#Maisie is their daughter and their little sunshine

[milkydough]

Letting go. Earrings Part 2

[mariaofdoranelle]

So I thought of a hilarious prompt and I think it might fit the fic you wrote for Rowaelin Month single parent AU - Empty Nested.

Rowan and Aelin are very much official and dating as you know 🤭 and you know their kids are happy but not when Finn and Maisie are looking for something in Rowan's bedroom and they stumble upon a box of condoms (it's not the box itself but they did not need to know the size!)

Maisie with her everlasting confidence tries to make light of the findings and says - while their parents hear - "way to go Aelin!"

Thank you so much for the prompt, Emma ❤️❤️❤️ I had the worst day today and you kinda saved me with this @thegreyj

Do You Delight in Traumatizing Your Children?

Empty Nested AU but it can be read as a oneshot too (I think)

Warnings: language, innuendos, condom box family drama

Word count: 1,2k

˜˜˜˜˜˜

Rowan woke up with a sore neck from sleeping on the couch, but his pain turned insignificant when he saw rogue rays of sunshine that peaked through the curtains illuminating Aelin’s golden hair. It cascaded down her figure a bit messy and tangled, probably from last night’s activities.

Aelin’s body started to stir above his, she’d wake up any moment now. He brushed back a strand that fell on her face and kissed the crown of her head.

In the months they’d been dating, her presence in Rowan’s life had shifted his mood in such a way that he began to think of her as his little miracle. In fact, the way he viewed the world had changed so much that Rowan could swear Aelin was the one who lit up the sun.

“Morning, Buzzard,” she greeted in her adorable sleepy voice.

He hummed, idly rubbing her shoulders. “Happy birthday, Fireheart.”

Aelin lifted her head to look up at him, smirking. “It is my birthday today, isn’t it?” she smirked. “Do you have anything planned? Because if you don’t I really want to have brunch at that new place we saw last week.”

“I have many plans about you. One of them is wrapped at my office.”

He gave her a reverent, adoring kiss, trying to show Aelin how in love he was without being called an “old sap” early in the morning. He decided to ask his daughter what that meant once, and the only thing he got was more teasing and zero explanations. Thankfully, Google always had his back.

But her joke had a twist that almost made it funny: Aelin would never admit it, but she was a “sap” as well.

Cradling his face with both of her hands, she said, “You know I don’t need plans, right? You’re the best thing I could have for my birthday.”

“Is this a love confession or an innuendo?” He had a smug smile, proud to rise up to her witty remarks.

Giggling, she rested her head on his shoulder. “Both.” And then looked up again. “I love you.”

Rowan smiled. “I love you too.”

She got up, covering herself with the blanket they got last night to watch TV.

“Prude much?”

Aelin stopped and slowly turned around. Without her or the blanket, there was nothing hiding Rowan’s bare body. Her lips parted. The pace of her breathing changed. And he knew the cause by the way her eyes roamed through his chest and landed on his erection.

The blanket fell on the floor in a heartbeat, and Aelin turned to get the condoms on his TV stand’s drawer. Rowan never thought he’d be the type of person to leave condoms in various spots of his house, but they came in really handy at a time like this.

Aelin sat on his lap first, but didn’t fight when Rowan trapped her beside him and languorously kissed her body, going downwards.

“Do you have any birthday wish, Milady?”

˜˜˜

Their brunch ended up becoming lunch, but what mattered to Aelin was having chocolate cake, so they were fine.

“Buzzard, why didn’t we get a cab?” she whined, slowly walking through the sidewalk.

“Because it’s only three blocks.”

“But I’m too full.”

Rowan chuckled and squeezed her hand.

When they neared his home, his chest filled with warmth by the sight of two blonde teenagers lying on the grass, using their backpacks as makeshift pillows. Aelin stopped dead on her tracks, an affectionate smile slowly building as her eyes glowed. She squeezed his hand, then dropped it and rushed towards them.

Turns out the kids surprised them both by staying this weekend for Aelin’s birthday. Rowan could plan as many things as he wanted, but none of them was better than spending some time with those troublemakers after so long.

Aelin went upstairs to get her place’s key so Finn could leave his things there, and the boy took it as a cue to approach Rowan.

“She seems happy. You’re okay for now.”

Rowan was used to this subtle threat already, so he ran a hand through Finn’s hair, messing it on purpose. “Come on, kiddo,” he digressed while leaving for the kitchen to get the healthy snacks that Aelin’s son loved—and she never had for herself at home.

After getting everything settled, they sat on the living room to catch up. They were talking a lot about their classes and carefully dodging their parents’s questions about parties, alcohol and drugs, but Rowan was too content to brood about that now.

Finn was showing some pictures on the TV when he noticed his phone battery was running low.

“Do you have a charger? Mine’s at mom’s.”

“Dad keeps one in the TV stand.”

He mentioned to get the charger when Aelin paled and yelled, “The left drawer!”

But it was too late.

When Finn opened the drawer, there was a large box with very visible condoms. The whole room froze, and Aelin’s son was only blinking at what he saw, not quite processing it. Unsuspecting, Maisie looked at the drawer, and that’s when the commotion began.

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

Maisie’s scream put Finn out of his trance. He backed away and faced the wall, repeatedly screaming, “EW!”

Rowan looked at Aelin, and she was gaping at the scene with flushed cheeks, probably as lost as he was.

“FINN, I’M BLIND.”

“Are you kidding me?” He turned to Maisie, yelling, “I wish I was blind!” And then he turned to his mother, finally gaining his words back. “Why is this box so big? Are you trying to repopulate Orynth?”

Aelin tilted her head. “I don’t think these would be useful for that, honey.”

Finn’s jaw went slack by his mother’s snark, and Maisie laughed, somewhere between amused and horrified. “Way to go, Aelin!”

Rowan scratched his forehead. “Look, I know this is too much, but the XL ones are never on sale, so—“

“NO!” the kids screamed in unison, and his cheeks blushed when he realized what he’d just said.

Pointing a finger at him, Maisie demanded, “Don’t you dare finishing that sentence!”

Rowan straightened his posture to look more imposing, not that it had ever worked with Maisie. “Do I need to remind you who the parent is?”

“No! You don’t get to use the dad card now! Do you delight in traumatizing your children?”

He took a deep breath. While Rowan was wondering where did Mais got that flair for the dramatic from, Aelin decided to speak. “It shouldn’t be traumatizing to you guys. In fact, we expected you to be acquainted with those already.” She gave Finn a pointed look.

Her son’s eyes went wide, and he said, “This is too much. I’m leaving.”

“And I’m fucking gay!” Maisie reminded them before following Finn out.

“But what about the STDs?” Rowan asked a second before they closed the front door.

There was a small stretch of silence while they watched the kids cross the road and enter Aelin’s house. He turned to his girlfriend and asked, “Do you think it was too hard on them?”

Aelin leaned a hand on his chest. “It was fine.” Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “They’ll be back in no time for food.”

TAG LIST

@autumnbabylon

@courtofjurdan

@elentiyawhitethorn

@goddess-aelin

@leiawritesstories

@rowanaelinn

@thegreyj

[thewickedharlot]

Today we are bringing you OUR very own tierlist of Hollywood babies. We will not be taking criticism NOR will we be adjusting this. Unfortunately, our word is law.

Now, let’s get to the babies.

FLOP babies

AJ: Our premiere flop baby has waddled his way onto the scene. Baby on Tour (aka AJ Reynolds) has taken our number one spot for the floppiest baby tier—and that’s not just because he only just learned how to hold his own head up! We know baby on tour, we LOVE baby on tour, and I think that the fact that he was brought up on Undead and Scar’s music instead of Baby Einstein means that he’ll most definitely take after Dom re: his reading level! Can’t wait for little AJ to blow his preschool class away with his own special rendition of the alphabet: ABCDEFU!

Tushie Baby #3: Oh Tushie. Coming in hot in the midst of it’s mother’s terrible and public bout of alcoholism is Tushie Baby Number 3! We expect great things from you, number 3, such as chugging tequila straight from your baby bottle, getting emancipated at 15 to escape Tushie, and going on a whirlwind adventure to finally uncover the mystery of Who’s Your Daddy. We know you’re going to be pretty jealous that won’t be included in the Barlowe will, but don’t worry! With such messy parents, we’re sure you’ll be able to make a name for yourself all your own.

Who?

Spencer Floppaport: Great, another one. Spencer mostly stays out of the spotlight, thanks most likely to her over-protective dad, Emery, the most boring of all the Rappaports. We can only hope that the apple falls far from this tree, don’t bore us, baby!

Valerie: Oops! Looks like Declan isn’t the only one saying “who?” when little Valerie is mentioned! We bet that he couldn’t pick her out of a crowd of tots at McDonald’s, despite being much older. Does he know that? Somehow, we doubt it.

Asher: Do you think his first words were “I miss Jamie?” Because same, baby, same. Under Tasha’s care, we’re sure he’ll turn out fine…..right? Right? Thankfully Iris is there to be his defacto mother seeing how Tushie is busy (if you know what we mean). Who said parentification didn’t have it’s perks!

Annie: Good Morning, Sunshine! Having Parker as a father must be rough when he seems to focus all of his time on hating Bonnie Astor instead of spending time with his kids. Did you know that you were named after a dead actress? Well, you do now. A little less “who?” and a little more “well, fuck, that’s depressing.”

You could be in a Gerber commercial, I guess.

Ozzy: Okay, so we have to be nice to this Vanglorious baby so his parents don’t come down here and beat the shit out of us. Plus, we already sort of feel bad for the kid having to be raised by Londy and Greyson, a surefire winner of the “Worst Parents Award” at his public preschool. How do we know he’s being sent to public school? Where else is he gonna put his fighting skills to use?

Oliver: Well, at least he wasn’t on tour. He’s a pretty low-key baby, but he IS pretty cute so we’ll give him that. Even though Preston Barlowe is actively going for that “cool baby with a marlboro in his mouth” by age six, we know that Maisie will be there to keep him in line (or, we hope). Put him on the cover of the next Undead album, let him get his 15 minutes!

Iris: We’ve never seen such a responsible baby in our life! We have to give it to her for raising a kid all on her own (her brother) and probably another one in the very near future. Put her in a Gerber commercial so she’s got some money to buy some formula for the new baby, because we all know miss label-less Tasha isn’t bringing it in.

We love that baby, baby!

Meadow: As the daughter of Candy Royalty and Harry Potter himself, you KNOW this baby is gonna make it big. We can only hope that Blair follows in her late father’s footsteps and gets this baby to work early, we’re dying to see Meadow be the next big thing. Watch out, Aurora!

Lainey: Okay, so you know we’re all Sagerinas here! We’re so glad that this baby survived the sniper attack that was focused on her by the Dollhouse producers. Sage didn’t call her ugly, but we could see the hesitation. We could! It’s okay Lainey, you’ll grow into your features (thanks a lot, Cole). We’re rooting for you!

Future Legend:

Aurora: The PENULTIMATE baby. The moment, the legend, the MYSTERY, miss Aurora Harper. We know better than to say anything about this star-studded baby, considering Austin’s, well, record. We expect such big things from this baby, truly, especially with a stage mom like that. Aurora Harper for president!

[radiant-reid]

Teaching and Learning

Summary: After some true bragging happens about Spencer at the hands of his daughter, her teacher is determined to find out how amazing he really is.

single dad spence goes to “bring your dad to school day” and his kid is like hyping him up to everyone, even the teacher, and he and the teacher get to flirting and kinda hit it off??? ps. clumsy was SO GOOD @whereintheworldisspencerreid

a/n: GirlDad!Spencer !! also, no maeve arc because this is happy spence

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (Fluff)

Content Warning: nothing ?

Word Count: 2.1k

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Like clockwork, Spencer was tucking in his six-year-old daughter into bed at 7:45, making sure there were no monsters before reciting a few chapters of Anne of Green Gables to her.

"Daddy, do you remember what tomorrow is?" Maisie asked, brown curls spilling out against the pillow in a way he knew would mean he had to brush out knots in the morning.

Everyone saw how much they looked alike, with the same big brown eyes that made him love his own. Maisie looked at things with the same wonder that Spencer had since he was a child, intrigued by the world. Unlike his eyes, hers hadn't known anything but innocence, and he would do everything he could to make sure they remained that way.

Spencer absolutely knew the answer to Maisie's question. If not for his flawless memory for written words and near-perfect recall of spoken words, then because he could recall everything his little girl has ever said.

Still, he thought on it for a moment, drawing out the suspense. "Hmm? Is it your birthday?" He guessed.

She pulled her head off the pillow, shaking her head. "You're silly." She giggled. It had always been the purest sound he'd ever heard, aural gold.

"Is it... the day I get to come into school with you?" Spencer asked, pretending he was guessing and that the date hadn't been circled in his calendar for weeks.

Eagerly, she nodded. "Uh-huh."

"And are you excited?" Spencer questioned. From the look on her face, he already had an answer that filled him with joy.

"Very." She replied, laying back against the bed. "You can meet Ms. L/n, who's my teacher."

He nodded, enthusiastic about meeting anyone who Maisie talked about as much as she did her new teacher. It seemed like the woman could do no wrong in the child's eyes who idolized her, and he was curious about whether or not she lived up to the praise.

"Okay, but you've got to get lots of sleep tonight, so you have enough energy." Spencer reminded her.

Maisie softly nodded, shuffling around in her bed to get comfortable. "Love you, daddy." She mumbled, eyes closing.

He leaned down to kiss her forehead, stroking her hair gently. "I love you, too, princess."

The very next morning, Spencer made sure he looked nice. He'd always felt inadequate about being a father, even though he knew families looked different. There was something about being a single father to a six-year-old at 30 that made him feel the need to prove he was a good father to other parents.

As well as getting judged by the parents, Spencer was worried about Maisie. She said things were going well at school, that she had friends and people to play with during recess, but he couldn't help thinking she lied to keep him less stressed. It was a sweet lie she was alright with telling if she could see he was anxious. He had no idea kids could make such good profilers.

"Got your water bottle, Mais?" Spencer asked her while she put her homework book into the sunshine-colored backpack Aunt Penelope had gotten her.

"Yup, and I got two snacks, so you can have one," Maisie informed him with a smile.

All morning she'd been talking about the fact they got pizza for lunch on the special day. There was nothing he loved more than seeing her excitement, how her eyes got wider as she spoke a million words a minute.

"Thank you." He replied, gathering up the rest of his things and putting them in his satchel. "Okay, get your shoes, and then we'll go."

She did just that, going off to find the black converse that matched her father's, those little mismatched socks treading across the floor. Spencer sat her on the couch, doing the laces for her not because she couldn't do them himself but because he liked doing it for her.

After they left the apartment, they were off to the elementary school. Of course, there was a stop for coffee before Maisie did some more singing in the car. Punctual as usual, they arrived right on time.

Instead of walking Maisie in and leaving her there, Spencer stayed with her in the first-grade classroom. The classroom was bright, with colorful decorations and art all over the walls. Lots of books which he liked to see, but also art supplies. He was shocked in the best way by how many friends she had. It was everything he wished he had as a kid, and if Maisie didn't have a mom, did it really matter when she was so happy?

Out of place, he stood there awkwardly while she ran around and talked to her friends. She brought them over to him, introducing them all.

"Is this your dad?" One of her friends asked before she could properly introduce them.

Proudly, Maisie nodded. "Are you the really, really smart one?" Another friend asked, tipping her head to the side like she was trying to figure out how he looked so human-like.

A quick glance at Maisie told Spencer all he needed to know. The truth was that she had most definitely been bragging about him to anyone that would listen.

"I guess." Spencer ambiguously answered, like an unsub, but instead, he was dodging questions from kids- some of which couldn't write complete sentences.

"Maisie says you know everything." A little girl claimed suspiciously. Spencer thought it fascinating such undeveloped brains were already able to question information and think critically for themselves. "Can you count by 2s?"

Ah, he should have seen that one coming. Of course, they wanted to quiz him. That was the point of 'bring your parent to school' days. "Yes," Spencer confirmed. "2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20."

They all looked incredibly impressed with his recitation. "See, I told you." Maisie beamed, happy to have proved her point. She reached out to hold his hand. "He knows all of Math. I actually think he invented it."

Her admission made him fight off a giggle. "Wanna show me the fun ways you do math?" Spencer suggested, getting ahead of the bombardment of questions he could feel coming on.

After she showed him around, Spencer got the displeasure of socializing with other adults. His awkward conversations were fraught with narratives from other parents about rumors Maisie had told- the worst thing was, most of her bragging was correct, and he was left trying to convince them he wasn't responsible for the grandiose sense of self-

Then came Ms. L/n, who was much younger than he expected. That wasn't the first thing he noticed, though. The way every childs' eyes lit up told him everything he needed to know. If brutally honest kids adored her, he trusted himself to as well.

It was almost the end of the day, and Spencer thought he got away with not talking to any other adults when Maisie pulled him over to introduce him to her favorite -and-only- teacher.

"Ms. L/n, this is my dad." She introduced the two adults who shook hands.

She wasn't at all what Spencer expected. Pretty, which wasn't a reason to like someone, but it was a fact. What he liked more was what he'd seen all day, how invested she was in each kid. She saw them as individuals, tiny humans with their own personalities instead of minds she could control.

"Spencer." Ms. L/n apparently already knew his name, but hearing it in her sweet tone made him smile. It was a tone he figured she kept just with the kids, but now he was discovering it wasn't. "I'm Y/n." She gave him her first name.

"It's nice to meet you," Spencer replied, glancing down at Maisie, who was grinning up at him while holding his hand. He knew that mischievous smile meant she was up to something, but he couldn't figure out what.

She smiled lightly at that. "You too. You're all Maisie talks about."

"Really?" He asked, more to his daughter.

Maisie's nods were vigorous. "Do you think he's handsome, Ms. L/n? That's what Aunt Penelope says."

If he had been drinking, Spencer would have spat out whatever was in his mouth, completely shocked about her directness. He was definitely going to get Penelope back for that. Y/n, on the other hand, didn't seem to be phased by the question, probably used to it. He expected her to agree with the kid without much thought, but she didn't.

Instead, she looked at Maisie before looking back up at Spencer, meeting his eyes. "Yeah, definitely." She confessed with a different type of smile on her face and heat in her cheeks.

"I'm going to play." Maisie declared, dropping Spencer's hand and leaving them in an awkward situation.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where she got her bluntness from." Spencer was quick to apologize, although he knew Maisie liked getting to the point like he did.

Y/n shook her head. "I don't mind it." He still didn't look like he believed her. "Honestly, I'm so used to it. Do you want to sit?" She was not about to miss the opportunity to get to know Maisie's dad who was far more attractive than she anticipated. Why she thought he wouldn't be gorgeous was a mystery to her.

"Yeah, I'd love to." Spencer agreed, trying to convince himself he was doing it because he wanted to get to know who Maisie spent her time with, not because he personally thought she was amazing.

Somehow, the switch from standing to sitting was awkward. Having a kid, Spencer had discovered, was like having a dog in that it was the ultimate conversation filler.

As he watched the little girl play with her friends, Y/n spoke. "I'm sure you know this, but she's amazing."

"I've got lots of support." Spencer humbly explained.

"I've heard that, too." She agreed. "But you're her hero, you know? She tells all her friends how awesome you are. Last week she couldn't stop talking about how you won some baseball game. After she told me about how smart you are, I didn't know you could be an athlete as well, Doctor."

There was something in her voice that sounded flirty, and Spencer wasn't sure if it was just her personality or if she genuinely was flirting with him.

"I'm n-not an athlete. Not at all." Spencer confessed. "Actually, I was terrible at t-ball when I was a kid."

She giggled, finding the way he talked, just like Maisie did, amusing when it came from an adult. "You hit a home run if I've not been fed false information."

Spencer wasn't sure what he'd done to deserve someone that bragged about him so much, both positively and negatively. "I did." He answered, ducking his head slightly while he blushed bright red.

"See, athlete!" She claimed, making them both laugh.

When it died down, Spencer had a much more important question. "She's okay, though? Like she has friends?"

Y/n couldn't nod fast enough. "So many, just look at her." She directed his attention away from her and back to the girl getting chased around the playground. He was quickly learning that Y/n was the type of person it was hard to look away from. "She's a joy to have in class, too, and I'm not meant to have favorites... but she definitely is."

"Thank you," Spencer said, meaning it deeply. "I worry that I'm not-"

"Don't." Y/n shook her head. "You're definitely more than enough."

He wasn't sure what else to do but smile, thankful that someone so kind was teaching Maisie. Not only was she kind to his kid, but she was also kind to him.

"I was going to say I worry that I'm not impressive enough, but I've been proven wrong." He joked, immediately earning a laugh from her.

"And you're funny, too." She added complementarity. "Maisie wasn't kidding when she said you're the perfect boyfriend."

Again, he was in complete shock. Penelope was, without a doubt, responsible. His face displayed surprise, but his brain thought of something else. Instead of apologizing like he usually would, he went for a different strategy. "To you or just in general? Because I'd prefer the former, but I'll take the latter."

"Maybe I'll tell you at your next baseball game or over coffee sometime. Maisie says you drink lots of it," Y/n suggested, flashing him a wink that made her intentions clear.

To his surprise, Spencer was equally as excited when he left the school as he was when he arrived. Maisie was slightly suspicious, even more so when Y/n showed up a few months later with a book she recognized from her father's desk

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[nugnthopkns]

i know you get deja vu

word count: 1.4k

warnings: explicit fem!reader, cursing, it's mild angst up in this b

recommended listening: deja vu | olivia rodrigo

a/n: wrote this short little ditty while avoiding my adult responsibilities lmao. it is not great but i really like the premise, maybe one day i'll do something more with it

Your eyes have to be failing you.

There’s no way he showed up, let alone with another girl – who looks shockingly similar to you. She’s a more polished, more refined version of yourself, and anger bubbles in your stomach the moment you see him walk through the door with her in tow.

When your parents informed you they’d invited Pierre-Luc to your graduation party you shrugged it off. Their reasoning was he’d been a large part of your college experience, and it was sound enough logic. You stumbled across him in a coffee shop during your freshman year and quickly fell into a romance that lasted until a few months ago. The breakup was rather brutal, though your family doesn’t know that, so you didn’t expect him to stop by your parents’ house to congratulate you on completing your degree.

Much to your distaste he does make an appearance, with who you presume to be his new girlfriend. You don’t want to stare at the pair, but you can’t help it – they look good together, possibly better than you and Pierre did. However, you notice that the young woman has on a dress that’s identical to one hanging at the back of your closest. Pierre had bought it for you when you accompanied him to France one offseason, and the thought of him replicating the trip with her crosses your mind.

Finding it too much to be in the same room as him, you excuse yourself from a conversation with some of your father’s business partners and grab your sister by the elbow on the way into the sunroom.

“What’s the matter with you?” She grumbles, upset you pulled her away from a conversation with a boy she has a tiny crush on.

“He’s here,” you whisper shout, doing your best to inconspicuously point to the culprit of your dampened spirits.

“Who?”

“Luc.”

Her expression softens, and it’s clear she feels sorry for you. “Shit. I didn’t think he was actually going to show up.”

You let out a rather strangled laugh. “Me either, but he’s here and I don’t know what to do.”

The two of you stay tucked inside for a few more moments, deriving a plan that gets your ex-boyfriend off the premises as fast as possible without him seeing you. She heads outside first, making sure to grab one of your cousins who’s obsessed with hockey on her way. Together they make a beeline for Pierre, who is beyond excited to catch up with your family. You slip through the door and into a conversation with some fellow graduates in the back corner of the yard. It isn’t interesting, just about future plans, but it keeps you occupied. You’re careful to keep you back turned and your voice low – anything to keep your existence inconspicuous.

Your sister keeps Pierre-Luc busy, chatting to him about how the playoffs went and what his goals for the offseason are. A small crowd gathers around him, mostly just extended family members who haven’t seen him in a while, and he indulges their questions with a kind smile. You can tell your luck is running out, that he’s finally going to spot you in the crowd and rush over to say whatever he came here for. The fates are cruel, and at that moment your mother calls everyone into a circle for a toast.

“I want to thank you all for coming,” she says, pulling you to stand beside her. You can tell Pierre is looking at you, but you avert your eyes and look anywhere but him. Your mother continues talking. “We’re incredibly proud of our daughter for completing her degree, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. If you’re here, we appreciate the role you played in her success. To Y/N!”

Your name is chanted like a chorus, and your eyes meet Pierre’s as he raises his glass. The intensity of his stare makes you blush, and you bury your head into your father’s shoulder, playing it off as being overcome with emotion. More toasts ensue, including one where you thank everyone for their continued support, and then the cake is cut. You try to slip inside, praying that Pierre-Luc and his date will leave, but the devil himself grabs your elbows as you open the back door.

“Congratulations,” he says softly, accent thicker then the last time you heard his voice. You can’t lie to yourself – he looks good. The sunshine has done wonders for his skin, and the tattoos peeking out from his shirt sleeve look new.

“Thank you.”

You offer nothing more to the conversation, which clearly upsets him, but he doesn’t do anything other than knit his brows together. It makes sense that you wouldn’t want to speak to him since the last time you did was the screaming match that ended your relationship. You go to make your exit, but the small girl hanging off Pierre’s side speaks.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” she smiles. “I’m Maisie. Luc talks about you a lot.”

“Pardon?” You’re caught off guard. Why would he talk about you to his new girlfriend?

The man in question shifts uncomfortably, like he’s going to get caught in a lie. “Yeah, it’s so nice that you guys are still friends.”

There it is. Saying that you split amicably is probably the only way he could convince her to attend this stupid party in the first place. “Ah,” you sigh, “Well not everyone is afforded the same luxury.”

Against your better judgement, you compliment her dress. Maisie thanks you graciously, explaining that Pierre bought it for her and once he’s cleared to leave Columbus they’ll be taking a trip to France, with a pit-stop in Portugal because she’s never been. Your insides churn, but you manage to keep a glaringly fake smile plastered on your face. The conversation shifts, and you find out that she also studies English Literature and expects to graduate next year. You laugh off all the coincidences, but it’s obvious to you and Pierre-Luc that Maisie is a substitute for the person who came before her.

“Why don’t you go get us some drinks babe?” Pierre asks, and the girl skips away after reaching on her tip-toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

You fiddle nervously with the hem of your dress, anxious to be alone with him. “It isn’t what it looks like,” he starts, but you cut him off.

“It’s exactly what it looks like Luc, and don’t you fucking dare say otherwise.”

He lets out a defeated sigh. “So what if it is? I think it’s glaringly obvious that I still love you.”

No shit you think, but you bite your tongue and say something more respectable. “I’d say so. She’s exactly like me, but hopefully she won’t mind being asked to put her whole life on hold.” There’s a bite to your tone that you can’t help, but it sets Pierre-Luc on edge.

“You can’t still be fucking on about that.”

You’re seeing red now, irate that he is still choosing to minimize your emotions. “I am! Because you asked me not to continue school, which is something I explicitly told you I wanted to do, just so I could be a more conventional NHL girlfriend. And then you broke up with me when I said I wouldn’t do it.” You inhale a deep breath before continuing. “I hope you have fun with Maisie in France. You should take her to that little café we went to, in Bordeaux, where we ate so much food we couldn’t walk back to the hotel. And I hope that every time she looks at you like you hang the moon, you remember that you’re recycling our entire relationship because you let it fall apart at the seams.”

Perhaps your emotions got the best of you, because the look on Pierre-Luc’s face is nothing short of shock. You’re taken aback too – your parents raised you better than to say hurtful things, but seeing him again brought up a myriad of things you hadn't yet dealt with. Without another word, you spin on your heel and head inside, slamming the door behind you. It shouldn’t upset you this much, after so many months, but for a reason you’re unwilling to admit to yourself it does.

You sit in the bay window of your childhood bedroom, wrapped in a blanket even though it’s the beginning of summer, and watch as Pierre-Luc presses a kiss to her forehead before thanking your parents for inviting him one last time. Just like him, every relationship you have for the rest of your life will be an attempt to replicate the love you had for Pierre – a never-ending circle of deja vu.

☼☼☼☼

taglist: @samsteel @kiedhara @tortito @boqvistsbabe @iwantahockeyhimbo @himbos-on-ice @2manytabsopen if you want to be added shoot me an ask :)

[isthisthingeven0n]

who let the kids in? : j.w

brief summary: whilst filming an episode of jeffs barbershop, jeff has an unexpected visitor, or three - his wife and kids who are filming for their family channel 

word count: 1.4k requested:  yes by a sweet anon, i hope you like it b! warnings: literally none, it’s all fluff 

* masterlistin’ / masterlistin’ 2.0

m y  e t s y  s h o p

(everything on my blog is my own writing. if it is shared on another page or website know it hasn’t been approved me unless specified. all rights reserved. - i have to start doing this as I had some shit on my other blog with plagiarism)

DO NOT STEAL MY WORK - IT IS ALL MY OWN WRITING

“Mommy, mommy!” You rolled over as you felt a tug on the blanket barely covering your legs. “Mommy, I’m hungry.” 

Opening your eyes, a yawn left your lips as you sat upright, seeing Jeff fast asleep beside you with the majority of the blanket over him. 

“Hey sweetie,” You smile brightly, trying to fight back the urge to lie down as you swing your legs over the egde of the bed whilst your daughter giggles. “fancy some breakfast, huh?” 

Your little girl holds her hand out for you to take as you follow her out from your bedroom, leaving your husband to sleep in as you head down the stairs and into the kitchen. 

“What’d you feel like this morning then Maisie?” You kneel down to your daughters level, her brunette hair losely tied back with a scrunchie as she sways from side to side. 

Following her gaze, she points over to the box of coco pops. “Can I have those, please?” She asks so sweetly it melts your heart. 

As you prepare her breakfast, you hum to yourself. “Looks like you started the day without us?” Jeff walks in with your son in his arms, cradling his head against his shoulder. 

“Daddy!” Maisie abandons her breakfast as she runs over to Jeff, wrapping her arms around his legs. 

“You gonna say hi to your brother?” Jeff asks as he kneels down, shifting Jasper to face Maisie who gently reaches out for Jaspers closed palm. 

“Hi, Jaspy.” She whispers, unaware of you filming snippets of these moments for your channel. “Come on, Mommys making breakfast!” Maisie looks up to Jeff who raises an eyebrow as he rises to his feet, walking over to kiss you good morning. 

“When did you get up?” Jeff asks you as he sets Jasper down in his cot, cooing him as he squirms momentarily. 

A loud yawn leaves your lips as Jeff glances over his shoulder, chuckling to you. “About 6? Maisie came in wanting breakfast and you looked so sleepy.” You admit as you wrap your arms around Jeff’s waist, resting your head on his chest as you feel his chest rise and fall with laughter.

“Last nights activities wore me out, babe.” He whispers, unaware of you rolling your eyes before pulling away. “Are you alright to go to the park without me today?” 

You nod in response, heading over to the coffee machine. “You shooting today?” 

Passing Jeff a coffee, he inhales the steam. “Yeah, we’re doing American Psycho, few different guests coming in.” Jeff explains as you take your own coffee, enjoying the brief moment of quiet whilst Maisie eats her breakfast and Jasper naps. 

And before you can close your eyes and enjoy the peace, Jasper begins to cry and Maisie has finished her breakfast, holding the bowl up above her head to prove it’s empty. “No, Maisie!” Jeff is too slow to move as droplets of milk land in Maisie’s hair, and she starts crying. “Oh baby, there’s no point crying over some spilt milk.” He sighs, picking her up whilst you go see to Jasper. 

Swaying gently with Jasper in your arms, you glance around at the clock. “Jeff,” You speak up as Jeff rises the last of the milk from Maisie’s hair. “you gotta go ready, you can’t be late to your own show.” You remind him as he wears a guilty expression. 

“Are you,” He doesn’t even have to finish as you nod, waving him off. “thank you, babe.” He kisses you sweetly before rushing up the stairs whilst you pick up your camera, stopping the recording for the meantime whilst you get the kids ready for the day ahead. 

*

“Is Daddy working, Mommy?” Maisie asks as you walk with the pushchair in front of you, Maisie standing on the platform at the back whilst the cover is concealing Jasper from the bright sunshine. 

Nearing the park, you can see kids already playing and laughing. “He is sweetie, that’s why Nerf isn’t joining us on our outting today.” You explain. 

See, Maisie doesn’t fully understand what you and Jeff do for work. All she understands is that Jeff goes off to film things whilst you’re able to film at home most of the time alongside him. Your YouTube channel isn’t the typical family vlogging type, you include snippets of your kids within your day instead of having it revolve around them. 

“Could we go visit Daddy after we play?” Maisie suggests as you push open the gate and she climbs down. 

You pause for a moment, wondering if the content Jeff will be filming is something Maisie could see or not. Then again, she’s been on set when Jeff films countless times, and all the crew love her and Jasper, but then again some are too high to fully notice. 

“We’ll see, baby.” You tell her as she runs off, leaving you with Jasper as you take a seat on a bench with your laptop, importing footage to roughly edit whilst Maisie plays in the enclosed park. 

An hour passes by and you check your phone, seeing Jeff has texted you to say he’s almost finishing filming for the day. 

“Mais, come on baby!” You call out as Maisie waves to some friends she made whilst you sort Jasper out as she skips over to you with a bright smile, her eyes glowing just like her Dad’s. 

“Can we go see Daddy now?” Maisie asks once more, and you nod, knowing you can’t so not to her, and Jeff will have a harder time saying no to his little girl. 

*

“Okay, but you gotta be quiet, yeah?” You mumble to Maisie as you stand in the lift and she nods, pressing her finger to her lips and shushes herself whilst you take your camera out. 

As you exit the lift, your conversation seems to have left Maisie’s mind as she runs across the corridor to the front door. She knocks loudly, and before you can catch up with the pram, the door opens and Maisie is in. 

“What the?” You struggle to hold your smile as you peer through the front door, seeing Jeff stood covered in fake blood whilst Maisie is at his feet, gripping his legs. 

“Hi Daddy,” Maisie giggles. “you look funny.” 

“Who let my kid in?” Jeff calls out, looking to the crew who shrug their shoulders. 

“Might’ve been me.” Jonah admits, holding his hand up whilst Scott remains seated, looking at your daughter as he waves sweetly to her. 

Walking in, you smile sheepishly as one of the cameras is facing you. “Hey, babe.” You speak up as you lift Jasper from his pram, walking over and your eyes widen at the sight you’re greeted with. “What the actual fluff?” You ask, covering your mouth with one hand whilst the other cradles Jasper. 

“It’s American Psycho baby, gotta go all or nothing.” Jeff holds his hands up in defence whilst you chuckle. 

“Hey Scott,” You wave and Scott nods to you. 

“Want me to mind Jasper for a minute?” Scott suggests and you nod gratefully, passing your son across to one of his many Uncles as Scott hums one of his tunes to your son. 

“Daddy,” Maisie holds her arms up to Jeff, making those grabby hands. 

“Oh come on, princess.” Jeff chuckles as he bends down, picking Maisie up as you go to protest, watching as her dress is covered in fake blood. “Oh,” Jeff sighs, realising what has happened as you huff.

“Jeff,” You drag his name out, yet Maisie giggles at the marks covering her pink dress. 

“Mommy I’m just like Daddy!” Maisie states proudly, and Jeff raises an eyebrow to you. 

“You got all this, right?” You glance over your shoulder to Jonah who nods, having taken your camera once you came in as Jasper woke up. 

“Wanna go sort Jasper out whilst I wrap up?” Jeff suggests and you nod. 

“Come on Mais,” You call out, but Jeff shakes his head. “you can’t finish filming with Maisie covered in fake blood, the media will have a field day, Jeff.” You remind him as you hold your hand out and he lowers Maisie back to the ground. 

“Go on, go to Mommy, sweetie.” Jeff motions to Maisie as she rushes over to your side. “I love you babe!” Jeff calls out sheepishly as you chuckle, walking away from the set. 

“I love you too.” You call out, sometimes wondering what you got yourself into all those years ago. 

[crystxlclear]

sudden desire

chapter two: coffee times ten

part three of sudden desire

prologue / one / masterlist

in which two best friends won’t admit they’re in love so decide to have a baby together instead.

pairing: marcus pike x original female character

summary: coffee, coffee and more coffee. coraline ropes marcus into babysitting duties.

word count: 4.4k

warnings: the slightest smidge of angst? boyfriend material marcus (needs his own warning because he’s soft af), mentions of divorce? mentions of pregnancy? two idiots being domestic af without realising it. honestly i’m just pulling these warnings out of my ass idk what counts anymore

author’s note: sorry if there’s any errors, i’m honestly the world’s worst proofreader (last time i went to post this, there were still passages from when this wasn’t fanfiction and marcus was an actor like cora, cause that would have made total sense!) but also i get super hypercritical so it’s best if i just don’t read and reread my work oops... anyway, enjoy!

Monday morning comes and she’s wearing the dress that he likes. It's the yellow one she wore the day they met, the reason he calls her sunshine, and she smiles as she sweeps effortlessly into the coffee shop. Coraline pushes the sunglasses she's wearing up onto her head and greets him with a hug and a small 'hello' muffled against his shoulder. 

It's only January but the sun still seeps in too brightly through the shop's thatched windows; it casts her in a halo of gold as she sits in the armchair across from him. Even despite the warmth pooling in the air, he can tell she's still cold, from the way her shoulders shrink inwards and she wraps her arms around herself. If she is cold, she doesn't let him know, just takes a moment to run her hands up her arms before wrapping them around the mug of coffee he'd ordered her. He'd told her to go see someone about it — constant chills aren't exactly normal — but she'd refused, brushing off his concern with a simple shrug of her shoulders and an insistence that she'd be fine. She'd also pointed out that it was, in fact, January and it was meant to be cold, even if it wasn't. It still hasn't stopped him from worrying, though. 

"You left early last night." He points out. Last night, some high-end gallery opening in downtown D.C., too many cameras and far too many people. He’d invited her as his plus one, purely platonically, of course, and because he knew she was the only friend he had that liked art just as much as he did, though she hadn't wanted to go. He hadn't blamed her, especially when they’d got there; Coraline's ex, Scott, and his new girlfriend had shown up, apparently friends with the gallery owner, their hands a little too wandering. If his ex and their new partner showed up, flouting their relationship in front of him, he'd be pretty upset and reluctant to go, too. He’d managed to persuade her to come the night before, albeit through incessant nagging, so much so that he thinks she probably only relented to shut him up. Though, looking back at it now, he wishes they had just stayed at home.

Coraline hums into her coffee cup. Her brown hair still falls in loose, half-styled curls around her face; she tucks a little behind her ear. "I was tired. My bed was calling," she insists with a bright smile. 

He doesn't entirely believe her, even though she's a pretty great actress and, consequently, just as good at hiding how she really feels. Because he knows she saw them last night. It was hard not to; a cramped room like that gave you no place to hide, and they weren't exactly being subtle. He saw the way she'd shuffle uncomfortably then their laughter would filter through the quiet space, soft but still piercing. Marcus was convinced that they were doing it on purpose, especially when he caught Scott stealing glances from across the room whenever he thought no one was looking. He was trying to get a reaction and, being as graceful as she was, she hadn't given him that, even if she had spent the entire night with her brows furrowed and wearing a smile he could tell was fake.

He watches her curiously; the way she sips her coffee slowly, how her hair curls softly against her neck, the gentle curve of her pink lips that seems permenant around him. But he’s never been the most subtle, at least, not around her. She notices him staring, gaze lingering for far too long over the gentle contours of her face, and their eyes meet for a second; they're immediately lit by another even brighter smile that pulls across her glossed lips. "What?" She questions. Her cheeks always flush pink whenever he looks at her for longer than a moment. 

He shakes his head, returning her smile, perhaps a little too enthusiastically when his teeth peak through a little. "Nothing, I just-" I just want you to be happy, he thinks. But he doesn't say it, because she must know that already, and just shakes his head. "Nothing." He repeats. 

"You're staring."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are." She chuckles, poking his leg with the toe of her boot. “Why are you staring?”

"Cora, I'm not staring."

He is staring. He can't help it. Especially when she smiles. 

She regards him for a second. Sometimes, he wonders if she can read his mind, given the way her eyes trace over his face like she's reading a book. Truthfully, he wouldn’t mind if she did read his mind. "I'm fine." She answers the unspoken question lingering thick in the air. The real reason he's looking at her like he is. A laugh lilts at the edges of her insistence and he can tell that she's lying; there's a furrow pulling at her eyebrows that gives her away. He’s learned to look for it. "Why wouldn't I be?" She knows exactly why. But it seems like that's all they talk about, how she is. And she doesn't want to anymore. She's fine. 

Because your ex-husband spent the entire night trying to make you jealous, he wants to say. But he doesn't. He leaves it alone.

Marcus leant back in his chair. He doesn't push it. "No reason." 

Coraline peers at him over the top of her coffee cup — it's almost too big for her hands — but she doesn't press it further, even if she does raise her eyebrows a little. Or, at least, she doesn't get a chance too, because someone is calling out to her from across the coffee shop. "No reason." She repeats with a soft hum. 

She peels her eyes away from Marcus, almost like it's some great hardship to stop looking at him, and turns her smile towards whoever had called her name. He recognises her as Loren Hull, Coraline's childhood best friend, struggling to push through the door with a stroller, even as someone holds the door open for her and another helps her inside. 

Coraline watches with amusement as Loren teeters towards them. "How are you?" She asks as she hugs her. Her attention switches towards the gurgling baby in the stroller; she was chewing on a toy, far too preoccupied to pay attention to anything that was going on around her. That was until she catches sight of Coraline and cries out with glee. "And how's my favourite goddaughter?" She coos. 

Loren huffs out a groan. Her blonde hair is tied haphazardly on top of her head, curls spilling out at either side, falling into her face. There are dark circles beneath her green eyes. "She's great-" She grins down at her daughter for a moment before her head throws back. "But I'm exhausted." She's talking far too fast, the words falling from her mouth, in the same way, an almost nonsensical rambling might. It's almost like she thinks that, if she doesn't talk fast, she'll never be able to get the words out. "I can't stay long- oh, hey, Marcus-" It's like in her hurry and she hasn't noticed he's there until now. He doesn't blame her; Coraline has mentioned that she's still getting to grips with being a single mom. "-but I need coffee otherwise I'm going to pass out."

Coraline is grinning down at Loren's daughter, Maisie, whispering soft 'hello's at her, completely distracted by the baby who seemed just as captivated. The baby giggles and reaches for Cora's fingers, kicking her legs excitedly under the pink blanket. "I could look after her tonight if you need some rest." Her eyes don't leave Maisie, who's tiny fingers wrap tightly around Coraline's pointer finger. Half of him wonders if she'd actually meant to offer her help or if the whispers had come out before she had chance to think them through. 

"You could?" Loren's face lights up with relief. 

"Of course!" Cora's eyes come to rest on Marcus. "Would you mind?" 

"Not at all." He shoots her a smile. They're meant to be seeing a movie. It's some horror film he's never heard of; he isn't a massive fan of horror but Coraline had wanted to see it — it had something to do with her and her father watching horror films together when she was younger, even if they were terrible and laughably cheesy — and had managed to persuade him the night before at the gala, when they were both a little too tipsy and he was trying his best to distract her as Scott's lips dragged over his new girlfriend's neck. He'd glanced up every now and then, just to see if she was watching them. Luckily, she never was. 

"Oh, you're a lifesaver." Loren exhales, like she's been underwater for months and her head has only just poked above the surface. "Both of you." She turns to Marcus and flashes him a bright but exhausted smile. 

"What are best friend's for?" Cora chuckles as Loren pulls away to order her drink. "Drop her off later."

"I'll be by at seven," she announces as she grabs her drink, backing the stroller out of the coffee shop with decidedly more grace than when she'd entered. Patrons part the way for her and she murmurs a 'sorry' at everyone she passes or accidentally whacks with her nappy bag. 

Coraline's eyes linger on the baby for a few moments longer as they leave; her expression flickers, softening, like she's considering something, like she's plagued by conflict. Coraline taps her fingers on the table, perfect pale pink nails rapping a steady beat against the wood. Eventually, her eyebrows furrow and she draws back into herself, like realisation has hit and she's snapped herself back to reality. 

"Are you sure you don't mind? You can find something else to do, you don't have to become a pro bono babysitter with me." She wants him to help her out. She really does. She tries not to let the hopeful glint reach her eyes.

But she feels especially bad because Marcus rarely has days off. It's a rare Sunday when he's in between cases and hasn’t been dragged in on a weekend. And she's dragging him along to look after a baby he's never even met before. 

He shakes his head. "Why would I mind?" He gets to spend time with her. He enjoys her company too much to turn her down.

She shrugs and takes another sip of her drink. He can tell by the way that she scowls that it's gone a little cold. He doesn't know how she drinks it, anyway. There's too much caramel — it was far too sweet — but she seemed to like it and he'd seen her tired self go through three in an hour before. "Changing diapers isn't exactly a thrilling pastime."

"I'm sure I'll live."

Coraline pushes herself to her feet. A breeze ruffles the skirt of her dress, billowing the pale yellow fabric against her knees like it had a mind of its own. She finishes off the last drops of her drink and sighs. "Well, then, we’re going to need some more coffee."

...

Coraline has been rushing around her apartment for most of the day. She isn't sure if she's nervous or if she just has too much caffeine buzzing through her veins. Perhaps it's both. She's not even aware of her surroundings, only that Marcus has been sitting on the couch trying to get her to relax for the past hour and she's fussed meticulously over every square inch of her apartment at least three times. She just needs to keep her hands busy. 

"Cora, she's a baby." He chuckles as Coraline scowls at the magazines on the coffee table. She bends down to straighten them, huffing out an inpatient breath as she does so. "She's not going to care what your apartment looks like."

She ignores him, turning swiftly on her heels to straighten out the woollen throw draping over her couch. "Relax," Marcus insists. He watches her with concern as she pauses, sucks in a shallow breath and turns to slump down against the opposite end of the couch. Her head falls back against the cushions. "What's wrong?"

"It's just-" She doesn't even know what she means to say. She doesn't really have an explanation for it — why she's frantically rushing around her apartment trying to keep her mind off Maisie and the babysitting job she'd found herself — so she doesn't bother offering one. Maybe it's because all she can think about is how much she'd wanted a baby when she was with Scott and how she has no idea what she wants anymore, now that he's gone and she's alone again. Everything's so confusing now; she can barely bring herself to think about it. It just doesn't make sense. Coraline tells Marcus a lot of things (he probably knows more about her than Loren does, and they'd been best friends since they were six) but some things just weren't for sharing. Maybe he already knows. She hopes he does, it would make things much easier, and then she doesn’t have to bite back pointless tears when she eventually tells him. 

Coraline lets out an overly-dramatic sigh and turns her head towards Marcus. He's still watching her, brown eyes softer now. He smiles and she shakes her head to clear away the thoughts. "I'm glad you're here, you know," she admits. Her eyes drag back up to the ceiling. 

"Of course you are. You'd never survive without me." He quips. 

"Oh, sure. How I ever managed to live twenty-eight years without you, I'll never know."

Marcus' eyes crease at the corner as he laughs a little at his joke. "I know you'll be good at this whole baby thing." She lulls her head to the side to watch him; she shuffles against her hip, resting her cheek against the dimpled green couch cushion and watches him as his dark eyes light up. In the time that she's known him, barely even six months, though it seems like far longer, she can only think of a handful of times when she'd seen him without a smile. Even then, most of those were after a long day of paperwork, and she could usually make him smile after a few minutes of prodding at him to tell her what's wrong. 

"I have work early tomorrow." Coraline points out. "This was a bad idea. I should be sleeping."

"Well, you did offer.”

"I know, and it was a terrible idea." She sighs. "Y’know, I think Maisie hates me."

"Maisie is a baby, Cora."

"Babies still have feelings, Marcus."

He chuckles. "She loves you, don't be ridiculous."

His words are punctuated by a knock on the door. It's almost frantic, like whoever's on the other side's intentions are urgent. Coraline groans a little as she stands up; she knows exactly who it is and she drags her feet towards the door, trying her best to push past her concern. She lowers her head to the door's peephole before yanking it open. She has a wide grin on her face when she greets Loren and Maisie. "Good evening." Her voice is lilting, soft and bright and cheerful, like Marcus is used to hearing. It makes him smile, the way she's gone from a worry that seemed to be spreading rapidly through her back to her bright self. He's never seen her so panicked, even around her ex; she's normally so laid back and relaxed. 

Coraline pulls the door open a little further before sweeping Maisie and her stroller inside. Loren murmurs that she's asleep and Cora starts to rock the stroller back and forth, trying her best to keep the baby asleep for as long as she can. It gave her time to regain her scattered composure. Marcus pushes himself up from the armchair he'd been reclined in and sweeps over to take Maisie from Coraline and away from the entryway. 

"Oh-" It startles her a little, when his hands reach out and fingers accidentally brush over her wrist. "Thank you." She smiles at him softly as he backs the stroller out into the living room. 

"Marcus is here?" Loren's eyes light up and a grin pulls at her lips when he falls out of earshot. Her eyebrows raise playfully. 

"Yes."

Her grin only widens. "Are you on a date?"

"No." Coraline scoffs. 

Loren doesn't seem to be giving up and she certainly doesn't believe her. She never does, not usually. She seems to have convinced herself that Cora and Marcus are in love or secretly dating, or both. "This is a date, isn't it?"

"It's not a date, Loren." Cora rolls her eyes but she can't help but smile. She tried to conceal it but she can't stifle the way her corners quirk upwards. It's most definitely not a date — that had ever even crossed her mind — and it's just hilarious how Loren seems to be convinced that her oldest friend is harbouring a secret affection for her best friend. She looks between them both with a glint in her blue eyes, like she knows something they don't and she's just waiting for them to figure it out. Except there’s nothing to figure out. They’re friends. Just friends.

"Whatever you say.” She giggles. Loren smiles back at Marcus, who's stood back by the couch, rocking the stroller back and forth. Coraline follows her gaze and smiles fondly at him; he's not paying attention to them and he doesn't notice the way they're both watching him. 

"We're just friends," Coraline insists again as she turns back to Loren. 

"Sure you are." She smirks. ”I promise I won’t say ‘I told you so’.”

"Just go." Coraline takes her best friend by the shoulders and guides her back out of the door but she can't help the smile that spills onto her lips again. 

"Can I be your maid of honour?"

"Go home and sleep!" 

"Please!"

"I'm shutting the door now, goodbye."

"There are diapers in the bag and she's already been fed," Loren adds hastily as Coraline inched the door shut. "I'll be back in a few hours."

...

Maisie slept for a little while, but now she's wide awake, giggling and trying her best to grab Coraline's curls. The baby sits on Cora's lap, small fingers reaching out towards her insistently. She'd offer her one of the toys Loren had left for her but she only seems interested in them for a few seconds before Coraline's hair tumbles over her shoulder and she grows distracted again. 

She's torn between tying her hair up or just letting Maisie tug on it to her heart's content. But she doesn't; she just lightly whispers no with a shake of her head, a smile and a shake of whatever toy she reaches for first. And it's a never-ending cycle until finally, Maisie decides that hair isn't for her and she prefers the blue teething ring that Coraline reaches for last.

"You really are great with her,” Marcus comments. 

She chuckles, a breathy laugh through her nose. "I'm great with everyone." She pokes her tongue at the corner of her lip and grins. He notices, when she does that, says something about herself being great or that she's good at something, her cheeks flush pink a little. She only means it as a joke, he knows that, but it's almost like it embarrasses her to say or think anything like that. Her eyes betray the way she struggles with it. 

"I have nephews." She shrugs. "I was a great babysitter back in the day."

Maisie makes a gleeful noise, halfway between a squeal and a laugh, and drops the teething ring to the sofa, disinterested. She makes a grab for Coraline's hair again, reaching forward to try and swipe it between her fingers. But Cora's own fingers block her clutches. "No," she whispers quietly with a smile and a chuckle. She pushes her small hand away gently but Maisie delights in it, face illuminating in a grin, and reaches out for Coraline’s curls insistently. 

Marcus reaches down to pick up the toy as Coraline laughs, too distracted to even bother. His arm brushes hers as he does so. She's always struck by how warm he is. The first time she'd noticed it, the day they'd first met, she thought it was because of the sun streaming in through the briefing room’s glass windows. But she’d noticed it every single time he’d touched her since — even just the slightest touch or brush of a hand — until she thinks she’s used to it. She isn’t. His touch warms whatever bare skin it touches immediately and she shudders; Marcus doesn't seem to notice and she's glad because she doesn't want to explain that one fleeting touch from him warms up her entire, otherwise freezing, body.

It's a cliche, she knows that. The kind of cliche you read about in cheesy romance novels. It makes her cheeks burn — Coraline knows she's going bright red; she can feel it crawling slowly over her skin and she shivers like there's a cold breeze dancing it's way up the back of her neck — because she doesn't know what it means. She's never really felt it before she met him, this odd, confusing burn that started in her chest, then blooms out like flowers through her whole body. She usually just brushes it off because it happens whenever and wherever, without warning It just arrives out of the blue, triggered by a glance or a laugh or the briefest touch of a hand. It's ridiculous but she can't help but turn it over and over and over in her mind at night, when she tries to sleep, until she's restless and staring at the wooden beams that stretch across her bedroom ceiling. 

"Do you want kids?" Coraline asks. It’s out of the blue. Her expression almost makes it seem like she wants him to ask her the question, like she's desperate to talk about it with someone, anyone, before it bursts from her chest. Although, he can't help but wonder if she never meant to ask, or if she regrets asking, given the way her eyes fall back to Maisie who's resumed her chewing on the teething ring again. Though, Coraline barely realises she's given anything away. Then again, she doesn't even realise that there is anything to give away. She's so enchanted by the baby and the brush of Marcus' arm against hers that she's giving away maybe a little more than she intends. It's strange to see her like this given her flustered panic of just an hour earlier. 

Marcus takes a moment, a pause to figure out the right answer, then he nods a little. "I would, yes. Some day." He pauses for another second, watching the way her eyes glimmer as she looks at her goddaughter. He already knows her answer before he even asks the question. Or, at least, the real answer. "Do you?"

Coraline's eyes light up; her blue eyes look like the sky on a sunny day. "Maybe," she hums. When she looks up to meet his eyes, the small smile she gives betrays the truth. But she cuts it off like it's wrong or forbidden or downright ridiculous, like she shouldn't feel those things. He notices the way her lips falter like she's biting back the urge to say something, a secret on the tip of her tongue, and how she tugs her lower lip in between her teeth to stop her from smiling again. 

He thinks he knows what makes her so unsure about that. Why she cuts herself off and seems to tell herself it's wrong. She's mentioned it once before, when she was tired — she talks a lot when she's tired, but it's mostly incoherent mumblings that he has to admit, he finds adorable — that Scott didn't want kids. Marcus has never brought up what she’d told him (if she really wants him to know, she'd have told him by now, when she's completely coherent and conscious) but it tugs at the edge of his thoughts as her sentences go quiet when she sees a mother and their baby. They make her smile fondly. It's a smile that's been all-too-lacking since her divorce. 

He understands. It’s happened to him before, twice now. Twice he’s faced heartbreak, that horrible moment when things go sour. When you’re left with a million little ‘what ifs’, wondering where exactly things went so wrong. Wondering if there was anything you could have done, anything at all, to make things better. It’s a dull ache that sits deep in his chest. And it’s agonising. He hates how familiar the feeling has become. 

Marcus has never told her about his past relationships - about his first marriage and eventual divorce, about his last engagement and how it had ended almost as quickly as it had begun, how he’d found himself alone in D.C. without a soul in the world to talk to - and he also hasn’t told her that meeting her was like a fresh start, like the sun had finally peaked through the rain clouds that had hung over his head for so long. She’d helped him settle, finally, even after six months struggling to feel at home in a new, lonely city. She’d welcomed him, helped him find new friends, and stuck by him the entire time. She doesn’t have to be his friend; he’s sure she has much cooler, younger friends that don’t spend most of their days hunched over an ever-growing mountain of paperwork or hidden away inside some tiny downtown art gallery. Sure, he’d be upset if their weekly meetings came to a halt, but he wouldn’t blame her if she chose someone more like herself over him.

Mostly, Marcus just hadn't wanted to dredge up old feelings, not when she was in the thick of a divorce and clearly struggling, no matter how much she pretended she was okay. So he never told her what had happened. When she'd confided in him for the first time those few short months ago, spilling her deepest secrets, staying up until 3am just pouring her heart out to him over the phone, he'd wondered if it was best to tell her. To let her know that he knew how she felt, that he understood. But he still hasn't. She’s asked about his past before, nagging until he relented and revealed things he's never really had much trouble revealing before, and he has told her parts of it. But he usually skirts around the details, like there's nothing important to reveal. He isn't sure why he does it, especially when she opens up to him so easily. He guesses that the moment has never seemed right. 

Maisie's hand is twisted into the fabric of Coraline's dress. She shakes the teething ring in her hands like it's a rattle. "I've never had the chance," she admits, suddenly. "To have kids."

"You've still got time."

"Barely." She sighs. He raises an eyebrow, like he's asking her what she means, but she doesn't continue. She waves a hand and brushes off his concern. "It's not important," she insists. 

But it is important. He knows it is. And, if it matters to her, it matters to him.

[ericsonclan]

Do Re Mi

Summary: Louis and Prisha prepare for some music time with the little kids.

Word Count: 2374

Read on AO3:

Prisha took a deep breath as she looked around the music room. Her eyes traveled over to Louis, his fingers  brushing over the top of the piano keys. Resting on the music desk were the sheets to a musical number they had worked to write down the notes for years ago.

“You ready, my music confidant?” Louis smiled over towards Prisha who returned his smile.

“Are you kidding? I’m beyond ready. To tell you the truth, I’m quite ecstatic to be singing from The Sound of Music again,” Prisha readjusted her braid, her excitement radiating off her body.

Louis gave a laugh then spun around on the piano bench. “I can tell! I can’t blame you, I’m really excited to be playing for all the kiddos again too!” Louis’ fingers danced on the keys for a minute to double check that the piano had been tuned properly.

“Already playing I see,” Clementine’s warm voice drew her husband’s attention to the door. He was immediately greeted by Maisy who barreled forward and jumped onto the piano bench to hug her dad.

“Yay! Music time!” Maisy yelled happily then looked back to see her little brother Lee Kenny walking forward to reach Louis and his sister. Clementine shook her head good naturedly as she strolled forward, Juliet resting peacefully in the sling across her chest.

Louis swept Maisy into a hug and held her in his arms before leaning down and scooping up Lee Kenny as well. He kissed the pair’s foreheads and nuzzled his face against theirs.

“Stop, that tickles!” Maisy pressed both of her hands across her father’s mouth.

“Sowwy,” Louis’ reply was muffled behind his daughter’s hands.

“Maisy, what did we say about using your hands to cover people’s mouths?” Clementine’s tone was calm yet serious.

Maisy let her hands fall as she frowned. “That's bad. Sorry,”

“That's okay, just be more careful next time,” Louis smiled over at his daughter who returned the gesture in an instant. Soon Louis’ attention turned to Clementine who moved forward and captured his lips in a tender kiss. Louis hummed happily, a goofy smile on his face as he pulled back before stealing another kiss. Lee Kenny covered his face at that which seemed to amuse his parents as they shared a laugh together.

“I can take that little ray of sunshine,” Louis gestured toward Juliet, placing down Maisy and Lee Kenny who seemed sad for a moment before they noticed Prisha. While Louis worked to get the sling on and pressed a kiss to his youngest child’s forehead, Maisy and Lee Kenny scampered over to their aunt and began to fight over which one Prisha would hold. Prisha nervously tried to explain that they would both get short turns of being held though her voice was mostly drowned out by the quarreling. Louis and Clementine watched their friend for a few seconds, enjoying how overwhelmed Prisha was getting.

“Now hold your horses, Savannah,” Ruby’s booming voice made the others look to see that the loveable redheaded doctor was struggling to get her rambunctious two year old to slow down a bit so she didn’t hurt herself.

“Savannah, slow down for Mama,” Zachariah scolded his younger sister as he walked into the room while holding his father’s hand. Aasim smiled down at his son then looked over to see that Ruby had picked up Savannah who had a big pout of her face.

“Don’t make that face with me. You gotta behave or you can’t have music time with Uncle Louis and Aunt Prisha.” Those words made Savannah calm down a bit as she held onto her mother tightly.

“Heya, ‘Sim!” Louis smiled over towards Aasim. Aasim smiled back and moseyed into the room. His hand that held Ruby’s swayed back and forth as they walked forward together.

“Hello,” Aasim glanced over to see that Prisha was trying to calm down Maisy who was upset that Lee Kenny got to be held first.

“I’ll help, Prish,” Clementine walked over to run interference.

“Come on, Zachariah, let's get seated along with your sister,” Ruby instructed and her son gave a short nod before running forward, his tiny notebook tucked under his arm. Ruby shared a quick kiss with Aasim then headed over to settle her kids down. Zachariah immediately sat down and held out his arms to hold his younger sister. Savannah smiled and wrapped her arms around her big brother’s neck.

Soon Clementine had gotten Maisy to calm down and she guided her two oldest children to sit beside the others on the music room floor. Clementine said her goodbyes, giving all her kids a soft kiss then stealing one more from Louis before exiting the room. Aasim and Ruby soon began to say their goodbyes as well.

“Now both of you behave and Zachariah, be sure to look after your sister,” Aasim calmly told his son who gave a firm nod, his eyes shining with determination. After that was done Ruby wrapped both of her kids in a hug and peppered their faces with kisses then left, hand in hand with her husband.

“Well, looks like everyone is here!” Louis put his hands on his hips and gave a big smile to the kids.

“Not everyone,” Violet’s tired voice appeared in the doorway.

“This is fucking stupid,” Allison grumbled as she walked forward, one of her hands resting on top of her pregnant belly.

“Allison, language.” Prisha looked towards Allison who frowned. Her feet whacked against the floor as she made her way to the rocking chair.

“Sorry. I don’t know why I have to be here though; I’m not a little kid. I’m married. It's insulting being lumped in with them,” Allison gestured to the little kids. Lee Kenny was currently trying to sit in Maisy’s lap who kept pushing him away while Savannah was trying to put her foot in her mouth.

“Savannah, no! Mama said that was unsani- unsanit- it's not clean!” Zachariah struggled to help his little sister stop her bad habit.

“Because you’re a kiddo just like them!’ Louis beamed. “You’re Prisha and Violet’s kid,”

“I know who I am,” Allison groaned as she readjusted her position on the rocking chair. “But if that's the case, why isn’t AJ here?” She let out a tired sigh. It would be more fun with her best friend here, especially since Willy was out hunting with Jesse.

Louis’ eyes grew large at that as he realized that Allison had made a good point.

“Because you’re pregnant and besides the books show that the child’s ears have formed. I thought it would be nice for them to hear some music,” Prisha looked over at her daughter who saw the hopeful excitement on Prisha’s face as well as the ever prevalent concern in both her and Violet’s eyes.

“Fine,” Allison leaned back, forcing the chair to start rocking.

“Plus, AJ isn’t pregnant,” Louis added with a grin.

Violet gave a sharp yawn causing the conversation to stop.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You haven’t been sleeping well lately,” Prisha rested her hand on Violet’s face as her eyes searched her love’s.

“I’m fine. I’ll take a nap later, promise,” Violet leaned forward and captured Prisha’s lips in a warm kiss then sharply turned around on her heel to leave.

“Be careful!” Prisha called out to Violet who spun around and readjusted her glasses.

“Always,” With one final soft smile Violet left to go help out around the school.

“Shall we get started?” Louis stood up to push back his tailcoats and dramatically sat down on the piano bench again.

“Is it safe to have Juliet there?” Prisha’s question made Louis glance down at his daughter nestled in the sling against his chest then up at his friend.

“Yeah, totally. I’ve done it with Maisy and Lee Kenny when they were younger.” Louis had a casual smile on his lips as he responded.

“Music!” Maisy’s hands shot up and she bounced impatiently on her spot.

“Alright, alright, missy. Let’s calm down a bit, we’re gonna start soon. So, ready?” Louis glanced over at Prisha who gave a confident smile, her excitement quickly returning.

“Hit it, maestro,”

Louis beamed at those words and began to play the tune. It started with only a few notes and quickly Prisha’s voice joined in.

“Let’s start at the very beginning,

A very good place to start.

When you read you begin with,” Prisha gestured over to Zachariah who was surprised that the participating was already beginning but he quickly remembered this song.

“A-B-C,” Zachariah spoke slowly and clearly, his smile growing when he saw the proud look on Prisha’s face.

“When you sing you begin with Do-Re-Me,” Prisha’s warm voice danced around the room as she held out her hand to signal for the kids to repeat the final part she had sung.

“Do-Re-Mi!” the kids all sang together. Zachariah and Maisy tried their best to sing it while Savannah and Lee Kenny were shouting the three words with determination.

“Do-Re-Mi,” Prisha repeated the line. “The first three notes just happen to be... Do-Re-Mi,”

“Do-Re-Mi!” The kids joined in once more, some of them bouncing excitedly from the joy of getting to sing along. Prisha glanced over when she had heard Allison’s quiet voice join in, causing the musical enthusiast’s eyes to sparkle with happiness.

“Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti,” Prisha sang each note as Louis went up key by key while she sang it. “Oh let’s see if I can make this easier,” Prisha paced back and forth and gave a bright smile to the kids who seemed overjoyed.

“Do, a deer, a female deer.

Re, a drop of golden sun.

Mi, a name I call myself.

Fa, a long, long way to run.

So, a needle pulling thread.

La, a note to follow So.

Ti, a drink with jam and bread.

That brings us back to Do, oh, oh, oh.” Prisha’s finger bounced to the tune as Louis played it lively. Juliet squirmed around in the sling but she soon settled, seemingly calmed down by  her father’s presence and the sound of music.

“Do!” the kids all yelled. Lee Kenny and Savannah seemed really proud about getting the word on the right beat before Prisha and Louis finished the line “a deer, a female deer.” With each note the kids chimed in then let their aunt finish the rest of the line.

Re, a drop of golden sun.

Mi, a name I call myself.

Fa, a long, long way to run.

So, a needle pulling thread.

La, a note to follow So.

Ti, a drink with jam and bread.

That brings us back to Do.”

Louis immediately started the next part of the song and Prisha took a break as all the kids began to repeat the chorus. Zachariah and Maisy seemed to keep on the beat, their voices working in harmony while Lee Kenny and Savannah only shouted out the name of the musical note in each line. Prisha soon joined in once more and smiled happily when she saw that Allison was rocking back and forth in the rocking chair as she sang quietly.

“Now is the fun part,” Prisha walked towards the kids while Louis’ fingers dramatically played the key as he gave a playful smile. “We can now mix up the notes. Ready?” “Ready!” The kids spoke in somewhat unison.

“So, Do, La, Fa, Mi, Do, Re,” Prisha’s voice rang throughout the room then she held out her hand for the kids to join.

“So, Do, La, Fa, Mi, Do Re,” the kids followed along and bounced happily in their spots.

“So, Do, La, Ti, Do, Re, Do,” Prisha’s voice went up and down with the notes she sang.

“So, Do, La, Ti, Do, Re, Do,” Maisy sang the loudest at this part and smiled proudly at her dad.

“Okay, now let's put it all together,” Prisha instructed, then took a deep breath. “So, Do, La, Fa, Mi, Do, Re. So, Do, La, Ti, Do, Re, Do,” The kids’ voice joined and melded with hers as Louis continued to play the piano.

“When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything,” Prisha’s alto voice danced through the room as she spun around once. She was starting to become lost in the joy of music. The sight made Allison smile softly. “Together!” Prisha instructed and the kids all immediately joined in.

“When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything,”

Soon the chorus started again and Prisha held out the music note as the kids finished the rest of the line before she moved on to the next one. Prisha pointed from child to child and they began to sing out the individual note as the music range grew higher and they approached Do. Then they went down the music notes one by one. After this the music notes jumped from one to another as Prisha pointed to each kid including Allison to let them know it was their time to participate.

“Do-Mi-Mi

Mi-So-So

Re-Fa-Fa

La-Ti-Ti

Do-Mi-Mi

Mi-So-So

Re-Fa-Fa

La-Ti-Ti!”

“When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything,” Prisha sang slowly and Louis joined in once more as the kids added in the music notes’ names here and there. Once that had finished up Prisha, Louis and the kids sung the chorus once more before finishing with a mixture of the music notes. Soon the song was reaching the final notes and everyone hit the final note together. Prisha belted it out, letting her voice ring throughout the music room as the last few piano keys were played. Just as Louis pressed the final key, Prisha finished the note and let herself catch her breath.

“Again! Again!” Maisy clapped her hands together and beamed at Prisha and Louis. The two friends shared a smile.

“What do you say, Prish? Once more from the top?” Louis held his hands over the piano, his fingers hovering mere inches from the black and white keys.

Prisha’s smile grew and she gave a short nod. “Let’s do it!”

The kids all exclaimed excitedly at that and the two music confidants shared a soft smile. There really was nothing like the joy of music.

[burgers-and-french-fries]

Sunsets & Whiskey Kisses: Chapter Forty Three.

WARNING!: If you feel personally victimized by the mention of a father in the bath with his 1 yr old toddler, click out of this story now. Do not come at me either, you have been warned!

===

“Alright sweet pea, throw the bread.” Marlene said as they were feeding the ducklings a treat. Anna giggled when Gary pecked Chicken on the head. 

“Meanie.” Anna lectured when Gary quacked angrily at Maisie.

“That’s right, little lady. You tell him.” Richard said as he walked over to the woman and toddler. Anna held her arms up at her papa and he happily picked her up.

“I suppose we should get the rest of her things together.” Marlene said as she closed the bread bag. 

“Jack did call and said that they were on their way home. He then sent this photo.” Richard said as he showed his wife the photo of Parker in her car seat ready to go home.

“Well, if we want to meet them at the house, we better get going.” Marlene said. Richard nodded.

“Alrighty sweet pea. Say bye bye to Gary, Maisie, Chicken and Sunshine.” Richard said as he lowered the little girl to the ground so she could pet them one last time.

“Bye bye duckies.” Anna said as she waved at them. “Love you.” She finished as she turned back to Richard and signaled that she wanted to be held again. Richard picked her up and they walked back to the house.

Marlene was waiting for them by the front door with Anna’s bag and her ducky.

“Are you ready to see mama, dada and baby Parker?” Marlene asked and Anna frowned.

“No, dumb baby.” Anna said through a pout while she crossed her arm over her chest.

“That’s not nice, Anna Grace.” Richard warned and Anna frowned at him. “Big sisters are supposed to be nice.” He continued. Anna shook her head.

“Do you want ducky?” Marlene asked as she held out the toy to the annoyed tot.

“Tata.” Anna said as she held her ducky close.

Richard got Anna settled in her car seat and then he and Marlene were on their way to the lake house to greet the newborn and her parents.

The drive there was silent until Anna started singing to herself. Marlene smiled and looked over at her husband.

“Do you remember the long road trips we’d take and Gabriel would sit in the back seat singing to himself?” Marlene asked as she thought back to when her son was Anna’s age.

“Drove us crazy.” Richard agreed.

Anna’s singing got louder and louder the closer they got to the house. She even made her ducky dance to her song.

When they actually got the house, Grace was waiting for them. Anna waved to the woman outside and smiled excitedly.

“Mi.” Anna said as she kicked her legs, making herself bounce in her car seat. The car came to a stop and Grace got her granddaughter out.

“Hi mi.” Anna said as she wrapped her arms around her grandmother's neck.

“Hi pretty girl. I missed you.” Grace said as she attacked the toddler with kisses. Anna squealed with laughter as she tried to squirm away.

“Shall we go inside?” Marlene asked, just as Jack pulled into the driveway.

Anna instantly went quiet and hid her face in her grandmother’s neck.

“Welcome home you three.” Richard said when Jack got out of the truck.

“Thanks grandpa.” Jack replied as he went around to help Ryleigh out and then get Parker.

“Can I have an Anna cuddle?” Ryleigh asked as she walked up to her mother and her daughter, forgetting the fact that she wasn’t supposed to carry anything heavier than Parker.

Anna grunted in response.

“Come on, don’t be like that, mama just wants a cuddle.” Jack said as he walked over to them whilst holding the car seat containing the newborn.

“Jack, it’s ok.” Ryleigh said but Jack shook his head.

“No, it’s not. She’s gotta learn that she can’t always be a grump.” He replied and Anna looked at him with sadness in her eyes. She wasn’t being grumpy, all she really wanted was to stay in her grandmother’s arms.

“Not grumpy.” Anna said as she looked at her father.

Ignoring her comment, Jack walked into the house with everyone following him.

“You just want Mi don’t you?” Ryleigh asked with a warm smile. Anna nodded and laid her head on Grace’s shoulder.

“You stay with Mi then. Can I have Anna cuddles before naptime though? Just you, me and ducky.” Ryleigh asked and the little gave her mother a smile and nodded.

“Yeah.” Anna replied.

“I look forward to it.” Ryleigh whispered as she kissed her daughter’s temple.

Ryleigh then walked over to her husband.

“You’re the grump by the way. All Anna wants is her grandmother, so snap out of your funk please.” Ryleigh said before kissing his cheek and walking over to the fridge to grab a water bottle.

“I’m not in a funk.” Jack grumbled as he took Parker out of the carseat and placed her in the rocker they had set up in the corner of the living room.

Marlene and Richard only stayed long enough to make sure that everyone was settled in ok. They had told Jack that they would be happy to take Anna if he and Ryleigh needed a break or if they needed help with anything. Their grandson agreed and bid goodbye to the elderly couple.

Grace stuck around and even though Anna wanted to cling to her grandmother after her nap, Grace had insisted on making the family of four some food for the next few weeks so that Ryleigh could rest and recover faster. Ryleigh thanked her mother and Jack hugged his mother-in-law.

“Thank you so much for staying to make up some dinner for us all.”Jack said as he broke the embrace. Grace smiled and patted the man’s cheek.

“Thank you for making me a Mi again.” She replied. Jack chuckled and nodded.

“You’re welcome.” Jack said. Anna of course reached for her father who happily took her.

“Call me if you need anything.” Grace said as she walked toward the front door.

“Love Mi.” Anna said tiredly whilst waving at the woman. Jack kissed the tot’s cheek and she giggled.

“I love you too my sweet girl. You look after mama and dada for me.” Grace said and Anna nodded in response.

Grace took her leave and Jack went into the kitchen to dish up dinner for Anna, Ryleigh and himself.

“Alright sweet pea, how about we bring this to mama and then dada can read to you before bed time.” Jack said after he and Anna ate.

Ryleigh had told him that she was going to lay on the sofa while Parker slept. She had told her husband that he and Anna could at their dinner. Jack reluctantly fed himself and his daughter because he felt bad for eating without his wife.

“Yeah.” Anna said as she followed her father into the living room where Ryleigh was laying down and now watching tv.

“Here you go my love.” Jack said as he handed her a bowl of soup. “Anna wanted to put cheese on top.” He said when he saw the look of confusion on her face.

“Thank you my darlings. It looks and smells so good.” Ryleigh said as she slowly sat up.

“Welcome mama.” Anna said through her cute and shy smile. Ryleigh kissed her cheek.

“Did the both of you enjoy your dinner?” Ryleigh aske, now looking at her husband.

“It was really good, wasn’t it?” Jack questioned as he felt Anna grasp his hand from where she was standing beside him. The little girl nodded.

“I’m glad to hear that you liked it. What are you going to do now?” The mother asked as she took the soup into her mouth carefully.

“Bed.” Anna announced happily. Jack chuckled and looked at Ryleigh.

“Why don’t you grab ducky, then dada can tuck you in, ok?” Jack suggested and Anna ran off to the last place she had her ducky.

“While she’s gone, why don’t you come here and kiss me quickly.” Ryleigh said with a smirk. Jack walked closer to his wife and placed his lips on hers softly, lingering for a few seconds before pulling away.

“I love you baby.” Jack whispered before moving to kiss her forehead. “Eat up and I’ll be back down after putting Anna to bed.” He said just as Anna ran back into the living room.

“Did ducky have fun at the farm?” Ryleigh asked and Anna smiled brightly, with the same smile she inherited from her dada.

“Yeah.” Anna replied as she held her ducky close and attempted to rock him side to side shyly.

“I’m glad my beautiful girl. Come here and give me a kiss.” Ryleigh said and Anna walked over to her mother.

“Love you mama.” Anna said as before kissing her mother’s cheek. Ryleigh hugged the tiny tot.

“Have a good sleep. Mama will see you in the morning, okay?” Ryleigh asked. Anna nodded and walked over to her father who picked her up.

“Night night mama.” Jack said, mimicking Anna while making his daughter’s hand move in a waving motion. Anna giggled and laid her head on her father’s shoulder.

The duo walked up the stairs and into the family bathroom where Jack got Anna ready for her bath. He placed the non slip mat on the bottom of the tub and then undressed his daughter before placing Anna’s bath toys on the bottom of the tub.

Jack filled the bathtub and while he was doing that, Anna watched as her little toy turtles rose with the water.

“Come on you little nakey lady.” Jack said as he lifted the little girl up and kissed her cheek. Anna giggled and pointed to her toys.

“Nakey toy!” Anna said as she continued to giggle. Jack chuckled and placed his daughter in the warm water.

Jack let Anna play with her turtle toys for a few minutes.

“Can dada wash your hair now?” He asked as he picked up the little water jug so that he could wet Anna’s hair.

“Otay dada.” Anna replied as she continued dunking the turtles under water. Jack smiled as Anna started babbling and singing. She was definitely his daughter.

“Close your eyes for me. I don’t want water in your eyes.” Jack said and Anna did as she was told, even though she was holding a toy that was attempting to swim away but couldn’t.

Jack took his time with washing Anna’s hair. He knew that as long as she was happy, he could take an hour to wash her hair if he wanted to.

“What hairstyle would you like today?” Jack asked in mock professionalism.

“Aprise.” Anna said and Jack chuckled.

“Surprise it is.” He replied.

The father played around and eventually settled on a mohawk. Of course he had to laugh when he saw it completed because Anna looked so cute.

“I see?” Anna asked through a fit of giggles as she watched her father laugh and smile brightly at the sight of her.

Jack dipped his hands in the water to rid them of the shampoo before drying his hands and grabbing his phone to snap a picture.

“Smile for dada, nakey lady.” Jack said and Anna gave him her biggest smile yet. Her eyes subsequently disappeared from how bright and wide her smile was.

Jack’s heart swelled with so much love from that one picture alone. His little girl didn’t appear so little anymore. Her toothy smile, her soapy hair, everything about her screamed ‘big girl’ to him and that was something that he truthfully wasn’t prepared for.

“My beautiful little girl.” Jack said as he placed his phone back down again before rinsing the suds from Anna’s hair.

Once Anna had had enough of the bath, Jack pulled her out and wrapped her in her hooded duck towel.

“Let’s get you all cozy and tucked in.” Jack said as they walked to Anna’s room.

“Book?” Anna asked as Jack set her on her feet.

“I will read to you but you have to get dressed first.” Jack replied, pulling out Anna’s zebra print romper pajamas and a pull up. Anna nodded and let her father dry her off.

When the toddler was dressed, Jack brushed her hair and she didn’t like that one bit. She grunted at him in annoyance and screamed when she felt like he was hurting her.

“Quit moving around please.” Jack sighed, almost ready to give up on brushing the girl’s hair.

Anna shook her head and frowned at him.

“No.” Anna shouted.

Jack breathed out and handed her ducky and her soother.

“Now will you stay still?” He asked and she thought for a moment.

“Owie.” She grumbled sassily. Jack rolled his eyes and decided that it was time to give up on brushing Anna’s damp locks that were now curling at the ends.

“Fine, you little sass pot.” Jack said as he stood up and scooped the little girl up before grabbing the first book his eyes landed on, Grumpycorn. He laughed internally at how perfectly it fit the current situation.

The father sat in the rocker and set his toddler on his lap and made sure that she and Ducky were comfortable before he opened the book.

The story was going well but for Anna, she got a little confused when her father’s voice changed slightly. She decided to let it go.

Anna’s little fingers played with the hair on Jack’s arm as he read from the book.

“Do you see he’s here waiting for an idea?” Jack asked softly as he pointed to the picture. Anna nodded and leaned back against his chest.

Jack turned the page and started reading again but as soon as Jack’s voice turned deep and sonorous, Anna looked at him with worry and confusion. She thought he had lost the plot but decided to let it go once more. Jack continued to read.

The second time that Jack deepened his voice, Anna knew that it was time to check her father’s temperature. Her small hand reached up and rested against his forehead.

“Dada sick?” Anna asked with genuine concern. Jack had to fight the laughter bubbling up inside.

“No sweet pea. Dada’s fine, I promise.” Jack replied with a smile. “Dada’s just trying to make the story more interesting.” Jack continued but Anna wasn’t having it. The little girl continued to feel his face to make sure he was really ok.

“Otay.” Anna said when she was satisfied with his normal temperature.

“See him sitting there looking very grand?” Jack asked before he scratched his nose. Anna nodded again and patted his arm gently.

“See, you can see Narwhal there helping make the cookies with mermaid.” Jack said before he turned the page. Anna just sat there and waited for the next part of the story.

Anna giggled when Jack made a chewing sound.

“Meanie.” Anna comments around her soother. Jack smiled slightly and turned the page.

“What’s wrong Mermaid?” Jack asked in a high pitched voice and Anna didn’t like that at all.

It scared her but she tried to be brave.

“Maybe I’m in it.” Jack said again in a high pitched voice. Anna couldn’t take it.

“No, dada.” Anna said as she shrunk back into him. Jack knew that she was scared by the way she gripped his arm.

“You’re ok, sweet pea. The story is almost done.” Jack replied as he kissed the top of her head and held her closer to let her know that he was there.

Anna nodded slowly, not sure if she wanted her father to finish the book.

“Hello unicorn.” Jack started and Anna wriggled in his grasp.

“All done.” She said frantically with fear in her voice. She wasn’t used to all the voices that Jack was using as her parents always read to her in their ‘normal’ voices.

“Ok, my darling. You’re ok.” Jack replied.

He closed the book and placed down so that he could cuddle the sniffling toddler.

“Dada’s sorry.” Jack said with regret as Anna cuddled into him and held onto him tightly.

“No more.” Anna mumbled in reply. Jack kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.

“How about we read another one? I promise that I won't do the voices this time.” He suggested and Anna shook her head.

“What about your puppy book?” Jack asked, referring to the poky puppy book that the little one loved so much.

Anna lifted her head and looked at her father with tears slowly running down her cheeks. Jack wiped her tears and gave her a kiss.

“Puppy.” Anna said eventually when she managed to calm down a little bit.

Jack stood up with Anna still clinging to him and went to retrieve the poky puppy book.

=

While Jack was upstairs putting Anna to bed, Ryleigh was downstairs feeding Parker. She was enjoying the silence and enjoying the bonding time she and the baby were having.

“Did she go down ok?” Ryleigh asked when she heard her husband sigh.

“Yeah. I read grumpycorn to her but made the mistake of using special voices for the characters and ended up scaring her. I felt bad so I stopped reading and wound up reading the poky puppy.” Jack explained as Ryleigh unlatched the now drowsy infant.

“I see. I’m glad she’s ok now.” The woman replied.

Jack sat down next to Ryleigh and showed her the picture he took of Anna in the bath.

“Aww, she looks so grown up.” Ryleigh said as tears grew in her eyes.

“She started crying when I did the voice for the jellyfish.” He admitted and Ryleigh smirked and blinked her tears away.

“Why exactly?” She asked and Jack shrugged sheepishly.

“I may have gone a little too high pitched.” He replied as he took Parker from her mother so that he could burp her.

“Jacks.” Ryleigh sighed. “If she has nightmares and screams bloody murder tonight, I don’t blame her.” She concluded as she stared at her husband from her spot on his left shoulder.

“How about we put this one to bed and watch a movie?” He attempted. Ryleigh smiled at him and nodded against him.

“I’ll get the snacks?” She asked as she moved away from him so that he could get up.

“Perfect.” Jack replied as he walked over to the baby swing to place Parker down. He made sure that his youngest was settled comfortably. Once he was sure that PJ was happy, he made his way over to their DVD collection and picked out a movie.

Ryleigh walked around the kitchen slowly and gathered everything from chocolate to chips. She couldn’t wait to eat junk food.

“What movie did you choose?” Ryleigh asked as she hurried toward the sofa.

“Guess.” Jack replied with a cheeky grin.

“Something you can use as a way to get me to hide my face in the crook of your neck?” Ryleigh questioned as she sat down and opened the bag of chips.

“Nope. Guess again.” Jack said as he joined his wife on the sofa.

“Something that’s going to make my cry so that you have an excuse to cuddle me?” She thought out loud.

Jack shook his head and took the bag of chips from her.

“Fine, I give. What is it?” Ryleigh said, admitting defeat.

“Press play and you’ll see.” Jack said as he crossed his legs, wrapped an arm around Ryleigh and got comfortable.

Ryleigh grabbed the remote and leaned into her husband’s side, resting her head between his chest and shoulder

As soon as Ryleigh hit play, the theme music for the Emperor's New Groove started playing. Ryleigh chuckled and kissed Jack’s cheek.

“You really are a dork.” Ryleigh commented, making Jack smile widely.

“Yup.” He replied before they started watching the movie and eating their snacks.

=

The first night home was difficult to say the least. Parker wouldn’t let Ryleigh put her down and every time that Jack changed her diaper, the newborn would scream bloody murder. Both adults were exhausted and by the time they managed to fall asleep, Anna alerted them that the sun was beginning to shine.

“She’s awake.” Jack said as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

Ryleigh nodded and groaned as Parker started crying. She sat up and looked around for another diaper.

“No more diapers in here, you’ll have to take her to Anna’s room to change her.” Ryleigh said as she slowly stood up.

“Why me?” Jack whined.

“Because our girls need their dada and because I’m kind of hurting and could use a shower to relax.” She replied, grinning cheekily.

“Right but just know that you can’t use the operation card all the time so use it wisely now.” Jack tased as he kissed Ryleigh’s lips quickly before getting up, picking Parkr up and disappearing to the nursery. Ryleigh sighed to herself at how amazing a father her husband was.

While Jack was taking care of the girls, Ryleigh decided that she was going to shower. Her doctor had told her that a shower was ok as she had gotten dissolvable stitches and was glued on the outside.

The woman made her way to the bathroom slowly. Once she was in the room, she removed her clothes and set the shower water to a warm temperature. She then stepped in and let the water relax her aching muscles.

=

“Dada, I help?” Anna asked as she saw her father undoing her sister’s onesie.

Jack nodded and the toddler reached out for him as he quickly walked over to her and lifted her out of the crib she was in.

“Tata.” Anna said as Jack set her down before quickly going back to the fussy baby.

“Grab your stool.” Jack said as he started removing Parker’s diaper.

Anna pulled her stool beside her father and watched him begin to change her sister. Of course with this being a new thing for her, Anna was enthralled with the umbilical stump that was still attached to the newborn.

“What that?” Anna asked finally before rubbing her eyes and yawning.

“This?” Jack asked as he pointed to where Anna was looking. Anna nodded. “Here, give me your finger.” Jack said and Anna brought her hand closer to him.

Jack folded Anna’s fingers down except for her index finger. Jack let the toddler feel the side of the stump and Anna grimaced.

“Eww, slimy.” Anna commented as her face contorted in disgust but despite that, the little girl couldn’t stop poking it. She was fascinated with it but the texture was still weird in her eyes.

“Pretty cool eh?” Jack replied.

“Why it there?” Anna asked, wanting to know why her sister had it.

“That’s how mama fed Parker while she was in mama’s belly.” Jack explained. Anna looked between him and Parker, trying to process what he had just told her.

“Dada have one?” Anna asked.

“Dada did, it fell out though. Parker’s will fall out as well.” He replied but that wasn’t enough for Anna. The toddler lifted her shirt and looked for hers.

“I have one?” Anna wondered as she examined her belly and Jack nodded.

“You did, but it fell off.” The father replied. Anna gasped.

“Oh no.” She said as she held her small hand over her belly button as if protecting it to make sure it wouldn’t fall off. “Owie?” Anna questioned, wanting to know if it hurt.

“No sweet pea, it doesn’t hurt.” Jack said. Anna nodded but giggled when Parker started peeing on Jack.

“Oh come on, seriously?” Jack groaned as he tried to stop the golden shower. Much like the first time she peed on him, it was over before he could cover her and prevent the shower the newborn felt he needed.

Despite being annoyed, he finished changing the baby’s diaper before dressing her in a new onesie as Parker peed on the one she was wearing.

When the baby was all clean, Jack took her back to his and Ryleigh’s room with Anna trailing behind him as she continued to giggle and hold her belly.

“Jesus Jack, I know I was having a shower but if you were in that much of a hurry, you could have gone first. I wouldn’t have minded.” Ryleigh teased as she stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed. Her eyes landing on her husband’s wet shirt that smelled heavily of urine.

Jack didn’t say anything. He simply gave her the deepest glare he could muster.

“Here, pass her to me and you can go and clean up.” Ryleigh said as she sat down in their bed.

Jack handed the baby over and walked toward the bathroom.

“Enjoy your shower, golden boy.” Ryleigh mumbled as she and Anna smirked at each other.

“I heard that.” Jack said as he shut the door.

“You were supposed to.” Ryleigh called back before she took notice of the fact that Anna was holding her little chubby belly.

“What’s wrong sweet pea? Are you ok?” The mother asked.

Anna nodded happily as she rocked herself side to side cutely.

“Why are you holding your belly then, little one?” Ryleigh asked as she started nursing the baby.

“Button gone. Falled off mama.” Anna replied with shock. Ryleigh laughed to herself because the toddler’s reaction to her umbilical cord missing was just so cute.

Anna stood there looking at her mama with sad eyes. She didn’t understand why her concern was so funny.

Thankfully by this point, PJ was sound asleep again and Ryleigh was able to unlatch her and lay her down in her bassinet beside the bed.

“Come here, kiddo.” Ryleigh said and Anna sauntered over to her mother.

Ryleigh helped Anna on to the bed where she scooped up her eldest and hugged her.

“I’m sorry for laughing.” The mother apologized, rubbing Anna’s back.

For the next couple minutes, Ryleigh explained what the umbilical cord was and how it worked. Of course Anna already knew what it was for because her dada had told her the same thing.

While Ryleigh was explaining things to Anna, in simple terms obviously, Jack emerged from the bathroom wearing the clothes that Ryleigh had left in the bathroom for him.

“Feel better?” Ryleigh asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“I do, thank you. Thanks for the clothes by the way.” Jack said as he sat beside his wife on the bed.

“What do you two want for breakfast?” Jack asked.

The mother and daughter looked at each other in thought.

“Nana.” Anna replied, making Jack smile.

“Anything else, sweet pea?” He asked again.

This time Ryleigh whispered in the toddler’s ear.

“Ridge.” Anna announced proudly. Jack chuckled.

“Porridge and banana it is.” Jack said as he stood up and picked Anna up. “Let’s get you changed first.” He said as he walked out of the room.

“Let’s head downstairs, little one.” Ryleigh said as she stood from her spot to retrieve the youngest girl from her bassinet.

Slowly but surely, Ryleigh made her way downstairs and walked over to the sofa.

=

Back upstairs, Jack changed Anna’s pull up and got her dressed in a pair of joggers, her favorite shirt, her blue sandals and then of course, Anna insisted on wearing her monkey backpack.

“You don’t need that. We’re staying home today.” Jack said as he tried to take the bag.

“I need it.” Anna huffed in annoyance.

“What do you need it for?” Jack asked.

“Carry my toys.” Anna replied in an obvious tone. Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Fine, but you have to take it off when we eat or when you want to sit down ok?” Jack said. 

Anna nodded and ran for the stairs.

“Where do you think you’re going. I still have to do your hair.” Jack called as he walked from her room.

“No, pease.” Anna begged as she pointed to the baby gate at the top of the stairs.

“Yes, please. Come on.” Jack said as he held his hand out for her to take.

“Wanna play.” Anna grumbled.

“You can play after I do your hair.” The father said as he took Anna’s hand in his.

“Play now.” Anna said and Jack shook his head.

“No can do sweet pea.” Jack replied as he picked the girl up and placed her on the bathroom counter so that he could do her hair. 

Anna squirmed to get away as Jack worked on tidying her messy curls, essentially making her father annoyed.

“Anna, stop. I’m almost done.” Jack warned as he finished off the little top knots he put in her hair.

“Meanie.” Anna said as she sat there with her arms crossed and a pout on her face.

“I’m not a meanie.” He replied, inspecting his handy work.

When Jack was satisfied with everything, he set Anna down and she ran back to the stairs.

“Come on you little crank pot. Let’s make breakfast.” Jack said as he walked up to his daughter and handed her her ducky.

“Otay.” She replied. Jack opened the baby gate and let Anna walk down first. 

The sight before him was so cute. The toddler held on to the banister with both hands as she walked down the stairs one by one slowly.

Once they reached the bottom, Anna rushed off to play with her toys while Jack made breakfast.

“What do you have in there sweet pea?” Ryleigh asked as she continued to nurse Parker.

Anna opened her backpack to see what Jack had put in there for her while she was dressing her ducky. He had put in a couple toy cars of hers, a book and a hand full of her little finger puppets.

“My treasures.” Anna replied after she pulled out one of her finger puppets and put it on her finger.

“I see.” Ryleigh said as she unlatched the baby and burped her, before latching Parker on to the other breast.

Anna continued examining her finger puppet to make sure it was still ok. Both Ryleigh and Jack were watching the little girl’s movements.

Completely unaware that she was being watched, Anna removed the puppet from her finger and brought it to her mouth.

“Mwah.” Anna said as she kissed the material she had just removed from her finger. The little girl then put it back in her bag.

Jack and Ryleigh looked at each other and smiled warmly. 

“Little cutie, taking such good care of her toys.” Jack said, looking at his wife. Ryleigh nodded and turned her attention back to Parker.

Anna looked up at her father and gave him a big cheesy smile, thinking that he was praising her for being good and respecting her toys. 

Jack walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.

“Breakfast is ready, sweet pea.” Jack said and Anna nodded. She grabbed her bag and her ducky and followed her father to the table.

“Do you want some tea with your porridge, babe.” Jack questioned, looking over at Ryleigh. 

“Tea sounds great, thanks Jacks.” The woman replied.

Jack got Anna settled in her high chair and went to make tea.

“Hi mama.” Anna greeted when Ryleigh sat down next to her. Anna shoved a banana into her mouth.

“Hi baby. Is your breakfast good?” The mother asked in reply. Anna nodded and continued to eat her food.

=

A few hours later, Jack and Anna were running around outside chasing and throwing mud at each other while Ducky, the monkey backpack and Ryleigh sat on the back deck with Parker on her chest.

“Jackson, please watch her.” Ryleigh called when she saw Anna get too close to her little trampoline.

“She’s fine Ryl-” He started saying before Anna tripped over the slide that was attached to her trampoline.

Jack rushed over to her and Anna just smiled at him.

“I fine.” Anna said through a fit of giggles as her father helped her up and pat the grass and crap off the front of her.

“I think that’s enough for today.” Jack said as he picked Anna up and walked over to Ryleigh with sheepish grins on their faces.

“Right you muppets. Why don’t you both go and have a bath and get into your pajamas and I’ll order something for dinner. Then when you are ready, we can watch a movie in our room tonight.” Ryleigh said and Jack nodded.

The family walked inside and went upstairs. Ryleigh put Parker in her bassinet before sitting on her bed and scrolling through her phone for what to order for dinner. 

While Ryleigh was surfing the internet for food, Jack and Anna were in the bathroom about to get into the tub.

“My turtles.” Anna said as she and Jack sat in the warm water.

“Do you really need them? You won’t be able to see them in the bubbles, honey.” Jack questioned. Anna nodded.

“Yes, I need them.” She replied as she splashed the water around.

Jack reached over the tub and grabbed the swimming devices, placing them in the water. 

“Tata.” Anna said as she started playing with them.

“You’re welcome sweet pea.” The father replied.

He watched Anna play for a few minutes before taking a washcloth and washing the dried mud from Anna’s small body. 

“Dada look. Him swimmin’.” Anna pointed to the turtle swimming toward her dada.

“Look at him go.” Jack chuckled as he finished off washing Anna.

Before Anna could say anything else, Anna farted. 

“Anna.” Jack whined slightly, making the little girl laugh. The tot thought that the bubbles the fart created were funny and she tried to fart again but she couldn’t. 

“That’s yucky.” Jack said seriously, even though a smile pulled at his lips.

Anna shook her head and farted again. 

“Ok, I think that’s enough.” Jack warned and Anna laughed.

“Dada turn.” Anna said and Jack just looked at her as she sat there waiting for him to copy her. 

“Dada can’t.” Jack replied, hoping that Anna would turn her attention to her beth toys.

“Why?” Anna asked.

“Because I don’t have to fart.” Jack countered. Anna started giggling again.

“What’s all the laughing for?” Ryleigh asked when she went to check on her husband and daughter.

“Anna keeps farting and she thinks it’s funny.” He explained and Ryleigh nodded.

“I see. Why does she want you to fart?” Ryleigh wondered. 

“Bubbles mama.” Anna answered. Jack and Ryleigh chuckled.

“No more bubbles missy. Dinner will be here soon and you and dada need to get dressed.” Ryleigh said.

“Dada turn.” Anna said again but Ryleigh shook her head.

“You leave your dada alone. If he says he doesn’t have to go, then he doesn’t have to go.” Ryleigh said as she held a towel out for Anna.

Jack picked Anna up and placed her in front of her mother who wrapped Anna in her duck towel. 

“Let’s get you changed.” Ryleigh said as she took hold of Anna’s hand and walked toward the little girl’s bedroom, leaving Jack to get out and remove the dirty water from the tub.

=

Once Anna was dressed, Ryleigh led her to her and Jack’s room. 

“Look dada.” Anna said as she pointed excitedly at her new pajama shirt Ryleigh had dressed her in.

“You look so cute, princess.” Jack said as Anna toddled over to his side of the bed. 

He helped Anna onto the bed and got her settled beside him.

“The pizza came, I see.” Ryleigh said, grabbing the laptop and pulling up the Netflix page.

“It did and it smells good. My only question is, what’s in the small box?” Jack asked as he got himself and Anna covered over with blankets since he was only in boxers and Anna was only in her pajama shirt and a pull up.

“It’s a kids size pizza for Anna.” Ryleigh said while she skimmed through movies. Anna gasped and folded her hands together in happiness. She couldn’t believe she got a pizza all to herself.

“Tata mama.” Anna said as she cuddled into Jack’s side.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Thank dada though, I used his card.” Ryleigh said with a sheepish smile.

Jack laughed and rolled his eyes. 

“Tata dada.” Anna said as she smiled up at him.

“You’re welcome, princess.” He replied.

Ryleigh continued to skim through the movies but couldn’t find one that she knew they would all agree on.

“Now that we have that out of the way, what movie should we watch?” Ryleigh asked.

“Trows.” Anna suggested. Jack and Ryleigh rolled their eyes.

“No, we’re not watching trolls. We just watched that.” Ryleigh said and Anna frowned. She loved that movie.

“Pet?” Anna asked.

“Not that one either. We just saw that as well.” Jack replied, knowing that Anna was talking about the secret life of pets.

“Tome on.” Anna said in annoyance as she threw up her arms. 

Jack and Ryleigh laughed and earned themselves a glare from the 1 yr old.

“Pick one that we haven’t seen in a long time.” Ryleigh suggested and Anna gave it some thought.

“Aspicable me.” She answered proudly.

“Good choice. What do you think, dada?” Ryleigh asked, looking at her husband who was picking at his pizza.

Jack looked up at her and smiled sheepishly.

“I think that sounds good.” He replied.

“Good.” Ryleigh replied. 

She got the movie all set up and turned off the lamp on her bedside table, making the room dark and peaceful.

“Pass us the pizza.” She said to her husband.

“Just a sec, I’m getting Anna’s all set for her.” He said.

Once Anna was happily eating, Jack passed Ryleigh her pizza and they sat and enjoyed their movie.

Tag List: @sarahegerton96​ @softeggsy​ @dogmom2014​ @jobanan23​ @aberystwythboy​ @stronglyobsessed​ @holdmeclosertinytaron​ @superthiccthighssavelives​ @hauntedflamingo​ @rocknrollmadden​

[scorpio-skies]

Interview with an OC -Nora Hart

(I was tagged by the lovely @lothrilzul and very likely other people but my inbox is messed up and I lost track T^T But thank you very much for thinking of me! ♥ ) 

Tagging: @eluvisen @mrninjapineapple @sociallyacceptablemadness @ariejul @alexaberkeley @marvilus73 @prezs @mars-colony @charomiami @leporidaefluff @solesurvivorkat (feel free to ignore if this is your second tag -- and if you have yet to do this dear reader, then consider this your invite and tag me >8D)

Important to note; this is Nora from an upcoming collab-fic and she’s not the sole survivor in this verse! (Honestly this is my favourite universe and story for her so there’s a lot different from her typical canon!)

1. What is your name?

“Nora Hart, at your service! Lucky to my friends!”

2. Do you know why are you named that?

“My actual name, not a clue. My nickname though? I once won several jackpots in New Vegas, survived a lot of things I shouldn’t and have yet to lose a game of cards. Scout tried to rig a game once and somehow his card ended up in my hand and I won again. It’s like magic! But that’s why they call me Lady Luck!”

3. Are you single or taken?

“Taken and part of a happy family -- I would introduce you to our daughbear, but Sarge is doing his side of the parenting right now.”

4. Have any abilities or powers?

“Well, there’s my luck, obviously. Kammie says I have gift for making dangerous friends but uh… we don’t talk about Richard. Oh! Also there’s my ability to get out of the boring jobs! Can’t be a member of Houdini Squad if you can’t break in or out of places, right?”

5. Stop being a Mary Sue.

“...I’m Nora Hart? I thought we weren’t drinking in this interview… do you need a lie down?”

6. What’s your eye color?

“Blue!”

7. How about your hair color?

“Black -- maybe dark brown? It gets a little warmer in colour when I’ve been in the sunlight too long. I did not appreciate that Nuka-World sunshine by the way, no sir.”

8. Have any family members?

“Houdini Squad are my family -- and Kaelyn and Nate! If I had to narrow it down further, Sarge is my partner, Hayley is our daughbear, Kammie’s my brother. Sure, we’re not blood but our bond’s stronger than that and his Ma and cousin adopted me when I was in the Mojave, so!”

9. Oh? How about pets?

“Let’s see there’s the radstags, Sarge’s babies Maisie and Booker, Blanche the radgull who lives on our porch, Luna and Celeste the cats… You’re waiting for me to mention Hayley, aren’t you? Well, let me tell you that little bear is our daughter, not our pet. She’s also a member of Houdini Squad so… check your bag before you leave.”

10. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like?

“Needles, I… and I don’t like the dark overmuch, or ferals. Or raiders. I really, really hate raiders… ugh can we just… next question!”

11. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do?

“Good switch! So I like to hang out with squad, play hide-and-pray when we’re skipping duty and Sarge comes looking -- that’s gotten harder, by the way. Think he’s finally realised how to use that voice and those eyes and… and I also like raising animals! Training the radstags! Trying to teach Hayley to be better behaved, but let’s be real. Those big brown eyes and little round earses and pawsies! How can you call her a bad bear! She’s the best bear! Queen of the bears!”

12. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before?

“... I’ve hurt more people in more ways than I can count. And I don’t wanna talk about it.”

13. Ever… killed anyone before?

“Yeah. It was always in self-defence though, and you don’t survive a place like Nuka-World without getting blood on your hands...”

14. What kind of animal are you?

“A magpie. I’m gonna be straight with you. I see a shiny? I like the shiny, I take the shiny. But I do it fairly through buying or gambling!”

15. Name your worst habits?

"Oh boy this might take a while… so I clearly have a gambling problem. I mean, it’s not a problem coz I never lose but I know I do too much of it. I tend to want to adopt every animal we encounter, I guess I can be kinda judgemental, yet ironically I definitely befriended one of the absolute worst people on the planet...”

16. Do you look up to anyone at all?

“Sarge is one helluva leader and keeps us all together and I adore him. Kammie’s always had my back and has great intentions -- and Kaelyn. I’d be dead several times over and worse without her. She had to make some ugly but necessary calls and she always did it for everyone else, never herself. I don’t know if I could be so selfless, but I admire her greatly.”

17. Are you gay, straight or bisexual?

“I’ve only ever been with Sarge, but I can appreciate everyone!”

18. Do you go to school?

“Never went -- feels like I’m there when Sarge makes us stand in the naughty corner to think about what we did and write him an essay though.”

19. Ever want to marry and have kids one day?

“I’d love to get married and have kids, yeah, but… I don’t know if I can have kids of my own, and I don’t know if Sarge is ready to get married yet. But that’s okay! We have our daughbear and she’s beautiful!”

20. Do you have any fangirls/fanboys?

“Well, not to brag but I did gain a small following in New Vegas who wanted to bask in my winnings! Kinda felt embarrassing though. Houdini Squad are all the cheerleaders I need!”

21. What are you most afraid of?

“Being abandoned and left alone.”

22. What do you usually wear?

“My hat, a duster, some riding gear and body armour with a few hidden weapons… yeah, I never grew out of the habit after Nuka World…”

23. What’s one food that tempts you?

“Snack Cakes! They’re just great, y’know? Sweet little pieces of heaven you can eat!“

24. Am I annoying to you?

"Nah. You’re nosy but I like you! You bought me lunch for this interview!”

25. Well, it’s still not over!

“Good! I don’t think the others are done setting up your ‘surprise’ yet.”

26. What class are you (low/middle/high)?

“Honestly thanks to the winnings in New Vegas, I’m probably high class. Definitely new money though, I mean the looks those Upperstanders give me when I prove I can buy their houses, sheesh!”

27. How many friends do you have?

“Too many to count! I have eight I can fall back on without question though, and they’re the ones that matter most to me.”

28. What are your thoughts on pie?

“Pie is second only to snack cakes -- Dandy Apple pies mm-mmm!”

29. Favorite drink?

“Sunset Sarsparilla! I mean, I love how Nuka-Cola flavours glow and all, not so much how they make your teeth and tongue glow too...“

30. What’s your favorite place?

"Ever been to Sunshine? Me, Kammie and Sarge own it. We’ve turned it into a beautiful ranch and its just an amazing place to live. Safe, beautiful and surrounded by my animals and family. Who could want more than that?”

31. Are you interested in anyone?

“Already told you I’m with Sarge, and I’m exclusive when it comes to relationships.”

32. That was a stupid question…

“Well, I mean, you called me Mary Sue earlier so its not the worst thing you’ve said so far...”

33. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean?

“Oh god how about neither? You ever seen a queen or king lurk before? How about a gatorclaw?“

34. What’s your type?

“Kind, compassionate, brave, intelligent, believes in the greater good and fights for those they care about… I don’t know, just go see Sarge! I never met anyone else like him, but he’s my type!”

35. Any fetishes?

“Yeah, okay. This is the most stupid question! That stuff’s private you kinky radrat!”

36. Camping or outdoors?

“Camping is more secure and you can get plenty of outdoors while camping, so why not both?”

[mamashitty]

Samwell Elementary Chapter 3

Y’all can read the entire work so far on my ao3. and here is chapter threee

It is late September and Jack is making Maisie some frozen chicken tenders for breakfast. She asked for chicken tenders and a picnic in her bedroom for breakfast before she fell asleep last night. Normally, Jack would have been insistent on a healthier breakfast—but the hockey season is set to start soon, it is going to get to the point where he won’t be able to get her ready for school as much as he would prefer(and to be fair, with preseason practices and matches, it is difficult for him to get these mornings even now). He figures, one or two mornings of chicken tender breakfasts is fine. And, hey, he can steal a few for himself. A perk of parenthood, if he does say so himself. So, Jack plates the tenders in what he feels is fancy matter, and he pours some juice for Maisie in her mug because she likes to pretend she is drinking coffee with him in the mornings. He sets it all on a tray, and off to his daughter’s bedroom he goes.

He pushes the door open, awkwardly balancing the tray of food and drinks. Maisie is seated on her bed, her hair a mess that needs to be brushed. She looks sleepy still, a yawn escaping her lips. She perks up as soon as she notices Jack. “Papa!” She says, her voice still thick with sleep.

Jack smiles gently, “I got your breakfast,” and he sets it down on her bed, sitting down next to her.

“Thanks, Papa!” Maisie says, and she helps herself to a chicken tender. Dipping it in the ketchup(more like drowning it in the ketchup). Jack chuckles, grabbing his mug of coffee and taking a sip. They sit in silence for a few minutes, each sipping their drinks and occasionally eating. They have plenty of time to eat slowly before they need to get out the door to get Maisie to school on time. It is nice, just being with his daughter in comfortable silence.

“Papa?” Maisie asks after awhile, and Jack looks at her expectantly.

“What is it?” He asks, and Maisie eats another tender before replying.

“Rhiannon says that I don’t get to pick if I get a baby brother or a sister,�� Maisie explains, frowning. “That doesn’t seem very fair. Rhiannon has a little brother and a little sister. Her Mom had twins. Do you think Mom is going to have twins too? Maybe I can have one of each too. Except, Rhiannon says that babies are annoying and all they do is cry. She says they get more fun once they can walk and play. How long does that take?”

Jack sips his coffee, doing his best to hide the amused look that he knows has danced across his face at his daughter’s questions. Camilla and Steve had told Maisie that she is going to be a big sister a week ago. This is the first time she had any questions for him about it, though. He also wonders if she has any other concerns floating around in her head. He was worried that she might be upset about having a little sibling, but she seems okay with it, based on her questions. He is grateful she has a friend at school who has siblings. Oh, to be a fly on the wall with those conversations.

“Rhiannon is right, you won’t be able to pick if you have a baby brother or a sister. I don’t think your Mom is having twins, though. She would have told you that by now,” Jack says, and Maisie frowns.

“Oh. But are they annoying and not fun?” She asks, looking concerned.

Jack wonders how best to answer that. “They do cry a lot when they are little,” he concedes, before adding, “but that is because they can’t talk like you can. Crying is how they let their parents know that they need something. It might get a little annoying, but they are also really cute. And, they can be fun.” Jack feels like he probably could have said all of this better. Maisie looks thoughtful, chewing on a chicken tender, and then she shrugs and changes the topic. Then it is time to get ready.

Maisie is skipping down the halls, leading the way to her classroom. Jack watches her backpack as it bounces up and down on her back. She’s wearing rain boots that match today. Jack is pretty certain she would sleep and bathe in boots if given the chance. When they reach the classroom, Maisie rushes over to a small redheaded girl, shouting her name and nearly tackling her to the ground with an exuberant hug. Jack watches the two from the doorway. He feels funny, uncertain if he should interrupt their moment to get a goodbye hug from his daughter.

“Rhiannon and Maisie are quite inseparable the past few weeks,” Jack turns his gaze to Mr. Bittle.

Eric Bittle, like always, is just sunshine standing in front of him. Jack smiles because it is easy to smile around Mr. Bittle.

“I am glad she has a friend,” he says. Jack doesn’t remember if he had friends at this age or not. He has a feeling that maybe he did not, but he is not sure how much of that feeling is true. Maybe he could ask his parents. He was only a couple years older than his daughter when hockey became all he really thought about.

“She is very outgoing,” Mr. Bittle says.

“She definitely gets that from her mother and grandparents,” Jack replies, “that pie you baked for Camilla was delicious. I had a slice.” He knows the pie was baked to congratulate Camilla on the pregnancy, but she had insisted that Jack try a piece. It was the best slice of pie he had ever had in his life. He’s finally got the time to tell Mr. Bittle that, and he wants to.

“Good, I am glad you had a slice. I made it for all of y’all. You deserve congratulations too,” Mr. Bittle says, beaming up at Jack.

And Jack’s brain short-circuits for a minute. He is not quite certain why he deserves congratulations on, but that still does not stop his cheeks from warming up and maybe going a little pink.

“Euh, thanks,” Jack says, aware of how awkward he is probably being. Aware that the way his stomach seemed to flip over itself at the way Mr. Bittle smiled at him, was probably inappropriate. His daughter’s teacher is attractive and he feels like it is borderline inappropriate for him to think that or for his body to react so strongly to it. He’s aware that Mr. Bittle is watching him.

“Papa!” Maisie calls, waving him over.

“I better go say bye to her,” Jack says. “Have a great day, Mr. Bittle,” he adds, for some reason, his face warms up again and he has a difficult time maintaining eye contact as he retreats into the classroom to say goodbye to his daughter and her friend. When he leaves the classroom a few minutes later, Mr. Bittle is talking animatedly to another parent. Jack keeps his gaze on him for a few seconds, nearly bumping into someone else. It is a near miss and he hurries out to his car after that.

He sits in his car, waiting for the parking lot to clear some before he bothers to leave. He needs to get to the rink. He also needs to stop remembering Eric Bittle’s smile. A smile should not have that strong of an effect on him, but it does, and that worries Jack some. It feels more than a little inappropriate to have the hots for his daughter’s teacher.

[tothewaterhq]

ACCEPTED // ASPEN ‘MAISIE’ FIELDS

district nine → tribute →bailee madison fc

pronouns: she/her strengths: perceptive, strong willed, and compassionate weaknesses: withdrawn, paranoid, wild weapon of choice: n/a token: charm bracelet

tw: death mention

did they volunteer? if so, why?: No, she was reaped. bio:

Life, like the seasons, has a way of cycling through the best of times and the worst of times. It is through sheer strength and sheer will that we weather the storms that come out of no where and threaten to sweep us off our feet. Sure, people say the joy in life is finding the audacity to dance in the rain, but what if you cannot? What if life is too much to be weathered? Even the highest of mountains are reduced down to molehills by the sheer force of the rain and the passage of time.

For Aspen Fields, that was the story of her life.

In the beginning, life was all sunshine and rainbows. Her parents were eccentric (as anyone in District Nine could tell you), but it wasn’t a bad life. Aspen grew up hearing whispered stories of a District beyond her own, playing in the fields, drawing, and embarking on adventures with her sister. Never once did she imagine that life would be anything but what it was: a fairy tale.

Not once did she give a thought to the whispers that filled her life of District Thirteen. Everyone knew Thirteen did not exist. The Capitol had erased it clear off the map years ago. Still, her parents liked to tell stories about it. Stories that entranced her sister and entertained Aspen, but they were just that, stories.

Instead, Aspen chose to live her life quietly observing and capturing life in her artwork. Not that anyone minded, Aspen had always been the quieter two of the twins. Content to live in Amber’s shadow, playing the role of the deuteragonist. Amber lived in shades of yellow, oranges, and reds compared to Aspen’s shades of blue; steady, dependable and welcoming.

But just like the seasons, the Fields family wasn’t destined to live their lives in the promise of spring or even the warmth of summer. No, autumn always comes ushering in the cold breeze of change.

Like most Districts, District Nine is not immune to the strength and paranoia of the Capitol. Even if the were just whispers, the Capitol did not approve of anyone spreading stories about the myth of District Thirteen. Such stories were fodder for a Rebellion. Stories like that undermined the system they had spent years building.

When the Peacekeepers had come calling, Aspen had not been home, but sent away for a sleepover at a classmate’s house. The fates were much kinder to Aspen than they had been her family, because in that instant her entire family, had disappeared. All assumed dead and gone, but one girl.

What Aspen did not know, was that her friend’s family had tipped off the Peacekeepers. Their daughter had told them of the stories the Field’s twins told. Stories of a District Thirteen. Stories of a District that was not supposed to exist.

The consolation prize? The children would be spared as long as the family promised to take them in, care or them, and stomp out the District Thirteen non-sense. Only Amber had stayed home sick…

Leaving Aspen to weather the storm as autumn roared into being and settled upon her life.

In the years after, Aspen, now called by her middle name Maisie, spent her time with her new family. A family that didn’t tell stories or plant their crops in rows of Thirteen. No, the Teosinte family was the epitome of a perfect District Nine family. Picture perfect, some would say.

So, Aspen became Maisie. A little girl that was quiet became nearly consumed by it; speaking only when spoken too and barely above a whisper. Maisie Fields, just didn’t have much to say. Her new parents just assumed it was because she was mourning the lost of her family, of her sister. Yet, as the time slipped by Maisie become lost in her artwork and the fantasy of a life that had been.

As expected winter was dark, blustery, frigid, and never ending. Without her family, there was no promise of the sun or the coming of spring.

The Reaping for the 78th Hunger Games, was just another page in the book, or so Maisie thought.

PLAYED BY // TONYA

[josephkitchen0]

List: The Best Chicken Names — A to Z

Dreaming up the perfect baby chick names is one of the most exciting parts of starting or adding to a flock.

If you need inspiration, our readers and fans are here to help. Take a look at these good chicken name suggestions!

If you’ve got your own list of good chicken names, share your fun ideas in the comments below and we’ll add them here.

  GOOD CHICKEN NAMES (in alphabetical order):

• Abby • Abednego • Adele • Aflac • Albert  • Amelia Egghart • Angel • Angelica • Anna • Annie • Antonina • April • Astrid • Aurora • Autumn • Ava Chanel • Avaleach • Bandit • Batgirl • Beaky • Beakster • Bean • Beatrice • Beethoven “Lil Miss B” • Bella • Belle • Belmont• Benipe • Benny & Joon • Bernice • Betsy • Birdie • Billie Jean • Biscuit • Black Beauty • Blanche • Black Betty • Blue • Bluebelle • Bob, Not Bob & Robert • Bongo • Boomer • Bread & Butter • Breakfast • Brownie • Buck • Buffalo Wings • Buffy • Burger • Buttercup • Butterfinger • Buffy • Bunny • Cammi • Caribou • Carl • Caruso • Cecelia • Charlie • Charlotte • Cheek Cheek • Cheeky • Che r• Chickeel O’Neil • Chicken Patty • Chipmunk Extra Toes • Chippy • Chips & Cheese • Cholula • Cinnamon • Cinnamon & Sugar • Clairetta • Clarabelle • Clarisse • Clover • Cockadoodledoo • Coco • Coconut • Colton • Cookie • Cookie & Cream • Cookies & Cream • Copper • Cornbread Jones • Cotton • Cowie • Cracker • Crooked Toes • Crossy Road • Crow • Cupcake • Cutie Pie • Daisy • Daliah • Daisy Duck • Delta • Dixie • Dolly • Dorothy • Dory • Dottie Kay • Drumstick • Duck Duck • Duckie Momo • Duckiegirl • Duke • Dusty & Bunny • Earth, Wind & Fire • Easter • Edith • Edna & Elle • Egger • Eggy Sue • Elphaba • Ella • Elsa • Elvis • Emily • Ena • Ester • Esther • Ethel • Etta-leghorn • Eugene • Fancy Boy • Fancy Feet • Farrah • Featherfluff, Featherball, & Featherywhite • Fiesta • Flash • Fleeker • Fleur • Flo • Floyd Frizzles • Fluff • Fluffy • Fluffy Butt • Flutters • Former Penguin, The • Franchesca • Francine • Frank • Franny • Freckles • Gabrielle • Ginger • Girlie • Gladys & The Peeps • Glenda • Goldiboks • Goldie • Gossie • Gracie • Grace• Grey • Gumdrop • Handsome • Happy Feet • Hartley-Rose • Hay Hay • Heddy • Henny & Penny • Henny Penny • Henrietta • Henry • Honey & Butter • Hoot • Hope • Huey, Duey, & Louie • Inky • Iris • Jacqueline • Jasper • Jewel • Jo • Joan • Jolene • Juan • Judy B Jones • Junebug • Junior • Kate • Katie Scarlet • Katy • Ken • Kiev • Kira • Lady • Ladybug • Larry, Moe & Curly • Lash • Laverne • Layla • Lay Verne • Lemon • Leonie • Lil’ Peeper • Lime • Little Maggie • Littles • Livean • Liza • Logan • Lola • Lorettie • Louise • Lucille • Lucille Ball • Lucy • Lulu • LuluBocko Brahma • Luna & Star • Madea • Madison • Mae • Maggie May • Maisy & Daisy • Maple • Margarita • Marge • Marigold • Marsala • Mary Ann • Mary Poopins • Matilda • May • Meg • Melissa • Memphis • Merecy • Meshach • Michelle • Midnight • Millicent • Millie Justice • Minnie • Miss Prissy • Mohawk • Mohawk Extra Toes • Molly • Moo Shu • Mother Clucker • Mrs. Hughes • Ms. Speck • Muffin • Muffs • Mumble • Meena, Myna & Moe • Nani • Napoleon • Nebucadnezzar • Netty • Nightstorm • Nilly • Nugget • Nutmeg • Nellie Anne • Oakley • Olive • Olivia • Omelet • Opal • Ophelia • Owlette • Pancho & Cisco • Panda • Parmesan • Paula Dean • Peach • Peanuts • Pearl • Pebbles • Pecky • Peckster • Pee Wee • Peep • Peeper • Penelope • Penny • Penguin, The • Petite • Phoebe • Phoenix • Piccata • Picket • Pinecone • Pinky Pie • Pipsqueak • Polka & Dot • Popcorn • Posey • Potpie • Princess Leia • Puff • Pup • Qawi • Reba • Red Wing • Reese & Puff • Remington • Rene • Rhonda • Roberta • Robin • Rose • Rosey • Rosie • RosieLilly • Roxanne • Ruby • Ruffie • Ruggles • Ruth Layer-Hensberg • Salt & Pepper • Samantha • Sand Piper • Sassy • Scarlet • Seven • Shadow • Shadrach • Shirlay • Silky Boy • Skitters • Skittles • Smalls • Snicker & Doodle • Snooki • Snow White • Snowy • Sophie • Spangler • Speedy 1 & 2 • Spitzy • Spice • Spike • Squirt • Star • Stella • Strider • Sugar • Summer • Sunny • Sunshine • Susie Q (Curly) • Sweet Pea • Sweetie • Tamar • Tetrazzini • Three Amigos • Tikka • Tillie • Tinsy • Tips • Tom & Jerry • Toto • Tulip • Thomas Train Engines: Annie, Clarabell, Emily, Henrietta, and Rosie • Vanilla • Velvet • Vera • Veronica • Vigorous • Vinny • Violet • Wickles • Wilhelmina • Wilma & Betty • Winny • Winston • Xana the Warrior • Yeti • Yeti & Yoda • Zigster • Zippy

Fun Comments About Good Chicken Names: 

• My hens will be named after famous chicken dishes: Marsala, Piccata (or Peckata ), Tikka, and Potpie. If I get a rooster, he would be named Kiev. — Evie Kuran Dieck

• We had three chicks hatch a week and a half before Easter, so we call them the Three Amigos. They made for fun pictures of my granddaughter & niece for Easter also. — Jamie N Ryan Debons

The Three Amigos — Jaime N Ryan Debons

  Novalynn, Jadelyn, and The Three Amigos — Jamie and Ryan Debons

• I have about 35 but started naming the most friendly. Right now we have Dempsey, she was injured at birth by another brood hen. Then Dottie, our blue splash Marans. This one pictured is Opal, our little Aloha hen. We also have: Spike, Bongo, Wickles, Velvet, Daisy, Pearl, Peanuts, Violet, Skitters, Ruffie, Puff, Mohawk, Nilly, Fancy Feet, and Littles. — Sheila Bishop

Opal — Sheila Bishop

• Three of the first four I got were named after the Schuyler sisters in Hamilton … Angelica, Eliza, and Pecky (Pecky is a play on the actual name of the 3rd sister, Peggy) and the 4th was named Dawn by my daughter, the next two were named after the Patil twins in Harry Potter … Padma and Parvati, but Parvati was soon found out to be a cockerel, so his name changed to Pavarotti; the next two were named Velma and Daphne from Scooby Doo, but sadly we lost Daphne to a hawk. I’m getting 4 more this Spring to complete my backyard flock and I’m hoping to stick to literary names! — Jessica Lancaster

• I’ve got 13! Amelia, Beatrice, Lucy, Ethel, Mrs. Hughes, Ms. Speck, Dorothy, Blanche, Rose. The other four I’m letting friends and family name and they haven’t decided yet. I’m about to name them after some favorite book characters if they don’t get with it! — Lori Worcester

• Out of 12 we have named a few. We have a Rhode Island Red named Lucy, after Lucile Ball of I Love Lucy, another Rhode Island Red named Ginger who is best buds with a Plymouth Barred Rock named Mary Ann, both named after the lovely characters of Gilligan’s Island. Then there is Nugget, he “or” she is an Ameracauna. — Eduardo Cabello

• Two Light Brahmas named Salt & Pepper. One Black Cochin and one White Cochin named Glenda (the white one) and Elphaba (black one). My Easter Eggers names will be Dorothy and Toto. — Tina Rogers-Higgins

• Chicken Patty, Henny Penny, Mary Poopins, Edith, Edna and Elle. — Corice Boyer

• Princess Leia. She doesn’t lay many eggs but hangs around the nest boxes a lot keeping order so her nickname is “The Janitor.” — Steve Tomashek

Princess Leia — Steve Tomashek

• My dinosaur obsessed five year old named our new three Blue, Charlie, and Delta. He calls them his pack of raptors. — Sarah Goodwin

• This year our new chicks are Shadow, Nightstorm, Angel, Summer, Ginger, Rosie, Bandit, Jewel, Pearl, Ruby, and Franchesca. Last year’s survivors are Anna (Elsa was killed by a neighbor’s dog), Thorn, Blackbeard, and two Barred Rocks with no/super fluid names. Our original flock are Prudence, Goldilocks, Snow White, Perry, Lulu, Henrietta, Napoleon. And roosters are Drumstick and Mr. Wattles. Can you tell I have kids? Ha Ha — Malissa Cline

• Roberta (after my husband), Henrietta, Ruby, April, Amelia, Ophelia, Clairetta, Red Wing, and Matilda who turned into Matthew once we learned he is a rooster! — Jamie Frazier-Olson

• Carl, Samantha, Juan, and Aflac! Juan is in the front. (The only one we can tell apart because of the light beak) Also, Juan might be Juanita! Started to hear quack sounds today. — Ashley Marie Rettig

Carl, Samantha, Juan, and Aflac — Ashley Marie Rettig

• I have three roosters named Bob, Not Bob, and Robert. Only two of the girls have names, Red (my Rhode Island Red) and Black Betty (Barred Rock) all the others are just Hey “Ladies.” — Heather Herendeen

• We have Benny & Joon, Wilma and Betty, Stella, Lola, Miss Prissy, Pj’s, Coffee, Teeth (the last 3 were named by our 5 year old), Yeller and Whitey (both named by our 3 year old). — Desi Becht

• Only named one of the 8 so far. Turns out she is blind. I named her Tillie. — Kelley Jane Kloub

Tillie — Kelley Jane Kloub

• Phoebe, Molly, Dixie, Penelope, Grace, Charlotte, Amelia, Coco, Olivia, Kate, Sophie. — Kathy Hansen Mulready

• My four kids ages 11, 9, 7, and 4 named ours: Vigorous, Peckster, Pep, Pipsqueak, Vinny, Cross Road,  Picket,  Freckles,  Cockadoodledoo,  Tips,  Beakster,  Robin,  Beaky,  Scarlet,  Ruby,  Cowie,  Cheeky, Pebbles, Drumstick, Clover, Mae, Penny, Tinsy, Zippy, Smalls, Merecy, Zigster, And our ducks: Duckie, Momo, Daisy Duck. — Amber Marie Wert

• Ken and Seven (# of toes!) Pictures here. Not seen are Gumdrop, Posey, Muffs, and Belle. — Meg McCreary Youngblood

Ken and Seven —Meg McCreary Youngblood

• Our ducks are Duck Duck and Ginger. Our chicks are Pup, Pinky Pie, Sweetie, Brownie, Sugar, and Spice. Named by my five and six year olds. — Kelly Hughes

• Buff Orpingtons are Bread and Butter. Light Brahmas are Vera and Francine. With my other hens the flock is known as Gladys and the Peeps. — Lucille Gardner

• Fluff, Emily (my 4 year old’s idea), Dorothy, Blanche, Popcorn and Moo Shu. — Emily Powell

• Cookie and Cream, Henny and Penny, Minnie, Daisy, and Clarebelle. — Sharon Krouse Miller

• Snicker and Doodle, Salt and Pepper, Dusty and Bunny, Luna and Star, Honey and Butter, Cinnamon and Sugar, and Sunny … we got a little carried away. — Sherri Grant

• Our Buff Orpington is Sunshine; Blue Ameracauna is Bluebelle; others are Sweetpea & Ladybug. — Gaylene Taylor Davidson

• Napoleon is my rooster, than Xena the warrior, she steals worms from the others, Katy, Gabrielle, Omelet, Annie, Oakley, Laverne and Petite. — Diane Zapka Christensen

• Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger. — Irma Hladek

Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger.

• Judy B Jones and Cupcake, named by my daughter. — Britni Davidson

• We have: Joan, Iris, Ester, Lucille, Ruby, Roxanne, Avaleach, Melissa, and Rosey. — Brenna Nicole

Joan, Iris, Ester, Lucille, Ruby, Roxanne, Avaleach, Melissa, and Rosey. — Brenna Nicole

• My current girls are Ethyl, Veronica, and Buffy. Previously: Biscuit (Leghorn), Cholula, Fiesta, Margarita, (Aracaunas), and Penny (Rhode Island Red)

• My kids named the buff Elvis and the leghorns are Huey, Duey, and Louie.

• My Red Star is Ruby. I have two Buff Orpingtons named Birdie and Betsy. My Four white Plywood Rocks are Ashley, Abby, Madison and Ruth Layer-Hensberg. — Rebecca Joy

• We got two adding to the group. Our first rooster we named Henry and Etta-leghorns (like Henrietta). — Dana Alexander-Brown

• We have speedy 1&2, we also have happy feet (chick was born with a deformed leg) and several others we have not named yet. — Jennifer Thompson

• We just got a Katie Scarlet, BlueBelle, Millie Justice, Effie Mae, and a Liberty Belle. — Shannon Briles Kana

• Dunkin (The Yorkie), Nugget (Top), Gossie (Left) and Bean (Right)! — Nicole Contos

Dunkin, Nugget, Gossie (Left) and Bean — Nicole Contos

• I have Panda, Cheek Cheek (my two year old named her), Nani, Goldiboks, Reese and Puff, and Dory. — Jessica Ogle

• I have four chicks named Jo, Meg, Rhonda, and Clarisse. Our granddaughter loves them! — Julie Sorenson

Jo, Meg, Rhonda, and Clarisse — Julie Sorenson

• Michelle, Junior and Belmont — Suzanne Morrell Crutcher

Michelle, Junior and Belmont — Suzanne Morrell Crutcher

• Miss Prissy, Peepers, Lucy, Sunshine, and Scarlet. We love them. — Glenda Szoka

• I quit naming after the first year. When I have nearly 100 birds… there is no keeping that straight. — Smantha Martin

• Cracker, Muffin, Cookies and Cream, Memphis, Phoenix, Ruffles, Hartley-Rose, Snowy, Black Beauty, GC, and BB. — Alyson Jayne

• Dottie Kay, Nellie Anne, and Ava Chanel (Ava cuz I love my truck – avalanche and both are black). — Robyn Smith-Demeuse

• Named my girls after my great, great aunts… Henrietta (Rhetta), Sophia (Hia), Matilda (Tilda) and Wilhelmina (Mina). — Heidi G. Malin

• Franny, Netty, Junebug, Bella, Winny, Snooki, Chippy and Jacqueline. The whole family got in on the naming process. — Bonnie Rolfes Duffy

Franny, Netty, Junebug, Bella, Winny, Snooki, Chippy and Jacqueline. — Bonnie Rolfes Duffy

• Amiga, Crazy Dot, lil’Peeper, Squirt, and the Barney’s. Who knows if they will stick. — Jody Eubanks

• My son named ours the bantam is flash the RIR is Supergirl and our Plymouth is Batgirl. — Kimberly Flenory

Batgirl and Supergirl — Kimberly Flenory

• Adele…. because she never stopped chirpin. — Aimee McGlinchey

• Amelia, my Cuckoo Maran. — Kathy Hansen Mulready

Amelia — Kathy Hansen-Mulready

• Anna and Elsa…guess who has a  granddaughter! — Rivkah B’racha

Anna and Elsa — Rivkah B’racha

• We have 10 girls, most have boy names though. Our girls are Nebucadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Strider, Hay Hay, Benipe, Hope, Charlotte, and Marge. — Tricia Sengul

• My boys named our Silkie/Sultan X’s (from back to front) Yeti, Cotton, and Lash. Lash had buff colored fluff over eyes at birth. — Jennifer Fox-Malechikos

Silkie/Sultan X’s (from back to front), Yeti, Cotton, and Lash — Jennifer Fox-Malechikos

• Lacey the Golden Lace Wyndotte; Goldie the Buff Orpington; Pearl the Silver Grey Dorking; Easter the Cream Legbar; Chickaletta the Silver Laced Cochrin. — Sarah Haly

• I named each batch of new arrivals out of new friends I had made! But roosters were always Handsome. — Cecile Jordan

• Buttercup and Fluffy Butt, named by a 3 year old. — Linda Terrell Nunes

• Copper, Edith, Bernice, Aurora (after Shirley McLaine’s character in Terms of Endearment), Ella, Pepper, Henry, Olive, and Antonina — Anna Atwell

• My girls are Minnie, Daisy, Clarabelle, Owlette, Dorothy, Rose & Blanche. — Miranda Craig

• Crooked Toes, Chipmunk Extra Toes, Mohawk Extra Toes, The Penguin, and The Former Penguin — Jes Marie Stark

• Rosie and Ginger, RIRs; Summer and Autumn, Wellsummers; Stormy and Puff (Cochins) — Lauren Linares

Rosie, Ginger, Summer, Autumn, Stormy, and Puff — Lauren Linares

• Mary Poopins — Spruce Ledge Farms

• Caruso (may or may not be a pullet), Rene, Leonie and Kira. Have one more opera singer to go! — Judy Biller

• Sam and Ella. (Y’know, “samanella”) — Christie Fletcher Munsell

• Jasper and Cammi — Jim Desjardins

• Sweet Pea — Dana Adkins

Sweet Pea — Dana Adkins

• Belle — Miranda Holland

Belle — Miranda Holland

• We named her Hoot. — Cheryl Foster

• Louise — Jodi Vaske

• Susie Q (Curly) — Eliza Hoffman

Susie Q (Curly) — Eliza Hoffman

• Penelope, Daliah, Marigold and Beatrice — Lindsay Mc

• Chickel O’Neill, Bocko Brahma, Omelet — Sarah Spiegel

• Fleeker, Boomer, Flo, Chips and Cheese — Ang Joh

• Caden’s duckling is named Frank! — Sue McNaughton

• Hens: [Australorp] Madea; [Buff Orph] Girlie; [3 Red Sex Links] Lucille Ball; [Random brown dotted hen] Pinecone; [White something] Snow White; [Bantam Chick ] Cher; [female mallard duck] Duckiegirl; [indian runner duckling pair] Pancho & Cisco. — Carie Jarrell

• Albert

Albert — Nichole Langmeyer

• Our last lot were named Burger, Tikka & Nugget. — Melinda Maclay-Ross

• Inky, Heddy, Cotton & Blue. — Robyn Grace Jennings

• Polka and Dot, Maisy and Daisy, Pearl, Buck, Lorettie, Dolly — Billie Jo Maedke

• My Easter Egger is named Bunny. — Linda Marie

• Mother Clucker, Ruby, Mumble, and Flutters. — Amanda Bland

• My kids named ours Featherfluff, Featherball, and Featherywhite. — Sarah Ritchie

• Olive, Ginger, Sunny, Lulu, Cookie, Gracie, Pearl — Ana Crowley

• Fluffy — Karen Atteberry

• Layla, Jolene, Cecelia, Maggie May, Billie Jean and Roxanne — Jen Next

• Tom, Jerry, Egger, Midnight, Yedi and Yoda — DeeDee Bricker

• My four chicks are, Ena, Meena, Myna and Moe. — Loretta Aranha

• Cecila, Floyd Frizzles — Deborah Young

• Esther, Tamar, and May — Kimberly Gunlock Walter

• Stella, Crow, LuLu, and Clover — Mandy Hopper

• Farrah, Sassy, Spike, and Pee Wee. — Kathy Barnett

• Larry, Moe, and Curly — Donna Grayson

Larry, Moe, and Curly — Donna Grayson

• Maple — Jennifer Orme

Maple — Jennifer Orme

• The Chicken Nuggets: Amelia Egghart, Eggy Sue, and Henrietta. — Emily Samms

Amelia Egghart, Eggy Sue, and Henrietta — Emily Samms

• Chica Poo Poo’s: Dolly, Reba, Lucy, Bella, Violet, Winston, Remington, Caribou, Ruby — Teri Foster

Dolly, Reba, Lucy, Bella,Violet, Winston , Remington, Caribou, and Ruby. — Teri Foster

• First play date outside. Penelope. — Erin Carlson

Penelope — Erin Carlson

• Iris — Angelina Turnbull

Iris — Angelina Turnbull

• Our boys love Thomas the train so our girls are all Thomas the Train engines: Annie, Clarabell, Emily, Henrietta, and Rosie. — Deanna Poehlman

Annie, Clarabell, Emily, Henrietta, and Rosie — Deanna Poehlman

• My 3 girls named Buttercup, Tulip, & Violet.

Buttercup, Tulip, & Violet

• Pekin babies named Little Maggie, and Panda. — Jane Germain

Little Maggie and Panda — Jane Germain

• Easter Eggers for Easter named Sunshine and Lady. Sunshine is the lighter yellow and Lady is the one with her eye liner on, her roots done and her Beak is always yapping! — Stephanie Klein

Sunshine and Lady — Stephanie Klein

• The Newcomers: Eugene a Silkie, Logan a Silkie, Livean a Belgian Mille Fleur, Fleur a B. Mille Fleur, Millicent a B. Mille Fleur, and Spangler a Silver Sebright. — Esther Grummet

• Arg Matey! Bethoven, “Lil Miss B.” — Jamie Schreck

• Owl or chick??!! Meet Hoot. We thought she looked so much like an owl we named her Hoot. — Rachel Lindsey

Hoot — Rachel Lindsey

• Skittles — Brittany Sullivan

Skittles — Brittany Sullivan

Do you have good chicken names? Share them in the comments below!

List: The Best Chicken Names — A to Z was originally posted by All About Chickens

[theyellowsubmarinist]

Hi there!

This is kinda my first official blog post, so we’ll see how this goes?

I wanted to share some novel ideas I have - or even short story ideas - and see what y’all would like to see me pursue? I’ve had a lot of trouble these past... eight years?... of me writing and trying to start and finish a novel completely. Although I’ve only completed one novel (that really doesn’t show my full potential as a writer), I am still extremely proud of it!

So here are my ideas, and please feel free to comment on my latest Instagram post which story idea sounds most intriguing/cool!

1. Atlas: When nineteen-year-old Cas finds her grandfather's old photo album from when he was her age, she stumbles upon a picture that brought up questions. Who was the strange man her grandpa was hugging? Why were they holding hands? But when she confronts him about the pictures, she finds that maybe things are finally beginning to make sense. 

Alternating POVs with Cas and her grandpa Pike from when he was her age, the two generations take a trip down memory lane to where he fell in love with a boy named Atlas.

2. 69 Degrees of Separation: Rian likes to settle. Unfortunately, her long-lost sister Beth does not. So when Rian turns the magical age of 21 and begins to receive emails from none other than her sister, asking her to find her in some middle-of-nowhere town in Europe, she jumps at the opportunity to be the change she wants to see in herself.

But with adventure, comes a list of 68 instructions to close the distance between her and Beth. Places to go, things to pick up, people to meet - and regrettably, a man to travel with.

Follow the journey Rian must make in order to have the gap in her life be colored back in by having 68 things (plus a strange man) to complete along the way. And then maybe - just maybe - love will find a way. 

3. Breaking Sunshine’s Heart:  Sunshine Beckett wasn't necessarily sad. Summer break was coming up, as well as her 21st birthday, and returning to her beach house in Aurora Heights was the only thing that kept her diving head-first to the end of the school year. She had her family, her best friend, and... her two first loves. Not exactly what she was planning, but... what could go wrong?

This is the summer Sunshine finds herself... and possibly breaks herself.

(I know this one is a little cliché, but it would be a fun summer read, no?)

4. The Storytellers: 

    Mason- I have cancer. There's no other way to put it. It's not fun - not even a bit - but pretending I'm healthy makes up for it. No one knows. And no one ever will.

    Deanna- I love him. At least, that's what I convince myself - even at his best times. Sometimes it's hard convincing myself those three words, tears falling as I whisper it to myself nightly. I love him. But does he love me?

    Tod- I'm not me. Not my body, that is. Tara was my name, one time. But never have I fulfilled the role, nor the expectations, a parent would expect of a daughter. No one cares. Not anymore, at least.

    Maisie- I love him. But he doesn't see me - doesn't know I'm right here waiting. I'm in love with a stranger, and that's all he'll ever be to me. A god-damn stranger.

    Charlie- No one cares. Not for me; not for my brother. I try to protect him from this fact, showering him with safe thoughts and a profound perspective of the world. Too bad it's a fake one.

The five teenagers meet at an end-of-the-year party - each with a fear, each with a story - and find one common key factor between all of them: They are each the hero to their own story.

(PS. This would be more of a modern re-telling of The Breakfast Club. Not the same characters, nor with similar characteristics as the original ones, but still the same-ish concept!)

And that’s all I really have for now! Please let me know your thoughts?

Much Love,

Caline x

[fairfieldprephq]

“Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

NAME: Maisie Anderson AGE: 17 GRADE: Junior BIRTHDAY: July 14th FACECLAIM: Lili Reinhart

b a c k g r o u n d .

tw: bullying, tw: car accidents, tw: attempted suicide

Maisie Anderson was born an only child to a mother who loved her unconditionally, and a father who left before she was born. From a young age she had become a mama’s girl, given there were no male role models in her life. It wasn’t until she was seven years old that life threw her a curveball and she got a chance to experience what it was like to have a father. The first time she’d met Edgar, Maisie had instantly approved of her mother’s choice in men. Things only seemed to get better when she found out that Edgar had a daughter who just so happened to be her age, and from that point on Maisie had been an absolute ray of sunshine.

Harlow and Maisie did nearly everything together. While Maisie was only four  months older, they still grew up in the same grades. They shared the same friends and went to the same birthday parties, and life was overall pretty easy for the two blondes. It was fairly easy, at least, until high school started. That was when things started to go downhill.

Freshman year of high school had been actual hell. Harlow had always had a hidden wild side, but Maisie had genuinely thought it was harmless. She just didn’t know how easily influenced her sister was. The blonde had been suspicious of Flynn from the moment Harlow and him began dating. At first she had chalked it up to Harlow being over the moon and obsessed with finding her ‘first love’. But one night changed everything.

She can still remember getting the phone call from the paramedics, who had found her sister inside a burning car, unconscious. She can still remember the sterile smell of the hospital hallways as she waited outside her sister’s room for hours until she was stable. And then once she was finally let inside the room, she could see just how close to death Harlow had been. It was a little over three weeks until Harlow finally woke up, and by that time Maisie herself had changed. She’d been attending her classes just as normal, but her peers had begun hazing her. And because she didn’t have Harlow at her side to defend her, Maisie had let the popular kids bully her to the point she was certain that her life was worth nothing.

That was how Maisie ended up retreating into her dorm room every day after school, making sure to avoid everyone she passed in the hall. During the first week of the intense bullying she would cry herself to sleep every night; after a solid week of doing so, she managed to channel her pain into something else: stories. She began to write and write, and read and read, until her brain hurt. She would make up situations and characters in her head and give them lives that were much better than her own. She would escape into her own head and stay there for hours on end.

One night, however, her daydreaming had gone too far. Somehow she had ended up standing on the edge of the roof of her dorm building, ready to jump off. Maybe if she was dead, she wouldn’t have to deal with this pain. But someone managed to find her before she could take the final step and end it all permanently. That person convinced her to hold onto the bit of hope she still had inside, and from that moment on, Maisie had made a promise to herself that she would not give up. It wasn’t until Harlow woke up, however, that Maisie returned back to her old self. The sadness slowly melted away, leaving in its place the bubbly, helpful girl she truly was deep down.

p e r s o n a l i t y .

While her sister is still in the process of recovering from the trauma that happened years ago, Maisie has taken her own past struggles and learned to make something good out of it. She’ll slip back into her own imagination every once in awhile, but it’s always easy to pull her out of it. She’s also grown accustomed to helping people as much as possible, finding that making people smile was the most rewarding thing she’d ever experienced. She’s earned the title of the escapist in the sense that while she might be one of the smartest people in school, she will always have her daydreams of the way that things could have--and should have--and maybe even might have been, had her sister not gotten into that accident freshman year.

[at-this-point-i-dont-even-know]

I am Sorry Chapter 8

The days after Jon and Sansa’s conversations flew past, Tormund was brought it that day and since then the rough around the edges Detective had spent almost everyday locked in Sansa’s hospital room going over every tiny detail of the past eight years.

Every day Rob and Jon would sit outside the room, Rob going through his school reports and Jon finishing off old case files on his laptop. They had commandeered the whole corridor, thankfully Sansa's room was at the end of a corridor, as they had laptop cables and paperwork spread far and wide. They would take it in turns to get coffee and snacks from the hospital cafeteria and Val would bring them lunch whenever she had time.

Arya had left the same day Tormund was brought onto the scene, making the decision to go and collect both Bran and Rickon to bring them back. Bran would be easy he had only gone to Birmingham for a month for a school project, but Rickon would be the challenge. Arya thought he was in the Lake District somewhere while Bran swore last time they had spoken Rickon had been in the highlands near Loch Lomond.

-------------------

Sansa liked Tormund Giantsbane, it was as simple as that. She liked his rough northern accent that reminded her of her father and the way he would fill the room with his voice and laughter.

She also like the way he would listen, quietly, with only his pen scratches filling the room. He never asked her to repeat anything or go into further details if he saw her hesitate. And when the tears came, which was less and less as the days passed by, he would just hold her hand rubbing circles on her palm with his calloused hand.

He was funny too, making jokes about the woman he was dating or about his co-workers. He would joke about Jon most of all, those jokes always made Sansa laugh. She was filing them away to repeat to Jon later, to see his reaction.

Five days after Tormund had been listening Sansa changed the subject. Instead of her talk to horror or of her drug hazed observations she asked Tormund a question.

“Can we go outside?”

The question made the Northern Cop raise an eyebrow.

“Outside?”

“I haven’t really been outside in years. I don’t remember what sunshine feels like. Plus no drip anymore.” She said waving her dripless hand in his face. It had been removed earlier that morning.

Tormunds heart broke at the statement, “It's raining today.”

“Good, I forgot what that feels like too.” For the first time since she had woken up from her daze she felt excited, ready to get out of the four walls she had been staring at for god-knows how long.

She pulled the covers back and almost sprung out of bed. The downside of being stuck in a bed for a month is your legs forget how to work, a fact Sansa realised just as she fell to the floor.

Tormund was there almost instantly scooping her up like she was nothing more than a feather and sitting her down in the wheelchair next to her bed.

“Ok Princess let's go outside and get wet.” Breaking the sad look Sansa had about falling over.

The pair pushed their way into the corridor startling of both the boys as they did so. Jon and Rob went to get up but Tormund put out a hand, “Not today boys. This is our day out.”

Rob went to argue but Jon stopped him with a hand to the shoulder and a subtle shake of the head. He then nodded to Tormund and the burly Redhead pushed Sansa away.

The hospital in Bristol, while a stunning older building, did not come with rolling meadows of grass for them to sit upon. Instead they found the coffee shop next door, a cute brunette waitress took their order, while they sat under the not so protected verandah.

Tormund ordered his usual, a long black with plenty of sugar, Sansa on the other hand had forgotten what coffee tasted like. The thought of forgetting her coffee order started to make her hands shake and her head swirl. It use to be such an normal process.

The waitress, a lovely girl with a ‘Hi my names Maisie’ name badge cut off her panic, “What about you try one of our specials, I think a Caramel Double Shot Soy Latte will be perfect for you.”

Tormund thanked her and added two chocolate muffins to the order, Sansa just sat there hands gripping her wheelchair, knuckles going white.

Tormund grabbed one of the clenching hands and engulfed it with his own, “I hate fancy coffee shops, too bloody intimidating.”

Sansa let out a weak laugh and turned back to the detective.

“Thank you for letting me come outside.” The rain was falling quickly, and the cold air felt so good on Sansa’s skin. She had always prefered cold weather to hot.

“Anytime Princess.” He didn’t elaborate or try to make small talk, that wasn’t the kind of man he was. He either had something to say or he had nothing to say.

“Can I ask you something, you can say no if you want?” He nodded his answer and Sansa swallowed the lump in her throat.

“What happened after I disappeared?” The question had be weighing on her mind, she needed to know what had happened to her siblings in the years after she left.

Tormund Giantsbane weighted the question, taking his time to formulate an answer.

“I don’t know all of it, Snow doesn’t talk much about that time, but I can give you to gist of it. What the media said and what I picked up as times gone by.”

“Please.”

The coffees arrived quickly and Tormund took a large mouthful, choking on the heat from the coffee. Sansa delicately picked up the chocolate muffin, tearing it into tiny bite size pieces.

“When you disappeared there was a search. Don’t you ever think there wasn’t. Your siblings scoured the whole of England and Wales for you. But I guess that bloody git had already got his paws on ya. They did telly interviews and radio pleas for anyone to find you. The media covered it with sick fascination. The daughter of the Slain Starks and girlfriend to the murdering bastard Joffrey. You were rather infamous. But time went on with no answers. Rob never really gave up though. He would drop everything every time there was a lead for three years. He flew to fucking Spain twice because there had been ‘sightings’ of you. I don’t know what your sisters or little brothers did. But Snow always worries about the littlest one so I would say they didn't take it well.”

“So they did look for me?”

“Darling Rob and Jon would of searched the globe for you. But life got in the way, Rob had three siblings to raise. And Jon… Jon didn’t take the death of your parents and your disappearance well. I know he had some anger issues, lots of anger issues really. He was lost. So he joined the military four years into your disappearance. He was good there, worked his way up. I don’t know what he did there, Sansa, but when he came back He wasn’t the man I saw on the telly. He’s a bit broken now.”

“Broken like me?”

Tormund half smiled and took a slip of the coffee.

“I don’t think you’re broken Sansa. I think you’re gonna survive us all.”

The two sat and drank their coffees. Sansa savoured the sweet and bitter taste of her coffee, letting the warm liquid flood her tongue. One arm stretched out to feel the wind and rain against her sensitive skin. For a moment she felt normal. Unbroken.

“There you are.” a shiver drove through Sansas spine and into her heart, the voice was almost as sickly sweet as her coffee but in all the possible wrong ways. Her blood stopped flowing and in one second the past weeks melted away and suddenly she was back where she had started.

Turning slowly she took the owner of the voice in, wearing another pinstriped suit, leather shoes and his head slicked back, Petyr Baelish looked every bit like the man of her nightmares.