#don't worry alice knows this exists and had a good laugh

[lunamadrigal]

*whelp* I said I'd make a meme but somehow we ended up here.

*inhales deeply*

"I WANT TO GAY WITH YOU"

Sí sí bebé we hear you.

Take this ha ha as a clear indication that I find them very cute and my sense of humor is as mid as this vid.

[livingdreams97]

Rhaenyra Targaryen -"The Personal Guard." (Part 6)

Rhaenyra Targaryen x Male reader/oc

Summary: The barely known third son of Lord Lyonel Strong, surprisingly ends up becoming the personal guard of none other than the Targaryen princess, after an incident in the forest.

Words: 3.690

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Rhaenyra POV

I was more than nervous. I never thought I would feel nervous on my wedding day, I always imagined this day as a dark day full of misfortune. But it was the opposite of what I imagined.

I had barely been able to close my eyes for more than half an hour, being awakened by the excitement and nerves of the day.

Today would be the day I would officially and publicly join Y/n Strong. Today I would become his betrothed officially and he would be mine, today we would unite as one in front of the gods and I couldn't be more excited.

The preparations for the wedding had been quick. Just two weeks ago I was arguing with my father about the unfounded rumors of his former hand and fighting not to be forced to marry Ser Leanor Velaryon.

And after two hectic weeks, due to the organization of the wedding, the banquet, the dress and everything that goes into the preparations for the big day. The big day had arrived.

In these two weeks my father put another personal guard on me and I hadn't been able to see Y/n more than passingly during this time. But today I would finally see him, I would see him walking towards me and at the end of the day I will be in his arms again.

Although I can't help a bitter feeling, when I am aware that I will experience one of the happiest days of my life and that my mother will not be with me on such an important day.

I would like to be able to live this with her, listen to her talk about how happy she is for me and telling me that she was right; like I did when I was a girl.

I would like to know that you are proud of me, for having left behind the negative idea of getting married and having chosen the best man in all the kingdoms. I would like to have her by my side to calm my nerves, hug me and whisper to me that everything will be fine.

But even though she is not by my side, I know that she watches me from the heavens and that she is happy for me.

Nora: Are you nervous, princess? - my trusted servant asks me, getting me out of my head.

Rhaenyra: Terrified.- I admit with a nervous laugh.

Nora: Don't worry, everything will be fine.- she assures me, placing her hands on my shoulders and leaving a reassuring squeeze.

Nora has been my personal servant since I can remember, always by my side and taking care of me. She was something of a mother figure, especially after my mother's death and Alicent's betrayal.

Rhaenyra: I know.- I nod, taking a deep breath. -But I can't help but feel nervous.- I admit, biting my lip, seeing my reflection in the mirror and realizing that I'm completely ready.

Nora: Nerves are good.- she assures me with a smile. -That means you care.- she explains to me without removing the smile from her face and I return the gesture.

We both remain silent, while Nora helps me with the last details of my hair and a doubt invades my head.

Rhaenyra: Am I doing the right thing? - I let the question hang in the air without stopping to look at my reflection in the mirror.

Nora: Do you want to marry Lord Strong? - she asks me back after a few seconds of silence.

I remain silent at her question. My mind immediately searches for every existing memory of every conversation, every touch, every word, every gesture, every interaction, every sensation and every detail of Y/n Strong towards me.

The fact that with a mere smile from him my day becomes happier, how with each of his gestures towards me they make me feel protected and loved, just like the feeling of his worked hands leave a path of softness. and delicate all over my body. About how every tiny thing he does for and for me makes my heart race in an exorbitant way.

Rhaenyra: With all my soul.- I respond bluntly with total sincerity and with a smile completely flooding my face.

Nora: Then you're doing the right thing.- she assures me, placing the last ruby in my hair and taking a step back. -You're ready, princess.- she informs me with a slight smile.

Rhaenyra: How do I look? - I ask her, turning towards her and biting my lip with some insecurity.

Nora: Perfect.- she answers me with a smile full of sincerity.

Rhaenyra: Do you think Y/n is going to think the same? - I ask, feeling my body vibrate in anticipation of her response.

Nora: No.- she answers and my shoulders fall at it. -He won't be able to think of what to say to you with how dazzled you are going to leave him.- she finishes answering me, making my spirits rise and a warm sensation settle in my chest.

Rhaenyra: Okay.- I whisper, trying to calm myself down.

Nora: Ready for the first day of seven? - she asks me calmly.

Rhaenyra: I'm ready.- I assure with a sincere smile.

My feet walk calmly but with a certain nervousness through the castle, feeling the bustle of the people closer with every step I take and the moment of seeing my betrothed becomes more and more imminent.

My steps resonate in my ears and add to a symphony with my heart. Each heartbeat is accompanied by a step and an echoing sound every time my foot hits the ground.

The symphony of my steps along with the beating of my heart stop when I land in front of the entrance to the dining room and the place is full of people for the celebration.

This time it is my breathing, along with the racing heartbeat and bustle of the people that create a symphony of different sounds. But the symphony ends when I hear my name announced to the room.

With a nervous smile, I begin to descend the stairs at the entrance and watch as everyone gets up from their seats to greet me and congratulate me on the imminent event.

I just smiled at them in response and walked as quickly as possible towards the table at the end of the room, where I can see my father standing and giving me a big smile.

Viserys: You look beautiful, daughter.- he says, grabbing my hands when I reach his side.

Rhaenyra: Thank you, father.- I thank him with a shy smile.

Viserys: I'm sure Lord Y/n Strong will be enthralled as soon as he sees you. - He assures me, leaving a loving squeeze on my hands and helping me to what will be my chair during the celebration.

I sit on my father's left side, watching the big houses being announced as they enter the dining room and how the heads of said houses congratulate me on the nuptials as well as my father.

But holding back my smile and holding my tongue against any cruel comment becomes very difficult when Lord Jason Lannister makes an appearance.

But thank the gods, I don't have to endure it for long and it's thanks to the announcement I was most looking forward to.

Ser Harrold: Lord Lyonel Strong, lord of Harrenhal, former councilor of buildings and current hand of the king. - begins to announce. -His first son Ser Harwin Strong, city guard and future lord of Harrenhal. And his youngest son, Ser Y/n Strong, the future king consort.- finishes announcing, causing a wave of applause in their presence and I get up from my chair quickly.

I smile as i see my future husband walk towards me, appreciating every detail of his clothes and face as best as I can given our distance.

POV You

I swallow heavily, trying to calm my nerves and appear as composed as possible. But it is very difficult for me to see the princess looking at me and the sincere smile she gives me.

Everything falls silent, as my father and brother bow before the king and I do the same when it is my turn.

When I stand up, the princess turns and begins to circle the table. I look at my father and he gives me a sign that I can move towards her. Which I do immediately, walking towards where the princess is and holding one of her hands delicately when we are facing each other.

Rhaenyra: Betrothed .- she greets me with a smile full of life and a certain point of fun.

Y/n: Betrothed .- I greeted, without taking my eyes off of hers and leaving a kiss on her soft hand.

The entire room erupts in applause again, but my attention is only on the woman in front of me and her incredible beauty.

Rhaenyra gently pulls at our hands to follow her and places us in front of the chairs we will occupy at the banquet. My father greets the king and takes his place on the right side of the table, occupying his seat as a hand. While my brother Harwin stands next to me and Larys in the corner.

Once the family is in front of their seats, we all begin to sit down and I lean slightly towards my betrothed's ear.

Y/n: You look like a goddess.- I whisper affectionately, noticing how her smile widened and how her cheeks took on a more pinkish color.

She turns her face to answer me, but her words remain in her mouth as everything falls silent at the sudden presence of her uncle, Prince Daemon.

But as soon as he sits down at the table, the place fills again with conversations and the clatter of dishes.

The king rises to give a speech about the union of our houses, but the room falls silent again due to a new presence in the room. But this time it is none other than the queen who enters and dressed in green.

I look at my brother, remembering something he once told me about the Hightowers and that is that when they rise to war the color green is the color they use to summon their bannermen.

But no one but the Hightowers themselves stand up to applaud their presence and color of clothing. The rest remain silent as they walk and approach the royal table. She congratulates us with an evidently forced smile and sits down in the seat to the king's right.

Once seated, the king begins his speech again and congratulates us on the union of our houses, as well as my union with his daughter as king consort. With the speech finished, the music begins to play and the laughter of the people fills the room.

Rhaenyra: Do you want to dance? - she asks me excitedly.

Y/n: Umm I don't know, will you step on me during the dance? - I ask her amused.

Rhaenyra: Maybe.- she answers me with some malice.

Y/n: Then I'll have to take that risk.- i smile, lifting me up and stretching my hand towards her.

She accepts my gesture and with my help gets up from her seat. We walk hand in hand to the center of the room, where there is a space for dancing, and we start dancing.

As soon as we finish the first dance, more people join the floor and start us dancing a new one.

Y/n: Are you happy? - I ask her when we are close enough.

Rhaenyra: With you? Or with the wedding? - she asks me back with a smile.

Y/n: With the wedding.- I respond amused. -I hope she's happy with me, because otherwise I don't know what we're doing here.- I say and she laughs at my comment.

Rhaenyra: You're right, with you you don't need to ask me.- she assures me. -But I would be happier if the wedding was more intimate and quick.- she answers with a grimace.

Y/n: Does seven days seem like a lot to you? - I ask, feigning surprise. -And here I was thinking it was a short wait.- I joke earning a laugh from her.

Rhaenyra: Seven days are too many to be able to call me your wife.- she admits with a smile and I return it.

Y/n: What's seven days with the rest of our lives.- I whisper with a smile before moving on to a new partner.

I continue with the dance, but some screams and a brawl at the end of the room cause everything to stop. I look everywhere, trying to find my betrothed and get her away from any possible danger.

Y/n: Harwin!- I call my brother when I see him among the people. -I can't find Rhaenyra!- I shout nervously, pushing people and trying to find a silver hair.

Harwin: Look to the left and I'll look to the right! - he shouts in response, pushing each person in his path and looking for my betrothed.

Rhaenyra: Y/n! Y/n!- I hear her calling me and look to my left. -Y/n!- I listen again and see her on the floor against one of the chairs.

Y/n: Rhaenyra! - I shout, pushing anyone who gets in front of me. -Are you okay?- I ask, bending down and holding her face in my hands.

Rhaenyra: Get me out of here, please.- she begs me with fear in her eyes.

I place a delicate kiss on her forehead, before helping her up and hugging her against my body.

Y/n: Harwin! Harwin, help! - I shout and it doesn't take more than a few seconds before my older brother is in front of us. -Help me take her to the king.- I ask and he nods.

Harwin: Stick to my back.- he orders me, turning around and I do what he tells me.

I place Rhaenyra between them for her safety. My brother leads the way and I make sure no one touches her in any way.

The king quickly hugs her when we get to the table and she is safe from whatever is happening.

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

I walk at a fast pace through the corridors of the castle, greeting all the nobles I meet along the way and trying to get to our room as soon as possible.

I was training with my brother, when one of the servants told me that Rhaenyra needed me right now and that it was urgent.

So I had started to run through the castle and try to get to my wife as soon as possible.

Y/n: Rhaenyra!- I exclaimed when I entered our chambers. -What happened? Are you okey? Is the baby okay? - I ask quickly, kneeling on the floor in front of the sofa where she is and I look at her worried.

Rhaenyra: No, calm down.- she tells me with a smile, placing her hand on my head and moving a strand of my hair behind my ear. -You have to cut your hair.- she comments calmly and I look at her confused.

Y/n: I don't understand anything.- I confusedly whisper. -The servant told me that you needed me urgently, I had thought that something had happened to you or the baby.- I commented trying to catch my breath.

Rhaenyra: The baby is fine and so am I.- she assures me, grabbing my hand and placing it on her swollen belly.

Y/n: So, why the urgency? - I ask, relaxing my body.

Rhaenyra: This is why.- she whispers and moves my hand from the center of her belly to one of her sides.

I look at her confused, but when she puts light pressure on her belly with our joined hands, something moves and I open my eyes in surprise. I stare at my wife's belly, completely surprised and excited.

I bring my face closer to the belly, placing one cheek on the fabric of the dress and gently pressing the belly again.

I can feel the movement of our baby again and I can't stop a tear from falling from my eyes.

Rhaenyra: Was it urgent? - she asks with some amusement in her voice.

Y/n: Very urgent.- I whisper still, without separating myself from her belly and feeling how her hands go into my hair.

Rhaenyra: As soon as I noticed it, I asked them to call you.- she whispers, stroking my hair.

Y/n: Thank you.- I whisper gratefully, separating myself from her belly and staring into her eyes.

Rhaenyra: For what? - she asks me confused, taking her hands out of my hair and caressing my cheeks gently.

Y/n: For everything.- I respond with a sigh. -For loving me, for being braver than me to the point of almost forcing me to marry you and for giving me an heir even with your reasonable fear of giving birth.- I list, making her laugh at the comment about the wedding and causing her to grimace at the end.

Rhaenyra: With you I'm not afraid of giving birth.- she assures me with a slight smile.

Y/n: Why? - I asked curiously, raising my other hand to her belly and leaving soft caresses on the spot over her dress.

Rhaenyra: Because I trusted you and I know that you will never do to me what my father did to my mother. - She answers me with a certain pain shining in her beautiful lilac eyes. -Because I know that you love me like I do and that you would put my life before even your own.- she assures me and a tear falls from her beautiful eyes.

Y/n: Rhae.- I murmur, touched by her response getting up from the ground and sitting on the couch next to her.

Rhaenyra: Stupid hormones.- she growls when followed by the first tear, the others come out after her and she begins to cry.

Y/n: Hey no.- I deny when she abruptly wipes away her tears. -You're going to hurt yourself, Ñuho glaeso hūrus (Moon of my life).- I tell her, putting her hands aside and gently removing the tears from her face.

Rhaenyra: I hate these mood swings.- she growls, crossing her arms and looking completely cute.

Y/n: I love them.- I whisper against her forehead, leaving a kiss on the spot and then descending my kisses all over her face.

Rhaenyra: You love them because you can laugh at my expense. - she hits my side and I can't help but grunt from the pain. -What's the matter? I haven't hit you that hard.- she asks me, frowning and with some concern.

Y/n: Nothing's wrong with me, it's just that Harwin has been faster than me in training and has had his fun with me. - I explain with a slight amused grimace.

She looks at me seriously, before reaching her hands towards my black training shirt and starting to take it off. Once the fabric is off my body, she looks at my ribs where a reddish area with small purple parts is located.

Rhaenyra: I'm going to have to talk seriously to your brother.- she comments, caressing the area delicately.

Y/n: Leave it, I hit his butt quite hard. - I comment with amusement, removing all traces of tears from her face and looking at the movement of her eyes.

Rhaenyra: Of course. - She rolls her eyes, letting out a small laugh, before returning her attention to my body.

Y/n: Better? - I asked quietly with a hoarse tone, noticing how my wife's eyes and hand ran over my entire torso.

Rhaenyra: Much better.- she assures me, biting her lip and unconsciously leaning towards my body.

I place my hand on the back of her neck, leaving a caress in the area before pulling her towards me and joining our lips. It doesn't take Nyra more than three seconds to deepen the kiss and moan against my mouth.

Y/n: This is why I love your mood swings. - I comment with amusement, separating myself from the kiss, feeling her hands run over my body and my hands over her.

Rhaenyra: Pervert.- she murmurs against my lips, putting her hands inside my pants and trying to take them off.

Y/n: That's what the person who tries to undress me says.- I laugh, standing up a little to help her undress me.

Rhaenyra: Shut up and take off my clothes.- she growls at me before kissing me hungrily.

I undress her as best I can, trying to do it in a way where our lips don't have to separate and where it is comfortable. But in the end the kiss is interrupted when I manage to release the dress and take it off over her head.

She gets up from the couch, taking off her underwear as best she can and walking naked towards our bed.

Rhaenyra: Are you coming or not? - she asks me maliciously, biting her index finger and looking at me innocently.

I don't respond verbally, but I jump off the couch as best I can and pick her up in my arms quickly, making her laugh. I lay her on the bed, placing myself on top of her and starting to kiss her entire body.

Y/n: I hope little Jacaerys or little Aemma prepare for what's coming. - I comment amused, leaving a kiss on my wife's belly and earning me a slap on the head from her.

Rhaenyra: Don't say that! - She exclaims with amusement and horror at the reference to our future baby.

I just laugh, leaning towards her face and staying a few centimeters away from her.

Y/n: Avy jorrāelan (I love you)- I whisper against her lips, knowing how much she likes me speaking to her in Valyrian.

Rhaenyra: Avy jorrāelan (I love you).- she whispers before hugging me by the shoulders and joining our lips for the third time in a very, very long afternoon full of something more than kisses.

Because maybe the beginning of our relationship was not the most orthodox or the most common. And our wedding may not have been the most pleasant for many, thanks to the death of a close friend of the Velaryon family at the hands of Ser Criston.

But to me, everything about Rhaenyra is perfect and natural. Our relationship arose from sincere feelings and although the wedding was brought forward 7 days due to a misfortune, I only look at the positive side of that day; marrying the love of my life.

Because from that day forward, my entire life is dedicated to my wife Rhaenyra Targaryen and the family we are creating.

Because even now after all the time that has passed since the day we met, just looking at her or feeling her hand touch mine makes my heart beat wildly just like the first day.

THE END

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Progenitor

Pairing(s): Jasper Hale x Vampire!Reader, Edward Cullen x Bella Swan

Warnings: platonic Alice x Jasper, magic wielding vampire, no nahuel, alice can't see renesmee's future

Words:6,000+

"Tell me another story, cowboy." You impishly grin over to the man laying next to you. Your mate.

Really, there was no need for a bed in your room considering you never used it for actual sleep. That was beyond the both of you.

Jasper's smile is dashing against the flicker of your candles. His fingers are dancing over your shoulder and down your arm. "For someone who has lived for thousands of years, I'd figure you'd heard better stories."

You roll your eyes, kissing the plane of his chest. "This is the first time I've cared about the main character in those stories." It was true. Never had you cared about anyone as much as you did for Jasper. You just had to wait several centuries to meet the right one.

Through those years you'd taken many companions as well as turned many good friends and students. Even the oldest known vampires of the Volturi originate from your fangs. One would be lucky enough to boast that they were made by you. That meant something great in the known vampire community. Some even whispered that you were one of the first vampires in creation. You never spoke of your own origins. You told Jasper those were the dark ages of your life and were still not ready to go back to that time.

And for you to be even slightly interested in a young one like Jasper constantly confounds him. You ate up everything he told you, titillated by battle after battle that he won for Maria. Hanging on his every word with a sort of wide eyed innocence that was rare for their kind.

That's what he remembers (and misses) most about you. As much as the both of you loved one another, you couldn't stay in one place for too long. Jasper understood though both of you wish to see one another more often. As powerful as you were, it was something that neither of you could risk. Other vampires could sniff you out within moments. Not to mention you hadn't always necessarily been a nice vampire. One out of ten vampires was said to have a beef with you. It wasn't your safety that had you constantly roaming the world, it was the safety of the human world around you. Any city you were in could be preyed upon immediately by stray vamps who followed your scent.

Distance would never dampen the love you have for each other.

"I understand if you don't want to come-" Jasper has his phone pressed up against his ear and shoulder as he's shoving papers and folders into his backpack and other items he may need on his journey to South America. There were a few covens there that hey hoped to enlist as help.

"Oh hush Jasper. Of course I'll be there. Both Bella and Renesmee are family. I'll make up for lost time." His stomach warms when he can hear the smile on your lips through the phone speaker "And I think once Caius sees me, he'll convince the others to back down."

That's what the Cullens were banking on with asking you to come and defend your adoptive niece. After all, you were the progenitor of many of the vampires in existence today. Some way or another, they all were sired from your venom. Including Caius. He's been the most doting of your acolytes even if it did tend to cause a rift with the other two leaders of the Volturi. Marcus in particular since you'd defeated him several times throughout the centuries.

Off to the side of the room, Alice rolls her eyes. "See, I told you she'd be down!" She grabs Jasper's phone, monopolizing the call now. "He was worried that he'd be imposing too much on you. I told him that of course you'd help!"

Your laugh on the other end rings loud in his ears as he watches Alice cradle the phone to the side of her face. "You know how he is. My gentleman cowboy." Alice really did enjoy when the both of you ganged up on Jasper to embarrass him. It was delicious to watch him get flustered for once.

Having enough, Jasper snatches back his phone. "Alice and I are heading out soon. I don't know how long we'll be. . ."

"Don't worry. I have my house key. Relax, Jaz. Everything will be okay." If only the one power you did possess was Jasper's ability to control other's emotions, you would use it to calm him. "You two be careful and look out for one another. I'll be there."

God did he want to kiss you. To take you in his arms and let you reassure him in that way only you could. "Yes, ma'am. I love you."

"I love you too." Your voice lowers to a warm whisper.

When the call ends, Jasper stares at his black home screen. He takes a deep breath and shoves it inside his back pocket. Missing you wasn't going to aid him in any way at the moment.

In the background he vaguely makes out Alice's excited chatter, excitement raised her octave.

"I can't wait for Bella and Renesmee to meet her!"

"They're going to adore her."

"Don't you think Jasper?"

"Jasper?"

She actually had to reach out to him and give a small nudge with her index and middle finger. His head whips to her, finally catching his attention.

"Sorry." He mutters having heard none of Alice's rambling.

"You heard her. Why are you so worried? You know that she won't let anything bad happen. The Volturi would be stupid to initiate a fight with her here." She sets aside her own bag she'd been working on and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "We have to pull out our big gun."

"I hate of thinking of her like that. She's been everyone's big gun for centuries." Jasper just sighs and sits down on the edge of the couch, fingers digging into the upholstery. Esme won't be happy when she finds small nail marks in it.

Alice eyes him for a moment before pointing out "You know she'd do a lot more for you if you let her. To her, this is small peanuts." A new thought abruplty comes to her mind as she changes the subject. "You remembered to get those documents for Bella, right?"

In reply, his eyes dart to the manila envelope that lay on his desk. Alice's gaze follows to where Jasper's eyes had fallen. The envelope he'd obtained from J. Jenks. It was to be used under the worst case scenario.

"I hope Bella doesn't have to use it." He admits, hauling his backpack over his shoulders.

Try as she might, Alice couldn't force a vision that involved the outcome of the Volturi's visit. Couldn't even see Jasper's mate. But Alice trusted you, more than any other member of the Cullen coven. She knew you'd pull through, even without the use of her powers, she knew you would not let your family be threatened, even if you had yet to meet the two newest members.

You were forced to miss the wedding of Edward and Bella due to. . . circumstances. Regardless, you had sent them a present accompanied by a letter of congratulations. What better way to meet your sister-in-law and niece than by intervening on their behalf and chasing off the Volturi?

When you'd hung up from talking to Jasper and Alice, you tap the phone against your chin in thought. The room you'd been renting out was lit only by moonlight from outside. This way of living did get awfully lonely. You spoke to your family as often as you could. Visiting every five years at the very least. Thus was the solitary life of an ancient. You'd forgotten much of your early life, couldn't remember if you'd ever been human. There's a slim chance at that. The furthest back you could remember was a world of darkness and other screeching creatures. A small recollection that you'd once had inhuman body. But it felt like a dream, maybe another life completely.

In your long, long life, never did you have anything resembling a family. You were always alone with blood filled thoughts and the feeling you got when you shattered pathetic armies of men.

You changed accordingly as the world evolved as well. The forming of countries. The fall of them. From huts to skyscrapers. You found it almost appallingly easy to get victims if you were already assimilated into their society. They would have no clue of the real monster you were. Not until it was too late.

Then on a whim and also after hearing the bloodshed going on in the states, you met Maria and Jasper. She was pleading her case for revenge against the Volturi and had felt your presence in the vicinity. You'd heard that your scent was unmistakeable.

When you asked Jasper what your scent smelled like, he'd tried his best. "It's the essence of power, my love. There's a deep, heady richness to it. As if it has been steeped in the secrets of the universe. A haunting presence that clings to one's senses."

What would that even smell like? You'd wondered. When you sniffed your arm, all you smelled was the faint kiss of juniper berries.

Maria proposed the take down of the Volturi and how easily it could be done with you. She hadn't anticipated your hesitation. While you didn't agree with the massive coven, you would never go out of your way to meddle with their business. After all, Caius was your fledgling. The very first. Of course you'd be sentimental over him. Sharing your venom was not something to take lightly, at least that's what you thought.

And you doubted Maria's ability of warfare compared to the trio that ruled the Volturi. Her army of newborns was impressive without a doubt, but she was still young herself. You, Marcus, Caius and Aro were overwhelmingly more experienced.

Jasper was just an infant compared to the millenia you've lived or even the hundreds of years Maria may have been alive during. Yet he makes you feel. . . entirely new. Makes you feel something you'd never felt even toward another vampire.

Having never experienced it before, even you knew what it was you were feeling: love. Love at first sight. Quite pathetic but, alas, you have no control over your own emotions. Annoying, but you let yourself fall into it. Titillated by everything you felt when around Jasper Whitlock. Never had you felt so alive. Each kiss, each caress sent flames across your skin. You never knew how dead you'd really been. While you had the face and body of youth, you don't recall a moment where you felt like how you looked now.

You met him during a time where even Jasper was feeling depressed about his immortal life. He was tired of living the way Maria did. Nothing satisfied him. Until he saw you. It was like his heart started beating (but of course that was impossible). Even if she wanted to, Maria didn't fight against it when Jasper told her he was leaving her coven to be with you.

He's been the only one to see the magic you could do without it being stemmed from violence. Real, arcane magic. You'd briefly mentioned the wars you'd been able to win. The amount of people you'd slain. That didn't deter him. That didn't define you.

This is the one battle you would win for love.

Everyone was gathered in the near blinding snow capped surroundings. All except for you. Wolves and the Cullens on one side, black clad Volturi on the other. No one dares to make the first move. All looked to the coven leader, Carlisle, to do the greetings.

He looks to his adopted granddaughter, his family that he built and would do anything to protect. Renesmee beams up at him with apprehensive, big eyes.

Carlisle moves forward, his feet leaving prints in the snow. Aro's skin would have made him blend easily in the blurring snow were it not for his red eyes and black attire. His immortal, handsome face smiles when Aro greets Carlisle.

"Aro, Iet us discuss things as we used to. In a civilized manner." Proposes Carlisle. Hopefully he can take up enough time until you show up.

A dark brow raises on Aro's face. "Fair words, Carlisle. But a little out of place, given the battalion you've assembled against us." His eyes move from Carlisle and scan to behind him where several vampire covens and a pack of wolves wait for the signal to take action.

"I can promise you, that was never my intent. No laws have been broken." True, though the wolves may be a sticky subject to broach. Aro appeared more concerned about the little girl whose eyes bore into the Volturi leader.

Caius' lips curls in disdain. "We see the child. Do not treat us as fools."

"She is not an immortal." Carlisle counters, his arm opening wide to gesture to the Cullens' own army. "These witnesses can attest to that. Or you can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

While it hadn't been a particularly sunny day, everyone on the frozen field found themselves abruptly bathed in darkness. Above, the clouds had darkened and congregated thickly together. Still, they were able to make out a black shadow among the clouds. Many are left guessing but only Caius and Jasper knew what (or who) it was. Caius' eyes sparkle in veneration as he intently watches his creator break past the clouds with large bat-like wings. You must appear as some twisted angel the way you slowly descend to the ground, landing next to Carlisle.

His smile is bright and screaming relief. "Sorry I'm late." You apologize first to Carlisle.

Jasper catches the flick of your eyes toward him and finally he feels his face release from tension. He takes one step before Alice stops him. While everyone is happy to see you, this was a dangerous environment right now. If Jasper were to suddenly move and go to you, the Volturi might mistake it as an aggressive attack. Best to stay still and watch you take care of everything.

Renesmee grips her mother's leg. Her touch sends her thoughts straight to Bella. "Is she my aunt?"

Bella gapes in shock as your wings appear to shrink until they recoil and disappear completely. Edward had told her you were. . . quite old. Older than any other vampire out there. and that you possessed powers beyond her comprehension.

Stiffly she nods her head at Renesmee.

"Better late than never. It's good to see you." Carlisle pats you on the shoulder.

Before you'd landed, you'd already registered both sides of the battle. You counted how many each had, reveling in the marvel of the massive wolves that stood alongside the covens on the Cullens' side. And you'd seen the girl that was your niece. A unique thing she was. Even from high up in the sky you could see her veins filled with blood coursing inside of her. She was more human than vampire.

The breathy whisper of your name has you turning around to finally look at the Volturi's side. Despite Aro being leader, it was Caius who had called out to you. He always did have a beautifully bright smile whenever he gazed at you. Utterly devoted to his mistress.

You hadn't seen him for near three hundred years. His duties to the Volturi clashed with your values. There was no ill will between either of you though. "Caius. How unfortunate we have to see one another under these circumstances."

"So you know what's going on." Aro tensely holds a grin when he speaks to you. Like you were a ticking time bomb that had to be dealt with carefully. Behind him you didn't miss Marcus who shoots you a glare. He's tasted defeat by you before. It rose up once more in his mouth, bitter.

You casually nod. "I do. The very instant I saw the child, even I knew her to be of mix blood. Can you not smell the blood circulating in her?" Throwing them a condescending smile you continue "But if you truly need proof that she is not an immortal, then read her thoughts."

That had been the Cullen's plans all along. To have Renesmee explain for herself through her thoughts and memories.

Bella didn't like the idea of Renesmee going up to the Volturi by herself. Even worse was the thought that Aro had to actually touch her in order to read her mind. You could smell her apprehension and turn your back on the Volturi to go over to the Cullen's end. You take note of the Romanian vampires shying away from you. You give the members of your family quick embraces before you're brought to where Bella has a protective hand on Renesmee's shoulder. On the girl's other side was a massive rust furred wolf that snarls at you.

You carefully go down to your knees so you could properly address her. "Hi Renesmee. It's nice to finally meet you." Your voice is soft, expression gentle that didn't bely the deadly predator that you could be. Introducing yourself, Renesmee smiles at you; reaching her hand out so that she can introduce herself in her own way. You let her small hand fall upon your cheek and you're pulled into her thoughts.

Happiness.

Curiosity.

Nervousness.

She was aware all of this was her fault. That if the Volturi didn't believe her, so many people she cared about would be killed.

Covering her hand with your larger one, you give her your promise. She smiles knowing it to be true. You drop her hand and stand back up to look at Bella. "Would it be alright if I walk her over?"

Of course you knew that even though you were a Cullen, you were still a stranger. Ridiculous that she was expected to trust you with her child.

But Renesmee touches Bella's hand now. Renesmee trusts you. Bella chews on her bottom lips before relenting. She turns to the wolf. "You should probably stay here, Jake."

Fearlessly, Renesmee walks hand in hand with you to the other end. "Your wings are pretty." The child's thoughts ring in your head.

You tenderly smile at her. "Thank you. Once this is done, I'll take you flying if you want."

Murmurs ripple through the members and witnesses of the Volturi once you present Renesmee to Aro, your protective hand still holding onto Renesmee's. "Well Aro, you want a firsthand recount to her creation. Here she is. Renesmee, why don't you show Aro what you showed me."

Impressed by her fearlessness when Renesmee offers him a smile. Her voice is small but doesn't squeak. "Hello, Aro." Aro offers her his hand but instead Renesmee motions for him to crouch down so she could touch his cheek. The moment her fingers lay against the white flesh, you notice Aro's eyes grow distant.

Then he starts to delightfully. "Magnifico! Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this newborn while she was still human." You'd never seen such a sparkle in his red eyes as he now takes in Renesmee for who she truly is. Not a monster that they had feared but just a special little girl.

Behind him though, there were unsatisfied grimaces and wary, darting eyes. This has you inching closer to your niece.

"It's unheard of!" Caius shrieks.

"There are many strange things in this world, Caius. You should know that by now." You patiently tell him. He relaxes at your words, happy enough that his mistress doesn't seem too bothered by this advancement. "Creatures of the deep. Those that lurk in shadows much like us." You momentarily inhale the air, smelling the wolves. "And those who are not what they seem."

While Caius is all too ready to accept the defeat and have the army stand down, Marcus snaps his fingers with the only instruction of "Bring the informer forward."

Ah yes, Irina. You'd met her once, maybe twice. Her expression is dour. If it were possible, she looked even more pale. She didn't have the golden eyes like those on a vegetarian diet. They were pitch black showing that she'd refrained from eating. Irina doesn't meet your gaze, she keeps her eyes gawking at Renesmee before she trains them down to her feet.

Confused by the tension she was feeling from Irina's guilty features, Renesmee sidles up to you; her hands gripping at your warm yarn coat that was just for looks.

"Is that the child you saw?" Marcus inquires.

Her nerves are impossible to conceal in her voice. "I'm not sure. . ."

"That's enough, Marcus. Renesmee's parentage has been cleared." You snap partially to save Irina any further embarrassment. Aro shoots you a look that tells you he didn't appreciate you undermining his authority. "None of your precious laws have been broken here."

Irina's fretful eyes do not lighten up. She knew the mistake she made. While you were more lenient nowadays, the Volturi would not appreciate being made a fool of like this. You could hear the small feet of Jane move as she anticipates the command from her leaders to get rid of Irina. You're fast to correct her with a hiss and baring your teeth. They weren't razor straight like the vampires of today. Your cuspids and lateral incisors were elongated and extremely sharp. Jane's eyes widen in alarm and she teeters on her next step before returning to her brother's side with a scornful glare. As much as she wished, her powers had no affect on you. Maybe in another thousand years Jane would be strong enough to subjugate you with her power. But until then she was but a baby.

Boldly you move toward Irina. While the other Volturi members twitch to move against you, one glare from you was enough to freeze them. Fury simmering in his gaze as he doesn't take his eyes off of you. Gently you take her by the arm. She shoots the Volturi scared looks but ultimately is pulled by you to Carlisle. Before removing your hand from her though, you force her to look you in the eyes.

"You will repent for what you have done. Beg forgiveness from the Cullens." Your whisper is a low one, but harshly hissed as you say it to her. "And remember this, Irina, if you pull a stunt like this again or anything that would betray the Cullens there is no place on this planet for you to hide. I'll give you the most excruciating death that I haven't dealt to anyone in a millennia."

Her throat bobs nervously, unable to rip her gaze from you out of fear. She stiffly nods, understanding that you'd have your eye on her for the rest of her immortal life. Carlisle gets her behind him.

Seeing that she was secured, you move on to your next point of business. "Irina has made a mistake, that is true, but no harm has been done. Whatever damage she's done was more so toward our family's trust in her. That is something we, as a family, will deal with." You nudge Renesmee towards Carlisle and motion with your head for the two of them to return to the Cullen's side of the field. Renesmee tugs a bit in resistance, not wanting to leave you. You pat her on the head as she passes to go with Carlisle. You don't take your eyes off of Aro.

Aro hates how he finds himself flinching a little bit when you consciously oppress him with your superior aura. All of the black clothed figures behind him shiver as well. "We don't know what she will become. The child is sweet and innocent right now. But she is the first known hybrid in creation. We don't know what will happen unless Alice has seen it."

Alice steps up. "It's hard to see the future of Renesmee. Even I cannot see." She'd tried many times to the point of giving herself a raging headache. The girl's fate was too intertwined with the wolves.

Her failure encourages Aro in his argument, you could see his mouth forming a smile that didn't meet his eery, scarlet eyes.

"Then I shall watch over her." The falling of Aro's face is priceless. "Who better to take care of an unknown variable than her very own aunt?" This was to be a discussion with her parents after the Volturi left. But you honestly thought that Renesmee traveling with you was the best option right now. At least until you're certain that she really would do no harm to humans. And she was the first interesting thing to happen to you since you met Jasper.

"You would make her a sanguinovite?" Caius breathes out, eyes jerking from you to Renesmee. Caius and Renesmee would be considered bonded via you as Caius was your apprentice by blood.

"I do."

Caius' shoulders slump. He was forbidden from causing harm against Renesmee.

But that didn't stop Aro or Marcus.

"Let us confer. We will use the facts that we have gathered." Wanting to keep some semblance of authority, Aro doesn't wait to hear your reply as he turns his back to you. At least Caius had enough piety to give you a quick bow before following the other two. Their wives linger behind them with guards encircling around them. Athenodora, Caius' wife, offers you a fleeting smile before whipping her head back at the tug of Sulpicia.

Sighing at the petulant child that Aro was, you walk back to your family who was anxiously waiting. The Denali coven are more concerned with making sure Irina was okay as they fret around her. You catch Tanya scolding her sister with a watery, relieved voice.

Jasper comes up to you and immediately you let go of your big bad vampire facade and melt into his embrace. You cling to him, fingers bunching up the back of his shirt. You allow the soothing of his power to wash over you. "I'm sorry I was late."

He chuckles against the crown of your head, pressing his lips against your temple. "It doesn't matter. You're here." His arms tighten around you.

"I missed you dearly." You whisper against his chest.

"And I you." His nose nuzzles against my face, coaxing a kiss from me.

He'd barely pressed his lips against mine before Edward is clearing his throat. Reminding you and Jasper to keep it cool as there was a child staring at you with large eyes.

Seeing that she has your attention, Renesmee immediately asks "Do you think it worked? Will they go now?"

"They'd be foolish not to." You smile at her.

"Hey, about what you said-" Edward starts but you were already ready to be confronted about the claim you made over Renesmee.

"I know. I should have talked it over with you first and gotten your permission. I'm sorry about that. But it was the only thing I could think to say to prevent violence." You explain.

Bella hooks her arm through Edward's and leans in to him, listening. She was still wary around you. Your scent probably didn't help either. It tend to aggravate other vampires.

Edward sighs, patting Bella's hand softly. "Thank you, by the way. For everything you're doing. I. . . We'll talk about Renesmee being your sanguinovite later. Would you really?"

"Of course I would. I know I haven't been around, but that doesn't mean I love my family any less. You and the rest of the Cullens have been my first and only family. When I married Jasper, I vowed to protect him. Then when we joined you and Carlisle, I promised to defend all that were in our coven for we are all family now." Family. . . Family had never meant anything to you before them. Really, they could tell you to annihilate any coven that threatened them and you would do so without hesitation. They didn't know the extent you would go to assure their security.

He swallows back the emotions that were surfacing across his pale features. "We are all family." Edward whispers, a choke in his tone.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS! I REFUSE TO BE PART OF THIS!!"

Caius' voice was ear piercing across the frozen expanse of the land. It draws everyone's attention to the opposing side.

That didn't bode well.

Edward hisses something that you don't catch. You're already stomping over to the halfway mark that both had used before.

Don't be fucking stupid Aro. Don't do it. Your mind screams out. If only Aro had the telepathy that Edward did. Don't make me hurt all of you.

A few yards away, Caius and Athenodora are running to you but he's being hounded by fast, Volturi guards.

"CAIUS!!!" Voice booming and ice underneath you shattering completely, you feel your wings shoot from your back and take to the air.

Your ears ring by the velocity you shoot across to get to your first vampire creation. Veins running searingly hot, your eyes glow with an intensity that matches the strength of your magic. It shook the trees that surrounded the glade, shaking the ice until there were splintering cracks surfacing and splitting the ice as you summoned your magic that had defeated many armies before.

The ice around Caius sharply pierces upward, piercing the Volturi guards that were trying to capture him and Athenodora. Dozens of jagged icicles arise from the ground to form a barrier against them.

Through the opening above the barricade, you swoop down and grab Caius and Athenodora. When bolting back into the sky above you could see that your actions had surprised both sides. No one moved an inch for a moment. Not until Aro starts shouting, condemning you as a apostate. That's when the spell cast on both sides was broken and all hell broke loose.

Not wanting to stop, you drop both of them off as close to the Cullen's side as possible. Caius knew he'd have to get out of there the moment his feet hit the ground. It wasn't safe for them here. Not anymore.

Performing a swift u-turn, you're faster than the Cullen horde advancing on the Volturi.

A twitch of your fingers was all you needed to summon half of your power. You call forth the creatures feared by wraiths. The shadows twisted and turned, forming monstrous specters that rose from the ground. Both sides come to a crashing halt at the creatures that were clawing their way from the earth. They glomp on to the nearest Volturi member, their touch much like Jane's power to cause immediate pain. Howls and shrieks erupt from the Volturis, enough to keep the Cullen side at bay. They watch with horrified awe.

Your magic has always been an ancient and violent one. Primal and raw.

A long dead language flows past your lips. The syllables were not ones humans could pronounce. Wraiths grab not just Aro, but the others who possessed special powers that have aided the Volturi in their quest for domination. They're brought forth to you. None are able to use their unique abilities. Not under your suffocating aura that rendered them immobile.

I should have done this a long time ago. You think to yourself. But you're Caius was involved with them. That was really why you kept your opinions about the Volturi to yourself. But now they were an immediate threat to those you care about.

All of them are lined up in front of you, the others being held back by their own wraith captors.

You stare them down ruthlessly, you could feel your form shifting a little to resemble even a sliver of your original form. The rest of your teeth sharpen and form into fine points. Talons larger than any predatory bird out there replace your small, human fingers.

"I was hoping you'd be wiser than this, children." Your voice isn't your's. It belongs to a dark god from a time before humanity was as civilized as it was.

You can taste Aro and Marcus' fear. Tangy but enjoyable to your palate. A taste you miss. You extend your clawed hand toward the Volturi leaders, curved claws glowing with a faint, otherworldly light. One by one, you focus your attention on those that were pushed down to their knees. Each one had used their power to benefit the Volturi. To cast terror among those who refused to bend to their will.

Jane is snarling at you, trying her best to use her pain waves against you but she was as powerless as her brother beside her. Demetri, Renata, even Chelsea were all present.

You rip their powers from them, strip their core of what made them special. Their bodies jerk from your magic penetrating them. Many struggle to no avail. Like pulling an anchor from the depths of the sea, you give a good tug with your claws. Spheres of light that were the embodiment of their abilities. Weakly, Aro attempts to reach for his as it floats from his chest toward you.

Collecting them all, you fuse them together with more ancient words until their combined abilities were formed into an ornate necklace.

You stare at them, useless husks of what they once were. "Do you still wish to continue with your attack?"

They're panting from the pain of a part of themselves being ripped out of them. The other members who were standing in as mere witnesses are already scurrying, getting out of their before your mercy ran out.

"You-" Aro hisses out, clutching at his abdomen.

Teasingly you dangle the necklace in front of all of them. "I suggest all of you go back to your lair. There is no way any of you are getting your powers back any time soon. Trust me, this is me showing kindness that none of you deserve. Let this be a firm reminder to you, that all members of my family are off limits. Know your place."

Aro and Marcus seethe but know the threat behind your words. They were lucky to be leaving with their lives intact.

"Be gone." You growl. "I don't want to have to deal with you again. And if Caius does decide to return to your guild for whatever reason, you are to treat him with nothing but polite civility."

If his looks could actually kill, you were sure Aro would have smite you down in that instant. Alas, he's as weak as any normal vampire now.

"For me?" Renesmee smiles, bewitched by the necklace you offer her.

Everyone was back at the Cullen residence. Some of the other covens, seeing that the conflict was over, went back to their individual countries. The Denali coven were all congregated upstairs while the Cullens were in the living room.

"Who better to have their powers than you?" You place it in her small palms. "You can be the one to decide whether the Volturi are worthy enough to have their powers back."

"That's amazing." Bella breathes, admiring the necklace gifted to her daughter. "All their powers are in there?"

You nod. "Yup. It's a spell I picked up from the Mycenaeans. A little after I'd turned Caius. A fate worse than death for many vampires. As long as you have this, I don't think they'll be causing you any problems. Protect it and keep it safe, Renesmee."

She looks up at you, a worshipper gazing up at their god. "I will."

Standing up, you turn to your mate. "Shall we retire?"

Jasper had been patiently waiting all day to have some alone time with you. Now that the chaos was subsiding, it was the perfect opportunity.

He eagerly takes your hand, making Alice giggle, and the both of you bolt up the stairs to where Jasper's room was. Well, it was your shared room honestly. There were many of your possessions there. Paintings, little bobbles/souvenirs, an authentic Persian rug that you won from a sultan. A lot of your clothes were still hung or folded neatly in the wardrobe.

His pupils are blown out when he looks at you, a black dime cradled in a blanket of gold. "You never cease to amaze me." Hands on either side of your face, he kisses you deeply to further show his devotion. Between kisses, he gasps out praise for your strength, for the power that flowed in you.

You squeal out a giggle, something your enemies would gawk at. You always felt so young when Jasper gathered you up in his arms to transfer you to the bed.

Jasper hovers over you, his blonde hair dangling on either side of his face.

You grin. "Come here, cowboy."

Taglist:

@enchantingcupcakecollectionfan

@bakugospartner

[faces-ofvenus]

Hi, I just wanna say that I love your work;)

And listen: Jace being all dom and jealous after Aegon had propositioned to you in your wedding day, so Jace wants him to hear how good he can please you

warnings: content for adults, minors do not read.

It took a while 🙌

After all the morning events that had surrounded your family, you knew that the atmosphere at that dinner would be nothing less than tense, you were one of the children of Alicent and Viserys, but specifically the youngest daughter, and now also engaged and promised to Jacaerys, to the chagrin of your mother, who obviously didn't want any of your blood to join the children of Rhaenyra.

You still wondered why there were so many enmities, it was rumored that they were friends, but it didn't really matter, not when you were actually happy about the wedding you and your sister's firstborn had always been quite attached in childhood, for having a small age difference, you always felt and wanted to marry Jace, and he always expressed that he wanted the same, going against your mother's rules and simply talking to the boys.

But things happened, the death of lord Strong, of Laena, your beloved prince and his family moving to Dragonstone and cutting contacts with each other even if by force, it was hurtful honestly, but all was past you expected, you didn't want to be meeting Jace in these situations, to decide your brother's future, to humiliate him his poor sister and his other brothers, you just wanted that they could be together, and that your family could get along.

At the dinner table Jace's hand rested intertwined in yours, since you met again, you always seemed to be together and glued to each other, he seemed to be happier than ever, to imagine the two of you together, and how it would be to have you in his bed, he honestly couldn't stop himself from having such thoughts, when he thought you were the most beautiful woman that ever existed in Westeros, and just looking at you he felt warmth rise all over his body.

- I hope you know how to satisfy my little sister. Don't worry my dear, if you need help, just come to me.

The two of your conversation was completely interrupted by your brother's drunken and slightly coiled voice, you rolled your eyes and looked at Aegon, you knew he would do one of those, but honestly, today!? You got the stiffness in Jace's arm, and how his hands were giving you warning signs, and as you looked at him you saw his serious and defiant look.... It was hot you thought, the way he looked, but you quickly turned those thoughts away, you made your gazes meet, yours seemed to want to calm the dragon fire that glowed through Jacaerys beautiful brown orbs.

Dinner followed with more of Aegon's rather polite and indiscreet comments that you made a point of rebuking a few times, but which seemed to have no effect on your brother's drunken figure, the glint in Jacaerys' gaze had not diminished, but you could see the gears in his head, and honestly the small discreet smile that spread across his face.

Aegon was walking a little staggered around the castle, he gave a low laugh at the thought of going to pester his nephew some more, after the dinner they had, the family excused themselves, teasing and taunting Jace was never as much fun as it was now. As he got close to his door he could hear noises indecipherable to his ears but getting louder and sincerely more noticeable.

And as he opened the door the naked image of you seared into his mind, which he would find as exciting as possible, but not when it was his fucking nephew who was leading him upright with you just propped up on a headboard.

- A...ah Jacaerys m...my king

You moaned like a bitch he would say, your face had little tears of pleasure on it, your nails dug into Jace's back scratching him and leaving reddened rows as Jace took you unmercifully, and just marked you all over.

- Let them hear you, let your brother hear what a slut you are for my cock, and that only I can take you.

He put his hands on the table and pushed even harder, making you let out a shrill cry for his name, as he grabbed your shoulder for balance, and hooked your legs around his bent toes and your mouth letting out the best moaning moans Aegon ever had the pleasure of hearing, he doesn't know why he was so turned on by the scene, you looked so good in that situation, but you made sure to leave quickly so as not to be noticed by the couple, even not aware that the brown haired prince, already knew about your little importuning, not that he cared when you were taking his cock so obediently mind.

[lily-drake]

Lesson 7: Always Know Your Place

Previous

Marin: Möckel! I havent seen you in aw-

Luka: its Luka.

Marin: oh- *furrows her eyebrows, whispers in Arabic* [I thought it was Möckel..]

Luka: *hums* Möckel doesn’t exist.

Marin: you.. *tilts her head* you were undercover?

Luka: yes.

Marin: you.. infiltrated..

Luka: *smiles* yes.

Marin: *grimaces* if mother knew she would have punished me for not knowing.

Luka: *grins* good thing they never found out, huh?

Marin: how did.. *furrows her eyebrows* how long?

Luka: 4 years?

Marin: how are you still alive???

Luka: *grins viciously* killed in combat. Unit down.

Marin: *hums* quite sad they never found Möckel’s body.

Luka: *nods solemnly* yes.

_____ It’s a real experience to see someone so bright and full of life… just break and melt down in front of you.

Its a real experience to see someone you’ve loved for quite some time… just drop dead all in the span of a second.

Its a real experience to see someone’s life flash on and off repeatedly for 5 minutes until… it never turns on again.

It becomes a real experience.

Until its an everyday experience.

She hates it.

_____ Marin: i don't- it’s like my emotions are shut off. Im me but not me. Im here but not here. I speak and i listen and i see people but im not THERE. IM NOT FUCKING REAL-

Jason: Marin-

Marin: *crying* I'm not real. My emotions aren't real. Im not real. Ive never been real. Marinette is real. Alice is real. Hailey is real. All my molds are real but I'M NOT! IM NOT REAL!

Jason: Marin you are-

Marin: *screams* IM NOT!

-@bambicambi

Things seemed to actually be looking up for Marin.  It had been months since she left, and no one had found her yet!  Jason visited on an on-and-off basis, and she had felt…good!  It was a strange feeling, honestly when she first truly felt it she thought she was having some sort of panic attack.  She was fighting her own villain now with her own partner–not a sidekick, but a partner, an equal–and she was free to do ct how she pleased with no interference and no one reminding her not to kill every time she so much as twitched!  Paris had actively put a block on any information that pertained to the Akuma Attacks from being able to exit the borders so she didn’t have to worry about anyone coming here and accidentally finding her.  Mother had visited briefly one other time after their first time meeting for tea, and it didn’t end with any form of bloodshed.  Everything was looking up for her, and that should have been the first sign that something bad was quickly approaching.

Marinette had been invited to the Couffaine’s home for a concert; it surprised her when the offer was first made, but she quickly accepted.  Chloe was bragging about going to XY’s concert and how she should ditch “those losers” and come with her.  Marinette simply told her she had terrible taste in music.  Chloe had crossed her arms and looked up definitely, making a ‘hmph’ noise and angling her body slightly away from Marinette.  Marinette had laughed and bumped her shoulder against Chloe’s.  Chloe simply rolled her eyes as her lips made a small upturn.

“Whatever Dupain-Cheng, he’s #1 on record charts right now.”

“Yea, but it’s all very subjective, so let’s not argue over it.  Besides, we both know that Jagged Stone is far superior.”

Chloe felt a chill run through her at Marinette’s playful tone.  Marinette still made something in the back of her mind ring loudly in alarm, but when she looked at the girl she was just smiling at her with her hands fiddling anxiously with the strap of her purse.

“What’s wrong Chloe, you seem a little frightened.”

“Ha, frightened of what?  There’s literally nothing to fear.  It would be ridiculous, utterly ridiculous of me to be afraid.”

Chloe replied insolently.  Marin knew that Chloe could sense something from her, it had thrown her off the first time she noticed Chloe could sense her.  Afterall, she had set these molds up to be perfect, she was extremely careful with how they were formed and used.  The fact that Chloe could even feel something about her besides the happy, anxious, bubbly, and sunshine girl from her was extraordinarily impressive.  Now she would never reveal that Chloe was right to be on edge, that would be a fool’s decision, she liked to tease Chloe about it though.  Never enough to make Chloe think she’s going crazy, rather small call outs to make fun of her.  It amused her greatly to see Chloe’s reactions.

When the time came to go to the concert she was shocked to see that Juleka lived on a ship.  It made her wonder if she could convince the Dupain-Cheng’s to let her get one of her own.  She wandered around and tried to help where she could, but it seemed like everyone knew what to do besides her.  That was until Anarka came and told her to get her son, Luka, from his room.  When she got to his room and they made eye contact both stared at the other in complete and utter shock.

*

“Möckel!  I-I haven’t seen you in aw-

“It’s Luka.”

He said quickly, cutting her off.  His eyes scanned the room frantically as if someone were hiding in the shadows just waiting to attack him.

“Oh-,”

Marin furrowed her brows in confusion.  Did she mix him up with someone else?  She had heard about doppelgängers before, maybe that's what this was? Under her breath she muttered,

“I thought it was Möckel…”

Luka hummed at that and once he was satisfied they were alone, leaned back and relaxed slightly against the wall.

“Möckel doesn’t exist.”

At his words things began to click into place, because she knew exactly what he meant by that statement.  Marin tilted her head slightly as confusion and disbelief bled through her voice,

“You… you were undercover?”

“Yes.” 

He stated simply, his eyes never leaving her form showing he was on guard even if he looked completely relaxed.

“You…infiltrated…”

At that Luka gave her a bright and smug smile.  He was proud of this, he found victory from having done it.

“Yes.”

Marinette grimaced at that.  She didn’t feel too terrible for never figuring it out as no one else had either, but still.  She was supposed to be one of the best, and she failed…again.  If he was aiming to kill her or anyone else in the League, would he have been successful?

“If mother knew she would have punished me for not knowing.”

Was all she could say to his smug response.  At that his smile fell to one of sympathy and pain.  After all he had seen her punishments, they were made public for a reason.

“Good thing they never found out then, huh?”

Marinette nodded dazedly before asking,

“How did… how long?”

Marin asked, her fingers twitching at her side in frustration.

“4 years?”

He said, or rather questioned.  He and Marin had interacted a few times in the League, in fact he saw her as an almost friend in the death trap.  He had never seen her like this before, this was all Marin, but it felt like she was falling apart here.  Marin’s head snapped and she stared him directly in the eyes,

“How are you still alive?!”

She yelled almost incredulously.

Luka’s grin turned vicious as he stated,

“Killed in combat.  Unit down.”

Marin hummed at that, calming down and letting her own body relax slightly.

“Quite sad they never found Möckel’s body.”

She said almost distantly, her eyes downcast with a sort of silent remembrance in her tone.  Like she had lost something important, and even if she found it it would never be the same again.  Luka nodded solemnly, remembering the battle and how all of his comrades had died.  He was the only one to make it through.  It was the perfect excuse to finally leave, to report to his superiors so that he could finally be reunited with his family.

“Yes.”

Was all he could say as the somberness of the conversation filled the room.

*

Suddenly yelling and loud noises filled the room from the outside and the ship was covered in dark purple bubbles transforming the ship into a modified red and black medieval pirate ship.  The large round window was still there and thankfully open.  

“Come on Luka, we have to get out of here!”

She said pointing to the window.  He nodded and quickly stood up, but before either could get to the window loud footsteps sounded through the halls.  Luka opened a door under the bed and pointed to it.  Marin gulped but quickly got inside, already going into battle mode.  Luka pushed her back in and started to act like she had escaped and he was about to join her.  The door was burst open and she heard Anarka yell,

“Liberty, capture him.”

The sound of chains sounded and Möc-no, Luka’s body fell to the ground.  Once she was sure she was alone she had Plagg pull the drawer out and she took a small gasp of breath, almost choking on open air.

“Alright Plagg, it’s time to get to work.”

Plagg sighed tiredly and stretched.

“Do we have to?  I’m still tired.”

Marin smiled at her little friend and gently patted his head with one of her fingers.

“I promise that once this is over I’ll make you some Camembert Danish.”

“Deal!”

“Alright, Plagg claws out.”

She whispered, afterall, she didn’t need anyone to hear her and figure it out.  She snuck out through the window and took stock of her surroundings.  They were passing by other concerts, both large and small, and they were getting far too close to the land.

“Liberty, fire!”

She watched as the sets and everything around it crumpled and died with the canon balls.  Cries and Screams pierced the air, she felt terrible with how the familiar noises almost seemed to put her mind at ease.  Quickly she made her move, blending in with the shadows as she tried to figure out what the object that needed to be broken was.  

And just her luck, she saw Mr. Bug swinging on the opposite side of where she was, easily distracting the Akumatized victim.  That wasn’t good for long term reasons, but it was good for now.  She needed to be careful though because if she was given even an ounce of good luck, it could only mean there would be Hell to pay later.  

She quietly climbed onto the deck, keeping to the shadowed areas of the ship creeping closer and closer to where the civilians were tied together in the center of the ship.  She needed to do this carefully, she couldn’t risk being spotted by the Akuma, but she also needed the kids to talk to her in case they knew where the corrupted bug was.  She quickly glanced over and watched as Mr. Bug was able to deflect the chains with his yo-yo causing the Akuma to be even angrier than before, placing even more of her focus into catching him.  Good.  The tip of her tail began to whip side to side as excitement filled her bones.  This thrill, the life or death of it all is what she lived for.  It wasn’t a game to her, she knew how serious this was, but she had lived her entire life like this, she was far too desensitized to ever feel the fear of this line of work ever again.

She reached into her belt and pulled out three small orbs that would explode on impact, each with a different purpose.  One would be smoke, the next would be an explosive, and the last one she would be able to channel her power into without having to activate her Cataclysm.  With practiced ease she threw the explosive at the Akuma, the smoke bomb at the group of kids, but held onto the last one.  She didn’t have time to focus on the Akuma and Chat, her first priority was information, so she ran as fast as she possibly could toward the kids.

They were coughing slightly, but it didn’t matter right now.

“Do any of you know where the Akuma may be?”

She demanded as soon as she was in front of them.

“Huh, Kaus Noir!”

One of them gasped excitedly.  

“Yes, now tell me, where is the Akuma?”

“It’s the compass!  A police officer came and asked if we had a docking permit, but Mom refused to show it to them.  He kept giving her senseless tickets, and I saw it fly into the Cabin.”

Juleka all but muttered.

“Thank you, I’ll take care of it.”

Marin’s senses were on high alert as her ears perked up at the sound of chains coming straight for her.  She dodged with easy grace, grabbing her staff from its holster at her lower back and extending it.  Now out of the smoke she could see what had happened.  Mr. Bug had seemed to tire the woman out quite a bit, but she had been able to chain him to the mast.  She wore an almost gleeful smirk, her eyes bright like she had already won.

“I have your bug, and if you don’t want me to run him through, you’ll hand me your Miraculous!”

Anarka demanded while pointing her sword towards Marin dramatically.  Marin simply rolled her eyes before she threw the small ball at the chains, letting them quickly decay.

“You don’t scare me, and I have more tricks up my sleeve than you’ll ever know.”

She watched as the boy jumped, landing right next to her while swinging his yo-yo in a large circle so fast it became a shield.  She stayed next to him, letting him deflect the oncoming chains.

“What's the plan Kaus?”

He asked, not even breathless.  Maybe she didn’t give him enough credit, he’s fairing far better than she thought he would these last few weeks.  She was slowly starting to trust him, and him her, it was strange.  

“Witness said that the Akuma is in the compass in the Cabin.  If you can keep her distracted a little longer I can destroy the object.”

Mr. Bug nodded.

“I’ll separate from you, so be ready for an incoming of chains.”

With her confirming nod, he moved away, racing towards Anarka at a high velocity that can only be attributed to the Miraculous.  Marin twirled her staff in a similar manner that Mr. Bug did his yo-yo, allowing her to block the chains and shield herself.  It didn’t take long for her to reach the Cabin.  Where there was once a simple wooden door now stood a large iron door with slithering chains.  She was hidden in a dark shadow, but she could tell Anarka was looking for her.  It was a pattern, she would fight Bug for 45 seconds before she would glance around for 5.  After the third time Marin began her work, the timer ticking down in her mind as focussed her energy into one more orb, this one draining her Cataclysm only a little.  She threw the orb at the door and smiled as it disappeared into ash, but now Anarka was racing towards her, riding the chains.  Marin ran into the small room yelling Cataclysm and placing her hand against the compass.  As soon as her hand brushed the device the chains encompassed her body, but it was too late, the device was already decaying.  

“NO!  What have ye done?”

Anarka yelled, falling onto her knees as purple consumed her once more.  She watched as Mr. Bug threw his yo-yo at the corrupted creature, capturing it before releasing its purified form back to the wild.  Yes, the wild, she had placed tracks on some of the other ones and none of them ever led back to anywhere except parks and the like.  She watched as he also threw a giant pair of chain breakers into the air, causing millions of Ladybugs to fly around all of Paris, fixing all of the damage that occurred, and removing the chains from around her.  

Mr. Bug lent his arm towards her, and for once, she accepted it, letting him pull her to her feet.  He smiled at her and held out his fist.  Dick had always done something similar, he had called it a “fist pump”.  She returned that as well, he smiled brightly at her, and though she didn’t feel butterflies or anything flying in her stomach, she felt settled.  Calm.  It was a nice change of pace.

“Great job today Kaus.”

“Yea, not bad yourself Mr. Bug.”

Both of their miraculous beeped, and with one last curt nod, she ran off the boat, only to subtly arch back to land back into Moc-LUKA’S room once more.

“Claws off.”

She whispered letting Plagg fly out before hiding him back in her purse where she kept cheddar cheese, because she was not smelling like camembert. He would get lots of that back in the apartment so it wasn’t like she wasn’t meeting his needs.  Luka burst through the room with wide eyes that almost seemed frightened.  He looked scared, accusatory, and almost…guilty.

“I don’t like small spaces.”

She stated, crossing her arms, as if that’s why he was looking at her like she had done something she shouldn’t have.  

“I know, sorry.  It was the only place to hide you.”

He whispered, never leaving his spot right in front of the door.  They stayed silent for a few moments longer before he finally asked,

“Why are you here?  Who’s your target?”

And didn’t that just hurt.  It felt like she had been slapped in the face, but she didn’t let him see that.

“I’m not here for the League, I left it.  They have no control over me.  I am here because I want to live my life free of anyone.  I’m here to make my own decisions, I am not here to kill.”

She stated, looking into his eyes the entire time with a hard conviction.  He stared back at her, familiar blue, calculating eyes trying to piece together her words.  Find a hidden meaning where there was none, look for the lie where she only said her truth.  

“Very well, but if I catch even a whiff of you trying to hurt my friends or family, I will not hesitate to expose you.  I may not be able to defeat you, but I can take you down with me.”

And with that, he turned and left, leaving her alone, fists clenched and face expressionless.  She could feel Plagg nuzzling her hip through the purse, it grounded her, made her feel warm, but it didn’t take away the loathing that began to once again squirm through her entire being.

___________

Two weeks after that day Jason was staring at his little sister in shock as she told him what had happened that day.  It's a real experience to see someone so bright and full of life… just break and melt down in front of you.

* It's a real experience to see someone you’ve loved for quite some time… just drop dead all in the span of a second.

It's a real experience to see someone’s life flash on and off repeatedly for 5 minutes until… it never turns on again.

It becomes a real experience.

Until it's an everyday experience.

She hates it.  Jason hates it, especially when he has to see it every time Marinette fades away to Marin.  He loved her, they kept each other sane while I’m the League and always had the others back.  Nothing would ever change that.

*

“Möckel is alive.  He goes by Luka now.  He had infiltrated the League.”

She said, spitting out the last sentence like it was an insult to her very being.  And in a way, it was.

“I know.”

Jason stated and that had Marin snapping her head to stare at him like he was insane.  He was worried she had given herself whiplash.

“You-you knew and you did not say anything?!”

“Well, I kept a close eye on him and threatened him.  But you two were getting close and you needed another person you could trust in your life.  Didn’t want to take that away unless I had to.”

It was silent for a few minutes.  Then Marin whispered,

“Möckel was a mask.  It didn’t take control of his life.  Luka is real.”

Jason was confused and didn’t understand where this was headed.  But he was sure it was nowhere good.

*

“I don’t- it’s like my emotions are shut off.  I’m me, but I’m not me.  I’m here, but I’m not here.  I speak and I listen and I see people, but I’m not THERE.  I'M NOT F*ING REAL-“

“Marin-“

Jason said softly as he tried to take her hand in his.  She moved it away quickly and hugged herself as warm tears fell down her cheeks and a sob escaped her lips.

“I’m not real.  My emotions aren’t real.  I’m not real.  I’ve never been real.  Marinette,”

She spat the name like it was the most disgusting poison she had tasted,

“is real.  Alice is real.  Hailey is real!  All my molds are real, but I’M NOT!  I'M NOT REAL!”

Jason was at a loss for words and it hurt to see her like this.  To finally have her walls fall down around her as she sobbed.  Carefully Jason maneuvered her so that she was seated in his lap while he hugged her to his chest as tightly as he could while not crushing her.  He placed a gentle kiss to the crown of her head and whispered,

“Marin, you are-“

“I’M NOT!”

She screamed, banging her fists harshly against his chest, face buried against his neck.

*

Jason was silent, letting her have a moment while he compiled his thoughts.  He, like the rest of his emotionally constipated family, was never great with words.  He had known her for so long, so many years.  He knew so many of her molds by heart, her fears, her triggers, when she was actually happy and sad, he knew her better than Damian ever would know her.  Where Dick was like a father to Damian, the same could be said of him with Marinette.  

He had always wondered when this breakdown would happen, it was a long time coming, and now that it was here he didn’t know what to do.  He knew that she had never had the opportunity to really let herself just be, especially when she was stuck with Bruce.  It turns out that seeing Möckel, or rather “Luka”, had been the thing to finally tip her over the edge.  Jason carefully ran his fingers through her hair, gently removing the knots and running his fingers softly against her scalp.  Slowly her sobs petered down to hiccups and eventually to small sniffles.  Jason was very happy that they were in one of his safe houses instead of the bakery for this conversation.

“Marin, and yes, I mean Marin, please listen to what I’m saying.”

A pause,

“I promise you, that you are not fake.  I have known you longer than Damian has, better than anyone ever will, or at least that’s what I’d like to believe.  I know who you are, you are strong, resilient, fierce, a bit of a prankster, a smartalec, and a little s*.”

“So you admit it,”

Marinette sniffled with a small chuckle.

“I am a little s*.”

Jason smirked and rolled his eyes at that.

“Yea, I admit it, you really are.  But, in a good way, because your my Little S*.”

“You really believe that Marin is real?”

She asked hesitantly.  Jason gave her a small smile and ruffled her head, earning a sharp slap.

“Of course.  I know for a fact this isn’t a mold, a facade, this is what you really feel.  This is all Marin, no one else.”

“Jason.”

She muttered,

“Hmm?”

“I’m tired.”

“I believe you.  Why don’t you take a break.  I’ll text Sabine and Tom if you want to spend the night.”

“Yes please.”

“Alright.  I’ll do it when you're ready, and don’t you dare force yourself.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Next

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[promptforrest]

A letter to the love of all my lifetimes.

My love,

It's been one month together for us in this life and yet my soul has known you for many lifetimes and all of them to come. It recognised the comfort and security I felt around you from the first day. I couldn't stop talking like a Jabberwocky from Alice in Wonderland, because I had fallen down the rabbit hole which is you again. I knew my soul had longed for you when you had to leave on that first date and then on the second when I couldn't stop feeling good in your arms.

You know when you're a kid and you're scared of monsters so your parents tell you that if you hide under the blanket you'll be safe? You are my monster blanket. I feel so incredibly safe in your arms, like the rest of the world doesn't exist around us and like nothing will ever matter again unless I have you by my side.

You are the Dionysus to my Ariadne. The Eros to my Psyche, and the Hades to my Persephone. And maybe we were them once in previous lifetimes past.

I don't know how the future will be and that usually terrifies me,but I know if I have you by my side till the end of this lifetime and again in the next and the next nothing can bring us down.

We have lifetimes to make our memories together.

When I look at you and just stare it's like nothing I've experienced before. Everytime I see your smile and look into those melting eyes, I smile and I don't need to say anything else. What words can describe a love like ours?

You worry over me more than my own family and I can't help but know that you were the family I was missing, like part of my soul had mended itself like a China pot laced with gold.

When you make me laugh I don't care that I sound like a dying hyena. When I'm with you I can laugh as much as I want and never hold back.

You love every part of me so fully and completely like I love every part of you.

I would not change a single thing about you, except maybe to have you stop doubting yourself and putting yourself down. I know the heartbreak of the past has left an emotional scar that will never fade, but I hope I can be the tattoo we can put over it. And like a tattoo I'll be marked on you, forever by your side.

During our first lifetime the fates sewed our souls together and decided to do so in each and every lifetime. The threads always fitting so beautifully together that they can't bear to seperate them from the fabric of life for too long.

I hope I can be for you as you are for me my darling, but I know in my very being that is already true for us. And even if we are seperated for now, in my heart I know we will overcome it like we have surely done before.

No word's can describe how much I love you, but that's why they invented those three little words. You say them and the context is clear to the other person. I love you and have loved you and I will continue to do so in lifetimes to come.

Happy One month anniversary my love. We know it's not the first and surely won't be the last.

By Angelique Van Niekerk (aka me)

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

If Bella was somehow bitten somehow and woke up alone during New Moon, but the Cullens didn't find her (I don't know if this is still 'Edward mercy kills Bella' territory but if it is then maybe her gift knows this and starts blocking Alice) and she became a nomad, would she still do the diet and if so for how long?

This is shockingly in the realm of possibility and not necessarily in the land of Edward mercy killing Bella.

Though there are some dangers Bella would have to avoid somehow for survival.

Bella is Bitten Alone in New Moon

We have one vampire who meets Bella during New Moon and another who with very little difference in the timeline would have run across her: Laurent and Victoria.

In the case of Laurent, he and Bella have a chat, he decides Bella smells delicious and he'll spare her the pain of being slowly murdered by Victoria, and just as he decides to go for it he gets run down and eaten by giant wolves.

Bella survives her vampire encounter.

In the case of Victoria, she never really gets close enough to do damage until the fight between Edward and Victoria and Riley and Seth in Eclipse.

So we have a few ways this could go:

Laurent's a few seconds ahead of Sam and company. He manages to get a good bite in and doesn't crush Bella on impact. He's run off by the wolves and Bella survives.

The problem here is that Bella has now been bitten and there's no coming back for her. It's a tragedy, and the wolves will feel a shared sense of failure and burden that they failed to save her, but she's dead anyway. They have to kill her before she fully turns.

Bella's gift, while powerful, doesn't appear to help in this kind of situation. Though, that said, in her dire need it could suddenly give her the ability to project illusions like we see in Renesmee. Doesn't seem to be how Bella's gift typically rolls, but hey, this is her darkest hour.

Otherwise, Jake could pull his alpha move much earlier in order to save Bella's life. He ignores Sam's order, flees with the turning Bella, and dumps her in the wilderness somewhere with a note from Jake that she must never return to Forks. She wakes up alone, only guessing though not knowing what Jake has done for her, and stares blankly at the wilderness.

If Victoria catches up to Bella, well, it's not looking good. All too likely, Bella dies painfully, and Victoria leaves a video tape of the entire ordeal in the Cullen house for when they eventually return (as they surely will).

Though, that said, the ease with which Victoria accomplishes this and the complete lack of Cullen intervention could catch her off guard. Perhaps... Edward doesn't actually give a rat's ass. That says terrible things about James' needless death, but Victoria's holding this girl hostage. She will die, in the most painful manner imaginable, and the Cullens aren't there.

Victoria might turn Bella out of pity or else turn her as she figures out, in part from Bella, that Bella becoming a vampire is Edward's worst case scenario. However, in that case, it's unlikely Victoria would abandon Bella, so Bella wouldn't be on her own.

Which, I think for this post, makes Jake's alpha sacrifice the most likely path. He dumps Bella's half-vampire body somewhere in nowhere Canada.

Bella After the Bite

Being dumped in the wilderness helps a lot. For one, Bella already has unbelievable control, for another this is Edward's penguin scenario. There is no one else out here for her to eat even if she wanted to.

So, following the diet is easy.

And it's something she'd very much wish to do. Bella sees the world of vampires divided into two types of vampire: the good Cullen vampires who don't eat people and the bad vampires who, well, eat people.

This left such a mark on Bella that she has very little idea of what a vampire even is.

Bella would be horrified at herself if she became a bad vampire. In wanting vampirism she wanted the vampirsim she sees in the Cullens. Bella might be miserable and alone, without a friend in the world, but she would be horrified to choose anything other than the Cullen way of life.

At least, at first.

The Return of the Cullens

There's a few paths for Bella after she's dumped in the middle of nowhere.

Alice sees that Bella's become a vampire, an abandoned newborn, and is wandering aimlessly around the wilderness somewhere. Even though Edward has forbidden contact, this is probably enough to motivate Alice who was genuinely worried.

She likely goes behind Edward's back and tries to find Bella with Jasper and possibly the rest of the Cullens.

Edward, of course, is still in Rio being a miserable saint for leaving precious human Bella.

Eventually, they manage to find her, and there's a lot of miscommunication, very hurt feelings, and heartfelt apologies even from Rosalie because look what happened to this poor girl. Though they each, either reluctantly or more enthusiastically, agreed to leave this was not what they had in mind.

Bella forgives them quite readily, as she did in canon, because she has the self-esteem of a thimble. The Cullens are awed and very grateful, Rosalie would never have forgiven them for this.

It probably takes them both a) a while to decide how best to tell Edward and break the news to him b) a while to get a hold of Edward because he's ignoring all their phone calls.

Eventually they do, it's a shit show, for the purpose of this post we'll say he does not mercy kill Bella. He might actually be feeling too guilty for that. Instead he grovels on the ground constantly, begging Bella's forgiveness, and refuses to enter a relationship with her because he's unworthy.

This undoubtedly upsets Bella, because she's also unworthy and Edward knows it and doesn't love her, but that's not the point of this meta.

In this world, the Cullens keep Cullening after picking Bella up, Bella's adopted into the fold and made Edward's twin sister due to looking the most like him (which, of course, makes them look actually incestuous in high school to add to the Cullen mystique).

With the support of the Cullens, living the Cullen lifestyle, and having the control that Bella has there's no question of ever leaving the diet.

Bella stays on the wagon.

Bella Seeks Out the Denali

Alice is successful and doesn't see Bella's future for whatever reason. Edward will be so proud. Bella is left alone in Canada to eat moose.

Eventually, Bella decides that however great being a vampire is, she's lonely and miserable. She wants companionship.

Well, obviously the Cullens hate her, so even if she could find them they probably never want to see her again. But what about the Denali?

Bella's already in Canada, she could head over to the Denali National Park in Alaska, and surely the least she could do is actually introduce herself.

Of course, the coven sounds blonde, hot, aggressively female, and very intimidating. Tanya's history of wanting to bang Edward has Bella feeling very small and worthless. More, the Cullens may have told the Denali all about how stupid and ugly Bella, Edward's current human girlfriend, is and they've all laughed at her.

However, Bella's so desperate for companionship, for some connection back to her old life, that she goes for it.

She makes it to Alaska, wanders around until she eventually finds the Denali coven, and introduces herself. The Denali are weird assholes, but Bella's so oblivious she actually doesn't notice.

That said, they've had their brush with the law, and Tanya doesn't want a newborn running around by herself. Eleazar also gives a truly pompous, awful, speech about compassion to their fellow man. It's unbearable, Bella finds it charming.

They take Bella in, she can be the dark-haired sister. Her control is so good the three single ladies quickly take her clubbing and encourage her to sleep away her troubles with human men.

Bella quickly finds that, when you're on the vampire end of the equation, the relationship with human thing is kind of gross. These people smell like food, are squishy and overly warm, and have the substance of tofu.

Bella feels even worse about her relationship with Edward.

She sleeps with human men anyway so that the Denali sisters won't judge her/will think she's cool.

They're so proud of her.

Regardless, Bella stays on the diet as the Denali follow the diet. She will likely have a few accidents with her human lovers, and will be inconsolable, but the coven will be there to offer comfort and help her get back on the wagon.

Bella stays on the wagon

Bella's Low Self-Esteem Wins and She Becomes a Hermit

Bella can't return to Forks and she's so ugly, stupid and boring that even though she's a vampire if she met anyone new they'd realize how ugly, stupid, and boring she is.

Better to just forsake society altogether and live with moose.

Bella's able to do this for quite a long time. Years even. And it's... fine. But her life has no purpose nor any direction to it.

She becomes tempted by society. How many years has it been? Has the world changed since she left? Has Forks changed? Is Charlie still alive? Is Renee? What about her classmates?

Bella starts travelling and visiting human cities and, thanks to her control, she does very well.

However, it's very likely that one day she'll slip, she takes her control far too much for granted and all it takes is one mistake.

And that's where Bella starts getting into trouble.

She's horrified at first, of course, and that likely doesn't break her. She gets back on the wagon, but the second time it happens...

There are no consequences to her breaking the diet. She has no companions, no one cares. Why is she living in constant agony, every single day, for people who will one day die anyway? Why is Bella choosing to suffer?

As time goes on, as humans start to mean less and less to her and all the humans that she knew when human herself are dead, Bella starts forgetting the reason that the diet seemed so vital to her existence.

At one point, it stops meaning anything at all, it's just Bella pointlessly choosing to live in agony.

Bella falls off the wagon.

TL;DR I think it'd take a while, at least ten years, but if she becomes a solitary nomad, it would inevitably happen.

[yourturntositcom]

Oneshot! Tldr at the bottom! Wanted to let out some feelies so Hurt comfort! tw: mentions of ongoing emotion repression and lying about it, self esteem issues, urges for self harm and sad boi times

"Sorry I'll have to cancel I can't come," "Oh it's OK!" it's not.

"Oh something came up sorry!" "It's completely fine I understand!" I don't.

"It's alright I didn't really care about it," But I was really looking forward to it.

"I'll be fine without it no need to worry!" but I'm not fine...

Shin grumbled and threw his bag to the ground as he shut his room's door, "Why? Why?" he grumbled more pacing around his room. Tears starting to prick the corners of his eyes, "Am I not good enough?" he asked looking at his hands before pulling at his hair. "Did I make them upset?" he whimpered as he tore chunks of his hair out of his skull, his gut had rested into what felt like a bed of needles.

"Maybe if I'm better it won't happen again right?" he bit his hand hard as the thought left his mind, he had yet to taste blood. Shin had sort of started to crave it, he turned to his desk a sort of hypnotic trance upon him. "If I just take it out I'll be fine." he slowly approached his desk, since starting to date Alice and sharing a room with him, he had grown a little infrequent in his habit.

He wasn't sure if it was good or not.

As he reached into his desk and for the blade near centimeters away from holding it.

Knock knock knock

"Who's there?!" he whipped his eyes dry and silently prayed that no one could tell and shut the drawer, "It's Reko you're not exactly great at staying quiet," her voice boomed through the door, both Yabusames had that sort of feature to their voices even if they were speaking quietly it sort of felt like it radiated out like a bass string through your whole body, Shin loved that little edge. "Ah. I see, I'll-" "Don't pull that shit on me you feel like shit cause you thought you got rejected." he froze for a second as she inturpted him, "Listen I may not act like it but I give a shit about you," Reko spoke calmly as he walked to the door sitting down listening to her, "Is it because-" "No it's not cause you're dating my brother. I give a shit cause you are my friend," a slight silence broke out between them.

"And besides we've known each other for what? 2?" "I think 5 now," he shrugged a bit leaning his head against the hard wood, "5 years, at this point I've seen you every day for 5 years. I've known you longer than Nao at this point!" he rolled his eyes, "You met her 4 and a half-" "Still!" She grumbled as she leaned her back against the wood, "You have become like a little brother to me in that time," Shin smiled slightly, "You know-" "I know that calling you that is a tad big of a dick move but I'm just saying that you're like family to me," he laughed a bit, "Not cause of the dating my brother thing!" she knocked on the door as if to elaborate her point. "I don't care about it!" "Didn't you-" "I also screamed finally at the top of my lungs as it took forever for you two to admit it."

Reko frowned slightly, "But regardless I have noticed that you aren't fine. Alice has too. You can't keep pushing it down and try making it not exist like this," he hoped she wouldn't pull out that gem, pointing it out, "Just say something I fucking swear it'll be better than keeping it down, do you want to say what has been upsetting you?" she asked, though she didn't say it she wanted him to just spit the problem out in the aether. "I don't really know anymore the problem just pa-" "Cut the bullshit Shin Tsukimi." and she caught the issue fully, "You were acting wounded and by what I and Alice know you aren't just fine after like what 5 minutes of feeling like shit?" he bit his hand, "You don't handle your shit alone well. We can tell. Not just me," Had he become to reckless?

"You are hurt about something, if you don't want to talk about it just say so." she tapped her fingers methodically along her arm as she crossed it over her other, "Saying it's nothing and lying will make us think that it's worse." Reko gripped onto her sleeve, "News flash, we aren't blind Shin." she turned her head, he only put his head in his lap. "Just say what you need and I'll get it. I get that shit feels bad so just say it so you aren't starving yourself." he stayed silent. She didn't move, she needed to wait out her part once more. "Can you just pass me a snickers?" he asked closing his eyes bobbing his head like a breaded dragon to a song that wasn't playing.

"Yup. Want the cat too?" she moved away from her leaning spot on the door, "Yeah." he mumbled, "Thanks Reko." "Anytime,"

Tldr: Admin Shin projecting his feelings onto Shin and letting themself actually acknowledge their feelings <3 Reko talks to him about it like friends do-

[mcbenson25]

Dear Mr. B Chapter 5

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

You woke up to loud noise in the kitchen.

"What the hell?" You muttered walling out of your room.

You saw mom making coffee and she had dropped a plastic cup while reaching for her travel cup.

You eyed her seeing she was already dressed and of course on the phone.

"Yes I can make it today. Don't you worry I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

You spotted a luggage bag by the door and sighed tiredly.

It's too early for this.

You brushed past her grabbing you own cup.

She paused for a moment to give you a kiss on your forehead.

As she always does to lessen the blow.

Show love before the strike.

You served yourself a cup of coffee and sat down awaiting for the words that so readily came to your mother.

As you the coffee hit your lips you made a face and placed the cup down.

It was too bitter.

But wasn't everything?

You shook your head.

No.

You went to your room and threw some clothes on, deciding to go to the coffeeshop from yesterday.

You were done living a hypocrisy.

A lie.

A broken promise.

It was going to be different now.

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

You managed to leave undetected.

It wasn't too hard to sneak out. When the phone rang everything around your mother seemed to not exist.

She would be in her own world.

One you could never be part of.

You huffed annoyedly as you walked faster bristling by the busy streets of New York.

As you approached the shop you could smell the coffee and a sense of peace washed over you.

You smiled as you sat at one of the outside tables.

"Hey!"

You followed the bright greeting and saw Alice already making your way towards you.

"Hi." You said with a smile.

"Glad you're back! I thought I had scared you away."

You laughed.

"Not possible. On the contrary I thought I would scare you away."

It was Alice's turn to laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous! I love meeting people. Plus you looked like you needed a friend."

You nodded.

"Does it make me seem desperate?" You ask.

"Psh no way. I've seen desperate," she said making a face, "and trust me that's not you."

You laughed.

"Good to know."

"So do you know what you want or you want a surprise?"

"Hm," you paused pretending to be deep in thought, "Surprise me. It's been a rough morning."

"Alright you better brace yourself because I'm about to blow your mind."

You smiled widely as she went back into the shop.

You looked around and closed you eyes for a brief moment. Everything looked as fascinating and wild as it had yesterday if not more.

Your eyes fell upon the wall and that's when you remembered.

The note.

You looked around to make sure Alice wasn't anywhere near to surprise you as you moved the brick and retrieved the napkin.

You turned it and saw that the handwriting on it was not yours.

Crap.

You panicked. Someone had taken yours out and replaced it with their own.

You were scared to read it.

What if it was someone telling her to stop writing pathetic soapy poems and hiding it in public spaces?

You groaned as you hid your face with your arms on the table.

You took a glance at the napkin and sighed.

Might as well get over with it.

Even after all the chaos, there is always a light.

A light that glows upon the leaves of the trees

A light that withstands the turmoil of life

And I hope the light finds you in your beautiful garden.

You felt the blood rush into your cheeks as you reread the note again.

And again.

And again.

Someone had written back.

Someone had written back to your note.

You didn't know what to do.

What to think.

"Here you go!" A bright voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Are you okay? You looked a little off there," she asked.

You nodded trying to seem convincing enough.

"I brought you our famous expresso. It's the best out there, I promise," she said as she handed you the cup.

You took a small sip.

Good heavens.

This was coffee.

You looked at Alice who was looking at you expectantly.

"Sooooo what'd you think?"

"I think this coffee put every other coffee out there to shame," you said with a smile.

"I told you it was the best!"

"Alice you have other customers!" you heard someone holler.

Alice frowned before letting out a laugh.

"I'll be right there Ma!" she hollered back before turning back to you.

"Are we still on for shopping later?"

"Of course!" you said.

"Alright meet me here at 2 and I'll show you the best shops."

"Okay!"

She gave you a small wave as she left and you realized you still had the napkin in your hand.

You sighed deeply.

Should you write back?

At that moment your phone rang.

It was your mother.

You frowned. Should you answer?

But that was the question wasn't it?

Answer or don't.

Go back to your life or...

don't.

Take a leap of faith.

You took out your pen. You wanted to see how far this would go. You wanted something to look forward to everyday.

Your own little secret.

You smiled as you began to write.

The light has touched the darkest parts of my heart.

It's silly really.

How just a couple of words

Can change everything

Just as the trees can with the seasons

One heart can change

With just a little bit of hope.

As you finished writing you heard your phone ring again.

You slid the "Reject" button as you placed the note in the hole and placed the brick back.

Things were about to get a whole lot interesting.

And for once you were looking forward to it.

Sorry it's been so long for updates. Hope you enjoyed!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

[arthemis-forge]

Chapter 3 Body and Soul (Crimson)

Warnings: None (future nsfw)

A/N: Hello guys! Sorry for the delay, what happens is that I was a little busy with some personal things but I'm back.

I will try to update twice a week and each time as we progress through the story, make the chapters longer. Another thing is I didn't notice that the previous chapter i published the draft instead of the final version. Which had many otorgraphic and writing errors. But it's already corrected. If you find something let me know so I can fix it. Also I am very happy for all the support, thank you for your lovely comments. Another thing, Do you want me to create a tag list?. Please tell me in the comments. That's all I wanted to say. Enjoy your reading! 🖤

Chapter 3(Crimson)

Lost in my thoughts, I walked towards the exit of the building while i was looking at the sky with some concern. It wouldn't be long before the sun rise.

And honestly, I was very scared. I did'nt know anyone in this city and didn't know what time it was in the area. My life was in danger and although I was sure that I still had time based on what the sky looked like.

I was still very worried about not knowing what time it was exactly. Looking at my watch was in vain. It was scheduled for London time not New York.

I was very nervous but I had to calm down. So i calculated that there were 2 hours left until the sun rise. And although it sounds like it's a lot of time, I don't know how much traffic there is in this city. And I needed to be in the nearest hotel as soon as posible.

Again I was so lost in my thoughts that I did not notice that a taxi parked in front of me, it was not until I heard the drivers voice that I noticed it.

—Good night miss, are you waiting for someone else? Or do you need me to take you somewhere? —

Hearing that question made me feel more relaxed again.

—Sure, I actually have nowhere to go. Could you recommend a hotel near here. One with good facilities. The price point doesn’t matter but I really need to get a good place to relax, preferably the closest hotel to the airport.—

I told him as I opened the door and carried my suitcase.

—Of course ma'am, in fact we are close to many good hotels. They are a few streets away. Would you like me to take you to see the exteriors and based on how they look you choose one?. I assure you that they are all very good, some more than others but none are bad. —

The man smiled while he waited for my answer.

I sighed feeling realised.

—Yes please, I would like it very much. —

The man laughed as he drived the car.

—You are not from here are you? I can tell by your accent. —

I nodded as i looked out the window. Analyzing the area I was in.

—That's right, I'm from London. I was transferred from my job. —

—That's so interesting. Sounds like fun to have a job where you travel a lot. —

—Well yeah you're not wrong. But I also needed to start a new life. —

I confessed while we entered to a large avenue with many buildings with hotels and apartments. Some were prettier than others.But nothing look bad about them.

—Is one of you liking? Or do you want me to go further so you can see more options?. —

The truth is that I could already choose one of the many hotels that were on the street. And I couldn't be so demanding, since i needed a safe place away from natural light as soon as possible. But a hunch told me to accept the man's proposal.

—Sure, I think we can see a few more options.—

No matter how much the car moved forward, nothing interested me. It wasn't until we reached the corner of the avenue that a large black building with Victorian architecture caught my attention. On the outside it had an ad with red calligraphy that said "Crimson".

—Stop here, I like this one. —

I pointed to the old building.

—I’m sorry to tell you this, but that hotel is very strict. They do not allow the entry to anyone who doesn't have a membership. It has already happened several times that I leave people here and they end up removing them from the place.—

—Don't worry I will try to enter. If i can´t then I’ll choose one of the hotels that are on this street. How much do I owe you? —

—If you insists, it’s $30 dollars.—

I nodded as I handed over his money.

—Thank you very much, also keep the change. —

I took my suitcase and closed the car's door as I approached the entrance of the building. However I was stopped at the door by a very tall man with brown hair and grey eyes.

— Good night, Miss. Could you give me your membership please. —

Embarrassed, I bit my lower lip and then proceeded to do something I didn't wanted.

—You're going to let me in no matter the rules of the place or what your bosses say. —

I smiled already knowing the results of my action. The man nodded and then open the door for me.

Once inside I noticed that a tall girl with black hair and violet eyes smiled at me as she applauded me.

—That was so wesome, Alice. Just as I expected, James didn't cause you any trouble. —

The girl approached very excited.

—Who are you and why do you know my name?—

I asked very confused and feeling insecure. Since she was aware of what I had just done and the worst thing was that she knew my name. This was getting very strange and I was not liking it.

—I am Grace Crimson. Owner of the hotel and great friend of your Boss Nat. —

—Do you know Nat? —

I said in a very incredulous voice.

—Of course Alice. But hey that is the least important thing right now, let me show you your room and I give you Nats phone number so you can call her.—

While I was trying to process the information, one of the attendants took my suitcase.

—Did Nat tell you in any way that I will come here? —

She just laughed at my question.

— I knew you'd say that. Don't be silly, honey. You are acting like a newborn vampire in the clan. Look dear, I'll explain. I can see the future. Today I had a vision of you in which I saw you giving orders to my guard right outside my hotel. It should be noted that I was concerned, because I didn't knew who you were, so I called all the offices until I found some information about you. To at least make sure that you weren't dangerous to us and to be able to take the necessary measures. By the way, I don't want you to feel bad about what I told you. But these are difficult times and we must take care of each other. —

Of course she was right, what a fool I was. I have been so involved in my personal feelings and problems that I overlook the fact that many in our community have that ability.

—Don't worry, it's okay Grace. I understand. I know how the security protocol works. And I also understand perfectly that you investigated me and that you needed to know who I was. —

I confessed.

—I already knew you were going to say that tho. Hey you are more friendly and understanding than I expected from someone who can control people's minds with their voice. No ofence but your kind is usually a very pretentious. —

I couldn't help laughing at that comment.

—I was like that many years ago, but someone changed me. I try not to abuse my powers too much, only when it’s necessary. —

I lowered my gaze to caress a silver ring with a red diamond that I had on my ring finger.

When she saw how my mood changed, she immediately hug me.

—Don't torment yourself over the past. —

She took me by the hand to walk me through those long corridors of the building. I must admit that I felt a little emotional. The place reminded me a lot of my grandmother's house.

—Here is your room, as you can see it is very spacious, it has a king size bed, living room, bathroom with a bathtub and a beautiful balcony. Also here is Nat's phone number. And don't forget to close all the curtains including the ones on the bed. —

She handed me the keys, a red card and a pos it with Nat’s new number.

—James leave the suitcase on her bed. —

The man obeyed her order and put the suitcase on my bed.

—Sure Grace. Thank you very much for all the hospitality. It has been a long time since I felt welcomed in a place. —

She smiled

—I know we are going to be very good friends. —

After that she closed the door behind me.

It's amazing how someone's life could change in an instant.

One day you are in London crying for your ex and the next day you are in New York and you're dreaming with a man who doesn’t even exist.

Thinking about that, I began to close all the curtains in the room and then i took the phone from the bureau next to the bed.

With some fear I called her, I knew that she would be very upset with me. But i had to do it.

—Hey nat it's me, Alice. —

—You are an idiot, I was so worried! Never do that to me ever again! I thought you wanted to kill yourself or something like that...

You sounded so sad. God you have take some therapy you can't continue living like this...—

I sigh very annoyed.

— Anyway, I already spoke with Bruce and he already gave you permission to work in New York. And before I forget to tell you this. Tomorrow you have a job to do. I need you in a bar, we think we found someone who can serve us for the clan. You will have to go to a concert near a local bar in the town. Grace will leave you the papers with the man's information.—

—Perfect. By the way, thank you very much for the favor. You don't know how grateful I am with you. Anyways, I will leave you, I am very tired and I would like to sleep as much as possible to be in the best possible conditions tomorrow—

—Of course dear. Have a good night. —

Grateful to Nat, I hung up the call and then closed my eyes. But not without first remembering Peter's beautiful green eyes.

[goattales]

Caught in the Act

Plot: The reader catches Jasper and Alice making out and he starts avoiding them cause he's way to embarrassed to deal with that. Note: the reader doesn't know they're vampires

You, in general, didn't really fit into any of those neat little groups the school divided itself into. You weren't sporty enough to be a jock, you didn't wear enough black to be a got, and you weren't popular enough to be, well, one of the popular kids. You were just Y/N L/N, some high school Senior that kept his head down. The universe had no plan for you, you were merely wandering this earth as a bystander.

But that didn't mean you didn't want to be part of a clique, because it gave people a deeper sense of belonging, a reason to act the way you want to, dress the way you like, do things you enjoy, all with likeminded individuals! But it was too much stress, you preferred to just bounce between interests- sports, art, history, books -without having to be tied to one forever.

And with all that running around your head you started to shove your books and pencil case into your bag, barely even letting the bell ring before you stood up to go to lunch. Nothing fancy in your bag today, just some leftovers from last night's dinner and a bag of candy you had been slowly working through all day.

Despite not being in a clique, you didn't sit alone; you sat with Angela, Mike, Eric, and Jessica. Bella use to sit with you guys too, before she started to sit with the Cullens, now her relationship to the group was more a see-eachother-in-the-corridor-and-smile sort of deal.

That wasn't so big of a concern for you, though, in fact the first time you saw her sit at the table you knew she wouldn't be sat with you all for long, she had one of those popular looks about her, so when she was hand selected to join the five person moping party that was the Cullen table you weren't too surprised.

In some other timeline maybe she would have gone on to joint the nerds in the back table near the stage, or maybe she would have taken to the goth table that was in the corner near the fire exit. And maybe there was even alternate universe where she stayed at this table, but that would be something you may never find out.

Not, at least, with Mike Newton pulling you back to real life with little care for your ears.

"Y/N! Are you even listening?!" Mike dragged you out of your train of thought by waving a hand in front of your face and screeching at you. That was surprisingly subtly by his standards, though.

"Mike, leave him alone, he just got out of maths. He's recovering, aren't you, Y/N?" Jessica came to your defence with an elbow in Mike's ribs and a soft sort of grin for you, and you thanked her with a small smile before you spoke.

"It's okay, Jess, but thanks. I was just thinking about existence and how absolutely infinite it is" you shrugged.

"That much, huh? Deep, L/N, deep." Mike seemed stunned, or maybe he just regretted prompting you to talk, but either way he didn't try to drag you into the conversation again, and you took the opportunity to fall back to your thoughts gratefully.

When you all parted ways for the last five or so minutes of lunch everyone waved, some hugged, and Mike and Jess walked off attached at the hip. They were together again, though who knows how long it will last at this point. You and Angela were talking the other day, and agreed that they were probably so on-and-off because they were lonely and the other was close enough to fix that for a bit.

You shook your head and huffed quietly, rounding one corner after another and then climbing a set of stairs only to realise you left your coat in your last classroom, and with a great deal of frustration you turned on your heels and took a brisk walk back. You were hoping, no praying, that the room would still be unlocked, because the teacher would have left by now and the room won't be used until tomorrow.

By some streak of luck it was, but when you pushed the door open and made a grab for your coat- laid out on the teachers desk, predictably -the shuffling of other people's clothes made you look up so fast you hurt your neck.

Stood in the back of the room were Jasper Hale and Alice Cullen, both very disheveled and looking rather like deers caught in headlights. Even from as far away as you were, you could see that Jasper's shirt was almost completely open and the straps of Alice's bra and vest top were a mess around her forearms, more of her chest on show than usual.

As they rushed to correct it and called out for you to wait, though being vague as opposed to a name-you heard a very light "h-hey, you with the coat, wait!" as you made a break for it.

You decided in that moment that you would have to move schools, because the most they did was hold hands when other people were around and there was no way you could face them after seeing that, so you spent the next three days avoiding them as much as possible.

The next day you barely dodged Alice in the hallway, narrowly avoided Jasper in the bathroom, and didn't go to lunch at all for fear of them cornering you as you entered the hall. The day after that it was sunny enough for their mum and dad to yank them out of school. The third was more perilous, you had History and sat a seat in front of Jasper, but you managed to talk the guy in front of you into switching, and you made a show of hanging behind to talk to the teacher until everyone else had left.

But the fourth day it was all over. You thought that maybe they had just dropped it, because when you sat to eat and glanced over at the table with as discrete of a gaze as you could manage, Alice caught your eyes and just looked away.

You were actually just leaving as you were bumped out of the stream of teenagers and then grabbed by what you would maybe describe as the ice cold grip of death himself, but looking down you saw it was just Alice. Little Alice with the big eyes and pretty lips, lips that right now were pressed into a thin, terrifying smile.

She dragged you into a classroom, where Jasper was sat on a table, hands clasped together in his lap and shoulders stiff.

You were actually terrified, because in the few seconds between being grabbed and then getting pushed into this room you had convinced yourself that you were going to get murdered.

"You know, my family is gonna worry when I-I'm not home by four, so killing me w-would be a real bad idea" your mouth ran despite your better judgement telling you to keep it shut, though your fear died in your chest when Jasper snorted.

"What?" Alice let you go and raised an eyebrow, looking at you like you'd grown a second head. "Y/N, we're not going to kill you, where did you even get that idea from?"

"W-well, I walked in on you two the other day, a-and you've been ch-chasing me down ever since" tripping over your words, you were scratching the back of your head as though it would wake you up, because that would be really good right now.

"Only 'cause you've been running away." Jasper spoke this time, and you looked over to see him staring at you much in the same way Alice was.

"We just wanted to apologise, because the way you found us was kind of..."

"Unbecoming" where Alice trailed off, Jasper picked up, and you found yourself rushing to speak.

"Oh! Oh- no it's fine, I've walked into worse. This is a high school, freshmen are practically feeling eachother up in the halls every day. I just, well you two don't even hug around other people, s-so I assumed you would be super annoyed that I walked in"

Jasper shrugged and Alice shook her head, laughing softly.

"No! We were just really ashamed that you had to see that, especially Jazz." as Alice spoke, Jasper nodded along, and spoke only when she had finished.

"I hope this has not altered the way you see us, Y/N, though perhaps we can build a friendship from this experience."

Lost for words, you nodded, and something inside of you starting to warm up at the idea. Perhaps the universe, in all its vast and unpredictable glory, had a plan for you after all?

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

title: but i still don't understand just how your love can do what no one else can.

Look, another lyric ask I got way too involved in! I started this back in November, and by the time it was 7,000 words long I almost forgot it came from a prompt. Set during 1x11, after FP challenges Alice over dinner, they both think back to the secret of how they really spent Homecoming night.

FP x Alice, Riverdale. Also on AO3.

Alice Cooper’s life is like the Twilight Zone, in comparison to the hell he’s living in.

He lifts his right shoulder, lowering it irritably when that can’t rid him of the lingering sensation. She rested a hand there when she gave him his plate. A casual, friendly gesture–startling in its simplicity.

Or it would’ve been, if she hadn’t let her hand linger a little too long, brushing close to his neck as she drew it away.

FP knows that if the kids were paying attention, all they’d have seen was Alice using him to steady herself next to the dining room table. Nothing unusual, as she smiled like a shark scenting blood and encouraged them to dig in.

This was really the life she’d wanted? This…Norman Rockwell poster of fake perfection?

Alice Smith had been a force to be reckoned with, only describable with words usually reserved for natural disasters. Fierce, relentless, life-changing.

Alice Cooper bakes pie.

While Alice is still clearing the table after dinner, the kids leave for the dance, getting a ride with FP before he vanishes in his truck to wherever a rehabilitated Serpent goes these days.

Not that Alice believes he’s turned over a new leaf–she knows him too well for that. He’s hiding something. Hopefully Archie and Veronica will have discovered some clues as to what.

Once they’re alone, Hal tries to talk to her about moving back in, but he couldn’t have picked a worse time. Alice shuts herself in the master bathroom and waits to hear him leave too. He can live in the drafty office of the Register indefinitely for all she cares.

She will never forgive him for what he did to her, and what he tried to do to Polly. FP throwing Homecoming in her face in front of Betty and Jughead just makes it worse.

Alice is sitting on the cold tile floor, shaking, not sure if she wants to scream or cry or drink until the world goes black and she doesn’t have to think at all.

It would be unseemly for the wife of Hal Cooper to pass out and never make it to the dance, wouldn’t it? And that’s who she is now, who she’s been for so long. Mrs. Harold Cooper. All traces of her past erased, no matter what it cost her.

She may have cut herself out of the public record, she may have removed herself from the criminal element she grew up in, but she hasn’t forgotten any of it.

And while Alice doesn’t really think FP would have finished laying her secrets bare, she can’t be certain. He looked ready to kill tonight, eyes bright and hair slicked back at her dining room table.

It’s important to her that this secret stay buried, not just because it would horrify Betty and make Hal furious, but because it’s theirs. Because unlike Charles, she doesn’t carry this secret alone.

She’s desperately grateful that FP didn’t tell the rest of the story of Homecoming night.

****

“Alice, be reasonable,” FP heard Hal say as he dropped instrument cases on the floor backstage and started to unload them. “You know you can’t just–”

“Don’t you dare try to tell me what I can or can’t do, Harold Cooper,” he heard Alice snap back. “We may be dating, but you have no right.”

“I have every right! This is not just about you. You act like everything is, Alice, but it’s not. Stop being selfish and think about what’s best.”

“I told you I haven’t made a decision yet.” She sounded deflated, with an undercurrent of anger still ready to snap if her boyfriend made one wrong move.

FP recognized that tone. He could picture the matching expression, worry sneaking past his wounded ego. They’d been over for weeks, he didn’t owe her anything–but everybody knew Hal had a temper. What if Cooper pushed too hard?

It wasn’t Alice he was worried about, FP reassured himself as he slipped out from backstage. It was Hal or the next person to get in her path if Hurricane Alice got going. This was a public service intrusion.

They were squaring off in the hall, Hal’s arms folded over his chest and Alice’s curved across her stomach. Something about that seemed off to FP. Something he would think about later.

“You know what, Hal? You’re right. This isn’t all about me. So it’s even more important that I make the best decision for everyone. Not only me–or you. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Making it all go away. Your life staying on track.”

“No, it’s–” Hal looked past her and saw FP, hands in his pockets, leaning against a bank of lockers. “Hey, Jones, this is a private conversation.”

“Then maybe you should be having it in private.” He was looking at Hal, but he felt Alice turn to stare and softened his words for her sake. “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. It’s gonna be just fine.” Hal stepped closer to Alice, wrapping an arm around her.

The silent message was clear as day. Mine. Back off.

FP glared back on principle. The whole damn school was full of jerks and cavemen. He couldn’t help smirking a little when Alice ducked out from under Hal’s arm and put several inches between them.

“You should be onstage, FP,” she told him. Her eyes sent a message even easier to read than Hal’s. I can handle this.

“She’s right, go play in your band,” Hal added.

His need to have the last word almost pulled FP toward them like a magnet. There would be nothing more satisfying than punching Cooper in that square jaw of his, watching him bleed all over that expensive tuxedo.

But Alice shook her head, just a little, like she knew what he was thinking, and he reminded himself that anything he did would make things harder on her.

“Fine.” FP straightened up, pushing off from the lockers. “But if you don’t want every other student to come out here and see what’s the matter, shut the hell up.”

****

Because the universe had a wicked sense of humor, the happy couple had been crowned Homecoming royalty. The Fred Heads finished their set early, letting Fred and a couple of the other guys dance with their girls while a DJ took over.

FP didn’t have anyone to dance with. Well, no one he wanted to dance with. Some of the Southside girls had made their interest known, and a few rebellious Northsiders kept eyeing him and giggling when he looked away.

He only had eyes for Alice, in that floaty dress with her glossy curls twisted up off her neck. Hal probably paid for the hairdo, the same way FP was sure her new boyfriend paid for her soft sweaters and lip gloss.

What did she do with her leather and flannel? He couldn’t help wondering. Was it tucked away just in case she changed her mind? Or had she thrown it out along with him?

Maybe she paid for her own Homecoming wardrobe, he’d decided, watching as she laughed in Hal’s arms to the tune of “Bette Davis Eyes.” Maybe she did one last job with the Serpents to make the money.

It really wasn’t any of his business either way.

FP shook his head and went back to dismantling the drum kit. Fred could take the gear home when he and Mary left, but since FP had nothing better to do, why not get it started? Half the students were already gone, to empty houses for Homecoming trysts or after parties with alcohol that didn’t have to get smuggled into flasks and punch.

“How dare you?”

FP thought he would have heard Alice’s raised voice from a mile away. She’d never been the type to keep her feelings to herself.

Apparently the argument had only paused for the benefit of the Homecoming court, picking up where it left off now that things were slowing down–unfortunately within FP’s earshot again.

He hadn’t wanted to come to the stupid dance at all after how things ended between him and Alice, but he’d promised Fred over the summer. And anything was better than sitting at home with his old man, unable to stop thinking about her.

“You’re not listening to me,” FP heard Hal snap. He ducked his head and went back to packing up their gear. Not his business; not his girlfriend. He’d finish up here, then get the hell out of dodge. Alice was more than capable of handling Hal.

She could handle anybody. She’d never needed him for that.  

He couldn’t have said what she did need him for, besides a willing, warm body and a partner in crime. They’d known each other for so long, it was hard to untangle the knot of resentment and need that brought them together, then broke them apart. It was better not to try.

FP carefully closed Fred’s guitar case, listening to heavy footsteps retreat down the hall. He didn’t hear the click of Alice’s heels with them–but he did hear that quiet whimpering sound she made when she was trying not cry.

When she thought no one could hear her.

Really not his business, he lectured himself. Whatever the fight was about, they’d get over it or not. Didn’t matter to him either way.

He set the bass back down when the whimpers turned into deep, wrenching sobs.

Damn it.

FP hoped like hell nobody would lay sticky fingers on their stuff before Fred came for it, and went to find her.

****

It didn’t take him long. Alice might have been technically hidden away from passersby, tucked into a dusty alcove that most kids didn’t know existed, but he was familiar with all her favorite spots.

He used to find her there when he’d unsuccessfully looked everywhere else; Alice Smith had little good to say about school, but she liked the quiet she couldn’t get at her own house.

The beat up chair some student had managed to move into the tiny space was perfect for reading, she’d told him one morning.

FP had kissed the serious line of her mouth until it softened and she dropped her book.

Now he found her on the concrete floor in her blue dress, mascara running down pale cheeks and her eyes as big as saucers when she spotted him.

“Go away.”

Her skirt was made of that fluffy stuff, he didn’t know what it was called, that matched the theme of the dance. Man, the Homecoming Committee was a bunch of morons.

The color made her eyes even bluer than usual, though. She looked like a princess.

FP shook his head and stepped closer.  “If you wanted to be alone, maybe you should’ve gone to the girls’ room or something. I could hear you from backstage. ”

Alice sniffed back her tears, chest rising and falling with breaths she couldn’t quite control yet. “Doesn’t mean you have to come here like this. I don’t want you here, FP. I don’t want you.”

She was staring at her shoes, white heels that sparkled, instead of looking at him. He frowned and stayed put.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“What? Us?” Her laugh was sharp, painful, like there was broken glass in it. “I really don’t.”

“No, not us. It’s your senior Homecoming. Shouldn’t you be dancing instead of hiding in here?”

“Shouldn’t you be tuning your guitar?”

“I was playing drums,” he reminded her. “Fred’s on guitar.” She always turned her nose up at his musical side, and it annoyed him. A lot. That was probably why she did it.

“Whatever.”

“I was just getting things ready to go, anyway. One of the guys will pack it in. Are you gonna tell me what happened, with Hal? You sounded pissed.”

And then heartbroken, he thought. She hated pity, so he didn’t mention that part.

“It was a fight. Couples fight.” FP assumed she was trying for defensive, but her tone landed somewhere between dejection and fear.

It would have been simpler if he’d stopped caring the moment they stopped talking, but life didn’t work that way. At least not for him. He couldn’t help feeling bad for Alice, the tear-streaked Homecoming Queen hugging her knees to her chest, too upset to put real effort into scaring him off.

“This place is hell,” she added.

“You don’t mean that.” FP reached down to tap her plastic tiara. “You’re queen of the night.”

“No, I was queen of the night with you. I was way better at being a Serpent than I’ll ever be anything in Hal’s world.”

He stepped back. He didn’t necessarily disagree with her–it was still jarring to see her glitter next to that preppy asshole–and yet there she was.

“What are you doin’ with him, Al?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to fight with you too, FP. I can’t.”

On a normal day, Alice would have sliced him clean through with her words until he gave up. She could be so prickly and guarded, the flipside of how fearless and free she had been in his arms.

But sometimes with Alice, a halfhearted protest was the same as a plea for help. It was the most weakness she was willing to show.

He understood that.

So FP didn’t leave. He stepped past her and settled in her reading chair.

“Tell me a story, Alice. Tell me how a princess ended up crying alone on the night of her coronation.”

****

It shouldn’t be FP asking, she thought as he waited. It should be Hal. But her boyfriend had stormed off, and she wasn’t eager to see him again. Especially not like this, splotchy and ugly-crying and probably staining the most expensive article of clothing she’d ever bought in her life.

Hal would make that face, and say what he always said, about what people would think. He’d be disappointed, disgusted. He wouldn’t sit just out of eyesight and ask her to spill her secrets.

Alice couldn’t tell FP what the fight was about, of course. It had been hard enough telling Hal she was pregnant, even after he’d promised her a future and she knew she was running out of time. It hurt to pretend the baby was his and see doubts cross his face. But not nearly as much as the way he offered to help “fix her problem.”

It was her own fault for being such an idiot. Sleeping with FP, when she didn’t matter to him. Then placing her bet on the easygoing boy with the bright future, so desperate not to make her baby a bastard too. Being left alone and miserable was the least she deserved, wasn’t it?

God, she hated this town, Alice thought as she tried to swipe the mascara stains off her cheeks. All she’d ever wanted was to get out. School was boring, the other kids were annoying. Being a Serpent had its moments, but it was all she’d ever known. She wanted more.

It was supposed to be Hal, with all his promises and how gentle he was, treating her like she was delicate. She’d done things with the Serpents that she knew he couldn’t even imagine, but it was kind of nice, being seen as soft and sweet and fragile. A comforting fiction.

Now, with the baby growing inside her, she wasn’t sure about anything anymore. She’d expected Hal to be happy. Surprised, sure, but supportive. He had been talking so much about their future, about marriage and kids and what that would look like…so they got started early, so what?

Instead, he was furious. Cruel. Callous.

If Hal didn’t want the baby, Alice couldn’t exactly blame him for that, but it wasn’t a problem to be solved. It was a person she helped make, who would be beautiful.

Even though it was FP’s, she thought. Especially because it was FP’s. After all, he was here. He saw her in hiding, a sobbing mess, and he was still here.

Forsythe Jones was a lot of things, but he had always been kind.

And she did want to tell him something. She felt like she was drowning, alone with it all. So Alice shifted until her shoulder was resting up against his knee, and exhaled.

“Once upon a time,” she began, hearing his chuckle behind her, “there was a girl who lived in the gutter. Her life was not full of riches, or of love. But she grew up tough and proud. One day she met a boy, a beautiful boy with sad eyes, and in him she saw a reflection of her pain. He couldn’t offer her money or status, but she didn’t care, because she finally knew what it was to find a home in someone else.

“That boy met her in secret, striving to be more than his humble roots. They had passion that burned as bright as the sun. And she was happy, for a while. But something was still missing, something she craved that she didn’t see in his eyes. One day she was courted by a prince from another kingdom, a place of gleaming wealth, where everyone seemed happy and safe. He said that he loved her, and would give her all she desired, if only she left her world behind.

“Though it felt like ripping out her own heart, the girl was so sick of being unhappy, scared, and tired that she saw no other choice. Abandoning everything she loved, she hoped in her absence the boy would find joy of his own.”

“That’s crap,” FP snapped, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

Alice brushed her fingers over his ankle. “You asked for my story. Let me finish.”

His hand reached down to tangle in her hair. She closed her eyes.

“The prince was not what she expected, but he did give her a new world. A new life. She tried to be the princess he wanted. Their coronation ball was the finest dance she had ever attended, and she was so excited. Then, as she put on her dress, she realized it was time to…”

Alice wasn’t sure how to continue. Any lie, FP would see right through. The truth was impossible.

“Tell him something?”

She sighed. Of course he would make it easier on her. “Yes. Something she wasn’t ready to face. But summoning all the strength the gutter gave her, she told him. And his reaction was worse than her deepest fears. He yelled, he tried to control her, he made her feel small and wrong and alone.

“She cried until she could barely breathe, and she ran like Cinderella after midnight. Unlike Cinderella, her prince didn’t follow. He didn’t search for her at all. It was her lover who found her instead, the girl from the gutter wearing a fantasy of a dress. Stupid enough to think it could make her one of them.”

“So stupid,” Alice added in a whisper. She opened her eyes when she felt FP move away, watching as he lowered himself to the floor at her side.

“Stupid, maybe,” he told her. “But brave, too. The bravest he’d ever known. She may have broken his heart when she left, but it never stopped beating for her.”

The tears started falling again, but this time she let them, past caring about her makeup or what people might say.

“FP…”

“You don’t have to say anything. That’s how my story ends, and I thought you should know. I figured out how I felt way too late–you were already gone. But nobody will ever light me up like you. And with or without me, you deserve better than someone who makes you feel small.”

He trailed a finger down the curve of her cheek, through the sheen of saltwater. “Get your happily ever after, Alice. Don’t settle for anything less. Never forget you were a queen long before they gave you a crown.”

Tomorrow she would decide what to do about keeping the baby. About keeping Hal. Whoever this baby would grow up to be, they were definitely her kid, because they’d already managed to make a mess of everything and they weren’t even born.

Tonight, she was an abandoned Homecoming Queen, and the first boy she’d ever loved was drinking her in with those warm eyes like he might never see her again. FP always looked at her that way, as though she was a quiet revelation.

She hadn’t realized how much she would miss him, when she left. She thought she’d be too busy moving on to care. It crashed over her in that moment, and Alice was drowning for the second time.

She leaned in, taking his face in both her hands before she kissed him. Until their lips brushed, it felt like some crazy dream they would both wake up from–but the contact brought him back down to Earth. FP jerked away.

“Alice, you don’t–you’re upset.”

“So?”

“Tomorrow you’ll still be with him, and you’ll hate me for taking advantage.” He shook his head. “We can’t.”

“I may be having the worst night of my life, FP Jones, but you really think anyone could take advantage of me? You should know better than that.”

Alice traced his bottom lip with her tongue, smiling when he reached for her. FP’s hands gripped her hips and dug in.

“I’ve missed this, Al. Damn it, I’ve missed you.”

She froze. The feelings she used to believe FP didn’t have for her would bruise him later if she wasn’t careful here. “This doesn’t mean we’re getting back together,” she said in a rush. “This…”

“Doesn’t mean anything,” he agreed softly. “It’s just tonight. Don’t worry.”

Alice almost laughed. She had so much more to worry about now, he had no idea. But she’d always been safe with FP. They made their own oasis wherever they went, and at the moment that was behind some stairs while the Homecoming DJ wound down his playlist.

Right then, the whole world was his mouth drawing out her sighs and their hands mapping all the places they used to love.

****

Contrary to tradition, it wasn’t Hal she went home with on Homecoming night. Her future husband spent his night at Sweetwater River, listening to the rush of the water and thinking about becoming a father before graduation.

When he called her the next day and she met him at Pop’s, he was calmer. So collected, so goddamn reasonable it set Alice’s nerves on edge.

“Of course I want you to be the mother of my children,” Hal promised. “But do you really want to start so soon? Not even getting a honeymoon, some time to be a married couple before the baby comes? Do you want to walk around town, knowing how everyone would talk and how they’ll treat it?”

That was what did the trick. As soon as Hal saw the guilt cross her face, he pressed the point. “Think about that child, Alice,” he pleaded with her. “What kind of life could it have, with an unwed mother still in her teens? How hard would it be, to carry that shame around for all of its life?”

Hal didn’t get his way, in the end. Alice clenched her jaw and told him in no uncertain terms that she would not wish this baby out of existence.

She didn’t tell him that it was partly because she and FP were finally, truly over, and a baby made from both of them was something she couldn’t let go of.

She also neglected to mention that she didn’t go home after the dance. Or that Serpent connections meant she and FP didn’t need to do anything so cliche as rent a room. A motel appearance might’ve become gossip, but Serpents didn’t snitch. So FP took her to a friend’s house, and she spent her night saying goodbye.

It was the goodbye they didn’t get before, when the Midnight Club destroyed everything. And it felt almost like the first time again: desperate kisses and her legs wrapped around his hips, so different from the way she was with Hal.

If only a future could be built on this, Alice thought, while FP ran his hands down her bare back in the afterglow, then her choice would never have been a question. At this, they were perfect. She always felt loved in his arms. It was everything else, the fighting and the secrets and his talk about out-of-state college, as though he could leave her so easily.

Like she didn’t even matter.

She wasn’t sure if Hal loved her, in the consuming passionate way that FP did. She didn’t love Hal that way. Maybe it was greedy to hope for it with two people.

She knew Hal wanted her, though. He was proud to have her on his arm. And with Hal, Alice knew where she fit. His pride and ambition and loyalty to his heritage would always come first. She had enough pride and ambition to appreciate that, and no heritage at all, except what she wanted to escape. She would have a safe life with Hal Cooper.

But until the sun came up, the future could wait. Every time FP’s lips or hands brushed across her belly, she thought, That’s your father, little one. In case you never get to know him, he makes up half of you. The impulsive, protective, passionate half.

All of those words fit her as well as FP, though, didn’t they? No wonder this was all they could have. They’d always been too much alike.

Alice and Hal were fire and ice, with him expecting her to cool off any time they disagreed.

She and FP were nothing but flames, licking around the edges of anything good, looking for a way to burn it down.

She had to get out of the Southside, give herself the possibility of being better than that. To stop ruining her own chances. And she needed to give her baby the best life she could, which meant letting go.

It took all the strength she had not to tell FP that night, as they fell asleep tangled up together and everything was warm and safe and soft.

****

She would leave for the Sisters that evening, before there was time for rumors of their fight to spread. That way nobody could realize how far along she was and do the math.

“This is the plan,” she told Hal at Pop’s, her fingernails digging into her palms as he took it in. “No negotiations.” If he couldn’t accept it, then she never wanted to see him again.

“It sounds like what will be best for everyone,” Hal assured her carefully. “Of course I’ll support you. Give you a ride, make sure you have whatever you need. Just say the word, Alice.”

“After all, that’s my baby too,” he added, and the way his words tilted up at the end sealed the fate of the child she carried. He wasn’t sure; he would never fully believe the baby could be his.

He was not as dumb as he looked.

Hal wanted her, and their life together. He didn’t want her baby. She would be a terrible mother anyway, Alice told herself as Hal smiled at her across the table at Pop’s. The kind of girl who slept with her ex after being someone else’s Homecoming date. The kind of girl who could love a boy who didn’t want her, and lie to the one who did.

She was lucky. Hal would whisk her away, from rags to riches, just like she wanted. And FP was a lot of things, but never cruel–so she knew he wouldn’t tell anyone what happened between them.

And someday, when she held her baby in her arms and stared down at his tiny, perfect face, she wouldn’t be able to see his father there at all.

Charles didn’t look like FP, Alice remembers, walking up the stairs of the school as her daughter gets out of FP’s truck. He didn’t have FP’s deep eyes or dark hair. He just looked like her.

She was so young then…barely older than Betty. She’d closed her eyes as the nuns took him away and prayed to God that her little boy would find his way to a better home than she had.

****

It’s only a matter of time, FP thinks as he drives away from the school. Things are unraveling. He can’t expect to escape the consequences, but he doesn’t know what to do other than try.

Alice Cooper’s life is like the Twilight Zone, in comparison to the hell he’s living in.

He lifts his right shoulder, lowering it irritably when that can’t rid him of the lingering sensation. She rested a hand there when she gave him his plate. A casual, friendly gesture–startling in its simplicity.

Or it would’ve been, if she hadn’t let her hand linger a little too long, brushing close to his neck as she drew it away.

FP knows that if the kids were paying attention, all they’d have seen was Alice using him to steady herself next to the dining room table. Nothing unusual, as she smiled like a shark scenting blood and encouraged them to dig in.

This was really the life she’d wanted? This…Norman Rockwell poster of fake perfection?

Alice Smith had been a force to be reckoned with, only describable with words usually reserved for natural disasters. Fierce, relentless, life-changing.

Alice Cooper bakes pie.

It was as if she’d packed away all the parts of herself that she hated–coincidentally, most of the things he loved–and thrown away the key.

Every venomous glance and sharp tone over dinner was a reminder of what he lost, but FP prefers it to her carefully curated performance the rest of the time. He misses his Alice.

He wonders how much pressure it would take to crack through the glass wall between her and the world.

Maybe if he had more time, he’d try to find out. But the Sheriff and the Blossoms are breathing down his neck, he can feel it. Even Alice is watching him a little too closely, though he never knows with her–professional curiosity or personal interest?

She was in reporter mode over dinner, trying to mount a one-woman investigation into his activities and his past. Funny thing there is, she already knows his past. She is his past.

And a lot of her questions, circling around the point, struck him as more personal than journalistic. If she wanted to know what he’s been up to all these years, FP thinks, she could have taken the short drive across town anytime and asked. It’s a bit late now to act like she cared. Like she ever wondered, the way he did about her.

It took him years to put the pieces together. When she disappeared for half the school year and everybody knew she was out sick but everyone seemed to have heard a different story, he wondered. But he kept his nose out of it since she wasn’t his anymore.

When she came back to school dressed like Hal Cooper’s perfect match, with a kind of blankness behind her eyes, he thought maybe it was drugs. Maybe she’d finally gone crazy like her mother, and she’d been turned into a zombie by the medication.

It was a shame to see her looking half-dead inside. So broken. He passed Alice in the halls and she didn’t even make eye contact–not like she was avoiding him, more like she didn’t realize he was there. Or that she was.

After graduation, Alice married Hal in a small ceremony FP was not invited to. He got so drunk that night that Tall Boy and a couple other Serpents had to carry him home and dump him on the porch of his trailer.

Squinting up at the glare of the rising sun, certain he would start throwing up any minute, FP finally figured it out.

The argument he overheard. The way she looked like she had given up a part of herself and would never recover from the loss. Most of all, the length of time she was gone from school: exactly the amount of time it would take a girl to go from developing a bump that the whole school could see to giving birth to a baby…or losing one.

Hal got her pregnant, FP thought as the newlyweds began their honeymoon. Either she gave the baby up, or something went wrong.

The specifics didn’t really matter, so many years later. Still not his business. Still not his girl.

But the way she became more fragile as a Cooper than even bastard-born Alice Smith once was, the way she lashed out at the slightest provocation–FP was certain by now that his theory was on target.

And if he’d had any doubt, her reaction over dinner confirmed it for him. The way she froze and paled when he brought up the argument, the way her hands stopped trembling as soon as he lied his way out of telling the kids what he knew.

She remembered that argument, and she wished she didn’t–and even more than that, she wished he didn’t have it as leverage. Alice was afraid of what that information could mean to FP, how he could use it.

He would only use it if he had to, to protect his son and their fragile attempt at rebuilding their relationship, but she didn’t need to know that. She should know him better than that anyway, but they were different people now.

Alice decided that for both of them, when she married Hal Cooper and moved to his side of town and had his children. She made her choice, before FP realized there was even a choice to be made.

He’d been slower than his son not just in book-learning, back in those days, he can’t help but think as his truck rattles over the train tracks that separate his home from the likes of Alice Cooper.

He loved her. He loved her before she ever went out with Hal, but how was he supposed to know that? Until Hermione asked him, FP hadn’t even bothered to think about his feelings. Or his situation. He just liked girls, and they liked him.

He was young and stupid and didn’t know how to tell Alice that he wanted more than sex.

He didn’t even know he did, until he woke up the morning after Homecoming to an otherwise empty bed.

Alice had never been much for sentimentality, giggling at Hal in the halls in a way that sickened him because FP had known her for years on the Southside, long before they’d ever hooked up, he just plain knew her–and everything she had with Hal was clearly fake.

It never would’ve occurred to him to bring her flowers or slide affectionate touches into their frantic makeout sessions or give her poetic words. He’s certain she would have laughed in his face if he had.

So Alice Smith didn’t do anything as fanciful as leaving him a Cinderella shoe, a token of one last night before she disappeared from his life forever. She didn’t even leave him a note. He would have gratefully accepted a simple goodbye, he was that parched for her since she’d become someone else.

But as an adult, FP could look back now and understand that he only saw part of the picture. The ferocious, broken girl he loved was never as tough as she claimed, and she proved it that final night with him.

He woke up in their borrowed bed, cold sunlight making him squint as he reached out for Alice and found nothing but icy sheets. Once his vision cleared, he realized she was gone, along with all her formalwear and the little purse she’d been carrying when they fumbled their way through the door.

Why did girls always carry those things? FP wondered as he hunted around for his boxers and then shrugged his slacks and jacket back on. He didn’t bother with the tie, crumpling it into his pocket as he glanced around. She had been meticulous in leaving no trace, which was smart and cut right through him in equal measure.

No proof they were here meant no ammunition against either of them, should it come up. Her new reputation could remain unsullied, and he didn’t have to fear that the Homecoming Queen might be used as his weak spot in negotiations with rival gangs.

That was a benefit of their past being so secret, he thought as he headed to double check the master suite’s bathroom. It protected her from association with him. Not that she needed it, but FP didn’t need any soft spots to worry about. Especially ones outside his reach these days.

His father was a reckless leader, encouraging intergang rivalries to curry his favor, allowing for all kinds of schemes that made things worse. That was probably why FP felt the need to be extra careful. No way Alice would’ve left any of her things in the small bathroom, if she’d even used it on her way out…but he had to be sure.

Flipping on the light and scanning the dimly white space took moments; it was his reflection in the mirror that forced FP to pause.

His open collar, haphazardly buttoned shirt and bleary eyes gave him a rakish look–fittingly like a guy who spent the night getting some. Who was just sober enough for an after party.

But the effect was ruined by the precise, perfect imprint of deep pink lipstick on his forehead. It was slightly off center and a little tilted, making it easy to imagine Alice leaning over him to leave it there for him to wake to.

It didn’t surprise FP that he’d slept through it; she had worn him out, and he slept like the dead. But he was stunned by it nonetheless, by the evidence of the night they’d had.

Without her mark on him, it had already begun to fade in the silent morning light, a vivid dream of a girl he never seemed to be able to get out of his head. Something FP would start to doubt in a month, something he’d think he imagined by next year.

But it was there. A glossy, shimmering brand, reminding him that Alice may not have chosen him as her Homecoming date or to be hers after that, but she chose him that night. It was real.

And considering how thoroughly her makeup had been smudged off by his kisses crushing her close and her mouth exploring him everywhere…she had to put her lipstick back on to brand him that way. Must have been carrying it in that little pink purse.

She woke up that morning, pulled herself together, and left that mark deliberately.

Only Alice would finally claim him and also make it a goodbye.

****

He’d told himself he was over it. Before Jason Blossom, before his son broke his heart open with the hope he still carried, FP did his best to avoid that neighborhood where he used to jam with Fred Andrews, where he knew Alice had moved in with her kids and was probably living the life he thought he would have someday–a college degree, a settled family, a respectable life.

But seeing her outside Jug’s birthday party proved to him just how wrong he was.

He isn’t over Alice. He’ll never be over her, even if now she’s tied to Hal Cooper–even if, or especially if, she’s throwing bricks at the man in public and rolling her eyes whenever he speaks.

FP understands being married on paper but losing all hope for a future; Gladys stopped returning his phone calls after the third drunk dial, and honestly he can’t blame her.

The worst of it is that up close, Alice Cooper is even hotter than he remembered her being in his hazy teenage memories. Snarling and sneering and acidic words are still her forte, calling back to days of brass knuckles and switchblades and punching walls when somebody pissed her off.

But she is so controlled now. So tightly wound, he wants to see how much further he can wind her up. He wants to be the one to watch her let go. Something about the twinsets and manicures and the way she measures every word, crisply and cleanly as though she were playing a role in a movie…it makes his mouth go dry.

It gives him all kinds of ideas that he refuses to entertain with blood still pooling on the ground in his nightmares and her instincts breathing down his neck.

He can’t shake the memory, though, as he steps into his trailer in clean dinner clothes. History he brought up by accident when he’d just meant to shake Alice off her lofty perch.

I know you, he told her silently with a stare as she twined begging with intimidation and waited to see if he would bare her to her daughter. You should be more careful, Alice, because I’m not the only one at this table with secrets, and I know yours.

He’d been aiming for the pregnancy that she had managed to keep from the whole town, minus her husband. And he hit his mark, absolutely.

Dead-eye.

But he’d wanted one casualty and got two, because he pulled up his own memories of that night along with the one that was most dangerous for her. It was impossible for him to separate any of it: going stag to Homecoming and watching her with Hal…playing with Fred and hoping for an early escape…finding a devastated Alice and rekindling things just long enough for it to hurt.

Just long enough for it to confirm what he’d feared all the way back when they started playing G&G.

She was his first love, the one he would never be able to shake.

And that might have been it, a sad tale from his past that helped make up who he is. A woman he crosses paths with in town sometimes, who lifts the same eyebrow that used to silently convey ‘Fuck me’ and now says ‘Fuck you’ and it feels like she really means both. But he might be projecting there. Who the hell knows.

Alice could just be his ex, a fling that was barely even anything, who haunts him in ways he’ll never admit to another living soul.

But now he’s a father, watching his own son fall for the pretty Cooper girl with rebellious blue eyes, and he can’t avoid the truth. He loved Alice the night of Homecoming, and he loves her still, and she’s ready to send him to prison or to hell, if the daggers she throws with her eyes are any hint.

Alice is well over him. That much is clear.

As he pours himself a drink, FP thinks that he would try to get over her too, if he knew how she did it. It hurts so damn much, of course he’d rather be free. Maybe someday he should ask, he thinks with a humorless chuckle.

Maybe if he asks real nice, she’ll tell him her secret.

He downs the whiskey, memories of taffeta and home cooked dinner and pinning Alice up against that bedroom wall and making her scream his name all bleeding together in his head.

Police lights outside his trailer pull him back to the present, and Tom Keller digs a gun FP’s never seen before out of his closet.

Then Alice’s unspoken wish comes true, and FP finds himself in prison and hell all at once.

[lovingsiriusoswald]

Damned

Part 1 | 2 | 3

Fallen Angel!Sirius AU

Heavily inspired by: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Disclaimer: The first few parts will be based from the Prologue from the game, credits to Cybird for that! If the "series" gets too long, go to the "Damned - Sirius" tag for easy navigating!

************

I adore her. So much that I had traded my own wings and my status in the heavens just to be with her. This angered the gods and had me punished. It was forbidden among angels to fall in love with a mortal. We were damned. Whenever we fell for each other, fate would take her away from me and she would forget that I ever existed -- but I don't.

Every 24 years -- exactly that long, not even an extra day or less -- we would be able to meet again. It was a different encounter every time and it excited me, but the thought of her being taken away again the moment I tell her that I love her hurts me just as much.

Through thousands of lifetimes, I still hope that she would finally get to stay, that the gods had already forgiven me, or at least be moved by our love, but it just never happens. I've slowly started to lose hope, but I never regretted loving her. She was worth all of my wings and titles, my immortal life, and the heavens. Hope sparks again the moment I lay my eyes on hers, she would always look much lovelier. She always takes my breath away and I would often see myself just staring at her as she moves.

I love her. I adore her. I yearn for her. I'm forever damned to her.

Today was the 24th year since she was last gruelly taken away from me.

I walked side by side Ray, the King of Spades, through the garden. He was talking about Blanc, who happen to pass by just now, and how he was always in a rush.

I wasn't listening, I was too worried. What if she never came again? It's almost midnight and I haven't seen her anywhere in Cradle. Had the gods finally decided to forget about me? Remove my status? Am I a mortal now?

"Sirius." Ray calls for my attention.

"What?"

"You were zoning out again," he looks at me worriedly. "You've not been yourself the whole day, what's bothering you old man?"

"I assumed you wanted some alone time, I'd rather not meddle with your thoughts. I have to go patrol the area as well." I chuckled and let him shrug his shoulders and continue to walk away from me. I decided to stay in my spot and watched the full moon glow beautifully, she would love this sight.

A shriek came from above and I immediately look up. A lady was falling down from the sky, too quick and too fast. Her screams grew louder and I start to realize what was happening.

She's here, she's finally here!

In Cradle, in a parallel universe. Must that mean she's found a way to get here from Earth? The Land of Reason?

She falls somewhere in the rose garden, in Ray's direction, and a thought had immediately snapped into my mind.

What if I stay a little distant from her, just so she could stay a little longer?

I watch from afar as I see her in the arms of Ray, saved from breaking all of her bones. I saw the look on his eyes on her and I immediately doubted my plan.

"Good, you're alive." Rays says and she stares at him, still lost of what had happened and my heart felt like it was starting to hurt. "What kind of girl falls from the sky? Where did you come from?"

"My name is MC, I'm still not sure how but I came from St. James' Park in London."

St. James' Park? That was when I last met her a couple of lifetimes back, she was a 17th century Victorian noblewoman, the daughter of a noble family from the House of Stuart. When Queen Anne of England had reigned, she had ordered several guards to accompany their families to ensure their safety -- and I happened to be one of hers.

"London? St James'? Never heard of either."

I've been there, several times, with you, MC, I wish you could remember.

I could no longer stand them being so close to each other, my first plan visibly being thrown out of the way. "Ray, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're having a secret rendezvous at a time like this." I smirk as I walk up to them, my eyes focused on MC as she stares back in confusion.

I could get lost in those eyes. She's gotten more beautiful in the past 24 years. I could tell her I love her right then and there and tell her all the stories of the previous lifetimes we've spent together.

But I shouldn't. I can't let her be taken away so soon.

"As if, Sirius." Ray replies and I eye the way he holds her. MC takes the hint and rushes to get off of his arms.

"Uh, thanks for catching me. I'm fine so you can let me down now, if you don't mind." Hearing her voice again, after so many years, had left me breathless. Her voice was silvery and soothing to hear, she was effortlessly good at calming my nerves.

"You just fell out of the sky and you're worried about that? What a weirdo." Ray grins at her.

"It takes one to know one." She was witty as ever. I tried my best to stifle a laugh as Ray lowers her down gently, making sure she's balanced before letting her go.

"Guess you two aren't here for a date then?" I tried to play cool, acting as if I don't know who she is when I've known her so well in all of her lifetimes. She looks at me cautiously, but the same sense of familiarity sparkled in her eyes.

"I haven't introduced myself yet, I'm Ray and this is Sirius." He says as he motions towards me.

"Have you lost your way?" I ask, almost too immediately because I was excited to talk to her again after so many years. She stares back for a moment, before answering. Has she remembered?

"Hmm, I suppose you could put it that way." She says cautiously, her eyes narrowing slightly as she scans my face. I felt like I was in a trance, frozen like a statue as we stare at each other, like Medusa had found a prey. I am more than willing to surrender myself to her spells.

"She just fell from the sky." Ray says with a grin as if it was the most common thing to ever happen.

"She what?" I respond involuntarily, in shock that I'd been pulled out of her trance, instead of being shocked at what he said.

"I'm still not sure how or why, but what he said is true." She finally looks away and I felt my whole body finally relax. I didn't realize that I had held my breath all that time we were having a stare off.

"Then tell me, are you on the Red or the Black side?" I ask despite knowing that she has no idea what I meant, as my role as the Queen of Spades.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean. What color am I supposed to be?" She asks dumbfoundedly. She looked so innocent, I could just pick her up and spin her around and yell to the world of how adorable the love of my life is.

"Hmm. This girl really is a weirdo, just like you said." I tease and smile softly at her. Her face contorts to a frown, her lips pouted, eyebrows pinched together, and her cheeks flushed. She opens her mouth to say something but she immediately gets distracted by something past our shoulders.

"It was nice meeting you two, but there's something I forgot to do and I really need to go. Thanks for saving me!" She gives a quick curtsy before dashing off. I finally see the pocket watch she was holding, it was Blanc's! I watch her run until she disappears at the far end of the garden. And she's gone..

"And the weirdo's gone." Ray chuckles to himself.

"You said she fell from the sky, right?" I ask to myself, without realizing that I'd said it out loud. I wonder how she found her way here. Surely it should've been because of the White Rabbit.

"Yeah, I was just walking by and I heard screaming from above me." I wasn't listening to him. I was thinking of the ways where her clumsy little feet would've made her fall to a parallel universe. She mentioned about St. James Park, was there a magic door that had been there all along?

"Ray, do you think it's possible that she's--"

"Hm?" He says as I trailed off, finally realizing that I'd been thinking out loud.

Shit, think fast Sirius. What excuse can you make?

He leans forward to me and I try to think of any possible thing to say.

Okay, she came from the Land of Reason, that's where the first Alice had come from, people love Alice here in Cradle --

"Do you think she's the legendary Alice?"

FUCK

[rivervixen327]

A change of heart (James and lily)

Aesthetic for chapter

Chapter ONE↓

1

The summer holidays were finally over and none could be happy about the fact, than the two sisters that sat silently in the back of their father's car. Petunia Evans was on cloud nine so much so that she hadn't complained once about the owl, that lay resting in it's cage on her sisters lap. Neither had she moaned about coming to wave off her younger sister,as she got on the train back to her precious school. Petunia Evans was in a good mood as she had been all summer long,yes it's very true the blondes holiday had been a Great one. She had met a boy over the summer break at the firm she was interning at, collecting coffee and fetching tea was all petunia Evans really did. It was wasn't anything truly exciting and to be honest she didn't really learn much, but she had a met a boy.

Vernon Dursley was the name he was a little older than her, he had an apprenticeships at Grunings he made drills and was very good, it was same firm that the blonde work at. Over the summer they had gotten close and had started courting as Petunia put it. Lily hadn't met him as her sister had refused to let her, but according to her mother Vernon Dursley was utterly ridiculous. He was on all accounts over wait and had a rather thin line of hair on his upper lip, Which he had called a mustache. Mr Evans would've laughed but he didn't want to seem rude and risk damaging his already fragile relationship with his eldest daughter, so he had refrained from doing so and gave the young man permission to continue to date Petunia. Mr and Mrs Evans had also agreed to allow the blonde permission to attend a weeks vacation with some of her school friends, down in the Welsh Ilse. It was safe to say everything this summer had seemed to go her way, resulting in her high right now.

Now lily's summer hadn't been a good affair , in fact it had been terrible. It started with her sister, the redhead had been pushed out all summer by Petunia Evans, she hadn't let her meet the boy whom had captured her heart. She had forbidden her attended the 18th birthday barbecue her parents were throwing for her. Though Petunia pushing her away was nothing knew, the older girl had been doing it since lily got her letter six years ago now. It was what happened with her best friend this summer that had left lily Evans stumped.

Severus Snape was a tall boy with greasy black hair and large hooked nose, people often said was snotty. That boy was lily's best friend, he was the first person whom made the red head feel normal, as opposed to the way her sister made her feel. And she was the first person to look at the young boy and not be repulsed, by his appearance. Over the years the pair had spent a lot of time together making for a  life long friendship, spending their summers under the willow tree in Which they had met. But this summer something was different, Severus Snape had been distant, the young man had been on Edge. His already short fuse and gotten shorter, yelling in the street to the muggles who let Thier eyes linger on him to long as they passed. Picking fights in public parks and youth club's he would likely loose without using his wand and exposing the wizarding world. He had even on occasion snap at lily, a girl who he loved and one day hoped would love him back. But at the rate he was pushing her away it became less likely that such a thing was going to happen. Lily Evans was extremely smart and new that something was going on, that the greasy haired boy was hiding something, something he didn't want her to know. Lily knew he wouldn't tell her and she had no hope in trying to reach the boy who trusted no but her had been keeping her at arms length.

So lily sat in the back of car twiddling her fingers, preying  that summer would come to an end instantly.

2

The Evans family car pulled up about outside kings Cross Station, in no time lily and family were walking through station Heading for platform nine and three quarters, Muggles staring as they did so. That was the Muggle way to lear longingly at thing's that seem different, or strange in anyway. And something about a young sixteen year old girl pushing a trolley filled with trunks and a black owl with flecks of white In his feathers,caused them to stare. Lily like the other witches and wizards of Hogwarts was used to it by now, it was nothing knew to her. All the whispering, the pointing of little children were expected, so it didn't faze her. Petunia Evans on the other hand hated. She hated being the girl with a odd sister whom got all the attention, she lothed the feeling of being constantly over shadowed even by strangers, most she would never likely to see again.

Five minutes later lily and her family had found the magical entrance to the train, and all four of them and ran threw wall just as instructed by lily years before. It seemed funny to the Evans family that there was a whole other world behind one little wall, a world of wonder and magic. And yet here they were standing in the thick of it, while they watched their youngest daughter suddenly feel at home and that she did.

A smile lit up the face of the red head as she stood scanning the station, watching the new first years run through too the platform for the first time on shaky leg's. One little boy coming up to her as she looked the least intimidating, his hair was short and his cheeks still held his baby fat perfectly.

"Excuse me, but where do I take my trolley" lily smiled and bent down a little to reach his eye level, she could tell he was nervous and very clearly like her. A Muggle born.

"Hello, you see that man over there take it to him and then head for the train, earlier you get on the better compartment you get." Lily said shoeing him on, the boys father following him smiling. Kindly at the redhead.

Lily turned back to her mother and father aswell as a very bored looking petunia Evans, hugging each of them as she said her goodbyes. Her sisters scowl warning lily to do no such thing with her, so the young witch gave a simple curt nod. Something that Appeared odd to others as they glanced at the interaction between sister, but the lily and petunia Evans the act was a far more normal occurrence than hugging.

"Oh baby, promise me you'll write every week" Catherine Evans spoke to her daughter, lily nodded and waved one last time before running off to find her Friends.

Marlene McKinnon was the easiest to Spot you Heard her before you saw, she was always getting in trouble in class because of it. Once it cost gryffindor twenty House, Slughorn felt terrible for taking the point's but the blonde was being extremely loud. But in her defence she was having a battle of wits with Sirius Black, it didn't end well for ethier of them. Especially when professor McGonagall found out, the pair had been given detention and they ended up hating eachother more than before.

"COME ON MUM, DAD IM GOING TO BE LATE" it was then lily saw her, blonde wild locks went barrelling towards the front of train with fifteen minutes to spare, the blonde was in such a chaotic state she completely missed the redhead standing to the side of her.

"Hey Mar we've got half and hour till the train leaves not fifteen."

"Lils that's not the__ OH MY GOD LILY " the blonde screamed throwing her arms around the Muggle girl.

"Missed you too mar, but do you mind if I breathe now, thanks" lily pushed her way out of the blondes arm's. Marlene McKinnon's mum and dad had left once they saw the two walking off completely forgetting they were still there.

"So let's go and find Dorcas and Alice, hey did you here about Alice yet" both girls keeping an eye out as they walked around the platform for the two missing from their little click.

"No, is she okay. "

"Oh she's Great, like really Great." Marlene spoke suggestively.

"What happened mar" lily stopped her in their tracks worried.

"How about we let the huffle-slut tell you__ ALICE FORTESCUE, GET OVER HERE YOU HUFFLE-SL" the brunette was barley five feet from the girls, but still Marlene McKinnon raised the volume of her voice to grab the attention of Alice Fortescue. And we'll it worked.

"Will you shut up, oh hey lily." Alice Fortescue now stood in front of her two friends, and a few seconds later the wild curly locks of Dorcas meadowes followed.

"hello Dizzy Dorcas, how did you find us" lily said earning her a shove on the side of her arm, by the Coco skinned girl.

"I heard Mar"

"Yeah I think everyone did" Alice Fortescue quipped.

"Hey I wasn't that loud" said the blonde mock affended, her Voice still slightly raised.

"Yes Mar yes you were, anyway i hear you have something to tell me Alice." Instantly Alice went red in the face, she wasn't embarrassed by what she had to tell lily Evans, it was just she wasn't used to it yet.

Taking a deep breath she spilled the beans " me and Frank are dating, he asked me over the summer, first week actually."

"Oh Alice that's great we've been rooting for you two" the redhead squealed happy for her friend.

"Did he get down on one knee," Marlene asked, all three girls looking at her like she had a third eye.

"Mar he asked her out not to marry her"

"I know that Dizzy Dorcas, but it just seems very Frank Longbottom, you know very proper." Alice rolled her eyes,

"No but he did give me flowers." The brunette swooned,

"Ugh, so lils how was your summer with the devil spawn." Dorcas meadowes had turned to conversation to the redhead, who's smile faltered.

"Petunia was well petunia she ignored my very existence," lily said.

"That's not the devil spawn I was asking about, I ment Severus Snape, you know tall with a chip pan for hair."

"I don't kn __" lily was interrupted by Alice, tapping her on the shoulder, pointing out the teen in question. "Lils, look other there"

Lily followed the gaze of her friends, green eyes Landed on the young boy with greasy hair. He walked through the platform, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Black, Rodolphus Lestrange and Narcissa Black she was pushing her trolley. Lucius Malfoy to most was the scumm of the earth, he graduated from Hogwarts last year and just like his father had become a death eater along with Bellatrix Black. The girl with mast of curly black hair was practically psychotic, taking every chance she could to hex her cousin Sirius Black. The girls understood in a way why Lucius and Bellatrix were on the platform, the pair must of been seeing Narcissa Black off to her final year of school. But Rodolphus lestrange was a mystery, he had left Hogwarts about four years prior to Lucius and Bellatrix and yet here he stood. He had a reputation of being cruel even in school, it was wide a spread rumor that he had tortured a Hogwarts house nearly to death. Of course nobody could prove it even back then so Rodolphus lestrange for away with it. and there they all stood with lily's best friend.

"Well I guess that's where Sevs been all summer" lily said Turing away,

"So you haven't seen him all Summer," Alice placed a hand on lily's shoulder, the girl smiling at gesture.

"I saw Sev a few times but he seemed different, distant his temper was shorter than usual."

"Wow, come let's get a compartment. Maybe you guys can talk later" the black eyes Severus Snape falling on lily, he watched as she walked away. Silently vowing to reconnect with his best friend this schooling year of Hogwarts.

3

James potter and Company had just made to the platform with ten minutes to spare, as usual they planned to meet between platforms nine and ten and as usual He and Sirius were late. Remus had raised his arms in the air like a disapproving father and Peter well he was Peter, he just wanted food.

" Where in Merlin were you two?, We could've missed the train"

"Keep your knickers on Mooney, we've got ten minutes" Sirius Black spoke slinging his arm around Peter Pettigrew, while the tall boy scowled at their attitude.

"What he said mate, don't wolf out on us I was getting you a gift." James potter a bespeckled boy with black tousled hair, smirked whipping out a bar of Muggle milk chocolate.

"Thanks mate you're forgiven" Remus lupin mumbled taking the chocolate bar off his friend, peters mouth watering for a peice.

"seriously, he's forgiven, It was my Idea. I'm hurt, I'm hurt Mooney." Sirius Black spoke falling backwards, into his best friends arms. Far more dramatically then it sounds.

"Face it pads he loves me more," James push the raven haired boy up and out of arms, now walking backwards like a smart arse. Hair blowing more skew-whiff if that was even possible.

"Does not"

"Does too, he wants to steam up my specks"

"Shut it prongs he wants to kiss me and run his fingers through my hair, I mean come on I'm gorgeous." James bent over in laughter. Sirius's hair was dreadful, jet black and full of knots no matter how many times he pulled a brush through it.

"The bush you mean." James quipped.

"Remus kiss me, comon kiss me. Fine let me give you a big old smooch then " the tall boy cringed, he couldn't think of anything worse, snapping a strip of creamy chocolate off for Peter.

"No thanks, come__is that Lucius Malfoy"

Now all four boys had their eyes trained on the older boy, amused by whatever his three friends were doing. But on closer inspection Remus lupin noticed the four of young Wizards and Rodolphus lestrange were hazing a first year, before the poor tike hadn't even boreded the express. "Prongs, Padfoot are you seeing this" The two young Wizards didn't say a word in reply, instead they rushed off in the direction of Lucius Malfoy and his possy leaving Peter to trail behind.

As they got closer they saw a cute blonde girl, obviously a first year, robes barley off the floor and she still had her cart. Lucius Malfoy used his wand to riffel through the girls trunk, pulling the pages out off her new school books. James potter rolled his eyes, as they met with Severus Snape levitating the small blonde girl upside down now. The bespeckled boy taking the opportunity to startle the former student .

"Didn't know you could read Malfoy," the blonde Wizard jumping back startled by the sudden appearance of the bespeckled boy. The much older death eater rolling his eyes at Lucius Malfoy's obvious fear of the sixth year boy.

"I fail to see how that's any of you're business Potter" Malfoy spat

"Well I just made it my business, let the girl go Snivellus don't want to get bogey's on the poor thing." James potter spoke to the raven haired boy lowering the girl, once her feet reached the ground she legged it behind Remus lupin and Sirius Black. You couldn't blame the girl, the wolf boy was unnaturally tall and raven haired Wizard held a dark look in his grey orb's that would even scare her father.

"Arh yes potter I forgot you hang around blood traitors and mauled half-bloods." The boy with tawny curls retreating into his tatty clothes at the mention of his scared face, James and Sirius Black whipped out their wands in the defence of their friend.

"Watch you're mouth Malfoy." This time Sirius Black spoke up his voice venomous, the blonde ignored his second cousin and turned to the werewolf. Rodolphus lestrange deciding to leave the argument was a childish one and he definitely wasn't a child.

"Father works In the ministry's office lupin, there a bit if an enigma surrounding you." Malfoy paused for a second. "May I asked, did an unfortunate event befall you, or were always this hideous."

Though Remus didn't get to answer the question and not that he would any way, but the fist Peter Pettigrew had landed it's into the jaw of pureblood dick Lucius Malfoy. The three remaining marauders stared at their friend, Remus lupin was simply grateful that Peter chose this moment to finally snap. While James and Sirius looked on like a proud dads also laughing at the boy who had just been flattened, Malfoy though was fuming.

"My fa__" stoping when he heard James and Sirius making a bet.

" Three galleons if he says my father will hear about this" James smirked "your on pads"

"You little Rat my father will hear about this " the blonde Wizard stumbled to his feet with the help of girlfriend. Admittedly narcissa Black was far too pretty for the wizard and perhaps if she had more courage she'd of ran away from her depraved family, much like her older sister. But alas she didn't.

"Damit, here take em" james shoved the golden coins into the hands of Sirius Black, who took them gladly.

"Mark my words, dangerous times are coming boys and when they do,don't imagine you'll be Safe " the boy wizard said pushing his girlfriend away form the four boys.

" Thankyou for helping me, I'm Gabby Douglas." Came a soft voice from behind Remus lupin.

"It's not a problem munchkin, all in days work for the mighty Padfoot and friends" the first year smiled at the door sixth years stood looking down at her.

"Now run off and sit with the first year's okay." The tall boy with brown curls spoke to the girl.

The Marauders following suit made it just time, to bord the Hogwarts express. By now most of compartments upfront Were occupied and filled by loud and confused first year's, All seemingly unaware of the prejudice that would follow once they had been sorted. For some the friends they made on the train weren't likely to stick with you through the years to come, unless you where lucky like the four boys plodding along now. Sure with a few exceptions you could be friends with a Slytherin but it almost always ended in disaster, as lily Evans would find out the harsh way, just a few months into the new school year.

The boys eventually found Thier compartment near the back of the train and as luck would have it, it was the same very one that they had met in way back when in first year. They didn't know then that perhaps this would be the last time it was just the four of them, in that dinky compartment. If they had then maybe Peter Pettigrew wouldn't of buried his face in mountains if food, and somehow still have room for dinner In the Great hall later tonight. Perhaps if he knew Remus lupin wouldn't of let his heavy eyes droop shut at the impeding doom of the full moon tonight. The first day back and he was  having to spend it in pitiful sleep and in a grotty room. And perhaps James and Sirius wouldn't of spent their time plotting yet another well thought out hex on Slytherin. But things  simply were as they always had been, four best friend's who more like brother's really gearing up for another year of leaning, and shenanigans.

Word count : 3395

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the chapter, let me know what think. What you didn't like and what you did, in the comments.

Untill next time  Hollie xx

[queenofcats17]

Well for the fanfic since you did proposal. Let's move on to the Hell's Studio Wedding, where Joey has to walk Susie down the isle, Henry is the best man, and I don't with anyone else what their roles, but it has to be the best wedding for Susie and Sammy.

Sammy and Susie’s wedding was a very private affair. Sammy didn’t have much in the way of family, and besides, they had actual living breathing cartoons attending. That had to be kept on the downlow. So only close friends and relatives were present. Susie’s family were a little…unnerved at first when they showed up and there were three living cartoons walking around as if nothing was wrong. Alice served as the maid of honor, since she and Susie were practically sisters, while Henry was Sammy’s best man. It had been decided that Joey would walk Susie down the aisle, as her father had some mobility issues. Bendy was the ringbearer since Boris wanted to be the flower girl. They’d gotten him a cute little dress and everything. Meanwhile Normal was on organ. Wally was just sort of…there. He didn’t have anything specifically to do so he just hung out and existed. A few of Susie and Sammy’s relatives struck up a conversation with him. The venue was a park a few miles from the studio. They’d set everything up so the ceremony would take place in a gazebo, with the guests sitting in folding chairs. A church had been out of the question, given what had happened last time Bendy had been in one. Neither Susie nor Sammy had minded, despite how much Sammy had complained about the bugs.

“I still can’t believe this is happening.” Sammy muttered as he adjusted his bowtie for the millionth time.

“Stop fiddling with it, Sammy.” Bendy said. “Everything’s gonna be fine!”

“He’s right. You need to stop worrying.” Henry said, putting a hand on Sammy’s shoulder. “I made sure Joey didn’t do anything weird.” He whispered, soft enough that Joey couldn’t hear him. “I checked the whole place out.”

“Thanks.” The corners of Sammy’s mouth twitched up. He could always count on Henry to make sure things went smoothly.

“No problem.” Henry said. “This is important.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Joey asked, sidling a bit closer.

“Nothing.” Sammy said quickly.

“Hey, where’s Boris?” Bendy suddenly asked, trying to get attention away from the hushed conversation. The trick worked and Joey’s attention was immediately drawn elsewhere.

“I think he went out to find some flowers to throw.” Joey looked back to the entrance of the tent they’d set up. “He said something about fresh flowers?”

“Just hope no one has an allergic reaction.” Sammy muttered.

“Hopefully not.” Henry said.

“I found flowers!” Boris reentered the tent, holding a basket of dandelions and tulips.

“Where’d you get those?” Bendy asked.

“I picked ‘em!” Boris said brightly. “Now I can toss the flowers!”

“Nice job, big guy.” Henry said, patting the wolf’s back. “Now, we should probably get moving. The ceremony’ll start soon. Don’t want to miss your own wedding, do you, Sammy?”

“Susie’d kill me.” Sammy couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, let’s get going then!” Joey headed for the gazebo. “I just hope I won’t cry too much. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you two too much.”

“We all know you’re going to bawl like a baby.” Sammy said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way, though.”

And with that, they made their way to the gazebo, where the minister was waiting. The guests were waiting. Sammy’s mother, normally a very composed woman, dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. Sammy started fiddling with his bowtie again.  This was happening. It was really happening. He almost couldn’t believe it. He turned his gaze back to the aisle. Bendy and Boris stood together, ready to do their duties. Catching Sammy’s eye, Bendy gave the music director an enthusiastic thumbs up. Then Susie arrived. Susie was a modest person, so she’d chosen a dress that was simple, not too frilly. It suited her quite well, and to Sammy she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Alice walked directly behind her, holding some of the flowers Boris had picked. Joey was at her arm, dabbing at his eyes as he began to walk Susie down the aisle. Boris sprung into action, walking in front of the bridal procession, throwing flowers and happily doing his job.

“Nice job.” Henry whispered to Boris as the wolf passed. Susie, Alice, and Joey reached the gazebo and took their places. Joey scrambled back to his seat in the front row beside Wally. With everyone there, the minister cleared his throat and began. Normally, Sammy wasn’t a terribly religious person, but for Susie, he was willing to make an exception. Not to mention his mother had wanted a Christian wedding as well. He just stared into Susie’s eyes as the minister spoke. The prospect of spending the rest of his life with her honestly excited him. She was one of the best friends he’d ever had and he loved her more than he could possibly put into words. They’d discussed whether or not they’d change their names and decided against it since they were both so fiercely independent. Soon enough, the time came to exchange vows. Bendy proudly presented the rings, winking at both Sammy and Susie.

“Do you, Samuel Horace Lawrence, take Susie Alice Campbell to be your lawfully wedded wife?” The minister asked. Sammy took a deep breath and slipped the ring onto Susie’s finger.

“I do.”

“And do you, Susie Alice Campbell-”

“Of course I do.” Susie interrupted the minister, putting her own ring on Sammy’s finger. Sammy tried not to laugh at this. That would be rude, and his mother was watching. God he loved her. Alice had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. The minister frowned, but quickly regained his composure.

“Very well. I pronounce you husband and wife.” He said. “You may kiss the bride.” Even after all these years, Sammy still got a little nervous when it came to kissing Susie. He leaned forward, preparing himself. Susie then proceeded to grab his head and plant one on him. There was a whoop from the guests as Susie’s sister stood up and cheered her on. This time Sammy laughed.

“Way to take the initiative.” He said when she pulled away.

“Well you weren’t going to do it.” She said with a little half smile.

“Alright!” Bendy grinned and applauded them. “Now, who wants cake?’

“I do!” Boris raised his hand, tail wagging. Bendy didn’t have the heart to tell him it had been a rhetorical question. The group made their way to the tent where the catering had been set up. Henry’s wife, Bella, had put herself in charge of the food. No one really trusted Joey to not sneak ink into the food. Henry’s kids went straight for the cake, jumping and begging for a slice.

“Hang on.” Henry said. “The couple’s got to cut the cake.” Susie and Sammy were the last to enter, walking arm in arm. Sammy was making a joke about how he’d half expected Bendy to pull some kind of prank on him. Susie agreed, adding that she was glad he hadn’t. She would have had to get a little…physical if he had.  

“Reminds me of when we got married.” Bella said, leaning on Henry as the newlyweds made their way to the cake. “Although, we didn’t have living cartoons in attendance then.”

“It’s certainly interesting.” Henry agreed.

“Alright, settle down.” Sammy said as the kids clambered for the cake. “You’ll get your piece.” The cake was chocolate, Susie and Sammy’s favorite. Together, they cut the cake and began dishing it up. Henry’s children got the first few slices, then the toons got some, and finally the adults. Sammy stood back and watched everyone. How had he gotten to this point in his life? Sammy had honestly never expected to get married. He’d never expected to have such good friends or be part of something like Joey Drew Studios. It wasn’t what he’d expected from his life, but it was so much better than anything he could have ever predicted. Beside him, Susie squeezed his hand.

“I’m glad I met you.” She whispered.

“Yeah. Me too.” He said, leaning his head against hers. He could hear Henry yelling from somewhere to his left, trying to get Joey to stop doing something. Probably black magic. Bendy was running over, handing his cake off to Boris. Sammy smiled to himself. This…This was alright.