#david jenkins you genius

[oreo-cookies-fan]

No, you don't understand, I'm going MENTAL over healthy Blackhands in ep 7 and it's all thanks to Izzy's character development. He knows that his past actions have hurt Ed, that he was half the reason why he went all Kraken and he learns from it. He asks Ed what he's thinking, what he's FEELING!!! When Ed tells him that he threw away his leather, his fucking Blackbeard costume, Izzy doesn't react in anger, doesn't try to push him back into Blackbeard persona. He encourages him to go for it, for doing what feels right, even if it means that Ed leaves him. Also, the fact that he KNOWS that Ed doesn't love him romantically and that he's happier with Stede and there's absolutely no bitterness in him about it (ok, he's a bit bitch-y, bit jealous, but it's not even that toxic and anger-driven, more like teasing your two friends, actually).

He still loves Ed and finally starts to love him the right way.

[sloppyjester]

I need this scene to be played at my funeral or else I won't be able to rest in peace.

[asoulwithadream]

guys can we just.

THE BEAUTIFUL ONES BY PRINCE

Baby, baby, baby Can't you stay with me tonight? Oh baby, baby, baby Don't my kisses please you right? You were so hard to find The beautiful ones, they hurt you everytime Paint a perfect picture Bring to life a vision in one's mind The beautiful ones Always smash the picture Always, everytime If I told you baby That I was in love with you Oh baby, baby, baby If we got married Would that be cool?

HE PICKED THE LITERAL BEST SONG FOR THIS

[ofmd-ann]

@davidjenks LOVE YOU

@ David Jenkins and the entire writing team.

[tethrarisms]

ofmd takes all metaphors to a ridiculous level but can I just appreciate how Izzy grew from toxic masculinity and repressed homosexuality to accepting himself and finding new meaning in a real family by becoming their new "unicorn"?

So happy writers got their deal, that scene was on a whole new level of genius.

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

my thread to Jenkins

Holy Doggie Heaven the 2nd season is a masterpiece. I’m laughing crying and everything in between. You’ve really woven a work that is brilliant and professional but intersects perfectly with fan fiction, art, hopes, expectations. Thank you so very much!

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

That was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.

Rhys fookin Darby as a Cryptid…AGAIN!

but most of all, I can’t believe they did it PRACTICAL!

these people are INSANE! And I’m so here for it.

I’m completely devastated they went that route.

Rhys Darby In an intricate mermaid suit, UNDER FUCKING WATER!

talk about COMMITTING TO THE BIT!

this guy gets it

[londonspirit]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE that Taika puts his kids into his things...

(and from what I've seen Alex had family there too!)

... but what I love even more this time around is, that we got the woman who's basically RESPONSIBLE for the whole damn show as it is because she came across that strange Gentleman Pirate and told her genius writer husband about it!!!

Coming full circle with that one and i couldn't love DJ more (and I fucking love him to the end of the world and back already!)

Lad(ie)s and gentlepeople, Hellcat Maggie aka Josie Whittlesey aka David Jenkins' fabulous wife!

THANK YOU JOSIE indeed!!!!

[sleepystede]

Let's talk about the genius of music in OFMD once again, today in s2e1:

Strawberry Letter 23 begins as Ed appears as "the Devil" on board the wedding vessel. We know the scene well. His crew slays the wedding party in a seemingly heartless fashion, followed by a short montage of previous violent raids.

But let's back up to what comes before this scene:

We see Stede on the beach throwing a letter in a bottle out to sea, all while we hear Stede narrating this letter aloud. It's very clearly a love letter, and Stede says he's sent quite a few letters before this one.

This scene immediately moves into the shot of Blackbeard's new flag with the broken heart, which clearly communicates a message of heartbreak.

Followed by Ed's new tattoo, also very clearly communicating a message (a letter in its own right).

We see the exchange return to Stede, where he kisses the damn bottle as he throws it out to the ocean.

Then we move to the wedding boat, where a priest is reading aloud part of the wedding ceremony. That's when Blackbeard's crew jumps on with an OBJECTION.

As Ed says, "Demon? I'm the fuckin' devil" - Strawberry Letter 23 begins playing.

It's interesting, because in the full song, the lyrics that should indicate the name of the song are Strawberry Letter 22 - NOT 23. So I went on ye ole Wikipedia to see what's up with that:

It's about a couple exchanging love letters.

Ed's wedding massacre is his letter number 23, in response to Stede's letter.

The lyrics are so spot on. David Jenkins, how do you do it?!

“Hello my love, I heard a kiss from you.

Ed is thinking back to the first kiss he and Stede shared on the beach - and this is coupled with the kiss Stede gave the message in the bottle before he threw it. This lyric plays as Ed picks up the Stede cake topper.

Red magic satin playing near, too.

Ed is thinking back to the fine things fabric he carries for so long, the fabric Stede so tenderly folded and placed in Ed's pocket. This lyric plays as a different red magic satin - blood - sprays violently as people are killed.

All through the morning rain I gaze, the sun doesn’t shine. / Rainbows and waterfalls run through my mind.”

This is breakup Ed at his peak. Sadness, depression, tears flowing. But also the moments where Ed allows himself to enjoy softness and fine things. We see Ed licking icing from his knife in a moment of peace amid the chaos around him.

Ed's letter number 23 is such a stark contrast to Stede's letter number 22. It's heartbreaking and oh so brilliant.

I remain indebted to David Jenkins. The gift of this show is tremendous!!!

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

omg, I love this so much! great observations! this show should be taught as a college course!

thinking about stede reinventing his original trauma as he frees himself from his old life… thinking about the symbology of blood representing death but also birth (in this case rebirth)… thinking about how, wherever you go, there you are

[ragingstillness]

Ok I have work and it’s super late but I have to share at least a few vague thoughts:

Fuck this is everything I’ve ever wished for

This season is walking fanfic

I’m losing my shit

Con O’Neill I love you to the ends of the earth

David Jenkins you are a genius

God the pacing is fucking amazing

I know I’m swearing a lot and being vague but I can’t help it this season is awesome

More thoughts to come when I’m more coherent

[stedesbonnets]

the absolute irony of izzy CRYING during s1ep6 because he thought stede and ed were having sex vs serenading their first love making scene during s2ep6. david jenkins you mad genius

[fuckyeahizzyhands]

Con: I think the show deserves a season three whether I'm involved in it or not. It was always David's dream to make three seasons. I would be gutted for him if season three didn't happen. As far as Izzy being involved, that's entirely up to David Jenkins.

Screen Rant: I did some Googling, and I found articles. One of them was titled “Our Flag Means Death Season Two's Best Character Isn’t Who You Think”, and it was talking about Izzy. The other one was “Izzy Hands is the Real Star of Our Flag Means Death Season Two”. Those were both headlines I found. What was it like to find out what Izzy’s journey this season was going to be? It’s had such an impact on so many people.

Con O’Neill: David and I spoke about it quite a lot before we shot, about the redemptive qualities, and I was delighted that we didn't suddenly turn him into a saint overnight. I was delighted that the redemption was complicated and layered, and I don't feel that Izzy disappears in any of it. I think he's very much who he always was, but with slightly more of an open soul. I was so grateful to David and the writers for creating an arc that was playable rather than Hollywood-ized and too easy. It was challenging; it was a very, very lonely shoot for me. I found myself gravitating towards my own company most of the time, mainly because of the hours. And, because if I wasn’t shooting, I was learning to walk on that f***ing leg. If I wasn’t doing that, I was sword training, and if I wasn’t doing that, I was body training, and if I wasn’t doing that, I was recording a song in French. So, I was busy. Our group is a group of beautiful people, and we would meet every Sunday for lunch. Christine used to arrange that. I found myself initially quite hesitant to join that, because it felt like I had this weight on my shoulders, certainly for the first four episodes. I loved it as an actor. I found it really challenging as a man on his own in New Zealand, where it rains [a lot].

Screen Rant: I'm a music nerd, and kind of a musical theater nerd; my favorite episode of this is the one where you're singing in it. I love those sequences so much, your voice is insane, and it's such a good character moment. How did the decision to make that happen—singing, and specifically that song--come about? Did they write that for you because they knew you were a singer?

Con O’Neill: We’re all walking around backstage, telling jokes, playing music, and singing; that’s just what happens when you shoot a show. David called me up while I was in Wellington. I was in Wellington for a week shooting something else. He called me up and he asked me if I knew “La vie en rose”; I knew it, vaguely, but I don't speak French at all. Then, he mentioned that they wanted to do it in an episode. So, I learned the English version, Dean Martin’s version, and then they asked me if I could learn the French version. I don't speak a word of French, not a word, but my partner does, and I had a friend who just played Edith Piaf piano—Jenna (Russell)--and between the two of them, they taught me the French version of the song. If somebody had asked me prior to this, “What song would Izzy sing?” “La vie en rose” would never have entered my head. And now, there's no other song that fits. That's the genius of David. David's very clever with music. We know that--we’ve all experienced how clever he is—but to pick that song for him, at that point in his life? Yeah. F***ing hell. That was genius.

Screen Rant: Your character died this season. How far in advance did you know that, and did that affect how you approached or thought about the season?

Con O’Neill: No. I mean, to be honest, I felt it was going that way. I've been around a long time, and when a character starts this kind of arc, especially in something as interesting as our show is… When David took me out for dinner, I kind of thought this was where it was going, and, partly, I was relieved. I'm not an actor who likes to just repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. And, I knew that Ed and Stede were going to end up together at the end of this season, so Izzy, as he stands, wouldn't make any sense to still be there. So, it was a relief that the decision was being made. I was a bit upset because I love playing him, but leave them wanting more, you know? I will be eternally grateful for what they gave me; how they played him out in the show. The beautiful speech they gave me, the opportunity to do “La vie en rose”, and the opportunity to die in Taika’s arms and to be able to honor that relationship… I couldn't have asked for a better play-off, really.

Screen Rant: This season did introduce, with the Gravy Basket, the potential for someone who has passed on to return. If there was a season three, do you think your character would have anything else to impart on Stede or Blackbeard in a similar scenario?

Con O’Neill: You’d have to ask David Jenkins. I don't know where David wants to take it, and I wouldn't preempt that with me making up stories for Izzy in a flashback or ghostie Izzy, or whatever. I have no idea where David wants season three to go. I think the show deserves a season three whether I'm involved in it or not. It was always David's dream to make three seasons. I would be gutted for him if season three didn't happen. As far as Izzy being involved, that's entirely up to David Jenkins.

Screen Rant: So much of this season and Izzy’s journey is his relationship with Edward and his love for Edward, and so much of the conflict is about how much Edward is changing. Did you have an understanding of what version of Blackbeard, or Edward, that Izzy was looking for, and wanting to be around?

Con O’Neill: That’s a great f***ing question. Between season one and season two, in the interim, Izzy experiences a broken Blackbeard, and a Blackbeard that's never going to go back to what he was, because he's heartbroken. Everyone who's been heartbroken knows that you never go back to who [you] were. He just wants to fix Blackbeard. That's why he takes his life in his hands by confronting Blackbeard; he just wants Blackbeard to be fixed, to find his soul again, [and] to find his heart again. Whether he's involved in that is not relevant. What's relevant is, he loves Blackbeard so much that he wants him to find himself again. So, it's never Izzy’s version of Blackbeard that Izzy’s looking for. He's looking for Blackbeard to find himself again, and that's only through Stede.

Screen Rant: I was looking up the real-life Izzy Hands, who testified against allies to get a pardon and supposedly died a beggar in the streets of London years later. Would you have been interested in that, dramatically, if that was how his story ended on the show?

Con O’Neill: No, that's not our show. We're not historically [accurate to] those times. If we were, they wouldn’t have cast a guy who is 50 to play a 16-year-old pirate. I don't know. I'd love to be able to tell you what area that season three, if it ever happens, would go, but I literally have no idea. I don't think we're going to go down the historical route. I’d be very surprised if we do that.

Screen Rant: I don’t know if you’ll have an answer for me, but I saw that you initially auditioned for a different role. I love Taika so much; I feel like you would have also made a great Blackbeard. Is that who you were going for, initially?

Con O’Neill: Absolutely not, but thank you for saying that. I don’t see anyone else as Blackbeard but Taika. When Taika was announced, I knew what our show was. But no, it wasn’t Blackbeard. And no, I’m not going to tell you.

Screen Rant: Okay. Perfect. Well, clearly it all worked out for the best. I mean, you're incredible, and the whole cast is so perfect in their roles. It's been a pleasure to watch you and… yeah, congrats on the show.

Con O’Neill: Thank you so much.

[hang-on-lil-tomato]

true dat

Our Flag Means Death plays jump rope with the line between silliest shit you’ve ever seen and the darkest angst put to television.

[p0isonyouth]

Mastermind | Spencer Reid

Spencer Reid didn't want to love again.

After the passing of his late girlfriend, Maeve Donovan, the young genius believed that everyone in his life would eventually leave him.

So he chose not to get attached.

Valeria Bela had no time for love.

Though the young woman grew up in a home full of love and care, she refused to have her feelings get in the way of her work once again.

So she chose to be closed off.

Both Spencer and Valeria had come to terms with their resentment of love, more so what had happened to get them to feel so negatively about it. But, when young Supervisory Special Agent Bela joins the BAU, both soon forget about their rule with strong rivalry and stolen kisses.

A/N - Unfortunately, I do not own Criminal Minds, nor their characters or plots. I do not own dialogue, cases, or episodes, those go to the beautiful minds of the writers (MGG EPISODES !!!!). I also do not own any of the gifs presented in this story. These were picked at random via Pinterest. I do, however, own Valeria Bela as well as any other characters that are not created by the Criminal Minds enterprise. I also own plotlines that are designed by me. Without further ado, welcome to Mastermind!

P.S. - Valeria's face claim is Shay Mitchell. Timothy's is Pedro Pascal. Antonio's is Avan Jogia. And it's up to interpretation whom her mother's is.

Warnings:

Since you are reading a Criminal Minds Fanfic, I'm sure you expect what is to happen in episodes, but just in case you like jumping into a fandom by fanfic, here's some trigger warnings: assault, depression/depressive episodes, gore, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, sexual innuendos, swearing, torture, violence, etc... ( there are way more, but i'm sure you get the point)

NOTICE ~ CHAPTER ONE

"YOU COMING, ROSSI?" Timothy Bela questioned his partner as he started the engine of a government-owned black SUV. 

They were chasing an unsub that they had been after for weeks, a serial killer who targeted normal families. With all the information gathered, they had determined their suspect to be Stephen Jenkins, a 28-year-old man. The boy was an orphan, always by himself until he went to college, found a job, and married the so-called love of his life. That was until she passed away a couple months later. The man kept to himself, only venturing out of his house every so often. To kill.

Timothy Bela and David Rossi had no doubts that the sadistic man was not working alone due to his elaborate work, but they had to catch him first.

Timothy lived for the thrill of the chase. He loved the adrenaline that spiked in his veins as he was catching an unsub, however, he knew he had to be more careful with his life. Timothy had a wife now, Meredith Bela, and two children, nine-year-old Valeria, and one-year-old Antonio. He was expected to be a role model, a parent, and most importantly, a hero.

The red and blue lights flashed from the top of the black SUV as the duo raced through the streets to catch their unsub. David Rossi's eyes focused on the streets ahead but moved over to his partner and longtime best friend for a brief second. "So, how are the kids, Timothy? Is Valeria still up to her usual trouble?"

"She sees her Uncle Rossi a little too much for her own good." The man said with a small chuckle, turning the wheel to make a hard left turn. "Wants to be just like us when she's older."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Bela." 

The black vehicle stopped in front of an abandoned house, the wooden planks that once blocked the door from being entered were littered on the broken-down porch. "What an idiot," Timothy commented as he took his gun out of his holster, approaching the opened door. Rossi came behind him, making sure that the coast was clear.

The two stepped into the house, the floorboards creaking beneath their feet. Timothy winced as the sound pierced his ears, venturing deeper into the house with a careful foot. "Don't you come any closer!" A voice said as Rossi and Bela entered into a hallway. The voice was weak, tired, and out of breath. "I said don't you come any closer to me!"

"FBI! Stephen Jenkins, come out slowly, hands up." Rossi yelled gun brandished in front of him.

"I don't want any trouble. Just go away, don't come any closer!" Stephen called out again, his back against the wall. If he peered to the right a little, he could see the eyes of the men in a mirror that hung against the wall. "I have a gun, I'll use it."

"Yeah, so do we, kid." Timothy was confused. This man didn't seem like who they were looking for at all, he didn't seem like he'd hurt a fly. He was done playing the boy's game, hoping to hurry up the delay so he could get home to his family. "You have one last chance to get out here or I'm coming inside."

"I-i can't." 

"Why not?" Rossi asked, getting no reply in return. He motioned for Timothy quietly to go into the room at the looming silence, when suddenly a loud thud hit their ears. The two men raced into the room as the sounds of their team members slamming their car doors echoed outside.

Timothy entered the dusty, dark room first, desperately trying to find a source of light. He walked further into the room, pulling a cord that led to a light bulb in the middle of the room. Slightly turning, he rested his eyes on the body of Stephen Jenkins lying on the floor, shriveled in pain and frankly red as wine. The blonde boy, barely a man, struggled to breathe, his face turning pale as if he had been suddenly drained of all that was keeping him alive. Timothy's stomach dropped, and Rossi made his way to his partner's side to investigate. "Dear god," Rossi sighed, crouching to examine the pale body.

Stephen's body had bloody gashes all over him, carved into his chest like some satanic ritual. The young man looked up at the two men, fear written all over his face. His blue eyes were slightly dilated, his hands trembled, and his body squirmed.

"Stephen, who did this to you?" Timothy said, staring the young man in the eyes. 

"He..." Stephen started before choking on the blood that wound up in his throat. "He just wanted you to notice."

"Wanted who to notice what?" Rossi asked, holding pressure on Stephen's wounds, knowing it was no use.

"He wanted Timothy Bela... to notice." He said, finally succumbing to his injuries. The rest of the department entered the room, examining the scene as Rossi looked up at Timothy with confusion. Timothy's eyes never left the young man, his mind focused on what he was to notice.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

Valeria watched her mother pull out the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven, the delicious smell immediately hitting her nostrils. Her mouth watered for the sweet treat, getting up from her spot across from her baby brother to her mother who was standing at the counter. "How much longer until we can eat the cookies, mama?" 

Meredith laughed, taking the oven mitts off of her hands. "In a few minutes, mi amor. They must cool down first."

Valeria nodded happily, going back to sit across from her little brother, Antonio. "I can't wait until you are able to eat cookies, Antonio. I think you'll like them!" Baby Antonio gurgled in response to his older sister, slamming his tiny hands on the baby seat tray. The girl grinned, going back to drawing on a piece of paper with her crayons. 

Meredith watched her children from afar with a sad smile, disappointed that her husband was missing out on all the little moments of their children's lives. She didn't regret moving to Quantico, it was a good environment for their family. She just wished that Timothy wasn't so occupied with solving crimes. The sound of loud knocking had taken the woman out of her thoughts, as she made her way to the front door.

As she opened the door, a tall man stood in front of her, a gun pointed at her forehead. Her eyes widened with fear, as she took three steps backward into the living room. It was a rare occasion for Meredith to let her nerves get the best of her, but her mind was blank as her eyes locked on the barrel of the gun. The man followed her inside, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "Meredith Bela, as beautiful as I remember. It's been a long time, don't you remember me?"

Meredith swallowed a sob, remembering that her children were in the next room. A faux smile appeared on her face as she smiled. "I do remember, of course, I do."

The man's smile dropped, a scowl taking its place. "Don't lie to me, darling."

"I-i'm not lying. I do remember you." Her voice waivered, the gun practically resting on her forehead. 

"No need to get defensive, Meredith. I'm just playing." He sneered. "I want to say hello to the kids, let's go to the kitchen." The woman planted her feet, shaking her head frantically.

"Please don't hurt them, take me. Don't hurt them." 

"Let's remember who has the gun and who is begging for their children's lives to be saved. The kitchen. Go!" He yelled, aggressively pulling her into the kitchen. Valeria looked up to see her mother in pain, tears flowing down her cheeks. She tilted her head in confusion, watching as the man bent down to her level. "Hello, Valeria."

"Hello. Do I know you?" She asked, staring into the man's cold, blue eyes. 

"I'm a friend of your father's."

"Daddy's not home, so maybe you should come back later." Valeria shrugged the man off, going back to coloring on her paper. "And you can't have any cookies because they aren't cooled off yet."

The man stood shocked at her manners, gritting his teeth with a fake smile. The girl's face didn't show an ounce of emotion like she didn't question his intentions at all. He was intrigued by the young girl, albeit amused. 

"That's enough, now leave our house." Meredith spat, wrestling her wrist out of the man's grip, grabbing a kitchen knife that lay on the counter. "Get out, now!"

Valeria turned to look at her mother, realizing that the man wasn't a friendly visitor. A chill ran down her spine as the man began to laugh, shaking his head at her mother. "And I thought you were always up for a challenge, Meredith. Truly a shame that we had to do this so quickly." He took out his gun with a sad sigh, resting his finger on the trigger.

And shooting her quickly between the eyes.

The young girl wasn't sure if there was a sound. Valeria felt so lightheaded that she knew it wasn't long before she would pass out. She blinked but couldn't see anything except her mother's cold, dead eyes on the floor.

The man smirked at his work, turning to face the two children. Antonio was bawling at the loud noise, not realizing what had happened, and Valeria stood still with shock and fear. The man approached the crying baby, attempting to coo him. "There, there. She wasn't that special anyways." 

"What are you gonna do?" Valeria croaked out, her mouth dry from tears.

"Excuse me?" 

"What are you gonna do with us?" She questioned.

"You see, I hadn't planned that far ahead." He spoke slowly, walking over to the counter and grabbing a cookie from the rack. He took a bite, chewing with his mouth open. "Cookie?" He offered, sitting back down at the table after getting no reply. "You see, I have to get rid of the evidence that I was here... which means you two have to go. And he'll finally notice me."

Valeria stood, staring at the table, not daring to look into the man's murderous eyes. "Go? Notice you?"

"Go. Die. Exterminate. Croak. There's a lot of ways to say it." He dismissed by waving his hands, grabbing a cigarette and lighter out of his pocket. He put the cigarette to his mouth, lighting the end of it. "It's a shame really, I was starting to like you guys."

"You can't cause a fire with just one cigarette." The girl said, crossing her arms. "You need a reactant of some sort to cause the fire. Which you didn't do."

"Which I did do, actually, little girl. Do you really think that I haven't planned this through? Watch and-" He said, coughing as his cigarette smoke hit his lungs. Valeria raised an eyebrow at the man, rolling her eyes in disbelief. Amid his coughing fit, he dropped the lit cigarette on the table. The tablecloth immediately burst into flames, catching on the man. He screamed out in pain as the flames engulfed him, Valeria rushing to unbuckle her younger brother from his seat.

The man fell backward as the flames got wider, soon covering half of the kitchen. Valeria ran out into the living room with her brother in her grasp, looking for a way to escape. "This is why you don't smoke, Antonio." She said out of nervousness, as the fire captured the wall of the house. 

They were trapped inside.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

Timothy Bela bid Rossi goodbye as he finally finished his paperwork for the case. Though it hadn't gone the way that he wanted it to go, they were closer to solving the murders. As he headed out the door, an agent ran to him, calling his name. "Bela! Bela! Bela!" 

The man turned, eyes finding the panicked state of the agent. "Bernhards? What's going on?"

"Your house! It's all over the news!"

"My house? The man questioned his eyes widening in worry. "Bernhards, what's wrong with my house? Finish your sentence, goddammit!"

"It's on fire...!" The man said, exasperated and out of breath. "Your house is on fire!"

Bela didn't hear the man any longer as he ran to his car, racing down the streets to get to his house. Fear ran in his veins as he thought about his family, wondering if they had made it outside yet. Little did he know, they were still inside. 

By the time Timothy got to his house, news anchors surrounded the lawn. The house was up in flames, immediately consuming everything from the inside. He spotted his neighbors, running over to them and asking multitudes of questions. "Did Meredith and the kids make it out? Has anyone called the fire department? Has anyone gone in yet to check?" The neighbors shook their heads in worry, watching the flames blaze. 

Everyone outside had no idea what to do while they waited for the fire department to get there. Nobody dared to run inside and start saving the family themselves. 

Worry struck the man's features as he started to strip himself of his jacket and tie. One neighbor, Eugenia Miller, a kind lady from across the street, grabbed his arm. "You are not going in there, Timothy." 

"I'm not letting my family burn alive. Every second that fire is getting worse and worse and my children are in there." He broke himself free from her grip, hogging into the house. The flames flew behind him as he kicked down the door, entering the house. 

"Dear god, that man is a maniac," Eugenia muttered, joining the rest of the neighbors. 

Timothy ran into the kitchen, stumbling upon the burnt body of the man, his gun still in his hands. The agent furrowed his eyebrows, looking at where the table once was, before seeing the body of his wife. He choked back a sob, covering his mouth with his hands, pressing the white sleeve of his uniform to his mouth to breathe. "Meredith, amore mio." He whispered, exiting the kitchen after not bearing to see the sight any longer. "Valeria? Valeria, where are you?" He called out, his hope leaving him every second.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ✧ ★ ✧꒱ ˎˊ˗

The only thing that Valeria could process during the smoke was the pain she was in. Her broken heart, her ears ringing, and a burn on her right thigh. She held her brother close to her, putting her thin sleeve over his mouth so he could breathe filtered air. She placed a kiss on his forehead, closing her eyes. "We're going to be okay, little brother. I promise. They're coming for us." As she calmed herself down, she visualized firefighters calling out her name, hoping they would reach her on time. 

She was exhausted; her throat burned with every swallow, her muscles ached, and her lungs were starting to sting from the gathering smoke that slowly leaked into the enclosed space that they were trapped in. It didn't help that Antonio started crying once again. With nothing to calm him down with, she closed her eyes tight, praying that someone would save them soon.

"Valeria!" She heard a voice shout from somewhere. "Valeria?"

"In here!" She cried out with all that was left in her. "Help! Please help!" A sob ripped from her throat, joining the cries of her younger brother. 

Timothy appeared, moving rubble out of the doorway as he entered the room. He gazed at the sight of his two children, rushing to hold them in his arms as they cried. "Valeria, Antonio. You're okay, I got you."

"Daddy, mama's dead." Valeria cried into her father's shoulder. "She's gone!"

"I know, baby. I know." He soothed, rubbing her hair. He pulled away from his daughter, noticing the large burn on her leg. "Your leg, Valeria. Can you walk on it?"

"I don't think I can."

He looked behind him at the doorway, watching as small flames began to form at the bottom of it. Cradling Antonio in his left arm, he picked up the young girl with his right. "Hold your breath, Valeria, close your eyes for me." She did what she was told as the agent made his way through the fire, making sure his children were not harmed any further. He met the fire department halfway, sobbing in relief as they made it completely out of the house.

Valeria and Antonio were taken out of his arms as he collapsed to his knees on the front lawn. A paramedic ran to his side, grasping his shoulders. "Sir, you have to calm down. Let us check you out." He cried out, his head touching the cool, wet grass. 

Rossi arrived at the scene, racing toward his best friend. "Timothy, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay." 

"Meredith is dead." Timothy gasped out, looking up at the man. Rossi helped him up, leading him to the back of an ambulance to get checked out. "Valeria and Antonio-"

"They'll be okay," Rossi reassured, nodding to the paramedic as she finished checking on him. "They're together, on their way to the hospital. You're going too."

"I'm done with this, Rossi." Timothy looked back at his friend as he was put into an ambulance to join his children. "I can't do this anymore. This happened because of me. I quit." 

[girlbossblackbeard]

i take back every mean word i've ever said or vague threat i've ever made about david jenkins he's the most brilliant man on earth a true genius visionary who has healed every wound i've ever incurred both physically and emotionally and with one reversal of the "you wear fine things well" scene he has absolved me of all mental illness and any other maladies that may befall me and i owe him my life