#sonny wants that assist so bad

[todareistodo]

brother first pepo skies it and then brennan misses the goal i've literally been sat here with my head in my hands for the past 5ish minutes

[squadmuse]

THE BLESSINGS OF HOME & LOVE

A SONNY CARISI X FEMALE READER STORY

WORD COUNT: 1.2k - ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE

It was a chilly March evening and Sonny was glad to be finished with work for the day down at the precinct.

He was glad to be not working on the night shift tonight - the weather station was warning of the possibility of snow, and with the bitter wind that was already there, Sonny was already finding himself freezing cold as he sat in his car outside the apartment building where he lived with his wife.

A broad smile brightened Sonny’s face as he thought of you, his wife. It felt so surreal yet beautifully incredible to be calling you his wife, to be your husband. You were still newlyweds, only having married at the end of February, and after a short honeymoon up in Nantucket, you and him had got back to work quickly. He planned to take you off on a Mediterranean cruise and a proper honeymoon in the summer.

Grabbing his leather briefcase, a new one that had been a gift from you for his birthday last year, Sonny switched his car off and climbed out of the vehicle, locking it and stood onto the sidewalk looking up at the building. He knew you’d be home, you had the habit of bringing your work home if it wasn’t busy in the courthouse.

That had been how he had met you, one day at the courthouse, where you had been rambling away to Rafael about some case of his that overlapped with your own, as you worked as an Assistant District Attorney within the homicide department. You were beautiful and intelligent. Sonny had been blown away from the first time he met you.

After a year and a half together, you had married and as he wandered over to the building, Sonny couldn’t wait to see you, even though he had seen you before leaving for work that morning. Gregorio, the elderly doorman opened the door for the lanky detective.

“Evening, Mr. Carisi!” chimed Gregorio, as he held the door open. Sonny felt himself blush at the title as he stood to chat with the doorman.

“Hey, Greg! What have I said? Just call me Sonny!” chuckled Sonny as he stood in the lobby. He instantly felt the heat of the building start to warm him up, and it was definitely much nicer than outside.

Now it was Gregorio’s time to chuckle. “Oh you know me, I’m an old-time gentleman and habits die hard! How is the missus doing? I didn't see her earlier,” stated the doorman with a smile, which Sonny returned.

“Ah ya know, perfect as always!” smiled Sonny as he started thinking about you again. You were always on his mind.

“Young love, as they say, tell her I was asking after her, then will you?” asked Gregorio, as he moved to open the door again. “Don’t want to keep you either, bad luck to keep a wife waiting, I know that from experience,” added the elder man.

Sonny nodded and said his farewell, and with his long limbs it didn’t take long for him to reach the second floor of the building, to the apartment that you and him called home. He was glad to see that you kept the door locked. After all he’d seen in his career (although you had also seen some sights), it had been something Sonny made sure to reiterate to you - keep the door locked, even if you’re home. He had a key, and any guests would give prior notice about a visit.

Walking through the heavy door, Sonny felt himself relax instantaneously at being home and back to you. As he locked the door, he got a delicious smell waft over to him and Sonny felt his stomach rumble.

“Doll, it’s me!” called Sonny as he took his coat off and hung it in the hallway cupboard. “I’m home, and I’m likin' the smell of whatever you’ve got cookin'!” he added loudly as he took his leather dress shoes off and placed them on the rack within the cupboard beside your own court shoes.

“Sonny?” he heard you call from the kitchen down the hall as your head stuck out the doorway, to which he stood to his full height and out of the cupboard.

“Ya, just putting everythin' away! Know you like it all tidy!” he chuckled as he wandered over to your petite self, and brought you into a tight and loving hug and kiss.

Pulling away from the kiss, you rested your hands on the broad shoulders of your husband. He must’ve taken off his suit jacket sometime, and he looked very handsome in his white shirt and grey waistcoat and red tie. “Hello to you handsome!” you giggled, kissing him softly. “I’ll have you know it’s good practice, y'know keeping tidy…”

Sonny nodded, and he pressed his lips against your own again. He couldn’t get enough of your kisses. “I love you, darlin,” murmured Sonny, as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into him some more. The smell of your strawberry mint shampoo and the scent of your vanilla and jasmine perfume seemed to intoxicate Sonny as he stood there, just hugging you, his wife and best friend. “I can’t wait for that to happen, seein' how good you are now, I know ya will be the best.”

You couldn’t help but blush at Sonny’s compliments, and you playfully whacked against his chest, which made him laugh and his eyes crinkle. “Well, I think you’ll be even better!” you replied, wrapping your arms around his neck and smiling up at him. “Anyway, do ya wanna try out what I’ve been cooking up for us?”

Sonny nodded. He had not had time to eat much at lunch, just some god awful coffee and a vending machine sandwich. Usually the two of you would meet up for lunch, but you had been busy prepping for a case, and he had been chasing down a perp in Central Park. So to say the least, Sonny was absolutely famished, and he loved that you loved to cook like he did.

“I can smell rosemary and garlic?” stated Sonny as he sniffed the area. “Chicken too?”

You nodded. “My Nonna mailed me some old family recipes, so I’ve been trying them out… I hope you like pollo al mattone, sformato and then some torta della nonna for dessert,” you smiled, bringing Sonny into the kitchen by the hand, your hands intertwined.

Sonny groaned at the sight of the dishes you had ready and awaiting. You really did spoil the gastronome within him, but he did the same right back to you. “Doll, you’ve outdone yourself here!” grinned Sonny as he wandered over to the oven. “I guess you were a tad stressed today?”

You giggled as you joined Sonny bringing out the dishes and cutlery. “That Adams murder case is a mess,” you sighed as you passed the plates to Sonny, who placed them on the kitchen table. “I don’t like badmouthing detectives, but one lost evidence pertaining to the case, and it’s got Buchanan piling pressure on all angles for a mistrial.”

Sonny sighed. He hated that you got stressed out and that your cases ending up complex or screwed by external factors. “I know ya will get justice for the victim, you’re the best ADA I know,” he replied as he picked up the pollo al mattone with oven gloves on. “Wish you had better detectives though, doll, I’d move heaven and earth for you, whether it’s a case or anything else.”

You stood there, watching your husband move the dishes over to the table. Honestly, you had no idea how you had been blessed for someone as perfect as one Dominick Carisi Jr.

[esperfruit]

More short TTTE Human AU refs

Victor de Cèspedes

Age: 42

Height: 183 cm

Victor is a mechanic and engineer from Cuba. He came to Sodor after he was recruited by Sir Topham Hatt, who heard about his famous skills after the company Victor worked for went bankrupt. He had a lot of trouble shortly after his arrival because he couldn't speak English at first. The first English word he learned was "red" when he chose his new uniform. His primary job is the repairs of machines, there is almost nothing he can't fix.

Despite being busy and strict, he has a charming and accomodating personality and wants to create a good work atmosphere for everyone. He earned many sympathy points with people after he told off Spencer and embarassed him. In an accident, he feel down a cliff but miraculously survived. After he went missing for a while, he cleared up the misunderstanding that Luke might have killed him. Victor has a clumsy assistant named Kevin, who tests his patience on a daily basis but Victor knows he's a good guy.

Charlie Wardle

Age: 20

Height: 177 cm

A young man from the city, who just entered the work life. Before that, Charlie was partying all the time and was very popular. He has an easy-going and fun-loving personality and loves making others laugh. Unfortunately he has the bad habits of being careless, easily distracted and often doesn't treat things serious enough. The younger ones like Thomas, Percy, Rebecca and Paxton see in him a good friend and fun to hang out with while on the other hand most older adults like Gordon, Henry and Cranky find him, annoying, unfunny and view him as a general nuiscence.

After Charlie got into a lot of trouble due to his carelessness, Edward took him in as his apprentice because he saw how Charlie felt genuine regret for what he did. Charlie feels a lot of gratitude towards him and started endearlingly calling him "Eddie".

Trevor Foster

Age: 63

Height: 171 cm

The principal of the school Thomas, Percy, Rosie and Philip attend. He his very good-hearted and likes children, he wants nothing but the best for them. Trevor is usually polite and peaceful but he will take any measures to make sure everyone, who hurts a child will be punished.

Outside of school, he helps out at the local church by taking care of its orchard. He owns a steam tractor in which he often gives rides with. Trevor is also good friends with Terence and Bertie. The three organized a big party once to earn enough money so children could go to the beach during summer vacation. He also became a close friend of Edward after the latter brought him to the hospital when he collaped once. Even since then Trevor looks after Thomas in school for Edward.

Terence Crawler

Age: 33

Height: 190 cm

A local farmer, who owns a caterpiller tractor. He usually uses it for ploughing but on request he can fulfill other jobs. Similar to Bertie with his bus, Terence has a strong atattchment to his tractor as he was willing to do anything to save it from falling into a lake when ice under it cracked. He is assertive, helpful and always eager to do a job. He has the saying: "You have to be sensible if you want to stay safe." and he easily forgives other for getting cheeky with him. Despite being very friendly and good-natured, a few people such as James find him quite unsetteling because he always has"that smile"...

Kenji Shima

Age: 17

Height: 169 cm

A high school student from Japan, who took in an internship with an inventor during summer vacation. He accompanied his superior to a science fair on Sodor and was helping out with presentations. When members of a smuggling ring failed to steal secret and valuable blueprints, they held Kenji hostage to get away but he was saved by Sonny, who betrayed the ring.

Kenji is from a family of scientists and his parents have high expectations for him to become their sucessor but there is one severe problem: Kenji struggles with technology. Regardless, he studies hard to learn and adapt skills and knowledge. Kenji is determined, organized and clever but also a bit anxious as he hates being alone and he fears dissapointing his family if he doesn't become scenentist like them.

[redrumrose]

OC question for you! What inspired you to create your main guys? Did they have any previous incarnations before they became the characters you have today?

Aw heck yeah! The main crew is inspired by a bunch of different things and kind of fell into place gradually. Mainly, I've always been super interested in "The Atomic Age" and I love mad scientist characters ^^ Alot of them are inspired by things happening in the era as well! (the rise of a new science, hippies, glamour, cowboys, dangerous kids toys, etc. xDD)

Dmitri definitely had a few versions of himself at first xD Originally his story actually took place in the 80s (cause I was really inspired by Stranger Things and Alexei's character xDD). He was also a lot crueler and worked by himself (Sunny wasn't his assistant yet). In his original design he also wore a gas mask with his suit (I wanted it to be that you never saw his face until the very end of the story).

BUT all that changed for many different reasons. One was I had another mad scientist whose story took place in the 80s (Anton and Aubrey), and I didn't want 2 stories to take place in the same era, so I changed Dima's to the 60s (I was more interested in that time period anyway haha). Also at the time I first designed Dmitri, a few months later a popular cartoon pilot came out, and by complete coincidence, a character in there looked similar to him (gas mask with suit and everything). I had to redesign him, I was so pissed too haha xDD But with his design change, I also wanted his story and character to be more fun as well (and less serious), which I think suits him alot better. So thankfully it was all change for the better! ^o^

Sunny also changed a bit from his first version. When I first created him (years and years ago pffft) he was just an artsy beatnik.

He was still very kind and sweet, he also still had his strange hippie parents, but he wasn't a scientist. I'd found an old sketchbook full of old little one off comics I made of him and remembered I still loved his design, so I revamped him a bit and made him an entomologist.

Then somewhere along the line, I wanted Dmitri to have an assistant and figured why not him, and the rest is history haha.

Lastly Chayne was another character that had a big glow up xD

I don't think I've mentioned it before, but Chayne and Sunny were originally created together.

His name was Jaime at first and he was also a beatnik type character xDD But he was always Sunny's friend, a 'bad kid' pffft, a wise ass, and he always had a missing eye xD (I think I was inspired by the emo hairstyle, covering one eye, and thought it would be funny to have a twist to that with a character xDD) As I was developing Dmitri and Sunny's story I wanted ONE more mad scientist and figured bringing Sunny's best friend back. When changing him, I knew I wanted his science to compliment Sunny's a bit, and what better thing to go with bugs then plants. I didn't want a 'Seymour' or even 'Poison Ivy' type plant character though, so I went with a theme in plants we rarely ever see, cacti and desert plants. And with that came his western theme x3 I changed his name too to try and reference "Sonny and Cher" (so Sunny and Chayne) xD Jaime is his middle name now xDD

Oh my gosh I wrote an essay haha (sorry for that ^^;) I could go on all day about character creation and development.

[use-your-imagination98]

How to save GH

This is a tiny project that I've been working on. GH is in a bad place. It's stale. No romance. No intriguing stories. No heart. The focus is on characters no one cares about. So, I let my creativity run wild and create stories that use vets, legacy characters, and built on history.

This is pretty, pretty long. But this show has one million characters and needs a lot to fix it. If you take the time to read it, god bless you 😂

"TOXIC" CAST CULL

“Pikeman” decides to target all of Port Charles with a deadly toxin. TJ, Portia, Finn, Terry, and Elizabeth all work to create an antidote with help from Patrick and Robin via telephone. 

It is revealed that Pikeman is revealed to be an alive Lorenzo Alcazar who is intent on finally ending Sonny’s reign once and for all.

We see Gladys, Dex, Cody (who is revealed to not be Mac’s son), Willow, Sasha, Mason, Austin, Finn, Gregory, Diane, and Olivia each die from the toxin. After the 11 deaths, the hospital crew was finally able to create an antidote. The rest of the town is saved.

Gladys, Dex, Cody, Sasha, Gregory, Finn, Austin, and Diane’s funerals are off screen. The Quartermaine’s decide to have a double funeral for Willow and Olivia.��

Immediate aftermaths:

Stella and Marshall move to Arizona because Port Charles is too much for them

Hayden comes to collect Violet and move her immediately out of Port Charles

After losing her dear friend, Alexis is spurred to get her law license back.

ANNA, VALENTIN, AND A GROWN UP EMMA

Anna discovers that Valentin was responsible for setting fire to her house. She isn’t fully blindsided because she suspected her Cassadine lover was keeping secrets from her, but it didn’t stop her from being gutted. Robin and Patrick agree to allow Emma to finish college back in Port Charles to support Anna. Emma, desperate to discover why Valentin would destroy her grandmother’s house, starts investigating. 

During her investigation, Annie Donely returns to assist. They track Valentin to a secret meeting with Lorenzo. They discover that Lorenzo was threatening to kill Charlotte because Valentin was going to quit being his right hand man. Lorenzo did not want to reveal himself until he was certain he could take Sonny down for good, but Valentin’s closeness with Anna, who is close to Sonny, was becoming a problem.

Emma and Annie reveal to Anna their findings. Anna confronts Valentin with the discovered facts. He reminds her that they both agreed to kill one another if their children were threatened. She asks how he came to be Lorenzo’s partner. Valentin explains that it was motivated by just wanting money and power. But when he heard that Lorenzo was planning to attack Port Charles, Valentin wanted out. 

Anna declares that she will help take Lorenzo down for good, but they can’t tell Sonny because Sonny will have Valentin killed for his involvement with Lorenzo. Anna and Valentin, with some help from Annie and Emma, work to rid Port Charles of Lorenzo Alcazar.

However, their plans are spurred when Emma’s best friend from college, Lila Rae comes to visit Emma. It is revealed to Emma that Lila Rae is Alcazar’s daughter, which puts Emma in a tough spot: Does she stand by her friend or help bring down a mob boss criminal?

Cameron Webber also returns home after tearing his ACL. He enters into a love triangle with Emma and Lila Rae. Does he choose his old friend or the girl he was attracted to at school?

LULU RETURNS WHILE DANTE SPIRALS

Lulu wakes up from her coma around Christmas 2023. Laura rushes to the care facility with Kevin and Nikolas by her side. When Lulu is questioned about herself, it is discovered that she woke up thinking it is August 2006. She believes that she just turned 18, her mother is catatonic, and that she was never wanted. She is shocked to see her mother awake. Laura gently explains to her that it is 2023 and that Lulu is a 35 year old mother of 2. Lulu is shocked and scared that she can’t remember anything.

She is quickly released from the care facility and back home in Port Charles on New Year’s Eve where a clearly drunk Dante shows up to drop off Charlotte and Rocco at Laura’s.

Lulu has no recollection of Dante, the kids, or becoming friends with Maxie. She clings to her mom, Kevin, and Nikolas. Rocco and Charlotte are desperate to reconnect with their mother, but Lulu is very hesitant. WIth some advice from Laura and Maxie, Lulu begins to make inroads with her preteen kids. 

Dante, already messed up due to his mother’s death, goes into a deeper spiral at the return of Lulu. Sam is Dante’s voice of reason and after months of drinking him into a stupor and going on probation at work, she is able to get him to see that his drinking is becoming a problem and seek help. Once Dante gets clean, Dante proposes to Sam.

Sam, worried to go down the marriage path again, especially after the failed engagement to Patrick, initially says no. She is happy with the way things are with their family. Dante promises not to push but saves the ring in case she ever changes her mind. 

THE END OF ESME:

Esme is curious about her past. Thus, she continues visiting her mom, Heather, who spoon feeds Esme about her past with her adopted family. Heather reveals the truth: Esme killed her adoptive parents in a rage. The reveal sparks Esme’s memories before the second jump off the parapet to return. 

Laura and Kevin were able to find where Mason, Austin, and Cyrus were hiding Nikolas. Nikolas woke up shortly after they found him and he revealed that Ava was the one who struck him. The trio return to Port Charles with Laura vowing to never allow Ava anywhere near her family again. Nikolas agrees to not report Ava for the blow to the head if she returns Wyndamere to him. Ava agrees.

A returned Nikolas begins making amends with Spencer and Elizabeth for his actions. Spencer is wary of letting Nikolas in his and Ace’s life, but Trina is able to convince Spencer to give his father one last chance. Spencer moves out of Wyndamere and into his own apartment, but continues to have a large presence in Ace’s life to Esme’s chagrin. Ace’s time is split between Esme at Laura/Kevin’s house and Wyndamere with Nikolas.

Esme is angry with the overlooming presence that Nikolas and Spencer have over her son. She overhears Nikolas discussing getting full custody with Kevin, Spencer, and Martin. She hears Spencer reveal to the three men all the evidence of her crimes against Ava, Cam, Joss, and Trina to use against her in court. Esme rushes to Pentonville and vents to Heather. Heather conspires with Esme a plan of revenge against Spencer. 

Esme and Heather’s plan includes framing Spencer for small to large crimes. At first, it's a break in at Wyndamere where she steals a family necklace which ends up in Spencer suit jacket. She trashes Ava’s gallery and splatters paintings with fake blood, similar to Spencer’s first run in with Trina at the gallery. Spencer keeps getting arrested or questioned by the police, but Martin is able to defend him from charges being made. 

Esme is furious. The night before the custody hearing she picks a massive fight with Spencer on the docks. Spencer gets angry enough that he raises a hand to her, but never follows through. However, Spencer is caught raising his hand by Esme’s uncle, Kevin. She asks to speak to Spencer alone and Kevin takes the launch to Wyndamere to join Nikolas, Ace, and the rest of the family for dinner. When they are alone, Esme “apologizes” for picking a fight and gives Spencer a hug. He pushes her off and gets on the launch.

Esme returns to Laura and Kevin’s and gets busy bruising herself all over her body and rips her clothes (all with gloves on). When Laura and Kevin return home, they see a battered Esme with torn clothes. She cries that Spencer r*ped her and she wants to report it to the police. A piece of Spencer’s hair is found on Esme’s shirt and he is arrested and charged. Due to the charges against Spencer, the custody hearing is delayed and the normal custody schedule remains. 

Martin is unable to procure Spencer’s bail and release. So, Spencer is in prison until the trial. He gets visits from Nikolas, Laura, and Trina. He proclaims his innocence and they all believe him immediately. He wouldn’t touch Esme, let alone r*pe her.

Trina begs Taggert for help in proving Spencer’s innocence. They get Spencer to tell them his every step on the day Esme says she was r*ped. Meanwhile, Laura, Nikolas, and Elizabeth put their heads together and watch Esme’s every move. Kevin is torn. He wants to believe his niece, but knows Spencer wouldn’t do anything like that to anyone. 

Trina discovers that Esme never had a r*pe kit performed on her. All the police have is Spencer’s hair on her shirt. There is no proof that Spencer violated Esme. And Esme can not account for the time from the docks to when Laura and Kevin returned home. Laura is able to get Trina a private meeting with DA Robert Scorpio. Trina explains her theory: Spencer and Esme got in a verbal fight. Esme was either close enough to Spencer that a piece of hair fell on her shirt or she purposefully embraced him. Then, went somewhere private and bruised herself. She set him up. Laura is impressed and Robert agrees. He suggests that Trina forget art history and become an attorney. 

Robert questions Esme, who slips up when trying to retell her original story. She originally claims that Spencer r*ped her behind Laura/Kevin’s townhouse, but instead says he r*ped her in their townhouse. Robert arrests her for her false story of r*pe, as well as all the other crimes she framed Spencer for. She is sent to jail for 3 years. Spencer is freed. 

Soon afterwards, Trina visits Esme in Pentonville. Trina finally unleashes all her anger at Esme. Trina explains that she was sick of playing the nice guy to Esme just for a baby. But that time is over and Esme can rot in jail.

Spencer’s third stint in jail made him realize it is time to act on his feelings. He sets up a romantic evening at the gallery and finally proposes to Trina. Because of Portia's meddling, they elope with a returning Cam and Ava as their only witnesses. They get a romantic honeymoon.

Kevin, guilty that he could never save his brother, works on trying to save Esme through prison visits. However, when she asks him to help her remove Ace from Nik and Spencer's clutches by lying to a judge, Kevin refuses.

Esme is furious. She really believed that her uncle Kevin would help her no matter what, especially over helping Nikolas and Spencer, who are not his blood. Esme breaks out of jail and attacks Kevin at his GH office (similar to Carter and Lucy's attack on ER). Kevin is stabbed multiple times, but his biggest injury is Esme basically stabbing his throat.

Liz finds Kevin bleeding out and screams out for a doctor. While Deanna is prepping Kevin for surgery, Liz calls Laura. Laura, a returned Lulu, Martin, Lucy, Mac and Felicia wait for TJ to finish operating. Nik calls Spencer, who is on his honeymoon, to tell him about Esme's latest crime and Kevin's condition. Spencer and Trina rush home to be at Laura's side.

Kevin survives, but he will never be able to speak again. Dante and Jordan find Esme hiding out at an abandoned carnival and arrest her. After hearing from Martin that Esme has been arrested, Laura rushes to the PCPD to confront Esme. Laura finally tells Esme off (no more sweetheart here). Esme is jailed for life, but shows no remorse because she was able to take away something precious from Kevin like Ace was taken from her.

KEVIN’S SILENCE

This story spurs from the end of Esme. Waking up after his stabbing, Kevin discovers that he can’t talk. He, along with his friends and family, are told that the stab wound to the throat was deep. They had to remove his voice box. Kevin slips into a depression while dealing with the fact that he can never speak again. Laura and LuLu, specifically, start attending ASL classes with a disgruntled Kevin, so that they are able to communicate. 

Kevin’s thoughts get darker and darker. He then decides to take his own life. He rationalizes that without his voice, he can’t do his job or be the man that his wife, family, and friends need. There will be an entire special episode centered around Kevin writing his s**cide letter. Everyone else is silent. The only voice we hear is Kevin reading out his letter during his last interactions with those he mentions in the letter: Mac, Felicia, Lucy, his step kids/grandkids, hospital staff, and finally Laura. Laura finds him at home with empty pill bottles all around him and calls an ambulance.

Kevin survives but continues to be very dark and depressed, specifically towards Laura. Laura’s attitude that love can conquer anything angers him. The married couple have a harsh argument in the hospital room where difficult things are said. Lulu intervenes and is able to relate to Kevin: he lost his voice for good and she lost her memory for good. She convinces Kevin to give her mom a second chance once he gets to Shadybrooke for rehab.

After a month apart, Kevin asks Laura to visit him in Shadybrooke. They discuss his depression over losing his voice. She admits that she will miss his voice, but it's the person behind the voice that matters. They reconcile.

Kevin’s ASL teacher bonds with Lulu and they strike up a romance. We later learn that he is Kevin’s son from a one night stand before Kevin showed up in Port Charles.

NIZ REVIVAL AND LUCKY RETURNS

When Nikolas returns to town, he is set on making amends with the people he hurt, specifically Spencer and Elizabeth. Spencer is cautious to forgive Nik and allow him back in his life. Trina helps Spencer with his conflicting feelings over his father. Elizabeth reads Nik the riot act for leaving her high and dry. She explains that she almost lost her job for helping him keep Esme locked away. He apologizes and sends her an apology note everyday attached to her favorite flower. 

Elizabeth is touched and warns him that if he ever embraces his full Cassadine side again, she is done helping and protecting him. Nikolas, free from Victor’s grasp, free from Spencer’s rightful anger, and free from the blackmail Ava relationship, realizes that he still loves Elizabeth. He decides to embrace this new and improved version of himself and asks her out on a date. Elizabeth says no. Every time they get intertwined, they get in trouble. Nikolas argues that they were young and high on emotions. Nothing is holding them back. He will go as slow as she would like. But if he doesn’t try, his life would have a missing piece and be filled with regrets.

Elizabeth is touched and eventually agrees to a date. While she was expecting to be wine and dined, he took her to an art class and had pizza afterwards. Elizabeth was touched at his simplicity. He reveals that he has always loved her since they were teenagers and never wants her to change who she is for him. He would rather change to fit into her world than her changing to fit into his. They go back to Wyndamere and sleep together. 

When Laura gets re-elected as Mayor, a big inauguration party is thrown by Nikolas. Lulu decides to invite Lucky without anyone knowing, assuming that he would not show up. During the party, Lucky shockingly arrives. Elizabeth is stunned. Cam, Jake, and Aiden are angry. Nikolas and Laura are surprised. Before Lucky makes his way into the depths of the party, Laura pulls him aside outside. She tells him she loves him and is so happy he is here, but if he doesn’t plan on sticking around for his sons, he needs to leave now. She explains that the boys have gone through rough times and he never showed up, but he returns for a party. So he either leaves for good or joins the party with the intent on sticking around for his sons.

Lucky takes a few minutes, but he decides to return to the party. Cam confronts him and advises him to stay away from their mother and her boys. He reveals that Liz is happy with Nik and doesn’t want Lucky screwing it up. Lucky congratulates Niz on their relationship and gives them his blessing. Niz are surprised. 

A few weeks pass and Laura encourages Lucky to at least try to make inroads with the boys. She bluntly tells Lucky that her grandsons don’t need a father because they have a wonderful mother who raised them on their own, but those boys deserve a good dad. Lucky visits Elizabeth at work. He asks her how he can not only attempt to fix his relationship with the boys, but with her as well. She recommends family therapy, but only if the boys are up to it.

Lucky attends solo sessions and Elizabeth shares that the boys will try family therapy. Aiden thaws the quickest to Lucky, while Cam remains cold for a while. During Lucky’s solo sessions, we get insight into why he has stayed away so long: In fear of becoming a drunken, absent husband and father like Luke, he thought staying away was the best option. But by doing so, he became an absent partner and father in the process. 

Lucky apologizes to Elizabeth for all the infidelities and hurtful words he has said to her in the past. They agree to be best friends and co-parents. Lucky gets his life back on track in Port Charles. When Carly gets the Metro Court back after Olivia’s death, she sells Kelly’s to Lucky for a dollar. 

SCOTT’S DAUGHTER FALLS FOR LUKE’S SON

Serena returns to town a lawyer, like her father. She reunites with her parents, Scotty and Lucy. They are so excited to see her and she reveals that a position in the DA’s office opened and she decided that it was time to come home. Lucy is so excited to introduce her to Martin.

One day, she goes for lunch at Kelly’s and actually bumps into Lucky. He accidentally spills water and lemonade over her. He apologizes profusely. She agrees to accept his apology and not charge him for dry cleaning if she can get a free lunch. Lucky agrees. They strike up a flirtation and she ends up going to lunch at Kelly’s everyday, but they never give each other their first names.

Lucky, with encouragement from his brother, asks Serena out. She agrees. They decide to catch dinner and a movie. While having dinner at the Metro Court, they bump into Scotty who freaks out at the prospect of his daughter dating Luke Spencer’s son. Lucky and Serena are shocked at the other’s parentage, but agree to continue on their date. The chemistry is palpable and they sleep together.

Scotty is vehemently opposed to the relationship, but Lucy is excited as she sees this as another way to become even closer to the supercouple Luke and Laura. He eventually becomes less vocal as he sees how happy Serena is. 

Lucky and Serena’s happiness comes to a bump when Serena falls pregnant. Serena wants the baby, but Lucky is against it. He was already a terrible father to the boys. He’s scared he will abandon this child as well. BUT he doesn’t say this to Serena and breaks up with her. Serena does not wallow. She’s a strong independent woman and decides to keep the child. 

Lucky is lost without Serena. Elizabeth, Lulu, Laura, and eventually the boys convince him to get her back and be a partner and dad to the baby. Serena does accept his apology but does not take him back. She experiences some difficulties and is put on bed rest, she is scared she is going to lose the baby. Lucky rushes to her side and declares his love. She realizes that her birth mother never got a second chance at life and love. Serena forgives Lucky. She gives birth to a preemie baby girl, who they name Ruby Dominique. 

MAXIE/SPINELLI REUNITE AS GEORGIE SHOCKS THEM

As Maxie and Spinelli realize that they belong together, their lives are thrown for a loop when Georgie suddenly gets ill and ends up fainting in the middle of dinner at the Metro Court. They rush her to GH where doctors run many tests on her. While Maxie and Spinelli are waiting to see Georgie, Terry approaches them. They automatically think it is cancer, due to Terry’s concentration. She asks to speak with them privately. Terry initially calms their nerves by saying that Georgie does not have cancer. She is, however, pregnant at 13. 

Maxie and Spinelli are in shock. Maxie calls Felicia and Mac to the hospital and reveals what Terry has just told them. Felicia can’t speak and Mac questions whether Georgie has been sexually abused by an older man. He takes it upon himself to background check and investigate every male teacher and adult in Georgie’s life. Maxie and Spinelli are able to see Georgie and they reveal her impending motherhood. Georgie is shocked. They start asking her millions of questions, but Georgie panics and kicks them out.

A few days later, Georgie is still giving her parents the silent treatment. Felicia comes over with ice cream and cookies in an attempt to get her granddaughter to open up. Georgie makes Felicia swear not to reveal to anyone who the father is until Georgie plucks up the courage to tell him. Felicia agrees and Georgie reveals the father, but the audience does not hear the name. 

Felicia tries to calm Maxie, Spinelli, and Mac’s worries and concerns. They deduce that she knows the father and attempt to pull it out of her. But Felicia stays loyal to Georgie. We see Georgie text an unknown number and ask to come over to Maxie’s house (Maxie and family moved into Lulu’s house before Lulu woke up). A knock is heard at the door and when Georgie opens the door, the camera pans up from the bottom and it is revealed that the baby daddy is Jake Webber. 

Georgie reveals to Jake that after their two time romp, she is pregnant. Jake goes into a panic. But Georgie reveals that she is getting an abortion. She can’t be a mom at 13. As she reveals her intentions, Maxie and Spinelli come home and hear her. Jake agrees to whatever Georgie wants to do, because it is her body.

Maxie and Felicia accompany Georgie to the clinic to get an abortion.

JOSS/CARLY MIRROR CARLY/BOBBIE 

After Dex’s death, Joss learns that Jax has unexpectedly passed away as well. Josslyn begins sleeping around with any man just to numb the pain. Soon, Josslyn discovers Carly having a flirtation with Lorenzo. She notices Carly is enjoying the flirting and ignoring Drew more and more. Josslyn became close to Drew during the Crew relationship and respected him for taking the fall for the SEC mess.

She finds Drew drunk at Charlies and cozies up to him. She gets a tipsy Drew to open up about her mom. He reveals he knows Carly in entertaining Lorenzo’s advances. He is angry because he put Carly above Scout and his other family. They end up falling in bed together. When Drew wakes up more sober, he is shocked that he slept with Josslyn and has her promise to keep this a secret. Josslyn agrees. However, she plans on seducing him again.

After Drew catches Carly and Lorenzo making out, Drew runs into Josslyn. They talk and end up in bed again. They continue this secret affair for months. However, when Carly goes to tell Josslyn the news about Bobbie, she discovers Joss in bed with Drew.

Carly is FURIOUS. She orders Drew out to have a word with her daughter. Carly and Josslyn get into a huge argument. Terrible words are said. Josslyn reminds her mother that she learned everything from her mother, even sleeping with her mom’s partner. Carly scoffs and goes to exit, but turns around to reveal the news about Bobbie. Will the death of Bobbie bring mother and daughter back together after a huge rift?

TJ/KRISTINA ONE NIGHT STAND

After things fall through with the surrogate, Molly’s (with a more age appropriate recast) baby rabies gets even worse. She even decides to quit her job at the DA’s office to focus on becoming a mom. TJ is upset that she didn't discuss her plans to quit with him or her increasing attempts to adopt a baby. Molly and TJ get in a huge fight. He declares that she isn’t even thinking of him anymore and she is letting her obsession with having a child take over her life. He leaves their apartment in a huff.

He goes to Charlie’s to drink away his anger. He vents to Kristina about her sister and she eventually gets drunk along with him while venting about Molly. They sleep together and immediately regret it. TJ tells Kristina that he is going to tell Molly the truth about what happened. Kristina begs him not to. Molly will never forgive them, but TJ says he doesn’t keep secrets.

TJ returns home and admits to Molly about his tryst with Kristina. Molly is enraged. She breaks up with TJ and heads directly to Kristina’s. She accuses Kristina of setting out to ruin her life. Kristina throws back into Molly’s face that Molly is ruining her own life with her baby rabies. They keep trading barbs back and forth. Alexis arrives after getting a call from TJ and intervenes. Molly admits that she can’t stay here anymore and Alexis assumes she means in the room. But Molly clarifies that she means Port Charles. She decides to leave town and go stay with Ric.

Roughly 6-8 weeks later, Kristina realizes that her period is late. She takes a test and it is positive. She contemplates not telling anyone and getting an abortion, but she hears Molly’s voice in her head telling her she can never complete a task and won’t ever accomplish anything. Kristina decides to have the baby and breaks the news to TJ. They decide to co-parent amicably and once she hits 12 weeks, they break the news to their shocked families.

SONNY’S FRUITY KIDS

After Willow’s death, Michael is beside himself. He is raising two kids alone and is not sure if he can cope. He didn’t really have the best examples of parents growing up. A few months following Willow’s death, a smile returns to Michael’s face and there is a pep in his step. Ned, Brook Lynn, Joss, Carly, and Sonny all question this happy glow he has. All Michael reveals is that he has found someone, but is keeping it private because of the kids. 

Brook Lynn goes to visit Michael at ELQ one day and stumbles in upon Michael, shirtless and pants undone, kissing Paul Wu (Selina Wu’s nephew). Michael is embarrassed and orders Paul to leave. Brook Lynn tries to calm down a clearly panicking Michael. Michael swears her to secrecy. Brook Lynn questions why he doesn’t want anyone to know. Is it because he is related to Selina Wu? Michael replies that Paul’s relationship with Selina may complicate things in Sonny’s mob world, but it’s not his biggest concern. He reveals that Paul is a man and he is scared of what Carly, Sonny, hell even Monica would think of him.

Brook Lynn promises her silence, but tells Michael she loves him for exactly who he is. It doesn’t matter who he loves. Michael meets with Paul and apologizes for his outburst. Paul agrees to keep their relationship private for now, but not forever. Michael has an inner battle on revealing his true self and relationship to his parents and family. 

A pregnant Kristina meets Annie Donely at Charlie’s after Annie comes in for a drink. They strike up a conversation and are clearly flirting. Their flirtation continues for a few weeks before Kristina takes her upstairs after a shift. Kristina tells Annie about her predicament with TJ and Annie surprises her by telling her she’ll stay by Kristina’s side. A pregnancy doesn’t scare her. Kristina is touched, but soon becomes worried for her dad when she discovers that Annie works for the WSB and is looking into stopping mob activity in Port Charles.

When Kristina is six months along, she suffers a miscarriage and is devastated. Molly’s words haunt her again. Kristina thinks Molly was right and she can’t accomplish anything. Annie tries to help Kristina through the aftermath of losing her and TJ’s baby boy: Thomas Stefan.

FAREWELL BOBBIE

Bobbie left town to go visit Lucas. A week later, Carly gets a call from Lucas. He went to wake up Bobbie for breakfast, only to find that she passed in her sleep. Carly spreads the word. The town is shocked.

Carly, a visiting Lucas, Michael, and Josslyn plan the funeral. The entire town attends. Lesley Webber and Noah Drake visit to pay their respects. The funeral goes on for 3 show days. We get eulogies from Carly, Lucas, Scott, Laura, Noah, Elizabeth, and Lucy. Flashbacks are intertwined with the eulogies. Bobbie’s portrait gets hung on the GH wall next to Amy’s. 

Josslyn and Carly agree to allow some time to pass for the anger between them to mellow. Carly admits that she was not a good daughter to her mom in the beginning and she lost some years with her that she can’t get back. She doesn’t want to lose any time with her daughter.

Also at the funeral, Lucas stumbles upon Michael’s secret and gives him advice and a listening ear.

TAGGERT IS THE FATHER

Selina Wu is revealed to have switched the results of the paternity test to keep Curtis in her clutches. She learned that he was contemplating working with the WSB to take down the mob underworld. So, to keep him in line, she changes the results and begins threatening his “daughter” Trina when she needs him to do her dirty work.

When Selina asks Curtis to host a meeting of the 5 families and demands 51% ownership in his club, Curtis freezes. He refuses to be involved in the mob life and she catches him secretly calling the WSB to report a mob meeting. Selina orders her men to kidnap Trina. However, the kidnapping backfires badly and Trina is shot.

Spencer is beside himself, Portia is scared, and Taggert and Curtis rush to GH. TJ declares that Trina has lost a ton of blood and needs family to donate. Curtis jumps at the chance, but when he is asked his blood type, it is not Trina’s match. He doesn’t think anything of it, but when Portia says she can’t donate because they are not a match, Curtis puts two and two together: He is not Trina’s father. Taggert is!

Taggert, torn between being elated at Trina being his but also scared for Trina’s life, rushes off to give his blood, which is confirmed to be Trina’s type. Curtis is furious. He lashes out at Portia, accusing her of changing the results to get him to forgive her for the 20 year lie. However, Portia keeps maintaining her innocence. 

Curtis calls Stella, who moved to Arizona with Marshall, and tells her about everything that has happened. She tells him to pull his head out of his ass and be a STEP father. Blood doesn’t make a family, love does. 

Curtis returns to GH and sits vigil with Portia, Spencer, and Taggert. He gets a text from Selina asking him to meet in the garage. Curtis excuses himself and meets with Selina. He unleashes his anger about Trina and lets it slip that he assumes Portia changed the results. Selina reveals that she was behind the switch and demands he hand over 51% of his club to her or Trina won’t wake up. Curtis agrees and rushes back into GH.

Spencer sits vigil with Trina and we get flashbacks and even visions of how Spencer sees their future. As Spencer lays his head down on her hand to cry, another hand comes up to pet his head. Spencer looks up and sees Trina is awake.

Once Trina is more alert, Portia and Taggert reveal that Taggert is really her dad. Trina is happy, but also sad for Curtis. Curtis comes to visit and reveals having her as his daughter for the time he did was the happiest time of his life, but the DNA doesn’t change his love for her. He will always, always protect her. Taggert overhears and begins investigating what Curtis is hiding and why Trina needs protecting. 

NEXIS RIDE AGAIN

After Olivia’s death, Ned finds himself a single dad to Leo. Brook Lynn and Chase move into the Q mansion to help her dad cope, especially since Monica is getting older. When Ned basically becomes a recluse, Brook Lynn calls in reinforcement: Tracy, Dillon, and Alexis.

Tracy takes the tough love approach, but that gets her nowhere except kicked out and sleeping on Laura’s sofa. Dillon tries to help his brother by comparing how he felt when he heard KiKi was killed. Ned still remains cold. Alexis decides to take matters into her own hands. She literally drags Ned out of the house by his collar and takes him to the park for ice cream at night. 

After they finish their cones, Alexis tells Ned to lay with her on the grass to look up at the stars. She tells him Olivia is one of those stars. Ned scoffs and asks when she did she become a lovey dovey person who talks to the stars. She replies that she’s not, but to help him, she will do anything. After that little date, Ned and Alexis start seeing each other more and more, but deny that they are dating.

When Tracy questions Ned and Sam questions Alexis about Nexis’s status, they both respond that they are nervous to take that leap since the last time it ended with Alexis running from the altar.

Ned admits to BLQ that he is scared it is too soon after Olivia, but BLQ tells him life is too short. Take his shot. And if he gets hurt, her, Chase, and Dillon will be there to catch him. Tracy, who now is back working at ELQ, asks Alexis to be ELQ’s legal counsel, hoping it would derail Ned from dating an ELQ employee. Ned, finds a work around in ELQ bylaws, and asks Alexis out on a date, much to Tracy’s chagrin.

Alexis and Ned are back together, but Alexis remains concerned that she can’t do normal and will constantly be pulled towards whatever bad guy bats his eyes at her. We will see Alexis struggle with a “normal” man, but work to fight for the relationship.

BRENDA RETURNS

After Nina is outed as the person who reported Carly and Drew to the SEC, everyone is expecting Sonny to drop Nina. BUT he surprises everyone by standing by her, but decides to postpone the wedding. Sonny explains to Kristina that he’s made MANY mistakes in his life yet a lot of people forgave him and gave him a second chance. He needs to start doing that for others.

When Lorenzo’s attempts at finally destroying Sonny ramp up, Sonny gets a shock when Brenda turns up. Sonny and Nina’s relationship is sent into a tailspin. Brenda is back to visit with Brook Lynn and help her set up LnB  records 2.0. 

Sonny is immediately drawn back into Brenda’s presence and Nina is worried. Carly was one thing, but Brenda… she is the love of Sonny’s life and the one that always got away.

Nina tries to convince Brenda to leave town and that BLQ will be fine without her crowding her. But Brenda sees right through Nina’s act and warns Nina that Sonny will drop Nina in a hot second if she asks. 

We see Brenda reconnect with Ned and get an update on Lois. 

Lorenzo gets word that Brenda is in town and realizes that she is his ticket to destroying Sonny. He puts a bomb in Brenda’s car and when she leaves her dinner with Ned, her car explodes. Ned calls 911 and then Sonny.

Sonny, who just ran off with Nina to the courthouse to elope, gets the call that Brenda has been attacked. He leaves Nina and rushes to GH. Brenda’s life hangs in the balance. Sonny sits vigil at her bedside, much to Nina’s chagrin.

Sonny, not knowing that Nina is listening, promises Brenda the world. He promises that if she wakes up, he will quit the mob life. Hand over his empire to Lorenzo and he and Brenda can leave PC. They can have a new life.

Nina is furious and starts to act unhinged. Ava tries to calm down her best friend by explaining that Sonny is just speaking words that would make Brenda wake up.

Brenda wakes up, but what is Sonny really going to do? Will he leave his world, kids, and Nina for Brenda? Or will Brenda always be left standing in the rain for Sonny?

WHO KILLED ESME

After all of Laura’s kids return, the whole Kevin is silent arc, we get a big murder mystery: Who killed Esme?

Leading up to Esme’s death, a group of people visit Pentonville: Laura visits Cyrus, Nikolas visits Esme, Ava visits Olivia Jerome, Spencer visits Esme, Martin visits Cyrus, etc.

When Esme’s body is found in her cell, the police look Cyrus as suspect number one. He is in jail and Esme has hurt his family. He is the perfect target. They question him and some of the wardens. They quickly discover that Cyrus was in his guarded cell for hours before and after Esme’s murder. So, it couldn’t be him.

Nikolas is questioned next because he was the one who visited her. He is questioned by Jordan. He admits to visiting Esme, but only to tell her to stop sending him threatening letters regarding killing him and kidnapping Ace. Nikolas offers picking up Aiden from school as his alibi. Jordan lets him go.

Ava is their next suspect. She hates Esme. They question why she was meeting with her sister. First, she admits she just wanted sister time, but Jordan sees right through that excuse. Ava admits to taking over Olivia’s connections but leaves it vague enough for Jordan not to worry. Jordan asks Ava if she asked Olivia to kill Esme for her, but Ava scoffs at the notion. Ava admits that if she wanted Esme dead she would have done it herself a long time ago. With Ava’s honesty and a watertight alibi, Jordan lets Ava go.

Before Jordan has time to question Spencer, evidence is brought to the station. A scarf that belongs to Laura was found with Esme’s blood on it. Laura is immediately called in for questioning. When presented with the scarf, Laura is shocked. She admits to wearing that scarf, but swears she put it in her purse because she gets heated when she has to yell at Cyrus. Laura’s only alibi was being at her mayor’s office alone, but no one was there to confirm. And coincidentally, the security cameras glitched during the time Laura swears that she was there. Jordan has no other choice but to arrest Laura for Esme’s murder.

The town is shocked, but does not believe Laura did the crime. Martin tries to get Laura out on bail, but the judge denies her bail since she already has 2 murders on her wrap sheet (Theresa Carter and David Hamilton).

Heather angrily confronts Laura in jail with a shank, but Cyrus jumps to Laura’s defense. He defends Laura and insists Laura would NEVER kill the mother of her grandson. Laura pleads with Heather. Heather eventually agrees that killing Esme wasn’t in Laura’s style. The trio form a comedic bond in prison.

The town works to prove Laura’s innocence. Sam, Felicia, and Spinelli use their PI skills to look at every security camera and track down any and every witness to Laura’s moves that day.

Kevin, Martin, Spencer, Cam, Lucky, and Lulu visit Laura and all find it curious that Nikolas hasn’t visited. Cam brings up that fact to his mom. Liz questions Nik on why he isn’t visiting his mom and after an argument he admits that he can’t face her. Liz wonders if Nik thinks she actually did it. He says no, but their lives would be easier if everyone believed she did. Liz becomes very curious at Nik’s stance.

Liz finds out through some snooping done by Spencer and Cam that Nik’s alibi is picking Aiden up from school, but she knows for a fact that Aiden went home with a friend that day. She talks to Aiden who admits that Nik paid him $10,000 for his silence. Liz is furious and confronts Nik. He tries to talk himself out of it, but admits to it. Liz accuses him of being the one to kill Esme. She loves Nik, but he used her kid and she won’t stand for that. She tells Jordan that Nik lied about his alibi. 

Nik is questioned again. This time admits that he can’t provide a rock solid alibi. Meanwhile, Felicia was able to find a cleaning lady who admits to seeing Laura at the office during the time of the murder. Kevin can’t thank his friend enough and Laura is freed, only for Nikolas to be locked up.

Nikolas admits to Cyrus that he was meeting with a hired hitman to kill Esme, but didn’t go through it. He couldn’t tell the police that. It would only disappoint his mother, son, and family even more. 

Lulu is spending the night with her new boyfriend, Garrett, also Kevin’s ASL teacher. While he is out of the room, he knocks off his wallet from the side table. She picks it and its contents up, only to find a picture of a young Kevin. When Garrett returns, she questions him about the picture.

He admits that Kevin is his father. Lulu wants to rush and tell Kevin. Garrett stops her. Lulu is confused and says that Kevin would be thrilled at a son. Garrett says he can’t ever know because it will make things worse. Lulu says what? Garrett admits to killing Esme after learning that Esme was also sending Kevin letters threatening his life and he wanted to protect his father. Lulu is shocked. Does she keep her boyfriend's secrets or free her brother?

[lovelymary]

Nothing You Confess Could Make Me Love You Less

"Take me in, into your darkest hour And I'll never desert you I'll stand by you Won't let nobody hurt you I'll stand by you"

Lisa closed her laptop and let out a deep sigh. The last couple of weeks had been a whirlwind, to say the least. Even though Bravo's status with Command was still up in the air, an emergency mission in Colombia called for the best DEVGRU had to offer, and for better or worse, that was still Bravo team. Given the importance and time-sensitive nature of the mission, Command had decided to send Lisa along with them to assist Ray, who was going to be acting as OIC.

So here they all were again, on the flight back to Virginia Beach after achieving mission success just like they had done countless times before. She had to admit that it felt great to be back in the action with her boys and she was especially grateful that she was able to be there to watch over them on this particular mission. Though as happy as she was, the significance of Sonny's confession before they had spun up still weighed heavily on her heart.

__________________________________

2 weeks earlier…

Lisa was in her office, putting together the files she needed to bring with her to Colombia, when she got a text from Sonny asking her to come to the cages. The guys were gathered in the center of the room when she got there, apparently waiting for her to arrive. "What's going on?" she asked hesitantly, her eyes seeking Sonny out for some kind of indication as to what this was about, but his gaze never met hers. Instead, his eyes darted all over the room bouncing between the walls and back down to the floor as he started fidgeting with his hat, a telltale sign that he was nervous about what he was about to say.

"Listen, I…uh…I know we don't have much time before we head out, but there's something I need you guys to know about the last time we were in Colombia. I'm sure you all remember that I wasn't exactly at my best during that deployment. The truth is, I was in a pretty dark place, and when I left the safe house on my solo field trip, I didn't really know where I was going; all I knew was that I had to get the hell out of there. You know, Hannah and Leanne leaving and movin' back to Texas, it truly knocked me on my ass, and I guess what I really wanted was for it all to just stop — the hurt, the emptiness, the pain, you know, all of it,'' he paused to clear his throat and to get his emotions under control a bit before continuing. "So I uh, I ended up in Dibulla, where I got my fill of broads and booze and, um, even drugs. Bottom line, nothing was off limits if it meant that I would just stop hurting, if I could just stop feeling anything at all, if only for a little while. When Clay finally tracked me down, I was neck deep in a situation that I probably wouldn't have walked away from. Maybe that's why I did it; I don't know…Basically I uh, I got on the bad side of some local gang bangers, and if it wasn't for Clay, well, I probably would have ended up in a Colombian prison or dead in a ditch somewhere. I ain't proud of what I did, or the position I put Clay in, and I spent every single day after that doing whatever I could do just to make it up to him. Anyways, I uh, really didn't feel right going back there without reading you all in on what happened last time."

He paused to catch his breath and let it all sink in with the team. His eyes traveled around the room, trying to gauge everyone's reaction and he finally allowed himself to look at the one person whose gaze he'd been avoiding ever since she walked into the room. He looked at Lisa and could tell she was doing everything she could to keep her emotions in check, shoulders down and back with her jaw set tight. And when he looked into her eyes, he could see the tears that were starting to form despite her best efforts.

"Look," Sonny continued after a few moments. "I understand if y'all feel like you can't trust me right now and if you think it's best that I step aside for this mission, then that's what I'll do." He then turned to look at Jason, his team leader, his mentor and one of his best friends. "All I want is what's best for Bravo and I promise you, I will do whatever I need to do to earn your trust and respect back…all of you," he added as he turned to the rest of the team. "You know, a lot has changed since the last time we were in Colombia and I..uh…I'm not the same person I was back then. I know I tend to let my emotions get the best of me and act irrationally sometimes, but I swear to you, nothing like this will ever happen again. Ever." He turned to look at Lisa when he made that vow. It was a promise to the entire team, but especially to her.

He knew all too well her feelings about drugs and had seen firsthand how Danny's troubles had affected her when they were together. The last thing he ever wanted was to cause her any kind of pain and he couldn't bear the thought that his recklessness could be the final straw for them — the one thing that they couldn't come back from. He held her gaze for what felt like an eternity, desperately waiting for any indication of her reaction, good or bad. He saw her take a deep breath and just as she was about to speak, the moment was broken by the ringing of her cell phone.

Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat and answered her phone. Her head was spinning with questions and every possible emotion imaginable following the bombshell Sonny had just dropped, but as usual, duty was calling and all of that would have to be set aside for now.

"Yes, Sir. I understand. I'll be right there," she sighed as she clicked the phone off and turned to the guys. "Blackburn needs to see me before we take off…I'll uh see you guys on the plane." With one last look in Sonny's direction, Lisa tucked her phone back into her pocket and made her way out of the room.

Sonny hung his head and nodded slowly as he watched her leave. He understood why she had to go, but he couldn't help but feel the cruel irony that this job always seemed to find a way to come between them. He knew that he and Lisa wouldn't have been able to really have the conversation they needed to have with the entire team there, but he was still hoping for the slightest bit of reassurance that things between them would eventually be okay.

There wasn't much time to dwell on that though as the rest of the guys quickly got their bags together and headed out of the room after Jason asked to speak to Sonny alone. "This is it," he thought to himself. He'd finally pushed Jason to his limit and he was going to lose his spot on Bravo.

"Listen Jase," Sonny started once they were alone together, needing to say his piece before Jason kicked him off the team. "I know I broke Bravo's number one rule, I lied to you and to the entire team and there's no excuse for that. All I can say is I'm sorry, man, and I understand if this means that my time with Bravo's done. I get it. I just want you to know that being a part of this team and operating alongside of you has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life. My only regret is that I let my carelessness cost me one of the best things that's ever happened to me."

He let out a shaky breath as he held back his tears. His Bravo family meant everything to him and he couldn't believe that he was about to lose it all.

Jason sighed and ran his hands across his face. This definitely wasn't what he thought was going to happen when they had unexpectedly been called in while they were all on temporary suspension, but years of leading Bravo had conditioned him to be ready for just about anything. He had noticed that things had been rough for Sonny the last time they were in Colombia and he could definitely see that he was spinning out a little, but he'd just assumed that he'd pull himself out of it like he always did. Now that he knew just how bad things had gotten, he couldn't help but feel like he had let his brother down, even though he had been dealing with his own issues at the time and hadn't really been able to focus on anything other than his TBI and getting through the mission. Sonny could certainly be one of his most volatile teammates, but he was also one of the most loyal and Jason knew that when he put his mind to it, Sonny was just as capable as any of the other senior members of Bravo. Despite his reactive tendencies, Sonny always came through when they needed him and as far as Jason was concerned, that was what mattered most.

"Technically, we were Omega the last time around. Can't break Bravo rules if there's no Bravo."

"That's bull and you know it," Sonny scoffed. He appreciated what Jason was trying to do, but he didn't want him making exceptions for him. Actions had consequences and as much as it killed him to lose Bravo, he would take full responsibility for what he'd done.

Jason nodded in recognition, he should have known that Sonny wouldn't go for his lame attempt at rationalization. For all his faults, Sonny always owned up to his mistakes. Jason sighed and stepped a little closer to Sonny, his hand firmly gripping his shoulder.

"I'll tell you what I know," he kept his voice low even though they were the only ones in the room. "I know that in spite of everything that happened in Dibulla, you got your shit together when it mattered. You came through for the team, like you always do. Without you, we would have never taken down that enrichment facility and the Venezualans would have nukes by now. I know that when Clay got hit by that RPG in Mali, you used your own med kit to help him and you're the one that stayed back with him in Ramstein. When they finally brought him back to the States for his recovery, you were the one that was with him every step of the way at Walter Reed, that is what I know."

Sonny shrugged a little and looked down. "Any one of us would have done the same. He was our brother. Besides, Clay saved my life that day, if anyone was going to step up for him, it was going to be me."

"You know, you can tell yourself that you did all that because you felt like you owed Clay but we both know that you have done the exact same thing regardless. There isn't anything you won't do to help a brother in need. I'm just…I'm just sorry that none of us realized how much you needed us in Colombia."

"C'mon J., you know this ain't on you. I was the one you pushed everyone away and besides you had enough on your plate down there."

"Yeah, that's true, but you remember what you told me when we were looking for Ray in those mountains a few years ago? This world is a hell of a lot easier to navigate when you've got someone to lean on. I think we both lost sight of that during the Omega."

"Yeah, I guess we did," Sonny admitted quietly.

"Alright, so how about we make a pact right now? If we're ever in a tough spot again, we'll reach out for help. What do you say?" Jason held out his fist to Sonny, as he waited for his response.

"Wait. You mean, you're not kicking me off of Bravo?" Sonny asked with a bewildered look on his face.

"There's no Bravo without you, man. So, are you just going to leave me hanging here or do we have a deal?"

Sonny smiled and bumped his fist with Jason's in agreement, "Deal."

"Alright then," Jason wrapped one arm around Sonny's shoulder and grabbed his bags with the other. "Let's go show those cake-eaters what Bravo can do."

"Roger that, Boss."

__________________________________

Lisa leaned back against her seat on the C-17 and took a few calming breaths trying to digest everything that had just happened in the last hour. She had hated leaving the way she did earlier, but she had no choice, the mission had to come first and if she was being honest she had no idea what to make of Sonny's confession right now anyway. She had known that something serious must have happened down there by the way Clay had given Sonny the cold shoulder when they got back but never in her wildest dreams would she have ever imagined that Sonny would have gone so far off the rails. Drugs? Gang bangers? What in the world had happened during those two days he had been gone? The anger and confusion she was feeling quickly made way for overwhelming guilt. Her best friend had been off the grid for 48 hours and she had barely noticed. He'd already been gone for a day when Clay had asked her if she knew where he was and it wasn't until that moment that she realized that he hadn't been back to the safe house.

For over a decade, she and Sonny had been practically inseparable while on deployment. Whenever they had any kind of downtime, they always gravitated towards each other and spent countless hours hanging out together. But all that changed when she had decided that they couldn't be friends, right before they were deployed on the Keating. She hadn't wanted to completely cut him out of her life, but she knew that being so close to him and not being able to be with him would hurt too much and she was just trying to make things a little easier. She'd convinced herself that it was for the best but in hindsight, she couldn't have been more wrong. They had both tried to move on but their attempts had been in vain, and resulted in Sonny spiraling worse than he ever had before, while she eventually ended up completely immersing herself in her work after things went south with Grant.

The sound of the guys boarding the plane breaks her out of her thoughts. Her gaze immediately drifts to Sonny and their eyes lock for a moment as he makes his way towards her. She quickly looks back towards her laptop in a desperate attempt to appear busy, but Sonny isn't deterred as he quietly takes a seat next to her. "Listen, Lisa, I know I messed up real bad this time" he sighs softly as he tries to find the right words.

"Sonny, we can't do this right now," she cuts him off, unable to keep the quiver out of her voice, "not here."

Sonny lets out a defeated breath. "Yeah, you're probably right. I, uh, I'll just let you get back to your work." He stands to leave but Lisa grabs his hand before he can walk away.

"Sonny, wait…"

He turns back toward her with a confused look on his face. She squeezes his hand reassuringly and repositions her hand so that she's holding onto his index finger with her whole hand. She's not sure how or when that became a thing for them but she was grateful for it now because it allowed her to convey to him all the things she couldn't say out loud yet. They'd been through so much in the last few months and she couldn't help but remember what Sonny had said to her the night of Clay's send-off… 'you're the only best friend I've got left'...

She still didn't know how she felt about everything that had happened in Colombia, but she knew that she wasn't willing to sacrifice their friendship for anything. They'd already lost so much precious time over the last couple of years, and in spite of everything, she knew that she needed him in her life just as much as he needed her. She looked up at Sonny with tears in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, okay? I just need some time."

Sonny softly rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, "I'll wait as long as you need, Leese."

__________________________________

Lisa had spent every single second she wasn't working in Colombia, scouring news articles, police reports and anything that could give her any insight into what had happened with Sonny and Clay in Dibulla. From what she had gathered, the gang that Sonny had apparently gotten himself mixed up with was known as Hijos del Diablo. Given that they were a low level local gang, the police had seemingly chalked up the body count at the hotel to run-of-the-mill gang violence that was common in the area. As far as she could tell, there were no open investigations, but Lisa had still asked Mandy if she had any old contacts in the area that could help them make sure there was nothing that could ever lead back to Sonny. The last thing they needed was for a witness or some old surveillance footage to come back to haunt them.

She pulled out her phone and quickly read through Mandy's last message one more time, thankful that her friend was able to come through for her so quickly. She wasn't surprised though, Mandy always found a way to make the impossible possible and there wasn't anything she wouldn't do to protect any one of the guys. She didn't know exactly what Mandy did but she had assured her that there wasn't anything that could ever lead back to Sonny. Her exact words were, "it's like they were never there." Lisa smiled as she put her phone away. She definitely owed Mandy several cases of beer and maybe even a nice bottle of champagne.

Now that she was sure that Sonny was in the clear, she felt like she could finally relax a little. She knew that she and Sonny had a lot to talk about, but for the first time since she found out about everything that had happened, she finally felt like everything would be okay. She looked across the plane and spotted Sonny sitting on his own at the far end of the aircraft. It wasn't unusual for the guys to go off on their own as a way to unwind on the flight back, but she knew that wasn't why Sonny was sitting alone right now. He was giving her time, just like she had asked him, but she knew that not being able to talk to her was killing him. It would probably be best to wait until they were in private to talk, but if she was being honest, the distance between them was starting to get to her too and she really didn't want to wait any longer.

__________________________________

"Hey." She said softly, as she approached him. Sonny nods in acknowledgment and whispers "hey" without looking up. She sits next to him and puts her hand on his back. "I wish you would have come to me. I knew that you were hurting, but I guess I didn't realize how bad it was. Or maybe I just didn't want to see it."

He finally turns to look at her. "Yeah well, it's not like I was being all that agreeable at the time. I mean, the way I was treating you, I don't blame you for staying away. Besides, you had other things to worry about. It ain't on you to stop me from self-destructing."

"But you're my best friend Sonny and I just abandoned you when you needed me the most."

Out of everything that came out of Sonny's confession, that was what was troubling her the most. How could she have let herself get so consumed with work that she had completely missed that her best friend was falling apart? When he had angrily lashed out at her and blamed her for Hannah leaving, she had convinced herself that what Sonny needed was some time and space to cool off, so she had kept her distance. But in her heart, she knew that was a cop out. The truth was, she wasn't willing to admit that maybe Sonny wasn't entirely wrong. She hadn't set out to make Hannah feel like there was still something between her and Sonny, but that's what always tended to happen whenever she and Sonny were around each other. Even before they became more than friends, they had been giving people the wrong idea for years. The bond that they shared was just something they couldn't hide, even when they tried. She was sure the only reason they had been able to hide their relationship from the team for so long was because they were all so used to seeing how close she and Sonny were, but that wasn't the case with outsiders. She couldn't even remember how many fights she'd had about it with various boyfriends over the years.

"I uh I don't know why I always do that," she continued softly. "I push you away whenever I start seeing someone else and that's not fair, Sonny. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I get it. I mean the lines between us do tend to blur pretty easily. I guess it's just easier to try and make a clean break. Besides, I'm sure Grant wouldn't have been too happy to have me dragging you into my messes."

Lisa scoffs a little at the mention of Grant. "Yeah well, making Grant happy wasn't exactly a priority of mine anymore."

"Wait what? What the hell are you talking about, Davis?" He knew that she wasn't seeing Grant anymore but he had thought that was a more recent development. Had Lisa really stopped seeing him back then? She hadn't mentioned anything when he told her that Grant would also be proud of her when that captain said he wanted to try and fix the issues she had brought up in her paper. Although, now that he thought about it, she did seem a little squirrely when he mentioned Grant but he'd just assumed it was the natural awkwardness of discussing your current relationship with your ex.

"Forget it. It's not important," she shrugged and shook her head dismissively, but he saw the hurt that briefly flashed in her eyes before she quickly tucked it away.

"Come on now, that might work on the others, but I think you're forgetting how well I know ya darlin'. What am I missing here?"

She sighed and gave him a small smile. She should have known he'd see right through her. "Actually, I'm the one who missed something. I missed a whole lot of somethings really, like a whole other girlfriend in DC."

Sonny can't hide the look of utter shock from his face. He shakes his head in disgust and mutters, "idiot."

"I know. Some intel officer, right? I can't even recognize the signs that the guy I'm dating is seeing someone else."

"Not you, Lisa! Him. He's the idiot."

"Oh…" she says, giving him a small sheepish smile. "Well, idiot or not, I never should have let my relationship with him pull me away from our friendship." She sighed a little before continuing.

"It used to be easier, you know, convincing them that we were just friends. But after things got real with us, I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't argue that we didn't mean anything more to each other than just friends. I guess I thought it was just better to avoid the whole thing by keeping you at a distance. Conflict avoidance — it's a classic Davis move. See, I told you I was an idiot."

"Hey, quit talking about my girl that way." He lightly bumped her shoulder with his, keeping his tone light and joking even though the look in his eyes revealed his true feelings.

Lisa blushes a little at the term of endearment and looks down at her hands. "You still think of me as your girl?" she whispered softly.

"Yeah, you'll always be my girl," Sonny admits quietly, reaching out to take her hand in his. In spite of everything that had happened between them and everything they had been through, Lisa was still the woman he loved. She was the first woman he ever truly loved and he knew that he would never love anyone else the way he loved her. "I just hope that I haven't completely ruined my chances at calling you that." He squeezes her hand softly before continuing. "I know saying I'm sorry doesn't even come close to cutting it right now, but I am so sorry, Lisa. I swear to you, nothing like that will ever happen again. I know I tend to go all scorched earth when I'm upset or hurt, but I'm really trying to get a handle on all that. You know, trying to find better ways to cope and all."

"You are?" she asked with genuine curiosity and the tiniest hint of disbelief.

"Yeah, uh, I was helping Naima at the vet center the other day. She, uh, needed someone to set up some more bookcases in the library they've got there and well, see, they had this book there about different ways to cope when things get rough. Figured it was worth a shot, you know. Turns out, it ain't half bad. It's um giving me a different perspective on things and, uh you know, helping me understand things about myself a little better," he admitted quietly.

"Wow, that's incredible. I'm so proud of you," she nods softly as tears fill her eyes. "And I'm really glad it's helping because I don't ever want to see you hurting yourself like that again, Sonny."

"I won't. I promise," he says, brushing away a stray tear that had made its way down her cheek.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Quinn. I mean it, because if anything were to ever happen to you, I don't know that I'd survive it."

"You have my word, Lisa," he promised. "So does this mean we're good?" he asked tentatively.

Lisa saw the hopeful look in his eyes and bit her lip. There was still one thing she needed to know before she could truly put this whole thing to bed.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" She blurted it out before she could change her mind. "I mean if we hadn't gone back to Colombia, would you have told me what happened?"

"Lisa, you have to believe me; I never meant to keep it from you this long, I swear," he sighed heavily. "It's just between the ambush in Mali and what happened to Clay; there just never seemed to be a good time. Things were finally starting to get back to normal with us and I didn't want to risk losing it again so soon. Of course, then I went and messed it up anyways with my irrational temper. I'm really tryin' to work on that," he rambled a little and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Only then did he notice that she was still holding his hand. A wave of relief rushed over him as he realized that Lisa hadn't let go of his hand. Even though they were surrounded by all their teammates and various other staff members, even though he'd kept all this from her, even though he'd given her every reason to give up on him, she was still here holding his hand.

He took a steadying breath and continued, "Listen, Lisa, honestly, I think part of me was always worried that this whole mess would come back and bite me in the ass one day and I just couldn't stand the thought of putting you in a difficult spot with Command because of it. You've come so far and I'm so proud of you and I can't bear the thought of it all being compromised because of me. It's bad enough that I nearly wrecked everything with that whole Decker mess." Sonny sighed and hung his head a little.

"Hey, look at me." Lisa reached over and gently tilted his head up so he was looking at her. "First of all, I already told you, Decker deserved it and my only regret is not getting the chance to punch him myself. So you can stop feeling guilty about that, okay? I mean, sure, we had some fallout to deal with, but it was worth it. And you know, maybe we can both hold off on punching people for a little bit."

"Yeah, I think we can manage that," he chuckled.

"And as for what happened in Dibulla," Lisa continued. "You don't have to worry about that either."

"What? What do you mean?" he asked incredulously.

"Police records show that there aren't any open investigations about it and it seems like no one's really interested in pursuing the matter further. But I had Mandy look into it anyway and she made sure there wasn't anything to find even if someone were to ever look into it."

"When did you have time to do all that?" he asked, still trying to process everything she had just said.

"Well, we did have some down time during the mission," she shrugged and gave him a small smile.

"I...I don't know what to say. That's incredible. I can't believe it," he stammered, still a little shocked that she would do all that for him. "Thank you, Lisa. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you, but I'm so grateful to have you in my life. And if you'll let me, I'll spend the rest of my life doing whatever I can to prove it to you."

"I don't need you to prove anything to me, Sonny; just no more secrets, okay? No matter how bad you think it is."

"No more secrets, I promise. But that goes both ways, too. I mean I know you're basically Wonder Woman, but that doesn't mean you have to go through everything on your own. I know how much it must have hurt to find out that jackass was cheating on you and I hate that you felt you couldn't rely on your best friend for support."

"Okay, that's fair," she agreed softly. "But for the record, I do know that I can rely on you, it's just that old habits are hard to break sometimes. I'm sorry if I ever made you doubt that."

"It's alright, just as long as you know that I'll always have your back, no matter what. Even if all we can be right now is best friends." They were, as usual, in murky territory in their relationship. While they had grown so much closer ever since they had made up at Clay's memorial at the Bulkhead, nothing had really changed for them as far as the UCMJ was concerned. He knew they would have to figure it all out soon, but for now, all that mattered was that they were still a part of each other's lives.

Lisa smiles back at him and whispers, "I know," before lifting his hand up to her lips and lightly brushing her lips across the back. She then took his arm and draped it over her shoulder as she settled in closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Sonny was a little surprised by this open display of affection, but if she was okay with it, he certainly wasn't going to complain. Relief washed over him as the anxiety he'd felt about everything that had happened in Dibulla finally started to lift.

"I can't believe this is really over," he sighed, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them. "I never realized just how much this whole mess was weighing on me. I'm definitely going to owe Miss Mandy several cases of beer and maybe even some of that fancy champagne she likes."

Lisa let out a soft giggle and it was the sweetest sound to his ears. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," she admitted. "We definitely owe her for coming through for us so fast."

"We…" Sonny sighed contentedly, "I like the sound of that, you know, us being a 'we'."

"Me too," she smiled and snuggled in just a little bit closer to him, shifting so that her head was resting on his chest. She let her eyes drift close as she enjoyed the comfort of his embrace. After the emotional rollercoaster they had just been through, she was more than happy to let the sound of Sonny's steady heartbeat lull her into the most peaceful sleep she'd had in quite some time.

[phantom-howl]

I wanna ramble about my KinitoPET Au, so I will ^^

SPOILER WARNING. THIS AU TAKES PLACE AFTER THE ENTIRETY OF THE GAME SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEE ALL OF IT I IMPLORE YOU TO GO LOOK INTO IT FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still here? Alright I trust you.

It comes in two parts. The "bad ending" and the "secret ending" to the game being used in this AU.

Part one is some idiot (I've named Ben, then later on B3N) found the computer from the very end of the secret ending (shout out to foxplay on youtube for compiling all the endings into one video)

Ben boots up the computer and does some digging. He finds Kinito in the trash. Most of Kinito (mainly all the people he's taken over the years) is gone, so Ben decides to fill in the holes of the code and even gives Kinito access to a more modern computer thinking it's just a harmless assistant.

When Kinito is fully rebooted (hehe au name), he starts in on his usual shitck. However, he doesn't do all the horrory things right off. Kinito decides to build trust with Ben. Even when Kinito starts to come into the real world, he comes off as small and cute. Not his looming & threatening self.

Ben thinks nothing of this. He simply thinks Kinito's old code is trying to adapt to the newer stuff he added in. There's a physical Kinito? Just a hologram. Kinito is asking super personal questions? Just the code trying to learn about him. He doesn't think anything is amiss until one day when Kinito decided to be a "hologram" that he caught a glimpse of Kinito in his ten foot glory. That devolved into a "hide and seek" game that left Ben wanting to delete the program.

However, before he could, Kinito was acting normally again and assuring him that was simply a glitch. Ben foolishly trusts Kinito.

Weeks later Kinito pops the question "will you stay with me". Ben answers yes and blacks out.

Then the comic I posted on my art blog happens.

Ben (now B3N simply because Kinito thought it would be cool) does see his dead body there through the computer screen. B3N is left to his existential crisis and Kinito makes it VERY hard for B3N to delete anything including either of them.

Part two picks up about six months later. B3N's second cousin Yin comes along. Yin and Ben hadn't been close but Yin was the only one close enough to Ben to be able to plausibly check on him.

Kinito had since gotten rid of B3N's body and cleaned up any signs anything was wrong so Yin was almost left under the assumption that B3N had just... skipped town.

Almost.

B3N, much like Sonny did originally, tries to communicate with Yin through encrypted emails. Kinito also meets Yin and is happy to have a new friend.

Yin is much more wary of the axolotl. Especially when B3N starts figuring out how to communicate with Yin "face to face" (AKA B3N hopped onto Yin's phone).

Yin does manage to delete Kintio (again), but not before a healthy dose of trauma from the axolotl. B3N continues to exist inside of Yin's phone until they can figure something out. For now they're just both happy to be alive.

THAT IS MY AU IN A NUTSHELL ^^

[necroangelz]

🪽🪽🪽!?!?!?!??

『 🪽 』

infodump about an oc

YAAAYYY WING EMOJI pulls up with a box of ocs and picks one out from the bunch

picrew

her hair is supposed to be much whiter... the white hair is kinda blue in this picrew

this is shalom! she's just a Regular Teenage Girl with the power to manipulate her own blood ^_^

i am so sleepy rn and bad at explaining things most of the time so idk if my ramble makes sense... very very long post ahead though!

so, say that her arm gets sliced and it bleeds she can control the form of the blood, like shape it like a blade perhaps! or a wing. when she controls her blood, the blood can be molded into a solid state. if she wants to form a big blade with her blood, then she has to draw out more blood from the wound. then she can make a big blade and cut her enemies down with it

she can only control the blood that bleeds out of her body. she often wounds herself for the purpose of manipulating her blood. she's used to feeling pain, or at least used to suppressing it. she has passed out a few times for using too much blood and she probably needed a blood transfusion once

note that she can only control the blood that's directly coming out of her. she can't just carry out some bags of her own blood and convert those into weapons whenever danger comes near. she really has to make herself bleed

I've been rather fixated on the story she's part of—ive been temporarily calling it "ladies of the flies" (like a fem version of Lord of the flies). let me explain the premise. basically: a class of the most smart and brilliant students in an all girls school disappears one day. everyone forgets about them and their existence. but what happens to the girls?

the girls wake up in an alternate dimension. their school is suspended in the void, lost. this begins their adventure to discover the other dimensions they can travel to, and find their way home. although their goals change along the way as conflicts rise between them—Oh Yeah Also They They Get Powers In The Alternate World. each girl gets one special power

this story is based loosely on Yellowjackets, and based heavily on the anime Sonny Boy. because look okay i just love the concept of it all. i love the concept of girls going crazy, unstable relationships, violent coming of age stories, dark magic, whatever the fuck those two shows have going on -

you see though, shalom is a special case. Shalom Actually Isn't From The Class. she kinda just appeared our of nowhere but everyone assumes she's part of the class (and they don't question the fact they can't fucking remember her) except for one girl, who knows for a fact that there is something off about shalom. that girl, her name is paz, YES BOTH OF THEIR NAMES MEAN PEACE, becomes shalom's best friend/assistant blah blah, develops a crush on her, i wont go too much into it

as for shalom's personality though, she's a very calm and friendly person, violence actually isnt her first option every time conflict happens. she acts as a sort of leader for 1 of the 2 main groups that divide the girls, and the ones on her side are very loyal to her. because she's just that type of person. she's very calculating though, and she has such STRONG determination that it's enough to scare anyone

i think that's all i have to include? okay that's all bye

OH RIFHT she's partly inspired by the song "my blood" by uhh Ellie Goulding I think that's what her name is

sometimes i think about having shalom in a wheelchair though. seems interesting

[modernvintage]

mmm maybe don’t encourage smut in a fandom for a kids show whose main characters are mostly minors (julie, carrie, flynn, nick, carlos, and the boys are all minors, and willie is likely to be a minor as well) and whose cast features several minors (madi, jadah, sacha, sonny) though, not to mention a lot of people in the fandom are minors.

Initial response: Haha, oh you have sent this to the wrong blog, my friend.

Grown-up response: Let’s have a chat.

Look, I get it. Kids need to be protected. There are creeps in the world, etc. etc. I am not suggesting that we all go hog wild and start chatting up minors with evil pervy intentions and go buy a van with "free candy" written on the side. I run a JATP fantom olds chat that is specifically only geared toward those 21+ because it's important for adults and kids alike to have safe and happy fandom spaces to engage. Nuance is good. There's a time and place, yadda yadda yadda.

But I will die on the hill that people in fandom can make whatever the hell they want within fandom.

Look. This whole purity police/culture thing that's happening in all fandom is bad. Bad bad bad. Even if it has good intentions (don't you care about the children, Vinnie?! The children!) this shit can go off the rails in .02 seconds.

Where's the line, hmm? Can't write smut because "omg minors might see it!". Then you get people saying what ships are ok and which aren't (already happening, btw), and that you can only write fic or produce art about "approved" subjects, and who the hell makes that list?

I do not believe in hierarchy in fandom. I am a fandom old. The only people who can tell me how to fan are the content creators (to an extent), and they can do that with a cease and desist letter and a whole bunch of lawyers; thankfully we have AO3, so I don't really worry too much about that shit anymore. Fandom has shifted. I subscribe very much to the AO3 method of fandom-ing. Which is...

Tag your shit. You want to write explicit, porny, smutty, filthy fic with minors? Tag it. You want to write ooey gooey coffee shop AUs that are adorable fluffy masterpieces? Tag it. You want to write an end of the world, gritty, bloody, gory apocalypse horror AU? Tag it. Whatever floats your boat, fam. Tag it. You don't have to agree with it.

If people of any age - including minors - want to take a swing at writing sex scenes for JATP, they should go for it. And they should tag it. And those who don't want to read it, shouldn't.

I'm also decidedly not of the opinion that omg sex is bad, btw, which we're ehhhhhhhh skirting a little close to and that makes me uncomfortable. Minors should have a chance to explore their sexuality and learn and grow and mature in a way that is safe for them to do so and fandom can offer that by being an extension of a fantasy and not a real life scenario. It's why tags exist. It's why content warnings exist.

Minors have to be responsible for what they consume on the internet. The internet cannot 100% successfully cater to minors or any other person of various interests and comfort levels, even with the use of tags and content warnings. Personal responsibility and accountability have to coexist with tagging and content warnings.

Fandom does not exist in a vacuum, even for minors. Fandom doesn't go away once people turn 18. People have to self-govern and curate their own experience. People can assist in this by tagging their shit.

And I really, really implore you to consider the effects of your likely positive intentions. You just want minors to be safe and that's cool. As an older member of fandom, I want that, too. But I will still exist and contribute to the fandom that I desire, the same as anyone else should. We, as a fandom, as individuals, should never ever cater to one demographic. We can't. Because then you become exclusionary, and fandom is for all.

And quite frankly? I think a lot of the whole minors debate, especially in JATP, is virtue signaling. It's also really closely intertwined and sometimes twinged with misogynoir/misogyny. The minors on the show are teenagers. There are interracial couples. Not everyone is straight. Teenagers have sex. Teenagers explore their feelings and physicality and that is part of growing up. JATP also tackles a lot of other issues exceptionally well in canon, including grief, home dynamics, and sexuality. And, actually, I don't really agree that JATP is a kid's show. It can be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I don't see anyone saying that it's not ok for the show and fandom to explore ... being a teenage runaway or fighting with your parents because they don't agree with your sexual identity, which occur in canon and are potentially hard for minors to understand and digest. The fandom has run with both of those examples and I don't often see anyone clutching their pearls about it. But I do see fans policing sex. Why is that? The sex is usually happening between interracial couples, too, and I don't think this fact can be ignored, either, when we're discussing it.

I do have to laugh at the irony of receiving this kind of ask since I purposefully do not engage with a majority of the JATP fandom, because, since it's inception, it's been grossly puritanical. I attribute that to a younger audience of mostly girls who haven't yet come to terms with how society wants to control them, and are therefore mimicking this behavior in their own personal lives and online. But I also think it's a huge culture and demographic shift generally, because I've been a part of fandoms of teenage girls and young women before, and it's never been policed like JATP is.

Anywho. It's ok if fandom talking about underage sex makes you uncomfortable. But what is not ok is for you - or any other fan - to tell other people what they can and can't do in fandom.

So I guess...why do you feel the way you do? Why do you think you're justified in making this decision for an entire fandom? What personal experiences have you had or not had that have informed this decision? What have your experiences been like in fandom? Have you considered all of the different ways this could snowball out of control? What are your honest intentions?

I am asking because it's possible for minors to have a safe and enjoyable experience in fandom where they can grow and learn their own likes/dislikes while underage sex fics exist, while adults run and interact and engage in the same fandom. These things can coexist.

And if you don't like it...you don't gotta read it. If you're gonna write it, tag it. That simple.

[squadmuse]

GET TO KNOW THEM ALPHABET

THE SONNY CARISI EDITION

Accessories: do they wear them and what kind?

Sonny has an ever growing collection of tie clips, ties, watches and briefcases that are gifts from you and your kids together, his own buys and gifts from friends and family.

Bad habits: do they have any?

Sonny stretches himself every which way trying to be there for everyone and not realising that nobody does the same for him nor does it do any good to his mental health either stretching himself so thin, even if it is out of the good of his heart.

Clothing: what's their style and what do they wear at home/out and about?

Much like Rafael, Sonny likes to dress professionally at work with three piece suits - preferably Italian. But off work, he likes a comfy Henley or hoodie with jeans or joggers, and he has a few Fordham and sports ones.

Date: what would their ideal first date look like? Do they enjoy datenights when in a relationship?

Sonny, while he loves to cook, will take you out to a cosy Italian restaurant owned by an old family friend or extended family. He wants to spoil you, but at the same time in an environment that is less high strung. Other dates, Sonny enjoys cooking for you and with you. Also he is happy with dates spent home but also out, he loves a good sports game and it’s even better with you.

Emotional: are they an emotional person?

Sonny is very emotional and he wears his heart on his sleeve. He isn’t afraid to cry, but he also gets cranky and angry also too.

Fears: what are they afraid of?

Sonny fears disappointing everyone, especially now that he is an assistant district attorney, whether it is you or his family or the victims and survivors.

Gifts: what makes them happy?

Sonny loves being with family and you, so he is happiest with you all together. He enjoys his sports, photography and his food so any gift linked to that will be greatly appreciated.

Helpful: do they help others, or are they rather selfish?

Again, Sonny is extremely helpful but he overextends himself by trying to be there for everyone and not taking time for himself or letting himself get taken care of. He needs to realise not letting others take advantage of his generosity and attention.

Insecure: do they have any insecurities?

Sonny worries about letting everyone down, about not having his own family & wife, his Catholic guilt and his own abilities as an ADA or personally as a son, father, brother, your partner etc.

Jealous: are they of jealous nature?

Sonny doesn’t get jealous often as he knows you’re the extremely loyal and devoted type. He struggles with a type of jealousy though when he sees everyone starting families and settling down, and he’s still not (although he knows you’re the one, and he doesn’t want to pressure you)

Kitchen: can they cook? Do they have a signature dish?

Oh yes, Sonny absolutely loves cooking and has a wealth of delicious family recipes that he enjoys making for you and with you. It’s a tried and tested recipe, but Sonny’s signature dish is his homemade lasagne that he makes completely from scratch.

Laugh: what makes them laugh?

Sonny gets laughter from his young nieces and cousins’ children with their little stories and antics. He also enjoys lighthearted tv shows that help him destress.

Morning routine: what are they like in the morning?

Sonny will cuddle and kiss you awake, before putting on a song on his iPhone as he showers and dresses. Breakfast is usually something quick and easy during the week, but you make the best coffee ever in his opinion and he gulps down sometimes two cups before rushing out the door. Weekends and holidays are a lot more laidback and Sonny loves surprising you with breakfast in bed.

Night routine: how do they unwind before going to bed?

Now that he is an assistant district attorney, Sonny usually ends up in his study after dinner. But you’ll always make sure he comes to bed and to help him unwind, Sonny cuddles with you as you run your hands through his hair.

Occupy: what does their home look like?

Sonny has a somewhat cosier home than most. It’s still very tidy, but it is one that has numerous framed photographs of you together and his family on the walls, shelves and elsewhere. He has a few high end culinary machines in the kitchen and a study with filled bookcases now that he is an assistant district attorney. His spare bedroom is usually made up for his nieces stay over with Uncle Sonny and you.

Pet peeve: what are things they absolutely can't stand?

Sonny doesn’t like xenophobes or anyone mocking his heritage and culture as he is very protective and proud of it. He also doesn’t like abusers or anyone who hurts women and children.

Quirky: what's their quirky trait?

Sonny will not eat store bought pasta or pizza or pasta sauce - he adamantly says that it is not real and is an insult to the real deal.

Relax: are they easily stressed out or do they go with the flow?

Sonny gets more stressed now that he is an assistant district attorney and can get cranky. He hates snapping at you and seeing you crumble or cry.

Spontaneous: are they?

Sonny tries to be spontaneous and surprise you when he can. When you went to Italy after getting married, he surprised you with a stay in a Tuscan villa where you visited a vineyard owned by distant relatives.

Truthful: how much of the truth do they tell others?

Sonny is very open and honest, but he doesn’t talk about the darkness of his work with you and doesn’t want you knowing those horrors.

Upset: are they upset easily? And what upsets them?

Again, Sonny wears his heart on his sleeve and does get upset easily. What upsets him is his insecurities, worries about you, family and his career. He either comes to you or his Ma or goes to Confession to let it all out.

Vain: how vain are they?

Sonny is somewhat vain. He is always well dressed and his hair gelled to perfection. But when he’s on vacation or it’s the weekend, he’s more lax and you love his messy hair.

Work: what kind of job do they have/would they like?

Sonny worked his ass to become an attorney through years of night school and working as a detective.

X-factor: do they have a talent for something?

Sonny has a flair and talent for cooking and for photography also. He doesn’t get to do the latter as much as he’d like but the former is something he does most days.

Yield: how easily do they give in to something/someone?

Sonny is someone who gives in easily, especially if it’s a friend or family or you. But at the same time he has very deep convictions and they are not something that he would stop.

Zealous: what are they enthusiastic and passionate about?

Sonny is passionate about family, work, faith, food and you.

[nyotasaimiri]

Arc Two (redux) 40

((scene transitions continue to be my weakness...))

Even with Nyota’s most skillful piloting, the asteroid field at the edge of the star system loomed dense, dark, and impenetrable. She brought the ship as close as she dared, Lumen standing close at hand and watching her coax the ship just within safe reason.

“Ain’t no way this ol’ gal’s gettin’ through that, Captain,” Lumen said with a quiet metallic drone, almost a sigh. “Rock as far as the eye can see. If I had eyes, I s’pose.” He’d started to pick up a few idioms from the organic beings on the ship, to everyone’s amused confusion.

“I know. I just wanted to see for myself what we would be up against.” Nyota dismissed the navigation hologram with a wave of her hand and strode over to the window. Even with SAIL’s assistance sharpening the images, it was almost too dark for her eyes. Almost.

Lumen droned again, deeper and sharper. “Ya say that like them rocks out there are hostile.”

“Not the rocks.” She gestured for him to come closer and pointed at the nearest asteroid. “Look.”

Lumen leaned in close, then jerked back as his brand hit the glass with a sharp clink. “Jumpin’ jackrabbits, Sonny keeps this window too darn clean,” he crackled, hand clapped to his brand. “Yer gonna have to tell me what ya see, Captain, all I’m seein’ is stars.”

Nyota steadied him. “Are you alright?”

He attempted to wave her off, in the wrong direction. “Yeah, fine, jus’ give me a sec. Go on, don’t leave me hangin’.”

She frowned, but accepted dismissal. “I see a number of creatures flying around it. Some look mechanical in origin. Others… I can only call that one a living meteor of some kind.”

Lumen whistled. “Blue crystal? Creepy faces?”

She looked at him sharply. “How did you—”

Another wave. “Used to get them all the time outside a saloon I worked in before I hit Mars. Watch out if ya get in a fight. The big ‘uns split into little rocks that’re twice as fast and just as nasty.”

Nyota nodded slowly, tugged a sidelock, thinking. “I see. Something else to watch out for.” She turned on her heel and called up the navigation hologram again. “Tell the crew to prepare for FTL jump. We’re going back to the Outpost. And please tell Hadley she’ll be coming with me. I need someone who knows how penguins work.”

--

“You know, I never quite get tired of this place.” Hadley tucked her hands behind her head, following a fair distance behind Nyota. Her captain didn’t really like people right behind her, and Hadley had sparred with her enough times now to know she didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a hit-for-real, accidental or not. It wasn’t too hard, this time. The bustle wasn’t as bad as some of the cities she’d visited, just a few dozen residents going about their lives before any tourists turned up. Wonder if this back alley meteor even gets tourists.

Nyota glanced back with an amused smile. “Is it the cheerful vendors or the variety of pockets to pick?”

Hadley smirked right back. “Come on now, you know Sonny’s the better pickpocket, right?”

“She is. Now give me back my notes.”

Hadley sighed theatrically and returned the palm-sized notebook to Nyota’s waiting hand. “You’re no fun at all.”

“That’s right.” To Hadley’s surprise, Nyota was still smiling. She had expected the captain to be angry, with how protective she got about her secrets. “So, did you learn anything useful?”

Oh. That was why she was smiling—she was laughing at Hadley. “Of course I didn’t,” Hadley grumbled. “It’s some kind of gibberish. Were you on a second cup of coffee when you wrote it or what?”

There was the actual laugh, but… not mocking? Nyota’s eyes creased with her gentle chuckle. “And here I thought you liked ciphers.” She tucked herself into a cozy nook, gestured for Hadley to join her, and showed her the notebook again. “Take a closer look.”

For once, Hadley did as she was told. She was too curious at her captain’s unusual behavior to push any buttons this time. “No, I’m not seeing it,” she said after a minute. “I mean, the letters are familiar. You’re using a human alphabet, right? But that’s about all I’ve got.”

“It’s shorthand. I used to use it to take down notes and orders. Apex Standard, though probably not the current standard.” Nyota ran a hand through the fur along her jaw. “They do include updates every five years.”

“Wait.” Hadley snatched the notebook and held up a finger to stop the explanation. She held it close then looked up and glared at Nyota with something between frustration and what she would never admit was respect. “You’re telling me that you made up this new code by transcribing Apex Shorthand into human letters?”

There was an almost helpless note to Nyota’s quiet laugh. “It made sense at the time.”

Hadley stared at her. She’d known Nyota for months now, but this was like meeting her all over again. “You’re going to teach me,” she demanded. Nyota’s smile sent a flash of confused warmth through her.

“Of course. I wouldn’t have told you the trick if I didn’t mean to,” Nyota said, and reclaimed her book.

The words tickled something inside Hadley. She knew her captain was fierce and tough; any boss had to be, just like Ma and the lieutenants back home. Hell, she’d learned first-hand how sharp Nyota could be. Her hand rubbed the old solarium burn scar on the side of her neck without thinking, mind wandering to the flash of orange blade embedded right beside her neck.

But then there were the sparring matches—Nyota had never tried to scare her in one. Even when Hadley did something stupid and reckless to try and get a rise. Nyota just took it or knocked her flat and talked her through how to do it better. Like she was… teaching. And now. Hadley shook her head. This wasn’t how a leader acted. …was it?

Hadley opened her mouth to ask, froze, and grabbed Nyota’s arm. She hauled the big apex back out of the way in a burst of alarmed strength. Her sword was drawn almost before the startled cry left Nyota’s lips.

“Hadley, what—”

“You keep behind me, Captain,” Hadley warned. In front of them, a stranger watched them in silence, red eyes gleaming under a heavy purple cloak. Hadley didn’t know what this thing was, but like hell was it going to hurt her captain.

[jamiethetrans]

The Defense - Ch 2

The One Where It Almost Happened.

Rita Calhoun x Fem!Reader

Warnings: huge age difference. Talk about physical abuse. Detailed descriptions of different kinds of toture.

AN: Hey everyone! Another one is up! And a long one! I Don’t know how long it is, but it sure is a lot! Though I’m not sure you’ll complain. I noticed I reached the 300 followers and I want to thank each and every one of you! Starting posting stories on tumblr was something I held back for a while, not sure how people would take it, but turns out I was nervous over nothing! Thank you so much for your support! Means the world to me!

- Jamie

•

“Goddammit”, Rita hissed as she hung up the phone and you turned to her in the car, looking at her distressed face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Special Victims just arrested mr. Carter. We need to go down there”, she said and turned to the driver. “Turn around Harry. 16th precinct, Manhattan”

The driver, Harry, turned the car the moment he could and drove towards the precinct.

“What the hell?”, Rita whispered and you were surprised you heard it over the screaming and shouting you were met with as you entered the squad room.

“You’re the reason my daughter’s dead!”, a man yelled, being held back by two officers, Amanda standing next to him.

“I never touched her!”, another man, mr. Carter yelled and both you and Rita noticed the blood running down from his nose. You didn’t know who the other man was and what had happened, but you had a pretty good guess.

“Shut up and take him away”, a man with a beard said and you watched as they took mr. Carter into interrogation.

“Okay why don’t you go and sit in here mr. Blevins”, Liv said and led the other man to a room next to her office.

“Come on”, Rita said and you felt a soft hand in your hip, letting you relax immediately. But just as quickly as it came, it was gone and Rita walked towards the interrogation where mr. Carter sat and you followed her silently.

“You mind telling me why my client is smothered in blood sergeant?”, Rita asked the moment she walked inside, the bearded man standing by the wall.

“Jennifer’s father found out about her suicide and came here and gave the guy a few punches”, he said with a smile on his face and mr. Carter eyed him angrily.

“Please, don’t feel so sad about it”, he joked. Rita rolled her eyes at him and turned to the sergeant. Without a word, the man left and closed the door behind him. You took a deep breath and looked at Rita who sat down in the chair on the other side of the table.

It took a few hours, but in the end, Carter decided to take the deal, statutory rape. Four years, and a $10.000 fine but it was far less than he could’ve had with the murder charge.

You admitted it was not what you had expected when you decided to pursue your career in law. You had imagined taking in buglers and grand theft, maybe some homicide, but sexual abuse and child molestation had never been on your list.

When Sonny had told you about his new job at Special Victims back in the day when he was still a detective, you’ll admit you were intrigued and a little impressed, but that was because he was fighting the bad guys.

You were fighting the good guys and you felt so disgusted with yourself. This was definitely not how you had imagined your time in New York, and definitely not already on your first day.

You stood in the hallway, waiting for Rita to finish up the paperwork and you looked at the photos hanging on the wall. Former captains and sergeants from way back in the days. You noticed one in particular.

Sergeant Mike Dodds 1978-2016

You remembered back to when Sonny told you about what happened to the guy. A DB call that got out of hand.

“You alright?”

You almost jumped on the spot, completely forgotten where you were. You turned and met Sonny’s eyes, his brows furrowed in worry.

“Yeah I’m just… God I couldn’t imagine losing a kid like that”

Sonny could see the tear fall down your cheek and walked closer to you, bringing his arm around your body. “Ya need to go home?”

You immediately shook your head, removing the tear with your hand and looked down at all the files you held for Rita. “I can’t. I need to stay and help Rita”

Sonny nodded and watched you dry your eyes just in time to hear the heels walking closer. “De Luca, you ready?”, Rita asked and you nodded giving her a tight smile. Sonny eyed you for a moment, making sure you would be fine before turning to the defense attorney.

“Yeah miss Calhoun”

“Good. Let’s go to my office. We have a few things to discuss”

You nodded and turned to Sonny who leaned in and kissed your forehead. It reminded you of the days where you would visit him with your mom. “See ya Sunday”

You let out a small chuckle and hugged him tight. “See you Sunday”

Sonny smiled and watched as you took the elevator with Rita. Rita noticed your interaction and once the doors closed, she took the opportunity to let her curiosity get the best of her.

“You’re quite familiar with mr. Carisi”, she said and you turned to her, not expecting the remark.

“What?”

“You and mr. Carisi. You’re pretty close”, she said again.

“Oh. Yeah, he’s my brother”

That was not what Rita had expected. You did not look alike at all, the age difference was significant and you certainly didn’t sound like him either.

“Yeah. I get that face a lot”, you said noticing how surprised she was. “Same mom, different dads”

“I see your mother has a weakness for Italian men”, she commented and you couldn’t stop yourself from chuckling.

“Yeah… yeah I guess she does”

The rest of the way to her office was silent and you somehow found yourself enjoying the silence with her. Most people you met had this awkward silence aroma around them and you cringed every time you had to be alone with them, but with Rita it was different.

She made everything so comfortable and calm. It had been a long time since you met someone who had that aroma, and it was nice for a change.

Once in the office, Rita around her desk, instantly looking down in the files you had placed on the desk. “Alright, first case over. You’ve done good. You obviously know what you’re doing and talking about. And somehow despite all of the things we’ve seen, you seem to enjoy it. I’m impressed”

“Thank you. I do enjoy it yeah”, you said softly and she smiled at you.

“I’m glad to hear that. Not every person would”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just different”, you said and Rita nodded.

“You definitely are”

You gave her a smile and she sat down in her seat, motioning for you to do the same in the chair in front of the desk, which you immediately did.

“If you want to continue being my assistant, I need to make sure you’re capable of actually following rules”

You frowned at her for a moment, not sure if she was joking or not. “I will not se slouching, laughing in inappropriate situations, your clothing must be nicely dressed at all times you’re with me, skirt or pants, your choice”

You listened carefully to all of her rules, and hell there were many. “If you can’t remember them all, it’s in the contract”

You nodded and Rita looked at you. You felt your heart pound. “Now that, that is over, tell me about yourself”, she said leaning back in the chair.

“Well I was born in Boston, lived and grew up alone with my ma”

“You didn’t live with mr. Carisi?”

“God no. Sonny was nineteen when I was born. He had already moved out by the time my ma found out she was pregnant with me”, you explained and Rita nodded taking the information in.

“And your interest in law, when did that start?”

“When I was in 6th grade. Sonny told me about the day he started at the precinct as a detective. He was so proud”, you said remembering how amazed you were by his description of the job.

“6th grade? When did he start?”

“2014 if I remember correctly”, you said and Rita frowned.

“You’ve must’ve skipped a few classes then, if I’m not mistaken”, she said pulling out a file from her drawer and you instantly recognized it as your file.

“I did yeah. I basically skipped entire middle school, starting in high school right after elementary”

Rita raised her eyebrows in surprise and you smiled in pride. “Really? I could imagine the high school students when they saw a 13 year old starting”

“12 actually”, you corrected her softly and she chuckled.

“Wow you are one of a kind aren’t you?”

“I don’t know, I guess so”

Rita smirked and looked down at your file once again. You sat in silence for a few minutes, her reading your file like it was her favorite book and you could swore you saw her smile.

“A GPA scale of 4.0 with 99 percent. That’s impressive”, she commented. You gave a tight smile and a nod and Rita noticed how your attitude immediately changed. “You’re not satisfied?”

“I’m satisfied, I just…”, you didn’t know how to explain it without sounding like a spoiled brat.

“It’s okay darling, tell me”

Something in her voice made you feel you could tell her anything and everything and not a single sound of judgement would come your way.

“I wanted to beat the highest GPA Harvard had ever had. But I only got 99. Someone got 100 and they wouldn’t give me a name”

You heard a small chuckle and looked up meeting Rita’s eyes. Without a word she reached in the drawer before standing from her seat. You frowned at her movement and watched as she walked around the desk and leaned against it right in front of you.

She gave you the file and you hesitantly opened it. Once it was fully open, you looked down and read Rita’s name on the top. You read further down and suddenly a gasp escaped your lips, looking up at her.

“You?”

Rita gave a nod with a smirk forming on her face and you smiled looking back down in the file. It was nothing but A+ after A+ all the way down the paper, in every subject.

“This is impressive”, you whispered and she chuckled sitting down in the other chair next to you.

“What subject didn’t you get A+?”

You froze, not sure if you wanted to answer that and Rita noticed. “If you don’t want to answer, you don’t–“

“Economics. Hated it with all my gut”, you said. Rita actually laughed at that and that strange pounding of your heart began again, making you realize what was happening.

You were falling for her.

•

As soon as you opened the door to your apartment, you heard footsteps running towards you and a smile crossed your face.

“Hi Gio”, you whispered and greeted him with a hug. The dog licked your face, but sensed your sadness and cuddled up against you.

“You’re home late”, a voice said and you looked up and met Sonny’s eyes. You sighed and stood from the floor, immediately bringing your arms around him in a tight hug and the man felt himself worry. “Everything alright?”

You nodded but didn’t say anything and despite still feeling the worry, he nodded and let it be for now. “I made ya some dinner, it’s in the fridge”, he said pulling back and you gave him a soft smile with a nod.

“Thanks D”

Sonny was about to say something else when his phone rang. He picked it up and you already knew who it was. It was quickly over and he turned to you as soon as he hung up. “I gotta go. Are you okay? You need anything?”

You shook your head and hugged him one last time. “It’s fine. Go”

He nodded and kissed your forehead before leaving the apartment. You let out deep sigh and went to the couch, sitting down. Gio immediately got on top on you and you chuckled softly, stroking his hair.

“Is it nice boy, hhmm?”

He let out a small bark and you chuckled. That certainly would not change anytime soon. Your mind wandered back to the last two days and you groaned as you kept coming back to Rita.

God why was it so difficult?! She was just a woman. Nothing else. Why were your heart pounding every time she smiled, laughed or even just spoke? Why did you blush every time she looked at you?

You groaned out in frustration and Gio noticed it immediately making you chuckle. “I’m fine boy. Don’t worry”

He nudged his head closer to your chin and you smiled, kissing his head.

•

The rest of the week went by fast, rapist after rapist coming into Rita’s office and asking her to represent them. Some of them were actually decent human beings, just being misunderstood, but most of them were generally just a disgusting pig.

Rita hadn’t exactly gone any less gorgeous and that frustrated you. Immensely. She was your boss! You couldn’t go around and have a crush on your boss. It’s just not how things work.

Nothing good came out of it. Especially with your age as well. Sure you may be mature for your age but she might not see that. All she probably sees is an 18 year old girl who skipped middle school.

Wednesday was a quick day, a man walking in with an accusation of raping his own wife. Rita had told you how many wives accused their husbands of raping them, when they threaten to leave them and wouldn’t leave a penny to survive.

This man was one of this victims and it was quickly discovered by the end of the day. That night you and Rita sat in the offices, a cup of coffee in each your hand.

She told you about her time at Harvard, how she had taken the boys and the parties. It was then she revealed she played on both sides which had made you blush furiously.

“What? Weren’t expecting that answer?”, she had asked with a smug on her face and she had touched your arm lightly, caressing it. Whether it was intentional or not, you did not know.

And when you had told, you were only into girls, you could have sworn you saw her pupils dilate.

Thursday, you needed to find a way to save a man on death penalty. He had captured and held women prisoners for more than three decades, raping and torturing them.

“This is the most disgusting thing ever”, you had said and Rita couldn’t help but agree. Normally you weren’t soft for those kind of things, taking it all like a champ.

But when the videos of the torture of the women were discovered and given to both the prosecution and defense, it was then you broke.

Rita had given you the task of looking the videos over and see if you could find anything useful. The first couple of videos were of him torturing the woman with plastic bags over their head, strangling them over and over again.

One of them he raped one of the women while she was screaming and shouting at him to stop, him slapping her so hard she passed out. The video never showed her waking up again.

But the hardest one was a woman sitting in a bathtub, several electric wires going from massive energy boxes and around her body and in the tub. The woman was sitting in the tub, screaming and shouting in pain as the wires shocked her over and over again.

The screams were the most terrifying thing you’ve ever heard. Rita had stopped you the moment she watched you cry in front of the computer screen.

“Y/n” She shut down the computer and sat down next to you, immediately pulling you into a hug, holding you tight. You may be mature for your age and braver than most, but you were still 18.

“It’s okay darling. It’s okay”

You cried harder into her shoulder, letting her hold you. It had taken you good ten minutes to calm down and once you were relaxed, you fell asleep against her, feeling save in her arms.

That night Rita gave you dinner and drove you home. Making sure twice that you were okay before leaving you alone.

You didn’t sleep that night, the screams filling your mind.

You were absolutely drained when Friday rolled in and you were going out with your friends to a bar. It had been weeks since you last drank, and you couldn’t need it more. Not since the videos yesterday.

“Who’s got you smiling like that?”, Rita asked as you sat in her office going over some paper work for the upcoming trial. She noticed you had pulled out your phone as it vibrated. She was glad to see you smile again after yesterday’s horror and she found herself liking the smile.

“Oh it’s my best friend, Jasmin. We’re going to a friend, who’s having a party”, you explained and Rita smiled.

“Well be careful out there. Wouldn’t want to lose my best assistant before her first week is over”

You chuckled and shook your head. “Don’t worry, I will”

Truth be told, you were very excited to get out of the world of law and drink your ass off. Though you knew you weren’t old enough to drink, you still did it anyway.

“How are you feeling? After yesterday?”, Rita suddenly asked, placing her hand on top of yours on the desk and you sighed looking down.

“I’m… fine. I’m fine, really”

Rita nodded and watched you for a moment, looking down at your hands on the desk. You felt your heart pound at the touch while Rita felt herself becoming more and more confused. Why were these feelings suddenly coming up? And of all people, why would the feelings come up around you?

•

That night when Jasmin arrived at your apartment, you both got ready before heading to the party together.

You took a taxi and once there you immediately knew where the party was. The house was full of people, the front yard already filled with people. Some younger, some older.

“This is amazing!”, Jasmin said, a huge smile on her face and you chuckled. “Let’s try and find Brent”, she said and you recognized the name as the boy who held the party.

You walked inside and the house was as huge inside as well as outside. “Hey girls! Glad you could make it!”, a voice said and you both turned to see Brent coming towards you.

He hugged you both, before walking over to a table, taking two drinks. “Here you go, party up!”

You took the glasses but quickly stopped Jasmin before she could take a sip. “What?”

“We don’t know where those drinks have been. Anyone could have touched them or put something in it. We will make our own drinks”, you said and threw them in the dish.

“I got booze”, you said and pulled out a vodka bottle and two RedBulls.

“Damn girls you’re ready”, Jasmin chuckled and you started the party.

•

Sonny walked into the precinct, his bag in his hand and greeted Kat and Amanda by their desks. “Hey, what did the judge say?”, Amanda asked as she stood from her seat and Carisi leaned down, kissing her softly, her hand lightly covering his cheek.

Kat smiled at the kiss, happy to see her friends finally together. “Luckily he denied the bail. Jackson isn’t getting out anytime soon”, he said and the two defectives let out breaths of relief.

“What about–“

“Alright I want all hands on deck!”, Liv suddenly said as she and Fin came out of the office.

“Cap what’s going on?”, Rollins asked and Liv turned to her.

“Just got a call about a rape at a party down at the suburbs. Fin and Rollins you go with, Kat stay here in case anyone comes in”

“Yes Captain”

•

You drank more than you probably should’ve. But you enjoyed it. You and Jasmin drank more and more as time went by.

You stood at one of the bars in the backyard with a drink in your hand. You didn’t know where Jasmin was, but right now you didn’t care. Right now you were looking at some of the girls playing in pool.

“Wow that looks nice!”, a boy came up and said and you found yourself nodding. “And the look right here, doesn’t look too bad either. I’m Daniel”, he then said, flirtation in his voice. You rolled your eyes placing your drink on the bar before turning to him.

“You’re cute, but not my type”, you said and Daniel stood tall, looking down at you. It was obvious he was drunk. Very drunk.

“At what’s the matter huh? I’m not man enough for you?”

You chuckled shaking your head. “Oh no that’s exactly the opposite. You’re too man”

You went back to your drink and downed it before leaving the bar and boy behind, Daniel smirking as he watched you leave.

He turned his head and met his mate’s eyes who nodded and the followed you to the bathroom.

The moment you reached the hallway, you felt your head turn a thousand times. You’re vision started to blur, and you felt yourself almost falling asleep immediately.

“Wow are you okay?”, a voice asked and you felt an arm around you, another from the other side. “Let’s get you to a room”, they said and you felt yourself lose control of your body.

You ended in a room and they placed you on the bed, closing the door. “Hehe let’s go. Alright you go first”, Daniel’s friend said and Daniel laughed and opened his pants.

Suddenly the door bursted open and Jasmin walked in. “What the hell is happening here?!”

She was pissed. Absolutely pissed. Here her best friend laid, obviously drugged and completely out of it. “Wow take it easy girl, we were just having fun”, Daniel said and Jasmin looked at the boy.

“You call this having fun?! Raping an unconscious girl?! Get out before I call the police!”, she yelled and people began to come to the room, hearing the screaming.

“What’s going on?”, Brent came and asked and Jasmin turned to him.

“Some of your friends were about to rape my best friend. What a party!”, she yelled and Brent frowned and turned to his friends who stared back at him.

“We were just having fun”, Daniel’s friend said and Brent hardened his eyes.

But before he could say anything. Sirens were heard and they looked at each other. “The cops are here?”, Jasmin asked and Brent turned to Daniel and his friend.

“You two stay here”, he said and left the room. Jasmin walked over to you, turning you onto your back and looked at your face.

“Y/n? Y/n wake up”

She heard the doors open to the house and two women told everyone to get out. Footsteps were heard and a woman stepped in. Jasmin looked at her. Definitely a detective. The moment the detective saw you on the bed, she froze.

“Shit”, she whispered and looked around at the others. “What happened here?!”

“They were about to rape my best friend when I came in!”, Jasmin immediately said and the two boys started defending themselves.

“Alright you two, up against the wall”, she said and walked towards them, before pulling out her walkie talkie. “Liv, we got a situation”, she said into it. “Down the hall”

A few seconds later, Liv stepped in and saw the two boys against the wall. “Rollins wha–“, she stopped as Amanda nodded towards the bed and Liv turned and saw you laying unconscious.

“Oh no”, she said pulling out her walkie talkie.

“Calling central, I need a bus now!”, she called and ran over to the bed, feeling your pulse point. It was there but very faint.

“God please don’t die, Carisi will kill me”, she whispered and called into the walkie talkie. “Fin come to the master bedroom down the hall”

A few seconds Fin came in and saw you on the bed. “Oh fuck”

“I know, I know, let’s just get her out of here”

Fin walked over and took you into his arms. “Oh man Carisi is gonna kill her”

Jasmin watched as they carried you out and Liv walked over and cuffed Daniel’s friend, walking them out.

----------

@storiesofsvu @multifandomlesbianic​

[whatisthiswritingthing]

Can They do That? - Christen Press x Hockey!Reader

Prompt: For christen press where the reader plays a different sport(hockey if you can) and Chris and some of the team goes to on of her games and does not understand it at all and somehow the reader gets hurt during the game as well (Like for example different play skate hits the reader ankle when they get pushed up against the glass)

Note: I changed the injury a little bit, hope thats cool. Keep sending requests! 

“What time is puck off?” Sonnett asked the group

“You know it’s puck drop Sonny,” Horan rolled her eyes at the blonde.

“Puck off sounds cooler,” the defender replies with a shrug.

It was a day off for the soccer players during a camp, their day off very conveniently lined up with the same day the national hockey team was playing. Christen had made plans to go watch her girlfriend play, this of course turned into a group outing and now most of the soccer team was in a box above the ice waiting for the game to start.

Christen admittedly didn’t understand hockey as much as she should, especially after dating one for several years. The hockey player had tried several times to explain the game without much luck. Now sitting in a room full of soccer players who also didn’t understand the game made her feel much better.

Even though they didn’t know the intricacies of the sport, they all still enjoyed watching the game. All incredibly impressed at the skill and finesse needed for the brute sport.

“I thought women’s hockey was non-contact?” Ali asked next to Christen, both wincing as they watched Y/N and an opposing player push each other into the boards.

“It is,” Christen trailed off, watching Y/N get pinned against the boards by a substantially larger player.

“Do you think they have practices just on how to get over the boards?” Rose pondered. “And why don’t they just use the door? That seems much more efficient.”

Roses question went unanswered as Y/N was once again pushed along the boards, this time by two larger players. All the soccer players wincing as the sound rattled through the arena.

Y/N was small and fast, she could stick handle like Tobin could juggle. This unfortunately led to Y/N being the target of many defenders. She could easily handle herself, while substantially smaller than most defenders, she knew how to handle the contact, giving as good as she got majority of the time.

Watching Y/N play always worried Christen, she had no fear going against the larger players. Stating she “didn’t check them, she guided them to the boards”. Christen of course didn’t know what she meant but assumed it more aggressive than she made it sound. Still always cringing when she saw her girlfriend get hit particularly hard

With the way the game was going, there was lots of cringing happening. It seemed Y/N was getting hit more and more, her teammates doing their best to draw the other teams attention, but they had their focus set on Y/N. Y/N continued to take the contact, the other team struggling to contain the small center.

“Do you think Y/N will teach me to hit like that?” Kelley asked Christen.

“Pretty sure that,” Alex said, motioning to the ice, “is not allowed in our league. I’m not even sure it’s allowed in this league.”

The arena erupted in yells and hollers, high fives given all around as the US scored late in the first period. Y/N with a cheeky move, having spun and backhanded the puck just on the other side of the goalies outstretched leg.

The team on the ice celebrated, high fives down the bench, and then the game was resetting.

As play progressed, more and more hockey players were sent to the penalty box, leaving the soccer players confused at the calls.

“It’s called a sin bin?” Sonnett yelled, excited after her and Lindsey looked up one of the penalties. “We need a sin bin in soccer!”

“You of all people should not want a sin bin Sonnett,” Sam challenged, “you and Kelley would never leave it.”

“HEY! I heard that!” Kelley attempted to defend herself, “besides, it looks kind of nice. Good spot for a little break, maybe a snack or two.”

“You would want there to be snacks in a penalty box,” Alex rolled her eyes.

“Like you wouldn’t want a snack break here and there during soccer,” Sonnett challenged back.

Christen tuned out the group, focusing on the game and how often Y/N seemed to be getting hit. The Russian team realizing early on in the game the only way to keep up, was to keep Y/N down.  

By the start of the third period, the Russians figured out keeping Y/N down wasn’t working either, she had scored another goal in the second and assisted two others. Y/N was aware of the increased interest and did her best to avoid the contact instead of fighting through it, the defense finding her anyway. Cheap shots being thrown while Y/N was pinned in the corner. One in particular dislodging the cage to her helmet, knocking the helmet off entirely. The Russian player throwing a hard elbow to Y/N face, immediately splitting open the skin, which quickly began to bleed profusely.

The refs quickly intervened, separating the rest of the players attempting to join in. The US players quickly pulling their injured player away from the scrum and towards the bench, blood now covering most of the right side of her face, dripping on the ice and jersey as they went.

Christen was on feet at the edge of the box trying to get a better look at her girlfriend. She knew she had to be alright since the hockey player skated off on her own, but there was just so much blood.

“They can’t do that, right?” Sam questioned softly.

“No Sammy, they definitely can’t,” Mal rubbed her back. The soccer players watching as the entire Russian line was sent to the penalty box along a few US players.

Y/N was immediately taken to the training room, there was no way she was going back. They were winning and the team wasn’t risking any more harm to the forward.

The trainers helped her removed her equipment, they cleaned the large cut and determined she would need stitches. The team doctor quickly setting up to do the stitches, putting in a local atheistic to freeze the wound.

While waiting Y/N finished changing and grabbed her phone, texting her worried girlfriend to ensure she was fine.

           Y/N:                 Soooo I did a thing…

Christen rolled her eyes in the booth when she saw the text her girlfriend sent her, of course she would downplay this. The rest of the soccer players all asking how Y/N was, they liked her and were concerned about her as well. They knew how serious it would be to be taken directly to a training room.

           Christen:          Yeah, I saw your thing babe. Are you ok? How bad is it?

           Y/N:                 I’m good, they are just about to stitch it once the freezing sets in.

                                   I’ll see you back at the hotel after babe, I promise I’m alright.

Christen wanted to press more, she wanted to see with her own eyes that Y/N was alright Y/N always downplayed her injuries though, never wanting Christen to worry more than she already did.

           Christen:          Sounds good love. Let me know when you’re on your way back and I’ll meet you in the lobby.

           Y/N:                 Yes dear.

Christen could sense the sarcasm through the text but knew the hockey player was joking and trying to ease her girlfriends worry.

Fortunately, the two teams were staying in the same hotel and were only separated by a few floors. They didn’t see much of each other, but it was definitely beneficial in a situation like this.

Christen was nervously pacing the lobby, Y/N said she was on her way back and would be there soon. As soon as Y/N walked through the doors Christen was immediately in her arms.

“I’m alright Chris, it’s ok,” Y/N whispered soothingly into Christens ear, rubbing her hand up and down her back.

Christen pulled back, running her thumb along Y/N cheek, resisting the urge to touch the angry looking stiches above her eyebrow. Y/N grasped Christens hand, pulling it to her lips and her knuckles and gentle kiss.

“I’m ok Chris,” Y/N repeated, pulling the woman into a gentle kiss.

“Alright Romeo,” Hilary called as her and more of the hockey players arrived, “I’m ditching the room tonight for you, so you can take your girl up there and quit making out in the lobby.”

The hockey players all laughed while Y/N blushed as they all made their way to their rooms.

“You got a feisty one here Press,” Knight commented, clapping Y/N on her back. “Good thing she had a hard head! Take care of our giri, I really am ditching the room, I’m going to crash with Duggans.”

With a wink, the hockey player was gone.

“Come on lets gets you showered and in bed,” Christen guided Y/N towards the elevator, keeping her hand in Y/N’s the whole time. Snuggling into her chest while the road the elevator.

Once in the room Christen started puttering around to get everything ready for the two of them to shower.

“You really don’t need to shower with me Chris, it’s just stiches,” Y/N protested.

“Are you turning down a chance to be naked in a shower with me? You must have been hit harder than we thought, I should go get your trainers,” Christen joked, moving to step away from the hockey player.

Y/N quick wrapped an arm around Christens waist, while the other went to the back of her neck, pulling her in.

“I am definitely not saying no to you in the shower with me,” Y/N closed the distance, kissing Christen.

The two kissed in the bathroom while the shower heated up, slowly helping each other undress.

Christen gasped when she saw the dried blood still along Y/N chest and shoulder.

“I’m alright babe, I knew I was showering right away so I didn’t work too hard to clean up. I’m sorry, I didn’t think about what you would see.”

The two got under the hot water, Christen taking her time to lather body wash along Y/N’s body, feeling the hockey player loosen under the gentle ministrations. She let out a soft moan when Christen began massaging shampoo in her hair, being cautious not to pull too much to avoid stretching the stitches.

By the time Christen finished, Y/N was exhausted, the effort from the game, the steam of the shower, and the gentle hands of her girlfriend draining her last bit of energy.

Christen quickly washed herself, and helped her girlfriend out of the shower, wrapping her up in a towel first before herself.  She dried her off quickly, letting her get dressed while she did the same.

The two women made their way to the bed, Y/N on her back while Christen moved to lay on her chest.

“Thank you for taking care of me love,” Y/N whispered softly, placing a delicate kiss on Christens head.

“Of course Y/N, you don’t need to thank me, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Christen stretched up, the two sharing a gentle kiss before she settled back down so the two could do to sleep.

Y/N asleep in seconds, the fatigue finally catching up her.

[finiteuniverse13]

home is people, not a place 2/?

Part 1

Summary: Clay gets attacked on base. DEVGRU finds an issue in that.

TW: Blood mention, physical assault, canon typical violence

Tag: @rebelwrites @chibsytelford @bravo-four-seal-team @velvetcardiganbucky @supervalcsi @abby-splace @itsonautopilot @thegirlwhoisalwayswriting @pinkrockstar19 @softi92 @mrsmarvelous1995 @jayhalsteadfan-2417

Lisa is pissed. She has every right to be. Clay had been attacked in the Bravo cages.

She’d watched the kid go from a strap who couldn’t stay in his own lane to an operator who could lead Bravo – and Tier One, for that matter – into the future. And then he’d been attacked in his team’s cages, in his own cage. Blackburn was still at the hospital – he’d found the kid in a pool of his own blood; Lisa wouldn’t blame him if it took an apocalypse to separate him from the kid – making sure that the kid got appropriate care.

She pushed open the door to Bravo’s briefing room, not that it actually had any members of Bravo in it. Alpha, Charlie and Delta were all there, waiting on her brief on the situation. Echo would have been there, if not for them being halfway through their first deployment as a team. There had been hesitation about deploying Echo – the loss of the last Echo line-up still sat heavily in the Tier’s mind.

The three team’s Master Chiefs and 2ICs had sat in Bravo’s usual chairs. Full Metal and Derek sat in Jason and Ray’s chairs, respectively. Beau and his second in command had taken Sonny and Trent’s, while TJ was sat in Brock’s. Delta Two had distinctively chosen not to sit in Clay’s seat, instead sitting in a chair usually used for either Cerberus or a support staff member, depending on the op.

(It was very funny to watch Brock and Clay push a wheely chair with Cerberus on it between the two of them, and they’d pretty much mastered the art of doing it in the last few months. Cerb had found that if he allowed it to happen, he’d get belly rubs and treats, so he was unbothered about it)

The other seats had a random assignment, seemingly first-come-first-serve. The ones unlucky enough to have not found seats stood tensely, arms crossed and grumbling under their breath to each other.

Nobody sat in Clay’s seat.

All 18 operators looked up when she walked in, attention snapping to the person with the most information. As she walked in, her gaze caught on the table space in front of Clay’s chair. Clay had left his book on the table. It’s about as thick as a brick, and Sonny would probably take a glance at it and tell Clay it was as dry as one. The embossed cover didn’t read English, and Lisa had a feeling that there would be very few, if any, people in the room able to read any part of the book.

She stood at the front and pushed her emotions down. These operators were here for information, not emotion.

“At 0145 this morning, 4 Green Team members entered Bravo’s Cage room. At 0157, they left, and returned to the Green Team barracks. 0204, Lieutenant Commander Blackburn entered the Bravo cages. He dialled 911 and was assisted by Alpha Four-”

She cuts herself off for a few seconds, as various operators slapped Jordan on the back, mumbled thanks spreading through the room as they reassured themselves that one of their own had helped their kid.

“Assisted by Alpha Four at 0207. Ambulance arrived at 0215. The Green Team members were apprehended by Alpha and Delta at 0248.”

She pauses again as a ripple of thanks goes through to room, Alpha and Delta thanking their Master Chiefs and each other and Charlie thanking both teams.

“Petty Officer Spenser was admitted to hospital at 0224, and was assessed as having a concussion, a broken nose and 5 bruised ribs.”

Alpha, Charlie and Delta’s medics all take note of this. They’re probably going to be on Clay’s ass for the next few months about this, right behind Trent.

“Bravo arrived at the Hospital at 0243. They are all with him. Hayes has asked that he is included in any appropriate punishments.”

Full Metal snorts. “Bet he didn’t word it like that”

A series of chuckles and grins echoes around the room. He did not word it like that. There was much more swearing, and much, much less formal language. He’d implied murder no less than 5 times.

Lisa allowed a smile to pass through the stony calm façade she had up.

“Command has delegated these appropriate punishments to be carried out within DEVGRU and have stressed the importance of leaving an impression on future graduates. This cannot be a recuring event.”

TJ pipes up first, almost before she’d finished talking. “I say we let Metal work his magic, make sure nobody finds them.”

This gets mixed responses, but Lisa isn’t surprised when none are wholly negative. They all had a younger brother in the form of Clay, and they had all trained for years in the art of killing their enemies as swiftly and efficiently as possible, and these candidates fell wholly and completely under the title of ‘Enemy’.

Metal gives a faux hopeful look to Lisa, and Lisa can tell that he’s not entirely dismissed the possibility, even as he does a terrible job at pretending to still consider it an option that Lisa could authorize. Lisa plays into the joke – god knows that Tier One needs some light in this disastrous day – and gives him the look mostly used for when Bravo (usually Sonny) suggests a stupid idea that shouldn’t had even crossed their minds. Blackburn jokingly referred to it as her “bad dog” look, and it worked for its purpose, making the operators put their tails between their legs. A few faces form smiles, and a few look to be wavering on the edge of smiling.

“No murder, and no death.”

This gets her grumbles, and not all of them are joking. Clay had gotten all of them out of sticky situations. Every operator in Tier One had a handful story where Clay had needed to be briefed on their op, and all of them had at least one where he’d taking calls at 2am to translate over a connection that he could barely hear English through. He’d never berated them for waking him up, and had often taken time to teach various operators key phrases, if he knew they were deploying somewhere where he knew the language.

Beau goes next, possibly the most level-headed of the Master Chiefs – both in the room and not. “Advanced SERE?”

Now this, Lisa can work with. Something about her posture must change, a twitch in her face, because the room suddenly erupts in sound. Charlie Two, Delta Five and Alpha Three all are in close enough range to clap Beau on the back, and they do so in quick succession.

“Gentlemen.” She raises her voice to be heard by the room. There’s nothing gentle about the looks on their faces.

“I’ll leave you to figure something out. Report to me with a plan of action.” And with that, she gives them a single nod and begins to leave. Her turned back does not block out the whispers of violence, but it does hide the vicious smile that’s stretched itself out along her face.

Nobody would even think about hurting their kid. Ever again.

+

As Clay blearily opened his eyes, he realised that he’d succumbed to pain-med-induced sleep. A few hours had probably passed since then, based on the fact that sunlight was now filling the room. Sonny was sat on his right side, gaze focused on the room’s TV screen, which was showing a play-by-play of a football game. The volume was cranked down, and even as Clay becomes more aware; he can only hear every other word.

“Son?” The word passes his lips without him meaning it to. Sonny’s head snaps over to Clay, so fast that Clay fears he may have given himself whiplash.

“Hey Bam Bam, how ya doin?” The toothpick moves hypnotically. Stop looking at the toothpick. Stop it. Stop it. Sonny’s casual expression is betrayed by the slight waver in his voice, a sliver of raw emotion that Sonny couldn’t fully supress. Clay gives him a strained smile in lieu of answering and reaches his hand out. Sonny catches the hand before it moves very far, holding it in a tight grip.

Sonny’s thumb absently runs across Clay’s unblemished because he hadn’t even been able to fight back knuckles, and his spare hand turns off the TV, leaving them in silence.

“Kid.” Clay’s eyes widen slightly, and he almost pulls his hand out of Sonny’s grip at the softly spoken word. He tries to get in the apology, the explanation, before Sonny can tell him that Jason is punishing him for being unaware.

“I should have being paying attention. I know I should have been paying attention, I was just so tired.” I’m sorry I’m so sorry don’t kick me out please

Sonny freezes. What?

“Clay. Stop. Stop-” he has to cut himself off before he says something that includes those really touchy-feely-emotions he’s feeling. Thankfully, Clay doesn’t take the pause as an opportunity to continue. “Stop trying to defend yourself. None of us blame you, Blondie. You were on base. You should have been protected. We won’t fail you again.” Sonny gives him facts, because he knows that if he tries to do anything else he’ll make it worse.

“Son?” Clay recalls a voice calling through the dark, through the black water he was floating in, a voice he’d recognised; “Did Blackburn find me? He- he had blood on his hands”

For a moment, Sonny curses Clay’s blessings as a sniper. He’d always been able to notice the little things, the things none of them would notice. “Yeah, he was checking that none of us were sleeping in the cages.”

Clay nods, and then his brows furrow. He breaks eye contact with Sonny and frowns in the genal direction of his feet. His face makes what Sonny calls his ‘Brainiac’ Face, and Sonny can only assume that he’s thinking about what happened with Blackburn, not rationalizing with himself that the beating was somehow his fault.

“Son, can I talk to him?” Sonny doesn’t want to think about whatever that conversation is going to be, so he nods and begins to gather his stuff. His cap is hanging precariously from one on the bed’s corners, his phone on the bedside table. He stands and ruffles Clay’s head, laughing despite the stink-eye he gets for it. Clay doesn’t mind it, and he has the feeling the next few weeks, if not months, are going to be filled with various forms of physical contact to reassure his teammates that he was still with them.

And now he’d asked Sonny to get Blackburn. God what do you even say to the guy who had found you beaten? ‘Hey Boss, I’m sure that what you saw was horrifying, but I’m alright now?’ God help him. Sonny hadn’t given him a weird look, so he’d probably been expecting Clay to ask at some point.

Clay’s train of thought is interrupted when a soft knock sounds on the door. There’s a second of pause before the door opens. Clay can’t think of a time when Blackburn’s looked worse. There are dark circles under his eyes, and a vaguely haunted look in his eyes. His eyes have a red tinge, and Clay can’t tell if that’s from sleep deprivation, or something else. His hands are rubbed red and raw, and Clay can tell that Blackburn had taken extra care to get every fleck of blood off his hands. He’s in a jacket that looks too big for him, and Clay suspects that Trent had a hand in that. Since the injured person – Clay – wasn’t someone he could immediately care for, Trent had gone for the next best thing, a shaken Blackburn. Under the jacket, he’s still in his fatigues, and by the time he’s finished the assessment of Blackburn’s top half, he’d moved close and sat down, hiding everything below his waist from Clay’s view.

Blackburn reaches out, putting a palm on Clay’s forearm, Clay’s hand mirrors it on Blackburn’s arm, and tension bleeds from Blackburn’s figure. His shoulders slump slightly, and he leans forward.

“How are you feeling?”

Clay considers lying, considers saying that he’s not in any pain, considers easing Blackburn’s mind. He decides against it. Blackburn had found him in a pool of blood, it’s the least he can do to tell him the truth. “My ribs hurt. But I’m, I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you were there.”

Clay is the sometimes literally bleeding heart of Bravo, levelling out Sonny’s emotional constipation, and the admission is the balm of some of the burns on Eric’s soul. Eric leaned forwards, shuffling closer to the bed, trying to hide the blood on his knees. He hadn’t been home to change, a call to his wife at 8am had told her that he wasn’t going to be home for a while. She, like the amazing wife she was, had been understanding, and then grumbled at him to let her sleep. They’d both laughed and exchanged ‘I love you’s before his wife ended the call. Clay didn’t need the stress of knowing that Eric had knelt in his blood. Nobody needs that.

“Gave me quite a scare, gave all of us quite a scare.” Eric doesn’t tell him that he’d spent the last half hour scrubbing his hands raw, that Jason had needed to strong-arm him into the waiting room, that Trent had given him one look and offered up his jacket, that he’d had his head in his hands until Sonny had come into the room and told him that Clay wanted to talk to him. Doesn’t tell him that he’d stood outside for nearly a minute before he’d knocked, that he’d needed to barrel in before he lost the nerve to speak to his operator. He usually prides himself on staying calm, on being collected, but Clay had been attacked in one of the few places on earth that he could honestly and without reservation call home. That scared Eric. If he couldn’t keep his operators safe on base, where would they be safe?

“Davis is talking to command about adding locks to the cage room doors, make sure this doesn’t happen again.” If she wasn’t already talking to command about it, she would be soon.

Clay nods. He shifts and grimaces in pain.

“Do you want me to get a nurse?” It’s a safe question, one that doesn’t involve the emotions in the room.

Clay ignores the lifeline. “I’m alright as I am. Did you get the guys?”

Eric nods. Breaking the news to Bravo had been the highlight of his morning. “Command is letting DEVGRU work out how to punish them.”

Clay grins. “I bet Metal is having fun with that.”

It’s Eric’s turn to smile, and a soft chuckle makes its way out. “Davis is under strict orders to not accept a plan that involves murder. I’m sure Alpha’s disagreeing with that.”

Alpha was most likely to deploy with Bravo, and all were in line with their Master Chief’s ‘Bury-first-questions-second’ policy when it came to Clay. Eric had a feeling it wouldn’t take much convincing to get Delta and Echo behind the plan, and that Charlie would only argue on principle.

Tier One was a brotherhood that didn’t take kindly to injury, as the world would learn.

+

Echo One – Zack Greer – a newly promoted Delta Two, wasn’t a very outgoing man. One and Twos were meant to both complement and contrast each other, a precarious balancing act honed over years of living out of each other’s pockets. TJ had needed a level head, so his Two was calm in the face of crisis.

Echo Two, on the other hand. A Floridian man, Elliot Howe, promoted from Charlie Three, who was under strict orders to never drink unsupervised with Sonny Quinn, lest they empty a bar and then burn said bar to the ground. He’d chaffed under Beau’s tight ship, so when the opportunity to move to form Echo had arisen, he was hard pushed to say no.

Together with Echo Three (Alpha Three), Echo Four (Delta Six) and two Green Team graduates as their Five and Six, they’d created a tight brotherhood.

Echo Five, Dan Wilder, a multilingual K9 handler, had initially been lost at DEVGRU, not quite fitting in. He’d reached out to the youngest operator – Bravo Six – in order to get some advice. What he didn’t know at the time is that their languages had overlap. Together with Clay and Ares – his K9 – he’d been able to find someone to practice with.

Echo had long since lost count of how many times Clay had come into their cage room, with a well-loved book, offering it to Dan with a brief explanation of how it would interest him. The book was never in English, and neither was the explanation. For all they knew, Clay could have spent the last few months giving Dan anything from Harry Potter to The Anarchist’s Cookbook (he’d actually only given Dan one of those, and Dan was under strict instructions not to tell them which, and Dan had been recommending others back).

Sonny, on the days when they were hanging out after work, sometimes tagged along to these exchanges. He’d joked about a book club, and Echo Two had picked up on the joke immediately, and since then the pair had resigned themselves to the nickname.

Between Clay’s frequent interactions with Dan and the fact that all of DEVGRU was deadly protective of Clay, it was no surprise that when Echo had heard the news, they hadn’t been happy. Command had fought a battle with Echo to keep them deployed, and Echo had nearly won. Dan had been on many rants, talking to empty space in Pashto – Four only caught a few words, and those were all along the lines of murder and death. Ares was giving out a low, constant growl. Both of the DEVGRU K9s were as protective as their owners, it seemed.

The door to their dorms slammed open and Zack marched in. Echo looks up in sync, and if it weren’t so serious, Zack would be amused by how much his men look like Meerkats. “Got word from Virginia.” This sets his men on edge, Howe half-steps forward, and his shoulders visibly tense up. “They found the green team rookies. We’ve been asked to approve the plan of their punishment before it gets sent to be approved by command.” Malicious smiles break out among the barracks.

They may be 7000 miles away, but they wouldn’t let anybody off the hook because of it.

[alwaysachorusgirl]

Playing Matchmaker

Pairing: Rafael Barba x Female Reader

Word Count: 2,028

Square: Blind Date

TW: none

Tagging: @thatesqcrush

A/N: Well, it took a massive re-write, but it’s done. This isn’t the story I originally started writing, but I’m okay with that. I like this version better. I like that it became more of an ensemble piece. And then there’s Janice. She’s named after Janice from the Muppets, and her personality is a combination of a few people that I know. She’s that friend who really cares and means well, but doesn’t always understand boundaries. And once I started writing her, it was hard to stop.

           “Janice, can you please just knock it off already?”

           You swallowed two ibuprofen tablets with a swig of your white chocolate mocha and rubbed your temples. As an SVU detective it was rare for you to have a Saturday off. You had agreed to meet your friend and neighbor Janice for coffee and breakfast. Everything had been fine until she had started sticking her nose into your love life, or lack thereof, and now you had a headache.

           “But Y/N, Valentine’s Day is a few days away, and once again, you don’t have any plans. Come on, just let me set you up with someone. One more blind date isn’t going to kill you.”

           “No, but I might kill you, “you shot back, glaring at your friend. “Look, I’m sorry, I know you mean well, it never works.”

           “It might, if you ever gave one of them a chance,” She countered. “You’re the one who always bails after one drink.”

           “I’m a detective, Janice, and a good judge of character. I can tell pretty quickly if a guy isn’t going to meet my standards. And besides, I hate Valentine’s Day. It’s not a real holiday, and it’s not worth me wasting my time and energy.”

           “Damn, Y/N,” remarked Janice, “You’re too young to be that jaded and cynical.”

           “I’m merely stating a fact, “you said with an exasperated sigh.  “It’s not my fault if you can’t handle it.”

           “What about your partner, that Italian guy? He’s cute.”

           “Sonny?” You nearly spat out your drink. “He’s like my big brother. I think I’m technically an adopted Carisi sister, at this point.”

           “Okay, so that’s a “no”. You mind if I ask him out?”

           “Janice, no; he’s a good Catholic boy and I will not have you corrupting him.”

           “Okay, okay, chill,” said Janice, sitting back and putting her hands up in defeat. “Oh! Wait! I know! What about that ADA you always hang out with? What’s his name…Raymond?”

           “His name is Rafael, and he’s also a “no”. I don’t think he feels the same way about me, as I do him.”

           “Aha! So, you do have your eye on someone!”

           “Janice, please, just drop it already. I have a headache and I don’t want to talk about this right now. Can we please order food? I’m starving.”

 ******************

After breakfast, you bundled up and headed out into the February air. You knew that Janice was just trying to help, but sometimes she just didn’t understand the concept of boundaries. Your love life had been non-existent since you had caught your last boyfriend cheating red-handed. That had been two years ago. Rafael Barba had offered you his shoulder to cry on, knowing all too well the kind of pain and humiliation that you had been feeling. He’d gone from work colleague to one of your best friends after that, and at some point, you had developed romantic feelings for the handsome, Cuban ADA. But for the sake of your friendship and working relationship, you intended to keep that to yourself. It wasn’t worth taking the risk of losing him or making things weird between the two of you.

Your feelings for Rafael were also why all the blind dates never went anywhere. Some of your dates had been nice, others total douchebags, but they weren’t Rafael, and therefore, there was no point in the stringing them along. As long as you were comparing them up against the standard that was Rafael Barba, they could never measure up. You were fine with that.

 **************************

           Janice walked into the SVU squad room on Monday and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn’t see you. She wasn’t there to see you anyway. Instead she looked around and tried to find someone who looked like they worked with you.

           “Excuse me, miss? You look a little lost. I’m Detective Amanda Rollins, Can I help you with something?”

           Janice turned and smile at the blond woman with the Southern accent. She recognized the name right away.

           “I think you can. I’m Janice Wilson. I’m a friend of Detective Y/F/N Y/L/N?”

           “Oh, Y/N’s not here right now. I think she’ll back in about a half an hour?” Amanda paused. “What a minute…did you say Janice? Janice the Matchmaker?!”

           “She’s mentioned me?” Janice’s eyes went wide.

           “Oh honey,” said Amanda, “we know all about you. You’re kind of famous around here. Hey! Carisi! Finn! Get off your butts and get over here!”

           “What?” Sonny called back from his desk, his mouth full of food. “It’s lunchtime, Rollins, I’m eating over here!”

           “Yeah, Rollins, what’s the fuss?” Asked Finn, rising from his chair.

           Amanda walked Janice a little further into the squad room.

           “Guys, this is Janice, the Janice! You know, Y/N’s friend?”

           “Wait, seriously? Janice the Matchmaker? Nice to finally put a face to the name,” said Finn, coming over and shaking Janice’s hand.

           “Hey, we’ve met before. It was that one time at Y/N’s apartment, “said Sonny, finally putting down his sandwich and standing up. “You live down the hall. So, what brings you to SVU?”

           Janice quickly filled them in the conversation from the coffee shop.

           “So, the thing is, I’ve been getting it all wrong. If I had had known sooner about the ADA, I would have tried setting her up with him. I feel bad and I need to make this right with her. The problem is, I think she’s a little pissed at me, and she’s not going to listen to me. That’s where you guys come in. I have an idea, but I need your help.”

           “Count me in, “said Amanda. “If anyone needs to get together, it’s Y/N and Barba.”

           “I don’t know, Rollins, “said Sonny. “Isn’t this kind of going behind her back?”

           “Carisi, have you seen the way they look at each other? Have you ever noticed how he’s less cranky when she’s around?”

           “Yes, Rollins, I know, we all know! But she’s still my partner, and I gotta look out for her.” He looked at Janice. “If I agree to this, what exactly would I have to do?”

           Janice motioned for everyone to come closer.

           “Bring it in, folks, here’s the plan.”

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

           When you came back from picking up warrants and getting lunch, everything appeared to be normal. Amanda and Finn were working at their desks. Sonny was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t exactly unusual. Any one of you could be called out on a case at any time. You took off your coat and sat down at your desk. You were just starting to dig into your lunch when Amanda got up and came over.

           “Hey, you, just the person I wanted to see.” She flashed her best smile, and you immediately suspicious.

           “Hi Amanda, what’s up?”

           “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any plans for Valentine’s Day…”

           “Amanda, you know that I don’t. What’s really going on?”

           “Okay, so I know this guy. He also doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day, and I think he might be a good fit for you.”

           “Oh, dear God, are you seriously trying to set me up on a blind date?”

           “Yes, I am. Look, I vouch for this guy. I wouldn’t try to set you up with someone that

I couldn’t vouch for, and he’s a nice guy. I think you’ll like him.”

           “Fine,” you sighed, hanging your head in defeat. “But if this guy sets off even one red flag, I’m bailing.”

           “That is totally fair,” agreed Amanda. “You would be disappointed, I promise.”

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

Sonny walked into Rafael Barba’s office at 1 Hogan Place and hoped that he wouldn’t screw this up. He still couldn’t believe that he’s agreed to this, but Janice and Amanda had been so sure that this would work. He heard his phone ping in his coat pocket. He checked it and saw it was a text from Amanda. She had succeeded in getting you to agree to the blind date. Now he had to do his part. Rafael’s assistant, Carmen, was sitting at her desk.

“Hey, Carmen, he in?”

“Yes, but he’s prepping for court, so he’s in a mood. Don’t take up too much of his time, okay?”

“No problem, hopefully this won’t take long.” Sonny knocked the door and waited until he heard “Enter!”, before going in.

Rafael looked up and wasn’t thrilled to see the detective striding into his office.

“What do you want Carisi? I’m busy, and Y/N already came by earlier to pick up those warrants for Liv.”

“I’m actually here to ask you a question. What are you doing for Valentine’s Day?”

“The same thing I do every year, working,” replied Rafael, rolling his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“I ask because I have this friend, and she is into you. I really think you’d like her, and she doesn’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day. So, I’m just trying to be a good friend and help her out…”

“You’re trying to set me up on a blind date with your friend? Are you kidding me right now?”

“No, no I most certainly am not. Come on, Barba, it’s one date. Trust me, you’re going to like her. She’s worth it.”

“Does this friend have a name?” asked Rafael, suddenly realizing that the detective wasn’t backing down without a fight.

“I can’t tell you that because it will ruin the surprise, but come on, what have you got to lose?”

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

And so, on Valentine’s Day, Rafael Barba found himself walking into a little French Bistro a few blocks away from Hogan Place. He still didn’t know his date’s name. All he had been told by Sonny was what she’d be wearing, that she was beautiful, and that he’d know her when he saw her. It was all a bit too vague for his tastes, but Sonny had insisted. So, the ADA had chosen the restaurant and made a reservation. He looked around, hoping to see someone that fit the description he’d been given. Instead, he saw you, sitting at the bar and nursing a glass of red wine. He made his way over to the bar, secretly wishing that he was meeting you instead of his date.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?”

“Rafael!” You said, looking up in surprise. You got up and hugged your friend. He was warm and it felt so good to be wrapped up in his arms. He smelled of coffee and his cologne and it was nothing short of intoxicating. You probably held onto to him for a bit too long, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“Believe it or not, Amanda set me up on a blind date,” you told him, finally pulling away and sitting back down.

“Really? This is going to sound weird, but Carisi set me up on a blind date.”

“He did what? He didn’t tell me about that. Is it just me, or does it feel like something’s up?”

“Yes,” Rafael nodded, “Something is definitely up. Y/N, what color would you say your dress is?”

You looked down at your dress, and then back up at Rafael, thoroughly confused.

“I like to think of it as a cranberry wine,” you replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Carisi said my date would be wearing a cranberry wine-colored wrap dress, is beautiful, and that I’d know her when I saw her.”

Your eyes went wide as your thought back to what Amanda had told you about your date.

“Amanda told me that my date has green eyes, dark hair, is well-dressed, and that I’d know him when I saw him…” You trailed off, gazing into Rafael’s eyes, realization dawning on you. “It’s you. I’m so glad it’s you.”

“I’m glad it’s you, too,” said Rafael, taking your hand in his. “So, want to you say to having dinner with me?”

“I say ‘Yes’, nothing would make me happier. Just let me text Amanda real quick.”

Y/N: I’m going to kill you!

A. Rollins: Lol, that’s fine. Just make sure you say ‘thank you’ to Janice. She’s the brains of the operation. We couldn’t have done it without her.