#i gotta bail cause i have to be awake again in 6 hours for the hell hole

[mieczlw-a]

mitch rapp owns my ass™#6853

[pixiegrl]

Hot For Teacher

So, this was an ask but tumblr ate it. @staticsounds asked for “the fuck who are you” with Muke. This is a prequel to a much longer fic that I will one day write (what that’s the 3rd time I’ve said this now?) Anyway, here is it please enjoy resident uncle Michael and daycare worker Luke

on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29488401

Michael grumbles, cracking his eyes open to glance at his alarm clock. It glares a bright red 6:00am at him. Considering this is Michael’s week off from flying and he should be sleeping in, it’s far too early for him to be awake. Michael groans, burying his face and muffling a scream when his phone rings again, the reason he’s even awake this early. It goes silent before playing the opening chords of Timber play again. Michael reaches for the phone, grabbing it, and swiping to answer it, not bothering to check the name.  

“What?” he mumbles across the line. Michael can hear a shout across the line that sounds like Rose, an answering of Ashton going “ Sweetheart please Daddy’s on the phone .”

“Ashton?”

“Sorry, hi. Listen, I know it’s your day off Michael-”

“It’s my week off,” Michael corrects, letting the annoyance bleed through the line. Ashton sighs.

“I know it’s your week off, but I need you to take Rose to daycare.”

“Why can’t you do it? It’s 6:00am.”

“I can’t do it because Calum’s out of town flying and my employee just bailed on me because they’re sick. I need to go open the bakery now instead of going in once I drop Rose off,” Ashton says. He sounds desperate, which is never a good look on Ashton. He must be really desperate to call Michael so early.

Michael groans, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling. Michael likes Rose. She’s adorable and she’s four and Michael loves his niece dearly. Ashton and Calum adopted her as a baby and even though Michael’s wary of small children and breaking them, Michael adores her. She’s his little buddy and he can’t wait to corrupt her when she’s old enough for good music and comic books. He knows Ashton and Calum have been stressed lately, between the weird hours at Ashton’s bakery and Calum flying longer distances with his airline. Michael’s just lucky that he has vacation time built into his schedule and that he’s a flight attendant, not a pilot.

“Fine. I’ll take her,” Michael says. Ashton breathes out a sigh of relief, thanking him profusely. Michael grumbles again, promising to be there in 30 minutes, hears the cheer from Rose when Ashton tells her Michael’s picking her up before he hangs up.

It doesn’t take long for Michael to get ready, throwing on a black hoodie and some jeans. He brushes his teeth and scrubs at his face, deciding that he probably has time to grab Dunkin’ Donuts without being late. He deserves an iced coffee and a bagel.

He shows up to Ashton and Calum’s place with 10 minutes on his timeframe. Ashton’s standing outside, holding Rose’s hand, and looking impatient and stressed. Rose doesn’t care, bouncing on the balls of her feet and grinning. She looks cute, little floral dress and matching pink shoes, brown curls pulled back into a ponytail with a pink ribbon, wearing The Little Mermaid backpack Michael bought her. He’s not sure why kids need backpacks for daycare, but Michael’s not going to question it. Ashton rolls his eyes when he sees Michael sipping from the orange straw, grinning.

“I’m early,” he shouts from the rolled down window, Fall Out Boy blasting through the speakers. Rose shrieks in delight, rushing over to Michael when he opens the door and crouches down, flinging herself into his arms for a hug.

“You are barely on time Michael,” Ashton says, dad scolding tone in his voice. Michael rolls his eyes, half listening as Rose gives him a rundown of her morning.

“Uncle Michael, you’re not listening,” she whines, tugging on Michael’s sleeve. Michael turns his head, smiling down at her.

“I’m listening, Rosie. You mentioned you brought Cinder with you today in your backpack. I can’t believe your dad agreed to that,” he says, bopping her on the nose. Rose giggles, scrunching up her nose. Ashton’s fussing around in the backseat, checking to make sure the child seat Michael’s had there for the last year has somehow not been messed with.

“I told him I was missing Papa so he told me I could bring Cinder. See?” Rose says, pulling out her little green and purple dragon from her backpack, holding it up to show him. Michael smiles, nodding his approval.

“You gotta hide her though. Don’t want any of the other kids to know you have a cool dragon,” Michael says, seriously. Rose nods, putting Cinder back into her bag and zipping it up.

“Okay, kiddo time to go. You don’t want to be late,” Ashton says. He picks Rose up, resting her on his hip to rub their noses together in a “nose kiss,” as he likes to call it. Rose giggles, throwing her arms around Ashton’s neck and returning the kiss. It melts Michael’s heart a little bit and he’s already sad for Ashton and Calum the day Rose wants to be an adult and stops wanting to hug or kiss either of them.

Ashton gets Rose into the car seat, pressing one last kiss to her cheek before he stands up and closes the door.

“Will you-”

“I will text you when I drop her off. Do you want me to pick her up too?”

“Please. I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave the bakery in time to get her. It’s going to be one of those days,” Ashton says, relieved when he squeezes Michael’s arm.

“As long as I’m still on the approved for pick up list. And you give me a brownie.”

“Done,” Ashton says, nodding, heading back to the sidewalk. Michael grins, rounding his car to the driver’s seat. Ashton waves at Rose as Michael starts the car out, pulling out onto the street, letting the GPS guide them to the school, Fall Out Boy still playing softly in the background.

“Uncle Michael?”

“Yeah kiddo?”

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too. I’m on vacation this week though, so I’ll probably be around more to hang out with my favorite girl,” Michael says, glancing into the rearview mirror. Rose smiles, swinging her legs in the car seat.

“Will you take me to the park this week?”

“Absolutely. Maybe we can convince your dad to come with us too,” he says. Rose nods seriously, going back to staring out the window as they drive through town. It’s peaceful this early in the morning. Michael wishes he could get the chance to be even a little more permanent in a place like this, have more of a home. Michael’s restless though. He likes the skies and the travel too much.

Michael listens to Rose call out parts of the neighbor that she finds interesting, letting it guide him to her school. He doesn’t realize till he pulls into the lot and sees that it’s emptier that he realizes they might be cutting it close on time. He parks the car, going to the backseat to unbuckle Rose and pick her out of the car and give her her backpack. He holds her hand and tugs her off towards the school building.

“Rose, you’re gonna have to lead us. I don’t know where your classroom is,” he says. Rose nods seriously, taking off in the direction of her classroom. Michael’s barely letting her lead, taking to get them to the classroom faster, so he doesn’t have to deal with some teacher complaining that he made Rose late and call Ashton to complain about him as well.

“We’re gonna be late,” Rose whines. Michael sighs, tugging her along besides him.

“We’re not late, we’re right on time Rose. See?” Michael says, coming to a stop right in front of her classroom door. It’s 7:58am. In Michael’s opinion, that’s on time.

What Michael’s not expecting is the very attractive man standing at the door. He vaguely remembers the teacher from last year, some older lady who was very sweet and used to shake Michael’s hand when he dropped off Rose. This man is not her. He’s tall, impossibly long legs and broad shoulders, short blonde curls around his face, bright blue eyes, and a beard. He’s grinning brightly at Rose, who shrieks in delight and lets go of Michael’s hand, rushing over to her teacher. Michael’s still rooted to his spot in the hallway, staring at the man in stunned silence.

“The fuck? Who are you?” Michael blurts out. Rose gasps, yelling “ Swear jar ” but Michael’s too focused on the man in front of him. When the fuck did the school replace the other lady from last year? The one that’s not going to cause Michael to have a crisis on school property because of how fucking pretty they are.

“Language. There are children here,” the man chides, corners of his mouth pulled up in a teasing smile. He’s got a dimple. Michael’s screwed.

“Mr. Luke, this is my Uncle Michael. He brought me today and look at what he and Daddy let me bring,” Rose says, tugging at Luke’s pants. Luke drops to his knees, watching as Rose pulls Cinder out. Luke reaches out to stroke her head, smiling.

“She’s beautiful. Why don’t you keep her in your bag so you don’t lose her?” Luke suggests. Rose nods, turning around to wave at Michael before she runs off to her seat.  Luke stands up straight, turning to Michael and smiling.

“Luke Hemmings, daycare teacher,” he says, holding out his hand. Michael takes it, shaking his hand.

“Michael Clifford, flight attendant and resident uncle.”

“Will you get back to pick up Rose?”

“Yeah. I’m on child duty today while Calum’s working and Ashton is having a bakery crisis.”

“3:00pm sharp Mr. Clifford. Don’t want to leave a bad impression if you’re late,” Luke says. He winks, turning to his classroom and closing his door. Michael’s left there stunned in the hallway. Why on Earth does the new teacher have to be so attractive? Now Michael knows he’s going to be offered to come and get Rose more often if it means seeing Luke. And why is Michael a sucker for a pretty guy? He needs another cup of coffee to go think about it for sure. Ashton will be hearing about hot daycare worker Luke Hemmings.

[hungrywhovianjedi]

If I Never Leave

In an alternate reality, everything is different. Emma got to raise Henry, Neal never died, and Hook never changed. This is the story of when Hook changed the past, and Neal never left

Read where it all began: : Prologue, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6chapter 7 Epilogue

IHTSYH Also on: FFN

The sequel I’ll Fight it for You: Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2

I’ll Fight It for You also on: FFN

The rest of this story: The prologue, Chapter 1 Chapter 2

If I Never Leave also on: FFN

Tagging a few who showed interest: @andiirivera @revanmeetra87 

The transition into their new life, was harder than they anticipated. It was easier when they were just Emma and Neal, but add in Henry, and everything changed. A toddler made travel cross country difficult. They couldn’t just sleep in the car, because if anyone got word of that, someone would take their son away. So, while Neal promised not to steal, they had to find a way to pay for motel rooms, even though they had no money.

The trip to Boston took longer than anticipated, Neal picked up odd jobs along the way. This way, he kept Emma and Henry warm and fed. It was the longest on record, that he had gone without breaking a single law, but every time he felt that urge. The urge to take that easy way out, he looked at Emma, curled in their hotel bed, arms protectively around their son, and he felt a resolve build in him.

Yet again, he found himself at the desk at the motel that they were staying in, and he sighed, running a hand through his hair, as the owner came to the desk.

“Can I help you sir?” He asked, brushing the dust from his hands. “You and your family, aren’t checking out yet?” He asked, his eyes flicking to the bug, as though thinking he would already has his family packed away. “You paid for the full night. I do not do refunds.”

Neal chuckled. “Nah, I was actually going to ask.” He fidgeted a little. “We’re, well, we’re a little short on cash, and I’d be willing to do some odd jobs. I won’t ask for handouts. You can pay me, what you think I’ve earned.”

The owner bit his lip. “So you’ve come to ask for a job? I thought you folks, were on your way to Boston?”

Neal nodded. “We are, but I got just enough, to put a down-payment on an apartment… The kid’s gotta eat, and I can’t let my wife down again.”

After another moment, the owner nodded. “I think I can find some things that need fixing. You are good at fixing things, right?”

Neal beamed. “Sir, I can do whatever you want me to do” he confirmed.

“Another condition. You and your family, you will not stay in that room. I have a spare apartment in the back. You will pay for it, with your work, and when you leave, you will owe nothing to this old man.”

Neal nodded. “Whatever you want sir. Thank you. You won’t regret this”

The owner smirked. “I better not. Now go, I am sure your wife misses you.”

Neal took his leave of the man, going back to the room they were renting, unsurprised, to find Emma awake.

“What’s going on? Where were you?” She asked tiredly, from her place, still wrapped around Henry.

Neal smiled. “I was talking to the owner. He gave me a job, Boston will have to wait a little while, but I promise, before the year is through, we’ll be home.” He promised.

~~If I Never Leave~~

Neal was right, it wasn’t long. A month after taking up residence in the little apartment, Neal finally had enough for them to make it the rest of the way to Boston.

Emma had been thinking hard about what she wanted to do with her life. She had briefly considered becoming a social worker, to help kids like them in the system, but in the end decided that no social worker had actually ever helped her. Only sent her to another bad home, and blamed her when it didn’t work.

Then she looked into becoming a Private Investigator, but really didn’t want to only end up doing work, where she was trying to find a cheating ex. Then just as she lost hope, she was on their computer, the one that Neal had bought for her, as a birthday present, a month after they moved to Tallahassee, she found it.

“Hey, babe.” She called. “I think I found a way I can make money, and possibly find something on my parents.”

Neal sighed, he knew she never gave up hope, that they were out there. He also knew they were out there. Cursed to not even know what they had to give up. He had hoped however, that after Henry came, and they began to build a family of their own, she would let go of the one she never knew.

“How’s that?” He asked, curiously. He wasn’t sure what sort of job would give her the access to any information that they might have on the parents that in this realm, didn’t exist.

Emma looked up and smiled. “A Bail Bondsperson” She told him. “flexible hours. Meaning, you can literally work whenever. I get to grab no goods, that leave their families, and skip bail. I would also be able to set my own schedule, and I also get access to all kinds of documents that I wouldn’t get otherwise.”

She seemed so excited, it almost hurt, to think of the fact that she would never find anything on her parents, unless the curse put them into the databases, but he very highly didn’t think so, but she seemed so bright eyed, that he just knew that her heart would break when she found nothing.

~~If I Never Leave~~

Soon enough though, they made it to Boston, and everything began to fall into place. Emma discovered the best way to keep Neal in line, was the fact she now worked with the law, and promised to take him in herself. She became the apprentice for a Bail bondswoman. While Neal got a job, helping at a landscaping business. Henry continued growing swiftly. Neal saved up every dollar he could, and took Henry and Emma to Martha’s Vineyard, for Henry’s second birthday.

The little boy loved splashing in the waves, and he could never get tired of the sight of Emma helping Henry collect shells on the beach. He would always remember this trip, he thinks, as he lays back on the hood of the bug, Emma beside him, Henry dozing peacefully between them, as the sun dips into the waves. The last rays glinting off the water making it glitter beautifully.

“Thank you for this.” Emma whispered, nuzzling her head into his shoulder.

“For what?” Neal asked softly, in an attempt not to wake the little boy sleeping between them.

Emma was quiet for a moment, and Neal was wondering if she would ever answer, when she sighed.

“All of this?” She responded, her voice barely audible, she turned to face him. “When I was growing up, I was always alone. I thought my entire life that would be the way it would be. Then when I found you, I thought that it wasn’t going to last. I thought you would leave me, just like everyone else.” She ran a hand through Henry’s downy brown hair. “Then when I found out I was pregnant, I thought you would leave again. I have been so afraid of being alone, that I keep feeling surprised, when I wake up and you’re still here. I suppose, I’m saying… thank you. Thank you, for not being like everybody else. Thank you for showing me, that not everyone will leave. Thank you, for helping me raise this perfect little boy.”

Neal was struck for a moment. Emma could never know. She could never know, how close he came to doing just that. To leaving her, to causing her to be alone with Henry. He thought about what Killian had told him then, she would have given Henry up. She would have thought she couldn’t raise him. He held them a little tighter. “You never have to worry about me going anywhere.” He promised. It was one promise he intended to keep.

“Good.” Emma stated, as she looked back out at the ocean. “Because I would hate to have to hunt you down, and kill you.” She told him, mater-of-factly.

Neal smiled, wrapping his arms around the two most important people in the world, and sent a thanks to someone that he might never see again. Because without this second chance, he didn’t think he would ever have been able to see the beauty in the world without the beauty laid out beside him, in his little family.

He never thought he would thank the man, who had killed his mother, but without Hook, he wouldn’t have any of this. Without Hook, he would have let Emma go.

~~If I Never Leave~~

When they returned from Martha’s Vineyard, Neal was at home alone with Henry, and the little boy was being obstinate.

“Story!” the little boy demanded.

Neal sighed. “I already told you, three stories, Henry.”

Henry crossed his arms, and did his best glare at his father. “’Nother story!” he demanded.

Neal shook his head. “I said no! That is final!”

Henry’s lip quivered. “Pwease, daddy? Pwease? I wanna hear Spinner story!” he whined, tears rolling down his cherub face.

The older man felt his resolve begin to crumble, as the two-year-old began to cry. “Okay, okay.” He caved. Neal knew what Henry wanted. “Come on, Spinner.” He said, holding open his arms. He called Henry his Spinner, because he was a broken record. He would only take stories from his father, because he was the one with the ‘Spinner’ story. He would sit on his bed, shaking his head, when Emma tried to tell him a story, shouting over and over. ‘Spinner! Spinner!’

Henry ran into his arms, with a happy little exclamation. Henry carried his son to the bedroom, and sat them in the rocking chair in the corner. This had become a regular setting in the Cassidy home. Henry loved his stories, and since the first night, two years before, they had sat in this chair and he told him about the sad Spinner, who loved his family more than life. “Alright, Spinner. I’ll tell you a story. I told you the one about the Spinner and his wife last night. How about I tell you…” he tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I’ll tell you, the story of the Spinner and his son.”

Henry clapped his chubby little hands together. “Yay!”

Neal shook his head. “I’ll only tell you, if you promise to try and fall asleep.”

Henry nodded. “I promise, daddy.”

The older man smiled, ruffling his son’s hair, as he pulled a blanket up, and tucked it around the two-year-old. “Once upon a time” He began, as he always did, Henry was rapt with attention. The irony wasn’t lost on Neal, that Henry’s favorite stories, were his family history. “There was a crippled Spinner, and his son. They lived very happily. Well, as happily as you could, as outcasts from the people. They lived a happy life on the outskirts. That is, until the Spinner’s son, came to the age that he would have to go and help fight in the Ogre’s war, as his father had before him.”

Henry yawned, a wide o. “The Spinner couldn’t let his son go to that war. Nobody ever returned from the Ogre’s war, save those that never made it to the front.” Neal continued. “The Spinner would do anything to protect his son, the way he never could for his wife. He had heard tales of a great sorcerer, one that could put an end to the war. The only problem was, that a treacherous king held the one thing that held power over the sorcerer. The Spinner made plans to try and take control of the sorcerer, but first he had to find out where the item that held power over the sorcerer.”

Henry had popped his thumb in his mouth, as Neal spoke, and already seemed to be drifting off to sleep. “The Spinner searched for the secret of the Dark One, determined to rescue his son from the grasps of the Ogre’s war. When he finally found the weapon, a dagger that bore the true name of the sorcerer, and could control him. The Spinner snuck his way into the palace, and stole the dagger, setting the palace aflame.” Neal paused, and Henry looked up at him, proving his theory wrong, when he believed the boy had fallen asleep. “The Spinner stole into the woods with his prize. Once he was far enough away from the palace, he used the dagger, and called the Dark One to him. There was one thing he didn’t expect from the feared sorcerer, and that was the fact the man seemed despaired. He had been the Dark One for so long, that he sought freedom. He offered the Spinner a deal. Rather than stop the Ogre’s war for him, he offered to teach the Spinner how to end the war himself. How to become the hero, his wife always wished he would be.”

“The Spinner wanted to know how this could be possible, and the Dark One told him the one thing, that would change his life forever. He told the Spinner ‘If you take my power, you will be able to fight this war for your son.’ The Spinner would do anything for his son, so he took the deal the Dark One offered, and he took the darkness from the man, and became a grand sorcerer.” Henry had dozed in his arms, but he continued to rock. “Only as the Spinner would learn. All magic comes with a price. Some prices are bigger than others, as the Spinner would soon learn.”

Neal stopped rocking, when he felt gentle hands on his shoulders. He smiled up at his wife.

“Hey there. What sort of adventures did the Spinner have tonight?” Emma asked, as she gently lifted the sleeping toddler out of his arms, and expertly deposited him into his crib, tucking his blankets around him.

Neal smiled. “He went on the scariest adventure of all. He stopped a war.” He explained.

Emma shook her head. “You should write those stories down. You could get rich.” She told him. “Children’s books are big sellers.”

Neal chuckled. “I only care about one kid’s bedtime story.” He told her, withholding the fact, that even if he wanted to, he would never put his childhood out there for everyone to know. It was Henry’s history. He was the only one that had to hear it.