#i don’t want to kick all of you when you’re down but lyss told me. a thing

[simcardiac-arrested]

it’s a bit too big for them lol. lmao

[bbrandy2002]

Fool’s Rush In

Chapter 18

Pairing: Liam x Riley

Book: TRR AU

Warnings: Language, crude talk, and the usual bad writing.

I had planned from the beginning to end this series after the next chapter and an epilogue, but call me crazy, I love it too much. So while this part of the story will end, I still plan to update with one-shots or stories from time to time. If you’re just done with it, let me know.

Also, this chapter felt a little off to me, so I apologize if it's terrible, but I think I ended on a good note.

Thanks @burnsoslow for prereading.and usage of your girl, who finally got to make her debut.

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

"Damn it, Riley! Pick up!" Liam grumbled as he lowered the cell phone from his ear and tossed it in the seat beside him. The royal jet had been in the air for a little over four hours already, and he'd grown frustrated at getting her voice mail each time. Surely, she was home by now. 

Even though it was the middle of the night in Las Vegas, it was worth interrupting her. He had tried unsuccessfully to contact Riley since he packed his bags earlier and hastily headed for the airstrip. By this point, there must have been a dozen or so messages left on her phone without so much as a hint she'd gotten them. 

While time wasn't an issue -- he'd get to Las Vegas one way or the other -- it was the desperation to hear from his new wife and tell her he knew precisely why she left. 

And that he loved her.

Tilting his head back against the headrest, he swiveled side-to-side in his luxury chair while tightly clutching his freshly poured scotch. The security footage he watched earlier that morning replayed in his mind again. There were no doubts about what it showed: Madeleine confronted Riley outside their quarters just minutes after leaving the ball. Without sound, however, no one could ascertain specifically what was said among the two women. It was clear though,  Riley was not a willing participant in that conversation. When they saw the disk held up in the Countess' hands, and the look of sheer horror on his pussycat's face, that told Liam all he needed to know. This was a blackmail situation, plain and simple, that included assault; those flowers he found scattered on the ground when he returned to his quarters last night all made sense now. This act was deliberate and treasonous, and Liam would ensure his ex-fiancee paid handsomely for it. 

After they viewed the footage several more times, the Royal Guard was immediately summoned to Krona to find Madeleine and take her into custody. Liam knew it was a long shot whether his guards could pull that sting off, but he was working with what he had at the moment.

Despite whatever happened next, there was one thing the King was confident of: He was prepared to give up his entire Kingdom to get his girl back. Returning to Cordonia without her was not an option.

Shaking his tumbler of partially melted ice cubes, Liam leaned forward and steadily poured another bottle of scotch into his glass. As soon as he sat back and raised the fresh beverage to his lips, he was startled by the ringing of his cell phone. In a rush to answer, he hastily set the drink aside and snatched his phone up from where he tossed it earlier. 

"Hello! Love?" He answered, hopeful it was her.

"Hey, little brother. Love you too ... Say, do you know if the palace has a Spanish tickler or a breast ripper? Asking for a friend."

Liam furrowed his brows in confusion before rising from his seat, plopping a knee down on its cushioned bottom, and glancing to the back of the plane. "Leo? Why are you calling me? We're on the same damn plane. I'm looking right at you."

"Nevermind that. Listen, I figured out a way to take care of Madeleine once and for all. Behold ..." Leo held up a leather-bound book and waved it over his head while Liam squinted from the front of the plane to get a better look. "... The King Constantine Guide To Fucking Torture In The 21st Century; Father gave it to me after my investiture ceremony. The way I see it, there really is no other option here than to tie her to a tree in front of the palace, invite the public to watch for a modest fee, and do some cool shit with iron rods and spikes. I got dibs on the knee-splitter, though."

"Leo ..." Liam began to warn his brother how ridiculous that plan was before stopping himself and staring off into the distance for a moment in thought. "Wait ... is there anything about flaying in that book?"

"Hell yeah there is! And if you're interested in thumbscrews, my buddy, Pete, has a trunk full of them. He uses them for ass play, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting us borrow them to split Maddie's thumbs in half." Leo let out a maniacal laugh.

Liam chuckled, despite the peculiarity of the conversation. "I'm not going to lie and tell you I'm not interested -- to the contrary, actually. And while I appreciate your help in seeing that Madeleine is brought to justice, I think we better stick to more lawful means."

"Boo, you whore!" The line went dead with a click. 

Liam held the phone away from his ear, watching Leo sink down into his chair in a huff. "Really?" He called back in agitation. Met with the silent treatment and a middle finger from his disgruntled brother, Liam rolled his eyes, then slumped back down into his seat. Maybe he'd try to call Riley again.

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

The phone on Riley's nightstand buzzed again. She knew it was another call from Liam, and while she felt remorseful for ignoring all of his calls and texts, she couldn't bring herself to look at or answer them quite yet. The sooner all ties between them were broken, she believed, the quicker he could forget all about her and the mess she made of everything. 

But even her willpower was slipping. Riley slid her hand out from under the pillow and reached over to pick up her phone. Holding it to her chest, she contemplated for a second just reading his texts and returning his calls, but Madeleine had warned to end all contact with him. Obviously, she was curious about what he had to say, but it was too risky. I'm so sorry, Liam. 

Hitting the power button on her cell, the light on the device faded to black before she tossed it in the nightstand drawer.

Early the next morning, Riley's eyes flickered open to the sound of a banging on her front door, followed by the incessant ringing of her doorbell. Feeling exhausted from a lack of sleep, mainly because of crying and unable to think about anything other than how she hurt Liam, Riley decided to ignore it. She just wanted to be left alone, and eventually, they'd give up and leave, right?

Except they didn't.

Annoyed, she let out a sigh and then eased herself up out of bed; the pain in her back was still a problem. Tossing a robe over her body, she slowly made her way down the stairs of her townhome -- each step excruciating -- until she finally made it to the door.

Twisting the lock, she opened the entry door, before letting out a sudden gasp at the tearful person standing on the other side. 

"Oh my God, Riley! Y-You're alive! You're really alive!"

"Alyssa?" Riley's best friend from New York pulled her into a relieved hug, nearly sobbing at that point. "What're you doing here?"

"I thought something terrible happened to you, but now that I can see you're still among the living ..." she sniffled before pulling back and narrowing her blazing blue eyes at her friend. "Where have you been? I've been trying to get ahold of you ever since you texted me that you were boarding a plane in Cordonia, and that something serious happened involving Tyler. You promised me you'd call as soon as you landed--"

"I know. I'm so sorry. It was late ..."

 " -- and you didn't. Then I worried, even more, when you didn't answer any of my calls back. I had to book the first red-eye flight here to make sure you were all right." Finished with her rant, a huffing Alyssa's jaw immediately clenched. "Now, what did that shithead ex of yours do? I'll kill him if he hurt you, Ri. I might be small, but I'm scrappy like an alleycat. You know I'll claw his eyes out."

Riley let out a light chuckle; Alyssa was always overprotective of her and had a clever way with words, but quickly, that chuckle faded into a teary frown. "Oh, Lyss," she whimpered as her face fell into her hands.

Alyssa quickly wrapped her arms around Riley and pulled her into a warm embrace. "Aww, Riley. Sweetie, it's going to be okay," she soothed. 

Stepping inside, Alyssa kicked the door shut and led them both over to the sofa. Sensing Riley was in pain -- and not just emotional -- she helped lower her troubled best friend onto the couch. "I want you to start from the beginning and tell me everything that happened."

The best friends had remained in contact over the last several weeks. It was Alyssa's frantic morning phone call over a month ago that alerted Riley to the news coverage of her impromptu marriage to Liam, having saw it on the news. 

And while Alyssa was aware of everything about Cordonia and Liam, and how Riley fit into all that from their prior conversations, she listened intently while it was revealed to her the details of the incident with Madeleine and the video her ex-husband gave to the Countess.  

Grabbing a tissue from the end table, Alyssa handed it to Riley. "So this cow confronted you with that disgusting video and basically blackmailed you into leaving, or she would release it to the press?" Riley nodded somberly.."Ugh, I want this treasonous bitch thrown in the dungeon, subjected to live-streamed daily anal fistings with giant Hulk gloves ... And Tyler, I want to break every bone in his rotten body, one at a time. And I want to leave him there afterwards, dripping just enough water on his lips, so he doesn't die of dehydration, screaming in agony for the weeks it will take to die of starvation."

 Riley's face scrunched up. "God, Alyssa."

Alyssa shrugged. "What? I don't care; it's what they deserve for hurting you. Did you at least tell Liam what happened?"

This time, Riley shook her head. "No. Madeleine warned me if I told him, she would release the video, and then the council would likely force him to step down. I won't allow him to lose everything for someone like me." 

Irritated, Alyssa pressed a palm to her forehead. "Why are you like this?"

"Like, what?" Riley asked in exasperation.

"That whole, 'someone like me,' part. He wanted to stay married to you. He made you the queen of his country. You've said he couldn't keep his goddamn hands off you for two seconds. And more importantly, you told me you have never felt more loved in your life, than you do when you're with him. The fact that you still question your worthiness to him blows my mind." 

Alyssa reached for Riley's shaky hand, able to tell by the tears sliding down her cheeks and the soft whimpers that she'd touched on something. "You're his pussycat, Riley. Liam already lost everything when you left him. Tell me you know that."

Riley wiped at her face., her voice stifled, "I just wanted to protect him."

"I know." Alyssa smiled softly. "But you needed to give him the chance to decide what he wanted. You made it for him because you know he'd choose you, regardless if he lost everything else; that's how much he loves you, Ri. You can't protect someone who loves you by hurting them. Besides, he's the King; he can simply execute the council if he wants to -- Liam’s not going anywhere."

"You just HAD to add that last part in, didn't you?" Riley laughed, feeling a sense of ease as her mood lightened. It felt good to talk to someone who could help her make sense of everything and realize she hadn’t exactly made the best call by leaving and not telling Liam what happened. "But what do I do about this video? What if Madeleine releases it to the public?"

"Yeah, a video of a married woman having sex with her husband -- Oh, the shame!" she retorted. "Look, you'll be famous on Pornhub for a few weeks, and it'll fizzle out. I know that doesn't make it all better, but you have a lot of people who love you ... we'll be there for you if that happens. Besides, it's Gonzo Dick; I doubt anyone will wanna watch anyway."

Riley snorted out at the nickname she gave her ex-husband. "Stop making me laugh." 

Alyssa cracked a grin. "Nah. If I can make you laugh at that asshole's expense and his crooked dick, then it's worth it."

"Well,” she breathed, “ I suppose I should get dressed and call Liam. Tell him what happened, and hopefully, he'll … forgive .." her voice trailed off at tasting an increasing collection of bile in her throat and a familiar rumble in her stomach. 

“What’s wrong?”

Riley frowned. "Damn it, why do I keep getting sick?"  

After rushing to the bathroom with Alyssa's help, Riley came out moments later, flushed and perspiring. Alyssa, who waited outside the door to make sure she was all right, eyed her friend with grave concern. "Ri, are you sure you don't have a concussion? You said that Madeleine caused you to fall, and you complained you’ve been getting sick a lot. Is there any chance you hit your head too?"

Riley considered for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think so. I mean, it all happened so fast I don't really remember, but my head doesn't hurt."

"OH NO! You have memory loss too, on top of the vomiting and a hurt back? Riley, you need to go to the hospital now. This is serious."

"Alyssa, I'm fine. I don't need to go to the hospital," Riley dismissed and hobbled past her friend toward the kitchen. "You always worry too much."

Alyssa followed behind her, brows bumped together in a scowl. "Because you're a stubborn ass who never listens, that's why. You need to get checked out," she insisted. Riley paid no attention as made her way to the fridge; that reaction only served to piss Alyssa off. "You can ignore me all you want, but you know as well as I do, I'll just keep annoying the hell out of you until you do it … I'll sing every Dave Matthews song ever written -- On repeat." 

Riley shut the fridge door and turned at the threat, giving her a dismayed glare. "You wouldn't." 

Alyssa tilted her chin. "You know damn well I would. I have... so much to say, so much to say, so much --"

"Please stop! I'm going."

---------

At Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Drake sat slumped down in the waiting room of the E.R;  a thawed ice pack covered his crotch. His increasingly irritated self caught sight of a nurse escorting yet another patient back for examination. "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

Tired of waiting, he cast the ice pack aside and marched straddle-legged to the triage desk where a beefy nurse with a scowl sat filing her nails. "How much longer is this gonna take?" He demanded bitterly.

The nurse remained focused on her nails and answered in a careless fashion. "You'll get called back when it's your turn, Mr. Walker."

"My turn? MY TURN? I've been here for 15 fucking hours waiting for my turn. I've watched one person after the next walk right in, get treated, and leave. Whose ass do I actually have to lick to get treatment around here?"

Unimpressed with his theatrics, she folded her arms on the desk and looked up at Drake with a glower. "Look. You got kicked in the wang by a hooker. Shit happens. It's not the end of the world. Go home, have a beer, and a good laugh. You'll live." She resumed her filing.

Drake ran both hands through his rumpled hair, letting out a sardonic laugh. "I cannot fucking believe you just said that to me. I suffer trauma on my transplanted dick, and the greatest healthcare minds in the world tell me to have a beer and laugh about it?" his voice shrieked.

The nurse blew on her nails. "That's what I said."

That snarky remark sent him even further over the edge. A red-faced Drake pounded two white-knuckled fists on the desk and leaned down into her space. "Now you listen here, lady. I demand to be seen right now, or so help me, I'll tear this whole goddamn place apart brick-by-fucking-brick! Do you understand me?"

Having none of that, the nurse, who was several inches taller than a startled Drake expected, sprung for her chair and loomed over him menacingly. Drake flinched when she rammed the nail file at him and threatened, "Now, you listen.You can either sit your ass down, or I will sit you down. Do you understand me?"

He didn't understand. He would never understand.

A security guard who heard the commotion casually approached the agitated pair and placed a firm hold on Drake's elbow. "Do we have a problem here, Betty Lou?"

She shook her head, sizing Drake up. "No, just some whiny-ass Karen griping about his dick."

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

Several moments later, Alyssa and Riley exited an Uber and wandered into the waiting area, making their way up to the triage line -- or what they thought was a line. It was actually Drake still standing there, continuing to protest his case to anyone who would listen and demanding to speak to someone in charge.

While Riley dug through her purse to retrieve her health insurance card, Alyssa couldn't help but be taken in by the fiery debacle taking place in front of them. She inched a little closer, unable to help herself; it was good drama and sucked her right in. 

Catching a glimpse of Drake’s sour face, she cocked her head introspectively; there was something oddly familiar about the man in the denim shirt going off. Alyssa tapped her chin. Where have I seen him before?  

Before long, the realization set in, and her eyes snapped wide open. She nudged Riley with an elbow and leaned over, whispering, "Hey, isn't that the guy from the news who had the penis transplant? It looks just like him."

Knowing precisely who that was by the description, Riley popped her head up to look. She hadn't known Drake well, only that he was Liam's best friend, and after having spent time together on the plane ride to Cordonia with him, that her maid-of-honor had given him several venereal diseases. "Drake?" she called out.

While Alyssa zoned in on his groin, curious as to what was in there, Drake broke away from the dispute and turned his focus toward the familiar-sounding voice. She was a connection to home and a long-sought-after friendly face. "Riley? Liam's insta-bride, Riley?" 

She let out a light chuckle and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that's how you would know me ... What are you doing at the hospital? Is your body rejecting the ..." Her embarrassed gaze dropped lower with a gulp. " ... thing?"

"No!" he barked. "I just got attacked by that ... uh, someone."

"You got attacked?" Shocked, Riley placed a hand over her chest. "Why would someone attack you? Are you okay?"

Feeling incensed by the memory, Drake shook his head and muttered. "It's a long story ... What about you? What are you doing here? Thought you were in Cordonia with Liam?"

She inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils and forced a smile. "It's a long story too."

Drake peeked over his shoulder at Nurse Ratchet, giving him a gimlet-eyed stare from behind her computer screen. He groused and turned to face Riley again. "I've got time."

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

Nearly 12 hours after takeoff, the royal jet touched down in sunny Las Vegas, an hour ahead of schedule. Liam and Leo stepped off the plane and strolled across the tarmac to the awaiting vehicle, where a smiling man held the rear passenger door open.

"Bastien," Liam greeted as he approached. "Good to see you again."

"Your Majesty." He bowed. "Likewise ... I have the rental car you requested, and the Queen's address is already programmed into the GPS. Should take no more than 30 minutes to get there."

"Perfect,” he replied, clapping Bastien’s shoulder.“Thanks for having everything ready to go."

Liam had contacted the head guard -- who was still jailed for non-support -- and gained him a day-long pass to provide security detail. Bastien was also to stay in contact with his guards to oversee the capture and detainment of Madeleine.

Bastien took their bags, and the brothers hopped into the back of the Escalade. Once they pulled away from the airport, the directions led the group west. The head guard glanced briefly in the rearview mirror as he drove on. “I want to thank you for giving me a second chance. It’s nice to be out of that place, even if just for the day.”

Liam smiled back. “Not a problem, good man. I can’t think of anyone else I trust more for the job than you … though I’m not sure why. Anyway, do you have any updates on the Madeleine situation?”

“Yes, sir. I contacted my colleagues again just before you arrived. Countess Madeleine was taken by surprise when our guards arrived at her family estate in Krona. Once in custody, she was immediately transported to Valtoria for detention, exactly as you requested.”

"That's terrific news ... Wait ...Did you say, Valtoria?" Liam asked with puzzlement in his tone. 

"Yes, sir. As you requested." 

"Man, please tell me Mads tried to fight them off, and they had to use the taser on her," Leo insisted as he held his crossed fingers in the air. "A billy club ... a rubber hose ... something."

"There may have been a brief verbal exchange and some threats, but the Countess promised if they permitted access to her computer to send a quick email, she would go with them peacefully and without further protest. There didn't seem to be any harm in doing so, and she followed through with her word. Sorry to break it to you, Prince Leo, but no tasers were harmed in her capture."

"Well, fiddle shit." Leo glanced over at his brother --who was still scratching his head -- in disappointment. "If only I'd been able to get that shock collar on her while I was engaged to her, you wouldn't be in this mess right now. She just squirmed too much. I’m sorry I let you down, little brother."

"It's fine, Leo; it's not the first time,”  Liam said dryly before turning his head away from Leo to face the front again. "Can we get back to Madeleine being taken to Valtoria? I never requested that. An accused of the Crown is always placed in the palace dungeon. There aren't even cells in Valtoria to hold her in. What am I missing here?"

Approaching a stoplight, Bastien lightly pressed the brakes, then met Liam’s gaze in the mirror. “The orders I was given to pass along to the guards from you earlier were clear in your text: Once she’s taken into custody, she is to be sent to Valtoria and placed in the cage with the monkey until further notice. That’s what they --”

“Mongo! They put her in the cage with Mongo?” Liam exploded before pinching the bridge of his nose, knowing there was no point in asking how that message got mixed up. “Goddamn it, Leo! Why are you, you, sometimes?” He ran a swift hand down his face and turned to glare at his brother. “Do you realize they consider that cruel and unusual punishment? Did you ever stop to consider how much shit I'm going to hear over this if this gets out?" He let out a sharp breath and threw his hands in the air."How? How did you do it?"

"It's simple pimple, Liam. When you went to the bathroom, I grabbed your phone," he replied bluntly with a shrug. "And according to page 24 of Father's torture book: It's not considered cruel and unusual punishment, as long as she has food, water, and clean shelter -- which she does. Or ... if she's housed with a member of the royal family -- which she is. Mongo is the heir to the throne, so we've got that covered too. So just relax, little bro; Leo’s got it all taken care of for you."

Liam dropped his chin to his chest, then let out a weary breath. “Bastien, call the guards and have them move her to the palace at once.” 

As Bastien placed the call, Liam shifted in his seat so that he was staring out the window. He put a palm over his mouth to conceal the curved lips that formed a devilish grin, trying to contain the unbearable urge to bust out laughing. Oh, Maddie ... I hope you and Mongo had one hell of a time together.

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

Back at the hospital, Riley situated herself on the gurney while a nurse prepared to check her vitals and ask general health questions. 

In the next bay over, separated by a thin sliding curtain, Drake was finally attended to after Riley reluctantly, but willfully, played up her celebrity status. Once she threatened to have the hospital shut down -- which she doubted was even possible on her end -- the proverbial red carpet was rolled out for both of them; she was still a queen, afterall. 

Steps were then taken to ensure they both received the royal treatment, so to speak. That wasn’t typically how Riley preferred to handle situations; she hated big fusses over her. But in the end, she did help one of Liam’s oldest friends finally get the medical attention he needed, so it was worth trying. 

The blood pressure cuff on Riley’s arm squeezed tighter just as one of the doctors stepped inside and slid the curtain all the way closed. His cheerful greeting drew Riley's fixed gaze away from the changing numbers on the monitor beside her bed, and she smiled up at him.

The doctor was tall and thin, with thick spectacles perched near the tip of his nose. He gave a brief nod to Alyssa, who was sitting in a chair at Riley’s bedside, rubbing her shoulder. Scanning the patient chart, he spoke without looking up, "Queen Riley, it says here you suffered a fall?"

"I'm just Riley,  please," she requested.

The doctor looked up from the paperwork and nodded with an understanding smile. "Of course." 

After the initial exam concluded, Alyssa remained behind after the doctor ordered x-rays and transport had wheeled Riley down to radiology. 

Bouncing her crossed leg as she scrolled through her phone, Alyssa tried to bide her time until Riley returned. An air conditioning vent overhead that she didn’t realize drowned out so much noise around her, suddenly flipped off. Able to catch the conversation on the other side of the curtain better, she listened with a broken heart as Drake reluctantly described to an attending, the worst days of his life. Alyssa shuddered as he recalled the moment his penis fell off, rolled across the bed, and dropped onto Ethan Ramsey’s leather shoe during an exam. “That poor man. I just want to hug him,” she muttered.

Her little ears perked when the doctor mentioned he was “going to have a look at it.” In her curious mind, there were no doubts that she was too. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a peek at the first transplant of its kind; no way was she going to miss out on that. 

Alyssa slid to the edge of her seat and raised her hand to up to the curtain, easing a tiny portion of it aside. Her blue eyes crinkled with frustration at a nurse who was blocking her view. “Move your ass,” she whispered to herself.

Unable to get a good view, she gave up that spot and eyed the other opening in the curtain at the far end of the room. Sliding off her chair to a crouching position on the floor, Alyssa crab-walked as fast as she could without falling off balance until she made it to the other side. Crooking a stealthy finger along the seam of the curtain, she hoped and prayed Drake’s genital exam wasn’t through yet. What her eyes saw on that gurney when she pulled the fabric aside caused her heart to jolt out of her chest. 

Alyssa cupped a hand over her gaping mouth before stepping back and letting the curtain fall loosely shut again.  Dropping her hand limply at her side, staring blankly at nothing, she mouthed, “Oh. My. God.”

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

Down in the radiology department, Riley sat patiently in her wheelchair, waiting for the tech to return to take the x-rays. Enjoying the lighter feeling of having an empty bladder again, she let out a contented sigh; she was about to bust earlier. That mandatory urine sample couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. 

Left alone to ruminate in her thoughts, Riley wondered about those phone calls she ignored last night from Liam. The regret she felt over her actions the last 26 hours continued to mount up. And it took a heart-to-heart with her best friend to really put things into perspective. Her decisions weren’t the best course to take, even if they were done with the most loving of intentions. 

There was a lot to make up to Liam, and she only hoped that it wasn’t too late. Could he even forgive her for all of it?

She wished he was there with her right now. If she knew him the way she thought she did, he’d be standing around telling inappropriate jokes to make her laugh or embarrass her with his silly antics. It was like Liam could be two different people sometimes: Kingly and stoic around everyone else, but the second it was just him alone with her, he was such a big kid. Somehow, she could bring out his true self; the one where he felt comfortable enough to be silly and playful. And as much as she tried to play them off, those little pet names he gave her -- she chuckled to herself as they popped into her head -- were funny. What the hell even was a knucklehead mcspazzatron? 

“Miss Brooks” Riley shook herself of her thoughts as the x-ray tech returned and made her way over. “I apologize that took so long.”

Riley smiled up at her. “No need to apologize… Are you ready for me now?”

“Not exactly,” she teased in such a cheery tone, Riley slightly lowered her eyelids, holding her gaze. “You most likely won’t be getting x-rays today, sweetie.” She held a fisted hand out to Riley and opened her palm to reveal the small object inside. “You’re pregnant.”

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

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[bostonbakeddeans]

Caffeine Challenge #29

Prompt: 1st Line Of Story

The engine purring outside the window shouldn't exist. Alanna knows that, as she knows many things. For one, it's 10 o'clock in the evening and there are noise restrictions in this section of town. For two, her apartment is six stories up.

Rules have never mattered to her sister, though.

She rolls out of bed with a heavy sigh, careful not to disturb the man sleeping beside her. Mark? Michael? M-something. She throws her hair up into a sloppy ponytail and yawns as she pulls her t-shirt down.

She doesn't bother with pants, though. Fuck pants.

She folds her arms over her stomach as she comes to stand by the window. She glares through the glass -- yep, there's Alyssa, all 6'4" of her astride that monstrosity she calls a 'steed' (some older model of motorcycle - Alanna has never cared to remember). It idles happily on thin air. Alyssa's wings, usually a warm gold, are washed dark amber by the shadow of the building.

"Fuck off," she hisses through gritted teeth. She knows Alyssa can hear her.

Alyssa purses her lips. "Its important," she insists. "Please."

Its the please that gets her. Alyssa never says please.

Alanna heaves another sighs and steps through the window, shivering a little as she phases through the glass. "What," she demands, "is so important that you came to me?"

"There's no one else," Alyssa responds simply.

She frowns, thrown off. "What? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said - there is no one else." Closer like this, she can see the grim lines in Alyssa's face -- those are new. There's a redness to her eyes that suggests tears.

Alanna's brain shies away from the thought. Her sister doesn't do - that.

"What's happened?" She asks, still wary.

Alyssa's hand clenches on the handle of her bike. The engine revs uselessly and she has the decency to look apologetic when Alanna shushes her.

"They've taken her."

Alanna's stomach drops. "Jocelynn?" She asks. She's never wanted to be wrong so badly before.

She nods jerkily. "The Council - took her." Her voice breaks. "Lanna, they took my wife."

She's never seen Alyssa look so devastated. There are too many years of distance, though, and they make themselves known in the set of Alanna's jaw, the tightening of her arms as she folds them closer. "Well, Mom and Dad -"

"Handed her over!" She explodes, wings flaring. "She and I -- we were having dinner and Rywin and his little cronies burst in and --" She cuts herself off, teeth clacking together.

Alanna frowns, disbelief plain on her face. "What? No. They -"

"Mom and Dad told them where to find us," she says, voice thick. "They were the only ones who knew where to find us."

"Find you? What-"

"Gods, Lanna!" She snaps, baring her teeth. "I don't have time to explain fifteen years of politics to you! They have Jocelynn and they're probably doing who knows what to her to try and force her Third Eye open!"

Alanna blinks. "Jocelynn...?"

Alyssa sighs, wings drooping. "Is a Seer," she says, nodding. "But she hasn't manifested yet. The Council got tired of waiting."

She frowns. "What about Ellesandra?" She asks. "She was older, but surely -"

Her sister laughs without humor. "Dead," she says, shaking her head. "Like Clymenta after her, and Simon after her, and Adam after him. The Council goes through Seers like that." She snaps and a pop of light flashes into existence momentarily, there and gone again.

Alanna shakes her head, trying desperately to process all this. "How? How can they be getting away with this? The King and Queen -"

"Dead," Alyssa says, cutting her off flatly, quietly. "Ten years ago. Five years after you left. Kellianna died in childbirth and Orion died of a broken heart, the story goes. As their child was just an infant, The Council took over, ruled in their place." Alyssa looks old, now, and tired. "Autumn is but a child yet. There is no reprieve in sight. Things are bad."

Guilt surges and turns to anger, as it so often does. "Why didn't anyone tell me?" Alanna demands. "I should have been told, should have known-"

"Yeah, you should have known!" Alyssa retorts, wings flaring. "But you left - capital fucking L, Left! You didnt want to hear it - came here to play with your mortal toys! When was the last time you touched Faerie, huh, Lanna? Last tine you saw your wings."

It feels like the accusation its meant to be. "My wings are fine," she snaps, defensive. She draws them from the ether to prove so.

They hurt, aching and sensitive in a way she can't recall them having been before, and when she glances back, her normally pristine, charcoal feathers are a bedraggled mess, pigeon gray and dull as anything. She can barely hold back a wince at the sight of them.

"Thought so." Alyssa doesn't sound smug for once. Just tired. "You're my only hope, Lanna. Please."

Alanna looks past her wings to the apartment behind her. Part of her wants to refuse. Go inside without looking back, crawl back beside what's-his-name, and put her head under the blankets. Ignore Faerie so hard that her soul forgets the shape of it and turns her mortal.

Her sister catches her eye, though, and she turns back. Her sister - her twin - her other half - so different and too similar all at once - and Alanna can read her pain like her own.

Remembering at last to materialize herself a pair of pants, she hops on the bike behind Lyss and snugs her arms around the woman's waist. "Let's go get your lady back."

Lyss laughs and kicks the bike into gear, sending them speeding into the unknown. Whatever is coming next, the pair of them are utterly unprepared.

She can't wait.

----

Please forgive the untimeliness - I had to transcribe from handwritten to mobile! Please forgive any mechanical errors - again, mobile. Thoughts welcome!

[sceptilemasterr]

Catalysts Play Open Heart: Chapter 4

Summary: The Catalysts, too impatient to wait a week for the next chapter, come up with an incredibly irresponsible and dangerous solution in order to start Chapter 4 of Open Heart. Meanwhile, Raj and Furball are on the roof, enjoying some ‘substances’ and having a deep chat...

Previous Chapter: Link

Note: The things in bold are scenes from the actual Choices chapter. Ian and Alyssa are my twin Endless Summer MCs, who I’ve given some additional abilities here (as in my script rewrite), mostly for rule of funny.

Warnings: Marijuana use (guess who). Also, discussions of childbirth and trauma, as was found in the actual Open Heart chapter.

“Dude… what’s it even like, being you? Y’know?” asked Raj.

He was sprawled out on a deck chair on the roof of the Celestial, smoking some weed he had brought from somewhere. Beside him, on the floor, lay Furball, on his belly with all of his limbs splayed out to the side, the open bottle of catnip in front of him. Every so often, the blue fox would look up, spray out a jet of ice at another piece of nearby furniture, then lay back down again. “Baaaarararmmm,” he answered, making a very un-Furball-ish noise.

“If I could do that… I’d… like, you could be your own air conditioner! Or, like, a great prankster… oh man, that’s the best idea!”

“Brriaaaaarr,” agreed Furball, freezing a decorative plant.

“...Wonder if they started the next chapter of that story yet. That was pretty fun last time. Man, Furball, you should join in for the next one!”

“Wraaaaaa…” Another blast of ice flash-froze Raj’s shoe, which he had kicked off onto the floor a while ago.

“You could join the drinking game too! Wait… can you… do you even… get drunk?”

“Briiii? Rarammm?” Furball looked at him quizzically, then turned and sneezed, freezing a few of the string lights overhead.

“Guess we never tested it. That does it, I’ve got some good stuff for you to try… Later, though. And maybe just a little bit, to start out with, huh?”

“Smrrrmr,” nodded Furball sagely, rolling over onto his back and breathing another stream of ice onto the other lounge chair.

“What would be your signature drink, I wonder? I’m thinkin’... like… definitely some blue curacao cuz, y’know,” Raj said, gesturing to Furball’s blue fur. “Over ice of course. Hmm, what else to add…”

As Raj continued talking to himself about Furball’s signature drink, the ice fox looked up at him for a moment, before laying back down on his back with a sigh. As he did so, he blew out another burst of icy breath-- that shot straight for the door to the stairs leading back down, freezing the handle solid. Raj looked over at the door for a moment. “Huh. Wonder what we’ll do about that…” he muttered vaguely, before settling back down into his chair. “Ah, it’ll fix itself later.” He looked back down at Furball. “Alright, now for the real question. If I had some kinda power like that, what d’you think I’d have?”

“Barrrrrrrmma,” Furball replied.

“Fire? Yeah, I can see that,” Raj answered. “Sure would make cooking easier…”

“Okay, has anyone seen Raj?” asked Michelle, walking briskly back into the lobby. Everyone was munching on a variety of snacks, mostly leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. “I’ve looked everywhere.”

“No, why, you gettin’ impatient, Maybelline?” asked Jake through a mouthful of shrimp.

“I mean, it is a pretty big resort,” Sean pointed out. “Maybe he fell asleep or something? I mean, it’s Raj, he wouldn’t do anything too crazy.”

“True,” admitted Michelle. “Still, I don’t want him to miss too much of the story! We’ve got to continue the next chapter soon.”

“After the way the last chapter ended? For sure!” agreed Diego.

Estela shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m excited to continue too, but-” She stopped talking as everyone but Ian stared at her incredulously. “What? I’m not allowed to enjoy a cheesy hospital story once in a while?” Craig started to laugh, but went silent when Estela fixed him with her trademark death glare. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Jake held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, no objections here,” he assured her.

“Honestly, these chapters don’t take too long to get through,” Quinn pointed out. “It hasn’t been that much time. Let’s just go ahead and start, and Raj will probably come down later, right? We can catch him up on what he missed!”

Everyone muttered to each other for a few seconds, but finally agreed to continue. “Alright, I guess we’re doing this,” Michelle said, taking Quinn’s phone and opening up the app. She scrolled back to the Open Heart book… and stopped, frowning. “Oh no!” she exclaimed.

“Yaaaah!” screamed Craig, but Zahra didn’t react thanks to her earmuffs. “...Wait, what’s ‘oh no?’” he added after his brain caught up to the situation.

Michelle laughed and shook her head. “Nothing that serious,” she reassured him. “It’s just… this says the next chapter doesn’t release until next week!”

“Let me see!” said Diego, walking over and looking at the phone. “Huh, you’re right. That sucks.”

“...Diego, the screen is already available in the same location as before,” Varyyn told him.

Diego blushed, looking up at the projector screen, where, indeed, the phone screen was being shown as usual. “Oh. Yeah. Right.”

“Aww, but we can’t leave it there!” complained Quinn. “Not for a whole week!”

“We won’t even all be here next week!” groaned Jake. “Drinking games are a lot less fun by yourself, y’know.”

“...Are you speaking from experience?” Alyssa asked him. Jake blushed but said nothing.

“Well, what exactly do you propose we do about it?” demanded Aleister. “The chapter does not exist yet, and that is that. We can either leave this as it is, and be done with this ridiculous game, or begin a new story. We have no other choice.”

“...Actually,” said Jake, with a knowing look in his eye, “we do have another choice.” He shot a meaningful look at Alyssa and Ian.

It took a moment before everyone realized what he had in mind. “No. No way. Absolutely not,” said Sean incredulously.

“You want us to use our Vaanu powers… for this?” demanded Ian. “Jake, are you insane?!”

“Don’t be so boring, Ian,” Alyssa argued. “It’s genius!”

“More like ‘irresponsible’ and ‘dangerous!’”

“What are you, my father?”

The room erupted into shouting, with everyone quickly taking sides with one twin or the other regarding Jake’s ridiculous plan. After several minutes of this, Aleister stood up, pulled out a megaphone, and shouted, “CEASE THIS CACOPHONY AT ONCE!”

“...Where did you get a megaphone, and can I have one?” asked Craig. Zahra slapped him.

“I came prepared for just such an occasion,” Aleister explained. “Jacob, allow me to clarify. You wish for Alyssa and Ian to use their powers to irresponsibly manipulate the entire space-time continuum and reality itself… in order to continue playing a mobile game… a week early?!”

“I’ve never heard a stupider idea in my life, and I live with Craig,” Zahra said.

“Yeah!” agreed Craig, before frowning a few moments later. “...Wait…”

“Whoa, hang on, Malfoy, calm your knickers,” said Jake. “I didn’t mean all of reality. Just, like… a focused blast. Just on that phone. I don’t think any of you wanna miss an extra week of work, anyway.”

“I… guess that's more reasonable,” said Grace hesitantly.

“Oh, not you too!” complained Aleister.

Estela shrugged. “I… maybe,” she admitted. “Ian, you’ve aged objects before, it could probably work.”

“I dunno, it feels like a waste somehow,” Ian argued.

“The powers of Vaanu are not to be used lightly,” agreed Varyyn sagely.

Beside his husband, Diego pouted. “But just this once… it can’t hurt, right?”

“It’s my phone, and I’m okay with it,” said Quinn. “But if they age it to dust, the twins owe me a new phone.”

“That’s fair. Come on, Ian. It’ll be fun!” Alyssa said, making her best puppy-dog face at her brother.

Ian rolled his eyes. “That hasn’t worked in years, ‘Lyss, and it’s not gonna work now.”

“Not even from me?” asked Estela, winking at Alyssa before doing the same puppy-dog face.

Ian frowned. “Okay, that is completely unfair,” he complained.

“Well, guess we leave it up to the Time Twins,” Michelle said, glancing over at where Estela was rapidly wearing down her husband’s resolve. “But just a small burst, okay? One week.”

“We’ll be careful,” Alyssa assured her as Ian sighed and shook his head.

“Alright, Estela, you win,” he told her.

“Don’t I always?”

“Oh, FINE! Let us proceed to utterly BREAK REALITY because someone got slightly impatient for a PHONE GAME!” yelled Aleister dramatically. “Don’t blame me if the universe implodes into nothingness as a result. I am certain if Raj were here, he would be levelheaded enough to talk you all out of this utterly irresponsible and frankly RIDICULOUS scheme!”

Meanwhile, on the roof, Raj leaned over, running a hand along the now ice-coated floor. “What if I had time powers, like the twins…” he said to Furball. “I could, like… fast-forward time to make rollercoaster lines faster… or, watch new movies a week early… or make food cook itself instantly… The twins never do stuff like that, those dudes are missin’ out…”

“Brrrrmmmm,” agreed the blue fox.

Back in the lobby, Alyssa and Ian stood, holding hands, looking at Quinn’s phone on a nearby table, still attached to the projector cord. “Here goes nothing,” Ian said. “Three…”

“Two…” continued Alyssa.

“One!” the twins said simultaneously, concentrating. A burst of prismatic time energy emerged from their conjoined hands, flaring out for a moment before the twins clenched their free fists and focused the beam tighter, until it had zeroed in completely onto the phone. They held their focus for several seconds as the rest of the Catalysts and Varyyn watched with bated breath. Finally, the energy flared once around the phone before disappearing into it.

“Alright, anybody got any extra heads or anything?” asked Jake. “No? Told ya so, Slytherin.” Aleister crossed his arms disapprovingly but said nothing.

“Here you go, Quinn. Try it now,” said Alyssa, releasing her brother’s hand and passing the phone back to its owner.

Quinn took the phone and turned it over in her hand. “The case is a little more scratched up than before, and… what’s this weird orange stain?” She sniffed the phone gingerly. “It’s… taco sauce.”

“Aww, YES!” shouted Craig excitedly, pumping a fist into the air. “Does this mean we’re destined for a taco night sometime this week?!”

Quinn turned on the phone and started scrolling through her texts. Everyone caught a glimpse of a text from Michelle, filled with nothing but emojis, until Quinn hit the home button and it vanished. “Uh… I’ll look at those later,” she told the group. Jake raised an eyebrow at Michelle, but she just shook her head, lips sealed.

Quinn took another moment to navigate back to the Choices app, where she saw that, indeed, Open Heart now showed up as ‘Completed.’ “Wow. The whole book is finished,” she observed. “How far forward did you take this phone, anyway?”

Alyssa blushed. “Uh… maybe a little more than a week…” she admitted.

Ian sighed and gave his sister a knowing look. “You haven’t been practicing at all, have you?”

“I practiced! ...Once! ...A few months ago,” she admitted.

Quinn stood up and smiled. “Doesn’t matter now! We have the phone, nobody’s been time-warped or anything weird, and we have plenty of chapters to keep playing through!” she said brightly. “Michelle?”

Michelle paused for a moment, then shrugged and took the phone from Quinn. “Well, no turning back now,” she admitted. “Everybody got their drinks ready? Great, let’s get started!”

Content Warning: This chapter depicts sensitive topics relating to childbirth and trauma.

“That’s… ominous,” said Diego.

“I mean, it is a hospital, the ‘trauma’ part should be obvious,” said Zahra.

“We’re all adults here, we’ll be fine, right?” asked Jake.

Grace looked around nervously. “Uh… I’m a little nervous… I don’t do so well with blood and trauma,” she admitted.

Aleister put his arm around her somewhat awkwardly. “No need to fret. I shall summarize for you what happens if you wish to keep your eyes closed, should anything too… ‘descriptive’ occur.”

Grace smiled at him. “Thanks.”

Aleister shrugged. “Not that any of this matters anyway. We are all likely about to be consumed by a space-time rift any moment now…” he added, glaring daggers at Jake.

“Hey, don’t look at me, the twins were the ones who actually did it!”

Open Heart: Chapter 4

Dolores

“...Umbridge?” asked Diego.

“Probably not,” Ian told him.

“That would be a pretty random cameo,” Diego admitted.

“She was the irritating woman with the unpleasant personality, correct?” Varyyn asked his husband.

“Yep, that’s the one,” Diego said. “We had a Harry Potter marathon a few months ago,” he explained to the others.

A couple days later, you wake up to the enticing smell of someone frying up breakfast.

“Aww, this is really making me miss Raj,” Craig said. “He makes the best breakfasts! ...Hope he’s okay.”

“We’ll go look for him if he doesn’t turn up soon,” Michelle assured him, before continuing to play.

Landry: No! Just… delayed. What’s a seven-letter term for ‘colds that last a long time?’ Fourth letter is ‘A.’

“Flu!” shouted Craig.

“That is not seven letters, and there isn’t even an ‘A’ anywhere,” Zahra said, rolling her eyes.

“Oh! Uh…” Craig said, pondering for a moment. “What about ‘Flu, A Flu!’ That works, right?”

“...I guess? Technically?” said Diego.

But when the choices appeared, to no one but Craig’s surprise, ‘Flu, A Flu’ was not an option. “Aww, man,” said Craig.

“‘Ice Ages’ is the obvious choice here,” Grace pointed out.

Michelle shrugged. “You’re not wrong,” she said, picking the option in question.

Sienna: He keeps having to cancel. His work really demands a lot of him.

“Wait! Sienna’s boyfriend is always busy… and his name’s ‘Wayne…’” said Diego excitedly. “It’s Batman. Her boyfriend is definitely Batman!”

“Oh my God, that actually works!” agreed Ian, air-fiving Diego.

“Now that would be a pretty cool plot twist,” Estela admitted.

Jake chuckled. “Estela being a Batman fan, now that doesn’t surprise me,” he told her, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement.

Estela shrugged. “What can I say?”

Michelle clicked through to the next choice. “Ooh, I totally want to meet Batman!” yelled Craig. “Pick it, pick it, pick it!”

“I really doubt he’s actually Batman, but sure,” Michelle told him, and chose ‘Well, we can’t wait to meet him.’

Jackie shuffles into the living area, still half-asleep. She yawns, pours a mug of coffee, and takes a seat.

“Zahra. She’s totally Zahra,” Alyssa said.

“Not sure if that’s an insult or a compliment,” Zahra said, “but what the hell. Sure.”

Jackie: Last thing I remember is reading a textbook on my bed and then…

“Okay, Zahra’s personality, Grace’s love of textbooks,” Alyssa amended.

“What, are you implying I don’t read or something?” asked Zahra, annoyed. “I spent all afternoon in the damn library, you know!”

“True enough, but have you ever fallen asleep while reading a textbook?” asked Michelle. “Because I’m pretty sure Grace has.”

“Guilty,” Grace admitted.

Elijah: I hooked up the T.V. and stereo last night. We’re officially ready for a housewarming party!

“Now this is gonna be good!” said Craig. “As long as nobody freaks out over a tiger and ruins the whole thing.”

“That was one time,” groaned Ian.

MC!Michelle: A party sounds like…

“Umm, ‘a great idea,’ obviously!” said Quinn.

“Of course!” agreed Zahra, while Craig cheered again. Jake, Alyssa, Diego, and Varyyn all voiced their agreement as well.

“That settles it,” said Michelle, noting the obvious majority. “‘Great idea’ it is.”

Jackie: About Dr. Banerji. Word is, he just up and quit sometime yesterday.

“Whoa…” said Jake.

“The mystery deepens!” said Diego excitedly.

Michelle frowned. “I’m guessing this has something to do with the way the last chapter ended,” she said to herself. “Hope he’s okay.”

Jackie: Coffee is my breakfast.

Zahra laughed. “I like this girl!”

“True that,” agreed Jake.

“Oh, man,” said Craig, “this reminds me of this one time when I put coffee in my cereal instead of milk. That was not a good breakfast, let me tell ya…”

Several of the Catalysts mimed vomiting. “Okay, how and why did you do that?!” asked Diego, staring at Craig. “That’s...just... no.”

Craig shrugged. “In my defense, I was really drunk, and the coffee pot was sitting in the fridge where the milk was usually.”

“Craig, I told you I was gonna put it in there,” said Sean.

“Not my fault I was too drunk to remember that!”

“Okay, but the real question is… how did it taste?” asked Jake, leaning forward.

Craig shook his head. “You do not wanna know.”

“...And this conversation is officially DONE,” said Zahra.

Dr. Harper: Ethan…

MC!Michelle: (What do I do?)

“Get closer! Duh!” shouted Alyssa when the next choice appeared. “I want to know!”

“Alyssa, don’t you think we should respect their privacy, though?” asked Grace tentatively. “It’s not nice to eavesdrop.”

“Oh, come on, Grace. We’re not eavesdropping! We’re just moving closer so that we can overhear their conversation without them knowing about it!”

“...Alyssa, that’s literally what ‘eavesdropping’ means,” Ian pointed out.

“Well excuse me if I haven’t memorized the dictionary!”

“...You haven’t?” asked Aleister. “What on Earth have you been doing with your time?”

Michelle sighed. “I vote to respect their privacy… but we should, y’know, actually vote on this. Who wants to respect their privacy?”

“Come on, guys, let’s not be rude,” said Sean, as he raised his hand along with Michelle, Ian, Grace, Aleister and Quinn. Varyyn raised his hand as well, but then lowered it when he looked at Diego and saw that his hand wasn’t raised.

Michelle quickly counted the hands. “That’s six,” she said, frowning. “Just to be sure… who votes to get closer?” Alyssa, Jake, Estela, Zahra, Diego, and Varyyn (after Diego raised his) all raised their hands. “Wait, that’s six people too! Did somebody not vote?”

Everyone stared expectantly at Craig. “...What?” he asked when he noticed this.

“You forgot to vote!” Zahra told him.

“Oh! Oh, yeah. What did Sean vote again?”

“I said ‘respect their privacy,’” Sean told him.

“Okay, yeah, that’s my vote too.”

“Why not ask to follow my vote?” Zahra asked him, annoyed.

“Because Sean’s my bro, bro! And y’know, ‘bros before…’” He stopped before he could finish the sentence when he noticed Zahra's death glare. “...Uh. It’s just a thing people say.”

“Anyway!” exclaimed Michelle brightly before Zahra could find a way to get Craig to vote her way, “looks like ‘respecting their privacy’ wins. Moving on!” She selected the relevant option.

Kyra: Hey there, doc!

You turn to see Bryce wheeling Kyra down the hall on a bed.

Quinn started fanning herself with her hand. “Kyra and Bryce? Oh, my poor heart…”

“If there’s an option to flirt with both of them, we’re definitely taking it,” declared Sean.

“Fair enough,” agreed Michelle. “Though I would’ve done it anyway.”

Bryce: A lobectomy, assisted by yours truly.

“A lo-ba-da what now?” asked Alyssa.

“‘Lobectomy,’” clarified Aleister. “The surgical removal of a-”

“A lobe of the lung,” interrupted Michelle. “Aleister, you’re not the only one who knows these things, you know. I am a medical student.”

“Ah. You are correct,” admitted Aleister, blushing a faint shade of red. “My utmost apologies.”

MC!Michelle: Kyra! You’re having a lobe of your lung removed today?

“Whaddya know, Peacock Feathers was right,” said Jake.

“Well, of course,” Michelle said, smirking. “You all should know that by now.”

Kyra: I know, right? It happened kinda fast after the C.T. results came back.

“Craig’s Tacos!” yelled Craig excitedly. Silence. “No? Aww… but we’re having the Taco Party of Destiny this week! Quinn’s phone proves it!”

Quinn shrugged, turning her phone over in her hand. “Well, seeing as we sent it even further forward in time… it could probably be any time this month, or even later,” she pointed out.

“Anyway, C.T. stands for Computerized…” said Michelle, before her voice trailed off and she frowned. “Huh. To be honest, I have no idea.”

Jake shook his head, amused. “She doesn’t know a medical question?!” he asked, mock-astonished. “I think this calls for a drink.” The others looked at him expectantly. “ ...Y’all!” he added.

“We always just say ‘C.T. scan,’” Michelle admitted. “I honestly don’t know what it stands for.”

“‘Computerized Tacos?’” suggested Craig.

“What is it with you and tacos all of a sudden?” asked Zahra.

“Taco Party of Destiny, remember?”

“May I?” asked Aleister. Michelle nodded. “Very well. It stands for ‘Computerized Tomography.’”

Michelle smiled at him. “Thanks, Aleister. That’s it!”

“Wait, did he really say ‘Computerized Taco-graphy?’”

Everyone ignored Craig.

MC!Michelle: (What do I do?)

“FLIRTY!” yelled Quinn, uncharacteristically loudly.

“Wow. That was impressive,” said Michelle. “‘Flirty’ it is!”

“Aren’t we going to vote?” asked Aleister.

Michelle shook her head. “You know ‘flirty’ would win anyway, since that’s the option that lets them drink,” she told him.

“She’s got a point,” admitted Grace.

“Drink, y’all!”

MC!Michelle: But if you do see any warm, bright lights while you’re under… I’m going to need you to remember this face and turn the hell around.

Instinctively, everyone’s gazes turned to Alyssa and Ian. “...What are you staring at?” asked Alyssa.

Ian sighed and looked into Estela’s eyes. “Honestly, sounds about right,” he told the group. “While I was with Vaanu, it was her who kept me… ‘me.’ If that makes any sense at all.”

“Of course it does, mi amor,” said Estela, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Barf,” said Zahra.

“You know you like it,” said Craig, pulling her into a very similar hug. She playfully pushed him away.

“Just glad you’re home, Princess,” Jake told his wife, a huge, genuine smile on his face.

“You’re flirty when you’re drunk,” Alyssa observed.

“What are you talkin’ about? I’m flirty all the time.”

His wife sighed. “You’re not wrong…”

Bryce: Sorry, Dr. Nguyen, but I have to get Ms. Santana here to the O.R.

“Oh! I really do know this one!” yelled Craig excitedly. “That one means ‘Operating Room!’”

Everyone stared, dumbstruck and utterly at a loss for words, at Craig. Zahra grabbed her glass of whiskey and emptied the entire thing into her mouth.

“...What?” asked Craig.

“You… you got that one right!” exclaimed Michelle, astonished.

“Well, yeah, I’ve heard doctors and stuff say that one before,” Craig explained. “Like when I was in there after I broke my...uh, I think spleen? They told me not to play football but I didn’t listen.”

“...Did you have mono?” asked Michelle.

“Yeah, but like, I didn’t feel that sick, so I figured I could still play--”

Michelle sighed. “God dammit, Craig,” she muttered incredulously, shaking her head. “You idiot.” Zahra nodded in agreement as she refilled her glass.

“Craig getting an acronym right. Let’s toast to that!” declared Jake, raising his whiskey glass for a toast. The others raised their own glasses before each taking another sip, including Craig himself.

MC!Michelle: Bryce, just one more thing…

“Damn, I like both these options,” said Sean.

“I suppose that means this calls for a vote,” said Aleister. ‘Take care of her for me’ won by a close margin, 7-6.

Dr. Zaid: Get down to the E.R. and see if they need any patients admitted!

“‘Exciting Room?’” guessed Craig.

“...Aaaaaand we’re back to normal,” snarked Zahra. “Also, no.”

“It’s actually ‘Emergency Room,’” Michelle clarified.

“At least he was half right,” put in Grace.

“But emergencies are exciting! Doesn’t that count?” asked Craig. Zahra shook her head. “Aww…”

Intern: Hi, Aurora! I brought you a cappuccino--

Aurora: I drink tea.

“Geez, what’s her problem?” asked Sean. “Rude.”

“For sure,” agreed Michelle.

“She needs to lose the stick up her ass,” agreed Jake. Then the next choice appeared, and Jake laughed so hard that whiskey flew out of his nose.

Alyssa fell out of her chair laughing at the sight. “Holy shit, that was amazing,” she said through her laughter.

“Damn, Ariel, maybe your phone is psychic,” Jake said to Quinn. “Can we pick it? Please?”

“We’ve gotta vote,” Michelle reminded him.

“Oh yeah.”

But when the vote was called, ‘What’s up your butt?’ won unanimously, likely due to Jake’s reaction.

Aurora: Funny. That’s what I had to ask my last patient. It was a model train.

“PFFFFFFFFFTBWAHAHAHAA!” bellowed Craig, incredibly loudly. “Holy shit!”

“That was amazing,” laughed Zahra, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Okay, I love this story,” said Jake through his own laughter. “Even if it does predict me sometimes.”

“I still do not understand why butts are funny,” admitted Varyyn.

Diego shrugged and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Love you anyway,” he told his husband.

MC!Michelle: Pretty quiet down here…

“Alright, whoever says ‘how boring’ is an insensitive prick,” said Michelle when the choices appeared.

“Why would anyone say that?” asked Alyssa. “Isn’t it a good thing to have less work?”

“Lazybones,” Jake said, laughing.

“Should we not vote on this choice as well--” Aleister began to say.

“Nope!” Michelle said, cutting him off as she selected ‘That’s great!’

Aurora: What are you even talking about? There are no good cases.

“Insensitive prick alert!” shouted Zahra.

Paramedic: Dolores Hudson, office fire. Her coworkers evacuated in time, but she’s pregnant and couldn’t move fast enough.

“Ah! ‘Dolores!’” exclaimed Varyyn excitedly, a sharp contrast to the ominous music playing. “That is the title of the chapter!”

“Yep, it is,” said Diego, nodding.

“Hope she’s okay…” muttered Michelle, as she continued the story.

When the next choice came up, she looked back at the rest of the group for confirmation. “All you,” Ian assured her.

Michelle thought for a moment, then chose the ‘How long has she been unconscious?’ option.

Paramedic: Elevated B.P., but she and the baby both have strong heartbeats.

“Wait, isn’t that a gas station?” asked Craig.

“...Yeah,” admitted Zahra. “But I don’t think--”

“I know what happened!” he exclaimed. “The lady was ‘elevated’ on the gas station roof and tried to jump off it to test a parachute made of paper and duct tape because someone bet her ten bucks!”

Silence. “I… um… what,” said Michelle finally.

“That was oddly specific,” said Zahra.

Craig paused for a moment. “Well, okay, that did kinda happen to me once. I just broke my ankle instead. Also it was a Shell.”

“Why am I not surprised?” asked Alyssa.

“Blood Pressure, not BP gas station,” Zahra clarified for Craig. “Even I know that one.”

“...Oh.”

Aurora: Smoke inhalation? It’s all yours. I’ll wait for something interesting.

“WHOAAAAAAAAAAAA!” the entire group exclaimed at once, outraged.

“What a horrible person,” Ian said.

“She’s a person, not a goddamn science experiment,” said Michelle, scowling at the screen. “‘Interesting’ my ass.”

“We gotta do something!” said Sean, as on-screen, Michelle’s character agreed to take the patient’s case. “Good!”

MC!Michelle: So… you ran into a raging inferno to save a pregnant woman?

“Wow, when she puts it that way, this guy sounds like an action hero,” said Diego admiringly.

“He does seem like a great guy,” agreed Quinn.

MC!Michelle: I like to think…

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!” hollered Zahra when the full-body picture of the paramedic appeared.

“The man on the screen resembles you, Diego,” said Varyyn.

Diego blushed and looked down at his feet. “Well, uh, ...maybe? If I were like, 30 times more badass?”

“Just as you are now, then,” Varyyn said.

“I think at this point we should all be saying ‘I’d be that brave,’” declared Jake. “Given the bullshit we’ve all been through by now.”

“You do have a fair point,” admitted Aleister. “Michelle?”

“Jake’s not wrong,” Michelle admitted, selecting the option.

Rafael: Rafael Aveiro.

“Wait, is he a Ninja Turtle?” asked Ian excitedly. “This keeps getting better!”

“That would be awesome!” agreed Diego. “So he’s secretly a Ninja Turtle, Sienna’s boyfriend is secretly Batman…”

“BEST. CROSSOVER. EVER.”

“By the way… drink, y’all,” said Jake. Michelle looked at him expectantly. “Oh, come on, you’re gonna pick it,” he insisted, until finally she relented and chose the flirtatious ‘Pretty often, I hope’ choice.

MC!Michelle: (Everyone must love Mrs. Martinez.)

“True that!” shouted Estela. “She’s the best.”

“Ha, even Dr. Ramsey likes her,” said Alyssa.

Michelle laughed. “If he likes someone, then everyone does,” she commented.

Dr. Ramsey: I care for the wellbeing of the people who’ve entrusted their care to me, Rookie. That’s all.

“Huh. That’s weirdly thoughtful,” Zahra said.

“Compared to Aurora, at least he cares for his patients,” Michelle agreed. “Even if he can be abrasive sometimes.”

“I don’t know about you,” said Grace hesitantly, “but I’d prefer a doctor who cared about their patients and was kinda mean to his coworkers than the other way around.”

“Agreed,” said Sean.

Dr. Ramsey: Did you just say Dolores Hudson?

MC!Michelle: Yes?

Dr. Ramsey: I’m coming with you.

“Ooh, the plot thickens!” shouted Diego. “Wonder if they know each other.”

“Could be,” said Quinn.

“Oh!” exclaimed Grace excitedly. “What if this is related to why Dr. Banerji quit yesterday?”

Michelle nodded. “That’s definitely possible,” she agreed.

Dolores: Ethan!

Dr. Ramsey: Dolores! What have you gotten yourself into this time?

“CALLED IT!” crowed Diego triumphantly.

Dr. Ramsey: Dolores was my very first patient when I was an intern.

MC!Michelle: Wow! Dolores, was he always so…

“Wait…” said Zahra, frowning as she read the choices, “are they really letting us flirt with Dr. Ramsey?!”

“Looks like it,” said Quinn. “I mean, not directly, but…”

“Drink, y’all!” exclaimed Jake. Craig immediately took a sip.

“Wait, wait, we haven’t voted yet!” protested Michelle. “I’d rather not flirt with Dr. Ramsey, of all people…”

Aleister stood up at the word ‘voted’ and began counting everyone’s votes. “It would appear ‘Mean’ won, 8-5,” he declared.

Craig frowned. “Aww, man… does that mean I have to put my drink back in the cup?” He started attempting to make himself vomit.

Zahra quickly slapped him. “Uh, no,” she admonished. “Just… drink it normally!”

“Oh, okay.”

Your Stethoscope: Listen to her breathing.

“Okay, ‘drink, y’all’ for real this time,” Jake said.

Craig started to take another drink, but Zahra put her hand over his cup. “No fair cheating, you drank on the last one,” she reminded him. Craig frowned but set the cup down anyway.

“Was that really the first single-option choice in the chapter?” asked Estela. “Huh.”

MC!Michelle: (What do I say?)

“Dr. Ramsey has friends?” shouted Jake incredulously. “That’s both my actual reaction and my vote for this choice.”

“Wasn’t expecting Dolores to get a full picture,” Quinn said. “That’s nice! And my vote goes for ‘That’s so sweet.’”

“Guess she stood up fast just like Kyra,” Diego pointed out upon seeing the photo of Dolores standing.

Aleister stood up, getting ready to take everyone’s votes. “If you don’t mind, Aleister, could I… maybe… do the vote?” asked Grace hesitantly. Aleister smiled and sat back down. “Okay, uh… who votes ‘That’s so sweet?’” Grace asked the group. Quinn, Diego, Varyyn, Ian, Sean, and Grace herself all raised their hands. “And ‘Dr. Ramsey has friends?’” Jake, Alyssa, Estela, Craig, Zahra, Aleister, and Michelle all raised their hands. Grace quickly counted their votes. “Looks like the second choice won,” she said.

Michelle smiled at Grace. “Nice job,” she assured her, before going ahead and picking the option in question.

Dr. Ramsey: Careful, rookie…

“Oh man, I forgot he was actually still in the room!” laughed Zahra. “This just got even better!”

Dolores: I just really wish I hadn’t lost that stuffed frog.

MC!Michelle: I have an idea!

“Okay, this being a diamond choice makes even less sense than the ‘sneaking away with Bryce’ scene last chapter!” complained Alyssa.

“But… she looks so sad,” Quinn said. “We have to buy it!”

Jake shrugged. “That’s up to Michelle. But either way… totally unnecessary diamond choice… so, drink, y’all!”

As everyone sipped their drink of choice, Michelle looked around at the others. “Sorry, Quinn,” she said, “but this is only the first diamond option, and I think we should wait.”

Quinn frowned. “Aww… that’s okay. Go ahead!” Michelle turned down the diamond choice and continued through the story.

You hand him the labs. His face falls as he reads them.

MC!Michelle: She has serious preeclampsia. Her baby’s in trouble, isn’t it?

“Oh…” said Michelle. “That explains the hypertension, at least…”

“‘Pree-what-now?’” asked Craig. “‘Hyper-what-now?’ Slow down, Meech.”

Michelle shook her head. “Hypertension means high blood pressure,” she explained to him, “and preeclampsia is a dangerous condition that can occur during pregnancy. One of the main symptoms is elevated BP.”

“That’s ‘blood pressure,’ not the gas station,” Zahra reminded him.

Craig frowned. “I know that now…”

“Oh no,” said Grace suddenly, “this probably won’t end well… Remember the warning from the beginning of the chapter?”

Everyone’s eyes widened as they realized what Grace meant. “I really hope you’re wrong,” said Sean, “I like Dolores!”

“That’s the job, though,” said Michelle. “It’s hard, but we’re all taught to always be aware that we’ll never be able to save everyone.”

Diego shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it, Michelle,” he told her, “but I could never handle that kind of pressure. That’s for sure.” The others all nodded their agreement.

“Thanks, Diego. Guess I just… do.” Michelle smiled as she continued the story.

Dr. Ramsey: This is the job, Rookie. Come on.

“Whoa, that’s like what you just said!” said Alyssa excitedly.

“Ha, yep, guess so…”

MC!Michelle: I should tell her…

“Aah! Timed choice!” yelled Craig when the next choice appeared. Michelle quickly selected ‘Gently’ before the timer could run out.

MC!Michelle: The bloodflow to the placenta is slowing. It could soon deprive your baby of vital nutrients and oxygen.

Dr. Ramsey: Your baby is at risk.

“Oh no…” moaned Grace.

“I have a bad feeling about this…” said Varyyn.

“Alright, points for the Star Wars reference, but I’m genuinely worried,” Diego said. “God, I hope we’re wrong about this. Maybe they just put in that warning as a prank? Like, April Fools?”

“Diego… it’s March,” Alyssa reminded him.

“But you two sent Quinn’s phone into the future, right? So this chapter could be from April! ...C’mon, let me have my hope,” he told her. Then he thought about this for a moment. “Wait, hang on, if the phone was sent into the future, then… Hey, Michelle, are there any photos on there from my birthday?”

Michelle sighed. “I don’t think this is really the time,” she told him. “Besides, I think we’re already messing with the space-time continuum enough as it is.”

Diego’s face fell. “Aww… you’re right.”

MC!Michelle: Babies delivered at twenty-six weeks have a good chance of survival.

Dolores: A… a chance?

“Oh, please tell me we can save the baby!” said Sean. “That’s not fair.”

“We’d better be able to save them,” Estela said, literally at the edge of her seat with tension.

MC!Michelle: He’ll have to spend some time in the N.I.C.U., and yes, there’s risk of post-birth complications--

Everyone looked at Craig expectantly. “Any ideas?” asked Zahra.

Craig thought for a moment. “Uh… ‘Nine Interns Carrying… U-tacos,’” he finished lamely. “What? There wasn’t a ‘T’!”

“Points for effort, anyway,” said Jake, as everyone laughed.

“Hey, at least it lightened the mood!” Ian pointed out. “Thanks, Craig.”

“No problem, bro!”

Dr. Ramsey: I’m taking over this case. You’re… not ready for it.

“That doesn’t seem like a good idea,” said Michelle, frowning. “He’s too personally attached to her.”

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing?” asked Alyssa, curious. “To have a doctor who knows you personally?”

“Not in this kind of situation,” Michelle explained. “It’s better to have less of an attachment when a case is serious.”

“Huh. Never thought of it that way.”

Through the window, you spot Kyra, asleep after surgery.

MC!Michelle: She looks so peaceful. Everything went well with the lobectomy?

Bryce: Flawlessly.

“Oh, thank god,” said Grace, letting out the breath she’d been holding. “At least Kyra is okay.”

“With everything with Dolores, I’d completely forgotten about Kyra!” Sean admitted. “Uh… whoops.”

Michelle smiled. “Yeah, I’m gonna have to agree with my character self on this one, it’s about time we got some good news in this chapter.”

When the next choice appeared, it was a perfectly unanimous vote to hug Bryce, which Michelle did. “And… drink, y’all,” declared Jake.

“A toast to Kyra’s good health!” said Aleister, raising his glass.

Everyone stared at him. “Wait, since when were you drinking with us?” asked Zahra. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Don’t sound so surprised,” he huffed. “I do enjoy a stiff glass of bourbon now and again.” At everyone’s continued dumbfounded expressions, he raised his glass again. “Well? A toast, or no?”

“A toast!” exclaimed Estela, who was the first to snap out of it. She raised her glass of water as the others followed suit with their drinks (or glasses of water for those who weren’t involved in the drinking game).

Bryce: Wanna hit up this concert with me? It should be fun. And it looks like you could seriously use a pick-me-up.

Purchasing this premium outfit gets you a night on the town with Bryce!

“She… er, I mean me… has great fashion sense,” said Michelle upon seeing the image of the premium outfit.

“Does this count as a drink?” asked Craig.

Jake shrugged. “Outfits cost money in real life, so I’m gonna say no. Sorry.”

“Even so,” said Michelle, “are we buying it or not? I’m going with yes, but it’s up to the vote.”

“Absolutely!” said Quinn. “We’ve got to do it!”

“I agree,” said Sean.

Alyssa frowned. “What if there’s another choice to come, though? We should save our money.”

“You mean our money?” Grace reminded her. “We don’t mind paying!”

“I know, but still…”

Aleister stood up and held out his hands. “Wait a moment, everyone, we must do this properly. Who votes to purchase the premium choice?” Michelle, Quinn, Sean, Estela, Diego, and Varyyn all raised their hands. “Who votes to decline?” The rest of the group raised their hands, and Aleister did a quick head count. “It appears we have our answer. I apologize, Michelle.”

“It’s no problem,” said Michelle, reluctantly turning down the outfit. “Majority rules.”

Bryce: I hope it works out with your patient.

“Me too,” moaned Grace. “I’m nervous…”

“I feel you,” Diego said to her. “That warning at the beginning has me a little paranoid.”

Your Pager: Read the message.

“Finally! There aren’t nearly enough of these in this chapter,” said Craig excitedly, as he took a sip of his drink.

“Hey, Drax, not so fast! I didn’t even say it yet,” Jake said, making a face at Craig.

Alyssa laughed and shoved Jake lightly. “Wow, didn’t know you cared so much about your ‘line,’” she said to him.

“I care about plenty of stuff, Princess. Like you.” Alyssa blushed as he added, “Drink, y’all!”

MC!Michelle: (I slept through a page about Dolores! She’s been taken to emergency surgery!)

“Oh no,” said Grace.

“They’d better save the baby,” said Estela, scowling at the screen.

Dr. Ramsey: Dolores had a seizure. Full eclampsia. We had no choice but to deliver the baby. It’s fifty-fifty he’ll survive the night.

Michelle and Grace both gasped at the words ‘Full eclampsia.’ “What happened? What does that mean?” asked Diego, covering his eyes for some reason despite it being a text-based app.

“Judging by your expression, nothing good,” Quinn said to Michelle.

Michelle frowned. “No, it’s not,” she agreed. “It’s exactly what it sounds like. Seizures during pregnancy as a result of preeclampsia.”

“Please be okay…” muttered Sean.

MC!Michelle: And Dolores?

Dr. Ramsey: She died.

“NO!” shouted Estela, as she stared at the screen in shock along with the rest of the group.

“No… no, no, no,” said Grace.

“I thought it was the baby that was in danger!” Ian said. “I didn’t think Dolores…”

Michelle shook her head sadly. “Eclampsia is incredibly dangerous to the mother, too…” she muttered, half to herself. “But… in this type of story, I didn’t think… didn’t think they’d actually do it…”

“It’s not real, Michelle,” said Quinn softly, a tear dripping down her face. “It’s just a story.”

“I know that. It’s just… things like this do happen. Maybe it’s just a little more real to me, but…” Her voice trailed off, and she crossed over to Quinn and pulled her into a tight hug. “God, am I really getting this worked up?”

Quinn rubbed her back gently. “It’s okay.”

“Talk about whiplash,” Jake muttered. “Gotta say, didn’t really expect anything this real in a story like this.”

“That likely does explain the emotional shock the others are experiencing,” declared Aleister, though a slight tremble in his voice betrayed the fact that he wasn’t immune from the ‘emotional shock’ either. “It is one thing to go into a work of fiction expecting tragedy, but another thing entirely when it is unexpected.” He wrapped an arm around Grace protectively, as she buried her face into his side.

“Uh… that lamp… still looks like a pinecone,” said Craig lamely, but no one laughed. “Sorry, just tryin’ to lighten the mood.”

“Let’s… let’s just continue,” said Zahra, probably the most composed out of the group. “We’ve gotta know what happens to the baby.”

Michelle nodded. Pulling away from Quinn, she picked up the phone again and continued clicking through as everyone watched with bated breath.

You enter the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and approach the incubator.

Newborn: …

Your heart tightens as you read the tiny newborn’s nametag: Ethan Hudson.

“Oh, so that’s what it stands for,” said Craig, trying to cheer everyone up again. “At least it was better than my guess.”

“Did she… name the baby after Dr. Ramsey?” asked Quinn. “Aww… that’s so sad…”

MC!Michelle: Do you mind if I sit with him tonight?

“That’s so nice,” said Grace, sniffling a little. “At least you’re there to look out for little Ethan. I hope he’s okay…”

“He’d better be,” agreed Estela.

“We can’t lose the mom and the baby! We’ve gotta be able to save him,” said Sean. “We’ve got to.”

Dr. Ramsey: Would you mind if I joined you?

“ABSOLUTELY,” said Estela firmly. “How could anyone not--” Her voice cut off as the diamond choice was revealed. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Good thing we saved our diamond choice, huh, Michelle?” asked Alyssa. “We’ve got to do this!”

Aleister shrugged. “Is there any purpose at all in taking a vote at this point?” he asked. “I do believe we are all in agreement on this one?” Everyone nodded their assent.

“Thanks,” said Michelle, smiling weakly. “Thanks, everyone.” She went ahead and selected the diamond choice.

Dr. Ramsey: The first patient I lost… was in my fourth week. I didn’t make any mistakes. He had stage four metastatic melanoma. He just… fought like hell and lost.

“Wow,” breathed Ian. “Wow…”

“It’s like I said,” Michelle told him. “We can’t save everyone. It’s sad, but true.” She looked down at the floor for a moment. “I’m dreading the day it happens to me. That’s one part of residency I’m not looking forward to.”

“Yeah, I’ll stick to teaching, thanks,” Diego said. “That’s just too much for me.”

Varyyn patted his husband on the back. “As she said before, not everyone can be healers. I cannot imagine that an entire village of only healers would be very successful.”

Michelle nodded. “He’s right, it’s not for everyone,” she assured him, “and that’s okay! Besides, we need professors too.”

“And video game designers!” interjected Craig. “Those are important! ...Right?”

“Uh… yeah, sure,” Zahra muttered. “Sure they are.”

“I think your games are awesome, man,” Sean told Craig. “Don’t listen to her.”

“Hey! Whose side are you on?!” demanded Zahra.

MC!Michelle: …

“Mind if I take this one?” Michelle asked when the next choice appeared. “I’m actually very curious to hear the answer to the first choice.” Everyone nodded in agreement, and she went ahead and selected ‘Does it ever get easier?’

Dr. Ramsey: Grieving a lost patient isn’t a weakness. Good doctors should value life. For itself. I’d be more concerned if you weren’t upset.

“That’s… actually a really good way of looking at it,” said Quinn. “If a doctor doesn’t value life, then why are they even a doctor in the first place?”

“Good point,” Michelle agreed. “I guess our emotions are what make us human.

“But the problem wasn’t being upset about losing the patient,” said Alyssa, frowning, “the problem was losing her in the first place! We should’ve kept that from happening! We should be better than this!”

Michelle shook her head. “People generally don’t live forever, Alyssa,” she reminded her. “As much as I’d like to be some kind of perfect super-doctor who saves everyone… I won’t be able to, and I’ve accepted that.”

“Some choices must last,” reminded Varyyn sagely, thinking of his mother.

“Ugh. Life isn’t fair,” sighed Alyssa. “You’re right.”

“He usually is,” Diego told her, and Varyyn smiled at him.

MC!Michelle: But…

“Wow, all of these choices suck,” said Zahra.

“Princess literally just said one of them earlier,” Jake observed. “Maybe we should go with that?”

“Huh? No I didn’t,” said Alyssa.

Ian pointed at the screen. “You said, and I quote, ‘We should be better than this!’”

“Oh. Right. Guess I did…”

“The third choice is even sadder,” Grace said. “She was his friend. Doesn’t that make it worse?”

“That was sort of my point about doctors not taking care of patients that they’re too attached to,” Michelle told her. “You’re right. It would make it a lot harder.”

“I suppose we should vote, then,” said Aleister, his voice noticeably softer than usual. “Shall we?”

‘I need to be better than this’ ended up winning, 6-2-5.

Dr. Ramsey: There are doctors with unlimited patience. I’m not one of them.

“You know… when Michelle says that out loud… it’s a lot funnier,” said Diego.

Everyone laughed weakly. “Ha. True,” Ian admitted. “‘Unlimited patients!’”

“There’s another Star Wars quote I could use here, but we already saw Dr. Ramsey doesn’t like those…”

He swallows and looks at Dolores’s baby. His eyes are red.

MC!Michelle: (What do I do?)

“You know, as much as I really didn’t like his attitude at first… that was a surprisingly insightful conversation,” Michelle said. “It makes sense. Patients absolutely should come first.”

“I… guess so,” Zahra admitted. “He’s still an ass though.”

“Even asses can get emotional sometimes, especially with a situation like this,” said Sean. “He needs us right now.”

“Asses are people too,” agreed Alyssa.

“Besides, asses do sometimes have a heart deep down, as we all know,” Jake said, looking pointedly at Aleister.

Aleister scowled. “What on Earth does my posterior have to do with any of this?!” he demanded, looking utterly bewildered.

“Aleister, you have a fine posterior,” Grace reassured him, then blushed and covered her mouth immediately when she realized what she’d said. “Wait, no, that came out wrong!”

“Heh, you two said ‘posterior,’” Craig pointed out.

Everyone laughed at the ridiculousness of the conversation, and the mood in the room instantly lightened. “God, I love you guys,” said Diego warmly.

“I’m not always glad you’re my brother, I admit, but that was amazing,” Estela told Aleister through her laughter.

Aleister stared, completely confused. “I still do not understand-”

“Nor do I, Aleister,” Varyyn reassured him.

Once the laughter had died down enough to continue, Michelle looked back at the screen. “Should we choose now?” she asked them. “I think we should choose ‘touch his hand,’ but we can put it to a vote-”

“No vote necessary, I think we’d all agree with that one,” said Quinn, looking around at the others as they all nodded their agreement. “See?”

“That was easy,” said Michelle as she selected the option.

MC!Michelle: This doesn’t taste like cafeteria coffee!

Dr. Ramsey: This is from my private coffee machine. As soon as I got an office, I vowed never to drink that caffeinated dishwater again.

“Oh my god. That is brilliant,” said Michelle.

“Is hospital coffee really that bad?” asked Jake curiously. “I mean, it can’t be worse than barracks coffee, right?”

“Let’s just say ‘caffeinated dishwater’ is an understatement.”

MC!Michelle: He made it!

Dr. Ramsey: And he’s getting stronger.

“Thank god!” exclaimed Estela, as everyone sighed in relief.

“Glad Ethan is okay!” said Quinn. “Er, baby Ethan. Though Dr. Ramsey is probably okay too.”

“I just hope someone will be able to take care of the baby,” Grace said. “Ooh, what if Dr. Ramsey ends up adopting him?”

“Awww!” said Quinn. “I hope so!”

You and your friends join the growing crowd of medical interns clustered in front of Harper. Ethan stands behind her, arms folded.

“Yep. He’s definitely back to normal,” snarked Zahra.

Dr. Emery: Instead of filling that role, we will be selecting one young doctor to train as a junior fellow.

“Wow. Seriously?!” asked Michelle to nobody in particular.

MC!Michelle: Did I just hear that right?

“Wow. That was pretty much your actual reaction,” commented Alyssa.

“What do y’all think about adding another rule: drink whenever the character Michelle reacts basically the same way as real Michelle?” suggested Jake.

“Hell yeah,” said Zahra.

Jake shrugged. “Alright then… drink, y’all!”

Dr. Ramsey: We will be ranking you daily. The best performing intern at the end of your first year will be selected.

“Holy shit, this got real competitive, real fast,” observed Alyssa. “We’d better win!”

“Sounds like a good idea for a reality show,” joked Diego. “Oh! Imagine an America’s Most Eligible spin-off! ‘AME: Hospital Edition.’”

“That sounds either really awful, or really entertaining,” Michelle said. “Awfully entertaining?”

“Like in a ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ way? I’d watch that,” Alyssa told her.

“I’d watch you watching that, ‘Lyss,” Ian said, laughing.

“Watch-ception!” said Diego.

“Oh! Like, how watching one watching something is similar to dreaming about dreaming, as a reference to the film ‘In-ception!’” Varyyn yelled excitedly, a little too loudly. “I understood that!”

Diego kissed him on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” he said with a huge grin on his face. “But it’s a real shame we haven’t done our MCU marathon yet, because you missed the perfect opportunity for another reference…”

Who will enter the competition? And can your friendships survive the heat? Keep playing to find out!

“Oh, we are definitely going to enter… and win,” said Estela fiercely.

“Well, then that settles it, because nobody beats Estela in anything,” Ian told the group. “We’ve got this one for sure.”

“This story just went from ‘good’ to ‘freakin’ awesome,’” Craig said. “It is ON!” Then he frowned. “Uh… but we might need the science nerds for this.”

Zahra laughed and clapped him on the back. “You’re not wrong. At least they’re all on our side, huh?” she said, looking from Aleister and Grace to Michelle, then to Ian.

Sean smiled at his best friend. “Craig, trust me: if this was a sports-related competition, they’d need you just as badly,” he reassured him.

“And you’d need me for a movie-related one!” said Diego. “I’d be unstoppable! Oh, man, we’ve got to have a ‘Scene It’ contest sometime, by the way.”

“Sure, but I’m on your team,” Alyssa immediately said. “I call dibs!”

“Who is ‘dibs?’” asked Varyyn. “And why are you calling them?”

As Diego started explaining the concept of ‘dibs’ to Varyyn, Michelle crossed her arms and frowned. “Alright, we just played through another chapter... after tying space and time into knots... and still no sign of Raj. Where the hell is he?!”

Ian stood up to get everyone’s attention. “She’s got a point,” he said, but no one besides Estela and Michelle paid any attention to him over the din of conversation. “We should break to look for him… uh… guys? Hello?”

Estela stood up, strode over to where Aleister and Grace were sitting deep in conversation, and grabbed Aleister’s megaphone. “EVERYONE, SHUT IT!” she yelled into the megaphone at the top of her lungs.

That got everyone’s attention.

Ian smiled at his wife gratefully. “That was awesome. Thanks.” Then he turned to address the group. “Look, Raj is still missing, and it’s been two whole chapters so far. I’m thinking we should break for now, and split up and look for him. I’m worried he fell asleep somewhere or something.”

“Good idea,” agreed Sean. “Let’s all pick an area to look, and we’ll meet back here in an hour.”

“Great plan. Alright, let’s do it…”

Meanwhile, on the roof, Raj stared at the icy doorknob, frowning. “Dude, how does this not melt… is that like, one of your powers?” he asked Furball.

“Mrrraaaaaarraraa,” said the fox, blasting some ice off of the side of the roof (since literally everything on the roof was now already frozen.) “Mrowwww.”

“Yeah, makes sense, that could come in handy… What if I breathed on it, but while thinking really warm thoughts?” asked Raj, as he pulled out his lighter and... lit another joint with it.

“Rrrram,” agreed Furball.

Raj bent down near the doorknob and started breathing smoke on it. The ice stubbornly stayed frozen. “It’s gotta work eventually, right? ...Right?”

Next Chapter: Link

Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @endlesssummerfan @marmolady

[herstarburststories]

I want your colors ✘ Sebastian Smythe Imagine - Soulmates AU ✘

✘ A/N: OKAYYYYY, it’s my first Soulmates AU, so, it can, maybe, be not really good. But I hope you like it!

I’m sorry for my delay, exams t.t

WE WERE LIKE SCREAMINGGGG COLOOOORS ~Taylor Swift’s voice

 @lyss-91, thank you for beta sz

✘ Request by @ships-but-never-cannons: I don't know if requests are still open, but I was thinking there could be a Sebastian Smythe imagine. It's a Soulmates AU but he essentially treats the reader like shit. It isn't until colors started fading (for instance, you can choose the AU) and he's surprised by how alarmed he is that he's actually losing his Soulmate?

Treating people like shit is, was, always was and always would be fun.  

Well, that was what Sebastian Smythe thought.  

Some people may blame paternal absence, others his mother's early death, a small part would say he was a nice guy - and that little bit did not involve any of his few exs, thanks. - and the overwhelming majority would think he was just an idiot with hair so neat that it would make even a CW prince vomit. 

But being an arrogant jerk in a world where there are soulmates is a dangerous game. 

Not that Sebastian really cared about this, not really that he knew he cared so much. 

The Smythe always thought he would know when he found his soul mate. Seriously, what kind of blind fool wouldn't see his own soulmate? 

Obviously, he was one of those idiots. 

"What are you doing in my dorm, macaw?" Sebastian said in a tone of irritation as he entered in room, just wishing a good nap, and seeing one of the members from the New Directions there. 

"Okay, of all the nasty nicknames you gave me, and there aren't a few, that's the most nonsense one." Sebastian rolled his eyes as you spoke. 

"I think it's tuned like a whistle is easier for your poor public school brain to understand." He smiled wryly and you rolled your eyes. 

"I just came to get my cellphone." You continued what you were doing: searching the desk on Jett's side of the dorm for your phone. "Here it is!" You smiled excitedly. 

"Really, you have a chlid's animation." He snorted and leaned against the door, sitting on his bed right away. 

"I'll take that as a compliment." You smiled and grabbed your purse. You didn't like the way Sebastian treated you, but felt that deep down he was a good person and all this was just a scenario to protect himself. The stories that Jett told about his leader really helped you to believe that Smythe had a soul, but his foreboding had come from the moment you laid eyes on him. 

If it was really to be honest, you felt something different the minute you laid eyes on him. Deep in your heart, you felt that maybe, just maybe, he was your soul mate. From the way you felt the moment you first saw him... There was simply no science that would not indicate the catastrophic outcome: soulmate of the evil enemy. 

"What's your problem? Besides the obvious lack of talent, of course." You walked toward the door, but you turned to him with a confused expression on your face. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Come on, don't play dumb." Sebastian rose from the bed. "Sorry, I forgot who you are, you probably aren't playing." And again, he acted like an idiot. It made you wonder if you were deluding yourself into thinking he could be your soulmate. 

"Bye, Sebastian, have a good night." You rolled your eyes, trying to contain your irritation, and turned to the door. But as soon as you put your hand on the silver handle, the front of a male body leaned against your back as Sebastian's hand was pushed against the door, preventing you from opening it. 

"Do you think you can come here as if this room was a day care just because you're fucking with Jett?" Sebastian almost growled. He never knew why, but the thought of you and Jett dating made him nervous. If anyone stopped to think, their insults made you worse when Sebastian began to suspect it.

"Wait, you think Jett and I are dating?" You laughed at how stupid that idea sounded. You and Jett were friends since you were 2 years-old, that's all. Sebastian rolled his eyes and smirked at you. 

"Like I care about who you let in between your legs." He moved closer to you, his irritation mingling with excitement as you felt his breath against your neck, you sighed and closed your eyes. 

And Sebastian hated it. 

He hated that you were leaving him like that. Excited without a simple touch, needed by you, he just wanted to kiss you and... 

"Bitch." Those words made you open your eyes, startled. "You think I don't know about your recent past? You gave it to half the school after you found out that Ian was not your soulmate, that's sad. But how bold..." A slap prevented him from continuing his speech . Your eyes were filled with tears that you would not let fall. Ian was your ex boyfriend who lied to all school by telling that you fucked with everyone because he tried to break up with you by not feeling like you were his soulmate, when, in fact, you broke up with him when you caught him with his mouth on Quinn's neck. 

Actually, the Warbler knew that from Jett, he just wanted to hurt you, even you didn't know this, but it had changed. 

Sebastian Smythe was an idiot, and you felt even more stupid for believing he was your soulmate. 

You turned and opened the door, walking away at full speed. Sebastian didn't even try to stop you, too weak for his feelings. 

Why was not he angry at the slap? Why did he feel sorry for what he had said? He never, again, never regretted being mean to people. 

Why the hell did he missed you? 

Jett entered the room smiling and the length, arching his eyebrow at the confused look of his friend. 

"You okay, man?" 

"The colors." 

"What about them?" Jett asked confused. 

"They're weak, ugly." Sebastian looked at Jett, his clear eyes seemed opaque, his hair was horrible. He went to the window and looked out: the vivid green grass looked dead, colorless. Sebastian managed to capture a couple where the man was giving a bouquet of red roses to the woman. 

Sebastian saw the very moment when the vibrant color of the bouquet began to peel before his eyes and turn into an empty color. 

No, that was impossible. This could only happen if he were losing his soulmate and... 

Holy shit. 

He realized that (Y/N) (Y/L/ N) was his soulmate. 

Why did he feel so desperate for simple stupid colors? Sebastian was not the kind of guy who really cared about soulmate, he thought, but his heart almost coming out of his mouth said the opposite. 

"Damn it!" Sebastian opened the door and hurried off, ignoring Jett's screams for him. 

He'd done the biggest shit of his life, and that was a fairly contested position on Sebastian Smythe's list. 

It had not been too long since you left, even if the 10 minutes of your departure were centuries-long for the leader of the Warblers.  

Sebastian had never felt so desperate in his entire life for being alone: his father was absent and his mother died in childbirth, he learned to be alone and got well at it, it was not a real problem. 

"(Y/N)!" He screamed as he stared at you from afar, but you did not turn. Sebastian ran and touched his shoulder. "(Y/N), I'm so sor ... You're not (Y/N)." He rolled his eyes when he realized that he was wrong. "Shit." 

"Did you just call me shit?" The girl folded her arms and Sebastian sighed. 

"Listen, mouse, I don’t have time to..." 

"Sebastian." You called him and he looked at you. You heard when he called you, but waited to see the scene unfold with another girl as you approached slowly. 

"(Y/N), I usually don't apologize..." Sebastian's monologue was interrupted by a groan of pain from his mouth. The girl he'd 'accidentally' cursed had kicked his leg and gone. You knelt on the floor, worried, beside your (not?) so likely soulmate who groaned copiously with the hand on his leg. 

"Are you alright?" You asked in alarm and Sebastian nodded, still with a grimace of pain, and sat down on the grass beside you. You couldn't help but laugh at the situation. He looked at you as if you had betrayed him, which only made you laugh more. 

"Really? Laughing at the pain of your soul mate?" 

"Well, you deserved it... Wait, what?" 

"I'm sorry for calling you a bitch, and I never apologize, I don't mind treating people like shit. But when it was with you, when you walked out the door... The colors began to look uglier than The New Directions dancing. " 

"Go to the point, Sebastian." You smiled, ignoring Sebastian's daily cursing at his rivals. So you were not deluding yourself, at all! 

"The colors were lifeless and I was so fucking alarmed when I thought I'd lost you. To me, everything was always fun and games, but I don't want just it with you, I don't want to be mean at you or something like that. I want the colors.'' As soon as Sebastian finished his speech, you leaned forward and kissed him. 

And that was magic. 

For a second, all the Hollywood clichés made sense. 

The butterflies, the electricity, the feeling of being the most important thing in the world, the fast heart beat, the safety, every little thing. 

If having a soulmate was that, both of you hoped it would never end. 

When you pulled away a little, Sebastian looked into your eyes. 

The colors never have been more screaming.

[wifeymomz]

PREGGO JOURNEY

We were instructed to take a pregnancy test 2 weeks after our insemination. Wifey was working the midnight shift, so she was on her way home. I woke up and had to use the restroom already so I couldn’t wait. I took the pregnancy test with wifey on the speaker and after a minute it had the + sign which meant we were pregnant!!! i screamed and started crying (of course). We couldn’t believe it! Was the test correct? Were we really pregnant? It was a Friday, so I couldn’t go into the lab until Monday where they would draw blood and check my HCG levels to confirm that I was pregnant. I can’t remember, but I believe I had to do this blood draw twice to make sure that the HCG levels were increasing, which they were!!! Looking back I wish we had told our parents in a special way, but we just called them to let them know we were pregnant. Of course both sides were excited since this would be their first grandchild. On a side note, this was new for both sides of our families so had to educate everyone on the process of how we got pregnant.

FIRST TRIMESTER: morning sickness/nausea galore! I was at work and I was craving french fries. One of my coworkers surprised me with McDonalds french fries (my fave at the time). For lunch, I had chicken and broccoli that I had warmed up. The smell of the broccoli started to make me feel nauseous which it normally didn’t so I couldn’t eat it. I started eating the fries which were delicious. We had a OT followed by a rehab meeting that afternoon and I drove to our other center in East Oakland. When I got there, I felt so nauseous I ran to the bathroom and threw up. Every time, I sat down and thought I was okay I ended up running to the bathroom several times to throw up. Unfortunately, this was how I let our rehab team know the news. For weeks, I relied on saltine crackers, ginger tea and ginger chews. I had them next to the bed, in the car and at work. Every morning, I ate a few saltine crackers to decrease my chance of getting nauseous which helped 50% of the time. I had to call off of work more often that I wanted. We had our 12 week appointment where we would have an ultrasound of the baby. To be honest, I was beyond nervous for this appointment because I had a few friends that had this appointment where they couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat. I always try to stay positive but also didn’t want to be disappointed if I had my hopes too high. Wifey and I went to this appointment and there was the baby! Our eyes watered as we looked at each other and the ultrasound. I had to take the glucose test (where you drink that sugary drink) to determine if I was diabetic since diabetes runs in my family. Luckily I got the results back and they were within normal limits. We shared the news with the rest of our families and friends during Thanksgiving. During this time, I mostly craved soups and spicy food plus it worked out since it was the fall/winter season.

SECOND TRIMESTER: nausea & horrible headaches continued until 20 weeks then all of a sudden it disappeared. I’ll never forget we had a thanksgiving potluck at work and all the smells made me nauseous. I tried to eat a little bit but I had such a horrible headache. I took tylenol and ended throwing it up. It was the end of the day and I still had to drive home in 45 minutes of traffic. I felt fine until I was 15 minutes from home and felt like throwing up. I found a plastic bag in my lunch bag and threw up while I was driving (should’ve pulled over). Then I realized the bag had a hole and stuffed the bag in a ziplock bag. What a mess. I almost made it home but had to throw up more and it ended up all over my lap (yuck). I tried calling wifey but she didn’t answer. I got into the house so pissed from embarrassment that I took ti out on her. She asked how i was doing and I screamed…DON’T LOOK AT ME. To this day, we both still laugh about it. I went straight to the shower and washed off. At our 20 week appointment, this is where we went in not only to find out the gender but where they look at the anatomy of the baby. Gosh this appointment was so uncomfortable because they had to poke and prod at different areas of my abdomen and try to make baby move to change positions. At one point, they asked me to use the restroom to see if that would help the baby move. Thank goodness it worked. She put the results in an envelope for us to give to my cousin, Lyss, for our gender reveal. Honestly, I would've waited until birth to find out baby’s gender but of course wifey wanted to know beforehand. The whole time everyone kept telling me I was having a boy, so I started to believe that. I asked wifey if she cared what we were having and she said no. We had picked out names beforehand for a boy and a girl. We waited until March to do our gender reveal just based on when my in-laws were back in town and the availability of the community room we wanted to reserve. Finally, March 7th came around and we found out we were having a girl. Bless my cousin, Lyss, who held onto this secret for so long!!!

At one of my appointments, I had to do the blood glucose test again which i think is pretty standard. The results showed that my blood glucose was slightly elevated! Wahhhh! That meant I had to do the 3 hour glucose test at the lab. I had to fast beforehand then had my blood drawn and at the one-, two-, and three-hour marks after I drank that sugary drink. It was torture being pregnant and hungry!  was already hungry to begin with because I had to fast then wait another 3 hours before I could eat while drinking those sugary drinks. I definitely didn’t feel good that’s for sure. After the test, I drove straight to Chipotle and got a burrito bowl and devoured it!  The results came back and one of my values were elevated so they referred me to a dietician. We reviewed that I should eat more protein and less carbs because carbs equals sugar.

Side note: One of my close friends gave birth around this time and told me her birth story and let’s just say it got me thinking.  Up until this point, I wasn’t sure what our birth plan would be but it made me think that I didn’t want the epidural and wanted to do unmedicated…

THIRD TRIMESTER

We went on our baby moon in Hawaii at 32 weeks. Flight was slightly tough since I couldn’t sit for long periods of time and needed to get up to either use the restroom or walk up and down the aisle. We definitely enjoyed ourselves by eating all the food and lounging at the beach (our favorite).This trimester, I was definitely bigger and more swollen especially in my hands and feet. I had to use a reacher to reach for clothes in the washing machine and wear compression stockings which were so hard to put on. I was still pretty active overall…walked everywhere, a little slower of course, and still did things around the house. Wifey would say, you’re so active, sometimes I forget you're pregnant haha. This trimester prepares you for a life of no sleep because I would try to find a comfortable position, then had to go to the bathroom multiple times then have a hard time falling asleep again. Plus this is when baby girl was the most active, kicking and rolling around in my tummy. To be honest, that’s the part I miss the most is feeling her movement inside me. Wifey loved it when she could feel baby girl kick and move; she’d always sing and play the ukulele for her and read to her.

Luckily Kaiser offered classes for free so of course I took all of them from breastfeeding to postpartum care to birth preparation (where they discussed the different options for pain management). At this point, I was set on an unmedicated birth. I didn’t want the epidural because I wanted to be able to move around when I needed to and I didn’t want the other pain medications because I didn’t want it to cross the placenta and affect the baby, but they did discuss nitrous oxide which was a gas that I might consider. They had us practice various positions and strategies to manage the contractions too. I remember they had us put a clothespin on the skin of our forearm and try to breath through the discomfort for one minute. At home, we practiced with an ice cube (a tip I got from someone on facebook). I would hold the ice cube in my hand for one minute while trying to breathe and wifey would try the different positions we learned in class. I also did a tour of the hospital twice (Kaiser Walnut Creek)…once with my MIL because they had the midwives present for Q&A since and she was available to come with me and another time with wifey when she had a day off. During this tour, they showed us “room 7” which was the only room with a tub. They had mentioned it is first come first serve and women with unmedicated birth plans take priority. Luckily at this hospital, the midwives are assigned unless the birthing person prefers not to have a midwife or they have complications that require an OB. Our ultimate goal: have a midwife and be in room 7

I took the month off before babygirl’s due date to be at home, rest (I was getting much more tired from the commute to and from work and hated being in the car that long), nest (get everything ready) and spend time with wifey since it would be our last month of just the two of us.

[ael-xander]

Ti'taris Awakening Chapter One “I can’t miss it! I can’t. Just can’t!” The woman raced to unlock the door. Hearing the click, she opened the door, slamming it shut behind her while grabbing the remote on the table by the door. Clicking a button, the large flat screen television flared to life. Tossing her briefcase, Lysse kicked off her shoes followed by vaulting over the back of her sofa, until she landed on it. Music reached her ears as an opening sequence of an animated character fought against evil incarnate. Sighing, the young woman reclined against the sofa. “Made it, just in time. Today’s episode is the climax in the battle between Namorian and Ephram. Go Ram!” Sucked into the storyline, Lysse spent the next hour living the classic battle of good versus evil. Throughout the show, she spoke encouragement, made comments, and reacted to the twists and turns in the episode. As the show came to the ending, Lysse gasped. “You can’t leave it like that! Oh hell, I’m going to have to take a day off of work next week! No fucking way." The credits played, reminding Lysse that she left a mess upon her arrival. Shaking her head, she picked up her shoes and put them in the nearby closet and moved her briefcase to her home office. She hesitated a moment, her eyes glancing at the computer, but decided it was better to not even be tempted. There wouldn’t be a hint of the next episode for at least another couple of hours. With a rueful sigh, Lysse went to her bedroom and changed her clothes. What was it about Ti’taris Awakening that seemed to call to her soul? It was just a cartoon, but there was something more than that. The setting was outstanding, so real, but at the same time, there was something about the lead character, Ephram. His voice was pure rough silk and brandy; his looks were pure bad boy with a hint of platinum. She knew the voice actor, Devlin Roarke, and though he was handsome, his natural voice wasn’t the same as he did for Ephram. The joys of working in the media industry were she got to meet the people who did the voice work for many cartoons, commercials, and such. When she heard the concept behind Ti’taris Awakening, Lysse had been simply amazed and negotiated its serial in the US. The company she worked with had taken her advice to heart and now they were reaping the rewards of the merchandising as well as the children and adults watching the program religiously. Even she couldn’t help but be pulled into the world of Ti’taris. Having read the background and the character bios, Lysse found herself almost seeing the world as she worked and lived helping the show to become its own reality. For a while, she put it down as preproduction jitters, but now, now she was completely and utterly hooked. Lysse busied herself, making her meal, poring over her work on a couple of contracts dealing with two upcoming films, one of which dealt with a live action version of Ti’taris Awakening. She chuckled remembering hearing Jacob Stevenson saying, “Tit ahris” for the name instead of “Tee tahris.” Correcting him hadn’t helped much, but he was going to stay to the original storyline as much as possible. Of course, she wasn’t able to answer the only question he had. “Who created this show?” That was the ultimate question. Who created the show and managed to produce such an absorbing critique of humanity, of good versus evil? Try as she might, Lysse couldn’t get behind the mounds of legalese and roadblocks thrown in her way. Normally, she could get around anything, but this remained out of her reach. Just when she thought she was getting close, things would suddenly close up. Her eyes strayed towards her computer then to her watch. He’d be on. Maybe, just maybe he’d give her another clue to finding Ti’taris Awakening’s author. Before she realized it, Lysse stood before the computer, booting it up. Sitting in her chair, she logged online quickly, signing into her messenger system while putting her email client to work. Lysse scanned her emails, deleting the junk before catching sight of a name. Stopping, she smiled. He had written her early this morning. Lysse, Just wanted you to know I’m not sure I’ll be online tonight. Work is beyond unbearable. Keeping the thought of talking to you as a reward if I can beat back the savage beast to his chamber. Have you considered my offer? I don’t want to rush you, but to be honest, I’d love to finally meet in person. Your safety comes first though, so whatever you deem best. Always, E. Mikkelson. Softly, she caressed the screen. He always signed it with his initial. A half smile crossed her face. She knew it was because he was afraid people would equate him with the character Ephram as they shared the same name. Over and again, she told him not everyone would make that comparison, but he told her of the times he had with others who did. She couldn’t blame him for his reluctance, but since most people referred to the character by his nickname, Ram, she didn’t think it was an issue. Yet, it touched her to see him sign his name, including his last name as an act of faith. Maybe it was time to meet him in person. Deciding that it was time once again to creep out of the shell of seclusion she wove around her, she replied. She was off this weekend and if he were willing, she’d love to meet him somewhere public, like the local bookstore. They could get a drink, talk books and go from there. Hitting the send button, Lysse closed her eyes and released her breath. Fear curled around her heart briefly. She wasn’t much to look at, fairly plain actually. What if she wasn’t like he expected? Too late now for regrets, Lysse. Just deal with it. Finishing the rest of her email, Lysse prepared to log off when her messenger showed Ephram logging on. E_Mikkel: Lysse, you there? Lysse_Astarte: I’m here. You okay, Ephram? Things go okay at work? E_Mikkel: Something like that. Just recovered enough to get online. How was your day? Lysse_Astarte: ☺ Almost missed today’s episode, but got there in the nick of time. Did you see it? E_Mikkel: Saw the last 45 minutes of it. Was quite spectacular. Amazing sequence with how Namorian managed to grab Mara and cut Ram’s arm. What do you think are the consequences that Namorian raved about? Lysse_Astarte: *thinks * Honestly, I’m wondering if he’s talking about the way the war is tearing up the lands. The more I watch it, the more it reminds me of here with our environmental versus big business. Yet, at the same time, it’s different. We know the earth can renew itself given a chance, but when you give the land and its people no breaks, no time to heal, then in a way, you destroy the foundations. E_Mikkel: I thought so too. What I found interesting is that Ram thinks by ridding Namorian, all things will be settled. Lysse_Astarte: Yeah. Unfortunately, it’ll take more than just stopping Namorian before that happens. He’s also got his followers and the generals who have control of their areas. But getting rid of the head will make it easier to negotiate peace from a position of power. I only hope that Ram realizes that death alone won’t stop the destruction of Ti’taris. He needs to also begin a campaign to rectify the wrongs done on both sides. E_Mikkel: What do you mean by that? *lifts brow* Lysse_Astarte: I mean Ram’s army has done wrong too. Yes, it’s in the name of peace, justice, and balance, but they’ve still done wrong. If they don’t rectify the errors and harm they’ve done, then they’re just as guilty of lording over the peoples of Ti’taris as are Namorian and his henchmen. But by going back and making tithe to the land, just as Galzora asked, then it would be the first step to showing they’re not of the same mold. E_Mikkel: Great point, Lysse. I hadn’t considered that aspect at all. Since Galzora is the Soul of Ti’taris, she would know how the land feels. Lysse_Astarte: More importantly, I think she’s a physical manifestation of the land and the people. Just as Mara is the heart of the Llewadaghs and Van is the head of the Tuathas, Galzora is the living representative of Ti’taris, letting Ram know what the land expects of him when he rules. E_Mikkel: ☺ You’re damn good at seeing this, Lysse. Too bad you’re not an advisor to the show. I see you got my email. Lysse_Astarte: * blush* Yes, I did. I’d love to finally meet you in person. Are you available this weekend? *bites lip nervously * E_Mikkel: Yes! Are you sure you want to do this? Lysse_Astarte: I’m sure. Just worried once you see me that you’ll regret it. E_Mikkel: *taps Lysse on head * No, remember you’ve shown me your picture before. You’re beautiful and I’d be honoured to be hanging at your side. Lysse_Astarte: Flattery will get you most anywhere that chocolate won’t. How about Patterson’s Bookshop around 2? E_Mikkel: Sounds like a plan. I’ll be in jeans, hiking boots, and prolly my Ti’taris Awakening t-shirt. I’ve got short spiky almost black hair, brown eyes, and a crooked grin. Lysse_Astarte: *tilts head and grins mischievously * You sure you’re not— E_Mikkel: Lysse Myrlene Astarte! Don’t you dare imply that! Lysse_Astarte: * giggles * Whatever do you mean, Ephram? E_Mikkel: Playing coy won’t work, Madame. I know exactly what you were implying. Lysse_Astarte: Well, dammit, Ephram, the description is one we hear all the time about Ram. What did you expect? *    *    * That was the question- what did Ephram expect? He rubbed his bandaged arm, looked at the instant message (IM) with a ragged sigh. Running a hand through his spiky hair, he tried to figure out why on some level it bugged him that she tried to equate him, even playfully, with Ephram on Ti’taris. Uh, because it’s true, asshole? Because you need her to help you save your world and in turn save hers? E_Mikkel: Not sure, perhaps that you’d think me different? Lysse_Astarte: You are different, Ephram. Very much so. But you used the exact same description that Galzora did in the third episode in describing him to Mara. I was just teasing, Ephram. I’m sorry. ☹ Ephram cursed. He’d forgotten that Gal had described him exactly that way when Mara and Van had asked about him. That was one of the problems in having a special recorder that taped and rotoscoped everything into anime form to be sent to the shadow world known as Earth. E_Mikkel: No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I had totally forgotten Galzora’s description. Trust me when I say my description is unintentionally like Ram’s. Lysse_Astarte: You sure you’re not mad at me? E_Mikkel: * hugs you tightly * I’m sure. I’m just a bit on edge dealing with work and a pain in the ass competitor. Lysse_Astarte: * hugs back * That sucks, Ephram. Tomorrow will be better? E_Mikkel: I can only hope. What about you? Lysse_Astarte: I’m catching up on the end of the workweek. Just some things to straighten up and then get the contracts for the T.A. movie into the right hands. After next week, I’m on vacation. Whooo hooo! E_Mikkel: Congrats, lady. What you doing for your vacation? Lysse_Astarte: Not sure. Prolly hang out here at the apartment. Depends on how I feel. E_Mikkel: Too bad you couldn’t come spend time with me while I go gallivanting around. Lysse_Astarte: That’s right, you’re going away for a couple of weeks. * pouts * I’ll miss our conversations. E_Mikkel: You wouldn’t if you come with me. * winks * Lysse_Astarte: * shakes head* You flirt! I bet you say that to all the women you know. I don’t know if I could leave and not be available by phone or computer. Not with the movie deal like it is right now. E_Mikkel: Once we meet, think on it, okay? It’d be fun having a friend around while I do my play job. Lysse_Astarte: I’ll consider it. It does sound more fun than sitting home alone. Ephram smiled. This woman wasn’t easily persuaded, but from the moment they met via email, chat, and through his lawyers, he knew she was special. It was only when she got him the coveted TV airtime on a major network that he realized she had something special, perhaps even a gift of power from Ti’taris. Then he saw her picture and knew their fates were linked beyond the two realms, Reality and Shadow. How could he explain when they met that she lived in Shadow and that Ti’taris was the land of Reality? Would she even believe him? Hell, he was the spitting image of his anime character, as he never thought he’d ever see a person from Shadow. Yet, he was going to go into the Shadow world to meet the beautiful Lysse and try to convince her to come save his world and hers. Ram knew that if they failed and Ti’taris fell, it would be only a matter of time before Earth fell as well. Lysse dying was unacceptable. The idea tore at his soul, knowing he would do anything to save the woman. Thus, Ram lived with the dilemma of knowing that heavy lays the crown of rulership. Men had died for him, women had longed for him, and he only knew pain and suffering would worsen if he lost. But Galzora promised him that she from the other land would be the key to victory, if only he could have her trust. Time was running out and now he had to get her help. They talked a while longer on other things as Ram took notes on the changes wrought by his war with Namorian. These helped him to keep on target, not to mention that Lysse’s advice had proven sage on many occasions, none of which, when seen by her and the viewing audience even hinted at Lysse that there was something more going on. Finally, he sent her to bed, promising to see her on Saturday. Leaning back in his chair, he let out a sigh. “Let me guess—Lysse is playing hard to get?” Van asked as he entered Ephram’s room. “No, in fact, we’re meeting on Saturday. It’s just hard knowing I’m still deceiving her.” “Look Ram, if there were another way, we’d have done it. I don’t like that we’re lying to a Shadow person either, but we have no choice. Not until we meet her and get her to Ti’taris.” Ram’s dark brown eyes took in the grey eyes of his best friend, Van Sethos. “I’m wondering if she’s a full Shadow person, Van.” “What?” “There’s something about her that radiates unusual, even among the Shadow People. Even the half breed lawyers we have noted it.” Van’s pale brow lifted under his long bangs. “You think she’s part Ti’tarisian?” Ram nodded. “Yeah, I do.” “That could complicate things.” “Or make them better.” “Yeah.” Van squeezed Ram’s shoulder. “We’ll muddle through this. Watching her on the cams has been interesting. She’s not the usual type I’d go for, but there is something very inviting about her.” Ram growled. “Yeah, but she’s not your type. Remember that.” “Jealousy already? The mighty Ram has fallen.” “Fuck off, Van. It’s not that.” Van chuckled. “As you say, Sire. I’m heading to bed. The guards are up and doing their rounds. We should be okay for the night.” “Thanks, Van. See you and Mara in the morning.” “Night, Ram. Get some sleep.” Ram never let his eyes wander from the monitor as he keyed in the code that pulled up the special remote recorder that allowed him to watch over Lysse. His body tightened as she crawled naked into bed, her body pale against the navy blue sheets and matching comforter. Every night he could, he watched her while she fell asleep, sometimes waking up to an unbearable pressure as their dreams merged, causing him to seek a hands on relief to the sexual tension she brought to him and his life. He had a feeling tonight would be like none other. Their dream bond seemed to be even stronger after she watched the latest episode of Ti’taris Awakening. Hopefully tonight he could convince her in the dreams that he needed her to come with him and to give him trust when they met. Without it, both their worlds would be doomed.

[bbrandy2002]

Happy Birthday Jessica!

Title: Twinsane

A/N: Jessie, You already know Burns and I are big fans of your characters and stories, in particular your Leo and Drake. The three of us made our big writing debuts at the same time in the Summer of 2019 and became fast friends that have continued through every high and low we’ve each experienced in our lives. You’ve always been a great and supportive friend with a big heart and a bit of a funny bone. We both hope you have an amazing birthday and we wish you all the best in the coming year.

This story takes place in a universe created by @jessiembruno​.

Palace -- Throne Room

Liam paced the ancient throne room, site of their infant daughter’s upcoming anointing and baptism. Everything seemed to be in place; Regina had made sure of it despite the cast on her arm from her latest sex injury. 

Still, he worried. 

Not because of terrorist threats, not because of Lilyana possibly blowing out her diaper and ruining a $2,000 christening gown. No, he had two concerns: 

His brother and his brother-in-law. 

His wife tried to console him about it, but every time she did, the new father threw his hands up in the air and said, “I don’t want to talk about that stupid pendejo. I just can’t with him --” and the fights they had afterward weren’t worth it.

Leo had passed two kidney stones on the day Lilyana was born. Liam felt bad for him; he really did. Everything he’d heard about passing kidney stones was that it was a truly painful ordeal. 

But Leo, as always, had taken things too far. 

First of all, he’d named them: Rocky and Peter. He referred to them as “the twins,” and everywhere he went, that goddamn jar went with him. It was embarrassing to be somewhere with him in public and then to hear the telltale rattling as he adjusted change in his pocket. 

That was nothing, though, compared to when he’d bought “the twins” a Silver Cross Balmoral pram at the eye-popping price tag of seven grand. It was both nicer and more expensive than Jessica and Liam’s $2,700 Bugaboo by Diesel stroller; Liam had thrown a fit. And not just because Leo had charged them both to Liam’s credit card. 

“We are carting around a royal baby! You spent seven thousand dollars on a grocery cart for your goddamn kidney stones?” 

Leo, puffing out his chest, had merely clutched the jar of medical waste to his heart. “My children are royal adjacent, thank you very much.”  

At least Drake understood that the elder Rys brother was off his rocker, but since Drake flew all the way off the handle every time the subject was mentioned, Liam tried to avoid the inevitable blowups. Just last week, there had been an … incident at a formal dinner.

“Drake, will you watch the boys while I take a piss?” Leo had extended the jar toward the surly dark-haired man. 

“Get those fucken things away from me, Leo! Those were in your fucken dick! What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

Liam had tried to calm Drake down -- Princess Lesedi looked absolutely horrified at the outburst -- but as usual, Leo just made things worse. 

Huffing loudly, he proclaimed, “Lilyana was in Jessica’s bacon hole, and I don’t hear you complaining about that, Drake. You hold her all the time, but you never take the twins when I ask! I am through with this open favoritism!”

Only Alyssa, quietly intervening and taking the jar, had prevented a full-on brawl from breaking out. But since she started to cry when Drake refused to hold her hand afterward even following a thorough handwashing, the crisis hadn’t really been averted in the end. 

Thinking of Drake only led Liam to ruminate on Mateo, his brother-in-law. Nearly a year before, when the four friends had attended a Yankees game with Jessica’s brothers, Mateo had made a sloppy pass at Alyssa without knowing she was in a relationship. 

Well, to be more precise, he’d actually talked about Alyssa in front of her face, not realizing she spoke Spanish, and told his brother “Alyssa can sit on my face.” 

The only thing that had saved the weekend from devolving into complete anarchy was that Drake didn’t know enough Spanish to translate. But someone -- probably shit-starting Leo -- had explained Mateo’s words to Drake, and now Alyssa’s new husband was out for blood. 

If any of them ruin my little princess’ day, Liam swore to himself, I will murder them. I’m king. I can pardon myself. 

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

Palace -- Ballroom

Lilyana was properly anointed and baptized. At the head table, overlooking the large gathering as he cradled his daughter in his arms, Liam looked over the party with a sigh of relief and scooped up another forkful of chicken tagine. Everything had gone off without a hitch, and now they just needed to feed all these people, hand the princess off to Regina or one of her doting aunts or uncles, and he could spirit his wife away to take his “royal scepter” anywhere she wanted it. 

His eyes tracked to Leo, who was in rapt conversation with Penelope across the room. When Leo pulled the jar out of his pocket, Liam threw back his entire scotch in disgust. 

Jessica, resplendent in a new Ana de Luca original, came back to the table. “God, these fucken people are intolerable, Liam. How much longer --” Her words were cut off when Liam wrapped his hand around her wrist. 

“My love, give our daughter to her grandmother. Te necesito. Ahora,” he added, eyes locked on hers. (I need you. Now.)

She took the baby from his arms and brought Lilyana to Alyssa. “The princess needs some time with her Auntie Lyss.” 

Alyssa smirked as she kissed the infant’s sweet-smelling head. “And the queen needs to get her back blown out?” 

Jessica tossed her hair. “Fuck yeah.” 

Alyssa high-fived her before she walked away. 

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

Palace -- Liam and Jessica’s Quarters

“You’re so gorgeous, love,” Liam grunted, gripping a fistful of Jessica’s hair and tugging her head back, exposing her throat to his lips and teeth. 

She shuddered at the feeling, reaching for his thick length. “We don’t have a lot of time …” 

“We have as much time as it takes.” He unzipped the dress and slid it down her body, admiring the curves that had only become lusher with motherhood. Lowering her to the bed, Liam’s lips moved over Jessica’s breasts and stomach. He toyed with the waistband of her underwear. 

“Liam, please --”

The panties dropped to the ground, and her plea melted into a throaty groan at the first swipe of his tongue. “Fuuuuuuuuck.” 

“Yes, love,” he said against her, working her with his hands and mouth. “Dámelo.” (Give it to me.)

She was still shaking with her release when Liam crawled over her, his rigid cock probing between her thighs. “Now, muñeca.” 

Something crashed against the door. 

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

Palace -- Ballroom 

To his delight, Leo had reunited with Miss Willoughby, his fourth-grade teacher. Though she was no longer as perky as he remembered and had grown an unfortunate goiter, she listened attentively to Leo’s stories about his children. 

She had had a lot of champagne. 

“Do you have a picture?” she asked at last, after Leo had regaled her with the tale of taking Peter and Rocky grocery shopping for the first time. 

“Even better than that.” Leo proudly reached into his jacket pocket. “Boys, I’d like you to meet Miss Willoughby.” 

The teacher shrank back with concern. “Leo … what -- what is that?” 

“They are Rocky and Peter.” He pointed to each stone as he introduced them. “Their birth was excruciating, but it was worth every moment of pain.” 

Miss Willoughby rubbed her misshapen throat lump. “Are those --” 

He heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Technically they are kidney stones. But the word ‘kid’ is right in there! Love makes a family, Miss Willoughby. Not your status as ‘human.’” He punctuated the last word with finger quotes of disgust.

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

On the other side of the room, Drake’s gaze narrowed on a familiar face. “Devereaux!” he hissed. 

Alyssa looked up from where she had been singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” to Lilyana. “What?” 

“Is that Jess’ fucken brother?” 

She bit her lip. It was Mateo, but no way was she letting Drake get involved in a brawl at the princess’ anointing, for Christ’s sake. “I don’t remember.” 

“What do you mean, you ‘don’t remember’?” 

Waving a breezy hand, Alyssa hastily tried to defuse the situation. “Oh, I was drinking a lot that day.” 

“A lot for you. Not for your average 15-year-old,” he snickered, agreeing. 

To Alyssa’s relief, the man had slipped out of sight. “Well, be that as it may, you should let that Mateo thing go. Everything’s cool.” 

He scowled. “It is not. I know he’s here today! I’m going to find him and kick the shit out of him.” 

-----------

“You should call me Roberta.” 

Leo raised his eyebrows. “Miss Willoughby -- Roberta. I would be delighted to.” 

She set down her flute. “You certainly grew up handsome …” 

Smoothing his blond locks back into place, Leo gave her a rakish grin. “Why, Roberta. How forward of you.” 

“Is there somewhere we can get away?” She reached out and gripped his ass with surprising strength. 

“I guess that depends on how much you’ve had to drink.” 

“The perfect amount.” Her hand slid around to the front, grappling with the front of his pants. 

“Whoooooooa. Well, in that case, yes. We can get away.” 

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

Alyssa handed Lilyana to Drake in another attempt at distraction, nervous about the way he was pacing the room. “Uh, I have to use the bathroom. Can you take the baby?”

He was already cooing at Lilyana, assuaging Alyssa’s nerves until she made out the words. “And Uncle Drake’s gonna beat the fuck out of your Uncle Mateo ... yes, he is! Yes, he is!”

“Drake!” she gritted. 

“Because nofuckingone talks about your Auntie Lyssa like that; no, they do not!” he continued in a singsong voice, ignoring Alyssa completely. 

She rolled her eyes and headed out of the ballroom, content that he at least wouldn’t start any physical fights with a baby in his arms. 

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

Palace -- Liam and Jessica’s Quarters

Jessica sat up with a start, unfortunately bending Liam’s manhood at an awkward angle. He screamed. 

“Who the fuck is at the door?” Her shrewd eyes, trained to find danger, scanned the room. She threw Liam’s jacket on -- their size difference meant it fit her like a gigantic robe -- and grabbed her taser. 

“Love, wait!” Liam struggled up from the bed, wincing at the pain in his dick. 

“Goddammit, Leo!” Jessica screeched upon throwing the door open. 

Her brother-in-law’s bare ass, driving rhythmically toward a faceless someone who was pressed against the opposite wall, greeted her. 

“Jess! Fuck!” Leo slowed. “Sorry, Roberta, hang on.” Continuing to hold her against him as a shield, he craned his head around to look at her. “I’m a little busy right now. What?” 

She slammed the door closed. “Liam, get dressed.” 

“What the fuck is going on?” The king complied, his good mood completely dissipated. 

“Your fucken brother is banging someone outside our door. I’m pretty sure his ass is the crashing sound we heard. His naked ass touched the door. I’m having maintenance replace it tomorrow!” 

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

Palace -- Hallway Outside Liam and Jessica’s Quarters

Leo struggled back into his pants, grateful that his partner had kept her dress on. “Miss W -- Roberta, I’m really sorry, but we’re going to have to cut this short. Er, not that anything about me is short, obviously. But I’m pretty sure my brother’s about to come out here --” 

The door flew open. “LEO, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!” Liam raged. 

“Run!” Leo grabbed Roberta’s hand and took off running down the corridor, jacket in his other hand. 

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

Palace -- Ballroom 

Alyssa hadn’t come back, but the more Drake stared at the man he had noticed earlier, the more he was convinced it was Mateo Garcia. 

That fucker. 

Lilyana had fallen asleep against his chest. He wasn’t going to disturb her or put her in danger, but … 

Drake looked at the abandoned plates of cake on their table. Steadying the baby with his left arm, he picked up a handful of cake and squeezed it experimentally in his fist. Maybe he hadn’t played ball with Liam and Maxwell in a few years, but he still had a decent arm. 

He rose, stalking closer to his target but staying close to the exit for a quick getaway. 

Drake raised his arm and fired. 

The handful of cake exploded against the man’s face. Spluttering, Mateo whipped his head around and roared, “What the fuck was that?” 

Drake and Lilyana slipped out the nearest door, almost colliding with a sweaty Leo, panic in his eyes. 

Leo grabbed Drake’s shoulders, careful to avoid Lilyana’s head. “Drake! We have a crisis on our hands!” 

He listened to Leo with only half his attention; his other ear focused uneasily on the new commotion of screaming and -- was that breaking glass? -- inside the ballroom. 

“So I need you to come on the search mission with me,” Leo finished. 

Drake shook his head to clear it, registering an older woman with a prominent goiter slinking back into the ballroom. “The fuck are you talking about? Did you just finish having sex with that woman?” He jerked a thumb toward Roberta.

The blond man scowled. “I didn’t get to finish, and neither did she, thanks to Jess and Liam’s drama.” 

“But the --” Drake gestured to his neck. 

Leo waved it off. “I hit it from behind. No distracting visuals that way.” 

“You, dickhead!” Drake grimaced. “Thanks for the mental image.” 

“My pleasure. Now, we need to go. Find someone to take the baby. I need you completely focused.” 

“On what? Where the fuck are we going?” 

“Have you not been listening to me? Jesus, Drake! I need you to help me find the twins!” Leo raked his hand through his hair, making it stand on end as his blue eyes burned with obsessive fire. “I took my jacket off when I was nailing Miss Willoughby -- er, Roberta -- and the jar must have fallen out. My children are missing, Drake!” 

Drake nestled Lilyana against his chest and covered one of her ears. “You -- you have lost the fucken plot, Leo. I am not searching for your -- your -- dick rocks!” 

“You were there at their birth, Drake. It hurts me that you take no interest in your godstones.” 

“Stop calling them my ‘godstones’! That is not even a goddamn word --” Drake broke off his rant as Alyssa appeared in the hallway, covered in red. “Jesus Christ! Baby!” He thrust Lilyana into Leo’s waiting arms; the baby woke up and began to cry. “What happened?” 

���Huh? You made the baby cry!” Alyssa went to take Lilyana, but Drake grabbed her.

“Look at you, Devereaux! Where are you bleeding from?” Frantic, he tugged the neckline of her dress aside, exposing her bra. She slapped his hand away. 

“Stop! I’m not bleeding!” 

“But --” He gestured to the bright stain marring her light blue dress. 

She looked down. “Oh, that. Someone dumped gazpacho on me when I was walking through the ballroom.” 

“What?” 

Alyssa pointed. “It’s anarchy in there; didn’t you notice?” 

The men peered into the room. Roughly 40 people, most screaming, flung food at each other, ducking to avoid flying lunch items and using plates and -- in several concerning cases -- overturned tables as shields. 

“What happened?” Leo looked concerned. 

Alyssa noted the guilty look on Drake’s face as she rocked and tried to shush Lilyana. “I think this baby needs to eat. Have you seen Liam or Jess?” 

The question seemed to snap Leo back to reality. “You should look for them, Lyss. Head them off --”

“What do you mean ‘head them off’?” 

But Leo continued, “And in the meantime, Drake and I need to find the twins!” He grabbed a loudly-protesting Drake by the arm and dragged him down the hall. 

A moment after they turned the corner, Alyssa, still rocking the baby, was startled by her voice from behind her. She turned her head to see Liam and Jessica stalking rapidly toward her. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re back!” 

Jessica took Lilyana, cuddling her. “Let’s go eat.” Stepping into the ballroom, she shrieked, “What the fuck?” 

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

“I need you to help me file a missing persons report,” Leo said 15 minutes later, after they had repeatedly combed the hallways looking for the jar of kidney stones. “My children are in danger!” 

“Stop calling them your fucken children!” 

Leo pressed his lips together with frustration. “I went through two hours of labor and five minutes of pushing, all for your GODSTONES! The least you can do is help report the twins’ disappearance and bring them back to their Papi Chulo.” 

He was saved from Drake’s wrathful retort by a notification on Drake’s phone. “Oh, no you don’t,” Drake muttered, typing furiously on his keyboard. 

“What are you doing?” Leo huffed impatiently. 

“Someone outbid me for this lure I really want.” Drake finished typing and sucked in a breath. “Ohhhhh shit.” 

“What now?” 

Raking a hand through his hair, Drake extended his phone toward Leo. “Uhhhhh, I think you better look at this.” 

“HOberta69? Drake, don’t buy anything from a seller with that name -- holy shit!” he exclaimed as he looked closer. 

He clicked the link; the phone screen filled with his own image. “Yeah,” video Leo said, “it hurt like a son of a bitch when I pushed these li’l fellers out, but that’s parenthood!” He held up the jar and shook it. “The rascals.” 

Drake covered his face with his palm. “You are so fucken embarrassing.” 

“This fucken kidnapper! I give her the best two-pump-chumpin’ she’s ever had and this is how the old bag repays me? Oh, the fucken humanity! I will hunt her down! I will throw her in the dungeons! I will --”

“She’s basically holding them for ransom,” Drake said reasonably. “Maybe if you message her …” 

But Leo had already clicked the “buy it now” option. “Thank God I still have Liam’s credit card saved to my account.” 

Drake’s eyes widened. “You paid for the dick rocks? With Liam’s credit card? You know he’s gonna fucken kill you?” 

“Calm your tits, Drake.” Leo heaved a heavy sigh. “You and Alyssa haven’t created a family yet. The first lesson you’re gonna learn when the time comes, though, is that parenthood is full of bullshit sacrifice … and Liam is the lucky guy who gets to make that sacrifice.” 

[jawritter]

What’s Left Of Me

Summary: Who knew one little woman could have turned his whole world upside down? He had done so well alone for so long. Then here you come along and ruin everything.

Warnings:  Angst, break up, Language because it’s me, heartbroken Dean. This one is a bit of a tear-jerker. Fic wrote entirely in Dean’s POV.

Word Count: 1314

Prompt: She had a marvelous time ruining everything.

A/N: This fic was written for @herstarburststories Milestone challenge! Congratulation hun! This fic was beta’d by the amazing @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid! Thanks so much, love! Please don’t copy my work! Feedback is golden! I hope you all enjoy this one!!

A/N 2: Flashbacks are in Italics! 

Want More? Check out my Masterlist!

***MASTERSLIST***

Dean’s POV:

He wished he would have never met you. If he hadn't. Then maybe, just maybe he wouldn't be this way. So hurt. So broken. 

“Man, what a clusterfuck,” Dean grumbled as he walked through the abandoned house, kicking a disembodied head of a bloodsucker and watching it roll across the moldy and dust-ridden floor. 

“Yeah,” Sam said as he stepped over the body that the head used to belong to. His eyes scan the room as he took in the gruesome scene that lay before him. “I can’t believe this got under our noses this long, especially this close to home. Those poor kids didn’t stand a chance against these vamps. There were too many of them.” 

“Hmm, well, the job is done. I wonder who got to them before us,” Dean said, twisting his blade in his hand before sheathing it away in his holster. 

“That would be me, boys,” Y/N said, leaning against the old wooden door of what used to be the kitchen. 

That was the moment Dean’s life changed forever. From the moment he laid eyes on you, he knew his world was turned upside down, and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do about it.

He’d heard of love at first sight before, but never believed it existed. Well, not until he meet you anyway. He had no choice but to believe then. 

Dean sat the picture down on the nightstand in the room that you used to sleep in when you were still here. When you still loved him.  It was a picture of the two of you in Malibu, California. A selfie taken by you of the two of you sitting on the beach, facing the water as the moonlight danced on the waves. 

The two of you had tracked down a partially nasty witch, who was killing some of Hollywood’s favorites in order to get into their bank accounts. Once you’d both taken the bitch down, you’d insisted that Dean drive out to the ocean. You wanted him to put his toes in the sand at least once. 

That was the night he told you he loved you for the first time.

“Dance with me Dean,” Y/N said, grabbing him by the hand as the salty sea breeze blew through her hair, momentarily hiding that smile that he loved so much. Hey Jude was blaring through Baby’s windows that were rolled down where she waited for the two of you, just a few feet away from the sand she’d dragged him out to. A mostly empty bottle of Jack in her hand that the two had been splitting held high above her head as she went.

“I don’t dance, Sweetheart,” Dean said, giving her an embarrassed laugh, but following her lead just the same, wrapping his arms around her waist as she slipped her arms around his neck, swaying them both to the music. 

“See, you can dance,” she said, her eyes boring into his as their bodies moved together.

Dean didn’t want to admit it was the most at peace he’d felt in his entire life, wrapped up in her arms. 

It happened before he knew what he was doing, but it was too late, his lips were already on her. Dean kissed her deeply as their bodies continued to move with song and the waves that lapped up along the shoreline. When they broke apart her eyes sparkled a little in the dim light coming from the moon overhead as she looked into his eyes, a little breathless and lips kiss swollen. She was so beautiful. 

“I love you,” Dean said in a rush, holding his breath, waiting on her rejection. 

“I love you too, Dean.”

That was the moment his life changed. The perfect little soldier his dad had created him to be all of his life faded away little by little. Every touch, every kiss, every time their bodies came together as one, the strong hunter he’d been softened a little more. The one that refused to show emotions, the one that fought death and hell itself. The one that was bold enough to challenge God! He slowly ebbed away as you embedded yourself into his heart. 

He even told you once that you were “ruining him, making him soft.” 

You just smiled at him. That smile that he was confident would be the death of him.

Everything was going great, he thought he might even see a future with you or a future for what they had anyway; this life left no promises, tomorrow being the most fleeting promise of all. 

He shut the door to the room, and brought the bottle of Jack up to his lips, taking a pull off the bitter amber liquid. He didn’t even really like Jack, but it reminded him of you. Tears streaked down his face as the taste reminded him of all times he tasted it on your tongue. 

He used to be strong. Now though he felt so vulnerable, so weak. 

The night you’d left replayed in his mind like a broken record. 

“Y/N, please, don’t do this! I love you, you’re the first person I’ve ever told that to! I gave you everything! You can at least tell me what I did wrong!” Dean begged, following you around your shared room as you packed your bag on the bed. 

“Dean, this is for the best. That demon would have killed you, and I’m the one to blame. If you weren’t trying to save me you wouldn’t have almost died,” you said calmly, zipping your bag, and throwing it over your shoulder. 

“We’re each other’s weakness, Dean. One of us is going to die worrying about the other during a hunt, and I can’t be the reason for that. I can’t.” Y/N shoved her way by him and made her way into the garage with Dean hot on her heels. 

“That’s bullshit, Y/N, and you know it! Baby, we’re better together, I can’t live without you.”

Y/N threw her bag into her backseat and stopped, making her way over to Dean, she grabbed both sides of his face and crashed her lips into his. It was needy, it was all tongue and teeth. It was goodbye…

“You will forget me Dean, and be better once you do. You will move on. Just like you do every time. I’ll always love you. Know that.”

With that she got in her car and drove away, leaving a ruined broken man on the floor. His hands buried deep in his short hair. 

You had ruined him that night, he’d never be the same. It took him a solid week to go back in the room the two of you shared. The memories just hurt too much. When he did he found a piece of paper lying on the pillow.

You had left it there for him to find before he'd come in and caught you packing your things. 

Your handwriting in black ink was unfaded by time, even as he picked it up and read it again like he did the first night, and like he’d done a thousand times before. 

“Thank you, Dean, for everything. You changed me in the best way, and I had the time of my life with you. No one will ever replace you until I see you again. Love, Y/N.”

Dean took a deep swig of the bottle in his hand, letting the straight Jack burn all the way down to his toes. 

“Well, sweetheart, you fucked me up good,” he mumbled as he fell down into the bed, your memory burning in his mind; the car he’d watched drive away a thousand times, because he just couldn’t forget it.

She had a marvelous time ruining everything. He would never be whole again, and it was all her fault.

Forever Tags: @deanwanddamons @rvgrsbrns @bi-danvers0 @onethirstyunicorn @i-love-superhero @akshi8278 @lyss-dw79 @magssteenkamp @lemondropirwin @squirrelnotsam @hobby27 @spnbaby-67 @mrsjenniferwinchester @defenderrosetyler @screechingartisancashbailiff @thecreatiivecorner @aflamboyanceofgays @vicmc624 @busy-bee-angel-misska @justanotherwinchester @brilovesdeanwinchester @idksupernatural​ @lyarr24​ @amandamdiehl​ @love-jackles-37-blog​ @miraclesoflove​ @waywardsistershy​ @emoryhemsworth​ @dean-winchesters-gardian-angel​ @softsebastian​ @tatted-trina6​ @deanmonandnegansbitch​ @hayleeharling​ @flamencodiva​ @coldmuffinbanditshoe​ @bxbyizzy​ @rain-dance-goblin​ @itmejado​ @supernatural3002​

[sceptilemasterr]

ES Act 3, Scene 6 - Sparring Practice

Title: Endless Summer: The (un)Official Screenplay

Main Pairings: Estela x Ian (M!MC), Jake x Alyssa (F!MC)

Other Pairings: Craig x Zahra, Grace x Aleister, Michelle x Sean, Diego x Varyyn

Genre: Full Rewrite

Rating: PG-13 for swearing, violence, alcohol, and sexuality

Summary: Jake and Estela attempt to practice sparring with the twins, but encounter an unexpected snag.

Previous Scene: The Rebellious Son

Masterlist: Link

INT. THE CELESTIAL - GYM

As the emergency shutters slowly descend over the gym’s large windows, Jake and Estela stand in the center of the room, stretching. All of the exercise equipment has been pushed to the far wall, leaving a large, open space perfect for sparring practice. Alyssa and Ian enter the gym.

JAKE: There you are, Wonder Twins. Ready to get your asses kicked?

ALYSSA: In your dreams, Top Gun.

IAN: I told the others to come too; guess they’ll be here later.

ESTELA: Fine by me. Let’s get started.

She steps to one side of the gym as Jake moves to the other side. Ian and Alyssa join each of them respectively and begin to follow their partners in their stretches.

ALYSSA: Shouldn’t we be... y’know... fighting? Not wasting time stretching?

Ian rolls his eyes.

JAKE: The last thing we want is for you to pull a muscle the night before the Green Smurfs decide to come for us. Don’t knock stretching, Princess.

ALYSSA: Uh... Right! Of course! I knew that!

IAN: Every time I tell you to stretch, you just call me an idiot and then complain about your sore muscles the next day-

ALYSSA: Shut it!

Estela and Ian exchange an amused glance as Alyssa blushes. The stretching finished, both Estela and Jake take a step back from their partners and drop into their combat stances. Ian mimics Estela’s stance as best he can, and she crosses over to him and helps him adjust his position. Meanwhile, Jake talks Alyssa through fixing her own stance.

JAKE: You’re standing too narrow. Widen your legs a little.

Alyssa does so.

JAKE: Better. Not great. Actually, it’s still terrible.

ALYSSA (sarcastically): Wow. A+ encouragement right there.

JAKE: Little wider.

Annoyed, Alyssa widens her stance so much she is nearly doing the splits.

ALYSSA: Is THIS wide enough?!

ESTELA: Not much of a teacher, are you, Jake?

JAKE: Hey! I’m doin’ my best! (to Alyssa) Alright, screw it. See my feet? See my shoulders? Match that.

While Alyssa continues to perfect her stance, Estela has now moved on to teaching Ian strategy.

ESTELA: Everyone’s worst enemy is themselves. No offense, but neither of us can win anything on sheer force alone.

Ian glances at his skinny body in the mirror and shrugs in agreement.

ESTELA: You’re going to have to fight like me. Use your enemy’s strength against them and exploit their momentum.

JAKE: The hell is that philosophical bullshit?

Estela glares at him, annoyed.

ESTELA: You teach Alyssa your way, and I’ll teach Ian mine. Okay?

JAKE: Fine, we’ll show you. (to Alyssa) You ready? Look, the real way to win is to attack with everything you’ve got. Lightning-fast. Don’t give ‘em time to react.

Alyssa nods.

ALYSSA: Got it. Fast and tough. I can do that.

ESTELA: Ian, I’m going to attack you slowly for now, as practice. Watch my movements, stay on the defensive, and grab me when you see an opening.

IAN: Okay. “Stay defensive.” I’m ready.

Both sets of sparring partners move further away from each other, leaving plenty of space to fight.

JAKE: Alright, practice round. Come at me with everything you’ve got, just like I told you.

ALYSSA (smirks): Get ready to lose!

JAKE: Not likely.

ESTELA: You ready?

IAN: Ready when you are.

JAKE: Three... two... one!

At his signal, Alyssa and Jake rush toward one another, striking hard and fast. They lock eyes for a moment, and then each of them are dodging the other’s every attack, no matter how hard they try to hit each other. They continue sparring, but the fight quickly turns into a frustrating exercise in punching the empty air. Exhausted, both of them start to slow in their movements, but neither is willing to give up.

ALYSSA (frustrated): Dammit, Jake... just... let... me... hit... you!

JAKE: Like hell! When did you get so good at dodging, anyway?!

Meanwhile, Ian and Estela are having a similar problem. Instead of attacking slowly like she promised, Estela is punching and kicking with full speed and precision. Nevertheless, Ian is dodging each and every strike easily, and responding with his own strikes, which Estela dodges as well. Both of them are growing more and more fatigued, until finally:

IAN: This is stupid; we’re just burning ourselves out! STOP!

He leaves Estela and interposes himself between Jake and Alyssa, only to get hit in the chest by punches from both of them simultaneously. He doubles over in pain, and Jake and Alyssa both stagger back, everyone shaking their heads in confusion as they snap out of their trances.

ESTELA: Ian!

JAKE: What the...

ALYSSA: What happened? Jake, you were supposed to let me hit you!

JAKE: Me? Better question: how the hell were you moving that fast?!

ESTELA: We all just kept dodging... everything...

IAN (wincing): It felt like I was in some kind of trance, or-

He stops talking in surprise as he makes the connection.

IAN: Just like the crab.

JAKE: Crab? We ate it. What about it?

ESTELA: Remember what happened when Ian and I battled that crab?

Understanding dawns on Jake and Alyssa’s faces.

ALYSSA: Ohhhhhh.

JAKE: Y’know, everything was happening so fast, we never got a chance to tell you. When we were fighting those Hostiles back there on the beach, somethin’ just like that happened. I like... knew everything Princess was gonna do and where I needed to be, like bein’ on autopilot.

ALYSSA: I never even thought about that before, but... it is the same, isn’t it?

ESTELA: You both still need training, though. We can’t be sure this... whatever it is will happen every time we need it.

JAKE: Dragon Rage’s got a point. We pulled it off just now when we didn’t want to; we don’t even know how to turn it on or off.

ALYSSA: What if we switched partners?

IAN: Huh? How would that help?

ALYSSA: Oh my God, Ian, how dumb are you? The crab: you and Estela. The Hostiles: me and Jake. Just now: the same couples. Noticing a pattern here?!

IAN: You’re saying this trance thing only happens between us two and you two? That makes no sense.

ESTELA: Neither does anything else in this place, to be fair.

IAN: ...Why not. It’s worth a try.

Ian and Alyssa switch sparring partners. Estela looks over at Ian.

ESTELA: Remember what I taught you! Watch for an opening-

IAN: I’ve got it. Thanks.

He smiles at her for a moment, then turns back to Jake.

JAKE: Let’s see what you’ve got, Hero Boy.

IAN: I’m ready... uh...

He struggles and fails to come up with a clever nickname.

IAN: ...Jake.

Jake laughs.

JAKE: We’ll work on the nicknaming later. Right now, let’s work on fighting.

ALYSSA (simultaneously): Watch out, Estela, ‘cause I’m playing to win!

ESTELA: Three... two... one!

This time, both fights go much more as expected. Alyssa charges at Estela, flailing wildly, but Estela manages to block or dodge every one of her punches and kicks. When Alyssa’s movements start to slow, Estela lunges in, ducking under one of Alyssa’s punches, and grabs her around the waist, slamming her down onto the padded floor.

ALYSSA: Goddammit!

Ian, meanwhile, tries to watch Jake carefully for an opening, but Jake is too fast. Ian’s blocking gets sloppier and sloppier, until eventually Jake punches him hard in the stomach, sending him falling on his rear.

JAKE: Not so easy without that crazy trance, huh, Hero Boy?

IAN: Guess ‘Lyss’s theory was right.

ALYSSA: Of course it was; I’m always right! But seriously, Estela... ow.

ESTELA: The Hostiles won’t go easy on you. So, neither did I.

Ian pushes himself up to his feet, as behind them, the door opens and the rest of the group, minus Diego, Quinn, and Lila, files in.

CRAIG: Yo, who’s ready to get their asses whooped?

ZAHRA: The only one getting his ass whooped around here is you.

SEAN (simultaneously): Remember, guys, we’re here to learn from the experts.

Sean and Jake exchange a respectful nod.

JAKE: Alright. Wonder Twins, why don’t you two take a break while we go through the basics with everyone else.

Ian and Alyssa cross over to the shutter-covered windows and lean against the cool glass as Estela and Jake start helping everyone else with their combat stances. Ian shakes his head and looks over at his sister.

IAN: I still don’t get it. Why, specifically, you two and us two?

ALYSSA: What?

IAN: That weird trance thing. You were right; it didn’t work when we swapped partners. Just when it’s you and Jake, and Estela and I.

ALYSSA: I mean... it makes sense.

IAN: No it doesn’t! It’s just random!

ALYSSA: Come on, Ian, you know why.

IAN: ...Your point?

Alyssa takes a deep breath and sighs.

ALYSSA: Okay, you probably know this already, but please don’t go all “brother-mode activated” on him. Jake and I... we’re kind of a thing now.

IAN: Yeah, I noticed-

ALYSSA: I mean, it’s not official yet, but we kissed on the beach! A lot-

IAN: OKAY! Don’t need the details, thank you.

ALYSSA: The point is, this trance thing, or bond, or whatever it is... I think it’s because Jake and I have a special connection.

IAN: Are you seriously gonna say “the power of loooove” did this?

ALYSSA: You got a better explanation?

IAN: Alright, fine, but what about me then? Estela and I aren’t... she’s just a really good friend, so how do you explain that?

ALYSSA: Uh-huh. Sure, Pinocchio. Sure.

IAN (blushing furiously): What are- you- What do you know, anyway?!

ALYSSA (smirks): You’ll understand when you’re older.

IAN: ‘Lyss... we’re twins.

ESTELA: Ian. Alyssa. You ready to go?

IAN (relieved): Yes, please.

JAKE: Princess, you’re with Rourke 2: Electric Boogaloo.

He gestures to Aleister. Grace giggles in spite of herself at the nickname.

ALEISTER: I do have a name, you know!

JAKE (pointing to Zahra): And Hero Boy, you can take Raven.

ZAHRA: Ian, you are gonna be crying when I’m done!

ESTELA: Michelle, with me. Sean, you can take Jake.

The rest of the group forms a circle around the four sets of sparring partners, and the practice continues...

Next Scene: “This Is Your Chance”

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