#however it could be said that new dawn takes place during the seven plagues that destroy the earth

[woundedheartwithin]

Far Cry 5: The Lamb and The Four Living Creatures

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I finally got some time to really sit down and get my thoughts into some kind of order.  We know that the events of Far Cry 5 are based on the Book of Revelations.  The Seeds are described as the four horsemen of the apocalypse, which seems to be a favorite among game devs and writers, and so on and so forth.  So the horsemen are accounted for, as is the Lamb of God (the junior deputy) who opens the Seven Seals on the Apocalyptic document and brings about the end of the world.

But nobody ever talks about the Four Living Creatures who stand before the Throne of God.

The four beasts of Revelations are as follows: the lion, the ox, the man, and the eagle.  They are the creatures that announce the opening of the first four seals, as well as the appearance of each of the four horsemen.  In some traditions, the beasts are believed to be cherubim (not putti, which are the flying babies in Renaissance paintings), and are God’s throne bearers.  When they arrive with the Lamb, they chant, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, which was, and is, and is to come" (Rev 4:8).  

I don’t know if this has been discussed before, I know I haven’t seen anything on it, but here’s what I’ve got: the four living creatures are represented by Whitehorse, Pratt, Burke, and Hudson.

You simply can’t explain the beasts out of context, so I am going to analyze each of the seven seals and describe my thoughts on the beasts as I go along.  The main point of this post is to look in detail at the beasts, but I’ve got a bone to pick with Joseph Seed on the fifth seal, and I’d like to talk about the sixth and seventh seals as well, so they will all be included.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a theologian, I’m not even a traditional Christian (I’m deist, if anyone was curious), and I admit that I am more or less shoe-horning the Bible into the context of the game.  I am not looking too deeply into any of the mythology behind the Christian apocalypse, and I am not really looking at anything other than the text of the King James Version of the Bible. For instance, we do know that the beasts have an order (Lion, Ox, Man, Eagle), but I’m throwing that out in favor of using the games cues and plot points to discern the order.  We can do this by looking at how the Bible describes each of these creatures throughout, and by looking at the characters. Everybody is always welcome to add to or contradict my post as you see fit, but remember that I’m just rambling and putting my thoughts into an FC5 shitpost because I’m obsessed with this stupid game.

I also feel compelled to warn you that there are a TON of mistakes in this...

Anyway, on to the main event, right below the cut.

Lamb on the Throne And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (Rev 5:6)

This is pretty straightforward, actually.  The Lamb of God is the only being worthy of breaking the Seals and opening the Book.  Joseph Seed describes the junior deputy as being the one to break the seals, and yet he calls them Hell, who follows the white horse.  Simply put, Joseph is wrong.  This isn’t really all that surprising considering he believes he speaks to God, when in reality he is likely hearing the voice of Satan, which in reality is likely just auditory hallucinations brought on by mental illness.  He also claims that John was wrong when he assigned the deputy their sin, saying that the junior deputy is consumed by pride.  He’s wrong about this as well.

And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev 6:16-17)

John was absolutely right about the junior deputy being the embodiment of Wrath, because Revelations tells us that the wrath of the Lamb is what will end the earth.

The First Seal And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (Rev 6:1-2)

This is Joseph (I’ll talk about the antichrist angle in a bit, just hold on).  Joseph is the only member of the Seed family acknowledged in the opening mission.  This isn’t a coincidence.  The person who calls him forward and announces his appearance is Cameron Burke.  

I believe that Burke is the living creature who has the face of a man.  The Man is the heavenly representation of humankind, man’s dominance as God’s favorite creation (cast in His image), humanitarianism, and taming the influence of the other three living creatures.  The Man embodies dignity and power.  Burke is the one that brings the other three officers together to arrest Joseph Seed.  He’s the one who serves Joseph’s arrest warrant for kidnapping with intent to harm.  He leads them into the church and attempts to thwart Joseph’s inhumane treatment of the people in Hope County.

The Man is often attributed to Matthew the Evangelist, one of Christ’s apostles.  Matthew-- who was likely the same person as Levi, a tax collector before he met Jesus and was considered a despicable person because of his collusion with the Roman occupation force-- invited Jesus to a feast.  When other folks criticized Jesus for fraternizing with such tax collectors and sinners, Jesus replied, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32) Matthew is thought to have been martyred with a halberd while he was preaching the gospel.  He is the only Evangelist to have been killed with a weapon, just like Burke (he shoots himself in the head, making him the only one to be threatened or killed with a weapon).

The relationship between Jesus and Matthew is rather similar to the junior deputy’s relationship with Burke.  When everyone else sees Burke as a yes-man and an errand boy, all too ready to charge into battle for a commendation, the deputy treats him as a valuable member of a team that they are prepared to fight for.  They try to save him, even if that ends in tragedy.  Why would the deputy try to save Burke, especially when Burke didn’t want to be saved?  Because the Sheriff told them to?  I don’t think so.  I think they were compelled to save him because they believed he deserved to be saved.  The deputy saw Burke as a partner, not as an objective.  

The Second Seal And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Rev 6:3-4)

The horseman of war is Jacob Seed.  Jacob is perhaps the most obvious of the horsemen.  He has red hair, is ex-military, and is consumed by a kill or be killed mentality.  The beast that accompanies him is Staci Pratt, the Ox. (note that in some versions, this beast is referred to as the Calf.  Both are acceptable in this instance, but I like the Ox better)

Throughout the Bible, the Ox is described as the single most important animal to mankind.  It is the ultimate beast of burden, and stealing your neighbor’s ox is punishable by death throughout the Old Testament.  The Ox symbolizes dependability, strength, willingness to serve, and divine sacrifice.  The Ox was often sacrificed in place of an actual person because it was the second most divine creature in existence.  

Pratt literally sacrifices himself for the junior deputy.  He knows that his plan, should it fail, would end up disastrous for them both, and he knows that if the junior deputy doesn’t get out then they’re both dead.  So, rather than jumping onto the truck instead of the junior deputy, or jumping onto it with them, he sacrifices himself.  He stays on that balcony, knowing full well that when Jacob finds him the punishment will be severe.  He fully expects Jacob to kill him, but he does it anyway.  Aside from that, Jacob’s entire deal is about strength and sacrifice.  That ties right in with the ox’s role.

The Ox is attributed to Luke the Evangelist, one of Christ’s apostles.  Luke was the saint of several patronages, but the most interesting in this context is the bachelor.  In the voice files (as uncovered by other members of the fandom), Pratt laments that he only became a cop to get laid, indicating that he is much more interested in “sowing oats” than in settling down, so that more or less fits him.

Finally, there’s a lot of confusion regarding Luke’s death.  Some sects believe he was martyred by having first his writing hand and then his head cut off, others believe that he was imprisoned without food and water and wasted away in a jail cell (which is Pratt’s intended fate at Jacob’s hand).

The Third Seal And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine. (Rev 6:5-6)

This is John.  Even if the concept art didn’t tell us that John is the third horseman, verse 6 would.  Oil and wine have often been considered luxuries in many cultures, and the grain is being carefully weighed and rationed, which ties into John’s own lavish lifestyle, as well as his job of collecting resources from the people of Fall’s End.  The horseman also carries a set of balances, which are a common motif for law and order, and John is a lawyer.  The beast that accompanies him is the Eagle, Joey Hudson.

The Eagle symbolizes courage, power, shrewdness, and exerts dominance over the sky and air.  It is nearly equal to the Lion, and is a proud and fearsome creature that does not bow easily to oppression or suppression.  

Hudson is unbreakable, indomitable, and fights John every step of the way.  She never once lets him beat her, and steadfastly refuses to submit to John’s torture.  Interestingly, the eagle applies to John as well in that he is an exceptional pilot and carries a strong flight motif.  Also, Hudson has a tattoo on her forearm of an eagle and an American flag, directly marking her as the Eagle.

The Eagle is attributed to John the Evangelist, which is interesting in and of itself for an obvious reason.  In art, Saint John is sometimes depicted in medieval art as androgynous or feminine, making him the only Evangelist that could have been a woman. Hudson is the only one of the junior deputies partners that is female. John was the only Evangelist to die of natural causes, just as Hudson was the only one to have never been under any real threat of death, at John Seed’s hand or otherwise.

The Fourth Seal And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev 6:7-8)

This is Faith.  This one is less straightforward than the other two, and is perhaps the most nuanced of the four.  Looking at personified aspects of Death and Hell, Death is of course Faith herself.  Everywhere she goes, death and destruction follows her.  Tracey tells us this explicitly.  The Hell that follows her could be the zealots (priestesses) and demons (angels) that surround her and fill her region.  Death is indicated to use the tools of the other horsemen to destroy the earth, and if you pay attention to how Faith runs her region, you can see that she does exactly this.  She is perfectly willing to kill and torture people (Jacob/war), she uses her greenhouses and fields to grow Bliss instead of food and doesn’t seem to care if this negatively affects other people (John/famine), and she tries to control everything and everyone around her with brainwashing and drugs (Joseph/conquest). The verse also mentions killing with the beasts of the earth. This could be the Bliss hallucinations the junior deputy sees all over her region, where they see a deer that suddenly transforms into a bear when they get close. The beast that accompanies her is Earl Whitehorse, the Lion. His name is just a red herring for Joseph to latch onto to justify what he and his people do during the Reaping.

The Lion symbolizes leadership, bravery, protectiveness, and fearlessness.  The lion is also an analogue for God.  Whitehorse is literally the Sheriff of Hope County, and is one of the highest ranking people in the county.  He’s selfless and protective of the junior deputy (resistance members sometimes mention that Whitehorse seems to think of the junior deputy as his own child, which is further supported by the Lion symbolizing God, and the Lamb symbolizing Christ).

The Lion is attributed to Mark the Evangelist.  He is depicted in art as rescuing slaves (Whitehorse’s personal mission is keeping innocent civilians from becoming angels), and is often associated with the Resurrection of Christ (Whitehorse likely personally hired the junior deputy).  Mark died in Alexandria when Alexandrians tied a rope around his neck and dragged him until he was dead. Whitehorse planned to hang himself if the junior deputy had failed to stop the Bliss.

The Fifth Seal And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled. (Rev 6:9-11)

In the final confrontation, Joseph tells the junior deputy that they have made martyrs of his family, and so he is prepared to do the same with the deputy’s “family.”  Once again, Joseph is wrong.  The souls of the martyrs are the people that Joseph and the cult murdered.  The souls are asking God when they will be avenged, and they are answered that they must wait for just a little while longer, until their brothers and sisters are martyred as they were.  If we look at the arrival of the four horsemen as being represented by the Seeds’ deaths, then yeah the souls of the martyrs would be Joseph’s flock.  However, looking at it this way simply doesn’t make any sense, because the deputy hasn’t killed Joseph, who is the first horseman.  The first seal is opened when the deputy first comes into contact with him, so it stands to reason that the other seals are opened when the deputy first comes into contact with the other siblings as well.  

I don’t have a single theory for this.  Hell, maybe the deputy just ran around the county like a chicken with their head cut off, I don’t know.  Maybe the fifth seal is opened as the other seals are opened, meaning the deputy avenges the martyrs as they go before confronting Joseph at the end.  Either way, the martyrs whose souls cry for vengeance are the people that the cult has slain, including Eli and Virgil, Virgil’s son, etc.  If you look around at the posed bodies all over the county, they are often wrapped in or draped with white sheets.  These are the white robes given to the martyrs.  God’s revenge for the martyrs is killing the members of the cult (as well as the actual apocalypse).  

It is interesting to note the inclusiveness in these verses.  The ones that are meant to die as revenge for the martyrs are referred to as their brethren, and are described as serving alongside them.  This is pretty much what Eden’s Gate is all about, which adds to the idea that Joseph and his flock thought they were doing the right thing.  It’s actually rather sad when you think about it.

The Sixth Seal And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of the heavens fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev 6:12-17)

This is super straightforward.  I know that Joseph quotes it just before his boss fight, but I think he’s wrong here as well.  I think that this is the nuclear war that inexplicably falls on Hope County (seriously, why are there so many bombs concentrated in the middle of nowhere?).  Joseph makes a point to tell the deputy that all the politicians have been silenced, which is part of these verses.  They all fall to the wrath of the Lamb, and everyone and everything is destroyed.  That’s why Joseph is still alive, as well, but I’ll explain that in a bit.

The Seventh Seal And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (Rev 8:1-6)

The period of silence is what Joseph refers to when he’s listening to the radio (or lack thereof).   After this, each of the seven years they spend in the bunker is one trumpet sound, for a total of seven plagues during which the entire world is completely destroyed.  Demons rise from Hell and torment those who remain on earth, the horsemen run around and do what they do, and then the Lamb chooses who will inhabit the earth after God casts His judgment.

I really suggest reading Revelations to get a good sense of what happens here.  It’s too much to put in a silly little blog post, but it really is an interesting read.  Very fire and brimstone, blood and thunder.

The Identity of Joseph Seed One theory regarding the reason Joseph survives the apocalypse is that Joseph is the horseman of conquest, and the wrath of the Lamb is an act of conquest.  Even after all the other horseman have come and gone, conquest remains in the form of a new world order, a new regime, or what have you.  Conquest never goes away, even after war and famine and death are gone.  Of course, this part isn’t in the Bible, this is just me waxing philosophic, but I think it’s rather fitting.  

Another theory is that Joseph is the Antichrist, which also makes a lot of sense.  In 1951, a Roman Catholic Bishop wrote:

“The Antichrist will not be so called; otherwise he would have no followers... he will come disguised as the Great Humanitarian; he will talk peace, prosperity and plenty not as means to lead us to God, but as ends in themselves... He will tempt Christians with the same three temptations with which he tempted Christ... He will have one great secret which he will tell to no one: he will not believe in God. Because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God, he will deceive even the elect. He will set up a counterchurch... It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the Antichrist that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ.”

This is almost exactly Joseph Seed.  He resembles the traditional (inaccurate) image of Christ in the west (long hair, beard, blue eyes), his religion is definitely not Christianity (even if it is based on it), and he acts as his own god to his flock. This could make a fourth herald a possibility (cut from the game thanks to budget and deadlines), to take his place as the horseman of conquest.

Yet another theory is that Joseph himself is actually the Lamb, and the junior deputy is the horseman of conquest, reversing everything I’ve said up to this point (including the role of the Seed siblings and the deputy’s partners)  This actually makes some kind of sense in that the deputy runs around and takes over every region for the resistance.  The deputy is also freeing their partners, which could symbolize the horsemen being set upon the world.  This would make the Seeds the beasts.  Of course, Joseph can’t be the Lamb and the beast that calls forth the horseman of conquest, so perhaps Dutch is the beast instead.  He drags the deputy out of the river and gets them ready to go back out into the fight, so perhaps this is him fulfilling his role as the Man and announcing the arrival of the horseman.  Or, as above, a fourth herald could fill this role as well.

Conclusion Again, I am not an expert, and everything I have said in this post has more or less been forced to fit.  The characters do not draw exactly from the Bible, but there are enough parallels that I don’t think any of it is coincidence.

So, to recap:

Cameron Burke is the Man who calls out the rider of the white horse, Joseph Seed (conquest).

Staci Pratt is the Ox who calls out the rider of the red horse, Jacob Seed (war).

Joey Hudson is the Eagle who calls out the rider of the black horse, John Seed (famine).

Earl Whitehorse is the Lion who calls out the rider of the pale horse, Faith Seed (death).

Each beast heralds the coming of the Lamb, who is persecuted and takes the throne with the appearance of having been slain.  The junior deputy comes after their partners in a very systematic fashion (almost as though they had been heralded), and is battered and bruised and scarred as they “open the seals” and inevitably confront Joseph to “take the throne.”  The junior deputy, like Christ, selflessly liberates each region, amasses a fiercely loyal following, and nearly dies for so many people it’s not even funny.  They are persecuted, nearly broken, and yet they doggedly push on, determined to save their friends and their county. Also, one of the cuts made to sacrifice and butcher an animal is across the throat. If the cut is made deep enough, it could damage the vocal folds, rendering the animal mute. The deputy never speaks, and the Bible tells us that the Lamb appears upon the throne as it has been slain. With its throat cut and silent.

Anyway, feel free to add to this or whatever!  I was going to link a few sources but I lost them. It was mostly just Wikipedia and an online version of the King James version of the Bible. Abrahamic religion and mythology is actually very fascinating, and there’s a lot to love about the motifs illustrated in the Book of Revelation especially, so I definitely recommend reading about it!

Tell me what you think, and thanks for reading!

[christ0pher-evans]

Healed Heart

Final Part of the Shattered Heart Mini-Series

Pairings: Chris Evans x Reader Warnings: 18+ Minor Smut / Angst / Cheating / Arguing / Mentions of Divorce / Swearing Word Count: 2.9k A/N: So here is the final part of my mini-series. I honestly cannot thank you so much for the support on this, it means a lot to me and I love you guys for it!!! Please let me know what you think. I hope you’re happy with the ending because it took me a really long time to decide how I could finish off this story with justice. Thank you again, truly😘 Please reblog and like🖤

Part One: Shattered Heart Part Two: Troubled Heart Part Three: Bewildered Heart

 ♡

Three tortuous days had passed since you had last seen or spoke to Chris, three days since you kicked him out your home. You’d had nightmares about being in a loveless and hateful marriage, steamy dreams about your recent rendezvous and nights where you just felt so alone that you had cried yourself to sleep. It was safe to say that the past three days had been exhausting. 

Although fucking Chris in the kitchen during a harrowing argument probably wasn’t the smartest thing you’ve done, it led to some realisations about how you wanted to proceed with your marriage. You definitely didn’t regret anything you said, or did with Chris that day and that was what you found important amongst the disaster. Not regretting your decisions meant that you knew you wanted to move forward in your marriage, and not look backwards; something you would consider a big first step in repairing your marriage. You knew you couldn’t forget what happened and would have to address it before moving forward but you knew you had the desire to push through the hard times. 

You’d called Chris that morning and told him that you wanted him to come home, not that he could or should but that you wanted him at home with you. Emotionally, it felt like the right decision, because at the end of the day he was your husband and you missed him. Practically, it is his home as well and it was the only place you could both be to sort out your marriage with privacy. You didn’t want to be surrounded by the media or by prying eyes. Hell, you didn’t even want the opinion of family or friends, this was between you and Chris only. 

As you tidied up the house a bit and thought about the moment Chris would walk through the door, it was clear to you that no matter how angry or hurt you were, Chris was your endgame. You had played all the variables over and over in your head loads of times, societal rights and wrongs about cheating when you realised, fuck society. You would never leave your husband over this, and that was okay. This was your story and who cared what anyone else thought, because you didn’t want to give up. You owe it to yourself, to your marriage, to try and fix everything before throwing it away. 

For the first few days, Chris slept in the spare room and you danced around each other, trying to find your new normal whilst you navigated the mess that was your marriage. 

Once the first week passed, Chris continued to sleep in the spare room and you finally plucked up the courage to address the problem that had been plaguing your marriage for weeks, months if you consider back to when the problem initially started. 

The day you decided to bring it up, you had finished work early and Chris was already at home when you arrived back around 3pm. 

Walking through the house, you finally found Chris in the home office. 

“I thought you were filming today?” Chris looked up at the sound of your voice. 

“Oh hi sweetheart. I didn’t hear you come in? Um, yeah I was but, uh.. she turned up to re-film some scenes so I came home.” 

You winced at the thought of her and Chris together but was quickly calmed by the effort Chris had made to avoid her. 

Clearing your throat, you found the courage to reply. 

“Oh, er, did you not have to keep filming?” Leaning against the door frame, you settled in for a longer conversation. 

“It wasn’t anything that I can’t just do another day when she isn’t there. I’ve got some scripts to read over anyway so it’s fine.” 

You sighed. This seemed like an appropriate time to bring up the unspoken topic so you could start moving forward but your anxiety felt crippling in that very moment, you didn’t know if you could face it. 

“Sweetheart..” Chris whispered, “Y/N, sit down, please..” 

You moved to sit down on the small sofa by the window, tucking your feet up and under yourself. Chris moved to join you, sitting fairly close but not touching you as you hadn’t crossed that boundary since he came home. 

“Look baby, I’ve been home a week now and we’ve just walked around this house like we are two strangers. I need you to talk to me, tell me what you’re thinking because you’re the one that told me you wanted me to come home?”

You looked up from your lap and straight into Chris’s eyes, “You do feel like a stranger to me.”

You heard his voice hitch in his throat, clearly caught off guard by your blunt answer. 

“I’m still me, sweetheart. I’m the same person you met seven years ago and I’m the same person you married four years ago. Please don’t think I’ve changed.” 

A lone tear falls straight from your eye, as you whimper, “I miss him.” 

It takes Chris no longer than a second to pull you into his lap, all boundaries obliterated, as he hugs you like his life depends on it. As you cry all you can hear is Chris repeatedly whispering, ‘I’m here. I’m still me. I love you.’ 

You shudder at the softened and sweet contact, something you hadn’t felt for weeks but you embraced it, leaning further into Chris’s chest for comfort. 

Once you had basked in the feeling for a bit longer, shutting the world and your problems out, you knew you had to move away. It would have been unfair to give Chris mixed signals as your marriage was still clearly on the rocks. 

Sitting back up on the sofa, you composed yourself. 

“I know you are still you Chris, but you’ve changed to me now. This you..”, you sigh before continuing, “..you’re tainted and untrustworthy, you’re the man that cheated on me, you’re not my husband. I need to get to know you again, and I need to learn to love our marriage again, and learn to trust you again. It’s going to take time.” 

“B-but you want to try?”

“Of course I want to try. Endgame right? That hasn’t changed for me but other things have to change, we cannot continue like this otherwise if something else were to happen, I don’t think we would survive it.” 

“I am infinitely yours sweetheart. Forever.” You watch Chris smile sweetly. 

Feeling slightly more confident and feeling like Chris has really been listening to you, you knew it was time to talk about her. 

“Okay, well whilst we are here, I think we should talk about her. It’s the biggest hurdle for me, and I can’t move past it. I just can’t deal with you seeing her right now, not whilst I’m learning to trust you again. I’ll never trust her so I need to 100% be able to trust you again.” 

Grabbing hold of your hand, Chris nods in understanding.

“That is completely fine sweetheart. For now, how about I just work my schedule around when she isn’t there and wait until you are comfortable before I finish filming my scenes with her? I don’t care if it postpones the film, or they replace me, you are more important to me than any film and I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it to you!” 

You nod feebly, shocked and relieved with the instant commitment Chris was happy to make to save your marriage and earn your trust back. 

An awkward silence falls over the room at the monumental conversation you just had. Needing a moment to yourself, you decide to make a quick exit. 

‘Um, I think I’ll go and grab a shower before dinner.” Quickly leaving, you rush to your ensuite. 

The shower provided a solace to digest what just happened, a few tears falling as you feel overwhelmed. But you left the bathroom with a renewed sense of hope. 

It was another week of tough conversations and private marriage counselling before you felt you had reached another milestone in fixing your marriage. 

You were in the ensuite of your bedroom when Chris came in to say goodnight. He was merely wearing a pair of pyjamas bottoms that amusingly you were wearing the matching top of. 

He chuckled as he leant against the wall, “I was looking for that top.” 

You giggled lightly and blushed, using all your self control to not drool over seeing Chris topless. Unfortunately, you had never been good at hiding any of your emotions from Chris and you saw him smirk slightly at your flustered state. 

“Okay, well, I just came to say goodnight, so uh- night I guess..” 

You mumbled a goodnight back as Chris turned to walk out the room. A rush of affection from the interaction washed over you causing you to shout back towards Chris to catch his attention. 

“Um, stay..” 

You saw the startled look on his face as the words left your lips. 

“Stay with me tonight..”, you repeated as if you were confirming your own words. 

“Yeah, course I’ll stay, if that’s what you want?”, he shuffled back towards you. 

“It is what I want.” 

You smiled at him sweetly before you brushed past him and moved towards the bed, leaving him a bit stunned in the bathroom. 

Weeks passed with no problems. You and Chris had gone back to sleeping in the same bed and you often woke up snuggled together. At first, you’d wake and quickly move away from him however, slowly, you became comfortable with it and you were finally starting to feel at peace in his arms. 

You had woken up early this specific Monday morning as it was Chris’s first day back filming with her. You felt sick to the stomach at the thought of him seeing her again and had slept terribly. You knew this day would come and thought you would be, at least slightly prepared, but as the day dawned, you were scared. Nerves caged around your heart as your mind could only replay the moment Chris told you that he had kissed another woman.

Chris had to go back to work, you understood that. He had already put it off for a while and sacrificed enough of his job to try and reconcile your marriage. You almost felt obliged to let him go back to work, who were you to hold your husband back from his job? 

You were sitting in the kitchen, slowly nursing a very strong coffee when Chris came down, ready for his day. You glanced up at him briefly, barely acknowledging his words to you. 

“Y/N? Sweetheart, are you okay? You’re up really early?” 

Glancing at the clock reading 7:30am, you shrugged and mumbled, “Woke up at 5:30am.”

You stared in the abyss, thoughts whirring through your mind. Thinking about being frightened to death about the thought that your marriage wasn’t even halfway back to where it should be. Knowing that Chris would see her today, spend all his time with her whilst you were waiting back at home for him. It felt like some sick and twisted de ja vu. 

It had been almost two months since you’d last been with Chris in any form of intimacy, almost four months since you were truly a happily married couple and now he was going to see her again, were you really debating that history would repeat itself? 

“Baby, will you talk to me? I can see something is on your mind”, Chris gently rests his hand over yours, bringing you out your nightmarish daydream. 

Looking up at Chris, taking in all his handsome features, you thought, how could anyone ever resist him. The thought panicked you even more.  

Learning from previous mistakes, you knew it was best to communicate to him how you were feeling. 

“I’m scared you’re going to see her again today and history could just repeat itself. Nothing is fixed yet Chris, and it feels like we are already going backwards.”

Just when you thought that being honest and communicating with Chris was the best option, it backfired in your face. Chris scoffed, a look of disgust on his face. 

“Huh, you’re not kidding?” Watching him run his hand through his hair, he turns away and slams his coffee mug down on the side. You jump at the aggressive action. 

“You really think I’d do that again? You really think that little of me? Have you not seen all the work I’ve put into this fucking marriage the past couple of months?”, he shrugs and turns back to you, “What else do you want from me Y/N?” 

You wince at his spiteful words. 

“I know you’ve put a lot into this marriage Chris, so have I! We’ve been doing really well, but can you really blame me for having doubts on your first day back with her? I thought you’d understand!” 

“No, I don’t blame you, but I thought you’d trust me more that this by now.” 

You chew on your lip nervously as you both stare at one another, terrified of the silence. 

“I’ve got to go to work Y/N, see you later.” You hear Chris huff before he walks straight out the house, leaving you sitting dumbfounded and anxious at your kitchen table. 

Trying to do any work from home was useless as you just felt panicked and couldn’t stop thinking about how Chris’s day was going. You hadn’t heard from him since this morning at it was now 6pm. 

After developing a painful stress headache, you decide to lay down in bed. Believing you can block the world out and briefly pretend that nothing is wrong in your marriage, you shut your eyes momentarily. 

FLASHBACK. 

Waking up so softly, you barely blink your eyes open as you feel tender kisses dancing their way up your back, following the line of your spine. You flutter your eyes open carefully, aware of the vibrant sunlight gracing your face as you try to focus your eyes, gradually making out the floor length curtains gently blowing through the breeze from your open balcony doors. You can hear the soft crashes of the waves and can see the soft, baby blue sky from your place on the bed as you stretch out all your limbs from an energetic night. You let yourself surrender to the feeling of Chris’s lips grazing against your bare body.

As he gradually makes his way up to your neck and cheek, you hum in utter happiness and contentment as he places one final kiss on your cheek as he leans over your body. You can feel every line and shape of his naked form as it presses up against you. You think about how you’ve never felt so happy and loved in this moment, knowing that this is exactly how you’ll get to feel for the rest of your life. 

“Good morning Mrs. Evans”, Chris roughly whispers, his voice hoarse from minimal sleep. He nibbles on your ear teasingly before grinding his core over your ass. You whimper at the feeling his movements evoke from you. 

“Mhm, I like how that sounds”, you mumble before smiling happily. The use of that name giving you butterflies. The one that now belongs to you, the name that now proves you belong to each other forever.

END OF FLASHBACK.

You wake with a start as you hear the front door slam slightly. You sit up too quickly, as you feel light-headed and your vision blurs slightly. You breath deeply, gaining your bearings before looking at the bedside clock. 7:30pm; you had slept right through dinner. 

Not that it mattered because you would have been eating alone anyway, you thought. 

Your body adjusts to being awake, your stomach fluttering slightly at the memories and feelings that the dream provoked. Momentarily caught in a fever dream. 

Back in reality, you brain registers that there was a slam at the door. Quickly, you get up and rush downstairs to see what is happening. 

As you halt at the bottom of the stairs and look out into the open plan room, you see Chris standing by the breakfast bar. The very same breakfast bar that holds so many recent heartbreaking conversations. But this time, it doesn’t bring you sadness. 

There Chris stands, holding takeout food in one hand and in the other, your favourite donuts. Behind him, on the wall, hangs the framed photo from your wedding day. Your matching smiles beaming on both your faces, almost as if they are lighting up the room.

You look back at him, standing here in your house. Bringing home dinner to you. Coming home to you. 

Your breath catches in your throat, “It’s you Chris, it’s always going to be you.”

You watch him place down the food on the side, before he begins striding towards you. Stuck in your spot, you can’t do anything but smile at your husband as he reaches you. 

“Forever yours”, you whisper before Chris’s lips crash onto yours for the first time in months. Your lips work together as your hands grip as his waist and his grasp your neck and face so you can’t move away. So you can only feel Chris, so you can truly remember the raw intimacy and passion between you. 

As your lips melt together, it feels as monumental as the moment he kissed you as you became his wife. It feels as if your story is beginning again; with a fresh start and a new-found hope for your marriage. 

 ♡

Forever Tags: @itsscottiesstark @patzammit @partypoison00 @cynic-spirit @n3ssm0nique @sohoseb @madbaddic7ed @moonlacebeam @ilovetheeagles  @beautifulrose0809 @lovelyladymayyy @tenaciousperfectionunknown @mysticapples17 @whxre4cevans @firoozehmoon @spookyparadisesheep @mytbel0st @thatonelatina @snowy992 [Please drop me a message if you’d like to become part of the taglist for this series or any of my work]

[lia-jones]

Growing Together - Chapter Thirteen - Like Ants Do

Fall was already making an appearance, painting the trees that lined the road to Terry’s ranch in reds and oranges. I always loved the season and everything it symbolized: the hot beverages, the crafts, and the colder weather that made me put on an extra sweater, but not cold enough to discourage me from leaving the house. The thing I loved the most, though, was the trees. It was like they were preparing to die and chose to go out with a bang, showing us how astonishing they could be, coloring the landscape for us so during the winter we would remember what it was like to have beautiful trees. Fall was the first step of a beautiful end, and, simultaneously, the promise of a magnificent beginning.

Inside the car, however, there was the energy of a painful start that still held the potential energy of an even more painful ending. A week had passed since Owen’s adoption, and we were faced with a very different child than the one we used to visit every weekend. The funny extroverted version of Owen seemed to no longer be available and gave way to a morose child who seemed on edge all the time.

For a week we tried to connect, and although it wasn’t all bad, it was nothing like we had expected. Owen seemed to have no excitement over his new house or his new room, and was yet to touch any of the toys we had bought him, busying himself with the books alone. He mostly kept to himself in his bedroom, and would only come out for activities with us if we insisted on it. The only thing that seemed to have some kind of effect was asking for him to help with chores, like setting the table or preparing dinner, which he would do quietly and cautiously, as if afraid to mess up somehow.

I couldn’t complain though, Victor was having it way worse. Even though it was difficult, I could still interact with the boy, but my husband wasn’t having such luck. Owen looked at him with frightened eyes, and avoided him like the plague, turning to me the rare times he needed something. Hence our trip to Terry’s farm. We hoped that a new activity, an exciting environment, could bring the boy out of his shell. To be honest, this small excursion was our Hail Mary.

Victor turned down the dirt road that led to the iron gate, focused on his driving. He had done his best to look casual and nonthreatening, wearing a gray sweater instead of the usual dress shirt, maintaining a relaxed look on his face. I obviously could see through it, noticing the clench in his jaw and the tension on his shoulders. And Owen apparently did too, as he almost curled in on himself in his seat, training his eyes on the scenery outside, and had yet to make a single peep.

Susan and Terry were waiting for us in the garden when we parked our car.

“Hey! How are you all?” Terry greeted us with a hug. “And who is this gorgeous young man?” She grinned at Owen.

“Owen, this is Terry, my aunt, and her girlfriend, Susan.” Victor held Owen’s shoulder fatherly. “Terry, this is Owen.”

“Nice to meet you!” Terry extended her hand for Owen to shake, which he politely took. “Your father tells me you like animals.”

“My father?” Owen made a confused expression, looking at Victor. “Yes…”

“Fantastic! I will show you the horses later.” Terry took Owen’s hand and motioned us to follow her. “Mina made iced tea, come have some.”

We followed her to the patio where a set table was already waiting for us. I sat down, saving a seat for Owen between me and Victor, my eyes on Owen, trying to assess his mood. The boy sat next to me quietly, his eyes on the ground. I took the iced tea pitcher, while Victor went inside to call Mina.

“Would you like to try some? It’s delicious.” I asked softly.

“Yes, please.” He took the glass from my hands, taking a sip. “Yum, it’s great!” He whispered, his eyes shining.

“See? I told you.” My heart jumped to see him relax, even if just a little. “You’ll love it here, you’ll get to meet Naia and Onyx.”

“You think I can ride them?” Owen’s eyes widened.

“Maybe not today, but we can definitely feed them.” I grinned.

“Andrea!” Mina greeted me, Victor following her. “How are you, dear? And this beautiful child… You are Owen, right?”

Mina crouched to his height, a sweet look in her eyes.

“Do you want to know what I’m making back in the kitchen? Victor’s favorite delicacy, saltwater taffy. Do you want to help me stretch it?”

Owen looked at her with wide eyes, excited to have that new experience. Until Victor spoke sternly.

“It’s alright Mina, he can stay with us, you don’t need to take him to the kitchen.” He spoke somewhat bitterly. “I’m not my father.”

Ouch . Bringing his son here was unfortunately making Victor relive some of his childhood memories, and for a second, everybody stared at him like he had said a dirty word. I cleared my throat.

“Unless you want to stretch the taffy with Mina.” I spoke. “You can go if you want to, Owen.”

The red-haired boy looked at Victor for a sign of disapproval, but Victor was too busy shooting a confused look at me. As Owen finally decided, following Mina to the kitchen, I tried to placate my husband.

“It’s ok, let him go.” I whispered. “If he wants to go with Mina, let him.”

Victor pursed his lips, but remained silent.

“So, how is the first week going?” Terry tried to break the tension.

Awful. Terrible. A nightmare. We have no idea of what we are doing.

“Good.” Victor quipped, helping himself with some ice tea. “We were visiting schools this week, Owen is starting next week at Crestview.”

Another touchy subject. Victor and I couldn’t agree on the school. He wanted a more traditional one, like the ones he attended, with bratty rich kids and boastful parents, while I was leaning towards a public school, with trees and a playground where Owen could go play in the rain and the mud. Eventually, Victor twisted my arm. The school was known for having excellent teachers, and it was close to home. I had no reason to say no.

“That is a very reputable school, wonderful choice.” Terry nodded in approval. “Owen will thrive there.”

“Andrea is not entirely convinced yet.” My husband commented, smiling smugly at me.

This had not been a good week, especially for Victor. So I let the comment slide.

“Look what we got here!” Mina emerged from the kitchen once again, a proud Owen behind her, holding a bowl full of taffy pieces.

“Try one!” Owen placed the bowl on the table. “They are very good.”

We all took a piece, and I realized once again why this was Victor’s favorite. Mina’s taffy was a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and it melted in one’s mouth as soon as it touched it, turning into this velvety sweetness.

“Can I explore the garden?” Owen asked me, excited.

I was loving seeing him this happy; it turned out our idea had been quite a good one. But the garden was immense. My heart shrunk at the thought.

“Will you be careful? Please stay near.” I cautioned.

“I’m four, I’m not a baby. I won’t get lost.” Owen assured me.

“There are a lot of secrets hiding in this garden.” Victor spoke to Owen, who shrunk slightly at the sound of his voice. “Go explore, have fun.”

Happy with Victor’s answer, the boy ran to the garden, lost in his own imagination.

“He’ll be ok, he’s a smart child.” I felt Vic’s hand on mine, reassuring me. “I was seven when I took my first transatlantic flight. This is just a garden.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him.

“Your parents were with you all the time, there’s hardly any comparison.”

“I went by myself.” Victor replied nonchalantly. “My mother was in France at the time, and my father was busy, so I went on my own.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Well, I knew what to say. I just didn’t know if I should say it. It turned out, like most times in my life, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

“Your parents let you fly across the ocean, to a foreign country, all by yourself?” My voice sounded shocked, but I couldn’t help it. I was astonished.

“I was being taken care of by the flight attendants, I had a car waiting for me at the airport to take me to my mother’s house. It was perfectly safe.”

I could see by Mina and Terry’s expression that I was dealing with yet another sensitive subject, Terry shaking her head behind Victor, telling me to leave it alone. That was a Lee thing, pretending that bad things don’t exist, or that they are normal, appearances mattering most of all. I decided there and then that, although I was a Lee, I wasn’t born one, so I would speak my mind. Gently.

“So what you’re saying is that, if my mother were to invite Owen to Portugal and both of us were busy, you would have no problem putting him on a plane by himself and sending him there?”

“Without one of us? Of course not!” Victor was about to say something else but paused, lost in thought, his answer dawning on him.

There was a moment of silence at that moment, as we witnessed many emotions go through the eyes of the man I loved. And for a moment, I felt guilty for pointing out an ugly truth. It was the truth, and in a way, Victor needed to realize the gravity of it, but it still hurt him. And I hated to see him hurt.

“What do you say we go show Owen the horses? Onyx and Naia will love to see you.” Terry broke the silence.

“I’ll go get some carrots and sugar cubes for Owen to feed them.” Mina walked into the kitchen.

As he saw me waving at him, the boy ran back to us, his face almost as red as his curls.

“I found an anthill!” He declared, excited. “Can I take some taffy to feed the ants?”

“Maybe later.” I laughed. “Come on, finish your tea, we’re going to see the horses.”

“Do you know ants don't have lungs or ears?” Owen started talking excitedly, just like before. “They sense vibrations and they communicate with chemicals they produce. And they have two stomachs!”

“Two stomachs?” I played along. “That’s a lot of food for such a tiny ant. They should be really fat!”

“They don’t eat all of it!” Owen giggled. “It’s one for them and the other for storage. They need to feed the ants that stay behind!”

“They don’t get fat, they exercise, carrying all that food.” Victor joked, pleased to see Owen as vibrant again.

“They can carry up to fifty times their weight! And that means things that are way bigger than them!” Owen gesticulated excitingly, forgetting the glass of ice tea he was holding. As he lifted his hands to illustrate his point, the glass slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground. Owen’s face, flushed and happy before, turned pale.

“Be careful, don’t step on the glass, honey.” I bowed to the floor with a napkin, picking the bigger shards from the floor.

“I’m sorry I made a mess.” He panicked, looking at the broken glass on the floor. “I’ll clean it up, don’t be mad!” He crouched next to me, his tiny hands ready to touch the sharp shards. Before I could say anything, Victor's voice echoed through the garden.

“Owen, NO! Don’t touch that!”

Owen let out a frightened scream, jumping into my arms.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please don’t be mad at me! I didn’t mean it!” He burst into tears, his face buried in my shoulder.

“Owen, I’m not mad.” Victor tried. “I was just-”

“I want Miss Dillon, I want to go back!” Owen interrupted him, tightening his grip on me. “Please take me back.”

And the crushed look spreading over my husband’s face broke my heart.

“Owen, it’s ok, nothing wrong happened, it was just a glass.” I caressed his curls. “Victor was just afraid you would cut yourself on the glass, he didn’t mean to scare you. He is not mad at you, I promise.”

“I’m sorry I made a mess…” The boy sobbed in my arms, and I watched Victor silently walk into the house, completely disheartened. Mina and Terry followed him.

“Owen, I need you to calm down and pay close attention to me, can you do that?” I whispered to him.

After a moment, the sobbing ceased, and Owen turned his eyes to me.

“When we make a mess, we simply clean it up. Or, in this case, because it’s dangerous, we ask for help to clean it up. And next time, we pay attention. That’s it. No one needs to cry. No one will ever get mad at you because of one silly accident.”

The boy kept staring at me, still deciding if he should believe me.

“Besides, when one ant drops a piece of bread, the other ants don’t get mad, do they? They help their mate. In this family, we do the same. We are just like the ants, working together as a family.”

“But…” Owen trailed off, his eyes turning to the door Victor walked through.

“He wasn’t mad, he just didn’t want you to get hurt. But he has that thunder voice that can scare the ants.” I joked, making Owen chuckle. “Come on, help me get a broom so we can clean this.”

“Andy…” He interrupted me before I could get up, his face somber again. “I’m sorry I said I want to go back to Miss Dillon. I didn't mean it.”

“I know.” I smiled at him. “Don’t worry about it, ok?”

It was exhilarating to see Owen smile back at me.

For the first time that week, despite the drama, I felt that I got through to him. We walked into the kitchen, Owen in a much better mood, holding my hand.

“Don’t worry, my angel, I’ll clean it up.” Mina took the broom from Owen’s hands.

“Hey, I would love to see that anthill you found.” Terry called Owen. “Will you show it to me?”

“Can I?” He turned to me.

“Of course, my little ant.” I ruffled his hair, making him giggle. “Go have fun.”

I stayed behind with Mina in the kitchen, watching an enthused Owen tell Terry all the fun facts he knew about ants.

“He’s in the study.” Mina informed me with a knowing smile, following them outside with the broom.

I carefully knocked on the study’s door, hearing an annoyed Yes from inside. Victor was sitting on a chair, fingers rubbing his temples, staring at the carpet.

“How is Owen?” Victor looked up when he saw me.

“He’s fine, he’s in a good mood. Terry took him outside.” I downplayed it.

“Didn’t you see how frightened he was? He was shaking. He’s scared of me.” Victor stated blandly, a deep dark pit of sorrow in his grey eyes.

Based on our previous conversation, it wasn’t hard to get to the root of what was troubling my husband. I kneeled before him, placing my hands on his shoulders.

“You are not your father. You and your father are completely different people.”

“Maybe I am though.” He turned his eyes away in shame. “Maybe one day Owen will look back and see what a terrible father I was. I yelled at him. What kind of person yells at a little child, let alone his own son?”

“Why did you yell at him?”

“I didn’t want him to cut himself in the glass. But I-”

“Exactly.” I held his face in my hands. “You weren’t scolding him, you were protecting him. Just what a good father would do. I would’ve done exactly the same, you just beat me to it.”

I felt my husband’s tension slacken slightly, as he let out a deep breath.

“Look, I don't want you to second guess yourself like this.” I looked deep into his eyes. “It’s normal to have questions, it’s ok not to know everything, but if there is a person I know is absolutely competent and experienced in raising a child, it’s the man I love.”

“Experienced?” He frowned at me. “I‘ve never raised a child before in my life, what on earth are you talking about?”

“Yes, you have.” I answered firmly. “You raised yourself.”

He scoffed, looking away, like I had said something ridiculous. My gentle hands guided his face towards mine again.

“It’s true. Victor, you were neglected in so many ways, and even as a child, all by yourself, you guided yourself towards the best choices in life, and you became the wonderful man you are today. You are nothing like your father, because you chose not to be. Despite everything you could have learned from him, despite his negative influence, you chose differently.”

Victor looked at me with wide eyes. Hopefully, my words were sinking into him. I continued my heartfelt speech.

“And you did this as a child, with zero life experience. Now that you are an adult, you can help Owen in the way he needs, help him overcome all he’s been through. All you need to do is guide him the same way you did to yourself, this is nothing new to you. You did this before. And while things may seem hard now, they won’t be like this forever. You just have to be patient. Time and love will make all the pieces fit together. To be honest, I think Owen is really lucky to have you as a father.”

The corner of my husband’s mouth lifted, his gaze soft and loving, all the worry magically gone.

“Come here.” Victor pulled me to his lap, his lips touching mine, making me melt in his arms, like I always did. “I’m the lucky one.” He hushed, as he broke the kiss.

A few moments after, childish laughter sounded through the house. Owen had returned from the garden with Terry, and he looked positively delighted.

“Hey!” I greeted them. “Did you have fun, Owen?”

Owen said nothing, his gaze locked on Victor. He was still uneasy, not knowing what to expect.

“We still have to visit the stables.” Victor chimed in. “Owen, do you want to meet our horses?”

The boy nodded.

“Come on, then.” Victor motioned for him to follow. “Do you know the names of our horses?”

“Naia and Onyx. Naia is a mare and Onyx is a stallion.” Owen replied.

“Very good. Onyx is the horse I ride, Naia is Andrea’s. When you learn how to ride properly, you will have your own horse.” Victor promised as he walked beside Owen.

“I’m going to learn how to ride a horse?” Owen asked, exhilarated.

“Yes, I will teach you. What do you say?”

“Yes, please, Sir.”

I walked a few steps behind, trying to give them the space they needed to bond. I had absolutely no doubt in my mind that Owen would see Victor for the wonderful man that he was, and that a beautiful relationship was in the making. It would take some time, but we would finally have the family we all dreamed of.

[brokensmileswritings]

One Small Change

Chapter 3- Turnabout Trump: Kristoph Gavin’s true colours. 

Apollo gets a new co-counsel as he begins to see his employer in a new light. 

An: Huge thanks to @tarmahartley  for her critique of my writing. It has really helped me improve.

Apollo listened to Mr. Wright’s testimony regarding the implanted card and how he came to find it in his pocket. Despite claiming that he was too good to be caught out by a mere trick (since he knew them all, apparently), Apollo cynically, and correctly, thought otherwise.

Mr Wright’s luck had been present that night since he had discovered the card by chance. Fearing the worst, he had disposed of it in an empty grape juice bottle although the bottle Apollo had in his possession was empty.

When he presented this to Mr. Wright, he remained adamant that he had put the planted card in that particular bottle while Mr. Gavin merely scoffed and added sarcastically, “Maybe there were other people involved in this case?”

If Apollo didn’t know any better, he would say that Kristoph Gavin was working against his own client which begged the question: Why would he do such a thing?  Mr. Gavin was a friend of Mr Wright’s so why would he be advocating a guilty verdict for him? It didn’t make any sense. As the cross examination continued, Apollo wasn’t sure what was going on but he was profoundly aware that there was something fishy going on. Mr. Gavin’s continued encouragement to break Mr Wright’s cool demeanor made something click in Apollo’s head which was even more startling when he realized the implications: Kristoph wanted Mr. Wright to be found guilty of murder.

But…why?

Another contradiction came to light in Mr Wright’s testimony: Shadi Smith had a cut on his forehead that was covered by his hat. As it appeared, Phoenix Wright had tampered with the crime scene by putting the victim’s hat back on his head which, being a member of the legal profession, he should have known that was something you didn’t do! At first glance, it made him look very bad but, upon further examination, it turned out that he had had a good reason to and that came in the form of a recorded phone call.

Despite Kristoph slandering Mr. Wright’s testimony as travesty and lies, there was no escaping the harsh truth that was rearing its ugly head: How did Mr Gavin know that Shadi Smith was bald if he only saw him wearing a hat?

———————————————————————————————

Someone cracked that flawless bone china pate.

Those words whirled around in Apollo’s head as he stood in the defendant’s lobby, the implications making themselves only too clear to him. It wasn’t just Mr Wright who was seeing Kristoph Gavin in a new light; Apollo himself was beginning to wonder just who it was that he was working for and he couldn’t help wondering just who his mentor really was.

And something else: Was he friend or foe? Apollo didn’t really know at this point but he had a very bad feeling about it; worst of all, he wasn’t entirely sure himself.

He was pondering what was going to happen after the recess since he was about to hear Mr. Gavin’s testimony. What was he going to do? If he ended up accusing Mr. Gavin of murder, he would be out of a job.

His wandering thoughts were brought firmly back to the present by a voice calling out to him; startled, he looked up to see that the voice belonged to a teenaged girl, dressed in a blue magician’s outfit complete with hat and cape.

“Hello sir!’ she called out pleasantly, holding out a some cards in front of her, a secretive smile on her lips. “Please pick a card!”

Apollo grumbled under his breath. He had no time for magic tricks since this was a court of law, not a circus! However, maybe it would be a welcome distraction from the thoughts plaguing his mind so he decided to play along.

“Very well.” He picked the first card he saw as if it was somehow it was calling to him and, as he held it, the magician’s next words shook him to his core.

“The last hand is about to be dealt and you need a trump card in order to win. Use this card wisely for it is your chance to find the truth.”

Okay, that was weird.  What did she mean about “finding the truth”? He shrugged it off impatiently as he turned away. He had no time at the present to think about the cryptic words of some teenage witch since it was almost time to return to the courtroom to commence the trial.

It was only when he saw the card, that he remembered the words of Olga Orly: It was the Ace of Spades.

His eyes widened as he looked down at the card in stunned disbelief. It was an Ace of Spades… with a drop of blood on it.

————————————————————————————————

When Apollo returned, he was greeted by Mr Wright behind the defence bench.

“I can’t remember the last time I was here. Sure looks different from this side. Oh! Hi, Apollo. I am sorry to intrude on your turf; I thought you could use some help.” He smiled. “I am a legal aide, of course. “

To say Apollo was flabbergasted was an understatement. Mr Wright, his hero, was going to be his co-counsel for the remainder of the trial?!

“I am sorry if I was rude or uncooperative during my testimony. Heck, I practically took over the trial! I am sorry, Apollo. but you see… I have my suspicions regarding your employer and well… I don’t want you to go on alone.” His voice was earnest as he looked at him, a grim expression on his face. “Please… let me help you on this. “

Apollo didn’t know what to say to that but he had to agree with Mr Wright on suspecting Kristoph Gavin. Something was off about the whole thing and  Mr. Gavin seemed to know more than he was letting on.

————————————————————————————————-

Well, that was that.

Kristoph Gavin was the real killer. He had used a secret passage in the restaurant to access the Hydeout and kill Smith and had even swapped the grape juice bottle/ murder weapon out for another.

Apollo was grateful for Mr. Wright’s advice. If it wasn’t for his logic and helping him turn his thinking around, Apollo would never have suspected that his boss was a murderer.

It was obvious why Mr. Wright was a legal aide, but what perplexed Apollo more was the reason for the change in career. Mr. Gavin’s words at the end of the trial led to some insight into the reason.

Seven years ago, a penalty was put on Mr Wright’s record and had caused him to lose his reputation. No one trusted him as an attorney anymore, so he had taken up legal advice instead. He still kept his badge and was technically a licensed attorney, but he never took on clients, his badge still pinned to his lapel on his court suit in the back of his wardrobe.

Apollo felt awful; to think that the great Ace Attorney himself had to go into legal advice instead of defending the innocent was, to him, a sad irony. After having had a stellar career in law, and the catalyst during the Dark times of the law for change, it seemed cruel to have fallen into the depths like this. It’s just not fair…

After the trial, Mr Wright approached Apollo, his expression sympathetic.

“I am sorry that things turned out the way they did, Apollo.” He put his hand comfortingly for a moment on the young lawyer’s shoulder. “I know it must be hard to see someone you respected turn out to be a killer.” Apollo nodded but said nothing more, silence reigning between the two men for a few moments until Mr. Wright broke it, a smile on his face and a cheerful lilt to his voice. “Listen, how about you stop by my office? While I can offer legal advice, I think that we could also take a fully licensed attorney on board, as well. What do you say?”

Apollo blinked as Mr Wright handed him a black, gilt-edged business card with gold scrolling with the words Wright and CO. law Offices- “Offering legal advice no matter what your situation” printed on itin red calligraphic script and Mr. Wright’s phone number and address on the back.

Apollo stared at the card in astonishment before it suddenly dawned on him: Phoenix Wright wanted to employ him!

“Th-Thank you, Mr. Wright!” His face flushed as he struggled to find the words to express himself without stuttering, Mr. Wright looking on with a bemused expression. “C-can I ask you a question?”

He nodded. “Sure, Apollo. Go ahead.”

“I… noticed something about the bloody ace. It seemed… too perfect, somehow.”

“ Ahh…” Mr. Wright averted his gaze for a moment. “I see you noticed. Well, if I am truthful, it is technically a forgery.”

“WHAT????!!!” Apollo exclaimed in shock and disappointment.

“Hear me out first before you judge me.“ Mr. Wright turned to face him. "The correct term for it would be that it is a replica. You see, I have evidence to prove that it was there on the night of the murder and a replica is fine as long as you can prove it existed in the first place. Some criminals are sly and will cover their tracks like Gavin did; if you can make a footprint to catch the fox, it is permissible as long you can prove which way he went. Do you see what I mean?”

Apollo nodded, dumbfounded.

Mr. Wright that put his hand into his pocket and brought out his cell phone. Apollo could only watch the older man fiddle with his phone.

“I’m glad phones these days have cameras. “ He smiled as he handed the phone to Apollo and, sure enough, there was a picture showing an Ace of Spades with a drop of blood on the corner. Exactly like the one that Apollo had in the Court Record.

“Do you really think I would give a rookie attorney forged evidence without proof that it was there in the first place?” His voice was somewhat reproachful and Apollo winced as he handed the phone back to him. “It looks like Mr Gavin forgot to take this before he left although he kindly rectified that mistake when I returned and found the Ace gone. He must have been in such a hurry the first time that he missed it so I am rather glad that he did and I had the opportunity to take a photo to prove it.” He chuckled. “I even took an “after” picture, as well.”

“B…ut.. you could have used that!” Apollo stuttered, his mind whirling.  “Why didn’t-?”

“No one asked for proof except Kristoph himself, Apollo,” he interrupted gently, “and it was more of a back-up plan to be used in case things went wrong.”

Apollo was speechless. Mr. Wright surely was one cunning lawyer-well, legal aide-and he was nothing short of impressed by his contingency plan.

Mr. Wright grinned, clapping him on the shoulder.“ Now, how about we talk over some coffee?” Mr. Wright turned and began walking toward the courtroom exit, Apollo following. “I can introduce you to Trucy.”