#apolloloki97

[themculibrary]

Peter Parker Living In Avengers Tower Masterlist

5 Times Peter Took Stuff From The Tower To School And One Time The School Came With Him To The Tower (ao3) - orphan_account bucky/steve/tony, bruce/loki T, 15k

Summary: Or: Peter is living at Stark Tower and sometimes takes stuff with him he isn’t supposed to take. People notice and comment.

After Aunt May’s death Peter was adopted by Tony and now legally goes by the name of Peter Parker-Stark. A few weeks after he moved into the tower the pardoned Rogues came back so everyone is once again living at the Stark/Avengers Tower.

—–

Plays after Civil War but actually everything except of that gets kinda ignored.

Christmas Time Tickle Fights (ao3) - Thebigheat pepper/tony G, 1k

Summary: Peter spends a Christmas at the Tower.

Dysfunctional (ao3) - ApolloLoki97 pepper/tony, bucky/natasha T, 19k

Summary: Or the typical field trip fic with a little extra thrown in.

Hard Blow (ao3) - tacendaparker16 G, 7k

Summary: Peter Parker is hit with a blast from some strange alien tech weapons while out on patrol, but tries to hide the fact that he feels like crap. However, when his condition quickly worsens as his night at Avengers Tower progresses, he can no longer hide the truth of his condition. Well, that is, not after he’s unconscious. Will the Avengers be able to save their little spider-ling before his time runs out?

Home Movies (ao3) - orphan_account wanda/vision G, 3k

Summary: Peter Parker has been filming and editing home movies of the Avengers since he first moved into the tower. This is just a description of one of his home movies, a bit of a sibling relationship with Wanda, and some vague irondad. Also, I threw in some twitter-ing. Gotta love the trash trope.

Hurt Me to Help You (ao3) - Grim_Reapers_Nuisance M, 9k

Summary: Peter Parker gets an internship as Tony Stark's personal lab assistant. Now living with the Avengers in the Avenger's Tower, the group begins to notice that there's more to their happy go-lucky spider boy. Warnings: Eating disorder, self-harm, suicidal thoughts/actions, bullying, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, self-deprecation.

It’s a Secret to Everybody (ao3) - StarPrince_Punk T, 97k

Summary:

“I have kids,“ Clint said. “I know dad behavior when I see it.” Tony blinked multiple consecutive times, processing the statement. “Excuse me?” “Tony,” Steve said now, “how long have you had a son? And how come we’ve never known about him?” “Yeah,” Clint spoke again, “I thought I was the only one with a secret family. Turns out you’ve had one longer than me!” ——- Peter gets to spend all summer living in Avengers Tower with Tony. When the Rogue Avengers get pardoned and come back to live at the Tower too, they’re confused as to who Peter is. However, once they see how Tony acts around Peter, that confusion goes away, as they know for certain who Peter must be - Tony’s secret son. Tony and Peter decide to make the most of the situation, and play along. They hope they can keep up the act all summer. But they soon learn that they barely have to act at all.

Living With Superheros? Not Cool (ao3) - Groot_Is_God G, 10k

Summary: It had been just under a year since Peter moved into the Avengers Tower with Tony and Pepper. Everything was going great until he got news that would turn him upside down. His class was going to the Avengers tower on a field trip. His class, was going to his home, on a field trip. That was destined to end well.

peter parker’s failed zoom meeting (ao3) - crobby T, 1k

Summary: Peter joins the class Zoom meeting and immediately tries to add his usual Kermit the Frog backdrop, but the computer won’t let him. “Come on,” he says to it, quiet enough that it doesn’t carry into the microphone, “Work with me, here!” The computer refuses to work with him, and Peter suffers the cruel fate of having his classmates see that he is most definitely not in his shoebox apartment in Queens, but rather in the Avengers Tower.

Or, Peter suffers through having his entire class learn that he’s quarantining with superheroes. Yikes.

Spider-Man Breaks the Internet (ao3) - maddieee1 N/R, 5k

Summary: Peter decides to start a YouTube channel as Spider-Man to “give the people what they want.” Chaos ensues.

Spider-Man Makes an Appearance (ao3) - finemeal harley/peter T, 7k

Summary: Peter can't go on the surprise field trip because he's missed too many days due to his internship and patrol. However, Tony comforts him by telling him that a tour is going to be coming to the tower, so he can make an appearance as Spider-Man. Peter can't wait for the tour, but what will happen when they find out that the tour is actually his class?

The Home Invasion (ao3) - Blue_Glass harley/peter, pepper/tony N/R, 13k

Summary: Peter Stark, more commonly known as Peter Parker, just missed out on the secret Academic Decathlon field trip because he had miscounted his days absent from school. Well at least he gets to stay home for the day right? What happens next is purely coincidence, but really Peter should have expected this to happen.

The Night We Met (ao3) - royallyidiotic G, 1k

Summary: Peter Parker helps distract Bucky from a nightmare.

the obligatory field trip fic (ao3) - bajabucky harley/peter T, 8k

Summary: Sure, Peter had had worse days. Like that time he’d been out until 2am on patrol before a test. Or the field trip to Oscorp. But this had to be in his top five. What ruined his otherwise good day was the location of the field trip. Stark Tower.

Or, my version of the ‘Peter’s field trip to SI’ trope.

what a surprise, a field trip. (ao3) - orphan_account T, 3k

Summary: Now,” she said, stepping in front of the chalkboard, “I have some very exciting news.” Peter raised a disbelieving eyebrow. “As you may know, Stark Industries recently began an education initiative, and one part of this initiative includes field trips to the SI labs. I applied for our class, and our application was accepted.”

---

or, peter's physics class (me?? just using the acadec team bc im too lazy to make more ocs??? where did you get that idea???) takes a trip to stark industries. featuring: peter's bizzarely high clearance level, peter being resident genius, and, of course, the lovable ball of sunshine that is amy parker.

[walkerwords]

Thank You.

Okay, I am posting this on all my blogs.

I have loved being on tumblr (yes, I know I have lacked for a while) but I just don’t have the drive to do this anymore. At least not right now. I am in my last 3 and a half months of university and I am trying to finish my own novel as well.

I am not going to be deleting these blogs, but I will no longer be active on them.

Every story from The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, and more are all on my AO3 account here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97

You can find all my works plus a whole lot more here. This is also where I will be posting new works when I feel like doing so. Who knows, maybe after these final walking dead episodes, I’ll feel inspired to do so.

Thank you for being a great community. I’ll see you over on Archive.

Apollo

MASTERLIST

[apolloloki97]

Thank You.

Okay, I am posting this on all my blogs. 

I have loved being on tumblr (yes, I know I have lacked for a while) but I just don’t have the drive to do this anymore. At least not right now. I am in my last 3 and a half months of university and I am trying to finish my own novel as well. 

I am not going to be deleting these blogs, but I will no longer be active on them. 

Every story from The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, and more are all on my AO3 account here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97

You can find all my works plus a whole lot more here. This is also where I will be posting new works when I feel like doing so. Who knows, maybe after these final walking dead episodes, I’ll feel inspired to do so. 

Thank you for being a great community. I’ll see you over on Archive. 

Apollo 

[baubabble]

Thank You.

Okay, I am posting this on all my blogs.

I have loved being on tumblr (yes, I know I have lacked for a while) but I just don’t have the drive to do this anymore. At least not right now. I am in my last 3 and a half months of university and I am trying to finish my own novel as well.

I am not going to be deleting these blogs, but I will no longer be active on them.

Every story from The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, and more are all on my AO3 account here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97

You can find all my works plus a whole lot more here. This is also where I will be posting new works when I feel like doing so. Who knows, maybe after these final walking dead episodes, I’ll feel inspired to do so.

Thank you for being a great community. I’ll see you over on Archive.

Apollo

MASTERLIST

[winchesterwords]

Thank You.

Okay, I am posting this on all my blogs.

I have loved being on tumblr (yes, I know I have lacked for a while) but I just don’t have the drive to do this anymore. At least not right now. I am in my last 3 and a half months of university and I am trying to finish my own novel as well.

I am not going to be deleting these blogs, but I will no longer be active on them.

Every story from The Walking Dead, Criminal Minds, Supernatural, and more are all on my AO3 account here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApolloLoki97

You can find all my works plus a whole lot more here. This is also where I will be posting new works when I feel like doing so. Who knows, maybe after these final walking dead episodes, I’ll feel inspired to do so.

Thank you for being a great community. I’ll see you over on Archive.

Apollo

MASTERLIST

[tempestaurora]

Yo do you have some fic recommendations where peter goes to avengers tower on field trip? I desperately need them.

OH MY GOD PERFECT TIMING

@ everyone please consider me your friendly neighbourhood fic reccer because i’ve got a lot to share

Here is a collection of just field trips to stark industries (that I discovered literally last night) and is a LIFE SAVER

My personal favourites so far are Dysfunctional by ApolloLoki97 and This is the worst timeline by Hittinmiss (@hitinmiss)

[irondadfics]

FIC REC

Thanks again to all those who sent in their recs to help us celebrate 10,000 followers!

This recommendation is from @tectonictigress. "Great action, great character moments, great overarching plot, Peter lives with Tony, he's integrated into the team, great characterization, all around great fic"

Thank you for sending in your recommendation!

A Dysfunctional Senior Year by ApolloLoki97

The chronicles of Peter Parker's eventful Senior Year.

After moving in with the Avengers due to an unfortunate passing of Aunt May, Peter is living with a dysfunctional crew who he can't help but love.

However, someone is threatening the Avengers and the safety of the world and those within it. It's up to Peter and the rest of the team to figure out how to save the world, but most importantly, themselves.

[aelaer]

I read your 'field medicine' story some time ago. I loved it. Do you have any recommendations for other good gen fics in which Stephen uses magical healing on other characters / Tony? I searched for 'magical healing' to find more, but found very little. Is there another tag I am missing? Would love to read more. Thank you

Man, I asked around, and this is *hard* to find. But I knew of a couple that at least are somewhat like this, depending on how you define healing. From the following tags, "Magic" and "Magic and Science" appear, but you'll see there's no consistency. My preferred tag that I plan on adding to my fics that don't already have it, for both pre- and post-accident, is the tag "Stephen Strange is Actually a Doctor" for when he uses some sort of medical skills, both mundane and magical. It'd be nice to see that spread around :D

Magic In Our Veins by Luna_Hart

Summary: Ten moments in time following the developing love/hate relationship between Loki and Stephen Strange.

Don't Pass Alone by MirrorandImage

Summary: Dr. Strange just wanted to meditate when the Sanctum informed him that Someone Had Arrived. Now he must determine what has put Odin into the condition that Dr. Strange has found him and how to fix it.

Dysfunctional: A Strange Encounter by ApolloLoki97 (note - it's part of a series, but I was able to jump into it without issue in this one. All you need to know is that it's Big Team As Family, really. The healing part is in chapter 3, IIRC)

Summary (truncated): After a successful holiday, Peter and the team head back to the city where Peter intercepts a plot to target a member of the Avengers. After being injured, Peter crashes through the window of the Sanctum Sanctorum and into the world of Stephen Strange. Can the Sorcerer Supreme help the Avengers with their enemy? What does Tony Stark think of their new ally? And can Peter figure out who is after his family?

strange happenings by GrimRevolution (note - it's not magical I believe for most of it, but there are scenes after he is a sorcerer so it sort of counts? Regardless, great fic)

Summary: Five times members of the Avengers ran into Stephen Strange before they knew him as the Sorcerer Supreme. OR He's always been bossy, but nobody could ever accuse Stephen Strange of being a bad at what he does. Doctor or... otherwise.

If anyone else has any fics to add onto this, please do! (For whatever reason, I don't have Tony in any of those. There has to be magically healing Tony fics, though I'm not sure if the gen variety exists there.)

[ao3feed-gallavich]

Back on Solid Ground

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3to2QS6

by ApolloLoki97

After Mickey is released early from prison, he is in no rush to go back into the arms of Ian Gallagher. After unsuccessfully trying to win Mickey back, the rest of the Gallagher siblings and a couple of friends try to help out their favourite Southside couple.

----

Or when Ian's friends and siblings try to get Mickey to talk to Ian after Mickey gets out.

Words: 7302, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Shameless (US)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Ian Gallagher, Mickey Milkovich, Sandy Milkovich, Kev Ball, Veronica Fisher, Lip Gallagher, Brad (Shameless US), Debbie Gallagher, Carl Gallagher, Frances "Franny" Gallagher, Liam Gallagher (Shameless US)

Relationships: Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich

Additional Tags: AU, fuck sammi, Mickey gets out early, Reunion, the Gallaghers want to help, Gallavich, hurt!mickey

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3to2QS6

[worstloki]

Here’s a fanfic, it’s called An Unlikely Alliance by ApolloLoki97, essentially Loki and Natasha friendship times :>>

[4izawas]

Okay, the current plan is to finish MTOW (for @stiles-o-dylan24, @emoryhemsworth, @fanficocean, and @deanmonandnegansbitch💖) within the next few days, add it to the queue, jump to OLAT (the Gabriel fic I announced earlier, but I can’t remember who for aside from @stiles-o-dylan24), finish that, and then move on to STTH (for @twdeadlysins, @thanossexual, @thatcucumberwhore, @apolloloki97, @sourwolf-sterek32, @donttelltheelf-x, etc.). After that, I move on to other WIPs. Sound good?

[themculibrary]

The Avengers Living In Avengers/Stark Tower Masterlist

A Different Kind of Family (ao3) - livvylane pepper/tony T, 24k

Summary: When Peter was recruited into the Avengers, he expected a lot of training and fighting. He certainly didn't expect a grumpy guy with a metal arm, a deaf archer who was a bit obsessed with pranks, or a sleep-deprived genius who had decided that Peter was his new project, and he certainly didn't expect Steve Rogers to act like such a... father.

and when you get there, is it perfect? (ao3) - hailling_stars pepper/tony T, 11k

Summary: Peter Parker is homeless, a thief, and involved with things he shouldn't be.

Tony Stark has knack for adopting kids.

And that doesn't change when Spider-Man pops up on the Avenger's radar, and they launch a new mission, operation catch a spider.

Avengers Tower (fanfiction.net) - AvengersIsLife T, 29k

Summary: Tony rebuilds the tower, and realizes he misses his teammates. So, doing what any good friend would do, he goes and forcefully takes them from their lives, and forces them to live in the tower with him.

A Very, Very, Very Fine House (ao3) - wanttobeatree steve/tony, pepper/tony T, 41k

Summary: The Avengers take initiative. Or, the story of how a group of remarkable people came together to drink cocktails, eat ice-cream and wait for Fury's call. Post-movie.

Breaking News (ao3) - astolat steve/sam E, 10k

Summary: “I’ve sent you keys,” Tony said. “I’ve emailed, I’ve texted, I’ve called. Pepper called. There is an entire floor of Stark Tower waiting for you to move in. And instead here you are living in a two-bedroom shack out in the open with your — extremely hot, by the way, nice job there — boyfriend. The paparazzi are going to eat you alive, Rogers.”

Clint Barton's Super Secret Snipers' Club (ao3) - sara_holmes bucky/clint T, 67k

Summary: Clint Barton's Super Secret Snipers' Club. (Invitation and pending mental health evaluation required.)

"When Steve brings Bucky back to the tower for the first time, Clint’s first thought is that Tony Stark’s pride and joy is quickly becoming a less of a very tall and expensive ‘fuck you’ in the faces of investors who don’t believe in self-sustaining energy, and more of a superhero rehabilitation center."

Boyfriends, compromises and learning to like oneself.

Clint's Hugging Service (ao3) - pherryt bucky/clint G, 7k

Summary: Bucky really, really wants to know what a Clint Barton hug feels like. Everyone else seems to swear by them.

Dysfunctional (ao3) - ApolloLoki97 pepper/tony, bucky/natasha T, 19k

Summary: Or the typical field trip fic with a little extra thrown in.

In Deep Water (ao3) - itsallAvengers steve/tony T, 11k

Summary: The Avengers want a pool. Tony can arrange that for them. He can. The thought doesn't fill him with horrible, daunting dread and crippling fear. Not at all.

(Or maybe denial does more harm than good)

Irreplaceable (ao3) - orphan_account steve/tony T, 4k

Summary: There are obvious downsides to being the only member of the Avengers who is not a super soldier, a god, or a super assassin, and does not Hulk out when aggravated. The most obvious one is that when villains want bait, they've got a go-to guy.

Tony already knew Mondays sucked. He did not need his opinion reinforced this way.

It’s a Secret to Everybody (ao3) - StarPrince_Punk T, 97k

Summary:

“I have kids,“ Clint said. “I know dad behavior when I see it.” Tony blinked multiple consecutive times, processing the statement. “Excuse me?” “Tony,” Steve said now, “how long have you had a son? And how come we’ve never known about him?” “Yeah,” Clint spoke again, “I thought I was the only one with a secret family. Turns out you’ve had one longer than me!” ——- Peter gets to spend all summer living in Avengers Tower with Tony. When the Rogue Avengers get pardoned and come back to live at the Tower too, they’re confused as to who Peter is. However, once they see how Tony acts around Peter, that confusion goes away, as they know for certain who Peter must be - Tony’s secret son. Tony and Peter decide to make the most of the situation, and play along. They hope they can keep up the act all summer. But they soon learn that they barely have to act at all.

Living With Superheros? Not Cool (ao3) - Groot_Is_God G, 10k

Summary: It had been just under a year since Peter moved into the Avengers Tower with Tony and Pepper. Everything was going great until he got news that would turn him upside down. His class was going to the Avengers tower on a field trip. His class, was going to his home, on a field trip. That was destined to end well.

Mechanics like to fix things (ao3) - sharkie335 bucky/tony E, 70k

Summary: When Bucky approaches Tony to fix his arm, which is malfunctioning, it sets off a chain reaction. After all, at his heart, Tony is a mechanic and they live to fix things.

Miscommunications (ao3) - Isnt_it_pretty_to_think_so T, 14k

Summary: Five times the Avengers learn about Peter Parker, and the one time the rest of the world does, too.

Not So Sneaky Spider (ao3) - Playedcrowd5610 G, 2k

Summary: Peter has to break into Avengers tower to retrieve something that he forgot on his field trip. Only to be met with the Avengers themselves. This looks bad now, he is breaking in, and stealing from the lab. How can he get past all of them? He can't quip his way out of this one.

peter parker’s failed zoom meeting (ao3) - crobby T, 1k

Summary: Peter joins the class Zoom meeting and immediately tries to add his usual Kermit the Frog backdrop, but the computer won’t let him. “Come on,” he says to it, quiet enough that it doesn’t carry into the microphone, “Work with me, here!” The computer refuses to work with him, and Peter suffers the cruel fate of having his classmates see that he is most definitely not in his shoebox apartment in Queens, but rather in the Avengers Tower.

Or, Peter suffers through having his entire class learn that he’s quarantining with superheroes. Yikes.

Spider-Man Breaks the Internet (ao3) - maddieee1 N/R, 5k

Summary: Peter decides to start a YouTube channel as Spider-Man to “give the people what they want.” Chaos ensues.

The Home Invasion (ao3) - Blue_Glass harley/peter, pepper/tony N/R, 13k

Summary: Peter Stark, more commonly known as Peter Parker, just missed out on the secret Academic Decathlon field trip because he had miscounted his days absent from school. Well at least he gets to stay home for the day right? What happens next is purely coincidence, but really Peter should have expected this to happen.

Works In Progress (ao3) - Agnes_Bean bruce/tony T, 7k

Summary: Tony's downward spiral threatens to pull Bruce over the edge, too.

[walkerwords]

“For The Love of a Daughter” Final Part - Negan & Daughter!Reader

IMAGE CREDIT: Gene Page/AMC

PART 1 PART 2

Summary: When Negan decides to meet you on your terms, you have hope for a resolution that doesn't involve more bloodshed. Only not everything goes according to plan...

Word Count: 6832

Warning: Swearing, Violence, Blood, References to Suicide

Song I Wrote To: “Saturn” by Sleeping at Last

Note: Final part. I never thought I would finish this but I don't like to leave things open-ended.

------

You had left the others to have a private conversation much to Sasha’s dismay.

You knew why she distrusted you and you didn’t fault her for any of it. If you had been in her situation, trust also would have been something that was thinning by the hour.

Deciding on one of the watch posts, Jesus dismissed the guard and stayed nearby to dissuade anyone from approaching the ladder. He never once asked you what your plan was but you knew that was the diplomat in him.

“How’s the expecting mother?” your father’s voice crackled along the radio channel.

“She’s fine,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady. “Though, Abraham’s girlfriend is about to build her own atomic bomb to drop on your community.”

“Which one was that?” he asked and you tightened your grip on the radio.

“Are you done with the concerned bullshit?” you asked and he chuckled.

“I figured I could get away with more casual banter without you punching me in the face,” Negan said. “How is your hand by the way?” You looked down at your red and purple hand, courtesy of the right hook you have given him in the RV.

“A little bruised skin is not going to kill me,” you said. “Do you know what I’m doing right now?”

“Brewing in hatred?”

“I am looking at an entire community of people who would love to see your head on a pike.”

“Alexandria is that hardcore, huh?”

“I’m not at Alexandria,” you said, watching as the sun crested the trees. Hilltop began to glow with the promise of a new day. This time without one of their allies.

“You could be here,” Negan offered. “The Sanctuary is safe.”

“Sanctuary,” you repeated. “Where did you get that name? I never pegged you for religious type.”

“I never pegged you for someone capable of killing someone with your bare hands and yet, here we are.” Anger threatened to rise from your gut again but you pushed it down.

You had yelled enough. You were hurt, angry, and in pure disbelief of what you had witnessed in the clearing and then what he had said to you in the RV. You always knew that there would be the Before and the After when it came to the world. You were now in the After, but the Before was feeling lightyears in the past. You knew your father’s face, but other than that he felt like a stranger.

“I’ve killed people,” you began again after a few moments of silence. “I’ve killed a lot of people, but I don’t tend to let my emotions take over when I'm angry. My reaction earlier was not who I am anymore, do you understand?”

“Are you trying to tell me you’re some kind of sociopath now, kid? ‘Cause I hate to break it to you, Darlin’ but you don’t exactly give me Dahmer vibes.” Sighing, you ran a hand over your head.

“You killed someone very important to me,” you said. “He…he saved my life once. They all have.”

“They murdered my men in their sleep, (Y/N). Those men had girlfriends, they had families. Are you telling me I should have let it go? You think I should have just turned a blind fucking eye?”

“No,” you said and you meant it. Once you realized what had happened at the Satellite Station, you knew there would be eventual consequences. “I’m not saying that what you did was worse than what we did, but you enjoyed it.” Tears were pricking at your eyes as frustration rose inside you. “You smiled, laughed, and didn’t seem to care that a kid was watching. I haven’t known this group for long, but I’ve heard stories and from what I can tell, Rick and his people don’t tend to leave survivors.”

“There is a first time for everything, kid,” Negan said.

“They want to kill you, and I don’t…” you trailed off, trying to find the nerve to say it. The words were there, stuck in your throat.

“You don’t what?” he asked and you could hear a challenge in his voice. The same tone of voice he would use with your grandfather when he would overstep around your mother.

“I don’t disagree,” you finally said and this time, Negan was quiet.

“So there it is, huh? You want to kill me because I killed one man when your people killed twenty-four!” You didn’t flinch at the loud tone but it did gain attention from Jesus who looked up before looking away again. “Not to mention the men your little buddy with the crossbow killed with a fucking bazooka! You don’t see me dropping bombs on your little suburban paradise, now do you, (Y/N)?”

“I am not here to argue morals,” you snapped back. “I am trying to stop more bloodshed!”

“Too late, sweetheart,” Negan said. “The way I see it, you either come here or I come there and get you. Either way, I am not letting you stay with those fuckers another moment.”

“You don’t get to make demands when it comes to me. I may be your daughter but I am not some fucking child you can whistle at and I’ll come running home when the streetlights come on.”

“I’m not going to stop.”

“I know,” you said, wiping the tears that had finally fallen. “I have a counter offer.”

“This is not some kind of fucking debate, kid.”

“It’s either you listen to me or I disappear and if you want to see me again, you can get through my 'little buddy with the crossbow’.” Negan was quiet but you could practically see his reaction. Whenever he was mad, he got quiet and that’s when you knew he wasn’t just mad but he was going to make sure you damn well knew what he was thinking.

“What’s the offer?”

“It’s something we need to discuss face to face. Not at Alexandria or Hilltop or your damn Sanctuary. You and me, alone, on neutral ground. Only then will I tell you my terms and how we can fix this without going to war or more people dying.”

“And how do I know you’re not just trying to get me out in the open so one of those pissed-off girlfriends can take a shot at me?”

“Because they trust me and if I ask them to stand down for one meeting, they will. Rick knows that if our groups fight only more people will die. While he’s not opposed to killing, they’ve lost enough.”

“What does the little weasel of Hilltop think?”

“I don’t give two shits what happens to Gregory, but if you agree to see me, you cannot move in on Hilltop or anyone community you currently have under your boot.” He was silent again, but you had given him enough to think about.

The problem was, you didn’t have a counter offer. You had no idea how to fix this issue without giving yourself over to your father. Even if that was acceptable to Negan, you knew Daryl and Rick would never allow it. There would be a war regardless. Finally, Negan’s voice came back over the radio.

“Where?”

--------

“You’re walking into a trap,” Rosita said as you pulled your jacket on.

“He’s not going to hurt me,” you explained. It took a few days to figure everything out, but eventually, you settled on a place to meet your father. It was going to be in an old strip mall about halfway between the Sanctuary and Alexandria. While Rosita was sure that you were walking into a trap, the truth was, you were the one setting the snare.

Everyone wanted revenge for Abraham, but you were able to get them to calm down long enough for you to propose something else. You knew that Negan wasn’t going to stop even after his warning in the clearing. He wanted you with him and while you weren’t thrilled by the idea of being in his clutches, if your idea didn’t work, that would be something you would have to come to terms with.

“If I can negotiate some sort of deal where the Saviors leave Alexandria alone, then it will be worth it,” you explained.

“He said he wasn’t going to do anything unless we messed with them again,” Gabriel said.

“And you believe him?” Daryl asked, shaking his head.

“Look,” you continued, “even if he won’t take my offer, then he at least has to tell me to my face he’s going to try to kill more of my people. That alone may make him hesitate.”

“And if he grabs you and tries to haul your ass back to the Sanctuary?” Daryl countered.

“He won’t do anything that would put me in danger. That includes having his men attack me.”

“You haven’t been around him for years, kid,” Daryl continued. “He don’t exactly seem like father of the year right now and I don’t trust him.”

“Then trust me,” you said as you slid a gun into a holster under your jacket. “Because if you don’t, more people are going to die.” Daryl stared at you before turning away and huffing.

“We do trust you,” Rick said.

“Good, then do as I say and stay here. Negan gave me his word he’d be alone and that is the one thing I trust is that he doesn’t lie, at least not to me.”

“Keep the radio on,” Rosita said with a sigh. Taking it you hooked it onto your belt before swinging your leg over Daryl’s motorcycle. You had never learned to drive a car but Daryl had insisted on teaching you how to handle a bike.

“If you don’t hear from me by nightfall, something has gone wrong. I’ll call in when I get there. Do not do anything stupid,” you warned. Rick gave your shoulder a squeeze before you kick-started the bike and Aaron opened the gate. He gave you a nod as you passed and you knew all of this was bothering him the most. He had known you the longest and he had seen what Negan was capable of the night in the clearing.

Ignoring the lump in your throat, you drove from Alexandria and hoped Negan had indeed kept his word.

--------

You had made it to the mall before your father did.

The front of the bike was covered in Walker blood as you ran through a group on the way into the city. You plucked some brains off your shoulder in disgust before leaning against the storefront once again. Considering the tall fences and razor wire, you figured the mall had once been either a shelter or a small community before its inhabitants had moved on. Luckily, they had locked up before evacuating.

A lone Walker stumbled around the corner and immediately set its sights on you through the bars of the fence. You watched it, the creature growling and stumbling over debris in the parking lot. When they weren’t actively trying to kill you, you began to feel bad for them. This one especially looked as if it had been stuck out in the hot sun longer than others. Its skin was like paper and one arm was almost completely skeletal from where the flesh had been torn off.

You watched it for another moment before it turned away from you, its attention being drawn somewhere else. It was only a second later when its head exploded from a wire-wrapped baseball bat. Negan stepped into view as he flicked the brains from the bat.

“I think a knife would have worked just fine,” you said, your heart speeding up. Negan paused and then a smile spread across his face before he turned to look at you through the bars.

“Where’s the fun in that?” he said as he sat into one of his hips, a pure image of ease. “Always so punctual, huh kid?” he asked as he approached the gate. You beat him there, drawing your gun.

“Are you alone?” you asked, searching for the slimy face of Simon or the vacant sneer of Dwight. Jesus had spent time updating everyone on Negan’s right hands and you weren’t taking any chances.

“I told you I’d come alone, didn’t I?” he said and after scanning the area behind him, you finally unlatched the gate and let him in. “Thank you.” You rolled your eyes as he passed and closed up behind you again.

You both were silent and it was awkward. You didn’t quite know how to start. He was looking at you as if he had won a war that had started. However, there was also something else you recognized as love, something you hadn’t seen in some time. It was then that you remember that he wasn’t just your father, he was someone who protected you, someone who apparently still wanted to do that.

“Well, I’m here,” he said. “What is this counteroffer that you wish to bestow upon me, kiddo?”

“Come on,” you said and nodded towards the interior of the mall.

“Still don’t trust I don’t have men somewhere, huh?”

“I see you’re still capable of using your brain,” you shot back and he sighed.

“Always so snippy,” Negan said. “You get that from your mother, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t talk about her,” you said. “You don’t get to talk about her, you don’t get to talk about her to me or anyone else. She would be fucking ashamed of you.”

“Don’t do that,” he said as he grabbed you by the arm and spun you around to face him. His height made you look up at him, something you always hated. “She may have been your mother, but she was my wife. I loved her, too. I did everything I could to keep her safe. You are not the only one who lost her, (Y/N).”

“No, but I’m the only one who was there by her side. I was the one who had to reassure her that you were always going to come back. Me! Not you!” You shoved away from him.

“Is this why you fucking brought me out here? To tell me how much of a shit father I am? ‘Cause I know that already!” he bellowed. “Here I am trying to make up for the time we spent apart and you’re being…”

“I’m being what?” you challenged.

“Difficult,” he finished.

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s what you were going to say.”

“Kid, I swear to god…”

“What? What are you going to do?” you said. “I hate to break it to you, Dad, but I am not a child anymore. You cannot drag my ass home because I broke curfew. You talk about the new world order but did you ever stop to think that everything you have done since she died was wrong?”

“I killed one man!” he yelled. “One!”

“I don’t care about that!” you screamed and it was then you finally admitted the truth to yourself. Yes, you were hurt that Abraham was dead, but this was about more than one dead man. “I care that you became…this. I’ve killed people and yes, sometimes, I have even fucking liked it. My problem is that you fucking left and became some goddamn tyrant instead of trying to find me. I came here today to get my own answers! I’m not actually here to barter some fucking peace treaty! That’s just what I said so I could come alone because I know I cannot change your stubborn ass mind. This isn’t about Alexandria versus the Saviors, this is about me, Dad. I need answers!”

You were out of breath by the time you finished and Negan wasn’t looking at you. His attention was on the ground and his shoulders were up as if he was preparing for an attack. You braced yourself for the yelling, but then those same shoulders dropped and he finally looked at you and there were tears in his eyes. He went to say something before he shut his mouth again and shook his head.

“Now, you’re quiet?” you scoffed. “Unbelievable.”

“You…” he said before running a hand over his face. Worn out, you turned and walked away from him again. “(Y/N),” he called as he followed you but you just kept shaking your head.

“This was a mistake,” you said as you took a sharp right and pushed through a set of doors, and froze. “Shit.”

“What?” he asked when he reached you, and that’s when the noise finally reached both of your ears. “Shit,” he echoed.

“I guess they didn’t actually leave,” you said as you beheld a mass of Walkers milling around what might have been some sort of arcade or food establishment based on the decor. They were alerted to the two of you immediately. Spinning around, you were met with more Walkers who had come out of hiding, most likely from the yelling. Negan swung Lucille as you kicked out at Walker approaching you. Backing up, you knew you needed an escape plan but the old building had other ideas.

As the small horde pushed in, you stepped back onto the rotting floor and it gave out. Negan grabbed you just as it collapsed and you both went down, Walkers and debris following you down into the dark.

-------

There was a lot of noise all at once and it was disorienting.

Someone was talking to you but it sounded muffled. “Daryl?” you asked, blinking away the dust but he didn’t answer instead deeper and more familiar voice reached your ears.

“Not this time, kiddo,” they said as you were hauled to your feet. Blinking again, you focused on his face.

“Dad?” you asked, trying to control the fogginess.

“We gotta move,” he said and it began to come back to you.

“Shit,” you said, regaining movement in your legs and remembering where you were. Blood was splashed on your face and your father's as he swung his bat to clear a path. Your hands were shaking too much to pull your gun so you kept close to your father as he pushed his way through the Dead that were shambling behind and in front of you.

Most of it was a blur from when you landed on the lower level to when Negan was pulling you into a room near the back of the sublevel, slamming the door behind the both of you. “We need a back way out of here,” he said as you braced your hands on an old desk, trying to regain full awareness.

“Is this a basement?” you asked.

“Yeah, but not a total dead end, I can see light through there,” Negan said pointing through a hole in a somewhat boarded-up window that lead to another sublevel office.

“Okay,” you said, finally standing up straight and pulling your gun. You clicked the safety off and rolled out your shoulders.

“Not sure how much that is going to help against all of those damn Biters,” he said, listening to the Dead press themselves against the door he was barricaded with furniture.

“It’s better than nothing,” you said as your hand continued to shake. You began taking inventory of your body, making sure nothing was actually broken and working off pure adrenaline.

“We just got lucky,” he said as he paced a bit before pressing on the walls, hoping to find anything to get out of the room unscathed. You watched him as your mind raced through possible outcomes as well. “What are you thinking about, kid?” he asked and you didn’t miss the concern in his tone which only made you more irritated.

“I’m thinking about putting a bullet in your head before Sasha does,” you bit out as your thumb ran along the barrel of your gun. “Or worse, Carl.”

“You would kill me?” he asked, his feet finally stopping making s dent in the rotting carpet.

“To me, you’ve been dead for years. Now, there would just be a body to bury,” you said.

“You don’t mean that,” he said and you didn’t but you didn't have the strength to tell him at that moment. You were still angry. You also didn't have the time as your radio sputtered to life and a familiar drawl reached your ears. Pulling the walkie, you waited for Daryl to speak again.

“You there?”

“Remember that time you told me you fell down a hill and impaled yourself on your own bolt?” you asked as you rubbed your back where you had landed on what you thought was a broken table.

“What did he do?” Daryl asked and Negan scoffed.

“Unbelievable,” Negan said. “As if I would fucking hurt you.”

“Nothing, Daryl,” you said. “The floor must have had water damage or something. We fell through in the arcade and now we got maybe one way out.”

“Shit.”

“Not exactly my cup of tea, either,” you said.

“Are you hurt?”

“Bruised and a few scrapes, but nothing I’m not used to. I’ve had worse,” you said and Negan looked at you as if he could see scars or wounds from the past. You ignored him.

“I know,” Daryl said. “Alright, screw it. We’re coming to get you.”

“Daryl,” you warned.

“Nah, fuck this. I don’t care about a peace treaty. Nothin’s gets solved if ya become Walker food.”

“You’re not going to listen to me, are you?”

“No,” he said and you could hear muffled voices in the background. One of them sounded like Carl.

“Fine,” you said. “Look for the old gaming building with all the Dead and the smell of possible patricide.”

“Hey!” Negan said.

“On my way.”

You stowed the radio back in your jacket before clutching it closer to you. You couldn’t tell if you were shaking from adrenaline or the cold, but it was starting to get to you. Negan noticed as well as the next thing you knew he was shrugging out of his jacket and offering it to you. You hesitated, not wanting to touch anything of his.

“You’re shaking like a leaf, kid,” he said. With a sigh, you snatched the jacket and pulled it across your shoulders, careful not to breathe in any of its scents. Not that it would matter, you figured all you would smell would be blood and rot. “You and Daryl seem close,” Negan continued and you looked up at him.

“He’s a good man, a good friend,” you said.

“Is that all?” he asked and you grimaced.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” you asked, repulsed and Negan then realized what you thought he was inferring.

“God, no,” he backtracked. “I didn’t mean…fuck. No, I meant he seemed closer than a friend like family or a…father.”

“I told you they were my family,” you said.

“Right,” he said, placing his bat down and wiping the blood on his jeans.

“Daryl has lost enough people, I don’t plan to make him lose me, too,” you said.

“And you think that’s going to happen if you come with me?”

“I don’t think you’re going to kill me, if that is what you’re thinking,” you said.

“I wasn’t, but nice to know you don’t think I am capable of killing my only daughter.”

“You seem to be capable of a lot of things these days,” you muttered, moving to peer into the adjacent office that seemed to be boarded shut. The small hole only managed to give you some advantage.

“Are we going to talk about what you said up top? About you wanting answers?” he asked and you took a breath, ready to answer him when suddenly a hand, an arm, then a torse came bursting from the small hole in the glass and grabbed hold of your arm, its teeth aiming for your sleeve. In shock, you dropped your gun and tried to pull your arm away as the teeth snagged the leather.

Negan rushed at you, Lucille forgotten, as he ripped the Walker off of you, pressing it back with both of his hands. He shouted as you fell over from loss of contact. A second later, Negan had slammed the Walker’s head into the side of a shard of glass, killing the creature instantly.

“Fuck,” you panted. “How the fuck did we not hear that?”

“Throat was slit,” Negan said from behind you, his voice shaky from exertion. “Are you hurt?” he asked and you shook your head.

“Jacket stopped the teeth,” you said. “I’m fine.”

“That makes one of us,” Negan said quietly and you froze.

Gone was the confident tone of his voice. Gone was the anger and the stubbornness. Those five words sounded more like your father than anything else. Slowly, you turned to face him but all you saw was his back, his white t-shirt damp with sweat.

“Negan?” you asked, but he didn’t answer. “Dad?” you tried again and that was when he turned to you and something broke inside you. His right shoulder was slicked with blood and in the low light, you could see two half-moon shapes embedded in his skin. Your blood ran cold and the world tilted at the sight of the bite.

“I guess I spoke too soon about being lucky,” he said with an attempt at a laugh. “Rotten luck.” You were moving before you knew it, reaching for him. His hand found the collar of the jacket. “Always knew this thing was going to come in handy.”

“Oh my god,” you whispered, your hands fluttering over the bite, unsure what to do. “I-I need to find something. Do you have a knife, we have to move fast. We can…yes…we can…”

“Stop,” Negan said, grabbing your face with his left hand. “Stop.”

“No, the infection is spreading, we have to get it out.”

“It’s too high up and you know it. Cutting this off is not an option,” he said but you were shaking your head.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.” Negan tightened his grip on you as you kept your eyes on the bleeding bite. “This is how it happens, kiddo.”

“You’re giving up,” you said, still trying to comprehend.

“There’s nothing to do, sweetheart,” he said and that was when you looked up at him and saw his eyes. His sad eyes. “I always said I was going to go when I was damn good and ready. Next to my kid seems like the way to do it if any.”

“But—,” you said but he shook his head.

“Talk about karma, huh?” he said, leaning back against the wall. “Now nobody has to kill anyone. This is your mother’s doing, I just know it. From the grave that woman still has to have the last word,” he said, but the joke didn’t land. Negan slid down the wall as reality began to seep in. “I did all of it to survive, you know?” he said as you followed him to the floor.

“Don’t talk,” you said, your voice thick.

“No, you wanted answers. Good as time as any to give them,” he said. “I had to survive somehow. I felt like I owed it to you and I did. I had to keep going because that’s what you would have wanted.”

“I would have wanted you alive,” you said.

“You just said you wanted to put a bullet in my brain,” he said with a smirk.

“Kids say they want to kill their parents all the time,” you choked out. “It’s a rebellious thing.”

“I’m sure it is,” he said with a sigh. “You’re here though. You’re alive and you can keep living. For you and for your mother. God knows I didn’t exactly do anything to keep her memory alive. You were right to be pissed about the damn bat.”

“She would have hated it,” you said.

“I know,” he whispered.

“Does it hurt?” you asked, wondering if you should be adding pressure to it or not.

“Nah, just a pinch. Just like when we’d get those flu shots when you were little.”

“Those hurt,” you said.

“But you still got it done,” he said, reaching up to place a hand against your cheek. “Always brave, my girl.” You watched as he winced a couple of times and you began to count backward. Some people took a whole day to turn, others only hours depending on the kind of bite.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here. I should have gone to the Sanctuary,” you said.

“Don’t do that,” he said. “This is not your fault.”

“I caused this drama.”

“It’s in your DNA,” he said, attempting another joke. “You had to stick to your guns, kiddo. I admire that.”

“Dad, please,” you said.

“Nothing to do, Darlin’,” he said. “Hell, if there’s anyone out there immune, it’s definitely not me.” Negan was quiet for a moment before he began to laugh and you were worried hysteria was one of the symptoms. “Full circle though, huh?” he said.

“What?” you asked.

“The first time you killed a Walker, you were saving me. The last time I killed one, I was saving you. Ain’t we a pair?” he said. A tear rolled down your cheek.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. You were supposed to yell at him, maybe punch him again, get an explanation, and then move on. Maybe even offer to actually go with him if he left your family alone. Hell, even give Daryl time to think of a better plan, but not this.

Never this.

“The Sanctuary is going to need help,” he said, bringing you back into focus.

“Simon?” you asked but Negan was shaking his head.

“No, not Simon. He’s a fucking timebomb. He’s…fuck he’s unhinged. You have to promise to get rid of him or have Daryl do it. He can’t…he can’t be there without me to keep him in check.”

“He’s the one who killed the boy at Hilltop,” you blurted out. Negan sighed.

“I figured,” Negan said.

“I told them you would never kill a kid,” you whispered and his hand found yours. The growls of the dead seemed to get louder behind the door. Negan squeezed your hand tighter.

“You have to promise me not to let him get worse.”

“Okay, okay,” you said through another trickle of tears. He wiped them away with the back of his hand that was still joined with yours. Another thought occurred to you then. “They’ll think I killed you,” you whispered.

“No, they won’t,” he said firmly before lifting his right. “Give me the radio.” You handed it to him and he turned the dial a couple of times before lifting it to his mouth. “Frankie,” he said. After a moment, a woman’s voice came over the channel.

“What’s wrong?”

“Shit, girl, you sound concerned,” he said with a rasp and a smile.

“I get concerned when you sound like a normal person rather than a complete dick,” Frankie said. Negan was quiet then, his eyes flickering to yours. He had never mentioned a Frankie but Jesus had mentioned that your father had taken multiple wives. Or at least that was the rumor. Right now it was the last thing you were thinking about. You squeezed his hand again. “Negan?” Your father lifted the radio again.

“Time’s up, I’m afraid,” he said softly into the mic. “Son of a bitch world finally said fuck you right back at me.”

“Negan…” Frankie said, her voice low and quiet.

“It’s alright, Red. I got my girl with me,” he said as he looked at you. You weren’t hiding the tears this time. “She’s gonna take care of it. All of it. Her people…they’re good people.” You bowed your head over his hand, resting your chin on his knuckles.

“I can…” Frankie said, trying to come up with something to say, but Negan was shaking his head again.

“I should have listened to you earlier,” he said. “My fiery voice of reason.”

“I’m getting Dwight to you,” she said and Negan laughed.

“You do that, Red,” he said. “Just know that this wasn’t…this wasn’t anyone's fault.” Before she could respond, Negan changed the channel and dropped the radio before looking back at you. “No tears need to be shed for me, Darlin’,” he said.

“I’m not much of a crier these days,” you admitted.

“But?”

“But regardless of what happened…I found you. I just found you again and you go and do this.”

“Do what?”

“Damn heroics,” you whispered.

“Look at me,” he ordered and you did. “That is what fathers do for their kids. You may think I died years ago and that I’m not your dad anymore but you never stopped being my kid. Do you understand me, (Y/N)?” You nodded as a sob escaped your throat.

“I should call Daryl or Rick,” you said, reaching for the radio but his hand stopped your wrist.

“Not yet. Just be here with me for a bit, okay?” You nodded and then sat next to him, leaning against his other shoulder.

Everything you had thought about since you saw him in that clearing, laughing and postering suddenly felt years in the past rather than days.

All you could see now was his face when he picked you up from kindergarten or when you beat your mother at Monopoly for the fourth time in a row. You could hear his voice as he sang horrible versions of rock songs in the car to and from your mom’s chemo treatments. A memory of you trying on his glasses which were too big for your face was at the forefront of your trip down memory lane.

“I don’t hate you,” you whispered. “I never did.” You immediately felt him relax next to you and when you looked up at him, his eyes were closed and tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Dad?” His eyes met yours and he smiled softly.

“That’s all I needed to hear, babygirl,” he said and then wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer as the Dead continued to fight their way to you. Sitting in that office as your father stroked your hair, the promise of Death on the horizon, you started to not care if they did manage to break through and end you as well.

------

When asked later, you couldn’t remember how much time had passed when you heard the unmistakable sound of rapid-fire gunfire.

Your father was still next to you, sweat on his brow as the fever began to set in, but he was still alive. “Lucille,” he said and you looked at him as his eyes were on the bat. Sitting up, you grabbed the bat off the desk and handed it to him, but he pushed it back into your hands as more gunfire echoed through the air.”

“I can’t,” you said.

“You can,” he said, his voice scratchy as it became harder to swallow. “She protected me, she’ll protect you.” Seeing as he wasn’t taking no for an answer, you gripped the bat before letting it fall to your side on the ground. Voices that sounded familiar were getting closer and you knew it was only a matter of time before your people or his got to you.

“Time’s up, baby girl, you gotta go,” he said and you choked as he reached up to take hold of your face again.

“I can make you more comfortable or something,” you offered.

“It's okay, I know how I’m going out,” he said as he rubbed his thumb under your eye. Crying again, you leaned over him and pressed your forehead against his just as he did when you were sick as a child. He claimed it was to better feel your temperature. “I should have looked harder for you.”

You sobbed again.

“I should have stuck around to wait,” you whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, kid.” Leaning back, you took a moment to remember his face as best as you could as Daryl’s deep voice reached you, calling your name.

“I love you,” you whispered and he smiled.

“I love you, too, kiddo. Always have.” You collapsed against him, listening to his heartbeat that would no longer echo in his chest soon. His arms encircled you, holding you as tight as he could. “I love you so much and I’m so sorry. You’re going to be okay. I know this because you never needed me, you always knew what to do, how to survive.”

“I always needed you,” you said and he rested his head on the top of your head. “Tell mom I miss her,” you managed to choke out and that was when he let out a quick sob as well.

“I will, Darlin’, I will.”

It was then that the door burst open and Daryl, Michonne, Rick, Carl, and a few Saviors you didn’t know finally managed to get into the room. They all froze at the sight before them. You, draped in your father’s jacket as you lay on his chest, your face streaked with tears as Negan tried to stay awake. Negan looked up and found Daryl. “Take her,” he said directly to the archer as he began to push you off of him. “Take her.”

Daryl moved forward as you tried to hold onto your father but Daryl managed to pry you off of him and that was when everyone saw the bite. Breaking out of Daryl's hold, you cried as you grabbed the bat and leaned over Negan, and pressed a kiss to his forehead.

You wanted to say more but the words wouldn’t form. Instead, you pushed up your sleeve and placed your wrist in front of his face, showing him the Saturn charm you still had. He closed his eyes, sighing in relief.

Daryl was then keeping you on your feet as he pulled you from the room as your father asked for Laura and a blonde woman approached him. Daryl kept your back turned as he pushed you from the room, through the basement, and up the ladder that they had found. Carl and Michonne were behind you.

Exiting the arcade, more Saviors were out there, including Simon. Rosita, Jesus, and Aaron were there, too. Simon was staring at you and Lucille that was hanging from your hand. It was quiet for a few minutes as nobody moved before Simon finally lost it.

“What the fuck happened?” Simon demanded and Carl moved to your other side. Before he could ask again, Rick, Laura, and the other Saviors emerged. Simon looked to Laura and out of the corner of your eye, you saw her shake her head. Simon was fuming and he pointed a finger at you, his face reddening. “What did he say to you!” he demanded.

Looking around at the graveyard of corpses that had been shot down, nothing felt real. Blood was dripping from the weapon in your hand and tears were stinging your skin. Your family and your father’s soldiers were all staring at you and nothing at that moment felt as if it was going to be okay.

“I’m talking to you!” Simon yelled again and you heard Rick tell him to back off as Laura explained that Negan had been bitten. Simon was ranting and the others were looking confused as if they had no direction now.

They didn’t.

They were all Negan and he was gone.

Negan was gone.

Your father was gone.

You slowly looked up at Simon then and walked up to him, sliding your hand inside your coat and withdrawing your gun. He looked over at you as if you were nothing.

“Did you know that a year on Saturn is more than twenty-nine Earth years?” you asked, your voice void of emotion. Simon fully faced you then.

“What—” The bullet left your gun as fast as possible, entering his skull and exiting out the back. The shot echoed for miles as you lowered the pistol. Simon’s body dropped to the group, blood and gore seeping out from the back of his head. Guns were pointed at you but Laura was barking our orders.

“That was on Negan’s orders,” Laura explained.

You watched as Simon’s lifeless eyes stared up at the darkening sky. Daryl was next to you then, taking the gun from your shaking hand. He tried to take your hand but you shook your head, not wanting to be touched or comforted. Turning away from him, you approached a redhead that could only be one person. Handing Frankie the radio, you said, “Take care of the Sanctuary,” before turning and walking away.

You kept walking, not even bothering with the bike. When a final gunshot reached your ears, you hefted Lucille onto your shoulder and you turned your face to the sun as it set beyond the trees finally knowing the answer to what you’d always wondered.

You really were your father’s daughter and you would survive.

A/N: Sorry if this wasn't what you expected but this whole story was to look at what he would do for his daughter. Even if it meant an unhappy ending. This story is officially complete.

[apolloloki97]

"Forever" Tim Bradford x Lucy Chen

Summary: On her first day as a P2, Officer Lucy Chen is shot. Hearing Jackson's distress call over the radio, Officer Tim Bradford and his new boot rush to their aid. However, while everyone else is concerned for their fellow officer, the feelings Tim has are quite different. ---- Or when Lucy is hurt on the job and Tim makes a confession.

Word Count: 3559

Warning: Mentions of Shooting

Song I Wrote To: “Still Falling For You" by Ellie Goulding

Note: First time writing for the Rookie but damn do I love Chenford! I have a few planned out for this couple and I am thrilled to share them!

---------

Officer Lucy Chen’s first day as a P2 was finally here and she was as thrilled to be riding with her best friend as any.

However, there would be one person she would be missing. Tim Bradford had been by her side for a year, backing her up, and teaching her the ropes. While the endless Tim Tests and the brash tone of his voice when he yelled “Boot!” irritated her to no end, Lucy would miss him as she hit the streets without her T.O. for the first time.

Jackson was just as thrilled to be without a T.O. considering Angela was now a proper detective and Staton was finally gone. This was going to be a new step in his career and Lucy was proud to be able to sit by his side in the Shop and finally prove to herself that being a cop was what she was meant to do.

Roll call had been awkward, but Nolan had given her an encouraging smile as he sat between the two new boots. That is until “the badger” fired his weapon and nearly shot a passing officer in the station. Looking behind her, Nyla and Tim looked as if they wanted to throttle the boot that Grey was now calling into his office. Once Nolan secured the weapon, Barnes received her T.O. assignment, Grey dispatched his officers, and Lucy and Jackson headed out.

“How do you think it’s going?” Jackson asked as Lucy rolled to a stop at West 3rd Street.

“Nolan?” Lucy asked. “I’m sure he’s fine. I know the extension was a lot for him, but Harper has got his back. Those two act more like partners than Boot and T.O. anyway,” Lucy said.

“I meant Bradford and his new oot,” Jackson clarified. Lucy pursed her lips as she thought.

“Oh,” she said.

“You’re allowed to feel...replaced, you know,” Jackson said.

“I don’t feel replaced!” Lucy said as she moved through the intersection. “Tim was a great teacher. I learned a lot from him. Barnes is lucky to be his student. Plus, I could definitely tell she was ex-military which means he is going to fall in love immediately. I was just a lowly civilian.”

“Right, it doesn’t bother you at all,” Jackson teased.

“Shut up,” Lucy said with a smile. “What do you want me to say, Jackson? That I am going to miss riding with him? I will but I think this is going to be good for us. Maybe we can actually be friends instead of just student and mentor.”

“Because you want to be more,” Jackson said in a singsong voice.

“Did Tim tell you about our conversation in the Shop?” Lucy asked, thinking back to the joke she played on Bradford. However, unbeknownst to him, it hadn’t been all that fictional. Lucy did have feelings for Tim but she was sure that he had only ever seen her as a boot. Plus, after everything she went through with Caleb and what he went through with Isabel, she didn’t think there was a future there no matter what he felt.

It was a second later that she realized Jackson had been speaking. “Sorry, what was that?” she asked.

“I said, that Bradford ain’t your T.O. anymore. If you want to ask him out, you technically can. And no to your other question. He hasn’t said anything but you aren’t exactly subtle when you are looking at, what does Tamara call him? Office Zaddy?” he said with a laugh.

“Don’t bring that up in front of him,” Chen warned. “And it’s complicated, Jackson. I care too much about our friendship to ruin it.”

“But you want to,” he pushed. Lucy glanced over at him quickly.

“Yeah, I do.”

Jackson was going to respond when their radio crackled to life. “7 Adam 07, please respond to a possible 242 in process at Park La Brea Apartments.”

“An assault already?” Jackson said as Lucy grabbed the radio.

“Control, show us responding.” Lucy looked at Jackson quickly before flicking on the lights. “Never a dull morning, my fellow P2.”

That much was definitely true.

---------

Tim Bradford was impressed by his new boot, but she was no Lucy Chen.

When he first met Chen, he had seen an overachiever, a fresh boot, and someone he had no intention of becoming friends with. That is until, she dragged him away from fire, helped him with Isabel, and had been taken by a serial killer. There were many nights where he imagined not finding her ring, not being able to revive her from that barrel.

Every time he woke from one of those dreams, he was tempted to show up at her doorstep just to make sure she was okay. He needed to see her, to feel her pulse under her skin, but he knew he couldn’t. At least, he couldn’t before. Lucy was no longer his rookie and he knew what he wanted. The problem was, she had done that little stunt in the Shop on their last shift. When he had heard the words, her words, saying that she had feelings for him, it had sent him into orbit.

It was everything he had wanted to hear since he heard that she had gone missing and even more so since Emmett had asked her out. It took him a while to realize why he was feeling the jealously around Emmett. It wasn’t until Nyla and Angela had pointed out that he was glaring at the firefighter when he suddenly understood.

He was in love with Lucy Chen.

It wasn’t unheard of, falling for a boot, but he had never even thought about it until Lucy. She was brilliant, beautiful, sexy, a damn good cop, and probably the best person Tim knew. He knew that if it came down to it, Lucy would be the one to always have his back. Not, Barnes, not Harper, just Chen.

When they had thought the world was ending, he had been with Rachel, but if he was being honest with himself, all he wanted that moment in the convenience store as they drank deeply from their respective bottles was Lucy. If they were willing to spend their last moments together, then what else would they be willing to share?

His mind was running through a whole bunch of scenarios as Barnes drove, her eyes on the road, scanning for their next call. He should be quizzing her, making sure she knew what was going to be happening in the next year, but all he could think about was her.

He thought back to the night of their last shift. He had expected her to be out with Jackson and Nolan or even with her parents, but when she texted him with a final thank you, he had called her.

“Shouldn’t you be half a bottle deep in a bottle of Anejo, Chen?” he had asked as he lounged on his couch.

“Please,” she scoffed, “we both know I am a reposado girl, Tim.” He couldn’t help but smile at that. He let her talk his ear off for about an hour. He could hear a gentle ache in her voice as if she had been crying. Considering she didn’t sound psychically hurt, he didn’t push the issue but as Lucy spoke all he wanted to do was throttle who had ever hurt her.

When she had been in the hospital, bruised and dehydrated, he had made a promise that he would never allow anyone to harm her again if he could and Tim Bradford always kept his promises. However, the city of Los Angeles seemed to have other plans. Katie was just about to pull into a coffee shop when their radio lit up on the emergency channel.

“7 Adam 07, officer down at Park La Brea Apartments. Three shooters, requesting backup, airship, RA units, and a supervisor! I repeat, officer is down!”

It was Jackson’s voice.

Jackson was Lucy’s partner.

Tim went cold before slamming his hand on the lights and sirens and grabbing the radio, responding as Barnes raced towards the officers in need.

To her.

------------

The call had been simple. An assault with a man with priors.

It was nothing that both Jackson or Lucy hadn’t been on before with Lopez or Bradford. They had been trained for this. Arriving on the scene, they could already hear the yelling. Climbing out of the Shop, both officers kept their hands on their weapons as they moved towards the sound. Their body cams catching everything going on in the complex.

Coming upon the couple, Lucy instantly read the call as volatile. The woman, who was around Nyla’s height, was cowering from the man that Lucy assumed was her husband or boyfriend. He was screaming at her but neither officer could make out the exact content of the argument.

“Lucy,” Jackson suddenly said.

“I see it,” Lucy responded, noticing the gun at the same time Jackson did. Stuck in the back of his jeans, Lucy was waiting for him to reach for it. When Jackson announced their presence, that is exactly what he did.

Pulling the gun, Jackson and Lucy drew their weapons as well.

“LAPD! Drop the gun and get on your knees!” Lucy announced.

“Drop it now!” Jackson echoed. The man turned on them, his hand still by his side when suddenly the doors of the red car that was parked across the alley opened and two more men exited, both armed. Lucy pulled her radio as she backed away.

“7 Adam 07, requesting back up to our location. Three armed assailants, need immediate assitan一” She was cut off as they began firing. Lucy and Jackson dove behind their Shop, pulling open their doors immediately to take cover.

Firing back, a cry of pain echoed around them as the woman was shot, sending her to the ground.

Lucy fired more rounds, keeping her peripheral on her partner. Jackson was yelling over the radio to the nearest Shop. Lucy vaguely heard Nolan’s voice over the radio responding. Lucy reloaded and then fired, hitting one of the shooters, taking him down. She went to aim for the other when her window exploded from a shotgun blast and she was thrown to the ground, pain shooting through her shoulder and neck. Choking on air, she scrambled for her weapon, but Jackson was there first, grabbing her under her arms and dragging her behind the Shop.

“7 Adam 07, officer down at Park La Brea Apartments. Three shooters, requesting backup, airship, RA units, and a supervisor! I repeat, officer is down!” Jackson shouted into his radio as he continued to fire back.

Lucy could feel the blood on her face but the adrenaline was racing through her veins. Her mind was muddled from the impact of the buckshot. All she could hear was gunfire and the sound of her own breathing. In a haze, she didn’t realize that backup arrived until she heard Harper’s unmistakable AR firing at the shooters.

Nolan appeared above her, placing his hand on the wound above her vest. “Stay with me, Lucy,” he was saying but he was fading.

“Two suspects down, need additional RA for an injured suspect!” Nyla announced as she slid back to their side. Everything was moving too fast as the RA unit arrived and paramedics moved Nolan out of the way to work on the officer. Lucy tried to speak but it hurt too much and as the medic pressed gauze to her shoulder she cried out in pain.

---------

Tim and Katie arrived on scene mere seconds after the paramedics got Lucy on a backboard.

Not even thinking about his boot, Tim ran for the scene on the ground, nearly frantic. He was stopped by a large figure in front of him, holding him back. “No,” Tim said, struggling against the familiar form. “I have to get to her. I need to be there.”

“They have her, Sir,” Nolan said, tightening his grip on his superior. His friend. “Tim, she’s in good hands.” Hearing his first name, Tim looked at John and relaxed only slightly. Nyla appeared at his other side with Jackson who was looking anywhere but Bradford.

Tim watched as they got Lucy off the ground and onto the gurney. He was staring at her when her eyes met his and her mouth opened slightly. “Tim?” she called, her voice a bit shaky. “Tim!” she called again.

“I have your boot,” Jackson suddenly said. Tim looked at him.

“Ride with her,” Nyla said. “We’ll meet you at the hospital. Tim go!”

Without answering, Tim ran for the bus and hopped in just as the gurney was loaded and secured.

Tim saw a flash of Grey as the doors shut and with a quick nod from his watch commander, Tim reached for Lucy’s hand and squeezed. “I got you, Chen. Keep those eyes open,” he demanded, trying to get her to focus on him.

“Yes...sir,” she said, attempting to do her best, but it was futile. The adrenaline was fading and the pain was becoming too much. With one last look at him, her head tilted back and she embraced the fatigue.

---------

Tim always hated hospital waiting rooms.

He had been in them too many times and too many times for Lucy. Flecks of her blood were still on his hand from when he was holding it in the ambulance. They had rolled her right into the trauma room to stop the bleeding and Tim was left to pace as he waited for news. When the others arrived, it was Jackson who approached him first.

“Sir,” Jackson said, his voice thick with worry. “Sir, I’m so sorry, I should have insisted that we retreat sooner.” Tim looked up at the man and while shaking his head, he grabbed West with one arm and brought him in for a tight hug.

“It’s okay, Jackson,” Tim said, holding Lucy’s best friend. “You did everything right.” Jackson hugged him back tightly before letting go. Tim was looking at him. “Did you get them, West?” Jackson nodded.

“Two dead, one in custody,” Jackson confirmed.

“Good,” Tim said, squeezing Jackson’s shoulder.

Angela showed up soon after, her hand pressed to her belly as she beelined for Bradford. She didn’t hesitate to grab him into a hug. Tim held his best friend back as she soothed him.

Pulling her to a seat, he kept hold of her hand as Jackson joined Barnes, Harper, and Nolan. “I dumped my boot on West,” Tim said.

“I think that’s okay for right now,” Angela said, looking at him softly. “Nyla is going to look after her and if you need a day or so, I’ll step in for a couple of rides.”

“You don’t need to do that,” Tim said, playing with the red string that was tied around her wrist.

“You need to be with Lucy, Tim,” she said.

“She could have…” Tim trailed off, shaking his head.

“She didn’t,” Angela said. “Okay, Nolan and Harper got to her in time. Jackson got her clear. It probably hurt like a bitch but Lucy has been through worse and she survived.”

“Don’t remind me,” he said, shuddering at the memory of her breathless body in his arms.

“You don’t get to have any more excuses, Tim,” she said. “I tried with Wes, but then he got stabbed, and I… I couldn’t bear not being with him.”

“That’s when I knew I think,” he admitted.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“The day of the missile alert,” he said. “That’s when I knew she was...it.”

“You are such a sap, Tim Bradford,” Angela said as she leaned against his shoulder and he rested his head on hers. “But I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he said, finally taking a deep breath as he sat with Lopez, waiting for an update.

It wasn’t too long when the doctor asked for those who were there for Officer Chen. Angela and Nyla all but shoved him forward, saying that the two of them needed a moment. Tim told Jackson that he would come to get him as soon as possible. Jackson nodded and leaned into the arm Nolan had around his friend’s shoulder. With that, Tim followed the doctor.

----------

Lucy was sick of hospitals.

Coming back into her head, she looked around, desperate to see his face and when he opened the door to the room, she felt the anxiety slowly leave her body. “Deja vu, huh?” she said as he approached the bed.

“Not funny, boot,” Tim said.

“Hey.”

“Sorry,” Tim whispered, taking a seat next to her bed. “Force of habit.” Lucy took no time in reaching for his hand and he interlocked their fingers immediately. “You scared me,” he said.

“Now you know how I felt when you got shot in front of me,” she said. “That was terrifying.” Tim nodded, bringing her hand that was intertwined with his to rest under his chin.

“Jackson and the others are waiting for you.”

“Don’t be mad at him,” Lucy pleaded.

“Never,” Tim promised. Lucy nodded and then sadness filled her eyes.

“He killed her,” Lucy said and Tim nodded, remembering hearing that the victim had been killed on scene.

“I know, Luce, I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re going to be okay.” She tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes never leaving his.

“I know,” she whispered, but then, “are you?” she asked. Tim furrowed his brow.

“You’re asking me if I am going to be okay? Chen, you’re the one who had a bunch of buckshot picked out of your body.”

“You looked scared in the ambulance,” she explained. Tim smiled slightly.

“I can’t lose you on day one of you being a P2, what would that say about me?” he teased. Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Shut up,” she said. “You have another boot to worry about now.”

“She’s not you,” Tim said easily as he reached up ran his hand through her hair. The bun she usually wore was taken out and now her brown tresses fell across her shoulders beautifully. “Nobody is you,” he whispered. Lucy’s gaze became more intent on him as he continued to caress her hair.

“Tim…” she said but he interjected before she could finish.

“Were you really joking?” he asked and she didn’t need more than a second to know what he was referring to.

“No,” she whispered and then stronger, “I meant it. I have feelings for you, I think I always have.” Tim’s face broke out into a grin as he lifted their hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. Lucy smiled back.

“We have to stop being all mushy when one of us gets shot,” she said,

“Then stop ending up in a hospital,” Tim said

“I’ll try,” Lucy said. Tim moved his hand from her hair to the side of her face and she leaned into his touch.

“Don’t leave me,” he said, his voice near to breaking.

“Never,” she promised. “Besides, who else is gonna be your date for the wedding,” Lucy teases.

“Clever tactic,” he said with another smile.

“I learned from the best.”

“I learned more from you, Luce,” he whispered, moving closer and pressing his forehead against hers, drinking her in. He had been wanting to do this for so long, just being close to her like that was as peaceful as he could get after the day they had.

“Tim,” she said and he pulled back. Lucy’s hand ran up behind his head and then she was pulling him in for a kiss. When Tim imagined the first time he would kiss Lucy Chen, it hadn’t been in a hospital but it was still perfect.

Their lips fit together seamlessly and it wasn’t rushed or frantic because they both knew this wasn’t going to be the last time it happened. They were too intertwined now for it to be anything else but forever. Pulling back, he sighed.

“God,” she whispered, “I love being a P2.” Tim chuckled and kissed her nose.

“You are such a menace, Officer Chen,” he said. “But, I love you.” Surprise entered her eyes followed by a soft smile. She kissed him again, putting more passion into it.

“I love you, too, Tim Bradford,” she said with a bright grin. He chuckled again and went to kiss her again when he heard a voice from behind her.

“Aww,” Nyla said as she stood in the doorway with Jackson, Angela, and Nolan. Nolan was holding up his phone.

“Go away,” Tim said to them as Lucy buried her face in her hand.

“No can do,” Nolan said, “I’m sending this to Henry, he now owes me fifty bucks.”

“I still have my gun, Nolan,” Tim said, casually.

“Go, go, go,” Nyla said as she ushered her boot away while Jackson and Angela gave both of them shit-eating grins before stepping away. Lucy laughed.

“My hero,” she said to him. Tim leaned forward and kissed her again.

“Always.” Lucy smiled again and then as the rest of her family came in and she hugged Jackson tight, Tim remained by her side, always looking at her with love and it was in that moment that she knew they were forever.

[irondadficrecs]

Dead Aunt May Fic Recs

Out of darkness by StarryKnight09 series

“Is this Peter Parker?”

“Yes…”

“This is Dr. Nguyen. I’m sorry but your aunt’s been in an accident and we’re going to need you to come to Queens Memorial as soon as you can.”

Peter's life shatters with a phone call. The last person he expects helps him pick up the pieces.

--

And You’ll Blow Them All Away by losingmymindtonight series

Peter Parker had had everything: a mother, a father, an uncle, an aunt. He'd lost them all.

All he had left was Tony Stark, and all Tony Stark had left was him.

And in the wake of their insurmountable losses, they go about trying to find a family within each other.

--

What you were then I am today by madasthesea

Tony likes giving gifts to prove his love, but they don't usually have four paws and a tail.

AKA: Tony, Peter, and a dog named Maggie learn how to be a family.

--

Amputated by springtime22

Tony had brought a lot of surprises into Pepper’s life and into their relationship. Some surprises she didn’t mind, most she hated, but none of them broke her heart the way Peter Parker did.

--

A Dysfunctional Senior Year by ApolloLoki97

The chronicles of Peter Parker's eventful Senior Year.

After moving in with the Avengers due to an unfortunate passing of Aunt May, Peter is living with a dysfunctional crew who he can't help but love.

However, someone is threatening the Avengers and the safety of the world and those within it. It's up to Peter and the rest of the team to figure out how to save the world, but most importantly, themselves.

How will this all play out?

--

Someday I’ll Make it Out of Here by YellowDistress series

Peter knows deep down, in the glass that is his mind, that he couldn't have stopped it. He couldn't have known that on a freezing night, May Parker would step out in front of a moving vehicle and die. All the while, he was laughing with Ned, their voices carrying through the streets of Queens.

Peter knows deep down, he couldn't have fathomed the events that would follow. An abyss of never-ending ache and the disorderly behavior that grown men weren't supposed to exhibit, but Tony Stark would manage to display anyway.

Peter knows all of these things, but still manages to be eaten alive, every single day.

--

Gone, but Remembered Always by HolyKingWasteLand

While Peter is doing his nightly rounds, a gas pipe explodes in his apartment complex and sets the building on fire. Mostly everyone escapes, some are injured but they're alive.

Aunt May... Isn't so lucky.

[winchesterwords]

“Why Not Me?” Dean Winchester x GN!Reader

Summary: The reader is a hunter who has been living with the Winchesters for some time and is quite flirtatious with everyone...except for Dean. What happens when Dean confronts them about it?

Word Count: 2716

Warning: None

Song I Wrote To: “Something I Need” by One Republic

Note: This one is something I thought of one night as I was falling asleep. This one is GN! 

--------

In the tense quiet of the Men of Letters Bunker, an Angel and a hunter were engaged in a serious battle. 

“I do not understand the purpose of this game,” Castiel said as he sat across from you, his eyes never leaving yours. 

“It’s a staring contest, Cas. The purpose is to not look away,” you explained. His brow furrowed as he continued to stare at you, but you could tell that he wasn’t really getting it. Also, it was then that you realized Angels didn’t actually need to blink. “This is futile, isn’t it?” you asked Sam who sat to your left.

“Absolutely,” he answered with a small smile. With a huff, you broke off the stare and slumped in your seat. Cas still looked just as confused. 

“Remind me to challenge Donna the next time we see her,” you grumbled and Sam nodded, trying not to laugh. 

It was just another day with the Winchesters and their Angel best friend. You had been tagging alongside the trio for a while now. After meeting Dean on a hunt in Alabama, you had joined them periodically on their missions and then eventually visited their secret hideout and just never left. 

Currently, you and the boys were at a crossroads with an angry spirit not far from the Bunker. You and Dean had trekked through a nearby graveyard but still couldn’t find the bones of one David Boss. By the time you had returned home, Sam had announced that he was going to call in the big guns. 

Also known as Rowena MacLeod. 

You had never met the witch but had heard many things about her from Sam, Dean, and Castiel. Some good, some bad, but it seemed to be a general census that the woman was as powerful as it gets. 

“Sam, where’s your witch?” Dean asked as he walked into the library. 

“She’s not my witch,” Sam grumbled, but Dean just grinned sending a wink towards you and Cas. The latter just rolled his eyes, already annoyed with Dean poking fun at his brother. You sat back and watch the three of them interact, incredibly entertained. 

Not long after, a loud banging echoed through the Bunker, and Sam jogged up the stairs to pull open the door. “Samuel!” a lovely Scottish voice said as light filtered down the stairs from outside. 

“Hey, Rowena, thanks for coming,” Sam said, shutting the door behind the witch. You stood up as a petite and fiery woman entered the room. 

“And who is this?” Rowena asked as she looked at you, her eyes scanning you from head to toe. You leaned back against the table, taking in your fill of the woman before you as well. 

“Rowena,” Sam said, “this is (Y/N). (Y/N), Rowena.” The witch strutted forward and offered her hand to you, you took it in your own with a smile. 

“Well, if I knew that you were this hot, I would have asked Sam to call you sooner,” you flirted with a wink. Rowena looked at Sam with her brows raised. 

“Oh, Samuel, I think I like this one!” Rowena said as you let go of her hand. Sam sighed and rolled his eyes. Castiel watched the interaction with exasperation as usual, but Dean wasn’t as amused. 

He never understood how you were so...open with everyone you met. You were a very flirtatious person and he had figured that out quite soon after working a case with you in Louisiana. However, while you tended to flirt with everyone, Sam and Cas included, you never aimed your winks and cheeky grins at him and he’d be lying if that fact didn’t keep him up at night. 

It didn’t take long for Sam to catch Rowena up on what was going on. Rowena was very familiar with the kind of spirit that you all were dealing with and knew just what to do to vanquish the rest of the spook that was still hanging around causing issues. 

“I am going to need to make a run into town,” Rowena said as she examined the pantry of spices and spell ingredients the Bunker had. Rowena then turned to you with a glint in her eyes. “Care to accompany me, Darling?” she asked and you were surprised by her offer, but then offered her your arm with a slight bow. 

“It’d be my honor,” you joked and she took it. 

“Ah! See boys,” she addressed Sam, Dean, and Cas, “this is how a woman should be treated.” 

“Just go get your spell stuff,” Dean said curtly and Rowena waved him off and the two of you floated from the room. Dean watched after you, his jaw clenched. As soon as the door shut behind you, Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“What?” Sam asked. 

“Anyone else catch that?” Dean asked.

“Catch what?” Cas asked, sinking into a chair next to his best friend. 

“Rowena and (Y/N),” he said. “They were getting a bit...chummy.”

“Chummy?” Sam asked and Dean narrowed his eyes at his little brother.

 “You know what I mean,” Dean said.

“Dean, you know (Y/N), they’re like that with everyone. I don’t think it ever means anything,” Sam reminded him. 

“Yeah, whatever,” Dean grumbled. Over Dean’s shoulder, Cas and Sam shared a look that didn’t go unnoticed by the older Winchester. “Stop it, you two.”

---------- 

When you and Rowena returned, you both were laughing.

Sam, Dean, and Cas all looked up from their spots at the war table as the two of you skipped down the stairs. “Quite the witch in training you have here, boys,” Rowena complimented. You knocked her shoulder gently with a smile of your own.

“No, not me,” you said with a shake of your head. “I prefer the more physical side of hunting. Isn’t that right, handsome?” you asked Castiel who coughed awkwardly. Next to him, Dean just blinked, trying not to look at you.

“Well, I can’t argue that this one doesn’t have taste,” Rowena said as she walked by Cas, not being shy at all as she checked him out. Cas, who was used to it, just sighed and then followed after the witch to help her prepare for the spell.

Once Rowena had everything she needed, the spell went perfectly. You weren’t the biggest fan of magic. Any time you were around it, it never ended well. You knew that it was a part of being in the supernatural world and understanding it, but still, as soon as the chanting started, you took a step back.

Observing, you noticed how Sam watched Rowena very intently, making sure he understood everything she did. While out with her, Rowena had told you that Sam had a gift for the magical arts. She figured that out of any hunter she had ever met, he was the closest thing to a witch there was.

You hadn’t seen Sam work many spells, but with a mind like his, you knew she had to be right. Dean and Cas helped with the spell, handing Sam and Rowena whatever they needed, and soon enough, purple smoke rose from the pot Rowena was stirring, and then she was smiling.

“Well, there you go,” Rowena said with her signature smirk.

“That’s it?” Dean asked.

“Oh, Dean,” Rowena said gently, “this spirit was not a spirit at all, it was more of a remnant of an evil one long ago. Happens occasionally even if the bones are charred. However with a little bit of magic and the help of my lovely assistant,” she looked at Sam, “we are able to put poor Mr. Boss to rest.”

“It was that easy?” Dean asked.

“When you’re me, it is,” Rowena said with a wink and you chuckled from your spot by the bookcases.

“Well,” you announced, “I say we deserve a drink.”

“I second that,” Sam said. Soon everyone began relaxing. Rowena was going to head out in the morning so the Winchesters offered her a bed for the night.

Just as the witch finished telling a story about a young Crowley, you got up to go to the kitchen in search of another beer. Entering the kitchen, you ran into Dean who was leaning against the stainless steel counter.

“Want another one?” You asked, holding up your empty bottle as you tossed it into the bin. Dean glanced up from his phone that he had been scrolling on and then shook his head.

“No,” he said curtly and then walked from the room without another word. You looked after him in confusion. Dean had been weird around you lately and you weren’t exactly sure why. Although, you knew that he was working through a lot since he got the Mark.

The Mark of Cain had become more of a problem as the days went on. Everyone was trying to find a solution for removing the infernal thing, but so far everyone had nothing. Brushing off his cold shoulder, you grabbed another beer and left to rejoin the group.

When you returned to the Library, Dean was nowhere to be found. “Where’s Dean?” Sam asked.

“No idea,” you said, reclaiming your seat across from Rowena. “He just walked away when I asked him if he wanted another beer.”

“He’s probably in the garage,” Castiel said with a sigh as he stood up and headed out of the library, his trench coat swishing behind him. You turned your attention back to your drink as Sam and Rowena gave each other a knowing look.

—————

“(Y/N) knows that something is wrong,” Castiel said as he walked up to Dean who was leaning over Baby’s hood.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Dean said with a one-shouldered shrug.

“Right,” Cas said, leaning against the car. “Dean, look at me.” When the hunter finally relented and looked at the Angel, he crossed his arms.

“What?” He asked.

“You know,” Cas continued, “for someone who has always told me to embrace human emotions, you are quite horrible at it.”

“Wow, thank you,” Dean deadpanned with a roll of his eyes, but Cas was not done yet.

“You know that they care about you, Dean.”

“Do I?”

“Do you think that (Y/N) would still be around if they didn’t?” Cas asked. Dean furrowed his brow.

“Are you saying that I am difficult to be around, buddy?” Dean asked, a bit of humor lighting up his eyes.

“At times, yes,” Castiel admitted and Dean shook his head with a chuckle. He should have known Cas was one to always tell the truth.

“So, what kind of wise advice do you have for me this time, Cas?” Dean asked.

“I think I’m all out of wisdom, Dean, but I do know that you’ll figure it out,” Cas said as he headed back inside, “you always do.”

-----------

Later that night, you sat alone in the library flipping through an ancient text. After a while, the words started to blur together, but you forced yourself to stay awake. You had to. 

For him. 

There wasn’t much literature on the Mark of Cain, but you had to try. Even though you all had combed through every book in the Men of Letters’ libraries, you felt the need to go through it all again just in case any of you missed something. 

Reaching for the cup of coffee that now sat empty, you sighed. “You don’t have to do that, you know,” a voice came from behind you. Sitting up straighter, you saw Dean approaching you. He sat down next to you at the table, a tired look on his face.

“It can’t hurt,” you said with a shrug. You flipped another page and then his hand came across yours, stopping you. He then closed the book, gaining your full attention. It was silent for a moment before Dean finally clasped his hands together and looked at you in the eyes. 

“I’m sorry for being a dick earlier,” Dean said and you frowned slightly. 

“It’s okay,” you said. “I mean, I get it.” Dean shook his head, running a hand over his jaw. 

“No, you don’t,” he argued. Dean looked at you with almost a pleading look in his eyes as if he was nearly begging you to see the honesty and truth that he was feeling. 

“Dean, you don’t have to explain how that thing makes you feel. Besides, Cas and Claire, they already gave me the rundown. Sam, too, so don’t worry about it.” 

“It’s not the Mark,” Dean said softly and you froze for just a second before looking at him in confusion. You prided yourself on knowing what the Winchesters were always thinking. They were a lot easier to read than they thought, but at that moment, Dean was a solid wall that you couldn’t break through. 

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just... You’re just always so flirty with people,” Dean finally admitted and you had to bite your tongue from laughing out loud. Instead, you opted for a slight chuckle. Dean looked slightly embarrassed, but you grabbed his hand to reassure him. 

“Is that bad?” you asked, still trying to hide your smile. 

“No!” Dean exclaimed and then lowered his voice a bit. “No, not at all. I mean, look at me, who am I to judge, right?”

“And yet?” you asked. 

“You never do it with me. The flirting,” he said and you let go of his hand awkwardly. Dean noticed immediately and looked away. 

“Oh,” you said, unsure of what else to say. 

“Yeah,” Dean said, his voice lower than usual. You noticed that he did that when he was either embarrassed or nervous. Looking at him, you felt emotions swell in your chest that you hadn’t acknowledged in some time. It was easier to not think about Dean when in reality, he was all you thought about. 

“I guess,” you began and Dean looked back at you, surprised to hear you actually answering him. “I guess it’s because I get nervous.”  

“About what?” Dean asked. His green eyes drilled into yours and you figured now was as good a time as any to be honest. 

“With the others, with Cas or Sam, it’s just fun and lighthearted jokes. However, when it comes to you, it’s different.” 

“Why?” 

“Dean…” you said softly, trailing off. You looked at him, urging him to understand everything you were feeling just through a look. It took him longer than usual to pick up on what you were trying to say and then his face softened. 

“Oh,” he whispered and then very carefully took your hand in his. Dean lifted your hand and placed it under his chin, holding it tight as he looked at you. “I never realized.”

“I’m sorry if you thought that I didn’t…” you said. 

“Don’t apologize, (Y/N),” he said, shaking his head, his stubble scratching along your knuckles. “I was being an ass and stupid as usual. I guess we both weren’t seeing clearly.” You moved your hand from under his chin to the side of his face. Dean leaned into your palm and it was oddly intimate, but it felt nice. 

“Let me help you fight this,” you whispered, your other hand ghosting over the Mark that was branded on his right arm. “Please don’t make me lose you.”

“You won’t,” Dean promised, moving closer to you. “Especially not now. Hell, it’s going to take a lot more than this damn Mark to make me leave you.” Dean then reached forward and cupped his hands around the back of your neck and pulled you into him. Your lips met and you completely forgot about the book that lay in front of you. As you kissed Dean Winchester, the only word that came to mind was, Finally. 

In the other room, Sam and Rowena leaned around the corner, eavesdropping on the conversation. 

“I told you, Samuel, that friend of yours has good taste,” Rowena said with a grin. 

“I hate when you’re right,” Sam said with a mocking smile. 

“No, you don’t,” Rowena said and then reached up and patted his cheek with a wink before strutting back towards her room.

Sam rolled his eyes, took one more glance at his brother and you who were finally taking that leap, and then ran after his witch. 

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