#so her mom relented and i asked how i could make the encounter safe

[eqan]

i’ve taken dewey to work at the hospital twice now and he is sooooo good there. very gentle with patients who want to meet him. polite little man who wants everyone to pet him (‘: and throw things for him to chase then chew on

[whats-in-the-canister]

Taina “Caveira” Pereira x Fem!Reader - Closets

Summary: Taina is a good adoptive mother, despite her unconventional methods.

tags; parenting, sfw, reference to Caveria’s anti social personality disorder, wlw relationship, you’re a parent now, beta read by : @cosmiccutie18 , ily, not spellchecked tho I don’t do that here

Taina is a complicated woman. You’re into that.

That’s what you tell most people when they ask why you, of all people, share a wedding band with Rainbow’s residential interrogator. She was strong in places you weren’t, and you were soft in places she wasn’t. After a month of knowing eachother, you both had quickly noticed how in tune you were. You knew you loved eachother after three. Then after that, about a year later, you both knew you wanted to spend the rest of your possibly short lives (due to your job) together.

Your coworkers were a bit shocked, to say the least. They say opposites attract but no one was expecting you two to come together. However, after a drunken vent to Thermite at a after mission party, practically everyone at Hereford knew in the next hour. There were mixed responses. Some thought it was just a joke, asking you if you were pulling your April’s Fools nonsense early this year. Others believed it was dangerous, that she might be hurting you, or likewise you might be hurting her. Luckily, most congratulated you after you told them it was completely serious.

:read more:

On days where her past caught up to her, and she couldn’t bring herself to speak in public, you were there to drag her away from the crowds. You would whisk her away to a private section of the gym, so she could work out her problems. You would lay nearby and listen to her break sand. Whether it was her brothers driving her mad, Doc making her beyond livid, or God forbid Harry trying to make her go to counseling, you were there. She was glad you understood what she needed, as most people couldn’t read her.

On days where you couldn’t stand the sound of your own voice, or the sight of your own face, she would be there to break a mirror and put on a movie. She would be there to find the problem and fix it as soon as possible. On days where you would dispute with coworkers, she would be there behind your back, daring anyone to try to land a hand on her Coração. You appreciated her head and her heart alike, knowing both of her sides were always with you.

Suffice to say, you loved eachother. Then one day, you both decided to share that love.

Despite what people say, Taina is a sweetheart. You knew this when she would insist on feeding a stray outside the apartment, or donating an extra few cents at the store. The day you found her privately reading adoption articles online, you decided to have a talk.

At work, she had talked to a few of the other ops during a break from training. Alexsander and James were bragging about their daughters. Despite seeming uninterested, she couldn’t help but snoop.

She explained she had no interest in having her own children, as did you. However, she couldn’t help but feel like she was missing something. She told you about all the kids she knew while working for BOPE. The children she contacted on the streets for inside information, and how they never got a chance to grow up. How they never knew what family looked like, only what they didn’t have. It broke her heart at first, and she tried to convince herself she could desensitize herself to it.

Short story: it didn’t work.

So, you two came to an agreement. You would adopt, if you could manage leave from Hereford.

At first, you wanted a baby. Then you both considered how many older kids are looked over in adoption. You suggested a teenager, but she said she wanted younger. You agreed on a child around ten. Sex didn’t matter, neither did appearance. And no matter what they had been through, you were going to protect and care for them. They were going to be your child, after all.

After going through so many checks and forms, you were allowed to adopt a year later.

Taina cried when you met her, the first time you ever saw her do so in public. That night, she carried your child home, the little one refusing to let go of the broad woman.

A year later, your daughter had become comfortable around you both. Her name was Rose. Nine years old, put into the system at seven. She reminded you of Taina, with her quietness and little fidgets. You took care of her as your own, swearing to be there for her and your little family. While you were busy raising her, Taina was busy spoiling her rotten. You accepted not being the fun mom, but you could deal with it, seeing them both smile so brightly. Due to reasons beyond your understanding, you weren’t given context behind her adoption. Most likely for the best.

However, you could infer. From her reactions to Taina appearing in silence, she was always on edge. Your child couldn’t sleep at night, and rarely spoke. Despite what pain it brought to you, you knew she had been through something she wouldn’t be ready to address in a long time. It tore Taina apart. The woman knew what her bebê was going through. Growing up in poverty, never knowing if her family was going to be safe or not, she could relate to her on another level that went by you.

Rose’s problems continued, through emotional outbursts, sleeping trouble, and even moments of panic that seemed to come out of nowhere. At lunch, one moment she could be halfway through a meal, then another she would be red with tears eyes. She would cry uncontrollably, only being able to point at what was bothering her. You would hold her, comforting her through her fits. Unfortunately, they started while Taina was on a mission.

After a particularly bad fit, you had called Caveira when Rose was put to sleep. The woman answered instantly, wondering how you were and how Rose was as well. After expressing her woes and explaining her job this round, you broke the news to her. She paused, visually worried, and told you she’d be back soon to help through a stammer. She didn’t know what to do either, but she knew she was going to have to do something.

About a week later, your love was home. Rose ran down the stairs once she heard the door, almost tripping over her own feet to meet Taina. The woman didn’t bother to take off her vest or even put down her bags. She was just content with holding Rose up to her chest, carrying her around the house practically the entire later half of the day. She only let go when dinner was finished, but still then, she wanted to be near Taina or in her lap.

That night, when you were putting her to bed, she didn’t want to let go of Taina’s arm. She cried, trying to pull her mama down into her little bed. You stroked her hair, asking her what was wrong. She was quiet, an aura of fear surrounding her. All she could do was tear up and point to the other side of the room. After a few minutes, you were able to calm her down and she fell asleep...only to wake up screaming halfway into the night.

You and Taina were fast on your feet, running to her room, fearing the worse, only to be encountered with the same problem. A glazed look of fear and a gesture to the other side of the room. You relented, bringing her into your room for that night. She slept well after that, until the next night.

Rose stayed with you again that night, only to wake up halfway through it once more, clinging onto you for her life. Taina scanned the room, trying to find the problem, only to be met with the same pointer finger again. She followed her daughter’s lead, eyes landing on your closet. She stood up, trudging across the room, fist raised as she ran into the closet. The door slammed against the wall, showing it as empty, aside from your clothes and gear.

Your daughter grew quiet, smiling. Taina smiled back, giving you both a kiss before falling back to sleep, Rose quick behind her. You sighed in relief, following.

You thought this was the last of it, but you were wrong. The night afterwards, Rose slept in her own room. You had finished cleaning up for the day as Taina came out of the shower. You were switching into your pajamas as she wandered into your shared room, smiling.

“Aren’t you in a good mood?” You grinned, happy to see her so content.

“She’s made it a few good hours. I think we fixed the problem.” She laughed leaning her head onto your shoulder, resting her eyes. “What has she been through to scare her like that?”

Your hand fell onto her jaw as you contemplated the words. “We will know one day. I don’t like to think of it too much, but she will heal on her time, no matter what happened. Did she ever tell you about her dreams?”

“No, never. I think she’s ashamed of talking about them with me. I hate it.”

You sighed, laying down with her. You fixed the pillows and sheets as you sank down into your bed. “Someone’s always there trying to ‘get her’. Like the ones you have, but I think she’s reliving some sort of event.” You shivered, thinking about the words she spoke to you after you finished her schooling for the day. The tremble in her voice, the fear in her eyes. Beside you, Taina raised to put a hand on your shoulder, still. She was quiet and unfazed, by you knew what she was thinking.

“I think it’s best to not think about it.” You muttered as you wife nodded in agreement. Eventually, you nodded off into sleep, with Taina’s arm behind your pillow.

The room was pitch dark, with only one sound waking you up. Rose screaming. Much louder than you were used to. She was yelling hysterically, pleading in the language she shared with her other mother. It didn’t just sound like a nightmare this time. You and Taina moved in a flash, sprinting down the hallway. Your feet slammed against the floor as you swung Rose’s door open, Caveira was behind you, the knife she kept at your bedside in her hand.

Your daughter was alone, pointing at her closet again, that had no signs of being opened. Rose was swelling with tears, panting through gulps of air, if she had a sob choked down. Taina took only a second to act, rushing over to your daughter. “Rose, what’s wrong?”

Rose spewed a bunch of words, not understandable to you. A mix of syllables neither of you understood. You gently layed a hand on her back, petting her slowly. “It’s alright, we’re here. I’m here. Mami is here. You don’t have to say anything...” Taina was quiet beside you, eyes fixed on your child’s closet. Taking another gulp of air, Rose managed to speak and point. “He’s back, but you... you just don’t see him. He’s hiding and I can’t find him.”

Taina turned her head, looking your daughter in her eyes. “Bebê, who?” You interrupted, “He—“ Taina spoke louder, realizing something you didn’t. “No, you don’t have to say, where does he hide?” Your daughter calmed down for a second, raising a hand to point at her closet. Taina turned to the closet, raising her blade, a look of sternness coming over her face.

You recognized her stance.

Caveira raised her leg, before striking the door with the bottom of her foot. It flew off its hinges, sounding off as it crashed into the back of the closet. A hole was left where the hinges tore themselves off the wall. Rose blinked beside you at her destroyed room. It grew quiet, aside from your daughter’s soft breath.

Taina turned to her, “He’s not in here. Want me to check the rest of the house?”

Rose nodded, leaning into your chest as you picked her up. You left her room, heading to yours. Taina led the way, silent as a mouse as she turned the corner with her knife. Her body language mimicked what you recognized as her prowl during missions. Your daughter could tell she wasn’t fooling around.

Your bedroom’s closet was soon demolished, the blinds on it soon cracked into splinters. Your daughter watched her other mother in amazement. Taina cleared the large closet, knife still raised blade up.

Soon, you all stalked downstairs. Eventually, your daughter let you put her down. She followed behind Taina, mimicking her moves. The living room was next. Taina peaked around the corner, clearing the section in her line of sight. She crept her way towards the closet where you kept the extra tables and blankets. The wooden door was thin, easy to break, but no light could leak through its cracks. You pr daughter hid behind you, only tilting her head out from the corner of the doorframe.

Taina wasted no time wasting it either, with no mercy. It was soon left shattered, on the ground. Your heart pained thinking of the costs, but your daughter’s soft smile was worth it. Taina crept back over, in a whisper. She muttered to her daughter, “C’mon, we still need to check the pantry and bathrooms.” Rose nodded, taking her mother’s hand.

Taina made quick work of the pantry, letting your daughter check it for herself afterwards. The guest bathroom was destroyed. The shower curtains were torn down and the little closet for shampoos and towels was layed on the floor in waste. Eventually, only the last bathroom was left. Rose was walking with confidence now.

Taina looked at you, gesturing you forward. You knew what she was trying to say. You took a step forward, biting your lip. You weren’t jui jitsu artist like Caveira, but you had boxed with Craig a couple of times. You sized up the door, planting yourself, before knocking it down with a crash. The last closet in the house was demolished. All was now quiet and your daughter was beaming.

Rose looked up at Taina. Your daughter quickly dried her tears, amazed by your wife. There wasn’t a trace of fear on her little face.

She kneeled down, talking to her daughter. “He can’t hide from us now, bebê. He’ll have to show up in person. If he does, I’ll show him what those doors went through. And worse. No one will hurt you while momma and I are here.”

That morning, you all slept in. In your own rooms, with no nightmares. The next day, you did the same thing. Then the week after that. After the week after that one, Rose asked mami to teach her how to kick like you two.

[ikleesfiction]

Will you follow through if I fall for you?

Fandom : One Chicago Word count : 2250 words Author note : My first dip on this fandom. Endgame would be Jay Halstead x reader. Jay will appear in the next part. Disclaimer

Part 1

You arrive at the swimming pool much later than you've wanted. You wish to get a few laps before the school kids coming for their class. But here you are, only begin to warm up, the raucous laughter of school kids echoing in the pool already.

You get into the deeper side of the pool, not wanting to interrupt the class or get interrupted. Starting your lap without forcing yourself. Ever since the incident, you have yet reached the perfect movement of your feet. Some day, like this morning, it was hurting so bad. Made you wish you don't have to get up from the bed. 

But after about forty minutes of light swimming in the pool, you feel like it's getting better. You think you could swim for another ten minutes before coming up. As a challenge for yourself, you swim deeper and doing apnea. From your periphery, you can see three kids get closer to the deeper side of the pool and swimming playfully. You reach the poolside and come up for air, trying to see if the boys are safe enough or if you need to warn the teacher.

All of a sudden, one of the boys puts his hand up. Panicking, as he tries to get more air. You cannot spot the kid's friends. When you dive and swim to the boy as fast as your feet allowed, you see the other two boys pulling their friend's foot down. Not realizing that their friend is drowning.

Once you reach them, you pull the drowning boy up, bringing him to the poolside. The pool guard and the school teacher are ready to help you get the boy out of the pool. The boy is coughing water and keeps panicking. They try to calm him down so he can breathe. Shortly enough, the boy calms down and breathing through his sobs. Still in the water, you feel the boy's friends approaching. They gape in shock, realizing that their friend was almost drowned.

We're so sorry, Owen! I thought you're ready when we pull you in!!" said one of the friends.

"That was a dangerous thing to do, David. I told you, right before we get in the water. Nobody should swim on the deeper side of the pool. But you three even played in here. Someone could get seriously injured by your recklessness.", chides the teacher to her students.

"Yes, Miss, we are sorry," says the other boy from the pool.

"Now, everybody gets out of the water. We have to stop the class. I need to bring Owen to the hospital to make sure that he is not badly hurt. David and Noah, I will call your parents to report your behavior. You too, Owen. I will tell your mom the same at the hospital," declares the teacher.

""I called 9-1-1, paramedics are 3 minutes out, to bring him to the hospital," says the pool guard. "Nice save, by the way," the pool guard continues to acknowledge you.

"Nah, just lucky I saw them first," you object. Looking at the drowning boy, Owen, as the teacher called him, "You're gonna be okay, kid," you continue to soothe him.

Owen looks back at you, and through his hiccups, he says, "Thank you." You return him with a smile.

A moment later, you see Gabby Dawson and Sylvie Brett arriving. They check Owen and briefly pack him up to go to the hospital.

"Hey girl, nice to see you here," Sylvie greets you.

"I don't wanna be ungrateful, but I wish I didn't have to see you here, Syl," you reply, slightly amused.

"Eh, what can you do, right?" She remarks jokingly.

"Alright, we're ready to go, Owen. Let's go see your mom at Med", Gabby informs her patient.

"I'll follow you there. I need to wait until the subs teacher gets here to take over the class," The teacher tells Gabby. "Thank you again for saving my student," She earnestly says to you.

Gabby and Sylvie notice the encounter and raise their eyebrows in question.

Gabby then rolls the gurney out while Sylvie hangs back and grins at you, "You saved him from drowning? How's the table turned! The rescuee turns to be the rescuer!"

"Shut up, Brett!" you whisper-yelling, feeling embarrassed.

As you try to pull yourself out of the pool, your left hamstring suddenly cramps. "Argh!" you shout and let yourself back into the water.

"You okay?" Sylvie inspects you.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. I just need a cool-down lap, then I'll be okay. You better go catch Gabby before she leaves you here", you try to dismiss her.

"You sure you okay? Do you need a ride to go back from here? Your feet hurt because you sped up to save Owen, don't they?" Sylvie pries.

"No, I'm okay. It doesn't hurt much. Seriously, if it feels bad, you'll know, Syl. I won't shut up about my pain when I can badger you", you pull out another tactic to get rid of her worry.

"Alright then, you'll promise to go to your clinic if it gets worst, right?" Sylvie finally relents.

"Of course," you simply reply. You need Sylvie to leave soon because you want to give your left hamstring a massage. You are not going to do it under Sylvie's scrutiny.

"Okay, girl. See ya!" with that, Sylvie goes.

You have known Sylvie and Gabby, and also almost everybody from Firehouse 51, since that accident. You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then Firehouse 51 got to rescue you. But the accident badly hurts your legs.

You were supposed to only stay in Chicago for 3 days for a business trip. But because of that accident, it becomes 3 months. You have to complete a series of treatments so you can gain full recovery of your leg movement. You cannot go back home. Your family cannot come to be with you for that long. You ought to rearrange your life and have been doing this treatment for the last couple of months.

You stay in the pool for another ten minutes before you could move with much less pain. Slowly getting out of the pool, then you go take a shower in the locker room. You decide that you need to go to the clinic, meet your physical trainer to check out your feet. It wasn't that you lied to Sylvie when you said that it doesn't hurt much, but you're on the last segment of your treatment. You don't want to take a risk and have to redo the treatment.

Now, if the treatment is successful, presumably you can leave Chicago in four weeks. As lovely as the city is, you don't want to risk staying longer in this city than you have to. You get a job that you love, that makes you travel all over the world. So being stuck here in Chicago, by yourself, feels like torture to you.

Firehouse 51 is very supportive of you once they know that you have to stay in the city by yourself to recover from your injury. They help whenever they can. Kelly Severide basically adopted you as his little sister since he's the one who pulled you from the incident scene. You're grateful for them, but it made you missed home more. At home, you are close to your parents. You're working with your best friends, surrounded by your favorite people. You still call them whenever you can. But their life continues while yours is stuck in Chicago.

You take a taxi to the clinic where you're treated. Crossing Chicago Med on the way, you remember hearing Gabby would take Owen here for further checkup. You hesitate slightly in front of the hospital entrance.

Maybe I can check on Owen one more time? Ensuring that there's nothing serious happening to him? You thought to yourself.

You ask the cab driver to pull over as you passed the hospital entrance.

You step to the ED nurse station, "Hi, Uhm, there's a boy, named Owen, that was brought here because of drowning. May I ask if he's doing okay?"

The nurse gives you a hard stare, "We cannot disclose any information about our patient to any non-family member, Miss,"

You scold yourself for being too soft-hearted. Naturally, the hospital will not tell you anything. For all they know, you could be a kidnapper, child abuser, or something similar.

You're just gearing yourself to leave, throwing an apologetic smile to the nurse, "Of course, I understand. Thank you,"

However, a doctor in dark scrub interrupted politely, "Who's asking?"

Looking up to the doctor, you see a "Connor Rhodes, M.D" embroidered on his scrub.

"Uhmm, my name is Y/N. I was there at the pool. He couldn't breathe for a moment when I pulled him out. I know the paramedics said he'd be okay, but I thought I could make sure, for my sanity, that Owen is going to be okay,"

The doctor and the nurse glance at each other, contemplate shortly before the doctor tells you to wait. He goes into one of the Trauma Rooms. You are just standing awkwardly at the nurse station, trying to be unobtrusive as possible.

Then a woman in a doctor's coat comes out from that Trauma Room, follows by another doctor in red scrub and Dr. Rhodes himself. Once they are in front of you, you can see "Natalie Manning, M.D" on the woman's coat.

"Are you the one who saved my son??" Dr. Manning stares at you with teary eyes.

"Err... I pulled him out of the water, yes. But the pool guard.."

"Before you can finish your sentence, you are hugged by the woman.

"Thank you so much! Thank you! I don't want to imagine what it would be if you're not there!"

Surprised by the hug, you're just awkwardly patting her back, looking at Dr. Rhodes and the other doctor behind her. You read, ".. Halstead M.D" on his chest, but unable to see his first name.

"Uhmm, I just happened to be there," You return, not knowing what to say. Dr. Manning lets you go from her hug after some time.

"Is he truly going to be fine? No water in his lungs?" you ask the doctors.

"We did a scan on his thorax. Nothing worrying is in his lungs. We will monitor him further. Hopefully, there'll be no sign of infection occurred. We can send him home tomorrow if all goes well," Dr. Halstead reveals.

"That's great to hear," you feel relieved after hearing that. "I hope Owen won't be afraid to be in the water again after the scare,"

"Well, I'm the one who's afraid to let him in the water now," retorts Dr. Manning. Her eyes are still watery, but her makeup is not smeared.

Stupid thing to notice, Y/N, you thought to yourself.

You pull out a pack of tissue from your bag and offer it to Dr. Manning, who receives it.

"I'm sorry I'm a mess. My name is Natalie Manning, Owen's mom. Here is Dr. Will Halstead, my fiance. You met Dr. Rhodes before,"

"Y/N Y/LN. Nice to meet you, even though the circumstance is not nice," you introduce yourself as you shake their hands.

"Seriously, thank you for saving Owen. How can we ever repay it to you?" Dr. Halstead sincerely says.

"Ah no, I did not do that or come here expecting anything. I'm just glad that you can let me know Owen is alright," you refuse.

"Why don't you come to our place for dinner someday when Owen is home?" Dr. Manning suggests.

"It's okay, doctor. There's no need for that.", you try to turn down their offer.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Dr. Halstead says. He pulls out his phone from his pocket. "Please put down your phone number here. We'll set up the dinner schedule" as he hands his phone to you.

You receive the phone, in reflex. "Truly, doctors, you don't have to do this. You don't even know me. What if I was lying to you?". These people were too trusting, you thought.

"His teacher told us what happened. Gabby Dawson also told us that her friend saved Owen. I could double-check with her if I ever doubt you. Not that I am, though," Dr. Manning explains.

"Dinner is the least we can do for you, Y/N. I could also ask my cop brother to come to dinner, in case you turn to be a villain", Dr. Halstead jests.

You snicker lightly. "Alright then, only a fool refused free dinner," as you put your number on Dr. Halstead's phone.

"Well, don't expect much from the dinner. These people are not known to be a good cook, you know", quips Dr. Rhodes.

"Just for that, Connor, you're not invited to dinner," Dr. Halstead points at him.

They laugh as you return the phone to Dr. Halstead. "I should go. Thank you again for letting me know about Owen. Hope he will back to the pool soon", say you with your cheeky grin.

"Thank you so much. You're such a good person. Saved my boy, came here to check on him, even gave me a tissue!" Dr. Manning lists to you as she dabs her eyes.

Dr. Halstead and Dr. Rhodes shake your hand goodbye. Dr. Manning gives you another hug before letting you exit the ED. None of the three doctors miss the limping on your left foot.

Next on this fic : Part 2

[kumkaniudaku]

Meet the Parents: Four

A/N: This is the last part of this series and a late Valentine’s Day entry. Enjoy another piece of the Chad and CoCo saga. I love you guys! 

Warnings: Not Proofread

Word Count: 5212

“Our parents are coming to visit next week.”

Tasha let the sentence fall from her lips like an observation about the weather and not a random declaration in the middle of weeknight dinner. Chadwick sat beside her on the couch, eyes trained on the television before turning his head for a view of the side of her face. Even in her profile he saw embers of worry smoldering behind her eyes. Chadwick quickly chewed the last bits of black beans in his mouth to answer.

“What?”

“Our parents,” she repeated, finally looking over at him. “They’re coming to visit next week.”

“Our parents? As in just your parents or -.”

“Both sets. Yours and mine. They are going to be in this house next weekend under the impression that we haven’t talked in years when we’ve been playing house for almost two months.”

“Yeah, so,” Chadwick added, not seeing the issue. “We’re grown. Shit happens.”

“My parents think that I’m getting married next fall, Chadwick. They think I’m still with Elijah.”

Chadwick stopped chewing to cough up pieces of rice that had shot to the back of his throat in surprise. “Shit.” He paused to gather himself as Tasha leaned forward to rest her forehead in her hands. “Okay, that explains your folks. How are mine involved?”

“My mama took it upon herself to contact your mama and, I think, they’re on a mission to help us reconnect like this is some family drama or something.” Tasha kept her lead low while her fingers placed air quotes around reconnect. A split second of silence hung in the air until quiet snickering caught her attention. “I’m glad you think this is so funny.”

“It’s too ridiculous not to laugh, baby.” Chadwick fought to stifle laughter as he watched Tasha stand and stomp off toward the kitchen. He hadn’t intended to belittle her feelings, but he wasn’t sure how to process the information. “C’mon, T. I’m sorry!”

In their shared haste to explore a new chapter of their relationship, neither Tasha or Chadwick had alerted their families and friends. Sure, a few people had made assumptions, but nothing that they speculated equaled solid proof. To call the lack of information a secret was too harsh. They preferred the term oversight. But now, with a visit from their families looming, the new couple needed a plan that included cleaning up said oversight without admitting to what would surely be seen as an outright lie.

Tasha stood in the kitchen angrily scrubbing at an empty sauce pot when Chadwick walked in and leaned on the counter beside the sink. He watched with a fond smile for a moment before reaching to grab her wrists and pull her close.

“Hey, look at me,” Chadwick requested, taking Tasha’s chin between his thumb and index finger. Hip lips pressed gentle kisses on her nose and mouth until she relented and returned his affection. “We’ll be okay.”

“You say that like you have a plan.”

Chadwick smiled and pecked Tasha’s lips. “I always have a plan, baby.”

To Chadwick the solution was simple: play along with their parents and finish the long weekend without giving up more information than was necessary. If their mothers wanted to believe they’d done a good deed, let them.

Together, they spent days fine tuning their deceit. Tasha made sure to remove any trace of her existence from Chadwick’s house, scouring the home for an out of place pair of heels or a wayward piece of mail in her name. Chadwick crafted an intricate script with details so precise that CoCo had begun to believe their lie.

The night before mom-eggedon, as Tasha had named their arrival, the couple lay tangled in bed tightening their story.

“So, we’ll have to delete each other’s number for this to work. It’ll look weird if my name pops up in your contacts.”

“How would they even see? I’ll go to another room.”

“That looks suspicious. You have to make the call in front of her.”

“Okay,” Tasha agreed, sighing as she scrolled through her contacts and reluctantly removed Chadwick’s number. “What else?”

“Make sure to grab your bonnet and headscarf before you leave in the morning. Or I can stash them in my drawer. Let me know.”

“You pick. I... need a break.”

Tasha’s sudden bout of anxiety was enough to end any and all conversation that night. She has resigned to the notion that she would have to come clean the minute her parents stepped off of the arrivals sidewalk and slid into the backseat of her car. Still, she was careful to use her best poker face in the off chance that she was home free. Chadwick didn’t share her worries, but he empathized. His parents weren’t nearly as invested in his personal life. He wasn’t the one due to be married in a year’s time.

Sun beat down on Tasha through the windshield of her car while she anxiously glanced in her rearview mirror for any sight of her parents. She hadn’t slept the night before and slipped out of Chadwick’s bed early to avoid any talk of the weekend. In her mind, if she left without speaking to her boyfriend, she could easily forget their connection. She was wrong. All she could think about was ringing his line for another dose of reassurance.

Tasha’s eyes followed a parking official making stops at each car along the curb, silently praying that her parents would emerge from the building before she was handed a ticket.

“Come on, come on,” she whispered, hoping she could will them outside. Her fingernails tapped nervously on the dash until, finally, she caught a glimpse of her mother’s traveling hat moving toward the sidewalk. She bounded from the driver’s side in a single motion and waved her hands for their attention.

“Mom! Dad! Over here!”

“My baby!” Elaine was the first to greet her oldest daughter, leaving Gerald to grab her rolling luggage and haul it to the car.

Tasha smiled as her mother pulled into a hug way too tight for her tense body. “Hey, mama. You travel safe?”

“As safe as I could, child. Your daddy complained the whole time, but we’re here now.”

“Set your old man up with first class tickets next time, Pumpkin. I need some room for these knees.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’ll upgrade you for the flight back. Let me grab those.”

Gerald tried to wave Tasha off, but he was too slow. Tasha had already started to channel her nervous energy into overextending her hospitality. Every question was answered with an uncharacteristic amount of enthusiasm. Neither of her parents noticed as they marveled at sights and sounds of Los Angeles. They sat with their faces nearly pressed against the car windows, rattling off questions and observations about the state of the city. Complaints about the traffic earned a laugh that was too loud for the conversation and a shared look of concern between Gerald and Elaine.

“So, how is Elijah,” Elaine asked, looking at Tasha through the rearview mirror with a smile. “We haven’t heard from or about him in about a month. Is he okay?”

Tasha’s foot stuttered on the break as she pulled into her driveway, making the car jerk in response. She took a breath and rolled her shoulders back before answering.

“He’s fine, I suppose. We... aren’t together anymore.”  Tasha’s jaw clenched at the admission and shook her head. She hadn’t said the words aloud yet.

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“He wasn’t good enough for you anyway, Pumpkin. His ears were too big to have nothing in between ‘em.”

Tasha chuckled as she shut off the engine and opened the driver’s side door. “Thanks, Pop.”

“I agree with your father. Now, you have more time to wait on the man that’s supposed to court you, not the other way around. You know, I know a guy.”

“Mhmm,” Tasha mumbled. “Here, let me help with that.”

Gerald stopped pulling suitcases from the trunk and kindly pushed his daughter’s hand away. “I got it, Pumpkin. Take your mama inside. She’s been dying to see your house.”

Tasha laughed at her father’s thinly veiled plea for alone time before ushering her mother into her home. Elaine stepped into the foyer and paused, taking a long look at her surroundings. Beside the door, a basketball rested by a black duffle bag.

“You’re playing basketball again,” she questioned.

“Every once in a while I play with the girls as the facility. No big deal.”

Elaine took another look at the oversized sweatshirt barely hanging out of the bag. “Hm.”

Before Tasha could address Elaine’s non-verbal judgement, her mother had moved on to the living room. Elaine stopped to examine photos and sculptures carefully placed on each surface, finding many of them to have ties back to home or family. Her fingers ghosted over awards from her daughter’s time away from home and she smiled. If Elaine was nothing else, she was proud of Tasha.

While she listened to her husband and daughter wrestle luggage into the house, Elaine carefully took a seat on the large sectional to rest her aching legs. The way she flopped against the plush piece of furniture surprised Elaine, making her giggle but stop when she got a whiff of the air around her. Beside her head lay a dark fleece blanket and she took a deep inhale to place it as a source of the masculine smell.

“This is a nice blanket, Nicole,” she complimented. “It looks warm.”

“It is. Got it on a trip back from Connecticut last year. Great naps have been taken under that thing.”

What Tasha thought as a random fun fact about her favorite blanket made her mother smirk with realization. She knew the smell of a gentleman caller when she encountered one. Though the information wasn’t enough to stop the plan she had in motion, she felt a strange comfort in knowing that Tasha was living a life that pleased her, something Elaine had drilled into her and her sister’s head since their pre-teen years.

“Dad, you want a drink. I have this expensive artisan beer that Ch... a friend left over. When they visited. A friend.”

Tasha stilled to slow her rapidly beating heart at her near mistake. Neither of her parents had seemed to notice and, for that, she was silently grateful.

“My girl is drinking beer now,” Gerald questioned with a wide smile. “Becoming just like your old man.”

“Yeah, well, I dabble. Gotta keep up with the white boys at the Lakers game.”

“Atta, girl. Beat ‘em at their own game. C’mon, show me.”

On one side of town, Tasha busied herself with introducing her parents to the wonders of pale ales and stouts, while on the other, Chadwick emptied grocery bags filled to brim with dinner ingredients. He spent much of the process silently scolding his parents for placing items in areas he knew CoCo wouldn’t enjoy. When his mother moved to place the entire jug of orange juice in the door of the refrigerator, Chadwick couldn’t resist the urge to stop her.

“Actually,” he started, intercepting her before she could place the jug. “I have some pitchers you can empty that into. They’re nice, I promise.”

His mother eyed him as he retrieved a monogrammed pitcher from the cabinet and rinsed it in the sink. The last time she’d visited, he barely had food in the refrigerator. Now, he had specialized pitchers for juice.

“Where did those come from?” Carol asked, trying to get a better look at the glassware.

“Crate and Barrel. I went with a friend a couple weeks ago and they suggested them.” Unlike Tasha, Chadwick had a solid grasp on his lines and practice keeping secrets.

“Hm. This friend suggest those vanilla candles in the living room, too?”

“Those were a gift. Want one? I have a few more in the linen closet.”

“No, I’m alright. Just... noticing some changes.”

“Like what?” Chadwick asked as he stashed breakfast meat in the refrigerator drawer.

“You live alone now. That’s new.”

Chadwick shrugged, seemingly unphased. “It’s been a couple of weeks. The split was mutual. We’re on better terms these days.”

That was an assumption on his part. Chadwick didn’t know the status of his friendship with Charmaine, but he harbored no ill will. Carol opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by her husband walking into the kitchen with a big smile.

“Hell of theater you got back there son. I bet the big game looked good on that big ‘ole screen.”

“Wanna try it out? I think the playoffs start tonight.”

“What about dinner?” Carol asked.

“We’ll eat early. It’s just us right?”

Chadwick tried to avert his gaze once his mother started to look between him and his father. He didn’t want to let on that he knew more than she had shared.

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about. You remember Tasha, right?”

“She was my best friend, ma,” Chadwick laughed. “Of course I remember her.”

“I know, I know. But did you know she lived here now?”

“She mentioned it when she sent a gift for the movie.”

“So, you two talk again?”

“We’ve talked once or twice.”

“Have you met up?”

“No.” Chadwick answered, keeping his voice flat to appear neutral. Carol smiled in a way that indicated she had information to share. Chadwick allowed the charade to continue.

“Well, I heard from a little birdie that her parents are also in town this weekend. Maybe you should invite them over.”

“Ma, I don’t know if we’re back on those terms yet. It’s been a while.”

“I know,” Carol answered, drawing out ‘know’ as she took steps toward Chadwick. She latched onto his arm and smiled up at her son. “But, what if she stopped by? Just for dinner?”

Chadwick looked between his parents, paying special attention to his father’s grin. He’d never known his dad to be invested in his private life, but there was always spark behind his eyes when Tasha was involved.

Finally, Chadwick pretended to relent.

“Alright, ma. I don’t have her number, though. How will I call?”

Carol clapped her hands like a giddy child and started a search for her phone. “Don’t you worry your head, boy. I have her number right here.” She extended her arm toward his face. “Go on. Call her. I wanna hear you.”

Chadwick felt his body tense and mind begin to scramble for a response. He had expected to make the call when a moment of solitude presented itself. Now, he was forced to go off script and risk throwing Tasha off balance. On a whim, he decided to grab his mother’s phone to make the call.

The phone rang once, and then a third time before Tasha answered.

“Hello?” she answered with a genuine question thick in her tone.

“Hey, Tasha. It’s me...Chadwick.”

Everyone listened as the sounds in the background became louder before CoCo responded. “Hey, Chad. I have you on speaker. My parents are here.”

“Hi, Chadwick!”

“How ya doin’, son!”

Both Tasha and Chadwick chuckled at her parents' excitement.

“I’m good. Good to hear from y’all. Welcome to LA.” Chadwick listened to Elaine and Gerald share various versions of thank you before continuing. “Hey, so, funny thing...my parents are here too.”

“Oh really? Give them my love. I know they miss me.”

“We miss you so much, sweetie! Why don’t you come eat dinner with us tonight.”

Chadwick chuckled at his mother’s excitement, “That was my line. She beat me to it, but the invite stands. We’d be happy to have y’all over.”

“We’ll be there!”

“Ma!” Tasha and her mother argued in hushed whispers on the other line, nearly making Chadwick forget that the whole conversation was a carefully planned charade. “I guess we’ll be there. You’ll send the address?”

As if she needed it. “Sure. You’ll get it from another number, okay?”

He wasn’t sure why, but Chadwick felt butterflies flutter in the pit of his belly as if this were truly the first time he was seeing the love of his life. He welcomed the feeling and smiled on the other end, making his parents join in on his happiness.

“Great. See you soon,” Tasha answered, a hint of smile in her voice to match Chadwick’s.

They hung up with promises to text for more details and inside jokes that made only them laugh. With a few white lies, they had tricked their parents, and nearly themselves, into believing they were set to embark on a glorious reunion between college friends.

Tasha spent hours rifling through what little clothing she still had at her condo, tossing outfit after outfit onto her bedroom floor until she came up with something she felt would catch her man’s eye.

Across town, Chadwick and his mother arranged and rearranged the dining table dishes to ensure that he was putting forth the best “first” impression. They settled on elegant china that Chadwick felt was a bit too formal for the occasion, but he let it stand. At the very least the flatware would impress Tasha’s parents.

As Tasha drove through Chadwick’s neighborhood, she made sure to maintain a facade of discovery. She didn’t take the normal shortcuts or skip the growing pothole on the street that tormented her each day on the way home from work. She pretended to be surprised at the ornate sculptures crafted from bushes at a nearby house and the amount of expensive cars in the driveways they passed.

“The boy is doing well for himself,” Gerald commented from the backseat.

“Very well. But, we always knew it’d be like this. Chadwick was destined to be big.”

Elaine spoke about Chadwick as if he was some utra celebrity and not the same kid that she had to constantly remind to slow down while he ate so that he wouldn’t choke on his food.

Tasha laughed as she pulled into his driveway. “He’s a movie star. It’s to be expected.”

One by one, the Greene family stepped out of the car into the crisp, early Spring air and started up the short driveway toward the door. Tasha hung back and examined the house from the outside, admiring how the two potted plants they’d placed on the porch were starting to go into one another like their namesakes.

Gerald rapped his knuckles against the door several times before Elaine scolded him for being rude as she pressed the doorbell. When Tasha caught up to her parents, the door opened and sent light from the inside spilling onto the front porch. Chadwick popped out of the house with his arms open wide.

“Family!”

He gripped Tasha’s parents into tight hugs, sharing familiar pleasantries as he welcomed them into his home. Elaine stuttered when it was her turn to embrace, taking a deep whiff of Chadwick’s shoulder and feeling transported to a moment earlier in the day. She kept quiet, but took note of his hug with Tasha as he moved on to greet the other members of the household. Elaine noticed the way he seemed to hug her like a man familiar with the curvature of his lover’s body and shared a look with Carol that spoke louder than words.

As a unit, they quickly fell back into familiar behaviors, catching each other up with life’s happenings and new discoveries. On the far end of Chadwick’s sectional, he and Tasha sat close enough to share side conversations that only they could hear.

“Just like old times,” Lawrence, Chadwick’s father, commented over his glass of water. “You two haven’t changed in over 20 years.”

“What you mean, dad? We’re just over here talking.”

“That ain’t just talking,” Gerald chimed in. “Y’all always had your little secret language.”

“And a knack for keeping each other’s secrets.”

Tasha looked over at Elaine who sat with a knowing smirk on her face that unsettled her daughter. Chadwick easily maintained his cool as he sipped from his wine glass.

“That’s how it goes when you’ve been friends this long. We are still friends, right?”

Tasha felt her cheeks become warm through her bashful smile. “Of course. Always.”

Both sets of parents looked on with fond smiles while their kids shared a moment of rekindling a little more than longtime friendship. Elaine and Carol exchanged winks to congratulate each other on a job well done.

“Well isn’t that sweet,” Carol spoke after clearing her throat. “But, I think the roast is done. Can we move this moment to the dining room?”

“Yeah, sure. Tasha, can you help mama in the kitchen? You need help right, mama?”

“I’ll take it wherever I can get it,” she laughed.

“Now, you know you don’t ever have to ask me for help. I’m right behind you.”

The group quickly dispersed to different corners of the house, leaving Tasha and Carol to explore Chadwick’s kitchen on their own. Tasha took it upon herself to reach into the drawer beside the stove and grab pot holders. Carol watched her move around the space as if she had been there a thousand times.

“Did you say you’ve visited Chad before?”

Tasha looked back as she opened the stove and shook her head. “No, ma’am. This is my first time.”

“Hm. Okay.” She continued to watch Tasha carefully slide the roast out of the oven and close the door with her hip. When Tasha turned around, Carol tried to recover a moment too late. Tasha smiled nervously.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” Carol quickly answered. “I just...I thought...it doesn’t matter. I’ll grab another bottle of wine and meet you in the dining room.”

Carol’s pivot seemed to do the trick once Tasha carried the main dish to the dining room. Chadwick sat at the end of the table with a mixed look of boredom and relief once Tasha entered the room. He sprung up to retrieve the dish from her hands, but Tasha gripped his hands to stop him.

“Your mom is being weird,” Tasha whispered.

“Your’s too. She noticed that bottle of air freshener you always spray in here and asked where it came from.”

“What is she a fuckin’ bloodhound?”

“She is you,” Chadwick laughed. “I think I got us out of it, but be careful.”

Carol’s entrance forced the pair to separate and pretend to focus on different tasks. She eyed their charade for a moment before looking over to Elaine and their aloof husbands solely focused on dinner.

She took a seat beside Lawrence just as Tasha settled in next to Chadwick while trying to avoid eye contact.

“So, who’s going to say the blessing? Tasha?”

Tasha’s eyes grew wide, “Oh, I’m probably not the best person. You know how I am with words and this isn’t my house anyway. How about Chad?”

“Uh, sure. Everybody bow your heads.” Tasha squeezed Chadwick’s hand as a silent thanks and clamped her eyes shut to avoid the daggers he sent in her direction. Chadwick took a deep breath in search of words to fit the occasion. “Lord, thank you for bringing us together again tonight. Especially Tasha and I as long time friends. We-”

“Hope that you will use all of us to tell the truth about our love for one another. Please, don’t let this night pass without every feeling and overlooked detail put on the table. It’d be a shame for us to leave here holding on to what you put on our hearts to share.”

Amens, both genuine and forced, sounded around the table to signal the end of Elaine’s awkward prayer. The group sat in silence while scooping food onto their plates. Tasha and Chadwick attempted to remain inconspicuous.

“Chadwick, how’s Hollywood treating you,” Gerald asked between bites of food.

“Ah, you know how it goes out here. I go to work, come home and avoid all that foolishness in between. The pay is good though. I can’t lie about that.”

“You better be avoiding the foolishness. Tasha, now that you’re here, keep my boy straight.”

“Yes, sir,” Tasha laughed. “If I’m not good at anything else, I’m good at bossing him around.”

“Did Tasha tell you that she’s single now?”

“Ma! We literally just got here. When would I have had time to share that?” Tasha shot her mother a glare across the table and received a shrug in return.

“I only asked a question. Are you single Chad?”

Chadwick chuckled as he slipped his hand under the table and gripped Tasha’s thigh. “No, I didn’t know she was single and, yes, I am recently single. The last relationship didn’t workout quite the way she hoped.”

“Sounds like you two have something in common.”

“Oh you and what’s his name aren’t together?”

Tasha caught Chadwick’s obvious sarcasm and brushed his hand off her leg. He continued to laugh at her expense, leaving no room for her to unleash her frustration beyond a curt smile.

“You know his name, Aaron. And, no, we are not. That is my business to keep to myself.”

“Alright,” Chadwick answered. “Maybe I can hook you up with one of my actor friends. I hear Anthony Mackie is looking for someone your type.”

“I’ll pass. Actors aren’t my thing.”

“Hm. That’s not what I heard.”

Chadwick jokingly nudged Tasha’s shoulder, garnering a look from Elaine and Carol.

“What did you hear,” Carol asked. “Don’t the kids say something about the tea?”

“Nothing. Chadwick hasn’t heard a thing but a seminar on how to still be annoying after 20 years.”

He laughed and wiped his mouth. “I’m pretty good at it, too. You look a little flushed, though. Want more wine?”

A simple diversion pushed the conversation into talks of wine tasting and how to pair reds and whites, effectively ending all relationship talk for a stretch. Underneath the table, Tasha and Chadwick took turns letting their hands wander. The cat and mouse game quickly grew inappropriate with fingers buried between thighs and palms gripping sacred parts over thick denim fabric. Their parents enjoyed helping after helping of food until each person was stuffed and nearly falling out of their seats. Lawrence, however, wasn’t done.

“I could go for some dessert,” he mentioned during a lull in the conversation. “What we got in the kitchen?”

“Mama, you got that cheesecake I ordered, right? Tasha, wanna help me grab it.” Chadwick had been thinking about a way to briefly separate from the group to sneak a kiss or a hug and, finally, he’d found an out.

Tasha peeped the hint of demand in his voice and nodded. “For sure. You know you have butter fingers anyway. We’ll be right back.”

The pair didn’t give their parents time to reject the offer before they scurried out of the room. When they made it into the kitchen undetected, Tasha pulled Chadwick into a searing kiss. He chuckled against her lips while fondling her backside.

“Your joke was not funny,” Tasha mumbled before breaking the kiss. “Mackie? Really?”

“Gotta make it realistic, baby. You handled it like a champ.”

“Mhmm. Next time, I’m coming with jokes about your relationship.”

Chadwick allowed Tasha to slip from his grip and head to the refrigerator. He watched her hips sway for a second before reaching into the cabinet to grab dessert plates.

“Which ones do you usually use?”

“The white marble. Grab the gold forks to match the decor. You did a good setting it up by yourself.”

“Do you know how hard it was to keep my mama from moving stuff around?”

“Probably as hard as it was to keep mine out of my office. Why can’t they be like our dad’s?”

“Because then we wouldn’t love them as much,” he added. “Only a couple more days of this and then I can have you back in here with my shirts on.”

“Oh, so, we aren’t meeting up for some car sex tomorrow.”

Tasha stepped closer as Chadwick lifted a brow and watched her beneath hooded lids. “Don’t tempt me, baby.”

“Now, Aaron. You know that ain’t my style. I’ll call you. We’ll call it lunch.” Balancing the tray of cheesecake in one hand, Tasha pressed a quick kiss against Chadwick’s lips before turning to leave the kitchen.

“Who wants cheesecake,” he hollered as he followed Tasha back into the dining room with a smile.

Both sets of parents watched the couple attempt to pass out slices without bumping into each other, taking note of the clear gloss making Chadwick’s lips shine. Lawrence tried to send messages to his son to wipe his mouth but all of them went unnoticed. Elaine and Carol shared smiles while Gerald stifled a laugh.

After passing out each piece of cake, Tasha and Chadwick took their seats and found all eyes on them.

“What,” Chadwick asked as he stabbed a fork into his cheesecake.

Lawrence cleared his throat. “I think you have something you need to share, son.”

“Like what?”

“Maybe Tasha will know,” Elaine added. Tasha forced a laugh and smiled.

“I don’t even know what’s going on right now. What are you talking about?”

“How about you start with how long you and Chadwick have been seeing each other. And be honest this time, Pumpkin.”

Tasha and Chadwick froze. In the mirror above his parent’s head and noticed the evidence of their secret still on his lips. There was no sense in preserving the farce. They were caught red handed. So, he smiled and shook his head. Tasha finally relented with a hearty laugh.

“When did you know, mama?”

“Child, as soon as I smelled man on your couch and hugged this one at the door. You have to be smarter than that.”

Carol chimed in and pointed at Tasha, “And this one went in the kitchen and started pulling things out of the drawer like she owned the place.”

“You don’t think we noticed the glassware in the fridge? You drink orange juice out of the carton and now all of a sudden there’s pitchers all over the place.”

“Since when do you drink beer, Pumpkin. I knew you either had a boyfriend or you were going through a midlife crisis like your mama when she only drank martinis for a year.”

Chadwick and Tasha listen to all the places they had neglected tiny details, feeling slightly foolish that they’d tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the people that knew them best.

“Okay, you got us,” Chadwick admitted. “This was all Tasha’s idea. I wanted to tell y’all right away. It’s been almost two months of this lie she made me tell.”

“Oh, hush! I just figured we would tell you when we were ready. Well, when I was ready. I’m sorry, y’all.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Carol answered.

“This just gives us more time for planning.”

Tasha raised an eyebrow while leaning into Chadwick’s side. “Planning what?”

“The wedding of course,” Elaine exclaimed. Tasha’s groan became covered by Chadwick’s boisterous laughter.

“Lay ‘em on me, Ms. Greene. What you thinking?”

“How do feel about a rustic wedding, Ooh ooh, let me go grab my phone. Did I tell you I have a Pinterest now?”

[inopinion]

Rainbow Brigade

@mareshmallow... @chelsthebookworm... It’s my delight to gift to you the following fic in honor of this Holiday Season.

Whether due to surprise or etiquette, Cal shot up from his relaxed slump when more people joined him and his silver commanders in the room. Farley blocked his view for a moment and he relaxed recognizing other members of Command. His head snapped between Farley and a man on his right with only a small hint of confusion and a whole heap of annoyance. Then, intending to land back on Farley, he instead looked directly at Mare and morphed like an ember being extinguished in a muddy puddle. He visibly struggled to recover his composure. Cal turned to consult with the squat man with graying temples. Neither of them expected command to be there and Cal hadn’t anticipated seeing Mare so soon.

Command thought Mare could have input on the Guard’s strategy and, disrupt the power balance at least a little. Farley stayed true to Command’s decision and convinced Mare to attend a Command meeting, forgetting to mention that they were crashing a Silver alliance meeting.

It’s only because he couldn’t control his eyes–always finding Mare even during the introductions, that he noticed the sag in her posture. She held her arm to her gingerly, and defensively. She’d left the battlefield hurt, but was healed before they entered the hall with House Samos. Her injuries made him shift in his seat. Twenty-four hours had passed and she was already hurt.

When she slid her hand off the table and under she emitted a soft groan. Cal shifted forward and into the table between them, a physical reminder of his divisive choice. The move stopped the droning speech of the squat man on his arm.

When his adviser put a hand on Cal’s forearm, a sign of caution and meant to ground him, Cal exploded. Flames flickered and heat exuded throughout the tiny room. The man retracted, moving an arms length away. Cal blanched hot, eyes lit up. Suspicion crease the corners of his eyes. His chin jutted up in defiance.

“Who’s games are you playing, Mare?” His echoing snarl snapped in half when the heavy door slammed shut behind him. Clearly, the prince thought Mare’s presence —wounded as she was— a play on his emotions. A play that obviously worked.

Farley turned to Mare, eyes set on rectifying the situation, at least on explaining it; but Mare didn’t have time or patience or enough calm left to give her the chance.

“What game are we playing? I’m not playing anyone’s game.” Mare shook. Shaking was safer than pulling the lights down around the tables, but the lights still flickered.

[]

“Get me out of here,” Mare demanded.

“I didn’t think… None of us thought…” Farley started but words couldn’t chip away the anger. She hedged with facts instead. “We’re regrouping at the base, first transport at 1540. I’ll put your name on the list.”

Mare picked up an already packed duffel and marched to the field of transports to wait.

[]

Kilorn and Bree leaned against the hanger and waited for the transport door to spread wide. New bloods spilled out, silent and tired. Most were injured and in need of Sarah’s attention, Mare included. She looked more exhausted than any of them.

“Hey, Mare!” Bree called her attention and Kilorn wished he was the one to catch her first hug as she crumpled in Bree’s arms. “You’re hurt?”

“I’m okay. A New Blood healed most of it on the plane,” Mare assured him.

“Mare, come on. Your mom’s waiting.” Kilorn tugged them into motion. She sucked up snot and dried her eyes, squeezing his arm in response. She fell into her family and sunk into bed next to Gisa, sleeping more than a day in one stretch.

A stroke on her shoulder brought her around. Her dream told her it was Cal, her mind reminded her it was not. And her eyes hardened to see Farley, in plain clothes, looking with pity.

“Why do you want?” Mare hissed, her throat dry and her chest sore.

“Are you ill?”

“What do you want?” Mare repeated, then pushed up and out of bed. She fumbled fingers through her hair and ignored the ache in her body. She couldn’t ignore the pulse of pain from her bladder.

“To see if you’re okay. You’ve been out for a while.”

“I’m fine.” She moved to side step Farley, but she was immediately blocked.

“Sleeping so much isn’t a sign of being okay.”

Mare bobbed left but Farley countered. “Move or I’ll piss right on you.”

Farley twisted to the side and let Mare pass, but stayed outside the door.

“If your sick, I’ll send for Sarah,” Farley murmured.

“A little privacy?”

“Mare—” when the lights flickered, Farley backed down the stairs.

The shower revived her although she didn’t know to what ends. But Farley surely had a purpose specially chosen for her: a performance to give, a speech to read, a lie to tell. She combed her hair and fixed it back into a braid. The gray ends made up nearly half of her length. Running the tail through her fingers she considered her options. If she went down stairs, she’d be obligated to listen. If she stomped out the front door, Farley would follow. She examined the different hues of gray as she turned her hair in the sunlight, then approached the window.

A window on the second floor was directly below her bedroom. It had a brick facade that jutted out an extra inch framing it. The little ledge was enough for her toes. And a small leap away was the sturdy branch of a oak. Escaping became second nature months ago. She lowered herself carefully, caught the ledge, and leapt backwards, twisting and grabbing the branch. Her breath caught as the tight skin forming into a scar on her arm pulled in an uncomfortable stretch. She moved hand over hand to the trunk and slid down to the grass. Better safe than sorry, she ran the length of the street and only slowed when she saw the swirl of storm clouds over the practice field.

She could sense Ella’s power halfway across the base. She exuded an energy that coursed through the air begging Mare to come play. Tyton must have felt similar, as he sucked blue waves of light down into his skin and bounced white, crackling shocks between his fingers. He sent his bolts to a mannequin mock-up. It sizzled and danced on the sand. Mare gaped as the crown toppled off it’s head and onto the ground. She was certain it wasn’t Maven drawing their ire.

Ella’s clouds dissipated and cleared, Tyton stopped crackling his fingertips and both looked sheepishly at their toes. Mare gathered the static from the air and shot bright purple at the tin-foil hat and watched it blacken and fuse together with coils of lightning-glass.

“Sorry, Mare. Rough situation,” Rafe sighed, his hand in a sling.

“You were hurt?” She countered, placing the focus back on him.

“Not as much as it looks. I’m low priority for the healers, scheduled for tomorrow.”

She nodded and turned back to the field.

“You got any more crowns?” Mare asked.

“A few,” Ella smiled, pointing at a small pile of shrapnel fashioned into metal rings. Ella picked one made from barbed wire coils, tossed it a few times between her palms then and then launched it like a frisbee out and up. Mare painted the darkening sky purple.

—-

“How long are you going to avoid me?” Farley asks, coming behind Mare on her trek from her parents home to the barracks.

Training with the other Electricons was more than a distraction to Mare. And, in her estimation, none of Farley’s business. Lacking actual orders to fight or even a direction for what the Guard would pursue next, everyone had turned to routines and training to pass the time. Mare didn’t even slow her pace, no intention to respond. Petty as it was to hold her encounter with Cal against Farley, Mare couldn’t look at her without sparks threatening to dance on her skin.

“You’re a soldier and you are one step away from being insubordinate. I know you don’t want to face the facts–”

“What else am I supposed to do? I’m training just like every other soldier.”

“You’re not just another soldier. We need you to show up to meetings.”

“Why? I’m not good at scheming like you. Every time I try, I fuck up. Remember? Misjudging Cal. Misjudging Maven. Misjudging John. Misjudging Cal, again. Lets stop pretending I’m at all helpful in making decisions. I am a new blood, a foot soldier. All I’m good at is fighting. So go figure out who or what or where you want me to kill next, because I’m done shitting all over this with my bad ideas.”

Farley’s mouth opened and closed two times before she nodded and let Mare continue to her new bunk.

[]

“You couldn’t tell me this morning that you were moving?” Kilorn slumped onto the foot of her bed. He wiggled his toes in his boots and stretched his back as if he’d walked a dozen miles. Mare peaked out from under the flesh of her upper arm. She’d been dozing after a hard training session, blocking out the sun and the situation at the same time with the familiar feel of her sweaty skin.

“You ever dye anything before?” Mare asked.

“I walked all the way to your folks place only to be told you decided to rough it out here with us.”

“Dying? Have you ever dyed anything?” she stated with crisper enunciation.

“Not a ‘sorry’ or a ‘oops’?”

Mare sat up on her elbows and pushed his side with her barefoot while saying, “Kilorn, I’m sorry you had to walk an extra half mile and eat diner with my family.”

“How’d you know?” Kilorn sat back, eyebrow raised.

“There’s crumbs on your shirt.” She pointed with her toe. He slapped her foot back down to the bed.

“Tramy sent rolls. I might have ate one.” Kilorn produced two bread rolls from behind his back. Mare snatched them, greedy. “What do you wanna dye?”

“My hair.”

“Ask Gisa.”

“I’m asking you,” she said, mouth full of dry crust.

“What color?” he relented.

“Purple.”

Kilorn considered her thoughtfully, breaking into a small grin. “Conformist.”

“Shut up.” She snapped to her feet, pulled on her boots, and pushed him in the direction of the toilets.

[]

“I thought you weren’t gonna dye your hair,” Rafe smirked.

“I’ve made a dozen bad decisions, why not this one?” she countered, passing them on her way up the hill.

Half way into practice, a message runner arrived in a transport. Ella took the note, Mare was focused on precision strikes, sweating and cursing as she hit and missed.

“Hold up, Barrow. We got orders.” Ella passed the note to her.

“Lakelands? We’re going to the Lakelands?” Mare racked her brain for any reason why the Scarlet Guard would cross the silver lines and attack in enemy territories, especially without an agreement with Cal. She regretted skipping meetings.

“So?” Rafe looked at her expectantly.

She struggled again, then swallowed hard. Under her own request, she knew no more details than any other soldier.

“Soldiers don’t make choices, they follow orders. Let’s get ready.” She lead them back to the barracks. Her insistence that she didn’t know anything additional didn’t dissuade their pointed questions.

Mare gave her mother a hug like it could be the last and then followed it with her father and brothers. Gisa she squeezed extra tight.

Kilorn pulled a hand out of his pocket so he could punch her shoulder lightly. “You come back, okay?” He nodded at her.

“Stay out of trouble,” she hit his shoulder back a tad harder than he had.

She turned and took in a deep breath when she faced the transport. Kilorn’s hand on her shoulder spun her around and he wrapped her up.

“Stay alive. Don’t forget you got us here. Okay? He means nothing in all of this.”

“Who?” She responded dryly.

“Don’t be stupid just because you’re hurting. Just come home, okay?” He held her long enough to force a nod.

The Electricons waited for her to board first then followed up the ramp.

[]

Three days of walking into skirmishes and they’d finally stumbled onto a walled city built on the cliffs of the coast. Each company had a rough split of the new blood powers, excepting those that needed water from the ocean or who could turn the iron gates from defensive structures to offensive weapons. Mare called energy from a well so deep inside of her she scarcely believed she had more left to draw. Her energy was fading, she was fading. Never one to pray, she found herself searching for fireballs, heat, warmth, a sign that he’d come and help her, save her. They’d always saved each other. Down on one knee, she saw her purple bend down, snatched and turned yellow. She pushed through the Telky woman battering her with stones and bodies. She watching a blond-headed body streak past, sparks flying from fingertips, but no armor. She raced after him, eager to protect him, to draw energy from him, to get a respite and recover. Another Electricon, an undiscovered Lakelander New Blood could be a powerful ally in recruitment.

[]

The base gathered around the transports as one after another arrived. The first ship carried the wounded. And the second contained lower priority cases. Each transport that landed after produced waves of returning soldiers, prisoners, and new allies. Every plane was greeted as if they all carried victors and not ravaged rebels. Most of the coastal cities had been freed from silver control. But each was released back to Lakelanders as the small army moved from one to the next. In succession, every town but one was reclaimed by silver lords. But a heavy price had been paid. In the silver-lining, new bloods roused from the Lakeland countryside arrived for training, equipment, and supplies. All were ready to be sent back to join the fight as members of the Scarlet Guard.

Ruth reached Mare first, cupping her swollen face gently. The bruising on her left side was bad enough that she was barely recognizable, and Mare suspected she had a fractured orbital socket.

“I’m okay, mom,” she assured, pushing her mother’s hands away from her injuries.

The rest of her Electricons emerged from the transport behind her. The blond-headed boy starstruck by the big hangers and the crowd straggled for a moment and hopped two big strides to catch up with Tyton and Rafe. Ella limped a little behind the boys.

Kilorn touched her shoulders and chuckled in a nervous release of anxiety. “You’re two colors short of officially being the Rainbow Brigade,” he teased.

“Oh that one? Yeah, picked him up at the first city. He’s been a pretty good addition. He may not need any hair dye to fit in. But I could use a touch up.” She smiled and allowed her arms to wrap around his middle. He rocked her inside of a solid hug, their soles pushing from side to side.

“Good job staying alive.” Kilorn pressed his face to the top of her head.

“Who else is gonna keep you in line?” Mare sighed into him, heavy in his arms. For the first time since they left weeks prior, she let herself relax.