#also we're the first team to clinch at home

[the-physicality]

ann renee desbiens first star of the game

kristin o'neill second star of the game

maureen murphy third star of the game

[fannyyann]

Keeping up with the Florida Panthers (aka Sara Civian interviews Matthew)

EP Rinkside: What's something away from the rink that’s making you happy these days?

Matthew Tkachuk: I would say, just, I'm lucky at this time of year. Especially across the whole country, it seems like it's freezing everywhere. It's beautiful down in Florida. And we just moved into our new practice rink recently, so that's been awesome.

EP: There was a quote floating around from (head coach Paul Maurice) from before the nine-game win streak and before you started getting hot on the scoresheet. He said people are going to say “Matthew Tkachuk is back,” and he's going to say you never left. Did you see that?

MT: I did, yes.

EP: How did you feel about it, and what's your relationship with him like?

MT: Well, Paul's been a very important part of my last few years. He’s one of, if not the best, coaches that I've ever played with. He's been very important for my development, and I just think that he trusts my game, and I trust my game. I wouldn't say (the puck) was going in early, but I haven’t changed one thing, I'm still doing the exact same thing, it's just finding a little bit more success right now.

It’s been a great year for our team and as of late, it’s picking it up a little bit for myself. Hopefully, we can just keep trending into the second half of the year here.

EP: How important is that trust between a coach and a player and how is it developed?

MT: I just think that he's always given me the right leeway, but still expects me to play the right way. He knows that there's some parts of my game that (are unique) I need to maybe take a little bit more chances than the average player. He gives me full leeway to do that, but also expects me to work my butt off and to lead by example.

EP: We always talk about “buy-in,” it's kind of cliché at this point, and you guys obviously have that factor. But how does something like that start?

MT: I just think being so close to winning it all last year has made it very, very easy to come back this year and have that immediate buy-in from the guys wanting to win a championship here. So many returning guys who are so close and so upset with not finishing it off. There's a lot of motivation.

EP: Do you have a favourite moment from last season's run?

MT: I would say, probably all of the series-clinching wins, the series-winning goals. The overtime winner in Boston, the overtime winner in Toronto, the last second one at home against Carolina.

All three of those are by far the greatest goals I've ever been a part of.

EP: I feel like we're not as a society talking about Sam Bennett enough. Can you give us a little bit about what he's like off the ice and what it's like to play with him?

MT: He just plays so hard.

He was one of the first guys I met when coming to Calgary, and we've been so close ever since. I'm so happy that we got to play together again down here in Florida. He was the first guy I talked to when I got traded, and we've just been so close for eight-plus years now.

It’s so fun that we're able to play with each other still, we just have such great chemistry on and off the ice. He just plays so hard and he complements my game so well. And off the ice, we're just super close and have a great group of guys that pretty much do everything together away from the rink.

It makes it so much fun to come to the rink every day, work with them, and then when we leave the rink, do stuff together.

EP: If you became the commissioner of the league today, what's the first thing you'd change?

MT: Overtime until somebody scores. No shootouts. And no back-to-backs. I don't know if we need any more back-to-backs right now.

EP: Other than you, who has the best chirps in the league?

MT: I'd say the guy who chirps a lot on our team is Brandon Montour. He has some good ones. Nick Cousins has got some good ones. (Ryan) Lomberg, too. They all have some good ones.

EP: Best advice your dad ever gave you?

MT: Two things: Compete and be a good teammate.

EP: Last year you gained some recognition outside of the hockey world, and it kind of sparked, like, a debate about personality in the NHL. I've always wondered What you actually think about this whole conversation, like, do you like being kind of the personality guy in the NHL?

MT: Well, I’m never going to not be myself. I grew up with great parents that taught me great things and around a great family. I’ll carry that for the rest of my life. I’m not trying to do anything, and some guys are (quieter) and that’s OK. This is just how my personality is.

EP: Can you give me three words to describe the current Panthers?

MT: Oh, I would say very fast. So fast. Close – we’re a super close team.  I've never seen a team like this where, you know, we're going to dinner on the road and we're having, you know, 15 people reservations and everybody hanging out with each other. it's been awesome. Fast, close, and fun. Nobody has more fun than our team.

[redwineconversation]

2022 UWCL Post-Match Interviews

Interviews were done both on OLPlay and DAZN, so I broke it up between the two.

Random observation: the OLPlay interviews for the UWCL semis (22 mins approximately) were longer than they were for the final (approximately 10 mins), but that could be because DAZN was running their own interviews in the final.

OLPLAY INTERVIEWS

JEAN-MICHEL AULAS INTERVIEW

Journalist: Okay, you're the one paying the salaries at OLTV, but what a pleasure - it's coming home.

Aulas: Yeah, it's magnificent, because it wasn't easy at all. So when we win with a little bit of a margin, you get the impression that things were easy. But it was work, it was work done over a season, with lots and lots of difficulties and we had another - unfortunately for Ellie, this injury that, honestly, hurts me because when we see players of her quality who have to be subbed out during the match. But there's a huge happiness for everybody. This public that has followed us and who were behind the team. The group of supporters are here. The crowd is here, and we have an incredible team, without forgetting obviously Sonia [Bompastor] and Camille [Abily], who succeeded. And I think that is what is the most beautiful about this win, actually, is that Camille and Sonia took part in this adventure as players, they gave us a taste of what the Champions League success is like, and they come back as staff members. And for their first participation [as staff members], they win this Champions League. And the level is really high now, it must be said. All the professional teams are investing to the maximum. So we're happy. To have done what we did in one season, when the club was suffering, there was the Europa loss, but then the Coupe Gambardella and finally this UWCL Final. We'll be at Paris [Saint Germain] next Sunday to try and clinch the title. If we could wrap up the title race on Sunday, that would be obviously great, they deserve it. But as it stands, this is a season that regardless of the difficulties, we can see what football brings in terms of emotion. And it's true that there is no other activity, no other sport, which is as powerful in terms of emotion.

Journalist: And what a final. Who would have thought, 3-0 [Note: journalist got it wrong, it was 3-1] against Barcelona. They did it. A perfect first half, a second half won on mental strength.

Aulas: Yeah, I can hear the [Champions League] hymn here in Turin, where we have often won by the way. It was a tough match. I was sitting with the UEFA board directors, with Nadine Kessler, who were saying to me, such will, what technique for Amandine's [Henry] goal which allows us to open the scoring which was essential against this Barcelona team. We also really saw our players gain a psychological - I guess will - over this Barcelona team which is stacked with huge talent. But that's also what is expected from this Lyon team. It's our 10th final, 8th win in the Champions League. It's never been done before. And it's true that we are fundamentally happy tonight.

Journalist: Thank you, Mr. President. Go celebrate this title.

ADA HEGERBERG INTERVIEW

[Note: Hegerberg has tears in her eyes the entire interview]

Journalist: Ada, what a final. And another header.

Hegerberg: Yeah, it's incredible. I ... I'm having difficulty describing this evening, actually. [Breathes shakily] Ouf. There are no words. I'm so proud of the girls, what we accomplished this season... It was hard. We really hit rock bottom. But the girls, the team, thanks to them, really, we went out and got this trophy.

Journalist: I remember commenting your match when you returned from injury. It was difficult, you were looking for your positioning, you were looking to see how things felt. But tonight was magical, it erased everything [bad].

Hegerberg: It's... it's ... it's so hard to describe. I've come so far. I have to mention Griedge [M'Bock] as well. What we experienced was every athlete's nightmare. To imagine winning the Champions League one year later after what we lived through, I don't have any words. There was so much work, so much mentality. There had to be a really strong mentality today to go get the win. That's done on the field. Football speaks for itself. That's the most important thing. [Hegerberg gets extremely emotional] Do you realize that this is the 8th Champions League trophy for the club? I can't stop saying this, but the President, what he has done for us, for football in general, it's ... I don't have the words for it. I have so much respect for him.

Journalist: The trophy is coming home?

Hegerberg: [laughs] She's coming home. And it's deserved.

WENDIE RENARD INTERVIEW

Journalist: This is OLTV. I want to say, who is the boss?

Renard: [laughs] I don't want to say it, because people will take that out of context. But as I just said to the media next to me, we didn't want to show anything to anyone. We just wanted to write our own story, to continue. We knew that there was a really talented team in front of us, with more than good players. They know each other by heart, they are so unified, so we knew it would be hard. But I think we knew how to hurt them at the right time, with our game in transition, even in possession by moving it from side to side. They weren't really used to that. So that hurt them, and all the better for us.

Journalist: That second half, what mental strength. Defensively, you never gave up.

Renard: We didn't have a choice. At halftime, I told them "it's only halftime!" I knew they would come at us, that's normal. When you're losing 3-1 at halftime, the coach is going to bring in - well already the coach brought in Oshoala right away at halftime, so that showed their mentality that they wanted to come in and press us, and certainly try to attack the space behind. [Renard shrugs] But we knew how to be strong, and I said, when I had to clear the ball, I was basically aiming for Row Z.

Journalist: Do you know how many titles you have won with Olympique Lyonnais?

Renard: I don't ... I know I did an interview recently, and I was at 31 [titles], is that right? ... Is that right?

Journalist: That's right. So that makes it the ...

Renard: The 32nd.

Journalist: 32. So when you came to Lyon - I can't say when you were a little girl because I don't think you were ever little - 32 titles with Olympique Lyonnais. Could you ever have imagined?

Renard: The academy brought me over, they're the ones who brought me over. They saw how I was. I never thought I'd be doing all this with the club. And that's why I made that decision to extend, because this Champions League, I love it. And when you see a game like this, with a public like this - even if half of them were against us, but that's a part of the sport - this is what we want. We want to feel these emotions. And next year, we'll do everything to go as far as possible and win it.

Journalist: Thank you, Wendie.

SONIA BOMPASTOR INTERVIEW

Journalist: Yeah, Sonia, congratulations first of all. It was a huge match, a great final. Now tell us a little about how you prepared for it, your plan. You can say it now.

Bompastor: Yeah. Before I do that, I just really want to congratulate the players, because we had a really good Barcelona team in front of us. I have to say congratulations to them as well. To have a great final, there has to be two great teams. So I think that those watching - live or via a stream - got to see a really good game. And I have to thank my entire staff as well, because throughout the season but especially tonight we all had to work on analyzing every single detail tactically. Defensively, as I said, we had to be able to counter their left side, where Rolfo was playing quite high, and they were playing counters with 3 players. So we didn't really want Delphine [Cascarino] to drop too far back defensively because we wanted her to save energy to be able to attack. We asked her - we changed things up a little from how we usually do things, but it worked out pretty well. What worked out as well is that defensively we needed to have a pretty compact block, very little space between the lines. And defensively, mentally, not give up from the beginning to the end. Even if we suffered a little bit in the second half, I think overall, leading Barcelona 3-1 at halftime is really something else.

Journalist: Can we talk about the transitions in the first half? They were extremely well executed, very precise, to find space on each side and lead to some really amazing goals, Amandine's [Henry] goal, Selma's [Bacha] goal - well not goal, Selma's pass to Ada Hegerberg, the third goal from Macario. The second half, Lyon had to show their strength of character, no?

Bompastor: Yeah, you summed it up well. We said that Barcelona's greatest weakness was in transition. When we were doing the analysis, we said that we had to be able to cut into the space that was created, or just go back to basics. We knew that in their block there would be the opportunity to create some space. So we were able to really take advantage of them in transition. And yeah obviously we suffered in the second half, but we knew to grit our teeth and tough it out defensively. I do think though that Barcelona was running out of ideas even if we were put under a lot of pressure at times during the game. But overall, I think we handled things pretty well.

Journalist: You often talk about team cohesion. But you are the first person to win this Champions League as a player and as a coach. That must mean something.

Bompastor: Yeah, obviously before the match I didn't really want to talk about it because the final was about the players, for the club. But yeah to be able to write your name down in history as the first captain at Lyon to lift the trophy [Note: Bompastor was captain before Renard took over]. first trainer, although I keep saying this, there's a whole staff working with me as well. Yeah, it's a lot. To be frank it's a lot.

Journalist: Well, congratulations again.

SELMA BACHA INTERVIEW

Journalist: Selma is avoiding looking at me because we yelled at each other a lot when she was with the youth academy. But it's worth it, no? Getting into it when you get a Champions League medal at the end?

Bacha: Yeah, it's worth it now. I guess I should thank you for having always held me accountable, today I'm becoming a bigger person with good qualities, I'm maturing each day. I'm thankful to all my coaches, and now to Sonia [Bompastor] as well.

Journalist: What a match. What a match, and I have to say, what a left foot. What an amazing cross for that header. We always talk about the goal scorers but not always about the passers. But you're amongst the best passers.

Bacha: Yeah it's true with Ada [Hegerberg], we have this connection, I know where she is going to be, no need to look for each other. This week in training I worked a lot on free kicks and on crosses. Today I did a one-two with Melvine [Malard], and I did a one-touch cross, knowing that Barcelona doesn't like going into a duel, so I crossed, got an assist, really happy.

DAZN INTERVIEWS

ADA HEGERBERG INTERVIEW

[Note: Hegerberg is emotional the entire interview]

Journalist: We talked about a reconquest, we talked about a dream final. We saw tonight [Griedge M'Bock jumps on Hegerberg] Oh! We saw a really huge Olympique Lyonnais.

Hegerberg: Yeah it was - we have come so far. We had to dig really deep to get this win. It was a really great team in front of us. It was playing with such a fucking high intensity - sorry, I shouldn't have used that word. It was an incredible football match in general. What a final. Oh wow, this second half, we really had to dig deep. I don't have the words. What a group.

Journalist: The emotions you're feeling right now, they look like the emotions of Olympique Lyonnais. You have come so far, this team has come so far. Everyone was always talking about the great Barcelona. We saw a really great Olympique Lyonnais.

Hegerberg: Incredible. We never doubted in our own abilities. I'm just so proud of this group. Personally, I just don't have any words. There's so much work behind the scenes for all this. Last year we weren't in the final. Now we win it again, it's the eighth one for the club. [yelling] Thank you, Aulas! Thank you Mr. President. I don't know how to thank you enough. You allow us to dream. [Hegerberg taps her badge] This was for you.

Journalist: In big games you need big players. You showed up once again.

Hegerberg: Yeah, it must be said that this is incredible as well. Huge respect to all of the Barcelona fans. They encouraged their team right to the end. Congratulations to our fans over there as well. They were behind us the entire time. It was incredible.

AMANDINE HENRY INTERVIEW

Journalist #1: Amandine. Amandine, Amandine. We want to know what happened in the beginning of the game. We need to know, it was absolute incredible.

Henry: Yeah, I don't know. The whole team was super concentrated. We knew if we put them under pressure from the beginning it would be hard for them mentally. We gave it everything we had. I'm super happy to have scored, that allowed us to settle into the game. I think it will something that I will remember forever.

Journalist #1: We talked about it a lot leading up to this final. It looked like a dream final, two magnificent teams: the reigning champions, the seven times winners. We definitely experienced a great final. And your Olympique Lyonnais basically executed a perfect game.

Henry: Yeah I mean obviously we can always do better. But for now I'll be honest. If someone had said 3-1 at the beginning of the season, after all the injuries we've had, all the times we've been written off.. Yeah, I'm really happy. We were really on a reconquest this season. One trophy won, now we have to go win the league.

Journalist #1: Amandine, we always say it. The big finals, the big teams, the big players ... this game, you're going to keep it in your memories. It will stay with you for a while.

Henry: Yeah I'll remember it always, it'll always mean something to me. I'm not used to scoring. It gives me a lot of confidence, and it makes me want to play even more.

Journalist #2: Congratulations again on your match. I do have a question. After all these wins - and I know you've had a lot - is there anything different about this one in terms of emotions? We saw a lot of tears from Ada [Hegerberg], borderline tears from you as well. Why is this win different, it is more than the others?

Henry: I couldn't say that a final - they're all different. This one was different emotionally because it's been a while that we haven't won it [Note: Lyon won it in August 2020 but time is relative I guess] We were really on a quest to get it back. We had quite a few injuries in the team, some of them really bad. It hasn't been easy since the beginning of the season. Everyone got their confidence back, really. Confidence I think is the biggest thing you can have in a club, so I am really happy.

WENDIE RENARD INTERVIEW

Journalist #1: Your club has won the Champions League final eight times. Immediately we want emotions, we want happiness. We want a win. But this win is an accumulation of a season. Your team has incredible cohesion. What is the main thing you are feeling?

Renard: This season has not been easy. It started against Levante, a good opponent, difficult. Our path leading here is what it is. We had some highs and lows. We never were at full strength except for maybe in the final, at least in terms of the group. So the coach had to adjust some things, we had players playing out of position. Last year hurt me. I left the Champions League after having scored an own goal. So I had a personal mission to bring it back home. I didn't fucking care how it was done.

Journalist #1: I was talking about it to other journalists, your pride was hurt last year. We saw what must be put forth in terms of team cohesion is an actual team. There were moments where you had to get over absences, injuries, but that's what makes a team.

Renard: We knew that Barcelona is a really great team with a defining style of play, with players who know each other really well, who have been working together for years. We knew there would be difficult periods in the game. We knew we would have to grit our teeth and tough it out. We knew we had to get the ball out of play. That's part of football. But I am really proud of my teammates, of everyone really, because it wasn't easy. We showed we wanted to get the title back.

Journalist #2: I have a question for you. I see Selma [Bacha] completely at ease, I see Melvine [Malard] completely at ease. What do you tell them throughout the season? They talk a lot about you. What do you say to them?

Renard: To play to their own strengths. It's true that the more minutes you play, the more you grow in confidence. They're young players, but they started really young as well. So for me there aren't really any "young" players. If you have the potential, if you have the talent, then you have to play, and they've got it. Tonight they had a really good game. Selma [Bacha] was strong defensively against Hansen. We didn't see her [Hansen] at all. This morning I told her [Bacha], it's going to be up to you, Hansen has been strong for Barcelona all season. Bacha came in strong with the tackles and I knew we would be fine.

Journalist #1: Wendie, 10th final in the history of the club. Eighth trophy for the cabinet. Tonight was also an opportunity to show that Olympique Lyonnais is still the boss, no?

Renard: No, we didn't want to show anything. We just wanted to win. The journalists, people, they're there to say who is - to create a buzz. We just want to win. I told the team before the game, we've done enough talking, now we need to act. And we really wanted to get the title back. We don't want to show anything to anyone. We just want to write our own story. I say it every time. There's different players, different coaching staff. You can't forget that tonight there were a lot of players who playing their first final [Note: Ender, Carpenter if you think it counts, Horan, I am reluctant putting Malard on this list, Macario]. It's not like with Barcelona who were basically playing the same starting 11 as they were three years ago, with the exception of maybe 3 players. It shows that even if it's been hard at times, you have players coming in, who get experience and get to play. All the better for us, we need to continue like this. We need to stay humble, because sport is like that. We didn't deserve to go through last year because - there were a lot of reasons, but we didn't deserve to go through as a whole. So this year we really wanted to go all the way.

Journalist #1: Wendie, you talked about the first time players, who were getting this experience for the first time. But you've also have a young coach, who in their first full season becomes the first coach to win this trophy as a former player and coach. That's quite an accomplishment.

Renard: Yeah, congratulations to her. She's also a player who came to the club at a super young age. Now she's a coach. So once again the name of Olympique Lyonnais will be in the history books. The club, the President, they all do so much for us that we just want to give the maximum. I think the President is happy, and it makes me happy to see him like that, because this season has not been easy. So to see him smiling is really good.

Journalist #1: The names for this team are getting harder and harder to find. I'm going to propose The Unaffected. The Unbreakables?

Renard: How about nothing? Every team is different and we start from scratch in the following season. I don't want to put a name on this team. I just want to congratulate them. This season hasn't been easy. It's not over yet, but it hasn't been easy. So we're going to enjoy this win, it was earned. We suffered in the second half. But now it feels good.

Journalist #1: Yeah, the league isn't over yet.

Renard: Yeah that's what I meant, the season isn't over yet. There's another title to be won. But one thing at a time. We're going to enjoy this one tonight, because we had to earn it.

[f1]

F1 SWAG: Our guide to the hottest Formula 1 products you can buy right now

The 2023 season is up and running after two exciting race to begin the year. But while we wait for the action to get going again on track in Australia, there may be a few things off-track that could catch your eye, such as he latest F1 merchandise and memorabilia currently for sale... So, we're here to give you a guide on the hottest Formula 1 items currently available for purchase, in our first edition of F1 Swag... Stunning Red Bull show car simulator Recently, Red Bull and Memento Exclusives made available for purchase a show car simulator based on their 2022 championship-winning car, the RB18, giving fans an opportunity to bring the cockpit into their homes. You can purchase The Champions Edition for RRP £99,999 here, or The Race Edition for RRP £74,000. READ MORE: Stunning Red Bull RB18 show car simulators to go on sale via F1 Authentics You can now buy a Red Bull RB18 show car simulator Surviving to Drive by Guenther Steiner Coming to you on April 20 is the Haas Team Principal's new book, in which he gives us a detailed account of what went on behind the scenes at the American squad during the entirety of the 2022 season. Steiner gives us a full account of the year, from the design and launch of their points-scoring 2022 race car, the VF-22, to the Grands Prix, the decision to part ways with Mick Schumacher and much, much more. READ MORE: Magnussen ‘really happy’ after last-gasp pass on Tsunoda clinches point at Jeddah You can pre-order Guenther Steiner's new book ahead of its release on April 20 New Alpine driver T-shirts Alpine have a new driver line-up for the 2023 season, which means they have also brought new apparel to the track for each of the racers. You can purchase Pierre Gasly's 2023 driver t-shirt here, alongside Esteban Ocon's here. Alpine launched their new kit collection ahead of the campaign, along with a number of other teams such as Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari, which are also available for purchase on the F1 Store. READ MORE: 'We definitely want more' – Ocon and Gasly left with mixed emotions after 'lonely' race in the top 10 at Jeddah Alpine have a new kit for the 2023 season Pacsun x Formula 1 Men's Track Pants and Women's Racing Jacket Recently, youth retailer Pacsun and Formula 1 joined forces on a multi-year partnership, with the spring collection being made available for purchase in March. You can currently buy the male 'Pole Position' track pants here and the women’s racing jackets here, alongside T-shirts, snapbacks, hoodies and much more on the website. Pacsun and Formula 1 have launched their first spring collection Nyck de Vries's new hat collection AlphaTauri’s newest recruit Nyck de Vries has launched his new official hat collection as he begins his rookie season in Formula 1, and you can buy a cap at his own personal shop here. While you're there, De Vries Freaks can also take a look at other memorabilia, along with some AlphaTauri apparel. WATCH: All Access – Nyck de Vries's first F1 car launch at New York Fashion Week Nyck de Vries has launched his new hat collection Oscar Piastri's HomeRace Collection Ahead of his first home Grand Prix in Australia, and now as a full-time member of the Formula 1 grid, you can shop Oscar Piastri’s limited edition HomeRace collection on his website here, where you can find T-shirts, hoodies, flags and much more for sale. Ripper! TREMAYNE: Piastri isn't enjoying stellar results yet, but he's got the makings of a top F1 driver Piastri has launched a HomeRace collection ahead of his first Australian Grand Prix as an F1 driver via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

[ye4gerismarchives]

the bachelorette: after the final rose

an: the bachelorette is finally over. writing this was…wow. interacting with my followers was so fun😭 i hope to do so again in the future. do enjoy this and take a look at the poll at the end. my requests will be opening up again! feel free to drop something :)

tags: black, fem reader

taglist: @taybird

The day after your wedding, you and Jean found yourselves in Bora Bora. Once you landed, you and Jean settled down for a moment. Your ideal plan was to unpack, get something to eat at the hotel you were in and probably go to sleep. Jean had different plans in mind. As you unpacked your suitcase, he kept massaging your shoulders. His hands moved down your arms and you didn't protest. Y'all, I don't write smut. Give me a few years and I'll write everything that when down.

Despite getting married on television and the whole world knowing, you and Jean never saw yourself as a married couple. It was more like dating to you guys. There were times he's walked out on you because you were too "emotional" and you've walked out on him because he was too "sensitive". But you always found your way back to each other.

During the week of your first "wedding" anniversary, Jean flew you out to Corfu, Greece. The first six days, he recreated your first "honeymoon" night and on the seventh day, he got on one knee again and asked you to be his wife- for real this time. You immediately said yes and threw yourself at him, toppling him over. You both landed on the restaurant floor but that didn't stop you from kissing him.

Wedding planning didn't take as long and it wasn't as hectic as it was the last time. You and Jean had decided to elope. You decided not to tell anyone, except Mikasa, that the wedding was real this time. Everyone you knew had been under the impression that you were spouses.

The day you went to court, Mikasa had been your only witness. You liked the idea of eloping. It was more intimate. No camera, no scripts. Just you and Jean.

Buying what you call a 'mansion' was not on your bingo card. Before you officially made Jean your husband, you had lived in a penthouse that Levi owned. You thought it was perfect- there was enough space for you and Jean. However, it was time to put your big boy pants on.

The outside of your home looks scary. No, it was a pretty house but this was a HUGE mansion. The inside of your home was very homey, however. There were office spaces for you and Jean- which he loved because he was getting back into law again (he had to quit his job because fans and Yeagerists, Eren's "fandom", had found his place of work and harassed him in some sort of way. Jean works with an elite private firm now), a game room, an inside gym, and a sitting room. Your backyard had a pool, a cabana, a garden, and outside guest quarters.

To be perfectly honest, you both found yourself in your offices. You started your own successful wedding planning business and Jean had his cases. Sometimes you felt like a big home was a waste of time. It's not like you had people to live in it for you.

"Jean, we need to talk."

Jean had just come home from work. It was one in the morning. You were standing in front of him in one of your many bathrobes. Jean walks up to you and plants a kiss on your forehead. "What's up, babe? No hi or anything?"

"I'm afraid that you're not taking care of yourself well enough," you start. "What do you mean, baby?" Jean asks mindlessly as he removes his coat. "Oh, would you stop with the baby thing? I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you!"

Jean looks at you like you hit his mother or something. "I don't think a serious conversation includes you raising your voice at me," he answers. "Excuse me? Your thick head doesn't like to listen to anyone, so we got to yell things into it," you retort. Jean ignores you and makes his way to the kitchen. You're eyes widen- he's never walked away from you before. "Excuse me!” you call after him.

There is no response from Jean, who pulls a white wine from the fridge. "You're not drinking that. Not until you hear me out," you try again. "Well, you could have told me instead of chewing me out about calling you 'baby', y/n," Jean responds. He turns away from you again and starts looking through the cabinets for a wine glass. You take this as an opportunity to take the wine off the island counter and pour it out. Jean's head snaps back once he hears liquids going down the drain. "What the hell is your problem? I can't drink now?!" he snaps.

"I'm worried about you, idiot. You come home late, I never hear you eating, you don't take your double showers and you're always exhausted. You don't think your job is hurting you? I don't even see you anymore. Your job is hurting us!" you cry.

Jean shakes his head and mutters some nonsense under his breath before placing the wine glass he picked on the island counter. He shakes his head as he leaves.

"Are you gonna be like this when the baby is here?" You call out.

"Excuse me?"

"Are you going to be working long hours and act like a jerk when I'm farther along? What about when the baby gets here? At this point, the baby doesn't even have a father."

Jean walks over to you with confusion in his eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm pregnant, Jean," you say with a small chuckle. I've wanted to tell you this whole time but you've been busy and I just got fed up tonight because I miss you."

Jean doesn't say a word. Instead, he undoes your robe and places a hand on your stomach. "We're having a baby? Are you serious? Us? How..."

You could only smile wider. Seeing Jean in awe about your very small bump was an entertaining sight.

"I'll...I'll talk to my b-boss. In fact, I-I'll q-quit my job...yeah! I'll q-quit!" he finally lets out.

"Oh no, don't do that. Just get your hours fixed and if they don't allow that, we'll find a different place, yeah?"

"S-sure," Jean stutters. "Are you hungry? Would you like me to order something? Do you want socks? What do you want?"

"I think I want you to take a bath and for you to sleep, mister," you answer. Jean still in a trance, obeys.

"I can't believe we had two. I was under the impression there was only one."

"At least they'll keep the big room you painted busy."

Jean had one of your newborns sprawled on his bare chest. You cradled the other one in your arms. A little boy and girl. Your daughter, Maia, already had Jean wrapped around her finger. Your son, Marquis, was a little independent, despite being a few days old.

"I can't believe we made them," Jean says. After your emergency C-section, Jean was back into that trance he was in when you first told him you were pregnant. "We should have one more. We have pretty babies."

"Shut up, Jean."

You never thought you'd allow a camera in your sight again. Obviously, there was the paparazzi that hounded you and your children down on the regular. But a camera allowed by you in your home? Never. Until today.

It's been seven years since you met the love of your life. You're thirty now and Jean is thirty-two. The two little menaces in your home are three. Maia and Marquis were just like their father- silly and full of life unless otherwise. But at least they look like you (except the pieces of ash brown in their hair that they picked up from Jean). You were pregnant with another. You hoped that your child would bring you peace but even if they were as colorful as your two, it wouldn't matter to you.

You sat in the family room with Jean and your twins as the camera team prepared their cameras and other equipment. Jean was trying his best to keep your children in one place, as you adjust your hair.

"Ms. y/n, are you ready?" Your interviewer asks. You nod and Jean gives you a nervous look. "Hey, kids...why don't you go into the sitting room. We'll come get you later, yeah?" you say softly. Your twins start to whine but they also start their walk to the sitting room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, I'll count you off now," your cameraman says. You both nod, waiting for the interviewer to start asking you questions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, I'll count you off now," your cameraman says. You both nod, waiting for the interviewer to start asking you questions.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kirstein, it's such an honor to meet you both. Seven years together...amazing. You've been together for almost a decade now," your interviewer starts.

"It's been interesting but it's been nice getting to know my girlfriend of seven years now," Jean says jokingly. "Oh stop it," you reply teasingly.

"How have you changed since the Bachelorette?"

You take a deep breath and Jean looks down awkwardly. "Well, we've been cautious. Obviously, with our privacy but also with the people we allow in our circle," you answer. "We've been in contact with a few contestants and it's been on and off. We've learned that trust is key...not only in marriage but who we bring into it," Jean says.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is in your life right now? Have you been in contact with your father? What about Levi?"

Jean clinches his fist and you take it in your hand, letting him know you were still here with him. "Well, Bertholdt and Reiner are still one of our biggest friends," you answer. Reiner and Bertholdt had a baby recently, a little girl named Gabi, but you decided not to announce that to protect their privacy. "Mikasa and I are still friends and we're still trying to get used to Eren being in her-our lives." Mikasa and Eren met up again and Mikasa was still head over heels for him. You were uncomfortable (because of his silence when his fans harassed your husband) at first but he was good to her. "The twins absolutely adore Levi and Erwin. They're their grandpas," you finish. You still hadn't answered the question about Jean's father.

"And your father? Mr. Kirstein?"

"My father is not in my life. Please stop asking."

The interviewer purses their lips, now feeling embarrassed. “I apologize, Mr. Kirstein. I’ll ask the next question: what are some obstacles you’ve faced in your relationship?”

“Well, we thought we had communication down. But we didn’t…at least not completely. But we managed,” you say.

“I think our children are proof of it,” Jean suddenly includes.

You glare at him and slap his hand, non verbally telling him to shut up. He only gives you a cheeky smile.

The rest of the questions were about hardships, what turned you both on, and your hopes for the future.

When the interviewer finally announced that the last question was coming up, you couldn’t have been happier.

“What are three things you appreciate about each other?”

You look at Jean and then back at the interviewer. “Er-well…I-“

“I appreciate how serious you get,” Jean interrupts, “ how kind you are and how dedicated you are- especially to your children and your career. I wouldn’t want anyone else but you.”

“Jean-“ your voice cracked. It always seemed like you had power over your husband and he was just your dog but he still knew how to overpower you with his words. “I don’t know what to say…you’re so dedicated to our family. Watching you play with our kids, feed them, and put them to sleep- you just prove that you're the perfect man for this job. I see how you treat your mom and I don’t worry about our children and me being mistreated. And you’re so strong. You lost the person who should have been there for you and your mom but you still worked hard and you found some peace. I love you, Jean Kirstein.

Jean takes your hand and kisses it. “I love you too, y/n l/n.”

The End.

once again, thank you for reading the bachelorette! do me a favor and rate this series! it would be very much appreciated :) see y’all soon