#i painted huge swatches on the back of the house and we stared at them for over a year

[alsaurus-loves-dean]

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[dreamescapeswriting]

Unfinished Business ~ Part Five

WORD COUNT: 4.3K

WARNINGS: Mentions of mafia, strong language, murder, blood

PAIRING: Bang Chan X Reader

DESCRIPTION: Part five of nine of my new Bang Chan series. 

You’re taken hostage but one of Seoul’s leading mafia families Bang Chan but he doesn’t take you because he wants to fake a marriage or make you fall for him in 365 days no…He wants to use you for his own personal gain. To take over another family but when you try to escape things take a turn for the worst and you learn Chan isn’t one to be messed with.(Please I suck at describing stuff)

THEMES: Smut will be included in a later chapter so this is a fic for a mature audience, Chan x Fem!Reader, Self insert

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

The last couple of days had passed by without another incident happening, you'd kept yourself in your bedroom singing to the small radio that Chan had brought for you on the one condition that you keep the volume low, you just kept painting the back bedroom wall. It was almost completely covered in sunflowers with small parts of blue paint being able to peek through.

"You look proud of yourself," Chan said as he came into the room, you looked over your shoulder at him and nodded.

"It's pretty good, I think it's finished and then the rest of the walls are going to be white. I don't want to take too much away from your house." He chuckled at you and walked closer to the sunflowers,

"Where did you learn to paint like this?" You took the paintbrushes and paint tray to the sink in your en-suite and put them under the hot water.

"My grandmother, she was a painter." He looked at you as you spoke about her. He'd read a lot about her in the folder he had on you, your head was hung low as you washed up the paintbrushes in the sink.

"Have you eaten anything? Jisung said you didn't have breakfast." You looked at the time,

"No, it's okay. I was on a diet before I came here-"

"Nonsense, what do you want? Felix isn't here and I just sent Minho to lunch but I'm sure I can make something." You stared at him as you put the brushes out to dry on a towel on top of the countertop,

"What can you cook?" You asked, looking as he took off his blazer and laid it on your bed. You looked at his arms as he rolled up the sleeves of his long shirt as he rolled them up. He was never out of the suit and it bothered you for some reason.

"Why do you always wear a suit?" He cocked his head at you and raised an eyebrow,

"Why does it bother you what I wear?" You ignored him since you didn't know the answer to the questions either and followed him down the staircase towards the kitchen.

"I work in an office building, the suit it's my uniform. I can cook omelettes, french toast...yeah that's about it." You stared at the back of his head as he spoke to you about what he couldn't cook and you pushed him out of the way going to the back door, his heart began pumping thinking you were going to walk right out of the door. He was alone, no one but him would be able to stop you and you knew that but all you did was reach for an apron.

"I'll cook, what do you want?" He shrugged his shoulders at you, he normally just ate whatever the boys were making he really didn't have a choice in any of it.

"Right, sit." You sat him down at the table and began going through the cupboards and  the fridge. There was literally nothing inside with the exception of some old tomatoes and a tub of mayonnaise. Felix must have brought his own things whenever he decided to cook for you all.

"You can drive right?"

"Obviously." You looked back into the empty fridge expecting some kind of magic trick to happen when you opened it but it was still empty.

"I'm going to write a list of things you need in this fridge and stuff we need for the night. Will you go and get them?"

"So you can leave while I'm out? I'm not that stupid." You flinched as he raised his voice with his hands clenched into fists by his side.

"No. I told you," Your hand rested on top of his, rubbing your thumb along his bruised knuckles. It was the first time you were noticing the dried blood and scabs that were sitting there, it made you wonder what he'd been doing all day if he was in an office building.

"I was going to stay, I meant it." You hated that you were acting so friendly with him. But it was going to be the only way you could get him to trust you on this, make it easier to slip away.

"You're still coming with me." He knew the more he was seen with you the better, he looked up at the time one of Namjoon's men would be around the edge of town so he could take you to that supermarket, in his care you'd get spotted instantly and Namjoon's men would report back right away.

"We'll go now. Make your list." You stared at him, you had no idea where anything was in this huge mansion so how were you to know where to find the paper and a pen.

"I think Jisung keeps a pen and pad in the top corner cupboard. He thinks if he hides it high enough I won't know what he's doing." You raised an eyebrow wondering what he meant but began climbing onto the kitchen side so you could reach, Chan sprung to his feet and stood behind you. The plan was working afterall, he was going soft on you.

"I'm fine. I won't fall, Chan." He kept his hands out just in case and you pulled down a pad and pen looking it when Chan explained what all the writing was.

"Music, he writes songs." You hummed and jumped down from the side, you stood between Chan and the side. Your face inches from his, your back pressing against the marble countertop. His hand moved to rest on your waist and you swallowed the lump that was in my throat.

"I should write this list." You whispered trying to move away from him, he nodded and moved away from you giving you the space you needed to get away from the counter. He sat back down on the chair beside the table watching you closely. You were being far too nice to him after what had happened a couple of days ago but he was being naive and assuming you were just coming to your senses about being there with him.

"You're going in that?" He asked looking at the jeans you were wearing, they were covered in paint and rolled up at the bottom with swatches of paint on the cuffs.

"Yeah, it's just a supermarket, not a fashion show." You didn't see a problem with what you were wearing, it was something you'd wear a lot if you were on the other side of town.

"But it's covered in paint." He sounded disgusted at the thought. You stared at him and ripped the paper off the pad and began folding it up.

"Can we just go, please? And make sure the boys will be home for dinner." He followed you over to the front door and he put his thumb down on the lock opening the door and taking you out with him.

"We'll take my black Porsche." You followed him over to a black car and got inside shivering a little at how chilly it was outside. It was pitch black despite it being 6 pm, but then again it was autumn.

"Seatbelt." You clicked into place and stared as Chan began to back down the drive without doing his seatbelt up,

"Seatbelt." You quipped back at him and he rolled his eyes ignoring your comment, so you reached across him and pulled it into place smiling in satisfaction when you pulled away and he stared at you.

"What? You have to be safe." He rolled his eyes at you playfully and began driving down the road. You stared out of the window trying to see how far away from society you really were.

"You live pretty far out." You said, trying to bring it up naturally. But you watched his grip tighten on the wheel at the thought of you trying to figure out where you were, his head was filling with thoughts about why you were mentioning it.

"I have to. Stops people from finding me and stops you from running away." He whispered turning onto the main road and continuing to drive in dull silence, it was torture not having some kind of background noise.

"Can we play music? You let me back home." Home. The way you said home instead of his house, prison, torture chamber or hell hole. Home. Like you were saying you liked it there, he liked that.

"Sure. Nothing bad though. I can't stand those romantic songs." He lied, of course, he was a sucker for those songs they were his favourite kind of song to listen to...Or they used to be. Being able to sing them with someone he loved, it was one of the reasons he stopped music in the house. He couldn't stand listening to it without her being there with him. You flicked through the stations and landed on classical and you assumed it would be your best bet for him right now something to keep the peace until you were able to work up to usual music.

The store was practically empty when you and Chan reached it, except for the workers who knew Chan. Instantly they began to hide in the storerooms, but not before snapping some photographs of you and him together for Namjoon. After all, this was his side of town and Chan wasn't one to show his face here. Which was exactly what Chan wanted everyone to see, that he was there and he wasn't alone.

"Chan?" A voice filled the empty aisle as Chan stood behind you. You were bent over, picking out carrots and turned your head to see a man around 5''8 standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Who's this?" A stupid question, he was already running a background check on you to see who you were and why you were with Chan. Chan's hand wrapped around your waist and he pulled you closer to him tightening his grip a little, though it was weird you said nothing, because you knew who Namjoon was. You recognised him from the photos in the paper just like Chan's, not to mention the photos of him and your grandmother together in your folder. You kept your eyes downcast not knowing what to say or do in this situation.

"This is Y/n, Y/n this is Namjoon." Chan wasn't going to give your last name to Namjoon that would be far too easy for him. Namjoon took your hand in his and left a kiss on the top of your skin while holding eye contact with you, lingering for more than Chan liked.

"I didn't know you started seeing someone again. She's pretty." Chan looked at you and turned to kiss your cheek, you stayed still playing along since Namjoon was eyeing you up carefully.

"Go to the back of the store and pick out what meat you want. Don't leave." You nodded at him squeezing his hand as a silent message you weren't going to leave. You could tell that Chan seemed to be scared of Namjoon, or at least annoyed that he'd touched you. All you knew was they had business and fights over certain selling areas with their drugs, but that was all you knew.  

"Nice to meet you." You whispered, putting the bag of carrots down into the trolley. Chan was pushing and walked towards the back of the store.  Chan looked like the real husband type like this and Namjoon wasn't going to let him go off without mentioning it. You kept your head down as you walked, never once turning back to look at the two men, the smell of testosterone filled the air and you wanted to get out. Now would be the perfect chance to make a run for it, but there was a downside to that plan, your ankle was still bummed and you had no idea where you were in this side of town. Not to mention you didn't know who was and wasn't working for Chan, or where to go once you got out of there. Mrs Lu was your home but she was gone now, you were going to wait this out. Play the long game. Even if it meant pretending to like him a little while longer, make him think you loved him and make a break for it when he was vulnerable.

"What can I get for Mr Bang's young lady friend?" The butcher had a scar from the top of his face down to the bottom, he had blonde hair that was hidden under a chefs cap. He grew impatient the longer you stared at the scar along his face.

"It's rude to stare," You shyly looked down at the meat in the fridge he was standing above.

"S-Sorry, just a large chicken please." He nodded and began adding all of the spices while you looked over your shoulder at Chan and Namjoon, who looked like they were in a heated discussion about something.

"Everything okay?" You questioned as Chan came storming up behind you. His face and ears red with anger as he came to you holding onto your waist tightly.

"No. It's fine. Do you have everything you need?" You took his hand in yours and he seemed to lose tension instantly. You smiled softly at him to let him know it was okay for him to tell you if something was wrong.

"You can talk to me." You tried to tell him but he wasn't having any of it.

"No, it's fine."

"I need some other things," You glanced over at Namjoon who was watching you both closely, he wanted to know if what Chan had just told him was true. That you were his new girlfriend now, if it was he was going to have to do some serious digging into you. The longer you stared at Namjoon you remembered Chan telling him you were dating and you were going to have to start playing the part for Chan sooner or later anyway. You stood up on your tiptoes and left a small kiss on his cheek, you thought there would be an involuntary gag but there wasn't one. When your lips touched his skin it was as if there was a static shock running through your entire body, but you pulled away. He stared at you as you began walking away from him and he slowly walked after you, watching as you walked down an aisle and grabbed items you needed.

You'd brought the radio down from your room to play some music while you waited for the food to be prepped, you were attempting to teach Chan how to cook since he only knew basic things.

"You need to cut them into slices, but first peel them." Chan was dressed in a black apron over his usual suit top and tie, his sleeves rolled up to expose his arms. He stared at you while holding the knife, images flashed into your head but you cleared your throat, trying to push the thoughts of that night away. Chan put it down and looked at you once again to check if you were okay.

"How?" You sighed and showed him how to peel a carrot and then chop them up. It was simple enough and you wondered how his wife had dealt with him for all those years.

"Easy enough, just don't catch yourself." You turned away not wanting to see him with the knife again, this was harder than you'd expected it to be. You'd just got the images out of your mind but now you'd seen him with a knife again it brought everything flooding back to you.

"Boy I hear you in my dreams," You sang quietly, as you began cleaning the potatoes and chopping them up. It was one of your favourite songs as a teenager and now it was playing on the radio, you couldn't help but sing along to the words.

"I feel you whisper...across the sea. I keep you with me, in my heart." Chan watched you from behind as you sang along to the song coming from the radio, his eyes trained on your hips as you slowly swayed along to the duet that was playing. Continuing to sway as you moved the pan of chopped potatoes onto the stove and then took the carrots away from Chan and did the same.

"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend." You sang, looking down nervously at Chan as he stared at you. He hadn't said anything for the last two minutes and it was scaring you, but you didn't show him. He got up from the chair and wrapped one arm around your waist and placed his hand on yours dancing you around the floor in time to the beat.

"So I'm sailing through the sea, To an island where we'll meet, You'll hear the music fill the air," He put his hand on your cheek and moved the hair from your face, your pulse quickened as he touched you and your mouth ran dry.

"I'll put a flower in your hair," You stared into his eyes as you felt a tingle go through your body as he touched you and looked at you like that. His eyes were filled with something but you didn't know what it was. The front door chimed and you sprang apart from one another, standing back where you had originally been.

"Felix?" You called out and he popped into the kitchen,

"Can you come and finish the vegetables? I need to shower." All of the boys stared at you and Chan with the sense that something was going on, but you didn't care. You needed an excuse to get away from Chan before he could make your heart skip a beat again.

"You didn't make a run for it today then?" Minho smirked playfully at you. He'd asked you that every day since the day after you ran away from the house, and every time it was the same response from you.

"I'm staying." You said to him as you walked over to the kitchen door.

"I need to shower too. I'll walk you up." They stared at Chan as he walked over to you, both of you keeping your distance as you walked towards the staircase. Awkwardly trying to make it seem like nothing had happened in the kitchen before they walked inside.

"What do you think she's up to?" Minho questioned folding his arms over his chest,

"Keep an eye on her, she could be faking to get close to him," Changbin said, he'd seen enough movies to know what people did. They'd lure their kidnappers into ''love'' only to make a run for it when everything seemed clear enough or they'd made the kidnapper weak enough it was an easy enough plan.

"You know, she could genuinely be falling for him….happened in that Disney movie." Each of them turned to stare at Hyunjin who bit into an apple from the table.

"A Disney movie and it's called Stockholm syndrome, look it up." Jeongin said as he looked at the apple.

"Someone also died from eating an apple...Are you going to take all your advice from kids movies?" Jeongin quipped, taking the apple from him and biting into the fresh side.

"He killed someone she loved less than three days ago. That's not something someone gets over this quick. I'm telling you we watch her closely." Changbin mumbled, not liking the thought of his boss getting hurt again. The boys might be joking about it all but this was serious, Chan couldn't risk getting hurt again. The first time had been rough on them, all but the worst for Changbin, he was Chan's right-hand man. He had to be right there when everything happened and he didn't want to see his close friend at rock bottom once again.

Sitting at the table was weird, it was silent and uncomfortable all of them were watching you closely as you sat beside Chan, wondering what your next move was after their talk with Changbin earlier.

"I didn't poison it." You joked at them, referring back to what they'd said to you when you were in the basement. Felix chuckled as he heard you say it and then started to eat the food, while the others stared at him waiting for him to die but he started moaning about how good it tasted.

"Where did you learn to cook like this?!" Everyone dug in and you smiled doing the same, sticking to the vegetables to start with. A habit you'd had since you were a kid,

"My grandfather. He taught me how to cook when I moved in with him. He used to own a small restaurant." Chan looked at you, it had been included in the report they did on you but he took out why he didn't own it anymore. He thought it would best that part stayed between him, you and the Private investigator he'd hired to work alongside Changbin.

"Used to own?" Jisung questioned, you swallowed the carrot in your mouth and took some water from your glass suddenly getting a dry mouth thinking about your grandfather.

"He had to give it up when my grandmother got sick. Then he erm, then he got sick and-" You couldn't finish the sentence, it was too hard to talk about without crying. Chan's hand overlapped yours on the table, he knew where your grandfather was, that he'd left in the report, but you didn't flinch at the sudden contact from him. It felt oddly nice to have it there. Changbin watched you closely as you didn't react to Chan's touch.

"Is he-" Jisung asked, leading off not wanting to say what they were all wondering if he was dead or not.

"He's in a nursing home. He doesn't remember much these days. I'm just a girl that works...Worked there." Your mind flooded with thoughts of him, sitting alone and playing dominos on his own. You wanted to go to him, you needed to see him again.

"You used to volunteer there and the hospital, right? I remember from your file." Jeongin mentioned and everyone glared in his direction for bringing up the file during this hard topic for you but you didn't mind, you knew they'd all seen it.

"Yeah. I volunteered at the hospital and continued doing so even after my grandmother died and then the nursing home when my grandfather was admitted." Chan was still staring at you as you let silent tears roll down your face, he took a napkin from the table and wiped them away for you not wanting to see you cry like this. The boys could already see that he was falling fast and hard for you, but they still couldn't determine how you felt about him. It was hard to read you.

"I can take you to see him, you can go and see him whenever you want." You nodded along to him and looked at the plate in front of you, not daring to meet his eyes.

"You should all eat. I'm tired and I'm not that hungry." You whispered, getting up from the table. But Chan's hand was lingering on top of yours and he slotted his fingers into yours.

"I promise I'll take you." You hummed, not wanting to believe that he would be willing to do that, if he was willing to take you then that would mean he wasn't as bad as you thought he was. Your head would spin with thoughts about if everything you'd heard about him was true. You left the table followed by Changbin who was taking the first shift for the night, volunteering for it in fact. He followed close behind you until you were right outside your bedroom door, he took your wrist in his hand and pinned it above your head while holding his other hand over your mouth to stop you from making a sound.

"What are you playing at? Huh? What's the angle?" You mumbled against his hand and he roughly pushed you against the wall again,

"If I find out you're planning anything, and I mean anything. Your grandfather and everyone else will be gone. Just like Mrs Lu, remember her? Remember the way Chan slit her neck with ease?!" He forced you to look at the office door and your eyes welled up with tears, he was doing this on purpose trying to make you remember everything Chan had done. All this time you thought Chan had been the evil one but you could see now that it was Changbin.

"I'll make sure that happens to everyone you love if you hurt him. Understood?" You nodded and he pushed open your door waiting for you to go inside,

"Sleep well." He mumbled, shutting the door and taking his place right outside the door for the night, sitting on the chair and waiting for time to pass by. Your legs hit the back of your bed and you landed down on Chan's suit jacket from earlier. You slid it out from underneath you and held it against your chest, maybe he wasn't so bad after all? Maybe he was just doing all of what he did because it was what was expected of him? The boys? Namjoon? Maybe they were the reason he did everything he did. You pushed the jacket away from you hurriedly, what were you thinking?! He killed someone who helped raise you, put a roof over your head and here you were thinking he wasn't so bad? You'd heard the stories, vicious killings, drug runs, weapon cartel, money laundering not all of that could be rumours. He was bad. He had to be bad. He was bad for you, you had to get him to think you'd fallen for him and fast, the sooner you did that the sooner you could be out of there and the sooner you could stop looking at him as a person with hurt feelings rather than the cold-blooded killer he was...Is.

Tagline: @moonprincessdiviniation​ - The wonderful editor who stayed up late to do this for me even though I told her not to!!! @taestannie​ @kneel-begyourpardon​ @calling-dips-on-j-hope​ @hugs4chan​ @ncitythoughts​ @inseonqt​ @cloudsgathering​ @atletino​ @mischiefmakerliesmith5​ @freckledquokka 

[alias-b]

Without The Lights~ Billy Hargrove x OC Camille Harper

Chapter 11: There Are Worse Things I Could Do

A/N: Valentine’s Day of 1985 after a terrible school prank. Camille gets some horrid news and comfort from a surprising source. TW: Death, talk of abortion, asshole high schoolers, mental break, and brief self h*rm scene.

    The comments weren’t bad. Oh, no.

    "That's the one... Her."

    "Queen Bee. Queen Bitch."

    "Slut."

    "Wonder who the daddy was."

    "Baby killer."

    "Hargrove better watch out, she traps boys. He'll lose interest now for sure."

    "Camille, the whore, Harper."

   Those were all tragically and hilariously to be expected.

  It was the staring. Those damn eyes. The way she could walk into a room and have it hush. Teachers and students alike. Thinking those thoughts too loudly. Camille marched in. Knowing they were talking about her. Eyes lifted and moved over her body like she’d never get privacy again. Camille was used to being watched. Desired. But, this... Avoiding her face was one thing. Staring direct at her long scraped out womb was another. The attention burned. Lights scorched. No dark corners to curl up and hide away in. And how Camille tried to. She imagined layers of flesh melting away until she was muscle and bone. They would rub salt into the rawness of her wounds.

  Camille turned her nose up to all that shit. Fixed her lipstick. Flicked her hair. Blew bubbles with gum like nothing was around. She spoke up in class. Made herself more visible because she had no choice and she wanted control again. Camille burst with technicolor. Crushed them all. Swayed like a dancer down hallways. Undaunted. By force. But, undaunted nonetheless.

  Billy watched her float. Like nothing could touch her. He found himself wishing that he could float too. Camille tried to sit alone at lunch. Tried. Steve smacked a tray down across from her. Sent a message that nothing had changed. Students watched their king sit and eat, sliding an extra carton of milk over. She’d tried to skip the meal too. Nancy and Jonathan came next, adding crackers and a brownie to the lunch. Billy was on her right after, placing his green apple there. Hadn't lost interest of course. Heather ushered Robin over even and they joined. Camille let herself smile.

  “So, anyone catch Mr. Creed’s new hairpiece? A surprising color.” Steve leaned forward and Heather laughed. He attempted to make his friend feel normal again.

  “I couldn’t even take notes, I was waiting for it to crawl away.”

  “Definitely hiding something,” Jonathan piped up. Camille watched her odd group of friends joke, picking up the apple to bite into it first. Billy shot her a wink so she nudged his leg with her own.

  “I had him last year. Once he got frustrated and ran his hand into it. Flipped half the thing over and finished class like that.” She chuckled finally when they did, encouraged.

  “He’s gotta put that whole collection out of their misery.” Robin added. Camille enjoyed feeling like a teen again. For once. Steve kicked her foot under the table, flashing a smile that set her at ease. It was like this over the next week. Gluing little shards of glass back together. Trying not to slice tired fingers. Rosemary acted as if nothing happened prior. Cooped up in her studio with new designs. Work was better. Better than a daughter who refused to be a daughter. Camille stayed afloat until the ship cracked again. The perfect hive threatened to crumble in.

  Her stupid locker. Still broken. This day, she jerked it open for her chemistry book with Robin next to her, ready to walk to class. Red splashed all down her front. Covered the floor and Robin’s shoes. A bucket of blood red paint clattered, dribbling all over. Camille went into shock, hands lifting while it pooled out. Like most shitty things in her life now. Pooling out. She longed briefly to let it cover all else. Clothing ruined. The crack deepened when Carol pointed to laugh across the way. Ex-popular friends joined in around her. Tommy was cackling, racing away to catch more attention. Billy's foot came out by his locker and the boy tripped hard, smacking the floor. Students ceased their laughter.

  "Eat shit, you little bitch." Billy bared his teeth. Looking utterly feral because that was his default setting.

  "Mad someone got your slut before you did, Hargrove? You'll have to fight every quarterback in Indiana." Tommy dragged backwards but was ripped up, shoved into the lockers. Camille paid no mind.

  "Get the fuck out of here." Billy struggled with his rage and tossed Tommy the other way, arms swiping out to frighten him off. Tommy was Steve's added beefcake muscle once upon a time but he'd be a fool to challenge a fire-breathing hyena like Billy Hargrove.

  “What the hell, Carol?” Robin spoke first back down the hallway. Heather ran along to see her friends. Odd bunch they made. Camille the freak. Robin the weirdo. Baby faced Heather. Billy shoved his locker closed and pushed students to see his friend too.

  “Are you okay? Camille?” Heather was ignored. Baby killer, came some more utters and Camille stalked forth. Carol shut her mouth and cried out when a fist charged right next to her head. Its force dented the locker in. The brass knuckle punch style she'd easily picked up from Billy. Something detached inside Camille. Instead of hitting Carol and crying, she just laughed. Eyes wide. Unstable. It echoed into their school. Demanded respect and attention because this was stone fox Camille Harper here. She laughed louder. How could she not? Her entire life was fucked. It was a lie. Why hide when the cards were all on the table today? More of her friends rounded the hallway in awe.

  “Carol. I should be upset. What a clever, clever prank. How many brain cells did it take between you all? I wonder. But, you know…I’m not mad one little bit. Because I grew out of being a nasty bitch and I know you won’t for a while.” Camille was grinning. Carol looked shocked, tipping back to avoid the paint. “You don’t have to date a shitty ass guy who tries to fuck your friends when you take breaks and hate yourself, you know? Good luck with that. Been there, crawled out.” Camille jerked forward to hug Carol as tight as she could. “We’ll get through it together.” One hand took Carol's jaw. Red swatched her skin before she pushed her backwards after planting a hard, sweet kiss on her cheek. Paint swiped Camille's fingers so she reached up where there wasn’t paint on her shirt and traced an A.

  A scarlet letter.

  “Bitch! Camille, what the fuck? You lost it.” Carol looked down at herself, clothes ruined now too.

  “Bold to assume that I even had it to begin with, babe.” Camille left her, head still high. Hips swaying. Paint splattering. "Well, any of you wet dream drones have anything else to say to me? Now's the fucking time!" Arms swiped, sending spatters of red into nearby students and lockers. Instead the entire crowd parted for her in sync. Moses standing at the damn Red Sea separating it. "I thought so." She puffed, lips lifting to smile because she owned them still. "Robin, sorry about the shoes."

   "You know, I think this could be a great look actually." Robin joked instead, rolling with it because her friend was clinically insane and she adored her now.

  "Right. Now, where is Billy Hargrove? Hm? Don't be shy, sweet face." Camille commanded her drones to part further and reveal him there at the center. Billy had stopped to watch halfway toward her, eyes fixated and huge when he got a better look. "Ah, there you are." She sucked her teeth, clicking her tongue once before she came forth. "Should have smelt the smoky hairspray and warm cologne, it's still to die for." The teen dream stopped in front of him. Everyone was dead silent. Awed. Impressed. Aroused.

      Queen Bee Camille.  

  “Pick me up tonight." Hands on her hips, head cocked. Flirty and unashamed. Splashed bright red. A firework bursting in his life. "Seven o'clock sharp. We are going to the god damn movies. It's a date, just so we're clear. Be prepared to hold the door for me.”

  “You’re the boss, Hester. Wear something red. Color's good on you.” Billy winked, shrugging before he too stepped aside to let her go. Unworried. Happy. Camille left a trail of footprints all down the hallway. She entered the girl’s gym showers in her clothing. Earning shocked looks when she started laughing aloud again and got under cold spray. Cleansed her skin. Red sloshed all down into the drain like the flood of a period. Her clothing was still ruined. They called her mother again to get her. Took an entire load of towels to get her out of the showers without making another mess. Camille was still laughing the whole way.

  It never ended.

** ** **

  “Camille, I’m not sure this is a good idea. You should rest. You've had a rough week.” Rosemary had frowned. Her own palms shook when she clasped them. Camille didn't notice her shaking

  “I’m peachy.” She imagined teeth peeling fuzzy peach skin away to suck the juicy fruit within. That sweetness dripping from soft, plush lips.

  “You’re different.” Rosemary couldn't get her daughter to turn around and just look at her. Not like she used to.

  “I’m different?” The teen huffed and yanked up into the tree in front of their house. Another awful prank. Hung baby dolls from branches. “You going to help me here, mother?”

  “They need me in New York again.” Rosemary resigned herself. Guilt swirled and she pressed her lips. Stared for a long moment, desperate. “Ask me to stay with you, I will.”

  “You're right. I am different.” Camille admitted, head turning. “My eyes are open.” Her mother looked truly unsettled. “Go, they need you. I can handle myself.”

  "I'm so sorry, Camille." Rosemary never said what for. First mistake. Her mother turned to go. "I left you something in the kitchen. Cheer you up. It used to." Camille never went to see what it was. Second mistake. She dumped the toys into their trash bin and prettied herself up. Wore a casual pink dress that slipped from her shoulders with cherries all over it. Small splashes of red. The Camaro howled while she applied the same red to her lips. Billy felt his heart charge when he pulled into the driveway. Finally.

  “Millionth time is the charm, huh?” Camille approached when he got out. "Devil's pride nice still?"

  "Yeah, I'd say so." Billy prettied himself as well, fitted shirt opened halfway and tucked into tight jeans. His preferred style. She smiled at him like nothing was wrong.

  "Shall we?"

  “Chariot awaits,” he cocked his head and offered a single peony from behind his back. Pink. Billy got the door for her and went around to drive them off. Let her pick the flick and he bought the tickets. The Breakfast Club. He only whined a little about it. Camille bought the snacks and they found seats up in back. More teens filled the room before the lights hushed. They took turns snagging popcorn and sips of soda. As much as he rolled his eyes prior, Billy grew invested. Every teen in sight felt it. Damn movie was too relevant. Camille leaned into him, allowing his arm behind her. Idle fingers traced the bare skin of her shoulder. The world let them be blissful teens tonight. For a little while. Third mistake. Credits rolled and he held her hand just like they discussed. Kids filtered out so Camille leaned in to kiss him, inches away before she gasped instead.

  “Hey. Robin and Heather are here. Check it out,” she noticed them down closer to the front. Giggling. Tossing pieces of popcorn while they joked and stood. Heather looped her arm into Robin’s. Grins followed.

  “Didn’t know they were actually close friends now. Lab partners or whatever.” Billy shrugged and Camille had to cover her lips. “What?”

  “Boys are so oblivious, come on. To the diner.” She tugged at his hand to go down the steps.

  "As you wish." Billy pulled her into him, earning a slight giggle. Chilly air swept and his leather jacket was already around her.

  “Camille!” Heather caught them exiting the doors, hand leaving Robin’s quicker than intended. Camille peered at the space between them, eyes lifting.

  “Heather…hi. Nice to see you both. Fine night compared to earlier, yeah?”

  “Yes. Sorry, we didn’t know you guys were up there. I would have said hi. Great movie, right?” Heather continued.

  “I loved it and so did Billy, despite the whining.” Camille joked, patting his chest. “Hey, Robin.”

  “Hey…” Cold wind passed them so Camille brought Billy’s jacket closer.

  “You got Billy to sit through that, impressive.” Heather was entertained.

  “Just wait till you see my other tricks,” Billy lit up a cigarette behind his date.

  “Okay, on that note, you guys…have a good time.” Camille kissed her friend's cheek, winking. Heather gave an honest smile, relaxing again.

  “Thanks, Camille.”

  “We’ll see you two in class, yeah.” Robin crossed her arms. “Now do the trick where you disappear, if you could.”

  “Love that one,” Billy pressed Camille’s back when she gave Heather a knowing look of encouragement. He drove her to the diner and they found a corner booth. “Large milkshake. Chocolate. Side of fries.” He told the waiter. “Well, Harpy, we covered it, didn’t we?”

  “What?”

  “We angrily laid this out in detail months ago. Hit all the important points.”

  “Hm, I think there is always room to improvise.” She purred, chin resting in her hand as she leaned over.

  “Oh, say improvise again.”

  “No,” Camille laughed when he gave that world melting smile. Food was set down. Billy snagged some fries and shifted the plate between them. She sipped and hummed blissfully. “I’m going to have that song from the movie trapped in my head for weeks.” Camille plucked up a hot fry to eat.

  “Thought it was funny us going to see that? Criminal and princess.”

  “I didn’t plan that,” she grew amused. “Didn’t know the movie would be like that. Frankly though, I’m starting to think I’m more of a basket case now.”

  “Can’t argue there,” Billy dodged a fry at that, laughing before he stole her milkshake. "Queenie is buzzing along a very fine line."

  "Suppose I feel like I have wings today." Camille gave a shrug. "Guess that I also wanted to bring up more of the wildly unhinged me who told her ex to eat shit."

  “Hey, look, I know you’re all smiles now and great. But…”

  “Disgraced bee flew too close to the sun.” Camille rolled her eyes and sat back. “I’m not faking it for you. I don't do that with or for boys, rest assured. These last two weeks have been…fucking awful. But, I’m on a date with a guy I care about and I think it’s going well.”

  “We talking B minus work?” He gaze at her closely.

  “Oh no, I think you’re on your way to a solid A plus with extra credit. Gold star work.” She joked. It was intoxicating even still. The way he smiled at her. Charming as hell. Lighter. Easy. Slow and steady, her hand came to touch his. Fingers curling. Eyes met and they stayed to enjoy the lingering beat between them. “I want to try something.”

  “You do?” Billy’s brow furrowed and she wasn’t hesitant.

  “I want to try it back at my place.” They scrambled to pay and go. Rain splattered lightly so he pulled her by the hand. Hair and clothing damp. Unable to resist, Billy yanked her into his chest. Hands on her wet face to kiss her there under rain and stars. Camille responded, pulling at him until they both laughed and continued to his car. Giggling teens on a date. Nothing to lose. So they thought. Billy sped while she slid over and placed playful, teasing kisses on his neck.

  “Harpy, I’m supposed to be setting a better example when I drive.” He’d joked, stilling to kiss her again at a red light. Hands smoothed along his thigh and they couldn’t park fast enough in her driveway. “Hey.”

  “Hm?” Camille was still in Billy's neck, palms sliding up his chest.

  “Look.” He pointed. Jim Hopper’s Blazer sat parked in front. The Chief was waiting, snuffing out a cigarette before Camille hurried out on unsteady feet.

  “Jim.” She felt a gust of cold crackle up her spine when he lifted his eyes. Rain stilled. "How long have you been here?"

  "Not long." He stared at them, clearly on a date and worked up. Camille came down fast.

  "What are you doing here, Jim?" She'd asked it quieter.

  “Camille, I think we should talk inside.” His palm was on her back to guide her forth. Camille's hand slipped from Billy's and they mourned that.

  “What happened?” She pressed, struggling to open the door.

  “Hargrove, give us a moment.”

  “No, Billy, come inside. You can say it to both of us.” Camille marched up to him while he took his hat off. A motion that appeared grave. Billy shut the door, his own flesh chilled when rain dripped from his curls. “Say it.”

  “Camille.”

  “Say it!” She barked at him, echoing in that empty house. Jim’s eyes drew to her own.

  “It’s Judith.” He crumbled her world. “I’ve been checking on her and-”

  “No, don’t you fucking…lie. Don't you lie to my face. It's fine. She's fine.” Tears welled. She got smaller. “You were supposed to protect her.”

  "I'm so sorry, I only heard a few hours ago. We've had people on her I trust. There... Something happened."

  "It's a mistake. No...No! You don't know shit. You're nothing but...a fuck up. You're just a fuck up!" She spat and he remained tender while her rage filtering out at him. "You are a liar."

  “She’s gone, Camille.” He was pushed hard at that.

  “Shut the fuck up…she didn’t… I knew they’d come for her! Another loose end to torment me with.” Camille couldn’t catch a breath, stumbling back before he took her arms. The dark secrets she kept. The life she had. The mother she never got to know. Gone. Gone. Gone. It all just fluttered. “Ngh, no!”

  “She passed, Camille. They confirmed it. I saw the certificate. Photos. Everything.”

  “How?”

  “Camille.”

  “How did she die?!” She screamed it. Echoing again. Billy pressed back into the door. His face felt impossibly hot.

  “They say she did it herself.”

  “They say…? A gentle, manic woman who never spoke and just spent her days rocking.” Camille broke. “So they killed her. They fucking killed my mother. Just to ruin me further. They know I can't mourn it. They know I saw her and they know I have to hide. Fucking, they killed us both. Again and again. Finally finished her off. It's because I found her. It's my fault.”

  “You didn't do this. There was something. Small. Carved into her arm. Three numbers.” Jim reached again to stop Camille from falling. “Hey, you have to breathe. Easy.”

  “No, she’s not… She can’t…” Camille was beating on his broad chest. “Lies! Lies! You’re a liar! A shitty, awful liar. I hate you! You fuck up! You were supposed to watch her. You...”

  “Camille,” Billy found his own voice, hands up to pull her off Chief Hopper’s towering frame. She slipped out of his jacket.

  “No, no, it isn’t true.” Camille rushed beyond them, tearing up the stairs. She saw her room empty. Kicked bedroom doors open. They pursued to stop her, forces jerked them aside. Her nose bled. “Can’t… It can’t be right.” Camille rushed down the stairs again. Nothing in the living room. She stopped in the kitchen when she saw them. The gift. To cheer her up. Confirming her worst fears. A vase of bright, freshly cut sunflowers left by her mother. An apology and a confession. She’d known. “No, no…no.” A wail tore. Shook the whole house before she lifted the entire thing to smash them. Yellow petals exploded around her feet. The doors slammed to the room when she fell to her knees. A sharp shard cut into her palm before she lost herself and dug it into skin. Eyes wide and unfocused. Three tiny numbers bled out.

  “Hey!” Jim pounded at the door, kicking it open when she relented before he tore her up from the floor. “Knock it off!” Camille dragged and wished to bring the entire house down. He held her arms tight so she bucked around and wailed again. Everything took too much of a toll on Camille. This was the last straw. Rosemary stared at her eyes earlier and knew. Knew what would come. And Camille would have to smile upon seeing her when she came home.

  Billy’s hands were on her face. He was talking too fast for her to process. He slipped away when she fell back into Jim, sobs barely subsiding because she was exhausted. Fingers gripped her forearm and Billy was tying a towel around it.

  “Go pack her a bag. She’s not well, I’m taking her home. Hurry.” Jim pulled her to her feet, half carrying her into the living room to put her on the couch. They cleaned the mess without words and got her into Jim’s car. Her cries silenced when the door shut. Billy found the silent wails of agony more horrific from outside the car.

  “Kid, I’ll handle it from here. Get yourself home.“

  “Fuck that, I’m sticking with her.” Billy edged forward. "You don't know her."

  “Billy, you helped. You did.” Jim eased. Billy didn’t jerk when a hand touched his shoulder. “What Camille needs is to process this. She needs rest.”

  “After she found her mother the first time, she stuffed herself with pills. I made her throw them up, she took so damn many. I am not…” Billy felt himself tremble. Jim understood, nodding. Watch her. “We were happy.”

  “Yeah, you’re good kids. You are. Just trying to make it better and you will. Camille needs to rest and she isn't safe to be alone in this house. Give it some time. Give her some time. Things still bad at school?”

  “Hung babies and red paint aren’t exactly welcoming.”

  “I’ll handle it. Go home. Let me take care of her, I know enough and if she's like El: her abilities could lash out. I’ll call if anything happens. All right? I'll call you first,” Jim pressed him to leave and he finally did. Billy didn’t drive home, instead he was stumbling up to another door. Bell rang and Steve Harrington looked confused.

  “Hey, man…you lost?” Steve didn’t see anyone behind him. Billy looked like utter shit. “You do know this is my house, right?”

  "Yes, asshole, I fucking know which-"

  "Okay, good talk," Steve moved to shut the door and Billy dropped the anger.

  "Wait..." Billy's foot stopped him. Steve sighed and pulled it back open.

  "Try again, pal." He waited so Billy changed his tone.

  “You got alcohol in there?”

  “Parents are gone to the weekend, uh…yeah.” Steve relented then stepped aside. “What’s going on?”

  “Start pouring first.”

** ** **

  “Camille.” El was excited until she saw her expression.

  “El, give her a moment.” Hopper guided the mute teen into their little cabin. His puffy police coat over her frame. “Pull out the couch for her.”

  “What happened?” El asked instead when Hopper got Camille into the bathroom. The door shut so he helped fix the couch into a bed. Eleven brought extra pillows and saw him locking up knives and pills. “Why?”

  “Camille is incredibly upset.” Jim explained it carefully. “Her mother. Real mother…she passed away.”

  “Gone.”

  “Yeah,” Jim swept the young girl under his arm. “We have to be careful with her. She’s hurting. Sometimes when people hurt…they take it out on themselves. She’s going to stay here a few nights while Rosemary is out.”

  “I can watch her.” El promised and Jim pressed a smile, rubbing her shoulders. Camille looked numb when she appeared. El hurried to take her hand and get her to lie down. “I’m sorry…about your mama.” Camille hated herself for the tiniest thought that maybe it was for the best. The older teen peered at her and nodded while El turned on the TV for her. Noise to fill the voids in the room. Jim pulled a chair up to unwrap her wrist. It took a moment for the little girl to realize Camille did it to herself.

  “Give us a moment,” Jim nodded so El went into her room. He cleaned the cuts and applied ointment while she reclined there. “Wanted the scar.”

  “They erased me.”

  “Six isn’t who you are, Camille.”

  “Guess I’m not really sure what I am any longer. Queen bee. Freak. Slut. Six. Baby killer. Always the fucking brands.” She paused. “Sorry, you lost your daughter.”

  “Two completely different scenarios, Camille, you’re not a bad person and I wrote the book on fucking up. No room to judge a teenage girl for making a terrifying and informed choice about her body.” Jim got up and pulled something from his coat pocket. “They sent me this with the certificate.” The tiny Star of David necklace. She let him clasp it so it could hang down low with Billy’s pendant.

  “Thank you.” She welled up and closed her eyes to still it.

  “She loved you. She did.” Jim touched her hair. "I'll let you have some space."

  "Wait," she sniffled, cracking. "Can you just hold me for a little bit?" Jim stilled, air leaving his nose before he sat back down. Awkwardly, she came up to scoot into his arms when he sat on the edge of the mattress. Jim floundered a little too, uncertain. She adjusted half in his lap. Camille pressed into him when he held her tighter, arms up against his chest. Inhaling the scent of him. Nothing like her own adopted father. Long rotting in the ground. She still closed her eyes to pretend. She wondered what her real father smelled like. Maybe something like this. Crisp. Safe. Jim rocked her when she began to shake in his arms. They melted more together. He cupped the back of her head so she lifted it to look at him. Small. Fingers smoothing idly into the fabric of his shirt as his thumb caught a single tear. "You're not a fuck up." She rasped then. Lips pressed at that.

  “Get some rest, Camille.” He offered, tucking long hair aside. She eased herself back into the mattress. El came out in her pajamas to crawl in next to Camille.

  “I can watch her,” El stated again when Camille was lulled to sleep. Jim stayed there petting her head until El took over. The little girl kissed her hair like Jim had done to her many times before to comfort her too. Hopper went to his room and left El curled into her sister. They looked peaceful.

** ** **

  “Hello?” Nancy was groggy when she received a call.

  “Hey, uh, Nancy, it’s Steven,” Steve snorted into the phone and Nancy was alert.

  “Steve? It’s late. Are you drunk?”

  “I’m the moral support, Nance.” Steve was trying to quiet someone behind him. “I have every single thing in my life...super under control.”

  “Oh, my god. Where are you?”

  “Home, near the pool. Um, Nancy, I did…something bad.” Steve slurred. “Remember how we dated for like a year? Wild. I was a shitty boyfriend.”

  “No, Steve, you really weren’t. Not at all.” Nancy was up, Jonathan lifted his eyes in question across from her.

  “Couldn’t even beat the keg king, a little girl had to step in. She’s like…way cooler than me. I think Max is the real keg king at heart.” Steve was laughing and Billy snorted, seated in a lawn chair near him. “I…am just calling…wait, why am I calling again?”

  “Camille…needs her fucking band of annoying nerds. The party. That thing…she doesn’t,” Billy hiccuped, plastered, “I’m not enough, ah, and I never will be.”

  “Billy wants to have a party.” Steve was laughing.

  “Billy? You’re drunk with Billy Hargrove?” Nancy smacked Jonathan’s shoulder to get him moving.

  "Ow!"

  “We’re coming over. Now.”

  “You’re with Jonathan, that’s hilarious.” He cackled. “Byers! He kicked my ass too!”

  “He told me!” Billy fell back, grinning.

  “Don’t go anywhere,” Nancy smacked the phone down. “Come on.” Back at Steve’s, he fell into a pool side chair.

  “She could def...definitely not even tell I’d been drinking. I’m…sneaky like a ninja.” Steve reclined back.

  “Shit is fucking wild, man. How did I get here? Look at them.” Billy watched the hundreds of stars dance in his state, lulling about.

  “You…are a fucking asshole.” Steve was swatting for him, hitting only air.

  “Yeah, I am.” They tried to high five and missed that too. “Pissed off a junior demolished you at everything you love?”

  “Beside the point. You’re like…like a real…huge asshole. But, you’re also not so bad. You know? I just…can’t fight for shit. And you somehow became friends with Camille Harper. My friend. My queen friend.” Steve was laughing again.

  “She tricked me into her intr...intricate friendship rituals.”

  “Oh, she does that shit. We all fall for it. You especially. And…you…you beat the shit out of me and then your kid sister stole your car. What the fuck was all that?”

  “What the fuck was that?” Billy agreed, head tipping. Nancy and Jonathan sped there, coming around back to see the two wasted boys.

  “Ayy! It’s Nancy! Nancy…!” Steve clapped. Billy was trying and failing to light a cigarette. They hollered in sync so she shushed them.

  “Hey, zip it! Both of you.” Nancy ordered. “What is this?”

  “If Camille were here it would be exactly…like…The Breakfast Club.” Billy started cackling and Steve joined him. “New party name, you fucking nerds.”

  “This guy is hilarious, he’s so right. So…right…”  

  “Hey, hey focus.” Nancy picked up a spray bottle for the window flowers and hit them both with water. They hissed and whipped around to avoid the cold like a pair of cats. Billy’s cigarette sizzled out so he flicked it, giving up. Jonathan covered his lips and tried not to laugh at this all. “What happened? Where is Camille?”

  “Police Chief kidnapped her mid date.” Billy had his hands up when she threatened them again with the spray bottle.

  “Why?” Jonathan stepped forward. Billy blinked as some awareness came back.

  “Bad thing… Her, fuck shit… Her mother. They got her.”

  “Her mom? Rosemary?”

  “No. One in the hospital.” Steve played with his shirt. “She didn’t make it.” Nancy lowered the bottle, realizing.

  “Oh, no… Where is Camille now?”

  “Hopper just…whiskered her away. Adopting another one probably.” Steve tried to sit up and Jonathan hurried to assist him.

  "You need a bed, come on."

  "Hey pal, I may have let you kick my ass but, you are not qualified to tuck me in." Steve dragged with him. Billy stared at the pool with a harder expression, lights fluttered on his face. Made him look almost ethereal.

  “We gotta get them inside.” Jonathan was helping poor Steve along still. Billy managed to sit up more and Nancy saw a flower in his hand. Camille had left it in the car. He stared at the petals and leaned to drop it into the pool. Water shifted with ripples. Billy watched them carefully so Nancy crossed over.

  “Billy, you’re not looking well. You need to get inside.” She and Jonathan heaved Billy to his feet next. "There we go." He stumbled and made an odd sound. Nancy realized that he was sniffling. She saw nausea sweep his expression and they hurried him into the bathroom so he could throw up. “Jonathan, water.” He rushed to find a glass. “Here…” Nancy was wiping Billy’s slack lips with a wet rag. He pressed his cheek to the seat and tried to overcome the sensation, moaning. Teeth clenched when another feeling flooded him. Nancy gave his back an awkward pat. “It’s okay.” She took the water from Jonathan and helped him drink. “Check on Steve.”

  “Got it.” Jonathan left again. Billy slipped against the wall, room spinning. Nancy squatted down barely a few feet away, arms crossed over her knees.

  “Don’t have to stay here with me, Wheeler.”

  “I know.” Nancy shrugged. Not the night she imagined. Not the person she imagined comforting. “Don’t mind it if you don’t though.”

  He blinked and didn’t say anything, eyes glazed.

  “So, Hopper’s watching her?” She saw Billy nod. “And you guys had a date tonight.”

  “I think I was decent.” His voice was quiet. Raw.

  “I bet that you were.” Nancy pressed her lips and he flickered his eyes over her face, opening up.

  “Not supposed to see her. Whole tutoring lie is only going to go so far. My dad doesn’t like it. But, I like it.” He slurred, eyes closing. “Another round with the belt when he finds out. Story of my fucking life. Maybe I deserve it, I was a shithead. I still am.” Nancy’s eyes changed.

  “He hits you. I mean…we all had some idea about it. Ah...you don’t deserve it, all right? And you don’t have to go back there, you know.”

  “All that wishful thinking. If I don’t, he’ll want someone else to hit. He’ll hunt me down. I tried to run before. Long time ago. Learned quick. I can't. Dad wins.” Billy numbed. “Didn’t want to care.”

  “You’re different. We all see it. Good different.” Nancy offered. Familiar words touched the world. “My friend changed too. Before and after your family got here. I did also and so did Jonathan and Steve. We all did stupid teenage things.”

  “Some of us did worse than others.”

  "We all hurt people." Nancy admitted, eyes flickering. "My friend died because of me and I can't take that back. I can only do better. Never let it happen to someone else."

  "She died because a monster grabbed her." Billy swallowed bile, chest heaving. "I used to be a monster too. Grabbing people. Squeezing. Laughing about it after."

  “What Camille sees in you now…it makes her happy. What Max sees in you makes her happier as well.” Nancy offered, careful. Billy lulled with an amused scoff to hide the way his tone thickened.

  “My mom didn’t see it. Why won’t my dad see it either?” Billy cringed this time, lips trembling and eyes filling to the brim.

  “It’s…going to be okay. It’s going to get better. I know how that sounds. But, not just for you alone. But, for you and Max. Camille. All of us. Because we have this…amazing group and we’re trying so hard despite everything. Even when we want to stop.”

  “I’m not…I’m not crying over my dad. He’s never…going to love me. Just, fuck him. Fuck him for me and Max and Susan…and…my mom. Fuck him! Fuck. Can’t touch anything. Can’t be touched. Fuck him. I’m crying…because…because, I…”

  “Billy, it’s okay. Just breathe.” Nancy offered him some tissue.

  “I can’t. Can’t stand to. I’m finally awake.” Billy wept, the airy syllables barely connected. “I love her.” He’d squeaked it like a mouse, fists rose to touch his head while he crumbled. Nancy stayed there with him to share the space. Let him weep. When he was calmer, she nodded to affirm that he was perfectly sane through the hurt.

  “I know you do.”

[ecmlol]

Jude looks up Murray’s number in his phone and calls her.

At the devil’s playground Murray is sitting at the bar drinking a  club soda with lime when her phone rings.

“ thank god” murray quickly picks up her phone hoping it was Jude telling her she can go home,.

“ hey what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry no one told you.We are trying to keep things quiet for now.”

“ I saw officer snow come in looking for your in-laws but I couldn’t get to him in time to ask him what’s going on.”

“ I know it’s late but can you keep working. I know you have to be tired”

Murray sighs

“If I didn’t love working for you I’d say sorry I’m going home. So what can I do for you.”

“ thank you I promise when your contract it over I’m making you a official fixture in my life as my assistant and personal bodyguard.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously and I’ll even get your car painted for you I know you love that old car of yours.” Actually Jude is going to pimp her ride for her at the west coast customs.

“ thank you thank you!”murray says with a huge smile on her face.

“I’m happy your happy. Now I need you to find Lionel and have her take you to my house I’m going to need a few thing.call me when you get to my house

“ all right I’m on it. Talk to you soon.”murray says before hanging up.

Jude finally see Noah’s room.

Marshal walks out and stands in front of the door with his arms crossed.

“ I don’t know what you could have possibly told my husband....” marshal says before reading the balloons.

Marshal stops what he’s saying and just stares at Jude.

Jude opens the video that he wanted to show Noah and hands his phone to Marshal.

“ here watch a video of your granddaughter” Jude says before side stepping his father in law.

A confused Marshal watches the video with a dumb look on his face.

Jude goes in and sees a nurse settling Noah into his room. He must have just arrive to the room .jude thinks to himself. Jude ‘s mind didn’t want to see all of the machines that are keeping noah alive at the moments he was hopping that Noah was awake and asking for him in some funny way. Jude wants to say I’m the “brown haired beauty he’s asking for . No such luck.

Noah has a neck brace on. There’s a cast on his right wrist and right leg. He’s on a ventilator.

The nurses both look over at jude.

“ hi”jude says with a small wave from the door.

The older of the two nurses females looks at jude and then back at noah.

“Can he hear me?”jude ask the nurse.

“He’s Still heavily sedated for the surgery.

The nurses steps away from Noah’s bed and heads to the door. Jude nods to them before placing the bear next to noah on the bed and the candy and balloons off to the side behind the bed.

“ I’m here love bug”jude leans over noah too get a better look at him.

Jude has never seen noah look so pale before.

The door opens behind Jude and marshal walks in and takes a seat on the other side of the bed.

Jude leans in and kisses Noah’s forehead.

“ my poor lovebug “ jude mutters to him

A doctor walks in and both Jude and marshal look up.

“Hi I’m doctor Karen Overly” She is about 5′7 with blonde hair and hazel eyes .

Jude and Marshal both greet her with a smile and a nod.

“I’m Noah’s doctor. He’s a very lucky man to be alive. There is no easy way to tell you this but he has suffered some damage to his lower back and spine. At the moment we are not sure how this is going to effect his mobility.” 

Jude checks out and just looks at Noah.

“ is my son paralyzed?” Marshal asks with a shaky voice 

“ there is a lot that point to him being paralyzed waist down. We still need to run a few test. Right now all of our test have been in conclusive.We were able to stop the internal bleeding. There shouldn’t be any lasting internal damage .

Jude is in shock. He can feel himself shaking.

All Jude can think about is Noah and his reaction to this piece of news.

A second later jude feel someone’s hands on his shoulders.

“ Jude ..I can’t imagine what must be going through your head right now.” Marshal says

Jude is having trouble breathing.

The doctor is about to say something when marshal holds his hand up to stop her.

Marshal kneels down in front of jude.

“ breath just breath Jude you need to keep it together. Look at me .Noah doesn’t need this and that little girl need you to be strong. You are the strongest person my son has ever been with. Make him proud that he picked as his husband. There is a time and place to fall apart and this isn’t it.“ marshal says before hugging Jude.

Jude needed the hug just as much as Marshal does.

Hugging marshal is a lot like hugging Noah but in a less intimate way.

Marshal rubs Jude’s back and then walks him to the bathroom so he can further calm down and splash his face with water. It takes about 10 minutes of pep talks and hugs for both marshal and Jude to get their heads straight.

Marshal is relieved that Jude needed him. As a father marshal is in shoack and being about to focus on his son in law helps him keep his calm.

The doctor I waiting patiently by Noah’s bedside.

“ sorry “jude says

“ did I hear you right that you have a daughter?”the doctor asked

Jude points to the balloons with a small smile

“ yes she was born today and is in the nicu he doesn’t even know yet.”jude explains

“ I can understand your reaction to your current situation. This is a lot to deal.” The doctor say.

“ yeah this is a lot to deal with we just got married less then a month ago.”

Doctor Overly walks over to Jude.

“ the only thing I can say is he has made it this far and he’s surprisingly stable which is amazing. Now that we got the hard stuff over the way I’ll inform you of his other injuries he has a broken wrist and a broken leg. He dislocated his shoulders. His pelvis is fractured you can’t see it he has a cast under the sheets and blanket.” The doctor shows the men in Noah’s life where the cast is on his pelvis area. His ribs are cracked and I has a collapsed lung.He a concussion too.

“ do you have a time line of when he might be about to leave the hospital and go home” Jude asked

“He’s going to need a lot of rehabilitation. His pelvis wont start to heal until about four weeks from now. He has a long recovery ahead of him, He will be here for at least 2 weeks if not longer.” 

“If you like I can head home and come back to help you with him in two weeks.” Marshal asked.

“I don’t know  can I think about it.” Jude say.

“Of course think about it.”

“Thank you.”

Jude thanks the doctor and has a seat next to Noah’s bed.

Jude almost forgot to take the video for Chester. Jude takes his phone out and makes a quick video to send to Chester. Jude sees that he missed a phone call from Murray.

Marshal watches Jude closely.

“Did you see what happened?”

Jude sighs.

“I was too far away to see any details,” Jude say just before leaning in and kisses Noah forehead.

“ I’ll be right back lovebug”

Jude heads to the door.

“What do I tell him if he wakes up.” Marshal ask.

“I’m not leaving I’m just stepping out to make a phone call.”

Marshal nods.

Jude steps out and dials Murray.

“hey Jude we are on our way. Lionel wants to talk to you”

“Jude what’s happened to my star reporter?”

Jude didn't need this right now.

“Its a long story but your going to need to find a replacement for Noah for the season.”

“what!”

“I have to go can I please talk to murray Lionel”

A second later Murray is back on the phone. Jude can hear lionel protest in the background.

“Hey what can I do for you?” Murray asked

“I need a change of clothes something I can sleep in and be in while I sit with noah. I need my laptop its charger and phone charger too. Call me when you get to the house I might think of a few other things to bring me.”Jude say

“Yes sir on it” Murray says before hang up.

Jude takes a deep breath and walk back in.

“ if you want to meet your granddaughter i won’t be leaving his side any time soon.he won’t be alone.”

“ that would be nice but I’m still in shock .”

Jude just nods.

A half and hour later . Marshal final gets up and leave . Jude can finally gets to be along with Noah.

It’s nerve racking to have your father in law staring at you.

“Noah noah noah never thought our first year of marriage would turn out like this. I’m going to find the best specialist I can find I promise ” Jude say

Jude’s phone vibrates.

It’s murray

Jude gets up and walks across the room.

“ hello”

Jude told murray what was going on through texting so she knows what’s going on.

“ hey I’m here I have your laptop and charger, your phone cord. Toothbrushes and tooth paste. Deodorant sweatpants I throw some snacks in a bag. Underwear for a few days. I hopes I’m getting the right cloths.”

“If it’s the xl and not the large then yes you are grabbing the right clothes. Thank you for thinking about food.i knew I sent the right person for the job..” jude says

“ no problem Im going to throw a shirt In for Noah too. “

“ good idea he’ll probably want to get out of the hospital gown at some point.”

”ok we are heading out.”

“ I’m texting the address to you now .”

“ ok see you in a bit”

“ wait”

“Yes?”

“ there is a room across from the gym go in and see if there is a baby hat inside.”

“ oh ok .” Murray says as she walks around looking for the gym . Lionel is right behind her when she opens the door.

The rooms is dark. She finds the light and flicks the switch. On the wall there are four swatches of color one pale pink ,one yellow ,one grey and one pale green. There is a giant box of wipes and a box of newborn diapers . A white dresser is standing in the corner.

“ what is all of this for?” Lionel say

“ wait I’m missing something.”murray says

“ she came early and her head isn’t covered.” Jude says not thinking her head would be too small for a newborn hat.

“ congratulations! Is she ok? Oh my god I’m so excited ”

“ congratulations? Wait they have a baby . How could he not have told me”

Jude can hear Lionel in the background.

“ can I talk to lionel please”

“ sure” Murray’s hands the phone over.

“ he wants to talk to you”

“ hello?”

“ hi thanks for helping her.

“ what’s going on?”

“ Noah was hit by a car”

“ what ? When”

“ about two hours almost three hours ago.”

“ oh my god is he all right?”

“ I’m not sure I can answer that honestly right now.”

“ hey be with your man we are on our ways”

Murray leaves the room to add a few things to the bag. Ten minutes later lionel and murray are on their way to the hospital to meet jude.

1 hour later Murray and Lionel finds themselves at the hospital. The car trip was a lot long then murray would have liked it to be. Lionel is quite as the head to the elevator. The door opens and Chester steps in.

“ hello ladies.”

“ Chester I’m so sorry”Lionel says with a hug.

“ thank you so much”chester says

“What exactly happen do we know who did it?”

“ I don’t know much to be honest. Honesty my head is spinning right now” chester runs his over his shaved head.

“Congratulations grandpa got any pictures “ murray ask

“ I have one better I have videos”

“ sweet “ murray says

Murray has known about the baby for about a week. She walked in on a conversation about where the baby was going to sleep at.

Flashback

It was a regular morning for murray as she approaches Jude’s office when her phone vibrates in her pockets . It’s not everyday that she received a text message. She stops right outside Jude’s door to check her messages. She stops and listens. She recognizes both people talking. Noah and Jude. She smiles to her self and thinks I have time for one message.its from her uncle it’s about dinner.

In the background

Noah is explaining the importance of having the baby in the master bedroom for atleast the first couples of months.

“ she is not sleeping in the bed with us Noah.”jude says

“ I agree but we could get a bassinet that can sit next to the bed.” Noah suggests

“ which side would we put it?”jude asked

“ I’m not sure we can figure it out when she gets here” noah say as Murray walks in.

“ congratulations I didn’t know you guys where expecting. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I was just outside the door texting my uncle real quick”

“ I guess the cats out the bag”noah says

“ I promise I won’t say anything to anyone.its not like I talk to anyone besides you two.

End of flash back

“ aww she’s so small” Murray says

“ I can’t believe it hell froze over “ Lionel says as they sees the video of Oscar holding the baby.

“It took a little talking to get him to do it but jude and Oscar have already bonded over her a little.”

“ they have?” Lionel ask

“ yeah it was good progress for them”

“ as long as jude is happy then I guess I’m here for it”Lionel say

Murray seconded that in her head. Her boss was a great guy and deserves to be happy. Murray thinks to herself.

They walked off on Noah’s floor and head down the hall. They spot jude pacing infront of the door to the icu. Chester gave jude a quick hug before enter the icu.

“ Jude “ Lionel say before hugging him.

Jude held on as tight as he could.

Lionel rubs his back and squeezed him a little tighter before letting him go.

“ all right what happened.Tell me everything”

Jude sigh

“ if I tell you ,you can’t report on this. Please keep this to yourself .”

“ are you kidding me this is news Jude. My star reporter was involved in an hit in run. If I plaster this everywhere maybe we can catch who did this.

Jude grabs Lionel’s arm and walks her away from the door.

“ I’m going to leave this up to noah but I’m planning on black mailing the driver .It’s up to noah if I do this which I hope he will”

“ Jude you know who it is?”

Jude nods

“ I sure hope you know what your doing.” Lionel says

“ I do. I just need noah to wake up. To tell me if I should or shouldn’t do this.”

“Jude becareful .Your a father now. You have to think of her.”

“ I am thinking of her Lionel. This will secure her future and my legacy.”

“Ok if you need anything let me know.”

“ I will .thank you.” Jude says before looking for murray

Murray waves when jude finds her still standing at the elevator.

Jude Mets her half way.

“ hey I hope I got everything you needed.” Murray says as she hands over the book bag she found at Jude’s.

“ looks like you found everything plus some.”

“ I brought you everything i could think of”

Jude opens the bag and looks in it.

“ prefect thank you. Go home and get some rest . Tomorrow I have a meeting with zero and Derek and pax. I should be ok. I’ll ask Lionel to hang out with me so you can have a day off.”

“Ok see you Monday?”

“ yeah if anything changes I’ll let you know.”jude say

“ all right how things are going I’ll go straight to bed because I have a feeling you are going to need me .” Murray says before leaving.

When murray reaches the elevator patty and justice walks out .

“ hey he’s right over there.” Murray tells them.

“ thank you so much” patty says as she walks towards Jude who is now sitting in the waiting room.

Jude looks up and sees Justice running up to him.

“ hey sis“

Jude hugs her.

“ I’m tired”

“ me too “ jude says

“ baby I’m so sorry”

Jude gets up and hugs patty.

“ where is noah at ?”

“ in his room only two people can be in there at a time”

“ ah well we can sit with you for a while.” Patty says

“ thanks but I want you to meet someone”jude says as he puts on his backpack that murray gave him.

Jude starts to walk to the elevator.

“ Jude?”jude turns around and sees Chester behind them.

“ hey”

“Lionel is taking me to your house and having her driver bring me back in the morning.”

“ ok thank you noah told me the guest room is ready for you.”

“ No need for both of his dads to be here. You need to be in there.Chester says

“ your right I’ll see you later”jude says before he keeps walking. Patty waves

“ I’m so sorry about noah” Patty say

“ thank you” chester says

Jude patty and Justice board the elevator.

“ so.. where are we going”

“ you will see” Jude said

Half way there jude picks up a tired Justice.

“ by the way I got you something for your birthday but you can’t open it here.”

“ oh “ jude say with tired curiosity.

“Ahh the nicu?”

“ yes”

“ why are we at the nicu”patty says completely confused.

“ well I figured you should meet your granddaughter before you leave in the morning “

“My what!” Patty says loudly

Jude stops and shushes her.

Patty rolls her eyes.

“ Jude wait wait wait what are you talking about?”

“ Noah and I have a daughter she was born yesterday “jude says as he looks at his watch.

“ your kidding I’m a grandma I’m a grandma!”patty jumps up and down.

Jude stops walking until patty can calm down.patty is doing a little dance outside the nicu door.

“ ok ok I’m good why didn’t you tell me!does your father know. Of course her does.”

“ I haven’t known about her very long and we didn’t even tell lionel until today. Yes my father knows but no one could find you to come to the hospital “

“Oh ok so did you adopt?”

“ well it’s complicated “

“ ah how? You do know how babies are made. I know I never had the talk but I figured you figure it out by now” Patty say

“ Very funny.well I need to speak to noah before I can confirm or speculate about anything to do with her.

“ oh ok. Let go see my granddaughter!”patty says with a huge smile.

As they enter the nicu patty rambles about what she wants to buy. All Jude can do is smile.

“I’ll have to stay with Justice no one under 14 is allowed to hold her”jude explains.

“ oh ok. I get her all to myself.” Patty says with a huge smile on her face.

Jude explains all of the rules before he has a seat in the common area with justice.

Jude watches patty as she goes into the locker room before taking his backpack off and relaxes on the couch. Jude is careful not to wake up Justice.

Finally,maybe I can relax for a few minute. Jude thinks. A few minutes turn into a hour of shut eye for Jude and Justice.

“ Jude honey?” Patty reaches out and rubs Jude’s cheek.

Judes stirs a little.

“ baby wake up”

“ I’m up I’m up” jude sits up and rotates his neck.

“ she’s gorgeous jude”

“ thanks I wish I can say I had some part in that”jude says.

[hdnprplflwrs]

she held the world (and i’m just living in it): the hogwarts express

Read on ao3.

Based on this prompt lmao I did say that I might make a fic out of it ;-))))))

__________

Steam below in Adrien’s eyes, causing him to cough. People were shouting, things were screeching, wings were flapping, and thuds of suitcases could be heard amidst the general excitement and nervousness floating around Hogwarts Express. The trolley carrying his new leather trunk, labeled with a gold-stamped Gabriel emblem on the front. His cat, Plagg, was a notorious escape artist and it was clear with the amount of yowls and new holes in his wicker basket that he wanted out. He could feel Nathalie’s eyes boring into the back of his head as he stumbled towards an open door, pushing his heavy trolley a few inches more before he gave up and focused on lifting Plagg through the door and into a blessedly empty compartment.

He could barely lift the large wicker basket, what with the black cat being his usual annoying self and trying to claw his way out. Plagg jumped in the carrier, causing Adrien's hand to lose its grip on the corner of the basket—

A pair of hands — or rather, two pairs of hands — alleviated the weight of the basket some and caught the cumbersome thing before it could fall and allow Plagg a chance of escape. Adrien’s saviors helped him push the basket into the compartment with a shout of “One! Two! Three!” and met him with wide grins when they finally managed to get "the blasted thing," as one of them called it, into the compartment.

“Thanks,” Adrien smiled in the carefully doctored way that his father taught him, only for it to dissipate and a much more genuine one to take its place when he got a chance to look at the two people who helped him.

“‘Course,” the first one grinned, a tall, tanned boy with close-cropped hair. Brown eyes looked at him curiously from a pair of black glasses that looked a lot like the Muggle swimwear goggles Adrien’s father would sometimes make him wear in a swimsuit photoshoot. His companion giggled, a small girl with bluish-black hair pulled into two pigtails and captivating bluebell eyes.

“We’d better get’chor trunk,” she said, her blue eyes roving over Adrien’s face before she settled down at one end of his trunk, the boy at the other end. Adrien took the handle, guiding them to the floor of the train. Together, all three lifted it onto the train and into the corner of the compartment.

He was surprised that the both of them could lift it, considering that all of his belongings were in there, and a lot of the things his father provided were not cheap, nor light. He wondered what his companions would think of the amount of expensive parchment in his trunk. He wouldn't be surprised if he found a solid gold wizards' chess set.

The rest of Adrien’s parcels were lifted onto the train with ease. The tall boy held out his hand to Adrien and was about to say something when two trolleys appeared out of the smoke and shadows of other people, followed by two families.

The first trolley clearly was the girl's, as the trunk it held had been patched over with different fabric swatches in all colors, patterns, and sizes. A box sat atop it, holding her cat if the loopy cursive and cat motifs were anything to go off of. A large man, in stature and size, pushed it towards them, a smaller woman the size of the girl on his arm. The mother and father, Adrien presumed. They looked a lot different than his parents when his parents were together. They looked like they enjoyed each other's company.

“Nino! Marinette!” The pair looked up at the sound of their names being called. Adrien didn’t know what else to do but stand awkwardly as the two looked at each other before huge grins split their faces and they took off to join their families.

The boy -- his name was Nino -- rushed over and hugged his father and mother and then a little brother, laughing at something the father said. His trunk was covered in stickers ranging from large posters of both Muggle and wizarding bands (some of the people in them didn't move, so Adrien supposed those were Muggle bands) to smaller stickers of cars and ones Adrien realized the brother must have stuck on. A tawny owl sat atop the trunk, preening its glossy feathers. Adrien's father wanted to get him an owl, but Adrien wanted a cat instead. He liked cats.

Now, he was starting to think an owl probably would've been better.

Adrien looked around for Nathalie, but she’d probably left already, as usual. She never stuck around for long, always needing to do something for Gabriel Agreste. It was odd, like she trusted him to take care of himself but that usually meant that he had to figure what his father wanted out for himself, and that usually meant being alone. He sighed and hoisted himself into the compartment, resigning himself to a lonely train ride to Hogwarts as the whistle blew.

He had barely tucked himself into a corner of the compartment, trying not to listen to the loud chatter of other students around him, when two familiar trunks pushed their way into the compartment, followed by a familiar owl, a familiar cat box, several more parcels, and two laughing kids waving goodbye. It was the raven-haired girl and the tall boy — Marinette and Nino, was it?

The train began moving as they continued screaming out th window goodbyes to their parents and....Christmaster?

Odd nickname, if it was that.

Adrien had arrived at the station in a neatly pressed button-down shirt and pants, but it was clear that such formalities weren't necessary. The boy -- Nino, Nino, Nino -- was wearing ratty jeans and a large T-shirt that Adrien vaguely recalled had a mix of letters on the front. ACBC? ECDC? ACDC? He wasn't sure. The girl, however, was wearing a jean jacket and a paint-splattered white dress. The paint seemed intentional, which Adrien thought was very cool.

Once the train pulled out of the station, the tall boy tugged the smaller girl back to her seat as it seemed she didn’t want to stop waving in until they were totally out of sight. He had to pry her fingers from the window, making exaggerating grunting noises that the girl laughed wildly at. Once her last finger was free, Nino successfully shut the window and pushed her -- Marinette -- into the compartment, seemingly forgetting that they hadn't put away their trunks yet.

Marinette sprawled at his feet, laughing as Nino climbed over her and into the compartment, right across from Adrien. “Sorry about ditching you, dude, but our parents insisted on a picture by the train,” Nino explained, holding out his hand. “Nino, by the way. Lahiffe. And this mess—“ he prodded the giggling girl with his toe, “is Marinette Dupain-in-my-ass-Cheng. And you are?”

“Adrien,” he replied, shaking Nino’s hand. “Adrien Agreste.”

“Nice to meet you, Adrien Agreste,” Marinette smiled at him from the floor and held out a hand to him and Adrien could’ve sworn his heart skipped a beat.

He shook her hand, but she had a different idea as her grip on his tightened and she pulled herself off of the floor, dusting off her skirt and taking a seat next to Nino on the cushy bench. Nino sniggered.

“What?” Adrien frowned at him, but Nino just shook his grin off his face. His mirth was soon replaced with a nervously excited energy that was, strangely, contagious.

“You ready for Hogwarts, Adrien Agreste?” Nino asked as he and Marinette procured their wands and rummaged around bags (for what, he wasn’t sure yet). Nino was positively wriggling with excitement as he held up his wand for Adrien to see. “Walnut, unicorn, twelve-and-three-quarters, pliant. I’m so excited. We’re going to be able to, like, create stuff outta thin air—” Nino snapped his fingers. “But I can’t wait for Quidditch. Man, I wanna be a Keeper.”

Adrien could only stare, wide-eyed, at Nino, who prattled on and on about anything about Hogwarts his mind could find. While Nino was going on about the secret passageways in the castle, he made eye contact with Marinette, who was miming him; Adrien nearly choked on the chocolate croissant that she had offered him from a box from her parents' bakery. She just grinned at him.

“You have a cat?" she asked, shoving a croissant into Nino's mouth, which stopped the monologue for a little bit. Adrien nodded. "Is he good with other cats? Because I bet Tikki's just waiting for a stretch after that long car ride."

"Plagg's….." Adrien grimaced. "He's not even good with humans. I don't know about other cats."

“Well, should we try?" Adrien just shrugged his shoulders, reaching for the clasps of the wicker basket. Plagg jumped out almost immediately, pouncing on Adrien's pocket. Adrien just chuckled and gave him his prize: a small slice of Camembert cheese.

He was vaguely aware of eyes on him. He looked up, only to find Marinette staring at him, an orange cat in her arms. "What?"

"You have a nice laugh," she said softly, an unfamiliar emotion in her eyes. It was a good emotion, though, if the heat erupting in Adrien's cheeks was any indication.

As it turned out, Tikki (Marinette's cat) and Plagg did get along quite well. They settled down in the space next to Adrien that had been previously covered with snacks off the trolley, all of which Adrien had bought to show appreciation for his newfound friends. At least, he hoped they'd have him.

They put on their robes just as the sky was beginning to darken. Adrien learned that Nino and Marinette had grown up together, which had just caused a lot of mischief in the Lahiffe and Dupain-Cheng households. Nino had a Muggle mother and “how she managed to keep her head on straight with us around, I have no idea.” They were quick to reveal any inside joke they came across, which quickly devovled into who could embarrass who first. Adrien couldn't recall a time where he's laughed this hard with a full belly. Conversation turned into rumours and gossip about Hogwarts and about the Battle of Hogwarts from nearly twenty years ago, to talking about the Houses. Neither Nino or Marinette knew which House they wanted to be Sorted into, and they had spent a good deal of the trip discussing each House and who had been in it.

Adrien wished he had the choice.

His father had been particularly adamant about Adrien becoming a Slytherin. Every Agreste had been Slytherin since, well, the first. Lo and behold, his cousin Felix had also been Sorted into Slytherin. Felix had also been chosen to be a prefect. It was like that for generations and generations, Head Boys, Prefects, et cetera. His father had hammered into him what was to be expected of him and from him once he stepped foot in Hogwarts.

He wasn’t even sure he wanted to be in Slytherin. He didn't like dungeons. He got enough of that at home, and he really didn't like home.

He could barely remember freezing on the boats and shuffling his way up to the castle with the other first years, he was so nervous. He might have bolted had Marinette not grasped his hand as they walked down the entrance hall, sending him a reassuring smile.

That alone sent a flood of warmth back into his system, and he sent her what he hoped was a grateful smile in return, but it probably looked like he had a toothache.

She was really pretty. She was like the princesses that the princes would save in the books he had in his room, but he suspected that she was also very different from those princesses. He suspected she could probably save herself.

She had a few different laughs: a loud, wild laugh, a small, giggly laugh, a laugh that that made her nose scrunch up cutely, and a few more, all of which he saw on the train and liked. A lot. He liked her smile a lot. She was a happy human being, and she made him feel happy too.

She made him feel a lot less lonely.

She didn’t let go of his hand as Professor Longbottom explained the Houses briefly in a small room off the side to the Great Hall. She didn’t let go as they marched under the huge, arching entryways, shuffled into what resembled a line and walked down the center of the Hall, stars twinkling above them mischievously amongst the floating ghosts and candles. The chatter of students quieted down, and only when they were silent did Adrien realize the whole school had been talking and bubbling amongst themselves.

She gave his hand a squeeze when he was among the first to be called up to the Sorting Hat. He glanced back at her, and her wide, beautiful blue eyes were comforting. He squeezed her hand in return and made his way up.

He sat on the stool, seeing hundreds of eyes bore into him as Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head. He could see Felix sitting proudly amongst the Slytherins, a prefect’s badge glittering on his chest.

Hello, a snide voice spoke in his mind. Adrien nearly jumped out of his skin.

Jumpy, are we?, the voice spoke again amidst Adrien’s turmoil of thoughts. Hmmm. Another Agreste. Let’s see, quite a large heart, knowledgeable, quick on the feet. Longing to prove yourself — but not....hmm....

My father wants me in Slytherin, Adrien thought, albeit glumly.

But you don’t want to be, the hat mused. As you should, it won’t do you much good.....well then....”GRYFFINDOR!”

The row of gold and red under the lion hangings burst into raucous applause as Adrien numbly walked over to the nearest empty seat to back pats and hair ruffles. He grinned at the excitement of the people in his new House, but felt a growing sense of dread in his stomach. Marinette had been watching him take his seat and shot him a wide grin once they locked eyes that he couldn't help but mirror, but it did little to soothe his fears. He wished Marinette was right with him. He hoped she'd be Sorted into Gryffindor, too.

He glanced at the Slytherin table as the next person was Sorted into Hufflepuff. Felix was staring intently at him.

Slowly, he put his finger to his lips, as if he was telling Adrien he was going to keep it a secret from their family.

[cressasdbfanfics]

And Then There Were Five? Chapter 6

Paring: Goku and Chichi

Words: 4,955

Summary: Chichi is nesting and Goku is exhausted. 

A/N: Thanks to the fabulous @jadefyre for the beta read!!!! And this is a very long chapter so happy reading. XD

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12543438/6/And-Then-There-Were-Five

Archive of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11284710/chapters/31108764

Chapter 6

Chichi scrutinized the wall of the new upstairs bedroom, carefully comparing paint swatches of seven different shades of pale pink—that all looked exactly the same.

She pointed out two sample patches on the wall, a hand rested on her huge belly. "I can't decide between these two. I can't help but think one is too bright but it goes better with the cribs' bedding. The other I think would be more soothing."

After saying 'eeny meeny miny moe' in my head, I pointed to one of the two she specified. "I like that one."

She compared the blanket in her hands with the swatch on the wall for the umpteenth time and grinned. "I agree!"

I looked down at the line of sample cans at our feet, trying to figure out which one was which. Before I decided if it was safe to ask her which one, she nudged a can with her slipper.

"That's the one."

I bent over and grabbed the can she indicated because she couldn't.

She squealed and clapped her hands together. "Oh, this is going to be so pretty!"

With that, she waddled out of the room. I shrugged after she left and put the other small cans of identical pale pink paint in a corner so I wouldn't get mixed up. She'd definitely—and unhappily—notice if I did.

Gohan helped with the calculations of how much paint to buy and went with me to the home improvement store to get enough—plus a few cuts of lumber for something else I had planned for Chichi and the twins.

With four people painting, it was done in only a couple of hours—not counting the minor paint fight we got into.

The next day, I took a midday break from working on the fields and went home to find Chichi sitting at the table poring over a magazine while she nibbled on a dessert—tiramisu by the sweet, creamy scent laced with a coffee sort of smell. A pen and notepad were on the other side of the magazine. Many words were written down and crossed out on the notepad.

"What are you up to?" I asked.

She glanced up at me. "Picking out names for our girls."

I sat down next to her and read over her shoulder. I wasn't the best reader out there but I got by. The list of names the magazine offered was long. Too long. Almost as long as the list of names Ox King made us for Gohan.

"Remember naming Gohan?" I asked.

She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. "How could I forget?" She turned fully to face me, her cute nose wrinkled in a frown. "You wanted to go fishing while he was yet nameless!"

I chuckled and held up a hand—remembering it well. "Sorry, babe! But you know I can't think when I'm hungry."

"Goku, you can't do anything when you're hungry."

I laughed and rubbed the back of my neck. "You've got a point there."

She giggled and turned back to her magazine. "Now what should we call them…"

A new question popped into my head—one that made me a little sad. "Say… how'd Goten get his name?"

She looked toward the kitchen window with a wistful smile and I followed her gaze. I felt Goten's warmth just outside the house.

"Gohan named him right after he was born," she finally said.

I looked at her. "He did?"

She nodded, turning her smile to me. "He did. We had been thinking long and hard about names but nothing seemed… right."

"So Einstein didn't suit Goten either, eh?"

Her eyes narrowed but her lips twitched like she was trying to fight a smile. "Just like his brother, Goten cried over that one, too."

I chuckled. "Good kid."

A half-hearted glare was her reply. She shook her head and went back to her magazine. She took a bite of her snack and turned a page, revealing another long list of names. Chichi slid the pen down the list, pausing once in a while to write down a couple in her notepad.

She gasped and gave me a bright grin. "Oh, I think I have just the ones!"

When she told me the names, I thought they sounded just right and fit mine, Gohan's and Goten's.

The field expansions meant longer workdays, but the increase in crop yield was worth it. So much grew that it attracted a lot of hungry animals—including a family of plant-eating dinosaurs. After spending too much time protecting our food and relocating them one by one, I was rounding off the long day by fixing the minor damage the dinosaurs caused and then watering.

"Dad?"

I paused my watering long enough to glance at Goten. "Yeah?"

"Can you play with me?" He made a face. "Gohan's having kissy-kissy with Videl. Again."

I chuckled but said, "Not right now. Sorry, buddy." I shifted the huge watering barrel to one arm and gestured at the vegetables growing almost as far as the eye could see. "I have to water all this. But maybe later today?"

His disappointed expression brightened and he nodded. "Okay!"

With that, he lifted into the air and zoomed away toward home.

The fields were so huge I had to refill the giant water barrel several times before the watering was done. It was well past sundown by the time I was through for the night.

I grimaced up at the dark sky. "Crap! I'm late!"

I set the barrel down on barren land and kicked into the cool night air. The flight was only a couple of minutes but long enough to help me come up with an excuse.

I touched down just outside the front door and took off my muddy boots. The smells of Chichi's delicious cooking reached me the second I opened the door and my stomach let out an Earth-shaking rumble, alerting Chichi to the fact I was a little bit late.

"Goku!" she snarled as she waddled into the living room and put her hands on her hips.

I smiled apologetically and held my hands out. "Sorry, Chichi! Watering took a while. But the good news is we have a lot of food!"

Her glare softened into a smile. "Thanks to you. Now, come eat before the food gets cold."

Chichi, Gohan, Goten, and I chatted and laughed over dinner as I told them the story of the hungry dinosaurs trying to steal our food.

As soon as we were done eating, it was play time with Goten. We play wrestled in the yard, took a bath in the barrel, played with his toys in his room, and finally, he fell asleep slumped against me watching his favorite tv show. I carried him up to bed.

When I opened the back of my truck, the storeowner's mouth fell open. "That's your biggest harvest yet, Mr. Son!"

I chuckled and nodded proudly at my truck packed full of boxes. "This isn't even half of it!"

He laughed. "Well, if you keep growing delicious vegetables like these, I'll continue to buy them. What you bring in is very popular here."

I smiled as I got the first couple boxes out. "Great! That'll make my wife very happy!"

Not too long after, the truck was empty and the boxes were stacked just outside the village market. He tallied up the vegetables inside each box and then went inside.

When he returned, he handed me the usual white envelope. "Your payment, Mr. Son."

I pocketed the thicker than normal envelope and shook his hand. "Thank you!"

I got more money than ever. The expansions really paid off!

I capsulized my truck and jogged at a human pace well out of the village before kicking into the warm, early evening air.

Somewhere between home and the village, a surge of familiar {ki}rocketing away in the opposite direction snagged my senses. I stopped and floated in place. It was Gohan and it felt like he was in a hurry.

With my speed, I caught up to him in only a few seconds.

He glanced at me. "Hey, Dad."

"Hi, Gohan! Where're you off to so fast?"

He glanced at me. "Oh… uh… I'm just going to go see Videl. We have to study for this big test coming up."

I smirked knowingly as we flew—apparently toward Satan City. "Uh-huh. Sure. You're going to study."

His cheeks flushed and his eyes narrowed. "Dad!"

I chuckled and wriggled an eyebrow. "Well, enjoy your study date."

He shook his head and continued on his way. I flew home.

I landed in our yard and frowned at the muffled shouting inside our house. "That's strange." I mumbled.

I opened the front door.

"—have to!"

A foot stomped and Goten yelled, "No!"

I walked into the kitchen. Chichi was dishing up our dinner and Goten stood next to the table, his little arms crossed and nose turned up. I didn't know what was going on, but I told Goten to mind his mother anyway as I sat at the table.

Chichi threw me a grateful glance over her shoulder.

"I hate meatloaf," grumbled Goten as he dropped into his chair and crossed his arms.

Chichi sighed and my eyebrows climbed. That attitude wasn't like him.

She gasped and winced as she rubbed her stomach. She waved me off before I got out of my seat, mumbling that it was just a kick.

Rounding on Goten, she put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Son Goten! Eat that or you can go hungry."

He stared at his plate in disgust but ate it anyway. Going hungry was a serious threat for a Saiyan.

Chichi took her seat but instead of eating, she pushed her food around her plate with her fork. I cast a long look at Goten and he shrank in his chair.

I had just the thing to lift Chichi's mood.

Once the boys had gone to bed, I handed Chichi a thick white envelope. "This is for you. It's from our first harvest since the expansion."

When she lifted the flap and peered inside, she gasped and stared at me with wide eyes. And then gave me a bright, beautiful grin.

By early June, Chichi was enormous. Just when I thought she couldn't possibly get any bigger, she did. But I'd never tell her that. Chichi's body looked to be stretched to the limit and she still had more than a month to go! The bigger she got, the less I wanted to leave her alone but I was pretty sure she'd send me back to Other World if I neglected the fields.

She did so much around the house—cleaning every. Little. Thing. Every nook and cranny. Every surface. Washing everything that could be washed in the washing machine. She even reorganized the kitchen and then reorganized it again when she wasn't happy with it.

She was a tornado of energy! I had no idea where it came from all of a sudden. She made me tired just watching her. When I asked her with a small voice to take it easy, her reply was a scary glare. But her back paid for it. She needed a back massage almost every night.

Days went by like that—where the only things she stopped for was to cook our meals and take one of her many bathroom breaks. Pregnant women had to go. A lot. She waddled back and forth across the house like a duck, leaving the place spotless in her wake and joyfully told me she was nesting.

And that nesting meant the big day was getting closer.

Keeping an eye on her, helping her out around the house, managing the farm, and going with her to all of her weekly appointments, and building what I was making for her out in Grandpa Gohan's cabin didn't leave time for much of anything else. I was busy but she was happy. That was what mattered.

I sat straight up, heart pounding. Instinctively, I reached out in the darkness for Chichi, patting around her side of the bed. But she was gone. I relaxed a little when I realized the loud growl that jolted me awake wasn't an animal in our bedroom. It was only my stomach. And Chichi was just downstairs.

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and padded downstairs, following my nose.

The dim light of the open fridge spilled out around the kitchen, creating odd shadows that moved and danced with the pregnant woman digging around inside it.

Peeking over the door, I smiled down at Chichi who was on her hands and knees. She held a leftover chicken leg in her teeth as she pulled some boxes out of the fridge and shoved others aside in her search for her late-night snack.

She hadn't noticed me yet—until she stood up and closed it. She shrieked, the chicken leg falling from her mouth and the stack of containers slipping out of her hands.

Thinking fast, I snagged her snacks out of the air before they hit the floor and held them out to her with a smile. "Made yourself hungry doing all that cleaning, eh?"

She scowled and violently snatched the boxes and chicken leg out of my hands. "Dang it, Goku! Don't scare me like that!" she hissed.

I chuckled. "Sorry, babe."

Chichi wordlessly took two plates out of the cabinet and heated both of us up some food while she munched on her cold chicken leg. She chucked the bone stripped of its meat into the trash with a flick of her wrist and then dug into the fridge for another one and placed the empty plastic leftovers container into the sink.

There was already a dirty bowl and spoon in there. She never left anything in the sink overnight. She made herself one snack and then needed more! That explained the food dream I was jolted out of.

Sure enough, when we were seated at the table with our plates, she wolfed down her food, throwing her usual tidiness out the window. She attacked her food like some starving lioness attacking a carcass.

I laughed and rubbed her tummy as she ate. "Momma sure is feeding you both well isn't she? I'll bet that's why you're growing so fast."

I winked at her and she blushed, her pink cheeks cutely puffed out with food.

I wasn't surprised when Chichi finished her plate before I finished mine.

She sighed and her mouth split open with a wide yawn. She looked like she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.

I shoved the last few bites of food into my mouth, grabbed the empty plates before she could fall asleep in hers, and put them in the sink. They could wait until morning.

In the short time that took, Chichi had nodded off in her seat and was in danger of sliding right out of her chair. I chuckled at her snoring as I scooped her up and carried her back to bed.

Strolling and waddling through the busy, loud streets of Satan City, Chichi pointed toward a large department store attached to a shopping mall. "There's our stop. These girls will need somewhere to sleep."

Inside, Chichi gushed and squealed over every single tiny pink, frilly outfit, snatching them off the racks as if she was afraid they'd disappear.

Another obviously pregnant woman waddled up to the same outfits Chichi was admiring, followed by a big, burly man—her husband judging by the rings they both wore—loaded down with a lot of bags in both arms.

The woman's husband and I exchanged looks, his plainly saying, 'get me outta here!' Judging by the amount of bags he carried, they had been there a while. I smiled in sympathy.

Our wives struck up a conversation about due dates, babies, and the aches and pains of pregnancy. I supposed human or Saiyan, there were some things that were pretty universal where carrying a child—or two—was concerned. Over the course of their conversation, I learned they were expecting their first child while Chichi joyfully told the other woman about the boys at home and our twins.

The big burly dude gasped. "Four!?"

I glanced at him—he was tall enough I had to look up a little bit. "Yep! Four."

The man stared at his wife with an open mouth and wide eyes.

I chuckled. "My wife wanted a big family. I'm excited! Being a dad is lots of fun."

He gulped.

Our wives giggled.

I was a little bit jealous when the other woman eventually announced their shopping trip was over. We were just getting started.

But Chichi's smile made the long, boring day of shopping worth it.

Before I knew it, June was over—flying by in an almost overwhelming flurry of activity. Helping Chichi with her endless nesting, getting the fields ready for the next planting, and weekly checkups with Doctor Ishi filled the month. Things were crazy at home.

Chichi kept me on my toes. Her energy was at an all-time high. She was even restless at night. Sleep didn't come easily for her despite doing what I could—soothing the babies when they kicked too hard with a gentle stream of energy and helping Chichi get comfortable in her mountain of pillows.

I got shoved out of bed a lot, waking up on the floor with a sore back most mornings. But I could deal with a sore back seeing Chichi finally sleeping peacefully. I slipped in a power nap when I could during the day whenever Chichi took a break from her constant, obsessive cleaning.

I yawned wide enough tears sprang to my eyes as I fixed a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink not long after breakfast. One more twist with my wrench and I was done, the new pipe sealed in place.

I shimmied out from under the sink and got up. After giving the faucet a test run, I rubbed my sore neck. "Ah, naptime."

"I don't wanna!" Goten whined somewhere upstairs.

"Son Goten! I want you to be successful in life. So study. Now."

"No!"

I frowned. "Sounds like Goten is arguing with Chichi again. So much for my nap," I mumbled to myself.

That had been happening a lot lately.

I went upstairs and stopped at Goten's doorway next to Chichi. He was on the floor surrounded by toys.

I crossed my arms. "Do as she says, Goten."

He glared at his mother next to me. "But that's all I ever do! It's always–" he made a face "–'your studies this and your studies that'. That's all you care about!"

"Goten! We want what's–!"

He exploded into Super Saiyan, his toys and furniture smashing into the walls. "Shut up, Mom!"

My mouth fell open as Chichi gasped.

In a flurry of his papers and toys and a burst of bright golden energy, Goten took off out his open window.

I growled and pressed two fingers to my forehead.

But dropped my hand when I heard a door slam just down the hall.

I sighed as I listened to Chichi's muffled sobs on the other side of our bedroom door. Instead of jumping to Goten, I jumped to her. She leaned against our door, her face in her hands.

Goten's time was coming but Chichi needed to be comforted first. I scooped her up and carried her to the bed. On my lap, Chichi bawled into my shoulder, her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.

I rubbed her back and kissed her head and let her get it out of her system.

When her sobs slowed, I shifted her onto the mattress next to me and wiped her tears away. "I'll go talk to him, okay? Just relax and wait here. He didn't go far."

She sniffled and nodded.

He was just on the other side of the mountain.

I stood up and focused on his ki signature with two fingers pressed to my forehead.

Goten was high in a tree and his back was to me. His energy was calmer, his hair black.

Hovering in the air a few feet behind him, I crossed my arms. "Goten."

He twitched on the branch and reached up to wipe his cheeks. He stayed silent.

I flew around the tree and stopped in front of him.

He kept his face down, hands fidgeting with his shirt.

"Look at me, son."

He didn't.

I sighed and floated closer. I stopped a little lower than he was so he wouldn't have a choice but to look at me.

He turned away so I grabbed his shoulders and his startled, wet eyes finally met mine. "That behavior isn't like you, son. What's gotten into you?"

He stayed quiet.

I lifted an eyebrow and kept my eyes on his. "Goten?"

More tears rolled down his cheeks. "No one wants to play with me anymore! It's all about the babies! And they're not even –" he sprang off the branch so fast I had to dart backwards as his ki flared "–here yet!" Bright golden light flared out from him along with a wave of heat—his little chest heaving and fists clenched.

His power was {incredible}. I couldn't help smiling proudly a few moments. With one big exhale, he dropped his transformation, dark hair falling back into its usual shape.

He lowered himself onto the branch.

I got down to eyelevel and put my hands on his shoulders. "Goten… things've been hectic around here but we don't love you any less!"

He was quiet for a short while and then asked, "Promise?"

I tickled his stomach and he let out a choked laugh. "Promise."

Goten launched himself off his tree branch and crashed into me, sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Daddy!"

I peeled him off me just long enough to look him in the eye and say, "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Let's go home."

He nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

Inside, Goten apologized to Chichi to the tune of lots of tears from them both. She tried multiple times to pull Goten onto her lap but he didn't fit. One attempt ended up with Goten sliding onto the floor with a soft thump. They laughed and she eventually found a way to hug him as close as her ginormous tummy allowed.

She smiled up at me over his head, her big dark eyes more than a little bit wet. Thank you, she mouthed.

The next day, Chichi was upstairs getting ready for her party at Bulma's and Gohan and Goten were on the couch in our living room. Gohan was reading a book while Goten watched tv. I had my chance to let them in on my plan. As we talked quietly, our bedroom door opened and closed. We stopped our conversation as Chichi came downstairs.

My mouth fell open.

She wore a long, flowing dress in a floral sort of pattern with thin shoulder straps that left a little more skin exposed than I was used to seeing for outings. Her hair was up, but the bun was looser than normal, leaving little bits of soft hair framing her face.

She raised an eyebrow as her hands went to her hips. "Why were you and the boys whispering?"

"Uh… Whispering…?" My brain started working again. "Oh! Whispering! Heh-heh… it was just a game!" I glanced at Gohan and Goten. "Wasn't it boys?"

Gohan nodded—catching on. "Yeah! A game!"

Chichi's eyes narrowed. "Uh-huh." After several beats of silence, she said, "I'll make something quick for lunch for all of you but Bulma hired catering for my baby shower. I'll be eating there."

I put my hands on her slight shoulders. "Don't worry about us, babe! The boys and I will hunt and grill the meat outside. Plus, there are apples from that huge tree and all kinds of good berries in the woods. There's plenty, Chichi."

Bright, dark eyes crinkled. "Okay."

"Ready to go?"

"Yes. I'll call when I'm ready to come home."

It was a ten-second round trip thanks to Instant Transmission. The only reason why it even took that long was because I stopped to wave at Bulma, Panchy, Videl, and Eighteen.

Back in our living room, the boys and I grinned at each other and dashed outside. After an easy outdoor lunch, it was time to put our plan into action.

We stood at the entrance to Grandpa Gohan's cabin where I hid part of Chichi's surprise.

Two giant cardboard boxes containing the cribs Chichi picked out rested against opposite walls of the small cabin. They took up so much space, I had to pile up my tools and gardening equipment outside. I had to make room for the massive boxes somehow.

"I say we assemble the cribs before anything else. It'll be hard to maneuver them around the girls' room if we build the other furniture first," suggested Gohan.

I nodded. "Good thinking!" I rubbed my chin. "Now all we have to do is get these two huge boxes inside and upstairs without breaking anything."

We exchanged worried looks.

"Well… let's just go very slow. I think we'll be okay," encouraged Gohan.

The boxes were huge but not heavy at all—at least not for us. An image of the store employee staring at me with her jaw on the floor the first time I lifted them flashed through my head.

Gohan led the way and I followed as Goten kept the box balanced. Working our way carefully around corners and up the stairs, the first box made it into the twins' room unharmed. To my surprise, we made it upstairs fine with the second box, too.

The other big boxes and bags of baby clothes and other supplies were all stacked along the hallway and we set to work. After hours of following confusing instructions—and doing our best not to break anything—the cribs were finally up and pushed into position in the room.

I kept a careful eye on Chichi's distant energy as we worked, knowing I could reach her in a second with the slightest disturbance.

Gohan dropped a small mattress into one crib while Goten did the same in the other. "So far so good! What's next, Dad?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. What do you think, Goten?"

Goten floated into the hallway and pointed at another large box. "The dresser!"

"Okay, then! The dresser it is!"

The dresser went together much, much faster and easier. I had built a few of those over the years. I knew what I was doing.

The matching white changing table was super easy, too.

Another tricky part came with installing the curtain rod above the window. The boys were hovering on either side of the window, supporting the rod while I stayed back.

"About two inches higher, Goten."

He floated up a little higher and looked at me while Gohan supported the other end.

"Good."

I checked the straightness with the level and then grabbed the drill. "Okay… nobody move."

After a few quick screws, I hung the curtains, and then it was all small stuff after that.

We hung the butterfly themed decorations and tossed the pink and white butterfly area rug on the floor between the cribs.

The finishing touch was the white rocking chair I made for her days ago and hid in the cabin. She told me with tears in her eyes one night that she had to sell off the one she had for Gohan and Goten for money while I was dead. I wanted to build one for her that was extra special.

We stood in the doorway, admiring the babies' room.

"I think we did good, Daddy!" said Goten.

Gohan rubbed Goten's head. "Yeah… I think Mom's gonna love it."

"Me, too." I turned to look at the massive pile of empty boxes, torn packing, and plastic shrink-wrap in the hallway. "But now we need to clean all this up."

After the trash was taken care of and the boys headed out for some late afternoon fishing, I took one last look in the babies' room and smiled.

"Daughters."

The phone rang an hour or so later. It was time to go get her.

At home, Chichi led the way upstairs, carrying the first of many boxes of diapers while the boys and I followed with gift-bags full of baby clothes and other supplies.

Chichi reached the door to the twins' room.

Behind her back, Gohan, Goten, and I exchanged smiles.

She turned the knob and pushed the door open.

And dropped the box.

Silence. She didn't move an inch. Didn't say anything. Didn't so much as twitch.

Fainting usually went with that reaction. I put down the bags I carried just in case, but it didn't come to that.

After several moments of just standing there, Chichi finally moved. She covered her mouth with one of her hands and slowly walked into the room. Her fingertips brushed along the two cribs and the matching dresser and changing table. She reached her new rocking chair, her fingers lingering on the chair's arm.

And then turned to face us.

Shining, teary eyes stared at me, her hand still covering her mouth. For several heartbeats, I wondered if we did something wrong but my smile didn't have time to falter before she wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my shirt.

[heartslogos]

newfragile yellows [217]

When Bull comes home, shoulder aching from the bruise he got hitting the stairs, he finds Ellana on the way to getting an ice pack.

She’s sitting at their kitchen table with a mug in her hands and at his place there’s a brand new bottle of whiskey and a shot glass.

“We need to talk,” Ellana says, “I bought better ice packs, by the way. The old ones were kind of…bloody.”

“Thanks,” Bull says, grabbing one of them out of the freezer and wrapping it in the dish towel before sitting down at the table with her.

She pours him a shot.

“Not that I’m not down for some drinking,” Bull says, “But what kind of talk are we about to have that requires that I get buzzed first?”

“I need to quit my job,” Ellana says, “That’s the kind of conversation we’re about to have.”

Bull takes the shot and pours himself another, taking that one, too, and then he pours a third and passes it to her.

Ellana waves her hand, “No. I’ve got some.”

She gestures to the mug.

Bull takes the third shot.

After the burning is done, Bull sighs out and says, “Alright. Why are you quitting your job? You love those kids. You love your job.”

Bull can’t imagine his wife not being an elementary school teacher. He can’t imagine her not spending at least three hours at the craft store every weekend picking out new glitter or staring at aisles of colored paper and stickers thinking about a new project to illustrate some sort of lesson or complex theory to her little kiddies. Bull can’t imagine her not having her phone constantly full of pictures of the stuff her kids make in class.

Bull can’t imagine a holiday where she doesn’t come home hauling glitter and tinsel and fuzzy pom-poms by the armful to the car and back to the house.

Ellana loves her job, she loves what she does, and she loves the children she meets every new school year.

“Because,” Ellana says, “I can’t keep showing up to work looking like this. It sets a bad example. They’re going to think that one, it’s alright for your significant other to beat you, and two, cops beat people up.”

Bull closes his hands together and waits for her to explain further.

“Of course I told the that you didn’t hurt me,” Ellana says, “But there are only so many times I can call in sick and turn up looking bruised to hell and back before they stop believing that. They’re kids, not stupid. And the administrative staff is also concerned. You play your stereotypes too well.”

“Dumb cop?”

“Big muscle Qunari cop.”

“Do they know that I’m no longer a cop?”

“They know you’re no longer a cop but I haven’t told them you’ve gone back to the Inquisition - officially, this time - so they just think you’re unemployed,” Ellana gives him a significant look and Bull rubs his face with his hand. She reaches out and touches her fingers to his shoulder. “I know you’d never hurt me. All of our friends and family know you’d never hurt me. These people don’t know us. And this is just…one of the fall-out parts of that.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Bull says, “You don’t need to quit your job. We can move you elsewhere. Start somewhere else.”

“Bull, we’ve just landed ourselves in the middle of a crime war,” Ellana says, “And we both have huge targets right on our backs. It’d be the same thing if I started working elsewhere, maybe worse. I don’t want to quit. I don’t. But the alternative is stay and let these kids build negative impressions and let people think bad things of you and me. I can’t do that. Not to them, not to us.”

Bull turns his chair and holds his arm out and Ellana stands, crossing the small space to put her arms around his neck and bow her head over his. Bull curls his arm around her waist and squeezes.

“I’m sorry,” He says.

She’s right. He know she’s right.

He just wishes that she wasn’t. That this didn’t take everything from her. He wants a lot of things for her.

“I’m going to submit my resignation, for personal reasons,” Ellana says, running her thumb over his jaw as she leans against him, “I don’t know how this process will work. I’ve worked there for years. I - “

He hears her throat click closed and he stands up, now, pulling her fully into his arms, his chest, ice pack abandoned on the table.

“Ellana,” He says, “This won’t be forever. I swear it’s not. Watch. Trevelyan and the rest are going to take care of this. And it will be over. Have you ever seen her leave something have done? Aside from that train wreck of a house?”

Ellana sniffs, a wet laugh as she presses her face to his chest, “Well. I wasn’t going to say it, but since you did…what is with that shrub line? It’s spaced so badly.”

“You’d think that after seeing the two of us completely redo this house from literal foundations to top they’d know who to ask for home improvement advice,” Bull says, running his palm over the back of her head. “We’ll repay them by ripping up their yard. No one would even miss it.”

“We could redo their porch. That porch swing? So last season.”

“We’ve got loads of time. Might as well tackle that roof tile. It’s like they aren’t even trying,” Bull says.

“Get the swatches,” Ellana says, stepping away from him and wiping her wrist over her eyes, “I’ll get dinner ready.”

“Living room?” Bull says as he gently brushes her cheek with his thumb and picks his icepack back up, turning for the garage to find the thick box filled with paint swatches.

“Well the swatches aren’t fitting on the kitchen table, that’s for sure. Be careful when you move the coffee table.”

[everlarkrealornot]

The PANEM Initiative, Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

“What should I wear?” Katniss was digging through her closet franticly. “I mean, how fancy are Thanksgivings at your house?”

“Kat, calm down,” Peeta dropped on her bed with a magazine in hand. “It’s just dinner with my family…you work with them on a daily basis.”

“But it’s a holiday…every family has high expectations for holidays.” She continued to rummage through her closet. “Plus, Brandon is going to be there.”

“You’ve met before.” He tossed the magazine to the end of the bed and sat up. “You don’t have to impress him.”

“I know.” She stopped her searching and turned back to face him. “I just want you to know that I am really trying.”

“Trying to be crazy?” he asked slowly.

“Yeah, that’s it.” She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the closet. She settled for a black, long sleeved, button down shirt. “How about this?”

“Prefect.” He stood up and grabbed the door handle. “And I know you’re trying really hard and I appreciate it.” He smiled at her and closed the door so she could change.

“Brandon, I don’t think you’ve met Katniss’s mom and sister.” Peeta waved the two forward. “This is Helen and Prim,” he said to his brother. “Ladies, this is my brother Bran.” The three of the exchanged greetings. “Bran, you’ve met Katniss.” Peeta placed his hand on the small of her back and pulled her forward.

“You and Hawthorne are pretty tight, right?” The look he gave her was smug, but she could tell the comment had been meant for Peeta.

“Yeah…used to be,” she added under her breath. “You in town just for the weekend?”

“Umm,” Brandon shifted uncomfortably. “Probably for a little longer.”

“Don’t you have an awesome – ” the sarcasm in Peeta’s voice was astronomical – “job to get back to?” He folded his arms, waiting for an answer.

“Umm, yeah, you know…I’ve got some time off.” Brandon wouldn’t meet his brother’s eyes.

“Peeta?” Henry called from the kitchen, motioning to both Katniss and Peeta.

“Okay, Bran,” Peeta said skeptically before leading Katniss to the kitchen, his hand still on her back. “Yeah, dad?”

“Helen and I were just saying that we’ve heard very little about…well, about plans for the wedding.”

“Oh.” Peeta and Katniss said in unison, exchanging glances.

“It’s just that at this point, unless things have changed significantly – which I highly doubt – your match coordinator is usually harping on you to make decisions.”

Now that Katniss was thinking about it, she couldn’t believe Effie hadn’t been driving her crazy with only 6 months left – Effie struck her as the type of person who wanted to plan things out years in advance.

“Have you two even talked about it?” Helen asked.

“Not really.” Peeta shrugged. “I had midterms, the petition review, and now its Thanksgiving…I suppose she is probably waiting till after the holidays.”

“You will know when you get the envelope. It was huge.” Henry held out his hands trying to show them how big it was. “It was the same glittery gold as the match letters were.”

“Giant, gold envelope?” Prim asked from the kitchen entry. “You got one last week sometime.” She nodded to Katniss.

“What do you mean?” Katniss asked.

“The mailman couldn’t fit it in the mailbox so he walked it to the door. I put it on the counter will all the other mail – didn’t you see it?” Prim asked as she popped a mini quiche in her mouth that Ryen had made earlier.

“No,” Katniss shook her head, “I didn’t.”

“Don’t worry, you usually have a few weeks to fill out your preferences before you send it back to your coordinator,” Henry said. “I’m sure you two still have plenty of time.”

If I had an eternity to plan a wedding, I still don’t think that would be enough time.

Peeta noticed the worried look on Katniss’s face.

“Why don’t I run back to your house and grab it?” He offered. “We can look at some of it while we wait for the turkey.”

“Thank you,” she said as she handed him her house keys.

“You’re welcome.” She felt him hesitate at her side. “I’ll be right back.” He kissed her temple quickly.

--

“Things seem better between you and Peeta.” Ryen kicked her foot as he stepped over her legs to get to the other side of the couch. “Did you talk to him?”

“I talk to him all the time.” Katniss said as innocently as possible.

“Ooo-kay.” Ryen sat down and offered her a drink of his beer, which she declined quickly. “Did you tell him what you told me?” She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Katniss?”

“In not so many words.”

“That’s a no.” Ryen sighed.

“That’s a no.” She agreed.

“Why not?” Ryen asked in an exasperated tone, flinging his arms out, and spilling a little of his beer on the carpet. “Opps.” He added quietly.

Katniss furrowed her brow; she still wasn’t exactly sure why she hadn’t told him that night.

“I think,” she inhaled, “I think I want him to see that I mean it. That I do care.”

“And does he?”

“He told me he knows I’m trying really hard.”

“Progress!” Ryen raised his beer in a ‘cheers’ motion.

--

Henry hadn’t been joking when he said the envelope was huge, because it was.

“Where was it?” Katniss asked when she saw it.

“It was buried under a mound of junk mail.” Peeta replied.

“Prim, you can’t bring in the mail and not sort it.” Katniss huffed at her little sister.

“How do I know what’s junk and what’s not?” Prim asked with a shrug. “I’m gonna go play Super Smash Bros with Rye – have fun.”

They spread the contents of the envelope across the dining room table with looks of horror. Not only had there been a packet of information that they had to fill out with their preferences, but Effie had also included color swatches, napkin samples, and what seemed like a million pictures of each option they had, from center pieces to light fixtures. Each section of the packet was dedicated to a different part of the wedding or reception. And each section had an adhesive section for them to place the pictures of their preferences.  

“Peeta, I don’t feel like we are making any headway on this.” Katniss thumped her head against the table. “There are SO many colors!” Her words were muffled.

“Why don’t we start with our favorites?” He asked. She rolled her head to the side and watched as he pulled out all the swatches of the shades of green and orange. He started pairing the colors together. “This one isn’t bad.” He showed her a soft orange and a light olive green.

“I like it.” She took the two swatches and stuck them in the packet. “One decision down, a thousand left to go.”

“Is this what we have to endure for the next six months?” Brandon leaned down on the back of one of the dining room chairs.

“Six months?” Katniss asked.

“That’s a lot of time off, Bran.” Peeta stared at his brother.

“Well…” Brandon stood up as his words trailed off.

“What’s going on Brandon?” Peeta finally asked.

“Fine!” He held up his hands in surrender. “I got fired.”

“You got fired!?” Peeta laughed in his anger. “Of course you did!”

“At least I’m not quieting school after one bad semester!” Brandon shouted. Peeta looked surprised. “Yeah, Ryen told me!”

“What’s with all the shouting?” Henry hurried into to the dining room.

“I told you what?” Ryen asked, stepping around their dad.

“You told him that I’ve leaving WVU?!” Peeta yelled.

“Yes! I wanted to see what his thoughts were on it!” Ryen said defensively.

“Well did he tell you he’s moving home? Or that he got fired from his job?” Peeta asked.

“What?” Ryen sounded just as pissed as Peeta had been when he found out.

“It wasn’t working for me!” Brandon tried to shrug it off.

“You finally had a job you were good at and you threw it away!” Ryen clenched his jaw. “What did you do this time?”

“ALL RIGHT! QUIET!” Henry stepped in between his sons. “Now, someone tell me what’s going on.” The three stared at each other, unmoving and silent. Ryen finally sighed and stepped forward.

“Brandon last his job and is moving home. Peeta is withdrawing from WVU after he finishes this semester.” Ryen pursed his lips. “And for more news, Pops, I’ve decided to get my business degree.”

Henry looked at his sons, thinking for a moment.

“We will deal with all of this tonight, after dinner.” He clasped his hands together. “Now, why don’t you two get this mess back in the envelope and we get ready to eat?”

--

“Thank you for dinner.” Helen and Prim thanked Henry and said goodnight to the Mellark boys.

“I’ll be right there, mom.” Katniss waited until it was just Peeta and she on the front porch. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…just another brotherly disagreement.” Peeta leaned heavily against the railing. “At least it’s out there.”

“I guess.” Katniss leaned down on the railing too. “Despite the fun family drama, I had a good time.”

“Yeah?” Peeta gave a laugh. “I’m glad…count this as one successful family holiday.”

“I wonder how Christmas will go.” Katniss couldn’t help but picture one of the Mellark brothers ending up with a pie or cake on their head by the end of the night.

“With Bran still around, probably the same.” Peeta picked at the paint on the wood.

“Yeah,” Katniss said, standing up straight. “I should probably go…don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Me either.” He motioned back to the house, where he knew his father and brothers were waiting for him.

“Good luck with that.” She smiled.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” He asked, hand on the door handle.

“Yeah.” She nodded and then wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug before she could talk herself out of it. He’s chest was warm and somehow still smelled faintly of the cinnamon rolls they had eaten that morning. She buried her face in his neck when he hugged her back. She held him tightly for a moment longer before letting go. “See you tomorrow.”