tune with the man he was inside. She would know what to say to snap him out of his state of anxiety. If anyone could bring him back to reality it was her.

The door creaked loudly as Malon opened it hesitantly. She tiptoed over to the bed on which Time was lying with his back against the headboard. His head faced the window across the bed. He kept muttering unintelligibly under his breath, his eyes would dart across the room, and he would jump at the slightest noise. The hero turned his head at their approaching footsteps.

“Dear,” Malon said, causing her husband to turn towards her completely. He looked exhausted as if he’d pass out any second, but they couldn’t risk him falling into any terrible consequences of a concussion. Time smiled at her, and, for the first time since the incident, he looked as if he felt truly safe. “I brought something that might help you.” Malon released the fairy from her hands, watching it whisk away and flutter over Time’s shaking form. Almost instantly he relaxed, though slightly. His pupils contracted, the dazed look in his eyes faded and he stopped shaking. He stopped muttering to himself and looked up at Twilight who had made his way over to the bed. Time, for the briefest moment, looked as if he recognised Twilight before he shot up and scooted back on the bed, shouting, “No!” and “Get away from me!”

“Not again, NOT AGAIN!”

“Link, sweetheart, it’s just Twilight,” Malon said, reaching out and trying to placate him. “Please, try to remember. He’s not going to take you back. I-I promise,” Malon choked out. Tears pricked at her eyes as she watched her husband agonise over the cruelty that had been done to him as a child. She didn’t think she could bear to see him crumble under the weight of all his years of torture and vulnerability.

Time saw this- her tears- and stopped. He drew closer to her and placed a rough but gentle hand on her cheek.

“Twilight, will you just-” she paused and took a calm, shaky breath, looking deeply into Time’s scared eyes. “Will you please give me a moment?”

Twilight respectfully nodded and left the room. He heard voices coming from the kitchen and made his way there to find that all of the Links had returned. They all wore worried expression, presumably having all heard the news about Time’s accident.

Twilight cleared his throat and addressed the room at their expectant glances. “He’ll be alright,” he said simply.

“Alright? That’s it? No ‘he’s responding to treatment’, or ‘we know how to heal him’?” Four asked bluntly

“What kind of treatment, dumbass? We have no potions, no fairies, and no doctor,” Legend declared, flailing his arms wildly. “And how are we supposed to know how to heal him if we don’t know what’s wrong?”

“We actually had one fairy,” Twilight answered, “and we might know what’s wrong with him.”

All heads turned to Twilight at the new information. “Well? Spill it. How do we fix him,” Legend demanded, tapping his foot impatiently. He tried to look nonchalant but the look in his eyes betrayed his concern.

“He might have sustained a serious concussion, but, with the fairy, we were able to lessen the injury, but we’ll still need to take shifts waking him up. We have to make sure he doesn’t bear any permanent damage.”

The group fell silent after that, worry casting its dark cloud over them. Twilight shifted and played with his fingers, revealing his nerves.

“There’s something you’re not telling us,” WIld pointed out suddenly, catching the group’s attention. Twilight paused. Even though he knew it was necessary to tell them and they would find out even without his help, he didn’t want to spread worry over a handleable situation. Despite these thoughts, he decided he needed to tell them the truth.

“There is… one problem. I don’t think the old man remembers any of us or trusts us. And more than that it seems like he’s trying to keep himself awake because of some past trauma.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it,” WInd asked hopefully.

“Not exactly. Concussed patients need sleep. They just can’t be asleep for too long periods at a time.”

“That’s sure to make things difficult, but it’s just a small setback. We can still get him to sleep and help him remember us,” Sky added cheerfully.

The rest of the Links didn’t look so sure, but they didn’t argue with Sky either. His optimism was welcome in their time of panic. They were willing to give anything a shot if it meant helping their friend.

“I think it’s best if we take shifts. Too many people at once will just overwhelm him.

“If that’s the case I’ll take the first shift,” said Warrior, standing. “I mean, we were pretty close. Maybe there’s a chance he’ll remember me.”

Twilight thought about that. Of course, there was a chance, but if the old man didn’t even remember Twilight he didn’t think he’d remember Warrior, even if they were close. “Okay, go for it,” Twilight said wearily.

Warrior nodded and left for Time and Malon’s room, leaving the rest to ponder the endless possibilities that might come of this.

"Oh good, you all have a plan," Molon said, walking into the room with the other Links'. She gave them a tired yet enthusiastic smile. " That means I can trust you all to hold down the fort while I head to Castle Town."

"Alone?" Sky asked, only to hiss out in pain when Wind elbowed him in the side.

"She can handle herself," Wind warned but Malon just chuckled good-naturedly. 

"I appreciate the concern, sky child, but it's just to the castle. My husband needs more medicine and the sun is still up for a little while longer. I'll be back by morning, just keep waking him up every so often to make sure he's not getting worse," she said, tugging a shawl around her shoulders.

"If you wish for one of us to accompany you," Wild offered smally, "I'd be happy to tag along."

Really, Twilight would almost like for Wild to join Malon. He looked out of his element, and he probably felt like the last one capable to help someone with memory loss and confusion. But Malon simply shook her head and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling kindly at him. "Thank you for offering, but I'll be fine. My husband needs you all. You're all very important to him. Besides, I won't be alone, I'll have Epona with me."

"You're important to him too," Hyrule said quietly. 

Malon just beamed at him before she walked over to the door. "I'll be back by morning. Earlier if the gates don't lock me in. Take care!"

"Good luck," seven voices all chimed in. Then, Malon was gone, and the boys were all left to their own devices. 

And there weren't a whole lot of devices, so Twilight took a page from Time and Malon's book and set the boys to work. Wild returned to the kitchen, finishing up dinner while Legend and Hyrule went to clean up and prepare the guest room. To Sky, he assigned sweeping the floors and Four and Wild worked together to dust various cabinets. All the while, the door to the master bedroom remained silent, a boding forewarning of what the future had to bring. 

-o-o-o-o-

His head hurt. That was the simple truth of everything. His head hurt. Enough so that he would be quite content doing nothing. He was pretty sure he was asleep, but he couldn't really recall why. If he tried to remember, then the headache would just grow and he would rather it went away. 

Unfortunately for him, he had little choice in many things, one of those things was the over creeping sense of wakefulness forcing himself to become aware of his body, the sounds around him, and the gross taste lingering in his mouth. Something on his shoulder.

He would have preferred to keep his eyes shut, but they opened anyway, bringing a sharp ping of pain through his skull.

Blinking, he looked ahead of him, only to find a wooden ceiling above his head and not much else. He moaned as his headache smarted, but he quickly stilled as he realized that the pressure on his shoulder that he felt earlier was still there. 

He turned his head and his eyes widened. There was a man in the room with him, leaning towards him from a wooden chair set next to the bed, arm stretched out and hand resting on him. Face screwed up with concern.

“Hey, old man, you up?”

Instantly, panic washed over him.

He jerked away from the man, slamming his hands next to his side to perhaps find a weapon. “Get away,” he snarled and the man snapped back as if stung. It was now that he realized that he didn’t know where he was. There was a small inkling at the back of his head that promised that he might have been here, but the hysteria from waking up with a stranger next to him was blurring his vision, making it even harder to concentrate when combined with his aching head. 

“Time, it’s me,” the man said, his voice stern but a little rushed like he was nervous, and that certainly did nothing to make Link trust him any more than what he initially did. “Captain?”

“Where am I?” Link snarled, his voice sounding wrong in his own throat. He tried to shift up in the bed he was lying in, but his body felt wrong and the hurt in his head was traveling down his spine with the movement. A flash of familiarity ricocheted across his skull and he couldn’t help but whimper at it. He had felt like this before. Like his body was wrong and everything was different and wrong and that only made him want to panic more.

Yet everything hurt, he could hardly even think about moving without some sort of pain. He could just lie there and struggle to make sense of what’s going on, hoping his muddled mind would clear.

“You’re at your home,” the man (captain?) said slowly, making an effort to raise his hands and show he was weaponless. Not that Link believed him for a second. People can be crafty when they want to be. “What do you remember?”

“I-” Link swallowed, trying to grasp onto anything that was more clear than the rapid beating of his heart. He was so confused, and scared, and lost, and what was the last thing he remembered? He can hardly remember a single thing. Then, something calming washed over him with the soothing voice of a woman singing softly in his hair, her soft hands running through his hair. 

Safe, she said, you’re safe my love.

And just like that, her face appeared in his mind’s eye, and he was overcome with comfort and safety and finally, his heart calmed just a bit. He didn’t remember these walls, but he recognizes them now.

Home, they say. Safe.

He looked at the man again, trying to see him in a different light, try to puzzle together something he’s missing most the pieces to. 

A name flashed across the tip of his tongue, and he spoke it before he could question it. “You’re Link,” he said softly.

The man smiled and relaxed ever so slightly, and Link can feel the energy inside of him whither as well. He can barely keep his eyes open anymore, the adrenaline fading like a wistful song. “I’m Link too,” the man said kindly.

“Oh,” was all Link could say to that. His eyes are heavy now, almost like something unseen was wrapping itself around him, trying to drag him back into unconsciousness, and he almost fell into it if it weren’t for the hand replacing itself back onto his shoulder. 

“Hey, not yet, old man,” the other Link said. “We have to keep you awake just a bit longer, just to make sure your memory loss isn’t the only damage the concussion did.”

“Concussion…?”

The man simply nodded with a gentle, reassuring smile plastered on his face. “Yeah, you wouldn’t remember that. We found you out in the barn. You were lying under a bunch of gardening equipment with blood running from a wound on your head. Malon, your wife,” Link confirmed, “patched you up with a fairy-”

“Fairy,” Time interrupted, a flash of hope sparking in his eyes. “Navi?”

The other Link’s face fell as he shook his head. “No, old man. I’m sorry.” The pair were silent for a minute. Link kept his gaze on the floor as if it was more interesting than their conversation. The man ran a hand down his face before he spoke again. “Even though your wound is healed the effects are still there. You’ll be out of commission for a couple of days so don’t even think about getting out of bed.”

Link didn’t argue. He felt positively shitty to put it lightly. His head felt like a blacksmith’s anvil… blacksmith… somehow that word felt important as if it stirred the fog enshrouding his mind, trying to reveal a secret that would rather stay hidden. He grasped at it, but it evaded him.

Then a thought occurred to him out of the blue.

Link stared blankly at the man and blinked.

“What,” the other Link asked.

“Why are you in my house?” The question came out of nowhere, unprompted by anything, and yet, this was his house? Why was this man here?

The man blanched. “I’m sorry, what?”

“This is my house, is it not? I remember… that I know who you are, but why are you here? Does my wife know? Are there others? When did you even find me?”

“We found you earlier today and, yeah, there are others Twilight was here-”

“Twilight,” Link said slowly. “Yes, he was in here.“

“He’s one of us,” the other said. He paused as if realising something. “Do you remember him?”

Link shook his head. “No, I- I thought… I didn’t trust him. I thought he was going to take me back. I sense his magic... He can’t be trusted.” Link spoke frantically, trying to get his nerves across so the other Link would listen. He couldn’t go back to that place, no, he wouldn’t!

“Time, nobody here is going to hurt you. We’re your friends.” The man said then he sighed. “Malon left to get you some medicine,” he said and Link wanted to panic, but he could tell that the other was sure of his words, that Link wouldn’t be hurt. “In the meantime, I’m just going to ask you a few questions to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“All right.” Link did not feel fine, but he guessed that the other man meant something else.

The man cleared his throat before he began. “Are you feeling particularly irritable at the moment?”

Link quirked an eyebrow. “What sort of question is that?”

“Just answer me,” the man said, eliciting a small giggle from Link.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said, coming out of his laughter. He still wasn’t sure of this man’s intentions, but a vague recollection at the back of his mind told him that he was familiar and therefore trustworthy.

“Good. Now, tell me everything you remember starting from when you met me.”

Odd question, Link thought. “Okay, I remember… I remember this-this portal of sorts.” Link tried to bring up the memories from his foggy mind and managed to recount his meeting with the man in front of him.

“We walked through another portal and,” Link gasped. He froze as the next memory came to him. “We were in the sky, on a floating island.” His eyes were wide. It was as if he was experiencing something supernatural, but, somehow, all of this felt like he was eating seconds from the same dish. “How is that possible.”

“Keep going,” the man cajoled.

“I remember we met someone, someone who always wore some sort of cape. It was mostly white- Link! His name was also Link.”

The man nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, keep going.”

Link’s face scrunched up as he thought, but every card he drew after that was blank. “That’s it.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Also, why are all our names Link?”

“We share the name of the hero’s spirit. You remember that much, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Link replied slowly.

“Okay, moving on,” the other Link said, waving his hand in the air. “What are your symptoms.”

***

Twilight was biting his nails. He couldn’t shake the thought of having Time distrust him so much that he perceived him as a threat.

Twilight paced back and forth across the kitchen as Wild finished up supper. “Your fingernails are down to stubs. If you go any further you’ll bleed,” Wild cautioned, sparing a glance at his mentor from his spot at the counter.

“What if he doesn’t remember any of us Wild? What if he sees us as dangerous? We can’t defeat Dark Link without him.” Twilight felt utterly defeated, but he wouldn’t let the others know that. He needed to be strong, but it was so much more difficult being a leader than Time made it out to be. The whole facade that he put up in front of the others was starting to crumble with every minute Time was struggling to remember.

“Twi, just be patient. He’ll come to his senses soon enough. In the meantime, you just need to put a little faith in him. Help him remember.”

Twilight took a deep breath. “You’re right. This isn’t going to fix itself.”

Twilight heard footsteps descending the stairs and swiftly turned around to see Warrior making his way toward them. “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“What’s the bad news,” Wild asked instead of Twilight.

“The bad news: Time doesn’t remember you,” Warrior said, addressing Twilight.

Twilight groaned. Of course, he knew as much, but he was hoping Warrior could get a different result despite his doubts. “What’s the good news then?”

“He remembers me and Sky. Meaning I was able to get him to trust that the rest of you won’t hurt him. He’s willing to speak to you. Also, there doesn't seem to be any  long-lasting side effects.”

Twilight released a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. It was a start, Time was willing to see him. If there was any chance of Twilight getting Time to recover, he’d take it. “Alright. I’ll go talk to him.” Twilight rushed forward but he was stopped as Warrior put a hand out in front of him, keeping him in place.

“Ah ah ah, not yet. Time’s resting. You should wake him up in about two hours to check if he’s okay. Do. Not. Force it. If he doesn’t remember you, it’s okay. Be patient.”

Twilight nodded sadly. He didn’t want to wait, but, for Time’s safety, he supposed he had no choice. “Thanks, Warrior.”

Warrior flashed Twilight a warm, reassuring smile before he turned to Wild. “I’m absolutely famished.”

“Well and grand. Supper is just about done. Mind setting up the table?”

“Sure.” Warrior set off to find the crockery and cutlery and Twilight stood, staring out the window, into the distance. “Something on your mind?” Wild inquired.

“What isn’t on my mind?”

“Fair. Go take a seat. I’ll save Time a plate.”

Twilight grudgingly obeyed and took a seat at the dining table. He folded his arms and rested his head on them. It had been a rough day for everyone and the fact that Time remembered Warrior and not him made him feel just a tad jealous.

The others had arrived and conversations were going over their meal, but Twilight was part of them. His focus was drawn to their most pressing issue and, as a result, he felt perpetually stressed.

Twilight didn’t notice Wild come up to him when everyone had left the table. “It’s been two hours-”

Twilight didn’t even let Wild finish his sentence before he sprang out of his chair and dashed to the stairs.

“Wait,” Wild called. “Take this.” In Wild’s hands was a plate of food. Twilight took the offered food with a knife and fork. “He might be hungry when he wakes up.”

“Thanks.” Twilight gave a wan smile and headed up to the master bedroom.

Once Twilight reached the door he knocked before he could think better of it. Twilight facepalmed. “Dammit, Link. Of course, he’s not going to answer the door.” But Twilight gave a surprised yelp when his mentor swung the door open. “Y-you’re supposed to be in bed,” Twilight chided.

Time looked, in every sense of the word, like a crook caught in the lamplight. His eyes were round and surprised and he simply stood there, staring at Twilight like he didn't quite know what to do next. 

"But I suppose that's a good sign, isn't it?" Twilight asked nervously, uncomfortable under the elder man's stare. "You waking up yourself? I don't really know the fine details of concussions but-"

He's cut off as the door is suddenly slammed shut and he's left of the other side gaping, the plate of food left uselessly in his hand. 

It took him a moment to find his voice. He reached up and knocked again. "Old man? It's me, Twilight, I just came to check up on you and give you some dinner!"

There's no answer and a spark of annoyance ignited in Twilight's chest. 

"I'm not going to hurt you," he called, knocking again, "I'm your friend. Warrior said you remembered him and Sky; I'm their friend too!" 

"Go away, please!" Time suddenly called on the other side of the door. 

Twilight rolled his eyes. "Sorry, buddy, can't do that. We have to make sure you're doing alright. The sun is setting and I don't think Malon will be back until morning, so you have to work with us for a little while longer." He reached forward and placed his hand on the doorknob, feeling a little like he's about to breach his mentor's privacy, but at the same time his mentor is acting very childish and Twilight can't just leave him be. 

The doorknob jiggled but did not open. Twilight scowled and huffed. "Very mature," he said, "unlock the door. Look, I know you're very hard-headed, but you have to let us help you. You have to let somebody in."

"Send someone else!" Time called. 

And that blow was almost physical. 

It definitely had him stumbling back like it. 

Deep breaths Twi. Deep breaths. "Look! I don't know why you don't like me all of a sudden, but I mean nothing but goodwill! Plus, Warrior said that you'd be willing to talk with me?"

"... I changed my mind."

"Old man," Twilight said in exasperation. "Time. Open the door." He jiggled the doorknob. "C'mon, I'm not going to bite you or whatever. Time! Please?" 

Nothing. 

Twilight had to step away to restrain himself from kicking the door down. 

"Fine! You win! But you will let someone in!"

He turned with a huff and walked back to the kitchen where the others were helping Wild clean up the kitchen but they all stopped when he entered the area, food going cold on the plate in his hand and face probably red. 

"That didn't take long," Hyrule said slowly. "Is he alright?" 

Twilight huffed and strides over to the younger hero, shoving the plate in his hands and then storming towards the front door. "He won't talk to me. It's your turn."

And then he was out the door before anyone could say a single thing. He stood in the cool evening air for a few seconds, panting like a wolfos. 

If Time wanted to act like a child, then that's fine by him. He took off walking, nowhere in particular, just in a random direction. He was sure though, that if anyone looked at him through the windows of the ranch, they'd see steam coming from his ears. 

-o-o-o-o-

Hyrule could only stand there a little dumbfounded by what had happened. It seemed Twilight’s behavior was a shock to the rest of them too because it took a good few beats of silence bore someone cleared their throat and attempted to make some semblance of a plan. 

“Hyrule… do you want to give Time his food?”

Hyrule looked at Legend, the one who had spoken, feeling like he was a trapped animal. There’s no way Time would react friendly with Hyrule. Not if he didn’t with Twilight. Hyrule barely even knew the guy. He respected him sure but it wasn’t like they had any kind of relationship or anything. 

His internal panic must have shown on his face because Sky gave a kind smile. “How about,” he said, taking the plate from Hyrule’s hands and setting it down on the kitchen table. “You invite him down to eat.”

“I don’t think he can handle a large company, Sky,” Warrior said, “he’s probably very tired still.”

“I think that for whatever reason he can’t handle our rancher’s company,” Sky retorted and everyone silenced. “And while Twilight is out blowing steam we can get him down here to talk to us as a group.”

Warrior bit his lip in thought before he sighed. “I see your logic. But we mustn't crowd him.”

“Maybe we can help him remember Twilight,” Wind offered.

“So by the time Twilight comes back, everything will be fine again,” Wild put in as well.

“Fine,” Warrior muttered, throwing his hands in the air. “Fine. But if we break him more, I won't take the fall with you all when Malon decides our lives are forfeit.”

It was meant to be a joke, but if the way the entire group stilled and became somber was an indication of anything, it certainly fell flat.

“Hyrule?” Four suddenly asked and Hyrule almost jumped a foot in the air, not expecting to be addressed.

“Yeah?”

“Are you going to get the old man?”

Heat flooded his face. “Y-yeah.”

He left the room before he could make a bigger fool of himself and practically scrambled up the stairs. He wondered what made Twilight so irritable. Did Time say something rude? And why was Time so insistent about not wanting to talk to Twilight? He wished he knew, that way he’d be more prepared with Time inevitably shut him down too. 

There was no way this would work, and he chanted it in his head like a mantra until he worked up the courage to knock on the door. There was silence for a few solid seconds, and then a voice called out in a more awake tone than what he had been expecting.

“Who is it?” 

Hyrule swallowed. “Um, Hyrule. Um- well, not Hyrule Hyrule. I- I’m the hero of Hyrule? So that’s what everyone calls me. It gets confusing sometimes and-”

The door was suddenly opened and he shut his jaw with a click.

Time stood there on the other side of the doorway, his single eye critically narrowed, almost like he was looking into Hyrule’s very soul. Hyrule squirmed under the gaze, but whatever Time was looking for seemed to be found because he stepped slowly out of the way to invite Hyrule in. Hyrule swallowed and stepped back. “Actually, we were wondering if you felt well enough to join us downstairs for some dinner?”

Time stilled and then he sighed. “I’m… not sure that is a good idea.”

“Twilight isn’t there,” Hyrule rushed out and Time’s eyebrows rose in slight surprise. “He went out. For a run or something, I think. The other’s all want to talk to you.”

Time remained silent for a second before he released a breath. “Did I hurt his feelings?”

“Who? Twilight?”

Time nodded and Hyrule swallowed. “Oh. Um. He’ll be fine.”

“I… I don’t recognize anyone, but each of you gives me a… sense of peace and safety. But Twilight… I don’t know why but I can’t bring myself to open up to him. I know I care about him, I can feel it in my bones that I care for each of you, but I… I can’t talk to him right now. I just hope I didn’t hurt his feelings.”

“I… yeah, he’ll get over it,” Hyrule repeated because he didn’t quite know what else to say. “He’s… strong. And whatever is off about him that you don’t like I’m sure will all make sense when you’re better.”

“When I’m better.”

“Yeah… so do you want to come down and eat or should I bring food up-”

“I’ll… come down. I feel trapped in this room, and some kind faces I think will help me feel better.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Hyrule stood there awkwardly as Time practically shuffled out of the doorway, his eyebrows drawn together with a tightness that could only be described as pain. His head must still be bothering him. Hyrule swallowed and took a step forward, ducking under one of his arms and grabbing onto Time’s side. Time made a thankful hum and wrapped his arm around Hyrule’s shoulders. 

“What is for dinner?” Time asked as Hyrule helped him down the first step. Hyrule grunted with his weight but was thankfully able to keep his balance for a few more steps. 

“Wild made Hearty Salmon Meuniere. It’s really good,” Hyrule grunted. 

They finally made it down onto the first floor and Hyrule almost bent over gasping, but he was stopped when Time squeezed his shoulder. 

“I don’t remember who you are,” Time mumbled, “but I have the sense that you’ve been through much. You are incredibly brave, little one.”

Hyrule swallowed, not really prepared for a revelation like that. “Everyone here is brave. You’ll see that I’m at the bottom of the ladder. It’s you who everyone looks up to. Everyone is taking this memory loss hard. Especially Twilight. I… I appreciate it though.”

“If the me without memories can tell how courageous you are, I’m sure the me with memories thinks even higher of you.”

Hyrule almost choked on his spit as his ears began to feel like they were on fire. 

“L-lets go. I’m sure the others all want to see you.”

-o-o-o-o-

The other’s all consisted of seven young men who for the life of him Link… or Time could not remember. He knew the faces. After they tell him their names he’s almost hitting his head against the wall in anger because how could he have possibly forgotten these young men?

Wind was a charming lad, and he gave Time the sense or recklessness and adventure. Curiosity. He smiled the widest when Time entered the room and talked the most like it wasn’t awkward at all. Time appreciated his energy. His kindness. It reminded him almost of himself before… before everything. Except, this young man somehow managed to keep that innocent part of him alive after his adventure. 

Legend was much on the opposite side of the scale. He can see the sadness in his eyes, but he can also see a spark of flame. The need for adventure still calls him, even though Time is quite confident that Legend has been through more than what he says. There had been many obstacles in his way, and he lost many parts of himself, but he still retains a kindness and carefulness that often goes unnoticed by his prickly exterior. He says things as they are, and Time can’t help but feel a large deal of respect towards the younger man.

Sky was… well, Sky was himself. Time’s impressions of him were that he was kind and positive and perhaps the happiest of the group. But he also has a righteous aura about him that Time isn’t particularly fond of. The sword on his back is confirmation of that. Yet, Time also knows that he would trust his life in Sky’s hands. 

Four was as blunt as a tree branch being used for swordplay. He didn’t dance around his words, and when Time asked for his story, he flatly said that Time had no business knowing. Time can respect that. Clearly, whatever relationship he had with Four was purely made out of trust. Neither knew that much about each other, but it didn’t matter. The boy had a quick mind and sharp tongue, and while he kept his secrets to himself, he still didn’t mind very much being around the others. 

Warrior, Time can’t help but feel a special bond with him. Besides himself, Warrior was clearly the eldest of the group. Time knew that this man has suffered much, and has seen much more, and yet he still went out of his way to be honorable. To be kind.

Wild was a special soul. Time instantly felt the need to pay special attention to how he acted. Searching for little signs that he was uncomfortable or happy or content. Time didn’t think Wild has had that much time to be himself. In fact, it almost felt like Wild was constantly watching himself to live up to someone else. Yet, despite all of that, Time could tell his smiles were genuine, his enthusiasm heartfelt. 

And of course, there was Hyrule. Insecure to a fault, yet his heart is bigger than that. He has a lot of heart. He might say he’s not that brave, but Time knew better. He knew that Hyrule has perhaps seen just as much hell as Time himself has.

The boys were all unique. Loud. Different. And even though the headache in his skull pulsed and his eyes felt heavier and heavier the night wore on, he wanted nothing more than to continue being in their company.

They told him stories. Tried their best to help him remember some of them. He couldn’t recall them all, like the one about how Legend apparently single-handedly fought off a hoard of moblins. He suspected that was just an attempt to butter himself up and trick Time’s memory. But the story Warrior told of the great Goron spice incident came almost immediately back to him with just a small bit of fuzz around the details. Wild looked scandalized at the mention of that story, seeing as it involved a piece of women’s clothing being found in his bad, but when Time started laughing, saying that he remembered that, all of the boys became eager to tell more silly stories about the rest of them.

Wild pulled out his strange slate and began a slide show of pictures, and quite some time passed and he hardly even felt his headache anymore.

Then, the slideshow stopped on a picture of a young man with dirty hair and markings on his forehead.

The mood instantly sunk, and Time couldn’t help but feel responsible for it. 

“He looks up to you a lot,” Four mumbled, “you’re… almost like a dad to him.”

And Time knew this. He knew this the moment he saw the picture down on the slate of that young man. Twilight… feels almost like a son to him too.

Now that some time has passed with the others, he can almost see how silly he was. Sure, he was out of it, memories shattered in his head like a mirror, and Twilight simply had the misfortune of being the one to find him. The misfortune of having dark magic within him that Time didn’t recognize. How foolish of him to make that mistake. How foolish of him to judge Twilight off of that simple misunderstanding.

Almost like a sign from the goddesses, Twilight chose that time to walk in the front door. His skin around his eyes, cheeks, and ears were red from perhaps the cold, perhaps something else. He stopped in his tracks as everyone turned to look at him but his eyes instantly locked with Time. 

There was something desperate in them, so instead of saying anything, Time smiled and scooted a little on the chair he was sitting on, making room for one more to join them at the kitchen table. Twilight smiled like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders and quickly grabbed a chair and made his spot next to Time like it was the most natural thing in the entire world to do.

Laughter filled the rest of the night, and as they told yet another story Time hardly even noticed his head drooping with tiredness until an arm wound itself around his middle and hefted him upward. He did his best to cooperate with his feet, but it clearly wasn’t much help. He was eventually laid down on a soft sofa, a throw placed over his body, and before the calming embrace of sleep could take him he looked at the boy above him. How foolish of himself indeed to think this boy could ever hurt a fly.

-o-o-o-o-

Malon returned in the morning, a stash of red potions in her hands and an irritating story to tell about her next-door neighbors in the castle town inn. Though, her irritation quickly faded when she saw her husband happily resting on the downstairs sofa with a smile on his face. The boys tell her that they helped him remember most everything the night before and gave him much-needed company. When she was able to give him a red potion, the most it did was un-fog some of the trickier bits of his memory and rid him of his headache.

She didn’t complain when he pulled her close, dragging her into a love-filled kiss.

Wind made a gagging sound but Malon didn’t mind a single bit. Clearly, there was no need to worry. Her boy’s always pull through, one way or another. 

[oingos-bitch]

Another JoJo Mall Fanfic™ -- Rainforest Café (Part 1)

Part 5, Part 4 and Part 2 Spoilers!

"Y-YOU!  YOU'RE  THE  ONE  WHO  STOLE  MY  LUGGAGE!"

Giorno  gulped.  The  short  boy  stalked  over  to  him,  glaring  daggers.  

"I  haven't  forgotten  about  you,  I  hope  you're  ready  to  pay  me  back."  

Echoes'  summoning  was  stopped  by  a  hand  on  his  shoulder.

"Koichi,  dude,  are  you  alright?"

"Yeah,  Okuyasu,  I'm  fine."  He  trembled  in  anger.  "Unless  you  wanna  help  me  put  this  blond  son  of  a  bitch  in  his  place."

"Ohhh."

A  bass-boosted  fart  could  be  heard  as  a  blue  figure  appeared.  

"Why  didn't  ya  tell  me  sooner?  Whose  ass  are  we  gonna  kick  first?!"  Okuyasu cracked  his  knuckles.

"That  blond  bastard,  who  else?"

"Uhmm...Which  one?"  He  whispered.

"Huh?"

It  was  then  that  Koichi  noticed  the  much,  much  taller -- 'And  scarier!' -- blond  male  sitting  across  from  Giorno.  And  he  did  not  look  amused.

"Are  you  done  yet,  piccolino?"

"Wha- what?"

Caesar  sighed.  "I  would  just  like  to  get  my  order  without  any  trouble,  if  that's  not  too  much  to  ask.  However,"  his  green  eyes  narrowed.

"If  it's  trouble  you're  looking  for,  then  I'll  be  glad  to  indulge  you."

His  chair  fell  over  as  he  stood  up.  Maintaining  his  glare,  he  spread  his  arms  as  a  large  bubble  formed  between  them.  Anticipating a  fight,  the  two  teenagers  defensively  posed, shouting  their  stand  names.  Caesar was  just  about  to  strike  before  Deus  Ex  Josuke  appeared.

"Guys,  as  much  as  I  would  love  to  help  right  now,  there's  people  here. . ."

Koichi's  blood  ran  cold.  He  had  the  sense  to  immediately  call  back  Echoes  and  nervously  regain  his  composure,  straightening  his  pose.  Okuyasu,  however,  did  not.

"So  what??  Everyone  should  see  this  asshat  get  a  well-deserved  beatdown!"  He  growled.

"Okuyasu,  no."  Josuke  pulled  his  best  friend  aside  and  leaned  into  him.

"I  know  you  mean  well,  but  we're  probably  gonna  get  fired -- and  I  don't  wanna  make  my  great-gramps  sad!"  Josuke  slightly  teared  up at  the  thought.

Okuyasu's  face  flushed  in  embarrassment.  

"I  don't  wanna,  either!  I-I'm  so  sorry,  Josuke!"

He  began  to  sob  on  the  spot.  

"I-I'll  do  better  next  time!"

"It's  alright,  man,  just  calm  down  a  little."  Steak-hair  patted  his  back.

Everyone  within  a   ten-foot  radius  stared  wide-eyed  at  the  scene.  Even  passerby  stopped  for  a  few  good  minutes!  Josuke  slowly  got  up  and  let  go  of  Okuyasu,  facing  the  crowd.  He  knelt  down  and  waved  his  hands  vigorously.

"Aaaaand,  SCENE!  Uh,  we  hope  everyone  liked  it!"  

Crickets.

He  smiled  from  ear -to-ear,  sweat  beading  down  his  temple.  A  lone  clap  sounded  from  the  middle  of  the  restaurant.  A  few  more  claps  were  soon  drowned  out  by  diners  resuming  their  meals  and  their  conversations.  Josuke  let  out  a  relieved  sigh.

He  looked  around  to  see  if  anyone  else  was  staring -- 'Nope!' -- then  proceeding  to  step  towards  Caesar,  looking  him  square  in  the  eye.

"Next  time  you  mess  with  my  friends,  you  may  not  be  so  lucky."

Caesar  smirked  and  returned  his  icy  stare.

"That  doesn't  sound  like  much  of  a  threat,  coming  from  someone  like  you."

"What's  that  supposed  to  mean?"

Caesar  looked  him  up  and  down.  "Look  at  yourself. . .A  teenage  delinquent,  working  at  the  only  'high-paying'  job  that'll  accept  you,  picking  fights  with  those  obviously  more  experienced  than  you."

"You  don't  know  how  many  fights  I've  been  in!"

"Hm,  no,  but  with  that  attitude,  I  can  guess."

"Wanna  find  out?"  Josuke  grinned.

Caesar  cocked  his  head  to  the  side,  the  boy  seemed  familiar,  but  he  just  couldn't  put  his  finger  on  it --

"Yoo-Hoo!  Caesarino!~"

Caesar  groaned  and  turned  around.

"Hello,  JoJo -- DIO  MIO,  JOSEPH,  WHAT  THE  FUCK ARE  YOU  WEARING?!"

"It's  my  old  outfit! I  needed  it  for  my  job  and  it  still  fits  perfectly!"  He  laughed  heartily.

His  friend  buried  his  face  in  his  hands.  Joseph  took  this  as  a  sign  to  flex  in  front  of  him.

"Whaddaya  think?~"

Caesar  pushed  him  away.  "Awful,  awful,  everything's  awful.  If  you're gonna  dress  in  drag,  you  should  at  least  do  it  right."

"HEY,  that's  what  Jolyne  always  tells  me!"

"And  she's  correct.  Ugh,  JoJo,  you  could  have  at  least  shaved  your  beard."

"But  I  think  my  beard  makes  me  sexy. . ."  He  pouted.

"It  does,  but  that's  beside  the  point --"  Caesar  froze.

No,  absolutely  not,  this  was  the  last  thing  he  needed  today.  The  day  had  started  off  so  badly  already,  he  couldn't  have  Joseph  knowing  his  secret,  too!  It  would  all  be  too  much!

Thankfully,  Joseph  broke  the  silence  quickly.  Grinning,  he  posed  some  more.

"Sexy,  eh?  You  really  think  so?~"

Caesar  tried  his  hardest  to  sound  annoyed.  "If  you  say  so,  JoJo."

"Ah,  but  you're  the  one  who  said  it.~  So,  d'ya  really  think  so?"

The  Italian  pulled  his  face  away  from  his  hands  to  get  a  look  at  Joseph.  He  didn't  really  need  to  look  at  him  for  so  long  to  see  that  he  was  handsome,  but he  really  needed  to  save  his  skin  right  now.  So  he  eyed  Joseph  from  different  angles:  profile,  front,  three-quarters  view,  even  worm's  eye  view!  

This  went  on  for  longer  than  expected,  and  Joseph  began  to  whine.

"C'mon,  you  already  got  a  good  look,  just  tell  me  already!"

Begrudgingly,  Caesar  moved  his  eyes  away.  

"I  guess  so."

"Really?!"  Joseph  beamed.

He  nodded.  "I  mean,  I  think  Suzi --"

Inwardly,  he  groaned.  He  hated  to  think  it,  he  hated  how  it  sounds,  and  most  of  all  he  hated  to  say  it,  but  he  couldn't  risk  raising  Joseph's  suspicions.  Or  worse,  risking  their  friendship.

"-- I  really  think  Suzi  thinks  so."

For  a  moment,  Joseph  seemed  surprised -- and  a  bit  disappointed?  No,  must've  been  Caesar's  imagination.  He  rubbed  at  his  neck  and  shot  Caesar  his  signature  grin.

"Haha,  well,  thanks!  I  hope  she  thinks  so!"

He  placed  an  arm  around  him.  Caesar  jumped  lightly  at  the  contact.  He  knew  it  was  friendly,  something  he  was  used  to,  yet  he  couldn't  help  but  feel  so  wrong  after  what  just  happened.  It  wasn't  fair  to  think  about  having  a  chance  with  his  best  friend  when  he  already  had  a  life  to  live,  a  wife  and  a  kid,  and  a  grandkid,  for  crying  out  loud!  

And  he  had. . . Well,  nothing.  Any  chance  he  had  before  was  snatched  away  so  abruptly.  When  that  bright  light  enveloped  him  and  he  found  himself  laying  on  the  Earth's  soil  again,  he  was  ecstatic!  He  expected  to  find  everyone  else  in  the  same  situation,  waiting  to  reconnect.  Embarrassingly,  the  first  person  he  thought  of  was  Joseph.

Oh,  Joseph.  That  lovable,  goofy  bastard  had  no  idea  just  how  much  he  missed  him.  He  had  planned  everything  out -- how  he'd  introduce  himself,  how  he'd  explain  his  chance  at  a  new  life,  how  he'd  spill  his  heart  out  to  him  and  say  what  he  never  got  a  chance  to  say,  and,  hopefully,  how  he'd  grin  and  say  he  felt  the  same  way.  And  it'd  all  be  uphill  from  there.

However,  he  did  not  plan  to  run  into  Lisa  Lisa  first.  And  he  did  not  plan  to  sit  down  and  catch  up  with  her  over  tea.  And  he  did  not  expect  her  to  be  the  one  to  catch  him  up  on  what  had  happened  while  he  was  gone.  

And  he  certainly  did  not  expect  Joseph  to  be  married  and  have  a  kid.

The  deep  ache  in  his   gut  was  incomparable  to  the  pain  he  endured  before  his  death,  and  it  still  haunted  him  whenever  that  damned  memory  was  brought  up.

Much  like  now.

Caesar  smoothly  moved  Joseph's  arm  back  to  his  side.  Before  he  could  dwell  on  the  thought  any  longer,  he  changed  the  subject.

"So,  what  brings  you  here?"

"OH!  I  just  wanted  to  see  my  son!"

"Your son?. . .I  thought  you  had  a  daughter. . ."

Joseph  smiled  sheepishly.  "Uh,  yeah,  about  that. . .Let's  just  say,  I  don't  think  Suzi'll  ever  trust  me  the  same  again. . ."

Caesar's  eyes  widened.  Inappropriately  enough,  his  heart  fluttered.  Maybe  he'd  have  a  chance?

'No!  He  doesn't  need  his  marriage  damaged  any  further!'

While  he  was  still  deep  in  thought,  Joseph  brought  over  a  familiar  angry  teen.

"Ta-Daaaa!  This  is  my  darling  baby  boy!"

Caesar  did  a  double  take.  Oh,  he  couldn't  be  serious --

"T-this  is  your  son?!"

"You  bet!  Doesn't  he  look  just  like  me?"  He  brought  the  poor  boy's  face  against  his  cheek.

"A  chip  off  the  ol'  block!"

"Dad, stop  it."  Josuke  averted  his  eyes.

"Awwww,  but  it's  true!  Isn't  it,  Caesarino --"

He  scanned  the  room,  searching  for  him. "Caesar?"

He  found  him  by  the  aquarium,  making  his  way  to  the  bar.

"Oi,  Caesar!  Don't  you  wanna  say  hi  to  Josuke?"

Caesar  reluctantly  turned  around.  "Maybe  some  other  time,  JoJo.  My  lunch  break  is  almost  over,  and  I'm  still  waiting  on  my  order."

"Oh,  the  pink  girl  and  blond  boy  took  it."

"Huh?"

"The  pink-haired  girl  and  the  blond  boy,  they  took  your  food."  Repeated  the  elf-eared  bartender.

"Oh,  thank  you.  Where'd  they. . go. .?"  

The  bartender  pointed  to  the  west  of  the  mall.  

"Ah,  grazie."  He  made  his  way  there.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trish  had gasped  once  Caesar  stood  up,  ready  to  fight,  but  soon  lost  interest  once  Josuke  showed  up  and  started  speaking.

"So  boring."

She  and  Giorno  sat  silently  the  entire  time.  There  wasn't  much  to  talk  about,  and  she  didn't  recognize  anyone  else  (yet),  so  she  passed  the  time  counting  down  the  minutes.

She  had  attempted  to  ask  Giorno  about  why  the  midget  had  a  vendetta  against  him,  but  he  just  responded  with  an  "I  don't  want  to  speak  about  it."

'Tch.  You're  no  fun.'

Then  Joseph  appeared  and  she  giggled.  It  was  so  much  fun  to  see  her  usually  stoic  co-worker  get  so  flustered  by  the  old  man,  and  it  was  amusing  for  a  while.

That  is,  until  he  didn't  make  a  move.

She  spent  the  rest  of  the  time  reading  over  the  specials  pamphlet.  Luckily,  she  soon  heard  a  small  "Excuse  me,  Ma'am."

"Hm?"

A  tiny,  tall-haired  boy  anxiously  held  up  a  stack  of  To-Go  boxes.  

"H-Here's  your  order."

"Oh!  Thank  you."

He  hurriedly  mumbled  and  speed-walked  over  to  the  waiter  from  earlier.  Shrugging,  she  and  Giorno  stood  up  to  leave.  Once  they  realized  Caesar  would  be  a  while,  they  exchanged  glances  and  walked  out  of  the  place.

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Caesar  found  them  sitting  on  the  fountain,  digging  into  their  food.  They  nonchalantly  looked  up.

"Sorry,  we  just  couldn't  wait  any  longer."

"It's  fine.  Sorry  I  took  so  long."

Trish  smiled.  "Even  with  how  long  you  took,  you  still  couldn't  flirt  with  him  good  enough."

". .Shut  up.  Let's  go  get  Suzi's  wings."

[seenashwrite]

The Cupid Complication

Word Count: 5.2K Category: Humor, Fluffersnark, Romance, Friendship, Behind-the-scenes canon compliant, Holidays, Valentine’s Day Rating: Teen & Up Character(s): Dean, Sam, You, a Cupid Pairing(s): Be surprised - stop wanting to know the endings at the starts, my loves Warnings: None Author’s Notes: Happy Valentine’s Day! More post-story Overall Summary: During the Valentine season this year, complications arise for you & the Winchesters due to a cupid who could use some more practice at her job. A lot more practice. A *supreme* amount of practice.  

The slow, methodical rapping sent a sharp, scolding noise into the air each time fingers hit desk.

THRRRUMP

THRRRUMP

THRRRUMP

Sinking lower into her seat, the cherub waited as her supervisor finished scanning the report.

The high-ranking angel behind the desk closed her eyes. The rapping stopped. She brought both hands up, now rubbing her temples. She sighed.

The cherub gulped.

"On your latest mission, your first arrow hit a statue, then your second, a tree, before successfully striking a human target upon your third attempt.”

"Y-yes, ma'am."

“To be precise, with the third, you managed to hit three of them.”

"Uh... yes, ma'am. That’s funny, huh? But it only nicked the woman, I don’t think she was affected. See, what happened was----"

“None of which were the assigned targets, that's what I'm to understand?”

"Well, yes - I mean, no - I mean, yes, ma'am."

"Octavia, I've repeatedly instructed you to not call me that."

"Yes, m.... Okay."

“Can you tell me why it is that we’ve navigated all the drama that is constantly plaguing heaven? Why we remain celestially adjacent?”

“Because we bring love to the world?” Octavia guessed.

“Because we - along with the muses and the reapers - specialize in the three things that will always be: life, death, and relationships. Those three things cannot be stopped, no matter how great a power may try to do so. They just are. And what keeps things running smoothly amidst all the chaos?”

“Being good at our jobs?”

“Are you telling me, or asking me?” the supervisor snapped.

“I’m… I’m telling. That’s why.”

“That is why. We coordinate. We make sure the looms of the fates have nothing time-sensitive in store for our targets. We cross-check that they aren’t in the reapers’ queue. It is a finely-tuned machine. It is a flow. It is a rhythm. And you, Octavia, have continued to disrupt that rhythm, despite your missions being limited to the month of February, the easiest, the simplest month on the calendar for making matches.”

Octavia hung her head and picked at her glittery pink-polished fingernails.

It did not go unnoticed.

“While I have you here - I’ve let it slide, but your appearance----”

“You told me I couldn’t be invisible except when I’m firing my bow! I’m trying to be festive for the season!” Octavia interjected, and was met with a stern look.

“If you hadn’t materialized when you were marking that poor woman’s heart and grabbed her breast right there in the middle of that coffee shop----”

“I wasn’t grabbing!” Octavia again interjected, and it was met with an even sterner look. “It was a really soft sweater,” she mumbled sheepishly.

“That righteous ruckus, I remind you, is what got you downgraded back to arrows. And now I find myself wondering what to do with you, if you can’t even manage what new recruits seem to execute with accuracy!”

While her supervisor began adding notes to the sizable file on Octavia, the cherub caught a glance of herself in the mirror on the wall behind the desk. She thought she looked the part - her style was cheerful, and when she was visible and surveying, it made people smile, and she didn’t care what her co-workers said, not about her heart-patterned shirt, or the shiny red shoes, or the nail polish, or her hair.

"It's pink!" they’d cried.

Octavia disagreed. Regardless of her form - big, small, skin tone, eye color - she always had wild, curly red hair. And not of a hue typically seen in nature; less ginger, more actual red. Actually, burgundy. Actually, it was possibly on the pink end of things. Fine, it was pink. But only in certain lighting. Besides, her clothes were needed - being naked was uncomfortable what with the oft-chafing quiver, so the clothing may as well match the hair - and besides that, Octavia was fine with the whole being-more-visible-than-not requirement. She liked being able to get to know her targets; even though the intel was always spot-on, it made her heart swell to know for sure she was making a good match.

They just didn’t understand. Most all cherubs - the cupids, at least - were less than enthused about Valentine’s Day, and Octavia couldn’t imagine why; after all, it was the holiday of love! And hopefully it was not spent alone, not if she had anything to do with it, despite the fact that Octavia herself often spent it alone. She didn't have many friends... really, she didn’t have any friends. And so, her companions were her targets. And she loved them, all year ‘round.

Octavia was shaken from her thoughts when the file was slammed shut, and her eyes met the steely gaze of her supervisor once more.

“Your targets have been reassigned. You have a new assignment, which - if you succeed - means I won’t transfer you to…. to…. Oh, I don’t know where, but you’ll be gone. Do you understand?”

“Ma’am? I mean, what? What is it? The assignment?” Octavia asked, nervous.

Her supervisor leaned across the desk, pointing a finger. “You are going to fix this.”

“How?”

“Think, Octavia. Who saw her first? Which of these----" A pause as the file was opened and papers were shuffled, followed by a huff when the sought information couldn’t be found immediately “----humans saw her first?” 

Octavia blinked, not following.

“The woman! You say she was only nicked, and if that’s true, you must focus on the other two - so Who. Saw. Her. First?”

"It seemed both of them at once. They do lots of things in unison. It’s kind’ve weird."

“Then I suppose you’ll have to figure out how to untangle this weird one by weird one. You have approximately twelve earth days - I want this done by sundown on the 14th. And without the bow, I don’t want to hear of any more stray shots.”

“But then how do I----”

“Fix it.”

“But if you don’t want me to----”

“FIX. IT. Dismissed!”

Octavia stood, held out her arms for the customary goodbye handshake, but when the gesture was most decidedly not reciprocated, she slunk from the office.

After the door closed, the supervisor muttered under her breath as she dug around in her drawer for the small bottle of liquor she kept handy for such situations. Situations that most always involved Octavia. And as she sipped, she glanced back through the file. And then she blanched. And then she dropped her glass with a thunk onto the desk, causing the liquid to slosh across the paper, across the last names in the universe she’d have ever wanted to see.

CONFIRMED HUMAN SUBJECTS INVOLVED IN INCIDENT, FEBRUARY 1st

WINCHESTER, DEAN

WINCHESTER, SAM

~ Almost twelve days later ~ .

"Can you help me with something?"

I glanced up from my research at the sound of Sam's voice. "Of course," I said, removing my glasses. "I need a break, anyway."

In the kitchen, there was a small box on the table, wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and a ribbon lying next to it. And there was crumpled wrapping paper on the floor. A lot of crumpled wrapping paper. I looked from it to Sam, amused.

"I keep getting one side right, then the other side comes out all uneven when I fold it," he explained. "And forget the bow, I wasn't even gonna try."

"No worries, I got you," I told him, and plopped onto a seat. He sat across from me and watched as I picked up the paper and began to unroll it to judge the size. “So, is this for who I’m thinking?” I took a peek at Sam, caught the blush rising to his cheeks, and I grinned, having my answer. “You’ve been talking about her a lot since the last hunt.”

“Yeah, I guess I have,” he said. “I don’t know why, I just… started looking at her differently, you know?”

“Oh I know, and I get it, she’s great. And it’s nice to see you happy,” I said, about to lift the box - but then I stopped, met his eye. "Sam… this is leaking."

"What?"

I pointed to the moisture trail the box had left when I'd pulled it closer. "Did you... you didn't cook something, did you? I mean, that's fine, it's just we may need a different type of box, and no sense in wrapping it yet if it needs to be refrigerated, and----"

Sam cut me off. "I didn't cook anything - it's a chocolate heart."

We stared at each other for a moment, then stared down at the box, bewildered.

Which is when it jumped.

To be specific, it pulsed itself into the air, though only a tiny bit, shifting its position on the table slightly every time it came back down. Two successive plops, a brief moment, then it repeated. And it kept repeating. And it was on its fifth cycle before we came out of our shared daze, both putting our hands on the top to stop the movement. It vibrated under our palms.

“We gotta open it,” I said.

“What if it’s a cursed object?” Sam asked in response.

“Where the hell’d you get it?”

“Candy shop, same one that’s been on main street for forever, a little old lady owns it.”

“Witch, maybe?” I suggested.

We looked down as the box became a touch more aggressive in its pushback, the sides straining slightly - something thick was beginning to sneak out of the corners.

Sam shook his head, bewildered. “I dunno.”

“Well, whatever it is, it’s pissed off!” I announced and, as if it wanted to confirm my assertion, the box managed to knock our hands away, sending itself clean off the table and onto the floor, where it resumed its original soft bum-bum… bum-bum… bum-bum...

“It’s beating,” Sam said. “The heart.” A pause. “I can’t give her that!”

“THAT’S your concern?!” I shouted, then took a deep breath, exhaled it slowly, trying to quell my annoyance. “Okay. I’m opening it.”

“Wait! We should---” Sam began, but was interrupted.

“Hey, whoa - what’s going on, why’re you guys yelling?” Dean asked as he walked in, frowning.

The box performed its routine for him.

“Wow,” said Dean. “Never mind.” He looked to me. “I was gonna ask your opinion on something, but since you’re busy…”

I gave him a look. “You’re in this now, too, bud.” I dropped into a squat, did a mental 1-2-3 count, and took the lid off the box.

“Gross,” Dean said, his nose wrinkling. “I mean, cool, but gross.”

“That’s not what I bought!” Sam said, pointing down at the cool-but-gross.

It was an actual, for real, no denying it, right there, in the box, human heart, and it was pumping out a brown, viscous fluid with every beat.

“Is that….” Sam said, but trailed off, and he squatted beside me, then dipped a finger into the goo. He held it to his nose, sniffed. “I think it’s chocolate.”

“Lemme see,” Dean said, and now he squatted, too - then to our horror, he dipped his finger as well, and immediately brought it to his lips, giving it a lick.

“Dean!” Sam and I exclaimed.

“Mmmm,” Dean hummed, his eyes closing briefly. “Oh, yeah. That’s the stuff. Good stuff. Is the rest made out of candy?”

“No!” Sam and I exclaimed.

Dean’s face went pinched again. “Gross,” he repeated, then promptly stood and began walking to the fridge. “I need a beer.”

“’I need a beer’, he says,” I commented, shaking my head.

Sam and I straightened ourselves, still watching the heart pump-pump away, but we looked back to Dean at the sound of chuckling.

“You may as well give it up, brother. I got you beat. Heh. Beat,” he said with a smile, popping the cap off the beer.

“Beat at what?” I asked.

“Yeah, beat at what?” Sam echoed, and the look on his face and his stiff posture and the way he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes made me think he already knew what Dean meant.

“I mean, it’s creative, I’ll give you that - but chocolate’s not her favorite. Which you’d know, if you knew her as well as I do,” Dean replied, cool as could be.

It hit me then that Dean had also been talking about our hunter colleague an awful lot in the recent past, and it prompted me to ask, “Dean, what was it you wanted my opinion on?”

He swallowed a mouthful of beer, then replied, “I wanted to see what you thought about how my Valentine’s gift turned out.” Looking to Sam, he added, “Which I wrapped by myself.”

Sam looked like he wanted to smack the smug right off Dean’s face. “You did this!” he said. “You put some sort of hex on that heart - you’re trying to sabotage me!”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to sabotage you, she’s not into you.”

Sam turned to me. “Years ago, over an autopsy, he passes me a human heart, just like that one---”

“No chocolate,” Dean pointed out.

“---and he said ‘Be my valentine’.”

“Dean... asked you... to be his valentine,” I said slowly.

“Not like--- that’s not--- it’s his sick sense of humor!” Sam explained. “And he’s doing it again! Trying to split us up!”

“Split who up?” I asked. “You’re not dating her! Neither of you are!”

“Not yet,” Dean said, still with the smug.

“What did you get her? Show me,” Sam demanded.

“Like I said, I got her favorite candy. C’mon,” Dean replied, setting down his beer and gesturing for us to follow.

As we walked down the hall to his room, they kept fussing, and as Dean was opening the door, I said, “You’re both acting really weird, I’m honestly getting concerned because---- good lord.”

A gift bag was tipped over on his bed, and what had to be dozens of worms were happily crawling around: on the bed itself, on the pillows, on the floor, on his desk, and - to his horror - over the stack of vintage porn mags on the nightstand.

“What the hell?!” he shouted.

Sam snickered.

The worms were fat, and glossy, and each segment was a color of the rainbow.

“Gummy worms?” I asked.

“Gummy worms,” Dean confirmed.

After a shared look - the same one we’d share during hunts when we knew it was time to cut out and regroup - we all left the room, shutting the door behind us.

“You believe me now? That I’m not sabotaging you?” Dean asked Sam.

Sam nodded. “Yeah. Something’s up.”

“Finally!” I said. “We have to retrace our steps, figure out what caused this. Now, you two started talking about her on the way home after that hunt, I think, so----”

“Something’s trying to keep me from her,” Dean and Sam stated in unison.

I groaned. “No, that’s not it - it’s that something’s, I dunno, infected the both of you, to make you want her. You know, want-her, want her.”

“I’m gonna go see her,” Dean said, determination all over his face and in his tone.

“Not if I get there first,” Sam replied, equally determined.

When they both began to move to, I assume, race each other to the car, I stood in the way. “Stop, okay? Isn't she still up at Donna's, going over traps and sigils with the girls?”

Dean got a moony smile on his face. “Man, she's so freakin' smart.”

Sam went dopey, too. "Right? So smart. Smartest person we know, definitely."

“And the prettiest.”

“Pretty? She's gorgeous.”

“Totally the hottest chick we know.”

I raised my hand. "Hi? Right here, remember?"

Dean gave me an up-and-down. “You’re all right, you got nothing to worry about.”

“I’m. Not. Worried,” I said through grit teeth.

“And you’re good with the lore,” Sam offered halfheartedly.

“I know. Look, if you’re gonna go up to Donna’s----” I began, but they cut me off by going around me, headed toward the garage at what seemed like light speed. “I’m coming with you!” I yelled, hot on their heels, pausing only to snatch my jacket off the back of a library chair.

.

.

Thankfully, the road trip conversation was less argument and more fawning over the object of their mutual desire, and as much as I liked our friend, I got bored, which meant I got sleepy. In what felt like a blink of an eye, I suddenly found myself in the next county over from our destination. The slamming of the car doors had jolted me awake - according to my watch, they’d driven all through the night, the maniacs, and now it appeared a side mission had emerged.

We were parked in front of a liquor store.

It was surprisingly empty for Valentine’s Day, at least in my estimation. I’d have thought people would’ve been buying out the joint, last minute prep for their sappy candlelit dinners. I shuddered at the thought. That was me: Not Romantic, party of one.

When I entered, the gal behind the checkout counter gave me a polite smile and a small point in the direction of the refrigerated areas at the back of the store, to the only other occupants besides ourselves. But she didn’t need to - I’d heard them already. And it sounded like the most recent bout was about to hit a fever pitch.

“It’s the last one, and I got to it first!”

“Yeah, well I saw it first!”

Dean and Sam were yanking a bottle back and forth, and when I came up to them, I noted it was champagne. Pink champagne. I rolled my eyes, then reached in and snatched the bottle away, which earned me two dirty looks.

“Guys, I have a idea about what might’ve happened - is it possible this is a cupid situation?” I asked.

They both stared at me for a couple of seconds, and then smiles began to appear on both their faces.

“That explains it,” said Sam.

“It sure does,” said Dean.

I eyed both of them, suspicious at why they were pleased to hear my theory, but went on. “We should call Cas, see about doing a summoning spell.”

“We could do that on our own, I don’t wanna bother him while he’s spending time with Jack,” Sam replied.

I was instantly relieved - at least Sam was getting some sense.

“Why should we summon a cupid?” Dean asked. “If it is a cupid, that must mean I’m meant to be with----”

“Whoa, hold on,” Sam interrupted. “I’m supposed to be with----”

So much for sense.

Now I interrupted. “What makes you think either of you are supposed to be with her? Regardless, both of you can’t be meant for her! This is obviously some sort of mistake!”

Dean's lips curled into a smirk. “You jealous?”

My eyebrows shot up. “Jealous of what? Not being on the receiving end of leaky organs and creepy crawlers? Can we focus for a second? Back on the hunt, did you two see anybody that shouldn’t have been there? Before or after the salt and burn?”

“Nope,” Dean answered.

“Same here,” Sam agreed.

I sighed. “Me, neither.” I thought a few more moments, then asked, “Anywhere else? Anybody new? Anybody unusual?”

“Well, I mean… I guess the girl that sold me the heart was a little different. Different for Lebanon,” Sam said. “I’ve never seen her around town before, and I’d have noticed - she had pink hair.”

Dean nodded. “Uh-huh. Same girl sold me the worms. I’ve never seen her before, either.”

“Okay, so, pink hair - what else?” I asked.

“She was just… really Valentine-y. I thought it was just part of the sales shtick,” Dean answered.

“Yeah, her dress was patterned with these little lips, like kisses,” Sam said.

Dean gave him a look for remembering that piece of info, and I hid a smile.

Sam ignored him. “And she had a name you don’t hear often… it was Opal… Olive… Ophelia?”

Dean snapped his fingers. “No, no - it was, like, Octopus or something.”

“Octop---- Dean, what?” Sam said, exasperated.

I ran a hand over my face, looked skyward for a second, briefly turning over in my mind how my life had come to this point, then brought my eyes back to them. “Was it Octavia?”

They were mildly stunned.

“How in the hell could you have known that?” Dean asked.

“Because I’m a hunter, and I’m observant, and I’m not in some whack-a-doo crazy cupid coma,” I replied, and I sounded snide, because I was being snide. “I know the name because of the name tag.”

“I thought you didn’t see anybody at the cemetery,” Sam said, brow furrowed.

Dean frowned, as well. “And cupids wearing name tags? No they don’t, they’re naked. Where would they put it?”

“Oh my god, the stupid has to end,” I announced, and stepped behind him, grabbing his shoulders, shifting him so he was facing down the aisle, to the front of the store. I pointed. “Checkout girl? Up there? Pink sweater with white hearts? Pink-and-white striped skirt? Pink tights? Pink hair?!?”

At that moment, the shelves began to tremble - specifically, the shelves lined with the not-pink champagne bottles. Glass clinked as they bumped into one another. The ones stored upright tipped onto their sides.

And then they fired.

Corks shot out like bullets, and we dodged and weaved, getting popped here-and-there, but other than sticky, bubble-coated boots, we managed to get out of the store unscathed. And on the sidewalk, we found her. There, the cotton candy-colored cupid stood, fidgeting, a hesitant smile on her face.

We stared.

“H-h-hi?” she managed.

We continued to stare.

“I screwed up,” she admitted. “And unless I fix this, I’ll be kicked out of the cupids.” Tears sprang to her already shining eyes. “I don’t even know what other cherubs do! And I don’t want to, I’m a good cupid, I am.”

“Oh no. You suck,” Dean stated, and I frowned at him, gave him a sharp elbow, then looked to the source of our troubles.

“It’s Octavia, right?” I asked, glancing at the name tag.

She nodded. "I wouldn't lie, I promise."

I nodded in acknowledgement, and said, “Okay, then, keep that going. Tell us what, exactly, you screwed up.”

“I got the address backwards. I was supposed to be across town, not at that graveyard.” She paused, a contemplative expression coming to her face. “Now that I think of it, that isn’t a romantic place.”

“No,” Sam responded flatly. “It’s not.”

And then Octavia told her story, confirming what I’d guessed. “I thought all this would discourage you, but seems my arrows were more potent than I realized,” she finished. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. You mean so much to me. Every one of you.”

Dean and Sam and I looked at each other, all of us softening - we believed her.

“Octavia, what else can be done?” Sam asked. “Because I’ll be honest, all I want to do right now is tackle Dean and steal the keys and leave him in the dust and go to her.”

“Awesome. Let's see you try,” Dean shot back, eyes narrowed, fists clenching.

I looked to the cupid with what I knew was desperation on my face as I moved to stand between the lovesick idiots.

“I could use something else on my arrows—-” Octavia began.

“NO ARROWS!” the three of us shouted.

“—-but it should work if you use it on yourselves.” She pulled three small bottles from the pocket of her skirt, all filled with a shimmery red liquid that gave off a slight golden glow.

“So do they drink it?” I asked.

Octavia shook her head. “It needs to be applied to where I hit them - well, Sam can maybe drink his, but…”

“But what?”

“But… butt. I hit Dean in the butt, then it kind’ve curved up and hit Sam in the cheek. Not one of those cheeks, I mean----”

I held up a hand. “Stop, I got it.”

Sam’s jaw dropped. “You’re--- you’re telling me it went through his ass then in my mouth?”

Dean leaned over, gripping his knees, laughing so hard he was gasping for breath in no time.

One of the bottles was smaller than the others, and after Octavia handed the first two to Sam and Dean, and they went back into the store to use it, she handed the tiny one to me.

“Give this to her, just in case. It’s for her arm. The arrow lost a lot of steam by the time it got to her, I think most of the juice was off it. Has she been calling a lot or did she show up at your place or anything?”

“Ah, that’s a big fat no,” I answered. “All the crazy has been with these two. Lucky me.”

“You are lucky,” Octavia said. “My aim is so bad, I could’ve hit you, too. Then two of you could’ve been mismatched, along with that other woman, and it would’ve been worse.”

“Yeah… worse…” I said under my breath, my mind wandering for a moment. I shook myself out of it. “Well, look - no harm was done. Maybe a few bruises from your artillery in there, but otherwise we just have some clean-up to do back on the homefront. The candy stuff was pretty genius by the way.”

Octavia blushed. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely. And listen, I’m sure where you come from, they’ve got practice areas for shooting, right? That’s all you need. Hell, I had to practice every day for a long time before I got good at throwing blades. You’re creative, and you’re clearly passionate about your job. I don’t know what else heaven could ask for.”

A bright smile came to the cupid’s face. “Thank you. So much. I mean it.”

“So what’s on deck for you tonight, since you pulled this off? You gonna celebrate?” I asked.

“I don’t have any plans, it’s not like cupids have matchmakers, so… But I like being around love. I think I’ll hang out at that little restaurant around the corner, the people seemed happy there, and there’s paper hearts all taped on the windows, and I think I even saw some balloons. There’s no balloons in heaven.”

“Okay,” I said, and I smiled back, but I felt a little sad for her.

I didn’t have time to think on it for long - Dean and Sam emerged, and we all said our goodbyes.

.

.

The would-be paramour was packing up her car when we pulled up to Donna’s place, and after a brief round of rock-paper-scissors, Sam got the honor of explaining what had happened - a win or a loss, hard to tell.

But she was laughing through the whole story, and when it was done, she gave me a big hug, saying, “Bless your soul, I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you.”

I laughed, too. “Honestly, it wasn’t so awful. Plus, I get to bring this up every Valentine’s Day for years to come.”

“Great,” Dean said, not meaning it in the least.

“Do any of you have anything going on tonight?” she asked. “Should we go get a pizza or something on the way back to Kansas?”

“Nah, I think I’ll pass,” Dean said.

“Um, yeah. Me, too,” I said.

She turned to Sam. “How about you? I mean, why not make the best of it? And we don’t have to do pizza, we could do a movie, maybe?”

“You sure you’re feeling okay?” Sam asked hesitantly, which got another laugh out of her.

“Yes! If these two party poopers are out, that means we can watch something artsy they’d hate.”

Sam smiled, relieved. “Yeah, that actually sounds great.”

While they discussed their plans, Dean turned to me and said, “That's not a half-bad idea.”

I was surprised. “What do you mean?”

“Making the best of it. We can go make with the best.”

“You wanna spend Valentine’s with me? I figured you’d… what happened to celebrating Lonely Ladies Getting Laid Day?”

“It’s Unattached Drifter Christmas. And I don’t mean anything fancy, or… stuff... It’s just... you know, as friends.”

That’s what he’d said, but he’d taken a step closer, and his voice had gotten a little softer, and if my eyes didn’t deceive me, the expression on his face held something I’d seldom seen on him: uncertainty.

“Friends?” I clarified.

“Well friends with be----”

At my raised eyebrow, he cut himself off and course-corrected.

“Beer. Friends with beer.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

“Sure.... sure, as in.... you'll....”

“Sure, Dean. I'll go.”

“You’ll go. Okay. Okay! That’s… that’s good, that’s…”

“Do I get flowers?” I asked casually, and at the near-horrified look on his face, tacked on a wink to let him know I was anything but serious.

He grinned. “You get a burger.”

I brought a hand to my chest. “Oh, Mr. Winchester - be still my heart.”

We were ready to get going, but after I filled him in on the rest of my conversation with our clumsy cupid, we agreed we had a quick stop to make before our Valentine’s Day evening got fully underway.

Octavia was at the bar nursing a cosmopolitan when the maître d' approached.

“Miss? Might you be Octavia?”

She swallowed and said, “Yes? I mean, yes. That’s me.”

“This was just dropped off for you,” he said, handing her a plastic bag with a drugstore’s name across it. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Octavia took it, mumbling a thank you as he walked off, completely distracted; she’d never received a gift before. And it was the most perfect thing she’d ever seen. She knew well that most all the cards had long been sold, and she was glad, because this was much more special.

There it was, in her hands, her very own valentine, handmade with what materials were at their disposal. It was a cut-from-newspaper heart, trimmed in cotton balls, with random stickers that weren’t holiday-related but were all pinks-and-reds, stuck here-and-there around the writing. And that writing said:

. Have a happy Valentine’s Day, Octavia. You deserve it. - Your favorite hunters .

After swiping a few tears away, Octavia left money on the bar and upon exiting, scurried around to the back of the building so she could disappear. She needed to drop her valentine off back home. And she also needed to pick up something while she was there.

When she reached her final destination of the night, the cupid watched through the window of the burger joint for awhile, drinking in the happiness before her. It could mean trouble, what she was about to do, but in this case there wasn’t need for an assignment, or cross-checking with the fates or the reapers, because she felt it was right. She knew it, sparkled tips to shiny toes.

Tonight’s arrow was smaller, and coated delicately. Concentrating, Octavia aimed carefully. She didn’t blink, and she didn’t wobble, and for the first time ever she hit precisely the targets she intended.

It sailed clean through both their hearts, and Octavia smiled. They would have an amazing night. As for the rest, well - she’d leave forever up to them.

Author’s Notes: This is not only for Valentine’s Day, it’s also for the Galentine’s celebration hosted by @spnfanficpond and my secret Galentine is fellow Pondie @bookshido (who I cannot tag, but have arranged for them to be tagged, cross my heart!) Hope you enjoyed!

...And a quick PS: While you'll notice standard divisions for change of scenes, the intro and ending are separated from this first-person perspective tale by the heart dividers, and are in third person for the purpose of giving the audience information that the main characters don't know/don't need to know - just FYI so you don't think I've lost my mind... or my perspective, as it were. ;)

See Nash Write : Master  /  See Nash Write : Mobile

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[foreverwayward]

“Wayward Hearts” Season 1 Chapter 1: It Runs in the Family

Summary: As Sam and Dean begin the search for their father, a chance encounter with another hunter will change the roads ahead. Riley Munroe is a hunter, raised by her father after her mother tragically died when she was only six months old. Brought together by loss, grief, and the family business, Sam, Dean, and Riley join forces. They’ll find that their stories are intertwined and lean on each other as they search for answers and to avenge those they’ve lost. They’ll face evil, darkness, and hell itself…as a family. 

*NEW SERIES*

MASTERLIST

Word Count: 9,763

Content Warning: language and violence

**GIFS ARE NOT MY OWN**

A black 1965 Mustang hummed down the road as the sign ahead read: ‘Welcome to Lawrence, Kansas’. The driver window was down and ‘Bad Company’ played on the stereo. The autumn air was rolling in and blew through her auburn hair as she inhaled the fresh cool air. Riley had one hand on the wheel and the other in the golden hair of the canine co-pilot that laid peacefully in her lap. She would never make it alone in the endless hours on the road if she didn’t have Finn by her side.

Riley was a simple girl. At 22, she’d been through more than anyone should ever have to endure in a lifetime. Though her face was young, her aged soul showed. She was mature beyond her years, in both the best and worst ways. She always tried to appear a little rough around the edges. How jaded she was still showed, but she lived with her heart as her compass; that’s how Dad raised her.

She wasn’t tall by any means. Being under 5′5″ didn’t give her much of an edge, but she never let her smaller stature stop her from anything. “You don’t need to be a man to kick ass,” Dad used to say. 

Riley smelled of her favorite black leather jacket that she always wore along with the only perfume she ever used. A simple, silver ring on her right hand, that she never took off, glistened in the light. It the only thing she still had left of her mother.

It was always so good to come home, she only wished was under better circumstances. Riley tried to brush off the thought that evil had come to her hometown and focused on the quiet roads. Every time she came to town, it felt as if she had never left. Nothing ever really changed in Lawrence, but that was one of the best things about it. Small ‘mom and pop’ shops lined the street and the trees had begun to softly litter the ground with colored leaves.

She couldn’t wait to get to Debbie’s. It had been too long since her last visit with her aunt and the idea of home brought warmth to her chest. But first, Riley wanted to stop by the local florist to pick up Deb’s favorite flowers.

She knew lilies always made her aunt smile.

Riley slowly pulled into a parking spot before bringing the car came to a stop. She pat Finn on the head. “Be right back, buddy.” The sleepy pup laid back down on the leather seat and fell back into a blissful sleep as  he waited for his best friend. Closing the door behind her, she began to walk towards the shop.

A husky voice to her left spoke up and caught her attention. “That’s a great car.”

Riley turned to the stranger to see a tall man in a brown, worn leather jacket. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he stared back at her as he leaned against a gorgeous, black, classic car.

A smirk curled up on his face and Riley smiled back. “Thanks. I can say the same for yours. That’s a beautiful Impala–a ‘67 right?”

Clearly impressed, his smile grew and a spark lit up in his eyes. “Yeah, that’s right. So, you know your cars, huh?”

She walked closer to him and crossed her arms as the cold breeze hit her. “Dad was a bit of a grease monkey. Cars were something he could never shut up about.”

At a closer glance, Riley saw his hypnotic hazel-green eyes and the small freckles that peppered his face. His hair was a shorter, sandy blonde and fit him perfectly. His full lips caught her eye and she had to force herself not to gawk at him. But she still took a brief moment to notice how his jeans hugged him just right.

The stranger let out a throaty chuckle and said, “my dad too. Looks like we were raised right. I’m Dean by the way.” He reached his hand out for hers and she took it in return.

“Riley.”

Her name struck something in Dean and he was instantly captivated. Her piercing blue eyes stared back at him and for a second he was lost in them. Something about her was intoxicating.

“So, you from around here?” he asked.

“Yeah. Lawrence is home–just came in for a visit.”

“Same.” He grinned at the beautiful woman in front of him, trying to play it as cool as he could. Riley instantly made him nervous, but in a way that made him want to ride out the high she gave him.

Dean couldn’t help but take in every part of her; the way her stray hairs blew around her face, how she curved in all the right places, and how her smile was something he wouldn’t have believed had he not seen it for himself.

“Well, I gotta run an errand and get going. It was nice to meet you, Dean.” Riley began to walk away, her boots softly crunching the leaves beneath her.

Dean didn’t want her to go, he had to get to know her. Somehow he knew, she was something special.

“Hey, Riley!” Dean called out as he jogged to catch up to her.

She turned to him with a smile, trying to hide how glad she was that he didn’t just let her leave.

“I’m gonna be in town for a bit and have some time to kill. Would you maybe want to get together later? Dinner?”

Riley’s heart fluttered as she tried to calm her excitement. “Sure. Do you know Debbie’s Diner?” she asked.

“Hell yeah. Best burgers in town. They make a mean apple pie.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Wanna meet me there around seven tonight?”

Dean flashed a smile that made her weak in the knees. It reached up his face and made the corner of his eyes crinkle.

“It’s a date” Dean replied.

She smirked back at him, revealing dimples that he immediately fell for, “see you then”. Riley turned to walk away, making sure to saunter just a bit to keep his attention.

Dean couldn’t help himself as he watched her walk into the florist shop. She was a knockout.

Filled with anticipation for the night to come, he hopped in the Impala and backed out of his spot. Dean wished he didn’t have to wait another minute to see Riley again. But with a grin on his face and a fire in his eyes, he eagerly imagined the night to come.

------

Grabbing her duffel bag and the new flowers from behind her seat, Riley got out of the car.

Finn jumped out right behind her. He was wagging his tail with excitement knowing exactly where they were.

She walked to the back of the diner and went through the employee entrance. A small break room, that looked more like a family room, was warm and simply decorated. Couches, a TV, a coffee table, and a rug took up most of the room.

Riley pointed to the sofa and Finn hopped on. She briefly rubbed his ear and walked into the back entrance of the diner.

As she took a step onto the tile, the familiar smell of Debbie’s pies filled the air. The hiss of the fryer in the background making her famous fries made Riley’s mouth water. The soft music playing overhead reminded her of all the time she spent in that diner while growing up.

She took a deep breath and let out a sigh as she whispered to herself, “home.”

Riley saw Debbie and quietly crept up behind her. “Surprise!”

Debbie let out a small yelp and turned around. Her eyes widened and her smile grew too big for her face. “Riley!” She embraced her niece tightly and didn’t want to let her go. Riley was the daughter she never had and Deb missed her so desperately when she was gone that it hurt.

After a moment, she let go and gave a small tap to the side of Riley’s head. “You scared the crap outta me.”

Riley chuckled. “Sorry, Deb. But...I come bearing a peace offering.” She handed her the lilies and Deb knew she could never stay upset with her.

“Oh, honey, I missed you so much. I didn’t even know you were gonna be in town. Why didn’t you call?” Deb asked.

“Well, I came in for work and thought I’d surprise you.”

Debbie’s joy fell a little knowing exactly what ‘work’ meant. She hated what her niece did. The job had taken her whole family from her and the idea of losing Riley made her lose sleep at night.

Suddenly, Riley could feel the pain swell in her aunt. It turned her stomach and she felt fear, worry, and sadness all at once. She was left dumbfounded, unsure of what was happening.

“This isn’t the life I wanted for her. Why can’t I convince her to stay?”

Riley froze realizing that Aunt Deb never spoke a word. She was rattled, unsure of what had happened. "Did I just...hear her thoughts? Feel her emotions? No. That’s not possible,” she thought before shaking it off and blaming it on exhaustion. She had been driving for a full day; of course, she was tired.

“Well, I gotta get these into a vase. Make yourself at home, but don’t think I won’t put you to work later.”

Riley chuckled, “yes ma'am. Uh, Deb? Do I smell fresh--”

“You and your pie,” Deb cut in. “I’ll grab you a slice.”

Riley grinned from ear to ear and gave her another hug. She took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of fresh food and her aunt’s vanilla shampoo, one of her favorite scents. “I’m so glad to be home, Deb.”

------

Dean was nervous and it had him on edge. He wasn’t used to the knots in his stomach. He was good with women and he knew it. But Riley was somehow different. She did something to Dean and he was dying to find out what that was.

He let out a heavy exhale and ran his fingers through his hair. Getting out of the car, he straightened his jacket and headed towards the diner.

“It’s just a date,” he muttered to himself. “It’s just another date.”

He opened the door and a soft bell jingled. Dean didn’t see Riley and was happy that he had gotten there before her.

There was a sign that read: ‘please seat yourself. We’ll be with you shortly.’

He found a booth in the corner and sat down on the red padded seat. Fiddling with his hands and looking out the window, he was hoping she wouldn’t blow him off. Dean had been looking forward to seeing Riley again since the moment she walked away.

A familiar and appealing voice spoke out that brought him back into focus.

“Hey, glad you made it.”

He looked up to see the same big blue eyes that he hadn’t been able to get out of his head. Dean couldn’t believe he hadn’t made Riley up in a dream.

“Wouldn’t have missed it,” Dean replied.

“Want a beer?” she asked.

“Absolutely.”

Riley walked away and went behind the counter.

Dean watched her with his brow arched, confused as to why she was just helping herself. He saw Riley grab two bottles and pop them open, bringing one to her lips and taking a sip as she came back.

She put the bottles down and sat across from the smile that gave her butterflies.

Dean looked at her and chuckled, “you know, they don’t like it when you serve yourself.”

She tried to stifle a laugh while taking another sip from her beer. “I probably should have mentioned, this is my Aunt’s diner. This is kind of like my home.”

“Well, that makes a lot more sense. I was thinking you might just be a little wild,” he smirked.

“Oh, honey. You have no idea.”

Dean’s eyes widened at her response as he bit his lip. Her confident banter was beyond sexy and made her only that much more enticing.

Debbie walked to the table and pulled a pad and pen out from her white apron. “Hey, Riley. Want to introduce your friend?”

“Of course. Aunt Deb, this is Dean.”

Dean shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, ma'am.”

“Ma'am? Damn. When did I get old?”

They all let out a small laugh. Debbie took a moment and a look of recognition came over her face. Though she thought she might have known the boy, she didn’t want to embarrass Riley and ask too much.

Debbie pushed aside the thought and asked, “you kids wanna order?”

Dean motioned to Riley for her to go first.

“Just the usual, Deb. Cheeseburger and fries.”

Dean loved that she didn’t order a salad or something ridiculous and tasteless. A woman who appreciated good food was a turn on all on its own.

“And for the handsome one?” Debbie asked looking at Dean.

Riley rolled her eyes and pulled her lips together. Of course, Deb would say something like that.

Dean looked down and let out a shy laugh. Turning back to Deb, he gave a soft smile and said, “I’ll have the same.”

“Coming right up.” She shot the two a wink and quickly returned behind the counter as she tucked her pad away once more.

The two were finally alone. There was a moment of silence where they just smirked and soaked up being together.

“So, tell me about yourself, Dean,” Riley said in a calm and flirty tone.

“Well, uh--I’m from here, I have a little brother, I love cars and I may have a slightly unhealthy obsession with classic rock.”

Riley laughed and replied, “I’m the same way. I’m a sucker for when music was actually good, ya know? Def Leppard, AC/DC, Guns 'n Roses, Led Zeppelin…I have too many favorites to name.”

Dean couldn’t believe his luck. She was literally the perfect woman. “You know,” he said coolly, “Not a lot of girls are into all of that. I’m pleasantly surprised.” He took a sip from his beer with a flirty brow.

“Well, Dean. I’m definitely not like most girls.” Her smirk was trouble and he loved it. “My dad and I were always listening to music together. It was something that we both loved. Some of my best memories are of us belting out our favorites during our long drives.”

“Sounds like you and your dad are pretty close, huh?”

Riley’s eyes cast down and her face changed. “Dad, uh--he passed away about a year ago now.”

Dean saw the pain in her face and felt guilty for even asking the question. “I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks--definitely miss him,” she said choking on a lump in her throat. Riley downed a large swig of the beer, put it on the table, and fiddled with it in her hands trying to get out of her head.

Riley needed to change the subject. “What about you? You close with your parents?”

Dean sighed and wasn’t sure how to explain his relationship with his dad. God only knew how complicated that was. “Uh--dad and I are kinda close, I guess. He raised me and my brother--mom died when we were kids.”

“I lost my mom as a kid too. It was just me and dad. Now, Deb is all the family I got. Well, her and Finn.”

“Finn?”

“Finnick--my golden retriever. Kinda my partner in crime. He’s in the back–can’t have dogs in the diner.”

Dean let out a soft chuckle.

They got lost in conversation, talking about anything and everything. He made her laugh, and she needed that.

Riley loved that he thought she was funny and his laugh was genuine; it ran up her skin like a warm hug. 

Time stopped and the two of them let go of the world for just a little while.

After the burgers and fries were demolished and multiple beers were downed, Debbie stopped by the table with two pieces of fresh pie.

Dean’s eyes lit up. “Oh God, yes,” he mumbled with anticipation as the smell wafted his way.

The two ate their pie and Dean finally gathered the courage to ask what had been on his mind. “So, Riley, how the hell does a girl like you not have a boyfriend?” He didn’t notice that his mouth was still somewhat full as he mumbled his words.

“And what makes you think I don’t have a boyfriend?” she teased.

Catching the game she was playing, Dean retorted, “well, I mean--you did take up an offer to go to dinner with a total stranger.”

Dean was a well trained flirt, that much was clear.

Riley smirked, finding him and his sense of humor endearing as she took a bite of the warm pie. Swallowing her food, Riley added, “well, I guess I just don’t stay in one place long enough. Kind of hard to build a relationship when you’re always on the road.”

Dean felt like she was singing his song. Somehow, she understood him. “I know that feeling all too well. Work keeps me traveling a lot.”

“What do you do?” she asked.

Careful not to reveal too much he answered, “uh--it’s a family business. We do a little bit of everything.”

Riley scoffed with a smile. “Well, that was vague.”

He laughed. “What can I say? I like to be a little mysterious. What about you?”

It was her turn to omit her full truth. “We’re kind of a family business too. Odd jobs here and there--just all over the place.”

He looked at her and felt she was hiding something, just like he was. Dean decided not to press it further though.

After their plates were finished, they stood up to leave.

Riley hugged Debbie and told her she’d be back soon.

“Be safe, sweetheart,” Deb told her niece. “It was nice to meet you, Dean.”

“Likewise, ma'am.”

“Oh, for the love of God, please call me Debbie.”

Dean smiled and put his hand out to give her some cash. “The food was delicious by the way.”

“Oh no, honey. It’s on the house. Here, I packed you a pie to go. Seems like you enjoyed it.”

Dean was all too happy with his gift. “Thank you, Debbie. I’ll definitely be back for more.”

With a final wave, Riley and Dean walked out of the diner and slowly meandered towards his Impala.

Walking side by side, they took their time with every step, not wanting to say goodnight. Normally, Dean would have already offered to take her back to his room, but not with Riley; she was different than the rest. She wasn’t just some chick he wanted to have a one night stand with. Dean wanted to see if there was something more and that thought alone was enough to terrify him.

The parking lot behind the diner was poorly lit and next to a quiet alleyway. The moon gave more light than the street lamps, but it was the perfect setting.

Dean leaned against the car and looked up at the stars. One of his favorite things about Kansas was you could always see the night sky.

Riley gazed up as well and they both sighed feeling the comfort of home.

“Dinner was great. Your aunt sure knows how to cook,” Dean said as his take-out bag crinkled in his hand.

“Yeah. She’s amazing. She seemed to really like you.”

“Good. ‘Cause I, uh--I don’t always do great with first impressions.”

“Well, you did just fine with me.” Riley bit her bottom lip, a smile showing through.

Dean let out a breathy laugh and their eyes locked. He was lost in hers and her in his. 

There was an electricity between them and it was as if an invisible force was pulling them together.

Riley took a step closer to him and Dean’s free hand brushed her hair behind her ear. She was so beautiful and Dean felt his stomach flip as he glanced down at her lips.

“I had a really good time tonight, Dean.”

“Me too. I’m just glad I got the guts to ask you out.”

She laughed and replied, “me too.”

It was then that they realized the gap between them had closed. They quietly looked at each other waiting for the other to make a move. 

Dean put a hand gently on the side of Riley’s face and her breath hitched. Her hands found his chest and felt his cool leather jacket under them. They inched closer, both feeling lightheaded as their lips ghosted over each other, barely touching.

A sudden, loud crash came from the alley, causing both of them to instantly pull away and look in the direction of the sound. It then went quiet, eerily quiet.

That silence was abruptly broken as a horrific, snarling creature with long fangs shot out from the darkness, ready to attack. The vampire was practically already foaming at the mouth.

Charging at Dean first, the vampire went straight for his neck. Dean absently dropped his bag and punched the creature in the face, causing him to stumble. He then shoved the monster away with full force.

Both Riley and Dean shouted to each other in unison, “get behind me!” They shared a look of confusion, but knew any questions would have to wait.

Just as the monster got to his feet to lunge back at them, two more vampires came out from the shadows behind Riley and Dean. They were outnumbered.

As Dean went for the two to his right, Riley went for his original attacker. Dean pulled out his gun, but before he could shoot, he was grabbed and thrown onto the hard asphalt, the gun falling out of his hand.

Riley unsheathed the knife from her boot and brought it up ready to fight. The creature then pinned her to the wall as they both fought for power over the blade.

A deep voice rang out from somewhere nearby, “Dean!” A tall young man with shaggy hair came sprinting into the fray with a machete ready to aid Dean. 

He quickly came up behind the third creature and sliced its head clean off.

Dean grabbed his gun again and fired several rounds into one of the vampires; it fell to the floor in agony. He yelled out with worry, “Riley!” and ran in her direction.

Riley finally overpowered the creature and stabbed him in the gut, only slowing it down. She pushed him against the wall and immediately grabbed the lid from the metal trash can next to her. With all her might, and a forceful grunt, Riley plunged it into the vampire’s throat, decapitating the monster.

Dean stopped in his tracks with shock on his face.

As she wiped off the blood that had splattered onto her face, Riley turned to Dean. 

All three were out of breath, not sure what to make of what had just happened.

The remaining vampire laid on the ground, groaning in agony. Dean and his partner sauntered over to it and hovered above.

“What the fuck did you do to me?” the monster snarled.

“Those are dead man’s bullets, you son of a bitch.”

Riley strode in between the two boys with that same lid, slamming it down and finishing the monster’s final breath.

There was silence once again in the parking lot as they all panted.

Dean turned to Riley. “You’re a hunter?!”

“You’re a hunter?!” she replied in shock.

“Yeah. We came into town hearing about a vamp nest nearby.”

“Me too.” Intrigued, her curiosity unable to resist, Riley questioned, “dead man’s blood?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s uh--something Dad figured out. Bullet’s dipped in the blood of a dead man. Doesn’t kill ‘em, but it’ll hurt like hell.”

“Huh,” she replied plainly while in thought.

Still catching their breath, no one knew what to say until Dean finally motioned to his partner. “Oh, this is my brother Sam. Sam, this is Riley.”

She looked up at the brother. He looked so young, handsome like his brother, but in his own way. He had soft hazel eyes and his brown hair swept over his forehead. Though Dean was much taller than Riley, Sam practically towered over her smaller figure.

Riley had a realization that struck her like a bus. “Wait--Sam and Dean? As in Sam and Dean Winchester? John’s kids?”

The brothers stared at each other and Sam finally spoke up with an incredulous look. “Uh--yeah. Do we know you?”

“Your dad was my dad’s hunting buddy.”

“Who was your dad?” Dean asked.

“Jackson Munroe.”

Dean’s eyes grew. “Jack Munroe? He and dad hunted together for years. Damn, he was a hell of a hunter.” He let out a heavy exhale of disbelief. “Man, I can’t believe you’re Jack’s daughter.”

“Dad didn’t do too well hearing about Jack last year. I’m so sorry, Riley,” Sam added.

Riley nodded in gratitude as she pulled her knife from the vampire’s corpse. She cleaned it on the creature’s shirt and sheathed it again. “How’s your dad by the way? I haven’t seen John in a while.”

Sam scoffed, “yeah, join the club.”

Dean scowled at Sam and then turned back to Riley. “We’re actually looking for him right now. He went on a hunting trip and we haven’t heard from him in a while.”

“It’s John Winchester. I wouldn’t be too worried,” she said. They found themselves in that familiar silence again. “Well, I don’t know about you two, but I could use a drink. My aunt has an apartment above the diner and I happen to know that she has some whiskey hidden away upstairs, if you’re interested.”

“I am definitely not gonna turn that offer down,” Dean answered with a tired smirk.

While Riley dragged one of the corpses off to the dumpster, Sam grabbed Dean’s shoulder and turned him towards him. “That’s the girl you went out with tonight?”

“Yeah. She’s incredible. Did you see her? Dude, she’s a total badass.” He smiled like an excited kid as he tapped his brother’s chest.

Sam let out a breathy chuckle in agreeance and they both went to help Riley remove the evidence of their violent supernatural encounter.

------

The three hunters stepped into a small apartment; it was cozy and welcoming. Pictures of the Munroe family made it feel like a real home, one that neither Sam or Dean had ever experienced.

Riley closed the door behind them and a happy dog came running to her. He jumped up to hug her and she rubbed his back. “Hey, Finn. You been a good boy?” 

He got down, stood next to her, and observed the strangers.

Sam bent down and Finn went to smell him. He pet him and the dog wagged his tail in appreciation.

“What a beautiful dog,” Sam told her. “I always wanted one. But, uh--Dean’s not exactly a huge fan of dogs.”

Dean gave Sam a nasty look and then shot back to Riley with a big cheesy smile. “I like dogs--I do. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Riley turned with a questioning expression on her face and Dean slugged Sam in the arm. “Dude, not cool.”

Riley went to the kitchen, grabbed glasses from the shelves, and found the bottle of whiskey stashed under the sink. Finn settled next to her chair and laid his head on her feet.

The boys went to the table and she brought everything to join them. 

As Riley poured the glasses, Dean let out a scoff. “Man, what are the odds? I mean, it’s Lawrence--small town…but still.”

Taking a drink, Riley sighed as it burned in her throat. “You’re not wrong.”

Sam let out a throaty chuckle. “Life’s funny that way, I guess.”

The front door opened and Deb walked in, her apron draped over her arm as her fingers worked to take her hair out of its tied up bun. 

Finn ran to greet her and she rubbed his head before looking up.

“Oh, didn’t know we were having company. Dean, nice to see you again.”

“You too, Debbie. This is my brother, Sam.”

Her eyes grew wide and Riley chuckled before telling her, “yup, Sam and Dean Winchester.” She turned to the brothers. “And yes, Deb knows all about it.”

“I knew I recognized that face. Dean, I haven’t seen you since you were a little kid. And Sam…my God, you were just a baby.” Deb pulled up a chair and joined the group. “Now that love of pie makes so much sense. You were the same way as a little boy,” she said eyeing Dean.

Dean let out a small gasp of frustration as he remembered his forgotten to-go bag. “Dammit! I dropped my pie back in the alley.”

Debbie laughed, “don’t worry, honey. There’s plenty where that came from.” 

She got up, grabbed two pies from the refrigerator and some forks before bringing them to the table. “Dig in. We don’t need plates when we’re with family.” 

Dean lit up with excitement and went right for the pie as Riley did the same. 

“So, the Winchesters are back in Lawrence. Is your dad with you?”

“We’re only in town for the case. Dad’s out kind of doing his own thing right now,” Dean said with a full mouth.

“You boys came in for the vamp nest, didn’t you?”

“Yes, ma'am,” Sam chimed in.

Dean shook his head with his cheeks stuffed, “mm-mm. She doesn’t like that. Gotta call her Debbie.”

Sam, being slightly embarrassed by his brother, returned to his conversation. “So, you know all about the job?”

“Oh, yes,” she replied. Deb lifted a small bite of pie to her mouth, chewed and swallowed, followed by a sigh. “My brother was a hunter–cost him his damn life.”

Sadness fell over Riley’s face. She hated that her aunt still hurt so deeply. Not to mention how disappointed she was that Riley was following in her father’s footsteps.

“We heard about Jack. We were all so sad to hear of his passing,” Sam added. “If you don’t mind me asking, we never really heard what happened.”

Riley put her fork down, ran her hand through her hair as it fell back in her face and she took a deep breath. 

Dean could see the pain in her eyes and put his hand on top of hers that sat on the table. 

She looked at him and could see he genuinely cared. He was calming her. How he was able to do that already was beyond her comprehension.

“Dad had been hunting down the thing that killed mom for as long as I can remember. That’s why he became a hunter. I don’t even remember my mom. I was only six months old when she died. But, the night Dad died,” Riley paused as she swirled the liquid in her glass. “He didn’t tell me anything was wrong. He said 'he had to handle some business’ and went alone. I would have never let him go if I had known something was gonna happen.” Riley choked back tears and cleared her throat before her jaw twitched with a hint of anger. “God help that yellow-eyed son of a bitch if he’s what took my dad from me.”

“Wait a minute. Was your dad after a demon? A demon with yellow eyes?” Dean asked.

Both Riley and Deb’s faces went white. They looked at each other and then back at Dean as they both froze.

Debbie’s voice cracked in her throat. “H--how did you know that?”

“Because that’s the same thing that killed our mom too.” Sam’s was completely taken back as he answered her. “Dean, Jack must have been working with Dad on the case the whole time. We always knew they went on hunts together, but Dad never really talked about them.”

Deb took a breath and continued, “he was gone so much. Riley was just a baby and spent a lot of her time with me--I practically raised her. And whenever Jackson would come back home, he would teach her everything he could about hunting. I hated every second of it. Watching her learn to handle a gun when she was only in kindergarten made me sick. But, Riley wanted to be a ‘hero’ just like her daddy. I knew I couldn’t stop her, no matter how hard I tried.” She grabbed her glass and downed the last bit of whiskey, trying to stifle her emotions. "And then one day, 'Riley was old enough to hunt’,” she scoffed in annoyance. “She was just a child, but she didn’t want to be away from her father and wanted to help him find the thing that killed her mom.”

“Deb, I didn’t want to leave, but I had to.” Riley reached her hand to Debbie’s and squeezed. “You were like a mom to me. That never changed.” 

Deb returned the loving gesture and exhaled.

“So, you hunt alone now?” Dean asked Riley, surprised.

“Yup. Well, Finn comes too...sometimes. He’s mostly there for the company on the rides and in the motels, but he’s saved my life a couple times. He’s the only partner I’ve ever had besides Dad.” 

She reached under the table and pet the sleepy dog.

“Well,” Deb sighed as she stood up. “I have to go close the diner and clean up. Riley, you’re off the clock tonight. Stay here and enjoy the rest of your night.” She kissed Riley’s head and looked to the boys. “It was nice to see you both.”

“You too,” replied Dean. “Thanks for everything.”

Debbie gave a half-smile and headed out the door.

Riley stood to clear the table and Sam stopped her, “I got it,” he told her.

She realized that Dean had never let go of her hand. They had absently intertwined their fingers and found comfort in each other. 

Riley glanced at him and their eyes locked. 

That electricity was there again and they could practically feel the charge in the air around them.

Sam quickly cleaned up and then turned to see the two of them. He cleared his throat, reminding them that he was still there. “Well, I’m gonna head back to the motel. Thanks for everything, Riley. It was really nice to meet you.”

“You too, Sam.”

The brothers exchanged looks and Dean nodded in his direction as to say, ‘I’ll be there in a bit’.

Sam acknowledged the notion, pat the dog, and left.

Finally, they were alone again.

“Come on.” Riley grabbed her glass with her free hand and lead Dean to the couch with the other. He scooped up his own glass as well.

The couch was dark blue and incredibly clean. Dean was impressed with how neat and tidy Deb kept her home.

They both sat down and looked at each other.

“I gotta admit, Winchester, I did not see tonight going the way it did.”

Dean let out a throaty laugh. “Definitely not.” He searched for the right words. “You’re incredible though, Riley. You just keep surprising me.”

“In all good ways, I hope.”

She smirked at him and he felt chills go up his neck. “In all the best ways,” Dean said. 

Riley smiled and took a drink. 

Pausing, Dean gathered the courage to keep talking. “You were right, you know? You’re not like most girls. You’re something different altogether. …I actually don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.” He looked up and caught her eye as the charge surging between them only grew.

“Listen,” he said, putting down both their drinks. “I gotta do this before something stops me again or I know I’m gonna regret it.” Dean pushed her hair away from her face before taking her chin in his hand. Slowly, the space between them closed and their lips touched.

Riley felt a spark in her that she never had with anyone else. It was terrifying but amazing. He was amazing.

As the kiss intensified, Riley’s hands slipped behind his neck and his other hand found her hip. 

They pulled each other close together and began to lose themselves in the moment. The rest of the world faded. The pain, the stress, the monsters, all but forgotten. All that existed was them.

Dean ran his hands through her hair as she pulled him close by his jacket. “I’m not gonna let this girl go,” he thought to himself before slowly laying her down on the couch, their kiss never breaking.

------

The next morning, the boys drove down the main strip of town, the sound of Baby rumbling beneath them. That Chevy was the only home Sam and Dean had ever known, the only constant in their lives besides each other.

Dean flipped open his phone to reveal a message from Riley.

‘Come in through the back. See you soon’.

A Blue Oyster Cult song played softly from Dean’s go-to cassette tape.

Sam broke the silence saying, “so, you sure you wanna see Riley after your night together? I mean, I have never seen you do that before.”

Dean knew he was right. “It’s not like that, Sam. We kissed, that’s all. And yeah, I definitely want to see her.”

Sam was pleasantly surprised by his brother’s response and nodded in understanding.

After turning off the engine, they stepped out of the car, the doors creaking behind them as they slammed shut.

As the brothers walked around the back, they saw the diner in the daylight. Memories from the night before played in their minds; remnants of blood that couldn’t be scrubbed away were still staining the concrete.

Opening the back door, the two stepped inside.

Riley was sitting cross-legged on the couch with papers, newspapers, and a map sprawled around her on one side and Finn on the other. 

She glanced up, trying to not seem too eager to see Dean. “Hey, guys. Good morning.”

“Morning,” they both replied.

Dean sat on a single chair close to Riley and Sam made himself comfortable on the longer end of the sofa as he greeted Finn. The golden pup was already a fan of the youngest Winchester.

Riley sipped her coffee and nodded towards the side table. “There’s a fresh pot if you want some, help yourselves.”

Dean got up and poured two mugs full, giving one to Sam and then returning to his chair.

He looked at Riley and studied her. She was just as beautiful in the morning. Her hair up in a messy bun and glasses that were sexy as hell rested on her nose. She was wearing sweats, a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, and socks. 

Riley didn’t even have to try to impress Dean. It happened so naturally.

“So, whaddya got?”

“Well, looks like all the attacks have been up north on the furthest skirts of town towards the city of Midland.”

Sam chimed in. “I did some digging and I haven’t seen a single attack here before the recent ones this last week. It’s so weird that they just showed up in Lawrence out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, but with the death toll piling up, and the visit from our friends last night, I’d say it’s a safe bet we have a full-blown nest now. Now where they came from? I don’t have a damn clue.” 

Riley pushed everything to the side to focus on the conversation and the warm coffee in her two cupped hands. She always joked about how the smell of coffee would ‘wake up her soul’ as she was not a morning person.

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Dean asked while he sipped at his warm mug.

“I say we stake it out tonight. If we think we can handle it, we go in. If not, we gather intel and we’ll regroup for tomorrow. At least if we’re there, they can’t leave without us knowing,” Riley added.

“Sounds good to me. Guess we have the day to kill,” Dean said with hope in his voice.

Sam knew where his brother’s head was at and smiled at the thought of Dean being so keen to be with this new girl.

“Well, let’s go grab some breakfast and we’ll make plans from there. I am in dire need of more coffee. I’ll go change and meet you in the diner.” Riley got up and pat her side for Finn to follow.

“Great! I’m starving” Sam shot out in response.

“Meet you in ten.”

Dean watched her disappear up the stairs, his eyes locked on her.

Once she was gone, Sam laughed.

“What?” Dean asked.

“Dude, could you be more obvious?”

“...shut up.”

------

After a day of lounging in Deb’s apartment, copious amounts of delicious food, and a couple of classic movies, it was time for the hunters to head out.

Grabbing her gear and giving a kiss on Finn’s soft head, Riley followed the boys out to the car.

Dean popped the trunk to check on their supplies while the sun set softly behind them. The sky was barely lit with beautiful orange and yellow light coming over the horizon.

Riley peered down into the trunk and was thrilled with all the different ‘hunter toys’ it held. “Oh, my God.” She pulled out a baseball bat wrapped in barbed-wire and grinned as she admired it. “This is so badass.”

Dean chortled admiring the weapon as well. “That’s actually one of Dad’s favorites.”

“Don’t think I won’t be taking a swing with this baby at some point.”

Sam let out a playful sigh. “My God, there’s two of them.”

After Riley and Dean exchanged a flirty glance, they shut the trunk and walked around Baby. 

Sam went to the front passenger door and opened it for Riley.

“Such a gentlemen” she teased.

After all three were in the car, Dean started the engine and cranked up the music. “Let’s do this.”

------

Night had fallen as the Impala’s lights shut off and rolled to a stop. It hid behind some brush just shy of a rusted metal gate that led up to private property. From there, the hunters could still watch to make sure no one left the cabin on the hill.

A beat-up old van was parked in front, warm lights seeping out of the house windows.

The still night’s silence surrounded the car with only the sound of crickets chirping around them.

“Did you happen to get maps for the property? Do we know if there’s a way out on the other side?” Riley was frustrated that she wasn’t able to find them while researching.

“No,” Sam responded.

“Dammit.”

Dean saw an opportunity to get a moment with Riley and formulated a plan. He put his arm over the seat and looked back at Sam. “Well, Sammy, how about we stay here and you do recon around the property? You can come back and let us know what you find.” A look of ‘play along’ sat eagerly on his face.

Sam rolled his eyes. “Sure. Why not?” he said with annoyance in his voice. 

Grabbing a flashlight and packing his gun into his hip, he got out of the car and tried to close the door gently.

Dean peeked his head through the crack in the window and whispered, “take your time. No rush.”

Sam rolled his eyes again and began his trudge down the road, keeping his eyes peeled.

With Sam no longer in view, Riley and Dean were alone again. They both had been hoping all day for the moment that would happen.

Riley couldn’t tell if the night before meant as much to him as it did to her. Maybe it was just a playful moment together after a fight, leftover adrenaline egging them on.

What she didn’t know was Dean had been aching to kiss her again all day as he replayed their time on the couch together again and again.

Dean cleared his throat. “Listen, at the risk of sounding like a complete idiot,” he stopped and laughed under his breath. “I really like you and I actually had a really great time with you last night. Even if it was interrupted by blood-crazed monsters.” They both let out breathy giggles. “But had that not happened, I may have never seen what a kick-ass hunter you are.”

Riley’s stomach flipped. Knowing that she impressed him filled her with pride that she couldn’t contain. Watching him in the fray the night before turned her on and she couldn’t wait to see him in action again. “Last night was pretty awesome. Definitely my most interesting date so far.”

Dean’s lips pressed together while a smile grew behind them. She looked so perfect. There hadn’t been a moment since they met that he didn’t think so.

Riley bit her lip, catching his gaze and it was happening all over again.

With heated eyes, Dean leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. 

Their eyes shut as they were both lost in the gentle moment between them. They broke apart only to softly smile and look at each other once again, fire and hunger for the other growing with every second. 

Breathing heavily and not able to take it anymore, the two crashed their lips together and pulled each other as close together as possible. And yet, it still wasn’t close enough.

Dean’s hands were everywhere; grabbing at her sides, her face, in her hair and on her neck. 

Riley tugged at his shirt and pulled at the nape of his neck while the short hairs rubbed against her hand. 

The two hunters were completely lost in each other, even forgetting they were on a case.

That’s when the back door opened and they both jumped to look back at Sam getting in the car.

Sam hesitated when he saw the couple. “Oh, I’m sorry, should I come back?” he asked sarcastically.

“Shut up, Sam. What’d you find out?” Dean asked trying to subtly catch his breath.

“This is their only way out. If they leave, we’ll know it. I was able to get a view into the window and heard them talking. They’re pissed about the three vamps we took out last night. Losing them apparently brought their nest down to four. They know it happened behind the diner and they plan to hit it hard.”

Riley’s eyes grew with anger and a hint of panic at the thought of Deb getting in harm’s way. “That’s it. I say we handle these bastards now. No way in hell am I letting them near my home.”

Dean loved seeing that side of her, the hunter side. She was always ready for a fight and clearly had true loyalty in her. It made her that much more attractive and he wanted her even more.

With Dean’s mind set on being at her side and raring to go, he looked to her and then Sam. “Agreed. Sam, you in?”

“Let’s go,” the younger brother replied.

The three got out quietly and grabbed their gear from the trunk. A gun on each of their hips, knives hidden in boots or sheathed in jackets, and a machete in hand.

Riley reached for the bat and studied it in her hands. She gave a fiery look that sent chills up Dean’s spine, diving him wild, while her hands tightened their grip around it.

With purpose and intensity, the three marched up the hill, ready for whatever awaited them behind that cabin door.

The remaining four vampires sat in the main room venting their anger in front of a roaring fireplace.

Thirsty for blood and revenge, one of the men with black hair and a large build hissed under his breath. “I’m not waiting. Those fuckin’ hunters took out our kin. They die tonight.”

With the rest of the nest in agreeance, they got up ready to leave.

Just as their decision was made, the door was kicked open. It swung with force and slammed against the wall. Chips from where the door met the frame splintered out.

Riley went in first, ready to lead the others. Taking large, controlled strides into the house, she swung the bat with abandon and hit the black-haired monster in the head, caving in the side of his skull. He hit the floor and Riley swung another two times ensuring that he was down, blood splattering from his fresh wounds.

Dean and Sam went in opposite directions ready to take their part in the fight. Punches were thrown and the youngest Winchester took a blow to the jaw that caused him to falter back, but Sam shook it off and charged back at the creature.

On the other side of the room, Dean faced off with a long-haired vampire in a leather vest. 

As they danced around a bit, trying to corner each other, Dean looked the monster over with a chuckle. “Dude, you know, you reek of 'douchebag’, right?.”

The vested animal let his rage take over and rushed at Dean, creating the perfect opportunity for the hunter to duck away. He spun around and sliced the vampire’s head off its shoulders.

Turning around while still riding the high of the kill, Dean then removed the head of the other monster that was fighting his brother.

Riley, face to face with the only remaining creature, was met with a monstrous woman with a pixie haircut. Her teeth were bared and she snarled at the hunter.

“You, bitch! You come into our house and kill my family?”

A cocky smile grew on Riley’s face as she tensed around the bat and jested, “better yours than mine, you piece of shit.” 

After a couple of swings and misses, the vampire lost her step and was met with a swipe to the side of her face. She hit the ground, blood dripping from her head as she realized she could no longer stand.

Riley took her time and walked behind her. She reached out her hand to trade her weapon for Dean’s machete. She grasped it firmly and walked back to the beaten monster who was leaning back on her hands.

Barely able to get out words the woman hissed through her breaths, “you…hunters…you’ll never win. There’s too many of us. We’ll always…come for you.”

With one final look, Riley replied, “and we’ll always be ready.” With one swift motion, the blade cut off the evil creature’s head and it thumped to the ground.

------

Baby pulled up in front of the diner. Deb had already closed up for the night and must have gone to bed as all of the lights were out.

Exhausted, covered in blood, and still coming down from the adrenaline of the tussle, there was quiet between them.

“You know, Riley, you’re a damn good hunter,” Sam admitted from the back seat.   “We could use someone like you on hunts more often.”

“He’s right,” Dean added. “You kicked serious ass tonight.”

Riley sighed. “This was actually the first time I hadn’t gone on a hunt alone since I lost Dad. I guess I was always too scared to--” her voice trailed off. “I couldn’t afford to lose another partner.” Her head fell slightly and she knew that if she got too close to the boys, odds were, she would lose them too.

“Hey,” Dean said lifting her chin up softly to look at him. “Look, this job sucks. We’ve lost more friends and family than we ever care to admit–it hurts every damn day. And the thought of losing more? It’s almost too much to live with. But this ain’t a one-man show, sweetheart. We survive because we do it together.”

A small smile came over Riley’s face and she knew he was right.

Sam’s hand landed on her shoulder and her hand went to rest on top of his. “You have two partners right here if it feels right to you. We can figure out all this shit as a team. We can go after Yellow Eyes, together. We got your back.”

The thought thrilled Dean to his core and he couldn’t help but grin. “Sam’s right. So, whaddya say, kid?”

A million thoughts ran through Riley’s head while she tried to fight her fear of getting too close to anyone. There was a reason she tended to keep to herself.

“I--I need to think about it. I know you guys are headed out in the morning. So...I guess I’ll let you know then.”

Riley’s uncertainty kept her hesitant, afraid to make the wrong decision.

Both brothers nodded in agreement and a swell of comradery swept through the car. 

Whatever her decision, an undeniable bond had been formed.

Leaning over, Riley planted a soft kiss on Dean’s lips. She looked at him and then back at Sam, “goodnight, guys.” Getting out of the car and swinging her bag over her shoulder, she disappeared into the back of the diner.

Dean’s eyes had watched her every move until she was out of sight. “I really hope she says yes, Sam.”

------

It was a brisk morning and more leaves had covered the streets and sidewalks of the quiet street. The mood in the town had shifted and even the air felt lighter.

Evil had left Lawrence, for the time being.

Dean stood leaning against Baby, never breaking his gaze from the diner door. He had tossed and turned all night worried that he would have to say goodbye to Riley, and he just wasn’t ready.

Sam saw the concern in his eyes. “She still might come, Dean. We’ll give her a few more minutes.” Even he was keeping his hope that the new friend he had made would be leaving with them.

Dean’s heart sank and with a heavy sigh, he turned to the door to get in the car. 

As he did, he heard the soft jingle of the diner’s bell behind him. He spun at the sound and beamed when he saw her.

Riley was grinning from ear to ear, a bag over her shoulder, and a guitar case in her hand. Finn and Deb followed close behind.

“Still got room for one more, Winchesters?”

“Hell yeah.” Dean hugged her and happily took her things to put in the back seat.

Sam went to her and embraced her tightly. “You play guitar?”

“Oh, honey, I’m full of surprises.”

Riley walked over to Finn and got down to his level. With a tear in her eye, she pet him and rubbed his ears while she looked him over.

“I love you, buddy. But we’re going after something too big and I can’t risk you getting hurt. Aunt Deb’s gonna take good care of you. I promise I’ll be back soon.” She wrapped her arms around the whining dog and kissed his head. “I love you.” Tears crept up in Riley’s eyes and the lump in her throat threatened every breath she took.

Getting up, Riley squeezed Deb in a loving embrace.

Her aunt whispered in her ear while her voice broke and held back tears with each word. “You come back to us, you hear me?”

“I promise. I love you so much.”

The two tried to pull themselves together as Riley stepped away and walked towards the Impala.

Debbie hugged both of the boys and handed Dean a large bag. “It’s filled with food for the road. I made sure I packed some pie in there too.” She winked and Dean’s smile was beyond enthusiastic. He then hugged her one more time. “You take care of her,” Deb told him softly.

“Thank you, for everything. I promise to get her back to you.”

The trio got in the car; Riley, and Dean in the front again with Sam in the back.

With tears slowly rolling down her cheeks, Riley waved one more time. She had no idea how long it would be until she would be with her family again.

“I hope I made the right choice,” Riley thought as she wiped the tears from her face.

Dean backed out of the spot and headed on the road. 

Finn and Debbie were right where Riley had left them as they faded in the side mirror.

Seeing her pain, Dean squeezed her hand. 

Riley took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. “Music?” She asked as she turned the dial.

Nothing took her mind off things like the beautiful sound of memories. That’s what music was. It was solace, it was Dad.

Bob Seger’s ‘Night Moves’ came through the speakers and it was as if Jackson had sent a message just for her. That was their song and Riley beamed knowing he was always with her.

“I love this song!” The music swept through her soul and Riley sang to the tune. “I was a little too tall, could’ve used a few pounds. Tight pants, points hardly reknown. She was a black-haired beauty with big dark eyes. And points all her own sitting way up high…”

“Woah, she sings too,” Dean teased as he soaked up every beautiful sound that she shared.

“Always the tone of surprise with you, Dean. Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy. Out in the back seat of Dean’s '67 Chevy. Workin’ on mysteries without any clues. Come on, boys!”

Dean watched her as she warmed his heart. Every word and ridiculous sway she did in the front seat of his car was magic, she was magic.

The brothers chuckled and joined in as they all sang in unison.

“Workin’ on our night moves. Trying’ to make some front page drive-in news. Workin’ on our night moves in the summertime. In the sweet summertime.”

At that moment, driving past the sign reading: ‘you are now leaving Lawrence, come back soon!’ and lost in the night moves, the three of them let the weight on their shoulders fall.

It felt right, like pieces of a puzzle were slowly coming together and finally making sense.

Sam got comfortable in the back seat and Riley scooted closer to Dean. The older Winchester wrapped his arm around her as they both imagined the roads to come.

That day was the start of something bigger than the three hunters could ever have known. Call it fate or destiny, but Sam, Dean, and Riley’s lives would never be the same.

“I woke last night to the sound of thunder. How far off, I sat and wondered. Started humming a song from nineteen sixty-two. Ain’t it funny how the night moves when just don’t seem to have as much to lose? Strange how the night moves...with autumn closing in.”

Chapter 2: Bloody Mary

[takadasaiko]

Second Chances: Chapter Six

FFN II AO3

Summary: Steve has every intention of returning the Infinity Stones to their correct place in the timeline and heading back to his own. His problems start when he makes an impulse decision to jump over to 1946 and Peggy decides to go back home with him. It only gets more complicated from there when Howard tags along with them to 2023. Tony lives fix-it fic. Pepperony.

Chapter Summary: Steve tries to figure out how to best handle the situation without admitting to Tony that he's brought not one but two people from the past into 2024.

Chapter Six

Howard had always liked a good challenge, and convincing Steve and Peggy that he had reluctantly given up on the idea of going with them had certainly been one. Peg lived in a state of suspicion with him - especially after his fib over the vile a few weeks before - and Steve had called him on his tendency to misdirect and straight out lie more than once during the War. He had been questioning when the ruse would be up, but now the question seemed to be which one of them would take a swing first. Howard lifted his hands in defense. "It's not nearly as bad as you're thinking it is."

"No, it's worse," Steve snapped.

"How? You talk to your buddy - Tony, right? The one that set you up with that suit - and he'll be able to send me back to the same day I left. No biggie. I'll even get to deliver Peg's letter."

He glanced over to find Peggy massaging the bridge of her nose, all of the earlier joy and excitement completely washed out of her. "That's never been the issue Howard. I'm staying, but if you go back seeing all of the advancements, everything that could suddenly have Starkon it rather than whatever name should have been attached —"

"Ouch, Peg. You think I'm here to, what? Steal technology? Like I can't come up with my own?"

"You don't have to steal anything to alter your own timeline in ways that can't-"

"Like taking Peggy from it?" Howard cut Steve off, the amusement no longer lining his voice. He'd expected pushback and plenty of eye rolling, maybe even a swing in his direction, but this was rich coming from them. "Yeah, neither of you have a lot of wiggle room on that one. I'm not going to destroy time and space by being here. Not how it works. Hell, I could meet myself and three generations after me and all it'd do is make for a potentially awkward situation." He pulled in a breath, trying to reel in the burst of temper along with it. "I just want to see it. Walk through Manhattan and then I'll go home like I was never here at all. You've seen it, Peg gets to see it…. All I'm doin' is asking for a chance to peek through the curtain. That's it. No harm done, I swear."

The breeze pushing at the trees overhead was the only sound for a long moment as both Cap and Peggy stared at him. Finally Steve loosed a breath. "We'll have to get ahold of a couple of people to make it happen."

"See, not so bad," Howard responded, his tone light again.

Cap didn't look entirely convinced as he pushed forward. "C'mon."

Peggy followed immediately, falling into lockstep with him. Howard waited half a beat before hurrying to join them. Well, it hadn't been smooth, but at least he'd made it.

                                                      ___________

The first thing he did was grab a newspaper. June 2024. Okay. That wasn't…. terrible. Not great, but not terrible. He'd been gone just a little under a year then, even though it had only been a couple of weeks for him. That added complications, sure, but at least it wasn't decades this time.

Steve had no idea if his apartment would have been leased to someone else, but that was his second stop. If he were lucky - really lucky - the key would be….. there.

"Checkin' to see if the maid cleaned while you were away?" Howard popped off behind him as Steve ran his fingers along the top of the trimming around the door. He held up the key that he found there and Howard chuckled, lifting his hands in defeat.

Steve fit the key into the lock and turned, hearing the mechanisms shift and the lock slide out of place. He turned the knob and pushed inward. He was met immediately by the muted sound of the television. He was sure he didn't leave one on. Mostly because he didn't even own one when he'd left.

"Someone kept it up," Peggy said cautiously and Steve made a small sound of acknowledgement.

He was halfway to telling Howard to wait outside when the creek of the old, pre-war apartment's floor sounded a warning and Peggy shouted as Steve spun, meeting his attacker to block the blow aimed at him. Both men froze and he found a set of dark eyes on him. "I'll be damned," Sam Wilson managed. "Cap. You're back."

His lips tilted at the corners and he lowered his defenses. "Yeah, Sam. I'm back."

"With friends," the other man said uncertainly, motioning to Peggy and Howard.

Steve cleared his throat. "Yeah…. Sam, this is Peggy Carter and Howard….. Stark."

The younger man's expression inched towards amusement. "Hell, Cap. He's gonna kill you."

Steve didn't even have to ask who he was. He was well aware. "Yeah, I know. I, uh…. We're going to fix it. I'd rather let him know after we get Howard back to the past."

Sam lifted an eyebrow. "So…. she's staying?"

"She is," Peggy grumbled, obviously irritated at being talked about without being included.

"But he's not?"

Steve could feel the tension building in the room between the questions and the lack of names and the overall vagueness that wouldn't set well with anyone. Peggy had squared her shoulders next to him and Howard…. okay apparently the tension was all Peggy. Howard was halfway into the apartment. His fingers drifted over the TV that Sam must have brought with him when he'd taken over Steve's lease, dark eyes wide as he explored every inch.

The inventor crouched down in front of the entertainment center, fixated. "Is this a television?" he managed, and Steve was sure he'd never heard his old friend impressed until that moment. Great. The twenty-first century was going to give Tony's father an aneurysm and there'd be no sending him back. That'd be about the way things played out.

"Yeah…" Sam answered uncertainly.

"And these?" Howard asked, pointing at a collection of various boxes below the TV.

"Uhh… Blu Ray player and gaming systems." He turned to look directly at Steve. "Am I allowed to tell him that?"

"I'm not sure he'd give up until you did," Steve huffed and kept a wary eye on Howard as he continued to explore like a child on Christmas morning shaking gifts under the tree.

"So," Peggy cut in. "Sam, was it?"

"Wilson," Sam acknowledged, reaching a hand out to shake her. "And you are the Peggy Carter. Co-founder of SHIELD."

"Not anymore," she said tensely.

"In our timeline you are. Still makes you damn impressive. Ma'am."

She cracked a small smile at that and Steve found his friend's gaze back in him. "We thought you were gone."

"I took a detour."

"I can see that."

"And you moved into my place."

Sam looked sheepish. "We knew how long it took you to secure a place in Brooklyn that wasn't crazy expensive, and it just…. we couldn't let just anybody take it."

"We?" Steve echoed.

"You've missed a lot in the last few months."

A loud crash sounded off from the kitchen and the three vets jumped, all ready for a fight. Howard peeked around the corner from the kitchen. "Everything's good. It's fine. No irreparable harm done. You weren't attached to those big red bowls, were you, Sammy?"

Sam paled slightly. "You broke my popcorn bowl?!"

                                                     ___________

There was a shrill squeal that accompanied the five-year-old piling into the middle of the bed. Tony was halfway to sitting before his sleep-addled mind pieced together what was happening. He heard Pepper groan at his side and he reached up blindly, catching Morgan's around the shoulders with his arm and dragging her down into a hug she couldn't pull out of. Morgan squirmed and giggled, but her daddy had her locked into the bear hug, a smile tilting his lips even though his eyes were still closed

"Daddy! Let goooooo."

"Nope. I'm sleeping."

"No you're not!"

"Uh-huh."

"Nu-uh!"

"How did I end up with two kids?" Pepper groaned, and before Tony knew it there was a pillow being awkwardly smacked in their general direction.

"Pillow fight!" Morgan announced.

"Tony, I swear if you let her up —" his wife warned, but he was already loosing his grip.

"What can I say, hon? She's just too good. Regular contortionist. There's no holding her."

Morgan went after her mom first, Pepper laughing as she shielded her face. It wasn't long until she turned on her father too, and the Stark household dissolved into giggly chaos. By the end up it Tony was standing on the bed, feet sinking into the memory foam mattress, and in a standoff with his daughter.

"Drop your weapon or face Iron Girl!" Morgan announced in all seriousness and Tony had to swallow the burst of laughter.

"I thought you'd be at least thirteen before I became the villain. What'd I do?"

"Jumped on the bed and taught our daughter terrible habits," Pepper deadpanned from the bathroom that she had retreated to in order to stay as far away from the waging war as possible.

"You tried to blow up the world," Morgan told him matter-of-factly.

"Wow. I am bad. You're right," he said with a grin.

"I'm gonna beat you!" Morgan announced and threw the pillow, adding sound effects that sounded at least vaguely like the energy beams from the Iron Man suit.

The cube of fluff hit his shins and Tony made a show of going down, bouncing against the bed and flopping out. He felt Morgan creep closer and he cracked an eye open. "You saved the world. Good job, kiddo."

She grinned, showing off her newly missing tooth. "Can I have cinnamon toast for breakfast?"

"Definitely." He scooped her up on his way to rolling off the bed. "Pep, you want an omelet?"

"Just a smoothie. Do we have spinach?" she called from the bathroom.

"We do."

"With banana, please."

"I think I can manage that."

"No strawberries!"

"I know!" he chuckled as he slipped his feet into his slippers, flexing the fingers of his right hand. Stiff and a little slow, they still moved on command, even without the brace. It had been a full week since he'd had to use it, Peter's altered formula for Extremis proving to do the job without leaving his brain itching for more. The kid was good, he had to give him that. The real test would come when the nerve damage was fully repaired and he completely cut himself off from the localized doses. All he would have to rely on was the glowing ARC reactor in his chest to keep his heart beating, but that was hardly abnormal. Strangely enough it had almost been like welcoming back an old friend.

"Boss, Peter Parker is calling in," FRIDAY's voice echoed as Tony and Morgan made it down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"What's the kid doing up at this hour?"

"Fighting bad guys?" Morgan offered.

"Maybe. If so, he missed curfew and his aunt's gonna kill him."

"What's curfew?"

Tony glanced down, finding a big pair of brown eyes latched curiously on him. The questions never ended and he loved it. "When you need to be home," he explained to his daughter. "FRIDAY, put him through."

There was a click of the call connecting as Tony grabbed for the ingredients he needed, Morgan hopping from a stool to the table top and sitting there. She started to cross her legs on the table, but one look from her dad stopped that in its tracks. She gave him the most innocent grin he was sure he'd ever seen. He shot her a look. "Halo's a little crooked there, missy."

"Mr Stark?" Peter's uncertain voice echoed over the speakers.

"Good morning, Pete. You're up early."

"You too."

"If I told you I wasn't would you feel guilty?"

There was a long pause on the other end. "But FRIDAY wouldn't have…. you're joking aren't you?"

"Yup." Tony started sprinkling sugar and cinnamon on the bread. "What's up, kid?"

"Oh, uh…. hows's the new dose working out? Still lasting?"

"So far so good, but I doubt you called me at six in the morning to find that out."

"Daddy, more cinnamon," Morgan instructed and be quirked an eyebrow before dumping more on. She gave a nod of approval.

"Not that I don't like hearing from you, kid, but —"

"CaptainRogersisback."

It took a long moment for his pre-caffeinated brain to work through the run-together words, and even as he did he had trouble believing them. His hands stilled, his eyes unblinking. "What?"

"Captain Rogers is back," Peter said again, slower this time.

"Back?"

"Yeah."

"How…? And how long?"

"I don't know the details. I shouldn't even be telling you…."

"Like hell you shouldn't," Tony growled. "Where'd you hear it?"

"Uhhh….. through the Avengers grapevine."

Avengers grapevine? What did that even mean? Tony hadn't been thatfar out of the loop. "Where is he?"

"His place. In Brooklyn. From what I heard," Peter said, his voice entirely uncertain.

Tony pulled in a steadying breath. "Okay. I'll get to the bottom of it. Just…." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Peter didn't need any other pressure on him right then. "Thanks, kid. You did good."

"Really? I didn't break some kind of code or something, did I?"

"Probably, but you kept the one that mattered. I'll be in the city today. I'll drop by and we can talk after you're out of school."

"I'm… on summer break?"

"Right. Okay. Good. After I get done one Brooklyn."

"Do you need the address?"

"No, I've got it." He glanced up at the speaker. "End call."

"Is Uncle Steve in trouble?" Morgan asked from the table.

"He's got some explaining to do," her father grumbled.

"Can he explain after you make cinnamon toast?"

Tony blinked at the half put together breakfast he'd promised his daughter. "Yeah, sweetie. Uncle Steve can wait."

                                                     ___________

It was one delay after another. First breakfast, then Pepper decided she needed to go into the city that day too, so instead of hopping in the car and going, Tony was waiting on his wife and daughter to get ready. She could tell him all day long that she needed to go into the office for this or that, but she hadn't let him drive the two hours from their cabin into the city alone since they had moved back out. He had the OK from every doctor that mattered saying that he could drive again, but that didn't seem to satisfy her. What if something happened? It was a lingering, albeit unspoken fear, and as much as he would like to he couldn't quite hold it against her. Or tell her no. It was one less thing she had to worry about, even if he knew he was doing better than he had been in a long time.

"Do we get to see Pete?" Morgan asked as she bounded down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go.

"Yep. After I talk to Uncle Steve."

"Can I see Uncle Steve too?"

"Why don't we let your daddy talk to him first? You can help me at the office," Pepper offered and she looked ready for a board meeting. Maybe she really had been planning to go in that day.

Morgan made a face at the idea and Tony reached out to ruffle her hair. "I won't be long."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"You ready?" Pepper asked as she grabbed the key fob from the ring by the door.

"Any chance you'll let me drive?"

Surprisingly enough she tossed the key his way and he reached up, thankful that his fingers chose to wrap around it rather than let it clatter to the floor. If it was a test or not really didn't matter. He felt like he'd won something in that. One more small step forward.

The trip was filled with Morgan's chatter in and around Pepper filling him in on the meetings she had scheduled for that day. Happy would meet her there and make sure Morgan wouldn't be too bored. Tony was sure that their head of security just lovedthe idea of being put on babysitting duty.

By the time he dropped them off at their New York headquarters plans had changed five times before finally settling on calling Peter to come keep her occupied. He left the situation in the best of hands before turning the Audii towards Brooklyn, his mind racing in the fresh silence. They had told him that Cap hadn't made it back, which they had all taken to mean that something had happened to him. What, they couldn't be sure, but popping back up nearly a year later didn't make any sense. Not telling Tony that he was back made even less. He had thought that, after everything, they were good. When he had left they had been good.

Tony pulled the car up to an apartment building that he'd never seen in person. It was old. Pre-war. Just the type Cap would have gone for. Sam Wilson had moved into it when Cap hadn't come back, so he must know that Steve was home. Who was next in the so-called Avengers grapevine was anybody's best guess. He still wasn't sure how Peter had found out, and he'd been too surprised that morning to press the kid on it.

A tap came at his window and Tony jumped in his seat, turning to find a patrol cop leaned down. "You lost, buddy?" he asked, but as Tony rolled the window down he watched surprise take hold.

"Nah, I'm good. Just here to see a friend."

"Holy crap. You're Iron Man."

"Used to be."

"I heard what you did…. everybody did. Are those —"

He was motioning to the scars that lined the right side of Tony's face and the former Avenger immediately opened the door. "'Scuse me, but I'm already late. You mind?"

"Oh yeah. Yeah, sure. Listen, if it's not too much trouble, my son is a huge fan of yours."

Tony offered a thin smile. "Sure, what's his name?"

A scrawled signature and photo later Tony was on his way up the flights of stairs, feeling it by the time he reached Cap's floor.

He stopped at the door, pulling in a shaky breath and steadying himself. It was fine. He'd get answers and that irritating, nagging feeling of being purposefully left in the dark would dissipate. Cap was always annoyingly consistent in having his reasons for doing things. He reached up, ready to tap against the door as it pulled open from the inside.

Suddenly Steve Rogers was standing right in front of him, a look of surprise plastered on his face. "Tony," he breathed, a little guilt around the edges of his name.

"Knew you were forgetting to tell someone something, huh?" Tony tried for a quip.

"Steve, is really like to see —" The woman who owned the voice rounded the corner and slammed to a stop. "Oh. Hello."

Steve sucked in a breath. "Tony, this is —"

"Peggy Carter," Tony finished for him, the first real smile touching his lips since that morning. "This is all making a lot more sense."

"You're not mad?"

The question sounded too small to be coming out of Captain America's mouth and Tony cracked a grin as he stepped into the apartment. "Well, you're not gonna shatter time and space, I don't think. I'm sure her new timeline will find a way to compensate." He turned to meet his friend's eyes. "You deserve a little happiness after everything. I get it, Cap."

A rush of air left the older man. "You don't know how good it is to hear you say that."

"That doesn't mean I'm not gonna hold this over your head until one of us finally bites the dust."

"Cap, did you say Tony? Your inventor friend?" a voice called out and Tony looked over. That voice sounded like —

"Holy shit," Tony breathed as Howard Stark rounded the corner.

                                                     ___________

TBC

Notes: And to think I thought this chapter was going to be on the short side... I had a lot of fun with this one. Pepperony fluff, Iron Fam, and Tony realizing that Steve not only brought one person back from the 40's, but two... the other being his dad. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time lol Even more so the next chapter.

Next Time: Tony tries to process what's going on and Steve asks for help.

[tentwars-spring]

fighting god

Summary:

A lavenflower + dafflia + masmine triple date. Chaos ensues.

-

The bus pulled up right beside the small cafe. Lavender and Sunny hopped out and briskly walked inside.

“Sunny! Lav! Over here!” They heard a familiar voice calling. It was Magnolia, who was seated with Jasmine. Sunny and Lavender made their way to the table and sat down.

“Hi guys! How are you? It’s been way too long.” Magnolia began.

“It has, hasn’t it? We’ve been pretty great actually. How’ve you two been?” Lavender continued.

The two of them could’ve kept talking for hours, but were temporarily halted when Dahlia and Daffodil entered. The chaotic conversation took off once more when Daffodil started describing the strange people they’d seen on the bus ride there.

A waiter briskly walked up to their table and began handing out menus to the group. They decided to order pancakes. For drinks everyone got lemonade.

Soon their drinks arrived with the same waiter and the pancakes soon followed.

After about ten minutes the waiter returned once more.

“How is everything?” He asked, clasping his hands together.

“Oh, very good as always!” Magnolia responded, followed by a ‘yeah’ from Jasmine. The whole group agreed, giving positive comments. The pancakes really were delicious.

“And what about you, young sir?” The waiter asked, gesturing to Sunny.

He smiled and signed a simple 'very good’. The waiter’s smile faltered a just a little, but enough for the group to notice.

“He says it’s very good. Thank you.” Lavender said, giving a hesitant smile.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.” The waiter quickly made his way back behind the counter.

“Hey Sunny, you good?” Dahlia asked quietly. Sunny nodded and bit his lip. Jasmine looked over to the counter. The waiter was whispering something to his co-worker. Daffodil seemed to pick up on it too, as their expression immediately switched from neutral to mildly angry.

The rest of breakfast went by well, albeit with a slight tension in the air. They waved over the same waiter to get the check.

As they were leaving, Daffodil heard something. A whisper. The waiter, who uttered something along the lines of:

“Yeah, that’s the mute one. So weird, right? I mean how can you even have a relationship with someone like that?”

And that was enough for Daffodil to turn around and march straight back to the counter.

Dahlia whipped their head around and tried to hurry to Daffodil’s side. They new exactly what was coming. The rest of the group looked on in confusion and mild horror at what was about to transpire.

Daffodil slammed their hands on the countertop, alerting the staff.

“You got a problem with my friend here?” They growled, eyes narrowing. Their stature was already sort of terrifying. Now they were actually angry, nobody could stand a chance against them, but the waiter didn’t seem to realise that. He made his way to Daffodil and put on his fake customer service smile.

“No ma'am, there are no problems. Please don’t damage the counters.”

“Really? Because I heard you commenting on 'the mute one’ just a second ago. Said something about him being weird, didn’t you?”

The waiter seemed nervous now. “N-no ma'am. I just–”

“You just what, huh? Don’t make me climb over this counter, punk. Then you’ll be sorry.”

Dahlia tried to shush Daffodil and get them to stop this. They really had to get going soon, and really couldn’t deal with another encounter with the police. It was too late, however. Daffodil was already fully in chaotic mode.

“Come over here and tell me what you said! Come over here and apologize to my friend! Nobody insults my friends like that, you hear me, punk? Come over here and apologize!”

Dahlia finally managed to get a hold of Daffodil, who decided to finally calm down. They lead their fuming partner to the door where everyone else was waiting, before the waiter called out:

“Hey! Aren’t you going to apologize for that?”

That sent Daffodil off the edge.

They ripped themselves from Dahlia’s grasp and raced to the counter, nearly jumping over it.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY? You insult my friends and you expect ME to apologize to YOU? DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?”

Daffodil kept yelling, and Dahlia kept trying to get them to stop. At this point Magnolia had joined them too, desperately tugging on Daffodil’s arm to stop them from killing the waiter. The rest of the group quickly exited the building. The commotion inside only worsened, alerting nearby officers. This would be a long day.

Will they ever make it out of the cafe? Will Daffodil actually kill someone? (Most likely) Find out in the next chapter that will never come because I lost my inspiration for this fic and also it’s super shitty so hfbfhdjdkhdhd

asdfkladj;sf;ksa thank u for this it’s beautiful

-brook

[empressxmachina]

by Imperial-Radiance (that’s me)

1|1: Faux Pas, part 1, is also on Wattpad.

"All the shit we do, and this doesn't get any easier."

"It's only because no one does it like we do or... or, ugh, at all, really."

The Center of Colors, the most marveled museum of art in all of Oswana if not the entire world, was a fortress in its own right, and all attempts by a not-so-young maho madam to push open the one door inside it that led to its underground car park were to no avail. The age of the door was a blink in comparison to the building that housed it. Looking past that, it still was not used as proportionally often as originally designed due to 'more preferred' transit options for safety reasons. But, with the particular event taking place there – the biannual meeting of the Continental Couturiers' Council – and a certain, small minority quickly rising up its rankings, putting some oil on the door hinges would have been the easiest courtesy.

Yet, here this lady was, having to force all her might just from an unlocked but still stuck door, adding to the lengthy list of surprises of the night. But she wasn't alone in the struggle.

"Uh, Mel?" a concerned Lyanna expressed, quickly simmering down her tense self after seeing how roughly her best friend was fumbling with the push bar. "You good?"

"Come on! Really!?" Melanie continued to grunt, not allowing herself to give in so quickly, even if it possibly ruined her blazer in the process – not the best look at a fashion event. "What is this!?"

"Damn. If Miss 'Moore Gains, Moore Power' can't open the thing, it really must be tight," Lyanna claimed in jest. She, despite being in similar, unfortunately-formal-for-the-task fashion, joined Melanie's efforts at her side, groaning as she repeatedly rammed her upper arm into the surface like a linebacker. "Maybe, urgh... Lanky Ly can be... a little help."

Melanie was all for the assistance, especially given all the reasons she had to not expect it. But, getting it with a shaded humblebrag, even if jokingly, was not going to happen. A critical look was sent Lyanna's way in protest, and sassy yet complimentary projections soon were, too.

"'Lanky', my ass. How many ball sports... did you say you... played in school again? How many of them... weren't co-ed... before you joined? Which one of us... qualified for... for the... Superhero Circuit... over thirty... on accident!?"

It only took the first rebuttal for Lyanna to regret making her lighthearted comment at all. But, like the mature woman she was, she took it in stride with an apology.

"Okay, okay. I get it!" she stretched through more grouses of strain. "I'm sorry. You happy?" Melanie paused her own pushes for a second to shine a grin at her buddy that epitomized 'I told you so'. Her receiving a set of rolling eyes and a scoff back followed right after, paired with Lyanna taking her exertion efforts to the next level. "But," she resumed, feeling her shoulders start to slide out their sockets, "my athleticism... means nothing if... if it can't help us... get through... the fucking... DOOR!"

Giving in to all of the pressure, the bar lock finally began to budge. However, no one, especially not the designers of the door, ever figured for that much force, let alone by two, tired maho ladies, to be spread across the bar like that. They had much more strength than they realized, or the door was weaker than expected, and before they knew what they were doing, the door flew open out of their grasp, echoing with Lyanna's voice into the mostly empty garage as it slammed into the wall.

Inertia sent Lyanna and Melanie forward, unable to keep balance on their skinny, high heels. Melanie, closer to the hinges, managed to catch herself on a nearby parking barrier, but Lyanna found her stopping place not on the ground or on a structure but instead in the arms of an awaiting security guard.

"Got ya, ma'am," the uniform-donning young man assured with a slight strain in his voice upon catching her. "Are... Are you alright?"

Lyanna sneered at his brief struggle, knowing fully well that she wasn't that heavy until she realized it was not due to her at all, at least not completely. In the distance, the door to the office where all of the watching camera footage was housed was wide open with most screens showing the three of them right then. If he had been watching the ladies' struggles until not long ago and decided to help for himself, then he would've had to run to reach them in time. Looking at his tired but quickly recovering state, he probably did that, just slightly too late and switching to a catcher's role in the heat of the moment.

Getting over the drama of it all, Lyanna gave her savior some solace as she rose and composed herself. "Yes, thank you. I... I'm fine."

"Not as much as you, cutie pie," Melanie winked at the guard with her down-home charm, to which he returned a bashful gasp. "What's a handsome soul like yourself doing out on the town late on a weekend alone, guarding C-Cubed at CC, no less?"

"I, uh," the young lad had trouble finding the right words.

On one hand, getting a compliment was always nice, especially if both lighthearted and likely to result in an extra tip. On the other hand, if he egged it on too much, then it'd just be asking for a bunch of double-sided trouble for way too many reasons to count. Aware that he couldn't leave her hanging, he replied with something reasonable in between.

"I-I'm just working to pay for school, ma'am, getting what I can, whenever I can." He smoothed the wrinkles in his suit, hoping to worsen his seemingly bad first impression. "I'm not even a guard. I'm more like a concierge, though I can drive people around, too, so I don't even know if that's even the right term." He quickly recognized he was right on the cusp of rambling about his nondescript job position and soon reverted to a more robotic, reserved offer. "A-Anyway, shall I call you two a car?"

"You can do better than that," Lyanna surprisingly interjected, stretching her back with a backward, propped bend. "I'll call your bluff. Drive us home, then. The two of us aren't too much for you in this big city, are we?"

If Melanie's comment sent blood to the guy's face, then Lyanna's did the opposite, blanching it bright from assertive surprise. Though, knowing who they were and what they were known for, such responses were expected in the back of his mind. Nonetheless, he caught Lyanna's declaration of the challenge and accepted it.

"Let me, uh, just grab a key from the station," he stated, pointing back toward the office, "and we'll be on our way. Choose any one of the vehicles by the wall you like, and I'll meet you there."

Like a hummingbird, he zoomed away to grab the nectar of his choosing, leaving the two ladies to converse and corner a car... all the while cutting each other down.

"You were not just charming that child, were you?" Lyanna pressed, strutting over to her friend. "He's young enough to be either of our children, and I know you're not that crazy."

"Of course not, you dunce," Melanie defended, with an eye roll, offended being typecast from a simple false flirtation. "Like I'd court a kid to have a good time." She managed to get a chuckle out of her best friend as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to the back of one of the vans. "I'm trying to make that young man into a mannequin. You don't think he'd be a good look for the new line?"

"It's less that and more 'You couldn't have asked more normally?'"

"What's more fitting than looking for fashion models at a meeting for fashion designers?"

"I don't know, giving out a business card and telling him to call you at a normal hour? Damn it!" For a second, Melanie thought that Lyanna was actually mad at her. But the pause just turned out to be a dramatic one, replaced by more giggles. "Damn you, innovative bitch."

Melanie soon joined into the laughing fit. "You know it. See? I'm always making money moves, even if people don't agree with my vision."

Her wording was too specific for it to not be related to and reignite the tensions acclimated over the duration of the meeting she had to hide behind glossy lips and gritting teeth. "We're back to talking about what we were before we found ourselves fighting the architecture, huh?"

"We do too much for too little reward, apparently. Is that what you said?"

"Not... exactly," Lyanna hissed, clicking every T with purpose, "but you're not wrong, either." Leaning back against the trunk, thankful for a siren not going off in the process, she looked up at the ceiling and processed her thoughts. Her memories of the evening.

Drinks. Hors d'oeuvres. Designs for two seasons from now. It wasn't much different than usual. Lyanna's peers had finally gotten used to how she ran her business after so many years of it 'not evolving' except in styles. But it was just tolerance rather than full-on acceptance, and the constant stares and murmurs that they seemed to throw in overtime toward her tonight garnered an equal reaction back: allowed but never wanted.

The worst part of it, aside from the blatant prejudice behind Lyanna's doings, was that they never considered why she does it. Seeing things from her and maybe Melanie's views would be more help than harm. Though, given how they got where they were, they'd forever be oblivious unless she made a scene.

While the two prim pals measured the parking deck to easily house multiple homes, it was barely worthy of an under-bed shoe organizer to the khadra: the larger, other halves opposite their maho selves with whom they shared the world. Well, their nation, at least. One couldn't be sure about the rest of the planet nowadays. Even so, everything Lyanna lived and worked for, no matter how high she rose, would forever be under their noses, perhaps even underfoot.

Simply thinking back to the dastardly door, once again, only made her more upset, remembering how it was basically a metal slab wedged within floor molding shadowed by a nearby stand. The Council could've paid someone to at least act like a security for smaller folk, but the fact that the Center kept their half of the deal was a little reassuring.

Probably one-twelfth of what her full pleasure banks could hold: the standard fraction.

"Sure, we get flooded in respect for our abilities," Lyanna commented, still gazing toward the above ground, "but it's just a cop-out. The collabs we do are never enough; they want more out of us. It's like they assume we have to give them everything not because they deserve it or because it's right but because they're fucking—"

"Ah, here we go," the young guard cut in, to Melanie's favor. Having known her bestie for two decades, she knew he had shown up right on time and prevented an imminent Lyanna explosion. Jiggling his keychain with a glowing smile as he unlocked the van's doors, sidewinding the looks of respective relief and heat diffusion on the ladies' faces, he was completely none the wiser. "We're ready for action. If you'd allow me..."

Continuing his act like a gentleman, he opened the doors for the two women, first Lyanna on the passenger's side of the backseat and then Melanie seated right behind him. Considering they thought they were simply in for a glorified taxi cab ride, they had quite the shock seeing how decked up the innards of the vehicle were. It wasn't a party bus or anything resembling a limo rented for a promenade, but the selection of fun-sized snacks, drinks, and reading material, on top of how comfy the seats and lighting were, was a sight to behold.

The ladies were greatly impressed all around, quickly sharing a look of wonder with each other, but the oblivious driver wouldn't be able to see that, focused only on the job at hand. Plus, the sight of Melanie on her phone and Lyanna already sipping on a tiny water bottle as she looked out her window gave no hint to it, whatsoever. He was happy to see them fully adjusted, totally bounced back from their tumbles and fumbles, and it irked him that he might break that calmness for the last necessities of his job.

"I do apologize for this, but I almost forgot," he said, looking in the rear-view mirror at them as he started the engine. "The Center of Colors has this policy where the drivers have to get crossed confirmations for—" His declaration faltered at the ladies' look of confusion at his jargon, thus needing clarification in common, much more comfortable language. "Basically, they want two forms of authorization for each passenger. Usually, a quick clip where you say your name or something like that should be fine. I know who you are, and I'm sure most others do, too, but it's the tradition. If you wouldn't mind...." He pressed a button on his controls and started recording, signaled by a light on his rear-view mirror and a mechanical bloopy noise. "...giving a quick roll call."

The two thirty-somethings looked at each other, both not saying a word and both testing each other to see who would crack first. After what felt like forever, emphasized by the driver's nervous coughing and wheel tapping to crack the silence, and in a noble act of succession, the first to introduce themselves was,

"Melanie Moore."

Melanie Moore. Chief marketing officer. Queen of advertising. Flirtatious firecracker. Part-time yogi. Slayer of Oswanian style boundaries with her pop-up collections like her golden-hued 'Code Mellow'. C-Cubed's 'Best New Designer' a few years ago because of them. She was happy to have made a name for herself, specifically under her own name, but she knew and never denied that she'd never be where she was if it weren't for,

"Lyanna Paulson." Lyanna fucking Paulson.

Naturally a brunette. Currently a blonde. Visible exercise and sports fanatic. Drink connoisseur. A flash celebrity made in the blink of an eye all based on luck. The epitome of nouveau riche. The youngest member to have been inducted into C-Cubed (and receive its BND award like Melanie) back when she was twenty-four. The Designer of the Year not long after. Melanie's best friend. Also, Melanie's boss, technically, but she rarely states that aloud. She was a lot of things and known for many more. But she was a household name for two.

Her fashion and design company 'Moonsong', along with its occasional luxury dabbles via 'Lunar Serenade', was going fifteen years strong with top sales and quality. Yet, in all of those fifteen years, with the exception of collaborations with industry peers and the even more occasional one-offs, every product was strictly for maho, leading to an aura of presumed racism constantly washing over her.

The two buddies bickered back and forth on the openness of their projects to those that towered over them, each having solid reasons for their views. But, with Lyanna having more say and severity, it always went her way. The threats and attempts of harm that were sent her way in the beginning when people realized her khadra-closed doors weren't just a phase, along with a few every now and then, weren't fun to experience. But even her miffed adversaries and confused familiars had to give her props for standing her ground and defending the safety of her staff, and each trouble always seemed to dissipate as quickly as it came.

That, and all of her giving back to just as many khadran causes as native maho ones helped, but people just seemed to always gloss over that.

Lyanna, even with her brief smile into the camera and mic, was still fuming from the event, and thinking of all her conflicts leading up to it wasn't making it better. Luckily for her, Driver Boy seemed to catch that, even with his back turned. Pushing her was the last thing he wanted to do. He just hoped his body could follow his heart and mind.

"I, uh..." he struggled to speak at first, seeing the coldness in Lyanna's eyes as she gazed into the camera. But that soon passed over, and his goal to make sure the drive did the same launched in full force. "I know you two must be looking for privacy going through the garage," he observed. "It's good that I know some scenic routes around the city. So, please make yourselves comfortable, and enjoy the ride."

Melanie had already found her way back to phone diving toward whatever as the van left the safety of the parking deck and, for the pair of couturiers, waved goodbye to C-Cubed for six months. The carpooling posse simultaneously passed under the art museum's overly cheerful exit sign, getting an eye roll of her own out of Lyanna.

'Thank you for visiting the Center of Colors!' it expectantly exclaimed. That farewell stayed still on the sign, but its lower half in all its mechanical glory had to show off, switching between presumably planned puns every few seconds. The trio managed to go under just as one went off – 'We hope to color you impressed once again really soon!' – and another took its place – 'May we brighten your day with flying colors upon your return!'

The wish for any sort of spectrum wasn't necessary as the aura around was still lively and beaming, perhaps being that last thing Lyanna's somewhat buzzed, water-guzzling person needed in her face.

"Hello, Xesant," she sarcastically greeted the outside world. "Glad to see you're still lively on a Sunday night." From its art-bordering white LEDs to the rainbow of marquees and HIDs along the streets, it was back to the big city they knew so well yet still a long way from home.

Xesant. A city nearly ten million strong by itself, and it looked like all of those citizens had filled the sidewalks like a sardine tin. A gem of Oswana, the city was, despite not being its capital. Half a tourist trap and half a modern marvel... and everything no one would've thought Lyanna would've submerged herself in for two decades. Luckily, she had Melanie by her side through it all, but she only eased the tension, not rid her of it.

She'd never be rid of it as long as she lived there.

Oswana was right at, if not itself being, the intersection of the planet's two historically opposite halves together: the more land- and khadra-filled northern Drakh and the sparser southern Hoemue with the maho. Time followed its course, and the communities came together, finally coalescing at the major metropolis literally on the equator between them: Lyanna's anxiety-driving abode.

Out of all the places in the world, Oswana, especially Xesant, had managed to optimize integration to a T, and it still amazed Lyanna after twenty years seeing it all work in action. It just made no sense in her head.

Watching vehicles and souls that were the size of houses pass by so strongly yet swiftly and never be in the way. Alternating stoplights and substitute paths for both sizes for undisrupted travel. Mismatched yet complementary pairs of windows, doors, and on every building for everyone to have a place to take in their surroundings. Blended groups – a surprisingly large minority – somehow walking in pace with each other, neither too fast nor too slow.

That one khadran girl crossing directly in front of the van – shoes taller and possibly heavier than the vehicle itself – with a maho in hand, losing her balance, and managing to fall with a resonating thud toward the Moonsong troupe with both her companion safely cupped to the chest and all her long and loose limbs snaking between all the tiny cars, including their van, on their side of the road.

All of this at once, emphasized by a cacophony of horn blaring and muffled, concerned voices. Yet, as Lyanna drank her way through more than a handful of bottles in seconds at the sights, the driver didn't even flinch, and Melanie may not have even noticed. Her lockage in her phone was made even more apparent by her following statement, cracking the lull of silence within their four, glass-peeking walls.

"Oh, look," she announced, sliding her phone over to Lyanna's vista. "In case you cared..."

With her nonchalant tone and apparent lack of awareness for her surroundings, even as the driver drove around the still collapsed cohorts, one could've assumed she found an article pertaining to the current slip and trip debacle outside that looked a lot like fake news if it weren't actually true. However, her carelessness was genuinely due to the routine with C-Cubed finally updating their social media and website with details from the meeting's latter half. What particularly caught Melanie's and now Lyanna's eyes was the results of the unimportant-aside-from-a-trophy, aptly named superlative voting, 'In Case You Cared'.

Lyanna usually didn't care enough to view them as soon as they were posted, regardless of having voted herself, mainly waiting until the next morning to see what any newcomers had to offer. However, with Melanie thrusting them in her face, she knew it had to be something interesting. Lo and behold,

"Congrats, Ms. 'Styled and Profiled,'" Melanie praised her bestie, who looked more or less unenthused except for an eyebrow raise. The 'Styled and Profiled' Award. Something between Best Dressed and Most Pulled Together, in the corporate sense. At least, that's what they said it meant. "The glassware company for the awards should just sponsor you at this point. Damn. What is this, your third time getting this? Fourth?"

"Seventh," Lyanna lifelessly corrected, pushing the phone away, "not that it matters." Considering how many times Lyanna earned it, with her reputation, it was probably neither in reality. "Your look is way better than mine. This was probably a brownnosing move, trying to be hyperaware of the culture or whatever."

Melanie chuckled at first at her snide remarks, until she reviewed exactly what Lyanna had said. With every word, she found more and more wrong with her perspective. Was she self-deprecating? Did she genuinely think she was right? What the fuck did she mean by them being 'hyper-aware' of her when no one other than them two knew why someone would even have to be? Melanie retracted her phone and sat in her seat, waiting for any clarifications, but none came, leaving her to ponder for herself with a stony stare. Unfortunately, as much as she tried to do otherwise, only unsavory ideas came to mind. For Lyanna's sake, Melanie hoped, if they turned out to be true, they weren't due to—

"Excuse me, Ms. Paulson, if I may..." Before Melanie had a chance to rebuke, question, or instantly judge her friend's suspicious commentary, the driver felt the need to interject. Luckily for all involved, it had no faults and raised the subconscious heating mood. "...I think you look great."

Lyanna's brows raised at the compliment, and Melanie joined her in shock, though she was more impressed as his bravery in speaking out of turn. He didn't realize that meaning upon looking back at them, seeing their expressions. He figured they were from him only recognizing one of them as opposed to both, and thus he made an addendum.

"N-Not that you don't, too, Ms. Moore," he nervously saved his hide, spouting a just-as-shy smile. "I just—Uh... you both probably earned it, okay?"

Lyanna's face stayed blank, but the driver immediately blushed at the sound of a tip being sent to his phone. Looking behind him to Lyanna's left, Melanie wore a grin of her own as her phone confirmed a scanned QR code and a quick transfer of payment.

"You're already paying him when he hasn't even signed on, yet?" Lyanna inquired, shooting the driver a smug look before turning toward the window... and cringing again at the mongrelized mania of it all. "But, hey, at least you have a good eye on you, wanting to represent the company with people that actually wear our stuff."

The redness on said subject's face instantly flushed back to his natural pallor. From a distance, there was nothing that discerned his uniform from that of any other worker at the Center of Colors. In fact, his pants and polo combo were exactly the same as any other's. But each soul was allowed a few extra freedoms employees had via accessories, body modifying, etc., and he did take part in that. As subtle as he tried to be in doing so, there were sprinkles of a certain brand down his person.

There was no way for them to go unnoticed by their head designers...especially with their owner catching them in his arms as a first impression.

"Uh, yeah," Melanie replied matter-of-factly. "He obviously knows how to read a room, er, van... and speaking of..." Going restless, once again, Melanie relocated to her seat's edge, setting a hand on the driver's chair back. "Hey, uh, I don't think you actually introduced yourself. What did your code say? Bryan? Bradley?"

"Br-Brenden, actually," the driver corrected, at least relinquishing anonymity. "I can't believe you noticed my gear."

He ran a hand across the small charm at the helix piercing on his left ear that matched a ring on his opposite hand, both pieces from a years-old collection. He would've twirled his feet and ankles around, too, showing off their extremely new shoes, both in age and ownership, but driving kept them still. The job correspondingly reminded him of a concern that was sure to get him penalized if he didn't address it soon.

"I also can't believe I haven't asked where I'm supposed to take you two," he chuckled, attempting to hide the ringing of his inner panic alarm. "Where did you have in mind? The Moonsong office?"

The ladies looked at each other briefly – Melanie slumping back again to face Lyanna head-on – to make a choice. The mistress of marketing implied, "I wouldn't mind heading there. It's not like we can do a late- or half-day tomorrow if we run super late doing random bullshit." A smirk briefly popped on Lyanna's mug. "Though," Melanie then countered, thus dropping said smile, "there were some, uh, biz things... I wanted to talk to you about."

"And, it's nothing you can't screen me at home?" Lyanna fought. By her tone alone, Melanie knew her idea had pancaked. "Mel, I love you, but I want to go home, sleep, and forget today."

The night had gone somewhat uncomfortably for them both, despite Lyanna's award, so she couldn't be blamed for not wanting to deal with anything anymore. But, Melanie shuddered, knowing how much more difficult things were going to become from it. She didn't want to make it worse, so she kept it to herself.

"A-Alright," she conceded. "I still want to head there. Your place in deeper inward, anyway, so I can get Brenden here to circle around and stop on by for a bit before going back to CC." A mutter of acceptance poked out of Lyanna before Melanie, at last, gave Brenden a destination. "Just head on over to T-Sa if you can, please. At least close enough to where Ly won't fall on her face if she'll need to walk."

The implication of inebriation was concerning, and the increased reference to some Moonsong deal was hyped as hell, but of all things to catch Brenden's attention, Lyanna's home was the showstopper. A fitting one but a surprise, nonetheless.

"You live at Sat Ave!?" he gasped, beaming through the rear-view mirror at her.

T-Sa. Sat Ave. Ten Saturn Avenue. One of the ritziest and private locales in all of Oswana, in spite of it being one of the most noticeable silhouettes in the lower Xesant skyline. Lower mutually in latitude and the height of its inhabitants. Only maho allowed. It was a sight to behold, but to Lyanna, it was the one place she could call her own. A fortress to be reckoned with. Literally.

"If you say anything," Lyanna hissed, jerking her eyes to Brendan's with a glower that could crack glass, "I will end you."

"Uh... I... N-Noted." Like the lapdog he was and now felt like, too, he complied, focusing back on the roads, pinning down the complex in his mental GPS, and heading on his way.

Melanie groaned at Lyanna's aggression, but rather than calling it out, she simply rolled her eyes and let it be. After all, from what it looked like, she had a long night ahead of her, and all of her energy should be saved for then. Well, most of it. The quietness that had encroached in the van quickly grew uncomfortable, leading to soft small talk between the driver and the fully-present passenger.

Lyanna let her eyes close, taking away the towering shadows and reverberations of titanic travel on all sides. The escapism, though brief, was blissful, opening opportunities to ponder plans for the upcoming week and beyond.

As they distanced themselves from downtown, the ratio of khadra decreased to nothing. The signs and sights of the borough where she burrowed on the daily shined to greet its golden girl. Through her slumber, it was easy to see her body adjust to its most familiar surroundings. Perfect tranquility... but it, unfortunately, had to end.

Brenden pulled into the drop-off lane of Ten Saturn Avenue, where a doorperson approached the van to help her out before halting and waiting outside her door, made aware of her still napping self. Melanie, risking a slapping fit her way, bit the bullet and rocked Lyanna back to the real world. Her waking softness resembled that of a baby; however, her too-old-for-this-shit sentimentalities soon broke through, along with the groan-inducing headaches that should've been here a long time ago.

"Welcome back, L.P.," Melanie greeted, thanking the gods for a passive awakening. "It's your stop."

A sequence of incoherent mumbles entered the airspace as the drowsy damsel attempted opening her door. The doorperson, seeing those multiple failures, eventually aided her exit, grabbing a hand then bracing around her back. Melanie, meanwhile, made out everything she was trying to say – a skill she had perfected after twenty years of tipsiness – amalgamating it all into a simple assurance,

"Nah, don't worry. You don't have to do anything. I've got this." Lyanna, even in her word salad of a mind, didn't feel too sure of that. But a quick kiss of valediction on the cheek sent her way made all those worries vanish and replaced them with giggling. "Now, get up there before you pass out."

More laughs ensued, but Lyanna eagerly obeyed, blowing a kiss back as her doorperson led her away. "Don't stay up too late, Mel!" she directed. "You, too, Brenden! None of us need eye bags."

Brenden, almost too in awe of the glamorous complex to catch her speaking, was surprised to be included in the farewell, even more so with a happy tone. Nonetheless, he appreciated it whole-heartedly, joining Melanie in waving her goodnight as she disappeared from view.

He took some time to calm from his high-fashion high before setting his course to Moonsong. However, before he drove off, Melanie locked him in place, reaching from the back to the steering wheel. He started to panic again, not even considering the presumably sweeter of the dynamic duo as a threat. The look on her face clearly showed a hidden craftiness that curdled his blood. Little did he know that none of it had to do with him.

No, actually, it slightly did. That cash drop Melanie made to him allowed for some new insight to reach her. He was more than qualified for plans she had had in the works for what felt like forever. His future modeling was only the tip of the iceberg, and she proved it by asking the last question along that path he ever expected to hear,

"Hey, Brenden, you had an order for alterations recently... but it wasn't for you, was it?"

[blue-pearl-lamentation]

Mystery’s Pearl Chapter 3

Pearl's arms clamped around Sheena's waist, her head resting on the biker's back. She inhaled through her nose, enjoying the sweet scent of something fruity. Peach? She hadn't noticed it before, but now that her mind had cleared up she could pick up on the perfume that Sheena wore. Trees and hills and waves zoomed through Pearl's vision while the motorcycle roared vigorously. She thought it tad too loud to make conversation, but that didn't matter – snugged up against Sheena was all the comfort she needed.

Pearl relaxed – there was no immediate danger. She knew her friends were safe and sound. She had nothing immediate to worry about. Despite being on a motorcycle she felt like she could fall asleep and let herself drift away. Or, at least get as close to sleep as a gem could.

“Don't fall asleep on me now,” Sheena said.

Pearl blinked and picked her head up. “I wasn't! It's just comfortable back here.”

Through the mirror she caught a glimpse of Sheena smiling. “I suppose I'll take that as a compliment.”

“Good.” The word came out before she had the chance to think.

“Well, we're just about here. What do you think?”

Pearl looked over Sheena's shoulder. A few stores were littered around, but her eyes set on what she was sure was their destination down at the end of the street. Beach City Funland.

“We're going to Funland?”

“Yeah! I've overheard people talking about it, but I've never been there. Thought you could show me around? If you're familiar with it, anyway.”

“Oh, yes! Steven's brought us a few times.”

“The kid that was with you, right? You mentioned him at dinner.”

“That's correct.” During dinner Pearl had told Sheena a few things, like who Steven and Amethyst were. “I actually...” she began, “I misunderstood what you were meant to do in a certain game the first time I went.”

Sheena drove into an open spot and shut down the motorcycle. She got off first and held out a hand for Pearl to grab onto. Pearl took it to help herself off the bike. Once she was off, they stood there looking at each other; neither let go. “Which one?” Sheena asked.

“I'll... show you later.” Pearl held onto Sheena's hand for a few more seconds before easing her grip, and Sheena let go, putting her hands to her side.

“Let's go then.”  Pearl followed behind Sheena as they walked into Funland. Like with dinner, Sheena paid the entry fee for the both to them. “No need to thank me,” Sheena said before Pearl could say anything. “Like I said, tonight's my treat.” Pearl smiled back.

Laughter filled the air. From the concession stands a mixture of smells drifted through the air. Sugary aroma of cotton candy. Sweet buttery popcorn. Pearl got a stiff whiff of hot dogs and corndogs. The earthy aroma of salted pretzels. It was nearing sunset, and the park was lighting up with a plethora of wondrous colors.

Pearl walked over to a nearby kiosk and picked up a map. “Okay, so here's what we can do Sheena.” She opened it up and put her finger on the large 'YOU ARE HERE' button. “As you can see, we're right here.” Pearl began to trace the map. “Now, the most productive path we could take would have us stop here at the concession stand for any snacking you might want to do if you're still hungry after dinner. If we continue along and head northwest we'll-”

Sheena snorted. “You crack me up, Pearl.”

Pearl stopped and pouted. “How?”

“We're at an amusement park, we don't need to do anything in some big scheduled order.” Sheena grabbed the map and Pearl let go of it. “I know you might be nervous, it being your first date and all. But we can walk around and do whatever jumps out at us. Maybe we'll backtrack a few times, maybe we'll go on the same ride a few times. We'll be spontaneous!”

Pearl thought back on what Steven and Amethyst told her. Be calm, and cool, just go with the flow. That's what Sheena was doing. Pearl curled her lip in thought. It would be so... disorganized, but even so, giving in to the spur of the moment had an allure to her.

“I mean,” Sheena continued, “think back to the day we met. Remember, you tried to talk to me at the store. And then I saw you getting chased by the cops. Wasn't that some thrilling spontaneous thing you did?”

“I did. I liked it. And mind you I sped up to catch up with you.”

“You did? You didn't tell me that part. Though, I kinda figured you did.”

“Oh, right,” Pearl turned away from Sheena. She hadn't told her the reason for being pursued by the police car. This wasn't the first time tonight she impulsively said something either.

Pearl felt a familiar hand on her shoulder. “Hey, if you're willing to get busted for a girl then that's good in my books. Heck, I might even do the same for you someday.” Pearl turned around and laughed.

“You'd become a criminal for me? That's absurd.” Pearl asked.

“Yeah, sure. We could be outlaws together. Like Bonnie and Clyde! Except both of us are women.”

“Aha, yes, Bonnie and Clyde!” Pearl feigned excitement because she had no clue what was being referenced. “Together, we can co-lyde into other cars, and, and do criminal activities!” She paused for a second. “I said co-lyde instead of collide, a play on words of the name Clyde.”

Sheena laughed so hard that she took a few steps backward. “You explain your jokes? You dork.”

“Takes one to know one,” Pearl shot back.

“Guilty as charged, officer,” Sheena mocked in a southern accent. “I, the great Bonnie...Sheena plead  guilty to the accusations at hand.”

“Well miss Bonnie Sheena,” Pearl spoke with an accent, “I, Clyde Pearl, will have to take you in.” She went behind Sheena, grabbed her wrists and put them lightly against her back.

Sheena gently broke out of the grab and held onto some of Pearl's fingers. “What are the charges, ma'am?”

“Two counts of electrons,” Pearl replied.

Sheena snorted again. “You don't need to explain that one to me.”

“Good,” Pearl said. She couldn't believe herself. Something in Sheena was bringing out a... new Pearl? Or resurfacing an old Pearl? Even though she kept doubting herself after saying something she thought was silly, it never seemed to affect Sheena negatively. Sheena ate it all up.

Sheena still held on to Pearl's fingers, and Pearl made no indication for her to stop. Around them the Funland whizzed with life, but time seemed still to Pearl. The touch of Sheena was all her mind cared about.

“You deserve something for that,” Sheena said sometime later.

“Huh?”

“You made me laugh and snort like a loser a few times, it's been awhile since anyone's done that.” Sheena let go of Pearl's fingers. “So I'm gonna win you a prize.”

“A prize?” Pearl felt her heart lift for a moment, but didn't want to look overly excited. “I don't know what I'd like, really. And you don't need to do that.”

“It doesn't matter if you don't know, silly. The point is for me to find something I think you'd like.”

Sheena walked off and Pearl came up beside her. They walked deeper into the park, passing by other people. There were teens, and kids, parents with their kids. They ate food and joked among each other. The two of them passed by booths and games. Pearl began to point them out. “In that one, the goal is to fill the balloon up with water until it pops. For that one you toss the rings onto the bottles. There you throw the ball and try to make it into the hoop.” Sheena glanced at them but seemed disinterested.

“Aha! There.” Sheena pointed at a hair bow hanging onto a wall. It was mostly pink, with a bit of a white hue to it. Sheena looked at Pearl and then back to it. “Looks kinda like your gem there, it matches. What do ya think?”

Pearl looked at it. “It does, doesn't it?”

“Then I'm getting it for you.”

“Wait, hold on. This is a hard game.”

There were other prizes on the wall, marked with numbers. The bow was under a 100. Above them all were the words “Test Your Strength!”

“You need to-”

“Pearl, I know how this one works. Stand back and let the pro handle it.” Sheena shot her a smirk and went over to the operator. “How much for a go?”

The man looked up at Sheena. “Two dollars. You get to hit it twice and wherever it lands on the last hit, you can pick a prize from there. Or below if you want.”

Sheena handed him two dollars and grabbed the hammer. The red and blue machine stretched up at least thirty feet. A golden bell lay at the top.The numbers lining up to the top flashed up and down. Sheena took a stance at the base and readied herself. With a grunt she brought the hammer up over her shoulder and brought it down onto the panel. Pearl watched as the weight shot up.

“Forty six!” The operator called out.

Pearl's jaw dropped a little. Sheena did look strong, but, Pearl didn't think she was that strong. Sheena glanced back. “You didn't doubt me, did you?” Pearl's answer was muffled by another loud grunt as Sheena swung the mallet again.

Ding.

Pearl's eyed widened. She did it, Sheena did it. “Oh gosh,” was all she could say

“I'll take that bow,” Sheena said. 

The man took it and gave it to her. “Impressive! No one's hit the bell since last week.”

Sheena walked over to Pearl, putting it in her hair on the same side as the flower.

“You make it look beautiful.”

[frolwriting]

Home Part 1

Hey guys!  I am back with another chapter of A Whole New World!  I’m sorry I didn’t post this last night.  I meant to and forgot.  Anyways, I don’t really have much to say, so enjoy the chapter!

Fandom: Supernatural

Series: A Whole New World

Pairing: ?

Warnings: A Cuss Word

_______________________________________________________________________

It has been about a month since we had the skinwalker case. I've been a lot more careful on hunts since I'm not sure I can trust them to care about me anymore. I know Sam doesn't really trust me all that much, and Dean will listen to his brother more than he'll listen to me. I've stayed in my own room and getting some cash here and there from doing different things. I've just been preparing for the worst. I was sitting in my hotel room when I heard a knock at my door. I grabbed my gun and looked into the peephole. Thankfully, it was Dean on the other side of the door. I put my gun down and opened the door.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

"Sam found a case. We're heading out in five." He says as he walks back to their room. I grab the few things that weren't in my duffel bag or suitcase and head out to the Impala. Dean was packing stuff into the trunk, and Sam was already in the car. I hand my stuff over to Dean and get into my usual spot in the back.

"Where are we headed?" I asked Sam once I get in.

"Kansas." Oh, we're at this hunt. I bet this is the hunt where we go back to their old house.

"What kind of hunt is it?" I ask.

"Not sure yet, but some weird things are going on." Dean then got into the car, and we pulled out of the hotel. It took us about 3 hours, and we were in Lawrence, Kansas. I knew it. We pulled up to a nice looking house that I could only guess is the house where the boys spent their lives before Mary died. "You gonna be all right, man?"

"Let me get back to you on that." Dean says as we get out of the car. We head up to the door and knock on it. A woman answers it. I turned to look at Sam. He looks surprised.

"Yes?" She asks.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we're with the Federal-" Dean starts.

"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean, and our friend Kate. Me and my brother used to live here. You know, we were just driving by, and we were wondering if we could come see the old place. We also wanted to show Kate the old house she hears so much about."

"Winchester. Yeah, that's so funny. You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night. I think there might be a picture with a Kate as well." My doppelganger? This should prove something to the guys, hopefully.

"You did?" Dean asks. The lady nods and steps aside to let us in.

"Come on in." We go inside and head into the kitchen. "I'm Jenny by the way." There was a little girl at the table writing. A little boy was in a playpen jumping up and down.

"Juice! Juice! Juice! Juice!" The little boy was yelling.

"That's Ritchie. He's kind of a juice junkie." Jenny says as she grabs a sippy cup out of the fridge and gives it to Ritchie. "But, hey, at least he won't get scurvy." She walks over to the little girl. "Sari, this is Sam, Dean, and Kate. Sam and Dean used to live here."

"Hi." Sari says. I wave at her.

"Hey, Sari." Sam says.

"So, you just moved in?" Dean asks.

"Yeah, from Wichita." Jenny says.

"You got family here, or...?" Dean asks.

"No. I just, uh...needed a fresh start, that's all. So, new town, new job-I mean, as soon as I find one. New house."

"So, how you liking it so far?" Sam asks.

"Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home-I mean, I'm sure you had lots of happy memories here, but this place has its issues."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just getting old. Like the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly."

"Oh, that's too bad. What else?" Dean asks.

"Um...sink's backed up, there's rats in the basement." Pause. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain."

"No. Have you seen the rats or have you just heard scratching?" Dean asks.

"It's just the scratching, actually."

"Mom?" Sari asks. Jenny goes over to her and kneels down. "Ask them if it was here when they lived here."

"What, Sari?" Sam asks.

"The thing in my closet."

"Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets." Jenny says. She looks at us. "Right?"

"Right. No, no, of course not." Sam says.

"She had a nightmare the other night."

"I wasn't dreaming. It came into my bedroom-and it was on fire." We all looked at each other when Sari said that. We walked around the house a bit and then head back outside.

"You hear that? A figure on fire." Sam says.

"And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams?" Dean asks.

"Yeah and you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering light, both signs of a malevolent spirit."

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out that your weirdo visions are coming true."

"Well, forget about that for a minute. The thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?" Sam asks panicked.

"I don't know!" Dean exclaims.

"Well, I mean, has it come back or has it been here the whole time?" Sam asks.

"Or maybe it's something else entirely, Sam, we don't know yet."

"Well, those people are in danger, Dean. We have to get 'em out of that house."

"And we will." I say.

"No, I mean now."

"And how you gonna do that, huh? You got a story that she's gonna believe?" Dean asks.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sam asks. We hop into the Impala and head to a gas station.

"We just got to chill out, that's all. You know, if this was any other kind of job, what would we do?" Dean asks as we pull up. Sam just sighed.

"We'd try to figure out what we were dealing with. We'd dig into the history of the house." Sam says.

"Exactly, except this time, we already know what happened." Dean says.

"Yeah, but how much do we know? I mean, how much do you actually remember?" Sam asks.

"About that night, you mean?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Not much. I remember the fire...the heat." Dean pauses. "And then I carried you out the front door."

"You did?" Sam asks.

"Yeah, what, you never knew that?" Dean asks.

"No." Sam says shaking his head.

"And, well, you know Dad's story as well as I do. Mom was...was on the ceiling, and whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her."

"And he never had a theory about what did it?" Sam asks.

"If he did, he kept it to himself. God knows we asked him enough times." Dean says.

"Okay. So, if we're going to figure out what's going on now...we have to figure out what happened back then and see if it's the same thing."

"Yeah, we'll talk to Dad's friends, neighbors, people who were there at the time." Dean says. There was silence for a bit.

"Does this feel like just another job to you?" Sam asks. Dean doesn't say anything for a second, but then opens his door and gets out.

"I'll be right back. I gotta go to the bathroom." There was awkward silence till Dean got back. I knew Dean wasn't going to the bathroom, but I wasn't about to say anything about it. Sam pulled out John's journal and was looking through a list of contacts.

"I found someone we can go talk to. He works for an auto shop not too far from here." Sam says as Dean gets back in. Dean nods and pulls out of the gas station. We headed to the auto repair shop that Sam was talking about. Sam went up to the front desk and asks for the owner of this place. After a while, a man walks up to us.

"I'm Isaac the owner of this shop. What can I do for you?" He asks wiping his hands on a towel.

"I'm Detective Hoffman. This is Detective Strauss, and this is our intern Kate. We are here investigating the disappearce of John Winchester." The man got a bit tense when Sam said that. "We understand that he used to work here." Isaac put his towel down.

"Yes, he did work here. We used to be co-owners of this place." I didn't remember that about John, but it makes sense. "That was a long time ago. It must be, about twenty years since John disappeared. Why are the cops interested all of a sudden?"

"Oh, we're re-opening some of our unsolved cases, and the Winchester disappearance is one of 'em." Dean says.

"Oh, well, what do you wanna know about John?"

"Well, whatever you remember, you know, whatever sticks out in your mind."

"Well...he was a stubborn bastard, I remember that." Isaac laughed. "And, uh, whatever the game, he hated to lose, you know? It's that whole Marine thing." We all nod. "But, oh, he sure loved Mary, and he doted on those kids."

"But that was before the fire?" Sam asked.

"That's right."

"He ever talk about that night?"

"No, not at first. I think he was in shock."

"Right. But eventually? What did he say about it?"

"Oh, he wasn't thinkin' straight. He said somethin' caused that fire and killed Mary."

"He ever say what did it?" Dean asked.

"Nothin' did it. It was an accident-an electrical short in the ceiling or walls or somethin'. I begged him to get some help, but..."

"But what?"

"Oh, he just got worse and worse."

"How?"

"Oh, he started readin' these strange ol' books. He started goin' to see this palm reader in town."

"Palm reader? Uh, do you have a name?" I asked pulling out my little notebook I got a week ago. Isaac scoffed.

"No."

"Thank you for your time Mr. Isaac." Dean said as we headed out to the Impala. We parked next to the nearest payphone, which was weird in of itself, and Sam started looking through a phonebook. Again weird.

"All right, so there's a few psychics and palm readers in town. There's someone named El Divino. There's uh," Sam laughed as he read it. "There's the Mysterious Mister Fortinsky. Uh, Missouri Mosely-"

"Wait, wait. Missouri Moseley?" Dean said as he interrupted Sam.

"What?" Sam asked confused.

"That's a psychic?" Dean asked.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

"Kate, hand me Dad's journal." I reached over and handed him the journal. "In Dad's journal...here, look at this." He said as he opened to the first page. "First page, first sentence, read that."

"I went to Missouri, and I learned the truth." Sam read out loud.

"I always thought he meant the state." We exchanged looks and headed for Missouri's house. Once we got to the house Missouri let us in straight away. She led us to a sitting room and had us sit on a couch, while she escorted a man out. She came back shortly after.

"Whew. Poor bastard. His woman is cold-bangin' the gardener."

"Why didn't you tell him?" I asked.

"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news." There was silence for a moment. "Well? Sam and Dean and friend, come on already, I ain't got all day." She left the room, and we assumed we should probably follow her. "Well, lemme look at ya." She laughed. "Oh, you boys grew up handsome." She points at Dean. "And you were one goofy-lookin' kid, too." Dean just glared at her. "Sam." She said as she grabbed his hand. "Oh, honey...I'm sorry about your girlfriend." Then she turned to me. "Your name is Kate. You've got something special hangin' around you." I looked at her confused. I hadn't stated my name yet. She turned back to the boys. "And your father-he's missin'?"

"How'd you know all that?" Sam asked.

"Well, you were just thinkin' it just now."

"Well, where is he? Is he okay?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." Bull crap. He's here somewhere. I know it.

"Don't know? Well, you're supposed to be a psychic, right?"

"Boy, you see me sawin' some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air. Sit, please." We sit down at her table. She snaps at Dean. "Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm 'a whack you with a spoon." I had to hold back a giggle.

"I didn't do anything." Dean said.

"But you were thinkin' about it."

"Okay. So, our dad-when did you first meet him?" Sam asked.

"He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say...I drew back the curtains for him."

"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed our mom?" Dean asked.

"A little. Your daddy took me to your house. He was hopin' I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing."

"And could you?" Sam asked.

"I..." Missouri said as she shook her head.

"What was it?" I asked even though I already knew what it was.

"I don't know. Oh, but it was evil." Sam then went on to explain some things that led us here. Not the visions though. "So...you think somethin' is back in that house?"

"Definitely." Sam said.

"I don't understand." Missouri said confused.

"What?"

"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keepin' an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it actin' up now?"

"I don't know. But Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house all happening at once-it just feels like something's starting." Oh you have no idea. I knew Missouri could read my thoughts, but the boys sure can't.

"That's a comforting thought." Dean said.

[fer8girl]

WIP Wednesday...

Still pushing forward on the Wedding AU for Nya and Dixie that started with ‘Measuring Up’(still one of my fave stories :D). I’m also fulfilling a promise to a friend @bbb35 who happens to think Numen Brock and Elara Dorne would make a cute couple ;D

“You always this busy?”

Dixie's smile widened genuinely as one of her new regulars came out of his room and she trotted to him. “Numen! Was wonderin' if you'd gotten lost in there.” Leaning back, she folded her arms, looking over the handsome Twi'lek with a critical eye. He started to tense up as she tapped her foot, until a satisfied grin burst from her. “I love it when I'm right!” she exclaimed and he started laughing.

“That you are.” He stepped over to the large mirror and began admiring himself. “When you suggested I expand my wardrobe to attract a classier clientele, I’ll admit I had my doubts.”

“And now?”

He laughed again as she straightened his tie and flattened his lapels. “A wise investment that's already paid off.”

“Miss!”

The loud call across the shop was an unwelcome reminder that she had other clients, and Numen patted her shoulder, “Looks like duty calls.”

“Ma'am, I'll be happy to help.”

Nya's voice rang out and Dixie breathed a sigh of relief as the auburn-maned Cathar sauntered over. “Ooh, watch Nya work her magic,” she whispered to Numen.

“These pants look too tight,” the woman complained, then huffed. “Does that other girl even know what she's doing?”

“I can assure you that she does, but let me take a look.”

Dixie giggled to herself, noting that Nya was using her 'management voice', a rich and placating tone that soothed most of their problematic customers.

She reached around the gentleman's midsection and released the stays that loosened the waistband. The effect was instantaneous and the gentleman let out a quiet sigh that confirmed he'd been sucking in his stomach while Nya fine-tuned his waistband. “Is that better Sir?”

“Much, but....” He paused and leaned towards Nya. “I think I liked the other ones your girl recommended.”

“You know, I think I agree with you Sir.” Nya spoke softly to him, then bent down and gently tugged at the fabric at his legs. “See here, where it’s pulling?” Her voice was louder to insure the woman overheard. “Could be a problem. Extra wear on the seams shortens the life of the garment.”

Gently patting the gentleman on the shoulder she beamed up at him. “That first pair, it felt more comfortable?”  When he bobbed his head she nodded sagely, “Then it’s settled. That’s the pair for you.” When Nya turned back to the woman Dixie noticed her smile was tighter, showing a flash of fang. “Unless you’d prefer him try them on again, Ma'am, just to confirm.”

“No, no, that first pair should be fine.”

“Good!” Nya patted the gentleman again, directing him to his room. “We’ll get those hung up and have them waiting for you at the counter.”

“Would you like me to handle that?” A pert blonde woman appeared at the Nya’s side almost immediately.

Dixie heard a murmur of interest from Numen and turned back to him with a knowing smile. “Elara, our new hiree,” she explained as she smoothed his coat and watched Nya dole out instructions. “She was working for a competitor but hated their version of ‘customer service’.”

“So she defected,” he joked and Dixie giggled.

“In a manner of speaking. They had her doing orders via comm so she knows her stuff, just getting used to being more hands on with clients.”

“Hands on, huh?”

Numen looked the blonde over again and Dixie gave him a playful jab in the ribs. “Play nice Brock, don’t want you chasing off my co-workers. We get enough smarmy comments from clients without the likes of ‘Sir Loin’ hanging about.”

“I’m always nice,” he said with a pout, but Dixie wasn’t falling for his wheedling.

“Go change, I’ll fill out your order.”

With one last charming smile Numan winked at her, “There you go, telling me to get undressed again.”

“Perk of the job,” she countered as she sashayed up to the sales desk.

Once she got to the front terminals she peeked over Elara’s arm, admiring the well-manicured fingers that sped over the keys. In fact everything about the blonde seemed spit-shined, not a hair out of place or stray thread on her crisp suit. Dixie shrank back, tugging self-consciously at her ruffled blouse and would’ve retreated if she hadn’t heard a small annoyed “Oh!”

“Problems?” she asked gently and Elara turned to her looking vexed.

“Does this terminal always freeze up? I’ve tried everything I can think of…”

“Here.” Dixie smothered a giggle as she leaned over and bopped the machine. The locked-up cursor started blinking again and Elara’s eyes rounded with surprise as Dixie shrugged.

“I got a way with electronics,” she said and Elara smiled at her.

“So I see. I may need you to show me your technique.”

“Probably not a good idea.” Nya’s humor-filled voice purred behind them. “Dixie usually threatens to shove a hydro-spanner up their serial port.

“My stars!” Elara’s eyes widened further while Dixie nodded in confirmation.

“Too bad I can only intimidate things smaller than me.”

“And that's a pretty short list,” chortled Nya.