#not only did she say i was shortsighted for cutting myself off from a support structure

[rinofwater]

Hah, so uh how to explain to my parents that I have reconsidered wanting to move back to the wannabe fascist state after all

[pyropsychiccollector]

            It hadn’t been a short and easy battle. Irene Belserion was the strongest woman in Alvarez – and a dragon on top of that. Erza had done the brunt of the fighting, even in her weakened state, but her attacks had only been effective because Wendy had entered the fray to assist her with support Enchantments. On top of that, it took Sting stepping up when Erza got to be on her last legs, and when Wendy was endangered.

            Two Dragon Slayers and Fairy Tail’s strongest woman. And they still nearly lost that battle. If it hadn’t been for Gildarts’s timely arrival, they would’ve been crushed by a meteor that Irene summoned… The battle would’ve continued, too, if it wasn’t for August’s interference when the battle was winding down.

             ��That’s quite enough, Irene. Stand down.” August ordered as he stood between Irene and her enemies. Despite being in her battered state, Irene glared at the Magic King ferociously.

            “August…!” The redhead snarled before clutching at her side painfully. She was bleeding profusely, the blood caked her gloved hand as she held her side and breathed laboriously.

            August merely shook his head.

            “The war amongst the humans is over, Irene. Despite the odds stacked against them, Ishgar has earned the right to live. It is not our place to cause them any more grief.”

            Irene clenched her bloodstained hand as it remained at her side; the glare she was sending August intensified by a lot.

            “It’s not over…” Irene hissed, taking one shaky step forward. “… until every last soldier on one side is dead…! We still outnumber these fools, and you alone could crush every last one of them like ants! Why do you hesitate in avenging His Majesty’s death?!”

            August didn’t answer right away, but when he did, he looked the redheaded Dragon Slayer dead in the eyes.

            “Because His Majesty desired death. Or did you forget that was one of his goals?” August gave Irene’s opponents a side glance. “Whether you admit it or not, we will need to ally with Ishgar to exterminate Acnologia. Neither you nor I have the power to kill him, and should I allow this fight to play out to the bitter end, we may very well lose potential resources because you are too proud to admit that you have lost. Humans stand no chance against a dragon… And Dragon Slayers have only marginally better chances; even God Serena was struck down in a single blow.”

            Irene quivered in rage.

            “With the Fairy Heart, I can fight Acnologia by myself…! We don’t need their help to win Ragnarok!”

            August closed his eyes and breathed out his nose exasperatedly.

            “If you continue to act so foolishly, I will let them execute you. With the blood you have spilled, you know they will not restrain themselves; they will kill you.” He looked to Erza and Wendy especially, both looking grieved and angered over Mira’s loss. He turned back to Irene with a stony expression. “This is your only warning. As Commander of the Spriggan 12, I am formally surrendering to Fairy Tail. If you make another move against them, it will be treated as an act of rebellion, and you will be ousted and branded as a traitor.”

            None of Irene’s rage subsided. She looked every bit as murderous as she did during the whole fight. Nevertheless, she did not attempt to call August’s bluff. With her body still tense, though, she did press for more information.

            “… And so? What is your noble plan for ‘cooperation’? The Spriggan 12 has been whittled down to just me and you. Fairy Tail has exhausted themselves to even reach this point. I can’t hold up Universe One forever, so Acnologia will most certainly be arriving very soon. If Acnologia could kill God Serena with a single blow, what chance do these far less experienced Dragon Slayers have? They are but children, taught by the husks of dragons that Acnologia slaughtered long ago. They have no chance against that malevolent force of nature.”

            “Not on their own, no.” August calmly conceded that point. “As of now, our only hope lies with them, because they are Dragon Slayers. You are correct that Fairy Heart would possess the power that we need to overcome Acnologia… But you are shortsighted in regards to who should be given that power.”

            Irene’s eyes narrowed into slits as she processed August’s words.

            “You truly are hedging your bets on them…” Irene muttered in displeasure.

            “You are no longer in a state where it would be safe to absorb the complete Fairy Heart.” August intoned. “We were fairly confident that His Majesty could handle the strain of that power, as he was immortal. But you are on your last legs, and are struggling to maintain Universe One as it stands.”

            “You planned this.” Irene accused with such certainty. August shook his head at her evident frustration and bitterness. Her misguided frustration and bitterness.

            “I had not planned for Invel to usurp control of the Twelve from me. You and Invel both brought this upon yourselves.” Seeing a waspish objection on the tip of her tongue, August cut her off. “I did stand aside to let you and Fairy Tail battle it out… Though it was more of a test for them. To see if they had the strength to stand beside us as allies.”

            Irene stewed in her spiteful bitterness, but did not challenge that assertion. Instead, deciding to challenge the plan itself.

            “… What makes you think they would stand the strain better than I could?”

            The answer surprised Irene, as well as the Fairy Tail Wizards and Dragon Slayers within earshot.

            “Because you are going to bestow portions of Fairy Heart onto each of the Dragon Slayers – not the whole of it on one individual.”

            ~*~

            The war had ended on that day, within a matter of a couple of hours. It was an uphill battle… and they nearly didn’t make it. There were more casualties, and Acnologia didn’t hold back in the slightest. He fought to exterminate dragons and humankind together, but in the end, he did fall. He fell to six Dragon Slayers that were far younger, far more inexperienced than him; and he was foiled by a woman that he had never known was a dragon until her final moments, when he slaughtered her in order to remove the “bigger” threats.

            Acnologia spread himself too thin, attempting to kill everyone that fell within his field of vision. He was destruction incarnate, a “grim reaper” far more terrifying than Bloodman had been, when he was brought back as a Historia. He left such a broad swathe of carnage in his wake, there were contingents of Fairy Tail Wizards and Alvarez soldiers set aside for evacuating Magnolia’s citizens while the battle raged on. Brandish, as exhausted as she was, minimized the death toll as much as she could, but it was a bloodbath regardless.

            Jellal… Jellal had been one of the casualties. He was the only member of Crime Sorciere to have perished in the final battle, but he had done so to buy some Fairy Tail members, as well as Kagura Mikazuchi, enough time to evacuate some civilians. His act of kindness was met with a claw piercing through his chest, heart and all. Though Kagura still never forgave the man for murdering her brother all those years ago, she did thank the man in death for his noble sacrifice.

            A mere day after that battle had ended, Fairy Tail took the time to mourn and bury their dead before they set about repairing all the damage to Magnolia. Natsu… Mira… Master Makarov… Macao… Wakaba… Droy… Warrod Sequen, as well as the other Gods of Ishgar… They lost so much in this war. They thought the war with Tartaros had been the worst that they would ever go through, but they were so, so wrong…

            “I can’t believe I lost my other sister…” Elfman’s voice cracked as he, Lisanna, Cana, and a few others stood huddled in front of the new graves in Kardia Cathedral’s cemetery. Natsu’s grave was right next to Mira’s, so it wasn’t uncommon to see such a large crowd paying their respects as the day went on. Both Natsu and Mira easily made up a large part of the backbone of the guild; it really hurt Erza to inscribe the names on those graves, but she wouldn’t have anyone else do it. That burden was hers alone. Laxus took responsibility for his Grandfather’s grave, after all…

            “I can’t believe she’s gone, either, Elf…” Lisanna’s eyes drooped mournfully as she rubbed his back consolingly. Now she knew exactly how Mira and Elfman felt, when they thought she died all those years ago.

            Cana rubbed her arm gingerly as she stared down at the grave, glancing at Natsu’s out of the corner of her eye.

            “It sucks… Out of everyone that could have died, why did it have to be them?” Cana didn’t even resist when Gildarts appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her up in a bone-crushing hug. She was too drained from crying, and for being there for Lucy, who cried enough for everyone.

            “It’s going to be a very different Fairy Tail, that’s for sure…” Laxus murmured from his place over by the Thunder Legion, which was close by Makarov’s grave. The Dragon Slayer had stepped aside so that others could pay their respects to his Gramps.

            “We’re going to need a new Master…” Freed breathed a heavy sigh. He looked to Laxus with a weary smile. “Laxus, perhaps you could…?”

            But the blond shook his head slowly.

            “No way I’m cut out for it. Even if you don’t count the stunt I pulled at the Fantasia Parade, I still wasn’t able to do anything to stop that knucklehead from running off and getting himself killed… And ironically, Mira ended up doing pretty much the same thing.” Laxus gave a long, tired sigh as he looked down at the ground, a hand gripping his elbow in frustration as he crossed his arms. “I hear Erza turned down the role, too… Though I can’t say I blame her.”

            Evergreen reeled back in shock.

            “Titania refused, too?!”

            Bickslow rubbed the back of his head as he grunted sourly.

            “I think you guys are bein’ too hard on yourselves! I mean, if any of the rest of us does it, we’ll be makin’ way worse mistakes!”

            Laxus gave a subdued smirk at that.

            “It’s not about being ‘qualified’… I mean hell, it’s not like I expect Happy to step up or something.” Laxus rolled his eyes at the absurd thought. “Besides, it’s not like me and Erza are retiring! I’ll always be happy to lend the new leader a hand in getting everyone to settle down, and I’m sure Erza will, too. Erza and I… we just won’t have the heart to keep it up for long. As selfless as we are, we’re not impervious to pain; we’re going to need time to grieve and make peace with ourselves. And considering what we lost this time… that may take a while. Especially for Erza.”

            The Thunder Legion grew pensive as Laxus brought up that point. It’s not like they didn’t know Erza had lost a great deal… they had all lost the same precious people, after all. To them, however, Erza had always been this unbreakable, indomitable knight that stood at the helm when everyone else needed time to recover. Recognizing that this would be one of those rare times when she just wouldn’t be able to bounce back and take charge… it was an eye-opener for them.

            Laxus carried on as they ruminated on that.

            “I can also probably guess that Gildarts isn’t going to accept, either… He’s gonna put up a front as best as he can, but he’s shaken just as much as me and Erza are. Natsu was like a son to him, and he always had a soft spot for Mira. Not to mention how close he was with Gramps… I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit the road tomorrow on another journey. He’s always been a free spirit, but this time it might be his way to cope as well.”

            That gave them even more food for thought… And it really begged the question, who was the next Guildmaster going to be? It was looking to be pretty slim pickings, at this point…

            ~*~

            Toward the back of the throng of mourners, Gajeel leaned against the wall of Kardia Cathedral as he stared at his fellow Dragon Slayer curiously.

            “You’re stickin’ around?” The iron eater asked, his voice betraying slight shock.

            Erik leaned against the gate to the cemetery, head tilted back as his lips twitched between a smirk and a grimace, eyes closed.

            “Not just me. I think Rich and Meredy are going to, as well… Macbeth is thinkin’ about it. Sawyer definitely wants to keep traveling, so he’ll be out of here by the end of today. Sorano’s gonna go join Sabertooth, where her sister is.” He cracked open his good eye and stared at Gajeel shrewdly. “Don’t get the wrong idea. We’re not indebted to you guys. You wouldn’t have won the war without us, so any debts went out the window ‘cause you had our backs, too. Still, can’t deny you guys lost a lot of powerful members, but that’s war for ya. Even if you were pulled in unwillingly, you should’ve been prepared for losses.”

            Gajeel grunted and stared out at the throng of people, packed into the cemetery. Based on the weather, it looked like it was going to rain soon. He wondered if it was brought on by Juvia, wherever she was in that crowd, or if it was just an uncanny coincidence that it was going to rain on such a day.

            “I get it’s not a debt thing… You guys are too proud for that crap. But still, why stick around? Figured you’d all be like Sawyer, wantin’ to keep your freedom.”

            Erik looked back up at the clouds blanketing the sky. It was faint, but he could hear thunder off in the distance. After a long moment, he summed up his thoughts.

            “Rich knows his brother will be stopping by sometimes, and he figures it’s a good a guild as any to join; he thinks Wally might warm up to the idea of joining up, too, since Erza’s here. Meredy’s buddy-buddy with that rain chick of yours.” He paused in his musings as he rubbed his chin. He stared at a head of purple toward the back of the crowd, but he did so in a way that Gajeel wouldn’t be able to catch it. “… And you don’t need to worry about me. I have my reasons.”

            “Huh. Didn’t know the Rain Woman had a friend in Crime Sorciere… I musta forgot all about that.” The Iron Dragon Slayer mirrored Erik in rubbing his chin, but turned his gaze and face downward. Eventually, he couldn’t help heaving a tired sigh. “It’s gonna be so damn different around here…Why’d that spitfire hafta go and be an idiot like that? Wouldn’t be nearly as bad if I could punch his face in for offing the Black Wizard… The most I did was help take down Acnologia. That Pyro took down Zeref all on his own.”

            Erik rolled his eye at the obvious aggravation. Misplaced though it seemed, Erik could tell that Gajeel was grieving in his own way right now. Gajeel was one of the ‘tough guys’ – he wasn’t “supposed” to show his more tender side so easily, much less to a former enemy. Erik respectfully didn’t call him out on the act, though he could have.

            “He was definitely a stubborn, scrappy bastard…” Erik cracked a small grin as a small memory came to mind. “He could be funny when he wanted to, though. Probably the only enemy I ever faced that got me to crack up, mid-battle at that… Might not have known him well, but it’ll be a shame not seein’ his dumbass get fried for the crap he pulls.”

            Gajeel cracked up a little as he returned the grin.

            “He was definitely a dumbass. … But he was our dumbass, I guess…”

            At that moment, a drizzle started to fall down from the sky. The grins dropped, and Gajeel turned his head away; but Erik didn’t miss the tears that were mixed in with the rain. Considering that Salamander was the one to kick his ass back when Phantom Lord was making war with Fairy Tail, Erik wasn’t all that surprised at the Iron Dragon Slayer getting emotional over the Pyro’s death. Makarov’s, too. They were both pretty instrumental in how Gajeel ended up in Fairy Tail – at least, that’s how Erik perceived the grief rolling off of Gajeel in waves.

            No wonder he was toward the back like this, avoiding everyone. Gajeel was a wreck. And it didn’t look like that was going to get fixed anytime soon…

            ~*~

            A week passed by.

            “It’s really too bad Invel won’t play nice…” Dimaria sighed as she supervised a contingent of Alvarez soldiers. Nearby, Brandish was reducing the size of rubble so that it could be easily disposed of. “He’s better at this organization crap.”

            “I don’t really care…” Brandish grunted. It wasn’t hard to see why she was bitter towards the now former Chief of Staff. He used her as a tool, and she murdered indiscriminately because of it.

            The Ice Mage was very lucky August decided he would be put on trial and punished back home. Extremely lucky.

            “He really was just fighting so that we could win the war, Randi.” Dimaria lightly chided her friend, though it lacked any real heat behind her words.

            “A war that Grandpa decided was over…” Brandish caustically reminded the blonde, knowing Dimaria harbored her own grudge against the Ice Mage, but still needed to vent her frustration. Well-intentioned or no, Invel still controlled Brandish, and that pissed Dimaria off like no other.

            “Randi…” Dimaria sighed again. She wasn’t going to get into it with the mass mage. She didn’t even want to squabble over beliefs and ideals. After His Majesty passed, there was a quick and dirty fight for leadership over their forces; at the time, August had submitted to Invel because Irene backed him up, but now August was the undisputed General of the Spriggan 12 once again.

            Lady Irene was gone now. Invel was screwed, and everyone knew it.

            In another area of Magnolia, Neinhart was being made to work alongside a number of Alvarez soldiers. He didn’t like grunt work. His Historias were so much more proficient for menial labor, and he rather missed the respect and glory that came with being a top-ranking elite.

            … But he’d brought it upon himself, really. Apparently sentimentality outweighed resourcefulness, when people saw loved ones returned and forced to do construction work, amongst other chores.

            He’d been immediately demoted, and forced to dispel the Historias… well, except for one, and that one was taken away to speak privately with Lady Irene’s daughter. Which irked him, because that meant he had to keep channeling Magic to a Historia that was just talking…

            “Oi, you just gonna stand there all day, Neinhart? Get back to work!”

            Said purple-haired man twitched at the taunt. Jacob was up on the rooftop of a two-story building, supervising all of the soldiers. Ajeel was also nearby, filling holes in the ground with sand, as well as making sandbags. Neinhart knew that the real reason they were stationed here was to keep an eye on him… Not that he really cared to try anything. He was not going to end up like Invel. If that meant toughing it out and putting up with his demotion, so be it. He would follow all his orders and climb back up to his elite rank; it’s not like they would be able to deny him it for very long – Alvarez lost half of its elite fighting force and its Emperor, so he would be needed for managing all of their guilds and people back home. He belonged in administration!

            That’s what the proud knight told himself, anyway. Repeated in his mind like a mantra. He had to keep himself from attacking Jacob, somehow.

            Jacob, meanwhile, grinned at the clear displeasure etched on Neinhart’s face as he went back to carrying crates around. He should probably sympathize more with his fellow countryman, but Neinhart was a well-known layabout. The little git had this sort of thing coming.

            … That said, Jacob was also well aware that August could have stripped him of his rank, as well. He hadn’t stood against Invel – none of them had, except for Brandish, who Invel disciplined. Jacob knew that the only thing keeping him from being punished like Invel or demoted like Neinhart was August’s mercy. The man had decided Jacob was loyal enough that he had only been following orders when Invel took temporary control – it wasn’t a personal attempt to defy the Magic King on Jacob’s part.

            And Ajeel was a similar case. True, Ajeel had wanted to destroy Ishgar and Fairy Tail all by himself, but he had since gained perspective on wars. It wasn’t a certain thing yet, but August was at least considering naming Ajeel the next Emperor. He wouldn’t be ready for the role right away, but if August decided to make him the successor to Emperor Spriggan, August would be acting as the surrogate Emperor until Ajeel was fully groomed for the role.

            The biggest change for Alvarez would be the peace treaty they would be enacting with Ishgar. That would ensure no more wars between the two continents, at least not in the near future. But more importantly, trading would increase between the two continents because of Alvarez’s changes in international polices. Though it would be a strange shift, Jacob would respect August’s decision and help ensure the others fell in line, too. If August said not to start anything, Jacob was going to make damn sure the Magic King’s vision was carried out. Alvarez needed stability right now – they were in turbulent enough times as it was.

            They didn’t need a bloody revolution like the kind that Invel seemed to crave.

            ~*~

            Despite everything that had happened, Mavis had survived the extraction of Fairy Heart from her body. The intense magical power had been split amongst the six remaining Dragon Slayers, and had for the most part been used up in the fight against Acnologia. Nevertheless, trace amounts remained in the Dragon Slayers and kept their respective Magics intensified. It really was a miraculous power.

            Still, surviving didn’t mean Mavis was in perfect health. She was actually quite drained, and felt more mortal than she had in decades. She was also emotionally impacted by the deaths of Warrod, Makarov, Natsu, and Mira; she’d cried and wailed mournfully for days. All in all, it just left her feeling tired. So very tired.

            … Which was probably why she had agreed so easily to meet with August in private, a week after the war ended. If he tried anything, at least she’d be reunited with her precious loved ones.

            … And with Zeref, who she still felt the need to resolve matters with.

            “You’re my… what?!” Mavis’s voice rose as she stared at the Magic King in shock. August stared back at her seriously, making clear this was no joke.

            “Many decades ago, when Precht was trying to study your condition and save you, he discovered you had another life growing inside of you. He safely delivered the baby from your womb when it came time for him to be born, yet Precht was troubled by how much magic power that babe possessed. Precht abandoned him, sending him down a river… No one took that baby in, so the child eventually wandered. And as fate would have it, the child eventually found his father, who took him to a faraway land and taught him how to control that immense magic power…”

            A wealth of emotions passed through August’s eyes as he regaled Mavis with his story. And Mavis, too, was caught up in the maelstrom of emotions that came with the implications of the story.

            “That child never experienced love from his parents. Both father and mother were unaware they had a child; and so that child grew up, watching countless families lead happy lives, but never knowing that form of love from either of his parents… never understanding what familial bonds were, and why they were so powerful.” August shook his head remorsefully. “… But even so. Even if it was just one time, the child at least wanted to meet his mother. To experience that love for himself. That part may be an impossible dream now, after all that has happened… But I still at least wanted to tell you while I had the chance to… mother.”

            And as if that broke the trance Mavis was in, fresh tears sprang anew, and she barely held herself back from running right up to her son and embracing him. The only thing holding her back…

            “I… I want to hug you so bad…!” Mavis sobbed, using the back of her hand to wipe at the tears in one eye. “But I’m cursed by Anksheram, too…! I kill people just by caring about them!”

            Mavis shook her head mournfully, doing her best to stop crying in front of August. She stiffened when she found herself swept up in a comforting embrace, anyway. She looked up at August with glistening, shell-shocked eyes.

            And despite the potential danger he was in… August smiled softly.

            “Not even death will stop me at this point… Because I do not know if I will ever see you again, and I will not let this chance slip by.” Slowly but surely, the conviction in August’s voice calmed Mavis down. “I have caused you much grief, helping fulfill father’s ambitions while he was alive. But now that he rests in peace… now that I have a choice… I wish to do everything I can to repair all the damage that has been done. Perhaps together, Fairy Tail and Alvarez can build a new future together. It is an ideal to work toward, but not one without merit.”

            Slowly, Mavis closed her eyes, squeezing them shut nervously as she returned August’s embrace.

            … Nothing happened. No fatal outburst of Magic. They stayed locked in that tentative yet firm embrace, each of them silently promising to not let the other go.

            Mavis didn’t think she had the heart to just let her son return to Alvarez, alone. And after everything she lost… she didn’t have the selflessness within her to stay here in Ishgar, working to rebuild Fairy Tail.

            It was her guild. The one she founded with Yuri, Warrod, and Precht. But even so, it was a resilient guild; one that didn’t need her to stand upright. And in a way… she wasn’t defecting or abandoning them; by going to Alvarez with August, she could help stabilize the peace between Alvarez and Ishgar. Fairy Tail wouldn’t have to worry about history repeating itself.

            And she could… have a family. Fairy Tail was her family, too, but August was her flesh and blood that she never knew she had. Mavis felt like she needed this, that she deserved this much at least!

            Mavis was going to miss seeing the daily life of her rowdy guild… But she knew they were going to be just fine.

            ~*~

            Natsu couldn’t help sighing with exaggerated exasperation after Erza had dragged him off from the work Neinhart had him doing. He had already said everything he needed to say to the scarlet knight, back when they defeated Neinhart… so why drag him off now? Was she really so clingy? He told her she’d have to live without him! He knew Erza had that strength, so why was she clinging onto him?

            … It was only when she reunited him with Happy and all their friends that he understood her intent. It wasn’t for herself… Erza already had her last moment with him, but everyone else hadn’t. And they’d all wanted to say goodbye to him, this time. Even people like Laxus, Gajeel, and Erik – they all wanted to see him off. Lucy and Wendy cried. Gray vented at him for being a suicidal moron, but eventually caved and cried as well… Happy and Erza were the only ones who could muster up smiles when he’d muttered his final goodbyes.

            “Y’know? As long as someone lives on in your memories, they’re never truly gone?” Natsu told Erza with a disarming grin, feeling himself begin to fade as Neinhart cut off the Magic circulating to his Historia. “I had to learn that when Igneel died. And I know you’ll learn that, too, Erza. Take care of everyone.”

            Erza took a deep breath as she held back the tears as best as she could.

            “… I will. I suppose I’ll leave Master and Mira to you?”

            Natsu just laughed.

            “Gramps is just glad to finally be retired! And Mira says you better not follow us so soon. She wants ‘alone’ time with me.” He snickered at the scarlet knight’s sour expression. His expression softened as he kept smiling. “I got to see Igneel again. I might not have meant to die, but I don’t have any regrets, Erza – you shouldn’t either. Take care of everyone, but also take care of yourself. I’ll be watchin’.”

            Erza managed to keep herself composed until Natsu fully faded away for good. She’d cried plenty when she first heard about his death, but now only a single tear rolled down her cheek. Because she was going to honor his request. She was going to remain strong and watch over everybody left behind.

            If Natsu embodied the will of Fairy Tail, she was going to carry on that will. They all were.

~*~

Author's Note: I suppose you could call this an epilogue to that "Natsu dies" AU I cooked up. I left a lot of things open for me to write about later, if I wanted to come back to this AU; the battle with Acnologia, how other certain characters are faring after the war ended, the next FT Guildmaster (personally, I'm leaning toward Cana being the next Master in this AU, but I left it open for now), and even Mavis going over to Alvarez. Lots of ideas I could dink around with, but I dunno if I will do that in the near future. Just felt like getting this epilogue out, at least. Hope you enjoyed it a little. :3

[achangeinpriorities]

Prompt: Len betrayed Barry with Sara during his journey with the Legends. Barry and Leonard had been married for a year. One night Mick is drunk he says this phrase "Snart, how was sex with Sara?", Unfortunately Barry was there and he heard everything. They quarrel and divorce. In the end they try to start over and be a couple again ... but Barry will hate Sara Lance forever!

Hullo anon! I don’t think I’ve ever done a cheating fic before, so I’m sorry if this is a bit rubbish. Once again, cross-posted to AO3 for anyone who prefers it there (link here). Here you go:

Len hasn’t felt this kind of excitement—this kind of challenge—since first meeting the Flash. He’s intrigued, of course he is, and that’s his downfall. The fact that Sara flirts as readily with him as he does with her only makes matters worse.

They have one night—one wild, mildly painful, exquisite night that starts with sparring and ends with Leonard pinned down on his bed. When all is done, Sara curls on top of him like a cat and falls asleep. Leonard lets her, mostly because he doesn’t want to be beaten up for waking her.

He sleeps poorly. Sometime around one in the morning, the full impact of what he’s done hits him and he has to restrain himself from shoving Sara off the bed in disgust. (He’s not upset with her, not truly. He’s disgusted with himself.)

“Shouldn’t have put a ring on me,” he whispers into the darkness.

The next day, he freezes Sara out as effectively as he’s ever frozen out anyone who’s gotten too close. Mick notices, because unfortunately Mick notices a lot more than he admits, but the others take it for his customary rudeness. Well, Leonard amends, Rip might know. He’s nosy that way, and Leonard wouldn’t put it past him to have Gideon report on illicit goings-on.

This suspicion is confirmed partway through the day when Rip takes him aside, folds his arms, and demands, “Is this going to be a problem?”

“No.” Leonard feigns interest in an old map to avoid having to meet Rip’s eyes. “I need to make it clear to Sara that it won’t happen again. Beyond that, no, it won’t impact our working relationship.”

Rip raises an eyebrow. “There aren’t rules against fraternization on my ship. Lord knows it makes everything easier if there are, but that seems hypocritical, given how I fared when faced with such restrictions.”

Leonard glares at him. “I thought you knew everything about everyone you brought on board. I’m married.”

Rip’s eyes widen and his mouth drops into a comical ‘o’ of surprise. “Oh,” he murmurs. “No. That’s…not in any records.”

“Well, no, it wasn’t.” At Leonard’s insistence, and somewhat reluctantly, Stein had performed the ceremony. Beyond that, they took no legal steps; Leonard hadn’t wanted to jeopardize his husband’s future. (Being married to a thief tends to close otherwise promising doors.)

“Gideon,” Rip appeals to the computer, “did you know about this?”

Leonard has never heard Gideon sound so disapproving. “I did,” she replies, “given that he married my creator, Barry Allen.”

Rip gapes at him in a mix of shock and horror. Leonard has never felt smaller or more repulsive. He does what he always does in such situations: he lashes out. “That’s right. I just cheated on the Flash. What kind of monster does that make me?”

“Human,” Rip says simply.

Leonard leaves without a backwards glance. He lied to Rip. He’s not repulsive for cheating on the Flash, although by most people’s standards that of itself is an unforgivable crime; he’s the lowest kind of scum for cheating on Barry, the relentless optimist who forced him to be a better person and who, should he ever find out, will probably try to convince him that they can recover from this, too. He vows then that the kid can never know. He can’t face his earnest attempts to make it right.

 ***

After defeating Vandal Savage and the Time Masters with some help from an ex-Time Master and his daughter, the Legends return to their own time victorious. The others celebrate. Alone of them, Leonard dreads the return. What exactly is he going to tell Barry?

As soon as the Wave Rider touches down, the others bolt for the door. Leonard lingers, trying to find the courage to face the excited speedster he knows will be waiting for him. Then a cool voice speaks from behind him.

“Mr. Snart, I do not usually stoop to threats, but if you hurt my creator and you ever step foot onto my ship again, I will make your life hell.”

Threats from a computer program. This is what Leonard’s life has come to. “Duly noted, Gideon.”

By the time he leaves the Wave Rider, their welcome party has turned into a real party. He spots Sara reuniting with her sister and Oliver, Stein embracing Clarissa, Jax and Ronnie clasping hands, and Cisco batting Mick away from a vial of disturbingly crimson liquid. His observations are cut short by a familiar blur of scarlet that speeds into his arms. “Len!”

“Barry.” Leonard feels so thoroughly disgusting that he can barely bring himself to hug his husband. Barry notices, of course, but he takes it the wrong way.

“You’re tired, of course you are, you’ve been jumping all through time and Sara said you almost got blown up and do you want me to run you home? Or do you wanna stay? Do you want cuddles or should I back off?”

They should go home. The longer they’re around the rest of the Legends, the greater the probability someone will let something slip. Leonard is about to say so when Cisco calls, “Barry, bring your…Snart…and get down here!”

Against his will, Leonard finds himself coaxed down the walkway and led into the middle of the party. Barry cuddles him insistently, although Leonard doubts he’s aware of it; he’s simply too tactile not to. He forces himself not to pull away. Barry wants to be touched, to be held close, to be loved. After what Leonard has done, fulfilling these wishes seems like the least he can do.

They’re in the middle of a fascinating exchange with Thea when Mick wanders over, reeking of alcohol. “Hey Snart,” he rumbles. “Just overheard Sara and her sister. When were you gonna tell me you slept with her?”

The room goes still and breathless. Barry turns to him, a question in his eyes, desperate to be told that Mick is confused. Leonard can’t give him that.

“No,” Barry says when the silence has stretched too long. “No, no, no, no, no, Len, say something, say he misheard…”

Every guilt-induced nightmare Leonard has had to this point pales in comparison to the look of abject horror on Barry’s face. He closes his eyes so he doesn’t have to watch the impact of his words. “He didn’t, Barry. I slept with Sara during the mission.”

Barry makes a wounded sound as though Leonard has struck him. When Leonard glances at him, he’s leaning against Thea for support. She’s glaring daggers at him, and he braces himself for a well-deserved reprimand when unexpected trumpets sound from their right.

“Ah!” Cisco jumps, scrabbles at his pocket, and mutes his phone. Every eye turns to him. He stares at the ground, gives a sheepish mutter of “I have to…I’m just gonna…go, now,” and skulks away. As he passes Leonard, he mutters, “By the way, I’m going to kill you.”

Leonard nods in curt acknowledgment of the threat but doesn’t turn his attention from Barry. “There’s nothing I can say,” he murmurs.

Barry draws in a shaky breath. “We’re not doing this here.”

That’s Leonard’s only warning before he finds himself at home. The world spins around him and he lurches violently to the left. Before, Barry has always steadied him with a hand on his arm or his waist. This time, he watches impassively as Leonard leans against the counter for balance.

“I’m sorry,” Leonard manages. “I know it’s not nearly enough…”

“No, it’s not!” Barry bursts out. He looks up at the ceiling. Leonard can’t tell whether he’s on the verge of tears or simply too frustrated to look anywhere else. When he speaks, his voice breaks. “You cheated on me?”

Leonard feels obligated to say, “Don’t blame Sara. It was my fault.”

“I know that!” Barry’s voice hitches on a sob. Before Leonard can apologize again (and oh, God, how he wants to), he clears his throat and tries again. “I don’t blame Sara, she didn’t know, it’s on you for saying yes—oh no, no, wait, you said yes, didn’t you?”

Leonard scoffs. Even now, faced with indisputable evidence of how self-centered and cold he is, Barry can’t help trying to give him an out. “She didn’t force me, Scarlet. I said yes and I kept saying yes.” Admitting as much aloud is rubbing salt into both of their wounds. Leonard nonetheless feels he owes it to Barry to lay the whole sordid affair bare.

“Why?” Barry bursts out. He drops his gaze from the ceiling to Leonard’s face, and Leonard sees tears shining on his lashes. “Are you that desperate that you couldn’t wait for me? Am I not enough? What did I do wrong that made you not want to wait for me?”

Leonard’s heart shatters. No, Barry can’t think this is his fault. “It wasn’t you. I’m selfish and shortsighted and Sara was there, and I didn’t think about how it would hurt you until it was done.” His instinct is to push until Barry snaps, because he can handle anger and it’ll be better for the kid to realize that there’s nothing to fix. He’s just not strong enough to be cruel when faced with Barry’s heartbroken pleading. “I don’t have a defense. What I did was cruel and it hurt you and it hurt her, and all I can say is that I’ve hated myself so fucking much since it happened.”

“That doesn’t make it better,” Barry says in a broken whisper. Leonard reaches out to him out of habit, desperate to hold him. He shies away. “I can’t, I can’t. I need to just…I need to not be here right now.”

Leonard doesn’t stop him. After what he’s done, how can he?

***

Miraculously, Leonard manages to avoid the STAR Labs crew and the rest of the Legends for a week. On the eighth day, he returns to his house and finds Barry standing uneasily in the kitchen.

“Barry,” he says in surprise. He hadn’t thought, after what he did, that Barry would want anything to do with him.

“Don’t, don’t talk.” Barry holds up both hands. “I scripted for this all week and I’ve got to say it or I’m gonna lose my nerve. Okay.” He draws a deep breath and relaxes into a not-quite-easy stance. “I’m really, really upset that you slept with Sara knowing that I was here waiting for you. I’m not so upset that I can’t forgive you, but I’m going to need time—and no jokes about time travel from you because that’ll just piss me off more. I wanna move back in and I want things to go back to normal but I don’t…” The determination drains from him. He looks small and weary and hopelessly lost. “I don’t know how to trust you again. That’s something you have to earn back.”

It’s more than Leonard had hoped for, and more levelheaded than the emotional pleas of “Let me try to fix this” that he’d envisioned on the Wave Rider. The request for boundaries and time is something he can respect. “I won’t push you, Scarlet.”

Barry squares his shoulders. “I’m going to ask you not to call me that,” he says firmly. “Not until I say you can.”

Leonard nods. He can respect that, too. ‘Scarlet’ is a pet name; it’s more than fair that Barry wouldn’t want a reminder of the easy intimacy between them when he’s so thoroughly destroyed it. “I can do that.”

Once again, Barry’s determination melts away. Leonard gets a glimpse of deep, aching pain that cuts him like a shard of glass; then the kid tucks it away into a look of weary defeat. “Then, yeah,” he says. “I guess we give this another try.”

[oddjobsqueen]

Sansa has NO REASON to hate Dany.

Except she does.

Thanks to all her lessons, (Look around you, we’re all liars here / Sometimes, when I try to understand a person’s motives, I play a little game. I assume the worst. What’s the worst reason they could possibly have for saying what they say, or doing what they do? Then I ask myself, ‘how well does that reason explain what they say and what they do?’”  ) Sansa is able to see Dany's true colours. She knows Dany didn’t make all that sacrifice for the North, she made it for the throne. First she called the war against the NK Jon's war, then she wanted the debt paid without any consideration for the soldiers when the truth is the Great War was just as much the North's responsibility as it was hers. She's power hungry and crazy just like Cersei, the signs are all there. Only Sansa sees them.

There’s no reason for Sansa to hate Dany especially since Dany saved her life? Lmao Dany sure as hell didn’t save Sansa’s life, Arya did. Dany only made it possible, just as much as Jon, Theon, Bran, Lyanna, Melisandre, Beric and the rest of the Northern people did. Just as much as Sansa herself did when she offered hospitality and provided for Dany’s dragons and army. Don’t make it sound like Dany’s action directly saved Sansa’s life, specifically her, because that’s not what happened. And that is sure as hell shouldn’t be enough to change Sansa’s mind about Dany when she already knew that Dany only helped the North for the throne (she’s fighting Jon’s war because she loves him and knows Jon is a man of his words, meaning she’s guaranteed to get the Northern supports, she said this to Sansa’s face herself).

Sansa and Arya’s treatment of Dany and her people isn’t xenophobia. The North is known to be wary of outsiders because of their geography and culture and how they are cut off from the rest of the kingdoms once winter comes, but they specifically distrust the Targaryens and the Lannisters for the atrocities those two houses had committed on them in the past. Missy and Greyworm getting the weird looks are clearly not because of their skin but because of the company they’re associated with.

I wanted to keep this civil but this is where I’m gonna lose it:

Sansa knows that her brother is in love with a woman who just saved all of them, and she tried to have her murdered, just to protect herself.

What the actual fuck?

Number fucking one, it wasn’t just to protect herself. It was to protect her family, Jon especially, and the North. What would you do if you have to invite a stranger with machine guns into your home and then you’re asked to submit to them, when you have no means to protect yourself and the people you care about? To top it off Dany is known as the Mad king’s daughter, she’s a Targaryen who are known for their madness due to all the inbreeding, and her reputation and destruction she caused in Mereen is known throughout the 7K. All the more reason why Sansa is desperate for the Northern independence and hate the idea of Jon going south because she knows he could end up getting burned alive if Dany is queen. Even if they have a peaceful reign, Sansa knows (just like Cersei does) that Dany is a ticking bomb waiting to go off because when you have that much power to destroy you’re bound to use it, it’s logic and that’s something Dany’s done before, (we have 3 scenes of Sansa watching the dragons in the sky looking stressed af) and it's only a matter of time before Dany realises that the people of Westeros favour Jon over her. Eventually Dany would become more and more paranoid and we'd get the same case of Aerys and Tywin, maybe even worse cos Aerys didn’t have a dragon. But Sansa could prevent that from happening if Jon's the one sitting on the throne instead of Dany.

Number fucking two, we don’t even know if she knows Jon (her cousin, not brother lmao) is in love with Dany, because when she asked him he didn’t answer, and when Tyrion said it to her she also didn’t react . Imagine Jon telling Sansa and Arya he’s in love with his aunt, that’d be hella awkward, so IF he actually does love Dany, and that’s a big if since he’s never explicitly said that he loves her (unlike with Ygritte, with Dany and all he said was ‘’you’re my queen I don’t know what else to say'’) he definitely won’t admit it to his cousins, therefore it’s more likely that Sansa is doubting whether Jon is really in love with Dany or he's only pretending to be, for the North.

The writing for this season is enough disaster already, we don’t need this kind of shortsighted interpretations to make it worse.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Grey's Anatomy: Fight for Your Mind (14x22)

Okay, Grey's, what is with that promo for next week? If you kill April Kepner I will throw such a fit. But let's not talk about that yet, let's talk about this week.

Cons:

I still don't know what I think of Amelia and Owen living together with the baby and the baby mama. Looks like Amelia's flight-risk drug addict teen did indeed run away, and I found myself a) not surprised, and b) not caring. The whole scenario feels so very soap opera-y. Which I know this show is, but usually I really care about the people involved, and I'm finding it hard to do that in this case, for whatever reason.

One of the larger problems with Grey's over all is that the focus on the kids is always really inconsistent. It's been easy to see for a while now that Arizona's exit will be because she needs to move to New York with Sofia. That's fine, or whatever, but the fact of the matter is, we didn't really get to see why this came about. We know Sofia has been having a really rough time since coming to live with Arizona, but weren't we told that she wanted to come? The whole thing is confusing and weird. The kids only become important when needed for some plot reason.

Pros:

The funniest plot of the night for me was Bailey and Webber trying to come to a settlement agreement with Dr. Roy, the intern who was fired for being high and lying about it. I mean, I know this plot thread took serious liberties with the way that the legal system would react to this situation, but still. The recurring refrain of "your honor" every time pieces of the story were contemplated was great, like when Schmidt says that firing Dr. Roy was the right thing to do, because when Bailey was high and standing over a patient she had opened up, she made the right call and stepped away. Or what about the story about the patient who tried to cut off his own hand for masturbating? The context is so important with stories like this. It was also great that Bailey didn't compromise her standards. She decides to let Dr. Roy come back, but she refuses to give him an apology he doesn't deserve. The nature of this show is such that everybody has made horrible mistakes and done monstrous things. Just because Dr. Roy is a bit of a dick doesn't mean he shouldn't get a second chance like everybody else has gotten. Still, he better watch himself. Dr. Bailey doesn't mess around.

Despite being annoyed that the importance of children yo-yos on this show depending on plot needs, I actually really liked Arizona's plot thread. She works with a patient who has an intense phobia of hospitals, due to the fact that when she was a child, her father died during a basic appendectomy. Now, this woman needs to get surgery to help her unborn child, but she's so petrified of having surgery that she bails and runs out. Arizona sits with her and talks about her own life experiences and helps her get through this horrible traumatic event. The woman and her unborn child are both fine in the end, and it helps Arizona realize that she needs to do what's best for Sofia, no matter what. I really liked the scared patient, and I liked hearing Arizona tell her story - it's easy to forget she's an amputee, so it's nice to hear a bit about that and to remember Arizona's beginnings on the show, when she used to roller-skate around the hospital. It felt like a good, appropriate plot thread to give to her since we know we'll be saying goodbye in just a couple of short weeks. (pssst Shonda, we need more queer people on this show now that Penny, Callie, and Arizona are all going to be gone).

Alex and Jo's plot thread was wholly disconnected from the hospital, but I didn't mind that at all. The two of them travel to Iowa to find out what has happened to Alex's mom. He is expecting the worst, but he learns that actually she is doing better - she has gotten her old job working at a local library back, and is keeping to a routine that's really working for her. Alex is somewhat upset that his mom didn't tell him she was better, and this seems to upset her. I loved watching Alex struggle with this enormously complicated situation. Jo takes him to the batting cages to work off some aggression, which is just such a creative, supportive thing for her to think of. Alex practices healthy communication with his fiance and lets out some of his anger. His situation feels so true to life. He always wanted a healthy mother, but all during the time growing up when he really could have used her, she wasn't able to be there for him. And now, after everything, her recovery seems to be damaged by his very presence. Imagine how frustrating that would be!

Of course, their reconciliation is super adorable. Alex helps his mom change the due-date stamp, something he used to do for her when he was a little boy, and then Alex introduces his mom to Jo. I like that the situation is a little awkward, and that not everything is instantly fixed. For example, Jo invites her to the wedding, but travel is too stressful for her, so she probably won't be able to come. Baby steps. I really appreciated this nuanced plot thread. Lots of good moments, and some tough material as well.

A brief subplot shows that Jackson is paying settlements out of his own pocket because the Catherine Fox foundation money needs to go to keeping the hospitals up and running. He puts money aside to make sure Harriett is taken care of, but he may be facing financial ruin if things break bad for him. I like that we've got this ongoing plot thread focusing on Jackson's absurd wealth. I'm glad that it's going towards something worthwhile. And I'm glad that he's weathering the storm and making amends for his grandfather's disgusting behavior, even though he shouldn't have to do that.

And speaking of Harper Avery being the literal worst, we should end this review by talking about Meredith Grey. She is about to give a talk about her mini-livers, but ends up talking to a nice man in the bar beforehand. The two really hit it off, even though when he finds out who she is, he confesses that he's always kind of hated her because she got to a medical breakthrough before him and took all the glory. Meredith tells this guy the whole story with Marie Cerone, and it helps her realize the right thing to do. Before her presentation, she says that the Grey Method should now be known as the Grey-Cerone method. However, after her talk, Meredith indicates quite clearly that she can't forgive Marie for stabbing her in the back.

Give Meredith a new boyfriend 2K18. I liked this random guy in the bar and I hope he comes back. Ellen Pompeo is good at being charming even if she is a little intense. Also, I love the way the Cerone plot thread resolved itself. I had a lot of doubts about it, and thought that Meredith's focus on legacy and recognition was a little bit conceited and shortsighted. But now I see how complex the situation is. Meredith righted the wrongs of Harper Avery and Ellis Grey by giving Marie Cerone her due. But that doesn't mean she forgives Cerone for trying to screw her over in her own professional successes. This was a great balance.

As I mentioned at the start of this review, I'm going to be LIVID if they kill off April Kepner after everything they've put her through this season. Still, I'm all for a bit of good old fashioned Grey's Anatomy angst!

8/10

[marissawallenbdb-blog]

Unexpectedly Welcome

“My deepest apologies for just showing up here like this, your majesty, but… I need help.” A look of confusion passes over the queen’s face as she looks over at me.

“Marissa? What are you doing here? I thought you’d already gone home for the day.’

“I-indeed I had, my- ah, Beth.’ I said, automatically correcting myself from calling her ‘my queen,’ since she’d already made it plain that she prefers to be called by her name. “But my brother and I have had a fight, and well- he kicked me out of our home. If you would let me stay here today, perhaps tomorrow as well, while I attempt to make other arrangements? I truly do not wish to be a burden, but I have literally nowhere else to go.” I put my hand over my mouth as a sob threatens to escape. Beth and Bella both come over to me, and Beth wraps an arm around my shoulders as Bella takes my hand.

“It’s alright, Marissa, of course you can stay here. But I think we need the whole story. Fritz, please go and get us some tea, or other refreshments. I think it’s needed.” the kindly doggen bows and goes off in the direction of the kitchen. “And I think we need to bring Wrath in on this. Bella, would you take Marissa into the library while I go get him?”

“No problem.” The other female responds, then Beth cuts me off before I can object.

“No, Marissa. You’re Wrath’s former shellan, and- logical or not, necessary or not-  he does still feel responsible for you. Added to that, Havers is our personal physician. If you’re going to be staying here, however temporarily, because the two of you had a bad enough fight that he kicked you out of the house, Wrath needs to be told.” I sigh.

‘Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Beth walks over and starts up the stairs, and Bella lays her hand on my shoulder, squeezing softly and giving me a small, friendly smile. We go to the library and sit on the sofa in front of the dormant fireplace. In seemingly no time at all, the door opens again, and the royal couple enters, with Fritz just behind them. As he walks over to the coffee table to set down the tray he’s carrying, the king smiles at him.

“Thanks my man, we’ll let you know if we need anything else.’ The butler bows and leaves, shutting the door behind him. Then Wrath and Beth sit down on the couch opposite Bella and I, and he leans forward with his elbows propped on his thighs.  “Alright Marissa, tell us exactly what the hell’s going on. “ i take a deep breath and begin my tale.

It all began when John was found in the human world and brought to the attention of the Brotherhood. He was brought into Havers’s clinic for a series of physical examinations to make sure he was in good health, and DNA tests to try to track down his bloodlines. I was volunteering there as usual, and we began chatting- well, he was writing, of course- and we became friends. I ended up volunteering to feed him during his transition when it hit, since I could get there to Torhment’s house, or the Compound if he happened to be there, faster than just about anyone else. We even had a plan in place to get me to him during daylight hours if that happened to be when his Change came upon him. And once that occurred, our friendship began to morph into something else, something much deeper. Havers did not like this. John may be the son of a Brother and half brother to the queen, and thus a member of the glymera by birth, but he was also mute (though, one would assume that a doctor would have more tolerance and acceptance of such things). Added to that, he was also raised among humans, so he was still learning our ways. And given my social class’s opinion of that other species, Havers probably also considers John ‘contaminated.’ The more time I spent with John, and the deeper our connection grew, the more mine brother and I butted heads over our association. The tension between us grew and grew until it finally culminated in this morning’s fight.

And now here I am, homeless, with no family who will acknowledge me anymore, and dependent upon my former hellren and his new shellan for shelter and support until I can get my feet under me once more.

As I tell my story, I can feel the anger radiating from all three of my listeners. Then finally as i finish, Wrath bursts to his feet and exclaims “That shortsighted, prejudicial fool!’ I blink, taken back a bit at the strength of his reaction. “I’m going to have a serious talk with that male…’ I shake my head

“Please do not trouble yourself on my account, my lord. I do not think he will ever change his mind on the subject. And even if he did, if he were to come to me and take all those words back, telling me I could come home, I do not think I ever could. Not after this. As i told your shellan, i just need somewhere to stay for a short while until i find my own place, and I would be most grateful if you would be so kind as to allow me to stay here.”

“Well, of course you can stay here, for as long as you need to.” Beth said firmly, leveling a look at her hellren as if daring him to disagree with her. He simply nodded in agreement, and she smiled and looked back at me. ‘You’ve had an eventful night, and could probably use some rest. Come on, I had Fritz make up a room for you, and he should be just about done by now. I’ll show you the way.” I get up and follow her, and she leads me upstairs to one of the bedroom suites. As we approach the door, she nods at the room directly across the hall. “That’s John’s suite. I thought maybe you two would likely want to be close to each other. But, let’s not disturb him quite yet.” she continued as we walk into the room. “I think he’s already asleep, and besides he’ll definitely wanna know why you’re staying here, and I don’t think you’re up for going through that whole story all over again so soon. This evening will be soon enough.” I nod in agreement. “Now, why don’t you go take a nice hot shower while I go get you something to sleep in. And I know we’re not exactly the same size, but I have some clothes that should fit you well enough until we can get some of your own things brought over. I’ll bring them as well.” She turns for the door.

“Beth? Why are you doing this?” I call out before I can stop myself, before she can walk out of the room. She turns back with a surprised and curious look in her eyes. I look away, unsure, but press on with an explanation, seeing no other choice. “I-I truly have no wish to offend or upset you, it’s only that this is not the reaction I was expecting from you when I arrived, and I was wondering at it. Why are you doing this? Welcoming me so, being so nice to me?” I glance up, but glance away as she walks towards me. She lays her hand on my cheek for a moment, then puts it under my chin to tip my face up so I’m looking at her.

“I want you to listen to what I’m about to say, Marissa, and remember it; there is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. Remember feeding Wrath when he was shot? My blood was still too weak, i wasn’t far enough past my transition yet. You saved the life of the man I love when I couldn’t have done so myself. Added to that, John is- well, he cares about you a great deal. And it’s because of my brother that yours has disowned you-” I shake my head.

“No, it is not John’s fault. It is the result of Havers being a- how did Wrath put it?- a shortsighted, prejudicial fool.” Beth nods.

“Yes, you’re right.’ She gives me a little hug, with a smile. “Now, shower. Sleep. I’ll come back and leave the clothes for you on the bed. I’ll see you this evening at First Meal.” I nod.

“Alright, I will see you then.” she walks out, closing the door behind her, and I walk into the bathroom to follow her suggestion. After lingering in a hot shower I come out and put on the borrowed pajamas, moving the rest of the clothing Beth had brought onto a chair to be sorted through later. Then I slide under the covers to slip almost immediately into a deep, worn out sleep.

#MarissaAsksToStay #UnexpectedlyWelcome