#how many people in her life has aaliyah been at ease in front of?

[booasaur]

Special Ops: Lioness - 1x08

[bi-outta-cordonia]

One to One: Thomas Mendez and MC (Rosalie Day)

So Thomas just crushed me this chapter. This is probably the most serious I’ve ever been regarding any character on this app, but seeing him talk openly about being white-passing and knowing at some point, he’s gonna have to prepare Luz to deal with racism early on in her life is just...This is a lot more than I ever expected from this book and I’m pleasantly surprised in a sense. 

Mother of the Year. Thomas Mendez and f!MC (Rosalie Day). Tags include, discussions of racism, both macro- and micro aggressions specifically in regards to anti-Black racism.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas and Rosalie have an honest discussion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s like a breath taken straight out of the lungs or a hard punch to the stomach. No one ever wants to talk about hardship and even less people want to talk about racism, so hearing him throw it out there catches her off guard. 

Thomas at least has the hindsight to look apologetic. 

“This is a lot to put on someone so quickly,” he says, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I used to talk to Soledad about it all the time and I… She just always seemed to know what to say. I’m sorry—”

“Oh, no. I understand.”

Just beyond the bend, Luz shrieks and stamps her bare feet in the stream. Little droplets of water pelt Aaliyah’s skirt as she nimbly jumps out of the way. The girls twist and jump around as they splash together making bigger waves and raining down bigger droplets. A wry smile pulls at Rosalie’s lips and she turns back to Thomas watching his daughter. 

“I hate thinking about it but I really don’t have any choice,” he says. “These people—some of the things you hear their kids say—hear them say… It’s…”

“Unbearable,” Rosalie finishes. “God knows I want Aaliyah to have the world and then some, but I can’t afford to ignore our reality. Not when I’m…” She gestures to herself. 

There’s not a moment that goes by that she doesn’t find herself overthinking. Every morning is a ritual she has to walk herself through—make some breakfast and set aside Aaliyah’s lunch, get her dressed and drop her off, run through the checklist while they’re on the way—try not to cry knowing she can’t truthfully answer her baby when she asks, “why do you always talk about this?” Most of these other kids don’t have to have conversations like this. None of their parents have to teach them how to talk to authority figures or how to keep hands out of pockets wherever they go. 

“When we first met the principal, she told Aaliyah to her face that she didn’t see anything impressive about her,” she says. Luz screeches as Aaliyah thrusts a particularly chubby frog at her. The former nearly stumbles into the freezing water and Thomas jerks until Luz catches herself. Both girls devolve into a fit of giggles and run off splashing around with their newfound friend in tow. “I’m poor, a single mother, and Black--how could she possibly be smart?”

“That’s bullshit,” Thomas hisses.

“And then of course, once she does step into the school, she gets pulled into a disciplinary meeting where she could get suspended for one little fight and the instigator, who just so happens to be a wealthy little white boy with a record of bad behavior, gets to walk away scott-free. One infraction is all it takes for Black kids. One fight, one disagreement that a teacher blows out of proportion—anything Aaliyah could do wrong, a teacher will find wrong and it’ll be enough to ruin her entire life.”  

His eyes narrow and he looks away, jaw working as the memory of not a few days ago comes back. She sympathizes with him on so many levels, but how much easier was it for him to put on a nice smile and talk down a lesser punishment? Perceptions are key and, he’s right. He doesn’t know what it feels like to have nothing but outward perceptions color all his interactions with some of these parents and teachers. 

“You can’t always talk your way out of those situations,” he says. “I don’t entirely understand what it’s like to be Black, but me being in the office with you—”

She nods. “Having you there probably made a world of difference. But I get the feeling you’ve done similar things in the past.”

They stop in front of a fallen log. He gestures for her to sit and follows suit, both of them close enough that they’re shoulders nearly touch. Luz chases after Aaliyah along the banks waving a big stick over her head.  

“I’m not ignorant to the way the world perceives me.” He watches her with much more ease in his eyes. She sees him as sure and unyielding. Even the strong have demons they grapple with both within and outside of their control. The girls hover over a spot that Luz pokes at—probably containing an even chubbier frog considering their friend no longer seems to be within Aaliyah’s grasp. “If it means getting Luz what she needs, I’ll do it. It may not be the most perfect way to act in a situation like that, but I can only do what I can…” His head drops and he runs a hand through his hair. “It sounds so selfish when I say it out loud.”

She sets a gentle hand on his arm and stares deep into his eyes. There’s a weight within the depths like he can’t determine if it makes him a better or worse man. “You’re doing what a father should be doing. A lot of kids don’t have that.”

Quiet falls between them and their children’s chatter permeates the air like the whistle of songbirds. A few minutes pass and she leans into Thomas, resting her head on his shoulder. For a moment, he hesitates, but eventually his cheek presses against the top of her head. 

“I’ve never been discriminated against because of the color of my skin…” Luz skips by laughing and waving her stick in the air, her bouncing curls as brown and rich as morning coffee and her skin glowing a warm bronze under the bright sun. Rosalie glances up at Thomas, a pink tinge clinging to his tawny skin. His gaze meets hers and they share smiles that don’t reach their eyes. “But how do I prepare Luz for that? How do I explain to her that people will treat her a certain way because of how she looks?”

Rosalie looks to Aaliyah and her slender form, her skin a smooth russet brown and her tight curls soaking up all the sunlight beaming down on her. Aaliyah kneels down picking at mushrooms and poking at the little flowers sprouting up around her feet. Her little science whiz—her little astronaut in the making—

And yet, the first thing the principal of her new school told her was that she doesn’t look like she’s smart enough. 

“Be as honest as you can, even when it hurts,” she finally says. 

“But—”

She places her hand over his and squeezes gently. “You owe her that, Thomas. She already knows she’s different. Kids already treat her a certain way because of it. But when those moments happen... When she comes to you confused and unsure of what to do…” She briefly closes her eyes and thinks back to her parents, the things they said and the toil they endured. “There is nothing more important than making sure she walks away knowing that she matters regardless of what they say. You hold her close and you tell her that you love her, you love her, you love her. Because in that moment, she’ll feel the most unloved she’s ever felt in her life and she needs to know that she’ll always be loved. That she’s worth fighting for.” 

The girls now sit on the embankment counting a bounty they’ve been gathering. Sticks, pretty rocks, little mushrooms, and little clusters of flowers lay about their feet and they count with smiles spread wide on their faces. 

“I can do that,” he says, voice wavering. He squeezes her hand still resting atop his. 

“This world wants so bad for little brown kids to hate themselves and everything that makes them who they are.” She turns to him and he stares back with fire brimming within his eyes. “The best thing we can do as parents—the best thing you can do as a father—is to teach her to keep loving herself despite it all.”

“I…” His jaw works and he stops. His back straightens and he lifts his head. Luz waves to her father from her spot on the embankment and he musters a genuine smile as he wave back. Thomas turns back to Rosalie and his eyes soften. “Thank you. There aren’t a lot of people in my life that I can talk to about this.”

She smiles and leans into him again. “We aren’t always ready to handle the things in this world that hurt our children. But when it does…” Aaliyah waves to her and she blows a kiss to her little girl, all bright-eyed and standing tall like she’s ready to take on the world. 

“I will be right there ready to hurt with her,” he says. She jumps when Thomas’s arm weaves around her and pulls her tight to his body, but she relaxes just as quickly. “Even with everything I have at my disposal, I can’t completely change the world we live in. But I can be ready for my baby when the world lashes out. I’ll teach her to lash right back.”

“Amen,” Rosalie answers back, her eyes never straying from her baby girl just beyond the bend.

[notsofly]

Ties in Blood -- Chapter 29

Major apologizes for not getting this done sooner for being out of work for the past like 2 months. I seriously shoulda had this and maybe another one and a half done before now. But job searching and other RL stuff took president. Two: Damn you, Chuck. This is gonna fuck up what I have planned for Aaliyah after the Amara fight going forward. It brings up the question would he do to Aaliyah what he did to Jack? I’m half looking for someone to bounce ideas off of without giving away everything for everyone. And now I’m rambling.

@mrswhozeewhatsis @winchestergirl-13 @impala-dreamer @squirrelnotsam @idreamofplaid @percussiongirl2017

Chapter 29

Aaliyah pushed through the crowd toward the house. She heard several people yell after her to not do it; let the professionals do it. The fire and ambulance teams were still a few minutes out and would be too late to save the children trapped in the house. Aaliyah was there and tossed her life into the wind. She choked on the smoke filled living room, her breath caught in her throat. A hand brought up the collar of her shirt to cover her nose and mouth.

“Kids,” she called out, diving deeper into the house. “Come on, make some sound.”

Something hit a wall upstairs and Aaliyah swore she heard something bounce a few times before it stopped. Her eyes watered from the smoke as she climbed the stairs. Faint crying came from one of the rooms. There was a child no older than two standing up in the crib. Aaliyah picked up the crying toddler and turned back for the hallway when the ceiling caved in. She stumbled back a few steps as she half turned to shield the child, hitting the crib. Some small part of Aaliyah’s brain registered pain, but she ignored it to focus on getting out of the room. 

The burning pile was big enough to make getting out difficult. With a silent apology to both the toddler and the parents, Aaliyah charged the pile and leapt through.

“Mommy,” a child called followed by coughing. 

Aaliyah followed the call, her mind telling her to forget the child and worry about herself. She fought back the urge as she turned into the bedroom. Half of it was already covered in collapsed ceiling, with one or two piles burning away. With a cough that threatened to bring up a lung, Aaliyah dove in and found the child and pulled them in front of her.

“Go, don’t stop for me,” she told the child. 

Aaliyah kept a hand out in the odd sense of comfort that she’d be able to tell if the child was still in front of her. Back down the hall and the stairs and out the front door. 

EMS and fire fighters rushed over and took control of the children as Aaliyah hacked away from the smoke. She pulled away when a hand touched her arm before her mind snapped back to see a fire fighter. The danger was gone. Two more lives had been saved, and she could go vanish into the night. But with the gentle yet urging hand on her arm told her vanishing wouldn’t be a good thing.

She followed the fire fighter over to an empty ambulance where the EMS cut away her burned and smoked clothes in order to tend to her burns. One handed her an oxygen mask.

“Where’d these come from?” one EMS asked, tracing the werewolf scars on her back.

“Bear attack. Stupid luck had me at the wrong place and time.” Aaliyah wasn’t sure if the two techs actually believed her or not, but they didn’t press the issue. She stayed still and quiet while they finished up tending to the burns.

“You got lucky,” the first EMS told her. “Most are first degree burns with a few that are second. Some of the first degree might turn second, so just keep putting on ointment and keep them covered for a few weeks.” He finished putting on the final bandage.

“Thanks.” Aaliyah handed the oxygen mask back to the other EMS and eased herself out of the ambulance. She adjusted her jacket over her body. It had been the one thing that had somehow survived the fire.

“You look familiar,” the second one spoke up. “Haven’t I seen you before?”

Aaliyah’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest. “I doubt it.”

“I swear you look like the one ER nurse that had saddled a patient and stuck a needle into their chest to expand a lung.”

Aaliyah chuckled as a corner of her mouth pulled into a smile. “I think you’ve got your nurses confused.”

“I think I heard about that,” the first EMS said. “A friend of mine at that ER said that the nurse who did that seriously worked outside the box; and the higher ups didn’t like that. A shame, really.”

Aaliyah tilted her head, a mix of confusion and curiosity. “How so?”

“Not to speak ill of the nurse or the hospital,” the EMS said. “But word has it that the last time she had been seen, the night she got fired, was the same night she supposedly put a curse on the ER department and rode off in a black Impala. The ER’s had a string of bad luck ever since.”

“You really think this nurse cursed the ER department just because she got fired?” After nearly three years, Aaliyah hadn’t really thought about the hospital or what’s happened since.

“Kinda hard not to think it since half the staff that had worked with her spoke of her as if she was some sort of supernatural connection,” the second EMS said. “And the other half not liking what she’s done because, quote, she didn’t adhere to policies and procedures.”

Aaliyah gave an amused huff more to herself. To think after all this time she was seen as somewhat of a legend back in the ER. “Well, even if I was this nurse you’ve heard of, I doubt that who I was then isn’t me now.”

“I’d say so,” the first EMS said. “Never known a nurse to run into a burning building to save a couple kids and come out with smoke inhalation and mostly first degree burns. Especially with a new tattoo.”

A phone started ringing, startling all three. Aaliyah padded at her pockets and fished out her phone as she walked away from the ambulance. “Fisher.”

“Aaliyah, it’s Sam. We need your help.”

She cast a glance back to the EMS that treated her packing up. “It’s about Lilith, isn’t it?”

***

Aaliyah glanced over to Dean when he shot up in bed. She sat hunched over the table with a lore book open at a page with a sketching of what a hellhound might look like. Anything she had been dealing with was dropped when Sam called for help. Both brothers had gotten on her for being reckless in running into the burning house and getting her wounds. 

She didn’t tell them that she gone in to clean up the mess from another hunter who had gotten in way over their head. Aaliyah wasn’t sure what happened to that hunter since the house fire.The cabin door opened and Aaliyah reached for her knife before a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder. She had pushed past her body’s demands for sleep in the effort to figure out how to stop the hellhounds. 

“Dig up anything?” Sam asked.

Aaliyah shook her head. “Nothing good.” She turned back to the book.

“Bobby has. Finally. A way to find Lilith.”

“Oh?” Dean shifted on the bed and looked at his watch. “With about thirty hours to go.”

Aaliyah ignored Dean when he started going off on last minute ‘I want to have fun before I die’ requests. She flipped a page while Sam made the meager attempt to reassure his brother that they weren’t going to let Dean go to hell. There had to be a way to stop the whole thing. The thought of going out and summoning a cross-roads demon passed through, but where would that get anyone? Dean might be saved for a time, or he’d be going down with her in ten years. If the demon was willing to do that. 

“Here, Kid,” Bobby’s voice drifted into Aaliyah’s dream. 

She heard the sound of a cup being placed on the table near her head before footsteps walked away. She reached for the cup of coffee even before she opened her eyes and pushed up to sit. The table had been freed of the books and a map of the United States took up the free space. 

“What’s this?” Aaliyah asked when Bobby put a device onto the map.

“A tracking spell. All you really need is a name. Right name and spell, ain’t nothing you can’t suss out.”

Aaliyah sipped a the coffee, still hating the bitter taste of it. There probably wasn’t enough sugar or flavoring in the world to cancel that out. She sat there and listened as Bobby started the spell to locate Lilith.

“New Harmony, Indiana,” Bobby said.

“Alright.” Aaliyah put down the cup and pushed herself to her feet. “Let’s get going.”

“Whoa, hang on for a minute,” Dean called after her. 

“What? We know where Lilith’s at, and…”

“We’re going off of Bela’s intel,” Dean countered. “And we don’t know if Lilith even holds my deal. Even if we can get to her, we have no way to gank her. And third, what makes you think we’re gonna let you go in on this one?”

Aaliyah blinked a few times. “What makes you think I’m gonna sit this one out? Or let you three leave me on the sidelines? How many times do I have to tell you that I’m involved now; way too involved. I’m going in with you.” She narrowed her eyes at Dean, daring him to do something.

“Just ‘cause I have to die doesn’t mean you all have too,” he countered.

“Then what’s the plan?” Sam cut in. “We go in smart or we don’t go in at all.”

“If that’s the case, I have an answer.”

Aaliyah shifted her eyes between the two brothers. Her stomach started turning with the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

“You do?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. A sure-fire way to confirm it’s Lilith,” Sam said. “And a way to get us a bona fide demon killing genus.”

“Damn it, Sam, no.”

“No?” Aaliyah chimed in. 

“Sam here has a brilliant idea of calling for his demon friend Ruby,” Dean told her. 

“A demon?” She turned to face Sam. “Are you nuts? After all the trouble we had with yellow eyes and Meg? We don’t need the added problems.”

“Exactly,” Sam said. “And we don’t have time or choice.”

“Come on, man,” Dean cut in. “She’s the Miss Universe of lying shanks. She said you could save me. Uh – lie. She seemed to know everything about Lilith, but failed to mention that she owns my soul.”

“Fine, she lies,” Sam agreed. “But she has the knife.”

“For all we know she works for Lilith.”

“Can we really trust this Ruby?” Aaliyah asked. “I mean if she’s lied about stuff before, what’s to stop her now?”

“Sam’s right,” Bobby put his opinion into the conversation.

“No, damn it.” 

Aaliyah took a step back from Dean. 

“Just … no,” he continued. “We’re not making the same mistakes. You want to save me, find something else.”

Aaliyah felt more than actually saw Bobby turn and leave the cabin. She attempted to get further into the book before her head bobbed. 

“Get some sleep, Liyra,” Dean told her. “Between the two of us, you need it more.”

She shook her head. “Gotta find … something to help.”

A hand grabbed her arm and guided her up over to the bed. She didn’t fight it.

“Just a few hours,” Aaliyah agreed as she laid down.

**

Aaliyah stuffed the piece of paper into her pocket before she reached the door. She wasn’t sure what to do with the number the burly biker guy gave her, but it could be useful at one point in the future. Darting down the stairs, Aaliyah nearly missed a step. 

“And who’s this?” called a female voice Aaliyah didn’t recognize.

“Get back upstairs,” Sam and Dean called at the same time.

“Like hell I’m not,” Aaliyah replied, reaching the floor. “Especially not when you refused to listen in calling…” she looked over the woman who stood a half foot shorter than her. “Ruby.”

“She’s cute,” Ruby commented, moving toward Aaliyah.

“And you’re not gonna put a finger on her.” Dean moved to place himself between the demon and Aaliyah.

“I’d like to see her try,” Aaliyah challenged. She raised a hand and pulled down her collar to reveal a bandage taped to her chest over her hear.

“What’s that?” Sam asked.Aaliyah heard the protective brother tone in his voice. “Oh, a tattoo. It’s supposed to be a shaded in pentagram and circled by shaded in flames.”

“You mean like this?” Sam showed her the same tattoo.

“The same exact one.”

“You all think that’ll save you?” Ruby asked. “That a tattoo will stop hellhounds from coming after Dean here?”

“No, but I hear of a certain knife of yours,” Aaliyah cut in. “That’s gotta be useful for something, right?”

“Why would I give you my knife?” Ruby asked. “Sam’s carrying a bomb in him, and we’d be stupid not to use it.”

Aaliyah kept an eye on Dean while he paced. “I don’t know about this.”

“Just hold on for a minute …” Sam started.

“Come on, man,” Dean cut him off. “Are you blind? Can’t you see this is a trick?”

“That’s not true,” Ruby countered.

“She wants you to give into this whole demonic psychic whatever,” Dean continued. “Hell, she probably wants you to become her little Anti-Christ Super Star.”

“That’s not it,” Ruby yelled, anger in her voice. “I want Lilith dead, that’s all.”

“Why?” Aaliyah dared to speak up.

“I told them why.”

“Right, yeah.” Dean moved enough to bring Ruby’s attention back to him. “Because you were human once. And you love kittens and long walks on the beach.”

“I’m sick and tired of trying to prove myself to you,” Ruby shouted. “You wanna save yourself? This is how, you dumb, spineless dick.”

Aaliyah blinked once before Dean swung at Ruby. She managed to hold Sam back from the fist fight between Ruby and Dean. Sam frees himself from Aaliyah’s hold and got hit to the floor. Aaliyah aimed for Ruby with a lineman’s tackle move, but the demon side stepped the attack. Her hand brushed against the hilt of a blade and grabbed hold. She pivoted around to see Dean next to her and Ruby facing them and smiled. Aaliyah coughed to clear her throat and gained their attention.

“Missing something?” Aaliyah held up the knife. She grinned even as Ruby gave a ‘you bastard’ look

.“I’m gonna kill you.” Ruby charged at Aaliyah.

Aaliyah stumbled back a few steps when Dean tugged at her jacket. 

“Like I said,” Dean said. “I knew you’d come.”

Aaliyah felt the nudge from him to follow. Circling around the demon trap, she reached the stairs and headed up. Part of her knew that Dean wouldn’t let her stay down there for long, or leave her alone with Ruby. 

“That was risky,” Dean turned on Aaliyah when they reached the main floor. “Too risky.”

”What was so risky about it? No more than anything else I’ve done before.”

“This isn’t some demon or salt and burn, Liyra. We’re going up against Lilith.”

“And how’s some high powered demon any different from Yellow Eyes? Or did you forget I was involved with that as well? You know what?” She held up the knife before putting it onto the table. “Fuck this. You don’t want me involved; I’ll go find a case to work.”

Aaliyah saw herself out of the house. Her mind warred with itself while she crossed over to her car. It was down to the wire in their effort to save Dean, and he didn’t want her involved with taking out Lilith.

 “Aaliyah, wait,” a voice called out after her.

“Why?” She spun on a heel to see Dean chasing after her. “So, you tell me what a horrible mistake it is for me to be involved again? After all the shit we’ve been through, you think that it’ll be easy for me to step aside while you and Sam go after Lilith? You think she’s more trouble then Yellow Eyes, and you don’t want me there. Fine, I’ll be out somewhere on the west coast somewhere hunting something.” 

A hand grabbed her wrist while she turned for the car.

Aaliyah swung back around, a fist balled and in full motion for contact. The fist was grabbed and Dean pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her. Her body froze in confusion. It was so unlike Dean to show any sort of emotion, other than rage after bottling it up for so long. 

“I don’t want to see you hurt,” he said in Aaliyah’s ear. “I’m a hunter. Comes with the territory.” Dean pulled away from her. “I mean it. If anything goes sideways for us, I want you gone.”

“Got it. Now, are we gonna go gank this demon or not?”

***

Aaliyah shifted in the backseat while Sam tried to have a quick heart to heart with Dean. The thought of putting her music on passed through her head; she had thought ahead of time to bring a selection of CDs and her player. Fishing the player and a CD out of her bag, Aaliyah shifted around to stretch out across the bench. 

From the front seat, Dean started singing along to “Wanted Dead or Alive” that was playing on the radio. For as good as the song was, she wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Not with what loomed on the horizon. Time passed and Aaliyah was on the edge of consciousness; the rumble of the car’s engine threatened to send her completely unconscious. 

It had that eerie call back to when she was riding with the brothers on the crazy mission to find their father and taking out Yellow Eyes; with her in the backseat trying to figure out where she fit into the hunter’s world, Dean driving and his choice of classic rock music playing, and Sam in the passenger seat reading. What didn’t fit was the loud sirens that forced itself into Aaliyah’s sleep.

 “…Pulled over?” she muttered as she worked into a sitting position.

“Got a busted tail light,” Dean tossed back at her. “Go back to sleep.”

“Not when you might do something stupid.” 

Aaliyah adjusted herself even as Dean pulled over to the side of the road. She smiled politely to the officer when he shone his flashlight into her window. Keeping quiet while Dean dealt with the officer, she fought back the feeling that something was way too off with the officer. She jumped back when Dean threw his door open against the officer before climbing out of the car. Sam waved her back while Dean stabbed at the officer. A hand touched her shoulder, alerting Aaliyah that someone was there.

“What just happened?” Bobby asked.

“Dean just killed a demon,” Sam answered. “How’d you know?”

“I saw its face, the one under that one.”

Aaliyah pulled away from Bobby and went to hunch down at the officer. “We need to move the patrol car.” 

Sam nodded and moved for the car.Aaliyah followed after while he managed the vehicle into a wooded spot and started pulling on branches. 

“How’s it that you’re seeing demons now?” she asked when she put the last branch on the car.

“I’ve seen lots of crazy lately,” Dean said. “Just … nothing like this.”

“Actually,” Bobby cut in. “It’s not that crazy.”

“How is seeing demons not crazy?” Aaliyah asked.

“Think about it. Dean’s got about five hours to go and is piercing the veil.”

“A little less new age-y please.”

“You’re almost hell’s bitch,” Bobby put it blunt. “So you can see hell’s other bitches.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Aaliyah turned her head at the noise that Sam was making to join them. “Think about it. Lilith knows we’re coming. And she’s bound to have demons all over the damn place.”

“We can’t be letting them sounding the alarm,” Bobby said. “She knows we’re here; and we’re dead before we start.”

“This plan’s terrific,” Dean half complained. “So excited to be apart of it. Can we go now?”

Aaliyah watched him storm away from the spot. There had to be a way to stop the deal. They were at the one yard line last year with the Hell’s Gate and Yellow Eyes. Same thing here with the deal.

**

She darted between shadows, hearing the hushed voice of Bobby telling her not to show off. Her mind had gone full Hunter mood now that they were so close to Lilith. Even if the deal couldn’t be broken, killing Lilith would be nice. Aaliyah stopped at a house, using it to hide, and waited. One dark house on the street has a “For Sale” sign in the yard; the one where Lilith was. A hand guided her back away from the ambient light. 

Aaliyah noticed that Bobby had taken her spot with Sam, who was using a pair of binoculars to spy on the house, standing behind him. She could sense Dean standing behind her. The usual line up plus one. Even when he was facing down death, Dean was making sure she was safe.

Aaliyah saw Sam step out from behind the house and reached out to stop him. 

“You crazy?”

“Better then standing here waiting for ‘em to kill us.”

“See the real go-getter of a mailman?” Dean pointed out. “Doing the rounds at nine pm? And Mr. Rodgers over there?”

“Demons?” Bobby asked.

“Yes,” Dean answered.

“Okay, fine,” Sam said, shifting his weight. “We …. ninja past them and get in.”

“Then what? Give a ‘Columbian necktie’ to a ten year old? Come on.”

“I know it’s awful, but this isn’t just about saving you, Dean. It’s about saving everyone.”

Aaliyah glanced over to Bobby when Dean gave in. She followed after the older hunter while the brothers went off in a different direction. 

“Here,” he said, handing over a rosary. “Doubt you learned how to make holy water in the past few years.”

Aaliyah shook her head, keeping the comment of killing demons was easier. Doing the hard work to get into the water pipes, she repeated the words Bobby told her and dropped the rosary into the pipe. 

“How do we know if it worked?”

“Wait and turn the sprinklers on,” he said. “Listen, kid. This is gonna go bad tonight, no matter what we do. Can an old hunter get a last request?”

“You want me to get out of hunting? I can try, Bobby. Let’s get through tonight, huh?”

“Fair enough. Go meet up with the boys, I got it from here.”

Aaliyah nodded and headed around to the front where Sam was struggling on picking the lock. “Need some help?”

A scream brought her attention up to see Dean and Ruby running up to the house. Aaliyah pulled out a knife and stepped out away from Sam straight for Ruby. The sudden waterworks of the sprinkler system sent Aaliyah back.Sam pulled Aaliyah into the house after him, followed by Dean and Ruby. Aaliyah glanced around as she took up a spot behind Sam as he led the way through the house with the knife. 

A creak from behind turned her head. She stepped away from Sam even as Dean took up a spot behind her. Reaching out, Aaliyah held the knife in a way it would be the first thing to move in attack. Dean opened the door to reveal the father.Aaliyah put a finger to her lips to tell the father to keep quiet.

“We’re here to help. Where’s your daughter?” 

“It’s …” he stammered. “It’s not her anymore.”

Aaliyah leaned in closer to him, eyes narrowed. “Where is she?”

“Upstairs; bedroom.”

“Now, go down to the basement and put a salt line down in front of the door behind you,” she instructed.

“Not without my wife.”

“Yes, without your wife.” Aaliyah saw another refusal and punched the man.

She moved as Dean reached in for the man, shouldering the limp body. Her eye caught Sam and Ruby moving for the stairs. Aaliyah found the salt in the kitchen and headed downstairs after Dean, putting the salt line down after he dumped the father. She darted up the stairs and took the flight to the second floor two steps at a time. Dean thumped up behind her, pushing past when they reached the top. 

A scream echoed from a room. Aaliyah charged for the room on Dean’s heels. He stopped Sam from putting Ruby’s knife into the girl.

“It’s not Lilith,” Dean said. “It’s not in her.”

Aaliyah glanced between the girl and her mother. It wouldn’t be much of an issue for a high ranked demon like Lilith to pull back and let the human have control. That much she remembered from dealing with Yellow Eyes. She brought up the rear of the group as they headed downstairs. Aaliyah half heard Dean instructed the mother and child to remain in the basement no matter what they hear. 

She walked into the living room and glanced out the window to see the sprinkler system still acting as a barrier to the demons out on the street.Somewhere she heard Sam and Ruby bicker back and forth about what Sam had to do to save Dean. Aaliyah turned back to the group and saw Sam take a breath.

“I’m sorry,” Dean said. “This is all my fault, I know that. But what you’re doing isn’t gonna save me. It’ll kill you.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

Aaliyah heard Sam’s voice crack just a little and fought back her tears. “Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Remember what Dad taught you. Okay?”

Aaliyah nodded along with Sam. She startled when the clock in the other room started chiming midnight. Her breath caught in her throat when the first rumble of a hellhound rolled into the room.

“I’m so sorry, Dean,” Ruby said, remorse in her voice. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

Aaliyah wiped away her tears and pushed her feelings deep before she turned in the direction Dean pointed at. She hadn’t the chance to stand her ground before a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her along after them. First into the office, Aaliyah bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting to close the doors. Sam helped to brace them closed while Dean put down a line of dust in front of the doors. Aaliyah heard Ruby ask Sam for the knife, claiming she could fight it off.

“Why would he give you the knife?” Aaliyah questioned, her head tilted to a side. “I mean you’ve barely lifted a finger to help all night.”

“If she can manage it …” Sam countered, pulling out the knife. 

“Wait!” Dean rushed over. “That’s not Ruby.”

Aaliyah took one step toward Ruby before being flung against a wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Gasping for breath, she barely registered the conversation between Dean and Lilith. Using the wall for support, Aaliyah managed to gain her feet just as Lilith turned her attention on her.

“You know,” Lilith started. “You should have taken that message to heart and gone back to school.” She put a gentle hand to Aaliyah’s cheek.

“And miss out on seeing you squirm?” Aaliyah gave a half smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You got nerve,” Sam called over to Lilith. “Besides, you got me. Let them go.”

“Don’t you worry, Sam.” Lilith turned her attention over to him, removing her hand from Aaliyah’s face. “And if you wanna bargain, you need to have something I want.”

Aaliyah struggled to prop herself up against the wall and watched Lilith stalk toward Sam.

“This is your big plan,” Dean told Lilith. “Kill Sam, drag me to hell, and leave Aaliyah here? Then what? Become Queen Bitch?”

“I don’t answer to puppy chow,” the demon retorted. 

She moved over to the door and opened it. “Sic him.”

A scream tore at Aaliyah’s throat, scratching it up as the hellhound pulled Dean off the table and onto the floor. She fought against the force that held her against the wall in the effort to save Dean. Sam’s voice was distant as he pled to Lilith for it to stop while Dean’s screams of pain mingled with Sam’s voice. The force that held Aaliyah to the wall broke away, allowing her to slide on her knees toward a bloody and torn up Dean. 

A light breeze crossed her skin, sending her hairs to stand on end. She ignored the hellhound and checked for a pulse. The hand pulled back slow as Sam circled around and cradled Dean. Some part of her picked up that the hellhound was gone, and Sam was in the middle of an ugly cry, but Aaliyah’s mind had checked out. 

[idreamofhazeleyes]

Ties in Blood -- Chapter 29

A repost from my other account. I was shookth when I saw I got this account back. I honestly hadn’t expected this one back. I’ll make a post about that after I post this.

Major apologizes for not getting this done sooner for being out of work for the past like 2 months. I seriously shoulda had this and maybe another one and a half done before now. But job searching and other RL stuff took president. Two: Damn you, Chuck. This is gonna fuck up what I have planned for Aaliyah after the Amara fight going forward. It brings up the question would he do to Aaliyah what he did to Jack? I’m half looking for someone to bounce ideas off of without giving away everything for everyone. And now I’m rambling.

@mrswhozeewhatsis @winchestergirl-13 @impala-dreamer @percussiongirl2017 @idreamofplaid @squirrelnotsam

Chapter 29

Aaliyah pushed through the crowd toward the house. She heard several people yell after her to not do it; let the professionals do it. The fire and ambulance teams were still a few minutes out and would be too late to save the children trapped in the house. Aaliyah was there and tossed her life into the wind. She choked on the smoke filled living room, her breath caught in her throat. A hand brought up the collar of her shirt to cover her nose and mouth.

“Kids,” she called out, diving deeper into the house. “Come on, make some sound.”

Something hit a wall upstairs and Aaliyah swore she heard something bounce a few times before it stopped. Her eyes watered from the smoke as she climbed the stairs. Faint crying came from one of the rooms. There was a child no older than two standing up in the crib. Aaliyah picked up the crying toddler and turned back for the hallway when the ceiling caved in. She stumbled back a few steps as she half turned to shield the child, hitting the crib. Some small part of Aaliyah’s brain registered pain, but she ignored it to focus on getting out of the room.

The burning pile was big enough to make getting out difficult. With a silent apology to both the toddler and the parents, Aaliyah charged the pile and leapt through.

“Mommy,” a child called followed by coughing.

Aaliyah followed the call, her mind telling her to forget the child and worry about herself. She fought back the urge as she turned into the bedroom. Half of it was already covered in collapsed ceiling, with one or two piles burning away. With a cough that threatened to bring up a lung, Aaliyah dove in and found the child and pulled them in front of her.

“Go, don’t stop for me,” she told the child.

Aaliyah kept a hand out in the odd sense of comfort that she’d be able to tell if the child was still in front of her. Back down the hall and the stairs and out the front door.

EMS and fire fighters rushed over and took control of the children as Aaliyah hacked away from the smoke. She pulled away when a hand touched her arm before her mind snapped back to see a fire fighter. The danger was gone. Two more lives had been saved, and she could go vanish into the night. But with the gentle yet urging hand on her arm told her vanishing wouldn’t be a good thing.

She followed the fire fighter over to an empty ambulance where the EMS cut away her burned and smoked clothes in order to tend to her burns. One handed her an oxygen mask.

“Where’d these come from?” one EMS asked, tracing the werewolf scars on her back.

“Bear attack. Stupid luck had me at the wrong place and time.” Aaliyah wasn’t sure if the two techs actually believed her or not, but they didn’t press the issue. She stayed still and quiet while they finished up tending to the burns.

“You got lucky,” the first EMS told her. “Most are first degree burns with a few that are second. Some of the first degree might turn second, so just keep putting on ointment and keep them covered for a few weeks.” He finished putting on the final bandage.

“Thanks.” Aaliyah handed the oxygen mask back to the other EMS and eased herself out of the ambulance. She adjusted her jacket over her body. It had been the one thing that had somehow survived the fire.

“You look familiar,” the second one spoke up. “Haven’t I seen you before?”

Aaliyah’s heart threatened to burst out of her chest. “I doubt it.”

“I swear you look like the one ER nurse that had saddled a patient and stuck a needle into their chest to expand a lung.”

Aaliyah chuckled as a corner of her mouth pulled into a smile. “I think you’ve got your nurses confused.”

“I think I heard about that,” the first EMS said. “A friend of mine at that ER said that the nurse who did that seriously worked outside the box; and the higher ups didn’t like that. A shame, really.”

Aaliyah tilted her head, a mix of confusion and curiosity. “How so?”

“Not to speak ill of the nurse or the hospital,” the EMS said. “But word has it that the last time she had been seen, the night she got fired, was the same night she supposedly put a curse on the ER department and rode off in a black Impala. The ER’s had a string of bad luck ever since.”

“You really think this nurse cursed the ER department just because she got fired?” After nearly three years, Aaliyah hadn’t really thought about the hospital or what’s happened since.

“Kinda hard not to think it since half the staff that had worked with her spoke of her as if she was some sort of supernatural connection,” the second EMS said. “And the other half not liking what she’s done because, quote, she didn’t adhere to policies and procedures.”

Aaliyah gave an amused huff more to herself. To think after all this time she was seen as somewhat of a legend back in the ER. “Well, even if I was this nurse you’ve heard of, I doubt that who I was then isn’t me now.”

“I’d say so,” the first EMS said. “Never known a nurse to run into a burning building to save a couple kids and come out with smoke inhalation and mostly first degree burns. Especially with a new tattoo.”

A phone started ringing, startling all three. Aaliyah padded at her pockets and fished out her phone as she walked away from the ambulance. “Fisher.”

“Aaliyah, it’s Sam. We need your help.”

She cast a glance back to the EMS that treated her packing up. “It’s about Lilith, isn’t it?”

***

Aaliyah glanced over to Dean when he shot up in bed. She sat hunched over the table with a lore book open at a page with a sketching of what a hellhound might look like. Anything she had been dealing with was dropped when Sam called for help. Both brothers had gotten on her for being reckless in running into the burning house and getting her wounds.

She didn’t tell them that she gone in to clean up the mess from another hunter who had gotten in way over their head. Aaliyah wasn’t sure what happened to that hunter since the house fire.The cabin door opened and Aaliyah reached for her knife before a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder. She had pushed past her body’s demands for sleep in the effort to figure out how to stop the hellhounds.

“Dig up anything?” Sam asked.

Aaliyah shook her head. “Nothing good.” She turned back to the book.

“Bobby has. Finally. A way to find Lilith.”

“Oh?” Dean shifted on the bed and looked at his watch. “With about thirty hours to go.”

Aaliyah ignored Dean when he started going off on last minute ‘I want to have fun before I die’ requests. She flipped a page while Sam made the meager attempt to reassure his brother that they weren’t going to let Dean go to hell. There had to be a way to stop the whole thing. The thought of going out and summoning a cross-roads demon passed through, but where would that get anyone? Dean might be saved for a time, or he’d be going down with her in ten years. If the demon was willing to do that.

“Here, Kid,” Bobby’s voice drifted into Aaliyah’s dream.

She heard the sound of a cup being placed on the table near her head before footsteps walked away. She reached for the cup of coffee even before she opened her eyes and pushed up to sit. The table had been freed of the books and a map of the United States took up the free space.

“What’s this?” Aaliyah asked when Bobby put a device onto the map.

“A tracking spell. All you really need is a name. Right name and spell, ain’t nothing you can’t suss out.”

Aaliyah sipped a the coffee, still hating the bitter taste of it. There probably wasn’t enough sugar or flavoring in the world to cancel that out. She sat there and listened as Bobby started the spell to locate Lilith.

“New Harmony, Indiana,” Bobby said.

“Alright.” Aaliyah put down the cup and pushed herself to her feet. “Let’s get going.”

“Whoa, hang on for a minute,” Dean called after her.

“What? We know where Lilith’s at, and…”

“We’re going off of Bela’s intel,” Dean countered. “And we don’t know if Lilith even holds my deal. Even if we can get to her, we have no way to gank her. And third, what makes you think we’re gonna let you go in on this one?”

Aaliyah blinked a few times. “What makes you think I’m gonna sit this one out? Or let you three leave me on the sidelines? How many times do I have to tell you that I’m involved now; way too involved. I’m going in with you.” She narrowed her eyes at Dean, daring him to do something.

“Just ‘cause I have to die doesn’t mean you all have too,” he countered.

“Then what’s the plan?” Sam cut in. “We go in smart or we don’t go in at all.”

“If that’s the case, I have an answer.”

Aaliyah shifted her eyes between the two brothers. Her stomach started turning with the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

“You do?” Dean asked.

“Yeah. A sure-fire way to confirm it’s Lilith,” Sam said. “And a way to get us a bona fide demon killing genus.”

“Damn it, Sam, no.”

“No?” Aaliyah chimed in.

“Sam here has a brilliant idea of calling for his demon friend Ruby,” Dean told her.

“A demon?” She turned to face Sam. “Are you nuts? After all the trouble we had with yellow eyes and Meg? We don’t need the added problems.”

“Exactly,” Sam said. “And we don’t have time or choice.”

“Come on, man,” Dean cut in. “She’s the Miss Universe of lying shanks. She said you could save me. Uh – lie. She seemed to know everything about Lilith, but failed to mention that she owns my soul.”

“Fine, she lies,” Sam agreed. “But she has the knife.”

“For all we know she works for Lilith.”

“Can we really trust this Ruby?” Aaliyah asked. “I mean if she’s lied about stuff before, what’s to stop her now?”

“Sam’s right,” Bobby put his opinion into the conversation.

“No, damn it.”

Aaliyah took a step back from Dean.

“Just … no,” he continued. “We’re not making the same mistakes. You want to save me, find something else.”

Aaliyah felt more than actually saw Bobby turn and leave the cabin. She attempted to get further into the book before her head bobbed.

“Get some sleep, Liyra,” Dean told her. “Between the two of us, you need it more.”

She shook her head. “Gotta find … something to help.”

A hand grabbed her arm and guided her up over to the bed. She didn’t fight it.

“Just a few hours,” Aaliyah agreed as she laid down.

**

Aaliyah stuffed the piece of paper into her pocket before she reached the door. She wasn’t sure what to do with the number the burly biker guy gave her, but it could be useful at one point in the future. Darting down the stairs, Aaliyah nearly missed a step.

“And who’s this?” called a female voice Aaliyah didn’t recognize.

“Get back upstairs,” Sam and Dean called at the same time.

“Like hell I’m not,” Aaliyah replied, reaching the floor. “Especially not when you refused to listen in calling…” she looked over the woman who stood a half foot shorter than her. “Ruby.”

“She’s cute,” Ruby commented, moving toward Aaliyah.

“And you’re not gonna put a finger on her.” Dean moved to place himself between the demon and Aaliyah.

“I’d like to see her try,” Aaliyah challenged. She raised a hand and pulled down her collar to reveal a bandage taped to her chest over her hear.

“What’s that?” Sam asked.Aaliyah heard the protective brother tone in his voice. “Oh, a tattoo. It’s supposed to be a shaded in pentagram and circled by shaded in flames.”

“You mean like this?” Sam showed her the same tattoo.

“The same exact one.”

“You all think that’ll save you?” Ruby asked. “That a tattoo will stop hellhounds from coming after Dean here?”

“No, but I hear of a certain knife of yours,” Aaliyah cut in. “That’s gotta be useful for something, right?”

“Why would I give you my knife?” Ruby asked. “Sam’s carrying a bomb in him, and we’d be stupid not to use it.”

Aaliyah kept an eye on Dean while he paced. “I don’t know about this.”

“Just hold on for a minute …” Sam started.

“Come on, man,” Dean cut him off. “Are you blind? Can’t you see this is a trick?”

“That’s not true,” Ruby countered.

“She wants you to give into this whole demonic psychic whatever,” Dean continued. “Hell, she probably wants you to become her little Anti-Christ Super Star.”

“That’s not it,” Ruby yelled, anger in her voice. “I want Lilith dead, that’s all.”

“Why?” Aaliyah dared to speak up.

“I told them why.”

“Right, yeah.” Dean moved enough to bring Ruby’s attention back to him. “Because you were human once. And you love kittens and long walks on the beach.”

“I’m sick and tired of trying to prove myself to you,” Ruby shouted. “You wanna save yourself? This is how, you dumb, spineless dick.”

Aaliyah blinked once before Dean swung at Ruby. She managed to hold Sam back from the fist fight between Ruby and Dean. Sam frees himself from Aaliyah’s hold and got hit to the floor. Aaliyah aimed for Ruby with a lineman’s tackle move, but the demon side stepped the attack. Her hand brushed against the hilt of a blade and grabbed hold. She pivoted around to see Dean next to her and Ruby facing them and smiled. Aaliyah coughed to clear her throat and gained their attention.

“Missing something?” Aaliyah held up the knife. She grinned even as Ruby gave a ‘you bastard’ look

.“I’m gonna kill you.” Ruby charged at Aaliyah.

Aaliyah stumbled back a few steps when Dean tugged at her jacket.

“Like I said,” Dean said. “I knew you’d come.”

Aaliyah felt the nudge from him to follow. Circling around the demon trap, she reached the stairs and headed up. Part of her knew that Dean wouldn’t let her stay down there for long, or leave her alone with Ruby.

“That was risky,” Dean turned on Aaliyah when they reached the main floor. “Too risky.”

”What was so risky about it? No more than anything else I’ve done before.”

“This isn’t some demon or salt and burn, Liyra. We’re going up against Lilith.”

“And how’s some high powered demon any different from Yellow Eyes? Or did you forget I was involved with that as well? You know what?” She held up the knife before putting it onto the table. “Fuck this. You don’t want me involved; I’ll go find a case to work.”

Aaliyah saw herself out of the house. Her mind warred with itself while she crossed over to her car. It was down to the wire in their effort to save Dean, and he didn’t want her involved with taking out Lilith.

“Aaliyah, wait,” a voice called out after her.

“Why?” She spun on a heel to see Dean chasing after her. “So, you tell me what a horrible mistake it is for me to be involved again? After all the shit we’ve been through, you think that it’ll be easy for me to step aside while you and Sam go after Lilith? You think she’s more trouble then Yellow Eyes, and you don’t want me there. Fine, I’ll be out somewhere on the west coast somewhere hunting something.”

A hand grabbed her wrist while she turned for the car.

Aaliyah swung back around, a fist balled and in full motion for contact. The fist was grabbed and Dean pulled her in, wrapping his arms around her. Her body froze in confusion. It was so unlike Dean to show any sort of emotion, other than rage after bottling it up for so long.

“I don’t want to see you hurt,” he said in Aaliyah’s ear. “I’m a hunter. Comes with the territory.” Dean pulled away from her. “I mean it. If anything goes sideways for us, I want you gone.”

“Got it. Now, are we gonna go gank this demon or not?”

***

Aaliyah shifted in the backseat while Sam tried to have a quick heart to heart with Dean. The thought of putting her music on passed through her head; she had thought ahead of time to bring a selection of CDs and her player. Fishing the player and a CD out of her bag, Aaliyah shifted around to stretch out across the bench.

From the front seat, Dean started singing along to “Wanted Dead or Alive” that was playing on the radio. For as good as the song was, she wasn’t in the mood to listen to it. Not with what loomed on the horizon. Time passed and Aaliyah was on the edge of consciousness; the rumble of the car’s engine threatened to send her completely unconscious.

It had that eerie call back to when she was riding with the brothers on the crazy mission to find their father and taking out Yellow Eyes; with her in the backseat trying to figure out where she fit into the hunter’s world, Dean driving and his choice of classic rock music playing, and Sam in the passenger seat reading. What didn’t fit was the loud sirens that forced itself into Aaliyah’s sleep.

“…Pulled over?” she muttered as she worked into a sitting position.

“Got a busted tail light,” Dean tossed back at her. “Go back to sleep.”

“Not when you might do something stupid.”

Aaliyah adjusted herself even as Dean pulled over to the side of the road. She smiled politely to the officer when he shone his flashlight into her window. Keeping quiet while Dean dealt with the officer, she fought back the feeling that something was way too off with the officer. She jumped back when Dean threw his door open against the officer before climbing out of the car. Sam waved her back while Dean stabbed at the officer. A hand touched her shoulder, alerting Aaliyah that someone was there.

“What just happened?” Bobby asked.

“Dean just killed a demon,” Sam answered. “How’d you know?”

“I saw its face, the one under that one.”

Aaliyah pulled away from Bobby and went to hunch down at the officer. “We need to move the patrol car.”

Sam nodded and moved for the car.Aaliyah followed after while he managed the vehicle into a wooded spot and started pulling on branches.

“How’s it that you’re seeing demons now?” she asked when she put the last branch on the car.

“I’ve seen lots of crazy lately,” Dean said. “Just … nothing like this.”

“Actually,” Bobby cut in. “It’s not that crazy.”

“How is seeing demons not crazy?” Aaliyah asked.

“Think about it. Dean’s got about five hours to go and is piercing the veil.”

“A little less new age-y please.”

“You’re almost hell’s bitch,” Bobby put it blunt. “So you can see hell’s other bitches.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Aaliyah turned her head at the noise that Sam was making to join them. “Think about it. Lilith knows we’re coming. And she’s bound to have demons all over the damn place.”

“We can’t be letting them sounding the alarm,” Bobby said. “She knows we’re here; and we’re dead before we start.”

“This plan’s terrific,” Dean half complained. “So excited to be apart of it. Can we go now?”

Aaliyah watched him storm away from the spot. There had to be a way to stop the deal. They were at the one yard line last year with the Hell’s Gate and Yellow Eyes. Same thing here with the deal.

**

She darted between shadows, hearing the hushed voice of Bobby telling her not to show off. Her mind had gone full Hunter mood now that they were so close to Lilith. Even if the deal couldn’t be broken, killing Lilith would be nice. Aaliyah stopped at a house, using it to hide, and waited. One dark house on the street has a “For Sale” sign in the yard; the one where Lilith was. A hand guided her back away from the ambient light.

Aaliyah noticed that Bobby had taken her spot with Sam, who was using a pair of binoculars to spy on the house, standing behind him. She could sense Dean standing behind her. The usual line up plus one. Even when he was facing down death, Dean was making sure she was safe.

Aaliyah saw Sam step out from behind the house and reached out to stop him.

“You crazy?”

“Better then standing here waiting for ‘em to kill us.”

“See the real go-getter of a mailman?” Dean pointed out. “Doing the rounds at nine pm? And Mr. Rodgers over there?”

“Demons?” Bobby asked.

“Yes,” Dean answered.

“Okay, fine,” Sam said, shifting his weight. “We …. ninja past them and get in.”

“Then what? Give a ‘Columbian necktie’ to a ten year old? Come on.”

“I know it’s awful, but this isn’t just about saving you, Dean. It’s about saving everyone.”

Aaliyah glanced over to Bobby when Dean gave in. She followed after the older hunter while the brothers went off in a different direction.

“Here,” he said, handing over a rosary. “Doubt you learned how to make holy water in the past few years.”

Aaliyah shook her head, keeping the comment of killing demons was easier. Doing the hard work to get into the water pipes, she repeated the words Bobby told her and dropped the rosary into the pipe.

“How do we know if it worked?”

“Wait and turn the sprinklers on,” he said. “Listen, kid. This is gonna go bad tonight, no matter what we do. Can an old hunter get a last request?”

“You want me to get out of hunting? I can try, Bobby. Let’s get through tonight, huh?”

“Fair enough. Go meet up with the boys, I got it from here.”

Aaliyah nodded and headed around to the front where Sam was struggling on picking the lock. “Need some help?”

A scream brought her attention up to see Dean and Ruby running up to the house. Aaliyah pulled out a knife and stepped out away from Sam straight for Ruby. The sudden waterworks of the sprinkler system sent Aaliyah back.Sam pulled Aaliyah into the house after him, followed by Dean and Ruby. Aaliyah glanced around as she took up a spot behind Sam as he led the way through the house with the knife.

A creak from behind turned her head. She stepped away from Sam even as Dean took up a spot behind her. Reaching out, Aaliyah held the knife in a way it would be the first thing to move in attack. Dean opened the door to reveal the father.Aaliyah put a finger to her lips to tell the father to keep quiet.

“We’re here to help. Where’s your daughter?”

“It’s …” he stammered. “It’s not her anymore.”

Aaliyah leaned in closer to him, eyes narrowed. “Where is she?”

“Upstairs; bedroom.”

“Now, go down to the basement and put a salt line down in front of the door behind you,” she instructed.

“Not without my wife.”

“Yes, without your wife.” Aaliyah saw another refusal and punched the man.

She moved as Dean reached in for the man, shouldering the limp body. Her eye caught Sam and Ruby moving for the stairs. Aaliyah found the salt in the kitchen and headed downstairs after Dean, putting the salt line down after he dumped the father. She darted up the stairs and took the flight to the second floor two steps at a time. Dean thumped up behind her, pushing past when they reached the top.

A scream echoed from a room. Aaliyah charged for the room on Dean’s heels. He stopped Sam from putting Ruby’s knife into the girl.

“It’s not Lilith,” Dean said. “It’s not in her.”

Aaliyah glanced between the girl and her mother. It wouldn’t be much of an issue for a high ranked demon like Lilith to pull back and let the human have control. That much she remembered from dealing with Yellow Eyes. She brought up the rear of the group as they headed downstairs. Aaliyah half heard Dean instructed the mother and child to remain in the basement no matter what they hear.

She walked into the living room and glanced out the window to see the sprinkler system still acting as a barrier to the demons out on the street.Somewhere she heard Sam and Ruby bicker back and forth about what Sam had to do to save Dean. Aaliyah turned back to the group and saw Sam take a breath.

“I’m sorry,” Dean said. “This is all my fault, I know that. But what you’re doing isn’t gonna save me. It’ll kill you.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

Aaliyah heard Sam’s voice crack just a little and fought back her tears. “Keep fighting. Take care of my wheels. Remember what Dad taught you. Okay?”

Aaliyah nodded along with Sam. She startled when the clock in the other room started chiming midnight. Her breath caught in her throat when the first rumble of a hellhound rolled into the room.

“I’m so sorry, Dean,” Ruby said, remorse in her voice. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”

Aaliyah wiped away her tears and pushed her feelings deep before she turned in the direction Dean pointed at. She hadn’t the chance to stand her ground before a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her along after them. First into the office, Aaliyah bounced on the balls of her feet, waiting to close the doors. Sam helped to brace them closed while Dean put down a line of dust in front of the doors. Aaliyah heard Ruby ask Sam for the knife, claiming she could fight it off.

“Why would he give you the knife?” Aaliyah questioned, her head tilted to a side. “I mean you’ve barely lifted a finger to help all night.”

“If she can manage it …” Sam countered, pulling out the knife.

“Wait!” Dean rushed over. “That’s not Ruby.”

Aaliyah took one step toward Ruby before being flung against a wall, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Gasping for breath, she barely registered the conversation between Dean and Lilith. Using the wall for support, Aaliyah managed to gain her feet just as Lilith turned her attention on her.

“You know,” Lilith started. “You should have taken that message to heart and gone back to school.” She put a gentle hand to Aaliyah’s cheek.

“And miss out on seeing you squirm?” Aaliyah gave a half smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“You got nerve,” Sam called over to Lilith. “Besides, you got me. Let them go.”

“Don’t you worry, Sam.” Lilith turned her attention over to him, removing her hand from Aaliyah’s face. “And if you wanna bargain, you need to have something I want.”

Aaliyah struggled to prop herself up against the wall and watched Lilith stalk toward Sam.

“This is your big plan,” Dean told Lilith. “Kill Sam, drag me to hell, and leave Aaliyah here? Then what? Become Queen Bitch?”

“I don’t answer to puppy chow,” the demon retorted.

She moved over to the door and opened it. “Sic him.”

A scream tore at Aaliyah’s throat, scratching it up as the hellhound pulled Dean off the table and onto the floor. She fought against the force that held her against the wall in the effort to save Dean. Sam’s voice was distant as he pled to Lilith for it to stop while Dean’s screams of pain mingled with Sam’s voice. The force that held Aaliyah to the wall broke away, allowing her to slide on her knees toward a bloody and torn up Dean.

A light breeze crossed her skin, sending her hairs to stand on end. She ignored the hellhound and checked for a pulse. The hand pulled back slow as Sam circled around and cradled Dean. Some part of her picked up that the hellhound was gone, and Sam was in the middle of an ugly cry, but Aaliyah’s mind had checked out.

[mskinkyafro]

Us Against the World ( Flynn x MC)

A/N: VOS is such a great mystery so far, I'm loving this book and I'm loving the chemistry between Flynn and my MC Aaliyah Olivera. This takes place back in chapter 11 and I included most of the same dialogue and added some of my own from the arraignment scene. Plus I wanted to shed some more emphasis over the fact the D.A. publicly discussed Aaliyah's love life in front of the town and how that felt for her. Also this sat in my drive for a minute, I've been feeling insecure about my writing lately but I feel like this fic is worth publishing. Since this does take place back in chapter 11 it isn't compliant to how twelve started so it's canon divergence. 

Sidenote: I briefly describe Aaliyah's appearance in this fic and the hairstyle I detail isn't an option in book. The reason I changed it is because sometimes the hairstyles offered do not flatter the darker MCs as much as I'd like so in my HC and this story and any future fics she's rocking a natural shoulder length kinky-curl fro.

Summary: After the hearing, Flynn and Aaliyah head back to his place to regroup from the day. They have a heart to heart about today's revelations and how to move forward from this minor setback.  

Rating: PG-13 slight cursing

Aaliyah walks up the steps entering the Birchport's courthouse. Once inside she noticed that it was everything she'd expect for the small coastal town. As she entered the courtroom Aaliyah was taken back by how many people came to the hearing. She was faintly irked at the nerve of the townspeople. Some treating this hearing, Kate's life as some sort of entertainment.

Spotting Flynn in the row directly behind the defendant's table she made her way over. "How are you holding up?" she asked him carefully.

Aaliyah noticed the anxiousness and apprehension radiating off him. 

"Considering that this place is just one bad massive flashback? You tell me…" he drifts off his eyes avoiding hers. 

Sympathizing with her best friend's brother she squeezed his hand and doesn't let go as she tells him

"I'm here for you, Flynn."

His face is kept neutral but the usual spark that she's seen in his eyes the last few days are not there at that moment. It almost breaks her heart to see him so forlorn. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute that she didn't notice the look Flynn gives as his eyes look her over up and down, admiring the all-white pantsuit that fit her like a glove and accented her coffee colored skin. He opens his mouth and says

"Though...that look is a pretty decent distraction. I'm not gonna lie I think I'm a bit...afraid of you in that suit…I mean that in a good way. " A blush is evident on his face as he tries to regain his composure.

Flashing a coy smile his way she playful shoves his shoulder and says

"Only decent?"

He gives a small eye roll 

"You know what I meant…" he rubs behind his neck

"You never do anything just decent and you yourself aren't either. What I meant is that you look amazing."

She places a chaste kiss to his cheek and says

"Thanks, Flynn. Let's hope it has the same effect on the prosecutor."

Then she drops her voice in a sultry tone so that only he could hear her

"And there's nothing you should be afraid about. I only bite when you ask me too." Aaliyah tosses a wink in for good measure. 

Flynn grins and shakes his head. He then tells her what he found out when he went to talk with Tony Roz. After explaining they've hit another dead end when the doors behind them opened and who entered was Grant with Kate by his side who held her head down. Aaliyah tried to give her a small, comforting wave but Kate seemed to not notice. She appeared to look distant and haunted. Frowning she murmured to Flynn 

 "God. We were supposed to watch her walk down the aisle to be married, not arraigned."

"I still can't believe this is happening." Flynn said back.

The chamber doors open, and the judge and bailiff walk in. 

"All rise for the honorable Judge Samantha A.Winters" the bailiff announced loudly to the courtroom.” 

Everyone rose from their seats and he bailiff continued 

"This is a hearing to determine the bail for Kate O'Malley in the alleged murder of Tanner Sterling." 

Judge Winters sits down and brings down her gavel and says

"You all may be seated. Mr. Emerson? Proceed when ready."

Spectators sit and Grant rises looking confident and in his element and he begins his opening statement as to why Kate is innocent. As he continues on Aaliyah leans into Flynn to whisper

"Do you know the prosecutor?"

His body tenses in annoyance as he answers her question 

"That's Mac Hornby. Birchport's D.A. Let's just say he's a frequent guest at Sterling's garden parties."

As he finishes talking Grant is walking back to sit next to Kate at the defense table when the Judge then turns to the district attorney.

"Mr. Hornby, your opening remarks, please."

"With pleasure, Your Honor" he replies with a million dollar smile. 

He then launches into his opening and at every corner attempts to discredit Kate and paint her as a murderer. Sitting next to Flynn, Aaliyah can feel and see him physically tense up as the D.A. spread lies about his sister, from the way his hands balled up into fists to the way his nostrils flared. So she reached to squeeze his hand once more and give him a reassuring look to keep him from exploding in rage. She says gently

"Easy. Easy."

Hornby continues on with his opening. Disapproving of his message Aaliyah whispers again "He's really sticking with Walsh's narrative."

Vindictively Flynn responds "You mean Pierce's narrative."

After ending with closing remarks Grant calls Aaliyah to the stand as a character witness. She stands from her seat and before she makes her way Flynn squeezes her hand in support in which she gives him a small smile in return.  She was sworn in and Grant asks her a few questions to shed light on the true nature of Kate. She answers them with ease. Soon she's answering questions from the D.A. and inside she can feel her irritation and loathe of the man build. His next question catches her off guard

"...And yet, your own character is pretty questionable isn't it?"

Quirking her eyebrow but maintaining a neutral professional face Aaliyah responds 

"That's up for interpretation. I'm a reporter from New York. I take it that most close-knit communities are wary of visitors. But I believe that most can testify that my character is an open and shut case, just like this ridiculous accusation."

Hornby takes a step closer to the stand and chuckles and moves so he faces the audience.  

"My, my, my Ms.Olivera. You're a fiery one, aren't you? You have a sharp tongue and quite the mouth. I'm assuming that's what attracted the defendant's brother in engaging in a romantic and sexual relationship with you?

Stunned and angry at his remark Aaliyah was a taken back but managed to reply coolly. 

"Excuse me?"

The D.A. then turns back to Aaliyah, his eyes fierce. 

"Isn't true that you have become romantically and sexually involved with Kate's own brother, Flynn O'Malley?"

At this point, Aaliyah is furious with the line of questioning and it takes all her energy not to lash out. 

"What…? How would you even…? How does that question pertain to Kate?!" She says, her voice raises slightly near the end. 

Not holding back Hornby pushes  "Answer the question! Yes or no?"

Feeling challenged Aaliyah was about to answer when Grant interrupted

"Objection! Relevance?”

The D.A. then exclaims  "The relevance is her bias! Aaliyah Olivera is so tangled up in the O'Malleys at this point, that she's practically one of them!"

Grant chimes in again more aggressively 

"He's badgering the witness! Objection!"

Then Judge Winters voice rings clear throughout the room. "Sustained! I will not let my courtroom become a circus."

She then eyes Mr. Hornby . "Consider this your last warning, Mac."

"Understood. No further questions. "

He steps back and is heading towards his seat but the damage was already done.  The crowd is buzzing at the latest revelation regarding the visiting journalist. The bailiff motions for Aaliyah that she can leave but she then speaks

"I have something to say before I step down, may I your honor?"

The judge nods

 "I'll allow it."

Aaliyah's voice rings loud and clear throughout the room.

"I may not have grown up with Kate O'Malley here in Birchport but since I've met her it feels like I've known her my whole life. I know that Kate would never, ever hurt anyone no matter if they've wronged her. She's the victim and I refuse to let anyone construe it otherwise."

Her eyes look to the D.A. after she says the last sentence before continuing her speech.

“I'm going to fight to prove that my best friend is innocent no matter how high the stakes grow. I can't be bribed, intimidated or manipulated to leave things be or to go away. I will uncover the secrets and blatant corruption that is poisoning Birchport one way or another." Aaliyah's gaze lands on Chief Walsh and the Sterlings as she finishes.

She then steps down and makes her way back to her seat with her cheeks burning for the fact her love life was blasted out unexpectedly and that everyone's eyes followed her, judging. She sits down next to Flynn who is ready to blow his gasket.

"That...that was…"Sighing she finishes his sentence 

"A disaster, I know but losing our cool will only make it worse."

The hearing continues on with a distinct pattern of people detailing Kate's true nature and the prosecution twisting it around. Finally, it comes to an end and Judge Winters weighs in her thoughts. She reluctantly denies bail for Kate and bangs her gavel down. 

"This hearing is adjourned."

Aaliyah and Flynn can barely make out Kate's small cries of protest  

"But...But I…" 

The bailiff grabs her to put her back into her cell, silent tears roll down her face as she's taken away. 

"No...Kate…"

Aaliyah sinks onto the bench frustrated that everyone is believing the lies that are fed to them. Not standing being in the room much longer Aaliyah stalks out in anger. She briefly makes eye contact with the Sterlings who give her icy glares. She turns her head quickly and makes her way out the courthouse. 

She stands to the side, breathing in and out slowly to calm herself. Especially since the citizens that pass her keep giving her side glances or snidely whispering while looking her way.

"Aaliyah!" She turns and sees both Grant and Flynn coming her way.

"I can't stay long. I'm going to start prepping for the trial but I wanted to say sorry that I didn't prepare you for Mac's question regarding your…" he says looking between Flynn and Aaliyah, his voice is professional but Aaliyah can see a flash of  disappointment in his eyes as he realizes that she isn't available and he's not her first choice. 

"...personal life. If I'd known that-" she cuts him off.

"It's okay Grant. It's not your fault." 

He checks the time on his watch briefly then glances back at the two.

"I gotta run, but take it, easy guys."

He pats Aaliyah on the shoulder and clasps hands with Flynn before walking away. Flynn then turns to Aaliyah his eyes filled with concern. 

"Hey, you alright?"

She sighs while running her hand through her kinky curly fro. 

"No. Not really. I really need a stiff drink and to get the hell away from other people as I can." 

Her other hand motions to a pair of older women who can be seen staring at the two.

"Well, how about hard liquor and a sailing around the local coastline sound? I usually take my place out for a spin when I need to clear my head."

She smiles slightly that Flynn is trying to cheer her up. 

"That sounds perfect, actually." They walk to his bike where he hands her the second helmet and they ride to the Marina.

Once there he helps her onto his home and head inside. Making their way into his living room he tells Aaliyah "You grab the alcohol and I'll get us sailing."

She nods and he leaves out of her sight. She rummages through the cabinet and finds two glass and she grabs his bottle of whiskey. She can feel the boat slowly moving as she walks to the roof. She walks to stand by him as they watch the sunset and pours them both a glass. Handing him his their eyes lock and he silently thanks her before turning back to the sky. They take a swig of the alcohol at the same time. Aaliyah wasn't a usual whiskey fan but was appreciative of the warm burning sensation it provides at the moment.

 A comfortable silence passes between the two for a few minutes before Flynn speaks. "Look, today in court was terrible. Not just because of Kate but…"

He pauses and gulps down the rest of drink before continuing  "What that bastard did to you was terrible. Using our…damn it!"

"I've never been so humiliated and embarrassed before. Not because I'm ashamed to be with you Flynn, but for the fact that he had the audacity to broadcast something so personal. Who I decide to spend my time with is no one else's business, and I'm pissed that he caught me off guard like that."

"I wanted to beat that smug smile off that asshole's face."

He clenches his glass in his hands as his facial expression grows dreary. "I've told you before I'd do anything for you. But at this rate, I'm worried, Aaliyah."

Aaliyah reaches over and places her hand softly on his face to make him look her in the eyes and asks softly 

"What are you trying to say?"

His eyes are sad. 

"What I'm saying is, I want you to be safe and comfortable. I'm not sure what exactly we are..." She cuts him off and tries to lighten the mood by saying.

"I thought we were a dynamic private investigators duo with not by the book tendencies." 

Flynn gives her a small smile but his grim expression returns 

"True. But I believe it's much more than that. We don't have to label it just yet but I care about you a lot.” 

"I care about you too Flynn."

He sighs.

"This is why I'm saying if you wanted to stay away from the Birchport after today...or me, I'd understand if you left especially after your talk with Walsh, Kate's hearing, and the way the townspeople looked at you afterward."

He breaks eye contact and gazes out at the rolling sea.

“I couldn't protect my baby sister like a good big brother should. She's in the place that to this day gives me nightmares. I've tried so hard these past few days to save and defend her but after today looks like its all for nothing. I've failed her."

Flynn looks down and brushes Aaliyah's hand from his face.  

"I'd hate to see you go but I'd hate it even more and myself if something happened to you. I couldn't live with myself if I failed you like I've failed Kate."

She stays quiet for a moment and then she lifts his head, delicately placing her hands on his cheeks to lock her eyes with his and places a soft but passionate kiss on his lips. She breaks away and says.

"Flynn, you're one of the reasons why Kate is alive. You never stopped questioning and searching since the moment she disappeared. You're relentlessness and love for your sister is one of the reasons she's here with us. Even though seeing her cuffs is hard, I rather it be that than us finding her too late. You did not fail her, understand?

He tried to interrupt but she kept going.

"No. I'm not going to hear otherwise. And if you think I'm going to run when things start to heat up you're wrong, mister. I promised that I was going to get to the bottom of this all for Kate. Nothing and no one is going to stop me."

She removes her hands from his face to grasp his hands into hers, gently rubbing her thumb across his calloused hands.

"Plus if I did go, I couldn't imagine not seeing you,"  she says sheepishly.

Closing her eyes momentarily before opening them again and shaking her head quickly she speaks more firmly, her eyes are determined.

"I don't care if all of Birchport disapproves that I'm heavily involved and sleeping with the "resident bad boy" Flynn O'Malley. All that matters is that I like you a lot and I'm not letting snide remarks or stares keep me from spending time with my partner in crime."

At that moment she turned her head to gaze at the swirls of pink and purple in the sky that she didn't see him move closer to her and places a smoldering, smooth kiss on her plump lips. Any self doubt and worry melted away from him and her heart rate escalated. After a few minutes, he breathes heavily as he barely removes his lips from hers and murmurs softly

"Kate's lucky to have you as a best friend. You're unlike any girl or any person for that matter, that I know. I'm glad that I met you and have you by my side."

Aaliyah smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist "It's up to us to solve this. You and me against the world, you think we stand the chance?"

He smirks at her and pulls her even closer into his warm embrace, she inhales his scent of whiskey and old spice. "I like those odds. As long as you're always in my corner."

"Without a doubt Flynn."

She lays her head on his chest and relaxes for the first time that day. Together they watch the sunset, hoping for a better tomorrow.

[bffhreprise]

Entry 256

 “Would you two mind joining me for dinner at my home?” inquired our son.

 “Isn’t this a bit short notice, son?  Your mother surely has something planned already.” suggested my husband.

 I hadn’t gotten around to talking with him about dinner before… things happened.  “Well, dear, I was actually going to talk you into eating out after we finished shopping.”

 “Perfect.  Mind taking your car?” asked James.

 Before either of us could respond, Mila’s voice came from his pocket.  “No need, master.  The restorations to your vehicle are complete.  I already have the new model parked outside.”

 “Oh.  Excellent.”

 “What happened to your vehicle, son?” questioned my husband.  He seemed a bit startled, probably because he had really loved that car.

 “When we confronted the man who was making the aforementioned zombies, he destroyed my limo and car.” explained James nonchalantly.

 Imagining my son in danger, I asked “What?  Why would you confront such a man?”

 My husband quickly agreed.  “That sounds extremely dangerous.”

 “No more dangerous than being shot.” replied James as if that shock had been nothing much.

 “Speak for yourself.  I nearly died where a bullet wouldn’t have fazed me.” argued Lady Pendreigh, smiling slightly.

 James sighed, obviously not wanting to take the bait.

 “Wh-what?” I asked, disturbed by how casually these two talked about death.

 My husband stared at Lady Pendreigh as he inquired “What happened?”

 “Same thing that happened to your son’s car.  The man was able to produce some form of light absorbing spell that devoured everything it touched, except James.  Your son’s virtually invulnerable to magic when he has enough energy.” she explained, sounding proud.

 “Son, is this true?”

 I had moved to embrace my husband’s arm as he spoke.  This was all too much for one day.

 “Yes, and he’s still out there.  I was too worried over Alma to stop him.” replied James.

 My husband tensed even more.  “Stop him?  You wanted to pursue him?”.

 “How do you think you’d feel if someone harmed Mother in front of you?” retorted our son, staring him down.  “I felt rage like I hadn’t known before and almost gave into it, but Alma was calling for me.  I could see the ragged beating of her heart, Father, exposed in front of me.”

 We sat in silence as I continued embracing my husband, feeling his tension gradually ease.  I knew he was thinking things over.

 Eventually, he cleared his throat, looked to Lady Pendreigh, and asked “How did you survive?”

 “A vampire arrived to save me.  She used another type of rare magic to heal my wounds.” she replied.

 “I… see.” he stated, not sounding sure what to believe anymore.

 I certainly didn’t know.  Superheroes, vampires, and the like…  How had we never known?

 “Shall we be off?” questioned James with a smile.

 “James, dear, I know you have a chef, but I don’t want to impose on him with such short notice.” I replied, uncertain whether or not we really should be taking up his offer just yet.

 “Marco has already been informed of you joining us.  If you don’t come, he’ll have prepared too much.” insisted Mila from James’ pocket.

 “Oh-oh.” I replied, not seeing a good way to excuse us.

 “Since her return, Mila has taken over a great deal of scheduling from what I’ve been told,” stated James.  “She has a great knack for handling situations before they evolve.”

 “Returned?  Where did she go, son?” questioned my husband.

 “Her primary systems were in the car when it was destroyed.  The new model’s safely in my home.” explained James.  “Come on.  Let’s be off.”  He strode outside, confident that we’d follow, but there was no car waiting for us.

 My husband and I looked around, feeling anxious, but there really was nothing.  I jumped when the car materialized in front of us.  Was this magic too?

 “I see this is every bit as much of a Bond car as before.” suggested my husband, smiling and not seeming nearly as surprised as he should have been.

 “I can give you a rundown of many features if you would like.” offered Mila, her voice now coming from the car.

 “Later, please.” commanded James.  “Alma, would you mind squeezing in the back with Portentia and me?”

 “I am actually off the clock now.  I was planning on going out on patrol.” replied Portentia from the doorway.  Barely any of her red suit was visible.

 James nodded.  “You know I wouldn’t try to stop you.  I’ll see you later then.”

 “Be sure to lock the door.” ordered my husband.

 “No need, Mr. Somerset.  My integration into your home’s security system allows me full access to the locks.  Your home is always protected.” insisted Mila.

 My husband’s smile vanished as he nodded.

 Lady Pendreigh stepped around my husband to get up to the driver’s door as she said, “I don’t mind allowing your parents the front.  They’ll be more comfortable.”

 I frowned, looking at my tall son. “Are you sure, dear?  You have such long legs.”

 “I’ll be fine.” he stated.  “Just don’t smash me with the seat.”

 Once we were inside, James said, “Let Mila do the driving, and she can update you on what exactly I had placed in your home.”

 My husband seemed more relaxed than I felt.  I half-expected things to pop out at us with how this day has gone, but nothing did.  The vehicle went into gear and started pulling out of our driveway without anyone touching a thing.

 “Lady Pendreigh, would you mind signing a few things, so I can start my briefing?” questioned Mila.

 There was a light coming from the back of the seat, so I guessed she had a screen there.  She certainly reached forward and did something.

 When Lady Pendreigh was finished, Mila explained to us that our insulation had been replaced with a type of insulating armor which could stop some very large-looking bullets.  Then there were weapons hidden throughout our home, which she controlled.  Tons of sensors had been installed as well.

 “So much for privacy in one’s own home.” stated my husband, sounding exasperated.

 “Privacy versus security is always a debate, but I can assure you that Mila is trustworthy.  Though Aaliyah may review anomalies that arise, she has no need to actively look into your home through the system.” insisted James from behind me.

 “The master is correct, sir.  Mother has never invaded your privacy through the security system, and no one outside of your immediate family has access.” confirmed Mila.

 “Mother?” I questioned, uncertain why she’d be using that term.

 “Mila’s taken to referring to Aaliyah as her mother.  Recovery seems to have been an intimate process for them.” explained James.

 “Oh.” I stated, not able to picture it with Aaliyah being so tiny and adorable.

 Motioning to the windshield, which was acting as our computer screen, my husband said, “I still don’t understand how all of this was installed without us knowing.”

 Mila explained “That information is classified.  I can formally forward your inquiry to Mother if you would like, but I doubt she will declassify the material.”

 My husband turned to look back at our son.  “This technology is extremely useful, son.  Is this how you pull off studying with your schedule?”

 “Oh, yes.  I don’t utilize it as well as I might, but I do get things accomplished.” replied James.

 “Your son’s being modest.” insisted Lady Pendreigh.  “He learned Mandarin in under a week.”

 “Actually, I learned seven dialects of Chinese” he admitted.

 “Really?  That’s very impressive, James.” she told him with a smile, sounding a touch surprised.

 “That’s incredible, son.  I never knew you had such a gift with languages.  That must come in handy with my old business.” suggested my husband.  “How is the company doing?”

 “Well, the vampires are still in my employ, but the werewolf was fired.” teased James.

 Not amused, my husband told him “Son, I’m being serious.”

 “As am I.  The vampires you had employed were very nice people, but the werewolf was a killer.  I wasn’t entirely open with the reason behind my purchase, father.  Your hotel was a known favorite of numerous patrons you would deem to be supernatural, including the necromancer I mentioned earlier.” explained James without a hint of mirth.

 “I truly am sorry for pressuring you into selling, Mr. Somerset, but I needed greater access to the hotel to pursue the man.” interjected Lady Pendreigh.

 “But why would you look for such things, knowing they’re dangerous?” demanded my husband.

 She glanced at James, nodded, and said, “My family acts as a sort of governing body over many creatures.  We’re part of every major government and eliminate dangerous creatures before they get too out of hand.”

 “What?  You kill them?”

 “Yes.  Disposing with false modesty, I am one of the most gifted magic users alive and far more skilled than most.  My failing with the necromancer was due to me underestimating him, nothing more.  The explosion you surely saw on the news wasn’t a terrorist cell but a clean way to cover up the mess that man made.” she explained as if relaying facts of life.

 “So many people… why?” I questioned, remembering how terrible that mess had seemed on the news.

 “I didn’t kill any humans.  He had already turned every last person in the vicinity into a zombie.” she stated.

 James quickly said, “We did look around.  I promise.”.

 “But how could you be certain?  There might have been children hiding…” argued my husband.

 With a nod, Lady Pendreigh told him “Magic.  I can tell you the precise temperature of anything you point out around us as well as things you cannot even see.  I’ve proven capable of creating temperatures you would find on the sun.  Of course, I have to be prepared to contain a nuclear blast at that point.”

 The idea was startling.  I remembered seeing the view of the scene from the news helicopter… so much fire…  I took a breath, not sure how to feel about all of this.

 James then told us “More recently, she created an abundance of snow in my yard, which she used to make a snow village around a small ice palace.  The snowball fight was pretty great, though I didn’t win.”

 “Alma did then?” I asked, remembering their speed.  

 “No.  I can’t actually claim to be the strongest person your son knows.” she stated.

 James looked a touch nervous as he said, “Ummm… yes.  Well, let’s say that someone far more swift than us easily hit everyone with a snowball as we did our best to remain perfectly still.  She gets… skittish.”

 My husband sighed and shook his head.  “Son, do you realize how that sounds?  Lady… er... Alma just told us that she can create nuclear explosions, and now you want me to believe there’s someone worse?” questioned my husband.

 “Huh?  No.  I wouldn’t call either of them bad, father.  Yes, they could be dangerous if provoked to it, but that’s different.  They’re just… powerful.” argued James defensively.  “I hope you can at least see why broaching this subject was difficult for me.  Things are far stranger than I ever would’ve guessed before exposure to them.”

 I frowned.  Though my husband nodded, I could tell he wasn’t taking things very well.  Neither was I, in all honesty, but I was trying.  There was so much strangeness to all this.  Too many new facts about the world were piling on us.  What was reality when myths walked the streets?

[hooliganrehab]

Bruno Mars Doesn’t Walk....he glides

It’s as if he’s perpetually ready to perform a Motown-style choreography set in front of tens of millions watching the Super Bowl (which he has done twice in the past four years)—even easing his way into a suburban L.A. pizza parlor, where moments earlier, his sexy, chart-topping 2012 hit, “Locked Out of Heaven,” was on blast, as if anticipating his appearance. Mars just has that aura. His outfit is straight Fania-era salsa/blaxploitation swag—Gucci cap over his curls; sunglasses; an open shirt, floral and teal; tan shorts; dress shoes (no socks, to accentuate those smooth legs); and minimal gold jewelry. He orders a plain slice, which he sprinkles with garlic powder, and a root beer. It’s obviously a joint he frequents, since he knows all the fellas by name, and the workers aren’t taken aback by the superstar in their midst. He walks to an open booth, wolfs down his food, controlling his urge to eat six more slices, he jokes, and proceeds to be the smoothest cat to ever have lunch at an old-school checkered-tablecloth pizzeria.

Mars learned about charm, confidence, and estilo early in life. “My whole sense of rhythm is because my dad was teaching me bongos as a kid,” he says of his father, Pedro Hernandez. “He’s an old-school working musician, so that’s where the pinky rings come from, the patent-leather shoes, the suits, and the pompadour. It all stems from watching my father. I remember at the time, me and my sisters would be a little embarrassed when he would take us to school in his big-ass Cadillac. No one had Cadillacs in Hawaii. But my dad would show up in some boat-looking Caddy wearing some silky shit, and we’d run out into the car as soon as possible. And here I am wearing the swap-meet gold, driving Cadillacs,” he says with a laugh.

Take one quick look at Mars’ recent music (the omnipresent Mark Ronson collaboration “Uptown Funk,” which amassed more than 2 billion YouTube views, the fourth-most ever, or his critically acclaimed 24K Magic) and his style (“pinky rings to the moon”), and it’s easy to see that his persona is not only inspired by his father but delivered as a conscious ode to Latino and African American masculinity. Brown and black men have long dealt with the stereotype of being hot-blooded, suave, savage animals lusting after anything with a pulse. Now Mars, 31, is embracing the Latin Lover archetype (if you’re not treating your girl right, we’re Mr. Steal Ya Girl) and giving anyone who’s offended a big middle finger. Mars’ dominance in pop culture takes on even greater resonance now, when the leader of the free world has called Latino men “rapists,” “drug dealers,” and “bad hombres.”“I hate that we’re even having a conversation about injustice in America,” he says of the current climate of social unrest. “That we are having a conversation about this in 2017; the same conversation that’s been had decades and decades ago.”Yet Bruno Mars doesn’t want to drown you with his wokeness; he just wants to make you shake what your mami gave you. The man is a musical genius—he writes, produces, sings, dances, plays instruments, and puts on arguably the best performances in the universe.

“Remembering when he was just my little brother looking up to me, staying by my side, playing music together, throwing around a football, just doing everything together—those were great times,” says Eric “E-Panda”Hernandez of his hermano and band leader. “Now he signs my paychecks, and he is my boss. I’m beyond proud of the man he has become.”But before he was Bruno Muhfuckin’ Mars, he was E-Panda’s lil’ bro, Peter Hernandez, born and bred in Hawaii to a beautiful Filipina and Spanish mom and Puerto Rock and Jewish papi from Brooklyn. His childhood musical career is well-documented on YouTube— at 4, he was the cutest Elvis Presley impersonator ever, performing with his family for oohing-and-ahhing tourists in Waikiki. As the years passed and his skills developed, Mars found himself dealing with racial-identity issues in the multicultural 50th state. “Growing up in Hawaii, there are not too many Puerto Ricans there,” says Mars, “so because of my hair, they thought I was black and white.”

The idea of not being easily categorized is something Mars has dealt with his entire life. When he moved to Los Angeles at 18 to make a serious go in the music industry, record label executives asked, “What are you? Are you urban? Are you Latin?”“There are a lot of people who have this mixed background that are in this gray zone,” he says, leaning forward to make his point. “A lot of people think, ‘This is awesome. You’re in this gray zone, so you can pass for whatever the hell you want.’ But it’s not like that at all. It’s actually the exact opposite. What we’re trying to do is educate people to know what that feels like so they ’ll never make someone feel like that ever again. Which is a hard thing to do. Because no one can see what we see and no one can grow up with what we grew up with. I hope people of color can look at me, and they know that everything they’re going through, I went through. I promise you.”All that to say that Mars is prouder than Manny Pacquiao to be Filipino, loves Hawaii more than Don Ho’s children, and, well, is as boricua as Marc Anthony eating a plate of arroz con gandules during his Todo a Su Tiempo era. Critics and those confused by his multiracial roots have insinuated that he’s ashamed of his Taino roots, truly a load of chupacabra crap, says Mars.“My last name is Hernandez. My father’s name is Pedrito hernandez, and he’s a Puerto Rican pimp. There’s no denying that.”“I’d love to clear that up in Latina magazine,” he says, raising his voice. “I never once said I changed my last name to hide the fact that I’m Puerto Rican. Why would I fucking say that? Who are you fooling? And why would anyone say that? That’s so insulting to me, to my family. That’s ridiculous. My last name is Hernandez. My father’s name is Pedrito Hernandez, and he’s a Puerto Rican pimp. There’s no denying that. My dad nicknamed me Bruno since I was 2 years old. The real story is: I was going to go by ‘Bruno,’ one name. Mars just kind of came joking around because that sounds bigger than life. That was it, simple as that. I see people that don’t know what I am, and it’s so weird that it gets them upset. It’s an oxymoron—the music business; like the art business. You’re making a business out of these songs that I’m writing. And how are you going to tell me that this song that I’m writing is only going to be catered to Puerto Ricans or to white people or only Asian people. How are you going to tell me that? My music is for anybody who wants to listen to it.”

An incredible number of people want to do just that. Mars’ combined sales for his first three albums are more than 100 million, along with his 2013 Moonshine Jungle Tour and his upcoming 100-date 24K Magic World Tour, which begins in late March and sold more than a million tickets in one day. Concertgoers will be treated to the Mars stage presence—an aura influenced by his family and the greats: Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Prince. Needless to say, Mars’ music is undoubtedly black.  

“When you say ‘black music,’ understand that you are talking about rock, jazz, R&B, reggae, funk, doo-wop, hip-hop, and Motown. Black people created it all. Being Puerto Rican, even salsa music stems back to the Motherland [Africa]. So, in my world, black music means everything. It’s what gives America its swag. I’m a child raised in the ‘90s. Pop music was heavily rooted in R&B from Whitney, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, TLC, Babyface, New Edition, Michael, and so much more. As kids this is what was playing on MTV and the radio. This is what we were dancing to at school functions and BBQs. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for these artists who inspired me. They have brought me so much joy and created the soundtrack to my life filled with memories that I'll never forget. Most importantly, they were the superstars that set the bar for me and showed me what it takes to sing a song that can get the whole world dancing, or give a performance that people will talk about forever. Watching them made me feel like I had to be as great as they were in order to even stand a chance in this music business. You gotta sing as if Jodeci is performing after you and dance as if Bobby Brown is coming up next.”It’s refreshing to hear a pop star say it loud and proud: black music is American pop culture. Latinos and African Americans aren’t just connected by the racism and dis- enfranchisement we’ve dealt with historically; we’re also connected by our music and traditions. We hear it in J Balvin’s reggaeton heaters and in Rihanna’s Caribbean patois, as well as in the eloquent, piercing words written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Junot Díaz. We’re one. And Bruno Mars combines the best of all of our aspirations and goals into one super artist.Above all, the world has to thank his parents for nurturing his talent at an age when most kids were still using pull-up diapers. While his pops gave him his style, his mom, Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, gave him his heart. After each performance, Mama Mars would call or text to congratulate him on another gem or to say to get some rest. The memory of her sudden death in 2013 from a brain aneurysm still shakes him.“The woman who taught you to love, showed you what a woman is supposed to be,”

says Mars, his voice trembling slightly for the first time during an interview where he’s been all smiles and laughs. “When that goes away, a little more than half your heart goes away with it.”

THEY SAY IT’S HARDER TO LOSE A PARENT AS AN ADULT BECAUSE AT THAT POINT YOU’RE PEERS, YOU’RE FRIENDS. EVERYTHING CHANGES, NOTHING WILL EVER BE THE SAME.“You just gotta know that she’s with me everywhere I go,” he says. “It’s some- thing that you can’t imagine—the pain and the things that you keep going back to: ‘I wish I would’ve done this or said this.’ You just have to see life differently. It shows you the real importance of life. Nothing else matters in this world but family and your loved ones.”When asked if his music has changed à la Kanye West when he lost his mother, Donda, Mars pauses. “I don’t know how to answer that question,” he says. “My life has changed. She’s more than my music. If I could trade music to have her back, I would. I always hear her say, ‘Keep going and keep doing it.’”  

Mama Mars certainly did an amazing job. Mars’ longtime girlfriend, model Jessica Caban, definitely reaps the rewards of his having such a great mother. Mars isn’t big on sharing about his life with Caban, but social media paints an adorable #relationshipgoals idea of their courtship.I got this fire in my blood. For me, you gotta keep up

It’s all in. It’s ‘I’m going to love the shit out of you, and I’m going to fuck you up later,’” says Mars jokingly, laughing about his attraction to Latinas, obviously with Caban in mind. “It’s all in. And that’s what keeps that fire going.”

As he wraps the interview, which felt more like two bros shooting the ish, Mars dips through the back of the pizzeria, jumps in his black Cadillac and pulls to the front. He asks this reporter, “Where you going? Maybe I can give you a lift.” “Downtown L.A.,” the reporter says. “Oh! You better Uber that shit!” Mars says with a smile. It was expected. Not because Mars is too Hollywood, but because where he’s going, not many have gone.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

20 Stylish Birthday Gifts The Woman In Your Life Will Love

http://fashion-trendin.com/20-stylish-birthday-gifts-the-woman-in-your-life-will-love/

20 Stylish Birthday Gifts The Woman In Your Life Will Love

It’s a universally acknowledged truth that nothing quite takes the edge off growing yet another year older than receiving a stonkingly good birthday present. Even the birthday naysayers who like to ignore their own special day are secretly happy when presented with a thoughtful gift.

Which is why we have trawled the shops to bring you the best birthday presents in the land for the woman in your life, guaranteed to score you some serious brownie points. From fashion to foodstuffs, there’s something to suit even the fussiest of birthday girls. Now all you have to do is master the wrapping up.

A Blouse Top

Remember cult London label Antipodium? Nope, well you can bet that the fashionista recipient of this gift will. And so she’ll be thrilled to receive something – anything – from Creative Director Geoffrey J Finch’s latest project.

Initially launched exclusively at MatchesFashion, the power of Blouse – AKA deconstructed shirts and printed tops – can now be felt at Selfridges, too. With his tongue firmly in his cheek, Finch’s references run from Keeping Up Appearances’ hilarious Hyacinth Bucket to Shania Twain and RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Alyssa Edwards (natch), and he splashes them across the front and back of his perfect – and mindfully manufactured – cotton tees. Safe to say, if her sense of humour is as strong as her sartorial nous, she’ll be into it.

Buy Now: £65.00

Lingerie That She’ll Love

For far too long the lingerie market was dominated by designers that catered more to the male gaze than to the woman who would be wearing the damn underwear. But not any more; there is now a slew of brands creating undies that women will actually want to wear. So wave goodbye to cheap red lace and nasty crotchless knickers, and instead gift her pretty (and comfortable) silk pants, delicate bras in unexpected colour combos and bold bodysuits that are so achingly cool she’ll want to wear them as outerwear.

Basically, if it could get her accused of solicitation, take it out of your basket.

Buy Now: £45.00

A Cult Gaia Bag

If there was a bag that owned the past 12 months it was the bamboo ‘Ark’ clutch from LA-based brand Cult Gaia. We’re not sure how you didn’t notice – it was all over Instagram, cluttering up your feed. Just large enough to carry an emergency Mexican chicken wrap in it (pro-tip: this is an important requirement for a lot of women), it has a vintage feel while remaining ladylike.

While the OG is still relevant, designer Jasmin Larian has expanded her portfolio, introducing the kind of new shapes and materials that will ensure the brand isn’t a one-hit wonder.

Buy Now: £300.00

A Dainty Ring

Contrary to popular belief, women aren’t just hanging around desperate for a hunk of glass to be put on their finger – they like other jewellery too. Especially if it’s a sleek, Scandinavian-style piece that’ll fit in with the rest of her magpie haul.

Of course, the only thing to be careful of when it comes to ring shopping is the size. If you have access to her jewellery box then try one of her rings on your little finger and see how far down it goes, or if she doesn’t notice when things go missing, take a ring to the jewellery shop with you.

If you prefer to do your shopping from the comfort of the sofa, go for a pared-back design that would look good on any finger.

Buy Now: £109.99

A Pair of Shoes

Flats, heels or mules, nothing says, “I actually listen to you and pay attention to your style” as an on-trend pair of shoes. And with fast fashion ever-increasing in speed, Topman’s big sister brand Topshop is never a bad place to start. One of the best high street stores to translate pieces from the catwalk into something altogether more affordable, you can count on them to have her well-shod.

Buy Now: £56.00

A Silky Shirt

By its very nature fashion is transient, but while trends come and go there are some things – like a Chanel handbag – that will always be appreciated. Yet they don’t have to be bank-breakingly expensive.

Eternally relevant, a silk shirt (or even just a silk-feel shirt) will always have a place in a stylish woman’s wardrobe. Smartened up for work or paired with jeans at the weekend, it’s the chameleon of the closet. Right now, pyjama-style shirts are having a bit of a moment and it’s not hard to see why. After all, given half the chance who wouldn’t want to wear their PJs all day?

Buy Now: £29.99

A Bottle Of Gin

Unlike its Scottish cousin, whisky, which has to be matured for an age, gin doesn’t take very long to make, which is partly why there has been such an explosion in the gin market. It’s not just being manufactured in the UK and US either; from Japan to Norway, new gin producers are emerging across the globe.

It’s the ease of manufacture which lends itself to independent, craft booze makers, so now you can probably pick up a bottle that’s been made within a five mile radius of your house. Supporting the local economy never tasted so good.

Buy Now: £30.00

Pyjamas

Similarly to underwear, when shopping for pyjamas you have to think about what she’d want to wear and not what you think looks good. Comfort is absolutely key. But that doesn’t mean nightwear has to invoke the spirit of Wayne and Waynetta Slob; from silk pyjamas that cost hundreds to breathable cotton designs on the high street, there are plenty of options to pick from.

River Island is currently offering an excellent collection of embroidered PJs – we’re particularly into this nightshirt, which proves they’re not just for Scrooge.

Buy Now: £26.00

Charlotte Tilbury Products

British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has worked her magic on a number of famous faces, with Kate Moss and Kim Kardashian both benefiting from her skills. Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, she launched her eponymous makeup and skincare range in Selfridges in 2013, and it was an instant success.

As prettily packaged as it is effective, we’re convinced that most women would be happy to receive something from the Charlotte Tilbury range – in fact, she’ll probably be impressed that you even know who she is.

Buy Now: £60.00

Champagne Bowls

The design of the Champagne saucer has been variously attributed to both Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France, and Madame de Pompadour, the chief-mistress of King Louis XV. Although neither of them deserve the honour as the glass was in fact invented in England, a good while before either of them were born.

While they’re not quite as practical as flutes – which were developed to maintain the bubbles – we think that it feels far more luxurious to drink fizz from a cope glass.

Buy Now: £32.00

A Silk Pillowcase

If there’s anyone with a Netflix account who isn’t currently obsessing over Queer Eye’s fab five, then we’ve yet to meet them. While everyone might argue over who their favourite is, there’s one thing we can all agree on: the majesty of grooming expert Jonathan’s glorious mane.

Apparently he keeps his locks looking so smooth and shiny by sleeping on a silk pillowcase, much like this one. Additional benefits include protecting and hydrating the skin, while also preventing split ends. Best. Gift. Ever.

Buy Now: £79.00

A Simple Tee

We’ve said it for a good while now, but Japanese brand Uniqlo really has nailed the art of the basics. But while its menswear offering has always been on point, its fairer sex collections have sometimes erred on the side of frumpy.

No longer. Since Christophe Lemaire took the reins as artistic director, Uniqlo’s womenswear offering has improved exponentially and it’s now a great place for artfully simple tops, T-shirts and jumpers. Head there for a birthday present that will put on a smile on her face but won’t have you weeping into your wallet.

Buy Now: £12.90

A Sleek Watch

There are so many things to consider when buying a watch for yourself, but when shopping for someone else it’s best to set all of the technical stuff to one side. Play it safe and opt for something that’s unobtrusive; a cool, minimal timepiece that will fit in with her style, whatever that may be.

And make sure you take a look at her jewellery collection before you pull the trigger – people can be quite particular about mixing metals, so if she only wears silver then get a silver watch; if she’s a gold type of girl… you get the drift.

Buy Now: £255.00

Simple Summer Sandals

Footwear brand Ancient Greeks takes its inspiration from Greek mythology and legend, meaning its sandals are the very essence of classic – meaning they’ll be on her shoe rack for years to come.

This season, the label has collaborated with Italian designer Fabrizio Viti, who has added a hint of feminine prettiness with his daisy decorations. If you’re feeling extra generous, book her in for a pre-sandal-wearing pedicure, too.

Buy Now: £195.00

MAC Makeup

With its ever more frequent – and always interesting – collaborations, MAC will always be a great go-to option for birthday presents. Always first with fresh new colours, its impressive archive is full of classics, too. There are few women who haven’t pledged allegiance to a MAC lipstick shade.

It has recently brought out collections with designer Nicopanda, makeup artist Patrick Starrr and cartoon Betty Boop, while an Aaliyah-inspired range is also promised, proving that even death is no obstacle to a good collaboration.

Buy Now: £19.50

A Gin Serving Set

What to buy for the gin-loving lady who has it all? A serving set dedicated entirely to that clear liquid, of course.

Gin’s popularity over the last few years means that ever more ingenious ways of serving it are being found, while drinkers are becoming more particular about the sort of gins they will and will not drink. Then there’s the perfect garnish; from peppercorns and lavender to the humble cucumber, gin is served numerous ways and deserves something to do it justice. This handsome kit from Polish glassware company LSA should to the trick.

Buy Now: £300.00

A Go-To Bottle Of Perfume

We know, buying a bottle of perfume as a birthday gift doesn’t exactly constitute thinking outside of the box, but when bought correctly, there can be few presents that are quite as thoughtful.

If you know what her favourite scent is, then just buy her a top up and watch the brownie points come rolling in. If you’re not sure or she doesn’t already have one, then we recommend going with something new to impress her. And if you’re really stumped, go for a well-designed bottle that’ll look nice on the shelf – she’ll think of you every time she sees it.

Buy Now: £72.00

A Sleek Coffee Table Book

Buying a novel for someone can be fraught with difficulty. Books are so incredibly personal that unless you know the recipient incredibly well – and specifically what type of literature they’re into – it’s best to steer clear.

However, coffee table books exist more on the surface level – as long as it’s beautiful to look at and based on her interest then you should be on safe ground. This stunning tome from Italian fashion legend Anna Dello Russo is designed like a keepsake box and should make even the snarliest of fashionistas smile.

Buy Now: £97.50

SAD Light

If you’re shopping for someone who lives in the Northern Hemisphere, there really is no more thoughtful gift than a SAD lamp. Proven to help alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder in just seven days, it encourages the brain to reduce the production of melatonin – the hormone that makes you feel sleepy – while encouraging the production of feel-good hormone serotonin.

All this means is that even on the darkest, most dreary of winter days, she’ll spring cheerily up out of bed. Probably.

Buy Now: £90.00

Designer Sunglasses

When it comes to shopping for designer sunglasses, there are a couple of things to think about. First of all is face shape – if you’re unsure what hers is exactly, opt for a classic frame like cat eyes or Wayfarers, which suit most mugs.

Secondly, and rather boringly, is full UV protection. They’re not just there to accessorise her face, they have to protect her eyes too. Which is why we’re big fans of New York eyewear brand Moscot, which has been producing sleek frames since 1915.

Buy Now: £265.00

[bestfriendforhire]

Entry 285

  I had forgotten how vile the lands looked when a demon inhabited them.  I was only human when last I fought one, and my eyes surely did not pick up on all the minute details.  Even knowing Aaliyah as well as I did now, I was deeply impressed by what she created.  The idea of even brushing up the sickly looking foliage was unpleasant, and I could imagine the faint odor of death all too well, having faced a real life necromancer.

 I could barely see Raine with how she had pushed farther and farther into her chair.  Cosette was still all cheer, untouched by any horrors in her past.  I worried about Raine.  I would never forget her cowering, hiding under a table from the screams of Mai and being surprised that the screaming wasn’t in her head.  I never asked her why, why would she think that the screams weren’t real.  Was she plagued by the voices of another place?

 “Yes, she is.” stated Aaliyah.

 Things were frozen again as Aaliyah casually lounged across my lap, resting her head on the arm of my chair.

 “What is she hearing?” I asked.

 “She feels the suffering of a god and the cries of his demons, so full of rage and despair that they have no concept of happiness or beauty.” she casually explained in a sing-song voice.

 “Have you been there, where they are?” I asked.

 She laughed and said, “Of course I’m there, silly.  Even demons die.”

 “Can you do something to help Raine?” I questioned.

 “I have.  I brought her to you.  You’re doing wonderfully, boss-man, sir.” she claimed.

 Shaking my head, I said, “Ha.  There’s so little I can do for anyone.  I’m just lucky Cosette isn’t holding a grudge against me for trying to keep knowledge of her parents’ deaths from her.”

 “You’re right about one thing: Cosette doesn’t hold a grudge against you, not even a little one.  I wouldn’t call it luck though.  You’re just too charming, boss-man, sir.” she teased.  “You do help people, all the time.  The ‘little’ you do helps in big ways.”

 I looked down into those big, blue eyes of hers.  She was too adorable.  “Why do you choose to look as you do?” I asked.

 “Prefer me like this?” she teased, suddenly older and wearing far too little.

 “As much as I enjoyed your company as Trix, no.” I firmly told her.

 She reverted back to the tiny girl in her mismatched clothes much to my relief.  Then she said, “I was born, I grew, and I became a cyborg.  You remember.  This is me.  I’m my daddy’s little girl.”

 “And so many other things.” I stated.

 Sitting up, she poked my nose, looked me in the eye, and said, “But always my daddy’s little girl.  He needs me, boss-man, sir.”

 “What do you think of this area?” I asked, nodding toward the game.

 “It’s gross!” exclaimed Cosette, sounding quite giddy.

 Aaliyah was gone.  Things were moving again.

 “T-the animals are m-missing.” stated Raine.

 “Ah.  Yeah.  They’ve probably been warped and are now following the demon, wherever he is.” I told them.

 “Is he as cute as Raine?” teased Cosette.

 I chuckled and said, “No, not even close.  He’s quite horrific to behold.”

 “That’s good.  I don’t think I could summon up the will to attack Raine, except for hugs.” claimed Cosette.

 “Att-attack hugs are qui-quite vi-vicious.” mumbled Raine, but she sounded like she was smiling.

 “Oh, you know it!” exclaimed Cosette, just before leaping out of her seat at Raine.

 There was much giggling, so I did my best to defend their characters.

 “You’re lucky she didn’t pull the smithing hammer like she did on that goblin.” I teased.

 “She uses the frying pan on me.  Doesn’t hurt nearly as much.” claimed Cosette.

 Giggling more, Raine said, “M-makes a n-nice sound.”  She abruptly went silent.

 I looked over at her in concern, realizing a moment later that she was hearing something.  There was movement around us.

 “C-Cosette!  En-enemies!” exclaimed Raine in a loud whisper.

 Cosette hopped into her seat with casual grace, instantly on the move as she landed.  Without a word, all of us started sneaking along.  We couldn’t talk.  Talking in real life would carry through into the game and alert our foes.  I made my character cast one of his few utility spells, further muffling the sounds of our passage.  I wished I had powerful illusion magic at the moment.  I might be able to incinerate the bears, but there was a chance the demon had granted these ones high fire resistance.

 Raine’s character uncorked some sort of vial and dropped liquid behind us.  Text appeared on my screen describing a pungent stench.  I hoped she knew what she was doing.  I caught sight of giant, mutated bears a couple times over the next couple minutes, but we continued avoiding them, not wanting to alert their master of our presence.  He might well remember me.

 The front doors of my home swung open, and I heard someone enter.  Portentia was home.  I could tell by her footsteps.

 “Oh wow.  Where are you, guys?” she asked shortly after walking into the room.

 I turned to her, explaining briefly in sign language.  The game had voice recognition along with other features to ignore extraneous sound, so Portentia’s voice shouldn’t alert enemies, though mine would.

 I rapidly signed to my screen, asking Mila to explain in more depth.  She was always watching.  I should’ve thought of asking her sooner.  Another of the large mirrors lit up, showing Mila’s avatar signing away.

 More minutes stretched by before the bears finally wandered off.  Cosette breathed out loudly before saying, “I never thought I’d feel so tense playing a game.”

 Portentia laughed and said, “The game is pretty awesome.  I never thought I’d get into a video game till I started.  Looks like you guys are too far away for me to catch up.”

 “Oh.  Go to the guild hall.  You can use the traveling stone to come straight to us.” I suggested.

 “Nice!” she exclaimed.  “I’ll be right there!”

 Glancing at the time, I said, “You’re home early.”

 “Quiet night.  Captured a mugger, but that’s it.” explained Portentia.

 I just nodded.  A single mugger would be a quiet night for her.  Feeling relatively safe where we were, we waited for Portentia to join us.  Once she arrived, the four of us continued toward where the meteor had landed.

 “Meteors can be pretty small.  How are we going to find it?” asked Portentia.

 “Cr-crater.” stated Raine.

 “Yeah.  I guess that makes sense if it’s a big one.” replied Portentia.

 “I think we’re almost there.” asserted Cosette.  “We’ll show you!”

 I stopped, catching something out of the corner of my eye.  I turned to look and saw the enormous demon walking toward the same place as us.

 “Guys, we need to run.” I insisted.

 “Noooo!” whined Raine.

 I could see that she had turned to face it as well.

 “Gather around, and I’ll use the stone.” I told them.

 “No!” exclaimed Raine.  Her character was shoving her backpack at mine, offering a trade.

 “What!?” I asked.

 “G-get my m-mats.  I-I’ll show him a r-real d-demon.” stated Raine.

 I accepted the trade and opened my mouth to talk her out of it, but she was gone.  Her character was far, far faster than mine.  I couldn’t believe how quickly she was gone.

 “Let’s go!” I exclaimed, running toward the meteor site.

 Portentia and Cosette followed.  We weren’t even halfway there when the sky became even darker.  I could see spells flying from the demon and explosions even after.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing on Raine’s screen.

 The raid boss who wiped over twenty thousand people was getting hit by garden tools, smithing tools, kitchen tools, and a number of things I didn’t even recognize.  The damage was laughable compared with its health but impressive for a single person.  No doubt she had enchanted every last implement.

 I hadn’t doubted that Raine’s reaction time was far beyond what any character could manage, but the way her character moved was really bizarre.  She had strange sidesteps that moved her great distances nearly instantly, allowing her to avoid area of effect attacks that I could never dodge.  She had some sort of instant duck move that allowed her to dive under swings at her head with ease.  There was some roll move she used that ended in her character raising its arms as if presenting something.

 “James, that’s a tree!” exclaimed Cosette.

 Oops.  I hoped I hadn’t been running into the tree for long.  Bit distracted.  Incredibly, Raine was still alive when we finally reached the crater where the meteor had landed, though the demon had called in its minions for reinforcements.

 “Raine, can you make it to us?” I asked.

 “J-just g-go.” she ordered.

 I told the other two to hug the meteorite

 “It’s too heavy to come with us.  Give me a sec.” stated Cosette.  She used a spell to boost our strength.

 “U-use a p-potion too.  In m-my b-bag.” muttered Raine.

 I did as she said, passing out strength potions.  I needed to get Raine to make me a new bag.  Hers was vastly larger, mostly filled with crafting materials, but also holding potions, elixirs, and tools.  Still, we were lucky Portentia came home.  Cosette and I wouldn’t have been able to carry the meteorite without her, despite the boosts.  Only items carriable by the group being transported could be taken along.

 “I think that’ll do it.  Hug the stone.” I ordered.

 Nothing happened.  I quickly typed in guild chat asking who online had the stone from our guild hall.  I really should’ve given the guild a heads up several minutes ago.

 “No, I’m not mad.  I’m in a hurry.  Nekopawpaw’s soloing a raid boss.  We found the last of the demons, and I need to get her mats to safety.” I explained in guild chat.

 That was the first time I saw guild chat stop moving for any length.  There were several seconds with no response at all.  Then chat erupted back to normal with several people saying they were “on it”, and many more asking if I was messing with them.

 “Hey, Mila, could you put Raine’s fight on the guild’s magic mirror?” I asked.

 “No, master, but I can instruct you how to scry with it.” she replied.

 “Good enough.  Let’s do this.” I told her.

 Several of the nearby guildies were already staring at the meteorite, but Cosette and Portentia were guarding it.

 In guild chat, I typed “No one goes near the meteorite, or you’ll earn Nekopawpaw’s ire.  I’m putting what that entails on the magic mirror for any who doubt me.”

 I was pretty sure most people in the area had hurried over, since the hall was filling quickly.  Guild chat was alive with talk about our prized crafter facing off against a demon.

 “J-James, I-I’m almost… almost out of p-potions.” stated Raine.

 “I wondered what you were using to heal.  I would’ve given you mine had I known you needed some.” I told her.

 “I’ve u-used several h-hundred.” she mumbled.

 Ouch.  That was expensive.

 “Think you can run away?” I asked.

 “I-I… only had o-one speed p-potion, b-but I-I can… try.” she told me, weaving through enemies to dodge a giant fist.

 The demon had killed countless of its own minions just trying to kill Raine.  The thing was lucky her character couldn’t keep up with her in real life.  Watching her bonking heads with hammers, pans, and other non-combat implements was somewhat comical as she took off.

 “You’re heading the wrong way.” I mentioned.

 “N-no.  I d-don’t want it… f-following me h-home.” she stammered.

 I guess that made sense.  I had no idea how far this thing would try following her now.  I’d muster our army, but there simply weren’t enough of us on at the moment to kill it.  Most of our guild wouldn’t even be awake.

 “What have you guys been doing?” asked Alma just after running into the room.

 I nonchalantly told her “Raine’s been demonstrating how to solo a demon.”

 “I hardly believed the messages I was receiving, but seeing her… what are those moves?” she asked.

 Nearly at the edge of the demon’s horde with it on her tail, Raine started explaining where various things she was using were obtained.  The strange roll maneuver she had was “Present the Dish.” from cooking.  “Check the Oven” and “Stove Dash” were also from cooking.

 As she continued, every last move came from one type of crafting or another, but her crafting skills were far higher than even my combat skills, granting her huge boosts to the effectiveness of the moves.

 “For someone who abhors violence, you certainly understand it.” stated Alma.

 “W-why else would I ab-abhor it.” replied Raine.

 I chuckled even as Alma rolled her eyes.

 Cosette and Portentia were both standing by Raine, watching her screen and cheering her on.

  Several tense minutes later, Raine was still running, but the demon was too fast.  Luckily, all of its horde was left behind, allowing her to dodge more easily.

 “You should’ve stayed behind for her.” stated Alma, gripping my hand.

 “Then the meteorite couldn’t have gone through.” I told her.

 “Oh.  I see.” she replied.  “We could go meet her.”

 “Even if everyone drops what they’re doing and comes to join us, do you think we’d stand a chance?” I asked.

 She sighed and said, “No, we would not.”

 “I-it’s okay.  W-we have m-my mats!” exclaimed Raine.

 “You mean that I have your mats!” teased Cosette, trying to laugh villainously.

 “Don’t worry, Raine.  I wouldn’t let Cosette steal from you.” stated Portentia.

 Cosette lunged at Portentia, who easily dodged.

 “James!  Help!  My food is avoiding me!” exclaimed Cosette, fangs now evident in her mouth.

 I caught Alma’s mouth twitch while I started laughing.

 “Shh…  y-you’re startling Pufflewink.” warned Raine.

 A quick blast of energy partially caught Nekopawpaw, damaging her again.

 “A-all out.” muttered Raine.  Then she turned and attacked the demon with a giant frying pan.  “B-bad demon.”

 “It’s..” I started, hardly believing the stars now floating around the demon’s head.

 “You dazed it!  Run!” exclaimed Alma, gripping the back of Raine’s chair.

 Mila then said, “Wow.  There’s a less than one percent chance of that move ever effecting this demon at your current skill level.  If you dive into the cave northwest of you, the demon won’t be able to follow.”

 “There’s a cave?” I asked.

 “Oops.  Mother’s going to yell at me for giving away spoilers.” claimed Mila.

 Raine hadn’t hesitated at all.  She quickly veered northwest and took off into the cave, using some sort of charm to create light as she hurried deeper.  When she looked back, the demon was clawing at the entrance, ripping it apart and causing part of the cave to collapse.

 Guild chat was still busy with people talking about what just happened.  People were cheering her on.

 “What!?  You’re logging off there?” demanded Alma, upon seeing Raine hit the logout button.

 “I-I w-work soon.” she mumbled.

 “Oh.  I can try distracting your boss if you like, so you can call in sick.” offered Alma.

 “Th-thank you, but I-I’ll be okay.  We g-got it!” she exclaimed.

 “I’ll see that the meteorite makes it to your shop.” I told her.

 She got up, thanked everyone again, and headed off toward her room.

 “I must say that I am most impressed.” stated Alma.

 “Think you could really distract me?” I teased.

 She rolled her eyes before staring up into mine and saying, “You, my darling, are quite easily distracted.”

 I had to admit that I felt distracted already.