#he's at least got carly to keep him in check

[pendulumstarway]

Woe! Another MFRP design. King of speed, Jack Atlas himself.

Been rping this guy for many many years, and he's had some significant changes. But he's still the self-obsessed, proud dumbass we all love.

[alt under cut]

Only mild changes. No hair decoration and it's back to its short self.

[hoedamn-eron]

what he didn't do

Being Miguel O’Hara’s partner was exhausting.

Warnings: Angsty. Not a happy ending. Edited on phone so prone to mistakes. Word count: 2,441 GN!Reader, no use of Y/N.

Inspired by What He Didn't Do, by Carly Pearce. Sorry this is also late, I was supposed to post it yesterday.

Your relationship with Miguel O’Hara was…stagnant. Unaffectionate. One-sided.

But it never used to be. You both used to be head over heels in love, almost sickly so. Everyone would say that you were ‘good for each other’, that you were both what ‘everyone wanted to be’, and you would always shy away from the compliments, but you knew they were right. You and Miguel were soulmates, and you couldn’t help but feel a little smug when your friends gushed over you both.

He used to show up at your office, randomly, with flowers or a new outfit, claiming you would be going on a date after work. He’d take you away on spontaneous romantic trips, and you would be all over each other when you were together. How could you not be? He was gorgeous, and a wonderful man. You knew this was the man you wanted to settle down with and marry.

But now he was distant, and ignorant, and you barely spent time together. You didn’t know what changed.

You grimace to yourself. That was a lie, you did know what changed. He became obsessed with keeping the canon events rolling, so much so that you hadn’t really seen him in months. You don’t even remember the last time you kissed. All he did was spend his days sat by that screen, watching old memories of him and his daughter. You felt for him, truly, but he was so obsessed with the past, that his future was fading from him, and fast.

The last straw for you was when he missed your anniversary. You waited for him for two hours, in your apartment, where he said he’d pick you up after work. Your calls got ignored, and you eventually stopped leaving a voicemail every time. When you saw him the next day, coming home to your shared apartment late and in a blatant bad mood, obviously having no idea what he’d done the night before, you mentally checked out of the relationship.

You moved out of the apartment in Nueva York slowly, not that he’d notice, since he was never there anyway. You managed to wrangle the help of Peter every now and then, for the bigger pieces of furniture. After a month and a half, you were gone. You took your name off the lease and emailed a copy of it to Miguel. If he didn’t think so before, he definitely knew now that you were done.

But he didn’t…do anything. It was as if you were strangers. He didn’t approach you, didn’t come and beg you to take him back. He didn’t apologise, didn’t make it up to you. You gave this man years of your life, which now, you realised, obviously meant more to you than they did him. After this devastating conclusion, you tried to avoid Miguel as much as you physically could. Despite how pissed off you had been and how you had already mourned the relationship, it still hurt to see him, or even talk about him.

However, you worked within the Spider Society as a general PA. It was tough to get through this particularly tough period of your life when your friends kept talking about him.

“He’s more pissed off than he usually is,” said Jess as you meet up with her and Peter for your weekly lunch date at your local Spider King.

You choose not to answer her as you eat your fries.

“He isn’t getting laid anymore,” joked Peter before giving you a wince. “Sorry.”

You shrug. “It’s whatever. He wasn’t getting laid anyway, at least not from me.”

“Is that why you broke up?” Jess asked. “Did he cheat on you? I’ll kill him for you, if he did.”

“No, he didn’t,” you say quickly (you don’t want any rumours floating around) before you shrug.

“So what did he do?” Jess asked.

The question through you for a loop, and you frowned, thinking about it.

It wasn’t what he did, really. It was what he didn’t do.

He didn’t put you first. It was always about the canon events, how they had to keep ticking over. Despite there being thousands of Spider People, Miguel seemed to always have to be the one to fix it. He couldn’t just be with you, at home, just because he wanted to be at home, where you would have planned a movie night, or arranged a date night for you both. He didn’t fight for you when he found out you had left, he didn’t hold on to you for dear life, that you were worth something; he just seemed to accept the fact that you were gone.

But you won’t tell anyone that. You won’t tell them the Hell that Miguel had put you through, that you’ll leave people to guess about what happened. So you shrug at Jess’s question. “We just...fizzled out.”

It wasn’t technically a lie.

“That’s a shame,” Jess said. “I thought you guys would be end game. I was sure you were both going to get married.”

You snort an unamused laugh. “Me too.”

Your tone indicated that you didn’t want to carry on the conversation, and Peter, bless his soul, changed the subject to Mayday’s new daycare, since MJ decided she needed to socialise with ‘regular people’. She’d apparently found it hard to fit in. After lunch you give your friends a goodbye before you make your way back to your office. You try to keep your head down these days, since you want to avoid conversations like you just had with your friends (and honestly, you still couldn’t bear to bump into Miguel). You usually had no problem avoiding anyone but today, someone, somewhere, just wanted to see you suffer.

He was stood, outside your office, looking as gorgeous as he always does. For once, he wasn’t in his Spider Suit, just a pair of sweatpants and a too tight white t-shirt, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, looking down at the floor with that frown on his face, then one where he was deep in thought. Back in the day, you would have jokingly ‘smoothed’ out the lines in his forehead before giving him a kiss, telling him he needed to come out of his own head. You push the feeling of familiarity away before clearing your throat, pulling out your keys to unlock your office. “Can I help you, Miguel?”

“We need to talk,” he replied, his face as stony as always.

“What about?” you ask as you open your office door, walking through, still not looking at him. You felt sick. You weren’t expecting this today. You thought he had moved on, since he hadn’t spoken to you since you moved out over a month ago.

Miguel strides into your office and closes the door. “You know what about.”

You pause minutely before taking a deep breath and sighing through your nose. “Right. Okay.”

You take a seat at your desk, finally looking at him as he sat opposite you. He looked tired; or more tired than usual. Those dark circles that were now a permanent feature on his face were darker than when you last saw him. You wanted to tell him he had to take it easy, to start looking after himself, but that wasn’t your job. He wasn’t yours to worry about anymore.

You cross your arms and lean them on your desk, trying to come across as nonchalant, but you probably looked uncomfortable. “You wanna talk about the break-up?”

“Yes,” Miguel said. You both stared at each other in silence for a few moments before Miguel breaks it with a, “You broke up with me.”

You’re study him for a minute before you nod. “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“If you have to ask, then it was the right decision.”

He gives you an incredulous look. He was always more emotive with you. “I know that I was working more - “

You couldn’t help it. You let out a snort of a laugh, shaking your head in disbelief. “That’s an understatement. By the time I moved out, I hadn’t seen you in person for at least a week. And I was taking my stuff slowly for a month before. You didn’t notice.”

“I have to keep the canon events going, I can’t...I can’t not,” he says, sounding fed up; drained. “And coming home to you was the only thing that kept me going.”

You shake your head. ��Don’t say that.”

“Say what?” he asks, his tone slightly harsh.

“Saying that I was the only thing that kept you going, like I was everything to you,” you say.

“You were - “

“Do you know how many times I caught you staring at your screen of old memories of you and Gabriella?” you asked. “How I waited for you every night for you to not come home? How you forgot important dates, like our anniversary?”

He cringes at that.

You look at him with an almost desperate look on your face. “I know that Gabriella was an important part of your life. I understand how you’re hurting, and you blame yourself for what happened, but you cannot let it overtake your life, Migs. You’re letting your past affect your present, your future, and look what’s happening.”

“What am I supposed to do? Just let universes collapse?”

“No, Miguel, I’m not – “ you sigh, closing your eyes as you pinch the bridge of your nose in frustration. “I know that you need to keep the canon going. I understand that it’s your job, but…it’s not your only thing to worry about.”

You open your eyes and his expression breaks your heart, especially after a few moments he whispers out, “I’m sorry.”

The room falls silent again. Your heart skips a beat like it normally does when you find yourself staring at him; he was so good looking, and rough around the edges, his soul calloused and scarred from years of hard work and demanding tasks, and the battles he's fought but you know he’s not as tough as he seems. He’s a real softy, really. You knew from when he used to be with you more, earlier in your relationship, when he would come home after a rough day and practically whine to be in your arms, his face snuggled in your chest.

Or when he would come up behind you when you were cooking in your kitchen, and he would wrap his arms around you. He towered over you, so he practically enveloped you every time he did it. And he’d always slowly sway you, even though there wouldn’t be any music. You’d always end up having a slow dance break from cooking, and you’d always end up giggling before telling him to go wash his hands because dinner would almost be ready.

And he was soft in the way that he used to whisper to you how much he loved you, how he was so happy to have found you, that he felt whole to have you, that he truly felt at home when you were around. He used to give you this smile, that you never saw around everyone else, but only when you were alone; it was a reverence that showcased the depths of his affection for you, that he trusted you, that he was safe with you, and you with him. You found solace with each other.

But that was gone now.

“All I wanted was to be put first,” you whisper, your eyes swimming in tears you hadn’t realised were there. “Just once in a while.”

“I can work on that,” Miguel says quickly. “I can…I can take a few less jobs, I can be at home more – “

“Migs,” you say, already shaking your head, a few tears slowly falling.

“Please, mi amor,” Miguel whispers, reaching over your desk to hold your hands tightly. Your chest tightens at the familiar nickname you hadn’t heard in so long. “Please, come home. I’ll get better, I’ll be better. I’ve been miserable without you.”

You want to make a quip about how he’s miserable most of the time anyway, but you hold back the comment. It would be spiteful, and you had moved on from being angry, and upset, and you were far from being spiteful. “I can’t, Miguel.”

“Please, mi amor,” he says again, his hands squeezing yours just a little tighter.

You don’t know what to do. This was the most you’d spoken to him in weeks…probably months, and he was begging you to come back to him. You were so torn. What if you take him back and he goes back to his old ways again, down the line? Would you be willing to give up more years of your life for Miguel O’Hara for him to throw them in your face again?

You’re ready to tell him no, to tell him to never contact you again, but you remember your relationship before. Now that he’d seen what his actions had done, would he put in the effort? Would he be willing to work on himself, to work on your relationship? You know that you couldn’t go back to the way things used to be, your trust in him has dwindled to almost nothing. And you were alone, picking up the pieces of your broken heart and he hadn’t even realised until you were long gone.

“I can’t,” you finally say, removing your hands from his. You swiftly wipe at the tears on your face, averting your eyes from his. “I can’t…put myself through that again.”

You can see his chest rising and falling just a little more heavier than before, and you knew you couldn’t look at him. If you looked at him, you would cave, and you’d be back to square one.

After a few moments, Miguel answers. “Okay.” He stands, and you still can’t look at him. You hear him walk away from you, reaching your door but he pauses. “I’m sorry, again. For everything. And for bothering you today.”

He quickly opens your door and stalks out, and you wince as he closes it with a slam. You feel your shoulders go slack, unaware that you were so wound up in the first place. You let yourself sit alone, silently crying for the end of your relationship with Miguel, romantic and otherwise. Maybe with some space and time, you could look into being friends again, but for now, you will close this chapter of your life and think back on your relationship with Miguel as a hard learning curve.

In the end, you’ll be okay. You always are.

[forensicated]

What are some of your favourite episodes of the bill?

Oooh crikey, so many! Thank you for the question! These are in no particular order. Also apologies for the formatting, I'm on my phone trying to reply and remember which numbered episode is which and have to go check some of them to ensure they're right as I've bounced everywhere around timelines the last couple of years doing the recaps and they blurred.

* All Change, the millennium new years eve when cid became uniform for the night.

* Respect 1 and 2, the end episodes. I don't like the way some of the character storylines were wound up but those two episodes were an amazing tribute.

* The Chief Super's Party, June and Roy flirting at the bar, Brownlow deeply unimpressed by the company that Roy kept. Roy getting one over on the super without Brownlow even realising which allowed him to support Ted. Ted's drunk driving crash ending up with him sleeping on a boat overnight and solving a robbery to save his job whilst hungover.

* The Target Trilogy, June and Steve get shot at. It's thought that it's Steve being targeted but they soon realise how wrong they are. Poor Jo 😕

* An Honour To Serve, Gina's last episodes. Smithy's kiss on the cheek and how much he respects her 💔❤️ "Goodnight Ma'am" (RIP Roberta ❤️)

* Lullaby with Smithy going from reading Tim a bedtime story in a cell with absolutely no feeling in his voice through to him singing 5 little speckled frogs to try keep him calm and not worry him when they were kidnapped.

* Integrity, Nicks first episodes. The contrast of him and Smithy paired together is awesome. Especially when they unite.

* Gunrunner, Smithy and guns...

* Witness and the episodes featuring Carly in the run up. Smithy really became the paternal figure that he didn't want to initially and cared about her, Leanne and Brooke. (& laughing at Nate when he runs the wrong way after sending him to chase after her whilst he stands and has a nice little chat.)

* Righteous Kill 1 and 2, Max protecting the wife and son of a man he shot in S019.

* Brittaniamania, Mickey undercover as a football hooligan and Debbie pretending to be his girlfriend with Dave and Paul his workmates though Paul being shit at plastering almost got them caught.

* Episode 154, the aftermath of Mickeys rape. The acting is incredible.

* Tinderbox, Brownlow, Conway and Meadows in an outward bounds team building course against Manion and his cocky cheating team.

* Conviction - particularly the riot training episode where Smithy and Callum end up having a physical fight to end their frustration over what happened with Devlin. The last episode of that is a bit frustrating though as I don't think Smithy could give his guilt over that quickly to accept a promotion when it was eating him alive. It made out he and Stevie had continued a thing from Gunrunner too that they hadn't. (the promotion thing bugged me so much I made a fic about it)

* First Impressions 1 and 2, purely for WUK (or "WUS!") and nick and uniform hiding in Diane's cupboard to watch Ben on cctv.

* Blurred Around The Edges, Smithy's army friend makes an appearance and turns his world upside down. (another I did a fic about!)

* Soft Talking, Smithy delivers a baby in the middle of a street and has to try and find the mother when she disappears and get her away from the abusive boyfriend and dad.

* When the snow lay roundabout, Danny the elf knowing what Matt secretly wished, Reg being the only copper out because of the snow (he'd only gone to get a Christmas tree) Rod trying to scam uniform, a cheeky kid outing him and helping polly and Gary trim the tree and the barbershop quartet!

* PC Smith, Needing to show himself in a good light, Smithy volunteers with Nick to look after a gay couple who are receiving homophobic threats. Everyone is surprised, not least Smithy himself.

*Episode 372, Cop The Lot "Simon Cowell eat your heart out!"

* Cowboy Country, Max ends up using his mother's priest to try track a Polish criminal down

*Game Plan, Max goes undercover with the Monks family.

* Tolerance, Smithy's C019 training and interview.

* Episode 69 and 70, cop idol and Cass being taken hostage and murdered by the serial killer 💔

* 117 and 118 Smithy's first 2 Sgt episodes including singing at the gay club.

* Good Cop Bad Cop , callum's first. Smithy leaps on him twice and Dan is NOT impressed when Callum acts all dodgy and tries to shut him out.

* 131 Smithy goes undercover in prison to try locate some expensive cars and Ken's son.

* 138 and 139 Smithy and Gina go out for a drink and end up in a drinking game. Smithy cheats! "You're a cab!" The next morning Gina had a little prang and all hell breaks loose.

* 162 the first live episode

* 205 206 Nicks last episodes before going into witness protection. I hate that they didn't make more of his and Sgt!smithy's past but at least they acknowledge it in this episode. It's just a shame that a lot of newer viewers would have been confused as hell at what was going on with their goodbye.

* 214 215 the start of Gina and Jonathan properly.

* Appropriate Force, Callum comes face to face with his ex and her criminal husband. Smithy has to literally pull him away from beating the husband into a pulp for attacking his wife.

* 237 Jim and June get married. For the cast dressed up, Smithy teasing Gina about settling down and shoving her forward to catch the bouquet and the beautiful Gina and Jonathan moments. Though sadly they do end up breaking up.

Killer On The Run, Ryan Jones blames Smithy for him killing his wife. (Smithy had let slip that Ryan was infatuated with a prostitute the episode before) and tries to take revenge, holding both Smithy and Pauline, Smithy's mother at gunpoint at various times

* 272 273 Gina taken hostage by Irene Radford and the story of their history and how alike they were falls out.

* 286 Dan's first appearance at the driving school with Amber and Leela. Amber's attempts to get in with the instructor once she finds out she's a lesbian is hilarious.

* 288 289 Andrea is found out and the station explodes in a fireball thanks to Colin Fairfax. Smithy and Ken's final scene is heartbreaking 💔

*298 Dan transfers and puts himself in danger rescuing a woman who is treated as a slave by those she works for as well as being raped by the father. Rosa is terrified but Dan tries to help, made harder by the fact she's deaf and doesn't speak English.

* 302 303 Mickey returns with MIT colleagues and arrests Neil. It's a heartbreaking look at what the rape had done to Mickey or "Michael" as he insists he is now and then something further breaks his heart....

* 327 Gina is found having collapsed at home by Smithy and Jonathan. Gina and Jonathan have a heart to heart and she almost tells him she wants to reunite... Right as he tells her he has a girlfriend. She forces herself to let him go for good 💔💔

* 349 second live episode and the end of Prosser.

* 360 and 361 Dan finally discovers who it is that has been blackmailing him about his affair and a lot is revealed about his history in these 2.

* 402 403 Smithy returns to work after the Larson debarkle to find Gina graffiting his welcome back posters and his first case involving his ex cellmate

* The Fat Lady Sings, Dave is approached by an opera singer who tells him she's being stalked. He ignores her and soon regrets it. Duncan arrives and arouses suspicions when the others realise he lives in a fancy penthouse apartment and has connections in the operatic world.

* Whose Side Are You On?, Dashers arranges a football match against a group of teens and lets Viv play in goal. (Vivs only experience being netball) so he doesn't have to let Bob Cryer play.

* Square Peg Round Hole, John Boulton is stuck with a needle during an arrest and worries he might have HIV but being John he won't stay at home.

*Wannabe, A young girl makes her attraction to Rod very obvious and he uses it to get her druggy parents.

* Team Play, Jack forces Duncan to take part in a compulsory training course with him. Duncan wants to skip it and work a sexual assault case with Liz. Poor Tom keeps being chucked off the case everyrime Duncan can slip out or take calls before he's dragged back in again to unwillingly participate in the exercise 😂

Badlands, the episode with Daves assault and those leading up to it (and after) with Boultons obsession with the Lovers and trying to nail Mick. The one where George loses it and goes for John when he goads him is perfect. Just a shame it leads the the Dave, Jenny, George, Polly mess.

* Trial Run, Rod calls in sick to Moonlight as a bodyguard. He thinks he's getting a female model but ends up with his hands full with two rich kids, one of which is a little shit.

* 427 Dan at the go kart center

* 481 It's Smithy's birthday, but noone will leave him alone.

* In The Know, Leon finds himself under suspicion when he's spotted being roughed up by a target of CID

* That's Love For You & Rescue Me, Leon struggles with a case where the parents of a baby he has bonded with are suspected of abusing her.

* The Truth Will Out, Smithy asks callum to apologise to a bloke who is accusing him of pushing him. He helps out unofficially when a young kid goes missing and panics when he thinks Smithy had gotten stuck during an underwater rescue. Their final scene is amazing.

* Hide and Seek, Leon finds a little girl hiding in a fireplace and they bond a she looks after her whilst they try to find her mother. They have tea parties and pretend to be invisible and all sorts ❤️ and then Tilly breaks his heart when she says "I thought you were my friend." he later risks his job doing something naughty that is seen by Rachel...

* Solace and The Calling. Dominic is incredible in these episodes, it's a real masterclass of how he can show every bit of what Leon is feeling with the slightest change of expression.

* Tombstone, Callum tries to deal with the death of his estranged father and the knowledge that he was a rapist.

Twanky, Sun Hill put on a panto and catch a criminal attempting to off an officer during it, hopefully without the audience realising.

Sorry, went a little overboard there! Interested to hear about yours (and everyone else's!), Anon!? Could have gone on all night naming eps.

[starlightswitch]

Bad People at Security

@flashfictionfridayofficial Side characters from a WIP I think I am going to call Keeping Warm. I wrote it at least two and a half years ago and have been calling it "snowbound"-- which is not an accurate title-- since then, so it's nice to finally have something better!

“I’m bored!” Logan whined.

Before Sam could say anything, Mandy said, “Ssh!” She had a finger to her lips and everything. Sometime in the past year she’d turned into the classic big sister.

Logan ignored her. “I’m bored!” he announced again.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Micah. He always tried acting unruffled as his first tactic.

“I want to go home!”

Sam closed her eyes. They’d explained to the kids that they’d probably be moving, that they were on this trip because it was the place they were hoping to move to—the place Sam was going to rank first if she liked the program all right—and Logan had seemed like he understood. He might just mean that he wanted to not be at the airport, not that he particularly liked where they lived now. She hoped that was the case.

“We’re not going home,” said Micah, calm and unruffled. “We’re getting on the plane just as soon as we get through here. We’ll go through, we’ll find the gate where we get on the plane, and then we’ll get on the plane.”

“I won’t get on the plane!”

“You will,” Micah said, serenely, as if he was playing an oracle in a movie.

Logan jumped up and down so his backpack flopped noisily. “I won’t I won’t I won’t!”

“Logan, quit being bad,” said Mandy.

“You’re being bad! You’re all bad!”

“That’s it.” Micah grabbed Logan and swung him up. Glaring at him nose-to-nose he said, “We do not call people bad while going through security.”

Logan was startled enough to just stare back.

Micah returned him to the floor and crouched down to continue talking to him at a volume just loud enough for Sam to hear. “Security is to catch bad people. If they think you’re bad, they take you away from everyone and make you go a different way and go through a whole bunch of other stuff. Which we do not have time for. And would be much more annoying than standing in line. So we stand in line, we follow directions, we do not yell, and we do not have tantrums. Do we understand each other?”

Sam always forgot to borrow that closing line. It was such a solid one.

Logan crossed his arms and stared at the floor.

“All right,” said Micah, getting to his feet with a sigh and a look at Sam.

The line moved. Sam nudged Carly and Mandy forward and looked for Logan. Logan clomped along with his arms folded and his eyes on the floor and nearly got run over by a frazzled-looking man in a polo with a laptop bag.

Carly grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him along. “Let’s go. Stop being bad.”

Mandy screeched to a stop. “Don’t say that!” she ordered with showy dismay. “Do you want to have to go through the tantrum entrance?”

Sam did not look at Micah. If she looked at Micah she was going to laugh.

“I don’t!” Mandy declared, hands on her hips.

Without entirely looking at him, Sam could see Micah pulling out his phone. A moment later, hers dinged. She knew without checking that it was a text from Micah, and she knew what that text said.

the tantrum entrance

She did not look at her phone. She was not going to laugh. Not right now.

[bos-basement]

ahhhhhhh i finally finished reading the script (link here, also if you know of any other scripts from earlier or later in production plz send, i would like to read those too)

and here are some of my notes!

bo sustains a knee injury, as well as the headlight getting busted here, in a cut intro you can view some of here, this would also be the only time he is shown to kill someone

nick is two years younger then carly, so they arent twins

paige wanted to marry blake instead of her being pregnent (which still doesnt matter in the end, seriously why was this her character detail?)

script implies its vincent at the campsite due to his laboured breathing, but bts implies that lester broke the fanbelt (i think its vincent cuz why would he have daltons camera?)

the roadkill pit is 8 foot deep and 50 feet in diameter

town used to be called Athelston, also used to be a mining town instead of having a sugar mill

lester fully enjoys being sadistic to carly and wade lmao

movie theater says its playing body snatchers lol

script takes into account louisiana heat (as well as infrastructure) for the house of wax

both bo and lester have a cb radio, def how they communicate about victims, also fake detour signs to lure people into town

the line about how carly could win the beauty pageant gets way darker when you know the victim from the cut intro was made into that wax figure

bo says trudy wanted to make a town of wax in his spiel to wade and carly, is this also a lie? also adds more credence to the theory that trudy also killed

victor and trudy switch places in the story, victor dies by house fire (full on lie which shows the story is at least not all true) and trudy kills herself

bo wouldve asked wade to help him in the house if he didnt need to go piss, bo had zero thought into killing them lmao

continuing he prolly talked to vince about a plan while wade and carly waited for him at the gas station

wade puts up more of a fight, very glad the movie didnt, that bitch deserved to get got cuz of all his snooping

carly escapes into a house (lesters mayhaps 👀 prolly not tho lol) instead of the church, she also gets a hit on bos hand

also escapes into community pool where bo catches her

jonesy is prolly vincents, she sleeps in the basement while he works on wade

"Bo (mocking) : What happened to Wade?" hes so silly goofy 🥰🤪😚

dalton and nick dont have a conversion about how nick took the blame for him

script makes a typo and calls nick wade for a line

dalton is the one to check out the gas station and talk with bo, bo leads him to the house of wax

ok i have to talk about the fanbelt now cuz wtf is up with it? bo has a 15 inch in a drawer at the shop, but like no one can appreciate the dramatic irony except us and him?? what would he have done if wade had a 16 or 14 inch?? do they only go after cars with 15 inch fanbelts????

ALSO!!! would he have just let wade and carly go if they had found the 15 inch????? BO IS FUCKING STUPID AND I LOVE HIM

AND!!!! ALSO!!!! as @hollabackgrl pointed out in her alternate scenarios post, what would have happened if lester/vincent stole the fanbelt out of blakes truck?? seriously bo lucked into wade having a 15 inch 😒

bo uses he/him pronouns for jonesy 😔😔 sad day for us girl jonesy truthers 😔😔😔

also the script keeps calling her "The Mongrel" so mean to her 😔😔😔 (p.s. where did we get the name jonesy??? like did the fandom just agree on that name or is it in some extras in the dvd? /gen)

nick is abke to go into the snack store? grocery store? and finds a deer that wade hit at the start in the back, id like to believe that its because lester was going to cook it but its infested with rats, so why keep it and not throw it into the pit?

dalton finds wade in the basement instead of being displayed

vincent has steeled toed boots, nice :)

nicks still the one to free carly, there just no confrontatiom with bo

nick and carly go into the church still

script mentions shotgun wound in trudys head, so some of bos story is true,,, maybe?

paige does a strip tease but vince slices at her shoe? lmao

nick and carly run into a looney toons showing instead of "whatever happened to baby jane"

diversity win! the murderous twins that incase people in wax dont discriminate on who dies!

bo and vincent hadnt been seperated until 3-4 years old??

bos able to get both arrows out, movie bo needs to step up his game 😒😒 /j

i love how the script characterizes vincent as super pissed about everything

switch board has a label for chimney smoke??? how tf does that work???

bo and vincent never argue in the kitchen, in fact it seems as though theyre more in tune with eachother

we gotta cancel nick, he hits jonesy with a wax arm >:[

bos feelings towards trudy vexes me and i hate it

vincents scars are described differently, having actually been scarred over

carly aggitates bo by saying trudy hated him (which he hates?? seriously what tf goes on in his head) and saying he killed her instead of trying to get vincent on her side by saying bo manipulated him (which is bs anyway but i'll get to that in my analysis on the movie 😌😌)

And thats it! actual deep thoughts and analysis will come when i rewatch the movie and pause every frame /hj (will add link here when that happens) but thats everything i found interesting about the script and what all changed from it to the actual movie, im open to discussing in the comments or my dms ^^

[theotherackerman]

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Any recognizable elements belong to Attack on Titan or the Beach Read  

NOTES: Not the fic update you thought but one none the less. Still working on others as well!

CHAPTER FOUR:

There was a part of Mikasa that felt guilty for having feelings for Eren again. She came to this conclusion as sat trying to write her romance book.

First thing was first, she had to figure out who these characters were and what they wanted. 

Wasn’t the point of every romance novel to find romance? 

Well, expect Jaeger’s. 

There was always something else going on in the background besides the romance. 

Then again, she hadn’t read any other romance novels. 

She wasn’t even sure what possessed her to read Eren’s novels. 

Okay, another lie.

Too many lies. 

Too many things to keep straight in her head right now. 

The cursor flashed on the screen. 

This was even worse than the other novel. 

Maybe she should just write a novel about Porco getting killed by a ghost.

Her phone went off.

Mikasa stared at her phone for a moment. She almost typed yes but thought better on it. 

Eren sent her another message before she could respond.

Had Eren really propositioned Mikasa? 

Yes. 

Did he regret it? 

Yes.

Did he make it weird?

Apparently not because now she was pulling the front of his cart through Target. It was literally the only department store they had in the small town. 

She had also vetoed the sheets he had tried to buy. 

“Ah. Newlyweds. Remember those days?” An older woman said as they passed them. 

Her husband just grunted as they went by.

Mikasa ignored it so Eren did the same.

“So tell me why those sheets won’t work again because these are twenty dollars more expensive,” Eren asked as he leaned on the cart.

“Because I had them. I had to wash them ten times in a ridiculous amount of fabric softener before they didn’t feel like you’re sleeping on plastic.”

Well, that was a good enough reason for him. He took the plain black sheets from her and dropped them into the cart.  

Mikasa laughed. 

“You know I’ll have you know I’ve never had a woman complain about my sheets before.” 

“That’s because they didn’t have good taste. Besides, who shopped for them before?” 

Mikasa did have a point. His mom had been the one when he went off to college and Carly had done it when they had lived together. 

But he didn’t really want to think about Carly so he changed the subject.

“Armin is coming up towards the end of the summer,” he informed Mikasa.

Mikasa smiled, “really? I haven’t seen him since college. How is he?” 

“He’s good. Always working on his PHD these days.” 

“I cannot imagine being in school for that long.” 

“Me either.” 

A comfortable silence drifted over them as they made their way to and through the check out. 

It was strange because Eren didn’t feel the need to fill the silence between them. It just felt natural. He wondered if Mikasa felt the same. 

Eren had opened the trunk, then put his purchases into the back of his car. 

“So what reckless thing did you do?” Mikasa asked as she watched him.

“What do you mean?” he frowned. 

“Once your engagement ended, what reckless thing did you do?” 

Eren laughed, “nothing. She moved out. Why? What did you do?” 

“Oh. I covered my tattoo I got with him.”

Eren raised an eyebrow, “you got matching tattoos with him?” 

Mikasa laughed, “I know. It was stupid. I thought he got it. I thought he understood that I can’t love anyone. I won’t love anyone. At least not in a romantic sense.”

“I’m sure you could fall in love,” Eren teased her as he unlocked the doors.

“Hmm…maybe in your world everyone falls in love but in mine….”  Mikasa got into the passenger seat. 

“What happened to make you so cynical?” 

“Before or after most of my family died in a fire during a family reunion?” 

“Shit. I knew you mentioned that Levi saved you, I just didn’t know….”

Mikasa shrugged, “it’s not that big of a story. Family reunion at a fancy hotel. Fire started in the basement.  Levi carried me through the fire and then…Kenny tried to go back but it was too late. Glass exploded just as we got out. Levi and I were both hit with glass, Levi worse than me. That’s all there is to it.” 

“Oddly calm talking about the death of your family.” 

“Years of therapy. Kenny and Levi wanted to make sure I would be well adjusted.” 

“And not believing in romantic love is well adjusted?” 

Mikasa shrugged. “Romantic love fades. Yeah, sure. You feel it then things get hard and it stops. Porco swore up and down he loved me. You don’t cheat on someone you love. You don’t fuck someone else when you know how much that will hurt the person you love. That’s not love.” 

Eren nodded in agreement. “That is true. It’s why I can’t understand what my dad did. If my mom approved, it would have been different. But….I don’t know. I can’t wrap my head around it.” 

“So what’s the deal with his first born?” 

Eren scoffed, “you probably know more than I do.” 

“Because I live here? I live out in the woods for a reason. There were kids who called me a witch during Halloween because I had no candy. I wasn’t expecting anyone to come out there. But besides that he works with Hange, I know nothing about him.”

“His instagram didn’t tell me anything when I checked. Not even a post about our dad.” 

“Seems like he didn’t have a good relationship with him either then.”

“I guess not.” 

“We’re both very depressing, huh?” Mikasa laughed.

Eren found himself laughing as well. 

“If you want, I can see what I can find out about Zeke. Petra knows everything about everyone around here and she won’t tell anyone.” 

Eren thought about it for a moment. Did he want to know about Zeke? 

“No need to tell me right away. Just if you ever decide, I can,” Mikasa interrupted his thoughts. 

“I don’t know,” Eren muttered. 

Mikasa nodded. 

“What was your tattoo?” Eren asked to change the subject.

Mikasa groaned. “It was on my ribs. It was stupid. It said forever his and he had one that said forever hers.”

“Wow…”

“I know, I know. It was stupid. But it’s covered now. He got his covered not long after I did.” 

Eren nodded, “so what did you cover it with?”

“A tree,” Mikasa answered simply. 

“A tree?” 

“A tree.” 

“Why a tree?” 

“I don’t know. I like trees?” 

Eren laughed as he turned onto the gravel road that led to their cabin. “Okay but what kind of tree?” 

“I’ll show you when we get back. What about you? Got any tattoos?” 

Eren smirked, “a few.” 

“Hmm…”

“What’s that about?” 

“What?”

“The hmm….”

“Oh. I just never thought you’d be the kind of person to have a tattoo.” 

“Why? Because it doesn’t fit your prince charming ideal?”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” 

Eren laughed, “no. Not really.”

Mikasa rolled her eyes before she laughed. "So you coming over to have a beer or are you going to go wash your sheets?"

"Both?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow.

Mikasa laughed again.

-----------

It wasn't long after Mikasa posted the picture that her phone began to blow up. Honestly, they just talked about stupid shit from college. It hadn't been anything exciting.

------------

Eren shouldn't have been surprised when he returned home that he got a message from Jean.

--------

Mikasa's phone went off.

-----------------------

Taking a chance, Eren swapped over to instagram.

-------

Mikasa may have turned on notifications for when Eren posted. She grinned as she pulled up his page.

Mikasa stared at the comment before she switched over to twitter.

--------

The notification of Eren being followed by Zeke Fritz on instagram pulled the smile off of his face.

------------

Mikasa was waiting out there, smoking. 

She didn’t speak. She was just there. 

Eren ran his hand through his hair. 

“It’s so fucked up,” Eren sighed as he walked towards the railing. “I…I just…”

Mikasa moved closer to the railing. “Is there anything I can do?” 

“I don’t even know what I want to do.”

“Egg his car?” 

Eren snorted a laugh. 

“Just an idea. A bad one but an idea.” 

“Thanks.”

Mikasa nodded. “You know you can talk to me anytime, right? I know everyone says but….I mean it.” 

Eren nodded. 

Mikasa gently reached across and put her hand that was not holding the cigarette on his arm. 

His eyes locked with her’s. 

Mikasa looked away, removing her hand. She lifted the cigarette almost to her mouth before Eren grabbed her wrist.

She stared at him again.

He lifted the cigarette still in her hand to his mouth, his lips briefly brushing against her fingers before he took a drag. 

It was single handedly the hottest thing Mikasa had ever witnessed. She was slightly disappointed when he released her hand.  

His eyes locked onto her once again. 

Did he feel it too? 

This electricity that was coursing through her body, like how she felt dancing at that party with him. 

This was bad.

This was so very bad.

If this was just some college crush that she could push away, it would be easier. 

But no.

They had chemistry. 

But had that ever really been a problem? 

Sure, they were rivals but there was also this underlying sexual tension. 

Eren ran his hand through his hair again. “What are you doing tomorrow?” 

“Huh?” Mikasa asked, being pulled from her thoughts. 

“Tomorrow. I know I said you could go first but I think I just got an idea.” 

“Nothing. Staring at my laptop, waiting for inspiration to strike.”

“Good. I’ll pick you at seven. Goodnight, Mikasa,” Eren said before he turned back towards his cabin. 

“Goodnight,” Mikasa called to him.

She was going to need a cold shower. 

[thebisexualdogdad]

Beau Mirchoff’s character from Now Apocalypse (Ford?) x male reader smut. He and Severine have broken up and he’s bummed out. So He and Uly go out drinking with Kelli Berglund’s character and they meet the reader, who flirts with Ford?

They have sex and when he gets up to leave Ford wants him to stay?

"Come on man, I know you miss Severine but there are so many hot people in this bar you are bound to get laid tonight," Uly tells Ford, taking a shot and grimacing at the taste. 

"Maybe you should take your own advice and forget about Gabriel," Carly laughs taking her own shot, "that guy over there is totally checking you out. 

"Sorry we can't all be in happy relationships, where is Jethro anyways," Uly asks. 

"He's at his meditation class but afterwards we're gonna have super hot dominatrix sex," she smirks. 

"Sev dressed up as a dominatrix once… she tied me up and everything… it was hot," Ford sighs, slowly sipping his beer. 

"No more talk about Severine, tonight we are getting wasted and fucking our brains out… with other people not each other," Uly clarifies trying to call the bartender for more drinks. 

"Josh, put their next round on me," you say coming up to the bar next to the trio. 

"Thanks dude, that's really cool of you," Uly tells you. 

"Your friend looks like he could use a pick me up," you say. 

"This is Ford, he's going through a tough breakup, I'm Uly and this is Carly," he tells you. 

"Y/N, nice to meet you guys, mind if I join you my friends totally ditched me," you chuckle. 

"You bought us drinks so who are we to say no," Carly laughs. 

"So Ford tell me about this ex of yours," you say as the bartender brings them a new round of drinks. 

"She was perfect, she was smart and hot and the sex was insane," Ford mutters. 

"Been there," you say taking a drink, "but trust me you'll meet someone even better… or maybe you already have… at least for a night."

Carly and Uly smile to each other realizing you're hitting on Ford who is completely oblivious to it. 

You spend the next hour talking with them and flirting with Ford. 

When you excuse yourself to the restroom Uly smacks Ford on the shoulder. 

"Dude what the fuck," Uly says. 

"What?" Ford responds confused. 

"He clearly wants to hook up with you," Carly states. 

"He does?" Ford asks. 

"Yeah man, Severine isn't coming back so go get some dick and move on," Uly tells him.

"The only way you're gonna move on from her is if you actually let yourself move on," Carly adds. 

"Wow that was like really deep," Uly says.

"Thanks I got it from one of my audition scenes," Carly replies proudly.

You return to the bar stand and ask, "so what'd I miss?" 

"You wanna go back to my place?" Ford blurts out.

"Oh uh sure," you smile. 

You and Ford call an Uber and once you're gone Carly asks Uly, "so what are you gonna do since your apartment is occupied?" 

"I'm gonna go hook up with that guy over there that keeps checking me out, have fun with the dominatrix sex with Jethro," he tells her. 

Back at Fords apartment you two are sitting in his couch in silence. 

"Do you want a beer?" Ford says nervously. 

"I think I've had enough to drink thanks," you laugh. 

"Oh right, we were literally just at a bar… I'm sorry I'm screwing this up it's just been a while since I've been single and-" 

"Ford it's okay, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do," you say, cutting him off from his rambling. 

"But I do want to have sex cause you're like super hot and I need to move on but I can't get her out of my head you know?" 

"Then let's see if we can get your mind on something else shall we?" You say kissing him softly. 

"Wow," he mutters. 

"You want to go to your bedroom?" You ask and he nods his head. 

Standing in front of his bed you take your shirt off and Ford gulps, quickly taking his off as well. 

"Damn Ford has anyone ever told you are built like a god?" You say in awe taking in his hairy chest and beefy torso. 

Ford blushes and you run your hand over his chest, playing with the curls.

You kiss him again, Ford groaning as he's getting insanely turned on. 

Kissing down his neck you soon reach his chest, flicking your tongue over his nipple and sucking on it while you pinch the other with your fingers. 

"Shit," he moans. 

You continue down his stomach, kissing every inch you can and palm his erection through his pants. 

"You want me to keep going?" You ask now on your knees. 

"God yes," Ford groans. 

You hastily tug his pants and underwear down letting his giant cock spring free. 

"Ford you seriously have the biggest dick I've ever seen," you gasp. 

"Thanks," he says with a sly grin. 

You take the tip of his cock between your lips, swirling your tongue around it and tasting the precum leaking from it. 

Ford moans and you take as much of his cock in your mouth as you can, using your hand to stroke the several remaining inches. 

"Fuck," he grunts and his stomach tenses at this new sensation. 

As you suck him off your free hand reaches around and squeezes his ass before your finger begins playing with his hole. 

With your finger inside him and your mouth on his cock its not long until he's spraying down your throat with cum. 

You swallow it all and release him from your grasp. 

"You want me to fuck you Ford?" You smirk. 

"God please fuck me Y/N," Ford pleads and you get back to your feet. 

The two of you shed the remainder of your clothes and Ford grabs a condom and lube out from his dresser. 

"Sorry if it's a little big," he says, laying back on the bed, cock already hard again. 

"Don't worry, it'll get the job done," you laugh, Ford was two whole sizes bigger than you normally wore but you would make do with what you had. 

Ford was already prepped from your fingers so you had no trouble positioning yourself in front of him and slipping your lubed cock inside him. 

"Oh fuck, this feels way different than when Severine fucked me with a strap on," Ford moans as you make a few shallow thrusts to let him adjust. 

"You've never fucked a guy before?" You ask in surprise. 

"I mean Uly and I experimented in college but I only gave him a hand job and he gave me a blowjob while we were high," he explains.

"Well if you need me to stop just tell me okay," you state.

"I definitely don't want you to stop, this feels so fucking good," he assures you.

You smile and pick up the pace of your thrusts, the sound of your thighs slapping the back of his as you do so. 

You throw one of Fords legs over your shoulder to give you better access to fuck him and you moan at the sight of his cock swinging around. 

His chest is bouncing along with his cock and you've never seen a hotter sight. 

You return to playing with his chest, loving the way all that hair feels under your hand. 

"You are so God damn hot," you tell him and Ford can only moan in response.  

You fuck Ford for the next ten minutes, the room full of moans and sighs and the sounds of skin hitting skin. 

"Holy shit I'm cumming again," Ford says cumming all over his chest without either one of you even needing to touch his cock. 

Seeing Fords massive load on himself you quickly pull out of him, jerking yourself off to cum inside the condom. 

"That was amazing," Ford says out of breath. 

"I'm glad you had fun," you tell him, pulling the full condom off and throwing it in the trash. 

You go to find your clothes and start putting them back on, assuming Ford would want you to leave. 

"Are you going?" He says shyly.

"Yeah it's getting late," you say not wanting to overstay your welcome.

"You can stay if you want," he replies quietly.

"Do you want me to stay or are you just trying to be nice?" You ask. 

"I really want you to stay if that's alright," Ford mumbles. 

"That's more than alright," you smile, climbing into bed next to him. 

[iguessweallcrazyithinktho]

Fireworks

Summary: you're spending your first 4th of July with your husband Chris. You're also pregnant and Chris is so in love with your growing body

You stood in front of the bathroom mirror rolling The mascara brush through your eyelashes. It was the 4th today and you were going to a party at Lisa house that she set up for everyone.

You heard footsteps approaching the bathroom. You looked at the door to see Chris walk in. In an instant he smiled at you. "You look so beautiful." He looked over at your sundress covered body before He leaned and kissed your lips.

"you ready to go?"

Chris leaned up against the counter as he looked at you. "Yeah, I'm ready. Just gotta grab my coat."

Chris Hummed ok before walking out the room to your bedroom. You followed him and grabbed your coat and phone, Chris watched as you grabbed your things with a smile. When you turned around you saw him starring. You laughed "What?"

"nothing." He shook his head, holding out his hand. "Let's go baby." You took his hand and let him lead you out of the house.

**

You both arrived at Lisa's house 15 minutes later. You let yourselves in, greeted everyone before going your separate ways.

Chris had a beer in his hands as he stood talking to Scott and a few other guys. He wasn't really listening to what they were saying, his eyes Keep falling over to you.

You stood talking to Carly, a glass of lemonade in your hand. Your hair was pushed back into a bun, you hand on a baby blue dress that showed your growing bump and some white slip on shoes. You looked so beautiful to Chris at he couldn't stop looking at you either.

"you got some drool on your chin Chris." Chris snapped out of his staring to look at the voice. it was Scott who had a smirk on his face.

"what?" "You got some drool on your chin from staring at y/n"

Chris rolled his eyes. "Oh shut up. She's just Really beautiful."

"I know, I'm joking." Scott laughed. "She is very beautiful." Chris nodded. "Yeah, I'm happy she's Mrs Evans." Chris smirked as he looked back over to you. In that moment you looked over at him; you smiled and waved at him shyly.

Chris chuckled and waved back to you. "Uh you two make me Scott." Scott joked. "I'm going to go inside and get another beer."

Scott walked off to the house leaving Chris by himself. He decided to go and check on you. He walked through the yard to where you are. You looked over at him, "hi handsome."

"hi, can I steal you for a minute?"

You nodded. "Yeah, sure. I need to sit down anyways. Bye girls." You took Chris hand and followed him inside.

In there it was cool making you sigh in relief. Chris brought you to the living room where no one was, you sat on the couch and he did the same.

"what did you steal me for?" You asked peering at Chris. "Uh I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you are." He leaned over placing a kiss on your cheek.

"I know you always tell me that and.. I saw you looking at me the whole time." You laughed as Chris mouth fell open. "Yeah you're really bad at being sneaky."

Chris huffed turning around in his seat. "Damn."

You smirked. "Don't worry baby it- oh my God." You stopped mid sentence and placed your hand over your belly.

"what is it?" Chris asked looking at you in concern. "I felt a kick. Here feel." You took his hand placing it over the spot where you previously felt a flutter. Sure enough another faint kick was felt. Chris gasped, a smile instantly springing on his Face.

"that's our little baby." Chris said gazing at you. "Yeah it is." You smiled wiping the stray tear that fell from Chris' eyes.

Chris sniffed. " that's the best thing ever." He leaned back in his chair but not taking his hand off of you. It started to hit him that he was going to be a dad in a few months time. It made him want to cry more but he wasn't going to at least not for that yet. He was going to savior the moment of feeling his little peanut move for the first time.

Last year's fic: America's ass

[nerdzzone]

Once Bitten - Twice Shy

Summary: Raising a child is hard. Raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars is even harder. And raising a child with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars who you’re not actually in a relationship with is even harder still.

One of the challenges of sharing custody is sharing holidays which is something that Whitney Taylor found herself struggling with in the December of 2019. The prospect of spending Christmas without her son was dismaying, but the complications that come with the alternative might be even harder to face.

Chris Evans x OFC

Note: Thank you to everyone who has read, liked or commented on this story! I appreciate the support. 

This was the entirety of my original plot, it was just supposed to be a one shot when I started writing it, but it took on a life of it’s own. There’s quite a bit more to come now so I hope no one is too disappointed by the way this ends! I’ve started working on the sequel and have it all mapped out, but I probably won’t post it until it’s mostly finished like I did with this one. So, keep your eyes peeled and please let me know your thoughts!

Part Two

—-

Part Three

26. 12. 19

Waking up, it took a few moments for the memories of the night before to come back to me. When they did, I was filled with relief that I was alone and Chris was no where to be seen. My head throbbed, partially from the alcohol I'd consumed and partially because of the regrets that were filling my mind.

How could we be so stupid? So reckless? How could we risk everything that we'd built for Grayson just for a few moments of relief? How would I be able to push my feelings for Chris aside again after sharing such intimacy with him?

It broke my heart to make the decision to be friends the first time we found ourselves in this situation, how could I be foolish enough to put myself through that again?

I turned my head and groaned into the pillow, a much more distressed, melancholy groan than the ones leaving my lips the night before. I felt like an idiot and I was dreading facing Chris.

After taking another moment to chastise myself for my bad choices, I checked my phone to see the time and was shocked. It was already almost nine thirty and I hadn't heard a peep from the rest of the house. Unfortunately, that meant I didn't have time to mope around in bed, puzzling out what to do.

So, I took just enough time to decide that I needed to make a quick exit before getting up to get myself ready to leave.

 -

  When I got to the kitchen, it was surprisingly quiet. None of the men or children were anywhere to be seen as Lisa, Shanna and Carly tidied up the dishes from the breakfast that I'd missed. Apparently, there was another snow storm forecast to start by the early afternoon and everyone had headed out into the snow as soon as they'd finished eating to start shovelling so that we could all leave before it hit.

I was relieved by their quick action because even if I had to shovel the whole driveway by myself and then drive home in a blizzard, I was not sticking around for another night.

Lisa had tried to convince me to let her cook me breakfast, but my stomach was in too many knots to even think about food. I politely declined and settled for a banana and a cup of coffee, chatting with the women as I ate. It distracted me for a while as I tried to shut off some of the noise in my brain, but once I was finished, I knew I had to face the music and head outside.

By the time I got out there, Chris, Scott and their brother-in-law were already halfway down the driveway which was an impressive feat considering how long it was. I waved to them as I put my bag in my car before heading towards where the children were playing in the front yard.

"Mama!" Grayson cheered as I approached them. "Look! We're building a snowman!"

I looked at the sloppy pile of snow they were assembling and smiled.

"Wow, I can see that! Great job, guys!"

He grinned as he ran over to me and threw his arms around my legs. It was a feeling that never got old and I leaned down to squeeze him closer, trying to ignore the wave of guilt that washed over me. He was the most important thing in our situation and we'd lost sight of that.

"Can you help us?"

"Of course," I nodded. "But I need to go talk to your daddy real quick, okay? Then I'll be right back."

"Okay!"

With that, Grayson bolted back over to his cousins to continue their little project. They were so good with him, including him in their games and activities despite his young age and I was happy that he had such good role models to play with. Leaving them under Dodger's watchful eye, I took a deep breath and headed down the driveway to Chris.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Scott shouted over, the first to notice me coming their way. "Thanks for getting up so early to help us shovel the driveway."

I laughed at his sarcasm and stuck out my tongue, but when he shot me a knowing wink, I felt my cheeks burn. Of course Chris would tell him. I should have expected it, they were as close as brothers could be and Chris was always open with his family.

But it just made me feel worse about the conversation I was about to have as I went over to Chris. Luckily, he was on the opposite side of the driveway to the other two. At least that would give us a modicum of privacy.

"Hey, good morning," he grinned. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," I returned his smile, though mine was much more forced. "Thanks for letting me sleep in."

"Grayson wanted to wake you up at breakfast," he admitted, looking over at our son as he spoke. "He was worried that you'd be hungry when you woke up and there would be no more food left."

I couldn’t help, but laugh at the thought of his concern.

"He's too sweet, but I appreciate you stopping him," I admitted. "I guess I was tired out after last night."

"Last night," Chris smirked. "Last night was..."

He trailed off as he tried to think of a word to describe it, but my smile disappeared entirely as I could tell from the look on his face that we weren't reflecting on our little incident in the same way. So, I beat him to the punch.

"Last night was a mistake."

My words hung between us for a moment and I knew, from the way that his jaw dropped slightly as if I'd just slapped him across the face, that he wasn't happy with what I'd said.

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" He protested once my words had sunk in, keeping his voice low enough that no one would be able to overhear. "You're saying that it meant nothing to you?"

I really wished we weren't outside with so many watchful eyes around, but this conversation needed to be had and at least this way I'd have an excuse to keep things brief.

"I'm saying that it shouldn't have happened," I clarified, my voice wavering slightly as I questioned my own confidence in my words. "We've worked hard to keep things as stable as possible for Grayson and that's what we need to stay focused on."

"So, you just want to pretend that it never happened?"

My heart felt like it was in a vice. I didn't want to pretend it never happened. I wanted to be with Chris, I wanted us to give it a shot, but I knew that it wouldn't work. I was nothing compared to the women that Chris usually dated and when it all fell apart, Grayson would be the one stuck in the middle. It wasn't fair to him.

But that knowledge didn't make it any less painful when I nodded my head.

"I think that's for the best."

Chris scoffed, looking down at the snow as if he couldn't even stand to look at me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to run away or cry and throw myself into his arms so I settled for simply standing there quietly, waiting for him to say something.

It felt like an eternity, but after a minute or two of total silence, he finally spoke.

"Just let me make sure that I'm getting this right," he started, looking back up at me with such an intensity that it made my eyes swim with tears. “You really have no feelings for me at all? Because if you feel even a little bit like I do then you couldn’t possibly think you’re making any sense right now.”

I swallowed hard, trying to come to terms with the situation that I found myself in. A situation where Chris could be standing in front of me, telling me that he had feelings for me after all these years that we’d been determined to be just friends. It would have felt like a cruel joke if there wasn’t so much hurt in his eyes, so much fear that I was about to reject him. Fear that proved to be entirely justified when I finally got my emotions under control enough to answer him.

"It doesn't matter," I told him softly. "It's not about what I feel or what you feel. We have someone more important to consider."

“That's bullshit!"

I flinched at the harshness of his words and his raised voice as Scott shouted over a reminder about language as the kids weren't very far away. I could feel the tears still filling my eyes, but I knew I had to stick to my guns.

"It's not bullshit," I insisted. "It's the right thing to do."

"But you said yourself, he's starting to notice that things are different," Chris pointed out, his voice thankfully much softer than it had been moments ago . "Why not take the chance to give him a normal family if that's what we both want anyway?"

"Because it will hurt him more if it doesn't work out."

"Hurt him?" Chris questioned, his scowl deepening. "Or hurt you?"

Both of us. 

The truth was that I was worried that Chris would hurt me just as much as I worried that our decision would hurt Grayson, but I could handle the risk to myself if it was my choice. I couldn't handle our son being collateral damage.

I could feel Chris' gaze locked intently on me, but I couldn't lift my eyes to meet his. I didn't want to talk about it anymore. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold onto my argument when the decision I was making wasn't even what I truly wanted. I needed this conversation to end before I let my guard down and made anymore stupid choices.

"We can't talk about this here, Chris."

"Well, when will we talk about it then?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I need to think."

Chris shook his head as a sigh fell from his lips. He looked defeated.

"Alright."

I took that as an end to the conversation and turned to walk away, but I'd only made it a few steps when Chris called out to me again.

"I care about you, Whitney," he told me as I looked back over my shoulder. "This wasn't nothing to me. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to make this work."

That only made me feel worse as I had done it without such noble intentions and with doubt still plaguing my mind. I felt cowardly, but I couldn't bring myself to answer him as I looked away and continued on my way back towards our son.

 -

  I stayed outside, playing with the kids in the snow, until the driveway was clear. Once my car was free, I scooped Grayson up and said my goodbyes.

"Be good for your dad, okay?"

"Okay, Mama!" He smiled, pressing a big, sloppy kiss on my cheek. "I love you!"

"I love you too, buddy. I'll see you in a few days."

I put him down and waved as he ran back to follow his cousins who were heading inside. 

Turning back to my car, I  wasn’t entirely surprised to see Chris leaning against the hood. However, I was surprised to see that the scowl that had been firmly on his face since we talked had eased somewhat and I was even more surprised when he pulled me into a hug as soon as I was close enough.

"Drive safe," he warned me. "The roads still look pretty bad."

"I will," I nodded, easing myself out of his grip. "And I'm sorry, Chris. I really am."

"Don't sweat it." He shrugged, but the dejected look on his face did little to assure me that he accepted my apology.  "We'll talk soon though, right?"

I nodded and stepped back, moving to get into my car as Chris moved away from the hood.

He stayed there on the driveway, watching me as I turned the car around and waving as I drove off until he was out of sight.

I felt exhausted and heavy. There were tears brewing in my eyes as I turned onto the road, just as they had been when I drove these streets on Christmas Eve as I was taking Grayson to dad's house and thinking I would be spending the holidays alone. It was amazing to me how I managed to escape the sad, bleak Christmas that I had been anticipating at that point, and yet still somehow managed to come away feeling just as lonely.

And it was amazing to me that I ever let myself think that raising a child with Chris Evans wouldn't be emotionally draining as long as we weren't in a relationship. At this point, it seemed to just make things harder, but I knew that one day both of them would thank me for the sacrifice I was making right now.

I knew that it was the right decision for all three of us and one little slip up, one lapse in judgment and will power, wouldn't derail all the hard work that Chris and I had put in to co-parenting our son.

Or, at least, I hoped with all my heart that it wouldn't.

[ragingpancake]

How To Woo Your Scientist In 100 Cookies or Less

Rodney has a secret admirer. Prompt fic. See end of fic for prompt. ~1800 words.

The first time it appears is the morning after the ridiculous mission to M5-X847 (more accurately described as ‘Planet of the Bat-Shit Crazy Natives and Their Ridiculous Trading Ceremonies’ in the privacy of Rodney’s own mind and in the not-so-nearly private mess hall whenever anyone else brings it up). It’s left sitting on his desk by his absolute favorite computer on a folded up napkin from the mess hall, taunting him.

He’s still staring at it as if it holds the secrets to recharging a ZPM, the cure for male pattern baldness and the name of the man Carly Simon wrote a song about when John ambles in for his obligatory weekly hour of light switch duty.

“Ooh, cookie,” he says. Rodney smacks his hand away with a squawk of indignation.

“Mine!”

“Well, are you gonna eat it or just stare at it?”

Rodney settles for the latter while John unfairly makes Atlantis and all of her Ancient Tech roll over for him like the complete slut she is. Besides, he argues silently, it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s tried to kill him with baked goods. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Fifty nine minutes and fifty eight seconds later, John plucks the cookie off of the napkin and pops it into his mouth, crunching loudly and spewing crumbs everywhere.

“What did you do that for?” Rodney bellows.

“Just makin’ sure it was safe and citrus free,” John says with a toothy grin. “Next time, you’ll know. Cya later buddy,” he says and ambles back out of the room without a care in the world.

“Next time? How do you know there will be a next time?” Rodney yells after him. “How do you know?”

—-

There is, oddly enough, a ‘next time’. The next morning when Rodney stumbles into his lab, bleary eyed after a late night watching terrible movies and eating horrifyingly greasy food (thank you, Daedalus) with John, there’s another cookie sitting innocently on his desk, silently begging to be eaten. He’s still worried about the possibility of an assassination attempt but he rationalizes that no one is really going to use precious chocolate chips just to murder him so he lifts it up, sniffs it and then shoves it greedily into his mouth.

Less than hour later, he’s still alive and wishing he had another.

—-

By the fifth cookie, Rodney stops checking for the possibility of citrus-laced baked goods. Clearly, someone finally appreciates his genius and has decided the best way to thank him is to ply him with delicious sweet treats.

For once, Rodney doesn’t complain.

——

“Another one?” John asks, eying the 30th cookie longingly. “How many is that now?”

“I don’t know. I’ve lost count,” Rodney lies.

John just snorts in response.

——

“This is getting out of hand,” Kavanagh gripes. “How come we’re not allowed to eat around the computers, but he never says anything about that damn cookie appearing every morning? Why doesn’t Sh—”

Radek steps on Kavanagh’s foot and Miko’s elbow catches him in the side. Kavanagh squeaks and then miraculously falls silent.

Rodney eyes his scientists suspiciously “Why doesn’t who do what?”

“Nothing,” Radek says. “Is nothing but idiotic mumblings of a jealous man.”

“Jealous. Yeah, right,” Kavanagh snorts under his breath.

Rodney is still not convinced and he spends the rest of the day trying to bully Kavanagh into telling him exactly what’s going on.

Kavanagh is gleeful at the idea of knowing something that Rodney doesn’t.

—

“Hey Rodney?”

“Hmm?”

“Don’t you ever wonder who’s sending you cookies?”

Rodney eats the last bite of his cookie and glances over at John. “Not really, no. Don’t really care either, as long as they keep coming.”

“Oh.”

John goes back to touching uncatalogued Ancient tech while Rodney practically has oral sex with the left-over chocolate on his fingers. Rodney’s so caught up in his little delicious world that he doesn’t even notice when the device starts glowing in an ominous way.

“Uh… Rodney.”

Three seconds later, John’s unconscious on the floor and Rodney’s yelling into his headset for a medical team.

——

The next day, there is no cookie.

——

By the third cookieless day, Rodney decides that maybe Atlantis was the secret Cookie Fairy, because whoever it was is clearly pissed off that he almost killed John.

——

“I brought you something,” Rodney announces as soon as he palms the door to John’s room open. It’s the only room, other than his own that he’s ever been able to get into without resorting to screwing around with the crystals. He’s never questioned it, but now he’s grateful that John never had the urge to lock him out.

“Been stockpiling the goods from your Cookie Fairy?” John asks grumpily. Rodney cuts him slack because he knows he still has a killer headache from that damn piece of Ancient Tech.

“No,” Rodney says. “I uh, actually made these for you, and by ‘made these for you’, I really mean I bribed the kitchen staff with an extra ten minutes of hot water in the mornings but um, yeah. I got them. For you.”

John gives him an odd look and Rodney wonders if maybe there’s brain damage that Keller missed on the scans. Wouldn’t be the first time, he thinks bitterly.

“It’s just… you seemed to always be hanging around when I had my cookie and I uh… know that I wasn’t exactly willing to share with you even though I know chocolate chip is your favorite. But that’s not the point. The point… the point is… I screwed up that day. I should have been paying more attention to what you were doing and I wasn’t and I’m sorry and, and, and will you just say something and stop looking at me like that?”

John gives him a slight smile. “Thanks Rodney. You wanna watch a movie?”

For the first time since the cookies stopped coming, Rodney feels like he can breathe again.

——

The next morning, there’s still no cookie, though Rodney really didn’t expect there to be. He doesn’t even really care, because while he acquired the cookies for John the previous evening, he’s the one who ate almost the whole damn plate and if he never sees another chocolate chip cookie again, it’ll be too damn soon.

He has a lot of catching up to do because ever since John got hurt on his watch, he hasn’t exactly been able to concentrate on his work and damn if it hasn’t piled up already.

He powers up his computer and scowls at the stack of papers littering his workspace. Grabbing a handful, he flips through them and then discards them like the complete and utter trash they are. Kavanagh never could finish up the simplest of equations.

He’s just about to log in to the network with the corner of a piece of paper sticking from under his keyboard catches his eye. He frowns and pulls it out. The handwriting is vaguely familiar.

Meet me at the East Pier. 1800 hours. -Cookie Fairy

Rodney doesn’t know whether to be flattered or frightened. He just hopes that whoever the Cookie Fairy is, they’ve forgiven him as easily as John has.

——

The doors to the East Pier slide open with ease and Rodney can’t stop the nervous flutter in the pit of his stomach. The sun is already beginning to set in the Lantean sky, casting a gentle glow over the calm water. Leaning against the railing, there’s a familiar set of slouched shoulders and a crop of dark, messy hair.

“John?”

He turns and gives Rodney a nervous grin. “Hey buddy.”

“I don’t… I don’t understand. What are you… what are you doing here?”

He holds out the plate of chocolate chip cookies. “Uh… surprise?”

For once, the great Rodney McKay is completely speechless.

John clears his throat and shifts nervously from one foot to the next. He sets the plate of cookies down on the railing and rubs at the back of his reddening neck. “So I guess you… Uh, I guess this really isn’t what you were expecting.”

“No,” Rodney says dumbly, because he really wasn’t. Miko? Sure. Simpson? Maybe. But John Sheppard? John fucking Sheppard? Not in a million years. “Why?”

”M5-X847."

“The marriage ceremony? The one where they made you put stupid flowers in your hair and, and, and…”

“That’s the one.”

“But why?” Rodney asks, because he needs to know.

“Because I wanted it to be real,” John blurts out. His ears are absolutely flaming at this point and Rodney’s sure they’re going to spontaneously combust if they get any brighter. “I needed… I needed you to know and I didn’t know how to tell you so I…”

“You baked. For me.”

“Every day.”

“Until you got hurt.”

“Well, yeah. It was kind of difficult when standing long enough to get to the bathroom was a chore. I was… I wanted to tell you that day, but you didn’t… you said you didn’t want to know.”

“I was afraid it was Kavanagh or some other equally terrible person!”

“Why would Kavanagh bake you cookies?”

“I don’t know! If could have been part of some nefarious plan to clog my arteries and send me to an early grave via horrendous heart blockage!”

John just stares at him. “Seriously?”

“Hey, it could happen.”

“Rodney, shut up,” John says and then he’s suddenly there, his lips pressed to Rodney’s.

It’s wonderful and terrifying and so right.

Rodney makes a little noise of surprise against John before he relaxes into his the kiss, reaching up tentatively to card his fingers through his silly hair.

When they break apart, they’re both panting.

“Was that… was that okay?”

“I don’t know,” Rodney says. “I think… purely for research purposes, you understand, I’m going to need you to kiss me again.”

“No problem,” John says and he leans in to kiss Rodney again.

——

By the time they’ve finished kissing, they’re both shivering in the chilly night air. John’s hair is messier than usual and Rodney’s lips are red and swollen.

“Seriously though,” Rodney says, burrowing closer to John’s side as John drops an arm around his shoulders. “Cookies? Really?”

“I figured that at least when it came to you, the old saying was true. The way to your heart is definitely through your stomach.”

“So you thought you could woo me with cookies?”

“It worked though,” John says triumphantly.

Rodney grins. It worked.

“Hey, next time, you think you could do peanut butter?”

“Shut up, Rodney,” John says fondly

“Why don’t you make me?”

“My pleasure.”

Prompt

:One day you come into work and find a cookie mysteriously placed on your desk. Grateful to whoever left this anonymous cookie, you eat it. The next morning you come in and find another cookie. This continues for months until one day a different object is left--and this time there's a note.

[sroloc--elbisivni]

Snippet from the untitled “Spike gets a car and everyone has an opinion fic”: Ratbat

(I’m posting this now because I had fun with it and I’m not getting the last Definitionless chapter out this week, or this whole thing out anytime soon, so….why not)

Spike was putting away groceries when Carly’s jury-rugged Cybertronian Life Signs Detector over the fridge started beeping insistently. He sighed and pulled down the monitor to check the distance, fully expecting it to have picked up Bumblebee lurking sadly at the edge of its newly expanded range.

Instead, it showed a sign in close proximity, and getting closer. Getting…right up to the house?

The doorbell rang. Spike went to answer it with great suspicion.

A metal bat with a body the size of a large wheelbarrow plus the wings sat on the house’s front porch, one clawed wing-tip extended to poke the doorbell. Spike blinked at it, taking in the Decepticon sigil, and then shut the door.

The doorbell rang again. Spike reluctantly concluded that he should deal with this before the cassette escalated to property damage and opened the door again.

“Are you leaving the Autodorks?” Ratbat asked. His voice sounded like what Spike imagined a toy piano would if it could talk. “Will you come live with us instead? I don’t wanna be the youngest anymore.”

“I’m not leaving the Autobots. I work for them,” Spike said. “How did you find my house?”

“Soundwave has—I mean, secret Decepticon spy stuff.” Ratbat drew himself up, puffing his chest out. Spike resisted the urge to scratch his little head by remembering all the times he’d seen Buzzsaw’s claws of equal size rip tears in metal. “Would you work for me?”

“I need to eat,” Spike said. He pulled the stepstool from behind the door so he could at least sit down for this conversation. “Human food. Not energon.”

“You could eat fish. Humans eat fish. We have a lot of fish. Rumble and Frenzy keep dumping them on Skywarp.” Ratbat scruffed one of his little wing hands over an ear. “Do you have any energon? I could eat it for you.”

Carly probably did, because she liked to add it to fuel blends for her micro-engines, but Spike wasn’t about to touch her engineering corner. Especially not for a runaway Decepticon. “How about some old motherboards?” He’d helped organize electronic waste programs for donation as Autobot snacks, since they could break just about anything down to component minerals and use it for their systems given enough time. And Ratbat was basically a kid, he probably needed lots of minerally dense snacks.

“Okay,” Ratbat said, perking up.

Spike told him to stay on the porch and went to get the box of circuitboards and microprocessors labeled DO NOT USE in Chip’s blocky handwriting. When he got back, Ratbat was leaned out over the overgrown lawn examining the hose on the side of the house, but he still had his back feet on the porch. Spike didn’t like Soundwave, but he suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for him.

“Does Soundwave know you’re here?” he asked, setting the box of electronics on the porch and carefully sitting back on his stool inside, very clearly not threatening or being threatened by the cassette at all.

“No,” Ratbat said, face already halfway inside the box. There was a crunching noise that would have been suspicious in any other context. Spike wanted some peanuts, suddenly.

“Does anyone know you’re here? Besides me.” Spike felt like he’d been assigned to watch a little cousin.

“Ravage probably knows,” Ratbat said. “Ravage knows everything.” He had a wire trailing from between his teeth before he slurped it up like a piece of spaghetti. Spike was oddly endeared for a moment, the lecture from the forces of Chip and Carly and his mother combined about not bringing home strays notwithstanding.

“How did you get here if Soundwave doesn’t know?” Spike asked.

“Did you know trains just stop?” Ratbat had his head back in the box of microprocessors. “They just stop sometimes and there are these open cars you can climb in.”

“Neat,” Spike said, and wondered if that was a security issue. Probably not. Most Decepticons were heavy enough a train driver would notice, right? “Are you sure you’ll be able to get back that way?”

“I dunno. Probably.”

Spike didn’t want to call the Autobots. That wouldn’t help calm down the situation. Most of them barely ever saw Ratbat, because Soundwave didn’t take him to battles. Was there a battle happening today?

“I’m going to get some water,” Spike said, standing up. “I don’t have any coolant for you.”

“Okay,” Ratbat said. He was eyeing the hose again.

“Don’t break the hose.” Spike went back inside.

He got some water, and some peanuts, and turned on the little portable radio, carrying it out to the porch. No breaking news reports of Decepticon activity. Ratbat had taken the injunction not to break the hose as permission to mess with it, apparently, and was wrapping and unwrapping it from around the holder. His ears perked at the sound of radio static and he came over to inspect it more closely as Spike flipped through the stations.

“Is that a toy?” Ratbat asked, genuinely curious. “It’s got such a little range.”

“Humans don’t need that many channels,” Spike said distractedly. “And this is just to pick up up signals, not transmit them. It couldn’t send out if I wanted it to, never mind if you wanted it to.”

Ratbat screwed up his face. “I can do better with a radio than some human.”

“Oh yeah? Prove it.”

Ratbat scooped up the radio and immediately cracked it open, rummaging inside. They’d been due for a new radio anyways.

One cable came out of Ratbat’s winglet paw, connecting in the radio and setting up a droning hum in the air that made Spike’s fillings buzz. He felt a little bad for the havoc this was going to wreak on local airwaves, but whatever got Ratbat out of here faster was all to the good.

Spike ate peanuts and watched Ratbat play with the radio and before long there was a faint sonic boom. When Spike looked up, a brightly painted jet was descending towards his street much faster and silently than an ordinary jet would.

Soundwave fell out in alt mode ten yards above the street, landing hard enough to crack the asphalt. That would be fun to hear Bumblebee complain about. Not to mention drive on himself. Spike ate another peanut, looking as nonchalant and nonthreatening as he could.

“Ratbat: return,” Soundwave ordered, striding over.

Ratbat clutched the radio, looking mutinous. “But—!”

“You can take it with you,” Spike offered. Soundwave shot him a look that Spike didn’t think he would have been able to interpret even if Soundwave didn’t keep his whole face covered.

Ratbat, barely mollified, tucked the radio away and looked at Spike. “Are you sure you won’t come work for me?”

“Pretty sure,” Spike said, and ate another peanut.

Once Ratbat had transformed and Soundwave had scooped him up to tuck away, Spike was still being looked at by two Decepticons. Hm.

“I won’t mention this if you won’t?” Spike offered. He tensed his feet to run anyways.

After a long moment, Soundwave announced “Terms: accepted.”

-

The ice cream had melted by the time Spike got back to putting the groceries away.

-

Chip got a ride home from Huffer that day, who had thick enough tires that Spike didn’t hear him make any complaints when he went out to say hello. Chip started sorting mail while Spike unpacked the new radio he’d gone out to get after the excitement earlier.

“Hm,” Chip said, and Spike looked up to see him holding an envelope with the distinct lilac color Barbara used for official HOA reprimands. “Do I want to know what this is about?”

“Probably not,” Spike said honestly.

“Alright,” Chip said, tossing it in the ‘recycle’ pile. He wheeled over to the fridge and made a tally mark on the piece of paper set aside for that purpose. When they got up to ten, they’d host a barbecue to propitiate the neighbors.

“Better make it two,” Spike said.

[nowandajenn]

Blue Christmas-Seven

 Pairing: Chris Evans/OC Kelly

Summary: After almost three years of marriage, everyone would tell you that Chris and his wife Kelly are the most stable, solid couple they know. But behind closed doors, things are tense as they keep trying for a baby, to no avail. When a secret threatens to shake their solid marriage to it’s core, will they be able to pick up the pieces?

Warnings: major angst, language

I do not consent to have my content, whether it be this story or anything else of my creation, posted by a third party on any other platform other than right here without my permission. This blog is 18+ and is not intended for minors. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Heed the warnings.

*this chapter has been completely rewritten.

Christmas Day

One day I’ll wake up and I won’t want to immediately feel like I’m going to die. Today is not that day, apparently. 

When I blink my eyes open, the very first thing I see is Dodger’s furry face. He’s laying on the bed next to be with his head on my chest, staring intently at me like he’s been waiting for me to wake up. He does this constantly to Chris and I, and we always find it hilarious. 

“Hi, baby.” I whisper, my voice hoarse from all the crying and the whiskey last night. I’m in our bed and to my immense relief, I’m dressed in a pair of soft sweats and a T shirt, which I have no memory of putting on. 

After we got back here last night, I went straight to the liquor cabinet and poured us both a drink and put on A Muppet Christmas Carol and cried and bitched and ranted about how much of a bitch my mom was, and Chris just kept quiet and let me vent. At some point I remember almost falling asleep on the couch and Chris nudging me awake, and then....nothing. 

I glance over at the nightstand and see that Chris plugged my cell phone in for me to charge overnight and there’s Advil and a gatorade sitting there. I don’t know how much good Advil is going to do since it feels like there’s an elephant sitting on my head, but what the hell. 

After peeing and brushing my teeth and hair to at least appear somewhat human, I make my way to the kitchen and stop in my tracks. Lisa is standing at the stove making what looks and smells like french toast and bacon, and there’s coffee brewing. Chris is sitting at the dining room table (after the debauchery that occurred on top of it a week ago, I’m sincerely hoping that Chris went at it with a ton of Lysol) looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

My fight or flight urge kicks in and I’m two paces into going back into the bedroom when I feel something soft but sturdy hit me in the back. 

In a flash, Dodger is at my feet, devouring the croissant that Lisa threw at me. 

“Not so fast. Get in here.” Lisa says. The look on her face and the tone of her voice leaves no room for argument. I turn back around and walk into the kitchen, leaning in to give Lisa a hug. 

“I’m sorry. I should have called.” I say softly. 

“Yeah, you should have. But that’s not why I’m here.”

The food finishes a a few minutes later and I help her plate it up and bring it to the table. Once we’re all seated, Lisa looks from me to Chris. 

“So, who wants to tell me what the hell has been going on the past few weeks?”

“Mom-” Chris starts. 

“No, save it. Something big is going on, and you’ve been lying to me about it. And I know you’re lying because you suck at it. And Scott knows what’s going on because every time I ask him about it, he looks like he’s about to puke. Now here’s what I know: you guys apparently had a fight. Kelly’s been staying with her brother in the city. I can’t get either one of you to tell me anything, which is a HUGE red flag, because neither of you have ever been shy about coming to me about anything. Now what is going on?”

I lace my fingers together and rest my fists under my chin. 

I know this is going to kill Chris. And it’s going to kill Lisa. And it’s going to kill me to have to fucking hear the words come out of his mouth again. And there’s a good possibility that Lisa will kill Chris, or at the very least beat the piss out of him.There’s a whole lot of killing that’s going to happen. 

Chris looks at me with such a profound sadness in his eyes that it nearly breaks my heart. 

“Just tell her. Get it over with.” I say sadly. 

“The reason Kelly hasn’t been here is because......” I watch as his eyes shine with tears and his adams apple bobs up and down in his throat. I close my eyes and try and brace myself for the words that brought my world down a few weeks ago. “I slept with someone. I cheated on her.” Lisa’s jaw drops and she looks to Chris, who’s barely keeping it together and then to me, my jaw clenched tight and my eyes closed. 

Seconds pass without a sound. Then a minute. Then two. 

“YOU DID WHAT?!”

Her gaze swings to me and I can see her eyes brimming with tears. She reaches across the table and grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly. 

“I didn’t want anyone to find out until after the holidays. I didn’t want to ruin anyone’s Christmas.” I say softly. 

I watch Chris swallow thickly. 

“Honey-”

“No. You don’t get to talk right now. You were raised better than this. I raised you to be better than this. I’ve been proud of you you’re entire life, but right now.....right now I’m so disappointed in you I can barely stand it.”

I take my coffee and my plate up to my office on the second floor, not wanting to be there or listen as Lisa lays into Chris. As it is, I can still hear her yelling without hearing what’s being said. 

I knew everything was going to come out sooner or later. I just really wished that it would happen after the holidays. Between the disaster with my family last night, I guess it’s only fair that Chris has his turn. 

There’s a knock on the door as I’m finishing my coffee, and Lisa opens the door a bit, and I can tell that she’s been crying. 

“I don’t even know what to say.” she tells me softly as she takes a seat in the comfy armchair in the room. 

“I don’t know if there’s really anything TO say.” I whisper. 

“Honey, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you talk to me? You didn’t have to go through this all by yourself.” 

I pull my feet up on my chair and wrap my arms around my knees and look up at her. 

“I could barely begin to process any of it myself. When he told me, I kind of just went on autopilot. I didn’t want to be alone; part of me was afraid of what would happen if I was alone. I knew that if I went to you or Shanna or Carly or any of our friends, it would all come out, and I wasn’t ready for that. I couldn’t stay here with him. So I fled to Connor’s. I kind of trashed the studio, then just shut down. That’s why Scott knows. Connor called him because I physically couldn’t get out of bed for four days. He came to check on me and laid with me for a few hours. I was ashamed. I AM ashamed.”

“Kelly, the only person here who should be ashamed is my son. He didn’t tell me any of the details, and honestly, I don’t want to know. I don’t know what the hell was going on in his head. I am so, so sorry about everything. I just....I can’t believe any of this.”

A thought pops into my head and I turn to her. 

“How did you know I was here?” I ask. 

“I didn’t. I had Scott start on dinner for today, and I came over, determined to get the truth out of Chris once and for all, no matter what. He told me you were here sleeping. He gave me the Cliffs Notes version of what happened at your parents’ last night.” 

I scoff and roll my eyes. “Yeah, it was one for the books. I just couldn’t be around any of them last night. I just wanted to be here, at home.”

“What about now? Where do you want to be now?” Lisa asks. 

“I don’t know. I’m so sorry for all of this happening on Christmas. I hate feeling like the holiday is ruined. I hate that you and Chris are fighting. I hate that Scott and Chris are fighting. I just wish we could have a nice Christmas and just pretend that everything is normal.” I tell her. 

She takes my hands in hers and rubs them, warming them up. 

“If that’s what you want, that’s what we can do. God knows I could wring Chris’ neck right now, but it’s Christmas. If you think you can handle it, and handle everyone, we can do it. I’ll hold everyone off on the questions for today. But you know eventually.....you and Chris are going to have to sit down and talk.”

“I know.”

 The Usual Suspects: @averyrogers83 @wordywarriorwrites @imanuglywombat @joannaliceevans-fanficblog @hlkwrites @reminiscingrogers @mom—nicole @jtargaryen18 @alexakeyloveloki @kelbabyblue @sarahp879 @moonlessnight14 @mojean13 @mrskokitztelford @artisticrogers1972 @southerngracela @star-spangled-man-with-a-plan @mybesttobobcratchit @gracethegeek9902 @mdemontespan1667 @marvelfansworld @capslut2014 @dispatchvampire @jamielea81 @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety​ @nerdy-bookworm-1998​ @southerngracela​ @what-is-your-plan-today @letsdisneythings​ @theladybiers @lexeeehhh @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @autumnrose40 @donutloverxo​ @harrysthiccthighss​ @jessaywahh-blog​@smediumsmeatbae @before-we-get-started​ @lizette50 @littlegasps @rageshots @what-is-your-backupplan-today @clairebubbles @patzammit @sweet--catrastophe @pandaxnienke @redhairedfeistynerd @hails270105 @syms-things-5

Kinktober 2020: @saiyanprincessswanie​ @superquirky-blog

[myhockeyworld87]

Bubble Wrapped - Part 12

Word Count: 2,510

POV: Reader

Warnings: Same as always, Language, Smut, NSFW, Please see the note in the Masterlist

Teams: Bruins, Caps, Flyers, Lightning, Pens, Jackets, Canes, Islanders (more to come)

Notes: I literally have no clue what happened the frist time, but let’s try this again. When last we left this story, (Y/N) had just had a steamy encouter with Joel. Now with Svech back at the suite hurt, let’s find out what happens.  As always feedback is greatly appreciated and wanted…hahaha! Luv ya all!! Happy Reading to all!

A quick run downstairs and a check-in with Carly told you that everything at the hotel was running smoothly. You gave her a recap of what had happened with Svech and told her that you were heading back upstairs to be with him at least until Joel and Dougie got back from practice. By the time you got back up to the suite, the boys were just heading out the door. "Ready to head up to bed?" You asked Svech and his eyebrow shot up. Obviously, you didn't mean it that way as the man was in no way able to perform. Or was he?

"Sure," he said eagerly then hobbled on his crutches to the elevator with you. It took a few minutes to get him into his shared bedroom with Joel, but once you did you propped his foot up on a stack of pillows, making sure to take extra care with it, so as to not cause him any more pain than necessary.

"Comfy?"

"Yeah," he mumbled and you could see the tiredness in his eyes.

"Do you need anything else?"

"I don't think so."

You dug through your bag and placed the bell you'd found in one of the offices on the nightstand. "Here, in case you need me, just ring this. I'll be downstairs doing some work, but will be up in a flash." He looked so young and innocent just lying there and you swept a bit of hair that had fallen onto his forehead away. "Get some rest."

You went to leave, but he grabbed your wrist, tugging you back in his direction, which caused you to stumble and land awkwardly on his chest; your face a mere inches away from his. He didn't say anything, just cupped your cheek with his free hand and brought your lips to his. It was soft, yet with the right kind of pressure, and he sought entrance to your mouth with a simple glide of his tongue to your lips. You opened for him, deepening the kiss. Svech was gorgeous there was no denying that, but at the same time you felt a little bad after doing what you'd done with Joel last night and now you were kissing his teammate. Though when he moaned into your mouth all thought of that left.

Gently you pushed back from the kiss. "Svech, what are you doing?"

"I want you, (Y/N). I have from the moment I saw you in this bubble a few weeks ago." You tried to think back about running into him at any point before the Canes had actually transferred to your hotel but couldn't recall a time that the two of you met. "Don't worry, I don't expect you to remember. I would come here to play tennis. Well, not really, it was just an excuse to see you. You're so beautiful." His hand caressed your body lightly as he spoke and it ignited a fire deep within you. "I know I'm younger than you, but it doesn't mean that I can't satisfy you."

"Svech it's not that..." For really it wasn't. You had no doubt that he was good in bed, it was just, well, his injury and all.

He must have caught on to your hesitation. "I'm fine I swear, though you'll have to be on top. I just think this is really the optimal time. The guys are gone and won't be around for a couple hours. Say you want me too."

There was a pleading look in his eyes, this sort of need to be wanted. Your body definitely couldn't deny that you craved him. It was just your head that wasn't in sync. You threw caution to the wind and decided to just give in to what your body wanted this time; not that you hadn't been doing that all along. "I want you too."

His hand went to the back of your neck and he drug you down to his lips again for a hard and searing kiss. "Undress for me, beautiful." He whispered out and you stepped back from the bed. Slowly, you unzipped your skirt, then shimmied it down your hips to fall on the floor. Your hands worked each button on your blouse revealing your soft supple skin to his gaze, and look he did. There was a hunger in his eyes as the top fell to the floor and you stood there in only a bra and thong. "Fuck you're gorgeous." He sat up and shucked his shirt over his head before propping himself up against the headboard a bit. "Don't stop now."

A small giggle escaped you at his eagerness. Your hands went to the clasp of your bra, releasing the globes for their confines. Holding the bra with one hand, you let the straps slide off your shoulders, then dropped the garment. You cupped your breasts, gently squeezing them and pulling on the nipples. Svech sucked in a breath of air and you saw him bite down gently on his bottom lip. Your eyes dropped to his crotch, where you could see his erection growing even through his shorts.

Hooking the elastic of your panties, you wiggled them over your hips and glided them down your legs. There was a visible wetness in the crotch that you knew Svech could see, letting him know how badly you wanted him. You sashed back over to the bed, then slid your hand down his chest and abs to the waistband of his shorts. "We're going to need to do something about these." He lifted his hips up, using his upper body strength and you slid them along with his boxers down. It was a bit tricky getting them over his boot, but you managed.

Once that task was accomplished, you went back up and kissed him. "You know you're a really good nurse." He laughed and you joined in, as you straddled his hips.

"Well, I try. Gotta keep my patients happy." His hands went to your hips, while you used his shoulders to steady yourself. "Let me know if I hurt you in any way."

"You're killing me now because I want to be inside you." You chuckled, then took his cock in your one hand and guided it to your entrance. You coated him a bit in your wetness before sinking down on him. "Fuck you feel amazing. So wet...and..." He didn't say anything more as you began to move up and down on his length. "Oh...yeah...fuck..." There was an endless stream of moans out of his mouth. When you swiveled your hips, he almost lost it. "Do that again."

"You're quite the demanding patient," you hissed out as you rode his cock.

"Can't help...it..." he panted. "I've wanted...this...oh fuck...for...mmm...yeah just like that....so long...faster baby." His hips started to rise up, thrusting into you, and you were concerned that he would be putting pressure on his bad foot. Your mind was so lost in making sure that he wasn't hurt, you'd knew that you'd never get off. "I'm so close...are you?"

You weren't but you didn't tell him that. Instead, you grabbed his hand on your hip and moved it to your clit. "I need you to..." you moaned out as he started to rub your little nub, grabbing onto the headboard now to steady you both. "Mmmm...yeah." His movements got faster pushing you to that familiar crest you wanted.

You could feel him tighten his grip with the hand that still held your hip and knew he was close. "Come on baby," he encouraged you and flicked your clit more. It was all you needed, as you screamed out in ecstasy as your orgasm came over you. "Fuck," Svech moaned as your pussy spasmed around him and he thrust deep in you, cumming hard. You were both breathing heavily as you came down off your high and it took a moment for you to collect yourself. As you made a move to roll off him, he held you tightly. "Don't go just yet."

"You've got to be uncomfortable like this." After all, you were practically lying on top of him.

"Quite the opposite, really. Besides, I don't know if we'll get another chance at this. I plan on savoring the moment." His fingertips skated up and down your spine. "You're really something, you know that?"

"I don't know about all that."

"I know I wouldn't have a shot, but if I was a few years older and maybe had a bit more experience in the league. I'd try and steal you away from everyone else here."

“You make me sound like I’m ancient or something. I’m only a few years older than you.”

His hands skimmed up and down your body, fingertips gliding along your ribcage and making you shiver. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just…I can’t even take you out to dinner in Raleigh and buy a bottle of wine.” Damn, you forgot the boy was under twenty-one. You really should’ve thought about things before you jumped into bed with him. Why did your libido have to run rampant around these men? “These guys here are probably showering you with expensive gifts and I just can’t compete with them, though I wish I could. I’d give you the world if I could.”

“Aww Andrei, the fact that you want to do something like that, is just so sweet.” You placed a gentle kiss on his lips. You needed to diffuse the situation before things got too out of hand or the next thing you know he’d be asking for your hand in marriage or something. “I think you’ve had a little too much prescription medication.” He went to protest but you stopped him placing a finger to his lips. “This was fun, but you should rest. Besides I’m sure the others will be back soon.” He nodded as if he finally understood that nothing more was going to happen between the two of you. It was then that you climbed off him and out of bed, picking up your scattered clothes before kissing him one last time. “Get some sleep. If you need anything just ring the bell.”

The tile floor on the hallway felt cold as you made your way down to your room so that you could change into something more comfortable. Hearing Andrei’s declaration really made you start to think. Maybe you should be looking for more than just a fling here and there. Tyler was begging you to let him come to Toronto if the Stars lost or have you fly there if they continued on; maybe it was time to seriously start to consider his offer.

The rest of the morning you buried yourself in paperwork until Dougie and Joel got back early afternoon. Then they took over nursing duties, or at the very minimum getting their teammate food when he wanted. You were still in a cropped hoodie and leggings when you headed downstairs to see how things were going. Thankfully, no one had set the hotel on fire, which was a major accomplishment considering all the rival teams you had under one roof.

“So how goes it with your three roommates?” Carly asked you wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“You don’t even want to know.”

“Of course, I do. I’m living vicariously through you now that Brayden and I are together. Spill the juicy details.”

“Juicy details about what?” You knew that voice, before turning to see that Mat Barzal was standing there, a sheer sheen of sweat lightly coating his forehead, telling you that he had been working out. His shirt clung to his body in all the right places. And those thighs. Ugh! It should be downright illegal to have thighs as muscular as his and shorts that tight.

“We were just talking about…” Carly started to say before you elbowed her.

“It’s just about someone that works here in the hotel. You probably wouldn’t know them, considering you’re staying at the Royal.” God, you sounded like a snob; a snob and a prick. “I mean it’s really just work gossip.”

“Oh well, hopefully, I’ll be moving in here soon. Then maybe you’ll let me in on your little secrets.” He gave you a little wink as if he knew you weren’t exactly talking about some indiscretion of a hotel staff member. Although technically you were. That member just happened to be you.

“I guess if you do get to move, I’ll have to reveal all the dirty laundry this place has going on,” you said flirtatiously, and suddenly you were throwing out that whole idea of settling down.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing what you’d got going on underneath everything.” Mat playfully bantered back, as his eyes roamed your body. His heated stare had your panties getting wet. You were really going to have to do your laundry after the day you had.

“Well, I can see I’m not needed here.” Carly chimed in as you’d completely forgotten about her being there. “I think I’ll go check on what Chef’s preparing for dinner.”

She sauntered off leaving you standing there alone with Mat. “Speaking of dinner. Would you like to get some, say maybe tomorrow night? We’re playing tonight or I’d say in a couple of hours.”

“I’d like that, but it’s not like we can go out to any restaurants.”

“True, though I do remember you mentioning something about a suite you’re staying in.”

Had you mentioned that? You couldn’t really be sure and it didn’t really matter at the moment considering you had roommates. “About that…You see there was kind of a little incident here. Let’s just say it involved a hockey stick and some busted pipes.” Mat looked like he was ready to bust out laughing but he took a deep breath regaining control. “So now I have three people staying there with me.”

“Oh well if it’s your friend there and a couple others I’m sure Tito and a couple guys wouldn’t mind coming along.”

“Yeah,” you said cringing as you told him this next part. “It’s not Carly. It’s three guys from the Canes. Dougie Hamilton, Joel Edmunston and Andrei Svechnikov.” Mat’s eyes widen and his jaw dropped a bit before drawing together to form a hard line on his jaw. He hadn’t seemed like the jealous type in your last encounter but then at the time, it didn’t seem like you were having a foursome every night in your suite. “It’s just temporary.” You were quick to add. “Their room should be fixed in a couple days.”

“I see.” It was a short response and you could tell that he wasn’t pleased. “I guess dinner is off.”

You didn’t want it to be. In fact, Mat was the first guy that you really were interested in more than just a fling with since Sidney. You just needed to come up with another place for dinner and maybe some sort of dessert that involved both of you being naked. That shouldn’t be too hard.

.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Mission of Mercy: Seven

For the next several minutes, Joe and Bucky played cards in relative silence. And Bucky couldn’t help but squirm a little. He knew this was about to be a man to man chat. The kind that ladies were not ever supposed to hear. 

Joe may be willing to swear in front of you, and he may be willing to be brutally honest about his military exploits but some things, Bucky knew Joe would sooner punch himself in the mouth than let you hear. Still. When the old man stood up and made his way to the living room to check on you, Bucky wasn’t sure he was ready. 

Until he made his way back to the kitchen, quietly shutting the swinging door. For the first time, Bucky really saw Joe as old. The stooped shoulders and the slight tremor in his hands was more pronounced. The usual twinkle in his eye was gone. And Bucky could  see the old soldier under the worn flannel and house shoes. 

“You know,” Joe said softly, “The worst day of my life was when she told me SHIELD made her a job offer.”

Bucky didn’t say anything. He simply reached around to the fridge behind him and handed him a beer. Joe took it with a soft smile of thanks and sank heavily into his seat. 

“It could be my one chance, she told me,” he said staring into the middle distance, like he was seeing it all over again. “If Clay is still out there somewhere, I can bring him home.”

Bucky cringed in sympathy. He knew that feeling. And he knew it well. 

“Did she find him?”

Joe shook his head, “All she ever found was what happened to him.” The old man took a pull of his beer and stood again, this time tottering towards the back of the house. To his bedroom. Bucky waited patiently, listening to the shuffling of what sounded like picture frames.

And when he came back, carrying a small photo album, Bucky smiled a little. 

“When Clay died,” Joe said quietly, “I put these away. The poor kid was already growing up in a mausoleum. She didn’t need to be reminded of him here too.” He handed the photo album to Bucky. “But, I can tell you one thing, those kids kept me well stocked with portrait references.”

Bucky took the book and dutifully flipped to the first page, smiling a little. 

“Clay was a good big brother,” Joe said fondly. “He took it so seriously.” The old man trailed off and shook his head, “Jesus Christ,” he swore, “I’d like to know what the fuck it was all for. They told us we were making a world where the kids would be safe… And they’re all still getting blown to hell.”

Bucky made a soft sound of agreement and he felt plates in his arm clench reflexively. 

“Mausoleum?” Bucky chanced. And like he snapped back to earth, Joe chuckled bitterly. 

“Rex died in action and Carlie mourned. Like any wife. But she never stopped,” he explained. “The whole house was like a permanent shrine… Birthdays, Christmas, graduation… whatever. It all HAD to have a memorial to Rex. No one was ever allowed to forget he was gone. And with Clay?” The old man flinched and took a deep breath, “Everything just… There was nothing she could do that was ever about her. Ever.”

Joe exhaled slowly, “Burying a child is hard. The hardest thing you could ever do. But… It didn’t seem to matter that she had a still living child. It didn’t matter that she was grieving too.”

Bucky stayed silent, watching the old man for a moment, knowing that the story wasn’t over. 

“She never cried. Not in public, anyway. At least not until her 21st birthday.” Joe sighed and shook his head. “She was so fucked up I’m not sure how she got here,” he snorted. “But all at once it hit her that her big brother was gone. Really gone. And she just fucking broke. I thought for a while I was going to have to put her in the loony bin… But. She sobered up and hasn’t said a word about him since.”

In the living room you whimpered on the sofa and both men’s head’s turned towards the door, listening for the sound to continue if you were trying to get up. But it didn’t.

“She was out cold, wasn’t she?” Bucky asked. 

“Like a light,” Joe said softly

“I hope my ma didn’t do that to Becky,” Bucky said softly, “The one thing I wanted was for everyone to keep going… Not let the bastards win, you know?”

Joe nodded, “I spent my fair share of time in a POW camp,” he said. 

“Here’s to not letting the bastards win,” Bucky said, raising his beer in mock toast. 

“May their fat crackle in hell,” Joe said, taking a pull. 

For a moment, the two men drank in silence. The quiet like a third companion and Joe set his bottle down. “So,” he started, “I assume you know how condoms work.”

Bucky choked on his drink and sputtered for a moment. Paroxysms of cough shaking his whole body as he tried to expel the ale from his sinuses. “We’re not- I- I - I” he stopped, blushing furiously and wiped uselessly at the front of his shirt. “I mean,” He stopped and swallowed hard. 

Joe smirked at him, “You know. I may be older than sin, but if you don’t take care of my best girl, I can still aim well enough to hit… Maybe not center mass but… Close enough.” 

Bucky rolled his eyes, but in a way, he was thankful that the old man loved you enough to threaten him. And that Sam. And Nat. And the other handful of old codgers he’d met had taken the time to remind him that they loved you first. 

“I don’t want to hurt her,” Bucky said softly. And when he met the old man’s eyes, he knew that he’d taken the meaning. “And- I talked to some people. They’re not sending her in solo any more. Steve’s pretty sure I can keep rookies from shooting at her.”

Joe nodded, “How the fuck did they even manage to drop the building on her?”

“Well,” Bucky sighed, picking his words carefully. “If I woulda kept my trap shut the goon wouldn’t have set off the bomb… I just didn’t realize what she was doing.”

“The sneaky little shit,” Joe snorted. “It’s a sight, isn’t it?”

“She calls it cold reading,” Bucky said, “But it’s sharper than that.”

Joe nodded, “Some people call it being an Empath. But if you tell Y/n that that’s what she is, she’ll cold cock you.”

“That,” You panted, sliding the door back and leaning heavily on the door frame, “Is because people who describe themselves as empaths are fucking insufferable.”

[fourteendaysinaweek]

So many things are pissing me off about Grimm (and a lot of those type of shows)

Dont get me wrong, Grimm is one of my absolute favorite shows ever and I wish it had a bigger fandom, but...

The show sets up for these GREAT characters and give them circumstances that it would make sense if those characters became recurring or at least make appearances is other episodes.

Like:

Holly Clark. You're telling me a teenage girl who was alone in the woods for nine years came out of it with OUT a major connection to the people who found her? Or the only other blutbad she knows??? The only person who could explain what was going on???? She just went to her Kehrseite adopted mother and integrated well into society?

Carly and Jarold Kampfer. You're telling me that Hank's goddaughter and best friend are NEVER even MENTIONED again???

Ariel Eberhart. That girl had the MOST potential to become a stalker, I mean faking her fiery death and walking out like a Boss Ass Bitch™ and you're telling me she just counted her losses after Nick KILLED HER FATHER and left? Unrealistic. Out of character. -12000/10

Gracie and Hanson. These homeless kids that Nick and Juliette very clearly bonded with, just fucking disappear? Never to be mentioned again? As if Nick would not take them out for dinner at least once a week and check up on them at all?

Zuri and Jared Ellis. Hank's physical therapist he tried to pursue and her brother. You're telling me they don't go for coffee once a month and that Hank doesn't call Jared to talk about video games? (Uh edit: uhhh nevermind kinda wish she didn't come backkkkkk)

Alicia, Juliette's college roommate who turned out to be a fuchsbau just dropped off the face of the earth and didn't try to get together with her friend and savior? You're telling me Nick didn't even call her when Juliette died???? Bro.

Max, Genvieve, Ivan, and Damien. Monroe and Rosales never called to check up on them? Didn't keep in touch with them after they left to get Max the help he needed after suffering from the umkippen?

Robin Steinkellner. She never said shit after Nick saved her life and got her abusive ex boyfriend and his brother arrested?

Sam and Dana Tomas. Wu was shown to be incredibly protective of Dana as they were childhood friends, but after the Aswang episode they're never mentioned again?

Angelo, Wu's cousin. Yet again, you're telling me Wu lives close enough to his cousin to visit once but never again? Bullshit.

Bélem Hoyos, the coyotl girl who turned into El Chupacabra, who's husband/boyfriend gave his life to save?

JOSH PORTER y'all this man went on a ROAD TRIP with TRUBEL to go back to his house after houndjagers chased him and his dying father across the country to get to Nick before his father died. This man found out that the stuff his father tried to tell him about, the stuff he thought his father was CRAZY for thinking existed... He found out that it's real. Like you mean to tell me this guy got home safely and had no more problems? No more houndjagers? Man didn't have nightmares upon nightmares? I think Trubel didn't even make it back to his house but he just went on living? Didn't look for her, didn't try to call Nick and tell him what happened?

Elly and the Naiads I mean Nick literally saved her life and you're telling me he doesn't pop in randomly to see how they're doing? He hasn't picked up some sign language from/for her?

Roddy Geiger??? Monroe had a come to metaphorical Jesus with him about talent and you're telling me they never get together and play?

Clay Pittman???? Like him and Trubel obviously made some sort of connection at the boxing ring, she was the first person who told him he didn't have to fight, and you're telling me they never run into each other and talk??

I forget his name but the little kid from the gollum episode who CLEARLY had an attachment to Trubel and Nick never got called in the middle of the night with "hey my son is having a hard time, can you give us Theresa's number??" Like???

Like the writers canonically made him a good father/brother figure to Trubel and a good father to Kelly where is our other evidence where is Nick adopting all of the kids he sees while working I mean he's a detective he sees lots of kids and teenagers ain't no way in hell that man doesn't play at least a small part in their lives after the job is done.

Trubel is clearly good with children and it's just never mentioned aside from when it's plot-relevant.

Feel free to add on with anyone I've forgotten. This is list is incomplete as I have yet to finish the series but still.

[formerprincess]

A tale written with fangs and claws || Chapter 58

Chapters: 58/? Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken, Corey Bryant/Mason Hewitt Characters: Liam Dunbar, Theo Raeken, Mason Hewitt, Corey Bryant, Nolan (Teen Wolf) Additional Tags: Alpha Liam Dunbar, Slow Build, Friends to Lovers, Dunbar Pack, Bisexual Liam Dunbar, Werewolf Theo Raeken, Alpha Theo Raeken, Canon-Typical Violence, Smut, Mates, Liam and Theo are mates, Top Theo Raeken, Bottom Theo Raeken, Top Liam, Bottom Liam Dunbar Series: Part 1 of Morning Dew Pack

Liam has to take care of a very important matter. And there is an invitation...

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Liam immensely enjoyed working for Ellie. She was happy to show him her craft, teach him things, but she was also very easygoing, and as long as she saw him trying, she loved him and was thrilled with his performance. Also, Ellie knew about the supernatural, so she completely understood when he looked at his phone after it chimed with a text, just in case his pack needed him. Not that anything had come up in the few weeks since Liam started working for her, but he liked to have this option. He didn't have to hide anything, and Liam realized how much better he felt with that.

When work was slow, they talked about a lot of things and Ellie taught Liam some things about supernatural creatures. She had laughed loudly at the story about the fairies in their garden and proceeded to elucidate the different variations of fairies and elves. There were plant fairies, water fairies, sun fairies, and almost that many elves classes. Just like there were different weres out there. Liam felt kind of silly he didn't know about any of this and one day voiced his thoughts. Was he simply ignorant or just blind?

"Neither. You're from a town where none of those things exist. Don't blame yourself for that", Carlie said. Carlie was one of Ellie's three best friends, the other two being Libby and Simone. All three were at Ellie's age and the friends had a weekly meeting at the shop where they sat together, talked about their lives, drank tea or coffee, and ate cookies. Carlie herself was a petite woman with short spiky hair and big square glasses. From what they had told Liam upon first meeting, they all were elves but Liam secretly suspected Carlie of being a pixie. She was cheeky, witty, always said what was on her mind, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. Needless to say, Liam liked her. "Yeah, but I also feel like I should know more." "You know enough. About Onis and Berserkers and Kitsunes and hell and other terrible things. You're twenty. Most guys your age know how to party and wear their base caps the wrong way." She bit into a cookie. Liam laughed. "My boyfriend likes to wear his caps the wrong way. He looks hot with it. But he also knows other things." "You have so much time to learn still. Don't worry. Even we old ladies don't know about any supernatural being out there", Simone comforted him and filled her cup with some more tea. She was the opposite of Carlie; tall, thin, and the quietest of the bunch. "I also agree with Carlie, you know about terrible things, traumatic things, things one should not know about. Especially not this early in life. But unfortunately, trauma is also experience. " Liam made a face. He sat down on the armrest of one of the chairs Ellie had placed around. "I just could have lived without some of those experiences. I mean, I could have gone without the experience of being homeless but hey. Maybe that's just me." Ellie put her arm over the backrest of her chair and turned to look at Liam. "When have you been homeless?" They talked about a lot of stuff but Liam's life story, she only knew parts of it. Good parts. He didn't want to deliver sob story after sob story. Liam had a good life, he knew some people had it worse. He cherished that. Now he exhaled loudly through his nose and then he told the four women how the hyenas came into town and caused havoc, how they finally destroyed the house and left the pack picking up the pieces. He ended with the move to the new house.

After he finished, his listeners were shocked. "You experienced all this and you still find it in yourself to be such a happy and polite young man?" Libby asked in awe. She was usually full of life and laughed loudly, her afro curls always bouncing around her round face, but now she was stunned. Liam shrugged. "What's the option? Turning bitter? It worked out in the end. Doesn't mean I will ever forgive them for what they did but no one died, at least." "You are a terrific young man, Liam", Ellie praised. He smiled softly. "Thank you."

The store door opened and Angela, Ellie's oldest daughter, stepped into the shop. She was a lawyer and used her breaks to visit sometimes. She greeted everyone happily and hugged her mother. Liam ran to get her a fresh cup and dragged another seat to their circle so he should sit and interact with the group. She squeezed his arm in a silent thank you as she sat down and accepted the cup. "What were you guys talking about? Is everything okay?" She asked good-heartedly. "Liam just told us about those horrible, horrible hyenas who destroyed his house" Libby filled her in. Angela raised both eyebrows. "I hope none of you were harmed." "Everybodys fine. We managed to get out in time before the house exploded. I'm just grateful I got my brother out of town before it happened." "Oh, you have a brother? I didn't know that." Angela loved kids and had specialized in family rights. She claimed she liked to help kids get justice. "Hm." Liam nodded. He walked to the cash register where he left his phone and while he walked back searched through his pictures. "Landon. He's almost ten." She showed her and the rest of the women the picture and they all cooed how much alike the brothers looked. "You said you brought his out of town? So I take he's usually living with you? Your parents must appreciate such a tight brother's bond." Angela was surprised but happy. Liam hesitated. "Landon's not my mother's son. We're half brothers. Same dad. Well, father. Sperm donor. My biological father is...he's a piece of shit. Alcoholic. Abuser. You get it. I didn't even know Landon existed until we met months ago by a pure coincidence. The circumstances don't matter but in the end, Theo and I took him home with us. Not a chance I would have let him stay with that man. So he lived with us in the house. Until I brought him to the lake to keep him safe. He lives there now." Liam missed Landon terribly but they were all still so young, they could not care for a child properly. Byron and Lana were perfect for that task and Landon also liked them. He blinked. "But enough of sad stories. Let's talk about something different, okay?"

****** He was cleaning up after Ellie's friends had left. After he had basically pleaded for a change of topic, the talk had revolved around lighter topics and ended on a very funny note. Now Ellie was in the back, doing some accounting, and Liam manned the front of the store. Angela was the only one still there. Now she stepped to the cash register where Liam was currently filling some jars with bagged candy. "I'm going to tell you something, not as a friend but as a lawyer, okay? And I need you to listen." She looked serious and Liam tensed. What happened? "Did I do something wrong? Is your mother mad at me?" "No. But listen." She tapped both index fingers on the counter. "You need your biological father to sign his rights over to you as fast as possible. What you said about him, having him in Landon's and your life is dangerous and not good for either of you. So you need to act fast. Have him make you Landon's legal guardian." Liam frowned. "I planned on doing so once I turned twenty-one. I wasn't aware I can do it now. Thought I had to be twenty-one." Angela shook her head strictly. "No. You need to do it now. In most states, anyone who is eighteen years old can become a guardian. Look, who tells you your father agrees to it in a year? He still holds guardianship and can make decisions for your brother. If he does not sign over his rights, he has so much time to cause harm. You said Landon's almost ten. That means another eight years of having the right to decide about medical procedures, school enrollment, the living situation. Even if Landon stays with you, all it takes is somebody checking who is the legal guardian for Landon. Could be school, could be a doctor's office, or if he gets in trouble it could be the police. If he's in the hospital. For eight years, you have to always fear for this to happen. If your father does not sign his rights over." "If he does not do it on his own, I will take him to court." Angela shook her head even more firm this time. "Honestly? They will ask you where Landon lived for the past year. Legally, what you and Theo did was kidnapping. If you manage to get a strict judge, that alone will cause you to lose the case. Landon will get sent back to his father and you're probably not even allowed to see him. I told you, I'm not telling you this as a friend. As your friend, I understand why you did it, as a lawyer I have to inform you about this likely possibility. The only chance you have is to have your father make you his guardian." It was a hard pill to swallow and Liam gulped. He had been naive, he realized now, and considered it all easier than it was. And maybe Landon had to pay the price for his neglect. "Thank you, Angela", he mumbled sadly.

****** Liam sat in his car and watched the house across the street. The sun was beating down and these barren landscapes made the air even drier. The dusty roads stirred up sand whenever a car raced by. Bleak. He cast a look at the passenger seat. All documents he needed were laying there, including a pen. Now all that Liam was left to do, was get out of the car, walk up to the door, and get a signature. Angela's stern talk from days ago had left Liam rallied. Once he was home, he had told Theo about everything and the couple had to admit them taking Landon out of the house had been a stupid move from the legal point of view. They had emotions get the better of them and now this potentially harmful situation had arisen. Theo had supported Liam in whatever was needed to ensure he would become Landon's guardian but the Beta was also not a lawyer and as much at loss as Liam.

Thank god for Angela. She had helped Liam set up the documents Emmet had to sign and those documents Liam grabbed now when he exited the car. Theo was not with him, his boyfriend didn't even know Liam was here. Nobody knew. This, Liam felt, was something he had to don his own. Maybe to find a deserving ending. Maybe to test his control. Or maybe this was stupid but then again, Liam could proudly admit he was doing stupid crap now and then. Stiles, according to his own claim, could show Liam a list.

He let out a shaky breath when he walked through the unkempt front lawn. Some new beer bottles and cans had gathered around the chair. Emmet was not there but Liam heard his heartbeat through the ajar window. You're not going to kill him, Liam. He does not deserve you getting your hands dirty. Liam knocked at the door. Inside the house, he heard some bottles falling and Emmet's slurred voice mumbling.  Then scuffling steps and the door opened. And the young Alpha had to gasp and take a step back. "God, you stink!" The stench of booze, beer, and sweat made him almost gag. Disgusting, his man. "You. What do you want?" Emmet slurred angrily and grabbed the door for support. Liam turned his head away and took a few breaths. He willed his nausea down and turned to face his father. "How long have you been drinking, alkie?" "What do you care? Why are you even here? I don't want you." "Trust me, I don't want you either. But I need something from you and that means I have to come here. I would rather be somewhere else, believe that." "What? Want money for the little gremlin? I'm not giving you a dime." Emmet swayed on his feet. "I don't need your money. Go inside, before you fall flat on your face. I'm not catching you." Liam pointed inside the house. His father made a step towards him. "I should beat the crap out of you for talking to me like that and not stop til you're whimpering. Do you know who I am?" "A sorry excuse for a worm." Liam pushed his biological father by the shoulder and he stumbled back. As drunk as he was, he didn't stand a chance against an Alpha.

Emmet was taken by surprise but managed to catch himself at the table. He spewed a few curse words in Liam's direction before he shuffled around and fell on one of the chairs with the grace of a sack filled with potatoes. Liam closed the door and followed inside. His nose twitched and he wanted to retch at the smell and how dirty everything was but he kept himself from it last minute. This was not for him, this was for Landon. "How's your mother? Still wailing about how horrible I am? The slut should be lucky an honest man wanted her." "My mother is neither a slut nor are you an honest man. Don't mention her or I break your nose." Liam felt his anger building up. This was a test for his control and he might fail it. "Piss off! She's the reason you're such a weak bastard. Wonder what happened with the other one. He's just as weak. Cried whenever I hit him. Begged me to stop. Just like you. Oh, I remember you. Your mother screamed and cried when the ambulance came. I would have left you on the ground. Would have taught you a lesson." "I didn't need a lesson, I needed a father who loved me!" Liam slammed the papers on the table. "Here! Sign this!"

Emmet grabbed it after a few tries and dragged it over the table. He narrowed his eyes at the print. "What should I sign?" "Those are the papers for you to make me Landon's legal guardian. Sign and we're out of your hair forever." Liam balled his hands and felt his fingertips itch. His claws wanted to come out, his wolf furious at the man in front of him. Years of pent-up rage welled up and dared to spill over. He could kill Emmet and probably nobody would shed a tear. Laughter disrupted his thoughts. Emmet had left the papers on the table and laughed. It boomed in Liam's ears. His blood rushed through his veins. This man was mocking him. "If you really think I'm signing this crap, you're mistaken. Know why? Because you bastard want me to and you get nothing from me!" Emmet was still laughing but decided to underline his words by spitting in Liam's direction. It landed on the carpet between them. His claws almost broke through and he was ready to lunge but a voice in his head stopped him. No. Not like this. Not him. Maybe it was his wolf who was even stronger than Liam's human side burdened with IED but it was enough to make Liam pause. If you kill him, you'll never become Landon's guardian. Keep the little one safe.

Liam exhaled loudly through his nose and closed his eyes for a second. If even the animal inside him knew better, he would follow. Had to follow. All for his little brother. Landon didn't deserve a murderer for a hero. He opened his eyes and stared at Emmet. Suddenly Liam was seven again, cowering at the floor while his father screamed at him and walked closer and closer. He had put his arms up back then, in a feeble attempt to shield his body from the hits, and pleaded for the man to stop. Fear. Panic. Pain. But this time Liam didn't feel panicked. He was not afraid of this drunkard calling himself a father. Instead, Liam felt disgust and maybe even pity. This guy had nothing to live for. It gave the young Alpha a strange sense of calm. Out of the two of them, Liam was the better man. The better person. IED or not. The condition didn't rule him as much as it ruled his father, and Liam had quite a lot more on his plate.

He sat at the opposite of the table and took the pen in his hands. "And why wouldn't you? What's in it for you? Just to be petty? Just to put one over on me?" Emmet snickered. "It will bug you forever, that's good enough for me." He reached for a bottle of booze and uncorked it to take a swig. Liam glared at him. Then he put the pen down. His glance landed on his bracelet. The bracelet he shared with Theo. Suddenly, he got an idea. Maybe it was time to see if he could take a book out of Theo's playbook. He raised his head and crossed his arms on top of the table. "Okay, fine, don't sign. We will play your game. I will send Landon back to live here." Emmet eyed him. "You're bluffing." "Not at all. He will come and live with you again. But be aware. I will be around every damn day." "And then what? What will you do? Punch me? You're no match for me", Emmet sneered. "If you lay so much as one finger on him, and we both know you will, I will call the cops on you. They will come and they will arrest you for domestic violence. And yes, Landon may be sent to foster care but I will make sure you will be sent to prison. There is no booze, no beer, no schnapps in prison. But the people there love people who abused kids. I know people and I will make sure every inmate knows what you did to two little boys. That's what will be awaiting you. No freedom to get wasted like you're doing now every day. Think about it." His biological father still eyed him suspiciously. "No way you would ever let him live here again." "To get you locked up, I would do other things. Landon too, by the way. All to make sure you will rot in hell. He's tough, he will take whatever you might to do him. Maybe I will move in as well. One happy family. With me comes my boyfriend, obviously. By the way, how's your hand?" He looked at Emmet's fingers wrapped around the neck of the bottle. Father and son stared at each other, accessed each other until Emmet snorted. "Your mother raised you better than this. I call bluff. You don't have it in you, weak shit!" A cold, dangerous smile appeared on Liam's face and he leaned closer. "You call my mom a slut and other horrible names, yet you forget I also inherited DNA from you. We both have IED. Wanna find out how much more alike we are? If I'm as cruel as you are?" He gave his father a death glare. "You want to start a war? I'll raise you World War III. Your choice. Either don't sign and feel the whiplash or sign and you will never have to see us again." Liam placed the pen on the papers and waited. His heart was thundering inside his chest. That was not his usual way to carry on negotiations and he had no idea if it worked. Theo made it always seem so easy and pulled it off without a hitch. But Liam knew he was not that good. Emmet grabbed the pen and fiddled with it. He scribbled his signature at the marked fields, an unruly chicken scratch but his signature nonetheless. "Get the hell out of here. If I see you on my front lawn again, I will shoot you." Liam's hand shot towards and he pulled the documents towards himself after the last signature was done. "I have better people to be around than you. Give your liver a break once in a while." He got up just in time as Emmet's hand shot towards his throat. The alcoholic missed by far and his hand thumped on the table. "Fuck off, you piss baby!" The sound of the splintering bottle hitting the wall was the last thing Liam heard from his father when he now left the house without so much of a goodbye.

It only dawned on him what just had transpired when he was in his car and already on the road. Liam stopped at a red light and breathed a sigh of relief. "Holy shit!" He had faced Emmet Dunbar, that one man he hated with a burning passion, the one who had made his childhood horrible and hurt Liam, Ilona, and Landon so much. Against what he had wanted to do to him, Emmet had left the meeting completely without a cut, Liam was incredibly proud of himself. Even though now, that everything settled, his hands shook and his heart raced, adrenaline pumping through his body. That had the potential to go so, so wrong and yet Liam stood tall. He glanced at the papers safely sitting on the passenger seat. Not only had it worked out without Liam losing his temper, but it had also really worked and he was Landon's guardian. The threat of Emmet interfering with their lives and taking Landon away again was erased. Liam wanted to cry.

His phone chimed and Liam almost hit another car. "Jesus Christ!" He accepted the call over the speaker. "Hey, Theo." "Hey. Say, just out of curiosity, where the hell are you? Nobody knows where you left. It's not like you to disappear like that. What's going on." Liam bit his lip. "I was at Emmet's." "Emmet? Emmet Dunbar? Your father? What the fuck! Is he still alive?" "Shh, let me explain. I told you about what Angela said and I went to get his signature. Yes, he's still alive, I didn't touch him. Even though I wanted to." He heard Theo closing a door and birds singing in the background. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have accompanied you." Yeah, good question. Liam didn't know for sure. "I guess...I needed to burn this bridge alone? Prove to myself I can stay calm around him. I'm not like him in any capacity and while I know you and I absolutely adore you for always being there for me, this was something I had to do alone. You understand? Maybe for my own peace of mind, I dunno." Theo was silent for a few moments. "Yeah, I understand", he finally confessed. "Did it work, at least?" A smile broke out on Liam's face. "Yep. Have all the signatures I need. Thanks to you as well." "Thanks to me? What did I do?" "Well, let's say you're a good teacher, even if you don't want to be one. I'll tell you everything once I get home, okay?" Theo laughed. "Okay. Love you." "Love you too."

****** Landon's face appeared on the screen in front of Liam and as soon as he had a picture, the child waved animatedly. "Hello, Liam!" Videocalls were a good way to keep in contact even if they could not see each other in person. Liam happily waved back. "Hey, Landon, how are you?" "I'm good. Zack and I built a fort." Landon launched himself into a story of all the things his best friend and he had done. Lana and Byron appeared in the background of the call but they simply waved and let the boy talk. Liam put his chin in the palm of his hand and listened with a smile. Seeing Landon so carefree and hearing about him being a normal child was all he ever wanted. It came nine years too late and Liam knew his brother must have been affected one way or another by his upcoming but now that he was out of Emmet's claws, Landon was in for an amazing life. After he was done, Landon asked about Liam's life in Seattle. Now it was the older's turn to talk about college, his pack, the fairies (Landon loved this part and he asked thousands of questions). Theo had joined Liam for a while and laughed softly. "He's like you", he whispered into his mate's ear and kissed Liam's cheek before he disappeared out of the frame again after a wave in Landon's direction. Liam chuckled but then he finished his story. "One more thing, Landon. You know we took you away from Emmet, right?" Landon shivered at the mention of his father's name but nodded bravely. "Do I have to go back? Please, don't make me go back!" "No, no, hey, I would never. That's why I'm telling you. He signed all the papers. I am your guardian now." Lana and Byron appeared left and right from Landon. "He did? Oh, how wonderful, Liam." Lana was touched. Landon scrunched his nose. "What does guardian mean?" "It means Liam is responsible for you now and Emmet can never hurt you again. Say you want to go on a class trip, for example, the school has to ask Liam and not your father anymore", Byron patiently explained to him. Landon considered. "So, he can't get me?" "Never again. He's out of your life for good", Liam promised firmly. His brother beamed at the adults. "That's amazing!" "Yeah, it is." Lana stroked through his hair. "But, Sweetie, you have to get ready for bed now. Tomorrow's a school day." "But I want to keep talking to Liam. I'm not finished." Yes, Landon could be stubborn. "We can talk tomorrow, Laddie. After school, yeah? Now you have to get ready for bed. Sleep is important. I'm going to bed now too. Theo does too. See?" He rolled to the side and tilted his screen so Landon could see Theo brushing his teeth with the bathroom door open. Theo waved. It wasn't that he actually wanted to go to bed but he had tried some licorice Mike had brought home, not from Ellie though, and after eating it Theo claimed to have a bad taste in his mouth. Landon huffed. "But we talk tomorrow", he insisted. "Werewolf promise." Liam raised his hand solemnly to swear. "Good Night, Laddie." "Good Night, Liam. Good Night, Theo." Landon stood up. "Good Night, you two," Lana called out and then disappeared with Landon.

Byron sat on the desk chair. "I know he signed but did the meaning with your father go well?" "It did. As well as possible with this man. I was pretty surprised at my control. At a certain point, I was ready to snap but somehow my wolf made me pull back and I got more level-headed." "That's the Alpha in you. Even if our personality or our urges say otherwise, sometimes the Alpha part can balance it out to keep the peace. It is impressive how well you learned to work with your wolf." The praise was nice because Liam tried. Sometimes it felt like all he did was running in circles but then he proved to everyone (and mostly himself) he was a good person and improving. "Speaking of Alpha and peace, Liam I forwarded an email to you just now. Have a look at it, maybe Theo should do so as well."

Theo had dried his mouth and now walked over to lean on Liam's chair while Liam opened the mail Byron had forwarded. It included a word document and when Liam opened it, it turned out to be an invitation to a meeting held in a hotel in Seattle. "Liam, part of being an Alpha are pack politics." Liam whined. "I told you I'm not good at that! What is this? An Alpha congress? I can't go there." "Maybe let the man talk before you cut and run", Theo suggested and smoothly avoided the contact between Liam's elbow and his stomach by moving aside. "I know what you said, Liam, and this is no pressure but I wanted to inform you. The invitation is indeed for an Alpha meeting. No congress, just a few Alphas coming together and talking." "About what?" Liam saw himself on a stage, in front of hundreds of Alphas, a whole auditorium filled with them, and making a fool out of himself. People would laugh. It would be a degrading experience. "Life. This and that. No one is expecting a speech from you, Liam. See I've been to a few of those meetings. There are only packs living close by attending these meetings. They're mostly boring. You stand around, do some small talk, maybe eat a quick snack, and leave. But they can also help you get a better idea of which packs are around yours. In the area. It can be interesting, if only so for scouting. But, of course, that does not mean you have to attend. It's no declaration of war not to go there. Just like you cannot declare war by saying a wrong word if you go." "Those are all Alphas, experienced Alphas probably, and then I show up. Junior McJunington. What will they think?" "Screw what they think. So what if they're older or more experienced? You're you and that's awesome" Theo passionately declared. "Thank you, Dr. Seuss", Liam hissed. He frowned and scratched his cheek. "I have to think about this." "As it is your right. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with." "If I should attend, there will be no problem? I can just show up there?" "The invitation is addressed to the Alpha of the Morning Dew Pack. They seemingly didn't get the memo about the change in our pack but that doesn't matter. The invitation is for you, not for me. Actually, no Beta can attend the meeting. And no Alpha mate either unless they're specifically invited." "I have to go there alone??" Liam shrieked. In his mind, he had Theo by his side. Maybe Brett and Caden since both could be real charmers and have intellectual conversations. Corey would have also a good match despite him being as insecure as Liam in those settings. Byron rubbed his hands together. "Those are the rules. But I know, alone or not, you will be just fine. Should you go or not. This is not something I can do for you. The decision is all yours. Just one more thing, to be fair. you will be the youngest in this group. By a few decades, I suppose. That's why I don't think they will pay you much attention. They're just curious." "Great", Liam said sarcastically. "Given my track records with strange Alphas so far, this will be a marvelous experience."

****** "I don't think you should go. What if that's a trap?" Tim worried about Liam's safety. Liam had informed his pack about the invitation right the next day and after classes, they were sitting in the living room and discussing this. "I think he should go. Just to check the others out. Maybe he can make allies?" Brett opposed. "I also think Liam should go. Byron said he has been to a few of those meetings. I don't think it's a trap", Sadie tried to dissolve Tim's worry and he gave her a grateful look. "The two strange Alphas I met in the last year have both tried to kill me. You understand I'm not keen on walking in a room full of unfamiliar Alphas?" Liam questioned. "I think that should be the reason you go", Ever stated, "to show all of them you're not afraid. If they plan on messing with you, you will look them in the eye. Maybe then they won't underestimate you." "I just don't see the purpose of those meetings. From what Byron said it sounds pretentious." Corey looked peeved. "Oh, it is", Lori confirmed. "But they are not that rare. I don't think you have to be scared, Liam." She offered a genuine smile. Liem returned it cause he knew she was trying to make him feel better. "What do you mean by not rare?" "Well, they're not, if you have Alphas of the old school" Brett took over from his sister. "Modern Alphas just meet up, talk, like Scott with Satomi. They don't even call it an Alpha meeting and send out fancy invites. Those are practices of the old guard, mostly well-esteemed werewolves who love to use those meetings to gossip. Ever seen those movies with scenes in Gentlemen Clubs? Country Clubs? Those are the people to expect at those meetings. Byron's not that far off when he says they won't spare you a look. You're - and don't take this the wrong way - not their type of person, if you know what I mean." "The Alpha from my parents' pack also attends such meetings. They always gush about the delicious and expensive things they eat there. But this woman also has a rich husband and considers herself playing tennis and golf as labor. So, pretty much pompous, entitled snobs", Sadie said. Maya rolled her eyes. "I also know about those meetings but I'm so glad I never met an Alpha going there before. Eh, no offense, Liam." Liam groaned. "Okay, just the danger of becoming the new hot gossip for the elite wolves around. Yeah, I think I'll pass." "I would still go", Caden chimed in. "It's a good opportunity to get to know how many are around. Do you know that? They invited Byron so their radius must be quite large but how many packs live between Seattle and the lake? Wouldn't it be good to know in case we need help? What if the hyenas come back? Having some werewolf allies would not be that bad."

He had a point. They all did. Liam was still torn. For once because he was afraid of making a fool of himself, then for the reason not to offend another Alpha and start a war, and on top of it, he now came to the realization just how different those Alphas seemed to be. He looked at his boyfriend. "What do you say?" Theo had listened to everything and had made up his mind. "You should go. For all those reasons. Byron said there will not come anything bad from it. He would never let you go to any event if he feared something might happen to you. If he says you can go, I believe him. And yeah, it is a good way to get information. Maybe there are not that many packs around.  But you will only find out if you go." Since most of his Betas said he should go, he considered. Maybe it was a good idea indeed. Only one problem: "If it's that high class, what should I wear?"

Fifteen minutes later Liam regretted that question. He stood in his bedroom while Theo, Brett, Mason, and Sadie sat on his bed. Sadie throned between the other guys, one leg crossed over the other, and looked like she was having the time of her life. Liam was the poor victim and had to model several outfits for the self-proclaimed fashion experts of his pack (he knew Theo could dress good but at this point, Liam felt betrayed) who all had other ideas of the perfect outfit. "That dress shirt is perfect for you. Not too out there but also not too normal" Mason praised Liam's current outfit consisting of black pants and a dark grey dress shirt. Liam hated it. It was not even one of his shirts but one of Theo's Mason had just grabbed. His boyfriend had not protested (see, there was the betrayal) but now shook his head. "That's not the outfit to go." "Absolutely right. Liam, grab the one I hung there." Sadie pointed at the clothes and Liam grumbled but grabbed them and stalked into the bathroom. When he emerged again, he was wearing jeans, a blue slipover with a white button-down shirt underneath. Liam felt like he was a kindergartener dressed by mommy. "Now you look like back in Devenford. Then again, maybe this private school flair is exactly what you need", Brett snickered. Liam glared at him and Theo scoffed before he handed Liam the third outfit. Liam glared at him too for good measure and disappeared into the bathroom again.

The outfit Theo had picked for him, Liam didn't even know where he got it. He had never seen Theo wearing this particular combo. Cloth trousers, a polo shirt and a sports jacket over it. "How the hell do you get this? And why do you get this?" He asked once he emerged from the bathroom.   Interesting, Theo became a bit sheepishly. "I got it for some occasions? Maybe a job interview?" "This is so not you." Liam eyed himself in the mirror. "This is so not me either. What were you thinking, guys? None of your outfits were good." "You wanted us to help you", Mason defended himself. "I wanted to get suggestions, not become your dress-up doll", Liam replied sharply. Sadie sighed. "You're being difficult. Don't you want to make a good first impression?" "A good impression as himself, shouldn't that be the goal?" Caden had walked into the room and crossed the arms in front of his chest. He looked at Liam. "You look strange. Actually, you look like me whenever my aunt visited the family. Horrible." "How do you look when your aunt visits?" Brett had to know. Caden pulled out his cellphone and searched a bit before he handed the phone over. Brett snickered. "Okay, thanks for the laugh. So dapper, oh my. One would not think that since you're almost only ever wearing more casual clothing." Sadie giggled. "Does Ever know you can look like that?" "As a matter of fact, yeah. She doesn't like it. I can relate. But my aunt is quite old-fashioned and conservative. She came to town, we dressed like that, covered up our tattoos, the whole shebang. We just never liked it. Liam doesn't like dressing up either." "Tell me about it. That's a topic we have had since we're friends." Mason rolled his eyes. Liam wanted to glare at him but if he was honest, his best friend was right.   So he raised his shoulders. "I have dress shirts. I just happen to like t-shirts and jeans more." "Hence why I think you should wear that", Caden stated. "You are not like the type of Alpha who wears expensive clothing and the latest brands. You're Liam. We like Liam. Why do you want to be somebody you're not? Just to impress people you probably will never see again after that one time?" "That's true." Even Theo had to admit that. "I know when you're comfortable and you never are when you dressed up to a certain extend." "I still think if the occasion calls for it, you should make an effort", Sadie insisted. "It's not about what you want; it's about what our Alpha wants. Liam goes to the meeting and Liam has to represent himself and our pack. He should do it as his truest self possible", Brett retaliated. She pouted.

But then she got up from the bed and walked towards Liam's open closet. She dug around there for a while before she pulled out a pale blue t-shirt. It was a new one, Liam had only worn it twice and he loved how soft the fabric was, it felt good and comfy on his skin. Sadie handed it to him. "The color makes your eyes pop. That and that one light blue jeans you have. If you walk into a room full of strange werewolves, bright colors make you look friendlier." "That's Sadie. If you can't dress them up the way you want, at least get into chromatics", Brett praised.

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Quite a Liam-centric chapter but then again he's the Alpha and Landon's brother. And he had to make decisions. Now the question is, what will happen at the meeting? What do you guys think? All I can say is, I'm excited about the new chapter.