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#at the time i took it as proof that my parents and my ex were right
feyriejane · 7 months
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it turns out that I'm not this horrible manipulative person who's angry all the time ive just been told that my entire life whenever I didn't give someone what they wanted.
#more shocking revelations to come as i finally put REAL effort into processing my trauma#my parents love to talk about how awful i was as a kid#how i was manipulative angry and violent and i never thought of anyone but myself#and i genuinely believed that because no one ever told me any different#i believed that i needed to work hard and sacrifice as much as i can for the people i love in order to make up for them enduring me#now that ive surrounded myself with kind and gentle people#im not angry all the time#disagreements are conversations and even if they get a little emotional sometimes we're not fighting#looking back i don't think its a coincidence that those same insults were hurled towards me when i decided to end a friendship#at the time i took it as proof that my parents and my ex were right#i WAS that horrible person and it didn't matter what i did i could never make up for that#it caused me to relapse into self harm after it had been YEARS since id done that#but ive since come to realize that the actual common denominator in all of the situations where ive been called those things#is when i wasn't doing what the person saying them wanted me to#these were words said to hurt me#to get me to either give in and give them what they wanted or punish myself on their behalf#coming to that conclusion has made a world of difference#this shit is still hard and im still carrying these beliefs about myself around with me#but every day it gets easier to put those down and recognize who i REALLY am#and who i really am is pretty great#personal#self harm mention#tw self harm#tw child abuse#self harm#child abuse#child abuse mention#wanted to cover all my bases with tws#though i don't really expect anyone else to actually read all my tags lol
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voguesriot · 7 months
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NOBODY’S BUSINESS ✹ luke castellan
part one
( summary ) social media au where luke’s sudden spike in confidence turns a few heads, including the head of your ex who just loves to jump in other people’s business
( pairing ) luke castellan x fem aphrodite counsellor!reader , mentions of ex bf! hephaestus camper x reader
( notes ) this feels a bit rushed bcs i’m sick rn but i hope you guys enjoy anyway!!
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♫ American Teenager by Ethel Cain
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♡ liked by maxwalsh , silenabeauregard , and others
yourusername proof that percy doesn’t actually hate luke
seaweedbrain hey girlie!!! can you take this down like immediately?? not to sound to mean or anything but i can and will find you 😇
yourusername you’re such a cutie perce
seaweedbrain kys
sarahdawson totally wasn’t held at gunpoint for that last pic guys no need to worry
connorstroll we weren’t worrying but thanks anyway ig
sarahdawson sleep with one eye open.
lukecastellan 2/10 post
yourusername sorry for messing with your tough guy image 😔
lukecastellan actually it only loses points bcs there’s no pics of you
chrisrodriguez WOAHHHHHHH
sarahdawson HIS BALLS FINALLY DROPPED
clarisselarue bit sad to know they weren’t completely crushed after the red team kicked their ass icl
yourusername oh trust they were all whining about it the second i put away the camera
clarisselarue good.
GROUPCHAT — chb’s finest
clarisselarue: y/n what is max doing in your likes…
sarahdawson: HES WHAT
sarahdawson: oh he’s brave
yourusername: IDK HE JUST APPEARED
yourusername: like a bug
seaweedbrain: or a rat
yourusername: that too
lukecastellan: he’s on his way for training with me rn so i’ll go extra hard on him
silenabeauregard: homoerotic subtext goes crazy
yourusername: thanks luke but really you don’t need to do that
yourusername: like i’m over him now and i just want to forget about him altogether
lukecastellan: he deserves a hard time for what he did to you anyway
lukecastellan: you deserve way better than that
lukecastellan: i mean anyone would
seaweedbrain: great save bro
lukecastellan removed seaweedbrain.
sarahdawson: oh you took that one personally
DIRECT MESSAGES
clarisselarue: ok when did you get game
lukecastellan: idk what you’re talking about
clarisselarue: oh please spare me i’ve had to watch you make googoo eyes for the past two years you can’t lie you’re way out of this one
lukecastellan: seriously idk what you’re talking about clarisse
clairsselarue: ok fine whatever but HYPOTHETICALLY if you were to try anything with my girl i want you to know that i approve but trust if you go a toe out of line then you will be dealt with
read.
♫ My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski
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♡ liked by drewtanaka, hazellevesque , and others
[ tagged: sarahdawson ]
yourusername you’re the only thing i’ll ever thank a man for
yourusername thanks max
this comment was deleted.
sarahdawson I SAW THAT COMMENT GIRL THAT WAS BRAVE
drewtanaka surprised sar isn’t screaming for photo creds for the second slide
sarahdawson bcs i didn’t take it……..
silenabeauregard WOAH WHAT
pipermclean yourusername hey sis can we have a chat please
yourusername nope i’m doing cabin checks rn #counsellorissues
wisegirll i’m doing cabin checks rn though???
silenabeauregard the plot thickens
lukecastellan glad to see you listened to my advice
yourusername felt bad keeping my beauty from everyone
lukecastellan it was a rough time without it
groverunderwood chrisrodriguez now THESE are moves
chrisrodriguez LOOK AT MY BOY GO gods is this what normal parents feel when their kids go to college
maxwalsh nice earrings
this comment was deleted.
seaweedbrain we all saw that comment right…
clarisselarue yes.
DIRECT MESSAGES
maxwalsh: hey can we please talk
yourusername: no
maxwalsh: please babe cmon you didn’t even hear me out
yourusername: because you tried to kiss sarah you fucking asshole
maxwalsh: no it wasn’t like that you don’t get it
maxwalsh: look can you just meet me by our old spot and i can explain everything
yourusername: no
maxwalsh: babe you’re not acting like yourself
yourusername: bcs it’s not her, she’s asleep rn and she’s not your “babe”
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maxwalsh: who tf is this???
yourusername: doesn’t matter
yourusername blocked maxwalsh.
lukecastellan posted to their story!
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SARAHDAWSON replied to your story
sarahdawson: WOAHWOAHWOAHWOAH SLOW YOUR ROLL WHAT
CLAIRSSELARUE replied to your story
clairsselarue: “idk what you’re talking abt clarisse” oh i hate you so bad
SILENABEAUREGARD replied to your story
silenabeauregard: i’d know that silhouette anywhere…
CHRISRODRIGUEZ replied to your story
chrisrodriguez: i’m a bit hurt i wasn’t told in depth about this before but i’m too proud to pay attention to it GOOD FOR YOU MAN
MAXWALSH replied to your story
maxwalsh: so it was you who had her phone the other day
maxwalsh: wtf man
lukecastellan: womp womp
lukecastellan: you snooze you lose and you lost big time
♫ Nobody’s Business by Rihanna, Chris Brown
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♡ liked by jasongrace , racheledare , and others
[ tagged: yourusername ]
lukecastellan and it ain’t what??
yourusername AND IT AIN’T NOBODY’S BUSINESS
clarisselarue ok edward cullen why are you eating her neck like that
silenabeauregard everyone i took the hammock pic thank me please 🙏😇
yourusername thank you beautiful angel
seaweedbrain cute i guess…….
chrisrodriguez I ALWAYS HAD FAITH IN YOU BRO EVEN WHEN EVERYONE ELSE THOUGHT YOU WERE A LOSER WITH NO GAME, I STAYED ROOTING FOR YOU
lukecastellan appreciate you bro
lukecastellan wait people said that about me???
wisegirll my favs 😭🫶
yourusername AWE ILY ANNIE
seaweedbrain oh i’m just dirt to you then? chill.
wisegirll you’re so dramatic percy
seaweedbrain oh so mental health matters until I’M the one hurt? cool.
lukecastellan and y’all were saying i had no game
seaweedbrain okay luke see that’s just not funny because your dad literally dances on a revolving stage for a living
lukecastellan had to bring out the dad jokes because you know i’m right?
seaweedbrain why is your old age pension ass beefing with me instead of talking to ur girlfriend… weird behaviour
sarahdawson too cute i fear
sarahdawson but you i must remind you mr castellan, i made it onto her feed first. you will ALWAYS be second to me. always.
drewtanaka anyone else hear weeping from the hephaestus cabin…
leovaldez it’s really depressing
leovaldez i think he just punched a hole in the wall
cbeckendorf he did
pipermclean LMAO WHAT A FUCKING LOSER 😭😭☠️☠️
( taglist ) @perseus-jackass @harrysnovia
3K notes · View notes
fangirl-dot-com · 8 months
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The Inheritance
Guys, I keep messing up the timeline. So here we go. Christian, Geri, and Mitch find out about Lorenzo and your parents disowning you at your last F2 race. Max finds out about Lorenzo in this chapter (although not written in detail). Max then finds out about your parents in chapter 18 “All For You.” 
This is proof that I listen to my readers :D @dreamy-state-of-mind asked to see how reader bought her cars and this chapter was created! I can't do every ask for an idea but I try to listen to what y'all want!
Y'all are being fed...two chapters in a row (which means the next one won't be out for a little bit - so I apologize!)
Like always comments, questions, concerns, reblogs, and likes are always appreciated! Enjoy!
TAG LIST IS CLOSED
Your hands were in your pockets as you walked around the open room. You had somehow lost Max, Vito, AND Christian. It wasn’t like you meant to walk away, you just did on accident. How could someone know that the foreign car dealership was this big. Well, you would know, but that’s beside the point. 
It was quite cold in Germany. Thankfully, you had packed extra layers, something the men seemed to not know how to do. You were sure that Max would have worn his Red Bull polo if you didn’t mention to Kelly where you were going. Sure, he could dress on his own, but who would want that? 
Your eyes gazed at all of the cars on the floor. Most were the common stock models. Audis, Mercedes, and even Volkswagens littered the area; yet, the cars you were looking for were nowhere to be found. You kept heading in the same direction, hoping to at least find a familiar someone who looked like they worked there. 
Your ears picked up on some German words. Feet taking faster steps, you rounded a corner. Ah, there they were. 
Somehow you completely missed seeing that the Porsches would be in a different room. You gingerly stepped farther into the vast open-ceiling room. Your hand itched to touch them, but you knew better. 
Looking at the cars brought back some great memories of the first time your godfather took you here. Yes, he could have gotten any Italian brand of car that he wanted. Everything was at his fingertips. Yet, he brought 11-year-old you to Germany to get his imported cars. 
Your eyes landed on a familiar model. If you thought hard enough, you could hear the imprints of Lorenzo’s and your laughs as he took you to do donuts in abandoned parking lots. 
“A beauty isn’t she,” a voice scared you, causing you to fall on your ass. Your cheeks burned at the thought of being caught. Yet, when your eyes met familiar friendly ones, the redness left. 
“Hi Seb,” you greeted as you took his outstretched hand that he offered. He pulled you to your feet and into a hug. After you were done, you pulled away to turn back to the car. This time, you let your hand gently grace the older door. 
“Enzo had one,” you simply stated, leaving it at that. Most knew you didn’t like to talk about the man, since it brough on so many emotional memories. 
Sebastian took a couple steps and stood next to you. 
“Do you still have the keys to the garage?”
You grinned up at the German ex-driver. “Of course I have the keys. You know he left me the entire house.” 
He bumped your shoulder, head jerking to lead you away from the car. You followed without hesitation. 
“What do you plan to do with it?” 
You cocked your head in thought. “I’m going to keep it for now. I don’t want to sell it. It’s not like I need the money anyway.” 
He chuckled. “I forget that you’re like a multi-millionaire at 20.” 
You just shrugged. “Not my fault that I was basically his only family. I never asked for it.” Your eyes dropped to the shiny floor below. A hand was placed on your shoulder. 
“I know. I’m glad that you’re well off. Makes me feel better about not seeing you as much.” A sad smile graced his face as he looked at you. 
You tried your best to give him a genuine one in return. “I’m doing much better than I was.” 
“Have you showed Max your vast array yet?” 
“Nope.” You popped the ‘p’. “I plan to soon, actually. I told him that I needed to go to Italy after this.” 
Seb raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say anything else. You went to talk, but familiar voices echoed in the big room. 
“Kid!” 
“Seb?” 
Your head whipped toward the sound. Ah, there they were. 
And they brought an assistant with them. 
Max and Christian looked at Seb in question as Vito brought the German into a big hug. You stood toward the side to watch the two friends reunite. The assistant took this opportunity to approach you. 
“Ah Miss L/n, so good to see you again!” 
“Again?” Max questioned, looking at you. 
The assistant turned to the Dutchman. “Yes. Miss L/n has been a patron at this establishment for years now.” He turned back to you. “I have the two models that you called ahead for. I will lead you to them.” 
The man turned on his heal and began to walk deeper into the room. 
Sebastian was now talking to Vito and Christian, which led to Max walking by you. 
“I didn’t know you’d been here before.” 
You looked up at him with a sly smile. “My godfather bought a lot of his cars from here and would take me with him. Some of the cars at the front are a part of his collection that I donated when he passed. He left me so many, I didn’t know what to do with them.” 
Max stopped in his tracks as you kept walking. Once he got over his shock, he sped up to catch you. 
“So many?”
You placed a hand on his shoulder. 
“Maxie, how much money do you think I have?” you asked, an innocent look on your face.
“Couple thousand?”
You shook your head. 
An eyebrow rose. “A couple hundred thousand?” 
Another shake as a mouth dropped. 
Max looked around before whispering, “Millions?” 
“Bingo. We’re going to tour my house when we go to Italy.” 
You kept on walking, leaving the even more confused Dutchman. 
“House?” 
A few steps more and you had caught up with the group of four men. Christian whistled at the sight of what lie before him. 
“Thank you Mr. Klein,” you shook the assistants hand as you looked at the two dark green cars in front of you. “Did the payment go through well?” 
The man nodded. “Yes it did. Mr. and Mrs. Fischer send their best regards and also thank you for the donation.” 
The four men (minus your manager) gawk at you. Yet, you were too busy beaming. 
“I’m so glad. Tell them that I will reach out the next time I’m here for longer. I want to see their children again, I miss them.” 
With a couple more goodbyes, weird stares, and going over plans to ship your Porsches to Monaco and England safely – you were on your way to Italy. 
Thankfully Sebastian wanted to join, saying something about how he hadn’t seen the house in forever. Which brought on more questioning looks from Max. 
However, Christian had to sadly say goodbye as he had a connecting flight to go somewhere else for business. You promised you’d send some pictures when you could. 
A chauffer had met you at the airport, names written in fancy calligraphy on a starch white piece of paper. 
The man gave you two cheek kisses as you greeted him. 
“Guido! Come stai amico mio?” (how are you my friend?) 
Max couldn’t wipe the look off his face as you began to talk to the older gentleman in perfect Italian. Vito only patted his shoulder. 
“You’ll get used to it. She’s definitely someone to unravel. You’ll get there.” 
The four of you then followed the man to the Rolls Royce that was waiting in the parking area. Suitcases were loaded in, and the three of you were on your way to your house. 
Or, more like mansion/estate/castle that Max found out as the car pulled closer. He turned to you. 
“Kid?” 
“Inheritance Max. Inheritance.” 
Your door was opened once the car was parked. Multiple people came out of the house, wanting to greet you. 
“La mia famiglia! Mi siete manvati tutti!” (My family! I’ve missed all of you!”) 
A couple of the staff took your bags as you walked through the giant doorway. Once you were through, you turned around and opened your arms. 
“Max, welcome to Casa di Lorenzo Alessandrino.” 
Max’s head was in a state of looking upwards as he walked in. He would have held his mouth open, but the interior seemed to demand respect as power and poise dripped from its walls. Now it was turn for Max’s hands to itch, wanting to touch everything.
Once everything was settled, you gave Max a tour as Vito and Seb went to go get some drinks. Your fingers twirled a special key ring as you led Max to your garage. 
You turned to him and gave a smile. “You ready?” 
Let’s just say, Max was not ready to see so many cars. Max let his jaw drop. 
The garage was deep and long, probably housing close to 40-ish cars. Your eyes glimmered as you looked at the older cars that you missed dearly. 
“You can go look you know,” you told Max as you made your way down the little staircase to the floor. Your heels clicked and echoed with each step. Max was quick to be on your tail. The Dutchman made his way quickly to each car, stopping for only a second before getting distracted by the next. 
You hummed as you looked at the empty spot among the Ferrari’s on the back wall. You pointed to it when Max came up beside you again. 
“The only car Lorenzo never had in his collection was the F40. I need to talk to Charles or Carlos about seeing how I can get one ethically. I want to complete the collection, but not pay far more than what it’s worth.” 
Max nodded, soaking in your words. He was about to say something, but a flash of orange caught his attention. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the spaceship looking car. 
“What kind of car is that?” 
You smirked as you gazed on your most prize possession. 
You walked closer and clicked the keys, making the car roar to life only for a second. (You don’t want to give you and Max monoxide poisoning.) 
Your hand ran over the orangey hues that covered the car.
“This is the Apollo Project Evolution.” 
Max looked down at the hyper car. 
“What that a V12?” 
“Yep. A Ferrari V12 to be exact. Three million dollars, one in ten made, over 700 horsepower, and completely street legal. I’d take you for a ride, but I would rather keep this between me and whoever knows about it.” 
You turned on your heel to start walking toward the door where you walked in. “I bought it because it reminded me of the spaceship from Guardians of the Galaxy.” 
Max snickered as he could imagine you at 14-years-old, watching that movie and falling in love with the space craft. Then, he imagined you last year, trying to find out how you could get your hands on it. 
He took one last glance at the big room, before following you back into the house. He softly shut the big door behind him. 
“Does Arthur know about this place?” he asked as he caught up to you, not wanting to get lost. 
You softly smiled at him. “Yes. I brought him here after Lorenzo passed away in 2020. I just didn’t want to be alone. Vito was here as well.” 
Max returned your sad smile. You and Vito had told him about the place on your way here. Tears were shed, hugs were given out, but you’d get through it. 
But then he suddenly pouted at the thought of you not bringing him here earlier. 
You tutted. “Don’t worry, Charles hasn’t been here if that’s what you’re pouting about.” 
That brought an instant grin to his face. You rolled your eyes at his childishness. Soon, you joined Vito and Sebastian in the kitchen. Aperol Spritzes lined the kitchen counter. Your hand reached one, before Vito was thrusting an different one into your hands. You pouted when you realized that yours was probably nonalcoholic.  
Sebastian snorted. “Let the kid have one.” 
“Vito, what do you think they do for podiums? Make sure mine isn’t actual champagne?” 
Vito rolled his eyes and handed you one from the kitchen counter. You quickly smiles and took a sip of the bubbly drink. 
“So kid, did you show Max the garage?” Sebastian raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his own drink. 
You nodded as you placed your cup down. “Yep!” 
“And the track?” 
“You have a track!?” 
y/n.89 has posted
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y/n.89 glad to be back to my home away from home. Italia, quanto mi sei mancato. conserverai sempre ricordi preziosi e non posso ringraziarti abbastanza per amarmi da bambino. quando tornerò sarò sul podio, ne sono sicuro
(translation : italy how i've missed you. you will always hold precious memories and i can't thank you enough for loving me as a child. when i return, i'll be on the podium - i'm sure of it)
liked by sebastianvettel, vito_official, y/nlover, and 58,204 others
y/n's_fav who was going to tell me that our girl knows Italian?
y/n_updates she speaks it fluently! her godfather was Italian and taught her when she was growing up! y/n_on_top all I'm hearing is that her, Carlos, and Charles can now talk shit about Max if needed
charles_leclerc quindi Max non riesce a capire? (so max can't understand?)
y/n.89 no, quindi è ora di svelare i segreti dell'infanzia, Charlie (no, so spill the childhood secrets Charlie) carlossainz55 abbiamo molto da dire (we have a lot to tell) maxverstappen1 I CAN READ MY OWN NAME - I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ME y/n.89 senti qualcosa? (do you hear something?)
vito_official così felice di essere a casa. possiamo restare ancora un po'? Guido e Luigi dicono che gli manchiamo troppo (so glad to be home. can we stay a bit longer? Guido and Luigi say they miss us too much)
y/n.89 mi mancheranno così tanto. torneremo presto! (i'll miss them so much. we'll be back soon!)
sebastianvettel glad to have been able to go with you! I'll see you soon kinder!
y/n_in_italy NOT HER HOUSEKEEPERS'S NAMES BEING GUIDO AND LUIGI
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TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @glitterquadricorn @laura-naruto-fan1998 @treehouse-mouse @sam-is-lost @kagatinkita @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @myxticmoon @angsthology @cmleitora @agent-curt-mega @graciewrote @ashy-kit @slutofmultifandom @aexitizen-ln4 @sugarvibez @vellicora @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @cashtons-wife @hoetel-manager @xcharlottemikaelsonx @jayda12 @ilove-tswizzle @justme2042 @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @stopeatread @cha-hot @sadg3 @iloveyou3000morgan @s4turnsl0ver @alessioayla @torchbearerkyle @leptitlu @awekbachira @shreks-sugar-daddy @v1naco @stan-josie @mellowarcadefun @badassturtle13 @beskardroids @callisposts @poppyalice2001 @juniper-july19
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alisaint · 5 months
Text
guys, i have good news for once. i've found proof of intelligent life out here in these wastelands:
my favorite excerpts:
Will, Jonathan, and Joyce Formed a Special Trio
If Eleven is the main character in Stranger Things, the Byers family is the conduit through which she flickers. Will’s disappearance in the first season spurred the Hawkins community to rush to his aid. The tight-knit camaraderie between Will, Jonathan, and Joyce juxtaposes the stereotypical family composed of kids and teenagers. Parents and children are supposed to fight and bicker in television and other media, often to build the main conflict of the story, but the Byers family already underwent that trauma offscreen.  Lonnie Byers (Ross Partridge) makes a brief cameo in the first season, flexing his standoffish demeanor and abusive nature. It’s clear that the Byers patriarch doesn’t possess much empathy for his ex-wife or his sons. Jonathan valiantly steps into the father, husband, and big brother role, amalgamating into a combination of responsibilities that no other character on the show could dream of emulating. 
Jonathan Binds the Byers Family Together
Jonathan’s multifaceted arc in the first two seasons made him one of the series’ most easily dissectable characters. Stranger Things often differentiates itself from other shows by keeping the antagonists separate from the main characters. There are no Walter White or Tony Soprano-style antiheroes in which fans must compromise one part of their moral compass to appreciate the character. One might think this makes the series boring, but it’s the opposite. Jonathan was proof that a nearly perfect brother and son can still be fascinating to watch. After Will was found in season 1’s climax, he was taken over by the Mind Flayer in season 2. Jonathan again stood by Will’s side as his little brother felt outcasted by friends and society at large. Schnapp and Heaton’s chemistry often leads to tender, humorous exchanges like this one in which the boys remind the audience that being weird can be a human superpower in its own right.  These moments became few and far between in seasons 3 and 4. Will and Jonathan were relegated to minor supporting characters as the aforementioned new additions took center stage. Will at least gets to tag along with Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and the other younger friends. Jonathan often only appears in a few small scenes with his girlfriend Nancy (Natalia Dyer), and the writers even flirted with pushing Nancy back into Steve’s arms in the most recent season. Jonathan spent the majority of season 4 high on marijuana and frolicking around in a faux buddy-comedy routine with the one-off character Argyle (Eduardo Franco).  The decision to waste Heaton’s work from the first two seasons with a 180-degree personality change made no sense. Jonathan suddenly seemed careless, distant, and uninspired, but not in a dense way that could be unlocked by further character development. Little-to-no time was spent on him. While some fans might concur it is a necessary evil to take screen time away from older characters when expanding the world of Hawkins, it certainly transforms Stranger Things from a show about family into a show just about monsters and romances. 
Jonathan’s Enhanced Role in Season 5?
Many theories point to Will being one of the critical pieces to defeating Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in the fifth and final season. His connection to the Upside Down and the evils underneath the surface should open up opportunities for Jonathan to lend his ears and counseling once again. Jonathan grows on an individual level when he aids others. When locked out of his family’s life, it stunts his ability to shine as a listener and an empathizer.  Jonathan’s best scene from season 4 again features a tear-jerking moment with Will. On the cusp of coming out of the closet, Will needs Jonathan more than ever before, and his brother responds supremely to the task at hand. The poignant conversation validates that the Duffers haven’t completely forgotten how to flesh out the Byers family. When the world gets too enormous for the characters and the audience, Jonathan serves as a connector to the most human elements of the series’ thematic thesis. He may not be as funny as Steve or as neurotic as Robin, but Jonathan symbolizes the good in all of us. In a show shrouded in darkness, Jonathan’s presence will be instrumental to forming a satisfying, optimistic conclusion in Hawkins, Indiana.
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allthingsfangirl101 · 5 months
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Extreme Proof – Steve Harrington
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Tumblr Request by theamunsonsworld
My heart sank into my stomach when I looked up and saw Nancy Wheeler walking up to the ice cream counter. My stomach turned when I realized that it was Steve's turn at the cash register. I couldn't help but watch their interaction. They seemed. . . Perfect.
Steve and Nancy always seemed perfect. His smile was different. His laugh was different. His whole demeanor and attitude were different when he was around his ex-girlfriend. And I couldn't help but wonder why he settled for me.
I knew Steve and Nancy when they were dating. Well, I didn't know them know them. I grew up with them. I was in the same grade as Nancy and lived next to Steve and his parents. After they broke up, I could instantly tell that it had a bigger effect on Steve than it did on Nancy. She quickly moved on. He didn't.
Later that year, I started working at the ice cream shop within the new mall. I ended up being trained with Robin. Two months later, I trained Steve. It took him almost a week to recognize me as his neighbor. Once he made that connection, he put more of an effort into being nice to me. It wasn't until one night when the three of us got high while pretending to complete inventory that things finally escalated between us.
~ • ~
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Robin giggled. Her laughter made Steve and I laugh.
"Probably not," he shrugged.
"Definitely not," I corrected. "But who cares?!"
All three of us started laughing harder. All of a sudden, Robin jumped up and ran into the other room complaining about being hungry. I looked over at Steve, both of our laughter stopping. I cleared my throat and turned away from him, taking a puff. Without looking at him, I handed the blunt to him. He took it but didn't let go of my hand.
"I'm really sorry, Y/N," he whispered.
"For what?" I asked, forgetting why I wasn't looking at him.
"For forgetting you," he explained, his voice still soft.
"Steve," I sighed, finally pulling my hand out of his.
"Y/N," he quickly said, stopping me from walking away. "We spent our entire childhoods living right next to each other. I constantly looked over."
"You did?" I said, even though I had told myself not to respond.
"Every time I looked over at you, you guys always looked so happy," he said, maintaining perfect eye contact. "You ate dinner together. You watched movies together. Your dad helped you with your homework. You spent every weekend helping your dad with yard work and helping your mom with housework. I was so jealous."
"Why?"
"You guys did everything as a family," he said. "And all I wanted was to be a part of it."
"A part of it?" I repeated. "Why would you want to be a part of my. . ."
Steve leaned over and cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. My mind was too cloudy for me to make any sense of this. So, instead of making sense of it, I gave in. I started kissing him back and things slowly escalated. We probably would've gone the whole way if Robin hadn't literally fallen into the room.
~ • ~
After that night, I didn't work the weekend. Another teenager asked for extra hours and I gave up mine. Monday, when I finally went back to work, I walked in and instantly made eye contact with Steve. Before either one of us was forced to fill the awkward silence, I went to the back room and found my name tag. I turned around and was about to walk back out when I suddenly wasn't alone.
~ • ~
"Steve," I gasped. "I was just. . ."
He cut me off by grabbing my hands and pulling me closer. "I think we need to talk."
"We really. . ."
He cut me off again by pressing his lips to mine. I was clear-headed and still didn't hesitate to kiss him back. As our lips moved in sync, I let out a small chuckle. My laugh made Steve slowly break the kiss.
"What?" He asked with a small smirk on his face.
"I seem to see a pattern developing," I teased.
"And what pattern is that?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
"From what I can remember from last Thursday," I smiled, "you seem to only kiss me when you want me to shut up."
"First of all," he started to list off, "there are worse ways to tell someone to shut up. And second, that's not the only reason I kissed you."
"Really?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Of course it's not," he whispered. "The truth is Y/N, I have feelings for you."
My heart jumped into my throat as Steve stared at me with soft eyes. "You do?" I whispered, not sure what else to say to him. "Since when?"
"Since we were kids," he said simply.
"All that time?" I stuttered. Steve smiled as he reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
"All that time."
~ • ~
Things changed after that. Steve took me on lunch dates, rearranged his work schedule so we were on the same shift, and even came by the days he didn't work and I did. As good as everything was for us, I couldn't shake this feeling that something was hovering over us. It didn't take long for me to figure out what was hovering over us.
When it got too painful to watch Steve take Nancy's ice cream order, I turned around and instantly grabbed the broom from the storage closet. I kept my back to the counter as I swept the floor. When I was done, I instantly started cleaning tables.
"I thought I was on cleanup duty," Robin said. I didn't dare turn around. I didn't want to watch Steve make Nancy's ice cream sundae. I heard Robin sigh before she grabbed my hand. She took the rag and tossed it onto an empty booth before dragging me to the small lounge we had back behind the counter.
"Talk," she demanded.
"About what?"
"Don't play dumb," she sighed. She lowered her voice as she continued, "I know what you're thinking, Y/N. Steve is not in love with Nancy."
"It's just. . ."
"He's not," she cut me off. "Steve and Nancy happened a long time ago. He's so much happier now, Y/N. Now that he has you."
"I can't help but. . ."
"What?" She pushed me when I didn't continue.
"I can't let go of the feeling that Steve still has feelings for her," I confessed. I looked up and saw Steve and Nancy still talking at the counter. "See?"
Robin turned around and sighed when she saw my boyfriend talking to his ex-girlfriend. "I'm sure you're reading into it," she stuttered. "I mean. . ."
I didn't hear whatever excuse she was struggling to come up with. Instead, I went to the back freezer and started unloading random things. I jumped when two arms wrapped around me.
"You know I love you, Robin," I said, trying to tease, "but not like that."
"Ha ha," Steve laughed sarcastically as he spun me around. His smile faltered when he saw the look on my face. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," I cleared my throat. "Why wouldn't it be?"
I walked away and reached down, picking up a tub of our new flavor that's been selling fast. Steve walked over, gently grabbed it out of my hands, and placed it back on the shelf.
"What's going on, baby?" He asked, his voice lowering to a whisper.
"It's nothing," I stuttered, matching his tone.
"Robin told me."
My stomach dropped. I pulled my hands out of his and instantly wrapped my arms around myself.
"Baby," he sighed, gently grabbing my arms and pulling me closer. "We've talked about this. There is nothing between me and Nancy anymore."
He started to lean in to kiss me, but I gently stopped him. "We should get back to work," I said softly. I started walking out of the freezer, but he grabbed my wrist.
"No," he said firmly. "Y/N, we need to talk about this. We have talked about this. I know you think you aren't good enough for me, but, baby, you need to get passed those insecurities."
"Get passed them," I scoffed, stepping away from him. "Like it's so easy. Tell me, Steve, how easy was it for you to get past your insecurities with high school and being known as Steve "the Hair" Harrington? Not so easy, huh?"
"That's not fair," he sighed.
"You don't get it," I said, my voice breaking. "Nancy. . . She's. . . Nancy Wheeler is everything that I'm not."
"Except for one thing," Steve quickly interjected. "She isn't the girl I want to be with. She's not you, Y/N. And I want to be with you."
"You have to try to understand, Steve. This isn't easy for me. I mean. . . I've never had a serious boyfriend before and. . . Seeing you with her. . . It's not easy on me, okay? It just. . ."
"What?" He asked a little too harshly. "Try and explain it to me, Y/N."
"I can't," I whispered. "And if you can't understand it then. . ."
"Then what?" He sighed, clearly losing his patience with me.
"Then maybe we shouldn't be together."
Before he could agree with me or fight for me, I turned on my heels and ran. I ran out of the ice cream shop, out of the mall. When I got outside, I stopped for a brief second and let out a small scoff.
It was raining.
"Of course," I mumbled. I looked around, my eyes landing on the payphone. I ran through the rain toward the payphone. I grabbed some coins out of my pocket and called my brother.
"Speak!" He answered.
"Eddie," I said, my voice breaking.
"What happened?" His whole demeanor changed. "Y/N, what's wrong?"
"I think. . . I think Steve and I just broke up."
"What?!" I covered my mouth to muffle my sob as Eddie continued to angrily mumble. "I swear I am going to. . . It'll be the last thing. . . I'm gonna kill. . . Wait, what happened?"
"Nancy came into the shop today," I said, my voice shaky.
"Y/N," Eddie sighed. "Steve is not still in love with Nancy. It's all in your head."
"But you didn't see them together, Ed," I instantly defended myself.
"Look," he said gently, "I know you've had your issues with your self-confidence and with constantly comparing yourself to Nancy Wheeler, but, you gotta stop. It doesn't matter that Steve and Nancy used to have a thing. He's not with her anymore."
"He's with me," I cut him off. "I know. I know. But it's not like it was his choice."
"What are you talking about?"
"She broke up with him, Eddie," I said, my voice dropping.
"So?"
"That doesn't mean he stopped loving her."
"Y/N," he sighed. "I believe Steve when he says he doesn't love Nancy anymore. Why don't you?"
"Because why would he want me?" I yelled, finally letting out all my insecurities and frustrations. "I'm boring, Eddie. I don't have any friends. All I do is go to school, come home, do my homework, and go to bed a 9. Why would Steve "the Hair" Harrington fall for someone as boring as me? I'm not smart. I'm not funny. I'm not beautiful. I'm not enough for him, Eddie. Why does no one else understand this?!"
I slammed the phone back onto its receiver and turned around. Usually, Steve takes me home from work, but I had to get out of here. I saw the bus at the bus stop and instantly started running towards it in hopes of catching it.
One minute I was running through the rain. The next, I was falling. As I landed, I hit my head hard. I tried to think. I tried to sit up. I tried to move, but it was like I was frozen. Soon, the world started to spin. It wasn't long before the darkness took over. But right before it did, I thought I heard someone yell my name.
"Y/N?!"
* * * * *
I woke up a little while later being warmer than I was when I first fell asleep.
"I told you, Eddie," I heard my Uncle Wayne sigh, "she hit her head pretty hard. She may be out for a couple of more hours."
"She's awake," I heard Steve say with a small chuckle.
"How do you. . ." Eddie didn't finish his question when he turned around and saw me watching them. I was back in my room and the three of them were standing in the doorway.
I smiled when Eddie ran to my side. He was already sitting next to me and holding my hand by the time Uncle Wayne walked into my room.
"How are you feeling, kiddo?" He asked me.
"Okay," I shrugged. "I think. I mean. . . I'm a little confused."
"You slipped," Steve said, his voice softer than normal.
"What?" I stuttered.
"You were running toward the bus," Steve explained as he slowly walked into my room. "With the rain and the puddles, you slipped. I walked out of the mall right as you fell. I ran over to you, but you were barely conscious."
"Oh," I said under my breath. Suddenly, a thick tension fell between the two of us. If it wasn't for that tension, I would've laughed when Uncle Wayne hit Eddie's arm.
"We'll give you two some privacy," he said as he practically dragged Eddie out of my room. As soon as it was just us two, Steve sat on the edge of my bed.
"We need to talk about this," he said softly. "I can't stand the idea of you thinking you're not good enough for me."
"I just. . ."
"Please," he gently cut me off. "I need to say some things and I need you to hear them, okay? You are enough for me, Y/N. You are the perfect girl for me. I know you struggle with my and Nancy's friendship. If I could make it better for you, I would. The only way I can start to make it better is to tell you that I am completely, one hundred percent over Nancy Wheeler. I am also completely, one hundred percent into you. I don't know why you think you're not enough for me, but you are. You are enough, baby. No one is better for me. You make me extremely happy. You make it so I don't have to be fake. If I'm not happy, you know it. If I'm struggling, you know what to do to help me. I promise, Y/N, there is nothing between me and Nancy. Not anymore. Not ever again. I haven't had feelings for her for a long time. You make me happy. There is no one in this world I would rather be with than you."
With tears streaming down my cheeks, I grabbed his face and pressed my lips to his. He instantly wrapped his arms around me and kissed me back. Every insecurity, every worry, disappeared as we kissed. Steve broke the kiss, both of us breathing heavily.
"I don't just want you," he whispered. "I love you."
"I love you too," I said, my voice breaking. My smile fell as I continued, "I'm really sorry, Steve. I never should've. . . I shouldn't. . . I was wrong. I should've believed you when you kept telling me you were over her."
"It's okay," he soothed. "But next time, promise me that you'll talk to me if you ever feel something like that again. Please, baby. Promise me."
"I promise."
Steve smiled as I pulled him toward me and laid down. That night, I fell asleep with Steve's arms wrapped tightly around me.
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spielen-verrueckt · 2 months
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Kyle Adam Carrozza manipulated me and my family. He manipulated everyone to have his back. He has a habit of lovebombing people to get them to trust him and them sneaks his way into overstepping boundaries, and according to some people now, molesting them.
I knew him IRL for a decade and now I feel extremely disgusted that i knew him since I was a kid. I wish my parents and I never met him. He is an evil monster, worse than John K and Dan Schneider. I almost worked on an animation project with him. Specifically the Moobeard reboot. Thank God I didn't, and I dodged a bullet. He was my only animation connection so I felt like I had to be on good terms with him, and that's how he keeps relationships- by holding you hostage and dangling an animation-industry carrot above the heads of young artists like a starved horse.
I was privately in the defense of him before because everyone I knew was and how they described the Ang controversy didn't seem that bad at the time. but I never spoke about it publicly, only with close friends. I told a mutual on my stance on his controversy and they harassed and blocked me over it but it turned out they were in the right all along. They're having the last laugh right now, whoopty do.
Being a shota/lolicon is disgusting but it's a coughing baby compared to owning actual CSEM. If drawing that stuff prevents real crime then I can't say I'm completely against it existing, as fucked up as that sounds. I'm already sorta neutral on the whole proship/anti thing and I don't think I'm ever gonna talk about that kind of topic ever again in fear I'll be seen as someone like Kyle who's hiding skeletons.
I wasn't the only person who knew about his google drive- he talked about it publicly on twitter, which was fucking stupid of him but at least it gives me proof. I am however, for some fucking reason the only one who put 2 and 2 together and realized it could be correlated with his arrest. If you haven't seen my NewGrounds journal, please read it.
When that happened, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and excused it as being either a hack or the same situation with Naoki Saito, who also had his google deleted for a similar reason THE SAME YEAR (it was a false positive)
someone told me that Ang took credit for his google being deleted, but if i'm being honest I think she's talking out of her ass. She also believes aliens visited her. I'm almost positive that Google tripped a hash and investigated privately, leading to his arrest. but again it's just a theory. if not, it's a wild coincidence.
I am so, so deeply sorry and I wish the best for the victims. Outing myself as his ex friend and providing more evidence against him will be my form of repent.
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mpregandproud · 16 days
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Isaac II (Part 1)
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Twenty years ago my life took a 180 degree turn. After separating from my ex-wife Sandra, Isaac came into my life, and with him an adventure that if someone told you about it you would not believe. In just five years I went through five pregnancies and gave birth to seventeen children, no more and no less. With my husband I had eleven of them, and we adopted the daughter I had with my ex-wife, whom I got pregnant before our separation. And we decided to be surrogates for our friends Lucas, Ray and Tom, six more children. Oh yes, I forgot, I am a man, a man who got pregnant. I know, I'm kind of a weirdo. Although Isaac prefers to say it's a “gift given to me by nature”.
While Isaac and I adore our children and thoroughly enjoyed my pregnancies, we decided to stop making babies. With twelve boys and girls per household we had more than enough. We had dreamed of having a big, happy family, especially since neither of us had grown up in large families. The dream of our lives was more complete than ever. Or so we believe at the time.
After having the sextuplets we decided to leave the city and move to the town where I grew up. There we bought a big house in the country. Isaac and I could work from home, and being close to my parents and sister would help us raise little quintuplets Dylan, Nate, Philip, Edward and Cristina, sextuplets Bruce, Ken, Patrick, Charlotte, Ivana and Jason, and Sandra, the oldest of all our children.
This change allowed me to make a major change in my life. I started to take up sports again and regain a healthier way of life. With Lucas, Gary, Samuel and Frank, my former soccer teammates when I was young, we started participating in the veterans' league. Although I never regained the shape I had before I gave birth, I lost my belly and my muscles started to show after years of being hidden under fat. My ass, two large spheres, and my hips, wide as proof of having given birth to a full soccer team with its starting and substitute players included, were living witnesses that inside me the party of life had taken place.
Isaac and I have strengthened our relationship a lot over the years. He is my soul mate. If I ever had any doubts about our marriage, seeing him day in and day out taking care of our children made me fall in love with him like I did the first day I saw him on that soccer field. Now in his 50s, he is the sugar daddy I once dreamed of as a teenager, when I was still trying to convince myself that I liked women. His athletic body and the gray hair that has slightly whitened his hair is like a dream come true. When he comes home from working in the garden, sweaty and dirty, I have to hold back my desire for him to slam me against the wall and plant his potent seed inside me again.
This is not to say that Isaac and I have stopped fucking, in fact we do it more than ever. The years have made us wilder. And now that our older kids are in college and our younger ones are in high school, we have more time to live our passionate love intensely. Maybe we have too much time, and too much passion for no good.
Yes, as you can imagine, the inevitable happened again. Sixteen years after I had last been pregnant I felt morning sickness and a general feeling of discomfort in my body again. I didn't want to believe it at first. Remember that we had decided not to have any more babies, but Mother Nature had other plans. That's why a condom broke, there was a plan to get us pregnant again. Apparently twelve children was not enough, so a new litter was about to arrive. I was pregnant again.
For the first time in all these years I saw Isaac worried. In spite of having experience in the matter, this was going to be my sixth time pregnant, it was not the same to be pregnant when I was 30 than when I was 50. And I wasn't sure that my body would work the same way either.
“What are we going to do, Isaac, do you want to become a father again?”, I asked him the night after we confirmed the pregnancy.
“Daniel, I don't know. I really don't know, it was no longer in my plans to be a father again. I adore our children and I love you madly, but I have more doubts than ever”, he said cuddling up to me on the bed. “I remember when we found out you were pregnant twenty years ago it was you who had doubts, and me who reassured you. But look at me now, I don't recognize myself, I'm scared of what this pregnancy might mean for you, especially knowing that we tend to have many children at the same time”, he was shaking as he told me, so I grabbed his hand and shook it tightly to try to calm him down.
I gave him a little kiss on the crown of his head. “I didn't expect to find myself gestating a child again either at our age and after going through this so many times. I already felt complete with what we had. But today, when the doctor confirmed that we were pregnant, something changed in me. I have doubts, lots and lots of doubts, but also the desire to be a father again with you”, I told him without being able to look at him because I was so nervous. “I think it's clear to me that I want to have this child, or children. It may be our last chance to be parents again. Who knows. And, I'm not going to lie to you, I love how much the pregnancies brought us together before. So, yes, I want to be a father”. I looked down and saw him crying emotionally, as much as I was. Both with tears in our eyes.
Isaac sat up, grabbed my face and said in a breathy voice, “I love you so much. We're in this together, let's get to it”. We kissed passionately and sealed that night by fucking like animals again.
The following week we got our children together. Taking advantage of the fact that the older ones had returned from college that week for summer vacation, it was the ideal time to tell them all the good news. Isaac prepared a barbecue in the garden. We also invited Esther and her children Svetlana and Boris, the children she had with Yevgeni, who died last year in a helicopter accident.
Our best friends, Lucas and Adam, and their children Daniel and Isaac, the first ones I had as a surrogate, also came. They are also our family, our chosen family. For little Daniel and Isaac, our sons are their cousins, and we are their uncles. Lucas and Adam wanted us to be in their lives from day one. I will be eternally grateful to them, as it helped me cope better with the strange feeling of having given birth to children that were technically not mine. I still have a very close relationship with the other children I had as a surrogate, but they live farther away, so I see them less often. And also, Daniel and Isaac were my first, it's something special, hard to explain.
When they were a little older Lucas and Adam explained to the boys that I was the one who gestated them because they could not. Far from being scared, the children became even more fond of me. They say that I am their favorite uncle. When they tell me that in front of Isaac he gets jealous. I love to see him like that. He looks so sexy in those funny moments.
Before we got to desserts I sat for a while with my sister Esther and Lucas, my childhood friend. She has always been very perceptive, so it didn't catch me by surprise that she was the one who asked me the question, “You're pregnant again, aren't you?”. Lucas was silent and staring at me with wide eyes. “The first time you got pregnant you did something similar in Isaac's apartment in the city. You will have many children, but originality is not your strong point,” she said teasing me as only a sister knows how. I sipped my soda and nodded my head. “But don't tell anyone yet, we want to announce it to all of you today”, I winked.
Both Esther and Lucas were concerned about a pregnancy in my fifties. “Are you sure? You and Isaac have sky-high fertility, so knowing your backgrounds it's possible you're expecting a whole basketball team. Isn't that dangerous at your age?” said a very concerned Lucas. “Yes, we are aware of the complications that may be involved, but we want to give it a try. It could be our last chance to be parents again. It's not a planned pregnancy, but we agree that we want to try. We take all the risks”, I told them.
They both gave me a big hug in that very moment. They are the two people who understand me best. Apart from Isaac, I can talk to Esther and Lucas about anything. Their hug felt comforting, they were giving me their approval and support. I knew that in the face of any difficulty I could count on them in this adventure.
From across the garden Isaac was looking at us. I knew that without explaining anything to him, just by seeing the three of us hugging, he was aware that Lucas and Esther knew about the pregnancy and that they were giving me strength. His smile at the sight of us made me feel even more confident in the decision we had made. It would not be a planned pregnancy, but it would be a desired pregnancy.
After desserts we gathered everyone around the table and Isaac was in charge of telling everyone. “Thank you for coming to our house today. For us it is very important to have the family close to us in all our steps as a couple and as parents. We are about to start a journey with many doubts, but that will once again fill this house with love”. He then grabbed me with his left hand and put his right hand on my belly. In case anyone did not understand his gesture, he proceeded to clarify it by shouting it from the rooftops. “We are going to be parents again. We are pregnant!”, he announced with the same joy with which twenty years ago he told that we were pregnant for the first time.
Everyone started squealing with joy and celebrating. If there were any doubts, our family cleared them all. Our children hugged both of us, some of them crying with excitement as Isaac and I were. Sandra, our oldest, gave me a huge hug, then told me that “mommy would be as excited as I am right now. I can't wait to have new siblings". I think a lot about my ex-wife Sandra, and as my daughter said, I'm sure that on a day like this she would have liked to be with us celebrating. I miss her, I hope she is proud of the family we have given our daughter.
Be that as it may, come what children may, we are on this journey together, Isaac and I. Together about to become parents again. Living the best of our lives.
Go to Part 2
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therealcocoshady · 5 months
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Recovery - Chapter 34
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Eminem x FemReader Fanfiction
Summary : Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Reader is planning Talia and Jamal's wedding when unexpected news happen.
Tags : Angst
TW : Mention of drug use - Mention of pregnancy
Author's Note : I hope you enjoy the chapter ❤️
Y/N’s POV
Ever since Marshall had informed you that Kim would be there for Thanksgiving, you were a little bit freaked out. However, you didn’t really bring up the topic, and neither did your boyfriend. After the conversation, you spent a few days pondering whether or not you should try and escape the situation. Not being American, Thanksgiving wasn’t important to you anyway so you wouldn’t mind skipping it or celebrating it the same way you had done since you came to the US - with Talia and Jamal. 
When you moved to Detroit, you quickly befriended Talia at the beginning of the school year. You were planning on spending your first Thanksgiving in your dorm room, on your own, watching a crappy movie and eating ramen, but she wouldn’t have it and invited you to spend the day with her, her boyfriend and her family. At first, you declined the invitation but she basically forced you to go and that’s how you met Jamal, as well as Talia’s mother and her three sisters. You got along with everyone and had an official, standing invitation for every holiday, your best friend’s family being just as warm and welcoming as her. Even when you were with your ex, you spent Thanksgiving with Talia. This year would be your first time celebrating it with someone else. When you told her about the change of plans, she was happy for you but made it clear that you would be missed. To be fair, you would miss them too. You didn’t know too much about how everyone else celebrated Thanksgiving, but Talia’s family certainly made it fun : everyone would spend the day cooking together in a relaxed atmosphere, making jokes, dancing to some 80s tunes and playing board games. 
You didn’t mind skipping this in order to celebrate with the man you loved, but knowing his ex-wife would be there certainly made you reconsider. However, he made it clear that he was looking forward to celebrating with you and told you how important it was for him that you be there. 
It’s a family holiday, he said. We’re officially living together, it doesn’t make sense to spend it apart, Y/N. We’re family, now. 
We’re still very new, you reminded him. What will your family think ? 
As far as they’re concerned, you can do no wrong, he chuckled. Apparently, they’re all relieved that my grumpy ass found someone who is actually willing to put up with me. And they all know and like you already. 
Except for your ex, you pointed out. 
Is that what it’s really about ? He asked with a raised eyebrow. 
You sighed and did not reply. Part of you thought that it was a good thing that Marshall and Kim were on friendly terms, for the sake of their daughters. It was a proof of maturity on their part and you had heard enough stories from your friends with divorced parents to know that it was actually a good thing. Everyone would like for their parents to be able to get along after a divorce. But being the partner of someone who was divorced made it a little challenging. After all, no one expected to spend a holiday with their boyfriend’s ex-wife, let alone relished the idea. 
I told you it will be fine, he said as he hugged you from behind while you were doing your skincare before bed. And it’s not just her, anyway. Everyone else will be there. 
Yes but she’s the only one I haven’t met yet, you said sheepishly. What if she hates me ? 
Why would she hate you ? He scoffed. 
Because I’m your girlfriend… Duh ? 
Look, Y/N, he said as he took your hands in his. Yes, Kim is my ex, and yes, we have a long and complicated history. But any form of romantic feeling between us is long gone. There won’t be any jealousy… On her part, at least. 
The end of his comment made you raise an eyebrow. 
You think I’m jealous of her ? You asked. 
I don’t know, he said with a smile. Are you ? 
I guess not, you shrugged. I do have many questions, though. 
So we’re gonna have that talk, huh ? He asked with a sigh. 
Do you mind ? 
No offense, babe, but even if I did… I know you well-enough to know that you’d toss and turn all night, and you'll drive yourself crazy and me as well. I love you, and I want to get some sleep tonight, so for both our sakes, let’s get this over with, he chuckled. 
Thank you, you said shyly as you felt your face redden a bit. 
You both sat in bed and you were nervously tugging on your nightgown, not really knowing where to start. 
I don’t have all night, though, he said playfully. Just ask your damn questions, babe. 
Did she sleep here ? You asked, as it was the first question that popped into your head - hell, maybe you were in her spot ! 
In this room or in this bed ? He asked. This is the master bedroom, so yeah, we slept here. The bed and mattress are new, though, if that’s any comfort. Next question ? 
Do you miss her, sometimes ? You asked nervously. 
He glanced at you and shook his head with a smile. 
What kind of question is that, Y/N ? He simply asked. Really ? You’re asking me if I miss her ? 
Can you blame me for wondering, though ? Everyone knows she’s the love of your life, your high-school sweetheart and stuff… 
Everyone also knows that our marriages were utter failures and that we drove each other crazy, he stated with an eye roll. 
So you never think about her ? You asked. 
That’s a different question. Of course I think about her often. 
Often ?! What the hell did he mean by that ? As he saw the expression on your face - that probably resembled that of a deer in headlights - he let out a laugh. 
I told you, babe, we have a history and three daughters, he said. Of course I think about her, whether it’s something about the girls or simply memories. I can’t erase twenty-plus years from my brain, you know ? But it doesn’t mean I miss her. I used to, for sure, but I don’t. Not anymore. You can think of the good times you had with someone without missing the relationship. 
I guess, you said. How do you feel about her now, then ? 
I mean… She’s the mother of my children and that will never change. In that regard, I respect her, because she’s doing her best to be a good mom, too. I might not always agree with her, in fact there’s a lot of shit we disagree on, but she’s high in my esteem. Also because she put up with a lot of me and my shit, he said. 
Do you have feelings for her ? You blurted out before you were able to hold back the words. 
As soon as you spoke these words, he frowned and shook his head. He sighed and took your hand in his, interlocking your fingers. 
I just told you I don’t miss her, he said. So no, I don’t have feelings for her. Not romantic, at least. I do have affection for her, though, in a way. I care for her and I don’t want anything bad happening to her. If she ever needs me, I’m here. I told you before - whether we like it or not, Kim and I will always be family. So I will always be there to support her. 
You nodded, a bit lost in your thoughts. He pulled you in his arms and leaned in, his forehead resting against yours while his piercing blue gaze held yours. 
I need you to understand something, baby, he said. Nothing I’m saying here affects the way I feel about you. Just because I care for Kim doesn’t mean I don’t love you. You are the woman I love and the one who makes me happy, and no one will change that. 
Ok, you said as you nodded softly. I love you too, you know ? 
And even if she did hate you, which she won’t, you’re the one person I chose to share my life with. Whether anyone likes it or not, you are my girl and they have to respect that. And I know she does, he said. 
Ok, you said. Does she know that we live together here ? 
She does, he  nodded. 
And that I’m… You know… Younger ? 
Yes, that too, he chuckled. I mean, I told her about you before so she knows a couple of things. She knows your name, your age, what you do in life, part of our story and, most of all, she knows I am head over heels in love with you. 
When did you tell her all that ? You asked, a bit surprised. 
I talked about you on a couple of occasions, he explained. When we got together, and a couple of months after our breakup, too. We don’t speak or see each other too often, but we keep up with each other’s life. 
He was smiling, which was sort of reassuring. His transparency made you feel at peace and, even though you were still a bit anxious, you eased up. You smiled back and kissed him on the cheek. 
Thank you for reassuring me, you said softly. I think you got yourself a night without me tossing and turning. 
Good, he chuckled. I get how weird it must be for you, you know ? But I’m sure everything will be fine. It’s just Thanksgiving. 
You smiled and nuzzled his neck as he held you in his arms, tracing circles on your shoulder. 
I love you, Marshall. 
I love you too, Y/N. And I’m really happy we’re celebrating our first holiday together, he added. 
That’s a milestone, you said. 
The first of many, many more, he said with a smile before pressing a kiss to your temple. 
So… What does a typical Thanksgiving look like in the Mathers household ? You asked. What should I expect ? 
Just classic Thanksgiving stuff, you know ? He shrugged. 
Well I only ever celebrated at Talia’s family’s, so… I don’t know, you chuckled. In my experience, it involves Talia’s mom preaching about how good God is and the blessings he gives, lots of cooking, lots of eating, board games and Talia’s sisters arguing over who Jamal prefers ! 
Sometimes I forget you’re not from here, he chortled. No preaching here, but lots of eating, just hanging out together, talking, watching movies, playing games… And I have my basketball tradition with Nate. 
Let me guess ? You usually win ? You asked with a grin. 
I lost the last one, actually, he chuckled. But I’ll definitely humiliate him this year. I have a lady to impress, I can’t lose. 
If you win, I’ll give you something to look forward to, you said teasingly. 
Like what ? He asked with a smirk. 
Win and you’ll see, you replied with a wink. 
I have an entire week left before the game, he said. Believe me, I’m going to train for victory. 
You giggled and kissed him softly before turning the lights off. You were a little reassured and figured that, even though your first Thanksgiving with him would be a bit stressful, you would get to admire him all sweaty on the basketball court and that would be absolutely worth it. 
In the week leading up to Thanksgiving, you were busy with wedding stuff and maid of honor duties. Talia and Jamal had yet to set a date for the wedding but that didn’t prevent your best friend from giving you tasks such as browsing ideas, looking at dress designers and searching for venues. You gladly obliged : you had sent out a few applications for jobs but you hadn’t gotten any answers yet and you were starting to get a bit bored. You would have gladly taken care of the house or garden, but there was staff hired for that and the only thing you could do to help around the house was to cook dinner for Marshall when he came back from work. You enjoyed it but it was clearly not enough to fill your days and you were starting to feel like one of those rich, bored housewives. Helping Talia with the wedding was a welcome distraction and you took the task with the utmost seriousness. You had always been a sucker for weddings and you knew full well it would be the only one you would get to organize so you decided to enjoy it. Every day after she got off from work, your friend would come to your place and your living room was soon filled with bridal magazines and moodboards for what was set to be the wedding of the century. Jamal’s work as a renowned beatmaker allowed them to have a very comfortable lifestyle and he had made clear that, whatever Talia wanted for the wedding, she would get. And she happened to have expensive taste, as well as a never-ending guest list. 
I will never find a venue, she loudly complained. I either hate the places we’re looking at, or they’re simply not big enough. 
You let out a sympathetic laugh. With the immense guest list they had, it was no surprise that finding a venue would be challenging. It seemed like every single person they had ever met would be invited. 
We will find something, you said with a smile. Or maybe you could try and shrink the guest list ? 
Jamal put you up to this, didn��t he ? She sighed. He keeps on telling me that we should keep it small. If it were up to him, we would elope… 
That could be super romantic, you know, you said tentatively. I mean… How many people on your guest list do you actually keep in touch with anyway ? 
I want my princess wedding, she said. You don’t know what it is. You’ll see when you get engaged ! 
I’m not getting married, you reminded her. Marshall doesn’t want to get married. You know it, I know it, everybody knows it. 
I can’t believe you’re willing to accept that, though, she said with an eye roll. You, of all people, not getting married ? 
You know I’m a sucker for weddings and all things “traditional family”, you chuckled. But I’d rather never get married and be with Marshall than the other way around. He means more to me than a dress I’d wear for a day. 
You know I love Em, but I just don’t get it, she shrugged before munching on a cupcake you had baked earlier. He’s old, so I get the “not wanting kids” part. But you moved back here for him and you decided to give up on kids to be with him, so the least he could do is put a ring on it, you know ? 
We just got back together, you giggled. And don’t get me wrong, if he asked for my hand, I would say yes. I mean, he is the love of my life. But he seems pretty adamant. And as long as I’m with him, I’m good, so really… Doesn’t matter. 
Still… I never thought you would be ready to renounce marriage and children for any man. 
You could absolutely see where Talia was coming from. You had spent countless hours talking about wedding stuff, since the two of you had met. You had actually bonded over your love of romantic movies and series and watched countless wedding-related TV shows. But you had made your choice and you understood that Marshall didn’t want that. And after all, he was right : you didn’t need to sign a piece of paper to be in a loving, committed relationship. As long as you got to experience life with him and make great memories, you were happy. And as for the fun you would have had planning your own wedding, you would live vicariously through Talia, who would be the most beautiful bride. The conversation shifted and you got back to your order of business : the wedding. You looked at venues while she took a fun break and looked at the Vera Wang website.
I’m going to be sick, Talia muttered after a while. 
Come on, you chuckled. The bridal collections can’t be that bad… 
No, I’m really feeling sick, she said before running to the bathroom. 
You heard her puke profusely and looked at the plate of cupcakes. She had eaten about half a dozen. You had eaten a few yourself, though not nearly as much, and you were feeling fine, so you doubted that your baking was actually to blame. When she came back from the bathroom, she looked rather ill and tired.  
Do you want some tea ? You offered. 
Yes, please, she said in a croaky voice. 
Lay on the couch, I’ll make it. Do you think you caught a stomach bug or something ? 
I don’t know, she said in a small voice. Maybe it’s my period ? I’ve been waiting for it to actually come for a while. 
Wait… You’re late ? You asked with a raised eyebrow. 
You stared at her in disbelief and started to put two and two together. In the past days, she had complained about being tired and bloated, but you didn’t think too much of it. However, now that you knew she was late, it made you think of your own symptoms, from when you were pregnant. That’s how it had started after all : feeling tired, hungry and bloated, with a bit of morning sickness to top it off. 
I can’t be pregnant, Talia said with a terrified look on her face. My mother gave me enough shit about living with Jamal before being married, she will kill me if I have a baby out of wedlock. 
Maybe it’s just a false alarm. You’re using protection, right ? You asked as you tried to reassure her. 
Of course, she said. I mean, except once, but what would be the odds ? 
When was that ? You asked with a raised eyebrow. 
Hum… The night we got engaged ? She said nervously. 
You opened big eyes. The night they got engaged was the night Jamal brought condoms to your room. And doing the math, it would make sense and explain Talia’s period being quite a bit late. On some level… You were the one who stopped taking the pill after your breakup and your best friend might as well be the one who ended up pregnant. You convinced her to take a pregnancy test and the two of you ended up driving to the nearest pharmacy, buying one from every brand. When you got back home, Talia was shaking with nerves. 
You’ll be fine, you said as you gave her a hug. You guys have been together for ages and you guys have talked about having kids before. You know he will be supportive. 
I know but… Right before the wedding ?! She asked nervously. That was not the plan, Y/N. I wanted to look good in my dress, I wanted to show off my figure in a bikini on a Hawaiian beach for my honeymoon… 
Only one way to find out, you said. Now, go and take the test ! 
In true bestie fashion, you sat on the tub while Talia was peeing on the stick. She handed it to you during the mandatory three minute waiting period. You had been there before and you knew damn well how she might be feeling. You held her hand and started to feel overcome with nerves, as well as many other emotions. You were probably a bad friend for this, and you would never confess to feeling this way, but deep down, you were feeling envious. You were content with your life, but some shameful part of you felt like you would have been in her place, if you hadn’t broken up with Simon. You would most likely be engaged, maybe with a rainbow baby on the way. In a way, you were envious. Of course, being with Marshall was everything you wanted and you loved him more than hypothetical plans of having kids or getting married, and Talia was more than deserving of these things, but it was stronger than you. When the alarm on your phone rang, both you and Talia took a deep breath. 
I can’t look at it, she said. 
You sort of have to, you pointed out. You have to know, right ? 
You look at it and tell me. 
You nervously took the stick and looked at it. Two lines. Positive. 
You’re… pregnant, you said in a blank voice. 
She gasped and looked at it herself. She freaked out and refused to believe it, trying to convince the both of you that it might be a false positive and she ended up guzzling almost a gallon of water and taking another test. Then another one. And another one. Of course, all of them had the same result : your best friend was definitely pregnant. 
I’m pregnant, she said in disbelief. I’m really pregnant.
How are you feeling ? You asked. 
I… I can’t believe it, she simply said. I am pregnant. 
She stared at the numerous tests on the sink and put a hand on her belly. She stared at you as tears welled up in her eyes. 
I’m pregnant, she repeated. 
Look, if you don’t feel ready, you can absolutely…, you began. 
No, she said. I think… I’m happy. I’m having a baby with the love of my life. I’m so happy. 
She took you in her arms and held you tightly as she sobbed with happiness. You were emotional - for a lot of different reasons - and you felt a tear roll on your cheek. Talia was the kindest soul you had ever met and you had absolutely no doubt that she would be an amazing mother. She was already so good at taking care of people. 
You’re going to be a splendid mom, you said softly. That baby is going to be so lucky. 
You’re going to be the best aunt, she said emotionally. 
And Jamal is going to be the greatest Dad on earth ! 
Oh my God, I have to tell Jamal ! She said. And my mom ? Do I call my mom ? And the wedding ?! What do I do ?!?! 
You could see her go through so many emotions at once. You tried your best to reassure her and walked her through what she needed to do. First, you told her to go home and break the news to Jamal before telling anyone else. Then, she would have to make some medical appointments to ensure everything was alright with her pregnancy. As for the wedding, you assured her that, whether they wanted to elope or wait until after the baby was born, you would do your best to make sure her dreams came true and that she would have the most beautiful wedding. Whatever she needed, you would be there for her. She hugged you tight before leaving your place, making you promise that you would not tell a soul, not even Marshall. 
MARSHALL’S POV 
Marshall sighed in relief as he drove past the gate of his property. The past few days at the studio had been pretty rough : nothing seemed to be going right and it was starting to get on his nerves. The week had started with an artist postponing a recording and writing session they were supposed to have together, as well as a sample clearing issue. However, there was a bigger problem : whenever he wanted to write, he couldn’t bring himself to. Whenever he jotted down some ideas or words on a page, everything felt insanely corny or simply wrong. He knew that was to be expected, though : whenever his personal life was peaceful, that’s when he found it harder to write and, right now, things happened to be going great at home. Every morning, he woke up with the biggest smile on his face, happy to be with the woman he loved. She was truly amazing and he loved living with her. She was easy to get along with and she took care of him by cooking, baking and providing him with comfort whenever he needed. There was literally nothing for him to complain about and, deep down, maybe it was what was lacking. When they were broken up, he was hurting and felt like shit but at least, it was a familiar feeling. As hard as it had been, he had learned to thrive on sadness, hurt, anger and resentment. Happiness, on the other hand, felt foreign to him, especially when it was this peaceful and domestic. There was always this irrational part of him that felt like it was too good to be true and was in panic mode. When he was with Kim, this kind of calm, peace and happiness only meant a storm was coming and that he was about to be brought to his knees. Same when he was a teenager living with his mother : when things were going great, it always meant drama was coming their way. So, obviously, he had developed trust issues and always felt odd when things were going good. Of course, he loved being with Y/N and he would not have it any other way. But at the same time, he couldn’t shake the feeling of anxiety. 
When he got home, he found Y/N reading yet another bridal magazine on the couch while a documentary was playing on the living room TV. He immediately joined her and pulled her in for a hug. Her presence was just what he needed. However, she seemed a bit more distracted than usual. 
How was wedding planning today ? He asked as he settled and pulled her legs over his knees. 
Eventful, she replied. 
Really ? What happened ? Did you argue about the color of the bridesmaids dresses ? He chuckled. 
No, no, she said. I mean, whatever, it’s not really interesting. 
Are you alright ? He asked. 
Yeah… How was your day ? 
She seemed a little nervous and preoccupied, but he figured that Talia was probably to blame. Jamal’s fiancée was amazing, but she did keep Y/N busy with wedding planning and he knew that she was definitely the type to turn into a bridezilla. He told his girlfriend about his day and a meeting he had about upcoming performance dates. He was set to be a headliner for Lollapalooza, not only in the US but also in Europe and South America. He tried to focus on the positive and keep his writing struggles to himself. 
How would you feel about coming with me for Lollapalooza ? He asked. 
I don’t know, she shrugged. 
Come on, he said with a smile. It could be fun. I don’t want to be away from you for too long. And you could also enjoy the festival, see concerts, and we could travel a bit between the performance dates and make it romantic. What do you think ? 
That could be fun, she agreed. I don’t know if I’ll be free, though. 
I think Talia can do without you for a little while, he chuckled. 
No, I meant… From work, she corrected. In case I find something, you know ? But maybe Talia will need me too. I don’t know. 
We’ll see, he said with a smile. Are you sure you’re ok ? You seem… Gloomy ? 
I’m fine, she shrugged. Sorry. I guess I’m just under the weather. 
You’re working too hard for this wedding, he said as he took the magazine from her hands and pulled her closer to him. Come here. 
She hummed and buried her face in his neck. They cuddled in this position for a while and he started to relax. The warmth of her breath on his skin was doing a good job soothing him and making him forget about the frustrations of the day. From the day she walked into his life, she had been a peaceful presence for him and getting to come home to her in the evening was a blessing he was definitely grateful for. He enjoyed being in a bubble with her and being able to forget about the pressure of his work. They didn’t need to speak, her mere presence in the room and her touch were enough for him to be able to ease up. 
I missed you today, he said as he kissed her temple. 
I missed you too, she replied. 
If you didn’t have that appointment tomorrow, I’d take you to work with me, he continued. I could use your hugs throughout the day. 
What appointment ? She asked, seemingly confused. 
Your OB/GYN appointment for your contraception. Isn’t that tomorrow ?
Oh, right, she said sheepishly. I forgot about that. 
Are you ok, babe ? He asked with his eyebrows furrowed. I mean… If you don’t want to take the pill, it’s fine, we can stick to condoms. 
No, no, it’s not that, she replied. 
What’s wrong, then ? 
Nothing, she said. Sorry. Mind if I go lie down before preparing dinner ? I don’t feel too well. 
No, of course not, he said softly. Do you want me to come with you ? 
Don’t worry, she said. You can stay here. 
She got up and kissed his cheek before heading to their bedroom. Something definitely seemed off. Ever since they got back from Europe, she had been in a rather good mood, even considering the situation with her Dad. Now, she almost seemed depressed and he had no idea why. He decided to let her rest, figuring that she was probably just tired or that her period might be on the way. A couple of hours later, he went to see her and ask if she was hungry. She immediately offered to cook something for him, even though she didn’t plan on eating, but he told her not to bother. Y/N was laying in bed, wearing one of his tee-shirts, doom scrolling on her phone, the preoccupied look still on her face. He kissed her and went to the kitchen for a quick sandwich and a can of diet coke. When he was done, he threw his can in the trash and saw three sticks that looked all too familiar : pregnancy tests. Ever since he got back with Y/N, they’d had protected sex and, on one occasion when the condom broke, she had gotten emergency contraception. There was no way she could be pregnant. So why the hell had she taken these tests ? In a matter of seconds, his heart had started pounding in his chest. He nervously grabbed one of the tests, hoping it was negative. But there were clearly two lines. Positive. So were the two other ones. He felt terrified and dizzy. That had to be a nightmare. He could not have a baby. Not at fifty-two. Not when he had sworn that he would not have any more children. If anything, he was the last person on earth that should have kids. He loved his daughters, obviously, and even though raising them was his biggest accomplishment, it was also the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Seeing the two lines on the pregnancy tests gave him flashbacks of all the sleepless nights he’d had, tossing and turning, doubting himself and being terrified to mess things up. There was no way he would be able to do it all over again. Now that his daughters were grown-up and out of the house, he wanted to take it easy, enjoy life with Y/N and be able to do whatever he wanted. The last thing he expected was to change diapers, get up in the middle of the night and just struggle all over again. He took his face in his hands. He could not do this, and especially not with Y/N. She had not even been sober for two years. He had been there with Kim and he knew what it was like to see the mother of his children relapse and struggle with sobriety. No kid ever deserved this and he was simply not strong enough to raise a kid with another addict. Not again. He tried to pace himself but he couldn’t. He had to talk to her. He did not understand. Why hadn’t she told him she was late ? When did she take the test ? Why didn’t she tell him she was pregnant ? He had so many questions. He grabbed the sticks and walked to the bedroom to confront her.
Please tell me it’s a prank, he said as he walked in. Please tell me it’s not true. Please tell me they’re fake. 
Fake what ? What prank ? She asked as she looked up. There’s no prank. 
So it’s real ?! He blurted out. How long did you think you could hide this from me ?! 
Hide what from you ? She asked as her eyebrows knitted. 
THIS ! He yelled as he threw the pregnancy tests on the bed.
He was livid. His anxiety had simply turned to anger. The idea that she could have the audacity to pretend not to know what he was talking about was driving him crazy. Had she even taken the plan B pill ? He couldn’t think straight anymore. He felt betrayed and trapped. He could see her face change as she saw the pregnancy tests. Her face started to crumble and tears started to roll on her cheeks. But if she thought he would fall for it, she was wrong. No amount of crying would work and she was not getting away with it. 
Don’t even try that shit with me, Y/N, he said coldly. You don’t get to pretend you have no idea when I’m talking about when I just found these fucking pregnancy tests. And you don’t get to cry when you’re the one who tried to hide that shit for me. What were you fucking thinking ?! Were you waiting for the legal delay for an abortion to be over ? For an ultrasound to soften me up ?! 
W-What ? She asked. No, Marshall, it’s not… 
What is it, huh ?! Fuck, we talked about this, we fucking broke up over this, so don’t tell me you didn’t fucking know how I feel about having kids, he continued. I’m not having another kid. Especially not with you. When you get to the doctor tomorrow, you better ask him to point you to the nearest abortion clinic ! 
She stared at him in shock. Her mouth was slightly open, she was still crying but she looked in disbelief. What was she thinking ? That he would jump up at the news ? He shook his head and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. 
It’s Talia, she said. She…
Of course it’s Talia, he scoffed. Of course your stupid friend put you up to this. Do you know the number of times she told me to suck it up and agree to marriage, babies and shit and get you back ? I gotta hand it to her, she’s fucking persistent. Though I must admit I didn’t think she would put you up to this. 
At this point, he wasn’t even thinking about what he was saying, just spitting his words in a spiteful way. As seconds went by, he was getting more and more worked up. He didn’t care about this pregnancy. He did not want to. He simply refused this possibility. There was no way he was having another baby. He loved Y/N but there was no way he would have a kid with her. 
You’re not the first person to try this with me, you know ? He spat. I should have known better. But you’re the last person I would have expected to try and fuck me ovI- 
I’M NOT PREGNANT ! Y/N finally yelled before throwing the tests back in his face. 
You’re not ?! He asked in disbelief. Whose fucking tests are they then ?! 
TALIA’S ! TALIA IS PREGNANT,  YOU ASSHOLE ! NOT ME ! 
He felt a sudden wave of relief wash over him. He didn’t realize he needed to breathe that much, but it felt like he had a whole bottle of oxygen poured into his lungs. He felt at least thirty pounds lighter. Y/N, on the other hand, looked absolutely livid. And why wouldn’t she ? He realized he had basically insulted her, blinded by anger. As his mind got a little clearer, he recognized he might have gone a little overboard. 
Thank God, he sighed. Babe, I…
Cut it, she said as she got up from bed and started to leave the room. 
Wait, he pleaded as he grabbed her arm. 
She jerked her arm and groaned before going to the corridor. He followed her, trying to apologize and get her to talk to him. 
Y/N, I’m sorry, he said sheepishly. 
Please, she scoffed. You’re not sorry. 
I am, he assured her. Nerves got the best of me. I’m really sorry. 
Well, at least I got to know what you really think of me, she said. 
Where are you going ? He asked as she went down the stairs. 
On the couch. I don’t know about you, but I usually don’t sleep in the same room as people who think I am capable of betraying them, she spat. 
I didn’t say that, he defended himself knowing full well he had, indeed, said that. 
You did, Marshall, she said coldly. You literally said I tried to fuck you over. And not only do you think I am a terrible person, you also insulted my best friend. 
You’re not sleeping in the living room, it’s stupid, he said. 
Well I would have appreciated waiting until tomorrow to gather my things and figure out my next move, she pointed out. 
Your next… Y-You want to… leave ?! 
She did not answer. She only shrugged. Her demeanor and gaze were cold. She was clearly pissed, understandably so. But… Leaving ? She couldn’t leave him. He couldn’t lose her. He had promised to himself he would do everything in his power not to. The idea of her leaving put him in a state of panic and brought him back to their breakup, to that fateful Saturday morning, over pancakes, about seven or eight months ago. 
You can’t leave. 
Why should I stay ?! She spat. Why should I stay with someone who thinks I am capable of betraying them ? 
I didn’t mean that, he pleaded. I panicked, I’m sorry. Babe, I love you. I know you’d never… Fuck, I… Don’t leave me. Please. 
Let’s be clear, she said as she looked at him dead in the eyes. The only reason I’m still standing here is because my best friend is telling her future husband that they’re having a child and there is no way in hell I’m ruining that moment for her. Otherwise, I’d be over there and back in my old room already. 
Don’t do this, he said on the verge of tears. Please don’t leave me. I just… You seemed a little off, today, and you said it had been eventful, and when I saw the tests, I… I don’t know, I panicked. 
The reason I was off is because my best friend just told me she was pregnant, you dumbass ! She yelled. I was off because I had to stand in my own bathroom and hold these fucking pregnancy tests and see that they were positive and they’re not mine ! 
She was starting to cry again. She mumbled something in French and went to the living room, as he followed in her step. She sat on the couch and brought her knees to her chin. He stood there, watching her. 
Just leave, she said. 
No, he replied. I want to talk about it. I want to make things right between us. I’m so sorry… 
You want to talk ? Let’s talk then, she said sarcastically. You said you’re not having another kid, especially not with me. What was that ? 
I just don’t want more kids, he said evasively. I’m in my fifties, I’ve had three daughters, I don’t want more. 
I know that, she said as she rolled her eyes. And I respect that. But answer the damn question, Marshall. What did you mean about me ?! 
It doesn’t matter, he pleaded. It really doesn’t. You don’t want a kid, do you ?! 
Believe me, the last thing on my wish list is to have a baby, especially with you, she replied. 
Then it doesn’t matter, he simply said. I was out of line, I shouldn’t have accused you and I’m sorry. Let’s go to bed, I’ll make it up to you. 
Just say it, she said firmly. If you don’t, I swear to God, I’m packing a suitcase, calling a cab and booking a hotel room. 
I meant addicts like us don’t get to make that kind of mistakes, Y/N, he sighed. Addicts are shitty parents. I should know. 
Wow, she simply scoffed. 
She was staring at him with a look of both pain and disdain. He had obviously struck a chord. She closed her eyes and sighed. 
Why do you even bother with me ? She questioned. Why did you take me back ? 
What do you mean ? He asked nervously. I love you, I want to be with you. 
Why would you want to be with someone who you obviously think is not good enough ?! That’s just stupid, she pointed out. Why bother ? 
What ?! No, Y/N, I don’t… Of course you’re good enough. 
You know, I’m fine with your choices, she said with a hint of sadness. I respect that you’re done with marriage, and that you’re done with having kids. But you thinking I shouldn’t get to have children ? That fucking hurts. 
I’m sorry… 
STOP ! She screamed. You’re not sorry. I was ready to renounce having kids. Because I love you more than any unborn child. But do you even realize how much it hurts to know that if I had actually gotten accidentally pregnant, the person I sacrificed everything to be with would not support me ?! 
He felt his heart strain a little. Seeing the pain on her face made him feel like the worst asshole in the world. To be fair, if she had actually been pregnant, he would have supported her. Sure, he thought abortion would be a better option, but he would never force her. If they had been in that situation - and thank God they weren’t -  he would have stood by her side and supported her to the best of his abilities. He had simply been mean and stupid. Once again, anger had gotten the best of him. 
I would have been there, he said. Of course I would have been. I love you, Y/N. 
But you think I would be a shitty mom, she pointed out. 
I’ve seen addiction ruin families, he explained. It certainly ruined mine, in more ways than one. 
You still think of me as an addict, don’t you ? She asked on the verge of tears. No matter how long I can stay sober, you think I can’t be trusted ever again ? 
I-I don’t know, he replied honestly. In my book, an addict is an addict. I still think of myself as an addict. It doesn’t mean people can’t improve or recover but… It’s tricky. But I love you. I love you more than life itself, baby. 
She looked at him and simply shrugged. No matter what he said, he got the feeling that it would not matter much. He hated that angry side of himself. It wasn’t the first time that his anger got the best of him and ruined everything. He had been to therapy for his anger for years but, right when he thought he had made progress, it had to come and bite him in the ass once again. 
Please talk to me, he begged. Please say something. 
I have my appointment tomorrow morning, she simply said. I’ll pack my things when I get back. I will be out of here by the time you get back from work tomorrow.
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brrbrina · 1 year
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echoes
joe burrow x og!c
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part: 1/?
warnings: cheating, implied sex but nothing explicit, pregnancy (?) ANGST
"Cinnicinatti Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow and Model Designer and Wife Kendall Carter broke off their marriage after 7 years. The couple welcomed their first and only child Natalie Burrow-Carter four years ago.
There has been no comment or statement made by his reps but a close source to the couple shared that the breakup was amicable and that their priority is their daughter."
When the announcement hit the news the only thing on Kendall´s mind was her daughter, she was a beautiful reminder of the love she and Joe had for the time they were together. And Natalie adored their parents, she was the happiest kid when she would accompany her mom to work and cheer for her dad every weekend of the season. Telling her they wouldn´t live together anymore broke Kendall´s heart in a way she didn´t know was possible.
"So Daddy won´t drive me to school anymore? " Natalie said looking up at her daddy as he turned to see his soon-to-be ex-wife, "He will baby, it will only be a few times a week my love " Kendall stopped and place her hand on her heart "I want you to know that we love you and we will always love you" she said with tears on her eyes and gulping "On the bright said you will have two Christmas" Joe said excitedly and held her daughter as she laughed, Joe took her out for ice cream and Kendall took a shower.
Being by herself made her heart race and her stomach hurt, she hated Joe, the breakup wasn´t amicable, it was the worst heartbreak she had ever gone through, she cried herself to sleep constantly on an empty bed, holding the pillow where he used to lay his head. He slept in the guest room, had dinner when she was asleep, and took showers when she wasn´t home.
Every corner of that house was haunted, filled with memories and his laughter, his scent, significant moments, and then also screams and anger. Dinners were eaten my themselves and luggage was never unpacked, the shirts she wore once after making love were back in his side on the closet, washed and smelling like detergent, it no longer smelled like Joe´s cologne or her favorite VS body spray she used to wear at home because she knew he loved it.
She hated that, she was always scared of falling in love, her parents got divorced when she was twelve years old, old enough to realize love wasn´t meant to last, she hated the thought of Natalie feeling that way, she knew love existed, their daughter was proof of that.
"I talked to my lawyers, and they will contact yours soon, you can keep this house and the holiday house in Rhode Island," he said as Kendall was in her closet,
Joe wasn´t brave enough to admit when he stopped loving her, he met someone new on one of his trips to New York, she was two years younger than him, a smart-looking woman who he met at a coffee shop, he couldn´t take his eyes off her. He then found out she worked at the NFL and followed her on social media. The first time Kendall and he had sex after the trip, he was picturing Jaqueline or Jackie as he used to call her now.
With every kiss she was giving him, Joe pictured her, when Kendall was giving him the greatest head of his life, he couldn't stop imagining the lips around his cock were from a woman who wasn't his wife, when he was licking her, he wondered how she would taste, .
He knew it was wrong, he was married, had a kid, and a family he wanted to span, Kendall didn´t want a baby right away, she knew she needed to go back to work, and having a baby wouldn´t be the smartest option at the time.
"I haven´t had that great sex in forever, I bought you a new piece of lingerie I can´t wait to see you on. Love you baby see you in a week"
Kendall broke down crying when she saw the message being sent from her husband's phone, she couldn´t believe it. Natalie was dropped off at her grandparent's house with a lame excuse and Kendall waited for Joe sitting on their bed
"Honey I'm home" Joe yelled from downstairs but she didn´t hear him "Where´s Natalie? What´s with the box?" he asked "How long have you been fucking Jaqueline or do you prefer me calling her Jackie or baby? Tell me, Joe, how do you prefer me to call her?” she said with her heart racing and watery eyes, but she wasn´t sad she was mad, she was angry, and she need him to feel the way she felt.
"How long Joe?" She screamed and he was pale as a ghost, words wouldn´t come out of his mouth. "If you don´t tell me how long you have been having this little adventure I swear to god I will make sure you will never come near Natalie anymore" she stated looking at him in a way he had never seen her before.
"Baby please listen to me" he tried to grab her arm but she quickly brushed it off and fought the urge to spit him in the face she said, "Don´t you dare touch me once in your life again or call me baby again".
Joe sighed, "I have seen her for the last two months, I never intended to cheat on you I swear baby" She slapped him, and he started to cry "You have the nerve to cry?" she chuckled "Joe you destroyed our family, you cheated on me and while you were sleeping with that slut I was here, taking care of our daughter, putting my career on hold just because I loved you enough to support you through your career, I was stupid oh my God" she put her hand on her forehead, "I can´t believe I even had this planned this is so stupid" she threw him the box that was next to her on the bed, a pregnancy test, a positive pregnancy test.
Truth be told, Kendall wanted a baby, she hoped it would be a boy, and she was a bit jealous of how much Natalie looked like her dad, Joe could be a cheater, but at least he was a good father to her kid. She fantasized constantly about how their family would be. This would be her last baby, she would go back to work in the clothing company she worked so hard to develop and Joe would win a few more rings, they would be a happy family and eventually move out of the spotlight.
She found out she was pregnant when Joe was away for a game and it made her sick to her stomach that while she was creating life, he was sleeping with another woman. She found out about the cheating three weeks later, and she was angry, pissed, and insanely heartsick, it was almost Thanksgiving and she planned on giving Joe the surprise that weekend, then a month later, telling Natalie on Christmas day, that dream was crumbled.
"How long have you been pregnant?" Joe said excitedly, "Babe this is the greatest news of my life he said trying to hug her and she took a step back "How do you have the nerve to be like this?" she had steady breathing "You tore this up Joe, you ruined our family and" she stutters "You haven´t even apologized, you became self-center and arrogant"
"Ken if you give me one more chance I promise I will change, I will cut any relation I have with her" he had slumped shoulders, and she didn't say a word "Any relation I had with her was purely sexual, you´re the only woman I love"
Kendall had her arms wrapping around her body "So that makes it better" "No, it doesn´t I know it doesn´t but I can go to therapy and work that there, you can have my phone all the time and go through it whenever you want" Kendall chuckled "I don´t want you near this place until we come to an agreement, if you want to see Natalie you can pick her up at school and go to your parent´s house to be with her" she went to bathroom and cried until she heard Joe leave the house.
That was three months ago, she was 5 months into her pregnancy and her baby was growing healthy, she saw Joe every now and then, the season was over, the Bengals won the super bowl and as much as Joe showed he was happy that night, he could only think of the woman he lost and the family he missed so dearly.
He constantly wondered how their life would look like if he hadn´t messed up things, he hated himself, he hated that he wasn´t close to his daughter anymore, and he was grieving that he hadn´t seen his baby, Kendall told him she didn´t want him to go with her to the check-ups, "Well Joe you fucked up honey I don´t know what you want me to say" his mom said staring at him and her son was crying, he seemed awful but at least he was happy that Natalie was staying with him over the weekend.
"Daddy!" Natalie screamed and Joe felt full again, he knew she would eventually know the truth and he deep down knew his children would hate him for it, he would hate his dad if he ever cheated on his mom, and the pure thought of Natalie and baby Burrow hating him broke his heart. He knew he deserved it, he knew he fucked up and he was sorry.
That evening they went to a mall to Build-a-bear, Joe took her telling her that it would be a nice gesture for her baby brother, she was extremely happy with the news, she loved the idea of being a big sister.
"I want that one daddy" She pointed to the classic teddy bear, he grabbed it and went on to fill it, he knew these moments wouldn't last forever and he was scared of his baby girl growing up. When Kendall told him she was pregnant, he was over the moon, Natalie was a copy of him, she had her mom´s brown hair but her dad's blue orbits. When she was born Joe made the promise to always protect her, care for her and guard her dreams, he was mad at himself now because he knew he fucked that promise, his baby would eventually get her heart broken by a guy, and he was sure she would hate him for what he did to her mom.
"Are you excited for your brother to come home, honey?" Joe said with Natalie in his arms as she was eating an ice cream cone "Yes, but I'm more excited to come and buy Mat clothes" They made the agreement of coming to buy clothes for her teddy bear once the baby was born "Mat? Where you got that name from" he chuckled as he put her on the car seat "That´s the name of mommy´s friend, he´s very nice, look" she showed him a bracelet "CARTER".
He felt his blood boil, Mommy´s new friend? Was he spending time with his daughter, was he bringing Kendall late-night pregnancy cravings? He drove Natalie to her mom´s house. He passed a Trader Joe´s and bought Kendall flowers, "Which one do you think mommy would like?" he asked Natalie, she pointed to the pink ones,
Hoping to come to clarity on who that man was. He parked his car in the driveway, rang the door, and hope to see the love of his life, Kendall opened the door, and the smile she had dropped when she saw Joe,
"What are you doing here? You know your mom is supposed to bring Natalie when you hang with her" Kendall took her daughter from her dad´s fathers arms, she was fast asleep, "I know but I really want to talk to you, I want to see how the baby is doing, how are you doing?" Kendall was a pathological people pleaser, and unfortunately for her Joe knew that, he knew she would´t reject him, and deep down Kendall knew the same thing, she was glad her children´s dad was present in their lives and every month when she got ready for her check-ups she wished Joe would go with her; when Natalie was on the way, she was the happiest she had ever been, she loved this baby nonetheless but it pained her to know her son wouldn't experience having a "normal" family, however, that was Joe´s fault's, not hers.
She moved out of the way and he walked inside, Kendall was going upstairs to put Natie to sleep but she was too heavy for her, carrying a baby and her big baby was something she stopped doing a few weeks ago.
"Can you carry her upstairs? I can´t lift her anymore" She turned to see Joe and he quickly brought her back to his arms, he made his way upstairs and Natalie went behind him, when both of them entered their daughter's room a sense of nostalgia filled the air, a longing to have his family back took over Joe's body, to return home and share his life with his love.
Natalie woke up as Joe tucked her in "Can you stay here tonight Daddy? I promise I will eat all my veggies tomorrow" Natalie said with her little sleepy eyes, he didn´t know what to do, he kissed her daughter on her forehead and Kendall stared at them with eyes that once were full of love.
As they made their way out of Natie´s room Joe looked at her with puppy eyes "You can stay here tonight, in the guest room but you have to leave tomorrow evening because I can´t risk Natalie having the hope that you will come back to live here"
a/n: hello everyone! i know i have been mia but i´ve had the biggest writer´s block, this idea came to me yesterday night and i couldn´t stop writing. I hope you enjoy it as much as i enjoyed writing it :)
special thanks to @cowboyburrow for encouraging me to post this, i appreciate her opinions and feedbacks and i LOVE her stories :)
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writeandsurvive · 7 months
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Author's note: this is not proofread, there are probably typos. I hope my teasing didn't get you disappointed with the finale result! Tbh, I didn't know where I was going at first, but once I was in, I just kept adding. Maybe I'll write a little sequel to it, idk. Let me know what you think ❤️
Warnings: hospital, gun shot wound, surgery, complicated family, breakup, cold!Alden, evil!Vivian, secrets and reveals (I don't mean to make Alden's parents as bad people, just very concerned parents who can not not get involved in his life?)
Words count: 5.6k
@novamariestark @mandy426 @sarakafarrah
Never too late ~ Alden Parker
Alden felt stupid. He knew it was a trap but he still went in, head first. And now, he was in a hospital bed, waking up for surgery, his arm strapped and completely useless. He felt groggy and nauseous. He opened his eyes just slightly, seeing two people in the room. He recognized his father's white hair, as it almost blinded him. And a few feet to the left, he thought he saw you. But before he could tell himself it was the anesthesia and drugs that made him hallucinate, he fell back to sleep.
"He fell back asleep, it'll take hours before he actually wakes up. Are you sure you want to stay here, sir?" You asked Roman.
"I'd prefer to talk to him before going home and sleeping."
Not that you wanted to kick Alden's father out of the room, after all he was more legitimate to be here than you were, but it made you pretty uncomfortable. Roman Parker never liked you, or at least, he never accepted you as his son's girlfriend. Clearly, he wanted his son to get back with his ex wife, and no matter who Alden was dating, he wasn't going to accept her. So, he never gave you a chance to win him over, to show him how much you loved his son and how serious the relationship was. Unfortunately, the ending and the breakup was probably the proof he needed that he was right and you were fairly sure that he told Alden 'I told you so'. You doubted Roman knew the entire truth.
You never imagined you'd find yourself in this situation, back by his side, worrying about him, caring and feeling all those things you thought were gone. But when the hospital called to inform you about Alden being rushed into surgery, you didn't think twice before getting on the road. It was a good thing Philadelphia is only three hours away from DC.
And there you were, sitting by the bed, checking up on him just to make sure he was breathing. Roman didn't have much to say and neither did you so the room was silent except for the machines attached to Alden. His team - whom you had never met - stopped by several times, one of them gave you his number so you could call when Alden was awake. Their case wasn't over just yet, so they still had a lot to do. But you could tell they really care about him, and you were happy he had some nice people around.
His eyes finally opened again. He was grumbling, and whining, and it took several attempts for him to focus on where he was. He saw his dad again, asleep in a chair across the room. "Dad," he called out with a raspy voice but Roman didn't move.
"He fell asleep not long ago," you said, getting closer to the bed and putting your hand on Alden's. He turned his face to look at you, confusion written all over it. "Hey, are you feeling?" You asked softly.
He blinked a few times, looked around, to his dad, the machines, and back to you. "I'm dreaming," he whispered. "Dad!"
"You're very much awake, Den." You pushed some hair off his face. "I'm here."
"You left." He said. You tried to figure out the emotions in his voice, but it was like there was none. It was just a plain statement, and unfortunately, it was true.
"Let's not do this now, okay? Do you need anything? Water?"
He shook his head no, and tried to move but he instantly growled in pain. "Stop touching me." He told you and you pulled your hands away.
"Want me to go get a nurse?"
"If you're insisting on doing something for me, wake up my dad and drive him home." His tone was cold, but could you blame him?
"I offered him a ride several times, he didn't want--"
"Wake him up."
You moved to Roman to wake him up. After the Parker men talked for a moment, his father finally agreed to be driven home by you. The entire ride was silent, except for his directions to the new retirement home. You didn't try to make conversation, the old man was clearly exhausted from spending very long hours in the hospital, worrying about his son's life. Before he left the car, you gave him your number and told him he could call the next day if he needed a ride. You were relieved that he took it without any hesitation.
You drove back to the hospital, but stopped to get some comfort food for Alden. He'd probably not want it, or at least not yet, but you wanted to do this for him. When you got into his room, he was drinking some water and the TV was on. He looked at you like he was seeing a ghost. "Hey," you softly said, putting the food down, "I got you some of your fav snacks."
He looked at the bag and then back to you. "Why are you here?"
"Where else would I be?" You answered, getting closer to his bed.
"Literally anywhere else but here." He paused, taking a deep breath. "How did you even know? I highly doubt my dad called you."
"I'm still your emergency contact."
"Thanks for the heads up, I'll change that in the morning. Look, I'm alive okay? In a few weeks, my arm will be like new. So, you can leave now."
"Alden--" you tentatively tried to grab his free hand but stopped yourself when you heard him say, "No! You don't get to show up like this, after all this time, just because I got shot. You don't get to be nice to me, and try to take care of me. I'm a big boy. So you can do what you do, and leave. No need for a stupid note this time."
You stared at him for a short moment, tears threatening to fall. He was clearly avoiding your eyes, just looking at the ceiling. So, you simply grabbed your purse and started to walk towards the door. As your hand reached for the handle, you took a deep breath and turned around. "Believe it or not, but leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I didn't do it because I wanted to but because we were making each other miserable. All we did was fight, we couldn't agree on a single damn thing. Your parents--"
"Don't talk about my parents." He warned you.
"I'm sure they are nice people but they were mean to me, Alden. As much as you could argue with your father, you never had my back when it came to your mother."
"I said, don't." You saw the tears in his eyes at this moment.
"I'm sorry for your loss." You whispered softly, feeling for him and knowing just how much he loved his mother.
"Are you?" He finally snapped and looked directly at you. "Where the hell were you when she passed? Huh? You didn't call, you didn't send a single fucking text!"
"That's not true!" You defended yourself. "I sent you a care package and a long letter!"
"Oh, did you now? Must have gotten lost in the mail." He said, ironically. Clearly, he wasn't believing you. So you gently grabbed his chin and forced him to lock eyes with you again.
"I did." You assured him, knowing it was the damn truth. "I put some snacks in it, your fav bottle of wine, some flowers for your mom and a plant for you. I even put my Metallica hoodie that you always wanted to steal. Did you not get it?" It took him a moment to process before shaking his head no. "Well, have you moved since we--? Cause I sent it to the apartment on--"
"I didn't move."
"Then, I don't understand. I was informed it got delivered."
He stayed silent once more, and you knew he was trying to figure out what happened to that package. "There was no way I would learn about your mom and not do something, Alden. No matter how me and her didn't get along, I know she was the person you loved the most and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you. I'm sorry you thought I didn't care or--"
"Not your fault for this one, I guess." He sighed. You noticed the tear that was rolling down his cheek and you couldn't help but to dry it with your thumb. Alden closed his eyes at the gesture, and you let your hand rest on his cheek for a moment. You leaned over and kissed his temple softly. "I never stopped caring," you whispered. "Your dad has my number if you want to reach out, otherwise I'll go back to Philly tomorrow night. Take care of yourself and please be careful next time."
You were hoping he would say something but he didn't. So you just left.
As you drove back to the motel, you wondered if you should've told him about everything that was in that care package and in your letter. You remembered every word that you wrote, how you explained why you didn't tell him about the pregnancy - cause he didn't want kids at his age and with his work, and that he was convinced you were having an affair, you were scared he'd think the baby wasn't his - but regretted it every day. Little Noah was still a tiny baby when you sent the package and the pictures, so told Alden he wouldn't remember not having his daddy the first three months of his life. Everything could be set on the right track. You'd come back to DC, do the co-parenting, or whatever. You poured your heart out in this letter, offered countless apologies, and solutions. Since you never got an answer, you figured Alden didn't want to know his son.
In the room, you found your two years old son sleeping on the big bed like a starfish, and your sister by his side, scrolling through her phone. When she saw you, she immediately got up and hugged you. "It didn't go well, did it?"
You told her everything since the last updates you gave her as she made some tea. Noah was deeply asleep, as you softly stroked his hair. "So, he still doesn't know about the little guy?"
You shook your head no, whipping your tears away. "All this time I thought he just didn't care."
"That's crazy. But what the fuck happened to the package?"
You shrugged. "Beats me." Noah moved in his sleep to get closer to you. "I guess I have to tell him again, now."
"Yeah. Face to face this time."
In the morning, Noah woke you up a little before 6am, which meant that you had barely slept for two hours. "It's too early baby, let's sleep a little more okay?"
"'Kay" he answered, but all he did was laying next to you, looking at you like you're the most wonderful thing in the world, and played with your face and hair. But eventually he asked for some milk, and neither of you went back to sleep. Around 9, you went to get breakfast to the diner with Noah and your sister. Your son was very curious about this new place, until he had some pancakes in front of him. Breakfast was going fine, until two people approached your table.
"Agent McGee, Agent Torres, hi!" You greeted them.
"Good morning, you can call us Tim and Nick."
"Alright, um this is my sister Jane, and um my--"
"Mommy! More syrup please?"
You couldn't lie, could you?
"My son, Noah." He barely said hi even after you asked him to, too focus on his food.
Tim started to tell you that they had just visited Alden and he was physically okay, while Nick added that for someone who can never shut up, he was extremely silent that morning. They also said that Jimmy Palmer went to pick up Alden's father to bring him to the hospital. You did your best to remain neutral to that information until they left with their order.
"What do you know about Nick?" Jane asked as soon as you sat back down. You laughed despite yourself, knowing that Nick Torres was exactly your sister's type.
You spent the morning walking around DC, or more specifically around the hospital where Alden was. You answered a phone call from your parents, let them talk with Noah for a bit, who was very happy about being with his mommy and his auntie and not at daycare. As you found a park for Noah to play, you and Jane sat on a bench. "They probably figured it out, you know." Jane said. "I mean, Noah is like Alden's clone. And what's the deal with the Parkers' hair anyways?"
You giggled softly, looking at your son from afar and yes, his head full of hair was all you could see.
"He's almost 3, J. They lost three damn years. Do you think Alden will forgive me? And--"
"Girl, that's not your fault that package didn't reach him! I bet some evil hands got on it!"
"What? Who? Who would do that?"
"His dad was pretty harsh with you--"
"No! I really don't think Roman would do something like this. The only way to know it was from me, was to read my letter. Roman wouldn't have opened the box in the first place."
"Fair enough. Then, was he dating someone back then?"
"How am I supposed to know?"
You looked at each other. You had to visit Alden again.
Your anxiety was so high as you reached for his room, you thought you may faint. Your heart was pounding so hard and fast, but there was no turning back now. You had to tell him, cause he never knew.
You walked into the room after Alden said to come in, breathing heavily. Alden had his bed on a sitting position, and he seemed more alert than the day before. Roman was in the chair next to the bed, and he did give you a slight nod, which you returned. You asked Alden how he was doing and he just mumbled that he was fine. You noticed some of the snacks you brought had been opened and it warmed your heart just a little.
"Why are you here again?" He asked.
You opened your mouth to answer but the door swung open - without a knock first - and the person you really didn't want to see was right there.
"Wow, I thought I was never going to make it!"
Completely ignoring you, Vivian circled the bed to give Roman a hug, before focusing on Alden. She leaned over to kiss his cheek, not earning any kind of reaction from him. You just stood there, staring until she finally looked up to you, “Oh, you.” she said. “What are you doing here?”
You tried to shut all of your thoughts and questions going through your mind and looked at Alden, “I need to talk to you,” you told him.
Before he could answer, Vivian spoke up, “Yeah well, it’s gonna have to wait. In case you didn’t notice, he got shot and–”
“Viv,” he exclaimed.
“What? She doesn’t have anything to do here, does she?”
You heard your name from Roman and looked at him, “I think you should leave.”
You looked at Alden again, hoping he’d say something, that he understood that you really needed to talk to him privately, but he just stayed silent. “Nothing changed.” you whispered before leaving.
You found the first restroom on your way and locked yourself in there to cry. Things were still as they were, he wouldn’t open his mouth to defend you, or at least ask his father to stand down and not get involved. And what the hell was Vivian doing there? Were they back together, or on their way to? You figured he’d eventually find someone, but if that someone was Vivian, that felt like a huge betrayal, as she was one of the reasons things didn’t work out between you and Alden. She was always there, his family never accepted the divorce and it always felt like she needed to have a hold on him. You remember one day when she cornered you and basically said the only reason Alden was dating you was because she let it happen, “If I ask him to get back together, trust me, he’ll leave on the spot.”
Once you had a hold on your emotions, you texted Jane to let her know you were on your way to them. Noah immediately rushed into your arms, asking if you could get some cupcakes, like his auntie promised.
“You have a serious problem with sugar, my love.”
“I love sugar!”
“Yeah, I got that.” you giggled.
It was late in the afternoon when you got a text from an unknown number. ‘You can come. -A’
You told Noah that you needed to visit your friend again, but this time, he was not having it. “Wanna come!” he kept saying, holding onto your neck with his tiny arms.
“You can’t, baby. But I won’t be long, okay?” he shook his head no in your neck. You still started to walk towards the hospital, trying to negotiate with your son.
“I got an idea,” Jane said, “What if you and I go to the shop and find a gift for mommy’s friend? And maybe you’ll find something for you too?”
Noah looked at his aunt and then you. He wasn’t very convinced about it but with one little push, he did agree to let go of you.
You were relieved to see Alden’s room empty except for him. He was standing with some casual clothes on him, a bag was at the end of the bed. “You’re being discharged already?”
“Yeah, I’ll not spend another night here.”
“Alden, are you sure it’s the right thing to do? What did your doctor say?”
“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
You sighed and sat next to him.
“That package I sent you when your mom passed– there was a long letter with it.”
“Longer than your note?”
“Alden, please.” you looked up to him, with tears in your eyes.
“Sorry, but that–really hurt me. More than you know.”
“I can imagine,” you took a deep breath, “And I’m willing to hear all about it, even if you want to get angry at me and insult me, but right now, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“About that letter?”
“I told you a lot of things in this letter, including one very important thing.” You took your phone out of your pocket, unlocked it and went to the gallery. The last picture was one of Noah that you took a few hours early at the park. Eventually, you showed him the phone. He grabbed it with his free hand and stared at the picture of a moment. “Wh–who is that?”
“His name is Noah.” tears fell down your cheeks but you didn’t care. “He’s my son. And your son.” you said right above a whisper.
Alden’s head started to move left to right, tears were forming in his eyes but he didn’t take his eyes off the picture. He couldn’t believe it and you didn’t blame him. “Alden, I’m sorry.” you kissed his injured shoulder without thinking. “I was telling you in that letter about him, there was pictures too, and since I never heard from you, I thought you didn’t–”
“That I didn’t want to know my own child?” you could hear the hurt in his voice. “Did you seriously think that about me?”
“What else was I supposed to think?”
“My mom passed away a year after you left. Why wait that long? He was already born!”
“I know, I– I explained everything in the letter and–”
“Yeah well, I didn’t get that damn letter, okay? So why didn’t you tell me when you found out?” he stood up from the bed, and whined a bit as he uncontrollably tried to move his arm.
“You were so clear about not wanting kids and why, we couldn’t be around each other without fighting and I– I thought you were back with Vivian. Look, I made this decision out of heartbreak and I regretted it, okay? Which was why I reached out when your mom passed. I realized that anything could happen to you or to me, and Noah needed both his parents–”
Your phone, which was still in Alden’s hand, started to buzz. “Your sister,” he said, handing you the phone. As soon as you picked up, you could hear Noah crying, “SOS!” Jane said.
Alden was staring at you, and you knew he was able to hear. “I’m on my way, sis.” you hung up.
“They, um, they are down at the gift shop.”
“Your sister and–Noah?”
You nodded, standing up next to him. “Look, there’s no rush, we can–”
“Does he know? Who I am?”
You put your hand over his, the one stuck against his chest.
“He’s not asking deep questions yet, but he did ask about his daddy a few times and I couldn’t lie to him. He’s seen pictures of you, so he may recognize you.”
Alden took a few deep breaths, taking to stop himself from crying. “What did you say about me not–being there?”
“Daddy leaves away from us and can’t visit for now.”
“Better than ‘daddy doesn’t know you exist’.” he said, coldly.
“Alden,” you whispered.
“We have a lot to talk about, but– our son is crying.”
You couldn’t believe that you were on your way to your son with his father by your side. Noah was going to meet his daddy. Alden was going to meet his son. You didn’t think it would go this fast, even though you figured Alden would want to waste any more time. As you approached the gift shop, you uncontrollably grabbed his arm. “You should’ve let me hold your bag.” you said.
“My right arm is fine. Is that him?” You listened and heard little whimpers and a little kid’s voice.
“Yeah.” you breathed out.
As soon as Noah saw you, he ran. You picked him up, holding him tight in your arms. “What’s wrong, baby? What did auntie J do this time?”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything!” your sister interjected. “Alden,” she greeted the man who was staying a couple of feet away. He briefly looked at her but immediately got his eyes focused on his son again. His eyes were full of tears, threatening to fall again.
“She said I could take just one teddy for your friend.”
“I said he didn’t need two of them. One was enough, wasn’t it, Alden?”
It was only then that Noah looked at his father. He stayed silent, just staring at him before looking at you and back at him. Then he approached his mouth to your ear, “He like daddy.”
“Cause it’s him, baby.”
Noah looked at Alden again. “You hurt, daddy?” he answered softly, like it was the most normal thing. Like it wasn’t the first time they were meeting each other.
It took a moment for Alden to answer. “I am, but it’ll be okay. Soon it’ll be like nothing happened.”
“What happen?”
“Huh, I fell and hurt my shoulder.”
“Need a hug?” He offered, since you strongly believed that hugs can solve a lot of things and it was something you were transferring to your son without doing it on purpose.
“I’d love a hug.”
Noah extended his arms, so you moved closer to Alden. “Careful with his shoulder, okay?” you warned him, but he was very thoughtful, only holding on his father’s neck. Then he kissed his cheek and rested his head on the right shoulder. You could see that Alden was fighting the urge to cry, just as you were. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there before, buddy. I’ll never leave you from now on.”
It was nearly impossible to take Noah off his dad after the initial meeting. Even in the car, he wanted to sit on his lap and only agreed to let go as long as daddy sat next to him. Your sister drove to your former apartment, but she needed to get back to Philly and work the following day. “Don’t worry, she’ll take my car if needed.” Alden told her when Jane asked how you’d get back home. You grabbed yours, Noah’s and Alden’s bags from the trunk before your sister said goodbye to the three of you before driving off.
Inside the apartment, Noah wanted to see every room. He asked a million questions to Alden about everything and nothing, and you had to translate a few times as daddy wasn’t familiar with Noah’s own language. His phone rang a few times but he completely ignored it, only focusing on his son and telling him everything he wanted to know. What you were feeling was indescribable.
When you told Noah that his dad needed to rest, he agreed to settle on the couch with him. “Is it okay if I make dinner now?” You asked Alden, “This little guy woke up at 6, and didn’t nap. Won’t take long until he gets grumpy.”
“Go ahead but I’m not sure my fridge has what you need. I can go get something?”
You looked inside the fridge as you heard your son asking his dad if they could watch Paw Patrol. You heard Alden’s confusion when he said sure, and giggled. “Where Netflix?”
“Oh, here.”
“Well, your fridge is indeed very sad. What do you want to eat, Nono?”
“Nuggies!”
“Why do I even ask?”
You grabbed your phone and settled next to Alden, placing the order while Noah explained Paw Patrol to his father.
A couple of hours later, both Noah and Alden were asleep on the couch. You obviously had to snap a few pictures, before picking up your son and bringing him to the bed in the guest room. “Put him on my bed, it’s comfier.” Alden said, half sleep.
“Okay, but I have to stay next to him, he could roll over.”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
You placed Noah in the middle of the big bed, got rid of your jeans, socks and bra. Alden got in before you could get under the sheets, and clearly checked out your legs. “Could you be more subtle?”
“I know and remember your body like it was yesterday.”
You chose not to answer, “Do you need to keep the sling?”
“Yeah, for at least a week.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I took the entire week off work.”
“Doesn’t matter, since you’re gonna quit anyway. You’re not going back to Philadelphia.”
As Noah slept between the two of you, Alden asked many questions about your son; his birthday, favorite food, what he likes to do, if he has allergies or health issues, etc. You answered everything, gave him as much info as possible. “And um, does he have a father figure in his life?”
“Is this your way to ask me if I'm dating someone?”
“Maybe. Are you?”
“No. His only father figures are my dad and my uncle. Are you dating Vivian?”
Alden chuckled. “Are we doing this again?”
“Considering what I saw earlier–”
“I'm not dating her or anyone else. I'll admit I hooked up with her a few times over the last few years, but–”
“Great!” You sighed.
“You're gonna tell me that you haven't been with anyone since–?”
“The last time I had sex was probably the night we conceived this tiny human.” You looked down at Noah and played with his hair.
“Oh,”
It was silent for a moment. Alden wanted to get on his side, play with Noah's hair too, reach out for you, but with his arm, he could only lay down on his back and that frustrated him. “What was your breaking point?” He asked, eventually. “Why did you leave that day? And not talk to me?”
“I knew if I talked to you, I wouldn't go through with it. And it was something in particular that made me leave, I was–exhausted. Of the fights, the arguments, the jealousy, and suspicion. It was like we didn't trust each other anymore, for anything. And–” your voice broke. “Maybe it's stupid, but you didn't want to marry me, you didn't want to have kids with me so I just thought – I was temporary.”
“We lived together. That was a huge commitment for me.”
“Exactly. It was huge for you, while it was just natural for me.”
“Okay, I get that. And I'm sorry I made you feel this way.” He turned his face to look at you. He could only make out some of your features. “I was truly and madly in love with you. But I guess I only realized it once you were gone. And then I was so mad at you for leaving.” It was his voice that broke.
“I can't blame you for that part.” You cried. “Do you think it's too late?”
“Too late for what?”
“...Us?”
“It's never too late.”
Eventually you both fell asleep, exhausted physically and mentally.
Of course, you were both awakened by Noah. First, he cuddled and called out for you. “Hey, baby, good morning!” You said, eyes still closed, holding him against you.
“Daddy's snoring.” You listened closely and indeed Alden was snoring. Crazy as it was, you missed that sound very much. “Like pop.”
You giggled, “Not as loud as pop, though!”
“No! Wake him?”
“Hold on,” you grabbed your phone to check what time it was, 7:30am. Alden probably needed more sleep, so you convinced Noah to help you prepare breakfast for daddy and wake him up after. Luckily, there was some eggs and bacon, and pancake batter in the kitchen and in the end, you prepared breakfast while Noah logged on Netflix by himself. It was almost ready when there were some knocks at the door. You opened to find Roman and Vivian, holding what seemed to be breakfast.
“What are you doing here?” She asked, shocked.
“Making breakfast,” you gave her your best fake smile. “Good morning, Roman.”
“Is my son awake?”
“Not yet, I thought he needed–”
Vivian practically pushed you out of her way to get in. You obviously let Roman get inside too. “What is that?” She said, pointing at Noah.
“My son.” You all heard. Alden barely walked into the living area that Noah was running into his arms.
“Morning, daddy!”
“Good morning, buddy.”
“You snore!”
“I do not!” Alden laughed.
The boys didn't have more time as Vivian raised her voice, asking what was going on. You noticed Roman sitting at the kitchen counter, staring at your son, his grandson. “Go watch your show, baby, and we'll have breakfast, okay?”
Then he told everyone to follow him inside the greenhouse. “Don't act so shocked, Vivian.” Was the first thing Alden said. “You knew about Noah.”
“What? You're crazy, how would I–?”
“I remembered a few days after mom passed, you bringing me my favorite snacks, wine, a plant, and flowers.” The exact content of your package. “What did you do with the hoodie and the letter?”
“I don't– I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“The only reason I'm staying calm right now is because my son is in the next room, but look at me and listen to me. I never want to see you again, so you're gonna disappear from my life and my father's. Meaning that from the moment you walk out that door, you will not text or call him, or any other members of my family. And if I learn that you didn't respect that, I'll be far less gentle. Am I clear?”
“Alden, listen–”
“Get the fuck out of my house.”
She was crying and trying to get Alden to listen to her, but he only grabbed your waist and held you close to him. When she turned to Roman, hoping he'd listen and defend her, the older man simply told her to leave. Eventually, she did, using the greenhouse's door.
Alden held you tighter, kissing your temple softly. “Dad,”
“Can I meet him? What's his name?”
Noah was very happy to have another grandpa. And it was amazing to see how Roman was doing his best to give him a very good first impression. You all had breakfast together, and you mostly stayed silent, just being overwhelmed about the Parkers boys getting to know one another. After eating, Noah wanted to show Paw Patrol to his grandfather, and Alden took this opportunity to take you to the bedroom. He didn't waste any second before kissing you deeply and intensely. You returned it immediately, holding onto his hair. Feeling like you were breathing again, you only stopped kissing when you heard him making a sound of pain. “My shoulder,” he said.
“Oh god, I'm so sorry baby. I didn't–”
“It's okay,” he smiled. “It's worth it.”
He kissed you again, trapping you between the door and his body. “Fuck, I missed you.” He growled.
“Missed you more.”
“We can't do this right now, can we?” He chuckled, out of breath.
“Oh baby, it's gonna be tricky for us to have some privacy now.”
“It's fine. I'm taking all the pros and cons.” He kissed your forehead, “I'm taking you and our little boy. I'm taking it all.”
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tokillamockingbird427 · 3 months
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Okay, so Isaac, I'm trying to make this as short as possible, not sure how it will go
Isaac grew up overtly catholic, managed to run from the federation, he managed to sneak into Elias's office unseen, that and the insider info he had got him into the ghosts, he's a trans guy and he doesn't trust anyone but Merrick (and then later Hesh, but that took a lot of convincing from Hesh), Legal name is completely redacted, he does tell his deadname to Hesh and later to the other due to a mission
Isaac doesn't get along with his parents, for a lot of reasons, like their strongly lgbt phobic views and him being trans and bi, them forcing him to join the feds
Tho, he kinda got adopted by Merrick after a few months with them. They had some free time for all to go home or just off base and Isaac had nowhere to go so he stayed and Merrick came back like 2 days later to look how he's doing, cause he knew Isaac wouldn't go anywhere and then they spend the whole time together and Isaac slowly warmed up to Merrick. He made Isaac feel like someone actually finally cared about him, after that Merrick became more and more of a father figure for him and Merrick was also the only one he really trusted (not that he didn't trust the rest with fighting, but not really on a personal level) til Hesh came and wormed his way into his world and didn't let up
While not married, Hesh and Isaac are technically engaged, on the battlefield Hesh basically proposed. They made a promise that if they ever have a few quiet days, that they'll get actual rings and get married, but for the time being Hesh used the pin from a granade, that Isaac is always wearing together with his dogtags (Merrick got them for him, eventhough he's not technically us military,  he is a ghost and therefore deserves them in his opinion)
Tho one time they had a bit of trouble (big trouble) and Isaac took it off giving it back and walked away, broke both of them a little bit
Trouble was Logan coming back to them turned.
Isaac, as an ex fed realising what happened and that Logan turned, but the rest not really going on it, thinking he's paranoid. He doesn't mind everyone, Merrick being a little apprehensive about the idea, hurt a bit, but Hesh not believing him was the worst (even if understandable). Had him thinking that Hesh doesnt trust him enough, so in the moment he proofed his point with Logan he took the pin of and shoved it into Hesh's hand with the words "i can't hold this promise if you can't even belive me on my area of expertise"
They did got back together not too long after but it was rocky few weeks
Keegan is possibly the closest thing Isaac had to a friend before Hesh, not that they were particularly close, but they tolerated eachother and Keegan is also the only one (apart from Merrick) that Isaac was okay being alone in a room with, possibly silent bonding
"Funniest" thing Isaac is very much from southern Texas, can hide his accent pretty well tho, unless he's tired or agitated, then it's just full on southern drawl.
He also has a very prominent scar on his right cheek from under his eye all the way back to his chinbone under his ear (i hope you get what i mean) he got this from his uncle, when it came out that he was trans, unc actually tried to kill him, but even with 14/15 Isaac was already a pretty good fighter
I hope that was everything, i mean short is something else, but i don't really wanna cut anymore, also sorry for it being a bit disorganised
-🐑 (i swear if tumblr eats this)
Elias, coming to hide in his office from the gaggle of dipshits he swears he loves but sometimes can't stand: "Finally. Some peace." Issac: "👁👁 Hello"
I wonder where in the timeline Issac came in? Post or pre Caracas? Post or Pre ODIN? Post or pre The Boys (Logan+Hesh.)?
Issac 🤝 Mich "Parent's don't fuck with the gender swag."
DAD MERRICK LETS GOOOOO!!!! Ofc Hesh gets Issac to like him. He prolly came up with a 20 step plan to get him.
You've heard of field promotion now get ready for field engagement. Lets go. Underrated COD trope. I KNOW Hesh got a goddamn wedding planner/daydream book under his bed. There are several pictures of doggie ring bearers.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOO, NOT THE DIVORCE ARC!!! DAMMIT LOGAN!!! DAMMIT HESH'S DENIAL!! AH
Damn a few weeks lmao. They deadass couldn't last without each other.
Keegan, the fiance's brother in law, being another one of the handful of people Issac likes is KILLING me lmao. Found family.
Hesh bagged himself a cowboy, well I'll be damned.
I think you've described it perfectly! Kick that mfs ass Izz.
You're alg, I can't organize my oc thoughts for shit too so we fine with a little chaos. Plus, this ain't horrible.
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abbatoirablaze · 11 months
Text
Ex Wive's Club, Chapter 26
Word Count:  1.7k
Warnings: angst, mentions of abuse. 
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“She’s an unfit mother, your honor,” Andy growled as he glared at his soon to be ex-wife, “she has postpartum and hasn’t been taking any medication for it since the birth of our second child.  She had abandoned our first child for the first few years of his life and put our second child through dozens of needless and invasive tests!”
“Do you have proof of this, Mr. Barber?”
Andy frowned, unhappy that the judge wasn’t just taking his side, “Gary, you know-“
“Mr. Barber, I took the case because numerous other judges recused themselves on personal grounds.  A lot of us know you and your wife, but I’m going to remind you that this is an impartial case where accusations have to have foundations,” the judge reminded him, “you as well as anyone should know that wild accusations only hurt those involved.  So unless you have physical proof-“
“After she gave birth to our son, she moved to Massachusetts to go to MIT!”
“Your evidence is that your wife went to school?”
Andy’s frown deepened, “Gary-“
“Mr. Barber…I will not remind you again.”
He huffed before standing beside his desk, “your honor.  My wife and I were engaged when my son was born.  She returned the ring to me and left.  I then proceeded to see someone else.  Someone who I was engaged to after her, who was going to legally adopt my son as Sasha was in the process of giving up all parental rights for him.”
“And was this process ever completed?” the judge asked, “Was the paperwork ever filed with the courts?”
Andy’s jaw twitched, and he shook his head, “no your honor.”
“Then where is your proof that she abandoned your son?” he asked, “because to me, it’s a mother who wanted to further her education.  The two of you ended her relationship, but it just sounds like an undocumented agreement where you had sole custody of your son during that time.”
“She’s been diagnosed with postpartum.  She was on medication after our son was born.”
“As many women are.”
Andy was quickly losing his patience with the judge. 
He’d half expected the judge to make a personal decision and give Andy the sole custody of the kids.
And while his more logical side had known that wasn’t going to happen, it was a hope that he’d kept in the back of his mind, nonetheless.
“Mrs. Barber?”
Sasha stood nervously at her lawyer’s insistence, “Yes your honor?”
“Do you have any reason to think why your husband is making these accusations of you abandoning your children and putting them through needless medical procedures?”
“He believes I was cheating on him, your honor,” she admitted softly, “he kicked me out of our shared home, and-“
“He kicked you out?” he asked, brow raised as he looked at Andy.  Judge Gary Tellman had known Andy for most of his career.  So much so that Andy had considered him a friend before their court date began.  He knew that Sasha didn’t have a job, as Andy had insisted she be a stay at home mother.  And as the proceedings continued, Andy had begun to feel that maybe that was the issue.  Maybe the fact that his friend knew their marital life, and wasn’t instantly siding with him, it was an issue.
“Your honor, she was cheating on me.”
“I was attending a support group for parents coping with their feelings,” she argued, glaring at her husband, “you had someone follow me and-“
“AND HE KISSED YOU!”
“I PUSHED HIM AWAY!”
“IS THAT WHY HE’S HERE NOW?” Andy screamed at his wife, “is that why the man you’re fucking is sitting behind th-“
“ORDER!” the judge commanded, banging his gavel, “I will have order in my courtroom!”
Both Andy and Sasha quieted themselves and sat down while the judge tried to get the situation back on track.
“I want the two of you to listen and listen right now.  Whatever is going on is between you two.  I understand that divorces and custody hearings are difficult, but this is what happens.  You will not scream at each other in my court room.  Is that understood?”
“Yes your honor.”
“Yes.”
“Now…Mrs. Barber.  Is the man that your husband is referring to in this room?”
“He is, your honor?”
“And why is he here?”
“Because when Andy threw my stuff out, he was the one that picked me up,” she informed him, “Curtis was the one that let me stay with him.  I babysat his daughter in exchange for the roof over my head.”
“And you didn’t have anyone else you could stay with?”
“My father is going through some of his own issues at the current point in time with his own wife,” she admitted, “he had some other things to deal with.  And as he reminded me.  I am an adult, and I needed to forge my own path.”
“And these needless medical procedures you put your children through?”
“They weren’t needless,” she said with a shake of her head, “Ashley has a heart defect.  An arrhythmia.  I thought she stopped breathing one night, and I brought her to the doctors.  Clearly, they agreed with me, as they believed something serious could be wrong.  She was born with it.  Through the tests we found out that she can’t be treated like other children.  No contact sports.  No harsh physical activities…because that can cause the arrhythmia.  Which can cause her heart to stop.”
“So they were necessary.”
“Yes your honor!”
“Very well…”
“Your honor…I’d like to address Mr. Barber’s own parental history as part of the record,” Sasha’s lawyer began, standing up, “it is of my knowledge that Mr. Barber had an incident on father’s day with his children where authorities were involved.  I believe that we need to examine that.”
“What?” Sasha asked, her own eyes wide at what she’d heard, “Wh-what are you talking about?”
“You weren’t aware of the incident at your home with your husband and children, Mrs. Barber?”
“No….a-are they okay?”  she asked quickly, “What happened?  Andy?”
“It’s none of your business, Sasha!”
“They’re my children!”
“Mr. Barber, you had another pull custody from your wife last year,” the judge said firmly, “am I to believe that your wife had no knowledge of what happened on father’s day a few months ago?”
Andy’s jaw tightened, “she’s not part of it, your honor!”
He looked to Sasha and her lawyer, “Proceed with your evidence.”
“On father’s day, Mr. Barber had an altercation with his then 11 year old son and 6 year old daughter where they discussed Mrs. Barber’s living arrangements.  The children were upset after not having seen their mother for a matter of months.  After the six year old spilled her juice, Mr. Barber struck his son.  There are bruises from abuse that the doctors at the hospital can place as early as two months after she was removed from the home.  The eleven year old spun into the table and landed in the broken glass.  The six year old called the police and retrieved the gun from Mr. Barber’s gun safe, believing that her brother was going to be harmed.  When police showed up, Mr. Barber was arrested.  The children were taken to a hospital where they were examined.  The eleven year old suffered internal trauma and had bleeding which had to be repaired surgically.  The six year old would have suffered a heart attack had the pace maker not shocked her heart back into a sinus rhythm thanks to the previous mentions to necessary medical care provided by the mother in the past.”
Sasha’s throat went dry as she listened to what her lawyer had just said.
She hadn’t been aware of anything going on. 
She’d been so lost in her little life with Curtis that she tried to p ush the fact that she was without her children to the back of her mind.
“Andy?”
He only glared at his wife, “they’re exaggerating.  Little brats learned it from you!”
Her stomach sank as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
She had abandoned her babies. 
She’d left them with someone who she thought they would be safe with only for him to turn out to be a monster. 
“My-my children?” she asked, on the brink of sobbing, “wh-where are my children?”
“They’ve been under the care of a Jake and Maddison Jenson since the time of the incident,” her lawyer said firmly, reading from the file, “in that time, Mr. Barber hasn’t been allowed visitation as suggested from the original hearing.”
“Why wasn’t Mrs. Barber contacted?” the judge asked.
“It looked like Mr. Barber used his connections to ensure that the children would go to a family friend instead of foster care, and the case is sealed under Judge DiMattio!” her lawyer answered, “I had to fight with the courthouse to get these documents and statements alone, but Mr. Jensen has been extremely helpful in the case.  The Jensen family attempted to contact Mrs. Barber, but her phone had been turned off months prior by Mr. Barber.  She was unreachable.  The Jensens are outside the court room, sitting with a bailiff and the children.”
The judge shook his head, the disgust in his face obvious, “I think I’ve heard all that I needed to hear.  I’m going to make my decision.”
“Your honor-“
“I have decided in favor of Mrs. Barber,” the judge answered shortly, “Mr. Barber has provided no proof of wrong-doing when it comes to the parental rights of Mrs. Barber, and while he, himself has utilized the system to favor him, I believe that was a gross instance of misconduct, which I plan on bringing up and filing a complaint.  Mr. Barber.  I’m going to let you know right now, you are on thin ice, which is about to break.  You’re going to be brought into police custody for the misuse of power and what seems like a partial decision and treatment based on your friendship with certain people.”
“This is lud-“
“Ballif, take Mr. Barber away!” the judge ordered as he banged his gavel, “Mrs. Barber…your children are outside this room…they are now in your sole custody, with no visitation rights for Mr. Barber.  I’m sorry that justice has taken you this long to acquire!”
Chapter 27
Tag List:  @Cjand10, @huntress-artemiss, @lohnes16, @tenaciousperfectionunknown, @teambarnes72, @elbell20-blog, @sebsgirl71479, @prokey16
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ravennm84 · 2 years
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Demonic Justice
So, I was on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer binge and thought to myself, What would happen if someone made a wish to a justice demon to go after Lila? More specifically, her past victims? And this is what I ended up with!! A little dark, but still filled with salty goodness. Warm-Fuzzies and please enjoy!!
As a justice demon, Remios considered himself to be more than fair, preferring to hear and see many different perspectives before passing judgment. Most of the other justice demons considered him to be too soft or slow in his work, but he didn’t care. What he cared about was the right people receiving justice and the rest getting the punishment they deserve. More than a few of his fellow demons would end up doling out justice willy-nilly and some jackass with a vendetta against an ex-girlfriend, who broke up with him for cheating, would end up getting the poor girl fileted from the inside out. Remios, however, never had to worry about the wrong person being punished. He always got the right ones.
There were also times when he felt souls cry so strongly, they were impossible to ignore. Today, for example, he was sensing the anguished cries of multiple souls, seemingly in the same area. Remios had put on his human face before teleporting to the area without being seen, and approached the group of teenagers that were huddled together and crying by the street. There were three of them, two girls and a boy, and their souls in such pain that it made him flinch to be so close to them.
It took some time and an offered bag of cookies, but they began venting to Remios, who had introduced himself as Remy, what was bothering them. Apparently, it was a photo in a magazine that had set them off.
“We just can’t believe such a horrible person got to be a model after ruining our lives,” Maria, a girl in her late teens, said as she gripped the magazine so hard that the pages tore.
“Do you mind if I ask what she did?” Remios asked, using a slight amount of his power to make them more willing to spill everything.
“What hasn’t that bitch done,” Terance growled in disgust. “She sexually harassed me, tried to get me to date her because my family has money. When I told her I wasn’t interested, she told everyone that I was harassing her! She got me expelled and taken to the police for questioning, it ruined me at school even though we had proof that it was the other way around. My family had to move to keep people from beating me up every day.”
Beatrix clutched at the two crutches that were laid across the bench beside her. “She tried to ruin my reputation at school, too. It almost worked, but our teacher believed me instead of her and kept giving her detention. When the teacher told Lila that if she did one more thing against me, she would get suspended, I got pushed down the stairs. I was in a coma for over a week, broke a lot of bones, and I still can’t walk without crutches. My parents and the school tried to get ahold of her parents, but the phone number and email they had were defunct. The school never found where she transferred to.”
Maria’s eyes were full of hate and tears as she continued to glare at the magazine in her hands. “She bullied my sister for months; at school, on the internet, she convinced our parents that she was the bully. People were throwing stones through our windows. Jennifer came home covered in bruises at least a dozen times. But the worst…” Her breath shuttered as she threw the magazine onto the street. “Someone had posted online that Jennifer was a prostitute and wanted to have ‘fun’. A group of boys from her school cornered her in the locker room and…” Maria broke down in sobs as Beatrix rubbed the older girl’s back in soothing circles. It was a few minutes before she was able to gather herself enough to continue.
“It wasn’t until then that my parents actually tried to do something… but it was too late. My poor little baby sister couldn’t take anymore and killed herself. That… that thing masquerading as a teenage girl ruined our lives and who knows how many others.”
“At least twelve, if we go by the group chat.” Terance muttered, before looking at Remios. “That’s how we met. Maria set up the group chat as a sort of support group/warning system for others. Lila’s done everything from stealing from people, getting people expelled because they tried outing her for lying. One girl, Katy, almost committed suicide before she found our chat and we were barely able to talk her down.”
“And now that thing is a model for a famous fashion designer,” Beatrix groused. “All her dreams are coming true and all the people she hurt have to deal with the fact that all we can do is try and fail to make her pay for what she’s done.”
Remios just looked on in shock. If these three were telling him the truth about this girl, then she would be the youngest person he’d even punished. He had gone after sociopaths before, that was nothing new, but those were normally in their mid-thirties or older. Just to make sure, he asked them to show him the chat so he could see the stories for himself. Sure enough, there were dozens of different members of the chat. Some were Lila’s victims, others were friends/related to former victims, and there were still others that had tried to tell people at Lila’s schools the type of person she was, only to be ridiculed and bullied for their efforts. 
No one had known where she disappeared to after her last school in Florence, where she had brought her classmates a batch of cookies, knowing full-well that one of her classmates was allergic to coconut and served them to her. The girl had recently discovered that Lila was a liar and decided to give her a chance to confess on her own. If Amelia hadn’t had an epi-pen with her, she would have died. By the time her mother had found out what had happened and tried to contact Lila’s parents, the family had moved on and the contact numbers and emails on file were defunct, just like all of her previous schools.
With so many different stories from people all over, and the fact the souls of the three people he was speaking with were in so much pain that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could be around them, he knew what he had to do. It was time for him to wield the power of the wish. He just had to know what they wished for.
“This girl, Lila, really does sound like a rotten person. I bet you all wish something or someone would do something to take her down a peg or 30.” Remios prompted. 
Terance nodded. “More than anything, I wish all of her lies were exposed so everyone will see exactly what a disgusting, vile, and corrupt psychopath she really is.”
Beatrix’s hand absently ran over her crutches again as she spoke. “I wish she understood the pain that she’d caused the people she targeted, both emotionally and physically.”
Maria was wiping away the remaining tears from her eyes before looking up longingly at the sky. “I want her to pay for what she did to my sister and everyone else. But I don’t want it so bad that she dies, I want her to live with the consequences of what she’s done. And I wish I could see her face when it all happens. That way I know that what she did to Jennifer, she won’t be able to do to anyone else.”
The three of them were all looking to the street or the sky at that moment. No one saw his human mask melt away to reveal his true demonic face. All they heard was the word “Done,” whispered in their ears before the man that the three of them swore they had been speaking to, vanished as if he was never there.
~oOo~
It started with emails to a few celebrities from lawyers that they didn’t remember retaining. 
Jagged Stone and his manager Penny received a call from their lawyer that the lawsuit against the girl that accused him of reckless endangerment, copyright, slander, and accusations of pedophilia was ready for his signiture. The rock star had been confused at first, not remembering having anything like that in the works, but a look through the paperwork and he was glad that it was being resolved. When he recognized the name as the girl that was also harassing his honorary niece, he had the lawyer draw up a restraining order and lawsuit on her behalf, to be implemented as soon as he had her parents permission.
Clara Nightingale received a similar call from her lawyer, pertaining to copyright, slander, and theft of art that she was being accused of from a girl she’d never met, but the name was familiar. Once she realized that it was the girl that Marinette had been venting about after the girl had accused her of stealing her design ideas, Clara had the lawyer add theft on Marinette’s behalf. There was no way she was going to let the girl that inspired such good will and a few new songs suffer from some no talent wannabe.
There were over a dozen other celebrities that suddenly found themselves signing lawsuits to be delivered to the teenager and her parents later that afternoon. Most didn’t even remember wanting or filing the lawsuits, but agreed wholeheartedly after reading the charges that were being brought against the girl. There was everything from slander, copyright infringement, and liability; to theft, harassment, and impersonation for pretending to be dating/related to a celebrity and making them foot the bill for whatever restaurant or store she went to.
Another lawyer, M. Fontaine had a completed class-action lawsuit on his desk that morning; full of testimonies, video, digital, and physical evidence against Lila Rossi for what she had done to her former classmates. This included the wrongful death of Jennifer Cartia, the attempted murders of Amelia Rostiere and Beatrix Devoux, the sexual harassment of Terence Armounte, as well as bullying, harassment, slander, destruction of property, and theft of 17 other former classmates. There were also notes about Miss Rossi’s current school, that there was a student that was accused of being a bully to Rossi and had nearly been expelled. This girl was likely another victim and he had interviews set up with her and other students that day. He wasn’t sure how he had almost forgotten about the interviews, he could have sworn that he was looking forward to nailing this girl’s lying tongue to the wall. Gathering up his paperwork, he began making his way to the Francoise Dupont School.
~oOo~
Greta Rossi had just barely sat down at her desk at 7:15am sharp. She had always taken pride in her punctuality. It surprised her when her phone rang,  normally the office didn't receive phone calls for another hour, but answered all the same. “Hello, this is Greta Rossi.”
“Oh, Mme. Rossi, it’s wonderful to speak with you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Her brow creased for a moment. “What do you mean? You called me. Who is this?”
“I apologize, but my phone rang and you answered, I could have sworn that you called me. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. This is M. Damocles, Principal of Francoise Dupont.”
 “Is everything okay with Lila? Has there been another akuma attack?”
“Lila is fine and there are currently no akuma. But while I have you on the line. I would like to discuss a few things with you. I am in need of the note for her absence from school for those months you and she were away in Achu for diplomatic work. I’ll also need the doctor’s notes pertaining to Lila’s medical needs and instructions on dealing with her accommodations. Specifically her lying disease, as I would hate to have another misunderstanding like we had a few months ago.”
There was a pause on both ends while Greta processed what M. Damocles just told her. “Exactly what ‘misunderstanding’ are you referring to? I didn’t receive any call or email about anything happening. Did my email get deleted or something after you were akumatized for all those months and the school was damaged? And what diplomatic work in Achu? We haven’t left Paris since we moved here.”
Another pause… The two confused, and soon angry, adults agreed that Mme. and M. Rossi needed to come in right away to discuss what her daughter had been saying and hash out the truth of the matter. 
It was 8am as she was grabbing her purse, there was a knock on her office door and she was met with numerous men and women in power suits and carrying briefcases. After introducing themselves as lawyers representing multiple different parties, Greta was handed lawsuit after lawsuit that she, her husband, and Lila were going to have to answer for in the coming weeks. They then informed her that they would also be delivering the lawsuits to Lila herself, but wanted to make sure that Greta was informed first, as she was the adult and Lila had proven a tendency to lie.
The more Greta read, the angrier she got. It was only through sheer will that she kept calm so that she wouldn’t attract an akuma while she called her husband and informed him what their daughter had been up to and that they had a standing appointment at the school for that day. He told her that he would meet her there within the hour. By 10am, she was sure that any freedom Lila had would be stripped away.
~oOo~
Lila had a feeling that today would be different. She wasn’t sure how, but she had a few ideas in mind to do with Adrien, Maribrat, and possibly getting her classmates to do her work for the rest of the term. She'd bought a box of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies from a bakery near her apartment the day before and put them in a tin from home, ready to tell everyone that she made them herself. 
She had just stepped on campus, already half way through the school day. Not that it mattered since her "mother" had already emailed the school to let them know that she had a doctor's appointment and would be coming in after lunch. If that meant she would have to miss a test she hadn't studied for, oh well. She was a little surprised to see Mme. Bustier waiting for her at the door with a somber look on her face. "Lila, you're needed in the principal's office. Something has come up with your parents."
A little surprised by the grave tone in the teacher's voice, Lila rushed up the stairs to the office. She took the time to knock, attempting to keep the image of an obedient, but worried girl. But in reality, she was annoyed that whatever happened was interrupting her plans for the day. Still, she plastered her best scared/concerned expression on her face when she heard Damocles call for her to enter.
Her eyes hardly found him sitting tall behind his desk before she noticed her parents standing to one side, looking absolutely furious. Lila was contemplating just turning around and sprinting away, knowing full-well that it would be hard to work things to her advantage if they'd had any time to talk before she arrived. 
Before she could decide, her father marched forward to move her away from the door and stand in front of it, firmly blocking her exit. Ciro Rossi, a naval commander turned diplomat, was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry. Lila was fortunate, and skilled enough, to never have that anger directed at her. But now, it felt like every experience she had avoided had accumulated and was now directed at her all at once.
Her mother… she had never seen that expression on her mother's face before. She was the type that was open and loving, always with a smile on her face. Going on and on about how much she loves Lila, whatever that really meant. But now, her face seemed completely devoid of any readable thought or emotion besides anger. Which was very bad for Lila, if she couldn't read the emotions of her parents, it was harder to manipulate them. 
Still she had to try. "Mama, Papa, is everything alri-"
"Sit down," her father said sternly behind her. She looked back at him, doing her best to appear small, vulnerable, and scared. "Now." 
She did as she was told. "What’s going-"
"Shut up," her mother harshly interrupted her, surprising Lila into silence. "You will not speak unless asked a direct question. Every interruption or attempt to lie will see you more harshly punished. Are we clear?"
Unable to help herself, she visibly winced before nodding. They knew that she had lied, but which ones did they know about? Probably the ones having to do with school and attendance. Worst case scenario, she'll be expelled and have to start over at a new school. Not the worst thing, since her classmates were a bunch of idiot sheep and didn't have much to offer anymore. 
"First thing's first, the school never closed. You lied to us and the school about your attendance," her mother said matter-of-factly. "That's called truancy. The Board of Governors has already been notified, it will go on your permanent record, and your father and I will be forced to pay a fine for believing your lies. That fine will be paid for from your allowance."
She automatically jumped up to protest, but her father firmly grabbed her shoulder and pushed her down into the chair again. One hard glare from him had Lila biting her tongue as she glowered in her seat.
"Secondly, we have been informed of your 'diseases and disabilities' that you have told the school about and the fake doctors' notes you gave them. Do you realize that each one of those is a possible fraud and forgery charge? Because either you knew and didn't care, or you're an idiot and didn't realize the trouble you could get in."
Lila scowled at her mother for the insult. She hadn't meant to and averted her eyes back down to the floor, but it was too late.
"Ah, so you did know and didn't care. After everything we've been told, I'm not surprised."
"We could also add that she didn't think she would be caught." Ciro stated behind her, his voice making her quake slightly. "After all, she has forged our signatures, faked our contact information, and assaulted other classmates at her past schools. Why wouldn't she think she'd be able to do it again?"
"But I haven't, I swear!" Jumping from her seat in a panic, she looked from one adult to another while trying to figure out what to do. There was no way they could know about her past schools and classmates. None of those places had their numbers or forwarding address. She'd made sure that none of them were able to contact her parents. They had to be bluffing!
As if the gods heard her thoughts and wanted to torment her, there was a knock at the office door followed by a tidal wave of lawyers. They greeted Greta with a nod before each of them served Lila with lawsuits. A lawsuit and restraining order from Jagged Stone. Another lawsuit and a cease and desist from Clara Nightingale. Bruce Wayne had sent a lawsuit for slander and theft, how could he have known about the times she had sent tabs to him, claiming she was dating his son? 
Lawsuit after lawsuit were being dropped into her lap as the lawyers filed in and back out of the office. She hadn't even realized that she had sat back down, likely from the shock. This can't be happening! How did all these people find out about me?
Lila hadn't even realized that she had zoned out for a couple minutes until a stern voice cleared his throat. She looked up from the towering pile of envelopes to face yet another intimidating man in a power suit… and was backed up by a couple of police officers. 
"Are you Lila Rossi?" She dumbly nodded before the man looked towards her mother and father. "M. and Mme. Rossi, thank you for allowing me to finish my other interviews before speaking with you formally." 
"Of course, M. Fontaine. Now, if you would please tell us about the charges you plan to file? You said it was in relation to Lila’s past schools and classmates?" Ciro asked in a resigned voice. Their daughter already had 14 lawsuits handed over to them in one afternoon. What was one more?
The man nodded to the two officers before approaching Ciro and Greta. "Yes, I'll be leading the class action lawsuit against your daughter." As he said this, the officers had stood Lila up and proceeded to arrest her while giving her miranda rights. This seemed to wake Lila from her shock as she began thrashing and screaming. Fontaine ignored this as he spoke to her parents. "I represent Lila’s past and current victims of bullying, harassment, sexual harrasment, and slander; as well as two charges of attempted murder and the wrongful death of one of her classmates."
Hearing that, Greta nearly collapsed but was kept standing by her husband. Ciro's expression turned hard as he glared. Luckily for M. Fontaine, he was pretty sure that look was for daughter rather than him.
Speaking of, the three of them were startled when there was a sudden *tang* of metal striking flesh. They turned towards Lila and the officers just in time to see the teenager strike the second officer in the face with the tin of cookies that burst open from the force. The handcuffs were hanging from her right wrist and her expression reminded Fontaine of a rabid badger, something that would attack anyone and anything that got too close. 
The class bell rang a moment later and the girl sprinted out the door in the hopes of blending in with her classmates so she could escape the school, find an akuma, and use its power to make everyone forget about today. She didn't count on the police officers recovering as quickly as they did to follow her out, along with her parents, the principal, or that last lawyer. But it wasn't over yet, the dark purple wings of the approaching akuma proved it. A good jump in the air and the butterfly was trapped in her fist.
"Just you wait, once I've got my powers I'll make every one of you suffer for even thinking of challenging-"
*BUZZZZZZ*
Lila’s entire body went ramrod stiff as the two prongs of an officer's stun gun made contact. The akuma got crushed in the girl's grip in addition to the 1,200 volts coursing through the insect and her. Unable to control her body, nothing could stop her from tipping sideways and tumbling down the stairs. 
The officer that had shot her was nearly in a panic as the girl fell. All he'd been able to think about was that this girl they were arresting for multiple counts of attempted murder was about to willingly akumatize herself, risking the lives of everyone in the school. Who knew what kind of powers she would have gotten. He had done what was necessary to protect the students, his partner, and himself in a situation that he hadn’t thought possible. Still, she should have fallen forward and away from the stairs, not towards them. Now they had to worry about being accused of using excessive force on the arrest. 
~oOo~
It had become one of the biggest trials in Europe since the Nuremberg Trials. Lila Rossi had been found guilty of aiding known terrorist Hawkmoth, the wrongful death of Jennifer Cartia, the attempted murders of Amelia Rostiere and Beatrix Devoux, the sexual harassment of Terence Armounte and Adrien Agreste, and numerous other charges. 
She'd lost every charge and lawsuit brought against her. Lila didn't know how they had found all the evidence or how they traced it back to her, but they did. It made whatever defense her lawyer attempted seem pathetic. 
Lila claimed that Terance harassed her? They had audio and video of her harassing and threatening him. She says that she had nothing to do with Beatrix’s accident? The seven eye witnesses and DNA evidence from the fingernail that broke off in Beatrix’s hair says otherwise. Lila is currently being bullied and was injured by her classmate, Marinette? CCTV footage of Lila faking her injury and planting evidence in Marinette's locker proves it's the other way around. Claims that she and Jennifer were friends and would never hurt or bully her? There were literally stacks of printed texts, emails, and social media posts that were time stamped and traced back to Lila’s accounts. Including the post that had resulted in Jennifer being assaulted, which had Lila being charged for the crime, just like the boys that hurt Jennifer. 
Her lawyer refused to let her take the stand in her defense. Both because of her tendency to lie and the fact that she was on a constant supply of pain killers that made her loopy. The fall had left her unable to walk due to shattered vertebrae, but the nerves were still able to transmit pain and had been doing so to an impressive degree. Lila had hoped for a bit of sympathy from the jury. She was just a teenager, who was now paralyzed from the waist down as a result of her fall down the stairs when she was tazed. They ignored her pain and focused on the pattern of behavior, saying that if she hadn’t been discovered, she'd have continued to escalate. 
At the very least, she hoped that the stupid police officer that paralyzed her would have been fired and forced to apologize to her. But NO, the officer had gotten a freaking award for stopping her willing akumatization. Stating that he had made a difficult decision in an unpredictable situation, likely saving hundreds of lives, most of them school students. 
When the judge had finally come to a decision, she cried real tears for the first time since the doctors said she'd never walk again. He sentenced her to the maximum penalty as permitted by law. Lila Rossi was to serve 182 years in prison for all her crimes. The possibility of parole had been completely revoked once it had been proven, via video evidence, that the day of her arrest wasn't the first time she had been willing to be akumatized. 
When the verdict had been read, she had wanted to launch herself at her past victims, the people that had testified against her. Not that it would have worked. Between her injury and the four officers that surrounded her at all times, she never had the chance. Worst she could do was throw her cup of water at the crowd when they cheered at her verdict. 
Lila just couldn't believe everything that happened. All of her lies had been exposed on international television and all over the internet. She was in constant pain from her injuries and would never walk again. But worse of all, the humiliation from being exposed would never leave her. She was constantly monitored to make sure she would serve her sentence…and not end it abruptly due to selfish actions. No, this was Lila Rossi's life until she died of old age in a cramped, disgusting prison cell. 
She never once noticed the nondescript man that had attended every day of her trial, despite the proceedings being closed to the public for her safety. The man had seriously given Marinette and Adrien the willys, and their kwamis had warned them to steer clear of him, but there were no incidents. He wasn’t a witness or one of her past victims. He never took the stand. All he did was sit to watch the trial. When the verdict was read, he watched three of the people up front: Terance, Maria, and Beatrix. As they cried tears of relief and joy, the man gave a smile and nod. Then it was like he was never there.
**Bonus**
Gabriel Agreste slowly came around as he propped himself up on the floor. The last thing he remembered was the feeling of thousands of bees buzzing under his skin after Rossi grabbed his akuma. Very unpleasant. 
After transforming and returning to his office, he was greeted by Natalie, who held out her tablet with a video cued up. It showed a news clip about an "unnamed student" being arrested for willingly accepting an akuma while in the process of being arrested for other heinous crimes. Although force had been used and the student had been taken to the hospital for her injuries, witnesses state that the actions of the police officer saved their lives. 
Gabriel handed the tablet back to his assistant. "Be ready to prepare a statement to the press about canceling Lila Rossi's contract. Including that we were unaware that she forged her parents signatures and, due to her obsession with Adrien, we will be filling a restraining order as well. We don't know what kind of diplomatic pull her parents have, the little weasel may get out on bail."
A little while later, Adrien came rushing through the mansion doors. He demanded to see his father, saying that there was a big incident at school that he had to tell him about. 
Gabriel hummed. "That will work."
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382 notes · View notes
poppyandzena · 6 months
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Yeah, Saige is very done for me at this point. Her willingness to editorialize the narrative just to support her abusive partners is disgusting.
Saige. Read the doc. Actually read the doc. Your words make it clear you didn’t. Because everything you say is barely applicable to what Spawn went through.
“I exchanged harsher words with my ex-spouse on occasion.” Yeah, and I’m sure Zena and Poppy did too- sorry you can’t have voice recordings of everything. You think Poppy/Zena would admit to harsher? Or even fully recognize it? If I recall, your own partners admit to making Spawn cry on multiple occasions. They just paint the story as “oh they cry in such a way to make me disassociate. So manipulative.” Hmm, bo red flags? To blame their kid for being driven to tears from their actions? Alright. Sure, whatever you say, Saige.
“If drawing boundaries and setting expectations is abuse, idk how you function with others.” This is just proof you didn’t read the doc more than anything. If you think having narrow (less than 10 minutes in some cases) windows for bathroom, food making, JUST GETTING WATER is boundaries and expectations, then you are delusional. And, more importantly, If you think ‘the kid’ should have to follow expectations/boundaries, but Zena and Poppy shouldn’t have to (the document makes it clear they didn’t- they skipped on dishes/chores, took up the kitchen way longer then Spawn ever did, and more), please detail why for me. I’d love to hear THAT excuse.
“I suppose it was abusive to have to check in before making purchases that weren't already budgeted bc they kept spending our income on shit we couldn't afford.” No, that’s not abusive, and also proof you didn’t read the document either. There’s a huge difference between ‘the kid’ and your ex/you- the kid had their own bank account/job/trust fund. That was only their money. Not Poppy’s. Not Zena’s. Your ex and you? Joint money, most likely. If Spawn was on their bank account/using Poppy/Zena’s money to buy things? Yes, completely reasonable to monitor and discuss buying things. The kid’s own money? No, Poppy/Zena had literally 0 rights to control that. You would tell a 18 year old that if their parents are trying to control their kids spending- you’d say “fuck them” I bet- you should in most cases. Why not Poppy/Zena’s kid? Literally just because it’s Poppy/Zena? The only way you could argue this point at all is if you could prove, actually prove, that the kid spent enough that it affected Zena/Poppy (by forcing them to cover for rent, utilities, food, something on Spawn’s behalf).
"Saige Alexis was an abusive spouse bc fae asked her spouse to do things for themself & not constantly expect faer to do everything for them” Saige. Just scroll through until you find Spawn’s chore list for one day. You articulate to me what is POSSIBLY left for Zena/Poppy to do. Spawn did everything FOR Poppy/Zena. Your precious partners are the ones that could afford to do more for their kid WITH A LITERAL, DIAGNOSED HEART CONDITION
I notice a distinct lack of mention of internet restriction. So just because they have physical and mental disabilities, Poppy and Zena had a right to completely restrict internet access? Restrict Spawn from friends and support systems? Reminder- Spawn is an adult that was paying bills too- paying for that internet. But they were still allowed to be punished and have it taken away completely? I have a feeling you and your ex spouse never turned off the internet for each other. “Oh but Spawn had a hot spot.” 10gb. That’s literally nothing. If it was enough to do anything? Spawn wouldn’t have had to go to the library for job applications. So please, give me an excuse for this one this time. Love to hear it.
Just… Saige, either actually read the document, or stay in your fucking lane. You talk a big game about not being believed on your abuse and experiences yourself, but when there’s an abuse victim that’s right there, right in from you, basically begging to be believed- you continue to just blindly believe your partners. You’re no better than everyone you have villianized for not believing you.
You don’t deserve awful shit to happen to you as you are a fellow human being. But you don’t deserve to put victims names into your mouth and minimize their stories just to try and validate your path and make yourself feel good about your life choices.
Read and actually learn or go away, Saige. Live in denial about your choices, or bother to learn your partners may not be these perfect, do no wrong people they try to pretend to be.
^
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gxrdenofthxrns · 1 year
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Loving the Sunlight
WARNING! TRIGGERING THEMES TO SOME READERS! DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
My writing is Rusty so please feel free to give me any critic or feedback! And thank you for reading!
Not Proof Read!
Heimdall X reader
Please tell me if you want to be tagged in the future!
One last thing! This First part will not include Heimdall, I’m setting up the story line mostly in this part. Heimdall will be seen soon, I promise. <3
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Einn ~
You set down the now empty flask of herbal medicine onto the counter.
"Freya? Are you back already?" You questioned.
Walking cautiously, you reached the door and opened it slowly, peeking your head out. Your brows furrowed together, No one was here? "Hello? Who's out there?" You yelled out into the forest. You stepped out of the door and glanced around. "Maybe it was just an animal" You thought. You sighed a breath of relief and took note to grab your sword that Freya Gave you.
Freya has been your trainer, a motherly figure even. Telling you all the stories of her ex-husband, The foreign God and his son that she helped, her brother, and about all the realms. You have been taught her ways of magic and fighting. Although you have no recall if you are Aesir or something else between the realms. You can only learn what she has written in her journals. You spend most of your day reading her spells and magic, and training with Freya when she is around.
Freya never told you the story of where she found or met you. Only that you were alone. She couldn't find your parents or anyone around. So she took you in. But you know there's only half of the truth written in her story. She treats you as one of her own. But also a warrior.
Although you don’t see how; you've never beaten her, But you have almost won during training. Only once.
“Lets see what you got now.” Freya held up her sword and got into her stance. She was waiting for you to make a move. . You needed an advantage point if you were going to defeat her. Quickly, You looked around and found a Branch and swiftly climbed up the tree.
Using a spell to set the arrow aflame, You drew the arrow back and aimed at her. Letting the arrow go you saw her turn and avoid the arrow. Cursing at yourself, you loaded another and shot, this time at the branch above her head. Letting it go, you quickly loaded and shot it at her.
She dodged the arrow that was aimed at her and went straight under the branch you had shot. The branch cracked and had fallen off the tree. Falling right onto her head. Or so you thought.
Using her sword, she deterred the branch and jumped out of the way. Looking up at you with wide eyes she laughed.
“Very good. A little slow but we can work on that.”
You shut the door to Freya's Hut, turning around you are met with one blue eye, and the other covered by an eyepatch. Acting on instincts, you grab the dull sword by the door and swing it at his head. Unfortunately, He grabs the sword in motion and stops it.
He laughs "I was expecting Frigg! But you are just as fierce as her, I see.” He shows you a thin lined smile and lets go, walking further into the hut. Is he searching for something?
The fireplace is crackling, only a few logs that seem to keep the fire steady. The two wooden tables were littered with Herbs and books. And tucked away in the corner are weapons and bows from you and Freya going hunting one night. The hut is fairly dimmed, just enough to see the Aesir god examining and touching the herbs.
"Why are you here?" is all you can manage to escape out of your mouth. Shocked that the God of the Aesir is walking around in the place you call home. In the home of his Ex-wife.
"I came to see my lovely ex-wife. But I see she had more important things to-" you cut him off
"She does not want to see you and we both know that." You spit. Watching him turn to glance at you with his nasty grin.
"Oh yes I know, But seeing that you are here, you have no clue of what's happened." The last part he spoke slowly, walking closer to the fire and staring into it. Interlocking his hands behind his back, waiting for you to answer.
"What do you mean?" You asked, finally lowering the weapon down to your side.
"Baldur is dead. Our son is dead."
His monotone voice threw you off. You knew she had a son but with him? How did he die? Where was Freya now?
"I would suggest you keep out of her way. She is on her way back now. She has sworn revenge onto the God and his son for killing him." His warning cut you off. He glanced over to you, his one eye staring straight through you.
"I will not be surprised if she leaves you to rot here. She is known to create bad relationships with her children"
"Do not speak of Freya that way. She will not abandon me."
"Frigg, you mean? My dear _____ , you do not know her then." He let out a chuckle and turned his body to face you. Throwing your sword out towards you to catch.
You panically grab for it, Catching it in both yours hands and look at him through narrowed eyes. "How do you know my name?"
"I know everything, Child. Now be prepared. If you are in need of help" He turned his back and went to the door as he spoke. He glanced back at you again, "Just call." and with that, he opened the door and his ravens engrossed him in their wings.
Hurriedly, you ran over and shut the door. Just for another one to be pushed open.
"Freya! You’re fin-"
"Don't."
You welcomed Freya only for her to raise her hand to silence you.
Her darkened hair was falling from the braid she put it in. Her clothes were torn and bloodied. She used her hand to wipe away the tears and bleeding makeup from under her eyes.
She was a mess. Physically and Emotionally. You knew that. Her demeanor usually calm and relaxed now changed to troubled and vengeful.
Your eyes saddened, opening your mouth to tell her you’ll help her but then she would know someone had told you. You did not want to let her know that her ex-husband had come to "visit" a few minutes ago. So you kept your mouth shut. Standing with the table in between you and her.
She looked around, her dark eyes now locked on the weapons in the corner. She grabbed her bag and started shoveling herbs into it, grabbing her bow and a sword. She was preparing herself for a long journey.
"Wait! where are you going?" You asked confused, moving out of her way and standing in front of the fireplace that now seemed to crackle louder.
"You need to leave. Now" She spoke with anger laced in her words. She grabbed her things and looked at you. You now got a good look at her.
Her eyes were dark and bloodshot, The makeup around her face ran down and was smeared. Blood coated on her clothes and face. She was Angry, she breathed heavily and gripped the bow in her hand until her knuckles were white.
"What? Why? Where would I-" She cut you off, using her sword to point towards the door.
"I don't care where you go! Just leave! I don't want to see your face ever again, You hear me? You stay out of my way!" Her words were laced with venom and her eyes filled with hate. Now the rage was directed at you.
Your eyes widened and you kept silent. You nodded your head and started grabbing your things. As you did, She left and slammed the door, muttering spells in her native language.
You flinched and looked at the door. Odin was right. Of course he was, he is the All-Father. Your eyes filled with tears, grabbing your bag the Freya had made you, you started collecting your things. All the Herbs she helped you pick. the books she let you have. Anything you could. You sat down on the chair with a shaky breath.
Whoosh!
That is all you heard before the outside of the hut was ablaze. Your eyes widened and you quickly stood up and grabbed your bag. Hurrying to the door you grabbed the doorknob and tried to open it.
Blocked
Using your shoulder you rammed into the door. But it was no use. The hut started to fill with smoke. And the heat from the fireplace and outside started to combine and make you sweat.
"Come On!!"
You went to the other door, Trying the same technique. Of course, it didn't work.
"Fuck!"
Letting go of the door you stepped back, looking around alerted to the fire slithering through the roof.
Did she set the Hut ablaze? Was she trying to get rid of you?
You realized he was right.
“You do not know her then.”
You had no choice but to call for him.
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honourablejester · 9 months
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VTM Character Concepts
Just a pair of Vampire: The Masquerade character concepts. I think these are both mostly classic VTM, because I haven’t really kept up with developments in the lore, but I was rewatching and rereading some things recently and figured it’d do no harm to doodle some VTM characters along with all the D&D and PF and Starfinder ones. Heh.
No Nosferatu this time. They are still my first and true clan, but I wanted to expand outwards a little bit, experiment with a couple of others.
Ventrue:
Deanna Fontaine, Ventrue PI. Deanna had the misfortune in her mortal days of getting in the way of a large criminal enterprise, and stubbornly refused to politely get back out of the way. To no one’s surprise, least of all her own, this refusal promptly resulted in her death. Rather more to her surprise, however, the head of the criminal organisation she had refused to bow to was a Kindred, a Ventrue, and he was deeply impressed by her integrity, even in the face of death. She woke in her shallow grave, and there was a very well-appointed car waiting for her outside the lot. Deanna promptly ignored it and made her own way into the night, ravenous and furious and not a little terrified. It took four months of near misses and near starvation in her attempts to survive on her own and understand her new condition on her own terms before her sire, who felt he had had been extremely patient, finally ran out of said patience and kidnapped her for a ‘discussion’.
The results were … mixed. The grudge for her mortal death runs deep, and her hatred for her sire’s criminal enterprises is still equally strong. Deanna died once for her convictions, and she will do so again, without a qualm. On a personal level, she despises the vampire who made her. However. As she got more of an introduction to the broader Kindred society, and the rules of her new world, while very aware of who was showing her that world and those rules, nonetheless some of her sire’s points did land with her. The Camarilla is a sect she broadly believes in, keeping the blood and the chaos away from the wider, more innocent world. And dignitas, while a part of her despises it for a mockery, the ‘appearance’ of virtue overriding all fact, another part of her does understand reputation, and the need to maintain it, and the need to repay your debts, and stick to your word, and to not damage someone without proof and cause. She’s not going to risk mortal lives to deal with him on a criminal level, and she’s not going to sow chaos among the monstrous to try and unseat him on a vampiric level, not until she knows full well what the consequences will be. She is not, and never was, a tabloid gumshoe. Do things the right way from the start, and don’t play petty games when there’s lives (or unlives, as the case may be) on the line. Die with your head high, and leave the cheap shots to the muckrakes. All things considered, while she does everything in her power to have as little to do with him as possible these days, her sire is still very pleased.
(Note: I do enjoy the Ventrue obsession with dignitas, and there’s a lot of room to play around with it in the contexts of mortal vs vampire morality, codes of honour, criminal codes of honour, and just general themes of what do you consider a compromise to your reputation, and what do you consider a compromise to your integrity, and do those two considerations match up. So. A criminal sire, and an upright childe, and he chose her because of that, and now she has to navigate personal questions of morals and honour and integrity and reputation in a much different and more monstrous milieu).
Gangrel:
Addie Thompson, ex-dockworker Gangrel autarkis. Addie’s had a hard life. Born to blue-collar parents, while Addie was decently intelligent and decently pretty, she was also always on the burly side. She did a lot of dead-end jobs as a teenager and young woman, but in the 1980s, when dock work was opened up to women in LA, the lure of better money enticed her to try her hand down at the port. Lots of her friends used to joke that if she’d been born forty years earlier, she could have been a model for Rosie the Riveter, so why not? The port wasn’t all that welcoming, though. To the point that when she was attacked one night while working out on her own, she was not remotely surprised. Of course, this wasn’t some disgruntled fellow docker. This was a monster, and it fully killed her. But no docker, male, female or otherwise, is going down without a fight, and Addie fought. Tooth, claw and whatever else she could fucking reach, all the way down. She didn’t win, obviously, or even survive, but her ferociousness did win her another sort of reward: the unlife of a Gangrel. A fairly typical embrace, as these things go. And a fairly typical aftermath: abandonment. It was up to Addie to prove she was worth the effort of instruction. She could have gone back to the city, made her way among easier hiding spots and easier prey, but Addie’d fought for her place down the docks. She’d fought for her place by the sea, so by the sea she stayed. A longshorewoman, not a sailor, but fuck it anyway. The coast was her territory. She stayed, and she survived. And maybe the next few women to try their hands down the docks had a slightly easier time of it, when the worst of their opponents tended to have accidents, and wind up vanishing, or floating in the water. But there’s only so long you can sustain that, and soon she had to move on, or risk being found and killed. And here’s maybe where her story wasn’t so typical. It wasn’t another Gangrel who found her and showed her a little bit more of this strange, fearsome new midnight world world she found herself part of. It was a Lasombra. A gun-runner with a private boat, who stumbled across Addie’s activities when the bodies in the water started to draw attention to her own doings. A beautiful demon of the deep, who found and became enchanted by this stocky, ferocious creature on the shore. And the feeling was, eventually, entirely mutual.
Addie Thompson is a wandering coastal Gangrel, a regular haunter of waterfronts up and down the coastline. She’s a rough, self-sufficient, no-nonsense survivor who has no patience for politics or any of the games of vampires. She goes where she wants when she wants, and kills anyone who’d try to hold her. She doesn’t generally kill willy-nilly, however, and often tries to choose certain targets, echoes of her first. There may or may not be rumours of a coastal serial killer who tends to target particular longshoremen and other port workers that may or may not be related to her. But Addie herself is a relatively personable monster. And she has one deep and true connection in this midnight world. A beautiful sea-demon, a gun-runner with a private boat. A Lasombra corsair that she truly and deeply believes loves her, and who she genuinely loves in return.
(Note: So. I love Mariner Gangrel, and I love Corsair Lasombra, and I ravenously adore nautical horror. And you would wonder if ever the twain should meet. And there’s those sort of fairytale elements, mist and shadows, seabirds and mermaids, the nightmare-life-in-death, the rime of the ancient mariner. Does this Lasombra corsair actually love this burly, rough-and-tumble docker woman? Maybe. But Addie wants a dream to hold close to her heart, a little bit of something romantic in a rough life, and, for at least a little while, some nights, I say she gets to have it).
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