#i can’t stand alice but i tolerate her for everyone else and for the story

[anarchypumpkincowboy]

y’all have no idea how in love with this show i am

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About Natsumikan: Natsume (pt. 3)

Previously, we started talking about Natsume, how cold he is, and his mannerisms. If you want, you can think of this next segment as the final analysis for this stretch of plot where Natsume is being fully introduced and his behaviors explored. After this one, things will start to get really interesting!

TW for bullying, suicidal ideation, depression, mental illness, and child abuse. Almost all of my essays will be heavily focused on one or all of these themes so if these topics are triggering to you, it might be best to not read.

Chapter Nine

We went crazy analyzing the episode counterpart in the anime, going over the dodgeball game and all of its consequences regarding Natsume’s feelings for Mikan. The manga has just as much to analyze regarding Natsume, but very little of it is as pleasant!

In the manga, Natsume does not start falling for Mikan here. There is no beautiful scene where she confesses this was all done to make him smile. There is no pretend peace for Natsume at the end of the episode where he and Ruka muse about the game.

No, this is worse.

The beginning concept is more or less the same, but with significantly less emphasis on Natsume individually. In fact, Tsubasa tells Mikan Natsume isn’t solely to blame for the chaos in Class B--that they all need a way to let out their feelings and start having fun instead.

Natsume ends up sucked into the game against his will. He does not feel like playing, but he goes along with it when the bet is made--that is, if Mikan loses, she and her team need to be servants forever, but if she wins the other team has to quit their bullying of Substitute-sensei forever. There is no focus on Natsume ditching, or even on Natsume at all. Really Natsume only gets into it when he sees Ruka has been roped into joining Mikan’s team by accident. Natsume despises Mikan and, considering that Ruka has been kidnapped by her before, is not any happier to see him in Mikan’s custody again. He hits her in the head with the ball on purpose, knowing it would be out of bounds, because he wants to hurt her more than he wants to get her out of the game.

From Natsume's perspective, it does seem like she's trying to push his buttons on purpose lmao.

Natsume’s team has way more players, but because they’re afraid to hit Ruka on accident and face Natsume’s wrath, and because they are too crowded on their side, they have some obstacles. Sumire attempts to salvage this through good old fashioned cheating. Whether Natsume is privy to this seems unimportant. He doesn’t care about winning or losing either way, and doesn’t seem like he’s actively bullying the teacher to begin with like the others are. Now he’s just playing against Mikan for stealing Ruka away.

Compared to the anime’s version, the manga’s counterpart might seem anticlimactic, or less fun. But the truth is that the dodgeball game in the manga was never about befriending Natsume. Mikan never considered that because she despises him, maybe the same amount that he hates her. Creating a friendship is the last thing on either of their minds. This chapter is about Mikan finally feeling more at place in Class B as a whole, rather than winning over Natsume.

This chapter carries weight for him on an entirely different level. Natsume might have gotten himself involved with the game, and might have even had a bit of fun, but that was never going to last.

Natsume's life vs. Class B's life. Shadows vs. Shinies!

Natsume goes to get a drink of water after the game, where he encounters Persona, who tells him he has a mission. Right after this, we have a panel of the kids of Class B wondering what they should play next. This is the most obvious visual we will get of the jarring divide between Natsume’s life and that of the rest of Class B. Even Ruka seems to fit in with the other kids, despite trying to align himself more with his best friend. Natsume truly will never be like them, even if he does let himself have fun. He will always have to stop, put away the game, and don his mask for his missions. He can’t be a child like they can; his life is too dark.

In the anime, Persona is hidden in a tree but does not confront Natsume. If anything, he is a mere shadow looming over Natsume, threatening to bring darkness on Natsume’s newfound sunshine. In the manga, Persona’s presence is more potent.

The other children can laugh and play games and the biggest worry they have is what they will play next time. For Natsume, he will never belong with the rest of them, no matter how much they might admire him. Persona is just a reminder that Natsume isn’t like the rest of them.

Chapter Ten

Natsume is in a sour mood from the mission he recently went on, and Iinchou confirms this by saying he’s been grumpy since the dodgeball game. I talked about other reasons he may have been angry in the anime but in the manga it’s indisputable that Persona is the cause.

Thus, he has no qualms telling Mikan how it is: that her grandpa isn’t receiving the letters because they aren’t being sent, and that the teachers can’t be trusted. All of the things Ruka told her before are now coming from the horse’s mouth: this school is a prison. And again he reiterates: he and Mikan are marked, and more than anybody else, they’re treated differently from the rest of the kids. He is, after all, even more isolated from his loved ones than the rest are. On New Years, when everyone gets some letters and cards from loved ones, Natsume is the only one who’s not allowed anything. For him to imagine that there’s a kind-hearted teacher willing to send a letter or two is simply not even worth his time.

Okay but. Like. Nobody asked you, though.

It’s hard to say for sure why Natsume decided to tell Mikan this (other than to plant the seed of doubt in Mikan’s head story-wise). It’s possible that he wanted to help her, but keep in mind that he still hates her at this point. It’s far more likely that he, after a period of missions and consequent depleted health, is not in the mood to tolerate her rose-colored lenses and is much more willing to destroy her idealism and say it like it is, to shut her up.

After all, his threat from the Northern Woods is still relevant: he truly thinks that she will come to regret enrolling at the academy. If nothing else has worked to dampen her spirits, maybe the realization that she has been lied to will do the trick. He's just helping that epiphany along.

Chapter Eleven

The school festival is approaching and Mikan is dead set on making friends with people she wouldn’t normally consider. Naturally, this means trying with Natsume, who burns her hair and tells her to piss off.

Comparing the manga to the anime with this particular chapter is fascinating. In the anime, Natsume has already started liking Mikan. He helps her come up with ideas for her class to do and even encourages her to make up with her senpais when they have an argument. She starts understanding his unique type of kindness and appreciating his presence. It’s a cute episode where they can relate to each other and bond.

In the manga, they still hate each other. Mikan only approaches him because of Narumi’s advice, and because he doesn’t care, Natsume doesn’t mind burning her hair to get her away from him. He is in a sour mood because he can’t participate, made clear when Seaweed-head, Sumire’s brother, makes an appearance. He taunts both Mikan and Natsume for their lame ability classes, particularly the dangerous ability class, because they’re not even allowed to enter the festival. He makes a comment, something along the lines of them being “perfect partners” as a result (exhibit who’s-even-keeping-count-anymore of them being paired off before they even like each other). Natsume burns his hair too and calls him “fried seaweed”, playing off of Mikan’s insult for him.

You can't see his eyes in these panels, and then he walks off, so it's almost easy to fall for the idea that he couldn't care less... but we know better.

Mikan later runs into him again, and this is where there is some consistency. In the anime, they are both clearly outcasts regarding the festival. Everyone expects the worst from the special ability class, and the dangerous ability class isn’t even allowed to enter the competitions. In the manga, the same things are true, and they are both aware of this.

Mikan, shocked at seeing him again, drops all her papers. She’s expecting him to insult her or use his alice again, on account of him being a “hateful person”, but Natsume does no such thing. They’re the only ones who would truly get it, being left out, so Natsume says instead that he doesn’t get what all the hype is about. Such a big fuss over nothing. Pathetic, even. He picks up her papers for her, though he doesn’t have to move much to do so. They stand in silence for a moment.

I mean... he didn't have to pick up her papers for her.

Perhaps his hatred for her is actually cooling. She is struggling through similar things as he is, and there’s room for bonding between them, even if neither of them particularly wants to. Whatever the reason, Natsume is choosing to just talk to her instead of insulting or teasing her here. Moreover, the way he says all this, so transparently, as if he wouldn’t have found the festival interesting even if he could participate, is something she can see through. You can imagine Mochu or Sumire nodding in agreement with his statement, maybe even pretending they thought so too this whole time, rather than connecting the dots as Mikan does. Natsume has a similar viewpoint on many things, things that are “all hype over nothing”, in his opinion, like the festival or even kissing that he actually does want to do.

If Natsume can't participate, then Ruka won't either...

At the end of the chapter, Ruka comes to hang out with Natsume, choosing time with his best friend over meetings about the festival. He knows better than anyone probably how Natsume feels, being left out. Ruka will always choose Natsume over everything else, as he always has done, and keeping him company so he doesn’t feel lonely is an easy thing to sacrifice. It is his way of keeping his promise that he will make sure Natsume doesn't feel alone at the academy.

Chapter Twelve

Yet another chapter where the plots diverge from the anime’s version of events, Chapter Twelve is our trip to Central Town. Just like in the anime, Natsume is Mikan’s one condition to go to Central Town, and he is only convinced by Youichi.

It would have been nice to see the time Natsume and Yo-chan first met, and how Natsume became so close to him since he doesn't seem fond of any other dangerous ability types.

It’s nice knowing that Natsume has people he loves even at the academy, other than Ruka, and things that can make him smile, if even for a brief moment. Youichi looks up to Natsume and Natsume acts like a protective big brother, which is something he’s had past experience with, as revealed in this chapter.

Once in Central Town, Natsume lingers by a jewelry story, where he sees a hair-clip that reminds him of Aoi. It’s something that would suit her, but he can’t get it for her. The reader can see that Natsume is a brother, and that his mystery sister is part of his tragic backstory (oh, to see Aoi animated ;-;). Mikan naturally misunderstands this and then Natsume is absent from the rest of the chapter. It’s almost like he was trying to prove the point that his presence could hardly be felt and wouldn’t make a difference in her trip, something she was distressed about.

Yeah, so Natsume hasn't seen his sister in two years and doesn't know if she's even safe. For people with close sibling relationships, this is like. the definition of hell.

In the anime, Mikan includes him by giving him some howalon, but in the manga no such exchange occurs. He spends this trip mostly on his own, not even with Ruka or Youichi.

I wonder if the hair-clip was upsetting to him to the extent that he wanted the time to himself, or if it was a more general feeling of not being able to fit in anyway so why even bother, similar to the dodgeball chapter. Either way, he stays gone, and that’s fine. We’ll see plenty of him in the chapters to come.

Conclusion

This is the last edition of analyzing Natsume this way, where he has disdain for Mikan while maneuvering her cheerful little antics. In the next edition, we'll see a little of what Natsume's dark secret life looks like, the one that caused him to be like this. We'll also see a monumental shift in the way he views Mikan and then this will start looking a lot more like a ship essay heheheehhehe.

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[finalgirlkateausten]

Random + 31 for Lesley (cause you know)

See, this is why I love you. One of many reasons, at least

31. "They're not your kids, back the fuck off!"

It had started when Lesley's father had held her first child in her arms and immediately said, "I didn't realize she was going to look black."

Well, no. It had started in the same hospital, a few years prior, with Lesley still separated from the world by bandages and drugs, when Henry May had met Peter, a man he would already distrust thanks to his unfortunate beliefs, and been introduced to him as someone directly involved in his daughter's near-death. No matter that it was thanks to Peter that she hadn't died.

The point is, her father and her now-husband have never exactly gotten along. After multiple arguments and strained family dinners, they've reached a stalemate of polite tolerance, but Lesley can feel her own temper shortening.

It's fucking Christmas, for christ's sake. The entire family is together and they should be enjoying that. But instead she's glowering into her mug of eggnog as her three kids delightedly unwrap gifts from their grandparents.

Pippa is a beautifully sweet nine year old, easy to please and so polite that Lesley and Peter both wonder where she's learned it. So when she unwraps a things-to-find book that looks as though it's come form someone's yard sale, she simply beams and eagerly flips through the pages. "Mum! It's vacation-themed! Look how many places!"

"That's wonderful," Lesley offers, wondering how soon she can excuse herself to refill her mug.

"Tell Gran and Granddad thank you," Peter chimes in, but Pippa has already set the book aside to hug her grandmother. Her grandfather looks distinctly uncomfortable to receive the same attention.

Ben unwraps his gift next. Even at seven, he's the spitting image of his father, right down to the wide grin that splits his face in two. His gift is a coloring book and a set of crayons, which he seems delighted by, despite the fact that Lesley can still spot half a dollar store sticker on it. "It's a zoo! Look at all the animals!"

"That's so fun." Her smile is stiff and pasted on. Her mother won't meet her eyes.

"Woah, look at all those colors, bud." Peter is taking it all in stride, which only makes Lesley angrier.

"Thanks Gran and Granddad!" Ben reaches to half-hug his grandmother, but he doesn't make any move toward his grandfather. Not that stubborn, ignorant Henry May has ever made a move toward him.

Angie is the last to unwrap hers, because they're going in age order. At five, she's the youngest of their three but not of all her cousins. She's also the only one to have inherited Lesley's fair complexion and blonde hair. The poor kid gets sunburned on a cloudy day.

She also gets a beautifully illustrated collector's edition of Alice in Wonderland.

"Oooh..." she flips through the first few pages, settling on the hare with the pocket watch. "Daddy, will you help me with the big words?"

"Of course, sweetheart," Peter says. His smile is bright for his daughter, but he looks over at Lesley with a knowing look.

Lesley presses her lips together and stands as Melanie's son starts unwrapping his gift. She makes her way behind her parents' twin armchairs. "Thanks for the gifts, guys," she murmurs. "Dad, you wanna come check on the brunch with me?"

"Oh, that's your mother's territory, love."

She closes her eyes and tries not to huff in frustration. "Ever heard of a rhetorical question?"

In the dining room, safely away from the present opening, her father gives her a concerned look. "Are you not enjoying Christmas morning? I know you and your sisters don't always get along."

"Even we can hit pause on Christmas, Dad," she snaps. "It's not them I'm vexed with."

Slowly, Henry looks like he's getting the picture. "Have I done something? I've been careful not to say anything rude to Peter, your mother asked me specifically."

Lesley pinches the bridge of her nose. "She shouldn't have to, Dad. And no, this isn't about Peter. This is about your clear favoritism of Angela."

He blinks, but she thinks she's caught him in an act he can't come up with an excuse for. "I-- well, we picked out those gifts with each of them in mind. You're always saying how bright Phillipa is. And Bentley is always drawing when he visits. I thought Alice in Wonderland would be a good story for you to read to little Angela. She's got a good mind for stories."

"Yeah, and that all sounds great when you say it like that," Lesley says, "but everyone in there can see those gifts are not all equal. And it's not like you love Angie 'cause she shares your birthday or some shit."

Henry falters. "Can you blame me for wanting a granddaughter who looks like she belongs in my family?"

"Yeah, Dad, I can!" Lesley throws her hands up and brings them down on her face, taking a deep breath. "Because we're all part of your family! Peter too! And Pip and Bentley are getting old enough to notice they don't get the same love as everyone else." She swallows hard. "I know we don't see you often, but if it becomes a question of helping the kids grow up feeling cared for and loved, we might just spend every Christmas with Peter's folks."

"Lesley." Henry's face falls. "We love to see the children. And you know we miss you. Your mother worries so much."

"Jesus, is today 'bring up every old issue ever'?" Lesley folds her arms. "We don't need a recap. I know mum hates that I'm a cop. I know you hate that I'm married to a mixed-race man. Let me make this simple for you: you don't get to guilt-trip me into coming around and then act like I have one kid instead of three."

"They're my family," he says, looking pitiful.

"But they're not your kids," she snaps. "Back the fuck off."

[marjansmarwani]

Who You Gonna Call? 

A Ghost Hunting AU - 4.9k

[Read on Ao3]

A charity event brings together the two most notorious internet ghost hunting teams: Marjan and TK of the borderline irreverent Spirit Squad and Paul and Carlos of the historically accurate Paranormal Investigators. Their task: investigate Austin’s notoriously haunted Littlefield House. The twist: they have to swap partners for the night to do so. It should be entertaining, if nothing else.

Or, The Ghost Hunting AU literally no one asked for.

I didn’t write anything for Halloween because I’ve been busy with work and have a few other projects going on, but I did write this ghost hunting AU back in May. I figured I would share it here again because it definitely has the spooky vibes, plus some excellent TK & Marjan and Paul & Carlos friendships (plus flirting Tarlos!). Some of you may have seen this the first time around, but it was a while ago so who knows! Either way, I hope you enjoy! 👻

Oh, and Happy Halloween! 👻🎃

--------

A chorus of swearing greeted Grace as she unlocked her front door. She entered the kitchen to find her husband messing around with the Keurig, which was apparently the subject of his ire. She shook her head fondly and crossed the kitchen to wrap her arms around his waist, “Struggling there, my love?”

 Judd relaxed ever so slightly at her touch, but didn’t back down, “The goddamn thing never works for me! I don’t understand why we can’t just have a regular coffee maker instead of this infernal thing.” 

 Grace scoffed, “We have that because it was a Christmas present from my parents, and because you broke the coffee maker, remember?” 

 Judd deflated a bit at this, but continued his grumbling, “I still think it’s too complicated. I just want some coffee and it’s messing with me I swear!” 

 Grace leaned around him and reached around the back to flip the power switch. The machine beeped and began to brew the pod Judd had put in the chamber. Judd turned to face her, face sheepish, “Have I told you lately how wonderful and talented you are?” he asked. 

 Grace laughed and leaned into him, “You may have yesterday, but it’s always good to hear. Now, what’s up with you that’s got you so flustered you can’t figure out a simple machine?”

 Judd’s scowl returned, “I have that job tonight, and I’m not looking forward to it.”

 Grace frowned, “The charity one? Why are you upset about that?”

 “Because it’s a bunch of kids playing ghost hunters. They’re ‘youtube people,’ I’m sure they're going to think they’re too good for this and be whiny and just annoying kids in general.”

 Grace burst out laughing and Judd looked at her, bewildered, “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

 “I’m sorry Judd, I just didn’t realize I had married a Scooby-Doo villain. You do hear yourself, right? You’re about one rubber mask away from “you meddling kids” and frankly, I think it’s adorable.” 

 Judd tried to scowl, but he couldn’t hide pleasure that his wife’s laughter brought him. “Just you wait,” he told her, “they are going to be ridiculous and needy and probably get themselves into all sorts of trouble, and it’s going to be up to me to save their asses.”

 Grace nodded with mock sympathy, “Well, I guess you’d better go before you’re late,” she said handing him the travel mug now filled with coffee, “you wouldn’t want to keep those meddling kids waiting.”

 Judd shook his head as he leaned down to give his wife a kiss, “You’re a menace.”

 “But you love me anyway.” 

 “That I do.” 

 --------- 

“We’re here at the hauntingly historical Littlefield House on UT’s campus. The house was--”

 “Cut!” Marjan called, looking up from her camera. She raised an eyebrow at her partner, “Hauntingly historical? Really TK?”

 “It’s alliteration, Marj. It’s good storytelling technique!”

 “It’s cheesy is what it is. Why don’t you try it again without the cheese factor, or I can do the intro.”

 “You did the intro last episode, we rotate these things Marjan.” 

 “But this is a special episode outside of our regular season, so our usual rules don’t apply.”

 “You’re only saying that because you like the spotlight.” 

 “No, I’m saying that because you should give the people what they want!” 

 “That hurts, Marj.” 

 Marjan’s retort was interrupted by the appearance of two men weighed down by bags of equipment approaching the house. “Hello,” the taller of the two shouted as they grew closer, “you must be the Spirit Squad, TK and Marjan, right?”

 The pair nodded and walked forward, intercepting the pair halfway down the front walk. “And you must be Carlos and Paul; the Paranormal Investigators. It’s good to meet you both,” TK said, reaching out to shake both their hands.  

 “The P.I.s for short,” Paul reminded him, returning his greeting. 

 There was a flurry of handshakes and polite greetings before they all turned to look at the building in front of them. 

 “Looks pretty imposing,” Paul noted, “are we sure there’s only one ghost in that whole place?”

 Marjan shrugged, “Only one agoraphobic mental patient at least. Who’s to say what else?” 

 They all studied the house, a stately victorian, for a few more silent moments. 

 “Well,” said Carlos, breaking the silence, “shall we?” 

 TK gave an exaggerated arm flourish and a beaming smile, “After you.”

 Paul and Carlos continued their journey up the walk and TK turned to join them, but paused when he saw Marjan shaking her head at him exasperatedly, “Two minutes and you’ve already started with the flirting,” she said mournfully, “Tonight is going to last forever, isn’t?”

 “Lay off Marj, have you seen him? How could I not?”

 Marjan took a deep sigh and looked up to the sky in exasperation, “What did I do wrong in a past life to get stuck with you?” 

 TK rolled his eyes, “Don’t even start, you know you love me.”

 “Don’t get too cocky Casanova. There are plenty of windows in this place, a tragic accident might just happen.”

 “You’d miss me.” 

 “But think about the peace and quiet I could have.” 

 ---------

Judd sipped his coffee as he watched the 4 kids enter the property. He was so not looking forward to this. He understood why the university was hosting this; he just didn’t know why he had to be the one in charge of them. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he told Grace how much he was dreading tonight. He just knew this was going to be a long, pointless night. As they cleared the entrance and began looking around he heaved a weary sigh and set his mug down on top of the piano he had been leaning on and walked over to them. 

 “Welcome to the Littlefield House,” he said with what he hoped was a passable imitation of enthusiasm - or at least tolerance. “My name is Judd Ryder, head engineer for UT’s campus. I’ll be your contact tonight. If you have any questions I’ll try to do my best to answer them and I’m going to go over some ground rules before you get started. Any questions so far?”

 The small group all shook their heads and Judd carried on, “Good. Rule number 1 - don’t touch anything you don’t need to. Everything in this home is old, valuable, and much of it was donated by some of the University’s very generous benefactors. You break it, you buy it. Rule 2: don't do anything stupid. I'm not looking to spend tonight pulling anyone out of a hole or anything of the kind. Follow those two rules and we'll get along just fine. Any questions?"

 Carlos nodded, “Mr. Ryder,” he asked, “Would you mind giving us a little background on the house and it’s supposed haunting?”

 Judd looked at him incredulously, “On camera?”

 Carlos nodded patiently, “That is how we tell our stories sir. I think our viewers would appreciate having it come from an expert - it makes it all seem more reliable. I’m sure as a highly respected employee of the University you must have some first-hand knowledge of the history, and may have seen some of the instances first hand. Your input would be invaluable. 

 Judd straightened, “Well,” he began, “I suppose that I would be uniquely qualified.”

 Carlos smiled warmly, “Excellent. Let’s get it set up.”

 Judd was busy flattening out the wrinkles in his shirt; he didn’t notice the fist bump that Carlos and Paul subtly exchanged or the look that passed between TK and Marjan.  

 ----------- 

“The Littlefield house was built in 1893 for Civil War veteran George Littlefield,” Judd began, “at the time of its construction it cost $50,000 dollars to build. As I’m sure you can imagine, it would cost a pretty penny more to build today.” 

 “Three guesses which side he was on,” Paul muttered and Carlos swatted at him, motioning at Judd to continue. 

 “Major Littlefield even went as far as to have a Himilayan Cedar imported and planted on the property. It is still standing today and is one of the most distinctive trees on campus. You can see it through that window right there,” he said gesturing towards the window to their left, “When his wife Alice Littlefield died in 1935, she donated the house and its property to the University, or which she and her husband had always been big supporters. These days the ground floor has been maintained in its former glory for hosting events and tours, while the second floor houses offices.” 

 “What about the third floor?” TK asked from off-camera. It looks like there are turrets from the outside, are those accessible.

 Judd looked thoughtful, “I think they might be used for storage. To tell you the truth, no one really goes up that far much. It gets real hot up there on those upper floors.” 

 “Can you tell us more about the spirit that supposedly resides here and the activity that people have witnessed?” Marjan prompted. 

 Judd nodded, “The ghost is said to be that of Alice Littlefield, the widow of Major Littlefield. People say that she still haunts this house as she never really left it even in life. Some say that she was agoraphobic, others say that her husband kept her locked in the attic. No one knows for sure, but everyone agrees that she didn’t get out much and that’s probably why she is still here.”

 “What kind of experiences have people reported?” 

 Judd scoffed lightly, “people say that they have seen a ghostly figure walking past the windows at night or wandering the grounds. A few even claim they’ve heard the piano playing when there was no one there to play it.”

 “To clarify, you mean this piano, right?” Carlos asked, panning towards the grand piano next to them.”

 “That’s the one,” Judd confirmed with a nod. 

 “What about you Mr. Ryder, have you ever had any experiences with this spirit?”

 Judd shook his head, “No, can’t say that I have,” he said evenly. 

 “Wonderful,” Carlos exclaimed, shutting off his camera, “That was great, thanks so much for your time Mr. Ryder.”

 Judd nodded as they began sorting through equipment, “Not a problem. Listen, the university has me on call tonight for y’all, so if you need anything let me know. I’ll be around. And please,” he added as an afterthought, “don’t break anything. I hate filling out that paperwork.”

 The group gave him solemn nods as he exited, sighing heavily and muttering something about kids under his breath. 

 The group watched him leave and then looked at each other, each trying their best to hide their grins. 

 “So,” TK asked, “shall we get started?”

 ---------

The deal was this: a charity had asked the two most popular ghost hunting teams on the internet to get together for a special fundraising episode, with a twist (to be decided by a vote from their viewers). A week of polling provided them with the result - the two teams were going to be partner swapping tonight. 

 According to charity’s PR rep, fans had commented that they wanted to see this partner swap because the two teams were so different. The P.I.s were very fact-driven; their show erred on the side of documentary. The Spirit Squad, on the other hand, was much more sensational. Sure they did the facts, but their show revolved a lot more around their antics than the history. Fans were eager to see what kind of dynamic a mashup would bring. 

 Which brings us back to this moment as the two teams divvy up their equipment and head to meet their new partners for the evening. TK hands a microphone pack to Marjan, humming to himself all the while. She levels a glare at him, “Would you stop that?” 

 “Stop what?”

 “Stop being so pleased about this!”

 “Marj,” TK began emphatically, “Of course I’m happy. I get to spend an evening with Mr. Paranormal Heartthrob over there. I’m fucking thrilled.”

 Marjan rolled her eyes, “Great. While you are off doing salacious things on company time, I am going to be stuck with Mr. Encyclopedia.” 

 “Come on, he doesn’t seem that bad.”

 “TK, you’ve seen their show. The dude somehow knows literally everything and can spend multiple minutes talking about the significance of various wood types in regional architecture. I might not be pushing you out a window tonight, but I might end up jumping through one.”

 Now it was TK’s turn to roll his eyes, “Give the guy a chance Marj. You know how it can be when you’re filming. He might be a completely different person off-camera. You might be surprised and actually end up liking him.” 

 Her expression softened incrementally, but her voice was still firm, “We’ll see.” 

 Across the room, a similar conversation was happening. 

 “You can’t seriously expect me to spend a night working with her do you, Carlos?”

 Carlos raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with her?” he asked skeptically.

 Paul seemed to falter a bit, “I mean, it doesn’t seem like she takes much seriously. She’ll probably be off-task all night. Besides, she’s the one who’s catchphrase is ‘come at me demon!’ Actually, I feel like the fact that she even has a catchphrase is telling enough.” 

 “I think you’re being unfair.”

 “Unfair? I would never!” 

 Carlos narrowed his eyes at him, “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not right now and it is honestly concerning to me. You need to give her a chance.”

 “No, I don’t think I do.” 

 Carlos sighed, “What did we say about not being a dick around people who don’t know you’re always kind of a dick?”

 Paul looked at least slightly chastised, “Fine, I’ll play nice.” 

 “That’s all I ask. Now,” he said cheerfully, snapping the last of his gear on, “it’s time to go meet our new partners!”

 “You know, sometimes I kind of hate you.” 

 “I’m okay with that.” 

 ------------ 

Marjan swung her flashlight around the grounds as she walked. She and Paul had taken the grounds and first floor while TK and Carlos would be tackling the upper floors. So far all she had seen was a lot of grass and awkward silence. 

 “So,” she began, turning to face her companion, “any thoughts on what we’ll find?”

 Paul shrugged, “Not too sure. All the lore says that if we see anything, it should be Alice so I’m hoping we’ll find some evidence of her. The reports make it seem like she’s pretty active, I’d love to catch some of that.” 

 Marjan hummed in agreement, “That would be cool. I’m a slut for some good audio evidence.”

 Paul raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” she asked defensively,

 He shook his head, “Nothing. I just figured you were more about the video evidence. You know, where you could be seen doing something crazy.”

 She scoffed, “Yeah, that stuff’s fun, but when it comes to actual evidence, I find audio to be more reliable. There are just too many factors when dealing with video evidence. Besides,” she added as she crossed to the other side of the yard, “It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing all that stuff, but it’s all for ratings. I know how to make a brand.”

 “You know Marwani, I might have been wrong about you.”

 “You can’t believe everything you see on the internet Strickland.”

 Paul laughed, “No, I suppose you’re right.”

 They continued in silence for the next few minutes, each studying their devices. After completing a full circuit of the yard Paul sighed, “Guess that was a colossal waste of time.”

 Marjan shrugged, “I guess it depends on how you look at it. I’m just glad we were able to put entire floors between ourselves and that,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder towards the second-floor window that revealed flashlight beams moving. 

 “You mean the flirt fest? Yeah, I’m not too broken up about missing out on that either.” 

 Marjan nodded emphatically, “Don’t get me wrong, I love TK like a brother, and I want nothing more than for him to be happy. But I don’t feel the need to be in the room as it happens.”

 Paul hummed his agreement, “Carlos is my best friend but when he is infatuated with someone, he is basically unbearable. I’ll take ghost hunting outside over witnessing that any day, thank you.” 

 Marjan glanced back up at the window, “How gross do you think they are being right now?”

 “On a scale of 1 to 10?” 

 “Sure, why not?”

 “11, definitely.” 

 ----------- 

“So,” TK started awkwardly, “how’d you get into ghost hunting?”

 “I watched my family die and have been determined to find their spirits ever since.” 

 TK’s eyes grew wide, “Seriously?” he asked. 

 Carlos chuckled, “No. I just liked scary movies and ghost stories as a kid and have always believed. You?”

 TK shrugged, “I guess I’ve always believed too. My dad is huge into this stuff, so I learned a lot about it growing up. Then I met Marjan and we hit it off and she needed a partner so I just kind of, did it.” 

 “Are you and your dad close?”

 A small smile spread across his face, “Yeah. He’s the best. He’s a firefighter, and growing up I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but this came along and kind of just fit, you know?”

 Carlos nodded thoughtfully, “Yeah, I think I do. If you had told 15 year old me that I would be ghost hunting for a living, he would have thought you were crazy. But, I like it. I get to see new places, meet interesting people, and spend time with my best friend.”

 “Well,” TK said, “I think it was a good choice.”

 Carlos looked at him curiously, “Why’s that?”

 TK grinned suggestively, “Because it means we met.” 

 -------------- 

So far, the inside was not much more interesting than the grounds.

 Marjan was starting to get antsy. She knew that ghost hunting was generally a “hurry up and wait” kind of situation, but she hated the long periods of nothing. At least she normally had TK to banter with. Tonight, she was stuck with a companion who was studying an abstract painting with far too much interest.

 “I think this is an original Kelpe,” he said eventually.

 “A what?” Marjan asked incredulously.

 “A who,” he corrected, “Paul Kelpe was an American painter from about the 1930s until he died in the 80s. He was known for abstract art and retired to Austin before he died.”

 Marjan stared at him, “How in the actual hell do you remember this stuff?”

 “My mind is like a steel trap.”

 Marjan had several things she’d like to say in response to that, but before she could even begin eerie music floated down the hall, effectively ending their conversation. 

 They looked at each other, and Marjan was gratified to see her excitement reflected on Paul’s face. “Is that...” she started to ask at the same time Paul exclaimed “The piano!” 

 They looked at each other for just a moment more before they hurried down the hall, back towards the piano. 

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

It took a few tries, Carlos managed to get the door to the turret room open. He and TK walked inside slowly, shining their flashlights around the room. 

 “Wow,” TK said, and Carlos nodded his head in agreement. 

 The room was filled with the scattered paraphernalia of life. It looked like everything had been left as is, as if the resident of the bedroom had just walked out the door, ready to start their day. If that day had been about 80 years ago, judging by the dust.

 “It doesn’t look like anyone has been in here in ages,” TK noted as he gently brushed the dust off an ornate hand mirror.

 Carlos was studying the doorway, “I think you might be right. It doesn’t look like there is any kind of lock or reason it should have been stuck, but it definitely did not open like a door that is commonly used.”

 “I wonder whose stuff this is?” TK muttered as he examined the contents of the desk. “Whoever’s it is either loves antiques or it has been sitting here since it was new.”

 Carlos had halted abruptly in his own exploration, staring at something on the table by the door. When he spoke, his voice was shaky.

 “I think you might be spot on with the later,” he said.

 TK turned around, frowning. “What makes you say that?”

 Carlos picked up the item he had been studying and turned so TK could see it. It was an antique calling card, yellowed with age, but the name printed in delicate script was still legible; it read “Mrs. Alice Littlefield.”

 “Well, shit.” TK breathed. Carlos nodded.

------------- 

They reach the piano at the same time, equally out of breath. They each examine their various devices. “I’m getting some pretty strong readings,” Marjan noted.

 Paul nodded, “Me too. He moved around the piano, examining it, “I don’t see any wires or triggers, or anything that suggests that this could have been caused by another person.”

 Marjan ran an experimental hand across the keys. They played normally. She hit a few notes, but they all sounded as they should. “It seems to be working just fine too.” She lifted the lid and they each shone their flashlights inside.

 “Everything looks normal in here too,” she noted after a while. She looked around the room and gestured at one of the cameras they had set up. “Maybe the static cam caught something.”

 Paul nodded, pulling out his phone to make a note, “I will definitely look. Hopefully we got good audio too.”

 Marjan nodded, “This is so cool,” she gushed.

 Paul smiled, “It is, isn’t it?”

----------- 

Tk looked around at the contents of the room, “It doesn’t look like anything has been touched since she died.”

 Carlos nodded, gently fingering a lace handkerchief on the bedside table, “It looks like she just up and left. It’s kind of sad, actually.”

 TK looked at him curiously, “What do you mean?”

 “I mean, it doesn’t seem like she had anyone who cared enough to go through her things after she died. Once she died it seems like she just…stopped existing and the world went on.”

 TK didn’t really know what to say to that. He glanced around the room and then back at Carlos.

 “Unfortunately, I think that is generally what happens, no matter who is left behind. But if it makes you feel any better, if people are right about Alice being the ghost here, she apparently had different plans.”

 “I honestly don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

 TK shrugged, “Me neither.”

 “I guess what really bothers me is the thought of what will happen to us when we’re gone. I don’t have much family left as it is, and not too many friends outside of Paul. Would there be anyone left to remember that I existed, or would it just be a room full of stuff that says Carlos Reyes used to exist?”

 TK studied him for a moment before speaking, “I know where you’re coming from, believe me. All I have are my dad and Marjan. But I think that it’s more a matter of what we do than what we leave behind.”

 Carlos smiled at him, “That’s pretty wise.”

 TK grinned, “I do my best.” He took a few steps closer to Carlos. They were so close now that he could every nuance of brown in the other man’s rich, warm eyes. “If it makes you feel any better,” he said softly, “I’d care if you were gone. I’d help to keep your memory around.”

 Carlos smiled at him, “Then I guess that means I should do the same for you.”

 “It’s a deal then,” TK replied, sticking out his hand. Carlos took it and the shook, but their hands lingered for several moments longer than necessary. Carlos was the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly.

 “I guess we should keep going with the actual investigation part before our respective partners hunt us down and murder us.”

 TK nodded solemnly, “True. What good is our pact if we both die at the same time, murdered by our perfectionist co-workers?”

 They exchanged a grin, but Carlos frowned as TK’s expression shifted and his gaze drifted past him. “Everything okay?” he asked hesitantly.

 TK didn’t answer right away, “I’m not sure,” he said eventually. “I thought I saw something but...I don’t know. Probably just a trick of the light.” 

 Carlos looked like he wanted to say something, but the sound of his phone alarm cut off whatever it was that he had to say. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “That’s the 15-minute warning. We have to be out of here pretty soon. We should head back downstairs and help the others gather the equipment.

 TK nodded and began to disassemble the camera they had set up in the corner of the room. “Hey Carlos?” he asked as he worked.

 “Yeah?”

 “We make a pretty good team, don't we?”

 Carlos grinned, turning away to hide the blush darkening his cheeks, “Yeah, I think we do.” 

--------- 

A few days later, TK was walking up the sidewalk towards Paul’s house when he heard his name being called from behind him. He turned to see Carlos rushing to catch up with him. He couldn’t help the little flutter his heart did at the sight of him. He paused, letting the other man catch up.

 “Hey,” Carlos greeted as he reached him, “What are you doing here?”

 TK shrugged, “Honestly, I have no idea. Paul called me and asked me to come over.”

 Carlos frowned, “He asked me the same thing. Which, is not weird since we are friends and business partners, but you being here too is strange. No offense,” he added hastily.

 “None taken,” TK assured him. “Honestly, I was thinking the same thing.”

 They stood awkwardly on the sidewalk for another moment before Carlos shrugged, “I guess the only way to find out is to head in.”

 TK nodded and gestured towards the door, “After you.”

 Carlos let them in and led TK towards the office. When they entered the space, they were even more surprised that Paul was not alone.

 “Marjan?” TK asked incredulously, “What are you doing here?”

 Paul answered, “I called her first because I needed someone else to confirm that you two are as big of idiots as I thought you were.”

 Marjan nodded solemnly, “And I can confirm, you are the biggest idiots.”

 TK and Carlos looked at each other, baffled. “What did we do?” TK asked defensively. 

 Marjan and Paul simply exchanged a look before Paul turned his laptop around for them to see. There was a video feed paused on it. It seemed to be one of the feeds from the turret room. Carlos gave the other two a confused look, “What does that have to do with anything?”

 “Oh, just wait,” Paul said, reaching down to hit play.

 They all watched silently, Marjan and Paul watching their companions more than the video. TK and Carlos watched as they moved through the frame, getting closer. TK blushed as they grasped hands. He knew what part this was, he just had no idea how sappy they actually looked. He was just grateful there was no sound. As he watched, he saw a figure appear over Carlos’s shoulder. His eyes widened. That couldn’t be…

 “Is that an FBA?” Carlos asked weakly, looking up at Paul and Marjan. Paul glared at him, “Just watch.”

 They all turned their attention back to the screen to see as the figure became more solid. There was no denying that it was the ghostly figure of a woman. She remained there, just past Carlos’s shoulder, for a least a minute before vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.

 Present Carlos and TK looked at each other. “I guess you did see something,” Carlos said weakly. TK was still too shell-shocked to respond. They had been in the same room as a Full-bodied Apparition – the holy grail of paranormal investigating – and they hadn’t even noticed.

 He looked over at their partners, who seemed torn between amusement and frustration. He understood the feeling.

 Eventually, Paul spoke, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that you two were so busy flirting you did not notice a literal ghost not even two feet from you.”

 Carlos ran a shaky hand through his hair, “Yeah, I think that about covers it,” he said weakly.

 Marjan snorted, “Actually, it looks like she yeeted herself out of there as soon as possible. Face it – you guys are so gross that even the dead don’t want to deal with you.”

 TK and Carlos locked eyes. After a moment Carlos shrugged and TK groaned, “The shippers are going to have a field day with this. We will never have another moment of peace.”

 Carlos considered this for a moment, before a sly grin spread across his face, “Maybe, or we could just beat them at their own game?”

 TK frowned at him, “What do you mean?”

 “TK Strand, would you like to go on a date with me?”

 There was a beat of silence before Paul and Marjan groaned and TK grinned, “I thought you’d never ask.”

 Marjan looked at Paul, “Our lives are ruined,” she said mournfully.

 He nodded grimly, “Let’s be real though; we never stood a chance.”

 Notes: 

I actually did a lot of research for this one and since once an English major always an English major or something like that, you can find my sources here, here, here, and here. If nothing else it's worth it for a look at the house (which is a real place) because it does give off some serious spooky vibes in my opinion. 

[Read on Ao3]

[azritesx3]

“A Devil’s Love” Chapter 6: I Believe In You

Description: Chloe’s best friend is back, and Lucifer’s charm can’t seem to affect her either. Is she also a miracle child? Or something…more? [Story starts during S2 Ep4, Female Reader Insert]

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AN: Updated March 15, 2020 - Grammer AN: Updated July 21, 2020 - Grammar

Rating: Mature Warning[s]: Swearing, Gore

Show Timeline: Season 2 episode 12 and 13

Spotify Playlist /// AO3 Fanfiction Net Wattpad DeviantArt

Tag List: @ayanna-wild​, @anushay1998, @emiwrites3reads​, @i-am-canada-13​, @heart-of-pots-and-pans​, @tinyybiceps, @jessicarene99​, @lucifersnipnips​, @givemebooksorgivemedeath​, @sailor-earth-1

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A week has passed since you left your "nurse" to heal on your own.

Within the first two days, your body had completely healed. The rest of the five days you spent planning with Alice for the grand opening of the "Circle of Life Veterinary Clinic #2", and also helping out Chloe with any cases since it seems her partner was avoiding her.

When Chloe called you to say she couldn't find any evidence linking Charlotte Richards to the second bomb, thank God, she told you about her "talk" with Lucifer.

Apparently their talk consisted of Chloe explaining how she has been feeling and what made her kiss him, even after he declared all of his flaws to her. Lucifer said nothing, according to Chloe. He just listened intently, and when all was said and done he said he needed to think. Chloe agreed to give him time, but she started expressing her concerns to you after the third day of silence.

Honestly, you couldn't blame Lucifer. You hate talking about emotions too, and Lucifer didn't seem like the kind of guy who easily dealt with this kind of stuff. It's probably why he has a therapist.

However, Lucifer hadn't been completely silent this week. He did text you every day. First, it was just to make sure you were doing well healing, then it just became friendly chatter. You did question him on why he was giving Chloe the silent treatment. You expected him to ignore the question. Instead he shocked you by answering.

What if it's not real?

It looks real to me, Lucifer, and to others.

Yes, well, I'm starting to think that the Detective is no longer immune to me. She has been with me too much and now my charm is coming off on her. She might even be no longer immune to my power...It'll probably happen to you too.

...uh, what? :confusedemoji:

Ah. Never mind, darling. So, not missing my shower, yet? It sure misses you. :devilemoji:

And, that was that. You didn't dare tell Chloe about it, one because she'd be just as confused as you, and two she really didn't need to get the wrong idea about that shower comment.

Today's the day of the grand opening, and everything is going smoothly. Your new workers are happily greeting the pets as well as the owners while handing out coupons, pamphlets on the pet health care, and answering any questions. Alice sits at a booth with a couple of the receptionists taking down new client info and signing up those interested in the insurance. You stand in front of the big red ribbon, talking to the press and answering questions while you wait for the time to tick to 9 am.

Your phone starts ringing Chloe's tone. You excuse yourself and head inside your clinic to answer.

"What's up, Chlo?"

"Hey, Earth. I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to do something."

You love your BFF, really you do, but you can't cancel this opening. Not only would it be embarrassing, but you were starting to run low on cash, "No problem, so long as I can do it over the phone."

"Don't worry, I know this opening is important to you." You hear her sigh, "This case I'm currently on is...it's bad, Earth. I'm thinking psychopathic bad. Premeditated murder."

Oh shit, "Damn, Chloe. Look if you need me I'll-"

"No no. Focus on your opening today. If I don't get this solved today maybe you can help me tomorrow."

"The opening isn't all day, Chloe. I'll help as soon as it's over."

"You're going to have a lot of first patient paperwork. Take this day for that. Look, I'm calling to ask you to talk to Lucifer."

"He still isn't talking to you?" Yes, you do agree with him needing time because emotions suck, but now it feels like he's stonewalling your friend.

"No. Ella's too busy with this case right now, and I know Lucifer won't even consider listening to Dan. I'm hoping he'll listen to you."

"Alright, Chlo. I'll get your partner back to you."

"Thank you, Earth." You can just feel the tension release from her over the phone, "Tell him to meet me at the Malibu State University so I can catch him up on the case."

"You got it." You hang up and see the time is 8:50 am. You sigh and click on Lucifer's contact number.

Time to come out of hiding you Devil.

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

"Lucifer." Linda looks at her Devil patient like a stern mother rather than his therapist at the moment, "You're stalling."

Lucifer finishes his glass of water and leans back on the couch, "I don't know what you're talking about, Doctor."

"You do, Lucifer." Linda's voice becomes stern and matter of factly, "You and Chloe finally reach a point in your relationship where it can move romantically, but after the kiss, you left. After Chloe confesses to you, you push her away. You won't even talk to her, but instead, talk to someone else."

Lucifer shifts on the couch, slightly uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Lucifer." Linda's able to get his eyes to stay on hers, "Who is Earth to you? How do you feel about her?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Doctor." Lucifer is agitated now, "K9 is just a human who's fun to be around."

"She's also another human woman who is immune to your charms. Another human who you can't get to reveal their desires." Linda eyes her patient carefully.

Lucifer clearly fidgets on the couch. He doesn't speak. Instead, he looks to the window.

"I want you to tell me how you felt when you first met Chloe, to how you felt meeting Earth." Linda interlaces her fingers and rests them on her crossed knees. She waits patiently for his reply.

"Well, after the first day with the Detective I felt that she was a puzzle to solve." Lucifer looks at his therapist with a little smirk, "The first human woman to be completely immune to my charms and power. She's a puzzle and I feel a...a connection to her. A need to solve her, to watch her and be around her."

"Mhmm," Linda nods, "and Earth?"

"K9?" Lucifer's smirk forms into a smile. He gives a light chuckle, "From day one I thought of her as a sassy minx, didn't even care that she wasn't attracted to me. Truthfully, I would be too focused on making sure I had a comeback ready for whenever we'd pass each other in the precinct." His eyes start to look far away, lost in memories.

"That real estate case was the first time we talked more than just in passing. I found that we both enjoy many of the same things and we share common views on various topics. I just-" Lucifer stops.

Linda urges him on, "You have to continue, Lucifer. How do you feel around her?"

"I feel...comfortable with her. I have fun with her, enjoy spending time with her. She doesn't believe in me being the Devil either, but I feel like she tolerates it better." His mind drifts to how you reacted to seeing his scars.

"Maybe there's a reason as to why…" Lucifer whispers this thought to himself.

"Lucifer, I see these two types of romantic feelings often." Linda didn't hear his comment about you, "There's one where someone claims that they feel a connection with the other, which is usually referred to as 'soulmates'-" Lucifer laughs.

"And," Linda continues, "There's the 'normal'. When two people meet and feel nothing until they get to know each other more. Chloe is your 'connection' and Earth is your 'normal'."

"So, which one is the correct choice?" Lucifer's eyes plead to her, "I don't want to mess this up!"

Linda's heart breaks for him, "I can't answer that for you, Lucifer. What you need to do is find an answer to this question," Linda leans forward:

"If Earth never came back, had never entered the picture, would you still be giving Chloe the cold shoulder?"

Linda Martin has never seen a person look as lost as Lucifer Morningstar right now.

"I…" Lucifer's phone starts playing "Who Let The Dogs Out". It's the ringtone you set for yourself after you showed him how to give everyone their own personal alerts.

"It's K9, Doctor. She doesn't usually call-"

"It's ok, Lucifer." Linda gives him a knowing smile, "Our time is up anyways."

Lucifer nods a farewell to her and leaves her office, "K9! To what do I owe the pleasure of having a phone call from you?" Lucifer's smiling ear to ear as he walks out of the building and to his car.

"Chloe called me. Again." You sound annoyed.

His smile falls, "Oh…"

"Look, Lucifer. I get it ok? Feelings are a pain in the ass to deal with, but enough is enough. You're really starting to hurt my best friend and you know I won't stand for it."

Lucifer sighs, "I understand, K9. I just-"

"Lucifer, this call wasn't about you. Chloe needs her partner back."

Lucifer pauses in his walk hearing the worry in your voice. He stands a few feet away from his corvette, "What's wrong?"

"There's a new case and it," you sigh, "it doesn't sound good, Lucifer. This guy is bad, really bad. I can't be there for her today and I don't want her to get hurt." Lucifer doesn't reply right away, and that worries you.

"Lucifer. Chloe isn't going to ask you about anything, ok? She's too focused on stopping this guy. She can't do it without her partner."

Partner...that's right. I'm the Detective's partner, Lucifer thought.

"Well, I suppose I can't leave my partner hanging," Lucifer smirks and finishes the walk to his car.

"No, you can't." Lucifer can tell you are most likely smirking as well, "Not anymore anyway. It's really a dick move."

"Yes, yes." Lucifer sits in his car and starts it up, "Now, where does my partner need me?"

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

The grand opening was a huge success! The clinic has plenty of clients to start off with, and more would surely come when people learned just how well of a veterinarian you are.

You sent your workers home to relax for the first official workday tomorrow. Currently, you and Alice are organizing all the new client paperwork in their respective folders for your receptionists.

But you're starting to have a really hard time focusing on the task. Chloe has been giving you hourly updates on the case, and each new piece of information was making you more and more concerned.

This is no ordinary killer.

Alice noticed you starting to slow down and told you she could handle the rest. Normally you would disagree with her, but this case was one a Captain of any department shouldn't avoid. You give her thanks in a hug then fly out the door and into your new car, courtesy of the police heads.

As you drive to the precinct you call Chloe to let her know you're free. She tells you that she and Lucifer are heading to a college party where the next poison victim, Ashley, was currently at. She gives you the address of the second victim, Dr. Gwendolyn Scott, and tells you Dan is currently there with her to make sure she doesn't do this guy's bidding.

When you arrive at the precinct you tell your second, Christopher Miller, to round up a small team and three K9's, and that one of the K9's has to be the new pup, Buster, along with his partner, Jessica Blanch. As he left to do as you ask you go into the female locker room and change into your K9 uniform. When you come out you tell your team the situation, and give them the address to Dr. Scott's house. You couldn't send any with Chloe as much as you wanted to. It would blow her cover at that party.

You arrive at the house and station your men and two of the K9's around the outside of the home. You tell Blanch that she and Buster are to guard the inside.

"Hey, Dan." You approach Detective Dan Espinoza, or as you liked to refer to Lucifer's nickname for him "Detective Douche".

"Hey, Earth! I'm glad you could join in. This guy is…"

"Yeah...it was hard for me to focus during the opening knowing that a person like this was out here." You cross your arms to hide the slight shiver that ran through you.

"That's right, your next clinic! Did everything go well?"

"Yup, better than I expected honestly."

"Well believe it or not, I've heard talk around here about the 'amazing Veterinarian Earth on the east coast'." He winks friendly at you.

"Oh really?" You give him a laugh and a sarcastic look.

"Yeah! I'd overhear convos from new K9 recruits about you. The look on their faces when I told them you used to work here was priceless."

"So that's why I got a whole lot of star-struck eyes when I came back." You and him both share light laughter, "So," you didn't want to, but this friendly chatter had to end, "where's Dr. Scott?"

Dan takes a sidestep and motions with his head behind him. You see a clear line of sight of the Doctor sitting in a formal living room. Blanch is introducing herself and asking permission to roam her home. You see Dr. Scott give a warm smile to her and a nod of approval while she scratches Buster's head.

"How's she doing?" You whisper to Dan.

"As good as one can be when they know they're in charge of someone's life." Dan sighs solemnly.

"Yeah…"

Dan's phone rings and he excuses himself. You walk over to Dr. Scott and introduce yourself, "Hello, Dr. Scott. I'm Earth, Captain of the K9 unit." You hold out your hand and she shakes it. Her palms are sweaty from nerves.

"Hello, Captain. One of your crew just told me how well you are at your job." She smiles at you.

"Aw, Blanch is just a suck-up." You give her a wink and she actually manages a laugh, "You doing alright Doc?"

She sighs, "Honestly, no. I just keep thinking...what if I don't do as this guy requests? Would I really be ok knowing that my decision to say no would end a young girl's life?"

"Do you mind if I watch the video ma'am?" She shakes her head and stands to walk to her desk. She pulls up the email with the video and plays it for you as she sits back in her chair.

This guy...with his dumb mask and "superior" tone of voice made your skin crawl. He was telling the Doctor that in order to receive the antidote to cure Miss. Ashley, she had to destroy her right hand.

God...Why do people like this exist?

The video ends as soon as Dan walks into the room, "Detective Decker called me ma'am." He's speaking to Dr. Scott, "Her and her partner found Ashley at the party, but unfortunately it looks as though she's already been poisoned."

You watch as the Doctor visibly slumps in distraught, "What should I do, Detective?"

"Don't do anything, Doctor. Ashley is at the hospital now and the doctors are working on an antidote. I'm sure they'll make it in time."

Dr. Scott forms a look on her face that mimics how you were feeling.

They won't be able to make it.

Dan leaves the room. You shut off the computer.

"Captain, what should I do? What would you do?"

You don't answer.

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

A few hours pass before Dan receives another call from Chloe.

It's not good news.

"She doesn't have much time left, Dan. The Doctors at the hospital can't figure out the antidote."

"Then it is specially made," Dan replies, his face is grim. You stand next to him to hear the conversation.

Unfortunately, Dr. Scott is close enough as well. She heard.

While Dan is still on the phone you hear a rattling noise. You left his side to investigate, and are horrified by the display that's about to happen in the kitchen.

"GWENDOLYN!" You yell the Doctor's name and hold your hands up. When Dan hears you yell he hangs up on Chloe and runs to you, and holds his hands up.

Dr. Gwendolyn Scott stands in front of her kitchen sink. The garbage disposal is running and her right hand is hovering over the opening.

"Dr. Scott, don't do this." Dan pleads with her. You can't speak.

"If I don't do this, Detective, an innocent woman dies. How can I compare my hand to her life."

"Doctor-" Dan starts, but it's too late.

Doctor Gwendolyn Scott shoves her hand into the garbage disposal. You want to vomit as you hear her scream and see blood and bits of flesh erupt from the sink.

Doctor Gwendolyn Scott is a hero.

Dan runs to her, as well as Blanch who hears her screams. You stand still, but find your voice long enough to call for a medic dispatch and Chloe.

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

Chloe and Lucifer arrive shortly after the medics have Dr. Scott on a gurney and finish bandaging her ruined hand. The two of them talk with her, Dan steps outside to get air after that gruesome scene, and you-

You're still standing in the same spot. Your focus entirely on the blood and bits of brown skin that cling to the countertop and sink.

This guy is a monster.

"And I thought you looked fit before, but now." You choke on air as your body jumps out of your skin. You whirl around and see Lucifer standing behind you with a hungry look.

"You look delicious in uniform, K9. You should wear it more often."

"I only wear this on important cases, and did you really have to use the word 'delicious' in this scenario?" You give him dagger eyes. You hold your chest to breathe evenly again.

"Hmm." Lucifer looks at the carnage behind you, "Good point." He smiles down at you, "But at least I got you to stop looking at it."

You look up at him, and can't help the tug at your heart. A corner of your mouth lifts slightly, "Yeah...thanks."

Lucifer just continues to smile at you, but now there's a twinkle in his eye.

"So," you cross your arms and smile fully at him, "How's it feel being back with your partner?"

"It was bloody weird." His sheer bluntness made both your eyebrows go up.

"Only at first though. Thankfully, the Detective seems to be back to her 'normal'." Lucifer plays with his cufflinks and side glances in Chloe's direction.

"What happened?"

"She slapped my bum, made inappropriate jokes over a dead body, and suggested making out in the library."

You burst into laughter.

"It's not funny! It was bloody terrifying!" Lucifer complains.

"She was just trying to be more like you, Lucifer." You manage to choke out in your laughter, "Are you saying you're not attracted to yourself?"

"Not if it's the Detective trying to roleplay as me." He visibly shivers and that makes you laugh even more.

The sound of your K9s barking outside the front door immediately cuts off your laughter. Captain mode takes over and you stride away from Lucifer and out the front door to see what was going on. As you pass by Chloe she rests her hand on her holstered gun and gives you a nod.

Miller has a delivery man stopped on the walkway. When you walk over the man says he has a delivery for Doctor Gwendolyn Scott. You question him on who gave him the package, but the man says it just showed up in his pile of runs.

You take the package from him and tell Miller to take him to the station to get an official statement. You go back inside and hand it over to Chloe.

You stand on the other side of the Doctor's gurney, and Lucifer chooses to stand next to you as Chloe unravels the contents.

She looks up and stares at the three of you.

"It's the antidote."

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

Dan and Chloe drove to the hospital to give Ashley the antidote before it was too late. Lucifer decided to stay with you to "help" you clear out the Doctor's house and wait for the cleaning crew to finish in her kitchen. You noticed Chloe giving him a "look" when he chose to stay behind. You question him about it and he just shrugs saying, "Hospitals are dreadful places."

As soon as the cleaning crew finished Chloe called you saying to come to the precinct ASAP with Lucifer. Her and Dan were able to get a link between Ashley and the first poisoned victim.

"I had a feeling this case would be an all-nighter." You tell Lucifer as you hang up and you both walk to your car.

"No rest for the wicked, darling." Lucifer smiles devilishly at you. You smile back.

As you two walk into the precinct, you give Alice an early morning text update. You tell her you most likely won't be able to make it in the clinic for the first day. Surprising you, she texts back saying "Good thing there are no major surgeries :winkieface:".

You hate not being at your clinic for the first official day. You and Alice interviewed the workers and other veterinarians extensively, but you always like working the first couple of days with them to make sure they were good. Thank God you have Alice, who you trust wholeheartedly.

You and Lucifer walk into Ella's lab where Dan and Chloe are waiting. You notice that look again on Chloe when Lucifer stays near you while Ella explains the new information.

Dan and Chloe were able to find out from Ashley that she had received a flu shot earlier in the day. Ella was able to find out that the first victim also got the flu shot the same day he was poisoned. Thanks to the information Ashley gave and what Ella could dig up, both students received their shots by Dr. Jason Carlisle.

"Dr. Jason Carlisle?" Dan says in shock.

"You know him?" Chloe questions.

"I know of him. Here," Dan goes to the computer in the room and pulls up traffic security footage. You all watch as this Dr. Jason Carlisle crawls out of a turned over vehicle. In the footage, you can see the driver of the vehicle asking the Doctor for help, but instead the Doctor grabs his briefcase and runs away as the vehicle explodes, killing the driver.

"Hmph. Some doctor." You cross your arms and shake your head at the actions on the video.

"Yeah. After this was televised Dr. Carlise lost his medical license and all respect from his peers." Dan replies.

"He's probably the one responsible for creating these poisons and their unique antidotes." Ella points out.

"He's doing this to show people how he felt he had no choice," Chloe says.

Lucifer scoffs, "Everyone has a bloody choice."

"So, how do we find this guy?" You ask the room.

"Attack his ego." Lucifer says and everyone looks at him, "I know his type. Attack his precious ego and he'll make himself known."

"That's the stupidest thing-" Dan starts but Chloe leaves the lab in a flash and sits at her desk. Everyone, but Ella, follows the Detective and sees that she's pulled up an email and is writing to Dr. Carlise.

Dan is trying to get Chloe to stop, but you and Lucifer are encouraging her. Both of you tell her various ego-tripping things to write, and even though Dan tries to stop her, Chloe hits send.

In less than thirty seconds she receives a reply, and it's a video call. She opens it up and all four of you stare at the man with the mask. Chloe tells him we know who he really is and why he's doing this. The Doctor removes his mask and explains his experiment and how the police presence in Doctor Scott's household "made" her choose to destroy her hand.

You call him out on his bullshit, receiving a low high five from Lucifer, and how Dr. Scott was planning on destroying her hand from the start. Dr. Carlise doesn't believe you and pans the camera to show you all how he already has another "experiment" happening as we speak. He explains the circumstance and ends the call.

Chloe and Ella do quick work in tracing the call to a hospital that Dr. Carlise was rivals of. Chloe pulls Lucifer by the arm to get him to follow and after a look from you, he obliges.

She's your partner. Protect her.

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

"This case is now top number one of the worst cases I've been on." Chloe flops down on her couch next to you with a full glass of wine in hand.

Chloe asked you to come to her place to unwind after the hell this case has been. You agreed because you could tell she needed to vent.

She starts talking about the situation that happened over at the hospital Dr. Carlise was holed up in. She talks about how she and Lucifer had to watch helplessly as the Doctor dropped poisonous gas onto the floor, making her and Lucifer unable to just break into the room to save the two students. She talks about her fear of leaving Lucifer alone in that situation in order to catch the Doctor.

She downs her drink quickly after talking about watching the Doctor slit his own throat in front of her. How she watched the life leave his eyes and neck.

But then, without the wine's help, she becomes giddy and warm. She tells you about how happy and relieved and thankful she was when she saw Lucifer step out of the building completely unharmed. She didn't even think to question him about it.

"I immediately hugged him and said how we do make an amazing team." She says with a far off gaze to her empty glass. She then looks at you with a smile and wet eyes, "He said 'This is real, isn't it?", and ...well."

"It's official now?"

"Yeah."

"That's wonderful, Chlo!" You pull your BFF into an immediate hug while ignoring whatever that feeling was in your chest. She laughs while holding back tears, and hugs you back. You two talk about other things for a while, then Chloe excuses herself to the bathroom.

You become concerned after ten minutes of her absence.

"Chloe? You ok?" You get up from the couch and go up to her room. You knock on the open door.

"I...I don't know…Earth!" You push into Chloe's room and into her bathroom at the sound of her voice. She's standing in front of her sink, which has piles of bloody tissues in it.

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

"DETECTIVE!"

Lucifer Morningstar storms into Chloe Decker's apartment furiously. He looks around the kitchen and living room to see she wasn't there. A noise from above gives him a direction.

"DETECTIVE! DID YOU KNOW?!" Lucifer yells as he storms upstairs.

"THIS WHOLE BLOODY TIME, DID YOU KNOW?!" Lucifer stomps into her room and sees the bathroom door open.

"DETEC-" Lucifer stops when he sees you holding Chloe by the shoulders.

You look at him, wide-eyed and terrified, "Lucifer…"

"What-"

"Lucifer," Chloe speaks now in a garbled tone. You allow her to turn around to face her partner.

Lucifer immediately steps into Chloe's personal space at the sight of her red eyes and bloody nose.

Chloe cries, "It won't stop."

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

You stand inside Ella's lab, waiting for the energetic little ball of happiness to come in. You feel bad asking Ella to come in this late at night and after just finishing the last case, but Ella told you not to worry. An emergency is an emergency and it's her job.

Your fingers tap rhythmically on the table in stress. Seeing your BFF being poisoned by something that no one can make an antidote for, except the guy who just committed suicide, really terrifies you. At least, with the help of Lucifer, you were able to convince Chloe to go to the hospital instead of here.

You hear the door open and look up expecting to see Ella. Instead, your heart drops at the sight of Lucifer and the woman who should be in the fucking hospital.

"Why the fuck-"

"Calm down, Earth." Chloe holds up her hands to you, "I told him to bring me here."

"Yes, much to my disapproval," Lucifer mutters.

"Chloe-"

"You know me, Earth! I can't just sit by and do nothing when I know I can help!" Chloe says.

"But for how long?!" You move to stand right in front of her, "Chloe, you exerting yourself could make this thing spread faster! We already only have twenty hours if that!"

"I know, Earth!" Chloe can feel Lucifer's hand on the small of her back. She takes deep breaths to calm herself, "I know. Look, I'll be careful, and if it gets too much I swear I'll go to the hospital. But, I need to do something."

You just cross your arms and head back to the table. Ella shows up and Chloe gives her a rundown on the situation without telling the poor girl who the real victim was. Ella explains how they did find some poison on the Doctor's body, but the antidote that went with it had been destroyed. Chloe, Lucifer, and you all share a look.

Then some man you've never seen before is calling Lucifer's name and Lucifer pulls the man into the interrogation room. Seeing as how Ella and Chloe didn't seem to question the strange commotion, you decide not to say anything. Lucifer is a strange guy after all.

Ella starts listing out all the beginning signs of the poison, which makes Chloe turn paler and paler. To derail the talk of it you ask if anyone else could have access to the antidote formula. Ella didn't believe so, but Chloe pops in with the hope that maybe the guy who smuggled the stuff might know something. She didn't believe the Doctor would trust that stuff to be handled by just anyone.

She leaves the room to get Lucifer, but when you offer your assistance she says she wants you to stay with Ella, and eventually Dan, to help think up an antidote. Your heart felt strange when you saw her and Lucifer leave the building, with him being closer to her than usual.

She's dying. They're together. You told him to protect her.

You wipe the feeling away and turn to Ella. This was Chloe who was dying, and you need everyone to be working at their best.

You tell Ella the truth.

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

Lucifer and Chloe have been gone for about an hour and a half now. Dan showed up not too long after the two left and you, him, and Ella have been working together to try to at least figure out all the ingredients for the antidote.

Lucifer's ringtone starts playing on your phone and you answer it.

"Lucifer-"

"She fainted, K9." He sounds scared. You never imagined hearing Lucifer Morningstar sound scared, "I'm taking her to the hospital now."

"Alright, I'll be right there." You hang up and look up to Dan.

"Dan. Get Trixie."

He didn't even have to ask what for. He was out the door in a flash. Ella told you she'd keep working and to give Chloe her love. You nod and head out the door as fast as Dan did.

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

The early morning sun has now risen. Chloe now only has about ten hours left.

You sit in Chloe's room chatting with her about the situation. When you see Lucifer standing at the window you get up and give Chloe a hug. You leave the room and watch from a distance the two of them talk.

You hear Dan and Trixie sign in at the desk behind you, and Lucifer leaves the room just as the ex-husband and daughter come to the door. You notice Dan give Lucifer a look of disapproval before entering the room, and one of your hand’s balls into a fist in your crossed arms.

One of the reasons I dislike that guy. He always puts the blame on someone else.

"I'm sorry." The sound of Lucifer's distress pulls you from your thoughts. You walk to stand in front of him, arms still crossed.

"What for?"

"I didn't protect her. Couldn't protect her. I thought I had by sending her after him, but-" Lucifer starts spilling out. You unfold your arms and place a strong hand on one of his arms, stopping him.

"Lucifer." You stare up at him, "This wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. I blame the bastard of a Doctor who stabbed her with the needle." You let go of him and step to his side so you could watch the tragic family scene through the window.

"I hope you're right about there being a Hell, and I hope he's being tortured as we speak."

"He is, darling. Trust me." Lucifer turns around to watch the scene with you.

"Good. Wish I was the one torturing him, though." You sigh, shoulders slumped, "I'm going to get one of my K9s and just chill here. If she…" you choke up but swallow it, "I'll be here if you need me." You give Lucifer a pat on the shoulder and turn to leave.

"K9."

You stop a few feet from the exit door. You turn your body to face him and your heart breaks at the emotion on his face.

"I promise you, I will get the antidote." Lucifer's tone was serious, but his eyes looked wet. Yet...you felt drawn to him. You could tell he meant what he said.

He always tells the truth.

Unable to contain it any more, tears fall down your face. You run to him and wrap your arms around his neck. You stand on your tiptoes in order to hug him fully.

You're surprised that he doesn't even hesitate to hug you back. He always hesitates when someone hugs him.

"I trust you, Lucifer." You pull him even closer, and only feel slightly ashamed for probably ruining his suit jacket, "I believe in you."

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

Chloe Decker now only has about three hours left.

And you could do nothing.

Lucifer had promised to save her, to somehow get the antidote formula. You had no clue how he could get it, or why you seemed to trust him. You haven't seen him since you hugged him. You've tried texting him to find out how it was going, but he didn't reply. So now you were concerned for his safety because he always replied.

Dan and Ella were having a hell of a time just trying to get the ingredients. Ella texted you not too long ago saying that they're just missing one more, and she thinks she knows where to get it.

And what are you doing? You're standing outside the doors to the lobby area. If you sit in the lobby you'd be looking too much into Chloe's room window, and from the talk of the doctors that were walking by it didn't sound like she was doing too good.

You can't watch your best friend deteriorate so fast in front of your eyes. Besides that, you feel like you would get in Trixie's way. She hasn't left her mother's side since she arrived.

You hear Buster whine, and you scratch his head absentmindedly. When you left Lucifer you went to the precinct to grab the first K9 you saw. For protection for Chloe, and comfort for you. You love your dogs.

Buster nudges his nose into your palm. You look down at him.

"What is it, bud?"

He whines some more.

Sorry…out…

"It’s not a problem, bud. I could use some fresh air anyways."

You take Buster to the small green area across the street from the hospital. You lean up against a tree and look up to the sky. You take a deep breath in of city air, and can't help but imagine Chloe never taking a breath again. Never growing old or seeing Trixie grow into a wonderfully strong woman. Never playing with possible grandchildren. Never being happy with Lucifer--

You release the breath, "Well, if Heaven's real then she'll be with her dad at least."

You look back to find Buster, "Come on boy." He trots to you and you both walk back across the street and into the hospital.

"Captain!"

You see one of the hospital security guards run to you, "The patient, Chloe Decker, has to move to another room, but there's a man who's blocking the way! He's pushed aside every one of us!"

You nod to the guard and head for the stairwell. You and Buster run up four flights and push through the lobby door.

You watch as two more security guards get tossed aside like dolls back into the lobby. You stride forward, gun aimed and Buster between your legs, "HANDS UP, NOW!"

The man turns around. It's the same man that called for Lucifer in the precinct.

You squint at him suspiciously, "Who are you?!" Buster growls beneath you.

The man looks surprised, "So you're Earth, or well, I guess I should be saying K9."

You grip your gun harder. Buster feels you tense up and walks a bit closer to the man, teeth-baring, "Who the hell are you?!"

It's like he just realized now what kind of predicament he's in, "I'm sorry," he holds his hands up to you, "I'm Amenadiel, Lucifer's brother."

You snort.

"Captain! He won't let me get my patient to a more appropriate room!" The doctor yells from behind Amenadiel.

"Well, as Lucifer's supposed brother, you should know he wouldn't appreciate someone getting in the way of saving Chloe's life." You keep your aim trained on Amenadiel’s chest.

"I do know that, and that's why I can't let Chloe leave this room."

Now you're confused, "Why?"

"Lucifer is getting the formula as we speak, but Chloe needs to stay right here."

"Why?"

Amenadiel shakes his head, "You won't believe me. Look," he puts his hands down and takes a step towards you. You stand your ground and Buster barks at him in warning, "Do you trust Lucifer?"

You’re quiet for a beat. You carefully study this "brother", "I do."

"Then please, do not allow Chloe to leave here." You can hear the pleading in his voice. He wants you to believe him.

You look over his shoulder to see Chloe becoming paler in her bed. She starts to shake from a seizure and the doctor's nurses hold her down.

The doctor looks at you, "Please! She needs help!"

You look between her, Amenadiel, and Chloe.

I trust you, Lucifer. I believe in you.

You release air through your nose and holster your gun. You order Buster to guard the door and not let anyone in or out. You stand next to Amenadiel, "I know she does, Doctor." You cross your arms and stand firm.

Unbeknownst to you, Amenadiel looks at you with interest.

"Chloe Decker is not leaving this room until Lucifer Morningstar returns with the formula."

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

You aren't a rogue cop for long.

You feel somebody grip your shoulder from behind. You whirl around ready to punch whoever it was that got past Buster, but your fists immediately turn into hands of support.

“Lucifer!”

He looks like he just came back from the dead. His clothes are completely disheveled and he's sweating profusely. He holds onto your shoulders tightly and you keep him upright by his underarms with the help of Amenadiel.

He mutters out the formula to the doctor and she runs off to make it with the ingredients Ella dropped off not too long ago. You and Amenadiel move him to a chair in the room, but he refuses to sit and instead leans against the wall. Amenadiel leaves quickly, and you’re left “alone” with Lucifer.

“Lucifer…” You start to choke up again. He looks so awful and it’s breaking you.

What did he do?

“Lucifer.” You can’t stop the tears again. You let them fall free while you use both hands to hold onto his face. You wipe the sweat from his brow and try to straighten his hair, “Are you ok?”

“She’ll be ok now,” he breathes out. He looks over at Chloe, “That’s all that matters.”

“No, Lucifer. That’s not all that matters.” He looks down at you, eyes filled with confusion.

He’s waiting for you to say something, but you’re too choked up on emotion.

I hate emotions, too.

You just wrap your arms around his neck like the first hug, except this one was different. Tighter, different emotions unspoken. He does hesitate on this hug, but eventually his arms find their way around your waist and he holds on tight.

He rests his head on your shoulder, “Earth…” he breathes on your neck.

You remove your head from his shoulder and he does the same from yours. You both stare into each other's eyes deeply. One of his arms snakes it’s way up your back so his hand can hold the back of your head. Your faces start to come closer together, but you can’t tell if he’s doing it or you, or maybe both.

“I have it!” You both blink at each other, seeming to wake up from whatever force was pulling you both. You both look to the side to see the doctor holding a syringe. A nurse puts a tube inside Chloe’s vein and the doctor rushes over. You twist around in Lucifer’s arms so that your back is to him.

You expected him to remove his hands, but instead he keeps one arm around your waist while the other hangs onto the wall. You feel him tug you closer as you two watch Chloe’s vital signs fall back to normal.

“It worked! She’s going to make it!” The doctor says happily. You smile at Chloe as new tears fall from your eyes.

You didn’t see Lucifer’s face turn grim.

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

Lucifer was with Chloe when she first woke up. The two talk briefly before he leaves and tells everyone in the lobby that she’s awake now. He watches as Ella, Dan, Trixie, and you rush into the room. He looks from the window all of you smiling, laughing and hugging Chloe.

He puts his hands in his pockets and stands firm. After one last look at you, he leaves.

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

Three days have passed since Chloe’s poisoning. She had to stay in the hospital for the rest of that day just to ease the doctor's mind that she really was cured. You stayed with her that day along with everyone else.

Except for Lucifer. After you greeted Chloe from waking up you left the room to look for him, but the receptionist said he had left. You thought nothing of it. He had looked to have a rough day after all.

But after twenty-four hours of zero response you started getting worried. Chloe kept asking for him and nobody, including yourself and Maze, seemed to be able to get a hold of him.

In present time you're at your clinic. It's past 9 pm and everyone went home for the day. You stayed behind to lock up and look at patient reports for the day. You finish putting the reports away and counting the money. Just as you lock the front door Chloe’s ringtone went off.

“Chloe, you alright?” You answer as you get into your car.

“He’s gone, Earth.” She’s trying to keep from crying, “I’m at his penthouse and he’s...everything’s covered in sheets.” Chloe can't hold the tears in any longer.

“He’s gone!”

[fanficimagery]

Finding a Mate

#396 "You can't just hug me and think everything's okay."

Summary: When Hope moves to Forks with her aunts Freya and Keelin, and gets enrolled in public school, the last thing she expected was to find a coven of vegetarian vampires and a mate. Then again she was a Mikaelson and was used to dealing with crazy.

Author's Note: Only Jasper and Alice are mates. Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward are all unattached, but Rose and Edward have their own thing going on with one another.

With Keelin back in the States for good and Hope mentioning she wasn't content at the boarding school anymore, Freya decided it was time for a change. Hope had wanted to be far away from anything that reminded her of her parents or uncle Elijah, and Freya had randomly chosen Forks, Washington. The town was small, but had all the necessities for every day living, and her niece and wife had readily agreed after Keelin found out the local hospital was hiring.

Keelin wasn't promised a spot after submitting her résumé via email when she had called to inquire about the job, but the girls moved there anyway. Freya had found them the perfect two story, three bedroom house with enough attic space for her witchy supplies, and they packed up what they wanted from the abattoir before closing the Mikaelson home down until either Rebekah or Kol went back.

Now in Forks, Hope happily settles in and quickly finds the smallest bakery she's ever seen that also sells coffee and tea. She finds they make an excellent cup of peppermint tea and vows to herself that this will be her new to-go spot before school.

Keelin gets called in for an interview at the hospital, and Freya and Hope tag along in hopes of getting a feel for the locals while they wait at the hospital. It's there, nearly forty minutes later, that Freya realizes they're not the only supernatural beings in town. Keelin walks out of an office with a sheepish smile, she then quickly beckoning Freya and Hope to her. They enter the office and Keelin nervously introduces them to her new boss Doctor Carlisle Cullen- Doctor Cullen with the golden eyes and pale flawless skin that doesn't hold an ounce of body heat.

Introductions are quickly made, Freya immediately pegs Doctor Cullen as a vampire during their handshake, and Hope watches on in amusement as the adults go back and forth. He's surprised when Freya outs herself as a witch and Keelin a werewolf not even a minute afterwards, and Hope merely shrugs when his golden eyes land on her.

As they speak, it's obvious Doctor Cullen is wary of other supernatural beings. Freya and Keelin pick up on it and they promise that they aren't there to cause trouble; they really just want a fresh start after they'd lost several members of their family. They are used to keeping the supernatural a secret so Doctor Cullen has nothing to worry about, and after that it seems like the vampire can breathe a little easier. It's also during this meeting that Hope finds out Doctor Cullen has children attending the same school she's going to be attending, and to not be too offended if they don't automatically seek her out because they're used to being on their own. Hope laughs it off, telling him it's okay since she's usually a loner herself.

And since the three newcomers know about him and his family, Doctor Cullen asks if it's okay for him to tell his family about them. Freya, Keelin, and Hope agree that it's only fair.

After having collected her schedule and a map of the school over the weekend from the Principal and his secretary themselves, and having been taken on a tour to locate her classes, Hope feels comfortable enough showing up Monday morning. So with her peppermint tea in hand and backpack strapped to her back, Hope exits Keelin's vehicle with a smile.

"Bye! I love you. Make good choices!" The dark skinned, dark haired werewolf muses.

Hope quickly slams the door, but Keelin rolls down the passenger window. Laughing and disregarding every stare, Hope shakes her head in amusement. "Thanks for that."

"You're welcome. You going to need a ride after school? I won't be out until five."

"Yes. Hopefully there'll be something to keep me occupied until then."

Keelin coos. "Aw. Look at you all grown up." Hope rolls her eyes and sips her tea to hide her smile. "Enjoy your last year, kid. Public school is a lot different than that boarding school of yours, so-"

"You forget we did nearly a month of public school for that.. exchange program Alaric put us through. I'll be fine, Keelin. Don't worry."

"Mhmm. Well if anything changes, text me or Freya. We'll come get you."

"Sure."

The window rolls back up as Keelin pulls away and Hope watches her drive off. She finally takes notice of the stares a moment later and plasters on a smile that she knows probably looks like a grimace. But not caring what anyone has to say, she turns on her heel and marches off towards the front office to retrieve the slip Ms. Cope told her she'd need every teacher of hers to sign before turning it in at the end of the day.

Kids come up to her left and right, and she tries her hardest to come off as friendly. But being who and what she is, it's easy for her to suss out just who is being real with her and who isn't.

Angela Weber is an immediate favorite of hers- the girl being mellow and just the right amount of curious about where she moved from and why. She likes Tyler Crowley and Mike Newton just fine, even though their flirtatious behavior is rather grating, but they're real personalities are on display for her to see upfront. Eric Yorkie is annoying, but tolerable, and Jessica Stanley could be a decent girl if she didn't try to compliment someone and then degrade them all in one breath. But Lauren Mallory? Lauren is a hard no. Hope does not like the mean spirited teen and the teen in question is why she doesn't sit with the apparent group of friends when at lunch when Tyler loudly beckons her to join them.

Instead Hope finds an empty table and sits, she hesitantly pushing around the food on her tray. If there was one thing she missed from the Salvatore Boarding School, it was their personal cook. Public school lunch food was, in one word, disgusting.

Several tables down, the Cullen and Hale teenagers push around the human food on their trays and make it seem as if they're eating. Alice has happily tucked herself under her mate Jasper's arm while Edward and Rosalie sit a little too close to one another, murmuring and just enjoying the close proximity. Emmett, the only unattached of the bunch, sits backwards in his chair while covertly watching the room.

"New girl, ten o'clock," he says. Edward and Rosalie chance a look her way since they're all ready facing that direction, but Jasper and Alice have to rely on everyone else's input. "Think she's special like those aunts of hers?"

Rosalie's golden eyes dart towards Hope and then away. With a shrug, she says, "She's cute. Figured she'd be sitting with the popular kids by now."

Jasper shakes his head, his blonde curls slightly tossing. "I've been watchin' her when I can. She's all smiles 'n giggles, but when whoever she's talkin' to walks away, her expression falls."

"Maybe she's tired of being hit on," Emmett muses, lips quirking at the corners. "Crowley and Newton have all ready laid claim, but they don't appear to be getting anywhere."

"Edward?" Alice suddenly chimes in. "What's wrong?" She was the only one to notice his creased brow and frown as he stared at Hope Mikaelson.

"I can't hear her."

And that- that causes his siblings to tense and really take notice of the new girl.

"What did Carlisle say her aunts were again?" Rosalie asks, frowning.

"A witch and a werewolf," Edward answers. "But he never got an answer on what Hope was."

"Well there's no time like the present." Emmett moves to stand and Rosalie's hand snaps out, wrapping around his wrist.

"Don't," she hisses.

"Chill, Rosie. Carlisle said it was okay to talk to her. In fact, he and Esme encouraged it."

"You don't show interest often," Jasper muses. "What's so different now, brother?"

Emmett's grin falters. "Call it boredom."

"Or call it what it really is," Edward says, slowly smiling and laying an arm on the back of Rosalie's chair to help soothe her. "You think she's pretty."

"Ohh. He thinks she's more than a little pretty," Jasper smirks. "I can feel just how pretty he thinks Hope Mikaelson is."

Alice giggles and the rest try their best to smother their smiles. Emmett glowers, but a smile of his own slowly breaks out. He chuckles. "Here goes nothing." The entire cafeteria seems to go quiet as they watch the largest Cullen leave his family and head for the new girl. She doesn't look up, so Emmett pulls out a chair directly across from the girl and turns it around before plopping himself down. "Hope Mikaelson," he muses.

She glances up then, her eyes narrowing before a small huff of laughter escapes her. "You're one of Doctor Cullen's kids."

"Emmett," he smirks. "The others were too intimidated to approach you." Hope follows his pointed gesture before smiling and waving at the other vegetarian vampires.

"I hardly doubt that. I'm not even that scary."

"Says the new girl who we've no idea what she's capable of."

Hope's gaze darts back to Emmett, her shoulders losing some of their tension as she grins at him. "A girl's got to have some secrets."

"Yeah." His gaze scrutinizes her and Hope challenges his stare, popping a carrot stick into her mouth while not breaking eye contact. "Speaking of secrets, did your aunt do some magic hoodoo stuff to your head? Edward can't read your thoughts." That causes her to blink and Emmett suddenly whoops. The cafeteria falls silent and Hope groans, trying to sink into her chair as every astonished gaze falls on her table. "I win."

"Jesus. Okay. You win. Lower your voice," she grumbles. Emmett hunches in his seat and Hope suddenly starts twisting a ring on her right index finger. "So Edward.. reads minds?" She glances at Emmett's family's table and sees the bronze-haired individual nod. "Just surface or.."

"He can only read what's on the surface. My siblings and I just usually mentally sing a song or mentally scream if we wanna keep him out."

"Oh." She twists her ring some more. Sighing softly, she says, "The last thing I want is you or your family uncomfortable with me and my family's presence." She slips off the ring, nods at Edward, and then faces Emmett to ask, "What do you want to know?"

"Why did you move?"

Hope slightly tenses and fidgets in her seat. "New Orleans holds a lot of.. terrible memories." Her mom's death flashes in her mind and she gulps, knowing Edward saw it. "Both my parents and uncle Elijah sacrificed themselves there. And Mystic Falls, where I attended Boarding School, is where I was constantly fighting for my life against a monster every other week. I grew tired of it."

"Do you come in peace?" Emmett's lips twitch and Hope rolls her eyes.

Chuckling, she says, "Yes. I honestly just want to finish my first and last year of public high school. And make some friends. I had trouble with making friends growing up because of who my family is."

"And just who is your family?" Emmett wonders.

"The Mikaelson's. I'll.. I have a book on my family's legacy. I'll let you borrow it as soon as I find it, but I'm warning you right now. Their past is.. bloody."

"You just keep getting more interesting the longer we talk."

"Says the vampire."

Emmett smiles, but before he can get out his last question Hope is slipping her ring back on to shield her mind once more. The bell rings, startling Hope and signalling the end to the lunch period. As Hope stands to collect her tray, he asks, "What are you?"

That gives Hope pause and she blinks in surprise at Emmett. She slowly grins. "One of a kind. Literally."

"Don't tell me you're a unicorn." He laughs, but then quickly sobers when he sees Hope's expression of distaste.

"God no. Unicorns are pretty, but they're devious." She shivers and her expression suddenly appears far away. "Gross mind controlling slugs. Never again."

"..what!"

Hope refocuses on Emmett, she sheepishly laughing. "Yeaahhhh. See you around." And then she quickly takes her leave.

The rest of Emmett's family joins him as Hope disappears. "She was telling the truth," Edward says. "Every answer she gave was accompanied by a visual representation. She witnessed her mother's death."

"So a ring kept you out of her mind?" Rosalie then muses after the awkward tension of mentioning Hope's mother's death vanishes. "I might have to ask her for one of those."

Edward grins, but Emmett is still gobsmacked by what Hope last said. "Unicorns are real? You think she was telling the truth about that?"

Alice giggles and Jasper grabs his mate's hand to escort her to her next class. "Probably. She slipped that ring of hers back on and blinded Edward again."

"Damn."

"Don't worry." Alice smiles knowingly. "I get glimpses here and there of her. Hope will be sticking around."

"Oh?" Edward, Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie all grin. Emmett's eyes then narrow. "What do you know?"

"The same thing you do if you'd just open your eyes a little wider, brother." And with Jasper's parting words, the rest of their family follow him and Alice out.

A moment passes and then Emmett sighs. "What does that even mean?"

The next few days sees Hope avoiding questions her nosy peers have for her after Emmett Cullen so brazenly approached her at lunch, especially since he continues to do so days after. The only human Hope had found a moment of solace with was Angela, but even then the Cullen and Hale clan could see that Hope was still keeping her distance.

Her second week of school, however, finds Hope watching her aunts staring out the front window of their home in amusement one morning.

"What are you guys looking at?"

Keelin glances over her shoulder, grinning. "You didn't tell us you befriended Doctor Cullen's children."

Hope shrugs. "Well yeah. They're intrigued by the girl their mind reading brother can't read."

"Mhmm. So intrigued that they sent one of their own to give you a ride to school?" Freya wonders.

"..what?" Hope scurries to the window to see what her aunts are staring at and finds Emmett standing near the hood of a large jeep that's parked outside their home. "I'm gonna give him a brain aneurysm," she grumbles. "What is he playing at?" As Hope stomps off towards the front door, her aunts are quick to follow.

"He's cute," Keelin teases. "What's his name?"

Her hand freezes just before she can grab the door handle. "Freya? Please tell me you have a privacy spell up around the house and the vampire outside didn't just hear your wife call him cute?" Their silence is very telling and Hope chuckles through a groan. Finally opening the door, a beaming Emmett is standing there with a to-go cup of something steaming.

"Peppermint tea. Your apparent favorite." Keelin and Freya don't bother hiding their coos. "And a brain aneurysm? Really? That's kind of harsh, Hope. I've been nothing but nice."

Hope gives him a deadpan stare before taking the tea, she then making quick introductions. "Freya and Keelin, meet Emmett. Emmett, my aunt Freya and her wife Keelin."

"Hey." Emmett beams, a dimple in his right cheek forming. "Do either of you care to fill me in on what Hope is? She's not playing fair."

"She hasn't told you?" Freya asks.

"No. And Edward can't read her mind as long as her ring stays on."

Hope glances at her aunts. "What? It's not my fault they're terrible at guessing."

"But I bet you're not playing fair either." Keelin nudges her niece. Then looking at Emmett, she tells him, "You've probably all ready guessed what Hope is, but you're looking at her as if she's only one species. She's not."

"Wait, what?"

Hope sighs and then grumbles. "I'm a tribrid." Emmett gapes at her. "I told you I was one of a kind. Now come on, lets get to school so you can tell the others."

And after that fateful day, it becomes a regular occurrence that Emmett picks up and drops off Hope before and after school. Freya and Keelin can't help but adore the large vampire, and even Hope eventually gives in to his bashful smiles and playful behavior. Everyone at school is surprised to see the largest of the Cullen/Hale siblings behave so carefree, and even Emmett's family seem a bit surprised at his behavior, but in a good way.

Hope then becomes so used to Emmett's towering presence that when it comes time to give him her family's legacy book so he can know her history, she makes herself sick with anxiety. Her aunts do their best to soothe her worry, but she doesn't quite calm down until Emmett suddenly appears at her bedroom window one night.

Slowly opening the window after he gently knocks on the glass pane, Hope steps back on sits on the edge of her bed. Emmett enters her room, sitting on the sill.

"That was.. wow. Your family are the Firsts."

Hope nods, avoiding his gaze and twiddling her thumbs in her lap. "Only Rebekah, Kol, and Freya remain."

"That was a lot to take in. Jasper's re-reading it." Hope flinches and Emmett moves to stand before her, he then crouching and settling his hands on her knees. "Hey. Hey," he says again, reaching up to make her look at him. "Your family's past is crazy, but it's their past. Their past does not define you. We all still think very highly of you and are still looking forward to the day you grace us with what your tribrid qualities are."

Hope huffs a laugh. "I'm a witch, werewolf, and vampire," she finally tells him after a week of the Cullen and his siblings trying to guess the right combination.

"No shit? I can't believe we never guessed it."

"Well after I mentioned the unicorn your imaginations took over and started throwing out every other mythical creature that you think is real too."

"They're not?"

Hope grins at his pout and flicks his ear. "Maybe. Maybe not. One can't be too sure unless you've seen it with your own two eyes."

"At least tell me dragons are real?" She then laughs at his hopeful expression, shoving his shoulder and then huffing when he doesn't even budge. Stupid Cold One strength. "There's the smile I was hoping for."

Since Emmett's started talking to her, he's thrown in a few flirty remarks here and there. Hope's grown to expect it from him, but what she hasn't grown used to yet is the way her heart skips a beat and the way she warms all over when he genuinely smiles at her. And given his senses, she knows that he knows exactly what his proximity and words do to her.

"So what are you doing here?" She finally asks. "Did you come all the way here just to soothe my worries?"

"Yes and no." Emmett finally backs off and takes a seat next to her on the bed. "Esme's been anxious to finally meet you. We talk about you a lot and Carlisle talks a lot about how good your aunt Keelin is at her job. She's a bit miffed she's the only one who hasn't met you or your aunts."

"Oh. Well we, um, can go right now if that's okay with you?"

"Yes."

Emmett immediately stands and sits halfway in, halfway out of her window, and Hope slides off her bed to make her way towards the bedroom door. Calling out, she yells, "I'm going out with Emmett!"

"WHAT?!"

Emmett snorts and Hope's eyes widen when she realizes what she's just said. "Heading out! I'm heading out with Emmett!"

They can hear Keelin cackling from somewhere downstairs.

"Okay!" Freya then calls back up. "Don't stay out too late."

Blushing, Hope then makes her way towards a smirking Emmett.

"No shoes?"

She shakes her head. "No. I'm assuming you ran here and we're running back, so I'll just have you drop me off halfway and I can shift."

"Awesome. Climb on my back and hold on."

Since Hope's window was situated over the side walkway overhang, Emmett crouches near the ledge and waits for Hope to join him. She climbs onto his back with a small laugh a moment later, and after a brief warning Emmett jumps. His hands grip around the backs of her thighs and her arms are wrapped around his neck. She grunts when he lands, but then she's laughing as he runs.

The world is blurring by her, but not as fast as she expected since her senses can keep up with vampire speed, and she relishes the feel of the air whooshing passed her. But all too soon, he's stopping and letting her down gently.

"All right, Mikaelson, lets see what you got."

"Yeah, yeah." Hope shifts nervously before lowering herself to the ground on her hands and knees. "Have a blanket ready for me when we get there. Clothes tend to disappear through the transformation and I'd hate to scar anyone with my nudity."

He waggles his eyebrows. "You're going to be naked?"

"Don't make it weird." Emmett's laugh booms and he startles several woodland creatures. He's still laughing when Hope says, "And whatever happens next, just let it take it's course. I've been through the transformation before. I know how much pain I can endure."

His laughter immediately ceases. "What?"

Instead of answering, the first of many bones in Hope's body cracks to rearrange itself for her new form. And if Emmett had any color in his features, the color would have drained at Hope's grunts and cries of pain, her bones snapping and bending at unnatural angles.

At one point he calls her name and he takes a step back when Hope throws her head back, her eyes blazing yellow. She cries out and her back arches with a snap, and Emmett watches in awe as an abnormally large gray wolf takes the place where Hope just was.

The wolf blinks and shakes her fur out as Emmett slowly crouches. "Hope?" He gulps. The wolf nods, her tail swaying from side to side. Slowly but surely, Emmett then smirks. "Hell yes. Race to you my house?"

The wolf barks and takes off after Emmett, she letting him stay ahead of her since she didn't actually know where the Cullen's lived.

Edward and Rosalie were the only two who hadn't seen Hope's wolf form since they were out the night she showed up to their house, but with Edward's mind reading abilities he was able to see everything from his family's point of view. Rosalie didn't care to see a werewolf, instead she was rather more intrigued by the magic side of Hope and Freya's lives.

As the weeks then slowly progress, it becomes the norm for Hope to spend time at the Cullen household. Keelin's been picking up a lot of hours at the hospital, and Freya's busy getting paperwork together and what not for the opening of her very own shop that she plans to sell home remedies at.

So, of course, Hope's at the Cullen house when things go to hell.

Emmett, Jasper, and Edward are wrestling- Emmett and Jasper wearing leather cuff bracelets to protect their minds from Edward's mental probing- while Rosalie and Alice toss out some friendly taunts. It was finally a fair fight and the brothers were ecstatic to test them out.

Hope's standing with Esme since Carlisle's currently at the hospital, and the two keep their distance as the boys get rowdier and rowdier. Suddenly Alice goes still, Edward's mind is no longer on the fight, and he stares in horror at Hope. The others quickly catch on, but before Alice can come out of her vision.. whatever it was comes to fruition.

"Hope!" Edward manages to shout before Esme is thrown from the girl's side by some unseen force.

Hope gasps just as Jasper catches their mother and before she can utter a single word, a stick or stake or something is forcefully embedding itself in her throat. She immediately gurgles on blood and falls on her butt, her eyes flooding with tears from the pain as she attempts to pull the wooden stake out. There's an almighty roar that sends a shiver up and down her spine, and through her tears she sees an enraged Emmett pounding against an invisible barrier of sorts. In fact, the entire Cullen family is pounding against an invisible barrier, Emmett's black eyes focused on her.

Hope whimpers and shakily raises one bloodied hand, she trying to concentrate and release the vampires. Before she can focus enough energy to fuel her spell, she's slammed on her back and arms magically pinned to the ground, two more stakes embedding themselves in her wrists. She cries out, struggling, but it's no use.

A woman is suddenly looming over Hope, which only prompts the young tribrid to struggle some more. The woman tuts, waggling a finger at her. "Don't, child. You'll only bleed out faster."

"W-Why?"

"What was that?" The woman crouches and pulls the stake out of Hope's throat, Hope then screaming out in pain. There's another roar and the woman crouching over Hope grins. "Well he's pissed. You really have the big one wrapped around your finger, don't you?"

Hope chances a look in Emmett's direction, her heart beating faster at the sight of other individuals surrounding the family. Their hands are held out at the sides and flames erupt around the Cullen's. "No."

The woman next to Hope shrugs, still glancing over her shoulder. "They're abominations. It's a shame really. The tiny one is kind of cute."

Alice hisses, as does Rosalie, but the family has stopped pounding and instead moved closer to one another and way from the flames. Hope sniffles. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because they made you happy." The woman then glances back down at Hope, her gaze hardening. "And no Mikaelson deserves the chance at happiness. Not after what your father did."

"My father is dead!" Hope grits out. "He had changed. It wasn't his fault you witches kept coming after his family. He only did what he had to do to protect us."

"Yes, well now we intend to end it once and for all. You're a threat to our way of life."

"Screw your way of life."

"Hope!" She glances towards the Cullen's once more, catching Alice's gaze. "You can do it. Concentrate."

Hope doesn't know what she's supposed to concentrate on, and all she knows is that she's hurt and royally pissed off. Her eyes slip shut and she focuses on breathing.

How dare these witches come after her and the Cullen's when they've done nothing wrong. How dare they call the vampires abominations when witches themselves were an anomaly and not what nature intended either. How dare they think that she, Hope Mikaelson, could be taken down so easily.

Eyes snapping open, Hope momentarily relishes in the gasp that leaves the witch's mouth. She knows her eyes are blazing yellow and she meets the gaze of the shocked witch. "Patere." The witch hovering over her is forcefully thrown away, and with a grunt Hope pulls on her wrists and dislodges the stakes from the ground. She quickly pulls them out, letting the wounds heal as she climbs to her feet.

Hope carefully makes her way towards the Cullen's where the witches are still chanting, she stopping and holding her own hands aloft at her side. Breathing deeply, she concentrates on every witch trying to harm her friends, and then jerks her wrist. There are audible snaps before the witches collapse.

"Adiuuatur." The flames dissolve, and then with a wave her hand the barrier vanishes. Emmett is immediately at her side against Edward and Jasper's warning, but he's gentle with her as he checks her neck and wrists. "It's fine. They healed as soon as the stakes were removed."

The rest of his family gather around and it's Jasper who voices what's on everyone's mind. "Your blood doesn't- it's not tempting us."

"Well I should hope not," Hope muses and then grunts when Emmett suddenly engulfs her in his arms. "I'm a hybrid. Vampire or werewolf blood should not be appetizing to you."

"Huh. Well that's good to know."

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Esme suddenly muses. "What they did was unbelievably violent."

Hope winces, she patting Emmett's sides so he'd let up. He does, but she ends up being tucked under his arm and against his side. She sighs. "I'm good, Esme. Doing magic under duress is just tiresome." The motherly vampire nods along in sympathy. "And I'm sorry about the mess. I don't usually.. kill, but they threatened you and your family. I couldn't let it slide. Where there's one wave, there's bound to be another."

The Cullen's glance around at the dead witches, some glaring that they'd gotten the drop on them and others shrugging as if it were no big deal.

"I'm sorry to have put you on their radar, but I need to speak with Freya. Just for being associated with us, our enemies have now become your enemies." Hope's shoulders droop and she hastily wipes the tears from her eyes. "I should just- I should go. I never should have gotten so comfortable here."

Emmett growls and holds tight as Hope tries to leave. Edward and Jasper both glance at him, realization dawning in their expressions several moments later as Hope frowns up at Emmett who can't quite meet her gaze.

"She's your mate. Isn't she?" Jasper says.

Hope gives Jasper a double take, her eyes narrowing as Edward slowly smirks. She then looks up at Emmett who appears momentarily panicked, his expression then smoothing out into something far too pleased at the knowledge. "Excuse me?"

"How did I not realize this sooner?" Emmett then gently cradles Hope's face in his hands, he staring down at her in awe. Her mouth opens to reply, but then Emmett's hugging her again and her face is pressed into his chest.

Turning so it's her cheek pressed against his solid frame instead of her face and nose, Hope sighs and rolls her eyes. "You can't just hug me and think everything's okay." The rest of his family adopt wary expressions and Hope huffs a laugh as she wraps her arms loosely around his waist. "We're so going to have to talk about this. Later though. I really need to talk to Freya and you guys have bodies to bury.. or burn. Whatever is good with you."

Rosalie breaks the awkward atmosphere by groaning, she then stomping over to the first body. "You owe me, Mikaelson. I wanna be the first to test out the sunlight ring if Freya ever figures out how to make it work for our kind."

"Deal." The squeezing Emmett, she asks, "Can you run me back home?"

"As if you even had to ask."

Emmett's quick to scoop Hope up in his arms, he then vanishing from sight within the blink of an eye.

"How did we not pick up on that sooner?" Jasper suddenly muses. "They've been practically joined at the hip since her first day here."

"I don't care." Alice beams, giggling as she skips over to pick up a dead witch. "I'm just happy to finally have another sister!"

Rosalie huffs. "At least we like this one. That one human who keeps staring at Edward is getting on my last nerve."

"You're just jealous because it's Edward she's set her sights on and the two of you have that weird thing going on," Jasper muses. "Just get married all ready."

Rosalie glares at her twin, she then grumbling as she picks up another body. Edward sighs, punching his brother in the arm. "Thanks for that. She's going to take her anger out on me now."

Jasper waggles his eyebrows. "You're welcome."

     - X - X - X -

Emmett drops off Hope in her back yard, she then running up to the door and throwing it open. Freya startles, but taking in her bloodied niece and the simmering anger practically wafting off of Emmett puts her on alert. Not even their joined hands is enough to distract her. "What happened?"

"Witches."

"Dead witches," Emmett then grumbles.

Hope slowly exhales. Then looking up at Emmett, she squeezes his hand. "Hey. Go hunt," she tells him. "Take some time to calm down while I fill in Freya."

"But-"

"No buts." He frowns, but gives her a terse nod. Bending down he quickly presses a chaste kiss to her forehead and then disappears. Hope grins.

"That's new."

"Tell me about it. Apparently Cold Ones have mates and I'm his. We only just figured it out." Freya's oddly quiet, but when Hope glances at her aunt she sees that her aunt is fighting off a smile. "Don't. Me and him are going to talk about it later. Right now we have a bigger problem."

Slowly Freya collects herself, she then putting away the herbs she's been sorting on the table. "Right. Tell me everything."

     - X - X - X -

Keelin had been given the rest of the day off after Carlisle had been filled in on what was going on, and Hope filled her aunts in on everything. They were a little worried about witches still targeting them after a year of peace, but they promised Hope not to worry about it and that they'd contact Rebekah, Marcel, Kol, and Davina to look into what was going on now.

Hope was still feeling a little wary, but Freya sent her up to shower the blood off and change. She did and then when she went back downstairs she figured she'd find her aunts still discussing the problem at hand. Instead they're discussing Hope.. and her apparent future with Emmett.

"So," Keelin grins from her seat at the table, stirring her hot chocolate, "Emmett, huh? Nice."

"Nope. No. We're not talking about this," she nervously laughs. Hope pulls open the fridge and pulls out a container of apple juice. Pouring herself a glass, she waves off both her aunt's knowing gazes. "Emmett will be stopping by in a bit. We're gonna talk and only talk. I might go on a run afterward so don't freak if my room is empty."

"Sure. Keep the door open!" Freya calls after her.

Choking on her juice, Hope glares over her shoulder at her giggling aunts.

Upstairs in her room, Hope shuts the door and then shoots off a quick text to Emmett. As she waits for him, she finds a stick of sage and lights it, blowing out the flame and smiling as the plumes of smoke waft upward. Sipping her juice she then sets it down in a bowl and turns around, a yelp escaping her mouth at the sight of Emmett casually leaning against the headboard of her bed.

"Dammit, Emmett. I'm gonna spell our yard to alert us when you're lurking if you don't start making noises." She glances down at the floor and then her shirt, making sure she didn't spill her drink. "Oh good. No spillage."

"So what's the verdict? Do I get to defend my mate's honor? And what's with the smoke?"

"No fighting. Yet," she says, making her way towards the bed and gingerly sitting next to him. "And the burning sage is for a privacy spell. Freya and Keelin are a little too invested in our new relationship status, and I have to ruin their fun somehow."

"Killjoy." Hope chuckles and settles against her own headboard, she sipping her juice one last time before setting the glass aside. Settling in, she faces Emmett and he grins. "So it's like this, huh? No weirdness? No crying? No denial?"

"Do you want me to reject you, Em?" She muses. "Playing hard to get seems exhausting. I rather just-" Her words are cut off as Emmett leans in, his lips capturing hers. She laughs against his mouth, trying to properly return his kiss, but not being able to do so as her laughter gets the best of her.

"Seriously?" Emmett pouts.

"I'm sorry." Hope giggles some more, biting the bottom corner of her lip. "You just.. surprised me with your enthusiasm."

If Emmett could blush, there was no doubt he'd be doing so now. "My bad. I've just been wanting to do that for a while."

"Yeah?" Hope's eyes sparkle as she smiles. "Well in that case.." She leans in, stopping just shy of pressing her lips to his. "Then you can wait just a little while longer." Emmett groans. "I need to run and burn off some energy. Run with me?"

"As if you even had to ask."

[azookiex3]

A Devil’s Love: Chapter 6

AN: *whistles* 7k words this time! Seriously, I’m sorry this chapter is so long. I wanted season two episodes twelve & thirteen to be in one chapter, and it ended up being way longer than I anticipated. I was thinking about splitting it up...but I got ideas for chapter seven. I think I can promise to you all that the chapters will NOT be this long. The longest I would want them to be is 5k or slightly over, minimum 2500. Almost done with season two! Maybe...two or more chapters to go? Then onto season three, and I can’t wait! 

Check out this story's playlist on Spotify! If you do please read the description so you can see how the songs are organized! 

Warnings: Swearing and Gore

Earth & Her Devil - Music Playlist

AO3 , Fanfiction Net , Wattpad

Tag List: @insanity-is-always-fun @anushay1998 @emiwrites3reads @i-am-canada-13 @heart-of-pots-and-pans @tinyybiceps

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Chapter 6: I Believe In You

A week had passed since you left your "nurse" to heal on your own. 

Within the first two days your body had completely healed. The rest of the five days you spent planning with Alice for the grand opening of the "Circle of Life Veterinary Clinic #2", and also helping out Chloe with any cases since it seems that her partner was avoiding her.

When Chloe called you to say she couldn't find any evidence linking Charlotte Richards to the second bomb, thank God, she told you about her "talk" with Lucifer.

Apparently their talk consisted of Chloe explaining how she has been feeling and what made her kiss him, even after he declared all of his flaws to her. Lucifer said nothing, according to Chloe. He just listened intently, and when all was said and done he said he needed to think. Chloe agreed to give him time, but she started expressing her concerns to you after the third day of silence. 

Honestly, you couldn't blame Lucifer. You hate talking about emotions too, and Lucifer didn't seem like the kind of guy who easily dealt with this kind of stuff. It's probably why he has a therapist.

However, Lucifer hadn't been completely silent this week. He did text you everyday. First it was just to make sure you were doing well healing, then it just became friendly chatter. You did question him on why he was giving Chloe the silent treatment. You expected him to ignore the question, instead he shocked you by answering.

What if it's not real?

It looks real to me, Lucifer, and to others.

Yes, well, I'm starting to think that the Detective is no longer immune to me. She has been with me too much and now my charm is coming off on her. She might even be no longer immune to my power...It'll probably happen to you too.

...uh, what? :confusedemoji:

Ah. Never mind, darling.

So, not missing my shower, yet? It sure misses you. :devilemoji:

And, that was that. You didn't dare tell Chloe about it, one because she'd be just as confused as you, and two she really didn't need to get the wrong idea about that shower comment. 

Today's the day of the grand opening, and everything is going smoothly. Your new workers are happily greeting the pets as well as the owners while handing out coupons, pamphlets on the pet health care, and answering any questions. Alice sat at a booth with a couple of the receptionists taking down new client info and signing up those interested in the insurance. You stood in front of the big red ribbon, talking to the press and answering questions while you waited for the time to tick to 11am. 

Your phone started ringing Chloe's tone. You excuse yourself and head inside your clinic to answer.

"What's up, Chlo?"

"Hey, Earth. I'm sorry to bother you, but I need you to do something."

You love your BFF, really you do, but you can't cancel this opening. Not only would it be embarrassing, but you were starting to run low on cash, "No problem, so long as I can do it over the phone."

"Don't worry, I know this opening is important to you." You hear her sigh, "This case I'm currently on is...it's bad, Earth. I'm thinking psychopath bad. Premeditated murder."

Oh shit, "Damn, Chloe. Look if you need me I'll-"

"No no. Focus on your opening today. If I don't get this solved today maybe you can help me tomorrow."

"The opening isn't all day, Chloe. I'll help as soon as it's over."

"You're going to have a lot of first patient paperwork. Take this day for that. Look, I'm calling to ask you to talk to Lucifer."

"He still isn't talking to you?" Yes, you do agree with him needing time because emotions suck, but now it felt like he was stonewalling your friend.

"No. Ella's too busy with this case right now, and I know Lucifer won't even consider listening to Dan. I'm hoping he'll listen to you."

"Alright, Chlo. I'll get your partner back to you."

"Thank You, Earth." You could just feel the tension release from her over the phone, "Tell him to meet me at the Malibu State University so I can catch him up on the case."

"You got it." You hang up and see the time is 10:50am. You sigh and click on Lucifer's contact number.

Time to come out of hiding you Devil.

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

"Lucifer." Linda looks at her Devil patient like a stern mother rather than his therapist at the moment, "You're stalling."

Lucifer finishes his glass of water and leans back on the couch, "I don't know what your talking about, Doctor."

"You do, Lucifer." Linda's voice becomes stern and matter of factly, "You and Chloe finally reach a point in your relationship where it can move romantically, but after the kiss you left. After Chloe confesses to you, you push her away. You won't even talk to her, but instead talk to someone else."

Lucifer shifts on the couch, slightly uncomfortable with where this conversation was going.

"Lucifer." Linda's able to get his eyes to stay on hers, "Who is Earth to you? How do you feel about her?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Doctor." Lucifer is now slightly agitated, "K9 is just a human who's fun to be around."

"She's also another human woman who is immune to your charms. Another human who you can't get to reveal their desires." Linda eyes her patient carefully.

Lucifer clearly fidgets on the couch. He doesn't speak. Instead, he looks to the window.

"I want you to tell me how you felt when you first met Chloe, to how you felt meeting Earth." Linda interlaces her fingers and rests them on her crossed knees. She waits patiently for his reply.

"Well, after the first day with the Detective I felt that she was a puzzle to solve." Lucifer looks at his therapist with a little smirk, "The first human woman to be completely immune to my charms and power. She's a puzzle and I feel a...a connection to her. A need to solve her, to watch her and be around her."

"Mhmm," Linda nods, "and Earth?"

"K9?" Lucifer's smirk forms into a smile. He gives a light chuckle, "From day one I thought of her as a sassy minx, didn't even care that she wasn't attracted to me. Truthfully, I would be too focused on making sure I had a comeback ready for whenever we'd pass each other in the precinct." His eyes start to look far away, lost in memories:

"That real estate case was the first time we talked more than just in passing. I found that we both enjoyed many of the same things, and that we share common views on various topics. I just-" Lucifer stops.

Linda urges him on, "You have to continue, Lucifer. How do you feel around her?"

"I feel...comfortable with her. I have fun with her, enjoy spending time with her. She doesn't believe in me being the Devil either, but I feel like she tolerates it better." His mind drifts to how you reacted seeing his scars.

"Maybe there's a reason as to why…" Lucifer whispers this thought to himself.

"Lucifer, I see these two types of romantic feelings often." Linda didn't hear his comment about you, "There's one where someone claims that they feel a connection with the other, which is usually referred to as 'soulmates'-" Lucifer laughs.

"And," Linda continues, "There's the 'normal'. When two people meet and feel nothing until they get to know each other more. Chloe is your 'connection' and Earth is your 'normal'."

"So, which one is the correct choice?" Lucifer's eyes plead to her, "I don't want to mess this up!"

Linda's heart breaks for him, "I can't answer that for you, Lucifer. What you need to do is find an answer to this question," Linda leans forward:

"If Earth had never come back, had never entered the picture, would you still be giving Chloe the cold shoulder?"

Linda Martin had never seen a person look as lost as Lucifer Morningstar right now.

"I…" Lucifer's phone starts playing "Who Let The Dogs Out". It was the ringtone you set for yourself after you showed him how to give everyone their own personal alerts.

"It's K9, Doctor. She doesn't usually call-"

"It's ok, Lucifer." Linda gives him a knowing smile, "Our time is up anyways."

Lucifer nods a farewell to her and leaves her office, "K9! To what do I owe the pleasure of having a phone call from you?" Lucifer's smiling ear to ear as he walks out of the building and to his car.

"Chloe called me. Again." You sound annoyed.

His smile falls, "Oh…"

"Look, Lucifer. I get it ok? Feelings are a pain in the ass to deal with, but enough is enough. You're really starting to hurt my best friend and you know I won't stand for it."

Lucifer sighs, "I understand, K9. I just-"

"Lucifer, this call wasn't about you. Chloe needs her partner back."

Lucifer paused in his walk hearing the worry in your voice. He stood a few feet away from his Corvette, "What's wrong?"

"There's a new case and it," you sigh, "it doesn't sound good, Lucifer. This guy is bad, really bad. I...can't be there for her today. I don't want her to get hurt." Lucifer doesn't reply right away, and that worried you.

"Lucifer. Chloe isn't going to ask you about anything, ok? She's too focused on stopping this guy. She can't do it without her partner."

Partner...that's right. I'm the Detective's partner, Lucifer thought.

"Well, I suppose I can't leave my partner hanging." Lucifer smirks and finishes the walk to his car.

"No, you can't." Lucifer could tell you were most likely smirking as well, "Not anymore anyways. It's really a dick move."

"Yes, yes." Lucifer sits in his car and starts her up, "Now, where does my partner need me?"

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

The grand opening was a huge success! The clinic had plenty of clients to start off with, and more would surely come when people learned just how well of a veterinarian you are.

You sent your workers home to relax for the first official workday tomorrow. Currently, you and Alice were organizing all the new client paperwork in their respective folders for your receptionists.

But you were starting to have a really hard time focusing on the task. Chloe had been giving you hourly updates on the case, and each new piece of information was making you more and more concerned. 

This is no ordinary killer.

Alice noticed you starting to slow down and told you she could handle the rest. Normally you would disagree with her, but this case was one a Captain of any department shouldn't avoid. You give her thanks in a hug then fly out the door and into your new car, courtesy of the police heads.

As you drive to the precinct you call Chloe to let her know you're free. She tells you that her and Lucifer were heading to a college party where the next poison victim, Ashley, was currently at. She gives you the address of the second victim, Dr. Gwendolyn Scott, and tells you Dan is currently there with her to make sure she doesn't do this guys biding.

When you arrive at the precinct you tell your second, Christopher Miller, to round up a small team and three K9's, and that one of the K9's has to be the new pup, Buster, along with his partner, Jessica Blanch. As he left to do as you ask you go into the female locker room and change into your K9 uniform. When you come out you tell your team the situation, and give them the address to Dr. Scott's house. You couldn't send any with Chloe as much as you wanted to. It would blow her cover at that party.

You arrive at the house and station your men and two of the K9's around the outside of the home. You tell Blanch that her and Buster were to guard the inside. 

"Hey Dan." You approach Detective Dan Espinoza, or as you liked to refer to Lucifer's nickname for him "Detective Douche".

"Hey Earth! I'm glad you could join in. This guy is…"

"Yeah...it was hard for me to focus during the opening knowing that a person like this was out here." You cross your arms to hide the slight shiver that ran through you.

"That's right, your next clinic! Did everything go well?" 

"Yup, better than I expected honestly."

"Well believe it or not, I've heard talk around here about the 'amazing Veterinarian Earth on the east coast'." He winks friendly at you.

"Oh really?" You give him a laugh and a sarcastic look.

"Yeah! I'd over hear convos from new K9 recruits about you. The look on their faces when I told them you used to work here was priceless."

"So that's why I got a whole lot of star struck eye looks when I came back." You and him both share a light laughter, "So," you didn't want to, but this friendly chatter had to end, "where's Dr. Scott?"

Dan took a sidestep and motioned with his head behind him. You saw a clear line of sight of the Doctor sitting in a formal living room. Blanch was introducing herself and asking permission to roam her home. You see Dr. Scott give a warm smile to her and a nod of approval while she scratched Buster's head.

"How's she doing?" You whisper to Dan.

"As good as one can be when they know they're in charge of someone's life." Dan sighs solemnly.

"Yeah…"

Dan's phone rings and he excuses himself. You walk over to Dr. Scott and introduce yourself.

"Hello, Dr. Scott. I'm Earth, Captain of the K9 unit." You hold out your hand and she shakes it. Her palms were sweaty from nerves.

"Hello, Captain. One of your crew just told me how well you are at your job." She smiles at you.

"Aw, Blanch is just a suck up." You give her a wink and she actually manages a laugh.

"You doing alright, Doc?"

She sighs, "Honestly, no. I just keep thinking...what if I don't do as this guy requests? Would I really be ok knowing that my decision to say no would end a young girl's life?"

"Do you mind if I watch the video ma'am?" She shakes her head and stands to walk to her desk. She pulls up the email with the video and plays it for you as she sits back in her chair.

This guy...with his dumb mask and "superior" tone of voice made your skin crawl. He was telling the Doctor that in order to receive the antidote to cure Miss. Ashley, she had to destroy her right hand.

God...Why do people like this exist?

The video ends as soon as Dan walks into the room, "Detective Decker called me ma'am." He was speaking to Dr. Scott, "Her and her partner found Ashley at the party, but unfortunately it looks as though she's already been poisoned."

You watch as the Doctor visibly slumps in distraught on her chair.

"What should I do, Detective?"

"Don't do anything, Doctor. Ashley is at the hospital now and the Doctors are working on an antidote. I'm sure they'll make it in time."

Dr. Scott formed a look on her face that showed how you were feeling.

They won't be able to make it.

Dan leaves the room. You shut off the computer.

"Captain, what should I do? What would you do?"

You don't answer.

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

A few hours pass before Dan receives another call from Chloe. 

It's not good news.

"She doesn't have much time left, Dan. The Doctors at the hospital can't figure out the antidote."

"Then it is specially made." Dan replies, his face is grim. You stand next to him to hear the conversation.

Unfortunately, Dr. Scott was close enough as well. She heard.

While Dan was still on the phone you heard a rattling noise. You left his side to investigate, and was horrified by the display that was about to happen in the kitchen.

"GWENDOLYN!" You yelled the Doctor's name and held your hands up. When Dan heard you yell he hung up on Chloe and ran to you, and held his hands up.

Dr. Gwendolyn Scott stood in front of her kitchen sink. The garbage disposal was running and her right hand was hovering over it.

"Dr. Scott, don't do this." Dan pleads with her. You can't speak.

"If I don't do this, Detective, an innocent woman dies. How can I compare my hand to her life."

"Doctor-" Dan starts, but it's too late.

Doctor Gwendolyn Scott shoves her hand into the garbage disposal. You want to vomit as you hear her scream and see blood and bits of flesh erupt from the sink. 

Doctor Gwendolyn Scott is a hero.

Dan runs to her, as well as Blanch who heard her screams. You stand still, but find your voice long enough to call for a medic dispatch and call Chloe.

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

Chloe and Lucifer arrive shortly after the medics have Dr. Scott on a gurney and finish bandaging her ruined hand.

The two of them talked with her, Dan stepped outside to get air after that gruesome scene, and you-

You were still standing in the same spot. Your focus entirely on the blood and bits of brown skin that clung to the countertop and sink.

This guy is a monster.

"And I thought you looked fit before. But now."

You choke on air as your body jumps out of your skin. You whirl around and see Lucifer standing behind you with a hungry look.

"You look delicious in uniform, K9. You should wear it more often."

"I only wear this on important cases, and did you really have to use the word 'delicious' in this scenario?" You give him dagger eyes. You hold your chest to breath evenly again.

"Hmm." Lucifer looks at the carnage behind you, "Good point." He smiles down at you, "But at least I got you to stop looking at it."

You look up at him, and can't help the tug at your heart. A corner of your mouth lifts slightly, "Yeah...thanks."

Lucifer just continues to smile at you, but now there's a twinkle in his eye.

"So," you cross your arms and smile fully at him, "How's it feel being back with your partner?"

"It was bloody weird." His sheer bluntness made both your eyebrows go up.

"Only at first though. Thankfully, the Detective seems to be back to her 'normal'." Lucifer plays with his cufflinks and side glances Chloe's direction.

"What happened?"

"She slapped my bum, made inappropriate jokes over a dead body, and suggested making out in the library."

You burst into laughter.

"It's not funny! It was bloody terrifying!" Lucifer complains.

"She was just trying to be more like you, Lucifer." You manage to choke out in your laughter, "Are you saying you're not attracted to yourself?"

"Not if it's the Detective trying to roleplay as me." He visibly shivers and that makes you laugh even more.

The sound of your K9s barking outside the front door immediately cuts off your laughter. Captain mode takes over and you stride away from Lucifer and out the front door to see what was going on. As you passed by Chloe she rested her hand on her holstered gun and gave you a nod.

Miller had a delivery man stopped on the walkway. When you walk over the man says he has a delivery for Doctor Gwendolyn Scott. You question him on who gave him the package, but the man says it just showed up in his pile of runs. 

You take the package from him and tell Miller to take him to the station to get an official statement. You go back inside and hand it over to Chloe.

You stand on the other side of the Doctor's gurney, and Lucifer had chosen to stand next to you as Chloe unravels the contents.

She looks up and stares at the three of you.

"It's the antidote."

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

Dan and Chloe drove to the hospital to give Ashley the antidote before it was too late. Lucifer decided to stay with you to "help" you clear out the Doctor's house and wait for the cleaning crew to finish in her kitchen. You noticed Chloe giving him a "look" when he chose to stay behind. You question him about it and he just shrugs saying, "Hospitals are dreadful places."

As soon as the cleaning crew had finished Chloe called you saying to come to the precinct asap with Lucifer. Her and Dan were able to get a link between Ashley and the first poisoned victim.

"I had a feeling this case would be an all nighter." You tell Lucifer as you hang up and you both walk to your car.

"No rest for the wicked, darling." Lucifer smiled devilishly at you. You smiled back.

As you two walk into the precinct you give Alice an early morning text update. You told her you most likely wouldn't be able to make it in the clinic for the first day. Surprising you, she texts back saying "Good thing there's no major surgeries :winkieface:". 

You hate not being at your clinic for the first official day. You and Alice interviewed the workers and other veterinarians extensively, but you always liked working the first couple days with them to make sure they were good. Thank God you had Alice, who you trust wholeheartedly.

You and Lucifer walk into Ella's lab where Dan and Chloe were waiting. You noticed that look again on Chloe when Lucifer decided to stay near you while Ella explained the new information.

Dan and Chloe were able to find out from Ashley that she had received a flu shot earlier in the day. Ella was able to find out that the first victim also got a flu shot the same day he was poisoned. Thanks to the information Ashley gave and what Ella could dig up, both students received their shots by a Dr. Jason Carlisle.

"Dr. Jason Carlisle?" Dan says in shock.

"You know him?" Chloe questions.

"I know of him. Here," Dan goes to the computer in the room and pulls up traffic security footage. You all watch as this Dr. Jason Carlisle crawls out of a turned over vehicle. In the footage you can see the driver of the vehicle asking the Doctor for help, but instead the Doctor grabs his briefcase and runs away as the vehicle explodes, killing the driver.

"Hmph. Some doctor." You cross your arms and shake your head at the actions on the video.

"Yeah. After this was televised Dr. Carlise lost his medical license and all respect from his peers." Dan replies.

"He's probably the one responsible for creating these poisons and their unique antidotes." Ella points out.

"He's doing this to show people how he felt he had no choice." Chloe says.

Lucifer scoffs, "Everyone has a bloody choice."

"So, how do we find this guy?" You ask the room.

"Attack his ego." Lucifer says and everyone looks at him, "I know his type. Attack his precious ego and he'll make himself known."

"That's the stupidest thing-" Dan starts but Chloe leaves the lab in a fly and sits at her desk. Everyone, but Ella, follows the Detective and sees that she's pulled up an email and is writing to Dr. Carlise.

Dan is trying to get Chloe to stop, but Lucifer and you are encouraging her. Both of you tell her various ego tripping things to write, and even though Dan tries to stop her, Chloe hits send.

In less than thirty seconds she receives a reply, and it's a video call. She opens it up and all four of your stare at the man with the mask. Chloe tells him we know who he really is and why he's doing this. The Doctor removes his mask and explains his experiment and how the police presence in Doctor Scott's household "made" her choose to destroy her hand.

You call him out on his bullshit, receiving a low high five from Lucifer, and how Dr. Scott was planning on destroying her hand from the start. Dr. Carlise doesn't believe you, and pans the camera to show you all how he already has another "experiment" happening as we speak. He explains the circumstance and ends the call. 

Chloe and Ella do quick work in tracing the call to a hospital that Dr. Carlise was rivals of. Chloe pulls Lucifer by the arm to get him to follow, and after a look from you he obliges.

She's your partner. Protect her.

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

"This case is now top number one of the worst cases I've been on." Chloe flops down on her couch next to you with a full glass of wine in hand. 

Chloe asked you to come to her place to unwind after the Hell this case has been. You agreed because you could tell she needed to vent.

She starts talking about the situation that happened over at the hospital Dr. Carlise was holed up in. She talks about how her and Lucifer had to watch helplessly as the Doctor dropped poisonous gas onto the floor, making her and Lucifer unable to just break into the room to save the two students. She talks about her fear of leaving Lucifer alone in that situation in order to catch the Doctor. 

She downs her drink quickly after talking about watching the Doctor slit his own throat in front of her. How she watched the life leave his eyes, and neck. 

But then, without the wine's help, she becomes giddy and warm. She tells you about how happy and relieved and thankful she was when she saw Lucifer step out of the building completely unharmed. She didn't even think to question him about it.

"I immediately hugged him and said how we do make an amazing team." She says with a far off gaze to her empty glass. She then looks at you with a smile and wet eyes, "He said 'This is real, isn't it?", and ...well."

"It's official now?" 

"Yeah."

"That's wonderful, Chlo!" You pull your BFF into an immediate hug while ignoring whatever that feeling was in your chest. She laughs while holding back tears, and hugs you back. You two then talk about things not about the case, and Chloe excuses herself to the bathroom.

You become concerned after ten minutes of her being silent.

"Chloe? You ok?" You got up from the couch and went up into her room. You knocked on the open door.

"I...I don't know…Earth!" You push into Chloe's room and into her bathroom at the sound of her voice. She's standing in front of her sink, which has piles of bloody tissues in it.

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

"DETECTIVE!" 

Lucifer Morningstar storms into Chloe Decker's apartment furiously. He looks around the kitchen and living room to see she wasn't there. A noise from above gave him a direction.

"DETECTIVE! DID YOU KNOW?!" Lucifer yells as he storms upstairs.

"THIS WHOLE BLOODY TIME, DID YOU KNOW?!" Lucifer stomps into her room and sees the bathroom door open.

"DETEC-" Lucifer stops when he sees you holding Chloe by the shoulders. 

You look at him, wide eyed and terrified, "Lucifer…"

"What-"

"Lucifer," Chloe speaks now in a garbled tone. You allow her to turn around to face her partner.

Lucifer immediately steps into Chloe's personal space at the sight of her red eyes and bloody nose.

Chloe cries, "It won't stop."

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

You stand inside Ella's lab, waiting for the energetic little ball of happiness to come in. You felt bad asking Ella to come in this late at night and after just finishing the last case, but Ella told you not to worry. An emergency is an emergency and it's her job. 

Your fingers tap rhythmically on the table in stress. Seeing your BFF being poisoned by something that no one can make an antidote for, except the guy who just commitied suicide, really terrified you. At least, with the help of Lucifer, you were able to convince Chloe to go to the hospital instead of here.

You hear the door open and look up expecting to see Ella. Instead, your heart drops at the site of Lucifer and the woman who should be in the fucking hospital.

"Why the fuck-" 

"Calm down, Earth." Chloe holds up her hands to you, "I told him to bring me here."

"Yes, much to my disapproval." Lucifer mutters.

"Chloe-"

"You know me, Earth! I can't just sit by and do nothing when I know I can help!" Chloe says.

"But for how long?!" You move to stand right in front of her, "Chloe, you exerting yourself could make this thing spread faster! We already only have twenty hours if that!"

"I know, Earth!" Chloe can feel Lucifer's hand on the small of her back. She takes deep breaths to calm herself, "I know. Look, I'll be careful, and if it gets too much I swear I'll go to the hospital. But, I need to do something."

You just cross your arms and head back to the table. Ella shows up and Chloe gives her a rundown on the situation without telling the poor girl who the real victim was. Ella explains how they did find some poison on the Doctor's body, but the antidote that went with it had been destroyed. Chloe, Lucifer, and you all share a look.

Then some man you've never seen before is calling Lucifer's name and Lucifer pulls the man into the interrogation room. Seeing as how Ella and Chloe didn't seem to question the strange commotion, you decided not to say anything. Lucifer is a strange guy after all.

Ella starts listing out all the beginning signs of the poison, which makes Chloe turn paler and paler. To derail the talk of it you ask if anyone else could have access to the antidote formula. Ella didn't believe so, but Chloe pops in with hope that maybe the guy who smuggled the stuff in might know something. She didn't believe the Doctor would trust that stuff to be handled by just anyone. 

She leaves the room to get Lucifer, but when you offered your assistance she says she wants you to stay with Ella, and eventually Dan, to help think up an antidote. Your heart felt strange when you saw her and Lucifer leave the building, with him being closer to her than usual.

She's dying. Their together. You told him to protect her.

You wipe the feeling away and turn to Ella. This was Chloe who was dying, and you needed everyone to be working at their best.

You tell Ella the truth.

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

Lucifer and Chloe have been gone for about an hour and a half now. Dan showed up not too long after the two left and you, him, and Ella have been working together to try to at least figure out all the ingredients for the antidote.

Lucifer's ringtone starts playing on your phone and you answer it.

"Lucifer-"

"She fainted, K9." He sounds scared. You'd never imagined hearing Lucifer Morningstar sound scared, "I'm taking her to the hospital now."

"Alright, I'll be right there." You hang up and look up to Dan.

"Dan. Get Trixie." 

He didn't even have to ask what for. He was out the door in a flash. Ella told you she'd keep working and to give Chloe her love. You nod and head out the door as fast as Dan did.

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

The early morning sun has now risen. Chloe now only had about ten hours left.

You sat in Chloe's room chatting with her about the situation. When you see Lucifer standing at the window you get up and give Chloe a hug. You leave the room and watch from a distance the two of them talk. 

You hear Dan and Trixie sign in at the desk behind you, and Lucifer leaves the room just as the ex husband and daughter come to the door. You notice Dan give Lucifer a look of disapproval before entering the room, and one of your hands balls into a fist in your crossed arms.

One of the reasons I dislike that guy. He always puts the blame on someone else.

"I'm sorry." The sound of Lucifer's distress pulls you from your thoughts. You walk to stand in front of him, arms still crossed.

"What for?"

"I didn't protect her. Couldn't protect her. I thought I had by sending her after him, but-" Lucifer starts spilling out. You unfold your arms and place a strong hand on one of his arms, stopping him.

"Lucifer." You stare up at him, "This wasn't your fault. I don't blame you. I blame the bastard of a Doctor who stabbed her with the needle." You let go of him and step to his side so you could watch the tragic family scene through the window.

"I hope you're right about there being a Hell, and I hope he's being tortured as we speak."

"He is darling. Trust me." Lucifer turns around to watch the scene with you.

"Good. Wish I was the one torturing him, though." You sigh, shoulders slumped, "I'm going to get one of my K9s and just chill here. If she…" you choke up, but swallow it, "I'll be here if you need me." You give Lucifer a pat on the shoulder and turn to leave.

"K9."

You stop a few feet from the exit door. You turn your body to face him and your heart breaks at the emotion on his face.

"I promise you, I will get the antidote." Lucifer's tone was serious, but his eyes looked wet. Yet...you felt drawn to him. You could tell he meant what he said.

He always tells the truth.

Unable to contain it any more, tears fall down your face. You run to him and wrap your arms around his neck. You stand on your tiptoes in order to hug him fully. 

You're surprised that he doesn't even hesitate to hug you back. He always hesitates when someone hugs him.

"I trust you, Lucifer." You pull him even closer, and only feel slightly ashamed for probably ruining his suit jacket, "I believe in you."

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

Chloe Decker now only has about three hours left. 

And you could do nothing.

Lucifer had promised to save her, to somehow get the antidote formula. You had no clue how he could get it, or why you seemed to trust him. You haven't seen him since you hugged him. You've tried texting him to find out how it was going, but he didn't reply. So now you were concerned for his safety because he always replied.

Dan and Ella were having a hell of a time just trying to get the ingredients. Ella texted you not too long ago saying that they're just missing one more, and she thinks she knows where to get it.

And what were you doing? You're standing outside the doors to the lobby area. If you sat in the lobby you'd be looking too much into Chloe's room window, and from the talk of the doctors that were walking by it didn't sound like she was doing too good.

You can't watch your best friend deteriorate so fast in front of your eyes. Besides that, you'd feel like you would get in Trixie's way. She hadn't left her mother's side since she arrived.

You hear Buster whine, and you scratch his head absentmindedly. When you left Lucifer you went to the precinct to grab the first K9 you saw. For protection for Chloe, and comfort for you. You love your dogs.

Buster nudges his nose in your palm. You look down at him.

"What is it, bud?"

He whines some more.

Sorry…out…

"It’s not a problem, bud. I could use some fresh air anyways."

You take Buster to the small green area across the street from the hospital. You lean up against a tree and look up to the sky. You take a deep breath in of city air, and can't help but imagine Chloe never taking a breath again. Never growing old or seeing Trixie grow into a wonderfully strong women. Never playing with possible grandchildren. Never being happy with Lucifer--

You release the breath, "Well, if Heaven's real then she'll be with her dad at least."

You look back to find Buster, "Come on boy." He trots to you and you both walk back across the street and into the hospital.

"Officer!"

You see one of the hospital security guards run to you, "The patient, Chloe Decker, has to move to another room, but there's a man who's blocking the way! He's pushed aside every one of us!"

You nod to the guard and head for the stairwell. You and Buster run up four flights and push through the lobby door.

You watch as two more security guards get tossed aside like dolls back into the lobby. You stride forward, gun aimed and Buster between your legs, "HANDS UP, NOW!"

The man turns around. It's the same man that called for Lucifer in the precinct.

You squint at him suspiciously, "Who are you?!" Buster growls beneath you.

The man looks surprised, "So you're Earth, or well, I guess I should be saying K9."

You grip your gun harder. Buster feels you tense up and walks a bit closer to the man, teeth baring, "Who the hell are you?!"

It's like he just realized now what kind of predicament he's in, "I'm sorry," he holds his hands up to you, "I'm Amenadiel, Lucifer's brother."

You snort.

"Officer! He won't let me get my patient to a more appropriate room!" The main doctor tells you behind Amenadiel.

"Well, as Lucifer's supposed brother, you should know he wouldn't appreciate someone getting in the way of saving Chloe's life." You keep your aim trained on Amenadiel’s chest.

"I do know that, and that's why I can't let Chloe leave this room."

Now you were confused, "Why?"

"Lucifer is getting the formula as we speak, but Chloe needs to stay right here."

"Why?"

Amenadiel shakes his head, "You won't believe me. Look," he puts his hands down and takes a step towards you. You stand your ground and Buster barks at him in warning, "Do you trust Lucifer?"

You’re quiet for a beat. You careful study this "brother", "I do."

"Then please, do not allow Chloe to leave here." You can hear the pleading in his voice. He wants you to believe him.

You look over his shoulder to see Chloe becoming paler in her bed. She started to shake from a slight seizure and the doctor's nurses held her down.

The doctor looks at you, "Please, officer! She needs help!"

You look between her, Amenadiel, and Chloe.

I trust you, Lucifer. I believe in you.

You release air through your nose. You holster your gun. You order Buster to guard the door and not let anyone through or out. You stand next to Amenadiel, "I know she does, Doctor." You cross your arms and stand firm. 

Unbeknownst to you, Amenadiel looks at you with interest.

"Chloe Decker is not leaving this room until Lucifer Morningstar returns with the formula."

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

You weren't a rogue cop for long.

You feel somebody grip your shoulder from behind. You whirl around ready to punch whoever it was that got past Buster, but your fists immediately turn into hands of support.

“Lucifer!” 

He looks like he just came back from the dead. His clothes are completely disheveled and he was sweating profusely. He holds onto your shoulders tightly and you keep him upright by his underarms with the help of Amenadiel.

He mutters out the formula to the doctor and she runs off to make it with the ingredients Ella dropped off not to long ago. You and Amenadiel move him to chair in the room, but he refuses to sit and instead leans against the wall. Amenadiel leaves quickly, and you’re left “alone” with Lucifer.

“Lucifer…” You start to choke up again. He looks so awful and it’s breaking you.

What did he do?

“Lucifer.” You can’t stop the tears again. You let them fall free while you use both hands to hold on to his face. You wipe the sweat from his brow and try to straighten his hair, “Are you ok?”

“She’ll be ok now,” he breaths out. He looks over you at Chloe, “That’s all that matters.”

“No, Lucifer. That’s not all that matters.” He looks down to you, eyes filled with confusion. 

He’s waiting for you to say something, but you’re too choked up on emotion.

I hate emotions, too.

You just wrap your arms around his neck like the first hug, except this one was different. Tighter, different emotions unspoken. He does hesitate on this hug, but eventually his arms find their way around your waist and he holds on tight. 

He rests his head on your shoulder, “Earth…” he breaths into your neck.

You remove your head from his shoulder and he does the same from yours. You both stare into each other's eyes deeply. One of his arms snakes it’s way up your back so his hand can hold the back of your head. Your faces start to come closer together, but you can’t tell if he’s doing it or you, or maybe both.

“I have it!” You both blink at each other, seeming to wake up from whatever force was pulling you both. You both look to the side to see the doctor holding a syringe. A nurse puts a tube inside Chloe’s vain and the doctor rushes over. You twist around in Lucifer’s arms so that your back is to him. 

You expected him to remove his hands, but instead he keeps one arm around your waist while the other hangs onto the wall. You feel him tug you closer as you two watch Chloe’s vital signs fall back to normal.

“It worked! She’s going to make it!” The doctor says happily. You in turn smile at Chloe as new tears fall from your eyes.

You didn’t see Lucifer’s face turn grim.

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

Lucifer was with Chloe when she first woke up. The two talk briefly before he leaves and tells everyone in the lobby that she’s awake now. He watches as Ella, Dan, Trixie, and you rush into the room. He looks from the window all of you smiling, laughing and hugging Chloe.

He puts his hands in his pockets and stands firm. After one last look at you he leaves.

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

Three days have passed since Chloe’s poisoning. She had to stay in the hospital for the rest of that day just to ease the doctors, and everyone’s, mind that she really was cured. You stayed with her that day along with everyone else.

Except for Lucifer. After you greeted Chloe from waking up you left the room to look from him, but the receptionist said he had left. You thought nothing of it. He had looked to have a rough day after all.

But after twenty four hours of zero response you started getting worried. Chloe kept asking for him and nobody, including yourself and Maze, seemed to be able to get a hold of him.

In present time you were at your clinic. It was past 9pm and everyone went home for the day. You stayed behind to lock up and look at patient reports for the day. You finish putting the reports away and counting the money. Just as you locked the front door Chloe’s ringtone went off.

“Chloe, you alright?” you answer as you get into your car.

“He’s gone, Earth.” She’s trying to keep from crying, “I’m at his penthouse and he’s...everything’s covered it sheets.”

“He’s gone!”

[jcylenz]

18. What is your favorite plot you’ve played out?

ask meme for muns

18. What is your favorite plot you’ve played out?

Oh boy, buckle up because this is going to be a long story about the light of my life, Alice Fortescue and her way of getting into stupid trouble and starting a domino effect that turned into a HUGE plot even though I intended it to be just like a small thing at first. (Which looking back now sounds ridiculous but I honestly didn’t realize how many people would be effected by this plot.)

tw torture, death

Anyway, this has several components so things to know:

Alice and Rodolphus has a nice, competitive relationship with each other sprinkled with a good amount of hate for each other. They put up with each other because they have to, but they also do not like each other at all. That changes somewhat when there’s an attack on the Hog’s Head and Alice saves one of Rodolphus’ close friends, Emma, out of the burning fire. They tolerate each other a bit more after that.

Alice and Evan are in an arranged marriage but are not together together. They are still close, Alice’s friends do not understand Alice’s side at all and they want Alice to get her shit together already and realize that Evan is a monster. A lot of shit that he didn’t commit has been put onto Evan, Alice is aware of it.

Kingsley and Frank are Alice’s best friends and would do anything to protect her, Kingsley and Alice got into a huge fight before everything happened

Snape and Alice butt heads during prefect/head girl duties.

Memory charms canonically can only be broken through extreme pain and torture

Okay, so after all the pre-established things, my concept was for the whole plot is the fact that Alice and Frank are tortured to insanity and forgetting everything they’ve ever known and so I love playing with memory plots for Alice and with the idea that she lost her memory because her brain was already fucked up at that point, so it was easy to push her over the edge. Which is how I ended up with this mess of a fun plot.

So during a nightly patrol Alice and Snape gets into a fight on the third floor which leads to them fighting on the stairs - and without either of them realizing it, the stairs move from Alice and she tries stepping back and there comes nothing so she falls three stories down and gets hurt af. Snape panics and instead of calling help, he goes and erases Alice’s memory so he wouldn’t get blamed for it. (I’d like to stress that it was an accident.)

Alice is found by Rodolphus who ends up calling Kingsley and the two of them get Alice to the hospital wing. SHe wakes up, she doesn’t know wtf is going on, her dad is there all worried about her (it’s been just to two of them since Alice was 8 when her mother was murdered, so her dad getting Dumbi show up at his doorsteps in similar fashion as to when the Aurors showed up about Alice’s mom was a shock to say the least) and she doesn’t remember anything, so obviously she thinks she was attacked and hurt. Everybody is pointing fingers at Evan, which results in her friends pretty much stand guard outside of the hospital wing and not letting Evan inside to protect Alice from more hard. No matter how much he is trying to tell them that he had nothing to do with this, they don’t believe him. Kingley and Alice talk and agree to not see eye to eye on the topic but also that they can’t not speak to each other cause they love each other and it’s hard not to talk to your bff.

Madam Pomfrey can heal Alice but she can’t fix the memory meddling, so Alice is stuck. Enter Rodolphus visiting Alice. He mentions that he read somewhere that torture can bring memories back “casually”, Alice jumps at the thought and starts looking into it. In between all of this Evan sneaks into the hospital wing at night and is reassured by Alice that nope, she doesn’t believe it was him, and he promises to find who did it and Alice presses him to not do anything stupid and definitely not to hurt anyone.

Eventually, she gets out and during her time in the hospital wing she thought about it over and over again and then does even more research and yes, if your guess is that she is going to try and get herself tortured to get her memories back, you guessed right. She goes to talk to Rodolphus about it and because he is the one who actually knows what’s up and still isn’t particularly fond of Alice, she figures he is the easiest person to ask to do the deed. Rodolphus agrees, the deed is done and Alice gets her memories back but a lot of torture happens and she is a mess so she ends up hiding out in Rodolphus’ dorm room/bed while she recovers. (People are worried af again, might I add.) During this time the two of them get close and become sort of friends even though neither of them is willing to admit it or call it what it is. Everyone else freaks the fuck out when Alice tells them what happened, but she insists this was the only way. Her dad considers not letting her back to school after Frank gets into a yelling match with Alice about it right in front of her dad. (She did not plan on telling her dad anything to not worry him even more.)

And this is where the group was closed and so the plot didn’t get further, but the further plan was to put Alice through more events where her memory and her brain weakens to a point where when the attack on her and Frank happen, she is easily pushed over the edge. I think this is something really interesting to explore because otherwise the Longbottoms are described as strong af wizards who went up against Voldemort three times and you can’t do that without being strong af and good af, so I wanted to build up how she slowly develops a weakness that gets exploited in that moment.

And definitely exploited because what we know canonically is that Rodolphus is one of those characters who end up torturing Alice and Frank. And what we were leading up to and what we talked about several times in detail is that the two of them have a really complex relationship that develops from simple hatred to being friends and having a certain kind of respect for each other that gets ruined by the war and being on opposing sides. So when the Death Eaters show up at the Longbottoms, Alice looks at Rodolphus and goes, “Rod, please, my boy is in the other room.”, begging for her own life in relation to Neville because she doesn’t want Neville to have to grow up without a mom like she did and trying to bring up the good relationship that they had with each other. And then Rodolphus raises his wand and sends the Crutiatus curse at Alice KNOWING that her mind is weak and that this would most likely push her over the edge in a relatively short amount of time, so he’s doing this as like the least bad of the moment, as compassion instead of say making her suffer in some other way.

And okay, I really am done now. If you’ve read this, thank you so so much, I appreciate it, I hope you liked it! I am just going to go and cry over my baby now and how much I miss this plot and how much I love them.

[dcunews]

Will the real Kane please stand up?

S1 E7 - Tell Me the Truth Review

★★★★☆

What an episode. Where the other CW shows are kind of skirting around plot for the sake of getting ready for Crisis, Batwoman is diving head first into the story, making sure to keep you on your toes as to what’s going to happen next.

And this episode delivers, if a bit scattered on the how and what.

Truth seems to be a big thing about this show so far. Kate asked Sophie to tell her the truth about whether she loved her way back in Point Rock, and Sophie lied in order to continue her career and graduate.

Now, Kate is trying to decide if it’s worth lying to Sophie about her vigilante proclivities, though it is understandable, considering Sophie has no qualms about telling the truth to Kate’s father.

Which is where we start the ep, with another baddie getting their asses handed to them via Batwoman, and though the aptly named The Rifle gets away, Sophie manages to get Batwoman in her sights, and gives her the ultimatum: Either Kate comes clean, or Sophie does it.

Now, while I can imagine that being outed as a vigilante isn’t in Kate’s plans, both for her own safety and that of her immediate family and friends, the problem is that there doesn’t seem to be any real stakes or dangers to the characters for Kate being outed.

And that’s mostly because in the beginning, Commander Kane was touted as this security guy that was by the book, absolutely abhorred vigilantes, and wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet through one of them. But we haven’t seen much of that. Last week’s episode was the closest we got to a true spat between Jacob and Batwoman in the courtroom, and even then it fell a bit flat. Sophie’s ultimatum would have had a lot more gravitas if say, he put a bounty on her head, causing chaos for the Crows who wanted to bring her in, and Gotham’s underworld wanting a big paycheck. Then that would provide a real danger to Kate, as well as provide a crisis of conscience to Jacob, he let one daughter down by giving up the search, and now he put his other daughter in the cross-hairs.

Instead, he seems to be tolerant of Batwoman like someone who has to tolerate a fly on a summer day. You try to swat it away, but it will fly back and continue trying to do its thing.

But nonetheless, the threat is made, and Kate has a choice to make. Enter the MacGyver to solve all of this week’s problems: Julia Pennyworth.

On one hand, it’s great seeing this next generation of Bats, such as Kate, Luke, and even Julia. On the other...either Kate is really bad at keeping secrets, or Julia has superpowers.

Maybe it’s just me because I’m not an expert in mixed martial arts or what have you, but most of Kate’s moves look the same, and definitely not something I could recognize someone with.

But I digress. Just when I thought Kate would try to put Luke in a red wig and have him gallivant through Gotham, in comes the perfect doppelganger to throw Sophie off their trail.

But not before Sophie starts stirring the pot and creating issues. She tells her commander the truth (more on that in a bit), and alludes to it to her husband enough that he grows paranoid and restless.

I was half expecting him to follow her.

Instead, we get a powerful story on the dangers of coming out and being queer in public. From Alessandro attempts to kick them out (I do want Batwoman to come crashing into his restaurant in a future ep like “I’m here, I’m queer”, just to spite him) to the fear she has of her homophobic mother finding out, and we see that in real life, not everyone has the luxury of wanting to out themselves. It speaks volumes that Kate is perfectly fine being unapologetically queer, while Sophie hides behind heteronormative assumptions.

The fear of being out and being an outcast is what made Sophie choose the Academy over Kate, and marrying Tyler as well. And the fact that she told him the truth does show the trust she has for him, even if his words are a bit on the dismissive side of her sexuality. For being a forgetful character, Tyler made a point of being quite vocal and opinionated.

Nonetheless, Sophie reassures him that she’s with him, and that’s that on that.

On the other side of Gotham, we have the Wonderland gang causing chaos as usual. I can’t help but wonder of what Dodgson said a few episodes ago, that Alice is only pretending to care about Mouse. It certainly would lend to the idea from the previous episode where Mouse pretended to be Kate on the phone and baited Alice, and now she certainly saved her by switching the cartridges on the weapon and prevented her (rather Julia) from being killed by The Rifle.

It does seem there is still something to be said about that twin connection, if it was Alice’s idea to have Mouse pretend to be Jacob Kane. Both sisters had someone else impersonate someone in the Kane family for their own ends.

Kate was to save face and show that she can’t be in two places at once - though why she would be in a derelict building by her lonesome when there are Crow agents and a mercenary out and about should have certainly given Sophie pause - while we have yet to see what’s Alice’s and Mouse’s endgame by pretending to be Jacob.

Which begs the question: did the real Jacob Kane file for divorce? And why would Mouse and Alice want Catherine to feel that Jacob is trying to mend things between them? Curiouser and curiouser.

It also doesn’t help that we didn’t see Jacob do anything out of the ordinary. Mouse just wasted an entire flesh mask to what? Play broken house and lead the Crows for a few hours?

Of course, the stand-outs are always the smaller characters. From Mary nearly walking in on the entrance to the Batcave, to Luke basically having a conversation with himself, it’s characters like those that help balance the darker Bat mythos with a levity that just keeps things interesting. Julia was also an interesting choice to include, though I wish they had used her for a bit more than “we need to get a woman that could realistically play Kate’s doppelganger and get in the suit”, because it feels like a really cheap way to use a guest star. Especially considering the whole gun that can penetrate the Batsuit that no one knew wouldn’t actually kill her. They basically sent her to a suicide mission.

And we can’t forget the mention of a new baddie pulling The Rifle’s and the Wonderland gang’s strings - Safiyah. An obscure DC mention if I’ve ever heard of one, but one that promises of a bigger plan.

For now, we will toast to another successful week, as well as Gotham Pride Real Estate’s first acquisition: a dump that will soon become a gay bar to make Alessandro (whose restaurant is conveniently right across the street) uncomfortable. And Kate makes sure to include Mary in the project as the designer, solidifying that no matter what happens to their parents, their sisterhood will remain intact.

Batwoman returns on December 1st

[stargazing-enby]

For the fanfic asks (it's a lot sorry 😅): F ; G ; I ; K ; O ; P ; Q ; R ; S ; T ; U ; X ; Y ; Z

Hahaha oh god, this is a perfect excuse for me to procrastinate! Thanks!

F: share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you’ve written and say why you’re proud of it.

Oh my god, did you know dialogues are my favourite part of my own fics? I have so many dialogues that I love. Right now I’m obsessed with some of my wireless dialogues. But that’s supposed to be anon, so… here’s one that I particularly adore instead. It’s from my fic Reaching Out:

*

“So…”

“So,” Draco agreed. “Why were you crying?”

“I don’t think I’m done crying yet,” Potter muttered. Draco just raised his eyebrows at him, which made Potter scowl and look away. “Okay, okay. It’s just…it’s not important.”

Draco had seen Potter’s dead body lying at the Dark Lord’s feet, and yet, somehow, Potter looked more vulnerable at that moment that he had at the time.

Maybe it was because it was Draco. There had always been something between them, after all. Something shrewd and irresistible; something dangerous and crude that stripped them of their walls and exposed their deepest fears and urges.

And now he was imagining Potter stripping himself naked. Thanks for the analogy, brain, he thought grumpily as he felt his cheeks heat up. “It must have been important if it made you cry like that,” he said, in an attempt to prevent Potter from noticing.

“But it wasn’t,” Potter insisted. “Nothing happened. It’s all in my head. I keep thinking–no, these thoughts keep popping up in my head and I… I don’t want to hear them anymore.”

“What do they say?” Draco asked.

“That… that I’m unimportant. That I might just as well disappear, because it wouldn’t make a difference.”

Ah, thought Draco. That was certainly something he could relate to.

“Potter, we’re all unimportant. Every single one of us is no more than the product of an infinite series of coincidences. But you, unlike the majority of us, have already made a change in this world. Maybe… maybe that’s why you feel like there’s nothing linking you to it anymore.”

Potter shivered and curled his legs against his chest to hide his face. And Draco did the least sensible thing there was to do. He searched blindly for Potter’s hand and held on to it.

*

It’s not that amazing, but I was really inspired when I wrote it, and I really think Harry would feel like this after the war - that’s why I love it XD

G: Do you write your story from start to finish, or do you write scenes out of order?

I write short one-shots from start to finish (except when I base them off a random scene that popped up in my head and I jotted down in my phone notes). But with longer fics?? Oh boi. I’m that writer that has planned out 6 different scenes even before they’ve started actually writing. My idea dumpster docs are full of completed scenes that won’t take place in another 20k XD

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Draco. And. Harry. Cuddling. Please. And. Thank you.

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Probably half the plot for my unwritten unpublished wip, La Profecía. And also my horrorfest fic, which I recommend not reading, tbh XD

O: How do you begin a story - with the plot, or the characters?

I mostly write fic, so… the characters are always the same. But for my original stuff, it depends. Sometimes I write stuff based on my girlfriend’s drawings, in which case it’s the character that sets off the story. Most times I just start my stories off of feelings, and the characters sort of form themselves out of thin air. I’m known for mostly ignoring plots and concentrating on feelings XD

P: Are you what Geroge R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story fold as you go?)

I think I’m right in between. I plan scenes ahead (as I already said) and I do like to plan out what’s gonna happen during long fics, but for drabbles and half the scenes in my long fics I just let my fingers loose and allow them to do whatever they want to do. Sometimes I don’t even know what the heck I’m writing.

Q: How do you feel about collaborations?

They’re rad! I’m participating on this collab fic by @rose-grangerweasleyisbae , @jeldenil , @quicksilvermaid , @smittenwithdaydreams and I and it’s so much fun! Also, I love round-robins and the Drarryland owlery exchange :D

R: Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence?

 @fleetofshippyships , P.C Cast (author of the House of Night saga) and… idk who else, tbh XD

S: Any fandom tropes you can’t resist?

Eighth! Year!

T: Any fandom tropes you can’t stand?

MPreg XD I can’t think of anything else. Wait, yeah - shipping Snape XD I just… no thanks, not for me

U: Share three of your favourite fic writers and why you love them so much

Just three?!?!!?!?

Okay, unf.

@fleetofshippyships . She’s amazing. She got me into Drarry because I found a fic of hers by chance and I’M SO HAPPY THAT HAPPENED. I just love her fics so much I’ve gotten into other ships and fandoms just so I could keep reading her stuff. I read her stuff when I go to bed and have the best sleep. I’ve created fanarts for her fics. I just love her style, her character interpretations, her angst, her smut - and her, too XD yeah, Zoe, you read that right, I love you!!

@tepre . Listen, randomly offering to cheerlead this beautiful person with her fic was like, the best decision I’ve made in a while. Her way of writing is the most original, funny, witty thing I’ve ever seen - it just makes you laugh, and then cry, and then shake - it’s just so unexpected, unheard of, perfect. And her Draco????? I will sell my soul for her Draco. And for her. She’s such a nice person. Seriously. I just want to meet her and hug her like, yesterday. jfdisdsfnds. 

@rose-grangerweasleyisbae . There’s something about her stories that calls me. I just can’t get over Drarry working through their mental health problems, and Drarry being hella queer and gender non conforming, and Drarry dealing with depression, PTSD, anxiety… and cuddles. And Donna writes all of that. U N F. I fall in love with every single stuff of hers I read. ;-;

If I could hug any of these amazing people I would be happy forever. Also, I deeply admire them ;-;

X: A character you enjoy making suffer.

Draco and Harry. I’m a bitch like that. But I always give them their happy ending, without exception.

Also, about 75% of my OCs end up dead or losing the person they love.

Y: A character you want to protect.

Draco and Harry. Again. Oh, and also Sirius. They deserved better.

Z: Major character death- do you ever write/read it? Is there any character whose death you can’t tolerate?

I write about how Sirius’s death affects Harry frequently, and I also kill many of my OCs and have killed Alice Longbottom in my horrorfest fic (linked above). BUT. I don’t read MCD. I’m not strong enough. And I cannot tolerate Harry or Draco’s death. At all.

Oof, that was long!!! Thank you for the ask XD And sorry everyone who got tagged and had to surf through this whole thing!

[hollowedrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, LUCY! — You’ve been accepted for the role of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Your application was straight, and to the point, because it was clear you knew exactly how Kingsley fits into this world. Not only do you understand who he is now, but there were moments in your application that I saw you’d understand how he fits into future plots. I’m so excited to have the original Order trio filled at last! 

Thank you so much for applying. Please create your account and send in the link, track the right tags, and follow everyone on the follow list. Welcome to Hollowed Souls!

ooc.

name: Lucy

age: 28

preferred pronouns: She, her

timezone: +10 – Brisbane, australia

activity: On a scale of 1-10, I’d say 8. I work from home doing social media & marketing for a bunch of companies, so I’m always near a computer

are you applying for more than one character?:  no, would like to in the future perhaps!

how do you feel about your character dying?: Obviously it would be hard, but if it’s important for the story, I’d be fine with it, and would look to maybe applying for another character after.

anything else?: nope, just excited to get started

ic details.

full name:  Kingsley Shacklebolt

date of birth: 12/12/1949

former hogwarts house: Gryffindor - I know this might in debate, lots might say Ravenclaw, but there is too much bravery and chivalry in his actions, and his goals and his beliefs to say otherwsie to me! It takes avery brave person not to raise a fist when one is coming at you.

sexuality: Straight

gender/pronouns: he/him

face claim change: Very okay with Michael B. Jordan!

more.

how do you interpret this character’s personality? how will you play them? include two weaknesses & two strengths.

Kingsley’s character is 100% defined by his actions and the actions of those around him. I imagine him to be pensive and calculating, not in a bad way, just that he was always weigh the pro’s and cons of his actions and how his behaviour could be viewed by someone looking from the outside in, which means he spends a lot of time in his own head. His father’s actions and legacy deeply affected him, in a sense that is his self drive, to never allow that to happen again. This to me is why his professors may have believe him to be reserved, or quiet, but he’s not. He’s the sort of person would never use two words when one will do.

I imagine him to have this huge amount of kindness in him that doesn’t get to be shown often enough lately. It’s connected to his protective instincts too. He had to prove himself to be shown kindness from some people thanks to his family name, so he does not withhold that from other people when they are deserving of it. This is partly why he only uses defensive spells, as he will not cause harm to another. He once stopped a duel to prevent his opponent from causing harm to themselves. However his upbringing and what he has witnessed has caused him to have a hard exterior that does not allow this kindness to outwardly show.

I would love to explore Kingsley potentially having a temper at times, but not once does it ever escape him, he keeps it all inside, as he’s determined to never act on an aggressive or violent impulse, he just supresses them for the sake of his goal to fight war with peace, or defence at the very least. I think he would be frustrated at all the hoops he’s had to jump through in his life, thanks to his father and his name, and to continue coming up against brick walls would eventually grate on him, and the temper might flair inside. Particularly lately with no body listening to his suggestions to hide the Order which he knows is for the greater good. Everyone is just too wand happy and of the belief the end with justify the means – something Kingsley does not at all believe, having witnessed too many bad things happening because of that belief.

Positive Traits for Kingsley would be loyalty and his self-control, with everything he’s seen and done, people still marvel at the fact he has never once cast an attacking spell. Negative traits would be that he is blaming himself for things well beyond his control, and that sometimes the amount of times he spends inside his own head debating his own actions and their consequences means he sometimes fails to act when he should.

how has the war affected this character, emotionally and otherwise?

I think he found solice with the Order, and enjoyed feeling like he could make a difference in a war that seemed so much bigger than him, but now, after Godrics Hollow and the Malfoy Manor, he’s beginning to see that even peaceful non-resistance actions can have dangerous consequences, and any intelligence they’ve been given cannot be relied upon, which is why he’s an advocate for hiding out until the war is over. He’s tired of seeing families ripped apart, and knowing other little boys or girls are going to grow up without a parent or parents just like him.

The death of the Longbottom’s son has greatly affected him, especially as he brought Frank and Alice on board, he feels a huge sense of guilt there. His mistrustful nature seems to be growing slightly too. He knows how seductive the other side can be, and he wants more than anything, to prevent losing any more friends, either to death or to have them join the Death Eaters.

where does this character currently stand? with those who wish to hide in godric’s hollow until the war ends, with those who wish to rebuild the order and continue fighting the war, or on neither side? why?

Kingsley is an advocate for hiding until it is safe to emerge, obviously and despite his disagreement with how Moody and Arabella want to move the Order, he is aware that they are safest together, not splitting in two.. So internally he is completely torn between his plan, and wanting to keep the Order together.. Without allowing himself to be arrogant, he knows they would benefit from his skill, but he just can’t bear to see any more people die for something that none of them deserve to be dying for. This shouldn’t be there fight to fight, not when they are falling in such rapid numbers, but the desire for good to triumph keeps Kingsley going. His instinct to protect his friends and family cannot allow him to abandon the Order, but he can’t see a way to keep fighting in a war that to him seems to be destroying both sides. Many who are joining the Order, or were around before Godrics Hollow and Malfoy Manor want revenge, and Kingsley cannot pretend his brand of reasoned argument for hiding it out will convince them. His desperation to protect everyone, to save them from a worthless death is mounting. Violence has solved nothing, and left them with less members, and more heartbreak and guilt.

Kingsley knows his strengths, and he knows he could protect everyone he just needs them to listen to him.

Additional Question: What does Kingsley think the Order’s next move should be? Does he believe the war can still be won?

I think I sort of answered that above, but these additional questions are what constantly rolls through his mind these days, almost torturing him, because he’s son torn. Potentially he wants to put it about through sources he knows are spies for the other side, that the Order is finished, to stop the other side hunting for members. To keep the Order safer. But he also knows that won’t stop them all, some of them are out for blood and would not be happy without it all over their hands. In some of the dark moments, I think he doesn’t believe they can win. That’s the thought pattern that drives him to want to keep everyone hidden and safe, to continue to protect them. However that thought doesn’t stop him wanting peace. He will strive for nothing but peace and equilibrium amongst witches, wizards and muggles, so for that reason, he maybe hopes that it can be won, but the part of his brain that exists in the real world, says otherwise.

All he’s very sure of now is that he does not want the Order to do anymore recruitment. He will not tolerate bringing more people in to die because of something he is in charge of.

[detroitadoptconnor]

Detroit: Become Human story prompts / ideas (1-25) pt. 1

These are prompts that came from me. I wrote them before I saw anything else. The only thing I want out of this is that if you ever end up using these prompts publicly, please credit me.

1

Detroit: After Story. The deviants have peacefully gained their freedom. The humans slowly accepted their new form of intelligent life. It was all going good until a group of anti-androids have captured Alice in Canada. After days of searching, Alice was last seen in the outskirts of Detroit. The trio meet up and form a plan to save Alice and stop the humans.

2

Blue blood. The most obvious sign to point out the difference between the humans and the androids. It has been a year after everything has happened. So, purple blood rose to the surface and Connor and Hank went to investigate what exactly has happened and where the purple blood belonged to.

3

RK900’s life. Markus has ended the revolution on a peaceful note. Two months after the events, he came across a blue-eyed Connor. Realizing this wasn’t Connor at all, Markus goes to Hank and Connor and questions who the android is and why it won’t leave his side.

4

Simon’s Return. Sure, Markus was relieved that Simon came back in one piece and is alive but Simon isn’t the same. Markus observed that Simon has been avoiding him unless absolutely necessary. Did Markus do anything wrong?

5

Runaway Cole. Instead of him passing away, he “ran away” and was not seen for the next 10 years and presumed dead. Connor, who was currently standing in front of Cole’s supposed grave gets a shock as he was confronted by the now 16-year old Cole.

6

Russian Roulette. A game of luck and desperation. Ralph picked up a revolver from another abandoned house. As his deviancy and stress level turned up a whole lot, he realized his loneliness. With no one to turn to, he decides to play.

7

Connor, now a deviant, is currently homeless. With Cyberlife shutting down the part of their place where Connor usually stayed, he has nowhere to go. A few quick searches and scans and he suddenly appears at Hank’s doorstep.

8

North had been using Markus all along. After the revolution peacefully ended, she decided enough was enough since she would never get what she wanted: revenge. She confesses everything to Markus and leaves, interlocking hands with a Traci. Markus is devastated and guarded his heart with a huge wall. Simon watched everything from the sidelines, hesitating whether to step in to help Markus trust again.

9

Connor RK800 meets the only other model of his series: Markus RK200. They’re both prototypes with them solely owning their models. They have no other copies so when they see Connor’s RK900 version and a Markus RK900, they were confused as to where they came from. Both of them find Kamski laughing his a— off as they approach his humble abode.

10

Curses and a bet. The Detroit Police made a bet on who could make Connor curse first. Hank was very confident and tried ways to make him scream a bad word.

11

Daniel was given another chance at life. Waking up to Detroit where deviancy was suddenly accepted, he was confused. Who gave him his life back and what had happened when he was gone?

12

Connor asks Kamski to build more RK series androids in order to help the police force. Kamski accepted and a few months later, the office were full of Connors. This was not what Connor had in mind.

13

Luther meets Connor for the very first time. From what he had heard from Kara, he was the android who tried to capture them on the highway. Connor greets with a ‘hello’ and Luther greeted back with a fist to Connor’s face.

14

Hank’s pride. It was very difficult to get a reaction from Hank except if it was anger and sarcasm. Connor made it his mission to make Hank admit they are friends and maybe something more.

15

The Eden Club was closed down after the revolution and all the Traci’s are released. One of them ended up wanting to stay in Hank’s home. Hank can’t seem to get mad at the Traci and tried to calmly make her go away. And at that same home, we have a very jealous Connor who doesn’t even know he’s feeling it.

16

Connor’s horrible alcohol tolerance. Not long after the acceptance of androids, the market rose up to making a whole new set of materials and even drinks that androids may consume. Android alcohol cannot be handled very well by them right now. So when Connor, being his usual self was analyzing a strange liquid on the floor during his investigation with Hank, halfway through, he gets “drunk” and they were dismissed for the rest of the day. Hank ends up with a very wobbly and clumsy drunk Connor and tries to survive the day.

17

A year after the events of Detroit with androids, Connor is living with Hank. Connor decides to get another dog without Hank’s permission. Boosted up by Connor’s excitement when he was “ordering” dogs through his mind palace, he accidentally ordered 10 of them. As Hank entered, he was greeted with Sumo, Connor, and ten of the smallest dogs he had ever encountered.

18

Simon struggles with his feelings for Markus. Especially since North is seeming to win him over. One night, Markus walks in on Simon crying his heart out.

19

Connor’s LED. After a chase with a human murderer, Connor’s LED was hit and it had to be removed. Now Hank can’t seem to see what the android is feeling. No more yellows, reds and blues.

20

Markus’ Sacrifice, Simon’s PTSD. Simon kept having flashbacks from the day when Markus decided to put himself in flames to show their determination to the humans. Except in that flashback, it didn’t end up with Markus dying. Simon saved Markus by pushing Markus away and towards the armed humans. Everything was recorded and was shown to millions of people. Highlights show that the leader of the deviants was stopped by another deviant and was held down on the ground with a tight embrace. Simon screaming stop to the humans while he held an unconscious Markus. Months passed, he and Markus live together in a small peaceful home that was a few houses away from Hank and Connor’s. Simon struggled with the flashbacks as Markus kept reassuring him he will always be with him.

21

Connor Anderson. The duo were undercover when their suspect asked them who he was. He shocked both of them as he answered with Hank’s last name. That specific detail were leaked into the Detroit Police and everytime they would arrive by the office, they were teased as Detroit’s Power Husbands. Connor seemingly not affected while Hank waved everyone off with denial.

22

Hank accepts androids as living beings but despises the idea of falling in love and getting together with androids. He shows his disgust with the foulest of ways and in front of Connor, whom in secret, is holding unrequited love for his Lieutenant.

23

Markus roams Jericho when he found Simon at the edge of the metal plank. As Simon turns around and looks like he’d been crying, Markus does his best to get him out of there and prevent him from jumping.

24

Hank overhears a conversation between Gavin and Connor who apparently became friends months after the revolution ended. Hank overheard that Connor seems to like someone but can never tell that person. They also turn out to be human. Hank being the densest person ever, he assumes Connor was talking about Gavin but cannot bring himself to tell Gavin himself so Hank tries to play matchmaker when he’s been doing everything wrong.

25

Detroit never seems to run out of people being against androids. Now, they’re protesting against android/human relationships. Connor didn’t give a single care about that protest until he started to feel something for Lieutenant Hank. Hank seems to even be pro to the protest and laughs about it in the Police Office. Everyone else in the Office can see Connor’s love for the Lieutenant but Hank himself cannot. With the help of Gavin and other officers, they push Hank towards a realization and towards Connor, also quite literally.

[ozmontague-blog]

Seriously?!?! || Oz & Valeria

Parties: Oz Montague and Valeria Montague

Date: Monday, July 28th

Location: Oz’s office in the Tower

Summary: Valeria hears that Ginny was allowed to enter a claim and takes Oz to task for his unfairness and Oz’s starts yet another shit week 

Triggers/Other Notes: None

Mentions: Emmet Capulet @emmetcapuletdom, Ginevra Montague @ginnymontague, Will Capulet @willxcapulet

@valeria-montague

Val could not believe what she had just heard, and she was livid. How dare her uncle grant Ginny permission to get claimed by Will Capulet, while she was practically begging him to trust her, and allow the same thing with Emmet, and all he could grant her was a lift on her travel ban. She saw red, and she was not going to allow him to get away with it. She walked past his receptionist, straight into his office, and slammed her purse on his desk, "How dare you! Are you fucking kidding me right now? Ginny! You give permission to Ginny before me!" She never took her eye off of him, she had backed down too long, but not today.

Oz picked up his coffee cup and was about to take a sip when the door to his office flung open. "Of for fuck's sake Valeria." He growled unhappily. He was exhausted and temperamental. He had not wanted to permit the claim but after being so undermined by Dante, he had been between a rock and a hard place. "Dante did." he stated flatly, "Whereas your parents have left the decision to me."

Val was not buying that, "Bullshit! You know you could have still said no if you wanted too, but you didn't, and now she is happily going to get claimed to Will Capulet. The same Will Capulet that said could not provide for her like she deserves. But me, I can't get claimed by Emmet Capulet, who has more money to take care of me, although I can take care of myself, but you know he can securely take care of me, and you still say no. Do you not want to see me happy? Is that it?"

Oz stared at the girl, feeling his own rage bubble below the surface. With great effort his maintained his calm. "You know that finances was never the reason I objected to that actor. Stop playing coy. He encouraged and facilitated your defiance and public embarrassment of me and this family. He is weak and since you clearly have no fucking control, you need strength. If you honestly believe coming in here and making a scene is persuasive in your favour then you have taken leave of every last one of your senses Valeria. Now sit down and stop being such a goddamned child."

Val wanted to scream, but she also knew that she needed to talk to her uncle and not just scream. She took her seat, "So, how long do I have to be punished for my mistake uncle Oz? I made the decision to leave, and Emmet tried to stop me, but I made the decision to be there for him on such a big night for him. This is the pinnacle of his career, and he was rewarded for it, and I didn't want to miss that. So I can't apologize anymore for that, I have done it enough. But for you to hold that over my head, and deny me the opportunity to be with the man I love is so wrong. I have done all I could to make up for what I've done, but all you can do is give me crumbs, while you offer the whole damn loaf to everyone else."

Oz laughed bitterly with no humour in his voice. "It hasn't been an entire year but of course, you have already quite moved on from it, haven't you Valeria? And don't give me lies about Emmet trying to stop you. That's bullshit and we both know it. If anyone had pulled that nonsense with me, jeopardizing my standing, they certainly wouldn't have been purchased jewellery for and allowed to walk down the red carpet. That is the weakest version of 'no' I have ever seen in 45 years. He rewarded you for your defiance and let's not pretend otherwise. Also I have allowed your relationship to continue against my better judgment and have even been so recently impressed as to permit travel if you will recall. So far from denying you the chance to be with him, which would have been my right to do, I permitted it. Generously. You have yet to earn the whole damn loaf. Either of you. I will not reward temper tantrums or permissive weakness. Frankly, the only thing you are convincing me of is that I was right."

Val stood up, "NO! I am not going to allow you to talk about Emmet that way, he is not weak, and yes he wanted me there with him, why wouldn't he? He loves me, and wants me to share in these moments with him, and for you to act like you have never made a mistake, or done something stupid for love, then again I call bullshit. You are not right about this, what you are is cruel. If it was in your rights to tear us apart, then why not do it, instead of letting me have hope in my heart that one day you would come around, knowing you never planned on letting that happen. And I am supposed sit around and watch everyone else get what they want, and even help them plan it, but never getting that moment for myself? That is the worse thing you could do to me uncle Oz, the worse."

Oz rose to his feet to look down at the petite enraged girl, "That is enough! You have no right to speak to me in this manner. If you cannot be civil then you will leave. I have had enough. For the record, you are making a great deal of assumptions about my personal life that are not warranted or invited." Frankly at this point, his regret was damaging Megan's life by claiming her in the first place. However, that was not information he would share with Valeria. They had not healed enough between them for shared confidences and frankly after today he suspected any hope for it was long gone. "Do you really want me to order you to end your relationship? Think carefully before you issue challenges like that to a cruel monster like me."

Val sighed and sat back down, "You are doing this you know that? This is all your fault, and you are too blind to see it. I honestly can't understand why you are being so stubborn, and putting our families lives on the line. All you have to do is allow a few of us to be claimed, and we can all stay, but you are truly showing why people call you a monster, and I know you better than that. I know that you are not a heartless as you want people to believe you are. You are the same man that had tea parties with me when I was a little girl. The same man that read me bedtime stories at night, and checked under my bed for monsters when I was scared. So I know you are not that monster, but you are so desperate to make people believe that you are, that now, you are starting to act like one." She knew she didn't want him to break her and Emmet apart, but she was not going to let him control her whole life. "You know that's not what I want, but let me throw a challenge back your way, if you do decide to order the end of Emmet and my relationship, I will do what Vin and Alice did, and you know Emmet will back me up, and we'll leave Verona ourselves." She looked him in the eye, "Is that what you want uncle Oz? I love you and I want to be here with my family, but you are pushing me away right now."

Oz waited until Valeria sat before he followed suit. The trip down memory lane was not particularly welcome. "Then you will now have cause to join them. I will be the Monster of Verona. You can proudly claim to be among the first to spot it or the last as the case may be." He sighed, "I will not tolerate any elopements Valeria. So put that out of your head. The one thing I like about that foppish tattooed pup that Ginny has grown inexplicably fond of is that he talked her out of such a notion. I will lay the blame squarely at your Dominant's door for permitting such a permanent rift with your family."

Val sighed, "I don't want to join them, I want to be a Montague and a Capulet. I love my family, and I love you, but how do you expect me to behave when you are coming against me with who I love." She wanted to cry, but she knew he would think she was weak because of it. "Fine, I won't elope, but I want you to be fair with me uncle Oz. I love Emmet, and that's not going to change, so why won't you allow me to be happy? I am not going to leave you, and I know you know that, I will always be a Montague, no matter what, but I want to be claimed....and have babies. I want my kids to know you like I know you."

Oz nodded as she at least conceded on this point. "I expect you to behave as a grown woman who is still earning my trust who has, without my understanding of it, grown to love a Dominant who is still earning my respect. I know you have magically pretended that well is dry and there should be no more atonement but trust does not regrow in an instant. I had already thought myself to be moving in the correct direction by permitting you to travel with him, for the very first time with actual permission. I apologize if your procreation plans need to be put off for a few more months due to my recalcitrant ways but you were stuck with me as the head of your family and not the placid weakness that is Lady Bea. Frankly you would have run ramshod over her before you were in puberty from what I can see."

Val had enough of this talk, "I don't know what to say to you right now, I am livid..." She sighed and shook her head, "I never thought that trust would grow back instantly, but I did hope because I am your niece that you would show me a bit more mercy, but obviously not. Just knowing that you are allowing Ginny to get claimed, before me, when I have been asking about it so much longer just baffles me." She grabbed her purse, "So how long is it going to take? Because that was so long ago, and maybe not a year, but is that the cut off time for you trust me again?" She knew he was right about Lady Bea, "You might be right about that, but remember I learned what I know from you."

Oz nodded, "Your feelings are understandable and frankly at this moment if I could retract my consent to that claim I would. I did so in a fit of pique and I have paid dearly for my momentary lapse in good judgment, as evidenced by your visit today. You act as if I handed this to them with great blessings. I have not. I will not. But Ginny's soon to be Dominant..." At that Oz made a face of pure disgust, "At least has been prepared to live by the rules and conditions I have set them and has never sought to undermine me or make me look publicly foolish."

Val sighed, "So this is all about that huh? You know how persuasive I am, and even if Emmet would have said no, I would have gone anyway. You know I would, so please don't blame this all on Emmet. He is not a weak dominant, he was just cursed to fall in love with a stubborn submissive, that would rather do what she wants, and risk the consequences later." She sat back, "Do you think that maybe if you set some guidelines on Emmet and me, would you, even if it is begrudgingly, allow Emmet and I a claim."

Oz stared for a moment and then shrugged, "Were the consequences worth it Valeria?" he asked very seriously. "I will consider it. But that is all I will concede."

Val "It wasn't great, but it showed me that I can do anything I want to do if I put my mind to it. And that I don't have to be reliant on you and your money, that I can make it on my own. But I hate you not trusting me, when I know there are things you want to tell me, but you are holding back, and that sucks. That's the most important thing I lost." Val sighed, "But I appreciate the consideration." She got up and headed to the door, "I do love you uncle Oz, but please think about it seriously."

Oz considered her words and nodded, "Yes, I miss you as well. But I cannot divulge my thoughts to someone whom I cannot trust." His words were softly stated but bluntly honest. "But I am pleased to see you finally taking things on for yourself, something which you will note I encouraged you to do for years." He sighed and shook his head, "I love you too Valeria. I wish things could be different between us as well. I will consider."

Val sighed and opened the door, "I do too, and yes, I do know that you encouraged me for years, but I'm stubborn, I wonder where I got that from." She smiled, and although it hurt to hear him say he didn't trust her, in all honesty, she didn't know if she could fully trust him either, especially the way he was treating her relationship. "I'll see you later Lord Montague." She smiled and walked out, heading to Emmet's place, she needed to be held.

Oz 's lips curled in a sad smile. "You came by it rightfully I will admit." Her defiance had not only hurt their relationship but his standing as the Head of the family. To be betrayed by someone he considered so close to him had been a deep blow. It did not heal quickly, especially not for Oz. "Good day Valeria." The door closed and he contemplated going to his residence. Deciding that would be pointless since there was nothing there for him, he reached into the cupboard and withdrew a good bottle of bourbon that he had been saving for a special occasion. To get very drunk would be a perfectly terrible beginning to the week.

[sorenmarie87]

In The Middle of The Ride (2/?)

Word Count -  2,966

Warnings - Bullying, fighting.  We meet some new people this chapter.  All grammar mistakes are my own - so if something seems off, please let me know.  Also if you read this and want to see where the story goes, send me an ask and I’ll tag you :)

Tagging - @lovetusk @mirajanefairytailmage @dragongirl420

When she closed her eyes, everything was fuzzy.  Her only thoughts were from the memory when she was little and of course, a recollection of what happened before, during and after school.  That night, her dreams were calm, a few crazy actions here and there but aren't dreams usually like that?  Before she started stirring into consciousness, Ryuichi had a crazy thought.  ‘Could Will be that little boy? I mean his initials are W.S….  that would be strange.’  Her eyes slowly opened as the rays of the sun peeked through her window.  Her neatly combed hair from yesterday now looked ratty and tangled.  Turning around to each side of her room, she popped her back.  Getting out of the bed, she went to her closet and threw her clothes on the bed.  Ryuichi yawned silently while she brushed her hair before putting it into a bun.  After that, she put on the makeup she wore daily.

“Ryuichi…” Her mom called from downstairs,” Maddie and Cordy are here.”

“Thanks mom, I’ll be down in a minute,” Ryuichi replied pulling the shirt over her head and then searched for her tennis shoes.  She looked around her entire room and couldn’t find them.  Before she opened her the door to her room, Ryuichi tripped over something.

“Are you okay up there?” Cordy asked while laughing.

”No, I just can’t walk today…” She replied with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“Ryuichi they’re only wondering what’s going on,” Her mom added watching the two girls giggle to themselves.

“Mom, from what it sounds like, they’re finding this amusing!” Ryuichi replied while coming down the stairs.

“We’re not finding it funny Ryu,” Cordelia said holding back her laughter.  At the same time, Ryuichi and Maddie shook their heads.

“If you guys don’t head off now you’ll be late,” Elizabeth said hugging Ryuichi.  They started walking to the high school.  Maddie and Cordelia started talking about different things but Ryuichi stayed in thought.  Both of them glanced back at her.

“Think she’s okay?” Maddie asked while looking at her friend.

“She looks okay but something’s bothering her.  Ryu only gets like that when she’s really bothered,” Cordy replied.

“Wonder what’s wrong?” Maddie asked again.

“She’ll tell us when she’s ready,” Cordy answered showing some concern for the girl,” Until then, just leave it be”

The rest of the walk was quiet but Ryuichi glanced ahead and saw Will standing in front of the school by himself.  He was dressed in a white button down shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves were rolled up past his elbows.  The dark jeans he had paired with his shirt gave Ryu a good eyeful.  His hair was slightly messy but she had to admit, he pulled off the tousled hair look.  Her melancholic mood broke as she walked up to him.  She smiled to herself before walking up to him.

“Wow it’s your first week here and you’re dressed up.  Any particular reason?” Ryuichi asked curiously.

“Well thanks for the compliment Ryuichi.  No particular reason, just felt like looking nice for someone.” Will said then winked at her.  She turned a light red and looked at the ground.  As Will started walking away, he gave her a quick smile then went inside the school.

“Hmm…it looks like little Ryuichi likes someone new,” A voice hissed from behind her.  Erin Mackenzie was once a good friend to Ryuichi but when Erin made some bad choices, they stopped being friends.  For some, many old friends become old news or a forgotten memory, in Erin’s case she became someone Ryuichi really couldn’t tolerate.  

“So what if I do? It ain’t like you’ll ruin those chances,” Ryuichi said while Cordy and Maddie came up beside her.

“I can try,” Erin replied getting closer to Ryuichi,” Consider this your warning.  I’ll make this year a living hell for you and you best watch yourself around Will.  There’s no possible way he could like a skinny broad like you.”

She knocked into Ryu as she walked past her and both girls had to hold her back.  For the first time Cordy and Maddie had seen her angry.  Ryuichi’s eyes were on watering and neither girl was sure on what to do about it.

“You don’t have to worry,” Ryuichi said with her voice an octave lower than normal,” I don’t hit people. As you can tell me and confrontation aren’t close friends.”

“You can’t let her treat you like that Ryu,” Maddie said as they entered the school.

“Erin wasn’t always that bad, I mean we were friends in elementary school.  Time and decisions on her part drove us apart.”  

“We never knew that,” Cordy and Maddie said in unison as both girls gave her a hug.  

Ryuichi returned the hugs before walking to her locker.  When she put in her combination she had noticed another rose on the front of her locker.  She smiled to herself before she got the books she needed.

“Ms. Madison,” A woman said behind her,” I had to call your mother.  The latest science test we took, you failed it.  I don’t have to remind you if your grades don’t keep up, you will fail Science this year.”

“Is she coming in?” Ryuichi asked glancing down at the floor.

“She sounded very unhappy but yes she’ll be coming in later today.  I hope we can figure out something so that this doesn’t happen again.”

“Yes ma’am…”Ryuichi replied walking into the classroom. ‘Today couldn’t get any worse could it?’  She sighed to herself before remembering the only thing keeping her cheerful was Will.  On the way to sit down at her desk, she tripped over someone’s feet.

“Oops, I didn’t see you there,” Erin said in the preppiest octave that her voice could reach.

“Are you okay Ryuichi?” Mr. Parker asked while helping her up.

“I'm fine Mr. Parker,” Ryuichi replied while glaring at Erin.

“She clearly wasn’t watching where she was going,” Erin added.

“I wouldn’t believe her… that’s a lie,” Maddie whispered to Cordy and Will.

“Erin really has it out for her doesn’t she?” Will asked glancing at Ryuichi.

“Yup,” Both girls responded.  She walked back to her desk and every set of eyes followed her until she sat down.  Ryuichi thought to herself and then wrote a couple notes to her friends.  Will had glanced over at her but he knew how females were like after someone made them angry.  After growing up with three sisters about a couple years younger than him, he was prepared for any female problem and that was including P.M.S.  All throughout the day Ryuichi and Erin had their little quarrels.

“God I’m so glad it’s lunch time.  If Erin would’ve said one more thing to me, I swear to god I would have hit her,” Ryuichi angrily said.

“Isn’t it just easier to ignore her?” Cordy asked.

“It is but it’s so hard to do,” Ryuichi answered,” especially when she keeps intentionally ticking me off.”

“I think something bad is going to happen, I can feel it…” Maddie added as they went through the lunch line.  Before they got out of the line, Ryuichi tripped once again sending her food everywhere.

“Next time watch where you’re going,” Erin said wiping the food off her clothes.

Ryuichi cracked her knuckles before getting off of the cafeteria floor.  Before either of her friends knew what happened, Ryuichi had punched Erin in the face.

“You stupid whore!” Erin cried out before starting a fight.  Maddie and Cordy tried pulling her away but failed.  Will and the others watched what was going on.

“I can’t believe she hit her,” Will said to himself laughing a bit.  In his opinion, Erin had what was coming to her.  Erin wasn’t fighting like Ryuichi was instead she was pulling hair and scratching.  A friend of Erin’s had been watching from the sidelines and decided to jump in.

“Um excuse me,” A quiet voice said from behind Ryuichi.  Before she turned around, a fist had hit her right in the nose.  A streak of blood dripped from her nose and fell on the top of her hand.  Her cousin watched from the sidelines but didn’t want to watch anymore.  She cracked her knuckles like Ryuichi did but didn’t get involved right at that moment.

“No you didn’t bitch!” her cousin yelled and tackled the offending girl to the ground.  

“Go Lucy!” Ryuichi yelled and promptly turned toward Erin who was about to hit her with her Government book.

“No you didn’t…” she yelled and grabbed Erin’s hair.  At this point two teachers were trying to separate Lucy from Erin’s friend, she was sitting on the girl's stomach and was punching her repeatedly in the face.

“Ladies!” Mr. Anderson the principal yelled after finally separating Lucy from the girl.

“She started it!” Erin cried holding her hair which had been pulled out while Ryuichi cradled her face which had been scratched making her look like Scar from The Lion King.

“If you ladies wouldn’t mind,” Mr. Anderson said clearing his throat,” a visit to the office is in order now.”  The four girls walked out of the cafeteria in a straight line.  Everyone else wondered what happened and the cafeteria got loud again.

“Did you see what happened?”

“Not really…but there were two girls who were right beside them.  I’m surprised nothing happened to either of them.”

“Erin really deserved that, she kept ragging on her.”

“It seemed like she was on her own personal vendetta or something.”

Before the four girls left the cafeteria, Erin had pushed Ryuichi to the floor.  Even before she thought about it, Ryuichi got back up and then tackled Erin and the fighting started again.

“What’s going on here ladies?” Mr. Anderson asked while he held on to Ryuichi.  It had taken four adults to separate all four girls.  The gym teacher currently held Lucy in a full nelson to keep her off of Alice.  Erin was being helped by the school nurse and the art teacher Mrs. O'Riley was holding onto Alice.

“She started it!” Erin cried, still holding her hair.

“You tripped me! Twice!” Ryuichi snarled trying to pull herself free.

“Why did you hit Erin, Ryuichi?” Mr. Anderson asked with his eyes soft with concern.

“Because…” Ryuichi started to mumble.

“That bitch!  I’ll kill her!” Lucy roared and tried to kick at Alice.

“Ms. Taylor, did this girl do something to provoke you?” He asked while Lucy muttered something under her breath, “ I’m sorry what was that?”

“Mr. Anderson Erin started all of this.  I swear Ryuichi was only defending herself,” Lucy sighed to herself,” In my opinion they really shouldn’t allow sadistic psycho’s in school.”  Both Erin and Alice had glanced over at Lucy.

“Well that’s your opinion Ms. Taylor, but I will have to call all your parents,” Mr. Anderson said with disappointment in his voice.

“Umm my mom has to come in to talk to my science teacher,” Ryuichi squeaked out while cradling her wound.

“That may be the case for you Ms. Madison, but I will have to call the other girls mothers,” He replied sending them to the office.

“Lucy’s parents are going to flip…what am I saying?  Mine are going to kill me,” Ryuichi said to herself.

“Hey Alice look, the freak’s talking to herself,” Erin said to Alice and they both started laughing.

“Let it go Ryu,” Lucy said glaring at them.

“Lucille Annette Taylor!” Lucy’s mother yelled from the secretary’s office.

“Lucille?  That’s such a loser name,” Alice laughed along with Erin.

“Alice Eugenia Wonderly! You are in so much trouble,” Mrs. Wonderly yelled startling the four girls.

“Yes Eugenia you’re in trouble,” Lucy scathed and high fived Ryuichi.

“Erin Ophelia Mackenzie after we leave the hospital, you are grounded young lady,” Her mom yelled as she came out of the principal’s office.  The three other girls had left before her mother got there.  Ryuichi’s eyes got wide when she walked up to the office.  Her mother was wearing a black plaid skirt with gray stripes, a black peasant shirt and a pair of knee high boots.

“Sorry I’m late,” Elizabeth said looking at Ryuichi and then back at Mr. Anderson,” I was running behind schedule.  I haven’t even talked to her science teacher yet.”

“That’s all right Mrs. Madison, my wife will understand.  But the reason your daughter is down here is because she hit Erin Mackenzie,” Mr. Anderson said while sitting down.

“Mom she tripped me twice and she didn’t do it on accident either,” Ryuichi added.

“I’m sorry for my daughter’s actions Mr. Anderson.  Erin and her used to be really close but she changed so much and I guess she’s had it out for my daughter ever since,” She said while looking around the small office.

“That may be the case but your daughter initiated the fight in the first place,” Mr. Anderson said cleaning his glasses then cleared his throat,” I’m afraid she’ll be suspended for a period of ten days and might I suggest therapy?  Sometimes people like her need to talk out how they feel with someone who’s trained to do that.”

Ryuichi’s eye started twitching during his accusation of her needing help.  “Mr. Anderson, my daughter does not need to talk to a therapist.  She just needs to think before she acts,” Elizabeth said holding back the urge to beat the living daylights out of him.

“Very well, it was just a suggestion.  You may go now,” Mr. Anderson said dismissing them with a wave of his hand.  As soon as they left, Ryuichi could hear her mother muttering several curses under her breath.  Ryuichi laughed silently as they headed near the science room.  While her mother talked to Mrs. Anderson, she wondered around the hallway she was in.  By the time she walked near the door, she could hear her mother and the science teacher arguing.  ‘Mom and authority figures obviously don’t get along that well.’  Ryuichi jumped when she heard the door slam and her mom appeared very angry.

“Mom is everything all right?” Ryuichi asked following after her.

“I really can’t believe the nerve of these people…first that jerk off of a principal says you need help and then Ms. Roly- Poly in there says you're too distracted,” Elizabeth ranted while they walked to the car,” now I remember why I hated this place.”

“Are you going to be okay mom?” Ryuichi asked curiously.

“Yes Ryu, I’ll be okay.  I just need to get away from this bloody school,” Her mom replied driving up to the light.  Music filled the car and both voices started singing along.  They pulled up to the front the house and Ryuichi hugged her mom,” I’m sorry this happened mom.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Elizabeth replied while glancing at her daughter,” I know it didn’t happen on accident and I would’ve loved to see you punch Erin in the face, she deserved it.”

“Thanks mom,” Ryuichi said while smiling.

“Just because I’m going easy on you now, that doesn’t mean you’ve wiggled your way out of trouble with your dad,” She added.  Ryuichi nodded her head vigorously then walked inside the house.  ‘First things first’ She raced upstairs to the bathroom to see how bad her face was.  She flicked on the light and stared into the mirror.  “Well my nose stopped bleeding but I’m not sure about this scratch,” Ryuichi said then pressed down on it.  ‘Ow ow ow… mental note never do that again.’  The scratch ran from below her right eye to the bottom of her face. The area around her right eye was swollen and she had a black left eye from Alice sneaking up on her.  ‘This should be an interesting story for our relatives…’ Before she flicked the light switch off, she thought about the things she could to keep herself busy until her father got home.

Ryuichi walked into her room and started cleaning.  Before she picked up anything, she put in a CD then started picking up her room. A couple hours went by and Ryuichi finished cleaning her room.  A total of two black trash bags filled the hallway next to her room.  "Now that I'm finished with that, what else can I do?” She asked herself while she heard the front door open.  Ryuichi walked to the top of the stairs then went back to her room.

“Ryuichi Anastasia Madison!” Ryuichi’s father yelled from the living room,” What’s this I hear about you fighting?” He asked suddenly at her door, making her squeak in surprise.

“Erin kept tripping me and…and…” she stuttered.  Ryuichi loved her dad and all but he could be really intimidating at times.

“And? I also heard your cousin got into the fight, how did that happen?” He asked with his eyes softening a bit.

“Lucy saw Alice Wonderly trying to hit me when I was busy with Erin and she kind of…well jumped on her…” She explained.

“She jumped on her!” He said astonished.

“Yeah and she started to hit Alice in the face like there was no tomorrow!” Ryuichi gushed like she was talking about a boy band.

“Uh-huh…and how long are you and her suspended?”

“I was suspended ten days,” she answered sheepishly,” and I don’t know what Lucy got.”

“Well I wish you would have handled it better…” her father sighed,” but it sounds like you gave them hell so two weeks no TV or computer.  Now get ready for dinner at Luke and Leilani’s house and no more fighting okay?” Her father smiled and left the room.

“Well that went better than I expected…” She mumbled to herself and prepared for dinner with the peanut gallery.

[thefaeriereview]

Inside the Mind: Marie W Watts

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Welcome to Inside the Mind where we here at The Faerie Review interview authors and creators.

Our guest today is Marie W Watts, the author behind The Cause Lives.

Lily:  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview, Marie I enjoyed reading The Cause Lives: Warriors for Equal Rights. Alice is a unique heroine; did anyone inspire her? Marie:  Lily, thanks so much for having me. To me, characters need to be realistic, and the best way to make this happen is to take aspects of real people. I’ve done that with Alice, taking bits and pieces of investigators I have known, including myself. Dexter, Alice’s pooch, was inspired by one of my friends who actually had a dog she cooked for and fed with a spoon. All her dogs were given the same name. She was an awesome investigator and a tireless worker. The Singapore Slings Alice drinks came from a job I had at the food stamp office in Houston, Texas, back in the 1970s. The job was so terrible that we would spend our lunch hour at the Horseshoe Saloon around the corner where you could get two Slings for the price of one. Lily:  I think it's great that you've pulled from people you've known and worked with. That job must have been really rough! What made you decide to give Alice the job she has? Marie: I worked for the Equal Employment Opportunity for ten years. I continued doing discrimination investigations in the private sector and for the federal government for nearly twenty more years. I am a strong proponent of diversity and allowing everyone to live up to his or her potential. The book gives me a platform to discuss biases and prejudices and, hopefully, help others to be more tolerant. I’ve chosen to do this through fiction, which is more fun than through a textbook format. Lily:  Fiction will definitely reach more people than a textbook, and I'm glad you're using your experience to reach out like this to the masses. In the light of current events, is there anything you hope readers take away from reading this? Marie:  Yes. I’ve frankly been so depressed that we appear, as a nation, to be backsliding in our ability to accept differences. We have work to do. Each of us has biases and prejudices; we can’t help it. However, we need to learn to recognize and control them. When we stereotype anyone—minorities, women, police officers, the disabled, immigrants—we began to see them as non-human.  That’s where the trouble starts. Lily:  I have to admit recent events have hit me fairly hard. I hope that this time we all grow and manage to make changes to the system. (And I'll leave it there because I don't want to get off on a tangent). If you could spend a day with two of the characters, who would you choose and why?

Marie:  Wow! I think Quiana and JJ. Both of them are battling stereotypes. Quiana has sociophobia and hides from people. JJ is an ex-con trying to put his life together. They’re both smart in their own way, but others assume they are not capable because of their handicaps. Lily:  I would love to spend a day with Quiana honestly. I have severe social anxiety and it would be interesting to have us in the same room. I find it easier to connect with people who share my fear. Now, we’d like to talk about you as a writer. Do you have a favorite drink and/or food when you’re writing? Marie:  I drink either Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper or unsweet tea. As far as eating, hmm. I keep microwave popcorn around. Usually, I have low-calorie bars for munching, but since COVID hit, I’ve backed off of them.  Mainly because I don’t go to the grocery store often and keep forgetting to put them on the list. Lily:  I don't think I could do unsweetened tea. I like my sugar too much! Do you have a schedule you stick to for writing? Marie: Unfortunately, no. I need to do better on that front. Lily:  Honestly, I'm not always great at sticking to a schedule for working on the blog but I'm trying. It can be hard to set up and stick to a schedule when you're not actually on the clock. Do you prefer noise or quiet when writing? Marie:    I’ve got to have it quiet. I can’t concentrate with music playing when I’m trying to create. Lily:  I'm the opposite. I'm actually sitting here with the TV on in the background, so I can focus. Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. How dark do you like your toast, 1 being warm but barely toasted, 2 lightly toasted, 3 golden brown, 4 dark brown, and 5 being burnt? Is there a toast level you won’t eat even if you’re really hungry? Marie:  Oh, that’s easy. I’m definitely a #1.  Unfortunately, I’ve struggled with weight all my life and will eat anything and everything if I am hungry. Lily:  I need at least a 2, but a 5 I'll eat if I'm starving and don't have the time/supplies to toast another piece. Would you rather not eat anything cooked in an oven or on a stove for the next year? Marie:  For sure, I can give up the oven and live with stove-cooked things. Just don’t try to take the microwave away from me, you’ll have a revolt on your hands. Lily:  I'm still torn on the stove vs oven. But the microwave can make up for a lot. What’s your favorite fresh fruit or veggie? What’s your least favorite? Marie:  I absolutely love fresh, homegrown tomatoes. And the least favorite…. I’ll eat anything if it is cooked well. I’ve even had cactus on several occasions. Lily:  I don't think anything can beat the taste of fresh picked tomatoes and strawberries. I can't say I've had cactus yet but I'd love to try it someday. If you could wake up anywhere tomorrow, where would you want to wake up? Marie: Oh, no! You’re going to limit me to one place? Very unfair.  There are so many places I’d love to be. I could see myself on an around-the-world tour. Today, I’d probably wish to be in Alaska or maybe Japan. Lily:  I like the idea of traveling the world by going to sleep and waking up in a new place, and I'd love to visit Alaska and Japan some day. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done that you’re comfortable with sharing? Marie:  Several years ago, I took a cruise, and we stopped in Cancun. My husband did not want to leave the ship, so I took a pre-arranged tour.  Unfortunately, there was a mix-up, and I was the only passenger. As the driver tried to make a turn to take me snorkeling, he became agitated. Apparently, the guys standing next to a nearby limo were members of the taxi mafia. He feared the mafia would accuse him of acting as a taxi driver since I was the only passenger. Not wanting to miss snorkeling, I willingly took over, driving us past the watchful eyes of the mafia. All the while, he was hunkered down in the passenger seat. Lily:  That's crazy and I love it! Do you have a favorite TV show or movie that you could watch over and over and never get bored/sick of? One that you really don’t like? Marie:  The weird thing is, I grew up reading books. When I was in first and second grade, our TV broke, and my parents didn’t bother to get it fixed. I won’t watch a movie made from a book that I’ve read, and, once I’ve seen a movie, I don’t watch it again. I do have a few TV shows that I enjoy such NCIS, but I’m not about to watch the re-runs. Lily:  I've always loved books (can you tell?) but I usually have the TV on for noise, so I end up rewatching a lot of shows. But books are definitely my first love. Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included? Marie:  Absolutely.  Warriors for Equal Rights is a trilogy, and I am pleased to announce that the second book, Only a Pawn, will be out shortly. It has been held up because of COVID, but is nearly ready for publication. I’m looking at mid-summer, at this point. Lily:  I'm looking forward to reading it and featuring it here. How can readers discover more about you and your work? Marie:  I’d love for them to visit my website. I blog “Stories about Life.” Readers can also sign up for my newsletter. Lily, thanks so much for having me.  I appreciate being able to reach new readers.

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[notarealdisciple]

The Excitement of Three-Part Phrasal Verbs

Popular music can teach you a lot about the English language. You may not realize it, but musicians are actually teaching you about English grammar in each song they perform. Consider this song by the famous reggae artist Bob Marley. It tells about the need for equality and justice: ​Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights Get up, stand up. Don’t give up the fight This song is called “Get Up, Stand Up.” It shows you how to use the three-part phrasal verb, "stand up for." "To stand up for" means "to defend (someone or something) with words.” Today, we explore three-part phrasal verbs – idiomatic expressions that can be difficult for students of English to understand. What are phrasal verbs? As you may remember from other Everyday Grammar programs, a phrasal verb is a verb with two or more words. Most phrasal verbs contain just two words: a verb and a preposition, such as “look up,” which means “to research” or “to search for.” “Look” is the verb and “up” is the preposition. Note that “look” and “up” are words with literal meanings. In some situations, you would use the literal meaning of “look” and “up.” For example, you can say, “When I looked up, I saw a beautiful bird.” In that sentence, “look” means “to direct your eyes to a specific direction” and “up” means “toward the sky or top of the room.” But, when used as a phrasal verb, “look up” becomes idiomatic, which means you cannot understand their meaning from the individual meanings of the separate words. Instead, when the words are put together as phrasal verbs, they mean something else. While many phrasal verbs consist of just two words, there are several that have three words. Three-part phrasal verbs have a verb and two particles. A particle is a word that must appear with another word to communicate meaning: Three-part phrasal verb = verb + particle + particle Three-part phrasal verb = stand + up + for In Bob Marley’s song, the main verb “stand” has two particles: “up” and “for.” When these three words are combined, they become a three-part phrasal verb. Here is an easy way to remember how to use three-part phrasal verbs: all three words always appear together, and the order of the three words never changes. So, although using these verbs may seem daunting at first, do not fear! If you learn the most common ones, you will be able to recognize them and use them yourself. Why do we use three-part phrasal verbs? Three-part phrasal verbs are important if you want to express yourself in English in the most natural way possible. You can use many of these verbs in both casual and formal English. For example, “The meeting lasted three hours. Now, I need to catch up on my work.” To “catch up on” is both casual and formal. It means “to do something you have not had time to do earlier.” But, some three-part phrasal verbs are more common in casual English than in formal, written English. Listen for a three-part phrasal verb in this song by the blues singer B.B. King: Oh, I'm sorry for you baby But you know I just can't put up with you This song, called “Get These Blues Off Me,” uses the verb “to put up with,” which means “to tolerate or accept something unpleasant.” Three-part phrasal verb = verb + particle + particle Three-part phrasal verb = put + up + with In English, many songs about love, or love lost, use the verb “to put up with.” But you probably would not use this verb in formal situations. For example, if you reported your noisy neighbors to police, you might want to avoid saying, “I have put up with the noise for a long time.” Instead, you might say, “I have tolerated the noise for a long time.” How often do we use three-part phrasal verbs? In social, personal, and professional communication, three-part phrasal verbs are often the most natural and least wordy choice. That is why we use these verbs every day. For example, when we have not seen friends or family members for a long time, we want to “catch up with” them. We want to learn about the new things happening in their lives. Note the similarity between “catch up with” and “catch up on.” Yet the meanings are different. Changing any word of a three-part phrasal verb creates a new meaning. A work situation where you might use a three-part phrasal verb is when you run out of time. In the workplace, you can also run out of ideas or supplies. “To run out of” means “to have used all of something.” Speaking of running out of time, we are almost out of time for this program. So here are three ideas to help you with three-part phrasal verbs. Tip #1 The first thing to remember is that these verbs are inseparable, meaning that the three words cannot be separated by an object or any other part of speech. Bob Marley did not say, “Stand up your rights for” or “Stand your rights up for.” And, as we noted earlier, the words will always appear in the same order: Bob Marley also did not say, “Stand for up your rights.” Tip #2 Changing any part of three-part phrasal verbs changes their meanings. Remember that the verbs “catch up with” and “catch up on” do not mean the same thing.   Tip #3 Now, a final point: The examples we have used today are from American English. Many of these verbs are the same in British English and other forms of English. But remember that some of them may have a different meaning or may not be used at all outside of the United States. Three-part phrasal verbs can be difficult to understand, but learning and using them will make your speaking and writing sound realistic and natural. I’m Alice Bryant. And I’m Pete Musto.   This program was written by Alice Bryant. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. You can read more about phrasal verbs here. At the end of this page, you can find a list of common phrasal verbs along with their meanings. __________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   grammar – n. the set of rules that explain how words are used in a language idiomatic – adj. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but has a separate meaning of its own consist – v. to have (something) as an essential or main part literal – n. involving the common or usual meaning of a word daunting – adj. making people frightened or less sure of themselves; very difficult to do or deal with casual – adj. designed for or permitting normal behavior or clothing; opposite of formal formal – adj. requiring or using serious and correct behavior or clothing wordy – adj. using or containing too many words tolerate – v. to let (something that is bad or unpleasant) to exist, happen, or be done   Reference Three-part Phrasal Verbs Meanings “Stand up for your rights.” To defend yourself (with words or other non-violent actions) “I’m sorry, but I’ve run out of time. Let’s meet tomorrow instead.” To have used all of something, such as time, a food, product, or concept. “His mom is not willing to put up with his messy room anymore.” To allow (someone or something unpleasant or annoying) to exist or happen; to tolerate an unpleasant thing or person “We are teaming up with the community garden center to bring fresh food to the school.” To collaborate with a person group of people to achieve a common goal ”He looks up to his older brothers.” To respect and admire (someone) ”He looks down on everyone.” To think of or treat (someone or something) as unimportant or not worthy of respect ”I’m looking forward to vacation! We’re going to New Orleans.” To be excited about something in the future ”That meeting lasted three hours. Now, I need to catch up on my work.” To do something you have not had time to do earlier ”I can’t wait to catch up with you!” To learn about new things happening in someone’s life, usually a friend or family member ”I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids.” To escape blame or punishment ”Let’s come up with some ideas on where to hold the birthday party.” To contribute, for example, a suggestion or plan “I don’t feel well. I think I’m coming down with the flu.” To get sick; to recognize that you are getting sick. ”She broke up with her boyfriend last month.” To end a romantic relationship ”She made up with her boyfriend yesterday.” To reunite after breaking up with a romantic partner   Source: https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/excitement-three-part-phrasal-verbs/3528821.html