#if Amelia really spent a long while making sure her request was clear and there were no loopholes to exploit

[soraavalon]

Nicholas: Apparently, Amelia went to the Hexweaver and made a deal; A favor for a favor. Should the bargain fall apart, she would be released from it. Should she fail her side, then her soul would enter the contract. Nathaniel (OOC): [in chat] is she the reason mori lost his hand Nathaniel: Okay. Nicholas: I'm told she held onto it for some time trying to figure out the exact wording, making sure there were no loopholes, eventually things aligned. I came home to find Mr. Kilmister met with some... accident one winter. Tark (OOC): [in chat] LOL Nicholas: She had hoped that the loss of his hand would send him home. It did not. As she believed that her side of the bargain was not fulfilled--- Moriarty (OOC): [in chat] you galvanized him Nathaniel: Oh... DM: Does Nathaniel say anything? Hunt (OOC): Oh! Tark (OOC): [in chat] go mom XD so sorry mori but Moriarty (OOC): [in chat] that backfired so hard Nicholas: She... yeah. She believed her side of the bargain had not been fulfilled as Moriarty had not gone home after the accident. She was told that was not the Hexweaver's responsibility, he had done his part. She refused to entertain whatever he was going to offer, feeling cheated and thus her soul entered the contract and out of spite because he's a f- a devil, The Hexweaver placed a withering curse on your mother. She tried to break it herself for a long while before she finally confided in me that what had happened, why I was watching her wither and waste away in front of me. Moriarty (OOC): [in chat] OH SO YOU PLAYED YOURSELF Nicholas: So we sent the boy home, started working on any cure that we could. Tark (OOC): [in chat] curse? *eyes emoji* Nicholas: We thought maybe placing her soul in the clockwork doll. Nathaniel: Oh, that's why it didn't work. Nicholas: Right. Technically, she had to die to change vessels and he was waiting and he almost took her from me. And it broke us both to bring her back. There is, she says a part of herself is in the Hexweaver's grasp, in the Hells. What is gone was supplemented with my own soul. We cannot go too far from one another, we share much now. Marigold (OOC): [in chat] so roadtrip to the hells? Nicholas: That she's here adn that's what matters. Tark (OOC): [in chat] Tag me in boss! Nathaniel: Alright Nicholas: I know this is a lot. Marigold (OOC): [in chat] *inserts gif of Crowley maniacally laughing* Nathaniel: 'A lot' is an understatement. Nicholas: Yes, well I've never had her way with words.

[callsign-dexter]

Just Like Daddy

Request: can I pease request a mav x daughter reader where mav is trying to idk work out maybe and the daughter wants to join. so while maverick is working out his daughter had little 1 lb weights to copy his moves.

100% your choice

Pairings: Maverick x Daguther!Reader, Penny Benjamin x Daughter!Reader, Maverick x Penny Benjamin

Warnings: fluff

Masterlist

As soon as The Daggers were back from the Uranium Mission Maverick proposed to Penny and it was an instant yes. He loved her and she loved him. There was no way she was gonna say no and that made him smile. They spent a year being engaged and they finally married on the beach right in front of The Hard Deck. The ceremony was beautiful, it was done right at sunset when the sun was going down over the horizon with a soft breeze that moved her dress and her bridesmaid’s dresses. Amelia was Penny’s maid of honor and Bradley was the best man, they took getting the ceremony perfect seriously and they did not disappoint.

When the wedding was over the reception was taken inside of The Hard Deck but it had spilled out onto the beach. It was perfect all the way around. As the night was winding down, they pulled Ameila over to the side and had a conversation with her. “Congratulations to you both! I’m so happy to have you as a father, Mav.” Amelia said and that brought a smile to his face.

“I’m happy to have you as a daughter. Speaking of kids.” He trailed off and she got a look of excitement on her face.

“Wait, is mom pregnant?” She asked and they both laughed but shook their heads.

“No, honey but we were wondering how you would feel if another kid was brought into this family.” Penny asked

“Yes! A little sibling would be great, especially a little sister.” She said looking at them and smiled.

“We just wanted to clear it with you before we started to try.” Mav said and she smiled.

“Thank you. Thank you for asking me and making my mom happy.” She said to Mav while hugging him.

“Of course, you girls mean the world to me and this baby will too.” Maverick said

The rest of the night went without a hitch and now they were being shipped off to their honeymoon in Jamaica.  

They got pregnant on their first try which was on the last day of their honeymoon. Which was a surprise but it was not unwelcomed. They found out officially a week later and were ecstatic. After the first trimester they were comfortable with telling everyone and they were so happy for them that it was unreal. The two that were probably more excited than the parents were Ameila and Bradley.

9 months later they were welcoming a beautiful healthy baby girl, Y/N Y/M/N Mitchell aka you, into their lives. Penny was a little jealous, not really, that you were the spitting image of her father but was actually happy that Maverick got his mini me and she just knew that you both were going to be trouble together and boy was she right but she had it handled. After all she has put up with Maverick this long.

3 years later you were running around and wreaking havoc but they wouldn’t have any other way. Amelia had gone away to college just a state over and you missed her dearly. Your parents made sure to keep you busy and you had weekly phone calls with your older sister and sometimes Skype sessions. Most of the time your dad was with you so it was you and him having the same guilty look on both of your faces as your mother scolded you both. After she was done scolding you both would have that signature Mitchell smirk on your face and she couldn’t help rolling her eyes and smile while shaking her head. You loved copying your dad in whatever he did, whether that be mimicking his actions or pulling pranks on people. You admired him and never wanted to let him down.

Since Maverick was getting older, he had planned on working out more to stay in top physical shape. The Daggers had planned on working out after work and Penny had planned on picking you up from the daycare on base but something had happened in the bar that needed her assistance. Maverick had just finished his paperwork for the day when his phone started to ring, he looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his wife.

“Hey beautiful.” He said and that made Penny smile.

“Hey something came up at the bar. Can you pick up Y/N/N and take her to the gym with you and bring her home?” She asked and he smiled.

“Of course, everyone is gonna love seeing her.” He said

“I know she is going to love seeing Bradley.” She said and they both chuckled. You did love Bradley but that wasn’t a surprise to anyone after all he was your big brother. “I’ll see you both at home.” She said

“Yes, you will. I love you.” Maverick said

“I love you too.” Penny said and then they both hung up the phone.

Maverick packed his stuff up and walked out of his office making sure he had his keys, phone, and other things he needed. As he was walking out, he had run into The Daggers. “You headed to the gym, Pops?” Jake asked.

“I am but first I need to go and pick up Y/N.” He said and everyone got happy.

“Oh, Y/N is going to be joining us?” Bob asked and Maverick nodded.

“Yup, something came up at the bar that needed Penny’s attention.” Maverick said “Now, if you excuse me. I need to go and pick up my child.” He said and everyone nodded and then he was on his way.

He reached the daycare pretty quickly and walked in and up to the desk. The receptionist smiled “Admiral Mitchell! Here to pick up Y/N?” She asked.

“Hi, Brittnay. Yes, I am here to pick her up.” He said and she smiled.

“Great! Just sign the sheet and I’ll go and get her.” She said and he nodded. As he was signing the sheet, he could hear his child’s laughter and he smiled. Once he was done, he put down the pen and turned out just in time to see you come prancing down the hallway, you were chatting away with Brittany about nothing really. When you saw your dad, you smiled.

“Dada!” You shouted and hurried to him and he picked you up.

“Hi, Sweetheart.” He said and you threw your arms around him. “Did you have a good day?” He asked and you nodded. He thanked Brittnay and then he was on his way. “You wanna go and see Bradley?” He asked and you lit up.

“Bubba?” You asked and he smiled. You had started calling him that when you saw him and could speak.

“Yea, Bubba.” He said and you squealed. On the way to the gym, you were pointing out things and he would confirm them. When he reached the gym, he opened the door and saw that everyone had already started.

“Bubba!” You shouted when you saw Bradley and he looked up and smiled and walked over to you.

“Hey there, Munchkin. You have a good day?” He asked and you nodded and you made grabby hands for him and he took you.

“Sweetheart, you stay with Bradley while I go and get changed. Ok?” He asked and you nodded and watched him leave. Bradley had moved over back to where he was working out and you were looking at everyone in awe. Not even 4 minutes later Maverick was coming out and joining you and Bradley.

“Dada.” You said and he smiled and bent down and kissed you which made you giggle. He picked up a weight and started to do some lifting and you watched him carefully. You stood up and walked over to the weights and Bradley took notice of this. He walked over and found the 1 lb weight and handed it to you and you smiled and took it from him. He got his phone out and turned it to his camera and got the video ready, Penny was gonna love this.

You watched Maverick and started to copy his moves while having the most intense look of concentration on your face. Everyone started to awe and chuckle. Maverick looked over wondering what was going on and Nat pointed at you and he looked over and smiled. “Are you copying daddy?” He asked and you looked up at him and smiled.

“Dada.” You said and he chuckled after a minute or so Bradley stopped recording and sent it to Penny. The rest of the time at the gym you spent copying Maverick or someone else and they were eating it up. By the time everyone was done, showered, and ready to go you were exhausted. Nat was done the quickest and stayed with you until Maverick was done getting refreshed. He walked out and thanked her and then was picking you up and heading home. 

When you got home Maverick quickly parked and shut off the engine and then unloaded you. Penny had already been home and had supper cooking. “Mama!” You yelled out when you walked through the door and she smiled.

“Hi, Baby Girl.” She said and took you from Maverick “Did you have a good day with daddy?” She asked and you nodded.

“Bubba.” You said and she smiled.

“Did you get to see Bubba?” She asked and you nodded and she kissed the side of your head. “Supper will be ready soon.” She said Maverick nodded and kissed her. Maverick made busy with you while Penny finished supper. “I saw the video Bradley sent.” She said turning the stove off and grabbing plates while fixing them up, first she brought yours and his and then got hers.

“What did you think?” He asked while he ate and fed you.

“It was adorable.” She said

“She just went over the weight selection and I’m assuming Bradley helped her pick a very light weight one.” He said

“Bubba?” You asked when you heard Bradley’s name.

“Yea Bubba helped, didn’t he?” Maverick asked and you picked up your fork and got a piece of food and put it in your mouth, something they had been working with you on. Supper was finished quickly and they cleaned everything up and then they gave you a bath. You were quick to go down after all you had a long and exciting day.

Penny and Maverick returned to the living room and sat down to watch some TV while you slept. As they were picking something Penny turned to Maverick “You know she is the miniature version of you, right?” She asked and he stopped and looked at her and smiled.

“Yea, I know. Just wait until she wants to be a pilot when she grows up.” He said and they chuckled.

“Knowing her and with her being just like you I fully intend on her doing so. She has too many cool aunts and uncles and let’s not forget she is surrounded by the Navy.” She said and again they chuckled then she turned serious “Just don’t pull her papers. You don’t want another Bradley incident.” She said and he grimaced.

“No, I don’t. If she wants to go there and become like her old man and her aunts and uncles, I will fully support her.” He said and Penny smiled.

“I have no doubt about that.” She said and then she turned to the TV and they picked something. They snuggled into each other and enjoyed the rest of the night together knowing you were safe and sound to sleep in your room.

If you’re anything like Maverick then the Navy better watch out because they have another Mitchell heading their way because you are going to come in strong and not stopping until you had reached the best of the best, aka Top Gun.

Tag list:

@kmc1989

@els-marvelvsp

@atarmychick007

@nyx2021

@grandstrangerphantom

@angenu01-blog

@talesofreading

@callsign-revenge

[stephspurs]

A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction

Life is beautiful and life is cruel. This is a window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Amelia’s journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the Italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...

hey girlypops! here is part 5!!! thanks for the feedback on the last part - i've gone back through and edited slight bits to make it more straightforward who her brother is and who it isn't. Nothing has been changed to the story line so no need to go back and re-read (unless you want to lol love yas). Part 5 is a whole lot of fun! As the warning suggests, you can expect a few too many drinks, some heavy flirty & a very smug italian.

Love always, Steph xx

Part 5. | parte quinta

warnings; a few too many drinks, heavy flirting and a smug italian.

word count; 1704

writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.

next update; Wed 04/08 5pm AEST. Updates are three times/week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday)!

Tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex @obsesseds-world @abysshaven

link to fic masterlist here

Day rolls into night, which rolls into the next day and before she knew it Amelia had been under the Mykonos sun for 5 days. Her brother and his teammates, who she should now probably refer to as her friends as well, did nothing but welcome her into their group with open arms and tried to include her in every activity they were doing. Most times she declined their invitation, opting to just relax on her own. She was very comfortable with her own company, she never felt like she needed another person to be able to exist. It was something she was proud of.

No doubt there were times she often missed companionship. She had her fair share of flings that gave her what kind of satisfaction she needed at the time, but she never felt like she needed someone else’s air to be able to breathe. This Mykonos trip, however, reminded her of how much she was beginning to miss her players. They had a group chat, La Cosa Nostra, which was probably a pretty poor group chat name but she was inducted into the already established group when she became close with some of the players & besides it was just Our Thing.

She missed the gentle bullying that she received on the daily from the serie a superstars, and also missed dishing it out to them so that they could keep their feet on the ground and their heads out of the clouds. Laying on her bed in a towel, after a nice shower, she contemplated taking up her brother’s offer from earlier in the evening. Does she go out and meet him and their mates at the club? Why not?

Getting up off her bed, she put on some makeup for the first time in a few days, making her feel somewhat human again, blow dried her freshly washed hair and put on her favourite Camilla bikini, covered up by a white slightly-sheer and flowy mini dress. Putting on her white sneakers and grabbing her cross body bag, comfort was the theme of tonight, and also because she wasn't in the mood to break her ankle on the grecian cobblestones.

Walking to the club that her brother had messaged her the name of, she noticed a ridiculously long line to get in which was honestly long enough for her to consider just going home, but she had committed to the plans & her brother was already expecting her - plus she had already put on her mascara and she was not wasting it. Approaching the line she went to join the back when her arm caught that of someone else walking past her.

_____________________________________________________________

“Sembra che tu non riesca a starmi lontano, vero?” (you can't seem to stay away from me, can you?) Looking up, I had linked arms with my midfield maestro, Jorginho. Who was smiling down at me with the cheeky grin that told me he saw me coming and couldn't help himself.

“Ciao! Come sei stato? Che sorpresa incontrati qui!” (Hi! How have you been? What a surprise running into you here!) I begin to say to him as I kiss both his cheeks in greeting.

“I’ve been good, enjoying time off as a double champion” He joked with me. He was right, he was a double champion and no one could take that away from him.

“Bella Amelia, this is Thiago. I play with him at Chelsea, which I'm sure you already knew. Thiago, this is the brains behind the organisation, Amelia” Jorginho introduced me to his Chelsea counterpart, which he was correct about - i did already know exactly who he was.

“Are you guys coming into Tropicana? I’m meeting up with my brother and his mates - some of them play with you guys at Chelsea. You should join us!” It took very little convincing for the two footballers, who looked like they were a couple hours into their long night, to join me in the club.

Unsurprisingly, we got let into Tropicana quite quickly. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the two mega famous and ridiculously good looking footballers I had looped around each of my arms. Walking through the club, the smell of cigarette smoke and vodka wafting around me, I managed to find the british players.

“Now now boys, no bad blood here! I know you all managed to get over my Italian affiliation so don’t hold it against my boy Jorgi here!” I address the group jokingly, as I wrap my right arm around his neck and he wraps his left around my waist.

Of course the Chelsea boys welcome him with open arms, they’ve known both Thiago and Jorgi longer than they’ve known me. The other boys offer their hellos before continuing to dance and drink with their mates. I say hi to everyone, give a big hug to my brother and Kyle (my chosen brother) before I'm wrapped into another hug I wasn't expecting.

“I’ve got to admit, you give a good hug” I say as I whisper into his ear.

“You’re a pretty easy person to hug, Mils”

“Always a smooth talker you are, Jack”

We parted and I grabbed myself a drink before spending the night dancing on top of the table with the girlfriends of the boys that I had only just been introduced to. Bonding over the fact that I was desperate for some female companionship, and also that I was the only single girl in the group, leading to the conclusion that they needed to be my wingwoman...all of them.

The night thereafter was spent finding suitable prospects for my whirlwind night of fun and romance, which I insisted wasn't necessary but also couldn't help but admit that it excited me just a little. It had been a while since I was close with a guy in that sense, and to be honest, the tequila shots that the girls had me doing was loosening me up in more ways than one.

Feeling the need for a break and some fresh air, I grabbed my purse and walked outside to sit along the retaining wall. We had reached that part of the evening where there was no chance I wasn't going to be allowed back into the club - the bouncers and security guards becoming more relaxed and carefree as it neared the time that the sun would reappear. Without thinking twice, I asked for a cigarette from some guys standing outside and a quick light, before returning to my little spot on the wall.

“They’re right bad for you, ya know” A voice to my right startled me.

“Jesus! You need to stop scaring me like that!” I shrieked.

“Nah not Jesus, just Chilly. However the beard has me thinking I do look a little bit God-like these days..no?” He says as he runs his fingers through the barely-there beard. Sure I could agree with stubble, maybe even a little bit more than stubble, but a beard? Not yet. However, I wasn't about to dim his sparkle.

“I like the beard, Chilly.” I confirmed.

“I like you, Mils” Wow ok. Straight to the point then.

“Well thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.” I tried to play it off, it was obvious we had both consumed far too much alcohol this evening and the cigarette was currently working wonders in its purpose of sobering me up.

“Ya know, the girls were out there tonight looking for your Greek Adonis to come and sweep you off your feet. They were looking a bit too hard though, if you know what i mean” he sweet talks me, and its working.

“Wow Ben, you’re really out here laying it on thick tonight - factor 50 i would say. I’m sure you’re just looking through rose coloured glasses right now” I joked back with him. I can’t say I didn't notice all of his longing looks, extra attention to me, constant protection when we would be out in public, but I knew at the end of the week that I would be going back to Turin, so there wasn’t any point.

Finishing up our little chat (read: heavy flirting session), we headed back inside together to join the group. Before long, Jorgi comes up to me with a drink and a smug smile on his face.

“Che cosa?” (what?) I questioned him in Italian, trying to limit as many people understanding our conversation as possible.

“Cosa succede a mykonos, rimane a mykonos, no?” (what happens in mykonos, stays in mykonos, no?) He says as he leans into my ear. To anyone else it would just look like two friends trying to have a conversation in a loud club, but I understood his message loud and clear.

“non sto facendo niente di male, né l'ho mai fatto. non voleva etichette, quindi è quello che ha ottenuto” (i'm not doing anything wrong, nor have i ever. he wanted no labels so that’s what he got.) I say back firmly. Jorgi let go of my shoulders and moved to stand in front of me.

“It’s ok tesoro (darling), I’m sure Federico would agree with you” He said back to me in English, it was obvious that he wanted someone around to understand the premise of our conversation. He smiled cheekily at me, before taking a swig of his drink and dancing backwards into the crowd as I shook my head at him.

Jorgi and I developed the kind of friendship that would last through time. We were equals. We listened to each other's problems, offered the advice that we needed to hear & not necessarily wanted to hear. We promoted each other's happiness and tried to get each other to not take life too seriously. This was his way of bringing me back down to earth, reminding me of what I have waiting for me back in Turin, but also making sure I knew what was right in front of me. He left the decision up to me to make, but he played his part to make sure I knew all of my options. He really was a good friend, which would make my next career decision a little bit more challenging than anticipated.

Part 6. | parte sesta

[lovelylexipedia]

I would love a jackson avery x reader fic where the reader is pregnant and jackson is running around after her at the hospital to make sure she isn’t putting too much pressure on herself so he takes her to the on-call room for a rest and it’s really fluffy because he talks to her belly? i’m sorry if this was really long! welcome to tumblr!🥰❤️

Rest is For The Weak – Jackson Avery x Fem! Reader

Type: Imagine (2,200+ words)

Requested: Yes! by @elljmaybank

Summary: Expecting her to stay home, Jackson leaves his pregnant wife home alone to go to work. When he catches her at the hospital, he does everything in his power to get her to stop and relax.

Warning(s): Grey's Spoilers, Fluff (lots of it!), Protective Figure, minor Angst

Note(s): Reader is 30 weeks along with Jackson's baby. Thank you for the request! I really hope I did it justice. I kinda rushed it at the end, but I hope it's okay :)

———

I hear the bathroom door close slowly and scrunch up my face. I try to fall back asleep, but the small noises throughout Jackson and my's bedroom keep me from it. After a while, I let out a small yawn and open my eyes, blinking to adjust to the light coming in from the rising sun.

I make an attempt to sit up in bed, but my back protests, sore and achey. I let out a small groan and catch Jackson's face pop out from behind his closet's doorframe.

"Y/n, crap, did I wake you?" Jackson winces, taking quiet steps toward my side of the bed.

"No no no, my back is just killing me, this little stinker won't let me get comfortable. I tried reasoning with him, but he won't give." I groan again, laying on my right side.

Jackson sighs in relief and walks around the bed to my side. He kneels down and kisses me on the cheek, running a hand through my hair.

"Maybe he'll listen to me." He leans down to my tummy, removing the white comforter covering my body and lifting up my oversized pajama shirt. Jackson taps at my tummy and I giggle at the sight. "Hey, buddy," He whispers, "you gotta let your Momma rest... She's already cranky enough."

I laugh and roll my eyes, pushing Jackson's shoulder, and causing him to stumble over. "Okay, maybe no more talk time for you."

Jackson steadies himself with a chuckle and and stands up straight. He brushes off his dark jeans and zips up a grey jacket, fixing up the hood.

"I made breakfast and happened to have some left over. It's just some eggs and toast. I put it in a little container and left it on the island if you want it later." Jackson says as he makes his way to the other side of the bed to grab his keys from the nightstand.

"Thank you, you gonna be okay leaving me here alone?" I ask as Jackson walks over to the bedroom door.

"I don't know, are you gonna be okay alone?" Jackson replies sarcastically. I grin. "Alright, if you need anything, you can call me and I'll try to get here. If you can't reach me, try my mom."

"Okay, okay'" I say quietly, pushing myself up to sit up in bed despite the pain.

Jackson notices and frowns. He walks over again and leans down to kiss me. "Don't do anything too strenuous, okay? Just get your rest."

I scoot back against the headboard and nod, looking him in his bright green eyes. "Okay, I promise."

"I love you, Y/n." Jackson smiles, kissing me one last time before heading out.

I yell back an 'I love you' and wave as he leaves the room. I hear the front door shut a few seconds later and sit in silence. Every few seconds, I shift and scoot around, trying to find a way to ease the aches.

Jeez, bud, parenting better be less painful than this. I complain to myself.

After a few minutes of sitting alone with my thoughts, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I set my feet down and push myself up, holding onto my belly with my free hand in the process.

I decide to take a few steps, wobbling here and there. After what feels like hours, I finally make it into the kitchen. The eggs and toast sit inside a clear plastic container and I nearly gag at the smell.

No thanks...

I take it upon myself to make myself breakfast. I throw out the toast and eggs in the trash can and ponder what to eat. I find a nearly finished bag of Corn Flakes and take a bowl, pouring the cereal and eating it like popcorn. After that, I snack on a frozen Pop-Tart and drink a glass of milk.

Settling myself on the living room couch, I flick through TV channels, bored out of my mind. Minutes pass by like hours and I end up falling asleep on the couch.

The nap ends after an hour and a half, when I suddenly feel a few sharp pains in my right side. I rub my stomach and lean my head back, trying to calm myself down.

You're okay, bud. You're okay, Momma's okay. We're okay.

I take deep breaths, trying to keep my composure. I grip the arm of the couch with one hand and force myself to stand. I stumble across the house, still rubbing my side and making small, calming affirmations to myself and the baby.

This is the fourth time this month...

I make it back to the bedroom and force myself to change into some baggier clothing. The pain subsides slightly as I begin putting on my sneakers. I groan, taking my set of keys and phone from the dresser in front of our bed.

I make my way around and out of the house, locking the door behind me. I force my keys into my pocket and dial my OB, Carina DeLuca.

"Y/n! What's going on? Are you okay?" Carina answers quickly, concern laced in her voice.

"I just wanted to come in... as a precaution," I say as I walk into the building's elevator. "I've been, getting these shooting pains for the past month. I just want to check if the baby's okay."

"Do you want me to make you an appointment?" Carina asks.

"No- I don't want Jackson to know, he might find out somehow. Could you just squeeze me in quickly?" I bite my lip, tapping my foot as I wait for the elevator doors to open at the bottom floor.

"Okay... Okay, I can try. Right now is perfect. Just tell the nurses up front it's an emergency and they should let you right in." Carina explains.

"Oh, thank you, Carina. You're the best. I should be there in a few." I gush, trying to rush off the elevator.

"Y/n, are you gonna be driv-" I hang up the phone before Carina can finish and try to rush out to my car.

———

"Carina, is he okay? Is my baby okay?" I ask urgently, looking between her and the ultrasound machine.

Carina continues moving the wand around where the pain would be. "He looks buono e sano, good and healthy, Y/n/n."

I let out a sigh of relief, laying my head back against the headrest. "Oh, thank God... But what could those pains have been?"

Carina purses her lips and removes the wand from my stomach, cleaning off the residue. "Could be stress, could be the hormones, different foods, your muscles could be constricting because they've had to work so hard with supporting the baby."

I shake my head. "Oh, I was so scared. I didn't want to go into early labor. Thank you for squeezing me in, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, amica mia. Now are you sure you don't want to tell Jackson?" She removes her gloves and I can feel her gaze from behind me.

"No, it's okay. I'm probably just gonna head home." I say, scooching off the examination table and grabbing my clothes to change back into.

———

I tug on my baggy shirt and put my phone in my back pocket, looking up to decide which way to go to get to my car.

Before I can even make a decision, Schmitt runs up, panting like a madman.

"Dr. L/n! We need Ortho. We got a trauma in, motorcycle accident, rider's right and left legs broken in 4 places each, right shoulder dislocated and left arm broken in two places."

He looks me up and down and his face grows red. "You're supposed to be on maternity leave, aren't you?"

"Doesn't matter now, Glasses. Let's go!"

Schmitt ushers me towards the trauma bay and adrenlaine rushes through me. The pain immediately evades my body and everything after is a blur.

I pull on a trauma gown over my loose clothes and tie up my hair into a ponytail. The patient is located in Trauma 1 and I rush in, finding Owem, Meredith, and Amelia already assessing the biker.

"Y/n! Shouldn't you be at home? I thought you were on maternity leave?" Amelia cocks her head to the side and I shake my head.

"Just back for the day," I say quickly. I turn to Schmitt, asking for reassurance, "So, what do we have here?"

He begins, "Multiple broken bones, bruising and cuts everywhere, he's practically roadkill."

"Well by the time we're done with him, he'll be just fine. Let's get an OR booked, order an MRI and page Plastics too!"

———

Jackson and I met when I transfered from Seattle Presbyterian a few years back. I was a 5th year and he was a Plastics fellow.

By the time I became an Orthopedics fellow, we had already established ourselves as the power couple of the hospital, despite not being a couple yet.

Wherever he went, I was likely to follow. Our cases were often linked and we spent a lot of our time together outside of the hospital as well.

When he first asked me out, it was during a surgery of ours together. We spent our one year anniversary watching over an ICU patient. He proposed to me in an empty OR after a successful surgery. I told him I was pregnant in the Attendings lounge. Our whole story was based in the hospital.

I wait outside OR 4, eyeing the elevator from the corner of my view. Any second now our motorcycle guy would be wheeled in and I'd get to scrub in.

"Y/n! Y/n!" I hear him yell from the elevator, trying to get my attention.

Oh shit.

Jackson jogs over to me, concern washed over his face. I frown slightly, feeling bad that he's so worried about me.

"Jackson, hi, um, how...how did you find me?"

Jackson ushers me into the scrub room and closes the door behind us.

"Y/n, you can't be working, remember? You're on maternity leave. Go home." Jackson grabs me by my shoulders, looking me up and down.

"Jackson, I am fine! It's just one surgery, it's not that bad-" I pull out from his grasp and cross my arms under my chest.

"'Not that bad'? Y/n, that surgery could take more than a few hours. You could barely get out of bed this morning!" Jackson's motions to the operating room, raising his voice and I sigh.

"Jackson, we will continue this conversation at home. Preferably, after I finish this surgery." I say stubbornly. I turn to leave and Jackson follows me. I spot Owen and Amelia walking toward us and smile. "Hey, where's the patient?"

Amelia sucks in a breath. "We're holding off on surgery. He's very touch-and-go, so we're holding him in the ICU until tomorrow."

The both of them frown at me and I nod sadly. "Oh, okay. Thanks anyway, you guys."

"Y/n. Let's go." Jackson says sternly, looking only at me.

"I hope it all goes well tomorrow."

———

My breathing steadies after I sit on the bottom bunk in an on-call room. Jackson shuts the door behind us and opens the shutter slightly, letting a bit of the setting sun seep into the room.

I keep my head down, eyes closed. Afraid he'll be angry at me.

We're silent for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to say to each other. He starts first.

"Y/n, you know that I love you, right?" Jackson kneels down in front of me, I can feel his gaze resting on me.

"Yeah," I mumble, slowly lifting my head so we can meet each other's eyes.

"And you know that I'm taking your maternity leave so seriously because I want what's best for you and the baby, right?"

I groan and nod, covering my face with my hands. "Yes."

"Is it wrong? To want you both to be stress-free and healthy? Look at me when you answer, please."

Jackson takes my hands off my face and holds them, kissing the the backs of them before I respond. "No, it's not."

"Carina paged me, she said you came in. That you were worried about the baby. She told me he's okay. That you're okay." I can see tears forming in Jackson's eyes. He bows his head down and still clutches my hands tightly.

"Please, just promise me you'll take these last 4 weeks off. Completely. No work, no stress. Just bed rest and someone waiting on you." Jackson pleads softly, searching my face for an answer.

I lean in and kiss him softly. I take my hands out of his and wipe his tears from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just miss being at the hospital, on my feet, ready to go wherever I need to be. This little guy just sucks the energy right out of me." I chuckle, holding Jackson close to me.

He kisses the top of my head and rests his cheek there for a few seconds. "Can I talk to him really quickly?" Jackson asks quietly, I'm barely able to hear him.

I let out a small laugh, remembering this morning. "Go ahead, but no Momma slander."

Jackson grins at me and we sit beside each other on the bottom bunk. He lifts my fresh navy scrubs up to the top of my belly and I hold them there for him. He taps again, lightly and clears his throat.

"Hi, bud. You doin' okay in there...?"

We stay there, taking turns talking to the little guy, excited for the day where we get to call ourselves parents.

[gl211]

Glory

I feel like I need a disclaimer. I adore/adored McDreamy. There wasn’t a bigger MerDer fan than me. And I love the fact that they brought Patrick back for the dream sequences. BUT, we know they can’t live on the dream island forever. And I really like Hayes. Last season, I finally saw the spark of something that was missing with all of Meredith’s other pairings. Plus, the “I’m here. It’s okay. Don’t worry.” REALLY got me straight in the feelings. So with that, I give you this one-shot.

“Grey. Grey? Can you hear me?”

She felt what could be described as an elephant on her chest as she gasped, opening her eyes slowly.

Where am I?

She was lying on the ground, she knew that. She fully opened her eyes to see Cormac Hayes hovering over her. She couldn’t read his expression behind his mask, but his eyes were screaming.

Derek. Where did Derek go?

She heard Hayes shouting as more people were suddenly around her, an oxygen mask being placed on her face. She tried to sit up, as multiple hands kept her body in place. She felt Hayes’s hands on her face, keeping her head in place.

“It’s okay. Don’t try and move.”

She was dying.

That’s why Derek was there.

This was it.

She’d survived this much and all the impossible scenarios life had thrown at her. And yet, here she was. She was going to die in the hospital parking lot. From a virus that could’ve been prevented.

Her kids. All three of them flashed through her mind, chest feeling ten times heavier as the situation weighed on her.

They didn’t deserve to lose two parents. To be alone.

Her gasp turned into a guttural sob. She felt Cormac’s fingers gently, soothingly stroking her head. He continued to hold her in place, gently reassuring her. She felt herself push against whomever was holding her hands, her hand frantically wrapping around his wrist.

“I’m here. I’m right here.”

She felt tears slip out of her eyes, a heavy breath laboring her breathing. She shut her eyes as she heard the wheels of the gurney screech closer.

“I know. It’s okay. Just stay with me.”

She felt movement as her body was shuffled from the concrete to the stretcher, she felt a backboard sliding under her and a neck brace being placed as the group around her was suddenly running into the hospital. She locked eyes with Hayes, who was shouting, as they ran, his hand moving to nudge Meredith, to keep her awake. Her felt heavy, her eyes involuntarily slipping closed, accepting her unconscious fate.

“I miss you.”

“I know.”

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

The next time she opened her eyes, Owen was standing over her in full PPE. Sounds around her were muffled. Oddly, it felt like the time she ruptured her eardrums. Like everything was moving slowly and quietly.

Suddenly her train of thought snapped back into place. She grabbed Owen’s wrist stalling his movement.

“Call Cristina... kids... just in case.”

Owen nodded, knowing what she meant but not before placed his gloved hand over hers and squeezing it.

“I’ll call her. But you’re going to be fine.”

Meredith nodded as she looked around the room, she saw Teddy, Owen, Tom, Jackson. She turned her gaze a bit, her neck brace not allowing her to go much further.

She saw Maggie, Richard and Bailey hovering by the window in full PPE. Further away stood Hayes, his eyes locked on her. Her gaze met his before her eyes fluttered close again.

“ Meredith you deserve to be happy. I want you to be happy.”

“What if I’m not supposed to be happy anymore?”

“Mer. You know that’s not true. Look at who you are. The person you’ve become. An award winning, talented surgeon. An amazing mother. You did all of that on your own.”

“Right. By myself.”

“All I’m saying is that maybe you shouldn’t be alone.”

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

Over the course of the next several days, time seemed to blend. They were trying everything on her. Infusions, drugs, anything that has been deemed usable they have tried.

While her breathing was bad, the fever and rigor that followed was worse.

She vaguely remembered Andrew and Maggie in the room on more than one occasion. Bailey had been here, they had talked about DNR’s and her kids.

Jo had sat with her, talking to her, reminding her how many people she had in her corner. Shockingly, she had even called Alex, who called within an hour of being told. She had spoken to him every day via text.

She hadn’t seen Amelia, she was with the kids, but she had FaceTimed  with her. The kids hadn’t been told anything, per Meredith’s request. She didn’t want them told until it was absolutely necessary.

Cristina was grounded on the other side of the globe, but she had spoken with her  three times.

Cormac Hayes was there. Every time she had opened her eyes, he was there.

He was either at the window outside her room or inside. Barely speaking but watching her intently, like she was going to vanish if he left.

With no concept of time, she still knew he hadn’t left the hospital in days.

She sleepily opened her eyes one day to see him looking at her stats on the monitor. She turned her head.

“Hi.”

His head turned at the sound of her voice. In his full PPE, she could see him without his mask. She saw how tired he looked.

“You should go home, sleep.”

He shook his head as her nasal cannula slipped a bit. He carefully approached the bed and gestured towards her as she nodded. He carefully adjusted it, slipping her mask right below it.

“Your kids. Go home.”

He shook his head staying at the edge of the bed as he adjusted the blanket around her.

“They’re staying with their aunt outside the city for now.”

She nodded as he sat in the chair next to her bed.

“Your levels are up a bit. And the fever is down. That’s a good thing.”

Meredith nodded, clearly not convinced. She smoothed the blanket out in her lap, pulling at the threads.

“I keep seeing Derek. And I know if I keep seeing him, that can’t be a good thing. And part of me wants to give up. Just be done. Stop fighting. Be with Derek.””

It wasn’t something he was used to, seeing Meredith Grey admitting defeat. It wasn’t her. She was tenacious, unapologetic, put 100% into everyone and everything in her life.

“But then I think about my kids. And how much I don’t want them to be alone. And how I don’t want to die. Not like this.”

Her voice broke at the words, tears now freely falling down her face. Within seconds, he could tell her thoughts had shifted drastically to the worst-case scenario. He reached his hand out, gently placing it over hers. Her eyes looked down, her posture crumbling further as everything final hit her.

“I really don’t want to die alone.”

The statement shot him to his core.

“Grey. Hey.”

He tried to urge her to look at him, his hand gently running over hers. The small gesture was doing nothing, the woman in front of him crumbling by the second.

Her monitors were starting to beep with her irregular breaths, her cries only fueling the piercing noise.

“Meredith.”

That seemed to grab her attention for a moment. He hadn’t ever called her by first name. His Irish brogue hitting all the syllables.

The beeping monitors intensified, they were probably moments away from a team of people appearing if she didn’t calm down.

He stood and walked around towards the other side of her bed. Careful to not disrupt any IV or oxygen lines, he carefully sat down in full PPE on the bed.

Meredith, though bordering on hysterical felt the motion and turned her head slightly. He turned on his side, best as he could to face her.

“No one is dying. And no one is alone.”

She cried harder at his remark, his arm snaking around her, his gloved hand intertwined with hers as she gripped it.

‘I’m not leaving you. I’m right here.”

He lost track of how long he laid there next to her, holding her. Eventually her cries settled, her monitors regulated and the grip on his hand loosened ever so slightly.

Several minutes later, he heard her breathing even out, an indication she had fallen asleep. He could’ve left when she fell asleep, probably should’ve given protocols and exposure. But he was a man of his word, no one was going to be alone.

“I love you Derek. I’m always going to love you.”

“I know I love you too. Which is why you have to go back.”

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

A rough 14 days in the hospital and Meredith was finally testing negative. She was officially on a road to recovery and was able to go home.

“Busting out of here?”

She turned to the door as Cormac entered. Standing next to her bed, she organized the limited belongings she had come in with. She placed the photo Maggie had brought of the kids in her bag, her hand lingering on it for a second.

“Are you driving my getaway car?” she joked.

He flashed her a grin, visible under the PPE. Though Meredith was negative, they were still in a COVID ward.

“Figure out your plans yet? Hotel or home?”

Meredith shrugged as she zipped the small tote bag shut, setting it beside her, pulling her sweater tighter around her pajamas,

“Not sure quite yet. I was living here before getting sick. Probably a hotel for a week, make sure I’m really okay. And then home to my kids. And then I’ll be back when I’m cleared for work.”

“Can’t keep you away from this place?”

“Well the hospital does kind of have my name in it.” she said with a grin.

He laughed, grateful that her spunk was back.

“I should thank you.”

“Me?” he questioned.

“You helped get me over the hump. I don’t think I would’ve made it through without you. So, thank you.”

He shook his head modestly stopping her, his hand going up to wave her off.

She can’t say that when Cormac Hayes arrived in Seattle that he was modest, caring or thoughtful. Quite the opposite, actually.

But beneath the rough exterior of armor he tried to keep up, was a thoughtful, selfless person. Who would do just about anything for anyone. Including her.

“No need to thank me Grey. Anyone would’ve.” he replied.

“Yeah. But you’re not just anyone.”

Her eyes twinkled as he smiled back. He felt this indescribable warmth that had gradually crept into him the more time he spent with Meredith. A feeling he didn’t want to go away.

The buzz of his phone brought him back to reality. He could hear and feel it going off in his scrubs pocket. He was being paged back to peds. Admittedly while no one wanted to see a sick child, it was a well needed break from COVID.

“Never ends, Grey.” he said as he nodded towards her, walking towards the door. “I’ll come back later to see you off.”

“Meredith.” she replied as he got to the door.

“Come again?” he questioned.

“You went back to Grey, but it’s Meredith. You’re going to have call me Meredith. Especially if we’re going to eventually get that drink. Masked and outside of course.”

Her eyes sparkled as he grinned back, nodding in response.

“Very well then. I’ll see you later, Meredith.”

She waved as he left, watching as he walked through the area to dispose of PPE.

It was odd to have these spark like feelings for someone other than Derek. But, somewhere in the middle of her hallucinations and her reality, she realized that moving on with someone wouldn’t take away missing Derek. Derek would always be a part of her, she would always love him.

Moving on meant honoring herself, letting her heart be open to someone wanting to care for it.

Moving on meant showing up for herself.  

Her phone chimed as Cristina’s phone call came in. She quickly answered it, pressing it up to hear ear.

“Hi.”

She looked up, meeting Cormac’s gaze, as he waved, signaling he was leaving for now, but would be back.

“How’s everything over there? Yeah, I’m okay. I’m not alone.”

[battletowered]

Anniversary

Headcanon Drabble in Leon’s “ more severe darkest day au ” verse which I’m reposting and bringing forward to this blog from the archive for the anniversary.

TW: Deals with mourning and major character death.

     Leon shifts, rolling over in bed and throwing his arm over his eyes, the first rays of the sun already coming in through his window and shining on his face. There’s a thump and a pattering sound.

      One.... Two…. Three… Four… Fi--

     There’s a trill, and the feeling of a body colliding with his own, forcing the air out of his lungs for a moment. Leon feels a muzzle nosing at the arm over his face, trying to wriggle under the weight of his arm for snuggles.

     “‘M not awake yet.” he whines, though it seems to have very little effect on the excited pokemon squirming on top of him. He sighs affectionately, giving up on the idea of getting any more sleep this morning, instead prying his eyes open and looking down at the clingy flygon that has come to perch on his chest. Leon doesn’t mind it as much as he probably should. Instead he rubs Flygon’s head while he builds up the energy to get up and be productive this morning.

      He’s got a lot on his plate today, after all, it would be naive of him to think that trying to go back to sleep would make that go away. Besides, if Flygon was awake already, that meant that the rest of his pokemon were soon to be up as well. Even Margo peers at him from where she normally slept on the edge of his bed, as if confirming that point. Flygon seemed to punctuate that point by nuzzling at his face more persistently, and Leon laughed drowsily.

     “Alright, alright, I’m up!”

-_-_-_-

     “No, Goodra, I just finished showering.” Leon ducks a slimy kiss as he works on preparing breakfast for his pokemon. He doesn’t have to cook anything (thank god), but Raihan’s pokemon all had a specialized diet and he couldn’t bring himself to change that for them when they came to live with him.

    Goodra bloops at him playfully, and Leon huffs. It was a game they played every morning, where Leon would shower and try to get ready for the day and she’d try to ruin his dress shirt by snuggling him. He ducks through her wet grasp again as he steps around her, and she follows after him, finally taking notice of her breakfast in his hand.

     Once he’s managed to get everyone fed, he opens the rear door to his home and takes a seat at his patio with a cup of tea to wake himself up. He’s been living here for a while now-- it had been maybe six or seven months since he’d signed the mortgage for this place-- but he didn’t think he’d ever quite get over how pretty the property was. It may not have been quite Postwick, but it felt like home-- several acres of land that were open until they met the forested tree line or the corral fencing he’d spent his first weekend here putting up.

     It wasn’t quite Postwick, but it was close, at least. Plus, he was just outside of Wedgehurst, he really was closer to home than he’d ever been. It might have meant commuting to get to work, but it was worth it if for nothing else than the sense of peace it gave him.

     Well. Most days. Today he can’t quite shake the little pit of dread that’s sitting in his stomach.

     There’s a sleepy bleat, and he turns his head in time to see Lanolin. She bleats again, drowsily, and then bumps her head against his, giving him an expectant look. She seems to know that something’s bothering him, and tries to nip at his hair repeatedly until Leon laughs at her insistence. She seems pleased to have gotten whatever result she wanted, and then went bounding off into the yard to graze.

      One thing is for certain, he’s never lonely here. Not the way he had been in Wyndon. His home is always full-- with pokemon and friends and family. It had been entirely overwhelming at first, but overwhelming in the best way possible. A reminder of how loved he was, and he was grateful.

     At this time normally, he’d already be at the Battle Tower, leaving at the crack of dawn to be on time, but on Amelia’s request, he’d taken the day off. The importance of the date hadn’t been lost on her, he’d noted, but she didn’t force him to talk about it, and he appreciated it.

     Things were starting to feel a little more okay, but that didn’t make it any easier to talk about. He was adjusting, he guessed. Or, at least he was adjusting better than he had been before, because his chest didn’t clench painfully every time that he thought about it, now. It was hard to avoid dealing with those feelings when every morning Raihan’s pokemon lived and worked alongside him.

      Leon is too lost in thought to react fast enough when a pair of wet limbs encircle his shoulders, and he shudders as he feels a wet plop against the crown of his head and a contented blurble.

     Goodra wins.

-_-_-_-

     A fresh change of clothes later, and Leon is finally ready to leave the house. He glances out over the yard again, where most of his extended family of Pokemon have gathered and are now sunbathing or playing. He watches Duraludon and Aegislash play-fight for a moment until Margo nudges him and chuffs.

     He pats her cheek, but stares resolutely out the window. Now that it’s come to actually leaving… he’s dragging his feet. Margo seems to be able to tell, and she nudges him and chuffs again, harder this time. He sighs, but nods, finally.

     “Alright, come on girl. It’s going to be a long ride. You ready?” She watches him for a moment, like she’s trying to figure something out, and then shakes out her shoulders and spreads her wings so that he can climb on her back. Leon has no idea what that was about.

-_-_-_-

      It’s surprising how quiet it is. He guesses it’s because, despite showing up later than he did the year before, he’s still pretty early in the morning. There’s already bouquets and balloons, but no people that he can see, and he kind of appreciates it. The gravestone has been cleaned recently, and the two cypress trees which stand next to it have gotten taller-- they’re already taller than he is.

     He tries not to think too hard about that. It reminds him it’s been two years.

     Instead, he sits, and stays for a while. Margo didn’t want to go into her ball, but since she’s not bothering anyone, he doesn’t mind. He lays against her side, tucked under her wing. The sound of pidove cooing and the distant hubbub of Hammerlocke city are almost soothing, and it fills the silence that Leon isn’t sure how to fill himself. At least this year he has enough of a handle on himself that he can bear to actually spend some time at his best friend’s grave.

     He spends an hour and a half. Some people drop by, though most are Raihan’s family coming to pay respects of their own. He trades condolences with some and shares fond memories with others. It’s nice.

     Before he leaves, Leon remembers that he’s brought something of his own as a gift. He pulls a photograph out of his coat’s pocket, protected by a waterproof acrylic frame. Leon pushes the peg down into the ground next to the stone, and then steps back to appraise the photo. He hopes Raihan would be happy to see it. It’s just a photograph of Leon in his yard, the day that Raihan’s pokemon came to live with him permanently. They look happy. Leon has a lot more that he would have liked to have brought, but he figures the grave keepers wouldn’t appreciate having to step around two dozen acrylic photograph holders when they did their rounds. It’s a shame, the picture of Goodra hugging him hard enough to lift him off the ground that Hop too was really cute. Maybe he can bring that one another time.

     Margo pulls him close to her body as they turn to the exit of the graveyard, tucking him underneath a wing in a way that she hasn’t done since he was young. Leon lets her fuss, because he knows she’s only doing it because she’s worried.

     Leon doesn’t feel as bad as he expected to. Maybe because every time he comes here it reminds him how loved Raihan was, and still is, loved. He likes to think that wherever Raihan is now that he knows that.

-_-_-_-

     It isn’t until the flight home that the grief hits him, and when it does, it hits him so hard that he’s suddenly choking around the thickness in the throat and struggling to see as tears cloud his vision.

     Margo senses his distress and brings the both of them down to rest on the ground. They’re halfway home-- she lands in the first clearing she can find and sends several bug pokemon scrambling for the brush in panic when she does. She bellows over her shoulder in concern. Leon’s grip fails him as she shifts to stand a little taller, and he falls into a heap onto the ground, shaking because he feels like he’s not able to get enough air into his lungs.

     He doesn’t know what’s set it off, but he’s so suddenly overwhelmed with the thought that he was gone and Leon had never made the time to make sure he knew how much he mattered to him. He wishes he could still tell him, but now all he can do is leave gifts as a grave and hope that somehow his message reaches him. He feels sick, his head is pounding like it’s too full and he feels like his ribs are squeezing in on him.

     Margo has to drag him up off the ground, and she wraps her wings around him the way she might for one of her clutches of charmanders and rumbles deep in her chest.

-_-_-_-

     Leon doesn’t make it home until nearly 6pm. After spending 45 minutes crying, Margo had dragged him to one of his favorite bakeries in Wyndon, apparently having realized herself that whenever Leon was feeling down he buried his feelings with sugar. He’s exhausted, and the first thing he did when he arrived home was slump down on his couch.

     He’s awake for all of five minutes before he falls asleep right there, on his own couch.

     When he reawakens, it’s nearly 9 pm and he finds himself surrounded by pokemon. Margo has her snout nuzzled against his hand which has slumped off the edge of the couch, and Flygon has perched on his stomach, curled up like a sleeping purrloin.

     Maybe he’s not okay as he should be, but he’s starting to get there.

[maxineswritingcenter]

Sweet Honey - Castiel x Winchester-sister!reader

Can you write me a Castiel x Winchester Sister reader. She’s super close with Dean? - @lilulo-12

I tried writing Winsister but that just felt stupid. First Castiel request, let's do this.

Season 11 spoilers in case anyone is catching up.

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

It wasn't the greatest situation. (Y/N) hadn't planned on any of this happening, she couldn't have. Back when all of this started she was just a kid. She had a normal life with her mom, her dad, her little brother and another on the way. Then demons started and she lost her mom and her normal life. Not only lost that but she lost her respect for her father. All he cared about way finding the demon, for a while she did too. But at the end of the day, she couldn't stand around while he treated them all like child soldiers. Especially her little brothers. Dean was only five years old when mom died and dad took a sweet little boy and turned him into a battle hardened warrior and it made her sick. Dean was her best friend, someone she relied on, a mediator between her and dad. She had at least helped Sammy get out of it. From when he was little she would make sure they all would get to school until Dean decided to stop. She made sure Sammy did his homework and worked his hardest to get out of this life. Dad always blamed her for him leaving for Stanford, and that was fine with her. Dean was all she had anymore. Through death and heartache and monsters and now... Angels.

She was wary of Castiel at first. On one hand, he saved her brother from damnation. But on the other, he burned their friend's eyes out. But Castiel really changed her mind, because whatever his motive, he wanted to protect Dean and Sam as much as she did. He was odd, of course. She watched him learn and experience what it was to be human and make his own choices. It wasn't until she saw him try to make up his mistakes that she started to fall for him. He was taking responsibility for his vessel's daughter, making sure she was safe. Claire reminded (Y/N) of herself, lost and thrown around without someone to guide her.

They had just brought Claire back from the farm where the Gregorian angel had held her mother captive, losing her mother in the process after she spent so long trying to find her. She had locked herself in the bathroom. And Dean? Dean still had the mark. Dean was like a bomb just seconds from bursting. This wasn't dad, this wasn't a monster, she couldn't help him or protect him. She was helpless, she couldn't save him from this curse.

"(Y/N)." She looked up from her hands to find Castiel standing there, looking frazzled and just as ragged as she did.

"Yeah?" She asked, clearing her throat.

"Could you help me with Claire? Maybe you could talk to her, she won't listen to me. Amelia is gone, I can't imagine how that feels and maybe..." He stopped when she held up her hand.

"Maybe I could relate?" She stood up and sighed and went over to the bathroom door. She knocked softly.

"Claire?" She got no answer, "Listen, I know you don't want to talk to these guys, especially Cas, but maybe we can talk? Just hear me out." She waited a moment and was relieved when she heard the click of the door unlocking. She opened the door and closed it behind her. Claire was sitting on the edge of the tub, messing with one of her many bracelets. Her eye makeup was running down her cheeks. (Y/N) smiled weakly at the girl and leaned against the sink.

"It's not fair." She started, "After all this, you find your mom and lose her again. And I'm so sorry." Claire didn't say anything, just looking down at the tile floor. (Y/N) took a risk and move to sit on the edge of the tub besides her but gave her a little space.

"When I was seven years old I lost my mom. My mom was everything to me. Because our dad... Well our dad wasn't what yours was. She made a choice a long time ago and she wasn't thinking of us at the time, but she regretted it later. Your mom had the best intentions, but grief can change a person a lot." She watched Claire look up slightly, then back down at the floor.

"I wish these things never happened to you. I wish you could have had a normal life, if not with both your parents, at least your mom." She choked back a sob that was coming up, "And I wish that we had kept a closer eye on you, but we were worried you wouldn't be safe. But that's all wishful thinking." She put a hand on Claire's shoulder, "We will never, ever leave you behind again. We will make sure you're safe and never have to go through this again. I promise." She wiped her eyes and sniffled, "We have a friend named Jody Mills, she's the sheriff in Souix Falls. She's very nice, she'll have some rules though. But I think I know you well enough that you could handle it. You'll be safe. There's another girl there named Alex and she hasn't gone nuts with Jody. Yet anyway." She joked, then smiled at her even though Claire still hadn't spoken a word or looked at her, "It's your choice, Claire." (Y/N) stood up and was about to walk out the door.

"How did you deal with it... Losing your mom?" Claire asked, looking up at her through her eyelashes.

(Y/N) turned around and hummed, "Well, I kept busy. I couldn't shut down because I had two little boys to watch while dad was out. But I still made time to think about her. I still do. Things get easier as time goes on." She nodded slowly and stood up, grabbing a towel from the counter.

"I'm gonna shower." She gave her a shy smile.

"Alright, kiddo. Just think about it." (Y/N) opened the door.

"(Y/N)?"

"Yeah?" She looked back at Claire.

"Thanks." She said. (Y/N) gave her a little nod and left, closing the door behind her.

Castiel stood up from his spot on the motel bed, "Is she okay? What happened?"

(Y/N) chuckled, "Chill out, alright? I talked her, told her about Jody. I said it was her choice. And..." She walked up to stand in front of him, "I told her we were sorry. For everything."

Castiel sighed in relief, but he still looked troubled, "I should have kept a closer eye on them, I owed Jimmy that much."

"You can't change the past, Cas. But you can learn from it and that can help you for the future. That's life." She shrugged, wiping away any stray tears from before.

"Well, it seems that I'm still learning that, all these years later of being on Earth." He met her eyes with his deep blue ones, "I can't thank you enough. All these years when I've made mistakes, you were there to help me see past my mistakes, no matter how much they weigh on me."

"Of course. You're trying your best, you're making your own choices on right and wrong. I help because I care about you." She felt her cheeks heat up. Castiel took her hand in his which made her heart jump.

"And I care about you. A lot. I've tried being subtle with it but I fear that you've figured it out." He confessed.

"What?" She asked, not understanding what he just said.

"You mentioned you were having nightmares a few months ago and you couldn't sleep." He said. The realization hit her like a truck.

"You were there..." She whispered. She had found it a little odd that Castiel would appear in her dreams, killing all the monsters that seemed to be unkillable. The last dream she had was her back in their childhood home.

(Y/N) was back at home, her real home. She was the age she was now, in the same pajamas she wore that night. She had felt sick that night and asked mom for some water. Mom had taken her by the hand and brought her down the hall and stopped at Sammy's nursery. That's where Azazel stood in front of the crib.

"John? Is he hungry?" Her mom asked. (Y/N) shook her head, "Mom, no! You have to get out of here!" But her words fell on deaf ears as her mom nodded at Azazel's 'shhh' and she brought her downstairs. She tugged at her mother's hand but she couldn't escape to save Sam. At the bottom of the staircase, they looked in the living room, seeing dad was asleep in the recliner. She could see the panic on mom's face. Mom held her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "You stay down here, I'll be right back." She took off up the stairs. (Y/N) felt the tears running down her face and the ache in her chest, "Mom!" She followed her up the stairs. Right outside the room, she heard mom scream.

"No! Mom!" She cried and ran inside but... It wasn't the same scene.

"Who are you?" Her mom asked. (Y/N) didn't see Azazel in front of the crib, only Castiel. Azazel was on the floor, his eyes burned out. Time seemed to stop then, only her and Cas. She looked at her mother's face, stuck in a confused look. But she was alive. She hiccuped a sob, grinning ear to ear. She ran into Castiel's arms, pressing her lips firmly to his.

It was a dream, or at least she thought it was. She brushed her fingertips over her lips.

"Cas..." She felt herself leaning forward, her lips just inches from his. Just as they were about to touch, the motel door opened. The two pulled apart, but that didn't mean Dean didn't see.

"Oh isn't this perfect." Dean chuckled sarcastically as he stood in the doorway. (Y/N) sighed in frustration, "Dean, it's-"

"Oh please, tell me some bullshit excuse." Dean cut her off, "Like I didn't just walk in and find my best friend about to mack on my sister. And vise versa. You people are unbelievable." He shoved his way back outside, leaving Sam there confused.

"This is my fault." Castiel said, looking away. (Y/N) held his face, "It's not your fault. Okay? I'll talk to him." She said, leaning in and kissing his cheek. She hesitantly pulled away and made her way to the door. She stopped and let out an exasperated sigh as Sam stood there incredulous.

"Look, we'll talk about it later." She patted his shoulder, making her way to the argument that awaited her.

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

I thought I would leave it like this just in case it needed the ambiguity or maybe a part two? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated!

Read part 2 here!

Taglist (Send me an ask to be added!)

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[padfootagain]

Oceans

This is an imagine for the 200 followers celebration! Thank you so much @giggleberts for your request!

The prompts that were asked are :

19. "How could you think for just a second that I meant to hurt you?"

40. "I wish you could be a blanket so you could be always wrapped around me."

48. "Promise me you'll come back to me. Promise me I'll see you again."

70. "I think we're soulmates. Cope with it."

This was asked for Caspian, and I've noticed that he's often the one to go away for whatever reason, so I'm changing this here...

Hope you like it.

Gif not mine

It was your last day in the Castle. You were to go back to the Lone Islands the next day, in your uncle's boat. You had accompanied him as he had travelled all the way across the sea to talk with the King. Political and economic issues that didn't really matter to you, but you had never been to the main land, and you were eager to see this country with your own eyes. So you had insisted to come with your uncle, and as he could never refuse anything to you, he had accepted, and you had sailed with him and his men across the sea.

What you hadn't planned was to fall in love with the King of Narnia.

How could you have resisted though? With his dark eyes, his long perfect hair, his charisma... all the women of the Kingdom were at his feet. Although, what had made you fall for good was not his appearance, but his soft voice and his gentle movements, his kind behaviour towards all. Beyond being a great King, he was a good man.

What was even more surprising, and not planned at all by any of you of course, was that Caspian had fallen for you as well.

Perhaps it was the way you blushed whenever his eyes rested upon you, perhaps it was your sense of humour, perhaps it was your kindness... He didn't really know how you had conquered his heart, but you had.

You put down on the table the book you were supposed to read, unable to focus on anything else than Caspian for now. Through the dusty and warm atmosphere of the library, you looked out by the window as the droplets of rain crashed on the windowpane, the soft music brought by the falling water helping you to find back your memories.

You could remember perfectly the day he had confessed his feelings for you. It was just three weeks before, when you were supposed to depart. Although, his confession had offered you three more weeks by his side...

You were standing in the gardens, your fingers wandering upon the soft petals of a rose you couldn't see. You were out of focus. You couldn't notice the sun bathing your skin, nor the sound of the wind as it got caught in the trees, nor the distant whispers of conversations.

You were about to leave and you couldn't face this reality.

You had hesitated for a moment to tell Caspian about your feelings for him. But... you couldn't imagine how he could feel the same. You were not even mentioning the fact that he had spent the entire day with this Amelia, when you were to leave the next day at dawn. You had precisely 14 hours left in the Castle, and you would probably be sleeping for half of this time. And he was with this woman somewhere in the Castle... No, clearly he didn't care about you. Or else he would have spent the day with you instead of her.

You jumped at the sharp sound of a branch cracking under the weight of a man, and you turned on your heels to face the intruder.

It was Caspian.

Your heart stopped.

You were frozen.

Your mind was blank, your eyes like glued to his...

"Hello, Y/N," he said softly.

You shook yourself but you couldn't manage to think properly. You had thought he was with Amelia. He was supposed to be with her...

"Hello," you merely breathed in response.

"So... You're ready? For your travel?"

"All is packed."

He nodded. He didn't speak, he merely nodded. What you couldn't guess was that he couldn't speak, his throat was too tight.

He was nervous, way too nervous. His heart was racing and his throat wouldn't let any sound out and... he was a mess because of you. He had guided armies, fought wars, and he was losing all his confidence before you.

"Did you want something from me, Your Highness?"

He noticed how cold your tone was. He noticed the way you called him by using his title. You never called him like this...

Caspian looked down at his feet.

"Am I bothering you?" he asked, his voice shaking.

You instantly felt guilty for speaking to him that way.

"No, I was just... enjoying the gardens," you answered, and this time, your voice wore this soft tone he loved.

"Would you prefer to be left alone?" he asked, looking up at you again.

You could read in his eyes that he didn't want to leave you alone though.

"It's fine," you answered, shaking your head.

He took a few steps towards you.

"When are you leaving again?" he asked.

You clenched your jaw, clearly hurt. He closed his eyes, wincing.

"I mean... what precise time," he corrected himself. "Of course I know you're leaving tomorrow morning."

You relaxed again.

"At dawn," you answered. "My uncle wants to leave as early as possible."

"So early?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so."

He nodded slowly, his dark eyes full of a pain he was failing at hiding. He kept staring at you for a while, both of you motionless and silent, until you finally summoned enough courage to speak.

"What can I do for you?" you asked, bringing Caspian back to the present.

"Well I..." he breathed, stuttering. "I just wanted to... say goodbye. I mean... I'll be here when you leave tomorrow but... I thought I would say goodbye and wish you a peaceful travel face to face, alone."

"That's very kind of you," you said.

Although he could feel you were disappointed for some reason. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all, maybe you didn't like him that much... maybe you were happy to leave...

He stopped this train of negative thoughts. He couldn't let you go without the insurance of talking to you again. Even if there were miles and oceans between the two of you. At first he had thought it would be easier to avoid you today. The truth was, he didn't want to think about the fact that you were about to leave, it pierced his heart every time. But then he had realized that he would never forgive himself if he let you go without seeing you just one more time...

"So... goodbye then," you said, and he could here that your tone was slightly bitter. "I'm sure you have very important matters to attend to."

He frowned slightly.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, puzzled by this strange tone of yours. "Am I bothering you? Do you want me to leave...?"

"No!"

He had taken a step back and you couldn't help but stop him. You were staring at these dark eyes again, transfixed, lost in them...

"You're not bothering me," you said.

"What's wrong?" he asked, standing right before you again.

You shrugged.

"I thought we were friends," you said.

"Of course we are," he replied, frowning, before he would look down at his boots again, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "I... That's why I meant to ask you... I mean, if you'd like to... I hoped perhaps you could write to me."

He looked up at you, blushing, his eyes full of hope.

"Of course," you nodded slowly.

You didn't seem to be convinced though...

"I mean, only if you want to," Caspian added.

"It's just..."

"What is it?"

You shrugged, tears shining in your eyes despite all your efforts to hold them back.

"Are you sure Amelia will agree with that?" you said, and this time you didn't try to hide the sour taste these words were leaving on your tongue.

"Amelia?" he repeated, clueless.

"I'm not sure she will be pleased if you write to another woman."

"What does she have to do with anything?" he asked, frowning hard.

"You're courting her."

He raised a surprised eyebrow.

"No, I'm not," he protested.

"Well... you spent the entire day with her," you mumbled bitterly, looking down at your feet.

"Are you jealous?" he asked softly, and he couldn't help but be a bit glad at the thought that you could be jealous of Amelia.

Then, if you really were jealous, it would mean that you had feelings for him. And Aslan knew Caspian hoped you did...

"Of course I'm not," you replied, trying to seem outraged.

"I'm not courting Amelia," he said firmly, and you knew he was speaking the truth.

"Why did you spend the day with her then? When I'm supposed to leave tomorrow at the first lights of dawn? When it's my last day here?"

He blushed fiercely, looking down at the ground. There was no point in denying the reasons of his strange behaviour after all.

"I didn't want to see you," he said slowly, softly, as if he was forcing the words to pass his lips. "I couldn't see you. I don't want you to leave."

He slowly looked up at you again.

"I thought it would be best if I didn't see you today, that it would be easier for both of us. But I... realized it was only making all this harder."

Slowly, his movement barely noticeable, he lifted his hand to brush his fingers against yours, and you shuddered at the gentle touch. You kept staring at his brown eyes...

"I'm not courting Amelia at all," he said. "I was just avoiding you. Because... because it hurts to have to let you go."

Slowly, his fingers wrapped themselves around your hand.

"I... I'd really like you to write to me," he said, his eyes pleading. " Because... I..."

His voice broke, and you waited for him to clear his throat. You were suspended to his words...

"I can't imagine it's the last time I see you," he whispered. "I... I think... that we... I..."

But his eyes were expressing the feelings his voice couldn't speak, and you freed your hand from his.

He looked at you with wide eyes full of pain and shame and fear... so many feelings in two brown orbs...

"You chose Amelia," you said stubbornly. "You could have spent some time with me and instead you ran into her arms!"

"I didn't do that at all," he defended himself.

"I waited for you all day long!" you cried, tears falling from your eyes now. "It's my last day here, and perhaps I'll never come back to this place, perhaps it's the last time we see each other..."

"Don't say that," he interrupted you. "It's not the last time you come here."

"It could be."

"No..."

"Caspian, listen to me..."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, gently taking your face in his hands to force you to look up at him. "How could you think for just a second that I meant to hurt you?"

"But you..."

You fell silent, left with nothing to say. He released your face slowly, brushing away a lock of your hair that fell across your face.

"I wish things were different," he said softly. "I wish you could have stayed here longer. We didn't have time to know each other enough for me to..."

But his sentence remained there, floating in mid-air between the two of you.

"To?" you encouraged him to continue, your breath a mess as he brushed his thumbs against your cheekbones.

He looked intensely at you, heaving a sigh.

There was no time for being cautious.

"I would have courted you," he said.

You raised an eyebrow, your heart beating so fast you thought it would break your ribs and escape your chest...

"I... I'm sorry, I... I don't know how you feel about this but..."

He was shushed by a pair of soft lips pressed against his, and the time his brain took to go back to work and understand what was happening, you had already pulled away. He hadn't even had time to close his eyes.

You were staring at him with eyes full of apprehension, waiting for his reaction.

"I love you," he whispered, taking your face in his hands again, a grin slowly forming on his face.

"I love you too," you answered, your tone and smile matching his.

He kissed you this time, a slow, hesitant kiss that made you melt in his arms and turned your heart into a ball of fire.

He rested his brow against yours, shaking his head.

"You can't leave now," he said firmly, his voice determined. "You can't leave now that I finally know that you feel the same..."

"But Caspian I have to go, everything is ready."

"I'm not ready. I'm not ready at all."

He took your hand and guided you back to the Castle.

"Caspian..."

"We need to talk to your uncle."

"Caspian..."

"I'll convince him. You'll see, I'll convince him."

And indeed, he had convinced him. You had earned a reprieve, three weeks more by his side.

But it was your last day again, and this time there was nothing you could do to stay any longer.

You heard Caspian walking into the Library, his steps echoing in the large room. You smiled as he rested his hands on your upper arms and dropped a soft kiss on the top of your head.

"Aren't you supposed to be packing your things?" he asked.

"Aren't you supposed to be at a council or something?"

But he shook his head, sitting on the corner of your table to face you.

"This afternoon is all for you," he said.

You grinned, taking his hand in yours.

"For now, I just want a hug," you said, making him laugh, and you stood up so he could wrap his protective arms around you.

For a long while you remained silent, both of you breathing deeply the other's scent, trying to memorize this feeling, this moment. None of you knew for sure when you would come back, you needed to worship every second spent together.

"I wish you could be a blanket so you could be always wrapped around me," you whispered against the skin of his neck, making him chuckle.

"I would be rather heavy as a blanket, don't you think?" Caspian protested.

"You're not heavy," you reassured him, laughing.

"You say that because I never lied upon you and you never had to carry me either..."

You laughed, the sound making his heart skip a beat.

"I wish I could stay," you said after a while, your fingers enlaced in his dark hair and tracing patterns on his back.

He tightened his hold on you, resting his cheek against your temple, his beard tickling your skin.

"Promise me you'll come back to me," he whispered."Promise me I'll see you again."

"Of course I'll come back."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"I don't think I could live without you anymore," he breathed, closing his eyes.

You took his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you, and you smiled.

"I'll come back to you," you promised. "You're my home, Caspian. You're everything I want and need. And I'm afraid you're stuck with me forever now. I think we're soulmates. Cope with it."

You both laughed softly, and he rested his brow against yours, his fingertips tracing the outline of your face.

"There's no doubt to have about this, love," he whispered. "We are soulmates. Just... don't force me to sail to the Lone Islands to bring you back home with me."

"You would do that?"

He brushed his nose against yours.

"For you, my love... I could do anything..."

But he didn't have to sail to the Lone Islands to bring you home. A few months later you were back in the Castle by his side...

... as a Queen now.

[atomicstrawbrys]

Prince For Hire

Alfred would do anything to make his daughter happy, and by the looks of the cute prince there might be something in it for him as well. Usuk. //

Alfred always tried his best to be a good single father. Perhaps this was because of the opposition he faced, the court dates he had to go through, and the awful letters he'd received from his ex-wife's family. He'd gotten most of the time with his daughter Amelia, against the odds. He had her all week, and she only spent weekends with her mother.

Still, he always felt like he was being judged on his parenting capabilities, so when Amelia requested to have Disney characters attend her birthday party, Alfred was quick to say yes. He'd themed her whole party around the arrival of the princess and prince, from choosing the color of the streamers to the flavor of the cake. The balloons had princesses on them too, and messages like 'Happy Seventh Birthday!' The event was held in the backyard, and Alfred had set up party games and played Disney songs from a CD player.

Amelia had lots of friends, she was an energetic and friendly little girl, so it was easy for her. The backyard was crowded with roughly twenty kids, boys and girls alike. There was a huge stack of presents next to the cake, the most colorful one being from Alfred himself.

At promptly two-thirty, The 'carriage' pulled into the driveway. What it truly was was a large van with princesses painted on the sides, and a phone number underneath. The doors opened, and two people stepped out. One was a woman with styled, golden hair, and a shimmery pink dress that faded to blue on the bottom. She had a small, simple crown on her head and elegant makeup.

Amelia had looked on the website, and chosen Princess Aurora and Prince Philip duo. Speaking of which, 'Philip' stepped out of the driver's side, adjusting his red cap. He was short, and slender, with dyed brown hair curled a bit messily. He had quite a bit of makeup on himself, to resemble the character. His eyes weren't the accurate brown, though, they were vivid and green, which in Alfred's opinion was an improvement on the character's design.

Alfred approached the two, shaking their hands and introducing himself. "Hey, right on time!" He smiled, and 'Philip' nodded.

"We are always on time, sir, wouldn't want to disappoint the birthday girl. Amelia, was it?" He answered.

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, yeah, Amelia- hey, your accent's pretty good!" The prince for hire had a strong English accent, and although Alfred couldn't remember whether Philip spoke like that or not, it was a nice touch. The Prince gave a half-amused snort but didn't say anything more. He and the princess adjusted their makeup in the back of the van, then went into the backyard, smiling and waving happily.

The children were quick to flock to them, all chattering excitedly. Most of the attention was on the princess, which was to be expected. 'Philip' kept his friendly demeanor, helping himself to a small paper cup of fruit punch, leaning back against the house.

Alfred watched him from a distance, stomach in knots. Costume or not, the prince for hire was cute, at least, he was cute in his makeup. Alfred was sure he was good looking with or without it, though, and after gathering a bit of confidence, he walked over.

"Hey there!" He greeted, the prince nodded his head in reply.

"Hello there sir. Your daughter looks like she's having a good time, doesn't she? I'm glad." He smiled, but not the pretend prince smile. It was genuine, like he actually was happy for Amelia. Alfred leaned on the wall beside him, clearing his throat.

"So, uh, what's your real name, anyway?"

"As long as I'm here, It's Philip." The prince replied, chuckling. "Sorry, but, I've gotten scolded by parents before, for 'shattering the illusion' or something like that. Parents are sometimes quite...micromanaging. I mean, I understand that it's your child's birthday, but, if one more frantic mother tries to adjust my shirt.." He chuckled, and Alfred smiled, laughing under his breath.

"Ah, I mean, you don't gotta worry about that with me, and um, you don't have to keep up the act. Must be annoying to have to keep doing that accent." Alfred nudged his shoulder.

"I'm afraid that's how I actually talk, Mr. Jones."

"Oh! Cool!"

------

Alfred was quite glad that the kids cared mostly about Aurora because that meant that, for the time being, he could have Prince Philip all to himself. He had yet to get the man's real name and doubted he would, but he was fascinating.

He was a great storyteller, whether he was relaying tales of adventure to children or telling Alfred about how he took his cat to the vet last week. No matter what Philip talked about, he made it interesting.

Alfred checked his watch. It was nearly six in the evening, which was the official end of the party. Some kids had already left, and the cake had been cut, and ice cream handed out. Amelia adored the roller skates Alfred got for her, white with red and blue stars all over them. He'd gotten her a helmet too, and she was eager to learn how to skate in them properly.

Aurora approached Philip, speaking to him for a moment. Philip sighed and held out his hand towards Alfred. "Well, it was lovely to meet you, Mr. Jones. You truly are a delightful man, and a great father, at that. If your daughter ever wishes for our services again, you need only call." He smiled, and Alfred felt his face redden. He nodded quickly.

Aurora and Philip waved to the children as they left, calling out goodbyes. The party guests rushed to the gate that led into the backyard, waving as the prince and princess got into the carriage and drove off. Alfred watched the van leave, rubbing his arm.

-----

Perhaps Alfred was going about this the wrong way, but, he didn't know what else to do. He had to see 'Philip' again, he hadn't liked anyone in years, or had that kind of energy when talking to someone. So when six months passed, Alfred did something he'd never done before. He organized a half-birthday party for Amelia.

His daughter was confused by the situation, but, she wasn't one to turn down the opportunity for a party. Four of her closest friends came over for cake, ice cream and games. Alfred again hired the Disney impersonator's services, this time requesting Ariel and Eric.

Alfred had to admit, they went all out for their job. 'Eric' came in carrying Ariel bridal-style, setting her down in a small pool they'd filled up earlier. On closer inspection, the prince was the same one from before, and Alfred grinned at the realization. He sauntered over, hands in his pockets.

"So, I should call you Eric now, huh?" He asked, chuckling. The man looked up at him, and smiled, chuckling.

"You're a quick learner, aren't you?" He remarked, leaning back. "Yes, that's how it works, I'm afraid. It's lovely to see you again, Mr. Jones."

Alfred quickly looked him over. No wedding ring, that was good. Of course, that might not mean anything, he might take it off for costumes. He didn't seem too intimate with his coworker, so, Alfred doubted they were together. Alfred didn't know whether 'Eric' was into men or not, but, it couldn't hurt to try.

He only realized he'd been staring when the prince cleared his throat. "Right, then," He interrupted Alfred's thoughts, smiling. "I don't seem all too busy if you plan on keeping me company for a while." Alfred nodded, and took his place against the wall, just as he had for the previous party half a year earlier.

------

This was stupid. Alfred knew it, but, he couldn't stop. He didn't know the prince for hire's real name yet, and he didn't know how he'd find him without it. The parties continued, eventually becoming as frequent as once a month. Then, kids stopped coming, their parents annoyed with Alfred's interruption of their weekends. Alfred no longer held parties. It was easier to just have Amelia visit with the princess once a week. Then, he stopped requesting the princess's services altogether.

The prince kept coming, whether he was Philip, Eric, Flynn, Florian, Phoebus, or Kristoff. Alfred was sure he looked like a fool, having someone dress up to come to his house, have a tea party, and then talk until six in the evening.

'Milo' had just finished having tea with Amelia, and per ritual, he went to the kitchen. He filled a mug with real tea rather than the pretend drink he'd had a few moments ago. He sat at the dining room table with Alfred, nursing the mug and letting it warm his hands.

"Alfred," He sighed, looking down into his drink. "I think you know as well as I do that this is silly. I mean, really, weekly tea sessions with your daughter? I know you're a dedicated father but even that is a bit much, don't you think?" He adjusted his large glasses, shaking his head. "If there is something you wish to say, then spit it out already, would you? As nice as you and your daughter are, it is a bit tiring to dress up so often. I'm thankful for the extra work, but, I need some time off."

Alfred blinked. "But- what'll I do if you stop coming? Amelia likes this, I, I can't let her down, y'know?" He chuckled nervously.

"Then I shall send a replacement. I could get someone to come over as Aladdin next week, I'm sure she'll enjoy it-"

"No!" Alfred interjected, sitting up immediately. "It's gotta be you, okay? No one else, she, I-" He sighed. "Look. The truth is, I like you a lot, okay?" His face reddened, and he swung his legs. "And, I know this is a super weird way to go about it but-! I do, okay? Is that okay, Mi- whatever your real name is?"

'Milo' said nothing for some time, but eventually got to his feet, sighing. "I, um...I have to take some time to think, alright? I'll see you next week." He left in a hurry, and Alfred frowned. He'd screwed up whatever chance he had, if he even had one to begin with.

Alfred was in a noticeable slump the whole week, and Amelia asked about it, but he simply explained that the prince wouldn't visit anymore. Despite what he'd said before, he doubted the man would step foot on the property again. Amelia was upset by the news, but, soon she was back to her normal peppy self, leaving her father alone in his sorrow.

So, then, he was surprised when the door rang at promptly noon, which was when the prince arrived. Alfred looked up from his soap operas and empty ice cream containers. He hurried to the door, not bothering to change his gray shirt and plaid flannel pants.

He swung the door open, looking down. The man before him was dressed in an argyle sweater, with a white shirt underneath. He had a mess of soft looking pale yellow hair that Alfred had to resist the urge to touch. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and thick eyebrows, contrasting against his pale skin. He was almost unrecognizable, except for the sharp, lime green eyes Alfred recognized as the prince's.

"H-hey," He stuttered, face red as his eyes widened. "You're here." Then, a bit dumbly, he continued. "What prince are you this time?"

The man's lips formed a smile, and he laughed, shaking his head. "My name is Arthur. As in, that's my real name. I thought you might appreciate seeing the real me, after all, I'm not going out on proper dates all dressed up."

As Alfred registered the sentence and processed it, he grinned. "Yeah. Yeah! 'Sides, I think you're prettiest without it, anyway, ha, not that I care that much about looks, um, sorry, I mean,"

"Can I come in?" Arthur interjected, now with a softer, warm expression.

"Of course!" Alfred replied, a bit too quickly as he stepped aside. Then, he chuckled. "So, I mean, you're not a prince, but, can I call you King Arthur?"

Arthur rose a brow before smiling. "If you do that, I'm going to continue charging my hourly fee."

"What? Hey! That's not fair-!"

Arthur just laughed as he went through the door, pleased and certain he'd made the right decision by coming back after all.

[greysfanpage388]

On The Brink - part 2

Hey there guys- here it is finally, part 2 of ‘On The Brink.’, the post season 13 finale collaboration between myself and the lovely @ferryboatsscrubcaps

So sorry for the long wait, we were both being kept busy with work and other stuff going on in life. I am also juggling writing ‘Amnesia’.

But here is the chapter, enjoy and do let us know what you think! :)

The link to chapter 1 is below- do check it out if you haven’t ;)

http://ailingnoor.tumblr.com/post/163080769386/on-the-brink

Owen’s eyes widened as he put two and two together.

Was he really interpreting it right? Was Amelia really hinting to him that she was pregnant and suffering from morning sickness?

He didn’t want to get his hopes up though, so he decided to confirm it with her first.

‘ Amelia, are you pregnant?’ he asked, an expectant tone in his voice. He was afraid to hear her answer though, for fear of being disappointed again.

‘ Yes, 4 months now.’ she answered meekly as she wiped her face dry after rinsing her mouth. ‘ And yes, it’s yours in case you’re wondering.’

Owen’s heart leapt for joy, but he remained calm for Amelia’s sake, not wanting to scare her off.

This was the moment he had always dreamt of, being a father. But now that the moment had come, he didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t the circumstance in which he had imagined to find out the news. He had always imagined that his wife would give him a pleasant surprise, by presenting him with a wrapped up gift, and he would open it to reveal a positive pregnancy test. He would then embrace his wife gleefully and they both would shed tears of joy at having created a new life together out of their love for each other. Unfortunately, the circumstances in which he found out about this pregnancy were less than ideal. He and Amelia hadn’t been together for a few months since she had run away from him. Furthermore, with Megan now being found alive and returning to them, it was already a lot to handle without throwing a baby into the mix. What bad timing for such wonderful news.

‘ Is everything ok?’ he asked softly. He wanted to hug her tight, tell her that he loved her, kiss her forehead, rub her belly and tell her that everything is going to be alright, but there were so many things unspoken between them. He settled for giving her hand a comforting squeeze instead.

She nodded, blinking back the tears starting to form in her eyes. She had been more hormonal than usual and cried a lot more easily lately. Blame it on the pregnancy hormones.

‘ Arizona performed the detailed scan on me last week and everything was fine. Our baby is developing normally and she didn’t detect any abnormalities.’ she answered.

She didn’t tell him how she didn’t sleep the entire night before the scan, as she played in her head the possibility of the baby being anencephalic and wondered what would she do if the baby turned out to be anencephalic. She decided to keep secret from him how she cried in tremendous relief when Arizona told her that the baby was healthy and had a head. She didn’t let him know how she hid her pregnancy for a few months prior to the scan because she wanted to make sure the baby was fine and developing normally before she told anyone. She didn’t tell him how she spent all those lonely nights staring up at the ceiling and praying to the powers above to let this baby be healthy, because she couldn’t handle having another anencephalic baby.

‘ That’s great, I’m glad that everything is going on well.’ Owen nodded earnestly.  Part of him wanted to jump for joy and delight at the news , but another part of him knew that he had to give her some space as things between them were not really as they were before.

‘ Yeah, ‘ Amelia nodded in reply, giving him a small smile.

There were so many things running through Owen’s mind at that moment. He wanted to ask how she felt when she found out, why didn’t she tell him earlier, how had the pregnancy been treating her so far.

Instead, all that came out of his mouth was a simple request.

‘ Can I feel our baby?’

Amelia nodded as tears suddenly filled her eyes again.

‘ Yes, of course you can.’ she answered in a shaky voice.

Owen carefully closed the gap between them and slowly lifted up Amelia’s oversized shirt. He let out a soft gasp as he saw it- the small but prominent bulge on her belly. After a few months of not being in close contact with her, the change was obvious. It was too good and too surreal to be true- this was his own child, his and Amelia’s child which they had both created.

In awe, he slowly reached out his right hand to touch the bulge where their baby was safety buried inside.

As his hand made contact with her abdomen, Amelia felt herself being enveloped by a warm sensation. How she missed his touch!

He pulled her closer as he slowly and gently rubbed her belly.

‘ Hey bean.’ he whispered. ‘ It’s me, your daddy. I just found out about you and I love you so much already. I can’t wait to meet you.’

Amelia felt tears roll down her cheeks at Owen’s words. She internally chided herself for being so emotional lately.

Owen finally looked up at her, and seeing her tears, pulled her into a hug, feeling the small baby bump pressed against him.

‘It’s ok, we’re going to be fine.’ he whispered into her ear as he stroked her hair and felt her tears rolling down onto his shirt.

He released the hug and cupped her face in his hands.

‘ Amelia, we’re having a baby!’’ he proclaimed, with a wide smile on his face.

A dimpled smile slowly formed on Amelia’s face. She initially wasn’t sure what to feel about this pregnancy, especially since they both weren’t in a good place with regards to their marriage. However, Owen’s excitement was contagious, and coupled with the fact that the latest scan showed their baby to be healthy and developing normally, she allowed herself to feel the joy too.

She knew there were still some unresolved issues between them. She had yet to explain to him why she ran away ,and she had yet to tell him about her unicorn baby.

But right now, at this very moment, she allowed herself to celebrate the fact that they were going to be parents.

Their brief moment of joy and celebration was interrupted when Owen’s phone rang.

‘ Hello?’ he answered, his face still beaming with delight as he paused and listened to the person on the other end of the line.

‘ Oh, that’s great!’ he answered as a wide smile formed on his face. ‘We’ll be right there.’

Amelia looked at him questioningly as he hung up.

‘ The nurse in charge of Megan called.’ Owen answered her unspoken question. ‘ She said that Megan is awake.’

‘Let’s go!’ Amelia exclaimed, reaching to throw on the nearest sweatshirt and slipping on her tennis shoes. ‘

________________________________________________________________

Owen nearly sprinted down the hallway towards Megan’s room, but slowed near the door, being careful not to spook her.

Amelia remained back by the door as Owen slowly walked closer to Megan’s bed. She was facing the wall, turned away from Owen, but cautiously turned her head to see who was there. Owen expected some sort of inflated reaction upon her seeing him for the first time in years, even just a smile would’ve sufficed, but instead, her expression didn’t even change. She turned her head back towards the pewter colored wall. Owen’s face fell.

“You still look the same, Eeyore.” Megan muttered, her voice empty and distant. Owen scoffed.

“Megan,” Owen said awkwardly as he wiped a hand over his face. “It’s- it’s good to see you.” The pure shock in his voice was quite evident. Though he had seen her everyday in the hospital since she arrived, this was different because now she was awake. He heard her familiar voice and a wave of all sorts of emotions swept over him.

“ Right back at ya.” She said, not moving an inch.

“ I missed you. I can’t believe,” Owen sighed as he traced his hairline with his hand. “I can’t believe you’re here.” ‘”

There was a long pause. Amelia watched the exchange attentively from the door. Megan hadn’t noticed her yet, which was probably a good thing. Amelia had decided to keep her distance, since Megan didn’t even know she existed. She would slowly introduce herself to Megan and go from there.

“Yeah, everyone thought I was dead. They stopped looking.” Megan said, her voice still extremely cold with absolutely no emotion.

“Megan, I’m so sorry. But after all that time passed, and no sign of the chopper, it just seemed like….”Owen explained, trailing off.

“Yeah, I get it. It was easier to stop looking and claim we were all mysteriously dead and gone, than keep searching. I would’ve given up too.” She shifted a little in the bed and cleared her throat. “

“Megan, I-” Owen started, but Megan interrupted, “Stop, Owen.” She turned her head quickly to look at him. “I don’t blame you. I’m alive. You’re alive. That’s all that matters, okay? Enough with the stupid apologies and details.” She stared into his eyes for a moment and saw the mix of emotions on his face. She felt bad for him, and almost wanted to get up and give him the tightest hug ever. But she couldn’t; she wasn’t there yet. It was going to take a while to warm up to the idea of emotionally and physically interacting with her closest friends and family. She wasn’t exactly coddled for the past few years.

Amelia watched as Owen’s shoulders fell at Megan’s words. She could practically see the excitement and hope leave him and be replaced with confusion and hurt. She watched as he swallowed hard and squared his shoulders.

“Alright, well, I’ll come back later.”  He said, turning towards the door and walking out with heavy footsteps. Amelia gently laid a hand on his shoulder and followed his lead down the hallway, back out to the car.

He got in the driver’s seat after opening the passenger door for his wife. He put the keys in the ignition, but sat there unmoving, like he just couldn’t start the car yet. They sat in silence for a few moments, as Amelia knew that was what he needed. Finally, he broke the silence. “I’m not sure what to do.” He sighed heavily.

“I know, O. It’s hard. Neither of you know what to do.” Amelia replied softly.

Owen looked over at her, feeling grateful that she was there to support him. Megan’s reaction really hit him hard, but Amelia being there by his side softened the blow a bit.

“Thank you, Amelia. For being here.” Their eyes locked on each others for a moment, before his trailed down her torso towards her tiny bump. Even though she was wearing a sweatshirt, he thought, she still looked as gorgeous as the day he first met her and as when she walked down the aisle. “And thank you, little bean,” Owen said, smiling, towards the baby bump, “For bringing so much happiness into my life already. I love you both.” Amelia smiled, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together, finally getting the loving touch she’s been longing for for months. This was a good thing. He was a good thing.

________________________________________________________________

The couple shared small talk on the car ride home about the baby, possible nursery arrangements, and how they would tell their friends and family. Amelia was really enjoying this, sharing this joy with the love of her life. But the reservations were still there. No matter how many ultrasounds and blood tests she had done, or how many times Arizona reassured her that the baby was completely healthy, Amelia always had a nagging feeling in her telling her there was something wrong. After what she went through with her first child, she couldn’t allow herself to completely believe that her baby was healthy. She didn’t want Owen to notice her reservations, though.

“So what do you think, boy or girl?” Owen asked.

Amelia hesitated.

“It really doesn’t matter, though. I’ll be over the moon either way,” Owen practically swooned.

The baby wasn’t even here yet and he was already acting so adorable.

“Doesn’t matter to me, either. As long as it’s healthy, I’ll be happy,” Amelia said, trying to force a smile. She couldn’t stand that she was letting these stupid doubts and worries creep into her head. Owen could tell something was up, but didn’t want to push her too much.

He put the car in park as he rolled into its usual spot in their driveway. “Me too, Melia.” He smiled at her before getting out of the car to open the passenger door for her. As they entered their house, smelling the hint of cinnamon from their burners, Amelia sighed and sat down her purse on the barstools. She went to the fridge and pulled open the door, observing its contents for a minute before choosing a bottle of water and shutting the door. Owen lingered by the bar counter, sensing her off mood and feeling it out before he pushed for details.

“I’m really tired, O. I’m just going to head to bed, okay?” Amelia said with little emotion in her voice.

“Amelia, it’s eight o'clock.” Owen said, glancing out the big windows in their foyer and chuckling a little.

“Well… I’m just going to go read a little. I have some journals to catch up on. Some cool things have been going on at Mayo in their neuro research department.” Amelia said a little more excitedly, obviously trying to put on a front for Owen. She turned away and walked towards the grand staircase.

“Amelia….. you okay?” Owen asked, cocking his head a little and looking at her with sympathetic eyes. The classic Owen look.

She nodded and smiled, uttering a “mhm.”

She tried to go back up the stairs, but he interrupted again, “Okay, if you’re fine, then…” he sighed, “Goodnight.”

Amelia looked back to see him drop his head and run his hand over his forehead, furrowing his brows. She thought about going up the stairs and retreating to those medical journals. But instead she just stood there. She wanted to be able to share her concerns with him, but she just didn’t know what to say. And she knew it would lead to that argument. The one that’s been lingering between them since the moment she left home that day, since their argument in the stairwell, since she told him they were expecting. She swallowed hard, and looked up as she breathed out deeply. She walked back down the bottom few stairs and over towards where he was standing.

“I feel like I need to tell you-” Amelia hesitated, “I need to tell you how I’m feeling. How I’ve been feeling. I need to tell you…. just everything, O. But I don’t know how and I don’t want it to lead to a big fight. I want us to be happy - to be US again. And to do that we need to share everything with each other.” She blurted out.

This truly shocked Owen. His wife wasn’t one to willingly share her feelings - ever. He looked up at her as she spoke and listened intently. He was ready to have this talk. He wanted to hear her concerns, emotions and thoughts and be able to guide her through them. To tackle them - together. That’s what marriage was about.

‘Well, ok, I’m all ears.’ said Owen earnestly.  After his wife withdrawing from him the past few months, he was glad that she was finally willing to open up to him.

Amelia swallowed and took a deep breath before she began. This was the inevitable moment that she had been trying to avoid-  revealing the truth to her husband, barring her entire soul to him, telling him her deepest and darkest secrets.

‘Well, first of all, I’m so sorry for running away from you,’ she admitted in a small voice. She did indeed feel remorse for escaping from him. He had been so loving, kind and caring towards her and she ran away from him in return.

He remained quiet but nodded, silently urging her to continue.

‘I was just…...I was frightened, O. I went away because I needed some space and time, I needed time to breathe.’

‘I know, you told me that I was suffocating you.’ Owen replied, a bitter tone in his voice.

‘ No Owen, just listen to me, please. I haven’t finished my story!’ Amelia said exasperatedly.

‘Ok, go on.’ Owen conceded, folding his arms in front of his chest.  He was still furious about Amelia yelling at him about suffocating her shortly before she ran away. But he deserved an explanation from her and he was now finally getting one.

‘Do you know that I was actually so excited when I first thought that I was pregnant? In my excitement, I even went and blurted out to friends and colleagues that I thought I might be pregnant. April, Maggie and Meredith knew.  I even asked them about the best way to tell you. Then Meredith had to ruin it by saying that with Ellis she didn’t have to tell Derek as he was already dead. It was then I realized that the last time I had a baby, I didn’t have to tell the father because he was already dead. And it brought back all those memories about my first pregnancy.’ she said, her voice shaking.

‘Your first pregnancy?’ Owen asked curiously. He remembered her mentioning about her baby living for 43 minutes while they were in the hospital chapel after Samuel’s death. He didn’t probe her further about it then, as they were merely colleagues and didn’t know each other well back then.

Amelia nodded in reply.

‘Remember I told you about Ryan- my boyfriend back then who died of drug overdose?’ she asked softly, tears pooling in her eyes at the mention of Ryan’s name.

Owen nodded. Yes, he remembered it vividly.

She took a deep breath before continuing.

‘Well, it’s his.’

It tugged at Owen’s heart to hear her admission.  She had lost a fiance and a baby in a short period of time, it must have been so heartbreaking for her.

‘I’m so sorry.’ he whispered, for lack of better words.

‘When I first found out I was pregnant with his baby, I was in denial at first, but eventually, once I accepted the fact, I was rather excited.’ she admitted.  ‘ I was excited about being able to carry a piece of him in me. So when Addison revealed that the baby had no brain…..my heart just shattered. It was the most devastating news I had ever received.’

She shook her head at the memory, as a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

‘You had an anencephalic baby?’ Owen asked softly, feeling so sorry for her, but not knowing the best way to react. He wanted to hug and comfort her, but there were so many unresolved issues between them and he wanted her to tell him the entire story first.

‘I did.’ she replied. ‘He was the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen. I held him in my arms for 43 minutes before he developed respiratory distress and had to be taken away from me. When Addison and Jake took him away,  It was like a piece of me was being taken away, and it left a hole in my heart. I called him my unicorn baby, because he was miraculous. I was given the option to abort him earlier on,  but I decided to carry him to term so that he could donate his organs. In the end, after his birth, he donated his organs and saved lots of lives during his short time on earth.’

‘I’m so sorry to hear that, Amelia. That’s a very honorable thing to do.’ Owen whispered, as he took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze as a gesture of support. He had newfound respect for her. Not every woman would willingly carry their anencephalic baby to term just so that they could donate their baby’s organs. It was such a noble thing to do.

Amelia shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.

‘Don’t feel sorry for me.’ she answered. ‘I’m sure he’s happy up there wherever he is, and smiling down at us.’

‘I’m sure of that too.’ Owen replied softly, giving her a small smile.

This gave Amelia the courage she needed to open up about her true feelings and emotions to him.   ‘ When I first found out that I was pregnant, I had a major freak out. I hid myself in the bathroom for a whole hour, until Maggie had to knock on the door to ask if everything was alright. I was hyperventilating and I couldn’t breathe. The possibility that this baby might be born anencephalic as well suffocated me, Owen. I just couldn’t handle another brainless baby.’ She sniffled, shaking her head as more tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘I felt so alone then, and I didn’t know what to do. I finally confided in Maggie and Meredith and begged them to keep it a secret. They suggested me to go for antenatal booking with Arizona, so that’s what I did. She was amazing. I’ve been to 3 visits so far, and each time I would have anxiety and palpitations waiting for my turn . There was always this nagging question at the back of my mind about what would I do if this baby has an abnormality.  I wasn’t ready to face that possibility. So you can only imagine my relief when Arizona informed me that this baby is developing normally and has a brain during the latest scan last week.’ she added, exhaling deeply.

Now that she had told Owen all her underlying worries and issues about having a baby, she felt a huge burden being lifted off her chest. She really hoped that he would understand.

A tense silence filled the air as Owen tried to process Amelia’s words.

Now, he finally understood why she was so afraid of getting pregnant again. The loss of her first baby must have really taken an emotional toll on her. Still, part of him was hurt that she decided to run away and hide all her anxieties and past issues from him instead of opening to him about it and letting him help her. It showed that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him about her insecurities and let him support her through it all.

‘Why didn’t you tell me earlier?’ Owen asked softly, trying his best not to sound condescending. He was just curious to know why did she make that decision of running away and hiding the news from him when he had been nothing but supportive of her all this while.

‘Because I wanted to make sure that this baby is ok first.’ Amelia answered. ‘I wanted to wait until the detailed scan confirmed that everything is fine with the baby before I told you.  I was afraid that if I told you earlier and this baby turned out to be abnormal,  you would blame me and leave me. But after the scan last week, I didn’t know how to go about telling you given the current circumstances between us.‘ she added, gesturing between them.

‘Leave you? Why would I leave you, Amelia?! Did you honestly think that?’ Owen was seriously taken aback by Amelia’s confession, a hurt tone apparent in his voice. Did she not trust him?

Amelia studied Owen’s face, realizing from the tone of his voice and his facial expression that he meant every word he said.

‘It was the main reason I went away actually.’ she admitted.  ‘ I was afraid that you would leave me if our baby has any abnormality.’

Owen shook his head sadly.

‘I didn’t know you had so little faith in me,’ he said in a disappointed tone.

‘I have faith in you, O. I just got scared and ran like I always do. I didn’t want to face the possibility of having another anencephalic baby,  and losing another baby and you in the process.’ Amelia admitted.

‘You know that I love you so much and I would never leave you no matter how our baby turns out to be!’ Owen emphasized earnestly.

Amelia felt a sudden pang of guilt at Owen’s words. He had been nothing but supportive, kind and caring towards her, and yet she didn’t trust him with her insecurities and secrets.

‘I know you love me so much,’ she said softly. ‘I’m so sorry. I guess it’s an irrational move on my part, I acted out of my instinct. I should’ve talked things out with you instead of running.’

‘Melia, marriage is about being there for each other and supporting each other no matter what happens. When I said I’ll be by your side no matter what comes our way, I really mean it. So stop running. Open up to me. Relationship is about communication. I cannot understand how you’re feeling unless you tell me exactly what’s in your mind and what’s bothering you. Only then can I help you,’ said Owen, taking both her hands in his as their eyes met.

‘Ok, I will.’ Amelia nodded as she gave him a grateful smile. She wondered what had she done to deserve such a wonderful man in her life.

Owen let go of one of her hands to reach to her stomach. He softly grazed his hand over the cute little bump. “This is my child. Our child. And we’re going to have such a great life together - the three of us. And I can’t wait.” He leaned down and placed a kiss right on the top of his wife’s baby bump.

“Me either, Owen.” She smiled at him and looked into his eyes longingly, prompting him to lean in and draw her in for a long, soft kiss.

They both pulled back abruptly when a loud ring pierced the silence of the cozy living room.

Owen reached for the phone, which was perched on the kitchen bar counter. “Hello?” His eyebrows furrowed a little as Amelia watched him. “Oh, yeah hi… What? Really?” Owen ran a hand over his face and sighed. “Okay, we’ll be there soon. Thanks.”

Amelia looked at Owen with a questioning expression until he explained. “That was the hospital. Megan had some kind of… attack. PTSD, maybe? They don’t know, they sedated her, but they want me to come in and see what I can do to help.” Owen said before grabbing his keys off the counter and escorting his tired wife out the door.

________________________________________________________________

When they arrived at the hospital, Megan’s doctor met Owen and Amelia in the lobby and escorted them to her room while filling them in. ‘She has been sedated, but she’s starting to come around, so if you,’ the doctor said, stopping to turn towards Owen, ‘could just go in and see if you can talk to her.. I think that would do some good.’

‘She’s probably not going to want to talk to me,’ Owen said firmly.

‘ Maybe not, but when she wakes up she’s either going to be very confused and emotional, or she’s going to launch right back into attack mode. If that happens, you’re probably the first one to be able to calm her down.’ the doctor explained as Owen nodded in agreeance.

‘Alright, I’ll go in.’ he conceded.

He grabbed Amelia’s hand and gave it a single squeeze before opening the door and walking into Megan’s room.

Inside, Megan groggily rolled over in the bed, now turned to face towards Owen and the door where Amelia and the doctor were prepared to watch whatever exchange occurred.

‘She was yelling and screaming just now and just wouldn’t stop. I don’t know what exactly triggered the episode.’ the nurse in charge of Megan told Amelia softly as they watched Owen slowly walk towards Megan’s bed.

‘ Megan.’ Owen whispered, his voice full of emotion as he slowly walked towards her bed.

Megan just stared at him with stony cold eyes. Her years in captivity had dulled their sparkle. Her entire face was red and it looked like she had been screaming and crying.

‘ Megan’ he whispered again as  he took his place by her bedside.  ‘ How are you feeling?’

She just stared right through him, with a blank expression, which scared him and made his heart sink. It was obvious that she was hurting, and he wished he could do something to help her.

‘ Megan.’ he repeated.  ‘ It’s ok. You’re safe now in America. You’re no longer in the battlefield.’

Amelia stood at a respectful distance from Megan’s bed, watching the interaction between the Hunt siblings with interest. Megan’s doctor and nurse meanwhile had excused themselves out of the room.

There was still no response from Megan.

‘ I know that whatever is going through your mind now is torturing. I know you can’t block off all the things that have happened over there. I know, because I’ve experienced it before too. But just know that I’m here for you.’ he added as Megan remained stoic.

‘ Please look at me.’ Owen now pleaded. ‘I love you so much, please just say something. Yell, scream, punch me, whatever, just do something instead of ignoring me.’

Megan remained stoic and still, as a tense environment filled the room.

Owen cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched in reflex at the contact and violently shrugged his hand away.

‘Get away from me.’ she growled in a low voice.

Owen backed away slowly from her bedside, heartbroken but understanding that she needed space at the moment. He was suffering from PTSD too and he knew how it felt like.

‘Ok, I’ll give you some space. But just know that I’m here for you.’  he said softly.

‘ You’re lying!! You’re lying to me!!  Don’t you dare pretend that you care for me!’ she screamed at the top of her voice, her face red with anger. ‘ Because I know you don’t!!’

Owen felt his heart sink to the bottom of his chest at his sister’s accusation.

‘ You don’t care!! You all don’t!!’ she screamed again as she waved her hands violently in the air. ‘ I hate you all!!! Get the hell away from me!!!’

Amelia gestured to Owen to leave Megan’s bedside as she pressed the nurse’s call button.

‘ I think we better leave.’ she suggested softly as she gently guided a crestfallen looking Owen out of the room.

A few nurses and army officers entered the room to calm a still screaming Megan down.

________________________________________________________________

Owen and Amelia sat in silence in the hospital waiting room, both busy entertaining their own thoughts.

‘She hates me’ Owen whispered, shaking his head, a defeated look on his face.  ‘ She hates me.’he repeated again.

‘ She doesn’t hate you, O.’ Amelia reassured, stroking his arm comfortingly. ‘ She was just rescued after 10 years of captivity, she must have gone through a lot of emotional and physical trauma. She needs time to readjust back to normal life. Maybe everything is a shock to her.’

‘I know that. But it still does feel like she really hates me.’ Owen admitted sadly. ‘ You saw what happened just now. She looked at me with full of spite in her eyes. And I feel like I deserve her hate. I was the one who let her get on the helicopter. Had she not gotten on the helicopter, this would not have happened. I’ve failed my own sister, Amelia..’

‘ Owen, stop saying that. Stop blaming yourself.’Amelia said gently but firmly, as she took his hand in hers and looked at him in the eye. ‘It’s not your fault, and you know it. Had you known what was going to happen, you would not have let her get on the helicopter.’

‘ I just feel so heartbroken to see my sister, my little sister in such a condition.’ said Owen in a melancholic tone. ‘I feel so helpless, my role as an elder brother is to protect her, and yet I failed to do so. And now there’s nothing much I can do to help her. I feel so hopeless.’

‘I know that you feel hopeless now. There’s nothing much you can do except to be there for her and support her.’ said Amelia. ‘She would need your support now more than ever. She might not say so, but she needs you, Owen. She has a long road to recovery ahead of her and you can be there for her every step of the way.’

‘I didn’t expect it to be this hard.’ Owen shook his head.

‘It is hard, I know.’ Amelia admitted. ‘ It is going to be a long and tough journey ahead for you both. But I’ll be there to give you both support and encouragement. I have booked the best psychiatrist in the country to fly over here to see you both.’

Owen looked at Amelia, feeling really grateful for her support. Their eyes met and unspoken words were exchanged. His eyes showed angst and despair and hers showed sympathy and compassion.

Amelia slowly pulled Owen in for a warm hug and he surrendered to the hug, feeling the comfort of her heart beating against his chest. The warmth of Amelia’s touch made him believe that maybe, just maybe, like everything else, he could get through this with her and their baby by his side.

Hey guys- here it is, the end of chapter 2.  Do let us know what you think, we would really love to hear from you!! Comments, reviews, reblogs, messages are very much appreciated!!

p.s The next chapter might not be up that soon as @ferryboatsscrubcaps is on a one week vacation.

[jordan202]

My Boys: Beneath the Surface - Chapter 1

Hey Guys, I am back :)

So, as previously mentioned, I am starting a new multi chapter. This one sets 5 years after the events of MBBD. It will mainly focus on Omelia and Amelia’s relationship with her family, how it affects the dynamics of her marriage to Owen and the repercussions her trouble past has in her life up to this moment. 

Thank you to the lovely @jia911 for proofreading this overnight. You are my team!

 My Boys – Beneath the Surface: Chapter 1

 “I really don’t know how to thank you enough.”

At the sound of the words, Amelia’s mother in law turned around with a sympathetic smile on her face.

“There is no need to thank me, I’ve told you that,” The elderly woman added with a gentle nod, genuinely happy for being able to help. A couple of hours before, Amelia had called her to ask if Evelyn had any idea how to cook Spanish and Moroccan food and Owen’s mother had immediately stepped in to help, driving over to her son’s house to give the neurosurgeon a hand with the cooking.

The school to which Amelia’s kids went to was having an international fair to celebrate cultural diversity and much to Amelia’s dismay each student in the class of her eight year old twins was in charge of taking local food from a few selected countries.  

“If I can’t cook our own food,” Amelia said with a teasing smile, “how do they expect me to cook stuff I’ve never even tried before?”

“Oh, but you’ll love this dish,” Evelyn lightheartedly added, mixing the ingredients next to the stove. She was cooking a Spanish tortilla that consisted basically of eggs and potatoes and seemed very easy to serve. “Owen used to ask me to cook this when he was younger. I am pretty sure we’re going to have to save some for him,” Evelyn turned her head around and looked at her daughter in law with mischief in her eyes, “But don’t worry, I’m making more than enough.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks your son eats like he’s been starved for the past year,” Amelia said with good humor. “And by the looks of it, it seems like my sons are just the same.”

Evelyn shared a heartfelt laughter with her daughter in law, clearly enjoying herself. The two women spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen, casually talking while Amelia washed the dishes and Evelyn took care of all the cooking.

.

Owen strode around the supermarket, watching as a very excited Megan had a hard time staying still inside the shopping cart.

“Meg, sit down, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Owen said gently but firmly.

The five year old did as told, clearing space among the groceries to finally sit.

“Dad, can we get ice cream for dessert today?” She turned her neck around and used her best puppy eyes to convince him. “But not that strawberry kind that Lucas likes, I want the one he likes the least.”

“Why?” Owen frowned while stopping at the cereal section to load the cart.

“Because,” Megan replied with serene logic. “If you get one he likes he’ll just end up eating everything like he always does.”

Owen let out a loud chuckle and promised Megan they would get enough of whichever flavor she chose. Reaching out for his pocket, he picked up a sheet he’d left hung on the refrigerator earlier that morning. When Owen had said he planned to go out grocery shopping, Amelia had mentioned their twin sons had a school assignment that required some special ingredients and coincidentally, Thomas had asked for a special kind of glue to finish his art project.

As a way of simplifying things, Owen had scribbled “Write down what you need” on a piece of white paper and hung it on the fridge with magnets. Thomas had written his request on it and Owen could also distinguish Lucas’ scrawl asking for sweets and the cereal brand of his preference. The twins had followed adding the list of ingredients their teacher had given them for the recipes they were supposed to take and at last, Owen noticed his wife’s elegant calligraphy as he read the two final words on the list that made him involuntarily laugh: Your smile.

Her unexpected and adorable addition brought a large smile to Owen’s face. Unable to contain a chuckle, he finished getting the items on the list with the always cheerful help of his daughter, hurrying to get back home in time to start preparing dinner.

.

Much to Owen’s surprise, he found his mother already with dinner halfway prepared the minute he made it home.

“Didn’t you say we were going to make paella?” Owen protested, lifting the bag with the ingredients he’d just gone out to get at the same time he stared at his wife questioningly.

“Why make it hard when you can make it so simple?” Evelyn intervened, justifying their change of traditional Spanish dish.

“Your mom said it, not me,” Amelia looked at Owen with a semi apologetic smile, but the amusement was clear in her eyes. It was obvious she agreed with Evelyn.

“I thought you were doing all the cooking for Danny and Robbie’s school thing?” Owen raised both eyebrows as he turned around to face her before putting the fresh ingredients in the fridge.

“Yeah, right,” Amelia’s disbelief was clear on her face as she let out a loud chuckle, clearly having fun. She had pretty much no talent in the kitchen and other than fixing a quick meal of semi cooked pasta or scrambling eggs, there wasn’t much she would venture herself with.

Owen playfully nodded his head in disapproval and carried the leftover bags to the pantry to stock the rest of the groceries. From a distance, he could hear the excited chatter coming from the kitchen and it only got louder when Megan joined in, excitedly stepping in when her grandmother asked if she wanted to help with the cooking. Something his daughter did made the two women crack up and Owen distinguished the sound of Amelia’s musical laughter vibrating in the air.

The trauma surgeon couldn’t contain a smile once he realized that the three most important women of his life were obviously enjoying each other’s company.  Over a decade before, when he’d married Amelia, it didn’t take her long to develop a close relationship with his mother. Years later, she had also come to perform a surgery that saved Evelyn’s life, tightening the bond between the two. The fact that Megan had been born that same week had only helped to bring the two women together and include the little girl in their special attachment.

Owen knew that his wife didn’t have a close relationship with her family and that they didn’t see each other much. He had always been close to his parents, developing an ever closer relationship to his mother and sister after his father had passed away. And then for a while, it had been just him and Evelyn. Owen regretted the years he’d spent neglecting his mother after being so damaged by the traumas in the war but even without meaning to, Amelia had helped him regain proximity with his mother.

Right after he’d married her, she and Evelyn had hit it off pretty quickly and in his mom, Amelia found a very caring and affectionate mother figure. When their first son was born, Evelyn had been of great help caring for the baby and the routine repeated itself every time they added a new member to the family or when the kids were on school break. Owen had long ago stopped being surprised when he came home and found his wife in the company of his mother. Even though sometimes he would accuse them of ganging up on him, Owen never really meant it because he knew that deep down, it was lovely how close the two of them had become.

Strained relationships between mother in laws and wives were very cliché and he was happy that over the years Amelia had once again grown to organically break all the expectations, uniting with Evelyn over the common love they shared for Owen and the kids, instead of unconsciously competing over it. To Owen, it just proved how kindhearted and mature his wife had become. She openly admitted how grateful she was for getting the chance to build their own happy, functional family and he knew that not a day went by when Amelia took it for granted. Her attitude was not only inspiring, it was contaminating, and Owen felt just as lucky to be able to live the dream they’d been through so much to create.

Evelyn stayed for dinner and for the rest of the night, Owen kept busy helping out Thomas with his art project. Unlike his father, the eleven year old was very talented in detailed manual work and even though Thomas could skillfully craft the miniature house he was building with wood sticks, it really helped to have his father applying glue to the assemble as he did it.

“Remind me why you’re building pillars?” Owen frowned, seeing the two story house take formation. Thomas' assignment was to craft a miniature house but unsurprisingly, his son hadn’t settled for creating something simple, choosing to add more walls and a second pavement to the project instead.

“Because Kate said hers would be better but it won’t,” Thomas replied with an ambitious grin. “So I am building a model of our house to prove her wrong.”

Owen chuckled and ruffled Tom’s hair, playfully shaking his head in denial. Thomas had always been good friends with Jo and Alex’s oldest child and they were always friendly fighting for the top of their class. As long as they kept the competitiveness on a healthy level, Owen thought it was a good thing the two kids stimulated each other to do better.

After another twenty minutes, Thomas finally decided they’d done enough and Owen could at last relax after a full day. He kissed Thomas goodnight and checked in on Lucas, who was already in his room watching television. Imagining the youngest kids were already in bed, Owen made his way to his bedroom, eager to finish the day in the company of his wife.

Even though Owen didn’t regret it one bit, having five young kids was a handful of work and at times, he wondered how they were able to manage. Among school projects, homework, extracurricular and sports activities and leisure time, he didn’t remember the last five minutes of peace he’d had. Things like reading the newspaper in the morning or sleeping in on weekends had become a luxury. Despite the full day, it was still relatively early so Owen smiled to himself, imagining that maybe that night, Amelia would be up for staying up late for a very good cause. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d had more than ten minutes to themselves and the idea of being alone with her made Owen anxiously stride to their room.

He was already thinking of ways to slowly undress his wife when, after he crossed the door to his room, his dirty smile vanished the moment Owen saw his bed had been taken over.

Amelia was already lying there as he’d imagined, but she wasn’t alone. Robbie peacefully slept lying between his mother’s legs with his head resting on her lap, while Megan and Danny were still wide awake, watching a children’s movie on the television.

“You guys are still up,” Owen tried to control his disappointment.

Amelia’s eyes met his and he could swear she smiled mischievously, as knowing exactly what was going on in her husband’s head.

“Yes, but it’s past their bedtime,” Amelia informed the kids, playfully squeezing Megan’s nose when the little girl protested.

“Can’t we at least finish the movie, mom?” Danny bargained with adorable begging eyes.

“Nope,” Amelia replied decisively. “It’ll run for at least another hour and you guys have watched it way too many times,” she added, gently shifting on the bed trying not to wake up Robbie. “Give me a kiss goodnight.”

Danny promptly did as told, being closely followed by Megan. But when Amelia handed Robbie over to Owen, he heard the little girl asking:

“Mom, can I sleep here tonight?” She skillfully made her way beneath the covers. “Please?”

Amelia once again made eye contact with her husband and saw the shadow of physical pain behind the blue of his eyes. She wanted to laugh but tried her hardest not to.

“Can she, dad?” Amelia provoked looking up to her husband, knowing very well that even though Owen really wanted the kids in their beds as soon as possible, he would hardly say no to such a sweet request from his daughter.

“Yes,” Owen dryly replied. When Megan excitedly celebrated, not for the first time he felt guilty for wishing that for at least twenty minutes a day, they got a break from the kids. Truth is, he loved them too much to even consider being without them.

The trauma surgeon took the twins to their rooms and tucked them in. Upon his return, Amelia and Megan were already lying beneath the covers with the lights off. Letting out a conformed sigh, Owen went to bed too, feeling his daughter’s arms instantly wrapping around his neck, clinging to him as she stole all space available.

He closed his eyes and let out an amused sigh through his nose, involuntarily laughing at his own predicament. Very gently, Owen turned to his side and placed the little girl on the mattress, seeing she was already too deeply asleep to wake up with the movement.

“Do you want to take her to her room?” Amelia whispered in the dark.

Owen propped his head on his elbow and stared at his sleeping child. She looked like a little angel.

“Nah,” He replied, pulling the covers to make sure she wasn’t cold.

Even though it was dark, Amelia noticed the mesmerized look on her husband’s face as he stared at their daughter. Megan really was adorable and just like her brothers, at the end of the day, gave all meaning to their lives.

“You want to have sex, don’t you?” Amelia provoked her husband, muffling her laughter at his startled expression.

“Shhh!” Owen censored her for using the word, childishly covering Megan’s ear with his hand.

“She is asleep,” Amelia justified, leaning over their daughter to give the girl a kiss on the head. “She can’t hear us.”

“How do you know?” Owen defensively asked with a whisper.

Amelia playfully rolled her eyes and got comfortable on the bed, feeling her body relax from the intense day. Owen was already half asleep when he heard his wife’s voice resonating in the room again.

“Don’t you ever just look at the kids and wonder what the heck have we done?” Amelia asked with good humor, turning to her side to face her husband.

Owen furrowed his brown heavily, apparently offended with the question.

“Of course not!” He rejected her supposition completely.

Amelia couldn’t help laughing at his outrage.

“You are way too politically correct,” She teased him, reaching out her hand to grab his. “I am not saying this is a permanent feeling, it’s not. I actually feel incredibly guilty when I think that so the thought only lasts for like, two milliseconds,” She confessed. “But come on! You have to admit it… Don’t you just wish they could be locked in Neverland for at least a little while so you could enjoy some quality, worry free moments from time to time?” Amelia asked with sincerity, making Owen lighten up. “I mean, when was the last time you didn’t have to worry about absolutely anything?”

“Before I met you,” Owen replied with mock pretense, clearly provoking her. Amelia’s laughter warmed his heart and he gently rubbed his thumb on her open palm, enjoying her touch. “Nah, I am kidding… I actually can’t remember what it’s like not to worry. I mean,” Owen turned his head to face her. “I thought worrying about my unit in the army would be the biggest responsibility of a lifetime, but then I became Chief of Surgery…” He added with a playful voice. “Then, you happened,” Owen teased her, seeing Amelia scowling at him in response. “And just when I thought my worrying days had reached its limit, I became a dad. It’s like I can’t catch a break.”

“And they just kept coming, right?” Amelia thought out loud.

“The kids?”

“No, the reasons to worry.”

“Oh,” Owen thought about it for a second, realizing how right she was. “Absolutely.”

“But yeah, the kids too, I guess,” Amelia decided with a lighthearted tone, smiling when she met her husband’s eyes in the darkness. The neurosurgeon stayed quiet for long seconds, apparently immersed in deep thought but soon after, Owen heard her voice again. “Do you ever think how it would be if we’d done things differently?”

“What do you mean?” Owen quizzically asked, more interested in the conversation.

“Well, how our lives would be if we didn’t have the kids. Or if we only had one or two like we initially planned.”

“Amelia, you have always said you wanted a lot of kids and so did I.” Owen argued.

“Yeah, but remember how after Tommy we decided to stop?” Amelia asked with a broken voice. “What were we thinking? We were so stupid back then.”

“What?” Owen chuckled at her spontaneous confession.

“Just imagine the insane amount of happiness we would be missing out on if we didn’t have the twins or Megan, or even Tom and Luke.”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted to ship them to Neverland?”

“No,” Amelia frowned, looking deeply offended. “That’s not what I said.”

“Then, what did you say?” Owen raised one eyebrow at her, having fun with how worked up she was getting.

Amelia seemed to ponder his question for a few seconds, processing her answer before opening her mouth to talk.

“I said that even though sometimes I wish I could get a five minute break, I really don’t, you know?” She played with Owen’s index finger between hers, idly staring at the ceiling while lost in thought. “I mean, even though these five brats drive me close to exhaustion nearly every day, I feel like I live and breathe for them. And I absolutely can’t imagine myself being happy without any of you.” Amelia confessed, letting her husband know of the important role he played in her life too.

“Yeah,” Owen agreed, closing his fingers around her hand and bringing it closer to give his wife a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “I feel the exact same way.” He seemed to struggle with his thoughts for a second before finally admitting. “I guess sometimes I do ask myself why we decided to have kids in the first place,” He smiled sheepishly at the confession when their eyes met. “But all it takes is one look at either of them to make me instantly remember and regret my doubts.”

Amelia grinned, happy to realize she wasn’t the only one who felt like that.

“It would be pretty cool to send them to Neverland, though,” She teased, chuckling at her realization. “This way, they’d never have to grow up.”

Owen smiled at her admission and watched as Amelia gently wrapped one arm around Megan, snuggling next to the little girl at the same time she protectively held her.

“Owen?” Amelia’s whisper broke the silence after a few minutes. “Are you sleeping?”

“I am trying to,” He did his best to hide his smile at his teasing reply.

“I spoke to Meredith today,” Amelia shared, letting out a sigh of frustration. “She is not going to the wedding.”

Owen rubbed his eyes, fighting off sleep. He knew that conversation would probably take more than a few minutes.

“Did she say why?”

“Not really,” Amelia replied, playing with a nonexistent loose thread on her pillow case. “I mean, I didn’t expect her to go in the first place anyway but as usual she just made up a sad excuse about work as a way to justify her absence.”

“Well, I can’t say I am surprised.”

In a few weeks, Owen and Amelia were traveling to the East Coast to attend Amelia’s oldest sister’s wedding. A few years before, after visiting Amelia and realizing how unhappy and frozen in time her life was, Nancy had gone back home and turned the table around. A few months later, she had divorced the husband with whom she hadn’t had a real relationship in nearly a decade, gotten closer to her kids and soon after started dating again. Now, a couple of years after meeting someone very special, Nancy was going to remarry and Amelia had planned with months in advance some free time at work so that she and Owen could spend some time in Connecticut for the wedding.

“I told her that we wouldn’t mind taking Zola, Bailey and Ellis,” Amelia confessed, supposing Owen would be on board. “I know Meredith isn’t interested in keeping a relationship with my family but the kids will always be Derek’s and they should be given the chance to spend time there. It’s their family too, after all.”

“Of course,” Owen promptly agreed. “Do they want to go?”

“I didn’t ask them yet,” Amelia confessed. “But I suppose they’ll want to. It’s summer anyway and they’ll be off school. I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to go.”

Owen was too polite to say why he absolutely agreed. Over the years, it wasn’t uncommon that Derek’s three kids came to spend time with them, often having sleepovers. Before Amelia had married him, she used to live in the same house as her nieces and nephew, and the three kids had always felt a special connection with their aunt. But over the years, they’d grown to be left alone for large periods of time while their mom was working extra hours at the hospital.

“Are we really doing this?” Owen let out a sigh of worry. “Traveling across the country with eight kids?”

“Well, Zola is hardly a kid anymore…”

“You know what I mean,” Owen turned his head sideways and looked at his wife above Megan’s head.

“It could be fun,” Amelia tried to sound encouraging.

“Yes, it could,” Owen agreed, giving up adding that it could also be a total disaster.

“Are you going to sleep now?” Amelia asked. Her voice sounded like she was still lost in her own thoughts.

“Yes,” Owen slowly moved up and leaned over Megan, surprising his wife when he gently touched her face with his hand. “By the way, I loved your request on the grocery list today.”

Amelia took a fraction of a second longer than usual to realize what he was talking about and she couldn’t help smiling in response when the memory of her spontaneous addition caught up with her.

“Well, I meant it,” She declared affectionately, feeling Owen’s thumb rubbing on her cheek as he leaned over with full intention to kiss her.

Amelia noticed the sweetness in his eyes as he intensely gazed at her, obviously admiring her features.

“We’re very well off then,” Owen realized before capturing her lips with his own. “Because this is all I need to smile.” He added, recalling her wish.

“A kiss?” Amelia giggled when he buried his face on the curve of her neck, playfully exploring the area with his lips. “Is a kiss really the price of your smile?”

“No,” He raised his head, making eye contact with his wife and seeing the contentment on her face. When Owen replied, his voice sounded firm with determinate conviction before he got back to his side of the bed to finally fall asleep, “For you, they’ll always be free of charge.”

  ---

[our-legacy-rp-blog]

GRACE has been accepted for the character CHARLIE CRAWFORD

It’s such a pleasure to have you back, Grace, and with such a wonderful character! You wrote Charlie so beautifully, from his family background to his interests and passions, and we know that you’re going to fit right back in in no time. Welcome back to the roleplay, and be sure you fill out the checklist HERE.

OOC name & pronouns: Grace, she/her Age: 20 Timezone: GMT

IC INFORMATION:

Character’s name: Charlie Crawford.

FC choice: Bob Morley

Position request: Chaser on the Quidditch team.

Birthday: May 1st. // Positive Taurus traits include reliability, patience, practicability, and ambition – with excellent communication skills. Negative traits include stubbornness, self-indulgence, and a temper.

Wand: 14 inches, Black Walnut, Phoenix Feather. // A wand wood tempted towards those who are honest and self-aware, and a core that allows for the greatest breadth of skill.

Patronus: A goat. // Representing great amounts of energy and often associated with new climbs and projects, the goat represents Charlie’s desire to seek new heights, as well as his ability to be surefooted and dignified. Goats are also associated with masculinity and exploration, as well as intelligence, courage, and independence. Charlie was a little disappointed at first, wanting something a bit more impressive, but he’s grown to see the likeness, and can feel the energy coming from the animal when he casts it.

Boggart: His mother, crying, telling him he’s just like his father. // It’s a combination of things, really. Disappointing his mother, and turning into his father. It’s the double-whamey of fears, and the last thing that Charlie wants. He can take anything in life - hold on through any rough ride - but the thought of waking up in twenty years and being his father, being the lying, cheating, unromantic asshole, is terrifying to him. With his mother’s natural capacity for love, he’s terrified of hurting the people he’s close to - and terrified of hurting her the most. In order to banish the boggart, he usually deals with it by dressing it in a unicorn costume – though its words often haunt him for a few days afterwards, tossing and turning as he remembers the image.

Headcanons:

&;; Charlie doesn’t fall in love often, but when he does, he falls in love hard. He may enjoy watching girls blush and flutter their eyelids at him, but when he meets somebody he likes, he’s the one stammering and flushing. For a boy full of confidence and honesty, his true crushes are the things he does his best to hide – but with his love-sick stares, inability to talk, and bright red cheeks at the mere mention of their name, it’s incredibly obvious regardless. If he gets rejected, he’s respectful, of course – but that doesn’t stop sorrowful sighs as he attempts to move on, thinking of the sonnets his mother read to him when he was younger.

&;; Mother’s Day is Charlie’s favourite day of the year. While he and Eoin celebrate each others’ mothers on Father’s Day (a tradition that started as a joke when Charlie was 9), feeling lucky enough to essentially have two mothers, Mother’s Day itself is for him and his mum. Raised by a strong, honest, doting mother, Mother’s Day allows Charlie to truly spoil his mum, taking her out for a fancy dinner (paid for with the money he earns selling his inventions), buying her countless gifts and bouquets of flowers. He does his best to appreciate her all year round, but that one day is a chance to make sure she truly knows his gratitude.

&;; Charlie loves spicy food. It’s not so common at Hogwarts, but he makes sure to eat as many hot curries as possible whenever he’s home. He also enjoys cooking – he has a flair for flavour, but tends to go a bit off book. The mess he makes (and leaves for his mum to clear up) is also a reason to keep him out of the kitchen, although his baking is to die for.

History: 

The Crawfords are an unusual family to say the least. Raised by his mother and his father’s mistress, Charlie’s memories of his father and few and in between – and good riddance to him. Rather than having their lives marred by the terrible actions of a cowardly man, the Crawfords built their family around respect and honesty, a shared betrayal leading to a shared happiness. It is truth and loyalty that are most highly valued in Charlie’s life – taught from a young age that being sincere was the most important thing he could be, that being a good friend was the mark of a good person. Of course, while the unusual set-up drew raised eyebrows from others, it was wonderful for Charlie – allowing him to grow up with his three favourite people in the world, able to play with his brother every day and curl up with his mother and Aunt Amelia every night. As far as he’s concerned, his life was blissful – growing up on the South coast, climbing trees in the woods and splashing his brother in the sea. The older and bolder of the two boys, Charlie had a habit of leading the charge, always the one orchestrating, Eoin his playmate, best friend, and adoring audience. He was the louder one, the cheekier one – always pushing the limits of what he could do, and (with good reason) always the one getting blamed. But with a cute smile and smart apology, Charlie found it was very hard for his mothers to stay mad for long – able to get them smiling again before bedtime, no matter what his schemes were. He has nothing but fond memories of his childhood – the occasional visits to see his father the only dark shadow cast over his extreme happiness – before Charlie learnt what had truly happened to his mother and Aunt Amelia, and put his foot down. Then his father disappeared from his life, and there was nothing to worry about anymore.

Always bright and inquisitive, school was - in theory - a place of great excitement for Charlie. Yet the classes weren’t as interesting as he’d have hoped, a willing student but a handful when bored – which was most of the time. His mother was called in a few times – but Charlie found that pairing good grades with bad behaviour usually stopped his teachers worrying, and he found himself in less trouble. Of course, school proved a popularity contest, and Charlie’s confidence was a great asset. Loud and proud, and more verbose than his peers, Charlie quickly won over a group of friends, happy to be their leader. Of course, his social group wasn’t complete without his brother, and while Eoin was perhaps quieter than most of Charlie’s friends, he strove to include him in everything. Being protective of him was Charlie’s natural state – no matter what his more popular friends thought. When Charlie first developed his magic, the first thing he did was show Eoin – and try to teach him how to do the same. While he lived to entertain his friends, every silly trick was simply to amuse his brother – every gag to make him laugh. When he found out about the house system at Hogwarts, Charlie spent a few anxious nights worrying that he and Eoin were going to be separated – their paths (and therefore lives) diverging. It was a great relief to find out they’d share a dorm and all their classes for the next seven years, clearing a space on the Slytherin bench next to him for his brother, excited to share it all with his best friend. But so busy worrying about being separated from Eoin, what Charlie hadn’t anticipated was how difficult it would be to be separated from his mother. His rock in life, adjusting to being so far away from he was difficult for Charlie – countless nights in first year spent curled under his duvet, willing himself not to cry. Having Eoin made it easier, but Scotland was a long way from the South coast, especially since his mother only had muggle transportation available. With age has come a greater appreciation for independence, but that doesn’t stop him from writing to his mother with updates on his life at least twice a week, updating her and Amelia on all elements of his and Eoin’s lives.

Always one to take things in his stride, Charlie took to the magical world like a duck to water. With a whole new world to explore, he made the most of his magical education – though he always felt book learning had its limits, sometimes skipping lessons to explore Hogwarts instead. Quidditch was the first thing he got involved with that he really loved – making his childhood dreams of flying come true, and in a competitive manner. From the moment he first played the sport, he knew he was a born chaser – right in the heart of the action, reaping all the glory from scoring the goals. All the magical and supernatural creatures were incredible to Charlie, too – gawping at the existence of hippogriffs and centaurs, his imagination running wild at the thought of vampires and werewolves. While he’s grown into a confident, charming young man, learning from those in his house, a small part of Charlie maintains this incredible wonder. But there are parts of the wizarding world Charlie isn’t so keen on. The ideas of blood purity and certain species being superior is particularly ridiculous to him – coming into the wizarding world with his eyes entirely open. Despite the occasional whispers of Slytherins, he can see the problems of the muggle world echoed in the wizarding one – thinking the prejudice is ridiculous in both. Always one to express his opinions, he’s clear about this – eloquent and charming, and responsible for changing the minds of a few of his peers. But this isn’t necessarily his aim – as his mother taught him, his aim in life is to be honest, and to be himself. No matter where that gets him, or what that does.

Now: 

Charlie may be a natural wordsmith, but he’s also a practical person. In his mind, the two fit together – then again, he’s always working out how things fit together. More hands-on than his literature-loving parents, Charlie is an inventor – constantly taking things apart only to put them back together. Growing up in the muggle world has given him a healthy appreciation of mechanics, and it’s that element that makes his magical inventions unique. It’s one of the reasons he thinks he’s an excellent speaker, too – able to deconstruct what makes something work, and reapply it to the next thing that comes along. When Charlie looks at an object, he doesn’t look at the whole – instead, he’s looking at each tiny part, and the role it plays. He sketches new inventions in his spare time, his desk often covered with springs and latches as he brings his creations to life. But he’s not one to coop himself up inside, tinkering away in the dark. He enjoys travel, too – spending his summers kayaking down rivers and hiking in mountains. Exploring the outdoors is one of Charlie’s greatest loves – intensely peaceful, but also hugely challenging. Though, after making a few tweaks to his cameras, he makes sure he photographs everything to send back to his mum.

With his warmth, practicality, and love of the outdoors, some question how Charlie ended up in Slytherin. He’s heard whispers that he’d be better off in Gryffindor. But what his doubters they don’t realise is the limits that Charlie pushes – challenging magic and mechanics by inventing new creations, pushing his own limits in testing his endurance. With an analytical nature, Charlie is always calculating the outcomes of situations – and then testing what he can change. And while he’s occasionally frustrated with being underestimated, he realises that this is a strength in itself – able to push without appearing to push, able to challenge without being threatening. With a warm nature and a golden tongue, there are those that think Charlie would make an excellent politician. And while he doesn’t disagree, he thinks inventing and exploring is more his place in the world.

This combination of brains and brawn seem to be attractive to the girls at Hogwarts, and that’s something Charlie definitely makes the most of. Unlike his father, he’s honest – there are very few of them he wants anything more with, and he’s not going to mislead them. But he does enjoy seeing them blush and smile, does enjoy seeing what a compliment - an honest, unassuming compliment - can do to somebody’s mood. He knows the line between friendly and flirty, and knows when to tread it. That doesn’t change that there’s a part of Charlie that worries – a part that looks into the mirror and sees his father. Like his mother, when he’s in love, he’s entirely sold – and yet he’s afraid that he’ll wake up one day and become his father, afraid that he’ll spoil things for himself. Torn between these contrasting feelings, Charlie never knows how to act when he truly falls in love.

[doctor-who-hears-a-horton]

These Grey Stars Above Us (Ten x Rose)

Rating: Teen

Chapter: 4/?

Rose Tyler is a young lady of standing in society, and thinks little of marriage. She meets Dr. Johnathan Smith, a former soldier with taste for little else besides whiskey and reading. She finds herself intrigued by him and wonders if she can draw him out and bring him back into society

HISTORICAL NOTE**************** I made up the war for the purposes of plot, so there was no war like the one I describe in Victorian times.

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Read it on AO3 Here! 

It was a few days later when Rose received correspondence from Donna.  Rose had not expected to hear from her so quickly after the celebration.  When her father passed her the letter over breakfast, she was more than slightly confused.  

“Why should she write to you so soon?” Lady Tyler asked, her puzzlement written all over her face.

“I can not pretend to know,” Rose admitted. “I shall read it later.”

As much as Lady Tyler loved to be privy to gossip, she had to admit to herself that it was probably a private letter, and she hoped it included a list of men who were vying for Rose’s hand after the celebration, because certainly there were more than one.  Rose had received many admirers, not that she knew so, as her parents did not tell her, since it was clear Rose was not going to be pursuing marriage for a long while.

The letter seemed to burn in Rose’s lap, as she wondered what could possibly be the contents of it.  Once breakfast was finished, she excused herself with a shallow curtsy before fleeing up the stairs to her bedchambers.

Amelia jumped when her mistress came into the room, nearly tossing an armful of laundry up in the air.  “Heavens!” She shouted, then placed her hand over her mouth as Rose shut the door behind her, giggling.

“I’ve received a letter from Donna,” Rose said, settling herself in the arm chair she possessed.  “I have no idea what she could write to me about.”

“You said you danced with Dr. Noble all night, perhaps it is about him, or perhaps not really from Donna at all.”

“I do not think he would do something dishonest,” Rose said thoughtfully, and smiled at her friend. “But it does sound rather thrilling.

Amelia sat next to Rose’s chair at her feet, not in subservience, but because she knew that Rose would not mind if she read the letter over her shoulder, and that Rose would most likely read it out loud anyway.  Rose broke the seal on the letter and pulled out the pages inside.  As Amelia had thought, Rose read aloud what was in the letter, trying to understand every word and lock it away.

Dearest Rose,

I am sending this letter (Or attempting to) on the very night of the celebration at my home.  You should know, that since you departed, my brother not not stopped speaking of you. He says you read to him in the library, and his cheeks have turned delightfully pink because of it.  I think he is very taken with you, my friend.  Perhaps tread carefully, as he can be, in fact, a dangerous man, but he can also be a kind one.

He did not drink for the rest of the night, after you left.  I think that did have something to do with you, whether you do, in fact, know it or not.  I have never seen him this way. Though he did depart from the party shortly after you left, he came to see me in the sitting room and he had a very worried look upon his face.

Jonathan told me that he fears he has ruined everything with you by drinking tonight, but I told him if he sorted himself out I am sure the two of you could be good friends.  He was very worried about it, though, and I do hope that he finds a bit of comfort in the fact that you are a very kind woman.

In addition to this, my brother was present when a few men approached me asking about your marital status.  You have many admirers, my friend!  I think my brother was very displeased with this fact, as his face was quite grim, and he asked if you were seeking a courtship with one of those men.  He is already terribly besotted with you, but it is clear he thinks he does not deserve you.  And in reality, I do not think he does, but of course, he can dream.

However, that is not why I am writing to you. I would like for your family to come for tea on the 15th of September, so that we can speak more. I have missed you dearly, friend, though I know we are both busy, but I would like to see you again.  Please do let me know if you can attend.  

Sincerely,

Donna Noble

Rose looked to Amelia and raised her eyebrows. “What do you think?” She asked.

“I think we should go.”

“So you can see Rory?” Rose teased

Amelia waved her hand and shook her head good naturedly.  “Oh, he will not be there.  He is not related to the Nobles.”

Rose tapped her fingers on the arm of the chair, thinking for a moment.  “Amelia, I could ask Donna to invite him. She is quite the matchmaker, you know, and I am sure that you would be able to come along and see him.”  She turned to her friend. “You spoke with him at the celebration, did you not?”

“I did!” Amelia said, smiling, “And he was wonderful, but of course you know that.  But he has a title, Rose.”

“Did he speak to you about his title or did he speak to you about other things?” Amelia blinked.  “He… He wished to speak about me, for the most part,” she admitted quietly.  “It was lovely, and I still learned about him as well. He is a truly wonderful man.” Rose smiled and got up to walk to her desk.  She sat down and removed her stationary and the very old ink and quill that she used.  She looked at Amelia and smiled when she saw the surprised look on her friend’s face.

“You are going to write to her right now?”

“Of course,” Rose said.  “You may go about your duties, Amelia, I will take this down myself,” she said, turning back to the paper.

“You just do not want me to read it.”

“Yes,” Rose said in a chipper tone.  “But it will be very good, I promise,” she said.  

Amelia huffed a little and left, a little bit embarrassed.  Rose, however, knew that Amelia would be more than a bit delighted that Rose was writing about Rory.  She settled in and began to write.

Dearest Donna,

I shall speak to my parents, but I am sure that they will say yes to tea.  If they do not, expect just me, as I will come regardless.  Your brother is welcome to join us, if he so desires.  He did not ‘ruin’ anything, though I hardly know what he expects of me.

     Regardless of what happened between your brother and me, I shall see you on the fifteenth, and I look forward to it immensely.

    (By the way, dear friend, my friend Amelia, a lovely young servant girl, quite fancies Mr. Rory Williams. Would it be possible to invite him? I know you do so enjoy playing matchmaker)

      Best regards,

Rose

      Rose read over the letter many times, to make sure she said enough without saying too much. She knew that women had the art of being coy on their sides, something that men often did not have. No doubt Jonathan would be waiting for this correspondence to see what she had said about him. She smiled a bit at the thought. It was a bit nice, this game of cat and mouse that they were already playing. The trouble was, she could not tell which was the cat and which was the mouse.

She took the letter down to the entryway, hoping to catch one of the servants.  A young man by the name of Ianto stood there, who had worked for the Tylers for a very long time, and he and Rose were quite close.

“Hello, Miss Tyler,” Ianto nodded to her, smiling.

“Ianto,” she nodded back, “Could you see to it that this is delivered to the Noble estate today?”

“With pleasure, Miss,” Ianto said, taking the letter from her hands.  “Oh, and your presence is requested in the parlor. Mr. Harkness has come to visit.” “Is he?” Rose said, delighted.  “Did he say why he was not at the celebration at the Noble’s?” Ianto shook his head, a wry smile gracing his lips.  “Does Mr. Harkness ever explain anything that he does?”

Rose had to acknowledge that he was correct.  Mr. Harkness, while terribly friendly and lovely to be around, was also a bit mysterious. Rose knew that he engaged in some pursuits that were less than proper, but Rose thought of him as a brother, so it did not bother her in the slightest.  

“I shall go to the parlor then,” Rose said with a light curtsy, and set off in that direction, lifting her skirts up to go at a light run.  “Thank you, Ianto!” Ianto chuckled but bid her goodbye, already turning to the front door to deliver Rose’s letter to the Nobles.

Rose straightened herself, smoothing down her ruffled hair  before opening the parlor door.  Jack Harkness sat there, across from her mother and father, looking every bit as charming as he had ever been.  He glanced up when Rose entered and a broad smile lit his face.

“Miss Rose Tyler,” he said, getting to his feet.  “What an absolute pleasure.”

“Ianto told me you were here.  I would like to know why you were not at the Nobles’ celebration just a few days ago.”

Jack chuckled and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand in greeting.  “You did not need me, Miss Rose, I heard you spent the whole night with Dr. Noble,” he winked at her and led her to sit next to him on the couch.

Rose blushed. “Well, yes, but that hardly means anything.”

“Jack knows Dr. Noble,” Lady Tyler piped up, “He was going to tell us about him.”  She looked quite excited to hear about the man, and of course, Jack was happy to indulge.  

“Yes, I have known Jonathan for many years,” he said, scratching his jaw. “He is a good man, if not a bit damaged.  I have heard he’s taken quite a liking to you, Rose.”

Rose nodded. “We did spend the majority of the evening together,” she said, “I told him that he should read less about war and more about happiness.”

“Rose, I do believe you would be terribly good for him, even as a simple friend,” Jack said, his voice suddenly serious. “You and him will see each other again, no?” “We were… Invited to tea at the Noble estate,” Rose said, nodding to her parents. “I received correspondence from Donna this morning, and it appears that Dr. Noble will be in attendance as well.”

“Of course we will go!” Lady Tyler said excitedly.

Lord Tyler laughed lightly, “You grow very excited over the prospect of tea,” he said cheerfully.

Jack smiled, “Does your mother wish for you to enter into a courtship with Dr. Noble?”

“It would appear so,” Rose said, “I think we are both in a place where we should not consider a courtship, though.  He is kind, but his love of the drink is quite strong,” she looked at Jack with sadness in her eyes. “But I do not think it is unwarranted.”

Jack shook his head. “No, it is not. Jonathan has been through much, and it is very difficult for him to get past it all.  Someday I think he will be a repaired man.  Shall I speak to him about you?”

Rose blushed. “No, I doubt he will have anything to say about me, Jack.”

“I doubt that,” Lady Tyler said with a scoff.  “He danced with you all night, and sat next to you at dinner.  I think he is rather taken with you already.”

“Of course he is!” Jack said.  “Lord and Lady Tyler, any man would be lucky to receive your daughter’s hand in marriage.  I have often said that her many admirers were very warranted.  I think perhaps it would be worth pursuing a friendship with Dr. Noble.”

“I cannot fix him, Jack,” Rose said softly.

“No one expects you to, Rose,” Lord Tyler said gently, “But of course, he would be a good friend to you, I believe, and he is related to Donna as well.  You are still close with her, it would be very nice to be friends with them both.”

“I have to agree,” Jack said, “And if you happen to fall in love with Dr. Noble over tea, than what is the harm?” He smiled happily at her and winked, making her giggle.

“Well, Jack,” Rose said slowly, “I think that is something I should decide for myself.”

Jack left a few hours later, after he had taken lunch with them and telling them about his adventures and journey home. Rose invested in the conversation, but her thoughts were plagued by Dr. Noble, and she was beginning to wonder what his thoughts on her were.

However, she was also very certain that she also might already know.