#like his acting in the bedroom scene with ponyboy

[wassupmygays]

the fact that i will probably never be able to see jason schmidt as sodapop curtis live is sooooooooooooooooooooo evil

[miryum]

I had an idea because a friend just tried one for the first time. Let's say that Two-bit brought a few "special brownies" that Y/N made for him and Dally to the Curtis house and Ponyboy accidentally ate one. Obviously Y/N and Darry would be pretty annoyed, but how would Ponyboy act. (If you've never seen someone high from a brownie before YouTube search "Perks of Being a Wallflower brownie scene")

Thank you for adding the YouTube idea because otherwise I would’ve had no idea what to write! I wrote this on my phone so hopefully it isn’t too rough. I hope this suffices!

You slammed the door open and shouted out, “Soda?! I got your call! What the hell!” 

“Thank god you’re here.” You surveyed the scene in front of you and knew that it would end in a disaster- if it wasn’t one already. 

Pony was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, giggling loudly. Darry was shouting angrily at Dally and Two-Bit, the former who was pointing at you. Steve and Johnny were slouched on the couch, tiredly watching Pony. Soda was at your side, his hair all messed up. 

“No… Did he…?” Your voice died out as you stared at Pony. Your eyes flickered to the half- empty brownie pan on the kitchen table. “Shit shit shit shit shit.” You muttered, knees hitting the floor as you slid next to Pony. 

“Y/n!” he cried when he saw you, “Mickey Mouse is a mouse! Did you know he wears clothes? Isn’t that weird?” 

“Pony,” you said quietly and slowly, “did you eat my brownies?” 

“Yes.” 

“Who gave them to you?” 

He inhaled, frowned, and looked away. “Two… I think. Yeah. Two- Bit. Two… Bit. Twooooooooo Bit!” 

You seethed, marching over to Two- Bit. “Did you give the brownies to Pony?!”

“I’ve already gotten chewed out by Darry!” Two defended, “You don’t have to do it as well!”

“Y/n!” Darry rounded on you, “I can’t believe you made those brownies!”

“Dally asked me to!” You passed the blame off, “They were for Dally and Two! I never ever told them to give the brownies to Pony! In fact, I told them not to.” 

“In our defence,” Dally started, head bobbing slightly, “We are still high.” He pointed a lazy finger in your direction. 

“Darry, I am so sorry.” You said, “I will watch over Pony until he’s… better. I’m sure you’ve had your hands full.” 

“It’s not that!” Darry growled, “He’s just acting like a hyped- up Soda! I can handle him! The problem is that he’s high! I wanted to protect him from that shit and because of your three irresponsibilities, I can’t!” 

“Darry,” you started, “I am so sorry. If I can ever repay you, let me know. For now, let me take care of Ponyboy.”

“Fine.” Darry rubbed his temples. “I’ll be in my bedroom.”

“Hey Pony?” You turned towards the boy who was babbling about otters and umbrellas, and said, “I’m going to grab you some water. Your brother, Soda, is going to get you some bread. Does that sound good?”

Pony shook his head. “I would love some pasta. I want pasta. Pasta sounds good.” 

“Okay!” You compromised as if with a child. “Soda can make pasta.” 

“No I can’t.” Soda piped up.

“Take Steve and figure it out.” You ordered, “Now, Pony. Can I take you outside? Some fresh air will do you some good.” 

“Okay.” He exhaled. He slowly stood for his criss-crosses position and held out a hand. You took it and helped him up. “Can you read to me?” He asked. “Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf please.”

“Okay.” You found the children’s book inside then went back out to find Pony sitting on the steps, legs swinging and humming a merry tune. “Here we go…” You started the story and before you knew it, Soda came out with a plate of burnt pasta and awkwardly handed it to Pony. Johnny soon joined you two, listening to the story. Before you knew it, the entire gang was out on the porch, even Darry having come out with a tired, but kind smile, as they all listened to you read a children’s story, Pony chiming in every so often with a random comment.

[tasteslikepepsicola]

I Know What You Did Last Summer Part 2 (Sodapop Curtis x Reader, Dallas Winston x Reader)

Authors Note: I can’t believe I disappeared so long after posting the first part, I’m so sorry, I have so much motivation to write now and the next part might even be up in the next few days. Again, I’m so sorry for the wait but I hope you like it. I love the concept for this series, (as you can tell I really like love triangles) and I hope you guys do to! Also, might change my username soon, but I’ll keep you updated. Make sure to follow so you can stay up to date with the series! Thanks again <3

Warnings: Cursing, slight angst, implied smut

Word Count: 1,600+

One month later…

After Sodapop had dropped her off that night, nothing had been the same. They hadn’t been in contact since then, and it was finally starting to hit the two that they were no longer together. That didn’t make it any easier, however, on either of them. Both lied awake at night wondering when they lost what they used to have, gazed at their ceiling wondering what they could have done differently. And both would have given anything for another chance at loving each other. But Y/N knew that wasn’t her place anymore. She lost the right to love Sodapop the moment she gave her love to someone else, while he was at home waiting for her. And worse, she lied about it. She hoped he never forgave her, she didn’t deserve it.

Meanwhile, Sodapop reminded himself of this fact every time his mind wandered off to her...which was often. He couldn’t be with someone who could betray him like that, it wouldn’t be fair to himself. But he also wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand being away from her. She was like his oxygen, without her around, he couldn’t breathe.

Avoiding each other wasn’t hard. Y/N started getting her gas elsewhere, and Sodapop took a different route to work that didn’t require passing her house.

Y/N was sitting in the booth of their local diner when her friend pointed to a pair of boys who walked through the door. “Ain’t that Sodapop’s kid brother?” she asked.

Y/N whipped her head around quickly, noticing Ponyboy and Johnny as they started walking towards them. “Act normal,” Y/N muttered through a forced smile. They walked past the girls towards an empty booth a few seats in front of them. Neither acknowledged her presence, though she was sure they must have seen her staring at them. 

After a few agonizing minutes, the waitress brought them their check, and Y/N decided to try to get out of there as fast as she could. She didn’t need to say anything for her friend to catch on, she didn’t know much about their breakup, but could tell it was an awkward situation. As they wordlessly stood up to leave, Y/N felt a hand lightly grab her arm.

“Y/N?” Ponyboy asked, now standing behind her.

“Oh, hey Pony…” her voice trailed off.

“Sorry- uh, can we just talk for a minute?” he asked through the biting awkwardness of the whole situation.

Y/N glanced at her friend, who only said, “I’ll pull the car around, come out when you’re ready to leave” and then scurried away quickly.

The greaser boy and her sat down at the table she had been sitting at. Johnny still sat a few seats down, more focused on his lunch than the situation happening a few feet away. 

“What’s up?” Y/N tried to ask casually.

“Sodapop…” Pony started. “He’s- he’s real messed up about this whole thing. He keeps saying he doesn’t want to talk about it, but I know he hasn’t slept right in a month. I know he misses you.”

Y/N felt her heart break as he continued. How could she do this to someone so good? Someone who had never, who would never hurt her. What was wrong with her?

“Be straight with me, Y/N, please. What happened between you two?” his voice dropped low, like he was expecting the worst.

“I-” Y/N couldn’t find the right words. “I made a mistake. And it’s not something that can be forgiven.” she fought back tears she hadn’t realized that were building as she spoke.

“You- you cheated on him?” Ponyboy concluded, anger suddenly rising within the young boy.

“I don’t know. I thought we were broken up...maybe we weren’t. But it doesn’t matter. Sodapop will never forgive me, I don’t even forgive me. We both just need to forget about it. Me, him, Dallas...whatever, the only way this can get better is if I stay away from him.” Y/N couldn’t meet the greasers eyes, feeling nothing but shame and pain.

“Dallas? Dallas Winston? That's who-” Ponyboy stopped himself, almost on the verge of yelling at her. But he couldn’t, not in front of all these people, not at a girl, he knew that wasn’t right.

Y/N looked at the boy she used to consider a little brother, the boy who used to idolize her. The boy who used to question Sodapop about why he wouldn’t just marry her already. Now, he looked at her like he didn’t know who she was anymore.

“I got to go.” He mumbled.

“Ponyboy!” Y/N yelled after him, but he was already walking away. People looked their way, startled by the sudden scene that was coming from their table. Hot tears began to roll down her cheeks, she wiped them as she stood and got out of there as fast as she could.

When she got in the car out front, her friend asked, “Woah! What the hell happened in there?”

Y/N didn’t answer, instead she only said, “Don’t take me home. Drop me off at Buck’s. I need to talk to someone.”

*****

The whole ride there, she had rehearsed what she was going to say. Now, standing outside the notorious party spot, Y/N suddenly felt very self conscious. She tried to remain determined as she banged on the door. Nobody answered. She continued to pound on the door, finally crying out, “Dallas Winston I know you’re in there! I need to talk to you!”

She then heard footsteps clambering down the stairs. The dark haired boy opened the door quickly, grabbing her arm and dragging her inside.

“What the fuck?” she quipped.

“Sorry…” he mumbled, lighting a cigarette as he spoke. “Shepard’s pissed at me, gotta lay low for a bit.”

As she stood there, arms crossed and pouting, everything she had mentally practiced saying to him in the car had escaped her mind.

“What do you want doll? Why are you just standing there looking at me like that?” he smirked slightly as he spoke.

“Don’t play dumb Winston, I know you know what happened.” she vented.

“What? Something happen with your boyfriend?” he mused.

“I know you know we broke up.”

“Yeah I might have heard something about that.”

“Well...he knows.”

“Knows what?”

She rolled her eyes, angered at his desire to play dumb. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Y/N, of course I know he knows we slept together. He didn’t give me a black eye and split lip for no reason.” 

Y/N swallowed her words, shocked at what she was hearing. Sodapop didn’t fight.

“I could’ve taken that pretty boy, but I figured I deserved it. And no, nobody else knows, not even the gang, if that's what you're worried about. Your reputation is safe.”

“Fuck you, Winston.”

“You already did.” he replied with another grin.

Y/N turned to leave, yelling, “You’re a terrible person! You know that?”

“Newsflash, honey, it takes two people to cheat.”

She turned back around, anger spilling over, “I hate you! I had a perfect boyfriend before what happened. My life was perfect, I was probably gonna marry him.”

“Alright little Miss. Perfect, I get it, I’m the cause of all your problems, you hate me. What do you want me to do about it? Why are you even here?” his voice remained calm.

“I want you to apologize, to say sorry for once in your life for fucking up!” she yelled, stepping closer to him.

“I’m sorry, I truly am, sorry to Sodapop, for sleeping with his girl. But I’m not gonna apologize for what happened between us, because honestly, I’m not.” he replied, the distance between the two getting slimmer.

“God, what is your problem?” she asked.

“You wanna know what my problem is? It’s you! You were all over me that night, I didn’t just fuck you, I was there for you. You were crying when you walked in, you told me what happened and I listened.”

She shook her head, trying to ignore what he was saying, trying to avoid replaying the night in her mind.

“And you kissed me. And we got together, and the next day you just left. And went back to him. And I had to watch as you pretended like nothing happened. As he hugged and kissed and held you. And now, you show up here blaming me. So yeah, you are my problem.”

“He was my boyfriend!” She fought back tears for the second time that day.

“Why’d you avoid me?” he questioned.

“Are you kidding me?” she cried.

“No, why the fuck did you avoid me? Obviously it wasn’t guilt, you were fine lying to him. So why? Why couldn’t you be in the same room as me? Even without him there?”

She shook her head, “I’m not doing this.” She tried to pull away, but he caught her elbow and kept her there.

“I think I know why now, Y/N, because you and I both know you stopped loving him before that night, or else you wouldn’t have done what you did. You avoided me cause it was easier than facing the reality of the situation.”

“You’re wrong…” she said.

“Deep down, you know you don’t hate me, not even close, doll.”

She raised her hand, to slap him, he caught her wrist and said, “Prove me wrong then, leave if you want, I’m not gonna stop you. But, just so you know, I want you to stay.”

He started to pull away, then, and Y/N didn’t know what came over her, but she grabbed him, and smashed her lips on his. Without a second of hesitation, he reciprocated. His hands traveled to her thighs, he lifted her up, and she responded by wrapping her legs around his waist.

They didn’t move from that position until they were in his bedroom, and he was slamming her onto his bed.

[curlyshepards]

LITERALLY i want all of them for curly shepard

IM SORRY TO THE MOBILE USERS WHO THIS WILL NOT APPEAR UNDER A READ MORE FOR

What does their bedroom look like?

idk why i’m such a firm believer of this BUT: tim and curly share a room, so typically half of it is clean and the other half (curly’s half) is a fucking mess all the time

Do they have any daily rituals?

every day for lunch at school him & his friends just go under the bleachers and drink. unfortunately curly has no limits so when lunch is over he usually just ends up ditching the rest of the day to go continue drinking somewhere else

Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

he doesn’t make a conscience effort to exercise, but he walks basically everywhere when tim has the car. so he’s in pretty good shape bc of that & bc of fighting

What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?

curly has never made dinner a day in his life and will never make an attempt to nor does anyone want him to. if theres nothing already made at the house he’ll either just go without or go to the diner

Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)

he’s a generally messy person, but he takes pride in his looks so he takes care of himself. he’s always clean shaven and smells really good. his room, however, is a disaster scene

Eating habits and sample daily menu

usually not awake for breakfast, and for lunch he’ll scrap up whatever he can find in his house (probably ends up being a sandwich or cereal) and for dinner he’ll follow tim somewhere and make him buy him dinner. he loves eating at the diner and never underestimate his ability to eat breakfast meals at 11 o clock at night

Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

his sole reason for going to school is to waste time (thats what he tells everyone at least but its rlly because tim will not let him drop out) but if hes not in school then he’s probably just walking around his neighborhood w/ his friends or hanging out at the strip trynna start fights

Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging

dont.....really know what this means. all im thinkin about is that chocolate stuff. but he likes chocolate so lets go with that. he could eat 50 kit kats in a row, probably

Makeup?

makeup sex? absolutely. he’ll start a fight with his boo just for the sex

Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

i honestly dont see him having a mental illness

Intellectual pursuits?

intellectual isn’t really his thing. BUT  i can see him really liking labs and stuff

Favorite book genre?

he hATES reading, but mostly because he’‘s dyslexic and he was brought up thinking that he was dumb bc he had trouble reading. ponyboy is the one that ends up helping him, though, and sometimes he’ll read to curly (action books bc they’re the only ones that’ll keep curly’s attention. there are numerous times he regrets the decision bc curly cant keep quiet for more than a few minutes.)

Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

(i can already see the purly supporters @’ing me yikes) but PERSONALLY i think he’s straight. idk what this means by thoughts on s.o. in general but im bisexual ??? idc about sexual orientation ??

Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)

he’s got a lot of scars, mostly on his knuckles but a few up and down his arms. he’s deathly allergic to seafood but doesn’t care bc it looks gross to him anyway.

Biggest and smallest short term goal?

biggest: honestly just making it through another day is an achievement to him

smallest: he swears that one day he will beat sodapop curtis in a drag race

Biggest and smallest long term goal?

biggest: being as respected as tim is when he’s older

smallest: he will own a puppy at some point

Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress

white t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes, and if its not too hot then a leather jacket. he hates jean jackets tho and WILL make fun of anyone who wears them

Favorite beverage?

beer. but also pepsi. hes weird.

What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

we’re about to get deep. on good nights he just thinks about his day. there’s never a boring time with him, so he’s always got a lot to think about. he could be thinking about a girl he’s met or just hooked up with, or about what his friends got into. on bad nights though, he thinks about his dad and how he never got to know him. he thinks about how maybe he’ll never be like tim, and he’ll never be the brother that angie falls back on (that doesn’t bother him as much as it should, but it still pops into his mind) the number one thing that keeps him awake is never amounting to the shepard name

Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?

just stupidity. he broke a lot of bones, needed a lot of stitches, and was bed bound too many times to count. there was one incident that tim loves to tell: the first time curly got into a fight. the guy was two times bigger than curly, but he didn’t care. the fight was done in 5 minutes, and curly had his first broken nose

Turn-ons? Turn-offs?

turn ons: i can see him really liking outgoing girls/ girls that are upfront. also neck kisses, collarbone kisses, hair pulling, back scratching

turn offs: daddy kink (seriously, its gross, stop forcing this on my son. he already has enough daddy issues) but nothing else really he will do basically anything

Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

either a very crude & poorly done drawing or a sign that says “curly is the hottest shepard”

How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

he is NOT. it doesnt really bother him that hes disorganized, but it drives tim up the wall. he’s always getting onto curly for being a slob

Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?

he doesn’t really care, but since he’s forced to go to school he might as well enjoy something, which ends up being the labs in science. he likes the dissections, mostly, but he thinks looking into the microscopes are cool too (mostly bc him and his friends make shapes out of the slides)

How do they see themselves 5 years from today?

alive, hopefully

Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?

he kinda just takes it day by day and doesnt care about the future. hes a strong believer that things will fall into place if theyre supposed to happen

What is their biggest regret?

probably being too emotional and not toughening up enough when he was younger

Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?

SO this is an OC but his best friend is a guy in the gang named brian. his worst enemy is also in the gang and his name is jimmy and he fucking hates that kid.

Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)

he’s probably the one that caused the disaster, so he immediately tries to fix it on his own. which usually works, but it leaves a mess behind that he’ll attempt (and fail) to cover up. a few hours later he’ll get chewed out by tim.

Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)

so lets say tim dies. tim is the only person that curly is really close to, because if there’s one thing that he learned from his brother it’s to never let anyone too close. but he always thought that tim would be there for him so he worshipped him. but ANYWAY tim dies and curly shuts down. i can honestly see him losing it bc tim was all curly ever knew, he was always there to fix the mess curly got himself in and now he’s just kinda alone in the world. he’d still have the gang, but they’d remind him too much of his brother, so he’d eventually cut ties with them. it’d take a major, new person to bring him out of his stump, and thats if he ever really brings himself back to normal

Most prized possession?

the hand-me-down leather jacket tim gave him

Thoughts on material possessions in general?

doesnt really care about them bc he doesnt have a lot. he likes the things with meaning, but couldnt care less about expensive & nice things

Concept of home and family?

hes VERY family oriented and a huge mama’s boy, but he hates his step dad. he’d do anything to protect angela and anything that tim asked him. family always comes first with him

Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

it kinda depends. on his sexual life hes really TMI, but about emotions and family and secrets he’s really private. you could count on one hand the amount of people that he’s told private stuff to, and even then they don’t know the full story. i think the only people who would ever truly know him are tim and his significant other

What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?

football!! and hes actually good at it. tim never plays tho so the only time he gets to is with the curtis gang

What makes them feel guilty?

fucking up on a gang job and letting tim down

Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?

more emotional!! that’s the biggest difference between curly and tim. tim will think of the long-term effects before making a decision, where curly is more of an “act now, think later” type person. his decisions are usually the wrong ones, but they make for a better story

Would they consider themselves a Type A or Type B personality?

i’d wanna say type B, because he is super laid back and easy going and isn’t really competitive (unless its for a joke)

What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?

getting away for a while. he loves driving and ive always seen him as having a little secluded spot that he goes to by himself during his teenage years. eventually though he finds the right person that he can take, and just being with them makes him feel better

Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?

neither tbh. he may think that he’s better than some greasers (because honestly he is) but he doesnt think of himself as above other classes. he finds it unfair that socs and middle class people have a superiority complex, so it’d be dumb for him to have one. he just thinks everyone should be equal (but he knows theyre not, and for that reason he’ll fight any soc he can get his hands on)

How misanthropic are they?

hes very easy to get along with if you come from the same type of neighborhood. he’s open to everyone that’s cool with his gang, but he’ll be the worst kind of person to rival gangs and rich people. so he doesnt dislike people, because he can be a really cool guy, you just have to come from his streets

Hobbies?

football, fighting, drinking, poker. y’know, d00d stuff

How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?

he graduates high school and thats it. and he definitely values self education more, the stuff he’s learned by himself ahve been more useful to him than the Pythagorean theorem ever will be  

Religion?

he believes in a god but never really thinks about it. hes not religious by any means but i think it kinda comforts him knowing something comes after life

Superstitions or views on the occult?

he doesnt believe in superstitions imo!!

Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?

both. he’ll talk a big game and then follow through with his promises

If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

THE QUESTION IVE BEEN WAITING FOR OK if curly ever fell in love, it’d be with someone making him feel okay with being him. they’d make him want to be a better man & not just a mini tim. they’d have to accept that curly would always idolize his brother, but they’d also help him detach a little. they’d love him for him and accept the fact that they can’t change him. they’d probably be just as wild as he is, bc they’d have to keep up with his lifestyle. they couldn’t take life too seriously and would never know what the future had in store for them. i can see curly eventually being able to be romantic, but it’d never be in public

How do they express love?

kisses, holding hands, little acts of kindness (giving them something that reminded him of them, asking how their day was, remembering little things)

If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

daddy came to win

Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?

nah i dont think he is. i think he’s kinda accepted that there is a very real possibility that he won’t make it past 30 w the way he’s living, so that’s why he takes it day by day

[s0ulfulsapph1c]

Chains

Hey dudes!  I wrote a little story, so I decided I’d share it!  Let me know what you think!

     Lights.  That’s all she was aware of.  The bright lights of the city.  It was hard to believe that this had all been woods once, though Munna would never let her forget.  How she longed to have seen it when it was all trees and animals.  It must have been spectacular… “TORI!  You alive?” Victoria jolted out of her daydreaming to the sound of her favorite voice in the world and the smell of close-to-burning rolls.  She immediately scrambled to take the bread out of the oven, shooting a grateful smile to her best friend. “Thanks Sara.  I’m pretty sure Louis would eat me at dinner if I burnt these rolls,” the redhead chuckled, flushing softly, the color almost blending with her freckles. “Of course, darling!  I’d be simply devastated if anyone took you away from me!”  The taller blonde came up behind the short cook, wrapping her in a hug. Even though Sara referred to Vic by pet names frequently, and the redhead was sure it was friendly(right?), it still flustered her. “You’re gonna burn yourself, Sara,” Vic warned her playfully, glad the green-eyed girl couldn’t see her very red face. “Maybe.  It’d be worth it for you, though.” Vic laughed at that, at the teasing tone Sara had used.  “Idiot.” “Again, possibly true.  But I’m your idiot,” the short-haired blonde shot back, smiling. “Yeah, and you’ll always be, buttercup,” Vic chuckled, voice fond. The short blue-eyed girl turned around, smiling at her best friend.  They stood like that, close and smiling, until a shout startled Sara, breaking them apart.  “Victoria Genevieve Wainwright, what do you think you’re doing!?”  The words had reverberated around the kitchen before the man who’d said them had even entered the small room. “Sorry Louis.  I thought the work was all done,” Vic muttered guiltily. Louis took a breath, his anger deflating.  “I’m sorry as well.  That was a bit too loud.  I guess I’ve just been so stressed lately, with the new baby, and…..”   Louis trailed off, but he didn’t have to finish.  Everyone knew at this point.  The master of servants had lost his daughter in the Rockefeller Oil Strike, the last bit he’d had of his deceased wife.  The only family he now had left was a small grandchild, Ronnie, who was barely a year only.  Vic knew how it felt to lose family.  After all, Sammy….. “You need to make the pie, Vic.  Then you can have all the time to talk with Sara.  Once she finishes her own duties,” the grey-haired man chuckled.  He started out, but paused at the doorway, looking as though he just remembered something.  “Oh, the new apples for the horses are in the cellar.  Could you please give them to Blake once you’re done?” “Not a problem,” Vic answered chipperly, beaming. —————————————————————————— The chocolate pie had taken longer than Vic had realized, but sneaking a bit of the velvety sweet chocolate definitely made up for it.  In her arms, she carried a basket of apples, heading for the stables.  One she reached the buildings, her focus shifted from what she’d do now that she’d finished to trying to find Blake.  She wandered around, stopping a few times to stroke horses.  She had stopped by one, stroking its nose, when suddenly… “BOO!” The small cook let out a scream as she felt something touch her.  “Blake!  That was not funny!” Laughter was the only reply for a while.  “C’mon, it was.” Vic merely glared at him.  “It was most certainly not, you ninnyhammer.” Blake gasped dramatically, hands over his heart.  “Tori, you wound me!”  He fell to the floor, acting as though he was dead. “Ha ha, Blake.  I’ve told you, only Sara calls me Tori.”  Blake sat up, pouting slightly.  “You’re acting like a child.” The master of horses sighed and got up, brushing himself off.  “You’re the worst.  So, why exactly are you in my neck of the woods?  Miss me that much?” “In your dreams,” Vic snorted.  “Louis asked me to bring you the apples for the horses.  So, here’re the apples.”  Blake bent down, inspecting the fruit before taking one and biting a good chuck out of it.  “Blake!  Those are for the horses!” “Horses won’t notice.  Besides, this is a pretty thankless job.  If I take a small reward, no one could blame me.  You won’t tell.”  It wasn’t a question. “I hate you,” Vic playfully sighed. “Hate you too,” Blake replied teasingly. “I’ll see you later, Ponyboy.” “That’s Ponyman,” Blake called as Vic started down the path to her quarters. —————————————————————————— Vic was coming out of the stables when she felt her sleeve being grabbed.  She turned, only to find a little boy.  It took her a moment to recognize him.  “Don?  What do you want?”  Vic frowned slightly when she realized how upset the young boy looked.   “Miss Vic, something terrible’s gon’ happen!  I need your help to stop it,” the short boy exclaimed, panic clear in his voice.   “Woah, woah, little buddy, calm down.  Nothing terrible is gonna happen.  It’s safe here.  Louis can be grumpy sometimes, but he’ll keep us safe, Don.  That’s what he does.” “But he can’t protect us!  Not from this!  He won’t protect us!” Vic bit her lip, thinking.  “Hey, bud, I’ve got something for you.  It was my mom’s.  She gave it to me, so whenever I felt upset or scared, I could look at that and I’d feel better.  I think you need it more than I do.” The short cook took off a woven bracelet around her wrist, gently putting it on Don’s smaller one.  “And I’ll make you a deal- if you ever feel too frightened and need somebody, or just want to talk, come to my quarters.  I’m in the kitchen staff’s quarters, second door on the right.” The puppy-eyed boy nodded, smiling a bit as he touched the bracelet.  Vic, on impulse, pulled him into a hug before getting up.  “Now, I’ve gotta head back.” “Stay safe, Miss Vic.” “Only if you do, bud.”  And with that, Vic was gone. —————————————————————————— “Why did you leave me?  Why did you let me go on that boat?  I trusted you, Tori.  I trusted you.  And you let me die.  You were supposed to keep me safe.  Have you ever drowned, Tori?  It’s like someone squeezes all the air out of your lungs slowly.  People say it’s the worst way to die.  That’s how I died, Tori.  You let me.  You let me die.” Vic awoke with a start.  Sammy’s words still rung in her ears.  She shook her head, trying to take deep breaths.  It’s not my fault.  Sara says it’s not my fault.  She’s right.  She’s always right.  They said it was unsinkable.  I couldn’t have known.  Sara’s words did little to comfort Vic.  Not if they weren’t coming from the taller girl.  The redhead took a deep breath and grabbed her cloak, wrapping it around her nightgown, and heading out of her quarters, barely sparing the thought to grab a lantern.  She needed to see Sara.  Vic made her way to the servant’s building, nearly being thrown back as the door opened.  Another cloaked figure darted out, face turned from her.  “Hey,” Vic cried, trying to grab the figure by their cloak and see just who was so rude.  Instead, she only got a fragment of the garment they wore.   She glared at the rapidly disappearing figure for a moment before turning and heading inside.  Her bare foot was immediately coated in a warm, sticky liquid.  She lifted her light to the substance, hoping to find the source, only to drop the lantern and let out a scream. —————————————————————————— The scene was horrific.  What she’d stepped in was blood.  From how sickly warm in was, it was fresh.  But the pool of red liquid was nothing compared to the secret hidden behind the desk. The body was revolting.  There were several slash marks, from the torso to the thighs.  Whoever the killer was, they certainly enjoyed inflicting pain.  The worst wounds weren’t anywhere below the neck, but on the body’s head.  Both eyes had been slashed, and there were long cuts on the cheeks and forehead.  The mouth had nearly been cut off.  The fatal wound, however, seemed to be a long cut across the entirety of the body’s throat.  It was the least fresh of the wounds.  The killer must have wanted to body to remain unrecognizable. But Vic knew who it was.  The mistake the killer made was leaving clothes on the body.  Specifically, a small woven bracelet.  Vic had given that bracelet to a young boy not a day ago.  The body was of Don Rodgers, the young stable boy Vic had talked to, barely 11 years old. —————————————————————————— By the time Vic had thought all of this, other people, servants, had joined her in the hallway, called by her shriek.  There were equal cries of horror and outrage at finding the dead body of the boy.  At some point, the police were called.  Vic didn’t notice until they were in the building, bustling around and roping things off.  Vic was pulled away by Sara, but she couldn’t even savor the maid’s touch.  Artemis, Sara’s dog, greeted them at the door.  The sheepdog whimpered as she realized the distress Vic was experiencing.  Everything felt numb.  They went back up to Sara’s room, and the blonde held Vic while she cried.   In the first hours of the morning, an officer knocked on Sara’s door.  Vic was the last person to see Don alive, and the first to see him dead, so they needed to question her.  Sara argued for a while, but nonetheless, Vic found herself in the bedroom now being used for the investigation.  The police asked her a series of questions.  What was Don acting like when you last saw him?  Why were you up?  Why did you come here?  How close were you to Don?  The list went on.   It was six in the morning by the time they were done.  Vic was absolutely exhausted.  Sara suggested she say she was sick so she could get some rest, and Vic didn’t argue, instead passing out on Sara’s bed.  She had no dreams or nightmares that would wake her.  It was all simply black. —————————————————————————— Vic awoke to angry voices in the hall, and Artemis barking at them.  Trying to smooth down her ruffled red hair, or at least get rid of some of the bed head, she yawned, petting Artemis to calm her, and opened the door.  She saw not an argument as she stared into the hallway, but what looked like a mob.  “What in God’s name are you doing?  You all should be at work!” For indeed, every man, woman, and child gathered there were servants for the Rockefeller house.  They all turned their gazes to her, and she saw several familiar faces, including Blake of all people!  She said a silent grateful prayer that Sara was not in the crowd.  The higher-ups would have her head if she was.  Lost in thought, she almost didn’t hear Blake’s angry voice.  “We know Louis killed Don!  His alibi was that he was ‘going out of town for the night’, but we all know he lied!  I saw him that night, and Gertrude saw him a few minutes after Don was killed,” the man roared, a fire in his green eyes. “Blake, just calm down-“ “Calm down?!  Calm down!  My stable boy, my own, who I loved like a son, is dead, and only one man could have done it!” “Enough!  I know you’re all angry, but you still have families, still have to provide!  After the Oil Strike, the workers still did their jobs!  You know why?  Because they had people to take care of!  You can’t strike over one boy and let your own children starve!  I knew Don too, I knew him better than most of you, but you don’t see me shouting about justice!  The police will find the killer.  Until then, let’s do our jobs!” That seemed to work for most of the people.  The crowd dispersed, muttering curses or threats.  But Blake stayed, still angry.  “This isn’t over.  I will get what I want.  You won’t stop me,” he growled in a low tone. “Look around.  It is over.  Now go do your job.” Blake left through the door, but Vic heard a soft ‘I hate you’ come from her friend.  There was none of the usual playfulness behind it.  Though Vic knew, or hoped, rather, he didn’t mean it, it still stung. —————————————————————————— Vic couldn’t go back to sleep after that.  She waited for Sara to come back, trying to find some comfort in Artemis, and when she heard the doorknob turn, she leapt up happily, more excited than even the sheepdog, embracing Sara and clinging to her tightly.  “Woah, woah.  I heard about those servants in the hall today.  You ok?  They didn’t hurt you, did they?  If Blake touched you, I’ll-“ “Hey, hey, I’m ok.  Just a bit spooked.  Artie is probably just as upset.  Blake was just mad, which is understandable.  Don was his staff.  He’s probably still hurting.” “We all are.  He doesn’t have exclusive rights to try and start riots.”  They were silent for a few moments, as Vic couldn’t really argue, and then Sara looked as though she’d just remembered something.  “Oh, hey, I managed to get some apples and chicken for dinner!” “No way!  Sara, that could get you fired!” “Eh, not like I’ll be here much longer.  I’m pretty sure I nailed my audition for 90 in the Shade!” Vic’s face lit up.  “Sara, that’s amazing!  I’m so proud of you!  Just don’t forget me when you become a big star!” “Aw, Tori, how could I ever forget you?  Now, enough talk.  Let’s get cooking!” “Only if you help,” Vic playfully replied. —————————————————————————— The two girls were happily eating their stolen food, laughing and talking, Artemis under the table begging for scraps.  Vic relished every moment in Sara’s company, and when night fell, she was reluctant to leave.  Luckily, Sara was just as reluctant to see her go, which is how they ended up sharing Sara’s bed, cuddled close together.  Vic’s head was tucked under Sara’s chin, and the blonde’s arms were wrapped around her, comforting and warm.  Artemis was curled at their feet, snoring softly.  They both drifted off to sleep, and Vic let out a soft sigh. “Why did you leave me Tori?  Why?  You were supposed to protect me.  To keep me safe.  Instead you went to watch plays with Sara.  You know you’ll lose her. You can’t protect her.  Just like you can’t protect me.” Vic awoke with a start, heart racing and tears staining her face.  For a moment, she had the terrible sensation Sara was gone.  But then she felt her warm embrace and sighed softly, snuggling up to her.  She tried to steady her breathing, hoping to not wake Sara or the sleeping dog up.  Unfortunately, the former effort was in vain, as she heard her voice not a moment later.  “Vic?  What’s wrong?  Did you have another nightmare?” Vic nodded, swallowing hard. “It’s ok.  It’s ok.  That’s not Sammy.  Sammy is ok.  He’d never say those things to you.  Hey, why don’t we go down the the stables?  You love it there.  We can go up to the loft...You know it’s the best view of the stars.  You love stargazing.  It’ll be great.” The red headed girl nodded again, still trying to calm down, and they were off, Artemis still asleep. —————————————————————————— They’d soon reached the stables, and Sara had to grab Vic’s hand as she nearly fell off the ladder.  Coordination was never the cook’s strong suit.  Luckily, Sara had enough for both of them, and pulled Vic up.  “Careful Tori, you might fall for me.” Vic chuckled, flushing softly at the response rolling around in her mind.  “Let’s just watch the stars, dork.” “I may be a dork, but I’m your dork.” “And you’ll always be.” They sat together, watching the stars shine through the inky black sky, like tiny fireflies.  Vic always loved the stars, and night itself.  It was always so peaceful, so calm.  Watching the stars with Sara, though, made it infinitely better.  The shorter girl moved her hand to touch Sara’s, but stopped when she felt it brush paper.  “Wha-“ She grabbed the thing she’d felt.  It was, indeed, paper, folded over a few times, hiding in the hay.  Whatever it was, someone didn’t want it seen.  “Hey, Sara, I found something buried up here.”   “Really?”  Sara shifted to look over at the strange paper.  “You think it’s a treasure map?  Maybe it leads to Rockefeller’s secret stash of gold bricks.” “Creative, but I've got no clue.  Whatever it is, it’s important to someone.” “Ooh, maybe it’s a love letter!  I’m a sucker for love letters, myself.” Note to self: write Sara a love letter.  “Maybe…” “Well, go on, open it!” Vic unfolded the paper, and let out a strangled gasp.  “So, what is it,” Sara prompted.   “I-It’s not a love letter.��� For indeed, it was quite the opposite.  It was a plot.  Not just any plan, a plot of assassination.  The paper contained the name of an untraceable poison, and plans to put it in a drink.  Plans that centered around the murder of Louis.  And it was all in Blake’s handwriting. —————————————————————————— “Oh my God, this is bad.  Really bad.  Louis is kinda strict, but he’s a good guy!  He doesn’t deserve...this!  And he won’t stand a chance!  He’s your average grandpa!  Blake fought in the Mexican Revolution!” Vic was listening to Sara rant.  They were back in her quarters, with the door tightly barred and locked.  Sara was downright panicking.  Vic was too numb to feel anything.  Her best friend, the person she trusted with her secrets, from stealing sugar for a pie to her love for Sara, was a killer.  The person she’d spent the past three years forming a bond with, laughing, talking, going out to shops and restaurants and movies on weekends planned to murder a man in cold blood. “-and we can assume that he killed Don, too.  But why?  I mean, he loved the kid-“ “He knew.  Sara, he knew what Blake was planning.  He tried to tell me.  The day he died, he said something terrible was going to happen, and that Louis couldn’t stop it.  I thought that meant Louis was guilty.  Oh, God, I should have listened to him.  I should have-“ “Hey, don’t start.  You did fine.  You did what I’d do under those circumstances.  Don’t blame yourself for his death, too.” Sara was quiet for a moment before she asked the question that was plaguing them both.  “What do we do?” “We save Louis.  We’ll warn him, and everyone else we can, and go back for the papers tonight.” “Don’t you mean tomorrow?” “Sara, it’s dawn.  Look around.” “That’s….crazy.  I thought it was still night.” “I wish.  So….Time to go work with a killer.” Artemis whined, looking downright miserable, a perfect mirror of Vic’s feelings. —————————————————————————— “I hope you’ll do your work today, Vic.”  Louis’ teasing voice greeted Vic and Sara as they entered the main building.  “In all seriousness, I am glad you’re back on your feet.  It hasn’t been the same without you.  And hello to you, Miss Morrison.” Vic nodded, with a strained smile.  It was Sara who acted first.  “Mr. Barnett, why don’t you stay in the city with Ronnie for a few days?  You deserve a vacation, after all.” “Oh, wouldn’t I love that.  But I’m afraid there’s too much to be done.  I’ll be dead before Rockefeller gives me even a day of rest.  That was thoughtful of you, though.” “Are you sure?  With all the angry servants….” “Oh.  Them.  I suppose it’d be nice to get away from the accusations of killing a young boy, whose mother is barely older than my daughter was.  But of course, work doesn’t care if you’re accused of murder.  And running would make me look guilty.  Believe me, I know how their minds work.  I’ve read quite a few mysteries in my day.”  He smiled and winked playfully at the two girls. “While I’ve loved talking to you, I have to go round up the younger house boys.  They’re in a particular tizzy.  Have a nice day, girls.” They watched the older man disappear through the doorway, and sighed in defeat.  “I suppose saying ‘You’re going to be killed, run you moron’ would have been a bit extreme,” Vic grumbled. “And crazy, since we don’t have evidence.” “We just need to get it.  It’ll be fine tomorrow.” “I still can’t believe we didn’t grab it,” Sara sighed.  “I mean, being shocked is hardly an excuse.” “Well, when you find out your best friend is a cold-blooded killer, you tend to be a bit forgetful.” The two said goodbye, and went to their duties, Vic counting the seconds until the day was done. —————————————————————————— They were to meet under an oak tree, the night’s chill nipping at every exposed part of Vic’s skin.  “Sara, please get here soon,” she muttered under her breath, which billowed around her in a white cloud. “Did you call?”  Sara’s familiar voice answered her, and Vic looked up to see her friend, Artemis trailing behind.  “Sorry, she wouldn’t leave.  I eventually gave up trying to get her to stay, and just let her come.” “Maybe she wants to help?  A regular Argos,” Vic chuckled. The atmosphere soon turned serious once again.  “Let’s go.” It was a strange sight.  Two servant girls, one short and chubby and one tall and willowy, with stormy expressions to rival Edgar Allen Poe, and a fairly large dog trailing after them, head on a swivel, wading through grass as though on a warpath in the middle of the night.  It was almost funny, if the situation wasn’t so dire.  But when death was involved, little was funny. The group reached the loft, and Vic glanced at Sara before she climbed up, Vic staying to keep watch.  “What the- Vic!  Vic, it isn’t here!” “What?!  How could it not be here!  It was here yesterday!” “Funny how fate can change.” Vic froze.  No. “Hello, Victoria.” No. Blake had found them. They were going to die. —————————————————————————— “I must admit, I hadn’t planned on you finding my plans.  Of course, I hadn’t planned on Don either.  But plans do change, don’t they?” “Vic?  Vic, what’s going on?”  Sara’s voice drifted through the air, as melodic as ever.  She had no idea.  Blake’s own voice was too quiet, too soft. “Nothing is wrong,” his hiss came.  Artemis apparently did not like his voice.  She’d crept up behind him, and promptly sunk her teeth into his leg.  Blake let out a scream of pain, and tried to get the fierce dog off him.   “SARA, RUN,” Vic screamed, and the blonde looked down.  She spotted the danger, sliding down the loft, and the two girls ran out, Sara whistling for Artemis.  “Ok, we need to get Louis.  Now.” “You still have your car, the Paterson,” Vic huffed. “Do I still love theatre?” “Great.  You go, start it.  I’ll get Louis.  Meet me in the driveway.  We’ll go to the police.” “Ok.  And Tori?  Stay safe.” “Only if you do too, Sara.” —————————————————————————— Vic ran faster than she ever had before to Louis’ room.  It was locked. Of course.  Vic bit her lip, trying to find a solution.  “Oh, what the heck.”  She summoned all her strength, and kicked the door down, running into the room.   “Victoria?  How are you in my room?  Why are you in my room?  My door!  What happened?!” “Short version- Blake’s gonna kill you.  We need to go.” “What?!  Ok….Ok.  I’m not leaving Ronnie.  I’m all he has left.” “Then you’d better live ‘till he’s past a year old!  Let’s go!” Vic grabbed Louis by the arm, dragging him away.  She shoved him out the doorway, never even sparing a thought to grab Ronnie.  She merely closed the door, and the two ran. They soon reached the driveway, catching sight of Sara and Artemis in the car.  They ran in, Vic practically shoving Louis inside.  They sped off towards the city. —————————————————————————— Everything seemed to be going fine.  They were halfway to the station.  Louis seemed less than amused, but that was to be expected.  They talked casually about their story.  Another car approached, but they payed it no mind.  Until the gunfire started.  The fire hit the window.  Louis’ face turned white as a ghost, and Vic had to shove him against the floor so he wouldn’t get shot.  Glass cut into her, and pain blossomed, red and hot, like fire.  Blake was tailing them.  Another shot rang out, hitting the outside of the car.  And then another, hitting the windshield.  Glass rained down on the two hunkered down figures.  They were so close now.  Another shot.  Blake seemed to have missed.  But how?  He was a soldier, wasn’t he?  All thoughts of the inconsistency fled as they reached the station.  All three people ran in, but Artemis stayed out.  The last Vic saw, she had tackled Blake, and the gun was out of his hands.  Then, police uniforms filled her vision. —————————————————————————— They were sitting in a room, and it was quiet.  Really quiet.  No one knew exactly what to say.  Blake was arrested.  Artemis, loyal dog she was, held him down until the police had put him in handcuffs.  Vic’s heart felt as though it’d leap out of her chest at any moment, pounding so loud even Rockefeller in his great splendor could probably hear it.  But it was at least quiet.  Vic hadn’t had a quiet moment since she’d found the papers.  She felt grateful for the silence, but she also feared it.  Silence, in her experience, meant something bad was waiting to happen.  And indeed, as if fate itself had heard her and decided to play along for some cruel amusement, misfortune swooped down.  It did not come onto Vic herself, but instead chose to make its prey an innocent.   The silence was broken by a coughing fit, and then by the sound of someone falling.  Vic turned, and to her horror, saw Sara lying on the floor, a bright red stain on her back.  “Help!  HELP!” —————————————————————————— Vic watched with bated breath as Sara was taken away in an ambulance, lights flashing and siren singing the song of the injured.  She’d go to Sara as soon as the doctors let her.  After all, she wasn’t family.  Instead, she went to see Blake.  He was sitting in a room, looking as though he couldn’t care less about his imprisonment.  She watched him through the one way mirror, watched his calm smile.  He was watching the wall, as if it was the most interesting sight you could find.  Then, calm grin never wavering, he turned.  Turned towards Vic.  He looked at her, as though he could see right through the glass.   “Hello Victoria.  I know you’re there.  By this point, Sara will have been affected by the gunshot, so you must be there. Fair, is it not?  Taking the one thing you want the most- a happy life.  After all, you took what I wanted most from me.  I would have been promoted, once our dear Mr. Barnett was dead.  After all, death is merely opportunity.  Don’t act like you wouldn’t have been happier.  Louis is old, and very unpopular.  Didn’t you see how everyone turned on him at the slightest prodding?  How they all turned to me?  No one would have grieved.  It could have all been fine.  But no, of course people mucked it up.  I was assured it would have been fine.  They said so.  But, I suppose I’ve talked enough.  I suppose I’m just stalling.  No longer.  I have an appointment to keep.” A police officer, as if on cue, came in, holding a tray with two pills and a glass of water.  He gave Blake one pill and a sip of water, and took the other tablet and the rest of the glass.  In less than a minute, they’d both collapsed, white foam frothing at their mouths. —————————————————————————— The police were shocked at the deaths, and so was Vic.  They said it was cyanide.  They said the officer was loyal.  They said this was about as out of character as a cat barking.  Personally, Vic didn’t know about that.  The look on his face told a different story.  But, in any case, they were already dead.  Sara was still fighting. Vic was at the hospital now, beside Sara’s bedside.  She was writing something down.  The love letter she’d promised herself to write.  Now she didn’t know if Sara would ever read it. “C’mon…Sara, please.  You gotta wake up.  I need you.  I need your jokes and your smile and your kindness and your love…I need you.  Don’t leave me.  Don’t leave me now, please.” She was crying now, the tears splashing onto Sara’s skin, onto her unresponsive body.   “Sara, please…wake up.” “Miss, visiting hours are over.”  A stone-faced nurse escorted her out.  Vic barely had time to leave the letter.—————————————————————————— Hey Sara.  You know I was never good at writing, but I’ll do my best.   Where do I start with someone like you?  I love how you laugh.  Your laugh is like music, and as sweet and flowing as honey.  Your smile shines brighter than a thousand suns, and fills me with warmth even on my coldest days.  Your voice is so gentle, so soothing, and yet so assured, as though you know everything will be ok.  Your eyes shine with the starlight we watch every day, and in them I find my whole world.  You can always make anything ok, and no matter how bad my fears get, or how scared I am, you always turn my nightmares to dreams.  We’ve been friends for as long as I can remember, and probably even longer.  I remember, once, when I was around nine and was convinced I wanted to be a ballerina, I had a rehearsal.  I got up onstage, and I was so terrified, I couldn’t even move.  But then you climbed onstage, and did the whole routine with me.  That’s when I knew no matter what, I’d be ok as long as I had you.  And through all of it, all the death and fear and sadness, there was you.  You are my life and my courage and my joy.  Sara Faith Morrison, I love you.                                                                ~Your Tori —————————————————————————— Vic sat by herself.  Well, not by herself.  Artemis, leg bandaged from a wound, sat with her, licking her hand.  “What would I do without you,” she sighed softly, scratching the dog behind the ears. “Hey, I thought that was reserved for me!  Did Artie already take my place?” Vic would know that voice anywhere.  She ran faster than Artemis, pulling Sara into a tight embrace.  “I thought you were dead,” the redhead girl sobbed, clinging to Sara for dear life. “You know a little bullet won’t stop me, sweetheart.” The nickname brought red color matching Vic’s hair to her face.  “Sara, did you read…” “Your letter?”  At this moment, red took over the blonde’s face, surprisingly.  “Yeah.  Yeah, I did.  I loved it.  It was so beautiful.  Just like you.” Vic smiled softly, and then, suddenly, she felt a sensation that she’d only imagined.  She was being kissed.  By Sara.  Overjoyed, Vic returned the affection, practically melting.  After a few minutes, they broke away, both flushed and extremely happy. “And…Vic, I love you too.” They walked away hand in hand as they talked about how Sara was getting a starring role in a new play, and Vic would open up a restaurant with an apartment for them, Artemis trailing behind happily. —————————————————————————— The baby was crying.  It was one of the most unpleasant sounds the woman had ever heard.  “This is why I won’t have kids,” she muttered as she picked the infant up.  “Hush...Hush, Ronnie.” One of her assistants came into the room.  “Ma’am, Rabbit was captured.  He and Hawk took the pill, as they were trained.  No one knows.” “A shame, but a predictable one.  Rabbit always did have poor judgement.  I imagine he made one of the mistakes we predicted.  But he served his purpose.  We were able to obtain a child.” Lioness looked down at the cooing baby.  “You, my dear, will be extraordinary.  A moldable, dedicated soldier from birth.  Your loyalty will be to the Chain, my dear Lion.”