#important to note that she looks over and THEN smiles at blake

[pictures-of-yxl]

[pedroscowgirl]

love beyond boundaries

hugh jackman x afab!reader

masterlist (part 1,2 & 3 are here)

warnings: smut! minors, dni!

pregnancy/babytalk , a little angst(no bad stuff), breeding kink, age gap (reader is in her twenties, hugh is 55), creampie , p in v (wrap it up ironic use here) uh lmk if i forgot something

summary: you and hugh visit blake , ryan and their kids but what if it hits you that his kids need to know about your relationship aswell?

Words: 9.6k

a/n: we're gonna pretend like blake is a good person here lol but if you don't like baby/breeding stuff pls feel free to skip this chapter <3

also, i didn't really proofread this because it's 6 am here (I feel like I could've written this better😭)

On one particular afternoon, you all gathered at Ryan and Blake's home for a casual get-together. The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the backyard where the children were playing. Their laughter filled the air, a joyful symphony that made the day feel perfect. You and Blake joined in the fun, running around with the kids, your hearts light and your spirits high. Blake was a natural with the children, and you found yourself drawn into the carefree energy of the moment, the simple pleasure of play.

As you were chasing after one of the little ones, you noticed Ryan and Hugh standing off to the side, their heads close together in quiet conversation. At first, you didn't think much of it, assuming they were just catching up on something. But as you glanced over again, you caught sight of the serious expression on Ryan's face, and the way Hugh's smile seemed to falter as he listened to whatever Ryan was saying.

Ryan had pulled Hugh aside, away from the playful chaos of the backyard, and there was a gravity in his posture that hadn’t been there earlier. Ryan had always been the more easygoing of the two, but in that moment, his demeanor was different,more somber, as if he had been carrying something heavy on his mind for a while and had finally decided it was time to speak up.

"Hey man," Ryan started, his voice steady but tinged with hesitation, "I love that you're happy. I really do." His words were sincere, but there was a note of concern that made Hugh's expression shift. The relaxed, contented look that had been on Hugh's face throughout the day began to fade, replaced by a more serious, almost guarded, expression. He knew Ryan well enough to sense that something important was coming.

Ryan took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto Hugh’s as he continued, "But... don’t you think she’s a little too young for you?" There it was—the question that had been lingering unspoken, the one Ryan had clearly been wrestling with for some time. "I mean, I love you, man, but this... this just doesn’t seem like you. What happened to you liking older women? You know, women who are closer to your age?"

Hugh’s expression tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly as he listened. Ryan wasn’t finished, though. He was trying to be as gentle as possible, but he couldn’t hide his worry. "She's in the same age range as your kids, Hugh. I know you're in love, and I can see that she makes you happy, but I just can't help but wonder if you've really thought this through."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with the weight of Ryan's concern. It was clear that this conversation wasn’t just a passing thought for him—it was something he genuinely felt needed to be addressed, out of love and friendship. Hugh remained silent for a moment, his gaze dropping to the ground as he absorbed what Ryan was saying. He had known this might come up eventually, but hearing it from Ryan, his close friend, made it all the more real.

Ryan’s tone wasn’t accusatory, nor was it judgmental. It was filled with the kind of care that only a true friend could offer, someone who wasn’t afraid to ask the difficult questions because they cared too much not to. He wasn’t trying to undermine Hugh’s happiness; he was just trying to make sure that his friend was okay, that this relationship was truly what Hugh wanted and needed.

Hugh finally looked up, meeting Ryan’s gaze with a serious look of his own. The easy going atmosphere of the afternoon seemed a world away now, as the two men stood there, the sound of the children's laughter in the background contrasting sharply with the weight of their conversation. Hugh opened his mouth to respond, but for a moment, no words came out. He was thinking, considering everything that had been said. He knew Ryan was coming from a place of love, but that didn’t make the question any easier to answer.

The pause stretched on, and when Hugh finally spoke, his voice was calm but firm. "I hear you, Ryan. I get what you’re saying, and I appreciate that you care enough to talk to me about this. But..." He hesitated, searching for the right way to express what he was feeling. "But this isn’t about age for me. It’s about how she makes me feel—alive, understood, like I can be myself again. It’s different, yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong."

Ryan listened, his expression softening as he heard the conviction in Hugh’s voice. It was clear that Hugh had thought about this more than Ryan had realized, that this wasn’t just some fleeting infatuation. Still, Ryan couldn’t shake his concern, and he knew this conversation was far from over. But for now, he simply nodded, offering a small, understanding smile, even as his mind continued to turn over the implications of what they had just discussed.

As they stood there, the distance between them bridged by their shared history and mutual respect, the sounds of the playful scene in the background seemed to fade into focus again, reminding them both of the here and now, and the importance of the choices they were making.

After their conversation, Hugh and Ryan rejoined the group, but there was an unspoken tension lingering in the air. Hugh’s mood had shifted slightly,he was still present, still engaged with the kids and with you, but there was a weight to his movements, a contemplative look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. You noticed, of course, sensing that something was off, but decided not to press him about it just yet. The afternoon was still meant to be enjoyed, and you didn’t want to disrupt the lighthearted atmosphere.

As the day wore on and the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Blake suggested that everyone move inside for dinner. The kids were getting tired, their energy waning, and it seemed like the perfect time to shift gears. You helped Blake in the kitchen, preparing a simple meal while Hugh and Ryan stayed with the kids in the living room. There was a sense of domesticity that felt comforting, as if you were all a part of the same family, sharing in the little moments that make life feel rich and full.

But even as you chopped vegetables and Blake stirred a pot on the stove, you couldn’t help but steal glances at Hugh. He was talking to Ryan, smiling at something one of the kids said, but there was still that shadow in his eyes, something unresolved that tugged at your heart.

Once dinner was ready, you all gathered around the table. The conversation was light and easy, filled with laughter and stories from the past, but you could tell that Ryan was still watching Hugh closely, as if waiting for a sign, some indication that everything was truly okay. And Hugh, ever the actor, was doing his best to mask any inner turmoil, though you could see the subtle signs—the way his fingers tapped restlessly against the table, the slight delay in his responses.

After dinner, as the kids settled down for the evening with a movie, you and Hugh found a moment alone. You had stepped outside to get some fresh air, and he joined you, the two of you standing together on the porch, the cool night air brushing against your skin.

Hugh leaned against the railing, staring out into the darkening yard, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. You reached out, gently placing a hand on his arm, drawing his attention back to you. "Hey," you said softly, "is everything okay?"

He turned to you, and for a moment, the mask slipped. His eyes were tired, filled with a mixture of emotions that he had been holding back all evening. "Ryan said something earlier," he admitted, his voice low. "He’s worried about us. About the age difference, mostly."

You nodded, not entirely surprised. You had sensed that something like this might come up eventually. "And what do you think?" you asked, your voice calm and steady, though your heart was beating a little faster.

Hugh sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I think... I think he has a point, in some ways. But at the same time, I know what I feel for you is real. It’s not about how old you are or how old I am. It’s about the connection we have, about how you make me feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in years."

You listened, your hand still resting on his arm, offering silent support. "But I can’t ignore what he said," Hugh continued, his brow furrowing in thought. "It’s not just about us, it’s about how this affects everyone around us—my kids, our friends... I don’t want to hurt anyone."

The sincerity in his voice was clear, and it made your heart ache a little. "Hugh," you said gently, "I understand where Ryan is coming from, and I know this isn’t easy. But what we have... it’s worth figuring out. We can take things slow, make sure this is what we both want and that we’re doing what’s best for everyone involved."

He looked at you then, really looked at you, and you could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he was torn between his feelings for you and his loyalty to those he cared about. "I want this to work," he said finally, his voice thick with emotion. "I want us to work. But I also need to make sure that it’s the right thing, for everyone."

You nodded, your heart swelling with affection for this man who was trying so hard to do the right thing. "We’ll figure it out together," you assured him. "Whatever happens, we’ll face it as a team. I’m not going anywhere, Hugh."

He smiled then, a small, grateful smile, and pulled you into a gentle embrace. As you stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, the night surrounding you like a protective cloak, you knew that this was just the beginning of a journey,one that would have its challenges, but also its moments of deep connection and understanding.

The days that followed were filled with a delicate balance. Hugh was more thoughtful, more introspective, and while he didn’t bring up the conversation with Ryan again immediately, you could tell it was still on his mind. You continued to spend time together, both as a couple and with your friends, but there was a newfound awareness in everything you did. It was as if you were both testing the waters, seeing how this relationship fit into the wider fabric of your lives.

One evening, a week or so later, you and Hugh decided to have dinner at his place, just the two of you. It was a quiet night, with the kind of easy conversation that flowed naturally between you. But as you were finishing up, Hugh suddenly set down his fork and looked at you with an intensity that took you by surprise.

"I’ve been thinking a lot about what Ryan said," he began, his tone serious. "And about us. I’ve realized that I need to talk to my kids about this, about us. They deserve to know, and I want them to hear it from me."

You felt a flutter of nerves at the mention of his children, but you knew he was right. This was an important step, one that couldn’t be avoided if your relationship was going to move forward. "How do you think they’ll react?" you asked, your voice soft, but steady.

Hugh sighed, leaning back in his chair. "I’m not sure. They’re good kids, and they love me, but this is... different. It’s not something they’re used to, and I don’t know how they’ll take it. But I owe it to them to be honest."

You reached across the table, taking his hand in yours. "You’re a good father, Hugh. They’ll see that, and they’ll see how much you care about them. Whatever happens, we’ll handle it together."

He squeezed your hand, a small smile playing on his lips. "Thank you. I’m just... I’m nervous. I don’t want to lose them, and I don’t want to lose you."

"You won’t lose me," you assured him, your voice filled with quiet conviction. "We’re in this together, remember?"

He nodded, a look of determination settling over his features. "Yeah, we are."

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

The next few days were a whirlwind of emotions as Hugh prepared to talk to his children. He spent a lot of time thinking about how to approach the conversation, wanting to be as open and honest as possible, but also sensitive to their feelings. You gave him the space he needed, offering support when he asked for it, but also stepping back when he needed to figure things out on his own.

Finally, the day came. Hugh invited his children over to his place for dinner, a casual gathering that had become a regular occurrence. They arrived, bringing with them the usual energy and chatter, but Hugh could tell they sensed something different in his demeanor. He was trying to stay relaxed, but there was a nervousness he couldn’t completely hide.

After dinner, when they were all settled in the living room, Hugh took a deep breath and began. "There’s something I need to talk to you about," he said, his voice steady but serious. The room quieted, his children turning their attention to him with a mix of curiosity and concern.

He took another breath, then continued. "I’ve met someone. Someone who’s become very important to me. And I want to be honest with you about it."

His children exchanged glances, clearly surprised, but they didn’t interrupt, waiting for him to explain.

"The thing is," Hugh went on, "she’s younger than me. Quite a bit younger, actually. And I know that might be surprising, maybe even hard to understand, but I want you to know that this is something I’ve thought a lot about. She makes me happy, and I feel like this relationship is good for me."

After Hugh’s revelation, the silence in the living room felt heavy, almost suffocating. He could see the discomfort etched on both his son’s and daughter’s faces as they struggled to process what he had just shared.

His son, the older of the two, was the first to speak. He leaned back, crossing his arms, and looked at his father with a mix of confusion and discomfort. “Dad,” he began slowly, as if trying to choose his words carefully, “I don’t really know what to say. This… this is kind of weird. I mean, she’s almost our age.���

Hugh felt a sharp pang in his chest at his son’s words, but he nodded, understanding the reaction. “I know it’s unexpected,” Hugh replied, keeping his voice calm. “And I know it’s a big adjustment. But this is important to me, and I wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t think it mattered.”

His daughter, the younger of the two, was quieter, her brow furrowed deeply as she tried to make sense of everything. She looked at her father with wide, uncertain eyes. “Dad, are you sure about this?” she asked, her voice soft and hesitant. “It’s just… I don’t know how to feel about it. She’s so young, and it feels strange.”

Hugh’s heart ached hearing the uncertainty and discomfort in his daughter’s voice. He wanted to reassure her, to make everything okay, but he knew this was a situation with no easy answers. “I understand it feels strange,” Hugh said gently. “And I don’t expect you to be completely okay with it right away. But I need you to know that this isn’t something I’m taking lightly. I care about her deeply, and she makes me happy in a way I haven’t been in a long time.”

His son exchanged a look with his sister, his expression still troubled. “But what about the fact that she’s closer to our age than yours? Doesn’t that bother you at all?”

Hugh took a deep breath, knowing this conversation was going to be difficult. “It’s something I’ve thought about a lot,” he admitted. “But the connection we have goes beyond age. I know it might seem strange from the outside, but when I’m with her, it feels right. I feel like I’ve found something special, something that I didn’t even know I was missing.”

His daughter bit her lip, still looking conflicted. “But what if it doesn’t work out, Dad? What if she decides she wants someone closer to her own age? Or what if people start talking? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Her words struck Hugh deeply, and he could see the genuine concern in her eyes. “I understand your worries,” Hugh said softly. “And I’ve thought about those things too. But I can’t let fear stop me from pursuing something that makes me happy. Life is short, and I want to make the most of it.”

His son sighed, running a hand through his hair, still struggling to process his father’s words. “I just… I don’t know, Dad. This whole thing is so out of left field. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be happy, but it’s going to take some time for me to wrap my head around this.”

Hugh nodded, his heart heavy but understanding. “I’m not asking you to be okay with it right away,” he said. “All I’m asking is that you try to understand where I’m coming from. And that you give her a chance. She’s important to me, and I want her to be a part of our lives.”

His daughter looked down at her hands, clearly wrestling with her emotions. “I’ll try, Dad,” she said quietly, though her voice lacked conviction. “But it’s going to take some time.”

His son nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I’ll try too. But just… don’t expect us to be totally cool with this right away. It’s a lot to take in.”

Hugh felt a wave of mixed emotions—relief that they were willing to try, but also a deep sadness that they were struggling so much with the news. He had known this wouldn’t be easy, but seeing the uncertainty and discomfort on their faces was harder than he had anticipated.

“I appreciate that,” Hugh said, his voice thick with emotion. “I really do. And I’m here to talk anytime you need to. I don’t want this to come between us.”

After a few more minutes of tense but civil conversation, his children decided to leave. They both hugged their father, but the embraces felt different—tentative, with a sense of distance that hadn’t been there before. Hugh watched them go, his heart heavy with worry about what this might mean for their relationship.

Later that night, Hugh called you. His voice sounded weary, as if the conversation had taken more out of him than he cared to admit. “I talked to them,” he said as soon as you answered. “It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped.”

Your heart sank at his words. “What did they say?” you asked gently, already bracing yourself for the answer.

“They’re weirded out by it,” Hugh admitted, the sadness in his voice clear. “My son said it feels strange because you’re closer to their age than mine, and my daughter is worried I’m going to get hurt. They said they’ll try to understand, but… it’s going to take time.”

You took a deep breath, trying to process what he was telling you. “I’m sorry, Hugh. I never wanted to cause any tension between you and your kids.”

“It’s not your fault,” Hugh said quickly, his tone firm. “This is on me, and I knew it might be difficult. I just didn’t realize how much it would affect them. But I’m not giving up on us. I just… I need to find a way to help them see what I see.”

“We’ll figure it out together,” you said, your voice filled with quiet determination. “We’ll take it slow, and give them the time they need to adjust. I care about you, Hugh, and I care about your kids too. I want this to work for all of us.”

Hugh sighed, a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude in his voice. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d do without you. It’s just… it’s hard, seeing them struggle with this. But I know we can get through it.”

In the days and weeks that followed, the tension between Hugh and his children didn’t fully dissipate. They were polite, but there was a noticeable distance between them, an awkwardness that hadn’t been there before. Hugh did his best to maintain their bond, continuing to spend time with them, but the easy, natural closeness they once shared felt strained.

You found yourself in a challenging position as well. You wanted to give Hugh’s children the space they needed, but you also wanted to show them that you were committed to their father and to making this relationship work. You made an effort to connect with them, to demonstrate that you were more than just a fleeting presence in Hugh’s life, but it was clear that it would take time for them to come around.

Despite the challenges, you and Hugh remained close, your bond growing stronger as you navigated the difficulties together. There were moments of doubt, moments when the weight of it all felt overwhelming, but you both knew that what you had was worth fighting for.

One day, after a particularly tense family gathering, Hugh sat down with you, his expression troubled. “I’m worried that this is going to push them away,” he confessed, his voice filled with a vulnerability that he rarely showed. “I don’t want to lose them, but I also don’t want to lose you. I don’t know how to make this work.”

You reached out, taking his hand in yours. “We’ll keep trying,” you said softly. “It’s not going to be easy, but I believe that with time, they’ll see that this is real. That what we have is important.”

Hugh nodded, but the worry in his eyes didn’t fully disappear. “I hope you’re right. I just want everyone I care about to be okay with this.”

Later that night, after the tense conversation with his kids, Hugh felt an overwhelming need to talk to someone who could help him sort through his emotions. He picked up his phone and called Ryan, hoping for some clarity.

Ryan answered after a couple of rings, his voice cheerful as usual. “Hey, Hugh! What’s up?”

Hugh sighed deeply, the weight of the day pressing down on him. “I had a talk with my kids tonight. Told them about the relationship.”

Ryan’s tone immediately shifted, becoming more serious. “How did that go?”

“Not great,” Hugh admitted, leaning back against the couch. “They’re struggling with it. The age difference is really throwing them off. They’re trying to be supportive, but I can tell they’re uncomfortable.”

Ryan was silent for a moment, processing what Hugh had said. “I figured that might be tough for them,” he finally said. “But, Hugh, i have to ask again… is this really the right relationship for you?”

Hugh’s heart skipped a beat at Ryan’s question, and he felt a wave of doubt start to creep in. “What do you mean now?” he asked.

“I’m not doubting your feelings,” Ryan replied gently. “But there are practical things to consider. Like… what if she wants kids? Are you really ready to be a father again at this stage in your life?”

Hugh went silent, the question hitting him harder than he’d expected. It was something that had been lurking in the back of his mind, but he hadn’t confronted it directly. “I don’t know,” he admitted finally. “I haven’t talked to her about it yet.”

Ryan’s voice was steady, but there was concern there too. “You need to. This isn’t something you can just hope won’t come up. She’s young, Hugh. If she wants kids, that’s a huge part of her life she might be looking forward to. Are you ready to do that all over again? The sleepless nights, the diapers, raising a child from the ground up? Because that’s not just a small part of your life,it’s a whole new chapter.”

Hugh swallowed hard, the reality of Ryan’s words settling in. “I know it’s a big deal,” he said, his voice quieter now. “But I haven’t even asked her if she wants kids. Maybe she doesn’t.”

“And maybe she does,” Ryan countered gently but firmly. “And what then? Are you going to be okay with starting over as a new father? Are you willing to take that on, knowing how much it will change your life? And what about your kids? How are they going to feel about a new sibling who’s closer in age to them than you?”

Hugh leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at the floor. “I honestly don’t know if I’m ready for that. The idea of having more kids… it’s overwhelming. But at the same time, I don’t want to lose what we have.”

Ryan was quiet for a moment, letting Hugh’s words sink in. “Look, man,” he said softly, “I’m not saying you should walk away from her if she wants kids. But you’ve got to be honest with yourself,and with her. If you’re not up for being a father again, that’s something you need to make clear. Because if you’re not on the same page about this, it could lead to a lot of pain down the road, for both of you.”

Hugh nodded, even though Ryan couldn’t see him. “You’re right. I can’t keep avoiding this. I need to talk to her about it, and I need to be honest with myself too. I just… I don’t want to lose her.”

“I get that,” Ryan said, his voice full of empathy. “But sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones that matter the most. You’ve got to figure out what you’re willing to do, and what you’re not. And you’ve got to be okay with the fact that it might mean things don’t turn out the way you want.”

Hugh felt the weight of those words settle in his chest, a mix of fear and uncertainty gnawing at him. “Yeah,” he said finally, his voice heavy with emotion. “I need to talk to her. I can’t keep this to myself any longer.”

“Good,” Ryan replied, his tone supportive. “You’ll figure it out, Hugh. Just make sure you’re doing what’s right for you, and for her. This is too important to leave unresolved.”

As Hugh ended the call, he felt the gravity of the situation pressing down on him. The next step was clear, but it wasn’t going to be easy. He cared deeply for you, but the question of children—and what kind of future you both wanted,was something that couldn’t be ignored. He knew he had to confront it, no matter how daunting the conversation might be

The next day, a heavy weight hung over Hugh, the kind that lingered long after his conversation with Ryan. The questions Ryan had posed echoed relentlessly in his mind, refusing to be silenced. Each reverberation made it clearer to Hugh that he could no longer avoid the inevitable. He needed to have a serious conversation with you, one that had the potential to shape the trajectory of your relationship in ways he couldn’t fully predict. As much as he dreaded this discussion, he knew it was necessary, an unavoidable step if there was to be any future between the two of you.

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When you arrived at his house that afternoon, it was immediately clear that something was off. Hugh, who was typically so warm and lighthearted, greeted you with a tension in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. It was subtle but unmistakable, a storm brewing beneath the surface of his usual calm demeanor. After a few minutes of polite small talk that did little to ease the growing tension, Hugh took your hand in his, the warmth of his touch laced with a new sense of urgency. Without a word, he led you to the living room, where you both sat down on the couch.

“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Hugh began, his voice steady but carrying a gravity that was impossible to ignore. He squeezed your hand, his gaze searching yours as he struggled to find the right words. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us, about our future. And there’s something important we need to discuss.”

Your heart quickened, sensing the seriousness in his tone. “Of course, Hugh. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out.”

Hugh took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your stomach tighten. “I care about you so much, and I love what we have together. But Ryan brought up some things that I’ve been avoiding, things I didn’t want to face. But I need to be honest with you and with myself.”

You could see the internal battle he was waging, the way his words came slowly, carefully, as if each one had been weighed a thousand times before being spoken aloud.

He hesitated for a moment, then continued, his voice softer now. “The thing is… you’re at a point in your life where you might want things that I’m not sure I’m ready for. Like kids. I’ve already raised mine, and the idea of starting over… it’s a lot to think about. I need to know what you want because if you’re hoping to have children one day, I don’t want to hold you back or disappoint you.”

The sincerity in his words struck you deeply. It was clear how much this conversation cost him, the concern drawn in every line of his face, the way his eyes searched yours for reassurance. You felt a pang of empathy and love for him, seeing how hard he was trying to protect you, even at the cost of his own peace of mind.

You reached out, taking his hand in both of yours, your touch gentle but firm. A reassuring smile played on your lips as you met his worried gaze.

“Hugh,” you said softly, your voice steady and calm, “I’ve thought about this too. I know it’s something we need to talk about, but the truth is, it doesn’t matter to me what the future holds as long as we’re together. If having kids isn’t something you want, then it’s not something I need. I want to be with you, and that’s what’s most important to me.”

A flicker of relief crossed Hugh’s face, though it was tempered by lingering doubt. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to regret anything later on.”

You nodded, your expression unwavering, your eyes locked on his. “I’m sure. I’ve never been more certain of anything. I don’t need children to be happy, Hugh. I just need you.”

For a moment, Hugh just looked at you, the tension in his shoulders slowly melting away as your words sank in. His grip on your hand tightened slightly, a silent thank you that spoke volumes more than any words could. “Thank you for saying that,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I just didn’t want to lead you into something that would make you unhappy later on.”

You leaned in closer, resting your head on his shoulder for a brief moment, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breath. It was a small gesture, but it spoke of trust, of understanding, of the deep connection that had grown between you. You pulled back just enough to look at him, your face inches from his.

“I understand why you’re worried,” you said, your voice soft but resolute. “But I promise you, my happiness comes from being with you. I’m in this for us, not for anything else.”

Hugh’s heart swelled with affection as he gazed at you, his eyes softening with a tenderness that made your own heart flutter. He reached up to brush a strand of hair from your face, his touch lingering as he cupped your cheek. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

A warm smile spread across your face at his words, and you could feel the tension in the room dissipating, replaced by a comforting sense of mutual understanding. But as you sat there, a playful glint sparked in your eyes, a mischievous idea forming in your mind. Without a word, you shifted, slowly straddling his lap, your movements deliberate and teasing. You could feel his body react to your closeness, the atmosphere between you shifting from serious to something far more primal.

You leaned in close, your lips brushing against his ear as you whispered in a voice that was both sultry and teasing, “But you know, what if I did stopped taking birth control, and you just breed me like a fucking slut? If you ever want to have babies, my womb is right here.”

You bit your lip, pulling back just enough to look him in the eye, the challenge and desire clear in your expression. The shock on Hugh’s face quickly gave way to laughter, a deep, hearty sound that filled the room. But as his laughter subsided, you felt him growing hard beneath you, the tension between you transforming into something electric, charged with unspoken possibilities.

Hugh cupped your face with one hand, his thumb brushing over your cheek as he looked up at you with a mix of amusement and arousal. “You’re something else, you know that?” he said, his voice rough with desire.

You grinned, feeling the heat between you intensify, your body responding to his touch. “I know. So, what do you say, Hugh? Want to take me up on that offer?”

His hands slid down to your hips, gripping you firmly as he pulled you even closer. “You’re driving me crazy,” he muttered, his voice low and thick with need. “But I’m getting used to it.”

Without another word, you leaned down, capturing his lips in a heated kiss, the intensity between you growing with each passing second. The conversation from moments before faded into the background as your bodies pressed together, the connection between you burning brighter than ever. The future might still be uncertain, but in that moment, all that mattered was the undeniable chemistry you shared, the passion that flared between you, and the love that anchored it all.

Hugh gently scooped you up into his arms, his strength evident in the ease with which he lifted you. His hands were warm against your back, and you felt the security of his embrace as he carried you through the hallway. Each step he took was deliberate, his gaze never leaving yours, a mixture of affection and desire swirling in his eyes. The dim light from the hallway lamps cast a golden glow around you both, heightening the intimacy of the moment.

As he carried you into the bedroom, the door swung open with a gentle push from his foot. The room was a sanctuary, bathed in the soft, silver light of the moon that streamed through the partially drawn curtains. The air was filled with the subtle scent of fresh linen, and the faint hum of the night outside added to the serenity. Hugh set you down on the bed with such care, as if you were something precious, something to be treasured. The mattress yielded under your weight, the plush sheets cool against your skin as you sank into them.

Hovering above you, Hugh's presence was commanding, yet tender. He supported himself on his arms, his face close to yours, and the warmth of his breath brushed against your lips. His eyes, deep and dark, searched yours, finding in them the same longing and desire that burned within him. The world outside ceased to exist, it was just the two of you, entwined in this moment.

Your heart raced as you looked up at him, your gaze filled with a hunger that mirrored his own. With a voice that dripped with seduction, you whispered, "Wouldn't you love to knock me up, daddy? Imagine it… Filling me up with you every single day, feeling your warmth inside me. Watching as my body changes, knowing that it's because of you. My belly growing rounder, fuller, with our child. My breasts swelling, becoming heavier, just for you…"

The words you spoke were laced with an intoxicating blend of innocence and temptation, a fantasy you painted with vivid clarity. Hugh's reaction was immediate, his eyes darkened further, pupils dilating with the intensity of his arousal. He swallowed hard, his breathing growing deeper as he processed what you'd said. He let out a low, almost primal hum of approval, the sound vibrating through the air between you.

"Hmm, that would be nice, yes," he murmured, his voice thick and gravelly with need. There was a flicker of doubt in his expression as he added with a soft chuckle, "But I'm an old man, baby."

You could feel his reluctance, his hesitation born from the years that separated you, yet it did nothing to diminish your desire. If anything, it only fuelled your need to reassure him, to show him that age meant nothing to you. You reached up, your fingers threading through his hair, pulling him closer until his forehead rested against yours. "That's fine," you whispered, your voice tender yet filled with certainty. "I want it all with you, Hugh. Every part of you. Always."

Your words seemed to wash over him, easing the tension from his body. He dipped his head, capturing your lips in a kiss that was as much a promise as it was an expression of his desire. The kiss was slow, deliberate, his lips moving against yours with a gentleness that belied the fire burning within him. His hands began to explore your body, tracing the curves and contours with a reverence that made your skin tingle with anticipation.

He started at your hips, his fingers trailing along the waistband of your clothing before he began to undress you, piece by piece. Each article of clothing was removed with care, as if he were unwrapping a gift he had waited his entire life to open. His eyes followed his hands, drinking in every inch of exposed skin with a hunger that made your breath catch in your throat.

When you were finally bare before him, he paused, his gaze lingering on your chest. The sight of your breasts, soft and inviting, seemed to captivate him. He stared, his eyes filled with a mix of awe and lust, as if he were seeing something sacred. You could feel his breath hitch, the air between you thick with the weight of his desire.

A slow smile spread across your lips as you noticed his fixation. You felt a surge of confidence, knowing how much he adored you, how much he wanted you. With a teasing lilt in your voice, you broke the silence. "Thinking about something, Daddy?"

The question hung in the air, playful yet charged with meaning. Hugh's eyes snapped back to yours, his gaze burning with intensity. For a moment, he said nothing, simply letting the question sink in, letting the desire between you build to a fever pitch. Then, with a low, rumbling chuckle, he leaned down, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered, "I’m thinking about how much I want to make you mine. Every inch of you."

You gazed up at Hugh, your heart swelling with the intensity of the moment, your voice soft but filled with unshakable certainty. "I'm already yours, Hugh," you whispered, the words slipping from your lips like a sacred vow. The sincerity in your tone seemed to reach deep into his soul, igniting a fire that had been burning for far too long. His eyes darkened with desire, and without another word, he leaned in, his lips finding the delicate curve of your neck.

He kissed you there, his mouth hot against your skin, each press of his lips sending electric shocks of pleasure through your body. He moved slowly, savouring the taste of you, his tongue darting out to tease the sensitive spot just below your ear. You shivered at the sensation, your body instinctively arching towards him, craving more of his touch.

A low, satisfied hum escaped his lips, the sound vibrating against your neck, sending a wave of warmth straight to your core. "Hmm, I want more of you," he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that made your breath hitch. The depth of his need was palpable, wrapping around you like a physical force, making your heart race and your skin tingle with anticipation.

You let out a soft moan, your hands wandering up his broad back, feeling the muscles shift beneath your fingertips. His skin was warm to the touch, and as you traced the contours of his body, you couldn't help but marvel at the man before you,the man who made you feel desired in a way you had never experienced before.

With deliberate movements, Hugh began to undress himself, his eyes locked on yours, watching your reaction as each piece of clothing fell away. First, his shirt, revealing the strong, defined chest that you had always admired. Then, his pants, leaving him gloriously bare before you. Your breath caught in your throat as you took in the sight of him, every inch of his body a testament to his strength and vitality.

"You know," you began, your voice laced with admiration as your eyes roamed over his form, "you don't look like an old man at all. That body is amazing." The words came out almost in a reverent whisper, as if you were speaking your thoughts aloud without even realizing it.

He chuckled, the sound rich and warm, filling the room with a sense of comfort and familiarity. Leaning down, he captured your lips in a kiss, his mouth soft but insistent against yours. "Thank you, princess," he murmured between kisses, his voice tender yet filled with the heat of his desire.

His hands were on you again, exploring every curve, every dip of your body with a reverence that made you feel cherished and adored. He took his time, mapping out every inch of your skin as if committing it to memory. His touch was electric, leaving a trail of fire in its wake, igniting a burning need deep within you.

Finally, with a smooth, effortless motion, Hugh positioned himself above you. The heat radiating from his body mingled with your own, creating an intoxicating blend of desire and anticipation. As he slid into you, you gasped, the sensation overwhelming in the most delicious way.

"Awe, you're so wet for me," he whispered, his voice filled with awe and satisfaction. He revelled in the way your body responded to him, the way you welcomed him so eagerly. His words sent a jolt of pleasure through you, making your body tighten around him in response. You rolled your eyes playfully at his smugness, but the laughter that bubbled up from your throat betrayed your delight.

"Just fuck me already, like you're twenty," you teased, a daring smile playing on your lips. There was a playful challenge in your tone, a provocation that you knew he wouldn't ignore.

Hugh raised an eyebrow, a devilish grin spreading across his face as he accepted your challenge. "You know I fuck you better than any young man can," he chuckled, his voice dripping with confidence and desire. And with that, he began to move, his hips rolling against yours in a rhythm that started slow and deliberate, each thrust measured and precise, designed to drive you wild.

As he moved within you, your mind began to drift, fueled by the fantasies you had been nurturing for so long. The heat between you intensified, and with it, a thought took root in your mind, one you could no longer suppress. You had been toying with the idea for a while now, the thought of what it would be like to let go completely, to give yourself to him in the most primal way possible.

Your breath quickened as the thought grew more insistent, a desire that you could no longer ignore. "Hugh," you breathed, your voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

He paused, his movements slowing as he looked down at you, concern flickering in his eyes. "What is it, baby?" he asked, his voice gentle, yet tinged with worry.

You hesitated for a moment, the words caught in your throat, but the intensity of your need overpowered your doubts. "I… I want to stop taking birth control," you confessed, the words spilling out before you could second-guess them. "I want you to cum inside me, for real. I want you to make me pregnant."

The impact of your words hit him like a freight train, and for a moment, he simply stared at you, his brain struggling to process what you had just said. His eyes widened slightly, the intensity of his gaze deepening as the full weight of your confession settled over him.

"You're serious?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

You nodded, your heart pounding in your chest as you reached up to cup his face in your hands. "Yes, Hugh. I want this. I want you to fill me up with your seed, to watch my belly grow with your child. I want to see the way you look at me when you know I've got your baby inside me. I need it."

A primal growl rumbled low in Hugh's throat, his control slipping away as your words broke down the last of his restraint. The thought of you swollen with his child, carrying his legacy, was enough to send his desire spiralling out of control. "Fuck, baby," he groaned, his voice thick with need. "You really want this? You want me to breed you?"

"Yes," you gasped, your body trembling with anticipation. "I want it more than anything. Please, Hugh, give it to me."

That was all he needed to hear. His composure shattered, replaced by an overwhelming urge to claim you, to mark you as his in the most primal way possible. He surged forward, his hips driving into you with a force that made you cry out in pleasure. His movements were no longer controlled, they were wild, frantic, driven by the need to fulfil the promise he had made to you.

"I’m going to fuck you so good," he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. “I'm going to fill you up with my cum until you're dripping with it. You want to be my breeding slut? You want to carry my baby?"

"Yes!" you moaned, your body arching beneath him as he pounded into you with relentless intensity. "I want to be your breeding slut. I want to carry your baby, Hugh!"

His pace quickened, his movements becoming more erratic as he lost himself in the sensation of you wrapped around him. His hands gripped your hips, pulling you closer, deeper, as he thrust into you with a fervor that bordered on desperation. He leaned down, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered filthy things, his breath hot against your skin.

The room was filled with the sounds of your bodies coming together, the wet slap of skin against skin, the creak of the bed beneath you, and your combined moans of pleasure. Hugh's words sent you spiraling, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. "Fuck, you're so amazing" he groaned, his voice hoarse with need. "So fucking perfect. I'm going to cum so deep inside you. You're going to feel me for days, baby."

His words, his relentless pace, everything was too much, and you could feel your climax building, the tension coiling tightly within you. You were close, so close, and you could tell he was too, the way his movements were becoming more frantic, more desperate.

And then, as the pleasure reached a fever pitch, you screamed out in desperation, "Fuck, make me pregnant, Daddy! I wanna have your kids so fucking bad!"

The sound of your voice, the raw need in your words, was his undoing. With a guttural roar, he let go completely, his hips slamming into yours with a ferocity that left you gasping for breath. He drove into you harder, faster, his body shaking with the force of his impending release.

You felt the world slip away, your vision blurring as the pleasure overwhelmed you, your body tightening around him as you reached your peak. The orgasm hit you like a tidal wave, pulling you under, making you scream his name as your body convulsed beneath him.

Hugh followed you over the edge, his release crashing into him with the same ferocity. He buried himself deep inside you, his body trembling with the force of his orgasm as he spilled into you, filling you up with his seed. The sensation was overwhelming, a flood of warmth that spread through your core, marking you as his in the most primal way possible.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, the only sounds in the room were your ragged breaths and the pounding of your hearts, still echoing in your ears. Hugh collapsed beside you, pulling you into his arms, his body still trembling from the intensity of what had just happened. His chest rose and fell heavily, and he buried his face in your hair, pressing soft kisses to the top of your head as you both came down from the euphoric high.

Your body felt like it was floating, still tingling with the aftershocks of your climax. The warmth of Hugh's embrace grounded you, and you nestled closer into his side, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath your cheek. The room was filled with a heavy, heady silence, both of you too overwhelmed to speak, lost in the aftermath of the storm you'd just weathered together.

After what felt like an eternity, Hugh finally broke the silence, his voice still rough with lingering desire. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his tone as he tilted your chin up to meet his gaze. His dark eyes searched yours, seeking reassurance, a flicker of worry crossing his face as if he feared he might have gone too far.

You smiled softly, lifting your hand to brush a strand of hair from his forehead, your touch tender as you reassured him. "More than okay," you whispered, your voice still breathless. "That was incredible, Hugh. I've never felt anything like that."

His eyes softened, the corners crinkling with a smile as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, lingering there for a moment as if savoring the feel of you. "Good," he murmured against your skin, his breath warm and comforting. "I just… you drive me wild, you know that?"

Your heart swelled at his words, and you nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. You felt the same way about him,he brought out a side of you that was uninhibited, raw, and utterly devoted to him. It was exhilarating, and you craved more.

As you lay there, still entwined in each other's arms, the reality of what you'd just done began to settle in. You'd crossed a line, opened a door that couldn't easily be closed, and the thought thrilled you to your core. You'd asked him to make you pregnant, to fill you with his child, and he'd done it with a fervor that spoke to a deep, primal desire within him.

Hugh was the first to break the silence again, his voice soft but serious as he held you close. “So… do you really want kids after all?” His question was gentle, but it carried the weight of something much deeper.

You took a deep breath, considering your words carefully. “I want us to be happy,” you said finally, your voice soft but firm. “And if that means having kids, then maybe we’ll get there eventually. But I’m also scared, Hugh. Scared of what it would mean for you, for us. We have to think about your age, about the time we have…”

He nodded, his eyes serious as he listened to you. “I know,” he murmured. “I think about that too. But we have to face the reality of where we are right now. We can’t ignore it.”

The room was filled with a heavy silence as you both contemplated the gravity of the situation. It wasn’t just about desire or love, it was about time, about the ticking clock that neither of you could stop. You loved Hugh with all your heart, but you couldn’t deny the fear that gnawed at you, the fear that time might not be on your side.

After a long pause, you sighed, leaning your head against his chest as you tried to push aside the worries that plagued you. “Maybe we’ll just see what happens, Hugh,” you said softly, your voice barely above a whisper. “This is just the beginning of our journey together. We don’t have to decide everything right now.”

Hugh’s arms tightened around you, and he pressed a kiss to your forehead, his breath warm against your skin. “You’re right,” he agreed, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ve got time to figure things out. But it’s something we’ll need to think about, sooner rather than later.”

You nodded, the weight of his words settling over you like a blanket. The reality of your situation was something you couldn’t ignore, no matter how much you wanted to. But for now, you were together, and that was what mattered most.

Hugh shifted slightly, his hand running gently up and down your back as he continued to speak. “Before we even get to that point, we need to think about other things too,” he said, his tone more serious now. “Like announcing our relationship to the public. We’ll need to do it slowly, subtly.”

You smiled at his words, appreciating the thoughtfulness behind them, but you couldn’t help the small pang of anxiety that tugged at the back of your mind. The idea of going public with your relationship was daunting, especially considering the scrutiny you both would face. But you knew it was something that would have to happen eventually.

“I know,” you replied, your voice steady but tinged with an underlying tension. “It makes sense, taking things slow. We have to be careful.”

But even as you said the words, the reality of what you were facing began to sink in. The public aspect of your relationship, the challenges of starting a family later in life, it all felt overwhelming, like a storm gathering on the horizon. You tried to push the thoughts aside, to focus on the here and now, but they lingered, a constant reminder of the complexities that lay ahead.

Hugh seemed to sense your unease, and he pulled you closer, his lips brushing against your temple in a gesture of comfort. “We’ll handle it together,” he promised, his voice firm and reassuring. “Whatever comes our way, we’ll face it as a team.”

His words were meant to soothe, and in many ways, they did. But they also served as a reminder of the challenges that lay ahead, challenges that you couldn’t ignore. You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath as you tried to focus on the warmth of Hugh’s embrace, on the love that you knew would carry you through whatever came next.

“I know we will,” you whispered, more to yourself than to him. “But it’s just… a lot to think about.”

Hugh nodded, his lips pressing another soft kiss to your forehead before he settled back into the pillows, his arms still wrapped securely around you. “One step at a time, baby,” he murmured. “We don’t have to have all the answers right now.”

His words were a balm to your anxious thoughts, and you let out a small sigh of relief, allowing yourself to relax in his arms. The road ahead might be uncertain, but for now, you were together, and that was enough.

You smiled softly, feeling the tension begin to ease as you let yourself focus on the present moment, on the steady rhythm of his breathing. “We’ll figure it out, Hugh,” you said quietly. “No matter what, we’ll figure it out.”

He pressed a final, lingering kiss to your forehead before settling back into the pillows, his arms still wrapped securely around you. “Yes, we will,” he agreed, his voice filled with quiet determination.

And as you drifted off to sleep, you held onto that thought, letting it anchor you in the uncertain waters of the future. You didn’t have all the answers, and you didn’t know what lay ahead, but you knew that whatever it was, you would face it together, one step at a time.

taglist (dm if u wanna be added): @ermlady @elloredef @haytchee @melaninjoys @megangovier @blue2jay @hearts4suri @narniabusinessbitch @jadenlyday25 @getmeoutofhell @rockytheluver @stark-ironman @shellbilee @kurcoswife @ru-kru

[snixkers]

Wrinkles like Rivers

Pairing: Alex Blake × Fem!Reader

Hurt/Comfort

For: @olderwomenaremyfavs

Content Warning: References to canon violence (drugs/crime), age gap (reader is in her 30s, Alex is in her 50s), very brief suggestive comment, insecurity over appearance

Summary: At a work function, Alex feels like the other agents have her beat, in more ways than one.

Author's Note: Omg! This is my first fic posted on this site, so I'm super excited! Hope this is what you were hoping for!

Feedback is always welcome!

Requests are OPEN

It was another Bureau function, and the atmosphere was relaxed and casual. Agents usually consumed with the worst of humanity were able to escape, just for a bit, and find comfort in a night out. You mingled with some people, recognizing names but not faces from your girlfriend's stories.

For some reason, these events seemed to have the opposite effect on Alex, who usually ended up silent and brooding in the corner. You could tell she was thinking about something, but she always brushed it off so confidently that you were certain you were imagining it. After all, she was the profiler, not you.

Tonight was a different story. You could see it in her tense shoulders, her narrowed eyes, and her half-smile. Her glass was still full, although that wasn't unusual for her. Even though it wasn't your profession, you were certainly a profiler when it came to her.

You excused yourself from an agent telling you stories about her escapades busting a drug ring, making your way back to the woman watching you with rapt attention. She blinked out of her stupor when she noticed you, quickly throwing on a smile and wrapping her arm around you. It was a nice attempt, but you couldn't be fooled.

"Alex," you began, "is something bothering you?"

She shook her head, although you anticipated that reaction. Alex always kept her emotions sealed away in a vault that you rarely were given the key to. You sighed, wrapping your hands around her wrist gently and leading her off to an empty hallway.

You decided to try again, within the comfort of your sole presence.

"Alex, I know something's bothering you. And I'd appreciate it if you'd let me help."

She let out a sigh, her smile fading slightly as she fiddled with the ends of her hair.

"It's not important."

You had to resist the urge to roll your eyes. Alex *was* important. She could tell you that the sky was green and you would agree.

"Alex, please. I want to know so I can fix the problem."

She sighed, avoiding your gaze and taking a small sip of the wine provided by a rather wealthy colleague of hers.

"Watching you talk to all of those other agents, it's just hard for me. They're young, they're good in the field. Their stories are more exciting."

Your heart melted in your chest, trying to soothe any insecurities she might have.

"I don't care. You've been in longer than they have. You're more smart logical and strategic. Plus, I like a woman with a little experience."

She held back a snort at your words, but her eyes still held traces of doubt.

"It's not just about the brains. Just look at me. I mean, you could date anyone you want. There must be someone out there who's younger and prettier."

You frowned, the warmth in your chest quickly evaporating. "Alex, no. I love you. I love everything about you. I love the way your eyes crease when you laugh. I love the wrinkles on your forehead. I love the gray hairs you're hiding. Do you know why? Because to me, that stuff makes you even more beautiful."

Her gaze softened, and you could practically see her trying to come up with another excuse for why she wasn't good enough. You shook your head, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm always going to pick you, Alex."

She nods, taking a deep breath and kissing you back a little deeper, trying to convey the gratitude she felt. Luckily, another part of being such an expert on how she felt was that you already knew.

You smiled back, glancing over at the party.

"Should we head home?"

She nods in agreement, wrapping an arm around your waist and leading you back out to the party, the both of you clinging to each other the way you always would.

"Absolutely. Garcia told me about this game called 'Wordle', and I want to try it out."

[bridgyrose]

Ruby Notices some Similarities between the Arma Gigas and the 2 statues by the Staircase of the entrance hallway in the Schnee manor, she also takes note of the painting of the Man in the armor found in the dining area, so she Decides to ask Weiss about her connection to it.

(This is going to be more from Weiss's perspective than Ruby's cuz Ruby's would be like... 3 sentences long)

“Weiss, who are those statues of in the entryway? He almost looks like your knight summon."

“Now’s not a good time to be asking that,” Weiss whispered quietly as she walked through the ballroom, keeping an eye out for any of the servants that would recognize her and potentially stop her. “I still need to get to my Father’s office and find out how my father won the election.”

Ruby sighed. “Then will you tell me after?”

“Once things slow down.” Weiss paused for a moment as she caught a glimpse of a painting of her grandfather, Nicholas, knowing he’d be rolling around in his grave if he knew what Jacques had done with the company. Even now, she wasnt sure if he’d approve of what she was doing, sneaking around the manor and trying to find evidence that may not even exist. “You know things are complicated with my family and I dont want to be here any longer than I have to.”

“Then I can come with you to help-”

“And you know we all agreed it’ll be best if I do this alone. I know where my Father’s office is and it’ll be easier if only one of us slips in than trying to keep two of us out of sight.”

“Will you be safe?”

Weiss nodded and smiled at her partner. “You know I will. And I promise, I’ll answer your questions in the morning.”

Weiss stood in front of the broken statue of her Grandfather, replaying everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours over and over in her mind. It was all supposed to be a quick mission: get proof her father tampered with the voting, get him arrested, and let General Ironwood and the rest of the council deal with a re-election for the council position. But now, here she stood in the front entrance of her home, hiding as a fugitive while letting her friends rest after that grimm attacked. She let out a small sigh as she caught Ruby walking past her out of the corner of her eye, her words nearly a whisper. “I… never did answer your question, did I?” 

“Huh?” Ruby asked as she stopped. “My question?” 

“About who the statues were of and why they looked like my knight.” 

“Oh, right. Well, there’s other things we need to worry about. Blake still hasnt been able to get through to Yang and the others, Penny is still in rough shape with whatever it is that’s infecting her, Nora still hasnt woken up, May’s gone, and grimm are still swarming around Atlas. We need a plan.” 

Weiss nodded, finally looking away from the statue as she made her way to the kitchen. “I’ll see if I can find something for us to eat. Have a little more than just coffee and tea to keep our strength up and for Nora when she wakes up.” 

Ruby nodded with a smile. “Be safe, okay?” 

“Of course I’ll be safe, dolt,” Weiss said with a smile as she started to make her way into the kitchen. Her smile dropped as she stopped for a moment in the dining room, plates shattered on the ground from the panic of the grimm whale in the sky. Her eyes glanced at the ruined portrait of her grandfather, her heart sinking as she walked over to it and gently ran her fingers across the scratches on the canvas. “I wish you were still here to guide me. I cant do this alone.” 

She waited for what felt like hours for a response that she knew was never going to come, wanting to hear his voice once more for the reassurance she craved. After everything that happened, she was less certain than ever that she was doing the right thing. Her home was mostly destroyed, her family was broken, and the more she tried to fix things, the more everything started to fall apart. 

“He’s important to your family, isnt he?”

Weiss turned around to see Ruby behind her. “Yeah, my grandfather. He’s… he’s the reason I’m trying to be a huntress. Trying to bring some sort of honor back to my family name. You know the deal.” 

“I’m sure he’d be proud of you. I know I’m proud to have you as my partner.” 

Weiss smiled a bit as Ruby walked off, looking down at her rapier. She reached for the hilt and rubbed the emblem on the side. “I hope he would be.” 

[kitkatopinions]

Criticisms and Praise of the RWBY Volume 9 intro

RWDE ahead, only read if you're alright with criticisms including nitpicks. (I have not seen the full ep and have only seen the intro, and all of my expressing fears I have for this season isn't saying it'll definitely be that, it's just expressing fears.)

Also RWBY volume 9-ish spoilers (it's just for the opening intro and song and stuff so it's not much of a spoiler but like better safe than sorry.)

The little opening melody doesn't fit very well with the rock theme later. I'm sure it sounds better in the full version, but with just what I've heard in the opening sequence, it feels disconnected from the rest of the song. I'm sure that's part of the point since there's a whole 'Team RWBY and Jauney boy are now disconnected from reality,' but... I just didn't like it.

2. On that note, I also didn't happen to like the song much. It's better than some of our themes have been and not as 'samey' as a lot of the higher speed RWBY music can be. OK Goodnight (I think that's what Casey Lee Williams' band is called) taking over the music I think is a good thing and I'm thinking we'll get some good songs, but this one - while it had good to it - didn't feel like anything particularly special.

3. The visuals of Weiss, Blake, and Yang being pictured together and Ruby being pictured on her own is good and clearly gets across that Ruby is likely to experience some isolation this volume.

But this?

Is not giving me high hopes. I want Jaune in support and I want him to not be an antagonist and I honestly don't want him and Neo to interact at all, ever. Hopefully they're just putting them here together because they didn't have time to do flashes of both of them alone, but also it's really not inspiring when you consider what Ruby being separated from her team says, because it's clearly imo meant to display to you that she's going to be on her own... So is Jaune being paired up with Neo here telling us to expect these two to join up?

4. They need to stop showing us the original outfits and then the Mistral arc looks and then these stupid new Atlas outfits that I hate (except for Ruby's.) They've done it for the past two volumes, it's no longer special and it just serves to remind me of how ugly the outfits are (again, except for Ruby's.)

5. Also omg guys but their faces in those scenes, let me see if I can get close ups.

So Weiss has a very basic character-less smile, okay, whatever. Blake is giving a smirky smirk, which doesn't feel very in character for Blake... Either version of how they've written for her. Yang is beaming away, just looking so psyched to be here somehow. And then the Ruby I have a pic of here is the original V1-3 Ruby, who looks like... No face that has ever been made by any person.

6. Also also, Blake's color isn't purple. I'm gonna say it a million times. Weiss's background looks vaguely blue, but then it settles on white when her emblem lights up. Yang's background is yellow and stays yellow. Blake's background looks black until it settles on purple! Like, I know that they've reinvented Blake to the point where she's pretty much a different person and therefore they might think she needs a different color than True Blake had, but by heavens, it makes me persnickety.

7. The themes for that particular sequence seem to be either 'Blake, Weiss, and Yang know who they are and are confident, but Ruby does not know and is not confident' or 'Blake, Weiss, and Yang are the best that they can be they are the best versions of themselves, but Ruby is not the best that she can be and is not the best version of herself.' I'm hoping it's the second one that might result in some good growth for Ruby, but at the same time, both things... Feel a little bit frustrating, because Blake, Weiss, and Yang should also be going through things and still in need of growth and stuff. I do think that Ruby's growth should be treated as particularly important since she's the main protag, but this isn't inspiring me to think that the others are gonna get any real growth themselves.

8. I hate all these mice. Including Litte. I could not be less enthusiastic about having to see them and deal with them. Same goes for the Racoon. And same goes for the cat. It might go well, but I doubt it, and even if the animals are as well done as they can be I still don't like that they're here.

9. I feel like just from the look of him, I could like this weird little... King Olly the Origami King do over with his bright red eyes. But I could also hate him, depending on how he's played. But it could go either way.

10. So I'm told that there are actual 'shadow people' in the fairy tale wonderland world, which is just... Peachy keen aces perfect. /s It's giving 'Shadow's House'

But, RWBY has never (in my knowledge) claimed to be full of original ideas, and the visual is cool. Also it's clear that the new girl (who I've seen referred to as Alice and Alex so idk what to call her) is really important due to how much she's featured in the intro, I've got theories, but I'm gonna talk about those later. The visual is nice. And while they're really hammering home Ruby's isolation and exhaustion and the breakdown they want us to think she has (not sure yet if there's gonna be convincing follow through there) arguably too much, I also like the image of her slowly starting to get left behind. I really hope this season gives me conflict eight ways to Sunday!

11. This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen.

I want it to be away from me. Also, how obvious can they get? Isn't RWBY supposed to be transformative? Why this season do they think 'let's just slap this Wonderland thing in our plot and make the design slightly different and it'll literally smoke the exact same thing and blow the smoke at everyone?' Who came up with this weirdo? I mean, besides the creators of these two:

It just doesn't feel creative or transformative, is my point. Maybe he has a role that makes him distinctive, but visually, this is lazy imo.

12. This expression is the stuff of my nightmares

I'm pretty sure that's the point, so... Good job there.

13. In contrast, Neo could not be hotter than she is right now... Except maybe if they fixed her hair back to the old way it was.

14. I like the style of this

It's pretty, and also a clear reference imo to 'the girl who fell through the world.' Also it's worth noting that Ruby is once again on her own. (please please please don't let this mean the development for the other girls is going to be minimal...)

15. This design is simple, but effective and I like it.

16. I think these backgrounds can look very PS2 game graphics-ish in a bad way.

(I want it to be clear that I don't blame the animators who were likely overworked, underpaid, and/or fired.)

Anyway, those are my criticisms and stuff of the opening intro.

[unluckyhoneybee]

The Handsome Artist. 6. (Daniel Ricciardo)

Beer and music. Daniel wants to see her again, but doesn't know how to ask her on a date.

MASTERLIST. Moodboards and Playlist.

Previous part: Plants and coffee.

Notes: Abigail's outfit. Main Pic. No offense to all the pop music listeners.

Warning: alcohol consumption. I don't know if I have to warn about this, but there will be +2 changes of POVs.

Danny POV.

"She is so fucking pretty guys. Really" I said falling on the bench. I was sweaty and tired.

Michael left the weights on the floor and laughed.

"Mate, she has you eating from her palm"

I chuckled.

"You had a date?" Blake asked.

"Kind of" I shrugged. I wasn't sure if it had really been a date. "We had coffee. I called it a coffee date, suggested we should go to more dates. I was going to propose it, but her boss called her. But then I asked if it would be nice if I texted her and she said yes"

"Have you?"

"No"

The two idiots were having so much fun. They were laughing.

"Mate, I have never seen you like this" Blake said and sat on the floor.

I bit my lip. I hadn't really felt like this. I was like a kid again. When I thought I wouldn't see her again, she appear with a special dwarf plant only for me and then I found myself care more about the plant than about myself.

"She has something. There is something in her..."

"Why don't you call her and ask her out?" Mike said.

"Yeah, so fucking easy"

"We both have seen you calling someone for a hook up"

"She is not a hook up"

"Yeah, yeah. What I mean is that you have acted for less. Text her or something. Talk to her."

"I don't know how to. What do I say? Hey, Elisa is still alive!"

"The plant has a name?" Blake was trying not to laugh.

"If you laugh, I will cut your balls" I pointed a finger at him.

He lift both hands.

"It's her plant. It's important for her and if she wants it to have a name, it will." I said. They both nodded.

We stayed in silence.

I wanted to invite her over. To tell her to come home and have nice dinner in there. On the other side, I felt like that would be too much. She was shy, she needed time, she needed a push sometimes. I didn't want to scare her. I wanted her to feel good around me. I also wanted to propose her to chose the place, but I didn't want to pressure her.

"Hey, why don't you tell her to come on Saturday?" Mike said out of nowhere.

I looked up. A couple of friends, Pierre and Charles were opening a bar next to the beach and they were having this party on Saturday.

"Should I?"

"Does she like partying?"

"I don't know"

"It's gonna be pretty calm" Blake added. "They have this part of the beach for them and they can't just go and do crazy stuff"

I nodded. A beach party. It could be good. Some beers and music, dancing here and there... It was an environment I felt comfortable in. It could go well.

"Do I invite her?"

"Yeah. And her friend."

"How do you know about her friend?" Blake asked Mike.

"Lewis told me."

"Yeah. If I invite Molly too she will feel better."

Abigail's POV.

"A beer and a margarita" Abigail asked the waiter.

We had gone to have a drink. The day was beautiful and the sunset was perfect, plus, she had a good day at work and she always payed when she had a good day.

"And then Elijah came and..."

A ding from my phone made us both look down. To be fair, Molly was probably the only person who texted me and she was with me.

"Charlotte?"

I shook my head. Charlotte didn't text, she called.

I turned the phone around and gasped.

Daniel Ricciardo. 3 messages.

"Oh. My. God." She said.

"Shh."

I was blushing, my hear was beating fast and I was so fucking scared.

"He wants to ask you on a date!"

"Shh!"

People around us had turned with weird looks.

"Open it!"

"Okay, okay."

I opened the chat with shaky hands. The idiot had me smiling and blushing like a schoolgirl for days.

Daniel Ricciardo: Hey lady.

Daniel Ricciardo: My mates are opening a pub on Venice Beach and they are having this party on Saturday.

Daniel Ricciardo: Would you and maybe Molly be interested in coming with us?

I bit my lip and looked at Molly.

"What!?" she took the phone from me. "You saved him like Daniel Ricciardo? OK. Say yes. We are going"

"T-that's his name." I bit my lip. "I don't know... Um... Should I?"

"Abi..."

"What if..."

She sighed and took my hand.

"Okay, tell me. What is going on through your head?"

I bit my lip.

"What if he is too much? He screams energy, he is outgoing and so nice and... What if I can't take it? What if we don't match?"

"Oh, big words. Okay, Abi, honey. I know you are feeling super insecure right now. But think about it. It's new. It's the first time this happens since Arnie. And I know you are scared because I would be too. But you can't start like this. You can't go with him thinking he is too much. He is not too much for you. You are amazing, really. You are not my best friend for nothing, Abi. And I am outgoing and nice and you can follow me"

"Because you understand me. Wait if..."

"What happened with the others? You pretended to be someone you were not at the beginning."

I looked away. I just wanted to be liked by them, to feel desired. And I thought I had to be like other girls.

"You have been yourself with him. I saw you. It was my friend Abigail who was there, not that girl you created the other time"

I chuckled.

"Just be like that. Don't hide, don't give excuses. If you want to leave the party soon because it was enough for you, you leave."

I bit my lip.

"And if he thinks I'm weird."

"Fuck him, then. There are lots of fish on the sea"

"The fish I found were actually a bunch of cunts"

"Daniel is not a cunt. Lewis told me a lot about him. He is pretty nice, actually."

"You talk to Lewis?"

"Sometimes" She blushed and I giggled. "Now, answer him and pass me that phone."

I rolled my eyes and opened the chat.

Me: We'll be there. Molly says hi.

He answered so fast it made us laugh.

"The boy is smitten. I bet this is just a excuse to spend time with you"

"It's not"

"Yeah, yeah"

Daniel Ricciardo: that's awesome.

Daniel Ricciardo: casual clothes, it's just some friends having a couple of beers and music with friends.

"Oh, how embarrassing. He is talking about clothes. The poor guy is nervous"

Me: That's nice.

"You must be soul mates." She said laughing.

"What? Why do you..."

Daniel Ricciardo: Can't wait to see you.

We both gasped and she almost screams. I grabbed her hand before she could do it.

"Oh shit, Abi. We need to get you some clothes."

"What?"

"Yes! Answer"

"What do I answer?"

"Whatever you want. Be embarrassing, you'd match him"

"You suck"

I rolled my eyes.

Me: I'm excited.

She laughed and I giggled.

"I love you, Abi." She pinched my cheek. "Give me that phone"

I saw her tipping.

The Handsome Artist.

I gasped and she smiled.

The Saturday came. Molly was on my bedroom, already dressed on her pretty dress. She looked amazing.

I was sitting on the chair next to the window, watching her opening and closing the wardrobe.

"Okay. This one. I'm sure. You looked amazing."

She had taking me thrifting, choosing a bunch of shirts for me to wear, if not today, on one of the million dates I would have with Daniel. As she had said.

I put it on over my bralette and closed it. It was really pretty.

"And now this jeans"

"Jeans? You are wearing a nice dress!"

"Because it matched my personality. You wouldn't look like you with a dress. You look like you with jeans. Plus. I haven't seen anyone looking as good as you with jeans"

I rolled my eyes and got dressed. The shorts truly fit well and the shirt was perfect with them. But soon she walked to me and opened a few buttons.

"What are you doing!?"

"Give that man something to look at! The tattoo, it looks perfect."

I look down and sigh. She was right. The tattoo peaked out on my chest, the shirt revealing a lot but not enough.

"See, you know I'm right"

Soon we were in that bar. Piarles.

Me: I'm outside.

We did wait for long.

"Ladies!"

We looked at the beach. Daniel was walking to us and I literally panted when I saw him. Vans, black shorts, white t-shirt and stripped shirt. He was looking so good. So so good. And... Oh that leg. On his thigh, I could see the shadow of some tattoos.

"Babe, close your mouth" I heard Molly mutter.

"Shit"

Daniel arrived with a huge smile and opened his arms.

"Welcome to Venice Beach."

"We are from here, Daniel" Molly hugged him "Nice to see you again"

"Same, Molly. Lewis is back there"

Molly blushed and looked away, making me laugh.

Daniel smiled and hugged me, catching me by surprise.

"Hey, Abi"

He pulled back, keeping a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Danny".

"It's not on the bar. The party is on the beach."

Molly gasped.

"I can't go to the beach on heels!"

"Don't worry, don't worry. Everything is settled. Charles and Pierre are actually intelligent." Daniel said laughing "Come with me"

We walked with him, Molly quickly talking to him about something. I was nervous, so nervous and anxious that I couldn't really pay attention.

As we got closer, I saw many many faces. There was people in there. A lot. Maybe not a lot, but I only knew Lewis.

There was a wooden floor on the sand, there were torches and music playing on the background. The place was truly beautiful.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my lower back and I snapped out of my little world.

Daniel was trying to guide me through the wooden path that leat to the main area.

"You look really good." He whispered on my ear. I looked up.

"T-thank you. You too."

You too.

He smiled and I almost faint. He was so close and he smelled so well. It made me feel giddy.

"See? Those are my friends" He said pointing at some guys. "Like, my friends from home. The big guy is Michael. I knew him on high school. The guy with glasses is Blake. We worked together."

What was this weird thing I was feeling? Why was he talking to me about his friends? Why was his hand still on my back?

"And the others on the right? The guy on red and the other on white? Those are Charles and Pierre. The little one with a cap is Lando"

I nodded. So many people, so many new faces.

Molly had seen Lewis and was currently hugging him.

"The guy with Lewis is George." He seemed to feel my anxiety, moving his hand to my waist. "They are nice. Good guys. They will like you"

"You don't really know me, Daniel"

When I got like this, this nervous, I become honest as fuck. It was as if my filter disappeared.

"I know. But I like you and I know they will too. You are nice, Abi" He said smiling.

I felt my cheeks warming.

"Plus. It would actually be pretty good if you'd let me know you"

I felt dizzy for a second.

"Don't answer. It's okay" He gave me a warm smile before turning to his friends. "Mike, Blake... This is Abigail"

They were both so nice, shaking my hand and giving me sweet smiles.

"Danny talks a lot about you" Blake said.

I giggled when Daniel gasped and pulled away, obviously blushing.

"Does he?"

Blake nodded.

"Blake, mate..."

I looked at Daniel and looked down at me.

"He just wants to embarrass me"

"Oh, it's okay. I have no problem with it" I said feeling extra brave.

Daniel faked being offended and Michael and Blake laughed.

"Okay, I see. You are in his side"

"We are nicer than you" Michael chuckled.

"Hey! I'm Molly. Abigail's friend. Best friend actually"

She shook Blake's and Michael's hands. They introduced themselves.

Danny POV.

She was there, joking and smiling with my friends and I couldn't stop looking at her.

She was looking so perfect tonight. Her hair was half up in a bun and she was wearing big earrings. Her shirt was open down her chest, showing that beautiful ivy climbing up her chest. Even though I perfectly knew how it looked, I was dying to open those last buttons. I wanted a real look of it. I wanted nothing more than to run my fingers over it.

She laughed and I felt my heart skipping a beat. Abigail was glowing tonight.

We spent some time there just talking as if we were friends for a long time and sharing beers.

At some point, Charles called me to introduce me to his new girlfriend. She was nice, but my mind was on Abi.

Sadly, when I came back she wasn't there. Neither was Molly.

"Where-"

"They went for drinks. Don't worry, Romeo." Mike said patting my shoulder.

"Oh, no. Good. Yeah"

"Mate. You really are a mess. You have that stupid smile" Blake said.

"I don't"

"You do"

I showed them my finger and rolled my eyes. I was just happy to spend some time with her.

Time went on and they didn't come back.

"Hey, Molly is there. With Lewis." Michael pointed at the bar.

I nodded and left, both of them laughing. As I walked closer to Molly, I saw that Abi wasn't there.

"Hey! Guys! How are you?" I hugged Lewis shoulders and he laughed. Molly gave me an annoyed look, telling me that I was maybe interrupting. "Oops. Em.... Hey, have you seen Abi? It's been a while since I saw her"

Molly chuckled.

"Desperate?"

I scoffed. "No"

"Well, my friend. She is by the sea."

I looked in that direction.

"Right, thanks!" I tried to walk to her, but Molly grabbed my arm.

"Wait"

I frowned.

"Abi... You will get to see it and know her soon, but she is a bit of an introvert. She gets a bit overwhelmed sometimes. When there is lots of people and all. She probably went there to relax a bit. To get some air."

"So..." I was confused. I didn't know what to do then.

I felt my stomach drop. I had invited her here.

"Go" She smiled. "But don't pressure her, Ricciardo." it sounded like a warning, like something someone's dad would tell you.

Lewis smiled.

"Is it really okay?"

"Go slow. She is like a deer in the forest" Molly said. And somehow it made sense. Beautiful and delicate.

"Okay"

I walked through the sand, drying my hands on my palms as I got closer, the nerves sitting on my stomach. I usually didn't get this nervous. I felt like walking on thin glass.

She was sitting there, the dim light wasn't enough to clearly see her face, but she was so in peace.

I cleared my throat and she turned fast, her face relaxing when she recognized me.

"Hi"

She smiled.

"Hi, Danny"

"Can I?"

She nodded and patted the sand next to her. I sat and crossed my arms on my knees.

"How are you?"

"Good. This is so nice." She smiled and looked at the sea. It was genuine.

"It is yes"

She looked at me.

"And the party? Molly may have said that it's not your thing"

"I will kill Molly one of this days" She whispered under her breath.

I laughed and pushed her a bit with my shoulder.

"You didn't have to come"

"Oh no! I wanted to, really. I'm just recharging." She chuckled. "It's nice, really. I like it. You friends are good guys, you were right."

I smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes. The music is like.. Meh. But I like the atmosphere in here. The people."

"Wait, you don't like the music? Say something, girl! I know the bosses."

She laughed and shook her head.

"It's okay. It's not like ears killing. Just pop music"

She put some hair behind her ear. There were curls falling on the sides of her face and I felt jealous. I wanted to do that too, I wanted to touch that face.

"Tell me, which music do you like? A band you like. The one you are hearing right now."

"Right now... Is it Ed Sheeran?" She said pointing at nothing and paying attention to the sound but with a cheeky smile on her face.

"Not now, silly. Like... The band you are in the mood of recently"

"The War on Drugs."

"Fuck yes"

She was hot. She really was.

She laughed and leaned closer to me, but then realized and pulled back.

Go slow. Give her time.

"Do you know them?"

"Of course. C'mon. Give me a song"

"Pain"

"Oof. Love it. Thinking of a place"

She smiled.

"That song..."

"You like it?"

"It's the first song I listen of them."

Stupid, Daniel. I was blushing. I felt connected to her.

"I bought the vinyl only knowing that song. I heard them and I was like, yes."

I bit my lip and just let her speak.

"How long is it? 11 minutes? I think so. But I play it and it's like... Everything goes away. It's one of those songs you just want to listen for the first time over and over again."

Kiss her. I had to use all my strength to not do it.

"I can't believe you know them too! Molly doesn't like my music, so it's nice to have someone who shares my taste"

Nice. Super nice.

"Well, my friends and I like similar music, so you can come if we go to a concert or something. I told you Caamp are my mates. And also this aussie guys, Gang of Youths-"

"Wait. They are also your friends!?"

I laughed seeing how excited she got.

"Yes."

"Daniel! How do you do it? I only have one friend and she is called Molly and works in an office"

I chuckled.

"Wait. Are we not friends? We like the same bands."

"That makes us friends?"

"I'm taking care of Elisa. And we had coffee"

She laughed.

"We are friends, then"

I lift my hands and she high fived me.

"Okay, friend Abigail. Do you want a beer? I can trick the DJ to put some alt rock or folk"

"You are gonna fuck someone's party."

"As if I cared" I got up as reached my hand for her. "What do you say?"

"I say yes"

Abi's POV.

When I grabbed his hand, I felt a million things. This was just amazing.

We walked back hand in hand and when we got between all of the people on our way to the bar, Daniel kept me close.

I tried to not thing on all the people around, the noise and the stupid song playing. Instead, I tried to focus on how Danny's fingers were tapping on my knuckles.

"Two beers"

The boy gave him the drinks.

"Now go and tell the DJ to play Pain, by The War on Drugs."

I gasped and laughed. He had...

"From Daniel Ricciardo"

Then he pulled me to a table.

"Well, maybe you wanna dance"

"Nop. I can't dance. Impossible. I wasn't made for that."

He chuckled. Sitting next to me. Our knees touched and I shivered, moving away a bit.

I liked him a lot. I really did.

"Well, Charlotte's Garden. Is it good? The job"

"It is. I love it. I love being at the shop and growing those little plants."

"And the plants doctor thing?"

"It's nice. It's like having a hundred gardens instead of one"

He smiled.

"That sounds amazing, yes."

The conversation flowed easily. So easy it scared me. It was too easy. There must be something wrong.

Soon the tiredness hit.

"Hey, are you okay?" He said suddenly stopping talking about that band he listened the other day.

"Yeah... I'm just tired."

He smiled.

"You wanna go home?"

"I think so. I'm sorry. I'm having a good time, really." I tried to explain. I didn't want him to think I was bored.

"Yeah, I know. Do you want me to drive you home?"

I blushed.

"No, there is no need. I can walk."

"Walk? No, lady."

"Yeah, it's only like ten minutes"

"Ten minutes!"

"Yeah" I smiled.

"Where do you live?"

"Hum... Santa Monica Pier?"

"No way"

"Yeah, I have a pretty view from my window."

He gasped and smiled.

"I can walk you home. Don't want you to go alone."

I laughed nervously and looked around. Molly was comfortably sitting on Lewis's lap.

"Okay"

"Yes?"

"Mhm"

Let's go"

He told his friends he would walk me home and let me say goodbye.

When we were already walking, I texted Molly.

Me: Danny is taking me home.

I didn't receive an answer. But she was sure busy. I put my phone on my pocket. Then I left my hands fall on my sides and it touched his.

Daniel grabbed my hand fast and chuckled.

"Sorry, I have to make sure you arrive safe"

"Oh, okay"

"I can't risk you crossing the street without looking."

"Perfect then, yeah. Thank you."

He chuckled.

"How is the tattoo? I saw it"

"You saw it?" I lift an eyebrow and he laughed nervously.

"Sorry, but I couldn't avoid it"

"Molly will be happy. She was like, you have a beautiful tattoo, show it"

He laughed.

"It really is beautiful. Tell the guy who did it that it's a precious work"

"I will. He is nice. Funny. Yeah."

"Handsome?"

"Meh"

He laughed hard and I felt my cheeks burning.

"Meh?"

"Yeah"

"What could he do to be more handsome?"

He got me then.

"Okay. Hum... A ring on the nose"

"A ring?!"

We were both laughing, hands swinging between our bodies.

"I won't, sorry"

"What a pity"

I looked. We were already there.

"This is me"

"You life in the shop?" He said looking at Charlotte's Garden.

"Up there. I have a little apartment."

"Your boss let's you?"

"She is pretty nice"

"Oh I bet."

"One day, you can come upstairs and have a coffee or something"

Wow, so brave, Abi.

"That would be nice."

I looked at our hands. They looked good together.

"Hey. Do you want to go and have dinner?"

I looked up. He was interested in me. Like, for real.

"Yes" I said feeling all shy.

"I'll text you."

"I'll be waiting"

He took a step closer and I stopped breathing. He leaned and pressed a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Thank you for coming, Abi"

"Thank you for inviting me"

As if not wanting to let go, he pulled away from me and put his hands on his pockets.

"Good night, Abi"

"Good night, Danny. Thank you for the walk."

"It's nothing. It was nice."

I said goodbye with my hand and watched him go, happily walking.

I smiled to myself and opened the door and went upstairs, feeling like a new woman, light as a feather and full of happiness.

I'm so happy.

Next part: A nice dinner.

[beware-of-you-98]

CONSIDER THIS: Penelope wrote each member of the team little sticky notes and left them on their desks/belongings after particularly hard cases

The first person she ever wrote a note for was Elle

She noticed Elle was really beating herself up after coming back home because the team didn’t save the last victim in time

She went back into her little lair and grabbed a lime green sticky note and wrote “you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for”

she sticks it on elle’s desk when no one is looking before walking out of the bullpen like nothing happened

Elle shows up in her office and just crushes her into a hug because the note really meant a lot

Garcia decides to do this for everyone on the team

She color codes the sticky notes for each member of the team

Hotch gets the classic yellow

Gideon gets white

Derek gets the pink

JJ gets the blue notes

Spencer gets purple ones

later on down the line, Emily gets yellow green

Rossi gets orange

Rossi sticks his notes on his fridge at home

Gideon is way too proud to ever admit that he secretly likes the notes Garcia leaves him

Hotch is really startled when he gets his first note because it appears just after a meeting with Strauss

(it’s a simple “you belong here. we love you”)

He’ll admit, it made him tear up

Spencer keeps EVERY single note that Garcia gives him in the book he carries around with him

Derek proudly displays his notes on his desk because looking at them always makes him smile

When JJ’s days get too hard, the days she feels she’s struggling to be at her best as a mom or as a profiler or even as a wife, she’ll sit down and read each and every single note Garcia has written her

They help keep her grounded and offer her the reassurance she needs

Emily keeps her notes in the safe after the mess with Doyle (they’re very important to her)

Even when she’s in London, she takes the time out of her night to read Garcia’s notes because she often struggles to really know where she belongs

She takes them out every single night and can spend hours reading them

She won’t ever admit it, but Garcia’s notes definitely helped her decide where she does belong

Garcia gets special note pads just for temporary members when they come into the unit

Jordan Todd gets little sticky notes with a happy little frog in the corner (her notes mostly consist of Garcia reassuring her that she’s doing amazing work because Todd never feels as if what she does can ever compare with JJ’s)

Alex Blake’s notes have a little book worm in the center giving the thumbs up which just makes Garcia’s notes a lot more special to her

Garcia is fiercely supportive of the younger temporary members of the team

When Ashley Seaver joins, Garcia leaves her multiple notes a day because she knows how scary it is to be in this new environment

It’s intimidating and scary and Seaver is just a lil baby fresh from the academy! She needs reassurance god dammit!!

(Her notes have a cartoony little beaver in the corner and it always makes her laugh)

Kate Callahan is a few months younger than JJ but she is still the baby™️ of the BAU in Garcia’s eyes

Her notes have cute baby animals in the corners and fun facts about them at the bottom

Garcia loves seeing the way her wide doe eyes light up after reading the notes and how much stronger she carries herself after putting the notes away in her purse

Tara sometimes just sits at her desk reading her notes over and over again with a wide smile on her face (she gets light blue)

Matt Simmons gets salmon colored notes

Luke gets neon yellow (yes, even Newbie gets notes from Garcia)

Stephen Walker got pale green notes (she gives the notes to his wife after he dies)

(Garcia still keeps the blank stack on her desk and whenever she misses him, she’ll write him one and stick them to one of her inactive monitors)

she does the same when she misses hotch (when he’s in witness protection), elle (she never could find elle after she left the bau) or gideon

(She still mails Derek, Kate, Alex, Jordan and Ashley notes from time to time)

When a case gets to Garcia, the team collectively pitch in to write her notes on their coordinated color of sticky notes, but use different ink

The first time this happens, she cried for hours because she can’t believe the team would do something like this for her

Derek had kissed her forehead and assured her that they were all more than happy to give her notes because “you give them to us all the time, baby girl, it’s about time we let you know how much we appreciate it”

when she leaves the bau, she has an entire box full of just these rainbow sticky notes that luke gives her

he’s organized them all by color and doodle (because, yes, even the temporary members gave penelope notes)

(even hotch and gideon gave her a few notes on rare occasions)

“read them whenever you feel like you’re missing this place”

she organizes them on her wall as soon as she gets home

and immediately reads through each and every single one afterwards

[ragingbookdragon]

Panthera Felidae et Celeritas

Barry Allen x Meta!Reader One-Shot

Word Count: 2K Warnings: Explicit Language

Author's Note: Gonna make a second part...sometime...later...Enjoy! -Thorne

**********************************************************************

The meta-human was fast. And while he wasn’t as fast as Barry, he’d managed to snap the speedster’s femur with a well-placed kick. Barry went down, holding his leg whilst he grit his teeth and shoved his bone back into place so it’d heal; Hal landed beside him, ready to pick up the slack and protect his best friend.

Striding towards them, the meta had a sick grin on his face as he ribbed, “I’m going to use your spine as a toothpick, Lantern.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Hal shot back, baring his teeth as he raised his arm, ready to form a construct when a hulking figure of orange, black, and white fur darted from around the corner of a building, sprinting right up to the meta.

It reared onto its hind legs, one big front paw swiping down harshly at the meta, connecting to the middle of its back, and both Hal and Barry watched the man’s eyes widen in first a look of shock, the next of pain as a sickening crack sent the meta to the ground, upper body spazzing as their lower body stilled.

“I can’t feel my back!” he screamed in agony and the beast bent down, its face next to the man’s and opened its mouth, snarling fiercely, flashing long, razor sharp canines. The meta whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut and the beast took one last look at him before turning its golden eyes onto Barry and Hal.

They stared back with equal mixtures of fear, but the beast chuffed and turned tail, bounding away as quickly as it had come.

“What the fuck just happened?” Hal asked.

Barry shook his head, blue eyes wide as he said, “I have no idea…but I think there’s a tiger loose in Central City.”

***

There were big cat sightings all over Central City—cheetahs, cougars, jaguars, leopards, snow leopards, ligers, lions, tigers; someone even said they saw a saber tooth tiger, which Barry highly doubted, but sure enough when he’d gotten to the scene and tested the DNA, it linked to a few scientific discoveries and genomes closely relating to the extinct beast.

He’d half a mind to bring the League in on the discoveries, but the animals weren’t killing people, and he was still reeling on how to explain to his team that there were animals running around that weren’t even native to the US, nor having populations in the state. Oddly enough though, the animals were never seen in the same place at the same time. Each sighting was on a different night with a different big cat, telling Barry that this had to be some type of trainer releasing the cats on particular times.

He spent almost an hour, well a human hour, not a speedster hour, triangulating territory across Central City before he finally found a common location inside the sightings—an old amusement park that had been shut down a few years before, waiting on renovations when someone would finally buy it.

So, what did Barry do? What Barry did best—he went alone to see which kitty cat he could find first.

***

The entire park was eerie, dark and creaking, rusted metal and cracked plastic everywhere. It almost made him think of those post-apocalyptic video games. Still though, he quelled his fears, though they boiled in his stomach, and hopped over the barriers, quietly walking the silent park.

Every noise had the hair on the back of his neck rising, turning in circles to look behind him at whatever it was, and at one point, he briefly considered calling for Superman—nothing gave you nerves of steel like the Man of Steel.

Shaking his head, he reaffirmed his own abilities. He could do this. He was fast enough to escape danger, he just had to sense it coming.

The sound of nails on metal echoed in Barry’s ears and he shivered, peeking around the corner of an abandoned booth to see a sleek black jaguar scratching at a metal door until it shoved open, and it slipped inside.

His brows furrowed and he looked around before quickly following it, slipping inside the doorway. It led down a further hall and into a tunnel, and with the large metal pistons and wheels in the walls, he assumed it was the underneath of an out of order roller coaster.

Glancing down, he saw paw prints in the dusty ground that obviously hadn’t been disturbed in a couple decades. Barry frowned and continued down the hallway, coming around a corner.

The second he turned it, he ran smack dab into something, and he gasped, immediately shoving out. Whatever had run into him went to the ground with a pained grunt and he blinked in the darkness, looking down, surprise bleeding through him as a woman’s face cleared in the darkness.

Barry had so many thoughts running through his head, but their safety overrode it and he bent down, hauling her up as he whispered harshly, “Never mind what you’re doing here, we have to leave now.”

“What?” she hissed back, letting him tug her down the hallway. “Who are you!”

“My name is Barry. I work at CCPD.” He glanced back at her, well, over her shoulder. “There’s a big cat somewhere down here and we need to get away. If my calculations are right, there are more around.”

“Wait, you know?” she questioned, feet skidding to a halt and Barry looked back at her.

“What do you mean? That the big cats are hiding around here?” she nodded, and he tipped his head. “Yeah. I figured it out with the police scans and public sightings.”

Her jaw started to go slack, and he tugged her again. “C’mon, we have to get out of here before that panther comes back.”

“It’s a jaguar.”

He stopped. “What?”

She pulled her wrist out of his grip. “It’s a black jaguar not a panther.”

Barry cocked a brow. “How do you know?”

“I…” she seemed hesitant, diverting her gaze. “I can’t tell you right now.” She hurried past him. “But you don’t have to worry. There are no cats here.”

“But my calculations—”

“Are wrong, Blake. There are no cats here.”

“It’s Barry,” he retorted. “Barry.”

“Whatever your name is,” she scowled, pushing the door open so they could both get out.

As they did, he pulled out his phone and shone the flashlight upwards so he could see her features. “Who are you?”

She blinked. “It’s not important.”

“It is. If you know about the big cats roaming the city and hurting people, then I need to know.”

Her face pinched. “They’re not hurting people. They’re helping.”

Barry recalled the meta-human incident—the meta’s spine had been broken in one swipe of that tiger’s paw. “Breaking spines and other important body parts isn’t helping people.”

“It’s not like I’m eating the criminals!” she shouted, then slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide and Barry gaped at her.

“What did you just say?”

She shook her head. “Nothing! I didn’t say anything!”

“No, you said something alright. It sounded like you said you weren’t eating the criminals.” He leaned closer. “Who are you and what do you know about the cats?”

For a moment, she merely gazed at him, then she let out a heavy sigh, shoulders drooping as she resigned herself. “Alright…I’ll talk.” She exhaled. “My name is (Y/N) (L/N). I’m a part-timer at the STAR Labs research facility. A few months ago…I was helping one of the scientists identify a common DNA strand found in the Panthera family and how it would react if spliced together in a new animal when—”

She trailed off, unsure of herself and Barry encouraged, “When?”

(Y/N) sighed again. “I don’t know. There was a mistake with the experiment. Some kind of electromagnetic shock that caused an entire building outage.”

“What else?” he questioned, and she shrugged.

“When we went inside after the power was back on, the test subject was deceased. Doctor Lesia asked me to clean up and I did, but I must’ve gotten contaminated somehow. Maybe through an open wound? I don’t know.”

She inhaled, meeting Barry’s blue eyes. “The DNA sequencing experiment didn’t fail though.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked curiously and she looked towards the door.

“Give me a moment.” As she walked back inside, she quickly stuck her head out and said, “Don’t be alarmed and don’t run, okay?”

He was wary of that and after a few moments, he heard scratching at the door and the door handle bent down, then the door pulled open, and the black jaguar bounded out.

Barry was quick to step back with a sharp, “Shit!” but the cat didn’t do anything, it merely sat down and looked at him; he took a closer look, eyes widening and he breathed, “Oh my God…it resequenced your DNA.”

She nodded, making a low growling noise, then disappeared back inside, only to reappear herself once more. “I’ve been able to transform into any cat whose DNA sequence belongs to the Panthera family.” (Y/N) shook her head. “I have to transform at least once a day, or it’ll happen without my control, and I can’t risk it happening at my job or out in public. So, I come here and transform, then run around Central City.”

“And fight crime,” he surmised, and she tipped her head side to side.

“It didn’t start out like that, honest. I realized I had all this energy pent up and running and scouring seemed to get it out.” (Y/N) blinked. “The first time I ever fought ‘crime’ was when I stopped a meta human from attacking Flash and Green Lantern.”

Barry stared at her. “You broke the meta-human’s spine.”

She winced. “I…didn’t realize I’d hit him with that much strength…but it was that or risk him hurting another hero and I didn’t want that to happen.” (Y/N) looked at him. “Please…please don’t tell anybody you know this. I’ll stop, just please don’t tell anyone. If you do, who knows what government science squad will come after me and kidnap me.”

Her face was the picture of pure terror and she reached out, grabbing Barry’s jacket, tears welling in her eyes as she begged again, “Please Barry, don’t tell anyone.”

Barry took her hands, squeezing them gently. “I won’t. I promise.”

She blinked tearfully and asked, “You won’t?”

“No, I won’t tell.” He smiled at her and fiddled with the ring on his hand, showing her the lightning symbol on it. “Not after I owe you for saving me and Green Lantern.”

(Y/N) eyes widened, and she gaped at the ring, then at his face. “You—you’re him…the Flash.”

He nodded. “Yeah.” Barry sighed, looking around, seeing the moon high in the sky. “Look, it’s late right now. Why don’t we both go home for the night and meet up sometime later?”

“To do what?” she questioned, and he met her eyes.

“Well, I doubt we’ll be able to undo the resequencing of your DNA. There’s no telling how damaging it could be to you if we try.” He thought for a moment, then decided, “So how about this, we meet up, and we’ll see about training you.”

(Y/N)’s face pinched. “But I’m not a speedster?”

“True, but technically you’re like me. You’re a meta-human now.” Barry smiled, wide and toothy. “And if there’s one thing I know how to do—it’s help meta-humans control their powers.”

She searched his gaze for a few moments, then she nodded. “Alright…that seems like a fair plan.” (Y/N) held out her hand and Barry took it, shaking it firmly. “Glad to be apart of the team, Flash.”

“Glad to have you, er…” his brows furrowed. “Do you have a name yet?”

(Y/N) pursed her lips in thought, then her face lit up and she replied, “Panthera.” Barry snorted and she flushed. “I know…I’m a nerd.”

He shook his head. “So am I.”

[missmcspooks]

The Controversial Case of Mary Katherine Higdon: Murder or Self Defense?

Mary Katherine Higdon shot her live-in boyfriend and “love of her life” Steven Freeman, in their Griffin, Georgia, home. She was arrested and charged with his murder, but was later acquitted. Did Mary murder her boyfriend in a fit of rage? Or was it truly an act of self defense?

WHO WAS STEVEN FREEMAN?

Steven was born on January 1st, 1995, and grew up in Griffin, Georgia. He lived with his parents Troy and Jennifer Freeman, and his brother Blake. He had a very happy and healthy childhood, was close with his family, and was always smiling, laughing, and having a good time. He had a lot of friends, and they described him as a very laid-back and chill person, and never had a problem telling people how much he loved and cared about them. He was a kind and helpful person, and absolutely loved being outdoors. Steven had a good relationship with both of his parents, but was especially close with his mother. When his mom went back to school, Steven wrote her this note:

“I am so proud of you and admire all of the effort that I watched you put forth throughout the past 2 years. It takes an enormous amount of devotion (far more than me) to endure the stress and responsibilities that you have taken upon yourself. I look up to you every day because of what you’ve done for me & Blake throughout our lives and how if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish any of your hopes, dreams, and more!!! I love you to the moon & back.”

WHO WAS MARY KATHERINE HIGDON?

Mary was born in 1994 and also had a good and healthy life growing up with a loving family. She was described as being a happy-go-lucky child who was always running around and laughing, and she even enjoyed performing for her family by putting on these cute little plays. She was also very friendly, creative, and absolutely adored nature and animals. Mary was also raised around guns and grew up to really like them.

THEY WANTED TO BE TOGETHER FOREVER

Mary and Steven were High School sweethearts, and as soon as they met they became inseparable. They had so much in common, but the main passion they bonded over was their mutual love for the outdoors. They would often go hiking, camping, fishing, and even hunting together. After they graduated High School, the two moved into their own place together in Griffin Georgia. Steven worked as a metal worker, and Mary worked as a part-time teachers assistant in Saint George's Episcopal School in Milner, Georgia. She also worked at a sporting goods store where she sold guns. Steven had a best friend named Thomas Skinner who worked with Mary at the store for a long time, and he explained how all the employee’s would need to learn basic gun safety rules before handling the guns alone. They had to learn how to hold them, load them, and shoot them, etc, so Mary definitely knew how to handle a gun properly. This information is important for the later details of the case. Steven also loved guns and had owned at least 10 of them, and they kept a Glock 42 in their home.

Steven also had two other very close friends, Chase Pruitt, and Andrew Mckee. The four of them were a really close group of friends and cared deeply about each other, so naturally they cared about who everyone was dating as well. When the group first met Mary, they felt a little hesitant about her, but then soon began to really like her. They liked how much she and Steven had in common and that she was super into the outdoors, but most of all, they liked how happy she made him. Steven’s family also loved Mary, and his mother Jennifer considered her to be like a daughter-in-law already.

THE 9-1-1 CALL

Skip all the way to the summer of 2018, where Mary was 24 and Steven was 23. At this time they have been dating on and off for seven years, while still living together in that same apartment in Griffin. However, on the night of August 1st, Mary Katherine made a call to 9-1-1. There’s a lot of debate about the authenticity of this 9-1-1 call. Some people think that the call sounds very fake and staged, while others believe that Mary sounds genuinely panicked and frightened. Nonetheless, it doesn’t really matter if it was staged or genuine, what matters are the words that were recorded coming out of her mouth. “I ACCIDENTALLY JUST SHOT MY BOYFRIEND.” When the police arrived at the scene, their body camera recorded the footage of Mary’s behavior inside the home. She was extremely hysterical, crying, hyperventilating, very panicked, and no one could calm her down what-so-ever. She was kneeling over his body, begging for someone to help him, and when she was told to move away from the body, she refused to move and just kept screaming over and over again, “I cannot lose him! I cannot lose him!” Once again, this video was heavily argued about, as some people believed that her behavior was fake and staged, as they felt like she was being extremely overdramatic, while other people believed that she was displaying real, raw, emotions. When police arrived at the scene, Steven was still alive and was rushed to the hospital. He was shot directly into his chest, just below his neck. Sadly, he succumbed to his injuries and passed away just a few minutes before midnight. Immediately, police did not think this was an accident, they believed it was definitely a homicide.

THE INVESTIGATION

When Mary was first questioned, she told the police that she had accidentally shot him. She claimed that she was just handing him the gun and it just went off. She claimed that she had no idea there was a bullet in the chamber, as they normally don’t leave their guns loaded inside the house. However, eventually her story changed, and she claimed to have tossed the gun to Steven, not handed it to him. Right off the bat, the police didn’t believe her story at all. One of them specifically has a lot of experience with guns, and he knew that you can’t just toss or hand over a gun and have it randomly go off. No, you need to actually pull the trigger for it to go off. She also would’ve had to directly point it at him in order for the bullet to hit him where it did. The evidence at the crime scene also pointed towards this being a homicide. They knew that some type of argument happened between them right before the shooting, as there was food thrown everywhere around the house, and they also smelled alcohol on her breath, which could also mean that there was a fight, and she was drinking out of frustration.

After her initial questioning, the police got Mary to agree to sit down and talk to them without her lawyer, and to have the whole thing recorded on tape. As the interrogation went on, they began really ripping into her. They were yelling and screaming at her, telling her that they didn’t believe her story, demanding that she tell them the truth, etc. They used this as a tactic to force the truth out of her, and it worked. Mary Katherine admitted that she shot him out of anger. Now, you’re all probably sitting there and thinking that this is great news, they have her confession on tape, the cat is in the bag, and everything goes smoothly from there, right? Wrong. After Mary was arrested and charged with murder, the police went to review the tape and all they could hear is static feedback noise. Her confession was completely inaudible. This tape was the biggest piece of evidence they had to close this case, and it was ruined, and they had no backup recordings. Now all they had was their word against hers. Thankfully, this tape wasn’t the only source of evidence that they had. They also had proof that the gun was loaded that very same night, even though she claimed that she had no idea it was loaded. There was cooking grease on the magazine, and all over the side of the gun, which makes sense considering she was cooking a london broil that same night, which was super greasy. This is also the food that was found thrown all over the floor. They also found out that the police have been called to their home 5 times within the last year, two of them confirmed to be for domestic disputes.

Police decided to question Stevens' three closest friends, and every single one of them were adamant about Mary Katherine purposely shooting him. They described their relationship to be very toxic. She was possessive, jealous, very verbally abusive and mentally unstable. She said they were constantly fighting and yelling at each other. Whenever he would leave the house to get away from her, she would constantly blow up his phones with text messages and phone calls, so much to the point where he’d have to block her. A co-worker of his was interviewed and he stated that he was in the car with Steven on their way to a job, and she had called him 30 times before they were even to get to their first job of the day. His friends said that he was scared of Mary Katherine, and that she had pulled her gun out on him three or four times already. They said that he never reported her to the police before because at the time, he really loved her and didn’t want her to get into trouble. However, in July of 2018, Steven was finally ready to leave Mary Katherine. His plan was to move out and leave to a different town and not tell her that he was leaving, because he was so afraid of what her reaction would’ve been.

On July 30th just two days before he was shot, the two exchanged sweet text messages together which read: “Good morning beautiful! Don’t forget,” which Mary Katherine responded, “Thank you. Have a great day,” in which he responded back, “You too. Love you.” This is how their relationship was for a very long time. Just very hot and cold. The very next day, the two of them got into a huge fight, which caused him to leave the home and stay at a friend's house. He told his friend that he was literally “running from Satan.” The next night, Mary Katherine made a london broil as an apology for the argument hey had, and she was just hoping that he would come home for dinner, eat the nice meal together, talk things out, and then move along like they’ve always done before. However, he never came home this time, which really angered Mary Katherine. When she was questioned about this by police, she just told them that she was simply irritated that she made this nice meal for him and he wasn’t coming home to enjoy it with her. Mary blew up his phone like usual, and even called up his mother to see if he was there. Jennifer told her that he was actually at his friend Thomas’ house, and Mary jumped into her car and drove over there. Thomas and Steven had already left the home and were just driving around in the truck, and Mary Katherine notices the truck and starts following them. She was driving so close to them that she was right up against his bumper, and she drove right next to their truck, rolled down the window and started screaming, “ARE YOU COMING HOME NOW?” Thomas says that Steven was just feeling kind of defeated at this point and tells her yes, he’s gonna be coming home now. Two hours later, Steven was shot. It’s speculated that Steven went home to permanently end things with her, and that's what sparked the fight that turned deadly.

THE CONTROVERSIAL TRIAL

Mary Katherine was being charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during a commission of a felony. She was offered a plea deal of life in prison with a possibility of parole if she pleads guilty. However, she didn’t take this deal and took the case to trial, where she pleaded not guilty due to having to shoot Steven in self-defense. Mary Katherine was being represented by public defenders who told the jury that she was actually afraid of Steven due to his history of abuse, and there was concrete evidence of this abuse, which all came out during her trial. The prosecutors didn’t have the confession tape anymore, so all they had to use was the evidence involving the grease of the gun, and bringing in all of Stevens' friends as witnesses.

One thing that helped tremendously on Mary Katherine’s side, was having her take the stand to tell the jury what had happened to her throughout her relationship. This is all solely based on her words. She stated that Steven had a very controlling, manipulating, and dangerous side to his personality that no one else really knew about. She claimed that she experienced every kind of abuse imaginable with him. Verbal abuse, physical abuse, and she claims that he had raped her on two separate occasions. She claimed that he pushed her to the brink of madness due to the way he treated her. She claimed that he had to know what she was doing, where she was and who she was with at all times, along with what she was spending money on and even about what she was eating, so he was financially abusive as well. She also mentions that on one occasion, Steven had kicked her very hard, which caused her to fall off the bed and bang her head. She said she didn’t call the police because she was afraid that she would just blame herself, feeling like she had pushed him that far to where he needed to abuse her.

There was one other major piece of evidence for her side, which were all the text messages that were recovered between her and Steven, where Steven was sending her extremely vulgar and concerning messages, threatening her. These were texts from the year prior, and there were 63 pages of these texts showing Steven clearly verbally attacking her. The messages were so vulgar that the police haven’t revealed many of them to the public. One text message he sent was when he was out fishing with his friends. He sent her a picture of himself holding a dead fish and said, “this is you bitch.” He sent her another text saying, “I’m gonna fucking wreck you for wrecking me.” This was apparently related to the fact that she cheated on him one time, and he lost it. Steven sent her another text saying, “the more shit you talk, the more you’re gonna get punished when I get home.” When the court asked her what he meant by “punishing her” she claimed that he would come home, scream at her, ask her why can’t she be a better girlfriend and just do the things she tells her to do, why can’t she follow his rules, and he would physically assault her by smacking her, kicking her, punching her, just beating her in general. Mary Katherine sat on the stand in tears, completely just breaking down when telling this story, and claimed that if she ever tried to stand up for herself and protect herself, he would say things like, “don’t hit me because if you hit me then I’m just gonna hit you back two times harder.”

Mary Katherine also explained that Steven had what they called a “red room” This room was used for very aggressive sex where he would kind of abuse her in a sexual manner, doing things to her that she didn’t like, in order to inflict pain onto her. There was one text message which read, “I miss you too much. I’m coming home and you’re about to get it bad. You’re going to the red room.” This is where she tells the court that Steven had raped her on two different occasions. She explains that on one of these occasions, they had just gotten back from their vacation to Disney World, and they began having sex. However, it was becoming too aggressive and she wasn’t enjoying it, so she told him to stop. Not only did he not stop, but he said these words: “I bought you all these things at Disney World, so now you’re going to give me what I want. You’re going to give me what I deserve.” She also told the court that the night he was shot went completely differently then what police had originally thought. She explained that she was the one who broke up with him, and he was the one who freaked out and started attacking her, and that’s when she grabbed the gun to defend herself and accidentally shot him. She stated that her last words to him were, “get the fuck out of my house,” and then he lunged himself at her and that’s when she shot him. However, forensic evidence proved that he was sitting on the corner of his mattress when she shot him. He never got up, and he never even moved. He was shot while sitting, and then he fell backwards.

Of course the police, his family, and his friends don’t believe this at all, because she was the one who was going crazy and following the truck demanding him to come home. She was also the one who cooked up this amazing meal where she claimed originally was to apologize for the fight and hoped they’d just continue forward like usual. Also, his friends and family knew him to be this amazing, laidback, friendly, caring and good person. He wasn’t this aggressive monster that she was portraying him to be. His mother Jennifer said that even though she had no idea that he was talking to her the way he was, and she isn’t proud of him for speaking that way to a woman, she believes everything was said out of anger. So we have his friends giving all of these statements about how their relationship was and explaining all of these horrible things that she did to him, her behavioral issues, how she pulled a gun on him several times before… Then we also have what she’s saying, and even though Steven was not there to defend himself, we can’t deny the photo evidence given from the text messages he was sending to her. So even though they could prove that he was also a toxic person in this relationship, they can’t technically prove that he did every single thing that she was claiming he did. The trial continued to get complicated as Steven’s friends kept saying that she was the physically abusive one, and that she would hit and punch him all the time, and that they never saw him ever raise a hand to her before. However, the defense argued that his friends never actually saw any of this physical abuse occurring, and anything could’ve been happening behind closed doors that his friends never knew about. The defense also alleged that Steven had a drug and alcohol addiction which contributed to his violent outbursts.

The prosecution brought up a very important text message that Steven sent to Mary Katherine saying, “I know you’ve pointed a gun at me multiple times already, but last time scared the shit out of me.” Mary Katherine said that this was about her shooting herself, not shooting him. She never threatened to shoot him, she always threatened to shoot herself. This is why his friends and family think he stayed in the relationship as long as he did, because he was afraid that she would commit suicide if he left her. Prosecutors also argued that she had altered her story at least 10 times since the moment she was questioned.

[nyotasaimiri]

Arc Two (redux) 49

“Oh?” Taisa paused in picking off a particularly stubborn bit of dried nutrient paste. “How rare. I haven’t heard you ask about her in years.” She considered the dishes, then finished washing the last one and dried her hands. “We should go sit down.”

Tarvei knew what that meant. He followed her into the living room and sat on the sofa, far enough away from the voice recorder in the piano that it wouldn’t pick up a whisper. It was an old, ugly pattern, but the upholstery was soft from many years of use, and it still had tiny marks in the wood where he had cut his first teeth before Dmin brought home a proper teething ring. Tarvei ran his fingers over the nubby little bumps and tried to be calm.  

“So,” Taisa asked him softly, teasing the tie out of his hair and running her fingers through the dark strands like she used to do when he was small, “what’s so special about today? You never ask about your sister anymore.”

“It’s…” Tarvei hesitated, biting his lip. He tried to look embarrassed instead of shifty. He couldn’t admit I met her. Not when they thought she had been dead for six years. Not when she was—when they both were working with the rebels. Tarvei shook his head and didn’t allow even the idea of that consequence to surface. “It wasn’t a hard day, Mom, but…”

Taisa misread his pause and took his hand. “It’s your job, isn’t it? Are you worried again, that you won’t live up to her?” She brushed his hair back, then met his eyes with a smile. “You don’t have to be a soldier, Tarvei.”

Vei leaned into her and let her feed him his story. “You’re sure? I mean, I’m a small-time merchant’s clerk. She was—”

Taisa hugged him with a fierceness that left just the smallest coil of guilt curl in his stomach. “She was an officer, yes. But—” She broke off, shook her head, and left him wondering. So even Taisa Saimiri could not voice some things aloud. But the fact that she had even started to…

Vei took her free hand and pressed into her shoulder, a physical support and an emotional one. He didn’t dare say anything, didn’t trust his words to stay in line if they left his lips.

Taisa’s smile returned as she controlled herself once more. “We have you still, Tarvei. Your job is just as important as hers, even if it does not get the fanfare it deserves. What are soldiers without food?” Taisa ruffled his hair, then touched her forehead to his. “You’re doing good work, dear, for all of us. She would be proud.”

The guilt melted. Tarvei smiled back, certain for the first time. “I know.”

He could still see the pride in Nyota’s eyes as she spoke with him and Commander Blake on her ship just a few weeks ago, the affection in her familiar-unfamiliar smile.

Taisa leaned back against the worn down sofa and stretched her legs. “So, I think I owe you a story, then? What did you want to hear?”

Tarvei found his way back to the moment, his smile turning a little bit sheepish. He covered it with an embarrassed laugh. “I um. I hadn’t thought that far.”

Taisa’s chuckle was very much like her son’s. “Didn’t think you would get this far, is that it?” When he nodded, she laughed again and returned his hair tie. “I can always tell you a story about her training days. I still remember the tapes from her exam when she was fifteen, before the censor wiped it.”

A funny little bitter knot snagged Tarvei’s throat at the tiny note of sadness in his mother’s voice as she mentioned that. The censor. He still didn’t know why—but he could ask Nyota herself now. He would. But that wasn’t the story he wanted to hear today. “You always tell me something about her training, though,” he said. It took a little effort to make his voice teasing and not resentful. It was too easy to forget and slip back into resenting. “Why not something else?”

“As you like then.” Taisa looked at him, bemused. “I don’t suppose you have anything in mind now?”

Vei closed his eyes, eyes like his sister’s, like their father’s. “What was she like when she was a little girl?”

Taisa’s eyes creased with something bitter, something sweet, something Tarvei had not seen in her face before. Something she must have tried to hide so hard for so very, very long. “It is so hard to remember her like that…”

“Yeah, I guess.” Vei looked up at the ceiling to avoid recognizing the strange expression in Taisa’s smile. “It was a really long time ago.”

“Well, that as well.” Taisa sighed, but did not let her smile slip. “She was so small… She was seven years old the last time I held her hand.”

He almost regretted asking. He wished he could close his ears against the unshed tears in Taisa’s voice. But she kept talking as if it didn’t hurt at all. Maybe she needed to.

“She loved the snow, you know.” Taisa looked out the window at the almost-dark sky and the last hints of the flurry drifting down. “I know we all do, but she loved it especially so. As soon as the first flakes fell out of the sky, every time, she would run to that window there, run to find me or Dmin so we could see it too.” Her eyes half-closed. “She loved to share what she loved most of all.” The fond chuckle caught in her throat a moment and slipped free. “And she was a terror out there as soon as she could throw.”

Tarvei echoed her laugh. “I guess it runs in the family, huh?”

Taisa caught his eye with a smirk. “It does. You’re so like her. Like she might have been.” She stopped and glanced at the piano, but her voice was still too soft for the bug to hear. “She used to get stuck on top of the bookcase, just like you did, and get too scared to climb down. Dmin was so proud of her, that first time she rescued herself. He smiled for hours…”

And the stories kept slipping out of her like the flakes drifting down from the sky. Tarvei listened and held her hand and tried to picture the girl his sister might have been. Tried not to think of the tears his mother dared not shed. Thought of the grown woman who called him brother there below the ancient gate. I want to bring her home.

[bridgyrose]

An AU where Ruby and Yang are full blooded siblings, but Ruby took after their mother more so grows up living in their shadow (in both a good and bad way)

Ruby took aim at a grimm and aimed down the sights, closing one red eye as she took a breath to steady herself and pulled down on the trigger. A smile crossed her lips as the grimm went down in one shot. She pressed a finger to her ear and spoke through the earpiece she wore. “Alright Yang, you’re up.” 

“Are you sure about this?” Yang asked over the earpiece. “I know you dont trust Ozpin-” 

“He’s hiding something and I need to find out what.” 

“Why? What will that change for you?” 

Ruby sighed and looked down at her tattered red and black cloak. It had never occurred to her what would change if she found out. Sure, it would give her a reason to be right about not trusting Ozpin, and it would prove her mother right, but in the end, what exactly would it prove? “I… I need to know, Yang. He’s been throwing us into mission after mission with our team time and time again… arent you at all a little curious about why? Why our family seems to be so important to him or why he keeps a close eye on us?” 

“Maybe because we seem to stumble into everything.” 

“Or there’s something else. Mother told me-” 

“When did you speak to our mother?” 

“That doesnt matter. What does is that she told me that Ozpin has a secret that he’s keeping from us, one that will get us in trouble.” 

“And if it turns out to be nothing?” 

“Then that will be a bridge we cross later.” 

“...alright, but I dont promise anything.” 

Ruby sighed and turned her earpiece off for a moment as she looked down at her scroll. She scrolled through her notes she took with every meeting with Ozpin, everything from when she was first offered a spot at Beacon early to the last mission she took for him involving searching for a missing girl from Mistral. Her ears caught the sound of wings flapping over her and then stopping. “Mother, I know you’re there.” 

“Still having learned anything from what I told you, have you?” Raven asked as she climbed down a few branches. ”You’re still not asking the right questions.” 

“And what questions am I supposed to be asking?” Ruby put her scroll away and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. “Are you ever going to tell me what he’s hiding?” 

“I’ve shown you, havent I? Both you and Yang know magic exists-” 

“And that doesnt prove what he’s hiding. Besides, you havent exactly been as open about it either. So, I’m finding answers on my own. Just like you told me to.” 

Raven smirked a bit. “Because you dont trust him.” 

Ruby sighed. “Because I worry about Yang and my team. We keep getting dragged into stealth missions and information gathering, but no one is telling us why. And the way he keeps comparing us to you and mom… something just doesnt feel right.” 

“At least one of you listened to me.” 

“So… what exactly did you come to me for? You’re not one to drop by just to say hi.” 

Raven nodded and dropped a small note into her daughter’s lap. “I think this will help you with a few questions you have.”

Ruby took the note and slowly opened it. “Jinn? What does this have to do with Ozpin?” 

“More than you know.” 

Ruby rolled her eyes as she watched Raven open a portal and step through. “Helpful as ever, mother..” She turned her earpiece on and folded up the note. “Yang, its time we pull out and regroup.” 

There was a pause on the line. “Why? What’s going on?” 

“I think we’re looking in the wrong place.” 

“And what makes you think that?” 

“A little birdie told me. Meet back at the apartment? I’m going to grab some food on the way back.” 

“Make sure to grab enough for Weiss and Blake. They’re supposed to be coming around today, remember?” 

“Dont worry, I didnt forget.” Ruby turned her earpiece off once more and stashed it into her pocket. She looked up at the sky and sighed. “Alright mother, what do you know that Ozpin doesnt want to tell me?” 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You sound just like your mother,” Ozpin said as he put a book away.

“This isnt about her.” Ruby took a breath and sighed. “Can you tell me why you’ve been singling out my team? Why we’re looking for a single missing girl?” 

“I already told you, I cant tell you everything-” 

“Who is Jinn?” 

Ozpin sighed and looked over at Ruby. “Where did you hear that?” 

“I… found it in a note.” Ruby dug through her pockets and pulled out the note that Raven handed her. “Who is Jinn?” 

Ozpin took the note and sighed. “Someone I havent thought of for years. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.” 

Ruby nodded and turned to walk away. “You better.” 

“Oh and be careful. You dont want to turn out how your mother did.” 

Ruby paused. “And what do you mean by that?” 

Ozpin took a sip of his hot chocolate. “Untrusting of everyone around her. Get some rest, bring your team to me early tomorrow. I’ll tell all of you everything and what’s really going on. Afterwards, you’ll have a choice to make and I’m sure you’ll make the right one.” 

[pilot-boi]

I'm really hoping you allow me to do this because when the original layout of the facility was given the Children didn't exist yet and also I put alot of real life energy into making this lol

I see the code that Salem uses to open the cells to the Children's doors.

I'm gonna be out of commission for a while...

I use a significant amount of my energy to summon a note in front of 10 targets. Emerald, Roman, Neo, Mercury, and the 6 infiltrating kids (I have to summon them into Weiss and Ren's pockets as to not disrupt their heist, I know. Alot of work). Because of the work of the summons, the note itself has to be more simple...but to to decrease my levels of direct interference (and thus hopefully increase my chances of this working), I "code" the code... I just hope they can figure it out.

#####

iXvIiivIII

10 mins to use

The notes appear in the cells, and the avians pick them up and read them. They’re far too used to your messages to be at all suspicious of them at this point. “Anyone know what this says?” Roman asks quietly.

Neo shrugs, and Mercury shakes his head. “Is it some kind of code?” Emerald asks weakly. She lost her connection with Oscar a few minutes ago. She just doesn’t have the strength to hold the conversation any longer.

None of the avians are sure what the note means.

A pair of notes appear on a desk next to a panel of surveillance monitors. Yang and Blake are too busy arguing with Winter and Clover to notice.

Two more scraps of paper flutter to the ground just in front of a pair of sneaking girls. “What the heck?” Nora mutters, crouching and grabbing one of them. She glances up, and drags Ruby through a door into a thankfully empty conference room. “What do you think this is?”

“It must be important,” Ruby murmurs, examining the message. “Or else they wouldn’t risk sending it to us.”

“10 minutes to use,” Nora reads. “Oh hell, think this is the code to the cells?!” she asks, looking excited.

“Oh you’re right, it must be!” Ruby agrees, her tail wagging. “We just need to decode it, and then we can get the avians out!”

“Are these…” Nora squints, holding the note up to the dim light. “Are these Vytalan Numerals?” she asks, glancing at Ruby.

“I think they are, yeah.” Ruby wracks her brain, trying to pull up the memory of what letters mean what numbers. “If I can just remember-”

“Hey,” Nora whispers, nudging her. Ruby looks over, lowering the note. “Look.” She nods up towards the ceiling.

An air vent is screwed in place in the corner of the room.

“Think we should…?” she asks, and Nora nods. Ruby swallows, and shoves the note in her pocket. Nora does the same with hers.

“I’ll boost you up,” Nora whispers.

Weiss and Ren feel the notes appear in their pockets, and have to fight not to react. “Right this way, Miss,” the man says, his plastic smile fixed in place.

“While we cannot show you the actual results of your father’s support due to security risks,” he says, false guilt in his voice. “a presentation has been prepared for just such an occasion.”

Ren’s hand is in his pocket, and he widens his eyes slightly at Weiss. She nods, once, and looks away. Is the note important? What does it say? Are their friends in danger?

They both don’t need a note to know the answer to that question.

[itsclydebitches]

A great example of “RWBY+ can do no wrong” is the whole “Let Penny make her own choices” thing. They keep doing it over and over, yet while watching I never got the idea RWBY+ doing it was bad. They’re never called out, they never regret it, or anything. Ruby takes the scroll from Penny’s hand and answers Ironwood for her, and makes her human without her consent. I get the not killing Penny thing, BUT THAT’S THE ONLY THING THEY DO FOR HER. WTF?!

Yes let's take a hot second to unpack all this.

Now, I'm going to be focusing on late Volume 7 and Volume 8, but in reality this problem started way back during Penny's introduction. Namely, presenting her as a literal tool of the military who has to break the rules set down (go out, have friends, etc.) in order to be her own person. There's a small problem here in the form of making Pietro the shadowy scientist and then changing him into the doting father with no acknowledgement that he a) built Penny with the purpose of being Atlas' tool and b) went along with dictating her actions through that whole run. However, given that Pietro is a minor character we may never even see again, we have a much larger problem in the form of Ruby being entirely disinterested in Penny's plight. Ruby cares about making sure Penny feels real, not that Penny has all the freedoms a real person innately deserves. Admittedly, this is less of an issue back in Volumes 1-3 because RWBY was a less serious show then, Penny was a new friend, and Ruby was the teenager student. But come Volume 7 when our show is questioning the characters' morals, Ruby is an adult now, Ruby has her huntsmen license, and she supposedly has this incredibly strong bond with Penny, it's now a problem that she hears things like "Ironwood doesn't want me to have friends" and just... doesn't seem to care. Or do anything. Or suggest that Penny do something. It's a non-topic. Ruby only becomes interested in Penny's autonomy when that autonomy threatens Ruby's own goals. When Ruby is working for Ironwood, it's totally fine if Penny works for Ironwood too, no matter how she might be being treated. (Though, frankly, I think the show did a terrible job of establishing Ironwood's supposed mistreatment. The no friends rule makes zero sense when Penny is being sent to celebratory parties organized by Ironwood. So that's a whole other issue.) But when Ruby is against Ironwood... well, then Penny needs to be on their side. Of course she'd be on their side. It's presented as inevitable, despite the fact that it very much should not be. But the point is that Ruby cares about keeping Penny away from Ironwood and giving her an illusion of choice only once she is breaking away. Otherwise, Penny's autonomy is not her concern.

So that's where we're starting out which is pretty bad. Already Ruby's status as the contrast to Ironwood is falling flat, but the show admittedly helps smooth things over by giving us such an extreme. Meaning, we learn fairly early on that Ironwood want to hack Penny and take that autonomy away, full stop. Ruby doesn't. Ergo, Ruby is the lesser of two evils here. I can see why so many fans dismiss the scroll scene given its seemingly, comparative insignificance, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Part of that is because Penny never gets to express her own opinions to Ruby. She gets to do it with Winter and, notably, Penny comes to a sort of, 'We can manage both' stance. The dilemma of going after Cinder or saving Winter and fighting Salem or saving the people of Atlas/the Relics are meant to mirror one another and Penny manages to achieve both. She saves Winter and keeps the power out of Cinder's hands too. Then, she's given the one key that controls the latter dilemma: the Maiden powers. So what will Penny decide? How does she view the situation to leave or stay? How will her decision regarding Cinder and Winter impact her decision about Atlas and Mantle?

It doesn't. We have no idea what Penny thinks outside of a 'I'm sad when friends fight' line (which, again, puts a huge damper on the idea that Penny was always Ironwood/the Ace Ops' puppet and should be glad to be rid of them). Penny is brought into Ruby's group and her opinions disappear because Ruby makes all the decisions. Whatever Ruby says goes and THAT'S why the scroll scene is so horrible. Because we just watched Penny deciding for herself what to do about Winter. We just watched Penny deciding to take on the Maiden powers, making herself the most important person in the Kingdom right now. And then Ruby picks her up and all that goes away. Penny is given the chance to decide things again when Ironwood calls and Ruby takes the scroll away, speaking on her behalf. It does not matter whether Penny actually agrees with Ruby's decisions here, the act of not allowing her to make those decisions for herself speaks volumes.

From then on Penny just stops making choices. Ruby is the one who talks her into forgetting about Ironwood and the Ace Ops. Jaune is the one who decides to split the team and Ruby decided they need to get Amity up. Pietro literally takes control of Penny's body to hack into the system. Penny gets cut off from the group due to the Ace Ops and Nora is the one who decides to help. Prior to literally being hacked, she was more of a puppet in their hands than she was with Ironwood because it's in Ironwood's employ that we actually see Penny pushing back: She's going to be friends with Ruby no matter what, she's going to challenge Winter on her views, she's going to take the powers because that's what needs to be done, etc. But that lack of agency is completely overshadowed by Ironwood's hack Penny plan. Everything looks better compared to that, even if what we're left with is pretty awful on its own. Remember, this is the point in the story where Ironwood is fully evil, post-shooting Oscar and the Councilman. The group can do whatever they want at this point and come off looking "heroic," simply by means of not being Ironwood.

The next time Penny makes a decision is when she stands up to Pietro. Note that prior to this everyone talked her into doing something she says she does not want to do: leaving the group to stay on Amity. Pietro suggests it, Ruby justifies it, Weiss says it might be for the best and Blake ends the conversation by saying they need to leave. Penny goes, "I guess we all have to do some things we would rather not." They all make that decision for her. So she goes, fights Cinder, and then Amity starts to fall. Pietro says, "You’re in no condition to do something like this. Even just the temperature out there could--" and Penny counters "It is our only option."

No, it's not. This is Ruby's option. You can very much not send the totally useless message out, supposedly risking your life in the process ("supposedly" because, again, why this is such a danger for Penny when she was just flying outside with Cinder remains a mystery). Penny treats Ruby's plan as something inevitable. They can't fall back after Penny hacked into the Atlas systems, Penny fought off the Ace Ops, Penny defended Amity from another Maiden. She has to go one step further and risk another death because the concept of saying, "Hey, Ruby's plan isn't feasible anymore" is just never on the table. Ruby is in the mansion sitting around while Penny does all the dangerous work to put her plan into action.

So she pushes back against Pietro in a way she NEVER has with Ruby, insisting that this is how she's going to live her life. Even Maria chimes in with a "we need to remember the big picture." (Wait, the potential death of a Maiden and the loss of the key to the vault isn't a part of the big picture?) Pietro is supposedly in the wrong because he cares about Penny, not the war, but if that's such a bad thing... then what does that make this?

We have a whole scene where Penny wants the group to destroy her to (again, supposedly) help them in the war - take her out as a threat - and they give a resounding, 'Fuck that.' Ruby doesn't want to see her friend dead for the sake of this war. Pietro doesn't want to see his daughter dead for the sake of this war. Yet Pietro is the one who is framed as too narrowminded. Penny standing up to Pietro is meant to be celebratory, but Penny giving in to Ruby is meant to be celebratory too.

And then, of course, once it's Jaune with a sword to her throat, Penny's desire to die is honored.

Then, finally, we have the Ambrosius fiasco. I've spoken at length about this already, but suffice to say we never got a scene where Penny expressed a desire to be turned human. As the above scene demonstrates, her desire to risk her life/die is ignored only when it's Ruby making that call. Otherwise, with Pietro and Jaune, Penny's agency is upheld (however horrible the circumstances). Does she want live a life with a flesh body? Does she have any other ideas how they might eradicate the hack? Would she prefer Ruby try to put her into a new android body first? We have no idea! We never see Ruby ask. We never see that Ruby cares beyond what she wants for Penny. They clearly had the time to hash out all these loophole wishes, but we couldn't have gotten a ten second scene where Penny goes, 'I'm cool with this'? Assuming that Penny knows what they plan to do and that she has no reservations prior to waking up with flesh hands doesn't work, not when her character largely revolves around agency and Ruby has not been showing her that particularly well.

Ruby decides that Penny is on their team (scroll scene). Then she decides that Penny will not die (contrast to Jaune and Pietro). Then she decides that Penny will be saved by stripping away a core part of her identity. Penny goes from being hacked to watching that part of herself actually die, glitching out while her friends smile about it. Ruby spent Penny's entire run insisting that she was a person just as she was, but then Ruby is the one to turn around and take that away from Penny, prior to leading her into a battle where she died again, likely because she was now a fragile flesh girl. Ironwood was given the extreme of trying to take Penny over completely, once he went full Bad Guy, but Ruby is the one who made decisions for Penny throughout this run, with Penny given no chance to speak up for herself. Penny, once at Ruby's side, subscribed to the overarching belief that Ruby is always right (fitting in nicely with Ren's arc of learning to stop questioning things). The story didn't even consider giving Penny different opinions, hesitations, anger, or anything that would truly jeopardizes what Ruby wants, because what Ruby wants is, consistently, treated as the only way to go.

[renaerys]

37. For Blossutch 👀 can’t wait to binge read all of these lol -Star

37. “If you want to act like a slut, you can dress like one.”

T-posing for feminism.

This fic is part of a prompt challenge that is now closed to new requests, but you can read all the completed submissions here. Reminder that the challenge is to make everything SFW, so we’re getting creative here.

xxx

Dane Blakely was 140 pounds of protein powder in a five and a half foot body, and still he seemed to tower over anyone in his way. He’d cornered So-eun Park on her way to second period because he could not take a hint, and now there was no getting around him.

“I saw you with that loser at the Shankaplex on Saturday, don’t even try to deny it,” Dane said.

So-eun had her back to the lockers, but she held her ground. “Elmer’s not a loser, and it’s none of your business who I go out with.”

Rookie mistake dating the first guy who asked her out when she transferred to Townsville High School at the beginning of the year. So-eun had corrected that poor decision quickly, but Dane was one of those unfortunate guys whose parents had forbidden the word no in their house when he was a child.

“I’m just saying your standards have gone way down.”

“Oh my god, I’m not having this conversation with you.” She went around him, and he didn’t stop her.

“Yeah, fine. If you want to act like a slut, you can dress like one.”

There were not many people around to hear, and Dane didn’t shout it, but she suddenly felt a hundred invisible eyes on her all the same. Unthinking, she gripped the collar of her sweater dress and flushed. Her first instinct was to check the length of her skirt, and she flushed even harder, ashamed of her own weakness.

Her second instinct was to jump out of the way of class superstar Blossom Utonium, who’d been making her way down the hall with fire in her eyes.

“What did you just say?” Blossom confronted Dane, who immediately backed up…

…right into a T-posing Butch Jojo.

“Dude, what the fuck?” Dane whirled on Butch.

“The lady asked you a question, dude,” Butch said, still T-posing and taking up half the hallway.

So-eun was not the only person to wander over, curious about the confrontation unfolding at the Senior locker bank. From the moment So-eun stepped foot in these halls, she’d learned about the Powerpuff Girls, aka literal Superheroes walking among the mortals. Blossom and her Super sisters were known for interfering in fights and disagreements that got out of hand, since no one was going to go against a girl who could shatter your spine with a flick of her fingers. But Butch and his brothers tended to avoid getting involved in high school drama. So-eun had never even seen him more than twice since the school year started, and only then from afar. It was a big school, and he probably skipped more often than not. Not that she would know; she’d never exchanged more than a passing word with either of the Supers.

“All right, seriously. Get out of my way,” Dane said.

“Butch, don’t you dare. Not until he apologizes to So-eun.”

So-eun startled at all the attention on her. She didn’t think Blossom even knew her name. She was just the newest nobody on campus, one of a thousand students in the Senior class alone.

Dane seemed just as startled, and his gaze flickered to So-eun just staring openly over Blossom’s shoulder.

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” Blossom said. She had the audacity to snap her fingers in his face.

To Dane’s limited credit, it was easy to forget what Blossom was capable of when she came in such a pretty pink package and a mountain of red hair. “Take a number.”

He tried to get past Blossom this time, and she T-posed to match Butch behind him. The sight was so absurd that So-eun had to cover her mouth not to laugh at Dane whirling in between them like a confused dog confronted with stair guards on all sides.

“What is this?!”

“This is the part where you apologize for slut shaming So-eun,” Blossom said.

“Wow, that’s weak, bro,” Butch said.

“I didn’t!”

“Did that sound like an apology to you, Butch?”

“I think the fuck not.”

More students had gathered around to witness the bizarre turn of events, including Elmer. He casually slipped his hand into So-eun’s. “What’s going on?”

So-eun shook her head. “I think it might be justice.”

“I’m gonna be late for class, just—move!” Dane tried to duck under Butch’s arm, but he bent at the waist (still T-posing) and Dane only succeeded in smacking his head against Butch’s rock-hard tricep. He swore and ping-ponged back into Blossom, bounced off of her knee, and ended up on his ass on the floor.

“Butch, he’s fallen to the floor,” Blossom said.

“Should we help him up?”

“Unfortunately, we’re contractually unable to help unrepentant slut shamers.”

“So unfortunate!”

Dane, now red in the face and breathing hard from the stress, scrambled to his feet by himself. He frothed at the mouth. If Butch were anyone else, So-eun was one hundred percent sure he would have punched him. “Fuck you both.”

“Hey Blossom, is fuck you both Spanish for I’m sorry, you think?”

“I’m afraid it simply isn’t!”

“What a shame!”

The late bell rang, and Blossom didn’t so much as waver from her T-pose. She didn’t care that she’d be marked as tardy. She was not leaving until Dane apologized, and no one else was leaving until she did. Dane seemed to come to the same conclusion as So-eun.

“All right, Jesus Christ. I’m sorry, okay? Fuck.”

“I’m sorry for what?” Blossom swung open her T-pose and looked directly at So-eun, and so did everyone else.

Dane gnashed his teeth. He glanced around at all the other students watching him, recording everything on their phones, not a single person worried about the consequences of being late for class. Finally, he looked up at So-eun, and she squeezed Elmer’s hand harder. “I’m sorry…for slut shaming you.”

Butch whooped. “He did it!” He went in for a high-five with Blossom, and the smack sent a seismic ripple through the hall that rattled the lockers.

“He sure did! Give it up for Dane Blakely, everyone!” Blossom clapped, and others clapped with her. Soon the hall erupted into hoots and hollers of Congratulations! and You did it! as Dane stomped off even redder than before and people recorded his every humiliating moment on their phones.

Everyone dispersed soon after when some teachers came out into the hall to investigate the racket, and So-eun was one of them. When lunch rolled around and she looked around the cafeteria for Elmer, who’d promised to meet up, she found him waving from a table she’d never in her life have expected to sit at.

Bubbles scooted over to make room for So-eun in between Elmer and herself. “Hi, So-eun! We’re in the same block for History, right?”

“Um, yeah?” Of course So-eun knew that, but it was a big class and Bubbles was Bubbles and everyone knew her name like they didn’t know So-eun’s and this was just too weird.

On Bubbles’ other side was Boomer playing a game with Buttercup on someone’s cell phone, while Brick had his Beats on as he copied some of Blossom’s notes and ignored everybody. Blossom herself sat across from So-eun and smiled.

“Hi, I don’t think we’ve properly met. I’m Blossom.” She actually held out her hand to shake as if she weren’t one of the few people every single person in school knew.

So-eun let out a squeak that must have passed for hi, because Blossom smiled wider and elbowed Butch next to her, who was busy shoveling mashed potatoes into his mouth.

“Mmph,” Butch said, waving to So-eun.

“I’m sorry…what’s happening?” So-eun asked.

“Halo Infinite is happening!” Mike Believe, Wes Goingon, and Kim Chan slid in around Brick and Blossom. “Todd got the advance copy and he’s hosting this weekend!”

Brick looked up from the notes for that one. “I call dibs.”

Bubbles giggled. “You get used to it,” she whispered to So-eun like they were old pals.

What was happening was that her sort of maybe new boyfriend, Elmer Sgloo, had neglected to mention that he’d been close friends with the literal Powerpuff Girls since kindergarten, and now they wanted to welcome So-eun into their extended circle. As in, the definitely not a bunch of losers circle because it was the honest to god Powerpuff Girls and that was kind of a lot for one seventeen-year-old nobody to wrap her head around.

“Oh shit, you guys are going viral! Check it out!” Buttercup passed Butch her phone, which played a video of Butch and Blossom T-posing for feminism. “Who even is that loser?”

“Some chode,” Butch said. “Bane, or something?”

“No one important,” Blossom said as she leaned on Butch’s shoulder to watch the video. “Right, So-eun?”

So-eun put her shoulders back and popped a tater tot into her mouth, feeling like a champion. “Not at all.”

xxx

If you enjoy my writing, check out more of my fics on AO3, link in my profile. I’m currently updating Trinity House and The Alchemy of Us. Thanks for reading!

[slytherinbarnes]

Sub Rosa [100]

xvi. the last war

Pairing: Bellamy Blake x reader

Word Count: 8.3k

Warnings: violence, fighting, death, blood, angst, language, anxiety.

Summary: the last war is here, can you stop it before it’s too late?

a/n: 100!!!! I WROTE 100 CHAPTERS!!! YOU READ 100 CHAPTERS!!!! WE DID IT!!!! HOW ARE WE FEELING!!!! PLEASE CHECK THE END FOR MORE NOTES!!!! 

previous chapter // season masterlist // series masterlist

The tension in the elevator is heavy as you and Clarke slip into Wanheda and Wanlida mode.

It’s hard to believe that you’ve always been so eager to distance yourself from Wanlida, but in the last few years, you’ve found yourself welcoming her with open arms. And it’s a far cry from doing better for Monty, and trying to create lasting peace, but with your niece lying limply in a chair, left alone, you don't care about any of that. You’re willing to kill anyone that gets in your way, do better be damned, because no one messes with your family. 

Bellamy, Levitt, and Octavia hang back a little, noting the anger in yours and Clarke’s expressions, none of them wanting to get in your way and risk your wrath. As the elevator lifts to level 2, Octavia leans forward to pass you her gun, giving you two weapons to work with. Levitt watches the exchange and then says, “The Shepherd’s unit will be with him guarding the door.”

“Too bad for them.”

Clarke lifts her jacket and pulls two grenades from her pockets, taken from the fallen victims of Sheidheda, and as soon as Levitt sees them, he looks at her with disappointment. “Grenades? So more killing, that’s the answer?”

Clarke doesn't turn to face him, just squares up and readies for the door to open. You spare him a quick glance over your shoulder, expression hard when you counter, “It’s what we do.”

You lock eyes with Bellamy before turning back to the front, and he offers you a nod of approval, agreeing with what you and Clarke are about to do. You nod back, wishing there was time for the two of you to have more of a proper reunion, to talk about everything that’s happened in the last few days, but there isn’t time right now. Earlier today you had too much time on your hands, leaving you anxious and waiting, and now you don’t have enough of it, causing you to leave so much with Bellamy unresolved. You shake your head to clear your thoughts, pushing them aside for later. Right now, as the elevator stops on the second level, you have more important things on your mind. 

Justice.

Clarke steps out of the elevator first, turning to make sure you’re following, and when she sees that you are, she continues towards the Stone Room. You lift your two pistols, hearing the others step out of the elevator behind you, all of you watching as Clarke throws both grenades down the hall, right outside the Stone Room. As the two of you round the corner, side by side, you step through the smoke from the explosions, shooting anyone that moves or turns towards you. 

You take out disciple after disciple with ease, the two of you killing them before most of them can even lift their weapons. When you round the last corner, you both pause in front of the door, turning to look at the others. Octavia is leaning down to grab a sword, Levitt is looking around with distress, and Bellamy is holding a gun in his hand, his back to you, already covering your backs. Clarke glances at Octavia and Levitt and says, “Cover us.”

They both nod, moving into position as Clarke turns to look at you. You lift your hand, hovering it over the button to the door, looking at her closely. “You ready?”

She nods, “Stronger together.”

And then you hit the button, quickly getting back into position as the door slides open, revealing the Stone Room, drowning in the light. Your weapons lower as your eyes land on the Anomaly Stone, now a large, glowing ball of white light, no one else in the room around you. As you stare at the stone, you can feel the crushing weight of disappointment, and you whisper, “We’re too late.”

Clarke turns towards you, distress crossing her features for half a second before it settles into determination. “Maybe not.”

You give her a look, already aware of what she’s thinking, but Levitt shakes his head, not understanding. “What do you mean?”

“She wants to go in after him.”

Bellamy steps towards the two of you, his tone skeptical. “Clarke, you have no idea what you could face when you step in there.”

You already know there’s no way you’re going to change her mind, which is why you add, “At least let us go with you.”

“No. I have to do this.” She gives you a serious look, adding, “Alone.”

You sigh, looking at her, thinking of the grief she’s going to carry if she can't avenge Madi, and you understand it. It's the same grief you carried when you thought Bellamy was dead or when you thought you lost Clarke to Josephine. Which is why you nod at her, relenting, allowing her to do what she needs to do. “Fine. But we’re waiting just outside the door. We’ll keep the halls clear for you.”

She reaches out and pulls you into a hug, whispering into the crook of your neck, “Thank you, la lune.”

You pull away and smile at her, any anger you had for her gone now that Bellamy is alive and well, and your focus instead on avenging Madi. “I love you, my shining star. Be careful.”

“I will.”

She starts to step towards the bright light, before pausing and turning to face Bellamy, her face pulled into one of regret. “I’m sorry for shooting you, Bellamy, and I’m really glad you’re okay.”

Bellamy nods, smiling at her a little, before motioning towards the light. “Go get that son of a bitch, and make him pay for what he did to our family.”

Clarke nods and gives you one last look before turning and walking towards the stone, reaching out to touch the bright light, which quickly consumes her. Once she’s gone, you turn to face the others. “We can’t let anyone get close.”

Everyone agrees and you all file into the hall again, looking around. They all turn to you, looking for your direction, and you motion towards the fallen disciples. “Levitt, Octavia, gather all the weapons.”

They start to move down the hall, grabbing anything that might be useful to the rest of you, and you turn to look at Bellamy, pointing to a long table at the other end of the hall. “Let’s use that to make a barrier.”

“Good idea.”

The two of you jog down the hall and grab the table, carrying it back to the other end and tipping it on its side, making a makeshift shield large enough for the four of you to duck behind. As soon as you get it set up, Octavia and Levitt come back with an armful of weapons each, discarding them behind your shield in case you need them. And then the four of you take up your positions behind it, getting comfortable as you wait. Octavia braces her back against the table legs, and Levitt settles in beside her. You and Bellamy move to lean against the wall, sitting in a position that’ll allow you to duck behind the shield if you need it. 

The four of you sit in silence before Bellamy makes a small sound, reaching into his pockets as he moves. You turn towards him, curious, watching as he pulls a knife and a holster from his pocket. “Almost forgot to give this to you.”

“My knife!” You take it from him with a wide smile, immediately moving to put the holster on. “Where’d you get it?”

“When I was escaping from my hospital room, I went through the cabinets to find some clothes. That was tucked in the back, along with your old clothes.”

“I didn't think I'd ever get it back.” You pull the knife from the holster, eyeing the notches on the handle as you do. Thirteen in total, missing the two disciples you killed with it when you tried to escape. You run your fingers over the lines and mutter, “It’s missing two.”

Octavia digs around the pile of weapons before producing a knife, which she leans forward to hand you. You take it with a smile of thanks, already beginning to add the two additional tallymarks when Levitt gets an idea. He runs his fingers through the ash on the wall behind you and Bellamy, courtesy of one of the grenades, before he moves back towards Octavia. “Can’t go to war without your war paint.”

He starts to smudge the ash over her face, using it to draw the same warpaint she wore when she fought in the Final Conclave. You and Bellamy watch the pair, feeling a little awkward by the intimacy of the moment, but it reminds you so much of Orlando painting symbols on your face the night before you jumped to Bardo. Which makes you think of Gabriel, dead, his body still stuck in a partially collapsed bunker. You look at Levitt and ask, “Can I ask you something?”

He nods, and you slide your knife back into its holster just as he finishes with Octavia’s make up, turning to face you fully. “If Clarke takes the test and we pass, will Gabriel transcend too? Even though he’s dead?”

“No. Shepherd's passage, ‘Book of Bardo’, Chapter 1, Verse 6. ‘Death is the end, my friend. Only the living shall transcend.’”

You sigh, and Bellamy looks at you in confusion, reaching out to touch your arm. “Wait, Gabriel’s dead?”

You turn to face him, completely forgetting that he has no idea what all of you have gone through since leaving him on Sanctum. “Sheidheda showed up to kill Madi, and he stabbed Gabriel. He probably would have lived, but Sheidheda was about to kill me when Gabriel jumped in and saved my life. Sheidheda killed him after that.”

You leave out the potential love confession, not even sure that’s what it was, and Bellamy gives you a look of sympathy as he reaches up to touch your cheek. “I was wondering whose blood that was.”

You feel tears start to well up in your eyes, suddenly overwhelmed with unprocessed emotions. You got Bellamy back, despite the odds, but you still lost Gabriel and Madi. Before that, you lost Diyoza, and your mom, and Kane, and so many others. The loss hangs over you, heavy, weighing down on you, and Bellamy can sense your impending breakdown. He abruptly stands, holding out his hand to you, and you take it as he glances over at Levitt. “Are there medical supplies nearby? Her bandages need to be changed.”

Levitt nods, pointing down the hall. “Should be some down there, last door on the right.”

Bellamy nods in thanks and wraps his arm around you, turning you away from the pair as he starts to lead you down the hall. You feel tears falling down your face as you softly cry, unable to do much more than follow Bellamy to one of the medical rooms. He leads you inside and takes you over to the inspection chair, putting his hands beneath your arms to lift you and set you onto the cool leather. He leans down a little, getting eye level with you, before lifting his hands to your cheeks, wiping away your rapidly falling tears. “I’m so sorry about Gabriel, natshana.”

You nod, sure that he must be confused, unaware that the two of you became like family. “There’s so much I need to tell you, Bellamy. I spent five years trying to get you back, with Hope, Echo, and Gabriel at my side.”

He looks at you with complete shock. “Five years?”

You nod in confirmation and he shakes his head in confusion. “How? Where?”

“Skyring. The disciples call it Penance. The time dilation there is fast, a few days here is years on Skyring and minutes on Sanctum. We came after you as soon as the disciples knocked you out, but we got trapped there.”

Your lip starts to quiver as you remember the devastation you felt upon realizing you were stuck there. “I thought about you everyday, and when I finally made it to Bardo, they told me you died in an explosion. I never thought I'd see you again.”

Your voice cracks on the last sentence, bringing tears to Bellamy’s eyes, and he reaches out to pull you in for a hug, one of his hands going to the back of your head to hold you in place as you cry in his arms. All the while, he whispers in your ear, “It’s okay, I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

After a moment, he pulls back, looking at you with sympathy. “I can't imagine what you’ve been through, but it’s over now, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me.”

“Forever?” 

He reaches into his pocket, pulling something out and holding it out to you in his open palm. You look down at his hand, your eyes falling on your ring as he whispers, “Forever.”

You smile and take the ring, sliding it onto your left hand, where it belongs. And even though everyone you love is still in danger, possibly on the edge of extinction, for one, blissfully happy second, everything is okay. Bellamy leans forward and pulls you in for a kiss, stretching the moment from one happy second to five, electricity zipping across your skin as you kiss your fiance for the first time in five years. It’s the best kiss the two of you have ever shared, and it leaves you breathless and lightheaded. Bellamy pulls away, and the two of you sit looking at each other, the air in the room charged with tension. And something about the moment, your closeness to war, to extinction, the fact that you’ve been apart for so long, it gets to you both. You see Bellamy’s gaze drop to your lips before his eyes find yours again, and in a flash, you’re both pulling each other closer. 

He crashes his lips onto yours, his hands lifting to your face to hold you in place. Your hands reach out for him, searching for skin to touch, frustrated when you find none because of his long sleeves. You slide your hand up his shirt as he slides his tongue into your mouth, and as your tongues move together, you hastily undo the small buttons on Bellamy’s shirt, pushing your hands against his skin as soon as you get his shirt open. You move your hands along his stomach, reveling in the feel of him, this sensation you haven’t experienced in five years, and you swear you feel like you’re going to explode. But as your hands move up to his chest, they graze across a bandage, and you pull your hand away, instantly knowing what it is. 

You and Bellamy break apart before you look at him with sadness, your eyes dropping back down to his open shirt. There, taped across his chest, is a bandage, no larger than your palm. As you sit staring at it, aware of what’s beneath the cotton square, Bellamy whispers, “The bullet barely missed my heart. A few inches to the right, and I would have been dead as soon as it hit me. But you saved me.”

You look up at him in confusion, shaking your head. “Me? I didn’t do anything. I left you there when I shouldn’t have. I should have fought Clarke harder and gotten back to you. Maybe then I could have saved you and Madi.”

“Or maybe Cadogan would have killed you the second he saw you. Besides, you did save me. I saw you push Clarke’s hand away. That was just enough for the bullet to miss my heart.”

“Oh, Bellamy…” You trail off, feeling full of regret, wishing you did more than just push your twin’s arm away. You meet his eyes and whisper, “Does it hurt?”

“Not really. Bardo tech got me to 90% within a few hours, and I woke up feeling fine. Then I heard one of the doctors mention Madi, and I snuck out pretty soon after that. I was only there for a few minutes before you guys showed up. I was still trying to figure out what to do, but I knew I couldn’t leave her there alone.”

“I don’t even know how you can look at me after what I did.”

Bellamy shakes his head, giving you a serious look. “I did worse than you did, la lune. I watched them torture Clarke and send Octavia away. I betrayed you and stopped fighting for you.” He shakes his head again, his thoughts overwhelming him. “I know that what I saw on Etherea was real, but Cadogan cannot be the one to take the test. You were right. Doing the right thing the wrong way is not the right thing. I should have never trusted him.”

“You didn't-”

You’re cut off by a yell of surprise from Octavia down the hall, and you and Bellamy exchange a worried look before you take off running from the room. Bellamy haphazardly buttons his shirt back up as you pull out your knife, and with his shirt in place again, Bellamy grabs his gun. As the two of you round the corner, you lift your weapons towards the disciples that stand near the new couple, and they each lift a gun towards you, the four of you standing frozen in shock as you take each other in. 

“Bellamy?” Raven and Echo both lower their weapons, staring at Bellamy as if they’ve seen a ghost, and it takes you a second to remember that they are. Because the last anyone else heard, Bellamy was dead. You both lower your weapons seconds before they run over to him, pulling him into a hug at the same time, laughing in surprise. Bellamy hugs them back with a smile on his face, savoring the reunion between himself and part of his Spacekru family. When they all break apart they look at him in disbelief, Raven asking the question on both hers and Echo’s mind. “How are you here?”

“It’s a long story, but how are you here?”

Raven counters, “It’s a long story.”

Echo looks over at you, her expression dropping slightly as she says, “Octavia told us about Madi.”

And just like that, any joy you temporarily possessed is now gone, again reminded of the situation you're in and the danger all of you face. “What are you doing here?”

“We came to kill Cadogan.”

You nod back towards the Stone Room, “Clarke’s taking care of it.”

Levitt looks at them with worry. “You said you brought an army.”

Raven turns to look at him, nodding at him once. “Wonkru is here to distract the disciples so we could sneak inside.”

But the worry on Levitt’s face doesn't fade. “The disciples don't know that. If Clarke can't stop the test to determine whether or not the human race deserves to transcend, while what's left of the human race is fighting a war…”

He trails off, waiting for all of you to catch on to what he means, and as soon as you do, your anxiety levels rise, suddenly realizing you might be closer to extinction than you originally thought. “We have to stop the war.”

Everyone nods in agreement, turning to head back towards the oxygen farm, Octavia and Levitt in the lead. Raven and Echo follow right behind, and you and Bellamy move to follow them before you suddenly stop, remembering Clarke inside of the Stone Room. Clarke, who will be vulnerable and unprotected if you all leave. Bellamy turns to you when you stop, his expression scrunched with concern. “What? What is it?”

“I can’t leave Clarke.”

“Then we’ll both stay here.”

And as much as you don't want him to leave your side, you know they need him on the battlefield. Because if anyone can give a speech so inspiring that it stops a war, it’s Bellamy. You’ve seen him rally less than 100 exhausted delinquents and prepare them for a war, and you’ve seen him inspire a small group ready to fly into space to avoid a death wave. People will follow him, your fiance with the big heart, and you know he’s better suited out there than he is in here with you. 

You shake your head, lifting your hand to his cheek. “No. If anyone can stop this war, it’s you Bellamy Blake.”

“I don't want to lose you. Not again.”

You smile at him, tears in your eyes. “You won't. Because no matter what, you’re stuck with me. No matter what, you can always find me in the stars.”

Bellamy pulls you in for a kiss, desperate and full of love, and you kiss him back just as urgently, praying that the moment never ends. But it does, and you both pull away, looking at each other with heartbreak, knowing that you’re needed in two different places. Bellamy runs his hands from your shoulders, down your arms, linking your hands together. He squeezes once before he whispers, “I love you.”

“I love you more than the stars.”

He fights back a fresh wave of tears, backing away from you slowly, your hands breaking apart. “Stay out of trouble.”

“Go save our asses.” The two of you smile at each other before he turns and jogs down the hall, following the path the others took. He stops when he reaches the end, turning to look at you one last time before he disappears from sight, leaving you to stop a war and possibly save all of you from extinction. You turn and grab a pistol from the pile of weapons before you head to the Stone Room, pushing the button for the door so that you can wait inside. 

The room is empty when you arrive, looking exactly the same as last time, and you push the button to close the door behind you, not wanting to get caught off guard by anyone. You stare at the glowing white light for a second before leaning back against the wall, sliding down it until you're sitting on the floor. You lean your head back and do the thing you dread the most: you wait. 

Luckily for you, you don't have to wait long before there’s a flash of white near the Anomaly Stone. You stand and turn towards it, watching as Cadogan’s dead body appears at the base of the stone, multiple bullet wounds in his chest, blood seeping out onto the floor around him. You feel a rush of relief that he’s dead, that he has paid for what he did to Madi, Bellamy, you, and countless others, but that relief is short lived. Because a moment later the Anomaly flashes again and Clarke steps out of the light, turning to look down at Cadogan’s dead body with shock. 

As she looks up again, her eyes meet yours, but her face is devoid of the happiness she should feel. Instead, she looks upset, her expression anguished. “What have I done?”

You step closer to her, reaching out to take her hand as she looks away from you. “Did you take the test? Tell me what happened.”

“I failed.” You swear you feel all the air leave your body in one quick rush, the reality of what her words mean hitting you hard. She squeezes your hand and looks up at you, tears in her eyes. “It should have been you, la lune, not me. Our whole lives, everyone always looked to me, chose me to be the twin that lived on the outside, but it should have been you. It should have always been you.”

You look at her in shock, your mind buzzing with all the information she’s just given you. But you force it all away and focus on the pressing situation, the one that matters the most right now. “So that's it? We're wiped out?”

She nods her head, and you ask, “Well, can we change their minds?”

“I don't know.” She squeezes your hand and then drops it, already turning towards the door. “I need to be with Madi, there's not much time.”

You turn to follow her, calling out to her quickly retreating figure, “Clarke, wait!”

As you reach the door, the Anomaly Stone behind you turns bright red, pulsing with an almost angry, vibrating sound. You pause and turn to look at it, watching it closely. Despite your better judgement, you walk closer to it, closing the space between you and the bright red ball. As you look at it, you start to wonder: can you stop this? Can you change their minds?

You take a deep breath, lifting your hand as you mutter to yourself, “I am war, rage singing beneath my skin, running into battle and wearing Death like a crown. I am the moon, loss tied to my ankles like chains, trying to pull me down, but still I rise. I am fire, wild and untameable, spitting flames when I walk, unapologetic as I burn down the world around me.”

And then you touch the stone.

Everything around you grows so bright that you can do nothing more than close your eyes against it, the low vibration growing louder as something happens around you. You keep your eyes closed until you hear the sound fade, and only then do you slowly pull open your eyes. Your gaze immediately lands on a wall of trees, surrounding you on all sides, and you turn around, trying to figure out where you are. When you do, your eyes land on a large hunk of metal, three levels tall, scorched and damaged from its descent. 

“The dropship.” You let out a breathy laugh of surprise. “No way.”

You jump when a voice behind you calls out, “Took a beating on the way down, didn't she?”

“Dad.” You spin around, your eyes landing on your dad standing in the middle of the clearing, looking at you closely. You close the space between you, jumping into his arms and wrapping him up in a hug, squeezing him tight as you laugh. “Dad! What are you doing here?”

He doesn't answer, just hugs you back weakly before setting you back on the ground. You step back and look at him in confusion, taking in his blank expression, no sign of his usual affection for you. The pieces fall into place as you look at him, realizing that he’s not your father at all. “You’re not him.”

“No, I'm not. This is who you chose.”

You shake your head in confusion, “I don’t understand.”

“We often take the form of your greatest teacher, your greatest failure, or your greatest love.” You step back, putting more distance between you and the imposter dad. He tips his head to the side slightly, studying you. “Why are you here? The test is over. As you know, your twin failed.”

You glare at the man, your anger rising as you think of everything Clarke has sacrificed. Not just for you, but for your people too. “How could she have failed? Clarke sacrificed everything for us, so that we didn't have to. She gave up her soul so we could keep ours!”

“She committed atrocities.”

You counter, “She did what she thought was right. She was trying to save us.”

“She doomed you.” Your dad shakes his head, starting to turn away from you as he mutters, “I'm sorry.”

You yell back, “Are you?”

He turns back to face you, and you continue on, “Because to me, it looks like you don't feel anything. We’ve made mistakes, but we were just trying to survive! And everything we’ve done, all the bullshit we went through, we did it to save our people, to save the human race. Everything we did brought us here, to this moment, and I’m not saying we’re ready now, but at least let us live. Let us keep trying to do better, because we will. We have.” 

“You say you have, yet even now you are poised and on the brink of self-extermination. Look.” He motions to your left, and you turn to look, suddenly away from the dropship and back in the oxygen farm. To your left stands Wonkru, crouching behind barriers and shields, and to your right are the disciples, looking frightened and worried. “You say you're trying to do better, but all I see are two tribes of frightened creatures willing to kill the other to save themselves.”

You shake your head, your brows pulling together as you look between the two groups, frozen in a state of nonviolence. “But they're not fighting or killing each other. It was just a distraction, this proves nothing.”

“They will fight, la lune, like they always do.”

You snap, “You can't possibly know that.”

Your dad motions to your left, to a person in the trees, crouching with a weapon in their hand. As you look their way, you see that it’s Sheidheda, and he has a smile on his face, ready to stir up some chaos. You look at him in fear and try to move closer to him, yelling, “Stop!”

Your dad grabs your arm, pulling you to a standstill. “They can't see or hear you. You can’t stop this, no one can.”

And just as he says, you can't stop him. You can only stand and watch in horror as Sheidheda pulls the trigger, firing a few rounds at the disciples across the field. They look ready to retaliate, and Wonkru looks ready to fight, but Indra manages to keep them restrained, seconds before a figure dressed in all white bursts onto the field. For one agonizing second you think it’s Bellamy, but then you realize that it’s Levitt, and Bellamy is waiting in the trees with Octavia and Raven and Echo. As soon as Levitt is on the field, everyone pauses, listening to him as he yells, “Wait, wait, wait! Listen to me, this is not the Last War. We don't achieve transcendence through violence, Cadogan was wrong. We're being tested right now, all of us!”

You turn to look at your dad, raising one of your brows. “You were saying?”

But he just motions back to the scene in front of you. Levitt is urging everyone to put down their weapons, and people start to respond, lowering their guns and swords, until Sheidheda grows restless and sends another round of bullets towards the disciples. Levitt gets caught in the crossfire, and you watch in horror as he falls to the ground, blood already staining his clothes, and the disciples take the attack on Levitt as an attack on themselves. They return fire, prompting Wonkru to do the same, and before you know it, you have a war on your hands. People on either side are being taken down, hitting the ground, and you catch a glimpse of Octavia and Echo running to grab Levitt before you turn to face your father. “This still proves nothing. The actions of one man should not define our entire species! Those people are scared, and half of them spent their entire lives thinking that they needed to defeat you in a war.”

“Don't you see? Despite the beauty that humans are capable of, you can't break free from the cycle of violence. They trained for a war, because they wanted a war.”

“No one wants a war.”

Your dad shrugs, “This is who you are, and that's why you failed the test.”

You shake your head, thinking of the peace you lived in your lifetime. The peace on Bardo, the peace on Sanctum. You know that peace is possible, that all of you can change, and you turn to look at your dad with desperation. “No. That can’t be it.”

“It's time for us to go, la lune. The end of the human race is here.”

And as you start to turn away, devastated that you couldn't change their minds, you hear Octavia yell, “Indra! Indra, hold your fire!”

You pull your dad to a stop, “Wait!”

Both of you turn back to the battlefield, watching as Indra yells to Wonkru, “Hold your fire!”

Wonkru stops firing their weapons, and in return, the disciples stop firing theirs. You watch on with hope, thinking that maybe, they can still turn this around. Maybe, you can still avoid extinction. But then Sheidheda jumps out of the trees, stepping into a circle of warriors. “Indra is not in command here! I am, and I say jus drein, jus daun!”

He starts to repeat the phrase over and over, and you feel your hope being crushed once again as people start to join him, chanting the phrase and intending to continue the war. But Indra, who has clearly had enough of the Dark Commander at this point, snatches one of the sonic cannons from an Eligius prisoner, turns it on Sheidheda and blasts him to pieces before you can even respond. You feel relief course through you as he disappears, Gabriel’s death now avenged, and as you stare at the group around you, you see none other than your fiance running onto the battlefield, his voice loud as he yells, “Enough!”

Everyone turns to face him, watching him stride out into the center of the field with Octavia at his side, and he looks between both groups with disappointment. “What the hell are we doing here? You swore an oath to fight for all mankind. Well, look around you! We are mankind!”

Octavia, remembering her position as the former leader of Wonkru, turns to face her people, adding, “We are one crew! If I kill you, I kill myself. If we keep killing each other, there won't be anyone left to save!”

She looks to Indra, her teacher, her mentor, resignation in her voice. “Our fight is over, Indra!”

Indra stares back at her former second, giving her a long look before she mutters, “I hope you know what you're doing.”

She drops her weapon, and all around her, the others do the same, until no one on the Wonkru side is armed. You watch on with pride as Bellamy turns to face the disciples, determined to stop this war, right here, right now. “We're unarmed! I know you're afraid to walk away from everything you've spent your lives training for, but I believe transcendence is within reach! But if we fight this war, we’ll never deserve to see it, and we’ll never deserve to survive.”

You can see some of the disciples starting to lower their weapons, as Wonkru nods along in agreement. You smile at your fiance, whispering to yourself, “He’s reaching them.”

Octavia reaches out and takes her brother’s hand before she finishes up their speech. “I've been to war, and let me tell you the only way to win... is not to fight.”

She pulls out her sword and stabs it into the dirt, and Bellamy pulls the gun from his waistband and drops it on the ground. The Blake siblings stand together, united as they should be, unarmed and facing an army. The disciples look lost and confused, everyone exchanging looks, trying to figure out what they should do. Someone calls out, “Sir, what are our orders?”

Their leader looks around at his army and then back to the Blake siblings, before he disconnects his weapon from his suit and drops it to the ground, muttering, “For all mankind.”

All around him, other disciples do the same, dropping their weapons and repeating the mantra, until two armies stand united, at peace, despite the odds. You turn to look at your father with hope, gesturing to the scene beside you. “I told you, we can change. We just need more time.”

He looks at you long and hard, before tuning his gaze back to the siblings. You follow his line of sight, wondering what he sees, shocked to see the pair beginning to glow. You start to jog towards them, surprised, but a second later they disappear, leaving two beings of light in their wake. You whisper with shock, “Transcendence.”

You turn back to face your father, only to find that he’s already gone. All around you are flashes of gold, and you turn back to the field, watching as the disciples and Wonkru start to glow, leaving behind a gold stand in. You turn in a circle, amazed to see everyone transcending, and as you spin, the trees around you transform. Suddenly, you’re back at the dropship, your mind remembering your forgotten niece and twin, somewhere inside Bardo. 

You run towards the dropship, yanking the makeshift door aside to step inside, suddenly back in the Stone Room on Bardo. Without hesitation, you take off running, tearing down the halls and back towards M-Cap, reaching the door with an audible sigh of relief. You push the button to open the door and Clarke turns at the sound, a figure of light stretched in front of her, Madi already gone. “My shining star.”

And as the words leave your mouth and you start to cross the room, you realize that the dull ache in your shoulder, present since Sheidheda stabbed you, disappears. You look down at your shoulder in shock, your eyes landing on the light that is starting to radiate off of you, and as you look up at your twin with excitement, you fade away, melting into the light and becoming one with the rest of humanity.

-

You open your eyes to find yourself in Shallow Valley.

You sit up quickly, looking around in confusion, surprised to see that you’re in the house you saved for you and Bellamy. Stars stretch across the sky above your head, visible to you through the window, though they aren’t as breathtaking as usual. You shake your head, remembering the valley that was destroyed by McCreary, meaning whatever is happening right now is not normal. You turn and slide out of the bed, listening for the laughter and yelling outside, and you walk tentatively to the door, pushing it open to peek out into the night. There’s no one in the village from what you can tell, but the laughter sounds close so you decide to follow it. 

The voices lead you through the trees, and you look down to watch your step, remembering how bad some of the tree roots were in this part of the woods. You’re surprised to see your bare feet walking through the forest, none of the usual pain coming along with it. Though confused, you push on, following the laughter through the woods, catching glimpses of a fire as you move, until you suddenly burst through the treeline and see all of your friends gathered near the lake that you, Clarke, and Madi would swim in. 

They all look up as you approach, calling your name, and you smile back at them, walking towards the water where they’re waiting. As you move, you see a streak of something barreling towards you, and a second later a body collides with your own. You look down to see a head of dark hair, and Madi pulls away to look up at you, smiling as she does, “Ani!”

You laugh in disbelief and hug her back, but something about it feels off, wrong. You’re excited to see her, happy that she’s okay, but it doesn’t feel right to you. You shake your head, trying to push the thought away as Bellamy steps along the edge of the lake, towards you, smiling as he nears closer. “My love.”

The words don't light you up the way they normally would, and his kiss doesn’t either. Everything about it feels flat and unusual, and you hate it. You have no idea what’s going on, but you hate it. 

You look around for Clarke, sure that she’ll know what’s going on, but you see no sign of your blonde haired twin. You look back at Bellamy in confusion, “Where's Clarke?”

“Everyone’s been showing up one at a time. If she transcended after you, she should be here soon.”

“Transcendence.” You nod, remembering the events leading up to this moment. You have only just transcended, but you can already tell that none of this feels right. The fire next to you brings you no warmth, the joy you should be feeling isn’t there, and you can’t feel the sensations of the ground beneath your feet. The stars are dull and lifeless, the laughter sounds forced and unusual, and the affection that you normally feel for Bellamy and Madi and the others isn’t there. You know what it should feel like, you know how you should be acting, but none of this is the way it’s supposed to be. You look around again, seeing if anyone else feels the same, pausing when you catch sight of a glint of metal through trees. “What was that?”

Bellamy looks back quickly before turning to you. “What?”

You shake your head and lock eyes with him, forcing a smile to your face as you do. “Nothing. Uh, I’m gonna go say hey to the others and then I’ll come find you, okay?”

He nods and steps away from you. “Okay.”

But instead of wandering over to the rest of your friends, you slip back into the trees, moving through the dark woods, towards the metal you caught sight of earlier. Weirdly enough, as you grow closer, you can see that it’s part of Arkadia, situated all the way out in Shallow Valley, far from where Alpha Station crash landed to the ground. You step inside of the building, heading to the door at the end of the hall, voices drifting from behind it. 

Your feet thud softly on the metal floors, but they don't shock you with cold the way they normally would. You reach the door and push it open slowly, your eyes landing on a large round table in the center of the room. Situated around it are seven different people, talking quietly, their backs to you, but at the sound of your entrance they all turn towards you. You’re shocked to see your mother, Kane, and Jaha, along with a few other familiar council members. You feel a rush of excitement and you start to cross the room towards your mom, a smile on your face, but you hesitate when she doesn't smile back at you, your mind remembering that your mother is dead.

It takes a second for you to realize that this is not your mom, Kane, Jaha, or the rest of the council. It’s the species that created the stones, appearing in front of you in a way that makes sense to your brain. For some reason, your mind chose the Council and the Chancellor. 

The seven people in the room take a seat in tandem, looking towards you expectantly. “What can we do for you, Miss Griffin?”

You ask the question weighing heaviest on your mind. “Where’s Clarke?”

“Right now, she’s on Sanctum. Though I doubt she’ll be there long.”

You pull a face as you stare at Jaha, the one who answered your question. “Sanctum? What’s she doing there? When is she coming here?”

This time, it’s Kane that answers. “She’s not.”

“What?”

“Clarke isn’t transcending.” You stare at your mother in shock, sure that you must be imagining things. She shrugs as she looks at you. “How fitting that one twin saved the human race, while the other condemned it.”

You shake your head, looking between everyone on the council. “I don’t understand, I thought you changed your mind.”

“We did. For everyone but her.”

“Why?”

“Her actions must have a cost, Miss Griffin.” You look at Jaha, your expression indicating that you need some clarification, so he adds, “She is the only test subject from any species anywhere in the Universe since the dawn of time who committed murder during a test.”

“So she can never transcend? She has to live out the rest of her days alone?”

“She found Picasso.”

You glare at Kane, both of you knowing damn well that though Picasso is lovely, she is not a replacement for real human interaction. You look between them all, your mind making a decision before you can even process it. “I want to go back.”

“Okay.”

You look at Jaha in confusion, expecting him to fight you on this. “Okay? That’s it?”

“Transcendence is a choice, Miss Griffin. It always has been.”

“Then I choose to go back.”

Kane gives you a long look. “You do understand that if you leave us, you may never return.”

“Yes.”

“You will bleed and live and die as a human.”

“I know.”

Jaha holds out his hands, shrugging. “Then you may return. Though I suspect the others may want to join you.”

“If Madi comes back, will she be okay?”

“Yes. We will restore her health.”

You nod, “And that’s it then? Those of us that choose to return, we’re the last of the human race?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

You shake your head, looking at your mother. “What does that mean?”

“Those of you that leave now can never transcend again, but your offspring will be given a choice: transcend or remain human. If they join us, they will be eternal. If they choose to stay, they will live and die, just as you do. There will be limitations, of course, so that the human species will be unable to repopulate the way you once did, but your lives will remain mostly the same, untouched by the rest of us.”

You nod, processing the information, sure that it’s something you can live with. “Fine. I’d like to tell my friends first.”

Kane motions towards the door. “You will find us when you're ready.”

You look them all over one last time before you turn towards the door and leave, heading back to the lake to tell your friends that you plan to leave and return to Clarke. Madi and Bellamy are the first to join you, and the others quickly follow suit. Word begins to spread through Wonkru, the Bardoans, the Eligius prisoners, and the Sanctumites, and before you know it, you have a couple hundred people that decide to go back with you. 

The alien species drops all of you back on Earth, near a large lake, leaving you to figure out how to get everyone back to their respective homes. You’re in the process of leading them all back to the bunker and the stone when you hear a dog bark growing steadily louder. You turn to look at Bellamy and Madi with a smile. “Stay here with the others. I’ll go find her.”

They both nod, just as Picasso breaks through the treeline and comes barreling towards all of you, making a beeline for Madi, laying down at your niece’s feet as soon as she reaches her. You smile at them before taking the path Picasso did to reach you, backtracking towards Clarke’s frantic voice, calling out for the dog. You walk up a small, rocky hill, searching for your twin, and you know you’re close when you hear her broken whisper. “I don't want to be alone.”

You round a curve of trees, Clarke now coming into view, her back to you. You call out, “You're not alone.”

She turns around in shock, her expression surprised as she looks at you, a smile breaking out on her face, tears rising to her eyes. “La lune?”

You nod and your face splits into a grin, and the two of you run towards each other, colliding in a fierce hug. She holds you tight, laughing with happiness, and you do the same, this hug feeling right, the way that it should. Clarke breaks the hug to look at you in alarm. “Wait, what about Bellamy and Madi? And the others?”

You take her hand, leading her towards them. “They understood why I needed to come back.”

You see panic cross her features, and she shakes her head. “No, la lune, I would never want you to leave them behind! Even if it meant I was alone.”

“Hey, stop worrying.” You squeeze her hand, the two of you now reaching the bottom of the hill, coming around the corner and into view of the others. But Clarke doesn't see them, not yet, because her eyes are still locked on you, looking panicked. “La lune, I-”

You cut her off, saying, “We couldn't possibly leave you alone. Not after everything you’ve done for us.”

“We?” She looks at you in confusion, and you just smile, nodding towards the group standing nearby. Her eyes go wide as she turns to see the large group of people from multiple different planets, Madi and Bellamy and your friends standing at the front. At the sight of Madi, Clarke turns to flash you a smile before dropping your hand and taking off running, and the two of them collide in a hug so hard that Clarke falls backwards into the sand around the lake. 

You walk towards them, Bellamy pulling you in for a kiss when you get close enough, and you smile into it, reveling in the feel of him and the kiss. Transcendence might be nice in a lot of ways, like joining a conscious collective and getting to live forever, but transcending also meant losing all the things that made you human. Nothing would ever feel quite right, look quite right. Emotions would never be quite complete, you would never feel truly whole. And coming back to Earth means that one day you’ll die, and you’ll be able to feel pain again, but that’s part of being human. Life is messy and complicated, but it’s wonderful too. And feeling things like pain reminds you that you’re alive and that you can feel joy and love and sadness and anger. It means that you get to truly live, experience the good and the bad, no matter what. 

Bellamy pulls away from you with a smile, the two of you enjoying your time back on Earth already, and he turns to greet your approaching twin. They hug each other, breaking apart so that Clarke can greet the rest of your friends too. You stand watching, a smile on your face, realizing that you and your family have been given a second chance. You get the chance to prove yourself, prove to Monty and the Universe that you can do better. Prove to Jasper that human beings aren’t the problem, and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

There, on a beach on a regrown Earth, after journeying through the stars and back again, you get a second chance at life.

-

the epilogue

[pastpatientlywaitingforimagines]

Gravity | Spencer Reid x Reader Platonic

WC: 2764

A/N: I’ve had this one in my WIP doc mostly finished for a while now, I’m so happy i’m finally putting it out in the world!

WARNINGS: SPOILERS FOR 09x23 AND 09x24, violence, hospitals, general CM stuff

This is part of my GALAXY universe! If you liked this relationship, check out the MASTERLIST for more content!

You pulled in with Derek and heard gunshots at your arrival. You jumped out of the SUV, simultaneously unholstering your gun and moving into a better position, catching Spencer ducking behind the door of the Sheriff’s car out of the corner of your eye. With your best friend in check, you turned back to the direction of the gunfire and started pulling the trigger.

Between gunfire you heard Spencer yell, with Morgan shouting slightly after. You had to assume they were ok, because your eyes couldn’t leave the vague movement of the preacher inside the diner. Morgan then came from behind you, JJ on his heels as they moved towards the building. You followed the pair, gun drawn in front of you.

Morgan entered the diner first, and as if in slow motion he was knocked down by bullets hitting his vest. As you returned fire at the preacher, you made a brief mental note to check if Spencer was wearing his own kevlar when you met up with him next. You loved the genius, but he had a really terrible habit of taking off the protective gear when he was in bad situations.

You had to focus up as the preacher ran, your small team following him then clearing each twist and turn of the building he tried to hide in. You hit the floor when you were shot at again, feeling the cool concrete against your cheek. Morgan was able to take out the suspect, breathing heavily once the local police joined you.

“One of your own is in bad shape,” she said. You flickered your eyes to Morgan, who nodded outside before moving back towards the diner quickly.

“Do you know who it is?” you asked harshly.

His reply, a gentle “kid…” was the only answer you needed. You increased your pace to get back to the flashing lights, scanning the crowd for your best friend. You saw Blake first and figured she was a good place to start.

“Alright, Derek, you should go get that looked at,” JJ directed, touching his shoulder gently before grabbing your wrist tightly, “we’ll meet you there.”

An officer came over to tell your group how to get to the hospital and as he spoke JJ’s grip never loosened.

“Thanks,” she said, starting to walk towards the SUV with you in tow. You were still frantically looking around for Spencer, finally catching a glimpse of him being loaded into the back of an ambulance as JJ lightly tugged you in the other direction.

“Wait, I have to go with him,” you said, resisting her pull.

“We’re meeting him there,” JJ’s hand made contact with your other wrist. You knew she was expecting you to bolt, to run towards the one person you knew you couldn’t live without.

“I can’t leave him.”

“Derek is with him. Derek won’t let anything happen,” you didn’t get how she could be so calm when his life was in danger. Of anyone on the team, she should understand how you feel.

“Let’s go, then,” you plopped yourself into the passenger seat, letting JJ drive. You didn’t know what had happened between Spencer and Blake, but you could tell she was feeling guilty about it. Though you really liked the older woman, you found yourself getting increasingly frustrated as you sat across the waiting room from her watching the way she gripped at the bag of Spencer’s personal belongings.

Your fuming only became more ferocious when you heard her tell JJ how Spencer had pushed her out of the way. You weren’t sure who you were more angry at, Blake for having to be pushed out of the way or Spencer for being so… Spencer and choosing to put himself in danger to save her.

Garcia’s arrival made things marginally better for you. She tried to convince Blake to rejoin the team, and when that failed Penelope sat down next to the chair you were curled up in and handed you a figurine.

“You look like you could use some help from the Doctor right now,” she said gently as you turned the plastic toy in your hands.

“Thanks… Chris Eccleston isn’t quite the doctor I’d like to see right now, but he’s a close second,” you tried to give her your best smile.

You pocketed the figure when you were finally allowed into Spencer’s room, resuming your folded position with your arms around your knees in a chair in the corner. Penelope set up the remaining figurines on the small tray in front of Spencer, a gesture that made your insides feel just a bit warmer.

“It should have been me,” it took you a minute to register that Blake was talking to you.

“I know,” you gritted your teeth and exhaled, knowing it did the team no good for you to be angry with her at this moment.

“I’ll stay with him if you want to go back to the team. I’m sure they could use your intuition on this one.”

“Oh, I don’t leave when he’s in the hospital unless he tells me to himself.”

“Right, you’ve been in this position before,” she remembered.

“More times than I would like to admit. Sometimes I wish it could be me for once, he’s been through enough already…” you trailed off. If Alex had something to say it was interrupted by the doctor coming in to check Spencer’s stats.

You didn’t truly settle until Spencer woke up, although you silently hovered in the corner while he talked with Alex and Penelope went to get him some form of food. Your mood improved even more when Spencer convinced Alex to rejoin the team.

“You should go too, they need you,” he rasped, turning his head slightly to get a better look at you.

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm,” he shifted to get more comfortable, grimacing in pain as he did so, “Garcia’s here.”

Penelope gave you a reassuring smile that made you feel a little bit better. If you trusted anyone to stay in the hospital with Spencer, it was Penelope.

“Fine, but call me or Morgan if anything happens, ok?” You had a feeling something shady was going on and leaving him so vulnerable made you uneasy. Penelope reassured you once again that everything would be fine and practically pushed you out the door after Alex.

You could have cut the tension between you and Blake in the elevator with a knife as you headed back out to the SUV.

“(y/n),” she started softly once you were in the privacy of the vehicle. Your efforts to hold your composure started to falter.

“I don’t want to hear how sorry you are. Honestly, Alex, sorry doesn’t cut it anymore. Sorry doesn’t even begin to make up for how the most important person in my life almost died because of you.”

“He’s lucky to have someone like you looking out for him.”

“No, I’m lucky to have someone like him,” you corrected, “if he had died tonight I would have been the one to tell his mom. Not you, not Hotch, me. You don’t get what that will do to her, so I’d suggest you get over whatever complex you have so we can keep him as safe as possible.”  

“I understand.” You both stayed silent until you pulled into the station. Somehow a silent agreement was made between you and you walked into the building as if there was no tension. It was the right move, because you could tell something was up when you rejoined the team. Rossi offered to take Blake for a ride to go get Dinah’s son and fill her in.

“Kid, you’re with me,” Morgan nodded down a vacant hallway. You followed him, listening to him tell you a random story about the dinner he and Savannah had ordered the other night, until you were out of earshot of anyone else and he ducked into an empty storage room, “start looking through the files. The force is corrupt, you get me?”

“Yeah, what am I looking for?”

“Anything.” You nodded, pulling open the first cabinet. Derek found the first piece of helpful information, snapping a picture just as the doorknob rattled. You instinctually hit the floor, pulling Morgan along with you and into the first hidey-hole you could find. Heart pounding, you listened to the steps of the person who had entered. Morgan was pressed between you and the wall, eyes practically boring holes into your skull. You chose not to look at him, instead focusing on keeping your breathing as even and shallow as possible.

When the officer finally left, you transferred your grip from Morgan’s arm to your gun, cautiously revealing yourself. If you weren’t going to be at the hospital with Spencer, you had to make yourself useful in some other regard. You deemed the room clear, then signaled to Morgan to follow you.

“How did you do that?” he asked as you were slipping out of the door.

“Do what?” you dismissed.

“You melted into that corner. I swear he looked right at us.”

“He probably did,” you shrugged, “are you going to call Garcia? You found something, right?” He sighed, shaking his head and putting his phone to his ear.

“He’s right there isn’t he?” Derek’s tone changed drastically when he was talking to Penelope. You immediately turned away, trying to get to where your jacket was without drawing too much attention to yourself. You pulled the SUV keys out of your pocket as subtly as you could, then pulled a pen out as well and made more of a show about bringing the pen back to Derek, just in case anyone was watching you. As soon as you reached him you both walked calmly towards the door and out to the vehicle.

“What did you tell Garcia?” you couldn’t handle not knowing what was going on at the hospital, so as soon as you were safely in the SUV you demanded answers.

“She’s taking Reid into the hallway and pulling the fire alarm so they get lost in the crowd until we get there,” you didn’t say anything, instead just looking out the window and willing Derek to drive faster, “they’re going to be ok.”

“I should have been there, Derek. He told me to leave so I listened, but if I was there we wouldn’t be here in the first place.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, don’t blame yourself for this. You both didn’t know dirty cops were involved when you made the choice to leave, and if you hadn’t left then I would have gotten caught in that file room. Even if you were there, you’d need backup and I wouldn’t have been able to get there in time to give it to you. You made the right call, and now we’re going to help them. Don’t you go doubting yourself on me now, kid.”

He had a point, you knew, but it didn’t change the fact that you wanted nothing more than to be in that hospital room protecting your friend when he couldn’t protect himself. Derek didn’t say anything else, instead calling Garcia to confirm that they were still safe and to let her know that you were five minutes out.

When Derek pulled up to the hospital you jumped out of the SUV and started running up the stairs to the floor where Spencer’s room was, flashing your credentials to anyone who looked like they might stop you. You heard the gunshot from the stairwell, drawing your own gun as you made it to the floor, Derek on your heels.

Seeing the way Garcia and Spencer were looking at the man on the floor broke your heart. Garcia wasn’t trained for this, she actively avoided looking at the goriest crime scenes and often emailed you photos of kittens when she noticed you working longer hours than normal. Penelope Garcia was a woman you loved very much, but Penelope Garcia was also a woman who should never have to have a gun in her hands.

Spencer seemed to share the sentiment, you noticed the way he put his hands on hers to lower the weapon onto the bed. You took it from them and stuck it in the back of your belt, checking both of them over quickly to make sure they weren’t hurt while Spencer filled you in on what had happened. He looked and sounded exhausted, even more so than you would expect from someone who had been shot in the neck hours prior.

“(y/n),” Derek nodded towards the hallway after he finished cuffing the man Garcia had shot.

“This was a distraction,” you reasoned. He nodded, confirming your theory.

“I’m going to call JJ and see where they want me next, are you coming or staying?”

You didn’t have to think about it, you knew where you were needed most, “I’ll stay here with them, just in case someone else tries to finish the job.”

“Are you sure?” you appreciated that Derek was double checking your choice to stay back from the action.

“I can’t leave him again, not like this. As badass as Penelope was protecting him, I don’t think she’s in the right mind to do it again.”

Derek half smirked at your comment, “keep them safe.”

“Call if you need me,” you called after him as he walked away.

You reentered Spencer’s room, immediately met by Penelope’s relieved smile.

“You’re staying?”

“Of course I’m staying, I have all of the guns,” you half joked, pulling a chair up to the end of Spencer’s bed. You perched on top of it, feet on the seat and facing the door. You ignored  Spencer’s comments that you were overreacting every time you questioned and searched the nurses that came into the room, but Penelope echoed your reasoning that you couldn’t be too careful.

Hotch called you when they took down the unsub, and Penelope took it upon herself to arrange Spencer’s discharge from the hospital. You sat on the floor next to the couch where Spencer was sleeping on the jet, mindlessly flipping through a book you found in his bag. It was in Russian, so you didn’t know what the words were saying but the shapes of the letters were beautiful and soothing to your tired eyes. More than once, Cruz offered you his seat, but every time you politely declined.

After the jet landed, Blake insisted on helping Spencer get home. You didn’t want to say anything, Spencer didn’t need to be involved in the frustrations you still felt about Blake. You would be honest with him if he asked, of course, but you weren’t going to tell him on your own fruition.

“(y/n), are you coming?” Spencer surprised you by inviting you along too.

“Sure,” you shrugged, though your brow furrowed, “is Blake not…?” you trailed off.

Spencer looked at you with the most pure innocence, “she is, but you still want to watch all of the Doctor Who Christmas specials, right?”

“Of course, Spence,” you couldn’t help but smile, picking up your go bag and following him and Blake out of the airport. You still kept to yourself, clearly something had happened between them when Spencer had gotten shot that they had to talk about. Your suspicions were  confirmed when he asked about Ethan and Blake started telling her story.

It was a moment between them that you didn’t want to interrupt, Blake walking out of the door to Spencer’s apartment before you got the chance to say something. You followed her out quickly, catching her in the stairwell.

“Blake,” you panted, “the things I said about telling Spencer’s mom if he died… I didn’t know-”

“You were just looking out for him, it’s alright,” she was calm, more accepting of your frantic outburst than you expected.

“I’m sorry,” you said earnestly.

“It’s alright,” she repeated, “goodnight, (y/n).”

“Goodnight, Alex,” you watched her walk down the rest of the steps, then rejoined Spencer in his apartment. He was standing by the window, watching Alex hail a cab.

“She’s leaving,” he said, still looking out the window.

“Did you want to invite her to watch Doctor Who with us?”

“She’s leaving the BAU,” he clarified, stepping away from the window and closing the curtain. He crossed to his bag and held up her badge and credentials for you to see.

“She’s going to be ok,” you decided, “are you?”

“Going to be ok?” you nodded, “yeah, I think so. Which Christmas special would you like to watch first?”

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