#bobby pronge

[the-iceni-bitch]

Trust Me, I Can Handle Me a Dangerous Man…

Summary: Some things never change…

Relationship: Mr. Freezy (Bobby) x hitwoman!fem reader (kitten)

Words: ~2.7k

Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual content (unprotected p in v, rough sex, edging, cock warming), murder, drug use, part of a dark-ish AU, NO MINORS 🔞

A/N: I FINALLY FUCKING FINISHED A FIC AFTER SEVEN GODDAMN MONTHS!!! Now that the screaming is out of the way, hi y’all! I cannot guarantee that I’m going to be posting fics on a regular basis but I will say that I have a couple in the works that I actually feel are close to being finished soooooo, fingers crossed!

I am no longer doing taglists so if you want to stay up to date on my writing, follow @the-iceni-library and turn on notifications!

You smiled to yourself as the light caught the ring on your finger, turning your hand back and forth and humming softly at the way it sparkled in the sunlight.

Then his hand tightened around your throat and he moved inside you and all you could do was whine.

“Jesus fucking Christ, kitten,” Bobby snarled in your ear when he felt you flutter around his cock as he cut off your air, slapping your tits and then your face a few times with his free hand until he was satisfied your were focused again. “Pay attention. Never would’ve put that fucking thing on your finger if I knew you were gonna get so damn distracted.”

“Shut the fuck up,” you purred when he pulled you even closer, grinding your ass in his lap while he fucked up into you. “‘Scuse me for enjoying being a newlywed.”

He just snorted before sinking his teeth into the side of your neck while his body kept rolling underneath yours. It’s not like he could deny there wasn’t something special about finally being able to call you his wife, to enjoy knowing that you belonged to him completely and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Not that anyone would ever try. He would fucking kill them if they did. Hell, he almost killed anyone who would even look at you, now. Nothing got him more worked up than growling at some idiot for looking at his wife and then fucking you like he owned you. God, he actually fucking loved you, in his fucked up, psychotic way.

You sighed when he licked the mark he had left on your neck, rocking your body against his and holding the rifle in your hands tightly as he kept his grip just firm enough for you to take shallow breaths. It was true, you were having a little trouble focusing, but you still got your fucking job done. You had to, since he had wanted to be inside you since pretty much right after you left City Hall two days go. Of course, you couldn’t really complain about that, not when his cock was throbbing inside you and his breath was hot against your neck. When he started sucking on your ear you grinned, turning your face so you could rub your cheek against his over your shoulder.

“Ah shit,” you saw movement through the scope out of the corner of your eye and huffed out a sharp breath, “That’s him. Keep your mouth to yourself for a damn minute.”

“Fine,” Bobby leaned back with a groan, watching you raise the gun to aim and fighting the urge to keep thrusting his hips, “Just hurry the fuck up.”

You ignored the brush of his fingers as he pushed up your skirt so he could grope your ass, taking deep breaths and doing your best to remain focused when he let out a grunt at the way your pussy looked when it was stretched wide around his dick. The idiot you had to kill was finally in your sights. He hadn’t stepped outside in two days and his blinds were always closed, paranoid bastard. But one call from his little girlfriend and he threw all that caution to the wind. What a fucking moron.

Two more breaths and you squeezed the trigger, the silenced gunshot swallowed by the noise of the city. The dumbass in your scope had barely hit the ground before Bobby grabbed the back of your neck and threw you to the floor. He didn’t waste any time before shoving his cock back inside you, grinning to himself when you moaned and spread your legs for him.

“That’s it, such a good fucking whore my wife is,” he grunted as he started to fuck you like an animal, his hips smacking against your ass lewdly, “Fuck, I’ll never get sick of this snatch of yours, so damn tight.”

“Such a sweet talker you are,” you arched your back so he could hit you even deeper, your eyes fluttering when he spread your cheeks and spat on your asshole, “Knew you just married me for my body.”

“Just keep talking, bitch,” Bobby started rubbing your rim with his thumb while he fucked you and almost lost it when it made you clench tighter around him, “Married you for that cunt mouth too.”

“Yes… oh fuck,” you dug your fingers into the carpet underneath you and bit your lip when he slid his thumb inside your ass, every muscle in your body starting to grow tight, “Fuck me harder, you stupid fucking bastard. Make me come.”

“Yeah, I’ll make you come, you dumb little slut,” he groaned and leaned over you so he could sink his teeth into your shoulder, growling against your skin when he felt both of your holes flutter around him, “Do it fast. I want to come inside your pretty little gash before the pigs show up.”

Even as you rolled your eyes you still whined when his balls rubbed against your clit, your legs trembling and your breath leaving you in sharp huffs as you came on his cock. As soon as he felt you squirt he drove into you to the hilt. His breath was hot against your skin while he grunted in his release, his dick pulsing inside you as he pumped you full of his thick cum. He kissed the mark he left on your neck and then he was gone, standing up and grinning at the sight of you sprawled out on the floor and leaking his seed.

You thought about sassing him for leaving you to clean yourself up, but then you heard sirens and you knew it was time to go. Bobby took care of disassembling the rifle once he got his jeans pulled back up. At least all you had to do was pull your dress back into place, admiring the bites and bruises he’d left all over your tits as you slid your arms back into your sleeves. Hopefully you looked appropriately love drunk and giddy, making sure the ring on your finger was prominent and beaming at him when he wound his arm around your waist and hefted the suitcase holding your rifle.

The lobby was full of cops, but you two looked like the happy newlyweds you were, so they had no reason to bother you. Or, you looked like a happy newlywed, Bobby looked like he was thinking about stabbing some of those cops until you stood on your tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“Fucking pigs,” Bobby practically spat the words as he shoved the suitcase into the trunk before climbing into the driver’s seat, “Make my goddamn skin crawl.”

“Well if you hadn’t insisted on fucking me we could’ve been out of there before they showed up,” you caught his hand by the wrist after he slapped you and bit his knuckle with a playful growl, “Don’t be so cranky, Bobby. I’ll let you finger fuck me while we drive back to the club.”

By the time you had made it back to the club you were a mess and he looked annoyingly pleased with himself. All you could do when he gave your sloppy cunt a few final smacks was whine and feebly try to push his hand away while he just chuckled at you. The only thing that brought you back to yourself was when he backhanded you across the face. As much as it made you want to stab him, you needed to maintain some semblance of professionalism when you were about to meet with the bosses. That didn’t stop you from ramming your fist into his gut once you had finally pulled yourself out of the car, his low snarl when you just started walking away while he stood there doubled over making your pussy start to clench all over again.

The club was empty except for staff since the sun was still up, all of whom chuckled under their breath when they saw Bobby stalking after you with pure murder etched on his face. Curtis grinned when he saw you approaching, shaking his head when Bobby caught up to you and grabbed you by the throat so he could whisper threats in your ear. You just rolled your eyes at your husband and gave Curtis a wink when he held the door to the bosses’ office open for you. Bobby shook a few times for good measure before he finally let you go, shoving you into the office and just barely resisting the urge to fling one of your knees over his elbow and hold you wide open while he took his annoyance out on your pretty little cunt.

“Holy fucking shit, you weren’t lying when you said you got hitched?!” Lloyd looked positively giddy with amusement when you pranced up and held out your hand to show him the ring. “I don’t know if I should be insulted you didn’t invite me or not.”

“Please, you wanted to come to city hall?” You ignored Bobby’s grumbling while you conversed with Lloyd, watching your husband sink into one of the office chairs then turning your attention back to your favorite boss. “It’s not like Bobby was going to throw a party.”

“That’s true. You have married a stick in the mud, my dear. Nick, Auggie!” Lloyd grinned at the other bosses when they strode into the office. “Congratulate our favorite psychos, they tied the knot!”

“Did they finish the job?” August grunted while Nick actually congratulated the two of you, ignoring Lloyd’s melodramatic eye roll.

“Sure fucking did,” You gave August a wink when he just shrugged at you. “Dropped that fucker right in the middle of Manhattan.”

“That’s why you’re the best,” Lloyd bent under the desk to grab the hefty envelope of cash, taking a little longer then usual and beaming even more when he also came up with a kilo of coke. “And a nice little bonus as congratulations on your nuptials. You know my little lady is going to want to actually throw you a party though?”

“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” you thumbed through the cash and turned back to your husband, sighing when he gave you a sour look. “Don’t worry, grumpy, you can stay home.”

He just huffed before the two of you started to head back out to the car, ignoring the well wishes of your bosses and choosing to let his eyes rake over your body. You had gotten significantly more social ever since the two of you joined the new organization, and he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it. Granted, the money was enough to make up for any chit chat he had to put up with, and he did get to fuck you in public a lot more. Plus, the drugs…

“Lemme taste that,” Bobby grabbed the brick and jabbed his knife into it, rubbing some of the powder onto his gums and sucking in a breath when he got a buzz right away. “Fuck, that’s good shit.”

“Gimme,” you giggled when he scooped some onto his pinky and offered it to you, humming after you took a bump and looking up at him with wide eyes. “Shit.”

“Yeah. Fuck it,” he shoved you into one of the VIP booths in the club and bent you over the table, flipping up your skirt and giving your ass a good smack before scooping more coke onto his blade. “We can have a quick party. Fucking hold still.”

You moaned when he started to tap out lines on the upper curve of your ass. It was so hard not to start trembling when he pulled shit like this, his warm breath on your skin and the fact that anyone could walk by and see you making your pussy start to get slick and hot right away. Bobby growled and dragged his stubborn cheek along the curve of your ass before giving you a firm bite, licking and kissing the mark he made on your skin before turning his focus to the lines of white powder and inhaling them greedily.

“Bobby…” you moaned and then froze when you felt him parting your cheeks with his calloused fingers. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!”

“Calm down… hey!” Bobby rose to his feet and grabbed the back of your neck when you tried to turn around and scratch him, slamming your head against the table twice as he took off his belt with one hand. “You’re the little bitch who cries about being too sensitive when you’re high, kitten. Thought I would help you out.”

“You fucking bastard!” It’s not like you could do anything except hiss and spit at him, kicking your legs when he looped his belt around your wrists and somehow managed to bind you to the legs at the opposite side of the table. “Bull shit you wanna help me!”

“Yeah well,” he chuckled and slapped your ass as hard as he could when you almost kicked him in the knee. “Maybe I just wanna see how wet my little wife’s pussy can get if she can’t come.”

You snarled and tried uselessly to squirm away from him when he started rubbing the cocaine all over your pussy and asshole. Even as high as you were, you wanted to scratch one of his eyes out for this. It wasn’t even enough to make you completely numb, just enough that you were going to be frustrated and right on the edge for the next hour. You could still feel his warm breath and the heavy weight of his tongue when he dragged it over your sex, but the delicious throbbing you typically felt in your clit when he sucked on it was gone, replaced by an annoying little buzz that made you grind your teeth.

“Still so goddamn sweet, you’re dripping, sweetheart,” Bobby pinched your clit and grinned when you rewarded him with a petulant growl. He was probably going to have to tie you up when he needed to sleep for the next week, unless he wanted to wake up to a knife in his leg. But fuck, it was worth it.

“I’m gonna rip your fucking tongue out,” your threats didn’t stop you from grinding back against his face, every muscle in your body tensing as you held your breath and tried to will yourself to come. But it didn’t happen. You could feel it right there but then it was gone. “Fuck!”

Bobby just hushed you and then bent back to work, burying his face in your supple cheeks and grunting as he wrapped his lips around your pussy and sucked. Every time you made one of your little dissatisfied sounds he just pinched your clit again, reminding you that he could and that nothing he might do to you right now would be able to make you come. He swore your pussy tasted even sweeter when he pissed you off like this, that it got even more swollen and hot than it did during his normal games with you. He loved it, so much so that he was seriously considering rubbing more coke all over your cunt once your sensitivity was back just so he could make you even angrier.

Four more times he brought you right up to the edge then just kept you there, chuckling into the swollen folds of your cunt each time you screamed in impotent rage. After an hour you were a panting, sweat-soaked mess of a woman, your body quivering with frustration and exhaustion. Even when he undid his belt from around your wrists you couldn’t move, snarling at him uselessly when he just gave your temple a condescending kiss. As soon as you could move you were going to stab him.

“I know that look, kitten, and I wouldn’t recommend it.” He gave your ass a hard swat before pulling your skirt back down to cover you. “I know your a hissy kitty right now, but I might have a treat planned for my little wife.”

“Fuck you,” you hissed at him, grumbling under your breath when he helped you stand and left his arm around your waist. “What kind of treat?”

“Oh, I dunno…” Bobby pinched your ass as the two of you made your way towards the club exit. “How do you feel about picking up a toy for the night?”

[avonne-writes]

HS au question: I know Gale ties his hair up a lot, but does he ever use hair clips or bobby pins? I feel like it would be really cute, especially when he’s studying. Also, does Bucky ever carry around emergency hair elastics for Gale? Also also, has Gale ever had a phase where he did or has he ever thought about letting his hair grow really long? It’s only about shoulder length, right?

Yes, he does use bobby pins, but only for sports. He always has a few in his bag though and often ends up fiddling with one and then - of course - putting it in his mouth. He often puts the prongs around his fingertip and then forgets about it, so if someone asks him a question, he’ll gesture around with the pin on his finger 😅 Sometimes, he also taps on the desk like that while he’s studying. He doesn’t use hair clips. He tried Georgia's and didn’t like the way it looked on him.

Bucky doesn’t carry emergency hair ties because he’s so thoughtful or something, he carries them because Gale leaves those things everywhere and he picks them up and then forgets to return them! 😅 So, when Gale needs one and doesn’t have any on hand, a lightbulb turns on in Bucky's little head and he opens the small front pocket of his school bag / training bag, where dozens of hair ties have been waiting for their moment patiently for months.

While we're at the topic of hair ties: Gale has a habit of putting his hair tie on his wrist when he wants to leave his hair down. However, this is a weird preference of his, he doesn’t want to have sex with the elastic on his wrist. It’s funny because he doesn’t mind socks or a necklace or any other item, just the band on the wrist. It’s probably because it gives him the illusion of something restrictive.

For the last question: in the beginning, he considers growing his hair even longer, but he does these online hairstyle try-ons and doesn’t like the super long-haired look. He likes it shoulder-length. Also, long hair is impractical for swimming, he doesn’t want to deal with even more hair drying.

He starts growing his hair out just before high school, so when he meets Bucky for the first time, he looks kind of like this:

[multiversemaker169]

The Disney furry au characters, their species l, and the reason for their species.

(Characters that are already animals are the same species as cannon, such as Judy from Zootopis still being a rabbit and José Carioca still being a parrot).

Inside out recap(there are a few changes)

.Joy: Butterfly(because they're very colorful, and I think they match her body type).

.Sadness: Lop eared rabbit(because they look so sad with their droopy ears).

.Fear: House cat(because of the iconic phrase "scaredy-cat" and because of the cat scene in the first movie's end credits).

.Disgust: Swan(because they're associated with elegance and grace).

.Anger: Red panda(because they are also called fire foxes, since Anger can shoot fire from his head when he's angry enough. I also like the idea of Anger trying to be intimidating, but is rarely taken seriously because everyone finds him cute).

.Ennui: Pine marten(because they're native to France. I know poodles are associated with France, but I didn't choose her to be the poodle because it would've been too obvious. Pine martens also fit her body shape better than poodles).

.Envy: Chinchilla(I felt like a dessert rain frog didn't match her shape, and chinchillas are so cute.

.Embarrassment: Giant panda(because, just like Embarrassment, giant pandas are big but shy).

.Nostalgia: Arctic fox(because they match her color scheme, and I wanted a fox somewhere).

.Bing Bong: Elephant(because elpephants are a major part of his design).

.Rainbow Unicorn: Horse(because unicorns are just horses with horns on their foreheads).

.Bobby: Termite

Paula: Ant

Fritz: Beaver

Since they're mind workers, I felt like they should all be three different animals they are usually depicted as hard workers in cartoons.

Polly(Dream Productions Paula): Squirrel(because of vibes).

Xeni: Llama(also because of vibes).

.Riley: Monkey(because of her pretending to be a monkey in the first movie before she goes to school.

Toy Story(I won't include Barbie or Ken because despite appearing in Toy Story 3(and 2 for Barbie), they're owned by Mattel, not Disney).

.Woody: Horse(It fits the Western theme, and horses are usually depicted as being stubborn, just like how Woody was in the first movie).

.Buzz: Golden retriever(this dog breed is known for being loyal, intelligent, and devoted to friends and family, which fits Buzz to a tee).

.Jessie: Highland Cow(I thought it would be funny if I made her a literal cowgirl).

.Bo Peep: Sheep(for obvious reasons).

.Slinky's still a dog.

.Ham is still a pig.

.Mr and Mrs. Potato Head: Toads(they match their round body shape).

.Wheezy is still a penguin.

.Rex: Komodo dragon(it's the animal whose design is closest to a T.rex since dinosaurs are extinct in this au).

.Andy: Goat(because goats are known to be great companions for horses as they have a calming effect on horses and help with their anxiety. So, it would make sense for Woody to grow attached to Andy(not in a disturbing way).

.Sid: Wolf(wolves are the most fierce predator of horses).

.Al: Chicken(because he's the chicken man).

.Stinky Pete: Skunk(his name is Stinky Pete, and skunks are known for being stinky).

.Lotso is still a bear.

.Forky: Deer/Raccoon hybrid(raccoons are associated with trash, and deer antlers kinda match his spork prongs, and a spork is technically a hybrid between a fork and a spoon).

.Knifey: Rabbit/Mantis hybrid(I wanted to make her a hybrid as well. While there is no reason for her being part rabbit, the raptorial legs of a mantis match her green arms.

.Gabby Gabby: Papillion(the dog breeds ears kinda match her hair, and it is a severely underrepresented dog breed).

.Duke Caboom: Flea(he's known for jumping long lengths and a flea can jump up to 150 times their body length).

.Pricklepants is still a hedgehog.

.Trixie is a rhino(because of the face horn).

Princesses

.Snow White: Sheep(she's known for being kind and pure hearted, and sheep are associated with purity in Christianity).

.Cinderella: Mouse(her greatest companions are mice in the movie).

.Belle: French Spaniel(it's a fancy french dog breed).

.Rapunzel: Horse(because of the Tangled reference in Zootopia called Rangled).

.Moana: Ocelot(the Moana reference in Zootopia depicts her as some sort of wildcat, and while ocelots are native to the Caribbean rather than Polynesia, they are no wildcats in Polynesia, so I just picked a tropical wildcat).

.Tiana: Frog(she was a frog for most of the movie).

.Anna and Elsa: Ottters(they were otters in the frozen 2 easter egg in Zootopia depicts them as otters).

.Mulan: Red-crowned crane(it's a majestic bird native to China).

.Pocahontas: Deer(they're a species native to the U.S.).

.Jasmine: Tiger(her pet is a tiger, so it's a case of association).

.Penelope: Rat(rats are an animal species that get a severely bad rep, but are very nice once you get to know them. Just like Penelope in Wreck-it Ralph).

Others

.Patience(my Inside Out oc): Axolotl(she loves the water, and an axolotl's gills match her water hair).

.Ralph: Rhino(because of the Wreck-it Ralph reference in Zootopia).

.Carl and Ellie: Albatrosses(they're an animal species that only ever have one mate for their entire life.

.Aladdin: Rat(he's called a street rat at the beginning of the movie, so now he's literally a street rat).

.Jafar: Cobra(he hypnotized the Sultan in the movie with a mystic cobra staff, so another case of association).

.King Candy: Butterfly, Turbo: Tick(Butterflies are one of the most harmless animals while ticks are blood sucking parasites. It is a perfect metaphor for Turbo pretending to be harmless but is actually a manipulative monster, and the whole cybug thing made it stupid for me not to make both him and his disguise bugs).

.Ego(my other Inside Out oc): Lion(he's very prideful, and so are lions in media).

.All the characters in Zootopia are the same species as cannon.

.Same for the Fab Five, Oswald, Ortensia, Horace, Clarabelle, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Panchito, and José.

.GIFfany: Beaver(as she possessed a beaver animatronic in her episode).

.Shego: Black widow(the spider species matches her general vibes).

.Kim Possible: Red panda(to match her red hair).

[abbatoirablaze]

The StiXXX List, Chapter 1, Glitter

Word Count:  2k

Warnings: slight angst, mentions of little to no clothing, cursing, slight manipulation.

“Alright, who invited the strippers?”

“TAKE IT OFF!” Pronge cheered, the junior excited over hearing about the possibility of entertainment being at their little get together, “SHOW US THEM TITS!”

A few of the guys chuckled as the twins came onto the back porch.  Sophomore Andy Barber blushed as he looked at his girlfriend and her sister.  He was quick to leave the game of quarters he’d been playing and playfully shoved his friend and senior ‘big brother’ Roque out of the way, “Lighten up, Roque.  She’s here for me.  If you idiots want entertainment, you’ll have to find it somewhere else.”

“You tell em, Barber!” she giggled softly, tucking herself into his side.   

“Hey baby!” he smirked, leaning down to catch her lips with his own, “thought you were busy tonight.”

“I wanted to see my big strong man,” she giggled, “Is that so wrong?”

“If it’s wrong, then I don’t ever wanna be right,” he chuckled, “god I’ve been thinking of those pictures you sent me all afternoon...you just wait until we get upstairs.”  

“Andy!” she smiled softly, looking up at the nearly six-foot-tall man.  He grinned and wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “not in front of my sister.”

He frowned as he looked at his girlfriend’s twin sister, “Right.  I see you brought the devil incarnate with you.”

“Andy!” she frowned, pulling away from him as her sister glared at the sophomore, “be nice.”

“I am by only saying she’s the devil incarnate,” he chuckled, “do you want a drink baby?”

She looked to her sister, “Amber do you want a-“

But her sister was already taking the hand of the junior defenseman, Bobby Pronge, as he led her back into the house. 

“What about you Angel?”

“A beer couldn’t hurt, could it?” she asked, eyes glittering up at the man that she’d adored. 

“I got you!” he smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist so that he could lead her into the house. 

“Ambz, I’m gonna be late for class.  Wha-“ Angel’s eyes went wide as she looked at her sister, who was coming out of her bedroom in a crop top that barely covered her breasts and the tiniest pair of boy shorts.  She immediately covered her daughter’s eyes, “AMBER!  Brooke is up!”

“MMM, not right now, Ang, I’ve got a massive hangover!” she hummed as she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed the orange juice from the fridge.  From at the table, four-year-old Brooklyn Barber was giggling.

“Mommy, Auntie Amber isn’t wearing pants.  She’s walking around in her undies again.”

“Amber, Brooke’s up!” she repeated, “we’ve talked about this, remember?”

“Then tell her not to go into my room,” she laughed to herself, “There’s a naked hockey player in there.”

“Is Uncle Bobby back?” she asked with a huff; her giggles ceasing as she thought about an all too familiar man who was usually at the apartment, “I don’t like him.”

“No baby, it’s a new guy.  His name is Mr-you know what, it doesn’t matter what his name is...he wasn’t that great...not like Bobby,” she said thoughtfully as she played with her niece’s brunette braids, “but you can’t go waking him up...”

“Seriously, Amb?” her sister asked, shooting her an unsympathetic look, “you’re still hooking up with guys from the team?”

“Mommy, what’s hooking up?”

“I’m initiating them,” Amber smiled sweetly at her sister, “he’s a freshman and a few of the guys brought him to the club last night.”

She frowned, “you slept with a freshman.”

“Listen, I’m a grown woman without the responsibility of my own child,” Amber pointed out, “I help raise our little superstar here because her deadbeat daddy is a POS!”

“Mommy what’s a deadbeat?”

“Nothing baby!”

“It’s what your daddy is!” Amber answered as she picked up her niece, “come on.  I’ll get you dressed, and mommy will make you and me some breakfast since I was nice enough to cover her shift last night.”

“Don’t you think you should get dressed yourself?” Angel asked.

“I’ll get dressed when you get off your exes dick!” Amber said with a firm reply as she started walking towards Brooke’s room.

“Mommy what’s a-“

“Brooke, no!” she said quickly, “Auntie Amber said a bad word!”

From her spot at the kitchen, she could hear her daughter and her sister giggling as they closed the door.  Angel sighed from her spot at the counter and looked at her phone.  Her stomach dropped.

No new messages.

“God damn it, Andy,” she hissed to herself, “why haven’t you called yet?  You’re supposed to take her for the weekend so I can work...”

She looked to the stove for a second, before ultimately pulling a box of cereal from the top of the fridge and putting it on the table.  Then she grabbed her phone and went down the hall, hiding away in the bathroom. 

Dialling the all-too-familiar number, she put the phone to her ear. 

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line, and she heard her ex’s husky voice answer, “yeah...”

“Andy, you’re supposed to take Brooke this weekend...hell, you were supposed to pick her up last night so I could work,” she reminded him, “where the hell are you?”

There was some shuffling on his side of the line and Angel frowned when she heard a female voice asking, ‘where are you going.’ 

“It’s only eight thirty,” he mumbled, obviously looking at a clock, “and anyways, you know that Laurie doesn’t like being around her, so I couldn’t take her last night.  She-“

“Brooke is your daughter, Andy,” she reminded him, “I don’t care if your fiancé likes her or not.  You’ve already cancelled the last two weekends you were supposed to have her this summer, and my boss is getting pissed at me.  Amber can only cover my shift if we’re not both scheduled.”

She could hear him chuckling on the other side of the line, “looks like that bitch of a sister of yours is good for something then.  The world pays her to take off her clothes...it’s her dream come true that she gets to do it so often.”

“Andy-“

“Look, Laurie-she’s leaving for the weekend, okay?” Andy said, his voice getting lower, “but she’s not heading out with her girlfriends until noon...I’ll be there to pick Brooke up after she leaves, okay?”

“Andy, I have class that starts at 12:30, I can’t wait aroun-“

“What do you want me to do, Angel?” he asked, his tone turning angry, “push my fiancé out of my apartment because my ex wants to push my kid on me?  What message does that send to her?”

“Which message?  Your fiancé or the daughter that you pretend doesn’t exist ever since you and Laurie moved in together two years ago?” she growled, “because it tells your daughter that you don’t care about her enough to tell your fiancé to get over it.  And there’s only so much I can say to argue that when I’ve got my sister-“

“Tell Ghost to stop telling Brooke I’m a deadbeat then.”

“I will when you stop acting like one!”

“That’s not a fair statement, Angel...”

“Andy, I don’t ask much of you,” she frowned, “you don’t pay child support.  You barely see Brooke unless Laurie is out of town or you’re paying for some spa day for her...you didn’t even come to her fourth birthday party.  You pretend Brooke doesn’t exist most of the time and-“

“Okay, okay, I get it,” he growled, cutting her off, “I’m trying to balance this here, but I can only do so much.  I’ll try to get Laurie out of the house earlier, but-“

“I’ll be at your place at noon, with Brooke.  Whether you’re ready for her to be there or not!”

She could hear Andy on the other side of the line getting ready to make an argument, but she was quick to hang up. 

Throwing her phone into her pocket, she ignored the buzzing, letting her know that Andy was trying to call her back.  And as she made her way to the kitchen, she saw her four-year-old and twin sister frowning at her.

“What?”

“Really mommy?”

“A box of cereal, sis?” Amber asked in an annoyed tone.

“I don’t see you doing any better!”

“I got her dressed!”

She frowned when she saw her little girl in mismatched socks, a pink tutu with nothing under it, and a black t-shirt that said, ‘my aunt thinks I’m metal!’

“Really, Ambz?”

She smiled, “she picked it out.”

“Go pick something else out, kiddo,” she frowned, messing with her hair, “your daddy won’t like it if-“

“Mommy, I don’t want to go to daddy’s house,” she whimpered, looking between her mother and her aunt.  Angel looked at her sister and she held her hands up in defence, “mommy, daddy is mean.  I can’t play with anything there and-“

“That’s because daddy’s fiancé doesn’t like kids,” Amber said with a fake smile to Brooke, “she’s what we call a cu-“

“Amber!”

Amber rolled her eyes and stood from the table once more, “we’ll go try again, if you do too, right Brooke?  What do you want for breakfast?”

“French toast!”

“The royal court demands toast of the French!” Amber proclaimed as she held the box of cereal out to her sister.  Angel sighed and took it, then turned towards the fridge to grab the bread, eggs, and milk. 

“Go get changed, princess Brooke and court jester Amber!” The two girls cheered, and Angel watched as her sister swept Brooke into her arms and led her back to her room. “And make sure that she’s presentable for Andy.  You know how he is!”

“Yeah, yeah.  Make your kid look like a priss.  I got it!”

“Hey, language!” she called after the door closed once more.

Angel got to work, making the French toast for her sister and her daughter, getting lost in the thoughts of the conversation that she’d previously had with her ex. 

That was, until she found a pair of arms wrapping around her waist and a pair of lips attaching to her neck, “shit, baby, last night was life-changing for me...who knew coming to college and being with an older woman would-“

“Excuse the fuck out of you!” she hissed, tearing herself away from the man.  He looked at her confused as she hit him with the spatula, “who the hell do you think you’re talking to.”

“Ghost, Ghost-chill!  It’s me, Sam.  I know we partied a bit last night, but-“

“My name is Angel, you prick!” she growled, continuing to hit him with the spatula, “Back the hell away from me!”

“Hey, HEY!” Amber called, rushing into the kitchen, “what’s going on here?”

Sam’s eyes widened and he looked between the two women, “twins?”

“Hey, eyes up here, perv,” Amber whistled, pointing at herself, “seriously?  You couldn’t tell us apart?”

“I-it was dark.  I-“

“Tit job,” Amber pointed out, referring to how her breasts were slightly larger than her sisters, “granted, when she had her little crotch goblin, they were bigger than mine, but the money I earned from the club helped me get bigger ones than her.”

“HEY!”

“Mommy what’s a crot-“

“Go to your room, Brooke!”

“What the hell is going on?” Sam asked, looking between the sisters.

“Well, considering you just felt up your captain’s ex girlfriend and baby momma, I think you should probably leave,” Amber shrugged, “but hey, it was fun getting to fuck, Simon.”

“Sam...”

“Yeah...that’s what I said,” she frowned, tossing him his jacket, “out you go, kid.  Welcome to college.”

“I-“

“Bye Solomon!” she said as she led him out the door, then tossed his shoes towards him.

“It’s Sam!” he corrected her once again as she closed the door in his face.

“Amber-“

“What?” she scoffed, “it wasn’t like he was mind-blowing...and anyways.  He felt you up.  I can’t waste my time on a guy who doesn’t even know the differences between us.”

“But you just-“

“How’s the French toast coming?” she asked. There was a knock on the door and Amber opened it to see Sam still standing there, “what?”

“My uh-my jeans are still in your room.” He said with an embarrassingly low tone, “and uh, my wallet and keys and phone are in my pockets...I-I kind of need them to get back to my dorm.”

“God you hockey players are so whiney!” she said, rolling her eyes.  She opened the door a little more so that Sam could walk past her and get his pants as she turned her attention back to her sister, “well?  French toast?”

“Seriously, Ambz?”

“What?” she shrugged, looking at her sister, “I’m hungry...I worked up a real appetite last night.”

Chapter 2

[ganxiously]

I was really trying to keep it to myself because it does give away the plot a little bit and also perhaps misleads it a bit but apparently 'if it hurts you, make it everyone else's problem' is the mindset that I now have.

The entire street is ensconced in thick, black smoke when they arrive, pouring out like sludge from the ventilation holes they have cut on the roof for pressure release. The fire isn’t visible from the outside but from what they had been told by dispatch, Buck knows that the entire interior of the one-storey commercial building is up in flames. Given that most of the storefronts he can see are for fabrics and furniture, it is apparent why there was a need for eight teams to get the fire under control. The IC that meets them at the command tent looks calm but harried, letting out a gusty sigh when he sees that a fresh new team has arrived to lend them a hand.  They had been halfway through dinner when the call had come in so Buck’s still a bit hungry but he’s also thankful. Not that there’s anything to be thankful about so much damage and so many livelihoods lost but Chimney had looked like he was finally losing the ability to keep his questions to himself and Buck will be eternally grateful that the call had come in before Chimney could through the proverbial first stone into the glass walls of Buck’s carefully taped together life.  The IC explains to Bobby where the fire is concentrated and how they plan on getting to it by launching a double-pronged attack through the roof and through the stores. Buck exchanges a look with Eddie to make sure they are on the same page here. After all, climbing onto the roof and using ladder pipes to fight the fire from above? Cool. He’s just about to open his mouth to volunteer for the work when someone else enters the tent. “We managed to control the fire leaking out onto the roof but the structure was too unstable for any of us to go down there.”

Tommy is using his outside people voice again, he thinks before he even registers whose voice he is hearing and then slams his eyes shut because he knows what is going to happen the moment he sees Tommy again. But the temptation is too strong, has always been too strong since that very first moment Tommy stepped out of the shadows of his chopper to introduce himself. And Buck had been doing good, he had been doing great. He even had a second date coming up this weekend, though it was the bowling alley he was looking forward to more than seeing Jack again. And now he knows he will go back and make up excuses to cancel the meetup, probably even block his number to ensure he doesn’t have to think about it again because one sight of him, ash-streaked, curls flying every which way and eyes, blue, blue, blue because they are really sensitive to smoke (he must have forgotten his eye drops again), is enough to wash away everything else —  every experience he has had so far, the touch he has felt and the conversations he has had, the good and the bad and the fucking mediocre, until all that is left is the Buck of that night, sitting in his kitchen, alone again because the man he thought would be forever, decided he wasn’t worth the risk after all. Tommy’s eyes fall on him and Buck should look away, pretend he wasn’t staring, pretend it doesn’t matter but he’s missed him. The ache in him throbs, the delicate tissue of his heart exposed to anyone who wants to take a hit and yet he can’t help but drink in the sight of him, can’t help but luxuriate in the feel of those eyes on him in return. Yes, look at me and no one else, he wants to tell him. He wants to take hold of Tommy’s turnouts, tuck himself up against his neck and complain about how hard everything has been, even though Tommy is the person who is directly responsible for making it hard in the first place. He wants to tell him how hard it is to be one when he just got used to planning for two, how driving his car every day feels weird, how Eddie’s quips fall stale without anyone to back them up and the last time he told someone about his research binge, they just hemmed and hawed in a way that made it clear that they were not even listening in the first place. He wants Tommy to make his appropriately angry on his behalf noises even as Buck can feel the amusement come off him in waves. He wants to pinch Tommy’s waist in retaliation and watch him flinch away because that is his most ticklish spot. He wants to ask Tommy about his life. Did he find the problem in Lucy’s car? Make it to the anniversary party of the old friend he was considering going to? Did the cat that he feeds sometimes finally deliver her babies? Did he move on? Did he find someone who can make him believe in forever, at least better than Buck had? Tommy’s lips part like he’s about to say something and Buck turns away. He doesn’t want to hear Tommy’s voice give shape to whatever stilted, awkward or mean thing that’s about to come out of his mouth. And he definitely doesn’t want to hear him say Buck.  “Bobby? I’ll go help Hen with triage.” Bobby’s eyebrows make a valiant climb towards his hairline before remembering they are supposed to be pretending that nothing’s wrong. Buck knows he’s giving himself away, to his team and god knows, however many firefighters are there cramped in that little tent and Tommy, who knows exactly how much Buck likes being in the thick of things. Tommy who knows that were it any other day, any other time with any other team than the 217, Buck would be up on that ladder or ploughing through rolls of half-burnt fabric in search of flames. “Yes, you do that, Firefighter Buckley. We’ve got it covered here and I’m sure they could use an extra pair of hands over there.”

sorry if it sounds a bit rough. i haven't had the opportunity to edit it yet

[ayotofu]

build me up, break me down preview

Three days after Taylor Kelly’s story, Buck walks back into work wearing his long-sleeved uniform.

He hasn’t worn long sleeves in ages, Eddie knows. Buck told him once that he runs hot now, that even as the weather cools in preparation for winter he can’t bear to wear jackets.

But he’s wearing a long-sleeved uniform.

It’s nothing. It has nothing to do with Taylor-fucking-Kelly’s hatchet job or with the two days of radio silence (aside from the occasional text from Buck to let them know he’s still alive) or with last night when Eddie, unable to keep waiting for Buck to be ready, went by his house and let himself in and Buck was nowhere to be found.

It’s just chilly today.

Buck, for his part, is… normal. A kid gets stuck trying to crawl under a chain-link fence, the prongs digging into his skin. Eddie holds out his hand and Buck puts the bolt cutters in them. Chimney jokes about putting Taylor Kelly’s face on a dartboard and, though both Eddie and Bobby whip around to glare at him, Buck just laughs. Hen kicks his ass in Mario Kart and calls him a fucking loser and Buck grins so big and bright that something in Eddie’s chest loosens.

His phone buzzes as they sit there and he pulls it out to see yet another message from Shannon. God, Shannon—Eddie doesn’t know what to do. Does he let her back into Chris’s life, give her the chance to leave him a second time? Does he keep her away, deprive Chris of having another parent, just because he’s afraid?

Eddie wants to ask Buck, seek out his advice, like he has about a thousand other things since they broke the Curse, but looks at Buck’s sleeves, takes a deep breath, and goes to look for Bobby.

He won’t pile on to Buck’s stress. He refuses to be another problem Buck has to deal with.

“It sounds to me,” Bobby says, slicing an onion in half, “like you should talk to Chris.”

“But if I do that, I’m just telling him his mother’s back.”

“You don’t have to.” Bobby moves to mincing the onion. “Ask him more generally. How does he feel about his mother? Maybe start there.”

It’s good advice, but Bobby’s only met Chris a couple times. He doesn’t know how smart he is, doesn’t know that if Eddie suddenly starts talking about Shannon to him, all serious, he’ll know something is up.

Maybe he should’ve just talked to Buck.

Like his thoughts summoned him, Buck appears in the kitchen, empty cup in hand.

“Um, hi? Sorry, just getting water?”

He says it like a question, apologises like it’s a problem, and Eddie remembers his resolve. He won’t make Buck’s life any more hectic than it already is. His issues with Shannon are his responsibility, after all.

Bobby waves them off with a smile, goes to drop the onions in a hot pan, and Eddie can’t think of what to say without acknowledging the conversation that came before so he says, “Good water!”

Both Buck and Bobby turn to stare at him, so he blushes, holds himself back from a full-body cringe, and runs out of the kitchen.

Despite all that, for the first time, Eddie thinks that maybe they’ll get out of this alright. Maybe the fallout from Taylor Kelly won’t be as big of a deal as he feared. Maybe he’ll figure out how to deal with the Shannon situation without traumatizing Chris anymore than he already is. People are still coming to the firehouse to have their Curses broken, but fewer every day. A manageable amount, now.

Maybe it really will be okay, he dares to think.

[averalia]

The Cold Case

Part 1// Part 2// Part 3// part 4 (Final)

| Pairing: Athens Grant x Reader

| Warning: Warning/s: Attempted kidnapping, assault, guns, death

I Summary: Athena Grant-Nash moves her family to a safe house, then meticulously orchestrates the exposure of a deep-seated conspiracy. After a brutal kidnapping attempt on her, the FBI intensifies its efforts. Athena engineers the capture of Julian Hayes, the conspiracy's financial architect. However, the chapter ends with a chilling interrogation, where Connor Maxwell reveals her family is still a target, despite the arrests.

| A/N: this series is a lot longer than I though it was going to be

The remote cabin was exactly as Hen had described: isolated, rustic, and far from any prying eyes. As they pulled up the winding dirt driveway, the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl. The air was crisp, scented with pine, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension of the city. Bobby, May, and Harry were exhausted but safe.

Inside, Hen and Karen, who had arrived earlier, had already set up makeshift beds and a small, secure workspace in the living area. The first priority was making sure the family was truly safe.

"Okay," Athena stated, her voice calm and authoritative, once the kids were settled with some warm milk. "Here's the plan. Bobby, you and the kids stay here. No leaving the property unless I say so. Karen, thank you for being here, your presence is invaluable. Hen, you're with me. We're going completely off-grid."

Her immediate strategy was multi-pronged, designed to protect her family while simultaneously advancing the investigation, using the very exposure that had put them in danger as a weapon.

First, secure communications and digital hygiene. They were officially dark. All personal phones were turned off and placed in a faraday bag Hen had quickly assembled. Their communication would now be entirely through encrypted channels, using a network of burner phones and a satellite internet connection that Hen had rigged up – slow, but secure and difficult to trace. They would access the outside world only through these protected means, minimizing any digital footprint.

Second, containment of Thomas Thorne. "We need to ensure Thorne is even more secure," Athena told Hen. "The conspirators know he's the key. They might have a lead on his current location. I need to make sure he's moved to an even more impenetrable safe house, somewhere completely out of their reach." She began to brainstorm options, leaning on old law enforcement contacts who ran discreet witness protection services.

Third, leverage the press. "Eleanor Vance is our primary weapon right now," Athena explained to Hen. "The exposure has shaken them, but they're still powerful. We need to feed Vance more. Keep the pressure on. Every new detail that comes out makes it harder for them to control the narrative, and puts more eyes on the FBI's investigation."

Hen nodded, already anticipating. "We'll send her more of the audio logs, maybe some of Y/N's more explicit financial breakdowns. Enough to keep the story boiling without giving away our location or jeopardizing your anonymity."

Fourth, establish contact with Agent Miller, cautiously. "It's time to reach out to Special Agent Miller directly," Athena said. "But not from here. We'll use a series of untraceable burner phones, and we'll communicate in code, or use a dead drop. I need to know what the FBI's next moves are, and how close they are to making arrests. I also need to ensure that when they do move, they have the resources to protect my family." She knew Miller would be under immense pressure, but his integrity was something she could stake her life on.

Fifth, plan for the worst-case scenario. Athena walked the perimeter of the cabin with Bobby, pointing out potential weak spots, discussing escape routes, and reviewing their emergency protocols. Bobby, though still reeling from the sudden upheaval, listened intently, his own protective instincts fully engaged. He was a fire captain, a leader, and he quickly adapted to the crisis. They established a system of rotating watches, ensuring someone was always alert.

As the sun began to paint the sky with streaks of orange and purple, Athena felt a flicker of grim satisfaction. They were out of immediate danger, for now. The cabin was a fortress of sorts. But the fight was far from over. The conspirators wouldn't stop until they silenced everyone involved. And Athena, with the quiet strength of her family behind her, was ready for them. She looked at the old photo of you, Y/N, on her secured laptop. Your sacrifice would not be in vain.

Over the next few days, the cabin became a command center. Hen, with her surprising tech savvy, managed the digital side, feeding carefully redacted information to Eleanor Vance. Each new article from Vance's paper was a gut punch to the exposed conspirators, forcing them onto the defensive. The FBI, spurred by public outrage and the undeniable evidence, ramped up its investigation, their every move tracked by Athena and Hen through news reports and discreet inquiries.

Meanwhile, Athena worked tirelessly to secure Thomas Thorne. She used her old contacts, navigating a clandestine network of former law enforcement and private security specialists who understood the nuances of witness protection. Thorne was moved again, this time to an undisclosed location far across the country, his safety paramount.

The constant threat, however, remained. Athena fielded more anonymous calls and texts, the modulated voices growing increasingly agitated and desperate. They knew she was behind the leak, even if they couldn't prove it. The threats against her family became more explicit, describing May and Harry’s school, Bobby’s fire station, even their favorite park. Athena felt a chilling realization that the conspirators had deep surveillance capabilities, or perhaps, compromised contacts within the city.

One afternoon, as Hen was monitoring the news feeds, she gasped. "Athena, look at this."

A breaking news alert flashed across the screen: "Prominent Businessman Found Dead in Apparent Suicide." The name was familiar. Marcus Thorne. Not Thomas, but his powerful uncle, one of the key figures implicated in Y/N's audio logs.

"Suicide?" Athena scoffed, her eyes narrowing. "Or silencing."

The implication was clear: the conspirators were cleaning house, eliminating anyone who might flip or who already knew too much. The game was escalating, and the stakes were getting terrifyingly high.

A call came through on the secure satellite phone. It was Special Agent Miller from the FBI. His voice was grim. "Detective Grant-Nash, we need to talk. Your information is solid, undeniable. We've moved quickly, but these are powerful people. They're striking back. We have reason to believe your life, and the lives of your family, are in imminent danger. We have assets ready to provide immediate, full-scale protection."

Athena looked at Bobby, who was sitting across the room, watching the kids play, his face a mask of weary vigilance. She knew this was her chance to bring them back into the light, to rely on the formidable power of the federal government. But it also meant exposing herself completely, becoming a primary target.

"Agent Miller," Athena said, her voice steady, "I appreciate the offer. Where do we go from here?"

Miller paused. "We're moving to bring in the primary targets. Warrants are being finalized. But we need your direct testimony. You're the one who found this evidence. We need you to identify the voices, confirm the chain of custody. And we need to get your family into full federal protection immediately."

Athena looked at the mountains surrounding the cabin, then back at the small, fragile family she had brought to safety. The cabin had served its purpose, but it was time for the next, dangerous phase. The fight was coming to a head. Justice for Y/N L/N, so long delayed, was finally within reach, but the path to it was fraught with peril.

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the cabin, Athena made her decision. She would accept federal protection, but on her terms. She wouldn't let her family become passive victims, hidden away while the conspirators walked free. She would use the full force of the FBI, but she would also remain actively involved, ensuring justice was served.

"Agent Miller," she said, her voice firm, "I'll testify. I'll provide everything you need. But I have conditions. My family gets full protection, but I stay in the field. I'm not going into hiding. I'm going to be there when you bring these people down."

Miller hesitated. "Detective, that's… highly irregular. And extremely dangerous."

"It's non-negotiable," Athena replied. "I'm the one who brought this case back to life. I owe it to Y/N L/N to see it through. And I won't let my family's safety be held hostage by these criminals."

After a tense silence, Miller relented. "Alright, Detective. We'll make it work. We'll provide a protective detail for your family, and we'll coordinate with you on the ground. But you follow our lead. This is a federal operation now."

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity. Bobby, May, and Harry were relocated to a secure FBI safe house, a quiet suburban home under constant surveillance. Athena, meanwhile, was debriefed by Agent Miller and a team of federal prosecutors. She meticulously laid out the entire story, providing the original documents, the forensic copies of the flash drive, and a detailed account of Thomas Thorne’s testimony. The federal team, initially skeptical of a lone detective’s findings, quickly became convinced by the irrefutable evidence.

They began coordinating their approach to the conspirators. Athena, now operating as a key witness and a field consultant, was embedded with the FBI’s public corruption unit. Her knowledge of the local landscape, the subtle power dynamics, and the specific individuals involved was invaluable.

One afternoon, Athena was being escorted by two FBI agents to a secure, off-site location for a final pre-trial review of evidence. The location was a discreet federal building in an unassuming part of the city, chosen for its low profile. As their unmarked SUV turned onto a quiet side street, a large, dark van suddenly swerved from a blind alley, ramming into their vehicle's side. The impact was violent, throwing Athena and the agents against their seatbelts. Airbags deployed, filling the SUV with a blinding cloud of white.

Before the dust settled, the rear doors of the van slid open. Two figures, heavily built and clad in dark tactical gear, emerged. They moved with a chilling efficiency, their faces obscured by balaclavas. One agent, disoriented from the crash, tried to reach for his weapon, but a brutal blow to the head sent him slumping forward. The other agent, still struggling with his seatbelt, had a gloved hand clamp over his mouth before he could cry out.

"Grant-Nash," a muffled voice rasped, the tone cold and determined. "Time to finish this."

Athena, though shaken, was already moving. Her own weapon was still holstered, but years of training kicked in. As one of the figures reached for her door handle, she unbuckled her seatbelt and simultaneously kicked out, catching him squarely in the chest. The blow sent him stumbling back, momentarily buying her precious seconds.

She lunged for her door, pushing it open and rolling out onto the pavement, ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder. The second assailant was already coming around the back of the SUV, a dark, menacing silhouette. He was faster, more agile than the first. He lunged, attempting to tackle her.

Athena sidestepped, using his momentum against him, and spun, delivering a sharp elbow to his jaw. He grunted, staggering, but quickly recovered, coming back at her with a furious rush. This wasn't a snatch-and-grab; it was an attempt to neutralize her, permanently.

They engaged in a brutal, silent dance. Athena, though outnumbered and injured, fought with the ferocity of a cornered lioness. She blocked a punch, felt a sharp pain as another grazed her ribs, and retaliated with a series of quick, precise strikes. Her police academy training, honed by years on the street, was a blur of instinct and muscle memory. She heard a groan from inside the SUV—the agents were stirring. She needed to buy them more time.

Her assailant, larger and stronger, managed to get a grip on her arm, twisting it painfully behind her back. He began to drag her towards the van, his grip like iron. "You're coming with us, Detective," he growled.

But Athena Grant-Nash had faced down far worse. With a desperate surge of adrenaline, she dropped her weight, pulled hard against his grip, and then pivoted sharply, slamming her head back into his nose. There was a sickening crunch, and the man roared in pain, releasing her.

Just as he stumbled back, clutching his face, the doors of the federal building burst open. A team of fully armed FBI tactical agents, alerted by the crash and the sudden radio silence from their unit, swarmed into the street, weapons raised.

"FBI! Hands in the air!"

The remaining assailant from the van hesitated for a split second, then scrambled back into the vehicle as the first one, still reeling, managed to follow. The van, tires squealing, roared away, disappearing around the corner before the FBI agents could get a clear shot.

Athena stood panting, her body aching, a fresh cut bleeding above her eye, but her eyes were sharp, scanning the street. They had come for her. They were desperate. But they had failed.

Agent Miller rushed to her side, his face etched with concern. "Athena! Are you alright? What happened?"

"They tried to take me," Athena gasped, leaning against the side of the damaged SUV, her gaze fixed on the corner where the van had vanished. "They tried to silence me."

Miller's jaw was tight. "We knew they were dangerous, but this… This means we're closer than ever. And they're more desperate. From now on, Detective, you don't move without a full tactical escort. We're going to bring these bastards down."

The attempted kidnapping, the brutal fight, only solidified Athena's resolve. They wanted her to back down, to be afraid. But all they had done was fuel her determination. For Y/N, and for her family, she would see this through to the very end. The game had just become deadly.

The foiled kidnapping attempt sent a jolt of grim satisfaction through Athena. They were desperate. The attack was proof that her actions, her relentless pursuit of justice for Y/N, were tearing apart their carefully constructed world of impunity. Now, the FBI wasn't just taking her word for it; they'd witnessed the conspirators' brutality firsthand.

Agent Miller, true to his word, assigned Athena a round-the-clock protective detail. Two highly trained federal agents became her shadows, their presence a constant reminder of the danger, but also a reassuring shield. Her family remained in the secure safe house, a fortress of federal protection. The distance was agonizing, but Athena knew they were safer there, far from the direct line of fire.

The FBI intensified its operations. The audio logs from Y/N's flash drive, coupled with Athena’s deep dive into the historical financial records and Thomas Thorne’s corroborated testimony, formed an unassailable case. Warrants were executed across the city, targeting the powerful individuals named in the recordings. Residences, corporate offices, and private accounts were raided. The media, fueled by Eleanor Vance’s continued exposés, documented every development, turning the once-whispered conspiracy into a screaming headline.

One name kept surfacing in the ongoing investigation: Julian Hayes. He was a quiet, unassuming man, a long-time financial advisor to many of the key players in the original redevelopment project. Y/N’s notes had mentioned him peripherally, always in connection with unusually large, untraceable transactions. He wasn't one of the loud, aggressive voices on the recordings, but Athena’s gut told her he was significant. He was the spider at the center of the financial web.

"Hayes isn't just an advisor," Athena told Agent Miller during a late-night strategy session. "He's the architect. He managed the money, set up the shell companies. He's the one who knew every secret. If we can get him, we can get everything."

Miller agreed. Hayes had been elusive, his financial footprint expertly obscured. He wasn't a public figure, which made him harder to track, but also more dangerous, as he had nothing to lose.

The Trap is Set

The FBI finally located Hayes at a secluded, heavily fortified estate outside the city. It was a testament to his paranoia, a veritable fortress designed to keep the world out. Traditional entry would be a siege. But Athena had an idea.

"Hayes is a creature of habit," she explained. "He's meticulously private. He's also terrified. The news about the others getting arrested, the exposure of the conspiracy—it's unraveling his life's work. He'll want to secure his own escape route, maybe transfer his remaining assets."

Athena suggested a carefully orchestrated ruse. They would leak a false report, carefully crafted to appear legitimate, indicating that a key piece of incriminating evidence, a ledger detailing every illicit transaction, had been found at one of the recently raided properties. The target of this "leak" would be a minor, known associate of Hayes, ensuring the information reached him directly and swiftly. The ledger wouldn't exist, of course, but the threat of it would be enough.

"He’ll panic," Athena predicted. "He’ll think we have something we don’t. He’ll make a move to destroy it, or to confirm its existence. He'll go after it himself, to verify if his meticulous system has a flaw."

The FBI team was hesitant at first, but Athena’s track record and the urgency of the situation convinced them. The fake leak was planted, a carefully woven trail of breadcrumbs leading to a deserted warehouse, an old, forgotten holding facility that had once been part of the downtown redevelopment project. It was structurally sound, with multiple entry points, making it a perfect, controlled environment for an ambush.

The Final Showdown

Under the cover of a moonless night, Athena, accompanied by Agent Miller and a small, elite FBI tactical team, positioned themselves within the cavernous darkness of the warehouse. Cold Case Detective Athena Grant-Nash, a local cop from the beat, was now leading a federal operation to bring down a decades-old criminal empire.

Hours crawled by. The air was thick with tension, the only sounds the rustle of their gear and the thumping of their own hearts. Then, just as the first hint of pre-dawn light threatened to pierce the darkness, a sleek, black sedan pulled up to the main loading dock.

Julian Hayes emerged, a figure of anxious caution, his face pale in the dim light. He wasn't alone. Two burly, professional-looking bodyguards scanned the perimeter, their movements tight and practiced. Hayes carried a small, heavy briefcase. He was there to confirm the "ledger."

"Hayes!" Agent Miller's voice boomed, amplified by a bullhorn, cutting through the silence. "FBI! Hands where we can see them!"

The bodyguards reacted instantly, drawing weapons. But the FBI team was faster, a flurry of movement and shouted commands. A brief, violent exchange of gunfire erupted. The bodyguards were quickly incapacitated, but Hayes, in a desperate, final act, pulled a small vial from his pocket and raised it to his lips.

"He's destroying evidence!" Athena yelled, recognizing the desperate move. "Move!"

She launched herself forward, her protective detail a step behind her. Hayes, seeing her coming, spun, his eyes wild with terror and defiance. He didn't have a weapon, but he lunged, a desperate, cornered animal, aiming to smash the vial against the concrete floor.

Athena intercepted him, a powerful tackle that sent them both sprawling. The vial flew from his hand, shattering against a nearby metal beam, its contents splashing harmlessly. Hayes thrashed beneath her, a frantic, desperate struggle. He was older, but surprisingly strong, fueled by panic. He clawed at her, trying to reach for something at his ankle.

Athena saw it – a small, sharp knife. Her years of street experience kicked in. She blocked his arm, twisting, and slammed her elbow into his ribs. He grunted, momentarily stunned. With a final, decisive move, she pinned his arm, securing the knife.

As federal agents swarmed, taking Hayes into custody, Athena stood over him, breathing heavily. He lay defeated, his meticulous world in ruins. She looked down at him, then thought of Y/N. Their silent, enduring presence had driven her, through every threat, every danger, every long, dark night.

Justice. Finally.

Connor Maxwell, one of the two assailants from the kidnapping attempt, was a ghost. Or, rather, he had been. His face, now unmasked, stared defiantly across the sterile interrogation room table at Athena. He was the one who had grabbed her, the one who had growled about silencing her. The FBI had tracked him down hours after the ambush, thanks to a partial plate number caught by a distant traffic camera and a rapid-response facial recognition sweep. He was a professional, a shadow operator with a history of shady security contracts and no apparent ties to the main conspirators, making him a perfect, deniable asset.

Athena sat opposite him, her shoulder still aching, a faint bruise blooming on her temple. Agent Miller sat beside her, silent but watchful.

Maxwell leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. He was in his late forties, lean but powerfully built, with cold, calculating eyes. He had the air of someone who enjoyed the game, even from a losing position.

"Well, well, Detective Grant-Nash," he drawled, his voice no longer modulated, surprisingly smooth. "Fancy meeting you here. Last time, you were rather… feisty."

Athena's gaze was unwavering. "You attempted to kidnap a federal witness and assault two federal agents, Maxwell. You're facing a long time."

He chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. "Oh, I'm well aware of the charges. But let's be honest, Detective. You got lucky. Very lucky. And messy. We prefer clean operations."

Miller interjected, his voice sharp. "Who hired you, Maxwell? Who gave the orders?"

Maxwell ignored him, his eyes still fixed on Athena, a disturbing glint in them. "You know, when they gave me the file on you, I was intrigued. A cop who just had to dig up old bones. Most people know when to let sleeping dogs lie. Especially when those dogs have teeth."

"Y/N L/N deserved justice," Athena stated, her voice even.

"Justice?" Maxwell scoffed. "Or notoriety? You could have stayed quiet, Detective. Could have enjoyed your life. Your charming husband. Your sweet little boy and girl." His eyes flickered to the invisible bruises on her temple, a hint of satisfaction. "Roughing you up wasn't in the original brief, but you did make it necessary."

A wave of cold fury washed over Athena, but she held it in check. He was trying to provoke her, to get under her skin.

"The FBI has everything, Maxwell," Miller pressed. "The audio logs, the documents, Thomas Thorne's testimony. It's over. Give us the names of your employers, and we can discuss leniency."

Maxwell chuckled again, a genuinely amused sound this time. "Leniency? You think I'm afraid of a few years in a federal pen? I've seen worse holidays. And as for 'everything,' Agent, do you really think you have everything?" He paused, letting the silence hang heavy. "They're always a step ahead. Always."

Then, his demeanor shifted. The amusement drained from his face, replaced by something cold and unsettlingly intimate. His voice dropped, becoming a low, chilling whisper. "You know, Detective, when I saw your family's pictures… very nice. Very typical. The suburban dream. It made me think. All that hard work, all those years building something… just to watch it crumble because of a bad decision."

Athena's jaw clenched. "Don't talk about my family."

Maxwell leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. "You should have stayed with them, Detective. Should have listened to the warnings. Built a bigger wall around your perfect little life. Because now, you've put them in the crosshairs. You think a few federal agents can keep them safe from truly motivated people? People who've hidden secrets for thirty years, who've removed obstacles with extreme prejudice?"

He smiled then, a slow, sickeningly triumphant curl of his lips. "You wanted to bring justice for Y/N L/N. A noble cause, I'm sure. But you forgot the first rule of this game, Detective. You bring a knife to a gunfight, you get cut. You bring a shovel to a graveyard, and you might just dig your own."

The unspoken threat, the insinuation that her family was still vulnerable, hung in the air. He wasn't giving up names, but he was delivering a message, designed to destabilize her, to make her question every decision. He was a professional, a conduit for their fear, and he was using it as a weapon.

Athena met his gaze, her own eyes hardening. He was playing mind games, but she was Athena Grant-Nash. She had faced down far worse than empty threats.

"You can play your games, Maxwell," Athena said, her voice a low growl. "But Y/N L/N won. And you and your employers are going to pay the price. You just signed your own death warrant by touching my family."

Miller stepped in, ending the interrogation there. They had what they needed: confirmation of his involvement, and a chilling insight into the conspirators' ruthlessness. But the final, sickening words from Maxwell would linger, a cold shadow over Athena's fierce determination.

[agere-puppyre]

Puppyre Bobby Worst Headcanons

Bryce is his main Caretaker but because she's often busy Donovan will look after him while he's regressed. Bryce tolerates a lot of his behaviour, just like she does when he's not regressed, but she will scold him if he's being too much. Donovan tries to redirect his more destructive behaviours, but Bobby is Bobby and he's learned that sometimes he just has to let him do what he wants.

Bobby is DESTRUCTIVE in all caps, he rips apart anything and everything. No chew toys or squeaky toys are safe from him. He once completely destroyed an expensive couch that Bryce had to replace, and she locked him in his crate for an entire night.

Bobby doesn't usually sleep in his crate, he loves sleeping in the bed near Bryce, but he does like that he has one for Bryce to use if he gets too wild. He chews on the bars.

He does on occasion use pee pads but lets be fr this is Bobby Worst, he pees wherever he wants, regressed or not.

He eats actual dog food and puppy treats while regressed, he's eaten far worse while he's adult.

Has a few different collars, because this he is Bryce's regressor and she would never just give him one accessory. His favourite is a prong collar, but he also has a spiked collar, a shock collar, and a full on harness for when he's feeling extra energetic and wants to throw himself around.

Again, Bobby loves to test limits when regressed, but he still respects (and fears lets be real) Bryce, so if she snaps at him, he's at her side like a guard dog.

When he's feeling less puppy and more adult dog, he is a lot like a guard dog for Bryce.

BITING. He BITES. He will bite his enemies, and he bites Donovan because he's okay with it, and it won't hurt him.

[the-iceni-bitch]

Does bobby punish kitten for her antics with the cop?

Oh he definitely does.

It’s not like kitten minds, she loves when he gets extra rough with her. But she does get pissed when he ties her to the bed and makes her watch him jerk off periodically for an entire day. She gets back at him by almost biting his ear off when he finally fucks her.

[beauzos]

12 & 19 for the writing ask meme!

fanfic end of the year asks

12. Favorite character to write about this year

Since I only wrote fucking Ace Attorney fanfiction this year, my answer is 100% Nahyuta. He really compels me as a character and he's the kind of character I love because there's a lot to explore. He has more of a backstory than a lot of characters I tend to gravitate towards, but the great thing about it is there's a lot of things left open-ended, so good for me to start examining and unpacking on my own. I had a lot of fic ideas relating to him, though I unfortunately only ever finished one of them, which was the Last Rites fic. But it was a good one at the very least, it's my favorite thing I wrote this year.

I also really liked writing Bobby Fulbright, my issue is I just had NOOO ideas for him. But he's a fun character to write. Only thing I managed to get done for him was a really short ship fic with Blackquill. One of the most popular fics I've ever written (3rd most, under two Mother fics I actually consider worth the amount of kudos LOL) Kinda pisses me off KRKDFKJD but really, it's fine.

If I want to be tricky and include original fiction, I wrote a short story I haven't posted because honestly it was pretty badly written, I'm going to rewrite it eventually, but it included one of my new favorite OCs who I use for a lot of different things. I never talk about him, but Sylvester De Fauw is one of my favorites. He's kind of a pronged OC in the sense he's just another version of Faux Beau but it's fine LOL. I like writing villains. He was fun. He was like... if you've ever seen that episode of The Simpsons with Hank Scorpio, he's kinda like that and I thought that was fun LOL. I'll rewrite the story eventually and post it.

19. Any new fics to start next year

Oh, I don't know... I don't write fics unless I'm fixated on that media at the time. Like, I have a bunch of AA wips I'll probably never finish unless I got back into it. I also had a Mother 3 wip I only kinda started around the last time I replayed it, wrote a few paragraphs and then forgot about it. I just had an idea to do a little fic about when the White Ship people first made it to Nowhere, just them exploring and fucking relaxing for a goddamn moment. It'd be a lighter-toned one if I could help it. It's hard to give up Tazmily even now, though I don't think about them nearly as much as I used to.

So far as original pursuits, I obviously have my plans. Rewrite parts of SOBR, start SDTA, maybe start outlining the third one. I have multiple Western short story ideas I have that I want to write at some point. Such as:

a cowboy befriending a witch in his town (you ever seen that one post that's like a newspaper comic of a cowboy on a date with a witch that mentioned he was just attracted to her love of riding and hats??? or that episode of Dororo 2019 where a guy falls in love with a spider demon who decides to protect and love him in return lol)

an outlaw stuck in a cycle of rebirth, who takes advantage of being reborn over and over with no consequence to do what he wants until he grows tired of it, finally does something genuinely good and selfless, and escapes the cycle. literally inspired by that "is it possible for a country boy to escape the cycle of rebirth" meme no joke LMAO

something kind of Western mythic ... a giant in the mountains. i don't know. i never got very far on that one. i want to do something Leder-adjacent. that's all. it wouldn't end well for the giant though, sadly. the vibe... think Backwater Gospel or Butcher's Crossing.

I really should do more short-form fiction. I didn't write much this year at all.

[littlelioncub43]

Horny thought with basement husband robert pronge

His arms tied behind him as y/n starts sucking his cock after she helped him clean up as a reward while she suck his cock y/n pulls out a mini vibrating toy and puts it on high in betwen bobbys nut . He moans loudly while his owner sucks him off but now with added stimulant fuckkk hes fucking addicted to this now he begs for the touch he gets out of surprise she sticks the vibrating stick up his ass and lets out a moan that sounds like a bitch in heat y/n sucks him till he cums and jerks him off with an endless amount of over stimulation on his ass and cock . Later she rides his cock moans praising him in a sweet degrading manner like she always do . Bobby cant help being an addicted slut at this point and as always at the end y/n makes him lick her cunt clean and gets him to eat his own cum he hated it at first found it the hard way if he didnt comply . Now is a horny mutt who pleases his mstress , his wife

Hnnnnnng 🥴🥴🥴🥴 yes. You dropped a whole drabble in my inbox and I love it

[nothingunrealistic]

There could be only one Machiavellian daddy standing in the "Billions" finale revenge showdown between Bobby "Axe" Axelrod (Damian Lewis) and his hedge fund usurper (and dangerous presidential candidate) Michael Prince (Corey Stoll). After seven seasons of cutthroat high-finance drama and power struggles, "Billions" went endgame with the titan matchup in Showtime's series finale (now streaming on Paramount+; airing on Showtime Sunday 8 EDT/PDT). But the entire cast of characters featuring ever-evolving allegiances got its due, including longtime Axe persecutor U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), now working with his former nemesis to bring down Prince. The multi-pronged farewell episode even featured former U.S. Attorney Bryan Connerty (Toby Leonard Moore), who hadn't been a "Billions" regular since Chuck engineered his legal problems and prison stint in Season 4 for illegal wiretapping. Connerty made a surprise appearance to receive his reinstated law license, also engineered by Chuck as a peace offering. "This show was for the show superfans; we found the ultimate landing spot for all these characters," says Brian Koppelman, who created the series with David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin. The final positions from the "Billions" finale:

Axe made Prince a pauper, and resumed his office chair throne Prince helped orchestrate Axe's downfall in Season 5, which allowed him to get his greedy hands on Axe Capital. As Axe, the heavy-metal-T-shirt-wearing Road Runner of finance, realized he had finally been defeated by Prince, he uttered the line "So this is what it is like to lose." In real life, Lewis was leaving "Billions" to return to life in England for personal reasons. So Axe was written off (exiled to Switzerland) to avoid arrest by Chuck, thanks to a tipoff from Prince. Prince took over Axe's throne and renamed the kingdom Michael Prince Capital (MPC). With Lewis and Axe back for the final season, the downfall script was reversed. Axe returned to New York, with Chuck's help and urging, to join the team trying to stop Prince. The Never Princers, who included MPC's general counsel Kate Sacker (Dola Rashad), conspired to annihilate Prince's stock portfolio while the unsuspecting presidential candidate met the U.S. president at Camp David, as his mobile phone was locked up by Marine security. With the trap sprung, Prince flew into MPC in a rage. Showing the volatile side no one wanted to see responsible for nuclear weapons, Prince threw a printer through the office window of Chuck co-conspirator and ex-wife Wendy Rhoades (Maggie Siff). Prince bottled his rage seeing Axe and an office full of former employees present to witness his financial demise and presidential ambitions crushed in one bad news day. "So yeah Mike, this is what it's like to lose," Axe said to Prince, parroting his own line, with a very different subject. "I bet that felt good," Prince sneered back. "What does it say about someone who wants to throw somebody's words back in their face? Not great things," says Levien of the line. "That's why we found it so satisfying." Big winner Axe reclaimed his office chair with no trumpets, but only his faithful lieutenant Mike "Wags" Wagner (David Costabile) standing just behind him. While Prince hid dark ambitions behind noble ideas, Axe sent his traders out with the capitalist battle cry "Let's make some ... money!" with The Steve Miller Band's ode to bandit living, "Take the Money and Run," playing as the exit soundtrack. "That song felt just absolutely perfect for the show," Koppelman says.

Prince went down defiantly, vowing revenge With Humpty Dumpty falling off the financial wall and Prince's world in tatters, even his loyalists disbanded. Right-hand man Scooter Dunbar (Daniel Breaker) saw the light and realized how far the power duo had drifted in its quest for power. Finding he has been spared financial ruin, Scooter announced he's embarking on his dream of conducting an orchestra. In classic villain mode, Prince admitted defeat but vowed to return and financially crush Axe and anyone else who knocked him. "This country is built on second acts, and when you see mine, you better duck and cover," Prince said. "People like Prince are not laid low by things that would lay all of us low," Koppelman says. "In three years, the guy will somehow have bought The Sphere off James Dolan."

Chuck and Wendy end up laughing over dinner Chuck, the main Axe battler in many season finales, relished the slightly less sexy victory over Prince. Chuck also finally came up triumphant in his personal life. Wendy and Chuck's marriage, and vigorous BDSM sex life, had ended acrimoniously after Wendy worked for years as Axe Capital's high-end performance coach. But "Billions" ended with the two exes smiling as Wendy walked out of Axe Capital moments after turning down Axe's return to work offer. Wendy and Chuck agreed to go on a family dinner with their two children. The final shot featured Wendy and Chuck laughing at dinner with their kids, as noted chef Connerty performed impressive culinary tricks on the teppanyaki (Moore's real-life cooking skills were often highlighted). Wendy and Chuck don't resume life as a couple, "but they settled their issues, coming to a great place of mutual understanding, fondness and co-parenting," Levien says.

[youreavicioustrollop]

S6 E3: The Devil You Know

okay well now i am watching Right Now so that i can be done with the Special Season Opener Episodes.

okay this in incredibly cute, back in time with young!athena and her parents. she likes doing dishes because it's her peaceful time by herself. wow. the most mom thing. and/or the most People Writing Mothers who are not parents thing. love that her parents are Into Each Other though. they are Hot.

thank you, bobby! pointing out that samples and fingerprints is the best way to prove him innocent! not that it's necessarily true, but i do appreciate him being the level-headed logical one. this detective mansplaining to athena - shaking my head. she's gonna keep her daughter head AND her cop head on straight, FULLY emotional because that's how she rolls. i do love that she insists on a lawyer, though. in that bank heist thing she welcomed the cops in with coffee.

okay, this contractor family friend!!!! a fuller story brings some suspicious details to light! proper detective procedural about it. and i love that the guy calls bobby her bodyguard and in the shaking of hands we get to see his MASSIVE biceps and arm muscles at work.

athena turning down the detective role because she's afraid her daddy did it! :( i do love that detective!bobby jumped out.

"The devil wears a familiar face and tricks you with his lies." athena AGAIN getting the best lines. he's just a MAN. :))))) bobby logically steering athena back into her detective ways. BOBBY TAKING THE GUN OFF THE SISTER!! he's showing off his arms again.

HOW did athena convince this woman to tell her things???? she wasn't even being her terrific empathetic self. oooooh, did the sister never tell people that they both snuck out that night??? oh!!! and junior was there, too! and gave her a beer! ooooh, and she just disappeared from the party!

lol, she called the police because they were trespassing! and now she's being arrested! did they contact a lawyer?? do they have a lawyer friend? and now athena's talking without a lawyer!!!!

ooooh, this detective knows what he's doing about the barrettes! "You're welcome" sarcastically. lol, athena. i can't believe (but I can) that she went from being interrogated to actively assisting with the investigation and the detective just willingly handing over details of the case!!! the power this woman has.

reggie visiting athena's parents! and reggie having a Look in his eyes about him being off sedation in a few days! and now he's apologizing to beatrice!

okay, now bobby has an exclusive piece of information and he's ACTING on it! oh, okay, he's gonna go warn joanne! ooooooh noooooo, and it's actually Junior!!!! oooooh noooooooo, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Junior being Creepy. (like it's what we were assuming about what happened to a little girl who was abducted, but STILL it's worse to see it in action!)

Bobby tackling Junior!!!! Joanne with the gun! and now athena's chasing Junior through the orange grove!!! nooooo, i don't like that we watch junior attack the little girl, but i do love that athena hits him in the face with a shovel.

and now athena's part of interrogating reggie senior? she IS the one interrogating him? oh, i see. it is two-pronged. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH. it didn't stop with tanya!!! now that's realism (I'm looking at you, Chicago Blackhawks and the Kyle Beach and Black Ace case.) six girls!! :( and they're still looking :(((

athena never forgot!

her dad's awake! athena solved a whole decades-old crime while he was sleeping. it's in athena's nature to never give up! but she didn't steal it, both her parents instilled that in her! (buck, however, comes by it naturally)

[abbatoirablaze]

The StiXXX List, Chapter 10

Word Count:  1.7k

Warnings: nothing really

“CUP LINEUP!” Bobby Pronge called out throughout the hockey house, the second he had Johnny stop the music. 

While there were a few women who looked unsure, there were even more of them who were smiling.

“What’s a cup line up?” Amani asked Lance.  Her brows furrowed and she looked around nervously to the rest of the people who she was in a group talking with.  Bucky frowned as he looked at his girlfriend. 

“Another one of the reasons I don’t like this party,” he admitted, “cup lineup is-“

“For those of you who may be unaware of our little tradition,” Andy Barber smiled from in front of the large table that was set up in the middle of the room, with names arranged on cups on one end, and a bowl of ping pong balls on the other, “the cup lineup is something that we do at the first party of the season.  It’s when all of us hockey players put a cup with our name on it on the table, and all of the women at the party have to shoot it into one of the cups.”

“We don’t have to play, doll,” Bucky said quickly, “I got in a lot of shit for it last year with the team because I disappeared, but-“

“You mean when you snuck me and Steve on campus?” she asked, eyes wide as she remembered last year when Bucky had gotten Steve into the party and then the two of them disappeared to have some alone time. 

He blushed and nodded as he reached up and kissed her knuckles, “I wouldn’t mind doing that again.  You know, we are trying for baby Barnes number two...wouldn’t have to wear a condom this time...”

“No sneaking away this time, Barnes,” Ransom chuckled as he put his arm around his fellow teammate, “I was given the lovely task of watching over you to make sure you didn’t disappear this year.”

“It doesn’t really affect the outcome of the games,” Bucky laughed, “and I mean, I was getting some action...so really...I just didn’t use a version of beer pong as an excuse for it to happen.”

“Tradition, brother!” he urged, “I’m just trying to make sure you get as much pussy as possible.”

Amani rolled her eyes at the hockey player, “you’re so gross, Drysdale.  You do realize that his long term partner, who he’s trying to have another kid with is right there.  Why would you say something like that?”

“Why you so stuck up, ice princess?” Ransom growled.

“Cool it, Drysdale...Amani is my best friend...she’s my guest.”

“Whatever,” he said with a shrug as he rolled his eyes.  He turned away from the group and took a swig of his beer, “I was just tasked with making sure Barnes here didn’t disappear again.  As far as I’m concerned, his cup is on the table, so he’s in.”

“Alright, come on, ladies...line up!” Wade said as he snaked his way through the room, “every lady has to line up or go.  You all play!”

Bucky gave his girlfriend a wistful look while she lined up with the rest of the girls and Andy explained the rules.

“Every woman has to play...if you don’t-“

“THERE’S THE DOOR!” the rest of the team chorused.

“Exactly!” Johnny Storm smiled as he stepped up beside his captain, “the rules are simple, really.  Every woman lines up and shoots into one of the cups, beer pong style.  You kiss the player whose name is on the cup you land in.  The player can either keep their cup open and keep getting kissed from you lovely ladies, or they can drink the beer and crush the cup!”

A few of the women cheered, and Mike Weiss joined him at his side, clapping him on the shoulder, “if at any time you don’t want to kiss the person that you happen to get, you can reject them, but you have to streak down Greek Row to stay in the game.  As a reminder, hockey players, you are not allowed to refuse a kiss without punishment.  If you do not go streaking down Greek Row, you’re automatically eliminated from the game, and you’ll be dealt with after the party...women, if you reject a player and refuse to streak, you won’t be allowed back in the house until you’ve done both streaking down Greek Row and making it up to the player you rejected.  HOUSE RULES!”

“And as a reminder, this is a team tradition!” Andy said quickly, finishing it up for his teammate, “this is done in good fun for the team and you ladies to bring us luck in the upcoming season.  Before we start, if anyone wants to leave, without any issues, they can.  But if you stay, you play!”

There were a few girls who shifted uncomfortably through the crowd and left with guys, who were obviously not hockey players, but no one seemed bothered by it. 

“LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!” Bobby Pronge grinned, “As is tradition, the co-captains girlfriends are to start.  Ari is single, as a reminder to you ladies, but we do have our co-captain’s fiancé Laurie here...so she’ll start us off!”

Laurie scoffed, before looking at Andy, clearly unamused, “i’m not doing it...”

“Aww, come on Laurie, it’s tradition.  You know this...you did it last year and the year before and you weren’t even dating Andy!”

“And now I’m engaged to him,” she frowned, looking to her fiancé, “tell them I’m not playing!”

“I’ll go first,” Ghost smiled, stepping to the front.  Bobby smirked as she batted her lashes at him and picked up a ball, “I don’t mind taking one for the team.”

“That’s my girl!” he growled playfully.  He looked to his captain, “what do you say, Barber...”

“Isn’t his ex here?”

“Glitter!”

“Make Glitter go first!”

A few of the girls pushed Ghost’s twin forward until she was next to her sister.  Andy’s jaw twitched, “what the hell are you doing here?  Who’s watching B-“

“Haley’s watching her!” she said quickly, cutting her ex off.  Ghost smirked and held one of the balls out to her twin.  Andy growled.

“You’re not playing!”

“Tradition is tradition, Andy!” Glitter answered firmly, “should I kick it off?”

“You can do whatever you want.  I’m not playing this  stupid game!” Laurie hissed, pushing past the girls and storming off out the door. Andy was quick to chase after her.

“One of the captains always has a girl-“

“Angel can count as my girl!” Ari said with a polite smile as he stepped forward, “let her start off the lineup.”

Glitte gave the man she was friends with a soft smile and he mirrored it.

“Works for me, Pronge shrugged, “WHAT TIME IS IT?”

“CUP LINEUP!” the team chorused.

“ROLL CALL!” Pronge yelled over the team.

“Levi’s girl!” Glitter  smirked, laughing as she played along.

“LEVI’S GIRL!” the team chorused.  Ghost bit her lip and expertly sank the ball into the cup that had Ari’s name on it.  He smiled, and the two of them met at the table. 

“What’ll it be, Levinson?” she teased.  Ari smiled and picked up his cup, before chugging the beer.  He crushed the solo cup in his hands and tossed it to the ground.  The team cheered for him as he leaned in, but the cheers quickly turned to booing as Ari placed a polite kiss to the apple of his cheek.  She gave him a look, her lashes flickering up at the larger man, “that all you got, Levs?”

“Kiss her like a real man!” Pronge urged. 

“I’m a gentleman...” Ari insisted.  He put his arm around Glitter’s waist and led her back to the circle around the table, “the game’s started.”

“Fuck this,” Pronge laughed, pointing to Ghost, “ROLL CALL!”

“FREEZY’S GIRL!”

“FREEZY’S GIRL!” the team chorused after her.  Ghost giggled and shot directly into Pronge’s cup.  He went straight for it and pulled the ball out of the cup, holding it out to her.  She grabbed his hand and licked it while he chugged the beer and crushed the solo cup beneath his foot.  He growled at her and snatched her close to himself before pressing a heavy, wet kiss to her lips. 

Most of the team cheered for him, but Johnny noticed his best friend shrinking back while his dream girl kissed another guy, his teammate, nonetheless, like they were about to start filming their own porno in the living room. 

“Plenty of girls, man!” Johnny tried to tell his friend. 

“I need another drink!” Mike frowned, shrinking back into the kitchen so that he could grab another beer.  The game continued on, with a few of the other senior’s significant others pushing towards the front of the line fast so that no one else could try to cut in on their boyfriends. 

Tony Stark and Pepper were followed by Sue and Reed, then Aisha and Clay all before Wade’s girlfriend ended up landing on Cougar.  And somewhere in there, Andy had managed to convince Laurie to not only come back in, but to play, only after another girl went before her. 

Without any hesitation, she pushed Delilah in front of her, “let a new girl play...”

Bucky gave his girlfriend a nervous look when Ransom smirked and handed her one of the balls, “ROLL CALL!”

“Bucky’s girl!”

“BUCK’S GIRL!” the team chorused. 

Delilah looked at the table for a second, trying to find her boyfriend’s cup. 

“Any time!” Laurie groaned, “I want to get this over with.”

Delilah sank the ball immediately into her chosen cup, and Bucky looked at her in disbelief.  A few of his teammates chuckled, calling him lucky, while she made her way to the table.  She picked up the cup and held it out to him.

“Go get your girl, Barnes!” Lee smiled, pushing his teammate towards her. 

Bucky nearly stumbled over himself as he made his way to her, and took the cup from her hands.  He chugged it and dropped it to the floor, only to crush the cup beneath his foot like his other teammates had. 

“How did you-“

“SHUT UP AND KISS YOUR GIRL, BARNES!” Lance chuckled, yelling at his friend.  Bucky blushed and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, pulling her into himself so that they could catch each other’s lips.  The team cheered for them, and when they broke apart, he began to lead her away from the group entirely.

“How did you do that, doll?”

“Come on...you didn’t think I would come to the party without having Haley teach me how to play, would you?” she giggled, nudging her boyfriend, “now that the formalities are out of the way...what do you say we get to work on baby number two, Mr. Barnes?”

Chapter 11

[epinephinem]

Thin and pronged, I drew my sheets from the bed and there it lay, thin and pronged. Small, it lay where she used to lay. Small and weightless, it brought me to my knees. Never dull, always beautiful. It lay where I’d watch her in mornings, eyes unfolding, blossoming like tulips. 

I crawled. I crawled from the wooden floor to where she used to lay like a little fire. Burning, still in sleep. I brought the sheets back to me, so delicate did I hold the dainty thing in my hands. Dainty and copper, dying in my hands. The image of her golden hair sprawled across the sheets, crowning her pink pale face. 

Thin, pronged, small, dainty- I could bend it between my fingers, break it with my thumb, but I could not bring her back to me. Always beautiful, always burning, never dull.

The Bobby Pin

[krispyweiss]

Album Review: Fleetwood Mac - Live from the Record Plant (December 15, 1974)

Having been successful in defeating the forgery Fleetwood Mac that toured America in 1974, the real Mac on Dec. 15 went to the Record Plant to play for Tom Donahue’s radio audience.

It turned out to be Bob Welch’s swan song as he would be gone by the end of the year and Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks would replace him.

And while the rest, as they say, is history, Live from the Record Plant (December 15, 1974) is pretty historic, too.

It finds the quartet - guitarist/singer Welch, keyboardist singer Christine McVie and the ever-present rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (bass) - augmented by auxiliary keyboard player Bobby Hunt and running through songs going back to the Peter Green era (“Black Magic Woman”) to Welch’s “Angel” and “Bermuda Triangle” from that year’s Heroes are Hard to Find.

And Welch is the star of this no-audience show, leading the band on eight of the 11 tracks - both his and Green’s compositions - and acting as the on-stage spokesman. This, and the presence of Welch’s “Hypnotized,” the band biggest non-Buckingham/Nick-era American single, only underscores the foul play that occurred when Welch was excluded from Mac’s Rock Hall induction.

In addition to his own grey, post-psychedelic “Future Games,” Welch shines on Green’s blues including “The Green Manalishi (With the Two Pronged Crown)” and “Rattlesnake Shake,” while McVie adds sunny contrast with “Why,” “Spare Me a Little” and “Believe Me,” songs that foreshadow the sound that would dominate Mac from this point forward, even as these numbers inexplicably disappeared from the repertoire.

Grade card: Fleetwood Mac - Live from the Record Plant (December 15, 1974) - B

2/13/25