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13uswntimagines · 3 years ago

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Love You or Lose You (Alpha Soran x Omega Reader)

Request: This is the first part to the Prequel for Playing with Fire. Its right after the 2016 Olympics, and R missed the PK instead of Christen. Things have been rough with her Alphas and she just needs a fresh Start. Barca might be the start she was after, but her mates might not like that too much... Especially when she leaves in the middle of the night.

Basically 4000 words of Lindsey and Emily being idiots, R being sad and Preath and Kellex being worried.

The air was heavy in the locker room, pressing into you like an anvil settled on your soul. You could remember a time when you had felt at home here. Like you belonged here.

A time when Lindsey and Emily had actually loved you, and you didn’t feel like an unneeded (or wanted) burden on the national team (more like your family).

You shook your head, tucking your frame tighter into the small locker that belonged to your most dominant alpha, pulling a leftover sweater tighter against your face.

No. The locker that belonged to Lindsey. She wasn’t your alpha anymore, she had said so herself, but your inner omega still cried out for her and Emily nonetheless. A fight didn’t change the marks on your neck, or what your inner animal knew to be true.

Yet it changed everything if the unbearable pain ripping through your chest was anything to go by.

Another sob left your lips, muffled only slightly by the heavy material of Lindsey’s sweatshirt that smelled distinctly like both her and Emily. It did little to ease your instincts, but you would take whatever you could get right now.

There was no reason to hold back your tears, there was no one else there to see them anyway. No one who would come looking for the source of the distressed pheromones you were emitting. No one to care that you were falling apart. It didn’t matter that you were all in the same city.

They were all too busy trying to process their own issues from the loss. The loss you knew fell squarely on your shoulder. If only you had made that PK, none of this would have happened.

You shuttered at the mix of emotions trickling down your mating bond. Lindsey’s anger and Emily’s clear frustration. You gulped pushing against their emotions with an overwhelming wave of your own. You willed as much calm as you could muster down the bond-forming a little barrier between your omega and their alphas, and shoved your own despair as far away from it as you could.

The block wouldn’t hold forever, but it would do the job for now. Bonds were a bitch to shut down completely, and a permanent block was going to have to be something you figured out later.

Your inner omega growled, digging her claws into your brain. While the human side of your head got why you were doing this, your animal side was loath to deny your alphas the privilege of your deepest emotions. Especially when she thought they could fix it if they knew.

You let out a little whimper at the sound of the door, tucking yourself tighter into a ball as footsteps approached.

“Hey, Kid just thought I’d let you know your Uber is here,”

You peeked out at the kind voice, semi soothing scent, and worried eyes of the athletic. You tried to smile at the woman, but you knew she wasn’t fooled. She knew you too well for that.

“Thanks Bailey,” You sniffled, easing into a sitting position and turning to fully face the woman, and running a hand through your wild hair (only making it messier than it was before).

“I’m gonna miss you kid,” She said, and you could tell that she wanted to say more. But both of you knew it wouldn’t change anything. The deal was done and you couldn’t find it within yourself to regret it.

“I’m gonna miss you too, but you know I can’t stay,”

She nodded, she would have left too if she was in your shoes. Barça was making lemonade out of rotten lemons.

You took another gulping breath into Lindsey’s sweatshirt before shoving it into your backpack, and standing. Your eyes strayed towards the other lockers around you, landing on several items of clothing left by your friends.

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” She grumbled under her breath as she headed towards the door.

“No, it doesn’t,” You breathed out, heading towards the various lockers instead of the door.

Leaving here would be like leaving a part of your soul behind. Your fingers traced over the wooden panels that outlined each locker. You only paused twice. Once outside Emily’s locker to steal a coveted Virginia soccer t-shirt and again at Tobin’s taking a re-inc sweater that you knew Christen wore more than Tobin and a LFG t-shirt that smelled distinctly like Kellex.

The quad (as the national team called them) were your team moms, and their scents all comforted you. They would make whatever apartment you ended up in in Barça feel like home.

Bailey raised her eyebrow at you as you stuffed the items into your backpack. You just shrugged. “they won’t miss them anyway,”

It was true, and even if it wasn’t you were sure Chris would still back you up when she found out exactly why you left.

You paused at the door, taking one last glance around the room, looking for some sign to stay. You rubbed your chest when another wave of negative emotions from your mates passed through your bond.

You cleared your throat and shook your head at Bailey’s raised eyebrows. The weight in your chest told you that you were making exactly the right move.

She sighed, leading you towards the loading bay where your Uber was waiting.

“Thank you… for everything,” You said softly, pulling the older omega into a tight hug. She knew you meant more than walking you to the car park. She was there for you when no one else was, and you would be eternally grateful for all she had done for you.

She held you for a long moment, rocking you side to side before pulling back to hold you at arm's length. “You got it, kid. Be safe and text me when you land alright?”

You gave her a nod and a tight smile. “Look after them?”

She rolled her eyes. If those two idiots had done anything even close to what they had done to you to her, she wouldn’t have been nearly as forgiving as you seemed to be.

Then again you were also moving to Spain.

“Of course,” She said, shoeing you towards the car.

She would make sure they were very informed on how you were doing.

****

Christen knew that there was something wrong. Very wrong. Before her phone even dinged. She could feel it in her bond with you. The torrent of emotions that had suddenly shifted into a calm she had never felt from you before.

The bond the two of you shared was a special one, forged the moment she had laid eyes on you (even more special than the one you shared with her mates). The second your small, skittish form had entered the dining hall (tucked carefully under Emily's arm) her omega had claimed you as its pup, and you latched onto her quiet calm nature without a second thought.

She knew you almost as well as your mates knew you, and the bond you shared (while different) was nearly as strong. And therefore your bond with the rest of the quad was also relatively strong.

For an unknown reason, it was keeping her awake. It was like her omega was waiting for a sign, something to tell her that you were safe and sound.

She practically jumped out of her skin at the ding of her phone, fumbling to unlock the screen and find the message you had sent her.

She froze when her alpha shifted against her, inadvertently jostling the two omega’s attached to her other side.

“Wha- appened?” Tobin mumbled, nuzzling into her stomach. Christen sighed at the wave of soothing scents that Tobin let off, trying to calm her nerves even in sleep.

“Shh, baby bear is texting me. Go back to sleep,” Christen said, scratching the alphas scalp gently with one hand and pulling up the text with the other.

She blinked at the bright screen once, twice, three times.

It was five words, cold and emotionless. It reminded her of the call marines made to their parents when they went to boot camp.

Landed in Spain. I’m fine.

She couldn’t help her sharp intake of breath at the singular line, or the anxiety that suddenly engulfed her heart (immediately jolting all 3 of her mates awake).

Before she could even blink she was moved onto Tobin’s lap, and Alex and Kelley cuddled tightly into either side of her. She could feel their concern flowing down their bond, and their efforts to comfort even though they had no idea what had caused such a strong response.

“What’s up with baby bear?” Tobin said, gently rocking from side to side.

Christen’s mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to parse out what emotions were hers, what emotions were coming from her mating bond, and the irritating calm that was coming from her bond with you.

“I…-I don’t,” She stuttered, unable to skate the feeling that there was something very bad behind the steadfast wall you had thrown up in your bond.

“Give me that,” Kelley half growled, pulling the phone out from Christen’s loose grip.

She didn’t like to be woken up in the middle of the night, and she would kill your mates if you were texting Christen because of something stupid they did. You had sent them way too many texts like that already if she was honest.

“What the fuck?” She breathed out when her eyes landed on the words. This was so much worse than Soran being dumbasses.

“What?” Alex asked, yanking the phone away from Kelley.

Be nice,” Tobin chastised lightly, leaning over to read the words that had sent her most dominant omega mate into a tailspin.

She frowned at the bright screen, trying to remember the last time the two of you had really talked. Had you mentioned moving to Spain in passing? Had she just blown it off?

A charged silence hung between them. They all knew you were taking the loss hard, and that you and your mates were struggling to work your way through the slew of emotions that came with it. But they never imagined it would come to this. That you would literally flee the country.

“This is a joke right?” Kelley asked, her voice cracking.

“It’s gotta be,” Alex mumbled in disbelief. You were her cuddle buddy, her baby bear. You couldn’t have left the country without saying goodbye first.

“I’m going to find out,” Christen said finally, taking back her phone.

She bit her lip, pressing your contact picture and holding the phone to her ear. It rang once and then went voicemail. She frowned, shaking her head at her mates, ending the call. Maybe you accidentally pressed the wrong button.

She pressed your contact photo a second time.

Again it rang once and went to voicemail. It definitely wasn’t a coincidence this time, and she would bet anything that the boring automated greeting that came on instead of your goofy one wasn’t a coincidence either.

She sighed, waiting for the beep. “Hey kiddo, um I got your text and I thought we could have a check-in maybe? Call me back when you can,” She paused, unsure of how to finish. She didn’t think anything she said would ease the ache in her chest. “we love you,”

“Call Lindsey,” Tobin said firmly, an order lurking just below the words. If you weren’t going to give them answers, then your alphas better be ready to explain what the fuck was going on.

*****

Lindsey didn’t quite know what she expected when she picked up the phone, but it wasn’t a very annoyed Christen Press on the other side.

Well, maybe she expected it a little bit (she knew you would go to the quad after the argument. You always went to the quad), but she never imagined the words that would come out of your team mom’s mouth.

“Whoa, slow down. She said she’s where?” Lindsey said, sitting up off of Emily’s shoulder where she had been leaning.

“Spain, she said she landed in Spain,” Emily could barely make out Christen’s worried voice through the phone over Lindsey’s low growl.

“There’s no way!” The more dominant alpha barked, baring her teeth just slightly.

Maybe she had said some things she shouldn’t have, but you wouldn’t just run off to another country without telling them. She pushed down her hurt and settled for frustration instead.

Emily scooched away from Lindsey slightly, rubbing her ear. “Babe, if you’re going to be this loud at 3 am, at least turn on speakerphone.” She felt odd, her bond unusually unbalanced. She could feel the torrent of emotions running through Lindsey, but your side of the bond was silent. It had never been silent before.

The two of you had known each other since you were in diapers, and your bond reflected that. She should have felt something. While you weren’t always outwardly expressive, you felt everything deeply, and vividly. You were the fire to Lindsey’s flood, and for your usual smoldering flame of emotions to just be snuffed out felt wrong.

The two alphas shared a look before Lindsey gave in and gave a short nod, pressing the little button. Emily had just as much a right to know what was happening as she did, but she still didn’t like being ordered around.

“You’re on speaker Chris,” Lindsey grumbled. She wrapped an arm around Emily and pulled her closer.

“What did you two idiots do to our baby bear?” Christen’s voice came out in a growl, the sound low and dangerous.

Lindsey stiffened, her alpha bristling more than it normally would at the tone. “We didn’t do anything.”

Emily nuzzled into her neck, trying to help her settle the mix of anger, pain and shock flowing through their bond. Just because she couldn’t feel you, didn’t mean that you couldn’t feel them.

You were not some innocent party here. Lindsey hadn’t meant all the things she said, but then you had said some pretty hurtful things too.

Tobin’s voice through the phone was low and clear, holding an air of dominance she rarely let out. “Watch who you’re growling at.”

Lindsey gulped. She was never very good at controlling her emotions, especially when things went wrong. It was easier to respond with anger than to admit she was vulnerable sometimes. But she really didn’t want to have a fight with Tobin, not when they both knew she would lose.

“And don’t give us that bullshit!” Both alphas winced at Kelley’s tone. The Omega had the parental tone of disapproval down to an art. She could have been one of their parents, scolding their irresponsibility for mating you before any of you were older than 21 (Emily’s mom had been angry enough to make up for your parents’ lack of care). Emily was sure her mother had used the exact same tone.

“We had a fight,” Emily sighed, leaning deeper into Lindsey. It was more than a fight. It was an explosion of stubborn communication that had ended in you walking out.

“A stupid fight. We’ll call her and have it all patched up by tomorrow,” Lindsey added, pinching the bridge of her nose. Why were omegas so frustrating?

“She left the fucking country. I don’t think getting her back is going to be so easy,” Alex said, and both women could practically hear her eye roll.

All six of them knew how stubborn you were, and getting you to listen was going to be far from a cakewalk.

Lindsey huffed. “Camp is in like 2 days. If worst comes to worst, we’ll just talk to her there.” If you wouldn’t answer their phone calls, then they would just corner you at camp. You weren’t good at maintaining the silent treatment when they were both in front of you. And Lindsey still wasn’t convinced this wasn't more than an overblown tantrum.

“She put a block in our bond Linds,” Christen said sternly, trying to break through the more dominant alphas shell.

Sure the three of you had had arguments before, but whatever this was, it was fundamentally different.

Lindsey frowned. You would never do that to Christen. The two of you were too close for that. At least that’s what she thought.

“We’ll get to the bottom of it. We promise,” Emily said softly, already pulling out her phone. Now hopefully she would be able to get you to answer on the other side.

“Good luck, you’re going to need it,” Tobin grumbled, hanging up.

If those two idiots didn’t fix it, she was going to let Kelley unleash her wrath on them.

Emily bit her lip as she pressed your contact picture (a photo of the two of you with bright 4-year-old smiles covered in brownie batter). It rang 4 times before going to voicemail.

Emily could imagine you staring at the screen, debating on whether or not you should answer. It hurt a little that you had declined instead.

She swallowed down her tears, glancing sideways at her still frozen mate.

“Hey babe, um I know we’re not really talking right now, but um. Christen called and we’re worried. Please call me or Linds back,” she worried her bottom lip, wondering if she should add more, but the time ran out before she could.

“Damn it,” she huffed, tossing her phone onto the nightstand. She hadn’t told you she loved you.

Lindsey smiled sadly at her, rubbing her back soothingly, and pulling out her own phone.

Her thumb hovered over a photo of the two of you cuddled up in one of your famous nests. She smiled wistfully down at it. How had this gotten out of hand so quickly?

She pressed the button, holding the phone up to her ear. It didn’t even ring before it went to the robotic voicemail. What happened to the one that had you giggling because they wouldn’t stop kissing your neck?

She didn’t have time to think it through before the beep sounded. She cleared her throat.

“Hey, um I heard you were in Spain. What’s that about? Call me back,” she too tossed her phone down.

“I can’t feel her,” Emily mumbled after a few minutes. Lindsey sighed.

She closed her eyes tightly with a sigh and began to feel for your presence in the bond. If you weren’t going to answer them, then she was going to make sure you knew how unhappy with this situation she was.

Her eyebrows furrowed when she was met with a wall of unsteady calm. It was like it was pulsing like your inner omega was pacing behind it trying to get through. She focused on the wall you had created and gave it a little push.

She smirked when it bent a little bit to her will. “I think I got it,”

She pushed back harder, the wall you creating molding around her alpha as she tried to reach your omega. She was almost there, she could almost touch your omega. One last push was all she needed.

But just as she went to give it, a blast of calm shoved her backward.

Her eyes blinked open at the ping of her phone and she scrambled to pick up the device.

It was two words. No caps, no punctuation. A simple “fuck off” that they could practically hear reverberating in their heads.

“What do we do now?” Emily asked softly.

Lindsy’s smirk widened.

“We call her until she answers us again.”

#uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #uswnt x reader #soran x reader #soran imagine #Chapter 1 #Love you or lose you

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odd-birds-and-booksellers · 3 years ago

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True love survives arguments. Sometimes it even survives break-ups, so you have to live, and then you have to fight for him. Just hold on and fight. In which Jo calls Alex and he actually picks up.

“Alex, I need you to call me or so help me, I will fly to where you are and…”

Jo snaps, she'd been practicing her speech over and over in her head all day, she’d not even considered what she’d do if he actually answered. Which much to her surprise he had…it had taken her moment to even notice she wasn’t listening to the familiar sound of his voicemail but instead the sound of his steady breaths.

“You answered?” She mutters almost in disbelief as she pushes herself up off the couch, pacing around the loft. All she’d wanted all week was for him to answer and now he has the silence is deafening.

“I know you said you were going through something and that you needed time and I wanna give it to you I do, but I spent a lot of the last year pushing you away…”

“Jo…” she pauses as the sound of his voice comes over the line. She has to cover her mouth to stop herself from crying out, three weeks he’d been gone, three weeks of sitting by the phone, three weeks of not hearing his voice. Three weeks of conjuring up the worst possible scenario.

She takes a shaky breath, leaning against the cold window. She needs to get the rest of her speech out before she loses her nerve before she breaks down and begs him to come home. “I know it wasn’t my fault but I did, I pushed you away, but you held onto me then. You did, you held on and you refused to let me go or give up on me. You held on to me. So I’m holding on to you, I’m holding on for dear life.”

It’s quiet for a moment. So quiet she thinks he might have hung up but a quick glance down at her phone screen shows they’re still connected.

“It’s not that easy Jo.” He sounds tired, defeated maybe…either way, it turns her stomach.

“I love you.” She whispers, gripping the phone tighter in her hand. Her eyes watering as she hears his low sigh, like that was the last thing he wanted to hear. “Alex, I love you and whatever this is, whatever you’re going through I wanna go through it with you.”

They fall silent once more. Jo grips to her phone like she’s gripping onto him.

“I love you too.” Jo closes her eyes savoring his words. It should fill her with relief but she knows the but is coming. She thinks back through all her fears, all the scenarios that she’s conjured up these past few weeks. He loves her…he still loves her, so can it really ever be that bad?

“You do?”

“Always.” He confirms.

“Then talk to me, just talk to me. I’m right here.” There’s desperation in her voice as she pleads with him. “For better or worse….”

“What?”

“For better or worse.” They’ve promised it to each other more times than she can count at this point. On a ferry boat in June in front of all their friends. They whispered it against each other's bare skin late into the night. They’ve muttered it in passing on a busy workday when the world felt like it was caving in. He’d promised her it outside the facility the day she was released and he’d promised it to her again just over a month ago in the courthouse.

“Did you mean that?” Jo asks, she’s clutching the phone so tight now she’s sure it will break. She’s holding on for dear life. “If this is the worst, Alex I can handle it.” She lets out a shaky breath, as she tries to calm herself breathing in for a count of three. “I can handle it...I can handle whatever it is but I need you to tell me what's going on.”

Then nothing.

Silence.

Just their quiet breaths filtering through the line.

Jo can taste her salty tears as they slip down onto her lips then…

“I’m with Izzie.”

He’s so quiet she almost doesn’t hear him. Her mind takes a moment to grasp what Alex had just said.

Izzie

“I called her for Mers hearing and we got to talking…”

“She wasn’t on the list.” It’s the first thing she thinks of, all her worst-case scenarios coming true at once.

“What?”

Her legs feel like jelly, shaking too much to support her weight as she drops to the ground, leaning back against the couch, “She wasn’t on the list.”

“I didn’t put her on there.” He says it like it’s simple. Like it’s an obvious explanation for any of this. He sounds more confident now, his voice clear and concise like he’d practiced it. Maybe he had. Maybe it’s why he’d avoided answering her for so long, he just hadn’t figured out the right words to say.

“She had my kids Jo.” She couldn’t breathe. There wasn’t enough air in the room. “She had twins Eli and Alexis and they're here in Kansas.”

“You have kids?”

“I have kids. Twins. They’re five years old...say something, Jo, please.” He urges after a minute's silence.

She can’t though. She’s clawing at her chest desperately trying to remember all the stupid breathing techniques she’d learned. Trying to get to her happy place, her happy place that had him written all over it.

“I’m so sorry Jo.”

“Do you love her?” She manages through ragged breaths. She’s already on fire, might as well throw on the accelerator.

He hesitates. She hears his breath hitch like he can’t find the right words and then a quiet yes. Yes, he does love her.

“But not like that. Not like I love you.”

The words that had felt healing only moments ago hurt now, causing her heart to tear further into two, now they sound more like pity than hope.

“What does that mean?”

She hears a slight sniffle before he’s clearing his throat. “That I love you...but I can’t come home, I can’t leave them. Can you come here?” He sighs but Jo's mind is still whirling, her body still shaking. She can’t quite comprehend anything that he’s saying.

It’s like all she can see is a huge blinking sign that reads.

He’s with Izzie. He loves her. He has kids.

“You have kids.”

“Jo…”

“You have a family?”

“Daddy?” Jo can feel the gasp falling from her lips before she has a chance to stop it. He’s there now, he’s there with them while she’s sitting alone.

“You’re there now? You’re with them?”

She hears the phone muffle. Obviously, he’s covered the speaker but she can still hear him as he asks his children to go play, that he’d come and join them in a minute. He’s a dad. Something he’d wanted for such a long time. Something only weeks ago she’d been considering bringing up for them.

He understood her. It’s one of the reasons she loved him so much. Since Bailey’s wedding, they’d just had this uncanny ability to understand the other. Even if they didn’t agree with each other. They were cut from the same cloth.

Right now though that feels worlds away. Right now they feel like two pieces of different puzzles. She’s here and he’s there and he’s a parent and she’s not.

His voice breaks through the overwhelming thoughts clouding her brain. “Can you come here, Jo?”

“I can’t.”

It's a low whisper before she does the one thing she could never imagine herself doing before she pressed his contact tonight, she hangs up.

She lets him go to voicemail twice before the phone falls silent. She thinks he knows better than to press the issue, especially when all he’s done is ignore her calls for weeks. She needs time. Time to figure out what this all means.

It’s easier said than done. She manages to drag herself to work, detaching herself from everyone she knows, pushing through by focusing on her patients. He doesn’t call again. Weeks go by in silence. Jo falls into the same routine of working until she might drop, only dragging herself home when she’s so tired she's sure her brain won’t be able to torment her.

It’s only when she’s ransacking her wardrobe having neglected the growing laundry pile for too long that she finds them. Tucked into the back behind an old shoebox. Three tiny baby hats.

She clutched them carefully in her hands, trailing her finger along the detailing. They’re made with such love and care for babies she used to be able to picture so clearly. She doesn’t wanna give up that dream or Alex for that matter she's just not sure how to hold onto him.

For the first time in weeks, she finds herself staring down at her phone, her finger itching to hit call. She doesn’t though. She’s not sure what she’d say about this mess, still feeling too big to wade through alone.

The second time she’s overwhelmed with the need to call Alex comes only days later. She’s just finished discussing surgery options with a new patient when she spots him. He recognizes her immediately, his face lighting up.

“Dr. Wilson…it’s so nice to see you again.”

It’s Charlie Peterson. The heart transplant kid from years ago. He’s older now obviously, he looks healthy and it gives Jo a warm feeling to know she was a little part of that. She so rarely gets to see her patients again.

“Charlie…it’s good to see you. Or I hope it is…are you here for treatment?”

“Just a check-in with Dr. Pierce.” Jo nods offering a soft smile before turning her attention down to her phone. She has to run, she has surgery in a little bit. Sensing their conversation is almost over she watches as Charlie sways back on his feet almost nervously. “Dr. Wilson…there’s something…there’s something I wanted to say. Wanted to thank you for really. It’s something you said to me when I got my transplant.” Jo doesn’t say anything, she can vaguely remember talking to him. She knows it was the day she’d propose to Alex. “You said I had to promise to survive, that true love survived fights and breakups. You said you have to live, and then you have to fight and it always stuck with me you know. So just thankyou.”

Jos' speechless. She’d remember it now, her and Alex arguing. He was so sure she was leaving him that he’d spent the night away from home. Her heart had felt heavy as she returned home that night to an empty loft, it felt cold without him much like it did now. She’d hated it so much she’d refused to let that be her permanent reality. She’d fought for him back then. She got down on her knees and told him she wanted him forever. Where had that gone? Where was her gumption? That need to fight for him?

She wishes Charlie well before excusing herself for surgery but her mind is miles away. It might as well be in Kansas because that’s where her heart is. It's where she should be too.

She’s not sure what happens next. She’s not sure how Izzie and the twins fit or how she fits with them. But she knows how she fits with Alex. She knows that nothing has ever felt that scary when he’s been standing there beside her and if she can just get to him she’s sure they can work this all out.

She scans her phone buying the plane ticket out to Kansas without a second glance. Reading the confirmation email she feels at peace for the first time since Alex had walked out that door. The kinda peace that only came from knowing where your heart truly lied. Tomorrow she’d get to see Alex and no matter how bad or how scary everything else around them was, he’d be there to hold her hand. All she had to do was hope he still wanted to.

Tomorrow she'd be with Alex. Her first love. Her last, her only. He was all of it. He was her everything.

It’s late when she arrives back at the loft, so late she doesn't even notice how the lights are already on as she climbs the steps. It’s only when she spots a familiar pair of boots lined up by the door that she realizes the change. The air seems warmer. Looking up abruptly she spots him standing across the room, leaning against the kitchen island like he’d been waiting for her.

“You came home?” She mutters in disbelief, her keys clattering to the ground as she takes him in. He’d let his beard grow, which makes sense considering she’d been crying at the sight of his razor for weeks. He looks tired though, with deep bags under his eyes.

He nods, taking quick strides until he’s standing before her. She could reach out and touch him if she wanted. She watches his own hands twitch with the same urge. Like he too wanted to confirm she was real and standing in front of him. “I came home.”

Suddenly Jo bursts out laughing. Her hand reaching up to cover her mouth as she tries to keep her giggles at bay. Alex's eyebrows drop in confusion as he eyes her carefully. “I booked a flight.” She admits through uneven breaths.

“What?”

“I booked a flight for tomorrow morning. I was gonna come find you.” She laughs again, finding it overwhelmingly amusing that on the day she’d decided to go find him, he’d come home.

Alex frowns but nods as if he has an understanding of what she’s laughing about. “Jo look…”

“Do you still want me?” She asks abruptly. It’s the only question she has. She can deal with the twins and Izzie and Kansas, she can deal with it all as long as he still wants her.

“What kind of question is that?” Alex settles his hands on her waist, the heat of his palms seeping through her. “Of course I want you. I always want you.”

“Then we’ll figure it out.”

And they do figure it out. They head back to Kansas together the next morning, Alex’s hand clutched tightly in her own. Jo’s nervous and scared and a whole other host of emotions but those feelings soon fade when they step out of the rented car. Alex’s face lights up as two five-year-olds come barreling down the front steps, skidding to a halt in front of her. Their eyes are wide and hesitant as they say a reluctant hello. Jo is struck with the love that flows through her as soon as she sees them, no they’re not her’s but they are his. Little pieces of the man she loves so dearly. She can see parts of him so clearly, he’s in Eli’s lopsided grin and Alexis’s eyes. They’re a part of him; it's impossible not to love them.

She lets Alexis guide her up into the house, accepting a cup of coffee from Izzie who seems genuinely pleased that she's there and they sit for the rest of the afternoon playing tea party. Jo mainly spends the day watching Alex who seems more himself then she’s ever seen him before as he chases the two around.

Later that evening Izzie finds her on the porch swing. Jo feels her stomach turning at what she’s about to say, but she is surprised when Izzie apologizes. She apologizes for keeping the twins a secret, for not calling Alex sooner, and then she apologises the way she’s sure she’s uprooted Jo's life. The funny thing is it doesn't feel uprooted at all. It’s only day one but nothing has been as bad as Jo had made it out to be in her head. The day had flown by in an unexpected bliss, Alex had been the husband she knew, constantly touching base making sure she was okay, a reassuring hand squeeze or a mouthed I love you across the dining table. He needn’t bother though, she was more than okay.

“Do you think she can hear me?” Alexis shouts, making Jo startle out of her daydream. They’d been in Kansas almost a year now. It’s not a picnic by any means but it’s definitely worth it. They’re a family, a real proper family. It’s not just her and Alex and their friends anymore and Jo loves it, every messy second of it. She’d cried when the twins had shown up at their house the day after Mother’s Day with a card that read ‘Not all stepmothers are wicked’ and a bunch of flowers that Izzie had let them pick from her garden. Her life is so far from what she’d imagined it to be after she’d called Alex a year ago. Back then she could never see herself leaving Grey Sloan Memorial or even Seattle but they had and it was better than whatever life they ever had planned.

“What about now?” Alexis yells again, pressing her chin into Jo’s stomach as she looks up at Jo expectantly.

Jo just laughs, their poor baby would probably be deaf by the time she was born. “She can definitely hear you and by the time she joins us she’ll know the sound of your voice.” She runs a hand through Alexis' hair softly as the girl settles her ear against Jo's stomach.

“Can she hear me?” Eli yells suddenly, crashing down on top of his sister as they fight for a place on Jo's stomach. “I want her to hear me.” He cries, making Jo and Alex chuckle as he places his ear against her bump expecting his new sister to talk back.

“Everyone can hear you, ya little monster,” Alex growls, lifting the boy up off the picnic blanket they’d laid out, making him squeal in delight as he tips him upside down, one hand tickling his side.

“Ooo she definitely heard you,” Jo winces, feeling a sharp kick to the ribs. “Here guys come to feel her.” She takes Alexis's outstretched hand moving it about as she traces her daughter's kicks across her stomach until she seems to settle in one spot. She watches Lexs face light up in pure delight, her mouth falling open in wonder.

“Can you feel her Lex?” Alex grins taking the seat beside Jo, placing his warm hand against her bump just slightly to the side of Alexis’s.

“Yeah…yeah, I can feel her,” She nods excitedly.

“Hey, I wanna feel her too…” Eli pouts, crossing his arms over his chest as that famous Karev scowl crosses his face.

Jo shakes her head, reaching her arm around Alex and holding it out towards him. “Come over here then bud,”

They all fall silent for a moment, a very rare moment for the Karevs. The happiness seems to radiate out between them all as they feel the little movements of their newest edition.

The warm sunny day sends a golden filter over the image before her. Alex’s lopsided grin, his hand stretched out across her belly, two smaller hands pressed either side. Eli’s tucked under her arm while Alexis lays across her lap. She knows this perfect moment won't last so she takes extra care to commit it to memory while it happens.

As predicted the moment is broken, the sound of the ice cream truck drawing the children’s attention as they go racing across the grass in a flash and they both know Alex has about ten seconds before he has to go catch up to them. He takes the time to press a chaste kiss to her lips before he goes. Soft and sweet and way too short for her liking.

“Thanks for holding on to me.” He whispers against her lips when he pulls back, shooting her a wink before he’s off and running in the direction of the twins.

“Always.”

She calls back, laughing when he almost trips over as he turns back to grin at her. Jo runs her hand across her bump lovingly, thinking back to how only a year ago she was ready to give up this dream of a life completely. She’s glad she didn't.

#alex karev #jolex #jo wilson #jo karev #greys anatomy #greys abc #justin chambers #greysanatony #greys #camilla luddington #Jolex oneshot #Jolex fanfic #Jolex fanfiction #tsjolexweek

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oboevallis · 4 years ago

Text

lost

sorry this is so long, i don’t know if it really makes sense but i was talking with him grandmother and she told me this story about how we went to the beach with the family and we went walking and it was late and high tide and we got absolutely completely lost and she didn’t speak great english and had no phone and we were just walking trying to find the hotel which all look the same while everyone was looking for us and that kinda inspired this story (lol sorry i feel like i do a lot of stories based on events that have happened to me so idk if that’s boring or not ill stop talking now tho)

Amelia quietly slipped out of bed once she realized her son was awake and babbling to himself, and she knew if she didn’t quickly attend to him, he’d start wailing causing the rest of the house to wake up. As much as she savored her sleep she enjoyed the early morning feeds, no one else was up, allowing her to be solely focused on her son. She quietly slipped out the back door to get settled on the lawn chair, and was startled when she saw Maureen, almost forgetting the two had come to visit.

“Good morning.” Maureen smiled, nursing her thermos of coffee.

“Morning.” Amelia reciprocated settling in the chair next to her.

“Hope you don’t mind I came back here. Eric is in a work call and I tend to distract him, and I just found myself out here.”

“No not at all.” The neurosurgeon responded truthfully as she guided her son to her breast, which he eagerly latched onto. “Thanks again for taking the kids for the day, it was much appreciated.”

“Of course. We had a great time with them.” The older woman smiled kindly, putting Amelia at ease. She tried so hard to make a good impression on her boyfriends parents and now felt at ease knowing they thought she was good enough for their son. “I don’t know how you and Link do it, especially in a pandemic. I mean you can’t take em to the park, museum, or anything.”

“Me either.” The woman absentmindedly chuckled, she was just taking it a day at a time. The women turned around once hearing the door open to reveal the oldest child.

“Auntie Amelia, I have a proposition for you.” Zola smiled as she walked further into the backyard still in her pajamas.

“A proposition huh?” The woman chuckled, it always impressed her when her niece would use a vocabulary word out of reach for a girl her age in the proper manner.

“Yep, I think we should not do school today, stay in our pjs, build a fort in the living room, and have a movie marathon.” The girl announced jumping on the balls of her feet, as much as Amelia wanted to oblige she knew she couldn’t.

“We can this weekend, but I’m sorry we can’t just not do school.”

“Ugh, but mom would let us.” This caused Amelia to laugh.

“We both know your mom would not in any capacity let you miss school if you weren’t sick.”

“It was worth a shot.” Zola shrugged.

“It was, but I’ll let you pick what we have for dinner tonight.”

“Pizza?”

“You’ve got it.”

“Do you think Link will still help me with my report.”

“I’m sure he’d love to, just let him sleep a bit more and once he wakes up ask him.” Zola nodded and ran back into the house, Amelia sighed in relief there wasn’t a tantrum.

“You’re good with kids, especially remediating a situation.” Maureen commented, admiring the younger woman more.

“I try.” Amelia chuckles, Maureen has only seen the kids well behaved and not in their tantrum state.

“So, I hate to be blunt, but my son doesn’t tell me a thing, are the two of you planning on getting married?”

“Oh, umm.” Amelia blushed awkwardly shifting her son. “Not at the moment, we’re going to wait until things calm down a bit.”

“As long as it’s in the cards.”

“I think it will be.” The neurosurgeon smiled, thinking about Links plans to get married in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

________________________________________

Bailey had an hour break before his next Zoom started up, so Link took the opportunity to take him out on their daily walk and get his energy out around the block while he tried to lull his son. This time though his father tagged along, he still had a lot of resentment towards his parents but was trying his best to be civil.

“That kid almost has as much energy as you did before..” Eric trailed off, but Link knew what he meant. Before his cancer tore his family apart, and made him a shell of the kid he was,but he was determined to only talk about the good things.

“Yeah he keeps Amelia and I on our toes.” Link quickly said, so no talk of his cancer came up.

“I know your upset with your mother and I, but we just want to help. And rebuild our family.” The ortho surgeon did his best to not roll his eyes at the statement, he couldn’t understand why they couldn’t have worked it out in the first place, why they decided to track along across multiple states during a global pandemic, and why they had to keep freaking his girlfriend out with the concept of marriage.

“I really don’t have the energy to talk about this right now, why don’t we just change the subject.” Before Eric could agree his sons phone started to ring. “Crap this is the hospital, I’ve gotta go in. Bailey! We gotta get home” He called up ahead to the boy who was scootering.

“It’s alright I’ll keep walking with them.”

“You sure?” The man asked wearily.

“Of course you know me I love a good walk.” He took the baby out of his sons arms and Link wrapped the baby snug across the older mans chest.

“Thanks dad!” He smiled as he jogged back to the house to grab his car and head to the hospital, while Eric caught up along side of Bailey as he turned another corner.

________________________________________

After Amelia finished helping Ellis with her math homework she realized it had been well over an hour since the boys had gone for their walk it typically lasted 40 minutes and the house was wearily quiet. She made her way downstairs to be met with Maureen folding the pile of laundry.

“Oh I’m sorry, you don’t have to do that.”

“Please, I don’t mind.”

“Do you know where the boys are?” Amelia asked feeling her anxiety start to rise as there was no indication of them being home.

“I assume they’re still walking, they haven’t walked in yet.” The neurosurgeon pulled out her phone and tapped on her boyfriends contact to be met with a scrub nurse who informed her, he was in fact scrubbing in on an emergency surgery.

“Link is at work.” Amelia informed Maureen rather confused, Link always told her before he left the house, but assumed he was so excited by the notion of a surgery and left the boys with his father.

“I’ll try Eric.” Once the older woman dialed the number they heard ringing coming from the coffee table where he left his phone. “I’m always telling him he needs to carry his phone around, he’s terrible with remembering it.” The woman huffed obviously starting to get a little startled.

“Okay.” Amelia took a deep breath. “I’m going to go look for them, would you mind staying with the girls?”

“Not at all.”

“Thanks.” Amelia quickly made her way towards the door and grabbed her keys from the hook, noting her boyfriend failed to bring the diaper bag as it was next to the door. Nonetheless she got into her car and tried the best to calm herself down, though all she could think about were worst case scenarios.

______________________________________

“Do you have any idea where we are?” Eric asked Bailey as he walked beside him, the boy had gotten tired and now just tracked the scooter along side them.

“No we usually don’t go this far.” Baileys fearless persona faltering, he assumed by this point he was late for class and was going to be in big trouble with his aunt and teacher.

“Everything kinda looks the same huh?”

“Yeah.” Bailey nodded nervously biting his nail, a habit he’d recently picked up from his aunt.

“Hey bud, it’s going to be fine we’ll find our way home.” Internally he was cursing himself for not bringing his phone along with him. After some more walking they found themselves on a street with convenience stores, Merediths house wasn’t far from the heart of Seattle but they were definitely far from where they were supposed to be. He was tempted to walk into a store and ask someone for directions but he didn’t have a mask and had two small children so that wasn’t an option. “Alright, let’s go back to that last street and make a left, maybe that right was a bad idea.”

“We’ll never get home.” Bailey said hopelessly.

“We will don’t worry about it.” And if things couldn’t get any worse the baby had started to fuss which in no time would turn into fill on crying.

Amelia slowly drove through the neighborhood looking for the three, not knowing she was on the opposite part of the neighborhood from them. Meanwhile after aimlessly walking and multiple turns Bailey started to recognize where they were and lead the way home.

“Where the hell have you been?” Maureen immediately asked as they walked through the door taking the now crying baby from her fiancé. “You need to have your phone on you!”

“Just strolling.” Eric responded nonchalantly.

“No we were lost. Really lost.” Bailey corrected as he ran into the kitchen to find something to eat since he missed lunch. Maureen followed taking out a bottle for Scout and calling her daughter in law informing her they were home, she heard a large sigh of relief through the other line.

Amelia happened to pull into the driveway the same time as Link, she wiped her stray tears as she had gotten herself into such a state and slammed her car door.

“Hey, where were you?” The ortho surgeon smiled brightly, he had just completed a rather simple surgery but just being in the OR at any capacity was heaven.

“Where was I? I don’t know, where was I?” Amelia chuckled on disbelief. “Where the hell were you? I spent two hours driving around trying to find your father and the boys.”

“What they never came home?” Link asked in a panic.

“They just did. They were lost and struggled to find their way home so they were aimlessly walking around while I aimlessly drove around in the wrong direction.”

“Damn it, how could my dad do this?” The man ran a stressed hand through his hair.

“This isn’t your dads fault it’s yours!”

“Huh?”

“Oh don’t act stupid. First you don’t even take the diaper bag in the walk with all the essentials and a first aid kit and then you up and leave for a surgery without even texting me.” The man was about to interject but Amelia held up her hand. “And you let your father continue the walk, even though the man has been to Seattle like two times and doesn’t know his way around.”

“I thought they were just gonna go the rest of the way up the block and back, and that he’d tell you where I went. That’s what Bailey and I do everyday.”

“Have you been living with Bailey for the past four months? Or has it just been me? Bailey will just keep riding that scooter no matter what and go any which way paying no attention to his surroundings, of course Eric is just gonna follow him around since it probably seemed he knew where he was going. You know what I can’t even look at you, I don’t want to say something I’m going to regret.” Amelia walked past him and quickly made her way into the house, to be met with her sons cries and quickly took the baby from Maureen cradling him closely, the baby immediately calming.

“I am so so sorry Amelia.” Eric apologized obviously upset.

“It’s not your fault.” Amelia forcefully smiled, she wasn’t entirely mad at him mostly at her boyfriend. Link then walked through the front door to be met with his mother scolding him.

“And what the hell were you thinking? Not telling anyone you were going to the hospital, and leaving your father with two kids in a place that’s foreign to him. Is surgery really all you can think about?” For the past couple of months he’d been complaining to his mother how much he hated not being able to operate.

“She would’ve done the same thing.” Link quickly pointed to his girlfriend who was cradling their son in the couch.

“What are we five?” Amelia asked when her boyfriend accused her in such a manner. “And I would’ve had the decency to tell you I was leaving and made sure you had the kids handled before I left.” Link backtracked and took a deep breath.

“Alright how about we just take a moment, they’ve been found so it’s fine.” The tired mother rolled her eyes and walked up the stairs with her baby, not in the mood for her boyfriends best case scenario talk.

“This could have been prevented by the both of you.” Maureen pointed to the two men who’s heads hung in shame.

“You should��ve made it clear to your father it was just up the block and back, and you should’ve texted the mother of your child.” She then directed her attention towards her husband. “And you need to pay more attention and keep your phone on you.”

“Sorry.” The two men answered in unison, ashamed to have messed up so greatly.

_______________________________________

The rest of the night was foreignly quiet, Bailey was exhausted and the couple was avoiding one another. After everyone had dinner together Maureen and Eric retreated back to the RV and the kids were all tucked in their beds. Once Link walked into the bedroom after his shower he sighed realizing Amelia wasn’t there. He quietly trekked into the nursery to be met with Amelia asleep in the rocking chair and her hand inside the crib, their sons hand was loosely holding her index finger. He would’ve smiled at the sight of he didn’t know what she was doing, her plan was to sleep in here tonight to avoid having to be in the same bed as him. He carefully removed her hand and picked her up out of the chair.

“Nooo.” Amelia sleepily groaned. “I’m sleeping in here.”

“No you’re not, your going to sleep in our bed.” He softly affirmed as he laid her down on her side of the bed. Once he moved to the other side of the bed and got settled his girlfriend was now wide awake and turned to face him.

“What happened today can never ever happen again.”

“It won’t I promise.”

“You know we’re so good at communicating within our relationship but not so great outside of it.” Link chuckled nodding in agreement. “You need to tell me when you get called in, and you need to let others know what the plan is, so they’re not getting lost in Seattle woth two small children.”

“I promise.” Link grabbed her hand in a reassuring manner. “I am so so sorry for what happened today, I was just so excited to be operating and I just lost my mind and didn’t think about anything outside of that operation.”

“I know this is hard for you, your not used to kids in the capacity that I am. You didn’t grow up in a loud house and you don’t have a large quantity of nieces and nephews. Your used to dealing with the occasional peds patient for like twenty minutes. I’m not saying your bad with kids I mean the peds floor loves you, it’s just this is a lot really quickly and non stop.”

“Wow you just articulated how I feel perfectly and I haven’t been able to even form a cohesive thought of what Im feeling.”

“Hmm, maybe that’s because you just sleep so you don’t have to think about feelings.” Link chuckled, sliding over to kiss her sweetly.

“I love you.” Link affirmed. “And I’m so sorry about today.”

“Tomorrow will be better.” Amelia agreed. “And I love you even more.”

“Impossible.”

#amelia shepherd #amelink #atticus lincoln #baby amelink #greys anatomy #greysanatomy #ellis shepherd #zola shepherd #bailey shepherd #scout lincoln #marueen lincoln #eric lincoln #greys anatomy fanfic #greys fanfic #marureen lincoln

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thoughtsaboutshows · 4 years ago

Note

Can you make a continuation of the fire-drill prompt? Maybe Sabrina’s family pressuring her to marry Nick now that they’re expecting and she has an emotional breakdown?

Sure! I so totally got carried away and this is over 3k words long...hope you enjoy. I followed your prompt but didn’t at the same time. She has sort of an emotional breakdown but not in front of her family.

There’ll be another part eventually with another prompt in this universe that I was working on. But anyways here we are!

Sabrina held tightly onto Nick’s hand as it sat in her lap in the car ride the whole way to Greendale for Christmas. Nick had been celebrating the holidays with the Spellman Family for years now, lacking a family of his own, but this time it was different. This time they had news, news that would change the course of their whole lives. But in the very best way.

Sabrina had done well on all her finals that semester, passing her classes with flying colors, despite being overwhelmed with impending motherhood in nine months. Nick had managed to stay focused too, acing his graduate level classes and managing to input the grades of the ones he taught on time. The night they’d found out, Sabrina and Nick abandoned studying for the evening, ordered their favorite Italian food and celebrated with extra garlic bread and sex all over his apartment. Their love was palpable, so much so it had already created a whole new person, and the baby they’d meet in nine months would be a physical manifestation of the connection they’d had since day one.

Nick and Sabrina had been discussing the idea of her moving in with him prior to the baby news, planning for it but never setting an official date. After she had told him, it was a no brainer as to when his place would become theirs. She didn’t leave that night and never slept a night back at her place. They moved quickly to find someone to sublease from her and before they both knew it her dresser had been moved into the bedroom and her shoes were taking up more than half his closet. They didn’t see that ever changing and never wanted it to. Her heeled boots in every color were a welcomed sight because it meant she was there next to him every night, and every morning.

“What’s going on in that head of yours, Spellman.” Nick asked Sabrina as he snuck a quick peek at her. She was still holding on to his hand but her gaze had drifted out the window. Her beanie that she’d worn instead of her headband was slightly off kilter and even though he’d only caught a glance of her profile he could still tell she was deep in thought. Her furrowed brow and slight frown told him her mind was racing down a negative path. His voice, soft and sweet, pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to look at him. She pressed her lips together and furrowed her brow further as she tried to figure out how to word what was going on in her brain.

“We have to tell my family I’m pregnant, Nick.” She said in an obvious way. How could he not be thinking about it too?

“I know that, Sabrina.” He let out a desperate chuckle. “It’s not exactly something I planned on hiding.” They’d talked about this, and would tell the family as soon as possible. Ambrose usually greeted them at the Holidays with a spiked hot chocolate or Bailey’s and would pick up on something immediately when she didn’t accept.

“And my friends too.” Sabrina added. Nick nodded along, understanding what was happening. Sabrina was an external processor and needed to talk through what they were going to do, even though they’d done exactly that a million times before heading to Greendale for Christmas this year.

“Whenever you want, Spellman.” Nick encouraged her. He liked her friends, but in his mind sharing with them was a decision that belonged to Sabrina. Theo was a cool guy and Roz was sweet to him. He was always a little hesitant around Harvey, the guy was her first love and she’d mentioned the sting of their breakup when Nick had first met her, but they got along well enough. Nick chanced a small smile as he thought of their New Year’s plans. “Though I assume they’ll also suspect something when you don’t partake in the Champagne Fountain.”

“Yeah, we should tell them when we meet up at Cee’s the day after Christmas.” Sabrina grumbled. Nick sensed her nervousness and squeezed her hand before bringing it to her lips to kiss the back of it. She smiled slightly back and caught his gaze when he glanced at her again. “Are you nervous, Nick?”

“To tell your family?” He asked as she nodded. “Yes, Spellman, I’m nervous.” Sabrina blew out a breath she’d been holding, clearly put more at ease to know he’d felt similarly to her. She thought she was maybe alone in the feeling. They knew her Aunts and cousin would be happy for them, but they’d likely be shocked.

“Why are you nervous?” She asked him.

“Well, I did knock you up.” Nick started as he scratched his brow and Sabrina let out a much needed laugh. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, which reddened at the brush of her lips. She lingered for a moment, but then remembered he was driving and pulled away. “I do think they’ll be excited. But I also think there’s a slight chance your Aunt Zelda will string me out by my ankles and Hilda will bake me into a meat pie.”

Sabrina laughed again and this time Nick joined her, enjoying the light moment for what it was. He caught a glimpse of their future, the two of them giggling heading over to the Auntie’s house, except in his vision there was a babbling baby in a carseat in the back. The thought calmed his nerves a bit.

“My Aunties love you, Nick. You know that.” She reached over the middle console and brushed his hair once. “I think you’ve had them in your corner since day one. And Ambrose is one of your closest friends now.”

“Shit I forgot about, Ambrose. He’ll kill me for sure.” Nick leaned his head back on the seat for a moment, but Sabrina caught his smirk and knew he was kidding.

“Most importantly, they know you love me.” Sabrina shrugged.

“I do, Sabrina.” Nick said seriously and grabbed her hand to kiss it again, miffed he was driving so he couldn’t kiss her lips. “So much.”

“I know.” Sabrina said with a soft smile.

“Why are you nervous?” Nick asked her then, forcing his concentration back on the road.

“I guess I’m worried what they’ll expect from me. I know they won’t be mad, but I want them to believe I can do it. Be a mom.”

“You’re gonna be the best mom, Sabrina.” Nick couldn’t help but cut in. He had no doubt she was going to be amazing. As one of the most caring and gentle people he knew, and at the same time the strongest, there was no way she wouldn’t be a great mother. Sabrina too wanted nothing more than to reach over and kiss him soundly, so she settled for rubbing her thumb on the palm of his hand.

“I guess I’m worried Hilda will start planning a wedding.” Sabrina said this as she looked down, worried what his reaction would be.

“We forge our own path, Sabrina.” Nick answered her. She nodded, though not quite shaking the fear of disappointing her Aunties. She wanted to make them proud, and feared marriage would be a point of contention.

Nick and Sabrina weren’t married and he hadn’t proposed yet, knowing that a post-pregnancy proposal was not the reason Sabrina would want him to do it. Waking up the morning after the positive test, naked and each other’s arms, they’d had the marriage conversation and came to the same conclusion. Despite the fact that he’d wanted to marry her since she walked out in the cold in her slinky pajamas and into his blanket-clad arms all those years ago and she learned early on she didn’t want him to let go, they wanted to focus on being parents first. They were confident that they didn’t need a piece of paper to show the world how committed they were to each other. They’d marry someday but it didn’t have to be today. Nick wasn’t going anywhere and neither was Sabrina. They were in it for the long-haul and a baby didn’t change that nor did it force either into staying. Staying was always something that would be.

“I know.” Sabrina nodded and took a big breath. “You do know that I want to marry you right?” Sabrina asked him and bit her bottom lip, hoping he knew how much she loved him. Nick thanked the heavens in that moment that they’d gotten off the highway and he’d spotted a small store he could pull into. Her face stirred in confusion as he pulled over and parked. “Nick, what are you-”

“I love you, Sabrina.” He turned his body completely towards her. “And it is because I love you so much that I can feel how much you love me. The way your heart beats? Mine beats the same.” Sabrina’s eyes filled with tears that threatened to fall. Damn those pregnancy hormones. And damn her boyfriend’s way with words. “I have absolutely zero doubts that you will be my wife. I also have zero doubt that we have to do that now in order for that to happen.” He grabbed her head, grazing her hair with his fingers and wiping tears with his thumb. “I love you. It’s as simple as that.”

She leaned in and kissed him soundly, feeling tears of his own fall and grazing her cheek. She pulled him closer and wrapped her hand in his hair, using her lips against his to confirm that she wanted the same things. That she loved him so fucking much it was insane. And the way he responded only solidified the smooth words he had spoken before she’d kissed him. She was still nervous to tell her family but the nerves were fanned down slightly by the man, the partner, she’d have for life.

“I love you, Nick.” She whispered against his lips when she finally broke away. “We should probably get going though.”

“Ugh you’re right.” He groaned over-dramatically and pecked her lips one more time before putting the car back in drive and getting back on the road. They weren’t far now.

“I’m always right.” Sabrina teased, enjoying the way both of their moods had lifted. He raised one brow and smirked, pulling one of his favorite memories to the forefront of his mind.

“Oh yeah? Remember when you thought I was naked under a blanket so you wouldn’t let me share with you? Those PJ’s you wore were not winter appropriate.”

“You got me in your arms eventually.” She smirked back. “And you seemed to like those pajamas when you took them off later.”

“Which is precisely why I liked them.” He quipped and she snorted, grabbing onto his hand again. He kissed her hand for a third time before speaking. “We got this, Spellman.”

“Yeah, we got this.” She squeezed his hand back and took a deep breath, ready to tell her family.

Sabrina managed to avoid the alcoholic drinks Ambrose had offered essentially the second they’d walked in the door. She blamed it on feeling nauseous, craving Hilda’s homemade tea blend instead. It wasn’t a complete lie, having had morning sickness more often than not most days.

Hilda had greeted them in the doorway, with hugs and kisses on cheeks for both Nick and Sabrina, and Ambrose helped them bring their things up to Sabrina’s old room. The Aunties had never attempted to make Nick stay in a different room even when he’d come home with her the first time, and soon when they shared their news they never would.

“So why did you gather us in the parlor for pre-dinner drinks, Sabrina?” Zelda asked as she puffed her cigarette. She was sipping a martini as Sabrina grabbed for a teacup, holding it delicately in her hands and playing with the rim. Zelda’s eyes kept darting to her hand, looking for an engagement ring. She and Hilda suspected that maybe Nicholas had proposed, but he hadn’t asked their permission. And he was the type of gentleman that would, so she figured that wasn’t what this was about.

“Yes, cousin. Do tell.” Ambrose teased her as he drank tea too, but held his pinky up in mockery. He’d done the same thing as kids when she’d forced him to have a tea party with her.

“Well.” Sabrina started as she looked sideways at Nick and bit her lip. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder in support and raised his eyebrows, silently asking if she wanted him to take it from there. Sabrina shook her head and took a deep breath, turning to look at Hilda. She figured that Aunt would be the best to make eye contact while breaking the news. “Nick and I…”

“Are you breaking up?” Ambrose asked. “Because forcing your ex to come to Christmas dinner is quite rude.”

“Shut up, Ambrose. We are not breaking up.” Nick continued to hold her tight, and rubbed circles on her shoulder, biting back a laugh at Ambrose’s teasing but trying to stay on Sabrina’s side. “Nick and I are expecting.”

“Expecting what, love?” Hilda asked innocently but Ambrose’s eyes had already gone wide. Sabrina kept her eyes off of him, knowing he had understood.

“A baby, Auntie. I’m pregnant.” Sabrina finished strong, nodding and smiling before grabbing Nick’s free hand in show of their unity.

“Pregnant.” Zelda said once, just to make sure she’d heard correctly. Hilda’s mouth dropped open and she pressed her hand to it. Her face was a mix of shock and disbelief. “You’re with child?”

“Yes, she is.” Nick finally spoke and his eyes darted between the family of his most favorite person, trying to gauge their reactions.

“How did this happen?” Hilda wanted to know. Her voice had increased a few octaves but Sabrina recognized the hint of happy tears in the corners of her eyes.

“Well, Auntie, when a man and a woman love each other very much-” Ambrose began, his tone all teasing and face smiling, absolutely not taking the conversation seriously.

“Hush, Ambrose.” Zelda cut him off firmly. Her mouth was in a thin line and her expression was unreadable.

“Well, what do you think?” Sabrina asked slightly unsure. She glanced at Hilda who was dabbing her eyes and who couldn’t help it anymore. She got up from her seat and launched herself at the couple, surrounding both of them in her arms.

“I think it’s lovely, doves.” She said and Sabrina buried her face in her Aunt’s neck. “Just wonderful.”

“Thanks, Auntie.” Sabrina wiped at a few tears of her own. Ambrose shook his head and came over to the pair too and laughed.

“Good luck with a little Sabrina, mate. You’ll need it.” Sabrina smacked her cousin in the chest before he kissed her head and shook Nick’s hand.

“Aunt Zee?” Sabrina asked the elder Aunt now. She tapped out her cigarette and placed her hands in her lap.

“We’ll prepare a room here to turn it into a nursery.” She began and Sabrina’s face twisted in confusion. Why would they make a nursery at the mortuary? She turned to Nick who looked just as perplexed. HIs grip moved to her waist, and he pulled her closer to him. “And you’ll marry of course. Nicholas you can move in as well. We can redecorate her bedroom, it’s quite stuck in a teen time-warp right now.”

“Aunt Zee, what are you talking about?” Sabrina treaded carefully, squeezing Nick’s hand before getting up and moving to sit on the couch by her Aunt. She was worried about the marriage conversation and had narrowly missed it. But apparently fate had other plans.

“Uh-oh, let’s go.” Hilda pulled Ambrose out of the room, but indicated for Nick to stay when he tried to get up too.

“I’m talking about next steps with this baby. Marriage and moving here.”

“Auntie, we’re not doing either of those things.” She stole a glance at Nick who nodded in agreement. “At least not right now.”

“Well fine if you won’t get married then you have to move home. You can finish your classes online and when the baby is born, you’ll have support when you need to work.” Zelda would hardly look Sabrina in the eyes, like she couldn’t really believe what she was saying either but her brain was working too fast to control it.

“I have support. I have Nick.” But when Zelda scoffed, Sabrina's eyes narrowed and she grew frustrated.

“Aunt Zee, I’m not moving away from Nick. Not when it’s his baby I’m carrying. Plus I don’t want to. Right now, our life is in Boston.” Sabrina’s voice was firm too, but her emotions were starting to get the better of her. All she wanted was her Aunt to be happy for her, and it seemed what she was nervous about was coming true. “I’ve already moved in with Nick and he and I have talked about marriage. We will get married eventually but right now we are going to focus on our baby.”

“What are you going to do with a baby in Boston?”

“I was a baby in Boston.” Sabrina pointed out, stubbornness on full display.

“Exactly. And we hardly saw you that first year of life.” Zelda was emotional now too and Sabrina was starting to see that this might not actually be about her pregnancy. “My brother disappeared to that city and then I lost him.”

“Aunt Zee.” Sabrina said softly and then grabbed her hand. She was grateful when her Aunt squeezed tightly. “You’re not going to lose me. And it isn’t forever.” Sabrina eyed Nick again who offered her a smile of support. “We’ve talked about moving to Greendale when we’re both done with school, throwing a wedding in the gardens here. We want what you want, just in our own time.” Zelda turned to Sabrina then and both women had tears in their eyes. Zelda reached for her niece’s cheek and caressed it. “I just want you to be proud of me.”

“Oh, Sabrina.” Zelda started and then leaned in to kiss her forehead, just like she had nearly every day since they got her. “I am so proud of you.”

“You were the best mom, Aunt Zee. I just want to be good like you. If I’m half the mother you were-” Sabrina trailed off, unable to put into words how much her Aunt meant to her. Nick smiled on, happy that the conversation was turning for the better.

“You will be fantastic. You already are.” Zelda wiped her nieces cheeks and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry I was being forceful, I just want what’s best for you.”

“I know that, Aunt Zee. I love you.”

“And I see that you do have what’s best for you.” Zelda said, turning to Nick and giving him a respectful smile. “I couldn’t have hoped for a better partner for my niece.”

“She’s safe with me.” Nick said simply with a nod, holding back his own tears.

The two women made to get up, laughing and wiping each other’s tears again and hugging, Zelda finally offering up her congratulations. Sabrina pulled Nick into a tight hug too, before tugging at him towards the kitchen.

“I’ll be right there, babe. I just wanna chat with your Aunt for a second.” Sabrina raised her eyebrows but Zelda shrugged in agreement. Sabrina excused herself with a quick peck to Nick’s lips before heading out to freshen up and wipe underneath her eyes.

“What is it you’d like to say, Mr. Scratch?” Zelda asked, getting right to the point.

“I just wanted to thank you, for raising Sabrina the way you did.” Zelda’s eyebrows raised this time. She’d always liked Nicholas, respected him, and was excited to consider him officially family. “I can’t imagine how hard it is for you to feel like your little girl is growing up.”

“I imagine you’ll figure it out soon, with a child of your own along the way.” Zelda pointed out and Nick chuckled.

“I know us getting pregnant before marriage or even graduating college is not what any of us planned. But excuse my language, fuck plans.” Zelda laughed and it boosted Nick’s confidence. “Sabrina is the love of my life. I never even considered leaving her side once she finally allowed me a permanent place at it. She certainly doesn’t need anyone’s protection, but nevertheless she has mine.” Zelda smiled at Nicholas’ words. She knew now there was no one else she’d feel as happy having her niece be with. The man clearly understood her, loved her like no one else. “I guess what I’m saying is thank you for the mother you were to her. I look forward to us being family someday.”

“Oh, Nicholas.” Zelda placed a hand on his arm. “You’re already family. You were long before this baby was conceived, we both know that.” Zelda surprised them both, pulling him in for a hug and holding him tighter than even Hilda had. “Thank you. For loving her.”

“Always.” He answered simply and the both nodded, wiping away more tears and pulling themselves together before heading for the kitchen.

“Can we celebrate now?” Ambrose asked in an annoyed tone. He was holding a few bottles of champagne and looked like an excited puppy. “Hilda said I had to wait to pop these. And it’s not like Sabrina can drink it anyways.”

Sabrina elbowed him in the side, nearly making him drop them. She walked over to Nick then, a satisfied smile on her face when she noticed that both Nick and Zelda looked happy. Their conversation had obviously gone well. She leaned back into him, wrapping his arms around her front as he kissed her hair and cheeks.

“Yes, we certainly need to celebrate.” Zelda confirmed and handed out glasses as Ambrose poured, Hilda grabbing apple juice from the fridge for Sabrina. “To family. New and old” She held her glass high, winking at Nick and Sabrina.

“To family.” They all repeated in unison. Happiness fluttered in Sabrina’s chest as she leaned tighter against the man behind her who was holding her tight.

She’d never been more grateful for a fire alarm than she was in that moment.

#nabrina #otp prompts #nabrina ask #fire drill nabrina #Nicholas Scratch #sabrina spellman

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storiesbyjes2g · 4 years ago

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Genetics & Story Summary

Genetics

Even though we all know Melany looks nothing like Kameron, she doesn’t look exactly like Brytani either. Like, most of the time, I don’t feel like I’m looking at a younger Brytani. But they look so much alike I can’t tell what the differences are. Last night I decided to find out how they are different. I found Brytani in another save and aged her down. I aged Kameron down and took off his beard and skin details so we can really see him. I also took away Mel’s details even though they don’t change her much. I made a picture with them all side-by-side to compare.

How about I never really realized Melany had a dimpled chin! And, how cool is it to learn Kameron gave it to her! (I feel like she should write a song about him called Dimpled Chin lol) I’m guessing her cheeks come from him because Noemi also has high, cute chubby cheeks as well. Mel’s face seems to be a little longer than Brytani’s, also compliments of Kameron, but I knew that one already. There is something about their eyes though. I can’t really tell what it is, but they are not the same. Are Brytani’s wider or something?

As far as skin tone goes, Mel is right in the middle, a shade darker than Brytani and a shade lighter than Kameron. I still think it’s funny how EA measures what is light and dark, but we won’t get into that in this post...or maybe ever lol.

Story Summary

This may get long, so I’ll put it under the cut.

Recently I welcomed my new followers and told you about my story. I appreciate everyone who has hopped on for the ride! 😘 So many of you have joined in on this silly little legacy drama, and I don’t want anyone to be lost. I’m going to catch you up so you know who everyone is and what’s going on because I don’t expect you to go back to the beginning, although it doesn’t take very long. I did that a few months ago. It was fun!

Ok! So you’ve met Melany and her parents. Kameron started this whole thing as my guy to save Strangerville. Afterward, I figured I would continue playing with him and give him a much deserved good life. He had the world famous celebrity aspiration, so he started hanging out in DSV and rubbing shoulders with celebrities. That’s how he met Brytani Cho and thus creating our dear, sweet Melany. But, Brytani is not about that relationship life, and things fizzled after he attempted to propose to her.

It didn’t take long for her to leave. Bye Felicia.

Kameron and Melany left Strangerville for a new life in Oasis Springs. He joined the intelligence branch of the military and moved up the ranks. It was tough being a single dad, but he made it work.

Brytani was hyper-focused on her career and made very little time for Melany, and Kameron held that against her. Needless to say, their relationship was never the same, and co-parenting was no walk in the park. Melany, however, attempted to make the best of her mother’s visits, though she wished she visited more often.

Eventually Kameron moved on completely and began dating. He had a few flings and a few dates, but when he met Nadia, he was like a moth to flame.

They messed around a lot, and it didn’t take long for him to ask her to be his girlfriend. They dated for a while before he asked her to move in. He needed to see how things would work with her and Melany. It delighted Kameron to see how well they took to each other. I mean, Melany was an exceptional kid. Who wouldn’t love her? Nadia did and took her role in Kameron and Melany’s lives very seriously once she understood the family dynamics.

Nadia’s pregnancy and the engagement happened around the same time. They had a son named Nathaniel Courtney Pierson, whom they call Nate. Life was very busy with a new baby, new house, and new city (Willow Creek). Once life settled down a little, they were married in Sulani.

It should be noted that Melany began playing the violin at a young age. Kameron took her to El Selvadorada once, and it rained almost the whole time. She was going through a loud phase and picked up the violin; she loved it. She completed all 5 child aspirations which gave her a boost at learning adult skills. By the time she was a teenager, she had maxed the violin skill and had written her first song! She also started a SimTube channel. Between her two celebrity parents and the videos, she was a 4 star celebrity by her teen birthday.

Teen life for Melany was pretty average—aside from the celebrity madness. She had a group of friends she loved. She was on top of her studies and made A’s. She didn’t give her parents any trouble.The only complaint she has was with her mother. Brytani retired and came around more often, but still not often enough. By this time, Melany’s little sister, Noemi Amiah Pierson, was born, and she saw what she missed by not having two parents in the same house. Nadia was an excellent step-mother. Melany didn’t want for anything, and she loved and appreciated her. But she had a mother. Why couldn’t Brytani be like Nadia? Was something wrong with her? Did Brytani love her at all? She was secretly jealous of her young siblings, and those feelings ate away at her. She became withdrawn, cried a lot and made angry videos, but it didn’t help. Brytani was still a deadbeat mom. Melany expressed her frustrations once, but Brytani couldn’t make her feel better. She wasn’t the motherly type and thought Melany would be fine with Nadia not realizing the girl just needed her mom.

Things got slightly better in their relationship, but this would always be a thing between them. Even now, long after Brytani’s death, Melany still feels conflicted about their relationship.

The Piersons moved to Sulani. Melany aged up and went to Britechester University to study Fine Arts. She stayed in the dorms her first semester and had two roommates. That’s how she met her current best friend, Dr. Anissa Thurston. She studied biology and felt a connection with Melany immediately. Being a popular celebrity, Anissa knew everyone would be all over her and act weird. She just saw a fellow freshman nervous about being in a new place and hoping everything would be ok and made it her business to befriend Melany. Little did she know their shared Bailey Kay fandom would create a near indestructible bond.

Like any overprotective father, Kameron struggled with Melany going to college. He wanted her to stay at home for the first semester. And, as one could imagine, he was not ready for boys. Luckily, he made a friend in an elderly gentleman named Myron Churchill. He never had an older friend who could advise him from experience—a father figure. Mr. Churchill’s friendship became precious to him and helped a great deal.

Melany met Nick Wilkinson at a party. She felt uncomfortable about the outfit her friend made her wear on top of everyone looking at and whispering about her being a celebrity and all. Nick approached her and started a conversation. He made her feel better and was terribly cute. All they did was talk, but he definitely left an impression on her.

Brytani died, and Melany withdrew from school for the rest of the year. Nick called to see how she was and to express his condolences, and that’s how their friendship began. He was a huge movie buff and studying drama at Foxbury Institute to become an actor. He also was a huge nerd and avid gamer. Melany is also a gamer as Kameron was a gamer geek and raised her on video games and sci-fi. They were “friends” for a long time before he asked her out. After dancing around each other for so long, it didn’t take long for them to begin an official relationship.

They graduated, and Melany goes back home to Sulani to figure out the rest of her life. At this point she had written and licensed 7 songs and had a few small performances. She loved performing but wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a full blown artist like her idol, Bailey Kay. Also, up until this point she had only been a musician. Few know this, but Melany is also a singer. She keeps it private, but the girl is talented. Despite this talent, she never considered being a singer or writing lyrics to her songs. But sometimes she hears words in her head. They repeat themselves and won’t go away, so she began writing them down. After having this experience a few times, she felt her music life changing and needed professional advice and reached out to Bailey Kay (after much coaxing from friends and family) who gave her some wise words.

Eventually, Melany decided to live in Brytani’s mansion in Willow Creek which she inherited. The thought of living there used to give her pause, but she wanted to be closer to Nick and her friends because traveling from Sulani to San Myshuno and Del Sol Valley was getting to be too much. Besides, she was a grown woman now and needed to get on with her life. Also, she felt like she caused the problems Kameron and Nadia had briefly in their marriage. She invited Anissa to live there as her roommate because she didn’t want to live alone and wasn’t ready to have Nick move in yet. But, soon after, he approached her about the idea and she agreed it was an excellent idea.

That’s pretty much where we are now. Melany and Nick are living their best lives together. Nick is a dynamic actor and getting more popular by the day. Anissa finally got a job as a doctor and is looking forward to dating since getting over the breakup...that Melany caused. Yikes. We’ll hear from her about that soon, so I won’t steal her thunder, but I will say it almost ruined their friendship!

I hope this was helpful for the newcomers and nostalgic for the OGs. If you have questions along the way, just ask!

#The Piersons #catch up

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sassysweetstories · 5 years ago

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isolated

Request: " Hey! I have a teen wolf request where reader is part of the pack and has been best friends with Scott and Stiles since childhood. But lately she's been isolating herself from the group. Even at pack meetings she doesn't talk much and is almost always on edge. She's struggling with suicidal thoughts, too, but doesn't tell anyone bc she doesn't wanna bother them & doesn't think anyone really cares that much. ++ ++Somehow the pack figures out what's going on and they all remind her how important she's to them and there's too much fluff. Also, if you could slip in some Isaac x reader into all this that would be amazing. Sorry this is so long. And if you're not comfortable writing this, it's fine. Love your writing! :)”

Ship: Isaac x Fem!reader

Warnings: fluff, minor kissing, suicidal thoughts, mentions of depression, angst, self-deprivation, etc. *WARNING READ AT YOUR OWN ACCORD*

Tagged: @bailey-hoover @kiralivelove @thalia-prior-of-ravenclaw@anamcg317@bellasett @queentiffanyyy @archer-whovian-violinist @beingmadinwonderland @princessisabelle19@violence-and-velvet@lachicadelamanzana @teenwolfbitches2

Notes: none of these gifs are mine, credit to the owners.

Third P.O.V

Strange how something as bright as the sun cannot alter the attitude of a person. The beaming warm energy seemed to be sucked up by the clouds, its darkness far more superior. How accurate.. (Y/n) pondered to herself as she lazily pulled her limp body out from under the sheets. There was little to nothing motivating her to go to school. She could lay there all day if she wanted to. With a faint sigh, she knew that the three people she cared about the most wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

(Y/n) would never get use to the stir of the high school. The zoo like energy left her exhausted and she had only just entered. Scott and Stiles came bumbling in seconds later with the energy of two excited puppies and she couldn’t help but smile softly to herself. Scott handed her one of his many apples while Stiles’ Cheetos covered fingers dove back into his backpack to look for more snacks. Nothing says a healthy breakfast like Cheetos, apples and pop-tarts. (Y/n) had the tendency to ‘forget’ to eat breakfast and the boys would always bring enough food to share between the three of them.

Once they dropped her off to class, the boys sprinted across the school to get to their own course lectures. Almost immediately, the loneliness settles in, drowning her out. Her first class comes around and she wants nothing more than to leave. Lydia doesn’t acknowledge her presence as (Y/n) takes the farthest seat in the back, too preoccupied by her lipstick and mirror to look at anyone else in the room. Not even her teacher sends a warm smile her way as she normally would. “Look at that. Nobody cares about you.” A dark, menacing voice chuckles inside her head. She does her best to ignore it but (Y/n) can feel it growing, bubbling up inside until she explodes.

Go talk to Allison. Allison is nice! She’s always been good to you. She attempts to balance out the bad with a little good. But when Allison runs into Lydia and some other girls, she’s taken away, not daring to put up a fight when (Y/n) calls for her. “Useless. Nobody cares about you. See, she didn’t even bother to acknowledge you.” Her heart falls to the pit of her stomach as she pulls her books closer to her chest, feeling small and worthless as the dark thoughts continue to plague her mind. Curling her fingers around the binding, the young girl finds comfort in the feeling, calming her momentarily.

Isaac notices the interaction, about to join her by her locker when Coach called him for rounds. Cursing under his breath, he ran over to the group. He had noticed how (Y/n) had been smiling less each day. How her laugh wouldn’t echo throughout the hallway or the lack of energy each room had without her presence in it. To him, she was the sole reason behind a lot of things. And without it, the world seem to turn grey and cold. Isaac hoped he could slip out early to catch her and make her smile, just once. That’s all it took to make him swoon for her.

But (Y/n) went home and tossed her work to the side. When she wasn’t in an environment that demanded anything from her, she refused to put any effort in. School or not, her motivation to do much of anything declined rapidly. The weekend went by excruciatingly slow and as each day came, the pack began to notice the behavioral shift in her. Two meetings in a row, not a word left her plump lips. Not like it would matter anyway.. She thought lowly to herself. (Y/n) felt useless in the presence of others, especially around the people who she believed to be her friends.

What was the point of doing this each day? (Y/n) pondered as she stared off out the window. I don’t bring anything to the pack meetings. They don’t seem to care about me or what I do? My parents are disappointed in my grades and lack of energy.. My friends don’t talk to me anymore. What’s the point? Why am I putting so much effort in for nothing in return. Nobody cares about me.. Whether I’m alive or dead.. She sighs to herself. A small tear slipping out from underneath her mask, falling gently on the paper.

“Miss (Y/L/N)..” A gentle voice asks.

She looked up to see Mrs. Abernathy, the English teacher waddling over to sit in the chair in front of (Y/n). Though Mrs. Abernathy had wrinkles around her eyes and cheeks she was an absolutely stunning woman. Her eyes crinkled at the corner when she smiled. This is a woman who’s had a long life and wears her age with pride. And spoke to the kids as she would her own grandchildren.

“Miss (Y/L/N), class is finished. It has been for about five minutes, dear.” Her voice is soft and warm.

Sniffling, she began to pack her bag. “I’m sorry, ma’am.. I didn’t realize.. I’ll get going-”

But before she could stand up, Mrs. Abernathy took her by the wrists and looked deep into her eyes before saying, “Hun, if you ever need anything, please let me know, okay? Things can get really hard in life but there is always someone there willing to listen. I’ll see you for class tomorrow. Now go get some food while you can.”

(Y/n) was taken back by such a intimate conversation. She had always been close with her English professors. They always seemed to understand what she was trying to depict in her writing and did exceptional in the course. But this was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. It was just the right thing she needed to hear. The faintest bit of reassurance managed to push her through the grueling day. Suddenly her phone buzzes and she can’t help but groan.

From Batman: Pack meeting tonight- Scott’s place @ 7 p.m

Later that evening, she dressed in the same sweatpants and sweatshirt she’d worn to bed for the past three nights, oddly still clean. (Y/n) didn’t plan on staying that long, not like they’d notice if she left early anyways. But when she opened the door, something felt different. Stiles rounded the corner, took her hand and dragged her into the living room. For the first time in weeks, everyone was looking directly at (Y/n) instead of through her. Isaac and Scott sat on either side, smiling reassuringly as Isaac laced his fingers through her hand.

“W-What is happening..?” Unaccustomed to the beady eyes staring back at her.

Scott glanced at everyone in the room and then back at (Y/n).

“This is an intervention of some sort.”

Confused, she tilted her head before looking back at Isaac and Stiles for clarity.

“What the doofus is trying to say is-” Stiles begins but Isaac cuts him off.

“That we know about how you feel..” He pauses momentarily, looking for the right words before continuing. “See, as werewolves, we can sense each others emotions and I’ve noticed how your aura emulates a sense of sadness, depression and anxiety.. I should have noticed it sooner.. But this meeting pretty much is-”

Scott interrupts, “Basically, we want you to know how much we love, appreciate and care about you. Without you, we would be dead meat and you save our asses constantly. You’re the glue of the pack and we’ve all been shitty friends to you-”

Stiles jumps in, “Actually I’ve been great, I can’t say the same for the rest of them but he has a point. (Y/n), you are my best friend and it breaks my heart to see you sad. You are so fun and gentle and kind and you always know how to make people feel better-”

This time Lydia of all people jumps in, “That’s true. I’ve been a shitty friend and I should have spoken to you more. I have no excuse for lack of communication but what Stiles is saying is true. You are so bright and amazing and always seem to make me laugh, especially when I’m trying to be serious. That in of itself is a feat.”

Isaac squeezes (Y/n)’s hand, smiling down at her. “You literally light up a room, ya know that? When you smile, you outshine every star in the sky. Your laugh is contagious and you are so empathetic. No matter what someone’s done, you always seem to see the best in people even when we can’t. We’d be completely lost without you, (Y/n).”

Tears fall down her face before she can even process what’s happening. Scott places his hand her back while Isaac pulls her into a warm embrace.

“T-Thank you..” Her voice cracks.

“Tonight is about you!” Allison smiles, taking (Y/n)’s hands in hers. “Stiles ordered your favorite and we are watching all of the Star Wars movies. We also have popcorn, snacks and blankets. We love and appreciate you so much, (Y/n).”

The young girl looked at all the people who stood around her. And for the first time in weeks, a genuine smile crept up onto her cheeks. That evening, with their bellies full, she put her head on Isaac’s shoulder while Stiles and Scott sat in front of her on the floor, throwing popcorn at each other. Never in her life did she feel so much love and happiness in one room. Curling up closer to Isaac, (Y/n) knew her smile wouldn’t leave her that night. And that’s just the way she liked it.

(I hope you guys liked it! PLEASE COMMENT)

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jazy3 · 5 years ago

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Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 16X13

I watched the new episode of Grey’s Anatomy over the weekend. I hated the opening, but I liked the rest of the episode. This episode made me laugh a lot too and I’m glad they’ve brought the humour back to Grey’s! After last week’s standalone episode were back to our regularly scheduled program! Meredith and DeLuca are making out in bed together. Yuck. A phone goes off. It’s DeLuca’s. His incurable patient Suzanne is being moved to the CCU. Suzanne still isn’t getting any better. DeLuca says he hopes Dr. Riley can help. Meredith asks who that is. DeLuca says she’s the doctor from San Francisco that he’s bringing in to help with the case. He thought he told her.

Mer points out that they didn’t do a lot of talking last night. I’m trying to understand her actions here. DeLuca breaks up with her over his own insecurities, then refuses to talk to her about it, and then barks at her about his case and so she sleeps with him? I get that she’s lonely but come on! He treats her like crap, they have nothing in common, and he told Maggie he meant what he said. This is why I hate them together. They make no sense and yet they keep breaking up and getting back together. DeLuca tells Mer that Dr. Riley is a diagnostic genius and that he used Mer’s name to lure her to here. Again, he broke up with her because he couldn’t handle that she was better than him but now that his patient is dying, he’s fine with it? WTF?

As usual DeLuca is only interested in Mer for what she can give him. He wants to be with her not be a part of her family. Her superiority is a problem until he can use it to his advantage. What a leech! That being said I do know people who slept with or temporarily got back together with an ex because they missed them or didn’t want to be alone or because it was easy so I do kinda get that from Mer’s perspective. It’s still dumb though. Mer thinks DeLuca’s move was resourceful luckily for him. He follows that up with, “Look at some point we should probably talk about us.”

NOW he wants to talk? He couldn’t give Mer the time of day last we saw him. What an ass. That’s one of the things I hate most about them. When DeLuca wanted to talk Mer wasn’t interested then when Mer wanted to talk DeLuca wasn’t interested. They’re never on the same page. It’s exhausting to watch. Just move on already. Mer says they will talk about where they stand but he should go save Suzanne’s life first. They kiss and he leaves. Thank god. We get a sweet Ben and Bailey moment and then Bailey goes into work and Ben goes off to sleep all day! LOL!

Owen comes to talk to Richard at Pac North. Richard tells him that the hospital has been purchased by the Fox Foundation. Owen thinks he’s joking. He’s very much not. Richard tells him about his and Catherine’s fight and that now everyone has to report to Grey Sloan and interview with Tom Koracick to keep their jobs. Seriously? What is her problem? Owen asks if Alex knows. Richard says he’s still in Iowa dealing with family issues. He said he called to tell him Pac North was closing and in response Alex texted him a laugh until you cry emoji with a party hat! LOL! That is so Alex! Then Maggie walks in excited for her first day! Oh jeez! They have to break the news.

Meanwhile over at Grey Sloan it’s Schmitt’s first day back. He’s nervous. Nico’s unhappy that Schmitt is still crashing at his place. He wants Schmitt to move out and get his own place because they’re not at the cohabiting stage yet. To be fair Nico’s got a point. Levi’s never lived on his own and that’s an important step in adulthood that everyone needs to take. I’m with Nico on this one. Next we see Hayes and his boys coming down the main staircase. He introduces them to Meredith. They’re bored and disinterested as teenage boys usually are.We learn some very important information about Hayes in this scene in that he and Mer have something else in common. They’re both white parents raising black children as both of Hayes boys are black.

I find this really interesting as it adds a level of complexity and commonality to Hayes’ story and to his and Mer’s relationship. And look at that smile! Look at how her face lights up when she talks to him! Swoon! It also tells us more about Hayes’ family because this means that either his kids are adopted like Zola was or he was married to a black woman. Being a part of a biracial family comes with its own unique challenges and seeing the characters explore that I think could be really interesting. It could also be good for Zola in that she would gain older siblings of the same race that could help her through stuff that her white family members can’t. Derek always said that he wanted her to have black people in her life that could help her.

I love the idea of them all becoming a family. Derek always said that if something happened to him he didn’t want Mer to be alone which is why he encouraged her to connect with her sisters and have kids and wanted Maggie to be there for Zola. Hayes fits the bill perfectly in that he’s exactly the kind of man Meredith needs in her life and that Derek would have wanted for her and I love that! Plus, he’s got Cristina’s stamp of approval! Hayes tells Mer that his boys used to love getting a tour of whatever new hospital he was working at. Now they just want to know where the cafeteria is. LOL! Mer asks why they’re not at school. Hayes tells her it’s parent teacher conference day. Hayes tells the boys to put back whatever they’re messing with and carries on.

After he leaves Amelia walks up to Mer and says she saw DeLuca leave the house this morning. She asks if they’re back together. Mer says she doesn’t know and asks why she’s so interested. While I’m sad that we didn’t get to see more of Meredith and Hayes this episode and that Mer and DeLuca slept together I do like that they’re building Mer and Hayes’ friendship organically. One of my big pet peeves is that following her relationships with Derek and Finn every relationship Mer had was something they threw her into. There was no build up and they always pursued her. I like that they’re building her relationship with Hayes slowly over time. They’re becoming friends. We’re seeing all that they have in common and he’s not pursuing her like a cheetah chasing a gazelle on the savannah.

Amelia tells Mer that she’s anxious and so she’s deflecting and looking for examples of love enduring hardships. Mer laughs and says she wouldn’t go that far yet concerning her and DeLuca but the sex is great. She asks if that counts. Amelia says it doesn’t hurt. I like that Amelia and Mer are friends now. It’s so much more interesting than watching them fight. And again we’re back where we started with Mer and DeLuca. She’s having fun and enjoys sleeping with him. He’s head over heels for her and wants a serious relationship with none of the strings. The strings being her family, friends, and kids. Sigh. Amelia runs into Jo. We find out that Amelia is getting the paternity test results back today and that she’s been avoiding Link ever since he asked for the test. Jo is upset about how Amelia’s been treating Link and makes this speech about how couples need to have all of the available information because if they do they can work things out and rise. Amelia asks Jo if she herself is going through something. Jo says Alex hasn’t been returning her calls. That he said that he’s going through something and needs time.

WTF? Seriously? Are they really going to break up Jo and Alex because the actor has moved on? That’s so dumb! Why not just kill him off then? God this is stupid. Jo says she’s deflecting because she’s anxious. Her and Amelia have that in common. I like that they’re becoming friends. Next we see Jackson asking Tom for more information. Bailey asks what’s going on. He tells her the Foundation is absorbing Pac North and its employees. Bailey didn’t know. Seriously how could Catherine not tell her? She’s the Chief of Surgery! I get that Tom is everyone’s boss now but still.

Following that Bailey walks into a patient room to find three very smelly residents. Helm and Simms are still recovering, and Brody is there helping them do research Suzanne’s case. Bailey is not amused, “Oh god lord people just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you can’t shower!” Simms replies that, “Dr. DeLuca said we could only eat and sleep.” Okay seriously? That’s abusive and also foolish. They’re still recovering! What does Mer see in this asshole? As funny as that line from Bailey was the fact that DeLuca forbade the sick residents he’s in charge of from showering until they figure out what’s wrong with Suzanne is super messed up! No one knows what’s wrong with Suzanne at this point and a bunch of smelly, tired, and sick residents are not going to be able to solve it.

We cut to a patient room to see Suzanne’s sister telling her about how her daughter kissed someone named Taylor at school. We then find out that her sister’s been digging up dirt on DeLuca and Grey Sloan. She’s not happy. She’s seen the hospital hell article. Yikes! That’s when Dr. Riley walks in! She sets up her tablet and DeLuca is confused. Then she starts signing. The tablet is to connect her to her interpreter so she can communicate with them. She says she’s here for a consult with Dr. Grey who as you recall has no idea who this woman is because DeLuca didn’t tell her!

I love that they’re showing the different ways Deaf people working within the health care system can communicate. The Deaf community doesn’t get as much authentic representation as it should! Very cool! Dr. Riley introduces herself and DeLuca explains why she’s there. Suzanne warms to her immediately. Riley has no time for DeLuca’s nonsense and I love that! She asks him to tell Dr. Grey that she’s here already. She clearly thinks this is Mer’s case and it’s not which is going to cause a problem sooner or later. Also, there’s a big difference between using someone’s name to entice someone and saying they’re going to be working with them which is apparently what DeLuca did. Idiot.

I loved Suzanne’s sisters comment, “Wow. The competency is just slapping me in the face right now.” She is having none of DeLuca’s crap right now and I love it! Tom comes to interview everyone. Owen tells him that since Alex took a personal leave he’s been filling in as interim chief. To which Tom replies, “Cool story bro.” Oh Tom. He’s like an elephant. He never forgets and he never forgives. Tom tells Richard what he thinks is good news. That his job is safe. Richard doesn’t see it that way. Tom tells him that Catherine wants him at Grey Sloan enough to buy a craptastic hospital and pretend it’s an investment. Richard’s a hard no on that one. He says, “I thought I could do this because I miss Grey Sloan. Because I miss Bailey and Meredith and Bokhee and OR 2. God how I miss OR 2! But if Catherine thinks she can just move me where she wants like she’s playing chess?”

Richard refuses to be Catherine’s pawn. Tom tries to talk him down and does a terrible job of it! “You tell Dr. Fox she can go to hell!” Checkmate bitch! You go Richard Webber! Meanwhile in the ER Levi treats an old married couple. They’re in town to attend the Seattle Ballroom Dance Championships. They won 5 Championships back in their day! It turns out the wife has cancer and it’s terminal so they’re out living their best life. They’re very sweet and it’s very sad. Maggie is interviewing to get her job back. Tom’s on his phone. LOL! He hires her back but as an attending working under Teddy because she ghosted them.

Bailey comes to see a patient of hers who’s a foster kid that Ben brought in. He wants to know where his siblings are. Bailey has to tell them that they were taken by child services because legally she has a duty to report. He’s understandably distraught. Maggie examines Suzanne at Dr. Riley’s request. She needs another procedure. Her sister is pissed. Dr. Riley explains their approach and Suzanne agrees to the procedure. Out in the hall Dr. Riley asks DeLuca where Dr. Grey is. He says she’s in surgery. Maggie walks up and says she’s not in surgery she right there and points to her. She leaves to book an OR.

Okay it’s one thing to lie to get someone to consult on your case which is bad enough but it’s quite another to lie and say someone is in surgery in front of their sister whose your ex when they’re actually standing two metres away. What the hell? DeLuca’s defining characteristic at this point in the series is that he’s an asshole. He does whatever he wants to get what he wants and he doesn’t care about the consequences. I wish they’d just write him off already! Dr. Riley walks over to Mer. She introduces herself and says it’s good to finally meet her. Mer thinks she’s her consult from UCLA. DeLuca tries to correct her and says she’s from UCSF. She asks if Suzanne is her patient and Mer tells her she’s consulted but that’s it.

Mer says she’s at a loss and that she’s heard great things about her. She says it was great to meet her, but she has to go because she’s being paged. She leaves and Dr. Riley is livid. She calls DeLuca out on the fact that he lied to her. DeLuca says he prefers the word lured. What an ass! Dr. Riley’s had enough. She’s leaving. DeLuca really has no redeeming qualities at this point. DeLuca stops her and says that if she leaves now the case will drive her crazy because it will keep her up at night because it’s too rare, they’re too lost, and she’s too good to just walk away. He’s projecting here. That’s how HE feels not her. God he’s such an ass.

Meanwhile Tom is making Owen wait till the very end to be interviewed because Owen was an ass to him and Tom’s petty like that. Amelia and Link talk in the green room. She says she’s getting the results back tonight. She wants to know what’s going to happen with them when they get the results back. Link says he doesn’t know. She asks him if he can try to know. She says he told her he loves her and asks if that’s true and if he wants to be with her and be in her baby’s life. He says that her and Owen have a complicated history and he feels that will shape her future if Owen’s the father. Links says he loves her, but he needs to know. Amelia says okay and leaves. I’m struggling to understand Link’s behaviour here. If he loves her it shouldn’t matter who the biological father is.

Jackson runs into Maggie and they talk about Koracick as well as Catherine and Richard’s break up. They banter and laugh. I’m glad they’re not fighting anymore. I always liked them better as friends. I hope they get back to that. Meanwhile Hayes catches up to Meredith in the hallway. The way she smiles when he calls out to her makes my heart melt! Hayes asks Mer if she’s seen his boys by any chance. She says no and asks if they’re hiding or maybe just wandering? He says they’re trying to torture him by making sure they’re late for the parent teacher conference. The way she smiles while talking to Hayes about his boys and her kids gives me butterflies! She looks radiant! THAT is what true chemistry looks like!

Hayes says that sometimes he thinks he hates them. He says he doesn’t know how Mer does it. The kids, the job, staying sane. Mer’s response is “Who says I’m sane?” She says that the city shut off her water once because she forgot to pay the bill and she didn’t even notice. Her daughter had to tell her. Oh Mer! Never change. The two of them laugh about the joys of parenting and having to juggle it all. Just then Levi calls Mer to look at some scans. Hayes says he’ll leave her to it and goes to find his boys. I love the easy rapport they’re building between the two of them and I love the way she smiles when he’s around.

Levi brings Mer in to talk to the old couple. The wife’s cancer has spread to the rest of her body. If they tried to operate it’s unlikely she’d recover. This is it. Levi is moved to tears as are we. Maggie goes to operate on Suzanne. Dr. Knox welcomes her back and Suzanne is concerned. She tells Maggie that the Taylor her daughter kissed is a girl. She needs her cool supportive Mom not her uptight Aunt. And her other daughter was already an orphan once and she won’t recover if Suzanne dies so she really needs Maggie to save her. Maggie reassures her. They’ve got her. Suzanne’s speech made me tear up. She really loves her kids. The husband of the dying woman Levi’s been treating comes to talk to him. He says Levi reminds him of his grandson and asks him if he can help a sad old man with a very big favour. Levi says he’ll do anything. My heart!

Maggie and DeLuca operate on Suzanne. Is this guy who can barely do his job seriously trying to backseat drive the head of cardio? For real? Who the hell does he think he is? As Maggie says Suzanne isn’t here for her feelings she’s here for her hands and her expertise and that is her focus and it should be his too. That is what separates a great surgeon from a hack. Maggie gets that, but DeLuca never will it seems. Following the surgery Maggie and DeLuca come to see Dr. Riley. She decided to stay after all. Dr. Riley says that when Suzanne wakes up they need to withdraw all treatment. Dr. Riley believes the medication is masking the cause of Suzanne’s illness and they need it to present itself so they can treat her properly. DeLuca is concerned because if they do what she’s asking Suzanne could go into septic shock and die within a short period of time. Maggie thinks Dr. Riley’s suggestion is reckless and cavalier. But it’s not her case or place to decide. She leaves and tells DeLuca to follow up.

DeLuca still disagrees but as Dr. Riley points out he asked for her recommendation and this is it. Levi comes in and asks to borrow the other residents. DeLuca tells him to go in his typical dismissive fashion. Owen is still waiting to find out if he has a job. Amelia comes to talk to him. Owen is enraged but as Amelia points out Tom hates him because he stole his girlfriend. He won. He got the girl, the family, the whole Megillah. Tom’s messing with him because he’s in pain and he’s lonely. Her advice is to let him have his fun. Owen asks how she does it. Feel everyone’s feelings so deeply all the time. Owen says it must be exhausting. Amelia says it is. She rests her head on his shoulder for a minute and then leaves. This scene was not as bad as I was anticipating from the thumbnail I saw. It was actually quite sweet.

Over in the cafeteria the residents have lit candles and put out flowers. They bring the dying woman out to meet her husband who’s in a tux. They reminisce about the day they met. He asks her to dance. His wife is worried because she doesn’t have a gown and looks terrible. Levi hands her a floral bell sleeved feather trimmed robe that she can put on over her hospital gown. Her husband tells her she looks exquisite. Helm puts on the song Moon River and the two of them dance in a candlelit cafeteria like they’re on the world’s best stage! My heart! More people come to watch them dance including the cafeteria staff, some of the nurses, Nico, and Meredith. We find Richard sitting outside on a bench. Jackson comes to talk to him. He says he’s already been to a meeting, he doesn’t want to come home to an empty house, and he’s not sure where he works so he’s just sitting there.

Jackson says he works here and Richard says it’s not by choice. They were building something at Pac North and Catherine took it all away with a phone call to the bank. Jackson says it’ll pass. It’s bad now but soon enough him and Catherine will be joking about it over coffee. Wow. Jackson really doesn’t get it. Shaking my head over here. I loved his line, “Son, After Godzilla’s done stomping all over Tokyo the Mayor doesn’t take Godzilla to brunch.” Sing it Richard!

Next we find Meredith in the Attending's Lounge. Bailey walks in. Mere talks about how she’s feeling. She says, “There was a time when I would have made a dance floor for the dying old lady. Andrew and I broke up the night of my trial and there was a time when that would’ve meant months of drama for me. But instead I went home and went to bed and I woke up and I was just excited to go practice medicine. I used to be a romantic. I would’ve been the one to build the dance floor in the cafeteria.” And now she’s leaving the dance floors to the residents. Bailey says she’s not lacking in passion she’s just grown up a little. I’m so glad they’re friends again! Next she asks, “What would you do if Ben dumped you?” “I’d burn him to the ground.” Sing it Bailey! They’re called exes for a reason!

That’s what Mer needs to do. Burn DeLuca to the ground, move on, and start over. I like their talk here. Mer used to be a romantic. She used to be the person who built houses of candles and did big romantic gestures. But when Derek died she stopped being that person. She deserves someone who makes her feel that way again. And no one. Not Riggs or DeLuca or Thorpe or that transplant surgeon or anyone else has made her feel that way. The way that Derek did. She deserves to feel that way again with someone who truly loves her and wants to be a part of her family. I hope she finds it. I do. I hope she finds someone that makes her want to be a romantic again. I think Hayes could be that person and I hope that we get to see it!

Because she deserves it and that’s what Derek would want for her. He wouldn’t want her to close herself off or settle for second best or some fling. He’d want her to find love again, true love, with someone deserving of her. Jackson comes in and tells them that Richard walked because he doesn’t want to work on Koracick’s terms and honestly neither does he. He asks if they’re just going to let this happen. Bailey’s all hell no! She’s not going to sit by helpless while her family gets split apart again. They’re going to do something about this. Finally!

DeLuca’s speaking with Suzanne and her sister. They’re explaining what they want to do. Her sister is pissed. She thinks they’re giving up. She pleads with Suzanne to let her transfer her to another hospital. That’s when Dr. Riley steps in. She explains that she has three sisters. She talks about each of them and then talks to Suzanne’s sister directly. She explains that she’s too sick to be moved safely and even if they could there’s no one better than her. She explains that because she’s Deaf she’s learned to listen with her whole body and that when the medications are gone the disease can start talking so she can figure out what’s wrong with her and hopefully save her life.

With that she convinces them. Suzanne consents to the withdrawal of treatment. Dr. Riley leaves the room and DeLuca follows her. He tells her that he also has a sister and starts to compliment her. That’s when Dr. Riley stops him. She’s an only child. Daaaamn. Look at her. Getting the job done. I did not see that coming. Dr. Riley you continue to surprise me. Well done! I really like the way they’ve written Dr. Riley so far. Her Deafness is one part of her but it’s not the sole focus. As it should be. She’s a real character with complexity not a stand in and that’s cool.

We cut to the boardroom. Where Tom has just been paged by Bailey, Jackson, Richard, Meredith, and Owen. Shit is about to go down. Buckle up. They tell him the hospital board of which most of them are members has come to a decision. They’re all prepared to quit. Mic drop! “I’m sensing a but.” Right you are Tom! They explain that Dr. Fox wouldn’t really like that as she wants them here at Grey Sloan and she’ll wonder why Tom didn’t do more to protect her Crown Jewel hospital. They’ve only just recovered from the hospital hell article and as Meredith says, “We could blame me for that or we could just remember that I’m a Catherine Fox Foundation award winner and a media darling and I mean you want me here.” Like a boss! And that’s why 16 seasons later we still love her. She gets stuff done like the badass she is.

As Bailey as Tom can’t afford to lose all his best doctors and his inability to see that could cause Catherine to rethink the whole Chief of Chiefs title, salary, and benefits. Tom concedes. He asks them to name their terms. Bailey says they’re a family. He doesn’t get to rule with an iron fist, not anymore. Their terms are as follows. Owen and Richard get their jobs back. Teddy and Maggie become co-chiefs and he finds the money to cover it. Alex and Hayes become co-chiefs as well or they all quit. Boom!

If Justin Chambers was still on the show this is definitely a scene he’d been in. Fighting for Grey Sloan with the rest of them no doubt. Their deal is this: he agrees to their terms and gets to take all the credit with Catherine. They get their hospital back and he gets to save face. It’s a win win. Tom agrees. It’s a triumphant moment! Tom leaves the room and we hear everyone cheering. It’s great for our heroes but not for Tom. It must be hard hearing everyone cheer at your destruction. Amelia’s right. Tom’s in pain and he’s taking it out on everyone else. Tom is such a complex and interesting character. Greg Germann brings such beautiful complexity to his portrayal.

Nico and Levi are getting it on in an on call room. But soon Levi stops. He says he doesn’t just want sex. He says he wants a dance partner. He wants what that old couple have. Nico asks if he’s reciting a poem or if he’s being literal. Levi is frustrated. Nico is confused. Next we see Link in the green room. Jeez there are a lot of plants in there! They’ve definitely added more. It’s getting a bit excessive in my opinion. I mean how many plants do you need? Amelia looks through the window at him. He doesn’t see her. She takes a shaky breath then walks away. Link gets a text. It’s from Amelia. She says she’s sorry but she didn’t run the test. She needs more time. This part really pissed me off. I get that she needs more time but Amelia should have told Link that sooner. I hate that they’re drawing this storyline out. Just get the damn test already! Ugh!

As Meredith’s voice over plays we see Jo come home to a dark empty flat. The future for her and Alex uncertain. Meredith's voice over in this episode is about time and how we're struggling to overcome the simple inescapable truth that eventually everything ends. But that for every clock that counts down another restarts and when one thing ends something new always begins. I feel like this is one of those voice overs that can be taken in a variety of ways depending on how you look at it and which ships you're rooting for. You could take it as Meredith realizing that her relationship with DeLuca has ended and that she needs to move on. Or that Amelia and Link's relationship might be ending. Or that Jo and Alex might be over. Or you could take it the opposite way. It's very open ended.

Until next time!

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kaspbrak-tozier-reddie · 5 years ago

Note

#2 #45 Reddie please

#2 “Yeah, uh, alcohol doesn’t go in hot chocolate”

#45 “You’re kind of cute when you look like Rudolph” -“the reindeer?” -“No, my dentist.Yes, the reindeer.”

Send me festive asks

Festive prompt list

———————————————————————

“It feels weird, doesn’t it?” Richie asks his boyfriend.

“Yeah, it’s quiet,” Eddie admits.

“Never thought I’d say this, but I miss Stanley.”

This Christmas it’s only going to be Richie and Eddie as the other losers were either snowed it in their cities or at the New York airport. Christmas is usually the only time they could all meet up and have a great time as a family since everyone’s parents are either dead or no longer talk (for obvious reasons). So this just leaves Eddie and Richie in their Seattle home to celebrate Christmas.

“Oh my goodness, you’re like Michael and Toby from the office,” Eddie groans and Richie cocks an eyebrow. “Michael hates Toby so when Toby comes back from long service leave or something, Michael goes apeshit.”

Richie snuggles deeper into Eddie, whose focus is still trained on the tv, as he continues to read Bill’s latest novel. His opinion on Bill’s work is still that his endings suck but that’s because Richie often longs for a happy ending and Bill’s novels are far from it. Everyone either dies or a child/parent/pet dies, leaving a disappointed reader and a depressed protagonist. He loved the stories Bill told on their monthly sleepovers, when they were kids, in fact, everyone did but these stories were different, they were darker and more graphic.

“Right I’m bored,” Eddie says after maybe the 4th Christmas Friends special. Normally Eddie would binge Friends, the Office or Brooklyn Nine-Nine but today was different. He desperately wants attention. “Richie!”

“What?” Richie mumbles still too lost in the book.

“I said that I’m bored!” Eddie whines.

“Why don’t we build gingerbread houses? We did buy two.” Eddie agrees only because he needs to fill the void of having no family (besides Richie) on Christmas.

Christmas has and possibly, always will be, Eddie’s favourite holiday. It’s cold, there’s often snow, hot chocolates, gingerbread, Christmas movies etc. He couldn’t get enough, although what he hated the most was when they were kids, Richie was the Christmas Grinch.

Richie always opts for Halloween over Christmas, the horror, dressing up, you name it. He loves it all. But when he asked Eddie to be his boyfriend 6 years ago, in junior year of college, Eddie was determined to make Richie love Christmas, or at least like it. Especially since Eddie goes all out.

There was always Micheal Bublé’s Christmas album playing in the house, Richie hated it at first but had grown to love it. He now always jams to Jingle Bells and Silent Night with Eddie, who basically jams out to every song.

Eddie pretty much bounces off the sofa and ducks into the butler’s pantry, he pulls out the gingerbread house things and puts them onto the island bench.

“Coming Richie?” Eddie asks who’s now practically jumping for joy and eagerness.

“You’re like a 5-year-old!” Richie exclaims heaving himself from the comfort of the plush grey leather sofa. He stumbles slightly as he regains balance from sitting down for so long. “How do you want to do this?”

“Competitively.” Eddie bounces on the balls of his feet, Riche laughs at Eddie’s cuteness and as he walks over to him, he can’t resist pinching Eddie’s cheeks.

“You’re too cute Eds.”

The two men gather up their chosen ingredients, sorting a shit ton of candy and chocolate in between their working spaces. Bowls clatter on the granite benchtop, butter knives are dropped into those said bowls with a mellow ding. Richie pulls out the icing sugar and butter to make the icing that will act like edible glue to hold the house together.

“Eddie Spaghetti, why don’t you make us some hot chocolate while I get the icing done?” Richie asks and Eddie immediately shoots into action. The boiling of the kettle and the whipping of the butter and icing sugar starts to echo through the open tiled space. Eddie’s throwing open cupboard doors and slamming them with his excitement and adrenaline that’s pumping through his veins.

Richie can only laugh as trying to calm down an excited Eddie is virtually impossible. There’s only so much that Richie could do to contain Eddie and that is trying to keep him occupied.

The kettle whistles and Eddie is on his way trying to remember how Richie made his famous peppermint hot chocolate. Richie grabs the bottle of Bailey’s from the alcohol cupboard and pours a bit into each. “Yeah, uh, alcohol doesn’t go in hot chocolate,” Eddie explains.

“It does today, why don’t you start on your house and I’ll finish off the hot chocolate, I don’t want you to be bouncing and pouring boiling water,” Richie says softly. Richie could see that Eddie is starting to get overly energetic, he has never seen Eddie act like this since one time when they were kids.

When they were 16 and having a sleepover at Mike’s house for Eddie’s birthday. Eddie had effectively had an entire bottle of schnapps that Ben had stolen from his mum’s collection. Eddie being already hyperactive was more clinging (especially with Richie) and wanted to play games until sunrise. It was obvious to Richie, at the time, that Eddie was 1) an affectionate drunk and 2) having a sugar rush.

But what Eddie is doing now is completely different, Eddie has had no sugar or alcohol. Richie tries to think, how many coffees has Eddie had today? The thought passes Richie and hands Eddie his hot cocoa.

“Eddie, how many cups of coffee have you had today?” Richie asks as he loads his knife with the icing sugar.

“Uh, probably like 3, why?” Eddie replies.

“No reason.”

Just as he thought, caffeine high. That’s going to crash on Eddie in about 2 hours, at least.

Eddie decides he wants red icing, not the typical white icing. 6 drops of red food dye and Eddie isn’t exactly satisfied, so he adds two more drops and it’s slightly a bit redder. Richie can’t help himself, he sticks a finger into the bowl and places a dot of red icing onto Eddie’s button nose. “You’re kind of cute when you look like Rudolph,” Richie says and nudges Eddie’s shoulder.

“The reindeer? And I’m not cute!” Eddie huffs.

“No, my dentist.Yes, the reindeer.” The two laugh and continue on their competition.

****

A couple of hours later, the two finish their gingerbread houses and post them to Richie’s Instagram. Wanting to see who won, Richie creates a poll on his story to see which house wins. He also makes an apology to his friends who couldn’t be there for Christmas and hopes to do their traditions all over again when they can finally get onto a plane.

#reddie #eddie x richie #richie x eddie #eddie kaspbrak #richie tozier #it chapter 1 #it chapter 2 #festive prompts #christmas fic

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vancilocs · 5 years ago

Note

is javi and keyes viable yet? aaand yeehaws and their respective goths?

the three musketeers and their partners

How did they they meet?

Javier spotted a guy to whore a drink out of and this guy ended up being the softest and most earnest guy who not only offered the drink without blinking and didn’t expect anything out of it, was just happy a cute guy talked to him

Max went to get a tattoo from a parlor she hadn’t been to before and really bonded with the artist

Kasia went as emotional support to a friend getting a tattoo and ditched them immediately after laying eyes on the piercer bear

Who developed romantic feelings first?

Keyes genuinely, Javier was more flattered by the attention at first

It was very mutual, though Max was already all hot and bothered by Heather when she asked her out while Heather was just testing the waters

Kasia probably, sure it was just lusting after Bailey at first but he’s a nice guy so romance came first for Kasia too maybe

Who is their biggest “shipper?”

Heather knows Javier knows what he’s doing and likes Keyes, dude seems like sunshine in a bag. Sunny is happy for Keyes, go on get it boy

Cameron practically declared himself the godfather of their first kid when Heather expressed interest in Max

Despite all the teasing, Heather can tell Bailey and Kasia are all too head over heels for each other and supports them wholeheartedly

When did they have their first kiss and under what circumstances?

One seeing the other home, Javier took initiative

Hanging out at Max’s place, Heather complimented her lipstick and Max asked if she’d like to try it out

Kasia sneaked one from Bailey by turning their head at just the right time. Flustered the poor boy

Who confessed their feelings first?

Keyes bc he has no fucking filter

Heather asked Max out on a date but Max talked about feelings first after that

Could really be either tbh

What was their first official date?

They mainly just ran into each other for a time until Keyes asked if Javier would go grab fast food at 2 am

Go to see a movie and then to dinner, then have drinks at a bar before seeing each other off

Go to an art gallery and to dinner before parting ways

How do they feel about double dates/group dates?

Down for it tbh, all three could go together

What do they do in their down time?

Javier works on his music and art, Keyes draws and does his occasional freelancer work, lay around scrolling through their phones, show memes, braid Keyes’ long-ass hair, Javier helps him with writing emails bc his dyslexia is a bitch

Hang around, do makeup for fun, do hair, cook, watch TV or movies, draw, go on walks or grab something to eat at a cafe

Draw together and on each other, mess with hair, lay on bed going through phones, paint nails, go on walks, watch TV, play with cat

What was the first meeting of parents as an official couple like?

Keyes’ mom is just as eccentric and loving and open as her son, no problem accepting the twink into the family. Javier’s mom and stepdad were somewhat surprised but not negative about this weirdo dating their son either

Went well, Heather’s mom was a little surprised by Max’s aesthetic but loves her all the same, Max’s parents are happy with Heather, seems like a good lass

After seeing Max it was easier to get over Kasia’s aesthetic, for sure different but if Bailey’s happy she’s happy. Just make sure the thing eats. Kasia’s parents liked Bailey too.

What was their first fight over and how did they get past it?

Keyes is an unfortunate scatterbrain and Javier as an opinionated guy would snap about it, but he’s since realized that the guy’s mind just doesn’t work sometimes so it’s unfair to be mad at him for that. Just apologize about getting heated and work on solutions for the future

Something honestly stupid probably, but they’re both the yelling kinda type with bad past relationships so it easily got nasty. Just apologized after that but after a few of those arguments got some professional help bc that ain’t right

They honestly don’t argue. If anything then just small things like leaving things laying around.

Which one is more easily made jealous?

Keyes has low self-esteem but Javier isn’t flirty when in a relationship, Keyes is friendlier with others but Javier trusts him so. Keyes gets jealous easier but Javi doesn’t make him

They’re both really confident in their relationship, even if Max gets attention as a bartender Heather ain’t worried

Neither really? Neither gives reason and neither is jealous by nature

What is their favourite thing to get to eat?

Junk food, the spicier the better

Spicy but not junk food

Bailey likes it spicy and plenty

Who’s the cuddly one? What their favourite cuddling position?

Keyes is cuddly and he’s also chubby so he’s good for cuddling, he can lay down while Javier curls up next to him

Both are so soft and good for cuddling, Max can just lay on Heather and rest that head on them titties

Kasia weighs a couple of grapes worth and Bailey is a straight-up bear, they can lay on top of him all they like

Are they hand holders?

Keyes is, Javier happily goes along with it.

Sure, sometimes

Holding hands or linking arms

How long do they wait before sleeping together for the first time? What’s the circumstances?

For some time, Keyes has a low sex drive and Javi didn’t mind waiting, he’s not the type to jump into bed immediately in a relationship either so it’s fine

After like the second date when hanging out at either one’s apartment

Took a good while probably, Bailey is a shy boy, agree on it beforehands or he’ll get overwhelmed

Who tops?

Javier is a twink and he’s a top and Keyes is like well sure I do whatever

Either can

Kasia wants to be dominated and Bailey is still a shy boy but when he’s comfortable he’ll agree

What’s the worst fight they’ve ever gotten into?

Something about Keyes accidentally breaking or losing something important and Javier being this close to losing it and just. Going for a walk before he yells. Sad Keyes is a miserable sight anyways

About something absolutely stupid, could be sparked from laundry. And at that point it’s like jesus christ we need professional help

Like for them the worst would be like if. Kasia brought up how much Bailey spoils them and uses money on them and they feel kinda bad about that

Who does the shopping and the cooking?

Either, give Keyes pictures he’s bad at reading lists. Also he will always bring something like poptarts bc he has no inhibitions

Either, both love to cook, Max is better at it

Bailey cooks a lot and he cooks kinda spicy, either does the shopping

Which one is more organized and prone to tidiness?

Javier who didn’t realize how organized he is until after sharing a space with a guy who couldn’t find his own ass with both his hands taped on it

They’re both tidy, but Max a bit more because she keeps her makeup organized while Heather’s painting corner can get messy

Both are pretty tidy, dunno if Kasia’s art supplies tend to spread

Who proposes?

Haven’t gotten there yet but for some reason Javier has made the decision to marry this man one day, minion tattoo or no

Heather with the help of the kids

Bailey in cargo shorts i’m kidding

Do they have joined Bachelor/Bachelorette parties or separate?

Joined probably

Separate, Cameron can steal Max away like old times while Javier can deal with Heather

Separate, Heather and Max stole Kasia

Who is the best man/maid of honour? Any other groomsmen or bridesmaids?

Heather can be Javier’s best woman, Sunny can be Keyes’

Likewise Javier is Heather’s man of honour, Max will ask Cameron

Bailey miiiiiiight ask Heather to be his best woman, Kasia has their own buddies

Big Ceremony or Small?

Small but Refined, Javier will handle it bc if it was up to Florida Man he’d show up in a sleeveless shirt and on an ATV

Kinda medium, nothing super grand, suitable for children, two guests dressed up like they came to a house party

Similar to Heather and Max, kinda medium, got family there, less kids bc they weren’t around yet, nature-themed with the Jewish side clearly shown

Do they have a honeymoon? If so, where?

Probably at Cuba or Florida, just a short visit

Not really, they have two kids to look after. If anything then after the wedding dunk the kids on friends for the night and go to a luxury hotel

A short one maybe, visit Russia or South Africa or both

Do they have children? How many?

Nah, Keyes has never wanted bio ones bc of his medical history and Javier doesn’t want kids in general

Two, a boy and a girl

One rootin’ tootin’ princess

#i've actually shipped them for a while i just haven't voiced it #shipping my own characters is always like #they're gonna end up a pair #i can't help it #i want to see them together and only i have the power to make it so #long oc thing #keyes is a manlet he's like 160 cm max #javier is like 175+cm so #sorry kasia you gotta wait for the railing for a while #they're prolly happy just holding hands for now

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squirrelly831 · 5 years ago

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Forgotten Birthday [Jooheon and Changkyun]

This is part of the daddy!au.

Enjoy~

Jooheon

With her fiance, Jooheon, out of the country on tour with his band and her family back home in New York, Jackie filled all her time in her job and the wedding planning. Due to her focus, she hadn’t even realized that her birthday was just around the corner.

Even though Jackie didn’t realize her birthday neared, Jooheon did and when he realized that she didn’t talk about any plans for her birthday Jooheon knew she had forgotten. He was looking forwards to her birthday as he had planned a birthday surprise that would give her a good shock.

It was a week before Jackie’s birthday and she was preparing for a flight to somewhere she didn’t know. Phoebe refused to tell her anything asides they were traveling overseas and needed her passport. It wasn’t just Phoebe and her, but Amanda was going with them as she was the main planner with Jooheon in the surprise.

Jackie wasn’t able to keep her plane ticket with her as it would ruin the surprise as Phoebe said after she snatched the ticket from her. The trio boarded the plane and headed off to New York something the pilot had announced on the overhead speakers.

“We’re going to New York?” Jackie asked in confusion.

Phoebe looked up from her book and shook her head, “Yes, because we have to change flights.” She could lie so easily with that smile on her lips. Jackie said nothing as she relaxed in her seat and fell asleep.

Once they landed in New York they grabbed their bags and headed to the check point.

The three got out of the check point after an hour and a half of waiting for their turn. Jackie stretched, “Where to next? What’s the next flight?”

Phoebe pointed ahead, “Our next destination is over there.”

Jackie looked where Phoebe pointed. Her eyes widened as she saw a giant sign HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACQUELINE ALONDRA GUERRA! There were a couple of balloons and the one hold the sign was none other than her family. Jackie let go of her suitcase as she took off towards her family and jumped into her brother’s arm.

The other two girls headed over, Phoebe hugged Jackie’s family as Amanda introduced herself to them. After all the introductions were done with, the group headed to the cars and to Jackie’s home where she found out this was all her birthday surprise.

The day of her birthday, Jackie was awoken by Amanda who ushered her downstairs to eat before the two, Phoebe, and Jackie’s mom headed to a flea market. One of Jackie’s favorite places to go to.

While shopping around the flea market, Jackie lost her mom and friends. Not that she minded, she could get lost in the unique items through the store to keep her attention for hours. She picked up a statue of an elephant and admired the intricate design when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She had expected it to be Phoebe or the others as she spun around, “Look at this cuuuu…” She trailed off as she was staring at her fiance. “Jooheon” she let out a breathless sound as she spoke his name.

“Hey, birthday girl!” He smiled as he waved at her. Forgetting about the slightly heavy elephant in her hand, she threw her arms around his shoulders and jumped on him. He held her with ease as he hugged her back, “I take it you missed me.”

Jackie felt her eyes water as she shook her head. She’d never admit something as silly as missing her fiance who was only gone for two months.

Jooheon chuckled, “Really? Because I missed you every single day.”

Jackie put her feet on the ground as she pulled away from him, “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean? We have a concert here in two days. It’s our day off, so we’ve split up to travel and see things.” He took the elephant from her, “Don’t you have enough elephants at home?”

Jackie clicked her tongue as she brushed her hair off her shoulder, “I could never have enough elephants.” Jooheon wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he handed the elephant back to the seller so he could purchase it. “Wait, you don’t have to buy it. I was just looking.”

Jooheon handed the cash over as the seller placed the elephant in a box and handed it back to Jooheon. He grinned as he lead her away, “This will be part of my birthday gift to you.”

“Part?” Her eyebrow rose.

“Well flying you out here was another part, but I have one more part.” He made his way to Kihyun and Hyungwon who were with their loved ones and Jackie’s mom. “We’re going to have a great time celebrating your birthday.”

Jackie tried to keep from smiling too much as she brushed off his words with a shrug, “Sure, that’s fine. Whatever.” Her words only made the others laugh as they lead her out the market and towards the last of her birthday surprise.

Changkyun

McKenzie was always the first one to announce her birthday days before it actually came up. It was something her husband, Changkyun, found absolutely adorable. So when it was a two days before her birthday and McKenzie made no announcement, he wondered what was wrong, but didn’t voice it. He couldn’t blame her, they were so busy. Aside from having their year old son around, they were preparing for their biggest move ever as they were a week from moving to California.

So when the day of her birthday came, Changkyun noticed how McKenzie went about the day as a regular stressful day. She entered the empty living room with their year old son in her arms, “Babe, I’m going to go grocery store to buy some baby supplies and food for the next week. You wanna come?”

He looked up from the tv with a guilty smile, “I made plans with the guys. Since we’re leaving soon I wanted to hang out with them a little.”

“That’s fine. You boys have fun–” she turned to Minkyun, “and you get to be with mommy all day long!” She cooed. Her nose rubbed against her son’s.

Changkyun chuckled as he got off the couch and approached his little family, “Be safe.” He watched McKenzie leave with their son and he pulled out his phone. “She left. Let’s go.” His eyes were trained on the suv pull away from the house and his lips pulled to a smile.

When McKenzie got home, she put away the groceries while Minkyun was down for a nap. After she was done she got a text from her cousin, Marcie, who wanted to meet up with McKenzie for lunch. McKenzie packed the baby bag, carefully picked up her sleeping son, and headed out to the location. From there the two moms and their babies went out walking, light shopping, and just hung out.

McKenzie drove the four of them to her home by sunset. “I’m sure Changkyun is still out for the day. You guys wanna stay the night here?”

Marcie smiled, “I’d love to, but we’re leaving Korea mid-afternoon and with Tyler-” she let out a sigh. “I understand why parents hate dragging their kids on a plane. When he’s hungry, he’s hungry and he let’s us know. It’s so awkward breastfeeding on a plane too!” She complained as she got out of the car and retrieved her son.

McKenzie let out a laugh as she did the same and got out Minkyun. “That’s one of my biggest fears when Changkyun and I head out to San Diego. The flight time makes me nervous, but I know Changkyun will help me.”

“Oh yea, without Mark, I don’t know what I’d do. He immediately covers me when I need to feed Tyler or when he cries when we’re asleep on the place, Mark takes him from me and entertains him. I love that man.”

McKenzie let out an awe as she unlocked the front door, “He’s super sweet. I don’t know how you ha–”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Poppers went off and McKenzie let out a shriek. Minkyun began to cry as McKenzie looked to see her friends in the now full and decorated living room.

Changkyun went over to his wife and son. He picked up Minkyun to calm him as McKenzie was absorbing the scene in front of her, “What is all this?”

“Your birthday surprise” Changkyun grinned.

Marcie handed Tyler off to Mark as she took her cousin’s shoulders in her hands, “You couldn’t leave Korea without one last birthday party. So, Changkyun called us all up to help set up the party.”

McKenzie’s eyes watered and she wiped her eyes before her tears fell, “You guys… That’s why you came in? It’s just a birthday.”

Bailey scoffed, “Just a birthday for an amazing woman. It has to be celebrated!”

Melly jumped on McKenzie as she hugged her, “Today it’s only us. Tomorrow, we’re celebrating with all the girls.” McKenzie hugged Melly back. “Come on! You got lots of gifts. I don’t even know how you’re going to pack them all up either.” Melly released her from the hug as she pulled her further into the living room to see a pile of gifts.

After the party ended and the guests were gone, McKenzie put Minkyun to bed as Changkyun finished cleaning up the left over trash. When she returned to the living room, she saw Changkyun relaxing on the couch. She smiled as she walked over and threw herself beside him. His hand instantly wrapped around her shoulder pulling her close.

“Thank you for the birthday party. I loved it” she looked up at Changkyun who leaned down and pecked her lips.

“Of course. I wanted to give you the greatest birthday you could have. You deserve the best.” He rubbed her shoulder, “Happy birthday, my love.”

McKenzie’s eyes twinkled, “Thanks, babe.” She pecked his lips once more before she curled into him and the two reminisced on their life together in Korea.

Part I | Part II

Credit to gif owners

Written & revamped by Squirrelly831

♕ REQUEST

☮ MONSTA X MASTERLIST

∞ ULTIMATE MASTERLIST

#monsta x #monsta x reactions #monsta x scenarios #kpop #kpop reactions #kpop scenarios #jooheon #jooheon scenarios #jooheon reactions #changkyun #changkyun reactions

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axliconss · 6 years ago

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No one would had ever imagined Bill Bailey turned Mr. Axl Rose would become a father at the early age of 23 years old, no one back home in Lafayette, Indiana that is. In midst of the bullies, kids who poked fun at him for being the nerdy bookworm, the dorky ‘smart kid’, the kid who couldn’t ever catch a girl’s attention. Not in a million years. Then again, they would had never imagined he’d be in L.A making music and actually getting that very recognition they thought he could never receive either. Now, the girls around the strip and guys, would probably expect Axl to get a girl pregnant from a one nightstand. But…that isn’t the case. The redhead found the love of his lifetime in that corner in an L.A club one January, not very many January’s ago at all. A blue dress, a mess of dark curly hair frame her oval face, the dark hair and color of blue that complemented her crazy-beautiful azure eyes. Sky blue, mesmerizing blue. She had the personality of an angel, way her voice was softer than a sweet melody, her name…Erin…would roll off the tongue like honey. It fit her well, like she was made to be named something so light and graceful. But just like him, she had something troubling about her. Erin wasn’t all perfect. Good intentions, a big heart, but definitely flawed.

It’s why he’s struggling so hard at being a single father. This wasn’t meant to happen, not so soon. But one night of making up without protection led them here and neither of them was about to think about abortion no matter how unprepared they were and still are. Axl’s at a battle with himself, he’s much too young, the chaotic frontman trying to figure the world out himself, let alone at this fathering thing. It’s surreal to think he even is a father, surreal to look beside his bed and see a tiny baby either grinning up at him, giggling or crying for his attention in her crib. A little girl that has a mixture of both of their features, his red hair and Erin’s beautiful blue eyes. He sees a lot of her mother in her features. Eris Hope Rose. Eris, he loved that name because it resembled Erin’s and the meaning behind Hope is everything the little bundle of joy is. Hope for him, the daily reminder that there’s always hope and how she’s came and saved him in every way. Every time he sees them though, it reminds him why he’s so angry. He ran Erin away after one fight after too many of her provoking him, a whole court ordeal was about to go down if she didn’t, another conflict to add to the fire was when she told him she finally had her big break at her career but it was across the country in New York and suddenly he felt like she cared for neither of them, so there’s quite a few reasons why he told her to get gone.

Why she’s STILL gone.

This is what life is though, like it or not. Axl’s just dragged himself in at 3 AM from working a local gig down on the Sunset Strip, the sitter has just left and the baby is crying no more louder than she possibly could cry. All the other guys were giving him a hard time, telling him he’s such a bummer having to run home for a ‘baby’, not staying for the partying. The life of rock and roll. Drugs, booze and sex. Well, those days are over. The boy turned into a man over night has alas learned the hard way. He’s not proud of himself for a lot of things, but this…this is one. Coming home, avoiding all of it and realizing she’s not /just/ a baby. She’s his responsibility now. He’s cladded in leather pants, leather jacket, cowboy boots, a blue bandana and all of his accessories. Rings, snake skin belt, his shiny cross necklace. But the redhead is still here in the cruddy kitchen of his shitty apartment, despite his appearance and the career he pursues, fixing up a warm bottle for his child. He’s doing his damned best.

The young father trails back towards his room once the bottle is ready, picking Eris up from her crib and walking to the living room with her in his arms. Sitting down in a recliner, it’s ripped and torn, it’s not much, but it still rocks. His bangles clang, holding the baby in one arm while his free one guides the rubber nipple into her mouth. It works immediately in soothing her crying and Axl smiles, times like these he can’t help but find it easy. If only it was always this easy. “You sure wear me out, Eris.” Axl speaks to her, chuckling tiredly. “But..it’s okay. One day, da-da is gonna have enough money where he only has to work on the days when he wants. One day, daddy is gonna have you a big room. Us a big nice home, it’ll be cozy and you’ll love it. And you’ll have a big yard to play in with a biiig swing set. Maybe we’ll have a puppy too!” Excitedly speaking to her for her benefit, watching her content eyes turn happy as her cheeks dimple in a cheesy smile while she sucks on the bottle at her father’s demeanor. “That sounds great, doesn’t it?” Axl mirrors her sweet smile, nodding. Glancing up at their current surroundings though, he sighs at the room. Chipped paint on every wall, dirty carpet although he tries to keep it vacuumed even if there’s nothing he can do about the stains, an old ugly wooden couch from the 70s splashed in orange and brown patterns against the window in front of the red recliner he’s sitting in now, a tiny window air conditioner over by the balcony door that doesn’t even open without having to shake it open with some strength. The air barely puts out but it helps some. And a tiny television next to it against the wall that plays about five free channels, but at least a few channels for babies and children comes on them so it gives something to entertain Eris with in the mornings.

Once the strawberry haired baby is finished with her bottle, Axl burps her and then takes the empty bottle to wash it out. “Okay, baby. Time for sleep so dad can get a bath.” He’s ridiculously soft when it comes to her, he didn’t even know he could be so gentle until she came into the world honestly. Eris isn’t having it though, her belly is full but she’s ready to romp when Axl trails back through the small apartment, into his bedroom and slowly puts her down in her crib that Vicky, his past manager was nice enough to get for him because he sure couldn’t afford it. The baby begins to whine the second the bigger redhead let’s her go and turns away, cracking into a noisy cry already and Axl’s only had time to get a new pair of underwear out. “Eris, I’m right here. Daddy’s not gonna leave you.” Sighing, turning back around to tend to her, he knows she won’t understand though so he has no choice but to pick her up. The crying immediately stops once she’s back in her father’s arms, Axl wipes the wetness on her cheeks away with his thumbs, “Now what am I gonna do with you?” Sighing again, trying to think of ideas but he has none. Attempting to place her back into her crib, Eris’s chubby legs begin to kick and another angry cry emits from her, she doesn’t want to be alone even for a second. Axl lifts her again, beginning to get frustrated himself. “I have to get a bath some way, somehow. I stink like shit.” Groaning, head falling backwards. “Sorry. Don’t repeat that.” Realizing he shouldn’t say any curses around her, he doesn’t want to have a child repeating after him once she does get a little older and knows what he’s saying and can talk herself.

Walking to the bathroom, flipping the light on, Axl tries to get some new ideas but nothing. What the fuck does a parent do when no one else is around to watch their child when they need to shower? Axl decides to go back into his room, taking off three of the pillows from his bed and some toys from it before he walks back to the bathroom and closes the door, that’ll keep her from escaping at least. Placing the pillows down on the rug, he makes her a comfy little spot before placing Eris on top and placing the bear that was Erin’s that she left behind on top of her lap. “Play with Bubsy, he wants some attention.” Axl coos, making him dance before she giggles, tiny hands grabbing for the fluffy bear and finds it entertaining for a second. At least long enough for the singer to escape from all the leather, shedding every piece of clothing that smells like smoke and sweat until he’s naked. Pulling off the blue bandana around his head, the necklace, his bracelet and rings, Axl places them on the counter before he turns and finally begins to run the bath water that he’s in much need of. Grabbing his cloth, he gets to step into the nice shower for a brief moment until Eris is whining for him after he’s disappeared behind the curtain.

The bear is long disregarded, Eris crawls to the wall of the tub and tries pushing herself up on her feet. Axl senses her and hears the fussing which has him groaning in stress but amusement too, “This kid just won’t let me rest.” Speaking to himself, pulling the curtain back and finding a little redhead staring up at him wanting in. Is he seriously going to have to even put her in the tub? When he’s right here. “Alright, little Rosebud. You win.” Axl sits down on his knees, pushing the curtain back a little so he can unbutton her purple onesie, laying her on her back to remove her diaper and lifting his child up. “I guess you need a bath anyway.” Since she had a bit of an accident before he left for his gig earlier. “You’re so cute.” Chuckling as he lets her back get wet, holding her to his chest. Cute cause she’s all grins and happiness now that she’s back with him, not even that far apart and she wasn’t satisfied until he was holding her. What a daddy’s girl, makes him grin ear to ear. Tiny hand grabs his wet hair, still finding it fun to pull even when soaked. “Ow. Not so hard.” Wincing, laughing regardless though. Axl takes the cloth, getting it wet, picking up the pink Johnson & Johnson bottle to squeeze out some baby soap, placing it down and beginning to rub the cloth gently into her skin. Running the cloth over her baby-smooth back, chuckling all the while as her father bathes her as she has her own fun in the rain of the water, clapping her small hands underneath it and finding it as the most interesting thing ever. Once he’s got her body clean, Axl lastly takes the cloth to her little feet, “Gotta get the little piggies good and clean now.” Laughing at her giggling, giving them a wiggle, making sure they get good and sudsy before he’s finished. Rinsing her off, washing all the soap away, all that’s left is her hair. Reaching down to squeeze some baby shampoo into his palm, Axl begins scrubbing that in next.

Careful not to get it in her eyes before he holds her underneath the water, shielding her eyes and rinsing the soap. She doesn’t like it too much, but luckily it doesn’t take too long. “Okay, all done. You’re a clean baby now.” Smiling, now it’s his turn. Scrubbing bar soap back into his cloth, he starts on his face, over his shoulders and arms, switching Eris in different arms to get the other before switching her back, his torso and then his lower parts before he’s finished. Dancing underneath the water as he rinses off, he’s successful in getting more giggles from Eris. Hearing her cackle is the best sound ever, no other song or sound even compares. What a dad does to get the job done is pretty amazing since he starts on washing his hair with only one hand, lathering soap into it the best way he knows how and scrubbing it until his whole head is clean with shampoo which is tiring with just one hand. Getting it completely rinsed out alas, he’s relieved once the soap is all gone. He finally can get out of here.

Hand reaching down to turn the knobs off, finger pressing down on the stem to switch the shower head to the faucet so the next time he turns it on it won’t drown his head. Leaving the cloth on the ledge, the wet redhead pushes the curtain back and steps out. Grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist and grabbing another towel for Eris, drying her off until she’s good and dry. Keeping her wrapped up in the towel so she doesn’t get cold, Axl lets her sit on her bed of pillows on the floor until he can dry off himself. Soaking up all the wet beads that dot his porcelain skin until he’s dry too, wrapping his hair up in the towel he pulls on his underwear next, applying deodorant before he’ll start on his face. Rubbing the shaving cream he picks up into the stubble until half of his face is covered in cream, grabbing his razor next and taking a few minutes to carefully remove the hair from his face. Once it’s completed that task, he cups water in his palms, rinsing any of the left over hairs and shaving cream along with his razor before putting that up and getting his toothbrush out.

Axl finishes another three minutes later before he picks up Eris, the bear and the pillows up, flipping the light off and taking everyone and everything back to the tiny bedroom. Throwing the pillows and the bear on his bed, Eris is watching everything her father does before her blue eyes land on the new diaper and onesie Axl is getting out. Sitting down on the foot of the bed, unwrapping the baby from her towel, he’s unfolding the diaper before placing it under her bottom and folding it over in the front. Finally, he’s gotten good at it after it took a thousand attempts to get putting a diaper on right. Taping the sides, he pats her legs once he’s completed the task in less than a minute. Grinning proudly at himself, he’s getting her tiny feet and hands through the onesie with little rose petals and bunnies on it, buttoning her up, planting a kiss to her forehead and she’s finally free from the annoying task of being dressed. “Well, I can already tell you’re not sleeping in your crib tonight so I might as well make your bed here.” Which he gets to work on, barricading all the sides in with chairs so she can’t fall out while he’s asleep, finishing up within a few more minutes.

Hands slide underneath her arms, picking Eris up and laying her down next to his side of the bed, fixing the pillows, making sure they’re good and comfy for them. Placing all of her stuffed animals above their heads, he turns the light off, leaving the lamp on and climbs in next to her. Covering her little body up, tucking his tiny Rose in, Axl lies down next after getting under the soft blanket, resting his head on the pillow next to hers and cuddling his little girl. “Welp, another long day here. Just us.” Eyes flickering to the phone, tears already welling in his eyes as it’s too silent. He’s been looking for another phone call, each and every night. From Erin. Last time she called, he hung up on her the second she began her same old shit. ‘I want to see the baby’, ‘The baby isn’t safe with you’, ‘I’m taking the baby’. Bull-fucking-shit. The baby is completely safe with him and hasn’t had to endure in damn yelling from them since he left her and got proof on her to use against her if she TRIED to get the baby took from him.

It doesn’t stop him from missing her though. He’s crying because he can make it work, Erin just doesn’t want to. Or..she wants to. But she’s too damn complicated to want to. Besides, she doesn’t even miss him or Eris. She’s just wanting to take her away to piss him off, right? That’s what he believes anyway. If she wanted either of them, if she loved him, she wouldn’t want to take Eris away, then she would learn to act right. That’s all he wants from her. Eris peels his attention away from the subject, disrupts the angering thought only for her to make the sad part of the thought worse as he watches her push herself up, chubby hand reaching and grabbing for Bubsy…almost like she knows. Knows exactly what he was thinking about and how she misses her too. That only encourages the tears in his eyes to spill, quickly wiping them away because he doesn’t want Eris to see even if she’s only a baby. It hurts him to be lying here without a mother for this child that didn’t even ask to be here, he feels like a good part of it is his fault that she doesn’t have one present. The thing that’s even more crestfallen is gazing at her, absorbing how sweet and innocent the baby is but she has no clue where her mother even is. Axl can’t help but be in despair, no more wistful thinking that Erin will actually straighten up for them. This is their life now, like it or not. He has no room to mope, even if it’s going to be extremely hard. Doesn’t mean he won’t catch himself at night yearning for her though, like now.

“What’s that you got? Playing with your bear?” Looking over the bear as she toys with it, her eyes only focused on her favorite toy. And of course that same bear belonged to Erin as a little girl before it ended up on her twin bed in her apartment those few years he was with her, remembering himself tossing it in the air and Erin yelling at him to ‘Stop! You’ll hurt him’ before he’d burst into laughter because it’s only a bear. Or using it as a pillow many of nights, rolling on top of it and finding it crammed into his back. Who knew it’d be in the hands of their daughter, merely three years later as HER favorite toy. Maybe she knows it was her mother’s and that’s why she loves it so much. It’s a little far off given she’s a baby, he knows. But it sure seems that way and it hurts his heart even more. Axl can tell by the look in her eyes that Eris isn’t ready for bed, it’ll take some time for certain. Which sucks, since tonight, he’s actually exhausted and drifting off to sleep. He even dozes off a few times before small hands pat him in the face, making emerald eyes fly back open to make sure Eris is okay. She is, it’s only his dad instincts on overdrive like always. But he comes to find out she’s only trying to crawl closer into him, melting his heart. The older redhead’s big arm comes to protectively wrap around his baby, pulling her in close to him, their faces so close he can begin to hear her little baby snores sounding from her nose. Making the bigger redhead smile, his eyes finally closing and them both at last drifting off to sleep.

Thankful for the full night of rest he gets without Eris crying from an accident or something else, he wakes up to a fully lit room. Sunlight making both redhead’s in the small bed appear so beautiful, strawberry hair gleaming in the sunlight. A little ginger girl and her ginger father snuggled together until she’s the first to wake, possibly taking that after her mother and small hands grabbing her father’s face around eight that morning. Eris’s face attacking his as she’s trying to give him a sloppy kiss which instantly makes his day brighter already. “What, darlin’?” Groggy voice heavy with rasp, clearing his throat and prying his eyes open. “Is this a puppy dog kiss?” he wonders, sleepily laughing to himself. Puckering his lips and kissing her cheek, “Huh!” She exclaims, which by now, Axl knows that means she’s hungry. “Okay, okay. Gimme a second though. Waking up isn’t as easy for everyone like it is you.” Smiling in amusement, sleepiness gracing the male’s young features as he smiles up at the little girl that’s like looking up at his miniature girl version of himself. Wondering how it is that babies wake up so happy anyway.

After five more minutes, Axl finally slides out of the bed. Placing the baby down on the floor so he can pee right quick even though she chases after his feet anyway by crawling after him, get his teeth brushed and from there on he starts their usual routine. He changes Eris, gets her ready and either makes oatmeal for them since it’s all he can afford in groceries or he’ll go over to Vicky’s, or sometimes, days like today when he just had a gig last night and got paid he’ll take his very unexpected companion in his early life – but his baby angel nonetheless – to a diner for breakfast. Walking in, dressed in a bandana, jeans and an over sized black shirt. Eris in her jeans, little white shoes and the pink top he picked out for her with strawberries on it. He doesn’t look like the type to be a father, the skeptical elder lady working behind the counter being a bit judgmental but she quickly changes her mind when she watches Axl a bit longer. Noticing how kind he is, getting out the high chair, talking to the baby as he places her in it and gives her the brown little bear that he brought for his child. Kissing her head after sitting down next to her, pulling out the crayon book with the crayons he also brought her, the older lady smiles at the redhead’s once she heads their way to take his order.

Breakfast goes nicely after he swallows his waffle, bacon, eggs and sausage links with much delight and Eris seemed to enjoy their time at the diner as well before Axl is paying and they head back home. The rest of the day consists of them watching tv, playing and napping until the singer is being woken up from a loud ring. Flying up from the living room floor, glancing around a few times, taking a moment to come back to reality. The baby is still on the blanket sleeping he notices before he’s scrambling to get up, picking the phone up from the end table, Axl holds it to his ear, “Hello?” Speaking into the phone, confused until he hears Duff’s voice on the other end asking what he’s doing. Brows momentarily crease in confusion, wondering what he’s on about before it hits him. A show! He has another fucking show tonight and he didn’t even get a babysitter. “Shit. I fucking forgot. Uhh– I’ll be there in a second.” Hanging up before Duff can even say anything else, going into total stress mode as his fingers slip through the roots of his hair. Wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do now as he glances over at Eris. “Fuck.” Hands colliding into his face, roughly rubbing it in frustration before he takes off into his bedroom. He’ll worry about it in a second, he has to get dressed. Throwing off the jeans and his shirt, flying behind him and landing in the floor next to his bed. He raids his closet, yanking down the leather pants, hopping into them, absently tying the laces in the front a little too tight, going back for another piece and yanking down a black Thin Lizzy shirt, throwing it over his head and then pulling on his cowboy boots by the bedroom door. Quickly fumbling for his snakeskin belt, wrapping that around his thin waist and latching it, he’s throwing on his jewelry. Rings for his fingers, usual bangles for his wrists and changing out the cross necklace for a difference cross necklace around his neck before lastly grabbing his leather jacket, throwing it on and quickly walking back to the living room. Eris is stirring by time he comes back, which is a good thing. At least he doesn’t have to be the one that disturbs her sleep.

“Hey, little girl. So we’re doin’ somethin’ different today. You’re just gonna have to go to this thing with me.” Picking her up, he grabs the blanket, stuffing the bottle in her diaper bag, Bubsy and the car seat before hauling it out of here. This is a crazy idea. A rock show is no place for a baby, but he has no other choice. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he locks it real quick before flying down the steps and making it outside to wait for a taxi to come by until he’s climbing in a few more minutes later. Out of breath, it’s nice to relax the time he’s on his way there. Putting Eris in her car seat and situating her. Bubsy being placed next to her, draping the blanket over her little body and Axl is sitting back to enjoy the rest of the few minutes by himself he’s got before everyone looks at him like he’s crazy for bringing in a baby. He’s hating the second the car comes to a stop, nearly cringing because he does not want to get out but of course he eventually has to do the dreadful task at some point. Groaning, he’s digging out some cash, handing it over before he’s getting out, grabbing the car seat and the diaper bag, shutting the door back. A man dressed in leather from head to toe must look like a sight carrying a baby into a venue where the rowdiest party goers have already swarmed their way in, but especially being the lead singer. Slipping through the backstage door, the door attendant is already giving him odd looks at the smiley little baby he’s carrying around before the redhead makes his grand appearance with her and the looks have already began once he places the car seat down on the couch.

“Dude, what the fuck! You can’t just bring little tater tot here! This isn’t fuckin’ Sesame Street.” Steven comes hounding him, Axl rolling his eyes and feeling the fire already building up inside him because he predicted it. “Well, I don’t have anyone else to watch her so there’s not much of an option.” The redhead grumbles, unbuckling Eris, “Isn’t she old enough to BABYsit herself?” Slash doesn’t really mean anything by it as he stands off to the side dumbly rolling off lame jokes and the other two guys come walking in right as Axl is taking offense to it anyway and blowing up on them both, “She’s a fucking baby! In a crib still! I’m doing my best, why don’t you fuck off before there’ll be NO show?” Barking, punching Slash in the arm and full on attacking Steven as the drummer begins to open his mouth AGAIN but Axl doesn’t let him finish before they go wrestling in the floor. “Woah woah, hey! HEY!” Duff is the peacemaker as usual, grabbing Axl while Izzy grabs Steven and Slash is wandering back off. “Ax, is doing his best, okay? Everyone needs to take it easy.” Duff lectures, Axl sending daggers towards Steven as he stumbles backwards into the bassist, still ready to rip his throat out if he has one more fucking thing to say about Eris. Steven realizes Duff is right and decides to leave it while Axl is pushing Duff back away and tending to the child that’s began to cry from the yelling and fighting, picking her up, giving her a few bounces and kissing her cheek to make her feel better again. “I’ll call my girlfriend. She can watch Eris. It’ll be alright, Ax. Chill.” Giving his shoulder a pat before waving at Eris and then hurrying off to get his girlfriend on the line. Axl settles for that, although he’s having second thoughts. He’s crazy about the well being of this little girl and whose hands she’s in. He hopes he can trust this lady enough to take care of her for two hours.

It works out fine, for the most part. The security men watch over the baby they sit with for thirty minutes of the show that Axl has to start before he can wait for Duff’s girlfriend until she finally shows. It puts stress on him the whole time though, he does this. Let’s any little thing make his head swell until it feels like it’s going to pop off, not sure why it is he gets so stressed when something isn’t perfect. But it’s during a solo in Rocket Queen, half way through the show, that he takes the quick moment out to check on his baby only to find Duff’s girlfriend and half naked groupies accompanying his child that makes his anger go through the roof. They’re not hurting her, not exactly. Half of them are giggling at how weird babies are and the others are giggling at how cute this one is, or wondering if she was one of Axl’s mistakes from lack of protection or if one of them can get pregnant by him too as a joke. Or maybe they’re serious. Who even knows with these type of women, the scummiest you can find on the strip. “What the fuck’s goin’ on?” Throwing his hands up at Duff’s girlfriend, he didn’t tell her to bring people along or let people around his kid. Shaking his head, fuck this. He goes back out there, finishes the stupid fucking song but then announces the premature end to the show, “Good fucking night,” before chucking the microphone at Duff’s back. Leaving everyone confused but they’re so drunk, they can’t even tell the difference. Axl storms back through the curtain, stomping down the three steps before his feet hit the concrete. “What are you idiots here for?! Get your fucking hands off of her! AND YOU, tell Duff he can thank you for cutting the show SHORT.” Face red with anger, never has he been this infuriated in awhile, all the girls are left stunned as he snatches the child back away. Buckling her into car seat, gathering her things and gathering his own shit before storming out of the building shirtless with his clothes draped over his free arm.

Slamming the damn door on a taxi cab once he finally gets one, he’s even taking his anger and stress out on the taxi man up front, telling him to hurry the fuck up before throwing money at him and grabbing his kid again, climbing the hell out and slamming the car door once more when he’s back at his shitty apartment complex. The creaky steps thud with each hard stomp he takes going up them, chest and breathing heavy with rage, nearly breaking the steps and the handle on the apartment door once he unlocks it and twists the knob back with a little too much force. Kicking it in and kicking it back shut, a hard slam vibrates through the hall that can be heard from anyone’s room. “You know, you’re really fucking things up for me.” Slapping the phone off the table as he passes by it, crashing in the floor. Placing the car seat down a little roughly, shouting directly at her, “Everything! You’re messing up every-FUCKING-thing! And yeah, fucking. Don’t know why I even bother trying not to say it AROUND you. You’ll just turn out as a FUCK up just like me ANYWAY. Cause you know why? You’re MY stupid kid. I’ve never been anything but a piece of fucking shit, so don’t expect to be anything greater than that.” The little girl wastes no time breaking out into a high pitch cry as she stares up at her father that suddenly isn’t her sweet daddy any longer. And she’s his kid alright, with a set of lungs like those that kill his ears immediately. “Shut the fuck up!” Losing his temper, swatting at anything in sight, the lamp goes falling over, kicking toys out of the way, the crying gets louder until it’s outright ear piercing screaming and finally Axl just leaves her as he storms to his room, slamming the door shut behind him and throwing himself down on the bed as the crying doesn’t stop outside of it.

Listening to her cry makes him angrier until the song coming on the radio makes him snap out of his dark world of anger, snapping him back to reality where he can hear his child crying for him, not some nuisance. Not some fuck up like the person that just took over him like a storm shouted. ‘Little child, dry your crying eyes, how can I explain the fear you feel inside because you were born into this evil world....’ The song by White Lion plays through the dark room, bringing tears to prick at Axl’s own eyes until he’s breaking out into his own sob. Hating everything about himself in that moment as the heart wrenching lyrics tear him apart because they speak to him. They explain to him how his young life, from the time he was a newborn until now, started out so evil. He wasn’t sheltered and now he’s brought another little child without any sheltering too. The father may be damaged and young but he does not want his own child to go down this road. It doesn’t matter how young he is, he has to figure himself out and figure himself out quick.

Look at him. Already yelling at her, blaming her for things that are no way her fault, just like his stepdad did to him. NO. He won’t be him, he refuses. The little girl deserves the world and a parent, a good father that’s there to protect her not scare her or make her cry. Leave her feeling so alone in this God forsaken world. Sucking in a breath, Axl gets up and tears out of the room. She feels like she’s miles away he wants to get to her that bad when she’s only a few feet away still crying on the couch, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Immediately apologizing once the door swings open, his little child crying her eyes out that works so well in making him cry all the more. Tears pouring down his cheeks, down hers. “Daddy didn’t mean that. He didn’t mean it at all. I’m sorry, please forgive me. I love you.” Sitting down on the couch, unbuckling her and taking her out of this lonely car seat where he abandoned her at, cradling his baby so closely to him, “You didn’t mess anything up.” ERIN did. His stepdad did. His mother did. “You won’t be like me, sweet child. You’ll be better. And daddy’s still going to give you that life that he promised. I love you so much, my angel.” Sobbing through his words, trying to quit for her sake. “I won’t yell no more.” Smothering her face in kisses, the guilt might as well drown him already because he’s certainly feeling it gnaw at his heart until it hurts to breathe.

When the pair has both calmed at least, Axl raises his head from it being leaned against hers when he gets an idea, rising to his feet and taking Eris over to the shelf where the music is, “Look, look. Let’s play a song. This will be my song to you.” Chuckling a little happier through the tears as she seems content again too, fumbling in his cassettes and pushing it into the player before a beautiful vintage sound begins to fill the room the moment the two notes begin to chime with The Temptation’s gorgeous song My Girl. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it’s cold outside…I’ve got the month of May. I guess you’d say, what can make me feel this way? My girl. My girl, my girl. Talkin’ about my girl.” Axl sings along to her, quickly putting a smile back on the little redhead’s face as he dances around the living room with her in his arms. “I don’t need no money! Or fortune or fame, I got aaaaall the riches, baby. That one man can claim.” Laughing in the midst of his singing, gently throwing her up before catching Eris. Continuing to dance and giggle with her until the song comes to an end, “My girlllll.” Kissing her face all over, grinning and more happy than anyone in the world to see his girl smiling and giggling again. And he does. He believes the song will stick, it’s too perfect for it not to.

The rest of the night goes smoothly after a diaper change that causes Eris to start crying again, but luckily that was all it was. Something different happens within that same night, Axl finds himself writing Erin a letter. If she won’t call, he’ll write her like he used to. He fills it with kind words, which is a change. He tells her that the baby misses her and she maybe should come home and stay for good…if she can promise him to clean her act up. Which is something he thought he’d never decide on. But he’s still not sure if Erin even wants them and he adds that too before signing off and sealing it, taking it down to the mailbox so it’ll send out tomorrow morning. With a bottle once they return back upstairs, he’s sending Eris off to sleep easier tonight than last. Eventually finding himself passing out in the chair he was rocking her in, Eris’s bottle finding it’s way slipping from her mouth once she’s finished and rolling off the chair but neither of them stir. Both redhead’s sleep soundly after such a draining day, content to just be with each other.

No show, no call, no letter from Erin. Not in a week. Not until another week later when he’s getting a call from his ‘manager’ to meet him at the beach, he’s offering a free meal to the boys in the band for getting closer to getting signed. That’s what he said. But when he and Eris arrive he finds something else after his manager tells him to come and look at something by the beach. Axl’s in his aviators, sneakers and a pair of jeans that fit him nicely, unbuttoned at his belly button while he lets the button up shirt he has on go open. Red bandana in his long fiery locks that lay beautifully around his shoulders, dancing against his face from the wind. And the warm wind feeling nice against his bare torso with the baby in his arm, both of them completely oblivious to who really awaits him at the shore line. But there it is. His breath, nearly taken away. She did this, she really did all of this. There’s no meal, there’s only…HER. Emerald eyes spot that dark beautiful curly hair and that gorgeous face from a mile away as he stops in utter shock at the edge of the steps that lead down into the sand, his heart stammers and a world of emotion swirls inside his head. Taking off his glasses to get a better look at the woman, sun in his eyes but he can still so perfectly see her. There’s no one in the world but him and her, it stops spinning completely. A part of him wants to run away while he still can, the part that wants to protect Eris with his life but…a bigger part of him…wants to run to her. And he does. He’s wanted to run to her for so long.

Tears prick at his bright green hues, legs trailing down the steps and taking off across the sand to do just that. Erin meets him half way before they collide in a long overdue embrace, both of them crying into each other as he wraps his arm around the model and she wraps hers around his neck. Her touch, her warmth. He can’t believe she’s actually here. For so long, thinking she was gone from his life forever, he can’t believe she’s HERE. Time stops right then and there underneath the golden sun with only them in it, looking at each other like they found their other half, and they did. They at least just rediscovered each other. “Happy Father’s Day.” Erin tells him in between happy tears and a gleeful grin breaks across his face. He should’ve known that’s what she was waiting up to do. God, he loves her. He fucking loves her.

“I gave up the job.” Erin next announces over the loud crashing of the waves, the wind blowing their hair everywhere. “Why? Don’t you want it?” Brows crease, but he’s so stunned he forgets how to even speak. “Yes..but.” He awaits her answer, a moment doesn’t even have to pass when she’s giving it right away, “But I want YOU and our little girl more.” She cries like it should be obvious, grabbing his face, green eyes staring into her beautiful blue ones he’s missed so much. He can’t shake the shock of it all. “And of course I want you. I want you both. I want to do better and I will, Axl.” To answer his question in his letter as she holds it up to him, she had it hiding behind her back the whole time. The happiness swelling his heart as his eyes fall on the letter briefly before glancing back up to meet hers again, all he can do is allow more tears to leak from his eyes, staining his shirt. It feels like a damn dream. “We want you too. Don’t you leave again.” Kissing her right on the lips, pulling away to catch his breath only to kiss her all over. “It’s mommy, Eris. Mommy!” Jumping up and down, getting her excited before the baby squeals, tiny hands reaching out for the brunette. Erin’s squealing just as much as she is, giggling and kissing her baby with her father’s hair and her eyes that she’s missed for far too long, she won’t do anything to jeopardize time with her again. “This is and will always be the best Father’s Day of my life. I love you so much, Miss. Everly.” That’s all she’s wanted to hear and that’s all she’s wanted to say. “I love you so much, Mr. Rose.” Sweet words are exchanged and another kiss that’ll lead into many more kisses tonight close the space in between them as the sun begins to sink to rise a new dawn between them in the morning.

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cianmars · 7 years ago

Photo

Grandmother knows best.

Requested by @jarvisismyco-pilott.

Emma gets chicken pox, Red Snowing are determined that they could deal with it on there own... if only they could remember how they helped their sons when they were sick with it... It would probably be a lot easier if Snow would let her spouses simply ask for help from her step-mother, but Snow's determined to prove herself.

Prompts always accepted.

AO3 FF.NET

Emma had been a little off colour after she had woken up from her afternoon nap.

Normally she was a very energetic child, she would cuddle with David after her nap for a little while, but then would normally be on the go straight afterwards.

But this time she was still cuddling close to David on his lap. David rocked her a little as they sat on the couch. He looked down at her with a small sympathetic frown. “Emmy, are you okay buddy? Are you still feeling sleepy?”

Emma shrugged her shoulders and cuddled closer to him. “Sleepy daddy.” She admitted, she yawned as though her body was trying to prove it, and rubbed her eyes with her fist which was holding onto her blanket, while the other was busy cuddling her teddy.

David continued to frown as he looked down at Emma. “Are you feeling poorly?” He brushed his hand against her forehead and frowned feeling the heat coming from it. “Do you have any owies?” He asked her kindly, hoping that she’d actually tell him, she tended to not tell them when she was feeling ill until she got really ill, she was only 2 so they dreaded to think how bad she’d be when she was older and probably even more stubborn.

Emma leant her head against his hand. “Owie.” She whined touching her head and then curling closer to him as the rest of her body ached at the same time.

David cuddled her closer to him and rocked her gently, truth be told, he was very surprised that she had admitted so much. He brushed his fingers through her curled hair and stood up with her still in his arms. “I’m sorry, baby, that’s no good.” He started to walk through to the kitchen, her head was hidden against his shoulder as she held tightly to her blanket and teddy bear, his hand was on the back of her head as he walked. “We’ll just get some medicine into you, then we can watch a movie, or some Peppa Pig? Just me, you, and Bailey-dog.”

Emma shook her head while keeping her face hidden against David’s shirt, she made a whinging noise which made it clear that she wasn’t impressed with being ill at all, and would probably soon be crying. “No, daddy, yucky.”

David sighed, grabbing the medicine from the medicine cupboard in the kitchen, he knew that it was going to be nigh impossible to get medicine or food into her at the moment... at least not without her realising. He grabbed one of her bottles, usually reserved for night time or when she was ill, whenever Snow wasn’t around, then one of the bottles of chocolate PediaSure from the fridge. “Okay, Koala, we’ll get you some choccy milk and you and me can cuddle up.” He was relieved when she kept her head firmly planted against his shoulder, he poured the right measurement of medicine into the bottle, then added the chocolate milk mixture and shook it up. “Mmm, I think we need some cookies to go with this.”

He told her grabbing a couple, Emma wouldn’t eat properly until she was feeling a little better and although the PediaSure would be good for her, he wanted to try get her to eat something.

He settled back down onto the couch in the living room and flicked the screen onto the kid’s channel, which was currently trying to torture parents by putting a marathon of Peppa Pig on for several hours, he normally tried to avoid putting it on and would instead try to distract her with toys or different movies or tv shows but right now he was trying anything which would make her feel even a little better.

“Daddy?” Emma asked she asked as David moved her to cradle her in his arms.

David had already planned on feeding her, he normally would anyway, so he just smiled down at her and nodded his head. “Sure, baby, you wanna try to eat some cookie first?”

Emma managed to nibble the side of the cookie, she didn’t have more than a mouthful, before letting it drop onto David’s arm.

David sighed gently, she clearly wasn’t hungry, which was very unlike his daughter; she may be tiny but she could hold her own eating. “No more?” He asked as she watched the cartoon, it was clearly a no, so he just started to feed her the milk instead.

It only took a short while for Emma to fall back asleep. David pressed a kiss onto her hot little forehead, luckily she had finished her bottle of formula and medicine before she had dropped off. David sat rocking her a little to help her fall into a deeper sleep. She was holding tightly to her baby blanket, but she was shivering still, so he grabbed the throw from the back of the couch and swaddled her in it.

He checked the time on his cell phone, realising that the boys would be getting back home within the next couple of hours from soccer and swimming clubs (after they finished at school) before either Snow or Ruby would be back, so he texted them telling them not to come thundering in as Emma was sick and asleep. He immediately received two responses on the little group chat between the three of them, he should probably have chastised them for both texting while in their classes but he couldn’t bring himself to do so, instead he quickly assured them that they didn’t need to rush home, they could just arrived home at their usual time.

Next he scrolled through his phone until he reached the number for Granny’s diner, knowing that Ruby would most likely have her phone on silent no matter if she was working on the books of the place or was waitressing, the landline was a sure fire way of being able to talk to her. He smiled as he heard Granny’s automatic greeting for the diner, he said hello back and politely asked to speak to Ruby, feeling relieved when he was passed over straight away instead of stuck talking to his wife’s grandmother, perhaps his worry over Emma was showing in his voice.

“Hey babe, what’s up?” Ruby greeted breezily.

“Hey Rubes, you wanna bring take out home? From Granny’s or Chinese from Top Wok? I could ring it in and you could pick it up.”

Ruby laughed a little, David was usually the one to cook when both she and Snow were working late, she figured that her husband was just being lazy. ”Let me guess, you and Em are too absolved in watching Peppa Pig to pick something out?”

David frowned, and looked over at the screen which he hadn’t realised was still playing the cartoon, he groaned as he flicked it over to an episode of Cake Boss, knowing that it was appropriate should Emma wake up. “Nah, she’s zonked out.”

“Still?” Ruby frowned and her head shot over to look at the clock thinking it must be earlier than it was if Emma was still asleep.

“She’s not feeling too good.” David explained, he could practically see her in the diner twirling the cord around her finger and frowning at the clock. “She’s got a fever, she says that her head hurts, and pretty much everything else – oh, and she’s not eating, I just about managed to get a bottle of PediaSure and medicine into her before she fell back asleep.”

Ruby’s heart broke for her youngest baby. “Do you want me to come home early?”

David looked down at Emma cuddled in his arms before he gently shook his head. “Nah, we’re okay here, she’s just sleepy and cuddly, I’ll probably be able to change her diaper and into a onesie without her even waking, there’s no need for you to rush.”

Ruby sighed, she debated insisting on going on but one of the waitresses had called in sick and the next shift wouldn’t be starting until she was leaving anyway. Plus she was now tasked with not only picking up her wife from work, on the way home, but picking up dinner… still, Chinese take out did sound good… “Do you want me to text Snow and let her know?” She grimaced at the thought. “Would she worry more if she knew, before she left work, or would she kill us for not telling her?”

On the other side of town David grimaced in sync. “She’ll probably be both, but she has a couple of meetings with parents, right?” He heard her agreeing that she had. “Then, I’d rather wait ‘til you pick her up, at least then she gets a little warning but she doesn’t sit there worrying as she’s tryna sit through the meetings.”

Ruby hummed in agreement. “If I’m having to tell her, you can order me some duck spring rolls.”

David smiled, he’d order some fried wontons for his other wife too, he knew she wouldn’t be best pleased, but if there was a way he thought that Snow or Ruby could help their daughter any more than he already was doing, then they’d already be there. “Sounds like a fair deal to me, I’ll call it in for you to pick up on your way home, the boys should be back the same time as you.”

“Okay, hun.” Ruby stared at the clock, already counting down the hours, even more so than usual. “Ring me if you need me home early, or anything else, promise?”

“Cross my heart.”

Over the next few days Emma continued to act as she had been, mostly she seemed sleepy and would spend her time cuddling up to her parents, refusing to be out of their arms for longer than ten seconds. Although she was usual close to her brothers she would only talk or even pay any attention to them, if she was already sat with one of her parents.

Ruby was sat with Emma cuddled but asleep on her, her head was resting on her chest, and Ruby was gently stroking her hair. She checked down to make sure that she really was asleep a couple of times before she waved over at Neal, who was sat reading with headphones in, to get his attention.

“What’s wrong mama?” He asked placing his book down on the arm of the chair making sure that he wasn’t about to lose his place.

“I just need to go to the toilet can you sit with Emma cuddled up on you?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth Neal was already nodding his head. “I’m scared that if I put her down on the couch she’d going to wake up.” She stood up with Emma still cuddled close and walked over to Neal as he sat waiting for Emma to be placed into his arms. She did so slowly so Emma wasn’t about to wake up.

Emma stirred a little but settled as Neal pulled her blanket closer around her.

Ruby pressed a soft kiss to the top of her blonde curls. She stood up a little more and brushed her hand through Neal’s hair.

“Mama.” Neal half scoffed half whined, quietly so that he wouldn’t wake Emma.

Ruby rolled her eyes, he was at that age where he was concerned about his hair being perfectly styled, god forbid someone messed it up. “When you were Emmy’s age, you were only calmed to sleep if I stroked your hair, you were always wanting one of us to play with it – well, mainly me, but that’s ‘cause I’m the best.”

“Yeah, but now I’m eighteen years old, not eighteen months.” Neal smirked, his hand automatically went through his hair, but he remembered being six and worried about starting in 1st grade and his mama running her hand through his hair when his three parents dropped him off at the school together before all going to work, it had calmed him then and it still did now… when he let her do so.

“You’ll always be my baby, your mom and dad feel the same,” she watched him look as though he was about to make a protest but she just smiled and started to move out of the room before calling back over her shoulder, “you don’t get a choice in it.”

Neal shook his head as his mother walked from the room, but he couldn’t shake the smile from his face, sure his parents were embarrassing but he could never doubt how much they loved him, his siblings, and each other.

He looked down at his little sister with love, like the rest of his family he hated the fact Emma was feeling so ill, especially as nothing he could do – Emma barely cared to have her favourite books read to her which their parents always assured him wasn’t his fault, it still hurt, he and Emma were usually rather close, it sucked not to be. He brushed his hand over her brow as she slept, it was warm but not so hot that it signified that it was time to try and coerce her into taking more medicine.

He thought nothing of it when he noticed a spot on her face, but frowned when he saw another couple on her forehead, he was trying to see if Emma had just scratched herself when he heard his mom, dad, and brother all entering the house, his mother and father headed toward the kitchen while his brother skidded into the living room.

Tyler wasn’t surprised that his brother was in practically the same position in one of the arm chairs in the living room than when they had left him, Ruby, and Emma to go get some groceries. He had been about to throw the packet of skittles David and Snow had picked up for Neal at his brother’s face, his usual delivery method, when he noticed that he had Emma in his arms. So, instead, the teen walked over and nicely handed the pack to him. He sat on the arm of the armchair near their sister’s head and joined in looking down at her. “She’s gonna be okay, right?” His blue eyes flickered to his brother’s ones. He and his brother had the usual brother relationship where they were able to piss each other off to no end, but only because they were close and loved each other, and Tyler still looked to his brother as the smartest person he knew.

Neal’s eyes met Tyler’s, he could tell how worried the middle Charming was over the youngest, Tyler wore his heart on his sleeve, he was so very like their mom. Neal sent him the charming smile they had all inherited from their father. “Of course, you know she always gets ill ‘cause her immune system sucks, anyway if something was really up mom, mama, and dad would be more worried.”

Tyler let out a somewhat shaky breath as he nodded his head, he knew he was being silly, but he had to make sure or he’d drive himself mad.

Neal’s eyes returned to Emma’s red marked face. “Hey, Ty?” He waited to hear his brother’s verbal acknowledgement before carrying on speaking. “Do these look like spots or scratches?”

Tyler peered closely at them. “Erm, spots?... Shit, there’s more on her scalp.”

Neal didn’t bother to say anything about Tyler’s choice in words, the boys were careful not to swear in front of their parents or little sister, but they didn’t bother to refrain themselves around each other. Instead he simply looked closely at her scalp and frowned, it wasn’t hard to see the bright red spots through Emma’s almost white hair, but only if one was looking.

Neal and Tyler were still staring at Emma’s head with worry as all three of their parents’ voices drew closer.

Ruby, David, and Snow all looked puzzled but amused as they came across their sons looking as though their baby’s head was the magna carta.

“What’s so interesting guys?” David asked quietly, chuckling a little as the boys jumped and looked up, he looked over at Emma too unsure as to what they were looking at from his place on the other side of the room.

“Em’s got some spots on her face, and on her head, I think she’s getting more and more…”

Ruby, Snow, and David’s amused looks disappeared at Neal’s words and they stepped closer to their three kids. Snow carefully slipped Emma from Neal’s arms and sat on the couch, Ruby and David sat on either side of her as she cradled Emma.

Ruby was sat near her head and staring intently at the spots on her head. “Theses weren’t there before, or at least I didn’t see them, how didn’t I see them?”

“They probably subtly appeared.” David soothed. They all had a shared inkling about what the spots and illness was, he was starting to wonder if the spots had been there while he was watching Emma, could they have figured out that Emma had these before? “Does she have them anywhere else?”

Snow gently lifted up Emma’s pyjama top but they couldn’t lift up her bodysuit vest, it made Emma stir and start to wake up, Snow tried to rock her back to sleep but Emma’s eyes popped open. “Sorry baby, we didn’t mean to wake you up, did you have a good sleepies?” She smiled as Emma twisted in her arms so that she could cuddle close to her and moved her head close to her sleepily. “I’m sorry we woke you up, can mommy, mama, and daddy just quickly check something?”

“Why?” Emma asked rubbing her eyes.

“It’s okay, sweets, nothing you need to worry about.” Snow soothed knowing that Emma wasn’t really aware of what was going on. She just carefully manoeuvred the toddler as Ruby and David worked together to get Emma’s pyjamas and vest off. They all gasped as they saw that Emma’s body was covered in red spots.

“What the-?“ Tyler managed to cut himself off quickly.

“Is that chicken pox?” Neal asked at the same time.

“Yeah.” Snow was the first one to recover from the shock, as Emma started to tug at her top clearly wanting to be fed, she covered Emma in a blanket to keep her warm as she fed her. “It’s okay, baby, you’re okay.” She shared a look with her husband and wife as Emma latched on and started to drink.

The parents tried not to give away the worry in their faces.

Neal caught on. “You guys know how to cure this… right?”

Ruby spluttered as though she was offended by the insinuation. “Of… course… Of course we know how to help chicken pox!” She leant back beside Snow and wrapped her arm around her as she stroked Emma’s curls.

“Yeah, of course we do!” David agreed acting just as insulted as much Ruby, he tried to go through his mind to remember how they dealt with it with the boys, as he thought he filled in the silence. “Neal caught it when he was five, then of course he past it onto you Tyler, we dealt with a five year old and a three year old with it while all three of us worked. And you’re both still around.”

“Exactly.” Snow agreed but she was trying to remember the logistics of the illness and how to help just as hard as her spouses. “Anyway, it’s probably not going to get much worse than it is now, neither of yours did.”

Emma, it turned out, did not have a mild case of chicken pox like her brothers had had, in fact she seemed to have the opposite, she had spots growing on spots on spots – understandably she was miserable.

David was mostly sat up, he had several pillows behind him and blankets wrapped around him, he had Emma cuddled on his chest, she couldn’t sleep unless someone was sat up with her, she screamed blue murder and David had had to go with her on a drive until she fell back asleep. Snow was leaning against him while Ruby had her head in her lap, Snow’s hand weaving through her long dark hair as she held an iPad above her head.

“Okay, apparently this might work-“

“According to whom?” Snow interrupted.

“…’Mumsnet’…”

Snow laughed quietly at Ruby’s admittance. “Didn’t you used to call them ‘stuck up bitches whose kids are going to turn to drugs to escape their interfering mothers and absent fathers?’”

“Yeah?” David smirked. “Wasn’t this before you said that you were never, ever, going on it again because they insulted a post you put on there mentioning us being a throuple?” He saw her glare up at him and he widened his eyes to show he meant no harm by his reminder. “Not that we blame you, babe, they were idiots and you were right, as always.”

They knew of course that that was an unfair judgement of all of the mothers on the site, and Ruby didn’t really mean what she had said (if only for their kids’ sake rather than the mothers), but Ruby had been rightly hurt, they had too, but Ruby had received it first hand.

Snow leant down and pressed a gently kiss to her lips as an apology, Ruby clearly accepted as she responded, Snow pulled back and cuddled back up to David and resumed stroking Ruby’s hair. “So, any suggestions?” She sighed glancing at Emma. “I will literally take any at all.”

“Yeah this one has a list: ‘Homemade soup. Lettuce leaves down her nappy, this site’s British so I assume they mean diaper... A lot of medicine.… And eye of newt and toe of frog…?”

“That’s from Macbeth.” Snow snatched the iPad from her wife’s hands. “Did you notice all the question marks after this? Or that it’s the first one? …Or the sarcasm? You’ve got to know that this isn’t being serious Rubes.”

Ruby turned red and mumbled. “Well… I… In my defence the girl I had tutoring me in lit class was really attractive…we kind of didn’t get past the ‘Macbeth was written by Shakespeare’ before we started to get distracted.” She said fluttering her eyelashes up at her wife and husband. “… We only got more distracted when this really hot guy moved to our school...”

“As sweet as that is…” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her wife’s lips as David laughed in the way they had learned to do so not to wake Emma. “…You’re so just trying to distract us from the fact that you were this close to trying to use amphibian body parts to help our one and a half year old baby.”

“You did say you’d take any suggestions.” David pointed out in defence of their wife.

“I’m not stretching to witchcraft just yet.”

“So... we’re not thinking about calling your stepmom just yet?”

She playfully hit his chest. “I dare you to say that to Regina’s face.”

“I’m not that brave.”

Ruby giggled looking back up at her husband. “Our Prince Charming.”

David rolled his eyes at the joke about his last name, one that had often been made often, both in good and bad ways. “You seriously think that we could get Emma to have lettuce in her diaper? She refuses to eat anything green unless it’s candy or a popsicle… Do we just like empty one of your salads into it?”

“D’you think it’d be better for her with other veggies?”

“Dressing or no dressing?”

“Didn’t we do like an oat bath or something for the boys when they were kids?” Snow tried to move the conversation back on track from her spouses joking, she knew that Emma would probably wake soon, she was hoping to make it at least a little better as soon as possible.

“What like a tub full of porridge?”

“We could try convince her to eat breakfast in there too, two birds one stone.” Ruby shrugged.

Snow laughed before she frowned as she tried to remember. “I… don’t think so? I mean… that doesn’t sound quite right… does it?”

David smiled at down at her. “You’re adorable when you frown.” He pulled her into a kiss.

“’Am not.” She pouted.

“The cutest.” Ruby agreed with a teasing smile.

Snow couldn’t hide her smile at the pair so tried to shrug it off with a roll of her eyes. “We should get sleep before our little Koala wakes needing me, she’ll probably crying, poor love.” She looked sympathetically over at her daughter. Emma was usually quiet but since getting ill she’d woken crying, Snow had started to quickly give Emma medicine before feeding her. She had tried to do so without her waking her spouses up too, but Ruby and David wouldn’t hear it, they didn’t expect or want Snow to have to deal with it on her own - they dealt with Emma being sick the same way that they did everything, together.

“You sure you don’t wanna ask your mom for help?” David asked quietly as the bedside lamp was turned off but before any of them had dropped off.

“No.” Snow said resolutely.

David pressed a kiss to the top of Snow’s head. “Sweetheart, this isn’t the same as when Ty or Nee were babies, it’s not like we’re barely adults who have no idea how to do this parenting thing, with Regina judging our ability to make sure that they don’t end up in care or messed up beyond belief... And our relationship with Regina is different, Robin and Marian really mellowed her out along with the kids, and she doesn’t hate me...” He could feel the amused look his wives were given him even in the dark. “… Okay, maybe she doesn’t hate me quite so much as she used to.”

“You did steal her step daughter’s ‘virtue’.” Ruby tried to sound serious but didn’t succeed very well especially when Snow playfully shoved her.

“Just… Just how much virtue did Snow have left to lose?” He let out a heavy breath of laughter when Snow playfully hit his chest.

“That’s a fair point.” Ruby felt Snow kick her under the covers. “I’m just saying…. We live in Maine… there’s a lot of Snow which needs to be ploughed.”

“We’re moving.”

“Uh huh.”

“Somewhere hot.”

“Where it never snows.”

“Night night Snowy.”

“Night Frosty.”

“I hate you both….” She said though it was clear that she meant the opposite.

“Sure.”

“Understandable.”

There were a few minutes of silence, if Snow didn’t know her spouses so well, she would have assumed that they were asleep. “If Emma’s still sick in a few days we can call Regina… I just don’t want to feel like, like, I need her for every little thing… I’m thirty eight and I feel as though I need her a crap ton more than I did when I was eighteen.” She sighed knowing what they were all thinking.

“Things are a lot different than they were when you were eighteen.” Ruby nuzzled against Snow’s shoulder lovingly. “You haven’t only just realised what your dad was like, and Regina isn’t taking it out on you or making a tense atmosphere.”

“It’s okay to need her, I know she’s not your birth mom, but she’s been your mom for years - she loves you, she’s not trying to outsmart you or outdo you..” David agreed. “She likes you going to her for advice, and as much as I hate it she does give good advice, but we’ll only let her know if and when you’re ready.”

“Just… Just… give me a couple of days? If we haven’t found a natural or medicine remedy… or divine intervention… then we can ask her.” She felt her heart swell at understanding both of her spouses had for her, she also knew that they would all put Emma first, she’d put her pride aside if need be.

“As much time as you need.” David kissed the top of her head before kissing Emma’s head too.

“We won’t mention a word to Regina.” Ruby kissed her cheek. “Or Marian, or Robin… who’d ever have thought that we have this many in-laws.” She joked.

They all had different ways of trying to distract Emma from being sick and to stop her from scratching.

Mostly David, Snow, and Ruby would just cuddle up with Emma – they would watch cartoons, movies, sing lullabies, or read her stories. They kept coercing her into eating, and filling her with medicine and kept trying to find things which would help, it wasn’t working but it had only been a day and a half so Snow was still waiting for a miracle.

“Are you guys sure that you can watch her for a couple of hours?” Ruby stressed twiddling with her keys in her hand as she looked down at the three kids sat on the couch, Emma was sat between the two boys eating dry cheerios from a little bowl. “Your mom won’t be back from that meeting ‘til lunch but your dad should be back from getting groceries and a couple of other things in just under two hours.” She checked her watch and realised that it would probably be the same time. “Or I can just call Granny and tell her that she has to call around a few more people or I’ll just hold off going until your dad or mom get back.“

“Mama-“ Neal tried.

“Or I could call your Grandpa, Nana, and Grandma? I mean they don’t know that Emma’s ill, because your mom hasn’t told Regina, so of course we couldn’t mention it to Robin and Marian or they’ll have to tell her-“

“Mama-” Tyler tried this time but Ruby just kept going.

“But I can call them! They have like a million kids, well five, but still, they have enough to be able to look after a baby with chicken pox for a couple of hours…. your mom will get over Regina knowing… after some convincing… and grovelling….”

Neal and Tyler shared a look. “Mama!” They said at the same time finally gaining Ruby’s attention.

“We totally have this mama.”

“Yeah,” Neal agreed trying to show how sensible he was through his voice, “we’ve babysat Emmy loads, haven’t we Koala?”

Emma looked up at Neal then Ruby, she tilted her head to the side, she tried to scratch her face but it was near impossible to do so in the mittens she had on, as were most things. ”You goin’?”

Ruby bit her lip. “Yeah, pup, or I can stay here with you if you like?”

“Or you can stay with me and Ty Ty?” Neal said excitedly trying to convince Emma.

“Yeah, we can have lots of fun and do all different things? We’re much more fun than mama.” Tyler encouraged, shooting a charming smile over to his mama, though she didn’t seem to notice his joking insult.

Emma lifted her hand up towards Ruby and started to wave. “Bye bye mama.”

“Wow, that cuts.” Ruby said dramatically. “Okay… but only if you’re all sure… it’ll just be a couple of hours, just watch a movie, Em will probably drop off… just nothing inappropriate on in case she wakes up and decides to start swearing or something.”

“Yup.”

“And you have my number, and Granny’s, and your dad’s, and your mom’s, and the school’s in case your mom doesn’t pick up, and your Grandma’s – but only if it’s an emergency!”

“We know.”

“It might be best calling your Nana or Grandpa, oh the paediatrician’s number’s on the fridge, but if it’s a real emergency just call 911.”

“What’s 911?” Tyler joked knowing his mother was going overboard. “I know! Mama! I know what it’s for, just a joke, jeez.” He said quickly before Ruby could freak out or worry.

“Okay, okay, I get it – none of my kids want me.” She watched the boys roll their eyes at her and Emma continue to wave clearly not understanding why Ruby was still there when she had already said she was going out. “Okay, okay, I’m going… just watch a movie, you don’t have to do anything else… Thank you so much, both of you, for this favour.”

Eventually they managed to get Ruby out of the house, Tyler went back into the room where Emma was sat on Neal’s lap. The boys shared a look they hadn’t been planning on just sitting there quietly, they were going to cheer up their little sister. They quickly made a big fort and grabbed paints, toys, play dough, stories, toys and various other things. They were sure that it’d be fine, better than fine, it’d be great.

Marian had run into Ruby at Granny’s shortly before Ruby had managed to get off, Ruby had tried to keep mum about everything but Marian had seen Snow at the meeting at the school (which Snow was still stuck at) and seen how off and worried she seemed. Marian may not have seemed it, but she could be scary when she wanted to be, Ruby eventually spilled about how bad Emma’s chicken pox were and that they weren’t sure what to do. Marian, being one of Emma’s grandmothers and caring for all of the family, insisted on going to help – even promising to keep it quiet from Regina, even if she didn’t strictly approve of that, nor like lying to her wife.

Robin had run into a similar predicament when he had run into David at the store, he saw how worried his son in law was and noticed the groceries he had and put two and two together. Like Marian he insisted on going and helping, when he got into David’s car he realised that they weren’t sure how to help Emma judging by the fact David appeared to have bought the entire stock of every type of medicine from the pharmacy. Before David would drive anywhere he made Robin promise not to tell Regina.

Regina was on the other side of town, not amused, not in the slightest. She had tried calling and texting her step-daughter on several occasions over the past week, she was largely being ignored, with only enough (closed off) responses for her to know that Snow wasn’t dead and that the kids were ‘fine’. But Regina had been a mother for long enough, now, to know when something was up and that she was going to get nowhere simply hoping that she would suddenly be told everything. So she decided to drive over to the house

As luck would have it, all six of the adults arrived at the house at the same time, Snow saw her step-mother and turned as pale as her name suggested. Ruby, David, Marian, and Robin all looked sheepish, Regina could tell that something was being kept from her from their looks, but she was fairly certain it was something new to the pair of them as they were terrible liars and she would have been able to wheedle it out of them had they been alone.

They heard Emma’s crying through the closed doors and windows.

Snow had no choice but to let them all in.

The living room was in chaos, there were blankets, cushions, and toys everywhere. Furniture was everywhere out of place, the couch upturned, with Tyler standing on it looking worried. The dog ran to greet them with different colours of paint dried on his fur. And Neal stood holding Emma looking like he was about to have a breakdown, as Emma screamed in his arms with fat tears rolling down her splotchy cheeks, some of her spots were weeping, and Snow quickly dropped her bag and ran to take Emma into her arms.

“What on earth is going on here?” Regina raised her eyebrow as she asked them all, she didn’t need to be told by anyone that Emma had chicken pox, that much was obvious. Nor did she really have to be told that Tyler and Neal had volunteered to look after her, they were responsible and did so often enough. What she really meant was- why did she have to go around to their house after getting her texts and calls repeatedly ignored by David, Ruby, and Snow to find out that she was this sick?

Snow cuddled Emma to her chest rocking her as she calmed Emma, but she didn’t speak, neither did her spouses, they figured it was best to follow suit of their wife.

“We… We didn’t mean to make this mess, we were just trying to help Emmy.”

“We know Ty, it’s okay –“ David said. He spared a look at Snow who had her eyes firmly on Emma as she rocked her in her arms, she was clearly trying to ignore the fact that her stepmother or her step-step-parents were all there.

“-We were just trying to do something fun for Emma, and she hated having the gloves on and we tried to stop her from scratching but we didn’t want to hurt her or anything – and then she seemed to feel even sicker so we were trying to cheer her up with different toys and didn’t have time to clean up.”

“Neal.” Regina said firmly but kindly. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. Now, why don’t you boys go get changed, then you can help your parents and grandparents tidy up in here? “ It was clear that the question wasn’t a suggestion. “Your mom and I will bathe Emma. Won’t we, Snow?”

“Re-“ She saw the look Regina was giving her, and sighed, she bit her lip still avoiding looking at her again. “Right.”

Snow took Emma upstairs to the big family bathroom as Regina headed around the house to grab different things.

“It’s okay, baby, you’re going to have a nice splashy bath. I’m sorry, Emmy, I’m sorry for leaving you.”

Regina entered the bathroom with a pair of tights Ruby had given her, filled with oats, and some bicarbonate of soda. She hung the tight from the tap as it ran and added the bicarb.

“These should help her feel less itchy. I’ve sent Robin to the store to pick up some other bits.” Her voice was quiet and cold. “Marian and Ruby are putting together some lunch while the rest of the boys tidy.”

The bath time was otherwise silent, with Regina and Snow only talking to Emma, not each other.

“Is it really that bad?” Regina asked eventually making Snow look at her. “Asking me to help with my grandkids? Or for advice? Am I really that bad a stepmother that you can’t even tell me that my only granddaughter is sick or to ask me for a little bit of help?”

“I, I, I just…” She wasn’t sure how to word her thoughts especially when she heard that Regina sounded hurt. She sighed. “It’s just, you’ve raised five kids, perfectly. You always know exactly what is up with them and how to help them – you’re the mom who knows every single way to get them well or feeling better… and I can’t, I can’t even remember how we helped the boys. I rang the paediatrician and they said that she should be okay but if she gets worse to take her in, but I don’t know if she’s bad enough to, and I don’t want to be that neurotic mom. I’m nearly forty and I feel as though I have no idea how to help my baby, I feel like I’m failing as a parent.”

Regina didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. “Six.”

“What?”

“Six kids. I didn’t have you, but I’ve been your mom since you were ten, I will never replace Eva but you’re still mine, too, I raised you.” It wasn’t often that they just talked like that but it had to be said. “You were ten, and I was twenty, I was barely an adult… Then you got chicken pox and I had absolutely no idea how to help you. I didn’t have a mother to turn to, I mean you’ve met her a couple of times I didn’t want her to be a major part in your life she’s not exactly a loving grandmother type, and your father was always away on ‘business’ so he wasn’t exactly a big help.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Regina insisted. “I just… I went to the library and researched as much as I could about different ways to help you, with the rest of the kids it was easier because I had Robin and Marian and they knew loads more ways that their parents had told them… I wish that I had known them when you were a kid, I wouldn’t have been so bitter, and they would have made good step… well, step-step parents for you… But there’s nothing that I can do to change that. Once you had Neal, and we became a family again, I promised myself that I’d be there for you, in the way that Cora never was for me. You’re an amazing mother, you’re not failing, and it’s not failing to ask for help when you need or want it. I’m here for you, so are Robin and Marian, all you need to do is ask.”

Snow bit her lip again with tears in her eyes as she looked down at Emma.

Emma chose that moment to look up at her mother and realise that something was up. “Grandma! Mommy’s sad!” She shouted alarmed.

“It’s okay sweetheart.” She wrapped an arm around Snow’s shoulders as she spoke. “Your mommy’s just a little tired, I don’t think she’s been getting enough sleep while you’ve been poorly, I think you and she are going to take a nap when you’re out of the bath and we’ve put some magic cream on you.”

“Mommy too?”

“You want mommy to put the cream on too?” Snow asked and received a nod from Emma who was looking very sleepy now, but for once wasn’t trying to scratch the spots. “Okay, Emmy, sure.”

“And I’ll be here when you wake up from your nap,” although she sounded as though she was talking to Emma her words were for both girls, “we’ll get your cousins around and we can all have a movie day together.”

Snow smiled, now that Regina had mentioned it, she had vague memories of watching movies with Regina while she was covered in white spots from calamine lotion…. They had come a long way from just the two of them in a big house alone, but the changes which had occurred had all been for the better, in the long run.

#Red Snowing #Red Snowing Family #David Charming #Snow Charming #Ruby Charming #Emma Charming #Tyler Charming #Neal Charming #Regina Mills #Robin Hood #Maid Marian #Marian Hood #hood mills family #Maiden Outlaw Queen #fic #ouat #ouat fic

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