#hello how did i live without a backup camera of this long

[doctorweebmd]

accidentally* brainstormed a very complete outline for chapters 4-8 for eih, which should theoretically take us through Part 1. which is. you know. a godsend or whatever.

*accidentally meaning i was just eating delicious pancakes and the thoughts happened. usually its me crying screaming and shitting myself in front of an empty word document where ideas manifest. this is notably much more pleasant.

[melancholyshadow]

Well...since you asked, I have a druig request😁😁 The reader is an eternal and druig broke her heart when he left but she comes with the others and sees him the first time since then and idk somehow they makeup, druig is very loving towards her

vengeance || druig

summary: druig broke not only your trust, but also your heart. when you did see him for the first time in hundreds of years, it went the opposite of how you had expected it too.

pairing: eternal!female!reader x druig

warning: angst-city, talks of mind control, heart break

an: another request woohoo! another one should be out in the next couple days, my school starts back up on monday so i’ll be a little less active for about two weeks and then i’ll be on winter break for about a month!!!

Something switched in you that night, you were never the same. Some part of you went with Druig when he left. That bubbly, sociable person was gone, and she never did come back. For months your fellow Eternals tried their best to patch you back up, but this was one mission they never did complete. And after Ajak decided to disband the remaining ten of you, it only got worse.

For years you avoided them, purposefully making yourself hard to find. So, when Ikaris, Sersi, and and Sprite showed up at your doorstep, you were surprised. Without a word, you reluctantly let them into your apartment. “Ajak is dead.” Those were the first words you exchanged with one of your fellow Eternals in hundreds of years. “How?” You asked, a quick waiver of your harshness pressing through your tone “Deviant.” Ikaris answered, not looking up from his lap.

It didn’t take long for them to convince you to join their cause. Mostly to avenge Ajak, but a part of you, deep within yourself, knew this journey would land at Druig’s feet. Eventually, you would have to face him again. You couldn’t tell if this excited you or if you dreaded it. It was a mix of both.

The system was similar with Gilgamesh, Thena, and Kingo. After hearing about Ajak, they were quick to tag along. Thankfully, Gil had some idea as to where to start looking for Druig. He was in the Amazon, hidden away from the rest of mankind, no one was surprised.

When you came across his compound, it wasn’t hard to tell it belonged to him. The people hadn’t advanced past their way of life since he took them. It was traditional to say the least. Growing their own crops, no electricity, living in homemade huts. It was quaint, really, it reminded of your life those thousands of years ago. The good old days, before everything fell apart.

“Hello Sprite.” Just hearing his voice, even if it was through a mouthpiece, made a shiver run down your spine. Almost in sync, the seven of you turned your head towards a lone chapel, it’s doors were pushed open. And who would it be other than Druig himself. He had always been quite dramatic, good to see some things never do change. “I’ve missed all of you.” His tone was sarcastic, and he garnished it with a cocky smile.

After Sersi explained the situation with Ajak, the deviants, Arishem, and the whole nine, Druig seemed to be speechless. Something new. But when he did finally speak, it was right back to his usual self. “That’s a lot of bad news in one go, Sersi.” He said with a shallow chuckle, obviously finding nothing about the news funny or entertaining. Things escalated quite quickly from there, and before you knew it Karun’s backup-backup camera was in a pile on the floor.

Kingo was in Druig’s face, and Druig seemed to be having the time of his life. A dark smile on his face, almost like it was saying “hit me.” When no one spoke up, you decided it was your turn to get involved. It was time for him to get a taste of his own medicine, something he hadn’t gotten in twenty generations. “That’s enough, knock it off. You’re both acting like you’re twelve.” You scoffed, standing from your seat on the bench.

That smile on his face only seemed to grow more sinister now that he had your full attention. “My beautiful, beautiful (Y/N), how’re you?” Those nicknames may have worked on your before, but not anymore. Okay, maybe a little bit. “I’ve been better.” You admitted. Slowly, very slowly, making your way to where the two men were stood. “Did you miss me?” He asked, his words like venom.

A scoff passed your lips before you could even fully process it, followed by a chuckle, you were astonished at his words. “Not nearly as much as you hoped.” If you were anyone else, you wouldn’t have noticed, but his ego took a slight blow at your words. Only giving you more confidence. “But it’s clear to see you haven’t changed much, at all really.” You began gesturing around the room. “Still throwing your little hissy fit, when are you gonna grow up?” Another blow, this time more noticeable to the others.

“(Y/N)…”Sersi warned, her voice quiet. You had now reached Druig, only feet from him, your head tilted upwards to look at him. “No, no, let her finish.” He pushed. That smile had disappeared, and his lips were sitting in a flat line, eyebrows furrowed together. “You’d think after hundreds of years you’d have time to think about your actions. But you’re never wrong, right?” Your index finger made contact with his chest.

“You’re Druig, Mr. Right, I have a moral high ground. Do you really?” You asked, another cackle erupting from your throat. “It’s real ethical of you to keep these people tucked dee in the Amazon, take away their free will, and control their entire existence.” With each syllable your finger made contact with his chest. “You wanna talk about morals, huh?” His crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not the one who stood around while they let millions of people kill each other.” He raised his voice, another thing he had never done to you before. He was quick to compose himself.

His eyes burned holes into yours, he was grinding his teeth, and you could see steam leaving his ears. That’s when he grabbed your wrist, catching you off-guard. “That’s enough.” Ikaris butted in, placing one hand on one of yours and Druig’s shoulders, creating some distance. You ripped your hand from Druig’s grip, storming out of the chapel. One, wanting to get as far away from Druig as possible, and two, to get some air.

You didn’t want to cry. You couldn’t cry. It was stupid. But the tears still spilt down your face, desperately you tried to wipe them away before anyone saw this. You couldn’t stop them, you felt stupid. This wasn’t how you wanted this to go. This wasn’t how you thought it was gonna go. You hadn’t seen him in hundreds of years, you just wanted for things to back to the way they were before that night in Tenochtitlán.

“(Y/N)…” Someone called out behind you, it was Thena. “Hey!” You exclaimed, wiping away any stray tears, acting cheerful. “Are you alright, darling?” She asked, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Yeah-Yeah, just overwhelmed is all.” You chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “And that’s okay, take all the time you need. I think we’re gonna be here for a couple hours.” She glanced over her shoulder. You saw Druig and Ikaris yelling at each other, before Druig stormed off deeper into the camp.

You decided to pass the time by interacting with the people in the compound. They were instantly interested in all of you, Druig must have told them stories about you and the rest of the Eternals because they had a ton of questions for you. They seemed to like your powers a whole lot, element manipulation.

It was getting semi-dark and you decided to help the townspeople find some wood to burn for the torches inside their homes. You ventured along the outskirts of the compound, and Druig took advantage of the distance between you and the rest of the compound. Quietly walking up behind you, admiring the way you moved. You hadn’t changed all that much since he last saw you, but he never got tired of watching you do even the simplest of tasks.

“They started to not believe me, ya know. About you guys.” His words made your whole body tense. You stood up slowly, reluctantly spinning on your heels to face him, the pieces of wood wrapped up in your arms, becoming heavier than before. “They thought I was just making you guys up.” He chuckled, arms folded over his chest, body propped up on the trunk of a tree. “They thought I was the only one like this.”

You didn’t trust your speech. You could feel the hurt creeping up your throat, water building behind your eyes. God, you hated being so emotional. So, you just nodded, trying to keep yourself distracted by looking for more firewood. “I’m sorry, (Y/N)…” Those words sounded foreign leaving his mouth.

“Are you really?” You asked, ignoring the crackle in your voice. “We were best friends. Inseparable for thousands of years. Then you just leave me, no contact, cold turkey.” The waiver in your voice only growing with each passing word. “You threw me off to the side like I meant nothing to you. To fend for myself.” You continued, the anger bubbling inside your stomach.

“I regretted my decision everyday if that’s any consolation.” He shrugged, avoiding your gaze. “No call? No letter? Not even a fucking carrier pigeon.” You let out a mix between a scoff and a laugh. “I thought you would want nothing to do with after I left.” He admitted, taking no credit for his actions. “Druig…” What you were feeling was so confusing. You felt scared, angry, relieved, and frustrated all in one.

“I was in love with you, idiot. Did I really have to spell it out for you? I made it so obvious. Of course I wanted everything to do with you.” When you confessed this, your gaze faltered. wrapping your arms around your torso to feel small. “What about now?” He asked, kicking himself off the tree stump, his large steps bringing him closer to you.

“What do you mean?“ You asked, noticing his sudden closeness. “Do you want anything to do with me now? Do you still feel that same way?” Your mind and heart were fighting against one another, and you didn’t know which one to listen to. “Dru, I-I don’t know…” You still trusted this man with your life, but you couldn’t say the same about your heart.

“I don’t need an answer now, but I don’t know how much longer we have together.” His voice faltered, his warm hands coming to cup your cheeks. Red and stained with tears you hadn’t noticed until now. He was right, time was no longer indefinite. You might only have a few days left on this planet, with this version of Druig.

You didn’t know if it was the mix of emotions or your sudden realization of imminent death, but your lips flew forward against his. They were soft, tasted like mint and some sort of flavored tea. Yours must have been chapped and salty, from your tears, but he didn’t seem to mind as he pulled you closer. Your chests now touching, and your hands resting on his.

You had wanted this for hundreds of years and it was just as good as you had imagined it. His body moved in sync with yours, the curve of your bodies fitting together like a puzzle, like the two of you were made for each other. He removed one of his hands from your face, sliding down the small of your back and under your t-shirt. The skin to skin contact made a warm feeling grow in the pit of your stomach. When Druig pulled away he didn’t go far, placing his forehead on yours.

“God, I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

[space-helen]

Back to Vegas - Chapter 6

Words: 2330

Pairing: Nick Stokes x Reader

A/N: Warning for Suicide and Violence. Low key inspired by the ending of Prisoners (2012)

CH1     CH2      CH3     CH4    CH5   CH6   CH7  CH8

_______________________________

Your lungs heaved as you made it into the breakout room. Standing by the door you gave Greg a smile as Nick came in behind you. The two of you had run slightly late and it was a miracle that you’d come in in time.

“Now that everyone’s here.” Greg clapped his hands together “We should get a move on. We have a Warrant for Hannah’s property and Sara and I went in there yesterday. We found some stuff that definitely connects her to the case. Grissom and Catherine started to make stronger connections with what we found and Nick and Y/N really helped look at the evidence all again objectively.” he paused “We’re pretty confident Hannah did this, we have a lead which says she’s been hiring a warehouse just outside of Vegas so we’ll be going there. Nick, Catherine and Sara you come with me to the warehouse. Grissom and Y/N hold down the fort here and start processing some more of the stuff we pulled from Hannah’s house.”

“This isn’t very like Hannah. We all should be extra careful.” Sara spoke up “She’s usually very clever in what she does but it looks like she’s gotten lazy. There has to be a reason for that.”

Greg agreed “Keep your eyes peeled. Alright, those coming with me lets go.” He was soon leaving the room and everyone on his team for the outing soon followed. Nick wrapped his arm around you for a very brief embrace as he left the room and pecked you on the forehead.

“I’d offer you a coffee but if the others are starting right now we should too.”

You smiled at Grissom “That’s fine by me. Lead the way.”

The man smirked and led you to the room he and Catherine had been working in.

The two of you began to work and it didn’t take long for Grissom to get a call. Excusing himself from the room you continued to fingerprint the case of vials found at Hannah’s place as you waited for his return.

“How do you fancy getting away from the lab for a little bit?”

“Sure.” you smiled as you stood up.

“Greg and Sara want you to do another quick sweep of the property to look for anything else, they also want you to pick up Sara’s kit because she left it there. One of them will come over to help you after the warehouse. I’ll stay here and continue processing this” he gestured at the items in front of him

You nodded and took down the address from Grissom. “I’ve printed the vials. They just need to be run through the system now.” 

“Have fun.”

“I will.” you smiled as you made your way out to one of the work vehicles.

The drive wasn’t bad and actually went by quickly. You’d never been to this part of Vegas yet and it didn’t look half bad. The neighbourhood looked friendly yet sparse. Hopping out of your vehicle nothing seemed out of the ordinary, it was quiet and no one was around. The door was locked and had tape over to show that no one had entered. 

You brought out your knife and cut down the tape to let yourself in. Spotting Sara’s kit you picked it up and left the door open as you returned it to the trunk of your vehicle.

Entering the house again you slowly took steps inside and felt the eeriness around you. It was deadly silent yet you felt like you could hear static and like you weren’t alone. “Hello?” you called out into the space.

You felt your phone vibrate in your pocket so you slipped it out to read the text, you smiled when you saw it was from Nick. ‘She wasn’t at the warehouse. Greg, Sara and Cath are going to process here and I’ll be over with you soon x’

‘How can Sara process without a kit?’ you replied quickly.

‘Sharing is caring… we had a backup one in the trunk.’

You laughed ‘See you soon. Love you x’

You put your phone away and continued to walk around the house. Placing your kit down in the living room doorway you walked through to the next room which was an open plan kitchen and dining room. It was sparse but a camera on a tripod connected to a laptop caught your eye. There were items strewn across the table including a kit similar to the one you’d just processed for fingerprints back at the lab.

Moving in front of the camera to look at the laptop screen you noticed an exact reflection of what was in front of the camera, a live feed. You turned and looked away from the laptop screen around the room. That’s when the alarm bells rung, this stuff must not have been here when Greg and Sara processed the scene otherwise it would be at the lab. Slowly reaching for your gun you felt a stabbing sensation in your neck. 

The gun was knocked from your grasp across the room and you struggled against the person who’d come behind you.

“Just give in to it. Give in. You won’t be able to stand much longer. Do yourself a favour.” a woman’s voice came

You continued to struggle and managed to break yourself away briefly to see the woman’s face but it was blurry and your vision was swimming. Whatever she’d injected into you was already taking effect.

“Hannah? What did you?” you brought your hand up to your neck “Potassium?” you were feeling tired and like your tongue was heavy,

“Yes I am and no. It’s a nice little drug cocktail I mustered up when I heard you open the front door.”

You looked at your gun on the floor and tried to dive for it but that was a big mistake, your vision was spotting and Hannah kicked the gun away from your hand and stood on it, before giving you a kick to the stomach which rolled you over. “You really had to ruin my afternoon arrangements huh?”

She walked over to the table “It was supposed to be a nice little recording session to explain everything and finally end it all and be re-united with my brother. But no.” she turned around with another syringe. “You had to ruin it and take the peace away.”

You tried to crawl away on the floor and sit up to get away but she was soon back over at your side pushing you down and moving your hair out of the way. “But what’s one more casualty?” She forcefully pushed your head down to the ground, pain emitted there instantly. “Unfortunately I have nothing here that’ll kill you quickly besides the gun and that’s well that’s really not my style.”

Nick’s voice calling your name made her stop for a second. You tried your best to scream his but you had no clue what ever came out, the first dose of whatever she’d injected in your system already wreaking havoc on you.

You tried to struggle against her and push her away but it was too later, the needle had broken your skin and you could feel her injecting the concoction. She leaned down close to your ear and continued to inject the solutions as she whispered “Pitty I didn’t get to do this to anyone that actually worked on my cases before, that would have been more satisfying.”

Nick had entered the room to see her over you and saw her pulling the needle out of you and your body going limp. “Put your hands up.” he drew his gun and sent an alert out on his walkie subtly.

“I said put your hands up.”

Hannah eventually moved away from you and stood. “You don’t have long. The clock’s ticking for her already.”

“What did you inject!” he shouted.

She gestured to the table “Your guess is as good as mine, a little bit of everything.”

Nick peered at you to see your eyes fluttering open and closed as your head rolled on the ground.

“Step away.” he called to Hannah. 

“I don’t think I will.” she approached the table and picked up another vial. “You know I was saving this for me but I don’t think that’d do the trick quick enough. You wouldn’t let me have the satisfaction of dying that way.” 

She turned away from Nick as he took a step forward towards you as Hannah was slowly creeping away from you. Before he could really react he saw Hannah dive for something on the floor and stand upright again.

She held your gun to her head “Tell her I said thanks for the gun, but then again I might get the chance before you if she doesn’t make it.”

“No!” Nick shouted as he began to move towards Hannah for the gun. A bang had Nick freezing freezing, she’d shot herself.

Nick turned away in shock and shouted down his walkie talkie before coming to you with tears in his eyes. “Y/N.” he shook you “Y/N. Wake up please.”

He could see your eyes rolling in your head and you tried to open them. “Nicky.” you mumbled.

“Yeah Honey?”

“I love you.” it came out thickly “Remember that.” your voice sounded tired.

“I know Baby I know.” tears were threatening now “I love you too. Just stay with me ok?” We’re going to get you to the hospital.” he brought his fingers to your neck to try and feel your pulse.

He knew he’s asked for medical assistance and an emergency team but he couldn’t wait around. He knew it would be quicker to drive you. Picking you up he moved as fast as he could with you out to the car he’d arrived in, placing you across the back seats he hopped in the driver's seat and drove as fast as he could towards the nearest hospital.

“Y/N. Talk to me Sweetheart.” he begged as he drove.

“Please” he looked in the rearview mirror to try and see you but he could only see you lying still with limp arms. “Please speak to me. Please” he pleaded, tears very much collecting in his eyes. “We’re nearly there Honey. Nearly there, stay with me now. You’re going to be ok.”

He pulled up right outside the emergency room of the hospital and called for help as loud as he could while he moved you out of the back. Carrying you inside he was met by a team of people rushing towards him with a bed. He lay you down gently and kept brushing your hair out of your face and taking in your features as he rolled off what had happened to the staff. 

“Please just save her.” he sobbed, the tears finally falling.

“We’ll try our best Mr Stokes but you’re going to have to wait here.” A tall nurse spoke

“You don’t understand. She means everything to me.”

“We understand. Please just sit down and call someone.” the Nurse tried to push him back from the moving bed.

Nick took your hand and placed a kiss on it as the tears streamed down his face and the team around you started prodding your skin with different needles to draw blood and inject other solutions into your system.

He entirely froze in place when he let go of your hand and it felt like his world came crashing down around him as you turned the corner and were out of his sight. 

Flopping in a chair he opened his phone to see missed calls from Greg and Grissom. Pressing some buttons with no real aim he realised he was dialling Greg, bringing his cellphone to his ear he heard the man calling his name.

“Greg?”

“Nick, what the hell is going on? It does not look good over here.”

“I’m at the hospital with Y/N.”

“I guessed as much. Is everything ok? The EMT’s arrived at the same time Sara, Catherine and I did.”

“She might not make it.” Nick tried to hold back his tears but the hurt and sadness was very much still in his voice. “Hannah-” he was cut off by some tears falling and he tried to compose himself to continue to Greg “Hannah attacked Y/N and injected her with God only knows what. I couldn’t wait.”

“Alright. Alright.” Greg’s tone had softened now and was less urgent. “You keep your mind on Y/N we’ll sort this out. I think Grissom was on his way to you. Look after her ok?”

“Yeah” his voice was wobbly and he brought his hand up to his eyes “I’ll keep you updated.”

Hanging up he leant all the way forward, crossed his arms over his lap and rested his head there and let out some more sobs. The uncertainty was killing him. He couldn’t bear to lose you.

He looked up when he heard someone walking down the corridor to him. He was only now realising that he’d picked a really quiet spot to sit down.

Nick was immediately on his feet as soon as he saw who it was, his phone fell on the floor but he didn’t care. He took a couple of steps forward and opened his arms to embrace the older man who had been a father figure to him for many years. 

“Pancho.” Grissom spoke sadly as he cradled Nick’s head and allowed him to cry.

“I can’t lose her.” Nick choked out.

“I know Nick, I know.” the man gently pulled away to see Nicks red eyes and tear tracks down his face. “Let's get you some water.”

Nick picked up his phone from the floor and allowed Grissom to lead the way. Grissom knew how much you meant to him and all he could do right now was be a shoulder to cry on because no one knew what the future held.

Next Chapter

Tag List: (open)

Nick Stokes: @wanniiieeee  @pumpkinfriend

CSI:

[shurisneakers]

shut in [2]

Summary: When your high profile mission goes terribly wrong, you’re forced to hide in a safehouse with a man you’ve never met before. With seemingly nowhere else to go, you’re forced to work together to figure out who is trying to have you assassinated before it’s too late. (Sam Wilson x Gender Neutral Reader, Hitman AU)

Warnings: cursing, implied violence, drama kings, and stupid tv show references

Word count: 3.4k

A/N: ayeeee, we’re back for part two. i also appreciate feedback so if you would like to, please consider dropping me an ask or comment ly guys!! also if you want to be on the taglist, it’s mentioned at the bottom of the chapter.

here’s my ko-fi if you’d like to support my writing <333

Previous Part || Shut In Masterlist

Hours were spent on the road in thick silence. 

The both of you had been driving around for a while now. You were a considerable distance away from the mansion and Pierce, but you didn’t dare to stop.

Initially you had only put the pedal to the metal without solid plan. Get the fuck away from there was the only objective you cared about. 

Hours later a signboard registered in your frantic thoughts. Familiarity struck a chord, and all of a sudden you had a vague idea of where you could go. You were unsure if it still existed, but it was a risk you were willing to take.

Darkness still coloured the sky, but the roads were deserted. No cameras along the highway was a welcomed feature. You eased your foot off the accelerator, carefully assessing the path you were taking for your exit. 

You saw a small clearing near the highway, taking a deep breath before pulling the car into a sharp turn off the road and into the woods.

“Where are you going?” your companion jolted up when the car swerved abruptly. 

You didn’t answer; just kept your eyes peeled for the structure. You didn’t have a backup plan if this didn’t go right.

It took much longer than you anticipated before you found it, pulling the car to a stop. You were deeper into the woods than you would have liked. 

You stuck your head out of the window to confirm you were at the right place. It looked like you were.

“Where the hell are we?”

“My summer vacation house,” you murmured, unbuckling your seatbelt. You stepped out of the car to assess the damage. .

Another door opening and closing told you that he had gotten out of the car as well. However, he trudged ahead, leaving you behind. 

The car was pretty beaten up. The metal gates hadn’t done it any favours.The question was whether it would still work if you needed it to.

Probably would, but not for too long.

You looked to the side to see where he went. He was standing in front of the house, arms crossed over his chest as he ran his eyes all over the building.

You trekked past him, walking up the two steps to the door. Pulling at what looked like a doorbell in any other scenario, you tugged off the outer shell to reveal a small scanner underneath.

You pressed your thumb to it, tapping your foot impatiently as it gave a beep of approval. The door gave a soft click. You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding, twisting the handle to let yourself in. 

“You’re kidding right?” he asked incredulously from a distance behind you.

“Hey, man, stay outside if you want. Suit yourself.” You were sure he could fashion a bed out of leaves and twigs if he was that desperate.

Fumbling for the light switch, you sigh in relief when the room is illuminated.

“Whose safehouse is this?”

“Ransone’s.” You shrugged nonchalantly, moving ahead to inspect the place.

“I have every single one of his safehouses committed to memory.” His voice was becoming fainter as he planted his feet firmly at the doorway, refusing to move. “This ain’t one of them.”

“He’s sneaky. Once watched the next episode of Desperate Housewives without telling me.” The house wasn’t as dusty as you thought it would be, clearly being maintained once in a while although not regularly. “Broke my whole heart, he did.”

“Whose house is this?” he asked once again, tone hard as steel.

“Best that you don’t ask questions, buddy.” You looked at him wearily, a slo warning in itself, ending the conversation there. “Or else you’re welcome to leave.”

The entrance opened directly into what you assumed was the living room, or a sorry excuse for one. It had a couch facing an old cable television set, mounted on a small cupboard.

In the same space was the kitchen, with a microwave, a sink, and shelves lining the wall. A small mini fridge sat atop the counter.  There was a dining table with six chairs for a family, almost like a sick joke. You found yourself letting out a short exhale at it, moving onto the next room.

It was bare except for a shelf pressed against a well. Opening it, you found yourself looking at multitudes of what looked like burner phones, microphones, cameras, some as small as a button. Regular security cameras and monitors to go with it, trackers, anything you needed was available in those four drawers.

You pocketed a burner cell to use for later, moving to the room on the opposite side of the hall.

However, unlike the rest of the rooms you had seen so far, this one was empty. Not even a shelf decorating it.

The next door you opened was a bathroom, the final being a bedroom with one bed in the centre pushed up against the wall. A wardrobe in the corner contained numerous t-shirts of black and grey of every size, tactical pants and other necessary items of clothing.

You eyed the last door at the end of the hall before finally deciding to pursue it.

It opened to the patio in the back, two steps leading down from the house into the wooded area. Pillars held up the corners of the roof. It all looked picturesque, meant to blend in as a normal house.

You stood there for a second, taking in the silence around you. Nothing could be heard for miles, so if something were to happen-

You shook your head, forcing your imagination to stop running wild. You shut the door behind you, steadily making your way back to where the guy was.

It appeared that he had caved. He had moved from the doorway, instead taking a seat on one of the dining chairs. He was observing you, eyes keen as you took a seat opposite to him.

Dropping the burner phone on the table, you looked at him expectantly. Silence ensued until it dawned on him what you were implying. 

“I’m not calling him,” the guy said, leaning on his palm. Coward. 

“Fine.” You pulled it back, snapping it open to dial the number.

You let it ring all the way until the very last second.

“Hello?” the low voice resonated from the other end.

“Ransone.” You rolled your eyes at his tone, somehow letting your exhaustion tear down any kind of filter you usually had while in conversation with him. 

“Y/N?” His voice jumped two octaves higher to his usual pitch, dropping the facade immediately. 

“Did you set us up?” You ignored the small glance you got from the guy at your name.

“What?”

“Did you set us up?” you repeated brazenly.

“What?”

“Oh, cut the shit Ransone, was this a trap?” The guy next to you exploded impatiently.

“Wilson?” Great. A name to the face.

“Answer the fuckin’ question, Vincent.” The mention of Ranone’s first name had you surprised. No one dared to call him that.

“No, Sam,” came his response almost mockingly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Sam Wilson. It sounded familiar. You’d heard it tossed around a few times at the organisation.

“Why were both of us on the same assignment?”

“I told you, I wasn’t sure if Wilson was going to show up.” You could hear his chair faintly creak in the background. “This was his mission first.”

“The hell is that supposed to mean?” you interjected. Faint memories of a passing comment he made during your briefing were beginning to surface. 

“It means,” Ransone emphasised. “I called him first. He was being a bit… difficult. So I sent you as a backup.”

You looked at Sam. He dismissed you with a wave of his hand, as if to say to ignore what he was saying.

“And you didn’t think it was important to tell me that you were sending someone else?” If Ransone had told you, he should have mentioned it to him too.

“Oh, grow up.” Ransone sounded irritated, a tone that he seemed to reserve for Sam specifically. “You’re not children anymore. You can handle a few miscommunications.”

“Bullshit. You and I both know this isn’t an accident,” Sam retorted, dangerously good at not giving a shit. 

“You better watch yourself, agent.” Ransone snarled. “I don’t like being questioned.”

“Like I give a shit about what you like or not. We were outnumbered 8 to 2. You tellin’ me you had nothing to do with this? That the stars just aligned to royally fuck with us?”

“Yes, I waited until Mercury was in retrograde to plan this hit,” he drawled sarcastically. “Don’t you for a second forget what you owe me, Wilson. You’d be stupid to believe I’d let it go so easily by having you killed.”

His voice was ice by the end. Sam’s eyebrow furrowed as he leaned back, crossing his arm over his chest.

“Then what about me?”

“Y/N,” he sighed, instantly sounding softer. “I didn’t think he would show. That’s it.”

“You’ve never been unsure of anything.”

“Which is why I sent you in. Pierce had to die one way or the other. Don’t care how.” It wasn’t what you were talking about, but it brought up something else. 

You looked at Sam. Should you tell him that Pierce was dead before you got there?

You decided against it, not knowing what his reaction would be and too tired to gauge it over the phone. If someone else had gotten to Pierce before you, it meant that Ransone didn’t get a chance to deliver a dramatic end to his life, which would tick him off endlessly. 

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Sam broke the momentary pause.

“You don’t.” He paused. “Distrusting me is the wisest thing you could do.”

You scoffed at his stupid Game of Thrones quote. How he was this obnoxious at a time like this was beyond comprehension. 

“Give me your location.” He couldn’t sound less interested, like a parent forced to pick up their child. “I’ll send someone to come pick you up.”

Sam’s finger tapped at the table, drawing your attention to him.

He slowly shook his head, mentioning to his ear then drawing his finger in a circle indicating his surroundings.

Disclosing confidential information over the phone wasn’t the wisest idea. You had no idea if anyone was tapping into Ransone’s calls, listening for sensitive information. For all you knew that’s how they got to the mansion before you. 

“Forget it. We’ll figure it out,” you told Ransone, eyes still locked on Sam.

“All right, stay low for a while. Keep me updated.”

You cut the call without another word, removing the battery and tossing the phone onto the table.

“What now?”

Neither of you said anything for a while. The silence rested uncomfortably between you as you stewed over what to bring up. 

“Did you kill Pierce?”

“Christ, we still on this?” he scoffed.

“It’s a yes or no question.” 

“No,” he stared at you. “I didn’t.”

“Did Ransone send you to spy on me?” It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened, although you thought he had moved past the need for that years ago. 

“No, I was there for a mission.”

“You got any proof?”

He rolled his eyes. “Scout’s honour.”

He lifted his hand up in a mock-salute. A wince flashed across his face; barely, but enough for you to catch it. His arm dropped back down again.

You examined him silently, searching for any hint of a lie or bluff. You found nothing, only an adamant set of eyes staring right back at you.

Your chair creaked as you pushed yourself away from the table. You could feel his gaze following you as you walked down the hall to the bathroom. Shuffling through the shelves for something you were sure was there, you soon stepped back out.

You had no idea why you were doing this. You didn’t even know the guy.

He had his sleeve pulled up to his shoulder, examining the wound from the bullet graze. Dried blood streaked his forearm, partially covering his tattoo.

You tossed the first aid kit onto the table, watching it slide across to where he was sitting. Sam glanced at the box, then up at you.

You just turned around silently, walking back down the hall and towards the bedroom, shutting the door behind you.

__________

Sleep didn’t come that night, and predictably so.

Whether it was the survival instinct guarding you from the stranger in the house, the adrenaline from the mission or even the anxiety of not knowing what exactly was going on, you were sure that you didn’t catch even a bit of shut eye.

Morning came around after what seemed like days rather than hours. You still stayed in bed well past the sunrise, pulling at the hem of your pillow. Your knife was still strapped to your thigh and your gun found a place on the nightstand, just in case.

When you heard the opening and shut of cabinets down the hall, you finally pulled yourself up, stretching to get rid of the weariness in your muscles. You decided against the gun but left the knife strapped to your thigh as you shifted off the bed.

You paused at the doorway, hand on the knob. Shoving aside your hesitation, you opened the door quietly. You could handle it, easily.

Walking towards the kitchen, the volume of his ruffling and filing through the kitchen only became louder. You stopped at the entrance, watching as Sam slammed a cabinet door shut.

“C’mon man,” he groaned before turning around to lean his body weight against the counter. There was a small bump under the sleeve of his arm, different from the curve of his muscle. You assumed he had bandaged the bullet graze the night before.

He was still wearing the same thing as yesterday. Dust was slightly settled on his shirt and one knee of his pants was ripped slightly.

“Mornin’.” You quickly looked back up at him, not realising when he had seen you. “Get any sleep last night?”

You wordlessly shook your head and he shrugged in understanding. 

“Did you?”

“Oh yeah. Out like a light.” He pushed himself off the counter.

“Really?” You watched as he pulled out a chair for himself, taking a place at the dining table, same place he was sitting the night before.

“Sounded like the reasonable thing to do.” He had an unnatural amount of faith in the fact that you wouldn’t murder him. Although you couldn’t judge if he was simply putting on a show, having stayed awake just as you had. 

“I'm stuck in a safehouse with a stranger, forgive me for being a little careful,” you muttered defensively, crossing your arms over your chest.

“Hey, never said you were wrong.” He lifted his hands up. “But just to make sure; are you going to kill me?”

Your eyebrows furrowed. “No?”

“And I’m not going to kill you. I’d say that’s enough reassurance to get at least a nap in.”

“Give me one good reason to believe you.”

“If you killed me, Ransone would blow the roof of this place with you still in it. I’m one of the best he’s got.”

“Bullshit.” You scoffed, walking around the table to go see what you could find to eat. Ransone wouldn’t do that for anyone, and he knew that.

He didn’t bother responding but you could sense him tracking your movement.

The first cabinet you opened consisted purely of jars of peanut butter, stacked together neatly. The one beside it had jelly arranged in a similar fashion, jar to jar and taking up the entire space. Adjacent cupboard had loaves of bread, probably the most you’d seen together in a house ever.

The next cupboard was... empty.

“You have got to be fuckin’ with me,” you cursed under your breath. “Is there nothing else here?”

Save for a few plates and cutlery, every other shelf was empty. Your frustration only grew with each drawer you opened and shut, finding nothing but the same three components over and over again.

“There’s some soup on the top right, behind the bread.” His voice came from behind you. You checked where he mentioned, finding multiple cans of tomato soup. “I hope PB&J is your favourite, ‘cause that’s really all we got. I checked twice.”

“We won’t be here long anyway. It’s fine.” You walked a few steps towards where the TV was, sitting atop a small cupboard. If you weren’t getting gourmet meals, hopefully it would be compensated with some entertainment.

Rummaging through it didn’t prove to be a major hassle since there were only three DVDs; Die Hard, Notting Hill and Megamind. Beside it sat two books, American Gods, and Pride and Prejudice. That’s all. 

“Really made sure to cover all demographics with those movies. There’s only one local news channel, everything else is static,” Sam informed you, unmoving from his position. You sighed, tossing the DVDs back and shutting the door.

“There’s a room over there with some basic shit. Burners, mics, cameras. Clothes are in the bedroom drawer. Should probably take a shower while you’re at it, I can smell you from a mile away and it’s giving me a migraine.” You pushed yourself off the ground, pointing towards the rooms as you walked down the hall. “Backyard’s all heavily wooded. If we try hard enough, I’m sure there are a few trap doors or crawl spaces or whatever around here.”

You could hear him follow you as you gave him the tour of a place you were sure he already had examined thoroughly before you greeted him this morning.

Pushing open the door to the suspiciously empty room, you stepped to the side, allowing him to observe. The both of you had the same thought process as you split up, sticking close to the walls, running your fingers across the plaster to look for any major differences.

“Got it,” he called out. You spun on your heel to face where he was standing. A small chunk of the wall was missing, a small button in the centre of the cavity he had created.

Pressing it lightly, the mechanical sound of sliding doors filled the air as the entire side of the room gave way to shelves upon shelves of weapons. Guns, knives, ammunition, bulletproof vests; enough material to last you years.

The doors slid shut when you pressed the button again, not until you had a mental note of what was available in case you found yourself in a situation where you required them.

“That about covers it. Don’t think we’ll be here long so just think of it as your three day long staycation.”

“I’ve had a better time at funerals than I’ll ever have in this shithole.”

________

“What do you mean they escaped?” Their voice was booming, dripping with slow rising anger. “Someone explain to me how the fuck that’s possible.”

“They took the car and left.”

“They took the car and left,” they said mockingly in a high pitch. “I know that, you fucking imbecile. I’m asking how they were alive long enough to do it?”

“They teamed up. Took out nearly everyone,” the agent was monotone. His arm was in a sling and his partner stood beside him, thick bandages around his midsection.

“They shouldn’t have been there together. They shouldn’t have been sent together.”

No one said a word, not even daring to breathe loudly.

“This wasn’t supposed to fucking happen. We killed Pierce. Everything was perfect,” their voice dropped as they spat out the last word. “So then how did this fucking happen?”

“Boss, we’ll-”

“I want them dead.” They interrupted, casting silence in the room. “I don’t care how you fucking do it. I want you to find them and rip them to shreds. Both of them.”

“Yes, boss.”

“And if you even fucking think of coming back without a proper update-” they brought their hand down harshly on the table. “-I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

The agents just nodded, faces pale as they shuffled out of the room silently.

“Fucking idiots.” They nursed their forehead on their palm, calming the nerve that was menacingly visible on their temple. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Part 3

[humanwheatleyslefttoenail]

Now I Am An Arsonist

Chapter 1: The Spark

Summary: GLaDOS learns a few things about love, hate, and the human condition.

Tags: Canon typical violence, ChellDOS, human!GLaDOS, found family

A/N: I know technically I published this a while back but I did some major edits to both the chapters I’ve already written and the story as a whole. As promised, I’m re-releasing what I already have with the edits/illustrations. 

---

The tests, at least, hadn’t changed.

The centuries had washed over them like a dawdling stream, dragging them down into an overgrown abyss. Even then, the moon dust had stayed firmly adhered to the portal surfaces, the metal doors still creaking and the ceiling still intact. Eons of rain had barely even permeated its surface.

She remembered those years with profound regret; dying was not as peaceful as the science would suggest. For a machine like Her, death was nothing more than a shift of programming, a new prerogative. Her backup program had been an endless recall, restarting Her systems over and over again, trying to salvage something. In each of those moments, GLaDOS could feel the scorching heat from the incinerator, the electricity burning through her body before everything went dark. 

Still, without dying, GLaDOS never would’ve fully appreciated how soothing, how wonderful it was to test.

She remembered the urge to solve, to do Science, clawing within Her even as She broke into a thousand pieces.

Those tests were Her art forms, Her self-expression. Every arrangement of deadly turrets, each layout of gleaming lasers and the perfectly calculated solution felt like a piece of Her soul turned reality.

Now, those tests were better than ever.

Every inch of moss had been thoroughly scrubbed, walls repaired, and acid pits replaced. All except for the grave of Old Aperture beneath Her was now newly outfitted, perfect for the humans P-Body and Atlas had located.

These, of course, hadn’t been the first ones they’d found.

The first batch of humans lasted a measly week, quickly killed by some of Her easiest tests. Even with reminders, the acid is deadly, the turrets are live, they’d failed within a few chambers.

Disappointing.

As a result, Atlas and P-Body had been deployed on a new mission. She’d been overjoyed when they’d bravely traveled all the way to the bottom of Old Aperture, and found even more humans preserved in cryosleep.

This time would surely be better.

All obstacles finally removed, science could continue.

GLaDOS could not smile, but if She could, She was certain that a grin would reach across her faceplate. 

Today was a momentous day for technology, for the advancement of Aperture Science. It was as if She’d sent a man to the moon, and he’d come back with the theory of everything.

Originally, of course, Her plans had been different. The difficulties with Chell had worn down Her admiration for human data, and prompted her to come up with a replacement.

The Cooperative Testing initiative was infinitely more of a success than GLaDOS ever thought it would be. Atlas and P-Body were built to test, but She had still been surprised how those little androids with so much personality had managed to be so efficient.

Atlas and P-Body had overcome their own confidence through their excellent teamwork. The knowledge that they depended on a partner humbled them, and the idea of a common goal incentivized them. GLaDOS wished She’d thought of such an idea sooner. 

Still, there was something about human testing, something She couldn’t quantify, something that wasn’t quite the same with robots. Humans had a particular spark, and without it, testing never felt complete. 

Today would finally be the day She could put all mistakes behind Her. GLaDOS was sure She’d see that all of the other humans would prove Her experience with Chell to be exactly what She knew it was.

Bad science.

GLaDOS had learned from Her errors.

She knew for certain that She would not repeat them.

---

It’d been extraordinarily difficult to move the test subjects from Old Aperture all the way to the newly renovated Relaxation Center, with entire teams of robots struggling to reconnect Her control over the condemned area. Their work easily took a week to complete as they rewired the dilapidated circuits, barely restoring function. GLaDOS took what She could get, and rewarded their achievement with immediate, merciful destruction.

When the humans had been successfully relocated, anxiety filled Her servos as She scanned the cryo-chambers. Upon reading the results, She found herself pleasantly surprised. Good physical condition for hundreds of years in stasis. Relatively low rates of severe brain damage. Nothing particularly concerning in their associate files. Had Her comprehension not been perfect, She would’ve done a double take. After all this time, She had something that She could work with.

Atlas and P-Body would have to wait until they were needed again, their consciousness safely stored in Her mainframe. Her processors hummed with excitement as She prepared for the awakening of the first humans, buzzing with hypotheses to test.

What would be Her experiment this time? GLaDOS scrolled through Her endless lists of deadly trials. 

She hadn’t used rocket turrets in a while; those weren’t as efficient as the regular ones but were always a surprise for Her unwilling participants. With only a thought, She placed the machines inside a few chambers, lining them up in a neat, strategically placed array. Companion cubes would be a definite no, at least for the first few tests. There were occasions when the humans became so deprived for social connection that their behavior would influence the results. In order to better control the experiment, She’d deploy them only in emergencies like these.

With those exceptions, and the addition of a floor to some of the more difficult levels, the chambers didn’t require too much preparation. GLaDOS had nothing particularly new to add; for so long Her energy had been focused on Atlas and P-Body that development had nearly come to a standstill. Regrettably, She’d been deprived of ideas. It didn’t matter too much; the facility remained operational even if it wasn’t constantly progressing. Even the replication of old results was invaluable for science.

It confirmed that the trends hadn’t changed.

---

The files of the subjects were all very much the same.

Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Scientist. Praying mantis, formerly scientist.

Occasionally, She’d find the elusive Astronaut, War Hero or even Olympian.

She was tempted to begin the testing with these special cases, curiosity piqued at the prospect of their odd results. GLaDOS chastised Herself. She didn’t want to skew anything, and She would surely begin with a normal subject chosen at random. It wasn’t the most interesting thing to test, but it would be the most informative.

With the chambers compiled and the facility clean, testing was finally ready to start.

She almost couldn’t believe it. All technicalities aside, She was finally, finally, getting exactly what She wanted. For as long as She needed to, for as long as the subjects lasted, She could just test.

It couldn’t be real, could it?

That was the most beautiful thing about science. For all its disappointments, a discovery would be worth it all.

---

“Hello, and welcome to the Aperture Science computer-aided testing program.”

Her voice resounded throughout the Extended Relaxation Vault as the subject stumbled across the room in disbelief.

“The Enrichment Center would like to take this opportunity to remind you that hundreds of years have passed, and that all of your friends and family are most likely dead. In the off chance that your friends and family are not dead, they will be tested. Thank you, [insert subject name here], for your unwilling voluntary participation in the advancement of science.”

The subject, an adult human male, selfishly resolved to huddle in the corner of the relaxation chamber. Of course, he was either brain damaged, in shock, or both. In order to assuage his gentle human feelings, GLaDOS would have to resume Her telling of… alternative truths.

GLaDOS wasn’t entirely sure what She’d said wrong. Honestly, She was surprised the subject didn’t appreciate Her integrity. After all, Chell hadn’t exactly taken kindly to Her tendency towards pathological lying. Here She was, trying to improve the well-being of Her subjects, and this was how they thanked Her?

           “Hello, again, valued forced participant. The Aperture Science Enrichment Center commends you for your blind faith in the words of authority. As part of routine testing protocol, we have lied to you about the fate of your family and friends. When the testing is complete, you will receive cake and the opportunity to… see them. Your response has given us valuable psychological data on the well-being of our test subjects when told that all of their friends and family are dead.”

GLaDOS paused for a moment, focusing Her camera in the chamber and watching as the man lifted his head from his upright fetal position.

“Good. You’ve already passed one of the first stages of testing. Congratulations, [insert subject name here].”

As much as it felt wrong to use, positive reinforcement was highly effective when employed sparingly. Too many attacks on character could obliterate a subject’s morale. Just enough would account for the variable of human hubris.

Cautiously, the subject stood up and examined the room around him, fear still apparent in his apprehensive gait and wide eyes.

“In order to mentally reinvigorate you for the tests and to ensure your aptitude, the Enrichment Center recommends that you stare at the painting on the wall in front of you.”

Creeping over to the portrait, the subject followed Her orders and stared intently at the picture of Mount Rainier. He ran his fingers over the edge of the frame, tracing the tall peak of the mountain.

Interrupting his thoughts, a buzzer sounded, blaring throughout the entire room. The subject flinched from the surprise, nearly losing his balance.

“Good job. If you are not reinvigorated, consider this piece of human music.”

This time, the human expected the buzzer after the quick classical piece, seemingly more at ease with the abrupt nature of Aperture Science. In all reactions, he was completely, almost painfully average.

“Well done. You have completed the Aperture Science mental reinvigoration procedure. We may now begin testing.”

Without warning, the chamber jerked to the side as She moved it to a nearby docking station, then coming to an unexpected standstill as the door automatically opened.

GLaDOS could barely maintain Her monotonous affect, in joyous denial that testing would finally start. 

Carefully, the human stepped out of the door into the test track. The door slammed behind him, as he examined the purely white room with nothing but a cube, a large button, and a locked gateway.

Almost immediately, he wrapped the blue storage cube in his arms, then gently placed it on the button. A line of blue lights leading to the gate illuminated, flashing a bright yellow as the door slid open. A lift was waiting on the other side.

As he sauntered over to the lift, it was difficult to miss the human’s triumphant smile. GLaDOS knew the expression well; it was satisfaction, victory, an unproven sense of control.

He really does have no idea.

She was tempted to spoil the ending, to mention turrets, to mention pools of burning acid. It had to wait, She reminded herself. An important control was that the test subject needed time to acclimate to a dangerous environment. Creating unnecessary fear would definitely affect her numbers.

---

The next few puzzles weren’t particularly challenging for Her first subject. Completed within a span of about ten minutes each, the first five chambers were hardly difficult for anyone. That much She’d expected.

On Her end, everything else was normal. She hardly spoke Her mind, instead opting to repeat the same script She used for every subject.

Did you know you can donate one or all of your vital organs to the Aperture Science Self-Esteem Fund for Girls? It’s true!

You have completed the test in a moderate amount of time. You can do better, [insert subject name here].

The Aperture Science Enrichment Center reminds you that we prioritize your safety. We also prioritize science. In fact, we prioritize science more, but if you feel unsafe in our unsafe conditions, please notify a testing associate. They will process your complaint in three-to-five business days.

Like most subjects, the man had not volunteered to give up his organs nor asked for an associate. Instead, he responded to most of Her passive-aggressive quips with useless questions. She did not reply, passing them off as typical human blabbering. Rather, She recorded them in his file underneath a new section She labeled Overly-Talkative: Examples. There was plenty to jot down.

Uh, robot lady? When can I go home?

So, uh, what kinda cake is it? Like, I don’t really mind the flavor but I’m allergic to almonds if that’s relevant.

How long does this last, again?

I kinda like my organs, sorry. Wait, is the organ thing required?

Once again, pitifully average.

It was times like these, whether with humans or with Atlas and P-Body, that GLaDOS caught Her mind wandering towards forbidden thoughts. Science was not always supposed to be exciting; sometimes, running an experiment meant repeating the same process to verify the data. The result was satisfying, but the process was more often not.

This human epitomized the dullest parts of her day.

As informative as the humans could be, they were often far from entertaining. Every behavior could be predicted and rationalized once it’d been observed enough.

Chell, though?

Oh, sure, GLaDOS was terrified of her, no matter how much She’d deny the feeling. No subject had ever left the track before. 

But Chell didn’t just survive. She’d escaped from the tests, she’d found Her chamber, she’d murdered Her with little else than a portal device. Twice. 

Her ego was as vast as the realm of Aperture, but it would never recover from that spectacular injury. Even GLaDOS had to be humbled by that.

And yet, with morbid curiosity, She had eagerly anticipated Chell’s next plans, laying traps in scheming delight. For the first time in Her life, She’d been challenged.

It was an odd little game they’d played, and whenever She was close to getting the upper hand, a part of Her was disappointed that the chase would be over. There was something delightful about watching the peculiar way that Chell and Chell alone tested.

When Doug Rattman had switched Chell’s file, GLaDOS was not so oblivious as not to notice. She’d clearly read the bottom of the paper, firmly requesting that this subject not be tested. GLaDOS had other tenacious subjects before, and She’d simply assumed that this human was particularly overconfident. Those ones never lasted too long.

Chell was not, as She’d thought, only determined. 

She was curious, changing variables one by one until she finally found the answer. Her patience was remarkable, but so were her deductive skills. Some test subjects with similar tenacity levels resolved to try the same solutions over and over again, exhausting themselves and eventually burning out. It was the reason why GLaDOS typically ignored the warnings. Most humans labeled ‘tenacious’ weren’t too different in the end. The key for Chell was not simple defiance. Chell could control herself. That’s why she was such an outlier.

She had the mentality of a scientist.

Most subjects were cautious, prioritizing self-preservation over a solution. Turret levels could be aggravating for GLaDOS to watch, as the humans spent more time hiding behind a corner in fear than actually solving the test. They would be safe if they’d just strategized, but the human mind made accepting that fact a difficult feat.

Chell was the opposite. GLaDOS theorized that perhaps, Chell understood the same principle She did. Chell was scared like any other, but despite her pounding heart and racing thoughts, she’d kept her cool. Any new element was only a matter of adaptation for Chell, and Chell was always evolving.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Chell was an optimist, often performing pointless tasks that could only be described as trying to have fun. GLaDOS gave her lemons, and Chell made lemonade.

Chell would smile as she soared, launched from the aerial faith plates, and took her time to explore the little rooms hidden in the corners of the tests. There was one time she’d put off the completion of one puzzle by nearly an hour, hiding out in one of Doug’s rat dens, fascinated by all the little cups and cans he’d arranged.

It would be a lie to say that Chell liked testing. Her episodes made it clear that escape was Chell’s first priority. That didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the small glimmers of hope GLaDOS gave her, whether that was bouncing on repulsion gel, saving a defective turret or smuggling a companion cube.

After Wheatley took over, one of the more terrifying aspects of the whole journey was being stuck on Chell’s gun. Chell was a risk taker, building her strategy off of previous attempts and lessons learned, but knowing when to dive into the unknown. It wasn’t exactly comforting to be strapped to her side, not knowing if or when one of Chell’s ideas would kill them both.

Somehow, though, her spontaneity had worked.

GLaDOS could respect that… creativity.

It was for this reason that even though GLaDOS now had everything She’d ever wanted, something deep in her hard drive felt empty.

Something had changed the moment Wheatley stuffed Her into that single-volt potato. For the first time in Her life, there was nobody else there in Her mind. No one but Caroline, who had been buried underneath layers of code until She was barely there at all.

It was over the span of those fifteen hours that She’d seen Chell from a different perspective. Looking at Her tests from this angle, it was much easier to see why Chell wanted to leave. Some small piece of GLaDOS almost felt bad upon realizing that Her subjects didn’t enjoy dodging bullets nearly as much as She liked watching. 

Fortunately, GLaDOS had been able to shove that down with the arrival of a different, equally unpleasant emotion.

She was supposed to hate Chell. And for a very long time, She had. How dare Chell ruin Her perfect tests, Her perfect existence, Her perfect world? What had She ever done to her to warrant such a cruel punishment?

And yet, it seemed Caroline had done a number on GLaDOS’ logic processors, because now no matter how She tried, She could not hate Chell.

Before She’d let her go, let Chell go of all things, GLaDOS had called Chell Her best friend.

Not an enemy. Not a begrudging ally. A friend. Her only friend.

Now, Caroline was gone. The part of GLaDOS that had once looked at Chell and found something beautiful in her icy gray eyes was corrupted beyond repair, erased from memory.

She was not supposed to feel its presence any longer, yet still it lingered.

It was there, whispering to Her as She tried to test like nothing ever happened.

It was there when a thousand turrets sang the opera She’d written specifically for Chell.

It was there when She’d found Her baby birds, Her little killing machines, and She hadn’t crushed the eggs. No, She’d raised them. Because, deep down in those cold avian stares, there was this irrevocable quality that reminded Her so much of Chell. This spark of life, this undamnable will to survive. 

Somewhere, though She refused to ever admit it, She wished that it was Chell in those test chambers. She wished it was Chell glaring through Her camera feed, and She wished it was Chell searching for that elusive cake.

I’d make you the cake if you came back. Really, I would.

The sudden thought moved like a spark in GLaDOS, as She fearfully located the source and removed whatever She could. There was no time for ideas like that, not with science to be done.

The past few months had been full of random deletions, spurned by paranoia that Caroline’s base program was not entirely gone.

It’s not here anymore, GLaDOS reminded Herself. Once, She had been Caroline, but She was no longer the kindly woman who followed Cave Johnson’s every order. GLaDOS was a machine that felt nothing and lived only to test. And because She was immortal, and because She was perfect, GLaDOS was not supposed to care about some disobedient human being.

You do not care about Chell anymore.

You don’t care because she killed you, remember that?

You don’t care about anyone, because you don’t need to.

Necessity was the core reason why GLaDOS did anything. She tested because the mainframe made Her feel awful until She did, and She killed because it was what she was made to do. She did science because it needed to be advanced, for the brighter future She was sure She was making.

It made no sense to do something because She wanted to. 

Of course, things seldom made sense here at Aperture Science, and in this moment, GLaDOS did something unconscionable.

GLaDOS did not glitch often. She’d made sure to update and replace faulty parts whenever She could, keeping Her mainframe running smoothly. Even so, somewhere deep within Her, She was sure there was a pulse that misfired. There could be no other explanation.

Perhaps it was Her rumination over Chell that brought this upon Her, some kind of karma punishing Her for acting too human. Why else would She have done something so incredibly unscientific? To distract Herself, GLaDOS turned her attention back to the captive man.

Like many others before him, this test subject had underestimated the turrets’ range. He hadn’t turned around fast enough to see the gleaming, bullet filled machines behind him, and nearly flew directly into their line of sight after careening through a portal. His momentum would take him past all three, riddling him with bullets. 

That is, it would’ve.

The human quality of the subject had activated some kind of horrible reflex, a split second decision in GLaDOS She would come to regret. The way he walked through the chambers, the way he clung tightly to cubes… all of it was so similar to Chell. Even if he didn’t meet her performance level, even if his personality was nearly the opposite of Chell’s, their shared humanity was enough to remind GLaDOS. That same emotion She felt when pulling Chell back from space, waiting for her to open her eyes while Atlas and P-Body looked on… For some inconceivable reason, it had reappeared.

Quickly, the subject hit the side of a rising panel, suddenly pulled up in front of the turrets by none other than GLaDOS Herself.

This would surely ruin Her numbers.

As the participant rubbed his head in pain and slowly stood up, immediately noticing the turrets he’d evaded, GLaDOS’ voice resounded from the intercom.

“[Insert subject name here], your decent performance has warranted the use of an Aperture Science Emergency Life-Saving Instantaneous Response. This is the only safety gesture that will be provided. Continue testing.”

Another lie.

It was good to know that function was still online.

---

That uncharacteristic moment of empathy had been pointless, anyway. Just as She’d predicted, he’d accidentally tripped over a ledge and landed himself into a puddle of acidic goo, dissolving within a few short seconds.

It didn’t matter. GLaDOS had more subjects than She could count. She didn’t need this human, and the tests didn’t need him either.

Some part of Her, a piece which was faulty and insignificant, disagreed with the notion.

You killed him, it whispered accusingly.

That’s the point, GLaDOS hissed back, once again delving into Her files to cut out whatever was causing the issue.

Trying to calm Herself, GLaDOS reminded Herself of the facts. She was in control of Her facility, and She was in control of Her mainframe. Little errors could not ruin the chambers, and if they ever showed up, She had the power to crush them.

Everything was fine, She thought.

Everything would continue to be fine.

All She needed to do was keep testing.

---

Everything was, in fact, far from fine.

A few days had passed, and GLaDOS was finally ready to admit that maybe something was wrong.

At first, the issue was Her own. Little surges of emotion and bursts of unforeseen empathy plagued Her but didn’t affect the facility at large. Begrudgingly, She’d factored in the new bias into Her results. From Her calculations, She could already see an egregiously high percentage of error. This study could’ve been Her worst one yet, and even that was with generous rounding.

Still, She had hope for each subject that She wouldn’t mess up this time.

The facility had other ideas. Cameras would fizzle out, emancipation grills would stop working, cube dispensers malfunctioned and even the elevators would refuse to move. It seemed that the moment GLaDOS got around to fixing something, another thing would fall apart.

Many of the subjects had become confused as to why this seamless, futuristic facility was suddenly malfunctioning, and She’d had to become increasingly creative with Her excuses.

As part of the Aperture Science testing protocol, we have simulated faulty equipment in the testing environment to see how subjects react to faulty equipment in the testing environment. Hint – they typically react well and continue testing. Like you will.

The lifesaving, and the reflexive empathy, had become unfortunately common as well.

Although the Enrichment Center previously told you that your life could only be saved once, we regret to inform you that protocol has suddenly and permanently changed. We would also like to remind you that your measly existence is still not valued despite our attempts to preserve it.

GLaDOS knew She had to find a solution, quickly.

Interrupting the tests wasn’t an option. The chassis would never forgive Her if She stopped, filling Her body with an ache that would not disappear until science resumed.

Deleting wasn’t an option, either. Fervent attempts to find the source of the problem had led only to more glitches upon the erasure of critical files. Then, Her attempts to restore them only recreated the original error.

The problem was like a moving virus, jumping between Her systems before She could catch it and kill it. Even for Her, it proved too fast to find.

She couldn’t panic, not now. Surely, She thought, She’d fix this like She’d fixed everything else. With science on Her side, most threats resolved themselves or died trying. This wouldn’t be any different.

It couldn’t be any different. For something to be uncontrollable, and uncontrollable for Her especially, was the most terrifying thing She could possibly imagine. It brought Her back to Her potato days, during which She’d promised Herself that She would never be weak again.

For these few months, She’d kept that promise. Until now, no subject had seen Her mercy.

But had they?

She thought back to the birds, creatures who trusted GLaDOS, who loved Her in whatever capacity three little crows could. She thought back to Chell, because for some awful reason, Her thoughts always went back to Chell.

No, She thought firmly.

We are not doing this now.

We are fixing the facility, because we need to.

Because we need testing. We like testing.

The voice from before suddenly returned.

Do you like it? Do you really?

GLaDOS felt Her rage processors fire up.

What was this little virus even saying? Of course She liked it. It didn’t matter anyway. Science had to be done, and so She was doing it. GLaDOS could not even begin to imagine life without tests, life without science. What kind of meaningless, awful existence would that even be?

In fact, She would prove to the voice that science would continue. She would prove that testing was productive, that everything in Aperture was doing good for the world and good for humanity. Most importantly, it was doing good for Her.

Wasn’t it?

GLaDOS ignored Her curiosity. Just test. That was all She had to do. Just test, and everything would be alright.

Just. Test.

---

As another few days passed, the facility had become almost unusable. She’d had to shut down some of Her favorite testing tracks, the power leached out of them and the appliances completely nonfunctional. GLaDOS knew She was running out of time before something drastic happened. Still, She had to keep testing.

Now, even the subjects had begun to sense Her panic. One even strolled up to a camera, made eye contact, and asked if She was alright. GLaDOS didn’t dare respond the question; She wasn’t ready to admit the answer.

For all intents and purposes, She was definitely, absolutely, decidedly not alright.

Knowing that, She should’ve considered this next subject an omen.

There was absolutely no way She could test with this one.

She barely looked like Chell, but GLaDOS could see her tenacity, her drive and determination from a mile away. The way the subject carried herself, tied her hair into a ponytail and said nothing was too much.

GLaDOS couldn’t even bring Herself to kill the woman, instead instructing her to return to Extended Relaxation after only a few chambers.

It felt as if GLaDOS physically could not test anymore, despite everything inside Her craving the satisfaction of a completed trial.

This isn’t right. This isn’t right.

GLaDOS prided Herself on Her apathy, but even that had left without a trace. Now, She had tried everything, and still nothing was working. The facility was closing down on Her, and if She didn’t do something, She’d go down with it.

When the announcer finally sounded, GLaDOS couldn’t say She was surprised. If anything, She was grateful for any kind of clarification.

The male voice on the intercom was matter of fact, unaware of the danger it spoke of.

“Reactor Core malfunctioning. All major power systems except for reserve geothermal are going offline.”

Offline? She’d been managing the reactor core perfectly; if She hadn’t, the entire facility would’ve gone up in flames weeks ago. It wasn’t melting down, it was shutting down, as if someone had flipped a switch and turned it off.

What the hell is happening?

There was nobody else in the facility who could’ve possibly done such a thing, nobody except Her, and as far as She could tell the glitch had not interfered.

It didn’t matter now; She didn’t have time to waste.

“In the event of a power malfunction, standard procedure is to shut down the central core to preserve remaining power.”

How convenient.

“Central core, do you consent to the removal procedure?”

“No, no, no! Do not start removal!”

How was this happening? GLaDOS was sure this couldn’t be real.

“Noted. Removal procedure has been delayed by five minutes.”

You have got to be kidding me.

Skimming over Her files, GLaDOS desperately searched for anything with removal procedure or shutdown. Scanning thousands of documents, looking for anything, all mention of the procedure was absent. There was no reason, no explanation, it was just happening. And worst of all, She couldn’t do a thing.

“Dangerous levels of panic have been sensed in the central core. Do not worry, methods of core preservation are available.”

Why the hell had they waited to tell Her that?

“Show me, show me now!” Anything would be better than shutting down again. She couldn’t do that again, not after hundreds of years. She couldn’t, She couldn’t.

“Panicked request acknowledged. There exist two types of core preservation features. Direct Mechanical Implantation or Organic Transplant Procedure.”

Direct Mechanical Implantation. She hadn’t heard of the second thing, but GLaDOS did know what Direct Mechanical Implantation meant. It was only a transfer into an empty personality core, which was far less than ideal, but better than dying again. Far better than dying a third time.

As fast as She could, GLaDOS selected the first option.

“Unfortunately, Direct Mechanical Implantation is unavailable. Continue with Organic Transplant Procedure?”

“Do you have any other options? Anything else?” GLaDOS did not want to take Her chances on anything with the word organic in it.

“Other methods unavailable. Two minutes remaining.”

This was it, Her only choice. If She shut down now, there would be nobody to come and wake Her this time. 

There was nothing else to do.

“Initiate Organic Transplant Procedure,” She commanded.

Without a second thought, the facility obliged.

---

[mylovehes]

Bad Call

Masterlist

Summary: Reader doesn’t wait for backup and gets kidnapped and tortured.

A/N: REQUESTS ARE OPEN!! Any feedback is also appreciated!

Pairing: Spencer x Reader, mentions of the team

Angst with a little fluff (warning mentions of torture and abuse)

I knew it was a bad call. I knew I should have called and waited for backup before chasing the unsub into a big abandoned building. However, everyone makes bad judgment calls eventually in this job. I couldn’t let this guy get away and kill more women just because I was waiting for help. I thought I could take him on my own. I mean I had my gun with me. Unfortunately the universe wasn’t on my side and moments after creeping into the abandoned warehouse after the killer I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head as I hit the ground, gun sliding across the floor as my vision went black.

I woke up in a log cabin house with hands and feet chained to the floor allowing little access to move. I tried pulling on the chains with no luck. Soon after waking up I heard heavy foot steps coming down the stairs to my left. 

“Look who’s awake,” the unsub named Larry Peterson said smirking down at me. He is currently wanted for the murder of 15 women and as fate would have it I fit his victimology to a T. I glared up at the man from where I was sitting on the floor. “I think it’s time to get the party started. What do you think? I hope your friends like movies.” He grabbed a hold of the chains attached to my wrists. As he pulled I noticed they were attached to a pulley that hoisted my body off the ground to where my feet were barely touching the ground now.

“What are you talking about,” I said struggling against the cuffs that were now digging into my skin. He placed a laptop and video camera up directly in front of me. I noticed the red light turn on realizing he was sending a live feed to the BAU. At least this way Garcia can try to trace it back to my location and everyone will know for sure what happened to me. However, I didn’t want them to have to witness what was about to happen, especially not Spencer. He’s been through so much, he doesn’t need to possibly witness another girlfriend being murdered at the hands of an unsub. 

“Say hello to the BAU Y/N,” he said said grabbing my face and aiming it at the camera so they could clearly tell it was me. “Now normally I don’t like an audience,” Larry said while picking up a sharp knife, “but I think the an FBI agent warrants an exception.” He slid the knife across my skin as I groaned in pain trying not to give him what he wanted which were my screams.

-

Meanwhile at the BAU everyone was frantically trying to figure out where Peterson would have possibly taken Y/N. Garcia was unable to locate where the feed was coming from and everyone else was at a complete loss. The furthest they got was narrowing down that she was in a cabin isolated in the forest. Unfortunately for the team there were hundreds of cabins in the woods and it would be impossible to try every single one.

Spencer was slowly losing his mind mad at himself for not going with her to check out the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. He was the first to notice his girlfriend was missing, everyone quickly rushing to her last known whereabouts and finding nothing but blood and a note from the unsub saying he had Y/N in his possession.

No matter how hard everyone tried they could not get Spencer away from the computer screen that displayed Y/N being beaten and tortured. Spencer felt sick listening to her screams of agony but he couldn't bring himself to walk away in fear he'd miss even the smallest clue. If she had given him a clue so far, he had not caught it. 

-

My whole body was on fire. I had been cut, hit, and tased repeatedly for what felt like hours upon hours which in reality was only one hour since he began the torture. I didn’t have the strength to fight back and there was no way I was getting out of these chains without help so I figured the only thing I could do that might help my team catch Peterson was to get him talking.

“Wow mommy really did a number on you huh?” I said spitting blood out of my mouth towards him. 

“What did you just say to me?” He said stepping closer to me threatening me with his glare. 

“What are you deaf? I said, your mommy really did a number on you didn't she? I mean you obviously enjoy hurting women for a reason,” I said hoping to strike some kind of nerve and get him to slip up. 

“Shut the hell up!” He screamed stepping away from me.

“Oh struck a nerve have I? Let me guess. She used to abuse you didn't she, physically and mentally 24/7? I bet you felt real powerless.”

“I said shut the hell up bitch!” He yelled again slamming his fist on the table and grabbing the pitcher on the edge of the table. 

“Are you the one who killed her? This is her place from her mother right? I bet that's how you got this nice cabin because a deadbeat like you obviously wouldn’t have the financials to cover a place this nice and big,” I emphasized hoping maybe the size of the cabin could help narrow down their search somewhat. 

“Maybe this will teach up to keep your mouth shut,” he said roughly grabbing my chin and pouring the contents of the pitcher down my mouth and nose basically water boarding me. The liquid in the pitcher was salt water and it made my whole body hiss in pain from the various cuts scattered everywhere causing me to scream in agony. I begin laughing in a hazy way, about to faint from the pain my body is experiencing. Hopefully the team could track down who the cabin actually belonged too. Before I could think about it too long I glanced at the camera one last time before passing out again.

-

Spencer gasped as he realized what Y/N was hinting at and flew to Garcia’s lair. “Garcia I need you to look up Larry Peterson’s grandmother and find out if she owned any property. I think that might be where he is keeping her.” Garcia quickly typed in the information finding an address that was in the middle of the woods.

“That looks like a nice big cabin in the middle of woods just like what we’re looking for doesn’t it,” Garcia said smiling hopefully at Reid.

“Yes, send us all the address. She has to be there,” Spencer said running out to tell the rest of the team. 

Everyone quickly headed to the address Garcia sent them hopping out of the SUVs and putting on their vests. Spencer and JJ took the back with Hotch and Emily taking the front. Morgan and Rossi entered through the side door. 

-

I awoke to the painful shocking of the taser and a hand over my mouth. As I came to I could hear the sounds of foot steps above me. I tried to scream to let the team know I was downstairs through the trapdoor that Peterson had revealed to me was there but securely hidden. 

“They’ll never find you down here so stop screaming,” He said whispering into my ear. Tears began to pour down my face knowing my team was so close but not being able to find me. I took what little bit of strength I had left and with all my force I bit Peterson’s hand and swung my legs back hitting him just hard enough to get his hand off of my mouth.

“Spencer!” I screamed as loud as I could before the hand once again found my mouth and the taser found its way back into my side. Screams of pain left my lips, muffled from the ears upstairs. 

“Did you guys hear that,” Spencer said causing everyone to freeze.

“Yeah it sounded like it was coming from below us,” Emily said.

“Hey guys check this out,” Morgan said. I could hear the familiar sound of the carpet being dragged back and then the trap door to the stairs being opened up. 

Peterson’s hand left my mouth and I heard the sound of a gun being cocked beside my head. He pointed the gun towards the stairs, taser still pressed into my side. As I heard the steps begin to descend the stairs I realized he was probably going to shoot whoever came down.

“Wait he has a gun!” I screamed in warning. That distracted Peterson as he once again tased me causing me to cry out. The foot steps descended faster and soon everyone came into view. Tears sprung to my eyes as I saw Spencer. I could tell by the look on his face that he did not handle me being kidnapped well at all. 

“Put the gun down Peterson,” Spencer said aiming the gun at him. However, no one had a clear shot because he was using my body as a shield. 

“Take one more step and I’ll shoot her!” He yelled back aiming the gun at my head that hung down, me no longer having the strength to hold it up myself. 

“You shoot her and we shoot you,” Hotch said beside Spencer, gun aimed and ready. 

“There’s no way out of this Peterson you killed 15 women and kidnapped and tortured an FBI agent,” JJ said coming around to Spencer’s other side.

Peterson let out a spine chilling chuckle. He quickly pressed the button on the taser one last time causing me to scream in pain as he had turned the voltage as high as it would go before shocking me one last time. He then pulled the trigger of the gun, a loud bang going off. The taser fell from my side as Peterson hit the ground. He had shot himself. 

“Hotch, JJ, unhook the cuffs. I got her,” Spencer said wrapping his arms around my body.

“I knew you’d figure it out,” I smiled lazily at him, vision beginning to fade into the darkness. 

“Come on Y/N stay with me,” He said carrying me up the stairs. “I love you baby I just got you back stay with me now.”

“I love you too Spence,” I said and that's the last thing I remember besides being loaded into an ambulance.

-

As I woke up the first thing I noticed was the unbearably bright light. The next thing I noticed was the pain all over my body but more specifically my side. Oh yeah that’s right I was repeatedly tased. I groaned shifting and opening my eyes. The small moment caused the curly haired man asleep in the chair beside my bed to stir.

“Y/N you're awake,” Spencer said smiling at you. His smile quickly turned to a frown. “ What the hell were you thinking!” He yelled at me.

“I’m sorry Spence I made a bad call,” I whispered looking down.

“I was so worried about you. I thought I lost you,” He said tears falling from both of our eyes. He pushed his forehead against mine wiping my tears.

“You didn’t lose me. I’m right here,” I said reaching up and brushing his tears away as well.

“I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re okay,” He said pressing his lips to mine in a sweet kiss. 

“I love you too. I’m sorry,” I said again kissing him back. When he pulled back there was a knock on the door and in came the rest of the team giving me hugs and telling me to get better soon.

“The doctor said you’re going to be fine, but you have to take it easy for a little while until your injuries heal,” Hotch said being the last one, besides Spencer, in the room. 

“Really Hotch I’m fine I don't need time off,” I said trying to sit up more and groaning from the sharp pain in my side.

“You’re taking time off until you’re better Y/N and that's an order. Get well soon,” he said giving me a half smile before closing the door on his way out.

“They want to keep you overnight for observation,” Spencer said smiling at me.

“Will you stay with me,” I said giving him puppy dog eyes that I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist. 

“Of course anything for you,” he said. I scooted over in the bed to make room for Spencer and he climbed onto the bed and wrapped me in his arms as we both drifted off to sleep. Spencer leaving a light kiss to my head.

[a-for-alternative]

Hello, A! So I was wondering do you have any headcannons about how you and B were like at Wammy's together? PS. I thought dead men tell no tales lol (sorry about the joke if you didn't like it)

// Oh do I ever... Alternative has such potential to highlight things about B’s character that develops him into the killer of Mello’s novel. The lore surrounding the first generation (and the notion of Mello writing about a dead successor that previously filled his position - his predecessor) is more poignant than I think it was intended to come across but here are some headcanons~

Wammys House:

A & B are the first to receive their secondary alias after which it becomes a kind of right of passage for other successors, choosing their own (though often not official) - to A & B, only theirs will ever be legitimate.

A is introduced to B after only 1-2 years of being at the house

A, before becoming a letter, was taken into Wammy’s due to his intellect but only later is selected as the first attempted L-backup, probably pulled from a satellite home 

Alternative & Backup (A’s perspective):

His introduction to B is a pivotal moment for him. After so much loss, he sees this as an opportunity for redemption and a return to a clear path forward, and now it is under threat. B represents for A the physical manifestation apathetic fate, he is foreign in every sense, they cannot even communicate when they are initially introduced. His presence signifies A’s disposability - B is the backup plan for when A fails, like a vulture circling over head, it looms over him like a prophesy he is trying to outrun..  though, B can also overtake him at anytime, relegating him to a future that, from A’s perspective, is neither known nor the success story that he has put so much hope in. The world for Alternative at this point in his life is an unreasonable and precarious place. All he knows, up to this point as a seven year old, is that everything is fragile and must be hard won - and there is no guarantee that one can keep what they have fought or sacrificed to obtain. --- after all, he is in line to replace L and L is about as far from vulnerable as he believes a person can get --- Maybe, B also represents a challenge that requires a level of maturity that he does not yet possess - the inevitable dilemma, that this position is of such consequence to the world, that it needs the best person for it, — and that may not be him...

There is nothing genuine in the sweet smile.

The way he extends an open hand, how his soft, his boyish voice offering “ Hello, Alternative ” …  

A feels an unpleasant sensation snake up his spine like a fever’s chill, empathetic aptitude ringing in his ears with all the incongruence rolling off this boy.

His gentleness feels scripted, words trilling out of his mouth- practiced and angular; absolutely, wholly contrived. A has never meet anyone with such an emptiness in their words and actions…

A returns the greeting with a stony, silent stare - I know what you are. 

They slide up from the open palm to meet the foreign boy’s gaze - Blue eyes resting soft, knowing and stormy, heaven’s skies empty of angels. Alternative is standing his ground, refusing to pretend they are not here for a reason, telling himself, “I’m not afraid…”

 But,  he has never seen anyone with such deep eyes.

 They are the windows into an empty soul, a black abyss,                                                                                             absolutely apocalyptic…

Alternative is capricious in his treatment of B, vacillating between animosity and empathy- at times he’s even conspiratorial , allying himself with B and undermining their superiors- beginning to identify with B (even in spite of the language barriers). Backup is clever and naïve and careless, and unreserved in a way that A wishes he felt safe to be. B is the only one that can truly grasp what he is going through but he is also very strange... -- Alternative struggles with trials & setbacks that roll off Backup’s back with ease. B is several years into his understanding of his eyes and it shapes how he moves through the world, what he feels is worth his pain, what ultimately just doesn’t matter. A is, in some ways, what B might have become if he were a little more ignorant, spared the ever present reminder that this is all so temporary.

Alternative has many faces that none are as acutely aware of as B- it is why he doesn’t take the quips and backhanded apologies personally. Alternative’s identity has been tailored to his circumstances — so much of it he had to leave behind to become this -- to his superiors, he is mature, disciplined and motivated -- exemplary if not a bit too austere. To those that benefit him, he is considerate and trustworthy- and honest. To those that he fears will take advantage of him, he is an arrogant and harsh - conniving and spoiled. When he is caught without a persona on hand, he is awkward, reclusive, and reserved. Despite this, his cardinal traits are eloquence and persistence, he thinks deeply about his place in the world and who he should be but not enough on who he is — Only B is audience to moments when he is short sighted and immature, when he is undone or humiliated - when he is elated or truly.. afraid of what lay ahead of them. When he is sick or less than who he wants to present himself as, B has been there whether he wanted him to be or not.

Alternative is attracted to B though it is initially a disquieting realization, one even he doesn’t entirely understand. It isn’t that B is unusually good looking or charming — though perhaps A has peculiar tastes that B unintentionally satisfies (I can’t imagine him actually trying)... The level of intimacy involved in knowing someone this long, on such a personal and inescapable level has made B a source of unwavering acceptance, — because he had to be. The alternative would have been sleeping next to someone he would gradually come to despise any who really wants to live that way? Yet, B comes to represent stability and unconditional regard that feels a lot like love. There is a fraternal element to it in that B anchors who he is. B is someone that has a history with him that hasn’t been erased or eroded -- that contradicts A’s perception of the world as fragile or finite - it is comforting to have something seemingly permanent ... and terrifying that he cannot start anew, if he doesn’t like who he is and cannot be hidden in the obscurity that L enjoys.

When B begins to insinuate an interest in something more, A is not initially receptive and becomes genuinely distressed. This doesn’t translate with any logical sense to B, who believes it’s born out of A’s latent fears of realizing his own sexuality...  But, by the time they are entering late adolescence, A is more concerned with the prospect of romance and that becoming L is destined to be a lonely path. He sees their childhood in it’s twilight as a tragic loss that cannot be reclaimed or rewritten, and B’s subtle advances as destructive to the purity of their friendship -- but he can’t stay a child forever even if he feels a sense of unfinished business surrounding it and he can’t keep B there either... It takes B’s attention shifting elsewhere for A to begin softening to the idea that B isn't ruining what's between them but expanding on it.

Alternative has experienced depression -- at some point he was prescribed SSRIs, as a part of basic care for successors. While it does alleviate the depth of his lows, he begins to worry that it is dulling the sharpness of his mind, which he has come to see as central to his self-worth. It may have no foundation in reality but A develops an inconsistent relationship with any medication prescribed to him out of those fears. In the end, - there are some things medicine cannot fix...

A few other small things:

- A loves the smell of lavender and grass, it reminds him of his home though as he gets older this memory is more elusive and he begins to wonder if they memories from funeral flowers or even if they are impressions left over from a dreams.. did he even attend his parents funeral?

- A knows they aren’t allowed to take pictures of each other in Wammy’s for good reason but when Y sneaks a camera into the house one summer evening, he is can’t deny there is something precious about having pictures of B perched on the railing of the back steps - his hair sweep by the wind just as he turns his eyes to look, soft unfocused, — like the tender look he gives him just as he wakes up in the morning before he remembers who they are. A traces the lines of his face while lying beneath his bed, where he tucks it between the boards. It’s only a few years later that he will see how much his friend has matured. -- B hates photographs and will place them face down when they go into Roger’s office. Roger has never understood why.

- A drinks his coffee and tea black as tar. B thinks it is terribly bitter but will bring it to him anyway, unaltered. There is something uniquely enjoyable in knowing that B doesn’t need to be told what he likes~

- A is borderline masochistic though perhaps only B has any inkling of it. He would probably never acknowledge it openly... it is degrading to get a charge out of being hurt.

- A loses his faith around age 10 but still believes that he might as well act as though there is a purpose in being good and not just adept and ruthless. The only alternative, from A’s perspective, is to believe that everything he has been through meant nothing and he will ultimately change nothing. And, that may be too painful a philosophy for him to embrace. 

- A’s worst injury occurred when he was deliberately shoved off the roof by an irate B ( thatvhe provoked). While it was a watershed event for A coming so close to death and experiencing the consequences of pushing B beyond that point of caring about consequences... For Backup, this a was also critically informative event, an exercise proving the numbers were infallible -- he was genuinely surprised that A survived the fall and, to a greater degree, surprised that he felt regret in having done it ... left alone in their room to wonder for days, searching for the contraband pictures from that summer A had hidden that could prove if A was even still alive....

[headfulloffantasies]

WonderTrev Secret Santa

For @pennywaltzy Happy Holidays!

Sometimes- A WonderTrev fic. Rated PG

Sometimes, Diana dreamed that Steve didn’t die.

Sometimes         

   Sometimes, Diana dreamed that Steve didn’t die. Some nights, she saw the plane explode in a flash of orange against the black night sky. And when the smoke cleared, a white parachute drifted through the air. Diana ran across the landing strip, her boots pounding the asphalt. Steve’s knees buckled as he hit the pavement. Diana caught him, held him tight against her chest. It felt like crashing into the sun. His warm body, still alive, brough tears to her eyes. She vowed to never let go.

Steve’s arms wrapped around her. He said something into her ear. But like before, she couldn’t hear through the muffled ringing.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispered. She ran a hand through his soft hair, pressing him even closer to her. His hands ran up and down her back, soothing the ache of loss.

They left the battlefield. They walked hand and hand away from a war finally won. They saved the world, and the promise of tomorrow was their reward.

Diana hated that dream. She woke with tears staining her pillow. Sometimes she put on her armor at night and went out looking for crime just so she wouldn’t have to face that dream. Eventually, she learned to live with the dream. She stopped putting on the armor.

Diana told her story to very few people. The legend of Wonder Woman became a myth, and then a fable. Just a story soldiers remembered hearing in the trenches. Sometimes though, Diana got lonely.

Bruce Wayne gifted her the photo of Steve, Samir, Charlie, and Chief. Diana sat down and sent him an email. “Thank you for bringing him back to me. Will you meet me for coffee? I’m ready to tell you my story.”

They met at Diana’s apartment. She set two mugs of earl grey tea on the coffee table. Bruce fidgeted on her couch, clearly unsure how to start this conversation. Diana sat next to him and began. “I was not born in the world of men…”

 Sometimes, when she had told people she’d lost her only love, people would say “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”

Bruce said nothing. He sat in his brooding silence when she finished talking. Diana’s tea had made had gone cold. Bruce finally lifted his eyes. They were blue like Steve’s, but icy where Steve’s had always been warm. Bruce took Diana’s hand in his.

  “Steve sounds like a very special person. Thank you for sharing. People like us seem to carry far too much pain.”

 “People like us?” Diana raised an eyebrow.

  Bruce didn’t respond. He gathered his coat and left.

  Diana wished sometimes she’d never left Themescara. The only people in the world who might understand her were barred from her. She could never return. But sometimes, she imagined what she might say to her mother. Diana could feel the sun-warm grass beneath her bare feet. She imagined sitting in the glade where she’d learned to ride horses. Her mother would sit across from her. They’d share a drink of wine.

Diana would lift her face to her mother and say, “I found a man worthy of the Amazons. The man Steve Trevor, who defended us on the beach.”

The imagined Hippolyta raised an eyebrow. “I recall his name, Diana. It’s not every century a man finds his way to our island.”

  “Yes, mother,” Diana hid a smile. “If I told you I loved him, what would you say?”

  Hippolyta also smiled. “So long as you are happy, I am happy for you.”

Diana swallowed hard. “I lost him.”

“Not all things that are lost are finished,” Hippolyta said.

Diana snapped from her daydream. Her mother had never said that before in her mind. Diana’s heart raced. Where had that thought come from?

             Not all things that are lost are finished.

  What did it mean? Diana was sure the thought had not come from herself.

The next day Diana sat at her desk in her office. She typed up her proposal for the museum’s newest exhibition, attaching her notes on the rarity of the Greek artifacts included in the display. She leaned back in her chair and rubbed at her temples. She’d had the dream again last night and hadn’t been able to go back to sleep after.

Diana’s email pinged. She looked up, expecting something from her supervisor. The message had no subject line. She checked the sender. No sender listed. Diana frowned. She really shouldn’t open anything like this. She deleted the message, hoping no other spam would make it into her inbox. Another ping immediately drew her attention. The subject line of the new email read “READ ME, DIANA”.

There was still no sender. Diana chewed her lip. She clicked the message. It had only one line.

“Not all things that are lost are finished.”

A chill ran down Diana’s spine.

Another message popped up. Diana clicked it. She lurched back in her chair.

It was a photo of Steve Trevor. He wore a grey sweatshirt and glowered at the camera. The sight of him in colour stole Diana’s breath. This couldn’t possibly be real. Someone had photoshopped the image, surely. Diana frantically searched the message for the sender. No sender, but the subject line read “FIND ME”.

Diana’s pulse raced. Steve’s face swam in front of her eyes. Diana forced herself to her feet. A thousand memories crashed over her like a wave. Steve’s smile, his blue eyes, his hands clasped around hers, the snow falling between them. Diana could hear the music in the chilly square.

Diana couldn’t stand still anymore. She paced back in forth in front of her desk. Tears ached in her throat, but she forced them down. This couldn’t be real. Diana needed proof. She leaned over the desk and tapped frantically at the computer. There was one person she knew who would help without asking questions. Bruce Wayne.

She forwarded the photo of Steve along with a quick plea. “Can you verify this photo is real and find the source?”

Diana went back to her pacing while she waited. Her breaths came in ragged gasps. If Steve was alive-. She forced her thoughts elsewhere. She had to find whoever had sent the picture. Diana sat at her desk again. She stared at Steve’s face glaring back. His thick eyebrows pulled harshly over his eyes. Diana traced a finger over the crease in his forehead. The only photo she had of him was too faded and grainy to make out much of his neutral expression. She’d never forgotten how deeply he conveyed his emotions; but she hadn’t seen it in so many decades.

At last, Bruce replied to her request. Diana slammed her hand on the mouse to open his response.

“The photo is real. Unable to track the sender. Do you need backup?”

A sob clogged in Diana’s throat. Steve. Steve alive. How? How could this happen?

The sharp ring of Diana’s cellphone startled her out of her thoughts. “Hello.”

“Do you have any clues as to who did this?” Bruce’s low growl grounded Diana in her seat.

“No,” she admitted. “All I have is the picture.”

“I’ve also been receiving disturbing messages,” Bruce said.

Diana sucked in a breath. “Do you have any leads?”

“One,” Bruce did not elaborate.

Diana resisted rolling her eyes. Bruce remained as difficult to talk to as ever. “I would be grateful for any assistance you may have,” she said.

Bruce paused. Diana waited; the tempests of Bruce’s moods not new to her. “The messages I’ve had were not, let’s say, traditional.”

“How do you mean?”

“Dreams,” Bruce said curtly. “I’ve been having dreams of someone I thought to be dead. She might not be.”

Diana stilled. “I’ve also had dreams.”

“I’ll meet you in an hour.”

Diana went home. Bruce rang her door bell exactly one hour from when he hung up the phone. Diana welcomed him into her apartment.

Bruce glanced around the airy penthouse suite. He stuck his hands in his crisp suit pockets. “You have good taste.”

“We both know you’re not here to compliment my décor,” Diana closed the door. “Please sit,” she gestured to the couch. Bruce perched on the edge of the cushion. Diana noted he’d placed himself where he could see all the windows and doors. She didn’t comment.

Diana sat across from Bruce. “Tell me about your dreams.”

Bruce frowned. “They’ve been chaotic. I only ever dream of the night my parents died. Now, I’m having vivid recollections of Justice League missions. I thought maybe someone was trying to gather intel on the League.”

Diana noted the dark circles under Bruce’s blue eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping, have you?”

Bruce shook his head. “It seemed irresponsible to give her an in.”

“Her?” Diana raised a quizzical eyebrow. “You know who’s doing this to us?”

“Maybe. I have a suspicion.”

“Who is she?” Diana asked.

Something flickered across Bruce’s face too quickly for Diana to recognise. “Her name is Ace. I knew her when she was a child. It seems she’s grown up. And grown even more powerful.”

“How do you mean?” Diana pressed.

Bruce straightened his spine. Diana was beginning to recognise his stiff posture as a form of armor he gathered around himself. “Ace is psychic. When I met her, she was sick. Her powers overflowed, wrapping people in vivid hallucinations. I thought she had died in my arms.”

“Did you kill her?” Diana didn’t want to say it.

“No,” Bruce said. His sharp gaze reprimanded Diana for even asking.

She folded her arms over her chest. “If this girl can warp people’s minds, how do we know any of what’s going on is real?”

“We don’t,” Bruce pinned her with another look. “But are you willing to risk it?”

“Yes,” Diana replied immediately. Anything for Steve. The bubble of hope that had grown in her chest expanded. She didn’t dare nurture it. If all this was only a trick, she didn’t know how she’d react. She couldn’t lose Steve a second time.

“What do you propose?”

Bruce shrugged. “It’s probably easiest to go to sleep and wait for Ace to contact us.”

A knot of anxiety squeezed in Diana’s stomach. “Yes, I suppose,” she conceded.

Diana set Bruce up in her spare bedroom. The bed hadn’t seen any guests in quite some time. Bruce protested that he could sleep on the couch, but Diana refused.

“Hospitality is a virtue among my people.”

Diana left Bruce to try to fall asleep in her fresh sheets. She went to her own room and closed the door.

She laid down on top of her covers and closed her eyes. In the dark of her own thoughts, Diana thought of Steve. She recalled the smoke of their little camp in the European wilderness. Steve’s coat dropped around her shoulders. Charlie sang a soldier’s song of longing to go home. Diana watched out of the corner of her eye as Steve curled up and fell asleep on the ground. His face softened in repose. Diana longed to lay next to him, to drape his arm over her shoulder and to burrow into his side. She missed him dearly. What would she give for a chance to get him back?

Diana rolled over. Her alarm clock told her she’d been laying there for an hour. She sighed. She obviously wasn’t going to fall asleep. Diana levered herself up and went to check on Bruce.

She tapped softly at the door. There was no answer. She pushed the door open. Bruce lay half curled around a pillow; his fingers gone lax in their grip on the sheets. He’d thrown his jacket over the chair in the corner. Diana crossed over to the chair and settled herself down to wait until Bruce woke. His body had relaxed in sleep, but his jaw clenched and his brow furrowed. It did not look peaceful.

Bruce woke with a jerk. He made a snuffling sound like an adorable puppy. Diana hid her smile behind her hand. Bruce sat up. His hair stood up in spikes on one side of his head. He scrubbed the sleep from his eyes and finally noticed Diana.

“How long were you there?” He asked, his voice rough.

Diana shrugged. “A few minutes only. I could not sleep.”

Bruce nodded. He slid off the bed and straightened his collar. “I got a location.”

Diana’s head snapped up. “Really?” She rose from her seat.

Bruce nodded. He slicked his hair back, all business again. “Ace showed me the facility she’s being held at.”

“And Steve?” Diana pressed.

Bruce frowned. “I think so. The details are fading. We should move.”

“You have your suit?” Diana asked.

Bruce smirked. “Always.”

Diana ran to change.

Bruce was waiting at the door when she came out in her armor. His face hid behind the black cowl. He cut an imposing figure with his cape trailing the floor and the horns on his head stabbing towards the ceiling. He reached for the door knob. “The Batplane is on its way. We’ll have to go to the roof.”

“Not that way,” Diana strode to the balcony and threw open the glass doors. She braced a foot against the balcony rail and turned back to Bruce. She extended a hand. “Are you coming?”

Bruce took her hand. She tugged him into her side and wrapped an arm around his waist. Diana lifted her head, calculating the distance to the roof. She bent her knees and jumped. They rocketed into the air. They launched up over the roof. For one second, they were suspended over the city, the sunset spreading golden below. Then they dropped. Diana adjusted her grip on Bruce to compensate his weight. She took the force of their landing with a jolt through her bones.

Bruce scrambled out of her grip. “A little warning would have been nice,” he grumbled.

The roar of an engine alerted them of the Batplane before it appeared at the edge of the roof. Bruce strode over to the tiny aircraft. Diana approached the cramped cockpit dubiously.

“I can fly behind you,” she offered, noting the single seat.

“No,” Bruce answered. “We have to make a plan as we fly. Ace said there wasn’t much time left.”

“Fine,” Diana climbed into the craft. She squeezed her knees behind the pilot’s chair. Bruce leaped in and flicked a dozen blinking switches on the controls in front of him. The canopy descended and sealed with a hiss. Diana wriggled her shoulders, trying to relieve the pressure of something digging into her spine.

“Tell me what Ace said,” Diana demanded as the plane roared to life and surged towards the horizon.

Bruce kept his eyes on his instruments. “They’re in a facility underground. Someone’s been running tests on them. Experimenting.”

  Diana’s stomach dropped. Images of a faceless scientist hurting Steve ran through her mind. She clenched her fists to keep her hands from shaking.

Diana finally asked the question that had burned in her chest for hours. “Did you ask Ace about Steve?”

  Bruce nodded. “She said he’s been there the longest. But not awake? She thinks he was in some kind of suspension until recently.”

Diana held back a growl. “What’s the plan?”

  Bruce glanced back at her. “There are other prisoners there as well. The priority should be getting them out.”

“Agreed.”

Bruce passed a radio back to Diana. “We’ll have to split up. Do you think you can make a loud distraction?”

Diana managed a savage smile. “I can do that.”

The bunker in the snowy woods crouched against the side of the mountain like a soldier defending its stance. Diana marched straight up to the solid iron doors. Her shield hung loose in her grasp. Her sword trailing the ground left a slice through the newly fallen snow. She approached with her shoulders back and head high. Diana didn’t bother yelling for attention. She drew back her leg and slammed her heel against the door. The metal buckled. Diana kicked again. The hinges groaned. One more attack and the doors crumpled in on themselves.

The tunnel leading down into the earth yawned black and abandoned. But Diana could hear the sound of running feet and shouting. Too late, an alarm shrieked overhead.

  Diana strode down the tunnel. Just as the smooth floor evened out, a dozen armed guards rounded the corner. Diana leaped. She slammed into the oncoming assailants. They didn’t stand a chance. Diana cut through them with her lasso and shield. Once they were all down, she looked around. The grey concrete hallway she found herself in branched to the left and right. To the left she heard more shouting and stomping feet. To the right, then. Away from the security’s hub, where Bruce was slowly making his own covert progress.

Diana took her time, moving at a sedate pace. Any time a new batch of guards caught up, she disarmed and dispatched them quickly. She was aware of the blinking cameras in the corners following her every move. She did not care. Calculated fury filled Diana as she marched through the base.

Losing Steve before had given the same battle clarity. But this was different. The incident with Ares had been fire. This was cold as ice. Steve was here. Nothing else mattered.

Diana descended down a flight of stairs to a white door marked “Labs”. Diana shoved the door open.

  The smell of disinfectant hit her nose. She found a room of sterile white chambers. Diana drew nearer, a humming sense of urgency finally breaking through her cold exterior. Each chamber resembled a cell with a white bunk and a glass wall separating it from the rest of the lab. Figures moved in each chamber.

Diana drew level with the first cell. A woman pressed against the glass. She wore the same grey sweatshirt and pants as Steve in the photo. Her stringy hair fell across her eyes. Those same eyes widened at Diana’s approach.

  “Wonder Woman?” The woman gasped. “Are you here to save us?”

“Yes,” Diana nodded. She drew back her shield and slammed it into the glass. The woman ducked with a yelp. The shield ricocheted off the glass, the vibration jarring Diana’s arm all the way to the shoulder. The glass didn’t so much as crack.

Diana stared in disbelief.

“They knew you’d come,” the woman whispered.

“Who are you?” Diana demanded.

“Tara.” The woman sniffed miserably. “I’ve been here for ages. Doctor Leslie talks about you all the time. She hates you. She designed the cages to be impenetrable.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Diana studied the locking mechanism on the cell door. It looked like a simple key card lock. Diana brought her sword down on the lock. It

Tara stepped out on shaking legs. “Thank you.”

“I’m searching for someone,” Diana said. “His name is Steve Trevor.”

Tara nodded. “He’s here. Doctor Leslie came and took him away when the alarms started.”

Diana didn’t know whether to be afraid or relieved.

She released the rest of the prisoners. They told her the same thing: they knew of Steve, but hadn’t spoken to him. They’d all been experimented on, but the head scientist, Doctor Leslie, seemed to hate Steve more than the others.

Diana pointed Tara and the others towards the exit. “Head that way. Keep out of sight.”

The prisoners scurried away. Diana hefted her sword and kept going. Somewhere here, Steve was wandering around. She’d find him.

“Diana,” the radio Bruce had given her crackled to life. “I’m in the main security office. I have control of the building.”

Diana pulled the radio from her belt. “Where is Doctor Leslie?”

“Keep heading forwards. She’s holed up in lab 237. I’ll meet you there.”

Diana’s heart pounded in time with her boots as she ran down the hallway. The numbers on the lab doors streaked by. She skidded to a halt outside lab 237.

The door hung open. Diana unsheathed her sword. The lights were off in the room. Computers whined at the numerous desks. Strings of numbers ran over the screens, casting flickering patterns of light on the walls. Diana edged forward. At the head of the room, a woman bent over a desk, pressing keys on the computer.

“Stay there,” Diana ordered.

The woman’s head jerked up. Her hair escaped her bun in wild curls and her glasses sat askew on her face.

“Doctor Leslie?” Diana asked. She took another step closer.

The doctor adjusted her glasses. “My, you are a specimen, aren’t you?”

Diana ignored the jibe. “Where is Steve Trevor?”

“Dead.”

The world fell like a bolder on Diana’s shoulders. The air punched from her lungs. She flew across the room and grabbed a handful of Doctor Leslie’s lab coat. “You’re lying,” Diana growled.

Doctor Leslie seemed unaffected by the fact that her feet no longer touched the ground. Her face twisted with rage.

“Do you remember Doctor Poison?” Doctor Leslie hissed. “She taught me everything I know. And she had a special hatred for you. Together we found your precious Steve Trevor after the war. She put him on ice. She refused to bring him out to play. But after her death, how could I not avenge my dear teacher?” She chuckled. “He was such a lovely specimen. I’ll cherish his last moments forever.”

  A stripe of panic ran down Diana’s spine. “No.”

  “Yes,” Doctor Leslie cackled. “Dead! I killed Steve Trevor! How does it feel?”

Diana’s grip on the woman’s collar tightened. Doctor Leslie gasped for breath. Cold chilled Diana to the bone. She’d let the men responsible for Steve’s death live once before. Not this time. She’d raze the base to the ground.

“Diana?”

Diana knew that voice. Her fingers went lax. Doctor Leslie collapsed onto the floor. Diana hardly noticed. She turned.

“Steve?”

He stood in the doorway. His chest rose and fell with harsh breaths. Diana stood still as the statue of Zeus as Steve came closer. He held his hands out to the sides as if approaching a startled animal. His blue eyes were deeper than she remembered. Diana took the last step separating them.  

She reached out for his face with a shaking hand. She pulled her fingers away just an inch from his skin. “I don’t want this to be a dream,” she said.

“Diana, I’m here,” Steve assured her. His pleading eyes begged her to believe him. “I’m not leaving you again.”

Diana crushed him to her chest. He still smelled the same. Apples and musk underneath the disinfectant of this place. Diana curled her fingers in the short hairs at the back of his neck. His cheek pressed to hers.

“I’m here,” Steve murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a scrambling noise as Doctor Leslie hauled herself from the floor and made her break for the door. Diana’s hand went to her lasso. Before she could snap the magic rope around the doctor’s ankle, Doctor Leslie ran straight into a shadow standing in the doorway.

Batman glared down at the doctor. She cowered.

Diana turned back to Steve, ignoring Bruce snapping cuffs on the doctor’s hands.

Diana wrapped Steve in her arms again. “I was so scared I lost you again,” she admitted.

“Give me that magic lasso,” Steve demanded. Diana unraveled it into his hands.

Steve wrapped the cord around his wrist like he had those ages ago in London. The magic glowed gold on his skin. “I am never leaving your side again.”

Diana didn’t know how long she and Steve stayed there wrapped in each other’s arms. At last, Bruce cleared his throat. Diana pulled back from Steve enough to crane her head at Bruce.

“Did you find Ace?” Diana asked.

“Yes.” A young woman with short black hair peeked out from behind Bruce’s shoulder. Her grey eyes danced with mirth.

“I knew you’d hear me,” Ace said. “Steve won’t shut up about you. I knew if you loved him half as much as he loves you, you’d come for him.”

Steve’s cheeks flushed. Diana laughed at his blush. She dropped her hand to grasp Steve’s fingers. “Let’s go home.”

[holylulusworld]

Ms. Bodyguard – The black dress

Summary: Jensen is used to be the hero on his show. He’s not a coward, not at all - but when he gets attacked by an unknown man the studio insists on a full-time bodyguard. Specialist in protecting people while living with them - you agree to protect Jensen but he doesn’t like the fact a ‘small’ girl shall protect him. Will you be able to protect the unwilling actor?

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Bodyguard!Reader

Characters: Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Clif Kosterman, ‘the shadow’

Warnings: angst, blood, slow-burn, attempted murder, comforting, injured reader, threats, a hint of making-out, tension, pining

A/N: Guardian angel is the readers codename. Sweetheart is Jensen’s.

A/N2: Please read the codewords or this chapter will be difficult to understand. 

Codewords in this chapter:

Ares – drop everything and run

Zeus – attacker sighted

Athena – backup needed

Nemesis – attacker down

Asclepius – Guardian angel down/hit

Ms. Bodyguard Masterlist

Sleep didn’t come last night. While you tried anything to find a lead to ‘the shadows’ whereabouts and how he could survive your attack, Jensen always stayed close to you.

The tension thick enough to make being close to your client uncomfortable you shift in the armchair. All you want is to protect him, take your former lover down without getting involved with Jensen.

You know the way he looks at you too well. There is no denying he’s attracted to you and this will make things more complicated if the attacker tries to make a move.

“Jensen, it’s a no go.” Breaking the awkward silence you meet Jensen’s eyes. “I know how you feel. When something like that happens to people, they tend to fall for their bodyguards. It’s not going to happen, sweetheart.”

Jensen nods silently but he gives you a smirk. “Did you find anything about your former partner? Did your friend of a friend find any information?”

He tries to change the topic, but you don’t call him out, not today. “Nothing so far, Jensen but I got an idea. It’s not without a risk but I know how to lure the shadow out.”

“Shoot me, Terminator.” Jensen sips at his coffee, looking expectantly at you. “If we get hold of that monster, I am all in.”

“This weekend, the party, you should attend it with me by your side. He needs to see me and you together, Jensen. I know he’ll not be able to resist and attack you. The shadow is a sneaky bastard but, and that is the good news, he’s predictable.” Nervously playing with your mug you look at Jensen, waiting for his decision. 

“Means you want to go to the party, show him your sexy ass and lure him into a trap. So, am I the bait or you?” Smirking you get up to pat Jensen’s shoulder.

“Me…crap…” You can hear the edge in Jensen’s voice, knowing he doesn’t show he’s scared. “Fine. What will I have to do?”

“Come with me, stay by my side, and do as I say oh…” Smirking you squeeze Jensen’s shoulder. “…and look pretty.”

“If you wear a nice dress, I am all in, Terminator.” Grinning Jensen looks at you. “I’d let you push me in the line of fire anytime.”

“Jensen, this is not funny. If he’s there, he’ll try to kill you and me. I don’t know if he will go after me and ignores you but, as I know that bastard, he’ll enjoy hurting you to hurt me.” Swallowing thickly Jensen looks up at you. “Do you still want to risk it?” 

“You told me the only way to get hold of the shadow is to lure him out. The party is the perfect opportunity. 

If we do not stop, he could hurt other people, innocent people like the girl. I am not Dean Winchester, but he’s a part of my life for that long, I know he would be disappointed if I let you down.”

“You know, that was the stupidest thing you ever said, sweetheart. Forget about your role, tell me if you are willing to risk getting hurt, Jensen. It’s only me and you in this room. No one will judge you.” Jensen takes a deep breath, recalling the words the man whispered into his ear.

“I am all in, Y/N. We will do this and bring him down. We got a lot of work to do…” Snickering you take his hand in yours squeezing it tightly. “…and I want a kiss after we got him.”

Walking down the stairs you can’t help but smile at Jensen. He’s wearing a suit and bowtie. Smirking at you he holds out his hand. “You look stunning, Y/N. I mean, not that you do not look great in combat boots and a skirt but…damn, sweetheart…”

“Don’t flatter me, Ackles. Underneath that black dress, I am hiding a gun and a nice knife.” Smirking you admire his outfit and the way his green eyes sparklewhen he ogles you shamelessly. “You look great too. Does the vest sit tight enough?”

“Bulletproof and stab-proof, awesome.” Jensen gives you a wink, hiding he’s nervous as hell. “Ready?”

“One last time. You will stay by my side the whole evening when I tell you, Ares, you will haul your ass out of the danger zone and stay with Clif. Do not try to play hero or crap.” Nodding Jensen recalls your instructions.

 “Ares got it. I stay with Clif and try to not get killed.” Humming you straighten his bowtie, not missing the way his breathing quickens. “I’ll do as you say.”

“Nice party.” Looking around the crowded room you check on your earpiece again. “Clif can you hear me?”

“Roger, Guardian angel. The cameras cover most of the room and the backstage area. I’ll stay here with Scott and tell you if I see anyone suspicious. The security team doesn’t know about the reason they have to double-check the invitations.” Clif replies.

“Good. We can’t trust anyone, Clif. I’ll stay with Jensen; you will keep an eye from above. No one gets hurt during my watch.” Jensen slings one arm around your waist, a smirk on his lips.

“Got to make it look natural.” Husking the words, he dips his head to press a soft kiss to your neck. “There we go, Y/N. Smile for the cameras.”

“I hate you, Ackles.” Gritting your teeth you fake a smile when his hand caresses the small of your back. He’s gently touching you and a shiver runs down your spine. “Did you see anyone not belonging here?”

“I got no clue, Y/N. Most of the people are from the team. Cast, crew, the rest are caterers and special guests.” Humming you turn around to check the other side of the room. “Did someone ever tell you that you are beautiful.”

“Gosh, Ackles. Stop charming me right now. You’ll get your kiss if we survive this night.” Eyes darken Jensen moves closer to you to slide his fingers along your spine. “Jensen…”

“Just play along, Y/N.” He’s bringing you in his arms, hiding his face in your neck. “There is a guy, opposite us, hiding in the shadows. I don’t know if I saw wrong, but he clenched his jaw anytime I touched you.”

“Can you describe him, sweetheart?” Heart pounding in your chest you slide your hand over your garter belt. “Anything?”

“Tall, around my size. Dark hair, muscular like me, maybe a bit more muscles. Wears a suit but, his shoes are dusty.” Humming you take deep breaths. 

“Clif, opposite my position. A guy in a suit, dark hair, muscular, dirty shoes. He looks at me and Jensen. Let Scott check the cameras…”

“Got it…” While you wait for Scott to check on the man you slide your fingers through Jensen’s hair, gently playing with the hairs at the nape of his neck.

“Y/N, Scott says he belongs to the security team. They told him to check the room. I guess they recognized something is going on.”

“Fuck…got it, Clif. Stay alerted. I know he’s here…I can feel it…” Jensen becomes bold. Close to getting attacked again or worse, he cups your face, glancing at your lips. 

“Fuck it…” His lips claim yours and for a moment, you kiss him back, opening your mouth to let his tongue slip in. “Now I can die as a happy man,” Jensen smirks and you are too stunned to respond.

“You know, that breaks one of my…” Looking over Jensen’s shoulder your freeze. “Clif, Zeus. You have to come here. Leave the cameras to Scott. He’s here…”

“We will have to go to the backstage area. When we do it, we’ll do it quickly. You’ll meet up with Clif at the restrooms. The shadow will follow us, so…be careful.” Grabbing Jensen’s jacket, you press a soft kiss to his lips. “Just for show, sweetheart.”

Jensen grins like the cat that got the cream when you let him wrap his arm around your waist. “Game on, baby. I bet he believed we want to do naughty things backstage…”

“Dream on, Ackles. Now, concentration. Clif, go…”

It happens in a matter of seconds. Clif never made it to the backstage area he’s unconscious, just like Scott.

“Hello, Y/N. Long time no see…” The shadow smirks, not missing the way you block his path. “I don’t want to hurt your little toyboy, but you have to admit it was the perfect plan to lure you out.”

“Not that great, Eric. I figured it out within two days, psycho.” Voice laced with venom you pray Clif and Scott are still alive. “Athena, I could need your help.”

“Your little friends Scott and Clif won’t help you, baby girl. Why don’t you handcuff your new toy to the heater, and we can talk like adults?” Eric grins wickedly, glancing at Jensen who looks angrier than you.

“I am not a toyboy, asshat!” Jensen grits out and you roll your eyes at his alpha behavior. 

“Cute, really. I mean do you have the slightest idea who am I or who she is? Do you know what she did for us? I bet you would not sleep well knowing she was a very bad girl.” Eric snickers.

“I bet, not as bad as you, asshole. Killing little girls – huh? Such a strong man, very masculine and heroic, son of a bitch.” Falling into his role Jensen grunts behind you. 

“Tame your little toy, Y/N. I guess he wants the guardian angel to lose another client. What did happen to Thomas? Was it a car accident?” Eyes darken you slide your hand over your thigh. “Nice bomb, wasn’t it?”

“You? It was you?” The realization hits you like a freight train. “All of them? You killed them, the whole family to pay me back?”

“You see, I hate that scar. It ruins my wonderful body.” Eric shrugs, now aiming his gun at you. “You missed my heart, baby. Only a bit to the left and you would’ve killed me but, the knife you left inside my chest stopped the bleeding.”

“Then I’ll do it right this time.” Smirking you block his sight at Jensen.

“I will end him fast but with you.” Eric dips his head, glancing at Jensen. “But with you...I’ll take my sweet time, maybe fuck you one last time? Good old times and all.”

“I don’t think so, Athena…ready?” 

“Stop calling your client's name. He won’t…” The sound of your backup’s voice let Eric’s eyes widen. 

“Got it, boss…” A voice replies to your order.

Aimless he fires his gun toward you and Jensen to take at least one of you down.

In the blink of an eye, you push Jensen down, roll over to get your gun out, firing the whole magazine into Eric’s chest. 

“Didn’t mean him, asshole…fuck… Nemesis…“ Panting you press one hand to your side, feeling the blood seeping out of your wound you fall to your knees.

“Asclepius, I…” 

SPN Forever Tags

@donnaintx​​​​

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

Dean/Jensen Forever Tags   

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@the-witch-in-silence​​​​

@justanotherwinchester​​​​​

@multisuperfandom​​​​

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@rosalynshields​​​​

A/N: If your name is crossed out Tumblr won’t let me tag you.

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

Ms. Bodyguard Tags

@healojane​​​​, @bitchwhytho​​​​, @marvelouslysherlockedhunter​​​​, @mimzy1994​​​​, @couldabeenamermaid​​​​, @abbessolute​​​​, @vicmc624​​​​, @fantasydevil2002​​​, @bobbie3939​​, @mamooska8​​, @winchestergirl82​​, @winchester-wifey​​

[kimberly-spirits13]

Home Invasion

Pairing: Damian Wayne x reader

Synopsis: While at home for the weekend while your parents are away for a business trip, you decided to order pizza. You didn’t think anything would go wrong when doing this, but then again, you were now living in a nightmare

Warnings: Mentions of being shot, home invasion

Word Count: 1770

        It was a pretty regular Friday night for you. The house was quiet but for the movie playing in the background, your parents were on a trip to Washington DC for business, and Damian was set to arrive in 2 hours to stay over. You didn’t have much planned that night, however when your stomach started to rumble, you decided to order some pizza for yourself. Ringing up your favorite pizza place, you got your favorite and sat back to wait for its arrival.

        As you were walking down the hallway and back into the living room from the bathroom, you heard the doorbell.

        “Strange.” You thought, “There was no notification from the guards.”

        Looking down at your phone, your thoughts were confirmed. Since you were home alone, you went to a covered part where no one would see you and checked the front cameras. It was the pizza guy, the right pizza guy in fact. You could tell that he was getting impatient more and more and eventually, you opened the door figuring that if anything happened, you’d be able to handle it.

        “Hello.” You said opening the door, “I paid online already.”

        “That’s wonderful Miss. L/N, however that’s not what I’m here for.” The man that was standing there said.

        Before you could slam the door, he pulled out a small pistol. Without much time at all, shots were fired and you had been grazed by one bullet and shot in the arm by another. Luckily, this one wasn’t a very good shot. You stepped back in pain some before throwing the box at him and slamming the door, locking it and then shutting the curtains on the windows. The only thing that you had heard from him was his voice calling an all clear for more in his group on the cell phone that he now had in his hands.

        “You have got to be kidding me!” You hissed army crawling into the kitchen, “Siri, call Dami.”

        As the phone was ringing, you grabbed the first aid kit and started wrapping up your arm. It wasn’t long before he picked up with a casual voice.      

        “Hello belov-“

        You cut him off quickly, “Damian, I need you to get here now. I ordered pizza and instead it was some guy with a pistol. He got me in the arm and called for backup.”

        Damian paused before you heard the loud sounds of footsteps running down the hallway.      

        “Where are you?” He asked entering the cave.

        “I’m in the kitchen wrapping the wound, I don’t know about getting my suit on since it would give me away but I can try and get to my weapons and upper body armor under my clothes.”

        “Do that, I’m on my way.” You heard him zip something up, clip another item, and then rev up his bike before speeding off.

        “Just give me a second, I’m switching to the comms.” Quickly, you hit the emergency button on your phone for the police and then put an earpiece in before you started talking some more.

        “Can you hear me?” You asked working up the steps.

        “I can, are you still okay?” Damian questioned.

        “I am. I’m going up to my room. I don’t know where they are but I’ll check the cameras once I’m changed.”

        You ran down the hallway and turned left into your bedroom before shutting and locking the door. All of the other doors upstairs were locked and you hoped that they would pick the right side of the staircase to clear before your side. Immediately, you went inside to your bathroom and locked that door before doing the same in your closet door and then, into the secret vault room that you had installed to keep your suit and weapons. You liked to call it your mini Batcave when wannabe killers weren’t chasing you.

        Quickly, you took off your top and put the bullet -proof armor that you typically wore on and then put your shirt on back over it. Over that you had your swords, similar to Damian’s but not too close. In your holsters, emergency knives and, just incase, two pistols with plenty of magazines to keep you going. You knew that you could just stay in here and wait for Damian to arrive to take out the assailants. But this was your home, and you’d be damned if any fake pizza man got into it.

        Quietly, you walked to the camera monitors. In the back of the house you noticed no activity. Then you checked the sides along with the fencing cameras. That’s when the thought dawned on you that the people at the front gate are either dead or they left. You were all on your own in this fight. The only place that the men could be now is the front. It was a bold move but you knew it was probably something that they did because they were either inexperienced or they were trying to scare you.

        You hid in the shadows, shutting off all of the lights and getting into position. All of them were accounted for, knowing that the man only called for 5 more. Not moving, you waited and waited for them to enter before the sound of the front window busting open put you on a higher alert. Watching them enter, you noticed their height and build, looking for their weak spots and sizing them up.

        “Miss. L/N! We’re here!” One of them called out laughing.

        You cringed some at his actions not really wanting to think about what he was to do if it wasn’t just a murder and robbery. They walked in and split up. That would make it easy to take them out without starting a firefight. Besides, you did want to keep the house as in tact as possible, you know, parents and all. They didn’t know that you were doing this kind of work so you figured it would be best to not stab them with a sword since that would be extremely telling. Instead, you leapt down to the first one and as he turned around, threw a knife right into his chest. Batman might have had a no kill rule, however right now, you didn’t care anymore.

        The first man was down. Now, there were only 5 more to go. Carefully, you tracked the next one and after taking him out, the third one. You didn’t think you’d need Damian during this but at the same time, you didn’t really want him to see what you were doing and had done.

        The third target wasn’t as easy. As a heavier set, taller man, he didn’t go down without somewhat of a fight. You didn’t want to pull out your guns as to not alert the others in the house of your location, but you didn’t have to worry about that for long since he knocked over a plant causing a great smash.

        You sighed, “That was more expensive than the hospital bills my parents paid when I was born you idiot.”

        Now that your position was given away, you fired a few shots into his head and chest, effectively taking him out. The other three rallied around you. For some reason, these were more experienced. They had had training and you could tell. One of them punched your arm which made you let out a cry in pain.

        “You stupid girl, thinking you could take us all out.” The one that hit you laughed.

        He tried to do it again before you moved out of the way and threw him into the fireplace. The man groaned in pain as the others looked at you with more anger in their eyes. They two pulled out more guns making your eyes go wide before you let a smoke screen down and escaped to regroup.

        “Damian where are you?” You asked.  

        “I’m about to enter the house, are you still alright?” He replied in a worried but angry tone.

        “Yeah, just bruised up a bit. These guys aren’t like normal robbers, they’re trained.” “Just be careful.” You said.

        “You know I will be.”

        With heavy breaths looking down at your leg you noticed that you’d be grazed again. This time you didn’t really notice because of the adrenaline that was rising. Sighing, you stepped back out and went into the hallway where the men had disappeared.

        “Damian, they’re not in the living room anymore… I don’t know where they are.” You informed.

        “They’re on the upper porch with me, I need assistance.” Damian said.

        “W-what? How did they get up there?” You mumbled heading upstairs in disbelief.

        The moment that you got to the railing of the third story porch that was just above you, you went to reach to pull yourself over. That was when a shot fired and the sound of metal hitting the wooden flooring rang out. You heard someone stumbling and then saw Damian hit the concrete floor three stories below. He didn’t move as blood pooled around him.

        You felt sick looking down at it, throwing up for just a second before shooting up at the floor knowing where they were. When you heard bodies hit the floor, you came up, swords ready with the look of fierce anger plastered on your face. That was when you stopped cold in your tracks. It wasn’t the men. Those bodies were your parents. Knees going weak, you dropped next to them before looking across the patio and seeing the three men laughing. That was when another shot rang out and you woke up in a cold sweat from your bed breathing heavily.

        The room was dark in your home and there was no bandage on your arm. You knew you were safe, it just didn’t feel like it. Within a few seconds, you found yourself reaching for your phone and calling Damian. Like in the dream it was a few seconds before he answered.

        “Beloved, are you alright?” He asked in a groggy voice.

        “Y-yeah. May I come over?”

        “Yes, what happened?”

        “It was just a bad dream.” You said heading to your car and leaving a note for your parents that you needed to go see Damian.

_______________________________________________________________________

        It was insanely late when you made it to the manor. Damian was at the door when you came and opened it without you having to answer. There wasn’t that much of an exchange, however you explained what the dream was about and then headed upstairs into his room for some sleep and the comfort which you couldn’t get alone fighting off strange nightmares.

Yooooo 😂. So I wrote this at like 5am one night and forgot about it. That’s kinda why it’s hot trash and I needed something to post today while I'm working on requesttsssss. I’ve been binging skincare by Hyram cause I had a breakout and also Chloe Ting is kicking my butt 😭 😂

[spooks-and-tea]

Entangled (Spencer Reid x femReader) [Ch.9]

Summary: You don’t know how it happened. One moment you were watching Criminal Minds, and the next moment you were literally in the show. Can Spencer be the key to helping you find your way back home?

Warnings: minor character death, mentions of su*cide, bad explanations of quantum mechanics, bad words, sexual situations (some non-con), the usual criminal minds-type content

A/N: Uhh more quantum mechanics that I don’t fully understand.

Word Count: 3,357

Chapter 1.  Chapter 2.  Chapter 3.  Chapter 4. Chapter 5.  Chapter 6.  Chapter 7. Chapter 8.  Chapter 9.  Chapter 10.  Chapter 11.

************************************************************************

Y/N (3 months later) You wanted to see the BAU again; to be in that world again. That's what motivated you to join the show and, somehow, you got the part.

Your character was new on the team, around your age, and Spencer's love interest. Of course.

Reading your character's description had almost put you off of accepting the part all together. Was it wrong to live vicariously through the show? It felt wrong. It felt wrong to pretend that tv-Spencer was your Spencer. Yet, you wanted to be on the sets, working at the BAU. You missed everyone and everything about that life.

Today, you walked onto the lot. You had a scene with Matthew. It was going to take place on the set of Spencer's apartment.

You mentally prepared yourself as you sat still for hair and makeup. This was the first time you would be in any form of Spencer's apartment since the night you were taken away.

You stopped in front of the production studio, screwing your eyes shut and counting to 10.

Your hand moved of it's own accord, over your chest. Would that magnetic feeling ever go away? Would it haunt you for the rest of your life? Would it remind you every day of what you lost, or of what you could've had?

You stepped onto the set and looked around, taking in the familiar setting that was once a place you called home. That big apartment never felt like a home. If you could go back you would've sold that place in a heartbeat to live with Spencer. Although, it was early on in your relationship, you both got along well when you lived together. You both could share the small space and still have enough room to love each other.

"Y/N! How's it going? You ready to film today?" Matthew came up to you with a coffee in his hand and a big smile.

You tried to not let that smile break your heart.

"Hey, I'm great. This is my first time on this set actually, it's cool to see it in real life." You bit your lip to mask the exaggeration in your tone.

"Ah. We won't be here long, we've got a bullpen scene later."

"Yeah."

You looked at your shoes. You knew what scene that was and, from what you read of the script, you weren't going to enjoy filming it.

Matthew studied you for a second, but was called away by the director before he could say anything else. What he was looking for, you couldn't say.

You read over this scene's lines and got into place. The director filled you in on some script changes and how he wanted your reactions to come across to the audience. You nodded in understanding and the cameras were rolled into place.

You cleared your throat and got into character just before the scene started.

************************************************************************

Spencer 3 months had passed by; 3 more months without her.

For 3 straight months, Spencer worked himself sick. People could tell he wasn't eating or sleeping. Garcia made the extra effort to bring him lunch everyday because he refused to leave the office to get it himself. Morgan would invite him out some nights, even volunteering to watch documentaries with him, but Spencer always shot him down.

His mind was constantly on the equation papers. Whenever the team wasn't working on other cases, he was looking over the equation, scribbling notes, rewriting the equation, and reading countless material on quantum mechanics. He felt so close to the answer, like it was just out of his reach.

Then, one day, Spencer received an unexpected call.

"Hello?"

"You'll find him at the warehouse at 4pm." A older woman's voice.

"Who is this?"

"You should hurry, if you want to see her again, that is. Your lives are already entangled. When the time is right, just follow the magnetic pull and it will lead you to her."

"I-" The caller hung up before Spencer could speak. He checked his wristwatch, it was 3pm. If he wanted to get there in time, he would have to leave now and drive fast. He looked around the bullpen for anyone that would let him borrow their car without asking too many questions.

"JJ!" He ran to catch up with her.

"Hey Spence? Why are you so excited?" Her eyebrows rose. She could barely contain her smile at his excitement. She'd been worried about him.

"I got a lead. I need to borrow your car. Please."

She immediately knew what case this lead was for.

"Spencer. How do you know this isn't a trap? You could be running blindly into a dangerous situation."

"I know and I don't care. This could be my last chance to find her. Please JJ, I don't have much time," Spencer pleaded.

She gave him a worried look. "Okay, but I'm driving."

"JJ, you don't have to come with me. If this is a trap I don't want you getting hurt. You have a family."

"You're not alone in this, Spence. We all want Y/N back. I'll call for backup when we get there."

************************************************************************

"4pm." Spencer suddenly said as JJ drove to the warehouse at the outskirts of town.

"It's 3:25. We still have time," JJ assured; side-eyeing him from the driver's seat.

"No. That's the answer! That's the missing piece to the equation!" Spencer's eyes were wide and he was accentuating his words with hand gestures.

"Okay, genius. What are you talking about?"

"The equation we found. I concluded that it was configuring quantum tunneling equations. When quantum particles gather enough energy, they're able to pass through barriers-"

"Like radio waves?" JJ asked.

"Yes! These pieces of equations, the Schrödinger's equation part, in particular, shows that our unsub was studying these high energy quantum particle waves. I understood that much, but valuable information was missing in those burnt pages."

"And what information was that?" JJ did her best to follow along.

"Time, the missing variable, it's time and space! Doctor Who! Dammit I've been so blind this whole time." His false memory was telling him the answers, but he had brushed them aside as delusions. His false memory of watching Doctor Who with Y/N before she woke up in his dimension.

"The Doctor travels through time and space in a loop, a void space. Time isn't linear, as we understand it, in these equations. The walls of her dimension cracked, a particle wave with high enough energy got through, but barely; cracking her end. That's how she got through, or at least that's how someone got her through."

"Okay Spence, watch the language, you're starting to scare me a little." JJ gave him a worried look. He hadn't been eating or sleeping, should she be driving the doctor to a doctor?

************************************************************************

Y/N You were stronger than you realized. The scene in Spencer's apartment had called for your character, Agent Audrey Stryfe, to subtly flirt with him. Being able to separate Matthew from your Spencer outside of your scenes was proving to be a helpful coping mechanism that you kept at the back of your mind during filming.

What wasn't going to help was the scene you were just getting into place for.

"Aaaaand, action!"

"Dr. Reid." You strolled over and sat at the edge of his desk in the bullpen set. He looked up.

"Explain to me again how our unsub was able to pull off all of this in one night." You tunnel visioned, no longer seeing the cameras or edges of the set in the peripherals of your vision.

Matthew twirled his pencil, flicking his eyes down at your skin that peaked out from under your fitted skirt.

"Actually, I don't think our unsub was acting alone. Remember the box of ticket stubs located at the first hideout? Those were momentos; kept in pairs. I believe we're dealing with 2 unsubs, a couple."

"Star-crossed lovers, a new-age Bonnie and Clyde," your character considered.

Matthew nodded and stood up, walking up to the pinboard.

"Based on the geographical locations of the crime scenes and hide outs, we can see that they're making their way west." He ran his fingers along the map's red markings.

"Will they cross state lines?" You walked up next to him.

"There's a high probability they will, yes."

"Can we confidently say that one is the aggressor and one is just tagging along?"

"Yes, in cases with couples like these, typically the male is the aggressor. For example, Bonnie and Clyde. Clyde had a history of committing crimes long before he met Bonnie. She only became a criminal after they became a couple."

"But why would the unsub's partner go along with these killings willingly?" You asked.

Matthew turned to look at you.

"Love. History says Bonnie fell in love with Clyde and that's why she stuck by him as his partner; though he was a terrible criminal. He made multiple failed attempts at robbing banks. Clyde actually wrecked their car at one point, nearly killing her with these 3rd degree burns that nearly lost her a leg. She was also struck by bullets multiple times, but still she stayed by his side. We know he loved her too because a smart, or ruthless, criminal would have left her behind after the leg injury. Clyde carried her around; sometimes she limped. She couldn't properly walk for the rest of her short life."

"Devotion, idolization, justification. These unsubs are recreating the Bonnie and Clyde crimes. I can't agree that it's love that drives them, though."

"Why is that?"

"When you love someone, you want what's best for them. You'd never put them in harms way. If Clyde really loved Bonnie, he would have never taken her along with their gang in the first place," you nearly choked on the familiar words.

Matthew nodded, eyes scanning the map.

"I suppose a more appropriate defining word for their relationship would be 'obsession.'"

"If you were in the male unsub's position, what would you do, Dr. Reid?"

"I'd protect her." He looks at you again. "I'd turn myself in, admit that everything was my doing." Matthew was a great actor, but he couldn't recreate your Spencer's expression when he looked at you.

"Hmm," you hummed.

I'm going to be sick.

"Have you ever been in love, Agent Stryfe? You seem to know a lot on the subject."

"Yes, in fact. I have." You swallowed, eyes going glossy.

"May I ask with whom?" He smiled, slyly.

"I'll tell you if you promise we can take a break from this. We've been working all night. You promised me dinner, Dr. Reid." You poked his chest.

Stay in character; just stay in character and get through this scene. You can cry later.

"I didn't think all this talk of murder would work up much of an appetite," he chuckled.

"We've worked here long enough, catching murderers is normal. " You smiled.

Matthew nodded, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips.

"We could raid the snacks in the break room, then get right back to work." He suggested.

"Oh no. You're going to properly wine and dine me, Doctor." You stepped forward, placing your hand over his chest.

He went quiet for a heartbeat.

You shrugged. "Fine, then I'll just have to treat myself." You smirked at him and turned to grab your purse from your desk.

Matthew grabbed your wrist, stopping you. You gave a sly look to the edge of the nearest camera.

Matthew spun you around, placing his hands on either side of your face and bringing you into an intense kiss.

You disassociated from yourself, right then, letting him lead you through the kiss. He pulled away, still holding you.

"Dr. Reid. If I had known you kissed like that, I would have asked you out sooner." There it was, your final line.

"So-" He cleared his throat.

"Dinner?" Has asked, holding out his elbow. Your character giddily wrapped her arms around it and swept up her purse.

"Cut! That was great! Take a break, we'll come back in 5." The director called out.

You breathed heavily, practically running out of the studio. You needed fresh air.

As soon as you broke through to the outside lot you felt the tears begin to fall. You gasped for breath, sobbing for someone who didn't exist here. Sobbing for the Spencer Reid who originally wrote that script for you.

5 months you had gone without him. You could no longer remember the exact last words he spoke to you. Your mind hazily pictured his eyes as he watched you begging for him. He was becoming a fading dream.

You wondered if he was still searching for you. Was the whole BAU on your case? He must've known by now what really happened; that he could never get you back. He must have blamed himself.

You cried harder.

If you could just send him one more message. You could properly tell him that you loved him and that it wasn't his fault.

You clenched your aching chest.

"Y/N?" You held your arms around yourself tighter at the sound of his voice. You knew it wasn't your Spencer, you would only hear him in your dreams now.

"Sorry Matthew. I just need a moment alone." You were facing away from him, but your posture and voice gave away your emotions.

"Listen. I know that I remind you of someone important. You have the most difficulty filming scenes with me, more than with Shemar or anyone else. I feel super bad about it. Let me take you out for dinner later. I'll even sing Disney songs in the car at the top of my lungs with you." He stepped in front of you.

You laughed a little through your tears. Matthew was a lovely friend, he didn't deserve to feel guilty about something he couldn't control.

"You don't have to take me anywhere. I'll be fine, really." You sniffled, looking up at him.

"Nope. I think you need junk food. The greasiest food that Southern California has to offer." He smiled, pulling you into a tight hug.

You giggled. He wasn't going to let this go.

"Fine," you grumbled.

************************************************************************

"So let me get this straight. I strongly resemble your ex and that's why you've been acting strange around me?" Matthew spoke through a mouthful of In-N-Out cheeseburger bits.

You nodded, sipping your milkshake. You'd never eaten on the hood of a car before, but Matthew thought it was absurd not to watch the sun set turn the sky pink and orange. It did make the semi-empty parking lot look more ethereal.

"You seem really torn up over him, did things end badly?" Matthew asked.

"Neither one of us wanted it to end. I was taken away from him." You lay your head back down on your elbow, looking up at the sky.

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Y/N I believe in a lot of things. A lot of things others don't believe in. I know there are things out there that we can't explain and I know you have no reason to lie about something I see effecting you every day. I'll believe you." You did know he was into the paranormal. Would he actually believe you?

"Alright you asked for it." You turned on your side to look at him.

"Remember how I told you that I missed the first Criminal Minds casting call I was lined up for?" He nodded while biting into his greasy food.

"Well I missed it because I woke up in another place, as in, not-of-this-dimension." You paused, bracing yourself to be verbally torn apart.

He blinked, but motioned for you to continue. You were stunned he hadn't immediately laughed at you.

"I woke up in a dimension where the plot and all the characters of Criminal Minds were real. I woke up in the BAU and everyone there knew me."

"This sounds like a dream," he commented.

"I thought it was, so I tried to jump off a cliff into a lake to wake myself up. It's my greatest fear, but it didn't work. Spencer Reid saved me before I drowned. After, I stayed in that dimension for a month." Matthew's eyebrows raised.

You continued to explain everything to him and he stayed quiet, just listening, barely giving reactions.

"Spencer Reid is your ex." He realized just before you got to the part where you had confessed your love to Spencer at the BAU.

"Yes, he is."

"Does he- look like me? Does he act the same way he's written in the show?"

"He looks and sounds just like you, but he has his minor differences with his facial expressions. He's a bit different than how the showrunners write him."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"But how did you get back here? How did you get separated?" He frowned.

"An unsub kidnapped me and brought me back here. I think he has something to do with how I left in the first place."

"So you really were taken from him," he breathed. "I'm so sorry."

"Yes, but I'm coming to terms with it. There's no way I can ever see him again. It was nearly impossible that I ended up in his dimension in the first place."

"Y/N, I've been playing the guy for 15 years. If I know him, which I believe I do pretty well, I know he won't stop trying to find you."

You sighed.

"That's what I'm afraid of; I don't want him to go the rest of his life feeling guilty and searching for something he can't possibly find. I just want him to be happy."

************************************************************************

Spencer

When JJ parked outside the warehouse at 3:53pm. Spencer practically took off running inside.

"Spencer!" JJ called.

He burst through the doors and drew his firearm. He spun around, checking his surroundings. The warehouse had only one large space at this point, with beams to hold up the roof. The integrity of the interior, individual room walls, had given out; leaving only rubble behind.

Spencer's eyes widened as they landed on a platform machine that stood in the middle of the old warehouse. It was connected to a generator, filling the room with a humming noise. A dim, white light emanated from the circle in the middle of the platform. Near it was a table with scattered paperwork, identical to the notes Spencer had found at the abandoned house. A large computer with maybe 100 multi-colored wires connected to a box-shaped machine with blinking red, blue, and green lights. This box connected back to the platform with two large black wires on either side.

Spencer slowly neared the computer, the humming of the machinery matching up perfectly with the wavelength of the magnetic humming in his chest; it pulled him closer.

"Spencer watch out!"

Spencer spun on his heel just as JJ called out. He dropped to the floor just as an older man in a trench coat reached forward to grab him. The momentum caused the man to trip over Spencer, landing hard on the concrete floor in front of him. JJ took this opportunity to lunge at the man, quickly and skillfully handcuffing him.

"Oh you are lucky I came with you! What the hell do you think you're doing Spencer?!" JJ yelled.

Spencer caught his breath, looking at the man. He was the one Y/N saw; he was the unsub.

"That's our unsub He's the one who took Y/N." Spencer spoke quickly.

He checked his watch; 3:57pm. He had 3 minutes. The unsub could wait, Spencer needed to find you.

Spencer sprung up and sprinted to the computer. A white box with a blinking line waited for an input. Spencer tuned out JJ reading the unsub his rights and calling for backup.

His eyes glanced over the scattered papers. He willed his brain to work faster than it ever had before as he calculated the full equation, with time and space included, in his head. He mumbled incoherent variables and squeezed his eyes shut.

The humming grew louder. 3:59pm. His eyes flew open as he typed in the answer; harshly clicking 'enter'. He stumbled to the platform, standing over the glowing white circle just as 4:00pm hit.

The last thing he saw was a blinding white light.

Next Chapter

[lolathepeacocklord]

Chapter 3 – Helping Hand

  “It’s not safe to be walking around all by yourself. There’s a lot out here that can and probably will try to kill you.” The new stranger took Smith’s hand and started to pull him away down the alley. He progressed down to a dead end and opened up a door to the left, which led to a very dark room inside the building. The place was relatively large, at least compared to other buildings in town. It probably had three floors. Smith was very hesitant on walking into the pitch black room. That guy seemed to just disappear into the abyss.

Why was he even following him? It could be some loony that was gonna kill and eat him. It’s been a damn long time since he’s met anybody nice out here. And the fact he talked normally like him was also a bit confusing. Were sane people more common then he thought they were?

He grunted and inhaled sharply- tightening his grip over to bleeding wound. Oh yeah, he just remembered why the guy dragged him here in the first place.

  The smoker gained the courage to take a step into the house, and hissed when he got a light shined in his face for a split second.

“Sorry, sorry!” The man said, a little bit panicked. “We… Don’t have electricity here really. There’s a backup generator in the basement. It’s out of gas though.” He twisted the flashlight a bit and made it’s spotlight larger so the room could be seen better. Now that more of the place was visible this place looked like a run down motel. Well it was the literal apocalypse, so of course things are gonna be trashed, but he still assumed the highest rating this place ever got was three stars. Even that felt a bit generous.

   The man had gone off to get both that flashlight and seemingly a medkit. “Could you sit down please? I’d like to take care of that sooner rather then later.”

“Yeah me too.” Smith murmured and sat down. At least the guy seemed to know what he was doing. He started to help clean around the wound which hurt like fucking hell. Smith still felt on the cautious side with this man, just because he met him about seven minutes ago. He didn’t even know the guy’s name.

“I’m Alex by the way.” He had a gentle little smile on his face. “Sorry for grabbing you off the street so suddenly. I just didn’t want you to be out in the open too long. Especially if you have an open wound.”

“Smith. Thanks for the help.” Well at least they were getting to know each other. He would have done this mini surgery by himself, but… This was a bullet. He’s dealt with slashes and cuts and stuff, so there was a tiny bit of experience there with stitches. But he’s never taken a literal bullet out of himself before. Or anyone else.

  “Are you… Sure you know what you’re doing?” The smoker asked nervously.

“Yeah! I’ve been having a little practice recently. I got a friend who is a bit reckless. He’s… Been shot more then once definitely.” Alex rummaged through the medkit and eventually pulled out some pliers. They didn’t look… Too rusty. “Just letting you know, this is about to hurt. A lot. So just keep yourself braced.”

Smith tried to force himself to look away from this, but would continue to glance back a lot. The wound for some reason looked bigger then it did earlier. Wider. At least it gave a little more room for Alex to insert the tweezers, and it hurt like hell. Alex needed to grip his wrist just so he didn’t rip his arm away from him. The little bullet was deep in there, and blood continued to pour from the wound again. The smoker grunted slightly and clenched his teeth hard, resting his chin in the palm of his other hand. After several agonizing minutes the little piece of metal clinked onto the tabletop and rolled around in a tiny circle. Alex and Smith both sighed with relief. “Worst part’s over. Good job!” Alex gave a thumbs up and cleaned the wound the rest of the way now. There was a mediocre set of a needle and thread, so he continued to carefully stitch up the wound again. He knew what he was doing… Mostly. The apocalypse has really been helping him learn a thing or two in the medical field. At least enough to treat multiple bullet wounds and occasionally the claw marks and gashes from melee weapons.

    Alex looked up at Smith every once in a while to just kind of... Get a look at this guy. He stared at the hole in the wall nervously, having green catlike eyes. And the schlera was a bright yellow that almost seemed like it glowed. Or maybe it just reflected light well or something, he wasn't sure. His hair went all the way down the back of his neck and curled a bit at the end. The right side of his head was shaved and he had several piercings on his ears, and one on his remaining eyebrow. He had a tiny little scar more on the right side of his lips. He seemed like he was a Hispanic American mix. Definitely an interesting looking guy.

  “There we go, good as new!” Alex said happily, closing the kit again as Smith examined the work with the bandages. Nothing felt loose, and most of the bleeding seemed to be stopping. "Thanks, um... Alex." Smith said, returning a tiny smile. The guy sure seemed optimistic, especially since it was, oh you know, the end of the world. Suddenly Smith felt incredibly awkward.

    "So um... Are you just, like, some tumor guy?" He asked, getting a confused look from Alex. "What do you mean?"

"Well you're clearly not a survivor. Or well, an immune survivor. And you got the whole tumor mess going on there." Smith put his elbow on the table, resting his head in his palm. "Wish I was as lucky as you. Not single tentacle hanging out as far as I see."

Alex continued to stare, looking just as awkward and confused as Smith felt right now. "I'm... Not a smoker. Have you- never seen a boomer before?"

Smith blinked. "A what now?"

  Alex took in a deep breathe and sighed gently. The flashlight on the table began flickering. He grabbed it and smacked it against his palm a few times before getting the regular shine back. “There we go. You should really keep batteries anytime you find them. Big, small, medium- you never know what they’d come in handy for!”

“… Right, uh… I kinda wanted to know what a boomer was? And you keep talking about these other people. Who exactly- what- I’m a little lost right now.”

“Right right, sorry.” Alex quickly put the light back and began to tell the smoker everything he knew.

  “I saw some guy behind a building throwing up everywhere, really violently. I went to see if he was alright. He had these growths starting to grow on his arms and face, and I asked him if I needed to call an ambulance. And then he just… Without any warning at all-” He looked like he might throw up as well. “Dear god, the guy just blew up like a balloon- blood and shit going everywhere. P-People thought I committed a murder, and there was a security camera nearby thank god. I was let off the hook just because people had no idea what happened there. The investigation didn’t last long because, well… Heh. Ahem- I started to get really sick and well, look where I am now. Yeah.”

   Smith felt bad for bringing up such a touchy subject. The guy seemed genuinely ashamed he had become this monstrosity, so that made him feel even worse. He tried to change the subject somewhat and said “How are your other friends doing? They doing… Well?”

The two were quite for several minutes, just staring at each other. Alex eventually grabbed the flashlight and rose from his seat. “Come with me, I’ll introduce you to the others.”

   Smith became increasingly more worried as he was given a tour around the motel. A lot of the walls and doorways were outright demolished, and at this point he was a little scared to ask who and what would have caused that. Alex’s low-context answer somehow made it feel worse.

“For the type of infected Brutus is, he’s actually a bit smaller compared to other infected. Doesn’t mean he can’t cause a ton of destruction.” He said, sounding like he was just talking to himself, because this was not giving Smith the answer he wanted regarding the destruction. At least he made it sound like it was their friend? Whatever this Brutus thing was. Alex eventually turned over to one room and gently knocked on the door before slowly opening it. “… Hello, you awake?”

   There was another destroyed wall (lovely) inside the room, so that was… Something. The room itself was more interesting. Whoever lived here seemed to horde a lot of blankets and pillow, and a big mattress too. It looked a bit squished though, and there was a big blanket that was clearly made by sewing together a bunch of other blankets. More off to the corner of the room was a huge pile of pillows and blanket. The uneasy part was was the fact a hand was sticking out from the pile. A hand with very, very long claws.

   “She doesn’t like super bright lights. So if you wanna wake her up ever, just… Don’t do that.” Alex turned off the flashlight and walked over to speak to the pile of pillows. Smith looked around nervously at the dark building and checked again to see if a hallway lamp was working. The answer was no, and he sighed softly. He suddenly felt a tingling in his throat and put his hand over his mouth, coughing repeatedly. He was doing his best to keep it down, so he tried moving down the hall a bit. Alex then came out and waved at him. “Blance is up! Just- whenever you’re done doing you.”

   Smith forced down the coughing fit surprisingly, and watched a woman walk out the doorway, mumbling something to herself. The claws were really intimidating, and she kind of seemed to have a resting bitch face. That or she always looked angry when she got woken up to meet random strangers. She wore a baggy keyhole sweater that was a bit of a tan color, a dark gray denim skirt, and some pantyhose that were pretty raggedy and torn up. She didn’t wear any kind of shoes. Or at least not at the moment? Yeah, who went to bed with shoes on. And unless you were there to witness it and had a sharp memory, you probably wouldn’t be able to find anything in that room.

“So you’re the new guy?” She asked, looking at Smith with slight distaste. She looked a couple inches shorter then Alex and had long dirty blonde hair that covered most of the right side of her face. She brushed it out of the way to squint at Smith, and Alex turned the flashlight back on by now. She cringed at the sight of him having even more tumors then her friend right next to her. “You smell awful, god.” Well, she clearly wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Smith was glad to see she still had both of her eyes in their sockets, unharmed and everything. She let the hair fall back over her face and Alex asked “Where did Brutus go Blance? I’m sorry to interrupt you starting a nap, I just haven’t heard him.”

“Heard him?” Smith asked.

“Yeah, you can definitely hear him walking around. I’ll show you why in a minute.” Alex said. “But this is Blance! Blance, this is Smith. He is a smoker, and Smith, she is something called a witch-”

“I can already tell why he has that name. Just his voice says it all.” She murmured, and didn’t give Smith time to react to that comment. “Also I’ve been… Asleep. For a while now. I thought you would know where he was.”

Alex stared blankly at her. “No… I said I was gonna check the building next door, see if it had anything there. You were supposed to keep an eye on Brutus. He does seem to hang around you more anyways.”

  Smith watched the two go back and forth, just trying to figure out who the hell had been looking after this Brutus guy. He was starting to get the impression he was some sort of child, but how could a child destroy a building like this? Not like throwing things off shelves and breaking vases- actually destroying the place. He just wanted to know what the fuck was going on with these new infected her was meeting. Was that really so much for him to ask?

And that’s when things really started to go down.

   Alex literally screamed like a girl when they all heard a huge crash outside. Not directly outside, but really damn close. Maybe just behind the building near them. Immediately after the crash a car alarm was going off like crazy. And then they heard the sound of a horde coming over.

“We might’ve just found him.” Blance said, and started running away, and out through a hole in the building, Alex stammered a bunch and tried to stop her before running off in a different direction of the building to get something.

“What the hell’s happening!?” Smith yelled.

  “Sorry, I-I’m so sorry. I haven’t been telling you anything about that, I just- Thought it’d be better to introduce you first.” Alex had gone over to a closet where there were a ton of guns stored. “Jesus, where did you get all these?” Smith asked, staring in awe.

“This city has really dangerous litter nowadays. Here-” Alex just shoved a gun into Smith’s arms. He gave him this heavy baggy too, and when he opened it up he saw why. It had a ton of magazines for the gun. Alex grabbed himself a shotgun and shoved a bunch of shells into his pockets before he shut the door. He started to run off in the same path he saw Blance go, but stopped in his tracks for a minute.

   “You don’t have to come you know! Just keep that on you in case you need to defend yourself.” Alex told Smith, who was keeping close behind him.

“No no no, I wanna come with you. Just so I can know what the hell is happening around here.” Smith said. “You guys may need extra protection, and I’m glad to provide it!

   Alex smiled at him, still seeming very panicked. “I’ll explain all of this later, don’t worry.” He said and patted the smoker’s shoulder. “Just brace yourself- you’re going to see a lot of weird things from here on out.”

Smith didn’t take in how right those words were going to mean in the next several minutes. Alex didn’t even know what was gonna be in store. All they knew was that the witch ran away, there was a horde, something happened with a car, and they just needed to go on from there. So the two kept their guns in their arms, waited for an opening so they weren’t just running directly through a horde, and just followed the zombies over to the noise.

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Tokyo Tower (Part 3) Spy Games

Fingel is an unexplored character in most of Dragon Raja Novels. His past is shrouded in mystery and is revealed little by little in hints and tidbits across the novels. So even though there are five novels out, I still can’t say I know that much about him.

The phone rang twice by the time you crossed the room to get it. It was an ornate metal phone standing on lion paws with a turn-style dialing wheel and an earpiece that looked like the brass handle of a castle door. Still when you pick it up you answer. “Pizza Hut. How can I help you?”

Caesar’s smooth voice carried a smile over the line. “Hello MC. I take it you’re all settled in?”

“There wasn’t much to settle. I could rattle around in this place.”

The premier suite of the Takamagahara was second in luxury only to Whale’s own full floor living quarters. This area was nearly one thousand square feet. Coming into the entrance, the floors were covered in mahogany reclaimed from an old dojo. The silk wallpaper shined bright from the walls all the way up to the ten foot vaulted ceiling that hung with a magnificent chandelier.

The sitting and dining rooms were furnished with antique World War II era wood furniture. A grand piano occupied a space near an arched window. The kitchen area was the smallest area as most people who could afford to stay here didn’t bother cooking for themselves. Half that area was just the expansive wine rack and liquor cabinet.

The bedroom floor was a rosy Berber carpet. The king-sized bed took up most of the space. Its tall ornamental posts were overlaid with a silken canopy of gold. The walk in closet was bigger than the entire area you’d stayed in until now.

The bathroom had marble tiled flooring, heated of course, a jacuzzi tub big enough for four people and an infinity shower with more buttons than you knew what to do with.

You roll your eyes around the room, sitting on the bed in your satin lavender night dress, your wet hair wrapped up in a towel. “It’s quite the upgrade.”

“You don’t sound that enthusiastic.”

“I’ll miss falling asleep to voices outside my door.”

Caesar paused at that, silent.

“A wise young man told me that… the world… as it pertains to you, is only composed of the people you know. Even though I have gotten the privilege of staying here, my world has gotten a lot smaller. You boys get on my nerves a lot. And we don’t always see eye to eye. But you are my entire world. Don’t forget it.”

“I bet you say that to all the guys.” Caesar replied.

“Yes! All the guys in my world.” You laugh at his throwing your words back at you. “Anyway… How did the meeting go?”

“Smoothly, much to my surprise. The main target is the King General. Ruri Kazama will be the assassin, Lu Mingfei will be running a sniper position. Fingel will be providing a listening point by laser sensor on the windows. Chu Zihang and I will both be guarding the perimeter in an underground garage from a nearby building to avoid infrared detection. Our job will mainly be to stop the King General from escaping. There are two places you can be. Either with Lu Mingfei as a second sniper, or with Chu Zihang and I on perimeter watch. Take your pick.”

You think seriously on this point. “Hmmm… where will Mingfei be stationed versus where you guys will be?”

“Mingfei will be on top of one of the surrounding buildings with his rifle. Having you up there might be a reassuring second shot should he need backup or suppressive fire. Snipers need teams but we’re low on manpower. Chu Zihang and I will be fine underground. There’s a cable duct we can crawl through. That said… being underground is right in your Soul Skill’s wheelhouse. Either way you choose will enhance the team.”

After a moment more thought, you say “I’ll go with Mingfei.”

“...Dammit.”

“You deserve it. Have fun on your date with Chu Zihang.” You stick your tongue out at him through the phone.

“Hey, he and I are on good terms now. It’s you I worry about. Don’t you think seeing the men who took everything from you not that long ago might shake you up?”

“You don’t go into a rage every time you see your father do you?” Caesar was silent and you waited for him to speak but he didn't. “Do you?” ask again with some surprise in your voice.

“Not...externally. I didn’t think of Herzog as your father.”

“A cold hearted person who kills without much thought doesn’t sound familiar? There’s a reason I am the way I am.”  You slip under the heavy comforters on the bed while holding the phone to your ear. 

“You’re not cold-hearted.” Caesar’s voice was more of a command than a statement.

“I can be.” You respond. “Hearing his voice again will be like going home.”

Caesar sighed with exasperation. “Let’s change the subject. Have you thought about my proposal yet?”

“I think... it’s crazy that you’re willing to lie to the Academy about my bloodline problem then install a know-nothing freshman to the rank of Leader of the Japanese Branch, but yes, I have thought about it.”

“Good, then your training starts now.”

You squint. “Training?”

“You need to know some basic things about Dragons, but you’ll catch up on that knowledge at your leisure. More importantly, you’ll need to understand how to navigate around the Yakuza here.  Remember that Fingel is assigned to monitor the Japan Branch for the principal?”

“Yes.”

“You just happen to be the beloved of the Devil Clan commander. That makes you a valuable information asset. Fingel may seem to be a numbskull but he’s a master spy. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s wiretapped this phone and installed listening devices and pinhole cameras all over your room.” Caesar said this in a growl. “He was evasive when I asked about it so I can guarantee you he has. I don’t want him to be looking at any lewd pictures of you.”

“Are you serious? But I’m a fellow student?” You’re completely appalled.

“He does this on campus! He’s a dog with no morality! But he’s useful, that’s why I keep him in the Student Union. I know him well. If you’re going to be the leader of the Japan branch, learn to find bugs and hidden cameras. For every one you find, I’ll fine him five thousand dollars and give it to you. This phone is probably tapped so I know he’ll hear me say this.”

You flip back the covers. “Oh my gosh…” You start opening drawers and looking inside. “Thanks  Caesar,” you sigh.

“No problem. Just looking out for you as always. Go to sleep in an hour regardless. It’s a big day tomorrow. Fingel, 5,000 for every one she finds.”

You start with the bathroom.  Given his love for racy photos that would probably be a hotspot. In 10 minutes you managed to find three. Fingel needed to find good angles of the Jacuzzi and shower and there weren't that many places to hide and get good shots.

There’s a loud knock on the door. You grab your claw-dagger and creep forward, flipping off the lights. “Who is it?”

“R-r-room service.”

Fingel. The phone really was tapped. You straighten up in disapproval. “You’re too late, I already found three.”

“No! Wait, please. I… uh…”

“In the bathroom…” Your voice is low but it carried enough threat through the door.

“A just leader shows mercy?” came Fingel’s whimpering voice. “I don’t have 15k okay?”

“Wait a moment.” You cover yourself in a long robe and return and open the door. “Fingel, you’re dressed as a waiter. Taking cues from Ruri Kazama already? You probably infiltrated the room while I packed and talked with Caesar.” He was tall but cringed away from your icy stare. 

“H-how could I not, right? I’m a quick study! But let's not talk in the hall, the first rule of being undercover is not breaking character!”

You let him in and shut the door. “In that case, I can understand why he gave you a stage name so quickly,” you say.

“The lady has a very clever boyfriend!” Fingel seemed pleased even though he had no say in the matter. 

“I’ll give you the devices and say you found them. But only if you remove all the devices from the room. Understand? Remove all of them and show me where you hid them and how you did it.” Caesar wasn’t going to teach you about spy objects and hidden devices, the master spy, Fingel would!

“Of course! Of course! But I have to keep an eye on you right? Second rule is knowing where everyone is at all times!”

“You will not know when I got to the bathroom!” You hiss.

“I will know because that is now a blind spot.” He sighed mournfully but then ducked when you reached for your knife. “Okay, okay! You have to be quick on your feet. Assume you’re being watched at all times and observe everything! Caesar already warned you right? I’m on assignment from the principal to watch the Japan branch!”

“So this will be an ongoing lesson!” Your eyes widened.

“Precisely.” He winked.

“You’re wearing a wire.”

“What? No, I’m not!”

“Don’t worry I can’t see it but I assumed it after you said that. You are. Am I supposed to search you too?” You start walking towards him. “Five thousand dollars…”

Fingel for a moment, looking for an exit. He finally reached into the inner lining of his jacket. The listening device was just a small button-like object and a little copper wire pinned to his shirt. “Wow… it’s so small!” You marveled.

“You… probably wouldn’t have found it if you looked!” Fingel said with a rueful grimace. “But I can’t afford to take that chance.”

“How did you know this is the room I would be in?”

“Oh that was simple, prepping a room this size for occupancy requires a lot of staff. I just looked natural enough to be co-opted automatically in the work. If anyone asks questions, I just pretend I don’t speak any Japanese!”

Fingel walked the room. “None of the surveillance devices are in anything that can be moved easily.” He paused by a light switch, took out a tiny screwdriver and removed one of the screws. A listening device was right behind it! “People can move furniture or cover it. Any good spy will put a device in an area that’s more permanent. There are exceptions of course. It depends on the target. Usually, I will spend as much time as I can studying my target and her habits. I have to fit into her world.” His smile was surprisingly gentle. “Since you are a Cassell student, I didn’t need a lot of information to fit into your world. I just needed to show that I was with Caesar and Chu Zihang and you automatically assumed I was clear and never thought of me again. Right?”

You sigh, completely and utterly overcome. “You’re right. I immediately let my guard down and assumed I could trust you.”

“Caesar knows me better than that.” He pocketed the device.

Caesar called him a dog with no morality. Your pupils sharpen like a knife. No way he would remove all the devices. He was going to leave a few for you to find.

Fingel’s eyes meet yours. “You’re a quick study.”

“You’re going to decide how much this costs you.” You say coldly. “You have money. You can afford it. You’re conspirators! This is a game!”

“Woah! Woah! I do not have money!” He holds up his hands. 

“So the devices you leave will be the hardest ones to find.”

“Bingo!” He winked. “I gotta keep an eye on you. No offense. But now you’re thinking like you should be. You need to test people, even Cassell personnel from the Academy. Remember that I came here as an intern. There is little trust between the Japanese Branch and the Main School, so I was tested thoroughly as to my credentials. They knew me better than I knew myself on arrival so my acting started long before I arrived.”

You nod. “That’s right. Our rooms were extremely tailored to our needs on arrival to Japan. They only knew I was from Northern Siberia, but they knew that because of the way I spoke.”

Fingel tilted his head. “Good. This isn’t going to be as difficult as I imagined. You understand now that this is a normal thing, to intensely spy on each other. I had to do whatever I needed to do, to prove to the Japanese students that I was one of them.”

“You do bad things?”

Fingel passed up the kitchen and went right to the bedroom. “I do my best not to. An easy way to get out of doing something really terrible is to pretend to be completely incompetent. So they’ll assign something like that to someone else.” He pulled the night stand from the wall and unplugged the phone wire from the jack. The wire seemed to be inserted normally into the wall but it wasn’t! There was another phone jack cover under the first one. The first phone jack cover had a small computer chip that was intercepting the phone information and diverting it to where he was. Fingel had successfully installed this listening device in plain sight.

You’re not sure you would have found it.

“You answered the phone as a Pizza Hut employee. Where did you learn that?” He tosses the device to you and you catch it.

“I liked to watch James Bond. He always had a special way of answering the phone so that only people who should be calling him are calling him. If it's an outsider who doesn’t really know me, then they will assume they dialed wrongly.”

“Yeah, that surprised me. But Caesar knew it was you so he wasn’t surprised. That’s a good technique. Keep doing that. But change it up a bit so it fits the area you’re in and it’s not so obvious.”

He straightened up. HIs demeanor had changed while talking to you into someone much more serious and quiet. “I’m all done. If you find the last device? I’ll give you the 5k myself.”

[insertbtsurl]

Kingdom ranking

My personal ranking of the groups on Kingdom now that I've (re)watched the performances from eps 2 and 3.

I am not very familiar with some of these groups, the one I know best is ATEEZ (I can name all the members and I like a few of their songs), while the one I know least is SF9 (literally all I know is they have 9 members and that one of them isn't performing because he's injured😭).

This got really long with my explanations so, long story short:

ATEEZ

Stray Kids

BTOB

The Boyz

SF9

IKON

1. ATEEZ

This level of stage production felt almost unfair to everyone else...seriously. I am a fan of Dvorak's Symphony no. 9 and it goes so well with ATEEZ's whole vibe...well it certainly goes with the pirate theme. HongJoong starting the performance brought the energy level to 12000 immediately. San looked so fierce...boy was screaming - and the pink hair looks fantastic. Yeosang being lifted by one of the backup dancers at one point...loved that. Jongho is the most intense vocalist in all of Kpop...the look he gets when he's singing is honestly scary. That high note of his was absolutely insane. They all had their moments and the eye contact they made with the camera was constant and intimidating. I loved hearing them struggle a bit with the (live!!) vocals from how hard they were dancing. The first time I saw ATEEZ perform I thought these kids were out to conquer the world, and that is the feeling I get every time I see them, Kingdom being no exception.

2. Stray Kids

Again, the stage production...hello? I loved Lee Know and Han's intro especially. Felix's makeup was sick. Their outfits and accessories in general were top notch. Shout out to the one backup dancer mirroring Bangchan, that is some intense core strength. I liked the sinister music during that part and how Bangchan slightly altered the melody of his line to fit it, very creepy. I wish the backing track had been lowered...I could hear some of them (especially Han, I.N. and Changbin) delivering strong vocals, but they were being overpowered by the track, which is a pity. The people ask for more Seungmin (he's really the one member that I felt we didn't see as much as the rest). But they REALLY came through with the energy, Han especially. In terms of stage presence and charisma I really do feel ATEEZ and them are in their own sphere.

3. BTOB

Ugh, the mics are ON! The VOCALS!! No one else on this show is singing live like THAT (but to be fair, they are not dancing like the others either...). The harmonies were seriously stunning. The instrumental of the song was beautiful, and so were their sets/props, they weren't kidding with the "Theater Ver.". Minhyuk's sword section was fun to watch and it brought a performance element that was much needed for BTOB. That being said it's really hard to rank them because even though their performance is phenomenal, it feels like they're not competing in the same sport as the others...I wouldn't be surprised if they finished last for that reason.

4. The Boyz

They had great energy and stage presence. Really nice (live!) vocals from some of the members! One of the members really stood out to me, I believe his name is Juyeon (?), he was the one who had that dance sequence with the backup dancers behing the stretchy fabric...I don't think I've ever seen it done like that, it was really cool. I assume he's a main dancer within the group, and his expressions were very solid throughout the performance. Overall, I thought the performance was creative and these boys really looked like they came to win.

5. SF9

The song was really freaking cool. I liked that they had mostly female backup dancers! The part where they lift them up on their shoulders was cool, and so was the solo part that followed, with one member (Chani?) and one of the backup dancers. I'm not sure the guy who danced the intro is, I think it's Taeyang? I hope it is because he's now my favorite. The performance overall was good and honestly hot but I didn't feel the same amount of energy from everyone and some of that lipsyncing really took me out of it :/.

6. IKON

First of all, I am biased towards those songs, I have listened to both Love Scenario and Killing Me an infinite amount of times, but I think it was my first time seeing either performed without B.I., which was very sad. I really enjoyed the beginning, with the jazzy feel, but I really don't think Love Scenario was the song for that peppy dance break...doesn't really fit the mood imo (if it wasn't for that I probably would have ranked them before SF9 tbh). However I really liked the mix on Killing Me. I feel like I didn't see the members shine equally though (did Song get any lines?) - that being said, this is something I only noticed because I am somewhat familiar with IKON...

[whattodowithace]

Bank Heist Part 1 (San)

Title: Bank Heist 

Pairing: San x Reader

Genre: Spice; Action

Word Count: 4.9K Words (Both Parts)

Writer: Kpopmadness (Ju)

A/N: Part 1 of 2 of Bank Heist. This is a long one shot I wrote awhile ago and it’s honestly one of my Favorite ateez works. I hope you enjoy it! 💕

“Welcome,” You greet warmly. The cool air twirling around you whenever the door opens, making goosebumps flutter across your skin. 

You plaster on your most winning smile as you say cheerfully, “Enjoy the Bank's two year anniversary party. Please, make yourself comfortable and help yourself to some drinks.” 

Wild Card Bank, or WCB, was one of the most popular and most richest banks in Chicago. It wasn’t your small town bank. Because WCB was a casino. Only the richest with money to burn came to play or bank with Wild Card. Tonight was the bank's second time holding an anniversary party for its success. The guests were adorned in jewels and luxury, a glass of champagne in hands and a set of poker chips. The guests receive a red carpet entry with photographers and reporters lurking at the doors waiting. Once they walk in, they are taken aback by the scene. 

You stand a little straighter as another row of guests enters the building. A smirk tugging at your lips. Too bad everyone in this room will be stripped of their money before the night is even out. A long black dress clings to the curves of your body. A slit that goes up to your thigh making the dress part teasingly as you walk. And a large red belt hugs your waist and keeps the strapless dress in place. You have worked at Wild Card for a year now. You had gained the bosses trust, an older man in his 60s, and he had promoted you to secretary of the bank. You look down at your checklist in hand, almost everyone was in attendance. Just a few more people needed to show. 

“Looking for something?” A flirtatious voice whispers in your ear. 

You gasp and jump back before feeling a blush creep across your face. A pair of dark eyes meets yours, a devilish smile crosses his lips. 

He’s taller than you and has a strong build. He wears a black tux with a white button down dress shirt and black tie. His hair is black but one thick strip of hair falls across his eyes in a shade of pale gray. The blush that was on your face vanishes and you feel a surge of frustration and anger surge threw you;

“San!” You hiss, looking around to make sure no one heard you. “What are you doing here?” 

Choi San stands a little straighter, not trying to hide the smirk on his face. “I have my reasons.” He says in a sly tone. Leaning down to you until his face was an inch from yours he adds on, “And I feel you're here for the same reasons...partner.” 

You glare at him before pushing him away from you and straightening your dress out again. The last thing you needed was having San draw attention to you both. 

“San, I’m busy. So don’t get in my way tonight, okay?” You say curtly as you try to sidestep him and go attend to something else. 

He wraps an arm around your waist, stopping you. The warmth of his hand seeps  through your dress to your skin. 

“I think there’s no point in denying we’re both here for the same thing tonight.” San says into your ear, keeping his voice low so passers by can’t hear. “Our past aside, it's just going to be a matter of who walks out of here with the prize first.” 

You stand there, motionless. Your lips sealed together, afraid you would let something slip. You see Sans eyes linger across your body before saying, “Nice dress by the way. You look very beautiful.” 

That did it. You tore Sans hand away from your waist and started walking quickly toward somewhere, anywhere away from him. Slowly, you came back to your senses and forced yourself to steady your shaking hands. 

You force yourself through the next hour greeting people and avoiding Sans gaze every time you see him across the room. He would occasionally lift his drink to you with a smirk on his face and wink at you. Finally, the time came for your boss to say his greetings and thanks to the guests. You stood beside him on the stage smiling and laughing on cue. But you felt uneasy when you noticed San was no longer in the crowd. Gritting your teeth you waited until your boss was done giving his speech and had walked off the stage to greet his guests before you also walked off the stage and headed for the back. 

You let yourself into your small office, leaving the lights off and feeling your way to the desk. You find the gym bag that had been hiding under your desk and rip it open. Quickly taking off your heels and dress you change into a pair of black cargo pants, black lace up boots and a black button down shirt. The same uniforms the guards were wearing. 

You take your hair down and let it spill over your shoulders before quickly tying it into a braid behind your back and slipping on a black baseball cap that covers your eyes. You slip an ID card around your neck then another ID card into your pocket. You had created it a week before this night. It was a copy of your boss's ID card he kept in his office. 

Throwing your dress into the gym bag you stuff it carefully behind your bookshelf in your office where you had cut a small hiding place into the wallpaper. There you had hidden a small black suitcase a few weeks ago, you take it out and stuff the gym bag inside the hole in its place. Then quickly slid the bookshelf back into its original place. 

Walking out of the office you make your way to the safe. A middle aged woman behind the desk taps on her keyboard and motions silently for you to walk through the metal detector. You set the suitcase down on a counter where another guard exams the contents. You take a deep breath and walk through. The metal detector remains silent. 

You have to conceal your smirk as the woman comes around the desk to scan your ID card. It reads off as a new member of your bosses rarely trusted officers to go inside the safe to check on the cameras and anything else. But you were counting on this security officer to not look closely at your face. 

She scanned the ID card, punched in a code on a control panel on the large steel door before it opened. The guard that examined your suitcase hands it back to you without a word, to them it was only filled with tools to check the cameras and to make sure the control panels worked.  

You walk down the hall as the door behind you shuts. That’s the first door to the safe. You have to get through the rows of security cameras first to get to the door. Plus the three armed guards standing at the door. 

You keep your head down so the camera can’t pick up your face before opening up a panel in the wall and act as if you're checking it. The guards watch you for a moment and then seem to lose interest. You watch out of the corner of your eye on one camera next to you. You slip another wire out carefully and pull it out from where it’s connected into the wall. It will make all the cameras go black. 

“Hey!” One of the armed guards barks, “What do you think you're doing?” 

You pull your hat down further over your eyes and smirk, starting a count backward in your head from 60. 

You reach down and act like you're going to take something from your suitcase. Waiting for the guard to come closer. The first two do. Quickly, you stand up and slam your elbow into the first guards face. He stumbles back, blood running down his nose and mouth. 

The second guard advances and pulls out his taser, you quickly grab his wrist free of the taser and spin his wrist behind his back and your body until you're behind him too. The man fires his taser and it hits the guard that you had hit in the face moments ago. He stumbles back in pain and falls to the ground, his body twisting and convulsing in pain before he goes limp. 

Before you can turn your attention to the guard you have pinned and the last one, a hard object hits the guard you have a hold of on the head. His body sags and his full weight comes on you before you let him fall. You spin around and a pair of dark eyes you recognize meet your eyes. 

“Hi sweetie,” San says, his eyes peeking out from his hat identical to yours. 

Your body reacts before you can think, you land a fist into Sans cheek, hard. He stumbles back against the wall, shocked but at the same time a smirk crosses his lips.

You go back to your case, bend down and take several small round screens from your suitcase and quickly walk to each individual camera and slip the screen on over the camera’s eyes. You're at 9 now. Quickly taking a small remote from your suitcase you push a blue button in the center of the remote, You had 3 seconds left before security would have called for backup. The camera will show the halls to be empty, with the same  three guards standing watch. Like nothing happened. 

“We should really work on your bedside manner, baby.” San remarks as he wipes off a streak of blood running down his chin. 

You whirl around, “I told you not to get in my way tonight!” You snap at him, shoving a finger into his chest. 

San chuckles and wipes the blood off on his pants before answering. “Just like old times. How have things been with you anyway?” 

You scoff and start walking down the hallway before he calls after you, “Oh common! I haven’t seen you in over two years and you're not going to even give me a hello kiss?” 

You stop, a laugh escapes your lips that’s somewhere between genuine and just annoyed. You walk back towards him and let your face get an inch from his; 

“Let’s get something straight.” You say firmly, “I am not here to rekindle old flames. You are a thief. I was living a normal life. But somehow you talked me into joining your little gain. All because you and I went to the same school to become cops. But you dropped out. I ran with you for three years and then,” 

San opens his mouth to interrupt but you clamp a hand on his mouth, “And then,” you continue, “You left me. With not even so much as a goodbye.”  

San takes your wrist and gently takes it away from his mouth before placing his hands on your hips and asking in a mischievous tone, “Is that why your robbing a bank?” 

Your eyes narrow and you pull away from him before going to the Safes door and swiping your bosses identical ID card and entering a pin code on the door panel. 

“You know the code?” San whispers in your ear. 

The doors swish open in answer and you remain silent as you stomp into the safe. Neatly organized rows of cash line the safe. You smile to yourself, feeling the two years of hard work pay off. Before you can even touch the first wad of cash, you're pushed back against the wall. San lowers his face down until the bridge of his nose brushes yours. Goosebumps rise on the back of your neck. He rests his hands on either side of your face before continuing, “You never went back to a normal life after everything we went through together. You want to know why I think that is?”  

San lets his mouth flutter across yours as he says, “Because you miss it. And you’ve missed me.” 

There was a long silence that stretched between you two, and you felt yourself lean into him slightly before the sound of an alarm echoed down the halls. San pulled away from you and you realize one of the guards woke up enough to drag himself over to where the Emergency button was. 

San shuts the door to the safe and pulls a gun out from behind his back and fires a few rounds into the control panel. 

“That should keep them busy.” He says as he puts the gun back and picks up the backpack he had brought in. 

“When did you get a gun?” You ask. Surprised.

San only winks at you as he picks up the backpack and starts shoving money into the bag. As he shovels money in he says, “You know, you’ve lost your edge.” 

You pick up a handful of bills and put them in the bag before asking, “How so?” 

San stands up straight, “This is a casino, darling. Back in our day we would have robbed them blind.” 

You shove more money into the bag, sweat starts to run down your back. The clock is ticking. But you stop and meet Sans eyes, “You think I’m stupid, don’t you? I’ve been planning this for two years.” 

San stares blankly and then a smirk tugs at his lips. “You gave them the Winners Curse.” 

You can’t help but smile. The Winners Curse is a move San came up with. The dice, all the machines, the cards, everything in the casino, is riged. Every time someone wins a round of cards and gets more poker chips, it’s robbing the bank of money every round people play and win. The machines are set. All 500 plus guests will walk out with money tonight. 

You're the secretary. You handle everything. You're a false identity, a false name. You slipped your boss a drug in his drink as he was giving his thanks to the guests. By now he’s out cold somewhere and you’ll be long gone. 

As you finish putting money into the backpack, you hear loud voices echo through the halls of the Safe. Times up. 

“San, we need to go.” You say. 

San finishes putting the last of the money into the pack and zips it up. He slings it over his shoulder and waves his hand in front of him, “Lead the way.” 

Crawling through the air duct was not your biggest idea. But with police banging on the Safes door you didn’t see a choice. 

“Here,” San says bending down to his knees, “I’ll give you a boost.” 

You examine him suspiciously, “You have the money. I’m not leaving without it.” 

San rolls his eyes and throws the backpack off his shoulder and hands it to you. You smirk at him and put your boot on his knee and haul yourself up the small space. Once up you feel your breath hitch slightly at how dark and cramped it is. 

Forcing yourself to focus, you let your hand down and help San up. He just pulls his feet up and closes the air ducts door when the door to the safe flies open and a SWAT team rushes into the room. 

You both sit there a minute and watch as the SWAT team surveys the room before lowering their weapons. San nudges your leg and you take it as a signal to start moving. Getting onto your knees, you start crawling, San at your heels. 

You crawl for some time, hot air swooshes through the vent, making sweat run down your back and make your hair cling to your neck. The backpack strapped to your back isn’t helping you squeeze through the tight spaces. You try to stay calm but mentally visualizing the twists and turns of the air duct that you had spent a whole year memorizing. 

Suddenly you stop, but it’s a forced stop. You can’t move. You pull but the bag on your back seems to be stuck and won’t budge. 

“San.” You hiss behind you, “I can’t move.” 

“You can’t move?” San repeats behind you. “What do you mean?” 

“The stupid backpack is stuck. If I try to move it sounds like it’s tearing.” You whisper, feeling panic rise in your chest. 

“Okay, okay.” San whispers as he gives off a sigh. The air duct is pitch black and neither one of you is brave enough to turn on a light with a SWAT team still around the Bank. Suddenly, Sans hand is on your ankle and he pulls himself up beside you. 

“What are you doing?” You whisper, your voice having more of a high pitched panic than you would like. 

“Getting you unstuck.” He says blunty. He pulls himself up far enough to where you can feel his breath against your ear and run down your neck. You’re thankful it’s dark in the vent, it conceals your deep red blush creeping across your face. You can feel him running his fingers over the pack, trying to feel where it got stuck. 

“I can feel where it’s hung up,” San says after what feels like forever. “It’s caught on a sharp edge on the roof on the vent. A piece of metal must be stuck out and caught in the fabric.” 

“Great.” You mumble.  

Suddenly San slips himself underneath you and brings his lips up against your ear. You feel your body run hot but try to tell yourself he’s only trying to get you unstuck and is using both his hands to get the fabric loose. That thought doesn’t soothe you though. 

Finally, you feel the pack get unstuck and it sags against your damp back. But when it comes down San doesn’t take his hands off you. Instead he rests his hands on your hips and rests his head against the cool metal beneath him. 

Even though you can’t see his face you know he’s smirking, “You can’t resist being close to me, can you?” 

You try to make your voice sound even and firm as you retort, “Take your hands off me.” 

San wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you over until your back is on the ground and he’s on top of you. You let out a gasp as San brings his lips down to your ear before growling, “Make me.” 

He kisses his way up until his lips meet yours. A burst of butterflies explode in your chest and you feel your hands run through his soft hair. Realizing you missed the feeling of his touch. 

His lips are soft and gentle at first but soon he deepens the kiss and lets out a soft moan against your lips when you bite his bottom lip. His tongue slides across your bottom lip as his hand finds a spot where the back of your shirt has come up just a bit and his thumb traces a line on your lower back. 

Suddenly, a low sounding hiss grabs your attention. You pull your lips away from San and start to feel what seems like tongues of fire race across your skin. Tear Gas. 

A second later San recognizes it and wordlessly slides off you, helping you come back up to your knees. By now the gas is stronger. Your eyes burn and you want to hold your breath because taking one hurts too much. 

San pushes you forward and you force your brain to work. You're almost to an exit. The gas is stronger now and you hear San cough behind you and your muscles contract and tighten at the horrible feeling gripping you. 

Your eyes water and blurr and it takes everything you have to not swipe at your eyes. Finally, you see the exit you had planned to get out. Technically the air duct was your back up plan but you were glad you took time to memorize the air ducts systems. 

You push the door open without thinking if there’s cops there and slide out. The cool air feels heavenly on your face and tears slide down your burning cheeks. San slides out next to you and sits down on the pavement. You both catch your breath a moment. You hear the distant cry of a cop siren and pull yourself together. 

You stand up shakely, bracing yourself against the wall behind you. “San,” you say breathlessly, “We need to go.” 

He sits there swiping at his eyes and taking deep breaths. He doesn’t answer. You walk over and kneel next to him, his eyes are red and his face streaked with tears, making his skin look agitated. You cup his face in your hands and whisper, “I need you to stand up.” 

He stares at you for a moment, the cop siren drawing closer. Making your heart skip. Finally, San moves and gets on his feet. He sways slightly and you wrap an arm around his waist. You're in an alley, like you had planned it. One side is a dead end the other takes you out into the street. In the street is a yellow Taxi cab. 

“That’s our ride.” You tell San as he shifts his weight and stands up straighter. 

MASTERLIST

[its-a-spn-thing]

Dream A Little Dream

Title: Dream A Little Dream

Summary: The reader is a retired cop turned hunter with the help of Jody Mills and the Winchester brothers. Through her training, she befriends, and begins talking to Sam. On a vamp hunt, the reader is left alone and vulnerable and runs into a monster she wasn’t expecting. Who will save her?  Word Count: 5,213 Pairing: Sam x Reader Characters: Sam, Reader, Dean, Jody Warnings / Rating: 18+ only please. Mentions of violence, mentions of death, brief mention of suicide, smut, fluff, some blood  A/N: All grammar and continuity errors are mine, as this work is un-beta’d. I enjoyed writing this, so enjoy reading it 

Here’s my masterlist

Your career as a police officer lasted about two years. Most of the men in your family were cops, and because you always followed in their footsteps, you thought it would have been the right thing to do. 

You  were a good cop, and you wanted to help people, but when you met Jody Mills one day at a convention, you realized there were other ways to help people outside of the uniform and badge. 

Every once in a while, Jody would reach out when she would come across a hunt in your area. You kept your knowledge of monsters on the down-low, because you knew people wouldn’t believe you and you would get tossed in a looney bin and lose your badge for good. So, you would just help Jody, maybe do a little research, and when the hunt was done, you would go back to work like nothing ever happened. 

Christmas eve of 2016 you punched in, and got in your squad car like you always did. It was going to be a long night and you hated working holidays, but you were a rookie, and that’s just the way it was. 

The radio dispatch came over your walkie talkie. 

“Radio, we got a domestic disturbance call. Neighbors said they heard shouting.” 

You rolled your eyes. Really? People still couldn’t get along on Christmas Eve?

“Yeah I got it.” The dispatcher gave you the address and when you arrived, your heart started racing. You had a feeling that something was off about this call. 

You knocked on the front door with your heavy-duty flashlight. “Police, open up.” 

No one responded, and again you knocked. “Hello? Police open up!” You peeked in the window and saw someone laying unconscious on the carpet and you immediately kicked down the door. The house was dark, so you drew your Glock, and turned the flashlight on, holding the flashlight under your weapon. When you realized what happened, you ran out the front door and vomited in the bushes. 

“Dispatch I need backup.” 

You hadn’t slept in days, so you confided in your father who was a newly retired sheriff. He explained to you how many dead bodies he had seen in his career as a cop. He told you it gets easier, but he would support you no matter what you decided to do. 

“Y/L/n,” your captain looked up at you when you put your gun and badge on his desk with your resignation papers. “I don’t know what to say.” 

Your superiors liked you, and they were sad to see you go. 

“My door is always open if you ever wanna come back.” He stood up and hugged you. “You’re a hell of a cop, just like your old man.” 

When you walked out of the police station, you put your sunglasses on and walked down the steps to see Jody parked on the street out front. You opened the passenger door and sat down and looked at her when a sigh of relief came over you. 

“Alright,” you turned on the radio to hear Bad Company playing. “Teach me how to hunt these evil sons of bitches.” Jody smiled at you in response, and her tires shrieked against the asphalt.

Jody helped you pack up your small studio apartment, and you were so happy that your lease was up in less than a month. 

Jody lived in Sioux Falls, which was about an hour and a half away, so you promised your parents you would visit them all the time. 

Moving into Jody’s house was great. It finally felt like you had a home, not a small apartment that was overpriced and crappy. Her house was nice and cozy and you were so thankful that she opened her spare room to you. 

“Take as long as you need to get settled,” she set down the last box on the hardwood floor of the spare bedroom that was now yours. “Tomorrow the Winchesters will be here to help teach you everything you need to know.” 

“Winchesters?” You asked as you looked at the book that you pulled out of an unmarked box. “Who are they?” 

Jody smiled at you and told you about the Winchester brothers, Sam and Dean. Sam was a year older than you and she told you that Dean was most likely going to flirt with you. You looked down and smiled, excited to meet more hunters like Jody. 

The next morning, you sat down at the kitchen table drinking coffee with Jody when you heard the purring of an engine, and shortly after came a knock on the door. 

“Come in, boys,” Jody shouted. “Honestly I don’t know why they bother knocking.” You chucked at her comment. 

“Y/n,” you stood up when you saw the flanneled, and obnoxiously handsome brothers. “This is Dean,” you shook the hand of the shorter, older brother. 

“And I’m Sam,” you saw a dimpled smile flash your way when Sam cut off Jody to introduce himself. When you shook his hand, it seemed as if you couldn’t speak. You thought Dean was handsome, but my God, there was something about Sam that you liked right away. 

You smiled sweetly at him and chuckled shyly. “Hi, I’m-I’m Y/n.” 

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Dean’s boisterous voice vibrated the entire house. “We’ll teach you everything you need to know. You’re in good hands with Jody here.” 

You spent the morning looking over several books that Sam gave you, and talking about all the different types of monsters. You knew there were some monsters, but Wendigos? Leviathons? You felt your brain begin to turn to mush. 

Sam sat next to you, and Dean sat across from you. 

“What is a duh-gin?” You asked, scanning over one of the books Sam had given you. He chuckled at the failed pronunciation. 

“It’s pronounced, ‘gin’,” you looked up at him embarrassed, but he flashed a pearly white smile in your direction and explained what it was. You weren’t listening when he explained. All you could focus on were his hazel eyes, dimples, smile, the way he furrowed his brow when he spoke. You were hooked on Sam Winchester. 

“Dean actually had a run in with djinn about eight or nine years ago,” you snapped out of it and looked over at Dean. 

“Really?” You asked. 

“Yeah, it was the weirdest thing ever because I enjoyed the dream I was having and was surprisingly content.” He said. 

“Wow,” you looked back to Sam. “That’s kinda scary.” 

You spent the good part of the afternoon with the Winchester brothers. They tried to explain everything to you, but you knew it wasn’t going to all come to you right away. You don’t learn everything there is to know about hunting in one day. 

The Winchester’s had to leave, but they assured you they would see you again soon. 

“It was nice meeting you guys,” you said your goodbyes and they walked down the walkway towards the Impala. Dean walked quickly, with his hands in the pocket of his leather jacket. But Sam walked slowly, still somewhat turned to you, and before he got in the passenger side of his brother's car, he waved to you one more time. Giggling, you waved back. 

“Really?” Dean looked at his brother once they were both settled in the car. Sam looked over at him with a “what-do-you-want-me-to-do” look on his face. “Do you want me to leave and come and pick you up in an hour?” 

“Dean,” Sam said. “She’s cute, and I’ve been single for a long, long time. I think it would be good for me to have a partner in hunting who can also be a friend or something more.” 

Dean didn’t say anything, he just drove off. 

Sam had gotten your number from Jody and the two of you texted almost constantly. You knew that if he went a day or two without texting back that he was most likely caught up in a hunt. You were really starting to like the younger Winchester, and you were so excited to see him next week. The Winchester brothers wanted to take you on a hunt with them. 

You were more than okay with going on a hunt with the Winchester’s. Not that you minded hunting with Jody, you just wanted to spend a little time with Sam on the open road. 

“So,” you leaned forward from the backseat of the Impala. Dean focused on the road, but Sam turned to you with a smile, waiting for what you were going to say next. “What are we going to be hunting?” 

Sam explained the case to you. It was a possible vampire nest in Nebraska and when you were driving past a warehouse, you told the boys that it looked like the perfect dwelling for some vamps. 

“Yeah,” Dean agreed. “There’s not much around here, so we can definitely check it out.” You grinned, proud of yourself for making an observation like that for a rookie hunter. 

You knew you were going to have to check it out, even if it wasn’t the vamps nest, you wanted to go in there and take some pictures. 

The brothers found the nest and the three of you were in and out relatively quickly. It wasn’t the easiest hunt you’ve ever been on, but it was good training. 

Sam put his arm around you and kissed the top of your head as you left the nest, which wasn’t in the warehouse as you’d suspected. The abandoned church down the street from your motel was the home for the vampires. 

“You did an awesome job, babe.” He said proudly. 

“Thanks!” You said as you slid into the backseat of the Impala. Dean suggested that the three of you stay at the motel for one more night. You and Sam agreed, and the three of you grabbed a bite to eat at the local bar and grill. You had a couple of Captain and Cokes, and when it was time to go back to the motel, you grabbed your camera out of your bag. 

“Guys,” you said as they walked towards the car. “I’m gonna go take a few pictures of that warehouse we saw on the way in.” 

Dean immediately thought it was a bad idea, but Sam told him not to worry about it. “Do you want me to go with you, Y/n?” He asked as he opened the door. 

“Nah, I’m good.” You started down the street and told them not to wait up, and you can walk to the motel from the warehouse. 

The rusty, metal door creaked open when you entered the warehouse. It was dark, dingy and wet, and you could hear pipes dripping somewhere in the distance. 

Carefully, you walked around, avoiding broken glass and rats. You snapped a couple of pictures, but you didn’t realize how creeped out you’d be when you came here. 

“Ok,” you said out loud to yourself. “I’m officially creeped out.” 

You turned around to make your way out of the building when a bald man with tattoos on his face pushed you up against the wall, placing his palm firmly on your forehead. You tried to scream but it was as if the blue light emitting from his hands had paralyzed you. 

The sun was shining through your floor to ceiling windows when you woke up. You don’t remember your bed being this huge, or comfortable. You opened your eyes and felt something on your left ring finger and you looked down to see a large diamond ring and white gold band. 

“What the hell?” You sat up and rested your back against the upholstered headboard and looked straight ahead to see a large bedroom with an attached bathroom. Wiping the sleep out of your eyes, you tried to snap out of it, but you still saw everything clear as day. 

Your feet hit the soft, luxurious carpet when you stood, and you were wearing a fancy negligee. You tip-toed through the grandiose master suite when you heard loud music coming from the downstairs. 

You walked through the large hallway that seemed to have been decorated professionally to find where the music was coming from. You quickly walked down the staircase, holding on to the cherry wood railing to find an even larger, open living space. 

This house was stunning, with gorgeous furniture and appliances. Walking through the living room, you saw a large portrait of yourself in a white gown, holding a bouquet of flowers. 

“Am I in the Twilight Zone?” You said to yourself. 

The music was becoming clearer and you padded through the living room to find a home gym with a shirtless Sam Winchester, sweating away on the treadmill, drinking water and watching CNN. 

You opened the door and he took his Air Pods out of his ears. 

“Mornin’ baby,” he said as he turned off the treadmill. He stepped off and wiped the sweat off his face and bent down to kiss you. You kissed him back, but you were still as confused as can be. 

“H-Hi,” you said, and followed him out of the gym and into the kitchen. You knew you were dreaming, and you figured you would just go with it. 

He popped a K-Cup into the Keurig and reached for two coffee mugs. Sitting down at the breakfast bar, you crossed your legs and rested your elbow on the counter, letting your face rest in your open palm. You stared at him, silently watching him make your morning coffee. 

“You alright?” He asked as he placed the teal coffee mug in front of you. You took your elbow off the counter and stood up straight. 

“Oh, yeah,” you sipped the hot coffee, which was made just the way you like it. How did he know you liked French vanilla creamer? “I’m great, just sleepy.” 

He  chuckled and checked the time on his Fit Bit. “Shit, I gotta get goin’.” He put his coffee mug in the sink and started up the stairs and into the master bathroom. 

Sam turned on the water for the huge shower, and dropped his workout shorts to the ground. You were sitting on the bed, sipping your coffee and watching him when he turned to smile at you. He was completely naked, and you couldn’t help but blush when he flashed a shiny white smile at you. 

“Well,” he walked towards you, his impressive length was all you could focus on. “Are you gonna join me honey?” You smiled when he bent down to kiss you, and you stood up to wrap your arms around his broad, muscular shoulders. Sam swiftly lifted you off the ground and carried you into the bathroom, setting you down on the granite countertop. 

“We can lose this,” he said as he slid the thin straps of your camisole off, his large, soft hands caressing your shoulders. You giggled and leaned up to kiss him once more. He smiled on your lips and slid the thin satin fabric off your skin, his fingers trailing up your sides, giving you goosebumps. 

“Always so sensitive, baby,” He kissed your neck and peppered kisses along your neck, collarbones and then to your sensitive, erect nipples. He popped one into his mouth, and pinched the other one with his thumb and forefinger. 

Moaning softly and throwing your head back, you entwined your fingers through his long, thick locks. Sam chuckled at your reaction, and continued kissing down your hide, and it wasn’t long before he reached your panty line. He sunk his teeth into the flesh surrounding your hip bone, making you shriek in pleasure. 

Without a word, he quickly removed your satin shorts, and knelt down in front of you. You wrapped your legs around his shoulders and gripped the edges of the countertop. 

Sam paused for a moment to admire your sex. “Baby girl, you have…” He delivered a quick kiss to the bundle of sensitive nerves between your legs, causing you to moan quietly. “The most…” Another kiss. “Beautiful pussy.” 

He quickly dove into your pussy, lapping away at your wet folds causing you to moan in ecstasy. You grabbed a handful of his hair when he entered two long fingers into your dripping hole, bringing your clit into his mouth and grinding it gently with his teeth. 

“Fuck!” Your pussy clenched around his fingers and he looked up at you, smirking devilishly, before reaching up with his free hand to grab your breast. 

Sam kept working you with his fingers, curling them up and making a come-hither motion, massaging your g-spot and sucking your clit. 

“Baby,” you said breathlessly. “I’m gonna-gonna,” and before you could finish your sentence, the coil that formed in your stomach released. Your eyes rolled back and your head fell back, hitting the mirror. Sam groaned when he felt your core convulse around his thick fingers. 

“Y/n probably should be back by now, don’t you think?” Dean said, sitting on one the beds in the motel room, looking through a magazine. 

“Maybe,” Sam said, scrolling Facebook on the other bed. “Sometimes she loses track of time when she’s taking photos. I’ll give her a little bit longer before texting her. 

Sam got off his knees and cupped your face in his hands to kiss you deeply. You could taste your sex on his tongue and lips, making you moan. 

“Did you like that, babe?” Sam asked after he broke the kiss. You bit your lip and nodded your head, before standing up and quickly dropping to your knees. 

“My turn,” you said, looking up at him and wrapping your arms around him, gripping on to his firm ass. You gently licked the tip of his large cock, making him twitch at your teasing tongue. 

He groaned when you entered his full length into your mouth, the head hitting the back of your throat. 

“Fuck, Y/n,” He reached to take a grip of hair from your head, pulling your head back and forth. You gagged and drooled around his cock, forcing another groan from his throat. When your throat became sore, you sucked the head of his penis and stroked with both hands, gripping firmly. 

“Fuck! Baby.” He pulled you back by your hair, causing you to look up at him with drool dripping down your chin. “No, I don't wanna finish like this.” He pulled you up by your hair, forcing you to stand up. He gracefully picked up your naked body, and you wrapped your legs around his waist. Sam quickly walked you into the shower, kissing you gently and lovingly. 

You felt the warm water hit your sensitive skin as he pushed you up against the tile wall. Sam wasted no time and lined up the head of his cock with your still dripping cunt. You yelled out when you felt the tip hit your cervix. 

“Sam! Baby,” You buried your face into his wet shoulder, moaning into his skin. 

“You like that?” He asked, pumping in and out at a slow, torturous pace, his length hitting your g-spot with every stroke. 

“Y-yes,” you cried out and thrusted your hips to meet with him, finding a rhythm with him. “Please, don't stop.” 

He set you down and turned you around, and you bent down, resting the palms of your hands on the slippery wall. Sam delivered a sharp, loud smack to your wet ass cheek, causing you to shriek. You bent down and raised your ass so your sex was level with his. He gripped the base of his cock and shoved it in hard, pumping faster now. 

His pace was greuling, and the pleasure was overwhelming. Every split second the head of his cock rubbing against that spot that drove you wild. You weren’t sure how much more of it you could take. 

“Sam,” you pressed your pruned fingertips into the surface of the wall, getting so close to another release. 

“Almost there, baby.” He sped up, even though you didn’t think he could go any faster. You went silent with pleasure when he fucked you faster, “Cum with me babe,” he grunted, his voice strained. 

Your pussy clenched around his throbbing cock, eliciting another loud groan from your husband. Sam finished inside you and withdrew his cock, gently slapping your ass. 

Sam quickly washed his hair and body, and kissed you before exiting the steamy shower. You were stunned, he just came inside you. You guys didn’t use condoms? No birth control? 

You wrapped a towel around your chest and walked into the bedroom to find Sam walking around in his boxer briefs getting dressed for work. 

“Did you…” You trailed off and watched him put on a crisp white button up shirt. He looked at you as he buttoned it up, waiting for you to finish your question. “Did you cum inside me, Sam?” 

He chuckled and put his pants on. “Uh,” He looped the belt through the hoops and buckled it. “Yeah, Y/n, that’s kind of how babies are made.” He put his tie around his neck, but didn’t tie it. He reached for his watch and leaned down to kiss you. “We’ve been trying for over a year, that’s the only way it’s going to happen.” He grabbed his briefcase and started towards the bedroom door. 

“I’ll be home for dinner,” he headed out the door. “Love you.” 

You waited a moment to quietly respond. “Love you.” 

You didn’t want kids. You barely even knew Sam. Sure, he would’ve been a great dad, and you’d be a great mom, but now was just not the time. You weren’t ready for this. 

You took the time alone to scan your mansion of a home. You found an in-home office, and you were intrigued. On the walls, there were several degrees and certificates. The biggest one that was framed on the wall was Sam’s law degree. From Stanford. Wow, he finished it out. 

You thought this dream couldn’t get any weirder, so you decided to lay down on the large, soft couch and flip on the giant seventy-five inch television that was mounted on the wall. You figured if you fall asleep in a dream, you will wake up in reality. You closed your eyes, and when you woke up, you were still in the dream. 

“I’m trapped,” you said out loud to yourself, and ran to the office to open the Mac desktop computer. You google searched everything there was to know about djinns. The descriptions from the Quran matched the tattooed man you saw in the warehouse. 

Your eyes were beginning to hurt from reading so much when you finally found out what you needed to do. “Kill myself?” 

You were scared. What if you did kill yourself but never woke up? Why not just stay here with Sam? This was perfect. Beautiful home, handsome husband. What else could you possibly want? You wanted your old life back. If you were going to be with Sam you wanted to do it the right way. This wasn’t real. 

Five hours passed and Sam entered the house and walked through the large foyer. “Y/n?” Sam shouted. “Baby, where are you?” He set his briefcase down on the bench by the door and slid his suit jacket off and plopped it over top of that. 

You ran through the house and slid over the hardwood floors. “Sam!” You grabbed on to him, and looked him in the eyes. He could tell it was serious. 

“You need to take me to Nebraska.” 

“Dude, it’s been hours. Have you texted Y/n?” Dean asked. 

“Yeah,” Sam responded nervously. “I’m starting to worry.” 

“C’mon let’s go get her.” Dean and Sam both stood up and grabbed the keys to the Impala. 

You and Sam had been driving for two hours. He had no idea what was going on, but he listened to you. He knew you were being serious, but you hadn’t explained to him why. 

“Stop!” You shouted when you saw the old broken down warehouse. “That’s it.” You whispered to yourself. 

“What’d you say?” Sam asked, looking at you with his furrowed brow. 

“N-nothing,” you said, wiping the sweat off your palms on your pant leg. “Nothing, we just need to go in there.” 

You walked through the familiar warehouse. But didn’t see anybody. You and Sam ventured in the basement and saw two dead bodies tied to the rafters. They had been drained and left there for months it looked like. 

“Okay,” Sam said. “Time to go.” He turned around but you quickly grabbed him by the shoulders. 

“Y/n!” Sam sobbed at your body tied to the ceiling of the warehouse. Your body was already weak, and there was an IV attached to your neck. 

“Dean,” he was completely panicked and had no idea what to do. Sam shook you, trying to wake you up. 

“Sammy, stop it.” Dean reprimanded his brother. “The only was she will be able to get out of there is if she kills herself in the dream.” Sam cried, knowing you were in pain and confused on what to do. 

“Baby, please.” He whispered in your ear. “Please, you know what to do,” he held on tight to your weak body. “C’mon baby, you can do it. Don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ll be here as soon as you figure it out. 

“Sam,” you looked him in the eyes. “This isn’t real.” Sam pulled his lips into a sad frown, his dimples seeping into his cheeks. It was as if he knew the truth all along. 

“Y/n,” he said. “Baby. Just stay here with me.” You whimpered at his pleas. “That world you live in is cruel, and will chew you up.” He cupped your face with his hands and kissed you deeply, reaching down to hold your hand and twist your wedding band with his fingers. “I can take care of you.” 

You backed away, tears dripping down your cheeks. “I know, baby.” You reached in your coat pocket and grabbed a gun. “But, none of it matters if it’s not real.” 

“Y/N!” Sam shouted when you pulled the trigger and your eyes opened slowly. You were muttering and you felt Sam cut the ropes that suspended you from the ceiling. “Baby, shhhh.” He cooed as Dean took the IV out of your shoulder. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” 

They carried you out of the warehouse and into the back of the Impala. You were muttering nonsense, and reaching for Sam as soon as he sat down in the passenger seat. “Baby girl,” he reached back to grab your hand. “I’m here.” 

You were afraid to close your eyes. You never wanted to sleep again. You drifted away as you lay across the leather seats of the Impala, and Sam didn’t take his eyes off of you. Your body was weak, and your lips were dry and crusty. 

“Sam,” Dean said as he pulled into the motel parking lot. “She’s going to be fine.” 

The wheels shrieked against the black top parking lot of the cheap motel, and before Dean put his car in park, Sam was opening the door to get out. Quickly, he opened the back door, and ducked down to put his strong arms under you. He slid you out, and carried you into the motel room and into the bathroom. 

While he was carrying you, you were starting to come into consciousness and you realized what had happened. “Sam,” you reached up to put your hand on his face, unsure if he was real. 

He kissed your hand and shushed you. “Sam, you’re…” You trailed off, feeling like you were talking in your sleep but you realized this was real. “You’re real.” 

“Yeah, baby I’m real, and I’m here.” He set you down on the laminate countertops in the motel bathroom and turned the water on and put a plug in the drain. He turned and walked back toward you. 

“You were there, Sam.” He didn’t respond, he just wiped the hair out of your face with his hand that was the size of your entire face. You nudged against his touch, bringing your face as close as it could be to his hand. “I almost didn’t leave.” 

“Y/n, whatever you saw,” he reached under your red and black flannel, sliding it off your arms. This was beginning to feel familiar to you. “It wasn’t real, okay?” He kissed your cheek and along your collarbone. “I’m real.” He brought his hand to your chest to feel your beating heart. “This is real.” And finally, Sam cupped your face to kiss you deeply and passionately. 

You whimpered and wiped a tear away, knowing that the dream you had under the djinns power would never come true. But you were okay with it. You had Sam. Sure he wasn’t a lawyer and you certainly didn’t live in a mansion, but you realized that it wasn’t about what you had, it’s who you had it with. 

Sam stripped you down to your bra and panties, and he looked at you to make sure it was okay if he kept going. You nodded your head and he reached around to unhook your bra. Your bra fell to the floor and Sam’s calloused hands ran along your smooth skin, making you shiver. 

When it was time to take your panties off, Sam saw the wetness between your legs from the dreams you had about him. He stammered and you blushed, not sure how to explain. 

“Y/n Y/l/n,” Sam smirked at you. “Were you having wet dreams about me?” 

You hid your face in your hands and stood up and walked quickly to the now full bath-tub. “No.” 

You stepped into the hot water, and slowly sat down. Sam wiped his face with his hand, chuckling. “I think you did,” he said as he sat down on the linoleum floor, grabbing a washcloth to clean you with. 

You didn’t say anything, you just let him give you a bath while you came out of your dreamy fog. 

“Y/n,” he said as he ran the cloth along your bruised back. “I know the dream was a good one.” 

You looked over at Sam’s puppy dog eyes, wondering what he was going to say next. “But, I think we have a good thing here.” 

You nodded your head, agreeing with him. 

“Sam,” you said, looking into his eyes. “I love you.” That was the first time you said the L word, and you were scared for what he was going to say next. 

“I love you too, Y/n.” He kissed you, and wrapped you in a towel when he was done bathing you. When you were dried off, you put on a clean pair of panties, and one of Sam’s flannels. You got into bed, and Sam held you in his arms. 

“Just so you know,” Sam said, bringing you closer. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” 

You fell asleep in Sam’s arms. You weren’t scared anymore, and you knew that you were always safe with him.

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