#i will defend this rat with my dying breath who knows .

[chrisbangs]

Sukichuu 🐭 on @/straykids_japan

[chrisevansmentee]

it keeps going.

She blew out a thick puff of smoke and smiled at him. “He wants to see me” she rasped He nodded. She laughed, an ugly sound but laughter nonetheless. “a rat was washed away by the flood, was raised by a family of vicious cats” she crossed her thin legs and looked into the distance. “Went through a lot, was eventually hardened… only to find out…” she inhaled from the stick of cigar between her index and middle finger and blew out small puffs of smoke. “It was never the flood that took her away from her family, it was always her family that sold her to the cats because they couldn’t handle the shame of being associated with her” she turned to face him “he really wants to see me” He cleared his throat “he yelled your name throughout the night” She scoffed “the old man is in agony of course he’d yell my name, I’m the reason he is there” “no you’re not” They were silent, except for the crashing of the waves, their steady breathing and the bouncing of his leg. He tilted his head and stared at her for a long time, taking in her features, comparing it with what he saw five years ago. “how did you find me?” “I’m tony stark” She eyed him with amusement and suppressed a smile. “you knew I’d find you” “I wanted you to find me” Tony smirked and poured wine into his glass. “tell me, Tony, why are you taking care of him, if anything he hurt you more than he hurt me” “I can’t leave him” “he has that chick with him, he’ll be fine” “that chick has her life, that chick is not supposed to be by his side, we are” he said firmly. She made a non committal sound “that’s where you have it wrong, you are his most beloved son, you are supposed to be by his side, don’t think that I’ve forgiven you for all that shit you did” “I had to do something” She set the cigar and the ash tray aside, stood up from her seat, and slapped him. “you chose them over me” she shook with rage as she jabbed a finger in his chest “ you keep defending yourself but you know you did me wrong, it’s your fault I’m here, it’s your fault, don’t think I want to forgive you because I finally let you find me, I need my closure.” “look, dad is dying, let’s honor his last wish” she stared at him incredulously and shook her head “what happened to the tony I used to know” tears rolled down her cheeks “that guy who didn’t take shit, the one who was rational even while drunk, my big brother who was a part of my big big world, what happened to him?” he took a sip of wine but said nothing. She licked her lips and scoffed “once again, he’s disappointing me” He watched her build the wall of indifference back up as she sat down and something broke in him, she’d go out of radar again and they might never see each other until they die. He didn’t want that but it was a bit too late for it, she gave him a chance, she stretched an olive branch to him by being vulnerable with him, by crying in front of him and bringing her guard down and he knew her so well, he knew that she had already decided, she just needed him to say something but there was nothing to say because Tony was a bag of shit, he was a selfish person who betrayed his sister, the only person who knew him well, more than Rhodey, Pepper and his husband Steve. He heard her huff from beside him. “gimme your lighter, mine’s bad” Tony knew a good opportunity and had to use it. “I don’t do that shit anymore” “well, I do” “I’m not with..” “Tony, one more lie from you and I swear, I’ll cut your fucking throat” she said without bite. He gasped in mock fright. “I thought we were fighting just now” “we are, we are” she said distantly. “ he needs to see you” “no matter what you tell me Tones, I won’t see him” Tony sighed and handed the lighter to her.

The atmosphere on the day Howard Stark was buried was gloomy, tony thought it represented his own inner turmoil. He never loved his father, there were so many reasons not to, but the last moments spent with him taught him the mistakes he shouldn’t make. His father had insisted to see her for a reason, he wanted them to be together again and he could feel the regret he had. Yet it didn’t make Tony love him anymore, it was just like pouring water on stone. But the mistake he made with his sister was solely his, he thought that taking his father’s side would protect her but it made things worse. Steve was at his side, holding him. Steve never liked Howard but he was here for Tony. He squeezed Steve’s hand in appreciation. “Babe, I’ll be here for a minute, I just need to…” Steve nodded, kissed the side of his head and walked inside, again he appreciated Steve for being so understanding, he might be a mama hen but he knew when to lay off. Tony thought he was going to be happy when his father died, he had scenarios where he’d go partying and do something crazy but he never expected himself to feel sad, sad because he had no blood relatives anymore. His sister wasn’t talking to him, both his parent’s were only children so… no one except his husband and two best friends. He straightened his suit, wiped his eyes and stood up. it knocked the air right out of him when he saw it. She was there, in one corner of the grave yard putting on a black t-shirt and camouflage trousers, with his favourite sunglasses.(which she obviously nicked from him). She noticed him too and waved at him. He made no move to call her over because he knew she needed to keep her distance. She was always in hiding because she was a fugitive and he knew that he’d be pushing his luck if he told her to come or if he went to her, so he settled for a smile, a lot of words were passed with just the smile and she smiled back. She vanished before he could blink. He knew it just deep down, that was the last time he’d see her

[thatisscandalous]

Panic Attack

Crutchie x Fem!reader

Part ⅓

Part 2

The Refuge. Every orphan’s nightmare in the streets of New York in 1899. Everyone tried to avoid getting caught; they didn’t want to know what would happen to them if they did get thrown into that place. Except, (Y/N) actually got thrown in there. It was worse than what anyone untouched by those horrors could ever imagine. There were rats, everywhere. Strangely, it was either always too cold or too hot, never in the middle. The beds were hardly beds, and there weren’t very many of them. There were multiple kids in a bed, and the beds were so small. They were starved, they didn’t get hardly any food. But that wasn’t the worst part. The children there were abused, beaten, every day. Some got it worse than others, depending on how they defended themselves and how ‘disrespectful’ they were being. They were whipped, punched, and even cut with knives by the wicked men that worked for the warden. Sometimes, the warden would step in. Very few kids escaped, lots of them dying, and those who didn’t pass away eventually got tossed into actual jail, for adults if they aged out. And really they were doing the kids a service by making them better able to slip through the bars on the windows.

(Y/N) was already slim and lanky to begin with, having not been fed much as a child. Of course, she got fed when she was with the newsies, but her build was set in stone. So, the complete lack of food made her to be nothing but skin and bones. She was small enough to slip through the bars of the window, landing on the ground with a thump. She hauled herself up and made her way to the lodging house, where she was warmly welcomed and cared for by the newsies. Crutchie stayed by her side all week. 

A few weeks later, and Y/N is back in shape, visibly. She’s stopped showing signs of trauma, too, tucking it deep inside and refusing to show it to the newsies. But what they didn’t know was that the reason she took so long in the bathroom was because she cried, and her sleep was plagued with nightmares. She refused to show weakness, though, as she feared appearing weak being the last straw. To make herself feel a bit better, she decided to steal Race’s hat, wanting to have a good laugh. 

“Where is my hat?” the boy bellowed, not being able to find the staple item of a newsboy outfit.

She laughed, hiding her face behind her own hat. The angered boy stomped around, looking for his hat. After ten or so minutes of watching him, she finally spoke up.

“Ey Racer! You’se lookin’ fa’ this?” she held the gray hat up, grinning cheekily.

“Ya little-” the boy cut himself off, and instead stormed over to her. “Seriously!” he yelled. “Seriously? You could’ve done it to anyone else or maybe not even have done it at all! What is ya problem?”

As Race yelled, he flailed his arms around. (Y/N)’s eyes grew wide, and she stepped back from the angry boy, flinching. Her eyes watered, and her throat burned. Her chest felt heavy, like something was blocking it, and she couldn’t breathe. Everything looked blurry, and she couldn’t hear the newsies talking to her. A wave of nausea passed through her, and she felt suddenly dizzy. Black dots clouded her vision, and she felt warm tears pouring out of her eyes. Her breathing became labored, and she knew that she was having a panic attack. She couldn’t focus on anything. All she knew was that she needed to get out, so she ran out the exit and into a bunk room, which conveniently happened to be her room. Crutchie was there, too. She didn’t notice him, though, as she was sort of amid a panic attack. She sat on the floor, shaking, crying, breathing heavily, and she sobbed, bringing her limbs towards her body. A hand touched her, and she flinched, before realizing that it was just Crutchie.

She tried to talk to him, but the lack of air sent her wheezing in the attempt.

“Shhh,” he consoled her. “It’s alright, (Y/N/N). You’se here, in the lodging house. You’se don’t gotta talk, it’s just me Crutchie. Can I touch you’se?” he asked. 

She nodded, still struggling to come out of the panic attack. She knew that if she kept it up, she would faint, and that would not be good. 

He hugged her gently, and she grabbed onto his shirt, squeezing it like her life depended on it.

“It’s alright, darling. You’se alright. We’se ain’t gonna hoit ya,” he whispered into her hair. “Just listen to me breathe, listen. Let’s breathe together, alright? Everything’s gonna be okay. Let’s breathe together,” he gingerly rubbed her back. He breathed, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, each lasting about four seconds. He whispered sweet nothings into (Y/N)’s hair, making sure that she was comfortable.

“You wanna tell me what happened?” he asked, when all that was left of her panic attack was hiccups.

“I stole Race’s hat. He got real mad, started yellin’ at me. He flailed his arms around. Crutchie, I thought he was gonna hit me. It’s stupid-” she explained, and was cut off by Crutchie.

“It’s not stupid. You’ve been exposed to traumas that no otha’ kid should eva hafta go through. It’s alright, perfectly normal,” he assured her.

“Thanks, Crutch. But now they all thinks I’m a wuss. What if they decide ta’ kick me out?” she looked up at him, more tears building in her eyes.

“They won’t, trust me,” he smiled.

“Those memories! The refuge was awful. Rats, no food, the abuse, tiny beds, multiple kids to a bed. Promise me, Crutchie, that you won’t ever get into the refuge?” she shuddered, holding out her pinky.

“I promise, (Y/N). Now why don’t we go to bed, let’s take a nap, yeah?” he coaxed her towards her bed, wrapping his pinky finger around hers.

“Alright,” she nodded.

“Alright,” he smiled back at her.

[escapewriter]

until we meet again

request : prince!seungkwan x thief!reader where the king is neglecting the kingdom so reader and atz/skz members form a crew that reader is the leader of that steals unnecessary stuff from the palace so food and stuff can be bought from other kingdoms and y’all are basically keeping the kingdom alive. but reader gets caught by seungkwan one night and almost gets executed cuz he doesn’t believe reader abt the state the kingdom is in, but opens his eyes later. angst and fluff pls! tyty

pairing : prince!seungkwan x thief!reader

genre : fluff, humor, slight angst

type : oneshot

wc : 3.1k (3100)

warnings : stealing, mentions of execution

main masterlist || svt written masterlist

requests are closed

a/n : this is me killing two birds with one stone. i finish a request along with participating in the royal themed writing event for ficscafe. i hope you all enjoy this, i really liked writing this!

You wait silently behind a bush, keeping an eye out for the signal. Watching carriages and wagons pass by and into the gates of the palace, you hear a crunch behind you. You turn your head, watching Jisung munch on an apple, the savory juice trickling down his chin as he hums in content. “Where the hell did you get that?”

He looks at you, shifting in his squatting position before holding the apple out towards you. “Want a bite?”

Your eyes shifted to the market behind him, seeing a display of apples before narrowing your focus back on Jisung. “I can not believe you stole food from them, do you know how hard it is to make money?” Watching him shrug you turn back around to wait for the signal.

“Okay, but we take from the palace all the time, it’s not like this is any different.” You rolled your eyes, spotting Wooyoung a few feet down the dirt road with his wagon.

“Yeah, but the palace has riches that they keep to themselves. Out here, on the other side of these gates, everyone is trying to survive.” You see Hongjoong peak out of the bush on the other side of the dirt road, blanket in his hand. “Jisung, get ready.”

You both get in a better position, bags secured tightly around your shoulder. Wooyoung arrives at the first checkpoint before the gates. He patiently answers the guards questions before they check the items hidden under the tarp. He looks at Hongjoong, giving him the cue. Hongjoong stands up, walking to a campfire close by, and lets the blanket catch on fire. He yells, running up to the guards, distracting them from checking the wagon as he screams for water and help.

Woonyoung pushes the wagon forward and sends you the signal. You grab Jisung, tugging him along as the tarp on top of the wagon opens for you both. “Welcome!” You smack Hyunjin’s head, telling him to be quiet as the three of you wait for Wooyoung’s next signal.

＊＊＊

The wagon came to an abrupt stop. All bags were full of treasures from the palace that were to be sold to other kingdoms for the sake of restoring the kingdom the King has been neglecting. Crops and other resources that were used to survive have not been shipped to the kingdom for half a year, which is what led to the formation of you, Jisung, Wooyoung, Hyunjin, and Hongjoong. The five of you sneak into the palace, taking various items that seem worth hundreds so you could sell them to gain money to pay for the shipment of cloth, pottery, and crops. It wouldn’t have been this way if the King simply looked after his kingdom.

You stepped out of the wagon and into the hut you shared with the other four. Placing all three bags on the table, you watch Hongjoong sort out all the jewels into separate piles. Wooyoung emerged from the doorway, sitting at the table Hongjoong was at. “You know the three of you almost got caught, right?” You rolled your eyes, a small smile making its way onto your face.

“Yeah, but we didn’t. Plus it was worth it,” you picked up a ring, “if I didn’t take the risk, I wouldn’t have gotten this precious jewel.” You examined the ring, deciding to keep it as a souvenir for the adventures you’ve made with your friends.

“Yeah, but Wooyoung’s right,” you look down at Hyunjin who sat on the floor next to the table as he played with a golden tablecloth, “it was really risky with how far you went.” You sighed, not being able to defend yourself before Hongjoong spoke.

“How far did they go?”

“The Princes’ room.” You smack Jisung on the arm for ratting you out, only receiving a wince then a shrug in return.

Hongjoong said your name in a warning tone, “you better watch yourself. You go too far, you may not come out and we won’t be able to save you.”

“I know Hongjoong, I’m the one that enforced these precautions.”

***

Clearly, you should have listened to those precautions more because here you were, hiding in the closet of the kingdom’s Prince.

Your breathing was staggered as you cupped your hand over your mouth. The rest of the guys should be gone by now, but since it was Hongjoong leading the mission that week, he would be too stubborn to leave. You bite your lower lip in hopes that the prince doesn’t enter the room. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on your side as you heard the stomps of multiple feet enter the room.

“Vernon, you have to help me find it,” your eyes widened, the hand covering your mouth attempting to muffle any that could potentially escape, “I swear, the last time I saw it was on my dresser.”

“Seungkwan, I promise you that it’s okay if you lost your ring, we can always buy a replacement.” You swallowed, mind racing back to the ring that was currently sitting on your table back at home.

“A replacement isn’t the same, I need to find it. You gonna help me or do you have other things?” The floor began to creak, the weight walking past the closet before a sigh was heard. “Where the hell could I have put it?”

“I’ll help you later, my mom needs my help in the kitchen. Let me know if you find it.” You heard footsteps leave the room and the door close. You don’t know what the ring is worth and why it’s so important to this Seungkwan guy, but if you got home, maybe you can find out.

Or not because the second the doors to the closet opened and yours eyes connected, you immediately jumped up, trying to cover the mouth of the man in front of you as you tackled him to the floor. In attempts to calm him down, your mind failed to think that this guy is the Prince and probably knows how to defend himself.

He quickly locks both your left arm and leg and immediately flips you over so he’s on top. Your eyes full of fear as he pins your arms to the sides of your body. He narrows his eyes, staring deeply into yours before turning into a sharp glare. “Who are you?” You don’t answer, but instead look to the side, trying to think of some way to escape. “Are you not going to answer me?”

“Well you can probably guess what I do.”

“Sarcastic one, aren’t you. Trust me, you do not want to be on my bad side.”

You don’t know what took over you at that moment, but you just became a new person. “Believe me then, your highness, you’re already on my bad side.”

＊＊＊

You woke up strapped to a chair in a cold room. The small window with the moon shining through was your only form of light. You don’t even remember how you ended up there after telling the Prince that he was on your bad side. And honestly, he should know that the whole kingdom is growing more hatred towards the royal family.

The screeching noise of the metal door took you away from your thoughts as you saw the Prince come into the room with a small candle. He sets it down on the table, eyes trained on you, waiting for any movement as if you weren’t chained on the chair. “So, thief, are you going to tell me why you were in the castle?”

“I’m a thief, why else would I be there?”

He scoffs, leaning against the wall. “You do realize that I can have you executed, right?” You thought for a moment, a little fear rising but pushed it to the back of your head. You shrugged at him. “You’re not scared?”

You shifted in your seat, thinking about what to say, or maybe what any of the guys would say if they were in this situation. Jisung would probably cry, Hyunjin would look away out of nervousness, and both Wooyoung and Hongjoong would be stubborn and refuse to speak. But what would you say? “No not really.”

Clever.

“Well, you should be! I can have you killed at any moment!”

You looked around the cell you were in, the unimpressed look clearly evident on your face, “Yeah,” you humed, waiting for any sign of death machine, but you had this feeling that he could never kill you and you don’t know why, “you’re not gonna kill me, are you?”

“You have my ring! I know you do!” He whined, catching you by surprise as he stomped his foot. “You’re not leaving here until you tell me where you put it.” He furrowed his eyebrows, sitting on the chair next to the table. Your lips formed a straight line. What’s the deal with this ring anyway?

“I won’t tell you where your ring is until you tell your dad that the entire kingdom is dying.” His eyebrows shot up, a disbelief scoff escaping his mouth.

“Our kingdom isn’t dying.” He folds his arms and looks away from you, frustration evident in his actions as he clenches his jaw.

“Dude, any tools, cloth, crops, and other necessities needed haven't been shipped here for half a year,” you look down, trying to contain your emotions as you thought about how everyone has been struggling to just get out of bed in the morning, “why do you think I steal from the palace? Because then I can sell it just to use the money to pay for the shipment of the things that your kingdom needs. I shouldn’t be the one to do it.”

He sighs loudly, slowly turning around and clapping his hands. “I applaud you. That was some acting and a great lie. Our kingdom is perfectly fine,” he walks closer to you and leans down, face inches away from yours, “you have no idea what you’re talking about.” He stands up and laughs, picking up the candle from the desk before heading towards the door.

“Then I guess you’ll never get your precious ring back.” He stops momentarily in hesitation, but ignores you and continues to exit the cell.

＊＊＊

Seungkwan sat on his bed, his mind racing on whether or not the information you’ve told him was true. It couldn’t be because if the castle got supplies, shouldn’t the rest of the kingdom get supplies too? He rubbed his temples as he fell back on his back, groaning in frustration. The door to his room opened with a creak, standing at the doorway was Vernon.

“What’s up with you?” Vernon walks in, taking a seat next to his best friend. “Still can’t find your ring? I’m telling you, the guys won’t care if you get it replaced, I mean, this castle is huge and it’s easy to lose things here.”

“It’s not that this time,” Seungkwan sat up, “it’s just,” he pauses, debating on whether or not he can ask Vernon, “what if I’m not a good King?” He watches Vernon scoff and look away.

“No offense to your dad or anything, but trust me, you’ll be a way better King than him.” Seungkwan tilts his head, confused as to what his friend was talking about. “You don’t know?” Vernon looks into his eyes, surprised that his friend doesn’t know what has been going on. “Your dad is a selfish coward. The people in his kingdom are dying because he won’t pay the shipment of the crops they need to survive.” Seungkwan looks down at his hands and plays with his fingers, you were right. “The payment increased by a few pieces of gold, but the man is greedy, as if he doesn’t have a whole castle.”

“How do you know about this Vernon?”

Vernon places a hand on Seungkwan’s shoulder, a small smile on his lips. “We may be best friends and have grown up together, but I’m still a peasant and in the lower class that works for your family. I have to go out the gates to get resources for my family because we’re not allowed to eat the food in the kitchen,” he pauses, patting Seungkwan’s back as a form of comfort, “if you went out there, you’d see how bad it is.

＊＊＊

Seungkwan stood in front of the gate to the castle, watching all the people scurry by and the wagons pass by. He looks around, seeing markets have a low supply of food, children who have barely any coverage of clothing, and some huts falling apart as men try to repair them. His heart feels heavy at the sight, his emotions going crazy as he thought about how the people are feeling. Is he on their bad side just like how he is with you?

“Sir! Sir!” He watches a young man walk pass a market, dark circles evident under his eyes as he turns around to face the owner. “Do you know when the next shipment will come in? You and your group have been doing so much for everyone, but we haven’t gotten any new supplies in a few weeks”

The man looks down, sorrow and regret on his face. “Unfortunately, Mister, we don’t have enough money yet. It’s been hard as we have lost a member, but please, try to wait a little longer.”

Lost a member? You? Seungkwan’s feet took him towards the man who was walking away. He placed his hand on his shoulder. “Excuse me,” the man turns to look at him, his eyes scanning Seungkwan who has covered his whole face besides his eyes, “I can help with the rest of the payment.”

＊＊＊

Your head lolled to the side, a sigh escaping your mouth as you tried to sleep in the uncomfortable position. Your eyes shot open as a man cleared his throat. You slowly moved your head up as you watched the silhouette open the door. “So I’m guessing you’re the reason Seungkwan has gone out the gates of the palace?” You didn’t know what to say, mainly because you had no idea what this man was talking about. “Or maybe I encouraged him a bit, but it was unintentional at least.”

He walks up to you, a clunking noise coming from his hand, “I’m Vernon by the way,” he lifts up a string of keys and begins to unlock you from your chair, “if you have his ring, please give it back,” he holds his hand up with the same exact ring on his pinky, “it’s a friendship ring we have with some of our other friends.”

You nod your head, ignoring what he said and rubbed your wrists once they were free. “Why did he go out there?”

Vernon shrugged, looking out the small window of the cell, “to see for himself.” He holds his hand out, helping you stand. “Seungkwan has got to pick a better place than the wine cellar, he knows I go in here.” He stops you from leaving, “I’ll let you go after you eat. Mom always told me to feed visitors.”

＊＊＊

You opened the door to the small hut, a breath of relief escaping your lips as you saw your four best friends together at the table. Immediately, you were surrounded and engulfed into a big group hug. It was nice, the feeling of home and back to the way things were. The only difference was that everything won’t be back to where they were because the Prince will freak out now that you have been set free. Part of you wants to go back and maybe talk him into making some change, but you couldn’t focus on that.

“Now that you’re back safe, we have some news.” You sat on the chair, looking at Wooyoung, who signaled to Hongjoong.

“Earlier today, I was approached by a man who said he could help pay for the shipment. We told him what we do, which I know was probably a bad idea, but he gave us payment that would last probably two years.” Part of you wanted to believe it was Seungkwan because no man living in the kingdom had that much money unless they lived behind the gates, so you just thought it was a traveler.

“That’s great news!”

Jisung took his seat next to you, “We thought they…” You snorted, thinking back to the night before and Seungkwan’s paranoia.

“They couldn’t even if they tried.” You look to your room, excitement bubbling in your chest as you couldn’t wait to sleep on your bed. However, your conscience echoed Vernon’s words in your head. “I’ll be back, I have to return something.”

You heard the boys calling for you, telling you to not go as you went to your room to retrieve the ring. “Gosh, shouldn’t you have learned your lesson by now?”

You grinned at Hyunjin, “you know I never do.”

＊＊＊

You went through the back of the garden where Vernon escorted you out. There weren’t any guards there, for no one had known about this area of the palace. Hopping the gate, you walked to the door of the kitchen and peaked through the window. The lights were turned off, the full moon as the only source that illuminates the room. You heard someone clear their throat behind you, deja vu hitting once again. Turning around, you were met with Seungkwan, behind him was Vernon smirking and walking away.

“I can’t believe he let you leave— no, I can’t believe he fed you and let you leave.” He glared hard at you, to which you rolled your eyes.

“Well you’re not the best host,” you took a step forward, eyes focusing on him, “but I wasn’t the best guest either.” You played with the ring in your pocket as you looked at his hands that were missing a ring. “I forgot to bring my gift before entering your home,” you cautiously walked up to him, took his hand in yours and placed the ring on his pinky finger.

His eye scanned yours, the moonlight capturing your features perfectly. He never looked at you like this, nor has he ever seen you in this light. You’re astonishing.

Smiling softly, you let go of his hand, “thank you for paying for the shipment,” you took a step back, bowing, “your highness.” He looked at you with a hint of guilt in his eyes, but before he could say anything, you were walking away. You turned your head as you were about to hop the gate, “until we meet again!”

[witchbitchheadedtoaditch]

Shadow Work Prompts

Objectively, I'm really bad at using shadow work prompts. I kind of hate them. That being said, I find I really get a lot of good introspection and such done when I respond to quotes or lyrics (likely because I'm a literature student), so I thought I'd share some of the ones I've got written down to work with!

From The Midnight Gospel

People really try to avoid the consideration that they're going to die and that people they love are going to die.

It opens your heart, it breaks your heart open. (Speaking about death)

Our hearts have been closed, because we've closed them. We've defended ourselves against pain. And this [death] opens them.

Opening your heart hurts.

If you inquire into the hurt, you know what you're experiencing is love.

[Death] is an incredible teacher.

The closer to physical death I get, the more real I get.

Love is supportive. It holds us. It has a quality of benevolence that we might have never noticed.

What is it that has the quality of benevolence? .... reality.

This experience of love energy is so powerful, that to combat against it, we build an entire life, an entire ego, to try not to feel it.

Ego death is a transfiguration.

Love isn't going anywhere.

The time of death is uncertain, but death is certain.

We suffer more if we resist the flow of the river.

There's no way to stop a heartbreak. How do you do that? You cry.

No matter where you go, things are always gonna be the same if you don't change.

Through love, all pain will turn to medicine.

From Steven Universe

Love takes time and love takes work.

If there's a chance I could make it better... shouldn't I try?

Are you insecure about your relationships and how you're perceived by other people?

Is it weird I'm getting numb to this?

If you're the one protecting me... then who's the one protecting you?

There are millions of possibilities for the future! But it's up to you to choose which becomes reality.

You are an experience. Make sure you're a good experience.

I never asked for it to be this way. I never asked to be made.

I am made of love, and it's stronger than you.

I struggle to stay strong because I know the impact I have on everyone.

Humans lead short, boring, insignificant lives, so we make up stories to feel like we're a part of something bigger.

Comedy is derived from fear.

You are going to be something extraordinary; you're going to be a human being.

Sylvia Plath Quotes

God, how I ricochet between certainties and doubts.

If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed

I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.

Kiss me, and you will see how important I am.

Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing.

The silence depressed me. It wasn't the silence of silence. It was my own silence.

I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery--air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy."

Let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences.

Yes, I was infatuated with you: I am still. No one has ever heightened such a keen capacity of physical sensation in me. I cut you out because I couldn't stand being a passing fancy. Before I give my body, I must give my thoughts, my mind, my dreams. And you weren't having any of those.

Is there no way out of the mind?

I desire the things that will destroy me in the end.

I like people too much or not at all. I've got to go down deep, to fall into people, to really know them.

We should meet in another life, we should meet in air, me and you.

I talk to God but the sky is empty.

I must get my soul back from you; I am killing my flesh without it.

I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo

How we need another soul to cling to.

I have never found anybody who could stand to accept the daily demonstrative love I feel in me, and give back as good as I give.

I didn't want any flowers, I only wanted to lie with my hands turned up and be utterly empty. How free it is, you have no idea how free.

What horrifies me most is the idea of being useless: well-educated, brilliantly promising, and fading out into an indifferent middle age.

Eternity bores me, I never wanted it.

I am terrified by this dark thing that sleeps in me

How frail the human heart must be--a mirrored pool of thoughts

People or stars regard me sadly, I disappoint them.

Margaret Atwood Quotes

War is what happens when language fails.

Ignoring isn't the same as ignorance, you have to work at it.

Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. I have done something wrong, something so huge I can't even see it, something that's drowning me. I am inadequate and stupid, without worth.

Better never means better for everyone... it always means worse, for some.

You are your own voyeur

I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.

A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.

You can only be jealous of someone who has something you think you ought to have yourself.

A truth should exist, it should not be used like this. If I love you, is that a fact or a weapon?

If we were all on trial for our thoughts, we would all be hanged.

Touch comes before sight, before speech. It is the first language and the last, and it always tells the truth.

The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one.

I am not your justification for existence.

Hatred would have been easier. With hatred, I would have known what to do. Hatred is clear, metallic, one-handed, unwavering; unlike love.

But some people can't tell where it hurts. They can't calm down. They can't ever stop howling.

What am I living for and what I am dying for are the same question.

Sylvester McNutt III Quotes

The pain that came to you is not always a choice, but keeping it on you is. Stop the obsessive thinking related to it, and allow the pain to fade away.

The practice of staying present will heal you. Obsessing about how the future will turn out creates anxiety. Replaying broken scenarios from the past causes anger or sadness. Stay here, in the moment.

Remove yourself from people who treat you like your time doesn't matter, like your feelings are worthless, or like your soul is replaceable.

Everyone doesn't need access to you. Some people are draining and they don't even know it. You're allowed to say no, you're allowed to not answer calls, you're allowed to break plans, and if you need to save yourself do it.

Knowing me, I'll probably post more of this kind of stuff at some point :)

[lenadoyle]

number 34 for the prompt thingy :)

34. “I might never get another chance to say this.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey Lena?”

The woman in question was in the kitchen, cutting up the veggies for their stir fry. Lena was surprised to hear the voice, the blonde had been shifty and quiet since Lena got home. Greeting Lena with a soft cheek kiss before announcing she was going to hang with Kieran for a while. 

“Yes, my love?” Lena replied without turning around, not wanting to potentially spook her. 

“I might never get another chance to say this.”

Lena’s stomach dropped as she spun around, facing the sombre looking reporter.

“I love you,” Kara rushed out before Lena could speak in her haste to get to Kara. 

“Kara what’s going on? I love you too, so much.” Her hands fluttered over Kara, unsure if she should touch her. What was wrong? Was she sick? God forbid dying?! Oh god, what would they tell Kieran?!

So many thoughts were running through Lena’s mind, her bleak future flashing before her eyes. What came out of Kara’s mouth was not what she expected, but no less serious.

“I uh, iateyourchocolate,” she mumbled all at once, ducking her head and looking away guiltily. 

Lena took a moment to gather herself, her eyes blinking in disbelief. 

“Come again?” she asked pointedly, staring down the blonde who was looking anywhere but at her. 

Kara huffed in defeat, her shoulders sagging as she threw her head back to suck in a breath before facing her fate.

“I ate your chocolate.” 

The silence that followed was deafening, Kara was surprised she didn't hear crickets.

“You ate my chocolates?” Kara gave a sheepish nod, averting her eyes once again. “My expensive Belgian chocolate’s that you called ‘a literal bitter disappointment and a disgrace to the magical world that is chocolate,’ those chocolates?” Lena levelled a steely look on Kara, crossing her arms over her chest, the epitome of intimidating. 

“Maybe?” Kara cringed inwardly, she was just digging a deeper hole for herself now. 

“The chocolate’s that you said would be just mine and never be eaten by you because you would never want to torture your tastebuds?”

Lena began stalking towards Kara, the blonde shuffling backwards with her hands up in surrender, or perhaps defence...who knows what Lena was going to do to her. 

“I’m sorry!” Kara began to weakly defend. “I was really snacky, and we had nothing else, I was desperate! And after a few bites, it actually wasn’t so bad, and you know how I get when I start something, I can’t stop! You should've hidden it better!”

“Oh, victim-blaming now are we?” Lena was closing in on Kara, her eyebrow arched devastatingly. 

“No! Of course not! Well, I mean...” Kara trailed off, face pinched as if to say ‘well kinda?’

“You’re dead.”

Lena lunged for Kara, the chocolate stealer yelping sharply as she turned and ran, crap. Kara was shrieking the whole time she tried to evade Lena, circling the kitchen island a few times before making a dash to their bedroom. She called for backup as she sped past Kieran’s room.

It was all for nothing, she made a rookie mistake and paused to gauge her next move, allowing Lena time to come barrelling in after Kara and tackling her into the bed, christ, she could tackle like a footballer. 

“Say uncle,” Lena began pinching at Kara’s sides, poking her lean body in all the right spots to make the blonde cackle and squirm away.

“Never!” Kara fought through the giggles and tickles.

“What’d jeju do now?” Kieran asked when he finally entered the room, curious about all the noise.

“She ate my chocolate,” Lena eased up on her attack, swatting at Kara’s backside.

“Ooooh, you in trouble jeju!” Kieran teased his mother with a cheeky grin.

Kara looked at him pointedly, her own eyebrow cocked this time. “Kieran ate some too,” she ratted him out.

“Traitor!” Kieran bellowed pointing to Kara accusingly.

Lena was too stunned to move, her jaw dropped in betrayal, her own child?! In her stupor she failed to notice Kara wiggling out from under her, sprinting away with Kieran, delighted squeals following in their wake. 

Lena shook her head on a smile.

“You little shits!”

[crazyclownthanos]

White Clover

Page 2: The one they call “the Devil God.”

Words: 2708

“Nice to finally meet you. Ace”

His icy tone complimented his deep voice.

Unlike the tone Nozel uses to call upon others. This man is somehow beats that tone on a whole new level.

Without taking note the man got closer to the young boy.

Ace was short circuited, meaning overwhelming his brain with questions.

The man was crossing personal territory by bonking his forehead onto Ace’s forehead.

...

Snort came out

The man shrugged back seeing the sight

“Need a handkerchief?” Pulling one out of his pants pocket.

No response.

He didn’t show any signs of annoyance. Getting on one knee he brought the handkerchief to his nose for him to blow into, still his silence was there.

“For Odin’s sake did I really kill a child for saving his life.”

He whispered underneath his breath.

Then a light bulb went off in Ace’s head.

Letting out a loud “EEEEHHHH!?”

twisting and turning his head searching by any sort of exit that could of linked to him entering the premises.

“Uhhbokumashindomakigawasoborac.....”

Ace was slowly disintegrating into a pile of goo, while the strange man could only assume that he was the one acting presumption.

“Beg my apologies I seem to having something blocking my ears.” Cleaning his ears with one of his fingers again crouching onto Ace’s level

Finding the strength to get back to height level Ace was ready to rack up questions to this man.

“F-f-f-f-first of all?” Poor boy was shivering, hesitating to even lift a finger. This was like another slap in the face to him, they already wasted too much time. He should really tell this child who he was.

Shifting back to his level he placed a finger on his lips to hush him.

“Helreignn.”

“My name is Helreignn Lokidottir.”

Now starring at this guy in full proposition, he had the look of a butler. Black split hair, split ends, fair skin, pointy chin, thick neck, black long sleeve extending to the wrists, over the black long sleeve is a purple vest on the outside is the lilac colour covering the entire vest and a mid purple lines splitting up. White wrist length gloves, black pants hemmed to the ankles and shiny brown leather shoes. Statue-wise he was built slim masculine. Not to mention his piercing red eyes that can dismiss any god.

“I assure you I won’t hurt you. In a matter of fact I am here to simply conduct myself to you”

“Conduct?’ Ace spoke out of turn resulting in Helreignn placing his finger over his mouth to hush him again

“Speak again and I will stab you and take out your organs and make it into a banner.” His toned became more dark. He wasn’t playing around.

Helreignn moved his hand over Ace’s lips and placed the hand behind his back and continued.

“I’m positive you’re aware about the movement of devils. Over 20 years ago a war happened. The tree of Qilpohoth went *poof! Ever since then the underworld became silent.”

pause.

“I believe it had a name.”

“The spade war?

The moment of time were a boy with no mana cut down one of my own ancient demon dogs, *sigh* poor thing never had a funeral for it~.”

The sarcastic manner he was speaking in was somewhat similar to how Solid would talk if his pork chops weren’t cut the way he wanted to be cut.

But the word ‘my own ancient demon dogs?’ By the word own? Did he make that happen. No. It can’t be possible.

“After the underdogs victory a few more bizarre events took place and next thing I knew I was holding a red headed baby in my arms and that baby appeared to be you.” Pointing at Ace. Ace got the wrong idea.

“You’ve been stalking me all my life?!” Pointing to himself

“What did I say moments ago?!”

He was sure mad. The white silhouette coming out and the red pricing eyes started to shine brighter.

Clearing his throat. His calm and cool persona came back.

“Excuse me but correct ‘stalking’ to ‘residing’ within the void. As the devil god and current ruler of the underworld I must birth or pick a heir to the throne. And that pick so happened to be you Ace.”

D-Devil K-King?

It had felt like a mirror had shattered.

Throne?!

Heir?

Devil?!

“You heard me correctly. Did you not? No? Hahaha that would be quite sad if you didn’t. In years to come that arrow that shot out of you will be the key of everyone dying a horrible death.”

The pain that already was there grew even larger. Like a tumour. The swell was immeasurable. Couldn’t be fixed.

Another tear? Crying already? This time it wasn’t just plain tears. It was tears of blood. Ace would never want the people he loves the most die a gruesome death because of his magic. This sight made Helreignn drop his mouth. Opening his mouth he simply laughed. Laughed at Ace for crying.

Quitting the laughter to speak. “It’s only on the contrary. Powers like those are super challenging to come by. Not even the director of the magic knights or even the Wizard king or whatever could never compare. And yes I am comparing myself to that honorable fool.”

Getting down on his knees Ace held himself crying like a baby these tears are the tears of fear or what Helreignn calls them the tears of the devil.

An echo was made

Turning heads to the door was an adult red fox growling it’s teeth at Helreignn.

The red morph of glitter took shape of the fox once more. Turning the fox into a human. This boy had fare skin, short wavy blonde hair, ends are curled up, a beauty mark underneath his left eye. Orange eyes that screeched for vengeance. Wearing a black crew neck tight-fitting shirt elbow sleeve length, his elbows was showing having cutting edge, representing a Diamond, his back was also visible showing off a second diamond. Below him he was wearing a light olive green skirt and a pair of brown woldwalker boots.

“Shut up you mole rat.”

“Mole rat? How original.....shouldn’t you’re neck have a chain around it?” Helreignn’s words were turning sharp. Was he mad because of the sudden intruder?

“Don’t you dare go thinking your some type of good guy. It’s a nightmare to watch. Please quit it”

“Oh how insidious you are. Also I’m no good guy please refer to me as the bad guy” the tension was rising and at this rate the whole clover castle residents may wake up because of the current chaos.

The human fox walked over to them and only growled while Helriegnn only showed a satisfying smile. Ace sat on the ground hugging his legs, he had his eyes wide open not even blinking, the soaked blood tears continued to fall

“Is making a child cry you’re goal? You really had no build up but just to tell the 11 year old kid that he’s the next devil king and he’s a going to kill everyone he loves?! You’re sick in the head” Now standing in front of Ace defending him from the monster

He twitched for a moment

“I don’t need any build up. All I need from him is for him to corporate with me.” Motioning the last words

“Right now the only thing you’ll be cooperating is my fist.” The human fox rebottled.

A bush of red arrows lined up behind the human fox not making a sound. The pierce was soon going to make its shot. Ace shifted the placement of his head, just a smidge capturing the sight of the red arrows and next Helreignns hand, he was about to shut his hand and if he did.....?

Will the talk of gruesome power’s first victim will be that fox? Such an overwhelming feeling. That feeling went away and welcomed a feeling of determination.

“Helreignn. Do. Not. Close. Your. Hand.” Helriegnn wrinkled his eyebrows hearing those words coming out of a child who was crying a second ago. Slowly rising up the blood tear drops had stopped, you could only see the blood marks. The human fox had also turned around to see this kid and made a face of shock.

Jumping a bit when the human fox finally noticing the red arrows behind him. Helreignn furrowed his eyebrows even lower before entering himself in hysteric laughter.

Ace jolted back his shoulders, disturbed to see. This guy was barmy.

“Oh dear Odin how on the aesir’s penalty did this occur?” The words cracking through his laugh.

“YOU ASSHOLE QUIT TOYING” The human fox kid began to growl again and transformed himself back into an adult red fox and tackled him with mountains of force onto the tiled floor.

Helriegnn let it happened as he carried on laughing. Ace spent no time racing up to them. In an attempt from all hell war breaking out he proceeded to wrap his hands around the red fox stomach to restrain him without hurting him.

The salvia dripping down appearing from the red foxes mouth to Helreignn’s cheeks. Helreignn never lost strain of the laughter that absorbed him.

“Quit the commotion! We can find a solution! I may not know why you feel this way but please can we talk it out?” Ace pleaded but no one stopped.

This went on for many more minutes. Who blood is going to be spilt? That’s what made was thinking if one finger slipped he would be caught in a situation of murder so he couldn’t sit around and let it happen.

Finally taking the fox by full swing Ace landed on his back with the red fox still having a good grip on him. Ace made noises complaining upon the back pain that he couldn’t control. The red fox got off hearing those painful noises and stopped growling, Helreignn stood again and broke off the laughing.

Shit......

And all he wanted was a glass of water.

Ace’s pupils rested on Helreignn and the red fox. Fluttering his eyes open and close until he fully shut them for good.

Cutting to the Silva castle, more precisely Jossyln’s room. It views a messy bed that appears someone had already slept there, a large leather chest opened and a window opened wide while the bed curtains danced in the moon light.

Quavering his eyes lids the first thing that came in Ace’s sight was his mother. Nebra Silva head of branch Ideale. Wearing her mother’s coat, the one she wore when she was pregnant with Noelle. Her hair swaying down and underneath she was wearing her Silva uniform. Consisting of a iced blue blouse with the house Silva pink pinned tied at the front and iced leggings to her calf length Silva boots.

She was worried sick.

“ACE!” She first said moving forward, plus the chair tagging along. To Ace’s aid and gave him plenty of kisses on the head while holding his head.

“Mommy I’m fine.” A little bit of laughter filled his tone enjoying this moment after the rough mishap that recently took place.

She stopped the kissing and pulled back just to take a good stare at him.

Grabbing him by the ears she started to pinch and pull them

“What we’re you thinking taking a night stroll to the grimoire tower and take a nap?! YOU GOT A CURFEW YOUNG MAN.”

This woman was sure scary. After all it’s the second daughter. Compared to 20 years ago or so this woman had sure change. She changed her look, changed her attitude (well a little bit), changed her opinion on the people below her, her best friend is a commoner, she became more powerful after stopped being insecure about her magic, she was the first royal to marry a peasant.

She stopped with all the ear pinching. She started to hug him once more and began to hit her head on his and groaned

“I’m so happy my baby is safe.”

“Ow. I’m happy too.” Ace replied back. Nebra rested her forehead onto his yet there was still questions that needed to be answered.

“Hey....was anyone with me when I happened to pass out?” He whispered.

Nebra didn’t want to answer. Ended up doing so though.

“Yes matter of fact there was a red fox that laid right beside you...the knights didn’t want to harm it so instead they brought the fox into the infirmary.” Ace took his mother’s hand and shifted his body to only uphold the fox laying on a different white sheet bed

Ace smiled, a smile of relief, but on the other hand what happened to Helreignn? Where did he ran off too? Or did he returned back to the ‘void’ Ace never got clear answers off him.

“Actually. I want to ask about him. Can I adopt him as a pet! Since that Josslyn is not around that much anymore.”Switching back to his mother with stars on his eyes. Nebra scrunched her nose. A pet? Well matter of fact he had a point but will Zora approve? Of course he would! He would hate to see his son all lonely and sad, that’s the last thing he wanted.

“Why not? I’d never had a pet when I was a little girl.” Scratching her nails onto the pink cardigan.

The stars in Ace’s eyes had transferred to a feeling of happiness to his brain.

Seeing his pretty smile Nebra had to ask

“What are you going to name it?”

“At the moment I have no clue, but I got a few names in mind” He glees. The smallest things always made him smile.

Ace took the silence the search the room for his sister of father but sadly not a soul in sight.

“Say momma where’s Josslyn and dad?”

Nebra bit her lip. “You’re father got called to a mission with Magna and Luck at last hour and Josslyn is in the ball room heretofore for the royal event. For attendance I have been called upon to attend. As much as it pains me to leave you here I’m positive I can trust you.” Throughout the sentence Nebra placed the pink cardigan on Ace’s lap and to stroke his hand one last time before walking to the doorway. Nebra let out a blow kiss before exiting, Ace of course had to reply with a blow kiss of his own.

Ace positioned his head back to his pillow, the pain in his back had eased. Mimosa most likely healed his back when he was unconscious. “Must thank her with a bouquet of sunflowers.” Ace thought and noded

“For the fox....” he got flashbacks of what happened in the grimoire tower. It had felt like an awful nightmare.

“Names....yeah....think....about....names.”

“Zara? No. That’s disrespectful to his grandfather.”

“Peter? No that’s too plain.”

“Chandler? Cute but no.”

“Marcel. Dose not look like a marcel to me.”

The dialogue in Ace’s head was starting to corrupt to him. Next he would see him crippled. Somehow naming a fox who’s secretly a human....sounded wrong a level.

On the other side Nebra was walking towards the ball room putting on her jacket before Nebra could approach the Silva double doors.

Holding onto the door handle Nebra had got a brief flashback of when seeing her son on the cold tiled floor, all with blood stains on his cheeks and neck.

“Aim 2 fellas looks like we got a woman on her hands and not any woman. Nebra Silva. Once she opens those doors our arrows will slice those royals.” One hooded man said to the next.

“Mm I won’t miss. I am the best archer in my village after all...” the next man said pulling back the arrow when the chandler light blew in like an autumn leaf.

“They believe just because they improved they are somehow still the center of the show? Wrong. There still the assholes of the ball.” Bitting his tongue as he stopped.

======================================================================================================================================================

Ace Silva

Age: 11

Height: 146cm

Birthday: February 26th

Sign: Pisces

Blood Type: AB

Likes: Butterflies, Sunflowers, soft sunsets\sunrises

======================================================================================================================================================

[halothenthehorns]

HERMIONE'S SECRET

The four of them felt so emotionally strained they didn't know what to do anymore. None of them made a move to stop Harry, they just wanted this done with. The only comfort they had left was that this hadn't happened yet, they still had Sirius right here with them.

Harry's hands were shaking terribly as he went for the book. He couldn't seem to get rid of that fear, that lingering something that told him Sirius was going to die. Then why had he felt so confused when Sirius had tried to comfort him about the patronus...was it possible his instinct was finally wrong? He desperately hoped so with everything in him, it was the only thing forcing his words out.

Dialogue begins, talking of the miracle that no one had died,

Lily made a rasping noise, like she agreed but the thought was to terrible it shouldn't have ever been put into words. She knew whoever was speaking was of course talking about Harry, but it didn't erase that implanted fear that she was soon going to have to hear about Sirius really...

then continuing by praising Snape for having been there.

James snarled, he'd never heard such a ludicrous thing in his life! He was, probably irrationally some higher reasoning tried to protest but he kicked it away, blaming Snape for this whole mess, for what happened to Sirius! If Snape had never showed up then they would have gotten out of there so much sooner, then Remus wouldn't have transformed at that time, then the rat wouldn't have gotten away! This was Snape's fault! He remembered that promise he'd made to Lily, that he wouldn't kill him until they heard everything, but as far as James was concerned this was irredeemable and that Death Eater was dying as soon as he took care of the other one. Now if only they could figure out why they couldn't leave, he really hoped Harry would remember that soon.

Someone, probably Snape, responded with a thank you to the minister.

"The minister?" Lily muttered with the smallest pinch of hope, trying to figure out if he would have shown up just to collect a body, maybe Sirius wasn't dead yet and he had to show up because he escaped again?

The first speaker kept talking, promising Snape would receive an Order of Merlin, First Class.

"I'd roll over in my grave I'm sure," Sirius muttered, then received a very sharp pinch from Remus for that, but he didn't even bother to snap back for it this time, he was still intent on reminding them as much as possible he could still make jokes, no matter how bad.

Then the minister remarked at the cut Snape had, asking if Black had done it?

"Probably," Remus said with just a tad of smugness, vividly remembering Sirius having scraped his head, repeatedly, against the tunnel ceiling and how he would have laughed at that any other time, he'd just been a little too distracted to really appreciate it at the time.

Snape corrected that it had instead been the three students.

'Least I did something useful,' Harry couldn't help but think, still feeling he'd done more harm than good this night. If only he'd been faster and stunned Pettigrew, if he'd stayed out of Sirius' way and let him take care of the rat, instead he'd stood by and let Sirius be caught. If he'd just let Remus and Sirius kill Pettigrew when they'd had the chance they would have had a body and all the proof they needed. Harry knew better than to say anything like that out loud though, because by now he knew they would all try to defend him. Something that still felt a little foreign.

Fudge was shocked at the news, as Snape explained that Black must have used the Confundus Charm on all of them they were acting so irrational.

"No, no, no," Lily snarled. "Now they'll never believe a word you say!"

"They wouldn't have believed me if Snape hadn't said anything," Harry grumbled.

"There's still got to be, something-" Remus tried, but he broke himself off and instead just fell back against the couch, feeling utterly defeated. It was three kids and a werewolf's word against probably Dumbledore himself, what chance did they have? Sirius' only hope was somehow making a run for it again, and that was assuming he was even still alive!

Snape was scoffing at the story put into them, about Black being innocent and something about a rat. Snape did say though that they should still be punished for their actions, as their doing tonight had probably been started by the delusion they could catch Black by themselves.

Sirius made a 'pfft' noise. The ironic thing was Harry hadn't once wanted to 'catch' him. Oh sure he'd wanted to do some other things, but that hadn't been on the list.

He kept going by telling the minister how much Potter got away with at school, and how much it had inflated his opinion of himself.

Lily wanted to argue the point, but the problem was she couldn't. From Snape's point of view Harry had gone the past two years, well even this year, and gotten away with a lot, but that was because Snape couldn't see past Harry to the things he'd done. If Harry hadn't stepped in, unspeakable things could have happened. She was as proud of her son for all of those things as any mother could be, and she really wanted to shove it in Snape's face he needed to get over himself.

Fudge tried to placate him, saying as it was Harry Potter, he should be given some leeway.

Harry had a little scowl on his face as he read that, he didn't want to be handed a blind spot. Sure he didn't want to get in trouble either, but the fact that the Minister had just admitted to this rubbed him the wrong way.

Snape argued back that he didn't agree, he treated Potter the same as any student.

"Ha!" James snapped without any humor, his hand curling up and looking dearly like he was going to deck the wall any second he was so sick of hearing that man talk.

"Where are you anyways?" Remus asked, realizing this conversation had gone on long enough and Harry hadn't said anything, despite his clear look of agitation now saying he would have butted in ages ago.

"Still half out of it," Harry sighed, he vaguely remembered hearing these things as if from a long ways off, and mentally reasoned he must be in the hospital wing.

Adding on that any other student would be expelled for what he'd tried to do, plus dragging his friends along.

"They didn't even do this on purpose," Sirius ground out in frustration, still vividly remembering his attack on Ron, and while he now saw his reasons were justified he didn't think that made it okay. Harry had only come down there out of loyalty to his friend, he'd had no idea what he was walking into. "They haven't even heard your side of it yet and he just knows everything doesn't he!"

Harry had to take several deep breaths to continue without shouting in annoyance of these two men, clearly talking about him within hearing range like this about something they had no idea about.

Snape tallied all of it up,

Harry couldn't quite get that out without sounding like he was being strangled he was so frustrated by that.

and Fudge finally agreed Harry had been rash tonight and perhaps he should be spoken to. Harry was starting to come out of a long, deep sleep, finding himself on a bed and still very tired.

Lily had to fight down the urge to mother her son right now, go and get him some chocolate and watch him eat it, she still couldn't shake away the terror of her baby being surrounded on all sides by dementors with their hoods down, what they could have done to him!

Fudge was still talking, mentioning how shocked he was that the dementors had retreated, and asking Snape if he knew why? He said he didn't, that when he'd woken up they'd all been at their normal positions.

"And good riddance," James croaked, leaning into Sirius just that little bit more, still shaking all over at what they may have already done to his brother. The mystery of who had saved his son's life was still a curious one. He still wanted to ask Harry about it, he'd yet to say anything of who he'd thought he'd seen, but Harry looked just as confused as them.

For a different reason though, because Harry's first thought had been he'd seen his dad. That was ridiculous though, right? But that's who the person had resembled...but his dad was dead. If he wasn't, surely he would have made some miraculous reappearance tonight along with his other friends. Then who had Harry seen? He voiced none of this, not wanting any of them to feel any worse than they already were, and bringing up who he'd thought he'd seen would do just that.

Also telling that when he did find the three of them on the lake, he first secured Black,

Sirius had never heard a better thing in his life! He made the most relieved sound of all, as surely Snape wouldn't have done that if he'd been Kissed already! They were going to send him back to Azkaban, and he could escape before they did it!

They all just got a small moment of jubilation, Sirius was still alive! That's all they'd needed to hear and suddenly they were so sure everything was going to be okay again, things were going to work out! Then they all saw how uneasy Harry still looked, and his reaction to the news still haunted them...and had Sirius really still died tonight?

and then brought them all up here. At the mention of Black's name, Harry snapped upright to find himself in the hospital wing. He could spot Ron still unconscious, but Hermione was wide awake on the bed next to his. She looked petrified,

"Guess Harry would know what that looked like," Remus grumbled to himself, still shifting around and unable to sit still for five full seconds he was so worried about his friend.

at what she was hearing. Harry then spotted the source of the talking, the hospital wing door was cracked open. Madam Pomfrey noticed he was awake, and began towards him with the largest bit of chocolate he'd ever seen, the size of a large rock.

Sirius couldn't help but crack up laughing, wondering if the house-elves had specially made that upon her request, or if she had that on hand for emergencies. She'd probably been saving it up all year just for Harry.

She began chipping away at it as Harry and Hermione asked in unison how Ron was. She told them that he would live and began trying to sooth them, when she cut herself off and demanded to know what Harry was doing?

"Something I couldn't be prouder of," James told him fondly, having no doubts Harry would kick up all the fuss in the world to get Sirius out of this mess. Maybe his son being the Boy Who Lived may finally come in handy, if he spread his own side of the story around enough, surely someone would believe him. Maybe the right person would and look into this and find the truth.

Harry was getting out of bed, and grabbing his wand, telling that he needed to see Dumbledore. Pomfrey tried to tell him everything was okay, they had apprehended Black,

"That's the part that is not alright!" Lily hissed, recognizing Pomfrey didn't know better, but still wanting to curse anyone who said otherwise.

and they would be using the Kiss on him any time now.

Harry let out a strangled gasp, so Sirius wasn't out of the clear yet...and yet he still didn't feel as powerful about that as he had before when he was so sure Sirius was going to die. He was having such conflictions crashing around inside of him, he hardly acknowledged the other's plights of worry as well, just kept reading on, wanting to get his answer already.

Harry shouted in surprise, drawing the attention of those from the outside. Fudge came in asking what the noise was, asking if Harry had any chocolate yet?

Considering how agitated all of them were already at the minister, his concern for Harry didn't hold nearly the amount of weight it should have, the only thing they wanted comforted on now was hearing Sirius was going to be okay.

Harry brushed that off and began trying to tell what had really happened, but Fudge just smiled at him.

"That, is, not, funny," James ground out, fighting every impulse he had not to rip this stupid Ministers face off.

He began to tell Harry that he was terribly confused, and that they were handling everything,

"Let's hope shouting in his face will actually work," Remus snarled, not having any real hope it would, just hoping Harry would get past them and try something else soon.

Harry shouted back that they had it all wrong! Hermione tried to add in as well, but Snape cut them off by pointing out to the minister this must be the story Black had Confunded them with.

"They're not going to listen to a word," Lily moaned. Even if she had seen it coming it didn't make it any happier to hear.

Harry screamed back he knew exactly what he was talking about, but Pomfrey jumped in then by telling both adults they needed to leave, Harry was distressed enough.

"I think he has every reason to be distressed," Sirius grumbled, still fighting down the urge to be sick as the scene kept replaying over and over again in his head of that skull like face coming towards his own.

Harry still tried to fight back, but Pomfrey cut him off by shoving a bit of chocolate in his mouth.

Sirius couldn't help it, that mental image was exactly what he needed to shove his own vision to the side and he cracked up laughing. The other four gave him a touch concerned look, Sirius really had been under so much pressure for so long that they were starting to wonder just how soon he'd start to go crazy. He ignored the looks though, still smirking and shrugging, "What? What adult force feeds you chocolate, it was funny!"

Harry gave a weak little laugh while the others just rolled their eyes at him, far more concerned hearing Sirius made it out of this night alive then his stupid comments for now. Not that any of them would admit his stupid comments was what was keeping them sane, as a constant reminder Sirius was still around to make them.

Then taking advantage as he gagged on it, she shoved him back onto the bed.

"Now she's just being pushy," Remus couldn't help but agree with Sirius, having been threatened a number of times by the matron for trying to sneak out and knowing how she could get if her orders weren't followed. If Harry kept resisting her to her face, things might turn out even worse for him.

Then Dumbledore came in. Harry forced down his treatment and began trying to talk again at once, but was cut off by a now hysterical matron.

"You're the one driving me crazy right now," James scowled, still not able to find the same mood as the other two, he wanted Harry to keep trying to get his point across no matter how futile and she was just getting in the way.

She tried to tell the headmaster to leave, but Dumbledore said that he needed to have a word with Harry and Hermione. He'd just been talking to Black,

"That's, encouraging," Sirius said, not really sure if he meant it. After all, if Dumbledore didn't believe him now, why would telling him all of these things without proof mean anything to him then? What could he possibly say to gain the headmasters trust? Was he wanting to talk to Harry and Hermione to try and lift some stupid curse off of them? When that didn't work, would it be too late for him to realize the kids weren't Confunded?

The others didn't quite know what to think of that either, so no one protested further when Harry kept going.

Snape tried to tell Dumbledore that was ridiculous, and demanded to know if his own evidence counted for nothing?

"Not one little bit," Remus growled.

How Pettigrew hadn't been there at any point he'd seen, but Hermione cut in that was because he hadn't shown up in time to hear that part.

"Actually, you kind of knocked him out before he could hear," Sirius corrected, "which I still thank you for."

Snape turned and roared at her to be silent.

Lily scowled in outrage. How could he still be yelling at her like that! Was he so insistent on seeing Sirius die he'd continuously take it out on these kids, that no other side but his could be right!

"I'm going to rip his tongue out of his head," James snapped, sick and tired of this guy popping up and ruining his loved ones lives every chance he got.

Fudge tried to cut Snape off in shock,

"Snape just did that in front of Dumbledore," James realized, perking up slightly at that. "What are the odds that'll get him fired?"

The others gave a hopeful agreement, except Remus who flinched all over again. Snape had been trying all year apparently to get him fired, he should probably consider himself lucky he hadn't been mentioned along with Sirius about to receive a Kiss. Most likely he was still running around the forest, and now he had the image of a pack of Aurors chasing him down, waiting for him to change back so they could arrest him or worse. He kept his mouth firmly shut though, he'd worry about that later when he heard Sirius was safe.

pointing out Hermione wasn't speaking clearly and she shouldn't be spoken to like that.

"I would honestly laugh at that if I didn't want to smash both of your heads together," Sirius grumbled.

Dumbledore cut in that he wanted to talk to the two alone, now. Pomfrey tried to protest they needed their rest, but Dumbledore was being insistent.

The five of them all exchanged concerned looks, Dumbledore's attitude was kind of scaring them, though the fact that he wasn't outright saying he disbelieved Harry and Hermione was the slightest bit of comfort. They all knew that if Dumbledore believed them, Sirius would have the best defense in the world. Surely he must be able to do something to get Sirius out of this.

She wasn't happy, but Pomfrey did storm back to her office and slammed the door.

"Well she's in a bad mood," Remus muttered to himself.

Fudge agreed he'd wait outside for the dementors to show.

Harry couldn't read that without getting a hitch in his throat, he wasn't going to let that happen to Sirius! For the first time he gained back a tiny bit of confidence, that one little reassuring thought convincing him his first reaction finally had been wrong, he must save Sirius! Terrified of being wrong though, he'd already caused so much pain and confusion by speaking out of these things, he dared not speak anything else.

Snape still didn't move though, demanding if the headmaster really believed Black?

"Someone please let me out so I can strangle him already," Sirius growled.

Dumbledore just repeated he wanted to talk to Harry and Hermione alone, but Snape instead took another step towards Dumbledore.

"No, really, why hasn't he been fired yet?" James grumbled to himself, wishing more than anything he wasn't joking and Snape would get tossed already for the things he'd done to Harry alone, now he'd turned on his two best friends!

Reminding him that Black had tried to murder him at sixteen.

Sirius flinched like he'd been kicked, oh he really didn't want to remember that right now.

James and Remus just looked all the more murderous, something Harry hadn't really thought possible. Both boys were just so sick of Snivellus bringing that up! He'd been sixteen, he'd made a mistake, and he was still holding a grudge for that!* Sirius had even tried to apologize to him! They weren't sure how sincere it had been, since he'd done it after the big row between the four of them and he might have just done it to prove to them he was sorry, but even then Snape had dismissed him and Sirius hadn't tried again.

When Dumbledore agreed he remembered, Snape finally left as well, and Harry and Hermione began at once telling what had really happened. Dumbledore cut them off though,

"Well you did about sum it all up," Lily muttered, hoping Sirius had been more coherent when he'd told Dumbledore all that.

telling them that they didn't have one bit of proof to support that story.

James said something very crude. He didn't want to hear this, he wanted someone to say Sirius was going to be okay, which is why he was so confused when Remus let out a sigh of relief.

He couldn't quite get rid of the look as he eagerly told the others, "don't you see, if he's saying that then this must mean Dumbledore believes him! Why would he say that if he didn't?"

Lily still hesitated, eyeing the book as she pointed out, "why would he believe him now if he hadn't then? Surely Sirius told him all of this back when he was first taken in."

Remus hesitated, his smile slipping away as he honestly didn't have a good answer to that, but he tried anyways. "Sirius didn't realize until after he saw the picture the rat," he still couldn't help but break off with a stutter, he couldn't even refer to him without feeling white hot rage all over again, "was even still alive, he could have put everything he'd said down to a tale until Sirius had seen him that night, Dumbledore knows Legilimency so maybe he pried into his mind tonight and saw the truth then what could have been falsified before." It was only as he finished how loose that sounded, how Remus realized all over again the lengths he wanted to go to defend Dumbledore, and how much it bothered him Dumbledore hadn't believed Sirius then. Shouldn't Dumbledore have simply used Legilimency then, and realized Sirius hadn't been the Secret Keeper, so the rat was the only option? It wasn't adding up, and they all knew it.

The others didn't look any more convinced either, but no one said anything else, so Harry decided to keep going.

The three students wouldn't be able to convince anyone of these things, as a street full of people had put Sirius at his original crime, and Dumbledore himself had told the ministry Sirius had been the Secret-Keeper.

James hissed something under his breath, detesting that there was the proof right there, Dumbledore had not tried one bit to stick up for Sirius, but the opposite!

Sirius looked like he'd rather be kicked this time then hear that. He'd followed Dumbledore's orders without question, been nothing but a good soldier through the worst of missions, and that was his reward! How had Dumbledore looked him in the face and accused him of doing that!

"I don't understand," Harry groaned, watching all of them grow more confused and murderous the longer Dumbledore kept going. "Couldn't Sirius have taken ah, a potion or something to prove he wasn't lying?" He felt like he should know something that did that, but he couldn't place it.

Lily's face was going the same color as her fiery red hair, but she tried to force her tone to remain normal as she explained, "there is something, called Veritaserum, but its use will only work on the unexpecting. If Sirius knew he was taking it, his words still wouldn't hold. It's never used in court, because anybody on trial would be hoping it would be used on them."

"What about his wand," James persisted. "They would have taken it from him, proven that wasn't the last spell he'd used."

"Not indefinitely," Sirius sighed, "I could have used anything in between the time it happened and the time they arrived, since I left myself in the street, I may have been 'pretending I was innocent' by doing it." He did not look the least bit happy at explaining away what the Ministry had done to him, but last night in between the nightmares of his sleep and his future, he'd turned over every last inch of how his case could have gone, and that had been one thing he'd stuck on. He'd stayed around in the street, not knowing why then, but clearly having an idea now. He'd lost several bits of sanity he'd been so pleased with himself for murdering that rat, he hadn't cared what happened next.

"Well, what about those Pensive things?" Harry still tried, feeling this argument was as useless as it could get, knowing it wouldn't make a difference, but still forcing himself to try. "They show memories, right? Couldn't Sirius have shown the memory he hadn't been the Secret Keeper? Even if what Remus said is true and Sirius hadn't known for sure the rat had survived, it still would have shown he'd been the one to blow those people up, that Sirius hadn't been the one to do this."

They, had no answer for him. It was true memories could be tampered with, but even when that happens a gray fog would swirl around to prove such a thing, and Sirius' wouldn't have done that. They honestly had no idea how this could have settled in a court of law proving without a doubt Sirius had done this! They still didn't really have their answers, but now knowing Dumbledore had a hand in it wasn't helping much, his testimony alone would be enough to put anyone away as a Death Eater. Which meant that Sirius winding up in Azkaban was damn near as much Dumbledore's fault as anyone's, for not trying to help a man he'd inducted into the Order, for not doing everything to find all the facts.**

Harry tried desperately one last time, "well my memories then! Pettigrew confessed to me what happened, and they've no reason not to believe me, except..." Harry was already trailing off pitifully as he came to his own conclusion amongst all the heartbroken faces, "except they think I'm Confunded, so no matter what my or my friends memories say-" he broke himself off, unable to finish his throat was closing too tight.

Harry tried to say Lupin could do something, but Dumbledore cut him off that as he was currently running around the forest he wouldn't be helping anyone.

Remus made a gut wrenching noise, still hating himself above anyone else for this mess he'd put his friend in, and still neither James nor Sirius would let him dwell on it, they both gave him a look that plainly said they didn't think it for a second, and it left Remus confused. If they still wouldn't, even after everything he'd done to Sirius, were they really so blind?

He also added on that werewolves were so mistrusted by wizarding kind Lupin's words wouldn't hold credence anyways.

"Which still doesn't make sense to me," Harry grumbled. "Why's he so different than anyone else?"

The others really didn't know how to explain this to Harry. Either his thirteen year old mind still couldn't grasp the concept, or he was refusing to acknowledge it, but either way they didn't want to be the ones to change it. Harry clearly trusted Remus just fine now, he'd yet to show any ill will towards him no matter what was being shown, so they liked to think this never would change and it had remain the later.

Harry tried again, but Dumbledore insisted that Harry could do nothing, that what Snape had said just made more sense.

"I hate this!" Lily howled, looking close to tears she was so frustrated. "I hate this so much, I can't stand it. Why is Snape's the only word that matters? If Dumbledore's word was enough to put Sirius in there, then surely it should be enough to at least hold off on that, that sentence!" It was beyond frustrating, it hurt and confused them almost as much as what that rat had done to them. Sirius was a good man who'd done everything in his power to show he wanted nothing to do with his last name, why couldn't Dumbledore with all his titles and power at least say something to what was happening. Had he really just come there to convince Harry it was pointless to even try?

Reminding Harry that Sirius had not been seemingly innocent at all, what with both of his attempts of getting into Gryffindor Tower.

Sirius face palmed so hard he looked like he was going to leave a bruise on his own forehead. He reflected back to how he'd felt when he first learned of what the rat had done, that all-consuming need, and how it may well have driven him to do those same things now if he could get out of this house, and he still would have kept trying no matter what until Harry calmed him down. It didn't excuse what he'd done, but then again when had he ever thought things through?

Without proof, they had nothing. Harry asked if at least Dumbledore believed them, and he agreed he did,

They all sighed, wishing they could find out why, what had changed to make Dumbledore see now what he hadn't then? If Merlin help them and this all bloody happened to them again, they would have liked some assurances they could keep Dumbledore on Sirius' side no matter what.

but he could do nothing to convince others, nor did he have any real say of what the Minister of Magic did.

Lily and James looked likely to back down, at least a bit. They admitted they may have been too harsh on Dumbledore, been expecting too much of him. To them he seemed the most powerful warlock to exist, Dumbledore could do anything, even go toe to toe with Voldemort himself. But what he'd said was true, Dumbledore himself wasn't magic, sometimes even he couldn't be expected to do everything. The only problem was they'd been so focused on going after their old headmaster, that now the realization had hit he couldn't do anything, they were sinking right back into the fear sucking depression. They just couldn't sit here and listen to this happening to Sirius! They let Harry keep going though, unable to find the air to do anything else.

Harry felt something fall inside of him. He'd been so sure that Dumbledore could do anything,

Remus winced, wriggling in place as he realized he still felt the same way, still wanted to believe the man he looked up to more than anyone could do no wrong...but the plague was still swirling in the back of his mind, trying to understand what had pulled him away from Sirius when he had needed him most, and only one name able to make him do so.

but now even that was gone. Dumbledore then turned his attention on Hermione, and told her what they needed was more time. It took a moment for her to catch on.

"Oh?" Lily snapped. "Oh what? What did he say that made her-"

"You know it's really bloody annoying when a little thirteen year old knows more about what's going on then you," Sirius nodded in agreement, cutting off Lily and perhaps receiving a glare for it but allowing Harry to continue.

Dumbledore then instructed them that Sirius was on the seventh floor,

"Why, would he tell you that?" James asked slowly, some life beginning to return to his face. If Dumbledore was suggesting what he thought...

Harry paid him no mind, his eyes lighting up again with hope finally kindling, he finally felt like he was getting on the right track of what was supposed to happen tonight, something good he hoped.

the thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower.

"Why would he tell you that?" Lily blurted. The room was one thing, but the window was just arbitrary.

Adding on that if they did this right, they could save more than one life tonight.

Remus felt like his brain was dragging five sentences behind, who on Earth, what was Dumbledore, and by the time he formed a question Harry just kept going.

Finishing with a reminder that they must not be seen by anyone.

"By who?" all four of them blurted out as one. True it would be best if they weren't caught helping Sirius, but Dumbledore's instructions were getting weirder as this went on, with no explanation in sight.

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on,

"Glad we're not the only ones," Sirius grumbled, knowing Harry couldn't actually answer them until it had happened, knowing none of them had any good idea so theorizing was stupid, but he never liked to be ignored, which is exactly what his pup was doing.

but Dumbledore ignored him as he walked back to the door, told them he was going to lock them in and what time it was now, and that three turns should do it.

"Why was he directing all of that at Hermione?" Lily said slowly, for the first time in ages thinking of something other than Sirius and his betrayer, her mind circling all the way back to the now childish desire to find out what Hermione had been up to all year. Inconsequential now, as she had much bigger things to worry about, but...did it have something to do with what Dumbledore had told them?

"Three turns of what?" Remus groaned, clearly the others were just as confounded as she was.

The moment he closed the door, Harry asked what all that had been about, but Hermione wasn't listening as she pulled at a gold chain from inside of her robes.

James mind flipped back, remembering back to when Hermione had supposedly dropped a necklace, but what did that have to do with anything?

She told Harry to come closer, and then she put the necklace around both of them and Harry finally saw the end of it, which looked like a tiny hourglass encased in the face of a clock. Hermione began giving it three turns, and then Harry was moving without touching the ground, his feet floating as the room around him dissolved into blurs of color and sound, then his feet smashed back onto the ground with bright sunlight on his back.

"You have got to be kidding me." Sirius finally broke first, and Harry glanced up to see all of them were a wall of shocked faces. He'd been so excited to finally come across what had been bothering him about Hermione all year, he hadn't even stopped to let anyone say a thing, now he almost cracked a smile at how truly gobsmacked they all looked. Sirius wasn't done yet though.

"She's actually been time traveling, all year! That was her big secret, that's how she was getting to her classes! Merlin, she was using time magic to go to classes!" He went from confusion to disbelief in seconds, clearly outraged now. "She could have gotten away with how much trouble, and she was using it for homework-ouch!"

Remus had smacked him, but Sirius' exclamation of surprise had seemed to be mostly that, surprise. Remus was too busy laughing to have put any real force into the action. James wasn't any better, the three looked to have finally cracked and were now laughing like pure idiots.

Lily was slightly frowning at them, honestly happy to see them laughing at all, but failing to find the humor. Though if she was honest she wasn't surprised the first thing their minds had flickered to was how to cause trouble with a thing like this, but she was still far more concerned on how this was supposed to save Sirius' life rather than thinking up ways to prank random people with it. She was still stuck on the fact that Hermione had it at all. Clearly McGonagall had given it to her, but was it really for the sole purpose of attending all those classes? She knew for a fact this wasn't a treatment all Hogwarts students received, though perhaps the invention may not have even been invented yet, she'd certainly never heard of a thing like this. Maybe Hermione was like a test run, to see if all the students could handle a responsibility like this? Finally though she did but in, "well if you lot are done still trying to cause mayhem where it isn't needed, I'd still like to see your arse live through the night."

Sirius sobered up, giving her a little pout which was ruined by the glow in his eyes, since she'd just admitted she actually did care about him. James and Remus stopped more abruptly, minds at once going back to such a bleak future, and Harry really did want to tell his mom off for that, they'd just looked so happy again and she'd reminded them of something he'd been so sure it would take a lifetime to forget. Now they were right back at it, clearly the ideas of whatever had been running through their mind were tainted by the rat they used to include in every little thing. Lily bit at her lip, hard, as she realized the same thing, and regretted her own actions now. She was just so worried about hearing the worst was going to happen, she wanted to hear Harry say the opposite so badly she hadn't really thought her comment through. The silence was back though, and Harry decided to quickly keep reading now.

He looked about his surroundings and found he was now in the entrance Hall, and Hermione grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him into the nearest door. He tried to ask what was going on, and Hermione explained that they'd just traveled three hours back in time. Harry found his leg and pinched it.

James still couldn't help a wobbly snicker, swallowing hard to force back any remainder of pain, his son had lived with magic in his life for three years now but this was hard to believe?

It hurt like it should, which meant he wasn't still dreaming.

"We've seen some weird dreams from you Harry," Remus smiled lightly, "but not even you could make this up."

"Gee, thanks," Harry smirked back.

He tried to say something, but Hermione wasn't listening as she had her ear to the door, saying she thought she could hear them heading out to Hagrid's. Harry tried to ask how they could be outside going to Hagrid's, and in this room at the same time.

"I hate time magic," Sirius said at once, going cross eyed at the thought. His mind finally flipping from the act of doing this, to the act itself. Did that mean that Hermione had been in two places at once all year? When did she catch up with herself, or did she just merge back into one person when her hour was up, or was she living two parallel lives now where the her that had gone back an hour to one class was living a different life then the her living this life now, or- "ouch." He moaned out loud, rubbing at his temple.

"My sentiments exactly," James grumbled, his brow ruffling up in confusion as he tried to work that out.

"Let's just ah, hope Hermione explains it a little better," Lily muttered, shaking her head vigorously to get rid of her own train of thought.

Hermione agreed that's exactly what was happening as she heard the set of footsteps fade away. Harry asked what that hourglass thing had done to them, and Hermione explained it was called a Time-Turner, McGonagall had given it to her at the beginning of the year so she could attend all of her classes, but the teacher had made her swear not to tell anyone.

"The fact that she actually didn't tell Ron and Harry is almost insulting," Remus rolled his eyes. They told her everything, usually whether they wanted to or not. Even if she flat out refused to use it for them for any reason, they still should have known she had something like that.

McGonagall had to work a lot of people at the ministry to convince them Hermione could have it, and Hermione had only ever turned it back an hour before now so she could get to all of her classes, but this didn't explain what Dumbledore wanted them to do now.

"No, no, no," Sirius yelped, bouncing with each word and still looking cross eyed. "You definitely need to explain this mess better, how on earth does the in two places at once thing work?"

Lily was running her fingers through her hair in frustration as she tried, "well, if she spun it back an hour to attend lessons, then continued on her normal schedule lining up with the boys, then it will be like she never left. Time would be on a permanent loop where she never really caught up with herself, because she'd always be an hour, behind herself..." she finished, looking just as confused as when she'd started, not at all sure if she'd explained that in any kind of logical way. The idea of time travel gave her all kinds of confusion, not just because one of the end results was her adult son sitting beside her while the exact same boy at a few months old was upstairs.

The boys still looked like they had a headache from thinking about it, but they weren't arguing the point either.

How was this going to help Sirius? Harry tried to reason out why this exact time, what they were doing three hours ago down at Hagrid's, but Hermione corrected this was three hours ago and they were going down to Hagrid's.

"Don't correct him now," James scowled, rubbing at his eyes and nearly knocking his glasses off his face. "I'm barely keeping up with one of you, don't ask me to make it two."

Harry frowned at her, feeling like he was using every inch of his brain to keep up.

"Glad I'm not the only one," Remus grumbled, his eyes unfocused as he tried to tie it all together and coming up with more questions about how this thing worked, what on earth kind of magic went into making this thing, and many more he knew he'd never get an answer to.

Harry tried to reason out what Dumbledore had said about more than one innocent life, then he realized it meant Buckbeak.

"Wait, what?" It's not like they'd forgotten about Buckbeak exactly, but between everything else that had happened, he'd sort of just slipped to the back of their mind. Now the idea that Harry could go back and fix the injustice done to that animal was a great omen indeed of how this night could possibly go, and the hope was almost back. Harry sounded so excited, so assured this made perfect sense, he really hoped they were on the right track with this.

It made sense, they could save Buckbeak and use him to fly up to the correct room and rescue Sirius, then they could leave together.

Sirius gave a very happy giggle, going back to when Harry had first rode Buckbeak and how much he'd said he wanted to as well, now that was his ticket out of there, this was clearly as close to perfect as he was going to get and he'd take it.

Hermione looked terrified at the thought, pointing out how could they do all of that without being seen?

"Why can't they see themselves again?" James demanded. "Hermione would know what was going on at once and explain it, then get, err, themselves to help."

"James, think about that for a second, what was your first reaction to someone popping up and telling you your future," she said indicating her head slightly to Harry, who was blushing as he realized the same.

James deflated a bit and nodded his agreement, accepting that it would probably be more confusing and more harm than good by the time they tried to do any help.

Harry insisted it was the only way, then let himself out and they made their way down to Hagrid's via the forest, trying to stay out of sight of Hagrid's as Hermione reminded that their other selves would nearly be at Hagrid's by now. Harry was still working on that sentence,

"Yeah," Sirius nodded in agreement, still looking a little spun around at this turn of events. He was grateful at the fortune Hermione had this to help him, but it was still blowing his mind such a thing even existed. He was a pureblood that had grown up with magic and time travel was still giving him pause to consider, he was actually starting to pity Harry.

as they reached the forest and Hermione warned Harry to keep out of sight.

"So she keeps saying," Remus grumbled, wondering how she'd stayed out of her own sight all year, did the rule apply to her, because clearly Lily's theory wasn't totally on track because Hermione hadn't set her time back yet, so she was watching herself who hadn't done it yet...wait what?

They made it to the back of Hagrid's property and heard an invisible knock on the door, watching Hagrid open it and tell them they shouldn't have come, but stepping aside to let them in.

"I'll weep the day he does close the door in your face," Sirius said quickly, a smug smile on his face.

"Padfoot," James moaned, "I tolerate your stupid jokes the first time, don't make me relive those as well."

Sirius didn't look very repentant, compared to how he'd felt the first time he'd heard this, well he wasn't exactly better now but he was certainly more himself, and driving his friends crazy was one of the things to keep him going, keep his mind off of other things.

Harry then said that this was the weirdest thing they'd ever done in their life.

"Yeah, I'm with Harry on that one," Remus nodded.

Hermione didn't seem very bothered by it as she said they should get closer to Buckbeak. Harry suggested they should just take him now, but Hermione reminded that the Committee had to see him first.

Lily balked at the time frame that was being set up, but Harry read before she could make the comment.

Harry protested that would give them less than a minute to sneak Buckbeak away.

"I can't help but agree," Sirius frowned. "It's too bad you couldn't have brought your cloak back, ah Remus had it last right? So you left it out on the grounds when you went chasing after me, which means that probably Snape confiscated it or something."

"That still wouldn't help them much," James disagreed, "there's too much else involved. They'd need a distraction or something in between them seeing Buckbeak and them sneaking him away."

"Well this should get interesting," Remus muttered.

There was a noise inside the cabin of something breaking, and Hermione reminded it was the dropped milk and how she was about to find Scabbers.

That left them all tensed and disgusted, unable to grasp any feelings they'd had at that name before except pure hatred. Harry refused to linger on it though, he wanted to find out Sirius was okay too badly.

Harry suggested they just run in now and grab Pettigrew,

"That wouldn't work," Remus interrupted, "you'd interfere with your own timeline, and you wouldn't find out what you did. You need to let those things play out at least, or who knows what will happen to you."

Harry sighed, thinking he still should have come up with some other solution then just letting that rat get away all over again, but he also knew deep down keeping Sirius alive was more important and he hoped he never lost sight of that.

Hermione shot back that she kept telling Harry they couldn't be seen! Harry said it would only be themselves and Hagrid.

"Which still wouldn't go over that well," Lily shook her head seriously, but she had a feeling Hermione was going to explain so she kept her mouth shut and listened curiously.

Hermione pointed out though that Harry needed to think about it, what would he think when he saw himself? Harry admitted he'd probably think he'd gone crazy, or something very Dark was going on.

"Both perfectly reasonable," Sirius said with a light smirk, both things having flashed across his mind days ago when he'd found Harry in the kitchen.

Hermione agreed that's exactly why people shouldn't mess with time, McGonagall had told her all sorts of horror stories about other wizards that did it and wound up accidentally killing themselves.

"Yeah, I can see that being a problem," Remus said with a slight frown, this didn't make him any happier because he was still waiting to hear how Harry and Hermione did work out how to fix everything, including catching that rat after they were sure Sirius would be okay.

Harry though was thinking of something totally different, for the first time realizing that he was technically doing this now. He was messing with time magic by showing his family all of these things. Could he somehow possibly make his own future worse, was he going to somehow erase himself? It was giving him a splitting headache to work all of that out, and since he didn't even have the answer of how he'd wound up here, he decided to save that for later.

Harry backed down and didn't say anything else until they came out of the cabin, Harry and Hermione watching Ron, Harry, and Hermione exit the back of Hagrid's place.

"I am, actually jealous of this," Sirius huffed, his earlier joke still standing. He couldn't believe Hermione had just been using this for school work all year, the number of things you could be doing with something like this! He really wanted to know how new this invention was, clearly there was a prototype going on as this must be what his drunken memory couldn't remember. How many time magic projects could the Department of Mysteries be working on?

"You would be," Lily scoffed, rather on Hermione's side with all of this, people could do a lot more harm than good with this kind of thing, but since she could also see some practical applications, in the right hands that weren't Sirius' or any of the Marauders honestly, she didn't want to encourage them.

The scene replayed of Hagrid comforting Buckbeak, then demanding the children leave despite their protests.

They all flashed back to remembering how they'd felt so low the first time hearing all of this, their fear of the wrongdoing to Buckbeak and how it still wasn't right, but at least now they had the absolute knowledge Harry and Hermione did have something to do about it, they were going to save that hippogriff.

Harry watched the Hermione in the pumpkin patch throw the Invisibility Cloak over him and Ron.

"Because, you know, that's a thing now," James said, shaking his head loosely to force himself to keep up, this time travel was still giving him a bit of a turn around.

Then the three left, and Harry and Hermione watched as the other people arrived. Fudge told Hagrid they had to step inside for a moment to read some official documents, and when they were all out of sight again Harry said he'd go and get Buckbeak.

"Why?" Lily grumbled, not knocking anyone doing it so long as it was done, but still pointing out, "Hermione at least would have been in less trouble if she'd been caught, you weren't supposed to be on the grounds at all."

Harry just shrugged, saying, "Thought I could do it faster, he already knew me better, was kind of hoping he'd remember me."

Harry darted over to Buckbeak and repeated the bowing to him, and only when it was returned did he go to fumbling at the rope tying him in place.

"It's moments like that when magic really comes in handy," Sirius whispered to himself, having realized several times over Harry's first instinct was to Muggle his way out of things, but a quick little charm to snip away the rope would have done that a lot faster.

Harry could still hear what was going on inside, Fudge reading out the official proclamation of Buckbeak's death, just as he began trying to drag Buckbeak away, who clearly didn't want to go anywhere.

"Oh not now," Remus moaned, "of all the times for this animal to get stubborn!"

"Isn't that how working with animals usually goes," James huffed, going fidgety with unease all over again, not even able to stand the idea of Harry getting caught and Sirius still falling to his fate, having to put every last drop he had left into the belief Harry would come through and fix this via Buckbeak. He was still forcing his voice to come out as normal as usual though, not wanting to freak anyone out as much as he was, "they do exactly the opposite of what you want when you need them most."

The others didn't need him to spell it out, they were all grasping just as much that Sirius' fate now laid in the hands of Buckbeak cooperating, so they didn't say anything further.

Inside the Committee man's voice asked if Hagrid would like to stay inside while they did this, but Hagrid protested he didn't want his hippogriff to be alone.

Lily still couldn't help a little 'ooh' of sadness, even though she was twisting every last one of her fingers in hopes that wouldn't happen, what Hagrid was doing for his pet was the kindest thing.

Harry pulled even harder on the rope, and Buckbeak began grudgingly walking, but not fast enough as footsteps began heading back outside. Dumbledore's voice stopped them though, calling back for Macnair,

Sirius gave a slight sigh of relief, at least Dumbledore was still good for something.

and reminding him he needed to sign the document. Hermione darted out of the trees and began mouthing at Harry they had to hurry.

"It's not Harry who's not hurrying," James huffed.

Together the two kept pulling and Buckbeak finally went into a trot and they made the trees just as the doors began opening behind them.

"That was still pretty dangerous," Remus couldn't help but mutter, shifting around uneasily. "She could have gotten into his personal space without bowing, could have caused a lot more harm than good.

"Well thankfully Harry was good enough," Sirius grumbled back.

Harry looked back and saw they were now out of sight.

They all released a loud sigh of relief, never in their life having pictured the getaway of a hippogriff would mean so much to them.

They could still hear though, the jumble of voices both confused and outraged where the hippogriff could have gone, he'd just been here!

"Ha!" Sirius couldn't help a petty little triumphant shout of joy, thinking that Buckbeak getting away was just one of the things they would be worrying about tonight.

They could hear Hagrid to, but now could tell he was crying with joy that his little Beaky had gotten away as the dull swish of the axe could be heard, the executioner had loped it into the fence in anger.

"Oh," Lily brightened, "well thank goodness for that." She wished Harry had spotted this earlier, she would have felt just that little bit better knowing Buckbeak had never really died in any timeline, but she supposed it wouldn't have made her feel any better in the long run after what she had soon found out after the fact, so let it go.

Buckbeak tried to struggle and pull away from the two to get back to Hagrid,

"Naww," Lily cooed all over again, finding Hagrid's pets loyalty to him speaking volumes for how the man really treated them, though his actions during this whole ordeal had said more than enough.

and the two kids had to struggle and put all their weight into restraining him.

"Yeah, might just be better to try and tie him off to another tree," James frowned, thinking that both kids put together wouldn't even weigh as much as Buckbeak, let alone really restrain him.

Macnair was still in a temper, shouting about how someone had untied the beast,

"Why is that the first thing he thought of?" Remus scoffed. "Him untying himself makes much more sense, he's plenty intelligent enough to get out of his bindings I'm sure, normal horses certainly can. Plus, why would someone even steal him?"

"You are asking the wrong people," Sirius pointed out.

insisting that someone needed to search the grounds. Dumbledore pointed out though that if someone had taken Buckbeak, they wouldn't be on foot, they'd have flown away.

"Glad someone thought of that," Sirius and James grumbled.

Dumbledore then asked Hagrid to come back inside so they could share a drink, which Hagrid was all too happy to do, and the others left as well. Harry asked what they were supposed to do now, and Hermione pointed out all they could do was hide and wait, still looking very shaken up.

"Delayed shock or fear of getting caught I guess," Harry muttered, thinking he probably hadn't looked much better.

Harry suggested they head back so they could see what was going on at the Whomping Willow.

"Don't actually want to watch that again," all three boys muttered, though thinking of three completely different things.

Hermione agreed, though cautioned Harry yet again to stay out of sight.

"Go ahead and mention that a couple more times Hermione, I don't think he's quite gotten the message," Lily rolled her eyes.

They moved to watch the whole scene play out again, Ron catching Scabbers after he'd run off, Ron yelling at Crookshanks to get off of him,

Sirius felt deeply torn, wanting to growl murderous threats for the next twelve years about that rat, yet lingering guilt still eating at him for having attacked Ron. His actions made perfect sense to him now of course, he'd clearly been desperate after the little rodent had escaped him all year, but he didn't think taking Ron with him had really been the best move either.

then Sirius attacking first Harry, then grabbing Ron.

Nope, there it was, guilt won for now. He'd half wished Harry and Hermione wouldn't get there in time to see this, because this was exactly what he'd been hoping Harry wouldn't resee.

Harry winced in sympathy for themselves as he muttered how weird this looked to watch the tree attack them again.

"Yeah, I'm still with you on that one son," James muttered, going slightly cross eyed at the idea of literally watching yourself do something you'd just done that night.

Then Hermione pointed out Crookshanks froze up the tree for them as the tree went still,

"Thank you for the running commentary Hermione," Remus rolled his eyes, thinking they could have worked that out for themselves.

and Harry muttered that they went inside.

"Well Harry's not being much better," Sirius gave a forced laugh.

Not moments later, the group from Hagrid's, minus Hagrid, could be seen making their way back up to the castle.

"Jeez, that timing," James shook his head, very grateful it had happened exactly like that, if Harry and Hermione hadn't followed Ron down in time things really could have turned out worse than they did, if that were possible.

Hermione muttered that she wished Dumbledore had gone down there with them,

"Ah, no," they all muttered with pure hatred at the idea, having no doubts he would have cursed Sirius as soon as anyone, he'd made that quite clear.

but Harry disagreed that this meant Fudge and Macnair would have as well, and they would have killed Sirius on sight.

"Yeah, and that," Remus shuddered, feeling guilty at once he'd thought that of Dumbledore, but unable to come up with a way to take it back, so for now wanting to blame it more on the minister.

They kept watching the spot, seeing Lupin come bursting out the doors, and Harry couldn't help but glance up at the sky where the clouds blocked out the moon.

"The moon wouldn't have peaked by then, he transforms at the set time, not necessarily because of the moon light," James corrected, since this was very clearly the last thing Remus wanted to talk about.

"Besides, Snape would never have brought him that potion so late, he'd bring it to him as early as he could," Lily reminded.

They watched Lupin vanish as well, and Harry voiced that he wished the man had grabbed his cloak,

"Guess I didn't notice it," Remus muttered, thinking he'd had a million other things on his mind then noticing something like that in the shadows.

then voicing that he was going to dart out and grab it now before Snape got it. Hermione stopped him, reminding him he couldn't be seen by anyone.

"He wouldn't be seen, he's going out there to get the cloak to be unseen," Sirius pointed out without any real hope.

Lily shook her head though, pointing out, "it wouldn't really change anything. He still would have barged in there, except instead of waiting until after hearing Remus' story he just would have readjusted things slightly, I'm sure everything still would have happened exactly the same."

"Still would save me the nightmares of him using my cloak," James shuddered.

Harry demanded how Hermione could do this, just watch it all happen again! He then did get up and made to go for his cloak, but Hermione stopped him again just in time,

"I still want to see Snape's timing cursed into oblivion," Remus growled.

as Hagrid came into sight singing,

"Oh, well," Sirius struggled before still saying, "if they hadn't argued about it, Harry still would have made it in time to get under the cloak and Hagrid never would have seen him."

"There really is no point to this," Lily sighed, waving Harry on.

heading towards the gates, an empty bottle in hand. Hermione pulled an 'I told you so' as she went back to restraining Buckbeak who was trying to get to Hagrid again.

This time they all gave a little aww, this time of sadness though. For the first time realizing, Buckbeak couldn't go back to Hagrid. His life may have been saved, but he'd been taken away from his owner in the process, which was pretty sad as well. They realized Sirius would be taking him to get away, but what would he do with him then, set him free? Would he go back to Hagrid then? They really were thinking too hard about this, when each of them were far more concerned with hearing Sirius get out of this mess first, so no one really brought it up.

When Hagrid vanished, Buckbeak's head dropped back to the ground.

Lily still couldn't help one last coo, wanting to go pet the poor thing.

Then Snape did appear, pausing long enough to spot Harry's cloak and snatching it up, much to Harry's muttered disgust.

"My sentiments exactly," James scoffed with a crinkled nose.

He put it on then went into the roots as well, while Hermione sighed and sat down, saying they couldn't do anything but wait now.

"Least we didn't have to relive that bloody conversation," James sighed, rubbing absently at his still aching chest, thinking he could never think about the Shack again without the worst conversation of his life coming to the forefront.

She tied Buckbeak off and then asked Harry why hadn't the dementors gotten Sirius when they had the chance?

"That's still a very good question," Sirius said bracingly, looking for anything to get James mind off of that even for just a second.

James only pretended to look interested, still feeling lost, confused, betrayed and a thousand other things no matter how many times he accepted the fate of the rat.

She recounted what she remembered until she passed out, and Harry explained what he'd seen, right up until it had nearly Kissed him,

All five of them still gave a terrible shudder like they were trying to burst right out of their own skins, that was never going to get any easier hearing either.

when something bright had made all of those dementors leave. Hermione was impressed that a real and powerful Patronus must have done that, then asked who could have done it. Harry didn't want to admit who he'd thought he'd seen, how could it be?

"Well come on," Remus prompted, wanting a real answer this time to keep his own mind on the here and now. "Who did you think it was?"

"Err," Harry muttered, his eyes flickering to his dad and away again he didn't think anyone had noticed, but couldn't come up with anything to say. He was being stupid of course, it couldn't have really been his dad...right? Was it so crazy to believe though, when another dead man had come back to life this night? Was it so absurd to think his father could have as well? Was it right that Peter Pettigrew was the only one to have done so? Deep down though, in the recesses of his gut he felt nothing, no confirmation, no reassurances he was right...but then again he was still having mixed feelings about the last gut feeling he'd had about Sirius so should he even really still trust that? He'd hesitated too long, and still hadn't answered, so with nothing to really say he still read much to everyone else's disappointment. How bad could it be?

Hermione was persistent though, still asking who Harry thought he'd seen, and he finally admitted his dad.

Harry had said all of this in such a rush no one had a chance to interrupt, but once he finally blurted out that part he nearly spat out the end and then cringed like he expected to be yelled at for it, better that then the false hope trying to rear up in his heart, and the hollow echoes of everything else in him trying to warn him that wasn't true.

James was actually the first to speak up though, having to get the words past a harsh lump in his throat he still managed, "I'm, sorry Harry, I just don't see how that's possible. There's no reason in the world I wouldn't have been there for you long before this night."

Harry winced, he'd known that to be true, but still he tried, "we never found out why Remus stayed away, maybe-"

But James cut him off with a steely glint in his eyes, "after what you heard from the dementors," he still gave a terrible flinch at the reminder, "and even then, it's not possible, there's not a thing that would have stopped me coming to get you well before that night. I'm sorry son, you must have just been projecting."

Harry sighed, he knew his dad was right, it just didn't make him any happier to hear.

The others were all avoiding each other's eyes or they were likely to burst into tears, and when Harry recognized he was only making things worse and he probably wasn't going to be having any more a pleasant conversation with Hermione about this, he forced himself to keep going in despondent tones.

Hermione was watching him carefully as she reminded him his dad was dead.

"Thank you Hermione," Lily tried for a biting tone, but she came out more watery than she meant to, leaning in close to her son and keeping her eyes on her husband to make absolutely sure that wasn't true right now.

Harry agreed at once, and when Hermione tried to ask if it's possible he'd seen something else, Harry insisted the man had looked like the old photos Harry had.

That gave them a little bit of a pause, maybe the person had resembled James enough Harry's eyes weren't just seeing what they wanted, but some resemblance, but it still didn't in any way answer the question who on earth it could be.

Hermione was still looking at him as though worried about his sanity.

Sirius let out a noise like he wanted to snort, but it came out too runny. He still managed a half hearted, "gee thanks for the vote of confidence."

Harry admitted he was well aware how it sounded, but he still trailed off into silence. His mind locked on his dad's old three friends, Moony, Wormtail,

Lily and Harry at least tried to suppress their combined loathing and disgust at the mention of that name, but the boys couldn't even be bothered to do that, thinking the little rat had never deserved the title of a Wormtail more than in these last few hours, and yet regretting every second they'd ever even known him, to give him such a nickname that meant so much to them... and if they didn't keep listening to Harry they were going to go into a frenzy all over again.

and Padfoot, was it so unlikely Prongs had been here tonight as well?

Despite James words, it didn't make him feel any better. He knew he was right, there wasn't a force on earth that should have been able to stop him getting to his son those long thirteen years, and yet what he wouldn't give for that to be him, for some reasonable explanation to crop up like he'd been sharing a cell with Sirius or something...anything really then this constant bleak reminder he really wasn't there for his son.

Wormtail

Harry hated having to say that, feeling it came out as foul as the word Mudblood, and he was the one struggling to say it. He didn't want to think how anybody else was going to have to react later if that name ever came up again.

had come back after everyone thought he was dead, was it so impossible for James to have done the same?

James couldn't help but sigh, beating furiously against a little spark of hope wanting to bloom in his chest. Hating himself if he was alive, wishing with everything he had he was, it was going to crack his heart in two soon. Sirius recognized this and leaned his weight against James, giving him a smile that plainly said 'I know exactly the feeling,' at least making James feel just the smallest bit better.

Had he really just been seeing things across the water, the person had been too far away to see properly.

Lily wasn't the only one hoping now that somehow Harry would get himself into a position at the lake, properly see who all this fuss was about, bury the answer whatever it may be already, because this dragging out was going to drive her mad soon.

Yet for just one second he'd been so sure it was him.

Remus made an odd noise, like he was trying to blow his nose quietly, which everyone politely ignored.

Hours later and Hermione was the first to speak again, whispering that they were coming out. Harry looked over and saw them all coming out again,

"That's not the same order as last time," James pointed out, actually pleased to think of something else again.

"I was just listing the lot of them that time, not saying what order they were in," Harry shrugged.

heading back to the castle, and then the clouds began to shift, making the moon appear.

Remus still let out a hate filled noise, like he wanted to chuck himself in the fire place all over again as this had been exactly what he hadn't wanted to relive so soon, he knew he would be for the rest of his life anyways, but Sirius gave him a hard nudge and a stern look stating quite clearly he wasn't going to listen to that this time anymore then the first, so Remus still had no choice but to let it go for now.

Hermione was watching Harry tense up, still cautioning him he couldn't do anything, and

Harry snapped back he couldn't just let Pettigrew get away again!

James was grinding his teeth together so hard he was likely to be toothless here in a few minutes, but he couldn't help it. He'd have that image burned into his brain for his lifetime, the little rat scampering away into the dark without a glance back over and over again, and this was exactly what he hadn't wanted Harry to see all over again.

Hermione demanded how Harry was supposed to find him anyways?

"I can think of several options actually," Lily snarled, then winced and tried for a more normal tone, and though she failed she still kept going. "You could have gone up to Remus' office and snatched the map, you've snuck around the castle enough it wouldn't have been impossible, then grabbed him while waiting for Sirius to get put up."

Harry just sat there gaping at his mother, as this hadn't crossed his mind at all. He'd spent the hour to busy going over that moment in his mind, trying to place those pictures he had of his dad to his memory and convince himself it was real. Now he realized not only how wrong the idea was but he'd let up a perfect opportunity to catch the rat and put him away instead of Sirius going on the run!

"Sorry Lily, but I don't honestly think Hermione would have let him get away with that," James said quickly, anything to get rid of that look now on Harry's face. "She'd be too afraid of them getting caught, and without the cloak there really was a big risk of it. They were stuck where they were."

Harry at least looked a bit relieved and not nearly as guilt ridden.

Lily clearly hadn't meant to do it, she was just as frustrated as the rest of them and wanting to think of something to do rather than sit around and think about Sirius being Kissed all because of that traitor, but she'd wanted to take the words back as soon as they were out because of how Harry had instantly blamed himself for not thinking of that. Her son clearly had some issues with blaming himself for everything, something she really hoped he didn't carry all his life, or at least someone talked him out of like they were trying to.

Reminding him they were here to help Sirius, nothing more. Harry was forced to watch as the moon covered them, and Lupin began to change.

Remus made a guttural noise, hating how casual Harry actually managed to make that sound, still blaming himself no matter what anyone else said that this was all his stupid fault, but keeping it to himself enough all he received were looks for it this time rather than another speech from one of his friends.

It was as Harry watched this that he yelped they had to move, now! Hermione tried to protest, but Harry reminded that the werewolf was going to dart off right towards them!

"It's going to be fine," Harry quickly added on the second he'd finished that, watching Remus look likely to pass out again. "We're both fine, I promise-" he winced and went to shaking nearly as badly as Remus, but both quickly forced themselves to settle down. Both coming to the realization getting past this was much more important then continued dwelling on it.

Hermione began helping Harry untie Buckbeak, whispering frantically where they could hide, and Harry suggested Hagrid's place.

They all released heavy sighs, it wasn't the best solution because Hagrid could be back at any time, unless he went down to Hogsmeade to continue getting drunk rather than the castle so they'd have a bit more time, but they'd still much rather Harry tried to get to the lake and see this mystery person rather than continue delaying.

They sprinted back there without a problem, slamming the door shut behind them.

Remus gave one last terrible flash of what could have been before forcing it away, thankful he'd never even come in sight, or hopefully if the worst had happened and he had come after Harry, Buckbeak would have been a better target. He'd hate to be the cause of Buckbeak's death, even more so when he realized that it would make it all the more difficult for Sirius to escape, but then he realized he just kept creating what if scenarios and tried to shut his brain off.

Buckbeak at least seemed happy to be back, he walked right over to the fireplace and curled up at home.

"Least someone's in a good mood," Sirius muttered.

Harry waited a few moments before voicing he was going to go out again, keep an eye on things under Hermione's suspicious glare.

"Can't rightly blame her at some point," James said happily, perking up as he wondered if Harry was thinking what he was.

He promised he wasn't going to do anything, but he had to keep watch for when Sirius was put up. Hermione agreed, but cautioned him that now there was a werewolf and dementors roaming around, and begged him to be careful.

"Thanks for the reminder," Lily muttered, still wanting to clutch up her son and never let him go for all the trouble he seemed to get himself into.

Harry agreed and went back out, taking the long way around back to the lake, promising himself he didn't want to do anything, just watch who had saved him.

"Yes!" They all yelped, more than happy to hear this. James was right of course, there was no way it was him...but at least they got to hear whoever it was.

He began running full force, his mind only on his dad, he had to know it was him he'd seen.

James still looked like he wanted to burst into tears any given second, what he would give to actually be there for both his son and brother in that moment of need, but unable to explain away just what couldn't be possible.

He found a bush on the edge of the water and hid inside of it, with the perfect vantage point.

Funnily enough this wasn't making them feel better, as they now knew exactly where on the lake all of this was happening. There weren't too many bushes so near the water's edge, which meant the next time they went up to visit the school they could never look at this spot again and would instead feel yet another flood of memories that would drown them all.

Harry watched as the dementors began encircling him, Sirius, and Hermione, muttering under his breath for his dad to hurry up and get here.

James couldn't repress a high pitched, keening noise, throat tight as he desperately wanted to go for his wand, to do just once what Harry needed of him. Sirius wriggled as close as he could and put an arm around him, silently promising him it would be okay, Harry was safe now. It didn't erase the want, but it did make it bearable.

Nothing was happening, the dementors broke past Harry's attempts and began lowering its hood, and no one had arrived, no one would.

They all went terribly stiff, wondering if possibly Harry and Hermione had accidentally somehow changed something, what would happen if that happened in Harry's past? Would he cease to exist in the Time Turner's present? Time travel was making this a whomping headache, and Harry reading now was the only thing keeping them in their skin.

Then Harry realized he hadn't seen his father, but himself.

"Wha-" someone tried to interrupt, but Harry went from confused and, though he wouldn't admit it, disappointed to bright eyed understanding as he kept going. Now that he fully understood what had happened, he just knew something spectacular was fixing to happen, something that meant the world to him.

Harry jumped free of the leaves, and shouted the spell Expecto Patronum with everything he had, and a bright silver animal burst forth.

'He did it' they realized, feeling the combination of shock at such a powerful shot of magic at his age couple with the still lingering smack in the face that he'd been the one to chase all of those dementors away, plus it wasn't James at all but a very near look alike! All of that left them with failed voices while Harry quickly read.

He watched it gallop across the water and encircle the other three until the dementors had vanished, then it came back to him, its hooves leaving no imprints on the sand. It only paused for a moment, but Harry was able to look upon a stag.

Something finally stirred James out of his shock, as he struggled to get out, "you, did see me?"

"I saw the next best thing," Harry breathed, watching his dad closely like he feared at any second he was going to disappear in a mist of silver as well, for the first time really putting that goofy nickname with the proud animal, comparing the ghost of his father's animal to the man he saw now and knowing he could finally treasure the image in a way he never thought possible. He'd been so desperate to find some part of himself in James, and now he had the best thing of all.

James still looked likely to pass out or burst into tears any moment, he'd never felt such a combination of things in his life. Pride, his son had actually produced such a powerful spell to drive away so many dementors, shock and glee it was his own animal he treasured so much. It was like he truly had been there for his son right when he really needed him.

He finally managed to whisper 'Prongs.'

Sirius cracked. He had to stuff his fist in his mouth to stop himself ruining the moment the two were clearly having, but he couldn't help it. He caught Lily's eye and managed to get out, "you know this means you can't call him Hare Bear anymore. He's not a rabbit, or a bear, or whatever the bloody hell that was supposed to mean. He really would turn into Prongs Junior."

"Why do we keep you around again?" Remus demanded, watching all three of them give him annoyed looks, but Sirius either didn't notice, or didn't care, he was still too busy laughing.

"I'll call my son whatever I want to," Lily shot back, "now shut it Sirius or I'm going to wish they'd left you in the stinking cell."

Sirius didn't look very repentant, if anything he just kept smiling wider he was just so pleased at finally getting some form of good mood into him, and keeping it.

He reached out as if to touch it, but then the image faded away, and Harry heard more hooves behind him,

That gave them all a quick start, what else could happen tonight!

it was Hermione dragging Buckbeak along, demanding to know what Harry was doing! Harry quickly began to explain,

"Okay wait, back up," Remus demanded, making a remind motion with his hand. "Are you telling me that everything you just did, you already did?"

"And am going to do," Harry added on, going cross-eyed at the thought.

"I guess that kind of makes sense," James muttered, scrunching up his brows. "It goes along with what Lily said about time being on a permanent loop, kind of."

"It's still giving me a headache to think about," Sirius grumbled still trying to work out in his head how Hermione had been pulling this off all year.

and when he was done he watched Hermione's mouth fall open. Her first question was if anyone had seen him,

"She's not been nearly as quick on the draw as usual tonight," Remus pointed out, still rubbing at his temple as he tried to work out this mess in his head.

"Leave her alone," Lily sighed, just wanting this night to be done with.

and Harry pointed out yes, he'd seen himself, that's what he'd just told her! Hermione was still shocked, pointing out how advanced that was.

"I haven't even gotten over my shock of that happening," Sirius agreed, nodding along vigorously.

"No wonder you were so adamant about your ability to pull it off," Remus laughed.

Harry agreed he knew he could do it, because he'd already done it, didn't that make sense?

"Nope," all five of them muttered together. Sure it made sense in context, but the actual act of doing it, being able to pull off the feet, because he'd already done it, was still giving them mind spins.

Hermione got distracted by Snape.

"What did he do now?" James groaned.

Harry looked back around and saw the potions teacher arriving with a stretcher supported by his wand, and he quickly conjured three more for them.

"When did he get his wand back?" Sirius asked. "I must have still had it on me, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed suspended when I transformed."

"You must have dropped it," James shrugged, "and it took a few moments for the spell to wear off."

They watched all of them vanish, and then waited a few moments longer wondering how long it would take for Sirius to wind up in his designated room.

"I doubt they gave me a tour of the castle in the meantime," Sirius muttered, as anxious as anyone to hear himself go, well not free, but at least free of that place.

Then Harry saw a glint of something silver, and recognized it as Macnair's axe on his belt as he ran for the dementor guards.

"Does he carry that thing around with him everywhere?" Lily asked in disgust.

They knew Sirius must be up there now, so Harry and Hermione mounted Buckbeak.

"Least you've had practice with this once already," James sighed.

Harry kicked the hippogriff into flying mode, and they took off with Hermione squeaking in displeasure that she did not like this.

"Why did Hermione have to come at all now?" Remus couldn't help but worry, not exactly wanting to leave her alone near the forest either, but worrying about how many people Buckbeak could hold. "Normal horses are only expected to carry two maximum, there couldn't be that much room up there."

"It was better than losing time backtracking for her later, we were on a deadline," Harry shrugged.

Harry was still gaining air, going up to the proper tower and counting windows, before coming to a hovering stop in midair.

"I am really curious who trained Buckbeak," Sirius couldn't help but say with admiration. "I guess I can see Hagrid doing this in his spare time, but still, I can't imagine Hagrid could ride him very well, it would have had to be all ground training."

"Perhaps some of the seventh years might have done it as a pet project," Remus offered with a shrug, Kettleburn had always been big on encouraging his students to do hands on work with their favorite beasts.

Harry peeked inside and saw Black, and gave a quick smack on the window to get his attention. It worked, and his jaw dropped.

Harry couldn't help a quiet giggle, letting it form into full blown laughter after a moment. He hadn't been able to indulge in it then, but the utter relief he felt, the assured feeling that Sirius was going to survive this night was finally being lifted, and the shock crossing his features then had been comical, he couldn't even remember if he'd ever told Sirius the whole story of how he'd pulled this off.

He leapt from his chair,

"Genuinely surprised he wasn't restrained," Lily admitted. Even without his wand, she found it surprising he'd been free to walk the room. Had Dumbledore possibly done this for him, after he'd been convinced?

and tried to open the window, but it was locked shut. Hermione quickly fixed that, and the first thing he tried to do was ask what was going on.

"Boy that's going to be a fun retelling," Sirius laughed right along with Harry's good mood now.

They weren't going to spend the time explaining, telling him to get on and to hurry, which he quickly did.

"You always did know it was better to ask questions later and roll with it for now," James nodded.

They went up to the nearest tower, and Harry and Hermione quickly dismounted, telling Sirius to get a move on before he was found gone. Buckbeak was twisting around, ready to take flight again.

"Think I should just consider myself lucky he's not trying to throw me off and attack me," Sirius muttered, thinking it must be the same thing as it was for Hermione, Harry's presence was enough of an assurance for the hippogriff.

Sirius asked what had happened to Ron?

"I knew you cared," Harry chuckled, watching the shame reappear on his face now at that reminder, but having already been reassured it wasn't permanent he tried to let that one go, hopefully Ron wouldn't hold a grudge.

Harry promised he was going to be fine, now Sirius had to get out of here. Black still wasn't moving though, watching Harry.

"Though he never was good at following orders," Remus muttered, shifting his weight around, as anxious as anyone to hear Sirius gone, and staunchly ignoring himself being left behind, and what could happen because of that. He deserved whatever became of it, he'd happily take the fall for Sirius, it was his fault that Sirius' name hadn't been cleared this night.

He began to say he could never thank them enough, but both kids cut him off with a yelled go!

"For once Sirius, listen to someone else's advice," Lily groaned, receiving an eye roll for her troubles. She couldn't help it though, she almost felt like a fool as she remembered back before all this mayhem had really kicked into gear, back in the Shrieking Shack when Harry had reassured that no one died tonight. She should have remembered that of course that would extend to Sirius, Harry must have just been overreacting to the situation of hearing Sirius about to die, it couldn't possibly be a memory trying to return. Surely her son was just being as emotional as all of them at the thought.

He did turn Buckbeak towards the open sky, but his final words to Harry were that he was truly his father's son.

Harry blinked a few times before blushing deeply, now realizing that Sirius saying this could be given no higher praise. Sirius was still smiling at him, thinking he'd never said truer words as he eyed the man now who so resembled his brother in every way that mattered.

Then he kicked Buckbeak, who took flight again, and as they watched, he was gone.

Harry finally released a heavy sigh of relief, closing the book and announcing, "chapter was over, think there should only be one left."

Sirius looked so worn he didn't look like he wanted to hear anymore. He still hadn't absorbed everything that had happened since that stupid prediction. It now made sense, he'd finally gotten his answers, and he hated every single one of them. He'd never wished so much in his life for something to not be true, to learn that even now he'd had to rely on Harry to get out of trouble rather than the other way around. He felt so useless and like he'd failed the lot of them for still having suggested the ruse in the first place that had set them all on this path.

He was given a jolting distraction though, by Lily taking to her feet, marching over to Sirius, and pulling him into a bone crushing hug as she murmured, "thank Merlin you're safe."

He returned the hug indulgently, giving her a comforting squeeze as he promised, "I'm going to remember this the next time you're yelling at me."

She predictably leaned back and smacked him for that, but there was absolutely no force to the blow.

Sirius really did want to change the subject now though before anyone else could start trying to hug him, and was saved by Harry.

"Can I see it," he demanded eagerly. Harry couldn't help the tone though, he was still blasted from shock. He'd been searching for something other than physical possessions that would concrete his proof that the man across from him was his father, looking for any kind of real connection, and he found it in his Patronus! Of all the animals in the world, he had the fortune to get the same one as his own dad!

James didn't even need to ask what he meant, as he got up and backed several paces away, and before Harry's eyes he began to change. It wasn't like watching Remus change, which had seemed horrifying and painful. James made it look smooth, as natural as breathing as his face elongated, his clothes began to vanish, and with a small pop he was down on all fours and still managing to meet Harry's eyes.

The stag was majestic, there really weren't too many other ways to say it. Even standing there in the middle of a dull living room, his dark black melanistic fur gleamed, though didn't quite cover everything as he also had some white tracing from the tip of his nose and circling back in a mockery of the glasses covering his face. Even the dark gleaming black eyes held familiar hints of hazel. The three tips sprouting out prominently from each prong had little bits of fuzz on them, giving him an almost cute look despite the danger Harry was well aware that they could possibly run him through.

Harry took a hesitant step forward, like he wanted to reach out and pet the fur much like he'd done all those years ago except now to the real thing, but he didn't get the chance as a bark caught him off guard and something even darker smacked into his knees.

Not to be outdone, Sirius had transformed along with James, but had instead chosen to pounce on Harry in a fit of playful enthusiasm so that Harry could really see what they got up to in these moments.

Harry took a few startled steps back before laughing at what he was seeing. It was the first time he'd seen the pooch in proper lighting, and he recognized he hadn't been exaggerating the size at all, Sirius was quite a huge beast in bulk, but the pink tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and the swishing tail gave every indication he may as well be looking at a puppy and not a bear. Padfoot looked far younger and healthier than Harry had memories of, properly weighted with gleaming fur as healthy as his real hair and the calm gray eyes Harry had grown quite accustomed to looking at.

Not to be outdone, Prongs wasn't letting him have all the fun as he nudged him in agitation, which Padfoot easily dodged and ducked down like he was asking to play.

"Not in the living room," Lily scolded, walking past the pair to head for the stairs. "We don't need any more broken furniture-"

"You broke the last one," Remus protested for his friends, which Lily ignored as she vanished.

The two animals gave a very obvious 'pout' persona before with a small pop they turned back into men.

"That was so cool," Harry practically squealed, feeling like a little kid as he ogled the two.

James and Sirius exchanged very superior smirks, more than pleased that they had impressed the boy like this, and for the first time in his life James understood the feeling of how being praised by his son could feel.

HPHPHPHPHP

In case I didn't say it enough in this chapter, I hate time travel. I have hated every time travel plot I've ever come across, and before you can say it, yes. Ever. Single. One. Even my most beloved Harry Potter book. I can't help it, my overanalyze everything brain just comes up with too many questions that never get answered, and I just end in headache. This was my least favorite chapter of the whole entire series, even if the end results was Sirius getting away, and I'm sorry if that came across as lackluster as I felt this chapter's reveal was. I want it to be better, I was just having major struggling issues, and I am sorry for that, but I don't know how to fix it either because every time I tried I got caught up in more mind bending questions.

Yes I do acknowledge this is technically a time travel plot line, but the one thing I will grasp on is when these kinds of things happen and changes occur. There will be an AU after this, consequences to Harry messing with the past. What Harry and Hermione did blows my brains because of the permanent loop part, where it never ended and it's still going and there's a Harry and Hermione who are just now starting to go back just as they arrive and gah!

Hope you guys enjoyed the last part at least. Deer's aren't naturally black by the way, which is why James is melanistic, which means an unnaturally black animal, like the opposite of albino. I love fan art, and while I greatly admire the way other people do him as a natural deer, the other animagus' we've seen seem to have their animals naturally resembling their human coloring. For example McGonagall's tabby cat, tabby only means black stripes on a cat, like McGonagall's black hair going gray.

Also, please don't think I'm a total Dumbledore hater, I respect a lot of the hard decisions he had to make for the good of everyone, it's just easier to hate the face then a lot of the nameless faceless people who also had to have interacted with the Ministry and Dumbledore to make a lot of these things happen.

*I really don't have a lot of defense for what Sirius did, as it's clear he knew full well what he was telling Snape to go do, but I don't really think it should be counted as a full blown attempt at murder either, because it's not like he forced Snape to go. He taunted him, like telling someone to jump off a building to quite bothering you. You shouldn't do it, but people are stupid and Sirius shouldn't have his whole life ruined because of it. Since we never get the full story, from what I can gather Sirius told Snape if you poke the Whomping Willow you'll see what we get up to, and Snape did, but James found out and stopped Snape who still saw Remus transforming.

**I've shown several times that I dislike what Dumbledore's done, but this one thing really broke my heart. For the reasons I've stated it's clear Sirius couldn't absolutely prove he didn't do it, but his evidence should have shown some doubt that he hadn't! Of course we all know Sirius wasn't even given a trial to prove otherwise, but the fact that Dumbledore hadn't seemed to care one little bit just really confuses and bothers me about him.

[imaginesforallkindoflove]

Not me writing this in one hour and it is past one am now.

Anyway enjoy a mythical fix it fic with Arthur Morgan and my self insert. It is only platonic feelings yall, and Arthur lives :) sorry for any mistakes i wrote this without glasses on my phone and very late at night. Maybe I should sleep??

Arthur didn't know how he escaped death.

He was doomed. He had known since he started to cough, and the doctor he saw in Saint Denis confirmed that. He was sure he was done for. When Micah left him to die on that mountain, when he started to make his way with intense difficultly toward the edge, feeling the warm sun welcoming him, as if God or any higher being was there with open arms, forgetting him. He remembered how he closed his eyes, clutching at his hat and snatchel. He had forgotten to give someone something to remember him by. But... somehow he was happy with that: he will be faded into history. No one will remember him. Maybe that photographer, Albert Mason... or that widow, Miss Balfour... Or that strange and French painter...

French... Like the little maid they picked up from the burning Braithwaite mansion. Hosea took her out with him, arguing with Dutch and some others -mainly John who told him she deserved to die for being with the people who kidnapped his son- as she was just some girl servant trying to survive. The old man cared for that little maid, he really seemed to be fond of her. She was so shy and quiet, so frightened by that new life and by them. Sometimes he watched her, making sure no one was bullying the poor girl. She made fiends with Kieran and Sean... Molly even liked the girl more, doing her hair and being like... a mother figure of some sorts. All her friends were dead when he thought about it.

Arthur entered her life pretty late, but he defended her from Micah, that rat. The way the man was staring at her was disgusting and he knew he had to step in. After that event, she stayed with him when he was around the camp. Calling him words in her language he didn't understand... She was a breath of something new, of love, of... renaissance and redemption, a gift perhaps for him. Arthur had lost his son a long time ago but he found in that girl a little figure of a daughter. He took her fishing and hunting and riding... He took her to Saint Denis and bought her a fancy dress for the hell of it. He taught her how to ride a horse. He had taught her a lot of things...

He hoped she had made it out.

She never had commit a crime. If Milton or one of his agents laid a hand on her, he swore to whatever was hearing him that he would haunt them.

She didn't deserve to die, unlike him.

However, to his surprise, he opened his eyes and breathed deeply.

His lungs...they felt free of anything blocking them. They didn't feel like a burning fire ravaging a forest. He could breathe normally, without coughing himself to blood. He was still very thin and pale but... he was alive. A voice was speaking a few meters away from him. He knew that strange voice full of slangs he didn't know of... Who was it?

He eventually found the strength to stand up, walking with wobbly legs toward the voice. The person seemed to tell jokes or funny stories, because a second voice laughed and chuckled. Oh god, he knew that voice too. He reached a door and opened it, stumbling on the ground.

"Arthur!"

It was her. She was alive. She was alive. That little maid had run off to him and hugged the poor man hard, he moaned in pain and she released him with a pained look on her face. His hands travelled to her face and he caressed her cheeks lovingly, just like a father would do.

Her brown hair was neatly tied up like Molly had taught her, she was wearing the dress he had bought that day in Saint Denis and she... she looked so joyful and so relieved to watch him breathe.

"Na... Naomie..." He finally said, a smile creeping on his face.

"I thought you would die!" She exclaimed, tears streaming down her face quietly.

"I am not... I don't know... What happened?"

"Well... it was the least I could do to thank you mister Morgan."

Behind her was again a strange and unknown man he had helped a few months ago. He didn’t remember his name clearly, but the man had tasked him to find rock carvings and the ending was like a dark fairytale. He didn’t question it, because he felt like an idiot. The man with the birthmark smiled warmly at him.

"Glad that young and elegant miss found me on time. Actually... I had a bad feeling about you mister. I decided to... visit when I encountered poor little Naomie crying and riding while clutching your body for dear life. Luckily for you, I had medicine to treat your illness and we cared for you while you were delirious." He explained proudly.

"He is fantastic!" The girl exclaimed.

"Yeah yeah... I am sorry but I forgot your name-"

"Francis Sinclair."

"Right. Thank you mister Sinclair..."

"I will leave you two to your found happiness. Don't forget to leave in a week or two or else the law will catch you both and I am afraid I won’t be here to save you this time if it happened." Francis Sinclair stated before bowing and taking his leave. "Mister Morgan, this is a thank you for helping me." He declared before disappearing again.

Arthur sat down to write in his journal, then would sleep for hours and ate a lot over the days. He felt much better but the words of Sinclair was still fresh in his head: they had to leave soon. He looked in his snatchel and found all of his money. A few dollars were missing tho but he didn't care.

Naomie entered the little home they shared and unlike any other day, Arthur decided to ask her about what happened after he left the camp for the last robbery with the gang. The young woman sighed deeply, seeming embarrassed.

"I would rather not speak about it."

"I want you to tell me what happened. I need to know. I have the right to. I was dying then I came back to life. Naomie, please." He begged.

"Dutch had two keys for the money box. I... stole his, that one poor miss Grimshaw was keeping. I took the box and hide it somewhere. Then, Pinkertons came and they took Abigail. Tilly and Jack escaped and Miss Grimshaw was nowhere in sight." She started. "So... I felt like it was time for me to leave. I took the box and ran as fast as I could. I came across a barn and I remembered that you had a horse stored there... I lied that you were my father and the man believed me."

"You took Alexander out? That big horse?" Arthur asked, impressed.

"Yes." She nodded. "I found mister Sinclair next. He led me here and I hide the money again. Then he suggested I go looking for you and I did! Something... Animals were on the road, waiting for me. I think it was a coyote and a stag... they led me to you. You were still breathing and no soldier was present so I took your body and ride as fast as Alexander could." She stopped to take a breathe. "Then, I brought you back here. Mister Sinclair gave you some medicine and you felt much better immediately!"

"You saved me." The man breathed out. "You saved me."

"I would have been so lost without you... you are like... like a father to me." She looked at him. "And I have lost so much people in my life. I couldn't afford to lose someone else."

"You... You did good. So good. Come here." He took her in his arms and she looked so small compared to him. Then he released her and started to become serious. "Francis Sinclair is right. We should pack it up, and go somewhere else. Somewhere where no one will find us. And not an island. I was thinking... California?" He suggested, suddenly reminding of the doctor's words. "With this money, we will be able to have a good life. I will find a job... maybe as a deputy or some shit and you... you will have a good education. I will make sure of it."

"Really?" She sounded so excited.

"Or maybe Canada? Maybe we will find Charles and the natives... I hope so." He mumbled.

As he started packing Alexander outside, Arthur saw something strange. He stopped what he was doing. It felt so... dream like.

A stag and a coyote were present, watching intensely. The coyote was siting, its black fur not matching with the golden ray of the sun but its piercing eyes were staring inside the former gunslinger's soul deeply. Meanwhile, the stag was magnificent, dominating the forest with its giant antlers and stood tall, looking at the man too, and he seemed to approve his new life.

Slowly, Arthur tipped his hat off to them, and he didn’t have any peculiar reasons to do that. But... he wanted to thank them. For some reasons.

Arthur Morgan was redeemed. He had acquired his redemption and was reborn through his ashes.

*Many years later...*

They didn't feel like they aged a lot. But here they were, settled in California for many years. It was the end of the first wold war, and Arthur Morgan didn't participate in it, as he didn't fill any of the requirements for the US army. He was glad he didn't go to war, or else Naomie would have been left alone and he would have hated that.

However, he cared for the young and old soldiers. Some came back disfigured, scared by endless fights and traumatic experiences. He tried everything he could to help them, and even invited other rich people to do the same. He worked in the police now, and was a respectable deputy chief. Soemtimes, he laughed at his condition. When they arrived, he still was doing some bounty hunts then a deputy offered him to take a place and here he was.

He entered the home he shared with his now legally adopted daughter, with a smile on his face. He hung his coat himself, as maids and other servants were hurrying to prepare dinner and doing all kind of chores. He paid them well and was kind to them. Hosea would have done the same, he thought.

Some years after they settled in, Arthur Morgan was able to contact most of the people he helped, even Mickey the fake war veteran who died three years ago. He helped him, finding him a simple job and home. Charlotte was well too, a little old by now but she had nephews and nieces as well as grand nephews and grand nieces to take care of. Albert Mason reached to him first, inviting him to his new exposition whereas Charles Châtenay came back one day, knocking on Arthur's door.

He didn’t had contact with any of the old gang members, except maybe Mary Beth. He would buy her books and read them avidly, feeling proud on how far she had come. One time, he even had tears when she wrote a serie about them. The characters looked and thought as them, and he felt proud again. He grinned when he thought about that brave captain Monroe who would sometimes visit them. He had found a wife and had children on his own. Also, they would often tour in those states to visit the graves of their fallen members as well as the native son of that chief. Arthur felt the need to see them every two years. He didn’t want to forget about them and would write any new memory in his diaries.

They didn't age, he quickly noted. They both stayed in the state Francis Sinclair found them. Perhaps that mad man gave them something, but he was glad it was not toxic or anything.

Naomie was a good student, scoring high in female universities but couldn't access to more as she looked too young for anything and was a woman. That was the only downside, he believed. She was mad of course, but with time, she seemed to be more interested in so many things and began to write numerous essays and books under a male name.

They were comfortable. They were safe. No one was asking about their shady past. He hoped John and his family were still alive as well as Karen, Tilly and Charles. He missed Charles a lot. However... He hoped Dutch was feeling miserable, as miserable as himself was when he thought he was dying that evening.

One day, a man working for him came finding Arthur in his office, saying a young black haired man was searching for him.

"What is his name again?" Despite being high in society, Arthur stayed the same.

"He said: "Lancelot Milton". A rubbish name if you ask me sir. Do you want me to do anything about it?"

"I swear if this is another man asking for my daughter's hand, I will put a bullet through his skull." The man spoke as he went to see who send for him.

He opened the door and saw a man tending to a beautiful horse. He was wearing a familiar hat, Arthur thought, and from the back, the strange man reminded him of someone he knew but the memories were blurry. He cleared his throat and the stranger turned. Then the older man knew and it took his breath away. The eyes, the face, the hair...

"Hello, my name is Jack Marston. I believe you knew my father?"

[adarlingwrites]

Absolution

Summary:

noun: formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment

The Capital Wasteland lauded the Lone Wanderer as a hero, a Messiah, a savior who’s willing to give her life for the Good Fight. Beyond the legends, the propaganda, and the mythification that surrounded her legacy, there is only one person who knew her bare soul. She gave him his absolution, and now he will fight for hers.

XXII

January 5, 2278.

Percy tosses aside her wrench and huffs, putting her hands on her waist and admiring her work. “Looks like you’re finally ready,” she says to the motorbike that she has been tinkering with for weeks.

“Now let’s see if you work.”

My partner hums as she leads the cruiser through Megaton’s gate, ignoring gawkers and onlookers. We wear our helmets, which Percy picked up from Moira this afternoon.

She sits on the motorbike seat, exclaims a triumphant “Yes!” when the engine roars to life… and screams when the damn thing went careening around in circles.

I caught her before she could crash, and the bike fell to its side as she got off of it, legs shaking.

“Dammit,” she curses, clinging on to me, breathing hard. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

“If it’s too dangerous to use, we can still travel on foot, but it may delay our plans,” I tell her, steadying her to her feet.

“Delaying is not an option we have the luxury to choose now,” Percy sighs, pulling the bike back into position.

“Then I suggest that you navigate with your PipBoy. I’ll drive.”

My partner looks at me curiously. “You know how to ride a bike?”

“Yes. I am proficient in driving pre-war vehicles.”

Percy clears her throat. “Was that a part of your training?”

I run my ruined hands through the driver’s seat’s worn leather, and get on.

“Yes.”

I start the engine, and Percy gets on the passenger seat behind me.

“Now, hold on tight.”

She did as I said, wrapping her arms around my waist, and letting out a surprised scream when we zipped away from the gate.

As we sprinted past jet-addled raiders and freaked-out mole rats, Percy was whooping and laughing, her body warm against by back despite the winter air blowing.

“Holy shit! This is fun!” Percy yells, and I feel her heart pounding through her chest.

I’m glad she’s behind me, or she would’ve seen the smile I had when she held me tighter and leaned on me.

I could get used to this.

As we rode our way to our destination, my mind wandered back to the conversation we had with Doc Church earlier today.

Percy got inside the clinic first, and I followed suit, looming over Church, who was sitting on his desk, looking over a medical clipboard.

“Unless you’re dying I- Oh. It’s you.”

“Doc Church. Do you have any patients with you today?”

“None. I’m not sure how that is any of your concern, though.”

“Charon, guard the door,” Percy instructed me, and Church was about to get up when Percy pressed on his shoulder, forcing him to sit. I lean against the metal and watch the two intently.

“We know about Paradise Falls.”

All the color from the doctor’s face drains.

“You’re training to be a doctor too, am I right? The oath requires me to offer my services to whoever is in need. Slavers included. Even so, I’ve put that all behind me when I opened this clinic in Megaton. Please, don’t hurt me,” Church blurts out, defensive.

“I understand your intention to follow the oath. Don’t worry, we’re not planning to hurt you. In fact, we need your help.”

“Aside from offering my services as a doctor, I have nothing else to offer. I’m sorry.”

My partner turns to me, and nods.

I come forward, cracking my knuckles in a show of intimidation. The old man shrank in his seat even further.

“I know you remember me,” I tell him, and he gulps. “And I know you remember the people you worked for.”

“We need information about Paradise Falls. Names, a layout of the location, and anything that could help us take down the slaver operations there,” Percy continues.

Church’s eyes widen, and he gives us an incredulous look. “Even if I give you the information you need, you can’t take down Paradise Falls, kid. Those slavers have contacts everywhere. You’ll have a target on your back for the rest of your lives.”

Percy shakes her head. She drags a chair and sits in front of the doctor.

“I’ve gotten used to looking over my shoulder and sleeping with one eye open, doc. That doesn’t concern me anymore. What concerns me is there are innocent kids who were snatched from their home by bastards who think that people are a commodity to be sold. I know you think that’s fucked. Why else would you pack up and leave? This is your chance to make things right.”

“Make things right? Kid...”

I felt the urge to speak up. I look at Percy, asking for silent permission, and she seems to understand, taking a step back and allowing me to take the helm.

“Percy is right. Why else would you leave that life behind and start a clinic here, where people needed your help the most? You feel guilty,” I tell him.

He was as still as a stone.

“You still think about the horrible things you saw in Paradise. You regret being instrumental in keeping those slavers healthy and alive as they hunted down more people to sell as slaves. This is an opportunity to let go of that guilt. You don’t get that chance every day. Don’t waste it.”

“What, do you have psych training now too?” he asks me, mockingly, disbelievingly.

“No,” I tell him. “It’s an observation, from a ghoul who’s in the same boat.”

Tense silence fills the room. Finally, Church relents, taking a pencil from his desk drawer.

“I’ll look for a piece of paper.”

I let out a breath that I was holding. Percy sighs in relief too.

“Thank you,” she says to the doctor.

The old man sketches the layout of Paradise Falls on a yellowed piece of paper, and tells us all he knows about Paradise Falls before his departure.

As he went on, my memories of the place started becoming clearer, but I have no desire to dwell on them.

When we got back to the house, Percy looped her arm around mine. Percy looks at me with those eyes again, filled with trust, devotion, and now… admiration.

“I’m proud of you, big guy.”

I stroked her hair and went on with our preparations.

My mind snapped back to the present as we reached Tenpenny Tower, and I parked the bike as Percy rings the intercom. Taking off my helmet, I look up at the tower, which sticks out like a sore thumb in the Wasteland. The people who lived inside were obsessed with the finer days from before the war. Worse, Tenpenny was a landgrabber, their chief of security, Gustavo, was a gung-ho bigoted bastard, and their doctor made assumptions about ghouls without even looking at one up close.

They reminded me of the people I used to serve, the ones responsible for my indoctrination.

Percy hated them so much.

However, we need all the ammunition we can find, and Gustavo trades them.

“Huh, no one’s answering,” Percy mumbles. She touches the gate lightly, and gasps when it opens on its own.

“Did you think something happened?” she asks me, and I retrieve my shotgun, loading it with bullets.

“I thought you hated those people.”

“Yeah, but, after helping the Warrington station ghouls get in I thought I’d give them a chance to change their mind about ghouls…”

Percy trails off as her eyes scan the courtyard. There were no more human residents present, only the ghouls she helped get in the tower.

“Don’t tell me...”

Gasping, Percy pushes the gate and rushes inside, pushing the heavy double doors open. She runs up to a ghoulette, the one called Bessie Lynn.

“Bessie, where’s the rest of the residents?”

The ghoulette squirms in place, nervous. “Oh, I don’t know where they are. But everything is fine! Roy said not to worry about the other residents.”

I could tell she was lying, and Percy could too, so she moves on, running past the timid woman. Michael Masters, another one of the Warrington ghouls, sits in the lobby.

“Michael!” Percy exclaims. “Where are all the humans?”

The ghoul laughs. “Roy took out the trash. You better steer clear of the basement storage room. I’m glad I lost my sense of smell.”

“He did fucking what?”

Percy brushes past Masters, footsteps heavy as she stomps her way to the basement. As she opened the door, her hands flew to her nose at the stench of rotting bodies.

Most of the corpses were unrecognizable. They were brutalized. The only one I could recognize was the old man’s. Herbert Dashwood. That one was the only human resident who didn’t insult me when we first visited this place.

His face was bloated and decaying. I looked away.

Percy retches, eyes wet and shiny with tears, and I grab her, pulling her out of the room and slamming the door shut behind us.

She was shaking. I pressed her against my chest as she trembled and sobbed.

Then, I heard a mocking laugh. I looked up, and the leader of the Warrington ghouls was strolling towards us. Roy Phillips.

“Hey kid. Thanks again for helping us get in.”

Wiping her tears away, Percy faces him. She wore that expression she had when she talked to Ahzrukhal, when she confronted Wally Mack, and when those Talon mercs ambushed us.

That look on this angel’s face is one of the few things in this world that frightens me.

“Nice pile of bodies in the storage room, Roy,” Percy spits, shoulders tense. “You’re proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Assholes had it coming,” Phillips spat back. “But I don’t answer to you, or any other smoothskin. In fact, you’d best piss off before you join them.”

Muscle memory kicking in, I shield Percy with my body at the bastard’s threat. He looks at me, disgusted.

“What the hell are you even doing, defending this smoothskin? You should be with your fellow ghouls.”

“Charon, this is hopeless. Let’s get out of here,” Percy tells me, touching my arm.

“You get out of here,” Phillips interrupts. “I’m not done talking to him yet.”

The asshole turns to me, looking at me from head to toe.

“Not man enough to ditch this little girl and stick with us? How much is she paying you for you to betray your own kind?”

Phillips gave me a hard shove when I didn’t give him an answer.

“Huh. ‘Not man enough?’ Wow, sounds like someone is projecting his insecurities about his masculinity,” Percy interrupts, hand flying to the spot on my chest where the other ghoul shoved me. Phillips’ eyes flick to my partner’s hand, and he gives us a mocking smirk.

“Oh, I get it now. This kid gives you a taste of smoothskin pussy and now you’d tail her ass around like that stupid dog of hers? You’re her fucking gigolo?”

“God, you’re disgusting. How could someone as nice as Bessie stay with someone as horrible as you?”

“Keep your mouth shut, smoothskin bitch.”

Percy grabs him by the collar, knocks him off-balance with her footwork, and slams him against the wall, like she did with Wally Mack.

“No! You listen, you piece of shit! I helped you get into this fucking tower in hopes of a non-violent solution to everyone’s problems. I guess that was a fucking mistake, huh? I’m not going to shed tears for Gustavo and the other bigots who wanted you dead. But Dashwood? Does it make you feel like a bigger man, killing a senile retiree? You killed the only person in the tower who viewed you as people, too.”

“That asshole was gloating about having a ghoul manservant. I’d fucking do it again. Of course you’d defend him. You have one too, you two-faced bitch.”

Percy falters, but then slams Phillips against the wall again, his head hitting it with a dull thud.

“Charon is not my manservant. He is my friend. You don’t know a single fucking thing about us. Forget it. You can rot in this tower for all I care.” She lets him go. Then, she turns to me.

“Charon, let’s get-”

As Percy turns around, Phillips lunges for her neck, but I move her out of the way and grab the other ghoul’s arm, twisting it and shoving him to the ground.

“Traitor,” Phillips spits at me. “Goddamn smoothskin titsucker! You’ll pay for that!”

“Percy is my contract holder,” I start, towering over him. “And my friend. I don’t care what she is. I am loyal to her.”

“Is that it? That’s all you ever want to be? You’re fucking hopeless, kid. She’ll use you and throw you away once she’s done with you.”

The mere suggestion of Percy abandoning me coming from his mouth made me want to shut him up.

“Big guy, don’t listen to him. C’mon, let’s just go.”

“Once she finds a human who can protect and fuck her better, you best bet she’ll put you down like the dog you are.”

He should shut up.

Shut up. Shut the hell up!

I’ll fucking shut him up!

“Charon, enough! Stop! I order you to stop!”

Small hands were pulling me away, and Percy’s orders went in my ears as sharp barks.

Conditioning kicking in, I freeze. I look down, and my hands are bloody.

I smeared Roy Phillips to the ground.

Fuck.

Around us the other ghouls, his followers, were too shocked to even fire their weapons. Lynn runs over, looks at me, then her boyfriend’s brains on the ground, and lets out a frightened wail.

Percy grabs my arm and pulls me towards the entrance. “Charon, we need to get out of here!”

Behind us, they were firing their guns like crazy. One of the bullets grazed my thigh, but I kept going, the pain numbed by holding Percy’s hand.

We rode our way out of there.

It’s getting dark and unsafe to drive.

Making camp on the side of the road, Percy treats the bullet graze on my thigh in silence. Then, she stares into the fire, eyes glazed over.

“Charon, what have I done?”

I scoot closer to her, and she begins to cry.

“You couldn’t have predicted that Phillips would turn against his word.”

“No. I trusted him and now people died because of me.”

Doing my best to soothe her, I stroke her hair. “Can I make a suggestion?”

She nods.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself for things you have no control over, angel.”

Percy sniffles, and looks up to me.

“You know, I hate it when people call me that. I’m just a kid who’s also imperfect and makes mistakes… not some Wasteland Avenger, and definitely not an Angel.”

“I can stop, if that’s what you wish of me, Percy.”

“If it’s you? It’s fine. Consider it my thanks for allowing me to call you ‘big guy’.”

Pulling her closer, I chuckled.

Percy kisses my cheek, yawns, and settles in my arms.

I smile.

[they-write-once-in-a-blue-moon]

Les filles françaises embrassent mieux || James x Reader

Part two - L'arc de Cupidon

Words: 1121

A/N: Part 2! A small note, these parts aren't always going to be a continuation of the last part, It may be the next day etc, but the storyline will stay in order  translation will be at the end (or you can google translate idk you do you) Sending love from the moon -Blue

“You are all in big trouble!” Filch yells at you and the boys, the five of you running down the halls laughing your heads off. You’ve never actually met Filch, but from what James told you, ‘He’s an angry, crazy cat man’.

“This way!” Sirius calls back to you all, leading us behind a painting, whispering sorrys as we go though, getting rumbles and ‘your lucky I don’t tell Filch about you’.

Following one at a time though the passage, you come out at the staircase to the Gryffindor tower. Stepping out everyone's, doubling over or leaning on the wall breathing heavy, still laughing.

“I’m- guessing this is- something you do a lot, mes amies?” You breathe out, red faced and smiling ear to ear.

“A lot is an understatement” Remus laughs, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling “C’me, let’s head back to the common room before Filch catches us and yells at us, or Lily notices how long we’ve been gone and yells at us”

“I think I’d rather Filch yell at us, Lily can be scary” You chuckle out “She’s not scary!” James chimed in to defend ‘the love of his life’

“Race to the common room wormtail?” Sirius grins, knowing that Peter will end up saying yes. “Alright! 3-2-1 GO” Peter yells before Sirius gets a chance to comprehend what he said, giving him a head start

“‘m gonna kill you, you rat!” Sirius calls after him, sprinting to catch up

You, James and Remus start walking up the stairs, Remus turns to you and James smiling and rolling his eyes “You're telling me you’ve lived with those two for six years?” You giggle

“Unfortunately yes” Remus smiles at you

“I think I’ve gotten in more mischief this week then I ever have at Beauxbatons, yet got in way less trouble for it” “Really?” James tilts his head to the side, since you moved to Hogwarts he’s asked you about Beauxbatons, and how different the two schools are.

“Oui, there’s no passageways, crois moi, I’ve looked everywhere for them. All the girls are preppy try hards, and the guys are all snitches, unless they’re swooning over you, or vice versa”

“Sounds like your school is full of Slytherins” James grins. You’ve not met many Slytherins, but from what you’ve been told, they’re not great people, Peter insists that not all of them are bad, but Sirius and James heavily disagree.

You, James and Remus finally reach the common room. Remus gives the password (you and James had both forgotten, getting ‘tuts’ from Remus)

You walk into the room to quite a scene. Lily was sitting in a single armchair, arms crossed and eyebrows raised, she found out.

And Sirius and Peter are having a ‘pillow fight’ that looked more like Peter trying to block Sirius from hitting him with a pillow. Peter must have won the race.

“Evening” James said plainly sitting on the couch by the fire, you sat next to him and Remus on the other armchair, all ready for an ass whooping from Lily.

Lily took a deep breath pinching the bridge of her nose.

“What were you thinking! Dying Fitch's...well...everything pink!” “It was meant to be red” James pips in, quickly looking down as Lily gave him this look of ‘I’m going to hex you’ 

“Told you she was scary” You whisper to James, making him grin.

“Oh, how are your Charms essayes going, due tomorrow you know?” She glares with a smirk, knowing that none of you would have done it (Other then Remus).

“Done” You smirk at her. “I actually did it!” James smiles.

“Very funny James, writing the title doesn’t count as finishing it” She laughs, Remus joining in “No Seriously” Sirius pokes his head up from behind the couch, where he was sitting, Peter had pegged it up to their dorm. “Not you Pads. I actually did it! All by myself” He pulls the two pages they needed to do for the essay from his book bag, with a wide grin.

You were biting the inside of your cheek to hide a smile. You had helped him with it, so he could impress Lily. You said you’d do it if he bought you chocolate. Even though you knew that he stole it from Remus, you helped James anyway.

“Remus, did you do it for him?” Lily turns her head to the boy sitting in the armchair cross from her, reading. “You really think I’d do his homework?” He raises his eyebrows barely looking up from his book.

“In that case, I’m very impressed James” Lily smiles “I could impress you more, with the best date of your life” James wiggles his eyebrows, you and Sirius cringing and face palming.

“Welp, you ruined it, talk later guys!” Lily scurrys out of the common room, trying to hide her blush, but you saw it and James just pouted, getting rejected again.

“Hey, Patmol? Can I talk to you for a sec?” you say standing up and grabbing your book bag

“Sure mes amies” He jumps up from the floor

You shake your head laughing “Sirius, I already told you, mes amies, is plural, you mean mon amie” “Oh whatever, french frie” he rolls his eyes, smirking. Sirius started giving you ‘punny’ nicknames, then James joined in on the fun and it’s become a competition who can think of the best one.

You lead Sirius to the hallway “We need to help get James and Lily together, it’s starting to me rendre fou and I’ve only known them for like a month” “Well what do we do?” Sirius tilts his head to the side like a curious puppy 

“You’re the playboy flirt of the school, what do you think we should do” you roll your eyes arms crossing over your chest “I thought you of all people would know how to set people up”

“Rich c’ming from a french person, what happened to ‘the city of love' ” He raises his eyebrows making you scoff.

“Ok, what about this, I’ll work with James on his ‘talking to Lily like a normal person’ skills, and you help Lily see and admit her feelings for him?” you bite the tip of your thumb thinking, unconscious habit of yours.

“Why don’t I work with James?” Sirius frowns, honestly confused

“You’ve been trying to help James for six years and it hasn’t gone too well now has it?” You smirk at him.

“I know you’re taken’ the piss outta’ me, but you are kinda right” he laughs “Anyway, we've got a plan, mission cupid go!” 

Sirius raises a hand and you high five him, ‘he’s so strange’ you think, although loving his energy.

Translations:

Les filles françaises embrassent mieux = French Girls kiss better L'arc de Cupidon = Cupid's bow

Mon amie = My Friend Mes amies = My FriendS

Crois moi = Trust me Me rendre fou = drive me crazy Oui = Yes Patmol = Padfoot Sorry about any translation errors, please let me know of them!!

[treatian]

The Chronicles of the Dark One: Breaking the Curse

Chapter 55: Nothing for Anything

August hadn't contacted him since he'd called him yesterday. But he knew that ultimately Emma Swan had gone to the puppet. He hadn't heard this from August but rather from Dove. After Sidney had been convicted, he'd recalled the bird from vacation and put him back to watching Emma. Last night, after the sun had gone down, he'd gotten a call from Dove he hadn't expected.

"Sir, I have a problem."

"What's happening, Mr. Dove?"

"Nothing with Emma that I can tell. She met up with Archie after you and then went to August. They left on his motorcycle, and they're heading out of town. I'm following them now, but Sir…I just got a call from my parent's nursing home. Something is wrong, and they need me to go in. Want me to keep following and call another one of my cousins to trade off?"

Fuck.

The damn Curse had struck again, it seemed; figuring out a way to keep Dove contained while an untouched Emma and August were free to go. The Curse was weakening, but apparently, that part of it hadn't weakened yet. Dammit! He'd really wanted to know where Booth was taking her, but if he'd sent another of Dove's cousin's out to replace him, next it would've been a car accident that kept him in town, and then he'd have been down a potential spy; the best of his spies. He had to live with letting them go and trust that Booth would fill him in when he could.

So he dismissed Dove, told him to go take care of his parents and check-in when he could. He expected it was nothing. The Curse had needed to pull him away from the town line, to haul him back to Storybrooke, probably it was simply an error or minor heart attack from his parents. He assumed he'd be back to work sometime the next day…just like he was.

There was always work to be done in the shop. It was almost a disappointment. With everything going on, with the Curse unraveling and threatening to shatter completely soon, it felt like a cruel punishment to have to do things like work ledger books and take inventory, to have to clean and polish unimportant items…

To tend to customers who didn't know anything about the battle that was being waged around them every day.

He looked up as the bell over his door chimed, expecting to see a customer, but hoping to see Emma or Booth, perhaps even Dove. Instead, Regina strode in. He knew just by the look on her face she was angry.

"Your Majesty. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, bracing himself for whatever she needed to get off her chest.

"My tree is dying. Why?" she snapped, setting a rotten apple down in front of him.

Probably because with her and Emma finally wanting to kill each other properly and August working toward getting Emma to believe in the Curse, her Majesty's pretty world was beginning to crumble around her. Not that he was going to tell her that.

"Perhaps, it's your fertilizer," he joked with a smile.

"You think this is funny? Well, I'll tell you what I think. I think it's a sign of the curse weakening because of Emma. But do you care? No. You're content to just sit back and do…whatever it is you're doing while all my hard work burns."

Yes. He did think it was funny, in fact. Not the bit about her dying tree; he didn't give a rat's arse about that. It was more that the tree was the first she seemed to be aware of the fact that his Curse was dying. Too distracted with Emma and Henry and Mary Margaret…it was like she hadn't even paid attention to her own "hard work" as it had begun to collapse around her. It was hilarious. Except for the fact that if she only focused on the Curse breaking, she might stop focusing on Emma. Now that, he suspected, was the real trouble, especially with what he'd learned over the last few days in regards to the Savior wanting her son back.

"That's not all, is it? Come on. You might as well get everything off your chest," he encouraged, moving away from her. Angry as she was, they were still Cursed. If she decided to do something violent, as she had in the Enchanted Forest, he wasn't fit to defend himself.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered. He nearly rolled his eyes. Nearly. Emma had needed a nudge. It stood to reason that she might as well.

"Henry," he stated easily. "Miss Swan wants him."

"She'll have that boy over my dead body."

"The Curse was meant to take away Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. Perhaps, you giving up Henry is just the price to keep the Curse unbroken," he suggested knowing full well it would only rile her up. If it applied a bit more pressure to Emma, then that was exactly what he wanted.

"I think I'd rather just get rid of her."

Beautiful. Exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Well, well, you're going to have to be quite creative. We both know the repercussions in killing Miss Swan. The Curse will be-"

"The curse will be broken," Regina finished for him. "That's because you designed it that way. Undo it."

He laughed. She wasn't exactly wrong, but she wasn't right either. She still thought he'd made the Curse, designed it himself. She hadn't any idea it had actually come from his mother or that ensuring the Savior's death would break the Curse. Why she'd added that…he was clueless, it was probably a question he should have asked her that night they'd met if he hadn't been so stupidly overwhelmed. But what was done was done. The caveat was there, and given Regina's history of murder, he was almost grateful his mother had protected the Curse in that way. There was nothing he could do.

"You know…even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Magic…well…is in short supply around here and dwindling by the minute."

"You want the Curse broken," Regina breathed suddenly in astonishment. He felt his skin twitch and his blood boil. Sometimes he forgot how much they both knew each other. He had meant his comment as a joke, and he hadn't known she'd read him as well as she had. Fuck. "Why?"

"That's not something I care to discuss," he answered honestly.

"Don't bother. You can shove your reasons. I want to strike a new deal. One where I can get rid of Emma without shattering the Curse."

Typical Regina still not listening and never using the information she had wisely. "Unfortunately for you, a negotiation requires two interested parties, and I'm already planning a trip," he meant it to sound sarcastic as he walked away from her, meant it to scare and frighten her…he hoped that was what she'd take away from it.

"I'll give you anything."

"Oh," he sighed ominously, all the while pleased to hear that slight tremble in her voice.

She did know him well. She knew just how much he loved that word "anything." Any deal that had that was tempting, and yet here he stood…his heart didn't even flutter at the word. They were in the endgame now. As terrible a trick as it had been, Booth had helped to show him just how close they were getting. This was not and never had been about Regina, despite what she thought. And there was one thing in this world, this world specifically, that he loved more than "anything." That was his son. Nothing was going to distract him from that now. Especially not "anything."

"You no longer have anything I want, dearie. But I will give you a piece of advice, free of charge. I'd plan a trip of your own. Because, once people waken up and remember who you are and what you did to them…" he laughed menacingly and turned to a globe he had on the counter. He gave it a spin as he admired it as if considering the whole wide world already open to him. "They are going to be looking for blood…"

And if the way she stormed out of his shop suggested anything, she knew it too.

[gloves94]

Sunburn [Prince Zuko] 22

Warnings: None   Rating: PG-13   Pairings: Zuko/OC   Summary:  “You have everything you’ve ever wanted.” “No.” He said softly. “Not everything…”  His golden eyes looked at her with a melting intensity she had never witnessed before. “I guess not.” She responded with glassy eyes as tears welled up threatening to break the dam of her eyes.

My fanfiction: M A S T E R L I S T

Zuko tossed and turned in his bed in a fitful attempt at sleep. He didn't want to sleep. He couldn't sleep and if he did all he would have were nightmares. He would see his uncle's disappointed face and Tsai's twisted with pain. His eyes snapped opened and he turned to see the red head sitting next to his bed.

"Boo!" She said mockingly at the startled prince. He let out a small scream as he fell of the bed.

"What do you think of my new outfit?" She continued to mock him as she made a gesture to the servant rags she was wearing. Her hair was darker and wore her bangs combed back to the side. Her eyes didn't gleam with the same light anymore.

He turned away shaking his head and grabbed a cloak off a hook and swung it over his shoulders as he snuck out of his room. Her mocking laughter haunting his conscience.

He knew where he was going.

xxx

Tsai was in deep slumber. It was the first time she had slept in an actual bed in what felt like forever. It was stiff and would stab at a spot in her back, but she didn't care. It was better than the floor in prison. Besides, there were also no rats here.

She didn't want to think of the awful stuff that Azula would have in mind to her tomorrow. Knowing her she probably had a ranked list of humiliating tasks for her to fulfill. She had also succeeded in infiltrating the Fire Nation's heart. The palace. It would only be a matter of time before she could begin skulking around the palace and communicating with the others.

Zuko knew where Tsai was being kept. It was the room closest to the royal wing. One which was usually used for nannies, nurses and personal aides of the royal family during certain seasons. He stepped in quietly making sure he wasn't seen by any midnight prying eyes and shut the door behind him quietly. The room was small, windowless and austere. With a small bed and a desk and a wooden chair. Her brown dress was tossed over the chair. He knew she wouldn't run away. So did the Fire Lord. After all she had sworn her life and loyalty to the crown.

He approached the bed and took a seat next to her sleeping form. The mattress lightly sinking under his weight. He was hurting. He still couldn't believe they had hurt each other like that. Despite the pain it brought him, he smiled lightly when he heard her light snoring and couldn't help himself. He brushed a stray hair from her forehead and rested his hand there for a second. She looked so different from the morning. So, at peace. There was no pain in her rest. He couldn't believe that her conscience wasn't in turmoil like his.

Her drowsy eyes opened slowly, and it took her that same second to react. They blazed as she clawed at his arm ready to shout. She wondered who would be in more trouble if he was here? And just what Ozai would do to his son if he was caught visiting a servant's sleeping quarters during the late hours of the evening.

He pressed a firm palm to her mouth. "Shh!!!" He hissed silencing her.

He wasn't expecting her to actually bite him and hard.

"Ow!" He cried out really not expecting that and removing his hand. She shoved him off the bed and pushed him to the ground. He landed with a loud thud. Quickly jumping to her bare feet, she stepped on his chest pinning him down looking down at him. She didn't care if she was only wearing sleeping garments which consisted of a peasant top bandeau covering her chest and a pair of loose brown shorts. She looked down at him with judgement in her cold eyes.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't scream bloody hell and let your vile sister and maniacal father find you here." She threatened stepping harder. She wanted to hurt him. Make him feel the same pain she was feeling.

He looked up at her wrapping a hand around her ankle gently.

"Tsai," he said her name in a strained breath. Her weight pushing down on his lungs.

"You're a coward and a snake and above all a traitor! Get out of my room! I never want to see you again!" She cried out removing herself from him not wanting to even be touched by him.

"That's going to be a little hard," he rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "You're right. Considering I'm your personal slave!" She lashed out in fury.

"You stood by them and did nothing! You choose them over the only person who truly loved and cared for you!"

Zuko's eyes widened. He felt something which felt like hope stir inside of him.

"You.. You love me?"

Her face scrunched up in an even angrier scowl. Her nostrils flaring in fury.

"I am talking about your uncle!"

"My uncle!" He connected the dots in his head. He was also probably the person she loved most in this world. Zuko had no doubt that she would always pick her uncle over him. After all they were both basically the same person. Her sudden betrayal to him and newfound allegiance to the Fire Nation. It still made no sense to him.

"You betrayed him too.” He let out in a hollow tone. “Why?” He asked in suspicion with narrowed eyes. Something was off.

She avoided his eyes and shrugged carelessly.

"I don't know what happened between you and Uncle, but I know one thing about you. And you would never go against him. You would never bow to my father like that- and all that talk about honor?" It wasn't her.

She huffed and shook her head. Her dark eyes meeting his concerned ones.

"You don't know me." She paused for a moment. "You don't know anything!" She snapped. Her voice louder. "You don't even know what you're talking about. You really think I would go against my nation? Betray my own family? For what? Because your uncle asked me to?" She lied through her teeth attempting to sound like Azula did when she spoke.

"No," he said softly. "You wouldn't do it because it goes against you. Everything you stand for." He explained calmly.

"Oh, you mean my 'socialist wet-dream' about equality?" She let out a cruel laugh attempting to push his buttons. She wanted to hurt him as bad as he had hurt her. Grab his heart and crush it in the palm of her hand. "I told you long ago. That dream was dead. It's trash. You said it yourself. I am never going to accomplish anything grand and you were dead right. I will now live the remainder days of my life as what you always saw me as - a colonial peasant."

"Tsai, no-" He pleaded. "I- I was wrong." He hesitated looking as if he was being split in two. He appeared distraught.

"Don't- call me that. You have lost the privileged of even calling me by my name. From now on you will address me as a slave or a peasant because that's what I am. That's what you made me!"

Each one of her words was like a ice dagger. Deeply burying and twisting painfully inside of him ripping at his insides slowly, painfully. She was beyond livid.

"Tsai it was-" She interrupted him again.

"After all. That's what you called me in front of your father. You disgust me. I can't believe I- I can't believe I-"

It hurt her. He had hurt her. The only promised he had ever made to her was that nobody would hurt her and how poetic and ironic was it that he had been the only person to do so? She was so hurt. Her heart and mind in shambles and now she had been entrusted with this dangerous mission from General Iroh?

"Tsai! It was the only way of keeping you safe!" He finally snapped his temper flaring to match hers in frustration. She ignored his outburst and continued in her furious spiel.

"And me?" she suddenly scoffed continuing her rant. "I understand. I get it. Hey, it was fun. You used me because you were bored and lonely and a pathetic worm!" She stomped down her foot in fury. "Let's not forget that colonial women are basically whores!'" She spat out venomously.

"Tsai," he pleaded his voice edging to a dangerous growl as his patience stretched thin. "It wasn't like that at all!" He stepped closer. How could he convince her? Tell her truth if she wasn't willing to listen? He wanted to take her in his arms, hold her close. Tell her how sorry he was. At this point he was willing to get on his knees and beg.

"I don't believe you." Her nose wrinkled as her brows knitted in a deeper scowl. "I don't believe anything that comes out of your filthy lying mouth!"

"Yeah?" He challenged. He moved so fast she was almost knocked back by the headbutt when he slammed his mouth against hers hard.

Zuko held his stinging cheek as he stepped back. His soul was on fire. He felt as if he had been brought back to life. She ignited the dying passion inside of him.

"Stay away from me," She breathed dangerously. Tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes. He knew she felt it too.

"I used to believe there was light and peace inside of you. That you could change. That you could let it out and become a better man. That we could change the world around us, but now I'm not so sure..." She trailed off sadly as a stray tear slid down her cheek.

"You sound like uncle," he lamented.

"Good." She said firmly. "At least one of us does."

xxx

It was strange… Her betrayal to his Uncle. He still couldn't wrap his head around it. He had replayed the events of that day over and over in his head and they still made no sense. She stood by it and admitted it to his father. Yet still defended the man's words. Something wasn't adding up.

He quietly snuck out of the palace and began the long trek towards the prison tower that was located inside a hollow volcanic crater northwest of the capital city.

The Fire Nation prince stopped at the base of the stairs that led into the prison and looked up, focusing intently on of the many darkened windows.

"Who's there?" The guard that had been patrolling one of the prison's balconies called out loudly when he spotted Zuko.

Without saying a word, the scarred prince turned and walked away, the guard resuming his patrol behind him.

Zuko walked slowly through the halls of the Capital City Prison, the hood of his cloak pulled low over his head. Ahead of him, the guard on duty stiffened at the sound of his footsteps and whirled around.

"You again?" The guard snapped furiously as he pointed his spear at the scarred prince, "Stop where you are!"

Zuko lifted his head and the guard faltered, his eyes widening.

"Prince Zuko..."

Zuko grabbed the guard by the collar of his uniform and slammed him against the wall roughly, his spear clattering to the floor.

"I'm going in for a visit. You're going to stand guard here, and no one is going to know about this." Zuko growled lowly then he released the guard and entered the cell.

His breath caught slightly in his throat when he saw his uncle sitting in the middle of the metal cell at the back of the stone room, his gray hair hanging in scraggly tangles down his back.

"Uncle," Zuko rasped as he approached the metal bars and lowered the hood of his cloak, "It's me."

Iroh shifted so his back was to the metal bars and his nephew, a faint scowl marring his face.

"You brought this on yourself you know." Zuko stated as he stood in front of the metal bars that split half of his uncle's stone cell, "We could have returned together. You could have been a hero!"

Iroh shifted slightly on the thin mat he was sitting on, keeping his back to his nephew and not looking at him. Giving him the silent treatment.

"You have no right to judge me, Uncle!" Zuko spat furiously, feeling the harsh judgement in his uncle's deafening silence. "I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se, and you're a fool for not joining me!"

Iroh's shoulders tensed slightly, but he continued to ignore his nephew.

"You're not going to say anything?" The scarred prince demanded, his voice cracking slightly before he snarled and whirled around, kicking up a small stool before destroying it with a punch and fire bending.

"You're a crazy old man!" Zuko shouted angrily at his uncle's back, "You're crazy! And if you weren't in jail, you'd be sleeping in the gutter!"

Zuko stormed out of the stone cell slamming the door behind him. Inside the cell, Iroh's lowered his head slightly and closed his eyes.

xxx

Tsai hadn't been able to sleep after Zuko's night visit. So by the crack of dawn she stood at the side of Azula's bed awaiting for the princess to awake. It would be so easy. She could smother the princess with a pillow and make a run for it. However, that would be counter productive.

Sometime later she awoke.

"Good morning Princess Azula," Tsai spoke in a tone with no hint of emotion when she awoke. "Good morning pet," Azula's smirk stretched across her face maliciously. How was it possible for somebody to wake up and already have malicious thoughts at this hour?

"Fetch my clothing and dress me," She instructed.

Without a choice she nodded and went off to get her clothes and bring them to the girl. Azula sat on the edge of her bed bringing her feet down and stretched. "Now dress me," she ordered.

“Oh, these?” She said as she picked up her royal garments. “Yes,” Azula repeated growing annoyed at the way she was looking at her clothes.

“I had a similar outfit back home,” she said in the most stuck up tone she could muster. “Very last year.” She spoke using the most judgmental tone she felt her mother would use.

“What do you know?” Azula snapped angrily. “Afterall you’re just a peasant!”

Tsai shrugged with a sly smile as she turned away and walked into Azula’s walk in closet hand picking out another outfit.

“I think this… Would suit the princess much better.” She pulled out a similar outfit and brought it to Azula slightly bowing her head before her.

She hated this. Hated being like this. She still wanted nothing more than to bury that knife Azula had so gracefully given her in their last physical encounter into her shoulder. An eye for an eye. But for now, she had no choice but to play nice. Azula watched her cautiously with narrowed eyes before making the girl dress her.

“See?” She said adjusting the back of her dress. Tsai wasn’t sure what to say next. She was egg shelling around the princess. One wrong move and it was all over, but how would she accomplish this? How did one become friends with a person like Azula? Did she have any friends at all?

“I wish I was half as pretty as you.” The girl added stroking Azula’s already swollen ego. On par, satisfied, Azula smirked before running a hand through her dark hair.

Tsai felt dirty saying such things to such a horrible person. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t what she was supposed to be doing.

"I've also got an attire for you," Azula suddenly said said. "I won't let my pet be seen wearing such atrocious rags."

The clothes she had been given consisted of a crimson maroon skirt that reached her mid tight and had one part in the front that was longer than the rest. It had a golden embroidered trim like most traditional Fire Nation clothes and fastened at the waist with a thin gold string. Azula had made her wear a crop top which revealed most of her abdomen. Something she really wasn’t comfortable with and wouldn’t usually wear.

"Perfect," Azula said as her eyes snaked over her servant’s body.

"One final touch." She approached her and standing before her put an actual dog's necklace around her neck. The accessory was bold, thick and dark. It was meant to be both demanding and humiliating. A terrible way of dehumanizing her into what she was in Azula's eyes, a pet.

Azula smiled wickedly her hands lingering on the other girl's neck for a moment.

First Azula made Tsai go and fetch her breakfast bring it to her bedroom chambers, feed it to her and then return it to the kitchen. Afterwards she made her brew some of her ‘famous’ tea which she spit out in her face and claimed it tasted like “shitty leaf water” and made her brew the same herb combination all over again.

Tsai would’ve been lying if she didn’t admit she considered poisoning her on the spot.

Azula made her do this several times until she grew bored. Afterwards she made her sit behind her and brush every single strand of her voluminous midnight black hair at least one-hundred times. Then she made her massage her feet. Organize her closet just for her to state she hated it and have her completely re-arrange the entire thing all over again.

Azula had gone who knows were to do who knows what when Tsai lay outside of her bedroom chambers polishing the palace marble floors with a dirty rag.

Her eyes couldn’t help but wonder around the grand palace as she mapped out the structure of the building in her head.

“Be silent and observant. Take note of everything and all detail-“

She shifted uncomfortably stopping the torturous polishing for a moment.

“-You will know what to do when the time is right.”

She had an idea of what Iroh had meant by that, but how? How was she to get away from the palace? Sneak off and away from everyone without getting caught?

“Are you just going to lay there like a fat cow or are you going to finish polishing my floors?” Azula suddenly stood before her hands on her waist.

The girl swallowed her pride and retort and turned her attention back to mindlessly polishing floors.

"Come with me," She barked out a contradicting order.

Tsai sighed and dropped the rag following after her 'Master.'

xxx

Zuko lounged on the picnic blanket on a cliff watching the sunset over the ocean with Mai, leaning against him, a content expression on her usually blank face.

This was painful. It reminded him of his first date with Tsai in Ba Sing Se. It was like cutting an open wound and applying lemon to it. It stung.

“Orange is such an awful color." Mai mused idly as she stared at the sunset.

"It's so beautiful," He remembered the look of awe on the colonial girl's face as they stood watching the sunset in the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko forced himself to remain relaxed. He thought of the golden light reflecting against her skin and her vibrant colored her and how happy the two of them had been that day.

"Stay away from me,"She breathed dangerously.

Her cold words still stung him. Those four simple words weighted so much. He shifted uncomfortably and Mai noticed and looked at him quizzically.

Mai tilted her head to look up at him with a soft expression, "Don’t worry. I don't hate you," she said looking at her through her full dark lashes.

"I don't hate you too." Zuko murmured back, leaning forward slightly to kiss her as her hand came up to cup his unscarred cheek.

"Ahem." A voice interrupted.

Zuko pulled away from Mai, ignoring the faint feeling of guilt he felt and turned to glare at his sister with an annoyed expression. His eyes went wide when he saw Tsai standing behind her and the revealing outfit his sister had forced her to wear. He swallowed nervously. Regardless she looked pale, almost sick, her eyes bore no signs of a jealous fire.

They looked dead as they met his.

He could feel Mai hugging his arm tighter as she looked between him and Azula's servant immediately sensing the growing tension in the air.

"Zuko, could I have a word with you?" Azula asked with false politeness as she stood near the couple, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Can't you see we're busy?" Zuko demanded sharply and wrapped his arm tighter around his new girlfriend.

Azula narrowed her eyes then smiled slyly and said in an offhand manner, "Oh Mai, Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid."

Mai pulled away from Zuko and reluctantly got her feet, "Sounds pretty serious," she spoke in the same full, emotionless tone she said everything and anything.

She walked past Azula and Tsai glaring at both of them her from the corner of her eye. Azula glanced over her shoulder at the other girl's retreating back then turned to look at her brother with a sardonic expression.

"So, I've heard you've been to visit your uncle fatso in the prison tower."

Zuko surged to his feet with a furious expression, "That guard told you!"

Tsai flinched slightly at the way Azula spoke about Iroh.

"No." Azula replied flippantly with a thin smile, "You did. Just now."

'Iroh.…' Tsai thought sadly. 'So he went to see him hmm..'

She thought about Iroh with worry. Concerned for his well-being. She hoped she knew what he was doing. That he was okay.

Zuko heaved a sigh and sat back down on the blanket, his arms resting on his bent knees, "Okay, you caught me. What is it that you want, Azula?"

"Actually, nothing. Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you." Azula said, her voice actually sounding sincere, "If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be careful, Dum-Dum."

Azula let out what sounded like a scoff.

"I smell a rat." She said. "There's rumors of a traitor amongst us. Somebody has been leaking out information from the palace. Just the other day they shot down a fire hawk leaving the Nation with confidential war plans."

She turned on her heel. "You don't want people to think its you, right?" She turned her attention to her servant. "Now, let's go." She ordered.

Zuko watched quietly as his sister walked back down the cliff. He turned to look at the setting sun. Tsai's sad eyes were lost as she gazed at the sunset. It saddened her heart. The memory of the last time the two of them had looked at the sunset. He looked at her and stretched a hand out to her. With a scowl and a sharp turn, she shifted away quickly and followed after Azula.

Zuko's eyes turned back to the setting sun. It was no use. No matter where he turned, he would see her. He now had to stifle the guilt that surged up inside him, making his throat close up and his chest feel heavy. Alone, he silently admitted to himself that he loved her. That Mai would never be able to replace the gaping hole she had left in his chest. That he had been happiest those last days in Ba Sing Se when he lived a simpler life with her and his uncle.

He then buried the feeling deep inside him, locking it away.

Xxx

'What did you expect? Hm.' She walked alongside him that night. The imaginary spectrum that had become his conscience. 'You really expected me to take your filthy hand and what? Watch the sunset with you after I see you KISSING ANOTHER GIRL?'  The imaginary girl in his head said with a jealousy he was more familiar with.

"Listen." He growled out almost sounding like her. "I miss you and you won't have me back. So, I'm trying to forget you. Can you make it easier for me and just go away?!"

'Fat chance,' she clicked her tongue. Hands on waist. On that outfit her sister had been making her wear. "Besides, I'm not all that bad to look at right?"She smirked and toyed with the dog collar she had been forced to wear.

He felt the heat rising to his cheeks and again struck her imaginary embodiment making it vanish. An evil laugh resounding in his head.

Zuko walked into his Uncle's cell and crouched down beside the bars, sliding a small basket of food between the bars.

"I brought you some komodo-chicken." He said quietly to his uncle's back, "I know you don't care for it, but I figure it beats prison food." He sat back on his heels and stared blankly at his hands, "I admit it, I have everything I always wanted, but it's not at all how I thought it would be. The truth is, I need your advice."

Zuko gripped the bars, his knuckles turning white, "I think the Avatar is still alive, I know he's out there, I'm losing my mind. I'm hearing voices, seeing things. Azula has taken Tsai as her personal servant, I need to help her. I can't stop thinking of the malicious ways in which she is torturing her." He stared at his uncle's back pleadingly and his voice turned desperate, "Please, Uncle, I'm so confused! I need your help." He pleaded.

Iroh didn't move and anger filled Zuko, burning his chest even as his heart pounded painfully against his ribs.

"Forget it, I'll solve it myself!" The scarred prince snarled as he stood up and stalked towards the door, "Waste away in here for all I care!"

Zuko hesitated a moment and glanced back at, but his uncle didn't move, so he slammed the door behind him. In the cell, Iroh bowed his head, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

xxx

Hiding in the shadow of his cloak's hood, Zuko walked silently down a dark alley until he reached the middle. He lowered his hood and looked around calmly, turning his head slightly when a noise reached his ears. He turned around completely and stared impassively at the large man with a metal leg and arm standing in front of him.

"You sure you weren't followed?" Zuko asked coolly and the man nodded slightly, "I've heard about you. They say you're good at what you do, and even better at keeping secrets. The Avatar is alive. I want you to find him and end him."

The man stared blankly at Zuko, the third eye tattooed on his forehead briefly illuminated by the light of the moon.

Xxx

Zuko was making his way back to the Royal Palace when he saw a retreating form sneaking back into the palace. He lowered his hood as he observed from a safe distance.

He hid amongst the shadows and waited. Carefully observing. It was Tsai. He would recognize that mane of crimson shades hair just anywhere.

His eyebrows went up in shock as Azula's words from earlier resounded in his head.

"There's rumors of a traitor amongst us. Somebody has been leaking out information from the palace…"

He once again felt that sunstone burning in his pocket. Pulling it out he looked at it in the darkness of the night and prayed his eyes were playing tricks on him.

xxx

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CHAPTER MASTERLIST

[siren1song]

Prompt: Loss of Pet

@badthingshappenbingo​

BTHB Taglist: @emo-disaster​, @yalltookmyurlideas​, @elliotthelizard​, @selkiesebille​, @gabe-killed-me-with-ace-cream​, @melodiread​, @sablesides​, @dying-is-a-hobby​, @firey-alex​, @stormypaint​, @astronomy-is-cute​, @demidork84​, @rat-kiinng​

Dedicated to @hold-my-hat​

Too Far Wrong

Characters: Janus, Remus

Warnings: Animal death, child abuse, queerphobia, deadnaming, threats of murder

Ao3 Link

Janus’ parents had fucked him over in so many different ways. There was the yelling, the blaming, the bullshit gaslighting that it took forever for him to recognize until he finally met his older brother online and Remus pointed shit out to him.

Then there was the blatant queerphobia because they found a rainbow pin on his backpack and while that couldn’t prove anything they sure as hell made his life a living hell because of it.

“There’s no ‘switching genders’ Deanna, I don’t know why you’re defending people clearly sick in the head,” his mom would say.

“People need to learn the difference between love and a disgusting fetish,” his dad would scoff.

Janus would just listen and pretend to agree to keep himself safe. At least his friends at school respected who he was, and for a long time it was them and his snake Tiber that was what was getting him through life.

And then he slipped up. He left the laptop he’d managed to buy in secret out in the open and his mom used her tech skills to get into it.

Finding Tiber in pieces in the trash had been one of the most painful experiences in his life.

“What the fuck!” he shouted, already feeling tears on the smoother side of his face, glaring at his parents as he held Tiber’s head in his hands.

“You do not use that language towards us, Dee,” his mother scolded, glaring right back.

Janus snarled, clutching Tiber close to his chest.

“You murdered my snake! I think I’m qualified to be pissed at you!”

“Well maybe next time you’ll learn before keeping secrets from us,” his dad said, tapping the closed laptop in his lap.

If he wasn’t so angry, Janus was sure his blood would turn to ice. As it was, he was enraged and all he could feel was his blood boiling in his veins.

Janus liked to think he was as cold blooded as Tiber sometimes. Guess this proved that wrong.

“No, fuck you, I did what I needed to keep myself safe and you would’ve put a parent lock on any computer you got for me.”

“We’re your parents, we get to do what we see fit to-”

“Don’t you fucking dare finish that sentence,” Janus snapped, his throat starting to ache from the effort of yelling at his parents and trying not to sob while he did so, “being my parents requires some semblance of caring about me. You guys are fucking prison wardens.”

The offended gasp his mother let out was all the warning Janus got before his father was across the room and his head whipped to the side with an aching cheek.

He should’ve expected that. His dad been one step from hitting him for years.

“You might wanna think twice before you disrespect your mother and I like that, Deanna. We brought you into this world, I can take you out of it.”

Janus’ stomach filled with fear, and the rush of adrenaline in his chest gave him enough courage to power through it so he could stand his ground and glare at his dad.

Or really the person who thought calling someone a whore was the best way to keep them from enjoying the company of a boy. Someone who thought threatening to murder their kid was okay.

“Fuck you,” he hissed, and before his dad could react he spun on his heel and ran back out of the house, only slowing enough to grab his book bag from beside the door.

Janus ran for what felt like hours, taking every turn he could and getting himself as lost as possible before he slowed down and realized Tiber’s head was still in his hands. He collapsed onto the sidewalk, his adrenaline leaving him and sobs uncontrollable as tears poured down his face.

It took him a good ten minutes before he pulled out the disposable phone he’d bought for emergencies from his book bag, still clutching Tiber gingerly in his right hand.

He barely managed to call the only number he had saved on it with how bad his hands were shaking, and when a bright “hello?” greeted him, he couldn’t help but start sobbing again.

”Janus? Shit dude, you sound awful. What’d the ‘rents do this time?” Remus asked, his cheery attitude already fading to worry.

“Tiber-” Janus gasped for air, and another sob overtook him before he could continue.

“Okay, fuck, are you still at home?”

“N-No,” he forced out, his voice a high whine that he’d normally wince at.

Couldn’t really bring himself to care right now though, not with his baby’s head in his hand.

“Shit. Alright, text me where you are, Virgil and I are gonna come pick you up okay? You can stay with us for a few days or however long you want I don’t care just- shit, Janus what’d they do?”

Janus let out another sob, struggled to take a deep breath, and then rushed the words out all at once.

“They killed Tiber!”

Silence on the other line, and then Janus heard Remus talk to someone though his voice was muffled and quiet.

”Alright, I’m on my way. Text me where you are and then stay there. Be there in ten minutes tops.”

Janus hung up after giving Remus a confirmation he’d heard him, looked for street signs that he eventually just took a picture of when he couldn’t read them, and then sat cross legged on the sidewalk.

“Rest in peace, Tibernius,” he muttered, his lip wobbling as he stroked his thumb over the top of her head.

At least now he was free from the abuse, right?

[jenifersaturn]

Loyalty (has always been a flimsy thing)

Lovino’s eyes are closing. The wound is too deep, and the blood is flowing slowly from his torso. He holds back tears of pain and makes sure to stay as silent as possible. The gun feels heavy in his hand and his grip is still strong even through the blood loss. He is ready to shoot anybody that dares to approach before the help Antonio is sending him arrives. He doesn’t even know if that help will arrive, much less if it will arrive on time. He can only hope by this point.

The world seems blurry and his head is hazy. Securing the cloth he is using to stop the blood from leaving his body he lets out a hiss of pain. It hurts so much, so fucking much. He wishes the pain just ended but refuses to give in to the exhaustion and the need to just take a nap. A little voice in his head whispers to him that a little short nap never hurt anyone in the past. He tries his best to ignore it.

He is almost at the brink of falling asleep- dying, he is almost at the brink of dying when he hears a noise in the distance. He doesn’t know whether it is from a friend or from a foe, so he grips his gun and raises it, pointing it to the doorway in front of him. His head quickly whips to the left alongside his hand, pointing at the left of the room where another doorway stands.

The man that stands there is significantly handsome, with spiky and quite unnatural blond hair. He just looks at him, as surprised as he is; it takes him no longer than three seconds to remember who he is. That the man is not just a stranger. He still has a firm grip of the gun, but he doesn’t want to shoot.

“Ma-Mathias”, the man’s name comes out forcefully from his lips. He can barely breathe nor talk without feeling the blood rising through his throat and he is probably going to die today but he doesn’t want to die like this oh god just save him and it hurts like hell.

Matthias looks at him noticing the wound. The moment the man steps forward Lovino moves the gun if only a little, making a garbled sound of warning. They are enemies, and Lovino isn’t letting him get near him.

“Lovino, hey. I’m not- I am not going to harm you in any way. Look, that’s- that’s a lot of blood”, even Mathias looks unsure about what he is about to do. “Please, let me help you. I know we are on different sides but I owe you my life and you’re my friend.”

He isn’t that convinced, but if he doesn’t receive help soon he is most definitely going to die. He doesn’t want to die, so he slowly lowers the gun.

“Good”, Mathias says as he approaches him.

The blond man lowers himself to his knees, taking out a medical kit from one of his many pockets. Lovino can’t help but feel immensely grateful when Mathias stabs him with morphine, because the pain had been hellish. He rapidly relaxes as he feels expert hands working on his wound, having already cut the cloth around it. It stings a bit, but even then the only thing he truly feels is how cold the needle is.

It seems Mathias isn’t happy about him relaxing, because just when he is about to give in to sleep the man slaps his face gently.

“Hey, Vino. How have you been lately?”

The question barely registers, and he takes a few seconds to answer it. “M’fine, have been better”. And he has been better. Right now he just feels drowsy, and sleep seems like the best option. He knows that he shouldn’t, he could die, but he is exhausted and sleeping seems so important right now.

“How’s it been going with Antonio?”, because if Mathias remembered it right, Lovino and Antonio were dating.

“A’stupid a’sever, I love ‘im though”, he tries to answer as clearly as he can, but it comes out more rushed that he thought it would.

Mathias’ hands suddenly stop moving as they grab the scissors and cut the string connecting to the needle. He winces at how weird it is to feel the string move through his skin, but relaxes again in less than five seconds. He tries to look at Mathias as well as he can, because his head is pounding, and the walls are moving.

“Thank you.” No more words are needed. Mathias nods and then stands up, fast, and begins to leave.

He stops at the doorway to the left.

“It was nice to see you again, let’s hope we can meet again in different circumstances”, there is longing in Mathias voice and he can’t help but agree.

He wants to reunite with his friends again, regardless of which side they’re on, and eat Mr. Zwingly’s chocolate as Mr. Edelstein discusses with them how annoying some musicians he knows are. He imagines Matthew having arguments with Yao over the slightest thing, while Alfred spends time with Arthur preventing him from even approaching the kitchen. Ivan would be seated next to Gilbert on the couch as the latter tells his brother Ludwig and Feliciano about his latest endeavors. Mathias would brag about his latest hits to Tino, Emil, Berwald and Lukas while Kiku spends his time cuddling with Heracles as he talks to Sadiq and Gupta about politics. Lovino would be with Antonio whining about the loudness of the reunion before going to the kitchen to start preparing food. Ferdinand would be there too, with João at his side. Vladimir would arrive only once Feliks and Toris arrived themselves. Raivis and Eduard would arrive together, yelling at each other but eventually getting drunk enough to declare their undying brotherhood to anyone and everyone who would listen.

But Lovino knows war isn’t fair, and even in his fantasies he thinks about the fact that not everyone will get out of this war alive. That they are not that lucky. Have never been that lucky. In the foggines of his mind he remembers his twin brother’s words of despair, uttered in that horrible mansion with no sense of time and space, about how daunting everything truly is. About how meaningless things can be sometimes. That he doesn’t understand how wars can be fought when there’s obviously more important things to fight for. Lovino agrees.

As he hears the faint sound of footsteps and someone he is sure is shouting his name, the world finally goes dark.

Mathias doesn’t know what he just did. He had been about to sneak into the enemy camp when he saw Lovino, weak, defenseless, bleeding and potentially dying. He had to help him. He knew he shouldn’t have, he wasn’t stupid. Romano Vargas was in their kill-on-sight list thanks to his uncanny abilities to kill people with their own weapons. Personally, he thinks it suits the italian: using his enemies’ own weapons to kill them seems like the sort of poetic justice bullshit Lovino would love. The thing is, he had hoped nobody saw him. When it came to traitors and treating enemy soldiers they had strict rules.

Mathias doesn’t want to be executed. He might be a high ranking soldier, an Oberst, but he isn’t as ready to die for his country as others. Defending his people to death is definitely one of his goals, but he does it for the people themselves, not his land. He isn’t that patriotic. The blond doesn’t really believe he would be able to live knowing he let one of his oldest friends die from blood loss, especially knowing he could have been able to prevent it.

Now he wishes he knew how to explain this to the familiar finnish man pointing a shotgun against his head.

“Nice going there, Den” the sneer in Tino’s voice is clear. They had never gotten along and they wouldn’t even try to see each other's faces if they could help it, but they were ordered to work together and Tino is dating Mathias’ brother so they can’t really do anything about it. “Do we have a tiny rat in our ranks?”

He swallows, “Look, Tino, it isn’t what it looks like-” the cold feeling of the shotgun against his head makes it somewhat harder to speak.

“I didn’t see you healing our enemy? Nursing him back to health?” and Tino sounds so judgemental. “He might be our friend, but we are in a war, Oberst Kohler! A war! We got no time to go around helping the men that are helping to massacrate our soldiers, our people!”

“But it was Lovino! It wasn’t just a random man! It was our friend, someone we spent hours, days, weeks,and years alongside with!” Mathias takes a deep breath, because he is this close to having a panic attack. “Vino saved our lives dozens of times, I am just… returning the favor. This is the last time I do this, Tino, I promise. Please, please, don’t tell anybody. I am no traitor, please.”

Mathias can’t help it and his voice breaks towards the end of the sentence, but the pressure of the shotgun against his head disappears and when he looks at Tino the man looks conflicted, resigned and his eyes adopt the softened look that is mostly reserved for Berwald, Lukas and Emil. Tino lets out a sigh before the hardened sharp look is back.

“Just this once, Mathias. If I see you doing something so stupid again, I won’t doubt it. Not even once.”

“I know.” The words leave his lips softly and weakly, a murmur that he knows Tino barely catches.

They leave a bitter aftertaste, because Mathias knows in a deep part of his heart that if the occasion arises again, he will help with no doubt.

He realizes something in that moment, and it is that despite the fact that he is one of the best fighters from their mismatched group of friends, he wasn’t made for war. He isn’t strong enough for it. Perhaps none of them were, he reflects, maybe they just had different reasons and that helped them fight. Mathias just wants to go home alongside Lukas, and he can only wonder what Tino wants as he looks at his stoic figure walking across the field (and Mathias knows that beyond that stoic exterior Tino is just a soft sappy idiot). 

He takes a deep breath and the exhales. He grabs his gun close to his chest before continuing scouting, decidedly ignoring what Lovino’s presence means.

(He hears the shots and goes running back to his camp and they have to move further back because somehow the Spanish forces managed to ambush them. He feels bad for the dead, and he can feel Tino’s judging gaze, but Mathias decidedly ignores all of it and tries to help as much as he still can).

Lovino wakes in the morning, two days later. He feels sore, has a headache, his torso still hurts a fucking lot, and he can barely open his eyes without hissing like a goddamn cat. He is half pressed to blame Antonio for this, but he resolves that maybe it is not the best time, and that Antonio technically didn’t have anything to do with it. Still, he wants to blame someone, and the man who did it is already dead.

He blames (and thanks) Mathias, for nursing him back to health. The field medic doesn’t even let him sit up, which irritates the hell outta him, and the fact that he hasn’t seen Antonio since he woke up worsens his mood. He tries to take deep breaths, no need to explode at an innocent soldato’s face.

The moment Antonio crosses the door Lovino opens his mouth to say something insulting but interrupts himself after noticing the blood in the other’s uniform. His worried eyes quickly turn to scan his fiancè’s body, noticing Antonio fiddling with the hem of his uniform, but no injuries are in sight. Antonio is just as worried as he is. 

“Come, tomato jerk, give a goddamn hug before I change my mind” he says, already seated, as he extends his hand to him. Antonio doesn’t even doubt it and he suddenly has his arms full of a Spanish man. The emerald eyed man is obviously trying not to mess up with his injuries, and Lovino readjusts his posture slightly so his lover doesn’t hurt him accidentally. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“I thought you’d die. The moment I kneeled there, in front of you, and held your hand. When you told me to go on without you, that you were going to be fine and that you only needed a gun...” Antonio lets out a sob, muffled by Lovino’s neck. “It felt like a goodbye. I thought when I came back you would be dead and the medic would arrive too late, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

There is desperation lacing tomato jerk’s cracked words as he goes on, so Lovino hugs him tighter and murmurs reassuring words to him to try and calm him down, and when that doesn’t completely work he interrupts him.

“Toni, per favore, listen to me. Common mio amore, listen to me.” His italian accent becomes more marked, and Antonio stops talking completely, panting slightly. “I’m alive, and here, and at your side. I won’t leave in a very fucking long time and you’ll be so done with me that in our next life you’ll hate me. You can’t get rid of me that easily, tomato jerk. Never.”

“I’d never hate you, Vino. Never.” Antonio slowly lets go, standing up and wiping off his tears. “The medic says you’ll be able to fight again in about two weeks. He says he can’t give you longer since we have a deadline to get back this sector, but you may rest meanwhile. I do have a question, though.”

“I don’t know whether to be happy to get permission to do no shit, or be angry that I am bound to a fucking bed for two damn weeks. Whatever, ask away.” As there is no one there but his fiance he decides he is still childish enough to lay down and bury his face in his pillow in an act of pettiness.

“When the field medic got there you were already treated. He has asked around the camp but it seems it wasn’t one of them. Would you be able to name who did it?” Antonio asks, tilting his head in curiosity. 

He is fucking adorable, Lovino aggressively decides.

He wonders a bit, and even entertains the thought of telling Antonio the truth but ultimately puts it aside. Knowing Mathias saved him would probably affect Antonio’s efficiency in the field if they go against him again.

“Way too hazy, I remember little about it, I do remember he was blond, but that’s all. He asked me questions, to keep me awake. I think I ended up talking about you at some point?” He answers, making sure to hesitate a little. Lovino knows how to lie well, he had to learn when he was a child. But Antonio usually knows when he is lying.

“I’ll ask around then, coulda been one of the members of the 158th Regiment, since they’ve been around patrolling” the Spanish man thinks out loud before zeroing his eyes in the Italian. “I’m glad you’re alive”, he mutters softly.

“Me too.” And Lovino can only remember the times in which he would have answered with a I’m not. “Me too, Toni. Me too. I am happy you’re here.”

“By your side? Always.”

[mnthpprt]

Chapter 15: For This Trick, I Will Disappear

I easily find my way to the coffee house thanks to the map Sebastian gave me along with the money. I neatly fold it and put it in my cloth bag when the streets become familiar to me. The layout of this neighbourhood has barely changed in the 126 years between now and my time, so I no longer need it to make it into the large venue. According to Sebastian, this is the place to go for the finest coffee beans available in Paris, despite the steep prices. He made sure to give me more than enough in order to afford it.

As my eyes adjust to the dim lighting inside, my nose fills with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Ignoring the few patrons seated around various tables, I march straight to the bar at the back, causing the man behind it to look up from his newspaper.

“Bonjour. I would like to buy a large bag of coffee.” The man looks down at me with a sneer.

“Sure, mademoiselle. If you can pay for it,” he laughs rudely. “40 francs, take it or leave it.”

I stare blankly at him. Surely he must be joking. Sebastian only gave me 15 and assured me this would buy more than twice the amount that I’m supposed to get.

“Pardon my language, monsieur, but there is no way in hell that is the real price,” I snap at him. I know for a fact that prices have gone up, and even in modern currency that would be such a stretch the bastard would need a chiropractor afterwards. “Do you think you can swindle me because I’m a woman, or is it because I’m a foreigner? Please enlighten me as to why you think this is acceptable business practice.”

This rat of a man is looking more offended by the second. Before I can continue on my furious tirade in the fight for a goddamn bag of coffee, I feel an arm snake around my shoulders.

“Now, now, how about we settle this with a bet?” I do not need to turn around to identify Arthur’s playful tone.

“Madre mía, lo que faltaba... (just what I was missing)” I breathe out my lament in Spanish as Arthur keeps talking over me like he doesn’t even notice my exasperation.

“If the lady wins, you give her the coffee for free. If she loses, she must pay the full price.” I elbow him on the ribs, ready to complain that I don’t even have that much money, but his shit eating grin tells me everything I need to know.

“Great idea, my dear,” I play along. “Let’s see...” My eyes scour the bar for anything I can use, gliding along the expensive bottles of liqueur that line the wall behind it, until they settle on a tower of clean saucers. “Would you be so kind to get me one of those full of water, monsieur? And an empty glass, too.”

I lean into Arthur’s lazy embrace with an innocent smile as the man behind the bar eyes me with suspicion, but soon enough, the items I requested are laid out in front of me. Arthur and I exchange a meaningful look: his inquisitive, and mine charged with reassurance. I mouth the words “trust me” in English, facing away from the bartender. He gives me no sign of acknowledgement, but follows my lead nonetheless as I climb on a stool across from the man.

“I bet I can transfer the water from this saucer into the glass without touching it.” I pause dramatically, allowing the man to ponder my proposal. He lets out an incredulous laugh and barks at me to prove it, confident in the limitations of the seemingly impossible task.

By now, Arthur has caught on. He reaches for a cork on a nearby table and presses it into my hand under the bar. I calmly put it in the middle of the flooded plate, and proceed to pull out a cigarillo and a book of matches.

“Go on, woman! I don’t have all day!”

Unbothered by the man’s sudden loss of patience, I raise an eyebrow at him and light my cigarillo, deliberately taking my time. With it still between my lips, I stab the matchstick upright into the cork, and put the glass over it as a makeshift dome. As I predicted, the flame grows briefly before slowly dying out, and the bartender watches, dumbfounded, as the water on the saucer begins to raise into the upside down glass, pulled by a vacuum.

I dramatically exhale a cloud of smoke as I curtsy, cigarillo in hand.

“And this is how it’s done, thank you very much,” I say with a cheeky smile that truly resembles Arthur’s a bit more than I’d like. “I’ll take my coffee now, please.”

I watch as the man lets out a resigned sigh and goes to fetch what I asked for. He reappears and sets the bag on top of the counter. However, the moment I reach for it, his demeanor changes.

“No way,” he snaps angrily. “Pay up, woman.”

“What? I won the bet!”

“She won indeed, fair and square,” Arthur echoes. The bartender glares at him before taking the bag protectively in his arms and making his way to the other side, to us.

“You must have cheated somehow. 50 francs, now. Or you won’t get your coffee beans.”

50? I can’t believe he had the gall to raise the already outrageous price even more. Before I can open my mouth to protest, he shifts forward and reaches a sweaty hand to stroke my face.

“If you don’t have the money, I can think of another way you can pay, chérie.” He stands uncomfortably close, punctuating the disgusting implication of his words. I swat his hand away in a quick, brusque movement.

“How dare you request such a thing of a lady!” Arthur intervenes, getting between me and the man, who responds by throwing the sack of coffee on the floor behind him. My eyes widen when I see his fist tighten, and before I can shout a warning, he throws a punch at Arthur.

Oh, shit.

I never hear it land. Instead, the writer dodges it with almost supernatural ease, and his own fist connects with the bartender’s jaw. The man stumbles backwards, more from his own poor attempt at dodging than from the impact itself, but catches himself against the bar to regain balance. I take this distraction as an opportunity to scurry behind him and grab the coffee before I bolt to the door.

At this point, the other patrons have already heard the commotion and are beginning to react. I hear a woman scream, which seems to wake most of them from their blissful stupor. People are getting up and heading towards the exit, where I lean against the wall as I try to shove the large sack into my shopping bag.

“Arthur, run!” Now is the perfect time. He doesn’t need to be told twice, and runs to join me outside, dodging the agitated crowd, which provides an excellent distraction. He takes my hand and we sprint down the cobbled street.

After a couple minutes of running full speed, we finally stop by a wooden bench. Panting, I look back. The bartender is nowhere to be seen. I am confident we lost him shortly after we left.

“Ai, merda... (shit)” Cursing in Catalan, I let go of the heavy bag and rub my shoulder, where the handle was painfully digging into my skin. I glance at Arthur. He seems to have caught his breath much faster than me, if he even needed to at all. “What a pervert, huh?” I laugh. He does, too.

“Some people just don’t play fair,” he sighs, shaking his head. “Are you alright, dear?”

"Made it in one piece. Are you?” He nods, the cheeky smile from before back on his face. Somehow, I hadn’t noticed the beauty mark on his chin until now. “I didn’t know you had it in you to be such a gentleman!” I playfully nudge him before switching to a cheesy British accent. “Thank you for defending my honour.”

“Why, you’re welcome, dove,” he laughs. “I simply must protect a fair lady such as yourself. Speaking of, what where you doing all alone? Didn’t Sebastian accompany you?”

“I came with him, yes, but he sent me to get the coffee. Said I could explore the city on my own after,” I explain, gesturing towards my bag. “I should probably go find him in the market. Do you know where that is? I already know Paris pretty well, but some things have changed in the future and I have the feeling this might be one of them.”

“Of course, darling. I’ll accompany you.” He offers his arm and I take it, grabbing the bag with my free hand before we start walking.