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mariaofdoranelle · 2 years ago

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Faking Yulemas — Part 3: Chestnut Roasted

For 12 Days of Rowaelin

Prompt: Accidental Mistletoe

Fic masterlist

Look, I’m not taking Lyria very seriously here. You’ll understand what I mean soon.

Also, I’m going to defend myself by saying that I’m not putting women against each other because there was never a competition lmao

Warnings: language, a bruise, haircut without consent

Word count: 3k exactly

Aelin was incredibly cranky after a completely restless night and dodging the cuddle monster that took over Rowan’s body while he was asleep, but she was fine. Rowan asked his doctor cousin-in-law to bring her sleeping pills on his way here. It would be fine. She could do a lot of things today, but let her bad mood ruin this for Rowan wasn’t one of them.

It was hard to play nice little girlfriend with someone as bitchy as Maeve, but she would manage.

“So you really can’t do anything?”

Aelin’s jaw was sore from the clenching she tried not to do during breakfast, but it was useless. Deep breaths. Where the hell was Rowan? Deep, deep breaths.

“Aelin’s super smart. She actually reads things that aren’t on a Twitter thread. And it’s not like we can do a lot either, auntie.” Sellene tried to defend her between sips of coffee. She didn’t need to, but Aelin’s eyes still softened a little to hear that.

Even so, Maeve sighed. “I didn’t choose to be attached to you all, Sellene.”

Her friend snorted and went back to her breakfast, probably used to Maeve by now. Aelin wasn’t. She wore a false smile and focused back on her food. It would be a terrible move to snap at Rowan’s old aunt that didn’t look like a criminal, but surely was bitchy enough to be. For Mala’s sake, that woman stood out like a sore thumb between the Whitethorns.

To make a good impression, she needed to think. She couldn’t cook, often messed up her laundry, barely had the skills to take care of herself. Was she really that useless?

Then Aelin’s eyes lit up and she looked directly at Maeve. “I can play the piano.”

That owned her a close-lipped smile. “I have a piano upstairs. I want to see what you can do with it before dinner.”

Aelin nodded, her heartbeat starting to pick up, but the smile on her face didn’t falter. She had sold Uncle Orlon’s piano out of necessity when it became just Aedion and her, and didn’t get to play much after that. Aelin was making a mental note to find that piano and practice a little so she wouldn’t look that rusty when another person with silver-hair and pine green eyes came in.

“Enda!” Sellene’s eyes lit up and she almost fell over while rushing to hug him.

Oh, thank Mala. If Enda was here, that means his husband was close-by, hopefully with her sleeping pills. Aelin would give herself the luxury of sleeping early today, after she proved her worth to fucking aunt Maeve by playing the piano.

When Aelin got up to introduce herself, Enda was already looking at her with a fond smile. “You must be Aelin.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries and receiving a small plastic bag with her salvation pills, someone cleared their throat near them. A girl with chestnut eyes and curls that Aelin had no idea who she was.

“I’m Lyria. You probably heard about me already.” She extended a hand.

Wait. Wasn’t she supposed to come only tomorrow?

Aelin flinched for a millisecond, but it was enough to make Lyria’s smile grow.

“Okaaay,” Enda dragged it out as he slowly left. Good for him. Aelin would be leaving too if she hadn’t specifically signed up for this. Helping Rowan with his ex.

She cautiously shook Lyria’s hand. “I thought you were coming tomorrow.”

“Rory texted me yesterday to clarify the guest situation, and slipped that Enda was coming today. He was kind enough to give me a ride.”

Aelin’s eyebrows raised. “Is that so?” She’s desperate enough to come earlier once she hears Aelin’s there. Interesting.

Tossing her curls back, Lyria’s smirk never faltered. “Of course! I didn’t see any trace of you on Rowan’s Instagram, but I understood it on the car ride. It’s very honorable what Rowan’s doing.”

Fuck. They needed to sort the Instagram thing fast. But Aelin tilted her head, trying to fully understand what she’d said, when Lyria’s smile grew as she pointed a look at the bag with pills on Aelin’s hand.”

“Dating the mentally ill. It can be a handful.”

“Excuse—“

“But it’s Yulemas, after all! Everyone has its own way of doing charity.”

What the actual fuck?

“Wait a second.” She tilted her head, frowning in mock-confusion. “Is that why he keeps rejecting you? Because the charity deadline is over?”

Lyria gaped, and when she opened her mouth to speak, they were saved by Sellene asking if they wanted to have more food. Thank God.

“Sure, but can someone grab a plate for me?” Lyria pointed at the cabinet and aimed doe eyes at them. “I’m too short.”

Sellene seemed to try not to sigh too loudly and pointed at a nearby table. “There’s literally dozens of plates piled up there.”

“Oh!” She giggled. “Sorry, I didn’t see them.”

It was very hard not to, but Aelin had many things to fret about already.

First, the fact that Lyria was a complete nightmare. A fucking pick-me girl that she had to deal with the on the day she hadn’t slept all night—and not for a good reason.

And there was also the Instagram issue, but their “relationship” was new enough that it wasn’t a huge deal for now.

Rowan finally appeared, wearing a mouth-watering white shirt and a small smile aimed a her, his green eyes sparking under the sunlight that came through the window.

However, his joyful expression faltered when a high-pitched voice squealed, “Rowie!”

Lyria got up in a bolt and hugged him, trying to wrap her legs around him, but Rowan didn’t pick her up. Instead, he wordlessly unwrapped her arms off him and gave her two taps on the shoulder.

Sellene seemed to be choking as she tried to suppress her laughter. But Aelin didn’t check on her friend, too busy staring at Lyria’s hand gripping Rowan’s arms.

And it was okay to glower, Aelin thought. She was his girlfriend, after all. That’s what a girlfriend would do. Maybe her acting skills were so good that she was doing it without even planning.

Acting or not, Aelin wanted to burn Lyria’s hands off Rowan.

The feeling partially vanished when he quickly ceased the conversation and sat by her side, though. Good. Aelin knew she was only playing fake girlfriend so Rowan could avoid his ex, but she didn’t want to look bad because he was giving too much attention to Lyria. Her slightly alarmed state was just Aelin trying to protect her dignity. No biggie.

˜˜

Even the winter was hot in Doranelle, so Sellene decided to go to the pool and demanded that Aelin and Rowan would come with her. She would rather stay inside and see how she’s doing with the piano, but Owen saved them by inviting Lyria to finish decorations along with him and Rory, and she’d give anything to stay away from her.

Now Aelin was in the bathroom near the pool, changing. She had brought two bikinis, a red one and a green one. Her first instinct was to get the red, but she stopped herself. It wasn’t like Aelin was trying to seduce anyone. Who was there to be seduced, old aunt Maeve? Nuh-uh. No one. Did she want to wear something extra to maybe, just maybe reassure Rowan that there was more in the world than pick-me girls and bouncy chestnut curls? Yes, but it wasn’t like that. Aelin wanted to look hot for him as a friendly reminder, that’s all.

In the end, she chose the classic triangle tie side set, plain dark green. She looked hot, but not teasing hot. Aelin was adjusting her hair and retouching her very natural, I-woke-up-like-this makeup for herself. In a feminist, self-love way. Definitely not because she wanted her not-boyfriend drooling over her.

She went outside and Sel was already at the pool, but where was Rowan? She could hear a sound of water falling, so she followed the sound and—

Dear Mala.

Her not-boyfriend was in the pool shower because of course drill sergeant, neat freak Rowan would hop in the shower before jumping into the pool. Aelin held in a breath when she noticed the trail the water did around muscles she thought were myths, how good the tan skin of his naked upper body looked under the Doranellian sun. She unconsciously licked her lips just to think how good all of this would look underneath her.

There was no time to chastise herself for these thoughts, because when Rowan looked up and saw her, his eyes darkened just the same. Aelin was walking towards him with purposeful steps, and she didn’t miss how the rhythm of his breathing changed, by the movements of his chest. How he shut off the water without taking his eyes off her, and then ran a hand through his wet hair, sending the blonde strands away from his eyes.

Aelin had her own completely trained on Rowan when she slipped and fell straight into the pool.

Well, not straight into the pool. She managed to bump her hip against the edge before going all in.

“Oh my God!” She faintly heard Sellene scream from underwater, and both her best friend and not-boyfriend were coming her way and checking if she was okay.

“I’m fine, I promise,” Aelin reassured them, “I might’ve bruised my hip, but it barely hurts.”

Sel and Rowan exchanged a look. “I’m getting an ice pack,” her friend said before going towards the mansion, leaving her and Rowan alone.

He mentioned for her to get closer, and then picked Aelin up from the pool and sat her by his side. After that, he got up and extended an hand so she could do it too, but didn’t release it. He led her hand in hand towards a pool lounge chair and mentioned for her to sit there. Once she did, Rowan crouched on her side and slightly moved her bikini’s feeble string, making her skin burn whenever he touched.

It was just so he could assess the damage. Rowan was being respectful. There was no need for her stupid blood vessels to make her blush like that.

He probably didn’t notice it, by the frown he had while staring at her hip. “You’re injured.”

Aelin snorted. “I have one bruised hip.”

“One very bruised hip.”

Before she could prove her own well-being, she saw Sellene coming their way, holding the ice pack.

“I also brought the speaker. taylor swift: petty jilted lover edition?”

Aelin hummed and tapped her chin, thoughtful. She did listen to that playlist a lot this year, but she wasn’t in the mood for it.

“I made a new one. It’s called labyrinth by taylor swift type of shit,” Aelin answered.

Sellene’s eyebrows went up, and Aelin narrowed her eyes. It would look like a battle of wills if the corner of her friend’s lips weren’t tugging up, a sign that she was biting back a smirk.

Instead of insisting on this weird exchange, Sellene turned to her cousin. “Are you okay with Taylor Swift this time?”

Rowan shrugged and sat on the long lounge chair. The same one Aelin was currently in.

Sellene opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when received a long look from Aelin. Instead, she just smirked and left to set the speaker.

“You need to actually put the ice pack for it to work, you know.”

Aelin blinked and noticed that yes, she was so distracted she ended up only holding it, without pressing against the bruise.

When she started to move, Rowan adjusted himself in the seat, legs opened, and mentioned for her to seat between them.

Oh, God. Her heart picked up again. Aelin carefully sat there, her back against his chest, and it only took a small caress of his hand against her shoulder for her to relax there.

Noticing that she’d become distracted again, he gently took the ice pack from her hand and rearranged their position so he could press it against her injury himself.

“Buzzard,” she murmured while watching Sellene scroll through her phone in the pool.

“What did you call me?”

She turned around to see his widened eyes and smiled. Boldened, Aelin bumped his nose and said, “A very fussy Buzzard.”

˜˜

For someone who practically ordered her to go to the pool, Sellene got tired of it quite early. Aelin didn’t mind it, though. At least it gave her time to practice the piano. Or would.

Rowan didn’t look for his family after the pool, knowing Lyria would be with them. Instead, he said he’d watch Aelin play in the piano room after they took turns in their suite’s shower.

She started with the Stygian Suite and only played it once, because Rowan sat by her side immediately after and asked her to teach him. Aelin felt her chest warming up every time he frowned in concentration or asked her a question, but the hardest part was biting back her silly grins at his clumsy playing. He was cute enough to make up for it, though. Objectively speaking. Objectively, Rowan was cute. Not that it affected her patience with him. Aelin was teaching him the same way she’d teach a cute or uncute person.

Unfortunately, Aelin had to cut the piano lesson short to go to her room and get a few sheets on her iPad. Cheesy or not, she wanted to play Yulemas songs for the Whitethorns. She just needed to discuss which ones with Ro—

“My chest is no an armrest, Lyria” Aelin heard the voice of her not-boyfriend in the hallway.

“We’re under the mistletoe. You’re going to ignore that?”

“Yes? You cornered me here!”

Aelin was grinding her teeth together, heat rushing through her body. That’s it. She needed Lyria gone. Very quietly, she sneaked her way to the piano room. But she needed something first. Thankfully, it was close to the door.

“Ro, I know you. You can’t be this unaffected.”

Lyria was making decorations earlier with Rowan’s parents, and now Aelin didn’t doubt the reason so many mistletoes were added. Good thing they left a sharp pair of scissors behind.

“You think- Stop grabbing me!” Rowan snapped. “You think I care about a mistletoe more than I care about my girlfriend?”

“But it’s a tradition!”

”You dumb. Fucking. Bitch,” Aelin snarled the last word while cutting a chunk of her chestnut curls off.

Lyria’s eyes went wide, watching a strand of her hair fall to the floor. “Oh my God! What do you think you’re doing?”

She gestured to the doors with the scissors. “I’m kicking you out.”

“You can’t do that!” Lyria turned to Rowan for reassurance, but he was grinning like Hellas himself. “I’m Rory’s guest! You literally can’t do that!”

Resorting to Rowan’s mama, huh? Pathetic.

Aelin tilted her head and whispered, “I don’t think she’ll be here when I shave your head bald, Lyria.”

Just to prove a point, she cut another strand of her hair. A bigger one this time.

Lyria screamed so loud Rowan cringed.

Aelin was completely unaffected, though. She grabbed Lyria by the hair with one hand, scissors on the other, and pulled her down the hallway. She didn’t physically fight it, so pulling Lyria by a hair that long was more like walking a puppy that doesn’t know how to use a leash. Easy.

She fought Aelin with words, though.

“OH MY GOD,” Lyria screamed. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!”

Aelin rolled her eyes and turned to Rowan, who was right behind them. “Get her things upstairs. We’re taking her to the bus station.”

“HEEELP!” She looked at Aelin. “You’re… You’re crazy!” Lyria shouted at the end.

She held the scissors dangerously close to the brunette’s hair, making her eyes go wide. “And you don’t want to mess with the crazy bitch on Yulemas, right?”

They kept like this until Enda and his husband came running their way, and then stopped. Rowan’s cousin sighed and screamed, “It’s okay, you can come!”

“SHE’S TRY’NA KILL ME!”

Aelin rolled her eyes. How was Lyria’s throat still intact?

Rowan’s parents arrived looking completely ashen. Sellene had a hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking.

Rory cleared her throat. “What’s going on?”

Lyria’s eyes widened. “She’s mental,” she whisper-yelled.

Aelin sighed and tried to look at herself through someone else’s eyes. Lyria’s hair on one hand, scissors still on the other. Yeah, it didn’t look good.

“This stupid b-“ Aelin paused. She didn’t want to curse that bad in front of Rowan’s family. “There was a stupid glitch. Lyria was hitting on my boyfriend. We’re taking her to the bus station.”

Rory blinked, trying to process this. Owen was biting his lip, and he seemed to struggle with the corners of his mouth tugging up. Interesting.

“Aelin, can you release Lyria, please?” Rowan’s mom asked.

She felt Rowan’s squeeze on her shoulder, and thanked the gods he was back. Aelin complied and let her go, holding her hands—and scissors—up in surrender.

Lyria turned to look at Aelin, a smug smirk in her lips.

However, Rory didn’t stop there. “Lyria, dear, to avoid causing further issues…”

“You’re kicking me out?” she spoke in a quiet voice for once.

“No…” Rowan’s mom trailed, grimacing. “I’ll be glad to have you here once things between you three have… settled. I just think it’s best for everyone to avoid conflict during Yulemas.”

Lyria froze, looking at Rory with shiny eyes, but thankfully his mom didn’t balk.

“Gimme that,” Rowan’s dad quietly said, getting Lyria’s things from his son’s hand. “We’ve got it from here.”

Aelin turned around and started walking like nothing happened. Her job here was done.

”You’re something else, Aelin Galathynius,” Rowan marveled when they were out of earshot.

She had a cocky grin on. “I know.”

Rowan chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”

Aelin didn’t do anything. Which means that she also didn’t let go of his hand while they walked towards their bedroom.

There was a possibility that she’d remember this tomorrow and think she could’ve handled the Lyria situation better. But what could Aelin do? Everyone knows she gets cranky when she doesn’t sleep well.

A/N: I did prepare with enough possible scenarios to keep Lyria a bit longer, but she’s too annoying lmao

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#rowaelin #throne of glass fanfic #aelin galathynius x rowan whitethorn #rowan whitethorn #aelin galathynius #tog au #fake dating #faking yulemas

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lulabo · 8 years ago

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I just want the fans to stop treating Rory like she was a porcelain doll or a puppet in Logan’s hands. Everyone makes mistakes, it’s normal, it’s how life goes even for someone incredibly talented and smart like Rory Gilmore.

*i was cleaning out my drafts and found this post from back when AYitL first aired, and that post above was something I wanted to reference but not reblob with my entire screed, so here is my entire screed:

I feel like people don’t really look at Rory’s entire character arc previous to season six and always see the things that have added up over time to make the decisions she does leading up to the end of season five. She can be a character who seems like she doesn’t have a lot going on under the most surface emotional levels, but it’s partly because she processes everything in an extremely interior way and doesn’t seem to reflect on things until the moment she’s about to have a major rising moment of crisis. (It’s also because Amy Sherman-Palladino wrote her seasons with the end-point in mind when she started, which meant the lead-up to those moments was so protracted and spread out it often seemed like she was wasting time in the early to middle days because she was working up to things leisurely-like. And part of it is also that they give Alexis Bledel a lot of scenes where she’s contemplatively looking off into the middle distance to indicate she’s upset, and as Rory, she really shines when she’s working off someone else, so these moments don’t always do enough heavy lifting. Also someday I’m gonna do a blow-by-blow S4 recap showing why all the inane and seemingly filler episodes of Rory drifting around Yale are actually incredibly important even if they’re not always very interesting, because I am nothing if not a Rory Gilmore apologist and S4 enthusiast. (eta I will probably never do this but I wrote like a million words of fic about it))

Things I think lay the groundwork that lead up to this point that I think are easy to miss because they happen far apart under the cut:

Her first boyfriend is, on the surface, very nice and attentive; he is actually emotionally demanding and clingy, and because he is someone everyone says is very nice and attentive, she feels bad when she prioritizes her own emotional needs above hers. She, above all else, is raised to be Considerate, Nice, and Conflict-Averse.

When she likes someone else, she doesn’t know how to handle it because she is supposed to be considerate, nice, and conflict-averse, which means she thinks liking someone else makes her a bad person. When she comes back from DC and thinks Jess has rejected her, she recommits to Dean for the wrong reasons, many of which have to do with being a nice and conflict-averse person who is still dealing with the fact that her dad left her mom after explicitly promising her he would not bail on either of them again as well as her mother’s own vulnerability over that break-up and the fact that there was a third party involved.

She becomes a shitty girlfriend because she likes Dean as a person but she has no interest in his bathing suit area or being physical with him at all anymore but she is incredibly interested in all of Jess’s areas, but as she has become accustomed to not confronting her own emotional processes other than to shut them off, she doesn’t understand she’s in lust for someone else and has fallen out of love with the first boy who made her feel seen.

She is dumped horrifically for being a shitty girlfriend, and when she attempts to apologize (however misguidedly) is told to deal with the fact that there are people in the world who don’t like her and in fact, some people might hate her, which is something she’s only ever confronted in academic scenarios where the competition makes more sense to her.

She starts thinking about having sex. Her boyfriend breaks up with her because he doesn’t like himself very much. She doesn’t understand that his going off the rails doesn’t have a lot to do with her. She feels rejected, and she’s heartbroken.

She graduates high school and is celebrated as the best person in the universe by her school and her town, then goes to school in a place where no one is very interested in her at all. She’s rejected by boys, her writing and her school work don’t get the praise she’s accustomed to, and whenever she jumps through hoops to try to do better, she’s told she’s either gone too far or still can’t do enough.

The boy who left her comes back and says he loves her and then runs away again.

Her first sexual experience is with a married ex and leads to the biggest fight with her mother she’s ever had.

She tries to make it work with Dean because she is trying to recapture a moment in her life when she was successful, loved, and content. She is dumped again.

She pursues a boy who excites her and makes her feel adventurous until it makes her unhappy. When she tries to end it, he tells her he’ll be her boyfriend despite the fact that’s not who he is, and because she’s in love with him, she decides this makes her happy.

The boy she loves has a family that rejects her and tells her she’s not good enough. As compensation, she gets a dream job at a paper, at the end of which she’s told she’s not cut out do the work she’s always wanted to do by someone she thinks knows what he’s talking about.

She makes a rash decision to commit a crime. Her mother handles it the way her mother handles things, and when she says very seriously that she has considered all the options and that leaving school is the best thing for her, her mother who is also her best friend says, this is not who you are or who I raised you to be and you are not leaving school.

She tells her grandfather who loves her that she doesn’t know what to do. Instead of trying to broach the subject again to her mother, she lets her grandparents do it, and her mother, who has an irrational streak a mile long, sees this ultimately as a rejection of everything she has ever instilled her daughter, and instead of agreeing to see how things go, walks away from her without a word. They are estranged, during which time her mom gets engaged and doesn’t tell her; she’s treated like a child of privilege and a criminal while trying to get out of the crime she committed; she turns 21 without her mother while living in her grandparents’ poolhouse; she works for an organization that takes her in as one of their own and thus heartily disappoints her grandfather (who in turn hurts her grandmother because he thinks she’s wasting her potential); when her grandparents find out she’s sleeping with her boyfriend they infantalize her and sequester her in their home; she breaks her way out and fractures her relationship with her grandparents.

And that doesn’t get into all the stuff that may have happened between S7, which Amy didn’t watch and probably should have, and when we see her again a decade later. She handles things badly. She has always handled things badly. She was raised to believe in the myth people told her about herself, and it didn’t equip her to face the real world in any way. That was always her Waterloo--trying to be Rory Gilmore successfully in a world that fundamentally doesn’t care who Rory Gilmore is has been a failing enterprise for her until she rises to the occasion and makes good on what that means. And she’s done it, she’s caught up, she’s done better, but she always needs a kick to do it.

#gilmore girls #gilmore girls: a year in the life #rory gilmore #i say all of this as someone who is very fond of rory and wanted so much better for her always

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sunnyrosewritesstuff · 4 years ago

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10. About Bilbo from the POV of...Frodo

I know I skipped on this one, but I knew exactly what I wanted to do for “their child”. This little excerpt is actually from my WIP, Just to See You Happy. I’m so close to the end on this! Fingers crossed I can finish by tomorrow.

Reminder: The masterlist can be found here.

***

Frodo was twelve years old when his world changed forever. He hadn’t wanted to go visit boring old Aunt Amaranth. He wanted to stay at Brandy Hall and play with Merry. He was told later that they had received a lot of rain that spring, and that a dam upriver had broken. The current was too strong that even a Brandybuck like his mother had no hope of surviving.

It hadn’t been raining that morning that he was told his parents weren’t coming back. It was almost unfair how beautiful a day it was. He would have been racing Merry and Pippin along the edge of the Old Forest chasing butterflies. Letting their feet soak in the Brandywine and giggling when the minnows nibbled at their toes. Instead he was packing his bags waiting for Old Mr. Baggins to come collect him. Apparently, the man was his godfather.

Frodo had nothing against the storyteller. Whenever they went to Hobbiton to visit his Baggins relatives or celebrate someone’s birthday, they would always make a trip up the Hill. Mr. Baggins would be sitting outside on his front porch, a pipe in hand, blowing some of the biggest smoke rings Frodo had ever seen. When he would finally take notice of them, his eyes would twinkle. He always asked Frodo about his adventures, and when the young hobbit finished Mr. Baggins would give him a definitive “Good”.

Frodo actually enjoyed the older hobbit’s company, and his tales of trolls and dragons enticed even the most respectable faunt. He just didn’t know much about him beyond that. He didn’t act like other hobbits who visited each other all the time and made pleasant conversation. He kept to himself, and sometimes his eyes would just lose focus. Frodo’s mom always said that Mr. Baggins liked his privacy and was forever lost to far away worlds. It was nicer than what other hobbits had to say about him. And now Frodo would be forced to go live with him.

There was a knock on the door at the front of the Hall, and Frodo ducked his head into his Aunt Menny’s skirts. She gave him a small pat on the back in encouragement as Uncle Rory opened the door. Mr. Baggins was rubbing his hands together, his eyes looking frantic before he reached out to shake Uncle Rory’s hand. His uncle forwent his polite greeting and wrapped Mr. Baggins in a tight hug.

“Words cannot express my condolences.” Mr. Baggins murmured into Uncle Rory’s shoulder.

Uncle Rory gave him a sharp nod before pulling back after clapping him on the back.

“She was very fond of you, Cousin. They both were.” He responded.

Mr. Baggins looked so heartbroken when he whispered. “And I, them.”

Perhaps it was seeing someone else feeling the same pain he felt that gave Frodo the courage to run over to his new guardian. Mr. Baggins stiffened for a second before he effortlessly lifted Frodo into his arms. Frodo was almost getting too big for it now, but if Mr. Baggins was struggling, he didn’t show it.

“Oh my dear Frodo. I am so sorry. Life can be so cruel sometimes.”

“Are we going to go to your house now, Mr. Baggins?”

A hand gently caressed the back of his head, and for the first time since learning the heartbreaking truth, Frodo felt cherished and he felt warm.

“I believe, my lad, that given the circumstances, there is no need to stand on such pompous ceremony, hm?”

“What’s that mean?” Frodo asked, wrinkling his nose.

Mr. Baggins gave a weak chuckle, but his eyes were twinkling again with that kind light that told Frodo he could trust him with anything.

“It means that from this point on, it would be appropriate for you to simply call me Uncle Bilbo.”

Frodo nodded in agreement as he buried his head back in the elder hobbit’s shoulder. Bilbo’s breath tickled his ear as he whispered the words that would change Frodo’s life once more.

“I will always strive to be the very best uncle to you, dear, sweet Frodo. Of that I promise you.”

#follower event #all about bilbo #bilbo baggins #frodo baggins #justtoseeyouhappy

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longitudinalwaveme · 3 years ago

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Arkham Files: The Flash (Wally West)

Hugo Strange: From the patient files of Dr. Hugo Strange, director of Arkham Asylum. Patient: Wallace “Wally” West, also known as the Flash. Session One. So, Mr. West, how are you?

Wally: Let’s go over the situation I’m in, shall we? My wife and I visit your creepy, Gothic asylum-perfectly legally, by the way- to make sure that Bruce Wayne is okay, and you get us arrested on bogus charges of trespassing. Then you pull strings to get me stuck in Arkham Asylum while I’m awaiting trial, and now you’re trying to have me declared legally insane so that you can lock me up in here for good. How the heck do you THINK I’m feeling?

Hugo Strange: Your hostility is unnecessary, Mr. West. I am trying to help you.

Wally: If this is your definition of ‘helping’ me, I’d hate to see what you do to people you want to hurt. Seriously, did you go to the Zoom Academy of Making Things “Beeetttteerrrr”?

Hugo Strange: I am nothing like Mr. Zolomon, Mr. West.

Wally: I’ll say you’re not. Hunter...he’s sick. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. But you? What’s your excuse?

Hugo Strange: I do not need an excuse, Mr. West. You may not realize it yet, but you-and all the other costumed vigilantes-are doing more harm than good.

Wally: What do you mean, more harm than good? I’ve had my powers since I was ten years old, and since then I’ve done my best to hold to the promise that I made to Uncle Barry: to use my speed only to help those in need, to combat evil-and never for my own personal gain. I haven’t been perfect at it-I’m not as selfless as Uncle Barry, and I’ve got quite a temper-but I’ve tried. I’ve really, really tried.

Hugo Strange: Let’s talk about your Uncle Barry, shall we, Mr. West?

Wally: Why? So you can twist my words and use them to make him out to be some sort of misguided lunatic? Not gonna happen.

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I assure you I bear no ill will towards Mr. Allen. Obviously, you bear a great deal of affection for him. I simply wish to know why that is.

Wally: Because he’s a hero! He’s brave and loyal and honest and kind and good. He cares about everybody. He uses his powers to protect the weak and help the poor and defend the helpless. He became friends with Albert Desmond when nobody else would’ve given him a chance and got him his job at S.T.A.R. Labs, and he’s tried to help Mick Rory get the treatment he needs for his pyromania, too. He’s raised billions of dollars for charities, and he’s helped to save the world more times than I can count. (Pause) And he does all that while also working for justice as a police scientist!

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, the exploits of Mr. Allen are well-known. I was asking you why you, in particular, are so fond of him.

Wally: Well, he did marry my favorite aunt. (Pause) More importantly, though...as a kid, I really needed a hero, and he….he was my hero. My parents barely knew I was alive, except when I did something that inconvenienced them. When that happened, my dad would call me names or hit me, and my mom would wail and cry and guilt-trip….and then they’d go right back to obsessing over their own problems or arguing with each other. I...I felt like I was all alone, except for Aunt Iris. She was the one person in my family who really seemed interested in me, and she also had this awesome job as a reporter in a big city. She was really cool, but because I lived two hours away from her, I didn’t get to see her very much. (Pause) When Uncle Barry first became the Flash, I didn’t know who he was...but I idolized him. I was his biggest fan! I was even the President of the Blue Valley Flash Fan Club. (Pause, laughs) President and only member. The other kids thought he was cool, but they weren’t as invested in him as I was. To me, he represented freedom.

Hugo Strange: It sounds as though you were a rather lonely little boy, Mr. West.

Wally: Yeah, I guess I was. (Pause) That’s why I was so excited when my folks sent me to live with Aunt Iris in Central City during the summer when I was ten. And that’s when I first met Uncle Barry. Like I said, I didn’t know he was the Flash yet, so at first I thought he was...well, honestly? Kind of a dweeb. But then he told me that he knew the Flash and could introduce me to him. I was so excited, I probably could’ve inhaled an entire shoe. Anyway, Uncle Barry used his super speed to change into the Flash and act like he’d been waiting for me to arrive, and that’s when I met the Flash. He was everything I’d dreamed he would be. Even though I had been a little bit of a brat to him as Barry Allen, he treated me with respect; like he was happy to meet me and have me around, and it put me over the moon. Eventually, he started to explain how he’d gotten his powers, and that’s when it happened: lightning struck twice. I was doused in the same chemicals he’d gotten his super speed from, and I gained access to the speed force. It was the best day of my entire life. Besides the day I married Linda, of course. I became his sidekick, and from that point on, he was like a second father to me. He laughed at my stupid jokes, got me ice cream, took me on field trips, played games with me….all the things I dreamed of having my dad do with me. Eventually, he told me his secret identity. It was shortly before he and Aunt Iris got married, and I was ecstatic to learn that my favorite aunt was going to marry my hero. I was the ring bearer at their wedding, and from that point on, Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris basically raised me. They helped me through my parents’ divorce. Uncle Barry taught me how to balance a checkbook and apply for college scholarships; Aunt Iris helped me get my driver’s license and taught me how to really notice when other people were in need. (Pause) If it hadn’t been for them, I...I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. Maybe I’d be one of Captain Cold’s strays right now.

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, let me posit a question to you. If your uncle loved you so much, why did he put you in a costume and allow you to fight dangerous criminals? You became the so-called Kid Flash at ten years old, and by the time you were eleven, you had already faced the Weather Wizard, Captain Cold, and the first Mirror Master-to say nothing of your garden-variety gangsters and thugs. Surely, a responsible adult would have ensured that you stayed far away from such violence...and yet Mr. Allen seemed to almost thrust you towards it.

Wally: (Annoyed) Thrust me toward it? Are you kidding? If Uncle Barry hadn’t allowed me to be his sidekick, I’d have struck out and done superhero work on my own. I wanted to be just like him, remember? If anything, I thrust him into letting me fight criminals. (Pause) Besides, it wasn’t like he was just letting some random kid fight crime. I had super speed, remember? The chances of my getting shot were virtually nil. And the Rogues have a thing about not hurting kids. I wasn’t in any particular danger, especially not with Uncle Barry watching out for me.

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, you obviously are unaware of this, but your uncle is a very sick man.

Wally: Have you been listening to anything I said? Uncle Barry is the best man in the world. If that makes him crazy...well, I don’t want to be sane!

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I understand that this is difficult for you, but you must face reality. Your uncle was a very eccentric, very lonely man. He had few friends; most of his life was absorbed in his work. He always wanted to be someone special, but he knew that slow, lazy Barry Allen was no one important. Like you, he idolized a superhero-in his case, the Mystery Man known as Jay Garrick, and, like you, he wished that he, like his hero, was special. When his metahuman powers were activated by the lightning strike, his mind, already fragile from years of being mocked and looked down upon by his peers, shattered. He decided to use his powers to emulate the hero he had read about and idolized as a child, so that he could finally be special. Eventually, his antics drew the attention of other, even more damaged individuals, thereby indirectly inspiring the debut of all the costumed oddities that both you and your uncle spend so much time playing cops and robbers with. And then he met you. Another lonely little boy who wanted to be special. When you got your powers, he saw a chance to expand his fantasy world; recklessly endangering you. He may have been deluded enough to call you a sidekick, but what you really were was a child soldier. No wonder your life was sent into such a tailspin when he was temporarily lost in the speed force five years ago. Without him around to help maintain the fantasy that he had indoctrinated you into, you were lost, and the only solution you could think of was to take up the role that he had once filled. You are not a hero, Mr. West. You are a sad, deluded child; just as your uncle is a sad, deluded man. But I will see that you get the help you need.

Wally: (Furious) That’s a load of bunk, and you know it! I don’t know what your game is, Dr. Strange, but you’re not going to get away with dragging my uncle’s name through the mud!

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, your loyalty to your uncle is misguided. He is a dangerous vigilante, one who took advantage of your innocence and loneliness to turn you into yet another costumed freak. What he did to you was wrong, and it is my duty to make sure that you, and the rest of the world, realizes that fact.

Wally: (Very loudly) Don’t you talk about Uncle Barry that way, you filthy liar! (Stands up rapidly; knocks over the chair he was sitting in)

Hugo Strange: Mr. West, I would advise you to refrain from such open displays of hostility. Otherwise, I will have to recommend that your children not be allowed to visit you, for the sake of their own mental health.

Wally: And how do you think it affected their mental health to have their parents locked up on phony charges, huh?

Hugo Strange: Neither of you were fit guardians for them, Mr. West. I understand that having them separated from you was upsetting, but it is for their own good. You and your wife obviously love them, but you are too ill to properly care for them, and your wife was only enabling your behavior. It was simply not a safe environment for the children, so they have been removed from your home until such time as you have been cured and can properly care for them. Two generations of costumed vigilantes is quite….(Hugo Strange is frozen solid)

Capt. Cold: And he’s got the nerve to call us crazy. Really, accusin’ you an’ your missus of being bad parents? I seen how you dote on those kids, West. Only a nutjob could think you were unsafe for ‘em.

Wally: Captain Cold?

Capt. Cold: The one and only. You ready to bust outta this joint, kid?

Wally: Are you seriously asking me to help you escape prison?

Capt. Cold: Sam got Lisa and all the guys out already, and I’ve pretty much already escaped, kid. Just figured I’d be nice and get you outta here, too-before the Doc decides to give you a lobotomy. (Freezes and breaks Wally’s metahuman power dampener) Besides, Central City is furious over what happened to you and your missus. They ain’t exactly gonna expedite you back here.

Wally: All right...but as soon as Iron Heights gets rebuilt, I’m taking all of you Rogues straight back there.

Capt. Cold: I wouldn’t have it any other way. (Pause) C’mon, kid. Let’s blow this popsicle stand.

#the flash #dr. hugo strange #wally west #captain cold #flash comics #dc comics #fanfic

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fizzingwizard · 4 years ago

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blast from the past but i remember as a teenager that I never understood how Gilmore Girls season six ended. It’s funny how time clears things up, I feel like I get it now.

My dad always says Lorelai is flaky and that’s why. I don’t really agree. Bear with me. I think Lorelai is a control freak. Out of necessity, kinda. She lived in that household that constantly tried to control her, and getting out of it was her asserting her independence of their expectations. That meant she was a single mom starting with very little and working her way up to create a life of freedom for herself and her daughter.

The show itself is all about Lorelai struggling with giving bits of her control away. It begins with her giving some control of her relationship with her parents back to them when she needs to ask for money for Rory’s school. Then, of course, little by little, her control over Rory erodes as Rory gets older. (Not that Lorelai was a controlling parent - she valued freedom, not bossiness - but that’s just the parent-child dynamic: to some extent parents do control things because kids are still learning how to take care of and protect themselves. It certainly shouldn’t go farther than those basics and I don’t think it did for Lorelai - but she still felt it whenever Rory did something that was contrary to what Lorelai would have wanted. It’s also why “You sound like your mother” was a truly insulting barb to her lol)

In the meantime, she’s not only risen to being in charge of the inn, but she even goes and opens her own inn business with Sookie. Total independence. She dated Max, but balked when he wanted to know what his role would be in Rory’s life and realized she wasn’t ready to share control of their life with him. She dated Digger who to me always seemed the type way too set in his own ways for her, so I wasn’t sad to see him go. Finally she dated Luke, we all knew it would happen, but the question was always would these two very independent types be able to make it work any better than they had in the past? Because Luke’s also always gone his own way. The things both he and Lorelai had going for them was chemistry and similar values. And of course the show seemed to be rooting for them from season one :P

So while Lorelai and Luke are together, there are a number of control-related problems that crop up. We mainly see Luke give in to Lorelai. It’s never anything damaging - these are small things that are important to her, but still small, and he gives them to her out of love, not because she demands it. She does make concessions to him as well, but they’re mostly off screen (like the purple wallpaper thing). And the thing with the Twickum House... on the surface, it look like Lorelai crapped on Luke’s dream for the house because she selfishly wanted to keep her own, buuuuut he bought it without asking or telling her, and she has a right to not want to live there same as he has a right not to want to live in her place. Fortunately, he was cool with living in her place if it was expanded. So they did that. Look, a compromise!

So basically they get over every hurdle that could compromise their individual needs to feel in control of their lives... until April. April is Luke’s thing. It’s not his fault he didn’t know about her for twelve years and it’s to his credit that he wanted to be a part of her life after the fact. While I’m not super fond of season 7, I always felt it was weird that season 6 Luke never seemed angry that Anna didn’t tell him about April. It doesn’t seem like Anna had a reason to think he’d be violent or controlling of her or their child, she just thought he didn’t like kids much. That’s not a reason. People often don’t like other people’s kids but adore their own. Anyway.

Luke doesn’t want Lorelai involved with April because he’s the type to take his time with things. He needs his space. So he needs time and space to adjust to the concept of April and get to know her and feel confident of his own role as a father. He’s also a bit jealous of Lorelai’s easy rapport with people, especially young girls, but I think that’s minor in comparison to the other reasons. And Lorelai understands those things and lets him control how things go with April. Allowing him that control, though, means he’s also in control of other things: when they get married, for one, and what his relationship with Lorelai is. i think she has reason to be upset about how he didn’t make an effort to involve her in things with April (like, I definitely get that April’s mom was concerned about who was in April’s life but everyone else in the town got to meet April, there’s no reason Lorelai couldn’t have met her now and then as a townie rather than Luke’s fiancee, as long as Luke was physically there as well)

So I can see why Lorelai blew up after the wedding was postponed indefinitely (even though, if we’re talking real life, it hadn’t been all that long). She felt she’d finally found someone she felt comfortable sharing her life with, but then he started to need more patience and submission from her than she was comfortable giving. Up till then in her life, waiting for things just meant she waited while other people got what they want. To get what she wanted, she had to go take it, consequences be damned. So she takes the same route with Luke as she has with everything else in her life: she makes her own decision and lets him figure out how or if he wants to fit in with it, rather than the other way around.

In terms of whether she really needed to go that far at that point... It’s hard, rewatching it, not to feel like a sudden ultimatum in the street when you’re highly emotional is not the way to decide to break up with someone. She should have been willing to talk later, when he came back. I mean, he came back twice. But relationships are rarely about should haves. People aren’t perfect. Lorelai’s the type who rips the bandaid off fast because it may hurt more, but slow hurts longer. When she’s out, she’s out. And I think I get it in the sense that the two of them had, in canon, built up how serious their relationship was VERY fast - like from their first official date - and that comes with all kinds of expectations. The higher they climb the harder they fall. So, yeah, I think things could have been fixed the next day when Luke came back, but I do think it’s Lorelai-ish to not be willing to fix them.

There was a great bit of foreshadowing just prior where Liz and TJ have a fight and it’s due to Liz’s trauma scaring her away, and Luke is the one who goes to TJ, tells him it’s not his fault, but that in a relationship sometimes people can’t say how they really feel and that’s when you have to try to understand them out of love etc (something like that lol). He saw it clearly with Liz and TJ but wasn’t ready for it with Lorelai. Lorelai’s fear of commitment, the way she values her independence, her history with relationships gone sour, it all came to a head and Luke’s preference to take time to sort things out and decide how he feels couldn’t cope with it. It’s not that Luke was wrong. He’s entitled to be the type who needs time. But it’s not that Lorelai was wrong either. They weren’t wrong individually, but they were wrong together. It could have been avoided, but people aren’t perfect.

I still hate that they broke up and we had to spend season 7 with Christopher, but at least they got back together in the end. Season 7, man... The above is how I feel about season 6, but I think if I knew season 7 wouldn’t have the same producers, I’d never be on board with ending season 6 with such an explosion. No way could the season 7 team pick up from there without being absolutely ridiculous about it.

A Year in the Life picks up with Lorelai and Luke still together, living in her house, but not married. These days lots of people partner up but don’t get married and that’s fine - real commitment isn’t something that a piece of paper decides. But it was also kinda sad because I think every Gilmore Girls fan looked forward to Lorelai and Luke’s wedding. So I really enjoyed that AYITL dealt with that - and also dealt with the way Luke usually lets Lorelai decide various things, and that she becomes self-conscious about it, wondering if her strength of will has meant he had to give up things he wanted. He takes his time - he’s Luke, after all - but eventually he figures out how to tell her. He’s his own man. He’s independent. He lets her make decisions about things he’s okay with her making decisions on. If he really didn’t like her choice, he’d say something. Basically, you don’t have to worry about Luke. He’s strong enough for himself, and he’s strong enough for her. And vice versa. That’s why they’re a good couple. It’s when they give in to doubt that things get shaky. And then we finally got our very pretty wedding. I loved that scene and I loved the song that played (which was also used in Liz and TJ’s wedding, I believe).

Emily, of course, is just as much a control freak as her daughter even if she doesn’t realize it, but I loved how in AYITL, the way she asserts her herself is no longer in the context of the role she feels she needs to play and becomes about choosing what her path will be. She’s as “eccentric” as Lorelai, if eccentric means being yourself and doing what makes you happy. *eye roll* That’s why I don’t agree with my dad that Lorelai is flaky... I do see where it comes from but I always just thought she’s not bound by what other people think she should be. That’s hardly eccentric, it’s just strong.

And I wish we had some sort of follow up for the last four lines... I’d read a Gilmore Girls novel as a sequel if the show can’t come back again.

#gilmore girls #loooong

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melancholicumsomnia · 4 years ago

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[FIC] A Little Miracle In The Volume Part 6

A/N: Here’s Part 6 of my fic contribution to PEDRO PASCAL APPRECIATION WEEK 2021 of @pedrohub! The #ppaw2021 theme of Day 6 is Pedro + Color, and of course the color is BROWN.

To @pedrocentric, here’s the next part! To those few folks who have been following this fic, my humble thanks to you all! Last part will go up tomorrow!

PREVIOUS PARTS

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

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A Little Miracle In The Volume

Rory

SOURCE: Audra Faye on Pinterest

Part Six

There was something about a battle scene – the potential for carnage and mayhem – that could draw out the bloodthirstiness in a man, even if it was a make believe one.

That particular thought crossed Bill Burr’s mind as he watched crew members bustling with excitement as they set up the MBS Media Campus backlot for the filming of the climactic confrontation between Mando and his comrades against Moff Gideon and his Stormtroopers on Nevarro.

After what he could only dub as the “Ceremonial Turnover of the 501st Legion” by Deb Chow to Taika Waititi, Bill gaped with some trepidation as a seemingly demented Taika jumped about and cackled in glee, “I’ve got my own Stormtroopers! Oooh, so many things I can do with them!” Noticing the comedian standing near one of the small buildings, Taika waved to him. “Hey, Bill! Nice to see ya! Care to join my band of merry Stormtroopers?”

SOURCE: REDDIT

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Bill called back. “I just got done with a meeting with Rick about our episode. I’ll be getting my share of action soon, I guess. But thanks for asking, by the way.”

“Your loss, my friend,” Taika exclaimed as he hurried off to direct the men and women of the 501st Legion, who judging from their delighted faces never imagined that they’d actually be on set filming a Star Wars show.

The only person who didn’t seem too happy about the goings-on was the helmeted figure sitting in the cool shadows of a narrow alley. For some reason, Bill found himself gravitating toward that lonely figure.

“Hi, there! I’m Bill,” he introduced himself, reaching out his hand. “You must be Pedro.”

Pedro removed his helmet then, revealing the most expressive brown eyes that Bill had ever seen in his life. Judging from the glimmer in those doe-like orbs, he must’ve been thinking of something sad. Nevertheless, Pedro gave the comedian a nice smile and greeted, “Hi! It’s a pleasure to meet you. You’ll be playing Migs Mayfeld, right? How do you feel about being in a Star Wars TV show?” He asked the last with a teasing tone in his voice.

“Frankly, I don’t know what I’m doing here,” Bill declared, a bit embarrassed. “I must be nuts to let Jon rope me into this.”

“Don’t worry. It’ll be fun. It’s just too bad that I won’t be around to do your episode with you. I’ll be going back to England to finish shooting Wonder Woman 1984. Then again, you’re pretty lucky because you won’t get to work with….”

Pedro’s voice trailed off then.

Feeling left hanging, Bill gently coaxed, “Work with who?”

In answer to his question, puppeteer Jason Matthews approached Jon. “I already fixed the puppet as you have suggested. But Mr. Herzog won’t give him to me. He told me to tell you that you should send someone to inform him when you’re ready to start shooting.”

“Unbelievable!” Jon groaned. “How can we set up and rehearse when he’s keeping the Child in custody? Never mind. Tell Taika that we’ll focus on filming the skirmish for today. Depending upon how the action goes, we can figure out how we can CGI in IG-11 and the baby.”

Hearing that exchange, Bill turned to Pedro. “Herzog? They’re not talking about Werner Herzog, are they?”

“They are. Herzog’s playing the Client. He actually finished all of his scenes but he’s still hanging around the set because he developed this crazy fixation over the Child.”

“Having not seen the Child in question, I’d like to know if he’s really so cute that he has tamed a guy like Herzog.”

“Oh, he’s not just cute,” Pedro said with undisguised fondness. “There’s something magical about him. You’d understand once you see him.” He then sighed. “It’s just too sad that I didn’t get enough time with the baby off-screen. Werner just won’t let the kid out of his sight and, for some reason, he doesn’t like me.”

Bill straightened up with arms akimbo. His Boston accent grew thicker on his tongue as he declared in outrage, “That ain’t right! That baby should be with you, not him! He’s playing the bad guy!”

“You should try telling him that. A lot of people have tried talking to him, but he’s just too pigheaded.”

Bill snorted in strong disapproval. “Hmph! Looks like the time for talking is done. What we need is action.”

“Bill, it’s okay. I’ve already accepted it. After all, there is going to be a Season 2. I didn’t make any commitments, so I’ll get to spend more time with the Child then.”

“It still ain’t right that you’re not bonding with the kid as you should.” Bill made his decision in an instant. “That’s it! I’m goin’!”

“Going where?” Pedro asked in growing alarm.

“Where else? I’m gonna get back the kid.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Now, just sit there, little one, while I get some milk and cookies for you. Maybe a pair of headphones so you won’t get startled by all the explosions.”

As Werner went into the kitchen, the head of a sneaky figure slowly rose to peek through the trailer window.

Bill saw the Child at once, sitting at the small dining table. “What the fuck? Is that Baby Yoda?”

At his muffled exclamation, Grogu slowly turned to him. The Child gave him a broad grin and waved his little hand.

“Aww! Ain’t ya a cutie!” It never even occurred to the comedian to ponder why the puppet moved by itself.

Carefully, Bill pushed the trailer door open and tiptoed inside. Picking up the baby, he whispered, “Come on, kid! I’m bringing you back to your Daddy.”

In reply, Grogu made happy cooing noises.

“You like that, huh? Let’s go now.”

“Who are you?”

Bill felt his blood run icy cold at that angry voice. His head slowly moving to the left, he found himself gaping at Werner, now red in the face and carrying a glass of milk and a plate full of cookies.

“I…uh…” the comedian stammered, unsure of what to say. In the end, both he and the Child raised a hand and waved to the German filmmaker. “Bye!”

Bill darted out of the trailer before Werner could stop him. As he dashed off, he heard the German director shout, “Baby snatcher! Somebody stop him!”

Bill thought he was going to get away with the baby. Surely, an old man like Werner Herzog wouldn’t run after him. However, as he turned at the corner and onto the street leading to the backlot, he saw Werner giving chase. To make matters worse, he saw the old man grab an enormous gaffi stick from one of the props men.

“Give that baby back or I’ll kill you!”

“OH SHIT!!!” Bill exclaimed, realizing that his very life was now in jeopardy.

Unknown to the comedian, as he rushed into the backlot, the shooting of the Nevarro skirmish scene had already commenced. There was a loud pop as a Stormtrooper shot a blaster right at him.

“Hey!” he yelled, cradling the Child protectively. “I gotta kid here!”

Rather than calling “Cut!”, from his director’s chair, Taika called out, “Hey, Bill! Fire back, man! You’re being attacked by my Stormtroopers!”

“WHAT?”

Taika made shooting gestures with both hands. “Pew pew!”

Rolling his eyes, Bill did as he was told, running straight down the center of the backlot while “Pew pew-ing” every extra that got into his path. At one point, there was an explosion at his left, so that he dodged to the side. Werner was relentless though. He followed the comedian in small, but swift strides, waving the gaffi stick menacingly in the air. Through it all, the Child crooked under Bill’s arm laughed and squealed.

At that moment, Pedro took his cue to step outside of the building to confront Moff Gideon’s troops. Great was his shock when he saw Bill hurrying toward him, baby in tow, and with a rampaging German director behind him.

Bill even raised the baby high up in the air and cried, “I got the kid!”

In his fright to get away from Werner, Bill didn’t notice the large rock sticking out of the dirt. Suddenly, he tripped on the rock and the Child flew out of his hands. Grogu spread out his little arms and screamed, “Wheeeeeeee!”

Gasping, Pedro leaped up high, his arms stretched out in front of him. That sudden movement caused the helmet to slip from his head. As his body started to fall, he caught the Child easily and hugged him protectively as they hit the ground.

“Are you okay, Grogu?” Pedro asked the Child worriedly, but the baby only laughed and flapped his arms like a bird, indicating that he wanted more.

Bill stared at Pedro and Grogu. Dazed as he was, he couldn’t help blurting out, “You two really look like father and son. You have the same pretty brown eyes and…”

Whatever else he was going to say, the comedian never got to finish because a dark shadow loomed over him.

“Evil baby snatcher!” A breathless but visibly tear-filled Werner rapped him on the head with the stick.

“Owwww!” Bill grabbed his head, feeling the growing lump.

Seeing Pedro staring at him, it was Werner’s turn to be flustered. There was no mistaking the tears that fell from his eyes as he stammered, “I’m sorry. I left the Child for just a minute to get snacks for him, but…this baby snatcher…”

Pedro nodded. As Bill looked on, he gaped as the actor entrusted the baby back to the crying director. “Please keep an eye on him, Werner. Okay?”

Werner hugged the struggling baby in his arms. “I will. I promise I will. And I’m so sorry.”

To the German filmmaker’s shock, Grogu pushed his face when Werner tried to kiss him. Whirling toward Pedro, Grogu reached out to him with his little arms, making desperate whining noises.

At that very moment, Werner’s face turned pale when he saw the group of puppeteers who had joined the onlookers. This time, all the puppeteers were present and accounted for, having come out of the small building where the scene with the puppet was to be filmed. None of them had their controls. And, yet, the baby was wriggling and crying in his embrace.

By then, Pedro had already put the helmet back on. Walking toward the struggling Child, he caressed Grogu’s little head.

“Go with your grandpa, Grogu,” Pedro whispered. “It’ll only be for a little while. We’ll be back together to film a scene before you know it.” Raising his helmet a bit, he kissed Grogu in the spot between his eyes. Werner saw the teardrop hanging from Pedro’s jaw.

“Thank you, Pedro,” Werner could only stammer. “I’ll bring him back once you’re ready to shoot.” He then walked off with a crying Grogu in his arms, heading back for his trailer.

As Pedro helped him to his feet, Bill demanded, “Why did you do that for? I thought you wanted the kid?”

“I did, but…seeing how he chased you...” Pedro then confessed, “…I never realized how much Werner cared for the baby. It isn’t right to take the Child away from him like that.”

At that moment, a very happy Taika called out to him, “Great work, Bill! You got the action sequence I wanted for IG-11 just right. All I have to do is edit you out and I can CGI in the robot with the kid.”

Meanwhile, the members of the 501st Legion were all abuzz at seeing the Child for the first time. An exasperated Jon had the unit directors hand out an additional page of the non-disclosure agreement for them to sign.

When one lady in Stormtrooper armor gushed out, “Oh my God! I just saw a Baby Yoda! I can’t wait to tell my kids!”, Jon ordered Kim Richards, “Have her sign TWO NDAs!”

Hearing Jon’s order, Bill and Pedro laughed. When their laughter subsided, the comedian smiled warmly. “You’re a real nice guy, Pedro. I just hope I could get to work with you and the kid someday, although it doesn’t seem likely after this.”

“Who knows?” Pedro said reassuringly. “Maybe we will still have a need for a sharpshooter like Mayfeld in Season 2.”

“Maybe…” Bill trained his gaze toward Jon who was gathering signed papers. “Hey, Jon! If ever you want me back to work for ya, make sure this guy,” he then pointed to Pedro, “doesn’t have a helmet on.” Grinning at his fellow actor, he said, “I’m gonna call him ‘Brown Eyes’.”

Pedro’s lips curled up in a wry pout. “Next time, please don’t drop the baby!”

Bill crossed his heart and raised his right hand while cupping the lump on his head with his left. “I swear that I will never drop the baby ever again!”

TO BE CONCLUDED

#ppaw2021 #miracle in the volume fic #real person fic #the mandalorian #pedro pascal #pedrohub #pedrocentric

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clownsgobeepbeep · 4 years ago

Note

How do the Bingo, Carney, and Ally feel about the other kids/adults? Any age group is fine uwu :3

I’ll write them as adults uwu This is long...but I finally fucking answered it

Ally

Davey: Of course, Ally has had the longest crush on Davey. God it really started when they were young. Anyways. She thinks Davey is such a smart guy, so funny and clever. She admires everything about him, always tries her best to talk to him because conversations with him are always great. Before all that angsty stuff happens, she’s really been trying to push her feelings away but...sigh, Davey’s just too cool of a guy to not crush on apparently X3

Cordelia: Ally likes Cordelia, but she can be a bit too hyper for her, not that she dislikes it. Ally is just more on the tamer side(okay, she might secretly be a bit like Cordelia and I know she could totally bring that side of her out). Would like to hang out with her, she seems like a person who can make anything fun.

Ben: He’s so serious...but he’s a pretty cool guy. While some may be uncomfortable or spooped by his serious expression, she thinks it’s pretty nice, he’s perfect for her sister. I can imagine she liked to hang out with him when they were younger, he’s so calm and collected.

Greta: I imagine she’d get along with Greta, would enjoy being in her company and such. They seem like they’d have a nice girl’s day/night out.

Rory: Just like with Ben’s seriousness, she really wouldn’t be creeped out by Rory at all. They seem like such a nice person, can tell why Phoebe’s really crushing on them despite not realizing it. They definitely think Rory is interesting.

Clara: Another person Ally could definitely see herself with. They honestly seem like they’d be really good friends, their vibes just kinda match up hehe.

Phoebe:She likes Phoebe, she’s her sister’s best friend so she sees her quite often. She’s a bit too energetic for her taste, but she’s still a really fun person and always encourages Ally to do things she’s too shy to do(except tell Davey about her feelings asdfghjkl), so she really appreciates Phoebe. Wishes she could be more like her.

Harper: He’s a really cool person, thoughts are similar to those she has about Phoebe. Definitely asks him for outfit ideas and I’m sure she’s asked him if he’d like to go shopping with her, she’d want his opinion. Recognizes that her brother has been crushing on Harper for a while and thinks they’d be really cute together. They’re her own rom-com lol.

Penny:Hmmm...I don’t really know how she would feel about Penelope. I haven’t seem much of Penny in a while but I guess she’d like her.

Bingo

Davey: Even if her sister didn’t have a crush on him, she’d think Davey was stupid. People like him are kind of irritating, she doesn’t want to deal with that sort of shit. Okay, that sounds like super mean...Davey’s just the kind of person that makes her roll her eyes any time he does some stupid shit. She recognizes that he’s smart+clever, not the best combination with that stuff he does. Definitely dislikes how he’s made her sister hurt of course, sure she partially blames Ally for the mess they’re gonna get into but also Davey for being so damn dense and barely going after her after she’s seeing someone else.

Cordelia: Bingo likes Cordelia surprisingly X3 Somehow tolerates her a lot more than Davey hehe. Likes the whole hero thing she had going on when she was younger, is going to love her kids when they arrive.

Ben: *insert Lenny Face* Benjamin is such a great person, aaah. Okay, Bingo wouldn’t say it that way but you can bet he does make her feel a bit blushy at times. As she grew up and realized her feelings, she would find herself watching Ben from afar. Anyways. She really just likes him as a whole. I really can not give you anything specific because literally everything about him she loves, even if they were interested in each other she would have really liked Ben.

Greta: Hmmm...I think she would like Greta...I would need to see more of her as well as the two together to properly answer for her.

Rory: Bingo would definitely like Rory, they are someone Bingo would be really fond of. Their vibes just fit together huehue. I imagine Bingo and Rory have conversations about Phoebe because everyone except Phoebe knows about her crush on Rory asdfghjkl.

Clara: She seems like such a nice person, Bingo would tolerate her. For some reason reminds her of her older sister

Phoebe: This is her best friend right here. It even surprises me that they’re best friends my god. Bingo doesn’t know why but when they were younger, Phoebe just seemed like such an annoying but interesting girl. Kind of stalked her for some time??? Then she realized...maybe I’ll befriend her to experiment...she really enjoyed being with her in the end and they just became besties.

Harper: Harper is Phoebe’s other best friend and honestly, Bingo thinks he’s a really cool bird. She likes him, she admires his characteristics minus the anger hehe. He’s entertaining to watch when it comes to the rom-com shit with her brother. At least Harper’s not dense like Davey which is why she decided to straight up tell him about Carney’s crush on him(’cause she wanted Davey to learn for himself while Harper, that’s a lot easier to deal with). I can see these two(as well as Phoebe) some great sleep overs.

Penny: Hmm...I honestly don’t really know what she’d think about Penny uwu

Carney

Davey: Hmmm...he doesn’t dislike Davey, he actually thinks he’s kinda cool but also does get a bit angry about the whole not-noticing-Ally’s feelings. Himbo, stop being a damn hypocrite. But like, he also realizes that Ally’s been crushing on him foooorever. He keeps quiet because he might reveal too much and get Ally mad. Anyways. Davey is a cool dude though, he would definitely want to join in on those shenanigans.

Cordelia: Cordie seems like a cool person, I don’t necessarily see them hanging out together but if they did, he would definitely enjoy it. Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t hang out with her because he definitely would, I just mostly see him with his sisters or his bestie Rudy. I feel that they would definitely get along when they’re adults.

Ben: Finds his stoic expression funny. It’s like another Bingo hehe. Tolerates the guy. I don’t think he’d have too many thoughts on Ben honestly.

Greta: I don’t think he’d have very many thoughts on Greta uwu

Rory: Rory always creeped him out when they were younger, and they most likely still do X3 He’s not too much of a scaredy-cat as he was when he was young of course and he has matured, so he actually does interact more with Rory, especially because his dad worked at Cuckoo’s circus and I’m sure they constantly saw each other.

Clara: Doesn’t think too much of Clara and I don’t really see them hanging out due to personality differences. Wouldn’t dislike her, they just aren’t too compatible and he can tell. However, he would approach her(if possible) because his best friend does have a crush on her, tries to figure stuff out ya know? Helping a bro out

Phoebe: She’s a pretty cool person, he definitely likes Phoebe. Besides the fact that she too has matured and their personalities don’t really clash anymore, they have definitely become better friends(especially because he sees her a lot thanks to Bingo). Definitely appreciates always trying to help him with Harper(even if it’s mostly teasing)

Harper: Of course, himbo here has a hardcore crush on Harper. Besides thinking that he’s so damn beautiful/handsome and just really awesome, Carney really likes how he’s matured. He definitely remembers being snapped at by Harper when they were younger but he really doesn’t mind any of it, most people snapped at him ‘cause he was definitely annoying as fuck. He appreciates that Harper now tolerates him and is willing to hang out with him, especially when they’re left as third wheels X3 Also, I’m just saying but like, you know how in movies women tend to be portrayed as being shopaholics and their male partner is always carrying all of her bags, totally struggling. If Harper wanted to go to the mall and buy all kinds of shit,Carney is that man and he ain’t gonna be a bitch about it. That’s how much he likes him

Penny:I don’t think he’d have many thoughts on Penny either

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dodgergilmore · 5 years ago

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YAS give me more jess/rory analysis PLEASE ❤

I ended up expanding on my season 3 thoughts in another post, so I’ll just ramble on about something different if we’re all good with that!

Let’s discuss how “You could do more.” is, in some ways, the thesis of the whole Rory and Jess dynamic.

When Rory is not amused by his magic trick during one of their very first interactions (what a sentence lmao), it shows that she isn’t going to put up with the facade he puts on in Stars Hollow. She doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind and pushes him to take responsibility for his actions:

“All [Luke] does is stick up for you, and all you do is make his life harder. I guess that's what you have to do when you're trying to be Holden Caulfield, but I think it stinks. (...) Funny, I never pegged you as clueless, my mistake.”

Again, Rory points out the act Jess puts on but this also shows how she isn’t going to just passively allow him to act in such ways because she doesn’t see him as the nuisance/lost cause that much of the town sees him as. Instead, she holds him to a higher standard because she knows he isn’t clueless.

After a well-intentioned suggestion on Rory’s part, we see her at odds with the expectations placed on her by the town as she becomes “the poster girl for censorship” and she can openly discuss this with Jess as someone who would understand where she’s coming from, because he is one person who is not charmed by Stars Hollow’s small town antics. Her future isn’t bound to this place, so when Jess questions what Rory and Dean talk about, saying that ‘he doesn’t seem like her kind of guy’ it adds another layer to that conversation; let’s be real, Jess is not coming from a place of entirely pure intentions but after season 1, Dean is basically the town’s golden boy (despite previously being the new kid in town) and thus is the embodiment of one of the two worlds Rory is caught between throughout the series: Stars Hollow. But right from the Pilot, we know that Rory is set to “do more” than Stars Hollow. That whole sidestory in 2x12 and its relation to Rory could be an analysis of its own, which I don’t think I am equipped to offer at this time...

By 2x13, Rory is pushing against and growing frustrated with Lorelai’s view of Jess. Rory recognises that Jess should not need a tutor, after trying to explain his margin-writing to Lorelai in the previous episode, and it’s clear that Rory believes in Jess in a way that he himself does not at this point. He meets her words of encouragement and “you could do more” with cynicism but Rory remains unconvinced. Schooling should not be a measure of success – and by season 6 it ends up being beside the point anyway – but it is interesting that Jess’ reasoning for not going to college has nothing to do with himself and everything to do with what others have to say about him.

And why aren’t you going to college? (...)

Ask my mother, she could give you a couple reasons. Oh, and I’m sure Principal Mertin can chime in with a few good ones. In fact, ask your mother. She doesn’t know me all that well but I’m sure she could improvise a few things.

Do not give me that whole ‘I’m so misunderstood, Kurt Cobainy’ thing. You are way stronger than that and I don’t even wanna hear it.

That whole conversation in the car really is The Goods. The paths they have planned for themselves could not be more different but still, they offer each other the same unwavering support and encouragement.

I wont go into detail because I think I’ve already addressed this in my previous posts today but “you could do more” comes into play even during their relationship in that Jess, as we know, does not generate the most positive views from the people of Stars Hollow, perhaps believing that Rory could do more, so to speak, than him. If nothing else, the town definitely thinks so.

Jess shows support for Rory’s Harvard-and then-Yale dreams, which is one of many reasons his reappearance in 6x08 works so well. He assumes she graduated early before considering she wasn’t in school; when Rory keeps commenting on how her circumstances are “all temporary” Jess is visibly... I don’t know that I’d say concerned at this point but he is definitely taken aback.

I know it's good. Jess, you've got such a great brain. I knew that if you could just sit down and stop shaking it around, you could do something like this. I knew it. I knew it.

I know you did. (...) So, I just basically wanted to show you that. Uh, tell you... tell you that I couldn't have done it without you.

Obviously Jess is confirming her “you could do more” sentiments when he explicitly credits the role she played in helping him find success for himself. In doing so, this reassures Rory that she was right about something after feeling the defeat of Mitchum’s words for however many months by this point, and also reminds her of the ambitions she once had for herself.

Neither of them do or say these sort things for “I want to be with you” reasons but for “I want good things for you” reasons. It doesn’t come from a romantic place – they sincerely want the other to succeed, even if that means being apart. Even after everything that happened, Rory is saying “I hope you're good. I want you to be good.” in that 3x22 phone call, and then this in 6x08:

You know that section toward the front, the staff recommendations? I'm gonna grab a copy of your book and put it in that section, and then I'm going to write my own little recommendation on a card and attach it so people see it and buy it.

Please, that’s just cute :(

Of course it ends up ending in absolute MESS but she goes all the way to Philadelphia to see his open house. Imagine if she hadn’t checked the mail that day lmao

I just got the flier, and I don't know. I just wanted to see your place, but then this...

In AYITL, Jess hears Rory out as she divulges the state her life is in then reassures her that she’s in a rut that she is fully capable of getting out of. “Where is this coming from? What inspired you?” indeed. The implications, y’know??

Now I’m going to circle back to what I said about Dean representing Stars Hollow for a moment here. Logan very overtly represents the world of wealth and like I said, Rory is between these two worlds. Rory is a balance of the world of her grandparents and her mother; what’s interesting about Jess is that he doesn’t belong to either world, really. He can exist in the world of Stars Hollow because of his familial connections and history there and that brings us some little moments that are not at all deep, but I absolutely love anyway:

Can't wait to hear how you bagged the job.

It was the usual thing; I submitted my resume, plus samples of my work, I was thoroughly vetted, there were several lengthy interviews, plus complex negotiations over salary, benefits, parking–

You asked Taylor.

Pretty much.

And then when he asks Rory over the phone to fill him in on the ‘showbiz spat’ in 3x14. Stars Hollow has an important role in Rory’s life, and Jess is able to understand that world in a way that Logan simply can’t – if I recall, he is actually quite endeared by the town when he makes his first official visit there in season 7.

Season 5 makes Dean’s place in Rory’s life very clear, first with “What am I doing here, Rory? I don't belong here. Not anymore.” in 5x08 and then in 5x18, when Dean is used as a direct parallel to Luke:

They want more than this. Don’t you see that? And all you are is this. (...) This town, it’s all you are, and it’s not enough. She’s going to get bored, and you can’t take her anywhere. You’re here forever.

It’s... kind of an odd comparison to make in that Lorelai is quite happy with her Stars Hollow life and hasn’t indicated that she wants “more” than this. For Rory, though, it does reiterate that she wants more than Stars Hollow can offer her. I’ve discussed this before but the world of wealth and Logan, while initially intriguing to Rory, loses its shine during season 6 and she ultimately rejects it in that she doesn’t want to be bound by it. It offers temporary thrills and escapism, but she ends up having to enter the real world.

In Summer, Rory talks about looking at places in Queens so that might be the best, most recent indicator of where Rory wants to be in terms of geography. Just like Rory, Jess isn’t bound to any particular world – bouncing around from place-to-place in the original series, not unlike Rory in the revival – and together... they can do more. And that is that on soulmate-ism!

All in all, they hold each other to high standards not because they idealise one another or put each other on pedestals but because they genuinely believe in each other’s capabilities. They actively push each other to do more and important to note is that they hear each other in these moments; maybe not always immediately but they get there eventually because by the end, it’s clear they have a certain respect and fondness for each other. I like that they don’t passively roll along with whatever the other chooses to do, which may be the very reason some people don’t like them. As much as their dynamic evolves with time, there are just some things that remain a constant...

#ask #somekindofhelicoptervalentine #literati #~you could do more #barely even mention them but i'll tag anyway:#anti dean #anti logan

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shawnsassymendes · 6 years ago

Text

Alpha Centauri

synopsis: a trip to Alpha Centauri for some questions only she can answer.

a/n: oops shoulda known rewatching would just ignite the flame once more, 11th doctor always gets me. @someoneunimportantxx @ijustreallylikeshawnokay

wc: 1.8k

{Masterlist in Bio}

____________________

You woke up to the Doctor’s arms gripping your waist, pulling you closer to him underneath the blankets. You knew he was having a nightmare, he’d been having more of them recently. You had almost died on one of the latest adventures and he couldn’t seem to shake it off.

“Hey, it’s alright. Just a dream, my love.” You whispered, coaxing him out of it slowly as to not shock him.

His eyes squeezed and he grunted lightly as he got pulled out of his slumber, confusion clear on his face. “y/n? you- where are-”

“I’m right here. Ponds are in their room. We’re all fine. Tardis is keeping us safe, like always.” Your words of reassurance calmed him down immediately.

“Tardis. Always keeping us safe, isn’t she?” He mumbled as struggled to fully escape his sleep.

He opened his eyes and looked at you for a moment, almost like he was making sure you were really there. “I love you, so much.” He breathed out, the words coming straight from his hearts.

“And I love you more.” You smiled, brushing away the strands of hair coming into his eyes.

“You can’t possibly.” The Doctor began, starting the only argument you two ever seemed to have.

“Hush now, go back to sleep. I’m tired.” You whispered, nuzzling your face into his neck and attempting to drift off again.

“Alright, love. Sweet dreams.”

But the Doctor didn’t go back to sleep. He couldn’t. He never could after those horrid dreams. Horrible painful nightmares. Always felt too real. He had to make sure you were okay, so he stayed up. Hands always somewhere he could feel your heartbeat, ears always searching for your deep breaths in the dark.

You awoke to the whirring noise of the Tardis, of course he was up and about doing who knows what. He was always like this after a rough night. You put on a pair of sweatpants and sauntered over to the control deck.

“Did you even go back to sleep?” You asked as soon as you saw him whipping about the control panel.

“Of course I did.”

“Are you lying to me?”

“Of course I am.”

“Come on, let’s go eat.” You rolled your eyes and turned to head to the dining room.

“No thank you, not really hungry.” He called to you, screen in hand as he read some readings in Gallifreyan. He only switched the settings to Gallifreyan if he was hiding something from you. You made sure to make a note of that.

“First he doesn’t sleep, now he doesn’t eat. What next, eh? Will I have to bathe you?” You complained, looping your arm through his and pulling him along with you.

Amy was already sitting at the table, plate of full Scottish breakfast before her. Rory was making himself a cup of tea at the tea corner. All Tardis made of course, she always knew exactly what you wanted when you wanted it.

You placed the Doctor in the seat across from Amy and sat next to him. A plate of Jammie Dodgers found itself in front of the Doctor, almost like it was always there.

“Can time lords get diabetes?” Amy mused out loud, stabbing a slice of sausage with her fork.

“I’m not sure, let’s find out.” The Doctor grinned and bit into a cookie.

Rory plopped himself into the seat across from you. “So where are we? You were up so early whizzing about on deck, have to be somewhere.”

“Alpha Centauri. I love Alpha Centauri.” The Doctor smiled, picking up another Jammie Dodger.

“It’s his favorite star.” You pointed out, taking a sip of your perfectly warm tea.

“Your favorite? Why have we never come here before?” Amy asked, always the curious one.

“I don’t come very often. Well, I only come when I need answers. Haven’t needed one of those in a very long time.” He said, words slowly dwindling down to a mumble.

Amy and Rory both looked over at you, eyes wide in question. The Doctor never needed answers. He always had all the answers.

The man in question jumped up from the dining table. “Actually, I think I might go ask her right now.”

As soon as he was out of earshot, the question was asked.

“Is he okay?”

You didn’t really know how to answer that. Physically, yes he was fine, tip top condition. Mentally, that’s another story. He hasn’t been okay in that department since he was about 8 years old, which was an incredibly long time ago.

“No, I mean not really. He’s not dying or anything.” Amy let out a sigh of relief, constantly afraid since that one time. “But he’s worried. He’s too in his head. I’ve only seen him like this once before. When he was the previous him.”

“Was it when he was changing?” Rory asked.

You nodded. “But he’s not changing this time. It’s something different. I thought I knew but I don’t know anymore. He’s hiding it from me.”

“What did you think it was?”

“I thought he was still a bit shaken up from last time. When I...” You trailed off, not really wanting to say the words. “He’s been... troubled since then. More affectionate in front of people, mainly you two.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed. Even kissed you the other day right in front of me. He’s never done that before.” Amy mentioned, recalling the situation from a few days prior.

“He’s not very fond of public displays of affection. But then I saw something this morning. He’s scanning something I think, the Tardis is helping him. But he’s hiding it from me.”

“And the Alpha Centauri?”

“He brought me once. When he just turned into this one. He was incredibly out of sorts for those first few days. You remember Amy?”

Amy nodded. “I remember.”

“He asked her so many things I didn’t understand. I didn’t know him like I do now.” You recalled, you were only with the previous Doctor a few weeks before he regenerated. Late enough before the regeneration to not get attached to him. But you remembered him, even missed him some days.

“Well, let’s go see what he’s asking her now.” Amy smiled, chugging down the last of her orange juice.

“I think we should give him-” Rory started, his wife already halfway down the corridor. “-some space.”

“He’s had enough alone time, I don’t think he would mind us coming along right about now.” You smiled at Rory and took his hand.

“I think he’s still worried about you.” Rory said.

“He’s never been this worried before. Never lasted more than a couple days. This has to be something bigger.” Your eyebrows were furrowed as you tried to think if he had mentioned anything recently.

“I still think it’s you.”

Amy was sitting on the seats surrounding the control panel, watching the Doctor. He was sitting at the door, feet dangling into the stars below. Alpha Centauri shining bright about a quarter of a light year away. Amy was quiet as the Doctor spoke, very unusual for her.

“But you must know.” He said, clearly talking to the star. “It’s too many dreams. They’re too real. Is it some sort of premonition?”

He paused, listening. You knew she could speak, but you didn’t speak star. The Doctor spoke all the languages, though. “I am not! I am simply... worried. That is not a way to die. I won’t allow it.” He turned around and saw you standing there, listening intently. He motioned for you and patted the space next to him gently.

You walked over and sat next to him, legs crossed beneath you. You were never too keen on the legs in space, butt on the Tardis thing. The Doctor put his arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. “What’s she saying?”

“She says I’m going soft.” He scoffed incredulously.

“You’ve always been soft, love.” You giggled.

“I am the cause of nightmares for entire species across the universe. I am not soft.” The Doctor grumbled to himself.

“What did she say about the dreams?” You whispered, knowing he was changing the subject.

“She- are you sure you want to know?”

You blanked.

He had never asked you that before. He knew you had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge so he never asked. This was different. This knowledge was painful, you could see it in his eyes and feel it in his erratic heartbeats.

“I- I don’t want to know.” You stated, promising yourself you wouldn’t take it back. But it wouldn’t hurt if...

“It’s not bad.” He said, like he could read your mind. “It could have been. That’s all I’m going to tell you. It’s all fine now. You’re here with me and it’s all fine.”

“Does she say anything else?”

“She says she really really likes you. Best human I’ve ever asked about.” He smiled at you, like he was proud of what she told him.

“Have you asked her about a lot of humans?”

“Just a handful. But what she does is she looks into their entire existence. She looks at it all, from start to finish. She cannot, however, tell me the fixed points in a life. Like falling in love and having specific children and dying and the like. But she is easily bribed.” He grinned to himself because you knew he could hear the star defending itself.

“You know the slight buzzing noise you hear sometimes, when it’s quiet and you’re alone. That’s her. That’s the only trace she leaves when she looks through someone’s existence.”

“And she said she likes me?” You smiled.

“Oh yes, very much so. Says you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me. Or will happen. Whatever point in your life she’s referencing.” The Doctor explained, waving his hands around as he spoke.

“The best thing that’s ever happened to you? But you’re so old! And I’m just a human.”

“Humans are extraordinary, my love. And you seem to be one of the best according to Alpha Centauri. And I’m not surprised. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

He held your face with both hands, thumbs caressing your cheeks right below your eyes. “Look at you.” He whispered, as if he were in awe. He placed a kiss on your forehead. And then one on each eyelid. And one on the tip of your nose.

“Absolutely perfect.” He whispered before finally placing a chaste kiss to your lips.

____________________

thankyou for reading my lovelies. ik this is a shawn blog and i will continue to write for shawn and if my love for doctor who grows ill probably make a sideblog. but i dont think im going to be writing a lot for doctor who but who knows. anyways thankyou for reading, feedback is greatly appreciated. if you could, i would love it if u sent me your favorite line from the fic. that would be so nice but you dont have to its fine. i love you guys.

#doctor who fanfiction #eleventh doctor #eleventh doctor x reader #matt smith x reader #doctor who x reader #eleventh doctor fluff #eleventh doctor fanfiction #doctor who #doctor who fluff #doctor who fanfic #eleventh doctor fanfic #idk what else to tag this

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fics-not-tragedies · 5 years ago

Text

One Day in December: Chapter 10 🎇

one - two - three - four - five - six - seven - eight - nine - ten - epilogue

That’s a wrap folks! I’m so happy when I can finally finish something I was writing. Also look out for epilogue tomorrow 👀

Words: 1480; Warnings: few mentions of previous sexual innuendos and some alcohol drinking; Summary: This year the pair hosts their own Christmas party.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

December 2019

“Festive” Andrew commented, a smirk on his lips as he rounded the kitchen island, moving closer to her, two glasses of champagne in his hands.

Bianca laughed, glancing down at her dress covered in sparkly red sequins, “Listen, it’s the occasion, okay!”

They made good on their vows to never go back to that holiday party again, and decided that this year, they were going to throw their own. At Andrew’s… and Bianca’s. It still took some time getting used to saying it, but… she’d moved in.

It was official.

After visiting him last December to celebrate the New Year; they both realized they wanted her to stay. It wasn’t easy. She had to leave her job in L.A. and the only place she’d known for almost a decade… but by the end of March; Dublin was her new home.

“All the guys are coming, yeah?” Andrew called to her from the hall, his lean body wrapped in a suit.

Bianca stood on tiptoes, struggling with the holiday lights she was stringing around the bar. They were excited to be hosting. Andrew loved it so much.

“Yes! Everyone’s coming!” Bianca called to him over her shoulder, balancing precariously on the bar stool.

She nearly screamed when she felt his hand on her back, the both of them laughing. “Thought you could use some help.”

“If you were a few inches smaller I could…” she teased, and he shouted at her, eyes twinkling before he playfully bit at her waist, “Just kidding.”

“Gotta hurry up and do this quick…” Alex shifted his weight back and forth, holding the flask between the five of them.

“Why’s that?” Rory looked at him, taking the flask, and bringing it to his mouth to knock it back.

Alex gave him a funny look, shoving the toy whistle he’d received in his cracker back between his lips, “Because this is our thing. No one else.”

“Not even your wives…” Bianca tsk-tsked him with a small smirk, as the flask was passed from Rory to Cormac to her, “Our little tradition.”

“Damn right. Yous were there from the beginning Bianca.”

Alex chuckled and wiped his mouth, “She was even once the honorary crew member the year you couldn’t make it.”

Cormac winked at her, “And I bet she did me proud.”

Bianca laughed, holding her chest, the holiday spirits burning on their way down as always. Andrew choked on his sip beside her when Alex made an inappropriate comment, “God, I missed you guys.”

“Me too” Andrew murmured, handing the flask back to Ryan and busying himself with his own paper crown. He slowly unfolded the thin purple piece of paper, remembering the very first party.

“Remember how pissed you were, Andy? That first year? Didn’t shut the fuck up about Bianca that whole tour.”

Andrew’s face flushed, and he looked down, nodding, “I do, yeah. Of course I do.”

“Now look at you two!” Rory teased them, reaching over to pinch Andrew’s cheek.

“Alright, alright!!” Andrew yelled, his arm sliding around Bianca’s waist, “Let’s have some fun then, yeah?”

“Have you been waiting here long?” she asked him, her voice soft, shy. Andrew glanced up, grinning at Bianca’s perfect smile and those eyes of hers he’d fallen in love with ten years ago.

“Em… not too long… a minute or so” he glanced up towards the front, seeing another person leave the room and three girls go in together, “Well… looks like it’s moving fast, eh?” Andrew assured her, feeling like he was experiencing a very strong sense of deja vu.

She nodded, seemingly relieved, “Good.”

Andrew chuckled, suddenly remembering the woman standing across from him back when she was a girl he had a crush on in a cute little dress and blinking reindeer antlers. Now it was a striped red and white towel wrapped around her waist, a red sequin dress, and a sprig of mistletoe on a bouncy spring on her head.

Still the cutest thing he’d ever seen.

“Too many ales, then?” He teased, his voice deep and slightly intoxicated as he looked her up and down.

She snorted, “Partying with you guys? Of course too many ales. You know that.”

Andrew grinned, leaning in to her conspiratorially, “Could always skip the line and go upstairs to ours.”

“We could, couldn’t we?” she pressed her forehead to his and pecked at his lips.

“Mmm…” he moaned, tasting the mintiness of her ice cold drink on her lip, “Putting that thing to good use for once, are you?”

Bianca scrunched her nose up, the facial hair Andrew was attempting to grow again tickling her lips, “Yeah… finally” she teased him, “You’re the only guy I’m kissing tonight, though… don’t worry” she assured him as the mistletoe sprung back and forth on her head.

“Wasn’t worried” he told her softly, pecking at her lips a few more times, “Only took us… almost ten years now, didn’t it?”

“Mmm… almost whole decade of pining for you” Bianca hummed against his mouth, “Come on…” she held her hand out, gesturing towards the staircase. Andrew’s hand slipped into hers, squeezing tight.

“Oh, the weather outside is fright-ful…”

Bianca smiled, tightening her hold on his hand, fingers laced together, cheek pressed to his chest. With Andrew’s arm wound around her, they swayed back and forth to the very familiar opening notes of a song they both loved quite fondly.

The party was nearly completely fizzled out in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve; but still they danced on over the debris on the floor of their living room. Andrew had silver tinsel wrapped around his neck, and each time they turned it tickled Bianca’s nose.

“What is your favorite memory? From the parties?” He asked, his lips brushing the top of her tawny-colored hair.

“I was quite fond of you in that maroon sweater, serenading me…” she murmured with a little smile, quickly swallowing back the lump in her throat that always followed shortly after she was reminded the events that followed directly after the karaoke serenade that particular year.

“You mean the year you broke my heart?” Andrew asked coolly, and when her head whipped up, mouth open ready to protest, he grabbed her chin and kissed her quiet, “Just kidding, love. The one time you broke my heart versus the countless years I broke yours…”

“I’m not taking this trip down memory lane if you’re just gonna keep a tally of who was more destructive each year…” Bianca warned, the colors from the Christmas lights reflecting in her bright hazel eyes.

“Promise, I’m not” he assured her. His eyes swept over her, the same girl he’d fallen in love so long ago now a permanent part of his life. If someone had told him back when he was twenty… “Thought you were gonna say, em, that one year in the coat room.”

“Oh” she breathed, eyes widening, “Ohhh…” her pretty pink lips curved into a smirk, “Well… that year was… God, I couldn’t believe how fucking hot you were when I saw you that year.”

Andrew chuckled, remembering the exact look on her face when she entered the room, fur coat half-unbuttoned, “That skin tight dress you wore…”

She nodded slowly, in a trance remembering Every. Single. Detail. Especially the after-party in her flat directly after that.

“I think it was a good year for both of us, huh?”

“Yeah except for when you came the instant you were inside me.”

“HEY!” Andrew shouted, drawing the attention of a few people still smoking on the patio. He laughed, his cheeks blazing a bright ruddy red as the embarrassment crept up his neck. Bianca couldn’t stop giggling, “In my defense… I’d waited an awfully long time for that to happen.”

“That’s very true. C’mere… ” she wound her hand around the tinsel, pulling him down for a kiss, “And if I recall properly… you more than made up for it-”

He’d crushed his lips against hers before she could even finish her thought, “Now that’s one of me favorite memories…” they smiled and laughed as they kissed, “Not my absolute favorite but… it’s up there.”

The tension that had built up between them over the years hadn’t disappeared; and the honeymoon phase was seemingly infinite. Bianca always wanted to adorn his perfectly sweet face with endless amounts of kisses, “My favorite memory has always been the look on your face the moment we spotted each other at the party each year.”

“Mine too” he confessed, his muddy green eyes dancing in the light from the fireplace. “Didn’t thought that, we, em, we’d ever make it here.”

“Me neither. But here we are.”

Andrew took her hand and spun her away from him, the two of them laughing as he pulled her in real close again, “How are we gonna manage to top this next year?”

12 notes · View notes

saiilorstars · 5 years ago

Text

Stars Dance

Ch. 11: Once Upon A Dream

Fandom: Doctor Who Pairing: 11th Doctor x Original Female Character

(Previous chapters)

Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~0

Chapter summary: When Avalon can’t sleep yet again, the Doctor offers to take her anywhere she wants. Avalon chooses the one woman she’s idolized her entire life…Mary Costa.

Avalon awoke with a gasp on her bed. Her hands clutched her blanket as her body shook. Her chest heaved up and down despite her efforts to control her heavy breathing. She looked all around her room to remind herself that she was in her bedroom and not where her nightmare had placed her in. She was in her room, she was safe and sound in her room.

None of it was real, she recited over and over until it stuck.

She threw the covers off and got out of bed. She wouldn’t be sleeping in the next minutes and perhaps a midnight snack might help her along the way. She grabbed her pink sleeping robe off her vanity desk and slipped it on, tying it and leaving a nice bow in the middle. She put on her white slippers then headed out of the room. As she closed the doors, the TARDIS gave a gentle hum as if to coax her back to sleep.

“I’m fine,” Avalon whispered and closed her eyes to take in a deep breath. She just needed a few minutes to calm herself down, that’s all. “Just…fine,” she swallowed and hugged herself as she headed for the kitchen.

She entered and immediately walked for the pantry to find something to drink. Her hands ran through what they had and just as she was about to give up, she came across a strawberry powder pouch. She froze and pulled it off the pantry. She studied the cover and wondered where she’d last seen it. As far as she knew, neither Amy nor the Doctor were fans of strawberry hot chocolate. She looked up from the couch to think when, suddenly, she thought she saw a brunette girl making the strawberry hot chocolate at the stove.

Avalon froze and shook her head. When she looked again, there was nobody. With her nose scrunched, she studied the pouch again. It was just a regular hot chocolate pouch, why was she so troubled by it?

“I’m losing my damn mind,” she murmured when she finally set the pouch down on the counter. She ran a hand through her hair, or at least tried anyways as her fingers got stuck on some terrible bed curls.

The TARDIS started a round of hums, louder than one she’d gave when Avalon left her bedroom. It froze the ginger in her spot. If the TARDIS was giving loud hums, when she and Amy were supposed to be ‘sleeping’, then that would mean a certain alien would hear the hums because apparently he didn’t need a lot of sleep like humans did…and he’d start looking around…and the box would give him the correct room…

“Don’t you dare,” she whisper-threatened the box with a raised finger. “Don’t you dare, I’m fine. Just…had a bad dream, that’s all,” she went in search for a pot, all the meanwhile the hums continued in the background. She rolled her eyes and went to the fridge, taking out a carton of milk, turning just in time to see the Doctor entering with a mildly confused face, “And she dared,” Avalon sighed and moved to the counter, only stopping to yell, “You snitch!”

“Well that’s not a very nice thing to say,” the Doctor said and waited for the TARDIS to respond with either another hum, albeit an angry one, or a spark from the stove. That’s usually what she tried doing to him when he went off on her. But to his surprise, Avalon was able to turn the stove on like normally. There were no hums whatsoever. “Oh, that’s just…” He cast an irritated look on the ceiling. “Your favoritism is getting ridiculous!”

“Could you go fight with your box somewhere else?” Avalon calmly asked while she watched the pot with milk warm up.

“…we live in said box.”

Avalon rolled her eyes.

“what’s going on here, though?” the Doctor inched towards the stove. “Midnight snack? I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was,” Avalon said, eyes darting to the side. “I just…had one of those nights where I can’t sleep. I had a…uh, a dream.”

Once again, the TARDIS hummed again. She seemed to be huffing at Avalon’s statement as if telling the ginger that it’d been far more than just one bad dream.

“I think that was the disagreeing hum,” the Doctor smiled in amusement. He learned those a long time ago.

“You would know that. It’s the only one you hear from her, after all,” Avalon muttered as she ripped the hot chocolate pouch open to spill into the pot.

The Doctor’s smile tightened fairly quick, a natural response given the fact he was biting his tone so as to not snap back. Sleepless Avalon was back in town and the last thing he wanted was to poke at it. “Ava, why don’t we talk?”

She froze in her spot for a moment, letting the last sprinkles of hot chocolate fall into the pot, then snapped her head in his direction. “What did you call me?”

The Doctor was quick to panic at his slip up. In an effort to honor Lena and Rory, he’d been trying to get closer to Avalon and Amy and since Rory had a fond nickname for Avalon, he tried using it. Apparently, it was still a pretty strong nickname. “Oh, uh…just…just a nickname. You don’t like it?”

Avalon seemed to think, but the Doctor wasn’t sure if it was her genuinely considering the nickname or if she was thinking…about Rory.

“Ava…” she whispered, unable to shake the feeling that she’d already heard that name before. She was very picky about her name, never letting anyone give her silly nicknames. She would remember if somebody had tried calling her 'Ava’…so why couldn’t she?

“Avalon?” the Doctor called, but the woman was too lost in thought to hear him. His gaze softened as he saw the struggle in her eyes to remember why that nickname struck a chord. A part of him endlessly wished Avalon could break through and remember everything, but then the other half of him wished she didn’t because once she did remember who she lost…the pain would come with it.

Unlike Amy, the Doctor noticed that Avalon seemed to somehow be on the verge of remembering the deaths of her twin and friend. He did not understand how nor why but he took advantage of that and had taken to dropping several hints about Lena and Rory. There were times when Avalon would seem distant from him and Amy, as if she was trying to remember something important. The Doctor figured it was Avalon’s subconscious trying to remind her of her pain, her missing twin, her sole purpose of living. Lena had been a huge part of Avalon’s life, if not Avalon's entire life and now that Lena was gone Avalon seemed lost. It still left the question of why Avalon could be aware that there was something missing. Amy didn’t seem to have a single clue that she’d lost someone, but Avalon did. It was a curious thing, but the Doctor would never intrude on Avalon’s mind unless he had permission, and to ask permission he would have to explain how she couldn’t remember her sister nor her brother.

Avalon gave up on her thoughts of this new nickname the Doctor (from her perspective) dropped on her so suddenly and returned to her drink, “Sorry,” she murmured, “I must be delirious with this insomnia.”

“You know I can help with that, right?” the Doctor sadly moved on as well.

“Believe me, I’ve tried everything. I’ve been like this for years, now,” Avalon shrugged her shoulders. “There’s no help for me.”

“You can…give me a chance?” the Doctor casually suggested, “I don’t bite you know.”

“I do,” she informed with a small smirk, making the Doctor’s face fall flat.

“I was being serious!”

“So was I!”

“C'mon, Avalon. You really need to rest!”

“I’m good,” Avalon peered into the pot to make sure her hot chocolate was warming up fine.

“But you really do need to sleep,” the Doctor kept insisting, “Can’t I just help…?”

“I’m fine, thank you very much,” she took the pot off the stove and moved away from him.

The Doctor picked up on the slight annoyed tone the ginger used and sighed. He’d been trying, he’d been really trying, to get to know Avalon ever since Lena’s death but Avalon seemed to shut him out. Each time he asked a question about her, she discarded it and moved onto something else. He’d be a little more upset about it, perhaps offended, if Amy hadn’t told him that Avalon did that with nearly everyone she met. The Doctor was a bit ashamed to say that getting to know Avalon had turned into a slight challenge, a challenge he was all for.

“Avalon, c'mon,” the Doctor followed her around the kitchen while she poured her hot chocolate into her mug and cleaned up her mess. “I can do something for you. I can…”

“I’m fine, Doctor,” Avalon returned the milk into the fridge.

“I can make a little knock-out serum?”

“No.”

“I can force you to go unconscious for a while?”

“I said n-”

“Oh! Or, since you can’t sleep for a reason, I can go into your mind and see what exactly is causing it. It’s simple and 100% reliable.”

“What are you even talking about?” Avalon looked up after pouring her drink in a mug, a small amused smile on her face because of the Doctor’s trailing after her like a puppy.

“It’s simple, look,” he pushed the mug away from them and stepped closer.

“What are you doing?” Avalon narrowed her eyes with suspicion when he placed his fingers on her temples.

“I’m just going to go through your mind and find the one thought that’s keeping you from sleeping. Just close your eyes.”

But Avalon knew what that would mean and what he would see. She pushed his hands away and quickly stepped back, “No, don’t do that! I’m fine,” she swallowed.

“I’m just trying to help,” he sighed.

“I don’t need it, thank you,” she reached for her mug and took a seat at the table.

“I think you do,” he plopped himself down beside her, not giving up.

“Why are you insisting so much on this?” she raised an eyebrow, beginning to get irritated that he couldn’t just leave it alone. She didn’t want anyone to see what she dreamed about, no one needed to know.

“Why do you keep pushing me away? I’m just trying to help!”

“Contrary to my fairytale beliefs, I do not need saving, Doctor. Stop it.”

The Doctor remained silent for a minute, wondering just what he needed to make this ginger talk because, oh, she would be talking one way or another. He just needed that one thing that would spark her trust in him. Because that’s how he felt at the moment, honestly. Avalon didn’t trust him. He usually had all his companions willing to talk to him but Avalon was abnormally reserved. It felt like she was scared and he didn’t want her to feel like she had reasons to be afraid to talk to him about her. So, what could be the thing he needed for her to trust him?

Suddenly, he stood up and promptly left the room, leaving a very confused Avalon in her seat. She rolled her eyes and silently drank from her mug. A couple minutes later, the Doctor returned holding something behind his back. He walked straight for the table and stopped beside Avalon’s chair. Avalon brought her mug to her lips and watched him rock on his feet with a big grin.

“You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?”

“Uh, no, I am not.”

With a sigh, Avalon put her mug down on the table and motioned him to go on. Maybe if she went along with whatever he holding, he would leave sooner and she could get back to wallowing in her fear alone. “What do you want?” The Doctor pulled a book from his back and placed it on the table in front of her. Avalon gazed down, raising both her eyebrows when she saw the familiar book. La Belle au bois dormant. It was the French version of Sleeping Beauty, the same book the Doctor told her to read when shed been a child. "What are you doing with my favorite book? You know, the rule about my journal stands with the rest of my fairy tale books: don’t touch them.“

"How would you like to take a trip?”

“Right now?” she asked, looking around with uneasiness, “But…Amy’s asleep. Are you really going to wake her-”

“N-n-n-no, this is just us,” the Doctor cut her off before she got other ideas, though that seemed to make her more uneasy.

“Just us? Why?”

“Well, clearly you won’t be sleeping so why not go somewhere nice to pass the time?”

She gave him another suspicious stare. “Why are you being so nice to us?”

“I can’t be nice?” he challenged.

“No, but this is extra nice. You’ve been taking Amy and I to these big places and-”

“That are completely wonderful, beautiful, amazing, incredible,” the Doctor continued to rock on his feet as he considered more words to describe his adventures. “Feel free to stop me when you think I’m right.”

Avalon playfully rolled her eyes at him. “Bring the smugness down a notch, will you? I mean it, Doctor. You’ve been…weird.”

“This coming from the woman who never utters a word about herself!”

She looked away from him, almost rolling her eyes again. “Alright, so this place…where’d you have in mind?”

“I was thinking fairy tale related,” he watched her pick up the book he’d brought in, “I’m just short on ideas where. Any suggestions?”

She calmly placed the book down and took a drink from her mug. She looked around as she thought, or played the part of 'thinking’. There had been one place she had wanted to go, one person she truly wanted to meet ever since she stepped aboard on the TARDIS. She had just never wanted to ask, despite the Doctor having asked both her and Amy plenty of times for any suggestions on their trips. She’d felt a bit embarrassed asking for that one person, already hearing Amy’s comments on it. Perhaps this trip without her was actually a good idea.

“Avalon?” the Doctor called, bringing her out of her thoughts, “Any ideas?”

Avalon bit her lip and picked up the book again, “Can we…can we meet Mary Costa?”

The Doctor had plenty trouble keeping his excitement away from his face. If he showed too much, Avalon would sure think it was smugness and that was enough to push her away even further. “Why her?”

“You know why,” she pushed the book down and focused on drinking from her mug. Her face was far too warm to face anyone right now.

“Oh? You mean because she provided the voice of your favorite fairy tale-turned movie? Hm, maybe I do,” the Doctor kept the big smile on his face from turning into a laugh.

“It’s not funny!”

“Any specific time you’d like to see her in, then?”

“Nope, just as long as I get to meet her.” Avalon lowered her mug to the table again, letting a minute pass by before asking, quietly, “Would you really bring me there?”

The Doctor nodded at her. It was actually kind of adorable the way her face was flushed. He knew straightaway that she’d been avoiding looking at him for the same reason. “Of course I will. C'mon,” he held a hand out for her to take. Avalon shifted in her chair and while she initially hesitated, she eventually reached for his hand and allowed him to pull her up. “You might want to change first, though. Amy went out in her nightie, don’t know if that’s what you’re going for.”

“You’d like what,” Avalon gently pushed him away and grabbed her mug from the table.

The Doctor stammered behind her. “I-I would n-not! I d-didn’t - I didn’t say that!” Avalon laughed when she turned back to him. “Oh, shut up!”

“Right then…I’m meeting Mary Costa,” Avalon held her breath for a second as she imagined how this trip could possibly go. When it donned on her what the trip was going to do, that she was actually going to meet Mary Costa, her eyes widened. “Oh my god! I’m meeting Mary Costa!” She handed the Doctor her mug and laughed. “I just realize that! Oh! I gotta go get changed! And get the taste of this hot chocolate out of my mouth! It’s not good, actually! Don’t know why I made it instead of regular hot chocolate.”

The Doctor swallowed hard and kept his mouth shut. He’d noticed Avalon had made the pink drink often times for Lena, the brunette woman claiming it was her favorite drink no matter what the season was. Avalon had always remarked it wasn’t better than the regular hot chocolate. It seemed like Avalon had remembered one more thing about Lena…without actually remembering Lena.

“What am I going to wear!?” Avalon looked down at herself in thought.

“I suppose I’ll wait in the console room?” the Doctor asked but the ginger merely gave a wave of her hand as she walked out, still talking to herself on what she’d wear. He laughed halfheartedly and picked up her fairy-tale book, leaving her mug in the sink and walking out of the room. As he walked out, Avalon’s singing was drifting as she went further into the the hallway. When the Doctor her her version of Once Upon a Dream, he thought of the perfect period to visit Mary Costa in.

~ 0 ~

Avalon entered the console room wearing a light pink dress that reached to her knees. It had sweetheart-illusion neckline with a cinched waist and a wide-flared skirt like the 50’s style; the entire dress covered in a sheer white flock fabric with flower designs. She wore pink mary-janes with straps going around her ankles in a spiral, pink earrings and a pink headband keeping her ginger locks behind her shoulders.

“Are we here yet?” she approached the console, rather nervously, something she barely felt in this box despite the usual way their adventures went.

“Oh yes!” the Doctor exclaimed, gesturing to the doors, “I had the perfect year thought out. Mind you, I didn’t know you sang so well.”

The fact was she taken by surprise was clear with by her wide-eyed face. “What?”

“You sing,” the Doctor mused, coming around the console to meet her, “And very well too.” Avalon cleared her throat, wanting to quickly move onto a new topic before she got red to match her hair. “Nice dress,” the Doctor remarked after their awkward silence. “I’m assuming it was inspired for the woman herself?”

With that comment, Avalon found herself blushing again. “Don’t criticize my clothes when you’re wearing that,” she smirked and pointed at his current clothes, “Newsflash: bow-ties are not cool,” she walked around him towards the doors.

“I will take this ship away from this spot if you don’t take that back!” he warned, staying in place by the console just to show her he was serious.

However, Avalon did not seemed to care as she reached the doors, “I’m not taking it back so you might as well take the ship back.”

The Doctor groaned. “Would it kill you to be a little nice?”

“Would it kill you to be a little less childish?”

“What happened to being more respectful?”

“I’m not saying anything that isn’t true. Now quit being a baby and let’s go. You sure Amy is going to be fine in here alone?”

“Yes, the TARDIS is going to keep her safe and sound,” the Doctor promised just as he came over and opened the door, “After you princess,” his teasing face was back on.

“Thank you baby face,” she smirked and stepped out.

The Doctor was an inch close to shutting the door and leaving the red outside. She had a response for everything didn’t she? He took a breath and looked up, “Oh baby sister this is for you,” he shook his head and stepped out.

Avalon was less than pleased with the surroundings, her arms crossed and a big frown on her face, “Well, I think this will be commemorable, alright.”

“Oh don’t be so impatient,” the Doctor sighed and headed for a stair case leading up to a door.

“We’re in a basement!”

The Doctor turned back and headed down the stairs again, “Do you think I’d purposely promise you a nice for a trip, make you dress up for it, only to take you to a dirty basement?”

“…no.”

“Then come on,” he held his hand for her, “Let me take you just where you want to be.”

“You should know that I don’t trust just anyone,” she warned, never knowing the weight her words actually carried for him.

“Then what are you waiting for?” he wiggled his fingers and edged her on, “Let the Fairy Tale Man take you away.”

Avalon folded her arms and leveled his gaze with her own. He had no idea how long she waited for him to say those words, but she’d never admit that out loud. Just thinking it now and actually seeing him made her blush. “And if he tricks me, I’ll slap him until he has to change faces again,” she finally took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the stairs.

“I feel like the detail about my regeneration makes you a bit more violent with me,” the Doctor mumbled as he pulled her up the stairs.

“To be fair I’m violent with anyone. You’re no exception.”

“Hm, not even with the man who brings you.. ” he pushed the door open and allowed her out first.

Avalon stepped out into a professional-looking office styled room with people bustling about. There were desks with piles of papers toppling down, small canvases with sketches sprawled in corners. There was one voice, however, that stood out from all the others and that was what made Avalon start walking towards a hallway. The Doctor closed the door of the basement, using the sonic on it so no one would disrupt their sleeping friend in a box. He looked around and followed after the ginger who looked mesmerized the closer they got to the louder voice.

Avalon stopped at a corner and peered around the turn, her breath hitching when she saw a woman with short, blonde hair and deep blue eyes across. The Doctor looked between the ginger and the woman across and decided to step around and head towards the room.

“Wha…Doctor?” Avalon whispered-shouted as the man walked away, “Doctor? Where are you going?”

“Over there,” he glanced back and pointed to the room.

“B-but, you can’t! We can’t! Get back here!”

“Ha, ha, what’s this? Avalon Reynolds…afraid?”

Avalon stiffened, the Doctor unaware the rather big chord he’d just stricken, and so the ginger fixed herself and promptly stepped from around the corner and started walking. She bit her lip as she stopped at the open doorway of the room, her ears filled with the beautiful singing voice she’d heard so many times in her favorite movie.

“…but if I know you, I know what you’ll do, you’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream…”

Avalon watched as the beautiful blonde woman twirled around in a rather large room, several sketchers using her as the live reference of the princess they were drawing for. The woman, for some reason being Mary Costa, was doing the reference of the scene in the forest and even if she wasn’t a ballet dancer like Helene Stanely (the actual live reference of Aurora) Avalon believed Mary was doing a fantastic job.

On a spin of the actress, she saw Avalon and stopped. “Hello, can we help you?” she asked.

Upon being caught, Avalon gasped and turned around, hurrying away…

When the Doctor yanked her back by the arm. “I don’t think so, red. What’s this? Avalon Reynolds running away voluntarily?” he was genuinely shocked by the ginger’s attitude and yet amused at the same time. He dug into his jacket’s pocket and pulled out the psychic paper, “Come on,” he linked arms with her and walked them inside the room, unperturbed by all the eyes of the sketchers plus the actress staring at them, “Hello,” he greeted casually, holding up the psychic paper, “Sorry to cut off such a hardworking moment but unfortunately that’s our job as…”

“Supervisors?” one of the drawers supplied.

“Yes!” the Doctor pointed at him excitedly, “Supervisors, yup, that’s us. My name’s the Doctor, this is my co-worker…” he looked at Avalon for her to introduce herself but the ginger was frozen and looking straight at Mary Costa, “…she talks…” he eyed her again, awaiting even a squeak that didn’t come, “…most of the time.”

“She’s probably found something wrong with the costume,” Mary sheepishly patted down her Aurora dress, “This isn’t actually my job, Helene couldn’t make it today so I’m filling in. I’m a horrible dancer though.”

“No, you’re perfect!” Avalon suddenly exclaimed.

“Ah there we go,” the Doctor patted her shoulder, “Told you she talked.”

“You are perfect,” Avalon shook off his hand as she walked towards Mary, her eyes nearly burning a hole with her stare on the blonde, “You are the most wonderful actress, voice-singer I have ever heard! You are iconic!”

“Too much talking,” the Doctor said under his 'cough’.

“Why, thank you so much,” Mary actually blushed at the compliments she received.

“No, thank you,” Avalon looked her over, beaming over the costume she wore. She was losing air right now. It was the actual dress she’d seen so many times in her movie. “You will make a wonderful Aurora, I just know it.”

“Thank you,” Mary nodded, extending her hand for Avalon.

Avalon blinked with wide eyes at the gesture, “Oh my god…” she took Mary’s hand and shook it rather quickly, “…this is such an honor! Hi!”

“My you have some strength,” Mary chuckled.

“Oh, sorry!” Avalon realized how big of a fool she was acting and blushed, stepping back, “Sorry, I’m…just…” she looked down and blushed even harder.

“Tired,” the Doctor offered from behind, even more amused than before. He’d never seen Avalon act like that before, so he made a mental note to create more trips like these. This was the real Avalon who had no care for what feelings she expressed. She seemed lovely.

“Yes!” Avalon pointed back at him, “Very tired. Hard work and stuff…”

“And yet still looking so pretty,” Mary eyed Avalon’s pink dress, “Like an actual princess.”

“Really?” Avalon breathed in, grinning like an idiot, “Thank you!”

“Excuse me but we do have a job to do,” one of the sketchers cut the moment short and gestured to the unfinished sketches they had in front of them.

“Oops, sorry,” Avalon quickly backed away until she was by the Doctor’s side, “Go on…” she chuckled nervously.

“What was your name?” Mary asked before Avalon returned to her spot, “I didn’t catch it.”

“Oh, um,” Avalon looked around as she thought of a fake name to use. She couldn’t give her name and then risk it somehow coming out on media news in the 50’s! She had to come up with another name and fast, “I’m, um…Ava,” she suddenly said, smiling nervously, “Ava Williams.”

Behind her, the Doctor nearly choked on his own saliva when he’d heard the name. When Avalon turned to him, she was confused to find him staring at her with wide eyes.

“Why did you choose that name?” he swallowed hard.

“What?”

The Doctor took Avalon towards the doorway, making sure to speak quietly, “The name you just gave. Why’d you choose that?”

“Sorry, I just thought I should play it safe and not give my real name should anything come out to the public about us,” Avalon shrugged, “What’s the big deal?”

“Nothing,” the Doctor sighed, seeing through her eyes that she really didn’t know just how much those two names used to mean to her. Rory would call her Ava and now she even taken his last name. Her subconscious was working hard and it honestly troubled the Doctor. Not even Amy’s mind did things like these and she had been Rory's fiancee!

“You’re weird,” Avalon rolled her eyes and moved to join the rest of the crew as Mary began her little scenes.

Avalon followed the movements of the blonde to the very core, her smile never fading. The Doctor looked down at the ginger with a soft smile, knowing for once Avalon was actually truly happy. What he would give to have Lena with them right now. He’d have let the two twins have this trip on their own as a bonding moment for them like he promised Lena right before she…

“It’s true that visions are seldom all they mean...”

“And if I know you, I know what you’ll do…” Avalon grinned as she followed along in a quiet whisper, actually feeling like her entire dreams were being made true at the moment.

“No, cut,” a sketcher called and the moment ended, much to Avalon’s dismay, “That was wrong!”

“What? What? What? That was just fine!” Avalon rushed towards Mary on the small platform stage, “She was doing fine!”

“No, the twist was wrong,” the sketcher argued.

“What? A twist is a twist, idiot. How would you know what a 'correct twist’ looks like?”

“I’ve been doing this for years now so I damn well know what I’m asking for!”

Avalon’s eyes narrowed with a glare no man wanted to be under, “I am the supervisor and I say she is right. A twirl is a twirl.” And she performed a twirl to prove her point. “Have I made my point?”

Everyone shifted with uneasiness at their strict supervisor, except the Doctor and Mary who were more than amused.

When Avalon felt accomplished she clapped her hands. “Alright then, back to work.”

“Well you have a way of taking control,” the Doctor said quietly when Avalon returned to his side and the others started working again.

“Mm, Dad always said I would make my way up to Prime Minister if I kept it up,” she crossed her arms, the Doctor smirking and shaking his head,.

“Oh, is that what you’d like to be in the future?”

She only gave him small glance and smiled before focusing again on Mary. “She’s doing a fantastic job. I can’t believe I’m actually here.”

When Mary caught the ginger’s looks, she stopped her job and motioned for Avalon to come and join her. Avalon, though heavily stunned, still managed to scurry over. The Doctor laughed when she started twirling about with Mary, once again surprised by how well she could sing.

~ 0 ~

“And you know, maybe you should think about another princess with like big red hair and blue eyes! Oh! With a green dress too,” Avalon was walking in between two people, a man and woman, happily rambling on to the two amused sketchers, “And you can make her Scottish and-”

“Avalon I never thought I’d say this but stop talking,” the Doctor had turned from a corner, nearly covering the ginger’s mouth before she gave more spoilers.

The female sketchers laughed lightly, “Oh she has splendid ideas.”

“Just silly ideas that shouldn’t be pondered on for years,” the Doctor gave a scolding look at Avalon.

“She’s very creative indeed,” the male sketcher agreed with his coworker, “She has the creative juices flowing in her head.”

“Yes, underneath that thick hair of hers, I’m sure,” the Doctor mumbled right before… “OW!”

Avalon had stomped on his foot and turned to face her new friends with a sweet smile. “You two are so kind to me.”

“Is he going to be fine?” the female sketcher pointed at the Doctor behind them, currently hopping on one foot.

“Just fine,” Avalon waved her off with a grin.

“Would you like to see other sketches we have for a future story?”

“Cami, I would love to,” Avalon, graciously, put a hand on her chest.

“Great, Oscar and I will wait for you in the lounge, then,” Cami took a look at the Doctor who was barely trying to set his foot on the floor without wincing, “You alright back there?” she called, looking between the two with confusion. Avalon looked like such a small thing, how hard could she have hurt him with her foot?

“Oh he’s fine,” Avalon shrugged, “He’s over dramatic.”

“Overdramatic!?” the Doctor repeated in indignation, finally standing properly.

“I’ll meet you in the lounge in a bit,” Avalon said and the drawers moved on. After they were gone she turned to face the Doctor with a glare, “Learned your lesson yet?”

“Lesson of what?” he frowned, “Stopping you from giving away an entire character that won’t be developed for another 62 years?” he grew serious of the matter as he continued, “You out of all people understand how timelines work. I know you’re excited and happy and you can’t keep up with what you’re saying but I’m asking you to make an effort.”

Avalon nodded, understanding she was at fault here. He was right, if it had been the other way around she probably would’ve smacked him for doing such a stupid thing. Timelines are important, no matter if it’s letting WW2 happen or making sure a certain movie didn’t develop until 2012; it was all important.

“I’m sorry,” she finally spoke, the Doctor seeing the immediate guilt flash in her eyes, “I promise I will keep my mouth shut.”

The Doctor smiled in relief, “Thank you. Now, why don’t you go and give them pointers on how to make this movie a good one?”

“I can do that?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Well, they had to have gotten their ideas from somewhere, perhaps it was a certain feisty ginger,” he put an arm around her shoulders as they started down the corridor towards the lounge, “Maybe it was a certain time traveling feisty ginger.”

Avalon rolled her eyes at his less than subtle words, “Well…they could use some pointers…” she admitted, “…maybe I could help a little.”

“There we go!” the Doctor laughed.

“I’ll do it,” she declared with a nod and a smirk.

~ 0 ~

Later on, Avalon had gone into a different room full of sketches that had been discarded from the movie. She liked seeing the brilliant, colorful sketches that could’ve been just as wonderful on the television. She heard someone by the doorway and looked up, surprised to see Mary standing.

“I thought they were pretty good,” the blonde remarked, crossing her arms as she came to the table Avalon was at, stopping across.

“Yeah, I think that too,” Avalon nodded.

“Where’s your friend?” Mary looked around to the solitary room.

“Oh, he’s somewhere probably bugging people,” Avalon shrugged as she laid a paper back on the table, “The usual for him.”

“That’s a bit mean, don’t you think?”

Avalon sighed and nodded, “Yeah, it is.”

“Is something wrong?” Mary noticed how quiet the ginger had gone in a one-two.

“No,” Avalon winced, “Well, with me, yeah, lots of things are wrong.”

“Why do you say that?”

“That friend of mine, the Doctor, he’s brought me to this place just to make me happy and I’ve been so mean to him,” Avalon shook her head with a sigh. “My mouth really won’t stop.”

“Has he done something to you?”

“No, that’s the worst part,” Avalon bitterly laughed, “He’s done nothing but take me and our other friend, Amy, to these wonderful places that I would’ve never imagined, and yet I’m still mean and rude.”

“Honey, I don’t understand,” Mary awkwardly smiled, “If he’s done all that then how come you’re still mean?”

“Because I am not a nice person,” Avalon declared with resignation.

“Oh,” Mary blinked. She felt a loss of words in her mind quickly; she’d never been told anything like that with such…acceptance.

“I’m not nice, there’s a fact of my life that stands out,” Avalon walked around, forgetting about the amazing drawings the more she though about it, “It’s not that I like being rude, it’s just…that’s who I am, you know?” she shrugged, “I can’t help what I say. And, I mean, on some level, I’ve grown to be bitter because of my family. Maybe that’s where…all this anger started…”

“What could your family have done to make you, um…?” Mary didn’t want to finish the sentence because she felt rude calling such a nice, lovely girl 'mean’. She didn’t seem like it despite her assurances, the Doctor sure didn’t make it seem like that either.

“My parents have kept a huge secret from me,” Avalon turned to Mary, leaning against another table, “I’m not their daughter,” she said casually, Mary’s eyes widening at the news, “In all their life they’ve only had one biological child, my younger brother. But me? I’m not my mother’s child, and there’s this whole debate about whether or not the Dad I have is actually my Dad or not. It kind of takes a toll on a person after so many years. I guess all that has grown to make me a bad person. You’re the first person I ever tell about this, so…I guess I’m the embodiment of 'bottling things up’.”

Mary smiled softly and decided to walk up to the ginger woman, “Why haven’t you ever tried talking to your parents about this?”

“Nah, I don’t have the least bit of interest,” Avalon looked straight ahead when she answered that, letting Mary know that she wasn’t being honest, “I just wanted my parents to tell me, to look me in the face and tell me that I’m not their child.”

“Alright, I won’t press on that because I can see it’s a touchy subject and probably not my business,” Mary smiled, “But what I can tell you is not to let it affect the person you are today. Don’t let it ruin your relationships with others. That friend of yours, I can tell he really cares about you and he really brought you here just give you a happy moment.”

“I know, and it makes me feel bad that I’m always such a prick to him. He could drop me back home and yet, he keeps me around.”

“Oh, now don’t make yourself sound like a puppy or something,” Mary scolded while Avalon just laughed, “It’s called being a friend, and friends do not leave each other no matter what.”

“Yeah,” Avalon nodded, “Now if I could just be a good friend back.”

“I think that’s possible,” Mary assured, “If you want it, just go for it. Besides, no offense to your friend or anything, but he seems a bit oblivious to your attitude. It shouldn’t be that hard to fix things.”

Avalon chuckled, “Sometimes he gets it.”

“And sometimes he doesn’t, perfect way to make things work.”

Avalon nodded, “I guess. I guess I’ll try with actual effort to be a better person. Because at the rate I’m going, it looks like my father is never going to reveal the secret to me. I thought with the death of my mother, he would finally tell me, but I was wrong.”

“Maybe he just wants to protect you,” Mary offered, “You don’t know under what circumstances you arrived so don’t be so hard on him. Tell me, did you feel loved by your mother and father?” Avalon nodded, “Then don’t worry about everything else. Your real mom and dad don’t matter, sorry if that sounds rude or anything, but it really doesn’t. One day, when you’re ready, you can go look for them but if you feel content with what you have then focus on that and let go of some of that bitterness. I think you look very pretty when you smile.”

“Thank you,” Avalon genuinely said, giving Mary a hug, “Oh you have no idea how much this means to me coming from you.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Mary smiled and pulled away.

“I really mean it,” Avalon insisted, not about to let the woman brush it off as simple help, “You, Mary Costa, are my one and only idol. What you do in this move, I will always remember it. It’s my favorite movie, my favorite princess, my favorite story of all time. Your song, your voice - I absolutely love it. You know, I learned to sing just because of this movie and your voice,” Avalon gave a small, embarrassed laugh, “So to be here, it’s an honor, and to have you advising me…I will never forget about this, ever.”

Mary felt tears build in her eyes at the words she’d just listened to, “Thank you,” she sputtered before chuckling in embarrassment, “Say, how well do you think you sing?”

“Hm? How come?”

Mary smiled knowingly as an idea started in her head, “Come with me,” she took Avalon by the hand and hurried them out the door.

~ 0 ~

“Doctor! Doctor!” Avalon shouted as she ran down the hallways. She’d been calling for a good five minutes for the alien and so far she’d only received the odd stares of the other workers, not that she cared! There was only one thought that ran through her head at the moment. “Doctor! Doc-” Avalon’s shout was cut short when she crashed into the alien himself, “Ow,” she rubbed her forehead.

“Have I mentioned you are really good at screaming?” the Doctor rubbed one of his ears with a frown.

“Comes in handy,” Avalon waved it off, “But that’s not important, guess what?”

“What?”

Avalon bit her lip as a huge, bright smile spread on her face, “I’m going to be in the movie,” she whispered.

“You're what!?”

“I’m going to be in the movie!” Avalon exclaimed and burst into laughter.

“Avalon, Avalon, come here,” the Doctor pulled her to the side and looked around in case anyone overheard, “Avalon, you’re from the future. You can’t be in a movie that’s recognized worldwide!”

Avalon just chuckled, “Oh don’t worry, I’m not actually going to appear in the movie.”

“You’re not?” the Doctor couldn’t follow that, least not without a bit more information.

“Mary, she, um, she heard me sing…” Avalon bit her lip as another excited squeal threatened to escape her lips, “…she thought I was good. Not just that, she said I was amazing. Can you believe that? Mary Costa thought me, Avalon Reynolds, was an amazing singer!” Avalon finally squealed again, “And the others heard me and they think I would be good for the opening and ending chorus. Doctor, do you know what that means?”

“No…”

“If I were to take part in this it would make me the first female singer in a princess chorus theme. Because, for Snow White and Cinderella it was always men…but for Sleeping Beauty…it’ll be me,” she pointed to herself with a big grin, “Please tell me I can do it! Please!?” she clapped her hands together.

The Doctor blinked with surprise, “Wait…you’re asking me for permission?” Avalon nodded, “Am I hearing right?” he tapped his ears, “Avalon Reynolds asking permission?”

“Shut up,” Avalon playfully hit his arm, “I’m being serious. I know my share of information of time traveling but you are the expert so it’s best that you tell me whether or not I can do this.”

“Then…go ahead,” he genuinely smiled as her eyes widened with shock, “You go and sing for your favorite movie. Just don’t let your face be caught on camera.”

“You mean it?” Avalon put her hands on his arms, “You’re not just joking!?”

“I mean it,” the Doctor assured.

Avalon squealed with excitement and hugged him, “Oh my god! I get to sing…in the movie!” she pulled away and stared at him, “I’m going to sing…professionally…like a princess!” she clapped her hands together.

The Doctor watched her with happiness, feeling actually proud of himself. This was the first time Avalon had shown excitement, true happiness about something. It made it even better to know that she was happy over something she loved. He rarely got to see such a spectacle like this so he was not going to ruin this for her.

“Well then, what are you waiting for?” he turned her around, “Off we are!”

“Come with me!” she took his hand, “I’ve never done anything like this.”

“But you’ve committed robbery several times,” he reminded.

“Well…yeah but that was with my friend Mels…and it was just casual.”

It seemed that most of the times Avalon had committed a crime for Lena’s sake had been rewritten into ones she’d committed with that friend Mels. The Doctor had gone as far as asking Amy about the robberies just to see what would be the response. Amy had said that Mels and Avalon simply loved getting into trouble with the law. The Doctor had nearly intervened to say Avalon was not a criminal by choice but by need. But of course that would had to have included an explanation which would then need the re-introduction of Lena Reynolds…a woman who no longer existed.

“Avalon, it’s not casual to steal,” the Doctor sighed, resigning to leave it the way she pictured her crimes, “But yes, of course I’ll come with you.”

Avalon beamed, “Yes! C'mon!”

~ 0 ~

The Doctor was genuinely surprised to find out just how talented of a singer Avalon really was. He’d heard small snippets of her singing but only by accident like she just happening to be humming and singing in whispers when he passed by. He’d never actually seen her upclose and at a loud volume. She sang beautifully and deserved to be where she was now.

“You know, I think she could make it as an opera singer,” Mary had come up beside the Doctor, “Heaven knows I’d go to that show.”

“Me too,” the Doctor smiled.

“One would never think that she’s so terribly sad when we see her like this.”

The Doctor’s smile faded at those words and glanced at her, “What do you mean?”

“Look, it’s no mystery that you’re not from this world,” Mary spoke in a hush, “Avalon carries herself like she has knowledge of this movie, of myself…she’s not from this world. However, it’s not difficult for me to see in Avalon’s eyes the pain she’s suffered. What’s happened?” she met the Doctor’s eyes with seriousness. Because as much as she thought about the bit Avalon told her about her parents, the sadness in her eyes wasn’t because of that. “And don’t lie to me. I also know you’re not really supervisors.”

The Doctor sighed. “Avalon…had a sister.”

“She died?” Mary guessed by the lack of the talk of it from Avalon.

“More than that,” the Doctor swallowed, “She, um…she ceased to exist in the universe.”

Mary’s eyes widened, “Excuse me?” she turned completely to him, “I won’t take a joke like that, you know.”

“It’s no joke, Mary,” the Doctor shook his head, “Her name was Lena Reynolds, Avalon’s twin, and…she died protecting Avalon. There’s cracks in the universe, cracks that can erase things and people from existence and it happened to Lena after she died. Avalon doesn’t remember her but her subconscious tries to fight it by giving her these small moments where she does or says something like Lena did. The pain you see in her eyes is the pain from losing a sister.”

Mary glanced back at the singing ginger across them. There were no words she could say as a response of everything the Doctor had just said. First of all, she could barely understand that it was even possible to be erased from the universe. Second of all, she couldn’t fathom the idea of losing a sister and subconsciously remembering only pieces of her.

“You can’t tell Avalon any of this,” the Doctor warned as he watched Mary stare at Avalon, “None of it.”

“So…she’ll never remember she had a sister?”

“No, no one will ever remember there was a sweet woman named Lena Reynolds,” the Doctor sighed, “Nor a brave man named Rory Williams,” he whispered.

“That is so sad,” May whispered as well, “Now I understand it. A pain like that can never be erased, not even through some magical cracks.”

“That’s why I brought here. She deserves some fun. She always talks about this movie and…”

“That’s very sweet of you,” May looked at him with a small smile, “You’re a very good friend.”

“A better one would’ve saved her twin.”

“Now stop it, you can’t blame yourself for a twin trying to protect their sibling. It’s in the blood to protect one’s family,” Mary sighed, “But I won’t say anything. I’ll pretend like I never met two time travelers,” the Doctor looked at her with surprise, “Please, it’s not that hard,” Mary chuckled, “If you’re not from this world and you have knowledge of the future…you have to be time travelers.”

“You are taking this surprisingly well,” the Doctor said, “I can see why Avalon likes you.”

“She said such nice words to me,” Mary lightly chuckled, “I don’t understand how she can be a 'mean person’.”

“She said that?”

“Mhm, we talked,” Mary nodded, “She’s really sorry for how she’s treated you, by the way.”

“Oh, she doesn’t need to apologize,” the Doctor made a face, “She’s sarcastic and points out my faults. That’s not being mean, that’s just giving me a reality check,” Mary laughed at that, and eventually he did too.

~ 0 ~

The Doctor reopened the TARDIS doors for Avalon and was promptly pushed to the side to let an excited, hasty Avalon run inside, “I gotta see the movie! I got to see the movie!” she exclaimed as she headed for the corridors.

She’d finished recording her voice for the choir version of Once Upon a Dream. She’d asked the Doctor as soon as they were finished if her voice would actually make it into the modern Sleeping Beauty movie and received a deceitful shrug. She needed to get the movie and check the credits as well as actually seeing and hearing her voice in the movie. That made her quicken the visit with Mary Costa. They bid goodbye to the woman and even said they’d be back to visit her in her timeline. Avalon was a bit surprised to hear that Mary had discovered they were time travelers. Of course that meant that she could actually visit and be friends with Mary Costa so that turned out even better than Avalon would ever hope. Oh she truly was thankful to the Doctor for bringing her there, especially because…

The Doctor flinched at the sound of a shrill scream and quickly hurried for the corridors, only to come crashing into Avalon.

“It’s here! It’s here! It’s here!” she jumped up and down while waving the Sleeping Beauty DVD box in her hand. The Doctor realized she screamed of joy and simply sighed, only hoping she hadn’t awoken Amy and scared her. “Look, Doctor! It’s my name on the credits!” Avalon showed him the back of the case.

The Doctor took a look and was surprised to find an ’Ava Williams’ listed as a special feature of the movie. It was a salvaged snippet of her recording the song from the 50’s. It seemed like Avalon turned out to be a bit more famous than she thought.

“I have to see this!” Avalon squealed and hurried to the media room, the Doctor deciding to go check it out. He was curious to see what exactly had been filmed of her.

By the time he had caught up, Avalon had already placed the movie in the DVD player and was watching the opening of the movie. She squealed like a little girl at the sound of her voice that sang the 'old version’ of Once Upon a Dream.

The Doctor smiled and came in to stand beside her, “Well someone is famous now,” he looked at her.

“Al this time…I never even realized it was my voice,” she blinked, “I guess I just never paid attention. I always thought I just happened to sound like this 'Ava Williams’ and…” she started to laugh, “…I wanted to sing just like her…and I am her! I’m Ava Williams!”

“Congratulations,” the Doctor smiled.

“Thank you,” she set a hand on his arm, “Oh! Let’s see the special feature!” she quickly grabbed the DVD remote and navigated to the special features part where the name Ava Williams reappeared again.

She pressed the video to play and found an old black and white two minute video of her doing the recording with the instruments around her. Thankfully, she was looking down most of the time and so made it difficult for anyone to recognize her. Avalon’s eyes teared up as she watched what could possibly be the most treasured moment of her life. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked to see the Doctor holding a hand to her. She wiped her face dry and laughed lightly, agreeing to take his hand.

“I’ll warn you I’m not that great of a dancer,” the Doctor said as they joined together for a dance.

“Then why did you initiate this?” Avalon raised an eyebrow. As they started to dance along to the music from the television, she discreetly looked down and saw he was doing just fine.

“Because I thought you may have wanted to dance to your own song,” the Doctor smiled nervously, “Was I wrong?”

“I’m dancing with you, aren’t I?” she gestured and laughed, “Thank you so much for all this, Fairy Tale Man. I will never forget the moment I was Ava Williams.”

“Neither will I,” the Doctor said. Her face was positively lit up in a way he’d never seen before. It would truly be unforgettable. “Can I ask you one thing, though?”

“Sure!”

“…do you trust me?”

Avalon laughed. “Of course I do! I know I’m…difficult, but that’s just me. And I promise I’ll work on that but…it was never because I didn’t trust you.”

The Doctor beamed at her response. It alleviated his major concern with her. They were friends and as a friend, he’d make sure Avalon and Amy continued to have the best adventures possible.

~ 0 ~

Amy Pond had awoken at the sounds of screams and had rushed out of her bed. She’d grabbed a sleeping robe and slippers then rushed to the corridors. She hadn’t heard anymore screams but her concern wouldn’t fade and so she made rounds and rounds along the corridors, getting the faint idea that perhaps the TARDIS was messing with her a bit because she kept passing some of the same rooms. Amy wondered why the box would do something like that if she only wanted to check up on the Doctor and Avalon. Though when she heard laughter and reached the media room, she had some ideas why she was being forced into circles.

Amy poked her head into the media room and was startled to see the Doctor and Avalon dancing together to ’Once Upon a Dream’, Avalon’s favorite song. Amy watched the Doctor dip Avalon, the curly-haired ginger laughing as she was then brought up. Discreetly, Amy tip-toed away from the room with a big smirk plastered on her face.

Amy looked up, “Alright, we best not interrupt them, eh?” she received a hum from the TARDIS as a response, making Amy laugh and hurry back to her room.

#11th doctor #doctor who #ocappreciation #ocapp #dw imagines #11th doctor imagines #doctor who imagines #doctor who fics #11th doctor fics #11th doctor x oc #oc: Avalon Reynolds #fic: stars dance #noblecrescentedit

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