#he loves everything William hates about Eliza

[youdontneedhenry]

I don’t understand how they aren’t end game

2 x 04

[spidermans-l-o-v-e-r]

Strawberries and Cream Presents: ✨Garden Variety✨

Pairing: Eddie Diaz x Reader

Word count: 3k

Notes: You ever just…. Stare into the distance, while eating chicken fried rice and go… “Imma right another mini episode instead of finishing six”

Eddie is lying on his back in the driveway, it’s the morning so no one is really home anymore so he can make some noise. He’s got everything laid out neatly, all his tools in order, a little sample of your favorite shade of pink paint, and the instructions in hand. 

Too bad the instructions are stupid.

It’s all pictures and very minimal words and you’d think that would be great! But it’s not because do you put the little disky thing first or not

“Good morning Edmundo!” 

Eddie sits up, flipping his sunglasses back down over his eyes as he gets up off the ground 

“Good morning Mrs. Bennett” Eddie waves as he walks over to the older woman. They’d been his neighbors since he’d moved into the place and they were sweet, very nice, and helpful. He’d had dinner at their place often. Not to mention Mrs. Bennett was the only person he knew who called him Edmundo. 

“What’s going on here?” She gestures with her cane and Eddie sighs, putting his arm around her waist to hug her but also steady her a bit. 

“I’m trying to put together a raised garden bed for my….uh friend. She’s moving in today and I just thought this would be a nice little housewarming gift. I know how she feels about her plants” 

“Your “friend” huh?” She scoffs “That little thing we’ve seen coming in and out of here in Buck’s Jeep?”

The Bennett's loved Buck. Even he’d come over for dinner sometimes. 

Eddie’s cheeks flush and he rolls his eyes playfully 

“Yeah, my friend and coincidently Buck’s cousin” 

She huffs at the word friend again and he chuckles under his breath 

“A pretty girl like that, and you’re calling her a friend” she scolds him and he facepalms 

“Well I really do have to be getting back to work,” He says sassily, purposely ending the conversation and she hits his leg with the tip of her cane 

“Go get your lawn chairs for me and William I’ll be back” She turns to walk down to her house and Eddie follows her 

“No really it’s okay, I hate to “ 

“You’re not gonna be able to put that thing together by yourself. Go do what I told you to do”

She wiggles her cane threateningly at him and he puts his hands up 

“Alright alright I’m going” 

Eddie is just setting up a pitcher of lemonade and three glasses on a mini table when the Bennetts come walking about his driveway. Honestly, he’s surprised they’re both almost in their 80s when they barely look 70. Mr. Bennett is a bit more spry than his wife but god she makes up for that in attitude. 

“Good morning Eddie” He waves as he helps his wife walk up the driveway, she fusses at him to let her go but he doesn’t and it makes Eddie’s heart flutter

They’re cute sometimes. 

He’d bought these lawn chairs specifically for them actually, they were high enough that neither of them had to sit very far down and comfy enough that you all could sit there for hours talking, just like they liked. 

“Good morning Mr. Bennett” 

“My wife tells me you’re failing at putting together a flower bed for your girlfriend? Man we thought you’d never get a girlfriend” 

“Eliza!!” Eddie yells and she cackles while grabbing her lemonade cup 

“She’s not my girlfriend! She’s my friend”

“You mean that pre-“ 

“Yes! That “pretty little thing” that comes in and out of here in Buck’s Jeep is his cousin and my friend” Eddie finishes Mr. Bennett’s- William’s sentence and stresses friend again. God, they love to roast him constantly 

“His girlfriend’s moving in today so we better get started,” Eliza says and whacks Eddie’s butt with her cane. He sits on the ground, handing the instructions to William because he knows these two and there is absolutely no fighting them

“Tell us all about her! And why neither of you has introduced her yet” 

“You can meet her today for sure. And we didn’t mean to not bring her over, it’s just been kinda go go go these last few weeks you know? Ever since I met her there’s not been a dull day” 

Eliza and William look at each other as Eddie grabs a couple more boards 

“She’s so funny and very intelligent, I think you’ll like her. And I swear she’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever met, that's why I call her Sugar Cube. I’m a little excited about her moving in… I like being around her you know? Things are kind of brighter when she’s here. She also has the biggest attitude I’ve ever had to deal with in my life. She acts all shy and demure and then karate chops me out of the way for the last slice of pizza”

The Bennetts watch the way he talks about you, sharing a look with each other. 

Yeah. You’re totally not his girlfriend. 

“Have you made enough room for her in your closet? You’re gonna have to utilize your spare room closet that’s for sure” William says as he hands Eddie the hardware in the right order and his mouth drops open 

“She’s not moving into my room! She’s using the spare room!”

“Why would you put your girlfriend in the spare room” William asks 

“Maybe they want to make sure they have space. Moving in is a big deal” Eliza answers him and Eddie grumbles as he drills the two boards together 

“She’s got her own room because we are not dating” William hands him another set and he keeps working “Buck doesn’t exactly have the space for her… and I do”

“Get ready for her to redecorate your entire house” William snickers and Eliza glares at him 

“I don’t care if she does, I’m sure it’ll look good anyway. She has good taste”

“She’s dating our boy, of course, she has good taste” Eliza pats his shoulder and he lets his head fall against the boards 

“Yup! She is! And she’s got great taste!” He gives them a thumbs up, completely giving up on trying anymore. 

“So have you decided what flowers you’re gonna get her?” Eliza asks as she looks over the pretty pink paint 

“I thought she’d want to fill it on her own, she’s got like a tiny forest at Buck’s place” 

William shakes his head as he holds the boards in place for Eddie and Eddie’s eyes wander over to Eliza who’s giving him a hard stare 

“Is that… not what I should do?” He looks at them and she shakes her head 

“Hurry up with this we’re going to Home Depot when you’re done” 

“Yes ma’am” 

After putting it together, which actually was easy once William got him on the right track, Eliza helps him paint it while William puts the tools away 

“I hope she likes this shade, I know she wears it a lot” 

“She’ll love it. It’s pretty cute! Have you thought about putting something on it?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“William and I have some white paint left over from when we all painted the den last month. It’s in the garage, go get it for me” 

She takes Eddie’s paintbrush from him as he goes jogging over to their house. He steps into the garage, finds the can pretty easily, and grabs an extra brush from the work table before walking back over. William and Eliza are whispering about something and he narrows his eyes 

“What are you two planning?” He asks as he sets the can down and sits back down on the ground, accepting his brush from Eliza 

“Oh, nothing. Just married stuff, none of your business” Eliza tells him, finishing up her sides of the bed. William gets to work finishing installing the lining and Eddie finishes painting the legs 

“Alright, when we get back I’ll finish up with the white. Go wash up Eddie and meet us over at our house once you’re done”

“Yes, ma’am” Eddie salutes her as he heads into his house. 

Eddie sits in the backseat of their Toyota Highlander, their car is nice and very clean. He has no leg room but it’s a short drive anyway. He always enjoys their company, he even teaches William how to hook his phone up to the Bluetooth system at a longer red light. 

They pull into the parking lot and Eddie opens Eliza’s door, helping her out. She takes his arm and they walk straight to the home and garden section while William goes to find a cart 

“Now we’re only gonna get a couple, just as little starters for her so she knows you care about plants too. Even though you clearly don’t, I’ve seen your hostas” 

“Hey! I take care of them!” 

“No honey, I do” She pats his arm as they walk through the large rows of flowers. She points out a few that are pretty and some that will come back yearly 

“Hey, what about this?” Eddie walks over to a pretty hibiscus bush, it’s literally not anything they’re looking for but he just seems so enamored by it “Oh she’d love this” He says softly, holding one of the blooms in his hands “They’re her favorite and I know she doesn’t have any…”

He picks it up, looking it over“Maybe I can put it next to the bed for her. You think she’d like that?”

William and Eliza are standing together, watching him and how happy he looks hugging the giant plastic pot to his chest 

“Yeah, I think she’d really love that,” William says, putting his arm over Eliza’s shoulders 

Eddie puts it carefully in the cart with the other dozens of flowers (some that Eliza is sneaking home for her own garden) and goes off to look for a cute pot to put it in 

“I don’t think I’ve seen him that in love in all the years we’ve known him,” William says as he kisses Eliza’s head 

“No, I don’t think I have either” 

Eddie is kind of starting to get into this, and he picks flowers for his own beds too, ones that he wants to leave to plant with you so you guys can have something to do together. He knows how much you love gardening. They fill the cart with all kinds of different colors and types, and he learns way more plant-based things than he’d ever thought he’d know in life. 

But it makes you happy, and he’s more than happy himself to learn to take care of things you love 

Once they all get home they pull into Eddie’s driveway and he smirks. As much as this shopping trip was for him… it was definitely also for Eliza, who gets a playful scolding from William.

As soon as they’re done hauling Eliza’s plants over to her front yard and Eddie dumps the soil bags into the bed, he checks the time, wiping his hands on his pants 

“I don’t know if I’m gonna finish in time… I’ve gotta get to Buck’s soon”

“You let us worry about this, you’ve done enough. Go wash up and wear something nice, show a little skin 

“Oh my god” 

“I still have to add the white anyway, and I’ll plant the flowers for you because lord knows they’ll be dead if you do it”

“It’s literally putting flowers in the dirt!” Eddie protests and she pats his shoulder, steering him toward his house 

“I know honey. Now go get washed up” 

Eddie comes out of the house again a half hour later and walks over to the Bennetts. William is planting the flowers while Eliza is panting on the front of it 

“Is this to your liking?” He asks sassily as he holds his arms out, doing a little spin for her. 

They both look up at him and William chuckles, breaking up the soil pod on the geraniums. 

Eddie has on a black tank top, it’s not tight like he normally wears, it hangs on him, showing off his arms and more of his chest than normal, his black sweatpants hang low on his hips but they’re tighter on his legs. He puts his hands in his pockets 

“I feel like a slut” 

“Perfect”

“Eliza!” Eddie groans and gestures to William 

“I didn’t marry her 'cause she was tame,” he says, carefully planting the geraniums. 

“I’m leaving now” Eddie rolls his eyes and turns away, walking over to his car. 

“Thanks, guys… honestly” he waves and they wave back 

“Anything for you! Go get your girl!” 

Buck pulls into the driveway just as Eliza and William are finishing planting the flowers in a corner of the bed. He hops out of the car, literally leaving it running, and goes running over to the Bennetts 

“William!! Eliza!!” He yells as he hugs them both 

“I haven’t seen you guys in weeks!!” He puts his hands on his hips and William chuckles, patting his shoulder  

“That’s because you stopped coming over” Eliza scolds him and he puts his hand on his chest 

“Don’t blame me!! Blame Y/N! She has my car constantly!! Has Eddie introduced her yet?” 

“No, he hasn’t,” Eliza says in a cheeky tone. “Already yelled at him for it too!”

“He says they were just friends?” Buck asks in a low voice and Eliza nods 

“Didn’t believe him for one second” 

“Watch how he introduces her” Buck giggles as he offers his arm to Eliza and they walk over 

You’re still in the back seat, giggling about whatever Eddie said. He’s holding the frame of the car and leaning in, kissing your nose 

“Whatcha guys doin'?” Buck says cheerfully and Eddie pulls away fast, turning around 

“Ummm nothing” He steps aside and helps you from the car, and you brush off your shorts, standing in front of him. He shuts the door and puts his arm around your waist

“Y/N these are my neighbors and close friends, William and Eliza Bennett! Uh… guys this is my second “ he looks at Buck who nods happily “Best friend, Y/N” 

“Hi!! It’s nice to meet you” You back into Eddie a little shyly and he smirks down at you, holding you a bit closer to him Buck rolls his eyes sighing loudly 

You shake their hands and talk for a little, it’s very pleasant and you’re happy to meet them, though admittedly it feels like meeting Eddie’s grandparents. 

“So you’re dating our boy?” Eliza asks and Eddie pinches the bridge of his nose. You freeze a little, feeling your cheeks flush, and Buck snickers 

“Uh n-no! We’re totally just friends” You put your hands in front of you, shaking them “We are just friends” 

“Right… right” Eliza nods and Eddie’s mouth pops open. 

“Oh come on! You’ll believe her?!” 

You giggle and stick your tongue out at him and he swats your butt, your mouth drops open and your eyes nearly pop out of your head with how wide they go 

“Edmundo Diaz!!” You hit his chest and he takes your hands, laughing as he holds them to his chest. Buck walks by with a box in his hands 

“I literally have to deal with this daily you guys. Eddie can you show her your surprise so she can help me unpack the Jeep” 

You perk up, beating on his chest for an entirely new reason “Oh yeah!!! My surprise!! Can I see it? Please, please, please?!” 

Eddie turns you around, covering your eyes with his hands 

“Alright come on, walk forward” 

“How do I know you’re not gonna try and kill me” 

“Literally why do you think that every time” He walks you over to where they’ve placed the flower bed and kisses your head 

“Alright ready?” 

“Ready!!! Come on!!!” You squeal and he chuckles 

“Alright, you big baby” he uncovers your eyes “Surprise!” 

You stare at the pink flower bed, with beautiful white swirls and flowers painted on… and the name Diaz in large calligraphy right across the front 

“Oh Eddie it’s beautiful” You whisper, you’re eyes tearing up a little and he blushes deeply, scratching the back of his head 

“Hey, I can’t take all the credit. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the Bennett’s”

“Nonsense,” Eliza says behind you both and you turn around 

“It was all completely Eddie’s idea! I just happen to write better than he does” 

You hug her and Mr. Bennett anyway, thanking them both profusely, and turn around, walking over to it. You get on your knees and take a closer look at the details. They’re so pretty. You smile at them and turn around when something catches your eye 

“Oh my god!!!” You screech and Eddie flinches 

“Jesu- What??” 

“A hibiscus?!?!!” You cry as you crawl over to it and hug the pink pot to your chest 

“Oh my god, I totally forgot I bought that”

You get up and run over to him, jumping into his arms and knocking you both down, he laughs loudly as he holds you tightly to him while you pepper kisses all over his face 

“You’re the bestest friend I’ve ever had in my entire life” You squeal and Buck barks out a laugh as he piles another one of your boxes into the front porch 

“Yeah! Because I tackle my friend over and kiss him when he gives me gifts!” He shouts over to you two and Eddie tilts his head back looking at him 

“Buck, you literally do this all the time! You did this like last week when I bought you new sunglasses as a gift because you broke your old ones”

“Oh yeah…okay never mind this was a terrible example Carry on” 

Eddie sits up with you in his lap, squeezing you tightly 

“You really like it? I just wanted you to feel at home”

“I love it!!!” You hug him back just as tightly and kiss him passionately, mussing up his hair and he grins against your lips, loving the way you tug gently 

You pull away and nuzzle your nose against his “I already love living here, thank you” 

“Well fuck if you’re gonna kiss me like that, I need to give you presents more often” 

Buck puts his hands on his hips, staring at you two in the grass 

“Okay. Well, now I know I sure as hell didn’t kiss you like that!!” 

[raventheenigma]

Ranwan Playlist

Here’s my mainly Ranwan playlist, it started as a Chu Wanning playlist I built while I was reading; but it became a Ranwan playlist as I kept reading. So I hope you enjoy and I hope it inspires. All of these songs can be found on spotify. Song Count: 184 Estimated Time: 12 Hours Trapdoor-Twenty One Pilots Weight of the World-Citizen Soldier Would Anyone Care-Citizen Soldier I’m not okay-Citizen Soldier Always December-Citizen Soldier Empty Cup-Citizen Soldier Better Place-Citizen Soldier Kill my memory-Citizen Soldier Mess of Me-Citizen Soldier If these scars could speak-Citizen Soldier Face to Face-Citizen Soldier Phoenix-League of Legends, Cailin Russo, Chrissy Costanza Life Vest-The Material Lil’ Red Riding Hood-Amanda Seyfried I’m not an angel-Halestrom Elastic Heart (Rock Version)-Written by Wolves Someone you used to know-The Dark Element, Anette Olzon, Jani Liimatainen The Way Down-The White Tie Affair Trench Coat Angel (Accoustic)-Tyler Ward Walk You Home-Karmina Your Light-Will Morton, Julie Wemyss At War-Letters from the fire Last Goodbye-Dead by April Unbreakable-Citizen Soldier That’s no way to break a heart-Sherrie Austin Ten Million Voices-Shaman’s Harvest It’s Over when it’s over-Falling in Reverse Last night on earth-Delta Goodrem A dangerous mind-Within Temptation Only you-Ellie Goulding You’re my melody-Arion Marionette (Radio Edit)-Antonia Oblivion-Enemy Inside False Kings-Poets of the fall Sally’s Song-Amy Lee Ophelia-Natalie Merchant Bitter-Citizen Soldier Hope it Haunts you-Citizen Soldier The Raven-Karliene Sleep-Poets of the fall End of the World-Juliet Simms Never Enough-Karliene Possession (Piano Version)-Sarah McLachlan Madness-Ruelle Stand my ground-Within temptation Hate Me-Eurielle Wash it all away-Five finger death punch The man I used to be-Thomas Borchert Shot-The rasmus He’s hurting me-Maria Mena Home-Cavetown Far from home-Five finger death punch Remember everything-Five finger death punch I apologize-Five finger death punch Wrong side of heaven-Five finger death punch Can’t forget you-My darkest days Break your heart-Natalie Merchant I’ll be ok-Nothing More Paradise (What about us?)-Within temptation, Tarja Dog teeth-Nicole Dollanganger Head above water-Roll for it War-Poets of the fall My nocturnal serenade-Yohio In pieces-Citizen Soldier Kind and Generous-Natalie Merchant Killing me softly with his song-Fugees, Ms. Lauryn Hill Illusion and Dream-Poets of the Fall Bury me alive-We are the fallen As the world falls down-David Bowie Teeth-5 seconds of summer Dig the crazy-Faith Marie Hysteria-Def Leppard Fire and Ice- Olivia Bray You took the words right out of my mouth (Hot summer night)-Meatloaf No end, no beginning-Poets of the Fall Show me the meaning of being lonely-Backstreet Boys Battle Scars-Paradise Fears Don’t Speak (Epic Trailer Version)-Hidden Citizens, Tim Halperin Eat you-Caravan of Thieves Rise/The Greatest-Jacob Sutherland My little secret-Citizen Soldier Children of the sun-Poets of the fall The unquiet grave-Karliene Over and Over-Three days grace Just one yesterday-Fall out boy, Foxes I waited for you-Valora Please don’t make me love you-Jeremy Roberts, Frank Wildhorn, Kate Shindle Fair Game-Nivek Ogre, Lyndon Smith, Adam Pascal, Emilie Autumn I am only one-We are the fallen The willow maid-Erutan Fading Star-Weaving the fate In all my dreams I drown (Room 8:36)-American Murder Song Creature of the Night-Zombie girl, Sebastian Komor of Icon of Coil Welcome to Life-Awake at last Monster- Stream of Passion Warrior-Eliza Smith, Nathaniel Todd Young, Richard Tsutomu Williams, Taylor Lorraine Miranda, Tren Kiss from a rose-Seal Love Bites-Def Leppard Addict-Jonathan Young, Christina Vee scaPEGoat-SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Yosh Bleed like me-Garbage All the way/4U-Poets of the fall Killer in the mirror-Set it off Bottom of the River-Delta Rae Not gonna die-Skillet Carnivore-Starset Hero-Skillet My demons-Starset Dance with the devil-Breaking Benjamin Monster-Skillet Alpha-Little Destroyer Chasing Twisters-Delta Rae End of Me-Ashes Remain Everything Burns-Ben Moody, Anastacia How do you love someone-Yvan and Gabriel Skin and Bones-Marianas Trench House on a hill-The pretty reckless This is gonna hurt-Sixx:A.M. The Wolf-PHILDEL Even if it hurts-Sam Tinnesz Bad Word-Panicland Heal my wounds-Poets of the fall Moments before the storm-Poets of the fall My dark disquiet-Poets of the fall Carnival of Rust-Poets of the fall Breath of life-Florence + The Machine Save me-Morandi Better than I know myself-Adam Lambert Runnin’-Adam Lambert Can you hear me (Single Version)-Poets of the Fall Dancing on Broken Glass-Poets of the fall Lie to me (Denial)-Red Let it burn-Red Trip-Hedley This is war-Thirty seconds to mars Again-Flyleaf Seven Devils-Florence + The Machine No Light, No Light-Florence + The Machine Good to you-Marianas Trench All to Myself-Marianas Trench Comatose-Skillet Falling Inside the Black-Skillet Memories-Within Temptation All I need-Within Temptation Frozen-Within Temptation What have you done-Within Temptation, Keith Caputo I caught fire-The Used Walls could talk-Halsey (I just) Died in your arms (Epic Trailer Version)-Hidden Citizens Amen-Frankenstein World Premiere Cast Courtesy Call-Thousand Foot Krutch A little death-The neighbourhood Emperor’s New Clothes-Panic! at the disco Pit of Vipers-Simon Curtis Cruel-Tori Amos My Skin-Natalie Merchant For the man I loved-Karliene Tears of Blood-Karliene The wolf and the moon-Karliene Alone-Heart Hopelessly Devoted to you-Olivia Newton-John Innocence-Halestorm My arms-LEDGER Young and Beautiful-Eli Lieb We won’t be falling-(Guardian theme) The Analyst-Delta Goodrem I want your world to turn-Heart I hate myself for loving you-Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Dreaming wide awake-Poets of the Fall I want you here-Plumb Lead the fight on-She is we Monster-Beth Crowley MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT-Loveless Fairytale-Alexander Rybak Words that don’t exist-Citizen Soldier A new hope-Broken Iris Bag of Bones-Mitski As long as you love me-Backstreet Boys Quit playing games with my heart-Backstreet Boys Ashes-Celine Dion Careless Whisper-Skillet Dirty Thoughts-Chloe Adams One more night-From the Ash

[froggywritesstuff]

Blow Us All Away | Philip Hamilton (Chapter 5)

(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11)

‘Words Hurt’

"Y/N!"

Came a shout as Y/N and Philip entered the Hamilton house.

"Angie!"

The two girls embraced each other in a hug as if they were being reunited from war.

"Man," Angelica huffed, pulling away from the hug, "I thought you were coming over with Philip in the morning, but when you didn't I thought you two had canceled, so I took James out to the market, and when I came home, ma told me that you and Philip had gone out somewhere together, so I was just waiting for you, for like... ever."

Y/N let out a breathy laugh, "Yeah, probably should've told you."

"Eh, you're here now! And you're staying the night?" Angie asked, full of hope.

"Uh, wha- Philip?" Y/N asked, whipping her head to face a red faced Philip.

He just laughed nervously, "Ha, yeah..."

Y/N glared at Philip, before turning back to Angie, "Excuse us."

Y/N grabbed Philip by the collar, and pulled him into another room.

"Before you yell at me..." Philip started, fear lacing his voice.

Y/N stared at Philip, an eyebrow arched, arms crossed. She waited for Philip to give her some lame excuse, but grew confused when he said nothing, "What?"

"Nothing, I just don't want you to yell at me."

"You're an idiot." Y/N sighed.

"I know, but I told ma about the bank, and she really wants you to-"

"What?" Y/N asked, backtracking at what he said.

"She really wants you to stay-"

"You told Eliza about the bank?!" Y/N whisper shouted.

Philip quickly shut his mouth, realizing what he had done.

Y/N grew even more angry, and once again grabbed Philip by the collar, dragging him into a nearby closet, and slamming the door shut.

"You seriously told her?!"

"Y/N, I was just trying to help!" Philip desperately whispered, grateful that Y/N couldn't see the blush on his face.

"I don't care about that, Philip! I trusted you!"

"Y/N, I care about you, and I can't bare to see anything bad happen to you! You can't just expect me to stand by and watch your life fall apart and not do shit about it! You lost everything, and I'm trying to be there for you!"

Philip gasped at what he said, slapping a hand over his mouth.

In his defense, it sounded a lot kinder in his head.

Y/N was taken aback at what he said.

Yes, she understood what he was trying to say, and how nice it could've sounded, but what he said about her having nothing, and about her life falling apart really cut deep. She knew they were true, things that she had told herself everyday. But she hated how Philip saw that. She felt vulnerable when Philip had that knowledge.

"I-I didn't mean that-"

Before Philip could say anything, Y/N pushed open the door to the closet, small beams of light seeping through.

"I know," she said, stepping out the closet with a shrug, "still hurt."

—————————

The Hamilton's (minus Alexander) and Y/N sat around the dining table, the only sound was the scraping of knives and forks cutting through the slice of pork on their plates.

Y/N chose not to sit next to Philip like she normally did.

As usual, Eliza sat at the head of the table, to her left was William, who needed help with his food. Next to William was John, Alex, then James. To Eliza's left was Y/N, next to Y/N was Angelica, then Philip. Angelica could sense the tension between the two, and was definitely going to make it her goal to find out what happened. Once again, the empty seat for Alexander remained, well... empty. Y/N missed Alexander, and the two only saw each other maybe once a week when he's finally let himself take a break. She couldn't imagine how his actual family felt.

Finally, Angelica couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So, Y/N... you staying tonight?"

Y/N leaned forward slightly to catch Philip's eye, sending a look that said, 'I'm pissed at you, but I love your siblings and I'd die for your mother, so I'll be nice.'

She turned to face Angelica with a grin, "Yeah,"

"Can you sleep in my room? Please?" she begged, dragging on the 'e' sound.

"Obviously," Y/N said with a smile, before turning to Eliza, "Wait can I?"

Eliza laughed at the two, "Of course, dear."

"Thanks!"

Meanwhile, Eliza sensed something was wrong with Philip, "Everything ok, Pip?"

Philip was just staring blankly at the food on his plate and barely noticed his mother, "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm good."

Eliza didn't buy it, but wouldn't bring it up in front of everyone. Instead, she sent a questioning look toward Y/N, who simply responded with a shrug.

—————————

Once dinner was finished and everyone helped clean up, Y/N found herself lying on the roof of the Hamilton house. It was something she would always be doing at the Hamilton's, just gazing at the stars.

She hadn't even noticed another presence join her, until they spoke up, "It's useless to count the stars, you know?"

Y/N jumped a little bit, before realizing it was Angie, "It's also pointless to count your brother's freckles, but I persevere."

Y/N barely realized what she had said, until a laugh came from Angelica.

Angie sat down next to Y/N, placing an arm on her shoulder.

"Are you mad at him?" 

Y/N sighed, "I don't know. I mean he said some stuff to me that was bad, but I'd tell myself stuff like that everyday! It's just- where are you going?" she asked, looking up to see Angelica stalking toward Philip's bedroom window. She looked like she was going to rip his head off and hang it on her wall.

"What'd he say?!" she demanded, stomping back toward Y/N.

"Oh, god, nothing like that!"

"He made fun of you for cross dressing, didn't he?!" she growled through gritted teeth, "Oh, I bet he laughed!" 

"Angie-"

"I'm gonna kill him!"

"Ange-"

"And to think he told me he loved you!"

"Ange, just- wait what?" Y/N yelled, realizing what Angelica had said.

"Oh, I shouldn't have said that," she mumbled, "I mean, I assume he hasn't shown you the poems?"

"What? What poems?!" she didn't want to admit it, but Y/N was a blushing mess just at the thought of Philip writing poems about her.

"Oh... he hasn't," suddenly Angelica became very interested in her shoes, looking down at them to avoid Y/N, "well I gotta go!"

Before could sprint away from Y/N, she quickly stepped in front of her, blocking her way out, "Explain!"

Angelica sighed, "What's there to explain? He's drop dead in love with you!"

Y/N just rolled her eyes, 'He can't love me... who would love me?'

"Listen, Y/N. Whether you believe me or not, he is!"

"Wha- how? He can't be in love with me!" Y/N cried, though she was desperately hoping the opposite was true.

"People fall in love without reason. Without even wanting to. You can't predict it. That's love."

Angelica explained, before she grinned widely, "He's all like, 'For you Y/N? Since day one I knew I would do anything for you. I'd steal the stars to make you smile.'"

"Damn," Y/N whispered, "didn't know you were the poetic type, Ange."

"Oh, I'm not," she admitted, "that's a direct quote from Philip's journal," Y/N blushed deeply, her heart thumping, "but, you seriously haven't noticed it?" Y/N just gave a shrug, "He smiles like an idiot when he talks about you."

—————————

After the talk Angelica and Y/N had, Y/N was making her way to Angie’s room, when she bumped into last person she expected to see.

“Alexander?”

“Y/N?” he asked, confusion showing through his tired eyes, “What are you doing here?”

“Eliza said I could stay over. I didn’t see you at dinner...” she trailed off, expecting an answer from him.

“Oh, I just had a lot of work to do.”

Y/N stared at him. A stare that made him shiver. It was as if she were ripping his throat out with her eyes, “They miss you, Alexander.”

“I know.” Was all he said.

“They need you.”

“I know.”

“Do you?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“Y/N, I-“

“What? Is your work really that important that you have to isolate yourself from your family?”

Alexander was left speechless, which caused a sigh to escape Y/N’s lips, “I miss you, Alexander.”

With that, she stormed past him, not sparing him a second glance.

—————————

Y/N softly knocked on the door to Angelica's room, confused by all the noises she heard on the other side.

"Come in!" she breathlessly called.

Y/N pushed open the door, smiling when she saw Angelica kneeling beside a small bed frame, with an old mattress and blanket on top of it.

"You like it? Mama and I got it ready a few months ago in case you wanted to stay over, and now you finally get to use it!" she explained, smiling ear to ear. Her smile instantly vanished when she noticed tears falling from Y/N's face. She stood straight up and ran to Y/N, taking her hand, "Oh, no, what's wrong? Is it the bed? Cause I-"

"No, no," Y/N explained, wiping her eyes, "I love it. No one's done anything like this for me before."

"Oh," Angie gasped, "Happy tears, that's good!" she exclaimed, "Do you want a hug?"

Y/N laughed, "Yes please."

Angelica didn't hesitate to wrap her arms tightly around Y/N, "You know," she started, a grin on her face, "when you and Philip get married, we can be sisters."

Y/N blushed deeply, but laughed none the less, "Very funny."

Angie pulled out of the hug, staring at Y/N, "Very true. Now I know you're gonna hate me for this, but I do have a spare shift for you," (shifts were basically simple dresses women wore to sleep), "I know, I know," she huffed, walking over to her drawers, "Not your style. But they're so comfortable, and I have one in your size." she explained, dragging on the 'so' as she pulled out a shift, throwing it to Y/N.

She held it up in the air, examining it, before shrugging, "Better than what I've worn to sleep before. Thanks Ange!"

The two shared a small hug again, before Y/N walked off to get changed behind the curtain that Angie had no doubt gotten ready months prior.

—————————

"Finished?" came an impatient voice on the other side of the curtain.

Y/N smiled with a roll of her eyes as she pulled on the neckline of the shift, "Sheesh, Ms. Impatient, I'm coming."

A laugh was heard on the other side, followed by a loud groan, "Y/N, someone wants to speak with you."

Y/N rolled her eyes, knowing who it was already, "May I ask who?"

There was a small moment of silence, before Angie sighed, "He wishes his identity to remain a secret for dramatic effect."

"Hey Philip." Y/N said, smiling at the laugh from Angelica.

"I did not say it like that." Philip argued, only making his sister laugh more.

"Whatever, just come on out Y/N."

With a sigh, the curtain was pulled open, and Y/N was met with a wide eyed Philip and a smiling Angelica.

"You look great Y/N!" she exclaimed, smiling ear to ear.

"Thanks Ange." 

"I think Philip has something he'd like to say..."

"Huh? Oh, right," Philip mumbled, getting lost in his thoughts - which were all about Y/N, "Ca-can I talk with you outside, Y/N?"

"Sure." she answered blankly, walking out the door of the bedroom, Philip slowly following behind.

They stood in the hallway, Y/N staring at Philip, thinking about what Angelica had said. Philip on the other hand, he was just trying to keep himself from not entirely getting lost in his day dreams.

"You wanted to talk with me, why?" Y/N asked, a small chuckle at the end.

"Oh, right. I just wanted to say,... I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things, I didn't mean them at all, and I just-"

"I forgive you." Y/N said calmly.

Philip was shocked at those words, wondering whether or not she was joking and was going to bitch-slap him in the face.

"Re-really?" he internally cursed himself for stuttering so much.

Y/N nodded with a smile, "I understand what you were trying to say."

"Thank goodness," Philip sighed, earning a chuckle from Y/N, "So you know that I am just trying to be there for you?"

Y/N nodded her head, before wrapping her arms around Philip for a hug.

Philip's face blushed dark red as he hugged her back, before the hug was cut short by a familiar voice.

"Oh, get a room you two." Angelica sighed, standing in the door frame of her bedroom.

The two quickly pulled away from the hug, both of them blushing messes.

"Uh, g-good night, Y/N." he stuttered, sending a glare toward his sister.

"N-night, Philip." Y/N sighed as she walked back into Angie's room, playfully glaring at her.

"I mean, something was gonna happen soon if I didn't stop it." Angie said with a smirk.

Y/N rolled her eyes, "For the last time, he does not like me."

Angie sighed once again as she sat down on her bed, "Sometimes your total obliviousness blows my mind."

[robotslenderman]

Headcanon for my Vetinari/OC ship, my autistic character Eliza who's got a version of her in a few universes.

Later on in the post it starts covering Vimes and Sybil's relationship with Eliza, as well. (Vimes absolutely hates her because Eliza is a micromanager with a short temper when Vetinari's in trouble.)

First headcanon: Vetinari is aroace, and sex-indifferent. He will never be in love with Eliza, but he loves her dearly all the same. Eliza sometimes feels a bit insecure about this, but for the most part, she understands and accepts it.

The early years are difficult and Eliza is quite insecure because Vetinari is very emotionally unavailable. It doesn't help that Eliza, despite being brilliant compared to the average person, is nowhere near on his level and feels like she'll never be good enough. But, over time, they get a lot better at it.

(His struggle to give her attention and affection in the beginning is not because he's aroace, but because he's been on his own, emotionally speaking, for so long that he doesn't really know how to be warm and fuzzy. Actually being emotionally vulnerable is much more difficult than he expected, as he's used to projecting an aura of stonelike impenetrability out of sheer habit and also so used to being amazing at everything he does he is, deep down, quite scared to try something he might fail at. Once they're both willing to admit to themselves and each other that they aren't actually happy keeping each other at a distance, despite liking each other quite a lot, it gets a lot better.)

Eliza's got enough anxiety for at least two people. Vetinari finds it cathartic because this way, whenever something bad happens, she can panic on his behalf. No, seriously.

(She panics by pacing around thinking out loud and planning. So it's CONTROLLED panic, but she's speaking as quickly as a chipmunk on a cocaine high and her anxiety has hit the roof and gone into orbit, so it's clearly panic.)

Eliza' and Vetinari's arguments are usually near-silent. They usually consist of Vetinari staring at Eliza until she either gives in or comes up with a compromise he likes. Vetinari is quite pleased with this system. Eliza, who usually hates confrontation, actually agrees with him on this.

Vimes can't stand Vetinari, but likes Eliza even less.

Unfortunately for him, Sybil and Eliza are friends, which means a weekly dinner with both of them as guests. Eliza and Vimes are friendly enough to each other, but the dinners usually consist of Eliza and Sybil watching with popcorn as Vetinari tries to beat his record of winding up Vimes in the shortest amount of time possible.

Vimes HATES it whenever Vetinari winds up indisposed (whether arrested, poisoned, sleeping excessively due to being framed for murder, etc) because no matter how much Vimes hates his boss, his boss's wife is worse - she will actually show up at the Watch House and tell him how to do his job. Because unfortunately Eliza is the kind of anxious wreck who has to do SOMETHING when she's anxious, and her neuroses go up to eleven if someone fucks with her husband, and it makes her think she's helping when she's bossing Vimes around.

She is not helping.

(Except when she actually does, which just pisses Vimes off even more. If she were in The Truth, for example, she'd have thought to track down Wuffles much sooner than either Vimes or William de Worde did, and it would've driven Vimes crazy for her to beat him to the punch because it'd just feed her "let's tell Vimes what to do" complex.)

The Watch have actual plans on how to distract the Patrician's wife whenever the Patrician is in danger because it's the only way they can do their fucking job without her getting in the way.

Vetinari is absolutely no help in this regard. He just cheerfully tells Vimes to consider it extra motivation to sort out the crisis. He firmly believes Vimes works best under pressure, and Eliza is happiest in a crisis when bothering him, so Vetinari sees it as win/win.

Vimes eventually figures out that whenever something happens to Vetinari, he should deploy Sybil. All Sybil has to do is be an audience while Eliza paces the floor panicking at her and Eliza won't get it into her head to tell him what to do. Sybil also is discovered to have a hidden talent at pointing Eliza in a constructive direction in a way that doesn't get her under Vimes' feet.

Vimes finds out one day that Eliza actually likes him. He is horrified.

[angelfireeast]

Supergirl series final

Everyone got a happy ending and Densen got a big beautiful wedding that was just about them. A wedding that Thundergrace and Westallen were denied. It was so nice to see someone finally get that.

My thoughts as episodes aired:

Kelly looks so heartbroken while Alex is all rage😭😭😭

Alex and Kelly on same page of do anything for their daughter

Two ships are going go down in flames tonight and they are both as toxic as each other and I'm gonna laugh laugh laugh

They are breaking Esme's heart by making her think that her parents again and she losing being the love totem

Yes Andrea you are monster for doing whatever YOU THINK you have to do get what you want. You crossed the massive line and William was murdered for it. He died protecting you. You have no ethics.

William is someone Kara loves. That will make wackos angry even though she loved him as a friend not a love interest.

I'm so glad there is no "no killing Lex" talk. None of that bullshit.

Lillian laughing in Lex's face was good.

Esme is KILLING me "I'm drawing my mom's I want to remember them"😭😭😭

Alex is right 😭😭😭 Esme thinks those things

Everytime someone says "that's my kryptonite" all I think of Moldy Bread telling Kara that horrible kryptonite line for the dumb ship. So glad the ship is dust

Every scene with Nia and Brainy is making me more sad about their ending.

I don't care about Lillian Nyx or Lex drama. Drop this garbage.

Superheroes putting family before the world😱 Barry is told over and over just let Iris die. Would Barry be aloud to save his children like this?

Alex would do EVERYTHING to save esme that's a mother right there. I wish we had more time with mom Alex

Ha! Lex lost his girlfriend fast

Can Alex kill Lex painfully VERY soon pls. How dare he treat her daughter like that.

Omg Emse "They came" no one has ever showed up for before😭 and now she KNOWS her family will always come

So Kara is going have to quit being supergirl cause she fucked up with the sun thing?😒

Alex should have just shot that bastard in the back like he deserved before the fight started.

Esme being the smartest one there smashing the totem. Esme fighting for her family😭 she's so tiny and so brave. She found a family who will come for her. And she will fight for them😭 I love her so much.

What was the purpose for making Lex and Nyx's face turn into lizards?

Lillian jumping in front of blast for Lex😴

Love seeing the man Kelly helped being such a positive force for people inspiring Kara to think differently.

Kara inspired everyone to be believe themselves reminds me of s1 better angels.

Mon-Hell saving Kara😴

I hate Overgirl. Hate that they choose her to come back.

Love James and Kelly working together. Love the move of her jumping off his back.

I forgot the voice James used as Guardian😭

Did Winn do anything? I guess he shot the creature with the ship.

Did Eliza jump out with a shotgun😭

That was a meh ending to Lex and Nyx. Lex should be bones and dust.

Andrea you have no right to be at William's funeral. This is as bad at Caitlin/Frost hanging HR's funeral. She makes me sick.

Mon-El never coming back? 😆 One ship down and one more to go

Andrea selling CatCo was best thing she can do

Kara feel has nothing while everyone else is empowered cause it's the end of the series and the writers gave her NOTHING. They are setting it up that Kara can't have it all. She can't have the career, be the hero, have a love interest no she has to have one or nothing. BOO

aww the gift between James and Kelly🥰 I love my Olsen siblings

Brainy said fuck the future I have love

James is sitting beside Lena the SC must have their shotguns out pointed at him.

It's so nice to have a wedding where no is making eyes at someone else. Densen getting the attention they deserve for their happy ending.

Kelly is Alex's missing puzzle piece🧩

Lena touched James hand during Densen's vows I dread to think of the hate storm heading James's way from the batshit fandom🙄

Densen wedding was prefect. It was their moment and it wasn't made about anyone else. No was even making eyes at anyone else. It was full on celebrate THEM and their love and future. It's all I ever wanted🥰

Happy ending for J'onn and Megan too!

Why isn't James dancing with the group? With his sister and niece!

The writers just called Kara boring as if they didn't write her this way.

Ship number two shot down. "Friend" “of all the friends i’ve ever had” It's not queerbaiting it's been stated over and over.

If Brainy doesn't go back to join with the big brain does that mean Mon-El has a chance to come back? Blah I refuse his ass has is future and that's where his story is from now on. He's never coming back. We are free!

NOTHING FOR KARAMEL AND SUPERCORP🥳

Kara didn't give up being supergirl like I feared thank god!

Why couldn't WA and Thundergrace have a Densen like wedding😫 Especially Thundergrace who also had a wedding at the end of the series?

Future weddings better that a note out of Densen's book & looking at Wildmoore

What was Barry, Iris, Lois and Clark & his kids doing as the world was being sucked of hope, truth etc? I always feel weird about that

Deleted Scenes:

They deleted the only James/Esme scene? And it had such important scene with the gift and the 'I love you' and 'Uncle Jimmy'

[afy2018]

Take These Ch. 1

“Take these,” Xavier offered his colleague. He wrapped Svane’s personal journals in twine. “Ask Eliza if you wish to know more about Bulshar… just be careful.”

Nicole accepted the old books then continued their search around the camp. Bodies were strewn around the bloody pass, preserved by the frozen morning and the freshly fallen snow. The remaining Purgatorian soldiers took note of their fallen, carrying them to the front of the jagged pass for the caravan to take. It was the lasting effects of adrenaline that kept Haught from collapsing in the wake of their fief’s mass mourning. By mid-afternoon, everyone returned to the castle, recouping from the previous night’s entanglements. In a weird way, everything felt quite normal as the residents fell back into their previous patterns. De Behr’s men travelled back to London with their minor scrapes and bruises. Doll’s peers seemed to take their time, though as they mourned their colleague’s noble death. Eliza spent her time in the Atrium, the silent heart of the Earp manor recently cleared for usage in the middle of winter. Nicole joined her, awkwardly shuffling through a narrow path of snow.

“How may I help you, Dame Haught?” Eliza inquired, barely acknowledging her presence.

“What do you know of Bulshar?”

“Ah, Xavier told me you’d be asking sometime before I left. I’m surprised that in your training you weren’t informed about his existence,” she continued. “Bulshar Clootie-”

“Clootie?”

“Yes, he’s a cult leader from a prominent family in London who has been executing royal and historical lineages for the past three decades.”

“Is he still active?” Nicole asked, still standing at relaxed attention.

“Very much. He is responsible for massacring many old families mostly in Wales and Ireland. While I was still working in the Royal Army’s special forces, we raided his fortress and found a room filled with various trophies from his victims. We were able to identify eight of the twenty crests.” Eliza informed her. She took a deep breath and asked, “Dolls refused to explain why you were so keen on asking me about Bulshar, so you tell me.”

“I just need to know why his name has come up so frequently in my life.”

“You know, I thought I recognized your last name and colours. The Haughts are an Anglo-Irish family which we believe to be mostly safe from Bulshar’s tirade as the families we’ve identified are Gaelic or Welsh.”

“Does he have any heirs or wives?”

“Most likely yes, but nothing official.”

Nicole’s shoulders slightly slumped at her answer. “If you raided his base, why is he still active?”

“He’s slippery. We’ve lost many a spy by his hand, so when he inevitably found out we were raiding his base, he fled and we still have no clue as to his whereabouts.”

“Any feeling about where he might be? Or anyone who could be connected to him?”

Eliza reflected for a short while and said, “If you find Robert Svane he would know the most… maybe even your friend John Henry Holliday?’

“Why would John know anything?”

“Dolls told me that he was close to the Revenants, he might know a few secrets he hasn’t shared with anyone.” Nicole shifted her weight to the other foot, relaxing from her attention stance even more before finally leaning against the gazebo. Eliza then warned in a slightly more hushed tone, “Be vigilant and careful about who you share information with, Dame Haught. Bulshar has agents of chaos everywhere. Once you begin to investigate him, you’ll find that you can no longer trust anyone, not even the ones you love.” With that last piece of advice, Eliza lazily sighed, her demeanor completely shifting from just a few seconds before, “Anything else you felt you needed to know?”

“No, thank you, Dame,” Nicole bowed, then retreated to the castle.

John Henry Holliday, that’s who she needed to find. She hated searching for him as he was the laziest busy-body she knew. Nicole scoured the manor, first in Wynonna’s office, then down the Eastern wing, North, then South, but he was nowhere to be found. She did, however, happen upon her partner approaching their room.

“You look lost, Cesario” Waverly teased, wheeling her around.

“Cesario?” she questioned. Nicole couldn’t help but smile at her suave action and pecked her forehead.“I’m looking for John.”

“Oh, he’s playing dice at Shorty’s, currently getting rich at Shorty’s,” she remarked. “Is he in trouble?”

“No, actually, he might have some information about Bulshar…”

“Who told you that?”

“Eliza,” Nicole nodded towards the atrium. She mulled over her words and admitted, “If he knows about Bulshar, you may have been correct in thinking that he wasn’t as trustworthy as we originally thought.”

“Well, if he isn’t trustworthy, then why ask him?”

“I mean, he’s bound to say something true,” she guessed.

Waverly bit at the inside of her lip, “Why don’t you hold off on asking him. Wynonna’s known him longer and might help you prepare to call out his fibs when you question him.”

“Yeah, that’d be helpful…” Nicole agreed, fixing her partner’s St. Michael necklace and shirt. “So, if I’m Cesario, then who are you, Olivia or Orsino?”

“I would hope Orsino,” Waverly assured with a reaffirming peck on the lips.

“Where are you off to?”

“Gary needs help with the survivors, so I was going to get some bandages and salve.”

“How is Paul?”

“He’s very shaken. We had to amputate his leg and now… I’m not entirely sure what’s next for him,” she honestly sighed.

“Do you think he’s glad to be alive?” Nicole whispered.

Held back, Waverly asked, “Why? I’m… I’m sure he is.”

“I… don’t know. I was just curious. What would you do if you lost your leg?”

“I would continue my daily activities. Why, what would you want?” she carefully inquired, reaching up to her jaw.

Nicole pulled away, for a brief moment. “I don’t know. I think… I’m going to go ask Wynonna about John.”

Waverly watched her retreat into herself as she escaped their conversation to hide in her sister’s office for the time being. Despite their concerning conversation, she went along with her duties, collecting apothecary supplies to do her part in the reconstruction of their fief. Nicole found her way back to the office where Wynonna was still penning a letter to the Carlo brothers. She glanced up at her with a weak smile.

“Please tell me you brought something.”

“Just myself, and Svane’s dirty secrets,” Nicole explained, pulling the diaries from her satchel. “Wanna take a peak?”

“I’m a tad busy with the dead and all, but make sure to tell me the juiciest bits,” Earp remarked, going back to her letter.

Nicole sat down in the corner and began to pour over the old journals. There were seven in total and they spanned from 1601 to what would most likely lead into this past week. Svane’s writing in the first journal instantly began mentioning not only his father, Björn, but a cultist mentor Nicole assumed to be Bulshar. His writing was mostly chicken scratches, which made reading too difficult in certain passages. Sitting out of the way, Haught caught the various conversations between the ruling Lady and her citizens. Two of which, Pastor Williams and the local gravedigger Jones, were worried about last rites and proper burials in the dead of winter. It became all too real for her, though; and judging by the side glances she earned from Wynonna, it was getting to the young leader, as well. Earp kept a level head throughout the meeting and dipped into the treasury so Jones could bury the dead before they began to decay.

Once they left, Nicole asked, “How are you?”

“Considering I haven’t slept for the past three days, I lost Svane who’s probably going to attack us again, and this battle left three families with dead kids and another four considerably injured, I’m faring quite well,” she huffed. Wynonna locked them in the office and turned to her friend. “I- was it worth the bloodshed? Really, don’t bullshit me like everyone else.”

“I never do,” she admitted, thinking about her words. “I think it was. You dealt with an old foe who has been attacking and slaughtering your family for the past, what, four generations?”

“Six.”

“Exactly.”

“But was it worth doing that? I was prepared to execute a man. Could I really live with that blood on my hands? I know he killed my sister and father, but was he actually a bad man? I can’t help but think there was another way to do this and now I don’t think we can ever go back. You know in all of the years, the treaties and agreements, disarmaments and land disputes, the Earps have never attacked the Svanes like this,” Wynonna spiraled.

“I think there were only a few possible outcomes to your situation. In his anger and bloodlust, Svane could have changed his mind, but considering the ultimatums he gave you that really didn’t seem like an option, you offer your line and give your people over to a new unstable rule, you give yourself over and he returns to eliminate your issue, or you fight back and rid of him.”

“But I didn’t do that. I could have just killed him right there and then, but… I wanted to make a spectacle of it. Am I as bad as Robert?”

“If Svane were to return in any capacity, what would you do?”

“I would offer an agreement to co-rule over this land.”

“Do you think he would accept that?”

“I don’t know,” Wynonna pondered.

“I don’t know either. For the first time, I feel rather lost. I have another lead to who I really am, but I feel like I’m floating around in the ocean like a bottle with a deadly message inside.”

“What have you found so far?”

“According to everyone I’ve asked, Bulshar is a dangerous man with an ever-growing cult that has massacred many important families back home. He knows Svane, according to the journals, and somehow, there’s a link to me.” Nicole wrapped the diaries back up and placed them in her satchel. “I’m going to take a break, I just need to clear my head. I suggest you do the same. You need to sleep and clear your mind if you plan on leading your people through this.”

“Maybe it’s just insomnia, but I’m already missing Robert. He made living here exciting,” Wynonna joked. “Hey, can you keep this between us? I don’t need people knowing their leader is weak.”

“You are not weak, Wynonna.”

“I feel weak, then.”

Nicole went to open the door, the lock getting in the way.

“It’s locked,” Earp informed her.

“Yup, I know.”

“It’s also pull not push when you’re ready,” she chuckled.

“You ass,” Nicole joked on her way out.

“I’m gonna take that as a compliment!”

“How is that a compliment?”

“Because I have a great one!”

Nicole shook her head with that vibrant smile as she walked down the now candle-lit hallway to her room. The afternoon sun set by her shoulder, casting bizarre shadows into the old manor. In the tranquil building, every emotion began to rear its ugly head. In all of her years arresting, fighting, and inevitably killing, Nicole had never felt so affected by her actions. It may have had to do with the sheer intimacy she had with the people she was not only fighting for but sleeping alongside. Her fears suddenly came back with the dwindling light and she no longer knew how to cope with the losses. Returning to her room, Waverly stood by her side of the bed, pulling up a bundle of bandages and a jar of salve.

“Hey, sweetie!” she brightly exclaimed. “I know you’re going to say you’re fine, but we should really bandage you back up.”

“Thank you,” Nicole smiled, dropping her satchel on the floor and locking their door.

She approached her partner, taking the objects out of her hands to embrace her. Waverly stumbled back for a moment before fully wrapping her arms around her, too. The youngest Lady of the castle clung to her, their hearts being the only sound besides the crackling fire.

She slipped her hands to the back of her nape and waist. “Are you okay?” Nicole let out a deep sigh and tucked her head further against her neck. “It’s going to be okay, whatever you’re worried about.”

“I know because you’re safe.” Haught pulled back enough to regard her deep Caribbean sea blue eyes. Her eyes darted around her features, wishing she had seen them their first time together. She tucked a stray hair back behind her ear and directed to the medical supplies, “Is it okay if we save this stuff for later?”

Waverly glanced at the items on the table. “Oh, yeah, of course.”

~

Nicole leaned over to blow out the candle, getting tugged down into another chaste kiss by her partner. She smiled against her lips and wrapped her hand around the back of her neck to play with the soft hairs at her nape. Her hands roamed back under Waverly’s jaw before finally pulling away and extinguishing the candle, now the only source of light being from the dim fireplace. She settled back into her place in bed, spooning against her side. Waiting proved more virtuous than she would have thought, even with their first encounter being slow and awkward in the dark.

“What have you learned about your past?” Waverly whispered into the quiet room.

“Eliza told me that his reach is far and effective, so I should be careful of whom I trust,” Nicole nonchalantly answered. “And now realizing that his reach is more permanent in this area than I had previously known, I’m not entirely sure who I can trust here.”

“Well, is Eliza herself trustworthy? What if she’s just making you run around in circles?”

“Well, if she isn’t worthy of trust, then who is? She worked on his case, so if anyone knows the unbiased facts, she would.”

“I’m just saying, his own spies may reach into the army.”

“Hm,” Nicole considered.

“Nicole?” a wary voice called with a brisk knock on the door. “It’s Wynonna, we need to talk. I know you’re awake still so get dressed and come to my office, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” she instinctively responded.

“Don’t,” Waverly quietly begged with an enticing kiss.

Between pecks, she chuckled, “I don’t want to anger your sister.” Pulling on her pants, Nicole shuffled around the dim room, taking her satchel with Robert’s diaries. “I swear I’ll be back in a couple of minutes, okay?” she promised with a firm tightening of her belt.

“Hair.”

“Oh, thank you,” Nicole responded with another brief peck as she pulled it in a tight regulation bun.

Haught escaped her room, quietly closing the door behind herself and walking down the candle-lit corridor to her friend’s office. She could hear hushed voices trickle down the hallway, their words completely unintelligible until she stood in the open doorway. Augustine, Seanan, and Gareth the apothecary standing in a semicircle behind the desk with Wynonna twiddling her thumbs in the corner. They all had stern faces, even their local tavern owner’s normally bright demeanor was far more severe than Nicole would have liked. Various situations raced through her head, maybe they were going to send her away? Did they not like her relationship with Waverly? Was Robert already back? Was she getting framed? The last scenario proved much closer to the issue they seemed to have.

“We were told that you got your hands on Robert Svane’s personal journals,” Augustine began.

“Yes, madam,” she confirmed.

“Would you please hand them over, young knight?”

Nicole began to reach into her satchel, then stopped, “Why?”

“Those are revolutionary contraband and must be destroyed,” Gareth nodded. Nicole furrowed her brows at his response as he was chastised by McCready.

“May I please hold onto these? I have some personal matters that these may appease. I swear only my eyes will see these words.”

“Knight Officer Haught, I am commanding you to hand them over,” Augustine repeated with an even more demanding tone. Her dark eyes were like a void, their severity thickening the tense air that already clouded the room. Nicole glanced at Wynonna for help, receiving no reaction to the scene unfolding before her. “There should be no hesitation to my order, soldier.”

“No.”

“Wynonna,” she shifted to her niece with an expectant nod.

She approached her friend, reaching for the satchel until Nicole tugged it out of reach. “Don’t do this, Nicole.”

“What is going on? Why can’t I study these? I just need a day with them, then they can be destroyed,” the young knight pleaded.

“We cannot trust that you may not copy them, Haught,” Gareth ruthlessly explained.

“This may be the only chance for me to find out who I am, please, just twenty-four hours, and I’ll destroy them in front of you.” Seanan glanced at Nicole with somber eyes before looking at his friends. “Shorty, please!”

“Wynonna,” Augustine commanded.

Doing as her aunt commanded, the older sister tugged at her satchel once more, trying to unbutton it to retrieve the books. Nicole shoved her away with a firm hand against her sternum before racing to the safety of her chambers. She heard loud footsteps echo down the corridor, gaining speed and encroaching upon her as Nicole fumbled with figuring out which door was hers.

“Nicole!” she hissed in the darkness. “Wait!” She firmly took her wrist and yanked her from the door. “Stop.”

“I need these, you know I do. It’s the only way I can find out who I am, what Bulshar has to do with me.”

“Stop,” she commanded in a louder tone. Wynonna glanced around their position and whispered, “Find some random journals to burn instead of Svane’s. I don’t understand their significance either, but obviously, there’s dirt in there about the Earps that they don’t want to see the light of day.”

“Fine, but I am not going to hand them over,” Nicole finished, rushing to the other side of her door and locking it. She rested her head against the old wood, waiting for Wynonna’s footsteps to fade away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nicole walked down the main street, feeling as if everyone was looking at her. She clutched her satchel tightly, glancing at her surroundings to search for John. With the previous night’s concerning meeting, she wondered even more about Wynonna’s reflection if Robert was a purely bad person. He may have ruled his people as a dictator, but were his people or his action in the wrong? Haught pinched the bridge of her nose and continued to Shorty’s inn, catching Holliday playing dice. He and his opponent were playing for peanuts as the mere achievement of beating John Henry was enough to build a good rapport with the middleman. Nicole patiently waited for the game to end to question him.

Beating out yet another young farmer, John turned to his colleague, “Would you like to try your hand, dear knight?”

“I have some other things in mind. What do you know about the Revenants, who are their allies? Who were they as a people?”

“Are,” Holliday corrected, flipping his dice to show the same number of pips. “But this isn’t the safest place to talk about them. I swindled some extra coin, why don’t we share a pint. I think we all deserve a drink for the horrors we endured. What do you say?”

“I would say I need a beer,” she huffed, calling over the barmaid for a round of ale.

“Why the sudden interest?”

“Maybe I feel remorseful for the deaths we totalled.”

“I hope this doesn’t offend you, Dame Haught, but you would be terrible at poker.”

“It does, but it stands true,” she smirked as they were served. “I do, however, think that we may have made a mistake and now I am being scapegoated.”

“How?”

Nicole pondered how much she should divulge before answering, “I spoke with a few of the town's elders and now I may be a target of future harassment.”

“What do you suppose you’ll do about it?”

“I’m not sure.” Haught briefly paused and looked up at John. “I have many questions for you, Holliday.”

“Ask again in a more private venue,” he warned. “That is if it pertains to your initial question.”

“It does.”

“Day drinking, I see,” Wynonna interrupted. “Can I speak with you, Haught?”

“Can it wait until I’m done with this?”

“Yes,” she nodded, plucking the stein out of her hands and finishing it off for her. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Nicole huffed in annoyance. “I’ll be seeing you around, John.”

“I would hope so,” he briefly nodded as a new opponent came to try their hand.

“Did you really have to chug my beer, it was free.”

“Wait, I’ll explain later.”

“I miss when everything was public knowledge.”

Wynonna nodded in agreement as they silently walked to her office where she produced several old novels she had taken from various rooms in the manor.

“Hide Svane’s journals… somewhere and have these ones on hand for when we burn them,” she explained.

Nicole took the stack and asked, “Do you have any further explanation for why your aunt is so protective about these?”

“No, but I really do not want to be on her bad side, and neither should you.”

“Yeah, Lady McCready, is, uhh… fucking scary,” she agreed on her way out. “Thank you.”

Nicole went through her room and began tearing through the various bookcases to hide the real journals. She wrapped them up and placed them under the bed, now going back through their spots to blend them in with the other books. It was an obvious place but hidden well enough that even Nicole knew that she would have to search through the novels to find Svane’s. She popped up from her spot by the bed when Waverly entered, going straight to the wardrobe.

“My dear Orsino,” she called out, making Waverly jump.

“Oh! What are you doing? Wait, you’re sober right? Not playing drunk hide-n-seek again?”

“Sober, yes. Are you going somewhere?”

“Yes, I was going out for a ride, would you like to join me?” she invited, approaching her partner.

“I wish I could,” Nicole smiled, standing back up and pecking her. “But I still need to talk with John, you know, figure out some truths… but maybe another day.”

“Okay, I’m going to hold you to that, then.”

“I hope you will,” she smiled, anxiety finally leaving her system when Waverly wrapped her arms around her waist. Nicole took a deep breath even as her heart fluttered when she glanced down to peck her forehead. “But I must speak with John, so I would love to help you get ready and ride out of town.”

“Is he expecting you at a specific time?”

Nicole sucked her teeth then remarked, “No, he is not, Gary isn’t needing your assistance any time soon?” Waverly backed away to lock their door with a cheeky grin on her lips. “Alright then.”

~

“Are you sure you need to go?” Waverly bargained

“While I would love to spend all day with you, I really do want to get some answers out of Holliday,” her partner blushed even as she was trapped between the desk, hands still gently meandering over her ribs and chest. Coaxed into another amorous kiss, Nicole chuckled against her lips as she was pressed into the desk again. “Okay, okay, I need to leave before it gets dark.”

They dressed back into their outer clothes, Waverly now dawned in her riding attire. “Just a quick question, because I hate to ruin a moment, but are you okay? You seemed a bit shaken by last night’s… whatever that was.”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Nicole affirmed, slinging the satchel over her shoulder and standing before the door. “I love you, just so you know.”

“I love you, too.”

“I mean it,” she smiled on her way out.

“Wait, I thought you were going to ride out with me?”

“Another time.”

She found her way back through the manor and to the main street, spotting John talking with a young bath maid. Nicole felt a sudden tug on her shoulder, making her wheel around, face to face with the reigning lady of their land. Wynonna had a firm grasp on the satchel, looking up with a weirdly calm demeanor. Haught pulled the satchel back with surprising difficulty.

“What are you doing?” she questioned with another tug.

“Staging a fight,”

[mikereads]

What S5 of Supergirl should have focused on.

I wanted to post this before the season finale, just because it may have a good finale that doesn’t make up for all the mistakes the show made along the way, especially the ones that could have been easily fixed with some proper storytelling that not only pleases the fans but better suits the story your trying to tell. 

1. Kara and Nias friendship/ mentor ship. This season preferably 5B is somewhat focusing on Kara trying to catch Lex. Get proof on him that proves he is not what he seems to be. One of the ways she is doing this is through journalism. Instead of having Kara work with William she should have worked with Nia and here’s why. Not only does it make sense but it would improve the plot the only thing William has is a bad feeling about Lex and as good as that can be think of Nia who not only has the same feeling but knows he’s bad because she has her memories from Earth 38 while to back that up while on the other hand William does not. It’s a wild goose chase with him he doesn’t know what he’s looking for but Nia does. I mean just think that through who would make more sense for Kara to work with Someone who simply has a biased gut feeling that he’s bad because of what happened to his friend vs someone who has all of her memories and knows he is bad so she simply knows what to look for and can investigate what Lex changed comparing her new vs old memories. Its logistically makes more sense to use Nia. As important as diversity is and as much as the show should value its woman more above all that it just makes sense. When they first introduced Nia they implied they wanted them to have a similar relationship to Supercat this time reversed having Kara be the mentor which is great. It can show how much Kara has grown since season 1. Last season they started to do that but that’s been mainly dropped since 4B and its a real shame. They could have a similar type relationship if the show focused on them more but if they don’t then they won’t be able to because it won’t have the same amount dept. They’re showing vs telling but then again the show has been having a big problem with that lately with many characters/aspects of the show. 

Also hes not even a good reporter/journalist Lex said he has been spoon feeding William all his info. It’s such a joke the show tried to amp him up as being such a good reporter yet he’s awful heck Winn could have done a better job at reporting. 

2. Karas past/ trauma 

Kara has been through so much this past season and it isn’t even finished yet. The fall out of her relationship with Lena. Lex rising to power once again and lastly LOSING HER ENTIRE PLANET AND FAMILY once again! The show really hasn’t discussed/ tackled Karas trauma/ past since s3 and even then it was only briefly and contained to one episode arcs vs in s1 when it was dispersed throughout the entire season. With everything that has happened this would have been a perfect season to do that and go back to its roots of S1 but in true Supergirl fashion they didn’t. So far has contained Kara only mentioning her past when it comes to Hope speeches which even those are rare now a days. Since crisis ended I think Kara has only mentioned it twice if at all and that’s when week of the villains forced her to (other Brainy bottling his earth). Kara has lost everyone once again in s1 it was Karas main mission to make sure that wouldn’t happen again she would save earth like she couldn’t save Krypton at whatever means necessary. Then in crisis she wasn’t able to do that and despite everything she did she wasn’t able to do so and lost everyone. Her sister her moms her friends everyone. She succeeded in getting everyone back but it shouldn’t be dismissed that she lost everyone yet it is. 5B should have heavily focused on this through the main of the week plotlines/ through her relationships with her friends and family. Like Melissa wants this finally should have been the season where Kara goes to therapy. Like I genuinely don’t get this show Kara lost everyone yet its barely mentioned Kara and Alex only share one scene discussing it and that was during the crossover in the legends episode it wasn’t even an episode of Supergirl that did it (big sigh) when another show does better things with your characters then you do that’s a problem. She lost her mom Eliza yet they have shared no scenes well none outside the funeral which had nothing to do with her and was another example of them not letting her grieve. Its so unrealistic that Kara wouldn’t have flown to Midvale the minute she was able to do to give Eliza the biggest hug it doesn’t matter if Eliza wouldn’t have her memories Kara would (the actress returned this season so she was clearly available to shoot more scenes yet didn’t because this is supergirl after all). Sidenote can they have Kara call Eliza mom more often like having her call her mom doesn’t make Alura her mom anyless she can have two moms because she actually does I know mind blowing. She lost her mom Alura twice yet they refuse to mention outside of a line or two that’s there more so to move along the plot. This has been a problem ever since they had her return in s3 but Kara has so many unresolved feelings and now she’s lost her twice and yet they still refuse so address it which is not only frustrating but sad for Kara as a character. She should be able to address these feelings about how she’s mad at her/ how she felt abandoned by her and still love her a the same time. Them showing Kara be mad at her doesn’t mean she loves her anyless and would be more healthy in the long run yet they won’t do it. 

3. Lenas past, ptsd, and her mother. 

They have been teasing for years whether not not Lena would turn truly evil but hinting at things over and over again and even though everything Lena has done proved the opposite it was still a lingering question. This was supposed to be the season that finally tackled this subject headon and show where Lena would land now knowing Kara/ Supergirl’s secret. I’m not upset Lena did questionable things going into this season I knew they would do so more then ever and from 5x01 that was adamant and I think it was very important to finally do for her character going forward to finally confirm that Lena was good/isn’t Lex. If they wanted to show and contrast how different Lena is from the Luthors there is so many others ways to do that, by just letting Lena be Lena is one of them. You’ve have been writing her that way for 4 YEARS, don’t change that by trying to make the show more interesting by adding “drama” you began to ruin it and an amazing character. That being said the way the show executed that was very poorly 5A was okay but 5B like it did with a lot of things was ultimately the down fall for this season. They’re first big mistake being Non-nocere. Now seeing 5x18 I get its overall idea and reason for being there but it still only should have been a side plot that was around for 4 to 5 episodes tops in the beginning of the season. It also really proves that it was never truly there for Lena it was a plotline made for Lex and to show just how manipulative he can be over which is so frustrating because once again they throw their main women characters to the side to help the men which are guest/minor. It was dragged on to long and stayed way past its prime to the point where it was unenjoyable even Katies amazing acting skills can only carry a bad plot line for so long. Non-nocere should have been there to help Lenas plot line not the other way around. It should have revolved around her story but not be her entire plot line for the season. I think them just going over Lenas trauma, abuse, neglect and abandonment issues would have been enough and a much more effective storyline then Non-nocere but if they wanted to use it then I think they should have atleast called back to Lenas past storylines. When Lena found about what Jack was doing with Biomax she was not only disgusted but terrified her feelings on that wouldn’t have changed so instead of it being nearly implied it should have been mentioned and it should have been one of the things that helped her realize how bad it was sooner. Her getting over the lo0se of Non-nocere and how she feels as though she failed once again would have been much better than the actual story of her using non-nocere itself. She was so afraid in season two that her feelings would get the best of her “I am very, very afraid of the person I might be”. This should have been explored way more and lastly instead of them only focusing on her mom for one episode for the plot (the medallion) it should have been a recurring storyline all season. Not only that she misses her but how her death affects her and how she puts her mom up on a pedestal because she never really knew her only what she remembers about her which isn’t a lot. The guilt she feels over her death etc. If they wanted to use it to move the plot forward they easily could have done that. There was a fan theory Lena’s mom was not only alive but behind Leviathan and that would have been so interesting. Here’s a woman she’s held up to such high standards all her life it would be interesting to see the effects of that. That maybe her mom wasn’t who she believed she was to be and that combined with Karas betrayal could have launched her going to the “dark side”. Also I love Katie and I love seeing more of her on my screen but they really couldn’t find another actress to play her mom or better yet not use a shitty wig. A wig isn’t gonna change anything we all know its Katie. It’s fine you used her many shows use there actors for multiple parts the wig was so unnecessary especially when it’s that bad (thank god Katie could pull off any look, ugly outfits and party city wigs included). Using her to play the mom wasn’t bad and would make a lot of sense as to why Lillian hates her so much she’s a spitting image of her mom. It doesn’t excuse the abuse Lena was a child but it makes sense. I mean she did say Lena looked so much like her etc. Then again shitty wigs are the least of their problems, fix your storylines above all else. 

Bonus: You know your fan favorite couple is Lena and Kara and since this is supposed to be a season about their relationship just lean all in don’t tease and then not have them interact for 5 episodes in a row it’s frustrating. 

This post is becoming a little too long so I may make a part 2 because I sure have a lot more to say. 

[spiltscribbles]

83 or 87 for Hamliza? Always love your writing! ❤

Notes: I really hope you like this  love, you are so kind and brilliant! The * eps it’s from a Fitzgerald quote lol.

83 » When you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Specially then

.-

AO3  »  Send Me A Prompt

.-

Eliza can admit she’s always been the romantic in her family, a contrast to Angelica’s short-winded passions with whomever caught her eye for that particular moment, and Peggy’s nonchalant, pragmatic sort of favor for one of the folks at her beck and call. Since girlhood she’s been windswept with the follies of Prince Charming and one’s true love and happy ever afters painted with sunlit skies and earnest kisses.

Eliza supposes that’s why when she met Alexander— spirited and ravenous and brilliant Alexander— she was already a goner. She knows she should’ve been afraid, cautious at the very least, when it came to his electric smile and bright eyes bursting with life. But Eliza had never been so mesmerized by a boy before, never felt that particular thud to her chest or the way her nerves sparked with every gentle caress, or sometimes how his kisses made her ribcage want to crack open, to scream at him to look at her! Just look! To see the way her insides sung for him, how she glowed every time he sparkled. How it felt like something lovely bloomed within her every time it felt like he actually understood the facets of herself she never knew how to explain with words. 

It’s nearly two decades removed from the first time they locked eyes— Eliza a fresh faced graduate from Yale and Alexander the wonder boy speech writer for Washington’s gubernatorial campaign. They’ve built a home together, parented six kids, went through joys and heart break in equal measures, and yet, he still makes Eliza weak in the knees, makes her feel buoyant and feverish and maddening all at once with nothing more than the curve of the lips and the way he’s always touched her so tenderly, like he was still holding his breath, like Eliza was something miraculous through every layer and if he’s not cautious she’ll break.

Eliza inwardly snorts, more than a bit derisive, when memories of the past year flood into the forefront of her mind. When she thinks of the pamphlet and the tabloids and the gutted way he has been staring at her, like he has any right, like it was Eliza who broke their every vow and shattered the trust between them.

But no.

No, Eliza won’t let herself get lost in those sort of thoughts, not now, preferably not ever again. They’re finally on some sort of solid ground once more, he swore that he’d right every wrong and she promised to let him try. And maybe that’s enough? Maybe it’s enough that she loves him and despite it all she knows he’s always loved her, loved her first and second and third.*

Maybe they can make it enough.

Eliza takes a deep breath as she walks into their Georgetown townhouse, the weight of the day still heavy on her shoulders. Technically she’s still on maternity leave, but the agency called in a panic early this morning when she was preparing Johnny’s lunch for school, apparently some sort of paperwork had gone missing and if it wasn’t turned into the state by the end of the workday one of the major grants wouldn’t be renewed, and of course it’s in the field that Eliza headed. Thankfully Alexander had offered to call in and watch William for the morning, but Eliza has missed her little newborn, craves kicking off her heals, and stealing some hours of calm bundled up in the sheets with him cradled in her arms— Maybe Eliza imagines Alexander taking off the rest of the day too, maybe she hopes he’d curve against her and wrap his long arms around the pair of them. Maybe the idea of that makes Eliza ache with wanting.

Before climbing upstairs, she goes to the kitchen to pick up a small snack, can’t help the swell of the heart she gets when she spots one of the letters Alexander’s been penning for her these last few months taped against the fridge.

She smiles to herself when she reads the pros. He’s always been able to string words together in the loveliest of ways , making her blush and laugh in the same breath. Eliza hadn’t known what he meant when he swore to Eliza that he’d court her all over again, earn his second chance, but she can admit she’s begun enjoying this thrust to the past, letting him relearn each patch of skin on her body and scab on her heart, and returning the favor.

“Ma?”

Eliza jolts back, suddenly stunned at the sound of someone walking in.

Eliza’s expecting to see Church or one of Alexander’s friends from college, the ones the public’s fondly dubbed the revolutionaries, is surprised when who walks through the doorway is Philip, a bashful grin on his face. it’s Alexander’s smile through and through, and it takes Eliza’s breath away how much he looks like his father in certain lights— tousled hair and bright eyes and dimpled chin.

“Philip! You could’ve given me a heart attack,” she scolds with no real heat, instinctively comes up to pad down his curls and press a kiss to his cheek— he’s been taller than her since he was twelve and it’s a fact that still blows Eliza away.

“You’re not that old Ma,” he smirks, making Eliza elbow check him.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she toots. “Now what are you doing home so early?”

“You know my last hour’s a free period,” he shrugs, takes the bottle of water she offers him with thanks.

“Yes, but this is when you usually canoodle with Theo before getting to your internship,” Eliza says after taking a swig of her own.

Philip glares now, pouting moodily. “I hate that you guys actually talk.”

“You should see the group thread we’ve got going with Angie,” Eliza preens, snickers at the way he waggles his tongue in retaliation.

“Not cool Ma.”

“C’mon now Pip, tell me what’s going on?” She hops on the counter so that there eyes are level while Philip sits on the stool, head cradled on his palms.

“Just wanted some space,” he says, doesn’t catch her gaze.

“Pip don’t forget that I was the one who changed your diapers,” Eliza needles.

“Gross mom!” 

“Lies won’t work on me,” she continues as if he hadn’t interrupted. “Now tell me what’s going on, will you?”

“’s just— Ma we’re about to graduate.”

“I know, I had to bribe the president of the PTO to get extra tickets for your grandparents.”

Philip furrows his brows, “Really?”

“Pip,” Eliza warns, the lightly reproving tone belied by the way she cards a hand through his hair. “What does graduation have to do with you and Theo?”

He puts out his hands, like it should be obvious. 

“I’m going to the city like dad in Columbia, and all Burrs go to Princeton,” he explains airily. “I mean I think we should probably just start the, de-threading.”

“De-threading?” Eliza repeats incredulously.

“Yeah, I mean they’re like an hour apart Ma, and when we come back here for holidays we’ll each be spending it with our families, not each other. I mean don’t you reckon that letting things fizzle out like this before summer and prom and all that is the responsible thing to do.”

Eliza frowns, her heart sinking. Philip might’ve inherited Alexander’s smile and quick wit, but he’s her son too. He has Eliza’s eyes and the same freckle beneath his left nostril. But atop that, he’s also just as much of a romantic as Eliza and she knows that for fact. This plotting out breakups and worrying about what will happen in the future isn’t him.

“Do you still love her?” She asks lightly, making it so Philip’s brows hike up and his mouth gapes open.

“Course I do, she’s my— She’s my everything.”

“Then why would you want to break up with her before even trying to work it out?” She counters.

Philip casts his gaze at a point over Eliza’s shoulder, hands rinsing together nervously. 

“I don’t— I don’t wanna hurt her, like meet some other chick while at a party or studying at the union or whatever and then—“

Oh.

Eliza supposes she should’ve been expecting this, but that doesn’t stop her from feeling so incredibly gutted that her little love, her baby  Philip, is afraid of doing something like this.

“You don’t want to do what your father did to me,” Eliza finishes, leaps down so that she’s standing straight.

“I’m sorry Ma,” Philip says, face morphed into something painfully contrite.

“Don’t be my little love,” Eliza tells him, squeezes one of his hands into her own. “I love your father, I’ve always loved your father, I will always love your father Philip, and When you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy… even then. Specially then.”

Philip nods slowly, understanding.

“Dad really hurt you, huh?”

“Your dad loves me too, and I’ve never doubted that Pip, and when things get tough, it just means we have to work that much harder to keep one another,” Eliza says with a thin, watery smile. 

“I’m gonna go catch Theo before she leaves campus.” He says, understanding glittering in his eyes.

“If you don’t let me know what went down I’ll just ask her,” Eliza goads, watches him scurry back out to his car.

“I thought I heard voices in here?” 

Eliza turns around, isn’t surprised when she sees a beaming Alexander walking towards her in his sweats and a white t-shirt, baby Will tucked into one arm.

“Pip stopped by before going to the internship, he’s gone now,” Eliza explains, meeting him half way there and beginning to croon to a sleepy Will.

“Oh,” Alexander is tentative when he pushes a curl back behind her ear. “I can wait for the rest of the brew here while you take a nap with William?”

Eliza purses her lips, thinks about her conversation that she had with Philip just now, and it’s the first time since the pamphlet being leaked that she doesn’t second guess her decision.

Softly, Eliza presses up on her toes to peck a tender kiss on the underside of Alexander’s jaw, breathing in deep and feeling a rush of love all over again.

“I’d prefer it if you came to bed with us, I’m sure the kids will be fine with ordering out for dinner.”

Alexander looks like Eliza’s just gifted him with all the secrets of all the galaxies when he readily agrees, kisses  her forehead and the top of her cheek and her lips too.

[lineli225]

My FNAF headcanons

So, my headcanon, this text gotta be B I G William headcanons: - William has psychosis and Borderline disorder, idk, I'm still building his mind lol god complex too, etc etc, besides it he is extremely intelligent. - He and Henry met on university :eyes: -Henry actually teached Will everything he knows jkhdjkhsjkd -Henry made SpringBonnie just for Will - Henry boi would make the first animatronics and be the face of Freddy's, while Will would work in the back with the paperwork, so it was like "Freddy Fazbear owned by Henry Emily and a friend" - Will had a crush on Henry and has grown obsessed with him -This crush became hate as he realized that Henry was the only one that was recognized, so Willy got envy as hell -Will went on "if I won't have it no one will" mode and killed Charlie to ruin Freddy's reputation and fuck with Henry -William didn't had a wife, idk, he just don't have shush, his kids spawned in the server -Will is a bad dad- jshjkhjk he was indeed abusive to his kiddos -He only didn't left Eliza play with bby bcs knew that her death would cause a bad reputation and ruin his plans -William has huge empathy issues, but he's not a psycho, maybe almost a sociopath? idk, he can be soft and goob if he try hard, but he is not in the mood -Will killed Charlie bcs of Henry, but he killed the others both bcs Henry tryed to move one and bcs Will noticed the puppet When Charlie gave life to the others will Started to kill exclusively to understand what it is and to become immortal MICHAEL BOI HEADCANONS: -He became a bully bcs of Will terrible role as a father - He didn't bullied Eliza doe, he was just cold to everyone -In days Will would get too moody and hit one of the two lil ones Michael would get them to their bedroom, the 3 would hug and cry together :sob: -Michael actually loved BV doe- -Michael was a shity bro almost all the time bcs he wanted to feel less hated? like- if BV has it worse he could cope? -When Bv died Michael sudenly changed like, wild, he became the good son, he would desperately do anything for Elizabeth and William -Only when Michael went to the under ground facility that he realized his dad wasn't just shitty, so after he became grape boi he went in his mission to fix it all and save the kid's souls -Michael is actually a soft and gentle man, he is bb, and he deserves love -Michael lived his whole life kinda alone- he never had a love, since he was devoted to fix his dad's oopsies BV headcanons: -He cri -idk a lot, I don't rlly like him JHSKASHKDSH - I think his tame is Thobias- - He and Elizabeth has a weird relationship, like, she would be kinda of sarcastic and passive aggressive with him, but they would help each other away -Bv has psychosis and schizophrenia, ya know- mental disorder can be genetic- sadly he was the one who got the worse from his dad's DNA -He be baby

Elizabeth headcanons: -She also doesn't have a great mental state eh eh -She loves William, a lot, she wants to make her father happy - She has obsession problems lol jsdhjaks -She is passive aggressive almost all the time, always defensive and had some personality wracks - She would die for William- like- all she wants is to make him happy - She is just as complex as TFC Baby, so yeah, she's try to be sexy if it meant get what she wants- dummy! -She loved Michael so much, the two had a good relationship, even doe Michael was kinda envy of her bs of her being the "favorite" -Elizabeth and Michael's relation only got stronger after BV's death- but when Elziabeth died Michael went miserable

Henry headcanons: -He has depression -He liked Will like a good friend, he trusted him a lot -Henry never intended to make Will feel left behind, but ya know, u can't change the mind of someone that is paranoid jshaks -Henry tried to make will happy with Springie lol -Henry was so depressed that his life was just making robots -he loved Charlie a lot but he was almost always numb to her and anyone else -Henry discovered it was Will only on the missing children incident, since Him and Will where he only one able to use the suits -Henry attempted suicide mny times, but when he realized he wouldn't die he ecided to chase Will

Vanny headcanons: - She was a happy soft gurl, kinda pastel goth? idk, she loves pink and rainbows - She loves bees and flowers as u guys know sjdhawjksdhs - She likes Luis as a friend, they where kinda close actually - She is not rlly brainwashed? She's kinda of trapped inside of the game while Glitch manipulates her trough words? Until she decide to follow him - She is kinda Stockholm lol she became obsessed with William, and wants to please him, she has a crush on him (he doesn't like her bacc doe, yes, my headcanon is not vanilliam, I like canon :sob: ) -William is abusive  to her, so she became kinda of a bitch? JJDKSJ She started to act more naughty and sassy in a aggressive way to cope with it- I based my Vanny A LOT on Elizabeth from TFC - William has access to all her memories eh eh he uses it to make her go insaneee - Vanny was scared of commit crimes on the start, but she went full apeshit for Will, causing the weird searches she made lol

LUIS HEADCANONS: - Luis is baby, he's soft lil angel and I love him JHJSHDAJKS - Luis and Vanny are friends, that's why he got so worried about her - Yes he has a crush on her, but he is not a weirdo simp, he nice k? - He is kinda dumb sjkhajsks but in a precious way - He acts like Ethan Nestor JSHJKASHKSJK - He has tan skin, black eyes and brown curly hair, he cute and soft - He Brazilian JKASHDJKAWHSJKAHSK

Yes, they all mentally ill, yes Will has a lot of headcanons, yes I think a lot about him, yes I simp JHASJAHSJKSA

[the-awkward-outlaw]

Second Chances - Epilogue 2

Cruel World, I’m Gone

Warnings: None! 

Word Count: 1800

Masterlist 

Read on AO3

This epilogue has kids between reader and Arthur - if you want no kids, read version 1 here

You stand in the barn, dropping your big bay breton mare’s hoof. You named her Ruby after Rain’s mother, and she’s as big, brave and gentle as Artemis was, but looks nothing like her. She snorts lazily as you pat her neck. 

Laura runs in, holding a small yellow flower she must have picked from the garden. 

“Mommy, look!” she says, smiling. You bend down and take the flower from her, smiling. 

“Awe, isn’t that pretty?” You slide the flower behind her ear and she smiles at you. She has her father’s eyes. 

When the gang fell apart and Hamish died, you both decided to head out west where you belonged. Arthur wanted to live as far south as Tumbleweed, but you never liked it down there. Too hot, too dry. Not enough green. When he asked where you wanted to live, you said Big Valley and he agreed. 

When you arrived in the valley, Arthur found a nice property in the trees with the meadow in sight. He surprised you when he said he wanted to build you a house from scratch. You’d been hearing about some premade houses to buy and suggested them instead, stating it could be built before winter came. Arthur hated the idea and said he wanted to build you a home. You told him that if it was what he wanted, he could do it.

A big problem faced you though, and that was that you both had very little money. You only had what was in your satchel, a few hundred dollars. Arthur recalled the money stashed in Blackwater from before the gang fled there. He had an idea where to find it, so one night you both snuck into town. Arthur found a small chest in the cemetery in a hollow tree by a gravestone marked “Greta Van der Linde”. The chest had $50,000 in it. Never again would you have to worry about money. 

Arthur wanted to stay in Blackwater that night to buy some tools and oxen. However, you ended up getting quite sick that night, vomiting multiple times. You thought you just had a stomach virus, but the nausea persisted for a few days. Along with that, you noticed a few other changes. You became tired easily, your breasts were beginning to swell and your lower abdomen was tender. After three days of you being sick to your stomach, Arthur took you to the doctor. 

After inspecting you, the doctor announced you were pregnant. You couldn’t believe him, after all he was the same doctor who told you that you couldn’t have children. He explained to you and Arthur that infertility was something very hard to detect and he simply assumed it based on the fact that James constantly tried to have them with you and failed. He that you might never have gotten pregnant before due to high levels of stress or that perhaps it had been James who was infertile. Arthur was pale-faced and silent the entire time the doctor spoke. 

When you got back to the hotel to pack up your things, he pulled you into a hug and cried. He couldn’t believe his luck, but he was so happy that you were pregnant. He realized that building a home, which could take years, wouldn’t be the best idea, not when you only had nine months. So he bought a premade home and had the lumber delivered to your Pine Crest, your home. 

A few days later, in the town of Strawberry, you got married. It was easily one of the best days of your life, even though the wedding was very simple. Only a few people were there to witness it. One of them was Charlotte. She cried when you told her you were pregnant. 

Charles was there too. Word had gotten to him about the gang’s fate and he returned to bury those who died. He expected to bury you and Arthur, but when he could find no trace of your bodies, he believed you to be alive and headed west where he was sure you’d be. He’s the only gang member you’ve heard from since. He told you John, Abigail, Jack and Sadie made it, which you and Arthur are thankful for. 

“When’s papa coming home?” Laura asks as you put the grooming tools away.

“I’m sure he’ll be back soon, sweetie. He always comes home.” 

“Carson says the fence is broke.” 

Carson is a hand on your little ranch. A few days after your wedding, Arthur hired a few hands from Strawberry to help build the house and a barn for Buell. The morgan you’d stolen died from colic, so Arthur bought you Ruby and a gorgeous blood bay thoroughbred stallion named Jake. 

Carson was one of the hands he hired and Arthur found out he was an orphan. His parents had been killed during the Strawberry massacre earlier that same year when an outlaw was freed from prison and shot his parents all over a pair of pistols. Arthur felt sorry for him, probably because he felt guilty for being involved in the massacre, so he built a small one-room cabin just off the property for Carson to live in. 

Carson also had a yellow lab named Lily. She was his only companion after his parents died. Arthur loved her and you knew he wanted his own dog, so for his birthday the following year, you bought him a mountain dog puppy named Timber. Arthur and that dog became inseparable instantly. 

You remember fondly when your belly began to swell, easily observed through your clothes. Arthur was always protective of you, but he became almost a nuisance afterwards. He hardly let you lift anything that was more than 10 pounds or stand for long periods of time. You insisted you were okay, but he wouldn’t hear it.

It was obvious why Arthur was so protective. He was scared he’d lose you and the baby just like he’d lost Isaac and Eliza. You recall the sweet look he had when he first felt the baby move in your belly. He’d been laying down with you, his hand on your stomach when you both felt a thump inside you. He kissed your stomach so tenderly. After that, he’d sit you down multiple times a week just to talk to your belly. 

When you were 8 months pregnant, he never left the house, afraid you might fall or hurt yourself. He constantly made you sit down and asked you if you hurt anywhere. He’d been a nuisance before but he became a downright pest during the last month. You frequently reassured him you were fine. 

One night though, you were woken by labor pains. You’d had a few false ones before that, but these ones were more intense. Arthur sent Carson to get the doctor while he stayed with you, putting damp towels on your head and letting you try to break his hand. Six hours later, Laura was born. After the doctor cleaned her up and handed her to you, Arthur couldn’t take his eyes from her. You handed her to him and he began to cry. You did too when he said “Hello Laura. I’m your daddy.” 

Laura walks over to Ruby and the big horse dips her head to sniff her. Laura loves all the horses on your little ranch, but she loves Ruby the best. From outside, you hear the sound of a horse approaching. A few seconds later, Arthur walks in with a big smile, Buell’s reins in his hand, Timber following them with his tail wagging. 

“Daddy!” Laura cries, running over to him. 

He bends down with his arms open and picks her up, hugging her. 

“How’s my little squirrel?” he says. She leans away from him and smiles, taking his hat off his head. She slides the yellow flower from her hair and tucks it into the rope before putting his hat back on his head. “Awe, it’s perfect now,” he says. 

“You kept Buell’s braids in,” she says, eyeing Buell. His mane’s braided up. 

“Of course, I couldn’t remove your incredible work.” 

Laura smiles and puts her head on his shoulder. Arthur looks at you and walks over. 

“How was your hunting trip with Charles?” you ask, your hands on your hips as you smile at him. 

“Oh, just fine. Here, I gotta say hi to mama.” He puts Laura down and folds his arms around you, kissing your lips. You both laugh when you hear Laura pretend to gag. 

“Mr. Collins, Mr. Collins!” Carson bursts in. “That coyote’s back, scaring the chickens!” 

Arthur looks at Carson and lets you go, complaining about greedy coyotes as he follows Carson out. 

It was Arthur’s idea to change your aliases. You wanted to keep the name Tacitus Kilgore because it was easy for you to remember, but Arthur said it was likely associated with Dutch by now. He suggested the name William Arthur Collins. It made it easy if you called him Arthur in front of strangers. You changed your name to Y/F/N Alice Collins. 

“Are the chickens gonna get hurt?” Laura asks. 

“No, sweetie. Papa will take care of them. Come on, we gotta get dinner going.” 

You scoop her up with a little difficulty and go inside to start cooking dinner while Arthur chases the coyote off. He comes inside after a few moments, explaining Carson’s fixing the chickens’ fence.

“I got a surprise for you two,” he says, placing his satchel and his hat on the table. Laura runs over and squeals in delight when he hands her a stuffed squirrel toy. “A squirrel for my squirrel,” he says. She hugs his leg and then runs off to plop against Timber, who’s laying down near the table. 

Arthur smiles and approaches you, holding something behind his back. “Here’s your surprise.”

He hands you a familiar book. You tear up when you read the name “Fire Bringer”. You lost your copy when the gang fell apart, after you lost everything else too. You wanted to get a new copy, but it was a hard book to find. 

“Thank you,” you say. He smiles and kisses you. When you stretch back down, you look at him. 

“I’ve got a surprise for you too,” you say. He smiles at you, waiting. You grab his hand and place it on your stomach. His brows furrow for a second and then lift as he realizes what it means. 

“You’re… again?” he whispers. 

You nod and he smiles the biggest he’s done since he first walked in. He pulls you into a hug. “I don’t deserve none of you, but thank you for this, sweetheart.” 

“Oh shush, Arthur Morgan. You deserve all this and even more. I love you.” 

The End

**Thank you all so much for going on this journey with me. It breaks my heart to end this fic, but it has been such an amazing ride. I would never have gotten far without all the encouragement I’ve received. I cannot express my gratitude in words, but I’m still amazed at how this led me to meet so many amazing people and the friendships I’ve made because of this fic that was inspired by the incredible game Red Dead Redemption 2. Thank you all so much!**

[fericita-s]

A Mansion House Murder - Chapter 15

A Mansion House Murder previous chapters - a round-robin Mercy Street story by @mercurygray @jomiddlemarch @broadwaybaggins @sagiow @tortoisesshells

Thanks @the-spastic-fantastic for beta-ing my chapter!

***

Emma laughed.  

She could tell that she was being hysterical.  She could still think like a nurse enough to recognize it.  But instead of administering to herself in the needed ways - a glass of water, fresh air, some distance from the dead body of her husband and the horrified gasps of the fleeing guests - her laughter became louder and more frenzied as tears fell from her eyes.  Some might have mistaken her tears for weeping, for grief, but Frank would have known them for what they were.  

Relief.  

She could appreciate the irony that after a decade of Frank accusing her of stabbing him in the back by not supporting his renewed allegiance to the Confederacy or the vile sermons he taught on the supremacy of their race or joyfully embracing poverty instead of stoically enduring it, someone had literally stabbed him in the back. 

She reached toward him and patted at his back, feeling for the depth and width of the wound even though it was obvious from his profound stillness that he was dead.  There was no rise and fall of his back or the knife lodged in it to show breath, no twitches or spasms, no pleading words or grasping hands. 

Mary's hands covered her own and she saw the blood, thick and red transfer from her hands to Mary's and thought I was right not to wear that new dress.  It would be ruined. Though perhaps it would have been hidden better, red on red silk, not the streaks of red against her faded white dress as she pulled away from Mary to wipe and wipe her hands, aware that Mary was speaking to her and that there was great flurry of movement as Dr. Foster and Dr. Diggs descended on Mary and Frank’s body sprawled across it.  But she was not able to discern any of the words or the actions happening just a foot away. She was laughing, thinking of how many men she had nursed back to health or comforted as they died in this very ballroom, and how none cursed at her the way Frank had with his dying breaths.

She stood, meaning to look for the lye or some cloths or perhaps a glass of water, but froze when she saw Matron Brannon in the corner of the room and, even with Anne’s firm grip on her elbow, Emma stumbled at her lurching motion. 

Am I back in the war? 

And then everything went black.

***

Alice moved away from Frank’s body immediately and was trailed by her husband who was calling her name. She planted herself in the lobby, giving desperate entreaties for the guests to stay.

“Alice, let them go.  Alice, your sister needs you.” He pushed his glasses up his nose, this pair not as well fitting as the ones he had lost during his surprise discovery of a different dead body in the hotel kitchens.

“But Percival! They’ll go and fetch the police or the Pinkertons!”

He caught her hand that had been clutched tightly around the fan and opened it so that the fan fell out and the red marks from where she had clutched it were bright against her pale skin. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the palm and she startled at the touch.  It was enough to bring her eyes to his so that she was looking at him when he said, “It’s time for help, even if the cost is great.”

“But the ball! The sale!” Her protestations were whispered and her eyes were bright with tears that she was angry she even had.  What had Frank been to her since the war besides a bothersome brother-in-law? Or Emma either?

Percival shook his head and frowned at her. “This is more than an inconvenience to your plans!”

Alice took a sharp breath and felt her anger slip like the fan from her hand. “There’s no hope of dealing with this ourselves, is there? There must be dozens of witnesses.”

He pulled her close to his side as Dr. Diggs walked out of the ballroom carrying Emma, her neck stretched gracefully over the crook of his elbow. Alice didn’t know if he was speaking to her or to the room at large as he said, “She’s fine.  Mrs. Morris here will see to her upstairs.”

Alice turned to watch them walk up the stairs and then turned back to look into the ballroom where Dr. Foster was removing Frank from his wife’s lap.  She turned once more to Percival, a complete circle and shook her head.  “I don’t know what to do, Percy.  I don’t know what to do.”

He took both of her hands and squeezed them and she squeezed back. “It’s alright, Alice. I do.”  

***

Dr. Diggs closed the door firmly behind him, knowing Mrs. Morris was capable of tending to Mrs. Stringfellow and eager to get back to his wife before a new guest of the hotel turned up murdered. So far the victims had been more adversaries than allies, but he knew more than most how quickly a mob of people could turn violent and how little reason or logic had anything to do with it.

At the top of the stairs, he saw the Chaplain and Jimmy Green, Henry with his hands outstretched like he was giving a benediction and Jimmy, eyes wide with terror.

“I didn’t plan it,” Jimmy said.  His cane was gone and he clutched at the bannister, unsteady on his feet.

Henry took a step closer to him, hands still raised. “I know. I heard what he said too. It would make anyone mad.”

Among the guests still exiting the hotel, whispering and shouting as they moved in a steady flow out the front door, Dr. Diggs noticed one man walking into the hotel.  He had a black silk bow tie and a black short bowler hat, his wool vest and gingham cotton shirt out of place in the sea of formal attire that was parting around him as he headed for the stairs. 

“Did you hear it all? He said he’d hurt her. He’d turn her out.  If the sale didn’t go through, if we didn’t give him enough money,” Jimmy looked to Henry, to Dr. Diggs, to the stranger who was now with them at the top of the stairs. He was pleading, whining as he spoke. “He said he knew I killed Bullen to frame him and that I’d never be smart enough to cut him out of a scheme.”

Henry nodded, lowering his hands and reaching for Jimmy who was leaning precariously near the top step, his grip on the bannister abandoned as he swayed near the top of the steps. “You were trying to keep her safe.  I know that.”

“I killed him,” Jimmy looked again at the man at the top of the stairs with him, seeming surprised at the words he was saying. “But I knew nothing about Bullen! Bullen wasn’t me! It wasn't me!”

Jimmy made a move as if to go down the steps, but stumbled and was caught by the man in the bowler hat who grabbed him by the elbow and then brought Jimmy’s arm behind his back, snapping the ring of a tower handcuff over his wrist and then bringing his other hand behind the back to do the same.

“What are you doing? No! I just explained – “

“You just confessed to a murder,” said the man.

Dr. Diggs saw the solid silver badge on the lapel of the man’s coat, the engraved letters proclaiming “Pinkerton National Detective Agency” before the man turned and guided Jimmy down the stairs.

***

Anne had undressed her and then prepared the bath, leaving Emma in it alone as she went to find suitable clothes. Finding the silence unbearable, Emma began to whisper-sing under her breath the words of a familiar hymn.

There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;

And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,

Lose all their guilty stains

Frank hated it, had never liked it when she sang it as she tried to tidy their cold and sparse house or mend their fraying clothes.  William Cowper was an abolitionist and a Methodist besides and it was one more way Frank had let her know she failed him.  Even her choice of hymn was disappointing.

She sank below the waters and willed the blood and grime of the last few hours to be washed away as well. She surfaced and the flowers that had been in her hair were now floating in the soapy water, wilting and breaking apart like flowers on a grave. But Emma knew she wouldn’t drown in these waters or those of grief like Ophelia.  She would rise, newer and freer, even if Ophelia’s insanity might never wash off. 

 Redeeming love has been my theme,

 And shall be till I die.

Emma stopped singing when she heard a new sound through the walls.  A child's moan and then cry, a woman's voice soothing and then singing a nursery rhyme, the click of a rocking chair back and forth across a wood floor.  Emma heard ghosts every time she was in Mansion House - remembered echoes of Tom's pleas to keep his presence from Alice and dying boys asking her to write to their mothers.  But this was new. More real. A child? Who could she be?

Would she hear Frank’s ghost now too?

She thought of Eliza asking her about children and of Eliza's explanation of starting out anew, leaving a husband in Alexandria.  To go west.  Well, Emma was leaving behind a husband now too.  But where would she go?

Too many questions.  She had no answers for herself this evening and shivered, hoping Anne would be back soon with some clothes. There was a rap on the door and then Henry’s voice through it.  “Emma? Are you alright? Anne sent me to check.”

tag @broadwaybaggins, you’re up next! And only three more chapters to go before we end it all!

[queer-starling]

Flower ask: also all of them. you get to suffer with me >:3€

oh darlin’ we’re in it now huh

Alisons: Sexuality?

homogay

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

she/they | all gender will be shot on sight

Amaryllis: Birthday?

sept 23rd

Anemone: Favorite flower?

monkshood

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

stranger things or ghost adventures

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

like? distance? a couple miles probably

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little lifeIs rounded with a sleep.” William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

wild cherry capri sun

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

ima change that to ‘kiss the last person u thought abt kissing’ bc YES

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

*jenna marbles voice* hell yeah!!

Baneberries: Favorite song?

waiting for the end - linkin park 

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

chaos

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

i have too many to list !!! brandi, kasey, you, liz, ivy, nick , just to name a few!!

Begonia: Favorite color?

blue uwu

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

foxes !! and opossums

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

night time babey

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

either a fox or an opossum or a raven, i think

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

i wanted to be a vet !!!

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

theyre ok as long as theyre not screaming and/or mine

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

i don’t liike vomit bc. nastey (trauma i think) and i don’t like old ppl well. i dunno why? they’re just so old and fragile and helpless and sometimes they’re really mean and idk i think it’s like something to do w death or something LMAO idk. also i just hate the idea of becoming old and having to rely on other people ?? hhh

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

i was bullied a lot

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?  

realistically? probably playing dead by daylight with my girlfriend ADFSGRHYUTR

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

happily taken 

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

ireland, scotland, alaska, greece

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

whenever my friends or family tells me they love me but esp when u text me goodmorning or when we say our goodnights sorry im gay haha

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?  

i have. uuuuhh 6

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?  

no!!! i want some tho :(

California Poppy: Height?  

i think im like. 5′5 or something? give or take an inch ?

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

oh absolutely. my house is haunted as we speak

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?  

bmth hoodie and pajama pants w foxes all over them. i just woke up lol

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

yeah i always keep one on in the bathroom

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

my sister bc she came home from college yesterday

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

ask me in like. a little over a month from now ;)

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

FONT??? the animal crossing font

Columbine: Are you tired?

oh absolutely

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

thanksgiving, christmas, seeing my gf, magfest

Coneflower: Dream job?

idk if it’s a job but i just wanna own like. a ranch that takes in all sorts of animals and takes care of them

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

introvert 

Crocus: Have you ever been in love?

ooooh yeah

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

i mean. depends on what they want/need. distance wise? i’d travel the known universe for u  

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

he was a plaid teddy bear his name was Stanley!!!! i miss him :( but now i have Little Moon God as my favourite stuffed animal 

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Libro

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

Working in Yellowstone is something I’ll never forget

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

well. hmm. i was gonna say flying to yellowstone but maybe driving to north carolina by myself bc driving long distances alone to places i haven’t been before gives me hella anxiety (i’m better now)

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)? 

i don’t pay rent in this house to listen to their opinions lmao. 

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

you, i think, when we said goodnight last night!!! EDIT: you this morning!!

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

being bad at dead by daylight

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

dead by daylight

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

(little over a month now but uhhh) GOT A UH ......GIRL.....FRIEND ...... GOT TO VISIT GIRLFRIEND ........ and got the windshield finally replaced in my car 

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

i dont know! so far ive laid in bed now im at my computer answering this. not too bad. my shift is only 4 hours today. 

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

for the most part, i’m pretty content, yeah

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

MOVE OUT 

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

my friends, my mom, my sisters, my girlfriend, my bastard dog

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?

metal   

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

what does this mean. physically, i’m very affectionate, i just. don’t show it alot bc anxiety/i overthink. that and i constantly tell ppl i love them and what they mean to me 

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

whoever is reading this

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

wake up next 2 a cute girl. take way too long to get up. go climb mountain w cute girl. vibe on mountain w cute girl. go to waffle house 2gether. gome home and vibe. play video games or watch a movies/tv w cute girl.  

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?  

i like to make art or play bideo jame

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

oh gosh i dunno. the ones i’ve known the longest are kasey and brandi, and i’ve known them both around/over a decade i think. we met in middle/highschool!

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

you, ivy, liz

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

so many 

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

idk man but i remember when you said u had a crush on me and then i posted a selfie and u were like ‘OH NO SHE’S CUTE” and like ??? idk i think that was definitely the first compliment to ever shock me LMAO 

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

6.9/10

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

my tattoos

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself? 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGGViLwHEUk

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

i liked to play zombies ate my neighbors on the sega genesis !!!!

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

eliza !!!! we lost touch a few years after i moved away :(

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

ima be real everything makes me feel guilty

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

aaaaaa the whole abi/moon incident 

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

my name is fox. it means i like foxes

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

northern virginia babey !!!! that place fucking sucks!!! but everyone who lives up there thinks they’re hot shit. 

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

i had a bunkbed and i think the walls were pink 

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?  

😬 i’m just gonna say i’m much happier now and i’m coping with life and shit a lot better  

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

she’s sweet and funny and i love her so much!! she always does the Most for everyone, sometimes to the point where she isn’t concerned abt herself and i see where i get it from. but yeah my mom is great, my dad doesn’t deserve her 

Onions: Tell about your dad.  

source of a lot of trauma and why i have so many issues regarding men. i don’t wanna talk about him anymore LOL he doesn’t deserve the attention

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

my dad’s mom is becoming senile and i think she’s racist and queerphobic. my mom’s parents disowned her a few years ago so we don’t talk to them anymore 

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

i dunno. i don’t try to remember my birthdays. whenever i can go to busch gardens for my birthday i usually have a lot of fun there. 

Peony: What was your first job?

if you don’t wanna count working w my mom as a florist, target was my first job back in 2016. i found my name tag the other day , actually

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

WELL, i know you followed me on here first. and then twitter?? but we didn’t really start talking until stranger things 3 came out (thank u stranger things) PHYSICALLY, we didn’t meet until fursonacon (haha. i remember when u texted me that u got to the hotel and i came down to help n i saw u unloading yr car and it was then that my brain was like OH NOOOOOOOO and my heart was like OH YEEEEAAAAAAAH) 

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

physical, mental, or emotional? i play a video game or listen to loud music

Pink: Where is home?[

somewhere in appalachia i can feel it in my stupid soul 

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change? 

idk man i’m pretty content w where i’m at now so 

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

chester bennington 

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

i have a waife and we have many great pets and we live in a log cabin in the mountains or in a nice victorian in a small town or something IDK but we’re happy and that’s all that matters 

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

God

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

my mom, me best friends, my girlfriend

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

my girlfriend’s laugh because it’s THE cutest shit and then when she giggles??? oh my heart 

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

oct 23rd, 2005, we brought Fat Boy Zack home !!!!

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

July 22nd, 2016. i was 2200 miles away

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

to be holding my girlfriend >:(

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

hhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

those i hold dear

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

enough, i guess? 

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

my girlfriend

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

it’s fucking BORING and TOO EASY and they don’t pay me ENOUGH but i can get away with so much shit there so ima still go, ima still go 

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

all of the flannels currently in my possession

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.  

mountains, woods, forests, cabins, autumn, cryptic, occult, victorian, edwardian

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

if someone gets me a gift i’m legally required to execute them

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

this 40hr workweek i got coming up 

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

i have not read in So Long

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

Moved out away from here lol, we’ll see

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

:/

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

i’m a furry

that was SO LONG im sorry i also put you through that but THANK YOU ENJOY READING ILU

[miladylocksley]

Carry On | Pride and Prejudice

Ok so I may be completely way off or too slow not to have realized this before, but Carry On and Pride and Prejudice parallels???

Let’s start with enemies to lovers.

“We were enemies.” “You were the centre of my universe,” I say. “Everything else spun around you.” 

(Carry On, 506)

“Lizzie,” said he, “what are you doing? Are you out of your senses, to be accepting this man? Have you not always hated him?” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 272)

Baz and Simon are already on opposite sides before they even meet on account of magical politics. The Old Families vs. the Mage.

Magicians don’t have kings and queens, but the Pitches are the nearest thing we have to a royal family—they probably would have crowned themselves at some point if they’d ever expected anyone to challenge their authority. 

(Carry On, 82)

They want Watford to go back to the way it used to be—a place for only the most rich and the most powerful. 

(Carry On, 83)

Which then grew into a difference of status on account of Baz’s ability to excel at magic and Simon’s struggle to catch up.

What did he say to Agatha? What did he promise? Maybe he didn’t have to say anything. Maybe he just had to be himself. Smarter than I am. Better looking. Wealthier. Fucking horsier—he could go to all her events and wear the right suit and the right shoes. He’d know which necktie went with which month of the year. If he weren’t a vampire, Baz’d be bloody perfect. 

(Carry On, 145)

Lizzie and Darcy were again established as opposites purely based on social class. 

but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien, and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 8)

And later on, on their snap judgment of each other solely based on their first impressions.

His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and everybody hoped that he would never come there again. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 8)

She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 9)

Similarly, Baz rejects Simon when they first meet.

I stumbled forward and looked around, and Baz was walking towards me. Looking so cool. Like he was coming my way because he wanted to, not because there was a mystical magnet in his gut. The magic doesn’t stop until you and your new roommate shake hands—I held my hand out to Baz immediately. But he just stood there for as long as he could stand it. 

(Carry On, 167)

From then on, they are kept apart by external forces bigger than themselves.

“What if,” he says, stepping closer, “ I help you find out who killed your mum, then you help me fight the Humdrum, and we just forget about the rest?” “ ‘The rest,’ ” I say, turning around. “Way to oversimplify a decade of corruption and abuse of power.” “Are you talking about the Mage?” “Yes.” He looks pained. “I wish you wouldn’t.” “How can I not talk about the Mage when I’m talking to the Mage’s Heir?” “Is that how you think of me?” “Isn’t that how you think of yourself? Oh, right. I forgot—you don’t think at all.” Simon groans and rakes his hair. “Jesus Christ. Do you ever not go for the lowest blow? Like, do you ever think, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t say the most cruel thing just now’?” “I’m trying to be efficient.” He leans against the shelf where I’ve set the whiteboard. “It’s vicious.” “You should talk, Snow. You always go for the kill shot.” “When I’m fighting. We’re not fighting.” “We’re always fighting,” I say, going back to the board.

(Carry On, 362)

“It’s not that I don’t prefer this. It’s that . . .” I sigh. “I can’t even imagine it. My family objects to everything the Mage stands for.” 

(Carry On, 364)

In the case of Lizzie and Darcy, it is the latter’s lack of tact that causes the most trouble but, much like Baz in the example above, Darcy is portraying—though clumsily—just what and whom stands in their way. They come from different worlds.

His sense of her inferiority—of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which judgment had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 138)

“I might as well inquire,” replied she, “why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 139)

We’re now moving on to one half of the couple and their secret crush.

And when I felt myself slipping too far, I held on to the one thing I’m always sure of— Blue eyes. Bronze curls. The fact that Simon Snow is the most powerful magician alive. That nothing can hurt him, not even me. That Simon Snow is alive. And I’m hopelessly in love with him. 

(Carry On, 176)

Occupied in observing Mr Bingley’s attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this was she perfectly unaware; to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable nowhere, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 17-18)

A crush which not only becomes much more, unbeknownst to the other party, but which is left unspoken for so long it becomes unbearable.

“For a long time,” I say. “Hmmm?” he opens one eye. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time. Almost since we met . . .” Snow closes his eyes again and smiles like he’s trying not to. I smile, too, only because he isn’t watching. “I thought it was going to kill me.” 

(Carry On, 356)

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 138)

“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 275)

Though both Baz and Darcy start by trying their utmost to completely deny having any romantic inclination.

“If I’d known it was this easy to get rid of you,” Baz called after me, “I would’ve let you catch up with me weeks ago!” 

(Carry On, 106)

I hated the sight of him—I hated what the sight of him did to me. 

(Carry On, 180)

He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 43)

The whole situation does not look to be improving anytime soon for Baz and Darcy when it comes to any hope of reciprocation because Simon and Lizzie—at least in the beginning—never forgive, never forget.

Ebb nods and pets the goat. “To think you used to be at each other’s throats.” “We’re still at each other’s throats.” She looks up at me doubtfully. She has narrow blue eyes, bright blue--brighter somehow because her face is so dirty. “Ebb,” I insist, “he tried to kill me.” “Not successfully.” She shrugs. “Not recently.” “He’s tried to kill me three times! That I know of! It doesn’t actually matter whether it worked.” “It matters a bit,” she says. “‘Sides, how old was he the first time, eleven? Twelve? That hardly counts.” “It counts with me,” I say. “Does it.” I huff. “Yes. Ebb. It does. He hated me before he even met me.” “Exactly,” she says. “Exactly!” “I’m just saying--been a long time since I had to spell you two apart.” 

(Carry On, 90-91)

“Another time, Lizzie,” said her mother, “I would not dance with him, if I were you.” “I believe, ma’am, I may safely promise you never to dance with him.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 15)

I mean duh, ‘cause they keep being dicks. 

I cannot put down the numerous examples of Baz trying to hurt Simon over the years, whether physically through a monster or a magical recording device or with his unforgiving tongue (yes, the double entendre was on purpose), which has understandably rendered Simon paranoid. 

I step out of Niall’s way. “If he’s planning something, I’ll find out,” I say. “I always do.” 

(Carry On, 84)

Darcy keeps being rude or just legit ignoring Lizzie (’cause denial), so how he ever thought she might welcome his addresses is beyond me. Lizzie only meets any attempt at civility with suspicion.

Mr. Darcy, with grave propriety, requested to be allowed the honour of her hand, but in vain. Elizabeth was determined; nor did Sir William at all shake her purpose by his attempt at persuasion. “You excel so much in the dance, Miss Eliza, that it is cruel to deny me the happiness of seeing you; and though this gentleman dislikes the amusement in general, he can have no objection, I am sure, to oblige us for one half-hour.” “Mr. Darcy is all politeness,” said Elizabeth, smiling. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 20)

Thankfully, Simon and Lizzie begin to see their respective love interests in a whole new light. 

Baz’s mouth is colder than Agatha’s. Because he’s a boy, I think, and then: No, because he’s a monster. He’s not a monster. He’s just a villain. He’s not a villain. He’s just a boy. I’m kissing a boy. I’m kissing Baz. 

(Carry On, 343)

There was certainly at this moment, in Elizabeth’s mind, a more gentle sensation towards the original than she had ever felt in the height of their acquaintance. The commendation bestowed on him by Mrs Reynolds was of no trifling nature. What praise is more valuable than the praise of an intelligent servant? As a brother, a landlord, a master, she considered how many people’s happiness were in his guardianship!—how much of pleasure or pain it was in his power to bestow!—how much of good or evil must be done by him! Every idea that had been brought forward by the housekeeper was favourable to his character, and as she stood before the canvas on which he was represented, and fixed his eyes upon herself, she thought of his regard with a deeper sentiment of gratitude than it had ever raised before; she remembered its warmth, and softened its impropriety of expression. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 180)

But they still do not know when their feelings began to change. 

The looking at Baz and thinking about the way his hair falls in a lazy wave over his forehead . . . Yeah, nope. I’ve thought about that before. 

(Carry On, 351)

“Why did I kiss you?” “Yeah.” “I guess I wanted to,” I say, shrugging. “Since when?” I shrug again, and it pisses him off. 

(Carry On, 353)

“Will you tell me how long you have loved him?” “It has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 270)

But there is not doubt; they are each other’s perfect match. 

“I’m not the Humdrum,” I repeat, when I get the chance. “I’d know if I were.” “What you are is a fucking tragedy, Simon Snow. You literally couldn’t be a bigger mess.” He tries to kiss me, but I hold back—“And you like that?” “I love it,” he says. “Why?” “Because we match.” 

(Carry On, 420)

“What do I not owe you? You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 267)

“It is settled between us already that we are to be the happiest couple in the world.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 270)

“Well, my dear,” said he, when he ceased speaking, “I have no more to say. If this be the case, he deserves you. I could not have parted with you, my Lizzy, to any one less worthy.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 273)

BONUS

How did it take you so long to figure it out?

“Baz,” I say. “My roommate.” “The dead one? With the pretty eyes?” “Yes.” 

(Carry On, 99)

“And do not you think him a very handsome gentleman, ma’am?” “Yes, very handsome.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 177)

I’m a mess, but I’m the mess that you wanted™

“His hair is a mess, and his face is flushed, and he looks like he might go off right there, without any provocation. 

[…] 

All the blood I’ve got in me rises to my ears and cheeks.” 

(Carry On, 290-291)

Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy, which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 25)

Trying—and failing—to be subtle

“It was just flirting,” Baz says. “It’s not like I tried to feed her to a chimera.” 

(Carry On, 277)

Mr. Darcy drew his chair a little towards her, and said, “You cannot have a right to such very strong local attachment. You cannot have been always at Longbourn.” 

(Pride and Prejudice, 131)

They’re all such disasters  

When the figure steps forward, I recognize him at once. Tall. Black hair swept back from his forehead. Lips curled up in a sneer . . . I know that face as well as my own. Baz. 

(Carry On, 150)

They were within twenty yards of each other, and so abrupt was his appearance that it was impossible to avoid his sight. Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush. He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immovable from surprise; but shortly recovering himself, advanced towards the party, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not in terms of perfect composure, at least of perfect civility. 

(Pride and Prejudice, 180)

Carry On : St Martin’s Griffin (Paperback)  Pride and Prejudice : The Modern Library Classics (Paperback) 

[zoeygreensimblr]

I Forgot the you Existed

On Thursday morning we had another appointment with Candice at the medical centre in Brindleton Bay, she did a scan and assured us that everything was looking good.

"Welcome to week 6 of your pregnancy Zoey, you're officially half way through the first trimester, have you noticed any weird cravings or that you've developed a higher sex drive due to those hormones kicking in?" She questioned me and I smiled, looking up at Angus

"Well I do find that I want to be intimate a lot more" I laugh, I had no idea it was due to the hormones

"I'm not complaining Princess" Angus say, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze

"You'll feel a whole range of emotions while pregnant, you will get angry over the smallest things, things that you would normally think were petty but just know that it's your hormones running the show and you remember that too Dad, that when she cries or lashes out that she just needs love and understanding" Candice informs us

"And ice cream" I add on, looking up at Angus and caressing his face, he just smiles brightly at me

"I'll get you some ice cream to go with the love and understanding baby girl" He promises me before turning his attention back to Candice, "Is there anything we should be doing to maintain a safe pregnancy? I know the risks are higher with multiple births". I look up at him scared, he had never spoken to me about his concerns.

"I'll give you a lists of foods to avoid, of course alcohol and smoking are the biggest things you wanna avoid but Zoey already said she's a non smoker, living in a non smoker house and that she's cut out alcohol from the moment she found out she was pregnant. Being pregnant with multiple babies could mean it does put a heavier strain on the body, she will be bigger than a one child pregnancy, she will become more tired and she could go into labour a lot sooner than her due date but we will monitor you Zoey, weekly and right now it looks like you're doing everything right" Candice explains, smiling warmly at us

"What about doing exercise?" I ask her, I know I beginning to become more exhausted more easily, I struggled with our session on Wednesday and it was just spin class

"Don't push yourself, running is alright at a reasonable pace but nothing where you put pressure on your stomach, no heavy lifting" She says, printing out the information about what foods to avoid and what ones to no increase my intake of, I see soft cheese is on the list and feel a little disappointed, I love cheese.

After we finished our appointment I approached the reception desk to enquire if Liam was working that day

"Dr Green is with a patient right now but has lunch after" Eliza informed us

"Can You ask him to meet us at the cafe across the road once he's free?" I asked and she nodded, theres no way after last week that she doesn't know he's my father.

Angus and I wait nervously at the cafe, he orders us food as well as a peppermint tea for me and a coffee for himself. We are not waiting long when we see Liam walk through the door, approaching our table, I can see on his face that he is also nervous

"Eliza gave me a message that you wanted to meet me here Zoey" He says, standing at our table

"I want to talk, I'm willing to hear your side of things but I'm warning you now, I don't want to be fucked around, if you lie to me then I will leave" I warn him. He takes a seat as the waitress delivers our food and drinks and he places an order of his own.

"I have nothing left to lose Zoey so I want to be as honest as I can with you and your boyfriend, I'm assuming" Liam says, holding out his hand to Angus

"Fiancé" Angus corrects him, shaking his hand, "I'm Angus" He introduces himself.

"Oh wow, Zoey, you're engaged?" Liam remarks, looking at the ring on my finger, "And you two are expecting or trying to fall pregnant?"

"We are expecting, twins actually" Angus answers him, "Zoey is 6 weeks along but we we've been engaged since before we found out so I'm not just marrying Zoey because I got her pregnant, I love her, we love each other and I've  wanted to make her my wife since I met her, I knew I had found the woman I wanted to be with" Angus rambles on, nervously trying to prove to Liam that he is good enough for me and I hold his hand to try and ease those nerves. My relationship with Angus has nothing to do with Liam and Angus has nothing to prove to him.

"Why did you cheat on my Mother?" I ask Liam, not wanting to drag this out anymore. He looks at me with shame in his eyes.

"Your Mother, Ruth, was 19 when she discovered she was pregnant, I was 25, we hadn't been together long either, I was in my intern year at the hospital and Ruth was a nursing student who was doing on the job work experience once a day, weekly. She was sweet and shy and we would go on coffee dates and talk about the hospital staff. I'd been dating her 3 months when she told me she was pregnant with you and your sister, Teresa" He explain

"Tess, she likes to be called Tess" I tell him and he nods

"After you were born I devoted my life to you girls, whatever you wanted, you were so cute, I'd read you stories at bedtime, I remember you Zoey loved the stories about ponies the most, you had a massive My Little Pony collection that you displayed in front of your books and Ter-, sorry, Tess, loved to colour in all the time so I would find her these fun colouring in books but being a doctor meant I wasn't around a lot and it caused problems, between Ruth and I, we started to fight a lot and by the time I started working at the clinic Ruth and I were only staying together for you girls, so you could grow up in a two parent home, it's what your mother wanted so badly for you." He says looking down at the coffee that the waitress had not long placed in front of him.

"But even if you and Ruth split up, I still don't understand why she would stop you from seeing your daughters, I know Ruth, pretty well in fact and she doesn't strike me as the type to just cut the father of her children out of their lives for no reason" Angus points out, urging Liam to give us the full story

"She had her reasons and it wasn't because I cheated either, Eliza is my sister-in-law, not my wife, she married my brother Patrick and they had two beautiful daughters together." Liam clears up, "I had an accident one night, coming home from work, you were around 7 or 8 Zoey so you probably don't remember this but I was badly injured, I couldn't walk for a while and I was prescribed heavy pain killers to try and ease the pain"

"What's this got to do with why you left us?" I ask him, confused

"I became dependant on those pain killers, addicted and when the doctor I was seeing stopped prescribing them I started forging my own prescription, I felt I needed them, long after the pain had gone, they made me happy, like I wasn't coming home to a woman who resented me and two children who had no idea who I was because of the long hours I worked. Eventually I hit rock bottom, I was erratic and had major anger issues and would lash out at Ruth, I did abuse her once, only once but  it was the final straw for your mother, she had had enough and she took you and your sister and banned me from seeing you, it was Don who paid for her court cost and he would push for drug testing, which I failed once and never got a second chance. I never wanted to lose my girls, I loved you and Tess so much, please believe me" He breaks down and I can see the honesty on his face, I reach out and take his hand to let him know that I believe him.

"Thank you for being honest, it's a lot to take in" I tell Liam, "I'm glad we were able to talk though"

"I'd like to get to know you Zoey, Tess too, I know I've lost so much time but I thought about you and your sister every day, wondering who you would grow into, you look exactly like your Mother when she was your age, you even have her voice" Liam tells me, sorrow in his eyes, "I've been sober for 7 years now, been to rehab twice and attend weekly meetings for addicts because that's what I am, an addict and I will always be an addict but I've turned my life around and I would love to know my daughters"

"How about we meet here every Thursday, after our appointment and we can just talk?" I offer and he smiles at me like I've just handing him his world back, "I cant make any promises for Tess though and I wont have you speaking poorly of Mum or Don, regardless of what happened" I warn him and he nods.

"I'd also like to get to know you too Gus, if that's ok" Liam says to Angus

"He hates being called Gus" I tell Liam

"Zoey, it's fine" Angus says to me, he doesn't want to cause trouble

"I'm so sorry, I know how that feels too, I hate when people call me William or Bill, being that Liam is Irish for William" Liam apologises to Angus and Angus smiles politely and nods, he gets it.

"Well Zo and I have been together since June last year, she blew me away the first time that I met her, she's funny and intelligent and has a heart of gold and I love her with all of my own" Angus gushes and I blush a little.

"How did you two meet?" Liam asks us, smiling brightly

"I met Angus at the gym that he owns and operates in San Myshuno, he is my personal trainer. We started dating not long after we met" I explain, squeezing Angus' hand 3 times, I love my boy and I proudly talk him up

"And you treat my daughter well I hope?" Liam asks Angus, sternly

"She's my Princess, I'll always put her first, well her and our children. I am sorry that I yelled at you last week but protecting Zoey is my number one priority" Angus replies, looking at me with admiration, "She's my world and I love her"

We end our catch up with Liam, making plans to meet at the same time next Thursday, I even hugged him before we left. We walked back to the parking garage under the clinic, Angus begins driving towards the city and I cant understand why.

"You realise you're going the wrong way right?" I laugh at him

"Am I though? Isn't the city where they keep the best formal dresses?" He asks me, without any further explanation.

"The formal was months ago Angus, remember, you took me and we danced together and had such a grand night?" I question him, he's acting very odd.

"I do remember taking you to the formal but I also remember afterwards at the apartment and how I ruined your perfect night and I just found out this morning that I've been nominated for business person of the year, for last year and that the awards ceremony is this Saturday night and my Princess will need a new formal dress and shoes and will have to make an appointment to get her hair done because baby it's formal and you're going to be my date and this time I'm going to be doing everything right, including ending the night with my girl, kissing her lips and telling her how much I love her" He gushes

"Oh wow, I'm so proud of you baby, my man, business person of the year" I say, getting excited

"It's just a nomination baby, I was up for it last year too but didn't win so I don't have high hopes of winning this year either but I couldn't turn down an opportunity to see you in a a beautiful dress and being able to dance with you, also Tess, Brian, Annabelle and Steph will be there too so it wont be as boring as last years ceremony where I got sat with all these CEO pricks who talked about how great their golf game was and how much money they earn" He explains, taking my hand and kissing it.

We parked in the garage under the apartment complex and walked to CAS formal, I started browsing through the dresses but began to become dishearten when I realised I no longer fit into any dresses, my size had gone up and I felt so frumpy.

"I'm so fat, nothing is going to look good on me" I complained, "Maybe I should just stay home, you don't want your fat fiancé in pictures with you when you win." Angus pulls me back from the dress, leaning down, looking in my eyes with a stern expression.

"You are not fat Zoey and I don't want to hear you  refer to yourself as fat ever again, you're fucking gorgeous and I want you by my side forever" He tells me before kissing my forehead, "I love these changes in your body, the beautiful glow in your skin and the luscious curves." He boosts my confidence.

"You say this now but wait until I'm five times this size and can no longer fit into anything" I point out

"So you're telling me you will be naked?" He jokes, trying to lift my spirits and I cant help but giggle

"Naked and on bed ridden" I add

"Now you're just teasing me Princess, bring it on" He smiles brightly at me, "But for now I want you to pick out a dress that makes you feel sexy, not for me but for you because I want my girl to feel good about herself" He tells me, leading me back over to the racks of dresses, "And Zoey, for once in your life don't give a fuck what anyone else will think, if you feel comfortable then that's all that matters. I'll leave you to it, I'm going to pop into another store down the road, get my Princess a special surprise" He kisses me on the cheek and leaves me to browse, I look through all sort of dresses, some long and elegant, others short, cocktail dresses, strapless, halter neck, off the shoulder sleeves, satin, silky, sheer in an array of colours and then I found an amazing dress, red, long, sexy and fit me like a glove without drawing attention to my ever-growing bump. I paid for my dress just as Angus came back into the store, carrying a black, paper bag.

"What's in the bag?" I ask him, trying to sneak a peek but he hides it from view.

"I got you a few things, one of which you will get tomorrow night and the other you will receive on Saturday, after the ceremony." He tells me, "I also booked us a room at the hotel where the ceremony is taking place, I thought you may enjoy a night away in a fancy hotel instead of coming all the way home to Brindleton Bay "

"You spoil me way too much my gorgeous honey bear" I tell him, kissing him softly

"Well deserved I assure you Princess" He says, taking my hand and walking me back to the car.

****What are your thoughts on Zoey's father?****

****What do you think Angus bought Zoey?*****

[hekate1308]

Timey Wimey

Drowley Doctor Who AU. Doctor!Crowley, companion!Dean. Enjoy!

Dean Winchester was once again working late in his home office. He’d decided he might as well finish grading the papers was working on.

“Leave it to an Austrian to finally write comprehensively about art restitution” he mumbled to himself, “Good girl.” At least she would hopefully get the attention she deserved once he published his piece on her book.

His thoughts were interrupted by one of the strangest noises he had ever heard; a grinding, scratching, yet somehow comforting noise. It seemed to come from the garden. He couldn’t see anything in the darkness outside his window, but decided to check just to be sure. He grabbed a flashlight and went outside.

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes.

It couldn’t be true.

And yet there was a big blue box standing in his rocket salad. It looked like a telephone box he’d once seen in an old British film –

“Hello there, Professor Winchester” a voice said. He reeled around.

A bearded man was watching him, looking bemused. “In short, name’s Crowley, this is a time machine and there’s a bit of a problem I have to solve. Fancy a ride?”

“What?” He stared at the stranger who had somehow found his way into his garden and was now asking him if he wanted to take a ride... in a telephone box.

“Alright, once again for the slow among us... time machine, time travel, you in or out?”

“Wait a second, who are you –“

“I just told you” he said impatiently.

“Crowley’s not a name.”

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Rifle.”

Dean huffed. “Still, you are in my garden, so I get to ask the questions, I’d say.”

“Technically there might be a point in what you say, but time is of the essence.”

“Not if you have a time machine” Dean pointed out.

“Good, so you’re smart after all. That will be useful. Now come on, into the snogbox.”

“The what?”

“Oh, don’t flutter those pretty eyelashes at me and don’t expect me to notice.”

“I wasn’t –“

“Whatever you were or were not doing, no time to explain it now. Come on.”

He was so surprised that he actually let himself be dragged to the box. “Now, listen, buddy, I have no idea what –“

Crowley snapped his fingers. “Juliet, welcome our guest.”

The doors of the telephone box opened. Dean’s eyes widened.

The man simply strolled into the huge room as if it was nothing while he followed him, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. “But this –“

“I know. Now can we –“ he sighed when Dean ran outside before returning. “Alright, say it, everyone does –“

“It’s much smaller from the outside!!!”

He blinked. “Alright, I just heard that for the first time, I’ll give you that.”

“But how –“

“This is a TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimensions in Space. She prefers to be called Juliet, though.”

“I see.” To his evident surprise, Dean took this explanation in stride; but he could hardly fault him for naming his... vehicle, for lack of a better word, thinking of Baby. “Hello, Juliet.”

A strange sound emitted from deep within the console. “She seems to like you” Crowley said, clearly annoyed.

“I’m very likeable. So, now that we have established you have some freaky different dimension thing going on...”

“How do you know that?”

Dean shrugged. “I’m into science fiction.”

He studied him, then nodded. “Oh yes. You’ll do.”

“I’ll do how –“

He snapped his fingers and the doors closed. “Hey!” Dean ran back to the door and tried to open it while the machine made the same noises that had originally lured him into the garden.

“That won’t work; they don’t open whole we’re in motion.”

“In motion!? Where the Hell are you taking me –“

“Where do you think? Hello? I just kidnapped an historian in my time machine, and considering your last publication was about the Elizabeth Armstrong case, I got to thinking about all those girls who mysteriously vanished –“

“Oh God, are you talking about the Vanishings? Many believe today that Colin Wilson invented them for his book, he never even had a –“

“Please, can we do this without the indignant historical rant? I have to focus here –“

“Oh what, you’re just pressing buttons –“

The noise stopped. “There we are” Crowley commented.

“What do you mean –“

“I mean, London, 1887. A year before the Ripper murders, two years after the Armstrong scandal, William T. Stead is still on his crusade to save the poor girls from a life in corruption” he explained sarcastically.

“You can’t tell me we just went to London in the year 1887.”

“You can check it yourself” he drawled, pointing at the doors.

Dean told himself that it was absolutely ridiculous to feel afraid. Of course they were still in his garden. How were they supposed to have moved –

The door opened on its own – maybe Juliet was desperate to show off as well? – and Dean hastened to look outside.

What he saw did astound him – but probably not in the way Crowley had hoped.

“And?” he sounded smug.

“Well, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

“That’s all you’ve got to say, Dorothy?”

Dean decided to keep it casual. “I don’t know, I was promised London in 1887. Not pre-revolutionary France. Not that this is not impressive in its own way, you know, but –“

“What?” Crowley shoved him lightly to the side to check the market place they had landed on. He sighed. “You’re right.”

“I know my pre-revolutionary wardrobe.”

“So it would seem, professor.” Crowley closed the door. “Seems like I have to recalibrate Juliet’s chronometer...” he mumbled to himself.

Dean had to suppress a smile.

Their next attempt was more successful. Dean opened the doors and all he saw was fog. He immediately started to cough. “What the –“

“Ah, the good old London fog” Crowley said, strolling up to him. “You’ll get used to it.”

“But how –“

“Time and Relative Dimension in Space. I told you we were going time travelling, and you recognized France just a few moments ago...”

“I see” Dean said weakly. His head was spinning. They couldn’t possibly – and yet –

He was dreaming. That was the only explanation. He had fallen asleep over his work, not for the first time, and now he was dreaming about a pretty good-looking guy who had whisked him away into the London of 1887.

The Victorian Age had always fascinated him, and Eliza Armstrong’s case had awoken his curiosity by pure chance, if he was being honest. But it had been an interesting project, and he had enjoyed the work he’d done on it.

And if this was just a dream – why not enjoy the ride?

Sadly, his hypothesis couldn’t stand for long. “Down the corridor to your right, third door on the left, then the second one on the right, and then straight ahead” Crowley said, pointing the way.

“What?”

“You’d gather a bit of attention, walking around in your twenty-first century clothes, wouldn’t you say?”

Dreams weren’t that... lucid or logical. But this couldn’t be real, he told himself as he strolled down the endless corridors of the TARDIS... Juliet... whatever.

And yet he found a wardrobe with everything he needed. Luckily, he knew all there was about the wardrobe of then late nineteenth century; figuring out how to put it on was still a challenge, however, and by the time he’d made it back to the console room, Crowley was already leaning against the door in his own dark tail coat, looking bored. “And here I thought you were supposed to be an expert.”

“Doesn’t mean I spend my time putting on dresses from bygone time periods” Dean said.

Crowley raised an eyebrow. “You look rather good for your lack of practice, I have to see.”

Dean knew he was blushing, and hated himself for it. Why did the garments have to fit Crowley so well? It was unfair.

“Let’s go, then.”

And he opened the door with a snap on his fingers and strolled out as if walking into 1880s London was no big deal. “Hey, wait for me!” Dean called out, and yet he still hesitated on the step. He was a historian; he had dreamt of this possibility all his life.

Juliet gave a hum that Dean thought was meant to be reassuring – if she was indeed sentient, that was – and he took a deep breath and ventured forth.

“I was wondering if you’d decided to stay inside after all” Crowley drawled.

“It’s not every day you travel into the past:”

“For me, it is. And every night. But that happens to Time Lords, so I will forgive your usual human babbling.”

“Time... are you telling me you’re not human?”

“Exactly that” Crowley said matter-of-factly and began walking. Dean hurried after him.

“Wait! You can’t just tell me you’re some kind of... alien and expect me to follow you as if it is nothing!”

“Considering what we’re here for, it is nothing. It’s of no importance to the Vanishings...”

“But – how do I know you’re telling the truth, if I’m not hallucinating all of this?”

Crowley stopped and sighed. “You won’t let this go, I see.”

And, without further ado, he drew Dean’s hand to his breast. “Feel that?”

He could indeed feel Crowley’s heartbeat and blushed. “Dude, we’re in 19th century London...”

“And in a world where Conan Doyle could happily write about Holmes and Watson walking arm in arm” Crowley replied, the moved his hand.

Dean frowned. “What are you...” he trailed off and his eyes widened. Then, he moved his hand back to Crowley’s left breast and to his right again.

“Two hearts. All Time Lords have them.”

“Two... hearts. You have two... hearts.”

“Correct. I also happen to be immortal. And now, come on. The Vanishings won’t solve themselves.”

And he would again have walked away as if nothing had happened. This time, however, Dean listened to him and he certainly had more to say on the subject, now that he had to accept that his companion was... if not an alien (how?) then very strange indeed.

“Look, I am telling you – the Vanishings are just a myth. I was disappointed myself when I found out; I loved Colin Wilson’s books as a kid. Part of my reason for wanting to become a historian was so I could write like him, and then I found out he barely paid attention to sources, invented a serial killer, and believed himself to be a genius.”

“So what happened to Eliza Carter? Why was Charles Wagner found near the Thames, but had not drowned? And who killed Amelia Jeffs?”

“Granted, I would like to know too, but I only ever found evidence of Eliza Carter actually existing, and the other two – I have no idea where they come from. Maybe Colin Wilson found some obscure mention in an old penny dreadful and freaked out because he took it seriously. He actually believed Suetonius, can you believe it?“

“You will love Madame Vastra” Crowley said sarcastically.

“Madame Vastra?”

“Yes. She’s a Silurian. Her and her wife Jenny – and Strax have decided to live here.”

“But – what – are you telling me there are other aliens in Victorian London!?”

“Oh yes. You don’t know half of it.”

Now Crowley sounded decidedly smug, and Dean chose not to pay him more attention. Instead, he focused on the world around him.

His whole life, it seemed to him, he had studied the past. He had seen pictures, and daguerreotypes, and paintings; he had read diaries and newspapers and old files that were so dusty they’d made him cough for days; he’d thought to understand the passions of a man who killed both his wife and her lover with a sword upon finding them in bed together, of a young girl who had been crowned queen and had yet started a romance with her husband’s courtier, of a woman who would throw herself under the horse of her sovereign to ensure those that came after her would be allowed to vote.

And now he was here, now he was actually in the past, and it was so much more than he had imagined.

A few dirty children passed him, loudly singing a nursery rhyme. On the next street corner, a woman solicited him, and he hastily moved on, Crowley sniggering behind him. “Not quite what you thought it was like, hm?”

“I just didn’t think it would be... natural.”

“But of course. As large as life, and twice as natural.”

“Do you come here often?”

“Now and then when Madame Vastra calls for help. She knows I’m the best.”

“I see being humble isn’t one of your virtues.”

“I don’t have any but if I had, this would definitely not be one of them, you’re right about that.”

“Then why are you trying to solve some old murder cases that no one even knows where cases to begin with?”

“It’s fun” Crowley said simply, “And I’m easily bored.”

Dean was left to stare after him as he went on. Fun? Solving a murder? Then again, he thought somewhat guiltily, it’s not like he wasn’t being entertained right now.

He hastened to catch up.

“Here we are” Crowley said suddenly. He turned around. “A few ground rules. They might time travel from time to time, but they are living here, so no mention of the future, that just confuses things. And especially not Jack the Ripper.”

“Why not Jack the Ripper?” Dean asked, somewhat disappointed.

“Because Madame Vastra is going to eat” Crowley said.

“What!?”

“You heard me. One way of getting rid of the problem.”

“But... who was he?” Dean asked, at least desperate top hear a name.

“A nobody. No one had ever heard of him, his name wasn’t in any of the files.”

“You’re kidding me.”

Crowley’s expression made it clear that he was not, in fact, kidding.

Damn it.

All the research he had done over the years, and it was all for nothing.

“Don’t look that downcast, just remember that Stewart thought it was a crazy midwife and be happy you didn’t write his book on the subject.”

“That’s barely a compliment. It’s one of the worst –“

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s hope they’re home.” And without further ado, Crowley rang the doorbell.

“But –“

The... person that opened the door could best have been described as a living, breathing, talking potato and Dean did his best not to stare.

“Crowley. We weren’t expecting you.”

“That’s because I didn’t tell you I was coming, Strax” he said smoothly. “I need to speak to Madame Vastra and Jenny. It’s important.”

“They are not at home at the moment, but please, the girl and you are welcome to step in.”

“The girl?” Dean asked.

“They have never thought it necessary to learn about the human obsession with gender” Crowley said, stepping in.

“Would you like some blood of the enemies we slaughtered as a refreshment?” Strax asked.

“Sorry, what?”

He looked disappointed. “I mean, would you like some water or wine?”

“Water, please.” He thought it better to keep his wits.

“A good decision. You don’t know what that Silurian wine can do to you” Crowley said, stepping up to inspect a painting hanging in the living room. “Turner. Original.”

“What?” Dean stepped up to him. Art had never been his are of expertise, but he thought he was right. “So Strax is –“

“Another alien. Naturally.”

“And... Madame Vastra and Jenny?”

“Jenny’s human, Madame Vastra a Silurian.”

“A what?”

“Oh, you’ll see” Crowley smirked.

Strax entered with a tablet. “I have also brought the beverage made out of loose leaves these Londoners are so fond of.”

Dean decided he definitely could use some tea. “Thank you.”

Strax looked at him, then briskly informed Crowley, “Your boy is more polite than you” before disappearing again.

Dean flushed at being called Crowley’s boy, but the Time Lord didn’t appear to be affected in the least. “Is he always like that?”

“Oh no, normally, he threatens anyone he meets with violence. He must like you.”

“I see” Dean said somewhat weakly. “But...” he trailed off.

“Yes?” Crowley asked, sitting down and taking a book from a nearby shelf.

“Look” Dean tried, “not that I am not grateful – how many historians do get such a chance? But you are trying to solve a Victorian criminal case. And you’re waiting for an alien detective and her wife to help you do so. I get how they can be helpful, but... what about me? I’m just a historian.”

“Just a historian who, as you just so rightfully pointed out, travelled back in time. Most of what we know from this time period is because we have had various adventures during it, but you have studied this, somewhat obsessively, might I add.”

“It’s interesting, alright”? Dean mumbled.

“Whatever you say, but my point is, a historian is always going to be useful in the long run.”

He nodded. It was as good a reason as any. And he would have lied if he had said he wasn’t looking forward to meeting the alien detective.

Madame Vastra, when she returned with her wife a few minutes later, proved to be a... giant lizard-person. Thankfully, Dean had at least known she was an alien, so he didn’t react.

“Crowley. This is a surprise.” She looked at Dean and narrowed her eyes. “You have never been known to take on passengers if they couldn’t help you. So who is this?”

“Dean Winchester, a historian” Crowley introduced him.

Jenny’s eyes widened. “What, the one whose entire oeuvre you’ve read at least three times?”

What happened next was something so incredible Dean at first wasn’t sure he wasn’t imaging it, but he was right.

Crowley was blushing. “That has nothing to do with this. Dean is an expert on the Victorian age.”

“That is true indeed” Madame Vastra agreed. “And may I say, Professor, that your books are meticulously researched.”

“Thank you, and it’s Dean.”

“Really” she said, studying him, “Quite an unusual companion for you...”

“He’s not my companion” Crowley said quickly, as if the word meant something special – and it probably did, Dean didn’t speak alien, after all. “He’s just helping me on the case. The Vanishings.”

“The Vanishings?” Jenny asked. “but those are just stories, am myth invented by Colin Wilson.”

“Told you” Dean said simply as Crowley rolled his eyes.

“You might wish to ignore what’s going on right in front of you, but I don’t have that privilege.”

“On the contrary, you usually have” Madame Vastra said, “So what is it? Why are you here?”

“You usually don’t need a reason –“

“But this time, you brought an expert with you and you seem rather eager to take on the case” she observed calmly, looking at Dean once again. “I would say something’s afoot.”

“Yeah, well, but that is not what this is” Crowley dismissed her concerns, although Dean couldn’t help but feel there was more to it than that. Victorian London or not, he should definitely keep on his toes around the Time Lord, just to make sure.

“So what do we do now?”

“Well” Crowley drawled, “First of all we have to talk to the police and see the evidence. I am sure Madame Vastra can help us with that.”

She nodded. “Inspector Abberline owes me a favour.”

So at least she seemed to trust Crowley, his motives for taking this case notwithstanding, Dean reflected. That had to be a good sign.

And then he realized something else. “Frederick George Abberline!? He spluttered. “Detective in White Chapel? Soon-to-be the most famous hunter for Jack the Ripper there ever was?”

“Yes” she said calmly.

“Rule number two for time travel: no fanboying” Crowley snapped.

“I wasn’t, I just admire his work –“

“Sure. You do realize he’s over forty by now and slightly overweight –“

“And how old are you?”

Crowley shut up. Jenny sniggered. “You should keep him around. Could use someone to keep you on your toes.”

“What I need and do not need is none of your concern”.

“If you say so” Crowley said smoothly, having regained his equilibrium. “Do you think you could... stay calm around Inspector Abberline?”

“Of course. I’m a scientist, remember=”

“Historian.”

“Same thing, different subject.”

“If you say so” he repeated.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“Not at the moment, but if you give me a second, I am certain I could come up with –“

“I will get ready to introduce you to Inspector Abberline” Madame Vastra interrupted them, looking vaguely... amused? “And I will ask Strax to bring the carriage.” With that, she and Jenny swept out of the room.

Crowley walked to a window so Dean couldn’t see his face as he said, “You took the introduction to alien life forms rather well.”

“I was kidnapped by one and brought to 1880s London, what could possibly surprise me anymore?” Dean asked.

“Good point.”

“There is something you are not telling me, though.”

“I have lived for hundreds of years, there are many things –“

“No. About the case.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because Madame Vastra is right” he announced with more certainty than he felt.

Crowley turned around and suddenly his eyes looked much older than before. “You think so?”

“Yes. Professor, remember? How many students do you think have lied to me over the years to get an extension on their due dates or a better mark?”

Crowley didn’t smile, despite Dean’s attempt to lighten the mood. “There are more things between Heaven and earth...”

“If you insist on quoting Shakespeare, I shall insist on meeting him.”

His smiled slightly. “Could be difficult. Queen Elizabeth I isn’t exactly a... fan of mine.”

“Why?”

“Almost lost the English their war against Spain.”

“How did you manage that?”

“Long story.”

“So. Will you tell me?” When Crowley didn’t answer, Dean sighed and stepped up to him. “look, I know how this is going to sound, but... I’ve decided to help you out. But I can’t do that if you leave me in the dark.” He did his best to give him Sam’s patented puppy dog eyes.

To his surprise, it worked. “That’s why I don’t go for companions. They are annoying.”

“You know I’m right.”

“Fine. But if you’re overwhelmed, it’s not my fault.”

“Again, time travel, aliens, Victorian London. Don’t think I can be that easily surprised anymore.”

“Fine. We Time Lords are an old race. We know many secrets. And when I read about these cases... I noticed something immediately.”

“What?”

“Especially the autopsy reports.”

“There was not a mark on him” Dean remembered, “and no one could find the cause of death.”

“That’s because his life force was drained. That was all.”

“His life force was drained?”

Crowley nodded. “Children have more of it than adults. I think the other suffered the same fate.”

“But...”

“It’s a very old and very dangerous technique, but it creates a lot of energy. Enough to run the New York city of your time for a million years.”

Dean’s eyes widened. “And you are here because...”

“Because, if someone is desperate enough to try it, he is desperate enough to do anything, and God knows what this would do to the fixed points in time.”

“There are fixed points?”

“Yes, points that can’t be altered. Bit with such an energy as this...”

“What’s in it for you?”

Crowley sighed. “There’s no question you won’t ask, is there?”

“Historian here. We never tire of questions.”

“Fine. Let’s just say me and the... council of Time Lords have had our differences, and solving this case would allow me to return to Gallifrey. “

“Gallifrey?”

“My home planet.”

“So you want your home back –“

“I could make a few wonderful deals there with everything I have learned” Crowley said with a smirk.

This man – alien – whatever – was a walking contradiction, Dean decided. He had sounded sincere when he had spoken of his home, but then he went ahead and talked as if it was a business transaction. Still...

He took a deep breath. “Alright, that makes me even glad to help. It’s important to have a home.”

Crowley raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Perhaps it was for the best that at this moment, Madame Vastra and jenny returned and told them the carriage was ready. Dean immediately volunteered to sit beside Strax to see better.

After all, he was on his way to meet Inspector Abberline.

“Hello” Strax said when he jumped up, “I hope this one will brave.”

“You have more than one horse, then?”

“Only one at a time. And like I said, this better behave. I am tired of horse meat.”

“Horse meat?” Dean asked.

“The punishment for not obeying their orders is execution.”

“Of course” he said weakly. Unsure of how he should react. Certainly – well, maybe Crowley would have let him sit next to a homicidal maniac, but Madame Vastra and Jenny seemed too careful to allow him to walk to his doom.

“How long have you been Crowley’s companion?” Strtax asked and Dean blushed before he remembered that the word seemed to mean something quite different.

“I don’t think I am.”

“Crowley has never brought anyone with him before” he said matter-of-factly. “It seems clear to me that he must be interested in having you as his mate.”

“Woah” Dean said, colouring once more, “there is no mate-ing going on... mate.”

“If you say so. I never quite understood other species’ need to copulate.”

“How do you...” Dean started before he realized he was probably being incredibly impolite.

What followed was an explanation he’d rather have avoided, if he could.

“Dean Winchester” Madame Vastra began in the carriage. Crowley didn’t answer. “He seems... special.”

“Why, and why should that interest you?”

“Because it means he’s special to you”.

“I only met the man, for God’s sake.”

“And yet you took him with you.”

“And you’re a fan of his work, you can’t tell me otherwise” Jenny piped in.

“I will admit he writes well, and sometimes I get bored.”

“And yet... you have never willingly looked for someone to travel with you for a case” Madame Vastra said.

Crowley shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything. I don’t see why Dean Winchester is so important. Or special, as you say.”

“I’m a detective. Any aberration from the norm is important to me.”

Crowley stayed silent.

Alright, Winchester, play it cool. You have read about this age all your life, you can act like someone from here. You’re about to meet Inspector Abberline – be polite but distant, and let the others speak. That’s the best course.

Dean’s prep talk to himself did little to calm his nerves as they walked the steps towards the door of Scotland Yard’s headquarters. How often had he looked at pictures of this time period?

“Calm down” Crowley hissed, “This is hardly becoming for a gentleman.”

“You brought me here as a historian, and the historian in me is understandably freaking out” he mumbled back, ignoring Jenny’s giggle. After all, this was what he had lived for fro years – decades, even.

“Can I trust you to keep it to a minimum, at least?”

“I will try” was all he could answer as Madame Vastra was giving a PC instructions to tell Abberline they were here.

“They know me well” she said simply and Dean wondered just how long they had been living here.

Eventually, they were led into Abberline’s office, and Dean was confronted with the great man. Granted, he was already balding and a little stout, but still – this was Inspector Abberline. The man who knew more about the Jack the Ripper hunt than anyone – well, than Madame Vastra would, he had to admit. Still.

Crowley stood back as Madame Vastra greeted him and introduced then, but he didn’t seem as oblivious to the existence of time lords as Dean would have thought him to be. “Ah. Mr. Crowley. I assumed I would meet you eventually.”

Dean grinned a bit at the thought of Mr. Crowley, but was all respectful again when Abberline turned to him. “Inspector.”

“Mr. Winchester. You don’t happen to be related to the Winchester of Surrey, are you? I know a few of them.”

“I hope not professionally.”

“Oh, you know” his eyes glanced towards Jenny and Madame Vastra for a moment, “One can’t always have our... extraterrestrial friends nearby when something goes wrong.”

“I am more terrestrial than you, Inspector” Madame Vastra observed calmly.

Crowley cleared his throat. “May we talk about the case at hand?”

“Of course, Mr. Crowley. Now, as I understand, no one has of yet connected these Vanishings... But if Madame Vastra sees a case, there usually is one.”

She nodded.

“And you think there might be something... not quite human involved?”

“Isn’t there always when I’m about?” Crowley asked.

“That seems to be the case. Now, then...”

Abberline had the sharp mind Dean had always suspected him to possess; to use a cliché he would never have allowed one of his students to write down, he was a man before his time. They had soon worked out that the disappearances seems to centre around a specific three mile radius in East London – not far from where the Ripper would strike, but Dean was careful not to mention it – and even though he seemed downcast since he couldn’t order his men to help them, considering they didn’t even have an official case, it was a pleasure to work with him.

“And here I thought” Crowley drawled as they left, “He was married with children.”

Dean blushed, even though there had been nothing – they had simply talked pleasantly – there was –

“Jealousy? That’s a new one” Jenny commented drily.

“Please, you humans are merely mayflies for me, darling.”

Madame Vastra hissed.

“Who’s jealous now?” Crowley asked smugly.

“Nice save” Dean said.

“I can assure you –“

“I tech young students. Do you really think I don’t recognize ELEPHANT when I hear one?”

Crowley fell silent.

“So why those three miles?” Dean asked when they were standing in the middle of Whitechapel (and he admittedly had to restrain himself lest he go off on a tangent on his favourite topic). “I get that this place is densely populated, so it’s probably easier to snatch people of the street, but still.”

“There must be an explanation, there always is” Crowley said. “Maybe it’s some form of alien technology...”

“Why do I get that’s always your first answer when problems like this arise?”

“Because it’s true” Jenny said.

“We could just round up every inhabitant of this place and torture them in order to give us answers” Strax suggested.

Gwen they turned to look at him, he quickly said, “I mean we could ask them what’s going  on.”

“Rather impractical, I am afraid” Crowley said smoothly. “No, we need to find the source of all of this – before it spreads.”

“What do you mean, spreads!?” Dean demanded. “Until now I thought we were just working a case –“ When he caught Madame Vastra’s eyes he continued, “not that that is not important, but I think we can all agree that more disappearances would not be a good thing.”

She simply nodded. “It will be best if we split up, then.”

Dean didn’t quite understand how he and Crowley had ended up looking for clues together – surely the experienced detectives should have been each in one group? But here they were, slowly making their way through the city Dean had read so much about.

“You should stare a little less, people tend to notice.”

“You’re an alien, and nobody notices that” Dean pointed out.

“That’s because I’m me.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Abberline didn’t notice anything being the matter with me.”

“And you actually think that had to do with your performance being convincing and not three other aliens stealing the show?”

“Why do you care, anyway?” Dean changed the subject.

Crowley’s shoulders stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“Madame Vastra seemed to imply this wasn’t your usual gig. So why do you care about The Vanishings?”

“Juliet sometimes has a mind of her own. She wouldn’t let me go anywhere else.”

The lie was so blatant, considering he had managed to pick up Dean, that it silenced him. All he could have done was accuse Crowley of lying, he would deny it, and that would be that.

Still, seemed like there was more than one mystery to solve here.

And yes, Dean knew that that sounded rather strange since he was in the middle of solving a crime with three aliens and a human married to a big lizard.

“What exactly is it that we’re looking for?” he asked as they walked past yet another gin shop. E had often wondered if the number of those had been exaggerated by the studies about the drinking habits of the people of the Victorian era. It hadn’t.

“Something out of place, something that doesn’t belong here.”

Dean gave him a pointed look.

“Something that is trying to hide the fact.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Something malicious.”

He snorted.

“What more do you want?”

“Alright, alright. Something out of place in London in 1887. Got it.”

Dean was starting to understand why Crowley had taken him with. He needed an expert. If whoever was responsible was as good at hiding what they were than the Time Lord...

Good God, yesterday my biggest problem were the many papers I had to grade, and now here I am...

Dean decided not to worry about it and concentrate on the task at hand.

In the end, he almost missed it even though he was doing his best to be watchful.

“Crowley” he said, reaching out and grabbing his arm to gain his attention, forcing himself not to notice how his muscles moves under his hand, “That gaslight.”

Crowley looked at it. “Yes?”

“It has gas mantles.”

“Yes.”

“They were invented in 1891” he hissed.

Crowley blinked. “Are you sure? Could have been 1791”.

“Are you confusing years now?”

He huffed. “Never.”

“You brought me here because I am the expert,. And I am telling you this gas light shouldn’t be here for at least another four years!”

“Alright darling, calm down.” Crowley was studying the lantern. “Do you feel something... off?”

“Off?” Dean asked, stepping closer. “Aside from the lantern that shouldn’t be –“ a cold queer feeling passed over him and he touched his forehead with his right hand, shaking his head. “What was that?”

“That” Crowley said “Was the sign that this is a trap street.”

“But trap streets are –“ Dean tried to explain for the third time that, if aliens wanted to use an English word to describe technology of theirs, they’d do good to use one that wasn’t already in a wholly different sort of use, but Crowley wouldn’t listen. He was scribbling down in something that looked like a notepad.

“Before you ask, you curious menace, I’m letting the others know what we found.”

“Curiosity is part of my job” he argued, “And what do you mean by –“

Crowley looked up and grinned that grin of his that Dean refused to think of as charming. “Oh, this is a special sort of notebook. It also doubles as my permission to do anything, as you can clearly read here.”

He passed it to Dean. He squinted down at the page Crowley had been writing on, confused. “Where did the writing go?”

When the Time Lord didn’t answer, he looked up to find Crowley staring at him, his mouth hanging slightly open. “What?”

“Nothing” he said quickly, taking back his notebook. “Nothing”.

But as he turned back to look at the gas lamp once more, Dean could hear him mutter, “Not since Will...”

The others arrived quickly. Madame Vastra looked at the lamp and her eyes narrowed. “Excellent observation. I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

“Thank you” Dean said politely while Crowley just hummed.

“so there are aliens hiding here? In the middle of Whitechapel?” Jenny asked.

And for the first time, Crowley looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“What is it?” Dean asked.

He turned to look at the gang, but they all seemed wary, as if they didn’t expect Crowley to explain anything.

“Crow –”

He cleared his throat. “We should check –“

“Crowley!”

“What?”

“You can’t expect us to just barge in there without having a clue what’s going on, not while you obviously have” he argued.

Crowley stared at him. He stared back. Silence settled over them.

After he didn’t know how long, Crowley looked away and said, “There is only one person in this galaxy who I could imagine would be clever enough to create a gas lamp to hide the entry to their trap street, but careless enough to get it wrong by just a few years.”

Dean ignored the astonished looks the others bestowed on him to ask, “And who would that be?”

Crowley looked at him, then, and now there was something like defiance in his eyes. “If you really have to know – my ex.”

“So Time Lords have wives?” Dean asked. After Crowley’s confession, they had repaired to a nearby tavern. Knowing all too well that several diseases that were still around could probably kill him, he’d declined to have a drink.

“The institution of marriage is common amongst many life forms, but I didn’t mean that kind of ex.”

“So you just had a little fun on the Time Lord Planet?”

Crowley raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “It’s called Gallifrey, I told you. And it was over as soon as it begun – not that it matters, since it was rather long ago too. Several regenerations ago, in fact.”

“Regenerations?”

“That’s not the point here.” Crowley’s gaze seemed to go straight through him and back into a different time. “She was clever. Very clever. She had plans, and for a while I thought we wanted the same.”

“Intergalactic dominion?” Madame Vastra’s voice was detached. Dean turned his head to stare at her. Surely she didn’t mean –

“There was a moment in time where I thought it was a tempting prospect” Crowley agreed.

Suddenly, he looked different. Older, more dangerous than before. Dean slid a little back with his chair, and was surprised when Crowley actually seemed pained at the gesture.

Jenny looked between them, her eyes widening.

“Galactic domination is a praiseworthy goal” Strax said.

“Not if you want to then proceed to burn everything” Crolwey answered simply, as if this were a normal conversation. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“And so you ended it.”

“And so I left Gallifrey... After telling the Council what Lilith had been planning. I assume she won’t be happy to see me.”

“You knew it was her” Dean said quietly. “Or at least you suspected.”

Crowley shrugged. “One thing she was fascinated by was the use of life force to make her more powerful.”

“Life force?” Jenny asked

“Yes, that intangible energy that makes everyone scramble about.”

“But – you can just take that away?”

“Yes, and the victims of that are currently lying in the morgue.”

Dean shuddered, remembering what those poor children must have gone through.

“And that’s why we should probably stop her. God knows what Lilith could do with so much energy.”

“Crowley” Madame Vastra said suddenly, “A word. Outside?”

Dean watched them go. “What couldn’t they possibly talk about in front of us –“

“Oh, when these two get together, there are usually quite a few fights” Jenny said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

Dean knew she was probably right. Especially since they had other things to worry about ��� Strax had just decided to duel one of the servers.

“Crowley” Madame Vastra said as soon as they were out on the street, “What are you doing?”

“Trying to keep Lilith from –“

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Dean has more life force in him than I have ever seen in a human adult except for Jenny. And since he doesn’t have her combat skills, he’ll be easier to grasp.” After a pause, she added, “You knew that, of course. His skills as a historian were not the only reason you brought him here. Are you counting on him to distract Lilith?”

“You have to admit he makes quite the distracting side” Crowley argued.

“Not just for Lilith. Think about it Crowley – if you break your own heart, you help no one.”

He told himself he didn’t know what she was talking about.

By the time Crowley and Madame Vastra returned they had managed to calm  veryone down, although Strax seemed disappointed he hadn’t gotten his duel. Dean was starting to wonder how they ever kept the existence of aliens a secret.

“Everything clear?” he asked.

Crowley sat down and nodded, but wouldn’t catch his eyes.

“There were some things we needed to discuss” Madame Vastra said smoothly. “Now, Mr. Winchester, I think I speak for all of us when I say you should best return to the TARDIS. You’ll be safe there.”

“Are you saying I’m supposed to stay behind while children are in danger!?”

“Mr. Winchester” she said again, glancing at Crowley, who was doing his best to give the impression that nothing that was happening had anything to do with him, “We both believe you could be a target, if Lilith should become aware of you.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Too much life force” Crowley suddenly pressed out. He finally looked at Dean again. “You don’t think Time Lords just get randomly interested in historians, do you? Especially since we witness a lot of history ourselves. You are... special, Dean Winchester, and by God it’s annoying.”

His tone suggested that it was anything but, and once again he couldn’t say how long they were staring at one another when Jenny cleared her throat and Strax began to complain that they weren’t doing anything.

“So you see Dean, if Crowley says...”

2I’m not going to be safe and sound while children are being killed off by a crazy Time Lady” he decided. “You can try and stop me.”

“We could” Madame Vastra sounded amused, “But I think having you with us might actually be a tactical advantage”. She was studying him with a look that told him he’d earned her respect by insisting he stay on the time.

“Yeah. I can play bait, if my life force is as strong as you think it is.”

“This might actually work” Crowley said with reluctance. “Lilith could never resist the chance to find another victim.”

“Seems like she’s got problems focusing” Dean answered. “If she –“

“Can we please not go nice university professor on the Time Lady who wants to burn the universe?”

He raised his hands. “Just saying.”

Jenny laughed. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.”

Dean winked. “Trust me, that’s what they all say.”

As soon as they entered the trap street, Dean started to wonder how no one could have noticed it. There was a feeling of wrongness, of this being not right, permeating to his core.

The others didn’t seem to notice or care. Then again, he assumed they were used to that kind of thing.

Burn the universe. Lilith actually wanted to burn the universe. He shuddered. In contrast to the others, he didn’t think Crowley would ever have gone that far; there was just something about him that told Dean he’d never give up the opportunity to make deals just to destroy it all. It wasn’t exactly a nice thought but it was good enough.

“Where do you think she is?” he whispered.

“Most likely at the heart of it all” Madame Vastra answered. “Snakes usually hide in the heart of their den.”

“Or in their TARDIS” Crowley supplied.

Dean rolled his eyes. “Come on, you’re not a snake. A bit eccentric maybe, but not a snake.”

“Many would disagree with you.”

“University professor, remember? I get paid to be right.”

“These two are engaging in what I believe usually leads to this disgusting habit of –“ Strax began but Jenny hushed him.

“What is our plan, anyway?” Dean asked; it had occurred to him that he probably should have asked that before.

“Ambush. Lilith is wonderful at coming up with all kinds of convoluted ideas for how to get things done, and she usually plans long hand, but give her some real opposition and she doesn’t know what to do.”

“Alright. So I’ll play bait so you can come up from behind?”

Crowley nodded.

“Okay. Just... make sure you get her before all my life force is drained out of my body, okay?”

“Don’t worry” Strax replied. “We shall conquer her lair and fill the room with acid so she may slowly dissolve under excruciating pain.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Strax grinned. “Isn’t it?”

Walking down a trap street. Dean decided half an hour later, was much less exciting than it sounded. In fact, it was a whole web of streets just going on and on – and completely empty, too. “What does she need all of this... place for anyway?”

“To confuse her enemies, of course. If they’re caught in a labyrinth, they are not going to –“

“Wait, are we lost?”

“Oh no” Crowley said, “We have to go to the right twice and once to the left, and we’d come back out. A time Lord never loses his way.”

Dean was rather sceptical of that due to their experiences, but Crowley sounded sure as to where they were. “Okay. So –“

They should have known, he would later reflect,. That things couldn’t be so easy, especially if Lilith was indeed the piece of work Crowley had described.

Dean would never completely recall the ambush (which, as would eventually be explained to him,, had to do with the neuroagent Lilith had sued to knock him out).

When he came to, he was fettered to what looked like a pretty decent reproduction of a medieval dungeon. Dean should know; he had once spent a semester working on a project on those with his students.

Seemed like playing bait had worked out a little too well, he decided.

“Ah, Professor Winchester. I am a big fan of your work – not as big as Crowley, of course, but then he does have this unfortunate weak spot for humans in his hearts –“

Dean snorted. It was difficult to imagine Crowley having any weak spots.

“Well, not that it matters. You have a brilliant mind for a human, but I am afraid that means nothing when compared to your life force...”

A woman stepped in front of him. Like Crowley, she looked human – and then she blinked and her eyes turned white. Dean jerked away.

She smiled. “Not that brave after all, are we?”

“Sorry, I’m not used to evil skanks showing their cards so openly” he sneered.

She studied him, obviously not in the least bit intimated.

“What have you done to the others?”

“Oh, don’t worry – all their life forces are strong as well. I would never waste such powers. And Crowley... well, there is always hope he will see sense.” She was still smiling that unsettling smile of hers.

“Crowley will never work with you. He made that mistake once.”

“My my, you seem to have a higher opinion of him than most.”

“What can I say? I’m a people person.”

“And putting on a brave facade. They usually do. Well, the adults. It’s part of why I began to work on children...” she reached out and put a finger under his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes. “It’s so much more enchanting when you can see the open fear. And, of course, fear carries a lot of power in itself. Don’t worry, we’ll get there.”

Good God. How had he gone from grading papers in his study to a trap street in the London of 1887 where crazy aliens could and would win power out of fear and your very life? Dean, however, was determined not to show that he was scared.

As crazy as it was, as little as he knew him, he trusted Crowley. Word on the street seemed to be that this was a mistake, but so it was.

He would have to wait and bide his time. And try not to die.

What could go wrong?

Crowley would never have imagined that Lilith was nostalgic, for so it seemed. If he had captured her, he would have stopped her hearts and then made sure regeneration couldn’t set it. After all, as his witch of a mother had always said, better to deal with problems thoroughly.

Instead of starting to decompose, however, he was now sitting in a cell, and it seemed that he was here to stay for quite some time. At least according to Lilith.

Needless to say that he had other plans.

Lilith and her obsession with details. The cell looked pretty accurate.

But, remembering the gaslight...

Her impatience. That’s where he’d always got her. Granted, patience wasn’t one of the virtues he had never possessed in the first place, but he knew when to get a job well done to avoid complications. And Lilith didn’t.

Unless this was all just a rouse to get him to break out and trap him again, much more permanently... He wouldn’t have put it past her.

Still – He had to get out of here quickly.

After all, there was no telling how desperate Lilith was to get her hands on Dean’s life force.

He sighed. Madame Vastra had been right, of course – he’d known the second he looked into those sparkling green eyes for the first time that Dean Winchester was something very special indeed, and not just because of his expertise – which was indeed something for a creature with such an unfortunate small life span.

A part of him knew he shouldn’t have brought him here, knew that the temptation for Lilith had been too great. But then, she wasn’t the only one who had been tempted, was she?

He had long ago given up all work on the experiments they had once embarked on; one of the reasons had been that he would undoubtedly have run into Lilith again if he had persevered; another had been that the High Council had told him quite clearly that, if he wanted to live out his regenerations travelling around with Juliet and not in a prison cell on Gallifrey, that was the way to go; and the last one he had never admitted to anyone, had in fact barely allowed himself to think about –

The truth was that one day he had looked into a mirror, had realized what he was turning into, known that he would soon surpass Lilith and that he would then be able to control the universe as he liked –

And then, to his mortification, he had found that he had some form of moral backbone. He had always assumed he had no conscience, and now it had suddenly reared its ugly head.

And that very conscious made itself known once again as he thought of Dean in Lilith’s clutches. He had to get out and help him. If it wasn’t already too late.

“Actually you should be flattered” Lilith lectured him, “Not many get to understand the scientific breakthrough they are helping with their deaths.”

“Maybe if you didn’t kidnap children – that could help” Dean replied sarcastically, watching her work on several scientific instruments that seemed rather... benign. Not what he imagined at all.

She sighed. “I already explained – small wonder you and Crowley get along so well. He can be dense when he wants to be as well.”

That was one way he would never have chosen to describe him, he had to give her that.

“Funny. The only one dense I’ve seen since I set foot here is standing right in front of me.”

She slapped him across the face then, but he barely even flinched. If she seriously thought a punch to the face would silence him, she was wrong.

“Hm” she hummed appreciatively, “Seems like this is going to be even more fun than I thought.”

A weak spot. There had to be one. Lilith was never careful to ensure there wasn’t. And so Crowley began to look over the cell as carefully as he could.

An exact replica... Lilith would never manage to do that. Crowley knew she’d most likely have gotten distracted while working on his cell. And then, who said she created it for him, specifically? So far he’d made a conscious effort to get as far away from her as possible. He had long ago decided trying to stop her wasn’t worth the trouble.

And yet, here he was.

That speck of conscience was certainly annoying.

Alright. Concentrate on the task at hand, he told himself. After all, he had gotten away with a lot of things back at Gallifrey before the Council decided it was too dangerous to keep him around, so either going away or to jail it was.

There had to be a way out. There always was, unless he himself had designed the –

And then he realized. Of course Lilith would put him in a cell built after the plans he himself initially conceived, when they were still intent on ruling the universe together, or so he thought.

But then, he hadn’t been the strapping clever experienced Time Lord he was now back then, hadn’t he. For one, he wasn’t entirely sure he’d even been a he. Or had Lilith not been a she? It had all been so long ago.

Lilith had measured everything from his pulse to his temperature and Dean had come to the conclusion that her madness had at least some method in it.

Unlike Crowley’s, which seemed to be all over the map.

He knew which one he preferred.

“You are still not very scared. Pray, tell me, where does this trust in Crowley come from?”

He didn’t have an answer to that, just as she knew he wouldn’t.

Then again, whatever this... whatever he and Crowley were supposed to have after a day in which they had time-travelled, found a trap street, and finally ended up in the dungeon of a madwoman –

And why was he worrying about this now, anyway? He needed to escape.

In the end, it was his knowledge of quantum mechanics that helped him to his freedom. He was not in the least surprised when around the next corner he found Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax, intent on rescuing him and Dean.

“She only had one snake pit” Strax informed him, sneering. “And not even a single trench filled with acid. This Time lady knows nothing about real –“

“Lilith has always been rather basic when it comes to the more rudimentary pieces of furniture” Crowley informed him courtly, deciding he didn’t have time for any of Strax’ insight on battle grounds. “We need to go!”

He never saw the looks Jenny and Madame Vastra shot each other.

Dean was an idiot. At least that’s the only conclusion he could come to, considering he hadn’t noticed she was already draining his life force away until he started to feel faint.

“Ah” Lilith said, “There it is.” She flashed him one of her dangerous smiles. “I have to say, you are exceeding even my wildest expectations. My first one was already gone at this point –“

“Glad to be of service – if I actually wanted to die” he muttered, spurring at her, but she only smiled wider.

He garnered his strength.

He would get out of here, if it was the last thing he did.

“But...”

“I said, we don’t have time –“

“That is hardly a reason to storm in without a plan” Madame Vastra hissed. “Normally you would be the first to point that out. Don’t make me and Jenny tie you up so you can’t do anything stupid.”

“You wouldn’t dare” he answered, clearly taken aback.

“Don’t tempt me, Crowley. You know Lilith better than anyone, and we need you to keep your head straight if you want to save your friend.”

If he thought anything about her use of the word friend, he didn’t say.

This was not as painful as Dean had thought it would be. He was simply growing weaker and weaker as time went on.

Granted, of course he was freaking out. He supposed he had the right – he was dying here, after all.

Sammy will never know what happened to me. The thought came unbidden and didn’t help in the least.

Until it did.

Because God damn this – Time Lady if Dean was going to allow her to get the best of him. He had not been born in Kansas in 1979 to work his way up to become a renowned professor to end up dying from something as impossible as the draining of life force by an alien in the year 1887, for God’s sake.

No. He would beat this.

Lilith gave a squeal. “I thought you were almost drained, but look at that! You are still fighting!”

Damn right I am, woman, and I am going to win this.

“What kind of protections would Lilith put up?” Jenny asked.

“Probably not much. She probably thinks her cells are impenetrable” Crowley answered.

“Seems like thinking too much of oneself is common among the people of Gallifrey” Madame Vastra remarked.

“I will have you know that I have no flaws, thank you. And Lilith was always considered something of an outlier.”

The look she shot him could at best be described as unimpressed.

At worst – well – he had more important things to think of.

“Dean is still alive” he said firmly. “His is one of the strongest life forces I have ever seen.”

“You wouldn’t have happened to scan it as soon as he entered your TARDIS, would you?”

“It’s Juliet” he said indignantly, mostly to hide that he had indeed done just that. Not to steal it or anything – but it was always good to be informed, wasn’t it?

What he hadn’t been prepared for, however, had been the sheer effect this life force could have when paired with a sparkling personality and amazing beauty.

Oh dear he had first thought of Dean’s personality and then his looks. He would almost have been inclined to think he was in trouble, if he’d had the time.

“Alright, here’s the plan –“

None of the gang seemed to be particularly in favour of it, but then – they didn’t have much choice.

Dean seriously hoped Crowley would show up soon. And that he would have a way to pump all that strength back into his muscles, because he didn’t think the alien was the heroically carrying people back to his ship type.

Juliet. Whatever. It wasn’t like Dean could object to her having a female name. Baby was still his pride and joy, after all.

He really hoped she wouldn’t be jealous because he had ridden in a time machine.

He blinked, realizing his thoughts were getting all jumbled up. Hell no. If he allowed that to happen, God alone knew if we wouldn’t just give up and die.

“That’s so much imagery!” Lilith exclaimed, looking at the machine he was rather sure all his life force was being drained into. “If I had known where to find you... Once I have dealt with my little problems here, I really have to travel around a bit. Why keep a low profile when I could have such rewards?” She looked at another instrument of hers. “You’re from Kansas, beginning of the 21st century, in fact. Still a little primitive to my liking, but –“

“You do realize you’re saying this in nineteenth-century London, right”? Dean bit back. Anger was useful; anger wasn’t giving up, and it wasn’t indifference. Sure, it took some of his energy, but that was still better than to just gently slip into that good night.

“Yes, but the Victorians were your ancestors in more ways than one.” She smiled.

“Please don’t start about how Jack the Ripper was a link between this and modern times...” Dean sighed. Being an expert of the Victorian era had sadly exposed him to his fair share of nut bags who thought the son of a bitch who would cut up defenceless women in one year’s time was some sort of harbinger of modern warfare.

Once, a student had tried that angle during a lecture of his. He’d quickly dressed him down.

“Please, of course not. I am just saying – the Victorians, for all their repression, don’t hide who they are. You don’t find violence displayed so openly on the streets in the twenty-first century.”

“And thank God for that.”

“Pah. I have never seen a point in hiding who I was.”

Now that,. Dean could easily believe. Otherwise she’d hardly have had to hide herself here.

“As opposed to your darling Crowley.”

He rolled his eyes.

“He wanted to do everything in secret, can you believe that? And all the other Time Lords... You wouldn’t believe how annoying they were.-“

“Because they didn’t want to burn the universe?”

“Because all they wanted to do was watch! Can you believe it? The whole of history art their fingertips, and they just wanted to watch!!!”

So that was her problem. And Dean could even understand it, a little. Who knew, if they had ended up in 1888 instead of 1887, he might have been busy trying to save Mary Kelly, despite all objections Crowley would undoubtedly have had.

“You really are an interesting specimen” she said leaning towards him again, “I would consider consider leaving you alive to study you some more, if I wasn’t busy –“

“Sorry Lilith, but that’s my human. Get your own.”

“Not anyone’s human” Dean mumbled before he realized that it was Crowley who had spoken which meant that Crowley was indeed here. And so where the others.

He was hoping that Strax would simply blast Lilith of the face of the earth when a crushing sound rang out and dust flew into his eyes.

When it all had settled, Lilith told him cheerfully, “Sorry you couldn’t see everything. Let’s just say, your three friends just fell down to the basement. They’ll need hours to work their way out of there... and then of course I’ll be waiting.”

“Simply but effective.”

Dean definitely didn’t like that Crowley sounded impressed.

“Thank you, Crowley.” She strolled up to him; her back was to Dean so he couldn’t see her expression, but he could see Crowley’s, and again – he didn’t care for it one bit. “You know, I have been thinking in the past few centuries...”

“Oh, has it really been that long? You can’t have passed more than one regeneration since our last meeting.”

Dean made a mental note to find out what the hell that so-called regeneration was once he got out of here.

She giggled. “I have to say, your current incarnation doesn’t disappoint, either.”

“I never said I was impressed with yours” he pointed out smugly, but it was all too much like flirting to put Dean at ease.

“Say, Crowley...” Lilith reached out and trailed her hand down his tie. “I will admit I have spent a considerable amount of time since our separation imagining how to kill you...”

“Must have been quite the pastime, we’re not easy to kill” Crowley said matter-of-factly and Dean couldn’t help but wonder whether this was a message for him – an explanation why he wasn’t currently strangling Lilith. Not that Dean condoned violence, but he’d rather not be entirely drained by her.

That reminded him... Ever since Crowley had shown up, Lilith had stopped handling the machine, and he already felt stronger again. Was that even possible? Maybe Crowley was trying to buy him some time...

“And I can also assure you” Crowley continued smoothly, “That I too have in fact fantasized about doing away with you.”

Lilith sighed. “Oh all these years... but you know, now that I’m looking at you... we were a good team, were we not?”

“Oh yes, I don’t think anyone on Gallifrey would have disputed that.”

“Our experiments were the stuff of legends.”

“I am rather sure they still are. You know how Time Lords like to gossip.”

Dean was pretty sure she was giving him a seductive smile. If only he could see – but then, Crowley didn’t even glance his way. He seemed to be completely focused on Lilith.

This could either be a good thing – or a pretty pretty bad thing. They had been together at one point, and Crowley had freely admitted that he had voluntarily undergone the experiments with her.

Dean decided he had enough. “Hey!” he complained. “I didn’t get dragged all the way too old-timey London to watch you two make out!”

Before he cold blink, Lilith had whirled around and punched him in the face before turning back to Crowley. “Now, where were we?”

“Careful” he warned her, “You don’t want to harm the specimen.”

The specimen? Dean really hoped he was only playing with her, but it was difficult to tell. And really, despite feeling like he did, he hadn’t even known Crowley for a week – how should he had been able to tell?

“You don’t have to worry, he’s remarkable, really. Kansas, that’s where you found him, right?”

Crowley nodded. “Of course I already knew his books.”

“Yes, he is smart for a human” she said. “Almost amazingly so. In fact, I just now had an idea...”

She was still – or again – playing with his tie.

“And his life force is already replenishing itself!” Lilith aid, pointing at another one of her instruments. “So I thought we could keep him around – for experiments, you know. And I won’t spoil his good looks – that’s what you like most about him, I expect.” She laughed, and Dean understood with the clarity born out of desperation that she had never seen anyone in her life as equal, not even Crowley. In Lilith’s eyes, she alone was a genius,. And everyone else mattered as little as a beetle a collector had pinned down with a needle.

And now, this whole thing with Crowley – it was just another whim of hers. But he couldn’t say if the Time Lord realized that as well.

“Crow –“

Another punch. “Silent, little specimen.”

Oh great, now he wasn’t even allowed to keep his own name?

“Do you think we should turn on the machine again? I think he’s getting too strong... he’s starting to annoy me.”

And somehow, in that moment, a decision was made. Dean would never know the particulars, and indeed he would eventually come to decided that he didn’t care to learn them; but somehow, Crowley suddenly shot him a glance and he knew exactly what was going to happen.

He froze, hoping that Lilith would mistake his reaction for fear.

She did.

“Let me just make sure he’s strapped in properly” Crowley said, smirking at her, “and then we can get back to your offer...”

“I knew you wouldn’t refuse.”

“I know better.”

He walked up to Dean and leaned down. “Are you ready?” he hissed.

“Yes” Dean answered.

And then everything happened very fast.

Dena hadn’t actually been sue that he would be able to stay on his feet, but thankfully he could; he learned that little fact as Crowley walked up to Lilith and suddenly grabbed her to shove her in the constraints that had held Dean and he dived to the side.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked.

“That’s always been your problem” he said casually, switching on the machine to drain her instead of another anonymous victim, “You only ever saw things from a scientific standpoint. You believe in rules and logic, and think they can never be beaten. You never believed anyone capable of change, Lilith.”

“You can’t –“

“Of course I can” he said smoothly. “Dean, we should probably get the others out of that hole. I activated the self destruction countdown –“

2You what? People actually have those?”

“Of course” he said as if that was normal.

Dean cursed. “We need to hurry!”

They left Lilith there without another glance.

If someone had asked him whether he believed they’d ever get out of there in time, Dean would have said no. But as it was, he, Crowley and the gang were standing in front of the trap street, slowly watching it burn down while not a single one of the passers bye even turned their heads in their direction.

“That was... unexpected” he finally managed to say.

“I have to agree, Professor Winchester” Madame Vastra answered.

“We could hear everything that was going on” Jenny added, “I thought for a second Crowley had decided to join Lilith after all.”

“Thank you for your trust” he replied sarcastically, but Dean saw guilt in his eyes and realized that he had indeed been tempted. He reached out and squeezed his arm.

“Well, all’s well that ends well, right?”

“I hardly think this is the end” Crowley said simply. “Lilith might have got away.”

So he had given her a chance, after all. Dean didn’t quite know how to feel about that. “Yeah, well... We got her this time, at least” he finally answered.

“So, you will be returning to your own time, I presume?” Madame Vastra arched an eyebrow. They’d invited Dean and Crowley back for tea at their place.

“Yeah” Dean said, but he wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic at the prospect as he happened to be.

“Pity” Jenny said, “You did great.”

“You might actually live through five minutes of battle against one of us” Strax said proudly. Dean assumed it was a compliment.

He shrugged. “Yeah, well...”

Crowley had gone off to look at the other paintings they kept in their house.

“It is indeed a pity” Madame Vastra echoed her wife without paying attention to Strax, “There are certain Time Lords who shouldn’t be travelling alone. I believe Crowley is one.”

Dean stared at her. “I can’t – my whole life is back in Kansas!”

“And here I thought” she replied calmly, “That a history professor would understand the purpose of a time machine.”

A little while later, they had returned to Juliet. She had hummed excitedly as they entered.

“Back to Kansas, then” Crowley said flatly. Dean couldn’t tell whether he was sorry to see him go or not.

And suddenly, he was equally as sure that if he was, he would never admit to what he perceived as a weakness.

And Dean thought of everything he had seen. Madame Vastra. Jenny. Strax. Abberline. Lilith. Almost dying. All in a few short hours.

And he made a decision.

“We could go the long way round, though, right?”

Crowley raised his eyebrows. “The long way round?”

2Yeah. See the sights. I mean, I might be the first human history professor to set foot in a time machine – how can I pass that up? And of course someone needs to keep an eye on you... I’ll need more information, of course. That regeneration thing, for starters... And then I’m really only a newbie when it comes to time travel.”

Crowley slowly walked up to him, a smirk on his lips. “You think you could look after me?”

“Oh, I think I know how to take you” Dean said, moving closer as well. “Alien or not alien, in the end I know how to treat my men.”

“Are you –“

Dean grabbed his tie and dragged him into a kiss. “And?” he asked when they broke apart. “Ready for the next adventure?”

Crowley was grinning – slightly maniacally, really, but then, Dean suspected, so was he – “Oh darling, you have no idea.”

Juliet hummed and took off.