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areiacannaid · 5 days ago

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Frozen Clearing Chapter 3

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Previous chapter

Waiting…. That had always been the hardest thing to face whenever that point of a crisis was reached, and this time was no different. When the knowledge that there was nothing more that could be feasibly done set in, an inescapable sense of helplessness inevitably followed in its wake. Worse still, now that franticness and movement had given way to waiting and stillness, the thoughts he had pushed aside in favor of swift action had risen back to the surface of his mind. Amid all the what-ifs and if onlys, there was one thought, one realization, he could not escape.

This was his fault.

Everything that had happened—all of this—was his fault. That was the inescapable conclusion he had come to as he knelt helplessly in the meager shelter, doing nothing but replacing the heated rocks as they cooled and keeping the fire burning.

“Never be too quick to rush into things.”

The memory of Halt’s often spoken warning rang in his ears with all the condemnation of regret—regret he hadn’t heeded it when it mattered most. And now, stranded and alone with Halt’s life in the balance, it was already far too late. And what was worse was that he had no idea how he could fix it or make it right.

Guilt rode chokingly in the pit of his stomach. He clenched his fists, turning his gaze to the side, unable, in that moment, to bear keeping it on his mentor’s too still form. Outside, the snow continued to fall, as it had done for the past hour, heedless of Gilan's desperate wish for it to stop; utterly uncaring, as nature so often was, of the two lives that hung in its balance. The quiet muffle of its passage down to earth was interrupted only by the occasional slow, unsteady breath from Halt or Kenric. Alive, both of them, still alive—for now.

The only thing that gave him a modicum of hope was that the intense heaviness the snowfall had started with had only been intermittent. Had it continued as it had started, Gilan had no doubt they might have ended up completely snowed into the shelter. As it was, the snow was deep, but not deep enough to entrap them. This was something that Gilan was growing more and more grateful for as time wore on, and it became more of a battle to keep Halt and the young knight warm.

He felt his nails dig deeper into his palms as he clenched his fists more firmly. The more time that passed, the more he knew they could not stay here. The weather could easily take a greater turn for the worse at any moment. Their firewood was almost gone. Half of their supplies were gone, and the shelter was not enough. It was far too open. Most damming of all was that, despite his best efforts, he knew Halt and Kenric were going to need far more help than he had the means to provide them with. He was also keenly aware of the young knight’s injuries. They hadn't come about by chance or random accident. It was obvious that the knight’s party had been attacked. And it would be just their luck to have whomever it was that had done that return to finish the job now. If that happened, he had no idea how he would fare alone against an enemy force large and bold enough to have attacked and chased off a well-trained patrol of knights.

He needed to get the knight and Halt help and away from here as soon as possible. Both were in dire straits, and he worried that it would only worsen the longer it took for them to get proper care. But therein lay the heart of the problem.

How could he get three people back to Redmont Castle quickly with only one horse?

Blaze could bear two riders safely, so long as the trip wasn’t too long or strenuous. But three was a stretch. Sending Halt and the knight alone while he continued on foot could work; Ranger horses were smart, and he trusted Blaze to be able to find her way back to Redmont. But neither Halt nor the knight were fully conscious, so if something went wrong—as things so often did—there would be no one able to help.

Gilan supposed then that he could make the trip with one and then lead the knights back to get help for the other, but that left him with a choice where two lives hung in the balance. He couldn’t tell which of the two needed help most critically. And, as they were now, he feared that whoever was left to wait wouldn’t have good odds of making it.

His gaze settled on Halt’s pale face. He knew deep in his bones that he could never make a choice like that free of bias. He had no right to play God, and if it came down to choosing between lives to save… he couldn’t… couldn’t…. He placed his head in hands he could not keep from trembling, fingers pulling at his hair as his gaze flitted from Halt to Kenrick and back again. Then he froze, breath catching in a fleeting hope as another idea came to him.

Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have to choose between lives at all. His gaze lit on the shield that hung from Blaze’s saddle, and then to the previously sodden rope that had frozen into stiff coils. The trace of a smile made its slow way across his face.

It didn’t take long until Blaze was cantering down the wooded path, two men tied securely to her back, and Gilan being pulled lightly behind. The shield he stood on crunched softly against the ice and snow he skimmed over. He shifted carefully to keep his balance as he guided her from behind.

He eased her on as fast as he dared to go. He didn’t know how much time Kenric had left. He didn’t know how much time that Halt… He felt his throat close up as his breath hitched. His mentor’s head lulled, his body slack in a way that made Gilan feel sick. The cloaks and blankets wrapped tightly around him were likely not enough. And the heated rocks that Gilan had placed inside them wouldn’t keep their heat for much longer.

He let out a shaky breath. They had to make it in time; they just had to.

~x~X~x~

He needed to open his eyes; something told him that… but they were open… weren’t they?

Halt could see the woods around the castle of Dun Kilty, as familiar as it was disquieting. He saw the bank of the water, body jolting as he remembered its wet embrace, remembered the feeling of it in his lungs, the pain of the blows that had been meant to keep him from rising again to the surface. He could feel the cold, the numbing cold, all the way to his very bones. He knelt on the ground as the knowledge of what had happened, the memory, took his breath again as much as the water had.

He knew he had almost died… knew that he was dying.

Suddenly, he was no longer alone; someone was kneeling beside him, a warm, familiar hand on his shoulder, shaking him with an urgency born of fear. Turning, he saw Pritchard. Though his eyes were as kind as Halt remembered them, his expression was pinched with worry.

But that was nothing compared to the concern and pain that sank deep into his own chest as he stared into his mentor’s eyes. It wasn’t possible, not when he had… not when… Pritchard couldn't be here… but he had been there, hadn’t he? He had been the one Halt had gone to after.

“Pritchard?” he whispered.

“Halt, you have to fight it,” Pritchard told him, voice firm but still warm. “You won’t survive if you don’t.”

Halt shook his head, shivering. …he didn't… didn’t understand… He could still feel the water’s icy grip, constricting, freezing…. But he was on the bank now, wasn’t he? Ferris and the boat were nowhere in sight.

“You need to focus,” Pritchard said, then more softly, “You’re dying, Halt.”

“I know,” he whispered. He could feel the certainty of it as strongly as the ice that seemed to grip his bones and slow his breath. “He tried to drown me…” he said slowly. He was still drowning, wasn’t he? He frowned at the thought, knowing something wasn’t right about that. “But I got out of the water, I made it to the shore?” He knew that was right, but couldn't shake the sensation of the water’s icy grip. “I got out…”

“But you’re not drowning, Halt,” Pritchard insisted, “You’re freezing to death.”

That rang true; he could feel it deep within his chest, despite the warm green of the forest around him.

“You need to get up; you need to wake up!” No longer shaking him, Pritchard stood, reaching out a hand to him, kind eyes encouraging him to take it. But Halt found he couldn't move.

“Open your eyes, Halt!” He was pleading now, firm. “You can do it. You have to open your eyes. Promise me, Halt. It wasn’t your time then, and I’m damn well not about to let it be your time now either! You have to get up! You need to trust me.”

He did trust Pritchard; he had always trusted Pritchard. He would have done anything for his old mentor. He tried to shake off the exhaustion, tried to reach out his hand, and tried to open his eyes.

The green woods around Pritchard began to be speckled with gentle drifting white flakes, the heather becoming fluffy white drifts. His fingers brushed against nothing as Pritchard’s form was no longer as clear as it had been. But it was still clear enough for him to see Pritchard offer him one last parting smile. Part of him no longer wanted to open his eyes because he knew the loss it would bring. But he had promised…

And then Pritchard was gone, replaced by a world of ice and swirling white. He could feel the motion of a horse beneath him and the weight of another person at his back. Had Gilan managed to get him onto Blaze? He didn’t have the strength to turn his head to check behind him. But he tried desperately to cling to consciousness all the same, for his apprentice’s sake. He was not sure how long he was able to manage it before, eventually, the swirling white faded to black once more.

The next time he awoke, it was to the stark clean lines and herbal smell of the Redmont infirmary. He only had enough strength to catch a glimpse of Bronwyn, the court physician, before the effort of holding his eyes open became too much.

~x~X~x~

The first few days back at the castle and in the infirmary were a blur to Halt. On top of the hypothermia, or perhaps as a consequence of it, he had taken ill. He was too sick to focus on anything past the misery, his mind clogged with sickness, his body pushed past the point of exhaustion, and too ill to get up any more than necessity dictated.

He hazily recalled Baron Arald visiting him not too long after he had first awakened, telling him that he’d look after Gilan while he rested in the infirmary. He distantly heard Bronwyn’s unhappy murmurs about Kenric and his condition, about how it was going to be a coin toss as to whether or not he’d make it. Mostly, he was aware of Gilan sitting next to him every evening, both too miserable, and Halt’s mind too unfocused, for conversations.

He was especially cognizant of his young apprentice’s absence on his third day in the infirmary. His awareness sharpened back to the keenest focus he’d been able to manage since the accident when he was told that Gilan had gone back to the forest as a guide for Sir Rodney and a large party of knights to stop the bandits that had attacked Kenric’s party.

Much to Halt’s relief, Gilan was back the next morning, no worse for wear as far as Halt could tell, with news that the bandits had been defeated and arrested. Coincidentally, that was also the morning that he was finally deemed healthy enough to leave—provided that he promised to follow Bronwyn’s strict instructions to rest and take things easy for a week.

By then, Halt was willing to make almost any promises necessary to get out of the infirmary. He was feeling well enough and clear-headed enough to grow antsy with the confinement. Gilan’s immediate promise to Bronwyn to take care of things and look after Halt seemed to be enough for the no-nonsense healer to finally let him leave.

After a brief meeting with Arald, and a short ride, the two were once again at the cabin. The sight of its worn wooden walls immediately relaxed the tension that had begun to build up in Halt’s shoulders the longer he’d been in the infirmary. He was looking forward to sleeping in his own bed for a change—something he did immediately upon falling into it.

~x~X~x~

Halt spent the next day following the healer’s instructions for rest. Gilan was as helpful as he’d promised the healer he would be. He made sure the fire stayed stoked. He cooked the meals himself. He would also brew and bring Halt his medicinal tea at the correct intervals, always making sure he was comfortable and had what he needed. Halt didn’t eat much.

Still achy from sickness, he found himself feeling lower than he had for a long time, an old familiar pain settling close to his heart. He knew the pain’s source; the fact that his thoughts invariably set on, and returned to, Pritchard and whatever it was that he had seen after the accident. Whether it was a hallucination or a dream, he wasn’t certain. But the experience sat with him, heavy in his chest.

The wistful notion that it had been anything more than a hallucination or a dream was one he wouldn’t allow himself to entertain; it would only make the loss fresh again. Lost in thought and memory, he wasn’t feeling up for much interaction and so did not at first notice the silence that accompanied his apprentice’s every action as he worked.

It wasn’t until the following morning that Halt became certain that something wasn’t right. Gilan had just brought him his tea. As he had done the day before, he set it silently by Halt’s bedside. It was only then that Halt realized that he hadn’t spoken much at all the whole time he had been at the infirmary. More troubling still was the fact that Gilan was not meeting his gaze. As he thought back, he realized that his apprentice had not once done so since the accident.

“Gilan?” he asked, sharp eyes picking out the minute flinch he received in response before the boy turned to face him…. Face him, but not look at him, Halt noticed. Gilan kept his gaze pointed towards the ground.

“Yes, Halt?” he asked then. “Did you need something?”

Yes, Halt supposed he did. Because there was nothing about this that struck right. He was certain now that there was something wrong with his student.

“Have you been hurt?” Halt asked, already looking over his apprentice for any visible injury.

Gilan shook his head, offering a smile.

“I’m fine,” he said lightly.

But genuine and sincere as he looked and sounded, Halt knew his apprentice far too well by now to be taken in by it.

“No,” Halt shook his head adamantly and repeated the question more earnestly, trying his best to sit up. “Are you alright?”

“I think I should be the one asking you that,” Gilan deflected cheerfully.

“But you didn’t ask. I did,” Halt pointed out, not about to allow the deflection.

Gilan’s smile faltered for the briefest moment before he was able to bring it back to its full brightness.

“As I said, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Try again,” Halt said, words flat.

“Halt?” Gilan asked, uncertain, taken aback by the request as much as its abruptness.

Halt sighed, expression softening. With effort, he managed to sit himself more upright.

“Gilan, would you believe me if I told you right now that I was perfectly well?”

Though still uncertain about the sudden line of inquiry, Gilan had enough wherewithal to answer it honestly. He shook his head to indicate the negative.

“No si–um, Halt, I wouldn’t”

Halt nodded. “Because your eyes can tell you well enough that I’m not perfectly alright…”

Gilan flinched visibly at that, taking an inadvertent half-step back before muscle memory caused him to straighten, as if coming to attention for a dressing down by a commanding officer.

“I have eyes too, Gilan,” Halt finished softly, words gentle now.

Gilan, however, did not seem to have registered the change in tone. Instead, he'd grown so pale he looked like he was about to be sick.

“Gil?” Halt asked, brows pinching.

I… I’m sorry, Halt. I’m sorry,” was the only answer he received, the words tight and stilted, barely above a broken whisper. “I never… I didn’t… I’m sorry.”

Now it was Halt’s turn to be taken aback as he took in the almost imperceptible tremble to his apprentice’s lips, the redness growing in his eyes. Fully concerned now, Halt rose to tired feet, closing the distance between them in two strides. He reached out, not liking the way Gilan seemed to shy away from his presence.

“Slow down, Gil,” Halt said carefully. “What is it you think you need to be sorry for?”

The look Gilan shot him was nothing short of incredulous.

“You can’t have forgotten what I did.”

Halt merely shook his head, honestly uncertain of what it was that his student was referring to. He wondered then if Gilan had told him something while he’d been partially asleep or if something more had happened while he had not been fully conscious.

“It was my fault!” Gilan burst out. “All of it was! You were almost killed because I rushed into things again, because I wasn’t observant enough to see things for what they were, to see what was right in front of my face. Surely, you can recall that!”

Gilan cringed at his own outburst before once again avoiding Halt’s gaze, expression pinched. For a moment, Halt didn’t say anything, understanding settling over him. He took another pace forward, close enough to reach out a hand to grasp his apprentice’s shoulders.

“Do you know what I recall, Gilan?” He said finally. “I recall you finding a way to pull me out of the water when I wasn’t able to on my own. I recall you doing everything you could to keep me from freezing to death. I remember you getting both of us and the injured knight safely back through the woods and away from the bandits. I remember you getting me to the healer in time. And it isn’t something I am going to forget.

“Yes, you made a mistake and encountered something you weren’t prepared for and didn’t know about. But you’re an apprentice, I don’t expect you to know everything about every situation. You’re still meant to be learning.” He took a breath repeating words he had said before, words that he had first learned from Pritchard. “Mistakes are only errors if you don’t learn from them.”

Gilan looked up at him then, eyes glistening before he closed the final distance between them, pulling Halt into a hug.

“Thank you,” Gilan said, voice muffled by Halt’s shirt.

Halt knew he meant it for more than just his words now, but for everything. He wrapped his own arms around his apprentice’s back, letting the gesture voice the thanks he had in turn. They had both saved each other.

“Um, Halt?” Gilan asked tentatively when they broke apart.

“What is it?” Halt asked, expecting something of a serious nature in light of all that had just happened. In hindsight, experience should have taught him to know better.

“Since it proved to be so useful, I don’t suppose we could add shield-sledding to the Ranger’s curriculum, could we?”

Halt sighed inwardly at the familiarity of Gilan’s seeming inability not to ruin serious and reflective moments with inane comments. But for all his inward, and sometimes outward, complaints about that particular trait, its reappearance now also made him feel relieved; a whisper that things were, and would be, alright. Shaking his head, he affected an interest in considering the idea.

“You know, that might not be an altogether bad idea,” Halt said, straight-faced. “I think I’ll ask Crowley about it right away.”

“Really?” Gilan looked surprised by his agreement.

“Of course not,” Halt said, tone perfectly flat. However, he could not stop the ghost of a smile from touching his lips.

The feeling of normality that came when Gilan returned the smile with a sharp one of his own, helped relax the last vestiges to tension from Halt’s shoulders.

#ranger's apprentice #rangers apprentice #halt o'carrick #gilan davidson #gilan ranger's apprentice #family #near death experiences tw #wilderness survival tw #hallucinations tw #gilan's apprenticeship #cross posted on ao3 and FFN #a.c-writing

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clearwingedmaven · 5 months ago

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So. I did a thing, and one of the oldest Sherlock Holmes fanfics I've written is now on Ao3. If you like the Granada adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, or hurt/comfort, come check it out.

Comments, kudos, favorites, or whatever you can do is deeply appreciated.

Thank you.

#sherlock holmes #acd canon #acd holmes #granada sherlock #granada watson #acd watson #granada sherlock holmes fanfic #sherlock holmes fanfic #ao3 #cross posted from FFN

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ghostly-penumbra · 1 year ago

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Father and Sons

Ao3 FFN

Summary: Clockwork is Danny's loving, adoptive grandpa. Time is the Endless' neglectful father. They are one and the same.

Chapter One: First Meeting

- - -

Dream of the Endless stepped into his father's realm and found himself alone. Neither Dream of the Cats nor Hope Beautiful Lost Nebula had come with him. This wouldn't affect him, he would carry on.

He walked down the sprawling garden and stumbled then upon a young boy wearing his father's sygil in a purple cloak, not unlike one his father might use when seen by humans.

The boy stopped dead in his tracks when he saw him, the tilted watering can still spilling its content with no end in sight.

"Uh… hello?" He asked tentatively, the can still tipped. "May I help y—?"

"Who are you?" Dream asked bluntly, straightforward, looking at this child whose identity and dreams were blurred to him, being from a different time period than him, and his father's realm not being a Soft Place nor Dream's jurisdiction.

"Oh! That's- I'm… not supposed to just give my name to strangers." He trailed off, and finally straightened the watering can. "I'll… go get my grandpa." He turned and flew away, giving the perplexed Lord Shaper one last look before vanishing from sight.

"Dream." His father's voice had him turn around and there he was, shifting in shape through ages.

A toddler, a child, an old man, a younger man, if time could truly be described as a man, but always, invariably, with a jagged scar going across his eye.

Next to him stood the boy, looking between father and son with green eyes full of human curiosity, but ultimately leaning towards Dream's father with ease.

"What do you want?" His father asked as his beard vanished to give way to a toddler's impassive face. "You only come here if you want something."

"Can't a son see his father with no motive other than to wish him well?" He asked instead of answering.

This was unscripted. As it often did with his father, being in his presence was to step in loops and whorls of someone else's design, leaving Dream wrong-footed, regardless of where he stepped.

But for that same reason a strange child trailing after his father and referring to him as 'his grandpa' would not deter him from what he had come here for.

It did make him wonder, though…

"Of course you can," Father Time was saying, "but you never do. If any of you or your siblings visit is because you need my help."

"Siblings?! How many children do you have?" The boy almost shouted in what he seemed to believe was a whisper.

Dream turned his gaze upon him, the intense cosmos in his eyes having him shrink, abashedly, behind his father's figure once again.

Dream's father closed his eyes for one second – or a dozen. Or a year, or seventy, or a century – and then opened them again and turned his head towards his companion. "Seven." Was all he said.

"Damn!"

And against anything Dream would have thought, his father smiled, small but genuine. Fond.

"As you well know, I am older than dust."

They were making their way through the garden, where some plants grew and flourished or perished or even returned to seeds as Time approached them, and his father picked two apples, one of which he handed to the boy – who was now floating after Father Time –, and the other he offered to Dream.

"I'm not hungry."

"You will be."

Dream disregarded his father's remark and ignored the proffered fruit, even as the boy happily bit into his own.

"I wasn't travelling alone." Dream said. "Why am I the only one here?"

"You were planning on bringing your friends, uninvited, to my domain, son?" His father asked, his youthful face at odds with the rotting fruit in his hands.

"Not friends, no. A cat, who is also me. And a girl."

His father held a hand to his forehead and sighed, before looking back up at Dream whilst he handed the fresh apple to… his grandson.

"What do you want, Dream?"

"Help me, father. Help me."

- - -

[Chapter Two]

#Danny Phantom #The Sandman #Dream of the Endless #ghostly-scrypts #cross posted on ao3 #crossposted on ffn #The Sandman: Overture #Father Time #Clockwork #danny phantom clockwork #clockwork my beloved #grandpa clockwork #Morpheus

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ayukaze · 4 months ago

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While I was re-reading through my TyHil stuff during last 2-3 weeks, I was also getting kudos emails for the same fics which I assumed was some kind of bot (it was all guest user) but still since I can't leave kudos for myself, I was enjoying the appreciation since the timing was so perfect. I did think that maybe there is a new reader, but chances of that felt lower than bot interaction lol.

HOWEVER I was pleasantly surprised earlier this week when I did receive a guest comment, a genuine one, so turns out it was not a bot but a new TyHil reader!!

And this was my first TyHil comment in months (edit: I checked, last TyHil comment was 152 days ago), so now I feel like I have to dig through all my stuff to post something on AO3 as a thank you to that reader.

#ayushitposting #tyhil #there must be something from ffn that i haven't cross posted to ao3 #something i can rewrite quickly too

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the-chaotic-christian · 2 years ago

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Ember's Blood: Prologue Part 2

Wilfred’s eyebrows draw together, and he turns. Jupiter looks like he hasn’t slept in a week, blood-shot eyes and a pale complexion evidence enough. He’s pacing, a sure-fire sign that something is bothering him. His face is scrunched in concern and concentration, and he frowns.

“Everything is about to change.” He continues, stopping at the balcony and drumming his fingers along the railing, gazing out past the gardens and towards Lake Merle. Mist covers the islands in the center, and Wilfred eyes it warily. It’s superstition, he knows, but the old tales have some truth to them, and he doesn’t trust Merle. “I don’t know how or when, but something is changing. I can sense it in the wind.”

Wilfred pauses.

“You’ve felt it too.” Jupiter states, glancing over at his friend, some strange hint of his I-told-you-so tone in his voice. But it’s more ominous.

“I have.” Wilfred agrees, mind flashing to the strange dreams he’s been having lately, dreams of fire and blood, violence. He’s written many of them off as visions from his childhood, but that doesn’t feel quite right. There’s something more going on. It’s why he’s felt so….off lately. “But it’s foggy. It feels far off.”

Jupiter shakes his head, posture tensing. “I don’t know. I don’t know. That’s what’s bothering me, the fact that I can’t figure it out.” He grips the railing, glaring down at his hands.

“Some things remain mysteries even to kings.” Wilfred remarks, yawning. He glances down at the coffee mug, finding it upsettingly empty.

“No!” Jupiter retorts forcefully, turning on Wilfred. “This-this is different. I can tell.”

“In what way?” Wilfred asks calmly. (He’s always been the voice of reason, that’s certainly never changed)

Jupiter ignores Wilfred’s question, steamrolling right through. “If something happens to me, I need you to promise you’ll protect my son and heir.”

Wilfred sighs. They’ve been over this a million times. “Jupiter, as much as I understand your concern, you’re being dramatic. You are the king of the most powerful state in six thousand miles. The likelihood of something happening to you is extremely low.”

“Dramatic?” Jupiter scoffs, “Me?”

Wilfred rolls his eyes. “Yes. And we’ve had this conversation at least three times this week alone. You’ve already named me the Chief Protector, there’s no need for this. If you need more reassurance, just go look at your army.” Wilfred shoots a disapproving look at the on-duty guards, one of whom is definitely now asleep. “Just maybe not the palace soldiers.”

Jupiter glances down, lets out a long sigh, and rubs his face. “The army’s north near the Hollow.” He mutters through his hands, leaning his elbows on the balustrade.

“My point stands.” Wilfred argues, setting his mug on the railing with a soft plink, “Natalia is secure, save for those who choose not to be. You have nothing to be concerned about. Morbin’s been silent for years.”

Jupiter looks back at him, exhaustion and frustration settling on his face. “And that’s not suspicious?”

#tge #the green ember #true blue au #jupiter goodson #wilfred longtreader #ember's blood #prologue #fanfiction #cross posted on ao3 #and ffn when i get around to it #.....and new seddleton when i get around to it

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cocoeclipse · 3 months ago

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A Separate Interview

I took a deep breath as I entered the building. It felt off-putting to be the one entering the building rather than dropping Finny off in front of it; for me to be the center of attention and nobody else. The entrance room was small with a brown carpet and couch. The walls were a simple off-white color with pictures of the student radio hosts. On the wall to the left of the door– the side the couch was facing– there was a large window into the recording room, bordered by a simple wooden frame. On the opposite side of the entrance door, was a wood door with a clear window to see into the room and above it an “On Air” sign, which led to the recording room. As I sat on the couch, I couldn’t help but reflect on what got me here; writing that novel. A Separate Peace was only meant to help my patients understand the impact of lack of communication; not be an award-winning book. It was meant to explain the complexities of jealousy, admiration, and friendship as well as how they intertwine with one another; not a popular story simplified down into something unrecognizable. Most of all, it was to display how war affects the mind; not encourage people to force themselves or their kids towards war.

I was never supposed to be interviewed over it.

“Mr. Forrester,” someone called, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I looked up and saw a student standing in the doorway. He looked to be an Upper Middler– so about 16– and was wearing a black suit and white undershirt; fairly standard attire for a radio show host. “We’re ready for your interview,” he continued. I stood up and walked into the recording room. It was pretty small with a desk and a pair of chairs in the center. On the desk, sat a panel with buttons and knobs; probably controlling the radio’s music and talking segments. In front of the chairs were microphones, one preset to a specific height and one unadjusted. The host sat in the chair with the preadjusted mic, so I sat down in the other chair and pulled the mic down to my height.

“So, Mr. Forrester,” the host began, “my name is Todd. Are there any specific questions you would like me to ask once the broadcast starts?”

“Nope,” I replied, “as long as it doesn’t pertain to my personal life, you can ask me anything.”

“GREAT! We’re going to go live in just a few minutes, so I hope you’re ready.”

I sat in the chair composing myself for the next five minutes, this was just an interview. Finny does these all the time and I’ve done multiple to get to where I am today; so why were my hands shaking? Why was I so nervous? I took some deep breaths while I waited for Todd to announce that the radio station was live

“Welcome back to WPEA with your host, Todd!” he announced. “As always, today we have an alumni interview, if you could introduce yourself,” he continued, switching the focus over to me.

I took a deep breath before beginning, “Hello students of Devon. My name is Gene Forrester. I’m an author and psychologist who was part of Devon’s class of 1943.” I took another calming breath before continuing, “My most recent and most popular work is A Separate Peace.”

“Thank you for coming Mr. Forrester; now, my first question is, what inspires you to write your books? I’ve read a few of them and they’re quite good.”

“Thank you, I’ve worked quite hard on them,” I admitted. “Most of my books are written to help my patients or their families understand mental health problems. Some are more specific while some were primarily passion projects, but overall I wrote my books to help the public to understand how different actions are caused by or affect people’s mentality,” I explained nervously.

“That’s quite interesting to learn, sir. Now, pertaining to your most recent book, what most heavily inspired the novel?” Todd inquired.

“Well, there are a few things I wanted to touch on in A Separate Peace,” I started, conjuring up confidence I didn’t have. “First was the importance of communication in a relationship, specifically friendships,” I continued, omitting that Finny and I began dating later that summer. “Another important topic was jealousy. The combination of these things is what causes the main conflict. Finally– and I think most importantly– was how war affects the mind. Most of my patients and friends have experienced the effects of World War Two, and I feel that it is important to show how much it affects people, especially those who are younger.”

“Wow, Mr. Forrester, that’s quite a noble reason for writing your book,” Todd replied. I felt myself blush with a bit of embarrassment. Out of all my pieces, A Separate Peace had been the least noble. While the book may appear admirable, I wrote it as more of a self-dissection and reflection than anything else. A passion project, if you will. “Moving onto the plot of your book, what inspired the specific scenes in the novel? And were any of them based on your real life?”

I chuckled, thinking about the most important moments. “Well, most of the scenes in the summer were real events with some slight discrepancies of course.”

“Could you elaborate on those changes for us? I’m sure our listeners are eager to hear the details,” prompted Tom.

“Of course!” I replied, “The main changes include a slight change to the dialogue of the beach scene, the spiraling over Finny hating me during chapter 4, and jouncing the limb. The dialogue change was done to further explain the importance of communication and the other scenes were the byproduct of that,” I explained.

“During the scene at Finny’s home, there were two changes, though neither of them were particularly important, so I don’t think I need to go into detail over them.” I paused here, thinking of other important scenes. “The ordeal with Quackenbush was based on interactions some of the other boys had with him, I don’t remember which exactly. Most of chapter 7 is the same except for the application to the war. The inverse can be said about chapter 8, as the only real event is when Finny told me the winter loves him and that whole conversation.” I took another pause to think about what to say next, and avoid mentioning anything about my relationship with Finny.

“Chapters nine and ten– that’s the Winter Carnival and my talk with Leper– are mostly unchanged except for Finny’s leg being broken. Chapters 11 through 13 on the other hand are almost complete fabrications. To be honest, the end of my time at Devon was actually pretty nice; the novel’s ending was written solely for narrative purposes. I guess a slight inspiration of mine for the key scenes in those chapters would be the time I was on jury duty while writing the novel, which really helped with the trial scene of chapter 11. I’m fairly certain those were all the scenes that had inspirations from real-world events,” I finished. Part of me thought I talked for a bit too long, but it was an interview so that should’ve been okay. Thankfully, Todd reassured me with his reply.

“It seems like most of the novel was based on real experiences. This being said, are the characters based on real people?” Todd asked.

“Yes, each of the characters are real people from Devon with the Gene in the novel being a stand-in for myself.”

“Now I’m curious, have I or another host interviewed any of them?” Todd asked. I had to think about this for a bit; other than Phineas, had the other boys been interviewed at all? Well, I think Brinker was interviewed last week. I believe Chet had one last month too.

“I believe three of them have been interviewed, then again a few more may have but I can’t remember,” I finally gave as my reply.

“I’m a bit curious as to which ones, but I want to try and guess.”

I chuckled, for it was probably pretty obvious, but I let him try anyway. “Go right ahead, Todd.”

“Let’s see,” he began, “I believe I interviewed Brinker Hadley this time last week. Then a few months ago I interviewed another 1940s alumni, what was his name again… oh! Chet Douglass! They were a CEO and an orchestra member respectively,” he exclaimed. “As for the last one, I’m not entirely sure. I can’t remember interviewing anyone else from the 1940s years, much less the 1943 class specifically. Maybe it’ll come to me later, so let’s continue with the questions. Who is the person that inspired Finny?”

I gave another chuckle. “Phineas, of course.” He was clearly a bit confused here, as he raised his left brow and gave me a curious look.

“But who is the real person behind Phineas?” Todd inquired again. “You gave most of the characters’ last names, but not Finny’s.”

With a short laugh, I commented. “I didn’t realize that I never mentioned Finny’s last name, he’s always been so distinct that someone not knowing who I was talking about just seemed wrong. Anyways, Finny is based off, well, Finny. His full name is Phineas Pell.” Todd went silent for a minute so I looked over at his face; it was filled with shock. I guess that was a big surprise.

Upon recovering from this Todd inquired incredulously, “The Olympic Gold Medalist in hockey?”

“Aey-uh,” I began as an homage to Finny, “We talk nearly every day.”

“That’s quite the bombshell to drop, Mr. Forrester. However, I now know who the last interviewee was– one of my co-hosts interviewed him right after the Olympics. Anyways, did any of your friends know that you wrote this with their real names?” Todd asked to get the interview rolling again.

“Most were vaguely aware, although many did not know the plot of the novel, with the exception– ironically enough– being Finny. He had a hand in making sure I did the characterization of pretty much everyone properly. I was not the most attentive person towards my peers back in school,” I explained, slightly embarrassed. After all, I am a psychologist these days; my job is paying attention to other people and their emotions.

“Well, Mr. Forrester,” Todd began again, signaling that the interview time was up, “thank you for providing us some insight into your most popular work. To all the students, let us know if you would like to hear him return to the interview table in the future. For now, let us listen to "Ticket to Ride” by everyone’s favorite British band, the Beatles!”

Todd then pressed a few buttons on the panel. From the window to the waiting room, I could see the light from the “On Air” sign turn off. “Ticket to Ride” then began to play faintly from the speakers. We both turned our microphones away before Todd turned to face me.

“Again, Mr. Forrester, thank you for the interview. You know the way out of the building, and I need to stay and make sure the music is played properly. We will send you a letter if we want you back for another interview,” Todd told me with a smile. I gave him one in return as I stood up and headed toward the door.

“Thank you for the interview, Todd. I hope to see you again in the future,” I replied. When I walked out of the building, I gave a long sigh of relief. The interview was nowhere near as bad as I had assumed it would be. I got into the Ford Mustang convertible that Finny had convinced me to buy; excited to return home and tell him all about my latest adventure with my new-found fame.

Cross posted links:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63999970

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14453573/1/A-Separate-Interview

https://www.wattpad.com/story/391791722-a-separate-interview

#genefinny #gene forrester #phineas pell #gene x finny #a separate peace #a separate peace fanfic #Someone please teach me standard tagging on tumbr #cross posted on ao3 #cross posted on FFN #cross posted on wattpad

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stu-dyingstudent · 10 months ago

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Sakura Haruno fic recs: time travel AU

I'm finally getting around to recommending some good Sakura-centric time travel fics! There are plenty of them out there and they can be kind repetitive, but I always eat them up. Typically speaking, I really don't care much for the whole introduction bit at the start where it's the actual process of her being sent back... So just make it past there before you decide whether or not to continue!!! Also, I'm starting to think this list is getting kinda long, so maybe I'll do a second one?

I've been dying to post some of these fics in a list, so please enjoy!

Started: 2024.08.16

Last Updated: 2024.12.02

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this list, it is this fic right here. I kid you not, Sakura is one of the best fics I have ever read. I have never felt so gutted, so heartbroken, so giddy, so stressed, all from one work. It's a masterpiece all while being criminally underrated. The characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. You feel for the characters and the relationships formed along the way are truly great. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

The Misadventures of Kakashi and the Girl From No Where - Goldfishlover73 || ao3 || kakasaku || M || time travel AU || complete

When a girl called Sakura seemingly falls in the sky, Kakashi is skeptical. Far more skeptical than the rest of Team Minato are. War is approaching quickly and this strange girl is leaving more questions than answers in her wake, Kakashi must decide where his trust and loyalties lie in a constantly changing world.

Told in the perspective of Kakashi in his youth! Really interesting take and I love how strong Sakura is in this in addition to the fact that we get to see a different side of Kakashi that we aren't used to.

Anachronistic Drift - Elesrea || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. Whilst masquerading as her younger self, she poses as an unofficial ANBU to stay anonymous in her efforts of changing the shinobi world for the better.

Tourniquet - lilac haze || ffn || T || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

She was his tourniquet. She stopped the bleeding, she stopped his bleeding. She stopped his pain, his despair, his loneliness. She was the first face he saw. She was the first person he trusted. She was the first person to keep his secret. She was his tourniquet. He did not love her. He only loved the idea of her. SakuraXMinato. Time-Travel Fic. Alt. Universe

I quite honestly think this is a hidden gem amongst time travel AUs since I never see people recommending it, but Touriquet is so good! What's interesting here is that it isn't Sakura that's playing with time, but rather Minato. The night of the Nine-Tails attack, rather than dying, he is sent to the future where post-war Sakura is the one to find him and keep the former Hokage alive. It's a delicate situation and one which is kept a secret from many, but through Minato's depression and difficulties with his new life, Sakura becomes a close confident.

Same author as Sakura! I gotta read more of their works

Armour-Sleeved Single Hit - thatdamnuchiha || ao3 || T || madasaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Sasuke always told Sakura she was weak. Even after she trained with Tsunade for years he only had eyes for Naruto whom he considered strong. She would forever be invisible to him no matter how many mountains she toppled. Being a member of Team Seven despite Sasuke’s refusal to acknowledge her meant she got herself into her fair share of sticky situations. Getting stuck a hundred odd years in the past had to take the cake though. But she was just a weak little girl and compared to the shinobi of old she’d be ridiculously pathetic. Sasuke had said she was weak to him – a modern day shinobi who hadn’t been forced into battle after battle like they did in the Warring Clans Era. Obviously she’d be nothing more than a spec of dirt in the eyes of the Founders.

Sakura manages to find herself in founding-era Konoha! While trying to prove that medical ninja are capable fighters she unknowingly gains the affection of Madara Uchiha. After all, the Uchiha find beauty in strength. Super cute read!

here are the fruits of your labor (would you like a cherry on top?) - snickiebear || ao3 || M || shisaku || time travel AU || one-shot complete

Shisui smiles and it is unlike any smile she has seen before. She cannot remember the last time she had seen a smile.

Sakura manages to fix everything and now tries to live her life in a past she doesn't know. Shisui is the first to find her and the two of them form a close relationship that continues through her journey of recovery.

The Moon Knows Best - darth_healer || ao3 || E || madasaku || time travel AU || complete

The Moon has played a cruel trick on Madara. He's still home, but it's not the same. Instead of a tranquil forest, there's a colorful vibrant village. Instead of the cliffside he knows so well, it's a collection of Senju faces, one of which belongs to his good friend Hashirama. And instead of Hashirama, Madara is saddled with a very interesting, pink-haired girl. MadaSaku in which young Madara goes forward through time.

Madara finds himself far into the future where the first to stumble upon him is Sakura. He's such a brat, but his and Sakura's interactions are rather entertaining.

In the Magic Hour - summersirius || ao3 || E || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura

A sharingan mishap lands Sakura in the past where she drops down in front of team Minato. With her hope of returning to the present time dwindling, Sakura excepts her new life and tries to make the best of the situation and the new bonds that come with it. The dynamic between Sakura and the older generation is quite refreshing and her mentor relationship with the former team 7 is great.

Stumble - writer168 || ao3/ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || complete

Sakura wanted to die.Sasori was fine with staying dead.But it seemed fate had other plans for them, because when they both wake up younger with blood pulsing through their veins, they had to remember how to live again.Time Travel AU

Sasori and Sakura are both sent back in time and they try to make a difference in their respective villages. Told in the perspective of both characters, but primarily Sakura. She ends up forming a pretty sweet bond with Ibiki and Genma (which I love) and they help her through some things. Sakura has a rough time

A Twist in Time - wolf08 || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

With Konoha on the verge of destruction, Sakura is sent on a last-resort mission to save her world by travelling to the past. Join her in coping with her old body's shortcomings, testing the natural laws of time, falling in love all over again, and rediscovering who she is.

With Sakura frustrated at being back to where she started in her becoming of a shinobi, she begins to train with Sasuke. This time around in her life, her relationship with her brooding teammate doesn't seem so strained. Pretty good read

Return & Rehash - SpaceNugget11 || ffn || sasusaku || M || time travel AU || incomplete

"You," Sakura snarled with bared teeth. Sasuke gagged for air, clutching at her forearm, but she only pressed harder into him. Her green eyes crackled, and she wished she could burn him alive with the heat of her anger.

Sasuke and Sakura certainly did not end in their last life on goods terms and it is prevalent from the moment Sakura awakens and attacks her teammate.

An Inch of Gold - KuriQuinn || ffn || sasusaku || T || time travel AU || complete

Team 7 is sent on a mission to investigate a disturbance outside of the village, where they encounter an unconscious girl in a crater. The mysterious Sarada insists she's a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf trying to rescue her teammates. When the team discovers she possesses a Sharingan, things become even more unbelievable. [Part of the Legacy of Fire Series]

Sarada lands herself back in time all while crashing into another team 7 mission gone wrong. An Inch of Gold is in multiple perspectives, but they're all done quite well. Sasuke and Sakura are obviously rather flustered by the situation and the fact they have to deal with it in front of the team makes it quite entertaining.

These Eyes of Mine (I Can See) - tsukuyue || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

They've lost. Naruto was dead, killed at Kaguya’s hands. Along with him died any illusions of hope that they could win. They couldn’t win, but perhaps they wouldn’t need to. In attempts to stop the Fourth Shinobi War from ever occuring, Sakura is sent back in time to the moment of her birth. Protecting the people she cared about would be much easier if she knew all the facts. OR Where Sakura can see the dead, and Danzō deserves to die.

I'll be honest, I can't remember much, but I do remember that it was really good! I believe a large focus is the Uchiha massacre.

Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

If you love Shisui then you'll definitely like Trials of Change. Him and Sakura form the most wholesome friendship ever and try their best in taking down ROOT. A huge cast is present here and the whole thing is just great. It seems as if everyone has some character development lmao.

Time Flies Like An Arrow - Katlou303 || ao3 || gen || K || time travel AU || complete

Sakura traveled back in time with the intent of changing everything, but something went wrong, and now she's four years old having nightmares about impossible monsters and losing friends she has yet to meet.

I always like the ones where Sakura isn't fully aware she time travelled. I find it interesting in this fic to see how oblivious Sakura is to her situation, she's a four year old in mind and body. However, she still feels the need to make a difference in the lives of the people around her.

cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Sakura decides that her first order of business after traveling back in time is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

The Danger of Smudged Storage Seals - bluemingqueen || ao3 || M || kakasaku || time travel AU || complete

Sakura should have known that Naruto taking an interest in seals would lead to disaster.

In hindsight, maybe she should have looked to see if the piece of paper she’d pressed a chakra-laden finger to was the explosive seal or the slightly smudged miniature storage seal containing all of her shinobi registration documents.

Perhaps one of my favourite kakasku fics and this was just recently completed too! Genin Sakura is sent back in time due to a faulty seal and maybe it was for the best? She ends up joining Team Minato and forms some great friendships in addition to a super sweet parental relationship with Minato and Kushina. There's a really good balance between training, missions, goofing around, heartfelt moments, etc.. I think the author did a fabulous job with the characterizations as they all feel accurate and unique to themselves. Also, fuinjutsu-user!Sakura??? Yes please! Slow burn kakasaku where they are both immature idiots

A Second Chance - Invisibleninja12 || ao3 || T || sasosaku || time travel AU || ongoing

A 15 year old Sasori turns up in the Leaf Village almost one year after Sakura defeats him (in canon). Not knowing what to do with this young, (semi) innocent Sasori, Sakura hides him from the world.

A teenage Sasori somehow manages to land himself 20 years in the future and he isn't quite sure what to make of it. Sakura feels she owes it to Lady Chiyo to help out (a bratty and emotionally constipated) Sasori and ropes Sai into assisting. I've really been enjoying A Second Chance so far and I really love that Sai has a large role!

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Q: Do you guys like my little comments? If you look at my other lists you'll probably notice that I tend to reuse some of what I say (bc I'm lazy), but for the most part I try to add something new whenever I put a fic on a list. I know that descriptions aren't always very helpful, so I like to put a little something for y'all to get a better idea of what to expect!

Send me recs if you have any!!!

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destinationtoast · 1 year ago

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Have you ever done an analysis of which fandoms are most dominated by a single ship?

I hadn't done so before. I just took a quick pass at doing so, but only among the biggest fandoms on AO3 as of Jan 2024 (ones with over 10K public works at that time). I sorted them by the size of their biggest ship relative to the size of the fandom. This gives us a bunch of very big fandoms with a high % of works tagged with a particular ship:

The raw data used to make this graph, including the corresponding biggest ships, is available in a spreadsheet here, or at the end of this post.

A few notes:

This is based on January 2024 data. Some things may have changed!

Not all these works are necessarily about these ships. Especially in the cases where the ships are canon, they may often be tagged as background ships.

There are undoubtedly many smaller AO3 fandoms that have higher percentages devoted to the top ship.

I removed some highly overlapping fandoms (e.g., Good Omens book fandom).

This is AO3 data only, and (as always!) AO3 does not represent fandom overall. In particular, ship popularity tends to vary A LOT by archive/platform. See some past cross-platform shipping comparisons from 2019 (comparing het vs. slash vs. gen on Wattpad/FFN/AO3), and 2014 (comparing popular ships from HP, SPN, and Sherlock on AO3/FFN). One highlight:

Raw data:

Fandom | Top relationship | % tagged with most common ship

Shameless (US) | Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich | 92.5%

Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) | Dan Howell/Phil Lester | 92.1%

Good Omens (TV) | Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) | 83.8%

9-1-1 (TV) | Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) | 79.2%

Hannibal (TV) | Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter | 75.6%

Shadowhunters (TV) | Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood | 75.1%

All For The Game - Nora Sakavic | Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard | 75.0%

Inception (2010) | Arthur/Eames (Inception) | 74.0%

The Old Guard (Movie 2020) | Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova | 72.2%

Hawaii Five-0 (2010) | Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams | 71.9%

The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare | Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood | 71.2%

IT (Movies - Muschietti) | Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier | 71.1%

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF | Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean | 70.9%

X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier | 69.6%

Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) | Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov | 66.3%

Supernatural (TV 2005) RPF | Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki | 66.0%

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) | Adora/Catra (She-Ra) | 63.9%

Deadpool - All Media Types | Peter Parker/Wade Wilson | 63.6%

The Witcher (TV) | Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion | 63.1%

Our Flag Means Death (TV) | Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet | 63.0%

#fandom stats #toastystats #shipping #ao3 #op #asks #toasty replies #I've got a backlog of other asks #that I'm hoping to find time for soon #50 #100

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expanding-hyrule · 10 months ago

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Expanding Hyrule Fic Archive

This is a collection of works and their links wherever they're uploaded. If you have a work you'd like to be added to the list, please reach out to the blog or reblog this post with the link to get it added!

For full archive lists on platform, check out our AO3 collection. This post is only archival, to keep the list from being too long, summaries are omitted for space.

Works by @abbyz-elda

A Link To The Stars (AO3) (In collaboration with @coffebits) A Link To The Stars: Constellations (AO3) (In collaboration with @coffebits)

To Fall In Love With a Goddess (AO3)

Works by @advocaado

A Conviction to Save (AO3)

Works by @/Allendra

Bright as Night (FFN)

Fighting Fate (FFN)

Works by @alternate-triforce

Good Morning (AO3)

Works by @amelias-calamity-quintet

Goddess of Secrecy (AO3)

Mark of a Hero - Part 1 (AO3)

Restoration Age (AO3)

Cinders of Life (AO3)

Day After Destiny (AO3)

A Taste for Adventure (AO3)

Works by @/andrhars

The Hunt (AO3)

Works by @avoicefromthedesert

A Voice From the Desert (AO3)

Works by @/batneko

The Weekly Hyrule News (FFN)

Works by @batrogers

The Prince of Hyrule (AO3)

Works by @/beepboprobotsnot

Way of Courage (AO3)

Works by @/AzrealTheStoryteller

S.T.T. (AO3)

Works by @botwriter

Blooming in Adversity (AO3)

Works by @/CrazygurlMadness

Fighting Gravity (FFN)

Works by @crownedcrusader

Cloak and Dagger (FFN)

Works by @daeyumi

Cycle of the Stars (AO3)

Works by @deiliamedlini

Unbroken (AO3)

Alone With You (AO3)

Into the Dark (AO3)

Works by @drsteggy

Uneasy Lies the Chosen of Farore (AO3)

Works by @fablesfables

The Legend of the Three (AO3)

Works by @haste-waste

The Baker and the Seamstress (AO3)

Works by @/jclbs

Desert Blight (FFN)

Works by @justapixelthing

Remnants of the Past (AO3)

Works by @karama9

All That Hurts Us (AO3)

Hero (AO3)

No More. Not One Single Time More (AO3)

Works by @ixtaek

A Crossing of Stars (AO3)

Works by @ladyhoneydee

Too Old to Keep (AO3)

Works by @/leadernovaandthemacabre

On the Shores of Change (AO3)

The Temporanaut (AO3)

The Fruitcake Campaign (AO3)

Works by @/LeilaEditer

Reality (FFN)

Works by @/LiliansMalice

Make a Wish, Make it Count (AO3)

Works by @louwhose

Lock and Key (AO3)

Fall Under Your Spell (AO3)

The Final Hyrule (AO3)

Works by @loz-untold-myths

The Mage's Lantern (AO3)

Falling Into Place (Stone Fate Pre-Story) (AO3)

Stone Fate (AO3)

The Princess's Heart (AO3)

Works by @mistresslrigtar

Captain Link Araki and the Harbinger of Destiny (AO3)

The Hero and the Princess (AO3)

I Belong To You (AO3)

Works by @/nolandsman

Legacies and Bloodlines (AO3)

Words by @omegaalpha01

Restoration of Faith (AO3)

Works by @/pagankeith

Ancestral Links (AO3)

Works by @palmolli

Shadows of History (AO3)

Works by @pastelsandpining

petrichor and bones (AO3)

Works by @pelicanpig

On My Honor (AO3)

Works by @pocketseizure

The Ritual of Lomei Labyrinth (AO3)

Works by @raginghummingbird

What It Means To Be Chosen (AO3)

Works by @railtracer30

Guarding Zelda (AO3)

Works by @RandomButLoved

Break The Wheel (AO3)

Works by @reallybadgirlcovention

Depths of the Darkness (AO3)

Works by @/ReBuggy

The Legend of Zelda: Song of the City (AO3)

Works by @ro-blaze

Vessels (AO3)

Works by @/RoughInTheDiamond

Linkubus (AO3)

Works by @/Scarlet_Curls

The Magic Awakens (AO3)

Works by @shadow-djinni

Path of the Infinite (AO3)

Works by @sillysonata

Missing Hero (AO3) (In collaboration with @fithesworddweller & @lilyhatesthenumber4 )

Works by @/SkyLeaf

And the Clouds Parted (AO3)

Works by @sparkspsps

Princess Link: Engaged to my sister's kidnapper??? (AO3)

Works by @spicymcbean

Western Hyrule (AO3)

Works by @/Split Infinitive

The Wondrous Adventures of The Righteous Maximus (FFN)

Works by @stinkyguar

The inconsistencies of fate (AO3)

Works by @tnc-n3cl

The Tale of the Realm Walker (AO3)

Works by @transmascgerudo

The King's Lament (AO3)

Works by @the--voided

Void's Grasp (AO3)

Works by @webhead3345

The Hero of the Dunes (AO3)

Works by @zarvasace

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Works by @zeldadiarist

The Golden Chain (AO3)

Works by @zeldaelmo

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The Promise (AO3)

Works by @zeldaseyebrows

In the Blood (AO3)

#zelda fandom #zelda fanfiction #loz art #original legends #loz: original legends #legend of zelda #loz zelda #zelda #legend of zelda fanart #loz #tloz

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areiacannaid · 2 months ago

Text

Frozen Clearing

Chapter 2

Read on AO3

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It took several hours of traveling along the patrol's route before Gilan and Halt found any sign of tracks. By then, they had gone far enough down the King's Road to be deep into the Fernan woods.

They had, after a short deliberation, elected to start at what would have been the patrol's end point and backtrack. It was a bit of a gamble, but the woods were the most likely place that the soldiers might have found trouble. If they had kept to the timetable they had been given, or at least close to it, Halt had estimated that the woods would likely have been where the knights had reached when the storm hit the day before.

As they traveled, the path that wound through the dense trees, which had before been covered in pristine, undisturbed snow, suddenly became hatched and choppy with footfalls. They weren't perfectly clear prints; they had obviously been made while the snow was still falling, for the prints had been almost completely refilled.

The point where Halt and Gilan had run into the tracks was the point where the tracks had veered from the path and into the woods. The two of them had stopped as soon as they came across them, dismounting to get a closer look.

"What do you see?" Halt asked Gilan, breaking the silence that had grown between them as they surveyed the ground. "And why is it odd?"

"There are no horse tracks," Gilan replied promptly from where he crouched by the indentations.

"And what does that tell you?"

Gilan frowned thoughtfully before responding. "The patrol had horses when they left. Since whoever made these tracks did not, maybe these are not the knights? It's odd that there are exactly four sets of tracks, though—a coincidence that four people happened to be traveling down this road at the same time as four knights? This road isn't well traveled after all."

"What's more, they are four adult men, judging by what can be made out by the size and weight," Halt added with a simple nod at Gilan's reasoning. "We need more information before we can know for certain."

"So, we should follow them a ways and see what more we can learn?" Gilan said with a tight smile.

"Are you asking me or telling?" Halt replied with a raised eyebrow.

"How about telling if I'm right, but asking if I'm not," Gilan suggested innocently.

Halt's glare was palpable. "How about, when we get back, you get to mend the roof as well as the fences."

"Telling, then," Gilan said with a half-smile, putting his hands up in surrender.

Halt merely grunted in acknowledgment, gesturing for him to get on with it. Gilan quickly grabbed a small stick off a nearby tree to prod a little further at the prints in the hopes of seeing if he could remove some of the looser flakes enough to see the tread pattern of the boots or shoes. If he could somehow ascertain the type of shoe, it could help him narrow down the status of the owner. He soon realized that too much snowfall had made that impossible. However, as he dug deeper, he had come across a deep crimson stain, stark against the white.

"Halt!" Gilan pointed to where he had disturbed the snow. "It's blood."

The grim acknowledgment in the older Ranger's eyes was all the response he gave.

As the two began to follow the prints, the suspected injury of one of the men became more apparent. There was more blood which coincided with one of the men's gaits being off. It dragged worse the further the trail went, and it became clear that the two men that had been either side of the bleeding man had started to support more and more of the injured man's weight.

As they traveled further, Gilan became aware of the faint scent of woodsmoke.

"There," Halt said quietly, pointing deeper into the trees. After the two had made certain the area was clear of any visible enemies, they cautiously approached the haphazard snow-covered shelter that Halt had spotted. It was a simple affair of canvas strung by tope between trees at a slant to make a sort of lean-to tent that was open on one side. It seemed almost completely abandoned at first glance—aside from still smoldering embers of the campfire that had been made near the open front.

Soon, they were close enough that Gilan recognized the slumped form of a man lying still beneath the shelter. He felt an ugly sensation twist in the pit of his stomach because he simultaneously recognized the color of the man's surcoat and knew him to be one of the knights from the patrol. Both mentor and apprentice were soon kneeling at the fallen knight's side.

"It's Kenric," Gilan said softly, hands reaching unconsciously out towards the injured man.

A rough, bloodstained bandage had been wound around the young knight's chest. He looked pale and was lying so still that Gilan couldn't tell if he was unconscious or worse. He looked urgently toward Halt as the grizzled Ranger put his hands gently to the knight's neck to check for a pulse.

"He's alive," Halt said, before checking the young knight over carefully, including the wound. His mouth set in a grimace as he finished. "He seems stable for now; the other knights must have cleaned and stitched the wound. But it's a bad one, and he feels like he's starting to run a fever. He needs help soon." He glanced around the makeshift camp, assessing.

Gilan could guess at his thoughts. The fire the other knights had built for Kenric had burned to ashes, and yet they were nowhere to be seen.

"Where did the others go? Why would they leave him alone like this?"

"They likely wouldn't willingly," Halt answered, looking to where three sets of tracks went deeper into the woods. "It could be that they were looking for a better shelter and got turned around in the storm, or something else happened."

Regardless of which, it was likely that the other three could still be in serious danger. Though they were loath to leave Kenric alone, they couldn't just abandon the other men.

"We'll go a ways further after their trail together. If it becomes clear they are not nearby, then you will come back and look after Kenrick while I continue the search," Halt decided finally.

They built the fire back up, hoping to keep the young knight as warm as possible while they continued their search. Even as they worked, the air grew suddenly quiet and still, seemingly warming for the briefest of moments before the first flakes of new snowfall began to drift down. Gilan reached out with one hand to idly catch one of the frozen crystals as it fell. His lips turned down ever-so-slightly at the corners as the number of snowflakes increased rapidly. Between the new snow and the state of the injured knight, they were running out of time, and fast.

As soon as they were ready, Gilan was off like a shot before Halt could stop him, bounding after the trail, following it at a half-trot. They didn't have much time before the snowfall completely wiped out all trace of the knights' passage. It was already falling much more heavily than before, and looking to only get worse still.

He was aware of Halt and the two horses keeping on behind him as he moved. Even with the small amount of fresh snow that had fallen, the tracks were still easy enough to follow. The new snow had muffled and diminished the evidence of footfalls more thoroughly than before, but the indentations and dips in the snow were still visible.

Gilan did not stop until he reached the point where the tracks themselves did. He stared at the place in confusion. He had followed the trail out from beneath the shade of the forest and into what appeared to be a large snow-covered clearing, edges blurred by the whirl of snow falling thickly down all around. It had started to fall so densely that had become difficult to as much as more than four meters out in any direction.

He stood there, frowning in confusion, not quite understanding how what he saw could be possible. The tracks had simply stopped. The footprints headed out into the clearing and then nothing—just a deep jagged sort of impression, its indentation and edges softened by the mass of new snow. There was nothing else in any other direction, the pristine white completely undisturbed.

It put him in mind of tracks he had seen before of mice or other small animals that had been carried off suddenly by birds of prey. But these had been the tracks of men. There were no birds large enough to carry off a man… That was impossible… which left it that the patrol had dropped something into the snow, a heavy pack or something, before picking it back up and then backtracking, stepping backward into their previous footfalls… but why?

"Gilan!"

Halt's call interrupted his musing thoughts. Impatience, probably at Gilan's having run off heedlessly without him, colored his mentor's tone. Gilan felt the edges of his mouth curl slightly in mild amusement. After all, it wasn't his fault that Halt was becoming too elderly to keep up, he thought with humor. For once, he didn't say as much aloud and instead reported back quickly as he'd been trained to, his mind still puzzled over the nature of the trail he had just seen.

"The trail stops here," he called back over his shoulder.

"Stops?" His mentor questioned from behind him, irritability still clinging to his tone. Whether he was displeased or merely puzzled, Gilan couldn't say.

'"It just ends here at this indentation," he tried to clarify, outlining the shape with his hands for Halt's benefit as he was still too far back to see it clearly.

"Indentation?" Halt repeated as he closed the remaining distance between them.

Gilan nodded a little helplessly. "I don't understand it—"

"Gilan, stop!" Halt shouted suddenly, explosively, sounding more furious than Gilan had ever heard. The tone made him flinch as much as the harsh weight of Halt's hands did as his mentor struck out at him, grabbing him roughly by the back of his tunic with force enough to bruise before throwing him bodily back the way they had come.

Gilan, caught completely off guard, spun around in a half turn at the force of it, striking his back hard against the trunk of a tree. He fell to his hands and knees, winded and dazed, points of pain blooming across his body as his chest seized, trying unsuccessfully to re-catch the breath that had been knocked out of him. He gasped, the awareness of pain growing with the confusion and a curl of fear. Halt, after all, had never shouted at him like that before. Nor had he struck or thrown him down outside of training bouts, for that matter, either.

With wide eyes, he sought out the form of his mentor, cringing, wondering what exactly he had done so wrong. Halt's form loomed in front of him for the fraction of a shaky breath. Then a sickening shooting-sounding crack echoed and tore through the clearing, and Halt was gone, seemingly swallowed up by the ground itself with an icy splash.

Ice…

Suddenly, everything made sense, everything that had happened too fast for him to process in the moment settled firmly, coldly, into place.

"Halt!" He called out, a sick terror causing his voice to crack as he tried to rise back to his feet.

It hadn't been a simple clearing in the woods that he had wandered out into, but rather the surface of a small but frozen snow-covered lake. The snow had fallen so thickly and fast over the lake's surface that it hadn't yet melted again into something identifiable. And there had not been enough wind to blow it clear from the ice. The evidence of what had truly happened had been further muffled by the snow that had covered the traces of fractured ice and blurred everything around them in speckled white. Even as he looked now, the snow let up enough for him to see further out, enough for him to just barely see the lake's unfrozen middle, looking like a small pond surrounded by white. If he hadn't been so overly focused on the tracks and his objective to find the knights, if he had been a little more patient and observant, waited a fraction of a moment longer, he would have seen the danger for what it was. He wouldn't have headed so blithely and unknowingly out into danger.

The patrol had made the same mistake that Gilan had. In the thick snow and fading light of the stormy evening before, the knights had likely missed the signs danger too. The frozen lake hadn't been able to bear the weight of the soldiers any more than it had borne Halt's—or would have borne Gilan's if Halt hadn't thrown him to safety just in time. Horrified, Gilan moved to the edge of what he now knew was ice, just in time to see Halt break the surface of the water with a rough gasp, water churning around him, breath catching with the seizing cold.

Halt turned his body so that he was facing where they had come from, where he knew the ice had borne his weight before. He raised his hands to place them outstretched on the frozen surface in front of him, easing his body towards and onto the frigid shelf.

Gilan took a half-step forward but was stopped by Halt's sharp but breathless warning.

"N-no, stay back! The ice isn't… strong enough… to hold both of us."

Gilan knew that he was right. If he tried to go out onto the ice to try to help pull Halt free, he could well end up dooming them both. An ugly sense of helplessness vied for a place next to the fear that was steadily growing.

"I'm going… to try to… pull myself out," Halt said, words fragmented by shivers and splashing wavelets as he tried to keep his head above water.

With bated breath, Gilan watched as Halt tested his weight to see if it would be borne by the fragile surface, his body still mostly submerged. He was stopped by the sound of warning cracks from the ice, and he once again sank further back into the water.

With the ice not strong enough to hold him, he was left to tread water again, something Gilan knew he would not be able to keep up for long. He needed help and needed it fast. But Gilan hesitated, mind whirling as he tried to think of any way that he could do that. He could lie flat on the surface to distribute his weight better and reach out, but even then, Halt was too far out for him to pull to safety. That left only one option.

"Hold on, Halt!" Gilan called before sprinting into action, unwavering; now he had a set course in his mind. He raced back to the horses. Blaze stood obediently in the shelter of the trees right where Halt had left her, but he couldn't see Halt's borrowed horse anywhere. Belatedly, he realized that Halt must have dropped the reins to chase after him onto the ice, and Warren, not nearly as well trained as a Ranger horse, had already wandered off. He didn't have time to worry about that now, however. Instead, he reached for the coil of rope he had affixed to Blaze's saddle, tying a hasty loop at the end as he ran back, praying he wasn't too late. He ran back, calling Blaze to follow.

He could still see Halt bobbing in the water as he came in sight of the lake, his movements becoming slower and weaker with every passing second. Gilan was out of time. He faced Blaze away from the lake and tied one end of the rope to the saddle before inching out onto the ice, throwing the looped end of the rope to his mentor. The wide loop landed over his head. By now, Halt's hands would probably be too weak and frozen to grip the rope strongly enough to be pulled to safety, but if he could get the loop more firmly around his body, he wouldn't have to.

Gilan watched with bated breath as Halt struggled with the rope. Somehow, the older Ranger managed to get the loop around his shoulders and under his arms. That was all Gilan needed. Without even turning, he gave Blaze the signal to pull that he had practiced with her. For a moment, there was nothing, just an unyielding tension as the rope pulled taught. Then came the sharp crunch and snap of ice giving way, and Halt was pulled up and free, skidding along the top of the more stable ice towards the bank. Blaze continued pulling, and Gilan ran forward as soon as Halt reached the bank. He called a halt to his horse before grabbing at the sopping fabric of his mentor's cloak and tunic to pull him completely clear.

He helped Halt to his feet and away from the water. His mentor was shaking so badly that he could barely stand. Once they were fully clear of the lake, Halt brought shaking hands up to his clothes, trying to pull them off.

Staying in wet clothes in these temperatures was nothing short of a death sentence, Gilan knew, but Halt's fingers were slow and clumsy with cold, shaking so badly that he couldn't get a grip. Gilan rushed to help him, his own fingers growing stiff and aching with the cold as they too got wet. Once they were off, Gilan pulled his own cloak from off his shoulders to wrap around his mentor before racing towards Blaze to get the horse blanket and his bedroll. These, too, he helped wrap around his teacher.

"W-we n-need to get b-back to the kn-night's camp," Halt said, his words fragmented by the chatter of teeth and slowed by the numbness.

Gilan nodded, bringing Blaze closer and having her kneel down so that Halt could more easily mount.

"W-warren?" Halt asked as he struggled on to Blaze.

Gilan shook his head. "He must have run off."

"C-ourse he did," Halt managed.

And Gilan agreed with the sentiment. Of course, there was yet another thing that had gone wrong.

Wordlessly, he set off at a jog towards the knight's camp and his fire, trusting Blaze to follow.

As soon as they reached the rough shelter, Gilan helped Halt down and re-stoked the fire. It had burned low again. Taking the horse blanket from his mentor, he laid it upon the ground. As he helped Halt towards it, he realized with some alarm that he was having to bear most of Halt's weight this time. His mentor listed dangerously as he struggled to keep conscious. He noted also that Halt's shivering had lessened, and his lips had started to take on a bluish hue. Neither were good signs, he knew.

Having grown up with the King's army in the north, he had been trained from a young age to recognize hypothermia and had been trained in survival skills to treat it. He took several rocks that had been used as a ring to contain the fire and pushed them into the coals. In the meantime, he took everything possible from his kit that could be used for warmth, including his spare clothes to add to what he already had wrapped around his mentor's body. Halt tried to help as best he could, and he soon was dressed in Gilan spare clothes and socks. Gilan gave Halt his gloves before wrapping him back up in the cloak and bedroll.

By then, the rocks that Gilan had placed in the fire had grown hot, and he wrapped them in the bandages from his medical kit so they wouldn't be too hot before he placed a few more in the fire to exchange out when the ones he'd wrapped cooled too much to be useful. He brought the heated stones over to where Halt lay. Gilan placed them in between the layer of blanket and cloak near to Halt's core. Knowing that warming him too quickly or warming his extremities first could be just as deadly as the cold.

Halt gave no reaction to this. His eyes had grown hazy as his awareness started to dim. Alarmed, Gilan reached out and shook him, stomach twisting into knots.

"Don't close your eyes! You need to stay awake, you have to stay awake, Halt… Please," the last plea slipped past his lips, the desperation in it sharp enough to draw his mentor's wavering focus.

"S-stay awa—…" The word came out halting and slow from Halt's lips.

Gilan gripped his shoulder more frantically. "Please, stay awake. You can't sleep. It will kill you!"

"Stay… away…" Halt said again, words even more feeble and slurred, his eyes dropping further shut. "Have to… stay away… can't go back… can't ever."

Too afraid to be as confused by the words as he likely would have been otherwise, Gilan shook his shoulder again. "Halt!"

His mentor's eyes opened slowly, glassy and disoriented, unseeing of the world around him. With a trembling hand, he reached upward. Gilan reached out to clasp his hand, but Halt only raised it to himself, rubbing at a spot on his shoulder again and again as if it caused him pain.

"He tried to kill… 'll try again… never stop… need t'run…. can't…. kill… won't."

This time, when Halt again closed his eyes, no amount of shaking or pleading would rouse him.

"Halt!" Gilan called again, but was met with only silence.

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aquaquadrant · 3 months ago

Note

Hello! I have been asking ao3 authors why they joined ao3 and who else to ask!

@watcheraurora told me to ask you!

So how did you join ao3 and is there anyone else I should ask?

…. why DID i join AO3 in the first place omfg…

for reference, i joined A03 in may of 2015. which is. an actual decade ago holy fuck. some of the first things i posted were for the walking dead video game (still a beloved fandom of mine), penn zero: part time hero (one of my many old niche cartoon fandoms from my early tumblr days), and star wars rebels (a permanent rent-free tenant of my brain). before that, i was on fanfiction.net where my very VERY earliest works were for i think danny phantom and percy jackson and the olympians. they were, uh. rough and i don’t think they exist anymore hagshdha but that was all part of the journey 🫡

honestly even some of the old stuff on my A03 makes me wince but i look back on that time in my life fondly and wouldn’t dream of deleting any of it.

ANYWAY if i had to guess, i joined A03 bc ppl in the fandoms and fanfic communities i was a part of were talking about it and i got curious. i’m pretty sure i lurked for a bit before deciding to cross post my works, which then quickly turned into A03 only after ffn declined.

#my writing #thanks for the ask! haven’t really thought abt it before #and tbh i’m sorry i don’t have anyone else to point u to #i don’t really read stuff on A03 these days i barely have time to write 🎻#u can try my ol buddy izabellwit but idk if they post in A03 these days?

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jrob64 · 7 months ago

Text

Exacting His Revenge

- Chapter 3

I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. To reward you for your patience, I will give you another chapter after this one, for a total of 4. (You would have gotten it anyway because I am apparently just too wordy)

Happy birthday again to @kmomof4 and thank you again to @hookedmom for betaing this story.

Story Summary: When Hook sees an opportunity to finally get his revenge on Rumplestiltskin, he seizes it, putting him in the company of Emma Swan. A season 2 canon divergent story.

Rating: M (for eventual smut in chapter 4)

Words (Ch. 3): 6666

Posted on Tumlr - Chap. 1 Chap. 2 and also on ffn and Ao3

Story found under the cut

*********

As the ship got closer to Storybrooke, Hook noticed Emma frequently glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. When the lights of the town appeared on the horizon, he saw her draw in a deep breath, turn, and walk toward the steps leading to the helm. Slowly climbing them, she looked up and met his gaze.

“Is there something I can help you with, Love?” he asked.

“I was just wondering…what do you plan to do, now that you killed Gold?”

He chuckled lowly. “I’ve been wondering that myself.”

“Technically, you’re still under arrest. Now we’ll have to add escaping from jail to your charges.”

Hook reached up and scratched behind his ear. “Probably another assault charge, too.”

She widened her stance and crossed her arms. “What did you do?”

“I may have knocked your father unconscious with a pry bar.”

Rubbing her forehead in irritation, Emma sighed, “You’re a walking menace, you know that?”

“I couldn’t just sit in that concrete brig, while you were off by yourself with the bloody Dark One.”

Her eyes shot up. “You broke out of jail because you thought you had to save me?”

He dipped his head in a slight nod. “Aye.”

“Why?” she asked, disbelievingly.

“I knew what the crocodile was capable of doing. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Even though he needed you to help him navigate his way to his son, you were disposable once you found him.”

“You think he would have killed me? Knowing I had a son waiting for me back in Storybrooke?”

“He killed Milah knowing she had a son. Why would you be any different?” He watched her mull over her question. When she didn’t say anything else, he asked, “Do you think Baelfire will stay in Storybrooke?”

She shrugged indifferently. “I don’t know.”

“Do you wish for him to stay?”

“I don’t, but if Henry does, I guess I’ll have to accept it. First, I have to figure out a way to tell Henry about him, though.”

“You haven’t told him about his father?”

Her face scrunched into a grimace, something that Hook found to be quite adorable. “I sort of lied to him about Neal. I told him his dad was a firefighter who died saving people from a burning building.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I didn’t think there was a chance in hell I would ever see Neal again. And also because I didn’t want my kid to know his father was a lying thief who abandoned me.”

Hook glanced at Bae, still sitting beside his father’s body. He was glowering at them and Hook wondered if he had heard what Emma said, or was simply angry seeing Emma talking to him.

“The lad seems to be quite adaptable. I’m sure once he hears the whole story, he’ll understand.”

“I hope so,” Emma sighed. “The thing is, it’s already complicated enough trying to juggle his time between me and Regina. If Neal is added to the mix, I’ll get to see Henry even less.”

“He does have a right to see the boy, though, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah. It’s not like Neal abandoned him, too. He didn’t know I was pregnant when he took off.”

“You don’t think that the two of you, for the boy’s sake…”

“Not a chance!” Emma snapped. “Look, a lot has changed since Neal and I were together. I’ve matured and I’m assuming he has, too. But the only feelings I have for him are…well, they aren’t anything close to love, let’s put it that way.”

Hook nodded, trying to keep the happiness he felt about her declaration from showing on his face.

“I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this,” she said. “I guess I just needed to blow off some steam, and you happened to be available.”

“I’m very happy to oblige, Swan,” Hook assured her.

Emma shifted her gaze forward and saw they were rapidly approaching Storybrooke. “If you want to sail away once we get Gold’s body off the ship, I won’t stop you,” she said conspiratorially.

“Why, Sheriff, do you intend to set your prisoner free?” he asked, a teasing lilt to his voice.

“I’m just saying that since you don’t have any reason to stay in Storybrooke…”

“Ah, but I do have a reason, Love.”

Emma’s brow furrowed. “You do?”

“You promised to join me for dinner, remember?”

Her mouth dropped open. “Are you telling me you would give up your chance at freedom just to keep our deal?”

“A gentleman keeps his word, and as I told you atop the beanstalk, I’m always a gentleman.”

“You know I’ll have to lock you up as soon as you step foot off this ship.”

“And you know I won’t stay in that cell.”

“Seriously?”

“Pirate,” he said smugly.

“Are you going to dock the ship, Hook, or are you two going to keep making eyes at each other and let it crash into the pier?” Baelfire asked, his tone venomous.

“We don’t make eyes,” Emma said, rolling hers.

“Coulda fooled me,” he grumbled.

Hook began giving directions to the two of them, as he guided the ship into a berth. Emma was quick to follow, but Bae purposely lagged, earning him some sharp words from the captain.

Once the ship was tied off, Emma pulled out her phone. “I’m calling my dad. Hopefully, he can arrange transportation for Gold’s body as quietly as possible. I don’t want Belle to find out about his death until I get a chance to tell her.”

Hook and Bae stood on either side of her as she spoke to her father. When she ended the call, she looked from one to the other. “Are you going with me to talk to Belle?” she asked Neal.

“I thought you were going to take me to meet our son.”

“Not tonight. It’s late and he’ll be in bed.”

“But I…”

Emma angrily planted her hands on her hips. “Neal, if you want to meet him, you’re playing by my rules, got it?”

He stared at her for a few moments before dropping his eyes. “Fine. I’ll come with you to talk to Belle and wait until tomorrow to meet Henry.”

Pivoting to face Hook, she said, “You can stay on your ship tonight. If you’re still here tomorrow, I’ll deal with you then.”

“I look forward to it, Love,” he smirked.

If the look Baelfire gave him could kill, there would have been another body joining Gold’s on the deck.

*********

Hook lay in his bunk, staring at the ceiling of his cabin and replaying the events of the day. It should have been the most satisfying day in his long life. Milah’s murderer was finally dead and the darkness was permanently dispelled. Milah was avenged, her soul could rest. For the first time in hundreds of years, he should be able to sleep peacefully.

Then why was he so restless?

Oddly enough, the stabbing of Rumplestiltskin and his subsequent death weren’t foremost in his thoughts. It was his interactions with Emma Swan - every word, gesture and facial expression - which were keeping him awake. She was under his skin and he didn’t know what to do about it.

He felt guilty about the direction of his thoughts. Ever since that most horrible of days, he mourned his Milah and promised anew that he would love her until the day he finally died. Sometimes he sought female companionship, but it was only ever for a single night, never with the same woman twice, and never on his ship. He didn’t want to besmirch the love he and Milah had for one another by bringing another into their bed. Now, he was lying here, his mind filled with images of a lass whom he longed to know better and whose heart he had decided to win.

“I’m sorry, Milah,” he whispered into the darkness.

Knowing sleep was going to continue to elude him, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Grabbing his flask off of the nightstand, he took a healthy swig and savored the familiar burn down his throat. Then he got up and lit the lantern on his desk. If he couldn’t sleep, he might as well read.

He gave up after ten minutes. Sighing, he slammed the book closed, then donned his leather duster and ascended the ladder. He walked the decks of the Jolly Roger, rubbing non-existent smudges from her highly polished railings, double checking that her sails were folded correctly, and trying to convince himself that she was the only love he needed in his life.

The problem was, his heart wasn’t listening to logic.

Sleep didn’t come until an hour before daybreak. Thankfully, he didn’t enter REM sleep, so he wasn’t able to determine which woman would appear to him in his dreams.

*********

It was almost noon when Emma made it back to his ship. “Still here, I see,” she called up to him from where she stood on the pier.

“I assured you I wasn’t going to leave.”

She eyed him critically. “Are you alright? You look like hell.”

“Why, thank you very much, Swan. How kind of you to notice.”

“I thought you would be the happiest person on Earth, now that you’ve finally gotten your revenge.”

He shrugged. “Perhaps the day was too stimulating to allow me to sleep well.” Seeing her about to speak again, he cut in. “Where is Baelfire this morning?”

Emma closed her eyes and shook her head disgustedly. “I already regret bringing him here. He’s driving me crazy, asking to meet Henry.”

“You haven’t introduced the two of them yet, I take it?”

“No. Henry was at Regina’s last night and was off to school before I woke up this morning. Neal thinks I should pull him out of school. I keep telling him I want the chance to talk to Henry first, but he’s really pushing it. I managed to sneak away from him while he and Belle were making arrangements to bury Gold.”

While she was talking, Hook was making his way down the gangplank to stand in front of her. “I have no doubt you will stand your ground against him, Love.”

“I know. It’s just…things were good between me and Henry since Mary Margaret and I got back to Storybrooke. Now I have to tell him I lied to him and I’m afraid he’s going to hate me.”

Hook’s mind flashed to Baelfire’s reaction when he discovered the drawing of Milah in the captain’s quarters. His words were full of hatred and betrayal. To this day, he hadn’t forgiven him. Hook certainly hoped Henry wouldn’t react the same way.

Hoping to divert Emma’s worries, he asked, “How did Belle take the news last night?”

“Just as you would expect; she’s devastated. She was relieved to know that Gold found his son before he died. We didn’t tell her Neal was furious with his father for killing his mother and refused to forgive him. I’m assuming Belle didn’t know Gold’s role in Milah’s death.”

“Do you think if she did, she would have ever become involved with the bloody demon?”

“No, probably not. Belle tries to find the best in everyone, but hearing that bit of news might have been too much for even her.”

“You told her the, uh, the circumstances of his death?”

“Yeah. Let’s just say you’re definitely not her favorite person. She’s still recovering from the gunshot wound you gave her and now you killed her boyfriend.”

Hook grimaced. Thinking of the Dark One as someone’s ‘boyfriend’ turned his stomach. Not wanting to think about Rumplestiltskin anymore, he changed the subject. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this morning, Swan?”

“I have to take you back to jail. Everyone in town knows you’ve returned. Letting you go free after you shot someone isn’t going to sit well with them.”

“Even though I rid your fair town and the world of the Dark One’s power?”

“The people in town don’t know that yet. Belle isn’t planning to tell them until after Gold is buried. I’m sure the news will leak out soon. Until then, I don’t want Leroy running around town yelling, ‘Killer on the loose! Killer on the loose!’”

Reaching around behind her back, she extracted handcuffs and held them up between them.

“Again?” Hook sighed. “You’re really into this, aren’t you?”

“Standard procedure,” she explained. “Hand and hook behind your back.”

With a dramatic display of reluctance, he did as told. They walked down the pier and onto the beach, then over to the squad car in a moment of deja vu.

On the way to the sheriff’s station, Hook asked, “How is your father, Swan?”

“He has a headache and a good sized lump on his head, but he’ll be fine. You’re not his favorite person, either. In fact, you don’t have many people on your side in this town, which is why I figured you would take the opportunity to leave when I offered it to you.”

“There’s only one person I wish to have on my side, Love. I couldn’t care less about anyone else.”

She glanced at him in the rearview mirror. “You’re really adamant about having that dinner with me, aren’t you?”

“I would never have allowed the bloody crocodile aboard my ship if you hadn’t agreed to that. I fully intend to collect what is owed to me.”

“You might have to settle for Granny’s takeout in your cell, while I eat at my desk.”

“I believe the deal was dinner on my ship.”

“Yeah, well, you might be locked up for quite a while, depending on what Regina says.”

“What does Regina have to do with it?”

Emma pulled up to the station, put the car in park and turned it off. Twisting in her seat, she said, “We don’t have a court system in Storybrooke, so the mayor decides on punishment for crimes. That’s the way she set it up during the curse and we never changed it. Considering the fact you killed her mother, I doubt Regina will be lenient toward you.”

“Regina and I had…an understanding before the curse was cast. I’m sure she will consider that.”

“What sort of understanding?” Emma asked.

Hook leaned forward, putting his face close to the divider between the front and back seat. “Let’s just say we also had a deal. It took a while, but I finally kept my end of it.”

Emma’s eyes widened. “You made a deal with Regina to kill her mother?”

“The two of them never had what you might call a close mother-daughter relationship.”

“Just when I thought I heard it all,” Emma mumbled, unbuckling her seat belt and opening the car door.

After releasing him from the back seat, she walked him into the station, her hand gripping his elbow. Upon entering the main area, David rose from the desk, strode across the room and punched Hook in the face.

“Dad!” Emma yelled.

“That’s for the last time we met,” David said, shaking his hand slightly.

Hook licked his bloodied lip before replying, “I thought you might be a bit more genial, considering I brought your daughter home safely.”

“You knocked all the genial out of me when you hit me with that crowbar.”

Emma led Hook across the room, removed the cuffs, unlocked the cell and gestured for him to enter. Dabbing at his lip, he walked in, winking at her as he passed. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he detected the hint of a smile on her face.

She slammed the door closed, then turned as an afterthought. “I almost forgot. Give me your hook.”

“If you want to hold something, Love, I have a perfectly good hand,” he offered slyly, holding up his hand and wiggling his fingers.

She huffed, but he saw the corners of her mouth turn up again. “Just hand over the hook, funny guy.” As he twisted the hook out of the brace, she added, “And while you’re at it, give me whatever you used to pick the lock last time.”

“I thought you didn’t care if I escaped and sailed away, Swan.”

“You said you wouldn’t leave until I kept my part of the bargain.”

“Ah, yes, our dinner together,” he said, glancing toward David as he said it. His reaction to Hook’s statement didn’t disappoint.

“Your what?” he shouted.

“Calm down, Dad,” Emma said, rolling her eyes. “I had to make a deal with him so he would agree to bring Gold back to Storybrooke. It’s just dinner.”

“On my ship,” Hook contributed.

“On his ship?!”

Emma threw Hook a frustrated glare, before turning to her father. “I’ll say it again - it’s just dinner. And it’s probably not going to happen anytime soon. Regina will have to decide what to do with him. In fact, I need to go to her office to bring her up to speed.”

David checked his watch. “I’m supposed to be over at the cemetery in ten minutes to guard against anyone going in while they’re burying Gold.”

Emma sighed. “We probably shouldn’t leave Hook alone. Can you get Leroy to come over and keep an eye on him again?”

“Is that really necessary?” Hook asked.

David narrowed his eyes at Hook for several seconds before picking up the phone.

Turning back to Hook, Emma stated, “Guess that answers your question. Now, hand it over.”

With a dramatic sigh, he passed his hook through the bars into her waiting hand. She accepted it, then held up her other hand. He threw her his most charming smile, but she just tilted her head and speared him with another meaningful glare. Reluctantly, he reached into his pocket and removed the long hairpin.

As she accepted it, she asked, “Why do you have this thing, anyway?”

“As you can imagine, managing all of these buttons one-handed is quite difficult, so I use that to help pull them through the buttonholes.”

“I think you missed a few,” she murmured.

“Ah, so you’ve noticed,” he cheeked.

She turned away, but not before Hook saw the blush that colored her cheeks. With a satisfied smirk, he crossed the cell and took a seat on the cot.

David left before Leroy arrived, giving Hook some time alone with Emma. “Do you have a preference of what to eat for our dinner together, Swan?”

“You’re awfully presumptuous, thinking you’ll be out of jail anytime soon.”

“I did Regina a favor by killing Rumplestiltskin. I have a feeling she’s going to take that into consideration when she decides my fate.”

“People in town love and respect Belle. They won’t be happy if you get off scot-free for shooting her.”

Hook scuffed his boots back and forth on the floor. “I do feel bad for shooting the lass. I’m glad I only wounded her.”

“At least you’re remorseful,” Emma remarked.

Before Hook could respond, Leroy burst into the office. “I’m here, Sister,” he blustered. Walking straight up to the bars of the cell, he spouted, “No funny business. I’m watching you, Pirate.”

Hook stood and sauntered over to stand in front of him, “Yes, Dwarf. That should deter me from any malfeasance.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” Emma said.

Leroy and Hook continued glaring at each other for several seconds, until Leroy broke eye contact to say, “Charming didn’t tell me why he isn’t able to be here. Is he out on a call?”

Emma and Hook exchanged a quick look. “Um, yeah. Something like that,” Emma mumbled vaguely.

“Well, as long as one of you is back by dinner time. Granny will run out of bacon for my burger if I get there too late.”

“It looks like you could afford to forgo dinner now and then,” Hook muttered.

“Behave yourself, Hook,” Emma cut in before Leroy got a chance to respond.

After she left, Leroy sat down and began swiveling in the chair, keeping an eye on Hook. “So, I’m assuming you followed Sheriff Swan to New York after you knocked out her father?”

“You must be the smart dwarf,” Hook said, resuming his spot on the cot.

“Then how are the two of you back, but there’s no sign of Gold? Did you leave him in New York?”

“I have no idea of the Dark One’s location.” He wasn’t technically lying. The darkness dissipated, but he didn’t know where it went.

Leroy crossed his arms over his chest. “You expect me to believe that?”

Hook shrugged. “It makes me no difference what you believe. I went to New York to ensure Swan’s safety and as you can see, I accomplished that objective.”

Leroy leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “Are you sweet on the sheriff?”

Hook very deliberately laid down and turned toward the wall, his back facing the dwarf.

“Because if you are, you’re never going to get her,” Leroy continued. “Her parents and most of the town won’t allow it. She’s too good for the likes of you, Pirate.”

Hook closed his eyes, trying to go to sleep so he wouldn’t have to listen to the grumpy man any longer. It didn’t work. Even though Leroy stopped talking, the last words he said kept replaying themselves over and over in Hook’s mind.

She’s too good for the likes of you, Pirate.

*********

Word of Gold’s death did indeed leak out, and soon the entire town was aware that they were free of the Dark One forever. Besides expressing their condolences to Belle, they didn’t show any signs of sadness over his loss.

Neal was greeted with trepidation. Granny reluctantly offered him a room at the boarding house and reassured the townspeople that she would keep an eye on him. If he showed any inkling of being like his father, she wouldn’t hesitate to use her crossbow.

Regina stopped in at the sheriff’s station the day after the ship arrived back from New York. After telling David she needed to speak to Hook privately, she stepped in front of his cell and glared at him through the bars.

“Your Majesty,” he drawled. “Or should I say ‘Madam Mayor’?”

“Is it true you’re responsible for my mother’s death, Hook?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Word gets around. Now answer the question.”

“Aye, Love. I finally carried out your noble request.”

“Once the curse was cast, the request was null and void.”

“I wasn’t made aware of any alteration in plans or any changes in your feelings toward your mother. Just because I didn’t do it when you initially sent me to do so, the result is still the same. Now don’t try to tell me you grieve her passing, or that you would have welcomed her to Storybrooke with open arms.”

Regina’s mouth tightened into a straight line before she answered, “You know I didn’t want her here.”

He gave a slight nod. “That’s correct, so I did you a favor. And another by killing Gold. I’d say you owe me, Your Majesty.”

“I suppose you think I should give you some huge reward,” she growled. “What’s your price, Hook?”

He rose from the cot and slowly moved to stand in front of her. “My freedom will do nicely.”

Regina’s perfectly groomed eyebrows raised in surprise. “That’s all you want? That doesn’t sound like the greedy pirate I know.”

He shrugged nonchalantly. “My life’s goal has been met. I have enough doubloons to last me for another three hundred years. What more could I possibly need?”

She crossed her arms and studied him. “If I grant your freedom, I assume you will leave town.”

“Never assume anything.”

“Why would you stay?”

Hook studied his fingernails. “I don’t believe my plans are any of your business.”

“I’m the mayor of Storybrooke. Everything is my business.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You might control your townspeople, but…”

“I brought lunch, Hook.” He looked over Regina’s shoulder to see Emma coming into the room, holding a brown paper bag aloft.

Regina heaved an exaggerated sigh and turned to look over her shoulder. “Didn’t your idiot father tell you I wanted to speak to Hook without being interrupted?”

“I haven’t seen David,” Emma replied coolly. “I’ve been out on patrol all morning. I’m happy to report no one is breaking any laws.”

“No one except him,” Regina said, jerking her head towards Hook.

Emma set the bag of food on the desk. “Well, he’s locked up, so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him.”

“Apparently he broke out once before and he’s a pirate. Locking him up doesn’t guarantee he won’t break out.”

“He doesn’t have any reason to break out this time, do you, Hook?”

“Alas, no. All of my objectives have been met.”

“I still don’t trust him,” Regina said.

“You needn’t worry, Madam Mayor. Your sheriff is quite efficient,” Hook said. “She particularly enjoys using her handcuffs on me, don’t you Swan?”

He was satisfied to see her cheeks turn pink. She changed the subject by asking, “Have you decided on his punishment yet?”

“Perhaps she’ll sentence me to house arrest with you. Do you have a spare bed? If not, I’m willing to share.”

Regina looked back and forth between them, her mouth set in a firm line. “Miss Swan, if you don’t mind, I haven't finished speaking with your boyfriend.”

Hook suppressed a chuckle, as Emma’s mouth dropped open. “My boyfriend? Hook? What’s your problem, Regina?”

“My problem,” Regina spat, “is that you’re impeding my job.”

“Fine,” Emma shot back. “I’ll be in the other room, eating lunch. When you finally finish your job, let me know.” Picking up the sack, she turned on her heel and went into the small inner office, slamming the door behind her.

Seeing her stand up to Regina filled Hook with pride and more than a little desire. Emma Swan was fiery and fierce, just the way he liked his women.

With effort, he turned his attention back to Regina. She was drumming the manicured fingernails of her right hand on her left bicep. “I’m willing to bet one of your reasons for remaining in Storybrooke involves Miss Swan.”

“I would have never guessed you were one for gambling, Your Majesty.”

She glared at him as Hook stared back at her unflinchingly, plastering a bored look on his face. After nearly a minute, she called loudly, “Sheriff Swan, come out here!”

Emma emerged, chewing and rubbing her hands on her jeans. “You bellowed?”

“I do not bellow,” Regina remarked snarkily. “I’ve come to a decision about this prisoner. He needs to be punished for the attempt he made on Ms. French’s life. Therefore, I sentence him to one month in jail. By that time, maybe he’ll be ready to board his ship, sail away and be some other realm’s problem.”

With that, she spun around and walked out the door, heels clicking on the cement floor.

Emma watched her go, then turned to face Hook. “Looks like you’re going to be our guest for a while longer.”

“Aye, but at least my jailer is a welcome sight to behold.”

“You told me you won’t stay in this cell. Do I need to make sure someone is here to watch you around the clock? Because I’ll be damned if I’m going to chase you down every other day.”

“As tempting as it is to have you running after me, I give you my word as a gentleman that I will not escape.”

She narrowed her eyes as she studied him to detect any trace of deceit. Finding none, she said, “Don’t make me regret trusting you, Hook.”

He wrapped his hand around the bars of the cell. “You’re going to take my advice and try something new, eh Swan?”

Hooking her thumbs in the back pockets of her jeans, she shrugged. “You went all the way to New York to make sure I was safe, and didn’t leave when I gave you the chance. I guess you’ve earned my trust.”

Hood couldn’t keep the grin off of his face. The fact that she trusted him was definitely a step in the right direction toward winning her heart. He reached through the bars and twisted a lock of her hair around his finger, enjoying the silky feel of it against his calloused skin. “I’m very happy to hear that, Love.”

She was just opening her mouth to reply, when Baelfire entered the room. Hook’s eyes shifted to the other man, causing Emma to look over her shoulder. As soon as she saw Neal, she stiffened.

Bae stopped short when he saw how close the couple was standing. Then he saw that Hook had a lock of Emma’s hair wrapped around his finger and his face turned crimson.

“What’s going on here, Ems?” he blustered.

“Nothing,” she answered tightly.

“Doesn’t look that way to me. Looks like the fucking pirate is trying to seduce you, just like he did my mother.”

“Give it a rest, Neal. He’s behind bars and that’s where he has to stay for a month.”

“A month?” he shouted. “That’s all he gets for killing my father?”

“Actually,” Hook began, “that sentence is for shooting Belle French. Regina felt I did the town a favor by ridding it of the Dark One.”

“What the fuck? You’re just going to get away with murder?” Neal raged.

“Oh, come on, Neal,” Emma groaned. “You’re the one who said to just let your dad die. Now you want to act like the grieving son? I don’t buy it.”

He walked over to stand in front of the cell, looking back and forth between Hook and Emma. Hook untangled his finger from her hair and pulled his hand back. As much as he wanted to smirk at the angry man, he decided it was best not to add fuel to the fire. He didn’t want to put Emma in an even more uncomfortable position.

Bae turned his back toward Hook and tried to step between Emma and the bars. “Isn't it about time for Henry to come home from school, Ems?”

She heaved a sigh and turned to look at the clock on the wall. “School lets out in half-an-hour. Once my dad gets back to the station, I’ll leave to go pick Henry up.”

“Cool. I’ll come with you.”

Emma folded her arms over her chest and fixed him with a fierce scowl. Hook was quite happy not to be on the receiving end of it. “No, you will not. I’ve already told you that I need to talk to Henry first. I want to prepare him to meet you.”

“What’s there to prepare? You just say, ‘Henry, this is your father.’ What’s so hard about that?”

“For fuck’s sake, Neal! He thinks his father is dead!”

“Why the hell would he think that?” Neal yelled.

“Because that’s what I told him! I said you were a firefighter who died as a hero…”

Neal leaned forward until his face was mere inches away from hers. “What the fuck, Emma? Why would you do something so idiotic?”

Emma didn’t back away from him as she spoke through gritted teeth. “Would you rather I told him that his dad was a thief and a liar who abandoned me and let me go to jail for a crime he committed?”

When Hook saw Neal grasp Emma’s arms, he had enough. “Let go of her, Bae!” he demanded, reaching through the bars to grab the other man’s jacket.

“Stay out of this, Hook!” Baelfire shouted, jerking away from Hook’s grip, letting go of Emma at the same time. “She’s not yours to protect!”

“She’s not yours, either!” Hook shot back.

“That’s enough!” Emma exclaimed. “Neal, you need to leave. After I’ve had a chance to talk to Henry, I’ll call you. That is, if he wants to meet you today. If he needs more time to process everything, that’s what he’ll get. And you will agree to it, or you won’t meet him at all. Is that clear?”

“I came all this way and he’s my son. You can’t keep me from seeing him.”

“I can and I will if you don’t back off. Go back to your room at the boarding house and wait for me to call.”

Hook watched carefully to see what Baelfire would do next. If he continued to defy and bully Emma, Hook would find some way to get out of the cell and go to her aid.

After several more moments of glowering at Emma, Bae finally stomped out of the office, nearly running into David, who was on his way in.

“What’s wrong with him?” he asked.

“He’s demanding to see Henry and I’m making him wait. I need to talk to Henry first.”

David took off his jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. “I can understand his impatience. He just found out he has a son; it’s only natural to be anxious to meet him.”

“You’re taking his side?” Emma asked.

“I didn’t realize you two are on opposite sides. I thought you were, um…”

Emma’s eyes widened. “Do you think we’re together?”

“Well, you do have a child together and you just found each other again after so many years.”

She put her hands on her hips. “If I had my way, I would have never seen him again.”

David’s jaw dropped. “But Mary Margaret and I thought the two of you…”

“Well, you thought wrong!” she spouted, then angrily grabbed her keys and pushed past him.

He stood rooted to the spot, staring at the door through which she just disappeared. Almost to himself, he murmured, “I’m so confused. Why wouldn’t she want to…”

“Be with Baelfire?” Hook interrupted. “Have you ever asked your daughter about the father of her child?”

David turned around, the look on his face making it clear the answer to Hook’s question was ‘no’. Instead, he said, “That’s none of your business.”

“Perhaps not, but Emma did share with me what happened between them, and let’s just say she has good reason not to want to be with him.”

“Why would she tell you and not her mother and I?”

Hook shrugged. “I think she felt a bit…trapped by the whole situation of him coming to Storybrooke and she wanted to share her side of the story with someone. I just happened to be available.”

“Did he hurt her?”

“Not physically, but that’s all I’m going to say. It’s not my story to tell.”

David eyed him critically for several seconds, then stepped closer to the cell. “Let me give you a bit of advice, Hook. She’s never gonna like you.”

“Is that so?”

“Well, how could she? You’re nothing but a pirate.” With those words, he spun on his heel and walked away.

The cocky smirk on Hook’s face faded as he watched David go. For the second time in two days, he had been told that Emma Swan would never be with him because he wasn’t good enough for her. The one consolation he had was that neither time, it was Emma who said it. He would have to cling to the hope that she didn’t feel the same way.

*********

Hook didn’t expect to see Emma any more that day, so when she came into the station soon after he finished eating the meal Granny provided, he was pleasantly surprised. However, seeing the agitated state she was in, his pleasure soon turned to concern.

“I thought I was finishing out this shift,” David said.

“I know, but I figured you would want to spend the evening with Mary Margaret, and since Henry is staying at Regina’s…”

“What? Why is he doing that? I thought you were introducing him to Neal.”

“Yeah, well, let’s just say things didn’t go as planned,” she said sadly.

“Emma, if you need to…”

“Look, Dad,” she sighed, “I really don’t want to talk about it right now. I’ll be home in a couple of hours, okay? Maybe by then, I’ll be ready to tell you what happened.”

Hook thought David was going to argue with her, but after a few moments, he blew out a heavy sigh and said, “Okay. I’ll see you at home. Be careful.” After kissing her forehead, he gave Hook a warning look, then left.

Emma dropped into a chair, threw her head back and groaned.

“Alright there, Swan?” Hook asked.

She was motionless for so long, he thought she wasn’t going to answer. Finally, she sat up and put her head in her hands. “Not really. Henry is very pissed at me for lying to him. He had no interest in meeting Neal and insisted on going to Regina’s because he doesn’t want to be around me. Then when I called Neal, he went off on me, saying it was all my fault his son refused to meet him.”

“I’m sorry, Love.”

She didn’t reply. He felt helpless seeing her sitting there, looking so defeated.

When she finally stood up, she paced back and forth in front of his cell. “Why did I ever think I could do this? I know nothing about being a mom. I probably screwed him up for life. First I gave him away, then I lied to him about his father…”

“Emma, stop,” Hook said firmly.

She stood still, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. “It’s true.”

“No, it’s not. It sounds to me like you made a very courageous decision by giving him up for adoption. Bae abandoned you and left you with very little choice. As far as telling him Baelfire was dead, you had no idea Henry would have a chance to meet him someday. You wanted to spare him the pain of knowing his father was a bloody coward, just like his own father before him. In my opinion, there was nothing wrong with telling Henry he was a hero. It was far kinder than the truth.”

“He was so angry,” she whispered hoarsely. “He may never forgive me.”

Hook’s heart ached for her. “Come here, Love,” he said softly, stretching his hand out through the bars.

She shook her head, wiping at her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“Emma, look at me,” he coaxed.

Slowly, she raised her eyes. Even more slowly, she reached forward to place her hand in his. He gave a little tug to pull her closer. When she was near enough, he attempted to put his arms around her, frustrated that the cell bars were between them.

“This is stupid,” she said, turning her back and walking away. He almost groaned in frustration, until he realized she was pulling a set of keys out of the desk drawer. She approached the cell again, hesitating briefly before unlocking the door. After swinging it open, she stood uncertainly, shifting from foot to foot.

Hook stepped through the doorway and into her space. Locking eyes with her, he silently asked permission and upon receiving it, gently pulled her into his arms.

At first, her body was stiff and unyielding, but as he rubbed his hand and wrist up and down her back, she gradually relaxed and let him comfort her. “You’re a good mother, Emma. Henry knows that, and he will forgive you.”

“How can you be so sure?” she mumbled into his chest.

“Because I know first-hand how hard it is to stay away from you.” He heard her scoff lightly, but she didn’t say anything. He didn’t know how long she let him hold her, but he relished every second.

Finally pulling away from him, she said, “Thank you, Hook.”

Using his finger to lift her chin, he looked into her beautiful jade eyes and requested, “Will you please call me Killian, Love?”

She blinked, then gave him a small smile. “Okay…Killian.”

*********

Thank you for reading! The final chapter is probably about half written, so hopefully it won't be as long a wait for it.

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#exacting his revenge #jrob64 #csff #chapter update #chapter 3 #cs smut #cs fanfiction #birthday fic for krystal #ouat season 2 canon divergent #ouat fanfiction

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