#i think for all the sass he gives mike he still has trouble standing up for himself to strangers

[campbyler]

graduation anon here! thanks... im a bit confused about this: 'a photo of the six of them, worn almost thinner than the postcard. It was taken at a graduation party Mike lost track of long ago: Max and Will, done up in royal NYU purple, flank the rest of them in a row.'

im in the uk and we dont graduate high school here, so i forgot that this graduation party could have been from high school? but then why would max and will be wearing their uni colours? and flanking everyone as if its their university graduation? sorry to be a pedant lol, i wonder if this has been lost in culture translation lol. but i love the details you add and im so interested in your worldbuilding and how the american summer is so different to ours!

p.s. i also discovered what a squishmallow is through this fic lol. adorable! i really admire will's integrity to be himself and still have soft toys at his age. i wonder what the responses were from anyone who visited his dorm? (unless he saves them for home and camp). lots of love from london x

hello again!! yes, this would have been from their high school graduation in 2022 — max and will are likely wearing nyu tshirts in the photo, just as a symbol of what university they’ll be going to! that’s a pretty common thing in america i would say! i think that they just ended up on opposite ends of the photo, which is why they’re flanking the rest of the party, if that makes sense!

omg welcome to the world of squishmallows! definitely one of the quirks about will that we used to modernize him, as obviously on the show he’s gnc and seen as sensitive and not manly, so to me having stuffed animals (and being unashamed of that) is a good way to bring those traits into a modern au. i don’t think he really got any weird responses from any of his friends, since nyc is one of the most progressive places in the us and soft toys shouldn’t be defined by gender/age anyway, but if anyone said anything mean i’m sure he would just try not to associate w them 🤍

[its-monster-mash]

Paul(The Lost Boys) X Michael’s Ex!Fem!Reader Imagine(Part 1)

Content Warnings: Vaguely Love-Triangley? (Reader and Michael are still good friends and broke up a while before Mike moved, but things are a little awkward because they were each other’s first serious relationship; so he’s more protective than he needs to be, and there might be a few hurt feelings, but I wouldn’t quite call it a love triangle), Brief Sexual Harassment

Part 2

This turned out SUPER long so I’m putting it under a readmore; also I think I’m going to make it a series because I want to go a lot further with this but I suspect I’m going to run out of space soon

• Michael Emerson had been your best friend since you were kids, growing up in Phoenix only a ten minute walk from eachother...if you knew the right shortcuts. You knew all of them, thought you knew everything when you were younger, and you got yourself and Mike into a fair amount of trouble because of it...but he had always been a good kid, and was able to temper your more destructive elements.

• It surprised exactly no one when the two of you eventually started dating, nor did it surprise them when you broke up a few years later. You had always been inseparable, and the love had always been there, but over time you just couldn’t help but feel stifled. You had spent your entire teen years with him, and so many people liked to joke that Mike tamed you...at the rate you were going it seemed like sundresses, picket fences, and a couple of kids weren’t far off in your future...and that scared you.

• Mike was heartbroken when you left him, and for the first few weeks he absolutely held it against you, but due to your shared friends and history your friendship survived. Unfortunately, his parents’ divorce separated your iconic duo once again.

• When Mike’s dad showed up on your doorstep a few days after the move, you tore him a new one for basically abandoning his sons. He set a box on your porch, Mike’s Tools...his Grandpa gave them to him when he was just a little kid and they were one of his most treasured possessions...they were forgotten in the chaos of the move...His dad thought you might visit him sometime...

• That’s what led to you hopping in your shitass El Camino and making the drive to Santa Carla. Lucy had given you their new address before they left...you knew she hoped that maybe you and Mike would get back together some day, but that just wasn’t in the cards. At the end of the day he was just too good, too normal, for you.

• Driving through Santa Carla, you can’t help but be drawn to the sheer...strangeness of it all. Looking at the people, you feel like you actually fit in here. You definitely plan on hanging around the town for a while.

• Mike isn’t home when you get to his Grandpa’s house, but his mom could not be happier to see you. It’s a bittersweet reunion for you; she had been more of a mother to you growing up than your own parents, but after breaking her son’s heart you just don’t feel like it‘s right for you to call her “Mom” like you used to. She has a million questions, and she even suggests you stay with them for a while...you politely decline.

• You didn’t tell her that sleeping in your beat-up old car was preferable to her hospitality, but it would just be too weird, with how recent your breakup was. You and Mike are still friends, but you think sleeping under the same roof might be weird for him

• You still want to see him though, so you decide to explore the town on foot for a while; maybe run into him. You’re wandering around when you hear a familiar voice coming from the open door of a comic book store.

• As soon as you walk in you see the unmistakably garish patterns of Sammy Emerson’s signature style and break into a wide smile. “Long time no see, huh kid?” Almost the second he sees you he practically knocks you over with a hug, backing away in embarrassment after a second of thought. You and Mike were already best friends by the time he was born, so Sam was almost as much your little brother as he is Mike’s.

• “Now What was that about Vampires?” You had overheard Sam and the Frog brothers when you walked into the store...Sam rolls his eyes, and the Frogs assail you with some insane story about how the town is overrun with vampires. Some imaginations these kids have.

• You bail out of there pretty quick in favor of wandering the boardwalk, seeing what Santa Carla had to offer...before you know it, the sun is starting to set

• Maybe going out alone in “The Murder Capital of The World” wasn’t your smartest decision, but you weren’t exactly known for your self preservation; that had always been Mike’s job...but he isn’t here now.

• You grimace as you notice a group of surfers take notice of you. You had wandered a bit aways from the main crowd, so you aren’t sure anyone would notice if things went south... “Hey Sweetie.”

• “Get Bent.” You sneer as they close in on you. “Awe well that’s not very polite,” the leader says, giving your ass a firm squeeze. “You should try being a little nicer.”

• You humor him with the sweetest smile you can muster as you stomp as hard as you can on his foot. He calls you a bitch and you flinch as his fist flies toward you.

• You open your eyes when the hit never comes, and are shocked to see that someone had caught the guy’s fist. You look up at him and your cheeks flush; when was the last time you saw a guy this handsome? “This guy bothering you, babe?” He asks as he squeezes the guy’s fist so tight you hear something pop. The guy falls to his knees and gasps in pain as his friends back away nervously. You smile wickedly. “Not anymore.”

• You watch the douchbags storm away with their wounded pride, shouting empty threats, only distracted when your Knight in Shining Tight-Pants tucks your hair affectionately behind your ear. “So what’s a pretty thing like you doing alone in a town like this?”

• You bite your lip, eyeing him appreciatively; now that you could get a good look at him you can tell he is definitely your type...and you hadn’t been with anyone since you broke things off with Michael. “Hoping to run into an old friend, but I haven’t seen him.”

• He grins, clearly appreciating your look. “That’s too bad, wanna make some new friends?” His eyes are fixed on you with a certain hunger, there’s a palpable danger to him; it excites you.

• You shift your stance flirtatiously, leaning into him ever so slightly. “That depends, are they all as cute as you?” He pokes his tongue into his cheek with an amused grin. “Almost.”

• He takes your mischievous smirk as agreement, and throws an arm around you, leading you back to where his friends are gathered by their bikes. “This the chick you ditched us for?” The curly-headed blond asks, humor in his tone.

• “Well I for one am grateful for the timely rescue.” You grin. “How grateful?” The blond on the bike asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively; making you laugh. Your hero slaps at him playfully, and the favor is returned.

• Seemingly the leader of the group, the spiky-headed blond interrupts the roughhousing. “Paul, Marko, knock it off and let’s go.”

• Paul nods, climbing onto his bike and grinning at you seductively. “You wanna go for a ride, babe?”

• His smile is infectious, and his innuendo isn’t lost on you. Maybe it’s not your safest decision, but you climb on the back of his bike; earning a loud “HELL YES.” From him, and hooting and hollering from Marko.

• “Make sure you hold on tight babe, I’m about to take you on a ride you’ll never forget.” “Shut up and drive,” you tease as you wrap your arms tightly around his midsection.

• They all laugh deviously as they rev their motors to life, and you’re glad you’re holding on tight, nearly falling off when they take off from 0 to 100. “HOLY SHIT!” “What’s the matter sweetheart, can’t handle a little speed?”

• “That all you got?!” You ask, acting tough. It was a mistake though. “That all you got, Paul?” Marko asks, mocking you. “I dunno girl, I think that’s all he’s got.” The big brunette says, first time he’s spoken since you met the boys. “Fuck off, Dwayne!” Paul shouts. The leader gives his engine a rev, egging Paul on. You scream, forced to cling tightly to his back as his bike tears into the night. Marko pulls up next to you, mimicking you with a falsetto squeal.

• “Damn babe, already screaming for me,” Paul teases over the roar of his motor. You’d sass him back if you weren’t too busy burying your face in his back for dear life. You’d ridden on the back of Mike’s bike plenty of times before, but he was never this reckless. You’re as terrified as you are thrilled.

• By the time you start to get used to the speed, the boys are slowing down, and much to your surprise, they pull right up to Michael, who is standing with a girl you haven’t met. His eyes snap to you instantly and go wide with confusion, he hadn’t even been aware you’d come to town. “(Y/N)?”

• “This that friend you were looking for?” Paul asks. “Yeah, (Y/N), care to introduce us to Star’s new friend?” “David please.” You watch the exchange a bit uncomfortably, shifting on the bike, arms still around Paul. “Yeah...Hey Mike, I uh, your old man dropped your tools off at my place so I took them up to your mom.” Your chest feels impossibly tight. You aren’t jealous to see him with a new girl, but you had hoped that maybe he’d be a little happier to see you here...and him, the earring and that jacket...it doesn’t feel like Mike at all. Paul can feel you shrink against him.

• “Hope I’m not stepping on any toes here,” Paul says, giving your thigh an unsubtle squeeze; deliberately antagonizing Michael. You smile a bit awkwardly as Mike scratches the back of his head in discomfort. Star looks between the two of you, avoiding eye contact with David. “No, Mike and I used to date but...” “But it’s over,” Mike says, a bit too shortly, trying to cover the awkwardness with an unconvincing smile.

• David shoots him a not-all together-friendly look. “Well, you seem to be moving on well enough,” he says, gesturing to Star, who shrinks beside him. “So’s (Y/N),” Paul interjects, looking over his shoulder to smile at you. You smile back at him, despite the awkwardness.

• “We should go, Star,” David urges. Star hesitates, but climbs on the back of his bike. Michael looks mortified, and you can’t help but feel awful for him. You’re shocked when David nods his head toward Mike’s bike. “Come with us, Michael.”

• You know the look on Mike’s face; his first instinct is to back out, avoid trouble...but then he looks at you, and he looks at Star; like he’s worried what will happen to you if he doesn’t come along. “Mike,” You don’t have to come, you start to say, feeling Paul tense in your arms. “I’m coming.”

• “This is gonna be so sick,” Marko says with a practically manic grin, before Dwayne swats him upside the head. “Don’t be an ass.”

• “Don’t forget, (Y/N), hold on tight,” Paul says, side eyeing Michael a little less than subtly. Mike rolls his eyes and you shrug apologetically. This is awkward, for sure, but one way or another you want to see this through. Paul and the boys seem cool as hell, and at the very least seem like a good way to get back on the horse after getting over a long relationship.

• You squeeze Paul a little tighter, heart pounding against his back. He revs his engine. “You ready, babe?”

[fire-fira]

Some headcanons for the Dark Turtles and Cody

(borrowing the names for the clone turtles from @onthespectrumwriting‘s fic [Progress], because hell yes).

So, Dark Leo = Len, Dark Raph = Ray, Dark Don = Tello, and Dark Mike = Angelo. (And because this is long as heck, a large chunk of it is under the cut.)

After the original turtles and Splinter went back to their time and things had settled down, everything hit Cody like a ton of bricks. He finally had time to process. He went from “Everything is fine, they’re back home, it’s all great, and it’s only a matter of time before Darius is caught— but now that I know what he’s really like I know to be on the watch and I’m great” to “…Everything is not fine.” - Everything was the opposite of ‘fine’. - Did Cody develop a huge case of paranoia? Maybe, but it wasn’t entirely unjustified. - Then there was the fact that the clone turtles were out there, and they’d been put through worse than he had. - Cue Cody suddenly worrying that the clone turtles were going to wind up killed, and him developing a gradually increasing conviction that he needed to get them away from Darius. - Which also brought up the question of where they could go if he got them out and kept them out of the hands of the authorities. - Cue Cody nearly giving Serling the robot equivalent of a heart attack when he up and decided that if he got the chance he’d invite the clone turtles to move in with him. - Serling was not pleased with this. AT ALL. - When Darius and the clone turtles got caught, that’s when the first hints of Cody’s vicious side started showing up. (He was ready to actually bust into the place where the clone turtles were being kept in order to get them out if they weren’t released to him.) - Yes, Cody was seriously contemplating breaking into a prison and making a jailbreak if he couldn’t get the legal system to cooperate. - Fortunately he managed to get the legal system to work with him after Darius’s trial, even if it took a threat or two and pointing out that the clone turtles were kids and that keeping them imprisoned was child abuse. - Cody Augustus Jones does not play around where his little brothers’ freedom and safety is concerned.

In the course of taking them in, Cody adopted the clone turtles as his little brothers and wound up naming them (since Darius is an ass and couldn’t be bothered). - The fact that Cody adopted them horrified Serling. - The fact that they adopted Cody right back almost horrified Serling worse. - Serling gradually got over it once he was finally convinced that none of them were going to kill Cody. And accepted the fact that Cody was helping them become more functional and less violent. - Serling still doesn’t appreciate the random instances of things accidentally getting broken, or the kitchen getting turned into a wreck due to the boys not yet knowing how to cook (or decently work the stove). - Serling has temporarily banned the clone turtles from touching the stove at least once due to an incident where it somehow caught fire. (It’s a work in progress.)

All five of them have massive trauma and various triggers that can easily be tripped, but they all are making painstaking efforts to be better and help each other be better. (It’s not always easy, but they do better together than they do apart.) - By mutual agreement there are words that DO NOT get said to avoid having buttons pushed. - They also do their best not to startle each other or move fast in the periphery of each other’s vision without forewarning. (There have been several close calls where one of the five of them almost got seriously hurt because of incidents like this. In one Angelo stopped himself just before his claws would have met Cody’s face. It took several hours to calm him down and for Cody to convince him that he wasn’t mad at him.) - Cody usually tends to act as the mediator and gets the others to talk things out after a blow up. Over time Ray starts picking up the habit (when he’s the calm one in the situation) and starts gently ‘feelings policing’ the others to nudge them into thinking things out over whether or not they’re being fair. - Nightmares have a way of resulting in Cody getting glommed onto.

All four of the turtles have physical problems because they were speed-grown, to different levels of severity. - Len had his left eye removed and completely replaced before he and the others were woken up for the first time because that eye was blind; the metal bands on his scalp are part of the structure keeping his cybernetic eye and its housing securely attached to his skull. With his cybernetic eye he can see normal wavelengths of light, infrared, and night-vision, and he can switch among the three at will; but because of one of the fights with Leo an internal part is prone to sliding out of place and causing the vision in that eye to glitch. He is very twitchy about having his cybernetic eye opened and worked on, and is extremely leery of the idea of possibly having to go through surgery to get it fixed. His knees and ankles are mildly iffy at him without support, but the main issue for his legs is blood flow; his ‘pants’/stabilizers add just enough pressure to improve it so it’s almost not an issue. Without, his feet get cold fast. The bones of his left forearm are prone to shifting out of place without the sleeve-stabilizer (which can wreak havoc on his elbow and wrist), so he rarely takes that one off. (The armor on his left shoulder is there to compensate just in case that arm does have issues even with the stabilizers, so that way he’s not entirely defenseless on that side.) - Ray’s knees don’t like him, but he can get by with mild support for them; however his left ankle and right hip are both heavily prone to slipping out of place without his stabilizers (which is really not a good thing since he’s walking on the balls of his feet and is carrying around so much weight). His right shoulder, elbow, wrist, and ribs all have issues and easily dislocate, but the sleeve and rib stabilizers keep things in place. (Also, while the series doesn’t show him taking off his gloves, the ‘talons’ on those gloves are protective metal sheathes for the talons/secondary ‘thumbs’ he has underneath.) -Tello has a weak neck and a jaw that would easily pop out of place without the metal pieces fused to his cheekbones to provide guidance and support. Without his leg stabilizers his ankles are iffy, but his knees absolutely hate him; he will not risk trying to stand or walk anywhere without his leg stabilizers unless he has absolutely no other choice. Like the strips of metal attached to Len’s head, the metal stabilizers on Tello’s ribs can’t be removed (at least not without surgery)— but since they keep his ribs from moving in ways they’re not supposed to, he has zero complaints about keeping them. The stabilizing sleeve for his tail isn’t entirely necessary but acts as armor and shock absorption and decreases the chances that he’ll wrench any of the vertebrae of his tail out of place in a fight. He’s also nearsighted and needs glasses (though he won’t wear them in a fight or during sparring sessions, because he doesn’t want them getting broken). - Angelo’s left knee was bad enough that he has two stabilizing metal strips anchored into the bone to keep his knee moving correctly. His right knee, ankle, and foot are all prone to having the bones shift without his stabilizer, but it’s at a mild level compared to the state his left knee was in. The rest of what he wears is purely armor, so in one sense he came out the least ‘messed up’ of the four, but he’s also the only one with visible ports embedded in his neck (which he has to make sure stay clean or risk possible infection—fortunately he has a good immune system).

Len is a grumpy child who largely wants peace and quiet while being surrounded by his garden. He’s also a snarky hothead who’s full of sass and is really not good at putting on a polite public face. While Cody tries to make sure none of his little brothers ever have to deal with the media, Len is the one who is ‘forbidden’ by his brothers from saying more than a word or two in a single sitting to any media or public figure. (He’s good with his family and when it comes to being honest, but most of the time he doesn’t see the point in public social niceties and that’s something that could easily get him into trouble.) Any mention of the scorpion story puts him in a bad mood that can last as long as a day, and sometimes even longer. The same can be said for him getting called ‘Fearless’ (yes, Len getting called that has been privately banned within the family). He has also been dubbed one of the two members of ‘The Grumpy Brigade’ by Angelo.

Tello is also full of snark and sass, but with a flavor of Science!™, and has a much better public face than Len. When he wants to, Tello can be downright charming and come off as just a pleasantly sociable tech nerd— which means he’s ready and willing to lie through his teeth to increase the chances that his family will just be left alone (and he is not afraid to leverage that pleasant façade to explain away the various explosions he and Cody are at fault for). There are two things that, if he is deprived of, will provoke him to cause absolute hell: his glasses and his coffee. Like Donnie, once he picked up the habit of coffee, he doesn’t do well without it. Unlike Donnie, if he goes too long without his glasses, he starts giving himself migraines due to trying too hard to bring the world into focus. He’s the second member of ‘The Grumpy Brigade’, and one of two members of ‘The Mad Scientist Brigade’ (also a name Angelo came up with).

Angelo is the dramatic theater kid of the family (he really takes after Mikey that way) and is— in his own way— a bright ball of sunshine. He is also abnormally skilled at squeezing himself into spaces that he shouldn’t be able to fit into (none of his brothers know how he does it). He’s charming, he’s funny, and he’s usually ready with a quip or a way to casually mouth off without stepping on any toes. Where he and Mikey really differ is that while Mikey always wanted more friends and company, Angelo is much more cautious about getting close to others. He’s good at putting forward a bright and confident façade, but he doesn’t trust easily and is hesitant to be anything close to vulnerable around anyone outside his family. (He especially hates hearing cop sirens, because it forcefully reminds him of when he and the other three turtles got caught.) If anyone asks him, he’ll insist that he’s the cute one, but if he starts to feel like he’s getting too much attention he’s quick to come up with an excuse that’ll let him nudge Cody into the forefront so he can fade back.

Ray, despite his horrendous temper to start with, has become the voice of reason out of him and his brothers. Soon after Cody took him and the other three in, he became thoroughly aware of the fact that he could do some serious damage as the biggest and strongest of the brothers (to say nothing of the massive talons on his hands), and as a result he has worked his ass off to gain control of his temper and to be as gentle as he possibly can. He still has his moments and flares of temper, but he’s put in enough effort and work that sometimes he’s even more sensible than Cody (though Cody has his reasons for giving into his anger more). Through a lot of effort Ray has become gentle, thoughtful, quiet, and highly inter-personally intelligent. He’s become the sort of person to carefully think things through before he responds (when warranted) and has developed a habit of being deliberate when he speaks— though he tries to be honest when he’s at a loss and doesn’t have an answer for something. He’s a giant teddybear, a complete cuddlebug, and he loves curling up with all four of his brothers in a big pile whenever he gets the chance (though sometimes it’s still a little hard for him to bring himself to ask for it and affection in general). To the public he seems to have a shy disposition, but that’s because he prefers to hang back until he feels like he has a good enough grasp of a situation and the people involved. He’s not comfortable with large tightly-packed crowds or sterile rooms with a single door that’s locked. (Like Angelo, he did not take their confinement well.) Angelo has affectionately dubbed him ‘Sir Snugglesworth’.

Cody is the one who most people think is the responsible and reasonable one— and to be fair, he is up to a point. He’s also absolute hell-on-wheels to anyone who dares to threaten him or his little brothers. When the original turtles were in his home, Cody started out fairly subdued and sheltered, naïve to the trap he was living in. Over the course of finding out exactly the sort of person Darius was, what he’d done to him and his brothers, what he would have done, and the fact that there were people who wanted to keep his little brothers caged after everything was said and done, it isn’t all that surprising that he went from 0 to 60 quick. He has gradually shifted from stuffing down all expressions of anger like he used to, to carefully wielding his anger to maximum effect when he needs to; and because of this it’s led him to prove just how much he absolutely is April and Casey’s great-grandson (both in his careful use of tech in his bouts of moonlighting as a vigilante, and his growing fondness for explosives). Cody may be the smallest of the brothers, but he is protective of his brothers to the point that he will not hesitate to put himself between them and any threat that may come for them. He’s patient and gentle with them, softly leading the way and coaxing them into more fully becoming themselves. He doesn’t hesitate to be a source of comfort for them, and he doesn’t think twice about being the ‘older brother pillow’. (Because of this it’s become a regular thing for all five of them to crash in the living room on bad nights.) He’s also the most skilled at maintaining his perfectly polite, cheerful, and upstanding public façade for the media, and does his best to keep the attention to his brothers as minimal as possible. He’s the other member of ‘The Mad Scientist Brigade’, and Ray actively tries to forbid him from using exploding pucks (thanks to the limo incident). - Yes, Cody blew up an old limo with an exploding puck that had been packed with too much explosive force, resulting in raining shrapnel for several minutes. Yes, Tello is also technically at fault, because he and Cody worked together to design and test the exploding pucks in the first place. No, neither of them regret it (even though Ray took to calling them pyromaniacs afterward).

(Also posted on Ao3.)

[secretblog1212]

Love is a Train Wreck, and That’s okay.

 To @onceyoukaspbrakyouneverkaspback   I hope you enjoy it! Don’t worry, it has a happy ending!

A story of hopeless idiots falling in love through many trial and errors. Many many errors. and miscommunications.

Prompt used: a soulmate au with reddie (eddie/richie)

Warnings for: not descriptive but some nsfw, angsty upset boys, them not understanding feelings, internalized homophobia, homophobia, repressed feelings and of course the big gays.

   Richie chuckled thinking about how he and Eddie finally realized they were meant to be. It truly was a story from some romance book Beverly would read. But the six desperate teens sitting in front of the Losers, looking up to their Uncle Richie with big, hopeful eyes that meant he couldn't refuse.

    “Well, my dear children, the story of how me and Your Uncle Ed's got together is a bit of a wild story, so buckle in. We didn’t figure it out as quickly as your parents all did. This one is gonna be a bumpy ride.”

    Richie sent a loving glance to his husband. His beautiful, amazing, handsome husband then took a deep breathe and began to tell a love story of the ages.

    Richard Tozier was fifteen when he figured out who he would love for the rest of his life. He had spent an entire half of the year waiting for some magical sign, or some movie scene where the light shines on some girls hair and time seems to slow down. Maybe she would walk past him and drop some books, and he would smile and help her pick them up then ask for her number and they would start dating.

    That’s how it goes in the movies, right? But this isn’t a movie, and there is no way Richie's life could give him an easy win.

    Richie found out one day when he was looking at the most beautiful, dedicated person he knew. They were in the middle of an argument with Bev over “Who the best superhero is?”.

    Bev was immediately down for IronMan, an egotistical man changed due to trauma brought on by his own fame turned vigilante then officially turned superhero. Classic character turn around, and Tony Stark had the sass and sarcasm to spice up any movie or comic he was in.

    She gave a strong argument. Tony was one of Richie's personal favorites so it was hard not to side with her straight out of the gate. But when he saw Eddie, red in the face, fully dedicated and willing to defend SpiderMan till his dying breath, Richie felt a swarm of butterflies escape into his entire chest. Since when was Eddie so pretty?

    Maybe he always was, Richie decided, but he was too much of a dumbass to realize. It took a full five minutes for Stan to point out his staring problem, which, valid. Ben even went on to joke that he better be careful not to let any flies in.

    Richie laughed it off like a joke, because maybe his mind was just playing a joke on him. Yeah he knew he played for both teams but he couldn’t ever date another boy. His parents would kill him! So no, no thank you body. He would have to find someone else, a nice, pretty girl to be soulmates with before the year was over or else he might have some trouble in the future.

    Things only got worse the farther into the year they got. Richie was asked at least once a week if he had “Found the one” and he couldn’t very well say “Well yeah, but I can’t date Eddie ‘cause that might make everything weird.”.

    So he just laughed it off, said some joke about how maybe it was that smoking waitress or Claire Welsman from history. Soon enough everyone stopped asking.

    Things got easier to hide the longer this went on. He wouldn’t let himself stare when they stripped in the locker room or at the Quarry. He still forced himself to make jokes and kiss Eddie's cheek just to see him go pink in the face. He still cuddled up with everyone during movie nights and threw popcorn at Eddie and Bev till all the pieces were either thrown in their mouths or on the floor.

    He just had to keep reminding himself that the lovey dovey feeling in his chest when Eddie laughed at his jokes wasn’t real. That Eddie wasn’t adorable, and neither was the dimple in his left cheek or the way he would curl into Richie's side and fall asleep, which really really wasn’t adorable. Eddie definitely was not cute when he would get so wrapped up in homework or studying that his tongue would poke out the side of his mouth. No most definitely not.

    And his perfect world lasted for years. Richie was able to convince the others that there must of been a fluke because he had no idea who his heart belonged to. Until college at least. Well, he did manage to last most of it anyway.

    Eddie's number just so happened to be twenty three, eight years later than Richie. By that point Richie had had many girlfriends and hookups at parties. If he was going to keep denying that he was in love he would at least play it well.

    And when Eddie began to question the gut twisting feeling he had when saw Richie with girl after girl he thought nothing major of it. He just didn’t like to see his friend going with people who were just after a quick fuck.

    But he could no longer deny it when he walked in on Richie and some slutty cop at a Halloween party and ran to Bill crying. The realization had just hit him in the face like a tsunami wave and he wasn’t sure how to interpret it.

    Bill let him spend the night and they went out to the gas station to get a few tubs of their favorite ice creams (Bill’s favorite is Neapolitan while Eddie is much more of a Rocky Road type of guy). He didn’t ask any questions either. The next morning, both of the now adults (scary) woke up with brain freeze headaches and had to get ready for classes.

    Eddie could pretend that this never happened. He didn’t feel sad when replayed Richie without a shirt, hovering over a girl who had no clothes on at all. His gut didn’t drop to the floor and his heart didn’t shatter when he replayed the sounds that came out of said girls mouth. He didn’t know her name. Did Richie even know her name before they had gone upstairs? He definitely didn’t feel betrayed when he saw Richie walking around with hickies over his neck weeks later and was making jokes about it to Stan.

    No, Eddie didn’t want to know and he had to focus on the new diagram his Professor had pulled up with the different muscles on the human leg. He didn't have time to be having any romantic realizations or think about if Richie even liked him the same way. There wasn’t any time for his gay panic.

    So with a lot of self control he pushed his thoughts to back of his brain and focused on learning about how legs worked.

    Eddie's next birthday came and passed and no one mentioned how he hadn’t given a name to his mystery person like Mike had last year. Or how Ben and Bev had when they were both nineteen. Even Richie didn’t make a joke about it, maybe because he was the only other one who hadn’t spilled the beans.

    But college was crazy and they all were stressed for exams so no one had enough time to try to weasel it out of the smaller man. Once the summer started though, that was free game.

    Bill was the first to ask, they had been friends the longest and was just curious to know what would of kept his normally self assured friend quiet. And after a few hours of rambling and more than one drink Eddie told.

    Bill swore to keep his secret until Eddie was comfortable, but at the next Losers movie night he couldn’t hold back the sly smile he shot Eddie's way when he cuddled up with the lankier man.

    Life kept moving, and parties came and went. So did Richie's one night stands and short flings with various girls.

    Eddie was stressing out. Maybe he really wasn’t Richie's soulmate. Maybe he was destined to love someone who would never love him back. Eddie wasn’t even sure if Richie liked guys that way, Eddie had come out years ago in high school but so far as Eddie knew Richie was as straight as a ruler.

    Eddie got good at pretending. Pretending that he didn’t love how warm Richie was when he laid next to him during movies. Or think that his many, many freckles weren’t the cutest thing in the world. And his curly hair definitely did not make him attractive in anyway shape or form thank you very much.

    It was only on their last few weeks of college that anything new developed in the relationship, or rather the lack thereof, of Eddie and Richie.

    Richie was still fully convinced that there had to of been a mistake, Eddie would of said something otherwise right? So he allowed himself to find some random girl and take her upstairs. Being sad wasn’t fun but neither was having a broken heart. At  least sex gave him an escape for a few hours so he could pretend to be normal for just a little bit.

    Of course Eddie had to go looking for him half way through the deed. Richie didn’t have any clothes on and neither did his counterpart, he thought her name might of been Sarah but he wasn’t sure.

    Richie didn’t know how long Eddie had been standing there but he definitely heard the door thud against the wall and saw Eddie Kaspbrak staring at him from the doorway. And yeah, maybe his heart broke a little on the inside when he looked through smudged glasses at his best friends face, but his heart shattered when he saw the man he loved one of his closest friends turn away from him and practically run down stairs.

    Richie removed himself from his compromising position with Sadie and found his pants as fast as he could, grabbing his shirt to put on on the way to wherever Eddie was headed.

    It didn’t take long to find him surprisingly. Richie had been prepared to search all night, but he was only maybe ten feet outside the frat house, staring into the darkness of the woods.

    Richard Tozier walked up to his friend, he didn’t know what to say. What even could he say? I’m sorry? That wasn’t good enough.You shouldn’t of had to see that? No. Not good enough for Eddie. His Eddie who he ignored for over eight years now.

    “I- I am so sorry Eddie. You deserve so much better than me.”

    Eddie did not turn around when he cleared his throat and responded. His voice was strong, and he was sure of himself.

    “Who said I wanted you in the first place.”

    Richie’s heart must not of broken before hand. What he felt was only a fraction of the crippling pain that throbbed in his chest at those words. But he deserved it. He fully deserved it.

    There was not a single thing he could say as he watched his Eddie walk away.

    And when Bill found him sitting on the curb a hour later he walked him to his apartment and told him to get some sleep, that he would call Bev and Stan and have them come over but Richie asked for Bill to go check on Eddie.

    Bill hurried on his way over to his best friend. He had kept his secret all year, he was the only one who knew what was going on between them and he knew how much this must hurt both of them.

    When he found Eddie he was sobbing on his porch floor, his hands were shaking too much and his vision too blurry to get the door unlocked and open. Bill let Eddie cry on his shoulder for days until he ran out of tears to cry. Then he just felt hollow and sore on the inside which might of been worse.

    Eddie and Richie did not talk for two weeks. It was tense and awkward but Eddie decided he had enough crying and that he and Richie needed to have a talk so things could go back to normal again. Eddie hated unexpected change.

    Eddie knocked on Richie’s apartment door, waiting patiently for his life long friend to answer. He was not expecting red rimmed eyes or tear stained cheeks to answer the door. That wasn’t his Richie, his Richie was the one who smiled and goofed off. His Richie didn’t cry.

    “I think we need to talk Rich.”

    Richie just opened the door further and Eddie walked in. They sat on Richie's hideous,  lumpy couch in silence, both gathering  their thoughts.

    “I shouldn’t have-”

    “It isn’t my place to-”

    Their eyes met for a second and Richie chuckled for the first time in two weeks. “You first Eds.”

    Eddie cleared his throat and looked down at his hands. They were sweaty and gross, no matter how many times he wiped them on his pants the clamminess wouldn’t go away.

    “It isn’t my place to tell you who you can and cannot have… have sex with. And it wasn’t fair of me to be angry at you when I never said anything before and I really shouldn’t be jealous or angry because we aren’t dating but I- I think I love you Richie.”

    Richie was at a loss for words. How could he tell this amazing person that he had every right to be angry. Richie knew he was in love with him since they were fifteen and he had practically been cheating on him this whole time! And wait- what did Eddie say. He must of heard him wrong.

    “No! It’s my fault Eds. I. Ever since we were fifteen. I knew but I didn’t tell you. You have every right to be angry with me, be furious. I know I’m a trash human being and I’ve basically been cheating on you this whole time because I knew and-”

    “Woah woah, you haven’t been cheating on me at all Richie. We weren’t even dating which is why me being upset is ridiculous and I wanted to apolog-”

    “But it isn't. I knew I was in love with you when we were still kids and I thought maybe If I pretended not to be that you would get someone who deserves you. You should get someone so much better than me Eddie.”

    Richie felt his throat closing back up, and his voice was croaky again. He didn’t want to cry right now. God why was he so bad at this. Eddie deserves so much better than some crybaby cheating bastard like him.

    “Richie, I don’t want anyone else. I have no right to be upset with you and I did the same thing by pretending that I didn’t… feel anything towards you. You’re one of the best people I know and one of my best friends. It just hurts. Seeing someone else with something that you wanted so badly.”

    “God Eddie.” Richie could feel tears threatening to start running down his cheeks but his face already felt sticky and gross and he didn't’ want to cry anymore. “You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to tell you that for years.”

    They didn’t say I love you after that. Eddie held Richards hand while he cried and wiped away his tears. They turned on a movie but didn’t cuddle up this time, just watched it in silence, holding hands, before both of them passed out.

    Things didn’t go back to normal immediately either. They were still stiff and figuring things out but they went back to being friendly to each other and after a few months explain to the very confused losers that Richie was Bi and had kind of been in love with Eddie since they were fifteen.

    They laughed about it a few years later. Richie and Eddie were going strong for three years when they were able to laugh about how stupid they were as kids. Both were so much happier, and so what if Richie never told his parents or when Eddie told his mom and she cried and screamed about how he was sick and she would help him “Baby just please come home. Come home to mommy and let me fix you up.”.

    They could live independent of Derry. They had for years now.

    A couple more years passed and Babies started rolling around. None of them theirs yet. Adoption was an idea but that was for much later down the road. The Losers were all so excited. Of course those kids would be born with their own numbers that would tell them when they would find the love of their life. And like all curious kids they would ask questions to their Mom, Dad, Aunts and Uncles.

    Another couple of years and Eddie would come home to Richie looking at babies with a wanting glint in his eyes. Sure Stan and Bill had kids with their wives and Bev was trying but Richie had always wanted a child to love and call his own. Papers were made and the two began the long process of finding a child who fit them perfectly. She was four and they both loved her with their entire hearts.

  It took some getting used to but their lovely daughter loved her dads, and her dads loved her. They loved each other more than they ever could of imagined. They were scared. Scared of repeating their parents mistakes. It wasn’t fair, life hadn’t treated them kindly, they had to work for everything they got and they held it to their chest like every second meant to world to them, because it did. They had to fight before they could be happy, and they never wanted to need to fight for that right again.

    “So yeah, we had a bit of a rough start but when it’s someone you love it all works out. So don’t stress about who it is or having the perfect romance together. Sometimes having a train wreck is what brings you together.”

[greenhearts16]

Chapter Four: Surrey

It’s easy to judge what you don’t understand

Fifteen Years Earlier: After the disappearance

"What is your relationship with Michonne Westbrook?" Dale Horvath asked, sitting down across from the young man.

"We are – were dating."

The detective flipped open his notebook, scribbling on the page before looking up expectantly. "And when was the last time you saw her?"

He paused, thinking for a moment. "Maybe about two weeks ago?"

Detective Horvath eyed the young man carefully, looking for any signs that he may be lying or hiding important information. This case was high profile and British Intelligence were already alerted an involved. "You seem a little unsure, Michael. And you're dating Ms. Westbrook, correct?"

"Yes, I believe that's what I just said. We went out a few times," Mike shrugged, rubbing his palms against his thighs. "She's a cool girl, but she's not my girlfriend or anything."

"Where were you on the night of the 27th?"

"I was out in London with friends," he answered immediately. "We were at a pub having a few pints."

"At that point, you hadn't seen or heard from Michonne in a few days, correct?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "We just went out a few times. I didn't know that I was supposed to keep track of the girl because of a few dates She started blowing me off anyway. We haven't been on an actual date in over a month and a half. I think she lost interest and to be honest, so did I. I'm sorry to hear that she's missing though."

The man continued, ignoring the young man's response. "During your time together, did Michonne express any anxieties. Strange behavior? Did she talk about running away? Did she seem as if she were afraid of someone? Anybody new hanging around her?"

"Well," Mike said, stroking his chin as he met the investigators unblinking stare. "There was a guy."

The detective arched his eyebrow. "A guy?"

"Yes."

"What did this guy look like?"

"Other than him being white with dark hair, I really couldn't tell you. I never got a proper look at him. He was just there and then he wasn't. Strange bloke."

Present

Michonne stepped into the hallway outside her mother's bedroom and nearly collided with a small figure. "Hey," she said, grabbing the young boy and holding him steady in case he fell backward. "What are you up to?"

"Hey Mom," André said sheepishly, taking a small step back. "Is grandma in there?"

"Yes, but Grandma's sleeping. You will meet her later, okay?" The Westbrook matriarch had managed to exhaust herself with all the tears from built up guilt, anger and resentment.

"Wow, she sleeps more than Judith," the boy huffed, pulling at the edge of his shirt. "Is it true she doesn't like us," he whispered conspiratorially. "Is that why she's sleeping so much? Sometimes I pretend sleep when I want Carl and Colette to leave me alone."

"Sweetie," Michonne said gently, leaning down to meet her son's dark brown eyes. "Grandma is very sick. She has to sleep a lot because her energy is low. And what gives you the idea that she doesn't like us."

"Well, Carl said that's why we've never met her and she never calls," the painfully honest boy replied. "Plus we heard you and Dad, mostly Dad, yelling about her and coming here when we were back home."

She silently cursed her husband's lack of an angry inside voice. "It's more complicated than that okay? Your Grandmother loves you. In fact, she's very excited to see you, your brother and your sisters."

"Really?"

"Of course. She's your grandmother. You're her family," she said, putting an arm around the eleven-year old's shoulder as she guided him away from her mother's door. Like her brother Amare, André had always been a little small for his age. "For now, we'll let your grandmother rest and we'll go find your brother and sister."

"Dad's actually outside with Carl and Colette," he informed her. "Grandpa James is showing them the pond and of course Dad wanted to take pictures."

"You guys had lunch yet?"

He nodded his head animatedly. "Chef Morgan made lunch. I just finished eating." He snapped his finger as if he finally recalled something. "That's why I came to find you. Dad said you need to eat something."

"Of course he did."

As they entered the kitchen, Michonne grabbed a plate, taking a small helping of food. André sat down at one of the bar stools smiling up expectantly at her. "We should do something nice for Grandma, since she's sick."

"That's a great idea," she said as she sat down with him. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well since she doesn't really know us that well, maybe we could make her something to introduce ourselves to her," he mumbled. "We can show her who the Grimes are. Dad has a lot of cool videos and pictures. We can put something together like we did for your birthday."

She smiled at her son in admiration. "You're so smart. You should definitely talk to Carl and your Dad and get this going. Your grandmother would love that."

"Cool," he nodded. "Carl's still in a bad mood though. He wants to call Enid, but there's time difference and Dad says he's still technically grounded for fighting Ron."

"That he is."

"Mom?"

"Yes Andre."

"Are we staying in tomorrow too?" He was already getting antsy. He got that from his father.

"We might," she answered. "Aunty Sasha and your Uncle will be here with your cousins."

He nodded his head, staring down at the table. "She's going to die isn't she?"

"Die? Who –" She realized who he was referring too. She was unsure of how to answer especially since it was something she didn't particularly want to think about or face. She didn't want to lie to her son either. "She's very sick, but we don't know yet."

"I still don't understand why we never visited before. Isn't that what people are supposed to do with grandparents? Visit them and stuff?"

A small cry erupted from the baby monitor. "Looks like your sister is up," Michonne sighed, dropping her fork as she stood up. She was glad for Judith's timely distraction. She always tried her best to be honest with her children, but this wasn't something she was ready to discuss as yet. With the amount of guilt that consumed her, she needed more time.

André followed her upstairs where they found Judith, sitting upright and contentedly kicking her feet as she slobbered on her tiny fingers. "Hi Judy," André cooed as he brushed past his mother to stand over his youngest sister. He took her birth much better than he did when their six-year old Colette was born. After Colette was born he went through a phase of jealousy. He was so used to being the baby that he felt jilted by all the attention the loud needy baby was getting.

Judith gave her brother a bright smile, happily kicking her legs and waving as she giggled. "Your favorite brother is here." He tickled her little foot. "You like me better than Carl, don't you?"

"Day," she squeed in her attempt to say her brother's name. "Day. Day."

"Yes Judes," he said. "Dre is the bestest big brother."

"Car!"

"Well I guess he's alright too. But Dre really is the best," he cooed.

"Day bess."

"Oh my goodness!" André shot Michonne a look of excitement and surprise. "I think just agreed with me."

"You're so silly," she laughed, shaking her head at her jovial son. He always managed to put a smile on everyone's face.

"There you three are." Michonne and André turned to find Rick standing in the doorway wearing a small smile. He stepped into the room pulling of his light raincoat and placing his camera down on a table.

"There's ice cream downstairs bud," he said, ruffling André's hair as he came toward the bed. André didn't have to be told twice. The boy bounded out of the bedroom. His sweet tooth was like no other.

"Did you eat?"

"Yeah." She didn't bother telling him that it was only a few bites.

"Carl is still bitching about Enid," he said as he took a seat on the bed, pulling her down to sit with him. He smiled down at their daughter who was seated in her mother's lap happily exploring the room with her eyes as she babbled Dada. "He wants his phone back, but he's still on punishment though so I'm not budging. He fucked up that Ron kid's face."

"André told me you guys got into it again this morning." Carl was going through his rebellious teenage phase where he sassed his parents and did the exact opposite of what he was told to do. He was basically a tame version of what Rick had apparently been like at that age. In the week before arriving to London, he had skipped English class, fought a kid named Ron Anderson and got caught trying to smoke.

"The boy just doesn't listen," he said shaking his head. "I don't know where the hell he gets it from. He's gonna be a troublemaker."

"Don't know where he gets it from?" She scoffed, nudging him playfully. Carl had the makings of being as mischievous as his father had been. They had a similar way of inviting trouble. Luckily, he also inherited his father's loving spirit. "Leave my baby boy alone. He can't help what's inherited."

Rick smacked his forehead as if he missed a painfully obvious answer. "Oh right. I keep forgetting that you were a delinquent, Tipsy." A small smile formed on Michonne's lips. It had been quite a while since he referred to her by her nickname.

"Let's face it. With the things we've gotten up to in the past few years, our kids are basically doomed. They're natural troublemakers," she laughed. "Better they be like me than you though."

"True," he shrugged, as he moved to lay back on the bed. He patted the space next to him so Michonne could do the same. "I mean, I did break a priceless vase and punch your gatekeeper in the face on my first visit to Winfield house. That first impression was a lasting one. What was his name again? With the mullet. Eustis?"

"Eugene." She laid Judith down, between them moving to mirror Rick's position, lying on her side facing him. "Poor guy was just trying to do his job."

"He was the gate guy, not a fucking bodyguard. He had no business touching me. Especially when I was worried about you," He rested an arm on Michonne's waist making feather light patterns on the upper part of her hip with his fingers. "And he was an accomplice in my eyes. I couldn't let them take you away from me. Even if I was some country bumpkin trying to trap the Ambassador's daughter to get to her trust fund money."

"Nothing can stand between Rick and Michonne," she said quietly, as his hand slipped under her loose blouse to rest on her belly. It was something she had repeated to herself many times over the years. They made a promise to always stay together and they kept it. Even at the cost of family.

"How is she?"

Michonne's breath hitched as her eyes met his empathetic ones. She remained silent at first, gathering her thoughts and feelings about her earlier conversation with her mother. How was Winnie? And how did she feel about it?

"It hurts," she finally sobbed. "Seeing my Mom like that. She was like Superwoman to me when I was growing up and now she's like a small helpless child. She's so weak." She brushed away some of her spilled tears. "And James told me that the doctors don't think she'll last much longer. I spent such a long time being mad at her, but I can't lose my Mom, Rick. Not for good. Once she's gone, that's it. No do overs. I just can't imagine that. Why did I take so long to come back?"

He pulled her as close as he could get her with Judith nestled between them, as her tears spill freely. Years of pent up rage, betrayal and frustration came crashing down. She had so many regrets. She wished she was a better daughter. She wished she made better decisions. She wished Rick had never met Negan. She wished she had been a bigger person. She wished she didn't let their estrangement go on for such a long time, especially knowing how stubborn Winnie could be. She would always win in a game of silent treatment.

Most of all, she wished her brother was still alive.

"Love you Tipsy," he sighed, resting his head against hers.

"Mama," Judith said, making herself known smacking her little palm against Michonne's arm in an attempt to move her. She fussed, growing tired of how closely they were huddled together. "Mama no!"

"Okay, okay. I'm moving," Michonne laughed through tears. "This one is no joke."

"We've got some tough ass Grimes kids." Rick lifted their daughter in the air, grinning up at her. "Isn't that right Judes? You want your space, don't you?" He sat up, placing his daughter on his lap as he pulled his wife properly against his side. She rested her head against his chest, still sniffling from her cry.

They spent the rest of the afternoon wrapped up in the large bed, enjoying the brief silence before one of the kids came knocking or crying.

Winnie was sitting up in bed, propped up by a stack of pillows, when Michonne walked into her bedroom that evening with three of her children in tow. Once again, she was taken aback by how small and fragile her mother appeared beneath the thick blankets. James was seated in a large armchair next to her and he smiled as they entered.

"Hey Mom."

Winnie offered them a small smile as the three children, stood awkwardly around her bedside. Carl, the dark-haired blue-eyed boy seemed like a clone of his father. The eldest boy, stood out amongst his clearly biracial siblings, sharing no physical characteristics with the woman he had come to know as a mother.

"Mom, this is Carl, André and Colette," Michonne said, pointing to her three oldest children as they offered small waves. "Rick is getting Judith."

"You were just a little thing when we last saw you," she said to the eldest boy. He gave her a tight-lipped smile but didn't respond otherwise. Michonne gave his shoulder a light comforting squeeze.

"And you," Winnie said, shifting her gaze to André. It was like seeing a ghost. Every breath she drew and every word she spoke left an aching pain within her body, but she was determined to not let it show. "You look just like your…like your Mommy and her brother." The boy looked up at his mother with a bright grin almost identical to Amare's.

"Mom always says that I look like her brother Amare," he laughed. "Carl and Judith look more like Dad, but I'm glad I look like him and Mom. I wish I could have met him."

Tears welled in Winnie's eyes as she looked at the little boy. She was filled with regret about her daughter's estrangement. There was no reason good enough for them to have gone so long without speaking. Because of their stubbornness, she missed out on seeing her grandchildren grow up. She drove her daughter away and missed out on healing old wounds.

"And little Colette," she sniffed, looking at the six-year old girl that was clutching on to her mother's side. "I'm your grandma." She looked up at Michonne. "She's so pretty. I can see a little of you in her. You have beautiful children sweetheart."

"We have beautiful grandchildren," James said, squeezing her hand lightly.

She imagined what it would have been like if they had made up earlier or were visiting under different circumstances. Her body wouldn't have been plagued with the deadly disease, she would have been a few pounds heavier and she would have been able to properly host her family and interact with her beautiful grandchildren.

There was a light rap on the door and all of the room's inhabitants turned, starring expectantly as they waited for the last two members of the Grimes family to enter.

As the door opened, Winnie's eyes landed on the man who she held responsible for the whirlwind that was the past fifteen years. His very presence was chaotic and it was as if waves of mayhem emanated from him. He stood in the doorway of her large bedroom, baby daughter in hand, staring impassively back at her. She closed her eyes taking a shallow breath before averting her gaze to her daughter.

"Hello Winnie. How are you feeling?"

She didn't dare look at him. She couldn't. Merely breathing and hiding the pain of her illness consumed so much of her of her energy and concentration, she wasn't sure there was enough left in her to pretend that she didn't hate this man with every fiber of her being. "Hello Richard. It's been a long time since I've seen you too." She still didn't trust him, but she didn't have the energy to be anything other than stoically civil. "I'm just hanging in there. I don't feel great, but…that's the way it is these days."

He nodded as he moved further into the room, stopping behind his wife as he placed a comforting hand on her lower back, rubbing gently. "I see you've met the others." He glanced at André who was already nestled near his grandmother. He had always been quick when it came to warming up to new people. "This is your granddaughter Judith. Our youngest."

Winnie's eyes slowly moved to the child in Rick's arms. She was a spitting image of her father. She saw a little of Michonne in the eyes, but the child was pure Rick. "She's an adorable little thing." There was a knot in her throat. "It's been so long since I've held a little baby."

"Would you like to hold her?"

Her eyes found Michonne's. "Will you help me Chou-chou?" She weakly held out her arms. "I just want to…"

"Of course Mom." Rick handed their youngest child to Michonne, who moved to sit beside her mother on the bed. The woman tried to sit up straighter as held out her shaky arms for Judith. Michonne passed her daughter to her mother, settling the child in the older woman's lap while helping to support her weight. Judith stared at her grandmother with unblinking and innocent hazel orbs.

Tears welled in Winnie's eyes as she watched her grandchild. She always loved the pureness and innocent that babies could bring to a room. "I'm grandma," she rasped. "I'm your grandma and I love you so much." She looked up at the three other children around her. "I love you all and it's so great to meet you." Tears welled in her eyes. She promised herself that she would keep the crying to the minimum around the children, but it was an emotional moment. "Take her, chou-chou."

Once Judith was safely returned to her mother, Winnie looked around the room at the newly introduced family with dreamy eyes. She tried to memorize every little detail on their faces, trying to commit them to memory. These were faces she needed to remember. "I'm so glad you're all here. I'm happy," she said softly. She meant every word.

Fifteen Years Earlier: After the disappearance

Winnie stood frozen in the doorway of her daughter's chilly bedroom. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, but her feet were growing tired. She wasn't sure what she wanted to look for and she was afraid of what she would find. She slowly entered the room, eyes raking over its contents for any clues as to what may have happened to her daughter.

Nothing seemed particularly out of place.

The bed was made.

Horvath's words replayed in her mind.

'She walked through those doors on Friday and as far as eyewitnesses go, she never walked back out of that front door. Yet, nobody had laid eyes on her since Friday night.'

She didn't like that he looked at her as if she were a bad or incompetent mother. How dare he judge her as if she didn't know her own child?

Winnie opened Michonne's spacious closet, stepping inside. Some of her clothes were on the floor and there were many open draws, but there wasn't anything alarming about that. She had the tendency to get messy when trying to find the perfect outfit. Her eyes caught the pink fabric of the dress Michonne was supposed to wear to her birthday gala that never took place. She reached forward lightly caressing the soft fabric as she thought of how beautiful it would have been. She had hoped the girl would have worn it for her upcoming graduation party.

She reemerged from the closet, scanning the neat bedroom once again. She couldn't get the man's critical voice out of her head.

'This is turning out to be a very curious case.'

An open book sat on the desk, which faced an open window. A cup that held pens was knocked over and some other books were haphazardly stacked in a corner. A cool breeze wafted through the room as Winnie slowly reached for it, recognizing her daughter's writing. She slowly flipped through the pages, where Michonne documented her day to day thoughts and ideas, until she came to the last entry. The page following the entry had been ripped out.

Her heart hammered in her chest as the final words and the bottom of the page stuck out to her as if they were written in neon lights.