#so i covered really quickly and said that our old tooth fairy (her name was willow) had taken on an apprentice but she wasnt quite used

[nomairuins]

RLY EXCITING STUFF i got to be on parttime tooth fairy duty for the first time ^_^

[alostsock]

Baby!Buck AU 12/12

TW: The abuse (emotional, verbal and physical) is discussed openly.

Also I don’t know anything about anything American law (or any law, really) or about getting custody of a kid, so hopefully it’s plausible but sorry if it’s way off.

I did google how much the tooth fairy leaves on average.

Also also I suppose this is the last part? Hoping to tie up the loose ends I left lying around and end it here, but maybe come back to this AU with one-shots later if anything comes to me?

Thank you to everyone who read and liked and commented! I read them all and I’m very grateful (and surprised that there are people who are into this random thing that my brain spat out), and especially thank you to @datleggy for putting up with my rambling and giving this a once-over.

---

They settle into a routine. Chimney takes over babysitting duties from the Buckleys’ neighbour when he’s off shift, and most days he babysits he takes the kid by the firehouse.

He spends the night at the Buckley apartment more and more often, so it’s really pretty inevitable that he eventually witnesses Evan’s nightmares. They happen fairly frequently at first, but then, as time goes on, less and less often. He knows Maddie has been taking him to a child psychologist, so he supposes, and hopes, that that’s helping.

Even with their lessening frequency, Chimney is pretty used to being woken up by cries from the next room, to following Maddie as she jumps out of bed and races to her brother, to watching sadly, wishing he knew how to help, as she holds him while he cries.

What Chimney isn’t expecting to be woken by, however, is tossing and turning and a flailing arm from right beside him.

“Maddie? Maddie it was just a dream, you’re okay, you’re okay.” She’s shaking her head desperately, pushing his hands off of her as she untangles herself from the bedsheets and runs to Evan’s room. Evan is still asleep, the stuffed whale’s tail held loosely in his hand, and Maddie’s breathes a sigh of relief which quickly turns into sobs that she covers her mouth to try to stifle.

“Come on, it’s okay.” He puts his arm around her and ushers her out of Evan’s room and back to their own. Getting back into bed he pulls her close to him, and she tucks herself against his chest, trying to wipe away her tears. “Do you want to tell me what it was about? Might help to talk about it?”

At first Maddie starts to shake her head, but then she hesitates. She turns in his grip to face him more fully, nervously looking into his eyes before sighing and settling back into his hold.

“I’m...” Chimney presses a kiss to her hair, waiting for her to continue. “I... never told you why we moved out here.”

Chimney stills. He had wondered, sure, had suspected it wasn’t exactly a happy story. But in the months they’d known each other, he really hadn’t learned anything about it. He knows they’re from Pennsylvania, he knows where Maddie got her nursing degree, he’s heard her mention at least one cousin but... that’s it. He doesn’t actually even know her parents’ names.

“My parents... I mean... they were okay with me, I guess. A little emotionally distant but they never hurt me or anything. Average, worked a lot, left me home alone a lot but it was fine. I had food and a roof and it was... it was fine.”

Chimney doesn’t really think that that sounds like it was actually fine, but he doesn’t interrupt.

“Evan was... Evan was an accident.” She’s whispering now, giving the closed door furtive glances. It’s obviously something she doesn’t want Evan to overhear, and it’s just as obvious why. “And then dad got laid off when he was just a baby, and money was tight, and he started drinking more, and sometimes when he was drunk he would... he would tell Evan that he was a mistake, that he was a waste of money, of time, of space...” She’s crying, tears streaming down her face. Chimney’s frozen. Everything is starting to make sense. “He started picking up jobs here and there but he was still... he was still drinking... still angry, still telling this... this toddler, this baby, who never wanted anything more than a little love, that he was in the way, and that he cost too much and that he was a mistake and that.... that he regretted him being born at all. Evan’s been... he’s been hearing those things since before he was even old enough to understand what they meant. I mean... some of them he probably still doesn’t understand but... it’s all he knew, for so, so long.” 

Chimney squeezes her tighter, tears pricking at his eyes.

“Our mom... she was kind of detached, and even though she was feeding him and putting him to bed she just... wasn’t really there. I don’t know if she really cared at all, which I never... I never understood. The moment I held him in my arms I was completely in love. Those blue eyes and the little tuft of blond hair and I was in love with that baby, with every bit of my being but she just...” She shakes her head, swiping quickly at the tears on her face before continuing.

“Evan was two when I graduated high school and I already knew it was bad...but I... I was eighteen and I kind of wanted to grab him and run but I didn’t have any money, I didn’t have a job and... I had an offer to nursing school with some scholarships and I got a few loans and...” she breaks off with a sob. Chimney just holds her tighter. “I left him.”

“Maddie...” 

“No. I... I left him there.” She covers her mouth, trying to cry silently, not wanting to wake up her brother. “I told myself they weren’t physically hurting him and I left him there alone.”

Chimney shakes his head desperately, searching for the right words to say. She was young, she didn’t have the means to take care of him... it must have felt impossible.

“You were a child, Maddie. You have him now, and he’s safe and happy and he has a whole bunch of people who love him. I love that kid. So much.”

Maddie looks up into his eyes again before ducking her head back down in shame.

“No. It... Every time I went back to visit it was worse.”

Chimney feels his stomach sinking. “Worse?”

“I started seeing the bruises and even with all the excuses they made I knew... and so I started to look into if it really would be possible for me to get him, but being halfway through school, and jobless and... I knew it would be hard. And every time I would leave for school again he would cling to me and cry, and I just... kept leaving him. Telling him that it was going to be okay, that I’d be back for him soon.”

Chimney starts running his fingers through her hair, but keeps quiet.

“He broke his arm once, when he was five. Hairline fracture, he had a cast when I got back for Christmas. Our mom said he fell off the playground, and Evan never disagreed. God, he never wanted anything but to please them. He’d agree with anything, say anything, do anything they asked. I still don’t know for sure what happened. I mean maybe he did just fall off the playground.

“I graduated, and so I was applying for jobs and for custody at the same time. They didn’t want to give it up. I don’t even know why, but they fought it, and without any concrete proof...”

She turns in his hold, tucking herself into his side with a sigh.

“Then everything kind of happened at once. I got a long-term offer here in LA, and a week or so after dad came home really drunk, and angry, and he pushed Evan down the stairs, knocked Mom into a cabinet. Evan broke his arm. The same one, actually, but a compound fracture this time. God, his tiny, tiny arm just...” She shakes her head. “Mom was concussed, and she finally admitted to the... the abuse at the hospital, said she’d support my application, and so it got pushed through and before the end of the month we were here.”

Chimney presses a kiss to her hair, speechless for a moment. He clears the emotion from his throat.

“Maddie... Maddie... I’m so, so glad you’re both safe. And I’m so glad you’re both here.”

“He never laid a hand on me, though, I...” Chimney cut her off.

“No, no. I’m glad you’re both safe, and away from all that.” He pauses as questions pop into his head. “Wait, do they know where you are? Would... would they do anything if they did?”

Maddie shakes her head. “They know I got a job in California, but they don’t know where. I didn’t tell them where I was going, and I didn’t give them my new number. I just... I wanted Evan to have a fresh start. He’s eight and he has so much anxiety and fear and... I thought he deserved one.”

“He did. You did too.” He tucks her hair behind her ear. “And you have a family here, now. You both do. You’ll be okay.”

---

Hen becomes “Auntie Hen,” and Bobby becomes “Uncle Bobby” and sometimes “Uncle Cap,” which is usually accompanied by a cheeky grin and followed by tickle fights. They have barbecues at Bobby’s place, and movie nights at Hen’s, and go out as a team for picnics at the beach.

The other firefighters continue calling Evan “Firefighter Buckley,” which becomes “Buckley” which becomes just “Buck” and then becomes so engrained that when they get him a tiny t-shirt with the LAFD logo printed on it for Christmas, they stamp “Buck” across the back.

Evan loses a tooth and Chimney slips a $20 bill under his pillow to join Maddie’s dollar, and when Maddie realizes she shoots Chimney an exasperated look, trying to look disapproving but clearly fighting to hide a grin.

Maddie, Chimney and Evan go whale watching for Evan’s birthday, and Chimney doesn’t think he’s ever seen his kid smile so brightly. He hangs a picture of the three of them in his locker, and tries to remember just when Evan became his. 

They’ll be okay.

[shirtlesssammy]

5x06: I Believe the Children Are Our Future

Then:

Sam and Dean Winchester started the apocalypse

Now:

At a home in Alliance, Nebraska, a young woman, Amber, stays up late watching TV while she babysits. Totally enraptured with what appears to be Herbie the Love Bug Cujo on the television, she starts to mindlessly brush her hair.

She hears a noise and heads to the closet to investigate. Lol, it’s just the kid she’s babysitting all bloody and dead with a spike through his head. Well, not really. He’s just a prankster that won’t go to bed. Before the kid will go to bed though, we have to insert gross sexist funnies. Amber resumes watching TV, while dogs bark and howl outside. Much later the parents come home to find her asleep on the couch. Scratch that, she’s actually dead with horrible claw marks on the side of her face.

Agents Page and Plant are on the case! Sam and Dean take a look at the victim at the morgue. It’s there that they learn that she scratched her own brains out. They next head to interview the family. While Sam talks with the parents, Dean finds the kid and grills him. Lol. The kid denies knowing anything at first, but Dean breaks him by threatening to take him downtown.

It turns out that he put itching powder on the hair brush. Sam is doubtful that ground up maple seeds would cause that much itching.

Sam gets a call and they rush to the hospital, where a charred body is being zipped up in a body bag. The man was electrocuted, and the only witness insists that it was the joy buzzer in his hand that did it.  

Dean’s on the case!! He buys some ham, rubber gloves, and welding goggles and joy buzzes a week’s worth of meals. The joy buzzer cooks faster than a pressure cooker and the ham is cooked in a matter of seconds.

“That crap isn’t supposed to work.” Sam can’t believe it. Dean just starts to dig into the food. They think they’re possibly dealing with cursed objects.

They head to the magic shop that sold both items. Dean finds great joy in the whoopee cushion (AS IS YOUR RIGHT YOU BEAUTIFUL 10 YEAR OLD BOY).

The shop owner admits that kids aren’t really into magic anymore, but he did sell itching powder and a joy buzzer recently. Dean accuses him of being behind the deaths by electrocuting a rubber chicken. The brothers quickly realize their mistake and take off, leaving the poor shop owner in a state of existential trauma.

That night, a father tells his little girl about the magic of the tooth fairy. “So some freak is going to come in my room while I’m sleeping and take my tooth? Sounds scary, no thank you.” The father puts the tooth under her pillow anyway. Later that night she sneaks into his bedroom and places the tooth under his pillow. And that girl was right, and a stone cold brutal daughter, because the dad gets a visit from Hansel the tooth fairy and the results aren’t pretty.

Later at the hospital, the brothers discuss the latest happenings of the case. Besides the tooth fairy, a couple kids have stomach ulcers from mixing Pop Rocks and Soda (I thought your stomach exploded from mixing the two!) and one guy’s face “froze that way.”

Dean admits to believing that Sea Monkeys were real (Of course he believed in that beautiful domestic family lie.) Dean surmises that kids all believe the things that are happening. Sam wonders if this is the work of a trickster.

While Dean works on his side of ham, Sam does some research into where the victims lived and finds they’re all within a range of a house in the middle of the country. Dean asks if their motel is in the circle, and then holds up his hands, palms covered in hair. DUDE. Sam reminds Dean that he can go “blind from that too.” LOL.

They head out to check out the house. Sam starts to pick the lock on the door, when it is opened by a little boy. Sam asks his name but he wants to know who they are. They flash their badges, but the little boy takes a long look at them. And I’ve said this before, but I’m saying it again. This picture is my origin story with this show:

Anyway, Jesse, the kid, lets them inside so they can talk with him. Dean finds a picture of the “tooth fairy”. He then asks Jesse about all the cases and finally brings out the joy buzzer. “You shouldn’t have that,” Jesse insists. He tells Dean that it can electrocute a person, but Dean tells him that’s not true. Jesse seems to believe him. And to further his point, Dean buzzes it on Sam. (MY GOD, what if Jesse was just trying to make you go away?) Sam is NOT AMUSED.

Leaving the house, Dean has no remorse for buzzing his brother. They know where the crazy in the town is coming from now. Sam does some research and, get this, Jesse was adopted. He has no father listed on his birth certificate, but his birth mom, Julia Wright, lives on the other side of the state.

The boys go to her house and ask about her son. Julia insists that she doesn’t have a son but when Sam asks her about her pregnancy (uh RUDE) she races for the kitchen and grabs a container of salt. She chucks some at them and they just stand there. “You’re not demons?” she asks in surprise.

Over a cup of tea, she tells them that she was possessed by a demon. For nine months, to be specific. (It’s usually more like 10 months, bbys.) “It used my body to give birth to a child.” Not gonna lie, with all the current news and legislation about women’s autonomy over their bodies, this line is EXTRA chilling. Once the child was born, she was able to gain control over the demon. She piled rock salt into her mouth and the demon left in a whirl of smoke. She gave the baby up for adoption but, uh, there was no father. It was a “virgin birth.” (If anything feels hackneyed in this episode, it’s the insistence on making her an outright virgin just for narrative symmetry.)

Dean tells her, rather gently, that Jesse is alive and is a “good kid.” When they leave, the spectre of a demon-baby requires a call to Cas. Back at “The Liberty” in their Americana-themed motel room (ffs Wanek, you’re killing me), Cas appears, ready to smite the child. Sam and Dean are taken aback. The child, Cas explains, is extra powerful and known throughout the world by many names. But in America, they know him as the antichrist. Ooo JUST in time for the apocalypse! Great timing.

Cas sits down after delivering this message and a whoopie cushion wheezes out slowly, deflating (see what I did there) the situation.

Sam wants to know if Jesse is the devil’s son. LOL Sam, of course not. Don’t be ridiculous! What a ludicrous idea for a plot line on the show. The child is simply “demon spawn” and is hidden from both angels and demons. Jesse’s powers have ballooned since Lucifer rose and Cas thinks Lucifer wants to find Jesse so he can use him to destroy the host of Heaven. Uh, don’t worry, bby. You’ll help with that in the next couple of seasons.

“We’re the good guys. We don’t just kill children,” Sam insists. Cas gets up in Sam’s face, telling him that he used to be willing to do whatever it took to win a war. Cas! Did you not learn a lesson last season? Oh...I guess you were kinda dead for a little bit. Cas doesn’t think “it” can be trusted not to destroy everything, but Sam wants to tell Jesse the truth. Then he might make the right choice to, you know, not destroy the world and Heaven. Cas stares Sam down. “You didn’t,” Cas tells Sam. BURN. (Meanwhile, I stare meaningfully at Season 14.)

Back at Julia’s house, a postal worker surprises her on her porch. It’s a demon! The demon opens Julia’s mouth and in a disgustingly intimate shot, forces itself inside and possesses her again. UGH. It grabs the information she had about Jesse’s whereabouts and heads out to find him.

Jesse walks downstairs at night for a glass of water, only to be surprised by Cas. Oh, Cas is just there for late night ice cream sundaes, right? “I won’t hurt you,” Cas lies with a knife hidden behind his back. He corners Jesse and emotion cracks his face for the first time as he apologizes, then whips up the knife. Cas bby.

Dean and Sam burst in to save Jesse, only to find him alone. “Was there a guy here in a trenchcoat?” Dean asks. Jesse points to a toy on the floor. It’s Cas!

I do enjoy this moment. It’s both funny and a great display of Jesse’s powers and innocence. Later, Dean carefully sets Cas on the mantel. (#Symbolism) “Is he your friend?” Jesse asks. Yeah, Dean. Is he? “No,” Dean says hastily. Come on, Dean. You don’t want to be turned into an action figure, too? #ActionFigureBoyfriends

Dean whips out his inner nerd to talk to Jesse. Jesse has got superpowers, see? And it just so happens that Dean and Sam travel the world looking for kids with superpowers to be trained at a secret base in South Dakota. “Like the X-Men?” Hell ya, kid. If...the X-Men wasn’t set in a grand mansion and was instead set in a run-down used car lot. Actually, I would watch the hell out of that.

Jesse smiles at this thought, when Dean gets suddenly tossed against a wall. It’s the demon possessing Julia! She tells Jesse that the Winchesters lied to him, and that she’s his mom. Dean manages to burst out that she’s a demon before she does the psychic equivalent of a throat punch.

For Pinned to the Wall AGAIN Science:

“Everyone lied to you,” the demon tells him. His parents, the Winchesters… “You can do anything you want,” she says. She tries to tap into his anger and lights flare and a fire rages in the fireplace. “Imagine,” she says. “A world without lies.” OMG ANDREW DABB.

Sam admits (from his place pinned to the wall) that they lied. Jesse makes the demon “sit down and shut up,” so that Sam can explain what’s going on. Sam tells him about the apocalyptic war going on, and that the demons want to use him like a pawn. With a sentence, Jesse expels the demon from Julia. “Kid, you’re awesome,” Dean says.

Dean picks up the little trench coat action figure. “He’s kinda a buddy of mine,” Dean says. He asks for Cas to be turned back.

“He tried to kill me,” Jesse spits out. Fair point, though Dean insists that Cas is a good guy - just confused. Dean puts Cas back on the shelf, uh, literally.

Then he tells Jesse that they’re going to take him to Bobby to get trained. “What if I don’t wanna fight?” Jesse asks. GREAT QUESTION, KID. They tell him that demons will be coming for him. Jesse wants to go with his parents but Sam and Dean caution him that his parents might die. (Um. Shouldn’t the risk be their choice? This kid is tiny, cannot make rational choices, and I bet they love him enough to die for him. But ooooookay.)

Jesse heads upstairs to say goodbye to his parents. (I’m shocked that his parents are real and asleep since this is the first time we see them.) In his room, his eyes light upon an Australia poster on his wall.

Sam and Dean, after a long wait, head upstairs. “He’s gone,” Cas announces from behind them. CAS! Cas reports that the town has been set back to rights (mostly) and that Jesse has left. Cas looks repentant. Hmmm perhaps he’ll take this lesson and apply it several seasons later?? Sam finds a note on the bed. Jesse left to keep his parents safe.

Sam and Dean talk about Jesse and how they destroyed his life by telling him the truth about his origin and the apocalypse.

Dean muses, “I'm starting to get why parents lie to their kids. You want them to believe that the worst thing out there is mixing Pop Rocks and Coke. Protect them from the real evil. You want them going to bed feeling safe. If that means lying to them, so be it. The more I think about it...the more I wish Dad had lied to us.” Sam agrees with that sentiment wholeheartedly.

It’s Cas! Now with Real Quoting Action!

All it takes is someone talking about an itch, or thinking about one even, and suddenly you can't stop scratching.

That’ll do, pig!

These days, all they care about are their iPhones and those kissing-vampire movies.

So some freak is gonna come in my room while I'm sleeping and take my tooth? Sounds scary. No, thank you.

What do you know about demons?

You're Superman...minus the cape and the go-go boots.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[tornbetween2loves]

Arcana Unbound: Aeneas’ Epiphany

Four thousand years ago gods and magic shaped and ruled and were plentiful in the world. Man and all the creatures were shaped and marked by it. Then things began to change. Gradually those things of magic diminished and the things of science took precedence until magic became a myth tucked away safely in children’s fairy tales and skilled entertainer’s parlor tricks.

It’s been a thousand years of progress unmarked by true magic.

  Things are about to change.

This is a collaboration between myself and @innerpostmentality It is a TRR AU set 25 years in the future from the current TRR timeline. The story focuses around the children of the TRR characters.

Disclaimer: all characters belong to pixelberry except for our amazing OCs. They are our precious babies.

Warnings: This series may contain adult themes and erotica and should only be read by people over the age of 18.

Tags: @darley1101 @gardeningourmet @speedyoperarascalparty @hopefulmoonobject @bobasheebaby @carabeth @riseandshinelittleblossom @stopforamoment @furiousherringoperatortoad @indiacater @sirbeepsalot @alesana45 @museofbooks @furryperfectionlover @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @strangerofbraidwood @teamtomsato @begging-for-kamilah @kennaxval @blackcatkita @ao719

Sometime in the middle of ‘Andante Andante’ on Calais’ oldies waltz track she started unbuttoning his shirt. By the time ‘Unchained Melody’ was on their dance was one of passion in the softness of her rose scented sheets. And then there was a soft knock on her door.

Aeneas called from her door. "Calais can we talk?"

"Ummmm… " She moaned aloud in her passion. Then started giggling. "G, give me a moment."

She was mouthing "oh my God" and shaking as she looked in Xipho's passion blown eyes.

“Oh shit!” Xiphos whispered, his eyes wide as he climbed out of her bed and quickly pulled on his pants. “Where’s my shirt?” He looked around frantically but gave up when he heard Aeneas fumbling with the doorknob.

Calais pulled a T-shirt over her head and motioned to the closet. Xiphos ducked into the closet and tucked himself into a dark corner behind the racks of clothes. Calais threw her comforter up to cover her bed and pulled on a pair of shorts. She ran her fingers through her hair and opened the door cautiously.

Aeneas took in his sister’s state of dishabille. "Hey. I'm sorry I didn't answer your text. Sarissa was with me. She was pretty upset, Calais."

Calais looked at her brother and nodded. "I know.. I really don't want to talk about it now." She dropped her eyes.

Aeneas looked at his sister a moment then saw Xiphos’ shirt half under her bed. His back went stiff as his eyes stared at her.

"Calais where is he?"

"Xiphos?"

His hands were curled into fists as he stared daggers at his sister.

Xiphos cursed under his breath as he heard Aeneas call his name. He ran his fingers through his hair and checked to make sure his pants were buttoned and the fly was up before he emerged from the closet with a sheepish look. He took one look at Aeneas’ demeanor and stance and immediately held up his hands, to defend himself if necessary.

Calais looked between the two of them and walked over to stand by Xiphos.

Aeneas stared at her his jaw was twitching and he was seriously wondering if he was going to crack his own tooth.

His words were carefully enunciated as he sat down on the seat at the foot of her bed. "Exactly, precisely, what is going on here?"

Xiphos glanced at Calais for a moment then put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He cleared his throat and turned to Aeneas. “We were dancing. To some really cool old music. Practicing our waltzes for social season.”

"Dancing?!" Aeneas eyes narrowed as he spat the word.

"You know who that is? That is MY SISTER. She's The Princess of Cordonia. Next in line to the throne after me. Now we are going to try this again. Why are you shirtless in my sisters room with an unmade bed at two in the morning?"

Xiphos felt Calais’ spine go stiff.

Aeneas saw her eyes narrow and her shoulders square.. then she stepped in front of Xiphos her eyes blazing at him. "Okay... You want to know what is going on? I love him. That's what is going on. When two adults love each other they sometimes express that emotion physically, intimately. I am NOT a child. And neither is he." ·

Xiphos smiled down at Calais, then turned to face Aeneas. “Your sister is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She is beautiful and kind and sensitive and caring. I love her and would never hurt her or disrespect her.” He took her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

Aeneas’ eyes were ablaze and he felt himself shaking where he sat. A hundred things instantly popped into his head that he clamped down on knowing that if he said any of them it would do more damage than good. Finally he managed. "For God's sake put on your shirt."

Calais looked at Aeneas. "I don't want him to put on his shirt. This is my room. My rules."

Aeneas growled. "This is the royal palace of Cordonia. And I'm fairly certain the rules here are father's"

Calais looked at Aeneas a moment then went to her closet and pulled a suitcase out and started to throw things in it. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Aeneas’ eyes widened. And Xiphos looked between them before going over to her to speak gently. "Calais, sweetheart, easy. This is just a misunderstanding."

Aeneas looked at them as Xiphos spoke to her softly trying to calm her.

Calais shook her head and dashed her tears away. "No. I'm not locking us away to make him comfortable. And it's dad's palace. But I'm an adult; hey I'm the fucking princess of Cordonia so I'm perfectly capable of finding a place where my rules are what goes.”

Aeneas’ voice was gentle when he finally spoke. "Xiphos is right, Calais. I'm, I was out of line." He shot Xiphos a pleading desperate look. Waaay up on his list of what he didn't want to explain to either of his parents was why their daughter had run off. Much less that she had run off with #1 on the World's most eligible bachelor list.

"Calais, Please stay. I'm sorry."

Calais stopped packing and looked at her brother. Their eyes locked for a long long moment before she finally murmured "Apology accepted. Now get out of my room. I don't want to see you before noon."

Aeneas stood. "Shall I get Xiphos a guest room?"

"Only if he wants one." She looked at Xiphos the invitation to stay clear in her eyes.

Xiphos smiled at Calais then glanced at Aeneas. He moved closer to her and wrapped her in his arms as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. “I want nothing more than to stay here with you.” She looked up into his eyes with a smile.

“But your brother is right. This is the palace and you’re a princess and I’m pretty sure we’d start off on the wrong foot with your parents if I showed up at breakfast.” He slipped into his shirt as he spoke gently to her. “I think it’s better if I just go home. I really don’t want to mess this up before it even has a chance to start.” He kissed her softly as she pouted.

He turned to face Aeneas.

“Thank you for putting me in my place. I want you to know that I am in love with your sister and I never want to do anything to tarnish her reputation or upset the king and queen.”

A look of concern crossed his face. “Where is my sister? I know she was with you, we found Leo by himself in his room. Is she ok?”

Aeneas looked at the two of them and knew they were serious. He'd been in the room with them less than ten minutes and they both had declared their love for each other to him. They were wrapped around each other, calming each other, sharing the little subconscious touches and gestures that were the hallmark of real deal love. He recognized it because he had witnessed it all his life between his parents. He understood it because he realized it was actually his instinctive reaction to Sarissa when she had been upset. The thought sent him reeling and he sat back down on the bench at the foot of the bed.

His voice was dazed as he looked down at his hands and remembered how her hand fit so warm and perfect in his.

"I sent her home." The whole reasoning behind that decision as sound as it was seemed somehow fundamentally flawed because she wasn't here with him now.

Calais had been stroking the small of Xiphos back under his untucked shirt looking at him rather than her brother until she saw a look of concern cross his face and heard the strange tone in her brother’s voice. She saw the dazed look on his face and immediately went to him concerned.

"Hey... Are you okay?"

He nodded and met her eyes. "I, I am. I think. Can you give me a few minutes?

Xiph I'd like to give you something to take to her for me, please. I'll be back."

He got up and wandered out of the room leaving them alone again.

Xiphos turned to Calais and wrapped her in a hug. “Thank you for being on my side. That could have gotten ugly real quick.” He pulled back a bit and looked down into her eyes. “I’m glad that Aeneas is so protective of you.” He sighed as he rubbed circles on her back slowly. “I hope that one day we will be able to rebuild our friendship. I know a lot has happened today and a lot of our relationships are changing.” A shadow crossed over his face and there was a pained look in his eyes. “But I’m having a difficult time imagining a world where Aeneas and I aren’t close.”

Calais looked at him a long moment. "He's very, Very protective of me. Are you mad at him Xiphos?"

Xiphos pondered the question for a moment. Then he shook his head. “I can’t really be mad at him. I understand where he’s coming from. He’s always been super protective of his family. I know what that’s like. I would kill someone for messing with my sister. If she didn’t kill them first.” He and Calais shared a giggle and a smile. Then both their faces dropped. Xiphos’ heart ached as he wiped away a single tear that flowed down Calais’ cheek. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m going to talk to her. She’ll get over it, I just know it. You mean the world to her.” He brushed her cheek softly as his voice softened and lowered. “You mean the world to me too.”

She hugged him. "I don't think Aeneas is really angry with you either. Both of them... were caught off guard." She laughs a little. "I can't blame them. I kinda was as well."

Xiphos chuckled. “This really has been a hell of a day, hasn’t it?” He smiled at her with a love struck gaze. “We could all probably use some sleep and will feel better in the morning.”

Calais nodded and hugged him. "It's been a roller coaster for sure. And my brother was strange just then don't you think?" She frowned a little.

Xiphos shrugged. “Maybe a little.” He raised an eyebrow at Calais. “Do you think something happened between him and Sarissa?” He chuckled lightly. “Maybe their mutual stubbornness was able to break down their walls.”

Just about then Aeneas knocked softly at the door and waited for Calais to call "Enter".

He was blushing as he handed a leather case he'd tied a ribbon around and used a wax seal on.

"Please give this to Sarissa."

He looked at both of them. "I do apologize to you both. I was surprised."

Xiphos took the case and locked eyes with Aeneas briefly. “I am sorry too. I meant no disrespect to Calais, or to you Aeneas.” He turned to Calais and wrapped her in a hug, as he planted a kiss on the top of her head. Then he turned back to Aeneas. “Will you walk me out?”

Calais started to protest but Xiphos was insistent. “My love, I realize this is the palace and security is very tight, but I don’t want to risk anyone seeing us wandering the halls at 2am.” He covered her hand with his. “I meant what I said. I will never do anything to hurt you or tarnish your reputation.” He smiled at her then turned to Aeneas with a questioning look.

Aeneas nodded and waited for him at the door.

He turned to Calais with a soft smile and adoration shining in his eyes as he whispered softly, “Thank you for making this the best day of my life.” He kissed her softly as he stroked her cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.” He turned and walked to the door, motioning for Aeneas to go ahead of him.

Aeneas walked him to the entrance. He cleared his throat as they got there. "Xiphos, I can tell that it's serious between you. My sister really is wonderful. It's a little amazing to me that she opened up to you like that. It's been a hard year for her."

Xiphos shot him a questioning look. “A hard year? She didn’t mention it. But yes, I am very serious.” He turned to face his friend and they locked eyes. “Aeneas, I-ummm.” He looked away as he ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I want to apologize again for earlier.” He raised his head to meet Aeneas with a hopeful gaze. “Are we ok? Or has our friendship been fractured beyond repair?”

He looked into his eyes a long moment. "I will always be your friend Xiphos. I never wanted to hurt you. I've always thought of you like an older brother. One that reminds me of my uncle Leo in many ways." He gave him a small smile.

"Sarissa gave me permission to court her tonight. I like her Xiphos. More than I should. A lot more than I should. I'm sorry I have to subject her to the cattle call of a social season. I have to be fair. It's important for the monarchy for all the nobility to see this as a fair contest." He sighs. "It's not. Not after tonight anyway."

A wave of relief washed over Xiphos as he smiled at his friend. “You didn’t really hurt me Aeneas, you set me free. And opened my eyes, without me even realizing they were closed.”

His smile faded a little at the mention of his sister. “I must say I am shocked that Sarissa gave her permission. That is the last thing I would’ve expected. But I’m happy you like her and I think you two are a great match. As long as you both can open up to each other.” He grinned at his friend. “And you certainly seem like a different person than you were just a few hours ago when I left you in that billiard room.”

His face fell. “Sarissa is so angry at Calais and me. I’m not sure she’ll even speak to me when I get home.

"I realized some things." Aeneas ran a hand through his hair. "I felt for much of the day today like people were speaking a language that sounded like Greek but wasn't really. And I kept thinking I knew what they were saying but I didn't. And then they were upset and I was clueless. It was really frustrating.

Sarissa prides herself on being observant. It's part of her training for the guard. I think you and Calais really blindsided her and that upset her. I don't think she objects to the two of you being a couple." Aeneas patted him on the arm and offered him his hand.

Xiphos smiled as he shook his friend’s hand then pulled him into a brief hug. “I think you’re probably right. I should’ve given her a heads up.” He smiled. “And I’m glad you’re seeing things more clearly now. Good night, Aeneas.”

"Good night, Xiphos"

Aeneas watched him walk off into the darkness. Then he pulled his phone out and scrolled down to Sarissa's name. He paused a moment knowing it was super late.

Sarissa was lying in bed, trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep. She couldn’t get her mind to shut off. The image of her brother kissing Calais kept repeating in her mind. And then there was Aeneas. He had turned her whole world upside down. She couldn’t stop thinking about how he made her feel. She closed her eyes and imagined him standing in front of her, his violet eyes gazing at her adoringly.

She smiled and her eyes flew open when she heard her phone ping. She knew it was him. She rolled over and grabbed her phone, her smile growing wider as she read the text from Aeneas. She typed a response.

God, she was in bed. Of course she was in bed you idiot, it's nearly three in the morning. Visions of her stretched out, those dark eyes melting right through him overwhelmed him.

Sarissa’s heart jumped into her throat. What did that mean? If he was going to break her heart before they even had a chance......

She was about to type a response when she heard something in the hallway. She jumped out of bed and rushed over to open the door. There was Xiphos, standing with his arm raised, about to knock.

Xiphos cast his eyes down to the floor, then looked back up apologetically at his sister. “Sorry to disturb you, but I figured you would want this now.” He held out the leather case. She nodded, as she fought back tears and took the case.

Xiphos shot her a look of concern. “Sarissa, what’s wrong? Are you ok?” He approached her tentatively, but she held up her hand to stop him as she shook her head. “I’m fine. Please leave me alone. I’m not ready yet.”

Xiphos sighed and took a step back, still concerned. “You know where to find me if you need me.” He turned and walked to his room and Sarissa shut the door. She turned on the light and sat cross-legged on the bed as she broke the seal on the ribbon around the case.

Inside there was a fairly large older book. The Classic and Contemporary Recipes of Yves Thuries: French Pastry. And a note.

I thought you might like to pick something out for us to make together. Or we could just go to Tevi's for some pastry and coffee, or tea.

Thank you for a wonderful evening. I would love to see if we could have a morning together.

Aeneas

When Xiphos got back to his room his phone pinged.

Sarissa exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding after reading the note from Aeneas. She leafed through the cookbook, giddy with happiness. She picked up her phone and typed a response.

Xiphos sighed as he looked down at his phone, but smiled as he read the text. He typed a quick response.

Aeneas couldn’t help the smile as he looked at Sarissa’s response so he quickly texted back:

[sweetdollfromhell]

Chilling Tales of Riverdale

Chapter 2 an old fanfic but stil alive that is a mix of Riverdale, CAOS and Archie horror. Located in season 2 and will have differences with the canon for both shows. Hope you like :) 

***************************************************************************************

Jughead and Betty were running in the woods, they were ahead for the moment, but they could still hear their pursuers. It was a forest, they would eventually lose them before they were exhausted. Suddenly, Jughead noticed several trees that seemed so close that their branches seemed to be intertwined with the feet of large bushes that were still surprisingly bushy.

-That way! he decided by training Betty to follow him.

The two young continued in the direction indicated by Jughead, eventually sinking into the narrow passage that led to a kind of clearing.

-Okay, so we're trying to stay here for now, but if we hear anything, we keep going. It doesn't matter, if we move away, as long as we get the signal, Jughead started before he noticed that Betty wasn't listening to him.

She had looked up at one of the trees and observed it.

-Betty?

-Jug, what's in the tree? Betty asked without taking her eyes off the object.

Jughead approached and saw what his girlfriend was watching: tied up after a branch base, something that seemed to be a dream catcher was swinging. That or his nightmare version. The thread that connects the different pieces to each other was made of hair braided in a color halfway between blond and white, teeth too small to be that of an adult had been placed in the circle and others were swung at the ends of the braids. The whole thing was covered with brownish spots that Jughead guessed to be blood.  Almost by reflection, he tried to lure him to himself, touching him before Betty could stop him. At that moment, he noticed something from the corner of his eye.

-There are others.

-What?

-Look," said the young man, pointing to other branches but also to some other trees.

Several objects with the same aesthetics are hung among the branches, slightly concealed but visible in the right angle: rarely the same, some just made of branches, pebbles and plants dry while some contain animal bones when it is not dried pieces of their bodies or for at least one, something fresh enough for the flies to turn around. Some of the trees also had patterns painted with the same reddish-brownish-brown substance signs that they could not identify.  

Betty felt her head turned and as she lowered her head, made her last discovery.

-Even the ground, she whine.

None of them noticed at the time, but the floor is perfectly clean. No dead leaves, excrement or other waste. Only sequences of small pebbles perfectly buried to be visible but not far enough out for us to slide on.  They form complex patterns in a fairly large circle for several people.

-How did we end up in Blair Witch project? Asked worried but also curious Jughead.

Before Betty could answer, they were interrupted:

-But what do we have here?

Jughead turned around ready to throw himself at the first Ghoulie within his reach but he was still far away from them. Close enough to be heard but not enough to be seen.

-Get out of here, or you'll regret it! Another one continued.

-On the contrary, let him stay! Maybe he knows where Jones is," said their leader. -So, do you have any values to say? Have you seen a tall skinny guy in a ridiculous hat and a pretty blonde doll?

If the person answered, they did not hear.  The Ghoulies would soon move on to insults and at the moment Jughead would offer to try to help, a broken bone sound was heard followed by a cry of pain.

-What the hell... started another one.

A sound of a blow was heard with new cries.  What followed was after a mixture of screaming pain and fear:

-AAAAAAHHHHH

-Get away you you ….Fucking crazy bitch from hell!

-Just... Stop! Leave us....Anything you want!!!!!

 -Should we...? Betty began.

-We should let them have fun and then see what our best option is," Jughead proposed.

It was not sure that they could escape before that no matter what made so much money then to prepare. He will be fists and saw Betty lift her bag ready to send a punch.

The screams were silent and running noises were heard. The losers were running away. Time to face the champion.

A silhouette passed between the bushes. This person was small and wore a red hoodie so hidden his face. The rest of her outfit looked like ratty pajamas that probably was originally pink or white.  In his hand, a broom and around his neck a black cat watching them.

-Hi... Are you all right? Says the silhouette in a soft and feminine voice.

The hood fell off and revealed the skinny face of a girl their age. With her skin so sickly pale and her short cut white hair, she almost looks like an albino. She also has green eyes piercing like a cat. The effect was striking, nearly unccany valley.

-Uh... yes, thank you, said surprise Betty.

-Oh, it's nothing," continued the girl.

Before Betty could continue, Jughead also asked a question:

-What happened to the others?

-The boys who were chasing you? Gone. I took care of it! She answered the girl proudly.

The cat on his shoulder meowed loudly.

-Sorry, we took care of it, she corrected by rubbing her forehead against the cat's forehead.

-I consider myself a feminist and I believe women can do anything, but I can't believe you can fight four guys and win," continued suspicious Jughead.

-This is my territory, I know it perfectly and I have many traps to feed myself and defend myself. And I'm armed!

She lifted her broom proudly. Then she spread the strands to reveal the tip of a stake in her heart. This one was covered with something red and sticky.

-Are they...start Betty.

The girl quickly understood and realized Betty's thinking.

-Oh no, don't worry. They're just hurt pretty bad, as long as they go to a doctor, everything will be fine.

-Okay, says Betty a little uncomfortable but she wasn't going to cry too hard for her bullies.

Suddenly her gaze slipped to the ground and she had another shock.

-But you don't have any shoes!

The girl looked down at her bare feet, before saying, embarrassed.

-I went out quickly when I heard the noise and didn't think to put on my shoes. It doesn't matter.

-It is November, the Betty cut.  -You're going to catch your death blow!

-I swear to you, I'm fine. I'm always barefoot and we're great...

She shup himself when Jughead handed her a pair of socks.

- Here you go. You may not be cold, but you can still get hurt by stepping on something.

-Are these yours? You're going to be cold," said the girl, looking down at his feet.

-Unfortunately, I don't carry a bag of clothes with me in case I run into Mowgli.

The girl laughed and put on the socks without any more resistance.

-What's your name? Asked Betty realizing that they had forgotten the essential.

-Sabrina and you?

The cat spat at the same time.

-Shh, Salem! And come down, you're heavy! She said as she dropped the cat off her shoulders.

He meowed his discontent when he landed on the ground.

-My name is Betty, and this is my boyfriend Jughead.

-It's your work in the trees? suddenly cut it down. -And the ground?

-Uh... Yes. It's just for my safety.

-Your security? Betty asked, also intrigued.

-Well, this kind of fetish thanks to Hollywood reminds us of satanic cults and inbreeding cannibal families. A good way to convince people to turn back and not find my camp. Even if some are really based on old protective grey-gray, you never know in case he has some truth in his stories. The ones that contain pieces of animals come from my leftover meals.  I didn't waste anything," Sabrina continued.

-There are human teeth in this one," continued Jughead, pointing to the dream catch.

-Mine, finally my milk teeth. One of my aunts thought the tooth fairy was a stupid concept. She gave me a piece but kept the teeth, pierced them and made a necklace out of them. She told me that I could carry and tell the other children who were bothering me that I was carrying the smiles of my enemies around my neck, always looking for more material for it.

-Interesting technique against bullying, says Jughead sarcastically.

-With mixed results, Sabrina said, embarrassed. - It's my hair on it too. They were long and I couldn't have maintained them here. The same goes for blood.

-Did you cut yourself? Asked Betty worried.

-No, I was just menstruating, Sabrina said bluntly. -Whenever you make one, you might as well make it realistic.  

Betty wondered which of the information given so far was the most disturbing.  But he had more urgency.

-If you want to keep talking, it may be better to go to my camp, cut Sabrina off with eagerness. -I have food, drinks and my cleaning is done!  I mean, if you wanted to and you're in no hurry. Otherwise, I understand," she said.

Betty and Jughead looked at each other. Both were clearly shared. Sabrina had helped them well and as strange as she seemed, she also seemed to be in great need of human contact. Jughead felt his stomach twist: he had something fishy about this girl but he was the first to admit that sometimes life pushed you to do things that were questionable or whose logic seemed strange. He could also see in Betty's eyes a mixture of worry, compassion and curiosity. It was too late.

-You know what? I think we didn't have much time. Jughead's bike is broken and I don't think we'll have a choice but to call for help. Might as well wait in your company. 

[lady-divine-writes]

Coldflash one-shot - “Just Bully” (Rated T)

Len has an unusual method of helping his daughter get over being bullied (after the fact) that Barry does not approve of, which leads to a heart to heart talk between husband and husband about the bullies in their own lives. (1552 words)

Takes place in the same universe as my one-shot "The Talk", where Lisa is Len and Barry's eight-year-old daughter by Felicity. I really liked the idea of Len being a father while still being sort of morally ambiguous, so I'll probably write more in this universe.

Warning for mention of bullying and light angst.

Read on AO3. 

“Are these the ones?” Lisa asks, skipping up to the display and pulling a bag of dog treats from the shelf.

“Yup. Those are the ones, Bug.” Len puts a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, squeezing reassuringly. Standing beside them, silently disapproving, Barry crosses his arms over his chest.

“And are you sure they’re made of what you said they’re made of?” Lisa turns shrewd blue eyes up at him, raising a skeptical eyebrow that’s so reminiscent of Barry, Len almost laughs and scotches the seriousness of this shopping excursion.

“Scout’s honor.” He raises a hand and some combination of fingers that are supposed to look like the Boy Scout salute but don’t even come close. In fact, what he comes up with looks a little obscene, so Barry grabs Len’s hand and lowers it. “At least, that’s what your Uncle Mick told me.”

“A-ha.” Even at eight, Lisa knows better than to believe most of the things that Uncle Mick says are true, but she’s willing to let this one slide to make her father feel better. “Okay!” she chirps, cheerfully playing along. “Let’s go get them! And remember, I’m paying.”

“If that’s what you want,” Len concedes, even though he has every intention of returning every last cent to her somehow - through random chores, or quizzes on things they don’t teach her at school, important things like the five places most people commonly hide their valuables, how to jump start a car, Russian insults, or Len’s favorite – target practice.

Len focuses on his little girl hugging the pack of dog treats to her chest, but still manages to notice his husband glaring, his sparking eyes burning holes into Len’s forehead. When a fork of supercharged static electricity fries his palm, Len jolts, but he squeezes Barry’s hand tighter.

Call Len a masochist, but he loves the sizzle.

“What?” Len asks innocently, dragging his sullen husband to the checkout counter.

“Why do you feel the need to lie to our daughter like this? The situation’s handled. This is entirely unnecessary.”

“It’s one harmless little fib. And it’s not even. It’s more like a coping mechanism. Besides, if you think she’s buying it for a second, then you don’t know our daughter.”

“It still feels like a lie.”

“And knowing you, you’ll make sure she knows it before she has too much fun with it. You get to perpetuate the Santa Claus lie. I get this one.”

“Santa Claus is different.”

“And why is it different? Because it’s nice?” Len hisses the word nice. He always hisses that word. It seems to offend him.

“Yes.” Barry’s voice breaks around hypocrisy he never saw before, but he defends it anyway. Believing in Santa Claus is a time-honored tradition. Barry’s mother introduced him to Santa Claus, and regardless of the fact that his own curious and scientific mind negated that belief in his young brain fairly quickly, he held onto it because of her, because sometimes children need to believe in something, anything, to get them through the rough patches. He’s not going to let Len besmirch that, even using tools that Barry himself holds dear, like truth and logic.

“Well, I personally think that the concept of Santa Claus should terrify children,” Len counters, “but I didn’t get a say in that one.”

“How? Santa Claus is a kindly old man …”

“… who breaks into people’s houses.”

“To deliver presents to good girls and boys,” Barry points out, except now that he thinks about it, he can see why that might terrify a little kid. He suddenly thanks his husband’s sardonic judgment that they ruled out telling Lisa about the Tooth Fairy. An adult with wings who comes into your room at night and steals your teeth? No thank you. “You don’t think it’s vulgar that you’re letting your daughter believe that Bully Treats are made from real bullies? That what her German Shephard puppy is going to be tearing apart is the hide of some kid about her age?”

“Nope,” Len says resolutely. “In fact, I think it’ll be kind of cathartic. Don’t you?”

“No, I think it’s nightmare fuel. I think it’ll turn into us never sleeping alone again.”

Len chuckles. “I think you’re forgetting that she moved herself out of our bedroom long before you even wanted her gone. She’s a strong kid, Barry. Give her a little credit.”

“I still think it’s too gruesome for an eight-year-old.”

“Why? Because there wasn’t anyone in your life that picked on you and pushed you around when you were her age? No one that made fun of you?” Len lowers his voice. “No one that you imagined being torn to pieces? Who maybe took someone important away from you?” Len feels Barry’s breathing stop dead, as if it’s lodged in Len’s own throat; the hand in his becoming rigid, and hot with latent electricity. “And after those dreams were done, how did you sleep? Huh? Like a baby, right? Come on, Bare. You know what that feels like. So do I.”

“That’s … that’s not fair, Len. What happened to us … it’s not the same as some obnoxious little kid calling her names.” Barry sighs from the depths of his soul. Len pulls him closer, and Barry rests his head against his husband’s shoulder. When Barry found out that some punk had been picking on Lisa at school, he knew he had to do the responsible thing - meet with Lisa’s teacher and the boy’s parents, iron this out like calm, rational educators and adults. But in his heart, he wanted to race down to that school and run that kid up a flagpole, let him hang there fifty feet in the air, blowing in the wind like the piece of garbage he was. And not just because he had picked on Lisa, but for all of the kids everywhere who had ever been picked on by a bully, especially when their bullies got away with it. He wanted this kid to know, and every other kid at that school, that he’d gone after the wrong daughter. Barry knew that it would have made Len proud. Himself, not so much. “I just feel that it might be a bit more reassuring for her to know that her teacher had been talked to and the boy transferred to a different school. That the people in power had her back and appropriate steps were taken to keep her safe. That …”

“The system works?” Len scoffs.

“Yes,” Barry says, even though he can understand Len’s irritation. The system rarely works. It didn’t for them – not when Lewis Snart’s son went to school covered in bruises every other day, and the CCPD, Barry’s own surrogate family, didn’t believe a word out of his mouth about what happened the night his mother died. The system worked this time, but that’s because it had a little help.

That might not happen again, when Lisa is older and on her own.

“And why is it again that The Flash talked to Lisa’s teacher and not Barry Allen, CSI?”

“Because people respond to superheroes,” Barry says, feeling called out. “The Flash is someone that Central City can stand behind. He carries a little more weight than Barry Allen, CSI.”

“Well, for the record, I happen to think that Barry Allen, CSI, is just as much of a superhero as The Flash,” Len says at a volume that only Barry can hear.

Barry smiles. For all of his cynicism, his snide remarks, and his highly questionable judgment, Len really knows how to get to Barry. “Well, I also didn’t want to make it an issue of us against this kid. I wanted to represent all of the kids that he’s bullied.”

“And the fact that Mrs. Gastmyer would drop her panties in a second for The Flash probably didn’t hurt,” Len accuses with a growl. It’s not an angry growl. It’s a playful growl. A I can’t wait till later when I can rip off all of your clothes with my teeth growl.

“It’s the suit. People respect the suit. It’s the same thing with doctors and their white coats.”

“I also think the whole saving people’s lives factors into that a little bit.”

“Hmm. Maybe,” Barry agrees. “Anyway, we’ve gotten off topic. If this is your big lie … I mean, coping mechanism … why do you expect me to eventually tell her the truth?”

“Because, like you said, you’re the superhero,” Len teases. “And besides, since you’re handling the ‘sex talk’, I figured that bull dicks fall under your purview.”

“You know, you threw Mick under the bus for this one. We could just make him do it.”

“Yeah, well, that depends on how much new and colorful information you want our daughter to learn before she turns nine. She might have to transfer schools, too.”

Barry scowls, recalling the last time Mick came over. Somehow, and Barry has no clue how, the subject of shanks came up. Thanks to Mick, Lisa now knows how to transform innocuous plastic cutlery into weapons, a skill she shared at The Boys and Girls Club to the amusement of no one. “You’re right,” Barry groans. “I’ll tell her … but I’ll give it a few weeks.”

“That’s all I ask.”