#yes my cousin was in prison until recently

[raya-hunter01]

Not My Sister's Keeper Pt. 13 Final

Not My Sister’s Keeper

Jey Uso X OC (Kayla)

Roman X OC(Regina)

Rating: 18+

Warning: Smut; sex, fluff, couple arguing, Jealousy, infidelity, pregnancy

Roamn’s wife recently left medical school and returned home to save her marriage. Upon her return, she finds out things are not what they seem. Her sister is pregnant by her best friend Jey Uso, who is also Roman’s cousin, and her husband is acting suspiciously.

What happens when a conversation overhead on a baby monitor blows her world apart?

Five Months Later

Rebecca’s House

Rebecca’s POV

“Sweetie I’m just glad you agreed to come over to help me cook thanksgiving dinner.”

“I know you trying mama and I’m going to try to meet you halfway.” Kara said with a tired sigh rubbing her belly.

“Wait were you using the bathroom?” I asked seeing the shower in the background.

“Yes, the baby keeps sitting on my bladder and I’m peeing constantly,” Kara moaned washing her hands.

“I guess I didn’t help calling you at 7:00 a.m.,” I joked as Kara genuinely smiled.

“It’s no problem, I be up with the chickens these days trying to get comfortable.”

“It will end soon enough and then you’re going to be tired from lack of sleep.”

“I can’t wait either.”

My daughter was going to be an amazing mother. “Uh, is Josh still leaving later on today?”

“Yea, he’s gotta film some stuff but he will back tomorrow night in time for thanksgiving. Tani is going to drop me off at your house and come back and get me when I’m ready.”

“Well, that’s nice of her, I know how I ain’t on her list of people she likes.”

“Karbug, who on the phone?” I heard Jey asked as I chuckled seeing Kara turn the camera on him.

“Hey, Josh sorry to wake ya’ll up so early.”

“Nah, you good I got to get up soon anyway,” he said waving at me.

 “I know ya’ll want to spend a little more time together, so I’ll let you go. I love you, Kara and be safe coming out in this weather.”

“I love you too mama, and I will. See you a little later.”

“I felt joyful, I had my baby back and was about to become a grandma again. While fixing breakfast for Logan, our local news alert interrupted my favorite morning show. “What the hell goin’ on now in the middle of a fucking hurricane.”

Channel 10 news

“I am April, and this is Channel 10 news. Early this morning before daybreak we’ve been told three inmates escaped the Pensacola Women’s State Prison. A security breach occurred, and caused the prison to go into lockdown, but three prisoners managed to bypass the system and count of inmates.”

“Oh my god,” I gasped in shock…This isn’t happening…Not now.

“Through an emergency investigation it was discovered Taylor Green, a newly hired guard was having sexual encounters with the three women. In exchange for the sexual encounters, Green helped the inmates escape.”

“Lord, please don’t let it be her...Don’t let it be her.”

“As of 7:00 a.m. two of the women have been captured but Tia Morris is still at large and is armed and dangerous. Please be safe everyone and if you have any information, please call 911.”

“Tia…What are you doin’?”

Cutting the TV off, I rushed to check the doors to make sure everything was locked and secure.  The storm raged outside and within me as I rushed upstairs to check on Logan.

 I signed in relief seeing her still asleep. Gently kissing her forehead, I then went and checked the rest of the upstairs before going back downstairs.

“Calm down Rebecca, she probably on the road trying to get the hell outta town. Your safe and Logan is safe,” I whispered trying to calm down but deep down I felt something bad was going to happen.

--------

-Jey’s & Kara’s House

Jey’s POV

These last five months had been a dream, and it was getting harder and harder to leave Kara. She had been traveling with me some during her pregnancy, I even bought us a bus. I wanted her to be as comfortable as possible when she was with me.

She had been doing great up until these last two months though. Our son or daughter was determined to make his or her arrival early. We had been spending a lot of time at the hospital lately stopping her labor.

 Then the baby, won’t cooperate at all during the ultrasounds so we still don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl. We don’t care though as long as he or she is healthy.

“Jey, we will be fine, you’re coming back tomorrow night.”

“I don’t want to leave ya’ll though,” I said kissing Kara’s belly. The storm raging outside making even harder to leave. I wanted to stay home in this bed with my wife.

“Well daddy, you gotta go so you can film. Then you get to come home and be with us for the next nine weeks.”

Damn right I was, my mom was going to stay with us, but I wanted to be home to be with Kara and the baby. I was going into a feud with the new bloodline so we were going to film some stuff that would air over the next two months. Then when I come back, I will be rejoining Roman and Jimmy to reunite the original bloodline.

“Doody, you heard me?” Kara said running her fingers through my hair.

“Yea, I heard you baby. I know I gotta go, but I don’t like it.”

“We will be fine, I promise.”

 “Hey, I’mma need you to stay in mama’s belly while I’m gone kid. No hospital visits, please.”

“I know right, these hospital visits with these contractions ain’t been no joke but I haven’t had any for two weeks.”

 Feeling a strong kick, I smiled and kissed her stomach. “I will take that kick as you telling yo’ daddy you gon’ be good,” I chuckled getting up and grabbing my bag.

“Let me get up-” gently pushing her back against her pillow, I shook my head.

“Nope….. Stay there, Ma will be here soon.” Leaning over to kiss her I knew I had to leave now, or I wouldn’t. “Fine, I’ll sleep a little longer,” she whispered against my lips. “Thank you for your cooperation, Ma.”

I suddenly had a nagging feeling, but I don’t want to scare her. It probably was me just not wanting to leave her.

“Be safe, we love you, daddy.”

“I love ya’ll too, and I’ll be back soon.”

Walking out of our bedroom I looked back one last time at my family quickly taking my phone out and snapping a picture of Kara laying in bed her belly on full display.

“Bye, Josh.”

“Ok, I’m gone…Love ya’ll.”

“We love you too!”

I felt like I should have stayed but I tried to push down the feeling that I was making a big mistake leaving.

---

Two hours Later

Kara’s Parents House

Rebecca’s POV

Still no updates on Tia but the prison assured me they were looking everywhere but told me to stay put. I tried to call Kara but no answer, I even called their house phone. It was best if she just stayed home and didn’t come over. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to her or the baby. “Come on Josh, pick up.”

“This is josh, you know what to do. Leave it at the beep..Yeet.”

“Josh, its Rebecca. I’ve tried to get Kara on the phone, but she isn’t picking up. Tia has escaped and they can’t find her, don’t leave the house or if you have go back!”  

CRASH

“Oh my god, No! Logan, sweetie, are you ok?!” I yelled running upstairs. Peeking in on her again I saw her still sound asleep. What the hell is going on?

Once again, I cautiously headed to check out my room.  As I opened the door, I heard a loud bang followed by a sharp pain shot through my stomach.

Tia’s POV

That was so easy, I didn’t think it would be this simple. “I told you that you’d be sorry.” I didn’t want to hurt my mother, all she had to do was listen and help me. She turned her back on me so as far as I’m concerned she’s collateral damage.

T-T-Tia, don’t h- hurt the baby,” my mother cried collapsing to the floor in pain. Not a care in the world about her own self.

“I would never ever hurt her; she’s coming with me.” I couldn’t leave without her; she was my ticket to getting what I needed out of Roman.

As my mother lay gasping for breath, I grabbed her cellphone as she tried to reach for it.

“Oh, you want help? Well, go find the phone,” I said throwing it out of the room as she sobbed in defeat. Just as I was about to go get Logan I heard the front door open.

“Ma, you ok? My phone is acting up and I saw I had some missed calls. Tani dropped me off and went to run a quick errand but will be back in a bit to take me to Verizon. I swear Jey will lose his mind if he can’t get in touch with me,” Kara rambled as she walked around downstairs looking for mama.  I couldn’t believe my luck right now.

“Oh, this is too good. I swear God loves me,” I chuckled as my mother lay gasping for breath pulling at my legs.” N- No, T- Tia.”

“Get off me,” I hissed kicking as I heard Kara coming up the stairs. “Ma, Logan, ya’ll ok?”  

I heard her go into Logan’s room down the hall. “Yea, come on in here next bitch, I got a surprise for you.” I could practically smell the worry on her from down the hall and I loved it.

All I had to do was wait for her to come down here to check on mama.

Kara’s POV

“Logan,” I whispered shaking her a little as she moaned opening her eyes. “Tee Tee, you here,” her tiny innocent voice said stretching her arms out wide.

“Yea, sweetie it’s me. I need you to get up ok, but don’t make a sound.” Making that statement alone in a mere whisper seemed to wake her up as she nodded, giving me a hug.

“Mommy here?” her tiny voice asked with worry as I nodded, holding her close. “Yea, I think so, and I need to get you out of here. Remember what we practiced?” I asked as she nodded.

“I run to Ms. Ruby house, her light on.” She whispered rubbing her tired eyes. “Yes, that’s right pretty girl, her outside porch light will be on and she will get some help for us.”

“I scared Tee Tee.” Logan cried, my heart breaking. Logan was an innocent child who didn’t deserve any of this mess.

“I know baby, but I got you and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.” I felt helpless, that we had to teach a four-year-old how to run for help but thank God she was smart and understood.

Tia thought she was smart but the eerie silence when I came in and seeing mom’s phone laying in the hall. I knew something was up and I knew we needed help.

“I left the front door open, and when I go down the hall, I want you to tip toe down the steps, try not to make a noise. Once you get to the front door start runnin’ and don’t stop till you get to Ms. Ruby’s house, ok?”

“Tee Tee come wit me?”

“No baby I can’t run, I’d never make it. That’s why I need your help and no matter what, don’t look back or stop running until you get there. Tell her grandma is hurt and we need help.”

The fear in her tiny face broke my heart but I had to be remain calm on the the outside, inside I was losing it. After I put on her shoes and coat she once again wrapped her tiny arms around me. “I love you Tee Tee Kara.”

“I love you too baby, I want you to always remember that.”

Putting her hood on I took a breath, trying to dial 911 once again but to no avial.. we had no choice it was now or never. As I left her room, I signaled for her to go downstair. Seeing her follow my directions as she tip toed down the steps, I had a hard time controlling my tears.

“Logan, try to get dressed and I will look for grandma sweetie,” I said closing her door. Glancing over the rail, I saw she was finally at the front door. She quickly turned on the porch light and glanced back up at me.

Her tiny face filled with determination as she nodded at me and took off running as fast as her little legs would allow. “Thank God,” I whispered thankful she had escaped.

 Slowly going down the hall I could see Tia’s reflection in the huge hall mirror that was adjacent to my mother’s room. There she was standing in our mother’s room with a gun. I  felt my heart drop hearing my mother crying in pain.

“Run! Kara, get Logan and run!” My mother screamed as I took off back downstairs trying not to fall.

“Uh, not now ,” I cried feeling a sharp pain shot through my stomach. “Not yet please, just give mama a little time,” I pleaded looking for my dad’s gun.

“Looking for daddy’s gun Kara?” Tia’s cold voice sending chills down my spine. It was either me or her and in this moment and I will do anything to keep my child safe, even if it means killing my own sister.

Logan’s POV

I was tired but I couldn’t stop running. Ms. Ruby house was close, I just had to keep running.  “Ms. Ruby!” I cried finally seeing the blue house with the front porch light on. “Ms. Rubby help!” I cried knocking and kicking her door trying to make sure she heard me.

I ran into her arms the minute the door opened. “Ted, call 911 Tia’s at Rebecca’s!” she yelled as I continued to cry. “Please help my grammy and Tee Tee.”

“We’re getting help sweetie, you did so good our sweet girl,” Ms. Ruby whispered, holding me close as I cried.  

Ruby’s POV

“You ok, I got you, sweet girl,” I reassured Logan carrying her inside as my son called the police. “The lines are busy; the hurricane is messing with towers and phone lines.”

 “Keep trying Ted!” I screamed as he nodded once again trying to get help.

“Finally! Yes, we need the police and an ambulance at 1254 Greer Road. Tia Morris, an inmate that escape earlier this morning is there and is dangerous. She has two hostages.”

“I want my daddy,” Logan cried as I pulled out my cell and tried to dial Roman and after a couple of times my phone finally dialed through.

“Hey, Ms. Neslon-”

“Roman have ya’ll left yet?”

“Uh, no we are grounded at the airport until the weather slacks off, is everything ok?”

“Roman, Tia has escaped and is at Rebecca’s.”

“Logan-”

“Roman, she got out, but Kara and Rebecca are still in the house with Tia. Rebecca is hurt from what Logan is telling me.”

Putting the phone on speaker I continued to comfort Logan. “Logan, your daddy is on the phone.” Her tiny head perking up at the new information.

“Daddy, she hurt grammy,” she cried as I could hear the worry and relief in Roman’s voice.

“Daddy’s coming my baby, we are so proud of you.”

“Tee Tee help me runway,” she cried as I could hear Roman crying. “Grammy and Tee Tee Kara are going to be ok. I promise.”

Jimmy’s POV

“What you talkin’ bout Uce?” Jey asked hearing Kara’s name. “Daddy loves you and we are on the way to you.” Roman said in a panic hanging up the phone.

“Kevin, get the car back up here we need to get off this plane!” Roman yelled as I felt the room starting to spin.

“Stop and tell us what the fuck is going on!” Jey demanded as Roman wiped his tears. “Tia has Kara and Rebecca hostage. Logan ran to get help, and they have the ambulance and police on the way.”

“Kara…My Kara?” Jey asked in disbelief reaching for his phone as I placed my hand on my shoulder. “She’s gon’ be ok, they both are,” I tried to reassure him.

“Roman, call Regina and warn her,” I advised trying not to freak out as Jey kept redialing Kara’s phone, the color draining from his face each time he got a busy signal or no answer at all.

“Regina it’s me baby, I need you to listen to me carefully.”

Jey’s POV

“We gotta get there!” I yelled pulling away from Jimmy and grabbing my coat. I had to get to my wife, this isn’t happening right now.

“No, I want you to stay at the house and lock everything up. Logan is ok with Ms. Nelson. I don’t need you in any danger, Tia is insane.” “Jimmy, have you heard from Trin? I know she was supposed to help Kara and Rebecca with the food today.” I asked, the realization hitting him hard that Trin was once again in danger of being hurt because of Tia.

The silence as we all tried to call our loved ones frustrating us more and more by the second as each call was met with a busy signal or no answer.

“Pick up, pick up Trin,” he whispered dialing her number again.

“Come on baby, pick up please.” I pleaded. Damn it, where is the fucking car? I kept trying to call Kara but no luck.  I even took a chance calling Rebecca’s house phone.

 “Fuck!” I screamed getting a busy signal, but I kept calling as we made our way to the car.

“Please keep them safe.”

I knew I should have followed my first mind and not even left. The darkness, wind and rain were a blessing in disguise, and I was thankful we were still here when Ms. Nelson called.

“I knew one thing, I was going to Kill her…I was going to kill Tia if Trin didn’t beat me to it.

Rebecca’s house

Trin’s POV

Whoo, I made it. I had gone to the store to get a few more things to help make dinner for tomorrow. I even ran into Tani and told her I would take Kara later on to get her phone looked at and for her to just go home and get out of this weather.

 Hell, I really believe it’s just the weather messing with the towers. After the weather passes, I think we will be good.

“Why the hell is the front door open?” I muttered. “Kara where you at?  I saw Tani at the store and told her that she could go home,” I said walking in and placing the groceries on the counter in the kitchen.

“Trinity, we good, just leave and turn on the porch light. I’ll hit you up later.” I heard Kara yell causing me to pause.

Trinity?.....The porch light?…Why was Kara calling me by my first name, she always calls me Trin…The porch light is already on, what is sh-. ….Oh shit, Tia is here. She was giving me hints, to get the hell out and get help.

“Uh, yea sure, I’ll make sure to turn it on. I love you girly and I’ll holla at you later.” I said going back out to the car. Picking up my phone I tried to dial out and no luck.  

I then drove out the gate and parked my car out of sight a little way down the road and headed back up to the house. I had to think of a way to get back inside, I couldn’t leave Kara.

Kara’s POV

“Where is mama, Tia?” I asked rubbing my stomach as another pain jolted down my spine as she smiled. “Upstairs in her room, hopefully bleeding out or already dead,” she smiled as I gasped seeing Trin’s reflection in the patio window.

We had to get the drop on this crazy bitch, and I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I knew I was going into labor because the pain was different than the Braxton hicks I had experienced before.

“I got to get up Logan and pack her a few things. Go over there and have a seat. Looks like you’re in labor sis.”

She still didn’t know Logan was long gone and I had faith she made it to Ruby’s house by now and the police were on the way. I had to believe that. “You sure you ain’t gon’ shoot me in the back again?” I groaned trying to breathe through my current contraction.

“Nah, you safe this time, my niece or nephew is your only saving grace right now,” she whispered watching me closely as I steadied my breathing.

Suddenly another sharp pain it. “The contractions are too close,” I cried collapsing to the floor as I saw Trin looking at me with worry before taking off towards the side of the house.

“You betta hold it in, I ain’t delivering no baby. You on your own with that shit. Just let me get me kid and I’ll leave you to it.”

“I don’t want you touching me anyway, let alone passing your evil ass spirit onto my baby,” I snapped as she kicked me in the stomach. “Now watch yourself,” she hissed as I rolled into a ball.

“Ugh! Fuck you!” I cried cradling my stomach as I felt another kick, this time across my lower back.

“T-Tia stop,” I heard my mom cry as I refused to uncurl my body. I had one job and that was to protect my child.

 “Oh, mama so nice of you to join us. Look at you clawing your way down the stairs to help your baby girl,” Tia laughed as I heard the sound of glass shattering from the side of the house. Trin….Trin was back inside the house.

“What the hell?!” Tia shouted running towards the sound as I pulled myself towards my mother.  “Ma, are you ok?” I cried truly terrified seeing her covered in blood and holding her stomach.

“Yea, get Logan,” she coughed, fighting to keep her eyes open. “I did, she’s gone to get help, just hang on.”

“End it Kara….Keep Logan safe,” she moaned before she passed out from the pain. Feeling her chest rise and fall under my hand I gently kissed her forehead.

“Mama, just hang in there,” I cried. Suddenly, I heard another crash followed by a gunshot.

“Trin!” I screamed, willing myself to my feet in spite of another powerful contraction tearing through my body. I had to help her. “Come on baby, just hang in there for a little while longer,” I pleaded making my way down the hall. I saw the broken window but now sign of Trin or Tia.

“I told you bitch! I warned you didn’t I?” I heard Trin yell as I got closer. Thank God she was ok, they had apparently fought their way up to the second floor.

Grabbling the railing I slowly made my way up the back stairs to the spare bedroom.

Trin’s POV

This bitch really tried to shoot at me and then dodge up the back steps to hide. Nah, not today, you gon’ learn to head the warning.

“I told you I was gon’ show you crazy!” I yelled throwing Tia against the wall as she tried to protect herself. “I’ll kill you!” Tia screamed as I grabbed her by the throat choking her.

 “Not if I kill you first,” I hissed as Tia raked me in the eyes and punched me in the stomach. “You gon’ have to kill me!” Tia screamed, tackling me to the floor as I returned the favor by kneeing her in the stomach and elbowing her in the throat.

Her gasping for breath bringing me great joy. “I’ll be happy to make your wish come true bitch!” I yelled climbing on top of her wrapping my hands back around her throat as I slammed her head against the floor. “Ow,” she hissed grabbing the back of head as I kept on. “I told you not to touch my sister, you just don’t listen.”

“Trin, I can hear the cops” Kara said as I punched her again for good measure before getting up to check on Kara who was now bent over in pain.

“Are you ok?”

“What do we do Trin?” Kara cried as I hugged her closely. “I’mma whoop her ass till the cops get here, and they gon’ take her ass back to jail,” I said trying to calm her down as Tia writhed on the floor in pain.

“She could get out again Trin! We can’t keep doing this! What do we need to do?!” Kara cried as I felt helpless. I knew what we needed to do for us all to have some peace, I just hoped Kara felt the same way.

 Grasping her chin, I made her calm down and look at me. “I’ll tell you what we do. We end it, Kara, you hear me? We end this shit once and for all, that’s what we do,” I said making sure she understood what I was saying.

As we both looked down at the gun in her hands, we knew what we had to do. “Ya’ll ain’t got the balls, don’t worry though, I’ll find a way back out,” Tia gloated as Kara put down the gun.

Kara’s POV

“Kara, what you doing?” Trin asked as I stood up trying to gather myself. “It has to look like an accident,” I mumbled not believing the words coming out of my mouth. I said it so low; I didn’t even know if Trin heard me or not.

“Let’s do it,” she said without hesitation as I nodded as we looked at each other knowing if we wanted this to truly be over Tia had to go.

I wanted no room for error or a trial.  Suddenly Trin attacked Tia again as I wiped my fingerprints off the gun and put it in the center of the floor.

I knew Tia would go for it and put her prints back on the weapon. “Stupid bitch!” Tia yelled trying to grab Trin by her hair, coming up short as Trin gripped her by the neck and threw her onto the dresser shattering the glass. “Trin now!” I yelled as she looked at me taking a step back as Tia crawled towards the gun and grabbed it.

“Don’t move,” Tia gasped trying to point the gun at Trin but couldn’t focus. Trin had rocked her and she was unsure of her surroundings. I managed to sneak behind Tia as she stood up preparing to try to attack Trin with the gun. Quickly I grabbed her from behind extending her arms in the air as the gun went off again.

“Trin now!” I screamed as Trin ran towards us.

Jey’s POV

“Uce, there’s the cops,” Jimmy said pointing at the three cop cars surrounding Rebecca’s house. “Thank god!” Roman cried as we jumped out trying to get closer.

“Hey, we got a situation, now stay back,” a cop said as felt myself losing it. “My wife is in there and ya’ll need to get her out or I’ll do it my damn self!” None of us giving a damn about the storm at the moment as the rain seemed to be falling even harder than it had been all morning.

“No, no, no, Kara! Trin!” Roman yelled as I looked up to see Kara, Trin, and Tia tussling over a gun on the small balcony. One of the cops was trying to get a clear shot but Kara was in the way.

Tia suddenly lost her footing, going over the railing still holding on to Kara. “Kara, No!” I cried as Kara cried out.

“Pull Trin!” Kara yelled as Trin tried to pull them both up but this crazy bitch started laughed trying to pull Kara over the rail with her. “It’s over Kara!”

“Shoot her fuckin’ ass!” I screamed as Roman, and I tried to get past the cops.

“Let go, Tia!”  Kara screamed as Trin held on to her tight, trying to pull her back as the rain continued to bombard us all.

“I know ya’ll seeing this shit, she trying to kill’em both! Shoot her ass, what ya’ll waitin’ for?!” Jimmy pleaded as it seemed to be a tug of war with Trin having a tight grip on Kara, and Tia trying to pull her over the railing with her.

“I’m taking you with me bitch! You don’t get a happy ending!” Tia screamed. “Shoot her ass!” I yelled my eyes bouncing between Trin struggling to keep a grip on Kara and Tia’s joy at Kara’s pain.

Seeing Kara’s belly pressed up against the railing as she cried out in pain was all I could take. My wife and my child were hurting, and nobody was gon’ stop me from getting to them.

“Bite her ass Kara!..... Is ya’ll gon’ do something or not?! You know what? Move out the fuckin’ way!” I yelled, pushing through the cops and running inside as Roman blocked their path.

As I made my way in the house, past the EMT’s working on Rebecaa, I heard a blood curdling scream and a huge thud.

“Help us!” I heard Trin scream as I took the back steps two at a time trying to get to them busting in the room and seeing the wreckage. I knew a war had taken place in here and I knew Trin had held it down for Kara.

“I- I- Its….. It’s over,” Kara sobbed as I breathed a sigh of relief seeing my wife curled up in Trins arms as they held each other tight sobbing.

“It’s over, sis.” Running over to them I did the only thing I could and that was hold them both in my arms. It really was over…It was finally over.

“I am so sorry I left you, I should have followed my gut,” I cried as Kara shook her head. “You’re here now and you couldn’t have known baby.”

“I was so fuckin’ scared, Kara I had to get to you.”

“We’re ok.”

“Is Logan, ok?” Trin and Kara asked at the same time as I smiled at them. “Yea, she’s fine. She did everything ya’ll told her to do and got help.”

“I knew she would, is my mom, ok?”

 “Yea, the EMT’s are working on her,” I whispered as Kara nodded, wincing in pain.

“Are you good?” I asked rubbing her stomach as she groaned.

“Yea, I’m good but I’m in labor.” Kara hissed trying to breathe through an apparent contraction.

“Wait what!!”

Roman’s POV

She was dead, Tia was finally out of our lives and I felt bad at the relief that filled my body as they covered her up with a sheet. Logan was free of her, we all were free of her.

“Daddy!”  

Nothing ever sounded so sweet than to hear her voice. Smiling, I turned just in time to catch her in my arms. “Daddy you here!” She yelled as I cried, holding her close. “Daddy is here baby, and I’m so glad you ok Lo Lo.” I said walking down the driveway, and away from the crime scene. Last thing I wanted was for Logan to be traumatized seeing her mother’s dead body under a white sheet.

I know she didn’t know her well but that wasn’t something a four-year-old should have to see. Thankfully the rain had finally stopped for the moment.

“Tee Tee save me daddy.”

“I know baby, I know. ..Thank you, Ms. Nelson,” I said giving her a hug as she scoffed. “No need, this little one is everyone in this neighborhood’s grandbaby. You ain’t never gotta worry when she’s here.”

“I still can’t thank you enough.”

“Gram hurt daddy,” she said pointing as the EMT’s loaded Rebecca in the ambulance as we moved to the side of the road to let another ambulance in.

“Yes, she is but the EMT’s are taking care of her. I don’t want you to be scared,” I said as Jimmy embraced us both. Before running to meet Trin as she came out of the house.

“Jurdy!” she screamed jumping in his arms as he held her close. “Don’t ever do this to me again,” I faintly heard him say they cried together. Where was Kara?

A few seconds later I saw the other EMT wheel Kara out on a stretcher with Jey holding her hand coaching her through a contraction.

“No way,” I said as Trin smiled. “Yes way….Kara’s in labor,” she said giving Logan and I a hug.

“Tee Tee be a mommy?” Logan asked as Trin kissed her on the check. “Yea sweetie, your Tee Tee is about to be a mommy.”

---

Pensacola General Hospital

Jey’s POV

“Come on baby you got it, just bear down.”

 “I can’t, wait I can’t push!” Kara screamed laying back on the bed as I wiped her forehead.

"Kara, the baby’s head is almost out. On your next contraction I need you to take a deep breath, bear down and push with all you got," Dr. Rivers instructed. “No, I wanna take a nap. Tag you it, you take over, Jey,” I cried as Jey gently kissed me.

“If I could, I would baby, but only you can do this. I know you can do this, and I’m right here wit you.”

“I know and I love you.”

 I love you more, now let’s meet our baby. I bet he or she has your beautiful eyes.”

“And your nose,” Kara whimpered as I kissed her forehead and then her lips once again for good measure.  “Let’s go Mrs. Fatu,” I encouraged as she grunted through another contraction pushing with all her might. “Look Kara, it’s the baby. Come on baby, keep pushing.” I had never seen anything so amazing.

“Ahhh! Get it out! Get it out!” Kara screamed, and finally after ten hours of labor the most beautiful sound I have ever heard filled the room.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy!”

His tiny wails bringing forth my own tears without shame as they placed our son on Kara’s chest.

“He’s so beautiful, look at him Jey,” Kara cried as I fell in love all over again with her, and our son…. We have a son “I love you so much… I love ya’ll so much.” I cried just full and so happy as I kissed my wife and son.

“We love you too, daddy.” I don’t know how Kara knew, but I really needed to hear that. I had almost lost them both today and I just really needed to hear it.

“What are we gon’ name him?” I asked as Kara looked at me and smiled.

“How about after his dad?” she asked as I felt like my heart was about to explode. “Joshua? Like you really want to name him Joshua?” I asked as she nodded placing him in my arms.

“Yea, I can’t think of any better name…Can you?” She whispered reaching up and wiping my tears.

“Joshua, daddy loves you very much and I promise you and ya’ ma gon’ have the best of everything,” I promised as he opened his eyes and looked me.

“He’s looking at me Kara, and he looks just like me,” I said my voice breaking. “I know baby, I know.”

__

Roman’s POV

“Ms. Regina, can we go eat?” Logan asked as Regina scooped her up in her arms. “Of course, you deserve a hero’s dinner after what you did today, lil lady,” she said as Logan gave her a hug.

“Thank you for taking her,” I said as Regina gave me a chaste kiss on the lips. “You stay here and find out about Rebecca, I got Logan.”

I felt thankful, thankful that Rebecca and Kara had a plan in case Tia came back. Thankful for Regina coming into my life and loving Logan. These last five months just kind of hit me out of the blue. I wasn’t looking for anything or anyone and up pops Regina.

Very headstrong, has her own business and she puts my ass in my place when I need it. She met Logan last month and since then they have been joined at the hip. “You want to join them, Bill?” I asked as shook his head.

“Nah, I’m ok. I mean we’re on the outs, but I need to be here to make sure the old bat is ok,” Bill said as I chuckled to myself.

“Ok, I see your point.” I said spotting the doctor heading towards us.

“Oh, I know him…Tim how is she?” Bill asked shaking the doctor’s hand.

“She’s good, we got the bullet, and it didn’t hit any main arteries. She’s in recovery but will definitely have to take it easy for awhile.”

“Thank you so much, and we will make sure she does just that,” Bill said as I looked up and saw Jey coming from labor and delivery.

“How is Kara?” I asked as he smiled pulling out his phone. “She’s good and so is our son.” He said showing me a picture of Kara and the baby.

“A boy…How about that,” I said smiling. Kara looked so happy. “Tell her I’m happy for ya’ll.” Jey nodded, giving Bill his phone.

“There’s my boy,” Bill gushed as Jey beamed with pride. He was going to be a great dad and husband to Kara. That much I knew, and I wished them well.

“How is Rebecca?” Jey asked as Bill scoffed. “That old bat is tough as nails, she’ll be ok,” he said as Jey laughed. “Well, that’s good to hear, Kara was worried.”

“Tell her that her mama has eight lives left,” Bill said as I shook my head.” I will even though she gon’ wonder why in so many words you calling her mama a cat.”

“I prefer the term bitch in heat, but enough about that. What did the cops say?” Bill asked as Jey smiled. “No charges for Kara and Trin, it was self-defense.”

“Thank god, last thing we needed was another trial,” I said as Bill and Jey agreed. It was over…It really was finally all over.

Kara’s POV

Watching Trin with my son, I knew I couldn’t have asked for a better sister or aunt for my child. She took control and kept me grounded. Geez, I can still hear Tia’s body hitting the ground.

“Jey’s coming, I saw him push pass the cops. It’s now or never, let her ass go,” Trin whispered as I screamed for good measure making it seems as if Tia was slipping.

The look of shock on her face as I let her go was things instant karma is made of. She knew she was about to meet her end and the only thing she could do was scream.

Closing my eyes, I cringed hearing her body hit the ground bellow as Trin pulled me back in the room as we collapsed on the floor in an exhausted, thankful heap.

“Trin, thank you,” I cried as she shook her head engulfing me in a hug. “Don’t thank me….We did what we had to do.”

We walked away with some bumps and bruises, but the most important thing is that Tia is gone.  She’s gone and can’t hurt the people we love anymore.

“Trin-”

“Don’t say it Kara…It’s ok,” she whispered placing Joshua back in my arms.  

“But we-”

“Did nothing wrong, and the cops agree. That’s why there were no charges filed.”

“I know, I just hate I had to involve you in my mess.”

“I told you a long time ago you my sister, and I meant that.”

“Trin, I’m just-”

“Overthinking, when you should be enjoying my nephew,” she said as I smiled looking down at my son.

“To the grave,” I whispered extending my pinky out as she chuckled. “To the grave,” she said as we pinky promised to never talk about what happened again. After I fed Joshua and put him down I noticed Trin on her phone.

"What's got you smiling?" I asked climbing back in bed.

"Dear brother posted the baby, let me comment," Trin said full of excitement.

"Glad he didn't post me, I look a mess."

Girl, shut up, you look as beautiful as ever," she scolded giving me a hug.

 In the end, I guess I really was my sister’s keeper after all…And I didn’t mind it at all.

Trin was my sister in every way that mattered, and I would always have her back like she had mine.

-----

Four Years Later

Pensacola Pediatric and Internal medicine

Kara’s POV

“I want to thank you all for coming today as we get ready for our grand opening next week. I want you all to know that without you all there is no me. Thank you all for loving and supporting me.”

The happy faces of my family as I stood in front of my first practice is something I will never forget. Residency was hard but the completion and certification was well worth it.

“Hey lil man,” I whispered picking up Joshua as Jey put his arm around Logan making sure she was ok. “Mama, we eat now?” Joshua asked as I sighed. “In a few minutes we will eat lunch, ok?”

 His little pout as he laid his head on my shoulder making me smile. “Tee Tee, this is so neat,” Logan said giving me a hug. "Thank you sweetie."  Logan just turned eight a few weeks ago and growing up so fast and is already an amazing young lady.

 After Tia’s death, I felt responsible but every time I looked at this beautiful little girl, I knew. I knew we made the right decision for her, and I would always be there for her and so would Trin.

She also had Regina who has been a huge bright light in her life as well. She was good for Roman, and Logan. Hopefully one day he will take that step and try marriage again.

“Are you staying with us tonight, Logan?” I asked as Roman smiled at Regina. I knew he was loving the possibility of them having some alone time.  

“Yes, I wanted to spend the night if it was, ok? Is uncle Jey still grillin’?”

“Yea, I am, and you can stay whenever you want Lo,” Jey said hugging her as she smiled. “Thanks, uncle Jey.” Logan always relished in the attention and love that Jimmy and Jey showered upon her and I can’t say that I blame her. They loved her dearly and she loved them.

“Well, you can get Janiya too while you at it,” Trin said pointing at her three-month-old daughter, who currently had her father wrapped around her little finger speaking baby talk to her.

“Uh, no that baby is spoiled and gon’ holla for Jimmy all night. No ma’am, we pass until she gets a little older sis,” I said as Trin shrugged her shoulders. “It ain’t me, it’s him. See what you did Jimmy?”

“Aye, get off my back. It’s our first one,” Jimmy said smiling at his daughter.

“I guess you get a pass.. You look so cute being in Daddy mode,” Trin teased as my mother gave me hug. “I’m proud of you baby,” she whispered as I held her tight. “And I’m proud of you.”

“Ya’ll proud of me too, right?” my dad asked, jumping in our hug as we laughed. “Yes, we are very proud of you too, dad.”

My parents never got back together, but they are nice to each other and survive our family get togethers. That’s a plus for me.

“Ok, can I love on my wife now?” Jey asked, tapping my dad on the shoulder. My dad couldn’t get out of the way fast enough for me as I jumped into my husband’s arms.

“ I love you so much and I'm proud of you,” he whispered as I smiled truly happy that I had did everything I set out to do. Everything had been worth it, and a new journey was beginning for us.

"I love you more and like I told you, we did this together." I reassured him as my mother picked up Joshua.

"I was just about to pick him up Rebecca."

"Tani, you snooze, you lose. And how bout you finally admit that you don't hate me as much as you used too?"My mother asked as Tani rolled her eyes. Shaking my head I buried my head in Jey's neck.

"I can admit it, doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Please, you love sharing grammy duties with me."

"Them two a trip," Jey said shaking his head at their exchange. It's never boring, I can tell you that much.

"Think we should tell'em they're going to have another baby to spoil in a few months?" I asked as Jey smiled at me.

"Nah, they can wait a few more weeks. I ain't ready to share you just yet."

"Agreed, we need some peace and quiet for awhile."

"Damn, we really made it here,huh?" he asked still in somewhat shock, caressing my face. "Yea baby, we really made it."

The end.

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[the-guilty-writer]

Damaged

Agent Rossi-Reid

Anthology Masterlist

David Rossi x daughter!reader, Criminal minds x BAU!reader

Summary: After twenty years, Rossi-Reid learns why her father stopped putting up the Christmas Tree.

A/N: This is basically a rewrite of S3E14 “Damaged”. I wanted to include it since it’s such an important part of Rossi’s arc and other significant events (even if only snippets are shown) happen during this episode.

CW: So many Rossi-Reid feelings, Hotch getting a divorce, regular crminal minds violence, talks about santa not being real

---

“Spencer!” you called. “You’re going to be late!” You packed a snack in a small tupperware container and stuck it in his satchel. 

He walked out of the bedroom, tucking in his shirt and striding forward at the same time. You looked over at him and made a face. “What?” he asked. “Is it my hair? I was thinking it looked a little long this morning-”

“It’s not your hair, Spence.” You smiled. “Your hair is wonderful as always. It’s just, you and Hotch are going to do that interview tomorrow at the prison.”

Spencer grabbed his satchel and put the strap over his shoulder. “When you say it like that it sounds like we’re competing to see who gets to be the last inmate at a luxury detention facility. They’d pick me off my hairstyle alone.”

You couldn’t help but giggle just a bit. Spencer had recently acquired a rather new-found confidence and you loved it. “You’re wearing a tie,” you said.

“I wear ties all the time,” he retorted.

“Yes, but you’re going to be in a room with a killer and I’d rather not get a call that you were strangled,” you admitted.

Spencer knew that even though your tone was joking, you were actually rather serious. Behind your humorous exterior you harbored fear. As you turned from unlocking the apartment door to walk him out, he took you by the waist and pulled you into a kiss.

The older the two of your got and the longer you were married the more your kisses had evolved, and the more you understood what each type of kiss ment: there were the soft ones that lingered before you went to sleep or before the two of you parted which was a simple and strong “I love you”. There were the feather-light ones used for teasing and deep, all consuming ones for passion. There were ones on foreheads and knuckles for comfort and rare pecks on cheeks in public just to show you were marito and moglie- staking your claim on one another for the world to see. But recently you and Spencer had developed a new type of kiss- one that was deep and full, that caused a feeling to spread through your whole body as if you were being engulfed in Spencer while the rest of the world just faded away. It was different than a kiss of devouring lust or everlasting love- it was a kiss that knitted the fabric of your souls together for a few sweet seconds of eternity.

This new kiss was by far your favorite, and it seemed to be Spencer’s too.

“You’re going to be late,” you whispered.

Spencer purposefully tilted his head so his nose touched yours ever so slightly. The intimacy of delicate touches drove you crazy and he knew it.

“I should probably get going then,” he murmured.

“You probably should.”

You had to be the one to pull away, taking Spencer’s hand from your hip to intertwine it with your own. The two of you would hold hands until you exited the apartment building, and then you’d have to let go and wave goodbye to him as he climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV with Hotch.

Delicacy would have to wait.

---

You weren’t used to sleeping alone. With Spencer’s absence you found yourself seeking companionship and headed to work particularly early only to find yourself in an empty bullpen for the majority of the morning.

Growing up, your house had always been rather empty and lonely, and something about your Italian heritage made you long to go back to your grandparents' home country to live in a family house full of aunts and uncles and cousins. You wished for a house that was loud and never stopped moving. You wished for a family that never left you alone. Then you got old enough that your dad could bring you to the BAU after school and on weekends that he had to work. Suddenly you had everything you wished for- aunts that baked you cookies and scolded you for running in the halls, uncles that paid you a quarter to bring their reports to other departments so they didn’t have to, and eventually a brother; the young agent Hotchner who was trying to get on your dad’s good side. The BAU was the only true home had ever known, and you couldn’t stand to feel like your home was empty.

That’s how you ended up in JJ’s office that morning, sitting in the corner chair working on files while she went through her own manila folders. At some point, Garcia burst into the office and began to pace, but you didn’t really pay attention to what she was saying until you heard your own name.

“-Rossi showed up at my door in the middle of the night while I was enjoying a post-coital shower with fellow FBI technical analyst Kevin Lynch?”

You and JJ both looked up at Garcia, and then at one another.

“Sit,” JJ said to Garcia. You put your work on the chair and went to perch on the corner of JJ’s desk. You weren’t sure what was more intriguing about the whole thing- the fact that Garcia was in the shower with some guy, or that your dad had shown up at her apartment in the middle of the night.

No, you were definitely more interested in the guy.

“I need your help.” Garcia looked between the two of you.

“With what?” JJ asked.

“Agent Rossi,” Garcia said, concerned. “We're not supposed to date fellow bureau employees.”

“From what I hear, Rossi is the reason most of these fraternization rules even exist, okay?” JJ said.

“Oh, he is,” you confirmed with a smirk. “And it’s not like they even enforce those rules… I mean, Spencer and I got married and both of us still work here.”

“He's not gonna tell anyone,” JJ tried to ease Garcia’s nerves. “Just relax.”

“What was my dad doing at your apartment?” you inquired as casually as possible, hoping Garcia would spill.

“That's a good-” Garcia stopped herself. “I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”

Now you were even more curious.

“Why?” JJ drew out the word.

“I didn’t press the issue,” Garcia answered.

You tuned out JJ and Garcia’s voices, thinking about what your dad could possibly be hiding when another familiar name caught your attention.

“Mrs. Hotchner,” JJ answered the phone.

Your heart sank in your chest- Haley had been a big part of your life for a long time. Her and Hotch were newlyweds when you met them- all young and googly eyed and disgustingly in love. Back then, the BAU had also been quite the boys club, and Haley had taken you under her wing. You finally had someone that could teach you about clothes and make-up and boys. She was the first real consistent female figure in your life.

But despite your efforts to contact her, she hadn’t gotten back to you since she served Hotch with divorce papers.

“Well, that- that would make sense because he's in a prison right now, so sometimes cell service can be…” JJ trailed off and you tried not to overhear the angry words on the other end of the phone. “Oh, yeah- well if-yeah, if I can get ahold of him I'll… okay.” JJ hung up the phone. “That is one seriously pissed-off lady.”

You didn’t want to imagine Haley angry- she’d always been such a caring and understanding person, and selfishly, that’s how you wanted to keep seeing her. Once again, you tuned out the conversation and went back to your paperwork, but now your mind was flooded with questions and anxieties. You doubted you’d get any paperwork done now.

JJ got on the phone and Garcia left the office. You looked down at the files and wished that Spencer was there. It wouldn’t have taken much for him to make you feel better- just a small brush of hands or shoulders, maybe a few badly spoken Italian words- but he wasn’t there. As soon as JJ hung up the phone she looked over to you. “Are you okay?”

“Am I really that easy to read?” you asked.

JJ sighed. “No, but Hotch is getting divorced and I know you were close to Haley. You’re Jack’s godmother. On top of that your dad apparently has some massive secret that he’s been recruiting Garcia to help him with. I’d be feeling a little sad right now if I were you.”

You shrugged. “I’m not all that worried about my dad to be honest,” you admitted. “And I guess if Haley only had me in her life because of Hotch... then she was never really my friend in the first place.”

JJ didn’t have time to respond because Prentiss opened the door without knocking. Her eyes expressed concern and she spoke quickly. “You guys should come see this.”

“You go,” you told JJ. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Emily and JJ left you alone in her office. You picked up your phone and scrolled through your contacts, looking for Haley’s number. You weren’t sure what you were going to do. You weren’t going to call her- she never picked up anymore. Every text you’d sent had gotten no reply. There wasn’t anyone there to tell you what to do… except for you.

Your dad would have scolded you for being too involved, Spencer would have just taken your phone and held it above his head so you couldn’t reach, and Hotch… Well, for the first time in a long time you didn’t know what Hotch would do. So you typed the message out and pressed send before putting your phone in your pocket and pushing the thought to the back of your mind.

You walked to the bullpen to find Emily and JJ, but the two of them and Morgan were leaning over the railing outside your dad’s office, talking to Garcia.

“The guy is a fussy, anal-retentive neat freak who-” Emily stopped herself when you approached.

There was a pause and all of them looked at you. It was the same way agents used to look at you when you were a teenager and walked in on them conversing about a brutal case- you had heard something that you weren’t supposed to hear.

“Let me guess,” you started. “We’re talking about my dad?”

You peered behind Emily to see what all the fuss was about, and indeed it was something to fuss over. Your father’s files were scattered all over his office- the desk, the table, and the floor were littered with papers that would take hours to organize properly. Never in your life had you seen your father’s space look so messy.

“Oh, Papa.” Your jaw fell slack in shock and you rushed up to your dad’s office to get a closer look. Nothing was broken- his favorite mug was empty on his desk, the lamp stood tall, and the glass of the picture of the two of you was still intact- but your father’s filing system was like an extension of his brain and at the moment it was destroyed. “Fuori come un balcone…” You muttered as you looked around at the disarray in front of you.

“Say what?” Morgan asked.

“She says he’s gone crazy,” Emily interpreted.

You looked back at Garcia. You loved Penelope, you truly did, but if she didn’t tell you where your father was, you thought you might become the next unsub the team had to hunt down. “Where did my father go?” you asked, your tone serious. Almost dangerous.

Garcia turned serious as well. “He’s in Indianapolis on a 20 year-old double homicide. He said it’s time someone pays for it, and he was upset.”

You shook your head in slight disbelief- you must have been around seven or eight when it happened, but you had no distinct memory of your father coming home upset over a case at that age. When you were that little he tried to keep you as far away from the bad part of his work as possible, but surely you would have remembered something that disturbed him this badly.

The rest of the team’s chatter was background noise until Morgan tapped you on the shoulder. You turned to look at the team member who was probably least impressed by your father, but a team was a team to Morgan and that’s all that really mattered.

“Rossi-Reid,” he said. “Let’s go.”

---

It felt like the start to a bad joke… You, JJ, Morgan, and Prentiss walking into a bar. But seeing your dad look so defeated made you want to do anything but laugh. You’d grown up thinking he was invincible, and even though you knew better now it still hurt something inside you to know that he wasn’t. You couldn’t even bring yourself to speak as the rest of the group convinced your dad to let them help.

Rossi finally turned away from the bar. He looked at everyone, but his gaze lingered on you just a bit longer than the others. “Why do you care?” he asked.

You wanted to speak, but you couldn’t bring yourself to open your mouth.

“Because you do,” Emily said.

Without another word, Rossi grabbed his drink and walked over to a section of the bar that looked more like a lounge. All of you sat down and your dad began to talk. The case wasn’t even supposed to involve the BAU- your dad just happened to be in the car with the detective when he got the call. They were first on the scene of a brutal murder, leaving three kids as orphans, and there wasn’t anything to lead them to a suspect. The murder weapon, an ax, had been wiped clean.

“It turns out it belonged to the family,” your dad said. “The oldest daughter, Connie, told me her father bought it on Christmas eve a few months earlier to cut down the Christmas tree.” He sighed heavily and suddenly things started to make sense. “Now I always associate the whole thing with Christmas… Never been able to put up a tree myself again.”

You gazed down at the floor, unable to look at your dad. You recalled the first year the two of you didn’t go to pick out a tree; how you’d found the ornaments in the trash and suddenly your dad began giving you gifts on New Year Eve instead of Christmas day. You always assumed that he thought you’d outgrown the holiday- you knew that Santa wasn’t real and reindeer couldn’t fly. Snowmen didn’t come to life if you gave them a magic hat and the north pole was just a place full of snow instead of candy forests and elves that built toys.

You’d attributed his sadness on Christmas day to the fact that you were getting older, but the whole time it was because he was mourning parents that would never get to see their children grow up and children who would have to grow up without their parents to take care of them.

“When we arrived on the scene, before any of the other units got there, I could hear them before I even got out of the car.” The look in your dad’s eyes was distant, as if he was still at the scene from long ago.

“It was a warm morning and the windows were open in the upstairs bedroom… And their voices floated out into the street. They were crying and calling for their mommy and daddy.” You’d never heard your father so close to tears. “Three terrified children, screaming for their murdered parents. I've seen so much death and pain, but that sound… It's been twenty years and I can still hear them screaming every night, crying.”

You’d known your dad had nightmares occasionally- it came with the job- but it had been so long since you lived under his roof, you’d wondered if they had gotten worse as time went on. You wondered if, just like an unsub could be triggered by an anniversary, a profiler could too.

“If I can't tell them for sure that whoever’s responsible will never do it again, that screaming might never stop.”

Your dad finished off his drink and you, JJ, Morgan, and Prentiss looked around at one another. You’d been quiet for a while now, letting the rest of them do the talking while you sat with your memories and feelings, but now that you had processed everything you were ready to get to work.

“Well,” you said, looking at your dad. It was a good thing you’d gotten his stubbornness. “Let’s find who’s responsible for it then.”

---

It was easy enough for Garcia to find out where the children were living now, and before you knew it, Morgan was pulling up to the house and the team was getting out of the SUV, ready to face the case that had haunted David Rossi for two decades.

“Hi, Connie,” he greeted the oldest daughter. She couldn’t have been that much older than you. No wonder this case had hit him so hard. “I brought the team-”

“You need to stop this!” It was almost as if she was begging.

“Excuse me?”

“We thought that if we didn’t call you back the last couple of times you would just give up and leave us alone,” she said, her voice unsettled.

“Well, I know that it hurts, but I’m only trying to make sure someone pays for your parents’ deaths.” After nearly six months at the BAU, you’d never heard Rossi be so gentle with someone. The last time he used that tone was when he talked to you after Gideon left.

“We don’t care anymore!” Connie stressed. “It’s been twenty years. We need to be able to move past it, please!”

Your dad had always been a pusher, so when he responded with “I won’t bother you kids again,” and turned to get back into the car it surprised you a little. Part of you wanted to push for him.

“And you’ll stop it with the gifts too?!” That made all of you pause and turn back towards the family.

“Gifts?” The wheels in your dad’s head were beginning to turn.

“What are we supposed to do with a bunch of toys that remind us of the worst day of our lives?”

Rossi paused, his stare pointed at the girl with the intensity of the agent you knew he was. “I never sent you any gifts.”

Within ten minutes the three kids, who were now all adults, compiled the toys they had been mysteriously given over the years. You put on a set of rubber gloves and began to inspect them. You automatically knew your dad would never send toys like these to anyone- the material was falling apart in your hands, the stitching easily ripped, and they smelled like chemicals from a warehouse. One of them even left colorful dye on your gloves. Rossi was a best selling author, but even before that he’d always had expensive taste. Your own favorite childhood toy was an FAO Schwarz Teddy Bear that was older than this case and was still in decent condition- considering how much the stuffed animal had been through.

“See, an unsub like this, when they seek out children, they want to play with them,” Morgan explained. “They don’t really want to hurt them, but it’s their size- it frightens people.”

You stood up and stripped off your gloves. Done inspecting the evidence, you looked over at your dad. “This could be that piece you were looking for.”

Soon enough Garcia had gone through crime records and the team was on the move, searching the grounds of a carnival. Rossi and Prentiss paired up while you, JJ, and Morgan inspected the grounds.

“I can’t believe people actually pay good money to play these fixed games,” Morgan said.

“Men,” JJ said blankly. You snorted.

“Excuse me?” said Morgan.

“It’s not people,” you clarified. “It’s men.”

“Is that a fact?” Morgan tried to seem unbothered, but you’d known him long enough to know he’d probably tried to impress several ladies by winning them prizes on impossible ring toss.

“Only a man would waste fifty dollars trying to win a three dollar stuffed animal,” JJ said.

Morgan huffed a little, but the three of you kept walking, looking for anyone who could possibly resemble the unsub you were looking for.

“Clown.” You spotted him, white make-up still half on his face and red smeared around his lips. Morgan and JJ looked in the direction you nodded in. The clown looked back at the three of you and promptly dropped his trash bag before walking off.

The three of you went to look for him, trying not to look too threatening or suspicious. It didn’t take long for Morgan to spot the man’s discarded broom near a covered platform. Drawing your side arm and preparing for the possibility of a fight, JJ pulled down the cover to reveal the unsub hiding like a small child. It took you and Morgan combined to get him out from under the platform and cuffed. JJ kept her side arm ready just in case while Rossi restrained the unsubs father and Emily aided you and Morgan.

You took a moment to look over at your dad, but he was looking at the unsub- the man who he had spent twenty years trying to find. You expected him to look relieved, at least a little bit, but more than anything Rossi looked disturbed, as if he truly couldn’t believe that someone who had done such a horrible thing had a right to exist on earth. He should have been nothing more than a speck of dirt on your Papa’s spotless shoes, but he was a monster in the shape of a man- the reason three children had screamed for their dead parents; the reason your father heard their screams every night. And when your dad looked at you, you knew that he was thinking about twenty years worth of Christmas’s lost- twenty years worth of childhood and twenty years worth of memories.

At least you could make up for them now.

---

The jet was quiet- JJ filling out the paperwork to make the case official, Morgan with his headphones, and Prentiss with a book. Everyone except your dad was busy with something. He was just looking out the window, lost in thought.

You closed the file you were working on and moved to the other side of the jet, sitting across from him. He looked over at you, breaking his gaze away from the clouds.

“Mio passerotta,” he said, a smile in his voice. “You did a good job today.”

The compliment surprised you. Really you had done no more than the rest of the team, but the way your dad looked at you was different than he had before- like he was seeing you as more than a kid and more than an agent. He was seeing you as both.

“You know, I really wish you had told me,” you said. “Maybe not when I was little, but before you threw your files all over your office and we had to fly two hours to find out why.”

“Well,” he sighed. “Now you know.”

“And now you know why we work as a team,” you said.

He nodded once, slowly. “I guess I do,” he said. “But, mio passerotta, you and I have always been a team.”

“Does this mean you’ll start treating me like a team member?”

“It does,” he confirmed. “But you’ll still always be my daughter.”

You smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

---

The mood was light walking back into the bullpen, and you felt yourself brighten even more when you saw that Spencer was back. Every ounce of you wanted to run up and embrace him. The past twenty four hours had been an emotional roller coaster and your body craved to be pressed against his. Spencer must have known, because when you walked over to his desk, he took your hand lightly and planted a soft kiss on your knuckles before answering Morgan’s question and directing Rossi to his office where Kevin was waiting for him.

“Just when I thought nothing scandalous was ever going to happen around here.” Emily smirked as your dad closed his office door to talk to Kevin in private.

“What?” Your husband looked confused. “What does that mean?” Then he looked up at you- an inter-BAU marriage was rather scandalous in theory, but you and Spencer were so tame in front of everyone that it really didn’t count.

“Didn’t you hear JJ?” Emily said.

“The song meant something? No- no I missed it,” Spencer began to ramble.

“It-it-” Emily sighed. “You know what, never mind.” She sat down at her desk.

“What?” Spencer looked towards Rossi’s office.

You touched his hand lightly, still leaning against his desk. “I’ll explain it when we get home, Spencer,” you told him. He nodded, but then went back to gaping at the closed door.

You looked up too- seeing that Hotch was in his office. Normally you would have gone to say hello and maybe tease him about having missed all the fun, but even from where you sat you could tell that he was far more distressed than normal. The papers he was holding weren’t just from a case. They were personal.

Your phone vibrated in your pocket and you pulled it out, expecting a text from Garcia, or maybe Morgan. But when you saw the name on the screen your stomach dropped. With shaking hands, you opened the message:

From Haley Hotchner:

I want you to be a part of Jack’s life. You’re an amazing person, (Y/N). I love you and Jack loves you. You’re right that he shouldn’t have to grow up like you did, with only one parent to rely on, but Aaron needs to figure that out himself.

“Mio amata?” Spencer said low enough so that Emily couldn’t hear. “Are you alright?”

You shoved your phone in your pocket. “Tesoro,” you whispered, holding back tears. “Portami a casa?”

Spencer grabbed your go-bag and his satchel, his eyes wide and sympathetic with understanding. “Let’s go home.”

---

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[satchi-does-art]

Been a while since I last posted art. So I decided to share something I've been working on for the past months.

I started reading Wings of Fire mid-2022. I finished Arc 1 and Legends Darkstalker and I started Arc 2 recently.

I still love JoJo's Bizarre Adventure so I decided to do an WoF AU. I focused on Golden Wind for now as it is my current favorite part.

I started with La Squadra Esecuzioni which I conveniently named "Ironbringer's Winglet". Yes, in the WoF AU, I gave all of them names that fit the universe.

Let's Start.

Centipede the Sandwing (Gelato)

Centipede is a Soldier working for Blister.....well used to. He joined Ironbringer's Winglet alongside his mate Secretmaker and worked for Burn.

Secretmaker the Nightwing (Sorbet)

He's not born on the volcano island like other Nightwings, hence why he's got mind-reading powers as his egg was exposed to one full moon. He served as a messenger between Blister and the Nightwing Tribe until he got hired by Ironbringer alongside his mate Centipede.

Quail the Skywing (Formaggio)

Skywing General formerly working for Queen Scarlet, currently working under Queen Ruby's reign. He was hired by Ironbringer after the Leader of the Assassination Winglet witnessed the General intercepting an intruder in Scarlet's Throne room.

Battlewatcher the Nightwing (Illuso)

A lucky mind-reader born on the volcanic island. He has an enchanted mirror that serves as a portal to a Mirror World. He and Honeydew are friends since they were dragonets. He joined Ironbringer's Winglet after meeting with Honeydew again in Scarlet's Arena.

Guppy the Seawing (Pesci)

Locust's half brother. He has an echanted fishing rod that allows him to "fish" the hearts of his victims out of their bodies. He followed Locust into the army to work on his self-confidence. He joined Ironbringer's Winglet to not be separated from his older brother.

Locust the Leaf-Seawing Hybrid (Prosciutto)

Son of a Leafwing father and a Seawing mother, he grew up in the Seawing Kingdom, raised by his mother. He loves his half-brother Guppy a lot and allowed him to have a place in Queen Coral's Army. Locust was hired in Ironbringer's Winglet for his battling and military skills.

Honeydew the Rainwing (Melone)

Native to the Rainforest, he gave himself as a prisoner to a scouting patrol of Nightwings to keep the Rainwing Tribe safe. He's good friends with Battlewatcher and Icicle. He was hired by Ironbringer after proving himself in Scarlet's Arena.

Icicle the Icewing (Ghiaccio)

Illegitimate son of an Icewing Prince with an Icewing Dragoness from the 7th Circle, Icicle was raised by Centipede and Secretmaker after the Sandwing soldier intercepted Icewing fugitives and promised to care for the dragonet. Icicle joined Ironbringer's Winglet on Secretmaker's recommandation.

Ironbringer the Night-Sandwing Hybrid (Risotto)

He never knew his parents and was raised by his aunt alongside his cousin. His cousin perished by the hand of wandering Scavengers, that event left Ironbringer inconsolable. Ironbringer is an Animus but knows to use his magic with parsimony. He joined the Crimson Wings (WoF equivalent of Passione in my AU) after the Leader of the Network knew of his magic. From that moment, Ironbringer started gathering dragons to form his Winglet.

Bases are by Peregrinecella and K9Pestilence on DeviantArt. Ironbringer and Locust bases are edited by me.

[antebunny]

never fear, your fairy godmother is here!

(It's Wei Wuxian. He's the fairy godmother) (part one) (part two)

Wei Wuxian’s next stop is the town closest to the Gusu Lan sect. Despite how good his crow network is, there’s some information that has to be coaxed or tricked out of people face-to-face. There’s no place as rich with gossip as the marketplace, so that’s where Wei Wuxian goes.

It’s midsummer and boiling hot on the streets of Caiyi. Wei Wuxian glances up once at the sun, grimaces, and decides to do the townspeople a little favor. With a wave of his hand a light layer of clouds comes floating over from the south, obscuring the unrelenting sun and casting a nice, cool shade over the entire town. Satisfied with his work, Wei Wuxian continues down the street until he finds a shop stall with no customers. 

 The man behind the stall is nervously watching all the potential customers pass him by until Wei Wuxian shows up. “Would you be interested in a hairpin, perhaps for a lucky lady?” The man asks eagerly when Wei Wuxian stops in front of him.

“Yes and no.” Wei Wuxian pulls a small piece of white jade from his robes. “Would this be enough for these two right here?”

“Of course!” The man happily snatches the jade from his fingers before Wei Wuxian can change his mind. “Is there anything else I can help you with, young master?”

“I’m looking for some good gossip,” Wei Wuxian replies. “I’ve been hearing some, ah, interesting stories going around recently.”

“Oh, those cultivators up in the mountains aren’t fond of gossip,” the stall owner says, but adds hastily when he sees Wei Wuxian’s disappointment: “You should ask my sister-in-law! She knows everything that’s going on.”

“Where can I find her?”

“She’s a seamstress in the shop down the street. If you had thataways and turn right, it’s the shop with the blue flowers out front. She’ll be the one wearing pink silk, or you can ask for Bai Fengxi.”

Wei Wuxian follows the stall owners directions and finds himself inside a little shop two minutes later. He approaches the woman in rose pink robes and pulls another piece of jade from his robes. He was planning on conjuring some robes for Lan Zhan, but since he’s here, he might as well add a little incentive for her to share what she knows. 

“I’m going to need a lot of robes,” Wei Wuxian says.

Bai Fengxi’s eyes widen when she sees the jade. “This way, young master,” she says, gesturing towards the back of the shop. “I’ll need to take your measurements.”

Wei Wuxian follows her to the back and strikes up a conversation as soon as they’re slightly away from potential eavesdroppers. “So,” he says, “I heard there was some trouble with the Wens yesterday.”

Bai Fengxi snorts inelegantly. “Yesterday? Where have you been living, under a rock?”

“Uh,” Wei Wuxian says, remembering that his accent tends to match that of the people he talks to, “sort of, actually. I have been in seclusion for the past, uh, couple years. In the. Woods.”

The seamstress makes a vague noise of disbelief, and guides him to raise his arms. “You have missed quite a lot, young master. The entire cultivation world went to war with the Wens!”

“Oh, wow,” Wei Wuxian says, hoping he sounds appropriately shocked. “Um, I’m assuming we won?”

“Barely! Well, I don’t really know what happened,” she admits. “But! One of the seamstresses here has a friend whose first cousin sometimes goes up to the Cloud Recesses to work as a seamstress, and she says that there’s been a lot of drama there recently. Apparently, the Jins were moving some Wen prisoners through the area and the Lans were supposed to guard them while they were here. But they escaped.” Bai Fengxi lowers her voice, perhaps unconsciously. “And I think they kidnapped two cultivators at the same time.”

Wei Wuxian tries his best to look concerned. “Really? How? Why?”

“Oh, this is just speculation,” Bai Fengxi assures him. “But, the Lan cultivators have been in town since last night, asking if anyone has seen two cultivators and showing these paintings of them. So, I think the Wens somehow used them as hostages to escape. That or they helped the Wens escape. Or maybe one of them helped the Wens escape, and the other was kidnapped? But why would any cultivator help the Wens escape?”

“Uh.” Wei Wuxian stutters, fumbling for something to say now that Bai Fengxi has finally run out of words. “I don’t know.”

“Well, it’s just speculation,” Bai Fengxi says. “Now, what robes will you be needing?”

“I need some for my friend,” Wei Wuxian says. He waves his arms vaguely. “He’s about this tall and this wide.”

Bai Fengxi fixes him with an exasperated look. “Then I need to measure him, not you.”

“Right, right,” Wei Wuxian says. “I’ll go get him.” 

He backs out of the back room apologetically and dashes out of the shop, scanning the street to find a spot where someone is least likely to see him disappearing. Unfortunately it seems his cloud cover was too much of a blessing; the street is absolutely swarming with people. Eventually, he gives up and disappears on the spot. 

Wei Wuxian appears in front of Lan Zhan, who turns out to be quietly sitting in Wei Wuxian’s personal library, engrossed in one of the many volumes Wei Wuxian has collected from…somewhere. 

“Ah, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian notes cheerfully, “I see you’re a fan of literature.”

Lan Zhan looks up. If he’s startled to see Wei Wuxian appear suddenly, then Wei Wuxian can’t tell. Something about this scene is bothering Wei Wuxian, or ought to be bothering him, but since he can’t quite remember what, he shoves it to the back of his mind. 

“Mn,” Lan Zhan confirms. “You have an impressive collection,” he says approvingly. “This anthology of poetry from the Qing dynasty, for instance. If I were to oversee the reconstruction of a famed library I should like to include a copy.”

His example is specific enough to leave Wei Wuxian scratching his head mentally. But wait. The Qing dynasty? A cold hand grips the back of Wei Wuxian’s neck as he remembers what ought to be bothering him. He lets out an undignified squawk and points a betrayed finger at a confused Lan Zhan. “You can’t read that! That’s–that’s from the future! We’re nowhere near the Qing dynasty in space or time!”

Confusion clears into disapproval. “Forgive me,” Lan Zhan says, though his tone begs to differ. “I did not realize you engaged in the practice of restricting knowledge.”

Wei Wuxian’s mouth falls open in shock. “Ohhh that is so unfair. This doesn’t count! It’s foreknowledge!”

Lan Zhan narrows his eyes ever-so slightly. “Is that not knowledge?”

“You–!” Wei Wuxian splutters. “Lan Zhan!”

“Nevertheless,” Lan Zhan carries on calmly, too calmly for Wei Wuxian, “I shall endeavor to respect the rules of my host, no matter how barbaric I find them to be.” And he sets aside the anthropology of Qing dynasty poetry with the air of a man gracefully conforming to an distasteful regulation.

Wei Wuxian actually gasps out loud. The injustice! The unfairness! The offense! “Lan Zhan!” 

Finally he remembers what he came here to do and he strides forward to grab Lan Zhan’s hand again. He barely has time to register Lan Zhan’s scandalized expression before he teleports both of them to the town he just left.

Wei Wuxian keeps a hand on Lan Zhan’s elbow to steady him as he adjusts to the sudden change. The chatter of civilians in the marketplace floods his ears, as does the hundreds of scents: floral perfume, steamed buns, and more. 

A line of tension pulls Lan Zhan’s spine ramrod straight. His subtle smugness from a few seconds ago is wiped away by slightly widened eyes and flaring nostrils. “Why are we in Caiyi?”

“I need to get your measurements,” Wei Wuxian explains, pulling Lan Zhan into the busy street after him, scanning left and right for the shop with blue flowers. “It won’t take l–”

“Hey! Young master!” A boy runs up to them. “Sorry to bother you, young master, but are you the person in this painting?” And he holds up a painting of a man who is undeniably Lan Zhan. 

Lan Zhan freezes, somehow even stiffer than before. Wei Wuxian glances around, hoping there’s few enough people around that he can get away with vanishing both of them. Too late; the boy’s shout has attracted eavesdroppers up and down the street. A dozen heads have already turned in their direction. 

Clearly the boy can also see that Lan Zhan is the man in the painting, because he continues with that assumption. “The Lan sect cultivators have been looking for you,” the boy says blithely. Suddenly he notices Wei Wuxian’s presence. “We, um…thought you were…kidnapped?”

Wei Wuxian forces a laugh. “Ahahaha, they clearly aren’t the same person, that man is wearing a forehead ribbon!”

The boy frowned. “But–!”

“Next time don’t bother people without confirming their identity first,” Wei Wuxian admonishes, nonsensically. He turns and runs back the way they came. This time Lan Zhan does not need to be pulled after him. 

Wei Wuxian vanishes himself and Lan Zhan back to his home in Lotus Pier. They stand without speaking for several moments, Wei Wuxian panting, Lan Zhan breathing slightly heavier than usual. Despite the less obvious change, Wei Wuxian can tell he’s rattled. 

“Okay,” Wei Wuxian concedes, though there was no accusation, “that was a bad idea.” He points a finger at Lan Zhan. “Don’t read the books. I’ll be right back.”

And he vanishes again, this time directly to the back room of the robes shop. He’s in luck this time; Bai Fengxi is the only one in the room. Her eyes widen into round saucers. 

“You–!” She drops the cloth she was holding in shock. “How did you–”

“Nevermind that,” Wei Wuxian interrupts. He still doesn’t know what they use for money here, so he pulls a piece of solid gold from his robes and shoves it at her. “Just get me robes in every size.”

Bai Fengxi’s mouth closes and opens like a fish. Her business instinct must kick in because she takes the gold and asks: “What color?”

Wei Wuxian spreads his hands and shrugs. “Anything but white. Everything but white. The finest silk you have.”

“Right.” Bai Fengxi eyes him nervously until her curiosity gets the better of her. “Are you a god?” She blurts out. “Or a demon? A huli jing?” 

“I’m a fairy godmother,” Wei Wuxian confides.

“What’s that?” Bai Fengxi asks blankly. 

Wei Wuxian sighs. “Forget it. Just get me the robes. I’ll be back tonight.”

He vanishes, appearing in front of Lan Zhan, who is once again seated in his library, reading a book from the nineteenth century, no doubt. 

Wei Wuxian sighs again. Menace.

[nirikeehan]

HAPPY FRIDAY NIRI I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOUR NEW AU!!! could I request some Blackwall/Cullen/Thalia (with Pravin questioning Thalia's life choices) + “Time for my favorite pastime.” “Which is?” “Drowning my problems in ridiculous amounts booze!”?

OMG HI this was an incredible prompt. I'm so glad I finally had a chance to fill it.

Two notes: 1) Part of this fic was inspired by me yelling about the political implications of Blackwall's crimes to my bestie which in turn was inspired by modern Russian politics, look at me using my degree lmfao 2) bestie and I have outlined an alternate version of the "underworld connections" option to springing Blackwall from prison, which supposes Pravin was directly involved in the escape and convinced Blackwall to shave off his beard in the process. I loved that idea and ran with it for this scene.

As always, Pravin aka "Fidencio Frye" belongs to the lovely @monocytogenes

For @dadrunkwriting

WC: 2105

---

Pravin liked the Herald’s Rest tavern because it had good food, excellent drink, mediocre entertainment, and a fascinating cross-section of civilization upon which to eavesdrop. Leliana’s intelligence reports were all well and good, but sometimes it served a bard to simply go amongst the people and see what he could learn.

He spied his cousin first, her distinctive auburn hair standing out amidst a crowd of soldiers in still-donned helms and Orlesian visitors in shiny masks. She sat at a long wooden table, back to the door. (How many times did he have to warn her not to do that? It wasn’t safe.) Across from her was a man with long black hair and recently shorn whiskers. Without the beard to hide behind, Thom Rainier became painfully easy to read. The redness to his complexion suggested he was already deep in his cups, and the sneer on his handsome lips as he spoke indicated he was hurling an insult. Even though the din and distance prevented Pravin from hearing exactly what was spoken, the stiffening of Thalia’s shoulders proved it landed as intended. She turned and launched herself off the bench, fleeing. 

Fury boiled in Pravin’s stomach. Thalia, blinded by emotion, did not see him standing there, and tried to push past him to the door. He caught her elbow. “Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” 

Thalia looked at him, startled. Her eyelids held a sheen of tears, which she blinked against furiously. “What? Oh, Pravin, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She ignored his question.

“What did he say to you?” 

“Nothing.” She wiped at her eye with a knuckle.

This only stoked Pravin’s anger. “It didn’t look like nothing.” 

“Pravin, please. Just leave it alone.” 

Thalia tried to pull away, a move Pravin expertly redirected, turning her around. 

“Hey, look who just came in.” He pointed to the far corner of the room, where Commander Cullen sat with a giant stack of reports for company. The Maker himself couldn’t have planned it better. “Why don’t you go say hi?” 

Thalia shot her cousin a scathing look. “He looks busy.” 

“Are you kidding? He looks like he’s dying for someone to give him an excuse to stop working. Here.” Pravin guided Thalia to the bar, where he fished out a handful of coins and slapped them in front of Cabot. “I’ll take two of your best ales.” 

When the barkeep set them down firmly on the countertop, Pravin grabbed them and shoved them into Thalia’s hands. “One for you, one for the Commander.” 

Thalia’s eyes widened. “You want me to go over there and just—?”

“Hand him one, yes,” Pravin cut her off emphatically. “Trust me on this.”

Thalia glanced dubiously at the frothing steins, but inhaled deeply and nodded. “All right, fine.” 

She marched to the Commander’s alcove with straight posture and clear determination. She was nothing if not tenacious, his little cousin. 

Pravin waited until she reached Cullen and said hello, noted the way he looked up immediately at her approach, the smile that slid involuntarily onto his face when he saw her. Satisfied, Pravin turned back to Cabot. “I’ll have two more, please.”

“You got it,” the dwarf replied, heading to the same large barrel behind the bar. Upon his return, Pravin gave a generous tip and asked, “What’s the mood out there?”

“Restless.” Cabot swept the coins from the counter into his pocket.

Pravin had always appreciated Cabot’s laconic yet honest attitude. They’d had a bit of an understanding since Cabot had come to Skyhold: Pravin ridiculously overpaid for his service, and Cabot reciprocated with a little extra information. Pravin inclined his head toward Rainier’s table. “That one been giving you any trouble?” 

Cabot squinted. “Him? Nah. Always pays his tab and keeps to himself, mostly. Been here a lot lately, but can’t say I blame him on that score.” 

Pravin thought he caught a twinge of sympathy in Cabot’s voice, which surprised him. “And there haven’t been any incidents since— you know?”

“Not really.” Cabot shrugged. “There’s been whispers, of course. Few Orlesian soldiers got drunk and taunted him, but he just left. Got no reason not to serve him.” 

“I wasn’t suggesting you stop serving him,” Pravin said quickly.

“Good,” Cabot grunted. “‘Cause if I had to cut off every bastard around here who may have committed a crime, I’d go out of business.” 

“I think we’re a little past may with Rainier, Cabot,” Pravin said drily. 

Cabot gave him a hard look. “Only because Celene’s still Empress, my bardic friend.” 

Pravin sighed. “Point taken, Cabot. You have a good night.” 

“Always do,” Cabot deadpanned, polishing a glass. 

Pravin retrieved the ale and strode over to the table where Rainier sat, staring at the bottom of his stein like he might be able to divine his future in there. It was, as Pravin had suspected, empty. 

“This seat taken?” Pravin asked, but didn’t wait for an answer before sitting. 

Rainier glanced up, his eyes narrowing. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Fidencio fucking Frye,” he slurred in a dangerously nasty tone. 

Being drunk had the extraordinary effect of somehow making the man’s Marcher accent even thicker. Pravin tried not to grimace. He’d heard similar voices on fools in stage productions, playing up the peasant inflection for comedic affect. Thomas Rainier was a walking self-parody. What the hell did Thalia see in this lout? 

“What are you doing?” Pravin asked, exasperated. 

“Engaging in my favorite pastime,” Rainier sneered. “Drowning my problems in ridiculous amounts of booze.” 

Pravin stifled another sigh. This was going to be more difficult than he’d hoped. “Well then, let me top you off.” He slid one of the steins over to Rainier’s side of the table. Strictly speaking, it was probably a bad idea to give him more alcohol, but Rainier was a big man. It would take a lot to knock him down entirely. 

Rainier eyed the new glass suspiciously. Pravin remembered his little tantrum at his judgment all too well, when Rainier had gone on about hidden arrows taking him out if he refused to pledge allegiance to the Inquisition. Pravin had found it a touch melodramatic, but the small bit of color that had remained in Thalia’s face drained entirely when he said it. 

“It isn’t poisoned, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Pravin commented, raising his own stein and taking a hearty sip.

Rainier grunted, but picked up the ale all the same. How easy might it be to poison him? No, no, Thalia would never forgive Pravin for that. He had to try a less direct approach. 

“You need to leave her alone,” he warned, his tone light but firm.  

Rainier’s grey eyes flashed at him over the rim of the metal stein. “Me? She’s the one who keeps putting herself in my way.”

“And whose fault is that, eh? Maybe you should have thought twice before pursuing a woman half your own age.”

Rainier’s meaty hand formed a fist and pounded the tabletop. “I told her, dammit! I told her half a hundred times it was a bad idea, it would never work—”

“Yet you did nothing to stop it from happening,” Pravin said quietly. 

“Oh, I did plenty. Except a bloody bard had to appear outside my jail cell and muck it all up.” 

They held each other’s gaze. Pravin could sense the rage simmering beneath his exterior, which incited his own. He had no desire to revisit the series of events that had taken Thom Rainier from the prison in Val Royeaux to Skyhold. He had risked much and more to return this shit stain to Thalia, and so far Pravin had seen no return on the investment. They had barely maintained plausible deniability with the Orlesian crown, and this was the first of Thalia’s calls as Inquisitor that people questioned. Restless, Cabot said, confirming a suspicion Pravin had harbored for some weeks. Many at Skyhold held the opinion that Rainier should not be walking around free, and his continued presence among them made things precarious for Thalia — all because Rainier had to go and make a big spectacle about his crimes. 

“You know,” Pravin said, his stomach churning with the venom he felt, “it’s not so much the treason I mind, but the stupidity.” 

“Excuse me?” Rainier looked so affronted that Pravin wanted to punch him in the face, the one that looked all too familiar now that he’d shorn away the beard. Pravin remembered the fight that had been, once he’d smuggled Rainier out of the prison, as if losing the facial hair meant losing his very soul. But the authorities were looking for a bearded man, not a clean-shaven one, and at last he’d relented. When he’d emerged from the privy in the safe house bare-faced, Pravin had recognized him immediately.

 That he’d existed under Pravin’s nose for months, a man he’d remembered from their time spent in certain libertine circles, infuriated him. 

“You heard me,” Pravin said. “So you took coin to betray your country. So what? Traitors like you are a copper a dozen, Rainier. It’s that you’d got away with it, scot free, even had a convincing new identity you wore so well. And then you threw it all away, and created a giant mess the rest of us had to clean up — for what?”

“For honor,” Rainier snapped.

“Honor means horse shit when you’re dead,” Pravin countered. “And you don’t even have the common sense to be grateful.” 

Silence fell between them. Rainier took a slow breath and raised his drink to his mouth; Pravin could tell he’d rattled him. 

“Typical,” Rainier muttered into his drink. “What would a man like you know about honor?” 

“More than you might think,” Pravin said, sneaking a glance over his shoulder. Thalia sat with Cullen, going over reports with him as the two chatted. Pravin even spotted a grin on Thalia’s face. That warmed his heart, despite the terrible company he currently kept. 

“Adopted country,” Rainier mumbled. 

Pravin faced front again, raising an eyebrow. “What did you say?” 

“You said I took coin to betray my country. Orlais was never my country, not really.” Rainier set down his stein with the precision of one drunk enough he worried he might drop it. He stared at it, refusing to meet Pravin’s eyes. “I’m sure that was part of their calculus.” 

Pravin frowned, inclining his head. “How so?”

“Oh, you know how it works, Frye. You want to usurp the ruler, yet maintain a respectable distance. So you hire someone. Then he hires someone — a foreigner, gone too far above his station, too ambitious for his own good. Someone they can trace the crime to quickly and point fingers at. Because he’s just a degenerate, not even one of us — of course it was him, got the whole family, the kiddies too. Depraved, perverse, but not surprising. What do we even expect, when we let people like that in?” 

Pravin watched Rainier in unsettled silence. Perhaps the man was quicker than Pravin had given him credit for. 

“I was always supposed to get caught,” Rainier said softly. “I was blind not to see it. But that’s what greed does to you. You think you can stay one step ahead, beat ‘em at their own game.” He raised his gaze at last, steading it on Pravin. “But you know as well as I do, don’t you? You can’t beat the Orlesians at their own game.” 

Slowly, throat tight, Pravin nodded.

“Call it stupidity, or honor, or fuck all, I don’t care.” Rainier took the stein and drained the last of his ale, grimacing as he swallowed. “I owed my men some dignity. I owed Thalia some dignity. I had to balance the bloody scales.”

In the quiet that followed, Pravin leaned back in his seat and nursed his ale. Rainier swayed a little in his seat, but did not try to stand. Pravin had a feeling he’d be the one Rainier would lean on while stumbling back to the stables later. I ought to leave him in the bushes, he thought, but his heart was no longer in it. 

Rainier propped his chin up under one hand, his eyes glazed and wandering. Pravin did not turn to follow it, but the way Rainier’s expression softened, Pravin knew what he’d found. 

“She looks happy,” he murmured. 

“Mmhm,” Pravin agreed. 

Rainier scrubbed his hand down his face, scratched at the dark stubble covering his jaw. “She deserves to be happy,” he said, miserably. 

“Mmhm.” 

The mediocre minstrel queued up one of her breathy songs, and Pravin considered ordering another round.

[xmarchwarden-of-lothlorienx]

Compelling

Thranduil x fem!human!reader

Requested: @the-colonialtemplars

Summary: “I would like the human was part of the company of Bilbo and the Dwarves and that when Thranduil first her he begins to take a strange interest in her”

Authors Note: I am so sorry for taking forever with this 😓 Life was kinda hectic so I didn’t get the chance to write for a hot minute. I hope you enjoy it!

__________________________________________

When you had been asked to join the company of Thorin Oakenshield, you didn’t have getting lost in Mirkwood and captured by the Elvenkings guards in mind. You were a human, and a very talented swords-woman at that. Your skills were known to many, including Gandalf, who had been the one to propose you join the quest to reclaim Erebor. Now, you were being escorted through the halls of the Elvenking.

The kingdom had been carved from wood and stone. It was so different and yet more beautiful than anything you had ever seen. As you were escorted by guards, all you could do was look in awe at the extraordinary view.

The guards stopped you in front of the throne. You brought your eyes to the figure of the Elvenking when the captain addressed him.

“What shall we do with them, My King?” His icy blue eyes slowly passed over the company and lingered on you. You gulped. You had thought the kingdom was beautiful, but now all of your attention was directed towards the king. He looked ethereal seated upon his throne; as if he had been carved from the finest and purest of stone.

“Take them to the dungeons. Leave Oakenshield with me,” he commanded. As he spoke, you made eye contact with each other. You could feel the goosebumps raising across your skin. All you could think of while you were being shoved into your cell were his eyes. The king-Thranduil they called him-had a cold and harsh demeanor, yet looked somewhat...lonely? You couldn’t place it exactly. You shook your head. The last thing you needed was to feel sympathy for the person holding you prisoner.

___

When Thorin returned from his audience with the king, everyone jumped to their feet and began asking what had happened. Before you could hear his response, a guard opened your cell and grabbed your arm.

“Your turn,” was all they said. As you were led back to the throne room, the dwarves shouts of outrage at your being taken away echoed through the long hall.

Standing before the king, you had never felt smaller. It felt as though he could see right through you.

“May I ask why you wanted to see me?” You inquired first. Thranduils expression shifted to one of amusement. A human, in his own court, addressing him without first being acknowledged and without using his title? This should be interesting.

“My audience with Thorin Oakenshield did not go quite as planned.” He began descending from his throne. “I was hoping to have a discussion with someone that would perhaps be more reasonable.” Thranduil was now slowly circling you.

“I am not the leader of this quest. Decisions are not mine to make.” You responded. The king obviously knew of the stubbornness of dwarves. If he thought you could convince Thorin, that would be near impossible.

“All I ask is for you to consider my offer,” Thranduil whispered into your ear. He was behind you now and you hadn’t realized how close he was to you. You felt the hairs rise on the back of your neck. Something about the Elvenking put you completely on edge.

“Alright. I shall consider it,” you replied. “But, I make no promise to fulfill or agree to anything.” Thranduil smirked at your response. Interesting indeed...

“I understand that if you do succeed in reclaiming Erebor each of you will be given a share of the treasure.” He continued walking until he was in front of you. “There is something very precious to me among the gold of the mountain.”

“Oh?”

“Jewels, made of pure starlight. If you should find them, I hope you could return them to me.”

“Return?” You asked. You knew of the bad blood between the elves and dwarves, but Thranduil’s choice of words piqued your curiosity.

“Yes,” he paused. “They belonged to my late wife, and Thorin Oakenshield has refused to give them to me.” Oh. Suddenly, you understood the lonely Elvenking. Your knowledge of elves was limited, but you knew when they fell in love, they fell hard. It was rare for them to ever marry more than once. In fact, it was rumored that they could only fall in love once.

“I see,” You said. You felt sorrow for Thranduil. The dwarves were stubborn, but they could at least give him what belonged to his former queen. “If the opportunity should arrive, I’ll see what I can do.”

Thranduil nodded to his guards signaling that you were done. They took you away, this time more gently than before. Once you were gone, he returned to his throne and thought. You seemed different from most humans he had met. You weren’t troubled with impressing him or seeming like you were something you were not. You ignited something he had not felt in a long time. That couldn’t be though, could it? Only time would tell. After all. He was patient. He could wait.

___

The Battle of the Five Armies was over. You sat upon the broken ramparts, and mulled over recent events. Thorin and his dragon sickness. Sneaking out of the mountain with Bilbo to give the Arkenstone to Thranduil. After everything the company had been through, Thorin, Fili, and Kili were dead. Thorin’s cousin, Dain, would now be King under the Mountain. Your thoughts were interrupted by someone sitting down beside you.

“And what about you? Where will you go now that the quest is over?” Thranduil. The battle weighed heavily on him as well. He had lost many of his people and now his son, Prince Legolas, was leaving.

“I’ll do what I always do,” you replied. “Journey from one town to the next. Find a new job or adventure to partake in.” You turned to the king. “I apologize for not finding your jewels. I know they-they meant a lot to you.”

“No,” he said. “I’ve come to realize that there are far more important things to treasure.”

“Oh? Care to enlighten me?”

“Love,” he said quietly. “Not becoming so caught up in a memory that you neglect those that are still here.” You sat in silence for a few moments.

“I’m sorry about your wife,” you said. “I know she must have meant a great deal to you.”

Thranduil gave a sad smile. “Yes.” He looked into your eyes. Light blue staring into (e/c). “Though I think my time of mourning is over.” He stood up. “Tell me, how would you feel if I offered you a place at Mirkwood?” This was a surprise, and a pleasant one at that. Being offered a place among the elves was an honor.

“I-well-of course I would accept.” You finally managed to say. It wasn’t as though you had anywhere else to go. The dwarves offered you stay at Erebor, but some were still angered over your and Bilbos ‘betrayal’. You would much rather let that tension cool before staying with them.

Thranduil was pleased with your response. He slowly extended a hand to you. “Come then. We shall depart in the next hour or so.” You placed your hand in his and he pulled you up. You stumbled slightly into him. You again made eye contact. There you stood, his hand in yours, too close for what was considered appropriate. Becoming flustered at your proximity to him.

“Forgive me. I must go pack my things,” you said before leaving. Thranduil watched as you hurried away. Interesting indeed...

[aliwritesfic]

First Date (Frankie “Catfish” Morales x F!Reader)

Summary: Frankie only downloaded Tinder after Santi basically forced him to one night, and he never expected to actually meet anyone on there.

Word count: 2.4k

Content warnings: Oral (F receiving), P in V, age gap, online dating, condom used

(I haven’t written creatively in almost 7 years so if this is a waste of time I apologise, also tagging @absurdthirst because i sent them an anon last night about being nervous to post this lmao)

Frankie looked at your photo again and rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. He wasn’t used to this whole online dating thing, and he certainly hadn’t expected to meet anyone on it. Pope swore by it for one-night stands and fuck buddies, and practically forced him to download the app and create a profile while they were all at their favourite bar and Benny had gone home with some girl. He’d swiped right on only a few people and made even less matches. Any conversations he’d had on there fizzled out after a few hours after telling them he didn’t have Snapchat, or Facebook, or Twitter, or anything else like that.

Then he’d matched with you.

Your profile was simple – a couple selfies, a photo on a hike with a beautiful staffy, and a group shot on a night out. Your bio was short and sweet – criminal justice and community welfare student, intersectional feminist, nerd. Lover of cheesy one liners and bad jokes.

Frankie had swiped right almost immediately. The only thing that gave him pause was the age gap – twelve years between you. There were bigger gaps, of course, but he’d never dated anyone more than two years younger.

“You’re both grown adults,” Pope said looking over his shoulder, “what the fuck are you waiting for?”

So, with that, Frankie swiped right and was instantly greeted with a match. His stomach jumped again as you sent the first message, a simple but effective ‘hey, what do teachers and ancient history have in common? They both Babylon!’

You both chatted for a few more days before Frankie decided enough was enough. He asked you out for dinner and drinks at a local sushi place that had recently opened. He felt ill as he waited for your reply, wondering if it was too soon. It was almost an hour later that you replied ‘YES! How’s fri at 8:30 sound?’

It was a date. His first in over a year. The boys had come over to help him get ready, feeling like he was in high school all over again.

Frankie stood outside the restaurant, wishing he hadn’t left his cap in the truck, or at least wishing he’d picked somewhere that didn’t seem like it had an unwritten dress code. But he’d wanted to impress, and the reviews of this place had been positive.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside and moved towards the hostess. “Table for two, under Morales.”

“Right this way sir,” the hostess smiled at him and led him towards a table near the back, and Christ you were already there.

You were even more beautiful in person, in a tight dark dress, heels and a denim jacket thrown over the back of your chair. You were reading the menu, a small frown on your face as you squinted at it. You didn’t even notice him approach until he was standing right next to you. When you looked up, your mouth transforming into a grin, his heart skipped a beat.

“Frankie?” You said, your name sounding like heaven on your lips. Frankie sat down opposite you, his palms suddenly sweaty.

“Hey,” he went to say your name and you cut him off with a wave of your hand.

“Please, everyone I like calls me Sunny,” you grinned at him and he knew exactly why.

“Well, Sunny,” Frankie felt himself grin back at you, “it’s nice to finally meet you properly.”

“I’ve been so nervous all day,” you admitted, “but a good nervous, like nervous excited. I was supposed to be making notes on one of my lectures today, but I couldn’t stop thinking about this date. It’s been so long since I’ve been on one, I just stressed myself out about it all day.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” Frankie laughed, relieved to know that the insanely beautiful woman in front of him was just as out of sorts as he was. He was beginning to feel more at ease with you already, something he hadn’t felt with someone new in a long while.

The waitress arrived then, beaming down at you as she asked if you were ready to order. Frankie ordered a plate of sashimi and a spicy crab roll, while you got a veggie roll, and you both ordered a shot of soju.

“Don’t like fish?”

You shrugged, “I’m allergic, not like deathly or anything but I get a rash and a really bad stomach ache. It sucked when I was travelling through Asia a few years ago.”

Frankie frowned, instantly regretting even suggesting the restaurant in the first place. “We can go somewhere else if you like,” he suggested, ready to do anything he could to make this a perfect first date.

“Oh god, no!” You smiled and Frankie’s stomach jumped. “I’ve been wanting to come here for a while now, so when you suggested it, of course I was gonna say yes.”

Frankie felt a little relieved at that, and you two talked for a while, waiting for your meals. He found out your dog was called Lola, you loved old music, and you were a disability support worker before your close cousin went to prison and you decided to enrol in university to study criminal justice. You found out he was a pilot, ex-military and he loved classic lit.

You continued to talk through your meal and several more drinks. He was beginning to deeply enjoy the sound of your voice, your laugh. You made him feel like you two were the only people in the room, everyone else was insignificant.

Eventually though, you both felt it was time to give up your table to someone actually paying. You tried to pay for your own meal and drinks, but Frankie insisted on paying. You both walked outside into the chilly night air, and Frankie couldn’t help but admire how beautiful you were even under the streetlights. You cleared your throat and Frankie noticed a blush creeping up your cheeks.

“I uh, I don’t really want this night to end, do you?” you asked. Frankie decided to do what he could feel himself wanting to do all night.

He stepped forward, closing the gap between you as he cupped your soft cheeks in his rough, calloused hands and kissed you. Your reaction was almost immediate, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and running your fingers through his hair, pressing your bodies together. Your tongue darted along his bottom lip and he instantly granted you access, his own tongue sliding into your mouth. He wanted you. Desperately.

“Do you want to come back to mine,” Frankie asked, his hands slid down to your waist, he kissed along your neck, feeling your pulse flutter under his lips. You moaned softly as his mouth found your collarbone.

“Yes,” you whispered, “god yes.”

He kissed you again, before breaking away to lead you back to his truck.

“How far?” you asked.

“Five minutes,” Frankie said, resting his hand on your upper thigh where the hem of your dress ended. He felt himself tighten in his jeans as he thought about what he wanted to do to you. He driver faster than necessary, turning the journey into a quick three minutes. Once the truck was off you didn’t waste a moment, pulling yourself onto his lap, straddling him between your thighs. Your lips met his frantically, like you were both starving for each other.

Frankie’s hardness pressed against his jeans as you ground against him. He kissed down along your neck and jaw, relishing in your soft moans. One hand stayed planted firmly on your ass, the other snaked up your body to your breasts, pulling your dress down to expose them. You weren’t wearing a bra, and the sight of your breasts in the silver moonlight was irresistible. Frankie’s lips kissed a path down your neck to your collarbone, down further still until he had a hard nipple in his mouth. His tongue flicked over it gently, while his hand played with the other, rolling it around between his finger.

“Frankie,” you moaned, arching your back to give him better access. “Fuck.”

“You like that baby?” he whispered looking up at you. You whimpered in response as the hand on your breast moved down your body toward your thighs.

“Please,” you spread your legs a little further for him, and his fingers began to massage your clit though your soaking underwear. Frankie’s tongue continued to work at your nipple licking and sucking while you cried out in pleasure.

His fingers teased the outside of your entrance, his thumb working your clit in methodical circles.

“Cum for me,” he murmured, his voice husky. You moaned in response, unable to form any words as his fingers slid easily inside of you. Frankie watched your face as he fingered you, his own cock straining against his jeans. God he wanted to fuck you, but not until you’d already cum for him.

Frankie moved his thumb in faster circles and you began to fall apart. You clenched around his fingers, crying out as your body shook with your orgasm. He moved his mouth up to kiss you, whispering between kisses.

“Fuck you’re so sexy,” he groaned.

“We need to go inside,” you panted, your body still trembling slightly. Frankie couldn’t agree more, fumbling with the door of his truck, then his house keys. The moment the door was open you were on him, pulling his jacket off his shoulders, unzipping his jeans. Your bodies moved together in the direction of the kitchen, knocking something down in the process.

Frankie moaned into your mouth as your hands glided up his torso under his shirt. He pressed you against the counter and lifted you up, yanking your dress down to your ankles in the process.

“I want to taste you,” he whispered in your ear, “do you want that?”

“Yes, Frankie, please,” you begged, desperate for him to touch you. He grinned slyly as he crouched down slightly in front of you and spread your legs. The sight of your underwear, drenched with desire, made his mouth water.

Frankie didn’t want to waste a single moment more. With one quick move he slid your underwear down your legs and was working your clit with his tongue. Two fingers moved inside of you and quirked in a come-hither motion.

Your whine of pleasure spurred him on, his tongue massaging your clit expertly. Frankie wanted to tell you how good you tasted, how sexy you sounded, but he didn’t want to waste a moment that could be spent pleasuring you.

“Frankie!” you gasped, your back arching. Your thighs pressed into the side of his head and he moved faster, harder, cock aching with the need to be inside you.

“Frankie, I’m gonna-“ your words were cut short by your orgasm, this one somehow more intense than the one in his truck. Frankie looked up at your face as you came, mouth never leaving your sweet wetness. Your head hung back, moans the only sound you’re able to make. Licking his lips, Frankie stood and cupped the back of your head gently, lifting it so he can look in your eyes. He doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve someone as beautiful as you come home with him, but he wants to make certain it’s worth your while.

He leant down and whispered your name, the sound sweet on his lips. You sat up and kissed him gently, tasting yourself on him.

“Where’s your bed?” you murmured and Frankie smiled against you. Without another word he picked you up easily, wrapping your legs around his waist and carried you to his room, laying you gently on the bed. You looked beautiful, naked in the moonlight, staring up at him with desire.

Frankie discarded the rest of his clothes and climbed onto the bed so he’s hovering over you. His fingers traced soft circles on your waist.

“Are you sure you want to?” he asked

“I need you in me,” you reached up and pulled him closer, “I need you.”

Frankie reached over to his dresser and grabbed a condom, saying a silent thanks to his past self for buying them, and fitted it onto his shaft. Then he couldn’t wait a moment longer.

He lined himself up at your slick entrance, and slowly, gently, not wanting to hurt you with his larger than average size. You whimpered slightly as he pulled out, bucking your hips to stay closer to him.

Fuck you felt so good, you tight walls clenching slightly with each thrust. His thrusts became harder, slamming into you as his own ecstasy built. He moaned your name as you held onto his biceps, nails digging into his warm sweaty skin.

He didn’t know how much longer he could hold off on his own release, and with you looking at him they way you were, you made it almost impossible to hold back. But no, he wouldn’t. Not until you came a third time for him. He needed to feel you cum with his cock inside you.

Frankie moved his hand so it was between you both, and began to massage your slick, swollen clit. You cried out and clenched his biceps harder, and he felt the moment you couldn’t hold yourself back any longer, your walls tightening around his cock, coating it with your pleasure.

“Cum, Frankie,” you whispered in his ear, and god he wanted to. Frankie grunted as he finally couldn’t hold back any longer. Pleasure flushed through his body as he came to the sound of you moaning his name. In that moment, the only tangible things were his orgasm, the feel of you and your voice. It was a few moments before his thoughts became coherent again. He had never experienced pleasure like that with any other woman.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of you, noticing a bead of sweat that had formed between your breasts. Your eyes were half closed, but you watched him as he discarded the condom into a wastebasket, grabbed a box of tissues and with a touch gentler than he thought possible for him, began to clean up between your legs.

“You’re amazing,” he murmured. “Do you know how amazing you are?”

You giggled softly, sitting up to kiss him. “You’re the one who made me cum three times. Most guys can’t even manage once.”

Frankie stroked your cheek, his forehead pressed against yours, deciding in that moment you were someone he did not want to let go of. “Wanna stay the night?”

“Fuck yes.”

[phoenixyfriend]

The Naruto/Frozen Crossover

So I was planning on just doing an image ID thing for this post, but apparently the formatting on desktop is such a mess that it’s easier to just make a new post that’s text only. I can also like. Bulletpoint it so that it can be a little neater. All ideas were made with @firebirdeternal​‘s help, because they are the most efficient enabler I have.

Also I added some bits at the end.

Under a cut, because it’s Long As Heck.

I originally had two options: either Mid-teens Elsa and Anna being transported to ninja land sometime pre-canon and running into Haku and Zabuza... or just like. Born as a Daimyou's daughters.

Spoiler alert, we’ve got nukenin and I’m a sucker for an intrusive crossover, so transported to ninja land it is.

Suggestion from Birdie:

Mechanism for crossover: Elsa ices over a Wishing Well by accident after having Wished for someone else who understood her, Anna and her fall in and get Ice Mirror Portaled to Ninjaland, falling out of an iced over pond near a shrine that Haku recently prayed at for similar lonely child reasons?

Which I like! They don’t end up there soon enough to run into Haku, because I want a dramatic chase first, but I like it.

Obviously, Anna is forced to learn about Elsa's powers because it's the only thing keeping them safe

Or at least alive

(Elsa will do ANYTHING to keep Anna safe, and if that means she has to get her hands dirty...)

...neither of them knows Japanese, so, you know. There’s that.

I'm thinking that they end up in/near Kiri at first

And they aren't FAST ENOUGH to get away so Elsa panic-enchants a giant reindeer made of snow to run away across the suddenly-frozen ocean.

She and Anna have to ride and Elsa is probably crying the whole time.

Oh shit this is like. RIGHT after their parents die, I forgot. So that’s a thing! They are in mourning and all that fun stuff.

Point is, they use the powers for a Self Defense thing and BBY Haku is just !!! "Master can we rescue them for Ice Cousin reasons?" Zabuza: Yes, and only for those practical reasons and not because I collect endangered children like people collect pokemon cards.

I imagine that maybe they track rumors of a Yuki-onna down, or the Giant Snow Reindeer rides by and Haku’s just like Wat

The girls just tag along with Zabuza because. Like.

Do they like him? No. Do they trust him? No. Do they enjoy the fact that he considers them pathetic civilians? No.

However, Haku is Baby.

Zabuza is REALLY annoyed at them being Useless Civilian Royals “but Haku likes them so I guess they can stay.”

Age at meeting, three years pre-canon:

Zabuza - 23

Elsa - 18

Anna - 15

Haku - 12

Elsa is 90% anxiety/depression master combo BUT if Zabzua protects her then she's WILDLY dangerous so like. Whatever

Elsa's bingo book nickname options, uninspired:

Winter Witch

Winter Queen

Ice Queen

Snow Queen

Something about a Yuki-Onna maybe

She's Very Stately and kinda breakable but Winter is her Bitch

I mean like, the fact that, if protected, she can shut down the agriculture of a fucking country? That's an S-rank even if she's not that useful in a fight.

She's like. Jinchuuriki-level destruction. Generally speaking she wouldn’t. But she could.

Elsa: What the fuck is a chakra? Elsa: my snow monsters are self-sustaining. Elsa: I'm gonna build us a house.

Zabuza has NO idea how her powers work and it is INCREDIBLY frustrating but “there’s no chakra cost to keep these things going and we have shelters on demand” is too convenient to question after a while.

Haku: Delicate, deadly, incredibly fast ninja work. Elsa: I can't dodge a kunai but watch me wreck your entire country's ecosystem in under a day.

Elsa is a siege weapon.

Meanwhile, Anna is really, really into the physicality of ninja practice.

She's clumsy and she's not very good at ninja stuff, but she sure is determined!

Anna also gets on Zabuza's nerves because she keeps insisting that Haku get to be a kid.

Anna: Let's make flower crowns! Zabuza: No, he needs to train, not- Anna: FLOWER CROWNS

Consider: Haku saying Elsa-nee-sama and Anna-hime.

Or just calling Elsa “onee-sama.”

Anna is also younger than Elsa and way more Fun so she probably gets adjusted to Anna-chan or Nee-chan.

If Zabuza calls Elsa “Hime-chan” or “Elsa-hime” or, Sage forbid, “Elsa-sama/dono” then he’s VERY MUCH making fun of her and he’s probably getting his soup frozen that night.

At one point, Elsa... tries to like. Convince herself to have a crush on Zabuza or Kakashi or something until Zabuza just puts a hand on her shoulder and asks "do you even like men?" "...that's an OPTION?"

Zabuza urging her to try and ask out a Cute Kunoichi and Elsa's like.... I can't decide if she's bright red and a useless lesbian or uncomfortable and ace.

I am SO invested in the siege weapon thing.

SHE IS THE SQUISHIEST WIZARD.

It's not her fault that every single other combatant on the continent is Massively Dangerous in melee! She took a very traditional back-line build!

Enemy: Doesn't it GRATE to protect someone so pathetic, Zabuza? Zabuza: She literally froze an entire castle of enemies to death because they harmed her sister, so. No.

Most Ninjas: Sharp Knife. S-Rank Mega Ninjas: Gun. Elsa: High Yield Explosive Rocket Launcher. Literally loses fights to the Knife People, because she can't bring her power to bear on that scale. But if you can give her Time and Prep? No contest.

Long distance AoE

Like  you know how Nagato is literally dying of starvation due to illness and can't walk, but he's also capable of leveling powerful villages more or less on his own?

Elsa is the same Vibe.

It’s like sealing a bijuu in a civilian.

She's honestly both more and less powerful? Like it'd be hard for her to kill everyone in Konoha in the snap of a finger? But also, she could starve out the Country of Fire in a summer.

She WOULDN'T, but she could.

I always read Elsa as gay or ace but my brain keeps trying to ship her with dude ninjas and I have to yank it back on a child leash.

People insinuate that Zabuza is interested in Elsa and he's just "What? Ew she's like five."

"I'm eighteen."

"Five."

BUT

Elsa! Might mistake trust and companionship for a crush!

I can see THAT happening despite gay/ace.

Also like. I don’t think Zabuza is straight.

So mlm/wlw solidarity?

And Haku is probs genderqueer.

So Anna is THE TOKEN STRAIGHT.

Anna is like, the Straight Friend who will go to the mat for her queer friends. Like vicious. In-your-face barking like a mean dog at people who were being bigots.

You know how Elsa in the second movie uses her powers to make toys for kids out of ice?

Okay, so her practicing by making things with Haku.

But yeah, Elsa can't really do "throws ice senbon," but she can do Delicate Geometry Things since she apparently, canonically studies math for fun and loves fractals.

Haku: I can trap you in a prison of ice mirrors, and you are at my mercy. Elsa: LOOK AT THIS CASTLE I MADE???

Haku wants to do Pretty Things like Elsa

OH.

Elsa makes... snow bunnies..

For the ninja distraction reasons but also because it's a Soft Thing that makes her feel better about, uh, everything. And Haku likes bunnies.

Zabuza still takes The Dirty Missions but Elsa gets upset when he does something that hurts innocents and Nobody wants Elsa upset. Even Zabuza doesn't want Elsa upset.

When Elsa gets upset, overnight accommodations are suddenly Very Uncomfortable for everyone except her and Haku.

And then Anna gets upset, which makes Elsa even MORE upset.

And then things just keep getting colder.

Zabuza doesn't want Elsa upset for many reasons, not limited to: "Is actually capable of killing me from outside of Sword Range if she's mad enough, even if it’s not that easy" and "the Small Children would be unbearably sad if she died and honestly so might I."

She's more of a friend than a ward and he's not entirely sure he's okay with that.

Zabuza: "Ew, friendship."

He has absolutely no idea how to have a social interaction with people he isn't Bullying, Raising, or Threatening to Kill.

Elsa and Anna have no trouble convincing people they're related, at least. Different coloration with almost identical bone structure.

A tendency to burst into song when they feel emotions.

Identical weird accent that nobody can place.

FOOD

The girls are royalty, they don't know how to COOK.

But they also want food from HOME.

It's a lot of trial and error.

More error than not, since they have both no knowledge and also a language barrier to overcome. It probably takes YEARS before they can describe things like Unfamiliar Flavors well enough for people to say "OH that sounds like spearmint."

When they run into something they know that’s familiar, it’s life-changing.

Chocolate is more common in the elemental nations than in Arandelle and Anna may or may not cry about it.

Anna is loudly bossy, even at Zabuza.

Zabuza is gruffly commanding, to everyone.

Elsa doesn't actually like being in charge, but when she talks, people LISTEN.

(Haku is just happy to be here.)

Elsa radiates two things: Anxiety, and Natural Command, and she basically just fluctuates between those.

"I don't want to be in charge but also I'm vetoing this."

So, obviously, the main reasons that Zabuza keeps the girls around is that Elsa is a living siege weapon and he thinks she could be convinced to help him run a revolution in Kiri, and also that the Ice Queen schtick is like. Really good for Haku and Zabuza can’t really say no to the kid.

HOWEVER, Anna is clumsy and messy and all that, so Zabuza starts training her in Ninja stuff. Elsa joins in on the “I need to know how to Run Fast to get away from fights I don’t want to have in the first place,” but Anna’s the one that’s like “TEACH ME HOW TO SWORD.”

It’s honestly not that hard to teach her, she’s just really, really, REALLY enthusiastic.

Once or twice someone asks why she’s so bad at this yet running around with an A-rank nukenin and Zabuza’s just like “I’ve only had her for a year and a half, shut up!” because it’s not that he’s a bad teacher, it’s that she was a very pampered civilian until like a week before he met her.

He should get a MEDAL for even getting her to low Chuunin.

Zabuza: I'm taking a job from Gato Elsa, who has Training in economics and politics and bureaucracy: I have a better idea.

This is actually not entirely what I’d do but I wanted to make the joke first ANYWAY here’s an actual plot or something.

Oh, also by this point everyone is Canon Ages so Elsa’s 21 and Anna’s 18 and Zabuza’s 26 and Haku’s 15.

Elsa is getting paid to keep the water from interfering with construction, by way of....

ICE COFFERDAM

Elsa with Haku as her Guard while Zabuza is off running his own mission? Which Anna begged to go on because Cool.

Elsa also kind of keeps her involvement on the ice front semi-secret by claiming she’s there as an engineering consultant.

LISTEN canon made her like geometry, I can ENTIRELY believe she’d be excited about the bridge-building.

Gato has hired someone else on the danger level of Zabuza, who is Threatening to Team 7 + Haku? But then when things look bleak Anna and Zabuza arrive and then Scary Sword Man is on our side and oh dear that's a lot of blood.

Which, you know, fun!

Birdie suggested Raiga which I’m not feeling but I do feel the need to bring up as an option.

It’s also not Kisame BUT

Kisame: [giant lake dome filled with sharks]

Elsa: uhhhhhhhhhhh...

Giant lake dome: [is now a giant ice dome]

Anyway

Gato: I'm hiring an army. Elsa: [giant ice wall around his compound] Gato: ... these guys can walk up walls! Elsa: [adds snowman guards] Elsa: ... Elsa: [adds a ceiling]

Just puts Gato's entire mob in a fucking snow globe.

Zabuza shows up twenty minutes late with (Throwing) Star(buck)s just like "Oh, they dead? No? Want 'em to be? Okay cool I'm gonna go pick up Haku, I'll be back in like an hour."

Anna would... LOVE Naruto

ENERGETIC FRIENDLY GOOFBALL

"I found us a baby brother!" "No, we already have Haku." "BUT LOOK AT HIM."

Anna is only a year or two older than Itachi.

OH RIGHT

I wanted to make a joke about how Naruto also vibes with her because he's less judgmental that she can't really... talk properly.

Sasuke is Judgy and Kakashi is Paranoid and Sakura is Uncomfortable.

Meanwhile Naruto is just like "And I Shall Scream."

Anna, who learned Japanese from Zabuza (rude) and Haku (uber polite): WELL FUCK YOU, GOOD SIR Naruto: YEAH WELL FUCK YOU TOO, LADY Elsa, overly formal: I am... so very sorry.

Anyway, generic missing nin fights and all that.

Elsa gets injured in the process and after a variety of arguments, Naruto manages to convince them to take her to Konoha for medical attention.

Elsa is... usually the one getting injured.

Zabuza and Haku are FAST and Anna is at least learning (even if she’s only been doing it for three years), but Elsa is The Squishy Wizard.

If someone throws a kunai... she can’t... really dodge...

So yeah, gut wound.

Normally they find a nukenin medic to patch them up but Konoha is reasonably close and has some of the more skilled medics on the continent and they DID technically help the Konoha nin so like. Gah.

That’s Zabuza’s final thought. Gah.

Just “Fuck it, let’s save the ice queen.”

Elsa ends up in a half-literal-ice stasis state on the way there and it’s happened before (it is not the first time she’s been stabbed), but it’s always terrifying.

Especially to the Konoha genin who are just like WHAT THE HECK IS THAT.

So they get to Konoha, there’s a whole bunch of stuff about extradition treaties and “you are bringing a literal WMD of a woman into our town” and “we can’t just let MOMOCHI ZABUZA in.”

Anyway, it ends up being that Zabuza has to wait outside the village while Elsa is treated inside, and one of the Teenagers goes in. Obviously, it’s Anna, because Zabuza is INCREDIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE with letting Haku enter a village that’s known for having lots of bloodlines, and anyway, Anna’s the sister.

Bunch of stuff, she’s healing, etc, and then one day Anna comes in and is told “your sister had a bad reaction to the anesthetic, we couldn’t save her, I’m sorry, she’s gone.”

She flips out, gets shown the corpse, flips out MORE, gets escorted out to the village walls where Zabuza and Haku are waiting.

Horrified reactions

Zabuza doesn’t want to admit that it’s EMOTIONS because this is his FRIEND, he is clearly just upset about losing the living siege weapon.

Haku is just super confused and goes “But she’s not dead.”

“What.”

“She’s not dead, I can feel her, I can always feel her, it’s like sensing but just her, because we’re both ice. She’s alive, somewhere over... there?”

And points right in the direction of the Hokage Mountain, which for the purposes of this fic and also Drama is where ROOT headquarters is.

YEP we absolutely have that plot point.

Is Danzo overused as a plot device? Probably. Am I going to diabolus ex machina him anyway? Ye.

They kick up enough of a fuss that the Hokage gets called down.

He wouldn’t, normally, he’d leave it to a couple of skilled jounin and call it a day, except Naruto got involved so like. You can’t. Ignore that.

There’s lots of shouting.

Just like. A lot.

And then part of the mountain explodes!

AS ONE DOES

Elsa comes flying backwards out of the hole, catches herself on a spontaneous ice slide, gets to her feet.

Girl is swaying like MAD.

There are absolutely ANBU (both fake and real) coming after her.

At least one of them gets speared through by an ice spike.

Anna runs up to her, tries to hug her, gets batted away.

Elsa’s staring at her in sheer TERROR and starts muttering something about how Anna died years ago, this isn’t real, etc.

Nobody except Anna understands most of it, but Haku picks up enough to translate when Anna’s freaking out.

Elsa starts doing her Ice Castle thing in the middle of Konoha as a coping mechanism, mostly so she can get Up and Away and Shielded By Ice.

This is not a good look.

Especially because she’s singing, which Zabuza always thinks is a bad omen because it means shit is getting real and one or both of the girls are about to get a powerup or be beaten even harder than otherwise. When they start singing, things get More Dramatic And Extreme).

(Zabuza does not like Disney Musical Rules)

Danzo shows up.

There’s a bunch of arguing.

All the medics insist that nothing she was given at the hospital should have caused amnesia, psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, etc.

It’s. Not hard for Hiruzen to guess what happened.

Namely that Danzo, upon finding out that chakra dampeners didn’t do shit since none of Elsa’s powers come from chakra, decided to keep her drugged up and start using genjutsu to make her more malleable.

Because like. An injured WMD just showed up in your village. What are you supposed to do, not try to kidnap her and turn her to your side? Like, come on. What was he supposed to do?

Not that, Danzo. Literally Not That.

IDK how it gets resolved, probably Anna getting to her with the power of love, because Elsa is ultimately Super Disney.

I also don’t really know where to go from there other than “Maybe Jiraiya can get you home, but also I’m pretty sure Zabuza wants you all to get the hell out of here and take over Kiri” but who knows.

Also

IMAGINE ELSA MEETING GAI.

Imagine Ino getting a puppy crush on Elsa.

IDK that’s it for now.

[rosevanhelsing]

Wendigo

Chapter. 17

On his part, James had been making his own inquiries, looking here and there he ended up discovering another person who linked Vic and Manx: Bing Partridge. Without much thought, he went to see him at the prison. James told her that he was a distant relative of Victoria and that he had recently found out that they were related to her.

- But why are you telling me that? I no longer have a relationship with Vic McQueen. The last thing she did was write me a letter where she said that she forgave me for what I had done to her, but that we were not going to be friends.- he said sadly.

- Oh, wow. I guess that was after you told him where to find Manx ...

"How did you find out about that?" Bing said suspiciously. Time in prison had made him more cautious and suspicious

-Well, a friend made me the genealogical tree, and searching found that he had living relatives, and Vic is one of them. After a season of looking for her, I was able to contact her, I showed her everything etc… total that we have a good relationship with cousins ​​now. And she ended up telling me everything about Manx and especially about his last battle against him, how she rescued her son but unfortunately she couldn't kill Manx.

- Isn't Manx dead?

-No, and I would like to find him and make it clear that nobody messes with a McQueen and comes out unscathed. Why don't the hiding places tell me that he had that bastard?

-Will he kill it?

- That i would like.

-Well, then she must destroy Manx's car as well. The Rolls Royce Wraith, registration N0s4a2. I don't know how, but it seems that Charlie's life is linked to that of that thing.

- Wow!

- Give me a map, I'll show you the ones I remember ...

When James left, Bing was thoughtful and asked to phone. He only let him contact Tabitha Hutter. Bing commented on her visit and said that he had only told her that his name was James. Tabitha became uneasy and told Bing to describe his visitor, while she did so, Tabitha looked at the portrait Vic had made. The portrait matched the Wendigo in everything.

- What have you talked about? - Tabitha asked

- He told me that Vic couldn't kill Charlie Manx and that he's still out there. He asked me to tell him the hiding places of that vermin to kill him, I told him and also his weak point.

- For God's sake, Mr. Patridge, you didn't give him Vic's address, did you?"

-No, he didn't ask me. And I don't think he would have given it to her, that guy just didn't give me a good feeling.

- Better, because he's a fucking serial killer,-  she said and hung up the phone.

Bing almost had a heart attack, but he was glad that at least he didn't miss any information about Vic. Although he did not regret giving information about that at least no information Charlie, if Manx was hunted by another monster he did not care, rather Manx would receive his deserved. Tabitha called Vic and told her everything, Vic thanked her and said that she would stay alert just in case. When she hung up the phone, she left the house and told Charlie that at that moment he was getting ready to leave.

- Charlie, Tabitha Hutter just called.

- The police who were chasing me and Bing?

- Yes, the same one. She told me that the Wendigo found out that there was a person related to the two, besides Henry.

- Bing Partridge? Well, what did that idiot of me say to the Wendigo?

-Apparently he showed him all your  hiding places  ...

Charlie laughed out loud

- Very predictable. That's why I went ahead. There's nothing left of me, no clues in the nooks that Bing knew about.

-… he also told him about your connection with the Wraith

Charlie's smile faded from his face, and he frowned, crossed his arms, and said:

- Wow, so the loudmouth that missed that detail. I should have finished off Bing, but at the time I thought prison would be a better punishment for him than the flames of hell. However now I know that the Wendigo may try to go after me, I will take that into account.

- Charlie, we have to think of some way to attract the Wendigo to us.

- First, Vic, we must know what he is ...

- Maggie told me. He is an undeveloped creative soul. Perhaps he never found his knife, and he hates us because we have a power that he craves. Maggie told me that we should lure him to my Shortcut or Christmasland and let the static swallow him like Maggie and I try to do with you ...

- ... what if my children take care of him in Christmasland? That very tempting option for me- said Charlie with a sadistic smile.- My children could play with the Wendigo to scissors for the drifter ...

Vic couldn't suppress a shudder when she remembered what a bad time she'd had at Christmasland.

- Anyway, Vic dear, we must plan how to attract our relative and what to do with him ... but let me spend a few days in Christmasland, and you must spend Wayne's birthday with him and without worrying about anything else. Let Wayne enjoy his furry new friend that he is going to receive as a gift.

Suddenly a thing came to Vic's memory and she said, smiling:

-You're right, and now that you talk about gifts, I just remembered one thing ... please wait here.

Charlie frowned, what the hell was Vic up to? After two minutes she returned with a gift bag containing a book.

- Here,Vic said, handing the bag to Manx, it's a book of photographs of the world. There are many landscapes and monuments, although it is a bit dated. I wanted to send it to Maggie to incorporate it into a library but I think I know someone who will like it.

- Vic, what do I want that book for?

- Don't be silly, Charlie, it's not for you, it's for Millie. She wanted to see the world, that book will allow her to see it without leaving Christmasland.

Charlie's features and gaze softened and she smiled warmly. Vic seemed to catch a momentary glimpse of the sweet, quiet, good man that Charlie had been, before her gift took his soul away.

- Oh, it's a detail on your part… Thank you. I'll tell him it's a gift from you.

Charlie got in the car and drove straight to Christmasland. On the way he was thinking about how they could attract the Wendigo, until the car contacted him.

-If Vic uses my powers more times to heal himself, perhaps I will end up absorbing her soul, and she may transform into someone like you and your daughter. An immortal. It's what you want, right?

Charlie slowed down and laughed out loud. Oh, that was too good. Too ironic. He just had to wait for Vic to get hurt when they faced the Wendigo and let the Wraith do his job. The car would erase any bad memories Vic had of him…. and sooner or later, Vic would end up being for him ...

Charlie smiled satisfied and accelerated again, he had to make a plan. On the way, he stopped for a while to rest. A prostitute approached him and was run over by the Wraith. After a few hours he arrived at Christmasland and the children welcomed him warmly to receive their food. Manx threw the prostitute's body at them. When the kids finished dinner, they scattered and only Millie was left. Charlie said:

- Millie, my sugar plum, I have an exclusive gift for you, from Vic McQueen. It  is in the car.

 Millie was very surprised, and she ran to the car, took out the bag and the book, leafed through it and said:

- Oh, Dad. Is beautiful!!! Can I call Vic, to thank you?

Charlie hadn't seen Millie so excited about a gift in many years. Maybe it was because it was a different gift? Why had Vic given it to him? Manx did not know, but it was necessary for his daughter to maintain good manners and said:

-Of course, my girl, you must call her and thank her for it. You have to be grateful

Millie ran into Charlie's office and called, though only Vic heard the phone. Taking advantage of the fact that Lou was arranging to collect the puppy, Vic went to answer.

- Vic, Vic McQueen?

- Millie?

- Yes, it's me. I called you because I wanted to thank you for your gift. I loved it.

- I'm glad- Vic smiled- I owed you something, for helping me get my son back.

-You also helped me to make my Dad focus only on us and not on his revenge against you. And in the end, you also spared his life ... are you going to forgive Daddy for everything he did to you?

Vic was speechless with surprise, thought a little and said with all the sincerity that she could:

- Maybe in time, Millie. He hurt me a lot.

[charitysbabes]

Bails is found not guilty

I haven’t posted anything original in ages and I’ve had this written for months, but given the recent spoilers I wanted to contribute something. Sorry it’s not more cheery, but it’s got Vanity sweetness at least. Or that’s what I was going for anyway. 

Trigger warnings for sexual abuse. 

Not guilty. 

She drinks, the whiskey scorching her throat and the words like a drumbeat in her head. Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty.

She knew it. Knew it would end this way so why is she fucking crying? Why has she let him do this to her again? Another swig, a longer one this time, until she needs to come up for air and she's left gasping and feeling the booze in her chest like she might throw it back up again.

It's not enough. The words are still there, so loud she feels like they're cracking her skull. Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty. 

And the look - her eyes had been drawn to his face and she had seen it before she could look away. The moment of blankness before it split into utter delight. She had wrenched herself away before he set it on her, but she had still felt it when he did. She wanted to sink to the floor and keep going, falling down and down until she was nowhere. Nothing. 

Keys scrape in the lock. She stands and stumbles but keeps going. 

"Charity?" 

She's slipped out of the back before Vanessa can even finish opening the front door. 

*

She wakes in a barn with a horse grazing on her hair. Her head hurts, everything does, and for one blissful moment it distracts her from the why. But then the drumbeat starts again and it’s not just the hangover that makes her stumble outside the puke into a drain. 

When she looks up the miles of field stretch out and spin around her. Somewhere out there he’s walking around as if he never touched her. In the eyes of twelve jury members, he didn’t. 

Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty. 

Just for something else to focus on, she digs her phone out of her pocket. The screen is black and nothing happens when she touches it. Vaguely, she remembers the buzz of the low battery notification and being grateful for it at the time because then no one would be able to reach her. Pushing it back into her pocket, she trudges begrudgingly back towards the village. With no phone and no cash she's not getting anywhere else easily. 

She catches some curious looks as she stumbles past cottages and the cafe. Vanessa must have been running her mouth and flapping around the village talking to anyone who didn’t run away. Not that anyone else would have been bothered. Her family couldn’t even be arsed to show up to the trial. Only Noah, Ryan and Vanessa had been there, surrounding her as the verdict was called. 

Not guilty, not guilty, not guilty. 

Charity squeezes her eyes shut and focuses on the thumping pain in her head. She opens them again to look at the ground rather than the scattered villagers who are after the latest gossip. It’s still early, the sun barely peeking over the hills, but there are dog walkers along with people like Brenda and David who are opening up for the stragglers they get even at the arse crack of dawn. 

What she really, really wants is to find a soft bed and sleep in it- doesn’t matter whose, as long as she’s alone. The pub shouldn’t open for a couple of hours, maybe she can sneak in. 

“Charity!” Or maybe not. Chas is at the door, somewhere between angry and relieved. She hugs her, holding on long enough for Charity to almost relax before she pushes her away and punches her, hard, on the arm. “Where the flaming hell have you been?”

Truthfully, she can’t entirely remember. There was the barn she woke up in, but something before that. Stumbling over knee high walls and shattered glass and pot plants knocked on their side, dirt spilling over. She closes her eyes, but the memory is already slipping away in a fog that fills her head. Pain pulses at her temples. 

“Oh never mind!” Chas snaps. “Just get inside.” She does only because there isn’t anywhere else to go, and at least it will only be her cousin. Noah will be asleep until past noon if he has his way. 

She drags her feet through the pub and by the time she gets to the sofa, Chas already has the kettle on. “You need to call Vanessa, or at least text her to let her know you’re alive. She’s been going spare.” 

Charity glances at her, then looks away again. She makes no move to reach for her phone. She knows it won’t work that way. Her girlfriend will want to know where she’s been and who she’s with now and how she’s feeling and what she was thinking running off like that- and it’s all too much. Just sitting here and dragging in one breath after another feels like too much. Especially when Mark Bails creeps into her head, smirking and free. 

He’ll be waking up for breakfast around now, all smiles and smugness. He got away with it. Twelve jury members heard what he did to her and they either didn’t believe her or didn’t care. No need to bother themselves over some whore. Why ruin a man’s life because he locked up some dirty prossie? Better, probably, that she wasn’t staining the streets in the months she was chained to his radiator. 

She jumps when Chas sets down a mug in front of her, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’ll do it then, shall I?”

“What?” she snaps, as if it were Chas sat opposite him at the breakfast table with a fizzing glass of champagne. 

“Vanessa! Remember her?” 

Charity rests her head on her hands, tangling her fingers through her hair. “Just leave off, will you?”

Chas keeps glaring at her, but she takes a step back and sighs. “I’ll let her know you’re okay.” 

“Tell her not to come here.” For once, her cousin doesn’t ask. She hears her tapping at her phone, the sound like clicking through her skull, then there’s blissful silence. 

Until there’s not. “Charity-”

“I’m going to bed.” She stands up, her stomach lurching again as she does like there are waves crashing inside it. She doesn’t look at Chas, not even a glance in her direction, but she picks up the tea, letting the mug warm her freezing hands. 

*

Of course she can’t avoid her forever. It’s just past lunchtime and she’s not even eaten the dry toast that Chas left outside her room with a fresh mug of tea. Her phone stopped buzzing when she turned it off and shut it inside her sock drawer. Then there was just silence that got so loud that she dug out her laptop and put on the first playlist Spotify suggested to her, not even muting the irritating ads that started immediately. 

Now there’s a knock at her bedroom door, as gentle as it is persistent; even turning up the music doesn’t drown it out. Finally, she storms over and wrenches it open. “Take the hint, Vanessa.” 

Her girlfriend doesn’t even flinch. She just stares at her, eyes wide like she had been expecting someone else. Then they soften- or seem to melt entirely; she steps towards her, but Charity backs out of her reach. 

“I was so worried about you.” She lets out a long breath, as if she has been holding it since the courtroom. 

Charity just glares. She doesn’t have room for anyone else’s feelings- never has, really. “Yeah well I’m fine, so you can leave now.”

But Vanessa holds her hand out to stop the door swinging closed. “I’ve told you, Charity, you don’t have to pretend with me.”

“Yeah and you also told me we would get him!” She throws open the door so hard that the handle crashes against the wall and Vanessa does flinch then, but she can’t find it in herself to care. There’s nothing left to care with. She’s just some used up prossie they wiped themselves on after they were done. It’s the only thing she’s ever been good for. 

Vanessa takes a step forward, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

Something hard lodges itself in Charity’s chest and she turns away from her. She can’t cry. She has to be hard and bitter, just like she’s always been. It’s how she’s survived. There was a moment there when she thought there might be another way, but there isn’t, it’s always just been her. Alone. 

But Vanessa isn’t getting it. She’s right inside now - Charity would have to physically throw her out to make her leave and she’s not quite that far gone yet. “Charity, please. I know you think it was all for nothing, but it wasn’t.”

“Why?” she shouts, feeling as if the words are ripping at her throat to get out. “Because I stood up to him? Now I can give myself a hearty pat on the back?”

“Yes! He might not be in prison, but how easily do you think he’s going to bounce back from this? It cost him a promotion last time, and that was before court. He’ll never be able to head up that programme now, and any woman is going to think twice before trusting him.” 

“Except for his stupid cow of a wife!”

“Forget about her. Think about all the women you might have saved from going through what you did. Think of Tracy, Charity. My sister. You saved my sister.” 

The tears are more than prickling at her eyes now, they’re spilling over, hot and fast. She squeezes her eyes shut and in the next moment, she feels Vanessa’s arms circle around her. “Whatever else happens, I can never repay you for what you did for Tracy.”

She feels herself shatter, as if as a fist made of rock is slamming into her over and over. She tries to scream, but it gets caught in her throat, but her knees buckle and she sinks to the floor with Vanessa still wrapped around her. She doesn't say it’ll be okay. It’ll never be even close to okay that he’s not spending at least as long in prison as she’s spent haunted by him. But one day it’ll be something better than this. 

I need to go to bed now, please validate me while I am asleep. 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #348

“nothing will be free  /  nothing will be done  /  black out the sun”

Do you have any famous relatives? My third or so cousin is the author of Not Without My Daughter, but she's not like a smash hit or anything that most people know. I really do recommend the book, though. It's a long read, but a beautiful, true story. Do you care about celebrity gossip? Nah. Have you ever failed a science course in high school? No; I was very good at science. What’s your favorite breakfast food? Cinnamon rolls. Does your house have a basement? No. No house I've ever lived in has had one. Do you like Hot Topic? Well duh. Do you think imagination is valuable? VERY! Just imagine how many incredible things wouldn't exist without it. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? Unspeakably happy, and I felt like I was building a future with someone. I felt like I had purpose, which I should mention to anyone reading is a mindset to NEVER adopt. No one gives you purpose; you're born with it. How much weight can you lift at once? Ha, not a lot. When you have your own house someday, what color Christmas tree do you want and how will you decorate it? I want a black one with faux snow on the branches, then maybe red ornaments. Kinda look like blood dripping off. Sounds metal. Name three YouTube channels you’ve been loving lately. Lately, John Wolfe, The Dark Den, and Aim To Head Mix. Have you ever bought a designer purse? No. Do you wear jewelry often? No. What color was your senior prom dress? Black. Are you colorblind? No. Name the people you know who are colorblind. Jason's older brother is colorblind to two colors, but idr which. Would you ever consider a career in writing? I'd love to. What was your first favorite color? Red. What do you think about horror movies? I love them. If you love them, what’s your favorite? I really enjoy The Crazies and both The Blair Witch Project movies. Oh, and of course Silent Hill. Got any cool Christmas presents picked out for family or friends yet? I don't have the money to get anyone presents... and while I sometimes get ideas about something I could make someone, then it wouldn't be fair to the rest of my family if I don't make them something, too. What’s your favorite word and why? I really like the sound of "serendipity," as well as its meaning. It's just a pretty, nice word. Do you like to do craft projects? If so, what’s the coolest thing you made? Not really... I think the coolest thing I made was when I put the clay heart I made in Art into a shadowbox, and a poem I wrote was in the background. It was a gift for Jason. I remember working really hard on the whole process and being really happy with it. I don't want to know what he's done with it since. What’s one occupation you think gets paid too much and doesn’t deserve to? I don't know. What’s something you are currently saving money for to buy? Everyone knows about Venus' terrarium by now... Do you smoke/vape? If so, what brand do you smoke/what device do you use? No. Ever done drugs? No. Tell me one of your worst habits. Catastrophizing. I take a tiny seed of something potentially bad, and in seconds it's a damn redwood tree. And I do mean "in seconds." What’s a weird quirk you have that no one else you know does? I don't know, I don't have any particularly unique ones, I think. If you game, what type of headset do you use? I just use earbuds. Do you think you would be a good therapist? You know, it's funny, I've actually pictured myself as one a few times, given my level of understanding and empathy for people, as well as how deeply I want to see others succeed and spread the word that recovery from things like depression is very possible. I've never truly entertained the thought, though, given I'm quite sure I legally couldn't be given my suicidal past and mental illnesses. There is also NO way I could listen to so many people's suffering and manage to stay healthy myself, so, no therapist position for me, thanks. Have you ever been to a Chinatown? No. Do you prefer chunky or creamy peanut butter? Creamy, 100%. Do you stop to pick up heads-up pennies? No. Do your pets have collars? Describe them: Roman has an adorable navy one with a bowtie. Do you have any friends that speak any languages you don’t understand? Old friends, sure. What is something you want to begin learning? I want to improve my ability to perform what in therapy is called "opposite action," where you do the opposite of what your depression (or other conditions) make you want to do. It always helps me feel good, like when I draw even when I don't initially feel like it, but it's rough to really force yourself to do it. What is a food you find comforting when you are sad? Ice cream is my comfort food. What is a quote you find comfort in? There are really a lot, but none come to mind immediately, gah. What is one Tumblr blog you really appreciate? I actually haven't been on my main Tumblr in months, but oh my god there is a Markiplier blog called "lady-raziel" and she is FUCKING HYSTERICAL. The meme quality is A+. What is a comfort movie/show for you? When I actually liked watching movies, I enjoyed watching Silent Hill when I was down. That whole franchise just makes me so happy. What is a recent creative project that you are proud of? That I'm PROUD of, idk. I'm not that happy with the last drawing I made, and I haven't done any serious writing lately that I find noteworthy. What is a video game that you find comforting? Shadow of the Colossus is probably #1. I find it so relaxing while equally epic as fuck. The soundtrack is to die for, and after playing it a billion times, it's pretty easy for me to kinda breeze through and just enjoy myself. Do you know how to bake bread? If so, what is something you’ve baked recently? No. Would you rather live in the mountains, city, beach, or the forest? THE MOUNTAINS!!! Particularly in the woods IN the mountains! Are you closer to your mother’s or father’s side of the family? Mom's. I don't even remember anyone from Dad's. Have you ever been in a “perfect relationship”? I thought so. Have you ever lost a fingernail or toenail? No. Were you a Disney or Nickelodeon kid? I preferred Disney. Have you ever been inside a jail/prison? No, and I don't plan on it. Have you ever dated a guy with a beard, mustache, or goatee? Jason had a goatee usually. He'd go clean-shaven sometimes. Did you ever name your stuffed animals? I named every single one I got as a kid. Now I don't, really, unless they're really special. What’s the name of the person who cuts your hair? I'd rather not share, given her name is very unique. Do you like cheeseburgers? Yes, they're one of my favorite foods. Do you have a Flickr? Yes, but I don't use it anymore. Did you ever want to be a fashion designer? No. Do you drink milk? Yeah, I love milk. Where was your FB display pic taken? My room. Have you ever burnt your tongue like REALLY bad? If so, what on? Yeah; white rice. My dumb ass didn't realize it had JUST come off the stove. My tongue hurt literally for weeks. Have you ever gotten your legs waxed? No. Do you own any CLOTHES from Victoria’s Secret? Er, are undergarments not clothes? But I know what you mean. No. What are your grandfathers’ names? William and... I can't remember Dad's dad's name. Have you ever seen a snake in real life? Well yeah. Are you against seances? I don't know if I believe in them being effective, but either way, they seem like a bad idea. Even risking luring a negative energy/spirit to you is something I'd stay away from. Do you own any superhero shirts? No, just Harley Quinn ones, some with the Joker on them, too. I need to toss 'em though because I am like, violently against romanticizing their abusive relationship. I used to just like them as a story character couple, but I got to a place where it just seemed... wrong to "glorify" it by wearing merch and stuff. What band has the best guitar solos? Metallica, durrrr. Who is the biggest jerk you’ve ever met? Can you believe that would be my former best friend? Have you ever swerved off the road to avoid hitting an animal? I've never had an animal in my path. Have you ever grown your own herbs? No. Do you like kissing in public? If you're my serious s/o, I could care less, so long as it's a simple peck. I'm not making out in front of people. Do you think someone has feelings for you? I don't know. Do you want to be in a relationship this year? I don't know. I'm lonely and love feels amazing, but I need to get my life on track before I can be a good partner to someone and not just dead weight. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you? Huh, funny, he's the one that walked away. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander? Uhhh that would depend on how serious we are, where we are, and just what mood I'm in. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you? ugh What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone? also ugh What’s your dirtiest secret? TMI AHEAD. Probably receiving oral while bare-ass naked on the chaise in the living room while we were home alone. Or having sex in my sister’s bed. Oops. Would you ever get lyrics tattooed on yourself? Yeah. I already do, anyway, and I plan on getting another. Can you photoshop images well? I'm decent at it. Where did you last drive to? Mom and I went to go get our Covid vaccines today. What’s the first verse of the last song you listened to? "I don't know what we're supposed to be, but I know we lost it along the way to something better, something so much more than pleasure that we seek, so blind inside to fill these holes left by these lies that we tell to ourselves as we manufacture our own hell." What do you hear right now? The aforementioned song: "BLACKOUT" by 3TEETH. What was the last thing you laughed about? This is so fucking immature lmao but when we were driving earlier, we passed a gas station that had a sign that was advertising Coke, but due to space limitations, it abbreviated to "2 liter Cok" and I cackled like a child. Mom laughed harder than I did. Do you know any gay people personally? Ye. What was the last thing that startled you? I think it was a car hoonking at somebody the other day. What was the last thing to make you even remotely sad? Today's been a kind of rough PTSD day thanks to Facebook. My old high school friend had her beautiful daughter, a childhood friend just got married the other day, another friend is due to have her baby in just a couple weeks... It's just weird but even more painful to know it was the life I once fantasized about with a guy that just dropped me and made a break for it. I hate admitting that there's this deep, deep bitterness in me about it, like he took my life away from me, even though that's of course very unfair to say. I don't want to talk about this anymore, so moving on with my day.

[fictionisfact]

A/N: I’m in love with Ty so I really wanted to write this little Ty x reader. Don’t get me wrong, I love Ty and Annie together, I just wanted to try writing. I really hope you guys enjoy and this gif is so cute. 🥺

Here for you

Based on S1 Ep. 9

“Prom does not sound fun, at all, especially if you have no one to go with.” Annie stated unamused.

“Prom is probably going to be the best experience of our high school lives!” You exclaimed confidently with a huge grin on your face. “Plus we can always go together.”

You were currently chilling on Annie’s bed making small talk. She just got back from Aunt Helen’s not too long ago. You lived with Annie and Dana Sue ever since your parents died, which happened when you were 5. Although you and Annie were cousins, you practically became sisters and Dana Sue was basically your second mom.

Just as you girls stopped laughing at your dumbfounded excitement, Dana Sue leaned against the door frame of the current occupied room.

“Okay girls, it’s Margarita night so get dressed. We’re going over to Maddie’s house tonight. Lord knows she needs this after the whole Kyle situation today.”

Your face turned into a frown at the mention of Kyle. He was like the little brother you never had and you loved him dearly.

“Yes ma’am.” You responded excitedly at the thought of seeing him. You jumped off the bed and ran to your room to get dressed.

“Well, we know who she’s excited to see.” Dana Sue said chuckling. Annie laughed along as she nodded her head knowing what her mom was talking about.

You scanned through your closet and settled on a white crop top with light blue jeans. You looked at yourself in the full length mirror you had in your room and was very pleased.

You tied your white shoes after slipping them on and decided to wait in the kitchen for Dana Sue and Annie. After a few minutes of waiting with Annie. Dana Sue came out of her room and told you both to get in the car.

The drive was not long at all and it was very familiar, as you came to Maddie’s often. After all Tyler, or Ty, was your best friend and you guys hung out non-stop. It’s funny because everyone swears you guys would be a cute couple. They expect you guys to get married when you’re both older because of how close you are. You always turned the idea down though because you thought it was extremely cheesy.

When you walked through the front door, Aunt Helen and Aunt Maddie were standing there waiting for Annie and you.

“Oh! How are you honey?” Maddie asked as she gave you a bone crushing hug, while Annie gave Helen one at the same time.

“I’ve been well thank you. I don’t even need to ask about you though. If you ever need help, I’m here for you Aunt Maddie.” You replied sweetly as you pulled away from the hug with a small smile on your lips.

“You’re too kind *y/n*, I can always count on you.” She said as she rested her hands on your shoulders. You and Annie switched Aunts to hug the other. After the hugging was done Maddie called down Kyle.

He walked down the stairs begrudgingly, as everyone stared at him. Maddie walked away once he was at the bottom of the steps, to let his friends talk to him.

He stood there awkwardly until he mustered up enough courage to say something to the three people waiting.

“I was a jerk today, not a team player at all,” he started, as Helen gave him a slight nod confirming his claims, “and I’m very sorry,” he finished. Helen gave him a tight lipped smile while you gave him a small comforting one.

“You put us in a very bad state, dear heart. You’ll have to make apologies tomorrow to the rest of the team. You know that, don’t you?” She queried as he stared blankly until he looked up at her.

“Yes Aunt Helen.” He replied solemnly.

“Hmm. All right then. I am not gonna pile on you, considering that you’re probably grounded for a dog’s age already.” She said as she leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. You and Annie giggled quietly at Helen’s funny remark. She walked away leaving you, Annie, and Kyle alone.

You pulled him in for a tight hug. You sighed happily, knowing that he is safe and sound

“Don’t ever scare me like that again ok? I love you.” You mumbled into his ear. He eargely shook his head agreeing.

You stepped back away from him and looked between Annie and him. You sensed that they needed to be alone after what had happened.

“Umm, I’m going to check on Ty.” You said as you rubbed the back of your neck and start for the stairs.

“Mhmm. You go do that. Have fun!” Annie said with a huge smirk on her face. Her and Kyle started laughing at your blushed state. Nobody will ever live that down you thought to yourself.

“You’re evil you know that?” You asked looking back at them while walking up the stairs. He’s talking to CeCe anyways, he doesn’t like me like that you assured yourself. Although he has been acting weird around you lately.

Once you made it to the top, you turn the corner and head towards the familiar room you have been in countless of times. You open the door and close it leaving a little crack open. Ty sat on his bed on his phone. Once he saw you he sat up with a huge grin plastered across his face.

“Hey *y/n*!” He said, happy that he finally had some company let alone his best friend. You two hugged and then sat on his bed to chill for a bit.

“So how are you and CeCe?” You asked poking him in his side with an innocent smile. You were genuinely curious as he never talked about her. Another point to him acting weird. He always talked about everything with you but recently, he hasn’t which you understand as it was most likely because of his parents divorce.

“Good I guess,” he responded rubbing his neck. You nodded understanding he didn’t want to expand on the subject. CeCe has never liked you as you were one of the most prettiest girls in school, which meant you were slightly more popular than her. She’s jealous of you and Ty’s relationship too.

You shivered from the fan’s cool breeze above you. You immediately regretted wearing a tank top that was exposing a lot of skin.

“Why is it so cold in here?!” You blurted out in irritation. Ty shot you a weird look.

“What do you mean? I’m super hot.” He said standing up from the bed. “You know you’re too sensitive for your own good.” He chuckled lightly at your face you were making. He grabbed one of his sweatshirts and tossed it at you. It landed right on your face.

“Thank you.” You said, muffled from the sweatshirt on your face. He sat back down again while you slid on the sweatshirt it was big on you but that’s how you liked it. He leaned his head on his hand looking down at you. You turned to see him staring at you.

“What?” You queried as he gave you a look he’s never given you before. You smiled cautiously at his strange behavior. 

“Noreen left my dad.” He said with a slight shrug, still looking at you. A frown creeped onto your face knowing that he’s going to be affected once again.

“I’m so sorry Ty. I know how hard the divorce was for you, this must be a little hard to.” You grabbed his free hand to comfort him. “I’m always here for you if you ever need someone to talk to. I’m great at listening.” You told him smiling from ear to ear.

“That’s what I love about you, you’re so kind, caring, beautiful.” He said throwing the last adjective out of the blue. Still you smiled at his kind words.

Before you could thank him, he started leaning in. It all happened so fast you couldn’t comprehend. He kissed you softly. As you realize what was happening you push him off and you sit up with a jolt. Tyler Townsend, your best friend since the age of 5, just kissed you. Your eyes grew wide and you just stared blankly in front of you.

“I-I’m sorry I don’t know what I was thinking-“ he claimed as he scrambled off the bed. He too had wide eyes from his previous actions. “Um, I have to get to Gabe’s, I’ll see you later?” He nervously said as he tried to move past what just happened.

Before you could say “okay”, he bolted out of his room and down the stairs. You quickly realized that you guys needed to talk. You tried to chase after him, but him being a lot faster than you, you knew you couldn’t make it in time.

“Later, prisoners. I am a law-abiding citizen so I am going to Gabe’s!” You heard him yell from the living room. As you get to the bottom of the stairs, he had already shut the door behind him.

You sigh in disbelief. You didn’t mean to be so frozen or quiet about it. You were just caught off guard, EXTREMLY off guard. You slowly walked into living room to see Annie and Kyle playing cards. They just finished talking about their prom night plans. Although you wanted to oppose of it and make Annie go with you, you were to busy with your own problems.

“Can I join you guys?” You asked shyly with a small smile. You sat on the floor across from Kyle.

“Of course!” Annie responded enthusiastically. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, you ok?” She asked hesitantly. You stopped staring into space at her sudden question.

“Yup. All good here.” You said not so confidently. Little did they know, a lot was going to be changing soon.

Part 2

Okay wow kinda happy with this, I might make a part 2 because I had more planned out like reader going to prom with Jackson making Ty jealous.

[captaincartervalues]

When I was a child my planet Krypton was dying. I was sent to Earth to protect my cousin, but my pod got knocked off course, and by the time I got here, my cousin had already grown up to become Superman. And so, I hid my powers until recently when an accident forced me to reveal myself to the world.

To most people, I’m the CEO of L-Corp but in secret I work with my adoptive brother for the DEO to protect my city from alien life and anyone else that means to cause it harm. I am Supergirl.

“Lena?”

“She said with surprise in her voice, for some reason…”

“Oh my G- Kombucha. We were supposed to try that new fermentation place today!” Kara exclaims as realization dawns on her. “I totally forgot. I’m so sorry. I got caught up helping Nia with a story.”

“It’s okay, no need to explain. Kombucha can wait. I’m cool occasionally sharing my best friend with her prized protégé.” Lena teasingly assures her with a playful smile.

Kara laughs as she adjusts her glasses bashfully. “Well, I’m sure Nia is thankful for your boundless generosity.”

“I AM!” The women laugh as Nia yells the affirmative across the bullpen. Lena turned to give her a two-finger salute in acknowledgment before catching the kiss Nia blew their way.

“Supergirl, there’s an alien brawl on 5th and Kingston. The cops need your help.” Lena could hear Brainy report over her intercoms.

“Well, we can still go! I just need 2 minutes.” Kara offers.

“Uh – you know what, actually, I forgot that I have a meeting with the board I had to reschedule. So how about a raincheck?” Lena lies.

“Oh yeah okay. Well, let me validate your parking at least for coming all the way down to CatCo!”

“No, no. It’s fine. I flew here…” Lena slips. “…on my bike.”

Kara’s face scrunches in confusion. “You have a bike?”

“Yeah, I have a bike. That I drove here today. Lex talked me into it when I was drunk recently.” Lena scrambles.

“Hmm.” Kara pauses. “Lena Luthor, motorcyclist. Sexy.” She says it with an eyebrow wiggle and a goofy smile.

“Shut up.” Lena laughs.

“Are you gonna take me for a ride sometime?”

“Maybe...if you ask nicely.”  Lena teases with a wink before she saunters toward the elevators.

Kara is still staring at her appraisingly when she gets into the elevator. If it wasn’t for her super-hearing, Lena wouldn’t have heard Kara mutter “Lena Luthor, always an enigma” with a smile and shake of her head.

As the elevator doors close, Lena rips open her buttoned blouse exposing the House of El symbol underneath. “You have no idea.” She whispers solemnly.

-----

“Well that was fun, boys!” Lena says as she puts the rough-and-tumblers in the back of an unmarked DEO van.

Lena turns and finds the person she’s looking for before sauntering over. “Nothing like a little afternoon quickie to get the blood pumping, am I right?” she says as she lightly punches her brother’s arm.

“I think we have very different definitions of ‘afternoon quickie.’” Lex retorts, rubbing his shoulder as Lena rolls her eyes. “And it would have been quicker if you had responded to our call right away. What took you so long anyway?”

“I was with Kara” Lena starts “ –actually, I was lying to Kara, again. Cancelling another – “

“Date?” Lex interjects.

Lena glares at her brother pointedly. “Lunch. I just hate always bailing on her and lying about why.” Lena admits dejectedly.

“You know, you could just tell her.” Lex says quietly.

Lena shakes her head and sighs “You know it’s not that simple.”

“I know Kara isn’t like her family.”

“I know that!” Lena says defensively. “And I’m the one who had to convince you of that initially!”

“Hey,” Lex softens and puts his hand on his sister’s shoulder to comfort her. “I know you’re the president of the ‘Kara Danvers is innocent’ fan club; you don’t have to convince me.”

“It’s just – I’m protecting her. It’s safer for her if she doesn’t know.”

“Safer? We’re still talking about Kara Danvers, right? The same one that brags how getting kidnapped means she’s on the right track? And the one that shrugs off “quarterly assassination attempts” as some kind of journalistic metric for when her stories are big? That Kara Danvers? Because that Kara Danvers is never ‘safe,’ hun.” Lex counters half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Lena’s prepared to argue some more when she hears a familiar “Supergirl!”

“Speak of the devil.” Lex smirks as they both turn to see Kara, pen in hand, always at the ready to report. They watch as she slips under the barricade and makes her way toward the pair.

“Spare a moment and a quote?” Kara proffers.

“For National City’s best reporter? Always.” Lena smiles.

Kara pauses ever so slightly at her words as a sense of familiarity encompasses her. Lena can almost see a hint of recognition flit across Kara’s eyes before the reporter blushes. Lena doesn’t even have time to regret her choice of words before her best friend presses on.

“Do you know who’s behind the resurgence of Cadmus operations and reported attacks against innocent alien civilians that are being attributed to them?”

“We are still working on confirming if Cadmus is even involved, but we are following some leads to identify the individuals behind these attacks, yes.” Lena says with a certain air of authority that almost only comes when she is suited up.

“How did you even know about those attacks? We’ve kept them confidential from the public.” Lex questions.

“The DEO isn’t as secretive as you like to think, Lex. And, it’s literally my job to find things out that people don’t want the public to know…” Kara quips.

Lena snickers and exchanges a smile with Kara as Lex narrows his eyes at her.

“Well do you know what I’m bringing to game night tonight, smarty pants?” Lex taunts.

“Pizza and drunk Jenga like always.” Kara states without hesitation.

Lex stammers silently until Lena can see the light flicker in his head. “Well what if I brought Supergirl too? Not so predictable then, am I?” Lex’s eyes glint with a mischievous triumph.

Lena’s jaw clenches as she fights the urge to yeet her brother into space.

Kara looks at her expectantly, almost daring her to come.

“I’d love to, but I have a date with the fortress tonight.” Lena lies.

“Probably for the best since you’d be no match for me and Lena. We run game night and take no prisoners, not even super ones.” Kara boasts goofily.

“Oh, is that so?” Lena challenges playfully.

“Yeah, it’s actually sickening how annoyingly good they are together.” Lex pouts knowingly at them both.

“You’re just jealous you don’t have your perfect partner for game night yet, Luthor.” Kara beams smugly at Lex while Lena tries to hide her own smile.

“See what I mean?” Lex shakes his head. “Nauseating.”

Lena hears Kara’s phone buzz before she pulls it out to check her messages. “Looks like I’ve got places to be and other stories to report.” Kara announces. “But don’t let that fool you into thinking I’m done questioning you about Cadmus, Supergirl."

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Ms. Danvers.”

Kara smiles before turning her attention to Lex. “I’ll see you tonight, where you can tell me how exactly you convinced Lena, of all people, to buy a motorcycle!”

“Shit.” Lena mumbles as she watches Kara walk away.

“What was that about?” Lex asks.

“Nothing. On an unrelated note, I’m going to need you to give me a refresher’s course on riding a motorcycle.” Lena says while preoccupied with digging her phone out of her boot. “I gotta get back to the office. See you tonight, big bro.” Lena rushes her goodbye before launching into the air and leaving Lex confused and alone.

“Hey, Jess. I need you to buy me the most badass, sexiest motorcycle you can find in 3 hours.” Lena instructs as she dodges a pigeon midair.

---

Kara is hugging Sam and Kelly goodnight as Lena collects empty glasses from the coffee table. Kara closes the door and meets Lena in the kitchen to help load her dishwasher.

“Ya know, I’m starting to regret introducing those two. They are giving us a run for our money.”

“Oh come on, you know no one can beat us when we’re together. Not even Brainy when he counts cards.” Lena playfully bumps her best friend’s shoulder.

“You’re always right.” Kara laughs. “Plus, it’s nice to have a little competition. Makes the win that much more satisfying.”

“You’re such a competitive dork.” Lena teases.

“And you love me because of it.” Kara grins.

“Yes, I do.” Lena says unabashedly. And she wonders if Kara even knows just how much she loves her and for how long she’s loved her.

There’s a brief moment between them where Kara wants to say more and Lena wants her to, but as always with them, the moment passes and neither one says what’s on their mind nor what’s in their hearts. For two women who are fearless when facing the world, they sure are terrified to face their own feelings for each other.

“So, I got a chance to talk to Supergirl today…” Kara says.

And just like that Lena is knocked down by her reality in which her closest friend doesn’t know her biggest secret. Lena hates when Kara talks about Supergirl with her, because it’s just another reminder of her own web of lies she spins around them both. At this point, she’s not sure who’s more trapped in the web, her or Kara.

“And what did she say?” Lena plays along.

“That they haven’t confirmed Cadmus is back yet, which is bullshit. It’s them.”

“Kara, we don’t know it’s them.” Lena tries.

“Lena, it’s them. You know it. I know it. Lex knows it. And Supergirl knows it. Acting like it’s not and keeping it a secret from the public only endangers the city and its alien citizens even more. I’m not gonna help Cadmus by doing the same. I just need a little bit more proof to publish.”

“You’ll find it. If anyone can, it’s National City’s best reporter.” Lena says matter-of-factly as she places her hand over Kara’s where it rests on the counter and gives it an encouraging squeeze.

“Have I told you you’re my favorite, Lena Luthor?” Kara asks with a soft smile.

“Many times, but I love to hear it.” Lena laughs.

Kara turns to face her more directly as her tone shifts back to a serious note. “Have you heard anything on the L-Corp science front? Any attempted break-ins at L-Corp lately or underground inquiries about new inventions that could be used as weapons?” Kara asks with a hint of desperation in her voice.

Lena takes her hand away as she moves to busy them with collecting empty wine bottles from the counter and turning away from Kara. Sometimes it’s easier to lie to her best friend when she’s not facing her. “Umm, no. Nothing yet.”

“You know, you’re terrible at hiding things from me.” Kara presses lightly with a sultry smile.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Lena mumbles to herself as she tosses the bottles in the recycling bin.

Lena sighs and relents rather easily as she turns around to face her best friend. One secret is more than she can bear keeping from a persistent Kara Danvers.

“An old key-card was reconfigured and used to access the lab a few nights ago. They tried to get into the vault too, but my personal security measures prevented it. Jess already did an inventory catalog, and nothing was taken. IT fixed the card issue and new cards were immediately distributed to our scientists.”

Kara looks down in disappointment. Lena knows it has less to do with her and more to do with what this means for Kara, but Lena regrets her secrecy nonetheless.

“I didn’t want to tell you, because I didn’t want to worry you.”

Kara looks up at Lena with a deceivingly expressionless face. “Who did the key-card belong to?”

“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything, Kara.”

“Who did the key-card belong to?” Kara repeats firmly without hesitation, a hint of anger setting in her jaw.

Lena lets out a heavy breath and cements Kara’s suspicion without saying a word. Her silent confirmation causes Kara’s stoicism to crack and concern floods her face as her shoulders sag.

“I knew it.” Kara chokes out.

Lena grabs her face with both hands and wipes a tear from her cheek with her thumb. “Hey,” Lena comforts, “we’ll stop them. We won’t let them get away this time.”

“Promise?” Kara says as she blinks through a well of tears.

“Promise.” Lena insists as she wraps Kara in a reassuring hug.

Kara sinks into the embrace as Lena rubs her back to soothe her best friend. They stay like that for a while until Kara whispers in her ear, “Did I tell you, you’re my favorite?”

“Maybe once or twice.” Lena chuckles as Kara leans back and lets go to wipe the rest of her tears away. Lena doesn’t understand how Kara can look so beautiful even after crying.

“Golly, I didn’t realize how late it was” Kara says as her eyes shift to the clock behind Lena.

Lena is about to offer to stay the night with Kara, but Lex cuts her off before she can form the words. “Fire at the Broadway Apartment Buildings, Supergirl. Firefighters are struggling to contain. Need you there ASAP."

“Yeah, I better get going.” Lena excuses herself as she grabs her jacket.

“You know, you could stay...if you want.” Kara counters, a small plea in her eyes.

“I wish I could, but I have an early morning meeting about the break-in with Security.” Lena lies.

“Right. Okay. Well, drive safe.”

Lena smiles solemnly before leaving.

“On my way, Lex.” Lena reports once she’s in the hallway. She rips her shirt, sets aside her thoughts of Kara, and flies out the window into the night sky.

------

Kara’s about to get ready for bed when she hears a knock at her door. She glances at the shiny red motorcycle helmet by her coat rack, smiles, and grabs it before opening the door without a second thought.

“I was wondering when you’d realize you forgot th- .” Kara freezes as she opens the door, and her smile quickly dissipates.

“What’s wrong? Not excited to see your big sis?”

“Alex.”

...

Read the rest on AO3

[bluepenguinstories]

Remoras Full Chapter XXXIV: Uprooted

I

As soon as they arrived, I knew something was up. I just didn’t know what. There was also the gut feeling that it had nothing to do with the ones I stayed with. Although that bit, I didn’t have an explanation for.

I went around back and took cover behind Juniper’s workshop. Once the opportunity presented itself and I knew the armed foes weren’t looking my way, I dove into the tall grass, using its thick growth as a cover. Soon, I drew close to the first one; he looked around, off to the side, and seeing it as the perfect opportunity, I leapt forward and flung myself at him. He took a step back, taken by surprise, and tried to fight back, but I tore off his helmet and plunged my knife into his forehead, then kicked myself off of him and landed back on the ground. He let out a scream, and I was sent into a panic as the others were alerted.

No, scratch that. I used the commotion to my advantage.

As they drew near, I grabbed the first fallen foe’s weapon and ducked down. Through the thickets, I caught a glimpse of one of them. I sniped at their leg, and another scream emitted. The other fired a barrage of shells, but I had already swerved around and used the back of the machine gun I held onto and rammed it in the back of the guy’s head. The one next to him was right beside me, alert and ready to shoot. That should have been the end of me.

Instead, I shot into the side of his stomach and knocked him down as well. Soon after, there was only one other to deal with: whoever happened to be in that armored van.

“Looks like you got her. Good job,” a voice over static emitted. Oh joy.

His mood soon changed to fright as I opened the passenger side door.

“I’ve got good news and bad news,” I delivered the message, then threw the helmet down on the floor of the vehicle. “Which would you rather hear first?” “Um, bad news?” He squeaked, then slithered against the door of the car. He was some scrawny looking man, dirty blonde, messy. Beat up T-shirt. Braces. Yes, braces. Despite that, he looked to be in his 30s or 40s.

“The bad news is that you didn’t ‘get her’,” I stated. “However, there’s plenty of good news: first off, I may have only killed one of them. The others are unconscious. Second, I may let you live if you work for me instead.”

“Excuse me?” He balked. “Do you know how much they’re –”

“I’ll pay you double,” I interrupted.

“Do you even have the money?!”

I shook my head.

“Not right now,” I looked outside, back toward the house. “Tell me, who was your target?”

Before he could answer, his phone rang. I gestured for him to hand it to me.

“Hey Weatherboy. Don’t mind me, I’m just checking in. You know, I hear the skies are going to clear up soon. I can’t wait to lay out on the beach with my tan and maybe a few crabs pinching me. But enough about me, how goes the hunt? Did you and the men I rented out to you kill Demetria?” He didn’t sound pleasant so much as he did snake-like. However, I was willing to be that his hiss was worse than any bite of his.

My name. So I was the target. But why? Not only that, how did they know my name?

“It’s done,” I replied in a low and monotone voice.

“Ooh? Is this who I think it is?” The delight in his voice grew. “You really are your money’s worth. Tell you what: how about you come to back to my headquarters and we can have a nice, friendly discussion?”

It could have been a trap. I didn’t care.

“See you there,” I replied, then hung up the phone and threw it back to ‘Weatherboy’ over there.

I glanced over to him. He didn’t seem at all threatening, but he could drive, so he could prove useful.

“How much is your boss paying you?” I asked.

“One-hundred thousand,” he answered.

I could use that money as well. Oh well, I wasn’t interested in money.

“Fine. I’ll make it two-hundred thousand.”

“How are you going to get that money?” He questioned. Doubtful as ever, I see.

“Simple: we’ll take it from your boss.”

“Simple?! We?!”

Once again, I looked over to the house. I never wanted any of what transpired to happen. There were many questions I would make sure were answered soon enough.

“Fine. But only because I need the money,” he changed his soon only a second later.

“Good. First, let’s get these bodies in the back of the van. I don’t want them littering my cousin’s home.”

We dragged them back. He complained, though, because of course he did.

“This was supposed to be one simple job,” he grumbled. “Just ‘one little girl’ they said.”

I ignored it. He was allowed to be in a sour mood. I couldn’t hold that against him.

As I dragged the last one back, Ves stormed out of the house, furious. What was said, I didn’t wish to recall. There were no words, and to see her in so much pain...it tore at me. But I didn’t dare show it. Seeing that only solidified my resolve.

Moving on, I sifted through Weatherboy’s glove compartment, pulled out a notepad as well as a fountain pen.

“Can your boss hear us?” I wrote down and showed him what I wrote. He raised an eyebrow, then looked at me.

“No, it’s not wired. If you thought it could have been, why would you even say all those things?”

Ugh. If there was one thing I hated, it was pointing out flaws in my thought process.

“Never mind that,” I dismissed him. “Tell me, Weatherboy, what’s your specialty?”

“Okay, first off, ‘Weatherboy’ is just a code name. If we’re going to work together, call me by my actual name, Wheaty. Second of all, I’m sort of a freelance hacker-slash-surveillance. I can control things remotely, tap into any computer. Not to toot my own horn.”

Wow. I hit the jackpot. OK. I can use this.

We soon rode off, into whatever hostile destination I would soon find myself in. I sat in the back, next to the bodies of the men who drove my cousin’s wife into such sorrow. None of them could wake up and grab me, as they had been heavily sedated.

Part of me was tempted to use the car ride as a means of falling asleep, as I sure knew I needed the rest. But I resisted, both because I needed to be alert so I could plan on my way there, and also because of the nightmares I’ve had recently. No, I didn’t want to get into what they were about. I was sick of flashbacks.

On the paper, I wrote down, then handed him the sheet of paper:

“What’s the layout of this place like?”

“You know, you don’t have to write everything down. I already told you my van’s not being tapped.”

Irritated, I wrote down:

“It’s easier this way.”

He sighed. Just as, if not more, annoyed than I was. Or maybe annoyed with the situation. It could have been both, and like I said, I couldn’t blame him for that.

“OK. So it’s solid white all around. Just a straight corridor. Two floors, one of them full of small rooms. I’m guessing the place used to be one of those private prisons until the boss bought it out and repurposed it. Those guys he sent? They were mere grunts. Who you’re going to meet inside will be much tougher. Can’t just be stabbed or beat over the side of the head. Next, there’s hidden turrets on the floor which will pop out when there’s an intruder. Boss might just want to lure you there, then spring the turrets out as some sort of example. Last, there’s walls which can shoot up from the floor as well. Those are there mainly to trap enemies in, or to protect themselves.”

Hostile architecture. What a load of junk. Figures. You get what you pay for.

“Next question,” I wrote down, “Why was I targeted and how did you find me?”

“Sorry, I don’t know the answer to the first one. I’m guessing these guys just get assignments and aren’t told the ‘why’, just the necessary details. As for how I found you, you were listed as ‘Demisexual’ but I was able to do a little digging. Found school records that matched your appearance. Then I tracked your phone and it brought me to that place. I thought you must have known you were targeted, so you retreated to some place remote.”

Wrong. If I had known, I never would have put Juniper and Ves in danger like that.

There were other thoughts, too, like if they know all this information about me, what’s to stop them from putting other members of my family in danger?

Such a thought was sickening, and I still didn’t know the details, but I cursed myself for being so careless.

I couldn’t dwell on such things. It wasn’t the time. What mattered more was making sure I was as prepared as I could be for whatever was about to come.

“I know you said this van isn’t being monitored, but do you have any means of communication once I’m inside?” I wrote down and showed him the paper.

He hummed and mulled it over, then came to an answer.

“That’s going to be tricky. It’s got sensors, not to mention that any unauthorized radio signals are blocked. But...I’ve got a solution,” he then reached back and handed me a pair of contact lenses. I was confused, but took them anyway. Hell, I probably needed them given that my glasses were left at my cousin’s house.

“Yeah, yeah. I know most communication devices are ear pieces, but those would be too obvious. With this, I can track where you are from the inside, plus we can communicate. Not only that, but it emits a low enough frequency that it should go undetected. However, it would still be tricky, as they’re likely to notice something’s up the second you tell me something. So you’d have to find the right opportunity.”

I smiled. Not that I was really in a good mood, but I just couldn’t help but marvel at how well things were lining up. At once, I put the contacts in (really, I didn’t know how I managed such a feat with those guys in the fields, considering how weak my vision must have been) and thought it over.

That just means you’ll have to work fast, Weatherboy.

“We’ll use code words,” I wrote down, and listed my plan.

He then seemed hesitant.

“Are you sure about all of this?” He asked after a quite audible gulp.

I nodded. There was no question.

For the remainder of the ride, I was silent. There was nothing more than needed to be said. Any more to say than necessary would have just been a bother. Sure, there was the issue of my knife. If there was anything like metal detectors, that might have been a problem. But I couldn’t prepare for everything. I’d just have to do my best with the resources available.

“Well,” his voice oozed dread. He was even less confident now that when we were on the road, “we’re here.”

He announced just a few hours after we had departed. From that, I could infer that this headquarters wasn’t all that far from where my cousins lived. That was even more worrisome.

I jolted up. Against my better judgment, I must have dozed off near the end. Those guys who shared the space with me were still sound asleep. Good.

“So,” I yawned as I opened my mouth to speak. It sounded foreign. “I’m going in alone. See you in a bit.”

“Be careful,” he urged. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was genuine concern. How odd considering that not only did we just meet, but he also was tasked with taking my life not too long ago.

It really did look like it used to be a prison complex. It had its own barbed wire fence and gate, as well as a barren dirt field both in the front and back of it. To my surprise, I entered without any such greeting. I expected armed guards out front. I also expected to be escorted once inside. That didn’t come either.

How careless of them. Either they’re overconfident or just stupid. Either way, I shouldn’t complain.

Inside was pristine marble. Sterile, like a dentist’s office. But longer and more haunting in its uniform nature. Up above was the second floor, just as I had been told, along with many cell doors. Really, they couldn’t even be bothered to refurbish the cells and turn them into decent room spaces? How lame.

Further down the narrow corridor, I spotted him: a wide balding man in a tuxedo with a monocle and heavy grin. He looked like his name would have been Igor or something. He sure had a wicked smile. Seated at a desk in the back with a computer to his side, he had his hands folded. Beside him were several, not just two, three, or four, but well over a dozen armed men in heavy metal armor and helmets that didn’t seem so easily removable.

Real deal, huh? We’ll see.

I approached his desk, looked down at the man who seemed just like a caricature of a capitalist pig.

“Greetings, greetings,” he announced, jovial and repulsive.

He wants to act all friendly. Well, I’ll put on a show for him, then.

“Oh wow, what is this place?” I looked around and did my best to sound astonished.

“You like it?” He flashed me a grin. “It’s still a little under construction, as you can tell. Soon we hope to be one of the greatest organizations in the world. We’re known as Custodians United Notorious Technicians. We specialize in taking jobs requested to us by powerful individuals. Oftentimes we clean up the messes that others would regrettably make. Well, I say ‘we’, but I only hand out the contracts. Everyone else does the work,” he worked up an obnoxious laugh with tons of snorting.

Wow, what a –

“You know, you should really consider changing the name of your group. Just saying,” I pointed out.

“Why? Oh, never mind. We’re not here to argue semantics, are we?”

“No,” I smiled back, “I suppose we aren’t. I’d like to know instead why it is you sent people to kill me. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just your average girl in her mid-twenties and trying to find her place in the world. You know, typical coming of age story, except I’m already an adult. But hey, I’m totally aimless.”

He laughed his obnoxious laugh once again.

“Well, I don’t know about that ‘average’ part. We were certainly thinking so. You see, the man who ordered the hit on you said you’d be an easy job. However, he also seemed to want to kill you for quite petty reasons.”

“Excuse me? A man wanted to hit on me? Did you tell him I’m not interested.”

I heard a snicker from one of the armed men. How unprofessional. As high-spirited as the boss was, he ignored my comment.

“Our first attempt was supposed to be much more discrete. We sent someone to shoot a deadly poison dart at you, but apparently it was intercepted and the one we sent ended up being killed by someone else instead.”

That dinner date. So that’s what it was. I was the target.

He continued.

“Now, as you know, our goal was to kill you, but after taking care of some of my men, I’ve got a different offer for you: you can join us instead, and your sole mission will be to kill a certain individual. After that, you will be free to go on about your life.”

“Gee, mister, I don’t know about that one. I’m kind of a pacifist, you see,” maybe I should have considered his offer. But I was already set on my own mission.

“Quit playing dumb,” he scolded. Jeez, not so cheerful now.

I shrugged.

“All right. Who’s the target?”

“You mean you’ll accept?” He tilted his head.

“No. I just want to know who you have in mind.”

He twirled his sausage fingers and looked ever so delighted.

“You see, when we made that first attempt on you, a witness described who you were with, her mannerisms, and then our interest soon changed.”

“Hey,” I scolded right back, “who a lady goes out with is none of your business.”

“Oh, but it is. You see, we couldn’t believe it ourselves. Are you familiar with Rhea Flection? She used to be a member of the group which inspired ours, and she had quite the reputation. Her final mission ended in her death, or so it should have. It would appear that not only is she alive, but you know her. So while we admire all the work that she’s done...we want her out of the picture. She was part of an old era, and it’s time for a new generation to take up the business.”

Of course. It always comes back to Remora. I could never escape it.

“So, what do you say?” He leaned in and asked.

What do I say...what do I say…

Rather than dignify his question, I burst into laughter.

“Who?” I shot back.

“You know who. You were with her. It would seem you have some interest in her.”

I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

“You mean Rhea Perlman? Danny DeVito’s wife? I don’t know why you brought her up, but I don’t like her as much as Danny DeVito. I get what you’re thinking: she’s a woman, so I should like her, right, just ‘cause she’s a woman? I mean, I do like women, and women are neat. They’re just so…women,” I was getting a little ahead of myself. That’s okay. That little distraction should have been enough to give Weatherboy all the time he needed. “But really, Danny DeVito’s my favorite. Like, oh my god. I’ve got the biggest celebrity crush on him. Have you seen that hunk of man? Everyone always thinks that Matilda was his best movie, but I’d argue Junior was his magnum opus. I mean, how do you top it? Such cinematic brilliance. But really, he’s just the type of actor who can make anything he stars in great, just by being in it.”

“What...what are you going on about?” He sat, baffled at my rant. Little did he know that ‘Danny DeVito’ was one of the code words.

“You’re really not making this easy for me,” Weatherboy complained.

“Oh, come on. It’s no secret that I’m known as Danny DeVito’s #1 fan. If you did a little more research about me, you would’ve known that. Hell, it’s probably on my profile you’ve got on me.”

With that, he gave a suspicious look and turned to his computer. Once he gave a good look, his eyes grew wide, then he turned to a look of pure rage.

“What’s going on? All of your information’s changed! It says your name is ‘Danielle DeVito’, your address is somewhere in New Jersey, and your age is 69.”

I had to stifle back another laugh. Out of all the things he could have changed my info to…

It doesn’t really matter, though. It’s less about what it says and more about what it no longer says.

“I don’t know how you did it, but I’ve got your information backed up.”

He scrolled on his computer and although I couldn’t see the screen, I didn’t have to. Soon he growled in frustration, and I knew whatever dirt he had on me was long gone.

“What the –”

“Tsk, tsk,” I sneered at him, “you should really protect your files better.”

It went without saying that ‘protect’ was another code word.

“Deploying the walls now,” I heard Wheaty’s little voice.

Walls shot up in front of the guards and blocked them in place. On the other side, another wall. Soon the space in front of me grew more narrow, and more important, it was just ‘the boss’ and I.

“What’s going on?!” He slammed a fist against his desk.

I leaned up to him, pulled out my knife, then jammed it into his palm. He let out a shriek.

“Guards!” He called. But they couldn’t do anything. They were trapped in. Considering how tough the walls were, I’d say he only had himself to blame.

“If you wanted to kill me, you could have. Hell, I probably deserve it. But you do not go after my family,” I leaned my face up to his, and breathed out a low, rumbling growl. Tears filled his face, along with snot, and his face contorted to a low hanging frown.

Just as swift, I pulled out my knife and blood trickled out from his palm. I sheathed the knife, then walked away.

“Holy shit!” Weatherboy, okay, Wheaty, exclaimed.

“Don’t act so surprised,” I dismissed his shock.

As I walked away, I noticed the portly leader of his failed organization get up and try to charge after me.

“Wheaty. Deploy a wall behind me,” I ordered. He did just as I commanded, and the wall shot up from the floor and I heard the pathetic excuse for a boss slide down. Next, I heard pointing. Along with the pounding of those many men, it really grew quite bothersome.

I can’t just leave here. This whole organization has to go. They don’t get any more chances at my life. They don’t get to threaten my family ever again. It simply cannot be allowed to exist.

My back to the wall, I gave the next order:

“Deploy turrets on the others. Now.”

Despite how immediate his response was for everything else, I sensed hesitance with this one.

“Are you sure about this?” He questioned, nervous.

“Yes. Just put a wall in front of the desk.”

“...OK…” His hesitance still showed through.

Soon I heard the turrets come up with their mechanical whirring. They fired without hesitation, an immediate hail of bullets and shells.

Their screams erupted, shot after bloody shot. Splats against the walls. Endless shrieks. Coupled with the intense drumming of the turrets, it bled through my ears and wouldn’t let me forget the sounds. It wouldn’t go away, and considering how tough their armor was, they wouldn’t go down so easily. But they were trapped, no way of escape. Even as their pounds against the walls begged for release. Sooner or later, they would be reduced to several bloody chunks. Just as that boss must have already been.

It all made me sick to my stomach.

I did this. I gave the order. All these soldiers, or assassins, or whatever they called themselves. They could have had family of their own. Children, friends, people who they cared for. And I took that away from them. There’s no room to regret it, though. They would have taken those things away from me, or anyone, with no hesitation. I couldn’t just let them live. But –

Any one of them could have been like Remora. Forced into it. If that’s the case, I just took away any hope they could have had of freedom. Worse? Even though I feel justified, I hate it. I hate that I so easily took away their lives while I’m standing back and waiting for it all to end. Yes, Remora did something similar with her own group, to ensure her survival. Took out the entirety of her old organization. She claimed she didn’t feel a thing, didn’t care. But I? I feel everything. Every scream. Every bullet. Every piece to hit the ground. I can see their faces, see their horror in my head, even if I can’t see how it actually is. I’m so close to it.

I lifted up the collar of my shirt underneath my hoodie and held it up to my mouth. I felt like I was about to throw up. That noise, their pain, their deaths, it wouldn’t go away. Air seemed to fill with smoke. Or maybe it did behind those walls, and I just imagined the smoke around me as well. It was suffocating. I grew dizzy, lightheaded, and it seemed like I was about to pass out as I slid down against the wall and dropped to the floor.

You know, maybe Remora didn’t care, but that must have been for the better. It’s worse to have the capacity to care and still commit terrible acts. No doubt. I was worse.

“Are you okay?!” Wheaty shouted into the receiver.

“Of course,” I winced as I lifted myself back up. My voice was harsh, but for whatever reason, he seemed worried. “Don’t worry about me.”

“Well, you’ll be glad to know it’s over now,” he let me know. Despite that, I still heard the rain of bullets. Then, I rubbed the sides of my head and a few seconds later, silence, save for a small sizzling sound.

“Good. You can put down the walls now.”

He did as I requested, and I retched upon seeing the damage I had done. That boss was a bloody mess, sprawled up on the floor. Those dozen or so guys to my left were also piled up on the floor. Their sight wasn’t so gruesome, as their armor obscured most of it, but chunks of their armor had broken off and red exposed flesh showed through.

I walked across, minded where I stepped, then went behind the former boss’ desk. There was a room I didn’t notice before, but I did now.

“Hey, do you know if this room’s locked?” I asked.

“It doesn’t appear so.”

I turned the knob. Sure enough, it opened up.

Inside was a large safe of money, all piled high against the walls. On top of that, however, was a stack of weapons and strange glowing minerals. Too bad none of those weapons were used on me. Maybe if they were, I’d have been long gone. If only.

“Come in. I’ve got the money,” I told him, “try not to mind the dead bodies.”

I sifted through the safe. Any other opportunist would have taken whatever money they could get their hands on. I never said I had my priorities straight.

Those minerals and weapons interested me, but I dare not take those, either. I had no idea what either of them were capable of or why they were kept in a safe. Still, I made note of it. While I had no intention of returning to this place, it might be useful to remember such things for the future.

It took a few minutes, but he showed up. When I saw him, he looked just as disgusted as I was. Couldn’t blame the guy. I noticed some serious eye baggage and he was slumped over. It must have taken a great deal of strength for him not to throw up then and there.

“What a mess,” he sounded exasperated.

“You’re telling me,” I replied, then handed him the cash. He took it, then looked up, dejected.

“Hey, take care,” he sounded glum, but I appreciated the sentiment.

“Thanks.”

“And by the way...no offense, but I hope we don’t ever meet again.”

“I don’t blame you,” I echoed the sentiment.

He waved, then walked off. Before he got far, I called for him:

“Hey! What about the contacts?”

He shrugged.

“Keep them. I’ll disconnect the signal later. I’m more worried about where I’m going to drop off these guys in the back of the van.”

Fine enough by me. He served his purpose. I’d get rid of the contacts myself sooner or later. Though the fact that my glasses were left at my cousin’s house was a concern. First, I had some unfinished business before leaving the place: I had to figure out who ordered the hit on me, then pay them a visit. To that end, I checked on the computer for any information I could find. Sure enough, I found what I was looking for and then some.

II

I’d have departed right away if not for what, or rather, who stood in my way: some robotic figure with silver steel armor and a thin helmet with red pointed earpieces on each side with a shape which reminded me of the head of a dragon. It had a red, see-through visor, but I couldn’t quite make out the face on the inside.

Whoever you are, I really don’t have time for this, so if you could just step aside, that would be great.

“What do you want? If it’s a fight, I’d advise against it, else you end up like those guys over there,” I pointed my thumb behind me.

“You’re welcome to try. But I already withstood those bullets,” came a deep and feminine voice which held a similar dark timbre in her words as I now held.

“So what do you want, then? Are you here to kill me? Finish the job for your boss?” I threw my hands out. I really didn’t know why this person wouldn’t just move.

“I never worked for them. I just infiltrated their headquarters to gather information,” came her flat reply. I watched as she turned her attention toward the pile of corpses. “Though gruesome, they’re no concern to me. However, I will make sure to give them all a proper burial.”

How touching. Real touching.

“What information did you find?” I tapped my foot.

She looked around the building, then back at me.

“Did you know that this place has technology which can harm angels? Or, that’s one name for them, anyway. Now, why such a place would need such technology is a concern in itself.”

“Uh, excuse me? Angels?”

“You’re right; it doesn’t matter. This world has its own problems. It doesn’t need some otherworldly being wreaking havoc.”

Then why mention it at all?!

“I just found it interesting. That these people would try to recreate such a terrible organization. ‘Janitors’, they used to call them. Killers and stalkers and thieves. If nothing else, I must commend you for making it so they could not develop further.”

“Uh...you’re welcome?”

“Back there, you knew who Rhea was, didn’t you?” She asked at last, her question made the hairs on my skin stand on end.

“You’re right,” I admitted. “I know who he was referring to. But she died. So tough luck.”

“I see. Of course.”

Gee, this is Cronus all over again...shit. I never wanted to think about that. That place or that sicko.

“What about the name ‘Remora’?” Her question changed to one I recognized. My heart sank, and it felt I had stared into the eyes of Medusa herself as I stood in place, like a stone.

“That drew out a reaction,” she noted. “I take it you do know her.”

Fuck. Now I got my own body betraying me. Bad body.

Thinking fast, I scoffed.

“No,” I deflected. “I was just surprised. Like, who the hell would ask me if I knew the name of a fish? I’m not even interested in fish, so you’re lucky I even recognized that name at all!”

“Actually, that’s the name of a person,” she corrected. As if I even had to guess.

“That’s a ridiculous name for a person,” I shot back. “Who names their kid that? Rather, if nobody named them that, then why would they name themselves that?”

“You can come up with whatever excuse you want, but I could tell by your reactions alone that you know who I’m talking about. Now tell me where she is,” she demanded.

Look, Miss Power Ranger, even if your assessment is correct, I really have no clue where she could be.

“Why do you want to know, anyway?” I grimaced. It felt like I was giving up the game, but what else could I do?

“Because she killed my father. She needs to pay her due,” she stated. So direct, too.

“I don’t know if you know this, but I probably killed plenty of fathers just now. Not that I know, but just a guess.”

“Yet none of them were mine.”

Well, she was focused, at least. Had to give her credit there.

“So? You think you have the moral high ground? You think as long as you get revenge on one person, that no one else matters? Satisfy your desires, everyone else be damned?” Anger rose in me. But not about the subject of revenge, no. I was pissed that out of all the people she wanted to kill, it wasn’t me.

“What’s your point?” She accused.

“Hey Inigo Montoya! If you had any sense, you’d kill me!” I clenched my fists and shouted. “Why wait for someone who doesn’t matter when I’m right here!”

“If it’s retribution you see, you will get what is owed to you in due time. I have no need to intervene.”

There was nothing I could have said to provoke her and worse yet, she got what she wanted out of me: confirmation that Remora was someone I knew.

Frantic, I looked around and noticed a large rock. Or rather, it was loose debris from the floor. I grabbed it and threw it at her. She didn’t so much as flinch.

“If you want to know where Remora is, you’ll have to go through me!” I shouted once again.

“Why are you defending her? She’s a murderer,” through her confusion, I sensed the slightest bit of irritation in her. Yet that raised a good question: why was I defending her? She was no longer in my life and neither of us cared about the other. So it shouldn’t have mattered.

I took a step back.

“I-I’m not,” I struggled to get out the words. “I’m just not feeling very cooperative!”

I grabbed another chunk of debris and threw it her way, and that time she deflected it and tossed it aside like it was nothing.

“Enough!” She shouted. “Tell me where I can find her and quit with this nonsense!”

Ha. Finally I got a rise in her. Sorry, Miss Sentai, but nonsense was what I was good at.

“Or else what? You’ll kill me?”

“No. I have no interest in doing so.”

“That’s too bad, because I’m not going to tell you anything otherwise.”

Behind me was a gun which belonged to one of the corpses. If the turrets didn’t do the trick against her like she suggested, then I doubted such a weapon would either. But that wasn’t what I was hoping for. I just wanted to piss her off.

I grabbed it and I had to use both hands due to its heaviness. It was a miracle I could even pick it up at all, but I attributed it to the adrenaline in me. As soon as I picked it up, I opened fire.

Of course, it all bounced off, but it served its purpose, and she took a step forward, then ran after me.

Good, I thought, let the chase commence.

It didn’t go how I expected it to, however. Flame emitted from the soles of her metallic shoes and she propelled herself forward.

Rocket shoes? Seriously?! No fair.

I picked up the pace, threw the gun up to the second floor, and hurried up a ladder.

Maybe I could find an explosive, escape through a window, and leave her in the rubble. Wouldn’t that be grand?

Once up, I grabbed the gun and opened fire. It stopped her in her tracks, but not even a crack or a dent showed. Even as I unloaded more bullets, nothing. Once the thing was empty, I just threw it down. Maybe its weight could crack her visor at the very least. Do something.

Nope. Just like before with the debris, she swatted it away.

Come on! I have to do something!

On the wall, I found a fire extinguisher. I grabbed it and as soon as she landed at the second floor, I squeezed the nozzle down beneath her.

Maybe it obscured her vision, or stalled her, I wasn’t sure, but a great cloud formed and I saw it as an opportunity to charge forward and ram the extinguisher into that stupid helmet of hers.

To my surprise, two things happened:

1) First, I saw the silhouette of her helmet and cracks began to form in her visor.

2) She grabbed the extinguisher, crushed it in her hand, then tossed it aside. I’ll be honest, it was kinda hot.

After the smoke cleared, I saw the anger in her eyes, and her helmet came off to reveal a woman with short, auburn hair and dark brown eyes. Let me rephrase: her helmet didn’t ‘come off’ so much as it unfolded or something, back into her suit.

“What are you, Iron Lady? Don’t you know that billionaires can’t be superheroes? It’s an oxymoron!” I teased.

“I don’t know what you’re referring to, but you’re really trying my patience,” she replied through grit teeth.

Heh. Now that your helmet’s down, you’re vulnerable.

I reached into my pocket and unsheathed my knife. In a desperate attempt at...something, I lunged at her, my aim was for somewhere on that pretty face of hers. Instead, she grabbed my arm and tightened her grip enough for me to drop my knife.

Jeez. Her suit’s not just for show. She really is that strong. When it came down to it, what did I have to show for myself? I could take down men almost twice my size, but Astro Woman over there? No chance.

She lifted me up until I had to look down just to see her face. She looked up, bared her teeth, and seethed with repulsion.

“I know this isn’t appropriate for the situation, but I just wanna say that I’m kinda turned on right now,” I informed her. I wasn’t being serious, and I doubt she was even my type, but I really just wanted to get on her nerves.

“Disgusting,” she replied, and I propelled my legs forward and tried to knock her down. However, she didn’t even budge.

“Pathetic. It seems without someone there to help you out, you’ve got nothing.”

“Yes, please, degrade me more,” I groaned, rather annoyed, myself, as I tried to struggle free from her grip. At least she helped me out with that, as she swung her arm back and sent me flying toward the nearest wall where my back slammed against it and I fell.

“At least I know she’s out there, somewhere. I can find her on my own. You weren’t even worth my time,” she spat down at me.

I watched as she walked away, and I tried to get myself up, but I was just too sore. Loathe as I was to admit, she was right: I wasn’t nearly as badass as I propped myself up to be. At least my family would be safe, that was what mattered. Remora, on the other hand? Fuck. She might have been right about that, too. Whether or not I should have, even if she didn’t need defending, I really wanted to keep her safe. I hated that part of myself, along with the part of myself that committed such atrocities, but I couldn’t shake either part of me.

It took a while, even a great deal of strength on my part, but I struggled back up, and limped on ahead. That delay really did put a damper on what I was looking forward to the most: dying.

She was a distraction, someone who I never accounted for, and because of that, I was late for my final confrontation. But soon, I would pay them a visit, and at last, I would find the release I so desperately craved.

III

For whatever reason, the one who ordered the hit on me was staying at a hotel just a few miles away. Maybe it was for the sake of convenience. Convenient for him, or convenient for me, I wasn’t sure which. It didn’t really matter, anyway.

It took a few more hours, no driver to take me and I refused to try to hotwire a car I knew I couldn’t even drive. Ha. Within just a few minutes of walking, I regretted not trying to hijack something. I was too sore. That fight took more out of me than I wanted it to. Maybe that was for the best, though. It would give me less of a fighting chance. Whoever it was who wanted me dead, I decided I would just give it to them. There was a good chance that whoever they were felt too weak to fight me, but it shouldn’t have been a problem if I didn’t resist, right?

So I walked, all bruised and with a bloody lip, awaiting my end.

By the time I reached the hotel, it was daybreak. Few cars occupied the parking lot. White line dividers looked more animated. I imagined that the paint was fresh. In my delirious state, I tried to bend down and slide my finger across it. But I couldn’t even reach that far. That mysterious armored woman sure did a number on me.

I looked up at the tall, golden building. Despite its extravagance, it looked a little rundown and beat up. Just like me. Holy hell, I just couldn’t do humor anymore. I couldn’t even humor the idea of humor.

I pulled out my phone. It wasn’t very kind of me. I had months to deliberate and I didn’t send so much as a hello. There was no indication that I ever wanted a friend. That I even wished to reach out to one. Pathetic, I thought to myself, about myself, as I reached for that crumpled piece of paper and entered in the digits. Within a few seconds, I texted:

Me: Could you please come get me? No pressure if you’re busy or asleep or anything. Take your time. I’ll probably be dead by the time you get here, anyway.

Then I texted her the address and set the phone back in my pocket. Once I pushed open those glass doors, I knew there wasn’t any going back from it, and honestly? I didn’t want to. Rather than fear, I wanted to enter that room and get it over with. Let them end me.

I staggered up to the front desk, a kindly young woman stood there, big brown poofy hair. Her gold plated name tag read ‘Janis’. If that was one of the last memories I were to have before I departed, was it worth it? To have such a memory? I didn’t think so. That fuzzy carpeted lobby, its red and black diamond pattern. That was also not worth noting.

“Hello, how may I help you?” She smiled all wide and asked in some grating robotic voice. Weak, I answered:

“I’ve got someone expecting me in room 811,” I told her. Rather, I’m expecting them.

“Oh, of course. He told me he’d have a guest. Go right up, the door should be unlocked for you,” she gestured toward the elevator.

Well gee, if that’s not suspicious at all. Someone really was expecting me.

“Thank you,” I mustered out the words. Even if she was in on it, whatever ‘it’ was, I still tried to use my fucking manners.

Rather than use the elevator, even if the rest of me pleaded with me not to walk so much, I took the stairs. Yes, I wanted to get it over with. End it. But at the same time...I felt confident that I could take my time. My breaths were labored, and I just about collapsed a couple of times while on my way up, but that didn’t stop me.

Once I stood in front of room 811, I turned the handle and entered:

It was a darkened room, only a dim lamp to illuminate. It was also a cluttered room, with very little space to walk around in. Tall dressers and cabinets occupied the walls. Above it were tin figures of tigers and dragons and many miniature globes. I allowed the door behind me to close into place. When I stared ahead, I noticed a wooden desk and a puffed up black swivel chair with its back turned to me.

Only the second man behind a desk I’ve encountered in the past 24 hours. Lucky me.

“So you’ve arrived,” a gruff, gravelly voice spoke. Despite only meeting him once, long ago, I recognized his voice. It was different from how I remembered, but there was no mistake. Then, when he turned around, any room for doubt was erased:

Jerry Mander.

He wore a pinstripe suit with thin black and white stripes. Black, disheveled hair covered the top of his head, and a pronounced stubble worked its way upon his chin. In a strange way, he reminded me of Ray, only Jerry had no glasses. Neither did I. To think my final moment would come without my glasses on.

“I figured you would after the first attempt was foiled. I told them that you weren’t to be underestimated, but they didn’t listen. Oh, no,” any sort of humor or joy was devoid from him as well. Whatever happened to the two of us, we were like two peas in some broken pod. “They told me not to worry about it. That they were professionals. Ha. Like I wasn’t?”

So I had a name and face. But the motive was unclear.

“Let me guess: you entered their lair and took them all out?”

I didn’t answer. I just let him talk. That’s what he wanted, right?

“You don’t need to tell me the details, but I’m right, aren’t I?” He wheezed out a laugh. Again, devoid of anything resembling humor. “Just my fucking luck. I mean, I knew it would happen, I just knew, but I paid good money, and look at what good it did me.”

Truth be told, I thought he was kind of goofy when I met him. But all of those details about him were fuzzy. He took a treasure from Sunny, tied her and I up, but I broke free. That’s it.

“Just so you know, there are two small laser cannons hanging from the ceiling. Any sudden movements, any attempt on my life, and they’ll fire.”

Good. Can I just step forward and get this over with?

“Now, answer me: do you have a gun hidden in your pocket that you planned to shoot me with?”

I shook my head.

“Good,” he then reached under the desk and pulled out a revolver. “However, I’ve got one. You won’t be taking it from me, either. It’s just you and I. Understood?”

I said nothing in response.

He fired his revolver and I felt a sharp pain hit through my left shoulder. It spread and I reached my right arm to cover the wound as blood soon leaked through both my sleeve and my palm. I tensed up and howled, doing my best not to shed any tears.

“ANSWER ME!” He roared.

“Y-Yes! Understood!” I cried out. Then, I hissed and seethed. I scowled and snarled at him with the intensity of a wolf whose paw had just been stepped on.

“Good. You’re going to answer me when I speak. You owe me that much after what you’ve taken from me. Do you know what I’m referring to?”

“No,” even in my pain, my delivery was low, if a little hoarse.

“Let me refresh your memory, then.”

I glanced down at the floor and noticed the blood that had dripped down.

“Look at me,” he ordered. I didn’t feel like a rebel, but I sure hated being ordered around. Still, given the position I was in, I did so.

“You see, I was a business man, and Sunny was a competitor of sorts. My men and I would try to get to ancient treasures before her, and she’d try to get to them before me. Sometimes, I’d capture her and gloat as I took the treasure for myself. At times when she’d get the treasure, I’d shoot at her, alongside my loyal followers. Sometimes when she was captured she’d break free and take the treasure back. It didn’t really matter much of the time who won, save for the fact that I still won sometimes and I was well respected among my employees. That’s how things were, and should have been until you showed up one day and shot my foot.”

So that’s what it was. Something I had long since forgotten, he’s held a grudge for.

“I didn’t know about all that,” I told him. It was the truth. I was naive, wanted to impress others, wanted to look badass. What else could I have said?

“Of course you didn’t. You probably thought you were playing hero. You didn’t know the relationship Sunny and I had, the history.”

“You can still have that,” I told him. For whatever reason, I didn’t know. He didn’t seem like he wanted a pep talk.

“Wrong!” He raised his voice to a shrill bark once again. “Do you know what happened after you shot me?”

“No.”

“Of course not. How could you? Well, let me tell you: I could hardly walk without limping. I had to use a cane. I was out of commission for months. Then, many of my employees resigned, having lost respect for me. The few that I had weren’t enough to cut it for the tasks I took on. Every little opportunity, every assignment brought with it a loss. Morale sunk with each passing day. It was like meeting you brought forth a bad luck that I could never scrub my hands clean of.”

“I didn’t know,” I repeated myself. That time, it sounded like a plea. Not for my life, but...something else that I couldn’t grasp.

“Shut up. You’re not telling me anything that I can’t already tell just by looking at you. Do you know the last assignment I had before hiring someone to kill you? No. Don’t answer me this time. You don’t, so let me tell you: I had a theory that Sunny had amassed some kind of army of short people to take me down. So I hired a strong kid who I thought couldn’t be beaten. My men and I then ventured into a cave in Switzerland for an ancient block of Swiss cheese. Do you know what – no,” he ground his teeth, then continued, “Sunny arrived, along with this kid that fought the one I hired. It was a joke, a total farce. We lost. More than that, it made me into a joke. It was humiliating.”

That must have been Tigershark. Even if I didn’t know the exact situation, there was no way Tigershark was to blame for any of this.

“It wasn’t the kid’s fault,” I told him.

“You’re right: it was yours. See, after I suffered that lost and the last of my henchmen had left me, I stewed in my mansion. Oh, poor me, right? I’ve got myself a fancy mansion. Wrong. That no longer mattered to me, as I couldn’t do much of the things I enjoyed. It was empty. No one wanted to hang around me. I was a total laughingstock. So I got to thinking: what was the root cause of all of this? Who was responsible? Because it wasn’t Sunny, and it wasn’t no damn kids. No. It was you.”

I didn’t argue. I didn’t even think I could.

“How funny, too. I was obsessed, and from that obsession, I was able to dig up some dirt on you: Demetria Root. ‘Demisexual’? Give me a break. I can tell just by looking at you that you’re a virgin.”

You’re not wrong, but that seriously has nothing to do with anything.

“I remember something you told me, back when you pointed that gun at me. How I told you that you shouldn’t risk it, that you didn’t even look like you knew how to fire one. Do you remember what you told me?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Something to the effect of, ‘I don’t value my life all that much. I’ve got less to lose.’ But as it turns out, you’ve got family. You’ve got people who are willing to protect you, judging by the fact that the person who tried to shoot a poison needle at you got killed. Plus, you’ve got people you’re willing to protect. But do you know how people like Sunny and I are able to do what we do? Because we don’t have family. That, or we keep that shit a secret. We don’t make ourselves traceable. Don’t you know why heroes have secret identities? It’s because of that.”

Of course. I was careless. Time and time again, and now it was time to pay the price.

“So the roles have reversed: I’ve got less to lose, as I’ve already lost most of what I had. I spent all my money just so I could get a chance at ending your life, and that too failed. Now here we are, you and I, and neither of us will leave this room until one of us dies. If it happens to be both of us, so be it.”

But if it happens to be you, Jerry? I began to think, but had to stop myself. I wanted to let him kill me. So I couldn’t bear the thought of him risking his own life, even if both of us died, that wouldn’t be good enough. I had to be the only one.

“You don’t have to do this,” I spoke up. “I know how it looks. You’ve got nothing left. You don’t know what to do with your life anymore. So even if things could be better later on, you couldn’t imagine what those things could be. So that’s what you choose: to go down doing what you know. At least it would be on your own terms, right? But you have no idea the impact it could have. I’m telling you this right now.”

“Are you begging for your life? Is that it?” He grunted.

Wrong. I’m begging for yours.

I went on.

“It may not seem like it. It may seem like you’ve been reduced to a joke. But after you die, people will talk about you, prop you up. Some will speak fond of you, some will wish they had killed you themselves. Some will wish for what could have been. What could have happened if you and them became friends. Some would be glad you were dead, or even joke about you, yes. But they would be talking. Stories would be passed around about you. People would be fascinated by you. ‘Oh, that Jerry Mander. What a legend. I wish I could have met him’, they’ll say.”

“Enough!” He snapped. His voice darkened to a near-demonic growl. “Do you know what my original name was? Ben Dover. But that name too was a joke, so I changed it to the much more dignified Jerry Mander. From that, I was infamous. I had an empire built up. Once, I learned that there was a man already named Jerry Mander who wrote a book criticizing capitalism. What a joke! I’m a capitalist. But you know what? I kept it. I loved the irony. However, all of that was a thing of the past. Long since gone. Once it was fun and Sunny and I laughed, two foes foiling the others’ schemes. But no more.”

“That’s the thing!” I argued. “You’re Sunny’s enemy, not mine!”

“No. You’re just a bad omen. A nightmare. Once you’re extinguished, my world will be less gray.”

“Fine. So I am. But Sunny is a sun! She’s bright! Just throw me out the window, get rid of me, go back to your old life!”

“Why do you care so much, anyway?” He accused.

You’re right. I don’t. I just want to care again. I’m sure I did, once. I’m just trying to remember what it felt like.

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?” My voice darkened as well.

“No. You can’t,” he confirmed. Maybe if I was more powerful there could have been something else I could have said or done. Not a physical power, but...I didn’t know what. It might have just been that I was the wrong person.

Still, I stood in place and watched as he got up from his chair and pulled out a cutlass from a large pot next to his desk. I didn’t notice it before, it must have been obscured by the shadow. Or it could have just been convenient not to have noticed it.

“You deserve something more personal than just a shot to the head, or the heart. I’m going to tear you open. Watch you bleed out in pain. Watch you beg for your life, beg for mercy. But it won’t come.”

Fine. Then just do it already.

Sure enough, he leapt at me and slashed forward, and on instinct, I tried to jump back, but there was little room to move and the flesh on my stomach felt the sting of a long cut. It was shallow, or so I thought, as I just winced at first, but then a swell of blood spilled forth and I shifted from holding onto my shoulder to holding onto my stomach. Either way, I winced, and the pain was in multiple places.

“Good...hit…” I shook and raised my free hand up to give him a thumbs up.

“Even now? Even now you treat me like a joke?” His face was beet red.

You’ve got it all wrong. Damn it.

He lunged at me and I fell to the floor. By all accounts, I should have died. Those lasers should have detected my movement and hit me. He should have rammed that cutlass into my heart. None of what should have happened, happened.

No. No, no, no.

Instead, when I fell, I found myself, against my wishes, pulling out my knife to block the sword. I didn’t want to, I swear I didn’t want to. His sword got stuck in the wood floorboard, and the lasers? They hit his back. He fell on me, and to add insult to injury, the knife I pulled out to block his sword, something I didn’t even want to do? It had struck his heart.

I shut my eyes tight. Something welled up. Something that felt like tears. But no, they didn’t even come. I wasn’t even allowed that.

My shoulder’s bleeding out, my stomach’s cut open. I should think about that. Even if I make it down those stairs and out of the hotel, I’ll pass out, no, die from blood loss. Yeah. That’s right. Then I would be free, free from whoever it was I had become.

I shoved him off of me and pulled out the knife. No signs of life. No breaths. No last words. How terrible.

I left the room. Shambled, limped, whatever you wanted to call it, down those many flights of stairs. At any moment, I would collapse –

– Truth be told, I should have died long ago. Back when I was confronted by those gang of guys who wanted to assault me, maybe worse, I shouldn’t have been saved. Even if she wasn’t even thinking of saving me, Remora prevented what should have happened.

When I encountered Cronus and that strange creature at the mansion, either one of them should have taken me. Eaten me alive, devoured me. Ripped me apart. Whatever. It could have been said that I lost my sense of self there, but maybe I lost it long before that.

There were many other moments, but the fact was that I had lived through them all. None of them were deserved. Yes, I had a family. I wished them all to be safe and well. There were people who cared about me, but the bottom line was: I never deserved any of that. I wasn’t worth it.

Those were my thoughts, as were many others along the same lines, as I made my descent. Were any of them correct? Some may have even contradicted themselves. There wouldn’t be any last words coming out of me, nothing memorable. Just a bunch of jumbled up thoughts.

As luck would have it, I made my way down. Pain oozed, even if it was the last thing on my mind. Part of me didn’t want to die, wanted to keep going, but didn’t know what for.

Using the weight of my unharmed shoulder, I shoved my way out of the glass doors and stepped into the parking lot. Commotion, possible panic from the front desk agent, followed. It all came out as static. Once outside, I collapsed.

[sw124]

[Lamia-Birdy-Bitty Daily Life!22]

Hello my lamia lovers how you doing, good I hope… well everyone’s aware of Abby’s story and her predicament. Unfortunately there’s been another development, as Abby stated in her story..her family are jerks willing to keep a devastating secret to keep the peace and maintain a friendship with equally crappy people.

Recently she’s been staying with her cousin Casey and her husband Roy, she’s gotten two Lamias who have been making her life so much better but unfortunately something happened….well is about to happen.

Abby’s parents have discovered where she’s been hiding and are planning to come see her, whether its to bring her home, reconcile or what is a toss but I’m really worried for her. These people ‘BETRAYED’ her in the worst possible way! I don’t know how they found out but thank goodness Casey was given a heads up to this, the parents were gonna try and come down unannounced but someone [don’t know if it was Abby’s family or friend] called and informed them when they were going to come down.

The problem is the conflict…….

[Update 1]

Abby’s staying with me for the time being, Casey hid all her stuff in the attic to avoid her parents stealing it. [yes her parents planned to force Abby home by stealing her things.] Her babies are with me too and they’re getting along with my boys rather well, Matcha had a little trouble getting to know them but Dante and Chip are always there to give him comfort.

Padlock and Yan are fused to Abby’s side, Yan won’t leave her shoulders unless she’s in the bathroom [outside of bath/shower time] an will curl up around her chest and neck, if I didn’t know better I’d say he’s keeping track of her pulse. As for Padlock he’s always right behind her, ample space in case she turns around and such, I often see her sitting/laying in his coils for a nap or looking through her phone. I find it adorable.

She’s taken a spare room with her boys, she brought plenty of her clothes and personal documents just in case. I’ve entertained the idea of her moving in with me but only if my boys are alright with this…

[Update 2]

I’m posting from my car, I’m telling you this is the first time I’ve seen Chip so pissed off in my life. Matcha’s in the back, curled up with a can of whip cream, he’s hissing a little….

Sorry, I’ll tell the story now. We came to the local grocery store to get stuff for dinner, I brought Matcha with me to get him out of the house. [note I go when the store isn’t so pact, today it was sparse so a good thing.] We were getting stuff for the week. It was then we ran into Casey…and a older woman with her.

[take a wild guess who the woman is]

When I saw her I waved, said Hi but for some odd reason the older woman was giving me a death glare. Casey waved and growled something to the old lady, she turned away and walked off with her hand basket. I took that as a sign to ‘stay the hell away’ so we moved on with our shopping.

Matcha was actually having fun with the shopping trip…that is all they way up until we get to the dairy section. We were picking out eggs when I noticed Chip was glaring, he was looking behind me from the baby seat. [loves that spot.] I turn to see that very same old woman there…staring at me, great now I’m being stalked.

Without thinking I turn and give her the same look.

——

Me: Lady why are you following me?

Old Lady: I’m making sure your beasts don’t hurt any innocent children.

Me: Funny; considering your stalking me like some creeper, I bet you have pictures of little kids in that bag of yours ya pervert.

——

At this point old lady gets flustered and suuuuuper embarrassed, I almost laugh. Matcha pulls on my sleeve and motions me to keep moving and ignore the lady. We try to but she then storms up and blocks my way, ok so this is how it goes down.

She grabs my basket and then starts berating me for bringing dangerous animals into a grocery store…..she then grabs Chip, YES she GRABS CHIP and starts rips him out of my basket and haul him away to throw him outside. I freak but thankfully Chip teleported back into my arms, Matcha is holding us both by this point and Casey comes running up and grabbing the old woman by the arm and [I kid you not] slaps the woman across the cheek!

I made my escape then with the boys, Chip is hissing, Matcha’s shaken up….I grabbed like three cans of whip cream for him and jelly beans for Chip as we hurry to the register. We managed to get out of there and now we’re in my car. I can see Casey now walking out with the woman who…apparently is sobbing. I’m gonna call Abby and let her know what happened…

[mini update]

Ok its been an hour and Casey called me up to apologize for that, yes as you all can guess the old woman was Abby’s mother. Apparently she’s got this stigma against reptiles, Casey is just as pissed cause two times this woman tried to toss Zippy out the door. Roy an Zap are holed up in their room [as we all know how Cherries can react to bad stimuli] and won’t come out when that witch is around.

Casey’s trying everything to get rid of her, yes the husband is there and doesn’t mind the Lamias but is not doing enough to wrangle this devil woman in. So she’s told me the two of them aren’t leaving until Casey tells them where Abby is cause in their mind Abby needs to make amends to everyone and pretend everything is ok.

……I really wish I was making this up…..

I’m seriously contemplating bringing Roy and her Lamia over but….it seems like a bad idea, my place has way to many bitties at the moment but I may have a solution.

[mini update again]

My landlord is letting Roy stay in one of the vacant apartments until Abby’s parents leave, he’s bringing both Zip and Zap with him too. At least he’s not a prisoner in his own home.

[Update 3]

Ok things are getting really bad now, Abby’s mother has found out that Abby is staying with me…well ok technically doesn’t know she’s with ‘me’ but knows she’s staying in the apartment complex. She’s been stalking around outside like a hungry stray dog outside a fast food joint.

I saw her talking to the landlord who [bless his awesome heart] won’t tell her a damn thing about who lives in his apartments. He even threatened to call the police if he see’s her walking about. I warned Abby so she’s aware of this.

I’ve left the house a few times but she’s not recognized me since the store incident, so luckily I can leave when I please. Abby leaves too but when she’s disguised and accompanied by Padlock and Yan. Its awesome cause her mom doesn’t recognize her when she’s with her boys…but recently that bi-er that hag has been getting bolder. She’s starting to knock on doors asking of Abby is in one of them.

Guys I’m getting scared, this is getting really stupid and this woman is getting out of hand…bad enough she tried to hurt my Chip but I’m worried she’d hurt Abby’s boys too…

I could use some advice right now, got any?

[for information on Lamias please speak to @vex-bittys she’ll give you info on some lamia bitties for other breeds please see @selkiesbittybonanza ]

[purplesurveys]

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What’s the last vegetable you ate, and when did you eat it?  My dinner had broccoli and bell peppers in it.

What was your last Facebook notification for?  It was Aliyah replying to our comment thread on one of my posts. There wasn’t anything in her comment that was worth replying to anymore, so I just reverted with a Haha react.

What bands have you seen live? Paramore, Coldplay (not super legally), and One Direction.

Tell me an interesting fact about your mother:  She almost became a flight attendant, but she failed the final screening because of her height. I think the idea of her nearly having a completely different career is very interesting.

What do you think is the most important thing to happen to you before the age of 13?  In my case, probably getting my period. I got my first one when I was barely 10.

What were you super against as a young child but aren’t anymore?  Chicken curry. I also hateeeeeeeed Dora the Explorer with a passion, but now I find the show hilarious haha.

What are your plans later today? My work sched this week had been so fucking PACKED, that I want to do nothing but catch up on sleep all weekend. But seeing as I’m a proponent of revenge bedtime procrastination, I also highly doubt I’d let myself fall into a nap (Exhibit A: Me currently taking this survey at 2 AM...) If anything, I’ll probably just continue watching BTS In The Soop and finally start on Season 2 of Bon Voyage.

Are you doing anything exciting this weekend?  Well, it’s the weekend already, so...that ^ I will also have to take Cooper to the vet this Sunday.

Who do you talk to the most? Other than my team at work, Angela. I’ve been extra talkative these days because of our now-mutual excessive love for BTS, that I sometimes feel bad that I keep bombarding her with messages.

What are some things you do regularly that make you feel old?  Talk to my friends who are still in college, especially when they update me about the current happenings in UP that I have absolutely no clue about anymore.

Who is your best guy friend(s)?  I don’t have any best guy friends.

Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?  Neither; I’m fine with my tannish skin tone.

If you had a tiny scar on your face, would you get it removed or just keep it?  Keep it; I already do.

Have you had an x-ray in the past year? Nah. My last one had been nearly 5 years ago, when I needed to get my back checked for scoliosis.

Do you think your first love still loves you?  No. And that’s okay. :)

What is something that is “going right” in your life?  EVERYTHINGGGGGGGGGGG I am so so happy with my life right now weeeee. I have the job of my dreams – I’m even working with THE ACTUAL K-POP GROUP SLASH PHENOMENON SLASH ICONS BTS for one of the clients I handle FHKDHGKHGFDKGHDKGH, I have the best and most supportive friends in the world, and I am now starting to grow my collection of BTS merch with my hard-earned money. Everything is going abso-fucking-lutely perfectly, and to think I didn’t think I would make it past 2020.

When did you feel ready to start dating?  Middle of high school.

When was the last time your pet bit you? If you don’t have a pet, have you ever been bitten by someone else’s?  I was play fighting with Cooper earlier tonight, and he got a little bit excited and ended up biting my upper lip quite harder than usual. It stung for a while, but it’s okay now.

Where were you the last time you made out?  I think it was my bedroom.

When was the last time you cried tears of joy? Yesterday.

How do you type your sad smileys?  Just this :(

Do you have “decorative hand-towels” that cannot be used in your house?  Nope.

What was the last soda you drank?  Probably the Coke I drank at an org event last year, pre-pandemic, out of sheer thirst. There wasn’t any water being served so I just gulped down the soda and tried to ignore the annoying fizziness. I don’t drink soda.

What was the last thing someone made fun of you for?  I was having a video call session with my workmates this afternoon as a way to end the week on a good note, and I recounted my experience of being locked out of the office while I was in the middle of a presentation for a client, and how I managed to get myself back in.

Have you ever had any type of surgery?  Nope.

Should kids be allowed to get tattoos/piercings without parental consent?  No.

Who was the last person to hit on you?  No one has in a while.

What was the last thing you decided not to do, that you were supposed to?  A deliverable a client asked me to do. It can wait til Monday.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to tell someone?  Maybe straight up admitting to my mom that she can be hurtful sometimes. It’s hard because she never actually processes things like that and they do nothing but vanish into thin air, even though it takes everything in me to be that honest.

What do you put on hot dogs?  Mayonnaise.

Ever fallen in the shower?  Like once, when I was 10 or 11.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever called someone you care about?  Continued from last night. It was probably ‘bitch.’ Based on what I’ve learned from my mom, I put extra effort in particuarly watching what comes out of my mouth, because I know how words stick.

Do you think that things will get better?  I did, and now it has.

Have you ever legitimately saved a person’s life?  I think I may have. The story is a little triggering though, so I wouldn’t share it.

What’s your favourite book genre?  Doesn’t really count as a genre but I like auto/biographies.

Have you ever walked out of a movie at the theatre?  I’ve felt like it, but I’ve never done it.

Do dogs like you?  Yes, at least for 99.5% of my experiences.

Would you say that you project an air of authority?  In certain circles. But there are some groups where I trust others to lead rather than me.

Have you ever jumped off a high dive into a pool?  Nah, because I’ve never seen one. But even if I did, I think I would be too scared to do it hahaha.

Do you use one towel when you shower or two? (one for hair, one for body)  One. I use it to wash my entire body already.

Have you ever been to one of the great lakes?  No.

Who do you know that had a baby recently?  The son of one of my old college instructors. I believe she had been born in March because that prof recently posted family photos on Facebook that celebrated the baby’s first monthsary.

Do you like Usher’s songs?  Not in particular.

When was the last time you went to a waterpark?  Not a big fan of these as I find them unhygienic haha. The last time must have been...like anywhere between 12-15 years ago.

Have you ever ridden a train? Just once, and I had to go with Jum because I didn’t want to go alone.

What do you eat your French fries with?  Mayonnaise. If there isn’t any available, I’d want the fries to at least be generously sprinkled with salt; otherwise I’d find it too bland.

Do you have family problems?  Nothing blatant, but I know we are more dysfunctional than how we make it out to be.

What’s the last food you ate that was stale?  Pizza. I got two extra large boxes for my birthday last Wednesday and until now we still have some of it around :((( I ate some slices at around 3 AM earlier and they were tough as fuck to chew, hahaha. Still good, though.

How do you like your grilled cheese?  I don’t have grilled cheese sandwiches often. Surprise me.

What is the most challenging meal you have ever cooked?  I don’t cook.

What was your favorite thing to do as a little kid?  I liked watching my cousin play video games; playing outside; and answering my friends’ autograph books (aka my pre-survey days, lol).

Have you ever been close to drowning? Yup but just once. I was swimming and was just about to come up for air when one of my cousins, coming from the bottom of the pool, suddenly started to playfully pull me down. I was nearly out of breath by then and he had a much stronger grip on me, so I struggled for a while and ended up panicking and thrashing around a bit before I was able to wriggle myself free.

Have you ever had a panic attack?  It’s rare that it happens, but when it does it’s really bad and there’s no telling when it would subside.

Do you like doing housework?  Some, and only if I’m in the mood to. If I feel like I have to do it, then I get lazy.

Would you ever get implants?  I considered it before as a teen, back when small-chested girls were still bullied or made fun of on an everyday basis. How fucked up is that? I’m so relieved at how much social media has progressed.

Do you own a robe?  No.

Do you have a little sister? What’s her name? I have a younger sister but she’s barely a baby; she’s literally turning 21 this year. Nina.

Do you like crust on pizza or do you cut it off?  I like crust as long as it’s normal crust or stuffed crust. I can’t stand thin crust.

What was the last song you listened to?  Euphoria - credited to BTS, but it’s a Jungkook solo.

Have any of your family members been to jail?  Not blood relatives, but I know of super extended unrelated family members who’ve been to prison. Is there anyone that you feel you still need some closure with?  I don’t think so. Sometimes no closure is closure.

Can you remember when you first learned how to read?  I can’t, actually. All I remember is that I suddenly wanted to read everything by the time I was 5 and asked for nothing but storybooks every Christmas.

What event in your life has transformed your personality the most?  College. Gabie also had a very big influence on me during our relationship.

Have you ever had any teeth pulled?  Yes, but it was because it was already decayed.

Do you still want to be what you wanted to be in elementary school?  No, but I do elements of it in my work so that works out well for me. I wanted to be an author when I was in grade school, and today I regularly write various materials in my job.

What’re some TV shows that you would like to get into?  I just wanna get reconnected with The Crown again. I was already into it but I had to stop watching for a LONG time, because the show had some personal connections to my ex and so it seemed hard to get into the new season without breaking down lol. Now that I’m doing fine, I feel like it’s a good time to revisit the show.

How would you feel if you were drafted for the military?  Won’t happen here, but it’s the kind of situation where I wouldn’t really have a choice and would have to follow.

What is your favorite Queen song?  I don’t have any.

Do you know how to use any foreign currency? What do you mean, use...? Don’t you just use money to pay?? Hahaha or if you mean convert, then yeah I know how to do that with several currencies – US dollar, Korean won, Euro, Japanese yen, and whatever official name the pound has.

Been kissed by someone who you knew was “bad” for you?  Nope.

Ever taken an at-home pregnancy test?  I have not.

When was the last time you were at a loss of what to do?  I usually don’t have plans laid out on weekends these days anymore, so lately it’s all been a matter of winging it and just wanting to make sure that by the end of the day I get to say I made the most out of my free time.

What did you do on your favorite date with a guy/girl?  The time we did museum hopping + Italian dinner, or the one where we had French dinner + jazz bar.

What’s a movie you have seen in the theater more than once?  I never do rewatches for movies still in cinemas.

What is the reason you’re still alive?  I was stubborn and wanted to see if life would get better; I didn’t want to leave my dogs behind; I didn’t want to miss out on how potentially great and exciting my life could end up being; I didn’t want to cause and leave an even bigger emotional rift on my family.

I’m so happy I stayed.

Have you ever had sex in someone else’s bed/bedroom?  Yeah. Not the best decision, and I wouldn’t do it again lol.

Do you ever brush your hair before you go to bed?  Sometimes, so that it doesn’t look like a bird’s nest when I wake up the next day.

Have you ever had a dream about sleeping with a celebrity? (You don’t have to give details.)  I don’t think so. I have definitely imagined it in...other ways, though.

Has anyone ever told you that they needed you? Do you think they meant it?  Both in the superficial and loaded senses, yeah. 

How did you feel when you woke up today? What was the first thing you thought about?  I felt kind of like shit, just because I slept for only 1.5 hours – my body automatically wakes me up by a certain time, no matter what time I fell asleep. And also because my back and shoulder muscles were killing me with how sore they felt.

Do you still tell your parents that you love them?  I show it, but I don’t say it. I’m pretty stingy when it comes to that phrase.

Have you ever said “I love you” to someone you weren’t going out with?  Yes? It shouldn’t be limited to people you’re dating? I express it to Anj and Andi all the time.

Have you ever been threatened before?  Sure.

Would you date someone with a physical disability?  Yes.

Think of the last person you had sex with. Do you think they’ve slept with anyone else since they last slept with you?  Purely guessing, it’s likely. I’m not updated about her life anymore, though; life has been going on as if she never existed.

The last time you dyed your hair, what color did you dye it?  I’ve never had it dyed.

Think of the last time you went out to eat. Who paid?  I went out by myself, so I paid.

Do you save at least 15 percent of your income?  Yeah. I had a very good saving streak in which I was able to save anywhere around 50-60% every month...and thennnn I became a fan of BTS early this month LOOOOOL so now I’m back to like square three when it comes to my savings haha. Like I still know my limits and when to fucking stop taking out money from my bank account, but I’ve been spending dramatically more than I have been in the last few months.

Do you ever go on Reddit? If so, what are some of your favorite subreddits?  I used to go much more regularly, to the point where it was a part of my daily routine. Now I go at least once a month. I usually check out the Ask Reddit (for anecdotes), Today I Learned (for trivia), and GMM subreddits. Sometimes I’ll get on the Squared Circle subreddit as well to be updated on wrestling.

Were you ever a flower girl or ring bearer in anyone’s wedding when you were little?  Many times as a flower girl, yeah.

Are your parents in good health?  Fortunately, yes.

Have you ever been a caregiver to a sick/disabled relative?  Nope.

Is there any type of medicine you can’t take? For what reason?  Not that I know of.

Do you have a favorite pair of pajamas? What do they look like?  I don’t have pajama sets since I find them too warm.

Do you have any interesting pillow cases?  Eh, I don’t think so.

If something on your body hurts, which part is it most likely to be?  Shoulder muscles or my lower back.

Are you more afraid of spiders or bees?  Bees.

Have you ever worn fake nails? If so, what did the last pair you wore look like?  No.

Is Russian or Native American history more interesting to you?  Native American.