#no but yeah franky should be a big bro to all of em he was the big brother of the franky family why not here too...

[hauntingblue]

Went insane again my bad but you know what one piece is missing?? Hugs. Luffy who was like crying and sobbing and throwing up bc he was alone after marineford reunites with his nakama and just :D. No.

[miraclesabound]

To The Groom and Bride

Summary: Benny had a funny best man speech planned for Will and Scarlett’s wedding, but he realizes he needs to speak more from the heart.

Pairings: Benny Miller x Cynthia Miller (generic F!OC), William Miller x Scarlett Miller (generic F!OC)

Notes: Co-written with @cinewhore - I knew I wanted to write a fic inspired by the best man speeches my husband and his brother did for each other’s ceremonies, but I had no idea what the shape of it should be. Tish helped me come up with a workable outline.

Warnings: Drunkenness, cursing, mention of pregnancy. Mostly just fluffy though.

Tag list:  @writeforfandoms, @clydesducktape, @cinewhore, @hopeamarsu, @autumnleaves1991-blog, @littlemisspascal, @mswarriorbabe80, @princessxkenobi, @thirddeadlysin, @recklessworry, @readsalot73, @max--phillips, @fictitious-little-stitious

“And now we’ll hear a few words from the best man, William’s brother, Benjamin Miller!” The crowd at the wedding reception claps at the DJ announcement, and Benny stands up from his seat next to his wife Cynthia. Will and Scarlett are just down the table from them – Will in a charcoal suit, Scarlett a vision in cream lace and silk.  In the pocket of Benny’s suit jacket, he has a piece of paper stashed away, and when he starts to reach for it, he remembers Will’s bachelor party the month before.

**

Will had purposely scooted down the bar a bit. This way, with all the noise, he wouldn’t be spoiled on the speech. When Frankie and Santi had realized Benny didn’t have something prepared yet, they’d descended like a pair of clucking hens, and Will knew to make tracks.

“C’mon man, ya gotta make it funny!” Frankie said, poking Benny in the shoulder – a little harder than necessary, but hey, they were all pretty drunk. “It’s – it’s the law or somethin’. Best man and maid of honor speeches are for making the bride and groom cringe, that’s the rule!”

“An’ besides,” Santi chimed in, “Will and Scarlett had their courthouse ceremony already anyway, yeah? They got a reprieve, now you really gotta stick it to ‘em!”

Benny chuckled and said, “Ok, who’s got a pen and paper, I got some ideas…” Between Santi having a pencil and their waiter sparing a sheet from his notepad, Benny got to work quickly. Before he’d finished his next shot, he had at least five ideas down, and he knew he could think of more when he was sober.

**

Benny has a good speech in his pocket, he knows it. It’ll make everyone laugh, Will and Scarlett will know it’s in good fun, and God knows Frankie and Santi will be cheering for him. And yet…he can’t bring himself to unfold the paper. Handing it to Cynthia, he asks her to put it away. Frankie and Santi look confused, but they shrug. Maybe Benny’s got the thing memorized.

After the DJ hands him the mic, Benny says, “I did have something planned, but I’m not sure it works now, so I’m gonna improvise a bit if that’s ok with y’all.” The expressions around the room range from charmed to concerned, but when Cynthia squeezes his hand, Benny feels more reassured. “Thanks, hun – God, what can I say about my big brother and his beautiful bride? I was told by two close friends that this is the time for embarrassing stories from when Will ‘n I were kids, and I had those ready but…none of them tell you what you need to know about Will.”

He’s quiet a few seconds, and Frankie calls out, “Ok, then what do we need to know about Will?”

A few appreciative laughs go around the reception hall, and Benny shoots Frankie a grin. “What you gotta know about Will is that when we were kids, he was one of the few constants in my life. We moved a lot, but I always knew – my big bro was gonna be there for me, no matter what scraps I got into or what moral dilemmas I might have…and now…he gets to have that constancy too.” Waving to get his sister-in-law’s attention, he says, “Scarlett, I’m sorry we didn’t get to be there when you two got hitched at the Justice of the Peace, but I hope you know by now, you’ve married a goddamn good man – and he’s married a goddamn good woman. You’ve already stepped up so much for our family, especially for Cynthia while she was pregnant, but most of all, I see you keeping my brother safe and happy every single day. I am fuckin’ proud to call you my sister-in-law.” Letting go of Cynthia’s hand, he takes his champagne glass and raises the toast. “To Will and Scarlett – each other’s pillars, and the pillars of this family. Cheers!” Benny has barely sipped his champagne before Will engulfs him in a huge bear hug.

[a-bang-for-your-bucky]

Playin' With Fire

Summary: Dani has moved in with Will and Benny Miller. One night they throw a party and she finally gets to meet the final Special Ops teammate, Frankie. There is an obvious connection between the two, but what happens when life throws a roadblock in the way of them being together?

A/N: So here it is. My first ever Frankie fic, my first ever Pedro Character fic, my first ever fic that has all the parts completed. I would like to say a BIG thank you to @221bshrlocked for the mood board because hers is TEN times better than any of mine were. Each part will have their own warnings. Translations will be at the end of every chapter, let me know if any of them are wrong. Also let me know if I've missed any warnings. Y'all forgive me if my writing is crap.

Warning: Explicit language, mentions of someone getting handsy, um dirty dancing?, mentions of sex.

Word Count: 4,205

It was a warm summer day, Benny’s birthday to be exact. Will had decided to throw a party at their house for him. Will had mentioned that their childhood friend, who they called ‘Tequila’ just moved in with them. Frankie had shown up early to help Will assemble the new grill he had gotten. He never expected for his entire life to be flipped upside down.

He knocked on Will’s front door three times before it swung open and there she stood. Dirty blonde hair that hung just below her breasts, eyes so blue it put the sky to shame. He was sure he looked like a damned fool, mouth agape, probably catching flies. Then she smiled, and Frankie’s heart beat faster than ever thought possible.

“Hey, you must be Catfish. Will told me he was expecting you.” She greets him and her voice sounds like a fucking angel. There was no way that she wasn’t messing around with Benny. She looked just like his type.

“I’m Dani, Will and Ben’s roommate, but everyone calls me Tequila.” Frankie groans internally, he was so screwed. She opens the door a little more and moves out of the way. “Will’s in the backyard.” She points through the house.

Frankie hurried past her and mumbled a “Thank you”. Frankie’s eyes were trained to the floor as he briskly walked toward the kitchen and out into the backyard.

“Fish!” Will bellowed with a huge smile on his face. “I guess Tequila let you in.” The two men embraced in a bro-hug. Frankie nodded, moving over to where Will had the grill pieces laid out.

“She did. You never mentioned your new roommate was a woman and hot.” Frankie responded, looking over the directions. “You know man, you pay like fifty extra bucks and they put this shit together for you.”

It took Frankie and Will three fucking hours to put the grill together. By the end of the last hour, Frankie was cursing Will, telling him he’d never help him do something like this again; Although, they both knew that was a lie. The two men walked into the kitchen, where Dani was prepping the steaks for dinner. “Finally done, boys? I threw a couple of buds in the fridge for y’all.” She chuckled as the back door opened.

Frankie knew he shouldn’t, but walking up to the fridge, he couldn’t help but steal a gaze at her back side. The shorts she was wearing left almost nothing to the imagination. Her tanned legs seemed like they went on for days. Her feet clad in converses, which made Frankie laugh, because who wears those any more.

Dani heard the laughter and turned around, seeing Frankie looking at her feet. "My shoes funny to you, Catfish?" She asked, with a playful smile on her face.

Frankie's head shot up. " No, no. I love Chuck Taylors as much as the next person. It just surprises me that people still wear them." He explained himself, hoping she didn't catch him staring at her ass, too. Frankie opened the fridge and grabbed two beers, before asking her if she wanted one. She shook her head, stating she doesn't drink beer. Frankie wondered what that meant, and handed the other beer to Will who watched the scene unfold in front of him with a smirk on his face.

There was about an hour to kill before everyone showed up to celebrate Benny's birthday. "The steaks should marinate for at least another half hour." Dani explained to Will, "And make sure you don't burn 'em this time, Ironhead." She teased him, and he threw a hand over his heart, feigning that it was broken. The two went about the kitchen prepping side dishes for the night.

Frankie was outside, trying to figure out why the grill wouldn't light and he was sure Will fucked something up. He couldn't help but wonder what Tequila and his friend were talking about.

Dani turned to her best friend, "So, what's Catfish's story?" She asked, twiddling her fingers. Will looked at her with a raised brow.

"Frankie? Why?" Will questioned her teasingly. Blush covered her cheeks and she averted her eyes to the floor.

"I dunno. He seems sweet." She replied and Will smirked, giving her a knowing look. "Will, stop it. All I said was he seems sweet." She playfully smacked the other blonde.

"Well, Ironhead. I figured out what you fucked up." Frankie's voice boomed as he opened the back door. He noticed that the two were talking and apologized for interrupting.

"It's fine, Frankie." Dani smiled, "What did this dumbass do now?" Frankie realized that was the first time she said his real name, and it was the greatest thing he has ever heard.

Frankie turned to Ironhead. "Maldito idiota. You forgot to connect the gas line. The whole place could have gone up." Will's eyes almost popped out of his head.

Tequila turned to Ironhead. "What the fuck, Will?!" She screeched. Will threw his hands up in defense.

"I'm sorry. I got distracted." He tried to save his ass. "I swear I connected it."

Frankie and Tequila rolled their eyes. "Well, I hope your girl of the week knows she almost killed us." Tequila groaned and walked outside, knowing exactly what was keeping Will distracted. Frankie just shook his head and followed her.

"Hey," he started as he walked up to her at the cooler. She gave him an acknowledging nod as she pulled a bottle of tequila out. "Oh. Is it time for the hard stuff,already? Una chica después de mi propio corazón." The spanish rolled off of Frankie's tongue and Dani could have fallen over.

She would never admit it to anyone, but she had a thing for languages. Or maybe she just had a thing for Frankie and his Spanish. She wasn't sure which. "Yeah, well after finding out your best friend almost killed you for a few nudes from his fling of the week, tequila seems appropriate." She forced a laugh. Frankie definitely caught on that she described Will as her best friend and that he was having flings.

Frankie nodded in agreement. "So, is this why they call you Tequila?" He tried to change the subject, pointing to the bottle of Patrón. She shook her head 'no'. Before she could tell him, Will stuck his head out the door, yelling that Santiago was here.

"Santi!" Tequila squealed, rushing to the door, and she missed the look on Frankie's face. It was a mix between hurt and confusion. How did she know Santiago when Frankie had no idea she existed? Frankie groaned and walked toward the house to greet his friend.

Dani had already made it inside and was wrapped in an embrace with Pope. “Fuck,” Pope groaned with a smile as Dani jumped into him. “Hey, Tequila.” He hugged her tightly.

“Look here, jerkface,” She said as they separated, “Next time you hook up with one of my friends and leave me to deal with her crying, I’m kicking your ass.” She poked him in the chest to get her point across.

Santiago just hung his head and mumbled a “yes ma’am” before Frankie caught his eye. “Lo que hasta hermano” He greeted one of his oldest friends. He looked at Dani and mouthed “help me” to Frankie, earning another poke from the blonde girl.

“Estás solo, hermano. Ella da miedo.” Frankie smiled, pointing to Tequila. She huffed and crossed her arms.

“Oh, fuck you guys. I’m fluent in Spanish. Deja de hablar mierda de mi.” The words rolled off her tongue with ease and Frankie almost lost his shit right there. Lucky for him, Will broke up the tension.

“Benny just texted me, he will be here in twenty. Tom is bringing Molly and will be here in about fifteen.” Dani excused herself to go get ready, claiming she wasn’t presentable for a party. If it had been up to Frankie, she wouldn’t have changed at all. He found himself excited when she came back about fifteen minutes later in the same shorts, shoes, and a cropped Guns-n-Roses t-shirt.

The party was in full swing. The seven of them were gathered around the fire pit. The group was too many drinks in and knew they would be crashing here. Thankfully Benny and Will had the room.

“So, Dani. Why do they call you Tequila?” Molly had asked and Will and Benny started laughing. Dani just shook her head. Benny answered before she could.

“Because Dani can knock you on your ass with one good shot, just like Tequila. Trust me, I know.” He explained, speaking from experience. Molly looked at her with wide eyes and she just shrugged.

“I bartended my way through college. Sometimes an asshole would get too handsy. It paid off to have two protective guys who taught me how to throw a good punch. Plus, I really like tequila.” She winked at Frankie, referencing their conversation earlier in the day, taking a sip of her tequila sunrise. She made a face, realizing it had watered down. “I’m going for another, anyone else need one?” She offered and everyone raised an empty bottle.

She got up from her chair and turned toward the house. Frankie got up too, “I’ll help you,” he offered, ignoring the whistle Santi let out. He was clearly feeling good. Frankie flipped him a quick bird and continued into the house.

Inside, Dani was already grabbing bottles out of the fridge, mumbling about how they have already almost finished off their stock. “Oh, here” Frankie started, leaning on the counter. Dani closed the door, turning her attention to the man beside her. “Let me help.” He said, taking the bottles out of her hands, seeing her struggle to hold them all. “Can I ask you something?” Frankie gets the words out before he changes his mind. She hmms in response.

“How have we never met? I mean you obviously know Santi.” He takes his hat off to run a hand through his hair. Dani smiled at the sight of his hair all disheveled.

“I’ve been asking myself that all night. You do seem to be the better of the bunch.” She flirted, hoping he would return the gesture and he did.

“You are definitely not what I was expecting when Will said they had a roommate.” He smiled, leaning a little closer to her. Dani noticed and moved closer herself. Before they could cross that line, they were startled apart by a very inebriated Benny.

“Tequila!” Their drunk friend slurred, “Wha’re you ‘n fish doin’? Cat, you hittin’ on my girl?” He tried to be serious, but Benny stumbled over his own feet into Frankie.

“Woah, Benny. Careful.” Frankie caught him and set him up right. Dani laughed, he always was a lightweight.

“We were just about to bring the drinks out.” She says, grabbing the bottles off the counter, leaving a couple for Frankie to carry.

Back outside, Dani and Molly danced to whatever music Will had playing. “Yeah!” by Usher came on and Molly squealed that she loves this song. “Dance with me, Tequila!” She pulls her closer and Dani lets her, the alcohol clearly gone to her head. The two girls are all but grinding on each other. Tom quickly gets up, knocking his chair backwards. He takes Dani’s place dancing with Molly, grumbling something she would never repeat in public.

Frankie wanted nothing more than to join her now that she was dancing alone, but Santi beat him to the punch. “Baila conmigo, cariño.” He whispered in her ear and she giggled. Frankie wished it had been him to get that noise out of her. Dani shook her head and pushed Santi away.

“Solo en tus sueños, playboy.” She responded and it was Frankie’s turn to laugh. Dani walked away from Santi over to where Frankie sat. “Dance with me, Frankie?” She asked sweetly. How could Frankie say no?

He followed her just as a Def Leppard flowed through the speakers. She began moving her body to the beat of “Pour some sugar on me”. Frankie did his best to keep up with her, but he kept losing concentration, especially when her ass connected with his crotch one to many times. His hands instinctively went to her hips and pulled her closer. “Joder, princesa. Tienes que parar antes de que pierda el control.” He groaned into her neck where only she could hear him.

She turned to face him, throwing her arms around his neck to pull herself closer. “Tal vez eso es exactamente lo que quiero.” She purred in his ear.

The sun beamed through Dani’s window way too early the next morning. She groaned and rolled away from the penetrating light. As she turned, her hand hit a warm body and it elicited a groan. “Too early.”

Dani’s eyes shot open, trying to see who was beside her. Looking around, she realized that she was not in her room, but instead in Will’s. “Will?” She questioned, berating herself for going this far with her best friend. The other person threw the blanket off their head and Dani let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Frankie took the weight off of her shoulders.

“Hermosa, did you just call me Will?” Frankie asked, sleep thick in his voice. Dani was so embarrassed.

“Sorry, fish. I opened my eyes and saw that we were in Will’s room. What the fuck happened last night?” Dani questioned the man beside her as she sat up to assess the room. She looked around for any indication that something transpired between them last night.

“Trust me, Tequila. You’d know if we slept together.” Frankie sighed, as he swiped a hand over his face. Cocky much, Dani thought; However, he was right, she didn’t feel like she had sex. “I need coffee.” He griped, throwing his legs off the bed and standing up. Dani caught him out of the corner of her eye. He had on sweats and no shirt. She turned her head, shamelessly checking him out, before he pulled his shirt on. “Take a picture, Teq.” He laughed and she threw a pillow at him.

Dani forced herself out of the bed too, happy to see her drunk self had put on decent pajamas. The two padded into the kitchen as quietly as possible. They had passed Santi and Ben passed out on the couches.

“Where are Molly and Tom?” Dani whispered to Frankie and he just shrugged. Frankie rummaged through the kitchen searching for the coffee. “Teq, where are the filters?” He yawned, holding up the coffee can.

“Shit, we might be out.” Frankie whined at her answer. “Come on. There’s a coffee shop within walking distance.” She continued, heading towards her room. She opened the door and found out where Molly and Tom were. “Holy shit!” she gasped and immediately turned around. Frankie heard her outburst and rushed over to her, seeing the same sight as her, Molly perched on Tom’s lap, moving in an obvious way.

“Jesus,” Frankie said, covering his eyes.

“I’m just gonna borrow some clothes from Benny.” Dani said walking away and closing her door. Once in Benny’s room, they found Will sound asleep. Dani quickly picked up some sweats and a tee from Benny’s drawer. “I’ll be right out.” She told Frankie as she entered Benny’s bathroom.

When she emerged, she had dressed and her blonde locks were haphazardly thrown into a bun. Frankie loved this look on her. She was just as beautiful as she was last night, and this looked more natural on her. “You’re staring, Catfish.” She teased him, “Let’s go get coffee before anyone else wakes up.”

The walk to the coffee shop was a pleasant one. It was about 7am and the North Carolina humidity hadn’t set in yet. Frankie and Dani chit-chatted the whole way. She had learned that he had met the guys while in the service. He joined right after high school, just like them. He was their pilot. His favorite color is black, and that is exactly how he likes his coffee. He drives the same chevy he got on his 18th birthday, and has no intentions of getting rid of it because “she still purrs like a kitten”.

He learned a lot about Dani, too. Her favorite color is purple. She likes her coffee with just cream. She met Benny first, since they were the same age. She is an only child, so Ben and Will are basically her older brothers. She just finished her residency at the county hospital and is getting ready to take her boards. She absolutely loves 80’s hair bands and country music, but has a soft spot for R&B and rap.

They were nice enough to get coffee for everyone, even though Tom and Molly seemed to have enough energy this morning. “I have to buy a new mattress now.” Dani cringed at the thought of what Molly and Tom were doing.

They got back to the house to see that everyone was now awake, and fully clothed. Dani gave Tom and Molly a dirty look and they both apologized, confusing everyone else in the room. Frankie started handing out the coffees, getting mumbled “thank yous” from the group.

“Are those my clothes?” Benny asked, gesturing to Dani. She nodded and proceeded to tell everyone why she had to wear Benny’s clothes.

“Holy shit. You need a new mattress now.” Will snorted, his face drawing up in disgust.

Dani laughed, “That’s exactly what I told Frankie!” Molly’s face was beet red and Tom just hung his head. “Awh, come on, guys. We’re just kidding. Although, I do need a new mattress.” She tried to lighten the mood.

Frankie quietly sipped his coffee, trying to figure out if he should ask Dani out on a date. They’ve only known each other for a day and Frankie can’t imagine his life without her, even just as a friend.

What seemed like hours passed and the group slowly trickled down until it was just Benny, Dani, and Frankie. Benny was the next to leave, loudly saying he was going to take a nap and for Frankie to behave himself. Frankie just shook his head at his friend.

“I guess I should be heading out soon.” Frankie sighed, not wanting to leave. Dani nodded, trying not to look disappointed.

Frankie scooted closer to where she was sitting on the couch, lifting her outstretched legs over his. The two sat in silence, purely enjoying each other’s company. “Fish,” Dani started, “You wanna get dinner sometime?” She asked, biting her lip nervously. Frankie looked at her, shocked, that she asked first.

“I would be damn stupid to say no.”

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. Dani and Frankie had become best friends. Even through all of the flirting, they never crossed that line. Dani was working at the hospital, and Frankie was back on rotation at the airport. He was gone most days, but he was due to come back for a short time.

Frankie was ready to be back home. He loved flying, but now he had something worth being on the ground for. He had called Dani before his last flight left, telling her he would be back by 9am the next day.

Like clockwork, Frankie was knocking on the door at the Miller Party House™ by 9:30am. Dani begrudgingly dragged herself out of bed and threw on her robe. She scurried toward the door, pulling it open to reveal Frankie with a bouquet of sunflowers. Frankie laughed, “No need to get dressed up querida, it's just me.” He teased her.

Dani pulled him into the house and hugged him tight. “Fish! I can’t believe you’re here.” She said sleepily. Frankie smiled at her tiredness. She just looked so damn cute in her fuzzy robe and bed head. “Give me thirty and I’ll be ready.” She yawned as he released her from his hold.

He watched her pad her way down the hall to her room, his smile never leaving his face. He made his way to the kitchen, knowing where everything was, he started a pot of coffee. Even though they were going for breakfast, he knew she would want a cup to-go.

True to her word, thirty minutes later, Dani emerged from her room, dressed in distressed jean and a black T-shirt. Her hair was thrown into a messy bun, her signature go to. She walked into the kitchen where Frankie just finished making her cup of coffee.

“Just the way you like it.” He promised with a wink, as he handed her the cup. She happily accepted the hot beverage. Taking her first sip, she moaned at the heavenly taste.

“You are the best, Cat.” She murmured, walking past him, only stopping to place a sweet kiss to his cheek. She all but inhaled the drink, before she slid her feet into her trusty converses. The two made their way outside and climbed into Frankie’s Chevy.

The drive to their usual diner, Luanne’s, was a short one, but it was filled with laughter. Frankie was at his happiest when Dani was with him. They pulled into the parking lot, Frankie backing his truck into ‘his’ spot. He hopped out of the cab, rushing to the passenger side, so that he could open Dani’s door.

“Who says chivalry is dead?” She joked as the door opened and Frankie held out a hand for her to take. She gladly accepted it and slipped out of the truck. The two walked hand in hand to the door. Frankie pulled it open to see Luanne standing behind the counter.

“Well look what the cat dragged in! I ain’t seen you two in a hot minute.” She greeted them, not bothering to get menus because they always ordered the same thing. “Your usual booth is open, go on and take a seat. I’ll get the coffee.”

Frankie and Dani mumbled a “thank you” in unison as they moved toward the back of the restaurant. Just as they were getting comfortable, Luanne walked up with a thermal carafe and two coffee cups. “What have y’all been up to?” she asked, sitting down the coffee and some cutlery.

“I just got back into town.” Frankie explained, “Had to drag this one out of bed.” He laughed as Dani stuck her tongue out at him.

“Well I’ve been taking extra shifts at the hospital. I think I’ve earned the right to sleep in.” She shot back at him with a smile.

“Y’all are the cutest. What are we getting today? The usuals?” She didn’t need to ask, she already knew. They nodded. “ Alrighty then. Coming up darlin’s.” Luanne walked away, leaving them to each other.

“So, extra shifts at the hospital?” Frankie asked her as he poured coffee, sliding her a cup.

“Yeah. Residency is kicking my ass. I’m trying not to fall behind.” she told him. “I take my boards in a week and I’ve logged almost no time in neuro.” She sighed. She didn’t want to go into neurosurgery, but she still needed the hours.

“You are going to be the best damn trauma surgeon Memorial has ever seen.” Frankie promised her, “And if they can’t see that, then fuck 'em.” He smiled at her. Luanne brought them their breakfast and they halted their conversation.

When they were done eating, Frankie insisted on paying, telling her she could get it next time. They left the diner and went back to Dani’s place. “You have me for the day, hermosa. What do you wanna do?” Frankie asked her. Dani tapped her pointer finger to her chin, pretending to think.

“I believe we have a show to catch up on, Morales. Seeing as I can’t watch it without you.” She teased him. “You grab the snacks, I’ll get the drinks, and get Hulu up.” He nodded in agreement and they separated.

When Frankie entered her room, she had blankets and pillows set up in a mock fort on the bed. How she did it so fast, he will never know, but he isn’t complaining. The two settled down and turned on ‘Sons of Anarchy’.

The show was gruesome and Dani hated watching it without Frankie. “Hey, fish?” She started, “Doesn’t Jax look a lot like Will? I mean, if he had long hair?” She asked, and Frankie studied the screen.

“Nah, I don’t see it.” They laughed and continued watching. She wasn’t sure how many episodes they watched, but she looked over and Frankie had fallen asleep. She closed the laptop, moving off the extra pillows, and covered Frankie with a blanket. His signature hat was falling off his head and she set it on her nightstand.

Dani sat there on her bed, looking at her best friend sound asleep. He looked peaceful. His face smooth of the worry lines he normally sported. His curly hair in disarray. She couldn’t help but smile. In that moment, she knew there was nowhere else she’d rather be. She curled herself up in the bed next to him, where she drifted into a relaxing slumber.

Translations:

Maldito idiota - Fucking Idiot

Lo que hasta hermano - What’s up brother

Estás solo, hermano. Ella da miedo - You’re alone, brother. She’s scary.

Deja de hablar mierda de mi. - Stop talking shit about me

Baila conmigo, cariño. - Dance with me, honey

Solo en tus sueños, playboy - In your dreams, playboy

Joder, princesa. Tienes que parar antes de que pierda el control. - Damn it, Princess. Stop before I lose control.

Tal vez eso es exactamente lo que quiero - Maybe that’s exactly what I want.

Hermosa- beautiful

Querida - Dear

[theofficialimaginariumblog]

Chapter 2

The walk through the forest took them up a hill and over a log fence, before they found themselves in a field with trees strewn about. As they approached the place where the X was on the map, Elly asked “So, what kind of park do you think it is?”

Blake answered “I dunno,” and shrugged. “It’s probably gonna be like every other carnival, so don’t get your hopes up.”

“What’s that?” Tanner suddenly asked. 

There, just ahead of them, was a curious magenta machine. Standing perfectly upright next to it was a set of double doors decorated in colorful lightbulbs.

The machine had these words, flashing on and off:

Below that, an arrow pointing downwards towards a small slot.

“Is that it?” Summer asked.

“One way to find out!” Before Blake could stop her, Elly dashed towards the machine and inserted her ticket into the slot. It went in with a kachink.

To the others, she said “What are you waiting for, guys? We gotta go in together!”

“Heck,” Blake decided. “Guess it’s alright.”

One by one, the children stepped up to the machine, and inserted their tickets. After Tanner had inserted her ticket, the double doors opened, but it wasn’t the forest they saw through the passageway.

Through the doors came the fanciest tram car any of them had ever seen. At the controls was a peculiar fellow dressed as a harlequin.

“All aboard for the Imaginarium!” he declared.

“C’mon!” Elly pulled her brother aboard before he could react. The others followed them.

Once they had all gathered in the tram, the harlequin announced “All right, everybody, here we go!” and pulled a lever. The tram rolled back through the doors, which closed after it.

The group found themselves traveling through a colorfully illuminated tunnel. It was as if a rainbow was bent and twisted into a funnel shape. Lights danced around the tram as they proceeded onward.

This can’t be real, right? Blake thought in disbelief. It has to be some weird dream.

To be sure, he pinched himself. However, the stinging pain he felt told him that this was all too real. He looked at Elly and the others. They were clearly just as astonished as he was. Well, three of them were. Elly was obviously already having the time of her life. 

When the tram stopped, they were somewhere else.

“Everybody out!” the harlequin called out. The children each stepped off, and were met with a wondrous sight.

Before them was an archway, with these words on a banner hanging at the top:

Beyond the arch was a landscape that only a child could have wished for: Rides, games and food stands as far as the eye could see.

“Whoa...” Blake marveled aloud as they stepped through the arch, into the Imaginarium.

Everywhere they looked, there were attractions. Loud music blared and bells chimed. The smell of different foods mingled in the air. Bright lights flashed. Yet the place seemed strangely empty.

“You’d think there’d be more kids around,” Franklin remarked.

At that moment, approaching footsteps grabbed their attention. Bounding towards them was another harlequin, this one more like a puppet then the first one. 

“Welcome, children!” the harlequin said. “I’ll be your guide in case you have any questions or need directions.”

“Uh, yeah,” Blake responded. “Where are we?”

The harlequin guide’s reply was “The Imaginarium, of course! Or, in a manner of speaking, you are here.” He pointed downwards, before dancing around the children. “At Miss Riddle’s, you can have as much fun as you like. And the best part is that it’s all for free!”

Blake had so many questions running through his head, but the one he chose to ask was “Who’s Miss Riddle?”

“Well, she’s the one in charge of everything!” the guide answered. “The Imaginarium was created in her name to bring happiness to all children who come here.”

“Really?” Tanner looked around. “‘Cause it doesn’t look like there're that many kids around,”

“Ah, there are other children here, all right,” the guide said. “In that direction,” He pointed toward some games where, sure enough, four children were throwing darts at balloons.

“Why don’t you introduce yourselves?” And with that, the guide was prancing away.

“Alright, new buddies!” Elly ran towards the other children, and introduced herself. “Hi, guys! You found this place too, huh? My name’s Elly.” She gestured to the others. "The kids over there are Summer, Frankie, Tanner and my big bro, Blake!” She then addressed the group. “C’mon, guys, what’re you waiting for? We gotta show ‘em we’re cool!”

Both groups of children waved to each other, but Blake couldn’t help but feel that there was something strange about the way they dressed. He stared, trying to figure out what it was.

He almost had it when the tallest of the four, a girl in a pink dress carrying a wooden puppet, spoke up. “Did you come here just now?”

“Y-Yeah...” Blake replied.

“Far out!” the girl smiled. “I’m Karina. The ankle biter’s Liam, and these two’re Morgan and Megan.”

Liam, a younger boy in a white shirt, mumbled a “Hi,” and waved, while Morgan and Megan, identical twins, both grinned and gave a peace sign.

Well, they seem nice enough, thought Blake to himself.

“So, now that we’re here,” Elly said. “Where should we start?”

“How about Heartbeat Falls?” Liam suggested. “That’s my favorite,”

“Sounds good to me!” Elly agreed. The others nodded in unspoken approval.

And that was how the nine of them met and went to ride the water ride known as

From there, the fun really began.