#tylers 'you keep giving me these signals' when all she did was ask him to drive her out of town and hunt a monster like🧍🏻‍♀️

[akascow]

rewatching Wednesday and once again getting mega annoyed at everyone getting mad at her for being emotionally closed off and cold to them as if that hasnt been her entire personality since day one and shes never shown anything different to them to realistically make them think otherwise

[sunnyie-eve]

15 | Asking...

Series: Valentine Addams | Wednesday

Paring: (Xavier Thorpe x OFC Addams! Tyler Galpin x OFC Addams!)

Word Count: 1518

Warnings: conflicted feelings, arguing about a dance

14. It's Human | 16. Rave'N

Enid and a few girls decided we should all go dress shopping for the dance. They wanted us to wear white to match the theme but there was no way I'd wear a white dress. While I went to look at dresses with the girls, Wednesday whet off to see the sheriff. Barely into the shopping I got bored so I left to go to the Weathervane. 

As I walk in Tyler bumps into me on the way out, "Val." He smiles. 

"Tyler." I smile back. 

"What are you doing in town today?" He asks as we walk outside down the sidewalk. 

"A few girls are dress shopping. I got bored of watching them." I shrug my shoulders. 

"For the Rave'N this weekend. It was all the buzz at the Weathervane today." He says as we come to a stop. 

"Wow, everyone is really obsessed with this dance." I shake my head. 

"So, you're not going?" He asks. 

"Actually, I was forced to ask someone because of Wednesday." I roll my eyes still pissed at her. "

Sure, that happens. Who is it?" He asks eyeing me. 

"Xavier..." I watch his whole face change. 

"Got it. Hope you two have fun." He starts to walk away.

"Why are you upset? I literally said I was forced." I make him turn around. 

"I have a reason to be upset because you keep giving me these signals. I thought we liked each other, but then you pull something like this because you were forced?" He looks at me with so many different emotions. 

"Wednesday put me on the chopping block because he almost caught us snooping around his shit. She made something up on the spot and threw me under the bus she was driving. I didn't want to ask him to the stupid dance. If I was going to ask anyone it would have been you." I start to get frustrated. "I told you Xavier was missing something so that meant I don't like him more than a friend." I run my hands through my hair getting even more frustrated. "I still don't fully know feelings because I'm developing new ones I've never felt before until I met you. You make me feel so many things and it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind." I feel myself wanting to cry which I hated was a thing now when I feel super frustrated. 

Tyler walks up to me and stops right in front of me looking down at me, "You make me feel like I'm losing my mind as well." He takes a hold of one of my hands. 

"I'm sorry." I take my hand back and walk away confused wanting to run to the train station and lay down on the tracks.

-

I just end up walk back to school to clear my mind. "Miss Addams, a gift from your mother has arrived today. I sat it on your bed." Ms. Thornhill smiles at I pass her in the hall. 

"My mother sent me a gift? Thank you." I got to my room to see a box on the bed with a letter on top.

My dear, Valentine. I know the Rave'N will be coming up soon around this time. I have a feeling you'll end up going with a certain person or maybe just a friend. So I've taken the time to find you a perfect dress you would love. I didn't send your sister one because I know she would never go. And if I did send one she would even more think I was trying to change her. Love you my sweet little black rose.

I didn't want to open the box quite yet because I wanted it to be a surprise. I end up calling my mother with the crystal ball to thank her for the dress but I don't want to look at it till the dance. She was happy I was going but I told her Wednesday wasn't going to go which she had a feeling.

"We're going for a walk." Wednesday walks into my room. 

"A walk where?" I eye her. "The woods. Eugene is leading the way." She leaves so I get up from my desk following her. 

We end up at a cave that had the same circle spiral in the rocks. "It's definitely a match. What were you doing out here?" Wednesday asks him. 

"Collecting specimens. This place is ground zero for horny gypsy moths. You think it's in there?" Eugene asks. 

"Only one way to find out." She walks up to it and we go in. We see the floor covered in animal bones. 

"Check this out." Eugene flashes his light on shackles nailed into the wall with scratches marks around it. 

She walks towards something else while I touch the shackles. "Stop! Please leave me alone! Don't come near me! No!" A distorted voice screams getting deeper and their blurry body becomes the monster.

"Valentine, what did you see?" Wednesday looks at me. 

"That's the thing, I couldn't really see or hear. It was blurry but the person who's the monster didn't want to change they were forced by someone." I explain to her as she holds a claw. 

"I need to go back to the shed. I need something to compare this too. You don't look well. Eugene make sure she gets to her room okay." Wednesday leaves us so Eugene helps me.

As I lay in bed after taking something for my head I kept thinking about how there was two people we needed to find. Why would someone force someone into that monster? There was banging at the door making me jump in bed. "What the hell?" I get up walking to the door opening to see Xavier. 

"Did you only ask me to the Rave'N because you and Wednesday think I'm the monster? She heavily believes I'm the monster because of all those things I painted of the monster." He brushes past me coming into the room. 

"I don't think it's you." I tell him truthfully. 

"I don't know if I can believe you." He shakes his head. 

"All I want to know is how did you get the scratches and why paint all those? You're my friend Xavier, you can tell me. I was confused to see all that but I still don't think it's you." I walk away from the door.

"The creature has been haunting my dreams for weeks. I try to block it out but I can't. So I just paint it. The recent one, the claws reached out and took a swipe at me." He sits on my bed. "See that makes sense to me." I take a seat next to him. "You're sister doesn't think so." He messes with his hands. 

"Do you care what she thinks?" I laugh. 

"No, I care what you think." He looks at me. 

"Well, I still don't think it's you. I only will if there's hardcore evidence to support it." I chuckle. 

"You didn't want to ask me to the dance did you? You only did it to cover up you two were in the shed." His eyes scan my face so I nod my head, 

"She cornered me into asking you but I'll still go with a friend if you want me to. If you're upset about the whole thing I get it." I let him know.

"I'm hurt you didn't want to ask me originally but I was going to ask you, so yeah, I still want to go to the dance with you." He smiles. 

"Great, because my mom sent me my dress today but I don't want to see it till I get ready for the dance." I clap my hands and he leans over kissing me making me freeze in place. 

"Can't wait to see you in your dress tomorrow." He leaves my room. 

"I just called you a friend, dude." I wipe my mouth as I was left alone.

-

"Whose your date for the dance?" I ask Enid as we hangout in her room. 

"Lucas." She smiles, "It's to make Ajax jealous." She rolls her eyes. 

"But out of everyone, Lucas?" I give her a look. 

"He approached me to get back at someone too so why not." She shrugs her shoulders. 

"Your dress matches the theme." I say as she shows me her dress. 

"What dress did you end up getting?" She asks me but Wednesday jumps in. 

"She's not going to the dance anymore." She says making me look over at her. 

"Why do you say that?" I ask her. 

"Because Xavier knows the truth that you were forced to ask him." She turns to face me.

"I'm still going with him. And my mother sent me a dress. I still haven't looked at it. I want to be surprised when I put it on tonight." I tell both of them. 

"Why still go with him?" Wednesday asks me. 

"He's a friend still. Have fun doing whatever you and Eugene plan to do." I leave their room to go do whatever in my room.

[why-so-melxncholy]

did anyone else notice that Tyler is doing the exact same thing as Garrett Gates did with Morticia?

Tyler becomes infatuated with Wednesday upon meeting her and mistakes her .. kindness for interest in him.

When she tells him she'd asked Xavier to the dance, Tyler gets upset. "Call me crazy but you keep giving me these signals." When.. she literally was giving no signals at all.

I get that Laurel probably put him up to it as part of her plan but it's literally the same thing Garrett did.

[hallowcked]

Strangely enough, Tyler's never heard anyone tell him he had a nice laugh. Probably because he doesn't laugh too often. Or at all, really. He was the quiet, brooding type and that's what people was used to. But Brooke was given parts of him that no one else has ever seen or touched. She doesn't have his virginity like he has hers but she has so many other things. Other firsts that will always belong to her. The most important thing was his heart. There's not one other person who ever managed to hear the words 'i love you' spoken from his lips. He couldn't even say things like, 'i love that about you' or 'i would love to take you out' - the word love was never used before her and it would never be used after her.

"You are mine forever." If Tyler has to keep reminding her, he'll happily do so. The kisses she peppers along his jaw and down his neck elicits another moan and then a soft thrust. When his cock pushes deeper, he can hear her pussy squelch around him as she readjusts to the new angle. He thought about rolling her on top of his chest so he could lay underneath her for awhile. She was much lighter in comparison and he was getting tired of applying most of his weight on his arms so that he wouldn't flatten her like a cute pancake. But before he could make the switch, he notices the change in her eyes. She was no longer looking up at him the way a doting girlfriend would. He remembers this look vividly. It was burned to memory. She gave it to him when she found out he was with other girls while they were broken up. Right before she slapped him in the face and stormed off.

"Brooke, that is what I'm saying. I don't want him to touch you. When I saw him touching you at the pool, I lost it. The only thing I could think of was breaking his hands so he could never touch you again." He was just wondering how she felt. His thoughts should have been clear in the way that he pummeled Gage's face. His knuckles were still red and swollen as he frames her face while playing with her hair.

"Why do you always think the worst of me?" He knows that's hypocritical because why would he ask her that question? He should have known she wouldn't want to fuck Gage after they made love on Jake's bed. Well this was making love, or it was. The filthy stuff they did at Jake's was passionate and filled with love, yes - but it was rougher than love. There was a desperate neediness to it. But maybe their brand of love was rough, passionate, and desperately needy.

"Brooke, I was only asking you because you came up with the idea to keep seeing Gage while I figure things out with the Vipers. I wanted to see what you thought. What you were comfortable with. And if you would have said you were fine with still being intimate with him, I would have taken that as a sign that we're not meant to be together. Because, no. I don't want to be with other girls. Why would I? You're everything to me. There's nothing someone else can give me that you can't. Even if they could, I wouldn't want it. Nothing is like this. No one can come close to how I feel when I'm with you." He sighs and then kisses her lips, breathing into it. When he pulls his mouth back, he holds onto her hips and then rolls them over without dislodging himself from her pussy. But when her weight relaxes on top him, his cock spasms again. Their half-fucking was confusing his erection on whether it should stay hard or not. "The truth is, I don't want you around him at all. I know I don't always come across as jealous or possessive...but I am. I just learned how to hide it better than most people. I've had families that would bring me in just to toss me back out. It was easier to pretend I didn't care. But I do care. I want you all to myself. This..." he signals to their bodies pressed together with nothing between them, "...I don't want you like this with anyone else."

"I love your laugh." Had she known calling Jake a weasel would provoke such a sound then, she would've done it sooner. Sorry, Jake. But, the way Tyler's face lit up and became lighter and there were little crinkles around his eyes.... Brooke couldn't help but reach up and run her fingers over them. Then down his jawline to his lips. He was so beautiful, it hurt to look at him. And she was incredibly lucky to call him hers.

"Mmmh," The twitching inside of her, followed by the intense throbbing of his dick causes yet another moan. But, this one isn't as loud. And is cut off by Brooke peppering kisses along Tyler's jaw on her way to his lips.

She's only vaguely aware of the glassy look in his eyes. An indication he was crying. But rather than call him out for it, Brooke simply commits the sight to memory. The last time she saw tears in his eyes they were in her ballet studio. And those were different than these ones. Those were sad, while these seemed oddly.... content. Which made sense given his confession. "I hope so. I want to be yours. Just as I want you to be mine. Forever." No matter what happens, her heart will always belong to him. He's had it this long, so she doesn't see it falling into the hands of anyone else.

"What?" As she lay there, completely at his mercy - Brooke finds herself stunned into silence after the backhanded question. Was he suggesting he didn't or wouldn't care if she went all the way with Gage? And is that because, he only planned to do the same with other girls? "That's not how this is supposed to work...." She arches her brow and tries to shake the doubts and insecurities from creeping back into her mind. But, she knows she'll have to ask and bring it up at some point. "You're supposed to say you don't want me to be with him. At all. That the idea of him touching me in any capacity enrages you." That's what got her going at the party, anyway. Tyler cornering her and reclaiming what was always rightfully his. AKA: her.

Was he starting to have second doubts now that they were happy and he reeled her back in? Was this just another game to him? To conquer her again the same way he did while she was with Jake? Only this time, she's with Gage. Is getting her to spread her legs for him and not her boyfriend, his way of enacting revenge on Gage for riling him up at the party?

Given all the truths they just spilled, Brooke sincerely hoped not. But, what if she was being fooled? What if Tyler was pulling the ultimate prank on her? She'd feel like an idiot. Isadora warned her not to discard Gage and give her heart to Tyler willingly without proof he was serious. Brooke didn't listen. She ripped her bleeding heart out of her chest and laid it bare at Tyler's feet to stomp on, if he wanted to. "Are you messing with me?" Either way, Brooke leans up on her elbows now too. "Or is this a test?" Because, she didn't feel like she deserved one of those. Either way..... Brooke laid back down with a sigh. "I wouldn't fuck him." She wouldn't feel right about it. She only sought comfort in sex with others when she was sad. Like Monica used drugs to cope, Brooke took her clothes off. She looked for love anywhere she could get it. Even if it wasn't real love. "And I would hope you aren't planning on fucking other girls too."

[tequiilasunriise]

OK OK LISTEN THIS ISNT BASHING

But also as I was scrolling through Wednesday’s character tag I found this:

AND A G A I N NOT BASHING THIS PERSON BUT THE WAY I WHEEZZEEDDD BECAUSE IT INSTANTLY REMINDED ME OF THIS ICONIC POST:

Jokes aside, I still can’t believe some people actively ship Xavier and Wednesday. Like, yes I am Wenclair rot ALL THE WAY, but besides that like even Jenna herself talked about how much she wants them to be healthy platonic friends and I completely agree. Not only do we get little of healthy platonic friendships between those of the opposite gender, Xavier’s Love Interest™️ behavior was majorly entitled, obsessive, and overall super fucken shitty towards Wednesday. He acted like she owed him something? Like, hold on, I still respect people who like Xavier as a character outside his Love Interest role but y’all can’t tell me his advances towards Wednesday weren’t awful. She shows up to his art studio and he automatically assumes she’s gonna ask him to the dance? Bro not only are you incredibly arrogant but also super fucken blind because do you not SEE how uncomfortable Wednesday is? Yeah, Wednesday was an asshole to him but SURPRISE SURPRISE- she’s an asshole to everyone. Just because she’s interacting with you with some basic decency that does not mean she’s interested in you. I am looking so hard at Garrett Gates obsessing over Morticia because he saw her kindness as romantic interest right now.

Outside of his direct advances to Wednesday, not only did Xavier keep being overtly, unhealthily jealous towards other guys she was found giving any attention to as if he has any power over her choices (small acts of jealousy can be cute in some contexts, but nah he was so hostile towards Wednesday when she was seen with Tyler like wtf dude back off), Xavier was also super shit towards Bianca with his constant obsession over Wednesday. It got to the point where he asked Bianca to use her siren powers on him AS IF HE DIDNT BREAK UP WITH HER BECAUSE OF CONSTANTLY SUSPECTING HER OF USING SAID POWERS. Bianca, my darling, you deserved so much better I have no idea what you saw in Xavier. In short, he was incredibly unlikable to me. I hated Tyler for pretty much the same reasons- the, “You keep sending me these signals” scene made my blood BOIL it was so bad- but looking back he gets a pass because his insistence to be close to her was a facade so she wouldn’t suspect him as the killer. Xavier gets no such pass to his entitlement. I feel like if they took away the Love Interest label from him and developed him more into his own character who is a fellow psychic and supportive friend to homegirl he would be a much more well-written character.

Anyways I did NOT mean fer this to become a ramble on how bad of a Love Interest™️ Xavier is but yeah Wenclair fer the win and if this comes back to bite me in the ass then so be it

[mellarkably]

🚨 NHIE SPOILERS BELOW 🚨

first of all. that was a crazy ass season. so much happened and i can barely keep up or remember. so while this probably won't be a coherent or well worded recap, yhat defintely won't go over everything that i just watched for the past six hours, it'll just be my thoughts for now.

personally, i really liked the kamala plot and her struggle in the workplace. it was probably one of my favorite parts of the season. i'm not sure if kamala will be ditching prashant for mr. kulkarni but if she does i wouldn't be shocked. considering how prashant played into the whole workplace problem. also rip steve lol who remembers him. homie got done dirty.

now speaking of devi. there were many things she did this season that were not at all good or rational. however, i do like the fact that they delved more into her grief, and overall she actually seemed to develop over the season which made me happy. there are aspects of her grieving process that kinda felt unanswered, but hey, it is what it is. for what it's worth, im happy with the amount of growth she had over ten episodes. i actually felt like giving devi a hug so many times towards the end. and maitreyi killed it as always.

regarding the new kids! malcolm, well, i honestly kinda have intense apathy towards him as a character. he was cool at the start, a dick at the end—so yeah, i feel like he served his purpose overall. i felt extremely bad for oliver the entire time. and aneesa! she was the coolest addition they could honestly have had to the team. she's fun, charming, and fits in very well. i felt extreme sympathy for her ed and im glad they put a hotline at the end of those episodes. she's a great girl.

i'm very glad they gave paxton more of a well fleshed out personality this season. he seemed much more personable overall. although i felt like his episode at times fell a bit flat or felt too preachy regarding the whole hot people can be smart too concept, it was overall a fantastic episode and gigi hadid was a great choice as narrator. also loved the little switch to ben's pov when andy steps in. that was funny. i also liked the fact that they went into his ethnicity!

regarding his romantic feelings for devi though. i feel like i can't understand? like does he like her? does he not? is he embarassed of her? is he not? i failed to understand where he was most of the time. the mixed signals, like. paxton. i like you, but huh? well, to be fair, the romance in devi's life this season was pretty much a rollercoaster ride anyways so. i do love paxton's obijan though. great guy. we didn't get enough of rebecca though!

out of the two besties, i honestly liked fab's story a lot more. it felt relatable, that whole feeling of not being able to fit in as a new sapphic. and i adore fab and eve. i'm glad they didnt make their relationship too cookie cutter.

eleanor's subplot was alright. again, it was really hard to kinda, if i put this blatantly, give a fuck about malcolm and whatever their relationship was. (loved tyler alveraz's performance though) but i liked her talking with her stepmom sharon. i wish they spent more time on that rather than malcolm but again, they don't have much time to waste.

i loved nalini's subplots. all of them. she was honestly one of my fav characters this season, as well as devi's grandma. we got to delve into the indian culture more too, so that was very cool. her relationship with dr. jackson was also nice for the short time they had with each other. i didn't expect them to breakup, i kinda just expected devi to learn to be okay with her mother moving on, but then again, i also agree that it felt a little fast. i loved the flashbacks with mohan too.

i feel like i wanna save ben and benvi for last because i have too much to say. it was an absolute rollercoaster ride to be a team ben while watching this season. i'm a bit dissapointed that we didn't get any individual plot regarding him, stuff that didn't have to do with girls, but i get why. he got that in s1, and it was paxton's turn to shine.

regarding the whole ben and aneesa thing; honestly, i think they're cute. i love aneesa and i love ben. i just want him to be happy. but it's clear he still has feelings for devi and he doesn't really know what he wants, which sucks for everyone involved. i think that he just assumed that devi liked paxton more than him, that he was her second choice (which honestly, considering the things that transpired, it's not very hard to see why he though that, and he was clearly hurt with her clear choice of paxton over him on multiple occassions) but oh well.

i feel like ben was a catalyst for a lot of the things devi needed to do. like apologize to aneesa, for example. and in that way, they still work well. i loved their banter, whenever we got it. i have hope for them in season 3 (if it happens), considering the way they ended it, but eh. aneesa is also a great girl, so it sucks that this is the direction we're going. but yeah. i am a bit bitter with the dreadf lack of benvi i kinda got this season, but their conversations and the way he helped push her development did make me feel a little better.

as for what team i'm on or whatever, i don't feel like i'm avidly on any team tbh. i'm still lowkey rooting for ben and devi. the reason why i'm not completely getting behind daxton is because i didn't really like what paxton did in episode 10, with the whole not wanting them to be public thing. the entire season felt like he was sending mixed signals. not that i'm saying hes a shitty guy or anything, but yeah. and the reason i'm not completely team ben is because he seems to be teetering between aneesa and devi, so yes, again with the mixed signals. kind of. but the reason i'm still rooting for ben is because i really liked the way they pushed each other, or majorly, he pushed her development, with asking her to apologize, etc. and although him getting together with anessa was not a win for me, a benvi, to relish, i think it helped devi learn to act a little more mature and less territorial.

if i'm being completely honest, i think that devi needed to be single at the end of this season, at least for now. i read the synopsis of episode 10 and was kinda hoping that she'd make that choice, that she'd choose herself, because what she needs isn't a boyfriend. what she needs is just to recover. and i honestly still don't feel like she completely got over her dad's death.

OVERALL THOUGH. this was a much better season than the first one. i feel like they finally got into their groove in terms of acting and comedy. (also trent is the funniest >>>) although i felt like this season was kinda like the first one but on steroids, which at most times was very anxiety inducing to watch, i did like the episodes and i was heavily entertained. go watch it!

i also really need a season 3 so—

[apocalypticbadass]

Sapphic Vampire Lovers (Smut)

A/N: Hey guysss it’s Alice smut time. Haven't been able to get the woman out of my head recently so here are my musings. You live with the Cullens and Alice is your girlfriend, but no one at school knows. You’re basically an adopted sibling so I might refer to the kiddos as your brother/sister. Also I’m not saying Alice can't see the future in this but like...lowkey...it’s hard as hell to write for her when she already knows everything lol.

Warnings: Smut, cursing, I think that’s it.

----

You sighed loudly as Mike Newton continued to prattle on about unimportant matters by your side. The bell signaled the beginning of class, and you feigned an apologetic look, which Mike believed wholeheartedly as he scurried to his seat. Poor boy. You turned to Emmett, your “brother” who sat next to you in Chem.

“He doesn’t give up, does he?” Emmett snickered.

You shook your head and sighed. “Oh shut it, Em.”

“You should just turn him away at this point. It’s going too far. Alice is starting to really notice.”

“Wait actually? She can’t possibly think I would ever pick Mike Newton over her.” You replied, getting quite nervous that Alice might be upset with you.

“I’m just sayin’. He’s always flirting with you, the last thing you want is for Alice to get the wrong idea.” “Yeah, you're right. Thanks Em.”

He smiled at you and ruffled your hair before you both turned towards the front to pay some attention to your teacher. You couldn’t sit still for the entirety of class, Emmett kept having to pull your hands out of your mouth to stop you from biting your nails or rest his hand on your knee to keep your leg from bouncing. The bell rang after a painfully long class, and all you wanted was to get out of there. It was the last period of the day, so you and Emmett grabbed your things and booked it out of class, he understood your desire to leave. What the both of you had missed while you were too busy worrying about your anxiety, was that Mike Newton had left class 10 minutes early with Eric Yorkie and Tyler Crowley. How Emmett’s incredible hearing and sight had missed that, you’ll never know. Or maybe he just thought it was unimportant. The rest of your family caught up with you, and Alice linked her arm in yours.

“Hi baby.” She said with a smile.

“Hi Ali.” You answered, nuzzling into her shoulder as you walked.

As you all got closer to the parking lot, Emmett gasped. “Oh my fucking God...”

“Oh Jesus, here we go.” Rosalie sighed.

Draped across the side of Mike’s minivan, made of canvas and paint, was a sign that read “(Y/N), will you go to prom with me?”

You stopped dead in your tracks.

This could not be happening.

No way was this happening.

You turned, horrified, to look at Alice’s face. She was staring straight ahead, jaw set, eyes unreadable. You softly disconnected your arms and rushed over to Mike, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

He beamed as he saw your urgency. “So, what do you think?”

“Mike, take it down right now.” You pleaded. “I’m sorry but I won’t go to prom with you.”

His face fell as Eric and Tyler moved to take the sign down and save Mike a little bit of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry Mike, I have to go.”

“Yeah, no, it’s cool.” He said, rubbing the back of his head.

Your family was on your left and they were already getting into the car. Alice was at the back, and you grabbed her wrist while begging her to turn around and talk to you. “Alice, please, can we talk?”

“What is there to talk about?” She spat, venom in her voice. “Clearly you gave him a reason to think he should ask you. You’re very friendly, and I love that about you, but I think flirting with someone when you have a girlfriend is way too far.” “Alice you know I would never do that. You know how loyal I am to you, Mike could never hold a candle to you. I swear I’ve never flirted with him in my life, he’s just obsessed or something.” Your eyes shone with tears. “Please, baby. Trust me, not him. I swear on my life I only love you.”

You could see the slightest softening of her defensive exterior as your (y/e/c) eyes bore into her deep amber ones.

She stepped closer to you and sighed. “You’re right, I’m overreacting, I suppose. You haven’t given me any reason to believe that you’d flirt with him.” Alice placed her lips below your ear. “Unfortunately for you, you’ll have to pay for poor Mike’s mistake. I’ll have to remind you who you belong to, just incase you needed a refresher.”

Your breath caught in your throat, a blush creeping onto your cheeks since you knew that your family could hear you quite clearly from inside the car.

“I’ll meet you at home.” She said before turning on her heel to walk home, she’d be back before the rest of you.

You got in the car behind the passenger seat, head in your hands as Emmett laughed from the other side of the car. “What did I tell you?”

“Drop it, McCarty.” You glared at him.

“She’ll come around.” Jasper said, hand on your knee. “She’s not actually mad, just jealous that he can be so carefree with his feelings while you both have to hide yours.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Just sucks.” “At least you’ll get good sex out of it.” Rosalie said nonchalantly, looking at her nails, which she had painted last night.

“Get some!” Emmett cheered, which made you bust out laughing.

The car ride home was comfortably quiet, everyone else’s mind wandering to other things, Rosalie and Edward speaking to one another in a nearly inaudible tone.

Butterflies fluttered in your stomach when you pulled up to the Cullen house, met by Alice leaning against her Porsche, arms folded neatly across her chest. Jasper squeezed your shoulder in encouragement, feeling your nerves flow, and eased your anxiety as best as he could, one last time. Alice got in the car before you could get over to her, and just before she shut the door, she gave you a “come hither” motion. You opened the passenger door and sat carefully inside of the car, careful not to track in any mud.

“Hi.” You said softly as she began to drive.

“Hello.”

You fell into silence, zoning out while looking out the window, wondering where the hell you were going. You tried very hard not to let her know how nervous you were, but the attempt was futile because she could hear your erratic heartbeat.

“Where exactly are we going?” You managed to say, in a calmer voice than you thought you could muster.

“You’ll see. It’ll be fun.” She said lightly, tossing you a wink.

20 minutes later, Alice pulled into a hotel parking lot, probably the fanciest building you had ever seen. You knew you were in Seattle, but had never been to this secluded area with these fancy buildings. You felt severely underdressed, the both of you casual, but her level of fashion much higher than yours, her walk far more graceful. She gave the keys to the valet as they pulled luggage out of the trunk. Alice took one bag for herself and handed one to you. She kept her hand on the small of your back and led you through the massive glass doors, which were opened for you of course. The gorgeous decor of the lobby kept your gaze until Alice had signed you both in.

“Come on now, love.” Her voice was like melted honey.

Your gaze flipped to her and you followed her to the elevator, where she pushed the button for the top floor. Your eyes went wide as you remembered peering up to the peak of the building and how high it was. As you stepped out, there was one single door in front of you. Alice swiftly unlocked it and ushered you inside, bolting the lock shut immediately. As you walked around in awe, you felt yourself being whisked away, vision blurring as Alice ran you both into the bedroom, where she tossed you onto the silk duvet. Her dainty, but incredibly strong hands pushed your shoulders back onto the bed. 

“What to do with you?” She pretended to think before pulling a pair of cuffs from behind her back. 

You bit your lip as you felt butterflies down below. Your wrists were in one of her hands in a second, cuffed to the headboard before you could even blink. “Are you going to be good for me, darling?”

“Yes baby, I will.”

“Good.” She muttered into your ear, tearing your shirt off to suck on the exposed skin of your breasts. All you wanted to do was tangle your fingers into her short hair as she marked your body. Your wrists audibly struggled against your confines and you groaned. Alice laughed. She tore your bra off in a fluid motion, gently worrying one of your nipples between her teeth.

You sucked in a breath. “Ali, please. Wanna touch you.”

She swiftly flipped you onto your stomach. “No ma’am. Not allowed.”

She then pulled your pants and underwear off in one go, leaving you completely exposed. Alice slid a finger towards your clit, circling it slowly. You whined and squirmed, so she ripped all contact away from you. You felt her cool breath at your ear and her disapproving tsk. “I thought you said you were going to be good for me.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll be good. I promise.”

“You better.” She replied, swiftly inserting one finger into your vagina. You took a sharp breath through your nose, trying to keep still. She curled her finger into your g-spot at an incredible pace, causing you to take a mouthful of the bedsheets to keep yourself quiet. She was pleasantly surprised at how good you were being, so she added another finger, scissoring you open. It took absolutely everything in you to just stay still and quiet.

Once you felt stretched enough, she placed a kiss at the base of your spine and retracted all contact, flashing across the room to grab a bag. You were unable to see this, but her clothes were off in an instant, and she had fastened one of her many straps around her hips. She’d chosen your favorite attachment, a hot pink dildo that measured around 7.5 inches. She leaned down to whisper in your ear while allowing the toy to nestle into the cleft of your butt.

“You’re not even gonna remember Mike Newton’s name after this.”

With that comment, she slid the tip of the toy into your entrance, slowly pushing into you, stretching you all the way out. “You can make noise now, love.” She purred.

Immediately, a string of profanities left your mouth. “Holy fuck, baby, you feel so fucking good inside me.”

After a few moments, you felt her icy hips hit your butt, felt her lips sucking marks onto your shoulder blades. “Move please, baby.” You whined, trying not to struggle against her. She pulled out of you slowly, and entered you once more. Taking her time, Alice picked up a pace that made your toes curl, she hit your g-spot every single time.

“Jesus fuck, Ali, God you’re so good. Feels so good, so fucking good, babygirl.” You babbled on as she drilled you into the bed at an inhuman pace, hands tangled into your hair.

“You just needed a little reminder, didn’t you, doll? Just needed to remember who you belong to. Mike Newton could never fuck you this good.” She growled, nipping at your earlobe. You wanted to make a sarcastic remark, but your words couldn't get past the way Alice was making you feel. Your clit gained some friction as each thrust pushed your body into the mattress a little further.

“Alice I’m so fucking close babes, please don’t fucking stop.” You cried out, the inferno in your stomach threatening release.

“Come for me, love.”

With her words, you came hard, squirting all over the duvet, leaving it soaked. Alice pushed all the way into you and stilled for a moment, relishing. “You were so good for me, babygirl. So beautiful.” She praised, pulling out of you and flipping you over.

“Wanna taste you.” You whined. “Sit on my face.”

Alice smirked at you and quickly unfastened the strap before positioning her dripping pussy over your mouth, settling softly with a moan. She had remained untouched until now, so the contact was quite welcome. “Christ, babe. Your mouth feels so good.”

Your tongue explored her walls, licking every surface, nose bumping her clit every so often. She leaned back and placed her hands on your thighs, squeezing them softly to get a grip. You moved to her clit, lips wrapping around it and drawing it into your mouth, eliciting a sharp gasp from your lover. You fervently continued, fully putting your mouth to work.

“Please, gonna come.” She rasped out, just before coating your face with her slick. “Oh my God, (y/n), so incredible.” Alice moaned while you continued to suck on her, drawing out her orgasm. You gazed at her with doe eyes from between her legs before she got off of you, reaching for the key to unlock your cuffs. She rubbed your wrists to soothe them before nuzzling into your neck and tangling her legs into yours.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the way you taste.” You said after a few moments of silence.

Alice giggled. “I can absolutely say the same for you. That was amazing.”

“Totally. I love you. Sorry Mike asked me to prom.”

She let out a belly laugh, pulling you on top of her. “No need to apologize. I’m sorry for overreacting, quite dumb of me to be honest.”

“It upsets you that we can’t express our emotions for each other as freely as Mike can express his emotions for me.” “I just wish people could understand our love, understand that our gender is totally irrelevant.” She sighed, stroking your hips as she spoke. “I just love you so much and I wish I was able to show it in public without fear of something happening to you. God forbid anyone got violent.” “I know, baby, it’s really scary sometimes.” You cupped her face, stroking her cheekbone with one hand, combing through her hair with the other.

“I don’t want to say it, but you know what I’m thinking.” Alice whispered, expression growing serious.

“I’ve been thinking about it recently as well, I think we have to do it. Sometime soon, I want to be with you forever. We’ll set a date.”

Alice gave you a lopsided grin. “Can’t wait to be sapphic vampire lovers until the end of time.” 

You laughed, leaning down to kiss her. “Oh hell yeah.”

[graveyard0fhopes]

In defense of Wyler.

1. Shipping Wyler makes sense because Wednesday is emotionally invested in Tyler. Now, before you all come at me for pointing canon moments, i want you to at least acknowledge that the canon is how the writer intended Wednesday series to go and dismissing canon means you're just trying to take a ship down for your own purpose. Shipping wednesday with others is fine, but when you post an argument how other ship won't work? You're actively poking/attacking a ship at that point.

Canon reasons why I personally ship Wyler

She could have refused when Tyler came for the dance, but her first reaction was panicking and going to the wardrobe, looking for a dress. It was Wednesday. I thought she would dismiss Tyler for her plans but she didn't. It was interesting.

"So who is it?" (Hesitates) "Xavier." "Got it." "I don't see why you're upset" .... "I thought we liked each other. Am i in the more-than-friend zone or just a pawn in a game you're playing?" "I'm just dealing with a lot right now. I need to prioritize." She didn't outright deny him. She paid attention that he was upset, and she initiated a question about it. She cares, is what i mean.

"You keep giving me these signals." I know, he was pushing it. But let's remember she gave him a number to call. Isn't it like the flirting culture in the US to give someone a number? He of course knew it was just so Wednesday could use him, but it works either way. Wednesday also came to Weathervane multiple times to ask for info. Let's not kid ourself, teenage boys are flattered when girls seek their company and ask them things. It could be seen as a signal.

Dark bonding moments. "Did you think i was going to judge you? I would've taken it further." "Like pitting piranhas in a swimming pool?" "I'd do it again." "I know there was a reason i like you." *proceded to dance with him, which, she didn't need to, but she did.*

She doesn't want a birthday party, guys. She wants to investigate a creepy old house with Tyler and Enid. She could have find a way by her own, like before, but she didn't she manipulated them both so they couldn't say no.

She came back for Tyler when the hyde showed up at the old house. I know it's basic decency after putting their life in danger, but sunshine Enid didn't even remember about Tyler. Wednesday remembered, and she really was willing to face the hyde to save Tyler and that was proven.

Visiting Weathervane with uncle fester. No one made her do it, it was purely her own will to keep coming back to where Tyler works.

The date, or how Wednesday put it, "Quid pro quo." (Which is the episode's title ;) ) "That was torture. Thank you."

She leaned in for the kiss guys. Come on, if she's not interested she wouldn't.

She came to Tyler after putting Xavier in the prison. I mean, she didn't have to, but she did. Why came to tyler? The mystery was over for her, Kinbott was dead, and the monster was captured, she didn't need Tyler's help anymore. But she came back. With the mystery closed, Tyler went up to her number 1 priority. That was saying something.

She was obsessed with the mystery, she had it in mind that Xavier was the killer. Across the episodes, you could see her rationally built up evidence for xavier. But one vision after a kiss and boom, she went straight for torture. You can't say she's not emotionally invested with Tyler. His betrayal sparked a wrath.

At the first confrontation with thornhill, we saw Wednesday's thought on Tyler's situation. It was not us who decides that Tyler was originally manipulated. It was Wednesday. "That's why you targeted Tyler. You manipulated him by showing him what his mother truly was. What Tyler didn't realize is that truth wouldn't free him. It would enslave him to you. That was scary at first, so you used the cave and the shackles. ( chains rattling ) But eventually he willingly became your servant. And when Kinbott came close to discovering the truth, you had Tyler kill her and pin it on Xavier." Even then, Wednesday put the blame on Thornhill above all else.

Tyler was integral in Wednesday's character development. First, she opens up to him. Second, she realizes that even someone as emotionally distant as her can get blinded by her emotions. That's right, emotions. Because Wednesday liked Tyler, and that blinded her from seeing the truth all along. I myself didn't expect Tyler as the monster in the beginning, but after the date and the journal got missing, it was a red sign from me and i was prepared for a heartbreak after that. Wednesday could have seen that Tyler was always there as well when the monster appeared, but no, she didn't see Tyler as a potential murderer because Tyler was by her side, and Xavier was the only one who was hovering at the background so she finger pointed at the poor guy.

This reason, of how Wednesday was emotionally invested with Tyler, is my main reason for shipping Wyler because Wednesday doesn't feel much, but when she does, she feels it deeply. Exhibit a, Nero the scorpion. Even after years, she still hasn't get over its death. And that opens up to a possibility: even after getting betrayed, her feelings for Tyler won't be easily over. In fact, it will only get deeper, with more colors.

2. Now, moving on to my second reason, Tyler's potentials.

He is a monster. Not squeamish with blood and gore. That's addams family material, right there.

He's not 'a boring white boy', like many people accused him first. I saw many people hating him because of that, but then they also hate him for having depth and being the monster at the end. I mean, doesn't being the monster and being smart enough to play wednesday's emotion make him so much interesting?

So many potential with him actually liking Wednesday in the process of manipulating her. Because his first meeting was not, in any way, manipulated by his master. And he called her "grim reaper barbie." That's a bit cute, in my opinion. He thinks she's a pretty, morbid girl. There are many canon moments that i think has a bit genuineness from his part, but as we are not cannonically shown his point of view, i won't put it here.

Refering to the coffee machine as 'temperamental beast' and 'monster', and Wednesday ended up taming it. (I saw a post pointing this out, so credit to them!)

He is shown transforming at the end, so there is hope that he got away from the police. There is hope that he will return in the second season, so it's not 'illogical' for some people to hope that he will have some character development in the second season.

I'm all for having tom and jerry dynamic between wyler.

He didn't kill Eugene. HE DIDN'T KILL EUGENE. For a monster that can tear apart limbs, he will have to be very careful in not killing him. It's a redemption opportunity, i suppose. We are not shown his point of view at this moment, so the writer can easily write it in the next season. It's a hope for wyler, but then people doesn't need canon for theorizing his reasons, so wyler shippers are not 'sick in the mind' for delving deep into it. You can do your own ship, but please don't judge others if they are interested in something you don't like.

3. I ship wyler because i don't care what others think. I know what i like. It's just a fiction that i watched. For me, there's no point in bringing activism in a fandom, as i'm not a US citizen and sexuality is not a topic i like to bring up over and over all the time. So what if Wyler is straight? You see a girl liking rainbow colors and decided that she's gay, and her new bestfriend is her repressed lover. Okay. You do you. But don't judge others because they like straight ships. I like tododeku-bakudeku just fine, but i like wyler as well. It's okay.

And toxicity is a term so over-used and i'm quite tired of hearing it in a fandom for a fiction work. Xavier called her toxic (at the prison scene) but it was he who keep coming back to wednesday. She is, from the very beginning, maintaining distance with the guy except for when she tries to milk some info. She never ask him for help otherwise. Yes, people get hurt when they involve themselves with Wednesday but that's because she is trying to solve a literal murder cases, so of course it won't be full of rainbows. The only one who has sense in their action of keep coming back to wednesday is Tyler, because he has his own reasons. Now, you can say Tyler is toxic, but really, he's doing what was told by his master and we haven't seem his pov yet, so the level of toxicity is undecided. Who knows? Maybe there is a genuine like, so his manipulation isn't just intended for bad things. With that said, i don't mind if it have some toxicity in it. It's just fiction. And if you're saying he's toxic because he's a murderer, let me remind you that this is the Addams family. Her uncle ate a girlscout. She unleashed piranhas to avenge her brother. The only reason why Wednesday was upset of his father being accused of murder is because she didn't believe that he did it, and for the addams to be imprisoned for a murder they didn't commit is an insult, at least do the deed if you went to prison for it. Wednesday said it herself, it was terrible for having an 'attempted murder' record. People would know she failed.

And those who says 'wednesday doesn't need boys to be independent and strong', i agree with you. But are you saying that women can't be strong and independent with a lover by their side? Because if you are, Morticia addams will gut you. Don't mistake your opinion for activisim if you don't see the whole picture.

Do not discount Wednesday's feelings, or thoughts, or decision. Discounting Wednesday's autonomy and her feelings are just bad feminism. So what if Wednesday wants to feel a bit of romance? So what if she wants to celebrate finally solving a case with kissing the boy she likes? So what if she dances with him, asks him to drive her, or asking him about the town she is completely new in? Are you saying poor Wednesday doesn't know what her doing, that she was manipulated all along by the big bad tyler? Is she not also using him for her own purposes?

I agree that it will be hard for Wednesday to forgive him after Thing, Eugene, and Enid. But they all are safe at the end, and as I pointed out, Wednesday is emotionally invested in Tyler. Plus, Wednesday said so herself, Tyler is her type. There is hope for more confrontation, more for dynamic development between the two of them. This is why i ship wyler.

(And fear is a roleplay for Morticia and Gomez, so who's to say Wednesday was not into that shit as well?)

That said, I hope that Tyler will return, and that we will see more of his story, but it's really up to the writers. I will stick with my ship and hopes that whatever they decided is for the best of Wednesday.

I personally try to get every ship, even If I ship Wenclair. For instance I get the Wednesday and Xavier ship, but I just can't understand the Wednesday/Tyler shippers. Like the guy tried to kill her friends and lead her away so Thing can be attacked. I don't see Wednesday forgiving that even if he has a tragic backstory.

[darklydeliciousdesires]

Verboten - Chapter Seven.

Eeeee! I’m really thrilled at how much this is being enjoyed. Thank you so much to everyone who has liked, reblogged and left comments. You all give me life! :) 

Previous chapters - One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six

Visuals - The Verboten cast of characters post

Words - 3,654

Warnings - SMUT! 

Tag list - In the comments! To be added/removed, please DM me :)

Chapter playlist - Madonna - Secret

“I told you I was doing extra hours.”

“You bloody didn’t! Fucking liar, trying to make me look like I’m in the wrong!”

The viciousness of her mouth. It honestly surprised him.  

“I did, Ella. It’s just as per fuckin’ usual, you don’t listen. You’re too busy with anything else to even acknowledge what I say, like being home at 10pm instead of 8pm, which I did tell you. Now, keep your voice down, before you wake the kids.”

“Oh, fuck you. You’re an inconsiderate shit!”

“Yeah, fuck me? I wish you would for once, frigid bitch.”  

He knew it was petty, but he couldn’t help not taking a swipe back at her. He didn’t hang around for any reply she might have had to that, her screams of indignance muted by him turning around and shutting the door behind him, heading upstairs and hoping his babies slept on. Checking in on them, he found all three sleeping soundly, stroking their hair and laying a loving kiss on each blonde crop of curls, smiling at them warmly.  

They were the only good thing he was going to come home to that night, Ella’s snappiness the first thing he’d encountered after walking through the door and having her demand why he’d missed her calls, wondering where he was. He knew full well he’d told her, he said as much that morning while helping get the kids ready for school while she’d been feeding Lani. As usual, though, his wife was never wrong.  

He had to admit a little fault here, though, blowing up in the way that he had at her. He was doing it not because he was wholly angry at her, but because he was pissed off at himself for not being able to resist her sister. It had been three days since he’d kissed her in the garden shed, and all he’d done in the time between was long for her.  

Heading up a floor, he went to the loft conversion bathroom, turning the tap on and taking off his shirt, throwing it into the laundry hamper before turning to close the toilet seat and sit down, pulling out his phone. He was just about to catch up on emails when the door opened, signalling Ella’s arrival.  

He groaned, in no mental condition for an argument. He’d had the shift from hell, being punched in the ribs by an arrestee and almost stabbed before he’d disarmed and cuffed him. The guy had been twice the size of him, needing three officers to bring him to the ground and restrain him. “I’m not in the mood for round two.”  

“Oh, believe me, I’m making this quick. How bloody dare you throw something so vile as to call me frigid, how fucking dare you, Tyler! I am sick to death of repeating myself about this, so for you to be that cruel is a low blow. You’re my husband, try acting like one for once!”

Seething within, he only kept his composure this time so as not to wake the little ones where they were more likely to have heard. “I do. Every day, I do. I called you frigid because you are, that’s a fact, no matter how much you don’t want to hear it. Have I asked you about us resuming a sex life since last week? No, haven’t bothered, doubt I will either.  

“It isn’t just about you refusing to have sex, it’s the fact you keep on pushing me away and I’m bloody tired of it, plus the fact you refuse to acknowledge it or talk to me about whatever the hell it is that’s the matter. We can’t fix things until you admit there’s something wrong, so just tell me. What’s up? Why are you freezing me out? What, is it post-natal depression or something?”

“Oh, of course, it’s always all my fault!”

“Well, since I’m not the one doing anything here to push you away then yeah, it fucking is!”

She sighed, reaching for the door handle. “Sleep in the spare room again tonight. I don’t want you near me. Fucking arsehole!”

He muttered a few swears in her wake, wondering if he’d hit the nail on the head when he’d mentioned post-natal depression. If she needed help, then he wanted to get it for her, although the state of their marriage was tumultuous at best. She had to want it, though. Then there was another other thought that rolled around in his head, being that she’d begun to emotionally check out of their marriage, but for whatever reason wasn’t ready to voice it.  

He couldn’t quite trust that, though, purely because he knew it was likely his guilt addled brain throwing up such a suggestion in order to soften the stinging shame he felt from cheating on her. In that moment, he didn’t feel very guilty, though, sinking into the bath and sending someone he knew he shouldn’t be contacting a message.  

‘Hey, what you up to?’

Twenty minutes passed before he received a reply, feeling a lot more relaxed by then.

‘Out with some colleagues for dinner and drinks. You?’

‘In the bath, trying to unwind.’

‘Well, hope you manage it!’  

He immediately felt stupid for messaging her, the finality of her text to him loud and clear. Not interested in further conversation, or anything else for that matter. Putting his phone down on top of the wicker shelving unit to his left, he vanished under the water, holding his breath, the sub-aqua silence soothing to him.

He partially surfaced, just his nose and eyes sticking out, his ears still submerged, needing to remain in that comforting quiet for a while yet. He couldn’t soothe the anguish one woman caused him by attempting to garner attention from another, that other being the woman he’d enjoyed a furiously hot extramarital dalliance with exactly one week prior. Or could he?

Hearing his phone buzz on the shelf around half an hour after he’d submerged, he sat up, drying his hand and reaching for it.  

‘I was doing so well, and then you had to mention you were in the bath. Now I can’t stop thinking about you being all naked and wet.’

‘I could be naked and wet in a different bathtub, if you like?’

‘As if it’d be the bathroom you’d be in if we were at my place. Besides, wouldn’t it be suss, you sneaking out at 10:40pm?’

He was just tying a reply when another came from her in afterthought.

“Besides! We need to try harder to keep away from each other!!!”

‘Nah, she wouldn’t give a shit. Things are rough ATM. As for keeping away from you, I’ve done a week, if you don’t count Wednesday. I think I deserve a reward for that.’  

He knew it was wrong, so, so wrong, but he just couldn’t help himself. Neither could Zoey, apparently.  

‘Meet me at my place in half an hour.’

He was out of the bath, dry and dressed within ten minutes, grabbing his keys and cell, heading downstairs to poke his head around the living room door.  

“What?” Ella snapped, still fuming.  

“I’m going for a drink with Jimmy and a few of the guys.”

“At ten to eleven? What’s the point, you’ll only be out for a few hours.”

“Anything is better than sticking around here.” Turning, he left before she could say anything else. For the duration of the drive, he had the rational, moral inner voice screaming at him to just turn around and go home to bed, to not actively seek solace between the legs of his sister-in-law just because his wife had angered him with her refusal to acknowledge their issues. However, the desire for Zoey completely overrode anything that voice advised.  

When he actually saw her after tapping her apartment door, any kind of morality went flying out of the window. Then again, he wagered most men would likely suffer exactly the same at seeing a hot twenty-nine-year-old, big hair all wavy and sexy, eyes rimmed black and smudged answer the door in just her red lace underwear.  

He advanced on her with a soft, yet hungry growl, Zoey giggling as he lifted her over his shoulder and smacked her bum all the way up to her bedroom, yanking her undies to the side and biting one of the cheeks too for good measure.  

“Missed me, then?”

“Yeah, and I’m going to show you just how much too.”  

“Ooooh, I’m a lucky girl. Before you do, though, stay right there. There’s something I didn’t give you last time.” He smirked, knowing exactly what that something was. He’d been so hyper focused upon her before that he hadn’t given her chance to return the favour in pleasing him with her mouth. He certainly wasn’t going to stop her this time, removing his t shirt while she undid his belt, running her tongue up the line of dark blonde hair descending from his navel.

Pulling his jeans down, his cock springing free, Zoey moved her mouth to his hip, causing a quake to ripple his abs when she added her tongue, finding a slightly ticklish spot, it seemed. “Stop!” He chuckled when she did it again, kicking himself out of the jeans bunching his ankles, glad he hadn’t bothered with boxers. There was no need.  

“But you won’t stop me from doing it right here though, will you?” Running her tongue up the fat vein inflating the underside of his bulky shaft, she elicited a deep groan from him, Tyler tangling his fingers in her hair.  

“Fuck, no.” That groan only deepened when she took him slowly into her mouth, his cock twitching the deeper she sucked him back, pausing before dragging her lips back up his shaft, pausing at the tip and kissing it as she winked at him, circling her tongue around a few times before repeating the same thing all over again. After a hard day, having his hard on tended to so very thoroughly was exactly what he needed.  

Watching his cock disappearing again and again into her pretty mouth, every last care floated from his mind, the moment he shared with her the only thing prevalent to him, his thighs quaking as her lips tightened around him, her nails trailing down his chest stirring a flush of goosepimples to rise over his skin.  

Pleasure crackled through him, his cock like iron as she continued to suck on him with aplomb, moaning softly around him, her noises of contentment sending tingling sensations through his thick shaft. It was about all he could stand without encroaching upon load blowing territory, stepping back before reaching to grasp her waist, throwing her into the middle of the bed.  

Zoey shrieked, giggling as he moved between her legs and kissed her into silence, wasting no time in trailing those kisses downwards, his lips etching a heated descent upon her beautiful body before finally settling between her legs.  

“Oh, I swear you’re the best ever at going down. Fuck, I’ve craved your mouth so much.” She told him, her cunt sucked upon greedily, Tyler groaning deeply as her wetness bathed his tongue and chin. He loved that blowing him had gotten her that aroused. Her hums and murmurs of pleasure floated through the air like sweet music as he sucked at her, the addition of the gentlest of nibbles making a soft prick of pain melt down her spine, gasping when his tongue began to roll languidly over her clit.  

It was a delicate, slow circle he drew upon her bud, watching her undulate against his mouth, his hands stroking her silken legs, entranced by the sight of her losing herself to him. The blade of his tongue soon cut through to the marrow of her, all that was gentle pressure now replaced by keen licks that ignited her bones, making her feel as if embers were burning on her nerves, her thighs brushing his face, squirming in ecstasy.  

“I think you’re ready for my cock now, aren’t you?”

“Yes, but that means you stopping your tongue, and it’s too good!” He chuckled at the compliment, continuing to lash her clit with fast licks.  

“It does, but maybe this...” Pausing, he moved to kneel, pushing her thighs down onto the bed and gently gliding his hardness into the aqueous velvet of her cunt. “...is better?”

“Ohh, I missed that.”

“I missed being here as well, believe me. I’ve tried to stop thinking about it, but it’s impossible now I know how amazing you feel, how damned gorgeous you look too, split around me.”  

His abs juddered in response to her trailing her nails down them gently, one hand slipping between her legs to feel his cock as it plunged in and out of her steadily. “Feeling how wet you’re getting me? Feels good, doesn’t it?”  

Bringing her fingers to her mouth, she sucked on them, making him burn. “Mmmm, yeah. It really does.”  

“Watching you do that is making my tongue jealous.” Slipping out, he moved back to lie between her legs, mouth clamping around her and sucking hard, his tongue sweeping through her folds. Her back arched off the bed, her body wholly at the mercy of his staggering sexual talent.  

He lapped at her keenly, his hot breaths adding to the stimulation, her clit soaked from each eager swirl of his tongue before he moved back to arrow into her once more. Inching in steadily, he filled her entirely, remaining totally still, his thumb rubbing at her clit as he watched her slit spasm from the strong clenches of her inner walls around him, the sight transfixing to him.  

“Fuck, you’re so big,” she breathed, flexing on him as he remained completely still, pulling him down to kiss him with heated need. “Fuck me, please just fuck me.”  

Moving his mouth to her neck, he chuckled deeply, sprinkling kisses. “Do I detect begging?”

“Yes, I’m out of my damn mind here! Please just pound me into the bloody bed!” Her desperation amused him, Tyler having her think he was about to sate her by beginning to move, a single thrust given before he pulled out once again, kissing his way back down, biting her pubic mound with a playful growl before sliding his tongue into her soaking slit.  

“Your pussy tastes amazing, just in case I haven’t mentioned this before.” Laving over her clit, he winked at her, her nails gliding through his hair and over his scalp, watching as he ate her fervently, his short beard prickling her soft folds, a deep grumble of arousal causing her flood his tongue. Sitting back up, he pushed inside her again, her little whimper making his insides tingle.  

She lay at his mercy, Tyler resting her legs over his shoulders as he began to give her exactly what she wanted, centring his weight down through his pelvis, each thrust delivered with more pressure, making her wail as he stroked her shins, turning his head to kiss her ankle and softly bite her toes. Just when she was getting used to being ploughed, though, he switched cock for tongue once more, pushing it into her burning hole, licking her opening while his nose nudged her clit, her legs virtually knotting around his head.  

How? How could one person be this illimitably thrilling in bed? He was everything she’d ever looked for in a lover, so attentive, very much getting off on being the instigator to her losing her mind to him. She’d never been with a man who was as much of a giver as Tyler. His mouth ate her to near ruin before finally, he sheathed himself in her heat and this time, didn’t pull away.

He gave her long strokes, pulling right to the edge before invading back to her depths, three slow thrusts followed by two quick and sharp, Zoey’s eyes rolled back in her head as she shook under the pressure from his cock, heavy as it dragged throbbing heat out of her, her mouth dropped open as she panted and wailed.  

“That’s it. Cum around my cock, baby.” Those words were the catalyst to it, her body trembling all over as she shattered for him completely, sparks blazing, her hips driving strongly as she ground against him, greedy for more friction.  

Tyler had no idea how she didn’t drag the orgasm from him as well with the force she came with, but he focused on not succumbing to it, the tingling in the pit of his groin, slowing down to both contain himself and give her a little recovery, bending to suck her nipples in turn.

Moving onto his side, he pulled her leg up over his hip, stroking her thigh as they shared steamy kisses, his heart hammering madly. God, the things she stirred in him, the way her flesh felt pressed to his, the tight hug of her molten centre around his throbbing cock as he fucked her slow and deep.

Each of his lust saturated groans vibrated her lips as she tucked her head under his chin, kissing his neck, her nails grazing his chest, lost in the tempest that was the two of them together, their bodies hot and tight with erotic euphoria, a few more strong thrusts seeing Tyler through to his burning finish, shooting ribbons of cum deeply into the snug clutch of her cunt.  

In the aftermath, she lay against his chest, her nails circling his nipple, his hand idly stroking up and down her back, tickling her spine, enjoying the afterglow of their releases, the quiet stillness, the peace. Once again, guilt was far from their minds, basking in one another, knowing they really were powerless to fight what they’d entered together. It was no longer a onetime thing, and both knew they wanted it to continue despite the obviousness of it being so very wrong.  

They needed to face up to the truth of it. This was the start of their affair.  

“Do you have to leave soon?”  

“Yeah, I do. I don’t want to, though, having to go back to an empty bed.”

Zoey winced for him, hearing the bitterness in his voice. “That bad?”

“Yeah, you know how she is when she gets it into her head that she’s the one in the right. This time it was over me telling her this morning I’d be home at ten, and her swearing blind I didn’t. It wouldn’t have been an issue, but fuck, I don’t need to get screamed at after working ten hours and having some fuck pig of a human punch me straight in the bad rib too,” he vented, feeling bad about unloading on her. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t be sorry. It’s okay. Yeah, I know how she gets, it’s frustrating. And is that what this is here?” Stroking the faint bruise to the side of his tattoo, Tyler nodded. “If you don’t want to, you can stay, you know.”

He smiled, touched by her sweetness. “It isn’t about what I want, babe. I need to be there in the morning when the kids wake up. Plus, if I stay out, she’ll likely only throw that at me too. She doesn’t need much incentive to dislike me further at the moment.”  

Despite what he said, he remained where he was, happy, feeling peaceful, the tension gone from him. He knew as soon as he was back in the house, it’d all return, sleeping alone without the warm embrace of a woman who wanted him, rather than lying there allowing the resentment he felt towards his wife eat him alive.  

At 1:30am, he reluctantly untangled himself from her, dressing slowly, drinking in the image of her lying there, naked and sleepy, so pretty to him. “I’ll text you. Stay there, I’ll drop the catch on the front door. Night, beautiful.” He kissed her forehead, picking up his cell and keys before leaving. If he hadn’t turned when he did, he’d have gotten back into bed with her.  

Reluctance tugged at him throughout the drive home, hoping Ella would be asleep when he arrived back. He wasn’t in the mood for round three now he’d finally unwound and relaxed. Trudging up the stairs, he saw a dim light coming from under the bedroom door, about to pass it by.  

“Tyler?”  

Pausing, he turned back, opening the door and looking in, Ella on the bed with a book.  

“I’m sorry I made such an issue earlier over nothing. It doesn’t matter if you told me or not, I shouldn’t have bitten your head off about it.” Wow, an apology. Still, though, she couldn’t really admit to the fact it was caused by her not listening to him. That part did matter. It mattered very much to him, to have the simple respect of being heard and noticed by his wife. “Do you want to sleep in here?”

“No,” he began, sighing. “And I won’t until you admit there’s something wrong, something you need to open up to me about so we can work on the fact that it’s driving a huge wedge between us. If you value our marriage at all, I guess you will. If not, I’m out of options.”  

Turning, he shut the door, feeling like a hypocrite after what he’d told her, no matter how true it was. She might have been driving him away, but he didn’t have to keep running to another person to make it better, which was, he knew well, a much bigger factor in driving a wedge between a husband and his wife than one of them being emotionally stubborn. Sleeping with her sister wasn’t exactly valuing their marriage either, and he did see that.

Still though, when he climbed into bed, it was that other person whose presence he missed next to him above anyone else’s.  

[lils-writes-stuff]

Where it all started

Best years part one| part two

Spencer Reid x reader

Summary: while on a case, a little to close to home, reader and Spencer discover some feeling that they’ve developed for each other over time.

Warnings: normal criminal minds things, kinda slow build up ngl.

A/n: this takes place after the whole Doyle thing, so it’s the dream team all together.

   “No I mean all I’m saying is if you are too play online scrabble you have to know that the other person is probably cheating.”

   The laughter that rang from Emily’s mouth also made Y/N chuckle after the statement she made. The two sat in the bullpen, Emily in her swivel chair, Y/N perched on the end of her desk, ankles crossed and coffee mug in hand.

   The sound of phones ringing and people chatting created a white noise scenario in Y/N’s ears. The sound was interrupted though by the clicking of heels from Penelope Garcia, as she came walking into the room. File in hand, ready to deliver it to Hotch.

   “Ah- come on people, I had a weekend planned!” Emily said, slightly disappointed as she saw Garcia walk into Hotch’s office.  Derek chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

   “And what were those plans?” Derek asks the smug look on his face, telling those around that he was ready to crack a joke for any scenario that followed after her answer.

   “Me, wine, and a hot tube,” Emily replied with a sigh as she leaned into the back of her chair. Derek just laughed as he turned back to his mug of fresh coffee sitting on Spencer’s desk.

   “I hope we have a case, I didn’t have plans,” Spencer’s voice is monotone almost. He doesn’t even look up from his book while he speaks. At this, a slight giggle leaves Y/N’s lips.

   “Me neither Spence, me neither.” Y/N says as she pushes herself off of Emily’s desk, tapping Spencer's shoulder on the way back to her own desk and sitting in her chair.

   “This is 29-year-old Dillon Goodman, he was found in a ditch in the North Georgia region, stab wounds to the stomach and upper chest region,” Penelope spoke as the picture of the victim appeared on the screen. Pictures from the crime scene soon followed the driver’s license photo.

   “He’s laid out like a burial, shows remorse.” Y/N spoke as she looked more closely at the pictures in her hand. The victim looked familiar to her, yet she couldn’t place it.

   “North Georgia, Y/N isn’t that your stomping grounds?” Rossi spoke, looking at Y/N with furrowed brows.

   “That it is,” she spoke, eyes still trained at the victim who she could still not place as to how she knew.

   “Atlanta P.D. has this case because two days ago another body was found in Fulton county, same M.O., also laid out the same,” Hotch said as Penelope pulled another picture up of the first victim.

   “Any I.D. on this one?” Derek asked. Penelope shook her head as a response.

   “So this guy shows remorse for his dead victims but the overkill is extreme,” JJ spoke as she looked at the rest of the team.

   “The burial like the placement of the bodies looks like those that  Vikings did, they were known as Norse funerals, but they were placed in ships as their burial,” Spencer spoke, as he looked at the victim’s photos more.

   “We’ll have more time to discuss this on the plane if he keeps up his two-day cycle, we only have that to catch him before he kills another, wheels up in 30,” Hotch said as he stood up, signaling everyone to get their go bags and depart.

————

   The plane ride wasn’t long but it was enough to give the team time to discuss theories as to why someone with such overkill in the process of killing and so much remorse after.

   Y/N looked intently at the license photo of the second victim Dillon. It was on the tip of her  tongue as to how she knew him but she couldn’t figure it out.

   “Y/N, the look on your face is hurting me, what’re you thinking?” Rossi asked as he broke her out of her stare.

   Y/N looked up, a slight hum sound leaving her throat. “Sorry, it’s just-this victim, Dillon, he looks so familiar, and I can’t place it and it’s really bothering me.” She spoke, slight irritation evident in her voice.

   “I might be able to answer that for you,” Garcia’s voice was heard through the speaker of the laptop placed on the table, everyone’s attention now focused there. “Dillon Goodman, born December 19, 1982, in Cleveland, Tennessee moved to Georgia when he was ten, and went to our beloved Y/N’s high school and were actually in the same graduating class together.”

   “Oh my god, that’s right I remember him now!” Y/N said as the memory of the boy came to her mind.

   “Does anything you remember help us with this case, any enemies, stuff like that?” Hotch asked looking at Y/N.

   “No he was a good kid, didn’t make good grades, but he was nice. Didn’t have problems with anyone really, to my knowledge at least.”

   “Garcia, is there any I.D. on the first victim yet?” Spencer asked.

   “Yes, a 31-year-old Tyler Moore, also from the North Georgia region,” Garcia said as she continued to type on her computer. “Oh my- he also graduated from Y/N’s high school too.”

   “Same class?” Emily asked.

   “No, he graduated two years before Y/N and Dillon,” Garcia replied looking at the date in her screen

   Everyone’s eyebrows furrowed.

   “Well there’s the common denominator for all our victims, they all went to the same high school,” Emily said.

   “So someone must’ve had a grudge against these two, maybe they were apart of a group our unsub wanted to be part of,” Derek said. “That would explain the remorse, he wanted to be apart of their lives.”

   “Cliques would cause something like this, high school is when we develop who we are the most,” Spencer said looking at everyone. “If this unsub was rejected from this group, it probably formed some deep aggression in him that caused him to lash out.”

   “So these probably weren’t his first victims,” JJ said.

   “Probably,” Hotch agreed. “When we land, Rossi and Morgan go to the first crime scene, Y/N and Reid to the newest, the rest of us will set up point at the station.”

————

   “So, did you know our first victim too?” Spencer asked Y/N as they drove to the latest crime scene. Y/N looked over for a second, glancing him before turning her attention back to the road.

   While the rest of the team had been together for a while, she had only been there for a year. She joined a little while before Emily’s ‘death’, it hit her just as hard as the rest of the team. She was relatively new out of the Academy, but every unit wanted her. She had the scores, a good shot, and when she was given team experience she was a huge help. Strauss said to Hotch when she told him that Y/N was joining their team, it was the best decision she could make for them.

   “I think so, I remember the name, he was a football player, wasn’t as good as a kid as Dillon though,” she said eyes trained in the road as she drove. “He got in trouble for bullying a lot.”

   Spencer nodded, “Were you a part of any clubs or groups that had these guys in them?” He continued with his questions to her.

   Spencer looked over, the side profile of Y/N’s face captivating him for a second before he looked away back at the file.

   “I-I wasn’t really a club person, I played sports. And when I didn’t play sports, I was working,” Y/N spoke as she reminisced on her high school experience. Never the star, but her name was known. A good group of friends, slight teasing from guys for her looks, but nothing serious.

   “Turn left, and we’ll be there,” Spencer’s instructions pulled her from her memories.

   They pulled up to the sight of the crime scene. A ditch beside the lake that Y/N grew up swimming in. Local police were there waiting for the two as they exited the SUV.

   “Detective Callaghan?” Y/N asked the man in front of her.

   “Yes ma’am,” the detective responded.

   “Hi, SSA Y/N Y/L/N,” she said shaking his hand then pointed next to her. “This is Dr. Spencer Reid.” Spencer stuck his hand up in a wave.

   “Thanks for coming out, let me show you to the dumpsite.” The detective led the two of them over about 30 yards to where the body was discovered. “A couple of fishermen called it in early this morning.”

   Spencer squatted down to look closer to the victim that was still on the ground. “The overkill is extreme,” he spoke inspecting the stab wounds of the victim.

   The two talked to the detective some more and looked at the body trying to figure out some more ideas as to how this unsub thinks. The ME came and took the body away and Y/N and Spencer we’re back in the SUV on their way to the station.

   “You know, I pegged you more of a mean girl in high school,” Spencer said as Y/N began to drive.

   Y/N laughed as she looked at Spencer for a second who also had a smile on his face. “Why do you say that?”

   “Well, you have a very dominant personality, and taking into account with how you are very pretty,” he said, blushing slightly at his statement before clearing his throat to finish his thought. “I just would have pegged you to be a mean girl.”

   “I was definitely not a mean girl,” Y/N said, her head shaking at the statement. “I wasn’t always very assertive and pretty.” She stated matter-of-factly.

   “Really?”

   “Really! I was a follower. I played sports, but I was never a star. I was good, but I wasn’t the best.” She explained, “I wasn’t pretty either, well pretty for the standards of the boys around me.”

   I would have thought you were beautiful, was Spencer’s thought.

   “What were you like I’m high school?”

   “I was twelve, so my name was known, but as the butt of the joke,” he spoke remembering his high school experience.

   Y/N giggled, remembering how she was younger than all of her classmates since she skipped a grade.

————

   Morgan, JJ, Spencer, and Y/N sat around a large conference table, coffee cups and food containers filling in the spaces that didn’t have open files. It had been a day since they arrived meaning the time they had left in the cool off period was coming to an end.

   “Okay, so this unsub is killing those who we are assuming were apart of some group?” JJ asked as she took another sip from her coffee cup next to her.

   “Well, actually I can confirm they were apart of a group. A clique if you will, one that went of for years and years after one group graduated,” Penelope said over Derek’s phone. “A group that called themselves the ‘wolves’. Were these boys, and an occasional girl, would go and harass older couples and vandalize their homes.”

   “So these guys weren’t all that good of kids like Y/N said,” Derek spoke. Y/N leaned back, tracing her memory to think if she had ever heard them speak of this group before. 

   “This must have not been talked about a lot in front of me cause I do not remember this,” Y/N spoke as she looked at her tablet in front of her, an article of the group sent from Penelope on the screen. 

   She looked at the photo of the group of mostly boys, gazing over the stoic faces in the picture. One stuck out though, the boy in the photo couldn’t be older than 15, his eyes still and his face just seemed off to her. 

   “Penelope, what can you tell me about Alex Wright?” Y/N asked as she looked at the boy’s name in the bio below the photo. 

   “Alex Wright, 15 at the time the photo was taken, a Sophomore, he didn’t seem to do much, raised by his single mom, didn’t play sports, he was a loner,” She explained as she typed on her computer. 

   “He fits the profile you think it’s him Y/N?” JJ asked her as she looked at the boy in the photo also. 

   Y/N shook her head, “No, but I think he might be the key to finding out who is.” She explained her thoughts. 

   “Why do you say that?” Spencer asked her, a questioning look on his face as he looked at her. 

   “Look at his eyes in the photo,” she said pointing at him. 

   “He looks scared,” Derek said as he examined the boy in the photo.

   “Almost like he’s there against his will,” Spencer said agreeing with what he was saying. “Guys, what if he is our unsub? What if he is getting back at all those in the group who made him do those things.” 

   “That would explain the overkill,” JJ said adding in her input into theory. 

   “And also the remorse, he probably considered them as friends,” Spencer continued on his theory. Everyone continued on the thought and soon came to the conclusion that Alex Wright was more than likely the unsub. 

   “Garcia-” Y/N started but was cut off. 

   “Addresses already sent,” she said knowing the answer to the upcoming question. 

   “You’re the best Baby Girl,” Derek said before hanging up. 

   They gathered with the rest of the team and told them their theory. Hotch got everyone together and they all loaded up into the cars. Vests on ready to go as they came to a halt at the front of the house. 

   “Rossi, JJ, and Morgan you guys go round back, the rest of us will take the front,” Hotch instructed and they all followed and got into position. 

   Spencer, Y/N, Hotch, and Emily all went up front and readied to open the door. 

   “Alex Wright, FBI,” Hotch said with a loud voice. A loud crash was heard and within seconds the door was open and the four of them moved in. 

   Alex stood, knife to the throat of his next victim who was tied to a table. 

   “Get back, leave!” He screamed at the four. 

   “We can’t do that Alex,” Y/N spoke, gun pointed ready to shoot. 

   “Y/N, it’s good to see you,” Alex spoke a small smirk on his face. Y/N turned her head to the side, questioning what he just spoke. 

   “I’m sorry, do I know you,” she said a puzzling tone in her voice. 

    Alex scoffed and stood up straight, pointing the knife in his hand at Y/N. “Of course you don’t, no one remembers me, the loner, the outcast. So stereotypical, if it wasn’t for me that school wouldn’t have been what it was. The wolves would have killed all of you, but I convinced them not to, of course, no one believed me when I told them though. Because all those boys were so good and loved. Well, news flash, they were rotten. So they all must pay.” He finished his speech, ready to stab his next victim, but he stopped and looked up at Y/N. “You know they always spoke highly of you like you were their queen or something so maybe I should just kill you,” and at that he launched himself at Y/N ready to stab her. 

   Gunshot. 

   The smoke from Spencer’s gun went off as he shot Alex in the arm before he got any closer to them. The other three looked at him, before going over and cuffing the man. 

----------

   The team sat together around a table wine glasses in front of them and plates of food smelling oh-so-delightful. Celebrating the win from this case, Rossi stated that Y/N take them to a restaurant she spoke of loving when she grew up, his treat of course. The team laughed as they discussed stories from their own high school experiences, telling of memorable moments and embarrassing stories.

   “Y/N, do you know why Alex said they treated you like their queen?” Emily asked with a laugh at the statement that was made by the unsub.

   “Oh-uh, well I think I figured it out, I looked at the photo again and I remember there was a boy in high school, that had a huge crush on me, he- I’m assuming- was the ring leader of this whole clique,” she said with a giggle. Everyone laughed at this and continued with a conversation about high school. 

   Y/N glanced across the table at Spencer, who also glanced at her. The eye contact made gave Spencer a slight blush on his face and made Y/N giggle slightly. 

   Grow a pair Y/N, she thought to herself, invite him to dinner or something this light flirting thing can’t last forever. 

   Emily nudged Derek beside her, everyone else distracted with a story Rossi was telling. 

   “When will those two realize that they are in love with each other?” Emily asked the man beside her. 

   He chuckled, “When Pretty Boy realizes that, she might as well be throwing herself at him.” The two giggled at the statement. 

   Y/N looked at Spencer once more, a small smile laid on her lips as she watched him laugh at the story that was being told. The little butterflies in her stomach erupted as she watched him. She looked away before he could notice and listened to the ongoing story. 

   As Y/N looked away, Spencer looked at her. He watched her smile and her eyes light up. 

She’s beautiful

[arwavastaniii]

Tessa | The Vampire Diaries x Shadowhunters | Chapter 2

Pairings - Damon x main oc, Stefan x  main oc, Klaus x  main oc, Elijah x  main oc, Jace x main oc, Alec x main oc, multiple oc x  main oc

After Elena tried to give herself to Klaus in exchange for the safety of her friends and family, she had received a huge lecture on how irresponsible it was of her. Stefan was stuck in the tomb with Katherine and that vampire that was supposed to be dead was apparently very much alive.

Tessa had decided to sleep in and stay away from all the supernatural drama for one day. ONE DAY. And her best friend tried to kill herself, her other best friend got stuck with her psycho friend and now her favorite vampire best friend was whining about how annoying his life had become to her.

"What Elena did was stupid," Tessa said, "But it wasn't wrong. I would have done the same thing."

"You would have sacrificed yourself?" Damon questioned furrowing his eyebrows as he looked at her with a bit of hurt.

"If it means keeping the people I care about safe, then yes. I don't think I could live with myself if anything happened to you. Any of you."

Damon sped in front of her, their faces barely touching as he looked into her eyes. Lust and desire flashed in his eyes as he slightly leaned in. It was as if a button was clicked in his brain and he back away, speeding away leaving a very confused Tessa behind.

"You should really lock your door." Damon joked as he came into the room with a smile on his face, Elena had a pour on her face while Tessa tried to get her to eat something.

"Come on, pouty. At least give me 2 points for ingenuity."

"Do you think this is funny?"

"Yes, Elena I find hilarity in the lengths that I have to go to repeatedly save your life.

"What did Stefan say about this?"

"He had a good laugh."

"And what did he say about Elijah still being alive?" Damon lifted Tessa's feet up and rest them on his lap. He then proceeded to take her sandwich out of her hands and takes a giant bite.

"Hey!"

"Sharing is caring."

"Not when it comes to my food," she complained and he responds by kissing her cheek.

"Yeah, and that I didn't tell him about Elijah."

"Why not?" Tessa asked him and he pursed his lips.

"Well, A he can't do anything about it, and B what I just said."

"Wow, such a profound argument."

"Where is Bonnie?" Damon asked as Jeremy came into the room.

"I thought she was meeting you," Jeremy answered.

"No, she's on moonstone duty and I'm on Elena patrol."

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?" Elena widened her eyes realizing what the night was.

"Vampire Barbie asked me if she could handle it and I said why not figured if she screwed up, he'd bite her, and then I'll be rid of two of my problems."

"Don't be a dick." Tessa scolded him as she smacked his head.  

"Hold on a second. Tonight's the full moon." Elena asked them.

"Yep, but you're too absorbed with all your suicidal tendencies to notice." Damon took a call, "Hey, change of plans." Damon hung up and looked at Jeremy and Tessa.

"You babysit tonight." He orders them and Tessa raised her brow at him.

"Hey, you know, you should get out. Enjoy the sun. Oh, wait you can't." Elena chucked a pillow at Damon and missed. Jeremy and Tessa laughed leading to her shoving him to the floor and glaring at Tessa.

Elena had warmed up to being trapped in the house. Even watching a movie in her room with Tessa and eating a giant bowl of popcorn. Knowing they needed some more food, they head downstairs to see what they had in the kitchen.

They walked down the stairs to see Jenna taking boxes out of the closest.

"What are you doing?" Tessa asks her.

"Oh, perfect timing." She thrusts a box in Elena's arms and then another in Tessa's.

"What is this stuff?' Elena asked.

"Your mom's files from the historical society. I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood. And by roped, I mean very excited to participate." She slammed the closet door and both their jaws dropped to see the suit-wearing original in Elena's house, staring right back at them with a small smirk.

"Hey, I'm Elijah." Tessa had never felt my heart beat faster than it was then. Jenna had let in a vampire who had tried to kidnap Elena, but apparently not to give her to Klaus which was extremely confusing, and now there was nothing they could do to get him out.

"Elijah's in town doing research on Mystic Falls," Jenna informs them like it was no big deal. If only she knew what Elijah was.

"It's a pleasure." Elijah holds out his hand for Elena and Tessa to shake. Elena hesitantly shook his and when Tessa went go to shake it he bent down and placed a kiss on it making her shiver in fear.

"So, you know, you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff. Or Elena, Tessa, and I could help you load it into your car."

"Yeah, or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow."

"Also a good plan."

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna." Elijah went to follow Jenna to the front door but stopped. "Oh, Tessa and Elena I hope to see you two again sometime soon."

Once the door was shut, the two girls raced upstairs to alert Jeremy and banged on his door when they realized it was locked.

Right when they heard it quick, Elijah came next to them and signaled them to be quiet.

"What?" Jeremy all but snapped at his sister before glancing at Tessa with a smile.

"Aunt Jenna was asking if you could help her with the boxes."

"Okay," the younger Gilbert said before he walked off.

"That was a smart choice," Elijah said before he asked to speak to us alone.

"Oh, forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm," Elijah started.

"That is why you tricked your way in her house?" Tessa said crossing her arms and glaring at the original.

He just shook his head amused at her bravery.

"Why'd you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" Elena asked. Elijah opened his mouth to answer only to be cut off by a furious Tessa.

"You mean when you tried to give yourself over to them because you are a stupid suicidal doppelganger?" She said making Elena glare at her.

"I didn't want you to be taken. Klaus is the most feared and hated of the originals. Those that fear him are desperate for his approval. Word gets out the doppelganger exists, there will be vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that."

"Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?" Elena asked.

"Let's say my goal is not to break the curse."

"Then what is your goal?"

"Klaus' obsessions have made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his circle," Elijah explained.

"Like you?" Tessa asked.

"Not anymore."

"You don't know where he is, do you?" Elena asked.

Tessa was already tired of their conversation. Her head was spinning, and her body was begging for a change. They were sitting in that room for ten minutes and she was tired. Her focus went from Elijah to the tiles on the floor and the frames on the table.

This always happened. And it annoyed Tessa more than anything. She couldn't stay in one place. Do one thing without being distracted; without this need to move away, do something else.

Overwhelmed, she got up and walked without a word, making the doppelganger and original stop and look at her worried.

[humans4vampires]

Cold Heart

Context: This story was inspired by a tumblr post from tumblr user @cozycullens. The post outlined the potential for sappy holiday content that the original story lacked. The post noted that Twilight fans had to fill in the blanks; I thought it would be fun to write out what Valentine’s Day could have looked like for Edward and Bella. The timeline of this story edits the original canon, meaning the breakup in New Moon and subsequent recoupling happens earlier, allowing the pair to be reunited in time to spend both the Christmas holiday season together and Valentine’s Day. This is before the events are set in motion for the vampire army attack in Eclipse. I’d also like to mention that this story addresses a scene that occurs later in the timeline of the novel. I’ve edited it here to give Edward and Bella a bit of private time that is free of the pressures that the later happenings of Eclipse bring to the moment. In this, I have used direct quotes from Meyer’s novel, and I do not claim to own that content in any way. As stated, this is purely for fun and to share with my fellow Twilight fans.

READ PART TWO HERE

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The dull blue grey light of the morning filtered through my window in a haze, waking me gently from inconsequential dreams. My natural instincts to unfurl myself from my usual swaddle of blankets to reach for him felt empty and unnecessary. Rather, I found myself spread across my bed in a sweaty mess of fabric.

“Edward?” I said softly, propping myself up to take in the room. I blinked quickly and tried to brush the mess of my hair from my face, speaking his name again as a question. There was no reply.

I tried to think back to the night before; I didn’t think he had gone hunting. No, he had surely been with me when I fell asleep. A compilation of Victorian poetry was open face-down on his side of my bed. We made the trip to Seattle a few weeks ago to get the book I needed to get started on my research paper. I had chosen the topic of Tennyson and Rossetti as an ironic gesture toward him – my very own post-Victorian era angel. He was reading his favorites to me, his voice a velvet whisper when I had fallen asleep in his cool embrace.

No, I was sure he had been with me throughout the night. I ran my left palm over the bare sheet beside me and felt the lingering presence of his wintry skin. It was unusual for him to leave before I woke. It was my favorite part of each day, and his. I was wondering what had called him away as I picked up the heavy text to see where he had left off. As I turned the pages to face me, a small piece of paper fluttered into my lap. The note he had left in his elegant script explained his absence.

‘Who are wise in love, love most, say least. Happy Valentine’s Day, love.’

He quoted Tennyson, I was sure, but the poem he had left open was not the same one he referenced. Instead, the book was open to Tennyson’s ‘Crossing the Bar,’ which was certainly not a love poem. I scanned it quickly, trying to garner any meaning from it without success. My mind was racing elsewhere, my heart beating quickly with exultant dread. So he had gone to prepare whatever exorbitant Valentine’s Day surprise he had planned. As fate would have it, this holiday had arrived on a school day and would provide a public audience to witness the surely over-the-top display Edward had planned for me.

Edward’s obsession with making the most of my human experiences had only intensified since reaching our compromise for Carlisle to turn me after my impending high school graduation. Christmas had been a deluge of cheer and merriment thanks to Alice, who was overcompensating for lost time with me – while also, just being Alice. I was still convinced it hadn’t snowed quite as much as she’d wanted and she had somehow managed a snow machine to fill in my yard for Christmas morning. Alice had laughed off my assumptions as absurd, but Charlie was still trying to work out how our yard had had a good three feet more snow than the rest of our neighborhood.

The halls had certainly been decked in Cullen home, too. It had to be visible from space from the sheer amount of Christmas lights neatly hung on every eave and railing. For the entire month of December, the house smelled of fresh gingerbread and pine. Every surface had been transformed with fresh garlands and shiny decorations. The fireplace in the grand living room was constantly crackling a gentle fire, flickering its light against the enormous tree trimmed with ornaments gathered over the many decades of Christmases past. And the gifts – oh – I couldn’t even bring myself to continue the thought.

I was brought back to reality, the sweet valentine in my shaking hand. I took a staggered breath and made a passing glance at the clock as I rushed to the bathroom. I tried not to think about the day ahead as I dressed. Charlie had already left for the station and the rest of my morning at home seemed to move in a blur of anxiety. I stumbled out the door in a black turtleneck, jeans, bean boots, and my mustard yellow coat. I thought my very standard attire might signal Edward to my disinterest in any outlandish public displays of affection. I drove slowly to Forks High School through the rain muddled snow. My truck dredged through the sludge into the parking spot beside the familiar silver Volvo.

The parking lot was already full and busy with the usual Friday commotion. I looked out my rearview mirror to take in the pops of pink and red from the Valentine’s baubles that everyone seemed to be toting. I had always found the holiday rather arbitrary – a well-marketed event to boost the sales of chocolates and flowers. Until my mother had found Phil, Valentine’s Day was usually spent in front of the television with a pint of ice cream, two spoons, and a chick-flick. I was trying to remember the last Valentine’s Day movie my mom and I had watched together when a quick knock on my driver’s side window snapped my eyes from my rearview.

The morning’s panic melted from my bones as I took him in. Edward was standing there, my favorite crooked smile on his lips, a single and perfect red rose held up in his hand.

“Good morning,” he murmured as I opened my door and got to my feet to stand in front of him. “Did you get my Valentine?”

“Mmm,” I hummed. “Tennyson?”

He nodded, a smirk crossing his expression. “Happy Valentine’s Day, love.”

I felt a blush beginning to mark my cheeks and looked down at my feet as he handed me my rose. He moved to rest that now empty hand above my head on the frame of my truck, leaning to tighten the space between us. His free hand swept down my jaw, his gentle fingers stopping below my chin to tilt my head up. He bent down to press his lips to mine, his cool breath sending my delicate humanity into a tailspin. The kiss was, as expected, refined… at first. Unexpectedly, he draped an arm around my body to pull me closer to his frame. He lifted me effortlessly to continue the kiss as my free hand found its way around the base of his neck and into his bronze hair.

When his response became rigid and he began to return my feet to their reluctant ground, I realized I had forgotten to breathe. My legs trembled against the sudden gravity and he steadied me as I took in sharp breaths. He chuckled lightly and shook his head.

“What am I going to do with you?” he teased.

“With any hope, that, again.”

He took a slow step back and smirked, “I do enjoy sweeping you off your feet.”

My head was still spinning as I grabbed my bag from the truck and shut the door behind me. Edward took my right hand as we walked to class, my single rose in the left.

The rest of the day continued on and I was a happy bystander to the couples declaring their love for one another throughout the day. It seemed each period passed with another sudden delivery of roses, large teddy bears, or chocolates. Joyce Lowell in Government received a loud serenade from half of the school’s marching band, her boyfriend, Aaron, the faux-conductor. Each time the door to the classroom opened my heart skipped a beat with the fresh fear that Edward might have some embarrassing demonstration planned. I wasn’t eager to hurt his feelings and so I kept the question from him all day. I had cracked by fifth period when he finally asked, “Why is your heart is thrumming like a hummingbird’s?”

“I’m worried that you have a grand romantic gesture planned,” I took a sharp breath, anxious for his response. My heart rate only increased when he shrugged and walked ahead of me into the classroom.

I was at a loss for words when he chuckled. “Am I not allowed a grand gesture on Valentine’s Day?” Panic rushed through me before he continued in a more serious tone, “Do you honestly believe that my romantic displays are akin to those of someone like Mike Newton?”

His eyes glanced down at the trinkets gathered in my arms. I thought this tradition had been left in elementary school, but it seemed my friends still enjoyed giving each other Valentine’s treats. Jessica and Angela both had given me small paper crafts and chocolates to mark the occasion. Even Tyler and Eric participated, handing out boxes of tiny heart candies.

The only class Edward could not manage to work out to have with me our senior year was math – considering my being in a far lower level than was excusable for him to fail into. This, of course, was the only class I had exclusively with Mike. I had found it funny that it bothered Edward in the slightest; until today, when Mike seized the opportunity to give me a large stuffed bear, a rather huge box of chocolates, and a clearly handmade valentine. All platonically, Mike had assured me, as he was still on-and-off with Jessica and I was still very much Edward’s – only Edward’s.

I shook my head as I fumbled to stack all of my favors onto a pile on my desk, keeping the rose in my hand to tap lightly on the tip of Edward’s nose.

He tilted his brow at my playful gesture. “You have nothing to worry about. I simply have arranged for us to have a night alone. My family have their own Valentine’s Day traditions and we’ll have the house to ourselves. For this one night could we try to forget everything besides just you and me?” he pleaded, unleashing the full force of his eyes on me. “It seems like I can never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you.”

“No,” I shook my head again. “Just you is good.”

The hitch in my tone caught his attention, but he didn’t have a chance to respond. Mr. Banner began lecturing on optics and light. I couldn’t focus on Physics; I could only hear Edward’s methodic voice repeating ‘I need to be with you’ again and again. Each passing thought brought a new blush to my cheeks that I tried to hide behind a curtain of my hair. I was sure he could hear my fluttering heart, but I couldn’t focus on that either. I was entirely clouded with thoughts of him. I stared at his strong hands, folded together in front of him on the table. How I imagined them on my body a million times, his cold fingertips grazing over my bare skin in the places he refused to wander. It was all I could think of the rest of the day.

When I was back in my room, a different blur of anxiety plagued me than when I had left it in the morning. Edward and I went our separate ways after school. He had filled me in on how exactly he had planned to handle the issue of Charlie. My father was still learning to trust me again and another night out of the house was certainly going to come under some heavy interrogation. I was technically still grounded even though Edward had been following Charlie’s very strict rules to a perfect degree. I was sure that Charlie hadn’t missed the fact that it was Valentine’s Day and I could only imagine the things he would think Edward and I would be doing if left alone. I was pressing the subject when Edward said, “Esme spoke with Charlie today and let him know that Carlisle is taking my brothers and I on a long-promised camping trip. You’ll be having a girls’ night with Esme, Alice, and Rosalie, as Charlie knows it. He’s been hoping you’d be spending more time with Alice soon.”

I felt a twinge of guilt for all the lying that had to be done to protect Charlie. This lie was much less to protect him from the perils of life threatening vampire attacks and much more about protecting him from the thought of his teenage daughter being alone with her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. The guilt subsided when I remembered that I would get to be alone with Edward.

I stood in my room, hands steadying me on my dresser, knees shaking from the anticipation. The mix of emotions kept wracking me in waves. Edward had made it very clear; we could not be together physically until I was changed. My safety, was not something he was willing to jeopardize to satisfy any desire – which, to his credit, was entirely the reason I was alive. It was difficult to argue with Edward on that fact, but it was so incredibly difficult to argue with my own desires, still. And yet, I felt foolish all the same. I was so intensely human. Though he’d told me many times that he felt the same way for me, I knew he couldn’t possibly lust for me the way I did for him. I was able to reason that point logically, but part of me questioned it in this moment. Had he changed his mind?

I knew what was waiting for me at the Cullens’. It hadn’t been much more than a month since the last time I had genuinely spent the night there for a ‘girls’ night.’ Edward didn’t want me anywhere near Jacob and so Edward had been avoiding distant hunting trips to keep a close watch on me. Alice was all too eager to babysit to allow Edward a satiating hunt; it left me free to be played with as if I were her life-sized doll. That wasn’t what I was fixated on now. The image of the intricate wrought-iron bed burned in my mind. The thought of Edward and I wrapped tenderly in its golden threads made me quiver again, a sigh escaping my lips.

A knock at the front door made my heart stutter. I heard Charlie gather himself up off the couch to get the door. I stopped listening and only heard the light murmur of greetings as I rushed to find something appropriate to wear. What kind of outfit were you supposed to put together to seduce your vampire boyfriend? I was clashing hangers together across the pole, a bit frantic, when I heard her behind me.

Alice shook her head. “You look like you need to sit down. Let me handle this,” she said.

I decided it was better not to argue with her. I was, in all fairness, a mess, and there was only so much harm she could do with my own wardrobe to work with. She confidently pulled my small duffle from the top shelf of my closet and began packing things without truly looking at them. She had already seen what she would need.

I was sitting in my rocking chair when she looked back to me, still absently packing my bag. She looked like she was waiting for me to say something, but I swallowed uncomfortably rather than working up the nerve to talk.

She cast me a sympathetic smile as she removed something from my closet and tossed it toward me. “Try this,” she said.

I stood to change into the hyacinth blue sweater Alice had given it to me as a Christmas gift. Unlike many of the other fashion pieces Alice had tried to dress me in, I did like it. It was soft, probably a thin cashmere, with a plunging V neckline. It fit my frame tightly and was flattering in a way that I couldn’t justify being embarrassed by. She moved to my dresser then, digging through the very bottom drawer to pull out a short skirt she had also gifted me that I was not particularly fond of. Before I could argue, she slung it onto the bed.

“Work with me here, Bella,” she said sternly.

I pulled on the black skirt without a fight. Alice finished off my outfit with a pair of expensive black leather boots.

“And those were a gift from Esme, before you think of disputing them,” she lectured.

“No, I like them. At least they’re covering more of my skin,” I said, zipping them up.

Alice peaked her eyebrows, a smirk budding on her face as she closed my bag. I felt the rush of blood on my complexion again. “Alice – “

“Come on, let’s go before you lose it,” she said quickly, pulling my hand and leading me out of my room and down the stairs.

Charlie didn’t bother looking away from the television as we called a quick goodbye to him. Alice carried me through the slush in a movement so brief that I had no time to process it, placing me in the passenger seat of her small yellow Porsche. Forks blurred outside the windows and in the darkness of the car, it was easier for me to talk about what I was getting myself into.

“Does he…” I asked in her direction, not finishing the thought.

“I don’t think I should really say anything, Bella.” She answered, plainly.

“Since when do you keep things to yourself, Alice?”

She chuckled quietly, “Whatever I say now is not going to help. I’m just dropping you off. You’re not the only one with Valentine’s Day plans, you know.”

“That’s not fair,” I complained. “He’s seen whatever you’ve seen. He’s not going into this blind like I am.”

“Oh, yes he is,” she said proudly. “I’ve been careful to stay away from him today – and it’s not quite clear what’s going to happen. You’ve only been growing bolder in the last few hours.”

Bolder? I certainly didn’t feel it. In the light of the dashboard, I saw Alice turn to me as the car began to slow. We were already in the driveway. When the car stopped, I felt a quick breeze from the opening and closing of her door. She had slung my bag over her shoulder quickly before arriving at my door to help me to the porch steps. I doubted even Alice thought I was that uncoordinated to walk a few feet without falling; she was carrying me everywhere to keep the boots safe, I thought. She set me down on the porch and walked ahead of me into the house. I followed her in, confused.

“I thought you said you were just dropping me off?”

                  We were in the living room when she said, “I am. Edward isn’t here yet. He had an errand to run. He’ll be here soon and we’ll be gone – don’t worry.”

                  A fresh blush met my cheeks as I locked eyes with the another set in the room. Rosalie was perched on the edge of the sofa, bent over the coffee table arranging what looked like a large photo album. She had small papers and photos scattered all over the table, some in small piles on the floor beside her. She gazed up at me with the come-to-be-expected level of enthusiasm I generally received, but there was a hint of something else in her expression. It caught me by surprise and left me gawking at her silently. Rosalie’s appearance always struck me, but tonight she was especially beautiful. Her tight satin dress was just the perfect shade of red to compliment her equally satin skin, her golden hair a perfect, elegant twist, and her long bare legs crossed in front of her were only further elongated by her strappy, red stilettos. Alice had done her best with me, but I felt myself self-consciously tug at the hem of my skirt.

                  That inexplicable look that I had caught in Rosalie’s expression seemed to grow stronger as she gauged my assessment of her. A small smile crossed her lips as she looked back to what she was working on and I looked to Alice, who was dancing back down the stairs now. I hadn’t noticed her departure, but she was already redressed in an ensemble that mirrored the glamour of Rosalie’s. Alice bent one leg up behind her, fastening the tiny buckle on the strap of her heel, careful not to bend and crease the fabric on her burgundy slip-dress.

“Alright, Rose. Let’s not keep them waiting any longer.” Alice rolled her eyes at me quickly before Rosalie noticed. Alice had her keys in her tiny hands as she walked my direction to head for the door.

“I will see you tomorrow,” she said with a coy grin.

Rosalie was out the door faster than I could follow. I turned to Alice as she moved at a more mortal pace. “Where are you going?” I asked.

Alice waved as she replied, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Bella!” The door was shut behind her then. I heard the muffled roar of her Porsche as she and Rosalie left me behind. I assumed that I was completely alone then. I was curious to know where they were going, but my mind was busy calculating other worries. I stood in the Cullens’ living room, taking in the sheer silence. The only sound was coming from the low burning fire still crackling dimly in the fireplace. I unlocked my tense limbs to move toward the heat. I stopped briefly to survey Rosalie’s project and flipped through a couple of pages on the bound album.

Were these all valentines? I picked up a few loose papers from the table and skimmed them quickly. It seemed that Rosalie had been collecting notes from her admirers for decades, compiling the highlights in an album with cards dating back to 1929. Some of the earlier letters were from when she was still human, if I wasn’t mistaken. A few authors were brave enough to sign their names, but most were anonymous confessions. I spent more time snooping through Rosalie’s valentines than I should have, but part of me thought that she must have wanted me to see them. Why else would she have left them all here?

I focused myself again and took a seat on the edge of the hearth.

                  I was glad I had a moment to gather myself and took the opportunity to take a few deep, but unsteady, breaths. Why was I so unnerved? I closed my eyes and tried to summon my buried fantasies of Edward. There I let myself imagine him, pulling me tightly to his chest, letting his lips roam my jaw, my neck, and the dips of my collarbones. What would he look like bare? I’d only been able to guess the parts of him that were always just beyond my reach. I let those thoughts in too, imagining my own fingers tracing patterns around the curves of his muscles. To bring him close to me, skin to skin – the thought alone painted my face in a soft blush. I bit my lip, letting go a full breath I had been holding. I opened my eyes then and immediately found him.

He was standing across the room from me, a statue of indescribable, sculpted beauty, leaning on the wall casually. He had a peaceful expression resting in his features, but his bright golden eyes were burning with something I couldn’t explain. My favorite crooked smile slowly crossed his lips as his eyes seemed to search my body. I blushed more deeply, a decision forming more firmly in my mind.

I loved him, purely, and every ounce of my body and soul ached to be his. It was exactly the reason I had asked him to change me himself. I wanted his venom to alter me permanently, his lips on my skin to be the last human sensation I’d ever feel. I wanted to be tangibly his, forever; for Edward to lay claim to me in an absolute and eternal way. If I was his, then he was mine. This desire burned in me more brightly in this moment than it ever had. But there were other human sensations I ached for now. And suddenly, I was sure I was not willing to sacrifice them.

Edward moved slowly across the room to perch in front of me. The height of the hearth and his tall body in a crouch before me, leveled us to be equally face-to-face. As he bent, he balanced a small, thin velvet box on my knees. I made no move to open it, so he chuckled lightly and opened it to reveal a small glittering heart-shaped charm. Even in the dim firelight, the brilliant crystal’s intricate cuts glinted countless sparkling rays of color. It was hung on a silver chain as thin as thread.

He was the first to break the silence.

“It was my mother’s.” He shrugged deprecatingly. “I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I’ve given some to Esme, Alice, and Rosalie throughout the years. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way.” I could feel his eyes on me, but I continued to stare down, not quite ready to speak. “A hand-me-down,” he reminded me sternly. “You said that was allowable.”

“I guess I did say that,” I said in a whisper.

He chuckled at my reluctance. “I thought it was a good representation,” he continued. “It’s hard and cold.” He laughed. “And it throws rainbows in the sunlight.”

“You forgot the most important similarity,” I murmured. “It’s beautiful.”

“My heart is just as silent,” he mused. “And it, too, is yours.”

I offered the box to him and moved to gather my hair away from my neck, turning to the fire. As he moved to clasp the chain around my neck, I said, “Thank you for both.”

His fingers seemed to linger on the skin of my throat as I turned back to face him. Our lips were only inches apart now. I moved my hands to wrap them around his neck.

“No, thank you. It’s a relief to have you accept a gift so easily. Good practice for you, too.” He grinned, flashing his teeth.                   His eyes wandered down to take pride in his accepted gift. I was grateful for the plunging neckline of my sweater when his gaze lingered where the crystal charm hung delicately above my chest. I made a mental note to thank Alice later and took a steadying breath. I began to feel cautiously optimistic. Perhaps getting what I wanted would not be as difficult as I’d expected it to be.

No, of course it was going to be just exactly that difficult. I cleared my throat lightly and braced myself. “Can we discuss something?” I asked. “I’d appreciate it if you could begin by being open-minded.”

He hesitated for a moment and returned his eyes to mine. “I’ll give it my best effort,” he agreed, cautious now. He unwrapped my arms from around his neck as he moved to put space between us.

“I’m not breaking any rules here,” I promised. “This is strictly about you and me.”

“Listen to your heart fly,” he murmured. “It’s fluttering like a hummingbird’s wings,” he repeated the analogy he had applied to me earlier in the day. “Are you all right?”

“I’m great,” I said formally. I wondered why I was being so formal.

“Please go on then,” he encouraged.

“Well, I guess, first, I wanted to talk to you about that whole ridiculous marriage condition.”

“It’s only ridiculous to you. What about it?” He was backing further away from me now.

I leaned closer to him, placing my hands on his knees to keep him near me. “I was wondering… is that open to negotiation?”

Edward frowned, serious now. “I’ve already made the largest concession by far and away – I’ve agreed to take your life against my better judgment. And that ought to entitle me to a few compromises on your part.”

“No.” I shook my head, focusing on keeping my face composed. “That part’s a done deal. We’re not discussing that now. I want to hammer out some other details.”

He looked at me suspiciously. “Which details do you mean exactly?”

I hesitated. “Let’s clarify your prerequisites first – matrimony?” I made it sound like a dirty word.

“Yes.” He smiled a wide smile. “To start with.”

The shock spoiled my carefully composed expression. “There’s more?”

“Well,” he said, his face calculating. “If you’re my wife, then what’s mine is yours… So there would be no issue with Dartmouth tuition.”

“Anything else? While you’re already being absurd?”

“Time. I’m finding it quite ephemeral… like it’s slipping through my fingers,” as he spoke, he rose his finger tips to sweep a gentle line over my exposed collarbones.

I shook my head, trying to forget his distracting touch. “No. No time. That’s a deal breaker.”

He sighed longingly. “Just a year or two?”

I refused to give into his burning amber eyes. “What else?”

“That’s it. Unless you’d like to talk cars…”

He grinned widely when I grimaced, then took my hand and began playing with my fingers. “I didn’t realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself. I’m extremely curious.” His voice was low and soft. The slight edge would have been hard to detect if I hadn’t known it so well.

I paused, staring at his hand on mine. I still didn’t know how to begin. I felt his eyes watching me and I was afraid to look up. The blood began to burn in my face.

His cool hand cupped my cheek. “You’re blushing?” he asked in surprise. I kept my eyes down. “Please, Bella, the suspense is painful.”

I bit my lip.

“Bella.” His tone reproached me now, reminding me that it was hard for him when I kept my thoughts to myself.

“Edward,” I said, nervous, staring at a freckle on my wrist. “There’s something that I want to do before I’m not human anymore.”

He waited for me to continue. I didn’t. My face was hot.

“Whatever you want,” he encouraged, anxious and completely clueless.

“Do you promise?” I muttered, knowing my attempt to trap him with his words was not going to work. But he was unable to resist my coaxing.

“Yes,” he said. I looked up through my lashes to see that his eyes were earnest and confused. “Tell me what you want, and you can have it.”

I couldn’t believe how awkward and idiotic I felt. I was too innocent. I didn’t have the faintest idea how to be seductive. I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious.

“You,” I mumbled almost incoherently.

“I’m yours.” He smiled, still oblivious, trying to hold my gaze as I looked away again.

I took a deep breath and leaned closer to him, pressing my lips to his. He kissed me back, bewildered but willing, his lips gentle against mine. I began to slide my hands from his knees, up his thighs and slowly toward his waist. I hadn’t gotten very far when I all but heard the click in his head as he put together my words and my actions, his lips freezing in place.

He pushed me away at once, his face heavily disapproving.

“Be reasonable, Bella.”

“Edward, I –. “ He had cut me off, placing a single finger over my lips to quiet me.

“No.” His face was hard.

I was surprised by my reaction to his dismissal. I raised my hand to swat at his. My action didn’t move him, of course, but he moved his hand from my mouth in response. “You are not going to shush me,” I said sternly. “We’re here discussing terms of an eternity together – marriage and other promises – but sex?” I said the word louder than the rest. “Edward, why can’t we talk about sex?”

He was frozen there, hands at his side, eyes locked on mine. I felt the charge of adrenaline passing quicker than it had come. We sat there for a moment in silence with only my quick breathing and rapid pulse as audio. I shifted my gaze down as the rush subsided. It took me a minute to recognize why I was staring at my freckle again, the blush returning – why my stomach felt uneasy, why there was too much moisture in my eyes, why I suddenly wanted to run from the room.

Rejection washed through me, instinctive and strong.

I knew it was irrational. He’d been very clear on other occasions that my safety was the only factor. Yet I’d never made myself quite so vulnerable before. It was hard to beg for the mercy of an angel.

Edward moved then, bringing his hand up to my chin to pull my face up until I had to look at him again. He scrutinized my face for a long moment while I tried unsuccessfully to twist away from his gaze. His brow furrowed, and his expression became horrified as I continued to fight off the onslaught of water in my eyes.

His other hand rushed to my cheek, his thumb stroking there reassuringly. “You know why I have to say no,” he murmured. “You know that I want you, too.”

“Do you?” I whispered, my voice full of accusation and doubt.

He held my face at my jaw now, his fingers on my neck at the base of my hair. “Of course I do, you beautiful, oversensitive girl.” He laughed once, and then his voice was bleak. “Doesn’t everyone? I feel like there’s a line behind me, jockeying for position, waiting for me to make a big enough mistake… You’re too desirable for your own good.”

It seemed like he wanted to press on, anxiety flooding him as it had me throughout the day. I took a breath.

“Tell me if I have anything wrong,” I tried to sound detached. “Your demands are marriage, college, more time, and a faster car.”

“Only the first is a demand,” he said taking a breath. “The others are merely requests.”

“And my lone, solitary demand is – “

“Demand?” he interrupted, on edge again.

“Yes, demand.” I said confidently, looping my fingers around his wrists and tugging until he dropped them. I was not going to concede, now that I knew he wanted this as badly as I did. I would have to be brave for the both of us. I kept my gaze locked on his, placing a hand on his chest to request more space between us.

Edward immediately responded, backing up slightly and resting on his knees with room in front of him. Without breaking the contact we had, I slid down so that we were both on our knees. I brought both hands to the collar of his shirt and began to unbutton slowly, never moving my eyes from his.

“Please,” I begged. “There is nothing I want more than you.”

He took a deep breath. I was surprised that it sounded a little unsteady.

“I could kill you,” he whispered.

I had the last button undone then and slid the fabric from his shoulders to the floor. I was gliding my hands down his chest and placing my lips over his heart when I murmured against his skin. “I don’t think you could.”

As I kissed him there, a low sound escaped his lips. A moan? My body ached in a way it never had. I felt electrified. My heart jolted, words tumbling out of my mouth to take advantage of the sudden uncertainty in his eyes. “Please, try,” I pleaded.

His hands were wrapped around my biceps then, his head bent down to bring his lips to my ear, making me shiver. “This is unbearable. So many things I’ve wanted to give you – and this is what you demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, refusing you when you plead with me this way?”

“Then don’t refuse,” I suggested breathlessly.

He didn’t respond. I tossed my head back to catch my breath, letting my hair fall down behind me. Edward’s hands still held my arms firmly. “Please,” I tried again.

He bent his head to my neck. “Bella…” He shook his head slowly, but it didn’t feel like denial as his face, his lips, moved back and forth across my throat. It felt more like surrender. My heart sputtered frantically when his lips finally stopped to embrace my skin. The same low sound spilled from my lips now, which seemed to hit Edward with the same electrical shock.

His grip tensed instantly and I was sure he was going to push me away again.

I was wrong.

His lips were on mine, his hands pulling me up to close the space between us. His mouth was not gentle; there was a brand-new edge of conflict and desperation in the way his lips moved. When his hands moved into my hair, I locked my arms around his neck, tightening my hold on him. To my suddenly overheated skin, his body felt colder than ever. I trembled, but it was not from the chill.

He didn’t stop kissing me. I was the one who had to break away, gasping for air. Even then his lips did not leave my skin, they just moved to my throat. So quickly that I wasn’t even sure how it happened, I was in his arms, his lips still exploring my skin, as we nearly flew through the house. Human velocity was not fast enough for him. We were in his bedroom then, still locked in each other’s arms as he fell onto his back on the bed.

The thrill of victory was a strange high; it made me feel powerful. Brave. My hands weren’t unsteady now and my fingers traced the patterns I had dreamed of a thousand times. He was too beautiful. What was the word he had used? Unbearable – that was it. His beauty was too much to bear…

I was on top of him, our lips pulled together again and moving in heated sync. Edward’s hands were exploring my body. His hands were tight around my waist, straining me closer to him. All I wanted was my skin to be bare against his – his grip made it difficult to reach to remove my sweater, but not impossible. Just as I had my stomach exposed, cold iron fetters locked around my wrists, and pulled my hands above my head, which was suddenly on a pillow.

His lips were at my ear again. “Bella,” he murmured, his voice warm and velvet. “Stop trying to take your clothes off.”

“Do you want to do that part?” I asked breathlessly.

“Not tonight,” he answered softly. His lips were slower now against my cheek and jaw, all the urgency gone.

“Edward, don’t –,” I started to argue, trying to free my hands and arching my body to mold myself more closely to him.

“I’m not saying no,” he reassured me. “I’m just saying not tonight.”

I had never felt frustration this way before. I was restless, eyes wild and questioning on his.

“I wasn’t born yesterday,” he laughed. “Out of the two of us, which do you think is more unwilling to give the other what they want? You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in tonight, what guarantee do I have that you won’t go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am – clearly – much less reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore… you first.”

I exhaled with a loud huff. “I have to marry you first?” I asked in disbelief.

“That’s the deal – take it or leave it. A compromise.” Edward pressed himself to me, urging me to accept his terms. His arms wrapped around me, and he began kissing me in a way that should be illegal. Too persuasive – it was duress, coercion. I tried to keep a clear head… and failed quickly and absolutely.

“How did this happen?” I moaned, and not in a good way. “I thought I was holding my own tonight – for once – and now, all of a sudden – “

“You’re engaged,” he finished.

“Edward, no.” I objected.

“Are you going back on your word?” he demanded. He pulled back to read my face. His expression was entertained. He was having fun.

I glared at him, trying to ignore the way his smile made my heart react.

“Are you?” he pressed.

“No,” I groaned. “No. I’m not. I just need time to think. I can’t think right now – give me some time to think.”

He kissed me again quickly. Another too persuasive kiss.

“Take all the time you need.”

He kissed me another time. “Do you get the feeling that everything is backward?” he laughed. “Traditionally, shouldn’t you be arguing my side, and I yours?”

“There isn’t much that’s traditional about you and me.”

Neither of us would surrender in this moment – that was clear. But there were compromises that were pending on the horizon. And, if nothing, I had this night to service my fantasies for awhile. I bit my lip and chuckled.

“I’m curious,” I sighed. “What exactly did you have planned for tonight?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he was up and out of the bed, a hand extended toward me.

I let out my last sigh of contest and threw my hands down on the bed to heave myself up. Edward laughed to himself as I slid to the edge of the bed and stood. I fidgeted in my sweater and straightened my skirt as I walked toward him. I took his hand and noticed him taking in my figure again.

I raised a brow. “Did you want to get back in bed?”

Edward chuckled again, shaking his head. “No, but please do remind me to thank Alice in the morning.”

I rolled my eyes as he led me from his bedroom and into the rest of our romantic evening alone.

PART TWO

 ____

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Twilight Saga world, which is trademarked by Stephenie Meyer and Little Brown Books. All characters referenced are owned by Stephenie Meyer, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the Twilight Saga. The story told here is of my own invention. This story is for entertainment only – fun – and is not part of the official story line. I am grateful to Stephenie Meyer for the creation of these characters and I in no way am profiting from the creation and publication of this story. Some lines are directly quoted from Meyer’s book, Eclipse, and I do not claim to own Meyer’s words.

References:

Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. Little, Brown, 2013.

Tennyson, Alfred Tennyson, and W. E. Williams. Tennyson: Poems. Penguin, 1985.

[ketamineharry]

Rose Pt 2 - Joshua Bradley

Requested: No, this is the second part of the Doctor Who au. This part is slightly longer than the first at an almost 3,000 word count. I really do hope you enjoy this as it has taken me forever to write it. Lots of love, as always xx

You sat in your front room, the familiar domestic style of your ordinary life being a vast difference from the experience that you were dragged into mere hours ago. Your mum, Jackie, as much as you loved her… was always a bit over the top, always had something to say or brag about. Always wanted the Earth to centre around her.

“The whole of Central London has been closed off as police investigate the fire. Early reports indicate.” The news reporter stated. The anxiety and severity of the situation, hadn’t yet sunk in. You were barely able to keep a track of your own thoughts.

You slumped down into the sofa, hoping that if you slipped down far enough, that it would swallow you whole and that you wouldn’t have to continue processing what had gone on. It was crazy to even think about, and you couldn’t talk to anyone about it, because as the Doctor had stated, it would get them killed. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes.

“I know. It’s on the telly. It’s everywhere. She’s lucky to be alive. Honestly, it’s aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now, you’d think I was her daughter. Oh, and here’s himself.”

Your boyfriend, Mickey flopped down on the sofa with you. His face is the picture of concern, as he takes your hand in his.  

“I’ve been phoning your mobile. You could’ve been dead. It was on the news and everything. I can’t believe that the shop went up!” He exclaimed, his voice frantic. Laced with worry. His eyes searched your face for some sort of answer, some sort of explanation.

“I’m alright, honestly, I’m fine! Don’t make a fuss.”

“Well, what happened?”

“I don’t know!” You exclaimed, frustrated with the fact that you couldn’t tell your boyfriend. The one person you were supposed to confide in, with everything.

“What was it though? What caused it?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t in the shop.”

“It’s Debbie on the end. She knows a man from the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview.” Jackie said, her excitement clear.

“Oh, that’s brilliant! Give it here.” You said, as you snatched the phone out of her hand and disconnected the call. The measures that you were having to undertake to protect people were beginning to mount up.

“Well you’ve got to find some way of making money. Your job’s kaput and I’m not bailing you out.” She told you, quite matter-of-factly.

The phone rang again, your eventful night being the gossip of the tower block so it seemed. You just wanted to be able to go to bed and try to forget about it. But, you couldn’t do that, until everyone that knew you, or knew of you was reassured that you were safe.

“Bev! She’s alive. I told her sue for compensation. She was within seconds of death.” Jackie said, as she made her way through the flat, presumably so that she could work herself up and get excited and not have you bring her down about it.

“What’re you drinking, tea? Nah, nah, that’s no good, that’s no good. You’re in shock. You need something stronger.” Mickey said, trying to convince you to come out, for an alcoholic beverage. As much as you would usually be down for it, the thought of having to face even more people with even more questions, was exhausting.

“I’m alright.”

“Now come on, you deserve a proper drink. We’re going down the pub, you and me. My treat. How about it?” He asked, as he playfully pleaded with you.

“Is there a match on?”

“No, I’m just thinking about you babe.” He stated, simply.

“There’s a match on ain’t there.” You said playfully, a broad smile spreading across your face. The small normality of your boyfriend trying to persuade you to go to the pub with him, so he could get drunk and watch the football, was a comfort that you didn’t know that you needed.

“That’s not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes.”

“Go on, then. I’m fine, really. Go. Get rid of that.” You instructed him, as you threw him the plastic arm that the Doctor had pulled off of the mannequin a few hours beforehand. You just needed it out of your house, so that you could continue to try and live in some sort of normality and repress the memories of what the afternoon and the evening had presented you with.

Mickey quickly gives you a soft kiss, before taking the arm and getting ready to leave.

“Bye, bye.”

“Bye.” You respond, as you gave him a small wave.

As Mickey was leaving, he pretended to strangle himself with the arm. He would never know just how chilling that imagery would be for you, and you could never explain. Or else get him killed. For the safety of everyone you knew, you had to pretend that you were fine and you had to pretend that you knew nothing. Quite the burden to carry on your emotionally exhausted shoulders.

--

You woke up to the sound of your alarm clock, blaring beside you. Begrudgingly, you stopped the sound and went to get out of your bed.

“There’s no point in getting up, sweetheart. You’ve got no job to go to.” Jackie’s voice called. Sending you into a vivid reminder of what had happened the night before. Perhaps, it would be best to go back to sleep for a little while.

--

You were sitting at the dinner table with Jackie, discussing your future or what was left of it. You had to find another job, but everything that was available or was suggested to you, just didn’t seem like the right fit. You couldn’t force yourself to work somewhere, when it just wouldn’t work. You just weren't that type of person.

“There’s Finch’s. You could try them. They’ve always got jobs.” She suggested. You knew that she was just trying to be helpful, but there was no way that you could work in a butchers.

“Oh, great. The butchers.” You groaned. You were fed up of trying to sound grateful for each suggestion, because they weren’t helpful and these weren’t jobs you could see yourself enjoying. After all, she was your mum and you had hoped she would’ve known you better than this by now.

“Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I’m not joking about compensation. You’ve had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek! I know she is Greek, but that’s not the point. It was a valid claim.” She said, as she danced her way back into her bedroom.

Once Jackie was in her bedroom, the cat flap at the bottom of the front door began to rattle. A telltale sign that although you had instructed her to pin the cat flap down, because you didn’t want to have strays coming into the tiny flat, that she had in fact not listened to you. As it seemed like the cat flap was able to move freely, for it to be making all of that noise.

“Mum, you’re such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We’re going to get strays.” You complained.

“I did it weeks back!” She protested.

“No, you thought about it.”

As you bent down to try and see what was going on, you noticed four silver nails sitting comfortably on the floor. Something had managed to unscrew all of them to be able to try and get through the cat flap. Without warning, it moved. Cautiously, you pushed the cat flap back, in an attempt to see what was going on, on the other side of your door. It wasn’t a total surprise to see the Doctor, the stranger that had saved your life the night before on the other side. Quickly, you rose to your feet and opened the door for him.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked, confused.

“I live here.”

“Well, what do you do that for?”

“Because I do. I’m only at home because someone blew up my job.” You explained, a slight hint of anger to your tone.

“I must have got the wrong signal. You’re not plastic, are you?” He asked, as he made a fist with his hand and gently tapped it against your head a couple of times. “No, bone head. Bye then.”

“You. Inside. Right now.” You instructed him, as you took his arm and successfully pulled him into the flat.

“Who is it?” Jackie asked, from her bedroom.

“It’s about last night. He’s part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes.” You explained as you walked past her room.

The Doctor stood in the doorway, you couldn’t make out much of their conversation, but it seemed like Jackie had attempted to try and make a flirtatious advance onto him, which he had rejected.

As he joined you in the living room area, you felt a sense of shame. The clutter of your everyday life was on show. From magazines, to a deck of cards, the television set sat proudly in the corner of the room. The domesticity seemed alien to him. Like, he didn’t have any of these things himself and it concerned you. Perhaps, he was just some loner who in playing the hero had gotten himself attached to you and now you had let him into your house.

“Don’t mind the mess. Do you want a coffee?” You asked, breaking the silence that had filled the room.

“Might as well, thanks. Just milk.”

“We should go to the police. Seriously. Both of us.” You suggested, as you tried to think of a way to end the nightmare that you had found yourself residing in.

“That won’t last. He’s gay and she’s an alien.” You heard him mumble.

“I’m not blaming you, even if it was some sort of sick joke that went wrong.” You said, in an attempt at comforting him.

“Hmm. Sad ending.”

“They said on the news that they found a body.” You told him.

“Y/N Tyler.”

“Ah. Could’ve been worse, look at the ears.”

“All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke.” You said, as you continued trying to explain Wilson to him, but it seemed like he either wasn’t all that interested or couldn’t hear you.

You could hear that he was trying, and had failed to shuffle a deck of playing cards.

“Luck be a lady.”

“Anyway, if we are going to the police, I want to know what I’m saying.” You began, only stopping as you heard the deck of cards he was attempting to shuffle, fall to the floor. “I want you to explain everything.” You continued.

“Maybe not.”

He stops for a moment, as if he was trying to observe something. A silence from him, he failed to even explain his actions any longer.

“What’s that then? Have you got a cat?” He asked you, as he attempted to try and figure out what was going on.

“No.” You answered simply, as you finished up making the coffees. “We did have, but now they’re just strays. They come in off the estate.” You continued, as you picked up the two mugs of coffee and bought them into the living room with you. You placed them down on the coffee table in front of you, finally taking in the mess that was your living room.

“I told Mickey to chuck that out. You’re all the same. Give a man a plastic hand. Anyway, I don’t even know your name. Doctor what was it?” You asked, no sooner than you had. The plastic arm had attached itself to your face. You were barely, still able to breathe.

The Doctor, quick on his feet, pulled at it. Which only made matters worse, as he did, you both fell onto and crashed through the glass coffee table. Pieces of glass, and other matter flew everywhere as your bodies collided with it. He decides to use the metallic device that he had used the previous night to open the fire exit door, which finally pulls the arm off of your face. He then jabs the device into the palm of the hand, which stops the fingers from moving. The life from the object, seemed to have been drained.

“It’s alright, I’ve stopped it. There you go, you see. Armless.” He explained.

“Do you think?” You asked him, as you hit him with it.

“Ow.”

--

As soon as the Doctor had come, he was off again. But, you couldn’t let him leave until you had some sort of answers. A clear story in your head if you will. So, you decided to follow him down the stairwell.

“Hold on a minute. You can’t just go swanning off.” You protested.

“Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See ya.”

“But that arm was moving, it tried to kill me.” You said, voice raised slightly from a mixture of fear and annoyance.

“Ten out of ten for observation.”

“You can’t just walk away. That’s not fair. You’ve got to tell me what’s going on.” You all but begged. Once you had the answers, you could easily drop it and go on with your normal everyday life, treating the cause of these events as some sort of anomaly.

“No I don’t.” He stated simply.

You had found yourself outside, still chasing after him.

“All right, then. I’ll go to the police. I’ll tell everyone. You said, if I did that I’d get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I’ll start talking.” You threatened. Which caused him to stop and turn around, allowing you to catch up to him a little bit.

“Is that supposed to sound tough?” He asked, flippantly.

“Sort of.”

“Doesn’t work.”

“Who are you?” You asked.

“Told you, the Doctor.”

“Yeah, but Doctor what?” You questioned.

“Just the Doctor.”

“The Doctor.” You repeated.

“Hello.”

“Is that supposed to sound impressive?” You asked.

“Sort of.”

“Come on, then. You can tell me. I’ve seen enough. Are you the police?” You enquired.

“No, I was just passing through. I’m a long way from home.”

“But what have I done wrong? How comes those plastic things are after me?” You couldn’t quite understand it all. It all just seemed a bit much. From your understanding, you hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet, these things still seemed to want to haunt you.

“Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around you. You were just an accident. You got in the way, that’s all.” He explained.

“It tried to kill me.”

“It was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered in, almost ruined the whole thing. This morning I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixated on you, is ‘cos you’ve met me.”

“So what you’re saying is, the entire world revolves around you.” You stated sarcastically.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“You’re full of it.” You teased.

“Sort of, yeah.”

“But all this plastic stuff, who else knows about it?” You asked, your inquisitive nature getting the better of you.

“No one.”

“What, you’re on your own?”

“Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed and watch telly, while all the while underneath you there’s a war going on.” He explained.

“Ok. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we are going to go with the living plastic, and I don’t even believe that, but if we do, how’d you kill it?”

“The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I killed the signal dead.”

“So, that’s radio control?” You asked.

“Thought control. Are you alright?”

“Yeah. So who’s controlling it then?”

“Long story.”

“But what’s it all for? I mean shop window dummies, what’s that all about? Is someone trying to take over Britain’s shops?” You questioned, with a slight giggle.

“No.”

“No.”

“It’s not a price war. They want to overthrow the human race and destroy you. Do you believe me?” He queried.

“No.” You responded simply.

“But you’re still listening.”

“Really though Doctor, tell me. Who are you?” You asked. He took your hand in his before answering

“Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It’s like when you’re a kid. The first time they tell you that the world’s turning and you can’t quite believe it because everything looks like it’s standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling around the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We’re falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world and if we let go.” He began, as he let go of your hand.

“That’s who I am, now forget me Y/N Tyler. Go home.” He instructed, as he headed towards a blue police box with the arm in tow.

You turn around, deciding to go to Mickey’s as luckily he had a computer. Before you could go much further though, you heard a strange noise. You looked back over your shoulder to see that the police box was gone, something was definitely going on and you needed to find out what.

[miracleonice87]

Say You Won’t Let Go

a Sidney Crosby wedding series

Part Four

a/n: it’s finally here -- the last installment! sorry for the long wait, though I don’t think a ton of you have been waiting on this just based on notes, as compared to my Tyler, Mat and Matty T pieces 😜but that’s okay -- I had a ton of fun writing this one and that’s truly all that matters to me. thanks to those who’ve read and enjoyed! ❤️read part one here, part two here, and part three here.

summary: Sidney and Juliette are married at last.

warnings: mention of deceased father. otherwise, so damn fluffy it’s practically cotton candy.

_____

After a full morning of primping and prissing, I was finally tucked away in a small bridal suite deep within the recesses of Heinz Chapel, my pulse racing knowing that I was only yards and a few closed doors away from the man who would soon become my husband.

“You ready to get dressed, Jules?” Lauren asked, rubbing my shoulder soothingly as I nodded.

“Now’s a good a time as any, huh?” I quipped. She grinned, moving to unzip the garment bag containing my gown, hanging on a curtain rod.

“It’s even more perfect than I remember,” I said softly.

“Well, that’s good, because it would be a little tricky to do anything about it now,” Stephanie chuckled, sipping her champagne. I reached for my own glass, rolling my eyes playfully. Lauren and Nathalie worked to pull the dress off the hanger carefully, and Nathalie held the back of the dress open, smiling at me.

“Come on, love,” she coaxed. I turned to Trina, already misty-eyed, sitting in front of a makeup mirror, and motioned for her to join me.

“Will you help me?” I asked. Trina’s eyes flooded even more as she whispered, “Of course.”

She squeezed my hand and came to stand in front of me, Nathalie standing behind, both women grasping the dress as I untied my robe and passed it off to Alexa. I was self-conscious for a brief moment of the white lingerie and garter I was clad in, intended specifically for Trina’s son’s eyes, but the moment was too meaningful for me to focus for too long on that, and Trina was concentrating on lifting the dress onto my shoulders anyway. She smiled at me as she tucked the delicate gown around me, holding it against me as Nathalie fastened it in the back.

After a few moments, Nathalie said in nearly a singsong, “Okay, take a look.” She and Trina dropped their hands, the two of them and my bridesmaids gasping, my relatives already swiping at tears.

I picked up the skirt at my knees and headed for the mirror, stopping in my tracks when my eyes met my reflection.

“This feels like a dream,” I breathed, turning in the mirror to see all angles. Nathalie stood at my side, holding the headband and veil.

“Well, it’s about to get even dreamier,” she said as I bent a bit at the knee to allow her to adorn my hair with the finishing touches.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Just a minute,” Nathalie called. “It’s probably your uncle.” I nodded, Nathalie stepping back from me to examine her work. Lauren approached and the two of them decided that the look was complete, and I nodded in the mirror as I took one more look at myself. I kissed her and Trina’s cheeks before shuffling over to the door.

“Okay, who is it?” I asked through the heavy oak wood.

“It’s me, princesse,” Mario’s voice replied. I smiled, pulling the door open and hiding behind it until he entered the room and pushed it closed behind him, then looked to me.

“Wow,” he began, his voice cracking. “Oh, Juliette… you look stunning.” He took hold of my hands and leaned down to kiss my cheek, being careful not to smudge my makeup.

“Do you like it?” I asked softly, feeling like a little child playing dress up.

“Like it?” Mario shook his head. “It’s breathtaking. You look so beautiful. Just wait until your groom gets a look at you,” he added, smirking in his charming way. I beamed under his praise. “You look so handsome in your suit, like always,” I told him, smoothing the grey fabric around his boutonnière. He smiled, but his eyes signaled that he had come here for a different reason than for us to compliment each others’ attire.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” he told me after a noticeable pause, still holding one of my hands. “Would that be okay?” I nodded slowly, a bit anxious.

Mario and Nathalie exchanged a look, one I had seen many times, and I sighed. She suggested that the others in the room get dressed, too, in an enclosed part of the suite. Mario motioned for me to take a seat on the old-fashioned fainting couch, sitting down next to me as the other women left us alone.

“This is about my mom, isn’t it?” I asked point blank.

Mario’s eyes widened a bit and I could hear the surprise in his voice when he asked, “How did you know?”

I shrugged. “I saw the look you gave Auntie Nat,” I said. “It’s not the first time.”

Mario nodded, looking down a bit sullenly. “I guess I should’ve known that,” he sighed. “But listen, your mother just got here, a few minutes ago. She called me - she’s in the parking lot.”

My palms grew clammy and my mouth went dry at his words. He squeezed my knee reassuringly as he continued.

“She asked me if she could come up and see you,” Mario added. “I told her all I could do was ask, that the decision is fully yours. She asked me to tell you that she’d like to give you something ahead of the ceremony. Something she’d like you to have with you today.”

I drew a deep breath through my nose, focusing on the stained glass window across from me. As I toyed with the decision in my mind, sunshine suddenly flooded the room, casting colored light across me and my uncle, the beam seeming to come out of nowhere.

I closed my eyes and basked in the warmth — this wasn’t the first time light had shone on me suddenly. In fact, it had first happened the day we buried my dad, as the sun burst out from behind a cloud the moment I dropped a rose onto his casket. I still got the same comfort, the same reassurance, each time it happened as I did when I was a girl.

“Okay,” I whispered, eyes fluttering open. “You can send her up.” I felt a peace even as I uttered the words.

Mario studied me closely. “Are you sure, princesse?” he asked cautiously. I nodded, looking him in the eye. “I’m sure,” I promised. “That’s what my dad would want.”

Mario smiled sadly and leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “You have a beautiful heart, my Juliette,” he told me proudly. “I’ll go get her.” I nodded, and he left the suite with one last careful glance back at me.

Lauren opened the door from the other side of the suite, and the expression she wore told me she had heard the conversation.

“You okay, Jules?” she asked gently, coming to wrap me in a hug as I stood. I nodded.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” I told her. “Honestly, it wasn’t completely unexpected. I’ve wondered if something like this might happen.” She offered a small smile.

“We’re gonna let the two of you have your moment, but if you need me, just say so. Promise?” Lauren requested. I squeezed her hand. “Promise,” I replied. “God, you look amazing! I can’t wait to see all of you together,” I told her abruptly, taking in how beautiful she looked in the dusty blue bridesmaid dress we had picked out together months ago. She scrunched her nose and gave me a bright grin.

“Thanks, sis,” she said. “I’m glad you think so. Okay, I’ll see you in a few, yeah?” I nodded, thanking her softly as she disappeared again behind the door.

A few minutes later, a knock came again at the door. I steeled myself, taking a deep breath, and opened the door to see my mother, dressed in a modest sage green dress, clutching her small purse so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

“Hi, Mom,” I greeted quietly, motioning for her to enter the room. She did so hesitantly, but once I closed the door behind her, I opened my arms for a hug anyway. She began to cry as she embraced me, and I was surprised by how overwhelmingly calm I felt, not feeling teary myself.

“You look beautiful,” she whispered, gazing up and down the length of my gown. “Thank you,” I said softly.

After inviting her to have a seat, she got right down to business — standard fare for her.

“Now, I know we don’t have long, but I wanted to give you something,” she started. “I’ve held onto this since we lost your dad, and… and I know he would want you to have it. Not just for today, but to keep. I don’t know, maybe you already have something old and something blue, but… but if not, this could maybe be both for you today,” she said, voice quivering.

I’d been frozen since the mention of my dad, and remained so as my mother produced a small velvet box. She handed it to me, nodding toward me to open it myself.

Slowly, I lifted the lid and immediately recognized the memento inside.

“Daddy’s ring…” I began, finally dissolving into tears, reaching for a tissue on the end table beside me to salvage my makeup.

“You remember,” my mother pointed out. I looked at her and nodded. “Of course I remember. Sapphire — his birthstone,” I said.

She let out a hum in approval as I slid it onto my middle finger. “Yes. Your grandparents gave it to him on his eighteenth birthday,” she recalled. I knew that, too, but I decided not to say so, appreciative of her gesture.

“Thank you, Mom,” I breathed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She squeezed me tightly and kissed my cheek, the most affection she had displayed toward me for many years. I sniffled, dabbing at my eyes again as I pulled away from her.

“You’re welcome, Juliette,” she said. “I know we don’t have the kind of relationship that many mothers and daughters do, and I’m sorry about that, truly. But I want you to know that I love you deeply, and that your father is undoubtedly smiling on you, today and every day.”

I managed a small smile, choosing not to delve any further into the subjects she had broached. Instead, I settled for telling her, “I know he is. And I love you, too.”

That much was true, as difficult as she was.

She sighed, squeezing my wrist. “Well, I should be going,” she said, standing. I felt a stabbing in my soul at her rushed exit, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell upon it.

“Okay,” I said tightly. “Well, thank you — thanks for coming up here, and for the ring. It means a lot.” She leaned in to kiss my cheek once more.

“You’re welcome, Juliette,” she said. “Congratulations. I wish you and Sidney a lifetime of happiness. He seems like a wonderful man.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from spewing the first words that came to mind — if you took the time and made the effort to get to know your own son-in-law, you would know how wonderful he is.

Instead, I gave a single nod.

“Thanks again, Mom,” I said in farewell, walking her toward the door. With one last squeeze of my hand, she headed down the hallway.

I turned around to see Nathalie, Lauren, and Trina slowly emerge from the doorway across from me. I put my hands in front of me, placating them.

“I’m okay,” I promised firmly. The three of them nodded, each coming toward me with a hug and words of praise and encouragement. As the other girls joined us in the room, all now dressed, I extended my hand to show them the ring.

“I don’t know if you heard her, but… it was my dad’s. She’s held onto it all this time. It’s a little big, but… I still want to wear it,” I said, each of them taking turns to catch a glimpse of the piece.

Taylor let go of my hand and held one pointer finger in the air. 

“I have an idea,” she spoke, heading for the plastic tote filled with our peony and eucalyptus bouquets. Soon she retrieved a spool of white silk ribbon from the box and a pair of scissors from one of Lauren’s emergency wedding day kits. She held out her hand and I placed the ring in her palm. Carefully, she wrapped the ribbon over itself again and again around the back of the ring, using my finger to size it appropriately.

“I used to do this with my old prom jewelry,” Taylor told me, smirking. “Vero, can you hand me one of those tiny safety pins?”

Veronique dug in the kit and came up with the object she was hunting, Taylor fastening the pin to the silk and returning the ring to me. I pushed the ring past my knuckle, and it fit much more snugly.

“Thanks, Tay,” I said to my soon-to-be sister-in-law. “It’s perfect,” I added. I kissed her cheek as she smiled approvingly.

Nathalie approached, taking my hand in hers. She kissed the ring and whispered, “He’s always with you. You know that.” I nodded and we embraced, then heard a knock on the door.

“It’s time, my loves,“ Mario called from the other side. I could hear the smile in his voice when he added, “Sidney’s waiting.”

At his statement, my eyes widened, and reality quickly flooded my consciousness.

“Oh, my god!” I exclaimed. “I’m getting married!” The women around me laughed as Alexa let her father into the room.

“There’s still time to run,” Taylor added playfully. Mario nodded emphatically in agreement. “I’ll even drive the getaway car,” he promised.

I chuckled and shook my head. “Not in a million years,” I told them confidently.

With one last round of hugs and kisses, we all headed down the staircase to the narthex in the back of the church where the groomsmen stood waiting. The first person I locked eyes with from across the marble floor with was Nate, whose mouth dropped open upon seeing me.

“Wow,” he breathed. Mario chuckled from behind me. “Took the words right out of my mouth,” Mario quipped. Nate took long strides toward me and grabbed my hands, distancing himself to take in the full view before hugging me tightly.

“Look at you!” he exclaimed. “You look so incredible, Jules. Sidney is about to lose his mind.” Nate kissed my cheek and I squeezed his arm.

“I hope so,” I added. He rolled his eyes, amused by my questioning of his statement, and assured, “I know so.”

As I bit my lip and smiled appreciatively at Nate, our wedding planner entered the narthex silently from a side door, a grin across her features.

“We’re all set, Juliette,” she told me giddily. “Your groom is waiting for you.”

Our wedding party let out quiet cheers and muted claps as they paired off as rehearsed the night before. Meanwhile, I turned to Mario, who offered me his strong arm to grasp onto.

“Here we go, princesse,” he said gently. “This is your moment.” I nodded, feeling mostly calm despite the uptick in my pulse. As we walked to the side of the narthex, the doors swung open and I heard the processional musicians begin to play. With that, Jacqueline and Geno headed down the aisle, followed by the rest of our wedding party, two by two.

My hands began to shake as I watched Lauren and Nate step up to make their entrance, the last bridesmaid and groomsman pair. As if she could sense my nerves from yards away, Lauren looked my way and gave me a wink.

“This is it, babe,” she whispered quickly. “You got this.” I cast a thankful nod her way just as she and Nate entered the sanctuary, the wedding planner instructing our ushers to close the doors behind our flower girls and ring bearers once they entered the chapel.

Realizing the shift in the music and what the next moments signaled, I froze as Mario stepped forward, stopping short when he realized my feet were cemented to the ground. He ran his fingers gently over the edge of the veil covering my face and gave me a warm smile.

“Take a breath,” he whispered soothingly. I did as he instructed, and he sidled up to me again. Not for the first time this weekend, I was thankful that he could read me so well, just as my father had. “Are you okay?” Mario patted my hand as I slipped it around his upper arm. Before I could answer, I heard the priest ask our guests to rise from their seats, and the wedding planner signaled the ushers to swing the doors open once more.

When I caught the first glimpse of Sidney, his eyes widened and immediately filled with tears as I stepped over the threshold, both of us sniffling as we gazed longingly at each other, overwhelmed by this long-awaited moment.

Mario breathed a quiet laugh as he watched Sidney swipe at fallen tears. “Yeah, you’re okay. That’s it. Just look at Sidney,” he encouraged. “I’ve got you.”

I could have sworn that I floated the remaining distance down the aisle before Mario stopped us, standing between Sidney and me and giving us both tender looks as the priest began the ceremony with a prayer, during which Sidney and I stole blushing glances at each other like children.

When the prayer concluded, the priest turned to Mario and asked, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

My hand automatically squeezed his bicep and he looked at me with adoration before answering the priest. “Her family and I do.”

Tears stung my eyelids as Mario turned to me, and I whispered my gratitude for his perfect response as he lifted my veil gently. Mario leaned in to kiss my cheek and whispered, “I love you, princesse.”

I squeezed his hands tightly and whispered, “I love you. Thank you.” With a wink, Mario turned to Sidney and placed my hands into his, wrapping an arm around Sidney’s shoulders as Sidney let go of one of my hands to return the embrace. While I couldn’t hear their exchange, I knew all I needed to know as I watched them nod at each other with damp, red eyes before Mario retreated to his seat in the front row.

As the priest instructed Sidney and I to face each other and join hands, we locked eyes for the first time at close range. Sidney’s face lit up as he whispered, “Hi, love.” I scrunched my nose at him and whispered, “Hi, handsome,” just as his thumb swept over the large sapphire ring on my middle finger.

“Where did this come from?” he asked quietly as he examined it for a beat.

“It was my dad’s,” I whispered back. Sidney picked his face up to look into mine carefully, understanding the gravity of the moment and the accessory itself.

“Perfect,” he whispered, squeezing the ring tightly before loosening his grip on my hands and taking a deep breath as the priest spoke up once more, giving a brief introduction before beginning the vow portion of the ceremony, as Sidney and I stared, smiling, at each other, in disbelief that this day, this time, had finally come.

The priest began. “Sidney, do you take this woman, whose hands you hold, choosing her alone to be your wedded wife? Do you promise to live in the state of true matrimony? Do you vow to love her, comfort her, through good times and bad, in sickness and in health, honor her at all times, and be faithful to her, until death do you part?”

Sidney nodded once and solemnly answered, “I do.”

The priest then posed the same to me, to which I responded, “I do,” with a broad smile at Sidney.

“Now, Sidney and Juliette will exchange the vows they have written to one another,” the priest announced.

Nate handed Sidney a small piece of paper and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I inhaled slowly through my nose and tried to relax, my entire body coursing with anticipation of what Sidney would say.

“My sweet Juliette...” Sidney began, voice unsteady. He opened his mouth to say more, but then pressed his lips together in a tight line as I watched tears well in his hazel eyes. My heart swelled.

I pulled a hand free from his hold and reached up just briefly to swipe my thumb across the apple of his cheek, catching one fallen tear. Sidney gave me an appreciative look, seeming to draw strength from the gesture, before turning my wrist to press a kiss to my palm and squeeze my hand in his, eliciting soft “aww”s from the crowd.

“Okay, geez, let’s try this again, eh?” he suggested lightly, our joined hands settling between us again. I heard the distinct chuckles of his parents and Mario and Nathalie from the front of the crowd, along with those of his groomsmen and my bridesmaids, before everyone fell quiet again. I nodded, encouraging him. Sidney drew a deep breath and continued.

“My sweet, beautiful Juliette,” he added, raising his eyebrows and looking me in the eye as he enunciated the added adjective. “I count it a privilege to spend all of my days with you. If I were to wake tomorrow and have lost all of my earthly possessions, recognitions, and livelihood, I would give thanks, as long as I still had you to call mine.”

It was my turn to cry now. As my groom spoke, Nate stepped forward from his place behind Sidney and produced a handkerchief from his inner jacket pocket, reaching to press it into my palm, sweetly squeezing my forearm for a beat before taking his position again.

Sidney cast a grateful glance Nate’s way as he paused his vows for a moment, and I dabbed my eyes and commented, “Merci. What a best man,” making Sid and our bridal party laugh softly.

Sidney cleared his throat and went on. “You have had to shield yourself from much pain and darkness throughout your life, more than you deserve, more than anyone deserves. You have always been careful to put up walls to protect your heart. Juliette... from this day forward, I will be your shield. I promise to protect you. I promise to do everything in my power to make my heart and my arms your home, and to make our physical home a place of shelter, solace, and unending love. From this day forward, you will not walk alone.”

As he spoke, I continued to dab furiously at the corners of my eyes with the hankie to avoid smearing my makeup all over my face. Sidney licked his lips and smoothed his thumb over the back of my hand as he finished his vow.

“Juliette, you are the person who brings me my greatest joys, and you are the person I want at my side in the midst of my deepest sorrows, which life is sure to throw our way as we embark on this journey as one. For all the days of my life, I will hold you as my greatest treasure, and when our prayers for a family of our own are someday soon realized, I will hold our children in the same regard. Thank you for entrusting me with your future and with our legacy. Thank you for choosing me to be your partner and the person with whom you raise a family. Thank you for giving your heart to me. I promise to keep it safe, always. This is my vow to you, Juliette.”

The remaining air had been forced from my lungs during Sidney’s final remarks as my shoulders shuddered a few times, sobs escaping me. We swapped duties as he ghosted his thumb underneath both my eyes. Taking a mental picture of the tender moment, I whispered, “Thank you. For everything.”

He nodded. “Don’t worry — your makeup is perfect. You’re breathtaking,” Sidney whispered back. I smiled at my sweet groom.

As the priest announced that it was my turn to deliver my vows, I inhaled deeply and retrieved my notes from Lauren, as Sidney steadied his feet firmly beneath him in subtle preparation.

“Sidney, mon cœur,” (my heart/sweetheart), I began. “You are a gift, of which I am so undeserving, but eternally grateful. You walked into my life when I was a young woman struggling to find her way. When I found you... I knew. I suddenly knew the way. I knew the path that I was destined to walk for the rest of my days. Nothing in my life had ever been easy, until you.”

I looked up to see Sidney’s face pinched in emotion as he attempted to hold back tears. I squeezed my fingers around his.

“You are so easy to love. You make each day better for me, simply because I can rest assured that you will be there when I wake up in the morning and when I lie my head on the pillow again at night. I know that you will be there to hold me, to strengthen me, to comfort me, to watch over me, to laugh with me, to care for me, and, sometimes, to cry with me. Mon amour (my love), you are the most remarkable person I have ever met. You have the entire world at your fingertips, and you have reached heights that many will never see. And yet, you take pride that I call you mine. You take pride in calling me yours. You look at me as though I hung the moon and stars. In my world, that’s what you did for me,” I told him, my voice starting to shake.

“You hung my moon, my stars. You have served as my sunshine, my lighthouse, my compass, and my refuge. Today, you take on the role of becoming my husband, and one day, you will take on the role of becoming a father to our children. Our children will know what true, unconditional, compassionate love looks like, because of the way that you love me, and because of the way that I know you will love them.”

After a long exhale left his lips, I saw Sidney reach his hand to nudge his nose as he sniffled gently, eyes damp and pooled with affection. I drew circles on his thumb with my own to soothe him.

“My sweetest love, thank you for choosing me to be yours, both now and forevermore. Je t'aimerai toute une vie,” (I will love you for a lifetime) I told him, my voice watery. “This is my vow to you, Sidney.”

With tears streaking his face, Sidney shook his head.

“Thank you, my love,” he whispered, lifting my hands to his lips to kiss my knuckles. After wiping the back of his hand across his face, Sidney joked to the priest, “Can I kiss her yet or what?” His impatience caused the crowd who heard his question to erupt in laughter, breaking up the weight of the moment. The priest laughed, too, and said, “We’re almost there.”

The priest then blessed the rings which Nate and Lauren presented to him and returned them to Sidney and me to exchange, instructing us to repeat after him to deliver what would be our last lines of the ceremony.

As I slid the ring onto Sidney’s finger, I said, “Sidney, with this ring, I thee wed, and with it pledge myself to thee.”

Sidney smirked giddily at the new addition and switched hands to place my wedding band on my finger, repeating the same promise.

At last, the priest pronounced us husband and wife.

“Sidney, you may now kiss your bride,” he said.

Sidney whispered, “Finally,” and grasped my hips tightly as he kissed me so deeply that I found myself leaning backwards in his hold, our guests cheering mightily.

In that passionate yet tender moment, the realization washed over me once more, standing enwrapped in Sidney’s hold, that he would make good on his promise never to let me go.

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeping Secrets Ch. 8

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

Pairing: Damonxoc, Tylerxoc, Elijahxoc, Klausxoc endgame. Warnings: Mental and physical abuse.

The next morning Katie dragged herself from bed and to school. She had to keep reminding herself that Damon was just a guy and she couldn’t put her life on hold because of him. Damon was leaving and the changes he had made to her life were staying. So why should she beat herself up about it? As soon as the final bell rang Katie’s phone started vibrating in her pocket. When she saw the name The Hotter Salvatore Brother on the screen she almost didn’t answer it, but as always she went against her better judgment and did. “I thought you already told me goodbye.” She answered.

“I know what I said, but I’m not going anywhere for now. There’s another vampire in town.” He informed her. “I need you to help me find it.”

“Why me?” she asked as she headed to her car and spotted Elena and Stefan talking. He was probably telling her the same thing Damon was telling Katie, but without asking for help.

“Because,” he said then made an aggravated sound, “Meet me at your house and I’ll explain everything, okay?”

“Yeah sure.” She sighed and closed her car door.

TVDTVDTVD

“So how do you know there’s another vampire in town?” Katie asked as Damon opened her car door and she stepped out onto the cement driveway.

“Because Sheriff Forbes came by this morning and said they found another body drained of blood. Despite what Stefan thinks, I didn’t do it.” He said as he shut her car door and they headed for the house.

“So how am I supposed to help you find it?” she asked as she unlocked her front door and they walked inside.

“With this.” He said as he pulled a pocket watch out of his back pocket.

“A pocket watch?” she asked as she watched him open the gold circle watch and flip it around.

“It’s a compass that points to vampires.” He said as he pressed the button on the link where a chain could be put and the pointer started spinning until it pointed at Damon and clicked into place. When he moved behind her it started spinning again until it found him and clicked into place again. “See simple.”

“So because you would interfere with the vamp signal I have to be the one to use this and figure out where the vampire you’re looking for is?” she asked piecing things together.

‘Yep.” He answered. “And it’s daylight so nine judges out of ten suggests that the vampire is somewhere inside and not able to hurt you if you’re in the daylight so…” he said as he walked around her and flopped down on her couch, propping his feet up on the table. “Get to lookin’.”

“Okay one, I’m not even sure I want to help you after you ditched me at the church. I had to walk home just so you know. Two, what do I get out of this? And three get your dirty feet off the coffee table.”

“What do you want to get out of this?” he asked as he took his feet down off the table.

Katie thought about it for a second. “Make me an offer I can’t refuse.” She challenged.

“Hmm, I know sex isn’t going to work…” he said as he stood up and started pacing around her in a circle. “Or is it?”

“It isn’t.” she confirmed. He hummed and started walking around her looking her up and down as he thought about what he could offer her. “Seriously, you can’t think of one thing you can give me in return for helping you?”

“Uninterrupted time with me at my place.” He offered and she made a motion for him to sweeten the deal. “And I’m sorry for leaving you alone at the church.” She made the hand motion again. “Dinner and a movie?” he asked not knowing what else he could throw in to make the deal better.

“Bump me back up to girlfriend status and we have a deal.” She said as she stuck her hand out and raised a challenging eyebrow.

He took her hand and shook it twice before he pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her as he kissed her. “Deal. Now get to it before you lose the light.” He let go of her and she rolled her eyes.

After two and a half hours of driving around and watching the compass it finally clicked into place and she followed it to an abandoned warehouse. So she closed it and called Damon. “I found it. I’m sending you the address now.”

“I’m on my way.” He told her and she could hear wind over the phone.

“Are you…whooshing, all the way here?” she asked before he appeared outside her car.

“Yep.” He answered with a smile then they both hung up the phone.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.” She said as she opened her door and hopped out, shutting it behind her.

“Have I thanked you for this?” he asked as he grabbed her hips and pulled her into him.

“No, but you’re welcome.” She said with a sigh. “Can I go to career night now?” she asked as she placed her hands on his chest and gave him a light push.

“What are you planning on doing with your future?” he asked curiously. “You work so hard to be at the top of your class…it must be something good like a doctor or…a dentist.” He asked with a sarcastic eye roll.

“I’ll let you know after I go to career night.” She told him and he finally let go of her hips.

“Okay, go. Have fun.” He told her as he opened her door for her and shut it behind her.

She’d been at the career fair for a few hours and was looking at the booth handing out pamphlets on law degrees when she got a call from Damon. “It’s Logan Fell.”

“What?” Katie asked as she headed outside where it was quieter.

“Logan Fell is the vampire and he’s there, at career night.” Damon told her. “I’m on my way, but until I get there stay away from him.” He warned. “Find Elena and Stefan…stay with them.”

“Okay.” she told him and he hung up. Katie was leaning in the corner of the building taking a few calming breaths when she saw Mayor Lockwood pushing Jeremy and Tyler out the door she had come through, completely overlooking her.

Katie stood back watching Mayor Lockwood talking to the boys. Mr. Saltzman, the new history teacher walked out, not missing her like the Mayor did and walked over to them as the Mayor shoved Tyler. “Whoa. What’s goin’ on out here?” Mr. Saltzman asked.

“I can answer that question.” Katie spoke up as she walked over to stand next to her teacher who gave her a questioning look. “He’s bullying them.” She answered then looked at the Mayor. “Just like he and my grandpa used to do to me every time they got drunk together. They called it preparing me for the real world. Isn’t that right Mayor Lockwood?” Katie asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

“What?” Tyler asked looking past his father to Katie who let her eyes slip to the concrete.

“Okay I think we all need to go back inside.” Mr. Saltzman spoke up, placing a hand on Katie’s back to usher her back inside.

“Na, we’re good here. You two go back inside.” The mayor said turning back to the boys.

“I don’t want to go back inside.” Mr. Saltzman spoke up taking a step closer to the mayor. “What I want is your answer to my question.” He pointed at the mayor.

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” the mayor asked, walking a little closer to Mr. Saltzman. “Do I look like a student?”

“No, you look like a full-grown alpha-male douchebag.” Mr. Saltzman replied

“Yeah…I’m gonna move…somewhere out of striking distance.” Katie drawled as she moved to stand next to Tyler anticipating a fist fight between the two men.

“You don’t talk to me like that.” The mayor said walking even closer to the teacher. “I could have you job like this.” He snapped his fingers.

Mr. Saltzman laughed. “You do that. Then it’ll be me and you out here in this parking lot working things out.” He broadened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “You cool with that?”

“You just mark yourself.” The Mayor threatened.

“Yeah, ok” Mr. Saltzman whispered.

The mayor glared at Tyler before they walked off together. When they were gone Katie started to walk off, but Mr. Saltzman grabbed her jacket sleeve as she passed him stopping her. She looked across her shoulder at him to see him looking at Jeremy. “Are you okay?” Jeremy nodded and walked off leaving her alone with her teacher who let go of her leather jacket sleeve and turned to her. “Was any of that true or were you just stoking the flames?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Katie sighed and walked over the lean against the railing where Tyler and Jeremy had been standing. “It was all true.” She admitted as she crossed her arms over her chest uncomfortably. “I thought Tyler should know that he’s not the only one who’s been…bullied, by his father.”

“And what you said about your grandfather…” he prompted.

“He used to, but…he stopped thanks to a close friend of mine.” She answered with a small smile. “Thanks for the concern though.” Katie said as she pushed herself off of the rails and headed for the door.

“Any time.” He told her with a small, close lipped smile and a nod as he opened the door and jerked his head to inside.

She found Elena in the hallway. “Hey, where’s Stefan?” she asked Elena with a frown. “And have you seen Logan Fell?”

“What do you know about Logan?” Elena asked, looking confused.

“I know that he’s a you-know-what and that he was here.” Katie answered, earning a questioning look. “Damon called me, wanted me to stay safe.” she said with a shrug as if it were no big deal.

“Last we heard he was giving Caroline a ride home. Stefan went after him.” She told her with a shrug. “Stefan told me to stay here, you probably should too.” She told her as they looked around at all the people in the hallway. “So you’re talking to Damon again?”

“He called. I answered.” Katie said with a shrug.

“I swear you’re like a fish on a hook and he just keeps reeling you in.” Elena sighed, moving to lean against a locker.

“And that’s different from you and Stefan how?” Katie asked Elena who just stared at her. “I need some air.”

She was sitting on a picnic table outside the school, not caring if Logan Fell found her when Tyler walked over and sat down next to her. “Is it true?” he asked and Katie looked across her shoulder at him. “What you said about my dad.”

Katie started picking at her cuticles as she nodded. “Yeah, it’s true.” She looked back down at her hands.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” he asked leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees.

“Probably the same reasons you haven’t said anything to anyone.” She answered quietly. “And because I didn’t know he did it to you too.” She answered leaning forward, mimicking his position. “I thought it was just some sick game he and my grandpa played when they got drunk.”

“So your grandpa-?” he asked looking over at her and how she was picking at her nails.

“Yeah.” She answered with a nod, not letting him finish the sentence.

“That sucks.” He said not knowing what else to say and things fell awkwardly silent.

“You came here with your dad right?” Katie asked, looking around to see that the Mayor’s car was nowhere in sight. Tyler hummed a yes as he looked around too. “Do you need a ride home?”

“I was gonna ask Matt for a ride, but it looks like he’s already left.” He said with a sigh.

“Then it’s settled. You’re riding with me.” She slid off of the table and looked at him to see him giving her an ‘are you serious’ look. “Do you have any other way of getting home tonight?” she asked and he shook his head no. “Then come on.” She told him as she jerked her head toward her car.

He hesitantly followed her to her car and climbed inside. “You know I don’t think we’ve had a conversation this long since…” he trailed off when he remembered the last time they had really talked.

“Since eighth grade?” she asked with a smirk at the memory.

“Yeah.” He laughed a little.

“You know up until about three weeks ago Elena still believed that you were my first kiss?” she asked with a smile over at him before she turned her eyes back to the road.

“Yeah, no one I know really believed that we made out.” He admitted as he shifted in his seat.

“I’m going to pretend not to be offended by that.” She said as she pointed her finger at him.

“No offense but you aren’t exactly the make out in the closet with a guy type.” He replied honestly, getting no response from her. “Who was your first kiss?” he asked being nosy just to try to get a reaction from her.

“Yeah I’m not answering that question unless you do.” She said with a shake of her head.

“Vicki Donovan.” He answered without missing a beat.

“Damn, I was banking on the fact that you wouldn’t answer.” She sighed as she turned onto his street.

“Come on, I answered now it’s your turn.” He said challengingly.

“This is what I get for bringing up the past.” She sighed as she pulled into his driveway. “Oh look we’re here you can get out now.” She prompted overly cheerfully as she pulled the car to a stop.

“Nice try but I’m not getting out until you answer the question.” he said with a playful smirk.

“Then we’re gonna be here all night.” She told him stubbornly.

“You have had a first kiss haven't you?” He asked when she still didn't answer. "Because if you haven't I'll gladly change that."

"Is that your douchey jock way of hitting on me?" She asked with a stunned smile and reddening cheeks.

"Maybe. Is it working?" He asked cockily.

"A few months ago I probably would've said yes, but I’m seeing someone." She answered feeling kind of sorry for turning him down. "And to be completely honest I'm kind of surprised you just hit on me."

"Why are you so surprised?" He asked with a smile.

"Well because you're...you." she answered getting a 'what are you talking about?' look from him "You're the hot football player that all the girls want." She said being her usual, blatantly honest self.

"And you're you. The hot, geeky, cheerleader that all the guys want, but are too intimidated to approach." He said as if his statement was as obvious as hers. "What's your point?"

"I’m...um...what?" Katie asked, completely stunned by what he had said.

But he didn't get the chance to answer because someone knocked on the passenger side window and he rolled it down revealing his mom. "Hi, Mrs. Lockwood." Katie greeted.

Mrs. Lockwood just ignored her and smiled at her son. "Tyler, sweetie, don’t you think it's time you come inside?" She asked her tone sticky sweet.

"Yes ma'am." He mumbled as he looked at Katie and rolled his eyes as he took off his seat belt then got out of the car. She smiled at his reaction to his bitch of a mother.

"I see you found more trash to drag up to the house.” Mrs. Lockwood’s words floated in through the still rolled down window.

Katie's nostrils flailed as she put her car in drive and left the driveway as calmly as she could. No matter how bad she wanted to do a burnout on the pretty white concrete driveway she didn't do it for fear of Tyler getting in trouble.

She was almost home when she got a text from Damon asking her to meet him at the boarding house. On her way she looked down and reached for her phone in the passenger seat. When she looked back up at the road she saw a car swerve to miss someone standing in the road. But the car still hit the person then started flipping across the road.

Katie slammed on her breaks, stopping a few feet from the car. Only thinking about the people involved in the accident, Katie put her car in park and hopped out. The overturned car was closer to her than the person who got hit so she ran to the driver to see that it was Elena. “Elena? Are you okay?” Katie asked, but Elena pointed behind Katie to the person she had hit. “Oh, shit.” Katie whispered when she saw that the person was popping their broken limbs back into place and standing up.

“Run.” Elena croaked, but Katie didn’t have the chance to even think before the vampire whooshed over and sank its teeth into Katie’s neck. She screamed right before her world faded to pitch black.

TVDTVDTVD

Music pulled Katie from her slumber and as she opened her eyes she realized she was in Damon’s car. “Damon?” Katie asked. An ache in her neck made her reach up to message it only for her hand to land on a bandage. “Did you bite me?”

“No.” he answered with a glance over at her as she sat up and adjusted herself in the seat. “But whoever did is a lucky man.”

“What?” Katie asked, confused she looked around, her eyes landing on Elena in the back seat. “What happened?”

“Elena wrecked her car. You drove up on the accident on the way to see me. A vampire fed on you. He would’ve killed you if I hadn’t come by and stopped him.” He explained.

“Wait, I’m confused. If you were at the boarding house how did you find us?” Katie asked, placing her hand on her neck, feeling the oval wound beneath the bandage.

“I was on my way to the boarding house. I was supposed to meet up with Logan at the old Fell church, but Sheriff Forbes called and said that someone killed him.” He explained and looked across his shoulder at her to see her looking at him with furrowed brows. “Before you ask I was meeting with Logan because he said that there’s another way to open the tomb. I was going to kill him after I got the information I needed from him.”

“Okay I still have questions.” She said turning sideways in the seat to look at him without hurting her neck. “One, where are we going? Two, is Caroline okay? Three do you really believe that there’s another way to get into that tomb? And four, is Elena okay?” she asked looking back at her friend.

“Caroline is fine, she just has a minor concussion. Stefan brought her to her house after we found Logan. Elena is okay, just a little beaten up.” He answered then looked over his shoulder at her asleep in the back seat. “To answer your other two questions I don’t know if there really is another way to open that tomb, but that’s what we’re going to figure out. I know a witch named Bree. She told me how to open the tomb with the crystal. She’ll know if there’s another way.” He answered looking back at the road.

“And where is Bree?” Katie asked looking around at the empty fields that they were driving past.

“Georgia, just outside Atlanta.” He answered causing Katie’s brows to shoot up. “Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

“Are you freaking kidding me? I’m missing school right now. I have a math test today for Christ sake and a history test tomorrow.” Katie started freaking out, the reality of the situation sinking in.

Damon rolled his eyes. “If I promise to compel your teachers to let you make up the tests, will you relax and enjoy yourself?” he asked.

Katie thought about it as she watched the fields pass by. “Fine.” She sighed and uncrossed her arms from her chest. “But this doesn’t count as uninterrupted time with you since Elena’s here.” She said pointing at him, reminding him about the deal they had made. Damon smiled and placed his hand on the back of her neck, caressing the side of it with his thumb.

“I should probably warn you about Bree though.” Damon said, making Katie give him a questioning look. “She’s an ex-girlfriend of mine. So don’t be mad if she kisses me as soon as she sees me.”

“You’re so cocky.” Katie brushed him off.

A few minutes later, Elena woke up and sat up. “Where are we?” She asked as she looked around. Her eyes landed on Katie then Damon.

“We’re in Georgia.” Katie answered, turning further to look at the confused Elena.

“No, seriously where are we?” Elena asked.

“Seriously. We’re in Georgia.” Damon answered looking back at her in the rear view mirror. “How are you feeling?”

“My car…there was a man…I hit a man…but then he got up and…who was that?” Elena asked leaning forward to look at Damon.

“That’s what we would like to know.” Damon replied not looking at her, but at the road.

“Where’s my phone?” she asked, feeling of her pockets. “Okay we really need to go back. nobody knows where I am. Pullover.” She told Damon who just ignored her. “I mean it Damon, pull over.” He ignored her again. “Stop the car.”

“Ugh, you were so much more fun when you were asleep.” He scoffed and pulled the car off to the side.

Katie listened as Elena argued with Damon about going back home. “I’m not going to Georgia.” Elena argued as Katie got out of the car.

“Well, you’re in Georgia. Without your magic little necklace I might add.” Damon pointed out as Katie walked around him to look at Elena’s neck. “I could very easily make you…agreeable.”

“Damon.” Katie spoke up in a warning tone as she gave him a pointed look. “Why did you take off your necklace?” Katie asked knowing that something big must’ve happened for Elena to take off the only protection she had from vampires.

“Because she found out that she looks exactly like Katherine. A little fact that Stefan forgot to tell her.” Damon answered Katie then looked at Elena. “Am I right?”

“Um, I’m sorry, what?” Katie asked, blinking up at Damon, but he didn’t get a chance to answer her before Elena’s phone started ringing in his pocket.

“That’s my phone.” Elena stated glaring at Damon.

He pulled out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s your boyfriend.” He held the phone out to Elena and she shook her head no so he answered it. “Elena’s phone.” He answered and they could hear the murmurs of Stefan on the other end. “Elena? Yeah she’s right here and yes she’s…fine.” Damon held the phone out to Elena. “He wants to talk to you.” Elena shook her head no. “Yeah…I don’t think she really wants to talk to you right now.” They could hear Stefan talking on the other end before Damon interrupted him with. “You have a good day. Bye now.” Then hung up and handed Elena back her phone.

“No one knows where we are, can we please just go back?” Elena asked Damon.

“We’re almost there.” Damon argued.

“Where is there?” Elena sighed.

“A little place just outside Atlanta.” Damon answered as he walked over to Katie and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Why aren’t you fighting harder to go home?” Elena asked Katie.

“Because Damon promised to compel the teachers to let me make up the tests that I’m missing and honestly a time out from all the bull crap going on back home sounds fun, something you used to be a lot more of.” Katie said.

“Come on, take a time out with us for five minutes?” he asked with a smile and raised brows.

Elena sighed. “Fine, as long as you promise not to do that mind control thing on me.”

“Yes.” He sighed. “Now get in the car.” He jerked his head to the car then they all climbed inside.

“So where’s my car?” Elena asked from where she sat in the middle of the back seat.

“I pulled it off to the side of the road. I don’t think anyone will bother it.” Damon answered, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music.

“What about that man in the road?” Elena asked, still not playing along with Damon’s plan to get away and relax for one day.

“Oh, you mean the asshole vampire who bit me?” Katie asked sarcastically.

“So he was a-?”

“Yeah.” Damon answered.

“You didn’t know him?” Elena asked.

“If I’ve never met him I wouldn’t know him.” Damon answered uninterestedly. “I mean it’s not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill.”

Damon rounded a corner in the street and parked outside of Bree’s bar. “You brought us to a bar?” Elena asked before Damon and Katie got out and Katie leaned the seat forward for Elena to get out. “Damon, We’re not old enough. They’re not going to let us in.”

“Elena?” Katie said, getting her friends attention. “We’re with Damon. We could probably get away with murder if we wanted to. I don’t think getting into a bar is going to be a problem.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.” Elena mumbled, earning an eye roll from her friend.

When they walked into the bar the first thing Katie's eyes landed on was a beautiful, tall, dark complected bartender with dark curly hair. “No. No it can't be.” She said as she walked to the side of the bar that the three of them walked over to. “Damon?” She asked as she hopped over the bar and stood in front of Damon. “My honey pie.” She grabbed his face and started making out with him.

Elena looked at them, taken aback at the sight, then turned her eyes on Katie who didn't look surprised, just annoyed. “Are you okay with this?”

“Nope, but I was warned.” Katie answered then wiped the annoyed look off of her face as the two finally pulled apart.

Damon stepped over and wrapped his arm around Katie's waist. Katie made herself smile at Bree. “Bree, this is my girlfriend Katie and her friend Elena.” Damon introduced them then they sat down at the bar.

Bree set down a row of clear shot glasses then started pouring clear liquor in them as she said, “Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life and ruined any and all chances of happiness.” She sat a shot down in front of Katie then Damon then Elena and said, “Drink up.” While she took her shot Damon took his and Elena's. Damon reached for Katie's, but found the glass missing and looked up from the bar to see her head tilted back downing the liquid.

She set the glass on the bar and made a face at the burn of the liquor then let her eyes travel to Damon to see him giving her a questioning look along with Elena. "What?"

"So how'd he rope you in?" Bree asked as she poured them more shots.

"He jumped onto my roof and talked me into letting him into my bedroom." Katie answered, not looking at Damon but at the bartender. “How did you meet Damon?”

“College.” Bree answered with a smile.

“You went to College?” Elena asked, surprised.

“I’ve been on a college campus, yes.” Damon answered then took his shot.

“About twenty years ago I met this beautiful man, and I fell in love. And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody.” Bree explained.

“She’s a witch.” Damon whispered to Elena since she was asleep for that part of Katie and Damon’s conversation.

“Changed my world.” Bree said looking down at Damon.

“I rocked your world.” Damon said with a lazy look at Bree as she slid his hand over Katie’s knee.

“He is good in the sack, isn’t he?” Bree asked Katie who immediately blushed.

“I wouldn’t know yet.” She replied with a scratch at the back of her neck.

“Yet?” Damon asked looking over at her with big eyes.

“Yeah what happened to all that ‘Caroline’s over him and I want to get under him’ and ‘you only live once’ stuff you were talking about before the founders party?” Elena asked with a laugh as she quoted Katie.

“Yeah and what happened to girl talk staying with the girls?” Katie asked leaning forward to look past Damon to Elena where she sat on the other side of him smiling.

Damon leaned over and kissed Katie’s neck then whispered in her ear, “Were you planning on having sex with me that night?” he kissed her neck again and pulled back to look her in the eyes. She hummed a positive answer then let her eyes fall to the shot that Bree sat down in front of her, assuming she could use it. “Damn you Stefan.” Damon cursed as he hit the bar and turned to Elena. “I hate your boyfriend.”

Katie grabbed the shot and tossed it back before slamming the glass down on the bar. “What time is it?” Katie asked no one in particular as she pulled out her phone and looked at the clock. “Oh look it’s five o’clock. Bree can I have a beer please?” she asked as she hopped down off of the tall barstool. “If the night keeps going on like this I fully intend on getting smashed.” She took the cold dark bottle from Bree and moved to a nearby table.

Elena’s phone started ringing so she went outside to take it. Damon and Bree followed Katie to the table and sat down. “So are all your ex girlfriends so...colorful?” Katie asked as Damon sat down next to her and took her beer from her hand.

He took a drink then gave it back. “No, some were actually kind of boring.”

“Like me?” She asked with a raised brow.

“You're not boring.” He argued as he looked into her eyes. “You're...” he didn't finish his sentence because Bree sat down beside him.

“So what can I do for you?” Bree asked as she kicked her feet up on the table.

Damon looked from her to Katie. “Will you give us a minute?”

“Yeah. I'll go check on Elena.” She said as she got up and handed her beer to Damon.

As Katie neared Elena she heard her hang up with Jenna. “So is Jenna pissed you didn't come home last night?” Katie asked as she rounded Damon's car to stand next to Elena.

“Yeah, but she's Jenna so it's not like there are going to be any real consequences.” She sighed. “So are you and Damon back together?” She asked with a glance back at the bar.

“It's kind of hard to not be with him.” Katie sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the car.

“It's not hard, Katie, all you have to do is say no.” Elena argued as she too leaned on the car.

“I don’t want to say no. I know you don’t like him and you don’t trust him, but I do. He makes me happy, Elena.” She said as she pushed herself off of the car and moved to stand in front of her friend. “You know how you were so sad after you lost your parents then Stefan came along and made you feel alive again?” Katie asked and Elena nodded. “That's what Damon does for me. So can you please just be happy that I am happy for once?”

“I'm sorry. I didn't stop to think about it like that.” Elena said and had opened her mouth to say something else, but her phone started ringing, stopping her. “I'm here.” Elena answered and Katie could hear Stefan's voice on the other end. “You lied.” Elena's words were harsh. “So you didn't lie?” Elena stared pacing as she spoke to him. “How am I connected to Katherine, Stefan?” Katie had been wondering the same thing since learning that Elena looked like Katherine. “And I'm supposed to believe that?” Elena listened to Stefan for a total of two seconds before she hung up the phone.

Damon walked over and pulled Katie into his side. “You girls okay?”

“Mmhmm.” Katie hummed answering for both of them.

“You hungry?” Damon asked looking down at Katie.

“Starving.” Katie answered with a small smile.

“Then come on.” He jerked his head for them to follow them so they did.

They ordered three burgers and fries then sat down at a table. “So let's just say that I'm a descendant from Katherine. Does that make me part vampire?” Elena asked as their food was sat down in front of them.

“Vampires can't procreate.” Damon answered as he popped a fry into his mouth. “But we love to try.” Katie and Elena both rolled their eyes. “No, if you were related it would mean that Katherine had a child before she was turned.”

Katie took the top bun off her burger and picked off the onions while Elena did the same with her pickles. “Did Stefan think he could use me to replace her?” Elena asked.

“It’s kind of creepy if you ask me.” Damon said then noticed the girls removing their toppings. “Come on, you don’t like pickles? What's wrong with you?” Damon asked Elena as he took her pickles that she set aside.

“How can you even eat if technically you're supposed to be...?” Elena asked, not wanting to say the word dead.

“Dead?” Damon asked as he took the onions off of Katie's plate. “It’s not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system my body functions pretty normally.” Damon explained then tossed a fry into his mouth and smiled.

His eyes watched Katie as she picked up her burger and took a bite. Bree walked over and switched out Katie and Damon's empty bottles for fresh ones. “I'll have one too.” Elena spoke up earning a look from Damon and Katie.

“What?” Katie asked with a smart ass smile. “Is the stick in the mud finally loosening up?”

“Time out remember? For five minutes. Yeah well that five minutes is going to need a beer.” Elena said as Bree walked over with a beer and set it down in front of her.

Damon stuck his bottle out over the table and the girls clanked them all together. “You never told me what you wanted to go to college for.” Damon said with a look at Katie then took a sip of his beer.

“I'm undecided.” Katie answered.

“You don’t want to go to med school anymore?” Elena asked with a frown.

“I think we both know I've been shooting too high with that one.” Katie replied earning a frown from both Elena and Damon.

“What are you talking about? You're at the top of our class.” Elena pointed out.

“Yeah and I'm fighting tooth and nail just to stay there. I have to try ten times as hard as everyone else.” Katie pointed out then took a big drink of her beer. “Change of subject please.” Katie suggested then took another bite of her burger.

The conversation went back to Elena and Katherine then when everyone was done with their dinner Elena suggested they do some shots so they moved back to the bar, a girl on each of Damon's sides. "Let's see who can drink the fastest." Bree prompted as she sat the shots down in front of them then counted to three. Katie tossed back the shot and slammed the glass into the bar in a flash.

"Looks like someone has a hidden talent." Damon said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his lap.

"I have more hidden talents than that." She smiled and pressed her alcohol slicked lips to his.

"Break it up you two." Elena said, pulling them out of their kiss as another round of shots were poured and sat down in front of them. Katie once again threw it back before Damon and Elena could. "Are you seriously kicking my butt right now?" Elena asked with a laugh and raised brows.

"Yes, Elena, you're not always the best at everything." Katie popped off as another shot was poured. Bree counted to three then Katie purposely took her time with the shot, letting Elena win.

Elena did a little celebratory dance then sat her shot glass one the bar. "Are you okay?" Damon whispered in Katie's ear.

"Yeah I'm fine. I just forget how much of an attention whore she is when she drinks." Katie answered then when Bree put another shot down in front of them Katie picked it up. "Watch." Bree counted to three and Katie let Elena win again.

"Yeah!" Elena yelled as she threw her hands in the air and spun around. "Ha! I knew I could beat you." Elena said with a smile. "We're tied, you wanna break it?"

"After this one I'm done." Katie replied as Bree poured some shots then counted to three. Katie tossed it back at lightning speed. "Would you look at that, I win." Katie smiled a bitchy smile at Elena then turned her eyes to Damon. "What's my prize?" Damon pressed his lips to hers. He had started kissing her neck when she pulled back and asked. "Where are the bathrooms?"

Damon pointed to them then she slid off his lap. As she circled around the corner that led to the bathrooms a hand went over her mouth and jerked her to the side as she was whooshed away. When she regained her ability to process thought after being brought outside at high speed she found herself being held from behind on top of a large tank of some kind. "Are you afraid of heights?" A voice asked before the vampire circled around her revealing his face to her. "Good then you will stay right here."

"I'll stay here." She repeated then the vampire sped away. She was almost down the ladder when she spotted Damon and Elena walking around the building looking for her. She was going to call out to him but then the vampire came out of nowhere and started beating Damon with a metal baseball bat. "No!" Katie screamed as she tried to run to Damon but the vampire turned its reddened, vein framed eyes on her and she stopped in her tracks.

Katie stood still, not saying a word while Elena walked over to her, talking him down as she did. Apparently he was Lexi's boyfriend and he wanted Damon dead for killing her. after the vampire threw Damon then sped away Katie’s feet and mouth finally unfroze and she sprinted to Damon. “Oh my god, are you okay?” Katie asked, looking down at Damon and pushing his hair out of his face before she looked up at Elena who was kneeled down on the other side of him. “Thank you.”

They helped him stand up, not caring that he smelled of gasoline, then walked with him to his car. “You two stay out here. I’m going to go back inside for a minute.”

“I’m coming with you.” Katie spoke up as she took a step closer to him.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” He countered, placing a calming hand on the side of her neck.

“Damon, let me.” He took his hand off of her neck and held it. “Please.”

“Fine, come on.” He placed his hand on the small of her back as they headed inside, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her just outside the door. “Why are you insisting on coming in here with me?”

“Because I know what you’re about to do and if I’m going to be with you…I need to see it.” she said as she gave his hand a squeeze.

He swallowed hard and gave her a nod before he grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open. When Bree turned around she looked shocked to see them alive. “We were just leaving. I wanted to say goodbye.” He told her with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

“Good to see you again, Damon.” Bree replied.

“No kiss?” Damon asked, still holding Katie’s hand.

“I’m full of vervain. I put it in everything I drink.” Bree answered looking both pissed and scared.

“And you’re telling me this why?” Damon asked not looking at Katie as he pulled her into his side.

“Lexi was my friend. How could you?” Bree turned to walk away but Damon let go of Katie and sped around the bar, cutting Bree off. “The tomb can be opened.”

Damon looked her up and down for a second then scoffed, “You’re lying!”

Bree jumped back, more scared than mad now. “Emily’s grimoire, her spell book.” Bree said backing away as Damon closed in on her. “If you know how she closed the tomb the reversal process will be in her book. You can open that tomb.”

“And where is this book?” Damon asked and Bree stumbled back and started stuttering. “You have no idea.”

“I’m telling you the truth.” Bree argued shakily.

“And I believe you.” Damon reached up and cupped bree’s face in his hand. “My dear, sweet Bree. That’s why I’m almost sorry.” Before Katie could even blink Damon shoved his hand into Bree’s chest cavity and yanked out her heart. But Katie was looking at his hand. Instead she looked at his eyes, that seemed so apologetic yet he still killed the woman because she had tried to have him killed.

Katie watched as Damon washed the blood from his hands. “Could you kill me just as easily?” she asked as he used a towel to dry his hands.

“If you did something to piss me off, yeah.” He answered as he grabbed his jacket off of the back of one of the barstools.

“You once told me that you wanted me to be your moral compass. If I tell you something you don’t want to hear, are you just going to rip my heart out and not even think twice about it?” she asked, turning in the stool to look at him.

He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. “I would never do that to you, okay?” he asked as he looked into her eyes.

“How can I be sure?” she asked.

As he looked into her green eyes he didn’t see judgment or hatred, just genuine worry for her safety. He’s pressed his forehead to hers. “Because I have feelings for you, Katie.”

She sighed and let her eyes slip shut before he pressed his lips to hers. “Okay.” She whispered, “I believe you.”

“Come on.” He jerked his head to the door and she hopped down off of the bar and walked outside with him.

They had been driving for thirty minutes when Elena fell asleep in the back seat. “Why did you bring her with us?” Katie asked with a glance back at Elena.

“I knew it would piss off Stefan.” He answered. “Why are you jealous that I took both of you?”

“A little, but at the same time if you hadn’t drug her along you would be dead right now.” She said.

“You don’t know that.” He countered.

“Yes I do. I wouldn’t have been able to talk him down the way she did. Hell I couldn’t even have guessed that he was Lexi’s boyfriend.” She said reminding herself to keep her voice down so she didn’t wake up Elena. “Do you want to know why I decided that I couldn’t be a doctor? Because I don’t do well under stress.”

“You need to stop being so hard on yourself.” Damon said with a glance over at her. “You can’t blame yourself every time something bad happens to me.”

“I can if I don’t do a damn thing to even attempt to help.” She argued.

“You attempting to help me will only put you in harms way. I actually prefer if you stay back and keep yourself safe.” Damon argued back then reached over and placed his hand on her knee. “Don’t be jealous of Elena.”

“Even though she looked exactly like the person that I’ve been trying to help you rescue from desiccation?” she asked as she grabbed his hand and threaded her fingers through it. “The supposed love of your life?”

“Yes. Unlike my brother I’m not trying to replace Katherine with her look alike.” He answered with a smirk. He watched as Katie yawned and he noticed her eyelids growing heavy. “Get some sleep, I’ll wake you when we’re home.” She nodded and got comfortable in her seat. Ten minutes later her soft relaxing snores filled the car.

[lostinfic]

Christmas Eve (stuck) in the Lab

Chapter 12/12 *complete*

Summary: Dr. John Smith and Rose Tyler both work at the Natural History Museum in London, he’s a scientist and she works in the gift shop. They are only friends, but the upcoming staff Christmas party promises developments they’ve both been longing for. However, John and Rose end up stuck with Martha, Donna and Jack in the laboratory, and shenanigans ensue: decontamination showers, cocktails in beakers, a game of truth-or-dare and a Secret Santa rigged by meddling friends.

Tags: mutual pining, friends to lovers, fluff with light angst, found family

Rating: Teen (for now)   |   Words:11556

@doctorroseprompts​

Ao3

The click of doors unlocking interrupted their celebration and made everyone run to the railing to watch the entrance below. Kate Stewart entered the laboratory. She wasn’t wearing a hazmat suit, which must mean….

“You’re safe,” she declared.

Palpable relief washed over the group.

Rose’s stomach untangled. She covered her mouth with her hand, laughing shakily. She had to call her mum.

She turned to John, he was all loud cheers and big grin. He grabbed Rose around the waist in a hug that lifted her off the floor.

When he put her back down, his hands lingered at her waist, and hers on his shoulders.

Kate joined them up in the gallery.

She gave some scientific information they all seemed to understand except Rose. She gathered the substance was not harmful to humans.

Kate handed them an information sheet. “Just in case, be on the lookout for symptoms on this list. Call the number at the bottom if you have any concerns.”

Jack was out the door before she’d even finished talking. Martha, Donna and John left in different directions, to call relatives or pick up their coats and keys.

Rose should have hurried outside too, but she dawdled, feeling oddly nostalgic. She shut down the monitor and covered the leftover food with plastic wrap.

She was aware of John’s spearhead left on the corner of the table, but couldn’t look at it.

She felt bad for disliking it. She appreciated its monetary value, if not its sentimental one. She wished he hadn’t just picked something off his shelf; her gift dealt with in an efficient manner, then dismissed. 

Donna carried Rose’s backpack from her office and up the stairs. She had something else in her hand, too.

“I thought you should know, this is what John was going to give you.”

Donna unrolled a poster with a beautiful map of the world in neon colours. She explained how he’d made it using UV light and special proteins.

It was perfect, bright and creative and just so special. Yet it only added to Rose’s frustration.

“I don’t know why he changed his mind. He really likes you, Rose.”

“But not enough to tell me himself.”

“Or so much it scares him.”

“Well, he knows where to find me if he needs help with that too.” She sighed, regretting her snark. She was tired. “I suppose it’s because of what happened to his parents.”

“What about them?”

He hadn’t confided in Donna, but he had in her. Maybe that meant something. And yet, Rose couldn’t help but remember once again how she’d fooled herself into believing Jimmy’s behaviour meant more than it did.

From the gallery, Rose could see across the lab, down into John’s office. He was still there, talking on the phone.

Her heart softened for him, as it always did.

Perhaps, for once, she should be the one going to him. In her determination to not misread any signals, she’d forgotten to send out her own.

---

As she approached the Doctor’s office, she overheard his conversation with the airline.

“Were you able to book another flight?” she asked after he’d hung up.

“Yes. Later tonight.” He hesitated. “The Mendoza team is counting on me. I can’t let them down.”

“Hey, you don’t need to explain yourself to me. I go out of my way to avoid the street where my dad was killed.”

He nodded and offered a sympathetic smile.

“It’s important work I’m doing every year. I’m helping out labs with less means to preserve their own history.”

“I believe you. I’ll see you in three weeks, then. Drop by the shop as soon as you can. I fully expect you to use those vouchers.”

“I don’t know,” he joked, “maybe if you sweeten the deal with your employee discount.”

“I think that could be arranged.”

“Good. Looking forward to it.”

“Me too.”

Rose shuffled her feet and wrung her hands. John rearranged random items on his messy desk.

“I think I need your help,” she stammered.

“Yes, of course! What do you need? What can I do?”

“I’m not quite sure how to get money out of this.” She held out the spearhead.

John sprang to action. He sent her links to trusted auction sites, wrote a description of the item for her and hunted down the original authenticity certificate.

She had to stop him when he got trapped, elbow-deep in a filing cabinet.

“It’s okay. It can wait.”

“But if you get the money now, you might be able to enroll in time for the winter semester.”

Rose narrowed her eyes at him.

“Did you listen to my conversation with Martha?”

“Er, well, I wasn’t listening so much as voices accidentally reached my ears.”

“Right.”

He sat on the edge of his desk, his long legs stretched in front of him and crossed at the ankle.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to,” he added.

“S’alright. Explains a lot actually.”

“Listen, I know some professors and uni administrators and how to get financial aid.”

“You would help me?”

“Absolutely.”

“And if university isn’t what I want? I mean, I haven’t even got my A-levels.”

He shrugged. “You deserve all your dreams to come true, whatever they are. You’re brilliant, Rose.”

No one had ever said that to her. Not this earnestly.

A lump rose in her throat.

Before she’d found something to say, he offered to walk her home.

“I live in Peckham. That’d be quite a walk.”

“Don’t care.”

---

Fresh air welcomed them outside the Museum. It felt like they’d been trapped inside for years. Early dusk painted the sky a soft lavender, and fluffy snowflakes drifted down over them.

After a few steps, John took Rose’s gloved hand. She smiled and tightened her fingers over his. They laughed shyly for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of having their affection reciprocated.

In front of the Museum’s ice rink, John babbled on about bronze-age skates made from animal shins and references to skiing found in writings of the Han dynasty, in China. Joined hands swinging between them, they laughed more than the fun facts warranted. Their hearts felt as light as the snowflakes floating down from the sky. Simply put, they were utterly giddy. 

They strolled down a quiet street. Decorations twinkled in windows and relatives greeted each other at the door. 

John’s pace slowed down, his gaze turned inward and unfocused.

“I think I might call my former foster family,” he said at last, glancing at Rose for approval.

“Sounds like a great idea. You were close to them?”

He nodded. “The last ones I lived with, they really encouraged me to study. I even had a sister, of sort, Sarah Jane.” He smiled at the memory. “She was a Smith too. We used to pretend we were real siblings… I should’ve kept in touch.”

“Never too late for that.”

They passed by a tube station without stopping. Street lights switched on one after the other, as if only for them. They would have to part ways soon. It was a long ride to cousin Mo’s house, and he had a flight to catch.

At the gate of a quiet garden square, Rose stopped walking. They still held hands, and she fiddled with the cuff of his jacket.

“You remembered Jack’s dare, didn’t you?” she asked him.

“Uh, vaguely. Well, most of it. Where was he keeping that mistletoe?”

Rose waited a beat, but he didn’t say anything else.

“John, you know what you were saying about helping make my dreams come true?”

“Yeah?”

He stepped closer. Her breath quickened. She licked her lips, and his gaze flicked to her mouth.

“Well, maybe there’s a dream you, uh, you could…”

“What?” His face split into a grin. He clicked his jaw. He knew full well what she was trying to say.

“You could kiss me. Shut up.”

She looked away, but John’s hand on her cheek brought her eyes back to him. He opened his mouth, probably to say something smart-arse again. Instead, Rose grabbed his scarf and pulled him down to her. Cold nose tips met pink cheeks. He laughed against her lips. Their arms wrapped around each other, bringing their bodies together, as close as their winter coats allowed.

Rose forgot the cold and the passersby, she forgot it was Christmas Eve. Her hand in his hair knocked off his beanie. A tiny whimper came from the back of his throat, and she found herself with her back to the garden gate being thoroughly kissed. It was probably a good thing they were wearing so many layers.

When they broke the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. The clouds on their breath mingled.

“Now I regret booking another flight,” John whispered.

“You’d better not forget me whilst you’re gone, mister.” She poked him in the chest playfully.

“Haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day we met— I doubt I will after that kiss.”

“Let’s give you plenty to think about, then.” 

She rose to her tiptoes and kissed him again. An unforgettable kiss.