#it finally stopped charging all together and died this past Monday

[arctic-hands]

Getting your payment a day early but being unable to pay rent that's due tomorrow because your phone is in the repair shop for who knows how long (they closed today still having my phone) and your bank's site never works on your desktop for some reason

[londonharrington]

no body, no crime | eddie munson x fem!reader

killings in hawkins are rampant once more, but what the people don’t know is that the killers are closer than they expected.

notes: au where eddie and y/n are killers. pastor’s daughter!reader. mentions of really shitty men and acts (murder, sexual assault, abuse). please proceed with caution.

i wasn’t lettin’ up until the day he died.

The sound of police sirens filled the air first thing Monday morning.  Everybody woke up on edge because they knew what it meant.

The killers has struck again.

For the past two months, there have been six killings all across the town of Hawkins and people were starting to feel on edge.

Chief Jim Hopper was assigned to be the lead investigator in this case but as each day passes by, he just gets more baffled. 

In the past month, all he discovered was there are two killers and they seem to have a motive: killing off the free people who were supposed to be paying for their crimes in jail.

First off was Leo Munson, Eddie Munson’s father. Charged with domestic abuse, physical assault, multiple DUIs and many more, but was always let out early because of good behavior and some shit. He was found in the early hours of the morning, with his face and body heavily beaten up and his throat slashed.

More and more people were getting the same treatment. And all of them were as shitty as the last.

The latest one was Bob Johnson, the town's local youth pastor, and coincidentally, Y/N’s father. He was accused of sexually assaulting the children that was supposed to be under his care, including his daughter and domestic abuse towards his wife. But due to the jury being part of the church, he was found not guilty.

And that was the last straw for Y/N.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The memories from the previous night made Y/N want to scream for joy. 

The bastard was finally dead. After years of assault, abuse, and threats of her not going to heaven if she didn’t agree to everything he wanted to do to her.

She was finally free and Y/N had to stop herself from smiling as she sat inside the police station, being interrogated by the Chief.

��Why are you not crying? Your dad just died,” he asked as he sat down.

She just shrugged, pretending to look sad. 

“Do you know anybody that may want to do this to your dad? I heard the things he was accused of.”

Y/N shook her head no, before speaking up, “When do you think I can get out?”

“In a while. I just have some more questions,” And Hopper did continue with his questions, all of which Y/N gave useless answers for. And when he said she could finally go, Y/N bolted out of the station, meeting up with her boyfriend, Eddie as they made their way to her house. Little did they know, Hopper was watching them as they left in his van.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

“You all right, baby? Asked you any questions you didn’t want to answer?” Eddie asked as he grabbed her hand as drove to Y/N’s house to finally runaway together.

“None, just the same things they asked you,” she replied, trying to calm her breathing.

“I’m proud of us. I always thought we wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but now, we’re done with our list and we can finally leave this shithole.”

“I know baby. And to think we are actually made Hawkins to be a better place to live in, without all of those shitty people here.”

The two made it to Y/N’s house as she grabbed her neatly packed suitcase. As she went down the stairs, she glanced at the room where it happened. She just rolled her eyes, making her way back to Eddie’s van.

They made their way to the woods, near Lover’s lake where they agreed that they would dump out all of the weapons they used before they made their getaway.

As they parked near the woods, they noticed the Chief’s car parked. Y/N looked at Eddie as he nodded, knowing what to do.

He slashed his tired and opened up the hood to rip up some wires, making sure that his car was unusable in case he catches the two of them. 

They made their way to the lake where they did as they planned. They threw out every single incriminating evidence that would prove them to be guilty of all the killings they done.

The two stared at the lake as someone spoke up.

“I’ve been following the two of you since Munson died. Knew it was Eddie who killed him, but I did not expect this from you, Y/N.”

The two turned around, without any trace of emotion from anyof their faces. 

“You know what he did to me, Chief Hopper. What they all did to people like us. They deserved everything that happened to them and more. I truly hope that they suffered before they went to hell.”

“I would have to arrest the both of you, you realize that, right?”

“You’ll have to catch us first,” Eddie replied as he grabbed Y/N’s hand and ran towards the van. Eddie started the van immediately and the two drove off.

Hopper chased the two of them, and after seeing that the two ran towards, he ran to his truck, which would not start at all. He check under the hood and saw all the wires ripped up and the tires slashed.

He called for backup, but it was too late. He can’t do anything else except to watch the couple drive off to wherever the road takes them, never to be seen again.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

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[the-broken-truth]

Howdy! I was wondering if I could request some Yandere stuff from Resident Evil 8? I was thinking the reader is a 👩(female) 👻(Reincarnated), 🏠(Local) who was really close to Alcina before their death. Now back to life she wishes to leave the village and travel the world without Alcina becoming aware of just how similar the reader is to that person. But she gets caught attempted to flee in the end. If not thank you anyways!!

Broken Truth (Looks at the username and eyes widen): Isn't this strange? I was looking at your page when you sent me this ask and followed me. Thank you for both. Now, I shall make an answer worthy of a fellow yandere writer's eyes! Let the words weave together!!!

Broken Truth: Since - as it is told - When a soul reincarnates, they lose their memories of past lives but they tend to look or act the same. I think I can make this work. Also - The Reader Shall me named Antanasia due to the fact the name means 'One Who Will Be Reborn.'

SUBTITLE: Soulful Lavender Eyes

[In The Realm of Dreams]

"Floarea mea de lavandă?" The voice of the taller figure of the 2 sitting on a bench waiting to sunset called out as she turned her shrowd face towards the smaller figure to her right.

"Da, contesa mea?" The smaller figure questioned.

"I know you have said it before but I must know... shall we always be together?" The 'Countess' asked.

"Of course, My Love - not even time shall keep us apart." The smaller figure answered - causing what looked to be a smile on the taller figure's face. The two of them leaned in closer - as if for a kiss - but the light of the sun began to flare and consumed them both in its light, dissolving the dream into nothingness.

[In The Home of Antanasia Frost - Bedroom]

The eyelids that protected the lavender eyes opened - allowing the keeper these unusual color of eyes to gaze upon the ceiling of her bedroom. Closing those eyes again, she groaned as she face-palmed herself and lifted her upper body to sit upright in her bed - letting her head hang in her hands as they wiped the sweat from her face.

'That dream again... That's the 5th time this month. This damn village is driving me crazy; I can't wait to get the hell out of this deathtrap.' The young woman echoed in her mind.

This young was Antanasia Frost - a 35-year-old resident of the village who's dreamt of leaving the cursed village since the moment she lost her mother; who - against her father's wisdom - told her not to go out during the night but she failed to listen and lost her life when she was torn apart by a pack of lycans.

Antanasia's Father - Thomas Frost - worked as one of the village's best apothecaries; when your village is converted with death at every turn, a visit to them at least kept you alive along, giving you a chance to live. When her father died, Anatanasia took over the business and she's been working as hard as she can to save every last Lei so that she could leave this accursed place, and maybe the damn dreams will stop.

Little did she know - She was not the only one having a hard time sleeping.

[Castle Dimitrescu - The Catacombs]

The sound of water dripping through the creaks of the old stone that was illuminated by the light of the 3 candles perched upon the candlestick that rested in the hand of the golden-eyed woman that made her way through the stone tunnel. She walked until she reached a door but this door wasn't like all the others in his hall that were decaying away or already fallen apart into a pile of black wood - this door was fresh & made of fresh black wood with the golden Crest of Castle Dimitrescu right in the center of the door. The woman ran her free hand along the golden crest before she reached into her nightgown pocket and withdrew a small silver key that held her insignia as well. She inserted the key into the hole and turned, listening for the click, and pushed the door open, her long black hair - that would normally be in a black bun - was slight blown back as a cold gust of wind came from the newly opened room as she stepped inside.

The room was around a stone cell - the light of the moon that enter from the caged hole in the ceiling shined upon the crystals that were placed on burners around the room & in the center - was a large glass casket. The golden-eyed woman walked to the casket - her eyes beginning to water as she looked at the frozen figure that rested in the glass box, dressed in a lovely lavender silk gown, her skin ghostly white and her once silky brown hair was losing its pigment. The woman placed her hand on the glass box before speaking in a hushed voice.

"My Love... Forgive me for not coming to visit you for a while - the work with Mother Miranda has been rather time-consuming. She says that she is close to figuring out a way to return her beloved daughter from the grave...maybe she can do the same for you, my love. I've been dreaming a lot about you - about our time together. Could that mean...you shall return to me, My Beloved Flower?" She questioned the eternally silent woman in the glass box before her.

[The Next Week - Monday - The Awaited Day]

Map - ✔

Warm Clothing - ✔

All the chests packed onto the cart - ✔

2 Horses, well-fed - ✔

Horse food for 2 weeks - ✔

Small chests of Lei - ✔

Frost Herbal & Elixir Book - ✔

Lily's Locket - ✔

The Frost Family Photo Album - ✔

"That's everything." The lavender-eyed woman smiled as she checked off the last item on her list. She was finally ready to leave this place and never look back. She just closed the deal to sell her father's shop & her home for a hefty fee, it was the last little bit she needed to get everything she needed to the trip to the nearest major sit in Romania & buy a small home or a room at the inn.

Antanasia smiled at the cart of stuff before she walked over to her horse and stroked their manes - both of them snorting in glee.

"Don't worry, guys - packing took a lot longer than I thought but we still have some daylight to get to a safe place to get to before the sun goes down all the way." Antanasia looked at the setting sun with a smile, "We're gonna be free, guys. Now, let's get a move on; we've been here long enough." The girl said as she closed her eyes with a smile and began to board the carriage's driver seat when the horses began to freak out. Antanasia looked around with wide eyes to see what could have scared her horse when she saw 3 clouds of flies that seemed to be coming from 3 different directions - the bugs stood before her and gathered...into 3 bodies.

The Bodies of the Castle Dimitrescu's Heirs - The 3 Daughters.

"What do we have here, sister?" The eldest one - Bela - asked as she tilted her head like a cat.

"I don't know - it looks like a sheep is trying to leave the herd and we can't let that happen." said the middle child - Cassandra.

"Wait." The youngest - Daniela - said as she looked into the eyes of the woman before her & her sisters, 'Doesn't she look...familiar?" Daniela asked.

"What are you going on about, Dani?" Bela asked, confused at her sister's words.

"It's...I feel like I know her - something about her eyes making the back of my brain itch." Dani said without taking her eyes off the woman.

"You have a brain? When did you find it?" Cassandra chuckled - Bela was about to tell her off but something unexpected happened.

"Cassandra Dimitrescu - what have I don't you about disrespecting my dandelion?!" barked out Antanasia's mouth - causing her to slap her hand over her mouth when she realized what she said and the daughters - mainly Dani - got wide-eyed at those words.

"Dandelion? That's what... That's what Mama used to call me." Dani began to tear up, "I knew I recognized you... It's really you - you're back, Mama!!!" Dani yelled out with a smile but the woman before her shook her head.

"No, you have me mistaken for someone else! I am no mother of yours!" Antanasia barked out again as she backed away, bumping in her cart but it was for not when the daughters looked at each other, nodding and charged her.

[A few minutes later - Castle Dimitrescu - Alcina's Study]

"Mother, we have something for - something that you lost a long time ago," Bela said as she walked over to her mother sitting in her chair while her sisters held the struggling woman in their drip. The Lady of the Castle rose to her feet and turned to look at her daughters holding an unknown woman.

"What is the meaning of this, daughters?" Alcina asked.

"Mother, we have reason to believe that..." Bela began but Dani - in her excitement - her off.

"IT'S MAMA, MOTHER! SHE'S COME BACK BUT SHE WAS GOING TO LEAVE THE VILLAGE BUT WE CAUGHT HER BEFORE SHE DID!" Dani yelled out.

"LET GO OF ME! I'M NOT YOUR MAMA! I'M NOTHING TO YOU!" The woman yelled out.

'That Fury...'

It was indeed familiar.

"What makes you think she is my lost love when my beloved sleeps for eternity in a frozen glass box?" Alcina asked as she walked over to the struggling - looking down at her but couldn't see her eyes as they were closed in the struggling.

"Mother, she called Dani 'Dandelion' when Cassandra made fun of her." That name made Alcina's eyes widen and she looked at the woman before grabbing her face to keep it still but the woman still had her eyes closed.

"Open your eyes." Alcina demanded.

"Let me go!" Demanded the woman.

"OPEN YOUR DAMN EYES BEFORE I SLICE YOUR THROAT!" Alcina roared and her demand was met.

Gold Met Lavender.

Amber Met Amythest.

And the Dragon of Dimitrescu smiled again.

"MY BELOVED ANTANASIA, YOU HAVE RETURNED TO ME!" Alcina yelled as wrapped her arms around the woman and held her close, lifting her off the ground.

"Hey, let me down! How the hell do you know my name?" The lavender-eyed woman asked with a glare.

"My dear, are you well? Surely you remember your own wife?" Alcina questioned.

"I don't have a wife and even if I did, it damn sure wouldn't be you!" Antanasia yelled as she struggled - Alcina was stunned at her words but didn't let go.

"My love, what is the matter with you? Why are you like this?" Alcina asked.

"I'm not your love! I'm not their Mama! I just wanna get back to my cart and leave!" The woman yelled.

"Cart? What cart?" Alcina asked.

"As Dani said, Mother - she had packed a cart that was being pulled by two horses and was going to leave the village, she was going to leave us." Bela explained. Alcina looked wide-eyed as she returned her gaze to the glaring woman.

"Antanasia, my heart - does our daughter speak the truth? Were you really going to leave us?" Alcina asked.

'FOR THE LAST TIME - I'M NOTHING TO YOU, EITHER OF YOU! I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KNOW MY NAME OR WHO YOU'RE CONFUSING ME WITH BUT I'M NOT HER AND I DON'T WANNA BE HER! I JUST WANNA LEAVE THIS HELLISH PLACE AND LIVE MY LIFE!" The lavender-eyed woman yelled and began panting to catch her breath.

"You are not going anywhere." Alcina's voice came out as a growl.

"What?!" Lavender eyes widened again at anger bleeding in gold.

"Do you know how long I have been waiting for you to come back to us? To make our family whole again? To light these dark halls with your love and life? Too long. Far too long. I lost you once - now your soul returns to me in this new form but I'm glad you retained your lavender eyes; the eyes I fell in love with." Alcina purred.

"I'm not the woman you fell in love with!" She pleaded.

"No, you're not, but give it time & you will be again. It doesn't matter how long I have to wait - your soul has returned to us and I shall rekindle that love. As you said before I lost you - Not even time can keep us apart." Alcina smiled a dangerous grin.

[End]

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

By My Side (Part 4)

Summary: The reader goes to dinner with her step brothers, Michael and Nick, as well as Jensen. When Jensen starts to see how her brothers treat her though, Jensen and the reader have a heart to heart and start to try a different tactic with their relationship...

Masterlist

Pairing: Bodyguard!Jensen x reader

Word Count: 3,700ish

Warnings: language, sibling angst, minor violence, mentioned prior deaths

A/N: Enjoy!

_________

Monday Evening

“Hey pipsqueak,” said Nick, your arms crossed from where you sat on the couch trying to watch TV. “Since dad and your mom are at dinner at that fancy place, maybe you could take us out?”

“Yeah,” said Michael, still texting away on his phone at the other end of the couch. “There’s that steak place dad said was good. Y/N, you want to have dinner with your big brothers?”

“Not particularly,” you said. 

“She still hate us?” said Nick as he came up to the back of the couch, ruffling your hair and placing his hands on your shoulders. “You gotta let that shit go. We were kids.”

“I was a kid. You were both twenty years old and you two harassed me until I moved out, well past when you knew better. Now that I have money, you two-”

“What was that?” asked Nick and you swallowed. “Come on. Let’s get dinner.”

“Whatever. Jensen! We’re going to dinner wherever you are,” you called out. “Jensen!”

He came down the far hallway near where your office was, his hand behind his back on his holster but you shook your head.

“We’re going out,” you said as he dropped his hand down. “To eat. We’ll be back in a couple hours.”

“I’m going with you,” he said. You thought that was odd of him but he made his jaw hard and clenched it. “It’s part of my contract. I go where you go.”

“He’s perky isn’t he,” said Michael as he stood up. You rolled your eyes and went towards the front door to get your purse.

Half an hour later the three of you were seated with Jensen sat at the bar close by and keeping an eye on you.

“Surprised he didn’t ask to sit with us,” mumbled Nick. “Why do you have a bodyguard again?”

“After my old manager tried to have me kidnapped for publicity,” you said.

“You know how to pick ‘em,” said Michael. You gripped the menu tight and reviewed it, already knowing your step brothers wouldn’t even pretend to offer to pay for their meals. You never quite understood them. Chuck was always good to your mom and nice to you. You weren’t particularly close but you didn’t dislike each other either. You got along, he asked about you, you spent time together whenever you visited them. Chuck had always been okay in your book. His children though you could have sworn were adopted with how horrible they could be to you.

“How much you want to bet me I could get that douchey little bodyguard over here in less then five seconds?” asked Nick, a smirk on his face you didn’t like.

“He’s just doing his job. Let him do it in peace.”

“I still don’t get why you have one,” said Michael as he looked over the wine list. “Compared to the other girl on the show, you’re like, not good looking.”

“Dude, I’m your sister. You’re not supposed to find me good looking.”

“I know that, dipshit. I mean, you’re just, plain,” he said. “You’re not the main lead. That’s probably why.”

“I’m co-lead. We have no main lead.”

“But you’re second on the call sheet credits thing,” said Nick.

“Cause Gen got hired before me.”

“She’s still hotter than you,” mumbled Nick.

“She’s married and they’re both my best friends.”

“I didn’t say I want to fuck her. Relax. You’re always so uptight,” said Nick. You bit your tongue and weren’t surprised when Michael ordered a few hundred dollar bottle of wine. You got the twenty dollar one you normally did that tasted just as good and Nick went for an expensive Scotch you’d never heard of. 

“Oh,” you said to the waiter before he could leave. “The man on the end of the bar there, his drinks and meal are on me.”

“No problem,” he said as he took off. 

“She’s got no problem paying for his food,” muttered Michael.

“It’s part of his job. For him, this is a business expense,” you said. You gnawed the inside of your cheek and forced a smile. “The garlic bread is very good here if you guys want to get some.”

“Good with me,” said Michael. He gave you a smile, a genuine one before he was checking his phone again. You’d always liked Michael far more than Nick. On his own, Michael was a pretty decent guy. When he got with Nick though, and that was more often than not, even into adulthood, he was normally pretty unbearable.

“Working any big new clients?” you asked, your voice a tad too high but he ignored it while Nick went to the restroom.

“Potentially. I actually got a job offer in LA. Senior partner,” he said.

“That’s great,” you said, Michael smiling.

“You’re actually happy about that, for real,” he said.

“You’re incredibly smart. You always have been. I’m really happy you’re getting out of our little hometown and going to work at a bigger firm,” you said. “That’s a really big deal. You should be proud.”

“Here I thought you’d tell me not to move to your city,” he said.

“Why do you think I’d say that?” you asked.

“You don’t like us,” he said, nodding to the empty spot beside him. “You never have.”

“You guys are dicks most of the time. You skipped over the getting to know each other thing and went right into horrible dick older brothers.”

“We weren’t horrible. We still aren’t. I have worked cases that would make your skin crawl. We’re the Brady bunch compared to most people.”

“My dad died and I was so excited to have big brothers, you know? That year was so horrible and Chuck made mom stop crying and laugh again and I love him for that. But you guys...it doesn’t matter. I’m happy you’re getting a promotion, Michael.”

“Our mom died too that year,” he said, lowering his head.

“I know she did,” you said. “Forget I said anything.”

“So when do you go back to work?” asked Michael as Nick returned.

“A few months from now,” you said.

“What are you gonna do after that?” he asked.

“Honestly I’m not sure right now. I like TV but I might do movies. My options are pretty open,” you said. “How’s teaching going?”

“Always a joy,” said Nick, taking a long sip of his water. “I got tenure finally. Not sure if I’m gonna stay though. If Mikey moves out here I might take a position at UCLA.”

“Oh. So you’re thinking of moving out here too?” you asked. Nick narrowed his eyes and you you looked away. “Maybe mom and Chuck will come out if you guys do.”

“Maybe,” said Nick. Thankfully you spotted your waiter come back with your drinks and you were able to order your appetizer and dinner, already expecting a nearly thousand dollar bill thanks to their alcohol choices. 

“I’ll be right back,” you said. You excused yourself and walked over to the bar, Jensen sipping on a glass of beer while he half-watched a TV behind the bar.

“Require saving from your brothers?” he smirked to himself, turning before you could tap him on the shoulder.

“Why do you say that?” you asked, leaning against the padded bartop. 

“Just a vibe I get, you and Nick especially,” he said. “Nobody gets a pass from me.”

“He’s not a great older brother but he’s harmless,” you said.

“He intimidates you.”

“Like I said, he’s not great but the worst thing he’s ever done was leave me with a group of strange guys. Michael did the same thing. Otherwise they’re just like, crappy older brothers.”

“Crappy or something else? Like I said, nobody gets a pass from me.”

“Jensen. They would never hurt me. I swear on my life.”

“Michael wouldn’t. Nick...I’ll be keeping an eye on him, both of them, whether you want me to or not. I’m the asshole bodyguard after all,” he smirked again.

“Well, it sounds like they’re both gonna move out here soon so we’ll be seeing them more.”

“Lovely,” said Jensen. “So why’d you come over? Need a break from them?”

“Yes. Also, I already told the waiter but your drinks and food are all on me. Feel free to order whatever you want,” you said.

“I’ll stick to the one beer. I’m at work still,” he said.

“They have really good steak. The filet is amazing along with the green beans,” you said. Jensen smiled and played with his glass, swishing the ice cubes around. “The lobster macaroni is also a great side.”

“That’s a hundred dollar steak.”

“Jensen, you know I can afford it.”

“I also know how much you’re paying me. I can afford it.”

“Jensen. I’m your boss. I’m paying for it. Next time I want Taco Bell, you can pay at the drive through if it makes you feel better,” you said. He smiled, a soft gentle little smile you’d never seen on his face before. You returned it, Jensen staring at you before he shook his head and it fell away.

“I’m going to lose this argument, aren’t I.”

“Yeah, you are. I’d much rather pay for your meal than those two bimbos. I like you better,” you said.

“Must have a pretty low bar for them then,” he said.

“Why’d you stop talking to me? After the paparazzi guy?” you asked. He shrugged and wiped off a stray drop of condensation on his glass. “Please?”

“There’s a line I have to keep with you. We can be friendly but if something happens, I am in charge. There can be no doubts about that. I felt that I needed to step back and reaffirm that boundary.”

“We can keep the boundary. But we can be friends too. If you say hide, I’ll hide. If you say run, I’ll run. I know you think I’m a dumb actress but-”

“You’re not dumb. You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever met,” he said. You blinked and he offered a half smile. “You have an ability to push through panic and be logical. I know guys with all the training in the world that can’t do that. You’re not a dumb actress. It’s obvious that you were raised to be intelligent.”

“My point is, I will do what you tell me to when it’s those hard moments. But I have confidence that you were wrong before. You can like someone, maybe even care about them like a friend, and still be able to protect them. I actually think it’ll make you better at your job.”

“Give me one example of where that works. Just one.”

“Maybe you want to try talking to your bestie, Jared,” you said. “Or literally most anyone in a relationship anywhere.”

“Touche,” he said. He smiled and nodded. “No more cold shoulder.”

“Thanks.”

“So I should try the macaroni with my steak?” he asked.

“And the green beans. You get two sides. You can get however many you want actually. The dessert selection here is even better than the steak if you can believe it.”

“I’ll have to check it out,” he said. “But no green beans. Traumatic childhood incident with them.”

“I better not be attacked by the cabbage patch kids. They might just take you down,” you said, Jensen giggling to himself. “Oh, he does laugh. Good to know. The roasted truffle garlic fries are really good too.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I think I’ll check them out.”

“Do you want to sit with us?” you asked, nodding back towards the table.

“I better not. I don’t think your brothers like me very much,” he said. “I got a better vantage point over here anyways.”

“Vantage point?” you asked.

“Got a weird feeling is all. I want to stay sharp tonight,” he said. You nodded and turned to go, Jensen catching your bicep. “If something happens, what do you do?”

“Duck and cover and wait for you to get me,” you said.

“Good girl. You did read my instructions.”

“Yup. Even read the part about how to get out of your hands being tied behind your back. Unfortunately, I’m not flexible enough and my ass is too big for that,” you said. He chuckled and you smirked. “Oh you know it is.”

“I’m not opposed to that fact,” he said. You went wide eyed and he laughed. “My boss is hot, what can I say.”

“You better stick to the one drink after all, Ackles,” you said, laughing as you lightly whacked his arm. “Try the triple brownie sundae for dessert. You won’t regret it.”

“Thanks, Y/N.”

“I think I gained five pounds,” said Michael, stretching out in his seat nearly two hours later, the waiter bringing over the check. You frowned at the bill but it was what you were expecting. You stuck your card in the pocket and caught the waiter pretty quickly. It was getting late and you were tired. Even your step-brothers were getting quiet so you hoped to get home quickly.

The waiter returned and you wrote out a tip, sticking your card back in your wallet and purse. You stretched as you stood up, your step brothers taking their time to get to their feet. You headed over towards Jensen when the sound of glass shattering caught your attention. You turned your head and heard tires screeching outside, spotting that the window at the front of the restaurant was gone now. You barely saw the cop car driving by before you heard sharp little noises in the air and felt like you got hit by a truck. 

Suddenly you were on the ground, Jensen on top of you. Nick and Michael were ducked down under the table along with most everyone in the restaurant, some people at the bar hopping over the counter and diving behind the back. The whole place was silent and you all heard the front door to the place open abruptly. Jensen stood up in one smooth motion, his gun out and aimed, a shot ringing out a second later as someone yelled. A few seconds later there was a loud echo of feet, Jensen setting his gun on the ground and holding up his hands. Police filled in the place, two very angry looking officers rushing over to him and barking orders.

“It’s okay,” said Jensen to you as he knelt down.

Less than five minutes later he was released and some hostess was thanking him over and over still for stopping the guy that had come in looking for trouble. Jensen shrugged it off, only grazing the guy and the police pretty impressed with him for doing so. 

“Are we free to go?” asked Jensen, an officer nodding. He waved for you and your step-brothers to follow, Jensen driving the four of you back to your place quickly. Nick and Michael took their rental car back to their hotel, neither one much in the mood to talk after what had happened.

Jensen checked that the house was secure before he went to his room and shut the door. You weren’t sure if he was okay or not. He seemed pretty calm but he had shot a guy, if only barely. Instead of heading to your bedroom, you wandered down the hall to his area of the house. There was a guest suite there he used for his bed and bathroom but he rarely used it unless he was going to bed and he always, always told you when he was turning in for the night.

As you were about to knock on the door you heard the faint sound of a shower and nodded. He was simply cleaning up. It didn’t sound like a bad idea to yourself honestly. You went down the hall to your room, flipping on the light. It was a soft white in there, the wall behind the bed a shiplap that led up to wood beams going across the vaulted ceiling. Another light was flipped on in the bathroom and you stepped under the shower for a few minutes, washing off your face and skin. After five minutes you went out to the bedroom and over to the closet, finding a pajama shirt and shorts to slip into. Your hair was thrown up in a messy bun and you found your oversized fleece hoodie you occasionally slept in. Tucking it under your arm, you headed out of the room and back down the hall, Jensen’s door still shut.

“Jensen?” you said, knocking on the door lightly. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah,” he said. Carefully you pushed the door open, Jensen walking out of his bathroom in just his boxer briefs, wiping a towel over his head. He tugged it down and stared at you, your eyes going to his chest, legs and everywhere in between. 

“I uh, wanted to make sure you were alright,” you said, ripping your eyes away and meeting his gaze. He nodded and tossed his towel back into the laundry basket by the closet.

“I’m fine. You?”

“Yeah. I uh-”

“No need to be nervous around me,” he said.

“Right,” you said, Jensen walking right in front of you before stopping. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay and to say thanks.”

“It’s my job,” he said. 

“Still,” you said. “I...here. I thought you might like this.”

“A hoodie?” he asked as you handed him the fleece. “What’s this for?”

“S’my bad day hoodie. I wear it to bed sometimes. Makes me feel better,” you said with a shrug.

“Old boyfriend’s?” he asked as he pulled it on, a soft smile spreading across his cheeks. “It’s so soft. Thanks, Y/N.”

“You’re welcome,” you said.

“So was it the boyfriends? Or you get it for yourself?” he asked.

“It was a birthday present for my dad. He died the week before. I never got to give it to him.”

“I shouldn’t be wearing this,” he said, moving to take it off when you caught his wrists. He was so much stronger than you but he let you manhandle him and move his hands back to his sides.

“It fits you better than it ever did me. Besides, I think you’re a little on edge and not telling me which is fine. It’s good for that,” you said. “I want you to keep it.”

“Y/N, I can’t keep something like this,” he said. You stared at him, Jensen swallowing. “It’s important to you.”

“Yes. But you gave me your blanket and wouldn’t let me return it. Fair is fair,” you said.

“Y/N-”

“S’an order, Jensen. Keep it.”

“Yes mam,” he said quietly.

“I hate when you call me that,” you said, moving your hands away from him.

“I know you do,” he said, a quick smirk crossing his face. “Why aren’t you using this yourself tonight?”

“I got my blanket. I’m good,” you said.

“It doesn’t explain why you’re giving me this though.”

“Lately, something else has been making me feel better and safe. My dad would have liked you.”

“Your father was a good person. A brave person,” said Jensen. 

“You know how he died,” you said, Jensen returning a nod. “I used to be really angry at him. Why’d he have to go help that woman? He could have walked past and been alive. But since I got older, if I was that woman being attacked, I would pray for a man like that to come help me. I know he was good.”

“I will do my very best to be that man for you,” he said. 

“I know you will. If you need something, come get me,” you said.

“Y/N,” he said just as you spun around. “May I have the morning off? You will be with family and my sister is in town for the day for work. I’d like to get lunch with her if I could.”

“Take the day,” you said with a smile, looking back over your shoulder. “She can come to dinner if you like.”

“She’s got a flight back at five thirty,” he said. “Thanks though.”

“It’s no problem,” you said. “Goodnight, Jensen.”

“Goodnight,” he said. You pulled his door shut after yourself and went down to your own bedroom to get under the covers. You stared up at the ceiling, hearing a light pitter patter on the rooftop. Rain was so rare in LA that you normally welcomed it when it came around. It reminded you of back home in a way.

A text popped up on your phone just as you were closing your eyes. It was from Gen and was a link to some news article about the restaurant, a picture of you and Jensen front and center.

You wrote back you were fine and turned off your phone, knowing you’d have to deal with questions in the morning.

________

A/N: Read Part 5 here!

[atruththatyoudeny]

Happy 28th! Here are all the 14 fics I read and enjoyed this month. As always, all the love for all the amazing authors in this fandom! ♥

In The Still Of The Night | jacaranda_bloom | Dirty Dancing AU - a/b/o - prejudice - gender stereotyping - class divide - angst - pining - smut - 69k In a society where omegas are expected to follow a predetermined path, Louis strives for more; for his voice to be heard, for recognition, for true love. In a world where your past defines your future, Harry fights against the system; for equality, for a different life, for acceptance. When their two worlds collide, will they be beaten down by conformity or will they rise up and forge a new path together? OR the Dirty Dancing AU where Louis is a feisty omega who wants to change the world, Harry is an alpha from the wrong side of the tracks, and nobody puts Louis in a corner.

Plant New Seeds in the Melody | 28sunflowers | enemies to friends to lovers - miscommunication - misunderstandings - emotional hurt/comfort - Original Character Death - grief/mourning - slow build - smut - 58k After losing his husband in a tragic car accident, the last thing Louis needs is to keep running into popstar Harry Styles, who David was quite fond of. Obviously, that’s exactly what keeps happening. But as their unlikely friendship blossoms, Louis realizes that, maybe, having Harry in his life was the only good thing that came out of his adverse circumstances. Harry could be just the right person to help Louis find trust and intimacy in someone new.

take my hand, wreck my plans | amomentoflove | Cinderella AU - a/b/o - royalty - Minor Character Death - emotional abuse - magic - 38k Louis meets the man in the center of the room, feeling every eye on him. “Mr. H,” he whispers. The man smiles brightly and laughs as if he can’t believe his eyes. “It’s you,” he says breathlessly. “I didn’t think I would see you again.” “Nor I you, especially under these circumstances.” “Even so,” Mr H says, his eyes bouncing from Louis’ eyes to his lips. “Will you do me a great honor and join me in leading the first … um…” “Dance?” Mr. H laughs and nods. “Yes, that’s the one.” Louis bites his lips and doesn’t hesitate before whispering, “Yes.” Mr. H beams and reaches for Louis’ hand. Sparks fly at the touch and a zing of excitement shoots through Louis’ body. His face heats up as he’s afraid his scent would give away his feelings towards the other man.

One More Taste of Your Lips | Canadianlarrie & MsHydeStylinson | canon compliant - reunion tour - angst - internalized homophobia/biphobia - cheating - smut - Coming Out - 80k It had been eight years since the hiatus began, and Louis had spent that time writing and recording music, touring and making it safely through the pandemic. When the opportunity arose to go back on tour with One Direction, Louis knew he'd be a fool not to take it. Sure, life on the road would be different after all this time apart, but he was looking forward to experiencing that comradery again. What he hadn't realised was that living the better part of nine months in each other's pockets was bound to dredge up issues from his past. And when one of the pockets belonged to Harry, who he'd had a rather unconventional friendship with that drifted apart during their last tour, life on the road again would upend both their lives in irrevocable ways. * Harry wasn’t that sixteen year old boy anymore. Nor was he the young man in his late teens who was on the cusp of conquering the entire world. But some traits seemed to remain the same; his vibrant green eyes, the dimples set deeply in his cheeks whenever he laughed earnestly, or his curls that were the same shade of cocoa that Louis remembered fondly. And yet, Louis had absolutely no idea who this man that stood a mere twenty paces away was today.

Old Photographs & Times I'll Remember | jaerie | time travel - Eroda - period-typical homophobia - anxiety - depression - discussion about suicide - self-discovery - post-break up - 54k Carefully he set that negative down and lifted the paper to see there was another beneath. This one again was a young man, this time posed against an antique car. He lifted a few more negatives out one by one, each a portrait of the same man with various backdrops. The man in a meadow, in an office, leaning against a doorframe — even one in his underwear grinning at the camera. On the edge of each negative printed in slanted, handwritten characters were the initials and date. H.S. 1924. He quickly but carefully packed them back into the box and buzzed with excitement. He couldn’t wait to develop them to see exactly what had been captured in the images. It was a find that felt like a puzzle to piece together. H.S. was likely the man in the photographs as well as the owner of the suitcase. Who was he? Why had his suitcase found its way into Niall’s attic? Was he still alive and well somewhere in the world? A camera, a suitcase, and a relationship forged through time.

Know a Trick or Two | SadaVeniren | Harry Potter setting - mpreg - magic - kid fic - - genderfluid character - smut - intersex - 44k The night before Louis is scheduled for a Portkey to begin training with the Vratsa Vultures in Bulgaria he heads into Muggle London for one last night of fun. A few months later he finds out he’s having a child. Eleven years ago Harry had a one night stand and now there’s a strange man on his doorstep telling him his daughter is something called a wizard and she’s got a place at the British wizarding school Hogwarts. Aka the one where Muggle Harry and Wizard Louis have a one night stand and get more than they bargained out of it.

come away with me | suspendrs | Minor Character Death - friends to lovers - sexuality crisis - emotional hurt/comfort - anxiety - smut - 80k Louis had such big plans. He wanted so much out of life, and so did Amy. Now Bridget is going to grow up without a mother, and she’s always going to wonder what it would be like if this hadn’t happened. He wonders if she’ll blame him for her mother’s death as she gets older, or if she’ll understand that this is just as painful for Louis as it is for her. Louis doesn’t know how he’s going to raise her on his own, because he’s a fantastic father, yes, but he’s always been the fun parent, and Amy was in charge of the rules. He doesn’t know how to make sure Bridget has everything she needs all the time, doesn’t know how to make her favorite meal or how to do that one braid she loves to have in her hair or how to teach her to be the best person she can be. He doesn’t know how to live without Amy, he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. Or, Louis has to pick up the pieces of his and his daughter's life after his wife dies, and Harry is a beautiful stranger that just wants to help.

we made our promises (we said our vows) | millsx | Military AU - established relationship - kid fic - angst - hurt/comfort - mentions of PTSD - mentions of depressions - mentions of anxiety - injury - long-distance relationship - 21k Fairy tales always end with the Happily Ever After; the princess escapes her evil stepmother and gets married to the knight in shining armor. It turns out real life doesn’t care about Happily Ever Afters and sometimes problems appear when you don’t expect them to. Harry sure didn’t, not after years of being married.

Love, Ever After | jacaranda_bloom | a/b/o - farmers markets - soulmates - pining - miscommunication - fluff - banter - smut - 21k One would assume that the charismatic omega in charge of the local matchmaking service would have found a mate and settled down ages ago. His clients, in fact, are always a bit surprised when they come to learn that Louis is still single. But Louis doesn’t mind, not really. His standards are just high; he is happy holding out for his alpha, his soulmate, and chooses to not waste his time with anyone else, despite what his friends might think. That is, until his best mate from uni drags him out of bed far too early on a Saturday morning after a night of drinking to go to a farmers market, of all places. It’s there that he proceeds to make an utter fool of himself in front of the hottest alpha he has ever laid eyes on. There’s truly no coming back from that, is there? OR The one where omega Louis makes love matches, alpha Harry makes cheese, and meddling friends might finally make their dreams of finding their soulmate come true.

Hometown | allwaswell16 | High School - College/university - driving - heartbreak - memories - friendship - happy ending - angst - 2k On the day Harry gets his driver’s licence, he drives through the suburbs, heartbroken that he can’t drive home to Louis.

fever dream high | wildestdreams | friends to lovers - childhood friends - a/b/o - fluff - angst - smut - mutual pining - High School - 30k "Excuse me, what?" Harry licked his lips, carefully looking him in the eyes. "I will spend your heat with you so you're ready by Monday to play your game." "Harry," Louis began, suddenly at a loss for words. "I couldn't ask you to do that." "Why not? You just said you trust me." "You're my best friend. There's no one I trust more than you." "Then what's the problem?" "Well, friends don't usually help you through your heats or ruts, so excuse me for being a little skeptical." or A High School ABO AU where Harry and Louis are best friends and nothing more until things start getting a little complicated and they're faced with feelings they never wanted to confront.

We are the same, you run in my veins | 28sunflowers | a/b/o - non-traditional a/b/o- soulmates - wolves -pack dynamics - 4k When the time for Louis to become the Alpha leader of his pack comes, he can’t rise to the occasion for not being yet bonded. A series of trips to neighbouring packs in search of his soulmate is fruitless until he meets one of the other packs’ Alpha heir. Harry. The world seems to stop turning for a second and then it shifts, clicking into its axis. All the distress and wrongness he felt until that very moment suddenly disappears. Louis is finally whole. But two Alpha leaders from different tribes soulbonding is something unheard of before.

Divinely Blessed | thinlines | a/b/o - non-traditional a/b/o - established relationship - PWP - 17k “I heard you, Ni. But what do you mean?” “What do you mean what I mean?” Harry rolled his eyes as he shoved his alpha friend down onto a seat. “Did you mean you lick someone out or…?” “Nah, mate! It was me! I got licked out!” Harry could only stare at Niall in horror. Alpha Harry prides himself on having the bravest and most caring omega who might or might not just fulfill his sudden curiosity.

This chemistry like candy to me | CuckooTrooke | a/b/o - kink discovery - mpreg - male lactation - smut - 8k "It's just... Are you aware, that, uh... You're- You're kind of leaking." Harry feels his blood run cold. The heart that was thudding so loud and fast drops to his stomach, and his shoulders hunch in embarrassment. "Excuse me?" Harry asks once he manages to gather himself and recover from the shock. He automatically steps back but since he's already squeezed in the corner, it doesn't do much to put any distance between them, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" "Wha- No. Oh my god, I wouldn't- No," The man says as he realizes the misunderstanding, and wildly gestures to his chest, "I mean your- Your chest. Is leaking." OR Harry is 8 months pregnant with a poor balance and traitorous nipples. Unfortunately for him, that is precisely when he meets a beautiful alpha in a packed London Tube. Fortunately for him, the said alpha might just be the best thing he has ever come across.

[sevenofsorts]

Monday:

She’s started baking again. The other members of the Syndicate drop by sometimes to taste-test her recipes, and she shows them the progress she’s made in the construction of her underground city. They compliment the flower paths outside the city, the bridges and floating lanterns and the gorgeous high ceilings and furnishings within, the little subterranean forest and the waterfall, the decorations and details that make the cavernous space cozy. They see what she’s built and they praise her for it and it is exhilarating. She’s grown stronger day by day with the Syndicate in her corner; they pull her up to stand on equal footing with them, and when she expresses her concerns, they listen.

There are days, however, when she can’t bring herself to bake; on those days the heat of the furnace crawls uncomfortably against her skin and the knife block rattles in the corner with each item she sets down on the countertop. On those days she’ll climb. Buildings, mountains, trees—anything that’ll get her to a height where her lungs strain from lack of oxygen and the ringing in her head eases. She jumps, sometimes. They don’t know she does this. They don’t need to know; she’s strong enough to deal with that herself.

Yesterday was their leader’s birthday, and she’d left the party with leftover cake and cookies and brioche. Today is a good day; maybe she’ll share the cookies with Jack.

—

Tuesday:

He’s called the harbinger, the omen, the angel of death. Crows perform at his bidding and the great, lumbering bears of the north shake the ground as he directs them. He emerges from impossible battles with nary a scratch on his body. People across the earth have speculated that he’s a demon, or contracted with a demon, or one of the acolytes of the Blood God like the Blade. He likes to collect these epithets and rumors; when his crows perch on his shoulder to recount the news of the land or messages from his allies they update him on the tales they tell of the angel. They’re all wrong, in the end. Death herself graced him with her favor long ago to act as her representative on the mortal plane.

She’s been dormant recently; her absences had never affected him so strongly before, but ever since he’s entered this land, he’s felt weaker, more fragile. He watched his son destroy the country he founded with a haze across his vision, and then he killed his own son, and the act of it didn’t register until days later. Months fly by in a blur and the only person who can enforce any sort of focus is the Blade and so that simmering anger became his own and it fed into his own pain. There was something rotting in the land and it killed his son and he felt it his duty to purge it with the same TNT that destroyed his wings. He doesn’t regret it.

Today, he finds some measure of peace in building his training room. His son is back and everything is not-quite-broken and his body still aches.

—

Wednesday:

There are too many variables, too many uncertainties. He’s placed his fingerprints on too many projects and lives, and the guilt of his cooperation and his associations claws at his lungs. Dream, neutrality in the midst of war, Dream and his prison and the damned prison rules, Quackity, Las Nevadas. He doesn’t know what he considers his worst fuck-up: Tommy’s death, the torture he’d permitted in his collaboration with Las Nevadas, his betrayal of Ponk’s love and trust, or his inability to save anyone during the banquet.

The hotel stands as a testament to his failure to protect the youngest resident of the land. He plans detours around that plot whenever he travels between the bank and the prison; the little robot stationed by the hotel tells him the boy doesn’t come by anymore, and he knows automatons don’t feel emotions, but he grieves for it anyway. He sees his valentine walking along the wooden pathways and his heart aches to see the damage he had caused. He checks the prison’s security footage and he tells himself guilt has no place in his heart for what happened. He’s surprised the captain and the god and all the rest of the banquet victims still talk to him. But they do, and it gives him hope. His friends are back and free and even though one of them is trying to start a little scuffle with a god, today he’s having fun throwing weednip around and sliding down the pyramid with his closest friends.

The present’s a gift, and he intends on cherishing this moment.

—

Thursday:

He’s building a pub because Wilbur owes him a pint. He knows that man can’t be completely trusted, not now. Not since he died by his crossbow. But it feels good to be acknowledged as someone worth an apology, someone important. He has been abandoned and pushed aside and pushed into lava pits and into hell all within the span of a few months. No one cared. He hates it, he hates the way he’s been made irrelevant and a shadow of his friends’ stories. Even his plans for revenge had been inconsequential, unfruitful: the boy had lived and his accomplice had left him to brood in his own anger.

He’s held his grudges close to his heart and he’s let them fester and he won’t admit he’s tired of it all. If he lets go, then it all disappears and he’s really, truly dead, and if this is his afterlife, if all he can do is lag after the people he cares for, then it’s a fucking shit deal. So today, he’s continuing his work on the pub because he burned down his own home and because the hotel feels too sterile and empty, because he wants to have a space built with his own two hands where he can speak and someone will finally, finally listen. It’s not quite moving on. He’ll take it anyway.

—

Friday:

She tries to live by the code of kindness and reciprocity; that’s how she lived on the high seas of her youth, or so she suspects, based on the journal she found at the site of the shipwreck. Since the day she joined this land, she has made friends and found love and taken the young residents under her wing and vowed to fight against evil. She gives stacks of items to those who need them and she fixes up the holes in the road and offers therapy on difficult days.

The world isn’t as kind as she is. A country was erased from the map for grudges she still doesn’t understand, and no one will tell her the why discs, of all things, are so important. Two boys would have lost their lives to a monster she housed, had it not been for the money Tommy paid a mercenary for his aid. She mourned the loss of Tommy’s life as she fought to keep the hotel in his name, and when he requested therapy upon his resurrection, she was horrified at the effects of trauma he’d exhibited. The friends she’d tried to pull out of the Egg’s influence celebrated a young boy’s death and killed her son. And now this man has taken her friend’s turtle hostage for no reason she can comprehend.

She’s tired. She’s breaking; they’d presumed her kindness was a weakness and maybe it is. Today, she plans on destroying the red menace on the edge of her son’s land. It’s her turn.

—

Saturday:

He’s not sure how many sandstone blocks he’s carved out of the desert at this point, nor how many quartz chips and gold nuggets he’s pulled out of the Netherworld. The villagers know him by name and chat with him when he stops by to trade for emeralds and other goods. His hands bleed gold ichor from the opened blisters dotting his hands, and burns line the edges of his fingertips. Lately, his whole world is rushing by in colors of beige and yellow, green and white and blue. The color red started it, the scramble to build more and more—and it stopped it too, if only for a little while. Ponk asked him for permission to build on his land, told him it was a gift: a peace offering and an apology and a new beginning. It’s a silly build and it doesn’t match the aesthetic of the rest of his summer home, but it warmed his heart, to see the giant red refrigerator rising up from the top of the sand dunes for the first time. Ponk built it just for him. Quackity told him he was alone, and that he didn’t matter if he didn’t assert his powers like he did in the past, and he was wrong. Ponk stays, loves him for who he is now and not for the destruction he wrought.

He doesn’t know what to do now; his father destroyed the build for some grudge she holds against his friend, and he’s exhausted. He’s tired of being pulled into conflict. A vacation from all the tension occurring on his land would not be unwarranted, at this point—a few days, a week. It sounds relaxing—and he’ll do it, he’ll take a vacation, and he’ll tell Ponk that he’s in charge of the summer home later today. He has some packing to do.

—

Sunday:

He likes to splash around the pools and fountains in Las Nevadas when he has to visit. Sometimes he’ll climb up the needle and lean on the bannisters to feel the fresh air ruffling his hair and he thinks about jumping—the air turns hot and stale and the ground burbles up in orange and red—but his brother pulls him out of it, usually. Otherwise the place is boring. He’s not allowed in the gambling den or the club, so he hovers around the forests away from Las Nevadas when Wilbur and Quackity want to speak alone.

Today is one of those days. It’s fine by him; dealing with the two of them together makes him uncomfortable, with the way they push and pull him to their sides. The cigarette smoke lingering on their breaths remind him of the ravine, the explosions from the first war-second -Logstedshire-doomsday-nukes-prison. He’s escaped, for now. The air of the forest is crisp; he can spot flowers in the meadow ahead and he plucks them to form a careless bouquet. Alliums, lilies-of-the-valley, daisies; poppies and cornflowers and dandelions. He threads them together to form crowns and rings, places one on his head and cradles the rest to his chest to stash at home. It’s been a while since he’s made them; before he moved to this land he’d make them for his brother and his brother’s father, the dogs and cows and sheep around the farm. He feels like a child again and his lips twist at the bittersweetness. He’s found himself a bubble and soon Wilbur will barge his way in to speak of his loyalties and Dream and whatever the fuck he’s stormed up with Quackity, but for now, he’ll pick flowers and make chains and chains and chains that, for once, won’t drag him down.

—

  Monday’s child is fair of face.

Tuesday’s child is full of grace.

Wednesday’s child is full of woe.

Thursday’s child has far to go.

Fridays’ child is loving and giving.

Saturday’s child works hard for a living.

And the child born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, good and gay.

[simmingonahilll]

For those of you who don't know, I figured I would post here as well. I mostly use Instagram, so everyone on there has heard the news by now. We lost my grandmother this past Sunday.

Trigger Warning: Death, Hospitalization, Sickness.

Friday, September 17th, 2021, my family (me, dad, grandma, and my boyfriend) left our homes in Minnesota/North Dakota, and flew out to California to see my big sister and meet my new nephew. We arrived late that night, and my nephew made his appearance around 5pm. We all pretty much relaxed when we got there. My sister had a C-section and was going to be in the hospital to recover for a few extra days.

Saturday, September 18th, 2021, some of us woke up late (myself and boyfriend), and others spent the morning relaxing. Around 11 am, we were all awake and decided to stop at a restaurant for breakfast, my Dad and I had been there before but it had been about ten years since we last visited.

After breakfast we headed back to the house we were renting. Grandma started to feel ill, thinking she had simply just eaten too much at the restaurant. We sat at the house for a little bit before I asked if we could take a trip to see this fountain I use to swim in as a little girl. We went for about an hour and a half, just talking together around the fountain. It was a beautiful day, and the sound of the water falling in the fountain with my family and my love there was perfect.

Sister was still in the hospital, and because of the v***s we were not able to see her yet. We found out the church I grew up in was having an event that evening. Grandma was still feeling ill, but she was fine with us going. We had a wonderful time surprising people my Dad and I hadn't seen since I was around 14.

We got home around 7 or 8pm and then started the worst night of my entire life. When we walked in the door the first thing we saw was a very sickly grandmother. The next thing I knew I was trying my best to help her, Dad was on the phone with the emergency crew, and my boyfriend was waiting outside to direct them where to go.

A short while later my grandma was in the ambulance, on her way to the hospital. None of us could go with because of c***d regulations. So for the next 4 or 5 hours we sat and waited for any information they could give us. We tried sleeping, but it was mostly laying down talking, trying our best to not over worry.

Around 2am on Sunday, we got the call. My Aunt, who is in charge of my grandmothers wishes, called me. My grandmother had an aneurysm that had burst sometime Saturday. They had an operation that could save her, but it was at another hospital. Dr's said they would need to transfer her. Given her age and condition, they didn't think she had enough strength to make it there let alone have an operation. Grandma's wishes were that if that was ever the case, where she would have less than 50% chance of survival, she would want to be let go.

Auntie let us know that the hospital would let us in to say our goodbyes before pulling the plug on the sweetest woman in the entire world's life. So the three of us went. They didn't ask if my boyfriend was a relative or not, they just let us all in (and I'm so thankful he was there). When we saw her she was asleep from the anesthesia. Her chest was moving as if she were breathing really well, but we knew it was mostly the machines.

Shortly after that, my sister began messaging me (we had called her when we first heard the news. She didn't know we were in California because it was suppose to be a surprise). She was recovering in the same hospital, just three floors above us. The nurses were trying hard to find us so they could wheel her over in a wheelchair to say her goodbyes. Before she could get there, before I could finish sending the messages to her, our grandmother took her last breath.

September 19th, 2021 was the last day of my grandmother's life.

-

We went on the trip to meet my nephew, and for grandma to meet her great grandson. We finally met him on Monday, September 20th. That day was also grandma's birthday. Just after she passed I remember turning to my Dad (her son) and saying something about how she didn't get to meet my nephew, but she does get to meet my big brother. Her obituary includes that she was preceded in death by my brother. She wrote the obit herself, and included him.

-

It's been a hard few days. Because she died in a different state it's been frustrating. We can't make any final plans because they are not able to release her body until they have certain signatures. So, for now, we wait.

If anybody out there is a believer, please be praying for my family. And also my sister as she recovers from C-section and the loss of our grandma (she will not be able to come to the funeral either, she won't have enough strength to travel).

[mari-vargas]

Ok so I’m sitting waiting for my car to get an oil change (yes…the alert popped up Monday afternoon…just a day after my whole tire adventure), and since I just told this story yet again recently (to my tow truck driver on Sunday) I figured I’d share one of my “when it rains it pours” stories about my car. This is the story I mentioned in the teaser/reminder post, about my car transmission.

So I was headed home from university for winter break one year, and I had my two cats and a friend from high school that wound up eventually following me to university. Wow I just realized how much I’d love to tell the story about this friend of mine, but it’s a whole thing in and of itself so I’ll get into that another time…maybe soon so I’ll make a bit more sense…idk it’ll be fine I’m sure.

Anyways, we lived about an eight and a half hour drive away from our university. We were about an hour and a half to two hours in to our drive, in an area looking just like any other on the main stretch of the journey and I had no clue where precisely I was. All of a sudden, my car started making a weird noise. I’m not even sure I can describe it, but I absolutely will still recognize it to this day and am terrified of hearing it. When my tire was about to blow out it started making a similar noise and it’s only because it was missing the next few things to happen that I didn’t freak out as bad as the first time my battery died. ANYWAYS after it started making a sort of…clunking sound, it started revving (which I will be perfectly honest, happens sometimes with my car especially going at higher speeds with resistance like air or a slight incline or a slight decline), but the next two things were especially weird. The needle on my rpm meter started hard swinging back and forth like a pendulum on a grandfather clock even though I was keeping a steady pressure on my accelerator…and then my acceleration started rapidly declining.

I was in the far left lane of a three lane section of the freeway, and I was rapidly decelerating without any idea why or any ability to get myself to go faster. Also couldn’t find my hazard lights because it wasn’t in the same place as the car I had learned in. Anyways…somehow, miraculously, and with an awful lot of anger on other drivers parts (mostly towards the end because I was freaking out and didn’t just stop) I managed to get all the way over before the next exit, exited, waited at a light to turn left like an absolute dummy, and very very slowly made it into the parking lot of some sort of mall or shopping center thing. Where I then parked, and proceeded to freak the heck out. My friend was freaking out too and honestly I think I had more knowledge about what to do than he did, which considering the near white out panic I was in for at least a moment there is kinda saying something. I didn’t know what was wrong with my car. I tried to compare it to things I’d seen happen and just…didn’t know. My gas was full, the battery seemed to be working, tires all fine of course (don’t even remember if I’d even thought about tires at the time). All I knew was that my car had stopped accelerating at all. Maybe there was something wrong with my accelerator? I just didn’t know. It was out of my depth for what I knew how to deal with.

I started messaging everyone—texting because autocorrect could carry me through the worst of my hands shaking, fingers slipping, and eyes blurring which were all getting in the way of my ability to call anybody. I remember talking a lot with my sister, and a bit with my dad, probably even my mom at some point (who would’ve had a significantly leveler head and some more info than my dad). My sister meanwhile was talking and relaying information back and forth with my niece’s dad who was a mechanic at several points before and during the time we knew him (honestly don’t know if he currently was or wasn’t at that exact time but knowledge and skill like his doesn’t just go away). But whatever I’m amongst all that my sister was also the first to remind me about the AAA our grandma has gotten for all of her grandkids as soon as they start driving (yes, same grandma I travel with all the time. Makes sense, no? Always glad she’s able to do that for the five us).

So I call AAA and my friend is on the phone talking with his mom. My dad, knowing I could get a tow up to 100mi, sends me the address for a steak house exactly 100mi from the shopping center I was in (and had a decent sized parking lot for trucks). Tow truck pulls up, finds out I actually really am aiming for the full 100mi, calls his boss to get clearance for the long distance tow rather than the in town tow he was told he was cleared for because he didn’t want to pass us off to someone else since I guess he was sorta attached to making sure we got through this after hearing probably a full blown spiel from me, gets the OK and loads up my little red spark which I had cracked the windows of for my cats. We all hop into the cab of the truck and he goes and gasses up and as we’re pulling out of the truck gas station, I realize where I am. My car had died just past the exit I usually would stop for coffee at. Needless to say I was a bit superstitious after that and always stopped at that coffee shop either direction after that, whether I needed coffee or not.

So he tows us to the steak house a hundred miles away and it’s dark and the tow truck driver is concerned about leaving us in the middle of nowhere but I reassured him that I have someone with a car trailer on their way already. In case you’re wondering, that would be my sister’s coparent (here on referred to as B) with mechanic experience who would also fix up friends’ cars on the side and even had a couple of project cars.

So yeah we’re waiting there my cats are fine, frustrated over not being done with being in a car yet but seemingly understanding something unusual and out of my control had happened. It’s dark and around late dinner time. There’s a chain restaurant of some kind across the way, so my friend and I walk over there to get some dinner. Before that though, we had a talk because well…we’re wandering around in the dark. Now my friend, he’s tall like super tall and has a face that would at least warn away casual glances. However. He cannot throw a punch or literally defend himself in just about any way whatsoever. Me on the other hand, I unfortunately look like easy pickings. But I can throw a punch and otherwise escape an attacker and potentially help others get away too. So we had an agreement. He’d be there looking big and tough and warning away people, but if anything actually happened I’d be the one throwing fists and feet and getting us out.

I mean, we were fine. Got our food, got back to the car, no problem. But fact remains we had to have that conversation. Anyways it was another 2-4 hours before B showed up with the trailer. But show up eventually he did and he got us loaded up and into his truck (with my cats WITH me this time) and we hit the road, dropping my friend off with his mom at around 0100 and I finally made it home about half an hour after. He left my car on his trailer to get in the morning to take to the dealership.

So the dealership takes a look at it and says “well the transmission is completely dead, good news it’s still covered under the factory warranty.” It took a good while to be replaced but it was and again it was all on warranty.

Now I said “when it rains it pours”.

I could’ve just meant it was something major, out of nowhere right? But no…unfortunately, no. This was the winter break I’d been volunteering at that museum (have I mentioned this before? Eh….) and since I didn’t have my car I borrowed my mom’s. When I finally got my car back, we decided to keep having me use my mom’s car because I’d had to register it with security so they’d know not to charge me for parking. So my car sat in the driveway for the next…let’s say two weeks before I had to head back to university (again with my friend and cats in tow).

So it’s now I think the day before I leave and my dad takes my car to the grocery store and to gas it up for me while I’m working. Only…it doesn’t start. Or gives him problems or something I don’t even know the specifics. B can’t look at it before I have to leave, so we decide to just have my mom and I swap until spring. B came over maybe halfway through my drive and found a rodent nest in the engine compartment (rabbit or rat, we’re not entirely sure). Abandoned, but it looked like they’d chewed through some wires and other connectors to make room for their home. B got it taped together just enough for it to be taken back to the dealership to be properly fixed. It was.

BUT THEN (oh you thought it was over? Haha eh… almost)

It’s not quite spring break yet so my mom and I still have each other’s cars. My mom went to turn the key (on or off I honestly don’t know) and it broke. It was apparently a bit of an adventure for her involving at least three different shops but she got it replaced.

My little red car was running beautifully by the time I got it back 🤣

[shyvioletcat]

'Staring At The Other’s Lips, Trying Not To Kiss Them, Before Giving In' sounds very firefighter au to me, lol. eventually 😂

Just want to take a moment to say thank you for everyone’s support and that I love you all.

Masterlist

~~~~~

Aelin stopped by the post office on her way home to pick up her package. A very discreetly packaged package. She was already smiling at the thought of executing her plan. Parking in the underground carpark Aelin picked up the package from the passenger seat and got out of the car. A quick look around told her that Rowan wasn’t back yet. Good. That meant she had time to sort everything out before he arrived at her apartment for the night. Then Aelin started her ascent up the stairs.

Once she finished climbing the stairs and was in her apartment Aelin opened the package straight away. She opened one of the items giving the instructions a quick read before plugging it in to charge. I second item she took with her into the bathroom, still in the packaging and hid it in the laundry basket, stowing it for later use. Then she turned on the shower.

~~~~~

Rowan had had fun today, showing Aelin’s class around. They seemed like an alright bunch of kids and hadn’t caused any trouble, which hadn’t been the case with other school groups. After he’d finished work he had come straight home and showered. On his way out of the fire station he had been bombarded with question by his coworkers about Aelin, Vaughan had been very interested whether or not she was single. He’d dodged answering as long as he could before admitting that she didn’t have a significant other. The look on Fenrys’ face when he gave up the information was surprised, to say the least. Not at the fact that she was single, more the fact that Rowan didn’t say anything about his... feelings. 

Feelings that Rowan pushed far, far away from the surface as he knocked on Aelin’s door. She answered quickly, dressed in leggings and a loose tshirt. She smiled at him moved to let him in, which he did.

“What would you like to order? I love a good carbonara myself but I didn’t know if you were a red or white sauce person,” Aelin said as she sat on the couch. 

“Do you have a menu?” Rowan asked as he sat in the armchair.

Aelin passed him her phone and Rowan flicked through the options. 

“The marinara looks good,” Rowan said as he passed the phone back. Aelin made a face. “What?”

“I’m not a fan of seafood,” Aelin said, tapping at her phone. “But it’s done, should be about 40 minutes.”

“Sounds good,” Rowan said.

There were a few beats of awkward silence then it was Aelin who spoke.

“Your colleagues seem nice. You all make quite the handsome team,” a smile quirked Aelin’s lips upwards as Rowan felt his face flush a bit.

“Ah, thank you I guess?” Rowan said with a shrug.

Aelin took on a contemplative expression. “I’m yet to decide for myself who is the handsomest, but maybe if you tell me which of them might fancy me it might help with my decision.”

Rowan choked on a laugh. “I don’t think any of them would know what to do with you.”

Aelin grinned fiendishly, which brought out a full laugh from Rowan.

“So Captain Salvaterre,” Aelin said but Rowan cut in.

“Lorcan. He would definitely not be interested.”   

Aelin straight out scoffed. “What a stupid name, and trust me I’m not either. What’s his deal?”

“I just don’t think he was made to be friendly,” Rowan explained.

“He was certainly trying with Elide,” Aelin said, her voice conveying exactly what she thought about Lorcan’s niceness towards her friend. “You looked even more surprised than I was.”

“He doesn’t love the school visits so he’ll often use his position to hide in the office, so I was surprised to see he’d brought the freebie bags out for the kids.”

“Hmm I see. What about the blond one? Not the obnoxious one, the older one. What’s his story? He looks familiar but I can’t quite place how,” Aelin said.

At the mention of Fenrys Rowan blocked out the feelings of jealousy he felt at his blatant flirting, instead he focused on Aelin’s question. “Gavriel. He transferred to our station a few years ago, bit of a travelling fireman. He’s worked in a lot of places, this is his first stint in Terrasen though.”

Aelin nodded but it seemed his explanation didn’t help her place where she might recognise him from. 

After that they fell into easy conversation as they waited for their food to arrive. When it did Aelin went down stairs to grab it, by the time she came back up she was out of breath.

“I am never living in an apartment complex without an elevator ever again,” she said as she dropped the food onto the coffee table before heading to the kitchen for some cutlery. 

Rowan got the containers out of the bag, putting Aelin’s to the side as he cracked the lid open on his own. I smelled delicious. Aelin handed him a fork and he didn’t wait any longer before he started eating, Aelin doing the same once she sat down. They ate in silence, enjoying their food.

“Did you want to try some? It is really good,” Rowan asked.

Aelin eyed him sceptically.

Rowan put a mouthful together on his fork. “Here.”

Aelin shuffled over from the far end of the couch to be closer to him. Then she didn’t extend her hand to take the fork... No. She just opened her mouth. Rowan moved the fork and tried not to focus on the way her lips moved, how they might move against his.

Aelin’s sound of surprise snapped him out f his thoughts.

“You know what? That is pretty good,” she said, smiling. “Can I have a little more?”

They both ended up sharing their pastas, but Aelin definitely ate a good third of his, more than Rowan ate of hers. But he didn’t mind at all.

~~~~~

Aelin had definitely eaten too much. She hadn’t planned to, but both the pastas had been delicious. Afterwards they put on a movie but Aelin had pretty much spent the whole time ignoring it and scrolling through her phone. When it was over she switched the TV off. 

“Bedtime?”

Rowan nodded. “I’ll go get my stuff.”

Rowan left but Aelin stayed right where she was. She needed Rowan to be in bed first for her plan to work. Indeed, there was a look of surprise on his face as Aelin was just where he left him. She didn’t say anything as she practically skipped off to the bathroom. She pulled out the package she had hidden earlier and pulled out its contents. Aelin held out her prize before her and smiled. Then she brushed her teeth and combed out her hair before taking off her leggings and tshirt. Then she slipped on the nightgown that had fortuitously been delivered today. One final check in the mirror and Aelin made her way to the bedroom.

When she got to the doorway Rowan was on his phone. But becoming aware of her presence he started to look up.

“Starting Monday I’m swapping to night -” 

Rowan words died as he took her in, his eyes raking up her body, once, twice.

Aelin’s lips spread into a feline smile.

~~~~~

Rowan forget everything he was about to say as he took in Aelin standing in the doorway. She wore a nightgown of gold, metallic gold just as he’d requested. The silk clung to her body sinfully and she looked like a living flame.

“Do you like it? It’s new. Only delivered today and I couldn’t wait to wear it,” she said coyly. 

“It’s very... nice,” Rowan said through gritted teeth. Every second he looked at her another one of those fraying threads of his self control snapped. 

“Just nice?” Aelin stalked towards the bed.

Snap, snap, snap went the threads.

“Very nice.”

Aelin slipped between her sheets but didn’t bother to pull them up past her hips. Then she stretched, arching her back.

Rowan snapped his eyes away. If he looked any longer he might do something he might regret, not regret but maybe wasn’t ready for. So instead he turned off the light on the bedside table and rolled so he wasn’t facing her.

Aelin laughed, a soft breathy sound that had his own breath catching.

“Goodnight Rowan,” Aelin said and he could hear the smile in her voice.

“’Night,” was all Rowan could say back. Anything more, anything that would keep him interacting with her for much longer was going to snap those last few threads indefinitely.

~~~~~

A soft buzzing woke Aelin up. She had put her phone under her pillow so it would wake her, and only her. She unlocked it, opening the app she had downloaded yesterday afternoon. Aelin had tested it yesterday and hoped that it  would still work this morning.

Then as softly and quietly as she could she slipped from the bed and crept around to Rowan’s side. His phone was on the bedside table which she picked up, then she opened the bottom drawer of the bedside table just a fraction. Then on catlike feet she left the bedroom. 

She dropped Rowan’s phone on the kitchen bench. Aelin really thought the nightgown would be his undoing, and she’d freely admit that she was surprised when it wasn’t. She was getting impatient and was contemplating putting her games aside and make the first move. Either way, she was not passing up the chance to use this joke on Rowan.

Aelin softly padded back to the doorway of her bedroom, leaning on the wall beside it. This was as far as far as she could get away from it, any further and it lost signal. Pulling up the app again and biting her bottom lip between her teeth Aelin pressed on. A dull vibrating noise sounded from the drawer, Aelin quickly changed the setting so it more closely mimicked Rowan’s alarm. She heard the bed shifting, and then Rowan groaning. Then he was slapping around on the bedside table as he searched for his phone. Finally, Aelin heard the bottom drawer roll open.

Rowan let out a surprised sound that almost sounded like a yelp, and Aelin bit down on her lip harder as he yelled a very frustrated utterance of her name. Then there was stomping and Rowan burst through the door.

His hair was mussed from sleep and he looked entirely too handsome as he searched for her. His eyes were blazing as he spotted her by the door.

“Seriously?” Was all he said and Aelin burst into laughter.

~~~~~

Aelin stood there leaning against the wall laughing. Laughing at her little joke that had him pulling a small vibrator from her bottom drawer just like she’d insinuated a few mornings ago. He saw the drawer open as in his sleep addled brain he assumed that his phone had fallen in. But it wasn’t his phone.

It was a little purple vibrator.

Aelin kept laughing, still wearing that nightgown that had him thinking all kinds of indecent things. But she looked beautiful, he face lit up by the happiness of her plan working out exactly as she wanted it to.

Rowan whirled on her, his hands bracing either side of her head. 

“You think you’re hilarious,” he said, his voice still a bit coarse from sleep.

She looked up at him, her laughter lessening, but her eyes still bright. “I know I’m hilarious.”

Then she smiled at him and the energy between them changed into something else, just like that. Rowan couldn’t help but look at those wicked lips of hers, as they quirked up at the corners so invitingly. The air around them became electric, crackling, just waiting for that spark to set them both on fire. Aelin must have felt it too because her eyes darted his lips and then back to his eyes, a challenge there.

“See something you like, Fireman Whitethorn?” Aelin asked him the same question she had the night he first burst through her door.

He did, he really did. Just like he had that first night. 

Rowan’s eyes slid down back to her lips, lingering there. In his mind he heard those last few strands of his self control snap. Then he was leaning into Aelin, a soft gasp slipping through those beautiful lips at the contact. He lent down, their lips so close he could almost taste her...

A loud banging on the door had him pushing away from her, the shock of the interruption killing the mood. The knock sounded again and Aelin’s face told him she was pissed off and was ready to rip the intruder to shreds. 

“Coming!” She yelled then disappeared into her bedroom for a moment.

When she came back out she was tying a robe around herself. She angrily pulled the lock from its place a flung the door open. 

There, in the doorway was their landlord, his unnervingly grey eyes taking in the scene before him.

Then he drawled, “I hope I’m not interrupting something.”

~~~~~

K guys. I need you to not hate me and trust me. *on my knees* Please? I love you.

Tags:  @tangledraysofsunshine // @nalgenewhore // @highqueenofelfhame // @galyxsy // @fucking-winchester-trash // @literary-licorice // @http-itsrebecca // @highladyofthesith // @aelinfire-bringer // @soup-that-is-too-hawt // @sleep-and-books // @3am-reading // @average-girl-at-best // @but-she-was-aelin-galathynius // @rowaelinforeverworld // @alifletcher2012 // @westofmoon // @tswaney17 // @mydarlingfireheart // @rowansfirebringer // @chocolate-eating-bitch-queen // @vanilla2806 // @fireheart-of-your-dreams // @enquires-state-building // @im-not-rare-im-rarr // @your-high-lady // @mariamuses // @ttakeitbacknoww // @vi0let-femmes // @kindofawalkingpoem // @sleeping-and-books // @armixers-unite // @velarian-trash // @queenofxhearts // @princess-galathynius // @heroesofterrasen // @ladyofstoriesandmusic // @unassumingsodalovesherbooks // @empire-of-wildfire // @brittneym15 // @camerooonchiu // @worldoffae // @mybbyfeyre // @crackedship // @lowhangingtreebranches // @over300books // @yourwhisperingshadows //  @thesirenwashere // @pilesofriles // @chemicha // @keshavomit // @sarahbringsoutmygay13 // @wifeofchrishemsworth // @impossiblescissorspeachpaper // @cat5313 // @judelovescardan // @illyrian-velaris // @flowerspringsea // @whitethorn15 // @whiskeybusiness1776 // @notaddictedtoanything // @thereaderandfangirl

[ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes]

Roguish Women Part 33

Summary: Kate is an American who fled to Paris to escape her past life. Now she's dancing and playing the part of a courtesan at the Moulin Rouge. There she meets Tommy Shelby who thinks she can be useful in expanding his empire. But has he been blinded?

Part 33:  Kate finds solace in her new friends and Tommy wants to escape for a bit. 

            When Michael returned to the office, it was tense, to say the least. He and Tommy got into shouting matches a few times and everyone could clearly hear them in the office. But it seemed that Michael was too invested in the company to let things get in the way. As well as Tommy wasn’t willing to give up his accountant.

            So, things died down a couple of weeks after he returned. Meanwhile, the deal was written and the company was now working with the Forty Elephants. Kate kept in regular contact with Alice and Maggie, building a repertoire as she did with Alfie. Of course, like with Alfie, she found she enjoyed the women’s company. They were women who understood her, understood the things she did. Before, Kate had no one who really understood her other than a group of men. Still, how could they understand what it was like to be a woman in their line of work?

            So, being friends with Alice and the rest of her close cohorts was refreshing.

             “So, Alfie told me you were in Boston for some time.”

            Kate had invited Alice and a few of the other women to join her for lunch at Arrow House. Maggie came along as well as Ruby Sparks and Lillian Goldstein. What looked like a typical ladies' lunch out on the patio was actually a gathering of some of the most dangerous women Britain had ever seen. And Kate felt right at home with them.

            “There were things from my past that caught up with me,” Kate admitted. “Things I needed to take care of.”

            While Alice looked genuinely interested, Maggie seemed a bit more intent on digging for anything that might garner mistrust. The contract was signed, but that didn’t mean they completely trusted each other yet. They were women who knew the true value of loyalty and how rare it was to find.

            “Stuff like what?” Maggie inquired.

            “A man I had dealings with.” Kate realized that there was no reason to skimp on details. These girls would understand. “I hired him to kill the man who killed my mother. A man in the Chicago Outfit. I promised him money for doing it but fell through. The deal was either I paid or I married him.”

            Ruby made a noise of disgust. “Fucking pig. Who on Earth does he think he is?”

            It made her smile a bit even though the memory was so painful. “He caught up to me eventually so I had to return to Boston.”

            “Do you need him killed?” Alice asked bluntly. “You name the day and way, love.”

            “Fucking castrate him and throw him out on the streets,” Ruby muttered into her teacup.

            “Thank you, but he’s dead,” Kate assured them. It was different, hearing them become angry about it. The reactions were similar to Alfie and Tommy. They all wanted to kill the man who treated her poorly. But Alice and the others were acting on empathy instead of sympathy. They understood the plight of being a woman. Struggling under the thumb of a man. They understood the anger and desire to change the tides. To make other men feel the pressure on the back of their necks. It was a shared existence. And as hard as he could try, Tommy wouldn’t understand.

            “Good.” Alice nodded. “You killed him?”

            “I wouldn’t let him kill me.” Her voice quieted as her brow furrowed in thought. “He took so much from me.”

            Lillian, who seemed to be the gentlest of the group touched Kate’s arm. “You’re still standing. You’re still here. He couldn’t take that away from you.”

            She nodded, not sure what else to say about the matter. There was comfort in knowing she had allies who understood. Then, Kate noticed the ring on Lillian’s finger. “Oh, I didn’t know you were married.”

            Alice, Maggie, and Ruby all snorted. “I’m not, technically.” Lillian looked to Ruby at her right. “Ruby and I…”

            It took a moment for Kate to connect the dots but she finally realized when they looked at each other. “Oh, oh of course. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”

            Maggie studied Kate’s reaction with scrutiny. “It’s something we accept.” She spoke in a firm tone as if to ward off any criticism.

            “Of course, no I…I completely understand,” Kate assured them. “There are no rules when it comes to love, least not in my eyes.”

            Lillian smiled as Ruby reached for her hand. Both of them seemed relieved to act normally around Kate. There wasn’t anything to hide between the women.

            “We hope your men understand that as well,” Alice added.

            “Well, I can certainly talk to Tommy about it if you want me to. But I wouldn’t call them my men.” She laughed softly. “I don’t call the shots around the company.”

            Alice just shook her head with an amused look. “Men can think they’re in control, but it’s usually not the case. It’s usually the woman behind him.”

            “Yeah, the one who’s got his balls in her purse.” Maggie quipped making them all burst out into laughter.

            Kate realized how nice it was to laugh again.

 ~~~~~~~

            That same night, Tommy came home earlier than usual. Kate found him downstairs smoking a cigarette and flipped through some mail.

            He smiled when he saw her walk into his study. “Did you have a nice lunch today?” He asked. “Mary said you four were in stitches the whole time.”

            Kate laughed softly. “They’re very fun to be around.” She agreed.

            “All they do is give me the cold shoulder.”

            “Hm, maybe it’s how you come across.” She walked over to him, adjusting the collar of his shirt to turn his attention away from the mail in his hand. “I wasn’t very fond of you at first.”

            “That’s not true, you liked me.” He dropped the envelopes to pull her close.

            “Eh, you were difficult to like. At least you’re handsome.” She teased.

            He scoffed and shook his head. “Those women are a bad influence on you.” He joked.

            Kate laughed and ran her fingers through his hair. “It’s nice to have other women to talk to. It’s boring talking to men all day.”

            “Hm.” He hummed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

            “But I am glad to see you again.” She murmured and kissed him.

            He deepened the kiss, pressing his hands to the small of her back. But he knew it was up to her to lead. There had been a few times when Tommy overstepped, getting carried away with the moment and Kate shied away. She said it wasn’t his fault, but he knew he was responsible for making her feel safe.

            She pulled away and hugged him close, inhaling his cologne mixed with cigarettes to feel at home again.

            He lightly peppered kisses down her jaw and neck, holding her tenderly. “Want to go away with me this weekend?” He asked.

            “Sure, where to?” A little break sounded like heaven to her.

            “Doncaster. I’m going to buy another racehorse and there’s an auction there on Monday. But I figure we could make it a longer trip. If you’d like.”

            “That sounds perfect.”

            “We could make a week of it.” He proposed. “Go further north, somewhere on the ocean. Scarborough has a nice place to stay by the water.”

            Kate lifted her head to look at him. “I’ll follow you wherever, Tommy Shelby.”

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

            “Morning, Kate.” Michael greeted her as she entered the office.

            “Michael, how are you?”

            Tommy’s cousin didn’t answer because he noticed she had a luggage case with her. “Are you going somewhere?” He asked.

            “Tommy and I are leaving this afternoon for Doncaster then to Scarborough.” She answered, setting her case down so she could take a paper that Michael was holding out for her.

            The young man seemed a little disgruntled at the fact that his cousin was taking the time to have a holiday while the rest of the family was in turmoil. But there was little he could say or do. Mentioning anything would only lead to another argument. And Michael didn’t have the energy. He was only barely making it by, using snow to keep from crashing as he worked tireless hours.

            “I suspect he’s getting another horse,” Michael noted, remembering the last time he went to Doncaster with the rest of the family. When they were all still speaking to each other. Before the terrible nightmares, he had.

            “I suppose. I guess we’ll see when we get there.” Kate looked to the door. Tommy had followed her into the building but stayed on the first floor to speak with some of the workers. “How is your mom?” She asked. Seldom could she ask Tommy about the others. He never wanted to talk about what happened and always cast aside her concern.

            Michael sighed. “She’s not well. S’been seeing things because of the tablets they have her on.” He admitted. “Talks to spirits.”

            Kate had always known Polly as the strong, woman in charge. Secure and reliable, it was hard to hear how the imprisonment had such a negative effect on her. It didn’t matter how strong one was, there was always something that could break them. “I’ve tried to talk to Tommy about everything, I really have but…”

            “I know.” Michael nodded. “It’s okay, Kate, it’s not your place to fix things. It’s Tommy’s responsibility.” He scrubbed a hand over his weary eyes. “But they’re all too headstrong to face each other.”

            “Right, I’m aware.” She agreed, still glancing at the door every so often just to see if Tommy would walk in. She didn’t mind if he heard her talking about his family. But she also didn’t want the subject to sour their trip together. “And John and Arthur?”

            “Out in the countryside. Linda’s due any day now.” Michael figured. “Ada said she’d tell me when the baby was born. He won’t talk to me. Ada’s been…well the buffer I suppose.” He mumbled.

            “I haven’t spoken to her in a bit.” Kate admitted. She’d been so caught up in the deal with the Forty Elephants that she’d neglected to stay in touch.

            “Tommy’s sending her to Boston soon.” Michael shrugged. “Guess he’s got plans out there.”

            Kate’s heart nearly stopped. “What?”

            He looked at her blankly. “He didn’t tell you?”

            “No…no he didn’t.” She cursed under her breath. “I’m going to leave this here for a moment.” She said, gesturing to her luggage before leaving. “I need to find Tommy.”  

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Masterpost

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[halo20601]

Her Real Family -- Owl House One-Shot FanFic.

Author's Note: I wrote this story yesterday (Sunday), but as I was editing it, the power went out for the rest of the night. So, as I was putting the last touches on it today (Monday), the promo for the Season Finale came out. To those who are reading my Owl House x DC Universe Crossover, I'm still working on it; this was just something I wanted to get out before the promo was released — which didn't end up being the case. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one-shot.

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Luz had broken into the Conformatorium successfully. Now all that was left to do was find Eda and bring her back. Back to the Owl House... and to herself. She had her glyphs, the Witch's Wool cloak Eda made for her, and her backpack — which contained what she hoped would be the cure. But one problem stood in her way.

"What are you doing here?" Lilith demanded. "I thought I told you to go back to the Human Realm."

"I'm not going anywhere while Eda needs me!" Luz shouted.

"I should've known her little pet would've been as stubborn as her." Lilith summoned her staff. "But I didn't think you'd be foolish enough to come alone."

"I didn't."

King let out a squeak of rage as he jumped on and bit down on Lilith's arm. "Ahhhhhhhh!" The Emperor's Witch cried in pain, trying to shake King off. "Get off of me!"

"Go 'ind E'a! Go 'ind E'a!" King repeated as he kept his jaws clamped on her arm, swinging around.

Luz nodded and shot straight for the stairs.

Lilith continued shaking her arm. "Get off me, you insolent little…"

"Ne'er!" King continued to rebel.

"That does it!" Lilith drew a circle and generated electricity in her hand. She grabbed the little demon with it.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" King screamed and was forced to let go, dropping to the ground.

"I will not let a Human undo everything I've worked for!" Lilith picked King up by the back of his neck before following Luz.

Speaking of which, Luz kept running up the flights of stairs and looking into the different rooms for any sign of Eda. A giant owl monster won't be that hard to miss.

"Stop, right there!" A deep and familiar voice said as Luz turned around. It was Warden Wrath. "I know you. You're the Human that thwarted my plans with the Owl Lady." He approached Luz with his massive hands holding something.

Luz took out her notepad and prepared some Fire spells. "I'm freeing Eda. And I'm not going to let you stop me."

"Stop you?" The Warden seemed confused. "I'm not going to stop you. I'm going to help you."

Now Luz was the confused one. "Tú eres qué?" Warden Wrath opened his hands to reveal, "Owlbert!" The Palisman flew over to Luz and rubbed against her cheek. "I missed you, too."

"I got to him before Emperor Belos could crack him open." Owlbert attested the claim with a hoot.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I saw the creature they dragged in and was shocked to learn it was the Witch who's heart I am after. But I also heard what they had to do to get her. I may have done cruel things, but I would never do what was done. I know where Eda is and can take you to her."

Luz looked down at Owlbert, who affirmed what Wrath said with a hoot. "Alright, but I only trust you because Owlbert trusts you."

"Follow me." Wrath began leading the way but stopped. "By the way, if we make it out of this alive, could you put in a good word for me for Eda?"

"If we make it out of this alive, I'll consider it."

"Works for me."

Luz followed Wrath further up the stairs until they came across a large cage where the Owl Beast slammed against the bars to free itself. "Eda!" Luz called out. Her mentor's cursed form just shrieked at her, and Owlbert hid behind her in fear. "Why is she still like this? I thought the Emperor could cure her?"

"From what I've heard, this curse is beyond the Emperor's power."

"Don't worry, Eda. We're going to get you out of here."

"I'll need to sedate her before opening the cage." Wrath said as he walked over to a box on the wall with the Healing Coven's symbol. But before he could reach for it, a Fireball struck him from behind, and he collapsed to the ground.

Luz turned around and spotted Lilith with a struggling King in hand. "You're not going anywhere."

"Let me go! I'll pulverize you!" The squirming demon threatened.

"Let King go!" Luz demanded.

"I knew I should've finished you off when I had the chance. I won't make the same mistake again."

"My friends, Willow and Gus, they know what kind of person you are. And Amity, too. We told her. If I fail, they'll find a way to free Eda."

"Then I'll deal with them like how I'll deal with you."

Luz was stunned at what she just heard. "You… You would kill your apprentice."

Lilith narrowed her eyes. "If I must."

Luz realized that there was no negotiating with her, and she was not going to let her hurt her friends. She pasted two Light glyphs onto her hands and charged at Lilith, who held King out like a shield — just like she did with her to capture Eda. Luz leaped into the air and clapped the glyphs together. The radiance was so bright that it forced Lilith to shield her eyes and drop King in the process. The little demon scampered away, and Luz stepped back while Lilith was disoriented.

Eda continued to shriek and slam herself against the bars. "King." Luz ran over to her friend and handed him the backpack. "I need you to help make Eda remember who she is."

"Do you think this will work?" He asked.

"I h…" Luz paused. "I know it'll work."

"You little brat." Lilith spat as her vision returned.

"I'll keep her busy." Luz took out three Plant glyphs and sent a trio of large vines after Lilith.

Enraged at her defiance, Lilith spun her staff and sent a stream of blue fire at the girl, burning the vines to ash. Luz took the Witch's Wool to shield herself as the blast sent her flying into the next room. The magical cloak prevented her from being burned, but it did not dampen the impact. Before she could react, Lilith teleported into the room and smacked Luz across the face with her staff, sending her farther back.

"You're out of your league, child." Lilith taunted. "Your powers are just cheap parlor tricks compared to mine."

"Probably," Luz responded as she stood up, she touched her runny nose and saw blood on her fingers. "But I'm still going to beat you."

Lilith chuckled. "You beat me? You're just an insignificant Human who wound up here just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. There's nothing special about you. There never was. But if this is how you wish to die…"

"Maybe you're right, but what you think of me doesn't matter. I know who I am. And I'm not going home without Eda. Bailemos, Bruja!"

Lilith scowled at the girl and dashed towards her with blue flames trailing behind. Luz managed to roll out of the way and slammed an Ice glyph onto the ground. The pillar shot up and hit Lilith in the stomach. She stumbled back before, but quickly regained her balance and countered with a Fireball. Luz protected herself with the cloak, but the impact still knocked out the wind from her lungs, and a second one did so again.

She looked up as Lilith was about to bring her staff down on her. Luz tumbled out of the way and used a Fire glyph to burn Lilith's feet. Lilith yelped in pain and smacked Luz upside the head with her staff. Luz sent another vine to hit Lilith in the face with, but she sliced it apart with a blade of fire then tossed it at the girl. Luz managed to duck from the blade but wasn't fast enough to avoid another hit to the face.

"I don't know why I was expecting a challenge." Lilith continued to taunt. "No one is a match for me. I'm the leader of the Emperor's Coven for a reason."

"Alguna vez se calla?" Luz cursed to herself. All she's ever said is how great she is; on and on about how great she is, and… Luz came to realize something. She figured out Lilith's weakness. A weakness that she should've seen upon learning it was her who cursed Eda. "So that's what all of this has been about."

Luz took out three Plant glyphs and Fire glyphs and slammed them on the ground at the same time. More vines came at Lilith, who smirked as she cut them apart with another fire blade, which triggered the Fire spell and made them explode like a bomb. The impact slammed Lilith into a wall, while Luz used her cloak to keep her skin safe.

"What was that?" Lilith questioned.

"It's called being creative; something Eda taught me," Luz responded with renewed confidence.

The anger in Lilith's expression became more pronounced. "Magic isn't supposed to be used like that! It's dangerous!"

"Eda, and I prefer clever." Luz slammed her Fire and Ice glyphs together and filled the room up with steam. This distracted Lilith enough for Luz to sneak away, but Lilith saw where she was going and pursued.

Meanwhile, King opened the backpack. Inside was a collection of items; reminders of the various hijinks the trio had gotten into the last couple of months. They believe that the Eda they know is somewhere inside the Owl Beast, and they just need to bring her out.

"Eda, do you remember this?" King asked as he showed her the tiny crown Luz gave him after they broke into the Conformatorium the first time around. The Owl Beast just shrieked. "Or this?" King held the fake map that Luz was duped into that one time. But the Owl Beast continued to shriek. "Maybe this will work." King took out the sparkly pen and turned it on. Owl Eda was immediately entranced by it like she was before. "Do you remember?" The batteries then died, and Eda shrieked again. "Eda, I know you're in there. Luz needs you."

The backpack tipped over, and a picture fell out. It was a recent one; featuring Eda, King, Hooty, Willow, Gus, Amity, and, "L… Lu…"

King gasped. "What did you say?"

"L… Lu…" The Owl Beast was trying to make words.

"Yes, that's Luz. Your apprentice. The Human who came into our lives and made it better. She's here, and she's fighting your sister to save you. She's fighting your sister because she loves you; because we all love you. You need to remember. You need to come back to us."

"L… Lu… L… Lu… Luz…" The beast's black eyes began dissolving back to their original color slowly… and something more.

As that was happening, Lilith followed Luz into a new room. It was completely dark, save for the light of her staff, and there were many columns where the girl could hide behind. "Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are." Lilith crooned. She saw something move to her left. "Found you!" She launched a Fireball and destroyed the column. The destroyed support glowed with the symbol of an Ice glyph, which shot out and slammed into her frame. Lilith's frustration continued growing. "Show yourself, you coward!"

"I'm the coward?" Luz's voice echoed throughout the room. "That's rich coming from you."

Lilith thought she spotted Luz again and cast another spell, only to trigger a Plant glyph that smacked her across the face. "You don't belong here! Edalyn is with her real family!"

"Her real family? The real family that cursed her?" Lilith cast another spell upon seeing a shadow move, only to trigger another trap, with a Fire glyph this time. "I think I finally understand you now."

"And what, pray tell, do you understand?"

"The way Eda talked about you, I always assumed you joined the Emperor's Coven out of some crazy belief you have about him. But now I realize what it's always been about. Your ego." Lilith cast another spell and triggered another Plant glyph. "You were jealous of what Eda could do. That she was a more powerful Witch than you were. Heck, I bet if she joined the Coven, she would be The Emperor's favorite instead of you."

"You know nothing! All Edalyn did was squander her potential! She didn't deserve the power she had!" Lilith's anger continued to grow, and her spells became sloppier with each cast. She didn't care if she triggered more traps and inflicted more pain to herself; she wanted to shut Luz up.

"So, you had to curse your sister as a child to prove a point. But all it proves is that you were pitiful then as you are now."

"I'm not listening to this!" Lilith continued to cast more spells and trigger more traps. Her once pristine dress was damaged, her face bruised and scarred, and her straight hair was a frantic mess.

"I can't believe I was afraid of you. Lilith of the Emperor's Coven isn't a real Witch at all. Lilith of the Emperor's Coven is just a complete joke." Luz began to laugh. "And not even the good kind."

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop laughing!"

"You couldn't even beat Eda without giving her a handicap or without a hostage to hide behind."

"I command you to stop laughing!"

"And you know what I can't tell is funnier. That Eda's more of a true Witch than you'll ever be! Or that I'm more of a true Witch than you'll ever be!"

Lilith's rage reached its peak. "YOU ARE NOT A WITCH!" She cast the most powerful spell she could muster in her current state as blue flames enveloped everything. The fire spread across the room and broke apart the columns and burnt away the glyphs before they could activate. The entire room trembled as the roof above began to collapse all around.

If it weren't for the Witch's Wool, it would've been the end of Luz. Even though she wasn't burned, the blast caused her cloak to be undone and be blown away. The girl tried making it into the next room while avoiding everything collapsing around her. But she tripped, and rubble fell onto her. "Ahhhhhhhh!" She cried from the pain and soon realized she couldn't feel her legs. She tried pushing the rocks off, but they wouldn't budge.

"There you are." Lilith walked over to her in an unhinged manner. Luz looked for her glyphs and saw they were gathered in a pile next to her. She tried reaching for them, but they were set ablaze. Lilith threw her staff aside, got on top of the pinned girl, and enveloped her fingers around her throat. Luz struggled to breathe as she tried to force Lilith off, or free her throat, but couldn't do anything. "You're not a real Witch! So, you don't deserve to die like one!" She had a deranged smile on her face and a look of satisfaction in seeing Luz's life slip away. The girl thought that this was the end of the line... She was going to die here...

"Get your hands off my apprentice!" Before Lilith could process it, the mother of all Fireballs struck her in the back and sent her toppling off Luz and slamming right into a wall.

Luz took in several deep breaths and looked up to see a blazing shape of magical energy enveloping the shadowy silhouette of, "Eda!" Luz's eyes were filled with tears.

"Sorry for being late, kid." The Owl lady said as she floated over to her.

King ran up from behind Eda, with Owlbert perched on his head, huffing and puffing. "You… are… really… fast…"

"How?" Lilith said as she forced herself up. "How are you back to normal? Answer me!"

"If you'll excuse me for one second, Luz." Eda glared at Lilith. "I have some unfinished business I need to take care of."

Lilith called for her staff, but Eda cast a spell to burn every part of it, except for the Palisman. Lilith cast spell after spell, each attack fueled by hatred, but Eda managed to deflect or avoid them. Lilith screamed as she unleashed her most potent spells, only for Eda to do so in turn. But the Owl Lady's spells overpowered Lilith's and sent her through the wall and kept on going until she landed into the middle of an empty cell. Before she could even stand, Eda appeared right in front of Lilith and pinned her against the wall.

"How is this…" Lilith tried mustering the words.

"No more words from you!" Eda snapped. "Now you're going to listen to me, sister. I will never join any Coven, especially the Emperor's Coven. I will never forgive you for what you did to me, to Luz, and to everyone I care about. And if you ever come near any of us again, I will end you."

Lilith looked over Eda's shoulder and saw King and Owlbert putting all the effort they could into freeing Luz. "You would choose them over your real family?"

"They are my real family." With that said, Eda left Lilith where she was and flew back to the people who put their lives on the line to save her. The energy surrounding Eda finally dissipated, revealing…

"Eda, your hair," Luz said. Her teacher's hair was no longer the elderly grey it once was, but bright orange. The features of her face changed, too; she still looked old but had a bit more youthfulness. "Does that mean the curse…"

"It's gone. I don't know how, but it's gone."

"Maybe it was the power of our love that broke it. Just like I thought it would."

"Kid, please, that sounds like a bunch of mushy stuff from your books."

Luz sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Eda roller her eyes. "But I won't rule out the possibility. Can you walk?"

"I can stand, but I'll need some help."

"I got you." Eda pulled Luz up and let her lean against her.

Owlbert flew by and dropped the Witch's Wool cloak on the girl's head. "Thanks, Owlbert."

Lilith stepped out of the cell; her eyes still full of madness and envy. "No! I won't accept this!" She shouted as she eyed Luz and cast a spell intended to strike her.

But Eda sensed the oncoming attack and deflected it right back at her sister, striking her gemstone and sending falling back. "It's over, Lily," Eda told her. "Stay down."

Lilith pointed at Eda. "It'll never be over while you're still free. Emperor Belos won't stop until…" Suddenly, plumage emerged from her arm. "No. No!"

Eda and Luz gasped as they saw what was happening. "She cursed herself."

Lilith's body began contorting, snapping and bending in unnatural ways as more feathers began to sprout. "Edalyn! Help me! Sister, please!"

Eda was about to step forward to help but stopped and — with a frigid glare — told Lilith, "You're the smart one. So, help yourself."

"Edalyn! Edalyn!" Lilith continued crying and changed until all that stood was a beast twice her size and had the appearance of a raven. What goes around, comes around. The transformed Lilith shrieked and charged at the prey in front of her. But the cell door suddenly closed shut, and the Raven Beast slammed into them, still screeching.

Luz, Eda, and King turned around and saw that Warden Wrath pulled a lever down. "That won't hold her for long. She'll need a new cell. You should all leave while you have the chance."

"Thank you, Warden," Luz said.

"So, are you going to hold up your end of the deal?"

"Of course."

"Yes, score for Warden Wrath."

"Great, now can we go home?" King asked. "I need to bake Luz a new cake for me to pop out of."

"And what deal is he talking about?" Eda asked her apprentice.

"I'll tell you when we get home," Luz replied.

The outlaws of the Boiling Isles took their leave, as they will have a long way down to go. Eda looked back for a moment and saw the transformed Lilith continuing to slam against the cell and shriek. The Owl Lady did hold some regret about what has happened to her sister. But if she's being honest with herself, she and Lilith haven't been sisters since they were kids.

[admiralty-xfd]

This is chapter three, to read chapters one and two on Tumblr click here. To read on A03 click here. 

Scully woke up in his arms.

For a moment, she experienced the brief confusion of a person who hadn’t been held in years; not like this, at least. That confusion melted into contentment when she saw Mulder, breathing gently next to her.

She watched him sleeping, studying his face. It was drawn up into a slightly thoughtful look, as if he were in the middle of a dream; his eyelids fluttering, his lips slightly parted. There was a tiny pi symbol indented into the skin between his eyebrows giving him that look he had on days when he was particularly exasperated with her.

He really was beautiful. It wasn’t that she hadn’t properly acknowledged it before; she’d just never felt like she had the right to. Any pretense they’d maintained over the past few years that they were strictly friendly, strictly professional, all of that had flown out the window last night. She was happy to look, to admire. Surely she’d earned it.

Vivid flashbacks coursed through her mind: the way he’d clung to her desperately when she threw her head back and moaned, his plump lips pressed against her breasts, catching her sweat. How he’d brought her to climax more skillfully and diligently than she’d ever imagined he could (twice). How he’d cried out her name when he came inside her.

How much she’d needed all of it.

It was still dark outside, but from the look of the clock on his nightstand it wouldn’t be for long. He hadn’t stirred, and she had an overwhelming desire for coffee, so she slipped out of his arms and crept into his kitchen.

The last time she’d stayed overnight at his place was only a few nights ago, after his mother had died. The coffee mug she’d used that morning was still sitting on the counter, a half inch of cold coffee and its own developing ecosystem inside, right next to Mulder’s. Typically she’d be annoyed with herself for leaving it, but they’d left in a hurry that morning, for obvious reasons.

She prepared the coffee and as she waited for it to perk, she washed and dried the mugs. Mulder had no creamer, or milk, even, at least none that hadn't expired. She had no idea where he kept the sugar and was afraid poking around his kitchen would wake him, so she drank it black.

It was bitter, and as it went down her throat, for the first time since she’d awakened a terrifying thought entered her mind.

What have we done?

***

“Hey,” came Scully’s voice as she gently nudged him. “I’m sorry to wake you, but… I have to go home.”

Mulder blinked as the world came into focus. He felt foggy, untethered. He didn’t think he’d slept so hard in his entire life and he was pretty sure finally getting laid by Dana Scully was the primary culprit.

She was sitting next to him on the edge of the bed, fully clothed. He was naked beneath his sheet and felt a bit vulnerable.

“Um.” He sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Okay.”

“I made coffee,” she offered, setting his mug down on the nightstand.

“Thanks,” he said gently. Why was she leaving? Something felt wrong. “Is everything… all right?”

She smiled. “Everything is fine, I just have to go home. I have some stuff to do this weekend.”

He looked her in the eye and knew this was a classic Scully retreat. She always threw in the towel too early, before things could get real, before things could shake her. She was a master at it, and apparently even life-altering sex was no match for her skills.

He wanted to say something, to make her stay, to figure out a way to talk about all of this, but he couldn’t think of how.

“Okay.” It seemed to be the only word his mouth could form lately.

She smiled and looked down at him tenderly. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. “Last night was…” he searched for a word that could properly encapsulate how transcendent last night had been for him. That word didn’t exist, so he couldn’t say it.

“Propitious?” she offered.

“I was going to say something more along the lines of... hot as fuck,” he laughed. She blushed, blushed, for god’s sake, he’d been buried inside her a few hours ago, and when she leaned down to kiss him goodbye he knew he was done for.

This was it, him and Scully, it had finally happened. He’d known for years there could never be another, not for him, which is precisely why he’d avoided this very scenario for so long. It had to be her decision, her push forward, and when she’d finally made it last night he felt as if his life had begun anew. Their timing had finally, finally been perfect.

So why did she have to go?

She pulled back and ruffled his hair in that way she did, only now instead of a friendly gesture on her part, he could almost pretend it was love.

“Can I call you later?” he asked, feeling stupid. He never asked to call Scully, he called whenever he wanted to, day or night. And she always answered. Everything felt different now.

“Yes, of course you can.”

She still sounded a bit off, a bit awkward. He felt resigned: of course things would be awkward. Of course this wouldn’t just magically be perfect. They’d been friends for so long and now this seismic event had occurred. Their worlds would be forever different, no matter how they decided to move forward.

She got up and began to exit his bedroom, and he knew this was one of the times he should definitely not follow her. But he didn’t want her to leave on an uncertain note.

“Hey Scully.”

She turned. “Yeah?”

He smiled, in what he hoped was a reassuring way. “I’m really happy you came over last night.”

She fingered the door frame in a nervous way, but her smile was the same Scully smile that made his heart melt every time. A sense of relief, however small, settled upon him.

“I am too, Mulder.” She walked out of his view and he heard the door open and close.

He believed her. He had to.

***

Mulder didn’t call that day, nor did he the day after.

Scully wasn’t surprised. It was their usual method of dealing with things, and although her ability to waltz around a heated moment with grace and come out of it unscathed was unmatched, Mulder certainly gave her a run for her money. Together, they were quite the pair.

The sex had been amazing, dare she say perfect? It all felt so right, almost fated. She didn’t regret what had happened, not at all. But she did feel like she’d been careless, perhaps, even irresponsible. Mulder had just been through such a trauma and maybe she’d taken advantage. It hadn’t occurred to her in the moment, even when she realized she finally wanted to do this: the possible ramifications of their actions and the effect it might have on his state of mind.

He’d seemed content enough when she’d left that morning, but her concern for him was real. It was strange that he hadn’t called her all weekend. She could only hope that things wouldn’t be terribly awkward when they saw each other again.

On Monday she showed up at work earlier than usual, anticipating seeing him but dreading it at the same time. She wanted to be there first, but she had absolutely no plan for what to do when he showed up. For all the times she’d imagined moving forward with him romantically, she’d never really anticipated how they would move forward as partners afterwards.

Could they, even? Had they started something that would put an end to the X-Files as they knew it?

She heard the elevator arriving, dinging, his familiar steps echoing closer. Everything felt like it was moving in slow-motion. She’d left the door open, perhaps a subconscious signal that she intended to let him decide what their next move would be.

He appeared in the doorway holding a cup of coffee and a sheepish grin. “I come in peace,” he said, with a high-pitched alien affect.

She smiled, wanting to put him at ease. Taking the coffee from him with a thanks, she sipped it. It was prepared perfectly, exactly the way she liked it.

They just stared at each other for several seconds, and it was hard to look at his mouth and not want to kiss it.

“So,” she said, setting the coffee on the desk behind her.

“So.”

“You didn’t call.”

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to,” he admitted.

She looked at him from beneath hooded eyelids. “I wanted you to.”

The sexual tension in the air around them had always existed, but it was even worse now because it was rife with expectation. They’d done it before. They could do it again. And again.

Suddenly he was charging forward, and his lips were on hers once again, a hand in her hair, the other on her waist. It wasn’t a soft kiss, or a sweet one; it was insatiable hunger, and she felt it, too. She opened her mouth to let him in and he pressed her back into his desk as they devoured each other.

Well, she thought, I guess this is how it’s going to be now.  

His hand drifted to the bottom of her blouse, and he slowly began to untuck it from her skirt. His fingers spread across the soft skin of her stomach, up to her ribcage. She felt a familiar heat between her thighs that meant this was leading somewhere it couldn’t, not here or now, so she put her hands on his chest and gently broke their kiss. His eyes were full of lust, and she knew they had to stop but by God, she wanted nothing more than to find a supply closet or a bathroom stall to continue scratching their seven year itch. Every minute of every day was going to feel like this, now. The professional, ambitious part of her hated that.

“Not here, okay?” she told him, shaking her head with a smile.

He physically took a step backwards from her, appearing almost dizzy. She was in charge here, and they both knew it. He nodded his acquiescence. “Okay.”

“Look,” she said, knowing she’d probably confused him the other day. “I’m sorry I bailed on you like that the other morning.”

His eyes widened, perhaps in utter shock she would actually address what happened. Maybe they really were turning over a new leaf. “Yeah... I wondered what that was about.”

“It was just… a lot to take in.”

He nodded proudly. “Thank you,” he said, not missing a beat.

“Shut up, Mulder,” she said with a playful glint in her eye. “You know what I mean.”

“I do know,” he said, laughing, and he stepped forward, taking her by the upper arms, rubbing them a bit. “And you’re right, it is a lot. But I think we can handle it.”

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“We’ve handled a lot before, Scully,” he reasoned. “This should be a piece of cake.”

She nodded and gave him a small peck on the lips. She then moved around his desk and sat in his chair, folding her arms on the desk in front of her. He stepped back and leaned against the doorframe, shifting a bit, trying to adjust himself. She looked at the bulge in his pants, the bulge she’d naturally noticed many times before, but this time he was showing a bit more than was work-appropriate.

He saw her staring. “Just give me a minute, okay?” he said, putting a hand up.

She looked away, grinning, shuffling through the files on his desk. She pulled one out, read it over. “What’s this?” She held it up. “A werewolf, Mulder? Really?”

He stepped up to the desk, leaning forward in a melodramatic show of reading what he’d surely written himself. “Oh yeah,” he said playfully. “Skinner approved that one much quicker than I thought he would.”

“Six sightings of an unidentified assailant in the past sixty days,” she read. “And you think it’s a werewolf?”

“Each sighting occurred on a night where there was a full moon, and every victim that survived was unable to give an accurate description of their attacker,” Mulder explained.

“Well, then, I apologize. Of course it’s a werewolf.”

“...Until this most recent victim,” Mulder finished, tapping his finger against the file in emphasis. “He described a tall creature covered in fur with glowing red eyes. Which is exactly what we’re going to be looking for.”

Scully looked at him, of course, skeptically. “Skinner approved this? Travel expenses to Los Angeles? For a werewolf?”

“Stop saying ‘werewolf’ like that, Scully,” he said. “You’re going to give me a complex.”

“Yeah, yeah yeah,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes. She sighed and put her hand to her temple. “This is so embarrassing.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” he grinned. “You don’t want to go werewolf hunting with me? Sneak around in the dark? Maybe make out a little under the full moon?”

She narrowed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head. Her feelings for werewolves were certainly lukewarm, but her feelings for him were getting stronger by the hour. Besides, it might be nice to chase something that didn't involve Mulder's demons.

"Okay. But not while we're working, Mulder," she warned him. He put his hands up in resignation and gave her that look, the one that meant he was listening to her, but not really. The one that meant he might run off to the Bermuda Triangle or jump onto a moving train in spite of her protestations.

"I am at your disposal, Agent Scully," he grinned. And she knew he was. She only hoped she could exercise the restraint she'd been miraculously brandishing for seven years.

Maybe he was right. It could be fun. "All right," she agreed. "Let's go catch a werewolf."

A couple of hours later, they were headed to Los Angeles.

to be continued...

[flipomatic]

Internship Chapter 17: Day 12 - Edric

Author Note: I have finished writing this fic. It will be 34 chapters, which is one less than expected. This chapter marks the half way point, thanks for reading!

First Chapter Previous Chapter

_____________________________________________________

As usual, Edric was waiting outside the locker room for Frederick. They met there every morning, and since Frederick changed into his uniform at the jail Edric sometimes found himself waiting for that to happen.

Edric was staring into space, lost in thought. This was the end of week two of the internship, which meant he was almost half way done with it. He hoped the next two weeks would go faster than the previous ones, so he could finally escape from this experience.

While he was thinking, Frederick appeared from the locker room. He tapped Edric on the shoulder without a word, and then started walking towards the dispatcher’s office. This too was part of their routine, going to get their assignment for the day.

The dispatcher told them they were assigned to patrol, told them the route, and then sent them on their way. Since they weren’t training, Edric’s revenge would have to wait.

It was expected to be a quiet route, so they went on foot and without a palisman staff. Edric greatly preferred flying, since it helped his feet hurt less.

Frederick was also making him carry the wood practice sword on patrol with him, which was super annoying. It hung heavily off of his belt, threatening to pull his pants down with every step. Edric had to tighten his belt to keep that from happening.

Their walk today was far too, farther than they usually had to walk for patrol. As they traveled, Frederick broke the silence to start a conversation.

“Have you been practicing your sword blocks?” Frederick asked, glancing back over his shoulder.

Edric lied. “A little.” It was a white lie; even if he practiced it wouldn’t have made a difference.

“Good.” Frederick nodded firmly. “Don’t forget to use it if we end up in a fight.”

“I will.” Another lie, as Edric had no intention of using the sword to do anything. His magic served him well enough, there was no reason to use a physical weapon. He was so bad with it anyway, there was no way it would help.

The brief conversation died there, as they soon reached their patrol location. Frederick took the lead on the patrol, with Edric following as usual. Edric kept an eye out for trouble; he had gotten marginally better at spotting criminals over the last two weeks.

Though Edric was vigilant, nothing was happening. There weren’t very many witches around and no warrants in the area. All of this led to a long boring patrol, where Edric could only dwell on how many steps he had taken so far.

That changed when a small magic bird flew up to Edric. It fluttered around his head, chirping loudly. When Frederick noticed it, he held up his hand, letting it land on one finger. Attached to one of its legs was a small piece of paper, which Frederick untied to read.

He skimmed it for just a moment, then turned to Edric. “We’re being called in as backup. They need help at the market.” Frederick immediately started walking while he talked, heading in the direction of the market. Edric quickly followed after him. They moved much faster than earlier.

When they reached the market, they had to walk past a coven member at the entrance. He told them to head to the center, where the other patrol witches were gathering.

“Stay with me.” Frederick said as they walked towards the center of the market, a reminder that Edric shouldn’t split off from him like last week.

Edric knew they were in the right spot when he saw a group of six Emperor’s Coven members. They were all huddled together, talking rapidly in hushed tones.

“Report, what’s going on?” Frederick asked as they approached, grabbing the attention of the group.

One stepped away to come speak with them. “Sir, we have a criminal trapped in the market. One of our officers cornered him here, but we lost him. We have members guarding all of the exits, so he’s still here somewhere.”

“Are you tracking him?” Frederick sounded serious, not wasting any time with his question.

The coven member nodded as he replied. “We have a beast dog searching, but it can’t seem to pick up his scent.”

“Where do you want us?”

“The east side.” The coven member pointed in that direction, at least Edric assumed it was the same direction. He then gave them the description of the criminal, so they would know who to look for.

“We’re on it.” Fredrick turned to walk that way and Edric followed without a word.

There was a thick tension in the air as they moved slowly into the side of the market, with many of the customers stopping to stare. It must’ve been odd to see so many Emperor’s Coven members in one place; Edric knew that if he was watching then he’d find it strange too.

It would also be a great opportunity to prank the patrol witches, if he hadn’t been working with them. Though, after spending a couple weeks following them around, he was starting to think pranking them was a bad idea.

Regardless, here he was, trying to find this criminal. Trying and failing so far; he and Frederick weren’t having any luck.

This gave Edric time to think, how could the flush this guy out? The beast couldn’t find him, which meant he was skilled at hiding. Perhaps a trick would work better than just searching. Wait, that was it.

“Hey, Freddy, I have an idea.” Edric tried another nickname to lighten the tension, because why not.

Fredrick held up one finger, pointing at Edric. He didn’t speak immediately though, seeming to think carefully about his words. “What’s your idea?” He finally settled on, deciding not to rebuke the nickname.

Edric smiled at the victory. “With the right trick, we can draw him out.” He gestured for Frederick to come closer, so he could share the plan more discreetly. “All the exits are blocked, right? What if we make him think one is open?”

“He’ll try to escape.” Frederick leaned in, matching Edric’s low tone. “How do we do that?”

“Illusion magic.” Edric smirked beneath his mask. “I can make the guard invisible.”

“Completely invisible?” Frederick sounded skeptical, like he didn’t believe him. He still didn’t know that Edric had snuck Mittens in on Monday, without a single witch noticing her.

Edric nodded, positive he could do it. “Yes, you’ll see.”

“Alright, it’s worth a shot.” Frederick stepped back, returning to a regular speaking volume. “We’ll have to get the witch guarding the gate on board, let’s go.”

They were close to one of the side exits, which was one of the smaller ones. This was ideal for the plan, since a mistake in coverage was more likely to happen at a smaller exit than a larger one.

There was only one coven member there when they arrived, which was just what they needed. Frederick quickly filled her in on the plan, which she thought was a great idea. They had Edric stand just outside the gate, tucked away where he couldn’t be seen from the inside, so he could safely cast the spell. Frederick went back in to patrol one of the attached branches, so he wouldn’t be far if something happened.

Once they were in place, Edric started casting the spell. He added all of the needed layers to ensure complete invisibility. He heard the coven member gasp in surprise when the spell activated, which was a good sign that it was applied correctly.

After that, he had to hold the spell and wait. He couldn’t see the exit properly from here, so he had to rely on his ears to know what was happening.

For the next ten minutes, he waited with bated breath. Right as he was wondering if he should go check in with Frederick about their next moves, he heard shouting from the exit.

Edric dashed around the corner and saw that someone had fallen to the ground. They seemed to be held down there by an unseen force, which was likely the invisible coven member. Edric dissipated the spell, and sure enough the coven member reappeared on top of the fallen witch. She was putting cuffs on his wrists as Frederick ran up.

“Got him.” The coven member said as she stood, leaving the criminal on the ground. She kept an eye on him as she drew an illusion spell circle that sent a flare up, calling the other coven members to their location. “Great work on that spell!” She called over to Edric.

Edric was in disbelief that it actually worked. Not that he hadn’t expected it to, he was an excellent trickster after all, but seeing it go smoothly like this felt great.

“Thanks.” He called back, a smile growing under his mask.

Frederick approached and clasped a hand down on his shoulder, startling him slightly. “I’m impressed.” Frederick’s grip was firm.

Before Edric could reply, another group of coven members arrived on the scene. They immediately took the criminal into further custody, while asking for reports on how they caught him.

“We drew him out with a trick, it was Frederick’s idea.” The coven member guard told one who was writing down their accounts. “It worked like a charm.”

Edric felt a twinge of disappointment, but it didn’t surprise him that Frederick would get credit for the arrest. He was in charge after all, while Edric was just an intern who didn’t even want to be there.

“Actually, it was Edric who came up with it.” Frederick cut in to the conversation, drawing the attention of the two coven members. “We couldn’t’ve done it without him.” Edric’s eyes were wide at this, but his surprise quickly faded. It was replaced with pride, and perhaps even a smidge of warmth.

After the interviews were done he thanked Frederick, but he said that no thanks were necessary and that good work should be recognized.

They soon were dismissed from the scene to go back to base, and from there Edric went home.

For the first time in the last two weeks, he wasn’t upset with how the day had gone.

Next Chapter

[tarontherocketman]

Mr Madden | Madderton Teacher AU | Chapter 4

TW: BRIEF MENTIONS OF SUICIDE

Taron stirred in bed, glancing to the clock for the umpteenth time that night; it was only 4:57am. He had just over 2 long hours until his alarm was supposed to sound, it was still dark, and the birds hadn’t even thought about chirping yet. The entire night had been a series of waking up and drifting off, usually multiple times within the hour. His mind was disturbed by the thought of arriving at school to find out that Ella hadn’t made it, he had visions of her parents coming in to blame the school, leading to Taron being ratted out for not doing enough to help her, her poor parents screaming and crying at him, telling him that they killed their daughter. He made himself dizzy filling his head with these thoughts that deep down he knew just weren’t true, and Richard has done everything he could to assure him of that. The light from his phone and a soft vibration pulled Taron out of his dark thoughts as he rolled over to pull it out of its charging port and squint at the bright screen. 

Rich: you up, T?x

Taron: yep, been up most the night, why are you up??x

Rich: set an alarm for 5 cos I knew you’d be up and I wanted to check up on you x

Taron: what? really? Rich you didn’t have to do that you have work too..x

Rich: course I did I couldn’t bear the thought of you alone in bed feeling shit so I thought instead of another 2 hours of that you’d want to go for breakfast before work? Obviously the only place open is mcdonalds but you can’t go wrong with a maccies breakfast x

Taron: you’re right you can’t go wrong with a maccies breakfast, thanks rich I need this I was preparing for a long couple of hours, was considering going for a walk but this sounds much nicer x

Rich: no worries bub, I’ll come pick you up in 20 mins then we can go straight to work after breakfast x

Rich got himself up and ready for work, a routine that didn’t take long. As long as his face was washed, teeth were cleaned and his hair was tidy he was quite happy to get dressed and go within 15 minutes. He grabbed his keys and jogged down the stairs of his apartment to the resident car park, making the short drive to Taron’s place and sending him a quick text to let him know he was outside. Taron appeared quickly, looking a little less put together than usual. His hair wasn’t quite as neat as he usually bothered to make it, and his eyes were puffy from the severe lack of sleep.

“Jeez you look shit T,” Rich commented.

“Cheers,” Taron sighed.

“No I mean you still look handsome, obviously,” Rich scoffed playfully, “but you literally look like you haven’t slept for a minute.”

“You’re not too far off the mark there,” Taron replied as he pulled the seatbelt over him. “Seriously though thanks for doing this Rich it means a lot, you really didn’t have to wake up so early for me.”

“Don’t worry about it I knew full well you’d be up most of the night worrying, I know what you’re like by now, I’d rather that you get out of the house and have some breakfast and coffee rather than tossing and turning for another 2 hours and coming to work without eating anything,” Rich said softly as he put the car into 5th gear along a long, empty main road. 

“Thank you,” Taron replied, at a loss for what else to say to his incredibly thoughtful friend who knew him even better than Taron thought he did. 

The pair rode out the rest of the journey in silence, neither knowing exactly what to say at a time like this. Rich pulled into the car park of the 24 hour McDonalds and made his way inside with Taron following miserably behind. Rich noticed him trailing behind and stopped at the door to wait, putting an arm round him when he caught up as they walked into the building. Once the two had ordered, received their food and sat down at a booth table in the window, Taron held his egg muffin limply, taking tiny bites. Rich, having already finished the tiny thing in what felt like less than 5 bites, sat with his hands wrapped around his coffee for warmth.

“Look T, I know this sounds obvious but please stop blaming yourself for this, no one is mad at you,” Rich soothed, taking one hand away from his coffee to place it on Taron’s arm.

“But what if she dies, Rich? How am I supposed to deal with a student dying at my hands?”

“T, if she did die it wouldn’t be at your hands! Not one bit! You did what you could. And anyway there’s no point worrying about death now, if you worry about something that hasn’t happened you’re potentially putting yourself through it twice, ok?”

“That’s actually not bad advice,” Taron said, perking up ever so slightly.

“Yeah I got it off one of those facebook posts with inspirational quotes,” Rich admitted, laughing quietly at himself.

“Oh christ,” Taron chuckled softly, “well thank you anyway, I don’t know why it’s got me this down, I know it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid at all you’re a worrier, you worry for the world Taron, and it’s a heart warming trait but you’re gonna worry yourself sick,” Rich spoke in almost a whisper, rubbing Taron’s arm comfortingly.

“I know, I know,” Taron took a long sigh and finally finished his breakfast. Rich’s words did actually make quite a big difference, he didn’t need to be so miserable about something that he shouldn’t even blame himself for in the first place. “Thank you again for this I do feel better.”

“Anytime,” Rich smiled. Taron and Rich sat for the rest of the wait before work, sipping their second coffee and chatting mindlessly to keep Taron’s mind off things. As the time passed quickly, the morning drew closer to them having to go to work. The sun rose at last, and they knew they’d have to go sooner or later.

“You ready?” Rich asked, offering his hand to Taron, who reluctantly took it, deciding that there wasn’t really anyone around at this time of the morning who would see them and so they walked hand in hand to the car.

“I might not even hear anything about it today, no point getting worked up,” Taron assured himself out loud, staring out of the window at the sunrise lined buildings of the city that zooming past the window as they travelled.

“Exactly,” Rich agreed, putting his left hand on Taron’s knee in between changing gear. They arrived at work, deciding that a third coffee probably wasn’t a smart idea, but a visit to the staff room before they started might be worthwhile, in case there did happen to be any news on Ella.

“Morning,” they both said politely to the other staff gathered around the room, all looking a little bit like they didn’t want to be there for another day in the mad house that they called a school. Taron bit his lip, not sure whether to ask the question. The Headteacher, who was leaning against the kitchen counter waiting for the coffee in the coffee pot to brew, seemed to have read his mind.

“Ella’s parents got in contact, she’s fine,” he smiled, almost as relieved as Taron.

“Really?” Taron beamed happily, relief washing over him like a tidal wave, his whole body relaxing as if he’d been tensing for a week straight.

“Yes she’s stable, already recovering, and will be back in school next Monday if she’s ready so she’s got a little while to get better,” he informed, now turning around to pour coffee.

“Thank god,” Taron breathed heavily, taking a seat on one of the old tatty sofas and slumping forward in relief, rubbing his temples. Rich looked at him, longing for a cuddle, but knowing he couldn’t so just settled on patting him on the shoulder casually, avoiding the curious gaze of Mrs Reynolds who was clearly trying desperately to sniff out some gossip again.

“Coffee?” the Head asked in Taron and Rich’s direction, who both declined rather quickly.

“Suit yourself,” he smiled. Mrs Reynolds was now looking quizzically in their direction.

“Already coffee-d out?” she questioned, an eyebrow raised suspiciously. 

“Yep, uh, we do both have coffee at home, so,” Rich trailed off uncomfortably.

“No of course, I just don’t tend to get up early to use up the coffee in my house when it’s free here.” Taron was now looking up at her, his eyes narrowed slightly as if to say ‘keep your nose out of our business’ “Anyway,” she quipped, putting her mug in the sink and turning on her heel “I must be off to class.” At that she scurried out of the staff room making brief eye contact with the rest of the staff before she left, leaving them to sit in tense silence as they all attempted to sip their coffee nonchalantly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Taron and Rich took this as their cue to leave and head to Rich’s class, walking quickly down the hallway.

“Oh my god do you think they’re all onto us?” Taron whispered, leaning into Rich as they walked.

“I don’t know, but like you said the other day, there’s no proof, they have nothing on us!” Rich loud whispered back.

“You’re right, we just have to be extra careful,” Taron nodded as they arrived at Rich’s classroom and scuttled inside.

“Yeah we will,” Rich assured.

“Extra careful,” Taron smirked, leaning flirtatiously against the door to the supply closet.

“Taron..” Rich warned, knowing exactly what he was suggesting.

“Do people usually come snooping in your supply closet at 7:30am on a Tuesday?” Taron joked.

“Well no, but they do walk past the classroom and snoop through the big obvious window in the door, what if we get seen going in or out?”

“We won’t! We’ll make sure,” Taron reassured the Scotsman, who stood shifting on the spot nervously, his hands fiddling with each other. 

“Your mood has certainly improved in the past 10 minutes,” Rich observed.

“Of course,” Taron started, “I spent all night worried sick and now I know she’s ok I feel like a massive weight’s been lifted and I have some emotional catching up to do.”

“Right, that’s your logic?” Rich laughed, “in fact, you’ve changed your whole tune about doing things like this since I met you.”

“I know, like I said, everything changed when I met you! Now are you joining me or do I have to please myself?” Taron wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Argh, T!”

“I’m joking, I’m joking!” Taron assured quickly, laughing at Rich being a typical serious History teacher. “You coming in?” Rich shuffled on the spot some more, glancing back and forth at the door suspiciously.

“Hmm, ok, but we really shouldn’t be doing this though,” Rich muttered, following Taron into the cupboard.

“No we should not,” Taron agreed with cheeky smile, pulling Rich in and locking their lips firmly, hands running up and down each other’s backs lovingly.

“No really we can’t make a habit of this,” Rich said, pulling away for a moment in between breaths. Taron shushed him, pulling him straight back in, gently grabbing his thick, lovely hair from behind. The lovebirds carried on having their moment until they accepted that they’ll have to stop eventually and get ready for class. Taron cracked the door open slightly to look at the door to the classroom, making sure the coast was clear before grabbing Rich’s hand and pulling him out of the now fully open door.

“Hey look we literally came out of the closet,” Rich snorted, Taron nudged him playfully, laughing along. “Seriously though we can’t get too comfortable doing that.”

“I know, it’ll be fine!” Taron assured, following Rich to his desk to take a seat next to him. The two of them sat in silence while Rich turned his computer on and watched it boot up, the logo appearing across the screen in big letters. Rich looked down at his lap, and then back up at Taron, the secret kiss they just had now playing on his mind.

“T, what are we?” Rich asked, now ignoring his computer entirely to look into Taron’s pretty eyes. Taron sat thoughtfully.

“I don’t know, Rich,” he admitted, avoiding Rich’s gaze.

“Are we a thing or is this all just for fun?” said Rich, biting his lip in thought.

“Why don’t we talk about this later, you need to get ready for class,” Taron smiled, glancing at his watch. 

“Yeah, you’re right, come round mine tonight?” Rich offered.

“Pizza and beer?” Taron said hopefully.

“Course,” Rich agreed, turning to his computer that had now turned on, asking for his password. 

“I better get ready for class too, I’ll talk to you later,” Taron said, getting up from his chair and planting a small kiss on the top of Rich’s head. There was a somewhat solemn feeling between the two all of a sudden, they hadn’t delved into the relationship conversation yet. In fact, neither of them knew if they were ready for a relationship, it had all been fun and games up until now, but they had to decide if settling down was something that they both wanted to do now.

The day passed, slowly. Taron and Rich’s thoughts consumed by the reality of the conversation that they would be having that evening. At least there were some distractions through the day, working in a city secondary school always came with its daily challenges. Taron broke up two fights in one lunch break, had to mediate an argument between four girls in his afternoon class that had suddenly turned 2 vs 2 during a script reading exercise when he stupidly split the class into groups of 4 and not only let them choose their groups, but let them choose between them who gets to be which character, as if that could have ever ended well.

Rich had a student storm out of his class angrily after having to tell him more than five times to get off his phone, the students argument being ‘it’s my personal property fuck off’, and he had a 10 minute job of calming down an over-hyper class of year 7s that had just had a P.E class and were now on the last lesson of the day, which was just a recipe for disaster. Rich knew that being a secondary school teacher would come with challenges, based off his own experience as a student many years ago, but he swore teenagers had become 100x times crazier since then, but maybe that was just him remembering it from the point of view of a student, never really knowing at the time what teachers actually had to go through every day.

Once the day finally drew to an end, Rich and Taron met up to go straight to Rich’s seeing as they had both come in his car that morning.

“You sure you don’t need to pop home first? I don’t mind,” Rich offered.

“No it’s all good, these clothes are comfortable enough and we’ve got the same phone if I need a charger,” Taron replied.

“True.”

After a short journey home, Rich and Taron climbed the stairs to Rich’s apartment, he unlocked the door and let Taron in first, following straight after him. Taron stopped to look around the place, observing the colour schemes and decor themes going on. 

“Nice place,” he commented, nodding in approval at the well decorated room.

“Thanks!” Rich said happily as he threw his bag on the dining table and slung his jacket over one of the chairs, Taron did the same and joined Rich on the couch, both sinking down into it after a long day. Taron even more exhausted from his extreme lack of sleep the previous night, knowing full well everyone he had talked to today had just politely ignored the bags under his eyes. 

“So do you want a beer now, or?” Rich offered.

“I can wait, we should talk,” Taron said slowly, Rich nodded nervously, breathing heavy enough for Taron to hear it clearly now. 

“So.”

“So..”

“Ok, look, T, I’m just gonna say it- I really love you, and I think I’ve fallen fast, and if you don’t feel the same and are just in it for the fun I understand but,” Rich babbled, Taron trying so hard not to giggle at not only his rambling but the fact that he swore the Scottish accent was getting thicker as the sentence progressed.

“Oh shut up,” Taron chuckled, shushing him fully with a kiss. “Mr Madden, will you be my boyfriend?”

“Um, obviously!” Rich breathed, laughing from relief and leaning back in for another sofa make out session, one that meant even more to the two of them than the last time it happened, now that this had developed into a real relationship. One that neither of them were expecting considering they both had intentions to lay low in their jobs, but they couldn’t help it. They wanted each other so badly and would freely admit at this stage that that had been the case for quite some time now. 

“So you wanna order food?” Rich asked as the pair pulled away from each other.

“Hm, not yet,” Taron replied.

“You not hungry?” Rich asked in genuine surprise, feeling his own stomach rumble from a long day at work with not enough food, knowing Taron had eaten even less. 

“I’m hungry, but not for pizza..where’s your bedroom?” Taron smirked. Rich scoffed in surprise at the extremely forward question. 

“I- wow, that is very bold of you, Mr Egerton!” Rich said, taken back but not actual displeased by the question.

“Well, you’re my boyfriend now,” Taron smiled flirtatiously.

“Good point, right this way,” Rich grabbed Taron’s hand and let him into the door that was only a few metres away from the sofa, pulling him into the room and gently shoving him onto his king size bed, pulling his shirt off in excitement and kicking the door shut behind him, knowing that he hadn’t felt this content in such a long time.

___________________________________________________________

So. You may have just figured out, but I don’t write smut! Sorry! Love reading it but terrible at writing it, so you’ll just have to leave it up to your imagination if you so wish! Anyway sorry this isn’t quite as long as the previous chapter, I just went off on that last one, this is more the length that I’m keeping them. Although I’m slightly worried this chapter is a bit boring, but I hope you all like it regardless tho!

Tag list: @taron-eggmcmuffin @coffeetalkbaby @nataschalenasblog @stateofloveandvedder @winterismyfavoriteseason1945 

[awkwardnessandbaseball]

I can't believe we're here at the end!!! The good news is that the 1-2 chapter (just deciding how to split it up) companion piece from Killian's POV will be posted on Monday! Thank you so much for reading this story that I truly never thought I would finish. It means everything to me that people liked it even the tiniest bit, and I hope this last chapter is as satisfying for you to read as it was for me to write. (Also, I took some liberties with the whole house-purchasing process, so... bear with me, okay?)

Once again, so many thanks to: @cspupstravaganza, @sherlockianwhovian , @lassluna

Tag list: @quirkykayleetam, @squidvisious, @carpedzem, @revanmeetra87, @kmomof4, @capnjay21 

AO3 if that’s your jam: Prologue | Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Ch5 | Ch6 | Ch7

I’d Pick You (and Your Little Dog, Too)

A Captain Swan Pupstravaganza Story

Summary: According to everyone in the known universe, Emma Nolan’s dog is supposed to lead her to her soulmate. But she’s not even sure if she wants that. Soulmates are pretty idealistic, don’t you think?

Chapter Seven:

Killian is going to propose.

Emma can feel it in her bones. No, in her very soul. Which makes sense since, you know, soulmates and all.

She can’t figure out when he’s going to do it, or where. He hasn’t asked her to go out to any special dinners. They haven’t made any plans to take the boat out yet, as apparently Killian wants it to be perfect before they take her on her maiden voyage as The Jolly Roger.

She supposes that could be why he wants to make it perfect, if he wants to propose on the boat. But she really just wants him to do it already and stop making her wait.

It’s probably her own fault, really. The way she’d taken ages to let him in, and then when he’d given her Liam’s ring, she’d probably looked about ready to run straight across the town line and never look back.

But she’s ready now.

She wants to be married to Killian Jones. She knows, now, that the feeling she’d had when she watched her brother get married has a name. It’s called jealousy, and she’s ready to stop feeling it. She wants to be married, too, not on the outside looking in on a happy couple with rings and on their way to starting a family.

Emma has thought about this a lot, and she’s decided that the best way to tell Killian that she’s ready is to show him. He’s given her a sentimental ring, bought her a freaking boat. He’s waited for her at every step of their relationship. So it’s time for Emma to pull off some big grand gesture or make a romantic speech. Or something.

The problem is that Killian seems to have an endless well of sentimental items and stories to give as romantic gifts, and Emma has none.

Until the house goes up for sale.

The house that she and David grew up in has changed a lot over the past fifteen years. The couple that bought it after their parents died apparently almost tore it down entirely, but decided on a simpler remodel. A paint job, a new fence, and a wraparound porch are the most obvious changes that Emma’s noticed over the years, but she has no idea what it looks like inside. She’s walking past it, as she does on her morning walks with Rascal, and she sees the For Sale sign out front, along with a small “OPEN HOUSE TODAY!” sign beside it.

It won’t hurt to look, Emma tells herself, so she texts David that she’ll be late to work -- or later than usual, really.

The inside is different. The shape is the same, all of the walls and doors exactly where she remembers them. But the colors are all off. The walls were all pale yellows and blues, with white trim, but now everything is a stale gray. Where the floorboards had been faded with time, now they’re stark black.

We’ll fix it up, Emma thinks. And then she stops the self-guided tour and freezes for a moment. She waits for the lead ball in her stomach to form, or for the stutter of her heartbeat that accompanies frightening thoughts about the future. But none of it comes.

“Excuse me,” she calls when she finds the realtor. He’s from a company called Ozman Realty from the next town over, so she doesn’t recognize him. “What’s the asking price on this house?”

“Two-hundred-thousand,” the man tells her. He smiles, but it’s hard and somehow almost… slimey. Emma doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t really have a choice in who’s selling the home she wants to buy. “I should tell you, we’ve already had an offer today, and the sign only went up this morning.”

“Dammit, David,” Emma grumbles “One moment, please.” She pulls her phone out and angrily dials her brother.

“Are you even going to bother coming in today?” he teases her.

“Are you trying to buy the old house out from under me?” She has no time for the teasing. She’s doing this, dammit.

“Wait, what?” David pauses. “Mom and Dad’s house is up for sale?”

“Yes, David! Keep up!” Emma yells into the phone. “Are you telling me you didn’t put this bid on it?”

“No, Emma, I had no idea.” He sounds sincere.

“Well… do you… I mean are you going to bid on it? Now that you know?” Emma runs a hand through her hair, finally letting her nerves catch up to her.

“No, Mary Margaret and I are uh… we’re building our own house, actually. We bought some property on the edge of town. We were hoping to keep it a surprise until, you know, there’s actually a house there.” David stops talking and Emma can picture him leaning forward on his desk, brows creasing together. “Are you going to buy the house, Emma?”

“Yeah, I think I am.” She bites her lip. “Or at least I’m going to try! Someone’s already put a bid on it, so I’ve gotta go.”

“You can use the inheritance.” David blurts out before she can hang up. “I used some of it to buy the property, but the rest is yours.”

When the Nolan twins had turned 18, they’d been shocked to learn that their parents had had a large amount of money set aside for them. They’d lived modestly, taken few family trips, so their parents must have spent all that time saving up without their children's knowledge. Emma had wanted to take a vacation immediately, somewhere warm and tropical and distinctly far away from Storybrooke just for a week, maybe two. But David had insisted that they save it.

“Mom and Dad would want us to use it for our futures, Emma, don’t you think?”

Reluctantly, Emma had agreed. But what was more ‘for our future’ than this house?

Still, she felt… wrong using so much of it.

“That’s our money, David. Not mine alone. How much did you use?” It’s way too early for this conversation -- Emma has only had one cup of coffee, courtesy of Killian. It’s not enough.

“I used fifty-thousand. There’s still a couple hundred thousand left. Seriously, Emma. Use it. I want you to. And if we need more down the line, we’ll figure it out.”

“I’ll think about it. See you soon.”

Emma wanders through the house, looking for the realtor again.

“I’ve got the full amount in my bank account. I’ll pay it up front. I want this house.”

She knows it’s not a good technique. You’re supposed to low-ball or pretend you’re not as interested as you are. But truthfully, Emma doesn’t care. She wants this fucking house.

The realtor looks thrown off by her forwardness, but he puts on his fake smile quickly.

“I’ll have to contact the buyer from this morning and give them a chance to counter,” he tells her.

Seriously?

“Yeah, sure, fine.”

He steps out of the room to make the call and Emma wanders through the living room, pointing out memories to Rascal.

“There was a dent in that wall from when David and I got into a wrestling match once. His head hit right below that window. He needed stitches.” Rascal sniffs the part of the wall she’s pointing to. “And over here--”

“Miss, uh, I didn’t catch your name,” the realtor calls.

“Emma No-- Emma Swan,” she tells him. Storybrooke is a small town, and while most of its inhabitants know her mother’s maiden name, it won’t be their first thought if word gets out that there’s a bid on the house. She just doesn’t want this to get back to Killian.

“Well, Miss Swan, the other bidder has backed down. We’ll just need you to get the money and sign some paperwork, and the house is yours. You skipped quite a few steps by having the money up front,” he jokes. “Why don’t we meet at the seafood restaurant I saw by the docks at 7 tonight and make everything official?”

“Why would we meet at a restaurant?” Emma asks suspiciously.

“Oh well… I was hoping we could…,” he stammers out.

“I don’t even know your name. And you’re asking me on a date?” She crosses her arms and arches an eyebrow. Rascal comes up beside her, sensing the tension.

The man, undeterred, simply holds out a hand.

“Walsh Ozman, of Ozman Realty,” he’s grinning, as if expecting Emma to be impressed.

“Emma Swan, sheriff and home buyer. As in, customer. As in, inappropriate to ask out.” She takes his hand and shakes it firmly, hammering her point home: I’m in charge, not you. For good measure, Rascal growls and stares at the realtor, unblinking.

Walsh clears his throat and takes a step back, eyeing both Emma and Rascal warily.

“Here’s my card. You can come by my office this evening.”

“Thanks.”

*****

Emma’s practically vibrating with excitement for the rest of the day. Creepy realtor aside, she’s bought her old house. For herself. For herself and Killian.

If this doesn’t show him she’s ready to move forward, nothing will.

When she gets home that night, brand new house keys in hand, Killian’s camped out in front of the TV holding a beer. It’s not unlike him to have a drink to unwind after work, but the fact that it’s a beer instead of a nice glass of rum makes Emma think that he’s been stewing on something all day, and he doesn’t want his anger to get the best of him. And drunk Killian is a bit more emotional than the sober version.

“Hey, babe,” Emma calls from the doorway. She begins the process of untying and removing her work shoes in favor of putting on her more comfortable sneakers. “How was your day?”

“Fine,” he answers, not even trying to convince her that it’s true. “Yours?” She hears his footsteps coming towards her.

“It was great, actually. You okay? You look…” Emma can’t quite put her finger on how he looks. Disappointed? Angry? Tired? A combination?

“Aye, I’m fine, love. I just… had a bit of a disappointment today.” He steps towards her, pulling her body flush against his. “I’m glad you’re home.”

She kisses him slowly, just for a moment or two, before pulling back. He looks down at her curiously.

“I wanna show you something,” she whispers. “Put your shoes on.”

“It’s nearly eight, Swan.” He seems to realize what an old man he sounds like, because he shakes his head. “I was just hoping we could stay in tonight.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Implicitly,” he answers automatically.

“Then put on your shoes.” She punctuates the sentence with a quick kiss on his cheek, scruff scratching at her lips.

She’s not sure how they figured out the logistics of getting into a car with two humans and two dogs and not a bit of thought. She opens the driver’s side door and both Rascal and Procella scramble in and hop in the back seat, lying more on top of each other than next to each other. They’ve done it since the first time they got into the same car, back when Emma and David had gotten the call about loose dogs at the park. It strikes Emma how long ago that was, how much things have changed, and her excitement is renewed.

Killian doesn’t complain on the drive over, despite his initial hesitation. Emma can tell he’s had a rough day, though she’s not sure why and she knows she should have asked. But… this is important and huge and hopefully it’ll make whatever it is that happened not even matter anymore.

She bites her lip as the niggling little voice in her head, the one that’s been quiet since the moment she kissed Killian’s cheek in the park on one of their first lunch dates, suddenly starts screaming inside of her head.

What if he thinks I’m crazy? What if he doesn’t want to move into the house? What if he isn’t ready? What if he’s not planning to propose, and I’ve done this huge gesture and he doesn’t get it? What if he wants to keep things the way they are? Or what if he takes one look at the huge house -- clearly meant for a family -- and runs straight out of town? What if it’s too much? What if--

“Swan, where are we going?” Killian’s voice jolts her back to reality. He’s quiet in the darkness, a softness to his voice that she can’t quite figure out.

“I bought something I want to show you.”

“Emma, did you--”

“We’re almost there,” she says, and she feels Killian staring at her. Her voice cracks at the end, and her knuckles are white on the steering wheel. What have I done?

If he leaves, she doesn’t know what she’ll do.

She pulls up to the curb across the street and climbs out without looking at him.

Before she even reaches the gate, he’s laughing. She can hear him start to chuckle, and then it grows into a full-on belly laugh.

Oh God, he thinks I’m crazy. Why did I--

“Swan, you bloody brilliant woman!” He’s right behind her now, grabbing her around the waist.

“You don’t even… what?” Emma is so very confused.

“You’re the buyer? I should have known.”

And then the pieces click into place.

“Were you the first bidder?” She turns around in his arms. He’s smiling so wide it nearly reaches both ears, and finally that loud voice in her head quiets down again. She smacks his chest once for good measure. “I was so angry!”

“How did you pay the whole thing up front?” He’s still laughing as he reaches up to brush a loose strand of hair away from her face.

“Inheritance,” Emma says simply. “Why were you trying to buy my house, Killan?”

“For you, of course.” His smile changes then, and his face turns serious. “I work with the man who lived here, Kris. He and his wife are adventuring around the country or something. They’ve been talking about it for weeks. So I knew the house was going up.” Killian shrugs. “I wanted to surprise you, but it seems you got me first.”

“They moved out last week, before it even went up,” Emma tells him, and he’s already nodding because he already knows. “So, we can go in. If you want.”

He smiles again, and she wonders briefly how she could have ever doubted him. Because of course he doesn’t think she’s crazy. Of course their minds were in the exact same place.

Soulmates, she thinks to herself.

They step inside the house, and Emma flips the lightswitch on. It’s still empty, of course, and for a moment, the space feels cavernous and huge. But then Rascal and Procella run out in front of her and start sniffing every corner, every inch of the baseboards. And it’s strange that something so simple eases Emma’s mind, but it does.

“I’m glad you brought me here, Swan,” Killian whispers from behind her. “I had big plans for this house, and I thought they’d all been dashed.” He kisses the skin just underneath her ear. “But now, hope is renewed.”

“Big plans?” Emma asks.

“Oh, aye. In fact, now seems as good a time as any, don’t you think?”

He moves out from behind her and she feels an immediate sense of loss when the warmth is gone. But then he’s in front of her, that same nervous look on his face that he’d had the first time he asked her to lunch.

Emma loves being right.

He gets down on one knee, and in a move that’s so natural that it seems rehearsed, Rascal and Procella come up on either side of him and sit patiently. There are six eyes staring at Emma and watching her start to cry.

“I feel like we’ve done a lot of things backwards, Swan. We met before I even knew I had a soulmate. I thought I’d be alone forever, adrift at sea without anyone for company. But then you and Rascal came along, and you brought me Procella. And then, by some miracle, you let me in. And you gave me something I never thought I would have: true love. And now, Emma Nolan, I have to ask you a very important question.” He pauses, tears threatening to fall from his eyes as well. “Will you marry me?”

He’s barely gotten the question out before she’s whispering yes. And then screaming it.

“Yes! Killian, yes.” And then they’re kissing, in the living room of their house, and it is, without a doubt, perfect.

[freddiesaysalright]

Catching Up Part IX

A Joe Mazzello x Reader Fic

Summary: Reader is a writer for an entertainment news network and after Joe comes in to do an interview, they reconnect. Unexpectedly, they’re having a child together.

Word Count: 2.7K

Tag List: @crazylittlethingcalledobsession @jennyggggrrr @somethinginthewayiam @grandaddy-roger-trash @rogerloveshiscar @hopefully-aesthetically-pleasing @danamaleksworld @mrsmazzello @reedusteinrambles @rexorangecouny @caborhapch @kurt-nightcrawler @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @queendeakyy @hotttspace @anxious-diabetic @someone-get-a-medic  If you want to be added, let me know!

Part I  Part II  Part III  Part IV  Part V

Part VI  Part VII  Part VIII

A/N: No worries, things are cheering up in this one :)

Part IX here we go!

That night was one you long considered one of the worst of your life. No matter what Joe tried, you couldn’t move past the anxiety and humiliation of what Nick had done. You knew you had to settle your heart rate, but nothing helped. And you couldn’t take anything because most medication wasn’t safe for the baby. Joe just held you as your body heaved with sobs. You stayed awake the whole night, crying and agonizing over where to go from here. When day broke again, you were still an absolute mess.

Joe urged you to go forward pressing charges, and he suggested adding this to the list. But you weren’t sure. You hardly felt like leaving your apartment, much less like confronting the man who’d done this. It was going to take so much of you and you weren’t sure you could handle it. It felt like too much. It was all too big and you were so small.

“If this happened to our child,” Joe said. “What would you want them to do?”

You had to stop and take another breath. The thought of anyone doing something like this to your baby made you so mad you spit nails, but you considered it. You would want your son or daughter to tell the Nicks in their lives to get fucked, and do everything in their power to put them away.

“I’d want them to press charges,” you said. “That is if I hadn’t already killed the person responsible.”

He chuckled. “Let’s hope we never face that. I’d miss you if you went to prison.”

You giggled, and finally, your body began to ease. You were backing slowly away from the edge now, Joe at your side, ever the comfort.

“I really have to do this, huh?” you wondered.

Joe nodded. “You can do it, baby. You’ve already come so far. You faced him at the precinct, and you can face him again. Pictures be damned.”

“I’m really scared,” you admitted.

“Well, you’re not going alone,” he assured you. “I’ll be there. Christy will be there. And of course little Baby will be with you.”

Your mouth turned upward in a small smile as you looked down at your little bump. “I’m gonna be strong for you, little one.”

“I love that you talk to him,” Joe said. “I think that’s so sweet.”

“I feel like it makes me a little bit crazy,” you returned.

“You’re not crazy,” he said. “You’re amazing.”

You knew he was talking about more than just the baby. You leaned into him and you actually started to feel drowsy now that you were calmed down.

“I feel so lucky,” you said as you closed your eyes.

“You do?” he questioned.

“To have found you again,” you explained. “That through all of this, I have you.”

“I’m the lucky one,” he replied. “That out of everyone in the world, I found the one girl I never stopped thinking about. And now we’re having a baby together.”

You smiled, unable to ward off sleep any longer. As the sun lit up the room, you and Joe found your rest in each other.

When you turned up at work on Monday, Don immediately called you into his office. Nervous, you sat down across from him. He looked so serious. Not in his usual way, either. If you didn’t know any better, you would have guessed he was going to tell you that someone died. You waited for him to speak.

“So, over the weekend, I received some photographs,” he said.

Your head fell forward as a wave of embarrassment came over you. Taking a deep breath, you told Don everything. He listened carefully, trying to understand the situation. When you finished, you tried to gauge his reaction, but his expression was difficult to read. For a moment, you expected him to dismiss you. You wouldn’t blame him if he did.

“Y/N,” he began, and you were surprised by the gentleness of his tone. “I’m so sorry this is happening to you. If there is anything I or the company can do to help you through this let me know. Our legal team is excellent, and I’ll speak to them about protections for you.”

You gaped at him, stunned. When Nick did this the first time, your boss fired you immediately. It was why you wrote under a byline now. Now Don - who was usually kind of an asshole - was offering understanding and support.

“You’re being...awfully gracious about this,” you said.

“I did a story a few years ago on revenge porn,” he told you. “I saw first hand the effects of it. Now I understand your thing with cameras. I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I won’t ask you to do that again.”

“Don…”

“Don’t thank me or anything,” he said. “Just give him hell in court on Thursday, okay?”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, okay.”

All too soon, the day was upon you. The first court date. Part of you hoped that Nick wouldn’t show up. If it were only up to him, you knew he wouldn’t, but his mother paid his bail, so she would ensure he went so she wouldn’t be stuck with the cost. The prosecutor approached you and went over what you would need to do. It wasn’t much. Just tell your story. It helped that since he’d left jail, he got an armed robbery charge added to his rap sheet, so the indictment would be pretty easy. Joe and Christy squeezed your hands with encouragement.

Your stomach turned, but not in a way you were familiar with. It wasn’t even really your stomach. It was the baby. You gasped at the sensation of it moving around. Joe and Christy exchanged worried glances.

“Joe, feel,” you said, putting his hand there. You applied some pressure.

“Holy shit” he gasped. “The baby’s already moving?”

You nodded. “I’ve never felt it before…”

He laughed with joy and it took all your willpower not to kiss him. But the moment was stolen when the prosecutor called you inside.

It went like the prosecutor said. It took a couple hours and was mostly waiting. But he secured the indictment and there would be another court date in the fall unless Nick took a plea bargain. He didn’t seem interested in that, but for now, he was returning to jail to wait. You felt a little safer. Thankfully, throughout the process, he didn’t try to talk to you. He acted like you weren’t even in the room. You were grateful. You still had nightmares about the way he screamed at you that day, and the cold shoulder was preferred. He did shoot Christy a few glares across the room though. She very subtly flipped him off.

When it was over, you felt a little better, but you didn’t look forward to going through this again and in front of a jury. For now though, you could relax. The weight was lifted for the moment.

“I’m proud of you,” Joe said, kissing your cheek as you walked out of the courthouse.

“It’s just the first step,” you replied. “I feel like there’s still all this way to go.”

“But you did it,” Christy said. “I’m going to meet my sweetie for some food. You guys wanna join us?”

You shook your head. “I’m exhausted. I just want to go home.”

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll see you later.”

She gave you and Joe hugs as she said goodbye. Then she bent down to speak to your tummy.

“Bye, Baby!” she cooed.

With a final wave, she walked to her waiting Uber. You and Joe made your way to your car. He held your door open and then got in the driver’s seat. You sighed. You were ready to sleep, even though it was early evening.

“We have one stop I wanna make before going back to your place,” Joe said.

“Where’s that?” you wondered.

“Our house,” he told you. “I got the keys while you were at work yesterday.”

“Really?” you gasped. “It’s ready?”

He nodded. “Pretty much. I know we have a lot of time since your lease isn’t up until August, but I want you to see it.”

You smiled lazily. “I want to see it. Take my mind off of all of this.”

He took your hand he drove out there. You didn’t talk for most of the ride because you were so tired. You closed your eyes, the city disappearing behind your lids, and dozed. Joe woke you when he pulled into the little driveway of your house. It was a beautiful brick residence, with a white front door and a cast iron railing going up the porch steps.

“I love it,” you said.

He chuckled. “You haven’t even seen the best part.”

He helped you out of the car and together you walked inside. The inside was equally stunning. Hard wood floors gleamed in the light. The kitchen counters - which were granite - sparkled and shined. The windows were large, so plenty of natural light got into each room. He took you upstairs and showed you the master bedroom, which was a great size. It had two more bedrooms of smaller sizes, but were also charming.

“I figured those could be the kids’ rooms,” he said as he led you around.

“Kids?” you questioned. “Plural?”

“Well, we’re gonna have more, right?” he said.

“I guess so,” you returned playfully. “But let’s focus on the first one.”

“I am!” he insisted. “I just...I dunno, I think about our future a lot.”

“How many do you want?” you asked.

“Two would be perfect,” he told you. “A boy and a girl. And we’d have a dog too - a golden retriever since they’re so gentle, y’know? This place is great since there’s a small yard, but there’s also a park down the road. There’s a spare room downstairs I figured could be a guest room for when the grandparents or Christy visit.”

You giggled. As you looked around the house, you saw it too. The life you could build with Joe. In this house. It all came together around you. You imagined the family photos on the walls. How it might look decorated for Christmas. The kids running down the hall, laughing.

“Joe, it’s perfect,” you said.

“Think about this,” he told you. “When you’re feeling overwhelmed. Remember what you’re picturing now, and focus on that.” He cradled your face in his hands and kissed your forehead.

“I love you so much,” you whispered.

“I love you too,” he returned holding you close now.

You stood in the second floor hallway, holding each other. This ordeal with Nick was a passing thing. Joe, and everything he had given you, that was forever. You would hold on to that.

Summer pressed on, and your belly grew even more. Joe left two more times in the five weeks before the doctor’s appointment where you would find out the sex of the baby. He promised he would be there for that. In the meantime, you began packing up your apartment. Christy was supportive, and told you that she and her boyfriend were discussing living together, so the timing was actually perfect. She did say she would come over plenty to see the baby. It was the end of an era for you both, but you were excited for the new things in each other’s lives.

You also worked on taking pictures of yourself. You really liked Snapchat because the pictures were deleted after opening and that made you more comfortable. Although, Joe frequently got screenshots of your silliest faces. You got him back, but his Snapchats were so often hilarious, you had to stop or you’d run out of space on your phone.

You were also monitoring your growth each week. You took those pictures just for you, but you showed them to Joe when he was in town. He was astounded by it, even though the changes were minimal right now. He also made sure to tell you how beautiful he found you.

Finally, twenty weeks came. You were so ready to discover the sex, although you guessed it was a boy. Christy thought it was a girl. Joe said he hoped it was a boy, but only because you already had a name picked out for a boy, and neither of you could decide on girl names. The problem was that there were too many that you loved.

As usual, you watched the screen and this time it looked more like a baby, especially in profile. Looking straight on was a different sight, for sure. Still, you were excited. You squeezed Joe’s hand in anticipation.

“Would you like to know the sex?” Dr. Jones asked.

“Yes, please!” you and Joe said together.

She chuckled. “It’s a boy.”

You and Joe beamed at each other. You started laughing, overcome with joy.

“A boy,” you sighed, still taking it in. “I knew it.”

“Congratulations,” Dr. Jones said as Joe kissed you swiftly on the lips. She glanced at your chart again and her smile faltered.

“What is it?” you asked. “Is something wrong?”

“It’s not something to worry too much about,” she said. “But your blood pressure is higher than normal. Blood pressure does rise during pregnancy, but this is above average. Are you experiencing any unusual stress?”

You and Joe exchanged an almost amused look. Where could you even begin?

“Well, I just had to press charges against my ex-boyfriend,” you said. “There’s another court date coming up in October. The father of my child is in and out of town. I’m moving in less than a month. On top of all of that, I’m still working and carrying a baby.”

“That is a lot,” she said seriously. “I need you to find ways to destress because high blood pressure can lead to problems during delivery. You can take baby aspirin to help, but don’t rely too much on that.”

“What can I do to destress?” you wondered.

“That’s up to you,” she replied. “If you need to do a face mask and take a bath every night then do so. Are you two still having sex regularly?”

“Oh, yeah,” Joe said.

“That’s good,” she said with a smile. “Sex can relieve a lot of stress as long as both partners reach orgasm. But on the days when he’s not there, you’ll still need to make an effort to keep yourself calm.”

“She struggles with anxiety,” he added.

“Joe!” you hissed.

“It’s important that she knows,” he insisted.

“He’s right,” Dr. Jones agreed. “I see you’re not taking anything for it, and I recommend that you don’t right now. What do you usually do to get through an anxiety attack?”

“Joe shows me stupid YouTube videos,” you explained.

“Then watch stupid YouTube videos as well,” she said. “Whatever reminds you that the problems you’re facing aren’t nearly as big as your brain is telling you they are.”

“Okay, we can do that,” you assured her.

“Now, I don’t want to add to your stress, but I’m going on a trip for a few months,” she said. “I’m going to be in Kenya until January, teaching and helping out in their hospitals. I’ve gotten another doctor, Dr. Chris Barrow, to cover my patients. He’s in surgery today, but he’ll meet you for your next appointment. Are you okay with having a man as your doctor?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” you said. “I think it’s amazing what you’re doing. Will you be back for the delivery?”

She nodded. “Yes. Dr. Barrow will assist me for your delivery. So, the next time I see you, we will all be meeting your son.”

You squealed with delight. “Thank you so much!”

“Really,” Joe agreed, shaking her hand. “We’re so excited.”

“I’m excited too,” she said. “Be careful, and be sure to stay relaxed! If you need anything that Dr. Barrow can’t get you, I’ll have email.”

You thanked her again before you left. When you got outside you looked at Joe.

“We’re having a son!” you cried, throwing your arms around his neck.

“I know!” he shouted, spinning you around. “A beautiful baby boy!”

“Joseph Francis Mazzello IV,” you said, rubbing a hand down your belly. “I can’t wait to meet you.”