#jane was a last minute addition but I’m so glad I put her in here

[constellama]

Faroe

HELLO CHAT IM BACK <333 this painting has been keeping me sane for the past few days and I’m genuinely so happy with how it turned out :333 reblogs are much appreciated !!

Original painting under cut

[twoidiotwriters1]

Pure Blood 35 (Sirius Black x F!Oc)

Words: 2,084

Warnings: Mentions of death 

Masterlist:

Chapter 34  Chapter 36

"And what was it like having the whole train to yourself?" James asks sitting next to me.

“Lonely,” I sigh. "But I was able to sleep better."

He nods.

"Well, Jenna still doesn't know I'm here. So, it's your turn to help me catch up with all the gossip.”

“Sorry, Singh. But I won't be your gossip consultant,” He huffs.

"Oh, come on! I know you're a gossip. Even more than Sirius!”

“I am not a gossip. I only find out about events on accident.”

“Ha!"

He rolls his eyes.

“Fine. Everyone is nervous about graduation. They’ll make a ceremony and a small party here. What else? Regulus looks bleaker than usual. Sirius has tried to talk to him, but it's impossible. Peter tried to invite someone to graduation. The first attempts failed, but then he got someone from Slytherin, I really don't know how it happened, but I'm happy for him."

"What about the plan with Lily?"

His face lights up and he smiles, I can even see his cheeks blush.

"It's going well,” He clears his throat.

"Tell me something else, please,” I say, lightly hitting his leg with the crutch Jane told me to use for another month.

“I asked her out,” He laughs like a small boy. “At first she seemed uncomfortable. They were all staring at us, but Merlin! She was beautiful. She always is. Then she agreed to go on a date with me! We went to the three broomsticks and I told her about my family and she finally told me about hers, everything improved when she felt comfortable around me…”

I smile at the sound of his voice, he looks genuinely happy.

“Then we went to the bookstore. I know, the only way I’d be there would be because Remus asked me to, but with her, everything seemed more interesting. She explained to me what some of the books were about. We kept talking, we ate sweets,” Little by little he was sliding on the couch all the way to the floor. “We got to the castle and I wasn't thinking of doing anything else, but she kissed me! To me, Persephone!” He reaches the ground, melting completely at his own words.

"So my advice worked."

He looks at me and nods.

“You’re dating, then?" I ask. He climbs back up to the couch.

“I haven't asked, but I'm waiting for the right moment. After the kiss, she was happy, but embarrassed, she didn't want to ruin anything. Maybe I'll take her to a nice place…”

"Or you’ll just blurt it out.”

"That makes more sense.”

We both laugh.

“Glad to see you like this, James. Truly. It seems like it was worth waiting so many years, right?"

"Maybe. If I hadn't been an idiot, we would have been together longer. If I had listened to you, but it doesn't matter anymore. Thank you, Persephone.”

"You're welcome, James."

“Now, I know that's a stupid question, but. You'll be okay?" His tone is serious now.

I shrug.

"I don’t have any other option.”

"But it's something you want, right?"

"It's complicated. I'm sick of just waiting for bad things to happen, for someone else to control me. I no longer have the family I thought I had, but I don't have control either. I'm afraid of not knowing what to do now, without someone telling me what’s next.”

“Complicated," He makes a face and I nod.

“Yes, but I try to hold onto what I have left. Apollo and Jane, Atlas has been a great help. You, Sirius, Jenna. I don’t know…”

"I have a theory.”

"I hear you.”

“You’re hurt, and maybe that also affects. Just think about it, you can't move without that crutch, you have a very ugly neck scar and your left arm is still broken. Maybe when you're fully healed, you'll feel better, you know, therapy, going out, sticking to a routine a bit. By the time graduation comes you’ll walk better.”

"Could work…”

"Persephone Amelia Singh!" Someone yells.

"Oh, Jenna already knows you're here,” James mentions.

“Hadn’t noticed,” I replied sarcastically.

***

“Thanks," I say when Lily grabs my backpack, we both walk towards our classrooms. She laughs and I look at her confused.

"A few years ago, you would have insulted me for even being in the same hallway as you.”

I feel my cheeks burn.

"You're not going to kick my crutch in revenge, are you?" She laughs again.

"No, calm down. The good thing is that now we’re friends.”

"It's strange. But I do not regret it.”

"Neither do I,” She stops and gently touches my arm. "I also wanted to thank you.”

"Why? I just arrived yesterday–”

"For helping James,” She says.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about.”

“I know you helped him. I thought someone had done it and once I saw you alone talking. Don't worry, it's not a bad thing. I guess we both just needed a push. Now I feel like a fool, but I'm glad that everything is going well…”

"I really don't know what you're talking about, I don't talk to him that often,” I say. She laughs.

“Persephone…”

“Perhaps you're imagining things, Mrs. Potter,” I say with an innocent smile.

"Persephone!"

***

"Are you sure you're comfortable?"

I roll my eyes and smile.

"I'm sure. Don’t worry.”

“Okay."

Potions class continues, but I still feel Sirius's gaze.

"Now what?"

"You don't look comfortable.”

“Have my arm and leg bandaged will always bother until it heals, it's not like I'm in a perfect position to be comfortable Sirius. I'm fine, now pay attention…”

After a few minutes, not only does Sirius's gaze return, but now he's just playing with a lock of my hair. I let him pass, at least he's quiet.

"Professor Slughorn. I'll have to ask students Black and Singh for a moment,” says Professor McGonagall.

Slughorn nods and points at us. Sirius takes my backpack and helps me off the bench. We both leave the room, following the teacher.

"What is it, Professor?" Sirius asks.

“I'm afraid, young Black, this is not good news. But there’s someone in the principal's office looking for you."

"I-it's not someone from my family, is it?" I stutter.

“No, Miss Singh."

We got to the office. The Headmaster is at his desk talking to a woman.

"I'll leave you alone," says McGonagall.

Dumbledore finishes speaking and points to us. The woman gets up and sees us with a sweet smile. Her hair is black and short, she wears a black dress.

"Andy?" Sirius asks.

"Hello, cousin,” she answers and they both embrace.

I missed something, I'm sure, but at this point I just want to sit down. My leg is heavy and the silly stairs up here didn't help at all. I sit in the other chair near the desk. Sirius and the woman talk about things.

"How does it feel?" Dumbledore asks me, drawing my attention.

"I'm improving,” Then I remember something. "You and I have unfinished business.”

He smiles.

"Maybe for another time.”

"I just want to know how you knew…”

“I can't see the future if that’s what you were thinking. I knew that sooner or later something was going to happen, but I had no idea how serious it would be. Yet you are still here, healing,” He winks at me with amusement.

I still don't know what to think, it's quite suspicious, but I'm still in school, so I can't make a claim on him.

“She's my girlfriend, Persephone, I turn back and smile, shaking the woman's hand. "Percy, she's my favorite cousin, Andromeda.”

"It was about time that little Siri introduced me to a girlfriend!” I raise my eyebrows and look towards my boyfriend.

"Siri?"

He blushes.

"A silly nickname,” He complains looking at his cousin. We both laugh.

"Sorry I couldn't stand up, my leg was killing me," I say with a grimace.

"Oh, don't worry, honey. I understand,” She sits in the chair next to me.

"I think it's time to tell the news, dear," adds Dumbledore. Andromeda’s smile disappears.

“Yes,” She clears her throat. “After hearing all about your families, I knew it would be my duty to tell you if something happened. Guys, I'm so sorry. Alphard passed away last night.”

"What?"

Andromeda takes my hand.

"It's true, darling. I know this is horrible news…”

"B-but how?"

Alphard's tired face appears in my mind. Was he sick? Dumbledore and Andromeda share a look.

"The medical report says it was a cardiac arrest…”

"But you know these are dark times," continues Dumbledore. “And we suspects the old families. They both had reasons for not wanting Alphard on their way…”

“Is there a possibility that my family is in all of this? Do the aurors know? Someone must investigate it. We can't just leave him like this…” My hands are shaking.

“As Miss Tonks said. The report is done, I'm afraid we can't do anything. You know they’re very good at hiding anything that stains their reputation."

"Where is he buried?" Sirius says. I turn to see it. His face is pale and he seems about to throw up. "I don't think my mother buried him with the others."

“Ted agreed to put him together with his family. I hope you don't mind,” Andromeda answers.

Sirius shooks his head and looks down.

"He wouldn't have wanted to be with them anyway,” His voice breaks and his cousin stands up to hug him.

"Can we go to the funeral?" I ask the director with teary eyes.

“I'm afraid that's another risk, miss. If the assumptions are correct, they would be waiting for you both. You better not leave Hogwarts until they finish.”

"I'll take care of everything,” says Andromeda, separating from Sirius. “I promise you that Alphard's memory will be remembered. Many of his friends have written to me and asked about you.”

“Thanks, Andy.”

"Thank you…”

She smiles taking my hand and caresses Sirius's cheek with the other.

“He would be very proud of you. And above all, he would like you to remain close and safe.”

"In addition to giving you the news, we must speak of a small inheritance you have received from Alphard," says Dumbledore.

“Alphard knew that his life was in danger, so he hastened to leave some things to you,” continues Andromeda.

I nod wiping my tears. Andromeda sits Sirius in the chair and Dumbledore reads us the will. I don't even bother to ask why the Headmaster is responsible for giving us this. I only hear his distant voice.

In the end, Alphard left us the money that he had kept in his vault. Sirius got his house and some things he couldn't use until he’d graduated.

"This too," says the director, handing him a red velvet box. “Along with an indication. 'Use it when you're ready,’” He recites.

Sirius takes it, but he doesn't open it, just nods.

“And for Persephone Singh, this,” He hands me a long box of the same material. "Alphard indicated that this necklace once belonged to his late beloved, and he knows that it’ll be in good hands.”

He opened it, and I see a beautiful necklace of small green diamonds. It’s a very simple and elegant necklace. I smile wistfully.

Andromeda says goodbye, but not before agreeing to a small meeting with her husband and her six-year-old daughter. Sirius and I walked through the hallways of the school. He walks me to my common room. We stop at the entrance.

"I'm so sorry Sirius," I whisper. “I know that Alphard meant a lot to you. He was the only one who treated you like you were his son…” I close my eyes and feel some tears escape them.

I feel his arms surround me in a strong hug.

“He also treated you as his daughter. He loved us very much, Percy.”

We hugged each other for a few minutes, crying.

“Now more than ever we must go on, Percy. May Alphard's death not be in vain,” He says as we part. He takes my face and wipes some tears. "We are in this together, my love.”

I nod not knowing what to say. He kisses my forehead, and hugs me one last time. The first thing I do when I enter the Slytherin common room is look for Jenna and try to cope with the pain that will not go away so easily.

Thanks for everything, Alphard Black.

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[soprano193]

Not a Couple

Chapter 7

Kent

The energy at BPD had shifted.  At least, it had in the homicide department.  As soon as they had accepted that Korsak was retiring, Jane announced that she was moving to DC to pursue a different career.  Maura was taking sabbatical to try and write.  And that left Kent feeling conflicted.  His friends were leaving.  Of course, he could make more, or hang out with other departments within BPD.  And he was taking over for Dr. Isles, which would give him immense experience in the field.  But something about the first group who had gotten to know him all leaving at once had him feeling unsteady.

They had been spending their nights at the Dirty Robber, reminiscing.  The first few days, he stayed away, giving them the space they would need to move on.  But on the fourth day, Jane called him out in the autopsy room, turning her attention from Maura to address him.  “Why haven’t you stopped by even once this week?”  Her hands rested on her belt, and her eyebrows raised, waiting for his response.

“I didn’t want to intrude.”

Jane snorted, her voice getting quieter.  “Well that’s a first.”  Despite her words, her face bore the hint of a smile, made brighter when the Medical Examiner she had interrupted began to giggle.

“Oh, come on, Kent.  You don’t intrude.”  Maura added in, her head tilted as she looked at her colleague.

Jane relaxed her stance, her arms falling to her sides.  “In fact, you’re the only one who hasn’t come.  It feels like someone’s missing.”

“That was never my intention,” Kent replied, shuffling the file in his hands back and forth, “I’ll stop by after work tonight.”

Jane grinned.  “We’ll save you a seat.”  At her words Kent nodded, walking forward to give Dr. Isles the test results she needed, before leaving the room and the two women alone again.

They called it an early night.  The case was solved, no one had called, and everyone had been putting in overtime, so there was no harm in going home early.  Kent went straight to the Dirty Robber from work, hoping to not be late.  Frankie and Nina beat everyone there, grabbing a table towards the back.  They waved him over with a smile, Nina even standing to offer him a hug.  “Glad you finally came!”

Kent embraced Nina before sitting in a free seat next to Frankie.  “Yeah, sorry for the miscommunication.”  At Frankie’s confused look, Kent elaborated.  “I thought it was only family.”

At this Nina laughed.  “I’m here.”

“You’re dating Frankie.”

“Korsak.”  Her partner chimed in.

“Owns the bar.”

“Do you think that means anything on nights like these?”  Frankie paused to take a sip of his beer.  “Besides, you have put up with us for long enough.  You’re family.”  Frankie waved down the waitress and pointed at their new addition, prompting her to come over and take Kent’s drink order.

Kent took a moment to let the Detective’s words sink in.  This, he was finding, was the beauty of BPD.  As an impulsive kid who said things and acted without thinking, fitting in had been hard.  Here, he had found a group that didn’t judge him for his quirks, that wanted him to tag along.  It was nice to know that his inclusion would continue even with all the changes coming up.  Looking around, he took a sip of his whiskey.  “So where are the girls?”

“They’ll be here,” Nina answered, looking toward the door, “Maura makes Jane pack a box first.”

“Sounds about right.”  Kent responded with a chuckle.  “They really do have a peculiar relationship.”

“I’ll say.”  Angela’s voice came from behind him, making him jump.  She pulled out the chair next to Kent, sitting in it and leaning toward Frankie and Nina.  “Did you know that Maura has already mapped the route from Boston to DC?”

“Of course she has.”  Frankie answered, grabbing a roll from the center of the table.  “She’s not gonna be okay with phone calls and Skype.  Too impersonal.”

“I’m not even okay with that.”  Angela answered, scooting her chair to make room for the newly arrived Korsak.  “But I know this is a good move for Jane, and I want her to be happy.”

“Yes, but you don’t love her.”  Kent said it before thinking, as per usual, and every face at the table looked at him with eyebrows furrowed.  “I mean, of course you love her, you’re her Mother.  Sorry.  I just mean, you don’t love Jane like Maura does.”  Instead of the shock he was expecting, everyone at the table nodded in agreement.  It brought him comfort to realize that the little glances he’d noticed, their closeness, their body language, was not imagined by him.

Before Kent could elaborate, the front door opened and Maura walked in.  She greeted them all with a smile, her eyes showing a hint of sadness, and she took a seat next to Frankie.  She addressed her colleague first, placing her purse on the floor by her feet.  “Kent!  I’m glad you finally came!”

“Of course.  Again, sorry for the misunderstanding.”  Moments later, Jane entered, the last to arrive, and took the last seat between Korsak and Maura.  “And since I’ve missed a few meetings, the first round is on me.”

“I knew we invited you for a reason!”  Jane grinned and waved down the waitress, who came right over with her regular beer.  “Sorry it took us so long today.  Maura was helping me downsize my box of shoes.”

“Well, it doesn’t make sense to keep shoes without matches.”  The Doctor was defensive, but had a hint of a giggle in her voice.

“Why do you have so many mismatched shoes, Janie?”  Angela's voice had a tone only a mother could achieve, which made Kent smile into his drink.

"I think a lot of them are left over from when I was on the drug unit?"

It was his pragmatic boss who asked the question on Kent's mind.  "What was it about the drug unit that made you lose so many shoes?"

"Yeah, did you lose them chasing down suspects?"  Angela asked, still concerned about the mismatched shoes.

“No.  I never wanted  to wear my nice heels, you know, just in case.  So I had a lot of cheap ones.”  She grimaced.  “Very uncomfortable.  I shopped around for some that would fit better.  So I ended up with a ton of inexpensive heels.  I haven’t gone through them in ages.  I honestly think I lost most of them in the fire.”

“Well, now you get to leave town with a much lighter load.”  The honey-haired woman tipped her head.  “You’re welcome.”  This elicited a snort from Jane, her eyes rolling slightly as she took a sip of her beer.

Kent, being one of the newcomers to the group, hadn’t heard of Jane’s time in the drug unit.  And he still wasn’t sure how the drug unit led to more shoes.  “Wait, why did you need so many heels for the drug unit, but get to wear your trademark boots in homicide?”

“I had to do buy busts, and had to dress the part.  That’s how Maura and I met.”

The Doctor’s hazel eyes grew wide and her mouth fell.  “Don’t tell him that story.”

“What story?”  Kent asked, his interest piqued.

The answer came from Angela.  “Maura thought Jane was a hooker.”

As Maura sputtered to find her words, Kent and Nina watched with amusement, clearly the only ones out of the loop.  The stunned Doctor turned to her friend, her voice high-pitched and playful.  “I can’t believe you told your Mother!”

“Well of course I did!”  Jane shouted, glancing in Angela’s direction.  “I can’t lie to my Mother!  What kind of person do you think I am?”  This caused Frankie and Maura to laugh, with Angela watching them, a knowing look on her face.  After a few moments, she refocused her attention on Kent.  “So the first time we met was at Division One, and Maura thought I was really a hooker.  But about two months later I was promoted to homicide.  My first day, Maura came upstairs and said something to Korsak about meeting the new Detective.  She walked in, saw me at the desk, and immediately turned around and headed for the elevator.”

Maura laughed, her face turning red.  “I was mortified!”

Jane continued, “Two weeks later we caught our first big case.  On the scene she barely talked to me.  She addressed Korsak more often than not.  And she wouldn’t look me in the eye.  I tried not to let it bother me, but let’s be honest, it bothered me.  So Korsak and I started working this case the best way we could.  Figuring out known associates, tracking down threats, mapping her movements, that sort of thing.  And at some point he tells me to go see if Maura had found anything.”

Korsak leaned forward, excited to add his own part to the story.  “Jane was like, ‘don’t send me down to her!  She thinks I’m a prostitute, she won’t even look at me!’”  His voice was a higher pitch as he mocked his former partner, making Frankie laugh and Jane glare.

“Are we done with your spot on impersonation?”  She asked before continuing, waiting for the laughter of her colleagues to die down.  “So, I went down to autopsy, walked in, and said something about being sent by Korsak to get information.  Maura started rattling off time of death, potential murder weapons, and possible defensive wounds.  Very clinical, with a lot of words I didn’t understand.  In the middle of this, she stops, looks at me, and said, ‘you made a convincing prostitute.’”

“No way!”  The  interruption came from Nina, whose mouth was wide open as her eyes flicked between the two women.

Kent addressed his boss.  “You didn’t.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

Jane laughed, continuing.  “See, now that I know you, I get that you didn’t mean it like that.  But at the time, I was wondering who died and made you Queen Bitch.  I managed to hold my tongue, and forced out an, ‘excuse me?’”  She refocused her attention on Kent.  “So now Maura started sputtering, apologizing, and she started to get splotchy, and I knew something was wrong.  So I offered to start over.”

Maura joined in with a laugh, her face returning to it’s normal color.  “I made her leave the autopsy room, and told her to give me a little bit.”

Jane nodded.  “I must have stood outside for five minutes or so.  When I came back in, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.  Maura was standing at her computer, looking at a chart.  So I walked over, held out a hand, and introduced myself.”

“And just like that, you forgot her assertion from earlier?”  The Scotsman watched them as he asked, watching as they shared a look.  Jane resolved, Maura curious.  He wondered how much they talked about this meeting.

“Honestly, it still stung.  But I think it was what she said afterward that helped me understand what she was trying to say.”

“I told her that I had looked her up.  That her conviction rate was impressive, and that she must have been convincing undercover.”  Maura took ownership of the narrative, looking at her friend, watching Jane’s kind smile as she remembered.  “I think we began mentoring each other first.  Jane learned a lot about science from me.  I learned how to talk to people from her.  The friendship blossomed from there.”  They both shared a soft smile, a tad bit sad, before turning back to their companions.

Kent made sure to give them a moment before speaking.  “Well, that is the most interesting origin story I’ve ever heard.  You two should have a comic book.”

“Oh!  I have one of those!”  Jane shouted to the laughs of her colleagues.  This led to the reminiscing Kent was expecting, some of their favorite cases.  Angela went back to working after listening to them talk about the clown case.  Korsak left after Jane and Maura talked about cutting open Maura’s leg, citing Kiki waiting for him at home.  Frankie and Nina left after recounting the case at the Pilgrims stadium.  Which soon left only the two women, and Kent at that little table.  He hadn’t realized the predicament that would put him in until it was too late.

“Kent.”  His boss looked at him, her face serious.  “With only a couple weeks left, maybe you want to finish some unfinished business?”  Her eyes darted to the woman next to her, then back to him.

Jane rolled her eyes.  “Maur, no.”

“Well, I’m trying to figure out why he expressed interest in you, then never acted on it!”

"I'm not interested in Jane."  The reply was more forceful than he intended, and the Detective faked a hurt expression.  "No offense."

Maura looked between the two of them, puzzled.  "Well then, why did you ask me if you could date someone from the police department?"

It hit him in an instant what she was referring to, and now he had to scramble to figure out what to say.  "Not because I wanted to date Jane."

"Well then, to whom were you referring?"

His reluctance to speak egged the Detective on, who leaned forward with interest.  "Yeah, whom?"

"We can keep a secret."

"I'm leaving soon, no one in DC is gonna care.  Just tell us who you like!”

The two women egged him on like schoolgirls and drowned out his train of thought.  He couldn't tell them that he had asked to figure out their relationship.  And he couldn't think of a plausible interest other than the one he'd suppressed for over a year.  As their chorus of voices grew louder he fought to hear his own consciousness, the voices inside telling him to lie.  The problem was, the two women were too loud to let him figure out the name of any other female Detectives.  So for the first time, he let his secret slip.  “Frankie.  I wanted to ask out Frankie.”

Their voices stopped abruptly.  Maura’s mouth hung open in shock, her eyes wide as she searched his face.  Jane however, sat straight as a board, her mouth pursed shut as she glanced over at her friend.  Kent began counting the seconds, waiting for them to speak.

It was Jane who broke first.  The Detective flashed him a soft smile, dropping her shoulders and leaning forward.  "Trust me, after living with my brother for way too long, you dodged a bullet."  At her response, he let out the breath he'd been holding, allowing himself to laugh with the two women.  "I mean, he had all these rules, took super long showers, and still never told me where his secret drawer is!"

"He didn't tell me either.  And I'm an excellent secret keeper."  The ME punctuated her sentence with a sip of her wine, a knowing glance shot toward her best friend.

"Speaking of that," Kent started, leaning forward, "you can keep that one, right?"

She answered in the affirmative. "My lips are sealed."

"Nothing against him, I just don't want to make things weird.  He's a good friend."  The two women nodded, and he noticed the way Maura pursed her lips together, like she was holding something back.  "Besides, I have the utmost respect for Nina, and their relationship."

Jane nodded, her fingers running along the bottom of her beer bottle.  "I get it.  Your secret is safe with us."  She finished the last sip, and tapped the table twice with her free hand.  "As much as I would love to stay and chat, I really should pack some more things.  And throw out some more shoes."  She pushed the empty bottle, turning her attention first to Kent.  "I hope you'll join us again tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it."

"Good."  She turned to Maura.  "And I'll see you bright and early."

Maura nodded.  "Yes, I'll get coffee and be over around eight.  Drive safe, Jane."  

Kent definitely noticed the Detective squeeze Maura's shoulder as she left, her fingers waiting as long as possible to let go.  The soft smile reserved almost exclusively for Maura, with just a hint of sadness in her dark eyes.  He observed Maura watch the door for several seconds after her friend left, seeming far away although she sat only inches from him.  And his question was out before he could stop it.  "Have you told her you love her?"

Maura took in this question like she took in new data, her eyebrows pulled together as she gazed just past him, trying to put the info in line with the narrative in her brain.  "I tell Jane that I love her all the time.  It's perfectly natural to be affectionate with your friends."

"No, I mean," he paused, wondering for a moment if he should end the conversation before it was too late, "have you told Jane that you are in love with her?"

Again, she took in his words, trying to make them make sense.  For a split second, Kent saw acceptance, her jaw set, her eyes widened.  But soon that look became anger, with glaring eyes and a hard swallow.  “I am not in love with Jane.”

“Well then, you’ve got me fooled.  And I assume you’ve fooled yourself.”

Her eyes widened at his hesitancy to back down.  “Well, you know what they say about those who assume.”  She finished her glass of wine in one sip, pushing her chair back simultaneously.  “I don’t think it’s fair of you to assume how I feel, Dr. Drake.  And I don’t need to sit here and listen to it.  See you in the office.”  With that, she turned and stormed out of the bar.

It didn’t take long for Angela to come over, using his tab as an excuse to pry.  “What happened?”

“I pointed out that she loves Jane.”

Angela started laughing, the high-pitched sound helping Kent feel calm, despite his realization that work would be tough the next day.  “I always wondered who would break it to them first.”  She patted him on the back before taking his card.  “You’ll be alright.”

________________________________________________________________

The next day, Kent went out of his way to avoid Dr. Isles.  If she entered the room he was in, he’d leave through the opposite door.  If he couldn’t leave, he would study results on his computer, so he looked busy.  He spent more time in the bathroom in one day than he had for the entire week.  Towards the end of the day, DNA results came in.  Matter found under the fingernails of a John Doe.  He could have just emailed them to her, kept his contact at a minimum.  But a small part of him wanted to see how much trouble he was actually in.  So this he carried into her office, to deliver in person.

Dr. Isles was sitting at her desk, reading something on her computer.  He knocked, making her look up, and waved the file in the air as he entered.  “DNA results from under the victim’s fingernails.”

“Thank you.”  She held out a hand for the file, took a moment to look it over, and reached for her phone.  “I’ll forward this to Jane.”  Her response was curt, but she didn’t seem angry.  Thinking he had overreacted, Kent nodded and started to leave.  “Wait.”  Her voice was more forceful, and made him turn around.  Dr. Isles’ face was set, very little emotion showing as she gestured for a chair.  “Please sit.”  Kent did as she asked, his hands folded in his lap, and awaited whatever she was going to tell him.

Dr. Isles took a moment, looking past him as she gathered her thoughts.  “Well first of all, I owe you an apology.  I think I implied that you were an ass.”

As she spoke, her shoulders fell, making her appear less harsh, and making Kent relax in turn.  “You did.  But you were right, I shouldn’t assume.”

"You shouldn't.  We don't leap to conclusions in our line of work.  We wait for the science to determine the facts, and draw our conclusions from there."

"Absolutely," Kent nodded, "I hear you loud and clear."

Dr. Isles gave him a decisive nod as she sat back in her seat.  "Well, I was up all night analyzing the data, and it appears that you were right.  I'm in love with Jane."

Kent had to suppress a giggle at her words, somewhat surprised it took her this long to figure it out.  As he did he noticed the slump of her shoulders and the hint of bags under her eyes, remnants of her sleepless night.  "Can I ask you what the deciding data points were?"

"Well, she's very symmetrical, so aesthetically pleasing.  I've always known she's attractive."  It was the most logical place to start, and her eyes drifted as she figured out what to say.  "She has this incredible way of understanding me that I have always admired.  Very few have stuck around to help me in social situations I don't understand.  She's selfless and brave, in ways I wish I could be.  She takes care of me."  Dr. Isles' face broke into a wide grin.  "Her smile is infectious.  She is infectious.  I just want to spend as much time as I can with her.  Everything makes sense with her.  She's the only one who can touch me when I'm very upset, and she can calm me down.  And then I started really thinking."  She paused, her head coming down as she looked at Kent and addressed him for the first time since she started talking about Jane.  "I'm sad Korsak is retiring.  The squad room will be different.  Our lives may drift apart.  And I'm okay with that.  It's natural.  But imagining life here without Jane," a pause, her fists curling on top of the desk, "it puts knots in my stomach.  It feels like I'm losing a limb, and things won't be the same.  Does that make sense?"

Kent nodded, understanding exactly what she was saying.  "Your heart is breaking.  It makes perfect sense."  Kent watched her nod and swallow, seemingly relieved that what she was feeling made sense.  "So what do you plan to do about it?"

"What can I do?”  Her hands turned upward and her voice cracked.  “This opportunity is wonderful for her.  It’s perfect for her family, it gets her out of harm’s way, and she earned it.  If I tell her, and she backs down, does that make me selfish?  Or what if I tell her, and it ruins everything?  And I lose this friendship, and the family that I’ve been graciously allowed to join?  It’s a terrible thought to lose Jane, but I can’t also lose Angela, Frankie, Tommy, and TJ.”  Her thumb kept tapping on her fingers, counting people she cared about but didn’t name out loud.  People connected to her through Jane.  “So I’m doing nothing.  I’m pretending I never realized I love her.  I’ll support her as she moves, call her daily, and hope that she doesn’t forget about me as she builds a new life.”

Kent could hear the anguish in his boss’ voice, the finality of her decision weighing him down.  This wasn’t what he intended when he asked his question the previous night.  “She won’t forget you.”  It was the best he could offer to comfort her.  “I suspect she feels the same.”

Dr. Isles let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head.  “No, Jane has only ever been interested in men.  Even now, she’s been chatting with some agent out in DC.”

“I’m sorry, Maura.”

“Don’t be.”  She laughed, flashing him a knowing look.  “This is why we shouldn’t fall for straight people.”

Kent laughed along with her.  “We never learn.”  Kent gave his boss time to relax, telling her jokes and stories to cheer her up.  They soon switched gears, discussing everything they had learned about the case, Kent leaving her office with new orders for tests to run and a promise he would see her that night at the bar.  He did join them again.  Armed with new information, he watched them interact.  Maura’s slight hesitation to touch Jane, like she was second guessing her every move.  Jane, oblivious to the fact that Maura was studying her, the curves of her face, her expressions as she talked.  And the deepening heartache written all over Maura’s face.

What had he done?

[mydearsaddiary]

Little curiosity notes: Hey guys! We’re on chapter 9 now! If everything goes according to plan the story will end in the next chapter! I might do an additional short epilogue after, but the plan is only to continue until chapter 10! Thank you so much for reading until here and as always: Feel free to reach out!

Thank you!

Candy (08/20/2020)

Neil Chapter 9 part 1- First, do no harm

1933

-Cliff- I said as I walked from the back room of the diner I helped to manage now- you’re running low on soda, you know!

-Geez- He said, finishing up cleaning a table and running towards me- I’m awful with this inventory stuff ya know, MC. Mind seeing everything we’re missing?

I smiled, gently hitting him on the head with the papers I was holding- Glad to help.

-Neil coming in today? Just got his new bourbon stash this morning!

-Im sure he’ll pop by later when the nanny is home. How’s everything going with you?

-It’s fine, me and Jane just moved in together- He crossed his arms , blushing a little and giving me that big smile of his.

-So you finally settled down. Next thing you know you’ll have little Conways running around the place

-Maybe in a few years- He turned around when somebody called his name- Alright, duty calls. Have fun in there!

-I always have- I waved at him and returned the back room to count our stock, manage prices, and do basically everything I did at the Ice Box. I enjoyed doing the same job alongside the same people without having the risk. Our past evolved into a better future than most of what the other mob bosses had.

Suddenly, I heard the lock click. My initial shock soon turned into dark memories I wanted to forget. Impulsively I tried open the door only to find out I was actually locked in

-Hey...! Hey!- I knocked on the door- Hey, let me out! Somebody locked me in- I wasn’t scared of enclosed places. It was the sound of the lock clicking and the inability to open it from the inside that haunted me.

I hated being locked in.

-MC- The door opened after a few knocks. Vince was there- Sorry, just came in and thought somebody left it open

-It’s alright-My cheeks were colored red, but besides that I kept my posture- I’ll just do the inventory outside

1926

I opened my eyes, waking up from my sleep. I could feel no sign of light besides the faint, artificial one. I sighed heavily realizing nothing had changed. In my new found experience, not being in the sun for three weeks messes with you head. It makes you tired and empty. A crippling force tells you to accept your fate to remain there.

I sat up, only to find Vera already awake on the mattress besides mine- Did you check the day today?- I asked

-Yeah. The holidays are approaching fast. How are you?

I rubbed my stomach which now had started to show more. Vera had asked the mayor, in one of the times he came in, for new clothes. She had some in the bedroom they used to share. It was refreshing to say the least and her clothes, that were slightly bigger on me, helped me hide my condition from him. It was a light and loose salmon colored shirt that went down until my hip, and a beige skirt that went to my calf, along with white stockings. It was nothing I’d normally wear, but I wasn’t in the position to be picky.

-I feel fine- I said- I don’t feel too sick anymore. I haven’t gotten any movements yet

-How far along are you?

-Hm... I went to the doctor last month... Must be around 13 or 14 weeks.

-It’s still early. Mine didn’t move until about 17 weeks

I looked at her, genuinely surprised- You have kids?

-Oh yes, Frank and I have our children. They’re all grown and moved on to different parts of the country. My oldest one is a little older than you.

-What’s her name?

-His, actually. His name is Robert. He’s 21 now, he got a job out west and comes back to visit when he can.

-Who are the others?

-Oh, May is 18. She’s with her aunt in Florida. I sent her when things got too complicated here. She wouldn’t listen to us.

I chuckled- I know how she feels.

-Then there’s Matt. He’s 16.

-What’s going on with Matt?

-He’s in New York as an apprentice to his grandfather. My ex-husband’s dad. He wants to teach him how to run the business he owns

-Seems like they’ve got it all figured out

-Yes. Well, I know the feeling of having your first kid. I was but a bit older than you are right now. Although- She pointed to her surroundings- I had a more adequate stay

I laughed, but there was no humor in my voice- Adler’s gonna bring our city down under his total power if we don’t do something

-You don’t think your men are trying to save you or figure it out?

-Trying is the key word. Vince...-I sighed, with a heavy heart- Well, Adler shot him... He must be dead right now. That means Cliff and Uncle Charlie must be a mess. On top of it, for my uncle, there’s the fact that I disappeared. That also messes with Neil who, I can’t even imagine what he must be feeling but it’s nothing good. Then Donovan isn’t close enough with them to put everybody’s head together. Julius, Cleo, Sofia and Andrew... Im sure they’re trying to help but...- I sighed- I’m the head of the Ice Box. Im the queen on the chess board. They need me- I said as I realized it myself- I can’t spend any more time waiting for something to happen or counting days.

-You already tried everything, remember?

-Not everything- I got up, exercising my need to move my legs- You know Adler’s schedule better than anyone. When is he out for a long time?

-He’s always at the office from noon to six on weekdays.

-Then thats our time to escape. We’ll wait an hour just to be sure, then leave.

-Yes, but you’re leaving out the important part— How are we gonna leave?

-Last night, before I went to bed, I was looking around your things to see if I could find something useful

-You went through my stuff?!-She said visibly irritated

-If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have found this- I opened my hand to show her the few bobby pins I had in my possession

-How is pinning your hair up helping us?

-Oh Vera, dig a little deeper. It’s for opening the door. I can pick it!

-With those? I think you might be a little too optimistic

-Thankfully- I said cheering up- I had plenty of training sneaking back in my house, and hiding from Momma and Poppa. I have yet to meet a lock that could stop me.

She looked at me for a few seconds and sighed- Alright, I’ll bite. One in the afternoon then.

-Thats right!-I hid it once I heard the door open. They were bringing breakfast down.

____

We heard Adler leave. We heard everything until there was nothing else to hear. The anticipation was so overwhelming that when Vera’s little clock hit twelve-thirty, we were on out way up the stairs.

I got two bobby pins and started to work on unlocking the door. In a few minutes, it clicked and it opened right up to the now dark living room

-You know- She whispered- For the three weeks you were here, you could’ve tried that sooner.

-I didn’t know you had these!- I whispered too, but in an angrier tone- And you’re welcome!

I pushed the door out slowly, as if someone would head. The dark immensity of the house spread before my eyes. Without a single soul there it seemed peaceful, but in a way that unsettled you, like something was waiting to jump out from the dark. The negativity soon disappeared as I got lost in my thoughts for a second and walked over to the big window, letting the sun hit my face. The warmth of the natural light, warmed up my heart along with it. The joy of finally breaking free made me forget for an instant I had to walk out the front door.

-Miss Granger, let’s go!-Vera hurried me up

-Yeah, right- I walked up to the front of the house. By the door there was a table. I noticed keys on top of it- This is for his Ford, isn’t it?- I grabbed them-Nifty! We just got out escape vehicle

-I can’t drive- She looked at me uncertain

-Well, I’ve been learning- I replied opening the door- Now, let’s scram

___

I had to go through two Fords to find the one the keys belonged too, within myself we could taste the flavor of freedom.

Opening the door, I made my way in. It was then everything was ruined by a single shot that went right through the window on my side. When I looked back, Adler stood a few yards away with a gun aimed in my direction, along with his two goons.

-Go, Vera! Inside!-I yelled at the top of my lungs closing my door and turning on the car. I stepped on the gas and went as fast as the car would allow me to.

Soon, down the streets of Chicago we went. The bright sun and the streets filled with people would normally be cause for celebration, but my currently situation prevented me from enjoying it. I heard more shots coming our way and noticed that Adler was following us in his own car

To make everything better, Vera was freaking out in the passenger seat

-Woaaaaaaaaah, be careeeful! Waaaait, you’re going tooooo faaaaast!

-Vera!- I yelled back, driving and swerving as much as my experience would allow- If I don’t drive fast he’s gonna catch up to us—Ah!- I yelped when another shot came right in between us, making a hole in the windshield

-You’re gonna kills uuuus!-Her voice got louder and more annoying- I’m not ready to die!- She continued, letting out her “Oh!”s And “Oh my god!”s And her loud screams that were worse than the shots for me. At this point, I tried my best to ignore them since our lives depended on it

She yelled even louder when his car bumped into our rear and sent our bodies forward. I heard continuous shots that shattered our windows and I couldn’t go any faster. I had to think of something quickly, but all the stimulation from the outside made the task harder.

That’s when I saw it and hope ushered back into me. The little red convertible from the corner of my eyes, driving right ahead of us. Vince drove with ease on the wheel, while, surprisingly, our most experienced shooter, Donovan, fired back in the mayor���s direction from the passenger seat.

Seeing them, I let out a relieved little laugh. Fear was substituted with the urge to go faster, so I gained some distance on them. On the other side the trusty green Studebaker had Cliff, Uncle Charlie and Julius in it. Cliff drove, Uncle tried to steal glances my way, and Julius had a pistol, and helped Donovan by firing back. Sometimes Vince would keep one hand on the wheel and use pearl to fire as well. What I thought was going to be hell quickly turned into an exhilarating thrill.

And then, time slowed down as a third car showed up. The darker colored vehicle that belong not just to any man, but to the man I had longed to see all this time— Neil Dresner. I recognized the car but I couldn’t see him since he drove ahead of me. It might seem silly, but the importance of that moment couldn’t be just understood, it had to be felt. The whole world brightened up again just to know he was near. I knew then I wasn’t alone, and I never would be again.

And then everything came back to me in a second, when Vera’s shouting became deafening and another shot came right by us

-We’re going to die! Jesus!- She kept having her panic attacks

-MC!-I heard a voice from Vince in his car- To the docks! Go to the docks!

I nodded, better now that I had a direction in mind,so I sped up towards my new destination.

The city passed by us in a blur, I didn’t allow myself to focus on anything else but getting there. I’m sure everyone else had a plan and in my mind I started formulating the beginning of my own.

I turned into the road that led to the docks and swerving the car faster than it could handle, I stopped abruptly, hitting a few of the many giant boxes piled around, ready to be transported. The side of the car caved in, but we came out unscathed in the front

-What are you thinking?! We could have died! We could hav-

-Vera!- I yelled, looking at her, panting. The adrenaline hadn’t left my body and I knew it wouldn’t for a long time- you’re a chatter-mag bitch- I said in an unusual calm tone, still trying to catch my breath

-Excuse me?-She gave me that look she usually did when she disapproved of something

I was going to reply, but then I heard a car and shots again- Go Vera! Out of the car!- I pushed her out her way and pulled her to hide behind the boxes laid out nearby.

I heard more tires and assumed my gang had arrived to rescue us. I smiled realizing I was right when I saw Vince throwing me my trusty revolver- Let’s take car of em, boss.

-Don’t call me that- I grabbed it, feeling an immense power I hadn’t felt in a long time. I pointed it to my target, my enemies, those who sided with Adler...

...And fired.

Part 2: https://mydearsaddiary.tumblr.com/post/627009903803990016/speakeasy-tonight-fanfic-neil-season-3-chapter-10

[snow-slayer]

A Bunch of Good Things from 2019

*I don’t do things consistently, so there’s chunks of time I just forgot to write. So the blank spaces are days where I could not recall the exact good things that happened.*

January 1: Started the year off right by hanging out with @nah-young, eating some delicious leftovers from New Year’s Eve and working on a puzzle. Also caught a shiny Delibird in Pokemon Go as the first catch of the year.  2: Had a headache at work, but went home to take care of myself. Dad and I talked for a long time about money and taxes without arguing. I have also discovered a future hobby I want to get into: 3D printing. 3: I cranked out four solid hours of studying. I’m going to ace the Auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel it in my bones (especially when I finally stood up and stretched). 4: My ‘other mom’ (one of my best friend’s mom) took me out for a belated Birthday lunch to our favorite Thai food place, and I enjoyed more mango sticky rice. It’s one of my new favorite desserts. 5: Did some epic New Year cleaning. Caught up on laundry, filed away my 2018 paperwork, and did some 2019 taxes. Finally on top of things! 6: A puzzle day! I connected a big piece of the sky to the side on the Lion King puzzle. I’ve still got a lot to go, but progress is being made. 7: As usual, I both surprised and pleased the teller at the bank when I moved some money from savings into my IRA. They wanted to know if it was for tax year 2018, but I could tell them last year was maxed out and it was for 2019. 8: Got to practice my training and supervising skills with @arrowhearts.  9: Spent the night at Lucy’s (she’s a cat). She’s the sweetest cat though, and was cuddling in my lap for so long! She even held my finger with her paw for like ten minutes. I love her. 10: It’s been forever, but I finally sat down and played some video games. I’m replaying Arkham Asylum again and really just exploring every nook and cranny I can find. 11: Might have started a new Francis story line ... Whoops :) 12: Helped Jane clear an apartment and acquired many new tools and art supplies to use. 13: Snow! It was snowing before bed, but I still woke up at 5 am to about 4 - 5 inches. Activated my dad gene and started shoveling at 5:30 am (sorry neighbors to the house I was dog sitting at). It’s so pretty out! 14: A quiet day, but I did some work for Jane and gamed some more. Can’t wait to start Arkham City when I get 100% on Arkham Asylum! 15: I took my coworker a basket of fun snacks from Lotte for her Birthday. She’s so excited to try them all! 16: Donated blood today and when I went to get dinner on the way home, I got a free salad! The entree was already free and I ordered a side salad. I pulled out my wallet to pay, but the coupon covered it, too!  17: Treated myself to breakfast on the way into preschool (my new volunteer place since the teacher I followed to several elementary schools is now at). Also ate some amazing home cooked food for lunch with @nah-young before going out for ice cream. 18: Did some very early spring cleaning to prep for my next yard sale and straighten up a bit. 19: Beat the storyline and finished gathering all of Riddler’s trophies in Arkham Asylum. I do still need to finish up the additional content for 100% completion. 20: Working with Jane to help clean out an apartment again and got stencils to use for my art (the ones with shapes of different sizes). I had wanted to get me a set, so I really lucked out. 21: Started reading a book for fun. Lol, I forgot that I can still read non-accounting things for fun. 22: Sent out 1099s at work. It’s always a dreaded part of the year, but it’s taken care of! 23: I started uploading my old Franmouche stories to AO3. I forgot that I’d written 185 pages of them. At least if someone else likes my rarepair, they have lots to read. No guarantees on the quality, but there is quantity. 24: Made fun penguin cutouts for the preschool class I volunteer at. Then studied for nine hours on campus. A busy, yet productive day. 25:  Finished watching all my lectures for the next portion of the CPA exam! So much auditing knowledge!!! 26: Panic alleviated. My check engine light had been on for a few days. Usually it’s just a gas cap issue so I was worried, but after readjusting the cap again (which usually fixes it) and an oil change, the light went out! 27: Played some Pokemon Go for four hours with @arrowhearts and Lyla. No Kyogre, but at least we each got a Groudon. Plus, the weather was beautiful for this time of year. 28: I found a dollar today while sweeping the parking lots with my dad! I’m gonna be riding this wave for a week. (Fun fact: my dad and I used to go bike riding on Sunday afternoons/evenings in the local parking garages and look for pennies. We’d always get bragging rights when we found a quarter or more. We still get excited and tell each other of the day’s finds when we find a few coins while we’re sweeping). 29: Had a bit of a headache, but managed to get through it so I could finish the workday. Then I get some well deserved rest. 30: Met up with @nah-young for some fries and ice cream! 31: My annual physical went well! Took care of a couple test we’ve been putting off, too, and they weren’t quite as bad as I thought they’d be.

February

1: I had such a productive day in the office, even for a Friday. Special thanks to @arrowhearts for helping me move all (24  years worth) of our files. 2: Started off the day a little rough and feeling low, but I decided to go up to campus, and I’m so glad I did. I was able to help a bunch of people get to their destination. Also hung out with @nah-young and @arrowhearts in a sketchy room. 3: Technically today (starting at 1 am). Had a great talk with @nah-young about a lot of things including our friendship. Successfully avoided the Super Bowl (which I heard sucked, so that was a good use of my time). 4: Had a really good conversation with my dad for almost an hour. We had some fights earlier in the year, but it was nice to be able to connect some. 5: It’ll be silly to look back on, but I thought I lost a reference letter for a scholarship applicant, but realized I could find it on our shared drive. Such a relief! 6: I tried Duck Donuts for the first time today. One of our board members brought me and a coworker a half dozen each. 7: Caught a Miltank in Pokemon Go! I thought I missed my chance, but there was a special running, so I got it. 8: Just heard we got a new boss at work, so it’ll be nice to be full staffed again. 9: Started working on a painting for @arrowhearts. It might be my first completed artwork of the year. 10: A lazy day, but I flipped through a book on home decorating. You know, to plan for my future house. 11: Officially started working for Jane’s business. We’ll see how it goes, but at least it’s an extra couple of hours per week. 12: Finished a dog sitting job, and I’m super thankful to be sleeping in my own bed again. 13: I gave Lucy, the sweetest cat ever, a piggyback ride and it was the cutest thing ever. I was on my knees and forearms trying to get Lucy to boop my nose when she just climbed on my back and sat down. I rose up on my knees and hands and she did the “i’m not so sure but I’m going to stay here” stand and let me crawl across the floor a while before finally jumping off. I love this cat. 14: Took the auditing section of the CPA exam. I feel much better about this one than I have about the other two. We’ll see on the 26th. 15: Such a busy day at the office! It was productive, but just a lot of work. 16: Even though I just too the other exam, I managed to get a lot of studying done. 17: Mamaw and I got to chat and work on the puzzle for a while. It was nice to hang out with her since I haven’t done son in quite a while. 18: We had some really good food at our investment club meeting today. Sheppard’s pie (like meat and mashed potatoes), salad, this great cracker dip (I have no other details other than feels like sharp cheddar finally shredded with a hint of spice in some sort of sauce). 19: Our new executive director started today. I think I made a pretty good first impression! 20: Started playing Arkham City again. We had a snow day and even my office closed, so I made the most of my day. 21: Lol and today I finished the main storyline of Arkham City. Accidentally, because I was doing side quests, but Batman got mad when I tried to go finish some before the last mission. 24: I am obsessed with Excel, but I figured out a formula so that it would total certain categories even if they weren’t in order. Plus I learned how to make a drop down menu (on two versions of Excel). Guess who’s budget looks beautiful! 25: I caught a Latias in Pokemon Go. Not having much luck with the water legendaries. I wonder if they don’t like me because we picked the grass starter. 26: I passed the Auditing section! (and instead of keeping it quiet, I made a point to tell some people). Then @nah-young and I went to dinner to celebrate our successes of the day and just have a nice chat. 27: Good news: I starved off a migraine that was starting on Feb 26. Maybe this new method will help them from getting bad. Just took an Aleve with some hot tea. 28: Went on a Pokemon run, and I found $20 blowing across the yard when I got home! A nice find for the year.

March 1: I’ve been really getting into “Ghost Story” by Peter Straub and had so much time to just sit and read while it rained. 2: I watched “Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse” today. An epic movie and I highly recommend it! I also have several new costume ideas... 3: Officially started working on my Library Comic Con cosplay. There’s not much to show, but it was nice to start costuming again. 4: Hiked up to the nearby bubble tea. It was good! I got a mango green tea creama. Next time I know I have to mix it up before I start drinking it. 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: Started replaying Castlevania IV. It’s been a while since I beat it, so hopefully I can still finish it! 11: I have proven myself an Excel deity. Well, at least Jane thinks though. She needed a spreadsheet for something and had some ideas so I whipped it out in five minutes flat with a bunch of formulas she didn’t even know were possible. I’m quite proud of it. 12: Lol, speaking of excel, I was geeking out over my budget with one of our board members. She was showing me how she built her itinerary in excel for her next trip and I got to show off my budget. 13: 14: 15: It was fake St. Patrick’s day at work, so I got to show off my green Riddler suit. Apart from being mistaken as dressing like a leprechaun a few times, I received a bunch of compliments on it. I’ve gotten a lot of use out of that suit jacket. 16: Tagged along with @nah-young to her grandfather’s birthday party and watched Bohemian Rhapsody. Apart from the timeline inaccuracies, I really enjoyed it! Look at that: two new movies in one month. 17: First big leaf job of the season. I guess the first major landscaping job. Dad helped out, so it made life easier. 18: Investment club meeting went well, and I ended up staying late to chat and help clean up, but it was enjoyable. Also had some great tiramisu from Trader Joe’s. 19: 20: 21: It was a downpour today, but I also made a 20 minute Costco run. Parking was great, the lines were short, and I managed to balance everything without a cart. Success! 22: Finally got around to doing invoices. It’s such a weight off my chest to take care of them. 23: I had the house to myself, so got ample studying done, played some pokemon, and treated myself to some bubble tea. Got myself a bunch of good pokes from Community day. 24: Another lovely day to sit and hang out with @nah-young. I always enjoy our hour long conversations just sitting in my car in her driveway. I also finished the lectures for the BEC portion of the CPA exam. 25: I found a gift card loaded with $30 today. It had been thrown into the dumpster, so a little gross, but it washed off nicely. 26: Ran up to the local library to turn in my books (look @arrowhearts, I did it the day before they were due and didn’t have to make a midnight run). I wasn’t going to check out more books since I already had some checked out from another library visit (I go to many branches due to my job and often check out a book or two, resulting in cycles of books due at different times), but I did anyway. I started reading Area X, too, and so far, I’m really enjoying it. 27: Our family’s accountants think I’m a bit weird because I was so excited to get my tax papers back even though I owed money. I was just like “cool!” to all the facts and things on my sheets, which is apparently not what they’re used to, but one of the new tax laws works in my favor as small business income is taxed at a lower rate or something. 28:  29: 30: I love Annihilation in the Area X series! I haven’t plowed through a book that fast in years. 31: I was catching up on my business spreadsheets and it turns out I had the most profitable March since I started my business :)

April 1: No April Fools jokes, which is always a huge plus. 2: 3: 4: Took the BEC section of the exam and then clocked in a bunch of hours for the Foundation. Jubilee is almost here!!! 5: 6: The Jubilee is over!!! What a relief! A lot of things went well, and I heard it was a lot of people’s favorite. Not sure what actually happened because I was stationed at check in/out all night, but hopefully the silent auction results are good. Huge shout out to @arrowhearts and @nah-young for getting me through the night! 7:A quiet morning of returning the Jubilee to the Foundation. Plus some other landscaping. 8: I know everyone at work is saying I should take time off, and I didn’t, but I’m actually feeling blessed that I have the physical and mental stamina to keep working on things. Plus, I need to catch up with post Jubilee stuff. 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19:  Got to talking with my art dealer for a long while and we exchanged headcannons and ideas. 20: Had a nice Pokemon run with @arrowhearts‘ dog. Plus, enough work to keep me out of trouble X) 21: A very busy Easter. I moved a huge mound of mulch. It was half the size of my car. Hopefully the home owner will like it. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31: I’ve been feeling behind, but I finally knocked out a really important thing at work today. Got our annual applications in!

May 1: 2: 3: My gauntlets for my comic con costume look so cool! They’re a little stabby (there’s staples on the inside, although I should be able to tape it down for safety), but overall look cool for a first draft. 4: A long day, but I feel like I was really able to help my friend and her family, which is nice considering how much they do for me. 5: The event that happened wasn’t good, but I’ve been humbled as to how well our house was kept and motivated to try and become more organized. 6:  Dad and I were chatting today, and we could even touch on topics in a civil manner. It was quite nice!  7: Just found out I passed the BEC section of the CPA exam! I’m 75% CPA!!! And no cavities were found after my dentist appointment :) 8: Frantically working on my costume, but my head piece looks really good! 9: Mom even chipped in to help. We rigged up a steampunk mask I have (which doesn’t fit on my head right) so that I can actually wear it. 10: I’ve been fasting for Ramadan and I think my body and I are finally on the same page. It was a rough start this year, but I’m looking forward to focusing on being thankful for what I have and working on self discipline. 11: Library Comic Con! My costume is a bit rough, so no final pictures, but I have plans to make it better! 12: It was a busy Sunday. Lots of lawns, but thankfully the weather was cool. 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: Had a nice meeting with my boss. I keep feeling like I’m not on top of things or she’s disappointed, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Plus, she said I did great at the finance committee meeting, so that was nice. 18: Although I scared everyone I worked with all day, I was able to donate blood even though I had been fasting.  19: I saw the tiniest inch worm while I was pulling weeds today. It was more like a quarter inch worm and it was just trying so hard to climb up my arm when I found it. I also saw the first lightening bugs of the year. As a bug type Pokemon trainer, I’m quite pleased with all of this (less so with the mosquitoes though, as I got my first bite of the season). 20: I have found a nice way to keep cool at the property Dad and I work at. I’m allowed to douse my head, neck, and hat with the hose, and man does it feel good! 21: I received many compliments at the executive committee meeting for all my hard work on the budget, the Jubilee, and finance committee. 22: Caught up on reconciliations at work (finally). It’s been just a nightmare, but I’m happy they’re done. 23: Another me day. I’ve been taking Thursdays off and got to game for a bit but also accomplish a lot of laundry and studying. 24: Had a good meeting at work to discuss the future of the nonprofit I work at. Plus I finally made a phone call I didn’t want to make. 25: Went to a foam helmet making class with a coworker. I’m super excited to start trying out this style, and I think the sample we made in class can easily be used to make a helmet for Vile. Might have purchased a few things to go with it :) 26: Found a new drink that I love from Kung Fu Tea! Also got to rewatch Coco, which is always good. 27: Part of my afternoon spent working with Jane was changing her screen saver. It was set up for one photo of pictures, but some were so fuzzy, so we set up new pictures and I got to add my fuzzball to the reel. 28: I visited one of Jane’s friends to discuss dog sitting and we had such a nice conversation afterwards. 29: I found a four leave clover today while mowing lawns. It’s been years since I’ve found one, so that was exciting. 30: I plowed through about 6 hours of studying for the FAR portion of the CPA exam. Only two more lectures and then onto multiple choice! 31: Filled out a form at work (finally). Now I just have to hope my boss will sign it and have it notarized.

June 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6: Took the (hopefully) last CPA exam. It was nice as I spoke to an elevator engineer before the exam and it helped to calm my nerves a bit.   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: Wasn’t sure what day to put this on, but @nah-young and I hung out for hours just sitting and chatting on the cats’ back porch. 15: Successfully navigated into DC with the help of @arrowhearts (and had an interesting laugh about her being my son...? Oh well, at least we got to give the people sitting outside a show as we left the building with two rollie office chairs each). 16: Started working on my Halloween costume. I’ve abandoned the idea I originally had and will be switching to a different Mega Man X character (fun fact: it was a costume I originally intended to make before being introduced to Scaramouche back in 2017) 17: It was a scorcher, but had a slurpee for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful for the 7-11 within walking distance of where my dad and I work on Mondays. 18: I’ve officially passed the CPA exam! Now onto the next steps... 19: I have been struggling with telling people good news, but I did make an effort to inform some people about me passing the exam. 20: Told some more people about the CPA exam and just trying not to stress. I got celebratory milkshakes for my family after dinner. 21: My coworkers are so sweet. They brought me in a cake and we had a mini celebration. 22: 23: 24: 25: 26:Found a praying mantis while mowing. She kept standing where I wanted to mow, so I got to pick her up and put her somewhere safe (with lots of snacks for her!) 27: 28: 29: So glad I went to see Detective Pikachu with @nah-young and @arrowhearts! I really enjoyed it! 30: 31:

July 1: A new fiscal year! I did manage to get a good bit done on my latch hook. 2: A sudden thunderstorm took me off the weed pulling job early (i.e. a perfect opportunity to read). 3: It was quiet in the office. Too quiet ... yet super productive! I processed so many gifts and letters. 4: I don’t really celebrate, and spent a lot of it working, but played some pokemon in the rain. It was a warm day, so the cool rain felt so refreshing! 5: A jammed packed day with trashrooms, a bank run, and more pokemon quests! I completed another 15 and hatched a new pokemon. Plus I finished another book: Dr. Death. 6: A busy day, but I was able to finish everything so I can take the next day off completely (for once). Again, apologies to @arrowhearts  for dragging you out and getting caught in a downpour so I could get some bubble tea! 7: 8: 9: 10: Unboxed my unicycle! Not sure when I’ll ride, but it’s ready when I am. 11: 12: 13: 14: The vanity is back in my bathroom! Dad’s renovating it, and it’s been a slow process, but I finally have a sink! 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: Spent a few hours working on cleaning the basement, and I’m finally seeing some of the fruits of my labor. 21: 22: 23: 24: Officially finished the Vile helmet! 25: Just started a new dog sitting job, and the house is right on top of a pokestop. Guess I’m going to have a full item bag again! 26: Finally got myself a memory stick for my PSP. I’m replaying the Maverick Hunter X game ... because I can! 27: Got three team rocket grunts in one day at the one stop. 28: Plowed through the Vile portion of Maverick Hunter X. Lol, I probably make it harder on myself since I only use my favorites, regardless of if they’re good against the boss. 29: Had a huge crab and shrimp dinner at Jane’s house. 30: Hung out and ate delicious homemade butter chicken with my best friend’s mom (she’s basically like my other mother). We laughed and chatted, showed off our latest projects, probably kept the neighbors up, and just had a good time until like 2 in the morning.  31: Welp, it wasn’t a raid day for armored Mewtwo, but @arrowhearts and I did defeat more Team Rocket Go grunts in the rain.

August 1: Chatted with @nah-young for a few hours and I’ve got a new place to eat on my radar! 2: I kept feeling like I was letting my boss down because I couldn’t answer her questions/didn’t understand, but she insisted I was handling myself well, and found the information she needed later. Plus, she’s very complimentary of my work and appreciates my transparency and work ethic, both of which I work hard on and value. 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

September 1: 2: 3: It’s official! We’re having a Halloween party at work. If my new schedule turns out, I’ll be at work on that day and will show off a costume. Not sure if it will be the one I’m working on, but I can always recycle an old one. 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: I had such a good ripstik run. @nah-young and I practiced for a good while yesterday (and she did her first trick, too!). I guess it’s nice to see the fruits of our practice since we’ve been working off and on for about a month. 16: Had the investment club meeting at my house. I didn’t get to cook everything, but I picked the recipe and it turned out well! 17: I finished “Every Tool’s a Hammer” by Adam Savage (from Mythbusters) and I really recommend it. It’s such a great book for anyone who makes or creates. It’s a fun read and chocked full of helpful hints. 18: I decided to start reading the Naruto series. I’m enjoying it so far! Now I just have to wait for the next to volumes to be available from the library. 19: I started replaying Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase. It’s amusing, although I’m a little rough. 20: 21: 22: 23: I’d been on the fence about taking a vacation early next year because I want to save up for a down payment, but after talking to my dad, I decided I’d do a little something. I still need to work out the plans (and make sure the people I want to visit are free), but I’m looking forward to it! 24: 25: 26: There’s a chance I might be going full time at my office job, so dad encouraged me to take the day off from trash rooms. I still got up early, but knocked out a bunch of chores, finished Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase, finished a drawing, and cleaned in the basement a bit. 27: Lol, I just realized I have three cycles of books checked out again. I started reading The Wicked Years series. I’m trying to set aside time each night so I can read a chapter or two before bed. 28: I made the pattern for my gauntlets! I’m actually trying to do it the right way and making measurements, creating an accurate template, and just generally taking my time. 29: Part 2 of the gauntlets: They’re made! My template worked and I spent a couple of hours slowly forming and shaping them. I still need some practice on the gluing component, but at least they feel sturdy. 30: Started replaying DK 64 again. I really love this game. Besides Gauntlet Legends, it’s probably my favorite N64 game we own. 31: Got rained out at work, but managed to take it easy in the afternoon and just generally keep ahead with laundry.

October 1: Today officially marks the first day of working full time at my office job. They added ten hours a week, so now I’m working 4 days at 10 hours each. It’ll take a little adjusting. I’m happy for the extra hours! 2: I sent out invoices on time for once! 3: It was my fuzzball’s 16th Birthday today! Someone also brought in some really yummy snacks to work that were leftover from a meeting. I also managed to create templates for the leg gauntlets and cut them out of  foam. I’m just rolling with the motivation now, and would like to have Vile finished by Halloween (keep reading to find out if it was finished). 4: Really just having a good time playing DK 64. Knocked out Gloomy Galleon, so all that’s left are my favorite levels! 5: 6:   7: I have leg gauntlets formed. Lol, I guess I should look up the name... All that’s left is the chest plate and cape! 8: I lucked out! My coworker can’t go to a book signing even this weekend and asked me to get her book signed since I’m going. It was the perfect opportunity to get my hands on a copy of “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I wanted to read before this weekend. 9: Making some headway on the costume again! Arm and leg gauntlets have the plating and base coat of plastidip. 10: I finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” within 48 hours of having it my possession. That’s such a huge accomplishment to read something so quickly and eagerly! 11: I was plowing through my to do list at work. I knocked out 11 items. Woo! 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: My Halloween costume is finished *gasp* before Halloween! Barely, but it counts. 31: I won the most creative costume at work! Well, tied for first, but that’s cool.

November (whoops, I really forgot to write this month) 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15: 16: 17: 18: 19: 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: 25: 26: 27: 28: 29: 30: 31:

December 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6:   7: 8: 9: 10: 11: 12: My coworker is back! She had been on extended leave for a while, but now she’s back. She bring such a positive and fun attitude to the workplace. 13: 14: I’m officially 25! I worked a few hours in the rain, but got a lot done (and saw Lucy, my favorite cat I cat sit). Instead of going to a steakhouse for dinner, which I’m not a fan of, we ended up going to somewhere I did enjoy. Overall, it was a nice and quiet celebration. 15: 16: 17: I finished the Naruto series today! It was a good series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Going to take a manga break to work on a few novels I have checked out and then  decide which series to start. 18:  19: A busy day again. Knocked out two leaf clients for the year and went to see three bands perform at a local music club. I stayed out way too late, but had a great time hanging with a friend, one of the performers, and the performer’s friend. 20: 21: 22: 23: 24: Hung out with my brother and grandmother. I crushed them in several games! 25: Went to my coworkers in the afternoon and dueled for the first time in quiet a while. They wiped the floor with me, but I had fun with my deck destruction deck. 26: 27: Ended up hanging out with Jane for a while and just chatting about everything. We’re seeing eye to eye on a lot of things, so it was nice.  28: Finished my leaf jobs for the year! Time to relax. 29: 30: 31: Welp, ended up being sick and missing out on the intended New Year plans. I guess I did start the year with a migraine, so here I am ending it with one. After I rested up, I did start playing my favorite video game. Plus, I frantically read “Hey, Kiddo!” before the end of the year

Notable stuff

Highlights: Passed the CPA exam Officially hired full time

Books read: “Ghost Stories” “Every Tool’s a Hammer” “Where the Crawdads Sing” “Wicked” Naruto series “Hey, Kiddo!”

Movies watched: Spiderman: Enter the Spiderverse Mary Poppins 2 The Princess and the Frog Pokemon Lucario

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Two Christmas’ (Alec Volturi x Reader)

You were nervous. You were still working on your relationship with Jane but was disadvantaged since you were romantically involved with Alec. She thought you were taking her brother from her and it especially didn’t go well since you were human. Even Alec himself, had trouble with that sometimes. As of recently things were going well and you didn’t want to ruin that. 

You and Alec made plans for spending some time out of the castle on Christmas day which was tomorrow. Alec wanted Jane to come along since they didn’t like being apart unless they had to. Jane decided to go but they were interrupted by Aro, who offered his opinion. “I don’t believe you should, Jane. Such a day should be spent exclusively with your significant other. I don’t think (Y/N) would appreciate you coming along.” The twins were very disheartened by this so much so that they said nothing else about it. Alec only just telling you. While he was away to meet some nomads on the outskirts of Italy, you saw the opportunity to approach Jane and give her what you had been hiding all along.

You dug into your beside drawer taking out a box about the six of your palm. You’d never be ready so you immediately left, trying not to think too hard on what you were about to do. 

You knocked on the door, hiding the box behind your back and Jane opened it a second later with a skeptical look. “Hi Jane, I was hoping I could talk to you?” “...Very well. Close the door behind you.” Jane turned away and you hurried in, doing as she asked.  “Take a seat.” She gestured to the bed. You complied and she followed suit.  “You’ve been awfully quiet. You’ve been locked away in here for about two days now...are you okay?” “I can assure you, im fine.” She said with a stoic expression. It sounded systematic in how she said it. “Uhm, well, Alec told me-” “What do you have behind your back?” Jane tried to peer behind you but you continued to block her view. “I’ll show you in a second. I just want to talk to you about something first.” You said quickly and she remained quiet. “Alec mentioned that you two were talking about tomorrow.” she hummed in agreement, nodding once.  “He also told me what Aro said.” You didn’t get a response so you continued. “I didn’t think it fair for Aro speak for me. Truth be told, Alec didn’t tell me anything about this until just before he left. So i didn’t know that you coming was even on table but i wanted to tell you in person that I’d be thrilled if you came with us.” Jane seemed taken aback for a second. “But Aro-” “-was wrong, or at least, he wasn’t accurate. Christmas is about spending the time with the people you love and i want to spend it with my family.” “I dont understand.” Jane muttered. “I know you have your judgements about me and i know you think i’m going to snatch your brother and run away but I promise i have no intention. I find it admirable how close you two are, I wouldn’t dream of separating you. It wouldn’t be right if you weren’t there, not just because i know it would dampen Alec’s mood but also because...you’re my sister.”  What really drove it home was you calling Jane your sister. She wouldn’t have believed you otherwise but if you were exceptionally cruel, you wouldn’t have went to such lengths. It made her second guess whether she was really losing her brother or if she was actually gaining someone else. 

“So, um, I got you something, consider it a Christmas present that’s also a peace offering?” You gave her a small smile holding out the black box. “I mean, im not really supposed to give you it until tomorrow and I didn’t get the chance to wrap it or anything but-” You were cut off when Jane gently took the box, looking shocked. “How...when?”  “I have my ways.” You joked lightly. She opened it and stared at it.

Inside was a silver charm bracelet, already including three charms. “I didn’t know what kind of charms you’d like or if you even liked charms so forgive me if you don’t like them.” You scratched behind your neck. One was red with black roses, another glittering gold and the last white and opaque.  “It’s beautiful.” Jane trailed her fingers along it. “Tell me about these...charms.” Jane said quietly.  “Oh well, you can pick your own and have as many as you like. Is your first time seeing them?” Jane nodded. “They look like small pendants.” You smiled. “Do you like it?” You asked and Jane nodded again. “Thank you. I’ve never received a gift for an occasion. Gifts are rare.” “Im glad, i didn’t show Alec to see if you’d like it. I haven’t got him anything or anyone else for that matter." Jane heard something as her head perked up. "Alec's returning. He's coming this way." "Hide that!" You said quickly with excitable glee as Jane quickly put it in her desk drawer and made her way back. 

A minute later, Alec walked through the door. "Im surprised to see you two together." "Yes well-" You spoke up but Jane interrupted you. "We missed you, brother. (Y/N), decided to visit and check on me. It's a sweet gesture, don't you think?" Alec nodded with a soft smile. "I appreciate you looking after my sister whilst I'm gone, cara mia." Alec looked at you before bending down to kiss your forehead. You smiled back at him as he moved to quickly kiss his sister's cheek and sat beside her. Before long he was lying on his back. "Alec, please do not make a mess of my bed." Jane scowled. Alec huffed and Jane lightly shoved his arm. "Jane, you know how to make a bed." "That doesn't mean I enjoy doing it." "We have to do it all the time." Alec muttered and Jane, alarmed, looked to you. "Your brother likes to wrestle. Imagine that, eh? A young guy -however old he is- being fueled with testostero-" Alec rolled over, covering your mouth. "let's go. You've said enough." You groaned. "Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going." Alec hauled you up as you walked back to your shared room. 

He let you go in first, closing the door and wrapping his arms around you from behind. You turned to face him in his arms, wrapping your own around his neck as he smiled at you. “What are you two up to?” Alec’s voice was quiet. “Worried?” You teased. “No, I’m happy to see you both get along but Jane has taken to you rather quickly.” “It’s a start...I gave her a christmas present.” “You did? What did you give her?” Alec seemed surprised. “A charm bracelet, im sure you’ll see it.” “That’s very kind of you cara mia.” “Oh we aren’t done there, my love.” You grinned at him. “Do you remember telling me about your talk with Jane about tomorrow before Aro got involved?” “Of course.” “Well, I told Jane i wouldn’t have it any other way. I insisted that she come with us tomorrow.” “You did?” Alec’s smile vanished, as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. You nodded. “Of course I did. She’s your sister. I’m sure she’ll tell you exactly what i sa-” You were interrupted when Alec gave you a kiss before pulling you into a hug.  “Thank you.” You heard him say into your shoulder. 

Christmas day couldn’t have come fast enough. “Now that is a big Christmas tree.” You said gazing up at the huge decorated tree in the town square but also being met with falling snowflakes to the face. You turned to see both Jane and Alec, also looking up at the tree with violet eyes.  “It’s impressive, indeed.” Jane said. All the surrounding stores were shut but the lights on their display windows still on. One particular display window caught your eye. You gasped. “Oh Jane! Come and see this!” You took Jane’s hand and pulled her along, lightly running toward the window. Alec couldn’t help but smile at the sight of seeing the love of his life and his sister, hands interlocked as they rushed ahead. He stayed back admiring the sight before following after you.

You both peered into the window still holding hands. "More charms!" You exclaimed. "Oh, I love that one!" "I like the silver and blue one." Jane smiled. "Where is it?" You looked puzzled unable to locate it. Jane pointed to the charm. It was silver plated and navy blue with a slight shimmer to it, no where near as glittered as Jane's gold charm. "Oh me too!" You nodded profusely. As she lifted her hand to the window, a twinkle caught your eye. There, on her wrist, was the bracelet you got her which you were certain she had been hiding under her sleeve.

Last Christmas had went from uneasy to one of the best. You remembered it well. It didn't take long for Jane to accept you after that. Whilst the twins still preferred to have their own time together. You were included more often and Jane seemed much happier to see you giving you a smile as she would the Masters or Alec.

You bound into the room, Christmas Eve arriving once again. "Why don't you give your love for Christmas!?" You sang out as you enter the room. "Why hello to you too." Demetri turns to look at you with a smile. "So fun fact, I've got you guys presents this year. However...my bestie gets hers before any of you. She's my favourite." You grin handing Jane a small bag. Jane smirks as she opens the small bag to find another three charms, one however was silver and smooth which has her name on it in cursive. The perfect addition.

[inaheartbeat-phff]

Chapter 11

Wednesday, January 14th, 9:45am Noordeinde Palace, The Hague

"Your Royal Highness, The press has arrived in drawing room and is currently setting up their equipment's. They will be ready for you in fifteen minutes." Adam, Arabella's and Harry's acting press secretary said. He is in charge of this today and how well everything goes. "Sir, we will be doing a press conference first with His Majesty stating the engagement and then the Princess of Orange will speak, as per the Dutch Royal Family's traditions. Next will be the short questions from the press next door. That will approximately take fifteen minutes, before moving to the private drawing room upstairs for the interview by the BBC. Their representative as well as their crew are setting up there at this moment."

Arabella nodded and took a deep breath before turning to her full length mirror to check her outfit and makeup the last time as well fluffing up her hair. Harry, standing behind her with his dashing blue suit.

“You okay?" Harry looked at Arabella as she fumbles with her hair.

"Yeah. You?" Arabella looked at Harry through the mirror.

"I'm excited. I get to tell the whole world about you. I get to tell them how much I love you and how much you mean to me."

"Harry…" Arabella turned around and took a step closer to him. "I love you too. And I promise, I'm not nervous about the interview anymore. You helped go through the questions with me last night remember?"

"Ah yes. So are you ready? I think we're supposed to go downstairs to meet with your father now." Harry said kissing the side of her head before heading out the door.

Hand in hand, the couple went downstairs to greet King Willem-Alexander and prepare themselves to film the press conference. It's going to be mostly in Dutch so Harry just need to sit there and look pretty. After bowing his head and greeting his future father in law, Harry, Arabella and the King moved to the room that has been prepped for this press conference video shoot thing and sat on their respective seats. It was a round table with Arabella sitting in the middle with her father on her right and Harry on the left. The camera would then start rolling with all three of them in the frame, before moving closer until it was only Willem-Alexander in the frame.

(A/N: This press conference will be in Dutch, but as I do not speak Dutch, it will be written in English. This is inspired by when Willem-alexander and Maxima got engaged, then Queen Beatrix had a press conference about their engagement, basically announcing it and giving it her stamp of approval.)

"Good Morning. We are here today to announce something very important that has happened over the weekend. My daughter, Princess Arabella had become engaged to Prince Harry. It is truly an exciting news, one I am happy to share with you today. Prince Harry has been courting my daughter since 2012 and has been going strong ever since. I am glad that my daughter met Harry and have made each other very happy. It is important for me and for her late mother that she marries because of love. We are very happy and is delighted to have a new addition to our small family. Once married, prince Harry will become the Prince of Orange first and then bear the titles given to him by his grandmother. Since he is marrying the crown princess, this title will be higher than that of a Duke." King Willem-Alexander said towards the camera. Taking a deep breath, he turned to his daughter who is seated in the middle of himself and Harry.

"I am very excited to embark on this journey ahead of us, and couldn’t be more happier than I am now. Our wedding will hopefully happen in June here in Amsterdam where my father married my step-mother. However, since Harry is a senior member of the British Royal Family, our duties will be split in half. Our time will be divided between living in London as well as in the Netherlands. Any royal duties will be met and will be scheduled accordingly. My heart swells at the thought of combining our families into one, and could not be more proud of what we have achieved so far. Thank you for all your love and support towards us. Thank you." Arabella smiled towards the camera before the cameraman nodded to indicate the end of the press conference.

Smiling at the crew, King Willem-Alexander stood up from his seat, making Arabella and Harry stand up as well. Turning to his daughter and future son-in-law, he embraced them both while whispering in their ears words of encouragement.

"Good Luck. I know the both of you will do well."

Smiling at the king, the engaged couple stood back and bowed to him as he left the room.

Adam then came to the pair and smiled. "Your Royal Highnesses, the press is ready for you in the hall. This will only take fifteen minutes before we move on to the interview with the BBC." Bowing his head at the both of them, he lead them both to the hall.

Arabella held Harry's hand in hers as they walk down the halls of Noordeinde Palace. "You doing okay?" She looked up at him through her lashes.

"Yeah. I need to learn how to speak Dutch though. I was completely clueless back there." He chuckled thinking back at the announcement video and thought to himself that he must have looked a bit odd, sitting there and just smiling and nodding his head.

"You can start taking some lessons while we're in London. I can teach you some basic words." Arabella told him before the two of them come to a stop in front of a room filled with their staff. In that small room held Arabella's styling crew as they touch up her face and another stylist, one that came from her father's office, had a lint roller and started fixing Harry's suit. It took them a few minutes to make sure that the pair is picture perfect before they were being escorted by Adam, Jane and Ed, towards the ballroom that is filled with press, waiting to capture the engaged duo.

"Are we ready, Your Royal Highnesses?" Adam looked back at the pair, as he will be the one leading them inside the room and making sure everything is going as planned. Jane and Ed will wait by the door inside, as they will be the ones going Live on twitter on their official accounts. The fans love being a part of the process and god only knows how many international fans these two have.

"Let’s get this over with." Arabella shared a smile with Harry before nodding at Adam.

Adam entered the room first. As he entered, Harry and Arabella could hear the camera's start clicking and their video camera's start filming. There is over fifty press inside the room, fifteen from the UK, fifteen from the Netherlands and twenty from across the globe. Clearing his throat, Adam turned towards the press and said in a clear voice, "Their Royal Highnesses, The Princess of Orange and Prince Henry of Wales."

With a nod to each other, the pair held hands and entered the room. The entire room lit up in flashes and they both looked at each other laughing before smiling at the cameras. The press would shout at them trying to get them to look at their lenses and asked a few simple questions. Some of the questions or statements rather was amusing to both Harry and Arabella.

"Your Royal Highness, Happy belated Birthday! How are you enjoying your week so far?" one would ask, in which Arabella would reply, "Thank you! I'm enjoying this week very much so with Harry by my side."

"Your Royal Highness, will you leave the succession line of the British Monarchy to be the crown prince of the Netherlands?" Another would ask, which almost brought Harry to tears. "No I do not plan on leaving my succession line to the throne. I don’t foresee me being king of the United Kingdom anytime in the future. So I don’t think there should be a problem."

"Your Royal Highness, is your brother jealous that you will be a higher ranked royal than him, possibly be King before him?" One reporter stupidly asked in which Arabella was quick to answer. "Higher ranked or not, they are still brothers and brothers always compete with everything and apparently they compete with who gets to be king first." Arabella would then lightly nudged Harry's shoulders jokingly.

"Your Royal Highness, how will this wedding affect your royal duties? You both have to juggle between the duties required of you from the Netherlands as well as the duties from the United Kingdom." A reporter from the front asked Arabella. "We hope we can divide our time with each kingdoms equally. Since I am the heir to the throne of the Netherlands, I will put a bit more priority to some duties such as the parliament meetings and other state affairs. However, should the UK require our services we will be happy to do so."

The two of them answered a few more questions, some yes or no answers before they were pulled away by Adam, who said loudly to the press, "Their Royal Highnesses will take their leave now. Thank you all for your questions." With that, Adam led Harry and Arabella out of the room with Jane and Ed following close behind them. They then walked upstairs to one of the drawing rooms where the BBC is set up and their interviewer Mishal Husain is waiting for them.

When Arabella and Harry entered the room, the crew immediately stood up and bowed their heads before going back to work. Adam then introduced the two to Mishal.

"Your Royal Highnesses, this is Mishal Husain from the BBC, he will be your interviewer this afternoon."

Arabella then give out her hand for a handshake, "Mr Husain, very nice to meet you. Will this be broadcasted live?"

"Pleasure to meet you, your royal highness. Yes, this will be live on BBC ONE." Mr Husain shook the princess' hands before shaking Harry's.

"Well let's have a seat shall we." Arabella gestured to the couch and the seat across the couch and then sat down gracefully.

"Are we ready, Your Royal Highness?" Mishal Husain asked the pair as they get themselves comfortable on the couch. Harry held hands with the princess and Arabella showcased her engagement ring very proudly against Harry's hands.

"Yes." Harry nodded to Mr Husain. With a nod from Adam, the camera started rolling and the producer of BBC ONE gave the all clear and that they were now live.

"Your Royal Highnesses, congratulations to you both." Mishal Husain smiled at them from behind the camera. With the main camera focused on the pair.

"Thank you." Arabella said, smiling at Mishal Husain.

"Can we start with the proposal and the actual moment of your engagement? When did it happen? How did it happen?"

Smiling, Arabella looked at Harry and waited for him to reply this particular question. "It happened last weekend, we were at the Alps celebrating Bella's thirtieth birthday with her closest friends and when it was dark, I took her outside for a walk underneath the stars and got down on one knee."

"It was such a lovely surprise. Very romantic of him to ask me underneath the stars. It was very sweet." Arabella smiled up to Harry before looking at Mishal for the next question.

"Was it an instant yes for you, your royal highness?"

"Goodness yes. It was really sweet and we were both teary eyed. Yes. It was an instant yes from me." Smiling, Arabella patted Harry's knees softly before holding his hand once more.

"And this was how long after you first met?"

"Well, we met at Will's wedding back in 2011," Harry looked at Arabella. "So it's been about four years after we've first met.."

"Yes but we only started officially seeing each other a year later, so three years together but four years since we first met." Arabella confirmed to the camera.

"So you have to thank your brother for that? How exactly did the two of you met?"

"My father was supposed to attend Will and Kate's wedding, but he unfortunately had an engagement that same day to represent my grandmother, who was at that time, Queen of the Netherlands. And since we needed someone to represent us, I had to step up and go in his place. It really is a gem that the Queen is my Godmother so the arrangements was easily made." Arabella told Mishal the reason why she went to the wedding in the first place.

"My father and grandmother was clearly trying to play matchmaker on the both of us. Before we left Clarence House, my father would casually toss out Arabella's name and how she's very beautiful and how she's around my age. At that time I just came out of a long relationship and wasn’t looking to be in another relationship so I just brushed it off." Harry chuckled. "But I guess my grandmother had other plans because during the reception, she would introduce us and then quietly walked away. I have her to thank for that too I guess."

"You mentioned that Queen Elizabeth II is your godmother, how is it that you both have not met each other earlier in your lives?"

"Yes, she is one of my many godmothers. But thinking back, we almost always miss each other I think." Arabella said thinking.

"Yes, either that or whenever you were in London, I was training in the army or doing some royal duty." Harry turned his head to look at Arabella next to him.

"That or you were busy partying the night away." Arabella teased.

"Or that too. Really, I'm sure we somehow almost always miss each other."

"How much did you, Prince Harry, know about the Princess of Orange?"

"How much did I know? Not a lot actually, considering that we are both in the public eye and have a major fan base. I actually only heard about her. I mean, I know that at that time, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands have an eldest daughter, but I no, I did not know much about her." Harry said furrowing his eyebrows thinking back. "I think that’s a good thing, not knowing much about your partner, so when you have your first date, you discover something new with your partner. During our introductions, I remember being very nervous to stand in front of this beautiful woman and I just asked her out in the middle of the reception of my brother's wedding. I straight up asked her how long is she staying in England and if we could meet up one of those days."

"Oh yes, I remember that, we were just casually trying to make small talk when Harry would blurt out if I want to go on a date with him. Looking back at it now, that was pretty random wasn’t it. We were talking about how I call Her Majesty the Queen, Aunt Lilibet when he suddenly asked me if I was free on Sunday." Arabella laughed a little while shaking her head.

"Do you really call Her Majesty 'Aunt Lilibet'?"

"Yes I do. She wouldn’t reply me otherwise if I didn’t. I grew up thinking she's just auntie lilibet from england. My late mother looked up to her majesty and in her short time being married to my father, Aunt Lilibet was considered someone she could call for an advice, they got very close they did." Arabella smiled softly.

"Granny is very fond of Bella. She would always ask her to come during Trooping of Colour and other official events. Bella always refused saying she wasn’t really a part of the family. But Granny would always scold her saying 'You are my goddaughter, you are a part of this family.' I would always laugh at her when she tries to say no to granny. Not many people can do that you know." Harry laughed.

"Compared to Prince Harry, Your Royal Highness, your godparents are Kings and Queens. How does that affect you growing up?"

"To me, they are not really rulers of a country. They are my godparents who whenever they would visit, they would bring presents. My childhood growing up is as normal as they can be. I was home schooled until the age of eleven where I went for my secondary school. Then I would continue my education until I had a degree in International Relations and Politics. It's no different that Harry's I'm sure." Arabella said looking up to him. "My parents, although they were the heirs to the throne tried to give me a normal childhood as they possibly can."

"Many people have wondered, when you were little, did you have what they call 'Princess Lessons'?"

"Funny you should say that. Yes, I had these so called 'princess lessons' when I was a child. They’re not really called princess lessons, I know them as Torture sessions." Arabella grumbled making the three of them laugh. "It really was. Can you imagine a five year old going to these types of lessons. Learning how to curtsy, who to curtsy to, the different types of curtsy, how to stand, eat, sit, talk, wave. It's all very tiring for a child that age. But I am grateful I have learned that at such a young age. It's second nature now."

"Now, did you Your Royal Highness, know about Prince Harry?"

"Actually as a matter of fact, I did know about him." Arabella said smugly. "You see, being the heir of the heir you have to know about the surrounding royal families and your allies. Of course I have a packet in my office that details Harry, what he's done and so forth. I obviously only know the important bits, to be able to make small talk, not too much in detail and I learned those more intimate detains from Harry himself as time got on."

"I found her stash of files on people a few years ago and got a little freak out session." Harry admitted. "But then I learned that she is in direct line to the throne so it must be really important for her to know everything. Truly it is eye opening."

"Was it refreshing for you to have someone who has gone through something similar as you have?"

"It is. It truly is. To find someone who understands duty to country above all, it really is refreshing. I feel as though I am more happy and secure in our relationship. We both know how the press sometimes like to twist stories and make things up and we both understand how it is to live in the public eye." Harry answered.

"Starting a long distance relationship - With both your busy schedules and commitments, how hard was it to keep things going?"

"We are both very committed to our countries and that requires some kind of sacrifice. We were friends for a year, getting to know each other and got closer to each other. We would go months before seeing each other but the phone calls and skype sessions makes up for it I guess." Arabella rubbed her hands on Harry's.

"We both know that getting involved with each other, we have to make some sacrifices. There was a lot of travelling during our years together and when one have a free weekend, or a few free days, we would make time to visit each other." Harry finished it off. "But, you know, we made it work and now we’re here, so we're thrilled."

"Do you see children in the future? Any talk about those plans?"

"Well I always knew I wanted children. Lots of them." Harry chuckled. "And with Bella being heir, I don’t think that's going to be a problem."

"We would joke about it before. How he wants a big family, with eight children." Arabella shakes her head. "Eight children! Can you believe it. It would make me feel better if he would be able to carry half of them." The three of them laughed. "But yes, many many children in the future. We hope we can give them as much of a normal life as we can but we also want to have them used to this type of life. We want them to learn from an early age that they are a part of not only the Dutch royal family but also the British."

"You've met each other's families, I imagine."

"Yes, meeting Bella's family has been nerve wrecking. I think I kind of know how it feels like when I would introduce my previous girlfriends to my family. But no, they’ve been really welcoming and lovely. It truly is something." Harry said.

"I have of course, met Charles and Camilla, as well at some point, during my early years, have met Diana. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been lovely. The Duke of York, Duke and Duchess of Wessex, The Princess Royal, I have met them all during official events and such, but meeting them as Harry's girlfriend, was a whole new experience." Arabella detailed.

"You mentioned that you have met the Princess of Wales previously. Can you elaborate on that?"

"Yes, during official visits and functions before she passed on. I met her officially when I was seven years old and was in Buckingham Palace visiting The Queen. She was there for tea if I remembered correctly and we met each other in the drawing room. Her Majesty introduced us, and her first words to me was, 'You're such a beautiful little girl.' she would ask me some questions and I would answer her how seven year olds would answer. Before she left, she told me, 'You know you remind me of my son Harry. The next time you visit, I would be sure to introduce the both you. I think you would make quite the pair.' The next time we met, it was during a state visit and Harry wasn't allowed to come I think." Arabella smiled up at Harry.

"Oh I remember that. Mum came back from tea with Granny when she hugged me and told me that there was a pretty girl I had to meet. But then I would tell her about my lessons and we would change the subject." Harry shakes his head.

"Now tell us about your ring."

"Yes, the ring." Arabella looked at Harry.

"The band of the ring is rose gold because that's her favourite. The main stone itself is from her grandmother's collection, and the diamonds surrounding it is from my mother's collection." Harry smiled at Arabella.

"How did you get the stone?"

"I got them when I asked King Willem-Alexander for his blessing to marry his daughter. He then took me to his mother's office and told her my intentions. She was going to give me one of her rings but I felt as if it wouldn’t represent Bella, so she gave me a stone instead to be put into the ring."

"It’s a beautiful ring. I really do love it. And he designed it himself, which I appreciate." Arabella said while looking down at the ring.

"Yeah, make sure it stays on that finger." Harry joked.

"I wouldn’t have it any other way."  Arabella smiled up at him lovingly.

"Thank you for your time. We at BBC ONE wish you all the best."

"Thank you for having us." Arabella smiled softly. While Harry just nodded and stood up to shake Mishal Husain's hands.

And that was the end of the interview. Once the camera was shut off, Harry and Arabella took a deep breath and smiled at each other.

"Now that that's out of the way, we have the photoshoot left and then we are done." Arabella said to Harry as they left the room. "And you were nervous about the interview last night, you did amazingly." Harry put his arms around Arabella as they walked to her dressing room to change outfits.

"I was nervous, but I think having you there with me made it all better."

"Well I'm glad to hear that. Now let's get this done with so we can have some time to ourselves yeah?"

"Yeah." She then leans up to kiss him softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." and together they walked towards her dressing room and changed to their next outfit for the engagement photoshoot.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Arabella and Harry was situated at the main entrance staircase with their photographer snapping pictures of them. They would exchange jokes and laugh together giving the photographer plenty of lovely photos.

The photographer felt really privileged to be able to photograph these intimate moments of the two royals and would give them all the copies. Later on, as the couple choose their photos to release, they smiled softly as the photographer did capture their love and support to each other.  

They went back to Huis ten Bosch palace once their day was done and planned to have a nice night in and relax.

"You okay?" Harry looked down at Arabella softly.

"Shouldn’t I be the one asking you this?" Arabella smiled up at him.

"Touché." Harry smiled. "You look beautiful."

"You don’t look so bad yourself." Arabella's hand reached up to tap Harry's cheeks lightly. "Shall we go get changed and relax in our room?"

"Lets." With a grin, Harry picked up Arabella and swung her on his shoulders.

Taken by surprise, Arabella shrieked his name before giggling madly. "Put me down you oaf." She slapped his ass.

"I don’t think so milady." With a grin stretched across his face, he carried Arabella over his shoulders towards their suite.

Next Chapter 

[lolainblue]

Phoenix -- Chapter 9

t/w  vague light smut

  Normally I would have let things sit for a few days but I since was acutely aware of how little time remained before Jane left again I called her the next evening to see if we could spend some time together on Sunday. We made arrangements for me to pick her up and take her to brunch, but she called early that morning to let me know she was behind with her preparations for her trip and wouldn't be able to make it. We rescheduled for later that day but I was convinced she had gotten cold feet and so I moped around all afternoon, expecting her to call back and cancel again. When my phone rang twenty minutes before I was due to leave to pick her up I thought my suspicions had been confirmed, and I wasn't able to completely hide the irritation in my voice when I answered.

  “I'm sorry, did I catch you in the middle of something?” Jane asked uncertainly.    “Well I was just getting ready to come get you but I'm guessing that's off the table again?”    Jane made a sort of growling noise on her end of the line. “I was just calling to suggest that you come over here instead of us going out. We need to talk and I'd rather not do it in public.”    “I'm sorry. I guess I just assumed...”    “You know, I warned you about this right up front. I'm very busy, Jared, and if my unpredictable schedule is too much for you right now...”   “It's fine,” I cut her off quickly before she could try to find a way to back out of this altogether. “I was just disappointed that I might not get to see you again before you left for your tour. Cutting this off before it gets started is the last thing I want to do.”   “Would you like me to make dinner? We can order out if you'd rather but with you resuming your tour again next week I figured it was one of our last chances for a meal that didn't come from a take-out container for a while.”    “You don't have to go to any trouble, Jane. I'm happy to just spend an evening with you.”   “it's no trouble, really. I love to cook, and I don't get to do it nearly as much I want.”    “Well, it sounds like you're already set on cooking for us. It sounds great. I'll see you in about a half an  hour?”    “Sounds perfect.”    I hung the phone up with a frown. How many times had I been frustrated with the woman I was dating who had complained about my own hectic, unpredictable schedule? How many brunch and dinner dates had I missed over the years? Jane and I had been on one date, why was I acting like she was already mine?    I was reproaching myself enough for my irrationally clingy behavior so I tried not to focus on the generally panic-inducing “We need to talk.” statement from earlier in the conversation. After all, she wanted to make me dinner, that was a good sign, right? Jesus, Jared, get out of your head. You're as bad as Shannon. I finished getting ready and headed over to Jane's.        Jane answered her door with a warm smile for me. She wore another simple dress, pastel greens and pinks in clean lines, and her now strawberry hair hung loosely down her back. She had a kitchen towel over one shoulder and she was barefoot. She looked incredibly comfortable and happy to see me and I relaxed immediately. “Hey, come on in. I just need to get things put in the oven and then we can have that chat. Would you like me to get you something to drink?”    “Maybe just some water?” I asked as I followed her into the house. She ushered me into what I assume was the living room and excused herself. While I waited for her to return I looked through the contents of her shelves. They were filled with small art pieces from her travels, mostly African nations as far as I could tell, although most of the globe seemed to be represented. I carefully picked up a few of the pieces, resolving to ask her about them and their stories when there was more time for conversation.   “Hey,” Jane said, tapping me on the shoulder and startling me. As she handed me the bottle of water she had retrieved she noted the piece in my hand, a steel cutout sculpture of two figures in cultural dress, and smiled. “I picked that up in Nigeria two years ago,” she said. “It's one of my favorites.”    “You'll have to tell me more about it,” I said as I carefully placed it back on the shelf.    “Once I finish in the kitchen. I'll be right back.”   She disappeared again and I returned my attention to the room's contents. In addition to the varied small pieces, there were two large tapestries on the walls and collection of pictures of Jane with various scenes behind her. A lot of them were her in cold weather gear with mountains in the background. I was amazed as I looked them over. She had come so far from that wistful girl in the diner, the one who hid her notebooks from me and talked of a world she'd never seen. I realized I didn't know her very well at all anymore. Then again, how well do you ever know someone you've just started seeing? There was still plenty of time for us to get to know each other and write our own adventure.    “All right, what are you smiling about?”    Jane had returned to the room,  sipping something from a rocks glass, towel no longer slung over her shoulder. At some point, she had put on a pair of flats with skulls and little pink roses on them. I felt my smile grow larger. “Great shoes,” I said. “Still Jane the horror fan at the end of the day I see.”   Jane smiled and pivoted her feet, showing them off. “They're some of my favorite shoes. But you didn't answer my question.”  “I was just enjoying looking at all the spoils of your travels,” I lied. “I should set something up like this but I'm not really that organized.”    Jane gestured toward a little settee near the window and we both took a seat. “I'm sorry about this morning. My assistant quit with no notice on Friday and I was meeting someone the publisher recommended in hopes of finding a new assistant before the tour started.”     Jane had an assistant? Well, that was a perfectly good reason to cancel at the last minute. “Shit, that sucks. So did you find someone?”    “I think so, yeah. She seemed very competent, she had great references, she's worked for an author before and even better, she's completely free and can join me on the tour on Thursday so I'll only be alone for two days.”   “That's amazing. I'm glad you'll have someone.” I remember Roger's concerns about Jane being alone on tour. Hopefully having an assistant there would help. “How long had you had the last one?”   “Two years.”    “And she just quit on you?”{   “She found out she was pregnant and didn't want to spend her first trimester throwing up in strange bathrooms I guess. It's fine. Sometimes things happen.”    “I guess.”    “So...” Jane pulled out a coaster and sat her drink on the end table next to her, an ornately carved affair that was probably another trophy from her travels. “I guess there are some things that we should probably get straight right up front. That way if this isn't what you want or if this isn't going to work we can stop now and stay friends.”  “What did you have in mind.”    Jane narrowed her eyes and looked me up and down and I got the distinct impression she was trying to gauge what she thought my reaction would be. “So, we can see each other, we can be dating, but that's as far as I'm willing to go at this point.”    “I'm not sure what you mean by that, Jane.”    “I'm not your girlfriend. You're not my boyfriend. I want to keep this casual.”    I was confused. “Wait. You haven't been seeing anyone at all for four years, I show up, and suddenly you want to date around?”    “No,” Jane said with a shake of her head. “I want you to.”    “Shouldn't that be up to me.”    “It is, of course, it is. But...” She reached over and took my hand, her soft fingers pressed tightly against my palm. “it isn't about me wanting to see other people. I'm trying to take some baby steps here. You need.. a lot of … attention,” she stuttered, choosing her words carefully. “I can't be solely responsible for that or for your happiness. I'm not ready for that. We're going to be apart too much for that. If you don't want to see anyone you don't have to but I want  you to feel free to if you're lonely or need... companionship.”    “You think I'm incapable of being faithful,” I inferred.    “That's not it...”   “I'm not Shannon,” I said bitterly.    “I know that.” Jane's voice was tight and clipped and I immediately regretted what I had said. “It's exactly like I'm telling you. I need some time to learn to do this again, without any pressure. If you don't want to see anyone else then don't. But please don't tell me about it. I don't know if I'll feel jealous if you're with someone else but I'm pretty sure I'll feel guilty if you're lonely because of me. And if you change your mind,...” Yeah, I could see how that scenario went, me proclaiming my fidelity and then suddenly not. “I just want us to agree to keep things casual for now. That's all. We can always change our minds later.”    I wanted to agree. It seemed so easy. I got to have Jane and a free pass to have all the extracurricular fun I wanted too. But I realized I wouldn't really have Jane. Just because I was confident she wouldn't be dating anyone now didn't mean that situation couldn't change too. I hated to think I was simply easing her back into the dating arena just so she could stroll off into the sunset with someone else, but what else could I do at this point? She was being honest. She was setting boundaries. The least I could do was respect them.    “I don't really see as how I have much choice. We'll keep it casual if you want. But you'll let me know if that want changes, okay?”    Jane brightened and placed her palm against one of my cheeks before kissing the other one. “I promise.”    I didn't let her pull back, quickly closing my arms behind her and drawing her in

for a real kiss. She didn't resist, snuggling into my arms with a contented sigh, her own arms winding across my shoulders and crossing behind my head. We stayed like that until the kitchen timer went off and Jane slipped out of arms reach before returning to the kitchen.   I took a minute to calm down and adjust myself before following her, the rich scents of spices reaching my nose long before I caught up with her. “Something smells amazing,” I noted as I watched her plating food.    “I hope you like it. I know you're vegetarian too but I realized I have no idea how you feel about spices so I tried not to make it too overwhelming.” I peered over her shoulder and saw her mounding brightly colored lentils and peas on a plate. “It's ...”    My brain suddenly made sense of the garlic, ginger and North African spices tickling my nose. “... misir wot!” I exclaimed.    Jane grinned broadly. “You know it?”   “I love it!”    She pointed to the other two mounds on the plate. “That's gomen wat and ater kik,” she explained as she finished plating up the Ethiopian dishes she had prepared. “I've got bread in the oven. Could you take the plates to the table, please? The dining room is right through there.”     The table was already set with flowers and lit candles and I placed the plates at the waiting settings and waited for Jane to join me. The food was perfect, and as we at we traded stories about both of our adventures in North Africa, the awkwardness of the previous conversation fell away. Jane was as bright and curious as always, and her natural storytelling gifts shone as she related tales of her travels to me.   I helped her clean up once the meal had ended and we returned to the room where we'd had our previous conversation. Jane pushed a button on the wall and the larger of the two tapestries slid back, revealing a large television screen. “I thought a movie would be a nice way to wrap things up,” she suggested.    I let Jane choose something, not really caring what was playing as long as I got to hold her. We snuggled together on that settee again, Jane's back to my chest, her hair falling across my arm as I wrapped it around her. I couldn't resist running my fingers through that hair as the movie played in the background, twisting strands of it and smoothing it away from her face, tucking some behind her ear or stretching one errant curl that escaped her straightening iron. Jane seemed to enjoy the attention, sighing contentedly and snuggling deeper into my lap.   Once the movie ended Jane stood up and stretched her arms over her head. “Would you like to take a walk?”    “Nuh-uh,” I said, reaching for her waist and pulling her back into my lap. I smoothed the hair from her face one more time as I tilted it towards me. She felt the same way in my arms now as she had that night at the hotel, an odd bit of good fortune I couldn't quite accept as real. I wondered if she would ever truly feel like she was mine. Maybe she wasn't supposed to. Maybe that was the magical thing that kept relationships going for sixty years – that complete and utter awe that the other person is still there every morning, that out of all the people in the world, they choose to share their stories and their breakfasts with you, they choose to learn with you, explore with you, grow with you. That they choose you at all. Or maybe that's not it. Maybe this something else. Either way, it was nothing that I had felt before and the newness of it was thrilling.    I turned Jane around, lying her against the small sofa and pinning her underneath me. There wasn't much room, and we shifted positions until we fell on the floor in a tangled mess. Jane roared with laughter, immediately sliding her arms around my neck and pulling me against her again. I was lost there in her arms, kisses sizzling between us like loose electrical wire, when I heard a commotion and a door slam.   Jane groaned against my neck. “Roger must be home from his date. Don't make too much noise Maybe he'll just go straight to his room.”   Dutifully I held Jane in silence, listening to the noise coming from the kitchen. I heard Roger's voice and waited for what I assumed would be Gretchen's but the next sound was another male voice. Confused, I looked to Jane but her forehead was creased as she was frowning in confusion herself.    “Wait here,” she said as she slipped out from underneath me.    I listened to Roger and his companion giggling in the kitchen as glasses clinked and a refrigerator was opened and closed. The laughter stopped abruptly and I knew Jane had joined them.    “Hi, Jane. Where's your new emo boy-toy?” Roger slurred. “I know that's his truck in the drive.”    “Don't worry about where Jared is. What the hell is this?”    There were some murmurs and then footsteps and then a door closed. I could only assume that Roger's friend had been shuttled off to go somewhere else so that Jane and Roger could talk. “What the hell does it look like, Jane?”    “It looks like you're back to slutting it up, that's what it looks like.”   “Well, look who's gotten all self-righteous all of a sudden.  All that celibacy is going to your head, Sister Jane.” Roger sounded extremely drunk, drunker than I think I had ever encountered him being.    “What about Gretchen?” Jane hissed back at him.   “What about her?” Roger asked. Unlike Jane's stage whisper Roger's voice rung out loudly with a lack of discretion that only belongs to the thoroughly intoxicated. “We had one date. What's the big deal?”    “You know exactly what the big deal is. And how fucking drunk are you?”    “Oh my god you need to get laid! Have you always been this much of a drag or am I just now noticing?”   There was a long pause and I gritted my teeth and tried to resist the urge to go in there and defend Jane. I knew it was none of my business and I had no idea what was really going on, but I hated hearing Roger talk that way to Jane.    “Roger, I don't know what the fuck has gotten into you lately but you're being a complete asshole here. You're the one that told me it's only cool if everyone is on the same page. Are they, Roger? Does Gretchen know you're out picking up random guys? Does this guy know you're supposed to be seeing someone?”    “I don't have to explain anything to you. We both know Jared is somewhere in this house. That's super classy, by the way. Running around with your ex's whore of a  younger brother.”    I felt the steam pouring out of my ears as I stood up and headed back into the kitchen. Before I could get there, however, I heard another door slam and when I found Jane she was alone, standing at the kitchen island, gripping it so tightly her knuckles were white. Her eyes grew wide when she saw me.    “I'm sorry, Jared. You didn't deserve that.”    “You're damn right I didn't. What the hell is up with that?”    Jane shook head and picked up the glasses Roger had presumably gotten out before their little tiff. “It's a long story...”    “I have time.”    She looked at the glasses in her hands, then back at me. “I'm sorry, Jared. It's late. Could we maybe call it a night?”   I took the glasses from her and reached for her waist, pulling her gently against me. “If that's what you want.”    Jane nodded and gave me a perfunctory kiss. “I'm sorry. I know it's not fair. I have a little free time tomorrow evening. Could we maybe try this again?”    Whatever genial mood Jane had been in had dissolved, and pressing the issue at this point wouldn't have changed that. She was probably right. Better to try again tomorrow. “I'll call you in the morning?”    She nodded and walked me back out to my truck.        The house was completely dark when I got home, and I was lost in thought as I turned the evening's events over and over in my head. I was a little discouraged by Jane's reluctance to dive headlong into a relationship but I had to admit it was sensible. I was encouraged by the rest of the evening, however, even if had come to an awkward and abrupt end, but the night still had one more gift to give me. I was completely caught by surprise when I turned on my bedroom light to find Shannon sitting in the middle of my bed, and I jumped involuntarily.    “Fucking hell, Shannon. You scared the shit out of me.”    Shannon sat the drink he had been holding down on the nightstand and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “You've been with Jane,” he said flatly. “Don't bother denying it, I can smell her all over you.”

@thepromiseofanend@msroxyblog@nikkitasevoli@llfd1977@mustlove6277@fyeahproudglambert @little-poptart@snewsome756@guccilowell @monicasanoli @lady-grinning-soul-k  

[roxashighwind]

Ward Off the Chill | Bruce/Valkyrie/Thor

Relationship: Bruce Banner/Brunnhilde | Valkyrie/Thor

Characters: Bruce Banner ; Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel) ; Thor (Marvel)

Additional Tags: Cooking ; Polyamory

Words: 1361

Summary:

Bruce blinks. “Hot chocolate confuses you?”

“I do not understand why anyone would want to consume their chocolate heated,” Thor responds. “It’s perfectly fine as a hard or soft sweet.”

“Have you ever had it?” -

It's winter, and Bruce decides that Thor and Brunnhilde need to try real hot chocolate.

Notes:

Fourth prompt fill for the 2018 MCU Bingo! Ship: Bruce Banner/Brunnhilde/Thor ; Prompt: Chocolate

All of my fills (this first card and future cards) will be in a series, though they will not be related; each fill will stand on its own!

The hot chocolate recipe used/referenced in this fic comes from right here, though I cut the milk with a cup of heavy cream and almost doubled the amount of chocolate (and didn't use the chile powder or cinnamon stick). And the batch that Bruce makes is larger than the recipe makes, because he's sharing with two Asgardians.

{also on ao3}

Bruce blinks. “Hot chocolate confuses you?”

“I do not understand why anyone would want to consume their chocolate heated,” Thor responds. “It’s perfectly fine as a hard or soft sweet.”

“Have you ever had it?”

“Darcy gave me some the last time I visited with her and Jane.”

“Okay, well, I’m pretty sure she makes it from a packet with water.” Bruce looks past Thor to Brunnhilde snugged into the corner of the couch, feet tucked under Thor’s thigh. “Have you ever had hot chocolate?”

She frowns, thinking about it. “There was a drink on Sakaar that had a chocolate flavoring, but I doubt that’s what you’re talking about.” She explains after a second, “It was cold and had booze in it.”

Bruce and Thor share looks. Bruce sighs. “Well. It’s snowing, I want hot chocolate, and I’m going to make it right. I’d like both of you to try it.”

Brunnhilde shrugs. “Sure.”

Thor nods. “I am up for trying most things at least once.”

He smiles. “Thanks. I’m going to go make some, then.” He levers himself off of the couch and heads to the communal kitchen. It’s still early in the afternoon, but winter is already stealing the sun. It makes everything outside the big windows of the Avengers compound glow warm, blanketed in snow.

Bruce is grateful for Tony’s expensive tastes when it comes to chocolate. He finds bars of rich dark chocolate in one of the cupboards, and pulls a few out. He also gathers a jar of vanilla beans, sugar, and cinnamon. He’s not sure if he’ll add the cinnamon to the main batch, but he does like to have a sprinkle on his chocolate.

From the fridge he retrieves milk, and is happy to find heavy cream left over from Wanda and Vision’s last cooking experiment. Measuring cups and spoons are next on his list, as well as two saucepans and a glass bowl.

He carefully measures several cups of milk and heavy cream, cuts open a vanilla bean and scrapes out the seeds. He adds a couple tablespoons of sugar, the vanilla insides and bean, and the dairy to one of the pots and sets it on the nearest burner on the stove. Bruce sets the heat to low, and turns his attention to the bars of chocolate on the counter as the milk mixture slowly warms.

“Damn.” He forgot a cutting board. At least it’s easy to find one; the kitchen is well stocked and very well organized. He unwraps two of the bars and begins chopping them into chunks that will melt easily. He fills the other pot with a little over an inch of water and scoops the chocolate into the bowl. He waits until the milk mixture has just begun to bubble before trading that pan for the one with water in it.

Turning the burner heat up just a little, he lets it come to a simmer while turning his attention on the milk mixture. He uses a pair of tongs to fish out the vanilla bean, discarding it. When the water gets to a consistent simmer, Bruce takes the bowl of chocolate and sets it on top of the pan. He’s pleased to see that he picked a good bowl without having tested its fit on the pan - it sits above the water in the pan perfectly.

The chocolate takes a while to melt, coaxed along by his silicone spoonula, but it’s worth it when it smoothes out. He switches the pans again, gives the milk mixture a quick stir and slowly incorporates the chocolate into the milk. He swaps his spoonula for a whisk to really get the milk to accept the chocolate. He hums as he goes, pleased by the warm chocolate smell filling the kitchen. He wishes that he’d planned ahead and either made his own marshmallows or bought some; there might be a bag in the pantry, but he doesn’t care enough to seek it out.

Instead, Bruce adds a pinch of salt to the hot chocolate and stirs it before letting it slowly heat. He turns his attention to the remaining heavy cream, and the whisk, and the sugar still on the table. Sweetened whipped cream will definitely be a good addition to cut some of the richness of the chocolate. By the time he’s gotten the cream beaten into submission and nice just-shy-of-stiff peaks, the smell of the hot chocolate has drawn the Asgardians into the kitchen.

“That smells…”

“Delicious,” Brunnhilde finishes.

The Asgardians bracket Bruce, a half step back from the stove and counter as he gives the chocolate a good stir with his spoonula. “Tastes good, too,” he assures. “Just another minute or so. Can one of you grab mugs?” He waves in the direction of the cabinet.

Thor peels away to grab them, and they look small in his hands despite nearly being soup cups. He sets them carefully on the counter, nudging Bruce and Brunnhilde affectionately as he goes. “Anything I can do to help?”

Bruce shakes his head. “Nah.”

Brunnhilde sticks a curious finger into the whipped cream. She gives it a sniff before shoving her finger into her mouth. “Oh, this is good.” She pulls her finger away with a pop.

“Glad you approve,” Bruce returns with a little laugh. “This is almost ready. Can you grab a ladle from the drawer?”

She has to step away to find it, and she fits herself in front of Thor after she hands it over. She smiles when Thor wraps an arm around her and pulls her a little closer. Together they watch Bruce evenly fill the mugs, and add a dollop of whipped cream to the top.

Bruce dusts cinnamon across to top of his own cup, and turns the heat off on the stove. “Alright. Give it a try. It’s hot, so be careful.” He looks at them. “Not that liquid temperature really gets to you guys.”

Brunnhilde picks up a mug first, though Thor’s not far behind. She lifts it with both hands, and hums as the warmth works its way through her palms. She gives it a sniff, and she can’t hold back the soft appreciative sound she makes. “Really does smell good,” she says before bringing the mug to her lips. The sound she makes as she takes a sip is nearly pornographic.

Thor raises an eyebrow, and he wants to laugh at her reaction until he takes a drink of his own. The liquid is warm - not hot enough to burn despite Bruce’s warning - and rich. The chocolate coats his tongue, dark and just the right amount of sweet. “This is very good!”

Bruce has already drank half of his by the time Thor says it, and he just knows he’s got a whipped cream moustache. “I told you. Hot chocolate in winter is the best thing.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she says, and moves closer to Bruce. “Can we go back to the couch now?”

“With the rest of the heated chocolate,” Thor adds.

He grins. “Let me pour the rest into a thermos.” He waves them away with one hand, and sets his mug down with the other. He has to look through a couple different cabinets before he finds what he’s looking for, and then spends almost a full, frustrating minute pouring the hot chocolate from the pan into it.

They’re on the couch, Brunnhilde against her favored corner, and Thor almost a full cushion away. They both pat the space between them when Bruce comes back from the kitchen. He smiles, warmth that has nothing to do with the hot chocolate filling him up, puts the thermos on the coffee table, and settles into the space they left for him.

Brunnhilde immediately wiggles her toes under his thigh, laughing as he squirms. Thor lifts his arm, resting it along the back of the couch until Bruce leans into his side, and then he settles it around Bruce’s shoulders.

The movie starts again, some comedy that Tony had recommended. The three of them don’t pay it much  attention, more intent on cuddling together in the warm-but-not-warm-enough living room.

{thank you so much for reading!! if you’re enjoying what i’m doing here, please consider throwing a coffee my way. i’d really appreciate it, but don’t feel obligated ♥ should you feel so generous, please feel free to come back and ask for a bit of writing all your own! ♥♥}

[scarletwritingwolf]

THE ART OF HEALING

Chapter 1: First Day Ghosts

Claire Elizabeth Beauchamp was having a good look around her new office, and was being rather critical of its emptiness. She needed to inject this office with a little homeliness and personality.

. . . . . .

The office, had a large oak desk, with a big white swivel wing chair on one side of it, and two smaller oak chairs on the other. Off to the side there was an enormous cowhide rug, with two grey armchairs facing each other placed on it. The only thing hanging on the walls, in a modest frame, was my very recently acquired master’s degree in psychology.

Other than that, there wasn’t a plant, painting or trinket in sight. I began making a mental list of all the things I’d need; side tables, two plants, a couple of simple canvases, a table lamp and a floor lamp, and most definitely trinkets for the desk.

I felt the slight draft as the door opened, and my new boss and old friend; Joe walked in. “So Jane, what do you think of the digs?” he said in his American drawl.

“It’s incredible Joe, you’ve done a wonderful job setting up the office spaces. And I won’t say that I’m not thrilled you decided to stay in Edinburgh to practice, not just because you offered me a job once I’d finished.” I smiled guiltily, it had been very nice of Joe to wait the additional year after he had finished his own degree (and mentoring), before hiring anyone to assist him, to ensure that the vacant place would go to me.

He knew well enough that I couldn’t afford to set up my own practice, but Joe’s father had left him a sum of money to do just that, and good old faithful Joe stuck to his promise, starting practice almost immediately after finishing his degree last year.

I’d already made several mental notes to repay him for the rest of my existence.

Neither Joe or I were strictly native to Edinburgh, and in that respect it was an even greater comfort to the soul to have a familiar face to turn to.

Joe had had difficulty getting into a University anywhere in America, and knew his next best bet was to find one in Europe that would agree to have him, so Edinburgh it was. With great determination and hard work he finished at the top of his class, leaving his mark on the place he had adopted as home for the six years previous.

I, on the other hand, had a far more complicated back story, Edinburgh wasn’t where I was born, but I had spent much of my life there, and it had eventually come to feel like home for me, despite the loneliness of it at times.

“I’m glad you like it Jane, you think you can be happy here?” He had already formulated a guess as to what she was going to say next.

“Oh most definitely”, she hesitated before letting the next words tumble out of her mouth. “Although it is practically bare aside from the staple pieces of furniture, I would like to make it my own, if you don’t mind.”

“My Lady Jane, I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t.” He said, eyes twinkling with humour. “Shall we go and look for some things to fill up the space? Don’t disappoint me now and tell me you haven’t already prepared a list.”

I tried to look demure while plastering my best shocked look upon my face. “Alright, you’ve got me, I have a list. Any complaints about going antiquing?” I grinned slyly, knowing full well he’d hate it, for Joe loved to hate the junk (or so he called it) that I collected from antiquing stores. I chose not to mention that I collected these items because they reminded me of my Uncle.

“I’ve offered now, I suppose I can’t back out.” He said good naturedly, returning a toothy smile. “Let’s go.”

. . . . . .

She returned to her office that same evening, arms laden with her purchases. After several trips back to her car to gather the other pieces she’d picked up, she began the set up.

After the first half hour had passed she was still battling with her flat pack coffee table, and she began to lose faith in her abilities to live without a man, or at least without the supervision of one.

She sent Joe a text:

*Starting to wish I’d taken you up on your invite to stay for dinner, this flat pack nonsense is giving me hell :) *

Two more hours had passed; after the victory with the coffee table she’d managed to set up almost entirely. There were now muted canvases hanging on the walls, plants in two corners of the room, the afore mentioned coffee table nestled between the comfortable armchairs (that now held cushions), the table was decked out with tissues and a small abstract sculpture of a human brain.

Lastly she’d set up her desk with all the stationary she would need (likely enough for the next 10 years as well), a bespoke lamp, a telephone and the most beautiful antique gold clock. The clock reminded her, almost painfully, of her dear Uncle Lamb, it was very similar to one that he had sitting at his extremely untidy desk in Oxford.

How she wished now that she had had the courage to return to his office after his death, and retrieve some of his beloved possessions. Alas Claire Beauchamp had never been the sort to place much value in material things anyhow; and it was far easier to keep up this façade than to admit just how much value she placed in those things.

She glanced at her watch, wondering how so much time had escaped her, it was already 9:30pm, she would have to leave now in order to get home and actually rest before her first day tomorrow.

She left her laptop on her desk, tidied up the remains of her pizza dinner, and took one final look around, feeling proud of her accomplishments, she switched off the desk lamp and headed out the door.

The car ride home made her acutely aware of just how tired she was, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she forced herself to concentrate on the road. “This is ridiculous” she said out loud “pull yourself together Beauchamp, the drive home is barely 10 minutes!”.

Finally parking outside of her home, she sat motionless in her car for a further 5 minutes staring up at her building, preparing her tired body to walk the four flights of stairs that would deliver her to her apartment door.

The climb seemed shorter than usual, her body sort of carried itself, allowing her mind to wander freely. She was thinking of a reference in a textbook and a strong cup of oolong tea when she found herself outside of her door.

She crept inside, maintaining a stealthy silence despite knowing that there was no one to disturb within. In the comfort of her room she immediately began removing all of her clothing, and sliding herself into a heavy silk robe, before setting out to prepare a cup of tea.

Traipsing about her home, she absent mindedly checked that everything was in it’s place, which it was, and then turned towards her version of a library; a few shelves crammed to the hilt with books of every genre. Running her fingers over the spines of the many volumes, she came across the book she had wanted to reference, and took it over to the chaise seat in front of her window.

She flipped through to find the the passage she was after in B.F Skinner’s Beyond Freedom & Dignity, it read:

‘Freud was a determinist – on faith, if not on the evidence – but many Freudians have no hesitation in assuring their patients that they are free to choose among different courses of action and are in the long run the architects of their own destinies.

This escape route is slowly closed as new evidences of the predictability of human behaviour are discovered. Personal exemption from a complete determinism is revoked as a scientific analysis progresses, particularly in accounting for the behaviour of the individual.’

. . . . . .

The words eased my mind, as I remembered why I had decided to become a psychologist; the science of it, the concrete proof that the mind was a most complicated thing, and that you couldn’t simply choose your circumstance.

My mind drifted further, I curled myself into a cocoon on the chaise, and stared out of my bedroom window. The streets were quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the white noise of the rain outside, ever present in Scotland.

I fell asleep watching the dewy drops fall to the ground.

. . . . . .

Claire sat in her office the next morning, bleary eyed, tired and surrounded, in the metaphorical sense, by the pressure she had put upon herself, the weight of it was heavy on her mind as though someone was steadily injecting liquid into her brain, the sensation of drowning in it was very real.

She took deep breaths in, out, in, out. The nerves about her first day had caused serious disruption to her sleep, so much so in fact, that sitting up reading her old psychology text books were the only thing that would soothe her troubled mind.

The new day had also, thankfully, brought with it some kind of distorted belief that she knew what she was doing, and that she was ready.

She checked her clock again; 9:01am.

Her first patient would be waiting by now just on the other side of the closed door, and there was no longer time for procrastination.

She took the eight long steps to the door in her stride, saying the patients name over and over as she went, so that she wouldn’t forget; Louise de La Tour, Louise de La Tour, Louise de La Tour…

. . . . . .

Opening the door, smile plastered on my face “Louise de La Tour?” My eyes landing on the woman whose name I called.

Louise stood up fumbling with her purse to put away the self-help book she had been reading, likely attempting to conceal the cover of it from me

I took a moment to glance at the other patient waiting to be seen by Joe. He had the most beautiful masculine face, encircled by a halo of red hair. He was looking at me too, his face bearing the strangest expression, I couldn’t decipher it’s meaning and nor would I have the time to do so, so I simply smiled and gave a nod.

I remembered where I was, and that my self interests where not of consequence at this moment, and jolted out of my trance “please come in Louise.” Gesturing her inside with a wave of my hand.

. . . . . .

Claire’s first session passed by in a blur, unable to shake the image of the man in the waiting area. Louise had been eager to tell her story and to discuss her issues, so needed very little encouraging; meaning the moments for Claire to speak or provide input rarely presented themselves.

This allowed for her to escape into her mind, delving in to find the image of him; the red haired man with his piercing blue eyes. He was burned there in her mind, sure to scar and leave its mark.

When the session had concluded she was embarrassed with herself, for focusing on a man rather than her patient, it was beyond unprofessional. For the sentiment of it, she was also disappointed that she hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to the significance of the first patient crossing the threshold of her office.

She knew she had to forget this man and simply carry on as though she had never noticed him.

To ease her conscience she began to take notes on her session with Louise, thankfully Louise hadn’t had any inclination of Claire's mental absence, seeming more relieved to have someone to listen to her problems.

Louise was pregnant, not with her husbands child, but with her lovers, this presented her with a number of difficult choices to make.

Claire noted that she would need to help Louise come to a conclusion about exactly what she wanted, and then address the different ideas for change.

. . . . . .

The last patient exited at 5:30pm. The hours had crawled by and Claire was ready to blow off the steam of her first day, and was sincerely hoping that Joe had the same thought in mind.

She turned towards the practice kitchen, opening each cupboard and drawer, attempting to will a bottle of whiskey into existence.

In her search she had failed to notice Joe standing, watching her.

“The liquor is in my office locked in a cabinet, come on Lady Jane.”

Two hours later, and slightly buzzing, Claire had debriefed with Joe, doing her best to conceal the true reason for her agonising day.

Although she knew Joe would understand, she felt far too ashamed to admit any hint of ‘feminine weakness’, choosing to chalk up her poor performance with her first client to nerves.

. . . . . .

Back at my apartment that evening, I resolved to go straight to bed; no reading, no working, just sleeping.

Two hours later, I was still staring at the ceiling despite my exhaustion, so I gave up the idea of sleep and went to sit on the chaise by the window, just as I had done the night before.

I picked up the book I had left there last night, and immediately thought of Louise. I re-read the passage I had found, and felt like a hypocrite. I had told Louise today that she was the master of her destiny, and uttered many other encouraging words of complete bullshit. But didn’t believe in them, I wasn’t a Freudian, and Skinners books reminded me why, so what had possessed me to abandon my beliefs with my very first patient?

I looked out of the window once again, questioning myself, blue eyes and red hair consuming me without my permission.

Then there he was again; the any season jogger, who ran almost every night and always at the same time, never deterred by snow or rain.

I admired his dedication, and was always impressed by his routine. On the nights that he ran, he wore the same black tracksuit, hood up, was gone for forty minutes and always returned with a coffee from the same shop.

He disappeared into his building, the one directly opposite mine, and one minute later the light in his sixth floor apartment came on.

I watched as he drew his curtains shut, and decided that my bed was where I needed to return. I fell asleep quickly, my last thoughts whirling around were of the jogger in black and those intense, deep blue eyes.