#gave 2 guns to 2 year old grand daughter

[republicansaredomesticterrorists]

[youcalledsworld]

Danny Phantom across the Multiverse

Vlad never learns and like always left his 17 year old nemesis to clean up his mess. So what did Vlad do? He opened the sarcophagus of forever sleep again.

At least he didn't do it for ultimate power again. No he did it because he was desperate, because the Observants finally wanted to lock him up for opening the sarcophagus the first time and releasing Vortex.

So Vlad ran but he didn't want to run forever so he thought he could gain favor from Pariah by releasing him. But that didn't work he just ended up swapping imprisonment for 3000 years for ceasing to exist.

This led to Danny fighting Pariah again, this time without the ecto-skeleton. It was a fierce battle that had the Infinite Realms shaking, the effects of it could be felt in every dimension.

Battered and bruised Danny stood infront Pariah Dark ready to finally end the fight. He crushed Parish's core, but while the old King was fading he didn't want Danny to feel victorious. So he opened up numerous portals behind the halfa that was beginning to suck him in.

While Danny was fighting against the portals with the last of Pariah strength he blasted Danny where his core was and it split into 10 pieces and Danny's energy and body was sucked into them when all but one piece was sucked into the portal.

Clockwork made sure to save one piece so that his grandson could make it back to him and his family.

Once the pieces were spat out the other end of the portals in different dimensions, 9 different Danny's emerged from the pieces.

One Danny found himself stumbling into a Camp that had the campers wearing orange coloured shirts and running around with swords and other kind of weapons. They welcomed him into the camp and helped him recover. He spent 2 years training, questing and trying to find his way back home. Sadly Danny lost his life in the war against the Titans to save his fellow campers.

When he died his core went back to the piece that was being held in Clockworks lair

Another found himself on an island that had dinosaurs and two giant Viking warrior friends fighting to prove who had caught the bigger fish. When they weren't fighting they were training Danny. Sadly he had to leave them in order to find a way home, so he left with a small pirate crew that was led by a man with a straw hat. They had many adventures, they laughed and cried, fought in many battles, fought against the world government and completed their dreams all except Danny who instead of making it home, made one for himself and had lived long enough to meet his great grand children.

Then he passed peacefully in his sleep and made his way back to his grandfather.

Another Danny found himself in a crime ridden city called Gotham instead of helping he decided to find a way home, he knows he should help but this wasn't his dimension he needed to get home. So he started stealing from tech companies in hope to build a portal home. After a few years when he was almost done with the portal the city gained its own vigilante called Batman and he was trying to catch Danny already. The rookie vigilante was well trained but Danny found out that Batman was actually Bruce Wayne (what's with billionaires and their secret life?). Sadly Danny found out that the veil was too thick to punch a hole into the infinite realms so he gave up and became a teacher at Gotham Academy. He eventually married one of his students mothers. A wonderful woman named Paula Crock, they met by accident and got along well. They told each other about their past and decided it didn't matter. Plus she loved it when he broke her ex husband's nose arms and legs. He even punched Bruce Wayne in the face for sending his step daughter on a mission that got her sent to the hospital. Sadly he was gunned down by a criminal while he was shielding his students. On his death bed he promised Paula he would come back for her.

Clockwork promised that he would help Danny reunite with the families he made.

When Max opened his eyes he couldn't remember who he was or how he ended up on the side of the road. Thankfully the Tennyson's gave him a name and adopted him. They even helped him pursue his dream of becoming an astronaut. But thanks to a certain incident he found out he could become something more if he joined the Plumbers. Joining the Plumbers gave him the best and worst times in his life. He made friends he couldn't have met if he didn't join but he also lost friends in this line of work. He also met his ex-wife Verdona who had given him his sons. Then he remembered his past but he couldn't leave his family he made so he didn't look for a way home. His grandson then became a hero like he was when he found the Omnitrix so he trained him. Hoping he didn't make the same mistakes he did, of course Ben made mistakes but at least he was around to help him. Until he wasn't, he was on a mission until he was discovered and had to ask Ben to step up and complete it for him and he did. He was so proud of his grandson, who became a better hero than he ever was. He still helped his grandson when he could even if he didn't want his help. Then one of his grandsons enemies accidentally made a portal to the Infinite Realms and it was going haywire, so he told his grandson and great grandsons to leave so he could shut it down. The only way he could make sure it didn't destroy the world was making it implode which would suck everything in a 10 mile radius into the Infinite Realms. He said good bye to his family and allowed himself to be sucked in.

Max met his Grandfather on the other side and gave him the biggest hug he could. He asked Clockwork if his family was still alive in his original dimension. Clockwork told him that what felt like decades to him over there was only hours here. Then he went on to tell Max that other fragments of him scattered across the Multiverse and would come back when they died or like him enter a realm portal. He also told him that now he had to put the core that was in him with the other core fragments in his lair.

[aspiringhorrorauthor]

With A Little Help From My Friends

For @chaosintheavenue ‘s Fallout Mini-bang Event! I worked with the insanely talented and awesome @paladinthrockmorton for the event, please check their blog out! 

Game: Fallout 2

Characters: Chosen One OC, Goris, Lenny, Marcus, Sulik, Vic, New Khans, Darion

Summary: The Chosen One and his crew are headed to the Squat to try and get access to Vault 15, both on request of the NCR and to try and find the fabled Vault 13. On the way, they run into a strange, cloaked man, wandering through the desert alone.

(Read it on AO3 here if you prefer: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27857697)

Without further ado, here is ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’!

Two hundred years of sand, stubborn enough to not have shifted from its spot, flew out of the way of the car tires as the Highwayman sped past. The people of California were used to strange sights in the post-apocalypse; massive mutants, zombie-like people and reluctant heroes with a purpose, but seeing all of those crammed into an antique car, darting through the desert, was another sight altogether.

Add in that they were all wearing scavenged sunglasses, slowing down each time they passed travellers on the road to let them ogle, occasionally leaping out to shoot molerats, and the spectacle was certainly unique. Marcus was wedged in the back between Vic and Sulik, with Lenny sat up front, silently pleased of winning shotgun simply by being the only one who knew how to drive and teaching the car’s owner. The driver himself was Theo, far from his home in Arroyo, and loving the freedom of his car. Lenny was very glad there was hardly anything to run over out here, though.

They were headed to Vault 15, travelling East from NCR, with maybe only another couple of hours to go. The end of Theo’s grand quest was so near, if the stories were to be believed. As soon as he dealt with the squatters, and accessed the Vault’s computer system, he could find Vault 13, where he’d finally get the GECK to save his village. Victory was so close he could almost taste it.

A hooded figure at the side of the road caught his attention as the car shot past, too fast for the stranger to have really appreciated his beloved car. So Theo braked and reversed it to meet back up with them, rolling down his window and keeping his car going at a crawl to match the hunched stranger’s shuffling pace.

“Beautiful day today!” Theo called out cheerfully. The stranger lifted their head, but Theo couldn’t spot their face through the cloak.

“Ideal weather for a stroll,” the stranger agreed, an unusual tone to his voice that Theo couldn’t quite place. Theo scrunched up his face; sure, at this time of year the desert was somewhat cooler, but an aimless stroll in this heat was never a good idea, and who went strolling this far away from civilisation?

“What do you mean, a stroll? You’re days of walking from anywhere, mate,” Theo pointed out. The stranger seemed to shrug under his cloak.

“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m heading to NCR, but I may have gotten lost on the way,” the stranger gave an odd sort of laugh. Theo bit his lip; this stranger barely looked able to walk properly, never mind fight off any threats out here.

“Uh, you know there’s rumours about deathclaws roaming around these parts, right?” Theo asked. “Big, sharp fellows, could rip a super mutant apart in a jiffy?”

“Oh yes. Perfectly agreeable fellows, always keen for a reasonable debate,” the stranger replied, his tone so solemn that it was difficult to tell if it was a joke or not. Lenny shot a look of concern at Theo; who would want to debate a deathclaw?

“M-maybe he’s been out in the sun too long?” Lenny suggested quietly, to which Theo sighed. Of course he’d run into someone needing help out here, didn’t he always? Curse his good nature.

“Hey, we’re running some errands first, but we’ll be heading to NCR after. Want a lift?” Theo asked. The stranger paused, peering into the car, where Marcus waved back.

“It seems crowded in there already. I wouldn’t want to be a bother.”

“Nonsense. Lenny, jump in the back, will ya?”

Theo stopped the car, giving Lenny time to squeeze in between Sulik and Marcus while the stranger settled into the empty front seat. His cloak sat strangely around his body, hanging too long at the arms, and the bottoms were scruffed up from dragging along the floor. The stranger took a moment to get comfortable, as if they weren’t used to sitting in seats. Well, car seats anyway. Theo held out his hand.

“Call me Theo. What do I call you?”

“My name is Goris, I’m a travelling scholar,” Goris nodded slightly, but didn’t shake Theo’s hand, “Forgive the robe, but genetics hasn’t been kind to me. I tend to scare people.”

“Well, you’re in good company here,” Theo laughed, shifting the car into gear. “Hold onto your hood Goris, this baby’s got speed.”

The car sped across the desert like a bullet, Goris desperately holding down his hood while the wind roaring through the open windows tried to blow it off. Marcus offered him a bottle of water at one point, but Goris declined it, seemingly too enraptured by the speed they were travelling at.

The drive was peaceful; they didn’t run into any further trouble on the way. Goris was keen to talk to all of them, asking about each of the towns they came from and grilling them for questions on their histories. Soon they came across the spot that Tandi had marked out for them, the squatter camp located just outside the Vault that was stopping NCR from gaining access. Theo offered to let Goris stay in the car, but the draw of possibly learning the history of the squatter camp pulled him from it.

The Squat, as Tandi had referred to the camp, was a squalid little shanty town bordered by trees, made up of tents and inhabited by nervous looking locals. The tents were weather beaten and worn, the tears spoke of years of being dragged down in a hurry, with patches sloppily sewn into place where the tears had become holes. The greyed out colour of what could possibly be the original fabric was mostly covered by the patches, the only hint it had once covered the whole tent being it’s unusual material and how often it was seen on separate tents. But mostly, the tents looked old, as if they’d been standing when the bombs, and still stood out of sheer determination. At the far side stood a more permanent building than the tents, still crumbling and falling apart. The roof was more of an old umbrella than something to keep out all weather. It was bordered by a rough forest gnarled trees, with a guard patrolling them.

The squatters, dressed in clothes only slightly younger than the tents themselves, watched them closely as they made their way to the permanent building, keeping a distance from the strangers. Theo waved at a child staring slack jawed, only for their mother to whisk them away.

“Don’t you just love a warm welcome, boss?” Vic deadpanned under his breath.

The only permanent building in the camp seemed like the best place to try and find someone who was in charge. Theo knocked on the door, and let himself in, only to narrowly dodge a rock that flew at him.

“Oh no, not dealing with you NCR lot today. Out!” a man on the other side of the door yelled at them. Theo picked up the rock and glared back.

“Hey arsehole, your rock nearly hit my head,” he called out, “Learn to aim, dipshit!”

“I told you to leave. We don’t want your kind around here,” the man insisted Theo tossed the rock back to Marcus, who crushed it between his hands while the man watched, slack jawed and terrified.

“You don’t want to make an enemy of us, old man,” Theo warned. The old man staggered backwards, “good thing we don’t want a fight you. We’ll come back later when you’re in a more agreeable mood,” Theo slammed the door behind him, taking a step back before yelling. “Arseholes! This wasteland has two types of people in it; arseholes, and people who want something from me!”

“What does that make us, boss?” Vic asked in mock offence. Theo rolled his eyes.

“Oh don’t get me started. You needed to be rescued from slavers. You,” Theo pointed at Sulik, “needed a debt paid off. You,” Theo pointed at Marcus, “Needed a murder solving and your mine fixing. You,” Theo pointed at Goris, then faltered. Technically, Goris hadn’t asked for his help at all, “Well, I’m sure you’re just here for the car ride. And Lenny,” Theo turned to point at Lenny, only to find him missing. “Wait, where’s Lenny?”

Everyone else looked around in bewilderment; none of them had noticed him leaving at all, and there were no signs of Lenny anywhere. With a resigned sigh, Theo started to wander between the tents, lifting heavy flaps and yelling Lenny’s name under each one, much to the ire of the squatters within. He eventually found Lenny quietly talking with an older lady, who looked terrified.

“Oh Lenny, did you round a corner too quickly and scare people again?” Theo asked with a mock tone of concern to his voice.

“Her d-daughter’s m-missing, possibly kidnapped.” Lenny stated. All mirth drained from Theo’s face in an instant, as his hand went to his gun. Hero time.

“Your daughter, do you have any idea where she might be?” Theo asked. The lady glanced between Lenny and Theo, biting her lip.

“There’s people in the vault, just East of here. Chrissy’s too adventurous for her own good, I was always catching her trying to sneak out there. The people don’t want us going anywhere near there, so maybe they--”

“Hang on,” Theo interrupted her, quietly stepping back towards the tent flap, dragging it away just in time to see someone rush away from the tent.

“Were they listening?” The woman asked in horror. Theo gave chase as Lenny tried to reassure her but had lost track of the person by the time Theo rounded the tent corner. Instead Theo ran up to the rest of his crew.

“Did someone just run past?”

“Someone just passed that guard over there,” Vic pointed to a guard stood by the edge of the trees, “why?”

Without answering, Theo turned and lead the way towards the forest. The guard, patrolling the outskirts, caught up with them, stopping Theo in his tracks.

“You might want to turn around stranger, there’s nothing to see here.” She said.

“What are you guarding?” Theo asked, standing up on his tip toes to try and see over the guard’s shoulder. She stood up taller to block him again.

“I’m not guarding anything, just making sure no-one wanders off this way.”

“Then why not guard the way into the desert that way?” Theo pointed to the far side of the Squat.

“Why do you care anyway?”

“A young girl has been kidnapped. D-did you see someone pass by here?” Lenny asked. The guard stopped for a minute, looking torn.

“…Yes, they did. Do you think they’re linked to it?”

“Almost definitely.”

The guard sighed, running a hand through her hair and looking back through the trees, before finally coming to a conclusion. “Look, I don’t want any trouble. They hired me to stop anyone passing through after they had troubles with the girl snooping, I’m not with the people that took her, honest. You can go through. Just, don’t tell them I let you in, and save Chrissy, okay?”

Theo gave her a wink and took the lead through the copse of trees, more dense than any forest in a desert had a right to be. But the branches looked gnarled and dead, as if whatever had let them grow in the first place had run its magic and left them to suffer alone. At some point, this place must have been verdant, but now it was as worn down and withered as the Squat itself, a fitting nest for the camp. Theo ran a hand down the bark out of curiosity, pulling away large chunks effortlessly.

The trees thinned out again, marking the edge of the small forest, and bringing into view a shack  that stood in a clearing near a wall of rocks that boasted a poorly hidden metal door. Another guard, this time wearing armour unlike any Theo had ever seen, leant against the shack wall, smoking a cigarette. He stared at the crowd, removed the cigarette and rubbed it out against the wall behind him as Theo marched closer, laser pistol in hand.

“The fuck do you want?” The man snarled.

“We’re looking for a missing girl, do you know anything about that?” Theo asked. The man eyed up Theo with a look of disdain.

“Maybe we do? What are you gonna do about it?” He taunted.

“You’re looking at a crew with a supermutant and asking what we’ll do about it? I’ll give you three fucking guesses. Where’s Chrissy?” Theo demanded, gripping his laser pistol tighter.

“As if I’d give her over that easily to a little punk like you. Nah, we can have some fun with her yet.” The guard teased.

“Up yours and eat a bullet breakfast, arsehole.” Theo snapped, getting a lucky quick shot that hit the man straight in his eye. His body slumped against the wall as footsteps from inside the house rushed towards the door, unlocking it.

“What’s--” The woman that appeared didn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence as Marcus aimed his minigun at her, tearing her apart in a flurry of guts. Once the gun stopped spinning, Theo rushed over to the body, searching for the keys and pulling them out with triumph. Meanwhile, Vic and Sulik rushed into the house, weapons at the ready, checking each room was empty.

“There’s a locked door at the back!” Vic called out. Theo rushed to meet up with him, quickly unlocking the door, only for it to fly open in his face as a teenage girl rushed out, kicking Vic in the groin and making for the front door, to find it inadvertently blocked by Marcus and Goris.

“Chrissy, I presume?” Theo called after her, holding his bleeding nose. “Your mom sent us.”

///////////////////

“The mayor’s quite nice when he’s not throwing rocks at me, isn’t he?” Theo snickered, spinning the key card in his fingers as they headed back to the shack. Chrissy’s mother had been overjoyed that she’d been returned safely and convinced the man in charge to let Theo’s crew deal with the raiders in the vault on their behalf. The ones that had taken Chrissy were just the surface crew, and had been paying the squatters in ill-gotten gains to keep the NCR away, but if he could get rid of the raiders, who called themselves ‘New Khans’, then maybe they’d deal with the NCR again. Well, at least he was getting into the vault now. Even if it was to help someone else again, “why is the name ‘New Khans’ so familiar anyway?”

It was mostly a rhetorical question, but the rest of his group looked baffled by it. Clearly it wasn’t for them.

“I think I’ve heard locals speak of some old rivalry between a raider gang and the NCR, maybe this is the raider gang?” Goris suggested.

“Maybe.” Theo agreed quietly. Maybe another of his grandfather’s adventures involved the Khans, and he was just keeping up with family tradition. “Hey, Goris, you don’t need to come with us, you know. We’re going to wipe out a raider camp, it’ll likely get a little hairy and I can’t promise we can cover for you.”

“Oh, you needn’t worry about that. I can handle myself.” Goris assured him. Theo couldn’t keep the doubt from his face.

“They’ll be armed, and deadly. We can come get you after we clear it if you’re desperate to look around the vault, you know.” Theo tried again.

“Thank you, but I am more than capable of keeping myself safe. I do usually wander the wastes alone. I would like to return your kindness from earlier.” Goris insisted.

“Well, alright. It’s your funeral.” Theo shrugged and swiped the keycard in a slot in the door, stepping back and watching the rusted old door slowly open with an ear piercing creak. Beyond it lay a cave lit by primitive torches. With a small wave to tell them to keep quiet, Theo led the way in, running a hand against the wall to keep on track if the torches went out. The rocks were dark dry, but sturdy, Theo couldn’t pull out any stones with his bare fingers; a sensible choice to build a vault in, he supposed. The deeper they went, the darker it got; the rocks seeming to absorb light, until, more often than not, Theo couldn’t even see his own hand brushing against the walls through the blackness. Very easy for the raiders to hide in.

“Who the fuck are you?” Came a sudden bark from further in the cave, causing Theo to jump, hand reaching for his laser pistol. Damnit, he could barely even see down here, never mind shoot. He needed a different plan.

“Uh, new recruit?” He hazarded.

“Oh, right, yeah. Go on in.” The Khan replied. Barely believing his luck, Theo stepped forward, still holding his pistol ready, but the Khan didn’t react, just waved him and his oddly shaped entourage along. “You’ll want to see Darion, he’s on the bottom level.”

“Darion, got it.” Theo nodded. Past a turn, the cave opened up somewhat, with more torches giving him a better view of it. He recognised the vault door, almost identical in design to the one on Vault 8, except this one lay discarded on the floor, far past repair. Some more Khans stood around in the cave, chatting, paying him little attention. They made their way through the empty doorway and through the halls of the vault. It stank of rust, and the lights didn’t seem to work, the same torches from within the cave illuminating the metal hallways with only marginally more success. This vault had long been abandoned; it didn’t have the crisp, clean, almost sterile look to it like Vault 8 had; this was beyond disrepair, it was a health hazard; a tetanus epidemic just waiting to happen. They tried to avoid touching the walls as much as possible as they headed to the old elevator, barely squeezing everyone in.

“We suspect a trap.” Sulik warned.

“Definitely. Hands on guns, everyone, and expect a fight. Got enough ammo, Goris?”

“Don’t worry, I always travel fully armed.” Goris assured him, adjusting his robes but not pulling out a gun.

The lift itself was slow, rickety. It shook and creaked down the levels, and once it stopped the doors crept open. Marcus exited, minigun first, checking the surrounding corridors before signalling everyone else to follow him. It was eerily quiet down here, except for the muffled dull thud of a leak and the gentle crackle of the torches along the walls. Theo headed towards the Overseer’s room, past many closed doors that his companions checked behind him. The door was shut, and when the button was pressed, it opened much faster than it should in a place this ruined.

Beyond the door was pitch black; no torches, no lights, and no sound, as if someone had scared away anything that could make noise. As if the room was holding its breath.

Theo took a step back, ready to leave before the trap was sprung, but his companions hadn’t seen it, and continued walking, knocking him further into the room. The creaky hiss of pistons behind him told him that the door had shut them in, and the torches lit up around the room, highlighting jeering faces and glinting off of weapons. Too many Khans to count surrounded them, each armed to the teeth and ready to shoot. They were surrounded, and outnumbered, and hopelessly outgunned. One khan, an old man, stepped forward, hatred written across his face, sizing Theo up. “You look just like him, that damned Vault Dweller.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot.” Theo shrugged, trying to look for a way out. But the only way other than the locked door was further into the vault, and they didn’t have emergency exits. Damn. “Are you Darion? Wouldn’t want to waste my ammo.”

“The one and only. I have waited eighty years for my revenge against the NCR. Getting to kill a man that looks like their attack dog is the icing on top.”

“Would a distraction help?” Goris asked quietly. Theo had absolutely no idea what the shuffling scholar had in mind, but anything would be better than nothing right now, so he nodded, not straying from Darion’s gaze.

“You couldn’t kill my grandad back then, and I won’t be killed now. Guess you’ll just have to wait a little longer.” Theo bragged. Darion opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes widened and his jaw dropped instead, as he and his two bodyguards stumbled backwards in shock, a scream tearing from their throats. Theo turned to look where they were staring.

Only to see a deathclaw stood next to him.

Theo stumbled back as the deathclaw threw itself towards the nearest Khan, giving an almighty roar that rattled Theo’s skull. It swept its claws across their helmet, sending it scattering across the floor, the second hand following shortly after, leaving deep gashes down the raider’s face that flooded with blood.

The Khans had stopped screaming and were aiming their guns now, some at the deathclaw, some at Theo and his friends. Theo pulled out his own laser pistol and aimed for Darion’s eyes.

Darion collected himself, and in turn faced Theo, narrowly dodging the laser shot and returning with a flash of fire from his flamethrower. Theo jumped back just in time, the searing heat flashing against his face, and firing another laser at Darion, hitting his shoulder.

A burst of bullets behind Darion hit the man with a yell as one of his guards, in blind panic over the approaching deathclaw, accidentally fired at Darion instead.

“Watch where you’re shooting!” Darion yelled back, giving Theo the window to fire again, getting Darion square in the side of his face, knocking him down to the floor.

The deathclaw had thrown the guard to the wall and leapt instead at Darion, landing on the man’s shoulders before swiping his head clean off in one fell swoop.

Theo backpedalled as quick as his legs could take him, but the deathclaw didn’t even look at him, just threw itself horns first at another khan.

Theo hit a second khan in the crotch, felling the man just in time for the deathclaw to catch him across the neck, before turning to where Lenny stood. Theo went to shout out a warning to Lenny, but the deathclaw had already sprung.

And completely missed Lenny, instead taking down a khan stood behind him that was aiming a shot.

Sulik took down one of the raiders guarding the door, the heavy thud of his supersledge against the raider’s skull making Theo wince as Sulik yelled for the rest of them to retreat.

Vic and Lenny did so quickly; Marcus and Theo backed off while aiming at the remaining Khans, who’d all but ignored them in favour of trying to take down the deathclaw, with little hope. It was too fast, too strong.

By the time Theo reached the door, no Khans were left standing. Just the deathclaw in the centre of the room, breathing heavily and covered in blood. Marcus raised his minigun, getting it ready to fire, while Theo did a quick head count.

Vic, Sulik, Lenny, Marcus… where was Goris? Had he been injured? Theo quickly glanced around the room, but the only sign of him was his robe, discarded on the floor where Goris had last stood. Beside Theo. Where the deathclaw had--

Theo shoved Marcus’ arm just in time to redirect the bullets away from the deathclaw, who had now turned to face them. Lenny and Vic had their guns trained on it, while Marcus shot Theo a dirty look, having just wasted an entire magazine on the wall.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t point your guns at me, thank you.” The deathclaw said casually. The shock very nearly caused Vic and Lenny to drop their guns entirely.

“What evil spirit is this that talks to us?” Sulik demanded in horror.

“It’s fine guys, lower your guns.” Theo tried to assure them, barely keeping the quiver from his voice. He stepped forward cautiously, picking up Goris’ robe. “So, uh, why didn’t you tell us you were a deathclaw?”

A gasp behind him told him someone else had figured it out too. “To be fair, you didn’t ask.” Goris pointed out. Theo had never been this close to a deathclaw, nor had he ever wanted to be. Those thick, grey scales almost seemed to glow in the torchlight, giving an ethereal look to Goris, so different to the sandy coloured scales he’d seen on the deathclaws they’d raced away from in the car. And those legendary claws, thick as a radius bone and sharper than a sword, and blood red after the fight; most waste landers thought it was a good life if they’d never seen one at all, nevermind gotten up close and personal with them. Goris didn’t move, just watched Theo with dark red eyes that didn’t blink anywhere near as often as a human’s did. Theo stepped closer still, every instinct screaming to run, not getting close enough to be in Goris’ reach, and held out the robe for Goris to take, glad it covered his wobbling legs. He didn’t have reason to be afraid, did he? This was still Goris, the desert weirdo who thought debating with deathclaws was-- oh wait.

Goris slowly took the robe back from Theo, giving a quick thanks and quickly putting it back on and deftly retying the cord around the waist. Once the hood was up, he looked the same as before, but Theo could spot all the little details that would give him away, now that he knew what to look for. The hood sitting too far forward from his horns, the overlong sleeves hiding his claws, the way it trailed to cover every inch of him.

“Clever disguise.” Theo complimented, feeling a bit more comfortable now that Goris had hidden himself. “Wish I could do that. Where’d you learn to talk and not kill humans on sight, then?”

“Um, the lift is rattling.” Lenny pointed out, bringing Theo back to the vault again. Right, the other Khans would’ve heard the commotion, and were no doubt on their way to find out what had happened. He pushed his way through the doorway, reaching the corner leading to the corridor for the lift and peering around it. No doubt about it, the lift was in motion.

“What’s the plan then?” Theo asked.

“Going in guns blazing isn’t good enough for you this time?” Marcus smirked.

“No, ‘cause we’ve always got the element of surprise on our side now.” Theo grinned back at Goris. He was still keeping his distance, and everyone else keeping their distance from him in turn, still unsettled by the deathclaw in the room.

“There’s a room just inside this corridor, if I hide in there I can jump out behind them too.” Goris suggested.

“Right. We’ll take cover here.” Theo agreed.

“I think I’ll go with Goris. I don’t do ‘hide and shoot’.” Marcus raised his gun for emphasis.

Goris and Marcus hid in the room, Goris’ tail flicking out with every step now he wasn’t shuffling everywhere, while Theo and Lenny hid behind the far wall, Vic and Sulik by the near. The lift stopped with a ‘ding’, the doors slowly creeped open, and footsteps cautiously marched out.

Theo nodded to Vic, pointing their pistols around the corner, hitting the front two raiders blindly. They gasped out, firing back while everyone pushed themselves against the wall, holding their breaths for what they knew was about to come.

Sure enough, with a loud thud against the metal floors and an almighty roar, Goris jumped into the battle, and they leapt out from hiding. The Khans were too busy screaming at the deathclaw behind them to see their attackers in front of them, and they fell quickly to a hail of bullets, lasers, hammers and claws.

But the lift continued to rattle regardless.

“More Khans?” Marcus asked.

“Ready for round two, everyone?” Theo asked with a smile. Oh, he could get used to this.

[liljungie]

Young Blood | Mafia AU

▸Pairing : Jimin ↮ Reader ↮ Taehyung.

！warnings ！= angst × future smut × verbal abuse × !mentions of rape!/ guns and blood and violence × crime × mafia and all what comes with it.

▸Word count: 6.372k

▸ Part One : ❝ Past Phase ❞

▸Masterlist

▸𝐀/𝐍: Let me know if you want a part 2 of this :)

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You tucked away Luna carefully, kissing her cheek softly before you got up from beside her bed, closing her bedroom door .

You glare at the clock it was past midnight and taehyung was still not home.he didn't even text to you to let you know his grand scheme has been dealt with safely nor did he call to check on Luna like he usually would.

You sigh in annoyance when another hour passes and still he hasn't called or texted.

You mumble curse words as you clean up the living room from Luna's toys, mother hood was tough but you loved every second of it and there isn't a thing you wouldn't do for you little babygirl.

Taehyung was just as overprotective as you over her which made the comfort settle in your heart knowing your daughter won't be harmed by her father's job,but as she grew older that comfort started to wither away slowly making you be more paranoid than usual.

Any unfamiliar sound sets you off making you cradle her in your arms in a tight embrace or you'd hide her behind you, as to protect her, you refused to pull your guns out infront of her, you didn't want her to get exposed to that side of the world the world that was your past but still taehyung's present.

He'd die for her, you knew that, there's no doubt that he won't. he loves Luna way too much, but as she grew you started to realize how little time taehyung spends home, he hardly spends time with her.

You broke down once. crying over how scared you are that one of the mafias taehyung's gang are after would kidnap your baby, taehyung didn't say anything except that you should start considering training her by that he meant train her to protect herself.

Using guns.

That's when you went mad, she's too young for that, Luna was barely 4 years old! you figured him being the high and mighty he is he would surround your house with more guards or fly you and her somewhere safer, but no that's not what he did.

However, he add more guards around the house and gave you tracking devices you'd put on yourself and Luna before you took her out. even if it was just a little walk in the park you'd put on your tracking device and hers on incase something went wrong. that's all he did. he reassured you that you and her will be protected at all costs however that didn't make it any better for you. You were still afraid.

You wanted a safe home for her, you wanted her to be hidden away from that Chaos that was taehyung's life and partly yours. you didn't want your daughter to grow up the same way you did..

Being around an environment like that, when you were her age made you look at the world differently; it opened your eyes on things that a normal child wouldn't understand, so that surely messed you up, and you still can't stop thinking about all the souls you have killed. back when you were the Assassin in taehyung's gang.

You were their weapon, their cold hearted weapon, everyone knew the mission you went on it was going to be successful, you feared nothing and you were reckless you were the strongest one of them. nothing ever stood in your way of getting anything, you killed mercilessly without a second thought. nothing mattered to you, you lived for one purpose and one purpose only; to get the job done.

You didn't get attached to anything or anyone that's how you were raised and that's what you grew up on and it's the only thing you knew how to do.

You had no soft spot for anyone, except well...Jimin, your partner in crime. you wouldn't say you were a softie for him but he sure knew your weaknesses, you hated that he knew you that well, you hated how close you let him get.

But you didn't hate him, you never could, he was your partner in crime after all, hating him was just impossible, and the connection you two had was like no one else's.

Not even your now husband; Taehyung.

Jimin was the purest thing about your disgusting life style, even your love was pure, you both promised yourselves to each other, the biggest skin contact you made with jimin when you dated, secretly, was a kiss. that's how steady and slow you two were.

After an unsuccessful mission, the first mission you ever failed. you and jimin fought, you yelled at him he cussed you out, it went on for hours, and the fact that he was your partner in this mission the blame of it being unsuccessful was placed upon you both, making you both pass the blame on one another causing you to have that ongoing argument.

It was your fault that the mission failed, in your defense you only wanted to protect him, he was too close to being shot, but you didn't tell him that. Nor did the gang knew the real reason you just said you 'missed' the mark. It left them shocked. You never miss.

you hated yourself for loving him too much where it made you divert to his safety rather than finishing the job, which lead you to storm out of your shared office with him, into taehyung's intoxicated arms, one thing lead to another and well; you were pregnant with Luna.

Jimin was furious and a big part of you was satisfied, you broke his heart and back then that was exactly what you wanted.

you hated competition and you hated that you lost that argument with him and that you failed the mission to save him and he just couldn't understand it and won't ever understand because there's no way you'd let him have the satisfaction of knowing just how much he matters to you, you wanted nothing more than to push his buttons just like he pushed yours multiple times.

you getting pregnant was all a big accident you didn't want any children especially with a job like yours where you'd sacrifice yourself for the gang. However you did plan on sleeping with taehyung just to spite jimin.

Doing that though bit you back in the ass, being pregnant caused you to lose your position in the mafia. for your safety you were no longer their assassin instead taehyung made you quit then erased your traces passing you on as dead so the other mafias don't reach or target you and or your unborn baby and harm you.

So jimin no longer has a partner and was a solo hit man now.

Which left a bitter scare on you every time you see him train and practice, because you used to do it together, the only part you loved and missed about your deadly job is being jimin's partner.

After giving birth to Luna that's where it all changed, beginning with you, you were no longer the cold hearted woman you used to be. with her being in your arms you felt like a whole new world opened up. spiritually you felt like Luna was your chance to make up for everything you've done in your past, from the first time you held her you swore no harm will ever get to her and she won't be a cause of hurt.

She won't be a weapon, she won't be apart of her father's gang or any other mafias,she won't be used and she won't kill like you.

Your biggest fear now is her growing up to be just like you or worse, not that you weren't the worst.

Raising her safely and right was all that was on your mind even though taehyung strongly disagreed with you, you didn't care, the only thing that didn't change about you is that even if something got in your way you'd fight through it to get to your goal, no matter what it costs.

Taehyung's is her father and that won't ever change but you can change the way he plans her future and you just hope that he does change with time because if he can't do that, for her, then he isn't worthy of being a father to her at all.

And you'd happily take her away and raise her the right way, the non fucked up way, the safest way you could provide for her. you'd do it in a heart beat.

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The clock strikes two in the morning, Taehyung turned the locks then the door knob and pushed the door open walking in cautiously incase Luna was asleep in the living room again but as he looks up he meets your cold stare.

"Took you long enough" you spat arms crossed under your chest, your feet hit the cold tilted floor with annoyance, sending dragers at your husband.

He smirks and turns to shut the door after him, taking off his coat "why did mommy miss me?" he teases you.

The last time you actually slept with him was when you got knocked up with Luna the sexual tendencies didn't occur when you were around taehyung, he doesn't love you. and you only see him as your daughter's father, nothing else nothing more.

at a point in your life he was your boss, he was the one who called your shots, he was the one who made you do all your dirty work, a part of you hated him for the blood that was on your hands.

"In your wildest dreams" you roll your eyes "you missed your play date with Luna...again" you tell him with a disappointed sigh as you turn your back to him walking away towards the kitchen to grab a cup of water before you go to bed.

He scrunch his face up in frustration when the realization hits him and he remembers his promise to his little princess, feeling angry at himself he follows you into the kitchen as you fill up a glass of water "I'm sorry it totally slipped from my mind I had a lot to deal with" he tells you as he walks towards the bar pouring himself a glass of alcohol.

You roll your eyes when the stench of alcohol hits your nostrils "I'm not the one you should apologize to, and I thought I told you if you want to drink go drink at your bar not in my house around my child!" You slam the water glass against the marble table glaring him.

"Our child" he corrects you before downing the wine glass anyway ignoring your lecture then he looks over at you, you were wearing a crop top with spaghetti straps that hangs low from one of your shoulders and the shortest shorts you owed, he licks his lips before he leans towards you "you should try drinking sometime you're too tense" he whispers his hands trapping you between him and the marble table in the middle of the kitchen.

You are tense but not because you haven't been drunk in years but because he was too close for comfort, you can smell the alcohol on his breath.

You place your hands on his chest pushing him away softly, "I'm better off without it" you exclaim trying your hardest to push him off but he only leans further into you.

"Taehyung Dont!" You warn, pushing your head back, your back is pressed against the edge of the table "just let me take care of you" his husky voice scraped against your neck made the hair on your neck stand.

"Taehyung fuck off!" You crocked out feeling weak under his grip tightening on your waist the more you pushed "I don't want to fuck off I wanna fuck you" he growled at you pulling at your fragile body slamming you against the wall.

Your heart was hammering against your ribs as you stared at him with flames coming out of your eyes the minute you felt his lips suck on your neck right where your sweet spot was. you yelped suddenly all your strength came back before you pushed his arms that were holding you tightly off then knocked him to the ground your hand wrapped against his throat, choking him. "don't you ever do that again!" you declared angry tears pooled in your eyes before you stood up and walked away.

You hated the feeling that took over you for a second there, weakness.

You hate feeling weak, you hate being vulnerable, since you weren't used to it it felt so odd to feel like that, the only feeling you were familiar with was being stone cold.

Him holding you against your will, made you remember something you tried to push to the back of your mind.

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"Bullseye!" You smiled as the last man standing was shot dead. "great work baby! Now meet me outside" you heard jimin say in your ear piece feeling proud of yourself that your partner praised you wanted to reply back to him but you felt arms wrapp around your mouth and waist pulling you away from the railing you were about to jump off to meet jimin in the getaway car. "not so fast little one!" An unfamiliar voice spoke near your ear making the hair on the nape of your neck stand.

You were struggling against whoever this mysterious man, his grip on you was suffocating. your voice was muffled by his hand that was tightly placed on your lips, jimin was calling your name and surely the man who was dragging you away heard him he pulled the ear piece out of your ear and threw it away. "you must be one of taehyung's whores" he smirked tossing you in a room, once you were free from his grip you loaded up your sniper ready to shoot him but that's when another man appeared knocking your weapon out of your hands to the corner of the room. Away from your reach.

You panic as you see the man make his way towards you.

"Taehyung doesn't get it does he?" He chuckles deeply before pinning you against the wall, you kicked and spat at him "maybe I should send a stronger message this time" he says against your neck his grip around your wrists started to hurt the other man laughed before he tossed you to the floor pinning your hands to the floor the taller one sat on your legs, right where your knees were. then pulled off your jeans, making you scream and shout for help but the man above you held both of your wrists in one hand and the other was placed on your mouth to muffle your sounds.

He always picks the prettiest whores" he smiles before he starts undoing his belt the man above you leans down sucking on your neck harshly.

You cried, screamed, kicked but they were much stronger than you and twice your size, you felt helpless.

Before the man that was about to push his length into your core, the door busted open and there stood your knight in shinning armor; jimin. looked so angry when his eyes met your scared ones his machine gun started rattling then both men fell to the floor in a blink of an eye about 20 bullet holes or more in their heads.

you curled up and started to sob, jimin rushed to you, he helped you get dressed "I'm sorry I'm so sorry" he said over and over again cradling you in his arms.

After that mission which was your first big mission; Jimin teached you how to protect yourself without weapons, after that night he refused to be separated from you on missions. clearing out buildings was the most dangerous mission you've been on and jimin swore that he wouldn't let you go alone again.

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You slide down your door as tears stream down your face, you hate remembering that night you hate remembering that feeling. feeling helpless and scared those feelings never took over you ever until that night and it was so strange and shitty to feel that way.

As you were crying you can't help but think of your daughter and how much you wanted to protect her from feeling that way.

You slide in your covers after you washed your face with cold water ready to drift off to sleep.

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You woke up at the sound of a loud engine outside, you weren't sure what it is.

You walked to your window, that was from the ceiling to the floor, "you've got to be kidding me"you mutter under your breath, a truck yet again was parked in the mansion's yard.

You sigh as you put your long nightgown on and make your way downstairs to see your daughter who was dressed in a sparkly dress and had a crown on her head, her father smiling at her, toys sprawled out everywhere in the living room.

"Mommy toys!" Little Luna said cheerfully pointing everywhere around her giggling at the end of her sentence "I can see that baby" you can't help the snappy tone you replied back to her but you were seeing red right now "taehyung really? This is not what I meant when i said you have to apologize!"

First of all there's a whole plastic caslte in your livingroom and your daughter was at one of the towers second of all you hated how taehyung looks at her with the biggest smile on his face unfazed by how crazy this looks, you lecturing him about wanting a normal life for her went right over his head and you were furious.

Why does he ignore everything you say?

"She's gonna be the prettiest princess yes she is!" Taehyung ruffles her hair and pinch her cheeks as she giggles ignoring you...again.

"I'm talking to you!" You snapped turning him around to face you, his face turned cold when he met your eyes. glaring back at you "you treat her however you want and I'll treat her however I want, she's mine too" he tells you his eyes were filled with anger as he spat out his words harshly.

You roll your eyes "this is not what I meant when I told you to apologize!"

He sighs and moves his hair out of his face, his stare would cut right through you if it could "what do you want me to do then? Huh? Tell me what do I do?" He snaps back.

Luna was cowering away in her plastic caslte, covering her ears. your gaze softened when you saw the pout on her face "Luna...baby" you softly call as you approach her carefully"...mommy and daddy are just having an adult talk we're not yelling okay?" you see her nod but you knew she was still sad, tears were gathering in her eyes.

Taehyung behind you rolled his eyes, you pick her up and place her on the ground and crouch to her level "why don't you go to the kitchen and wait for me okay? I'll come make you breakfast right away yeah?" And just like that her smile was back on her face as she ran to the kitchen to wait for you.

You let out a sigh standing up and turning to taehyung, facing him with a cold stare.

"Luna doesn't want another toy, she has enough to last her another life time..what she needs is you in her life" you tell him softly not wanting to scare your daughter again "I am in her life, you're the one who is trying to get me out of it" he says his jaw clenched, taehyung was terrible at holding in his anger you can see how much he was struggling.

You shake your head in disbelief "I'm doing that by telling you to spend more time with her? Are you insane?!" You exclaim "do you even hear a word I'm saying taehyung?!" You ask livied now.

"You go on and on about normal well what if I don't want normal?! there's nothing normal about our lives anyway! so stop shoving it down our throats! I'm sick of it! Luna is sick of it!...did you even see the look on her face? Luna is happy you're the one who sticks out like a sore thumb whenever I'm the one whose making her happy!"

You stare back at him taken aback, this is not what you meant for at all.

"Your daughter wants attention! she doesn't want another God forsaken plastic house! Look at how many we already have in the back yard! Go on a walk with her! take her to the park! spend your time on her not your money!" You yell back "you know I can't do that!" Taehyung yells back "you know that I fucking can't do that!"

"Taehyung you didn't show up yesterday! yesterday you promised her a play date here...in our house! You couldn't even do that! There's no excuse!" You exclaim as he walks back and forth infront of you, tugging on his hair frustrated.

"You have 5 warehouses full of gurads you have the power to surround them around the area you're in with her" you say he looks at you and scoffs in disbelief "and that's normal to you?" He rolls his eyes "The whole place is empty and it's just us and the guards yeah that's normal" he says sarcastically brushing past you.

"Face it _____,we're never going to be normal" you hear him mutter behind you close to your ears before you hear his footsteps walk away from you as the realization hits you.

Yeah that wouldn't be normal but what you wanted is for him to be closer to her, to spend more time with her, for them to be closer.

This was attempt number thousand? twenty thousand maybe? To try to get him to be more involved in her life but you weren't getting anywhere with him, you were left thinking maybe it's about time you gave up and accepted the fact that taehyung can't be a mafia leader and a father at the same time. he has to be lacking in one aspect.

With a heavy heart you walked to the kitchen, you didn't realize the tears that had slipped from your eyes,your daughter was sitting on the chair with her headphones in as she listens to one of those learning apps on her iPad. she senses your presence and looks over at you smiling warmly at you. you return it while wiping away your tears before you begin to make her breakfast.

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It was the afternoon now, Taehyung had left for work hours ago, when you and Luna were having breakfast he stormed out shutting the door behind him loudly.

You can't believe how childish he is sometimes, makes you wonder why the hell he was upset about, he obviously couldn't care less.

You were on the couch with Luna's head on your thigh as you play with her hair while the two of you watched the princess and the frog...for the millionth time now.

Your phone starts to ring you look behind you to see it vibrate against the table so you got up carefully then placed Luna's head gently on the cushion before you ran to answer your phone so it doesn't wake up your daughter.

You smiled when you see the name flash on your screen.Vivian ,your long time best friend when you were apart of the gang.

"Hey" you answered cheerfully, you couldn't contain your smile, you haven't talked to her in awhile.

You weren't allowed to contact your ex coworkers, taehyung was paranoid about having a traitor in the mafia and forbid you from talking to them incase they discover that your death was...fake.

The only ones who knew you were 'alive' were jimin and vivian.

"Hey I miss you" she replied back, she seemed out of breath and in a hurry "gotta make this quick! I need to tell you something but I can't tell you on the phone I need to see you" her voice is firm so you knew it was serious.

"Is everything okay? Are you hurt?" You ask terrified that she might be in danger.

"I'm okay! _____ I need to see you it's important! It's about Luna" she says the last bit in a low tone almost hushed.

Alarmed you glance back at your daughter who was fast asleep on the couch "what about her?"

"I'll be at the west warehouse in a few hours meet me there and we'll talk about it, I can't here...goodbye for now" then the line went dead.

You placed your phone in your back pocket and tried to stay calm but you knew how serious vivian is, she wasn't someone who misses around with her friends or jokes at all. and she called every blue moon, only when it was neccessary so she doesn't cause a problem between you and taehyung she knew that he forbade you from talking to anyone you used to work with.

She is responsible for hacking and is taehyung's assistant, so her call made you worry...a lot.

you picked up your daughter's jacket and yours and made your way to the car and took Luna's tracking device and left yours.

Because it seems like vivian didn't want Taehyung to know about this, she was your best friend, you knew her and the way she thought and you trust her. Thinking it's for the better if you didn't. you left holding on to Luna in your arms.

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You glance up at the building then at your daughter, how are you going to carry her all the way up there? But luckily she was stirring awake she was surprised that she was in the car as she glances around until she sees you, she relaxes.

"Wake up baby...look!" You point at jimin's apartment complex "we're at chimin house!" You softly tell her her eyes go wide with happiness instantly at the mention of jimin's name "uncle chiminie?" She has difficulty saying the letter J and you found it the cutest thing ever that you didn't bother to correct her spelling because it was just too cute.

"Yes! now hurry up let's go see him yea?" You say as you unbuckle her seatbelts and took her out of her car seat gently placing her on the side walk. you only let go of her when she regained her balance. locking the car.

Your heart started beating uncontrollably, you didn't know whether it was because you were going to see him or because you were scared of what vivian was going to tell you.

Either way it was beating really fast that you found it hard to breath and you cringed when you remember that you didn't tell jimin you're dropping by or that he's going to babysit your babygirl for a few hours.

You were already here so there's no going back.

The elevator was fixed luckily for you so you hopped in with Luna holding your hand tightly as you pressed jimin's floor number.

"Chunkook?" You hear her say you glance down on her she was rubbing the sleep away. you giggle "no baby it's only gonna be jimin today" you reply 'I hope' you thought to yourself as you walked out of the elevator.

Your plams started sweating when you neard his door.

You felt your heart drumming in your ears as you knocked on his door and stepped back waiting for him to open the door.

You still remember his schedule and you knew he had no missions to go on today, to your luck. you just hope that you were right.

after a few minutes the door slowly swings open revealing a shirtless jimin behind, his tattoos  always took you by surprise and that lip piercing of his you still remember how it felt against your skin. His face was blank until his eyes met yours and moved down and met your daughter's the smile quickly replaced the empty expression as he opened his arms Luna jumped to embrace him "ooh I missed you little baby" he muttered closing his eyes as he hugged her tight.

For a second you wondered how life would be if jimin was the father of your baby and how easier and happier it would be for you, but as he looked over at you, you knew this was wishful thinking and you hated yourself for not moving on from the aching feelings you still have for him.

"Hey you" he raise his eyebrows at you, you snap out of your dazed stare and smile at him as you walk in "Hey" you reply shutting the door behind you.

He plopped Luna on his couch then turned to face you smiling when Luna crawled her way to the toy box jimin keeps in the corner just for her.

"I'm sorry about visiting you suddenly I knew I should have called you..." you explain he waves his hand smiling warmly "Don't mention it it's okay...only because it's you" he murmurs you gulp the lump in your throat as your cheek turn into a deep shade of red at his words

You look away from him and he smirks thankful that he still has effect on you, he thought he lost you in taehyung's chaos.

"Anyway.." you continue not finding the confidence to look back at him "I'm leaving Luna with you for a few hours it's urgent.." as you speak you feel the nervousness take over you once again.

He raises his eyebrow concerned stepping forward to face you, his face inches away from yours as he stares in your eyes.

You curse under your breath because you knew damn well he's gonna be concerned.

"You know I don't mind babysitting Luna so be honest and tell me what's going on?" His tone sounds firm and serious you swallow looking over at Luna before you start speaking

"Vivian called" you see him nod for you to continue "she told me to meet her at the warehouse she said it's about Luna" you whisper, you were terrified at what's coming next and jimin sensed that he placed his hands around your arms and started to rub them up and down to soothe you as you took deep breaths "it'll be okay...I'll cover for you if taehyung asks so don't worry about that either m'kay?"

You look up at him, not knowing how to thank him so you just pull him closer hugging him, when the palms of your hands touched his bare back you felt electrified. you didn't know how much he missed your touch on his skin, it sent shivers through his whole body.

He wanted to take you right then and there screw taehyung and everything that has to do with him, but he knows how awful that'll be, his daughter was right there.

Out of panic he pulled away quickly afraid that if your touch lingers another second he won't be able to control himself and he'll end up knocking another child in you, you wanted to whine when he pulled away but you knew that this was far enough from being close to him again so you stepped away and watched him get up and disappear in the kitchen.

You glance around his living room and notice that he changed his furniture and got a new TV screen "nice place" you admired, you were slightly hurt that he got rid of the old furniture you bought together but to be fair they were old and very uncomfortable, you were happy for him he's finally being paid the way he deserves.

"Are they nice enough to leave taehyung and come back to me?" You hear his snarky reply and you roll your eyes as another crack grazes your heart.

Jimin thought and still think you left him because he was broke and didn't have much to offer, he wasn't as powerful as taehyung and for some reason he thought you had an eye for money, completely disregarding the love you have for him.

Jimin is irreplaceable you're sure if you were offered all the money in the world you wouldn't trade him for it, yes jimin was taehyung's best friend but he did hate him a little and hated him even more for sleeping with you and getting you pregnant but taehyung didn't know that you two were together however you did and you went and slept with taehyung knowing how much jimin despised him, so that only added to the bitterness he has towards him he could never hate you, he knows he should but he just can't bring himself to.

He loves you so much to toss what you two had and move on. Even though he knew that you'll never leave taehyung for him. and you have a daughter with him now.

"Jimin please don't" you sigh then you hear his bedroom door open and a girl with skin tight short dress runs towards the door and slam it shut after her.

You turn around and glare at jimin "looks like you don't need me anyway" you try to sound playful but you were so jealous; your words to jimin sounded like you were scolding him instead.

He shrug his shoulders" I don't even know her name" the fire in your heart didn't go out you felt angry that he's sleeping with other women but you swallow your pride and try to push the heartache away "... did Luna see?" He whispers the last words as he looks over at your daughter playing behind the couch.

You glance over at her, she is too busy playing with the toys and she had her back facing you and jimin and the front door so she didn't see jimin's one night stand fleeing.

You had a curious child so that would have been very unconvenient; for you to explain and for your heart to handle.

"Well I've gotta go now" you purse your lips in a line before you look at jimin and he nods "I've got her don't worry" he reassures you with a smile you look back at her and sigh "I won't be long I promise thank you so much again" you tell him behind your shoulder as you try to leave without her noticing you're gone as you shut the door behind you can't help but let out a deep breath.

Jimin presence was so intense and heartwarming, it was like you're back in time when he was yours but it was so weird, nothing changed between you two and that made you feel conflicted you weren't sure if you love it or hate it.

it hurt a lot that he wasn't yours but you knew it would a hell lot more if he was no longer in your life and at that you felt your heart ache more.

You made your way to the elevator wanting to meet vivian and be done with that already so you could come back here and spend time with jimin before taehyung gets home.

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When you left jimin turned to the little girl and couldn't help but giggle "whatcha doing there princess?" He asked as he lays on the couch looking down at her.

"Chimin look!" She points at the square she built with the Legos "ooo that's pretty" he smiles sitting next to her "it's a house!" She exclaims excited he ruffles her hair.

She looked exactly like you but had her father's boxy smile he wasn't gonna let that stop him from loving your baby, she was apart of you.

"Who lives here hmm?" He asks moving a strands of her hair behind her small ears "you, me and mommy" she replies giggling he furrow his eyebrows "what about your daddy?"

"No! he's a naughty boy...he makes mommy cry" she says with a pout, jimin's body was set on fire when he heard her words it broke his heart that she was witnessing your arguments with taehyung, what broke him even more that taehyung makes you cry.

He sighs smiling at Luna sympathetically "come here little one" he opens his arms to take her into another hug she stands up and waddles towards him hugging him her small arms wrapp around his tattooed neck "when mommy cries tell her that you love her very much okay baby?" He softly tells her, his eyes were starting to water.

He hated the thought of you being upset so knowing that you cried was far more pain like nothing he ever felt.

He feels her nod her head against his neck, he pats her back gently "good girl" he blinks the tears away.

he hated that he is using your daughter to tell you what he can't say but it's the only way he could help.

He stood up with Luna setting on his arm, "do you want to color in my tattoos?" He asks, she nods furiously, that was her favorite thing to do when she's over at his house and he was aware of it.

He laid all the markers out on the sofa and laid down stretching his arm out to where Luna sat on her knees "go ahead make uncle chimin pretty yeah?" He pokes her belly she giggles covering her mouth with her hands "kay chimchim" she tells him before taking a light blue marker and sits on his stomach placing his arm on her lap.

He watches her color away with a smile, she looked so focused poking her tounge out of the corner, he shakes his head "you're getting big little one" he pouts, he saw her last week but can't help but get sad at the thought of her growing up.

"Mhm I'm a big girl" she smiles at him proudly before she looks back at his arm "shush now" she mutters before conting, he stares at her with wide eyes "your mom isn't paying me at all for this..." he mumbles to her but mostly to himself as he wonders

it's true when they said the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, she is your daughter after all so of course she'd inherit your traits your habits and the way you talked.

"Aigoo" he laughs shaking his head in disbelief. He is a Hitman he killed and tortured many and a lot of people feared him did a 4 year old tell him to shut up just now?

════════════════════════

[weeklyfangirl]

Frat Boy Pt. 18

part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7 (1), part 7 (2), part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13 , part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17

NOT having to wait a year for another update?! WHO AM I?!?!! A new woman I tell you. Fortunately (or not) Frat Harry’s the same ‘ol Frat Harry. And this time you let him into your life a little more. But will he stay? Enjoy loves, lemme know what you think ;) 

“So turns out Mike’s bottle of tequila was $350 and John and I had already dank all of it. When Mike told us how much it was, we just had to be the full dicks. You start apologizing at block parties and you lose your edge. Stuff is borderline evaporative!” Father looked around at our unimpressed faces and his red face grew darker, exploding from wheezing laughter. “Oh, come on! It’s funny!!” His wheezing subsided with a toss of his eyebrows. He shrugged dramatically. “Good thing I appreciate my humor.” 

 Paul sat at the head of the table, the top two buttons undone on his blue business button-down. He made eye contact with me, both of our eyes widening. I’d given him a quick side-hug, one of those awkward lean-down-because-the-other-person-is-too-lazy-to-stand-up hug. It’d almost been a year, but it was the same customary greeting we’d developed. Their plates were already stacked in the sink, but my mom had readied plates of mash potatoes, string beans, and steak for Harry and I. 

 They were sprawled out, tummies full, all of them looking like they’d had long days at the office. Father especially. His face was reddened like the whites of his eyes, his hair standing on end. 

 I poked at my steak. 

 “You missed it, Y/N. He’s already five glasses in,” Paul continued. Teasing father was the one thing we could connect on - but he enjoyed it a little more than I. 

 Mom leant over the table, rolling her eyes. “At least. This is his ‘not drinking during the week,’” There was a smile, though.

 Dad held up his hands. “Hey! I haven’t had one sip of tequila. Wine is like water now.” He turned to Harry, as if his frat boy radar sensed a fellow drinker in his midst. “You have that problem…?” He fished for a name. 

 Harry’s shoulders straightened. “Harry.”

 “Harry?” he asked. 

 Before Harry could answer, Paul’s eyes narrowed. “You look familiar.” 

 It was like somebody sprinkled coked-out fairy dust over Mother. She sat up straighter, eyes twinkling, and sprawled her hands on the table as if to reveal the grand hurrah that Harry was the heir to all the land. Which, in modern day Newport, perhaps he was. I tried to come up with something to rescue Harry, but she beat me to it. 

 “His dad’s a doctor here. Coast Shores Medicine. Mr. Styles runs his own practice.” 

 “He can speak for himself,” I grumbled, stuffing my mouth with mash. 

 My mom stirred, voice low, “Honey, I was just letting them know.” 

 My dad’s eyes bulged out of his head before erupting into laughter. “You- you’re-” He pointed his finger, looking between Harry and me. He laughed more. 

 “Dad,” I warned. It’d clicked in his mind. At the end of summer, before I’d even known the Styles legacy let alone seen Harry’s face, we’d walked past the Styles medical office and my dad absolutely BLASTED their ostentatious display. My dad’s boisterous - Can you believe this idiot??! MORON! DIPSHIT! - blared in my mind like a flare gun. 

 Father caught my daggers. “Oh, relax,” he wheezed, settling down. He wouldn’t say anything, for now. “I transferred more money into your account today by the way.” He winked, pointing to me. “I love you.”

 “Love you too.” But I shrunk in my chair. I know Harry wasn’t one to talk about living off family money, but I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea either.

 Completely oblivious, Harry smiled politely, answering Father’s previous question. “We all have our vices.” 

 “Speaking of addicts-” Paul started.

 “Oh, God,” Dad huffed.

 Paul put his hands up with a humorless laugh. “I wasn’t targeting you, but now that you mention it-” 

 “Paul.” I frowned. 

 My warning tone flipped a switch in him. 

 “What?!” It was sharp, full of irritation, and no matter how long it'd been since I’d heard it - I stilled. His eyes challenged me to press him further, but I didn’t. “Can I speak?” 

 “All right,” mom said. “Let’s settle down.”

 “I’m calm,” Paul declared tersely. “I don’t know about your daughter.” 

 I scoffed, fighting the urge to bite back. 

 Harry tensed, and if I was an inch further I wouldn’t have heard his breath get a little deeper. 

 Without breaking his stare, Paul sat back in his chair, pushing up his sleeves. “Okay,” he started. “As I was saying. I don’t know if you guys saw on the news - probably not, but there was a scandal at the company last week.” 

 The company – AKA Rich Silvang Industries. Paul went straight from college and his internship to full-fledged Wall Street investment banking. He was only three years older than me, but he hadn’t lived at the house since he was eighteen. By 17 ½ all his things were in boxes. Meanwhile, I was almost twenty-one and still had half my things in my old room.  

 Mom practically gasped. “Really?” her voice swam with concern. 

 “I think I saw something about that,” Dad mentioned, putting on a serious tone. 

 “Maybe you did hear about it, then. It’s pretty big. The president was caught in his Vegas penthouse suite filled with drugs, and they arrested him for drug trafficking. They’re searching for someone to replace him right now.” 

 My mom’s hands dropped in her lap. “Wow.”

 “Could you be the replacement?” I asked.

 “Ha, yeah. I wish. I’m a few years off from that.” One thing you need to know about Paul - he has a plan for everything. If he wants something, he’ll buy every book to learn the ins and outs before making a move. His career was no different. 

 “What’d they find?” Harry asked, brows stitched in curiosity. 

 Paul puffed out a breath. “Everything. Heroine, cocaine, meth, ecstasy. It was just sitting there, in his suite. His girlfriend’s arrested, too.”

 “God, what a dipshit,” Dad breathed, irritated disbelief. “This guy has all the money in the world-”

 “Three thousand million dollars,” Paul corrected. 

 “Three tHOUSAND MILLION-!” Father squeaked. “God, if I had that money- GOD, why the hell would you piss it away like that.” 

 “Greed,” Mom said. “Is this the same president who donated all that money to helping foster children? The one invited you for a weekend in Aspen?” 

 “There’s only one president, mom.” 

 “Well I hope you didn’t USE anything.”

 Father ran his hands through his hair, still distraught at the impotence of those with money to enjoy their money. “I mean, I’d be fishing on an island somewhere.” 

 “On YOUR island that you BOUGHT,” Paul pitched in. 

 “With three thousand million,” I breathed. “If someone has everything in the world…” my voice trailed. Human nature was a mystery to me. A complete and utter mystery sometimes. Why get involved in drug trading when you had more than you could possibly need. You could fish off your personal island and then declare that island it’s own country if you wanted to. You could give hundreds of thousands of people access to clean water! Education! Tampons!! Essential things!!!

 Harry suddenly rested his hand on my thigh beneath the table, completely silent. My mom caught the action, a knowing smirk appearing on her lips. 

 “Money is wasted,” Father sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his belly. “Oh!! Speaking of, I have an important question for you.” 

 It took me a second to realize he was looking at me. “Yeah?” I asked, skeptical.

 “Can you grab me another bottle of red?” 

 ----

 The hot water ran over dishes clattering in the sink, and I winced, but I didn’t pull away. I could still feel the crusted blood beneath my nails.

 “Quick, somebody grab a camera.” 

 Father stood in the entranceway to the kitchen, hands up, mouth open in a ridiculous pressed circle like an orangutan. “Y/N’s doing the dishes!!” 

 “Haha. Very funny.” 

 Father sighed, running his hands over his face with a tired smile. “God that was a tiresome dinner, huh.” He tossed the empty wine bottle from hand to hand. 

 My eyes widened. “Yeahhhh.” 

 Harry, Paul, and Mother were still by the table, talking on some new financial law. I timed an escape perfectly. So had Father. 

 “Are you staying the night?”

 “Hm.” I hadn’t thought about that. “Maybe.” 

 “Is he spending the night?” 

 I smiled, not sure what he was going to say to a boy spending the night. The situation certainly hadn’t come up before. “I don’t think so.” 

 “I mean, I don’t care. You’re an adult, you can do what you want. Mom might not like the idea.” 

 In any other case, I’d agree. But this was the Styles boy. I think she’d make an exception. As if knowing where my mind was heading, his blue eyes suddenly twinkled with something mischievous. He finished his thought out loud. “Styles, huh... Isn’t that funny. Where’d you meet this kid?” 

 “English class. Small world, huh?” 

 “For how small it is we don’t see Paul too much, do we?” he asked. It was a more serious question than I was used to. One that didn’t need to be answered. 

 My hand suddenly came too close to the metal faucet, burning it, and I quickly turned it off, moving the dishes to the drying rack. An old Patsy Cline song crackled through the old radio in the kitchen. 

 “I don’t see too much of-” you either. But the words died on my lips when I saw Father’s notoriously clear eyes, wet with springing tears. I stood, shocked, not quite knowing what to say. I couldn’t be mad at him. Not for money, not for drinking. Maybe it was the wine getting him emotional. 

 He gave me one of those dad smiles, patting my shoulder. He hugged me, a proper hug, and I stood, stiff, before relaxing, letting myself be held. I hugged him back, feeling like I was six and he’d just told me he was going away for business. “Let’s go to the shake shack soon,” he said, softly, the slight jokey tone trying to reappear. “S’been a while.” 

 Guilt pricked me. Guilt for growing up, guilt for leaving, guilt for something I couldn’t name. “Course, papa.”

 Over his shoulder, I met Harry’s gaze from the kitchen table.

 Later at the door, we stood telling Paul goodbye. 

 Harry stood behind me in a protective stance while Paul adjusted his briefcase. “So what are your plans for the rest of the year? Are you going to add that extra class next semester, finish early?” he asked, the business-technical tone coming back in his voice. 

 “I’m going to finish my internship at the practice.” 

 “Good. Good. Then what?” Only half-joking.

 “I don’t know, I have another year to figure it out. Go to med school, probably.” 

 “Probably?!” He knocked on the door as he started to leave. “Time flies! Better figure it out, Y/N.”

 I smiled, the only thing I could do.

 “At least you’re going into something employable!” he called. The car beeped behind him, and he loaded his briefcase in the car.

 I smiled tighter.

 “She’ll be fine, Paul,” Mother waved behind me.

 He waved back. 

 “Wait!” Mom called. “You’re not going to give us a hug goodbye?” 

 He jogged back up the side-yard to the door, giving them hugs. Harry a handshake. Me, a side-hug. 

 “Will we see you soon?” I asked.

 “Why?” 

 “Thanksgiving.” 

 His brows rose. “Mom didn’t tell you?” 

 I shook my head.

 “This was our Thanksgiving. I leave for Japan next Wednesday.”

 “What?” I knew for a fact Thanksgiving was two weeks out. 

 “Honey..” she scolded. To Paul, “I told her we were going to do it early, she just doesn’t listen.” 

 “I’ll be back after Japan.” He exchanged a look with my father I couldn’t quite decipher. 

 Some vague memory of Mother telling me about an early Thanksgiving was there, buried beneath sororities, and gangs, and policemen questioning me. And beneath a thick layer of pig’s blood. 

 “Sorry, I forgot.”  

 But he was already in his car, closing the door behind him. 

 We stayed until the headlights disappeared, a sharp wind bellowing in and shaking the curtains. Harry didn’t stay to watch Paul leave. When my parents left for their room, I found him by the painted green wood table, picking at the edge.

 “This is from my fourth birthday.” I pointed to a dark circle on the edge of the table. “I ate my cake so fast, the candles knocked over and almost put the whole house in flames.” 

 “You didn’t blow them out?” 

 “There was cake. I didn’t see the candles.” 

 He smiled. “You’ve lived here a long time?” 

 “Since I was born.” 

 “Not bad.” 

 I led him wordlessly through my past, going through the 70s living room over plush stained carpet, down the hallway past family photos. It was a wordless tour. He stopped in front of a gold frame. It was all of us, on the beach in white. Paul and I had our arms around each other, laughing with gaps where our baby teeth had fallen out and the new ones had yet to come in. Our parents stood behind us, trying to wrestle us in their own arms, wind-whipped hair covering half my mother’s face. Taken seconds before we all fell over and Paul kneed me in the jewels, Father liked to say. 

 Harry caught himself staring, easily catching up with me in the short distance to my room. 

 “The grand reveal,” he murmured. 

 I was suddenly nervous. He followed close behind, entering a space of Frank Sinatra and Elvis posters. My old white wire bed frame stood in the middle of the small space, Winnie the Pooh sheets and mismatched purple pillows on top. The rest was taken up by a large pink bean bag that touched the foot of my bed and the mirrored closet with a European travel collage I’d taped together in its bottom-right corner when I was sixteen.  

 He looked up at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to my ceiling, oddly reminiscent of his sister’s old nursery room. “It’s cute,” he finally said. And somehow when he said it, it didn’t sound condescending. 

 He approached the near-empty bookshelf against the wall, now holding my mom’s arts and crafts and random junk bins. Ever since I moved out, more of her had moved in. She still left the walls untouched, though. Harry plucked at a photo booth strip I’d taped to the walls when I was thirteen. The summer after middle school. Matt and I were smiling, tongues out, sticking up our noses, pretending to strangle each other… 

 He tried to tape it back, but the tape had lost its stick.

 “It’s fine,” I said, taking the photo back. I propped it up against the bins. 

 “Do you have most of your books at the dorm? 

 “Yeah. The rest we sold a while back.” 

 “Spring cleaning?” 

 “Kind of??” I wrestled with whether to tell him the slightly more complicated truth. I’d hesitated too long though, and just came out with it. “Actually no, not really.” 

 He raised his brow, looking at my lips, waiting for me to digress. For some reason, I didn’t care if he knew. Maybe because I knew he had secrets, too. Even if he wouldn’t tell.

 “When we were younger… about four years ago now? It was a really rough time, financially.” 

 Harry didn’t say anything, didn’t move. I continued, “We had to get rid of a lot of things to afford the lease.”

 “You guys have been leasing this same house?” 

 I nodded. “It’s a lease-to-buy option. So maybe, one day…” I let my voice trail off. Maybe we’d own it. A potential dream, pretty impossible on paper. “It’s an old lady who owns this house, really sweet. She rents the house to us for a lot less than she could. I think it’s because she doesn’t want somebody else to buy it and tear it down, and she liked our family, too. She grew up here.”  

 He dusted the spine of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. “That’s one of the few I kept. Cliché, I know, but…” -I shrugged- “Who doesn’t love Mr. Darcy, right?”

 He turned, a softness in his eyes. 

 “We had to sell a lot in the house to make the payment on-time. She’s sweet and has the final say-so, but her family essentially runs her finances. They’re not so sweet.” 

 “You had to sell your books?” 

 “They were nice. Rare. My Grandpa picked them up for me in antique bookshops he’d visit when he’d travel. People sell a lot more than that to make it… like their bodies, their souuulllll.” 

 “Y/N,” he scoffed. 

 “What?” I sat at the foot of my bed, watching a once-again awkward Harry not quite what to do with his body. “It’s better now! A lot better than what it was. We still live here,” I shrug. 

 “Why don’t you live somewhere else?” 

 He didn’t say what he was thinking. Some place we could afford. 

 “My dad needs to live by the water. It’s his lifeline.” I paused. “That, and wine. If he works this hard and dies tomorrow, he wants to at least enjoy it.” 

 “Your brother…-” 

 “Wasn’t always an ass.” I smiled. 

 “I wasn’t going to say that.” 

 “I know.” I lay down, closing my eyes. I sensed him move towards my feet. “I don’t think he’s ever forgiven my dad,” I admitted. I didn’t say what for, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, the words I’d wondered about for years, I regretted it. That was too personal to share, even to Harry. With the tact of someone who learned not to speak about his past, he noticed. He didn’t bat an eye, didn’t press, just silently accepted. He moved his hands along the only other Austen cover I had. Sense and Sensibility.

 “You know…” he started, voice delicate as silk. “Austen’s dad went to a publisher on her behalf without even telling her.”

 “Really?” 

 He nodded. “He got declined, but- still. He did everything he could to help her succeed with her work, with her dreams.” 

 “Where are you going with this Shakespeare.” 

 “I can see that in your dad. He really loves you.” 

 I propped myself up on my elbows. “You know, for a boy who’s supposedly failing his classes, you’re pretty smart.”

 “Y/N,” he laughed lightly, settling in a strong gaze. “I was never failing.”

 The room stilled. “What do you mean?” 

 “You know what I mean.” He gently nudged my legs over, settling in beside me. I turned on my side, the Austen book cradled in the nicest hands I’d ever seen. “I didn’t know how else to get you alone,” he admitted, a quiet confession. 

 “Josiah de Saude didn’t know how to talk to a girl.” 

 “Oh, come off it,” he laughed, my favorite shiny laugh. And suddenly I was grinning, too. “I used to know what to say.” His eyes ran over my face, lingering on my mouth. “But then you came along, Y/N,” he admitted. His smile faded.

 With a strong gust of wind, the brush outside thwacked against my window. I jumped. It was always eerie, no matter how old I got. Inside, we had blankets, childhood memorabilia plastered to my walls, the steady thrum of a heater that’d just come out of summer hibernation. The outside wasn’t as calm as it was here. Here, in this mix of childhood and whatever it was that made my heart beat wild, we were safe. If only for a little while.

 I almost forgot Harry was next to me before the back of his hand brushed my leg. His fingers stroked my thigh, the skin beneath him tingling. A simple touch was all it took, and suddenly each cell of my body was on high alert, informing me, fairly quickly, that he didn’t let his hands wander. Did he want them to? 

 “They’re coming after me now,” I said, when it was clear he wasn’t trying anything. His eyes were closed, but his nostrils flared when I spoke. The hickey he’d given me was still there, carefully hidden by pounds of coverup. My fingers memorized its spot. It seemed to burn anew, reminding me of its place as its giver’s face shadowed.

 It needed to be said.

 Maybe my paranoia wasn’t just paranoia. Maybe it was my sixth sense. A warning. Maybe they really had been watching me. Maybe they’d memorized his mark, too. I remembered Harry shouting at me before disappearing on the field. If they fuck with you, they fuck with me. Was I just a walking target? 

 “They won’t get to you.” 

 “They could’ve.”

 “They aren’t dumb enough to do something like that,” he glowered.

 “Something like what?” 

 Words stalled at the curve of his lips. 

 “Something like what,” I repeated, slightly panicking. What had these people done before? Wouldn’t be dumb enough to rape me? Kill me? Hadn’t they come close enough?? His chest rose with a deep breath. “Tonight wasn’t a mistake,” I whispered.

 “You’re right, it wasn’t.” 

 “Well then what do they want? Because if it’s money they’re barking up the wrong tree.” I propped myself on an elbow, silently begging him to open his eyes. He did, hand running gently up my spine. “Do you even know?” I asked, suddenly horrified that he might be as in the dark as me.

 He swallowed, hooded eyes darkening. 

 “They want what I have,” he said. “And they’ll threaten me in any way they can until they get it. They’ll fish out any weakness. And then they’ll exploit it.” His voice softened at weakness. 

 Money, then. They wanted money. Unless… unless his weakness was me? I shook the thought away.

 “Why can’t you tell the police? Why can’t you just… tell them what’s going on?” I was becoming the girl I hated in movies. The girl that as soon as something horrific happened, she made an awful decision to try and solve it herself instead of CALLING THE DAMN COPS. Which is what I yelled at the screen, every time. CALL THE DAMN COPS. Which is what my brain was yelling at me, every day. CALL THE DAMN COPS. Neither of us listened. 

 “It’s more complicated than that,” he brushed off. 

 “Does this have to do with your ‘association’ with them?” 

 His voice turned sharp.  “That’s enough with the questions.” A horrific tremble rippled up my spine. The tone, so harsh and authoritative, just like my brother’s, made my skin crawl. He looked at me, sighing. “Please, just trust me on this. The less you know the better.” 

 “It’s a little hard to trust you when you’re the reason I’m a target.” 

 My words lingered for a horrible moment. A long, drawn-out silence. I could practically feel them dissolve into Harry’s skin before he sat up, leaping to his feet.

 I panicked. “I mean, it’s just hard to trust anyone when there’s so much that could happen. Things I don’t even know that could happen to me. Or even my family.” He scratched his collar, looking at our reflection in the mirror. My body scrambled upright, tearing itself from the blankets. “I don’t know what these guys are capable of. If you could just tell me, maybe-”

 “I should go.” 

 “No, Harry- wait!” 

 He stalled at the door. I met him there, tugging at his sweater sleeve. He’d looked so lovely in my room, in a different part of my life he’d only just entered. And now to see him leave my safe place so suddenly hurt me deeper than I thought it would. He turned, begrudgingly. The green ivy of his eyes had cooled, hardened, becoming impenetrable. 

 “Don’t leave. Please. You can’t keep coming and leaving, it’s more than confusing, it’s… it’s completely maddening!” 

 He leaned his head back against the door, practically groaning, but pinched the bridge of his nose instead. He took several levelled breaths. Finally, “You think I want this?” 

 I stilled. “Want what?”

 The horrifying possibility that “this” referenced us, petrified me. But the insecurity that he didn’t want me vanished when he looked traitorously at my waist, strong hands following suit. They gripped my sides, tugging me lightly forward. Suddenly I was drunk off the thought of them pushing me further, enough to make me dizzy... but they didn’t push. Strong hands kept me a safe distance apart, at any second looking like they could pull me into him or push me away. 

 “I want so many things, Y/N,” he breathed. “But all of them seem to do with you. And I don’t-” He seemed frustrated with himself as his brows stitched, trying to find the words. “I don’t know how to handle this. Everything’s so entangled.” 

 A knock at my door made us both jump. It creaked open, Mother poking her head in with a wide smile.

 “I heard it was a good game tonight,” she half-whispered. 

 Harry cocked a smile, and his hands fell from waist. “Yeah, it was.” Guarded eyes look to me. “Y/N went with my sister.” 

 So he had seen. I couldn't tell if there was irritation lacing his voice, but there certainly wasn’t joy. Entangled…. 

 “Oh, that’s fun. We’ll have to go watch you sometime huh honey?”

 I nodded slowly, eyes wide, silently asking what in the HECK are you doing in here?? 

 She drummed her fingers along the door. “Are you staying the night? You’re more than welcome to sleep on the couch. I know it doesn’t look that big, but it’s actually quite comfortable with all the blankets...”

 “You’re so sweet, really,” he started. And Mother believed it. I believed it. His entire look softened. “But I can’t, unfortunately. I have an early practice tomorrow. And I have to get gas on my way home.”

 My heart sank. The car. He needed to move my car.

 “Oh, really?” Mother opened the door wider. “It’s getting late, though. It started raining…” 

 “I’m used to a little rain,” he said, slipping past my mother. I remained behind her, arms crossed. “Thank you for having me. It was a lovely dinner.” He looked to me, betrayed and abandoned, something sad and regretful brimming in his eyes. He lifted a finger to his brow in salute, then turned on his heel, heading down the hall. 

 “Bye Harry!” She called. Then, to me, “Don’t you want to walk him out?” 

 I shook my head, fighting back a slew of angry words as I sulked to my window. I opened it, wide, letting the first sprinkles of rain hit my face. 

 “Oh honey, shut that, you’ll get the sill all wet.” 

 “I just want to feel it for a little while,” I said. 

 “You’ll catch cold!”

 “Mom, please.”

 She flinched. “Okay. Just a little, though. Want me to close your door?” 

 I nodded, a gust of wind blowing and almost slamming it shut itself. 

 “A storm’s coming, Y/N,” she shivered. “Don’t stand there too long.”  

 I wasn’t sure when she left my doorway, but I knew when he left the driveway. An engine roared to life and the rain surged with a frenzy. I listened as the grumbling faded away, down the street and off to somewhere unknown - but not out of my life. That part wasn’t in my control, but there were things that were. I couldn’t stand around and wait for him anymore. Mother was right.

 I closed the window, walking to the foot of my bed. Alone, a soppy looking girl stared back at me from the mirror. She sat on a familiar bed, wet hair plastering her face, droplets hanging from her nose, from her lashes. She looked only partly relaxed, the rest of her poised, tensed, like she could either jump or sleep in any given second. She looked exhausted.  

 But there was something alive, still. Just beyond her eyes, a little ember catching spark.

 I wasn’t going to stand around. The window had already opened. The rain had hit the fan and it’d soaked me through. Nothing was going to change unless I did. Unless I moved.

 Waiting for a boy to verify my safety?

 Yeah, no thanks. If Madame Bovary taught me anything,

 I’d get that myself.

part 19

[kevinskorner]

2020 VMA’s Recap!

Every year, I always look forward to a few things and one of those things is definitely the MTV Video Music Awards. The VMA’s have been iconic every year since it’s inauguration in 1984 with Madonna’s Like A Virgin performance. As the insanely obsessed pop culture person that I am, the VMA’s are like a national holiday and I prepare myself heavily before they happen. For this year, obviously things are different because of a little thing called the Covid-19 Pandemic but anyhow, I was still excited. When the nominees got announced I was a very mixed bag of emotions. I was very excited because Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande got the most nominations of the year (9) but, I was disappointed because Harry Styles and Dua Lipa only got technical nominations and didn’t get any in the main category. One of my friends shared the same disappointment with me and they said how every nominee in Video of the Year was from North America and I didn’t even think of that. I wish they didn’t nominate some things... but that’s alright. As the weeks went on, I voted for my faves and MTV announced Keke Palmer was hosting whichreally got me excited again because she is a queen. Also, when they announced the performers, my favorites being Miley, Gaga, Ariana, and Doja, I became thrilled.

Now, here I am with my Rain on Me shirt on, a few hours after the ceremony ended and I got to say, I am IMPRESSED!!! That was an AMAZING ceremony. For an award show during a pandemic, I got to say MTV pulled, it, off. Let’s get into it!:

OH. MY. GAGA. 

Lady Gaga was the star of the night and I am NOT disappointed one bit. Going into the night as the most nominated artist (tied with Ariana) I had high hopes. When I heard she was performing, I screamed because I couldn’t believe we were FINALLY getting a performance in the Chromatica era. Knowing that she had so much planned for the era, it’s been sad to see none of it come to fruition. Now let’s live in the present. THIS PERFORMANCE?!? FREAKING INCREDIBLE. I don’t even know where to start. The beginning of the performance with the old television, her laying down on the couch (mask on!), and seeing the TV have the 1999 VMA’s (with BRITNEY mentioned!) was when I knew it was going to be one of the best performances of her career. THEN, she WENT DOWN THE POLL and Chromatica II started playing and I almost threw up. I was so excited that she chose to do that interlude and sing some of 911 (maybe the third single?)! I was shook. Next, she had a quick change and started singing Rain on Me, and I immediately was hyperventilating. When Ariana came out, I really thought I was gonna pass out. In that moment, I was just seeing a dream come true in front of my eyes. I saw two of my ultimate QUEENS come together and give me all the life I need. I mean, the outfits, the masks, the chemistry, ARIANA’S HIGH NOTE?! GAGA’S VOCALS?! I can’t even. After that, when she started walking to the Brain piano, I thought she was about to do 1000 Doves (Piano Version) but I was mistaken! It was the first single, STUPID LOVE! Honestly, I was so happy she performed Stupid Love and got it’s moment because that wasn’t even performed live yet before tonight. Her speech in between the Stupid Love performance was beautiful and I loved when she brought the beat in and danced her ass off. Ugh, I just love her so much. 

Onto the actual awards, I cannot believe that she won FIVE! I expected Best Collaboration and was hoping for Artist of the Year but I was NOT expecting Song of the Year! The one that I didn’t even know was happening thought was the FIRST EVER, TRICON AWARD?! The fact that MTV gave Gaga her OWN award for being an icon, a legend and a triple threat was filling my Little Monster heart with such PRIDE and JOY! Seeing her go up on that stage in a new look with a new mask each time, gave me a little boost of serotonin each time. She is just a goddess. There is no one like her and there NEVER will be. 

GOOD GOLLY, MISS MILEY

It feels amazing to be a Miley stan tonight. Miley has been one of my absolute role models since I was a child. I have followed her and supported her my whole life even when people didn’t and I got to say, tonight felt really good. Her performance was PHENOMENAL. Starting off with her GORGEOUS silhouette in that STUNNING black dress and  cross necklace with the red chrome light shook me because I was not expecting that. And, that break before the first chorus?!? LOVED. After, it went to a blue chrome and she started walking while it went full color. When I saw her walk towards some stairs, I had to catch my breath. Suddenly, I see a disco ball. Then she took the bottom half of the dress off and hopped on the disco ball and I SCREAMED. LOUDLY. The fact that she has such an ICONIC moment like Wrecking Ball where she can do something eerily similar and EVERYBODY knows it, is fucking SENSATIONAL! HER VOCALS WERE ON POINT, FACE BEAT, BODY SNATCHED. She just gave the most perfect glam rock pop star performance that I’ve ever seen. Miley having this mainstream moment again just made me so happy. ALSO?! SHE WON TWO AWARDS TONIGHT. I cannot believe Miley won two VMA’s tonight. She doesn’t win a lot of awards (which is extremely disappointing) and to see her win TWO for MOTHER’S DAUGHTER a single from last year that peaked at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100 felt incredible. I just love when she gets the recognition she deserves.   

Other Thoughts:

The Weeknd’s opening performance was so great!! Recently, I have gotten sick of Blinding Lights but this performance totally revitalized for me how great of a song that is. I don’t know how he was up so high but he did an awesome job and the fireworks were great! Also, I’m happy he finally won his first two VMA’s for Best R&B (even though it’s a pop song) and Video of the Year. 

Keke’s hosting was entertaining as hell. She was the perfect host for a time like this for many reasons. She’s funny, relatable, beautiful, entertaining and so many more positive things. I found her really funny and I just love her presence as a whole. Even her little performance was cute too! 

Doja Cat actually blew me away. I was not expecting her to serve that hard. The performance was so futuristic and felt like I was in a new universe. I loved her outfit and LOVED the Say So mix! Also, so happy she included Like That because it’s such a jam. I love Doja and ever since I discovered Juicy last year I've been stanning and this definitely solidified the stan for me. I am so happy that she won (RIGHTFULLY SO!) for Best New Artist. She has had a great rise and her performance definitely gives me high hopes for her future. 

My rankings of the performances are:

Pre Show:

1. Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour (THESE QUEENS ARE THE FUTURE!)

2. Machine Gun Kelly w/ blackbear & Travis Barker - My Ex’s Best Friend/Bloody Valentine (I have become really obsessed with his new music recently and love him)

3. Tate McRae - You Broke Me First (surprised by this cause I didn’t know anything about her before but she did a good job!)

4. Jack Harlow - What’s Poppin (cute ig)

5. Lewis Capaldi - Before You Go (🙂)

Main Show: 1. Lady Gaga w/ Ariana Grande - Chromatica II, 911, Rain on Me, Stupid Love (FUCKING AMAZING. SENSATIONAL, &, UNREAL)

2. Miley Cyrus - Midnight Sky (MY QUEEN SO ICONIC I LOVE HER SO MUCH)

3. Doja Cat - Say So/Like That (SO FUTURISTIC AND SOLIDIFIED HER WIN AND SHOWED THAT SHE CAN SERVE)

4. The Weeknd - Blinding Lights (really made me love the song so much more)

5. BTS - Dynamite (I like these boys but the fanbase is so much it stresses me out).

6. JP Saxe & Julia Michaels - If The World Was Ending (so cute, love Julia)

7. Dababy - Peep Hole, Blind, & Rockstar 

8. Maluma - Hawái (loved the drive in aspect)

9. Keke Palmer - Snack (wish she had more time)

10. Black Eyed Peas w/ Nicky Jam & Tyga - Vida Loca/I Gotta Feeling (no one can take Fergie’s place)

11. CNCO - Beso

To end this, I’m just gonna leave this picture here. :)

[anne-white-star]

Young Jon pertwee x waitress!reader 

Notes: reader is a waitress jon saves her from a scary situation and more will happen read to find out😊

Please ignore any spelling mistakes thank you 😊

There are hystorical mistakes im sorry about that i tried my best

Warnings : cursing nothing bad or explisit

Words : 2067

It was 1947 2 years After the war of 1945 people wer trying to pick back up their lives. A lot of buildings were destroyed many people died, lots of people fled and fought the war it was a big chaos the last 5 years, but things were calm now.

Jon pertwee came back home from the war after serving as a marine in the navy on the HMS Hood also in the ww2 many of his men died one of the only survivers of his group was him and Ian Fleming. (I hope i got it corect if not my excuses)

"Hey jon! How are you doing mate?" Jon turnd around at the mention of his name.

"Oh hey ian, it has been a few years" jon grabed his hand and shook it "im doing fine how about you?".

"im doing alright, im just trying to pick my life back up you?" They started to walk next to echother.     

"Yes me to the past years have been really tough" as they both crossed the street jon his eyes fell on a bar/restaurant/pub "shall we go get a beer? Than we talk further".

"Sounds good im always if for a cold beer" ian laught

Walking in they were greated by lots of men sitting and drinking their fill, waitresses were serving food the bar tender was filling their beer mug. And there were a few cooks in the back prepairing some food. They sat down at a table and a women walked up to them.

"Hello welkom to the fox and hounds my name is y/n and i will be your waitress this afternoon would you like to eat or drink something?" She grabed a pen and note book out of her apron ready to Wright down their order. (The Fox & Hounds is locaded at 29 Passmore St, Belgravia, London SW1W 8HR, not far from jon his old home at 66 Chester Row it was build around 1960 but lets pretend its older)

"Umm yes" jon looked at the menu

"I'll take a pint" ian said

"I take one as wel"

Y/n looked up from her note book "anything ells?"

"No this is fine" jon smiled at the women

"Alright two pints coming up" she walked back to the bar to get them

"Are you starting to like her don't you?" Ian asked

"What?"

"I saw the way you looked at her"

"Oh be quiet you" jon punched his shoulder while grining  

"So here you go two pints that be 2s 4d"( its origanaly 1s 2d im not british i Googled it but i really don't know how this works it was after the war) she smiled and put them down on the table before them

"Here you go i pay for both of us" ian said to her and smiled

Y/n took the money from the table and put it in her apron

Jon started to drink his beer and they talked with echoter for about 30 minuts when

"Hey let me go aaahhh!!!"

They both turned around to look where the scream came from, when they turned around they saw y/n being hold back with a gun pointed to her head

"Give me all the money out the register or the pretty girl will pay with her life"   

"Please let me go" she asked while crying softly

Jon put his beer mug back down on the table and stood up "let the girl go"

"Hmpf" "what are you going to....." the man was caught of guard by jon punching him in the face "agh!! you fucking cunt!" the gun fell out of his hand and His hands flew to his nose. Jon grabed the gun from the ground and went to stand in between y/n and the man.

"Now put your hands up turn around and face the wall" jon pointed the gun in the back of the man "someone call the police"

Ian walked up to y/n and sat next to her on the ground "are you alright?"

"Yeah yeah im fine..... i just need a moment" *sigh*

About 30 minuts later Two police officers stept in "Good afternoon we got a call for a attempt of robbery and a hostage"

"Yes sirs here he is" jon said while still pointing his gun at the man.

"Alright we take it from here thank you so mutch for keeping him under controle" one of the police man took handcuffs and arested the man.

"Also here is his gun" jon gave it to the other officer

"Thank you sir, we will take care of all this".

After the police officers took the man away jon turned to y/n sitting on the ground with a blanked over her shoulders. "how are you feeling?"

"Im feeling better now thank you" *sigh* "i just feel a bit scared now to get home"

"Where do you life?"

"About 30 minuts away but i have to be at work tomorow"

"If you want you can stay at my home i don't live far from the restaurant"

"That would be Nice sir"

"Oh please don't be so formal just call me jon"

"Thank you jon" y/n smiled at him.

Ian had been gone for a few hours after the insedent, after y/n her shift they walked to jon's house

"So this is my place" jon unlocked the door and let her in. "Make yourself at home"

"Its quite lovely" she looked around, y/n put her bag down and hung her coat on the coat rack.

"You must be hugry" jon said while walking to the kitchen "what would you like?"

"Hmm is (favorite food) alright?"

Jon laught "sure but i don't know how to make that, perhaps you could help me?"

"Of course i will help you jon its the least i can do" she went to stand next to him.

After they were done preparing the food they both sat down and started to eat

"Hmm this tastes great"

"Im glad you like it jon"

When they were done with eating their food y/n went to prepare herself for bed "where can i sleep jon?"

"you can take the bed y/n i'll take the coutch"

"Are you sure?"

"Its fine don't worry, good night dear"

"Good night".

The next morning both jon and y/n had breakfast with echoter and talked about all kinds of stuff

"i can't thank you enough for helping me out yesterday"

"Oh its nothig i dealed with worse"

"You fought in the war din't you?"

"Unfortanetly yes" jon looked down sadly "so many died, i lost a lot of comerats in battle"

Y/n grabed his hand softly in hers "Im so sorry, that you had to go trough that jon"

Jon smiled at her "Its alright I only hope this never happens again"

Y/n looked at the clock "oh goodness i have to get ready my shift starts in an hour" she stood up and went to get ready for work.

The few days that y/n had to work she would sleep the nights at jon's house so that she could be at work on time when she had off from work y/n would go back to her own home. Jon had to admid the days when she wasn't there during the late afternoon and diner it was quite lonley, but the days she was at his house they enjoyed cooking, reading and playing games to pass the time.

6 months had passed sinds the incedent at the fox and hounds and y/n and jon got very close with echoter they became great Friends even to the point that they both fell in love with one another but both din't know it that they were.

"Hey jon in a few days there will be music at the fox and hounds and i was wondering if you would like to go with me?"

"Sure it sounds like fun"

The evening came around and people were dressed up formal y/n was wearing a long black dress with long white gloves and golden wristbands plus a pearl necklace around her nek her hair was in pretty waves down her back. They were enjoying them selfs when the bar tender came up to y/n

"Y/n can i talk to you for a moment"

"Alright sure, i be back in a few minuts jon" they both walked to the back of the restaurant "whats wrong?"

"Wel i got the news that the last person who was suposed to sing could't come because their car broke down"

"Oh no what are we going to do"

"Cant you go up there?"

"What me? Really?"

"Yes you, i have heared you sing something while being in the back your voice is very pretty y/n"

"Hmm... Alright i'll do it"

"Thank you y/n you are a life saver"

About 30 minuts later it was time for her to come one the stage

"Ladys and gentelmen may i have your atention for the last act y/n y/l/n"

(Play the song from here if you want)

🎶He was a famous trumpet man from old Chicago way

He had a boogie style that no one else could play

He was the top man at his craft

But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft

He's in the army now, a-blowin' Reveille

He's the boogie woogie bugle boy of Company B

A-toot, a-toot, a-toot-diddelyada🎶

Y/n looked over the crowd trying to find jon

🎶Ai, ai, ai, ai, ai

Have you ever danced in the tropics?

Well that girl's a fool

With the Gaucho?????

Of the South American way, hey!

Ai, ai, ai, ai. ai

Could you have ever kissed in the moon light

If you never kissed

Who knows what you've missed

In the South American Way🎶

Again looking around she still could't spot him

🎶Bei mir bist du schoen

Please let me explain

Bie mir bist du schoen means you're grand

Bei mir bist du schoen

Again I'll explain

It means you're the fairest in the land

I could say "bella, bella"

Even say "wunderbar"

Each language only helps me tell you

How grand you are

I'll try to explain

Bei mir bist du schoen

So kiss me and say you'll understand🎶

"Okay guys, grab your gal and hit the floor

'Cos here's that beat you've been waiting to swing to" said the bar tender to the crowd of people

🎶Who's the lovin' daddy with the beautiful eyes

What a pair o' lips, I'd like to try 'em for size

I'll just tell him, "Baby, won't you swing it with me"

Hope he tells me, "Baby, what a wing it will be"

So, I said politely "Darlin' may I intrude"

He said "Don't keep me waitin' when I'm in the mood"

In the mood

In the mood

In the mood

It didn't take me long to say "I'm in the mood now🎶

She finaly spoted him in the crowd he was looking at her with a dreamy look.

🎶If you ever go down Trinidad

They make you feel so very glad

Calypso sing and make up rhyme

Guarantee you one real good fine time

Drinkin' rum and Coca-Cola

Go down Point Koomahnah

Both mother and daughter

Workin' for the Yankee dollar🎶

🎶Oh, Tico Tico, tick

Oh, Tico Tico, tock

This Tico Tico, he's the cuckoo in my clock

And when he says "Cuckoo"

He means it's time to woo

It's Tico time for all the lovers in the block

I've got a heavy date

A tete-a-tete at eight

So speak, oh Tico, tell me is it getting late?

If I'm on time, cuckoo

But, if I'm late, woo woo

The one my heart is gone to may not want to wait🎶

🎶In Spain they say "Si, si"

In France you hear "Oui, oui"

Ev'ry little Dutch girl says "Ya, ya"

Ev'ry little Russian says "Da, da"

La-la-la-la-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-de-de-da-da

De-da-da-da-da-da-da-da🎶

When the song was over people clapped and cheered for her performance. Jon walked up the stairs of the podium.

"That was amazing y/n i din't know you could sing so wel"

"Thank you jon it means a lot" y/n smiled

"I want to ask you a question y/n"

"Yes jon go ahead"

"Would you like to be My girlfriend?"

"I would love to"

Jon kissed y/n a top of her head knowing that this women wil be a great joy in his live.

The end

I hope you all enjoyed reading 😊

[voyager-into-the-unknown]

An Evening at an Earth Mall

By truegryffindorforever2

(Part 2 of a series, beginning with “An Afternoon in the Garden”)

Summary: Sam is overprotective, Colleen is supportive, Hunk texts Lance when he’s shopping at the mall, and Lance nearly dies of second hand embarrassment when he realizes that Katie Holt, is in fact, not a girl, but a young woman.

After heading to the men’s locker room to change out of his Garrison uniform and into comfortable civilian clothing, Lance headed towards the base’s garage to meet up with Pidge and Colleen. As he approached Mrs. Holt’s car, he heard Sam’s voice from a distance.

“Boyfriend?! Since when?” Sam exclaimed angrily.

“Since today. But we have been really close for a long time, Dad. We were best friends for the last few years—“

“He’s too old for you!”

“He’s a year and eight months older than me. And besides, I’m eighteen years old, and that’s old enough to have a boyfriend.”

“Katie, I’ve watched The Voltron Show. Colleen, did you know that this boy’s nickname is Loverboy Lance?! How did he get a nickname like that, Katie?”

“Dad, that show was totally fake, and Coran gave him that ridiculous nickname. We all thought it was hilarious because Lance hasn’t ever really had a serious girlfriend before—“

“Your friends say that he’s the biggest flirt in the Galaxy. How do you know he won’t break your heart?”

“Dad, please. Lance is a great guy. He’s sweet and funny and honest and brave. And I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you right now if it weren’t for him. He’s saved my life quite a few times.”

Sam exhaled, then was silent, pondering all of this. Lance stood in shadow, behind a large armored vehicle that kept him hidden from view. His heart was hammering in his chest. He wanted the Holts to like him. What could he do to earn Sam’s trust?

“Colleen, what do you think of all this?”

“Well, he seems like a nice young man, and I trust our daughter’s judgement.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Also, he’s probably heading this way right now, so you had better be on your best behavior, Sam.”

“All right, but whether you are eighteen or eighty, Katie Holt, so long as you live under my roof, you will have a curfew when you go out at night with that young man. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

Lance knew he had to face Sam eventually, but at the moment he just wanted to stay hidden. He took a deep breath, and stepped forward into the light.

“There he is.” Pidge waved, smiling at him as she moved toward him.

Lance enveloped Pidge in his arms, and she squeezed him tightly, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek. He grinned at her.

“Hello everyone!” He turned to Sam and snapped to attention to give a salute. “Commander Holt, sir.”

Sam saluted him in return. “Paladin.” Lance extended his right hand and Sam shook it cordially. “So, I hear you are escorting my daughter to the Garrison Ball.”

“Yes, sir.” Pidge took Lance’s left hand, giving it a little squeeze. He smiled at her, then turned back to Sam. “It’s a great honor sir. I think I must be the luckiest guy in the universe.” Pidge beamed at him, and they both blushed as pink as the sunset over the grand mesa just beyond the western gate.

Sam felt a wave of nostalgia, remembering how young he and Colleen were when they first started dating. For a moment, Lance reminded him of himself at that age. The genuine affection between the two of young people was apparent. He honestly couldn’t remember seeing his daughter so happy since she returned home from space, and for a moment he felt a pang of regret. He had missed so much of her growing up while he was a prisoner of the Galra. She matured into a brilliant, courageous young woman, one who had fought warlords and sentries, bounty hunters and space pirates, and who had helped save the universe from destruction alongside this awkwardly earnest, gangly young man who obviously wore his heart on his sleeve.

“You kids have a nice time at the mall. Matt and I are eating supper in the mess hall tonight, and then we’re finishing up a few things in the lab before the weekend.”

“Well, I’ve had a notion. I’m making my famous baked ziti with garlic knots for lunch on Saturday. Sam, wouldn’t it be nice if we invited Lance over tomorrow?”

“Indeed. How does 11:00 sound?”

“Sounds great, sir.”

Colleen smiled. “You know, Lance, Sam and I were quite the ballroom dancers back in our day. We could give you and Katie a few pointers if you’d like.”

“It’s true. Mom and dad gave me dancing lessons since I was little, whether I liked it or not.”

“She’s a natural,” Sam added.

“My parents taught me most of the traditional Latin American dances when I was just a kid, but I am really out of practice. This is going to be fun!” Lance said with enthusiasm.

“Well, we’re all set, then. We had better head out towards the mall,” Colleen said cheerfully. “We’ll be home around ten, dear.” She kissed her husband goodbye and got into the driver’s seat. Katie, to her mother’s surprise, didn’t want to sit in the front passenger’s seat as she usually did. She sat on the back seat with Lance, who couldn’t seem to wipe the dreamy smile off of his face if he tried. As they sped away across the desert Colleen was almost certain that he was holding her daughter’s hand.

The mall wasn’t too crowded, considering that it was a Friday night. Lance was impressed with how quickly the place had been remodeled in the aftermath of the invasion. So much had changed since they had been chosen as Paladins of Voltron, and it took some getting used to. They encountered nearly as many off-world species as humans among the vendors and shoppers, but somehow it was weirdly familiar.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were back at the Space Mall,” said Pidge, voicing his thoughts aloud.

“Yeah. Hey, look, Pidge! It’s the guy from the Earth Store!” Lance pointed to the skinny grey-green alien wearing an Area 51 baseball cap. “I don’t think he’s giving away any free Kalteneckers today, though.”

“Kalteneckers?” asked Colleen.

“She’s our cow. It’s a long story, Mom.”

“Sam said something about you two having a cow in space, but I thought he was kidding, or delusional.”

“She was free with purchase. Pidge really wanted that Mercury Gameflux II with a vintage copy of Killbot Phantasm, but we were completely broke,” Lance explained.

“So we took off our shoes, rolled up our trouser legs and went wading in the mall’s wishing fountain to look for coins,” said Pidge.

“Katie Holt! You know I raised you better than that. My daughter, the criminal,” Colleen chided, in mock disapproval.

“Yeah, she’s a bad influence on me.” Lance grinned. “We nearly got arrested by the Mall Cop. But we escaped with Kaltenecker on a hover board.”

“The things a man will do for love,” Pidge teased. “Lance hit his head when we escaped and nearly gave himself a concussion.”

“Yeah, but you wanted to kiss it and make it all better, right?”

“No, I did not,” she said indignantly, “but I had to bandage you up after that fall because Hunk was riding shotgun with Coran, and Keith was ready to eject you into space.”

Colleen sighed. How had these kids managed to become saviors of the universe? Perhaps the Creator of the Cosmos had a sense of humor.

After a bit of window shopping, they found both the tuxedo shop and the dress shop they were searching for.

“Lance, when you are done trying on tuxedos, you can ask the saleswoman at the dress shop to show you to the lounging area in the back of the store. There are some comfortable armchairs for patient husbands, or in this case, boyfriends, who may have to wait a long time for their significant other to finish trying on dresses.”

Finding a tuxedo that fit him was relatively easy. Lance was tall and slim, and nearly any style looked great on him. He tried on the most classy one he could afford, and then made finger guns at himself as he admired his own reflection in the shop’s main mirror. “Razzle Dazzle, Baby!” He did a little dance, humming to himself as he strutted back and forth, and then he stopped himself, realizing that the other refined gentle beings in the shop were staring at him. “I had better stop that,” he thought. “Sam Holt definitely doesn’t want his daughter dating a goofball.”

After he was finished at the tuxedo shop, Lance headed back to the dress shop and found one of the comfortable armchairs that Colleen was talking about. There were magazines to browse through, but they were all about fashions for ladies, so he decided to check his phone when he sat down. He had a few missed calls. There was a text from Hunk that caught his attention as soon as he checked his messages.

Hunk: Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you all evening.

Lance: At the mall. I just picked out my tux for the Garrison Ball. 😎

Hunk: Wait a minute, the ball? Did you do it?!

Lance: Do what?

Hunk: Ask her out.

Lance: Ask who out?

Hunk: You’re denser than a neutron star. YOU KNOW WHO I’M TALKING ABOUT. Your best friend.

Lance: Sorry, Hunk, I can’t take you to the ball. My girlfriend would be jealous.

Hunk: Not me! Your other best friend! And since when do you have a girlfriend?!

Lance: Um, since this afternoon. Since we made out in her mom’s hydroponics lab. 😙💋😉

Hunk: No way!

Lance: Yes, way. 😎 *Razzle Dazzle!*

Hunk: I hope you were a gentleman. She’s a sweet, innocent girl, so you better keep that in mind, Loverboy. And she happens to be my best friend, too. So if you ever hurt her...

Lance: I’ll never hurt her. I love her.

Hunk: 😮😃😍

Lance: She loves me too. 🥰

Hunk: I’m crying rn. I’m so happy for you both.

Lance: I call dibs on the best man.

Hunk: What?

Lance: When we get married, I call dibs on you for the best man. Pidge will fight me for you, so I’m calling dibs.

Hunk: 😂 You haven’t even gone on your first date yet, you nut.

Lance: No, but we have already planned our second date, which is really happening before the first date, so maybe the second date really is the first date.

Hunk: You’re not making any sense.

Lance: Italian food and ballroom dancing tomorrow at the Holts.

Hunk: Smooth. They don’t call you Loverboy for nothing.

Lance: ✨😎✨

Hunk: Talk to you later, man.

Lance: Later, dude.

Lance checked a few other messages and put his phone away. Just when he was bored enough to pick up a magazine, he heard Pidge and her mother having a conversation in the dressing room closest to him.

“Let’s see the next one, darling.” There was the sound of a dressing room door opening. “Oh that color is beautiful on you. Turn around...let’s see it...Oh, I love it!”

“It’s my favorite so far, too,” said Pidge.

“But you can’t wear it with your bra straps showing like that. Try it on with the strapless bra.”

“I did. It doesn’t fit right.”

“Why not? Is it the right size?”

“I don’t have enough up top to hold it up. It keeps falling off me. I might as well not wear a bra at all.”

Lance’s eyes were as round as saucers and his face felt as if it were on fire. His imagination was now filled with naughty thoughts about his girlfriend wearing a bra, then wearing a strapless bra, and then wearing...

“Did you try the bustier with it?”

“You mean this white lacy thing that looks like a corset?”

“Yes, with the matching lace panties. Aren’t they adorable?”

Lance’s jaw dropped, then he covered his face with the magazine, hoping no one saw how he looked right now. Is this how spontaneous human combustion occurs? He might just burst into flames any moment now. Holy crow!

“Mom, this looks like bridal lingerie. And it’s expensive.”

“It is, dear. But it’s so worth it.”

“But why spend so much on underwear that no one will get to see except me?”

“Well, if everything goes well, maybe Lance will get to see you wearing it...someday.”

“Mother!”

“I meant on your wedding night, dear.”

“MOM! Can you be any more embarrassing?!”

Lance had sunk as deeply into the armchair as humanly possible. Maybe if he sat still long enough he could turn invisible. He hoped the armchair wasn’t flammable.

Several humiliating minutes (hours?) later, he heard Pidge and her mother come to an agreement about the dress (and the lacy unmentionables), and he decided that it would be best if he wasn’t there when they came out of the dressing room area. If Pidge saw his face she would know instantly what he had overheard, and then he actually might die of embarrassment, or worse, he might say something stupid like “Aw, that’s a cute little bustier,” and then she might turn her bayard on him and murder him on the spot.

Yes, now was definitely a good time to go use the men’s room. He would meet them in front of the store later.

The shoe store was next, and Pidge was apprehensive about wearing the sort of high heeled slippers that would have to be worn with her dress. She teetered back and forth awkwardly when she she tried to walk on such tiny heels, and once, she stumbled right into Lance’s arms. He caught her, and smiled his most charming smile at her. “I always knew you would fall for me,” he said in his huskiest voice. “I’m irresistible.”

“More like incorrigible. Mom, are you sure I can’t wear flats with this dress?”

Finally, after finding a pair of shoes with a wider (and lower) heel, they put all of their purchases in the trunk of the car, then went back into the mall for a late supper at the food court.

“Hey, look, they have a Vrepit Sal’s!” Lance exclaimed happily.

“Mom, you have to try this place. Their whole menu is based on Hunk’s original recipes. The food is amazing!”

*******

It was a clear night, the desert sky alit by thousands of distant stars, some with worlds they had visited, teeming with life. The drive home was a peaceful one, with Colleen at the wheel. Through her rear view mirror, she could see Lance and Pidge sitting behind her, quietly reminiscing about their many adventures in space, until Pidge yawned, snuggled closer to him, and finally fell asleep against Lance’s chest. Lance, who already had his arm around her, kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, smiling as one does when having a very, very pleasant dream.

[lilacmoon83]

Finding You Always

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 213: Worlds Collide, Pt 2

"So nice of you to finally join us," Agent Green said shortly.

"I'd say sorry to keep you waiting...but I'm not sorry," David retorted, as he pulled out a chair for his wife and then took his seat next to her.

"Wow Mom...that dress is hot," Emma commented. Snow smiled.

"Thanks sweetie...you look gorgeous too," Snow replied, admiring her daughter's curve hugging red dress.

"This is an FBI briefing...we don't have time for mother-daughter bonding hour," Agent Green interjected.

"Check your attitude, Agent Green," the Major warned to the seething agent.

"Fine...as you know, Mr. Clayton is expected at tonight's event next door for the debut of Ancient Wonders exhibit at the Museum of Natural History," she explained.

"This exhibit has some highly sought after artifacts, including Olmec terracotta statues, jade masks that are said to be of Mayan origin, and even an ancient Incan quipu, just newly discovered," she said, showing them a few slides.

"That's probably what they're after," Eva commented, which received attention from the entire table.

"How do you know that?" Agent Dorsey asked, narrowing his gaze.

"I mean, the Major mentioned that Natalie Zearing and her mother have been looking for Cibola or El Dorado for years. I did a little reading and an ancient newly discovered quipu might be a clue to its location," she said.

"You're the one that can read minds, right?" he asked suspiciously.

"I explained to Agent Green earlier that I don't read minds. I just read people really well and I help Belle with the research when it's needed usually," Eva replied sternly.

"She's right...is there anything else you'd like to know about the items in question and which ones we're certain they're after? Because we've already done the research while we were waiting," Belle chimed in. David smirked.

"Still think my family members need badges to do this work?" he asked smugly.

"Whatever...and yes, we think she's after the quipu for sure," Dorsey snapped.

"And one good thing about the lot of you being here is that you'll be a huge distraction and they may let their guard down," he added.

"Except that he won't," Xander interjected.

"He's right...if Junior is some kind of heir apparent to Clayton's legacy, then he knows everything about his history and us. He probably holds Snow and I personally responsible for his father's death too," David agreed.

"If he's as arrogant as his father, he'll take over the entire place in some grand display once he sees us," Snow said.

"Why would he do that? Why would he blow years of cover? And how does he expect to do something like that in a room full of cops, FBI agents, and apparently freaking magic?" Agent Green questioned.

"I don't know...but the last time we underestimated his father, we spent a year of our lives in captivity," David said.

"He's right...in my time working for Clayton, he always eluded to the fact that he had sired an heir and he was being raised to take over. I assumed he meant Cecily, but I think I was wrong about that. Clayton would favor a male heir," Xander replied.

"Chauvinist till the end," Emma commented.

"We need to be ready for anything. We may have magic, but Clayton always had ways around that, either with his own stolen magic or technology," Snow reminded them. David nodded.

"She's right...we need all your agents to be alert and ready to clear civilians from the event if things get out of hand," he said.

"This isn't what our Intel is telling us," Dorsey interjected.

"These two always come to these events and then disappear with valuable artifacts to hold their own black market auctions. Why should we think tonight is any different than the last event?" he asked.

"Because we're here now and Junior is probably chomping at the bit for revenge. Plus, he'd love to somehow capture us and force his way into the United Realms. Most of his father's collection is there in our museum," David answered.

"I don't like any of this...it's not what we've planned for," Agent Green lamented.

"If you're applying all your FBI training to this situation, dearie, then you'll be woefully unprepared," Rumple interjected.

"Because nothing can prepare you for dealing with someone of John Clayton's bloodline. He managed to get even me to underestimate him...which means he was careful over his considerable years to avoid any previous Dark Ones," he added.

"Then it's settled. David...you and your people have the lead on this. The rest of us are providing back up," the Major said.

"Whether you like it or not," she added, as the meeting concluded and they prepared to venture to the museum next door for the big event.

~*~

Johnny sighed, as his men roughed up the poor, unfortunate man that he currently had a dispute with.

"This is grotesque. Can you just end this already," Natalie complained, as he finished his drink.

"You never did have the stomach for this part of the business," he teased, as he approached and his men sat the bound man back in his chair.

"Oh Sykes...you were so loyal to my father for years. It is truly a shame that you betrayed my family so thoroughly," Johnny said.

"I didn't want to! But that woman...she killed Cecily right in front of me! I had no choice!" Billy Sykes pleaded.

"Oh, you had a choice...she would have never gained full use of my father's entire operation without your help," Johnny responded.

"She was going to kill me!" he insisted.

"No...you had all the answers. So she persuaded you instead. I know...that penthouse apartment you're living in is a nice step up from the hole in the wall you found yourself in when you were working for my sister," he said.

"Your father took care of me...but she treated me like trash!" Sykes hissed.

"Yes...and in revenge, you gave away the keys to my father's Kingdom!" he roared.

"And to the damned government!" he growled in rage.

"I...I can help get it all back! I know everything about her operation!" he claimed.

"No need...your services are no longer needed, Mr. Sykes," he said, as the fear on the other man's face was evident.

"String him up," Johnny ordered, as Billy began to plead for his life. But those pleas fell on deaf ears and Natalie groaned, before turning away.

"Why can't you just shoot him and make it quick," she complained.

"Traitors don't get a quick end, my love," he admonished, as the doors to the warehouse swung open, catching them by surprise. They had concealed this large warehouse, which was their headquarters in Boston, with his father's cloaking technology. If someone had breached it, then they definitely were in possession of magic. Johnny pulled his gun.

"Step no further, whoever you are. This gun does not shoot bullets, but rather a magic nullifying shock wave," he warned. The man put his hands up and smirked.

"Easy there, Mr. Clayton. I mean you no harm...in fact, I am here to offer my services," he said. Johnny looked at him skeptically.

"I know you...you're Fagin, the notorious loan shark and gang leader," Johnny said. The man chuckled.

"Correct...until two days ago, I was Fagin, the notorious loan shark and gang leader. I was once just a lowly pickpocket, until I climbed my way to the top of the crime food chain," he said, as he helped himself to a drink, completely un-bothered by the hanging dead man in the room.

"Boss...you want us to toss this guy?" one of his men asked.

"Not yet," Johnny said, intrigued by this man.

"So...until two days ago, you were Fagin. To whom and I speaking to now?" he questioned curiously. The man smirked and his hand came alive with fire, as he lit a cigar that he magicked into his other hand.

"I have many names. The Devil, Lucifer, Satan...but I prefer Mephisto," he said.

"But Mephisto was killed during the battle by the Charmings...or so the story goes," Johnny said with an impressed tone.

"One such as me does not just die...I merely needed a new host once my old body was destroyed. I found one and while he's not as physically imposing as I would like, he is a powerful gang leader and loan shark, with a network of crime and resources at his fingertips," Fagin replied. Johnny smirked.

"And you want to help me?" Johnny asked skeptically.

"Think about it...with me helping, not only do you get your revenge on the Charmings, but you can easily take over the world...including the United Realms," he tempted

"And all I have to do is sell my soul to you, right?" he asked. Mephisto smirked.

"Normally yes...but I'll settle for your men for now. I know you have enough of your father's tricks up your sleeve that you don't need my power," he replied. Johnny shrugged.

"Have at them," Johnny said, offering his subordinate's lives to the creature, much to Natalie's horror. Once their transformation was complete, Mephisto smirked.

"Now...it's time discuss this evening's events," he said.

~*~

James and Aphrodite appeared in the middle of town square, in Underbrooke, with Hermes.

"You have exactly seventy-two hours, no more, and then I have to retrieve you whether you have your answers or not," Hermes warned.

"I'm getting the feeling that you think this is a bad idea," Aphrodite mentioned and the other Goddess sighed.

"You're my friend and to someone that travels as much as me...I don't have many others," Hermes said.

"You think that whatever is being hidden from me is going to hurt me," she surmised.

"Yes...and I don't want that," Hermes admonished.

"I know and I love you for that. But I have to know, especially if James might be in danger just by being with me," she lamented.

"You are everything to me...I will be with you, no matter what," he promised.

"I know...but I need to know why I have so many holes in my memories," she insisted. Hermes nodded.

"Just be prepared. What you find out...you may not like," she warned, as she disappeared. Aphrodite looked at her husband, as he looked around.

"Are you sure you're okay? Coming back here has to be hard," she mentioned. He gave her a tiny smile and kissed her hair.

"It's weird, but I'm here for you and it's not like I'm staying this time," he replied.

"Well, well...aren't you a sight for sore eyes, dahling," a voice cooed and he rolled his eyes, as they turned to find Cruella De Vil there, still wearing one of her favorite fur coats.

"I guess I should have expected you'd still be here, since moving on from here would mean going to a not so great place," James retorted.

"Oh, don't tell me you've gone soft. You were so much fun when you were bad, like me," Cruella said, as she noticed the woman on his arm and laughed.

"She looks familiar, expect the hair," she teased.

"She's my wife...Aphrodite," James snapped.

"You really did go the hero path. You must be the one that gave the Charmings their pretty little cup," Cruella replied.

"I am and we have no time for you," Aphrodite said.

"Owe!" James exclaimed, as she pinched him.

"Oh...you are alive. How interesting," she mentioned. Aphrodite summoned a glowing orange ball of magic in her palm.

"Touch him again and I'll personally ask Nyx to administer final judgement to you, unfinished business or not," she threatened. Cruella smirked.

"No need to get your pretty panties in a twist, blondie. I liked him better when he was a bad boy anyway, though I'll always be here dahling if you ever tire of Ms. goody good here," she said, as she walked off.

"Well…I guess the diner is a good place to start," she mentioned.

"Hang on," he replied, as he pulled her back and into his arms, before kissing her passionately.

"You're the only woman I've been with that I truly love," he promised. She smiled shyly.

"I know," she said, taking comfort in that. She leaned her head against his arm, as they made their way to the diner and entered. They looked around and James locked eyes with George, as he sat in a booth. George looked shocked to him and the Goddess as they approached. To his credit, he didn't run and knew it was time to pay his penance.

~*~

"This is insane...we're just people," Leo complained, as they pushed through the horde of reporters and camera people at the entrance to the museum.

"Not to them. It's only been a few days since the world was introduced to your family. They aren't going away anytime soon, especially since your family that is getting their dying newspapers and dwindling social media numbers a flood of new life. Which means stories about your family are making them millions every minute," the Major said.

"And I hate everything in that sentence," Emma quipped. Patricia smiled.

"I know, but just think about the criminals you'll soon be helping to take down. Clayton's network runs deep and dismantling it will be no easy task. But a lot of bad people will end up in jail as a result," she replied.

"Let's hope so, because that's the only way any of this is worth the effort," Regina said, as they made it into the museum.

"Agent Donovan...I'm Lyle Moore, the museum curator," a man said, as he introduced himself.

"Mr. Moore...I have agents posted throughout the museum. With any luck, things will go smoothly tonight," Patricia said.

"I do not like my museum being used for some operation and if any of these priceless artifacts are damaged, I will hold you personally responsible," he replied.

"Mr. Moore...without our presence here, these priceless artifacts will most certainly be stolen. We're here to prevent that," she assured.

"Besides, the museum hasn't had press like this in years and you can thank them for that," she said, referring to Snow and David. He still didn't look happy and stalked away.

"We just make friends everywhere we go," Snow said sarcastically, making him chuckle, as he kissed her hair.

"I'm guessing those are the big finds on display," he said, referring to the items in the center of the atrium.

"Yes...the Olmec terracotta statues. They predate even the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec cultures," Patricia explained.

"A jade mask, which are rare, but have been found before. However, this one is completely in tact and nearly completely untouched. It's worth millions on its own," she continued.

"And finally a previously undiscovered quipu," she said.

"The knots and strings are a language, right?" Snow asked.

"Yes, an ancient Incan language that only a handful of people in the world can still translate," Patricia replied.

"Do they have a usual go to? Surely they've had them translated before," David said. She nodded.

"Yes, but the professor that they have paid in the past died recently. They'll be in the market for someone new. I have the names out already to agents in the field to monitor any activity with those individuals," Patricia said.

"Wait...didn't Eva take an ancient languages course with Rose a few years ago?" David asked.

"She did...but I don't know if it covered quipus, honey," Snow replied.

"It did cover them, but it's really difficult to learn. I only know the basics," Eva said, as they looked at her in surprise.

"You can read quipus?" the Major asked.

"Not entirely. I only learned the basics of the language. One with that many knots is wildly complicated," Eva replied.

"Still…I'd rather people not know that, especially the wrong people," David said protectively. She smiled.

"Don't worry Daddy…I'll be fine," Eva assured him, as the curator brought the room to attention and began his speech.

"Charming...that's him," Snow whispered, as she spotted him across the room, in a tux, with a blonde woman on his arm. The same woman that the Major had named as Natalie Zearing, the daughter of an apparent investor. He didn't turn around all the way, but instead pulled her close and looked at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you think they see us?" Snow whispered.

"Oh I'm sure of it," David replied.

~*~

"You were right…" Natalie said, as she sipped at her champagne. He scoffed.

"Of course I was...my father was obsessed with them. He bred me to know everything about them," Johnny replied. She smirked.

"And they know you...clearly. The fairest one of them all is trying to act like she's not looking over here," she joked. He smirked.

"I recognize that other man too...I think," she mentioned.

"Oh yes...Xander, my father's right hand, until he betrayed him," Johnny replied.

"I think my mother knew him too," she mentioned. He smirked.

"Oh, your mother knew him quite well," he confirmed. She looked at him.

"Funny...she never mentioned him to me at all," she said, but he said nothing to that.

"So...what's the plan?" she asked. He smirked.

"I am going to introduce myself," Johnny said.

~*~

"James...you're here…" he uttered and the younger man noted the sadness in his voice.

"Don't worry...we're both alive," he replied and though he was very good at hiding his emotions, the relief at that was apparent, as a bit of the tension in his shoulders disappeared.

"But you aren't anymore and imagine our surprise when an autopsy was done and it was discovered that in your last moments, you had all your faculties," James said.

"Yes...and imagine my surprise when I learned you were alive. I thought I'd have a chance to...see you again. That died when I was murdered or so I thought," George replied. But he shook his head.

"I'm not here for you. I'm here, because we know that Blue killed you. I want to know why and I want to know what it has to do with my wife's past," James demanded to know. The disgraced King looked at the blonde next to him and then back at his son.

"Not here...it's too busy," he said.

"Fine...then let's take a walk, but you're going to talk," James replied, as he took Aphrodite's hand.

"Don't worry...I'm more than ready to get this off my chest," he agreed, as they made their way out of the diner and began to walk toward the park. It was nothing like home, of course, as nothing could grow there. The red sky was also unsettling and she hated that her beloved had spent more than thirty years in this place.

"Okay...no one else is around so talk," James said.

"Who revived you? Was it you, Goddess?" George asked curiously.

"No…I do not have that power, but Zeus does. He granted Ruth a second chance to be with David and Robert. But she selflessly gave up that chance for James," Aphrodite answered.

"Is that what you were told?" George asked.

"Are you calling my mother a liar?" James asked sharply.

"No, of course not...but when Zeus is involved, there is always more to the story," George replied.

"In fact, when he died and came here, he would have most assuredly learned of what the Blue Fairy and I did. I'm surprised he has not appeared and thrown me into a fiery pit yet," he confessed.

"I doubt Zeus has any unfinished business...he would have moved on to Elysian," Aphrodite claimed. The King smirked.

"Oh no, my dear...he has plenty of unfinished business, just like I do. I'm ready to face it, despite the eternal hell awaiting me once I unburden my soul," he said. Smoke engulfed the three of them at that and they reappeared in Nyx' Throne room. The Goddess sat in her Throne, but said nothing, as a portal from Elysian appeared and Zeus stepped through it.

"Zeus…" Aphrodite uttered and the emotion on his face almost seemed foreign. He rarely had ever shown her any emotion, other than frustration and mild annoyance when she frequently disobeyed him.

"I have listed your grievances, King George and they have been heard. It is quite a list," Nyx stated. The King opened his mouth to speak, but Zeus raised his hand and the King began to choke.

"Zeus...stop! We need answers from him!" Aphrodite cried.

"The answers you seek will only hurt you...as they have hurt me. It is a burden you should not bear," he claimed.

"That's my decision!" she snapped. Zeus closed his eyes for a moment and then nodded, before releasing his hold on George.

"You will tell your part of the story, but they must know all of it and for that...we must start at the beginning," he said, as the portal of Elysian opened again and a beautiful woman with golden hair stepped through it.

"From the beginning? You mean when I arose from the sea foam?" she asked.

"You were not born full grown from the sea foam...you were born a baby like any other person," the woman said.

"Who are you?" Aphrodite asked, as James squeezed her hand, for somehow, they already knew the answer.

"She is Dione, my first wife...the only woman I ever loved," Zeus confessed.

"And your mother," he confessed, stunning her.

"If you're my father...then why hide from me?" she demanded to know tearfully.

"For your protection, my sweet daughter," Dione interjected. Aphrodite shook her head.

"I don't understand any of this," she sniffed, as James put his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"But you will and once Prince James knows of his past...he has the power to unlock all your memories," Dione said.

"Me?" James asked.

"You are her true love," Dione replied.

"Are...are you saying that the Horned King was right? Am I cursed?" Aphrodite asked.

"It's quite complicated...but in a way, yes," Zeus replied, as he looked at the disgraced King.

"Wait...my past? I know my past," James interjected.

"No...you don't," George said, as he pulled an item from his pocket and James gasped.

"That's a charm...from my mother's bracelet. From my adopted mother's bracelet," he said. He nodded.

"It's an ancient protection charm. You pulled it off her bracelet when you were two, but instead of being upset or having it reattached, she made a pin out of it and insisted you wear it always," George said.

"I know...I thought it was lost in battle," he said sternly.

"No...we took it and used the charm's enchanted nature to absorb your memories," George explained.

"Memories of what?" James asked impatiently, as George placed the charm in his hand and his eyes widened, as the memories consumed him.

~*~

Seven Years Before the First Dark Curse

Prince James expertly dueled his father's most skilled Knights in the palace courtyard. They were relentless, but the Prince was well trained and had far surpassed his teachers, which he proved when he defeated them all in the duel.

"I daresay, Your Highness, that I have nothing left to teach you," the lead Knight said.

"Very true and no offense, but I'm done spending my birthday here with all of you," James replied, as blotted the sweat from his forehead with a cloth.

"Ah yes...your twenty-first birthday. I'm sure the King will soon be choosing a bride for you," the Knight said.

"Well, then he will be sorely disappointed. Marriage should be about true love, not a business transaction," he said.

"And while Queen Serafina's sentiments about marriage are whimsical, Highness, you know as well as I do that a royal must marry for the good of his Kingdom," the Knight said, as James tossed the cloth away.

"You mean for gold. Father has emptied the royal coffers and I'm expected to get us out of this mess," he said bitterly.

"That is the life of a royal. Your life is not your own," the Knight reminded.

"We'll see," James said, as he went up to his chambers to wash up. As he entered, he closed the door and smiled when he felt a pair of arms go around his waist.

"Did I keep you waiting long?" he asked. She smiled, as he turned to face her and kissed her tenderly.

"No…I was watching you spar," she replied.

"That had to be boring," he commented.

"Not at all...I find it very interesting," she purred, as he kissed her passionately again.

"I need to clean up...maybe there's somewhere better to do that?" he asked. She grinned and they disappeared in a puff of orange smoke, before reappearing by a secluded lake, not far from Mount Olympus. Their kisses became feverish and clothes were pulled away desperately, before they waded into the water. He held her flush against him, as he kissed her passionately all over, her lips, her throat, and her breasts.

"James…" she pleaded, as she wrapped her legs around him and he kissed her again before sliding inside her. They made love in the water, passionately and desperately, starved for the pure pleasure that came with their coupling. She collapsed against him amidst a powerful climax and he came not far behind her. They held each other in the water for several long moments, before they proceeded to dry off and make camp for the night. Later, as they cuddled together, beneath thick blankets, on the heels of another bout of lovemaking, he finally spoke.

"I'm going to leave…" he said.

"James...are you sure? That Throne is your birthright," she replied.

"And I want no part of it if it means I can't marry you," he said.

"If gold is what he wants, I can magic him enough for a lifetime," she said.

"If only it was just that. But it's more about power for him. He has his sights set on Midas' Kingdom. He wants a merger, which means me eventually being forced to marry Princess Abigail," he replied. A spark of possessiveness moved through her at that and perhaps a tiny bit of jealousy. The thought of him being with another woman made her want to rage. But he would be forced to produce an heir, even if he continued to carry on with her on in the shadows.

"I won't do that to you...I won't have my true love as my mistress. I will have you as my only," he said, surprising her.

"Reading my mind again?" she teased.

"It's all over your face. You hate Abigail and you don't even know her," he teased back.

"I don't hate her...it's not like it would be her choice either, I'm sure. I would like to turn your father into a snail though," she said. He laughed heartily.

"Go for it...he's barely a father," he replied.

"Where will we go?" she asked.

"Anywhere...you're a Goddess. But if you really can pull it off, then we should leave this realm. My father is sore loser. He'll never stop hunting us," he replied.

"Hermes told me about a place...there's no magic there and it is very different. But she said it's peaceful. There are no royals or Kingdoms. Just people living their lives freely," she said. He smiled.

"Sounds too good to be true, but I'm certainly all for it," he replied. She smiled and kissed him, as they got dressed.

"I have to go to her Temple to summon her, but I'm ready when you are," she said. He nodded.

"I'll be here when you get back," he said, as he kissed her passionately and she disappeared. James heard a noise and unsheathed his sword.

"Show yourself!" he called into the darkness and was shocked to see his father and his lead Knight emerge.

"Hello son…" George said.

"How did you find me?" James demanded to know.

"I've had Knight Rivers tracking you and the Goddess on your excursions for months," George revealed.

"I'm not an unreasonable man. I wouldn't have cared if you kept her as a mistress. But you will not marry her, nor will you abandon your duty to your Kingdom," George said.

"I love her...what we have is far deeper than physical," James growled.

"Love is a poison...and I cannot risk the future of my Kingdom on love," George replied.

"You won't stop me," James challenged, but he was hit with a wave of blue fairy dust and fell unconscious to the ground, as the Blue Fairy emerged from the sky and became full sized.

"Are you sure this will work?" George questioned. She nodded.

"When he awakens, not only will all his memory of her be purged, he'll be easily malleable into whatever you want him to be," Blue said.

"Good...we may make a strong King out of him yet, once I beat all the love and good out of him," George said, as he looked at the head fairy, who was supposed to stand for good and love.

"And the Goddess?" he asked.

"Don't worry...she'll be dealt with as well. This isn't the first time I've destroyed her and it won't be the last," Blue replied. He looked curious at that.

"Why do you hate her?" he questioned and Blue glared at him.

"That's my business," Blue said, as she disappeared.

"Take him back to the castle. His reconditioning begins when he awakens. With true love purged from his soul...he'll be the ruthless King that we need someday," George said, as his lead Knight lifted the Prince onto his horse.

~*~

Blue reappeared in the Temple of Hermes and saw Aphrodite laying unconscious at Hera's feet.

"We have but a small window. Zeus and Hermes left the realm on an urgent matter, but I doubt they will be gone for long," Hera said.

"If Zeus finds out that the two of us and King George are directly responsible for destroying her true love once again, he'll make us wish for death," Blue warned. Hera smirked.

"He doesn't even know she was with him again. He has been too preoccupied with his own conquests lately and has left her to her own devices. He'll regret that," Hera said.

"We know why I hate her...but why do you?" Blue asked.

"You know why. Zeus never loved me or any of his conquests. Only Dione had his heart and therefore his precious spawn he had with her. I am always in the shadow of her beauty and goodness," Hera said.

"And if I will never have true love with her father...then she will never have true love with hers, no matter how many times Zeus brings him back," she added. Blue smirked.

"As long as she's in pain...that's all I care about. After what she did to me...I will make sure her immortality is spent in loneliness and pain," Blue said.

"We make a good team, as always," Hera agreed, as she poofed the water from the river Leche that she had acquired from Hades and forced it down the blonde's throat.

"Hermes will be back soon...we must go," Hera said, as they disappeared.

~*~

Hours Later

Zeus was fuming once again, for when he returned to Hermes temple, they had found Aphrodite unconscious. Athena had determined that water from the river Leche was administered to her, but they had no culprit. He had the usual suspects in mind, but he could not make accusations without proof; something he was sure the perpetrators were counting on.

"And you're sure they were together again?" Zeus questioned.

"I'm sure...I saw them," Athena replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded to know.

"You've been a little occupied lately," she snapped in return and he scoffed.

"I am never too busy for my beloved gift...the only thing I have left of my Dione," he confessed.

"I know what people, Gods and mortals alike, think of me. And my daughter always pays for my sins and the hatred against me," he said.

"But no more," he continued.

"You are going to purge those facts from every book in this realm and every memory," he declared.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Athena asked.

"It is in her best interest. Having me as a father brings her nothing but pain and when her true love dies again, as we know he will thanks to the curse, he will not be reborn this time," Zeus decreed.

"What!? Why would you do that to her!?" Athena cried.

"I cannot keep seeing her lose her true love! Even if her memory of him has been wiped away each time, the pain is still there in the fiber of her being. I cannot keep seeing her suffer," he said.

"And soon...she will have new charges. It's almost time. She will focus all her energy on them and perhaps they will not be utter failures like the Dragon King and Queen were," he added.

"Evil has had six hundred unhindered years to fester with none to stand for love and justice. Perhaps the only way to free her of this burden is to allow her true love to die so she can nurture and protect her charges this time from all they are facing," he said.

"They are coming into quite a challenging time," Athena agreed.

"But are you sure letting her true love stay dead is really the answer?" she asked.

"Yes...it's as I said. I cannot keep seeing her go through this and if I ever get the proof I need, I will go after the culprits. They will suffer," he promised. Athena nodded, as she cast a glance at her sleeping half-sister. She had always been Olympus' greatest light and had endured more pain than anyone should, mortal or immortal. If this spared her some of that pain, then she knew that was what they needed to do.

"And you're sure she'll never remember her entire past?" Athena asked.

"Not unless we allow it," Zeus replied. She nodded.

"Then it will be done," Athena confirmed.

~*~

James came out of the trance with a start and looked at her, remembering their past.

"You mean...everything I did. All the bad things…" he uttered.

"Was because I erased your memories of her...and it darkened your soul," George said, as his son punched him in the face. He stumbled back, but James grabbed him by the collar and moved him toward the river of lost souls.

"James!" Aphrodite called, cutting through his rage. His chest heaved, as he tried to get control of his anger. He released the evil King and turned back to her.

"If I give her true love's kiss, now that I know, will it return all her memories?" he asked. Zeus and Dione nodded.

"Yes...all of them and more that you must know as well. What you just remembered is only the tip of everything," Zeus replied.

"Will it cause her pain?" James asked tearfully.

"Immense pain...but also great joy. And with her curse broken, perhaps there will be no more pain," Dione revealed.

"James…" Aphrodite murmured, as he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. A wave of pure rainbow light erupted from their kiss and her eyes widened in shock, as they were both plunged into a river of memories…

~*~

Fandral dismounted his horse and Zorro arrived shortly behind him.

"Anything?" he asked.

"Afraid not...but she is a fairy. She knows how to hide," Zorro replied. He sighed and his lead Knight clapped him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry...we shall find her. I imagine when Snow and David return and learn of what has occurred, they will deal with her permanently," he said. Fandral nodded.

"I'm sure you're right. Send out the second shift patrol and I will see you in the morning," Fandral said, as he went inside and found his beloved Rose in her library, on her ladder putting a book away.

"You're back...did you find her?" she asked, as he helped her down.

"I'm afraid not," he replied, as he kissed her tenderly.

"Well, you'll get her...I have faith," she said, before kissing him again.

"What's this?" he asked, noticing the book she had set aside.

"Answers...at least I think they might be. I know Aphrodite went to the Underworld to find her answers from the source, but I thought maybe we could have Tink use her magic to translate this book. If we know more about Blue and her history with Aphrodite, maybe it will help us find her," Rose said.

"It certainly couldn't hurt," he agreed.

"Good...because we're taking the kids to the diner and meeting her and Neal there," she mentioned. He chuckled and kissed her again.

"Sounds perfect, my angel," he said.

~*~

"What is this?" Leo asked, as he and Emma browsed the food table.

"I don't know...but it looks nasty," Emma complained.

"All of this does...where's the real food?" she asked.

"Well, there is shrimp. That's a plus," he said, as they both ate one.

"True...but I can't fill my empty stomach with just shrimp," she replied.

"Mom...what is this?" Leo asked.

"Well, if I had to guess, it's probably Escargot," she replied, as she stood beside them while David got them more champagne. Leo wrinkled his nose.

"You mean like snails?" he asked in disgust. She chuckled.

"Yes sweetheart...this is kind of a fancy party. They're not going to have diner fare," she replied.

"Well, they don't know what they're missing. I'll take Granny's any day over this crap," Leo complained.

"Right…Killian told me I didn't need my emergency pack of pop-tarts. Trust me, he's never going to hear the end of it," Emma said.

"Hey...we have magic here. We can just magic some," Leo replied. Emma smirked.

"Forget the pop-tarts. I'm going to magic a pizza," she said.

"No…" Snow admonished.

"You two could learn to expand your palette a bit," she teased.

"We will when Dad does...he won't eat Escargot either," Leo pointed out.

"He's right about that," David agreed, as he returned with her champagne.

"Face it Snow...your husband and children eat like ten-year-olds," Regina quipped.

"Please, you prefer pizza and shooting zombies over this kind of party any day," Leo quipped back and she smirked.

"Touche…" she agreed.

"Speaking of parties...this one is about to get less lame I think," Xander mentioned, as they saw Natalie and Johnny approach Summer, JJ, Eva, and Bobby, who were looking at the artifacts on display.

"Oh he is far too close to my babies…" Snow said, as David put his arm around her waist.

"Easy...let's not spook him. Come on," he said, as they approached. Leo, Emma, and Xander followed. The time for confrontation had come.

"Wow…" JJ said, as he examined the quipu as close as he could through the glass container around it.

"It's hard to believe that those knots and strings are a language," he mentioned.

"It truly is...I always found this stuff the most interesting in the history courses I took," Eva agreed.

"It's even more interesting in person," a woman said, as Eva turned to find the woman they had identified as Natalie Zearing. But it was the man next to her that gave her the creeps. She could see Clayton in him and realized he had the same smug smile as his evil father.

"You would know," Bobby commented and she smirked in amusement.

"Wow...that's actually refreshing. Don't hold back, kid," she commented. Johnny chuckled.

"That tactlessness is a famous Charming trait," he mentioned.

"So is defeating evil," Summer added.

"She's right," Snow agreed, as she and Charming arrived. Johnny smirked.

"Xander...long time no see. I was just a wee lad the last time I saw you. About the same age your son was when you abandoned him I think," he jabbed. Xander tried to advance on him for that, but Leo held him back.

"Easy Gramps...that's what he wants," Leo warned. His smirk widened.

"The truest loves...what an honor it is to finally meet face to face. I know your legacy well," he said.

"No doubt...your father had a sick obsession with us," David retorted. Johnny smirked again.

"Oh, the obsession part is true, but it goes far beyond just the two of you," he said.

"We know...it's the chalice he was obsessed with and I have a feeling you're the same," Snow replied. He shrugged.

"I only want what was promised to me. My legacy...which was stolen by that woman," he said, pointing at the Major.

"We don't like the way she went about any of that either, but you are not a victim in this. We know what you've both done and that collection that is your so called legacy? Your father stole it all. Thankfully, we gave it back to the people and it's in a museum where it belongs, just like these items are," David said.

"Wow...you really take that hero thing to a new level," Natalie replied.

"Just keep your sticky fingers off the artifacts and we won't have a problem," David retorted. Johnny smirked again.

"Oh…I'm afraid we can't do that," he said, as the room erupted in chaos when fire burst forth from the floor, sending the entire atrium into hysteria.

"It can't be...he's dead," Leo said, as he recognized the fiery horror that had just erupted around them.

"Only my previous host body is dead, Charming Junior, but my essence will always live on. I have chosen a new host," Mephisto said, as he emerged from the flames. But they didn't back down and they stood between this monster and the innocent people around them. JJ's eyes widened, as he saw a stream of fire coming at him, but was relieved when he safely found himself in a bubble.

"Thanks…" he said in relief.

"This is going to get messy...let's get people out of here," Eva suggested, as they started helping Robin and Belle do exactly that.

"The best thing about this new host is that he is known as Fagin and he came with a criminal network and a gang," Mephisto said, as several heavily armed men stormed into the museum and fired their guns into the ceiling, sending screaming people looking for a way out. Rumple quickly took care of that though and all their weapons disappeared, shocking them. The goons managed though, finding whatever objects they could to use as weapons. Emma and Leo stepped into subdue them and keep them from hurting others.

Johnny took the opportunity to smash the glass on the exhibits, allowing he and Natalie to grab the priceless artifacts, before making a run for it.

"Go...you two need to stop them! We'll handle Mephisto and his goons!" Regina called. Snow and David nodded, as Xander followed them and they gave chase...

[peanutbutterisland-blog]

Black Mafia - short story

Black Mafia- also in archives 

This is a fictional story written by Owami Jackson. Leave all assumptions and expectations at the door, welcome to a world inhabited by a few and run by many.

Chapter 1- Welcome to the Mafia

It is said that a city is the representation of its people, the rougher the edges the more connected the people and non could be  truer than the city of Fermount USA. It was a large industrial city, built on the backs of black Americans who had settled on the land after the emancipation act was introduced. The businesses were family owned and the community was forged together by hard labor and a deep engraved mantra for ‘fuck the man’ but this city was not backwards thinking at all,  it was 1970 and the world was changing and so was the city of Fermount. Throughout 1970 to 1975 the city came alive, with buildings being erected everyday, and in time the city lit up with new opportunities, clubs, hotels, stadiums and restaurants grew over night like wild mushrooms and one family struck while the iron was hot.

With every building that was erected in Fermount the Washington family had their hands in its creation. A prominent black family that had its soul engraved in Fermount, the family was so big that they inhabited both the East and West of the city and within the inner city is where they flourished. They owned every club and large property within the inner city or at-least had their hands in it. They grew there money from organized crime in the early 60s and invested it in the city of Fermount, they had close affiliations to the Mayor and governor of Fermount and where respected and feared within the city. With such a large family there had to be a large patriarch and his name was Luis Washington or better known as Father. He was the head of the family and all operations of the family business. He was a large man who had a lot of love and was fierce when he needed too Be. With everything that he had built he was most proud of his family, his eldest son, Rahim Washington was the next in line for the family business and he loved him dearly, he had a second son Sammy Washington who was always eager to learn the business and had his fathers ferocious temper. He also had twin daughters who ran his heart, he was married to his wife Debra for over 34 years and she was the only person who could calm Freddy down, she ran everything associated with the families money, dirty or clean.

It was a night filled with excitement in the Washington family household, uncles filled the air with inappropriate chatter, drinks flowed faster than a cheap bar and all women whether old or young where in the kitchen. Rahim was in his room trying out different leather jackets and awkwardly pacing up and down the room, he was nervous and exited, he sat on the edge of his bed and waited for the call. 5 minutes later his dad knocked on his door and summoned him down stairs, he came down and everyone was waiting for him. He gave his mom and sisters a kiss and was greeted by stern handshakes by his uncles. All the males in the family got in their bus sized Cadillac's and drove in a concubine to the cities oldest cemetery in the outskirts of the city. The cemeteries silence was pierced by a loud ruckus of cars. Out came large bellied men with hard liquor in their hands all jolly which was a contrast to where they where at. They all circled around the largest tombstone in the cemetery, it was the tombstone of the first patriarch of the family, William Washington who started the family business and created a lineage of men who would do great things for the city. Rahim was brought to the front of the tombstone, he said his respects and drinks where spilled on the floor out of respect. His dad came forward with a knife, asked for Rahims right hand. Visibly nervous Rahim put out his hand. “Rahim as you do this you not only represent the family, you not only represent the great men who came before you, you not only pledge with blood your loyalty to the family, you do this for your kids and grand kids and kids after that so they can look back and learn about your bravery. This is the proudest day of my life, I am not a man of many words so I will just say God bless your journey and welcome to the mafia” his father cut his hand and Rahim let the blood drip onto his great great grandfathers tombstone, a loud cheer was heard and the family guns blasted the cold night sky, Rahim was now a member of the most notorious Mafia in the world.

Chapter 2- Family First

Autumn had come with all its orange splendor, the trees had ruffles of hazel and the roads where littered with leaves that had fallen to their death from skyscrapers of oak trees. The city of Fermount was cold all year round, even when seasons changed they really didn’t change and on this chilly day on a lonely road a black Cadillac cruised through the outskirts of the city, Rahim had just gotten his license but he had been driving cars ever since he turned 5. In the passenger seat was his best friend of almost 22 years Owen Rochester. Rahim and Owens mothers meet in the hospital while giving birth to them. They where in the same ward and development a keen friendship. Owens father was a drug addict who would hop in and out of his life. He had not seen him in about ten years and frankly he didn’t even care, Owen and his mother where considered apart of the Washington family and lived a street away from each other, birthdays, graduations, funerals and dinners where all spent together. Owen was a brother to Rahim and as much as he didn’t want to admit it Rahim saw him as a better brother to him than his own younger brother Sammy was.

“So how was the induction?” Asked Owen. “It was good” Rahim answered.

“Just good?”

“Yeah it was good what else do you want me too say”

“I don’t know you’ve been talking about this shit since you where ten years old I don’t know I’m expecting a bigger reaction than just good you know?”

“You know how dad is with this whole family shit”

“Negro I am family”

Silence held the air for a while, Unable to contain the excitement Rahim squeezed the rubber steering wheel and burst into a whole monologue about how the night went and how he was now apart of the family business. Owen knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it away from him, the family kept their business hidden from everyone including old friends but Rahim and Owens bond was so intact they shared everything together.  

“So you really not doing this college thing huh?” Asked Owen.

“Don’t see how’d it help me when I’m already set you feel me?”

“I get you man, I’m not even tripping, guess I’ll have to get all this collage ass by myself “ Owen replied

“Now you know your ugly ass ain’t getting no ass”

They both laughed and talked about their love lives and how they want families in the future. They pulled into a field, everywhere you looked was just filled with green, sheep’s grazed robotically and farmers yoked bulls up and down the green sea, ploughing away harvest for the city. They drove even further into an abounded farm next to a hill, they got out the car and had a smoke

“Gets colder every time we come up here” Owen said

“Get me the fuck outta here I can’t even feel my balls” Rahim said.

“I don’t know man I’d move here” Owen said. Owen always wanted the simple life, he was never in any drama and barely had a temper. This was not to say he was not about to jump into the front lines of war if need but when it came down to it he saw himself retiring as a carpenter on a farm somewhere. Rahim had different prospects, his always been intrigued about how the world works, who had the most power and what that power could do.

“Let’s hurry up maybe if we drop 120 on the way back we’ll make it back in time for the game” Rahim said

“Isn’t Jacky Robinson on the field today?” Owen asked

“Yeap”

“That’s one bad brother, running a mud hole on all those white boys”

They both opened the doors of the back of the car, they grabbed two shovels, went to the trunk of the car, opened it up and a bloody naked man in tears was in the back. They got him out and proceeded to walk him to the top of the hill, when they got there they dug a deep enough hole to fit a man of his size in it, they removed the tape from his mouth and he started begging to be let go and ranted every prayer he could remember

“Please Rahim I’ve known you since you where a kid how can you do this to me”

“This is what happens when you steal from our clubs you fat fuck” Rahim replied

He continued to beg and plead till Owen kicked him into the hole they had dug

“Any last words old man” Owen asked

The man cried and started praying in mumbles and piss ran down his leg.

Rahim and Owen both unloaded shots from their guns, buried him and hit the road to make it back for the game.

Chapter 3- Cindy Jackson

Rahim knew how powerful his family was, every cop, jury and judge where in their pockets, every club was owned or invested by them, they had built schools and grocery stores in every part of the city and they had been apart of the rise of Fermounts industrial complex since its birth. Rahim was greeted with respected every he went whether it be clubs or coffee shops but he truly discovered the power his family held when his father asked him to tag along with him to the mayors office in the early hours of the morning. They both wore their best suits and where driven to the capital to meet the mayor. Mr Luis Washington had been dealing with the mayors of the city of Fermount  ever since he was put in charge of the family business, this was nothing new to him. The mayor knew that the Washington family where involved in some illegal dealings but they kept a pampered hand on the family because of all the money they funded to the city. They got to the Mayors house in the upper scale of Fermount, it was where old money came to retire and still had a prestige to it, the Washington’s,  as wealthy as they where, were still looked down upon by the upper echelon of white American liberals. Rahim sensed this when he was greeted by the mayors butler who almost seemed to refuse to give him a handshake, Rahim being the spiteful type, grabbed his hand, pulled his arm in and gave him a great big hug. The mayors house was big but not as big as the Washington’s, this alone showed the power dynamic between politics and the mafia. They where greeted by the mayor himself coming down a long flight of stairs, an elderly white man, with whisks of grey hair in a brown jersey, work pants and black shoes. Rahim stayed back and watched his father converse to the mayor about everything from family life to sports. His father introduced Rahim to the mayor, pleasantries where made with his wife and children and they all sat around the table and talked about the state of the city, later on into the evening the mayor asked Rahim and his father to join him in his office, he poured both men his prized aged whiskey and they toasted to prosperity and that the Bulldogs winning the state final.

“So Rahim your father tells me you’re apart of the family business now”

“Yessir”

“I thought you’d take a liking to politics”

“No sir, that’s way too gangster for me”

There was a slight silent stand still in the room until it was broken by the Mayors laughter.

“Listen boys we have ourselves a big problem here in the beautiful city of Fermount and we need your families help, our piping systems are beginning to rust out, now with what my team is telling me they will ride us out into late October 1980 but after that, the water will be contaminated by the rust and I don’t need to tell you how much of a mess that is, the government implements new piping every 5 years and basically swap the rusty shit underground with new rusty shit which is a waste of money for them, for us and most importantly for me”

“So what’s your proposal mayor?” Rahim asked

“I see we have a eager one here Lewi, anyways New Guinea has a large steel capital, and these mother fuckers pump out steal day and night, I was thinking you boys can go out there, gather up all that steal and bring it down here with all your connections to ports and what not, we will brand the steal tubes and chuck them underground, now because they are slightly cheaper, and I mean cheap cheap boys, we would be making a large amount of money when the government gives us the grant to put in new steel pipes for the city and even bigger money when we sell those pipes to buyers overseas which you boys have such good connections with”

“I see” Mr Luis said

“ So with all the risk that we will have to carry I’m assuming our cut will be slightly larger than yours and your partners?”

“Well I’ll have to speak to my partners about that My boy” the mayor said

Rahim had not heard anyone call his dad “a boy” and was expecting him to leap over the table and ring the mayors head till he choked out and ran out of oxygen but he knew his dad was calm and could separate business and disrespect.

They left the Mayors house at midnight and spoke about the meeting, Rahims dad told him that he would be responsible for this project and over see everything, this was the most responsibility his dad had ever given him and he did not want to let him down

3 months passed and the project was underway, Rahim, his best friend Owen and his little brother Sammy headed for New Guinea, the minute they hoped out the airport they where meet with the islands warm intense weather, nothing they had ever experienced in the cold old city of Fermount. For the past three weeks they would be delegating with the government of New Guinea and setting plans for the exporting of 67 thousand tons of steel pipes and tubing. In the day Rahim went from meeting to meeting making connections along the way and going to mines with Owen, his brother Sammy spent his time banging different prostitutes in his hotel room and going into the islands club scenes, in his mind he was there for a vacation since he felt that his father didn’t trust him with this project. Rahim and Sammy fought a lot almost on the verge of killing each other but they where family and there was nobody you could trust more than your family. On the 2nd week Rahim had had enough of the meetings and decided to go into the market to witness the vibrant culture of the island, Owen decided to stay in and only God knew where Sammy was, as he was in the fruit aisle he saw a girl with large frizzy dark hair. He walked closer and was meet with the most sculpted face of beauty he had ever seen, he offered to help her with her grocery bags. She refused at first but he persisted until she couldn’t fight anymore. As they walked to her car he asked what she was doing in New Guinea but she was dismissive of the question, when they got to the car she realized that some local criminals where trying to steel her hub caps, Rahim dropped the bag and chased after them, tripped one of the criminals and punched his face in, he was able to get away and Rahim ran back to check on the beautiful women he had left behind.

“Are you crazy you could’ve gotten hurt!” she yelled

Rahim smiled and said “So you where worried about me?”

She smiled and said

“My name is Cindy, Cindy Jackson thank you for your help”

“Nice to meet you Cindy Jackson my name is Rahim Washington”

“I’m sorry I was a bit dismissive back there I don’t really know anyone here so you know, always keep your guard up” she said

“I get that, by the tied hair bun and medical supplies I’m assuming you’re apart of the UNICEF relief aid here in beautiful New Guinea?”

She laughed and answered“yes, yes I am, and I’m assuming your some rich business man here for business purposes”

“You can say something like that, so when you’re not saving kids where do you like to have fun”

“Well I’m going to the beach party at about 7, I don’t know if you’ll be there”

“Trust me, anywhere you are I’ll always be there”

They meet later on that evening at the beach party and Rahim introduced him to Owen. They danced and drank the whole night, the next day they walked around the plaza together and talked about everything

“So I’m leaving next week and you’re pretty busy here so when will I see you again” Rahim asked

“I’m leaving in 5 weeks and going back to school in Texas”

“So we’ll meet in Texas then?”

“Wait you’d actually come to Texas just for lil old me”

“Ma’am where ever you go from this point on I will follow till death”

She gave him her address and phone number and after a successful first meeting in New Guinea the boys jumped onto a flight back to the cold embrace of the city of Fermount. 5 weeks passed and Rahim flew to Texas to meet Cindy, they meet at a cafè and before they could say anything Rahim kissed her infront of the whole café.

“Well that’s one hell of a first kiss Mr Washington”

“It thought we should skip the small talk you know?”

They spent the summer together switching from Texas and Fermount, they meet each others families and in the summer of 1978 Rahim proposed to Cindy in her hometown and they moved to Fermount to start their lives together.

Chapter 4- We own this town

Houston Texas is bigger than the church hats mothers and aunties wear every Sunday in this deeply cultural piece of America. Everything is designed to pull you in like a gravitational force, the word subtle is not known in Houston. The restaurants and diners have food that would feed a whole village, the roads are wider to make way for every 20 year olds pimped out Cadillac. The women are chiseled from Gods personal special chisel, never lacking frame or body, it’s as if They were designed just to be looked at. There are churches in every corner of the town and the sun bullies the sky 20 hours of the day. Rahim always found it weird that Cindy would come from such a bombastic state. She was timid and slender, she never said a lot and when she did her voice was softer than the rustling leaves in the fall but her eyes held all the attitude that the state came with. She could look at you for a second and draw your attention from a mile away, she had the most generous heart it was almost bigger than her frizzy dark hair. Rahim had fallen in love with her all over again when he saw her walk down the aisle. The wedding came with all the dramatics of a church charity function, flights where delayed, uncles came from each direction with tales of their conquest and hard bottles of liquor, The Washington family alone came with about 200 people, each flying down from Fermount or driving. Weddings, baptisms and funerals where compulsory for the family and this was no ordinary wedding, it was the wedding of the future Patriarch of the family. Fermount was too cold to have such a joyous celebration and whether Rahim liked it or not Cindy held all the power of where the wedding was gonna take place. It took 7 months of planning and all the money invested into it you would think they where building a new club but this had to be huge, the Washington’s believed that a man only gets married once. The wedding drew mayors, delegates, owners of banks in both Houston and Fermount, baseball players and mobsters from all around the country. It was a 3 day festival with enough alcohol to fill the Nile and enough food to feed two starving countries. After the wedding Cindy and Rahim headed to Fermount where a 8 room mansion was eating for them, bought of-course by the Washington’s, 3 cars and  even a liltle puppy, life was blissful.

Winter had hit Fermount and it was colder than ever, the lake had frozen over, the trees where naked and everybody was inside. Not the mob though, trucks still moved city to city, clubs still operated and Rahim was busy delegating the implementation of putting in new metal tubes in the city. It was 3 years since Rahim stepped foot in New Guinea and it seemed like the project took years to get started but they where at the final stretch and money flooded in like well.. a flood. It was 7:30 in the evening and Rahim had just got back home. He shouted Cindys name and she answered, she was in the kitchen, Cindy was a genius in the kitchen. She spent her day working as a doctor in Fermounts top ranked private hospital and her nights going on romantic adventures with Rahim, He loved the fact that she was an all round working women. All the women he was used too including his mother had only been housewives. Rahim would get home, change, help Cindy in the kitchen and they would have diner and talk about the day and listen to records near the fire place with a glass of wine. Rahim was planning to do just that but as he was about to give Cindy a kiss he got a call, he went into the living room and picked up the telephone, it was his dad. His father never called unless it was something about business or family. Rahim knew it was important by the sound of his dads voice, he could always tell his dads mood by the sound of his voice and his dad was worried. He grabbed another leather jacket and leather gloves and jumped into his car. The house he grew up in was just a 15 minute drive. He got there in record time , kissed and hugged his mother and sisters, his brother was watching the reruns of the game, he was about to head out as well, they nodded at each other

“Where’s dad?”

“Where he always is”

Rahim went down to the office and found his dad in a dimly lit room smoking on a cigar.

“Hey pops”

“Hey, Rahim”

They gave each other a hug and took a seat

“How’s the wife?”

“You know still giving me orders”

Mr Washington laughed

“I’m waiting for my grandkids Rahim”

“I’m working on it dad”

“You better, I have a lot of spoiling to do before I leave this earth”

“You’ll be here for a long time old man”

They both took a sip of whiskey and with a heavy sigh Mr Washington reveled that his brother has been stealing from the family And selling critical information to the FBI.

“I can’t do it Rah, he’s my brother”

“Have you told anyone else”

“Only your mom knows”

“Fuck! His my uncle pops”

“I know”

“So you want me to off him”

“No! He’s family, he’s my brother, I’ll need you to take those brief cases, they have 500 thousand dollars, tell him to leave this city and never look back, he knows his family will be safe”

“I got you”

Rahim got in the car and decided to do it in the same night so he could get the weight off his shoulders, while driving to his uncles house he couldn’t believe that his uncle would do that, his own flesh and blood. He could see how broken his dad was, while Rahim went to deliver the news and brief cases to his uncle his dad went to the baptist church house, he always went at this time, he would just sit at the back of the church, say a little prayer and go back home, he believed he had done to many evil things to sit any closer. Rahim got to his uncles house greeted all his nephews and asked his uncle if they could take a drive around the block for some liquor cause he felt disrespectful coming into the house with nothing in his hands, he also didn’t want to tell him the news where anybody could get the chance of hearing. They went to the local liquor store, and when they came back into the car, before he could start the car he told him why he came to see him

“You dare accuse me of betraying the family you little shit stick”

“Dad sent me here Unc”

“Tell my fucking brother to come see me himself and not send his little fuck head of a son too send me a message”

“You broke him Unc, you broke us”

The car was silent until Rahims uncle asked

“So is that why you’re here with that briefcase, you want me to leave my family”

“We’ll give you time to say goodbye but you have to leave before the rest of the family hears about this”

“All the shit I did for this fucked up family and this is how you thank me! I gave my heart into this business, before you could even walk I was in the front lines of war and what do I get, FUCKING NOTHING! Your father does deals with presidents and what do I get nothing no appreciation no reward, I just want what’s mine”

A tear dropped from Rahim’s eye, he knew where this was heading,he knew that his Uncle was stubborn and this would end bad. His uncles voice turned raspy and he started crying

“I just wanted my share Rahim, I’m not going anywhere, I rather die than run away like a coward, they got the drop on us Rahim, you think all this fancy shit comes without a price, this car, your house our whole lives are built on the blood of our enemy’s, and I’m not going to go down without a fucking price, I need to go”

As he grabbed the door handle, Rahim held his shoulder and told him he can’t leave

“You think I’m gonna listen to you Rah”

His uncle took out his pistol and pointed it at Rahim

“Let me go Rah”

“Family first unc, family first”

With a quick motion, Rahim drew his gun and shot his uncle in the stomach, his mouth open in shock and tears coming down his face he drove back to his dads house, ran passed the living room and collapsed on the couch in tears, he told his dad what had happened and he burst out in tears. His mom came down and saw her son on the floor drenched in blood and her husband in tears and knew exactly what had happened. Rahim kept on saying he was sorry to his dad, his dad came back to his senses , asked Rahim where the body was and Rahim told him that he was in his trunk, he grabbed his jacket and his mom gave Rahim a kiss and told him it was all going to be okay, they drove to the local bar they owned, it was about to close and the owner, a close family friend was about to lock the door when Rahim and Mr Washington suddenly burst in, they told him the story and without hesitation he agreed to help, they layed his body next to the bar and staged it as a hit. Rahims dad told him to go back home and everything was going to be okay, he could not stop repeating the words “I’m sorry”. He drove back home and fell to his knees at the door, Cindy came down and helped into the shower, washed the blood from his body while Rahim told her what happened , she knew Rahims family was involved in the mob life but this was her first encounter with the seeds that the mob life had sworn, she grabbed his clothes and threw them in a fire and held Rahim the whole night.

As expected the next day the whole family was in awe when they heard the news, retribution had to be delivered, Mr Luis paid a hefty amount of money to another mob family to take responsibility for the hit and to sacrifice one of their men for retribution. For the next few months Rahim had nightmares and held a guilt that took over his days and nights. Cindy was there right by his side throughout the whole way. They decided to take a vacation to Rio and when they came back Rahim seemed to have left his guilt in the warm waters of Rio and came back ready for business

A new mayor had taken seat in Fermount and he had a no nonsense tolerance to crime. He worked with the government in stopping organized crime and had set out an investigation for the new metal pipes in Fermount. This was going to take a lot of money out of a lot of important peoples pockets and the family had no choice but to assassinate the mayor but they had two problems, if they did chose to assassinate the mayor they would start a war with the US government who was on their tale but for the latter part of the years has kept a distant leash on them, the family had the backing of men who only saw money so they could handle a war with the US government but the other problem was financial backing from banks, and even though they had investments in most of the cities banks, the government could stop all that cash flow. After numerous meetings with the family, delegates and dirty politicians they decided to go ahead with the plan. High investors decided to pay the family 20 million each as insurance that if the US did fledge out a war, their investment and money would stay intact, if the US didn’t start a war, which was unlikely, they would give back the money.

Mr Luis gave the job to his son Rahim. Rahim asked if he could take Owen and because Owen knew about the inner dealings of the family his dad agreed agreed, Rahims brother Sammy had left for Paris and did not tell any of his family members, atleast they knew where he was this time. Before he left for the job Rahims dad gave him a hug

“You know you get older everyday I see you Rah”

“Not as old as you old man”

They both smiled

“I wish your brother had as much  love as you do for me”

“Don’t worry dad his just going through a phase”

“I guess so, Rahim never forget that we are not rich because money and jewels alone but we are rich because of knowledge, with the right information we can bring a country to its knees”

He gave him a kiss on his forehead which was weird cause he never showed any affection. He only gave kisses to his wife and daughters.

“Oh pops I have something to tell you, uhm I was gonna save it for the family dinner but..”

“Then save it for the family dinner Rah, we’ve got a job to do”

Rahim and Owen waited outside the country club where the mayor played golf from 2 to 3pm, after that he took a drive to the barbers spot to get a shave and catch up with his father who was the owner of the establishment, after his golfing session they followed him to the barbershop, they took out their ski masks from the glove compartment and AK47s from the trunk of Rahims car and walked towards the window of barber shop and let all rounds go, glass and bloody bodies where on the floor, Rahim walked into the barber shop, looked the mayor in the eyes while he was on the floor trying to clench his fathers body and shot him dead.

They came back home ready to tell the family of the successful mission only to find a large fleet of cars at the family home, Rahim ran into the house and found out his dad had collapsed from a heart attack and had died. Every man and women had tears in their eyes. Rahim had cried out all his tears for a day and knew he needed to be there for his family.

The funeral was the biggest the city had ever seen, bigger than the mayors funeral, the government was on the family’s tale closer than ever before but that had to wait for now, mobsters and gangsters from around the world came to the funeral. If felt as if the president of the United States was being laid to rest. Rahim delegated the whole funeral, every flower in the city was thrown into Mr Luis Washington’s grave, speeches from Delegates and diplomats from around the world pierced the cold air and food was served to feed the whole city. Throughout the whole funeral Cindy stood besides Rahim and his mother, he went to say a few words with his wife Cindy in his hands.

“Goodbye old man, we’ll meet each other again, and I can’t wait for you to meet your grandson, I love you”

A few days after the funeral, Rahim was brought into a room with all the males of the family, all the investors of the family and all the mobsters of the city, he was being inducted to being the new leader of the family and family business. He walked to the head of the family, raised his glass of whiskey and said

“To the family”.

Chapter 5- From Russia with love

It seems every hospital has the same cold air rushing through it, the same bland light blue textiles and blinding florescent lights. It’s a place designed for anxiety and for being uncomfortable, but the Fermount Saint Private hospital was in for a rude awakening. The Washington family flooded the entire top floor maternity ward   With leather jackets, southern brute accents, wails from toddlers, chatter from Aunties and mothers and silent prayers from every grandmother that was there. Every doctor or nurse that walked by was harassed by endless questions that they had no jurisdiction answering. The walls swelled with belly carrying males with expensive clothes and pungent cigar aromas. The top ranked maternity ward in Fermount had now been turnt into the Washington family reunion. Rahim came bursting through the door with a face mask on, blue scrubs and gloves, after a second of silence Uncle Elijah finally asked

“Well boy, spill it”

“It’s a boy” Rahim answered.

Everybody in the ward cheered, mothers sang, and uncles shook hands as if they had broken a new millionaire dollar deal. Rahims mother walked towards him and kissed him on the check and said “Your father would be proud of you Rah” even Rahims brother Sammy came over to give him a handshake and a warm head nod.

It wasn’t minutes till the entire family trickled into Cindy’s hospital room to get a glance of the baby, mothers came in first, then Cindys family and some of Rahims uncles. Owen came in the room kissed Cindy on the forehead and gave his friend who he had grown up with and just watched turn into a dad a great ol hug. They decided to name the child after Rahims dad to honor his name.

The baby was greeted with a convoy of cars all hooting in tune, food was prepared as if it was a wedding or a great fest, in all sense of the matter, it was. After Mr Luis Washington’s death the family needed something new to celebrate, Rahim had taken over fully, only taking delegation from his mother, wife, Owen and Uncle Elijah Uncle Thomas who had guided Rahim into the big seat he had taken over. He had met all the big names he had only heard about in meetings and they all accepted him with warm arms, he knew that as long as he did a good job everyones pockets would be full. Since the government was behind their tail ever since the mayors death they had to operate all legal business only and lease or pause all illegal business but even that didn’t deter the government. They sent sanctions to every Washington owned asset , clubs, houses, cars, banks and new building projects. Rahim knew they couldn’t win a silent financial war. He knew at some point they would need aggression to either scare or hold of the government. So After 3 months of being home with Cindy and the baby. Rahim took Owen, Uncle Elijah and Thomas and his brother Sammy to Russia to negotiate a weapons deal Incase things went sour for the family. When they got there they wasted no time. The President of Russia invited them for dinner. The dining hall was full of deep colored tapestry and wild animal heads. After a dinner with jokes and impromptu Russian lessons they went to the president’s bunker to talk about why they where there. Russia was gearing up for a Cold War with the US and as far as they knew it, if the US could have a civil war it would be better for them but they needed assurance before striking an arms deal with the Washington family so they decided to give the Russians half of their crucial assets, mostly banks and government information they had acquired over the years.

More than ever the war was closer than it had ever been, the US had always had a vendetta with the Washington family and their power but now that envy would be put to the test and Rahim needed to make sure his family was safe, even if they lost.

Chapter 6- Cape of good fear

It is said that while the world sleeps, America watches it sleep. As soon as Rahim, Uncle Elijah and Thomas, Owen and Sammy set foot back on American soil, word had spread that the Washington family had made their way to Russia to negotiate an arms deal. This came to no surprise to Rahim because he knew that they where under immense pressure under the eyes of the government. In fact this is why he chose Russia. There are many countries that would agree to an arms deal but Russia was America’s biggest enemy and with the middle stages of the Cold War, it was bound to ruffle up some feathers. With this move Rahim put The Washington family in the four front of history. The US acted quick, by the end of the week it had already smeared the Washington family name in the press and used the only power it had, money and corruption. They seized all assists the Washington family had with ridiculous warrants and permits. Rahim knew that he was in the end game now. So he set up a meeting with the family delegates, elders and mob bosses from around the word. They all gathered in an underground bunker space in the towns baseball stadium that the Washington family had helped build a few years ago. As far as he knew it everyone’s house was already bugged so they needed somewhere neutral to congregate. The room was full of hazy grey smoke, the atmosphere of the room was heavy, all men in this room had something to loose and they all counted on Rahim to keep that. Rahim walked in the room with a butterscotch trench coat with black leather gloves and heavy winter boots. He took his seat and greeted all the men that where there.

“Gentlemen, as you know we don’t have enough time we need to strike with action, I am not here to waste your time and I am not here to cover my ass”

“Seems like your ass is blasted all over the newspaper every single day Rahim” one of the men shouted. Rahim wanted to respond disrespectfully, in fact he wanted to shoot the man right in-front of everybody but the man who made that jittery statement was the owner of the United States pharmaceutical industry. These men literally funded America and had ties to the mob. This was not a meeting with his drunk uncles or petty criminal bar meetings, every man in this room, with a flick of a button could shut down the United States and Rahim knew the stakes.

“I know that Mr Johnson, this is why we are here to fix that” Rahim him replied

“Now, the United States has a problem with the Washington family, and since you are all tied to the Washington family they have a problem with you. I am here to tell you that this will not end pretty gentlemen. Men will be lost and money will follow. Now my job is making sure that money is not taken out of your pockets, yes this will be a bloody war but it will be a war designed to look bigger than it is”

They whole room perched eagerly to hear Rahims proposition

“We will strike war with the US government, but we will use the backing and power of mother Russia, now if we sell this properly to the media it will seem as if a US family made ties with Russia and decided to take down the government. And since Americans love their country so much and hate Russia and black people it will polarize all the other shit that we are doing on the side, but with this I will need your full cooperation, you have my word that money will return to your pockets and Business will run as usual but I need the word and trust of every man in this room, to stand by this family as we have stood behind you all these years. We will strike as soon as we can so focus is directly on us, the family. Till then I will need you to freeze all assets so that nothing is traced back to you, now obviously we know the government has been following us for years and know who we work with but removing all traceable evidence will make them look like fucking loons when they make these accusations, there will be no hard proof. We will set up mini hot spots where they can catch us and have a field day in the media while they suck each other off, yes we will loose a considerable amount of money but that will give us enough time for the Russian Calvary to strong hold the US and ultimately make a deal with us”

“And you sure this will work?” A heavy built gentleman in the back asked

“Sir this is the only option we have to keep  the United States alive”

To keep a low cover Rahim decided to take Cindy and the baby, Owen and his family, his mother and brother to Cape Town South African. He had a vacation home there and he wanted his family especially his wife to get out of the toxic environment that they had ended up in. Rahim took early walks in the open wine fields with an elderly farmer named Abè who was a family friend, his farm imported 80% of the wine in the United States.

“You know Mr Abè this place is so beautiful I wouldn’t mind living and dying here”

“Mr Washington if I may be frank with you, you will not die here”

“Why do you suppose that Mr Abè, do you think I’m not worthy to die in a beautiful place like this?”

“You are a soldier, your daddy was a soldier and his papa before that, ever since I’ve known your family all the men have died in cold places. This is not because you are not worthy, it is because you are a soldier! You make way for your family to live and die in paradise, this is your calling. You where forged in fire It is a thankless job and an even bitter death but I believe if you where to chose to die in paradise or die in the field of war for your family, you would ask me where the battle field was”

“The battlefield is looking clearer to me every day Mr Abè”

“I know Mr Washington, I know”

Chapter 7- The world needs you Mr Washington.

Rahim had cleansed himself of the guilt of going to war for his family in Cape Town and had come back to American with a clear mind and even clearer intentions. If this was going to be the families time to be introduced into the world, it would be a monumental introduction. When he got back home he received a phone call, he picked it up and it was the one and only, President of the United States. He invited Rahim to the a White House for a meeting. Rahim didn’t know what to say. He knew he was in the big leagues but he didn’t know he would be speaking to the leader of the free world in person. He told his family and they where worried that it was a set up but Rahim knew that if they wanted to make a hit they would have done it already. Later that week he went to his fathers grave with Owen, he stayed in the car as Rahim went to speak to his dad

“Hey pops, I know it’s been a while. Just needed the courage to come see you again. Anyway,  the family is doing good. Your brothers are crazy as usual, ready to die on the sword for the family, mom is doing better. She’s worried about everyone but herself, if you can just let her know that she’s doing the best she can. We have a war in our hands pops. All the greedy men who took opportunities from our people not so long ago are afraid of us now, we have a meeting with the President of the Fucking United States. Look I know things are not gonna end up pretty but I wanted to let you know that everywhere I go I hold the family name high. You’ve done such a good job pops. Thank you, I ask that you guide me as I enter unknown territory. I love you”

The next day Rahim took a private plane to Washington DC to meet the President. He walked into the White House and knew they where in too deep, but he was the first Black man from Fermount to step foot in the White House. He was greeted by the President who had a huge smile when he saw him, it wasn’t warm, he had been around enough gangsters to know when a person wants something from you. They entered the office and began making small talk, after a few minutes the President looked at him and said

“You’re not scared are you?”

“Excuse me?” Rahim asked

“I came into this meeting thinking that you’d see how deep in the water you’ve swam into and would want to forfeit or break a deal but you want this don’t you?”

“Mr President, this is deeper than me, many men before me where stripped of opportunities, land, names and basic human dignity, to build this beautiful country and for me to throw that away now, when we’re at the last quarter would be a shame”

“It is a beautiful country isn’t it Mr Washington? we wouldn’t want the beautiful people in it to worry about it now would we?”

“I said it was a beautiful country, nothing bout its people”

“Be that as it may, you know we have enemies that would like to see this country fall and rumor around the farm is that you’re ur in cahoots with those evil people Mr Washington”

“Well that depends, where  are the rumors coming from Mr President?”

“The chickens are clucking Mr Washington, now this is simple we can go ahead with this in which I guarantee we will win and not only win but make an example out of you and your family or you can relinquish all “power” you have, I give you 2 days to say bye to your family and lock you up for the remainder of your days, and the way I see it, you don’t have that much left”

“Well Mr President I suggest you strap your boots up, it’s about to be a cold winter”.

Rahim came back home took a hot bath, went into his sons play room where Cindy was playing with him. He kneeled down and hugged Them both, Cindy grabbed his head slouched on the floor with him and kissed him, she didn’t need to know how the meeting went. She knew the time had come.

Chapter 8- Too much Power

It was weirdly calm in the Washington household. Mrs Debra was handing out sweets to the kid’s running up and down the house, the wives where gossiping about what they thought was going to happen in the kitchen, and the men of the family where outside the yard around the fire. Rahim came in the house late with Cindy and their son, he had stopped to get more liquor and presents for his mom.

“Sammy can you help Owen with the shit in the car, his outside”

Rahim proceeded to hug and kiss everyone in the kitchen, the living room, the dining room and finally the fireplace. When the food was ready Mrs Debra called everyone in the dining room, Rahim was put at the head of the table. There was so much food it felt like it would fall off the table, when everyone had stuffed food to the rim of their plate Rahim stood up with his whiskey glass to make a toast.

“Family, we’ve Always stood firm against the storm of evil souls that have tried to destroy this family, as I look at you I see the generations that our ancestors helped build, look at us, beautiful as can be, intelligent as can be, wealthy as can be. And all this came with hard work, from each and everyone of you. I just wanted to thank you. For being what you where meant to be, Beautiful, well except for Sammy...I’m just joking”

The rest of the night was filled with laughter and reminiscent chatter, photo albums where open, Motown jams serenaded the atmosphere and children danced for hundred dollar bills. The next day Rahim took Cindy to the hair salon uptown.

“Ayt baby I’m just swinging to the hardware store for the drill and I’ll pick you up in an hour”

“See you soon Mr Washington”

They kissed and Rahim was off to the hardware store, he decided to spend an extra twenty minutes just glancing at things he was not going to buy, this was better than chatting about future baby plans with the ladies of Cindy’s salon. As he turned the corner into the road the salon was in he saw Cindy already outside talking to one of the shop vendors. He also saw a black car across the road from Cindy opening its windows. A silver pistol poked out the window and fired 7 shots, Cindy fell to the floor, opened her bag and fired 3 shots herself. Rahim sped his car but the the car sped across the intersection and had left a trail of cars jumping into the wrong lane. Rahim quickly came out of his car and ran to Where Cindy was. His heart felt like it would beat a hole out of his chest, tears already streamed down his face, he fell to the floor next to her.

“Baby are you okay! Are you hurt! Where did they get you!”

“I’m okay I’m okay”

Rahim helped her up and patted her body like a mad man to check for blood but she was okay. They rushed quickly into the car and sped to get home. Cindy rushed into the house and hugged her son and Rahim held them both. Later that afternoon Rahim sat by the fire with a glass of whiskey and a cigar. He knew that the government would attack but this was sloppy of them, they wouldn’t do it like this and even if they did want to send a message it would be more direct. He figured that one of the mobs had sold out. His head kept on seeing the silver gun that popped out the window of the car. The more he thought about it the more it came to him that he had seen that gun, numerous times, in fact his seen that gun ever since he was 17. He rushed up to his room, put on his trench coat and jumped into his car, he sped to Owens house and told him what had happened, Owen grabbed his gun and jumped in the car with Rahim, they drove to Sammy’s house, Sammy saw Rahim’s car and ran straight into the garage into his car. He backed up the drive way and before he could make a turn to speed off Rahim’s car rammed into his door pushing it against the wall. When the smoke cleared Rahim pulled Sammy out of the car and into his trunk, they drove to the harbor and dumped Sammy into an empty space used for wrecked boat parts and broken cargo containers. Owen  stood behind Sammy pointing a gun at him and Rahim took a chair and sat infront of him.

“Now I know you’re a stupid mother fucker but this stupid Sammy, this fucking stupid! You’d turn your back against the family? Huh!”

“What fucking family Rah? Ever since I was born I’ve been pushed out of this family”

“Shut the fuck up, you chose to do that Sammy, not anyone of us. it was you, you play this wounded dog act to gain sympathy and even when you do get the sympathy you grovel for it’s still never enough”

“Fuck you Rah”

“My wife Sammy, you where the best man in my wedding man”

“I don’t give a fuck about you Rah, your little make shift brother here Owen, this family or that bitch you call a wife”

“You know, as I was driving here I thought of ways of killing you and to be honest, I didn’t have any, I realized I ran out of em, ever since we where young I’ve thought about killing you and I realized I’ve finally ran out of ideas cause I ran through them all, so I’m not gonna kill you Sammy. You’re still my brother. What you gonna do now is hop into that boat, it’s gonna take you to county island where you will hop into an aero plane that will fly you to Spain, to the worlds top ranked disability and injured rehabilitation center where you will spend out the rest of your miserable life, you’ll call mom every week and tell her nothing of what you did or what happened, tell her you couldn’t stand being in the family anymore or whatever pitiful shit you can muster up your ass this time”

“Why the fuck would I go to a disability center in fucking Spain”

“Because Sammy, when we’re done with you, you’d wish that we killed you”

Owen grabbed a chain saw and gave it to Rahim, Owen then singled three men into the room and they rolled a table into the center of room. They pinned a screaming Sammy onto the table.

“So I cut right into the born doc?” Rahim asked one of the men

“Yeap, he’ll feel everything we just have to make sure he doesn’t bleed out and stays conscious”

Sammy cried and pleaded with Rahim, he screamed for help but only heard his own echo and the motor of the chain saw, Rahim cut  Into the flesh of Sammy’s legs, blood splattered in every direction, Sammy’s cries could be heard from the end of the world, Rahim slashed and cut both Sammy’s legs, he put down the chain saw, looked at the agony on his brothers face, looked backed at the chain saw and asked the doctor

“Can we cut his hands aswell?”

Sammy, leg less and armless was then put into a boat with medical equipment to keep him alive. Rahim had taken the one thing that Sammy used his whole life, his freedom and without that he was good as dead. as the boat disappeared into the dark blue waters Rahim gazed on it with tears in his eyes, and a pool of blood drenched on his body. Owen put his hand on Rahims shoulders and said

“It’s time to go home man”

The US governments had sent their first shot and used Rahims own flesh and blood. He knew that they would play dirty but this was a hit he was not expecting. He gathered up all his family members and sent them into different parts of the world, the Washington family had friends in every part of the world, they also had money invested in every part of the world so it wasn’t hard to pack everyone up.  He flew his mother, Cindy and his son, uncle Thomas and Elijah and Owens wife and kids to South Africa in Abè’s estate. He then made a call to Russians to send down fire arms. Within 5 days they where packed and delivered to the Fermount boat harbor. Rahim ordered bombs to be set off in the heart of the United States, Washington DC. On March 2nd 1987 the first civil attack by the Washington family was felt the world over, twelve thousand people in the senate where killed as the US presidency held their annual democratic  state meeting. News traveled fast of how a terrorist family had shaken the very foundations of  the United States. The president called for an immediate call of action to stop the Washington family. Rahim knew that they needed more help from Russia but when he called the president he told Rahim what the US had done, the US government knew that the Washington family was getting backing from Russia so they promised to send a nuclear bomb if they didn’t stop working with the Washington family as they would have grounds to consider Russia as an accomplice to US terrorist attacks.

The US army and Federal Bureau of investigations took to the city of Fermount to find and kill Rahim, he knew that they would eventually catch him so he decided to meet his family in South Africa, and fly with them to Alaska. As he loaded his getaway truck with Owen, US soldiers burst into his yard, they had gotten through the heavy guarded gates and made a B line for the drive way. Rahim and Owen Took the underground get away bunker, a bullet hit Owens legs and he fell to the floor. Rahim tried to pick him up as they made it out the bunker into the exit to the woods. But Owen had lost a lot of blood, He couldn’t continue anymore, with tears in Rahim’s s face he pushed to carry Owen and fell to the floor. Rahim screamed and used all his might to try pick him up but they were slowing down. Owen grabbed his friends hand and said “it’s okay”

“No man I can pick you up don’t fucking give up on me Owen”

“Mate we can’t do this, you need to go, we’ve made it this far man this is where our journey ends”

“No Owen please” tears flowed down Rahim’s face and it felt like he was crying out his soul.

“Listen, tell Elizabeth I love her man, tell my kids about me everyday and tell them that daddy loves them with all his heart, take care of my kids man, take care of my fucking kids Rah, please man”

“You have my word brother, I love you”

Rahim kissed Owens hand, got up, looked back one more, nodded his head and said goodbye to his friend”

Owen took out his gun and put it to the temple of his head.

As Rahim ran through the woods he heard a bang, stopped, looked back for a second and continued to run.

Chapter 8 - let blood run

Rahim had thought that there was no place colder than Fermount, until he spent his first night in Alaska. It was so cold that you would think your thoughts where frozen, it didn’t make it any better that they had a house on top of a mountain but like any good Washington he adapted, his family adapted,  to the conditions, to the constant paranoia, to the inevitability of being caught and to the realization that they would probably never see their families again. Two years had passed since the US government seized every Washington asset known to man. Many of the Washington men had been incarcerated on false chargers and the government paraded the end of organized crime. Rahim’s promise held strong though, none of his business partners where harassed and business continued to run as normal even if it was on a smaller scale. The government realized that Rahim’s plan worked, they had chased the wrong people and because they paraded the end the Washington family in the media they could not go after the real partners of the Washington family. Firstly because they didn’t know where to start without the head of the Washington family. with every Washington man who entered those jail cells not one word was uttered about the families dealings and partners and secondly the public would accuse the US government of wasting money in finding the sole proprietors of organized crime when they had experienced their first recession in 70 years and still had a drug and Cold War to fight. The US President was persistent on finding Rahim and after two years of sniffling him out, the US government made its way to The Alaskan mountains.

Rahim and Cindy walked down the mountain every morning to collect bore water while Mrs Debra and Rah’s sisters set up the table for breakfast. Luis Jr loved the snow and would play in it all day. He had grown so much and looked exactly like Rahim. The morning was colder than usual but the sky was clear, Cindy noticed that Rahim was tense and didn’t talk much during the hike down.

“Baby, you okay?”

“Huh?”

“I said are you okay?”

Rahim looked into her beady eyes, the same eyes he had fallen in love with when he meet her in New Guinea. Her nose was colored with a brush of red, her skin glowed and her hair was full and vibrant. He kissed her and said

“It’s time hunny bunny”

“Time for what Rah?” She replied

He put down the buckets in his hands and grabbed her shoulders.

“They’ve found us”

As if choreographed, one tear dropped down Cindy’s cheek and she asked

“How long do we have”

“How long do you You guys have”

“Wait what, you can’t stay Rah they’re gonna kill you”

“If I leave with you guys you’ll always have a target behind your back, we’ll never grow old and sit on a porch in our big home in Texas and watch our grandkids play in the yard if I don’t do this”

“But babe-“

“Baby listen, what did I tell you in that island bar in New Guinea?”

“That wherever I go you would follow till death”

“And I’m not gonna break that promise, okay”

“Okay”

“Immediately after breakfast a car will come to fetch you, mom, my sisters and Luis Jr. it will drive you to an old military flight school, if you don’t see the military flight school in about 30 mins after you leave from here I want you to shoot that mother fucker clean in the head. You’ll be put in a plane that will fly you guys to New Guinea”

Cindy smiled and kissed him.

“Now I want you to take the black brief case under our bed and give it to Abè, he’ll be waiting for you when you land, and whatever happens-“

Before he could finish what he was about to say Cindy hugged him and said, nothing will happen, we’ll see you soon okay”

“Okay”

Night hit the Alaskan mountains and the fog had masked the house in blinding white snow. Rahim sat alone in the dining room of the small wood house he had made a home for the last two years. He looked around the kitchen and smiled thinking about all the meals they had in here, maybe it was the cold or because the wooden house was so small that they had to be in each others faces but this house reminded him of Fermount, it reminded him of when his dad used to take him and his brother to baseball games, it reminded him of the nights in parking lots he would speed with fast girls and his best friend Owen and it reminded him of waking up 10 minutes earlier just to watch the sun kiss his wife’s face as she woke up. He knew that he would have to sacrifice something if he wanted his families name to live on, he knew the stakes would be high when he drenched his blood on that grave and he knew his dad would be proud of him. As the night lingered he heard commotion and he knew they had arrived. The Alaskan police force together with the US army burst into the property with vehicles going up to the house. Helicopters flew over the mountain with bright lights illuminating the little wooden house. Rahim waited until the vehicles made it close to the house and without warning a huge explosion blew up the house together with the mountain, and an avalanche of fire engulfed every army and police car that was close to the mountain. Alaska was on fire.

In the next few weeks the press was flooded with news of how the US government had killed the terrorist Mob boss Rahim Jackson in Alaska. The New Yorker read

“The Washington’s wicked rain of terror has finally ended.”

Chapter 9 - We multiply

On the noon of August 24th 1991, US government files where leaked to the media. With evidence linking the US government to war crimes, plans to invade Oil countries and civilian surveillance with news of government corruption being leaked on a daily basis. This hit the US government like a shit storm, the public wanted answers, the United Nations condemned the US for its inherent evil human right violations and in every state of the US and every country in the world civilians rioted and protested for answers. The US economy took a hit and trade sanctions were discussed. The White House was frantic and no one had heard anything from the president, he was not answering any calls and he didn’t send out even one press conference. As the president talked to his delegates in his office his secretary burst into his office and said

“Sir you have someone on the phone for you”

“I think it can wait Mika I’m busy with something here”

“Sir, you’re gonna want to take this”

He knew who it was but he didn’t want to believe it, he walked slowly to the white plastic telephone waiting for him on his secretary’s desk, as the delegates, counselors, mayors and military advisors watched, he picked up the phone

“Mr President, I believe I have something you need, I think it’s time we struck a deal don’t you think?.”

The end.

[ad1thi]

3000

this caps at 3676 words, which is the most ive written ever; and this fic is my absolute baby i have never slaved over something more so please give her some love

--

Morgan Stark was, is, a strange woman

She’s quiet where her father was loud, stoic where her mother is loving, calm where her family is grieving

--

She wasn’t always like this

She hears snippets from her mother when Mom thinks she’s asleep; of how loud and boisterous and full of life she was

The tipping point, her mother muses over a glass of wine to Zia Nat, was her sixth birthday party

--

See Morgan, Morgan isn’t like everybody else

Everybody else got back their father and husband and brother and son in the Great War

Morgan lost hers

She was 3 years old, but her father always said she was exceptionally smart for her age

but this, this she didn’t quite understand until she was 6 years old

She knew her father had died, he’d died saving everybody’s life of course she knew that (how could she forget when its all anyone talked about, its all she saw all around her, the consequences of his death) but she never knew quite what it meant until her sixth birthday

--

The house is loud, louder than it usually is

Mom has invited ‘round all of her friends, and all of Morgan’s classmates from school too

There’s a healthy amount of awe and wonder in the room, and Morgan; Morgan is sitting in her room watching the hologram her father left for her sixth birthday

God, you’re growing up so fast,” hologram-him says, six already huh tesero? six is a big year isn’t it, first year of elementary, carrying your own lunches like a borghese, god i’m so proud of you. i want you to remember to enjoy yourself this year huh tesoro? ti amo 3000

Its how her mother finds her, moving towards a hologram that frozen in the motion of cupping her cheek; and tilting her head ever so slightly to put into the empty space that his hand’s left

“mai?” Morgan whispers, when she feels a hand on her shoulder, “he’s never coming back?”

“No mon coeur,” her mother whispers, and she crumbles like a marionette has cut her strings

--

After that, she changes

--

She knows what’s expected of her

The daughter of Anthony Edward Stark, grand daughter of Howard Walter Stark, niece of the Avengers

(if anyone ever asked, she’d tell them how much she hated the labels)

--

She’s subdued in class, makes 2 friends her entire year and keeps to herself

(Riri and Kamala are blessings)

She’s whipsmart but she never raises her hand, runs like a dream but never tries out for track; and only paints when nobody else is watching

--

On her eighth birthday, when she opens the door to see Uncle Steve’s hopeful face; she closes it 

“I don’t want them here,” she says, making it half way up the stairs before turning around and saying, “Maybe Uncle Bucky can stay”

--

When she’s 14, Uncle Bucky asks her what she wants for her birthday as they’re looking over the lake near her house and she says “I want you to teach me how to fight”

And he nods once

--

They start with the basics, hand to hand combat; and graduate to knifes and guns within a matter of months

He only asks her once why she wants to learn and she says, “My father was Tony Stark. It’s in my blood”

He smiles at all, all bloody from where she managed to clock his nose and never asks again

--

guardati tesoro mio, her father says on her fifteen birthday, all grown up and shit. do a little spin for your papa, let him see what you’re wearing

and its a hologram and she knows he’s not really there; but she spins anyway

fifteen, thats a big year right? Taylor Swift’s got a song about it and everything

He walks towards her, bending down so they’re eye level and Morgan swears she can feel their nose touching

it means you’re going on dates and shit, and i don’t know how i feel about that, his nose scrunches up like he’s smelt something foul, i guess i’ll just have to greet all your dates wearing the ironman suit huh. god thats a brilliant idea; weed out the weak ones by seeing who pees themselves or who gets overly cocky

Morgana he says, turning sharply from where he’s ranting, your dad is a genius, never forget that

“mai” she whispers into the open air, tears falling freely

--

Every year, her mother asks if she can invite the avengers over for her birthday, and every year Morgan says no

There are exceptions of course

Zio Rhodey, Zia Natasha, Uncle Bucky

Peter when he has time to spare, and Harley whenever he isn’t holed up in an SI workshop

but never anyone else

--

The first time Morgan brings Riri home and introduces her as her girlfriend instead of her bestfriend, an Ironman suit falls out of the sky

Her mother flinches back on instinct, Riri pales, and Morgan laughs until she cries

“Protocol: Tesoro is initiated,” intoned the automated voice before it shifts to the lilt of her father, “So, you wanna date my daughter”

“Yes sir,” Riri squeaks from where she’s hiding behind Morgan, and her mother is trying desperately not to cry

There’s a pregnant silence before her father’s voice says,”Her background checks out, you can date her”

and Morgan is turning to press her lips to Riri’s cheek; mindful of the glint in Riri’s eyes when she moves past the fear and takes in the armour, and thinks to herself no, i can’t

--

“Why Bucky,” her mother asks once, “You let nobody else in but you let in Bucky. Why Bucky?”

Morgan takes in a deep breath, “Zio stays because he’s the closest thing I have to a father. Zia stays because she’s the closest thing you have to a lover,” Morgan ignores the flush on her mother’s cheek, “and Bucky stays because he’s the only person who sees me”

“Je t’adore mama, but you see me and you also see Papa, they see me and they see Papa”

“Bucky? Bucky just sees me”

--

She’s 25 and still dating Riri, who’s around more than she’s not; now that she’s working under Zio Rhodey

It’s late at night, and Morgan extracts herself from Riri’s limp arms- shrugs on the first piece of clothing she can find, makes her way down the stairs

She takes in a deep breath, and turns on her father’s interface for the first time in 22 years

It’s still one of the most advanced pieces of technology out there; even if Morgan is cataloging all the ways she can make it better

“Pull up,” her voice cracks, ‘Pull up my father’s last project”

and in front of her, the room lights up in the shape of a mobius strip, inverted

--

She applies and gets a job at Pym Industries, and her mother furrows her brow but congratulates her all the same

She moves up the ranks seamlessly, except for one isolated incident when she drop kicks someone and sends them to the hospital because they call her little miss

Hope Pym adores her, and she gets privileges in R&D that she knows nobody else has

(she doesn’t know if its because she’s Tony Stark’s daughter, or because Hope genuinely thinks she’s that smart- but she doesn’t question it)

And there, after hours, in the laboratory where it all started; she puts her plan into motion

--

When she’s 27, Zio Rhodey falls sick

She’s in the middle of hour 73 of her work binge, and she’s so close to recreating the Pym Particles when an arm on her shoulder startles her and throws her into a defensive position

Her mind clears slightly when her would-be attacker’s head is between her thighs, and she scrambles back in shock when she realises its Riri

“When I said I was into trying new things in bed,” Riri’s voice is raspy from where Morgan’s knee pressed against her throat, “this isn’t what I had in mind”

“What are you doing here?” she asks, pointedly ignoring the bruises forming around her neck

“Its your Zio Rhodey,” she says solemnly, and there’s a tang in her voice when she says Zio; a word that doesn’t belong on Riri’s tongue, “he’s in the hospital”

Morgan is numb all over, going through the motions as she saves her work and slips on her jacket

She’s silent on the drive over to the hospital, fingers drumming against the door of the car

Logically, she always knew her parents were much older than most; her mama was on the verge of 40 when they had her and her father was pushing 54 when he died. She always knew that Zio Rhodey was growing old, but she never expected it to catch up to him quite this quickly

“Hi there squirt,” he whispers from the hospital room, moving up to clasp her face in his hands before groaning in pain

She rushes over and eases him back into a comfortable position, raising his hand to her mouth and kissing the back of his palm lightly, “What’s this then Zio Rhodey?”

He sighs, “The braces that your father built me gave out on me, and I fell down a flight of stairs”

She gets up, looking around for the braces, “I have a toolkit in the car I can tweak it a bi-”

She’s cut off when Zio pulls her down with surprising force, “Have I ever told you?” he asks, like she hadn’t spoken, “how much you remind me of your father?”

She slumps against the chair and indulges him, “Only everytime you see me”

He grimaces slightly, “I do say it a lot don’t I?” 

“It’s only because I see so much of him in you squirt. His drive, his big heart, his desire to help everyone,” he nods slightly at Riri, “his taste in women”

He moves slightly when Morgan squats at him, cackling; and Morgan pretends the hand squeezing around her heart is fear that Zio might not make it the night

“I know I’m not your real father,” he says softly, reaching out to cup her face, “but I do love you like my own Morgana”

“And he would be so proud of you”

His eyes go glassy just then, washing over and un-focusing, and she’s about to call for a nurse when her Zio says, “Tony? Why the fuck have you grown out your hair then?”

and it clicks

Dementia

She turns to Riri to ask how they all could’ve missed this, but her gaze is furtive and it takes but a second for Morgan to realise that the only one who missed this was her

--

“How could you not tell me?” she roars, as Riri stares defiantly back, “he is my Zio!”

“He asked me not to, said he didn’t want to burden you while you were busy with your work,” Riri replies, “Plus, you never step out of that lab anywhere I was sure nothing short of a heart attack would remind you that he even exists”

“That is a low blow Ri”

“Is it?” Riri stands up, “I don’t see you, Peter and Harley work ‘round the clock to make sure Pepper doesn’t miss her daughter, and I cannot remember the last time you came over for dinner”

“My work is important!” she yells, but she might as well have been yelling into empty air, because Riri’s face hardens

“So are we Morgan,” she’s near the door when she turns back and says, softly, “I know losing your father hit you hard. But you still have a parent who’s alive”

--

Morgan and Riri break up the next day

Morgan always knew it was coming, ever since Riri became Ironheart

She just never expected it so soon

--

She keeps a constant vigil at Zio’s bedside, until the hospital kick her out

She can’t go back to her lab, not when he’s so fragile; so she cashes in all her leave from the last 3 years and shows up to the cabin with a large suitcase

“Morgan?” her mother’s grown so frail, and Morgan feels a stab of regret that she hasn’t been around more

“Je suis ici mama,” her mother crumbles against her like like there's nothing holding her up anymore, sobbing into her shirt

“Je suis désolé, ça a pris si longtemps”

--

Her mother bustles around the kitchen, clearly desperate for anything to do

“Mama,” she calls out a few times, before getting up and physically grabbing her mother in her arms and stilling her

“Mama its okay,” she says softly, guiding her to the sofa, “you don’t have to do anything”

“Mon coeur, you’ve come home after so long and I can’t even cook for you,” her mother has gotten so weak without Morgan noticing, and the guilt festers

Riri was right, she had forgotten about her mother, too caught up in her work

She runs her fingers through her mother’s hair, manoeuvring her so they’re on the sofa, “I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long Mama,” she whispers

“but I’m here now”

--

Her leave gives her a full 2 months off and she splits her time between the cabin and the hospital, until Zio is ready to be moved to the cabin

She calls up Harley for the first time in 3 years and he comes down the following weekend, and they brainstorm over the ideas that her father left uncompleted

“20 years later and he’s taking me to school,” Harley whistles lowly, “not bad for a mechanic”

After dinner, Morgan curls up against her mother, who obligingly runs her piano fingers through Morgan’s hair

“Harley’s good at SI,” she starts off, “did business as a minor in Stanford”

Her mother hums, “I’m half convinced he’s your father’s bastard”

“You should name him CEO,” she turns so she’s facing her mother completely, “he’ll be good”

She stills above Morgan, “you,” she pauses and takes a breath, “you don’t want it?”

She shakes her head, and pretends like she doesn’t see how her mother’s entire body shakes

“Your father did always like to be left to his own devices,” she says finally and if Morgan tries really hard, she can pretend like she hasn’t disappointed her mother, “I’ll talk to the Board tomorrow, but they’re going to give me hell”

Her mother sounds so defeated Morgan almost takes it back, but the photo frame of her papa and mama catches her eye; and she holds her tongue

--

She finagles and negotiates with Hope, and gets permission to work from home.

(not that Hope had much choice, Morgan had set Pym Inc decades ahead of every company and finally put them in close competition with Stark Industries, but it was the principle of the thing)

A team of 5 come in and renovate the basement into a lab that’s workable, and Morgan breathes easier

She spends her days with her mother and Zio Rhodey, and her nights

working

--

“Pull up the simulation again,” she says into the open air and pulls apart the mobius strip, running each equation individually

“JOCASTA,” she calls out, “run the enhanced Pym Particles against my father’s software”

She rummages around the mini fridge for juice pops, sucking the first one in her mouth 

“Simulation complete,” her best decision by date was to give JOCASTA an italian accent

She turns back to the screen, and stumbles back into her chair

“Shit,” she says, breathing heavily- looking but not comprehending the screen in front of her

“Shit,” she says again, because it bares repeating, because she is the third person to ever crack time travel

--

30 is a big year tesero, her father’s AI says as she slips into a red dress and walks down to greet the guests

After 22 years, she’s agreed to let the Avengers back onto the cabin; and the naked gratitude on Uncle Steve’s face when she moved aside instead of slamming the door like she did every year was another chink in that guilt deep in her gut

you’re so big now tesero, her father says, leaning against the wall when she wraps her arms around Riri and thanks her for coming

where does the time fly? the hologram dissipates when she comes near her Zio Rhodey, and she looks away as he dabs away a set of tears 

“i’m sorry squirt,” he says when he’s settled a bit more, “the holograms still get to me I guess. But 30 huh?” 

“Big day,” he says decisively before his eyes go glassy again

She wraps her hands around him, looking at the space left by her father’s hologram and thinks, you have no idea

--

--

Steve knocks on the door of the cabin, as he does every year

Sam is waiting for him in the car, stubbornly refusing to turn off the gas because she’s just going to turn us away man i don’t why we do this year every year

But he comes every year with Steve, so Steve suspects he knows why

(because Steve loved her father)

(because Steve killed her father)

(because Tony died to save everybody else)

Bucky left the Compound a few hours earlier, since he’d promised Pepper and Nat that he’d help with the cake

That had taken some time to get used to, the fact that Morgan allowed Bucky to be a part of her life and not Steve

(in the darkest parts of his mind, Steve admits that he hates it, that he wanted to be the one teaching Morgan to protect herself, to be the one loving her)

He knocks on the door and waits, and like clockwork Morgan opens the door and assesses him like he’s under a microscope

And then

She moves aside, letting him in

Steve’s knees threaten to buckle, but he holds it together just long to ask, “Are- are you sure?” 

She stares at him mulishly, and Steve can’t help but compare it to a pre coffee Tony, “Are you looking to piss me off Rogers? Come in before I change my mind, and tell Birdbrain in the Maserati to turn off his engine because he’s killing the planet my father gave his life to protect”

Steve nods like she’s a drill sergeant and she shifts inside, seemingly satisfied with that 5 second interaction

--

Steve is on alert the entire party, flitting between being elated to celebrate Morgan’s 30th with her and wary that she’ll kick him out

She disappears upstairs once everyone’s trickled in, and comes down in a simple red summer dress, hair slicked back

There’s a hologram of Tony hovering behind her, muttering in her ear, and it knocks the air out of him, because he’s here but he’s not all at the same time and Steve dimly wonders if the pain of losing Tony Stark will get any easier

(from the glistening cheeks around him, and the surreptitious way Morgan wipes her eyes, the answer seems to be no)

The crowd moves around Morgan and her father, as if Tony’s really here instead of just a product of his tech; but dissipates into the air when Morgan goes over to Rhodey

Rhodey, who’s in a wheelchair

Everyone around him is frail and old, the signs of ageing so evident on their face and physique; while Bucky and Steve look like they’ve just touched 40

Morgan is settled down in Rhodey’s lap and laughing at something that he said, but there’s this gleam in her eyes that sits with Steve wrong, which is why he makes his way over to Peter

His relationship with Peter was hard work, almost a decade of back and forth before he let his guard down around Steve and joined the Avengers under his command

“Hey,” he says, smoothly cutting through whatever conversation Harley and Peter are having, “Mind if I borrow the spiderkid for a second?”

Harley spread his arms wide, “He’s all yours. Damn idiot hurts my brain”

“I’m only 4 years younger THAN YOU!” Peter yells the last part to Harley’s retreating back, huffing when Harley gives him the bird - before turning to Steve, “What’s up?”

“You have your suit on you?”

Peter rubs at his chest where the nanites are stored, “Always. Everything okay?”

“Yeah I just,” Steve sighs, “Something seems off”

“Ah the Cap sense, never gets old”

“Just be alert okay?” and he waits for a second before he adds, “and keep an eye on Morgan. I don’t want her getting hurt”

--

They’re in the middle of dinner when Steve notices her slip away, glancing back and forth before making her way down to -

isn’t that the way to Tony’s lab?

He looks up and catches Peter’s eye, nodding once before following Morgan

Its not easy, Bucky obviously taught her well, but Steve’s been hiding from Bucky since before she was born

She punches in the override code and slips in, and Steve has a 5 second warning to avert his eyes and she thumbs out of her dress

When he looks back, she’s slipped into something that resembles the undersuit Tony used to wear; but modified somehow

She’s very engrossed in the screen in front of her so its easy to follow her into the lab, but nothing can stop him from keeping quiet when he sees what she’s working on

--

--

“What are you doing with Tony’s time travel device?”

shit

Morgan turns to face Steve Rogers, adjusting the suit around her

“What are you doing here Rogers?”

“I asked first”

She chances a glance behind her, and the simulation needs a few more seconds to boot, she has to stall

Steve looks frozen between between going up and calling reinforcements, and making his way over to her, which works in her favour

She pulls at the last strap

“27 years ago,” she says, and there’s just a couple of seconds before all of this is fixed, “you killed my father.”

“I’m going back in time to save his life”

And before he can react, she presses down on the Pym Particles; closing her eyes as a blinding flash covers the room

--

--

Steve instinctively raises his arms against the light, and when he lowers them again, she’s gone.

Fin

--

hope you liked it!

--

italian translations:

tesoro- treasure borghese- commoner/ civilian/ middle-class person (its meant to be a joke not an insult) ti amo 3000- i love you 3000 mai- never guardati tesoro mio- look at you my treasure zio/zia- uncle/aunt

(all translations are taken off google translate!!)

french translations:

mon coeur- my sweetheart/ my heart j’adore mama- i love you mama je suis ici mama- i’m here mama je suis désolé, ça a pris si longtemps- im sorry it took so long

[blankdblank]

Loki Baby Pt 5

…    Pt 1 - Pt 2 - Pt 3 - Pt 4 - ...

Wk 19 -- “…I left it in my room…”

… @sdavid09​, @theincaprincess​, ...

Through the line giggles filled the room Scott and his little girl were playing and joking around for a few moments before the father answered, “Scott here.”

Tony smirked answering, “Scott, Tony Stark here, got a job for you and that suit of yours.”

“Um,” he said glancing at his girl moving onto putting together some snacks, “Tony, I don’t know about that, last time in Germany-,”

“This is not about that, trust me, this will not have any federal repercussions. It is entirely domestic, child play really for a pro like you.”

Scott’s brows furrowed and he leaned against the doorframe asking, “If it is so simple then why me?”

“Because the target hates me and I need an alibi.”

His lips pursed for a moment then he asked, “This is not an approval, but, what am I supposed to be after?”

Tony, “I need you to break in and take this pen,”

Scott laughed out loud, “A pen?!”

Tony, “It looks like a pen, but it isn’t, and I need you to get it so I can test it and find out what it is exactly.”

With a tilt of his head Scott’s lip curled for a moment and he turned to grin and wave at his daughter and said, “Send me the details, I’ll scope it out.”

“Good, fifteen grand in it for you when you deliver the pen.” Scott had to hold back his giddy laugh and sharing of the deal until the following morning when he went in to work in handing off his little girl for the weekend trip to an amusement park out in Florida.

.

Off to his job he raced and through the door he stepped with arms out saying, “None of you are going to guess who just hired me for a job today.”

Kurt, “Bruce Springsteen.”

Dave turned to look at him with a momentarily scrunched face, “Man, no way is Bruce Springsteen even on our radar.” Looking to Scott he said, “Ugh,” he said snapping his fingers, “What is that guys name?” Again he snapped then pointed at Scott, “Guy Fierri!”

Kurt, “Who is Guy Fierri?”

Dave, “He’s that tv chef with blonde spiked hair and that dark goatee. My lady’s got me hooked on these cooking shows, and-,”

Kurt, “Oh, yes I saw that Kitchen Rescue show. Cannot get enough.”

Luis turned in his chair after having untangled his chair from the phone and internet cable looking over the trio as Scot waved his hands, “Guys! No!”

Dave sighed leaning back in his chair faking interest in the change of subject, “Fine Scott, who did hire you?”

“Tony Stark!” He replied quickly receiving a room full of blinks. “Guys, ok, I know what you’re thinking, after the Germany thing, though this time, this time entirely domestic and so simple!”

Kurt, “What, he wants to have us install security system in one of his offices?”

Dave, “Nah man, he’s got his own grid, why would he go about hiring us?”

Scott bounced on his feet in a momentary crouch, “He wants me to steal a pen!” Brows rose and he added, “For fifteen grand! Though it’s not really a pen he thinks it just looks like a pen and he wants me to get it so he can check it out.”

Kurt’s eyes narrowed, “Is it pen gun?”

Scott’s eyes turned to Dave as he said, “Ooh, one of those poison dart pens? Saw one of those in a spy film once.”

Kurt, “Can’t be a grapple hook pen, completely illogical.”

Dave, “From that Johnny English film, yes!” turning to Scott he asked, “Why you?”

Scott looked between them then said, “Apparently he’s hated by the person with the pen and needs an alibi.”

Luis climbed out of his chair to join the others as Kurt asked, “Who’s the target? Some mastermind villain?”

Scott glanced at his phone rereading the message with all the info in it, “Some lady named Jaqi Pear.”

Luis, “Woah, woah, woah! Back that bus up you are not telling me that you accepted a job to rob one of the sweetest ladies on this planet, not counting my Grandma and your little girl. Cuz man, if you did I gotta judge our friendship a bit closer for your motives on that spectrum siding with Stark against the sweetest lady on the planet!”

The whole speech fired out rapidly and nearly had Scott reeling before he replied, “How do you know her? I’ve never heard of her.”

Kurt, “Pear? Like the fruit Pear?”

Scott nodded and Dave waved his hand and clicked his tongue, “Man, you mean you accepted a job from the woman who backed our company loan?!”

Scott, “Wait, what?! No, I though Master Industries backed us.”

Kurt, “Master, founded by a Miss Pear, the leading security and technology company in this country with resources even Stark cannot touch.”

Scott haltingly replied, “I, did, not, know that…”

Luis crossed his arms, “So, what does this Stark assume the sweetest lady on the planet ever could possibly be up to with this pen?”

Scott shrugged, “I don’t know man, he just said he wanted the pen.” Looking his friend over he asked, “Wait, how does one of the biggest tech and security companies take the time and money to invest in our band of misfits?”

Luis clicked his tongue, “Man, that goes way back to my Mom, when she was fresh out of high school,” with a grin he pointed at himself, “She just had me, and she needed  place to get a job, and she heard from these guys on the street corner while waiting for the bus that this ‘dragon lady’ had spent half an hour railing them on their credentials and kicked them to the curb. Well, moms was straight up impressed, cuz these guys were in like top of the line suits with those really shiney shoes, one of ‘em wearing their Harvard pin on their tie. So she goes, ‘Hey, any chicka crazy enough to send these money bags off to the curb has got my interest.’ So she goes three blocks over skipping an interview for a maids job over to this just glass wrapped building thinking ‘Worst comes to worst I can shine the hell out of these windows and floors have this chicka working in a bomb office!’”

The guys nodded and Luis wet his lips saying, “So she goes right past the doorman, who for his nice suit didn’t say a thing bout her bringing me with her, and she strolled right up to the desk saying, ‘I came to see Miss Pear.’ Again no comment form the man behind the counter, kind of shifty in her mind at first, cuz they should have said something cuz she wasn’t really at the top of her game that day, her curling iron died and had to head out in last night’s makeup after a colicky night with me. But she gets told ‘go to the elevator’ so she does and up we go. Right in the line of suit clad guys Mom just sat her self down and waited for the line to go through, each time seeing a guy, who’s like a twin to the guy downstairs, only he’s got a red shirt on, who looked like the guy at the door, so she’s figuring maybe they’re all related somehow?”

Scott nodded, “Makes sense.”

Luis nodded and continued, “Right so surprisingly half an hour later the guy comes out again after the last guy looks at the list and turns around saying, ‘We have an unnamed applicant.’ And my Moms hears this honey dipped angelic voice say, ��Show them in.’ She gets up, little bit wobbly, cuz, again, not top of her game, but she draws it in and struts right in, just working the confidence and sits right down across from this just top notch woman. Sleek green dress leaned back in her leather chair just working her figure, with long curled ponytail laying over her chest and just this stunning smile though it wasn’t till she leaned forward and that’s when she saw it.”

Dave, “The pen?”

Luis, “What? No! Her eyes! Bright purple! Shook my Moms hand and asked her her name and how do you do’s and all that then she got to the big question, ‘What brings you in today?’ and Moms just busted out with her hearing about those guys and her just knowing that this would be the right place for her and said that she’d be grateful for even a cleaning job.”

Kurt, “So she got the job?”

Luis smiled wider, “Miss Pear gave her an assistant job,” parting their lips, “I know right! Ya, took a chance on my Moms, and she just nailed it right out of the park. Sure she’s a bit,” his teeth flashed in a tilt of his raised hands, “Low key immortal but all around-,”

Scott, “Wait, what?”

Dave, “Did you say immortal?”

Luis, “See, she’s older than I am, cuz clearly I was a baby at the interview, but Mom said it wasn’t that big of a deal cuz Gran met her once and said there was nothing shady there, ‘sometimes there’s just those that are sent down to bless’ and that’s what she did. Cuz for 25 years she employed my Moms and even helped to get me a better lawyer to take up my appeal case pro bono and then after I got out insisted she take time off and see a specialist for that lump she had on her neck. Turned out it was cancer, and even when the company insurance refused to pay Miss Pear paid for everything, even the driver service to get her to each appointment and when my Moms passed she got top of the line everything down the line.

And of course I felt a bit bad you know, my growing up in the office and then taking that wrong legal turn that maybe I shouldn’t go there, but we had such a great idea and I knew that she would understand my idea and that if there was a problem with the pitch she would help me fix it, so I called the number and she says just drop by. Right in my Moms old chair is my second cousin in law Trish, who just sent me right in saying she cleared her morning for me. We caught all up and she wanted to hear all about how I’ve been doing and cleaning up after getting out and then I showed her the plans and how the banks refused the loan applications and asked how I could fluff it up for the business world.

All she does is do what she always did to seal the deal, lean her way back in that chair, still one bomb chicka after all these years and she dials the phone and makes a call, says ‘Charles, I’m sending someone over, give it to him.’ Then looks over to me when she hangs up ‘Just head over to Brumson Bank head straight up to Charles’ desk and tell him I sent you.’ And,” Excitedly he mimed a bomb exploding, “Boom! We got our loan!” his grin dropped and he said to Scott, “Now tell me you didn’t take a job to rob the sweetest lady on the planet?”

Scott felt his stomach drop a foot lower in hearing how this woman had changed his best friend’s life and his own by backing their company and he rubbed the back of his neck, “Um, I mean, it’s just a pen.”

Dave pursed his lips for a moment then asked, “Maybe, you could just talk to her? Maybe explain the situation, she might let you take a picture of the pen or something.”

Kurt nodded, “Yes, any woman that kind may be understanding.”

Luis pulled out his phone saying, “I’m gonna give you her address and send her a message you’re dropping by her office, and you better clear this up!” Luis typed on his screen and then said, “She’s shopping right now but she’ll be in her office in an hour. She will see you then.”

Scott nodded and said, “Cool, cool…” his lips pursed a moment and he said, “Wonder why Stark said she hates him.”

*

Waffles filled the air of your apartment that Loki let himself into after an otter opened the door for him and closed it behind him. The usually alluring scent you gave off was nearly doubled making his fingers clench around the sleeves of his sweater as his slippers tapped silently across the carpet in your warm living room making his flannel pants seeming all the more cozy nearly driving him to curl up on one of your couches for some more sleep. A striking glimpse of you however halted him in his tracks, fully done up and dressed to the nines, but groggily pacing in a stunning aura of something he could only explain as ‘snuggle up with me’ you finished setting out the various clearly freshly made fruit jams and spreads for the waffles, cinnamon raisin bread and muffins you had made.

A brush of your curled bangs that fell into your face from behind your ear clearly from the mess of curls pulled up into a messy bun on top of your head. In passing the island to fetch the juice for you, and milk for the tea brewing he caught sight of the short shorts in yellow under your grey baggy t shirt, tall socks pulled up to your knee in moose slippers had him wetting his lips and moving closer. Turning your head you spotted him and even in your clearly drowsy expression he forced a grin onto his face reminding himself to breathe. You were stunning with makeup and now he had seen you untouched, sleep wrinkles and indents from pillows still pressed into your cheek. Though the thing overpowering him was the scent wafting off you.

“Morning.” He forced out and you grinned back turning to fetch the whistling kettle.

“I have tea, and so many things.” You said turning granting him a change to exhale and let his hand rest on the counter blinking through the surge of hormones racing through his body before burying that behind another grin. “Um, it’s all on the table, help yourself, be right there.”

He nodded and turned trying not to shake from the powerful waves crashing through his body urging him to close the distance between you. Into his seat he lowered and filled his plate with his eyes drifting back up to you, he was never one to be lost to the throws of lust and very rarely found himself even pretending he was sexually attracted to anyone. Yet his eyes locked on you and wouldn’t leave the longer he stared at you sending his blood pumping causing his left arm to drop to his waist to manage the visual issues of this sudden pull to you. Managing a cool tone he asked, “Did you sleep well?”

In a half turn holding the kettle your hand was raised smoothing around the back of your earring untangling a strand of hair from it as you answered, “Sort of, got woken up by this call-.” In a sudden lift of your gaze your fingers stroked along the skin under your ear not feeling the strip of pheromone blocker you normally added when you had company. The absence of which fully explaining the bright red eyes of Loki locked on you, the enhanced pheromones you inherited from your father mingled with your Time Lord genes only worsening your attraction abilities on others and even more so when you were ovulating, shaking your head you carried the kettle over and poured out into your mugs set out. His chest rising in his deep inhale as you drew closer to his side, “Just some work thing.” You set the kettle down on the cooling mat on the table and said, “I forgot something, …I left it in my room…right back,”

Turning to cross the floor to your stairs you felt his gaze following you as you mentally berated yourself. Blinking his eyes Loki felt the wave drop all at once in him after you crossed the first rug and the scents of the meal you had made leaving him absolutely puzzled for what had just happened. True he knew the most of Frost Giants and their home but nothing of their physical, or chemical makeup through their lives. They had no study on it. True his mother had done what she could to learn enough to help him through what he had assumed to be his only flash of puberty when he was younger, but this had never happened to him before.

Thor sure enough like other Asgardian males had gone through a flash of heat where he had to be managed to keep from populating a kingdom of his own like other males sent off to traditional secondary planets far from any females in their own wave of hormone fueled misery instantly evening out when separated from the other gender. Loki saw this, from a bystander’s view, feeling none of the agitation or rage at not being able to breed to their fullest potential, his came three years later and lasted twice as long spurring on a special job from his mother to hide this from others. But even that was nothing like this, instant on and off again instantly making him hope that this was not true and he would not be putting you in any danger by being around you through this. He would never hurt you or force you in any way but with your size difference and his clear silver tongue mastery of persuasion no doubt it could be left to you having no choice in the matter of sleeping with him surely ruining things if he could not control this.

Down again you came and thankfully his below the waist situation had calmed enough he could sit up straight and flash you a grin slightly uncertain of the much more diluted excitement in seeing you again somehow troubling him more than the initial surge of attraction. As if now he ached in missing the unhelped attraction he could not dream of fighting, though he could never dream of wishing to have that for anyone but you for an even more puzzling truth settling in his mind worrying him as to why. Flashing a grin of your own you felt the circular patch fading into your skin beneath your ear radiating your pheromones into an aura of green apples around you, a simple solution to a problem your parents had showed you how to make on your own when you were younger for this very reason.

Into your seat you lowered and Loki looked you over with eyes narrowing for a moment at the scent of apples washing over him in your tending to your morning tea you raised for a sip to test how much honey to add to it. “Forgive me, but, did you put on perfume?”

Lowering your mug you wet your lips, watching his eyes trailing after your tongue, actions like that only worsening your pheromone problem as your attraction to the one affected by it only made your body give off more pheromones to drown the poor creature in them. He was clearly still feeling some effects of that initial hormonal draw to you, “No, it um,” your brows furrowed and you decided to tell a tiny white lie. “I’ve been working on my power cells lately, a new mechanism for it exactly, and recently I’ve noticed my pheromones just bursting out. I made some patches for it to block that, I forgot to put it on. Sorry about that, didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Exhaling sharply he couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t relieved in your explanation, yet meanwhile disappointed it wasn’t something genuine for and from you sank in and he had to force his grin to remain in place until his mind flashed back to your flinching from staring at him in changing his shirt followed clearly by your stating that you did find him attractive. Bite by bite he felt his reminders that this was merely financial slipping away, with his hormones and attachment building in his urge to people please this was a losing battle he would hold no regrets over losing.

He had sworn to himself not to lose control and get attached but that damn calming innocence you exuded just lulled him right into the trap and that wave of hormones had him trying to steal glances to find that patch you had mentioned to see how simple it might be to brush against you and remove it to see what would happen. Before he knew it the meal was through and he was back in his closet staring at his clothes trying to choose which clothes to wear simple enough for your trip to the market for his pantry and basic supplies. Keeping it simple he chose a pale orange shirt he tucked into his black pants he pulled on with his boots tied on after. At his mirror he inhaled fixing his sleeves looking himself over only to shake his head at the thought on what to do to make you more attracted to him. Or rather which features you were attracted to helping you to choose him over someone like Thor.

Turning away he wet his lips heading back to the stairs to meet you in the hall, down he trotted hurrying to meet you hoping he hadn’t taken too long. With the door between you he paused smoothing his hand over his chest ensuring his shirt was smooth over his chest and stomach before opening the door to find the hall empty. Lowly he mumbled, “I cannot have taken too long..”

Your doorknob turned however and he stepped out using his key on the ring he had been palming to lock the door behind him then turned to grin at you looking over the jeans and blouse you were wearing with a flash of mint green from your heeled boots helping to get you to his shoulder. A click behind you and a grin eased across your pink painted lips. Back to your dolled up appearance his chest ached, already missing the intimacy of seeing the face and curls you kept to yourself. True makeup made little change as you used little of it to accent your eyes and lips but still nothing could touch the stunning shift of you in your most comfortable setting calling to his own urge to remain lounging in a book filled nook all day. That was his new daydream, hiding the day away with you reading or being read to as one of you lounged against the other, a perfect day filled with cuddling and stolen naps between sharing words of wonder and longing.

A compliment was given and sheepish chuckles were traded in the turn for the stairs down to the waiting car, it was a short drive but still you needed the trunk to transfer everything inside. Four steps in a stretch of his index finger looped around your pinky finger and the connection held for the trot down to the first floor. It seemed so simple, just a finger hold but a welcome invitation for a hand to hold was too much to pass up on. Another part of his dissolving line between the fantasy of this all and whatever it truly was. Settling into the car however the hold broke only to have his hand mold around the top of yours when it rested between your thighs, his thumb tenderly tracing pathways across the backs of your knuckles.

Turning his head he asked, “How long do we have?”

With a smirk you replied easing out his grin, “As long as you like, whole day’s clear.”

Locked in place his hand remained on yours even in the slide out of the car, which he used to help steady you to your feet and shifted to retain in the stroll to the front entrance. His spare hand used to guide the cart he tugged free from the corral and even a his eyes scanned the store he asked, “Where should we start?”

“Um, we could start with soaps and such if you like? Usually I leave frozen and refrigerated items to last.”

“Good plan, soaps and such it is.”

Each and every aisle he went down collecting a supply of possible necessities keeping up the conversation you had started and always claimed your hand again after each step away to inspect or fetch something new. The food half was next and from basics to comfort food and snacks came next, though lost between two chip flavors his head turned slightly seeing you draw your phone out of your purse after it’s buzz and chime. In a full glance your way as you read the message he asked, “Work calling?”

‘Miss Pear, I was wondering if you might be able to meet up with my best friend sometime. Seems he’s got himself in a bit of a jam and needs someone to talk to.’

To yourself you let out a hmm in confusion and raised your gaze to Loki, “Friend of a former assistant of mine wants to talk to me about something.”

Hastily you typed back, ‘Tell them we can meet in an hour at my office.’

“You need to go now?”

Shaking your head you replied with a grin, “No, said I’d meet them in an hour.” His lips parted then closed and he nodded making you move closer and loop your arm in his making him grin, “Don’t look like that I’m not abandoning you. Plenty of time for you to pick a bag of crisps and finish the aisles. The otters will make easy work of the bags.” Looking at the bags he was stuck between you asked, “Ridges or barbecue?”

“I know I would care for one in one occasion but the other in different occasions.” Turning his head his gaze lowered to yours at the resting of your cheek against his arm while the thumb on your free hand traced a muscle in his bicep, “I suppose I could choose both, however the question is how long the bags would last.”

“If you mean freshness usually they last a few days before growing stale, though usually they are a bit addictive, even I can get through a majority of a bag before I’ve realized it.”

Loki nodded, “I shall pick both then, I rarely have gotten to try them, the team usually rushed in snatching them away.” He said claiming two flavors he added to the cart before eyeing the other flavors, “I suppose I could try a new pair a week. There are so many to choose from.”

“Sounds like a plan.” You said as he guided you along hoping you would stay draped against and around his arm for as long as possible. Through the line you did up to the car where you helped him fill the trunk and grinned to yourself when his hand melted around yours again. Inside the car again he looked to you in a subtle scoot closer to you and wet his lips before asking, “Any plans after your meeting?”

Turning your head you caught a flinch of his eyes over your face as you drew in a breath to keep your pulse slow noticing he’d moved closer again making your eyes flinch to his lips for a moment, “Just heading back. I doubt it would take long,”

Taking the words out of your mouth he asked, “Up for a film after?”

“Sure, give you a chance to break into those chips of yours.” Back home again into the garage you went and in a sea of floating otters with their arms full of bags you rode the lift up to his apartment he unlocked and chuckled in following the adorable floating otters to his kitchen to put everything away. Stealing a glance at you he flashed you a grin as you said, “I should pop off. I will see you after, and be careful they tend to alphabetize everything, while the one with spots tends to sort things by color.”

Loki couldn’t help but chuckle, “I will monitor the situation, thank you.” His eyes followed you in your path out of the apartment down to your car again.

Down the steps you trotted asking, “What could this possibly be?”

Pt 6

[broken-heartedgirlff]

Chapter 35 ~ Spend My Life With You

Can I just see you every morning when I open my eyes Can I just feel your heart beating beside me every night Can we just feel this way together til the end of all time Can I just spend my life with you Can you run to these open arms when no one else understands Can we tell God and the whole world (You're my woman) and (you're my man) Can you just feel how much I love you with one touch of my hand Can I just spend my life with you 

2 Years Later 

Giselle

I just couldn’t believe that today was here……. The day that I marry Dominic Maurice Cartier in front of all of our family and friends. Yes, we got married years ago, but that was a shotgun wedding because I was 6 months pregnant with Angel and running away from Daddy.

But here we are. I kept staring in the mirror at myself, waiting for this to be a dream, but it never was.  

“Dominic Zacharie Mason Boudreaux Cartier!!! Come Back here!!” Lizzie yelled, making me turn around to Mason bursting into my bridal suite. 

“Mom! Do I have to wear this suit!” He complained.

Mason was 8 years old now, and very opinionated, if he didn’t like something, he was very quick to tell you.

“It’s only for a few hours Dominic. I promise.” I tried to level with him by brushing his hair and squeezing his freckled face, trying not to laugh at Lizzie’s bewildered face

He just scoffed, “Really Mom, my first name?”

I laughed, It’s not that he didn’t like his first name, he just didn’t like being an exact replica of his father and people calling him Dominic. Which, by genetics, he was. No one really called him Dominic anyways, I just need him to know how serious I was.

“Yes, really. Can you please just wait?”

“Fine. Dad says he misses you.” He mumbled then walked out of the room.

I smiled at his statement, because I miss Dominic as well. With him asking me to marry him again, we’ve spent every night next to each other and it’s been two years since then. But last night, we had to say our goodbyes and to tell you the truth, I was too excited and I couldn’t sleep.  

Lizzie closed the door and sat next to me.

“We’re here kiddo.” She smiled sadly, I knew why though.

“Yeah, here we are.”

We kind of stayed silent, but I knew the bad news was coming.

“They can’t find Daddy, can they?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No one can find him.”

I sighed, “I don’t know why I got my hopes up for. I haven’t seen Daddy since Angel was a baby, what makes me think he would be alive and if he was, why would he come to a wedding where I’m marrying the man, he despised.”  

“He’s still our father Giselle. Hell I wish he could meet Zoey….I wish Mommy could too. I feel that they would be proud of us, no matter what. It’s not inconceivable that you wanted him to meet your family and walk you down the isle.”

I nodded my head, but it didn’t help. Rosalee got a message apparently saying that our father was alive. The only ones that knew were Rose, Xavier, Lizzie and I. And we used every connection we had to find our father.

Did I hate the man? Yes, he kept me away from my daughter and the love of my life. He caused me more pain than anyone else in my life….. but i couldn’t help but to want him here, on my day. My kids don’t even know about my father, and I think that is heartbreaking. He was a hard man who had a hard life, but I know he would’ve loved them til the ends of the earth.  

Again, brought out of my thoughts by Olivia.  

“Giselle, Dominique is wanting to talk to you.” She said poking her head in.

I nodded, and watched my 3 year old walk in and get excited by looking at me.

“You so pretty mommy.” She smiled.

“Thank you, Nique, You’re very pretty too. Is everything okay?”

She  beamed and nodded at me.  

“Can I sit by you and color?” She asked.

“Sure baby.”

Can you fault me? I loved Andrea Dominique like my own daughter. She was so small and timid  with loose black curls all over her head. She rarely spoke and when she did, it  was really only to Dominic and I. She constantly loved being around me, and I loved her being there.

At first, I was unsure on how me raising another woman’s child would effect my family dynamic, but Dominique has only enhanced it. She is the sweetest girl you would ever meet. As of a few months ago, I legally adopted her and I am her mother.  As for her birth mother? Bitch is salty every time something significant in our life happens.

Katie, is still in jail, and will be there for a long ass time. She for some odd reason, believes that she is going to get out and get back with Dominic, but she’s fucking insane for that shit. I refuse for Dominique to go by herself to the jail to visit Katie until she’s at least 10. Dominique hates going to see her, because she always feels that Katie is mean. Every time Dominique comes back, I have to de-program her from the shit she hears from Katie.

“10 more minutes ladies!!!!” My wedding planner yelled at us.

Everyone kind of squealed excitedly, and ran out.

“You ready?” Olivia asked me.

“More than you know.” I said smiling. 

Dominic

I knew that today was going to be an emotional day. I was finally marrying the love of my life in front of our entire family. I knew she was going to be absolutely beautiful.

“Angel, can you hand me my tie please?” I called out to her.

“Sure.” She said coming into view of my mirror. My daughter was 10 now and absolutely beautiful. She had my color, and my freckles and Giselle’s moles plastered all over her body. She had my black hair with Giselle’s length. Eyes the color of Caramel and She looked exactly like her mother. I knew, that I was going to have trouble with the little boys when she got older.

“Why didn’t you want to be in the girl suite again?” I quizzed

“I don’t know, I just wanted to be with you today.” She said, but then mumbled, “Plus mommy has ‘Dominique’ now.”

I sighed. “Angel, Dominique didn’t take away your mother from you, she just needs mommy’s attention, a little more than you.”

She looked at me, “I know. but still.”

“We love you all equally okay? No one is taking you away from me or your mother. You are our very first princess. You’re special, okay?”

She smiled, “Yes.”

Just then a knock came at my door, “Ayo D, we need to talk.” Jeremiah said to me.

“Angel, Let me talk to Uncle J. Please go check on your brother and sister for me. Also on your mother?”

She nodded and said greetings to J, and skipped out the room.

“Did you find this nigga?” I asked

J shook his head, “You know if X doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.”

“I know, but I couldn’t go looking because that would scare him off. But I thought he’d at least be here for G.”

Even though she didn’t tell me, I knew the one thing Giselle wanted in her life was Xavier Valentine Boudreaux here to give her away. Even if I did hate him and want him dead. Giselle’s wants came before mine.  It was even more shocking to find out that X was alive….. Boudreaux aren’t good at being discreet. I figured it out a few hours after the messages were sent to all of X’s children.

“You think he got the messages?” I asked.

J just shrugged, “You never know, but it’s almost showtime.”

I couldn’t help but to smile. 

~

I was sitting at our wedding reception, watching my beautiful family, Giselle, was dancing with Mason and Dominique. While Angel and Sage were off bothering Olivia and Jeremiah. Watching the sight I am the happiest man ever. I never thought we would officially be here.

The ceremony was beautiful, Giselle was supposed to walked down the isle by her brother, but she decided walk by herself. I honestly cried because my baby was so Angelic and I just wanted to take her right there in the church. It was absolutely beautiful.

I guess she caught me staring and came over.

“Are you having a good time.” She smiled and kissed me on the lips.

“I’m fantastic, I know I’ve said this way too many times tonight but, You look really beautiful Gi.”

“Thank you Baby, and you look very handsome in your white suit.”  

“Well, the mother of my children picked out this suit for me, isn’t it nice.” I smirked.

“She has good taste.”

We sat at the head table watching our families enjoy themselves, when I noticed a stranger in the corner, who then left as soon as they saw me look their way. I spoke to Giselle, asking her to get up because she was leaning against me. She nodded, got up and went to comfort a crying Dominique.

I exited the reception area opposite of the stranger to catch up with them before they had the chance to leave the building.  Walking down the hallway, I didn’t see anyone, when I heard a pistol cock and felt cold steel against my neck. I instantly put my hands in the air.

“You know, you didn’t even ask for her hand, I should blow your head off right now.” He said

I slightly laughed, and elbowed him in the ribs, twisting his wrists and the gun ending up in my hands, so I pointed the pistol at Xavier’s chest.

“You took her away from me in the first place, I should shoot you in the chest right now.” I smirked

“Nice to see you haven’t lost you tenacity, young blood.”

I rolled my eyes and de-assembled the gun and gave it back to him.

“So you got my messages.”

“Of course, but I couldn’t walk her, she was absolutely radiant. But that would put everyone at risk. It’s best if everyone still thinks I’m dead.” He spoke with sadness

“I understand that… but Gi.” I trailed off.

“She understands. Trust me. She understands. You have a beautiful family Dominic. Both you and Jeremiah.”

I smiled, “Thank you X.”

“You know that the protection of my family comes first, and back then I thought-“

I picked up my hand to stop him, “I accept your apology.”

He simply nodded his head, “They’re safe where they are, with you. Better than anything I could’ve done.”

Before I could answer back, I heard a panicked commotion, my first instinct was to run into the hall and I did, but I remembered that X was in the hallway, I turned back and he was gone.  

I sighed and went into the room, where I saw Giselle and Lizzie holding each other crying at a grand piano. Liv was standing nearby with tears in her eyes.

“What the hell is going on?”

Giselle

While the party was going on, someone delivered a grand piano, in as a wedding present for Dominic and I.

I couldn’t find D, so I was nosey and decided who it was from. The piano looked brand new, but when I got up close, I could tell that it was slightly old, but it had been taken care of.

“It looks exactly like the one, momma played.” I heard Lizzie say

“It does, doesn’t it.” I said circling it, I played the keys a little

I picked up the card to read who it was from, and at the same time Elizabeth and I called each other’s names.

We both had tears in our eyes, “Is this Momma’s piano?” I whispered.

“It has our names stitched into the bottom, when we were little. The chip where you fell and broke your tooth as a kid on it. It’s Momma’s Piano. But where did it come from?” She cried.

I handed her the card that read…..

“You deserve this day, just like you deserve this piano. You saved yourself from me, now let Dominic save you. Forever my love. ~ Daddy.”

~ 

After the crying fit that Lizzie and I had, I was drained and ready to go on our honeymoon. The kids are staying with Mama Celeste and switching between Liv and Lizzie. Which I am thankful for, 2 weeks and no kids Dominic and I have never gotten a moment of peace between the both of us. Even when we met, no peace. But as soon as we come back, it’s Nique’s 4th birthday.

We decided to stay in a hotel to rest before going on our honeymoon tomorrow, and I had a few things we needed to take care of.

“How is it, that on our wedding night, we are taking a pregnancy test?” I mumbled to Dom

We were sitting in the bathroom, with me peeing on a stick because I had realized that I missed my period.  

“I mean, either way, I had plans to get you pregnant on the honeymoon, so if you aren’t now, you will be once we get back.” He smirked.  

“If I am pregnant, this is the last one, okay? Four kids is enough.” I told him

“If it’s a boy then sure, I’m fine with that 2 boys and 2 girls, but if it’s a girl, we are going to keep trying until I get my son.” He stated proudly

I rolled my eyes, just as the timer went off.

“You do realize, that we have 3 kids already and this is the first time that we’ve taken a pregnancy test together?” I asked.

He kind of just looked at me, then said: “And if you are pregnant, it’ll be the first time that I was with you through the entire pregnancy and raising the baby.”

It was my turn to look at him, “Oh my god, are you going to be extremely over-protective?”

Which he just smirked, “Dominic, please. I can’t take you when you’re like that.”

“Woman what does the test read!!!” He cackled

I looked at the directions again and spoke out loud, “A plus and a minus means pregnant, a vertical line and a horizontal line means negative.”

“So which one are we?!!” He jumped up from the seat.

I knew he was excited and couldn’t wait any longer, so I read the results.

“A plus and a minus. We’re pregnant. DOMINIC WE’RE PREGNANT!!!!” I screamed

He picked me up and spun me around.  

He finally sat me on my feet and we just hugged each other, I started crying against his chest.  

This pregnancy will not be of pain and suffering like my first 2 were. We are going to be together through everything, i know that he wouldn’t even let my feet touch the ground or any pain come my way because of how much this means to the both of us.  

“I love you, and I’m so glad I didn’t let you get too far away from me and I’m so glad you’re giving me another baby.” He whispered in my ear, kissing my neck.

“I love you too D,” I said and I reached up to kiss my King, for my Happily ever after

I was finally happy, I wasn’t trapped or running away from anyone, I didn’t have anyone controlling me. I found me and I finally got my man back and I had my beautiful family, despite obstacles and turmoil. I knew this is what Serenity felt like.

This all started because I fell in love with someone I wasn’t supposed to, becoming broken-hearted to being my own hero, saving myself and rewriting my destiny.  

I had Dominic, Angel, Mason, Dominique and our newest edition…. My happily ever after.

Nothing could be better than this.

[loststormtrooper]

Ive been slowly reading the Splinter Cell books and im almost finished the third one and I have complaints

Spoiler warning I guess for books that are over 10 years old if anyone cares about them.

So the first book was great. They got one of the bond writers to do it and it was so good. Splinter Cells identities have been leaked and Sam Fishers life is at stake throughout the whole thing because for the first time ever, the enemy know who he is. His chapters are in first person which makes everything feel so much more personal. All the other chapters following other characters are in third which gives this nice cutscene kind of feeling that games have when they show something your character wouldnt know. Its a book series based on a game, it just felt right. Sam's daughter gets kidnapped because The Shop (big bad weappns company) wants to stop Third Echelon from getting in the way of their sales and Sam is the one who is trying to stop them and stop them from doing deals with The Shadows which are trying to get the US out of the middle east so their country can take over another. Fisher ends up disrupting these deals and saves his daughter. But like, how it goes is so well. Sams daughter gets invited overseas with her friend and they both ger drugged and kidnapped by someone they thought was their friend! The stakes are high af because they killed off the friend and are going to kill Sams daughter and him if he cant stop all this stuff from happening. And theres the whole war nuclear weapon deals going on that he also has to stop. So good.

Anna Grimsdotir isnt present in this book because they need wiggle room for the next book and shes replaced with Carly who is also an analyst. Theres this nice tight nit friendship between Sams team at Third Echelon with Lambert, Carly, Sam, and and Mike that sets things up for the next book. Also Sams Grav Maga teacher, they flirt a bit, nice side story which leads into the next book. Pretty much everything leads into the next book because even though Sam defeated The Shadows, The Shop is still a major weapons dealer and have the identities of other Splinter Cells and needs to be stopped.

So next book, Operation Barracuda. Sam and his team need to find out who leaked the Splinter Cells information and stop The Shop. Uh oh! It was Mike and he had to kill Carly IN THE THIRD ECHELON OFFICE because she was about to figure out it was him and he escapes and the Triad offer to get him out of the country, he just has to get to the right place and theyll fly him out. Good setup for these cat and mouse chapters where and FBI agent is trying to keep up with Mike. Also Mike was actually planted in Third Echelon years ago and he and his brother have deals with the Triad to sell stuff which The Shop does t like because theure supposed to sell things to them and then they sell to the Triad.

All of these bad guys have one goal though. Theyre dealing with a rogue chinese general that wants to invade Hong Kong. So theres all this infighting and build up to when people, even the bad guys, start to figure more stuff about the other groups. The Triad, being in Hong Kong, dont want to be invaded, but the deals theyve done with bad guy general have provided him with a nuckear submarine that he threatens to detonate on the US coast unless they withdraw from Taiwan.

During all of this that krav maga teacher and Sam have had a few dates and are at Sams place. But when they are walking down the street she is gunned down and Sam is forced to leave her dead body on the street with people around because he cant risk being having anyone looking into who he is, even local police and government because he is in a secret agency. Amazing side story. It's a lot like the side stuff with his daughter in the first book, it gives him more motive outside of it just being a job, these people have killed 2 of his friends, one of which he was really into.

Back to bad guy stuff. FBI guy gets killed by Mikes brother after he goes into a shady place to arrest him. The triad are already there and hes just dead now. But he did arrest Mike so they got info from him which leads same to the Triad. In a pretty cool turn of events the general invades but theres no one to stop him! Oh wait! The Triad takes arms and fights off his army and its rad. Sam had gone into that shady building (just remembered its a night club) and gave them information about the generals attack and then left. It was a different chapter because he wasnt being stealthy, he just walked in and demanded to speak to people and it worked. When all this general vs Triad stuff is happening, Sam is dealing with The Shop. The general is defeated, the leak for the Splinter Cell information is in custody, and The Shop is finally shut down!

Next book... set before the first and has a new writer. All of it is in third person and it doesnt feel like the first for obvious reasons. Theres a handful of spelling errors spread throughout which really take you out of it because now youre thinking about this spelling error.

Starts with Sam having to sneak onto a ship thats going to crash onto the US coast and its packed with radioactive material or bombs? It wasnt clear to me. But he stops it and gets out. Its a pretty one track story whereas the other two books had a handful of stuff going on and it all worked neatly. Third Echelon need to know where the nuclear stuff came from to know who did it. He sneaks back on the ship which is under quarantine and takes a sample or something? There was something about having to get engine manufactuing codes to find out where the ship had done repairs and see where it came from but that branching plot just ends later in the book when Lambert says that his analysts found out where it was from. Sam need to find out where nuclear stuff came from. For reasons i cant remember because nothing in this book is worth remembering half the time, Sam has to go to Chernobyl to collect radiated material to see if they match. Thats not the unmemorable part, how they decided to go there to find it specifically is. Anyway, its a match and they figure out who did it and why by knowing who made the ship and how they got the nuclear material. The whole Chernobyl bit could have been better. It didnt feel like anything was at stake. And there was this awkward side story with a woman who helped him get into the dangerous areas unnoticed where theyd flirt and nothing would come of it and then theres nothing else about her ever again.

Then theres all this stuff of Sam infiltrating other places which leads him to another place which leads him to another place. Its very linear and theres a few chapters where he sneaks into a private island thats impossible to sneak onto but he does and it doesnt feel like anything is at stake. The whole book is about having to find out who did this one almost bombing and poisoned a whole towns water supply with radiated material, making it a wasteland, before the US declares war on the wrong nation for ot. But every time they get more information, they suddenly have more time and need to hurry, but then they do that and get more time but need to hurry! At one point they mention the president will declare war in 24 hours and im pretty sure its been like 4 days since then and nothing.

Also! Theres this terrible character cliche guy i hate. There's like 5 chapters spread out through the book where its this weird guy who is clearly the villain ( not bad guy or terrorist, hes just a bad villain) that talks all fancy and as if hes got this grand plan happening and keeps talking about chess and imagining chess moves after he gets new information. Its annoying and i hate him. Get a new character. It doesnt even have to be him, use one of the heads of the bad guy groups that are already established, god. I've got 6 chapters to go and Sam doesnt even know about that chess bad guy yet.

Tbh im considering skipping the next book because its the same writer and the Conviction books and Blacklist book are written by other people. It hasnt been release who i dont think though. Its all a pseudonym.

So i just finished Splinter Cell Checkmate. Its 2 days after i wrote that whole thing and it gets way better in the last 5 chapters. It was much more fast paced and actiony. The rest of the book was slow and not that interesting. There was a bit that brought back a character from earlier who was shot in the head but the bullet hit ar a weird angle and he was left to die. Sam found him and theres this nice calm part of the chapter of Sam trying to get him out without making his wound worse but he wasnt fast enough and he dies. Then Sam finally gets the location of the annoying chess bad guy with some information from now dead guy. It literally ended with Sam saying "...checkmate " to him which fealt really forced... they never met until now and Sam onlt mentioned chess once in the whole book besides that. I think he played it with a friend for a paragraph while they chatted. Epilogue was ok too. The woman who helped him into Chernobyl was in a wax museume and Sam rocks up with a passport for her to get out and fly back to the US with him. Was weird. They flirted maybe twice halfway through the book and then he rocks up with that. She didnt even know his name until the epilogue because he used an alias.

Anyway, first two books are great, third was super slow but ended ok.

[daddysfangirls-marvel]

Black, White, and Gray (10)

Pairing: Loki x reader

Warning: 

Word: 1155

Summary: reader  is a prisoner in a high-security prison in the Stark Tower, and she is incredibly dangerous, and Loki is being brought in by the Avengers and he wonders why she is in there, They escape together and travel the Galaxy and then just stop on a planet and like start a new life but then Thor finds them and calls them to help on Earth and everyone sees how good they are afterward and just lets them start a secret family Europe or something

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10- The End

Instantly a white light blinded everybody before everything returned to her. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!?" Thor shouted rushing (y/n) Loki pushed her back taking a fighting stance in front of her. Before their fight could start Wanda let out a cry that got everyone's attention. They looked to see her clenching and crying and smiling… Vision? "I fixed it"

- Turn out when (y/n) snapped her she saved a lot of people. Her wish when she snapped her fingers was to bring back anyone who died that day or die by Thanos wrath with the Infinity Stones. If you died that day or by Thanos willing an Infinity Stones you were given a second life but if you died by the bare hands of Thanos on another day you were gone for good. So Drax's first family was not returned. After the battle and explaining her wish the Avengers and all the other warriors return to the palace to heal wounded and rest. The Avengers, the ones on earth, were laying around in a large room T'Challa had provided them with a few nurses were checking their wounds. everything was calm not at peace outside the rest of the world was in chaotic but now in that room, everything was calm. (y/n) was sitting on the far side of the floor curled up in Loki's said as he held her tightly. "we save the world" she whispered  "no darling we saved the Universe" he kissed her forehead. Everything was calm and safe. "A spaceship was spotted coming fast from the east" T'challa came in and announced then quickly left everyone following after him ready for another battle. So much for calm, There were two air crafts following on very familiar spaceship "Oh God" (y/n) said coming outside recognizing her and Loki's spaceship the one they left their children on. "STOP, STOP" (Y/N) screamed  running up to T'challa " That's our ship please stop please don't that's our that's our" "ceasefire" he called but it was too late they were now turning around. "NO COMEBACK. LOKI DO SOMETHING. BRING THEM BACK, BRING THEM BACK" She begged. Loki pulled a small black button from his pocket and started calling them back. (y/n) cheered when they turned around. Everyone was on high alert as the ship landed. As the door fell open there was a group of people holding up weapons and ready in a fighting stance. (y/n) only recognized a few faces but they still brought joy to her heart. She recognized Nebula who stood next to a green woman both held twin guns, Juuzou with his scythe, Todoroki his left hand on fire and right side with ice, and Tony Stark with guns on his hands the rest of his suit gone. The others were unfamiliar to her. "Todoroki, Juuzou" "Nebula?" Loki slowly walked up to her giving her a gentle but caring hug. (y/n), on the other, rushed the boys and squeezed them tightly to show her love and worry. Dropping their weapons they returned the hug with the same strength if not more. The Guardians rushed to Groot and Rocket screaming their heads off and the Avengers engulfed Tony and the kid in a group hug without a word. "Excuse me, are these little soldiers yours?" Dr. Strange said as he walked down the ramp holding Natalia in his arms. "Oh my god... My babies, my babies. Mommy missed you oh mommy loves you and she missed you" (y/n) dropped to her knees and began crying as her children came running to her crying. " Thank you, Thank you," Loki said as he held both Gon and Killua to his chest, they were as much his children as any other. They weren't crying like the other children but they held Loki tight as their lives depended on it. As Brave, as they were they still had feared. "We thought we lost you" Killua whispered "please don't go" Gon whimpered  - *A year later and 3 months later * "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU THREE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU THREE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU THREE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHANIEL AND NATALIA HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU THREE" Who would have thought, Nathaniel Barton, Natalia Odinson, and William Odinson were all born on the same day. And on this day all the galaxies heroes gathered at the home of Loki and (y/n) for a grand birthday Party to celebrates the lives which they had saved long ago. The Guardians of the galaxy were here, as well as the Avengers new and retired, The king of Wakanda with his general, sister, mother, and friend M' Baku, members of S.H.I.E.L.D (Fury, Mary, Coulson), and many more their house was pack with family and friends. Loki stood next to Clint as their wives held their children and helped them open presents. Loki nudged him. "Did you everything we would be sitting together as friends at a kids birthday party... OUr kids birthday party?" Loki said  "going, to be honest, I never thought we'd be friends. I never thought about you having kids but thing obviously change." "Yeah they do" "Loki, Clint look" Lauran and (y/n) held up three matching outfits that Tony had gifted to them. (y/n) had made amends with Tony about her family. They weren't the best of friends or super close but she could tolerate him enough to sit in the same room and hold small conversations. All the Avengers were now on good terms with Loki. "honey comes here" Lauran waved Clint over as (y/n) came up to Loki.  "look baby look at our family" (y/n) said as she hugged his waist then looked back at everyone. Pepper was holding William as Tony held their 6-month-old son Arno Stark. Todoroki was drinking with Bucky and Steve. Juuzou was talking with Natasha, Gamora, and Nebula showing off and comparing their daggers and switchblades. Killua was talking to Thor about lighting, thunder, and Mjolnir. Gon was cluelessly listening to Shuri and Peter talk sciences. Steve and Bucky were having a strong debt about Disney movies with Anastasia. And Bruce held a sleeping Natalia softly rocking her as Valkyrie sang a soft song over his shoulder.  "I never thought I'd come back to earth and be this happy. I never thought they'd see my home or live on an actual plan for that matter." "I never thought I would get you.  I never thought I would be allowed back on earth. I never imagined a beautiful family like this We were criminals to the entire galaxy... We never thought or imagined a lot of things we saw everything in Black, White, and Gray." Loki said  "But damn look at this rainbow we made" she giggled and gave him a kiss " I love you" "I love you more"  "That's impossible" she laughed. This wasn't the end but their very happy beginning.

“Anastasia, what do you have there?” (y/n) asked as she watched her daughter run around with the same mischievous smile as her father. Something wasn’t right and both Loki and (y/n) fell into distress when They heard her say

“A knife” and at the top of their lungs they both shouted 

“NO”

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[sparklyjojos]

Joker recaps [2/3]

[tw: obvious-murder-case-related-deaths, suicide, the post-mortem trans reveal trope]

----

The investigation team at Geneijo learns that the case has been marked as an L Crime (L from “large, lock, labirynth”), meaning the government forbid the media from talking about it as to not alarm the public. A new officer is appointed to lead the investigation in place of Ryousho: Ayukawa Tetsuko,  a pleasant soul whose younger sister aims to become a JDC detective. [You may remember her from Cosmic.]

Grieving Tae wanders around Geneijo and finds Megumi in the (already cleaned up) room with the paintings. The girl seems to be afraid of Schattenburg, claiming that it portrays a monster or a ghost.

The detectives talk with Dakushoin about his writing. Dakushoin says that the phrase “for the grand downfall” that the Artist uses may be taken from Ayatsuji Yukito’s The Labirynth House Murders, but it’s safe to assume that all the writers and most of the staff of Geneijo would be familiar with it. While Souya makes copies of Dakushoin’s manuscript for everyone, Ryuuguu and Dakushoin strike a conversation and discover they understand each other well on a personal level, have similar feelings of being somewhat detached from other people, and both love playing with words a little too much.

Meanwhile, Nijikawa and Miyama have a conversation about mystery novels in a room apparently based on a location from Nakai Hideo's book An Offering to Nothingness.

--

Later Kirigirisu takes a quiet moment alone thinking deeply about the case. His subconscious keeps pushing the name of Hirai Genji at him, probably because of what Teru told him about her past.

Many years ago, before she changed her first name to Teru and was still known as Hatsune, she was involved in a love triangle with both Hirai brothers. Eventually Teru and Genji eloped, but after some events between the two Teru went back to Geneijo alone and was took in by Hirai Tarou as an employee. Even then Teru was still boy-crazy, which once resulted in her having a child with a male staff member and giving the baby away.

Teru is afraid that her lifestyle may have caused Genji to feel jealous, come back and start killing people.

--

Kirika and Nemu once more attempt to dismantle the Room of Judgment’s locked room trick. Nemu’s fuzzy reasoning tells her that the Geneijo case may be unsolvable just like the Saimon Family Case was. While the two are talking, Nemu makes a random remark that makes Kirika notice that the old boards of the Room are held together with new shiny nails, and finally realize what the locked room trick was.

As everyone sits down to dinner, Kirika says the very simple explanation: the murderer simply removed a few boards from the wall, committed murder, left the room and nailed the boards back in place. The cats were probably killed just so they wouldn’t get in the way.

As for the other crime scenes, Kirika thinks the Artist is right-handed, since both Ichirous were found with their guns in their right hands while being left-handed. At this point Ryuuguu loudly bangs his fist against the table, stands up and says that this is probably a misdirection, since the Artist would notice which hand each policeman used to hold a flashlight in the darkness of the night.

It seems like the two detectives are vigorously arguing gainst each other, but in reality they’re just acting while Nemu carefully watches if someone in the room looks anxious or relieved at the statements about the killer’s dominant hand. No one’s behaviour really stands out.

As the dinner ends, Aoi persuades the police to let him join the patrol that night, so that either he’s successful at catching the Artist, or in the worst case ends up as the victim instead of his friends.

--

Nemu can’t sleep that night and thinks about the case and her brother Juku. Nemu was too small during the Saimon Family Case to really remember much of it, and both Juku and Ajiro only gave vague answers whenever she asked them about it. If Geneijo case was just as unsolvable, would Juku still be able to resolve it? Juku’s working on a case in LA, but promised that he’d be back for his 20th birthday on 31st October, and he always keeps his word. Just two days more.

Miyama also can’t sleep, thinking about faith (“you could say that Miyama Kaoru was the sole member of Miyamakaoruism”, but Christianity is pretty close), and who on earth may be the ‘God’ of this case.

--

After 5 am Ryuuguu is woken up by the news that there was probably another murder, this time committed in the Locked Room, a perfectly isolated space with only one door. But nobody actually opened the door to check yet, since the newest note said:

This door must not be opened.

-- The Artist

Ryuuguu doesn’t listen and opens the door, causing a huge amount of water to rush out of the room and completely drench everyone standing too close. Inside the room is Aoi’s body hanging by the belt from the ceiling.

It’s also discovered that one of the mirrors in a Room of Reflections (a round room with the wall covered in mirrors and a few sculptures in the middle) had been ripped out of its place and discarded next to it.

Everyone feels down after Aoi’s death, especially Dakushoin and Tae. Nijikawa entrusts his daughter to Miyama and focuses completely on trying to solve the case.

Dakushoin talks with Ryuuguu about the case. Ryuuguu thinks that the Artist hid behind the ripped off mirror, waited until Aoi passed him, and attacked from behind. Since Aoi was the eighth victim (not counting the cats), everyone hopes the murders will end here.

--

Later that day Nijikawa knocks on Ryuuguu’s door and says he knows who the Artist is. They go together to the dining hall so that Nijikawa can announce what he found out.

According to Nijikawa, the cats and the Ichirous are just additional deaths that don’t factor into the symbolism intended by the Artist. Each of the murdered writers and inspector Ryousho died in ways referencing the deaths in Oguri Mushitaro’s famous work The Murders of Black Death Manor. The name of the eponymous manor in Japanese is kosukikan, and the bloody dakuten would change one of these syllables to achieve the word kosugikan. Like Kosugi Kan, Geneijo’s butler! But Nijikawa realizes this can be yet another misdirection.

Instead he points to the actual culprit. At first everyone thinks he’s pointing to Employee D, whose real name is Kanai Hidetaka [Seiryoin’s real name], but he actually means the cook Nasuki. Kosukikan can also be an anagram of Nasuki kok (kok meaning a cook in some languages)!

But before poor Nasuki can be arrested, Ryuuguu says that it’s too early to consider the case closed. The deaths differ too much from the ones in The Murders of Black Death Manor, the anagrams seem suspiciously perfect, and the solution doesn’t explain the need for the murders to occur in certain rooms, why the mandarin orange was really needed and so forth (and just like Ryuuguu says… In the Geneijo murder case every single thing has meaning, and not a single thing is useless.)

Ryuuguu notices even more wordplays, like another reading of the title of the book pointing to yet another random police officer, or the name of the author pointing to Kirigirisu (since kirigirisu means “a cricket”, which is a bug, mushi, and the author’s name is Mushitaro). Among all that misdirection it’s hard to tell if something’s actually the Artist’s signature.

--

The next day (30th October) everyone is in a good mood, as the case is unlikely to continue after eight murders. After lunch everyone gathers for a tea party. They have a good time talking and laughing.

Until Souya and Kirigirisu convulse and fall to the ground, dying from poison before anyone is able to help them.

--

At JDC, Ajiro Souji gets a call from Tsukumo Juku, who’s just solved the case in LA and is ready to come back and temporarily take over Ajiro’s duties, so that Ajiro will be able to personally assist the Geneijo case. Juku says that he fully believes in Nemu’s feeling about the case being unsolvable, but there is still a way to settle it. And like he always says, There’s no such thing as a mystery, there is only a logical solution.

Ajiro feels happy at the thought of going to Geneijo and working alongside his son, until a grim call from Kirika informs him that Souya is dead.

--

Ryuuguu looks more down than ever, yells that he should have been able to see this coming and accuses himself of not saving the two detectives. He claims he had a thought before the murders that sugar could be used to accuse yet another police officer, Sado Kutou (an anagram of this name being satou, sugar + doku, poison). He frantically tries to explain how and when the sugar was poisoned, but the forensics quickly say that the poison was in fact a liquid digitoxin, and that Ryuuguu himself used the sugar for his drink. Ryuuguu is so shaken by the deaths that he’s starting to miss the obvious counterpoints in favor of detailed wordplays.

The poison had to be applied to the interior of only two out of seventeen cups. It was hard to tell how the Artist knew who would get which cup, or if he even cared.

--

While the victims are all adults, little Megumi and Shouri aren’t unaffected. Shouri was mostly curious and fascinated at first, but now some of Megumi’s fear jumped on him too. He only feels at ease when he’s playing with her. Training his baseball pitching skills with Miyama is calming too, but he can’t help but feel a little uneasy around adults.

--

As was mentioned, Nijikawa entrusted Megumi to Miyama, who during the dinner had a police officer guard the door of Nijikawa’s room so that the girl would be safe. When Miyama and Shouri return to the room, Shouri knocks on the door and finds that Megumi doesn’t answer. A few minutes later alerted Nijikawa rushes to open the door with his own key.

Megumi’s body lies near a bookcase, a bloody flower pot next to her head. It seems she was hit both on the front and back of her head. The only window is closed, the door was constantly guarded. Next to Megumi’s right hand is a message written in blood:

VI

Her left wrist is sprained. [The autopsy note later says she’s left-handed.]

The desk still has her kanji exercise book open, and next to it is one of Nijikawa’s novels, A normal man who killed the goddess of victory.

The detectives ponder over the situation. The likely solutions are that either the police officer guarding the room is lying, or that the murderer got in through an open window, mortally wounded Megumi and fled, and the girl managed to close the window after him fearing his return. Ryuuguu isn’t sure what the VI means. It may be a Roman number (V and VI would be misdirections pointing to Dakushoin’s and Tae’s room numbers), or maybe German-knowing Megumi was trying to write VATER (pointing to Nijikawa), VIOLA (since Sumire, “a violet”, is what she affectionately called Miyama), or the English word VICTORY (the literal meaning of Shouri’s name, and the book on the desk mentions it too). But maybe a little girl would write the name of a loved person instead, trying to summon their help.

--

After thinking a lot in his room, Ryuuguu secretly asks the police officers to guard Nijikawa’s room from both the hallway and the courtyard sides, as he believes Nijikawa Ryou is the Artist. He doesn’t explain his reasoning just yet.

The detectives and the police spend the night observing the room, but nothing happens. The only event worth mentioning is a moderately strong earthquake at around 3 am that briefly shakes the entire Geneijo.

When they check the room in the morning, Nijikawa is dead. He’s still in his chair, blood still flowing from his left wrist, his right hand still holding a razor. [Nijikawa is left-handed.]

--

Then they find Miyama hanged in the room based on the one from An Offering to Nothingness. On the indigo carpet there’s a single chair lying on its side. In Miyama’s pocket they find a piece of paper with a simple message:

Boku wa mou TAErarenai [transl. I cannot TAkE this anymore]

--

Then they find Dakushoin impaled through the chest on one of the statues in the mirror room, that of a demon holding two amethysts. The floor is covered in water with two plain towels lying in it.

--

A few other things are discovered soon afterwards.

Aside from the manuscript that would never be finished, Dakushoin left in his room a piece of paper with 99 different numbers arranged in 9 columns. The number 99 (九十九) may be yet another misdirection pointing to Tsukumo (九十九) Nemu.

The order of deaths is confirmed to be Miyama first at around 3 am, then Dakushoin at around 4 am, then Nijikawa at around 5 am.

Everyone only now learns that Miyama wasn’t a man, but a trans woman who underwent surgery a few years ago, but still kept her true self hidden from others at Geneijo. The “gender trick” in Dakushoin’s manuscript was never a trick.

--

--

Tsukumo Juku was born on 31st October 1973, the date symbolizing his mental prowess (since “Showa 48, October 31” = 4 8 10 3 1 = yo ha ten sa i = 余は天才 = "I'm a genius"). If you added 10 months and 10 days to that date, you’d get 9th August 1974, the day when JDC was created.

“Juuku” was a portmanteu that his father Ryuusui [not to confuse with Dakushoin] made out of the names of the baby’s mother Miku and grandfather Juuzou. Keeping in with the idea that one's name should describe them, Juku from then on walked a path of life continuously filled with juuku (重苦 = intense suffering). But even during the Saimon Family Case that made adults tremble in fear and run away, Juku calmly fought against his fate.

That tragic case awoke Juku’s Jintsuuriki, a method of so-called meta-reasoning that few could access. If we define the murderer as ‘a writer’, then Juku could aquire knowledge about what ‘the intention of the writer’ was, and arrive at a solution unreachable with normal means.

Because of his abilities, having Juku – say – play a major role in a mystery novel would be extremely hard to pull off. In fact, if he was allowed to appear from the very beginning, the novel would consist of just one page (one sentence?) of Juku announcing the murderer’s name.

Unless, of course, it was a case as unsolvable as the Saimon Family Case.

Juku meets with Ajiro and asks to be allowed to go to Geneijo in Ajiro’s place.

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