#Aunt Teresa is just old okay?

[noirsfantasy]

On the tenth day of Christmas...

𝔄 𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔬 ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔭𝔱. 𝟒

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Actor!Michael B Jordan x OC!Naomi Samuels

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Fluff

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛ 4K

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ It's Christmas Eve and you, Michael, and your cousins all decide to reconcile by going out for brunch. You have a great time, but your mind is riddled with what if's about your situation with Michael. Is this just a crush? Or is it something more?

𝔞/𝔫 ➛ So sorry for the delay, y'all. This winter break ain't winter breakin' rn. But I hope you guys enjoy! Be ready for the finale!

12 Days of Christmas Masterlist

Part 3 Here

Ashanti wipes away her tears. "I appreciate that, Naomi. Honestly, I really think that you're such an amazing person. I'm just really bad at saying it." She says with a faint smile. "I'm really sorry for everything I put you through before and after Michael got here. I really do love you. Please forgive me?"

"Of course, I forgive you, Ashanti." I pull her into a hug, a real one. She hesitates for a second, before hugging me back. I give her a little squeeze as I missed this feeling with my cousin. She doesn't let go for a moment, before finally speaking again.

"Hey... can I ask you a favor?" She asks, her voice soft.

Yeah, what is it?" I reply, prepared for whatever she might ask of me. Ashanti pulls back, looking a bit vulnerable.

"Could I... come live with you?" She looks at me with a nervous smile. "I really want to just start somewhere fresh, but I also want to mend our relationship as well. It wouldn't be for long, just until I get back on my feet, but I just really need to get out of my old place." I return the smile, genuinely touched by her sincerity.

"I'd like that, Ashanti. I'd be happy to help out in any way I can." We both hug once more and stand up from the couch. "And, you know what? I think I have an idea on how you can make up with your other cousins as well." I smirk at her and she looks at me, ready to hear what I have to say.

The two of us start planning the perfect way to reconcile with everyone and get closer as well. Ashanti sends out a bunch of texts to Teresa, James, Dan, and Michael, asking if they'd want to join us. Within a minute, everyone responded and meet us in the living room. Ashanti and I ignore the looks we get from our aunts in the kitchen and focus on the task at hand.

"What's going on?" Teresa asks, taking a seat on the couch. She's followed by the others, a little curious as to why they're here. Ashanti smiles and steps forward, a little nervous. I give her a reassuring nod and she takes a deep breath.

"First off, I'd like to apologize for yesterday." Everyone is a little taken aback. Ashanti continues. "I was mean, bitter, and ungrateful for the love you guys have shown me. I was out of line and none of you deserved to witness that or be spoken to like that. And for that, I'm sorry." She looks down at her feet. "I know I've been a real piece of work these past couple days. But I'm also going through a lot right now and it's no excuse for how I've been treating you. I want to make it up to everyone. So..." She pauses for a second and looks up to smile at everyone. "I want to take all of you out to a Christmas brunch! On me!"

Everyone is shocked at Ashanti's proposal, but they look so happy to hear the news. James and Dan are the first to respond.

"Sounds great," Teresa says, sounding a bit giddy.

"I'm down," Agrees Dan, smiling at Ashanti. One by one, each of them join in.

"I'm always up for free food." Michael adds, jokingly. We all share a bit of a laugh.

"I'd love to go, but I told the boys and Jessie I'd take them to see the Grinch today. But, you guys go have fun." James says, but he doesn't look bummed at all. Ashanti seems disappointed at first, but quickly recovers with a smile.

"That's okay. Maybe some other time." She says, staying positive. James leaves to go get the kids and the energy in the room shifts as they discuss plans for the Christmas brunch. Everyone contributes ideas about the perfect venue, sharing laughter and excitement. The air is light, filled with the promise of a fun time.

An hour later, we all pile into Daniel's car and head to the venue. It's a cute, festive restaurant decorated with twinkling lights and holiday decorations. It has a similar feel to the Christmas market. As we all walk in, we're greeted by an incredibly merry hostess.

"Hello!!! Do you have a reservation?" She asks and Ashanti nods, stepping forward.

"Yes, under the name Ashanti. I called earlier." She explains.

"Perfect! We are ready for you!" We all smile to each other as the hostess guides us to a table with a gorgeous view. The place is filled with people in Christmas attire, eating holiday-themed meals and enjoying the atmosphere. We're seated at a booth where Dan, Ashanti, and Teresa sit on one side and Michael and I sit on the other.

We're each handed a menu and the waiter takes our drink orders while we browse. Teresa strikes up a conversation.

"So, what are you guys planning on ordering? I'm kinda leaning towards these Christmas pancakes." Teresa points to the item on the menu and Daniel rolls his eyes.

"You would go for the pancakes, T." He teases with a smirk. Teresa gives him a playful jab in his side.

"That's supposed to be an insult?" She argues with a laugh.

"To be fair, you've been obsessed with loaded pancakes since we were kids." I add, shrugging my shoulders.

"I don't see what the problem is. It's the holidays and I have exactly a day and a half before I have to go back to my diet. I deserve this." She puts her hands up in defense and we all laugh. "Ugh, it's so crazy that we're all going back in just two days." Teresa sighs and we all nod.

"Aww, I'm gonna miss everyoneeeee." Ashanti pouts and puts her arms around Dan and Teresa, pulling them in. I giggle at them and sigh as well.

"I agree. I really enjoyed being back with you guys. And getting to meet you too, Michael. " I say with a smile as I look over at him. He returns the smile and grabs my hand under the table.

"I've really enjoyed being here as well. It's been nice getting to know you. All of you." He looks around the table. "Y'all didn't have to let me stay, but you did. I'm real grateful for that." He gives my hand a squeeze. The feeling of his skin on mine makes me feel butterflies.

"Ahh, come on, man. You know you part of the family now. You're welcome anytime." Dan assures him. It gets silent for a moment as the realization sets in.

"Okay, that's enough of that. Guys, remember, we still have a day to be together. Let's make the most of it!" Ashanti says before the mood gets any dimmer. Everyone nods in agreement as the drinks arrive and we order our food. The conversation between all of us flows naturally, but I can't help but feel a bit of sadness. It's true, we do only have one day left. So what will that mean for me and Michael. I know we've only met recently, but I feel like what we have is special. At least I hope it is. I'm lost in my thoughts when I'm snapped out of it by Teresa.

"You good, Naomi?" Everyone at the table looks at me as I come back down to earth. I put on a smile and nod.

"Yeah! I'm fine, guys." I reply, hoping they don't realize my true feelings. Michael glances over at me, curious about my thoughts. He's trying to read my reaction but I've always been very good at hiding my emotions. Even though I might've fooled everyone else, he seems to have seen through my act. He tugs on my hand a bit, sliding out of the booth while everyone chats.

"We'll be right back. Gotta step out for a second." Michael announces as he stands up. I follow him through the restaurant and he leads me outside before turning to face me. The air is brisk and the wind is chill, but it's also refreshing.

"What's wrong?" He asks quietly, stepping in closer. I hesitate for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Nothing, I'm fine." I respond, knowing I'm lying and that he knows it too. He looks down at me, his eyes searching mine.

"You're a terrible liar, yknow that?" He chuckles, brushing a hair out my face. I bite my lip as I search my thoughts for a way out of this situation. We were having such a nice time and I don't want to ruin it. "Come on, I know something's bothering you." He presses me for an answer and I sigh heavily, my breath visible in the cold.

"It's just... I've had so much fun here with you these last couple days, but the reality is..." I hesitate, unsure of if I want to fully admit my feelings.

"You're afraid of going back and not seeing me again, aren't you?" He asks, not bothering to wait for me to finish. I slowly nod, avoiding his gaze. This is embarrassing. It feels like we're two teenagers who just want to keep hanging out, even though we know the end is inevitable.

"It's silly, but I'm worried that this is just a little Christmas crush that will fade away as soon as I get on that plane." I admit. He frowns a bit at those words.

"A crush," He repeats, sounding a little hurt. "Do you really think that's all this is?" He asks, holding my hands in his. "Because this feels like much more than that."

"But we have two completely different lives. How will it even work? What will people think?" I question, worry written on my features. He lets out a scoff and I look up at him with my eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be funny, but who cares?" He takes my face in his hands and runs his thumb gently over my cheek. "Naomi, I'm not sure what this is exactly, but I know one thing for sure. I want you. I want to get to know everything about that beautiful mind of yours and I want to hear every exciting, interesting thing that you have to say. I may have just met you recently, but I feel something special between us and I feel like I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I don't explore it."

I'm taken aback by his words. He looks so honest and so genuine. I've always had trouble with relationships and even though I want nothing more than to believe him, it's hard. I hesitate until he makes me look into his eyes. I can't help but to melt.

"I don't care about the distance or other people's bullshit opinions. You're worth the effort, Naomi. I can't promise you that we'll end up living happily ever after, but I can promise to give it a fair shot."

The idea of life together is tempting and a little bit scary. I've never felt this way before. Not with any of my last boyfriend and not with the guys who've taken interest in me. This feels special, something that only I get to experience.

"What if it fails?" I inquire, worry etched into my voice. He pulls me in close and hugs me.

"Life's too short to worry about what might happen. Even if things don't work out in the long run, I'd much rather know I gave this a real chance than regret never doing anything at all." He releases me and we're just staring at each other, my eyes stuck in his gaze. I feel every one of Michael's words sink into my skin. It feels like his love is seeping into my bones and like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I feel so safe when he hugs me and I don't want to let go.

Without thinking about it, I lean in and kiss him softly. His face brightens at my unexpected advance. He looks so delighted, like this is exactly what he wanted me to do. His lips are soft and sweet and his grip tightens around me. It's a kiss filled with such passing that it makes my heart flutter. I'm filled with so many different emotions, but this just feels right. I don't pull away, but he breaks the kiss to catch his breath.

Our eyes meet slowly as we come back to our senses. His lips curve into a soft smile and my heart's racing. The kiss was brief, but it sent my emotions into hyperdrive. I feel lightheaded, almost dizzy.

"That definitely wasn't a 'holiday crush' kind of kiss. That was a 'I really like you and want to see where this goes' kind of kiss." He whispers, smiling warmly at me.

"I like that kind of kiss." I reply with a blush, causing Michael to chuckle and pull me into another hug. I can't help but to press myself into his chest, taking in his scent. It's intoxicating and soothing, causing me to calm down a little bit.

"Good. Because I plan on giving you a lot more of those." We hug for a few moments before realizing that we're still standing outside the restaurant in the cold.

"We should probably get inside. The food's probably at the table already." Michael nods, pulling me in tightly for one last moment before we break apart.

"Yeah, we better get back inside before they start to wonder where we went." He says as he takes my hand and we return inside the restaurant. The group is engaged in a lively conversation, and as Michael and I take our seats, there's a subtle shift in the dynamic. Our connection is now more apparent, and it's met with knowing smiles from Teresa, Dan, and Ashanti.

The brunch continues, filled with laughter, shared stories, and newfound closeness. The worries about our impending departure are momentarily pushed aside as we savor the present. We all indulge in a variety of holiday-themed dishes, from the Santa pancakes to the Christmas tree salads to the fruit cakes. Only Dan got the fruit cake and we all clowned him for it.

After a great meal, the group decides to explore some of the shops in town to do some last minute gift searching. It's a short walk from the restaurant to the shops, which are located in a nearby plaza. Ashanti, Teresa, and I get excited once we see a clothing shop and we rush over to it, leaving the boys behind. They shake their heads and follow behind us.

The store is filled with a variety of stylish winter clothing and accessories. As we stop to take a look, Ashanti is already pulling pieces off the rack and handing them to Daniel and Michael to hold. Teresa and I browse around and laugh a little at some of the ridiculous holiday outfits they have stocked.

We all have so much fun trying on clothes and making each other laugh, teasing each other and goofing around. Teresa makes a beeline for some ugly, light-up leggings and Ashanti ends up trying on a cute Santa dress. I end up in an adorable elf outfit with a pointy hat and bell. The boys somehow found their own costumes, Daniel in a Rudolph onesie and Michael in a full Santa costume, fake beard and everything. We find a large mirror and take silly photos in it, just having a good time.

We hit a few other shops, buying a few things here and there and getting them gift-wrapped. I find myself having more fun than I've had in a very long time and I'm grateful to have my family and Michael here with me.

The shopping ends up taking longer than I anticipated, but it's all worthwhile because of how much of a good time we all had together. By the time we're wrapping up, it's almost dark and about time for us to get going. We head back to the car and head home.

When we arrive at the house, we put all of our shopping in our rooms for us to wrap and head back downstairs. We're greeted warmly by Grandmother, who wastes no time putting us to work.

"Let's get this house ready for Christmas, shall we?" She tells us.

"Yes Ma'am." We all respond obediently. She proceeds to direct us to our tasks. We all get straight to work, cleaning the living room and sweeping the kitchen. After I'm done with my job, I set the kids up with a movie of The Grinch to keep them occupied while dinner is completed. I look over and see Michael helping out in the kitchen, chatting with my mom and effortlessly becoming a part of the family chaos. I catch his eye and he shoots me a wink, causing me to smile to back and look down bashfully.

After an hour or so, the house is looking spotless, and the smells of delicious food is wafting through the air. We all gather in the kitchen as the meal bell is run, standing in a large circle. Grandmother leads the proceedings with grace, her presence calming and loving. As she says, "Amen," she looks over at me and I can't help but to smile back at her.

Once we've prayed, dinner is served. We all sit down with plates full of delicious food. The dining table is completely full, with the twins sitting at the kitchen bar to eat and Jessie in her high chair. The room is filled with lively chatter and laughter. Aunt Tina and Pat avoid eye contact and conversation with me aside from a few snide comments, but I don't care. For once, their words don't have an effect on me.

It's a very heartwarming, Christmas filled atmosphere and I love the way that things are turning out. Michael is right next to me the whole time and I keep catching him glancing at me. The food is amazing, each dish a delight to our taste buds. We much away heartily, enjoying the evening together.

After dinner, Michael, James, and Daniel head upstairs for a few minutes, seeming to be planning something. I pay no mind to it, stepping into the kitchen to help clean up the kitchen with Teresa while Ashanti sits with Jessie in her lap in the living room. Jessie keeps trying to climb all over her, but she seems to be able to handle herself.

Daniel and James come back down the stairs and get our attention. We all stop what we're doing and look over at them.

"We have a surprise for everyone!" James announces and they direct our attention to the stairs. Coming down the stairs was Santa Claus with a red velvety bag slung over his shoulder. It's obviously Michael, but the kids go crazy with excitement.

"SANTA!!" Matthew shouts as he jumps off of the couch. Jessie squeals happily, running clumsily over to hug "Santa's" leg. He picks her up and smiles at her. I burst out laughing at the children's joyous reactions. It's pure and innocent and utterly wholesome. Michael plays the part well, holding jessie as she talks to him in her adorable toddler language. He brings her over into the living room and turns to face everyone.

"Ho ho ho! Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope everyone has been nice this year!" Everyone erupts in a cheer, the children giggling and laughing. Teresa watches with a genuine smile as she sees her kids meeting Santa. James is catching it all on his camera as well. Santa goes around giving gifts to the kids. The happily open their gifts and it's cute little trinkets that I assume he got from the Christmas market.

"Oh? What's this down here?" He says as he reaches into the bottom of the bag. "It looks like there's one more present in here. I wonder who it could be fore." We all look around curiously. He hands me a small gift, giving me a flirty wink and causing me to giggle. I tear the wrapping paper out of eager curiosity as I peel the wrapping.

Inside is a set of emerald earrings and a matching necklace from Tiffany and Co. I'm speechless for a moment, it feels like time stops for a second.

"Oh my God, Mi- I mean Santa! These are gorgeous!" I have to fight the urge to kiss him, knowing our families are watching. Instead, I smile widely at him as I try the necklace on, the metallic clasp settling nicely against my skin. The expression on his face is one of pure pride as he watches me admire my gift. His gaze falls to my neck as I place the necklace on. His eyes are stuck on me the whole time. He's not just admiring the jewelry, but the woman wearing them as well.

"Santa has very good taste, don't you think?" He asks, chuckling as he gives me a knowing smile.

"I couldn't agree more," I reply. The kids swarm him for a second, hugging his legs and thanking him for their gifts. After taking a few pics with Santa, the kids start to lose interest and wander away to play with their toys. Michael laughs as they run off.

"It's good to know that even Christmas can't hold the kid's attention for that long." He says, causing us all to laugh along with him. He heads back upstairs to get changed again and Ashanti and Teresa rush over to me to admire my new jewelry. They start asking me about what I'd wear them with and talking about how he must really like me. Eventually Michael comes back down in a grey long sleeve and a pair of plaid pajama pants.

The kids have all passed out due to exhaustion from the excitement and the older folks seemed to have gone into food comas. The rest of us sit in the living room in front of the TV with glasses of wine. Michael has taken a seat next to me, leaning back and putting his arm around me. We all put on some funny Christmas movies and enjoy each other's company. The wine loosens us up and the atmosphere is light-hearted.

The rest of the night feels like a blur. I feel comfortable on the couch and lean into Michael's side, my head resting on his shoulder as the movie goes on. Finding myself being a bit more affectionate than I'm use to, I plant a few kisses on his neck, making sure no one else is watching us. His hand runs up and down my side before resting on my hip as he smiles down at me. He pulls me a little closer and plants a kiss on my head. It just feels right to be here, snuggled up in Michael's arms. I don't have any worries in this moment, I'm just going to bask in this moment for as long as I can.

To Be Continued...

[getblackout503]

The valentines special here you guys go

Warning: VERY very very spicy, and jazz reference from @jaycrakhead

Enjoy

——————————————————————————————

Valentines day, a day in which you show just how much you love each other, usually Gauche never cared for it, mainly because he never had anyone to celebrate it with, other than his angel Marie, but this year was different, because this year he wouldn’t be celebrating valentine's day with his angel Marie. No, this year he would be celebrating it with a goddess, his goddess, Grey, after the events of last year, him and Grey had started dating, and so far it went incredibly well, they did all the normal things couples would do, hold hands, kiss, all those kind of things, well except for one thing, making love, they’ve never really done it before mainly because it got awkward between them, so they decided to hold off on that, and their relationship has been strong since, obviously he got many death threats from Zora if he ever dared ‘hurt his lil sister’ but Zora knew he wouldn’t, Gauche loved her too damn much, he knew that, actually everyone knew that, everytime they would go on a date Gauche would shower her with love, though most of the times it caused her to get very embarrassed, that’s why most of their dates are in private places, but now he was nervous since this was their first valentines together, and Marie and Teresa were helping him get ready for his date, much to Gauche’s resistance.

“For the last time, we’re just going to be in her hotel room” Gauche said in an annoyed tone as his sister and caretaker suited him up in a fancy looking suit.

“That’s not an excuse to go looking like a delinquent brother” Marie told her brother as she fixed his tie.

“Listen to your sister, this is a special day, you need to show grey how much you love her” Teresa told him combing his hair.

“I know, but isn’t this a bit, oh I don’t know much?”

“Nonsense gauche, grey is going to love it” Marie said adding the final touch. “There, perfect!”

“Are you guys done yet?”

“Yes brother, now off you go” Marie shooed him, but before he could leave, Teresa made sure Marie had run off before handing Gauche something.

“What’s this?” Gauche asks before looking down and realizing it was a condom. “W-What the hell old hag!”

“Calm down, I’m helping you here, as much as Marie would love to be an aunt, I think she and Grey are both too young for that to be the case” Teresa told him before leaving him be.

“That crazy old hag”

Making his way to Grey’s hotel, Gauche got more nervous by the second, should he take her something? maybe some flower?. Yes, Flowers!, making his way over to a nearby flower shop, he looked at his options, none really stood out to him, well except one, blue roses. To him they were perfect for Grey, they were just like her, beautiful yes, but at the same time dangerous, he bought them right away and finally arrived at Grey’s hotel room. Knocking on the door he is met by his goddess, she was wearing a beautiful blue dress with a pink floral design decorating it, Gauche was at a lost for words, he didn’t know what to say she was so stunning.

“H-Hi gauche” She greeted meekly.

“U-Um, hello, h-here for you” Gauche handed her the flowers and Grey blushes.

“T-Thank you, please have a seat, I’ll put them in some water. '' She let him enter as he went to the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase.

Looking around her living room Gauche noticed that it seemed different, the lights were dimmer, Rose petals were scattered around the place, and it’s only now that Gauche realized that jazz music was playing, Gauche was now more nervous than ever, the mood was somewhat, sexual, And Gauche didn’t know how to feel, especially when grey walked up to him and sat on his lap.

“G-Grey?”

“It’s o-okay, just close your eyes okay?” She asked a bit nervous herself but Gauche complied and closed his eyes.

‘You can do this grey’ She told herself nervously, and the next thing gauche heard was the sound of fabric falling to the ground. “Y-You can open your eyes now”

“O-Okay” Gauche opened his eyes and his breath was caught in his throat, Grey was wearing a black lingerie that highlighted the curves of her body, though she said she wasn’t anything special Gauche on the other hand, believed she had the body of a goddess.

“G-Grey, a-are you?”

“I couldn’t think of anything to get you for valentines, and Vanessa said maybe I should buy one of theses, so since I have nothing else to give you, I-I offer you my body” Grey told him but Gauche just remained silent.

“Grey, if you couldn’t find anything that would have been alright, just being with you is enough for me.”

“D-Do you not like it?”

“I do, don’t get me wrong, but do you feel comfortable with this, I don’t want to do it if you feel obligated to.”

Hearing that made Grey feel something, a different emotion then happy, more then that, but she didn’t know what, but she knew already that Gauche was a kind and caring person once you got into his heart, but him asking if she wants to, asking for consent, makes her love even more, she was never interested in sexual activities due to her past, and just due to the fact of how embarrassing it is, but with Gauche she knew she wanted to, because she loves Gauche, and she knows he will never hurt her. “Gauche, please I” she takes a deep breath. “I want to make love with you, you’re my everything, you make me so special, so safe, so please make me feel even more special” she said as she kissed him on the lips.

The kiss started off small with them kissing normally, but soon the kiss got more heated, and soon it turned into a whole sloppy make out session on her couch, Gauche was feeling her body up and down, and every now and then he would give her ass a new squeeze or light slap causing her to moan into the kiss, while Grey slowly rolled her hips to tease his lap, and soon she felt his bulge, they then broke from their heated kiss.

“I think it’s unfair that i'm the only one undressed”

“Yeah” He responded and soon Gauche started undressing, and Grey couldn’t help but drool at his abs, she had won the boyfriend lottery, soon Gauche was only in his underwear, his bulge visible for her to see, And Grey did the honors, pulling it off letting Gauche’s mast free, Grey gawked at it for a few seconds before deciding to give the tip a kiss, Causing Gauche to shiver a bit, she then took the whole thing in her mouth slowly bobbing her head up and down slowly, Gauche gasped gently before putting a hand on her head patting her gently telling her she was doing an amazing job, after some time of her doing this, and using her tongue to lick up and down his shaft, Gauche could feel himself getting close and soon he let his seed out into Grey’s mouth, who was caught of guard but swallowed it all nonetheless.

“Grey, are you okay”

“Yes gauche I’m fine, but that was amazing” She then took her bra off letting her breast bounce free. “Can we go a step further?”

Gauche couldn’t have agreed quicker, but he also soon remembered what Teresa gave him. “That crazy old hag is good for something after all”

Grey had finished stripping the last of the lingerie off before looking at Gauche put the condom on. “Y-You really gauche”

“Always my goddess” That made Grey blush but at the same time smile, she then got on top of him again and lined up his mast to her entrance, she then slowly lowered herself onto his mast, she moaned in pleasure feeling her love penetrate her, Gauche then gently grabbed her hips gently bouncing her on his lap, and he could only feel how good she felt around his mast and the view of her beautiful chest bouncing, if you were to be outside Grey’s hotel room all you would hear is skin slapping against skin, and the loud moans of a usually shy women, but right now Grey could care less of what others would think of her, all that mattered to her was making love with the love of her life.

They would spend a couple good hours trying different positions like doggy style, missionary, and reverse cowgirl, but Gauche’s favorite had to be the normal cowgirl position because it allowed him to see his goddess bounce on his mast in all her magnificent glory, He couldn’t get enough of her but soon he felt like he was close so he sped up, bouncing her faster too, as both kept going they orgasmed together the condom was filled as Grey orgasmed all over Gauche’s mast, as she then pulled him out of her after taking a few seconds to catch her breath, she then laid down next to him feeling all her strength fade away.

“Did you like your Valentine's gift?” Grey asked cuddling with him.

“I loved it my goddess, next year all make it even better for you” He promised her as he kissed her on the lip.

“I can’t wait then” She said through a yawn. “How about we rest for a bit?”

“That’s fine with me love, Good night grey”

“Good night gauche”

they then said at the same time before going to sleep.

“I Love You”

[disney-princess-in-the-making]

Aunt Teresa’s Kitchen

“I don’t really want any.”

“Yes you do. Biscuits are best fresh.”

“No I’m good, thanks,” Lorna said as her brother walked into the room with fresh biscuits and country ham.

“I can see right through that. You do. And we’re going to sit down and enjoy it. It’s the company that makes the meal,” he said, making Lorna laugh and give in. Lorna wasn’t sure she believed the old adage, though she figured it must be at least half true. Bad company could ruin a good meal, but she wasn’t sure good company could save bad food. Fortunately she’d never had to find out.

Lorna sat down at the table and took the floral ceramic plate with a small laugh when he said “so you want some ham too?” and insisted on adding an extra slice with a smile.

It had been a rough few months. With sick family and a tight budget not made for so much travel, Lorna and Jordan were scraping by in order to visit their great aunt who raised them through their trying teenage years and made sure they both went off to college. To Aunt Teresa, education was the best thing a person could get themselves. As much as they wanted to move Aunt Teresa closer so they could visit more often and make sure she had the best treatment, there was no way to convince her to leave the house she and Uncle Barry had built and poured so much love into. Lorna could understand that. The house had so many memories, especially the cramped kitchen often featured in her drawings where the best view of every sunrise could be found.

When Aunt Teresa and Uncle Barry first moved in everything had been brand new. It was the first time either of them had indulged in something for themselves and it was wonderful. Years of saving and investing had paid off, and the day they took the keys was one of the best days of their lives. From the cabinet doors to the refrigerator, Aunt Teresa was proud of her kitchen and the way it looked like it could have come out of a magazine. As the years went by the kitchen looked a little dated, but that didn’t bother her one bit. Thirty-some-odd years later that dent in the freezer door reminded her of Thanksgiving in ’93 and the mismatched knobs brought back memories of the day Uncle Barry had gotten a big promotion at work. There were still serving pieces and soup ladles to remember anniversaries for which gifts would never again be exchanged. Aunt Teresa’s kitchen and all its memories were too cherished to ignore and certainly too precious to leave.

That kitchen with its stained countertops and matching linoleum was the place where Lorna and Jordan both learned to cook, making biscuits by hand and watching them rise to show their golden tops. Flour, butter, a little bit of buttermilk, and a cup of coffee as the sun came up were the ingredients in biscuits. Lorna had found that Aunt Teresa and Jordan’s ability to be patient was a good addition, but they usually still turned out alright if she made them herself.

Digging into one of the biscuits Jordan had made that morning, Lorna couldn’t help but think back to all the days they’d spent in the kitchen growing up. Be it ham or homemade apple butter or an assortment of jellies, the biscuits had a good flaky texture and tasted divine.

“I’m not having either of my youngin’s growing up and not knowin’ how to feed themselves. Nobody ought to be out there in the world without knowin’ how to make a batch of biscuits at least,” Aunt Teresa would always say as Lorna marveled at the dough, so light and soft in contrast to the dark calloused hands that kneaded the dough. Lorna and Jordan took turns rolling it out and used the canning ring from a large mouth Ball jar to cut out the biscuits. Lorna made sure each biscuit was aligned in neat rows, and Jordan would plop down little circles to make sure they all fit on the baking sheet in one batch.

After the oven had done its job for the billionth time, Jordan would carry over a plate and set it down on the kitchen table as Lorna took her seat, brushing dark braids over her shoulder and placing a linen napkin in her lap. Lorna sat at the same spot in the same chair and insisted on using the same plate for breakfast every morning. Every evening after school, she sat in the same chair again until they ate supper together.

The kitchen table had been a place for learning featuring both school assigned homework and life lessons handed down from generation to generation just like the table itself. Small and painted white with dainty looking legs and an embroidered table cloth on top, Lorna sometimes envied the table. It was flexible with its folding leaves and it was sturdy enough to hold up a light snack or a Thanksgiving feast. The table didn’t have to worry about making good grades on things like math tests or SAT scores or getting into SCAD so it could pursue its dreams. The table didn’t deal with bad dates except to hold up the cream cheese pound cake and a glass of milk as Lorna spilled her heart out to Aunt Teresa. The table would never be faced with a picture of another table in a magazine insisting it wasn’t good enough. The table would be there and it would have a purpose in life with a family that would always love it. Arrangements had been made so that after Aunt Teresa, the table would be moved carefully into Jordan’s possession where it would still be laden with deviled eggs and Easter ham and banana pudding each spring as it had for three generations.

Of course, looking back Lorna was glad she wasn’t the table. Aunt Teresa was proud of her for going to school and she was thrilled when Lorna graduated with honors. There was no doubt she was loved by her aunt more than anyone else had ever dreamed of loving her. But student loans didn’t pay themselves and her borrowing service wouldn’t take a check with love on the ‘in the amount of’ line. Without enough work as a children’s book illustrator, Lorna was working two part time jobs and sharing a house with her brother to make ends meet. While it wasn’t the loft in the city she’d always dreamed of, Lorna told herself this was better because Jordan’s cooking was worth more than any amount of chic throw pillows and soft blankets in an apartment that felt staged. Lorna told herself that it gave her time to spend with her aunt when there was precious little left, and with her brother’s fiancé who came over regularly and had been accepted by Aunt Teresa as a second son.

What kindness could rise in the hearts of people who had known hardship! To take in children who were not her own but to treat them as though they were. What joy could bubble over when love was unending! To understand that difference was nothing to fear and true love in all its forms was as good as any. What compassion could come from a gentle soul! To sit patently and wait for a little girl to dry her tears over chess pie and a glass of sweet tea.

Aunt Teresa had dedicated her life to them, and seeing that life draw to a close before her eyes was difficult at best. Heart wrenching at worst. Who would they go to now? Lorna still needed advice to grow into the woman she wanted to become, and she knew Jordan still needed Aunt Teresa, if not for affirmation then to sit and drink tea with in the late afternoon, discussing ideas and methods for his latest recipes. What would they do now without her? Would biscuits still taste the same knowing she was gone?

Jordan’s voice pulled Lorna out of her memories and she looked at him with the same expression as a deer looking into bight headlights. He gave her the kind of gentle smile he always awarded before sharing a beater covered in cake batter.

“You sure you’re alright? I know she’d love to see you, but you don’t have to go if you’re not feeling up to it,” Jordan assured her even as she waved off his concern.

“Just reminiscing. I’m fine, I promise. We really should get going if we want to be there to help with lunch,” she insisted, carrying her dishes to the sink and smiling a little to herself as Jordan promised to make sausage gravy next weekend. There wouldn’t be many more days of this, and she was determined to enjoy every moment while she still could. After all, biscuits were best served fresh but it was the company that made the meal.

[the-shadow-of-atlantis]

Meeting Family

Tagging: @melyaliz @sea-quinn @lizartgurl @speedypan @coffee-randomness @uncpanda

Read Earlier Parts Here

A/N Nick and Debbie mentioned at the end belong to @melyaliz

"What are you thinking about kitten?" Selina asked as she carefully brushed the little girl's hair.

Annabella had a little frown on her face that matched her father's when he was deep in thought. Her little brown eyes met Selina's in the mirror.

"What's a grandma?" Annabella asked.

"Well a grandma is what you call the person who's the mommy of your mommy or daddy." Selina said simply as she began to grab strands of Annabella's hair.

"But… daddy doesn’t have a mommy anymore. And you're not my mommy. So how can I have a grandma if I don't have a mommy?”

Selina's heart ached for the little girl, again she found herself thinking about whisking her away. But Bruce was stubborn; they had to stay in Gotham. According to him it was the best option.

"You do have a mommy kitten, she's just not here." Selina sighed, this was a conversation she needed to have with Bruce not her.

"Why can't you be my mommy?" Annabella asked, her voice coming out so soft Selina almost wasn't sure if she heard her right.

How do you explain to someone so young that you just weren't ready for that title no matter how much you loved them? How do you tell someone that even though they love their father so much the commitment scared you? Alfred cleared his throat making Selina jump slightly. She quickly secured the braid she was working on with a hair tie.

"Mrs. McNider has arrived." Alfred announced.

"She's not used to strangers." Bruce said as he approached the manor. "In fact she's pretty protective of any one she's grown up with. So if she doesn't approach you immediately don't take it personally. She has a pretty set schedule though it got a bit disturbed after the… incident. If I’m being she hasn't really been sleeping in her room lately though that was already a slight issue before what happened. I've already added more security measures because once the paparazzi catch wind of who you are it's only a matter of time before she realizes.”

"I see you haven't changed Bruce." Teresa chuckled as they reached the door. "Let's just take this one step at a time."

Bruce made a face as if he did not like that plan and Teresa couldn't help but smile. The doors opened then and Alfred stood in the entryway.

"Ah Mrs. McNider, I hope you had a pleasant flight." Alfred greeted.

"It was wonderful Alfred." Teresa smiled as she stepped inside. "Now where is my granddaughter?"

"Hiding." Said Selina, she stood in the middle of the entrance and just behind her clutching her leg was Annabella.

Her little face peered over the side of Selina's leg and Teresa couldn't help but gasp. Deep down she must've been expecting the features of her daughter. Despite the pictures she had received she thought maybe her eyes would hold the coldness her daughter carried. Instead Annabella's soft brown eyes studied her with such intense curiosity they seemed to bore deep into Teresa's soul. No, not the eyes of her daughter, they were the eyes of her lost son.

"So you're a grandma?" Annabella asked, stepping away from Selina.

"Yes, I'm your grandma. Though if you don't mind I would prefer the word abuelita." Teresa smiled as she bent down to be at eye level with her.

"Abuelita." Annabella tested the word out. "Why?"

"Because that's the spanish word for grandmother." Teresa explained.

"Tú hablas español?" Annabella asked, excitement lighting up her eyes.

"Sí." Teresa chuckled.

"Ms. Wayne, why don't we show your abuelita where she will be staying." Alfred suggested.

"Okay." Annabella beamed, taking her grandmother's hand and leading her through the manor.

By the end of the day Annabella decided that grandmother's are the best. Hers especially, Teresa did not mind answering all of Annabella's questions. And Annabella was convinced that her grandmother's handbag was magic since she always seemed to have just the right thing to use throughout the day.

As soon as Annabella's head hit the pillow she was out like a light. The adults all stood around as they watched her sleep.

"This is the first time she's fallen asleep so fast." Selina whispered.

"She'll be up soon enough." Bruce frowned as he felt his phone buzz. "I have to go into the office."

"I guess I should go home too then." Selina sighed, she turned and gave Bruce a peck on the cheek.

Teresa watched as Selina quickly and quietly walked into Annabella's room and gave the little girl a soft kiss on her forehead. With that she went out and Alfred escorted her out to her car.

"She wants to run, you know." Teresa said, focusing on Annabella now.

"I know she told me." Bruce said, wondering how she could have known that.

"But she's still contemplating it. Unless you tell her the truth, there's a chance she will stay. She needs to know why you're so driven to stay here."

"It's better for Annabella."

"Is it? Or is it better for you?"

"What do you see?" Bruce sighed.

"She will suffer one way or another even if you leave. How I'm not quite sure, but she'll pull through, she's strong. She'll be even stronger if she has more people supporting her, she needs more family and more friends."

"We're all she has."

"Now Bruce we both know that's not true."

Bruce simply frowned at that knowing that. Okay so maybe there was other family but he couldn't risk bringing them into their lives.

"Go, I'll watch over her. Make sure she stays in bed." Teresa urged as she lightly guided him away from the little girls room.

The week got better for Annabella and by the end of it she had her grandmother wrapped around her finger. For all her meals Annabella was allowed to help her grandmother prepare the food. Well she was allowed to pour things into the pots and pans at least but the kitchen was filled with music and laughter.

Though Annabella had considerably warmed up to Teresa every time they went out to the park or just to tour Gotham Teresa did notice the little seemed to cling to her. For good reason strangers were still scary for Annabella. Still they needed to work on her people skills.

In the evenings they would relax with some tv while Teresa worked on a craft. Annabella loved to ask hundreds of questions on whatever her grandmother was working on. She was even given little tasks like sorting the yarn for hitting or organizing the strips of fabric for a quilt.

By the time it was bedtime Annabella she went to sleep with ease. Bruce had to admit he was impressed but even he could tell Teresa was a little winded. Maybe she had a point, maybe he should bring in more family.

"She has an aunt and uncle that have children. They are all the way in Tokyo and I haven't spoken to them in years but… I'm sure they would be thrilled to come and spend some time with her." Bruce looked at the woman who smiled knowingly. "What?"

"I knew you'd come around." Was all she said making Bruce feel uneasy.

"What did you do?" He asked, he was still trying to figure out just exactly what she was capable of.

"Nothing I haven't done before." Teresa waved her hand dismissively. "Now off to bed for you too. There is no light in the sky yet and you won't be young forever."

~~~~~~~~

Nick sighed as he rubbed his eyes. He really needed to take a break from the computer but he just had one more task to do. Blinking, he stared back at the screen and clicked on his junk folder. Without meaning to, he accidentally clicked on one of the files. He was about to exit out of it when he noticed the header.

“Hey honey?” He called out and blinked again wondering if maybe he was just sleep deprived.

“Yeah?” Debbie asked, coming out from Jens room holding the book she no doubt took from the girl in order for her to go to sleep.

“Um, since when did Bruce have a daughter?” He asked cautiously, still unsure if the article was real or not.

“What?” Debbie asked, walking faster. She stood behind him and bent forward to see what her husband could possibly be talking about.

There in the email was an article from the Gotham Gazette a large photo was displayed that had Bruce walking out of an ice cream shop holding a little girl that looked to be around five. Next to him was an old woman who had a soft smile on her face. In the bottom corner was a picture of two women but one seemed vaguely familiar. The header read Who’s the Real Mother?

Debbie didn't bother to read the article, instead she focused more on the little girl that Bruce carried. It was hard to really see any of her features in the black and white photo but there was no mistake when it came to the way that little girl smiled. She had Aunt Martha's smile.

“I’ll start looking into flights.” Was all Nick said as he opened a new tab.

“I’ll start packing.” Now all Debbie had to figure out was if she was going to slap her cousin or kill him for not telling her about her niece.

[kittybellestark]

Falling Apart At The Seams

Part 2 of 5

Read on AO3

Read Part 1

TW: Mentions of rape, discussions of past child abuse, mentions of attempted murder, overall trauma sharing

“Hi, Mr. Stark, I’m Agent Jimmy Woo, with the FBI, don’t worry you’re not under investigation, or your company.”

Tony raised his eyebrows as the rest of the Avengers walked in, expecting team dinner. It should be team dinner. May and the FBI agent were supposed to be ridiculous amounts of Chinese food. This wasn’t meant to happen.

 He wasn’t very worried about himself or his company, Tony had made sure that everything they did was 100% legal since he discovered what Obadiah was doing. The company and Tony were clean. The concerning part was that May was there. 

In every scenario that Tony ever created of what could go wrong it never involved the FBI showing up with May Parker.

“We gotta go, baby, the go bags are ready,” May looked ready to cry, “we’ll get the rest of our stuff sent to us.”

Peter’s head dropped before he turned to look at the FBI agent, looking for some sort of proof. It was clear as day that Peter and May were tired, and defeated. Whatever has them involved with the FBI couldn’t be great.

“She’s right, unfortunately Mary has managed to escape prison. Her cell had photo’s of you as well as your current name and address, so we’ll have to relocate you two, again.”

Tony looked over to Rhodey, feeling the swell of panic. He hates that name, he hates that name, bad things happen from women named Mary.

Why did it have to be a Mary? Peter shouldn’t know a Mary, they were bad news. Tony definitely did not have good experiences with his own Mary. And really, what was the chances that Peter knew a Mary that was apparently supposed to be in jail?

“Wait, why would Peter be safer in FBI custody instead of here? We’re the Avenger’s couldn’t we protect him and his aunt better?”

“Steve, they’re in witness protection,” Clint slapped Steve upside the head.

“Would the FBI like us to try and apprehend this person? Surely if we can get her into more secure location then Peter and May wouldn’t have to leave.”

Rhodey, ever the saint, willing to find out where to help and using the name. Getting all the information Tony needed and finding a way to stop the impending panic. Talking to Rhodey was a really good decision. Had he not spoken to Rhodey the he would be stuck, frozen, without anyone here. Tony had grown to like having people there for him, and the idea of not having that was now frightening. 

Truthfully, had he never spoken to Pepper, Tony probably wouldn’t have grown to care about Peter at all. He just would have been another kid, another vigilante who puts themselves at risk. But Peter was here now, in his tower, far too pale because he had trauma. Trauma from another horrible person and Tony was too scared to say anything.

“Can we tell them, Jimmy? If we just disappear they’ll just find and we’ll have to move again, over and over.”

Jimmy hesitated, looking to the rest of the Avengers before nodding at Peter’s request. “Only because they’re the Avengers and I don’t want to have to keep coming up with new identities for you.”

“You’re the best FBI agent we’ve ever had.”

“Surprisingly, I get that a lot.”

They all moved to the living room. There was more than enough seating there to accommodate the team and guests. And with food having arrived with everyone settling down it was enough to relax everyone just a bit. The brief chaos of moving around and making sure everyone was fed was just enough for Tony to compartmentalize his own fear and prepare himself. He knew it took a lot for a kid to be put into Witness Protection. 

Peter chose to sit on the floor, pulling May down with him. He leaned himself onto May’s side, and May allowed Peter to adjust her position into something that would comfort him. May’s arm was moved around in a way to both keep Peter propped up but also so that it was a half-hug where he could easily hide. Tony has been known for doing the same to Pepper and Rhodey.

Agent Jimmy Woo sat close to Peter and May but chose to sat in a chair instead of on the floor. 

“Honestly I don’t remember any of it,” Peter sighed, “the jist of it is Mary, my mother, killed my Dad in front of me, went on the run with me, sold me. Then came back and tried to kill me. Arrested, escaped, kidnapped me, tried to kill me again.”

“That was... A gross over simplification of events, really.”

“Jimmy is right, that was extremely simplified,” May ran her fingers through Peter’s hair, “I think for explanation purposes, it’ll be easier to use our old names, if that’s okay? It’d be a little easier to explain things.”

Peter and Jimmy nodded. May was taking the lead on this then.

“Right.” Jimmy spoke up, “Peter Benjamin Parker, formerly known as Anthony ‘Tony’ Daniel Benson, son of Mary Teresa Benson and Richard Laurence Benson. Maybelle ‘May’ Amy Parker married to Benjamin ‘Ben” Dean Parker, formerly Melissa Dawn Benson and Daniel Lee Benson.”

“You were called Tony too?” Clint was trying to keep things life. Tony couldn’t blame him for the way his stomach twisted or how the edges of his vision blurred. It was all just one big coincidence, it had to be. 

Rhodey grabbed onto Tony’s knee, squeezing in a rhythm trying to keep Tony grounded. He just needed to breath, and he’ll get through this.  

“Did you know her last name?” Rhodey whispered quietly.

Tony squeezed his eye’s shut and shook his head. “I don’t know anything except her first name,” he whispered back, “she could have lied about that though.”

And wouldn’t that be something. What if Tony’s Mary wasn’t a Mary at all. She could have been a Gina or Janet, an Amanda or Emma. Tony had no clue, and he doesn’t want to know. He’s gone this long without knowing and he doesn’t need to know anymore because this whole thing with Peter having been named Tony and having trauma with a Mary was just one big old coincidence.

“I literally have zero memories of ever being called Tony.” Peter shrugged, rolling his eyes, ”Tony Benson is dead, and he has been for a long time.”

May nodded.

“Mary... She was, unstable I suppose and Richard got in her way. Richard confided in Daniel, when he realized Tony wasn’t his son. This was a tipping point for Richard, he saw that it was unsafe for their child to be left in a home with Mary, so he wanted to divorce her and take Tony, but he wasn’t sure if he’d had much of a case. Daniel was a lawyer, by the way. They built a case, Richard would be filing for full custody, and when he presented Mary with the Divorce papers she lost it.

“The first week after she was given the papers, Mary locked their kid in a freezer. One of those big apartment ones. Richard found Tony pulled him out and tried to warm him up. He called Daniel and I to come get Tony then called the police. When we got there Mary and Tony were gone and Richard was dead, stabbed a few times.”

“Mary’s a bitch,” Peter added in.

Peter was... uncomfortable. It was clear as day, the way he’d turn his head into May’s shoulder and not make any eye contact. They probably didn’t talk about what exactly had happened often, especially considering Peter not remembering it. It was unnecessary to make Peter relive something that caused them to change their names. Especially knowing that if they say too much to the wrong person then it’s a complete re-location.

It was weird, to hear the name Tony in reference to Peter. It was weird that they were both Tony’s with trauma caused by a person named Mary. They were common enough names though, right? America was a big country, lots of people had the same names. It’s not like there’s only one Tony and one Mary in the entire world. Besides, Mary kidnapped and raped Tony, she wasn’t going to be sick enough to name their child after him.

What was Tony even thinking? Just because Richard realized his son wasn’t biologically his it didn’t mean that Peter was Tony’s. Many people cheated on their spouses. Mary is a common name. Tony is a common name. 

The odds that Peter was even that particular child was so extremely low. Super low. There’s a good chance that child isn’t even in the country. Tony just needs to breathe. This is just hitting a little close to home and Tony likes to make connection where they don’t exist.

“The FBI got involved once they crossed state lines. We were lucky, Mary didn’t sell him into any rings or anything, just this couple out in the middle of nowhere. They had called the police after Mary left, they wanted to make sure Tony was out of her care, they had both shown up covered in blood. After the police arrived Mary had looped back, but with a gun. She killed two police officers and shot Tony in the stomach, nearly killing him. Another officer managed to shoot her, and they were able to bring her in.

“After that Tony was put into the care of Dan and I, while Mary was being transported to a federal prison she managed to escape and pulled Tony out of school. When the police finally found them... you sure you want to hear this again Peter?”

“She tied me up, covered me in gas and tried to set me on fire, basically. She’s not a good person, kept saying when she was in custody that she’d rather see me dead then with anyone else. And that she’d know if I ever met my bio-dad and kill me. So we got new identities, moved across the country and regular check ups to make sure Mary didn’t know the Parkers existed.”

Maybe people named Mary were destined to hurt people named Tony. There could be some sort of unwritten rule of the universe that anyone named Mary must hurt people named Tony.

“As you can see I have to move them before Mary gets too close. She’s made it abundantly clear she’s not going to stop going after her son until she’s dead or kills him.”

Natasha hummed then, bringing the attention to herself. She had her nose in a tablet, shaking her head.

“Mary is already in New York. It’ll be too risky for you to bring May and Peter into public, especially if she hired anyone. They’d be safer in here until Mary is apprehended, then you can move them a new location.”

Peter and May would be moving. Out of town, probably out of state. They’d have new identities and Peter would never be able to be Spider-Man again. Tony wouldn’t be able to contact Peter. He wouldn’t be able to hear May’s stories about something ridiculous the kid had done recently. Pepper and May would no longer be able to have their wine nights and spa days. 

This was a loss. Losing Peter and May- Tony didn’t want to consider it. They were apart of his life, they’re family. He doesn’t want to lose them because another Mary came in and changed everything.

“I’ll have to check with my supervisors to make sure that’s okay. They might ask to station me here while Mary is still out there, not that you guys won’t be able to protect Peter and May, but there’s certain regulations that we’re supposed to follow.”

So that’s it. Peter, May and Jimmy would stay at the tower. Tony had a bit of time before having to say goodbye. Another Mary was not going to change Tony’s life before he was ready for it. He just needed a little bit of time, Tony just needed to prepare himself. 

Tony just needed some time. This was too much.

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[cristinablackthornkingson]

Shadowhunters Short Story #61. Herongraystairs mundane AU.

It is a cold and blustery day in November of 1997 when Will Herondale and Jem Carstairs receive what they then think of, as the biggest shock of their lives. 

18 year old Jem and Will have grown up with each other and have been the best of friends since the age of twelve. They met in 1991 when Jem had been sent to live with family friends Charlotte and Henry Fairchild, after his parents were killed. Will also lived with Charlotte and Henry, who were friends with his family as well, after he ran away from home at the young age of 12, after his older sister Ella died, and he could not cope with his grief. When Jem arrived from Shanghai, he and Will became fast friends and were soon totally inseparable. 

Last year they had met a young woman from America named Teresa Gray, or Tessa as she preferred to be called. She had come to London in search of her brother, after her aunt who was her only other living relative, died. When she no longer could afford hotels and still found no trace of her brother, Henry and Charlotte invited her to stay with them for as long as she needed. When Tessa moved in, she, Will and Jem became extremely close and soon ended up falling in love. At first it was a total dilemma for Tessa, and for the boys. Tessa loved them both equally and could never imagine choosing between them, and Will and Jem both loved her, but they also loved each other.

Eventually one day the three of them sat down together and talked about it all. It was Jem who pointed out that actually nobody had to choose anybody, it was entirely possible for the three of them to be together, sure they couldn’t be married in a church but that was the least important thing to them. 

They have now been together for a little over a year and have just moved into a small two bedroom apartment, not from Charlotte and Henry’s home. 

Just a few minutes ago, Tessa had asked Jem and Will if she could speak with them, so the three of them gathered in the living room, Will and Jem side by side on the sofa and Tessa sitting opposite them on the armchair, looking pale and nervous. 

“You’re not breaking up with us Tess are you? Please don’t leave me to deal with a broken-hearted Jem, he has too many emotions, I can’t handle him on my own!” Will exclaims in an exasperated tone, trying to lighten the mood. Tessa laughs as Jem lightly shoves Will.

“No it’s nothing like that. So... you know how I haven’t been feeling well the last while? How I’ve been feeling really sick and tired and sore?” Tessa begins. Will and Jem nod. “Well... I found out why I’ve been feeling that way, today.” 

“What is it? Is it bad?” Jem anxiously asks, always worrying about his loved ones,terrified of loosing them like he lost his parents. 

“Well not necessarily.” Tessa says, loosing her nerve and trying to skate around the issue. 

“Come on Tess out with it already!” Will says, sensing that Tessa is about to try and get off track and avoid telling them the truth. 

“I... I’m pregnant.” Tessa quietly says. The thought that she could be pregnant hadn’t occurred to Tessa, until she was visiting Charlotte and Henry the other day, and Charlotte had told her she was pregnant with her second child. It was then that Tessa realized she hadn’t her period in a while and that all her symptoms were similar to the ones Charlotte had just 2 years ago when she was pregnant with her first child, Charles. 

“A-are you sure?” Will stammers, for once in life not knowing what to say. Tessa nods. 

“Yeah, I took a test and it was positive and I haven’t had my period for about 2 months now so....” She trails off, unsure how to finish her sentence. She is both terrified and thrilled, she has always wanted children, but not until she was much older, and had finished university and gotten a stable job. 

“I-is it mine, or Will’s?” Jem asks. 

“I don’t know, the last time I had sex with only one of you was 4 months ago and I’m only 2 months along, so we’ll have to wait until the baby is born to find out, even then we might not know straight away, but if it’s important to you we can do a paternity test.” Tessa quietly says, now fearful that if the baby is Will’s, Jem will leave and if it’s Jem’s, William will leave. 

“No, no of course it doesn’t matter, I didn’t ask because I won’t love the baby if it isn’t mine, I was just curious. Oh Tessa, I don’t care who the biological father is, no matter what that baby is mine and yours and Will’s, no matter their DNA, they’re going to have two dads, I’ve only known about them for two seconds and I already love them with all my heart.” Jem says, leaning forward to grasp Tessa’s hand in his.

“Exactly, of course this is scary and difficult, but we’re not the first teen parents out there and we won’t be the last. By the time the baby is born you’ll have finished school, Jem and I will be in our last year of university, all three of us have stable jobs and are doing all we can to get even better ones, and we’ll have so much support from Charlotte and Henry, Gideon and Sophie and my sister and her no good boyfriend.” Will says in a soft tone, trying to make Tessa smile. Gideon Lightwood and Sophie Collins are friends of theirs, Will’s sister Cecily is in a relationship with Gideon’s brother Gabriel. Will and the Lightwood brothers did not get along in the past, but recently they did manage to put their differences aside and become friends, though Will still likes to tease Gabriel. 

Tessa laughs and wipes at her tears, feeling a bit more reassured now. As Will said, their friends will be more than willing to help, Cecily will be delighted to have a niece or nephew and what makes her happy makes Gabriel happy, Henry and Charlotte are always happy to help out no matter what, and Sophie and Gideon love children and will be more than willing to help out too. They have two daughters themselves and a little boy who is 4 months old and has just been discharged from hospital after being born two months premature. 

“I love you both so much.” She says in a joyful tone. 

“All three of us now.” Will gently says, placing a hand on Tessa’s stomach. Jem places his hand over Will’s and Tessa places hers over Jem’s. 

“Yes, all three of you, I love all three of you.” 

They decide to wait until the first trimester is over and the risk of miscarriage decreases greatly, to tell everyone else about the baby. Thankfully the first 3 months pass without a hitch and when they finally tell everyone, they are very supportive and loving. Of course it’s not ideal being parents at only 17 and 18 but everyone knows that if anyone can make it work, it’s Jem, Tessa and Will. 

The rest of Tessa’s pregnancy passes by in a breeze, Tessa is able to finish school and decides to defer her place at a literary course in university (the same one Will is currently taking) for a year. Will finishes his second year in university while Jem finishes his third year in his music and history course. Tessa continues to work her part-time job at the library, where she is thankfully entitled to 18 paid months of maternity leave, though she is hopeful that she won’t need the full year and a half. 

Tessa has regular check ups at the local hospital, where she is also booked in to give birth in August. Jem and Will attend every check up, no matter what. They are so excited to become fathers and can hardly wait to meet the baby. They have already started on the nursery, even though the baby will be staying in their room for at least the first year. 

Right now, Tessa is only a few weeks from her due date which means Jem and Will are on high alert at all times, rushing to get Tessa and the baby’s bags for the hospital, every time she so much as flinches. 

At the moment Tessa is sitting on the sofa, trying to read a book, but it seems that Will and Jem may actually have reason to panic now, as for the last hour or so Tessa has been having pains on and off, every 15 minutes, and now they’re starting to get stronger and closer together. 

“You started that book an hour ago and you haven’t finished it yet? That’s not like you at all.” Tessa hears Will say in a teasing tone. 

“I can’t concentrate, I think we need to go to the hospital, I’ve been having pains on and off the same amount of time apart since I sat down, I think it might be time.” Tessa says, wincing and grasping her stomach as another pain washes over her. 

Will’s eyes widen and he springs up from his seat.

“A-Alright, okay I-I’ll get Jem to help you out to the car and I’ll grab the bags.” He stammers, trying not to panic. 

On the way to the hospital, Tessa’s water broke and by the time they reached the hospital, the pains were only 5 minutes apart. 

Only half an hour after arriving at the hospital, she began to push, clutching both Will and Jem’s hands tightly, as Jem rubbed her back and gave her soothing encouragements, while Will watched what was going on at the bottom of the bed, wide eyed and unable to look away. 

Now, after only pushing for about 20 minutes, Tessa feels a weight lift from her and a low cry rings through the room. She sighs in relief, relaxing back into the pillows as Will and Jem well up with tears of joy. 

“Oh my god, it’s a boy, it’s a boy, we have a son.” Jem says in a shocked but joyful tone, laughing in delight and wiping his tears away. “He’s so perfect Tess, you did it, he’s here and he’s so beautiful and perfect.” Jem says in a breathy tone, leaning down to kiss her forehead. 

Seconds later the baby is placed on Tessa’s chest, and immediately her heart swells with love for him, a love greater than she had ever felt in all her life. She immediately pulls him close to her chest, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as the baby snuggles into her and his cries die down. 

“Hi baby, Hi James, sweet baby Jamie, I love you.” Tessa whispers, kissing his little head. When they had been choosing names, Tessa was instant that the baby have his fathers’ names, but she left it up to Will and Jem to decide which would be his first name and which would be his middle name. Will insisted that his first name be James, and when he wouldn’t budge on that, Jem wanted the baby to have a Chinese middle name, so his middle name is Wēilián, which is William in Mandarin, making his full name James Wēilián Ke Carstairs-Herondale. A big name for a very little boy. 

“He looks just like me.” Will softly says in a tone of awe, stroking the baby’s blood soaked cheek. It’s clear that little James is Will’s biological child, with a thick mop of black hair just like his, Will’s pallor, bone structure and eye shape, and Tessa’s nose shape. Later it would turn out he has big grey eyes, just like Tessa.

“He’s perfect.” Jem quietly repeats, as little James wraps his hand around Jem’s finger.

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

When Tessa had told Will and Jem she was pregnant with James, they had thought that was the biggest shock and surprise of their lives, but they were mistaken. It has been just under a year since James’ birth, one of the best years of their lives, and while the little boy takes his usual afternoon nap, Tessa has called Jem and Will into the bedroom, where they will receive what they are certain is the biggest shock of their lives.

“Is everything alright Tess? Do you want to go to bed for an hour and we’ll keep an ear out for Jamie?” Will asks, closing the door behind he and Jem.

“No, thank you though. Everything is fine but I do need to tell you something.” 

“Is it that Cecily is a massive pain in the arse coming around here with Lightworm every day? Believe me Tess, I know, but she’s my sister so I have to love her and put up with her.” Will says with a shrug. 

“No that’s not it, I like having Cecily and Gabriel around all the time, they’re great at helping out with Jamie. Anyway, what I need to tell you is... I’m pregnant.” Tessa admits. She could hardly believe it when she saw the positive pregnancy test, she, Will and Jem were very careful about preventing another pregnancy, but clearly they weren’t careful enough.

“What? B-but Jamie’s not even one, I-thought it was pretty much impossible to get pregnant again so soon.” Will stammers, sinking onto the bed beside Tessa.

“No not impossible at all, usually after about six weeks post birth, you can get pregnant again. I know we were careful and everything but clearly it didn’t work.” Tessa says. Like when she was pregnant with Jamie, she is terrified, perhaps even more so now that they’ll have two under two, but she is also extremely excited and eager to meet this little one. In the last year, Jem was able to secure a job in the orchestra for the current production of a long-running musical in the West End, and the theater isn’t far from their apartment. Will got a job as a book editor and mostly works from home, while Tessa still works part-time at the library and attends college part time. Things are more secure now, even if they do have a 9 month old baby, who will only be one and a half when the new baby is born.

“If we have a girl we have to name her after you, since Jamie is named after us.” Jem says, breaking the tension and smiling at Tessa. 

“No way, absolutely not, I get final say in baby names since I’m the pregnant one, and I am banning any variation of my name here and now.” Tessa says with a laugh. Though she doesn’t mind her name, she doesn’t want her daughter to have it, she’s always thought Teresa and Tessa are a little plain and bland, she wants something nicer for her daughter, if the baby is a girl.

“Okay but you can’t call her Jemma Wilhelmina or Wilhelmina Jemma either.” Will says in a mock stern tone.

“I say since you picked Jamie’s name, Will gets to pick this baby’s name, and if we have a third, I get to pick their name.” Jem suggests. Will and Tessa nod in agreement, and  Tessa relaxes, knowing that in the end, things will work out. 

Over the next few months, they tell their family and friends about the baby. Charlotte helps them explain everything to Jamie, but he doesn’t seem to acknowledge it, sometimes he’ll babble to Tessa’s belly and cuddle up to the small bump, but other than that, he’s been behaving as normal. 

Just a few weeks after they told Cecily and Gabriel, Cecily had broken the news to them that she too was pregnant. At first Will was furious, ready to hunt Gabriel down and kill him, but once Cecily explained how caring and loving Gabriel has been toward her and the baby, and how excited he is to be a father, Will calmed down, though he is still extremely worried about Cecily.

Once again, Tessa’s pregnancy passes by in a breeze and before she knows it she is just days from her due date. 

Currently, she is sitting in the living room of her, Jem and Will’s apartment, with Jamie, Charlotte and Charlotte’s son Matthew, who is two months older than Jamie. Jamie, Matthew and Thomas get along famously, and no doubt Cecily and Gabriel’s daughter will get along with the boys too, when she arrives in just 2 months time. 

“Are you’re  alright Tessa? You look very pale.” Charlotte asks in a concerned tone, turning her attention from the babies to Tessa, looking at her with eyes full of worry and concern.  

“Oh yeah I’m fine just... I don’t know I feel weird, my stomach feels weird but it doesn’t feel like contractions, at least not like the ones I had when Jamie was born.” Tessa says, grimacing at the pain in her stomach and back. 

“It could be early labor, when I went into labor with Charles I started feeling pains 2 days before he was born, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to go to the hospital to get checked over, I know Will and Jem are at work, so I can drive you.” Charlotte offers. 

“Will Matthew get fussy if you put him in the car?” Tessa asks, glancing at the little blonde haired boy, patting Jem’s cat, Church. 

“No not at all, Matthew is the easiest baby on earth, the word fussy does not apply to him, he loves being in the car, he won’t mind at all.” Charlotte assures her. 

“Okay, yeah lets go then.” 

Half an hour later, Tessa is breathing through her pains (which have been confirmed as contractions) in her hospital bed, while Charlotte expertly manages Jamie and Matthew, while calling Will and Jem to let them know Tessa is in labor. 

Jem arrives first, 20 minutes after Charlotte called him, and Will turns up just 10 minutes after Jem. Charlotte then offers to look after Jamie for as long as they need, she and Henry will be happy to have him and Matthew will be delighted to have him for a sleepover. Jem, Tessa and Will readily agree, glad they won’t have to worry about organizing childcare now. 

2 hours after being admitted to hospital, an hour after beginning to push, Tessa feels a weight lift from her which is almost immediately followed by a loud, high pitched wail. 

Jem is the first to catch a glimpse of the baby, and when he does, his breath hitches in his throat. 

“Oh, oh it’s a girl, we have a daughter.” He says in a soft tone.

“She certainly made an entrance, didn’t you sweet girl?” Will coos, wiping at his tears as the baby is placed on Tessa’s chest. 

“Hello, hello Lucie, Lucie Āi lā Ke Carstairs. You look just like your mama.” Jem quietly says, stroking the baby’s cheek. Will had finally settled on the name Lucie for a girl ,after Lucie Manette in a Tale Of Two Cities (his and Tessa’s favorite book) and Āi lā, which is Mandarin for  Ella, after his older sister who died when he was a child. 

“She’s perfect.” Tessa says in a tight tone, holding Lucie close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

The next day Charlotte brings Jamie in to meet his sister, while Henry stays at home with Matthew and Charles. 

“What do you think Jamie?” Tessa softly asks, as James curiously peers into the bundle of blankets in her arms, where Lucie is sleeping peacefully. 

“Baby.” Jamie quietly says, pointing to Lucie. 

“Yeah this is your baby sister Lucie, do you love her?” Tessa gently asks, running a hand through Jamie’s thick black hair, identical to Will’s. Jamie nods and leans in to kiss Lucie’s forehead, as she reaches a hand out of her blankets and grips tightly to her brother’s finger. 

“They’re so sweet.” Jem softly says, watching as Lucie blinks her eyes open and peers up at James with curiosity

“For now, soon they’ll be at eachother’s throats, if they’re anything like Cecily and I.” Will says with a smile, thinking back to when he and Cecily were younger, and how he would always hide her toys and she would always pull his hair. 

“You’re so dramatic William, you are such a softie around Cecily, if you hated her as much as you pretend you do, you wouldn’t be so worried about her and the baby.” Jem points out. Will has often confided in him about how worried he is about Cecily and how she will cope as a young mother, and how afraid he is that Gabriel will walk out on her and their daughter and leave her heartbroken. 

“She’s okay I suppose, she does have terrible taste in men though, her and Sophie, though Gideon isn’t too bad I suppose.” Will says with a shrug. Realistically he does actually like Gabriel and Gideon, especially Gideon, and he does approve of Cecily choosing to be with Gabriel, but he it’s more fun to tease his sister and annoy the Lightwood brothers than to confess that he actually likes them.

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

*16 years later* 

At 33 and 34 years old, Jem and Will were convinced that life had no more big surprises in store for them, they thought Tessa’s announcement of her pregnancy with Jamie followed a year later by her announcement of her pregnancy with Lucie, were the biggest shocks they every had, but once again they were wrong.

It is a sweltering hot day in August of 2013, James is out with Matthew, Thomas, and Cecily and Gabriel’s son Christopher, while Lucie is upstairs, working on her writing. At 16 and 15, both James and Lucie are total bookworms like Will and Tessa, Lucie loves to write fictional stories and has hopes of becoming a published author one day, while James more so likes to write poetry and read any book he can get his hands on. Neither of them have any musical talent or love for music like Jem does, but they never object when he takes his violin out to play.

Jem and Will are sitting in the living room, enjoying the peace and quiet and the absence of arguing children, while Tessa is visiting her friend Catarina Loss, who works at the local hospital where Jamie and Lucie were born.

Just as Jem is thinking of getting up and making a start on dinner so it will be ready when Jamie and Tessa come home, the door creaks open and Tessa steps in, and beams at he and Will. 

“Hey, is Jamie still out with the boys?” She asks, making her way over to the sofa to join Jem and Will. 

“Yes but he’s text a few times to let us know he’s alright and he’ll be home in a few hours. Did you have a good time with Catarina?” Will asks. 

“Yes I did. I have something I want to show you.” Tessa says with a bright smile, slipping her hand into her pocket and drawing out a blurry black and white picture, of something unclear. 

“What’s that?” Will asks, furrowing his brow and trying to figure out why Tessa is showing them this odd photo of seemingly nothing. 

“Well, it’s our baby.” Tessa quietly says. Now that they are older and much better prepared for a child, she wanted to surprise Will and Jem with the news of her pregnancy and not just call them in and tell them she took a test and it was positive. She had suspected she was pregnant for a few weeks now, and when she booked in for an appointment with Catarina today, she told Jem and Will she was simply going to visit her friend at the hospital, when in actual fact she was going in for a pregnancy test and ultrasound. 

“B-baby? You’re pregnant?” Will asks in an incredulous tone. The three of them weren’t exactly trying, but they weren’t doing anything to prevent a pregnancy either, though they had done that for the last five years and he thought perhaps it just wasn’t meant to happen. 

“Yes, I’m two months, due in March, everything is perfect with me and the baby.” Tessa softly says, placing a hand on her stomach. 

“Oh Lucie is going to be so thrilled.” Jem says in a joyful tone, knowing how much his daughter has wanted a little sibling for some time now. James doesn’t mind the idea of another sibling, but he’s not as eager as Lucie.

“Yes she is, we’ll have to think of a good way to tell her and Jamie, I’ll do some research tonight.” Tessa says, thinking of all the fun and exciting ways she can tell Lucie and James they’re going to have a little sibling soon.

“I finally get to pick a baby name!” Jem says with a wide grin, already knowing what he wants to call this baby, boy or girl. 

“Oh God, you’re going to call them something awful like Wolfgang aren’t you?” Will groans.

“Oh no, you’re not naming them something ridiculous like that or Chopin.” Tessa warns Jem, earning a laugh from him with her serious look. 

“Calm down you two, I love our child I’m not going to saddle them with an awful name, if I were going to name our son after a musician it would be someone with a decent name, have some faith in me.” 

The three of them decide to keep the news to themselves for another month or so, so that the chances of anything happening will have gone down by the time they tell the kids.

By the time they decide to tell them, it’s the middle of September, just a few weeks before Lucie’s 16th birthday, which Tessa sees as the perfect opportunity to tell her she’s going to be a big sister.

Right now Lucie and James are sitting on the sofa in the living room, reading. 

“Hey Luc.” Tessa says, walking over to the sofa with a brown paper bag in her hand. Lucie looks up and gives her a quizzical look. “I want to give you an early birthday present, Jamie you might be interested in this too.” Tessa says, handing the bag over to Lucie and sharing a knowing smile with Jem and Will. 

James sets his book down as Lucie reaches into the bag, and pulls out a white baby grow and a note. 

“What’s the note say?” James curiously asks, trying to read the note over his sister’s shoulder.

“Lucie, you’re finally getting the one thing you’ve always wanted, you’ll just have to wait a few months.” Lucie reads in a confused tone. “What does this mean mum?” She asks, looking up at Tessa.

“What do you think it means?.” Tessa gently asks, brushing Lucie’s hair back from her face. The kids are quiet for a minute, before Jamie’s face lights up in realization. 

“You’re pregnant!” He exclaims, adding up the note, the baby grow and the fact that his mum has been sick the last few weeks. 

“You are?! Really?” Lucie gasps, looking between Tessa, Will and Jem with wide blue eyes full of hope. 

“Yes I am, the baby will be here in March, you’re going to be a big sister.” Tessa softly says, as Lucie jumps up and hugs her tightly. 

“You alright there Jamie?” Will asks in an amused tone, clapping his son on the shoulder, noticing the look of shock on his face. 

“Y-yeah just wasn’t expecting this.” He says in a shocked voice. 

“Pun unintended?” Jem asks in a teasing voice, grinning at his son, who takes minute to understand the joke before smiling back and laughing. 

“Can we tell people? Can I tell Cordelia, papa?” Lucie asks in an excited tone, looking at Jem, thinking perhaps he has already told his cousin Cordelia, who recently moved to London and has been best friends with Lucie since they were 10.

“Of course, you can tell your friends too if you like Jamie, you’re the first ones to find out, apart from Catarina since she’s been helping your mum through the first few months of the pregnancy.” Jem says. 

Soon, everyone knows about the newest little Carstairs-Herondale on the way, and are very excited and happy. 

Thankfully, like both of her other pregnancies, this pregnancy is a breeze for Tessa, she’s had some sickness and aches and pains but thankfully nothing more than usual. Lucie and James always accompany her and their dads on trips to buy clothes and furniture for the baby and help them decorate the nursery and both have been sworn to secrecy on the baby’s name, which they will tell everyone when she is safely here. 

Currently Tessa is once again just weeks from her due date, though she is sure the baby will come any day now, since Jamie and Lucie were both a few weeks early too. 

Right now Tessa is sitting at her desk in her office, reading over a book she is currently editing and critiquing for a client. 

As she writes notes in red pen in the margin, she feels a familiar tightening pain in her lower stomach, one she is not able to work or talk through. Once the pain passes, she sets her pen down and goes in search of Jem and Will, needing someone to drive her to the hospital to make sure the pains are in fact contractions, and knowing that of course, they won’t want to miss a second of this. 

When she walks into the music room, Jem looks up from his manuscript and beams brightly at her, his eyes filled with love and adoration. 

“Tess.” He softly says, beckoning her over. “I was just writing something for the baby, do you want to hear?” 

“Normally I would love, you now how much I adore your music, but I think you’ll be able to play your piece to the baby herself soon, I think I’m having contractions.” Tessa says, leaning against the door frame as her body is wracked with another pain.

Unlike when Jamie was born, Jem manages to stay totally calm. He guides Tessa to a seat, then quickly finds her and the baby’s bags, and then Will and while Will helps Tessa out to the car, he lets Jamie and Lucie know what’s going on, before texting Charlotte, who has promised to check in on Lucie and James while Tessa is in labor.

Unlike her labors with Jamie and Lucie, this time Tessa’s labor is long, drawn out and painful. Her labor lasts a total of 14 hours, which feels like forever compared to 4 and 2 hours. 

Tessa was able to start pushing about 3 hours ago, but the baby is taking her time in coming out. 

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.” Tessa weakly says, as she rests between contractions, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tries desperately to catch her breath.

“Of course you can.” Will softly says, dabbing her sweaty forehead with a cold, damp compress.  

“But it feels like she’s not budging.” Tessa tries to hold back her tears of pain and frustration. 

“Tess, I know it feels like you aren’t getting anywhere but I promise you are, we’re so close to meeting our baby and she is going to be just as perfect as her brother and sister, you are the strongest woman I’ve ever met Tessa, just a few more minutes and you’ll have her in your arms, and Cecily can stop pestering us about her name.” Jem softly and quietly says, squeezing Tessa’s hand encouragingly and leaning his forehead against hers. Tessa gives a weak laugh, then as another contraction begins, she squeezes her eyes shut, grips Will and Jem’s hands and pushes with all her might. Seconds later she feels a weight lift from her, and a soft cry rings around the room.

“You did it Tess! You see, we told you could, you amazing woman you!” Will proudly says, leaning in to kiss her temple, before the baby is placed on her chest. 

Right away, it is obvious Jem is her biological father, she looks just like him, even at moments old. With light brown skin just like his, thick black hair but without Will’s curls, Jem’s eye shape and bone structure and Tessa’s mouth and nose shape. 

“Oh Jem she looks just like you, she’s so beautiful.” Tessa sobs in delight, holding her baby close and tight. 

“Yes she is, but I think she looks like you, you’re so beautiful my sweet Wilhelmina, how could you possibly look like me and not your mummy if you’re so beautiful?” Jem coos, leaning down to kiss his daughter’s forehead, before turning to place a kiss on his wife’s lips. 

“Wilhelmina Yiqiang Ke Carstairs-Herondale, you could give your brother a run for his money with such a big name.” Will coos. Despite joking with Tessa when she was pregnant with Lucie, that they shouldn’t name her Wilhelmina after Will, Jem has grown extremely fond of the name over the years, and both Will and Tessa like it too, so they settled on that for her first name, and Yiqiang means ‘Remember’ in Mandarin, which Jem chose to honor their loved ones who have passed away, his parents, Tessa’s parents and brother and Will’s sister. 

“Little Mina mine, I love you.” Jem softly says, stroking Mina’s thick, dark hair.

The next day, just after Mina has finished her morning feed, and Will is winding her while Jem is in the clothes shop next to the hospital, buying a fresh shirt after Mina threw up on him and Tessa is in the en suite bathroom getting changed, there is a light knock on the open door, and when Will looks up, he sees James and Lucie standing there, smiling brightly, next to Charlotte who is holding a gift bag, also smiling brightly. 

“Hello you two!” Will says in a joyful tone. “Come meet your sister.” 

Part two coming soon, where Mina will meet her siblings and all her aunts, uncles and cousins!

[archival-account]

THE STRANGERS FROM THE CRIMSON TIDES | Ikalawang Kabanta, Unang Bahagi

Cecilia made a mad dash for home. She considered herself lucky that companion of whom she attacked decided to aid his fellow comrade and let her to run. But unfortunately she heard him yell with the similar implication of needing help, and sure enough, two other men stepped out the shadows. Without a moment's waste, they were hot on Cecilia's heels.

However, if there's one thing that Cecilia had that was advantageous, it's that she knew the roads of the forest better than the soldiers. She turned to sharp corners, leaped through fallen trees, and circled one perimeter in order to confuse their sight on her - anything that can make them go off from her tracks.

It was tiring and highly exhausting but she couldn't afford to be captured now. It is already three o'clock in the morning when Cecilia is able to get them lost. With thirty minutes on the clock, the cross-dressing maiden hoped to be home sooner.

"Where is he?" one of the pursuers angrily asked as he surveyed the area with mad eyes.

"No clue. He got us lost. Tch. What a nuisance," his companion scornfully replied, sensing the hopelessness of capturing the cross-dressing maiden.

"If he utters a word about us-"

"He will meet the end of the general's gun, that's for sure."

When Cecilia reached home, Teresa was the first one to greet her by the door. It was not close to a warm welcome, at all.

"Where have you been?" Teresa demanded (in Tagalog) upon seeing her little sister. Cecilia, disgruntled, took off her hood and showed herself wearing Castanor's old clothes - a white button-up shirt, dirty brown slacks, and a pair of worn-out boots. "Goodness!" Teresa exclaimed. "You went out to the woods again, didn't you?"

Cecilia couldn't lie and simply nodded her head. She said, "I did."

"Pepita, you rascal!" Teresa chided. "You're only so lucky you didn't catch up underneath the hooves and tusks of wild boars!" Teresa said, scolding Cecilia as they both got inside. "Auntie Helena nearly had a heart attack earlier because you disappeared yet again! How many times do we have to tell you not to venture out in the middle of the night? And without a companion nonetheless - Naku!"

"I'm sorry, okay? Besides, I didn't find anything much as interesting inside the forest," Cecilia fibbed. Honestly, Cecilia had grown up to be truthful to her sister. But this is one thing she's not going to reveal so easily - about the one where she personally saw foreigners lurking on their land. The secret is too big, the revelation is too heavy. Once Auntie Helena, Auntie Risa, her older sister, and her cousins knew about the reason for her disappearance, she might get caged for a long period of time. Maybe even longer than she could even imagine and she didn't want that. She treasured her independence greatly - something that her aunts highly disproved of her.

"Really? Then why can I still smell faint gun powder?" Teresa asked accusingly. Cecilia gulped. "Pepita..."

"Cecilia Antonia Luna Gueverra, get over here right this instant!" an angry voice yelled from the sala.

Cecilia swallowed the instinct to groan out loud and cursed. Not only she had been caught by Teresa, she's also caught by her strict aunt, Auntie Helena. Cecilia exhaled angrily as she stomped her way to the living room, where two of her aunts are sitting.

"Pepita!" Auntie Risa exclaimed. She hopped out of her seat and hugged her niece tight. Cecilia could just feel the worry radiating off from her and she immediately felt bad. She didn't mean to cause this much trouble but she couldn't help herself. The thought of exploring how far her courage and independence is inevitable inside her head. "You made us worried sick!"

"Where have you been, young lady?" Auntie Helena angrily asked. "If you went into the forest at this ungodly hour, you are in big trouble!"

"She did, Tita Helena," Teresa quipped, her head on her palm, shaking in disappointment. "I could say something interesting had happened because I can smell gun powder from her revolver."

Cecilia turned her head away, pursing her lips together. She didn't dare to say anything else because she just got caught and exposed. If she said anymore, it will definitely be used against her and she would be just digging her own grave deeper than before.

"What?" Auntie Helena screeched. Her eyes are glaring in furious anger and frustration. Her breaths are flared up, her chest heaving up and down. She is obviously not looking forward to the news of her niece using revolver onto something... Or for this case, someone. "You better tell the truth, Pepita, or I will-"

"Look, nothing happened! So what if you smelled the evidence of gun powder? There's a lot of things that could've been done using the aid of my mother’s present! Maybe defending me from a wild warthog from ramming into me!" Cecilia said in a mad outburst. "As far as you're concerned, you might as well just imagine I went out pig hunting." Cecilia huffed and left the room with resentment seeping into her.

"Cecilia, you come back right this instant! We are not through!" Auntie Helena yelled at her retreating form.

But Cecilia was headstrong. Stubborn as a mule. She walked right up the stairs and went inside her room. She slammed the door shut and locked it immediately. She's in no mood to talk.

As she watched her sister’s retreating form, Teresa shook her head in utter disdain. She couldn’t believe that had happened yet again. Ever since Cecilia had learned how to traverse the land on her own, she became more and more stubborn, more and more harder to control.

Auntie Risa clasped Auntie Helena’s shoulder, saying, “Let’s wait until the morning, Helen. Pepita would likely be more agreeable when she’s had a good night’s sleep.”

“It’s already three-thirty in the morning, Risa,” Auntie Helena reminded her exasperatedly. “We have been up since midnight waiting for Pepita.”

Teresa exhaled, feeling the weariness sink into her. She said, “Let’s all just go back, auntie. We can sort everything later when the sun is fully up.”

Both older ladies agreed. In no time at all, they are all back in bed, resting their tired bones and wishing for sleep to come upon them, despite the uneasiness that settled within them earlier.

Teresa was the last one to be back in bed. When she lied down, she couldn’t help but think of what her sister had possibly encountered in the woods. For all she knew, it might not have been a wild animal. And that is what scared her the most. Because of this, she couldn’t get a proper sleep at all. (On the contrary, Cecilia slept almost immediately when she hit the hay.)

[headcanonsforstuff]

Leo Valdez Headcanons

Leo hates being called by his full name because it makes him think of his aunt and all of the horrible foster homes he was in

He never fully stops blaming himself for his mother’s death. Even after everything with Gaea and Hera and knowing they had some sorta plan with it he still thinks that to some extent, it was his fault.

He still flinches when someone tries to pat him on the back or when someone raises their hand in his direction, especially females(for those who don’t understand this, it’s mentioned very briefly that he had an abusive foster parent named Teresa in one of the HoO books)

He likes to go back to Houston to look around when he gets the chance. He likes to drive by his childhood home and through his old neighborhood and just appreciate the memories of his mom even though it hurts

He hates using Festus as a form of transportation for quests. He loves Festus of course but after he died once Leo always gets scared it’ll happen again

Leo talks a lot faster than everyone else because of the fact that he has very strong ADHD

One of his foster home made he be on ADHD meds and he hated it(I just thought this was an interesting concept there’s no real reason)

Leo is low key jealous of Piper and Percy. He’s jealous of Percy because he sorta took away his best friend(Jason) and he’s jealous of Piper because even after they found out their memories were fake she got a chance to rebuild those memories and start over with Jason but Leo never really got that

Everyone thinks that Leo just jokingly flirts with them because it his personality but the truth is that he’s attracted to all of them because let’s be honest, everyone on the Argo II was very attractive

He and Nico are great friends because they relate to feeling left out

Leo Doesn’t like labels, he’s not bi or pan or anything, he just likes everyone and when people try to label him he gets really mad

Another reason he likes to avoid emotions and just stick with machines is because he’s just very out of touch with his own emotions because he’s so used to pushing them down and covering it up with humor

He hates organized religion and just religion in general since it’s what caused the rest of his family to kick him out after his mother died. They were all religious and thought he was possessed by a demon or actually was a demon(additionally he’s sorta scared of things like crosses and holy water because he’s scared that one day he will react and prove their theories to be true even though they’re not)

Okay, I’m also gonna work on Headcanons for every Leo ship I have just because I love Leo and have a lot of ships with him and a lot of headcanons for those ships! If there’s any specific Leo ships y’all have then just let me know and if I ship it then I’ll try to do those headcanons first!

[wildlyfamousmusic]

Another message to Webweildingavenger

Bullshit.

You are essentially arguing that if Gwen Stacy came back and the Green Goblin killed her but it was ‘different’ that’d be okay, even though it’s literally the same versions of the characters. I’m not even talking about an AU or an adaptation I’m talking about Sandman having TWO heartfelt sombee death stories in his canonical biography. This may surprise you but most people die just the once in real life, therefore that should ideally extend to fictional characters intended to be reflections of us too. 

Uh huh. And just because Sandman is dying, doesn’t make this story any less bad nor intriguing. Infact, it could be a heartfelt story and one that could serve an importance later on or at least an impact. 

Killing off Sandman is inherently stupid in the first place as you are removing one of Spider-Man’s more memorable villains off the table, but literally having the same concept behind the story is asinine. 

I don’t see the point. Sandman could be dying. Or at least lead to something interesting that could serve Spidey and him. Something to do with that depending on what the story may take. It’s not as bad as randomly killing off characters good or evil in poor taste unlike the previous run.....

This isn’t like Hunted where killing Kraven again for starters wasn’t the same concept but more specifically was a means to an end, that end being course correcting the fact he ever came back. 

Yep. That was the best part. This however is different for a story like Sandman compared to others. 

With Sandman Zdarsky, as is routine with him, arbitrarily ignored whatever he wanted and ploughed on ahead with HIS version of Sandman’s death rooted in the same concept.

Same concept with an interesting idea. Whatever Flint was going through compared to his other experience, it could lead somewhere. 

So what’s next?

Are we going to go ahead and accept Aunt May finding out Peter is Spider-Man again if it ignores that she already knew or indeed that she finds out after she finds him beat up and they have an issue long conversation about it? Will it be okay for Kingpin to target Aunt May prompting Spider-Man to kill him again? 

None of those would likely be what Sandman had gone through. Whatever Aunt May’s death would be, it should be a satisfying and impactful end to her character. 

“Really,it honestly shows you have some kind of feelings towards Zdarsky.”

a) Duh I hate his work because it sucks shit and 

No, not really. 

b) I can say the same of you in the opposite direction

“Ho early, his work had been great under Spidey.”

No, it absolutely has not. As I’ve pointed out time and time again it’s shit. 

And your reasons weren’t good enough nor really fair and I brought up how they were. you just didn’t respond or accept it. 

"Honestly, Nick Spencer is great. But,even his stuff has problems.”

Never said it didn’t. I critiqued Hunted and his second issue and his latest issue in fact and even the issue where MJ opens up to the therapy group. 

Yes, he has some good stuff and great stuff. But, his strength his missing. He needs to put in more of those strength. 

But there is a difference between having problems but being good on balance and killing off Sandman AGAIN, having Jameson find out AGAIN but ignoring what happened the first time he knew, establishing Spidey has a secret agent secret sister from his secret agents parents’ secret pregnancy and having an embarassing lack of knowledge about how the Cold War worked! 

Stuff with Jameson was not how we wanted. But, it’s a start. And the stuff prior to it like his annual was fine enough. Teresa was one fans from what I’ve seen wanted back and were interested in see how much she could play into the mythos. infact, it would not be just Zdarsky who would find her interesting but so would Nick Spencer, Gerry Duggan, Donny Cates, and may other writers. 

“Like, some of his stories aren’t strong enough. Even Hunted which had a strong beginning and end had a pretty weak middle that was holding back on things.”

The middle wasn’t weak, it had weaknesses that’s not the same thing. 

Weak, Weaknesses, same thing. And if you read my previous message you would understand why. It didn’t feel like the horror survival that it could. It felt like it was holding itself back. just putting some filler HU like Vulture. The middle could’ve been stronger if it felt more like a horror survival.

Game of Thrones had a strong start but grew weak in the middle and ended weakly. The Infinity Saga had weaknesses at various points but none of the 3 phrases were weak. See the difference? 

Game Of Thrones was a series with plenty of episodes that had 8 seasons. Infinity Saga had a strong beginning, middle, and end with what has been given to us. Hunted is an arc that had a strong beginning and end but had a weak middle for many reasons like it didn’t feel horrifying enough, the HUs like Vulture weren’t strong enough, the deaths in the survival weren’t hard hitting aside from Gibbon, things with Vermin before the end was bizarre, everything in the middle felt like it was holding back. 

“Really, as much as Nick Spencer is bringing things back, his writing isn’t really shown the same when it comes to the level of quality like Zdarsky and even Donny Cates.”

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Okay I loves Cates and I’m not going to criticise him. His work is very strong. As strong as Spencer’s? I’d say just different, neither better nor worse. I think some of the concepts he comes up with could be communicated a little better and he ignores continuity to an extent but the continuity he ignores in his Venom run is stuff that’s already a mess anyway. 

Yeah, That strong.

As for Zdarsky ***** please.

Zdarsky is a better Spider-Man writer than Spencer.

Let’s put aside how if that’s true it’s incredibly unlikely that Spencer would’ve gotten that gig instead of Zdarsky. Zdarsky was popuiar at a time when Spencer was reviled. Zdarsky had well recieved work on actual Spider-Man projects whilst Spencer merely had Superior Foes, an acclaimed book not actually about Spider-Man and circa 2018 a long since cancelled title.

How the flying fuck exactly can Zdarsky, the dude who literally IGNORED Jameson’s decades long characterization, his co-writer Slott’s own continuity regarding the mind wipe AND mere 10 year old continuity, be doing a good job? 

Be better than Slott. you see, for a while, we had so much bad stuff from Slott that he basically nearly ruined everything that made the Spider-Man Mythos so unique and brilliant. Zdarsky was the guy to help fix things for a while with better writing, impactful stories, brilliant handlings of the characters, and a much more satisfying end to his run before Nick Spencer took over to fix things and bring some interesting stuff as well as Tom Taylor who mostly has some good stuff and sometimes not and Donny Cates who’ve brought some interesting things. Same with Saladin Ahmed for Miles. 

Do you get it? That’s OBJECTIVELY BAD writing! 

Read my previous post ontop. No, it’s not. It’s Really not. 

Spencer meanwhile went ahead and refamiliarized himself with most Spider-Man stories, used that stuff and generally keeps it in line, keeping everyone in character and consistent to their established characterization. 

yes, but while he does that, what I want is better and stronger writing. What he needs  is to make things stronger. Because if there were ever story arcs we would expect in the near future, he needs to make them stronger. And so far, his 2099 arc seems to be that/ 

When he killed someone off a second time he did it with the explicit intention of fixing the fact he ever came back and acknowledging the prior time he died. The story was also different in concept to the original, not the same general idea at all. 

Same with Zdarsky. But, the story with Nick Spencer was a very brilliant conclusion to Kraven and a brilliant take on the story at the end. 

Zdarsky had Spider-Man go on adventures in time travel  and alien crap before following up with the single most overrated Spider-Man mini/AU of all time where he systemically wrote Peter, MJ, and indeed most everyone out of character and failed to demonstrate even basic knowledge of real life history. 

Aliens and other stuff. But, it did give The Tinkerer a very interesting take making him relatable to his views on humanity and an interesting backstory when he confronted Spidey at the end. Plus, the time travel stuff was very well handled bringing in some interesting stuff, emotional and impactful moments, some interesting results, and some brilliant high end struggle.  The stuff was bizarre but handled well. Especially with what it’s like meeting your past self and fix all those mistakes and teaching him to be a better person. 

The stuff with the Nukes was already explained and the stuff took place while the heroes were in Secret Wars.

Spencer in contrast deconstructed Peter’s character in 5 issues before reconstructing him and realigning him at the very least closer to who he is as opposed to what Slott, the BND staff and yes Zdarsky himself contorted him into for over 10 years. 

No, Zdarsky did him well before Nick took over. He just made him more competent before Nick fixed his life. Like I said, woth Zdarsky, Peter 

Made sacrifices for himself 

made a villain a better person. 

ouytbested the other heroes and foes. 

fought off against a team of SWATs while they were gonna bring harm to his neighbors if he didn’t show. 

turned himself in to save his Aunt May 

Nearly risked his life to save all life 

taught his younger self to be a better person 

Gave Sandman the opportunity to have his final moments even nearly revealing himself especially since he sees the good in Flint at the end like he always had 

Get treated with respect from the other heroes instead of being made fun of or look like an idiot

the final issue of his run. 

stuff like that before Ni9ck took over. See what I mean when I said you ignore most pf what Zdarsky did. and compared to the likes of Slott, Waid, Bendis, and the others during BND, Zdrasky did it better. Better before Nick Spencer took over. Better before Sean Ryan took over. And as good as Donny Cates got involved. 

Nick was fixing things and did some good and great things. But, compared to the strength in quality, it hasn’t picked up yet. And since his issue 29, Absolute Carnage Tie In, and first chapter of his 2099 arc, it looks like it’s starting to pick up. And what Nick needs is that level of quality in his work. 

Shit dude, Spencer even USED Zdarsky’s own continuity better than he did in the Lifetime Achievement arc where he gave us a potted summation of exactly who Jameson is! 

No, not really. His Jamson arc was good. But, like I said, the quality of his work needed to be stronger.

Zdarsky throughout his run has REJECTED the idea of the wider Marvel universe intruding upon Peter’s adventures and thereby making him look weaker and less competent as a result. Zdarsky WASTED a 300th issue on that and followed it up with a shitty Black Cat story. 

HOW? He bested both TChalla and Hawkeye making them look like fools, he bested the Six, tried to outbest The Tinkerer, Beated Norman Osborn while trying to save his Aunt May and his younger self, made the boldest sacrifice in trying to stop The Tinkeer, made the Tinkerer into a better person connecting his essence with his, bested Norman’s police force, bested the SWAT team while he was on the run and while his neighbors were at risk from them, gave Sandmam his final moments. Please. Tell Me. How Did He Make Peter Entirely Incompetent The entire time. Because From What I’ve Seen, He Made The EXACT OPPOSSITE. I can expect a few hang ups from Nick’s take. But, neither of them were incompetent at all. it just shows you have some problems with Zdarsky overall. And whatever that is, you need to deal with that.  

Also, his Black Cat story was suppose to be a gag issue.  Infact, it was a Parody of Tom King’s Wedding arc of Batman and Catwoman in that exact moment Bruce proposed to Selina. Look it up.

Spencer took the Gibbon and in one issue wrote one of the best single issue Spider-Man stories of this decade. Zdarsky decided to take the Tinkerer and retcon that he WAS in fact associated with aliens, an idea so stupid Lee and Ditko distanced themselves from it and other better writers further buried that idea in the 1980s. 

The Gibbon issue was good. But, Zdarsky made the thing with The Tinkerer better making him more relatable as well as getting some personal backstory he held for so long.

Shall we compare their pet projects? Okay.

Life Story vs. Superior Foes.

On the one hand a side splitting story that develops a C or D list character into a fan favourite and on the other a story that is so idiotic it thinks that that America wouldn’t  simply win the Vietnam War if they had fucking superheroes on their side! 

Nick made that work. So did Zdarsky, infact, many writers can make many C and D list characters better. 

So….Spencer is worse than Zdarsky how again?

Not to mention btw, it’s pretty weak to try and build up Zdarsky by throwing shade at Spencer. 

You make it li9ke you claim Spider-Man wasn’t better until  Spencer took over which isn’t really the case especially with the @#$% Bendis, Slott, Waid, and the rest had given us before Zdarsky took over. So saying a brilliant writer handle come to fix things hadn’t existed is pretty insulting. Especially since a writer like Spencer, while he is fixing things, hasn’t reached to the level of quality it needed to be. And so far, his issue 29, Absolute Carnage, and 2099 were the strongest we’ve ever gotten in a while. I don’t hate Nick Spencer nor do I find him anything bad. What I want is that his work needs to be in the level of Quality as it should.

“Honestly, the best one he had since his first 4-5 issues of his ASM was his Absolute Carnage Tie in.”

a) There were 2 tie-in issues 

Yes, both good.

b) Many people, myself would argue ASM #29 was better 

29 was great. But the tie ins were an improvememt.

c) Even if one disagrees with that ASM #29 is simply different to the Absolute Carnage tie-in issues as they are distinctly different types of stories

d) Even if those WERE the best that doesn’t support any kind of argument against Spencer because 4/5 of the last 5 issues were good, just because one or two of them were the best of the bunch doesn’t discredit him. Shit the last 5 issues weren’t even BAD! 

I’m not saying the last 5 were bad. The Syndicate arc was a bit weak but good. But, it’s not up to the same level of quality as issue 29, Absolute Carnage Tie In, and 2099 later on. 

e) If hypothetically the Absolute Carnage tie-ins WERE the best issues he did out of the last 5 how does this devalue Spencer? Spencer made 2 issues hijacking his book due to an event, in which the inherently asinine idea of Norman as Carnage was a thing, work to exceptional effect. That doesn’t devalue him that shows you how skilled he is. 

Yes, that’s what I meant when his story on that was the best. And his 2099 seems to be reaching there as well. 

“Honestly,he has alot of stories to unfold in the future. And if he continues to hold back on them,then he Really needs either a co-writer or just put more thought into them.”

Please. Just cut the shit okay.

You are at this point dissing Spencer who doesn’t deserve it (’he needs a co-writer’ my ass) to build up your favourite horse. 

I’m not dissing him as a writer. I Want him to be greater. I Want him to reach that level of quality. If you ignored a previous writer’s best work and said none of the stuff ever happened Before that writer showed up even though that writer’s quality is not up to par, it’s not only ignorant, but, also insulting. After all this time Spider-Man fans suffered, saying this type of @#$% is insulting. And Really, I Want Nick Spener to Reach that level of work. And if we ever get to a very important story arc or more like with some very important ones like Goblin, Kindred, Otto, and stuff, then Nick Spencer NEEDS to put in that same level of quality. otherwise the whole thing would suffer and be for nothing.

[fullmetalscullyy]

My Every Road Leads To You - Chapter 1

Detective Roy Mustang is brought in to head the case of a high-profile kidnapping. The Hawkeye family’s daughter is being held for ransom and he is tasked with finding her before tragedy strikes.

Rated: T

Words: 1432

part 1 - a flame that still burns | part 2 | part 3

read on ao3 and ffnet

a flame that still burns

“Got a new case for you Mustang,” Grumman announced, tossing a manila folder on his desk. Roy looked up from his paperwork, his pen smudging as the folder hit it. He frowned.

“Can I ask what this one is about?” he asked, trying to keep the sour tone out of his voice. He had spent all morning on that report and now it was ruined. However, it wasn’t like Grumman to drop a case on him. The man was eccentric in general, not just as a boss, but this was unusual.

“A personal request.” His voice was hard, face pulled tight. That explained it.

“Okay, I’ll take a look.”

“I love these guys, but this is time sensitive and you’re my best detective.”

He would have smirked at the praise bulking up his ego, but Roy’s attention was diverted by the picture and the name on the file.

Riza Hawkeye. Kidnapped 24/03/19. Missing for two days.

Riza Hawkeye… He hadn’t heard or thought about that name in, what, twelve, thirteen years? They had gone to school together. Kidnapped… Roy swallowed. He didn’t want to think about the kind, quiet girl he had shared a class with for four years before his parents moved away from East City to Central being kidnapped.

From what he remembered she had been one of the rich kids. Most of the class had been, however Riza had never been one to rub it in his face. Roy had come from a considerably poorer background. His parents had worked their fingers to the bone to get him into that school. With the help of his Aunt they had done it though, something he was grateful for every day.

“What do I need to know?” Roy asked, settling back in his chair as his eyes skimmed over the rest of her file.

“Taken from her apartment in Central. From what we determine it was about two days ago,” Grumman began. “No signs of forced entry, but there was a struggle.” Roy swallowed, but nodded. Glancing up when Grumman’s paused, he noticed his boss was having a difficult time with this. “Blood in the carpet. DNA match showed it was Riza’s.”

Shit. “Sir –”

“Another set of prints left on the bedroom and front door,” Grumman forged ahead. He knew for Roy to do his job effectively, Roy would need to know everything about her background and her living situation before she was kidnapped. “We’re running them to find a match as we speak. There are photos in the file, towards the back. If you’d like to see the scene, I can have that arranged.”

“Any suspects so far?” Roy asked, clinically analysing every little detail laid out in front of him. “Any jilted lovers? Someone who would seek revenge on her?”

Grumman shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m… not in contact with that side of the family. Riza only sought me out a few months ago, and it was her alone. My daughter died when Riza was only a child.” Roy was surprised to learn that. In the four years they had been in each other’s company she had never mentioned not having a mother. “Father moved away to East City after Teresa passed away and never told me where he went.”

“I went to school with her,” Roy murmured, looking at the pictures of Riza’s apartment.

“Riza?” Grumman sounded incredibly surprised.

“Yeah. We were in the same class. Then my parents moved to Central.”

“Can you help her?” Roy met Grumman’s desperate gaze. “Riza’s very private and never mentioned her personal life to me, which I understand. However, we’re all each other have left. I won’t lose her.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll do everything I can.”

Roy meant it. That girl was the only decent girl in that school, the only one who hadn’t made fun on him because of his background. Plus, she was the Captain’s granddaughter, apparently. He would make sure he brought her back safe and sound. Riza deserved that much.

*          *          *

“Mustang, over here.” Roy looked up from studying the carpet of Riza Hawkeye’s apartment. Jean Havoc called him over to the bedroom and Roy’s stomach sank, mind automatically arriving at the worst connection between that room and the other signs of struggle they had seen throughout the apartment. “See this?” Havoc asked, pointing towards the door frame. There were two sets of bloody fingerprints on the white surround.

“Have these been processed?” Roy asked, swallowing roughly. In his mind all he could picture was the young girl he once knew being hurt and dragged, hands bloody, from her bedroom by a stranger with the intent to harm. It made him feel sick.

The officer Roy directed his question to nodded. “They’re being processed as we speak. One set is the victim’s and we’re running scans on the other.”

“Okay, good. Are these the only ones?”

The officer shook his head. “No. There’s another at the front door.” Roy nodded, asking the officer to show him them too.

“It doesn’t look great,” Havoc stated grimly, looking around the living area. There was a smear of blood on the carpet leading towards the door.

“I know,” Roy muttered. “What are you thinking?”

Havoc took another scan before launching into his proposed series of events. He strode back to her bedroom, looking at the rumpled duvet cover on the bed. “She was either asleep or in bed when her attacker made their presence known. There is no sign of forced entry into the apartment, either from the window or the door. No locks are broken so I’m certain Riza welcomed the person in, presumably someone who was friend or an acquaintance.”

Roy nodded. “I agree.”

“From there she was either chased through to this room, knocking this lamp over,” Havoc continued, gesturing towards the lamp lying on the floor. “Or the attack happened after they had sex.”

“Has anyone checked the sheets for evidence?” Roy asked, eyeing the bed. It felt odd to be doing such an act in Riza’s apartment. They had known each other as kids. It felt like an invasion of her privacy.

They both turned expectantly to the officer with the notepad who was furiously noting down Havoc’s monologue. “Yes, no evidence to support that in here or anywhere else in the apartment.”

“Okay, good.” That ruled out rape as well, for which Roy was thankful. The knot in his stomach relaxed slightly. It didn’t mean it hadn’t happened elsewhere, as much as he didn’t want to entertain the thought, however he was glad it hadn’t happened in her own home.

“So, I think this is where the struggle began,” Havoc stated. “Judging by the fingerprints on the door frame and the smear on the carpet, Riza was injured in some way, possibly to the point where she couldn’t walk properly, which was why she was dragged. There’s more blood out in the hall, but just drops, suggesting she was on her feet. Handprints on the wall too, which match her DNA and the unknown assailant’s.”

“Okay. Nice work, Havoc.” He nodded but didn’t smile. Roy understood why, he wouldn’t exactly want to be praised on how he had figured out a young woman had been abducted from her home either. They would both rather it didn’t happen all together.

“Time to interview the neighbours?” Roy suggested, taking one last look around the apartment, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his Central PD tactical jacket. It was an attempt to try and hide how they had been balled into fists, his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands.

“Let’s do it.”

In this job, a detective sees everything. Most are harrowing and stay with someone for years, others are not so bad. However, seeing all these atrocities, one becomes complacent, never expecting that it will happen to someone they know. That’s what happened to Roy. Of course, these unfortunate events could happen to anyone, no one was invincible. He had always wondered if the day would some that someone he knew would be murdered or kidnapped, however he didn’t really expect it to happen. Even though Riza wasn’t exactly someone he knew, it was still a shock to discover that an old childhood friend had been kidnapped. He wouldn’t have wished that on her, she had been such a good person as a kid.

All he could do now was do his job to the best of his ability, like he always did, and hope that was enough to bring an old friend and the Captain’s granddaughter home.

[thearrangment-phff]

LXX.

February 2019

“Thank you so much for inviting us,” smiled Isabella.

“It’s no problem at all. I invited Marie Christine and she suggested to invite you as well. You did come to these as a child with your mother,” replied Henri, Isabella’s uncle.

“I did love the orchestra. Sometimes it was the only thing that brought me joy.”

“Come! Teresa will be so happy to see you and the boys. Marie Christine and her children are already at the palace. We’ll have lunch before heading to the Philharmonic tonight.”

“Okay. Thank you again,” smiled Isabella.

Henri, Isabella, Charlie, and Bertie went back to the Palais Grand-Ducal where Isabella was greeted by her sister, her three nephews and her little 3-month-old niece. Their cousin Felix and his two children Amalia and Liam were also at the palace but she was not greeted by them. Isabella had fond memories of her own childhood playing with her siblings and cousins in the palace.

7-year-old Leopold had taken charge over the care of his younger siblings, cousins, and second cousins. Constantin, Gabriel, Amalia, and Liam had bonded more than ever before with 9-month-old Charlie, Bertie, and 2-month-old Charlotte being doted upon by everyone in the room. The children running around the palace and the gardens were a sight that few have ever enjoyed.

“How many more months until the newest little addition to the family is born?” asked Marie Christine.

“About 3 months left. I think this one will be born around the same time that Charlie and Bertie were,” answered Isabella.

“You aren’t finding out whether it’s a boy or girl, again right?”

“No, we aren’t. I want it to be another surprise but I have names picked out.”

“Can I hear? Or is that another secret,” asked Marie Christine.

“Mary Astrid for a girl and Robert is it’s a boy. Both honor my side of the family and his.”

“What about godparents? It’s getting so soon to your due date you must have thought of them already.”

“I have some ideas but there is only one I know for sure. I was going to ask you later- “

“I would be so honored Belle!”

“You ruined my surprise,” laughed Isabella.

“Sorry! In all honesty, I was hoping for you to name me a godparent. I was so surprised that you didn’t ask any of us to be godparents to Charlie and Bertie.”

“I couldn’t choose! They are my eldest children now and I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. There’s five of you and now that I look back, I should’ve made you and Alexander, Charlie and Bertie’s godparents but it’s too late now. Now this newest little one will have an aunt for a godmother,” explained Isabella.

Marie Christine looked around the room while holding her infant daughter in her arms, “Where did the kids go?”

Isabella looked around the room finding her sons missing as well, “Did they go with uncle Henri?”

The two women scattered around some of the rooms before hearing the yelling of Marie Christine’s sons in the garden, “Oh thank god.”

“Uncle Henri! You scared us half to death!” yelled Isabella from across the gardens.

“Mama look who’s here! It’s great-grandpapa,” yelled Leopold pointing towards Jean.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was farther away than the children. His eldest son Henri was holding Bertie while Jean was holding Charlie in their arms. The two women went to their side and smiled at the sight of their grandfather holding his fourteenth great-grandchild. The thought of living to see so many great-grandchildren born was a likely dream of Isabella. She would grow old and see her children and grandchildren marry and start families of their own.

“I thought you were at Berg,” said Marie Christine to Jean.

“I heard you and Belle were coming. I wanted to see you two and your children,” replied Jean.  

“We could’ve come to you so you wouldn’t have to travel here,” argued Isabella.

“It’s only a thirty-minute car drive. I’ll be fine.”

“Something could have happened,” warned Isabella.

“Is there any news on Aunt Alix?” asked Marie Christine.

“It won’t be long,” whispered Henri.

“I wonder how Christine feels. Gaelle has been in mourning for the past month. I don’t think she wants to come back to me and I wouldn’t blame her. I’ll more than likely loose Gaelle and Christine within weeks of each other,” explained Isabella.

“Do you have any ideas for replacements?” asked Jean.

“No, not really.”

“Antonia from my sister Marie Gabriele is a religious sister she would do good to replace Gaelle. My sister Elisabeth’s granddaughter Elizabeth is just a couple years older than you and her mother Sophie would love to have her by her side. She does want Elizabeth to marry already,” suggested Jean.

“Hohenberg Sophie?” asked Marie Christine.

“Yes, that one.”

“Why not just ask her to be a lady-in-waiting to Belle? She’s older and more experienced with a royal title. She meets the criteria,” asked Marie Christine.

“She is still in her late fifties. I think she would be more than capable,” added Jean.

“I will think about it,” ended Isabella. Charles had started to cry in his great-grandfather's arm. Isabella looked at her watch and noticed it was about time to feed the boys, “Do you think you can help me?” asked Isabella to her sister.

“Of course,” answered Marie Christine. With her daughter in her arms, she turned to her uncle, “Do you mind holding Charlotte?”

“Yes, it’s fine,” replied Henri.

Isabella grabbed Charles from Jean’s arms, Charlotte was given to Henri, then Albert was given to Marie Christine. The two women went back into the palace while Isabella tried to calm down Charles.

“Where is Harry?” asked Marie Christine.

“He went to a football match yesterday and had some meeting today. He’s had a more busy month than me,” answered Isabella.

“That’s understandable though. There was a death in the family and you are heavily pregnant with two boys who aren’t even a year old. You have the right to take it easy.”

“Once this newest one is born, they are going to simply put me on overseas engagements. Emily, my private secretary, talked with the offices of The Queen and The Prince of Wales. They now see me a foreign tool,” explained Isabella.

“That’s good. You did always want to help other people.”

“Harry is the ambassador to the youth commonwealth I believe. It’s something like that so most of my time will be spent out of London.”

“That’s good too. London is a drag and you never liked it anyway. You made up whatever excuse to come be with family.”

“I can’t do that anymore.” Once the two women reached a quiet room, Isabella got comfortable and started to breastfeed Charles, “Sometimes I look back and think about when I was a human rights officer, single, and living in Geneva. I miss it sometimes but then I remember that in my position now, I can make a larger and long-lasting impact.”

“See that’s such good progress you’ve been making!” smiled Marie Christine.

“I know but sometimes I just want to take the easy way out and run away from all responsibilities. Doing nothing can be a good thing.”

“That’s more like the depression talking.”

“I don’t have depression,” argued Isabella.

“How else do you explain what you're going through?”

“Please let’s not do this now. I don’t want to talk about those types of things right now. Let’s enjoy this day and the fact that we are together.”

“Okay... Imre and Kathleen are in Belgium for when Luisa gives birth.”

“I can’t wait. Everyone will officially have children of their own,” smiled Isabella.

Marie Christine was going to say something until their cousin Felix had come into the room. Isabella at the time was now feeding Albert and had a cover over her so no one could see anything.  

“Hello!” smiled Felix.

“Where were you?!” asked Marie Christine.

“I had to run a few errands in Dudelange,” answered Felix.

“And what are you doing in Dudelange?” asked Isabella.

“Claire and I are moving to Germany.”

“Germany? Why on earth would you move there?” asked Isabella.

“For Claire and something to do with bioethics. She wants to go for her doctorates and Germany is the best option for us,” replied Felix.

“Good for her! She is a modern-day hero,” smiled Marie Christine.

Henri, Felix, Amalia, Liam, Marie Christine, Leopold, Constantin, Gabriel, and Isabella went to the orchestra. Charlotte, Charles, and Albert had stayed at the Palais grand-ducal with Maria Teresa, Guillaume, the brother of Henri, and his wife Sibilla who were more than happy to take care of the infants.  

The group returned to the palace only to have a footman whisper into Henri’s ear that made his smile drop. Alix, Dowager Princess of Ligne nee Princess of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau, and Princess of Bourbon-Parma had died that night. It was a somber night before the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Palace announced her death the next morning.

Isabella was now going to stay in Luxembourg until after the funeral. Harry had forgone all engagements after the announcement and took the train to Luxembourg to be with Isabella and their sons. Within hours of Harry being escorted into the palace, dozens of other royal family members had flooded into Luxembourg.  

The most powerful sight was Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his sister Princess Marie Gabriele, Dowager Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg being the last two of their generation. Everyone paid respects to the two siblings and the family of Princess Alix. Isabella was simply in shock at the death of her great-aunt Alix.  

The tragedy did not stop there. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Olga Petrovna of Russia had come to pay their respects on behalf of the House of Romanov. During their brief time in Luxembourg, Grand Duchess Olga had suffered a miscarriage in the early months of her second pregnancy. Just a couple days later after the death of Princess Alix, Isabella’s lady-in-waiting Princess Charlotte of Murat had died of a heart attack.  

Harry watched Isabella slip into one of her depressive moods as death and loss were taking over. Princess Alix’s funeral was a close family event. Grand Duke George and Grand Duchess Olga had a small service in France for their child that they lost. Then the funeral of Princess Charlotte was an even smaller event. The last of the events was the mass to commemorate the deceased members of the Belgian Royal Family, at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk, in Laeken, Belgium.

Isabella had been utterly exhausted and barely left her bed unless someone was almost fully carrying her. On their way back to London Harry was tasked with dealing with everything about Isabella.

“Harry?”  

“What is it, Olympia?”

“Prince Joachim Murat is here. He is... was, the husband of Charlotte,” answered Olympia.

“Why is he here?”

“He wanted to talk to Isabella about Charlotte and her will.”

“She’s in bed. He’ll just have to talk to me then.”

A couple of minutes later a man came in with an air of arrogance. He was younger than Harry had expected and immediately shook Harry’s hand.

“I was hoping to speak with Isabella.”

“She’s in mourning and I don’t want to trouble her,” replied Harry.

“This concerns her not you.”

“She is my wife. Whatever you have to say to her, you can say to me.”

“My wife, god rest her soul, told me that you have no say in her trust. So no, I can’t say anything to you because I know it doesn’t matter,” said Joachim.

“Harry it’s fine.” The two men saw Isabella and Olympia at the door. “What are you doing here Joachim?”

“Charlotte wanted to have her will read with you in the room. My lawyer is right outside this room and I wanted us to sit down and listen. I know she left many things to you.”

“Alright. Olympia please bring the lawyer in.”

Everyone got situated around a coffee table and the will was smaller than everyone thought. Just a couple of pages and the lawyer explained the beginning and what was going to Joachim in case she died before him. Finally, Isabella’s name came up.

“To Isabella, I leave all my jewels and property in the Archduchess Isabella Trust. All of your female descendants may wear the jewels if they are born from a dynastic marriage and marry dynastically. All women who marry into your family will not wear them as per my will. I have several properties off the coasts of Italy, Croatia, and Greece. The choice to keep them or sell them is left up to you but all money made will go back to the trust for the upkeeping of the other properties.”

“Would I be able to see the jewels?” asked Isabella.

“They are in a bank in Belgium. We can go to the bank for you to review them before they go to your trust.”

“We can go once the period of mourning is over.”

“I was thinking sooner,” added Joachim.

“I don’t feel like going, we will wait,” replied Isabella.

“Alright,” grunted Joachim

“How large is her jewelry collection exactly?”

“About 5 tiaras, a dozen or so brooches, a couple of rings, a dozen pairs of earrings, two necklaces, and several other pieces. There are two parures but they were in the process of being dismantled to create tiaras on Princess Charlotte’s orders,” explained the lawyer.

“How dismantled are they? I want to see them,” asked Isabella.

“We have no idea, ma’am. The jeweler is in Austria and when Princess Charlotte died, he was ordered to stop working until we hear from you.”

“Tell him to continue his dismantle and reassemble according to Charlotte’s wishes. I trust her taste in jewels,” ordered Isabella.

“Of course ma’am.”

“Is that all?” asked Harry.

“There are other matters concerning the trust and money but I was told that Her Imperial Highness doesn’t deal with those matters, so yes, it is.”

[breg21]

Danny Phantom. The Ties That Free us-Chapter one

CH. 1! I am so excited for you guys to read this. This is the endgame for the series. Better buckle up, because trust me, there will have plenty of bumps along the way. Thank you for coming along on this wonderful journey with me as we discover just who Danielle and her family really are as characters and the stories they hold. It's been one hell of a ride. Without further ado, I give you: The Ties That Free Us. Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, Nickelodeon does.

Summary: Five years of peace. Something that Danielle never knew that she could have. But as the years passed, Danielle realized she wanted one thing: To pave her own path and the choices ahead. One filled with ghost fighting and the glory that came with it, the other a normal life with family. Which one would she choose? A life of living up to her dad's legacy and the burden that comes with it, could she even live up to that? Or does she want a life that she was denied the first two years of her life? So many choices, so little time. But then all her questions and fumblings in her head were put to a halt.

He returned. "Suprised I'm back?"

Danielle sighed, giving a long roll of her baby blues. "Surprised? Nah, not really. Annoyed? Definitely."

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12969270/1/The-Ties-That-Free-Us

"I'm gonna need you to stop the traffic light on Elm and Maple."

No answer.

"Aunt Jazz?"

No answer.

"Aunt Jazz!"

Her voice finally tore through the intercom. "Yeah yeah, I'm programming it as we speak. You are such your father's daughter. I don't have to do this, you know."

Was she serious right now? They were literally in the middle of a high-speed chase, and she chose now to be in a cranky mood. Danielle knew wedding planning was a hard job to do, but her parents weren't so stressed when they did it. Then again, they had a wedding planner, but Aunt Jazz had insisted that she and Uncle Roy did the whole thing with the family members’ opinions weighing them down, even though Nana and Papa Manson said they would happily pay for a planner.

With her anger seething under the surface, Danielle did her best to remain calm. But she knew it broke through some. "This is your job, or at least part-time!"

"Then I don't get paid enough."

That's it, I'm talking to uncle Roy about this. Sighing, she patted the D on her chest off, ending the conversation. Rolling her eyes, Danielle continued sailing through the sky, cutting through the hazy summer breeze that caressed her skin as she flew in the opposite direction that the wind was pushing for. Buildings blurred, blending into one another as she zoomed past.

Shoving her conversation with her aunt to the back of her mind, she honed in on the car. Danielle sighed in relief as the streetlights froze on red, halting all cars in additional to the one she was trailing. Good. This should be easy enough.

Car horns honked in confusion as people started exiting their vehicles to find out why every stoplight had turned red. Upon seeing Danielle soaring through the sky, mumbles of understanding briefly caught her ear as she passed the cars. She quickly ignored the cheering that started as citizens assumed her heroic duty.

She pressed the D on her chest thrice to contact everyone. "Okay, I have them in my sight. Mom, dad, I'll be sending them your way, so be ready." Both Danny and Sam mumbled something in agreement. Speeding up, Danielle easily increased momentum as her eyes locked onto her target—a sleek, black 2004 Mercedes. She turned invisible and without a warning, overshadowed the driver.

She quickly glanced to the side to see the passenger side occupied with a man with a ski mask; from what she could see from his hands, he had pale skin, greasy brown hair from the little tuffs that pushed out at the end of the mask, and ratty old clothing. His hand clutched the handle of the car door, hanging on as the car continued to swerve between lanes.

She kept peeking between him and the road to see him loosen his grip on the handle to try to open the door, only to be met with the friction of the lock as it resisted to release the door open.  The adrenaline that surged through his body only intensified as everything blurred past his window, his possessed friend driving unbelievably fast.

"Let me out please, I didn't want this in the first place; all I wanted was to save my little girl.”

Danielle looked at the masked man in confusion, only taking her eyes off of the road for a second. "Little girl?"

Even with all other cars stilled on the street, Danielle was still having trouble not crashing into other people.  She really preferred flying over driving.

"My 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with cancer about a month ago. My wife and I don't have the means to pay for her hospital bills so this shmuck," The masked man pointed the body that Danielle was now overshadowing. "Told me that if I helped him with a job that he would give me enough money for my daughters treatments, but I never wanted any of this. Now I'm not sure if I will ever see her again after this. Or my wife for that matter."

Poor guy. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Just how the world goes. Change of plans.

Danielle could see the guilt building up in his eyes as he continued to talk more to himself than anything. "Gosh, this was a mistake. I wish I could turn back time and take it all back."

Danielle once again looked at the man with the sparkle of an idea in her eye. she pressed the D on her chest and signaled her uncle Dan. "Hey, Dan Dan, you there?" Glancing in the rearview mirror, Danielle could see traffic starting up in small quantities.

Great.

A low growl could be heard over the intercom, making her force back a chuckle. "I told you not to call me that. What do you need, pipsqueak?"

Another car was successfully avoided. She gave a light tap to the gas with her foot. She was pushing sixty, but she needed to make it to her destination before traffic started completely back up. They wouldn't listen to the lights for long, no one ever did in Amity. With ghost attacks being an average thing, everyone was pretty numbed to travel laws. "I need a clock reversal in about ten minutes. Also, tell Dad and them to hold back. Plans have changed. I'll take care of it, just have them do the usual clean up of the city after."

"You know, she's not going to like that."

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep a steady steer with the wheel. This guy’s muscular hands were a pain to control. "Yeah, well unlike the rest of us at the moment, she has the time."

He sighed, but seemed to relent. "Fine, but you owe me. And don't think pizza can buy your way out of this mess like it used to. Nothing in Amity compares to authentic Chicago."

Another car passed, only this one had been driving in her lane and missed her by a beat— and yes, she was in the wrong lane, but if people would listen to the stupid lights, that wouldn't have happened—idiot.

"Stop drooling and get her here. And make it fast!" Danielle yelled as she nearly hit an oncoming charter bus.

The passenger, who was frozen to his seat the entire time, became animated once more.  He even ripped his mask off, not caring that she would be able to identify him now.

With that, he yelled, "What the heck! I thought a superhero would know how to drive properly!"

She shot him a warning glare, getting a glimpse of his soft structured cheeks, clean chiseled jawline, and oddly crooked nose, before returning her eyes on the road ahead of her. "Hey, I'm trying to help you out here, could you dial back the criticism just a bit."

He didn't look at all convinced as headlights reflected off of the windshield. She thankfully dogged it at the last minute, however, and she could see the relief sag into his shoulders.

With a slight scowl she added, "Besides, I do know how to drive. I was just taught by my Grandpa, that's all."

That relief was short lived as she did her best to swerve past the remaining traffic on the streets as more moving cars showed up. While keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she shifted the upper portion of her body out of the window.

She shouted to the sea of cars, "Come on, people! Ugh, you’d think people would recognize a red light!”

Just another normal day in my life. I wonder how grandma's doing in New York, I hope she's doing okay.

Realizing that she should focus on her task on hand, Danielle tried not to laugh as he gave her a sideways glance.

Out of nowhere, he said, "You have a lot of anger issues. You know, my therapist told me that when you're under stress it's best to— Oh sweet Mother Teresa!"

An oncoming eighteen wheeler was about to make a collision with them head-on. Danielle placed her hands on the dash of the car, causing it to phase through the oncoming truck narrowly escaping death.  

With his back glued against the leather seat, and feet firmly planted on the floor of the car, he cracked his head to the side just enough to look at Danielle with eyes opened in fear. Breathing in a sigh of relief, she said, "Woah, that was close."

Danielle shifted her eyes to the passenger to see a look of frustration on his face, eyes screaming at her as he stilled against the car seat.

"Why didn't you just do that before?" he said.

She swiveled the car, just slightly out of spite; she may have been helping him, but he couldn't comprehend the hardships of her job.

"Do you know how much energy it takes it takes to temporarily shift an entire car to another dimension?! No? Then zip it!"

Sending a sharp glare to her, he grumbled out, "You know, your bedside manner could use some adjusting."

"That's not what your mom said last night!"

Danielle heard the all too familiar voice of her youngest brother— he looked to be around fifteen, maybe sixteen if she had to guess— from the future as he kept pace with the speeding car. A time medallion hung largely around his neck. Danielle somehow smiled out of her annoyance. "So, if you're here Speedy, that means Lily is too?"

"Ten-four, big sis! Why aren't you breaking?"

She did as requested, putting pressure on the break, but instead of the car coming to a rolling stop, the petal wouldn't budge. It wouldn't allow her to slow down the car so much as a couple miles, no matter how much weight she put on it. Her eyes snapped to DJ's, fear contorting her face.

Oh, no.

"Uh kid, we have a problem."

Still keeping pace, and yelling over the rapid wind that pressed against them, he tried his best to reassure his sister. "Don't worry, I got ya. Your ride is nice, but it's a bit heavy for my taste."

DJ quickly became a green blurred circle around them as piece by piece the car slowly was dismantled; as each part was removed their speed slowed down, until all that was left was the frame and the two people hugging in the front seat.

Danielle, who was too busy consoling the crying adult in her arms, did not realize that they were now stilled. She awkwardly patted his back and shushing him over his shoulder as snot soaked into her suit. "It's okay, it's okay. We'll do everything we can to help you and your family out."

Tears and snot now ran down the man's face as he pulled back from the embrace. "She's my whole world. I would do anything for her."

DJ just looked at the two in confusion. "So um... You're welcome?"

Unbuckling the seatbelt that still remained strapped around her torso, she floated over to her younger sibling. Stepping out of the one man's body, she easily made a wad of ectoplasm, tied him up, and kept him close in case he woke.

She then turned to her brother. "Hey Speedy, before you take off, I think we're going to need you to do your magic.”

His crystal eyes that matched his sister’s widened in horror, his weightless steps easily propelling himself backward several feet. "Oh no... Every time we do one of those, you punch me way too hard."

She scoffed at DJ's cowardliness. "Come on twerp, you can take it."

"I'm so telling on you to Mom and Dad."

"Yeah yeah, just hurry up before the police get here."

DJ was much better at possessions than she was. Even though she could move the body, it never came naturally to her like it did to DJ, and even like her father. The problem was, DJ got too into it, relishing in his power, so she frequently had to knock him out for him to be able to separate from the body.

The former bank robber, Danielle had yet to catch his name, came stumbling from the leftover car, still shaken. "Wait, why the heck is he grinning!?" the man asked in total fear of the smirk on DJ’s face. He did enjoy overshadowing a little too much, in her opinion.

DJ quickly overshadowed the raggedy man, making him float ominously in the air just as the police showed up. "I am OVERKILL and you will all bow before me, puny humans!"

She didn’t understand why DJ idolized her uncle so much.

That was the moment that the police decided to arrive. They had always done their best to protect the town as a whole but there were just some things everyday people—with or without ecto guns—could handle.

Danielle looked on for a moment as the police had surrounded them, circling almost the entire block, with their weapons at the ready. "Aim!"

That's when she took her queue, jumping in front of the officers before they could move their weapons.

Using her best heroic voice that her dad had taught her, much to her mom's embarrassment, she called out, "Wait! This ghost has clearly possessed an innocent man. If you fire upon him, you would be hurting someone who had nothing to do with the crime that was committed!"

DJ looked to the people below him as he flew just a bit higher, in the unlikely case they started to shoot at him. "Silence, puny hero! Or else you will feel my awesome might, the likes of which your tiny mind could not begin to comprehend!"

And he wonders why I hit him so hard.

Danielle zoomed to her little brother,  punching him right out of the man's body as he dropped safely to the cushioned car seat DJ had been floating above. "You just made this so much easier, Overkill!" Danielle quickly threw DJ to the ground.

The hero's voice was becoming too much, even to her own ears, but she wanted to sell it. If they weren't convinced, they would be in deep trouble. She was beginning to understand why her mom hated it so much.

She yelled to him, "It's over, Mr. Overkill!" If I say that name one more time, I will put some force into my punch. "I have been waiting to capture you for a long time. Now, taste ghost justice, you fiend!"

She gave DJ a knowing smile as he just froze in place, eyes narrowing as he laid crushed up on the seat.  "Really...?"

Danielle wasted no time in taking out her Fenton Thermos and encased her speedy brother inside.

One officer out of the bunch walked up to Danielle, almost no color dampened his face, it was almost as if he had... seen a ghost. Heh, I'm too much like my dad.

The way officer’s adam’s apple bobbled up and down while he tried to force his words out was hilarious. "Thanks again, Danielle. Normally, we can handle these sort of issues but I have to admit we had no idea that man was overshadowed. Thank you for your service."

Then the man that Danielle hadn't possessed began to stir on the car seat. His head swayed a bit before he shifted from his resting spot against the seat. His hand flew to his head as he tried to steady his surroundings. "Ugh, what happened, and why do I smell like Axe? Wasn't I just-"

Before he could continue, Danielle interrupted, using the same voice that she had used on the officers. "Yes, we know. This foul man came to your door with a plan to rob a bank, and the ghost overshadowing you made you agree to this man's criminal plan. But worry not proud citizen, you are free from his tyranny and can go back to your normal life. Now come with me! We must make sure he did not leave any unwanted side effects."

Gosh, I sound like an extremely patriotic muppet.

Danielle took the man back to Fenton Works where Lilith and Tucker were waiting for her, Tucker stood uncomfortably in the corner, while Lilith sat on the couch with a face void of emotion. The rest of her family was still out, doing their usual rounds after something like this happened to make sure every citizen was okay.

Danielle could tell that she was definitely masking her anger. "So sis, who is he?"

Well.

I'm in trouble.

She strode over to Tucker, shielding herself behind her boyfriend, who stood several feet away from her younger sister.

Her lips fell into a sheepish smile. "He's someone who could use a break. I promised I would help him and his family."

Pushing herself from the couch, Lilith stalked over to the two, arms crossed and eyebrows raised: the very embodiment of fear itself. "So, what do you want me to do? I can't just rewrite today, otherwise this whole scenario will just get time tangled."

Tucker's body stiffened as Lilith neared them, but immediately relaxed under Danielle's touch as she began to rub little circles in the small of his back. It was the little things. "Yeah I know, also find a better name than time tangled. But what I need you to do is go back and alter his crook buddy’s memories to make sure that when the police interrogate him, he doesn’t remember this guy here..."

She paused for a moment, eyes going to the man awkwardly standing at the entryway of the door. "What's your name by the way?"

Danielle watched as heat flooded his face, eyes went to the blue carpet of the house,  his messy brown locks shielding his face. He refused to meet anyone's gaze. "It's Mattaniah, Herington the third." The toe of his shoe started to dig an invisible hole into the floor.

A few dry chuckles left her boyfriend's lips. "Wow, did three generations hate their kids that much to name them Mattaniah?"

His head snapped up, but he still wouldn't set his eyes on them. "It has a very old meaning to it, but yes it's very ridiculous."

Danielle moved out from Tucker's protective shielding. "Anyway, we need his friend to think he really was overshadowed."

She watched as Lilith sighed, shaking her head in defeat. "Fine, we'll take him home first and I'll go do the rest myself. Don't think I'm coming back too often though. We like to help out when we can—we're family after all—but protecting the city is your job as of right now. I'm not even conceived yet."

He looked at Danielle and Lilith, finally meeting their eyes. Confusion overtook his whole expression. "Why are you two doing all this for me, for my family?"

Danielle smiled, clapping him roughly on the back. "Well Matthan, Matten-" Her mind became a jumbled mess as she tried to say his name correctly. She failed, miserably.  "You know what, I'm just going to call you M. We're very big on second chances in this family." She pushed him towards her sister.

Lilith opened a portal to go back in time but before she does she looked back at M, a secret grin overtaking her lips. "Just don't blow up any fast food places and we'll be good."

"Fast food places?" he said in confusion, looking back to Danielle for an explanation, who didn’t respond.

Lilith shrugged, looking between Danielle and Tucker, shooting them a wink in a play. "It's an inside joke. Now come on, let's get you back to your family."

Danielle walked into the man's home, to see the place he was living in was not exactly glamorous. The house was old and almost looked condemned, with wooden boards that hung from the ceilings; some had scratches woven into the aged planks. In one part of the apartment there a large wall decorated with exposed brick, and chipped pieces fell effortlessly to the floor. It was absolutely disgusting.

"Wow... this is....um.... a nice home."

Danielle's hesitant smile held no genuine warmth, even though she pushed all her energy into it. It was half done, and it settled wrongly on her lips. In truth, even she knew it fit in an uneasy way, without the use of a mirror. Oh well. Never have been the best liar.

A weak smile spread on his lips, guilt swelling his eyes. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better. It's falling apart from all fronts, but it's what we got. It didn't always use to be like this but..."

The edge of Danielle's mouth turned down in a small frown. "What happened?"

He sighed. "I used to be the head of a large computer company, then one day there was some weird computer malfunction. I thought it was nothing, but when my company investigated, it said that I had been embezzling money from the company since near the beginning, but I never did anything of the sort. They threw me in jail, and when I got out I found out my company was bought out by Vlad Masters of all people, at a dirt cheap price."

Anger constricted her eyes, making them narrow in tight slants as her mind began to race. Of course Vlad had ruined this man's life. Now the monster was up in space and this guy had to live with what he did every day. She wanted to help more than ever now. She knew what it felt like to be manipulated by Vlad.

His squeaky voice was hollow. "Now because of my criminal record, no well-paying job will hire me. It's hard to think how one little computer error could change my family’s life so much. But if there is one thing that has been keeping me going, it's my girls at home. It just hit me that much harder when we got that diagnosis though. Please just promise me that if you tell her about helping us you won't give her any false hope."

They don't deserve this. No one does.

Danielle glanced around to see cobwebs and what she thought might have been specks of mold. This time her lips turned up into a loose warm, heartfelt smile. "Listen, I know a great charity that would help. Actually, I have their card, take a look." Handing him a card, he gave it a once over.

Reading it aloud, his eyebrows rose in confusion. “Sam Fenton Charities. Helping people in need of homes.” His eyes went up to meet hers. “Your mom has a charity operation?”

"Hey, um, yeah. She’s been doing for years now. She really loves to give back to people. I’m sure the staff would be willing to help repair and help get you on your feet."

His eyes shifted as pondered her offer. "I don’t know…. What about paying them back? I don’t know how we’d ever be able to do that.”

Placing a gentle hand on his upper bicep, she offered again. "Please, it wouldn't be a problem. It’s a non-profit, so it doesn’t charge period. If you want to pay back, you can volunteer. My mom opened this charity to be able to help people.”

He scanned the room, seeing the scattered remains of garbage littering the floor. "I don't know. It seems too good to be true." Out of nowhere, a piece of ceiling crashed down; Danielle let it phase through her to the floor while giving M a sly look. "I'll let the girls know.

After Danielle waved goodbye to her brother and sister after the portal closed, she transformed back to human, and started to shuffle her way to the stairs that led back up to the kitchen.

With each step, she didn’t want to admit the worries that today held. It had been so easy for DJ to do what he did, and while she was proud of what he— what they— had accomplished, it made her pause. Would she be able to do something like he did so easily?

Another thought struck her.

Did she even want that?

Oh well, another thought for another day.

Woot woot! First chapter completed. I hope you guys enjoy! And while Lilith and DJ won’t really show up much in this story, they will only play one big part later on. Please leave a review if you could. Love you guys!! Shout out to my beta reader, silente faery.

[mykidsgay]

Defining: Outing

By Teresa Kane

Welcome to another installment of our “Defining” series, where we unpack various terms and identities. Do you have a word that needs defining? Let us know!

Define It:

“Outing” is the deliberate or accidental disclosure of an LGBTQIA person’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their knowledge or consent.

Explain It:

Gender and sexuality are intensely personal and, for some people, private feelings. People choose to come out on a timeline that is theirs alone. Some people choose to never come out, or to only share this part of their life with a select few. By sharing this private information, you are doing harm that can have lasting effects. Outing can be malicious or accidental, but no matter how it happens, it takes away a person’s autonomy to tell the world how they identify. It robs them of privacy, and can make things exceedingly difficult for their social, familial, religious, romantic, and work life.

Outing someone looks many different ways. It could be as casual as mentioning that your best friend has a girlfriend over dinner with your family, or as public as leaking photographs of a politician kissing his secret boyfriend. Other examples could be gossiping in the teacher’s lounge about a student who told you about a crush, or posting an Instagram photo of your friend presenting as a woman for the first time.

Simply put, a person’s gender identity or sexuality is not your news to tell. The best way to avoid accidentally outing someone is to ask this person directly who they are out to and how you can best support them.

Debunk It:

• If someone is out to you, they are out to everyone.

People often come out in stages, or in certain areas of their life. Maybe all their friends know, but they haven’t told their parents yet. It’s possible that everyone knows except the grandparents who are paying for college. Many (most, I’d wager) teachers choose not to be out to their students. I don’t talk about my sexuality in the classroom, though I’m out and proud in every other part of my life.

Don’t assume that just because everyone in your hiking club knows your friend’s trans identity that it’s safe to post on Facebook about it. Always check with your friend before discussing or posting anything that might out them. In general, this is just good social media etiquette—don’t post pictures of anyone without their explicit consent.

• Being LGBTQIA is no big deal these days, so it doesn’t matter if you out someone.

It’s true; being out and proud is much easier than it was even just ten years ago. We are making strides in media representation, queer and trans politicians are being elected, marriage equality is a federal right. Being LGBTQIA is a walk in the park—right? Not necessarily.

According to the 2017 Workplace Equality Fact Sheet, in 28 states, you can get fired just for being lesbian, bisexual, or gay. In 30 states, you can be fired for being transgender. The threat of violence for being queer or trans (or even the assumption of such) is very real. Some people are dependent upon family members who would cut all ties if they discovered their kid was gay. Many religious communities do not affirm LGBTQIA identities. For some people, being in the closet is a matter of life or death. Even if it's safe to come out, people might not consider their sexuality appropriate or relevant to the situation. Not everyone wants to explain pansexual polyamory to their 90-year-old great aunt.

Just because you may find it easy to be openly queer or trans in your life does not mean it is the same for everyone. Respect their wishes and maintain their privacy.

• It’s okay to out someone if it’s for the “greater good.”

Yes, some people in power are closeted queer folks. Yes, some of them are homophobic and pass legislation that hurts our community. Yes, that is incredibly painful. No, it’s not okay to out them “for the greater good.” Some LGBTQIA activists may disagree with me on this point, but I believe that we need to play by the same rules for everyone.

Outing people as a political act can backfire on our community. It lessens our credibility when we stoop to publishing private photographs or trick someone into going on a date just to write about it on a gossip site. If we are to win the fight against bigotry, we need to fight fair.

• Celebrities and politicians have no right to privacy.

Fame is an interesting thing. You may feel like you “know” your favorite actress after binging their series. You may think that since they live their life in the limelight they have given up their right to privacy. Nope. They are dealing with feelings and relationships and sexuality just like the rest of us. If you see a famous actress nestled up to another woman at a restaurant and feel the need to squeal about it all over the internet, stop and think how you would feel if your private moments were suddenly public consumption.

It’s also worth noting here that just because you see a famous person (or non-famous for that matter) hugging/getting out of a car with/walking next to a person of the perceived same gender, it does not automatically mean they are gay. This person could be a cousin, a step daughter, a French friend who greets everyone with kisses. Making an assumption could start a false rumor.

• You are doing someone a favor by pushing them out of the closet.

I hear you saying, “But, my friend really won’t be hurt by coming out and his family is super cool and his boss is gay and he would look so cute on my Pride float! He should really be out already!” I GET it. I have some friends who are closeted for reasons I’ll never fully understand. I wish they could feel free enough to be out. But they aren’t. And it’s not my business. This isn’t your business either. Go hop on your Pride float and carry your friend in your heart.

Be sure to check out the rest of The Defining Series right here!

***

Click here to read about our brilliant contributors!

[rainleon-blog]

A DEMI LOVATO LOOKALIKE WAS STROLLING DOWN BROADWAY STREET IN HER LOUBOUTIN’S. RAIN LEON JUST HAD A BIRTHDAY BASH FOR HER TWENTY THIRD BIRTHDAY. SHE HAS BEEN LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY FOR 6 YEARS. I HEAR SHE TENDS TO BE IMPULSIVE AT PARTIES, BUT ALSO KIND OF ATTENTIVE. ( FEMALE & SHE/HER )

and I am MO, which rhymes with progressive flo lol. 

i havent played demi since circa 2013? she used to be my main fc until all the gigis and bellas came around and no one wanted demi lol. so happy to being playing her as an fc. I’m entirely up demi’s ass, demi and zayn’s, i stan no one else as bad as them. little bit about me i guess?????

birth name: Reina Anastasia DeLeon

current name: Rain Leon

age: twenty three

place of birth: Maryland, Baltimore

ethnicity: Mexican American

nationality: American

sexual orientation: bisexual

TRIGGER WARNINGS: ALCOHOL, DRUGS, SEXUAL HARASSMENT/ASSAULT, MENTAL HEALTH,

Rain was born to father Angel DeLeon, who was a famous singer in Mexico, and gained American recognition not long after proving his popularity of blending Hispanic and American sounds. Her mother was Teresa Price, a plain old dentist in Maryland, she didn’t do much besides that, but one of her clients was celine dion, so that’s how she ended up getting big name clientele. Rain’s parents met when her dad was getting his teeth cleaned by her mom, romantic i know lol. 

Rain shares the middle child spot with her sister, in a family of 4 with an older and younger brother.  Growing up she’s known nothing but the music industry. Her dad was a good performer, singer, and all that but in her family it was the girl’s who had the voice stronger than the men. Usually father’s would be hyped when a boy is born, but in Rain’s family, when a girl was born, there was a huge fucking party. 

While her dad saw his daughters as growing stars, her mom was the type to be half a mom, and half of a working woman, needless to say Rain didn’t really grow around parents. Her dad was her manager, and her mom was there part time as her practice got bigger.

Even if her family was a little weird, Rain still grew up in a hispanic household. Her dad was a crazy manager, but he still believed in family, and rain’s grandparents lived with them, passing on hispanic values, language and culture over to rain and her siblings. 

Rain was a child star, forced to follow in her dad’s footsteps, growing their name in Mexico with her brother on guitar, her sister with the lead vocals, Rain in the background and the rest of the band. Rain was never effected since she wasn’t the one in the spotlight, yet a lot of people were interested in her because her vocals sounded a lot stronger in the songs, causing her sister to resent her. Her brother was chill, he didn’t care. 

Growing older, their family band disbanded when Rain was around 11, her sister wanting to try going solo in America when the band just reached a little bit of fame.

Rain was okay, she grew up semi normal, staying away from the spotlight but because of her sister’s influence, she attended a lot of parties, but didn’t drink until 14, smoking, all that fun stuff.

It took over her life and what made matters worse, at 13, she started her own career -- actually her dad started it for her and without really doing much, she became more popular than her sister and it was just a mess in that house. Her family feud was always in the media. A year later, she legally changed her name to be shorter, and more integrated for people to remember easily. She was annoyed how people pronounced reina wrong tbh lol

At 16, Rain was always high without anyone really knowing and it was because of all the stress she was going through in her family. Ofc this led to mental health issues, and wow it was a crazy time. Around this time also, one of her producers took advantage of her and that just... didn’t help tbh. It wasn’t rape, but more like sexual assault/harassment of sorts. 

At 19, surprise (sorta?) she got pregnant by a guy she continues to keep unnamed.  Rain became that artist that released music but stayed behind the scenes, raising her kid, and no one really knew about her kid until her kid was like ... 2 lol

tbh i got a lot of muse for rain off Selena Quintanilla, but adding my own stuff to this :)

Rain is a strong advocate for being able to be yourself when growing up she had to suppress a lot of who she was. 

No one really knows she has mental health issues or abuses drugs and alcohol at times. She’s not at that point in her life, she continues to use and abuse when she has a night or week to herself away from her kid. 

Rain’s comeback single is Lionheart. 

She continues to have a rocky relationship with her family since she really only talks to her brothers and grandparents. 

She symbolizes herself a lot as a lion, her last name is the spanish word for lion. Rain does her best to help these animals in the wild to keep them from being endangered, donating and visiting the countries where they live. Absolutely hates zoos. She sees them as these strong, powerful animals and likes to symbolize herself that way after everything she’s been to, there is a male, but it’s the lionesses that really do all the work in the pride.

She’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind and she hates people who are like.... too nice to be true, it’s weird to her. 

Currently, she’s in the works of creating an album. 

connections?

i could go for anything tbh but i’d like some

familial connections, cousins, half siblings, uncle, aunt, etc. 

exes, hookups, 

friends, best friends, bad influences. 

confidant, etc. yeah lol. 

[optimistic-royal]

Maiden from Nowhere

a chapter from Solteira, seven deadly sins fanfic. another abandoned story. unpublished. warning: another cringe. earlier work than Trueheart Lily.

Emmanuel was sitting on the couch in the living room, rubbing her hands together, a habit of hers. She was getting restless and worried, because her daughter has still not arrived home. She looked at the time.

6:23 pm.

She should be at home right now, she thought. She figured that she should be at home by five but still she doesn't know, because she's always away from home (Teresa once showed her schedule to her.) She also figured that she also have friends to hang out. Emmanuel doesn't want her daughter to be lonely, she even thank Teresa's friends, Paula and Sam for taking care of her. She also know that the rumor had reached to her school and her daughter's friend, Paula filled her in that she is starting to get passive, rarely talks, and always left out. Alienated. She got worried when she said that, thinking what she should do. And also Emmanuel's employer is starting to go bankrupt, making her even more worried, thinking what happened to her family when they run out of money. All this thinking gave her wrinkles and made her feel old. Her husband also told her that his boss is also started to bankrupt too. Emmanuel runs her hand to her face, thinking. Thinking why bad lucks is always coming towards them one-by-one and currently Emmanuel is pregnant. They need more money for the second child of the household. She looked at the time again.

6:57 pm.

Teresa, where are you? She closed her eyes and collapsed at the couch then put her arm across her eyes. She took a deep breath before exhale it as her eyes slowly fluttered close as she slowly goes to her dreamland....

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Her eyes instantly flew open, didn't even bother to sat up, she just fled towards the door, expecting her daughter -- or her husband -- standing behind the door. She smiled and opened the door.

"Are you Theresita Javier's mother, Emmanuel Jane Javier?"

Eh? Her smile froze in her face, shocked that the person in front is not her daughter neither her husband. A police officer was standing before her.

"Ma'am?" The officer said, concerned. Emmanuel was standing frozen in her feet before she snapped out.

"Oh, Sir Officer. Sorry, I didn't quite catch that. What did you say?" She asked the officer. He cleared his throat.

"Let me say it again, are you Theresita's mother, Emmanuel Jane Javier?" The officer said the words as Emmanuel bobbed her head.

"Yes, I am. Did something happened to my daughter?" The officer took a deep breath and exhale then rubbed his face. It seemed to be his nervous habit.

"Unfortunately, ma'am," he said slowly, "your daughter was found bloodied, in the halls of the school. She was found by guard who was patrolling and she was immediately brought to nearby hospital but unfortunately ma'am, she was already dead. Dead on arrival."

Emmanuel listened to him, wide eyes. His words slowly sunked into her head then into her heart. Tears gathered in her eyes, her heart constrict at the heavy pain.

No way, she thought. This morning, she was lively, she even tried to help me. A sob escaped from her chest to her mouth. I even walked with her to her school. Tears streamed to her face. She even thank my compliment.

"As one of the student of this school, I'd like to thank you for the lovely compliment."

"You sure are generous, Teresa."

Her last moments with her daughter. A gate painted black with a tint of blue. Two person standing in front of it. Mother and daughter. Observing the school. Four floors painted blue like her daughter's vest. Private Christian School. It says in the top floor.

Hope you will have a good day, my dear.

The last words. Good day. The words when she left her school.

Good day.

Her legs gave out before her, startling the officer. She leaned at the door for support, the officer kneeled before her, dipping his head.

"I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am.

Emmanuel just sobbed, grieving the death of her daughter. She leaned for support, doesn't have enough strength to stand up. The officer looked at her in pity, his green eyes staring at her form. A mother grieving at her daughter's death, he thought. He helped her stand up and they go to the living room. He noticed she was defenseless in that state as he laid her on the couch. He walked towards the door before he took one last glance to Emmanuel who is still sobbing as he closed the door.

____

7:01 pm.

Sam looked at the time before she turned her attention to her laptop. She was playing a multi-player website game called Wartune(1). For some reason, Teresa is still not online, the system would notify her if she's online like 'Terequette is online." Terequette is the name of her character in the game, she even told her that her name sounds like a food. Coqueutte. But Paula also imitate her name style and name her character "Paulette" much to her horror. And also "Paulette" is online in the game. Sometimes they 'whispered' each other. 'Whisper' means PM or private message. She noticed the heart flickering. She hovered the arrow to it and noticed it was "Paulette" that message her. She clicked it and read the message.

"Something bad happen."

"Wat?"

"I even can't believe it."

"Wat? Wat r u trying 2 say?"

"Teresa died."

Sam's eyes widened.

"... R u joking?"

"I'm not."

"R u sure?"

"Yes."

Sam leaned back from her laptop, covering her face. She can't believe it. Teresa died. How dare Paula can simply type it. Then she remembered, I even can't believe it. She blinked. Wait, where did she heard it. Don't tell me, she heard it from the rumors.She immediately went to her laptop and type.

"Where dd u heard it?"

"From Aunt Emma."

Sam leaned back again after she confirmed it. No way, she thought. There's no way she would die. She let out a shaky breath, easing the pain from her heart. Sam is not the type who cry easily. She is made of steel, that's what people say. Strangely, she get along with Teresa who is like her. They are not the type of person who cries so easily. Even if it was a dead relative, grandmother, or their parents. When Sam finally knows that Paula and her are sisters, she didn't cry instead she just watch Paula cry in happiness, hugging her while she hugged her back. She didn't know why she can't cry or feel emotion at all. But Teresa was the first one who realized this. It's because they are tired. Too tired to cry, because of their life. Their wretched life they had in our lives. Too tired. Very tired.

Very very tired.

For the first time of her life, she felt a twinge in her heart as tears gathered in her eyes.

Please not her...Don't let her die.

Too late.

___

"No way..."

Was all Rose can say. She can't believe what she just heard. Teresa died? That's impossible...! She just stood there, frozen at the news. Her boyfriend beside her, Wesley covered his face, possibly grieving at her death. Teresa's death affected both of them. They thought she was the kindest person they met. She was a rare one. Teresa doesn't judge by their appearance and their personality. She's a kind of person who only saw a good thing of every people. Teresa trusted them. And they trusted her in return but now? She's gone. Gone for good.

They even saw her in Voyage with her friends. But she fell asleep and left her. What a good friends she had. Rose thought at that time. They neared her and tried to wake her up but no response. After many attempts, they gave up and left her while giving advice to the Voyage employees to wake her when classes are over. They just scowled. They scowled in return. They never thought that was last moment they saw her alive and sleeping.

You've got to be kidding me...

Was all they can thought, grieving.

___

8:00 pm.

"No! No...! Gyaahhh...! NOOOOO!"Michael screamed through his headset when his character died in a duel with Piolo's character. Piolo's laughter can be heard in the other side.

"Nyahaha! The Great Meolo-sama can't be beaten by lowlives like you! Nyahaha!"

Meolo. That was Piolo's character name in Aura Kingdom(2). Mayla was Michaels'. Michael's gender character in the game was female while Piolo was male. He even suggested that they should get married(3) in the game, to Michael's disgust. He keep refusing at the suggestion and Piolo even said that it was just a game. He finally gave up after many persuation. And currently they were dueling each other.And they were a married couple.

In the game.

And yes, he just called him a lowlife even though they are married.In the game.

In the game.

"Don't be in denial, babe."

"Shut up."

"Aww, babe is angry."

"Shut your mouth."

"Bae."

"Shut up."

He heard Piolo laughed at the other side when he felt his phone vibrates and pull it out. It was Wesley's text.

'Gud eve. R u still playin?'

He typed his reply.

'Ya.''R u good?

'Michael frowned.

'Ya. Y?'

"I have bad news."

"Wht s it?"

Wesley took a while to reply back.

"Theresita Javier died."

Michael's eyes widened. What...?

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope."

He took a breathe as he leaned back. He covered his face while blinking back. Teresa. Terry. Theresita. How could you...? He removed his headphones and put aside it aside. He walked over to his bed and laid down, his arms over his eyes. I wonder why? He thought. Ever since Wesley had talk about this girl, he can't shut his cousin's mouth, he just let him talked and half-listened to him. Michael got curious and talk to her and after that they formed a love-hate friendship to each other. Others mistaken this as love-hate relationship but they didn't deny it since they had a growing feelings to each other.

Or maybe one-sided.

On his part.

He doesn't know if Teresa also felt the same way. And he just assumed that she didn't like him that way since they only had friendly bond. He's okay with it, as long as he is beside her. Even if it's only that, it's okay.

On his part.

Why? He thought. Why her of all people? It's not like he wanted other people to die in her place, he just wondered why people had to die, why does human life had to wither away? Why? This made him wonder again why people was born in this world when people still had die.

Is this what they call equivalent price?

Someone had to die by sacrificing themselves so that someone had to live?Is this our punishment?

Live and die?

What is the purpose?

Then he remembered Jesus, who sacrificed himself for the other people even though he didn't do the sin. He accepted the sin that he didn't commit. And he was punished at the sin he didn't commit. He died at the sin he didn't commit but his soul was revived in three days and descended to heaven and became the right hand of God. Michael looked up, ignoring the sounds coming from the headphone and wondered.

Who was the left hand of God?

Why does He still needed hands even though God has his own?

And

I wonder if Teresa was now in heaven?

Michael later prayed to the God, wondering if he offended the God after thinking all those things.

And he prayed for Teresa's soul and happiness in afterlife.

Please protect her.

___

"Different reactions. Different people. Every people in this world are all good, but also they were the one who created the 'bad' people by foreshadowing the 'good'. There is no darkness in this world because we always find a way to find the 'light'. There is no coldness in this world, because 'coldness' is part of the 'warmness', according to science. Now let me tell you, do you believe that God exist?"

"Yes." Teresa answered.

"Yes." Mr. Valkurza repeated. "But what is the evidence that God does exist?"

Teresa frowned.

"You don't have any evidences, right? According to Science, a thing that you can't see, touch, feel, and smell doesn't exist. How can you identify that God does exist?"

Teresa felt lost.

"Let me set you an example. Now look at me."

She looked at him.

"Now..." Mr. Valkurza said. "Can you see my brain?"

She looked at him incredulously. She shook her head.

"Then why did you believe me when you can't actually see my brain?"

That made her thought.

"This is why we believe in God because we just believe that he existed and we trusted him in our lives."

Teresa nodded when she understands her principal as she stands up. She dusted herself before she talked.

"What's the point of telling me this when you're real purpose is to collect my soul?"

'Mr. Valkurza' smirked as his black suit turned into a hooded cloak.

"Don't just assume that it's only you that I have to collect. There many others to work for."

Teresa raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really? If you had 'others to work for', why are you here?"

The Grim Reaper sighs.

"I'm here to give you a good news."

"Oh?"

He sighs again.

"Though it did quite disappoint me that I have no chance to collect your soul and deliver it to the Judgement Room because unfortunately, the heavens have already judge you."

Teresa was very confused.

"Huh?"

"While you're still alive, the heavens already decided what will be your fate if you died and this is their decision."

He took a deep breathe.

"They decided to let you live again but not in Earth but in other world."

"Wait! What?! Why did they want me--"

"And I will transport you there, as in right now!"

"Right now??!!"

"Yes and you should be grateful."

A magic circle appeared on Teresa's feet, startling her.

"That the heavens gave you another chance."

She was dragged down inside the magic circle, sucking her and it disappeared when she was completely sucked down.

___

The students of Private Christian College has been wary ever since the death of their schoolmate, Maria Theresita Hope Javier. The parents was also wary for their daughters and sons especially that the killer was still on the loose. What keeps them even more wary is that the unexpected happenings. The dead body of Maria Theresa Hope Javier had disappeared at the hospital, others just assume that the body was stolen, but that wasn't possible. Because the principal of the Private Christian School was always watching over of her body at the hospital, never left his spot at all.

Always.

Context: yeah, my OC died in the first chapter. This is taken from Chapter 2: Second Chance, showing the reactions of her friends and those who know her.

[wildlyfamousmusic]

Another response to WebWielding on a video from YaBoiZack

The game that 100% of everyone except for 1 guy adores and praises as the greatest version of Spider-Man of the modern age…is less good than Zdarsky’s fanfiction. Oh boy. I can’t wait to hear this…. - So the PS4 game is bad because they didn’t recreate literally every street of a real life city inside a computer game? Specifically they did not recreate HIS old apartment??????? Um….that’s some weird ass criteria there. - “It’s not really New York city” shockingly NYC DOESN’T exist within the confines of your hard drive or TV set! - Oh Noes they didn’t perfectly recreate the Empire State Building probably due to some legal issues. this means the game sucks and the story about Russia launching nukes on the USA that doesn’t result in Armageddon is obviously better - This guy admits he got 20 mins into the game play and gave up but on that basis he’s claiming Zdarsky’s fanfiction is better - You know I’ve heard someone (who’s a total fucking asshole admittedly) who comes from NYC praise this game whilst admitting it’s not 100% accurate. It’s ALMOST like the accuracy of the architecture of the game doesn’t matter to the quality of the game play as you want to swing around and be Spider-Man. - Also this game gets shit for inaccuracies to the real life NYC but Spider-Man 2 from 2004 doesn’t? - He’s swinging around and he has to fight generic hostage takers…um…how about you DON’T do those missions if you don’t want to??????? - BTW we are over 2 and a half minutes into this video and we’ve been insulting Spidey PS4 and not mentioned Life Story more than once. - Skip ahead to over 5 minutes in, he’s started talking about the comic but has now regressed back into yelling about the game. FFS talk about the comic so I can explain how wrong you are! - Did he just point to Stark and refer to him as Peter? - “Very good story” isn’t it nice that we have a 14+ minute video about Life Story that shows and tells us little beyond taking his word that it’s better than the PS4 game he barely played because he couldn’t visit his old apartment? - …Did…did this clown just genuinely say he fell for the trick that Peter Parker was a clone and Ben Reilly was the real Spider-Man….in a story remaking old stories? Like does he not know this happened before and was always a trick????????? This is like watching the ASM movie and lauding the twist that the guy Peter let go killed Uncle Ben when you’ve already seen Spider-Man 2002! - This guy likes to sit in a movie theatre in such a way that the screen fills his line of vision so he can’t properly see the full screen. Well that explains a lot. And not that doesn’t mean you should be fooled by literally the most infamous thing in Spider-Man besides One More Day, the thing everyone knows about - Yes. It’s just freakin fantastic how SPIDER-Man throws away his RESPONSIBILIIES! Jesus! - Zdarsky has grown a lot in 2 years. He’s grown worse - If LF is the result of Zdarsky taking criticism into account then he must’ve developed amnesia as the same problems plaguing Spec plagued this shitty series - “This is a classic” a remake of a 90s story is a classic? Okay.....So....I get that you need to have a need to respond to someone and criticize their statements. But, compared to the other people you critiqued, this is YoBoiZack. Richard C Meyer. The kind of guy you're not suppose to take seriously. Infact, some of the stuff he says is always stupid. Infact, the guy even admitted it himself. Some of his videos cannot be taken seriously. Even for worse stuff. Infact, even in his better videos, he always sometimes misinterprets some stuff. So, aside from the people you've criticized. Compared to the people you've critiqued, YaBoiZack is actually NOT the one you should take seriously. Like....At all. And I disagree with most of the things he's said. So, it's better not to take any of his stuff seriously even if you do try to find some more. However, unrelated to the PS4 game, If there is one thing I disagree with you on here,is that Zdarsky has gotten worse. No, if anything, Zdarsky improved since issue 6 with the whole SWAT Team, Saving people from danger, being competent towards his villains and the other heroes, making a villain turn to the side of good after connecting with him, helping his younger self be a more better person in life, his fight with Norman Osborn, his deal with the government chasing Teresa, him turning himself over the protect Aunt May, him giving Sandman one final moment even trying to reveal who he is as one last wish before he dies seeing that Flint had always been a more better person than the rest of his foes, the final issue of his run. Despite what you think of Life Story, there were some good things there in the middle with the first and final issue bring the best one. And despite that, his later works on Daredevil and Fantastic Four have proven to be solid and before you say anything on his story in Iron Man in Marvel Comics 1000. Let's be clear that this was a nothing story. The ones from DeConnick, Conway, Whitely, Kelly Thompson, and a few others were Way worse on story and nothing but bad filler. And really, is bad filler any better than a story about nothing? Because I rather have boring than bad and cringe any day. So,yeah.....Try not to take stuff on Zack seriously and your thing on Zdarsky is showing yet again.