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bluedemon1995 · 3 years

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Stay True To Yourself!

I read a story about a girl whose boyfriend took her to a swingers party…but neglected to tell her! And of course, that story led me down a very strange rabbit hole until this popped in my head. Ummm, this one has a little bit of a more adult theme - so please read with caution! This is an alternate reality story- obv not canon.

Katie Holt sat in the car feeling a niggling sense of unease that she cannot dismiss as hard as she tries to shove it down. She tries to narrow down the cause, thinking and analyzing as is her nature. Is it because she hasn’t been dating Mark very long and he picked her up roughly an hour ago. In fact, if she was honest, this was probably the longest amount of time she’d actually spent in his actual company. Previously, it was mostly online chats then a couple of in person short lunch coffee dates. But they were maybe twenty minutes. Is it because they are going to a party and she typically does not enjoy parties? Or maybe it’s because he’s the only person she’d know from this party, and she hates being dependent on anyone. She’d much rather rely on herself.

Regardless of the cause, she tries to shake off the feelings and enjoy the moment. Live a little in the real world like Allura said as she was helping her getting ready. Actually, if she was honest, this was the second novel experience of the day since having a friend come over and help her get ready for a date was a first as well. Yesterday, when she absently mentioned that she could not go to the movies tonight because she was going to a Christmas party with Mark, Allura got so excited. She immediately made plans to go shopping and offered to come and help me get ready. She was honestly more excited than I was but it was nice to have someone care.

Which was nice because her mom and dad had a work Christmas party to go to and her brother was on a date himself. It was nice for Allura to come over and help her out. In spite of the make up, dress and dating tips, she had a good time. Allura was only a couple of actual years older than but in experience she was decades ahead of her!

This year, partly due to their project at work, she’s gotten closer to some of co-workers or team. It’s been a nice change since high school and college where she was mostly alone except for her family and their friends. She loved feeling like people got her sarcasm, her references well, just HER. It was nice to have people who made her stop working to eat lunch or heck, even remembered to check to see if she left work for the day. Slowly but surely her team had become her friends.

Which all leads her back to a few moments ago, when Mark parked and got out of the car, stopping at the hood to wait for her. He looks impatient but whatever, she needs to take a minute alone to get her self under control. Her nerves hit a high point but deciding this was as good as it gets, Pidge stands and walks to the him, impulsively reaching out and holding his hand. It was dark and snowy, she definitely did not want to fall on ice as they walked up! How embarrassing!

He seemed surprised by her hand but quickly pulled her close, “Hey so, this is a special party and I’d really appreciate it if you kept an open mind, think of it as an of it as an experiment.”

Pidge felt like a five alarm bell was suddenly going off at the conclusion of that sentence. FUCK! What was he talking about?!? Why would he say something like that now? It was akin to setting a bomb and saying, do not look at the timer.

While Pidge is having an internal panic attack they walk in-no knocking just walk straight in the door. She doesn’t see anything right off the bat that concerns her. There’s a table where keys were thrown, shoes piled in the front hall and music playing. It was a really nice house, set in one of the fancier subdivisions of the area. Pidge was trying to keep calm but she was annoyed that he’d state something like that as they were walking in the door! What about beforehand so she could of decided?!? And he really didn’t tell her anything, which is worse than knowing.

He takes his shoes off, she does the same. Hesitating, he turns and pulls her towards the kitchen. “Drink? What’s your poison?”

Pidge sighs, beer seems safe and not like she’s going to be drinking much of anything after that bomb he dropped walking in. “Beer is fine, I’d like light if they got it.”

He nods and goes towards the coolers lined up along the wall. Pidge does what she does best, fades into the background and observes the room carefully. The lights seem dim and she could see out the patio doors that more people are out there by the pool. She squints, maybe it’s the just the glare…but are those people naked?!?

Mark comes back at that time with a draft beer which means I won’t be taking a drink of it. Why wouldn’t he give me a bottle or can that I could open myself? I’m quiet and watch Mark take in the party. I wonder who he knows? Suddenly, I look at a pretty girl in a Mrs. Claus outfit who comes up to Mark. She smiles brightly, and proceeds to lock lips with Mark, wow. She’s actually impressive with her ability to wrap around him like a snake yet keep her hand with her drink still, not spilling a drop. I’m actually impressed! My eyes dart around the room, trying to gauge what the hell is going on here. Why would he bring me here if he already has girl???

Finally she breaks off and slides over to me, “Hi, Danni with an I, wanna make out?”

I blink, rapidly, “Um, no, I’m good, but, uh, thank you for the offer though.”

She smiles, “Okay! If you change your mind I’ll be around!”

She flounced away and I looked to Mark, quietly questioning, “Exactly what kind of Christmas party is this? Why am I even here?!?”

He chucked, “It’s a swingers party and you can’t come alone. You NEED to bring a date, you know for the numbers. C’mon, this will be fun.”

I look at him feeling myself turn red. “Wait a minute, I bought a fucking new outfit for this?!? I put goddamn makeup on! You fucking asshole! Look, I could give two shits about what you do, honestly, we aren’t involved like that but why involve me? Could you not find someone else to bring? For fuck’s sake!”

Mark stared at me, having the NERVE to arch a brow, “Cursing really? You know swearing is for people not intelligent enough to come up with a better word. Besides, don’t be a prude, look walk around and find someone you find interesting or hot. There are a lot of people here, like it’s not that hard.”

I close my eyes and as bad as I want to hit him, curse him out, I refrain. Oh, he will pay, just later when there aren’t about a hundred witnesses who can fill out a police report. I take a breath and walk away, back to the front door. I look at the keys, but they all look the same, how would I know which is which. I guess I could take them all but what if someone wants to leave. I step out to the front steps.

Honestly, this could not have happened on a worse night. I can’t call Matt, he’s finally on a date with his current dream girl and my parents at that work party. I close my eyes, take a breath to reign in my anxiety that is sky rocketing and first I try Allura. But, duh, she’s at the movies with Romelle and probably turned her phone off. Shit. My eyes fill with tears but I refuse to let them fall. I take a deep breath, trying Hunk instead another coworker. Straight to voicemail. Shit he might be sleeping.

I look at my contacts and realize, I don’t have a long list of people to call. I sit and sigh, okay no matter how embarrassing I could always get an Uber. I schedule one but because I’m so far it will take about an hour. I walk around to the back and sit on a chair in the dark corner of the backyard. Sitting, I let my finger hover over the last name to try. Here goes nothing. Hanging up I text a short message. What the hell do I have to lose at this point.

I sit. And sit. I don’t know how many girls and guys I rebuff but something about a person not wanting to hook up makes people want to hook up with you apparently. Jeesh, in my real life, no one wanted to date me now everyone was trying to have sex with me. WTF?

Sighing I look at my phone, and crap, it looks like all my surfing has killed my battery. Suddenly a very naked Mark and a different Mrs. Claus come up to me.

Mrs. Claus giggles out, “Hey if you’re nervous, you could totally hook up with my husband. He’s the hot elf over there, standing on the edge of the pool and hot tub. It will be fun! Then if we like, we could continue next week!!” She giggles a lot and I try not to be rude.

“Thank you for that kind offer, but I’m good.”

She shrugs, “Sure thing baby, but aren’t you bored. Marky said you were shy and um, a novice. Don’t be afraid.”

Mark turns and Pidge can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Only for some guy in his boxers to edge into her space. “Darlin’, you-me-, it’s written in the stars baby.”

I groan, “Nope. You misread them, thank tho.”

Usually once I say no, they just move on. But nope, not this one. “Don’t be a prude. Sex is very natural. It’s elemental. It’s like essential. You need me baby!!”

Really, that’s his line? I shake my head no, but now we’ve got a crowd. I hear people interject how I’m falling into societies lanes and I must be a virgin because I’m sitting by myself. Then I hear people say I should be grateful and oh my gosh, yep, I’ve been transported back to high school. Except I’m not a self conscious kid anymore and I don’t give a fuck what they think about me. But, I’ll be damned if I don’t respond. No one pushes me or pressures me to do something I don’t want to. And I’ve never just gone with the crowd cuz it was easier, not then, not now.

I hear a roar and suddenly all attention is lost on me. I decided to leave before my temper actually erupts. I quickly move towards the gate to get the hell out of here. I’d rather walk home then stay here. Fuck Mark and his party. I might actually brainstorm with Allura and Romelle on a way to get back at him. Something embarrassing.

As I walk away I hear Mark yelling my name, “Katie! Katie! Don’t walk away! You need to expand your senses and life. Don’t be scared. There is so much I could teach you. Don’t be such a prude!”

Laughter.

Well fuck him. Now I’m pissed. I’m not scared. I just don’t want to do this. Yet, who does he think he is telling me what I should do. As if. And what if he did this to other girls, who weren’t able to say no? I turn around and calmly but loudly state, while looking straight at him, “Look, don’t act like I’m the scared one. Who didn’t tell me where they were taking me. If this was a scene I was into, fine. And believe me, I will sleep with whoever I want. I just don’t want to sleep with you nor do I have anything to prove to anyone. But if and when I see a guy or girl for that matter, that I’d like to fuck, then I would. So, shut up, cause Marky you’re just not it.”

I could hear murmurs and then Mark yelling, and his feet slapping on the ground. Ughhhhh. One thing I could be thankful for is seeing him naked, cuz ick. He has no muscle definition and oh my God, I cannot wait to tell Allura how he looks like he waxes cuz he has no hair anywhere on his body.

I turn to walk away and see a guy who I have HAD the luxury of day dreaming about striding towards me with an shit eating smirk. Well, shit, of course. My eyes closes but it doesn’t stop my from seeing him behind my eyes. His hair is slightly matted from his helmet which means the roar must have been his Harley. He has one of his many black t-shirts on with his favorite leather jacket over it. His jeans are well worn and faded not those designer ones that only look used. He has on his riding boots, which of course give him another inch or so of height. Which he loves. Opening my eyes I see him about 6 feet away and I see he still has his riding gloves on.

I determinedly walk towards him only to hear Mark scream, his feet slapping, or at least I hope it’s his feet. He yells, “Yeah right, you prude-like you would ever-“

I reach said hot guy and say, “I’m kissing you in two seconds. One, two.”

I fist my hand in his shirt and pull him closer to me. Except he doesn’t move, so I look up into his eyes and arch a brow, he arches his, which causes me to roll my eyes and I open my mouth to tell him to go to hell when grins. With his hands on my hips pulls me into his hard body, throwing me off balance. I slip my arms around him lift my head and his lips slam onto mine. Ok, point proven. Yet, as I lean back to break the kiss, I feel two arms encompass me, hold me close and reposition me.

His mouth re-angles on mine, I feel myself lifted on my tip toes. Omg, the heat of his body is amazing. I didn’t even realize I was cold sitting out here but against his body I felt like was next to a heater. His tongue pushes past my lips and, well, I stopped thinking for a full minute, hell maybe minutes. It was that good of a kiss. Shit. His tongue stroked mine, made me shiver and then he nipped my lip causing a groan. I literally could feel him smile and I was going to move back when his hand fisted in my hair and he started to kiss my neck and holy crap! I think my knees buckled but it didn’t matter because he picked me up and my legs were suddenly wrapped around his waist. His hands were supporting my weight but I think they were actually under my dress. My hands were in his hair and digging into his shoulder respectively. Well. Hell.

I don’t know how long that went on for when suddenly I hear Mark right next to us yelling, “That’s enough.”

Slowly pulling back, his gravelly voice questions, “Outta here or are we continuing the show? Just to be clear, I’m good with either decision.” He then arches that fucking brow.

Face flaming, I whisper, “Let’s go. Please.”

Eyes on me, he nods. “What’s asshole’s name?”

“Mark.”

Nodding he raises his voice, “Hey Mark, fuck off and if I ever see you again, you’re dead.”

A girl in just a string bikini bottom steps in front of us, drawing our attention. Her hand is gliding down her chest when she looks right at him, throatily murmuring, “Wanna upgrade?”

He laughs, “Um already did. Let’s go Pidge.”

He moves his hands and I lower my legs. He instantly laces his fingers with mine and pulls me to the path back to the front. “Keith! You can’t say that! You know about Mark being dead meat.”

“Just did.”

“Why, what, are you even doing here?”

As he places his helmet on my head and carefully tightens the straps, “I saw Shiro’s phone buzz, so I looked. It seemed like something that couldn’t wait. So here I am.”

Blinking I nod, “Okay. I said I had an Uber coming.”

“Saw, don’t care. I, um, didn’t like the idea of you being here when you didn’t want to be. So yeah, deal.”

“But why didn’t you respond?”

“I pinged your location to my phone and left. Didn’t think about it honestly.”

“What if I was gone?”

He shrugged as we approached his bike, which was on the lawn! “As long as you were safe.”

He then takes off his coat, slipping it around my shoulders, “Arms in, it’s cold when we start moving.” Eyes on her legs, fingers play with her skirt, brushing her thighs. “I can’t do anything about your legs though. Let me know if you need a break. We can stop as often as you need.”

I nod, and as we drive into the night, my arms tight around his waist, I can’t help but smile. Keith Fucking Kogane. Damn this boy can kiss. Maybe there is hope for my love life after all. I feel his hand cover my hand on his abdomen, squeeze and drift down to my leg. I squeeze him a little tighter and I know it’s just my imagination but I swear I can hear his laughter.

My hero.

#katie holt #keith kogane #kidge #alternate realities

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dramioneasks · 4 years

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HP FESTS: Strictly Dramione (Part 6)

Strictly Dramione Valentine’s Day Fic Exchange Fest 2020:

Busted Valentine by Anonymous - G, one-shot - Draco and Hermione find themselves stuck together on Valentine’s Day.

The Secret Admirer by Anonymous - M, one-shot - When the Ministry mandates mail boxes be put on the outside of everyone’s offices for a Valentine’s Day valentine exchange, single and proud Hermione Granger cannot contain her hatred of the idea. But when a surprise greets her on the most love-filled day of the year, she can’t help but be transported back to her Hogwart’s days and a certain secret admirer. Voldemort died/no horcruxes AU. Rivalry between Slytherins and Gryffindor was just house pride based.

Item Number Seventeen: Complete by Anonymous - E, one-shot - Ticking off another item from their list, Hermione has a surprise in store for her husband on Valentines Day.

It Was Always You, Falling For Me by Anonymous - E, WIP - It was nothing.It was a game.Yes, a silly little game, played by silly people who, in spite of their differences, often came together to drown their grief in excessive amounts of firewhiskey and spiked butterbeer.The first time Hermione Granger kissed Draco Malfoy she hadn’t known it was him.She couldn’t reiterate enough: It was a game, nothing more; one she hadn’t particularly wanted to take part in (but she was buzzed and glad to prove a point).

A Proper Field Agent by Anonymous - E, one-shot - Hermione and Draco go undercover as a married couple on a Valentine's/honeymoon retreat to a Beauty Expo in Las Vegas to take down Marcus Flint and his Squib trafficking ring.

It Could Be Good by Anonymous - E, one-shot - Sent in search of a lost city, Hermione and Draco fall under the spell of elemental magic in ways neither expected but both welcomed.

The Proposal by Anonymous - G, one-shot - Hermione and Draco discuss their options after they've been matched by the Ministry in a marriage law.

In Your Dreams by Anonymous - T, one-shot - When Draco agreed to test a new product for Fred and George before Valentine's Day, he had no idea what he was getting himself into. But it just might change his life.

An Unexpected Evening by Anonymous - G, 5 chapters - Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have worked together for the past year to bring Death Eater's to justice. Neither of them knew they'd have a date for Valentine's Day, but plans change, and opportunities are created.

Implicit Intentions by Anonymous - M, one-shot - When words can't properly express the way they feel, Hermione and Draco rely on body language to guide them through an unspoken relationship. Unfortunately, sometimes communication is key.

The Last First Kiss by Anonymous - E, one-shot - “You’ve been avoiding me.”She stepped out of his presence and hummed. “You know why.”“Granger— ”“Oh look,” she crossed her arms and tilted her head in the direction of the common room door where Harry and his girlfriend Daphne had just entered alongside Daphne’s little sister, Draco’s betrothed. One Astoria Greengrass, who’d been kept home to finish her last year of schooling so that she could finish the lessons that would prepare her for a life as a pureblooded society wife. Draco’s pureblooded society wife.“Here's the reason why.”

Thank Luna Later by Anonymous - G, one-shot - Luna has an existential crisis and decides that the way to solve it is by getting Draco and Hermione together. Part of the 2020 Strictly Dramione Valentine's Fest.

Make It Real by Anonymous - T, one-shot - They were just pretending. And then they got stuck together. What now?

Love With Me by Anonymous - M, one-shot - Draco and Hermione make amends during 8th year. Feelings develop, but who will be the first to admit it?

Worshiping at the Alter of You by Anonymous - E, one-shot - Draco Malfoy is certain of only one thing: that his wife is a goddess and its his job to worship at her feet.

Her Secret Admirer by Anonymous - T, one-shot - Valentine's Day is coming up and Hermione has discovered she has a secret admirer. What will they gift her next! Written for the Strictly Dramione Valentine's Day Fic Exchange, 2020.

Getting Ready by Anonymous - T, one-shot - If Draco Malfoy is her boyfriend, why is Hermione Granger going to the Valentine’s Gala alone?

Crash Into Me by Anonymous - E, one-shot - Hermione runs into a familiar-looking blonde on a particularly bad day. At her wit's end, she throws herself into his arms and kisses him soundly. Surely he can pretend to be her boyfriend for a minute right? What's the worst that could happen?

Picking Daisies by Anonymous - not rated, one-shot - Draco is obsessed with Hermione, but she won't even look his way. But that doesn't matter, because Malfoys always get what they want... One way or another.

A Valentine's Day Ghost Story by Anonymous - not rated, one-shot - The torch was passed to the new generation. Can those lost in history be found?

This Day by Anonymous - T, one-shot - She pursed her lips, “ha bloody ha, I too have no date. But misery loves company, so we can get drunk together.”“Granger, I think you may be drunk already.”She waved him off as she drank more, “Potato, potahto. As long as I’m drunk, I hate this day.”

Half Crazy by Anonymous - G, one-shot - When the Ministry hosts a Valentine's Day exchange, Hermione has strong feelings about participating. Draco, unsure of the reception, also has feelings of a completely different variety.

Stuck in the Middle by Anonymous - M, one-shot - Harry Potter plays matchmaker for Valentine's Day and chaos ensues.

As You Wish by Anonymous - M, one-shot - "A Ministry-mandated Valentine’s disco/networking/fancy-dress event? It’s pathetic! And besides, Valentine’s Day is the worst holiday of the year.” A chorus of groans and ‘oh come now’s’ came from around the table of Hermione’s DMLE co-workers.“No, it’s true!” she said, “It does nothing but put enormous pressure on people to make grand romantic gestures, buy gifts and flowers and stupid cards, while making others feel terrible because they haven’t anyone to buy them for. And if you’re in a relationship, it’s inevitable that at least one partner feels obligated to go out - to some packed to the gills restaurant with run-off-their-feet waitstaff and a pedestrian three course, prix fixe menu marked up 50% because it includes a glass of shitty South African sparkling wine and a straggly red rose at one of the place settings! And I won’t even get into the sexism that underpins it all. The whole thing infuriates me.”“You not get any cards this year, Granger?” Draco Malfoy’s drawl sounded from behind her as he approached the table with a fresh round of drinks.“Fuck off, Malfoy,” she said reflexively.

Six Hours to Midnight by Anonymous - E, one-shot - With little else planned for the most romantic day of the year, Hermione Granger is begrudgingly dragged to the Greengrass Valentine Masquerade. But as she assumes her new persona, she can't help but run into Draco Malfoy again and again...and again.

Thunderstruck by Anonymous - T, one-shot - "Even a tiny bit of deceit is dishonourable when it's used for selfish or cowardly reasons." Jeanne Birdsall Draco Malfoy is deceiving himself, lying to his son, and existing in a bubble of misery and loneliness. He yearns for love, for companionship, for something to make him feel anything but the sadness that consumes him. When his truly Slytherin friends turn to Hermione Granger, will she pick up their subtle clues and offer to help him? A story of new beginnings, second chances, falling in love, and air guitars.

Together is a Wonderful Place to be by Anonymous - T, one-shot - When an old flame returns to town, can Hermione put their troubles in the past and start over?

Howlers and Pearls by Anonymous - M, one-shot - They are just friends. Until some bad dates and insightful friends make them reconsider

Strictly Dramione - Valentine’s Day Fest 2021:

Platonic Roommates Will Never Be A Thing by StrawberryBrownies - E, one-shot - A typical day of drunken brunch and drunken Quidditch with friends turns into more than Hermione could have hoped for.

My Favourite Book by LaBelladoneX - M, 4 chapters - What do two Slytherins, a Gryffindor, a Time-Turner, and a vat of Polyjuice have in common? No? Well, let’s just say they have the power to make Blaise Zabini a very, very satisfied wizard, Dean Thomas a wealthy one, and Draco Malfoy even more in love with Hermione Granger than ever before. This story also reveals the identity of Draco’s favourite book. Any ideas what it might be? Let me give you some clues, okay? It’s not to be found in the libraries of Malfoy Manor, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or Sunnydale High School. You also won’t find it at the Bodleian Library at Oxford or The Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Nor can it be located in the home improvements or large print sections of your local libraries. But you might just find it sitting behind a desk on Level One of the British Ministry of Magic, pining away, and wishing Seamus Finnigan would just drop dead. Written for Strictly Dramione’s Valentine’s Fest 2021

Hands Up by SlytherinHermione - E, one-shot - It's Valentine's Day and Professor Hermione Granger still doesn't have a gift for her boyfriend.In her mid-thirties and a single mom, the thought of having a boyfriend makes her giddy... The fact that said boyfriend is Professor Draco Malfoy, well that causes a whole different slew of reactions.She wants to spend the rest of her life with him, but she's still keeping certain aspects of herself secret. Maybe showing him her deepest desires might be the perfect gift...

Will You Be My Valentine? by Snowflake_Dazzle - T, one-shot - The Valentine's Day Dance is coming up and there is one person Hermione wants to go with. But Draco hates being back at Hogwarts and doesn't want to do anything more than just survive.

We Can't Be Friends by psiphifan - E, one-shot - Draco Malfoy has been a widower for two years and his mother is pushing him towards suitable second wives. Hermione Granger has been divorced for over a year, but as Minister for Magic, she has little time for dalliances outside of work. What happens when they both happen to venture into the muggle world on Valentine's Day weekend in 2021?

Divinyl Intervention by Elliac77 - E, one-shot - Hermione and Ginny embark on a mission to find Hermione a man. When the perfect man is found, it seems he needs a little convincing. Will their ‘staged intervention’ succeed?Written for the Strictly Dramione Valentine's Fest 2021Prompts : “I am way too sober for this” / “Can you two get a room please?”

Exeunt, Pursued by Bear by Maira - M, one-shot - “If I see one more bloody pink bear, I’ll bloody well decapitate it.”Wherein Draco Malfoy visits multiple bars, encounters fruity cocktails, and falls into Hermione Granger's lap. On Valentine's Day. Because, of course.Written for the Strictly Dramione Valentines Fest 2021.

Unexpected Champagne by rowbee - G, one-shot - Hermione wants to spread the love this Valentine’s and a too-helpful Draco might’ve made it more exciting for unsuspecting people.

5 Million Galleons by Sexidebater - G, one-shot - Submission for the "STRICTLY DRAMIONE - VALENTINE’S FEST 2021" Prompt chosen: "I am way too sober for this."Pansy has roped Hermione into a charity auction where a Valentines Date with Hermione is the prize to the highest bidder. What does Hermione's V-Day look like when Draco drops 5 million galleons for her hand in date? Absolute fluff that will leave you wanting more!

Haste by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - no summary

Linger by Lostinthenightrain - M, one-shot - It's too early to get up.

This fest is ongoing.

#strictly dramione #Fests/Exchanges/Challenges

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bellemorte180 · 4 years

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Little Love

If it wasn't for the court ordered custody order, Caroline and Klaus probably would have killed each other. While they tried to be civil for their daughter, it wasn't easy. However, after a night in the Emergency Room something softened between the two of them. Slowly thing began to change and maybe....just maybe...they can see beyond the hatred they built up for one another.

Written for Klaroline Week. Day 4 Enemies to Lovers

Thank you @klaroline-events, for putting this all together

Caroline tapped her highlighter against her notebook. Everything was organized precisely and she marked each foot note with a specific color. She glanced at the article on the screen and smiled. It was perfect and finished a head of schedule. Glancing at the clock which were blaring the number 9:15 pm, and noticed that she had just under three hours left before she had to have it submitted in order for it to make the morning paper. She flipped through her notes again, triple checking that everything she had was correct. Caroline was not a journalist who printed mistakes and she hated doing redactions. They were embarrassing.

Caroline was lost in thought that she did not hear the creaking of her home office door or the patter of feet coming up to her. It wasn’t until a small hand tapped her on the arm that caused her to jumped slightly.

“Mommy? I don’t feel good.” Caroline looked down at her six-year-old daughter, Lizzie, and sighed. The little girl was clutching the pink unicorn that her aunt had gifted her as a baby and she rarely let go of. She had curly blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples that Caroline despised who they had originated from. Lizzie had trouble sleeping and at times simply could not just go to sleep no matter how hard Caroline tried to put her down. Caroline had more than one late night just trying to get her to close her eyes. It had been awhile since Lizzie refused to sleep but on occasion, she had bursts of insomnia.

“What’s wrong baby?” She put on her best mom voice and knelt beside her. She felt her daughter’s head and realized that she was warm. Very warm. This was more than just not being able to sleep and wanting her mother’s attention. “What hurts?”

“My head. It won’t stop thumping.” Lizzie replied, rubbing her ear as she went. Caroline stood and held out her arms. Lizzie early crawled into them, allowing Caroline to pick her up. Despite the fact that her daughter was growing very quickly and probably would be taller than Caroline one day, Caroline could lift her easily. Lizzie was a very active child with a very picky appetite that it was difficult for Caroline to convince her to eat three solid complete meals a day. While she was not underweight by any means, she was still a skinny child.

Caroline carried Lizzie into the bathroom and sat her down on the counter. She fished through the cabinet and pulled out the child’s thermometer that she spent way too much money on. She had to ensure that it was accurate and it had not let her down yet. She stuck the thermometer under Lizzie’s tongue and waited the few seconds before pulling it out.

103.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Caroline could feel her heart begin to beat faster and the slight panic well up in her chest. Her daughter just didn’t have a fever, she had a high fever. She could tell that her daughter was not feeling the best and decided to try and calm herself before making matter worse. Lizzie had a tendency to overreact and throw a tantrum when she was scared…or hurt…or angry…or very happy.

It was a trait Caroline insisted that Lizzie did not inherit from her.

“Lizzie, we are going put some clothes on and take a drive okay?”

“I don’t want to go for a drive.” Lizzie whined but Caroline persisted.

“I know but we have to.” Caroline picked Lizzie back up and walked into her daughter’s bedroom. She pulled out a pair of small black leggings, a large shirt and sweatshirt. Lizzie dressed with minimal protest, which told Caroline exactly how sick her child was and put on a pair sock and small sneakers on her feet. Once dressed, Caroline quickly slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed her own sweatshirt; still being dressed from her day.

She picked up Lizzie and left the town house she rented in the middle of Richmond, Virginia. She strapped Lizzie into her booster seat and ran around the car and slipped into the driver’s seat. Once she was down the road, heading towards the hospital, she glanced back to see that Lizzie had drifted off slightly; her pink unicorn still clutched tightly to her chest. Caroline reached for her phone, which was in the back pocket of her jeans and dialed. It rang three times before clicking to voicemail.

Scowling, Caroline hung up and dialed again but this time it only rang once before the voicemail picked up.

“Klaus, I know you hate hearing from me but if you do not call me back in three seconds, I will rain hell down on you. Do you understand?” While it probably wasn’t the best way to leave a message, Caroline was stressed and having to call Klaus was never a pleasant experience in her opinion. If he did not call her back, she would try again….and again….and again until he got so irritated with her, he would have to pick up the phone. Klaus must have been thinking along the same lines because less than a minute later, his name popped up on her caller ID.

"I’m working Caroline.” Working, right. That was code for painting in Klaus’s book. While Caroline would admit that Klaus was a talented artist, he owned an art gallery that showed other people’s art and she was willing to bet that was not a gallery show at 9:30 on a Wednesday night.

Okay, maybe she wasn’t willing to bet that, because art showings could happen on a weeknight, but that was beside the point.

“Yeah, well I’m driving your daughter to the emergency room so I win.”

“Lizzie?” Klaus’s voice changed from one of irritation to worry. There was a softness to it that Caroline rarely heard from him; possibly because it was never really directed at her. She heard it when the spoke to their daughter but he rarely treated her with the same affection. “What is wrong?”

“She woke up complaining about her head hurting. She was hot to the touch and had a fever of 103.” Caroline replied and Klaus hissed.

“Did you give her anything?”

“The moment I took her temp, I put her in this car and called you.”

“What was she like before? Was she not feeling well before you put her to bed?” Caroling grind her teeth. She hated when Klaus gave her the holier than thou attitude when it came to their daughter. She knew how to care for her child and while she would say that Klaus is a good father, being a shitty human being notwithstanding, she did not need him questioning her parenting skills.

“She was fine. She watched Frozen a million times, played with her pink unicorn, picked at her dinner, and talked nonstop about what she wants for her birthday, despite the fact it’s like six months away.”

“She picked at her dinner? Did she eat anything at all?”

“Oh, don’t give me that Klaus. You and I both know that our daughter is the pickiest eater on the planet. I was able to get her to eat a few chicken nuggets and some broccoli.”

“Lizzie loves chicken nuggets.”

“Not tonight she didn’t.” Klaus had no reply because he knew that Caroline was right. Lizzie had a tendency to love one food and then hate it the next day. It was a never-ending game of guessing which foods she would eat on a day to day basis. The fact that Caroline was able to convince Lizzie to eat a couple pieces of broccoli was a major win.

“What hospital?”

“Chippenham.”

“I’ll see you there.” Klaus hung up the phone and Caroline tossed hers onto the passenger side seat. She glanced in the back and saw that her daughter was still sleeping. Despite the fact that it was hard for Klaus and Caroline to have a civil conversation, they generally tried not to fight in front of her. So, the rarely spoke to each other outside of text messages. They didn’t even provide the transportation to and from each other’s houses, relying on Klaus’s sister Rebekah to both pick up Lizzie and drop her off at their respective homes.

Caroline had no problem with that arrangement because she actually liked Rebekah.

Klaus and Caroline met through a mutual friend; sort of. Caroline’s friend Katherine had been dating Klaus’s brother Elijah and the two met at their New Year’s Eve party one year. One to many vodka-cranberries had Caroline running off with Klaus to his apartment and was in his bed before the clock struck midnight. But their romantic interlude only happened once.

Okay, several times but it was only one night.

When Caroline discovered she was pregnant, she first thing she did was have Katherine give her Klaus’s number. She told him the news and he flipped his shit. He didn’t believe her at first and it wasn’t until she took an in-utero DNA test that confirmed he was the father that he started believing her. However, their relationship did not improve. Caroline wondered if he would have even stepped up and been there for his child if it hadn’t been for Elijah kicking his ass to do the right thing. In the back of her mind, she knew that was not a fair thought but none-the-less, Klaus was a right jack ass to her at first.

And Caroline still couldn’t believe Katherine dumped Elijah for Mason Lockwood. Complete downgrade in Caroline’s opinion.

The relationship between Klaus and Caroline did not improve with time. They both had a temper and it clashed with the best of them. However, there were small moments when the two could come together for the sake of their daughter. He was with her during labor and she still remembered when Klaus held Lizzie for the first time. He even bought her a small silver bracelet with Lizzie’s birthstone inside it in order to celebrate the birth of their daughter.

He didn’t even fight her on wanting to name Lizzie after her mother who had died when Caroline was a teenager.

But then there were times where he was vindictive and just down right cruel. When Caroline started dating Tyler Lockwood for a while, Klaus flat out refused to allow Lizzie around him. Granted, Caroline was not about introduce her daughter to some stranger but Klaus hated Tyler with a passion that baffled Caroline. She had to point out that he had women in and out of his life that she didn’t feel was a good example for Lizzie.

It was a back and forth tug of war between the two of them. When the relationship between Caroline and Tyler fizzled out (which she partly blamed Klaus for), Klaus was far to smug for her liking. He also liked to mention whichever girlfriend he was with to just annoy her as much as possible.

f it wasn’t for their court ordered custody agreement, Caroline was sure that they would have killed each other by now.

They came to a week on week off agreement with Rebekah providing the transportation; with Elijah as an alternate if Rebekah was not available. There was no way in hell Caroline trusted Kol in a car with her child. Klaus and Caroline actually agreed on that fact. The two had little to no contact directly with one another outside of emergencies and the few activities their daughter was in. During those times they could at least pretend to be civil.

Sometimes.

When Caroline pulled into the hospital parking lot, she gently got Lizzie out of the car and walked her into the emergency room hospital. By the time the nurses were checking her in and Caroline was filling out the necessary paperwork, Lizzie curled up in her lap; refusing to let go of her mother, Caroline’s phone buzzed to let her know that Klaus was parking his ridiculous expensive car. He must have sped the entire way but Caroline couldn’t blame him. She would have done the same thing in his position. She saw him all but run in, his eyes darting around, looking for her.

“Klaus.” Caroline called and his eyes snapped toward her. She eyed him up and down as he made his way over to them. His hair was a complete disaster, probably from pulling at it due to stress. He was in a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt that had seen better days. He was covered in paint, which confirmed to Caroline that he had indeed been working on his latest project.

“How is she?”

“She slept pretty much the entire way here but she is still warm. The nurses said it’s a quiet night so it shouldn’t take to terribly long to take her back.” Klaus nodded and saw that she will filling out paperwork.

“Here, let me take her.” Klaus reached over and took Lizzie from her arms, which Caroline was grateful for because it made filling out the forms much easier.

“Daddy?” Lizzie woke up slowly and gave Klaus a small smile, the dimples they shared showing on her cheeks.

“Hey little love, how are you feeling?”

“Not good.” Lizzie wrapped her arms around Klaus and buried her head in his neck. Caroline couldn’t help but give a small smile. No matter her feelings about Klaus, she had to admit that it melted her heart to see her daughter interact with her father. “Will you stay with me?”

“I wouldn’t leave you for the world.”

“Shit.” Caroline hissed out and closed her eyes. She brought the clipboard to her head and rested her forehead against it.

“Mommy, that’s an Uncle Kol word.” Caroline couldn’t help but crack a small smile at that and Klaus outright laughed. Lizzie narrowed her eyes at the two of them, not liking that they where laughing at her. “Well it is!”

“That’s right and what do we say about Uncle Kol.” Klaus asked.

“Ignore him because he is always wrong.”

“That’s right.” Klaus stated and looked over to Caroline. “What’s wrong?”

“I forgot her insurance card.” Caroline scowled. It was not like her to forget things. She typically was always on top of everything that she double checked and triple checked if she had what she needed when she left the house; but this time she was in such a rush that she didn’t think to check. “And my entire wallet actually.”

“Here.” Klaus shifted and pulled out his wallet. He opened it and pulled out his copy of the card. For a split second, he saw a picture of Lizzie in his wallet and she smiled at that. “Use mine. It should be up to date. And I’ll take care of the bill to when we check out, so don’t worry about that.”

“Thank you.” Caroline muttered. She hadn’t thought about the hospital copay. Klaus was good for it and she knew that but money had been a touchy subject with them for a time. When she was pregnant, Klaus accused her of getting pregnant on purpose to take him for money; which Caroline did not do and out of stubbornness, she never once filed for child support, even though she could have used the money at the time; having only been a little over twenty-one when she fell pregnant.

They lapsed into silence and once they were called back into a room. Klaus, who was still holding Lizzie, laid her down upon the bed. She pulled her pink unicorn to her chest and eyed the nurse worryingly. Their daughter was not one who trusted strangers, at all. In fact, she rarely made friends with children her own age because she didn’t trust new people easily.

That and she had a prickly personality.

Something Caroline insists that she got from Klaus.

The nurse checked her temperature and other vitals all the while asking both Klaus and Caroline questions. When Caroline was going over why she brought her in, Klaus did not interrupt once nor scold her for something he would have done differently. The nurse said that the doctor would be in momentarily and slipped out.

Lizzie feel asleep soon after and both Klaus and Caroline lapsed back into silence. Caroline stood from the uncomfortable hospital chair and paced the room. She could feel Klaus’s eyes on her with every movement she made but she could not be sure if it was out of annoyance or sympathy. The silence between them was driving her insane, especially since she was not one who did silence well.

“Thank you.”

“What for Caroline?”

“Coming tonight.”

“She is my daughter. I would drop everything for her.” Klaus replied and Caroline nodded. She could not argue with that and honestly, Caroline did not have it in her to argue. “I hope Haley does not mind that I pulled you out so late.” Granted, it was only a little after ten but still, Haley was a right bitch in Caroline’s opinion.

“Haley?”

“Yeah. You know, your girlfriend.”

“Oh. Haley and I ended things about five months ago.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.” Caroline paused, mainly because she never asked. “Although that explains why Lizzie hasn’t mentioned her in a while.” Lizzie hated Haley. It wasn’t that Haley mistreated Lizzie, Caroline would not stand for that and if she was forced to admit it neither would Klaus, but that Lizzie did not like how Haley babied her. In fact, she was surprised that Lizzie didn’t spill those beans the moment she learned that Klaus gave her the boot. Secret keeping was not Lizzie’s strong suit. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. That entire relationship was a train wreck.” Caroline snorted at that. She didn’t like Haley the moment she met her over a year ago. Caroline could not explain why but there was something that just drove Caroline insane when she saw them together. “You can say it Caroline. I know you want to.”

“I told you so.” Klaus just rolled his eyes at her. She smiled lightly. The knowledge that his relationship with Haley was over made her feel slightly better. It was petty but Caroline didn’t care. “What happened? I mean, never mind. None of my business.”

“No. It’s fine.” For a moment, Caroline wanted to ask if he was feeling alright. He usually got annoyed if Caroline pried too much. Which she honestly didn’t do that often, only when she was concerned with who Klaus brought around Lizzie. “I caught her tampering with her birth control.” Caroline whipped around and gave Klaus a shocked looked. In fact, Caroline was certain that her eyes were bulging out of her head. “Yeah. I had the same exact look except add in my temper.”

“Well, fuck.”

“That’s an Uncle Kol word, Caroline.”

“Bite me.” She shook her head. “Seriously? Like, Seriously?”

“Yup.” Klaus nodded. “She thought that if she got pregnant and gave me a baby, then I would stop spending all my time with Lizzie during my weeks. She didn’t like the fact that Lizzie came first.” He paused. “Because she does you know. I know I was irritated when you called me tonight but Lizzie does come first for me. Always and forever.”

“I know that Klaus and I’ve never doubted that. Not once.” Klaus gave her an incredulous look as though he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. Caroline sighed and sat back down in the empty chair. She knew this was probably the most honest conversation they have had in a very long time. “You’re a good dad Klaus. No matter what our relationship is like, I know that when it comes to Lizzie, you’ll be there.”

Before either one of them could say anything else, the doctor came in and looked at the small patient who was still clutching her unicorn as though her life depended upon it. An ear infection. When the doctor told them that it wasn’t anything life threatening, because in the back of Caroline’s mind she was certainly obsessing that it was, they both let out a sigh of relief. The doctor prescribed some antibiotics and sent them home. Lizzie slept through the majority of everything, which was very much unlike her. Klaus checked them out while Caroline took their sleeping daughter to her car, with a promise that she would let Klaus say goodbye to her before driving off. When she saw Klaus striding across the parking lot to her car, he had something in his hand that Caroline would have freaked out when she discovered it was missing.

A bright pink unicorn.

“Thank you! If she would have woke up without that…”

“It would have been the end of the world as we know it.” Klaus joked but they both knew how true that statement would have been. Lizzie would have thrown a fit, especially since she was sick. When Lizzie threw a tantrum, it was not a pretty sight. It also took Caroline by surprise that Klaus brought the unicorn to her and not hid it, making her suffer Lizzie’s meltdown. If she would have been in Klaus’s position, Caroline never would have done it but most certainly would have thought about it. Klaus gave her soft smile before crawling into the back of her car in order to kiss the top of Lizzie’s head. “I love you, little love.”

Klaus climbed out of the back, closed the door and looked at Caroline. A small awkward moment passed between them and the way Klaus was looking at her made her believe that there was something he wanted to say to her. Klaus was not one to mince his words and always said what was on his mind. The fact that he was staying silent worried Caroline.

“Well, goodnight.” She moved to walk around her car but Klaus stopped her.

“Caroline…” He paused, looking for the words but Caroline could tell he chickened out. “Will you call me in the morning? Let me know how she is doing?”

“Of course.” The shared a small smile and Caroline climbed into her car. Klaus stood in the parking lot, watching her drive off; a move that she was not sure exactly what to make of. By the time she got home, it was well after midnight. When she was getting ready to get into bed for the few hours of sleep before Lizzie woke, she noticed that she had a message from Klaus on her phone.

Thank you for your honesty.

The changes were subtle. At first, everything remained the same. They communicated by text message and Rebekah picked Lizzie up and dropped her off. There was something in Rebekah’s demeanor though whenever she looked at Caroline. A small smirk or an all-knowing glance that infuriated Caroline. If she didn’t have a stable understanding with Lizzie’s aunt, she would have called her out on it but she refrained.

Caroline needed to be on good terms with at least one Mikaelson.

However, the messages from Klaus were different. Friendlier. Gone were the snarky comments and explosive unfounded accusations. Instead, he added pleasantries that Caroline was convinced were absent from his vocabulary. He wished her good morning before asking about their daughter and every night he told her goodnight after every phone call with Lizzie. She would never admit it but each time, Caroline felt her stomach flutter ever so slight; but she would deny it upon pain of death.

Soon enough, just communicating by text message stopped. Klaus would call her when he wanted to check in on Lizzie. Their conversations were strictly about her but eventually they moved onto more personal topics. It started with Klaus complementing her on an article she had written. Caroline was unsure what surprised her more, the fact that he read one of her articles or that he agreed with her opinion.

There were times that Klaus would call her out of the blue with something that had nothing to do with Lizzie. He called when their daughter was at school and during times that he knew Caroline would be available, such as her lunch break or the hour she had before Lizzie got off the bus. The cordial relationship they built took months but Caroline found that it was far more pleasant than arguing every time they had to speak to one another. It baffled her at first but Caroline felt that if Klaus was going to put in the effort to be more pleasant with her, than she was not going to be the one who messed that up.

Her pride would not allow it; because that was all it was. Pride. Nothing more. Nope. Not at all.

Then one day when it was time for the exchange of custody, Caroline opened her front door to find, not Rebekah but Klaus. It had been months since Lizzie had her ear infection and she had not seen him in person since. They spoke almost everyday but actually seeing him in person took Caroline off guard. If anyone were to ask her about the blush heating up her skin, she would deny it.

“Lizzie, your dad’s here!” Caroline stepped aside and allowed Klaus to enter the house. His eyes darted around, taking in the pictures in her entry hall. She realized that this was the first time he had actually step foot inside her house. He had always known where she lived, and had been in the backyard but he had never actually been inside it. Caroline was tempted to ask why he had come but decided against it. “Would you like something to drink? Lizzie is probably still deciding which friend her unicorn would like to come with.”

Klaus snorted at that.

“If could be ages before that decision is made.”

“Coffee?” Klaus nodded and followed her into the kitchen. He looked around and smirked at the insane amount of organization her home had. He had known Caroline was a neat freak and had a case of OCD that she would deny, but seeing it so ingrained in her home was humorous to him; but he was wise enough to keep his comments to himself. At least he knew where Lizzie got her obsession that everything be neat and orderly from, because it certainly was not him. “How do you take it?”

“Black.”

“Of course, you do.” Klaus raised his eyebrows in question but Caroline just rolled her eyes in response. She made his coffee and gave it to him. “While you’re here, it would be a good time for us to talk.”

“About?”

“A special day for a special someone.”

“Ah. Yes. That.” Klaus took a sip of his coffee. “I can’t believe she is going to be seven.”

“Right?” Caroline shook her head. It felt like yesterday that Lizzie was an infant, screaming at the top of her lungs demanding that the world pay attention to her. Since Lizzie’s first birthday, it was the one day that both Klaus and Caroline tried to be on their best behavior because neither one of them wanted to ruin Lizzie’s day by the two of them bickering. “She wants a party. I was thinking we could do it the second weekend of September? Its technically not on her birthday but Rebekah mentioned that she was going out of town for work and I know she would hate to miss it.”

“That should be fine. Theme?” Klaus

“Princess.”

“Of course. What else would it be?” Klaus drawled out. “I mean, what else would the daughter of, oh what was it?” He paused for dramatic effect. “Oh yes. Miss Mystic Falls. Of course, Lizzie would want something that would require her to wear a tiara.”

“Oh, really? You want to go there?” Caroline laughed at him. “May I remind you that it was not me that bought her that doll house in the form of a castle with a doll that looked identical to her? I don’t think it was me that created this princess obsession.”

“Well, in my defense she is practically royalty.” Caroline just snorted.

“She has you wrapped around her little finger.” Klaus opened his mouth but Caroline pointed at her finger at him, silencing him. Klaus backpedaled and smirked. “And don’t you even try to deny it.”

“Are the two of you getting along?” Both Klaus’s and Caroline’s snapped to the archway that lead into the kitchen. Lizzie was standing there with her hands on her hips and her head cocked. Her blue eyes were darting between the two of them as though she was judging them both; and she probably was. “It’s weird.”

“Elizabeth!” Caroline scolded but Lizzie just rolled her eyes. Caroline could tell that Klaus was holding back a laugh and she just gave him a looked that dared him to laugh out loud. Instead, he just tilted his head toward their daughter as though to say her attitude was all Caroline. She was going to so much fun as a teenager.

“Hi Daddy!” Lizzie skipped over to Klaus and jumped into his lap. He lifted her up easily and kissed the top of her head.

“Hello little love. Are you ready?” Lizzie nodded, causing her blond pigtails to bounce slightly. “Okay, go say goodbye to your mom and we can get going.” Lizzie hopped back down and walked over to Caroline, with her arms open wide. Caroline scoped Lizzie up into a big hug and held her tightly. It was always hard saying goodbye to her daughter for an entire week, even though she knew she would speak to her every day.

“I love you, Lizzie.”

“Love you too.” Lizzie let go and all but flounced over to her father, pulling him by the hand. Klaus laughed and gave Caroline a gentle wave. “Bye mommy!”

“We’ve all noticed it, you know.” Rebekah replied, sipping her non-alcoholic drink while looking at Caroline questioning look. Caroline was very strict about having alcohol at her daughter’s birthday parties. The rule was mainly meant for Kol who at one point, though it was a bright idea to spike a three-year old’s punch at her birthday.

“Noticed what?” Caroline asked, tearing her eyes from Lizzie who was running around with a few other girls her age. There were not a lot of children present, mainly because none of the other Mikaelson siblings had children and Lizzie did not make friends easily.

“That you and Klaus seem, friendly.”

“We have a child together. We should be friendly.”

“That never stopped you before.”

“Rebekah.” Caroline stated in warning.

“What? I’m just pointing out the obvious.” Rebekah tossed her blond curls over her shoulder, glaring at Caroline. “All I’m saying is that we all see it. Klaus no longer wants to throw something at the mention of your name and you don’t have that scowl on your face when you see him.”

“We are trying to be better for Lizzie, Rebekah. That’s all.” Caroline stated and even she didn’t believe was she was saying. “We fought all the time and even though we tried to keep it from Lizzie, she knew we didn’t get along and it hurt her. We’re trying to be better for the sole purpose of making her life easier.”

“Try saying that once more with feeling and I might believe you.” Caroline rolled her eyes. “Look, Klaus could do far worse that you in terms of a relationship. Hell, he has done far worse. Not only do we actually like you and your obsessive tendencies but you are also Lizzie’s mom and that makes you family.” Rebekah paused. “But if you tell anyone I said that I will deny it. Now, I am going to go over there and play with the puppy my brother bought my niece.”

With that Rebekah walked away and Caroline just shook her head. She glanced over to Klaus who was staring daggers at Kol, who seemed way to pleased with himself. It did not take a genius to figure out what the topic of Klaus’s rage was. She bit her lip and walked over to Klaus, hoping to calm his anger before he murdered Kol during their daughter’s seventh birthday party. Homicide could wait until after the cake at least.

“Klaus.” He turned to look at her. “If you kill him, I’ll help you bury the body but it will have to wait until after the party.”

“He bought her a puppy!” Klaus hissed, through his teeth. Neither Klaus nor Caroline were pet people. Klaus didn’t have the time and Caroline didn’t want to clean up after them. Having a child was enough for both of them. Kol, apparently had other ideas. “He didn’t run this by me and there is no way in hell you would agree to a puppy.”

“Nope.”

“But he bought her one anyway.”

“Yes. Yes, he did.”

“We can’t keep it.”

“Absolutely not.” Both Klaus and Caroline looked over to their daughter who was laughing hysterically as the small dog licked and jumped on her. Her eyes were dancing with happiness and she was smiling so widely, Caroline thought her cheeks had to hurt.

“Damn it.”

“Week on week off? Where Lizzie goes, the dog goes too?”

“Fine.” Klaus hissed out. Shooting another murderous glare at Kol, who just blew Klaus a kiss. “I may take you up on the body disposal later.” Caroline nodded but said nothing. Klaus pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes tightly. “There is something I wanted to discuss with you before Kol brought that beast to the party.”

“About what?”

“I have an art showing next weekend. I was hoping to have Lizzie there.” Caroline cocked her head at him confused. He never had Lizzie come to one of his showings before mainly because they were not exactly kid friendly. “I know it is technically your weekend, but I would offer make-up time-“

“Klaus, I’m not worried about that.” Caroline replied, waiving her hand dismissing the idea of make-up time. “It’s just, don’t you think she would be bored. I mean, you’re so busy at those things and I highly doubt that there would be other kids there, and I don’t think the artist would appreciate Lizzie ruining their art.” She could see the hurt look in Klaus’s eyes and Caroline hated herself for a moment. “But if you want her there and the artist is okay with a seven-year-old who has way too many opinions, then sure.”

“He doesn’t mind. The artist I mean.” Klaus paused. “Would you like to come?”

“What?” Caroline asked, in a very high-pitched voice.

“I mean, to bring Lizzie and you could stay if you wanted to, look at the art. Get free wine.” Caroline laughed lightly. “And I would be there. We could you know, meet there and spend time…together.” He looked at her in that bashful way that reminded her of that New Years Eve all those years ago. He seemed shy and unsure of himself-a part of Klaus that she was not really familiar with.

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

It wasn’t until hours later, when Lizzie had crashed from her sugar high and Caroline was trying get their new puppy into his crate-fucking Kol-that the reality hit Caroline. She had a date with Klaus. Well, kind of.

Caroline obsessed what to wear. She had never been to one of Klaus’s gallery openings before and was clueless on what to wear. In the week that passed since Lizzie’s birthday, Caroline tried to play it cool with him; not drawing attention to the fact that they had a date coming up. Except it wasn’t really a date but it kind of was. Part of her didn’t know if they had actually made plans for the gallery showing or if she had imagined it. When Klaus had randomly called her to confirm, it all became real.

It threw Caroline into panic mode. She called Katherine, demanding her to come over and help her get ready. Being the best friend that she was, Katherine complied. It actually surprised Caroline how well Katherine was taking the news that she had a date with Klaus. When her relationship with Elijah crashed and burned, which was all Katherine’s fault, she vowed never to have anything to do with a Mikaelson again…Lizzie excluded.

“Honey, we all knew this was coming one day.” Katherine said as she curled Caroline’s hair. “The two of you fought like cats and dogs for you not to get together at some point. Kol thought it was going to be sooner but I figured it would take you guys awhile, didn’t think seven years though.”

“Wait. You talk to Kol?”

“No. This was pre-break up but we all took bets.”

“Oh.” Caroline paused. “Wait what!?”

“You look really pretty Mommy.” Lizzie said, strolling into Caroline’s bedroom as though she owned the place. The puppy, that Lizzie promptly names Olaf because of his white hair, happily following after her. Lizzie was in a peach colored dress and had her hair tied back into a bun with ringlet framing her face. She was very excited for this evening because it meant she got to dress up in a pretty dress.

“Thank Sweetie. You look very pretty too.”

“I know.” Lizzie replied and jumped on Caroline’s bed after helping Olaf up on it. Katherine snorted at the little girl and shook her head. Caroline didn’t even bother correcting her for there was no use at this point.

“Got to admire the kid’s confidence, I’ll admit to that.” Caroline rolled her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, Lizzie was always going to be something of a diva. “I wonder who she got that from?”

“Me.”

“I was going to say Klaus.” Caroline gave Katherine a menacing look, refraining from sticking out her tongue at her best friend. She had to at least try and set a good example for Lizzie. “There you go. All done.” Caroline stood up and admired herself in her full-length mirror. She was wearing a light blue cocktail dress that pinned had her shoulder with a silver clasp while the other shoulder was completely bare. She wore silver stilettos that matched the clasp and her hair was pinned back lightly on one side with the rest hung down in waves. Her make-up was light and natural and she wore only a silver bracelet on her wrist. It was a gift Klaus had given her the day she gave birth to Lizzie. It was the first and last gift he had ever given her.

“You always did look good in blue.” Katherine said, admiring her handiwork. “Now the question becomes, what are you wearing underneath it?” “Katherine! Stop it. We’re so not going there.”

“Denial however, does not look good on you.”

The drive to the gallery did not take long and a part of her wished it did. The closer she got to the gallery, the faster her heart began to pound. She kept thinking back on Katherine’s words and how everyone expected them to end up together one way or another. In truth, the last several months Caroline found herself softening to Klaus. She couldn’t explain what happened but she couldn’t help but miss him when he wasn’t around. Then there was the obvious fact that she was attracted to him. That had never changed and she vividly remembered what he was like in bed.

She would never admit it aloud but that memory had fueled some of her wildest daydreams.

“Are we getting out of the car Mommy?” Lizzie asked impatiently. Caroline shook herself and nodded. She didn’t realize that they had been sitting in the parking lot for several minutes while Caroline worked up the courage to go inside. She stepped out and unbuckled Lizzie from her booster seat. Lizzie all but ran towards the door that had people spilling into it. Caroline caught up with her daughter as quickly as she good in stilettos and grabbed her wrist.

“What have I told you about running off in a parking lot without me?”

“Sorry Mommy.” Caroline just nodded and headed toward the entryway. The gallery was packed. She was not sure what she expected. She knew Klaus’s business was successful, given the fact that he had money to throw around, but she never expected this popularity. She looked around, not knowing where to turn first.

“Caroline.” She turned when she heard Klaus’s voice. He came strolling towards her and her breath caught in her throat. He was wearing black slacks, a white button-down dress shirt and a suit jacket that had to be professionally tailored. He looked good and well put together that Caroline couldn’t help but flash back to the night they met. When he reached them, Klaus leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Thank you for coming. You look beautiful.”

“Of course, and thank you.”

“What about me Daddy?” Lizzie chimed in, not used to being ignored by her father. Klaus smiled widely and knelt down to his daughter. He pulled her to him and hugged her closely.

“I’m sorry little love. I didn’t recognize you for a second. All I saw was a young lady who was too grown up to be my daughter.” Lizzie giggled and threw her head back. “Don’t be silly! It’s just me.” Klaus went in and started pressing kisses all over her face, causing Lizzie to laugh even louder. Caroline could see the curious stares but it didn’t seem to be bothering to many people. Besides, this was Klaus’s place of business and if he felt comfortable enough for such displays of affection for his daughter, Caroline was not going to stop him.

“My man Klaus Mikaelson!” Caroline’s eyes turned to a tall dark man walking their way. He was impeccably dressed with a fedora on top of his head, giving him an eccentric look. He had a wide smile with impossibly white teeth. Klaus stood and greeted the man with a pat on the back. “You have out done yourself this time. I am impressed. I already have a few pieces that I am interested in buying.”

“Thank you. Your business is very much appreciated.” Klaus smiled at the man and Caroline could tell the two had a friendly relationship. “Come, there is someone I would like you to meet. Caroline, this is Marcel Gerard. He is an art collector from New Orleans. Marcel, this is Caroline.”

“A pleasure to finally put a name with such a beautiful face.” Before Caroline could reply, or unpack such a statement, Klaus narrowed his eyes at Marcel.

“Marcel. Behave.” Klaus uttered in warning. The other man just laughed and patted Klaus’s shoulder, showing that he meant no harm. Lizzie pulled on Klaus’s sleeve, not wanting to be forgotten. “And this beautiful lady is our daughter, Lizzie.” Marcel bent down to be at eye level with Lizzie, who beamed at him, appreciating the gesture.

“Well, I’ve heard many great things about you.”

“I know. My dad never stops talking about me.” Marcel just laughed at the reply and stood, shaking his head at Klaus. People sometimes blanched at Lizzie’s bluntness and confidence that Caroline found it amusing how some people reacted. While Lizzie was a loving child who cared deeply when others were hurting, she also demanded the room when she was in it.

“Well she is most certainly your child Klaus.” Marcel replied has he stood. Klaus just nodded and looked down fondly at his daughter. There was that soft smile that graced his lips whenever he looked at his daughter. Marcel turned to Caroline. “I hope you don’t mind if I steal Klaus for a minute? I’ll promise to have him back in one piece after a few minutes.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll only be a little bit. Okay? Take a look around and I’ll find you.” Caroline nodded and watched Klaus walk off with Marcel, the two clearly discussing business.

“Can I go over their Mommy? It’s Auntie Bex and Uncle Elijah.” Lizzie asked and Caroline turned to see both Rebekah and Elijah in deep conversation. She was surprised to see them at the gallery, for she did not realize that they came to Klaus’s showings. The Mikaelson siblings were always supportive of one another but to come to a random showing? She had to admire their loyalty.

“Sure, but make sure you stay in one of our sights at all times.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Caroline replied and watched as her daughter walked over to Elijah. She tugged on her uncle’s sleeve and Elijah smiled when he saw who was interrupting his conversation. Elijah bent down and hugged the little girl before Rebekah engulfed her into a hug herself. Elijah turned and smiled at Caroline, letting her know that he would watch Lizzie until she wanted to go back to her parents. She gave him a small wave and started weaving through the crowd.

She viewed the paintings and couldn’t help but notice something familiar about them. Some were bright, full of light and just had a feeling of warmth. Then there were others that were dark and have a hint of loneliness behind it. The artist clearly had a wide range of emotions and Caroline couldn’t help but connect with the art.

She rounded a slight corner and saw a collection that was roped off slightly. There was a plaque that had a description on it but it was the subject of the paintings. There were at least six paintings of a face she knew well; a face she loved more than her own self.

Lizzie.

Each painting had such love put into it that Caroline didn’t know if she could breath. There were paintings of Lizzie smiling, laughing and running. There was a painting of her in a tutu, dancing during her first ballet class. There was a painting of her sleeping with that blasted pink unicorn clutched to her chest. Each and every painting had bright colors, love and such devotion that Caroline could not question the love the artist felt for her daughter.

Then there was a painted in the center of them all. This was the only one that Lizzie shared the spotlight in. Lizzie was smiling widely and laughing, a tiara perched on her head. She was looking up to the other person in the painting. Caroline. The detail on her own appearance in the artwork was astounding, it did not just mirror Caroline, but the emotion that was written on her face echoed every moment her heart burst at the mere sight of her daughter. The artist had to of spent a good amount of time gazing at Caroline to be able to capture such an emotion perfectly.

Suddenly, it all made sense to Caroline.

This wasn’t some random art show for some random artist trying to get his big break. Why she saw both Rebekah and Elijah there-and was willing to bet Kol was lurking somewhere in the crowed. It made sense why Klaus would want Lizzie there. Why he wanted her there.

This was Klaus’ art show. He was showing his pieces to the world for the first time.

Overwhelmed, Caroline looked down and read the plaque that described the collection.

Little Love By: N. Mikaelson Collection not for sale.

“I had hoped that I would be the one to show you these.” Caroline turned around, to see Klaus standing before her. He looked bashful and vulnerable. He stepped forward and ran his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tears that she had not realized where falling. “Please know that I would never sell a painting of our daughter to some stranger but I had to show them.”

“Klaus. They are…I don’t know what to say.” Caroline looked back at the paintings. Each and every time she looked at them it was like watching Klaus hold their daughter for the first time all over again. That love a father can only have for his daughter was etched onto each and every canvas. “That painting of her and I…when?”

“I’ve seen you give her that look a thousand times Caroline. Even when we were not on the best of terms, no one could deny that you loved her.” A new wave of tears flooded down her cheeks. “I’ll admit that, that particular painting is newer but the sentiment remains the same.”

“Mommy! Daddy! I’m famous!” Lizzie’s voice chimed in as she came running towards them, a brochure waiving in the air. She shoved the paper into Caroline’s hand and pointed to a listing of the paintings and collections. At the very bottom, under the listing of Little Love there was a painting simply named A Mother’s Love. “There is a set named after me! Little Love! That’s me!”

“That’s right you are!” Klaus teased Lizzie but the little girl wasn’t looking at her father. Instead she was staring up at Caroline with a worried look on her face. She stepped forward and hugged Caroline around the waist.

“Why are you sad Mommy?” Lizzie asked and Caroline realized that she still was crying. Caroline bent down to be at eye level with her daughter.

“I’m not sad honey. I’m happy.” Caroline’s eyes glanced up at Klaus and she could see that he was taken aback. Slowly, a smile spread across his face and the dimples Caroline adored popped out. “I’m very, very happy.”

“So happy tears?”

“Yeah. Happy tears.”

“Okay!” Lizzie turned from her mother, satisfied that she was perfectly fine and turned to her father. “Can I see the pictures now!”

“Of course, little love.” Klaus reached out and lifted Lizzie into his arms. He picked her up easily and began pointing out each painting to her in detail, describing the moment he was trying to capture when he painted them. Caroline just stood there, watching them with that familiar flutter in her stomach, and she knew.

Before her stood the man, she had vowed to hate for all eternity. The man who she joked with Katherine, out of earshot of Lizzie, that was her enemy.

She was in love with him.

In the few short weeks that followed, Caroline did not know how to act. Something had changed between Klaus and Caroline. She examined every inch of her feelings and went over every possibility of when they changed from her hating him to falling completely in love with him. She had no answers to that question, only that she was somewhere in the middle before she knew what she was feeling.

Caroline’s birthday fell on a random Tuesday in October. It was Klaus’s week to have Lizzie but offered to let Caroline have her instead. She shook her head, stating that she would do something with Lizzie the upcoming Saturday instead. However, Caroline did take off work, using her birthday as an excuse, but in all reality, it was to obsess over if she should tell Klaus how she felt.

What if he didn’t feel the same? What if he did? There were so many things to consider and the biggest one would be Lizzie. What if he did feel the same and they began to build something between them? What if Lizzie gets comfortable with them being together and then they break up? Could she put her daughter through that?

All those thoughts ran through her head as she heard a knock on her front door. Caroline pulled herself from her sofa and went over to answer the door. Behind it was a delivery man and Caroline creased her eyebrows. She hadn’t ordered anything but the delivery man held out a slip for her to sign. She could see a large package behind him and she was curious as to its contents. Caroline signed the slip and took the package inside. It was lighter than she was expecting, given its size. Carefully, she tore the brown packaging paper to revel a canvas.

It was the painting of herself and Lizzie from Klaus’s art show. Caroline lowered herself to the ground in order to look at the painting face on. Being so up close and personal to it was different from viewing it at the gallery. It was just as beautiful but she could see each stroke of the brush and effort put into both herself and Lizzie’s appearance. After what seemed to be forever, Caroline slowly stood and picked up the painting. A small card slipped out from the back and landed on the floor. She careful leaned the painting against the wall, unsure where she was going to put it yet, and bent down to pick up the card.

Happy Birthday, Caroline. Klaus.

It was as though a damn broke through her emotion and Caroline’s decision was made. She quickly slipped on a pair of boots, grabbed a coat and dashed out to her car. She drove through the busy streets of Richmond and pulled into the parking lot of Klaus’s apartment complex. She knew he would be home, or at least she hoped. Due to their prior conversations, Klaus had told her that he typically only worked the mornings at the gallery during his week with Lizzie.

She pulled into an empty spot and all but ran to the front door of the apartment building. She knew it would be locked, for only tenants could get in without a key. She looked for the bell of Klaus’s apartment and rang it. She prayed that he was home.

“Hello?” Klaus’s voice sounded through the speaker and Caroline let out the breath she had been holding.

“Klaus? It’s Caroline. Can I come up?”

“Yeah. Sure.” She could tell that he sounded confused at the fact that she was there. After a second, Caroline heard the click of the lock and that the door to the building was open. She made her way inside and headed towards Klaus’s apartment. Once she reached it, the door was already open and Klaus was leaning against its frame with his arms crossed. Caroline brushed past him and stepped inside.

She had not been in his apartment since the night that Lizzie was conceived. It still had the large windows and brick walls along the far wall. The building used to be an old factory during the Civil War that was reconstructed into apartments. She could see his artwork on the walls but pictures of Lizzie and his family also decorated the walls. She could see toys that clearly belonged to his daughter on the floor and her one coat hanging off a chair. Olaf ran over to her quickly, his bushy white tale wagging widely. Caroline bent down to put him and rub his belly, knowing that he would not leave her to speak with Klaus until he received some sort of attention.

“Thank you.” She whispered, as she stroked Olaf. “For the painting. Thank you.”

“It’s your birthday. There is no need to thank me.” Klaus shrugged. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. She looked down at her hands, a question burning at her lips to be formed.

“What changed? Between us?” Klaus just looked at her in confusion but there was an understanding behind his eyes. “Months ago, you and I couldn’t be in the same room without it derailing into an argument. Now you’re sending me paintings and we talk every day and…. you’ve become one of the most important people in my life. What changed?”

“I fucked up.” Klaus replied simply and Caroline blanched. Out of everything, that was not the response she was expecting. “When I first learned you were pregnant. I reacted badly.”

“Understatement of the century.” Caroline replied and Klaus just smirked and nodded.

“I didn’t want to believe you. That night we spent together was…amazing. When you called me, I thought you were reaching to, I don’t know. Maybe grab dinner? See where things went between us? Maybe just to go another round?” Caroline snorted at that. “I wasn’t ready to be a dad and I took it out on you. I said horrible things and did horrible things.”

“Yes. You did.” Caroline replied. “But you weren’t the only one the blame Klaus. I held onto that hurt and anger for a long time. I tried so hard to hang onto all awful things you’ve done, forgetting that everyone deserves a second chance.”

“I know and I deserved all that anger. I know that Caroline.” Klaus admitted. “When Lizzie was born, it really changed everything for me. I loved her instantly and I knew that you would always be apart of my life. I wanted to do better and be better for Lizzie’s sake. I bought you that bracelet as a peace offering, hoping that we could start over. Maybe actually get to know one another and maybe…I don’t…see where things went.”

“But I was so angry at you.” Caroline felt her heart drop. If she had just been nicer to him in those beginning days when Lizzie was born, maybe things would be different. She knew he wasn’t innocent and that their relationship took a two-way street but he had tried. She didn’t. “And eventually, you gave up.”

“Rather quickly actually. Then things just fell back to how they were when you where pregnant and it was just…easier I guess.”

“Then what changed?”

“Remember, that night at the hospital, when Lizzie had that ear infection.” Caroline nodded, remembered how much that high Lizzie’s fever had been and how it had worried her.

“You told me that you knew I was a good dad and that at the end of the day, you knew I would always be there for Lizzie. To be honest with you Caroline, I had assumed that you thought I was the worst dad in the world and that if it wasn’t for the court order, I would never see Lizzie.”

“What?!” Caroline was actually shocked. She knew that their relationship was bad but she never thought Klaus felt as though she would keep Lizzie from him. “I would never, ever keep Lizzie from you. Yes. I didn’t always agree with your choices and I sure as hell know you didn’t always agree with mine but you’re her father Klaus. She loves you and no matter what happens between us, no matter what this” Caroline pointed between them, “is, you would always have an open door to her.”

“I know that now. It was a hard realization but that night, sitting in the middle of an emergency hospital room, I realized that we could do better. We actually talked that night and well, I just wanted more.” Klaus said and gave her a small smile. “Then, over time I got to know you. You became so much more than just the mother of my daughter. You became Caroline and you made me question everything.”

“Yeah. You became more than the narcissistic asshole that knocked me up.” Klaus snorted at that, wondering how many times she had called him that over the years. It was her go too insults for him.

“So, what is this?” He replied, pointing between them, mimicking the motion she made moments before. “Why did you really come here today? It wasn’t because of the painting.”

“Because…” Caroline’s thoughts were jumping back and forth. Did she confess how she felt for him, taking that giant leap that could leave her crashing and burning? Or did she keep the good thing they had going but know that it would hurt her to watch him eventually move on with his life, only keeping her as a friend? “Fuck it.”

With that, Caroline marched forward and slammed her lips to Klaus’s. He was shocked at first but once he realized that this was for real, Klaus pulled Caroline to him and put everything he had into that kiss. Caroline weaved her things through his blond curls and arched her back, pressing her chest as closely to him as she could. Klaus bit down lightly on her lip when the kiss broke apart. Their eyes locked for a moment and she could see Klaus searching for answers.

“Caroline?”

“I came here because I want this. I want you and me and Lizzie. I want joint parent teacher conferences and family dinners. I want to curl up on the couch with you after Lizzie goes to bed. I want to come to your gallery openings and for you to smirk at my articles, making snide comments when you disagree with something. I want to make love to you at night and share those stupid secret smiles couples have when they share something.” Caroline rambled on and Klaus just let her, a wide goofy smile on his lips. “I want to be a family Klaus. With you. Because I love you.”

Klaus crashed his lips to Caroline’s again. It was bruising and passionate. Caroline wrapped her arms around his shoulders and opened her lips to allow for Klaus’s tongue entrance. She felt herself go weak at the taste of him, remembering exactly what that tongue was capable of. Klaus’s hands were roaming all over her body, feeling every curve his hands could grip.

Caroline pushed his Henley upward until Klaus was forced to end their kiss in order to pull it over his head. As quickly as he tossed it aside, his lips where back onto her. Caroline touched his chest, her nails dragging down the length of his abs, while Klaus’s hands gripped her hips, bringing her as close to him as possible.

“Bedroom. Now.” Caroline whispered. She didn’t care if it was mid-afternoon; it was her birthday after all. Klaus laced their fingers together and quickly was dragging her down the hall towards his bedroom. Once inside, Caroline stopped him at the end of the bed and gently pushed him down upon it. He simply cocked his eyebrow at her in question. Caroline smirked before she straddled him. “Shh. Just relax.”

She leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips before placing a kiss on the base of his neck. She nipped and sucked his pulse for a moment, knowing that she would leave a mark. Klaus hissed when she bit just slightly too hard, but he didn’t tell her to stop. She began to move her lips downward, her tongue peaking out to lick and suck on his skin. She used her teeth to nip at his nipples while one of her hands scratched the other one.

As she made her way down his chest and stomach, Caroline’s eyes peaked upward. Klaus was staring down at her, his eyes filled with desire, causing her panties to become painfully wet. She kissed the skin that was just above the waist of his pants while her hands worked on undoing his belt. Once the buckle was undone, Caroline pulled the zipper down and roughly yanked his pants down his hips. Klaus lifted up slightly and made her job slightly easier. Once his pants were down around his ankles, Caroline eyed his penis. She remembered vividly what that felt like to be inside her. She leaned down, kissed the side of his thighs teasingly.

“Caroline.” Klaus hissed out her name, his erection straining painfully. She smirked evilly before leaning in and kissed the tip of his penis, once…. twice…three times before engulfing him fully; her tongue swirling around the length of him. “Jesus Fuck. Just like that.”

Klaus threw his head back and Caroline could see his eyes fluttering shut. His one hand reached down and gripped her blonde hair, massaging her head as she bobbed up and down. Caroline reached up and cupped his balls, rolling them gently in her hands as he muttered incoherent words. She could tell that he was close to finding his release and Caroline added a slight bit more pressure…just enough for-

“Daddy! I’m home!”

Caroline shot up as though she had been shocked, topping from the bed as she went. Landing on her back, Caroline covered her face with her hands, praying that her daughter didn’t come any closer to Klaus’s bedroom. Klaus jumped from the bed and ran over to his pants, pulling them on quickly.

“I’ll be out in a second Lizzie! Shit. Shit. Shit.” Klaus zipped up his pants and buckled the belt. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.” He held out his hand to Caroline, helping her up from the floor. Her face was still bright red with embarrassment. This has never happened to her before. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I cannot believe forgot that she would be coming home soon.”

“Well we were kind of distracted.” Klaus replied, with a smirk. He leaned and kissed her gently. It was different from the kisses they shared earlier. This one was soft, warm and full of promise. “Get cleaned up and stay for dinner. Spend the evening with Lizzie and I, she would love that and then later we can-“

“Talk?”

“I was going to say pick up where we left off but sure.”

“Or we could do both.”

“Both sounds good.” Caroline smiled cheekily at him and gave him another peck. It was quick because they both knew if they dawdled any longer, Lizzie would come looking for him and would have many questions as to, not only why her mother was there but why was she in his bedroom of all places. Klaus moved towards his bedroom door and looked back at her. “And for the record Caroline, I love you too.”

#klaroline #kcauweek2020 #klaroline fanfiction #caroline x klaus #i'm super proud of this #turned out better than I was expecting #got a bit long #sorry not sorry

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were-all-idjits-here · 5 years

Text

The Family You Have Here

Pairing: Dean x Reader (non-descript)

Warnings: mentions of abusive family, mentions of abusive comments, self deprecating thoughts, crying.

A/N: Although I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season, I know the holidays can be hard for people who don't get along with their families (me included). I thought we all could use some comfort from Dean Winchester to feel better. Thanks for the read! Comments/likes/shares are greatly appreciated.

Read here on AO3

~~~

You sighed and slid to the floor as your door clicked shut behind you. Biting your lip, you let your head fall back against the hard wood with a dull thud. Although most people loved the holidays, you hated them for a very specific reason: your family. Not the one you’d created with the Winchesters and their friends; the one that was biologically related to you. Growing up in Sioux Falls, you’d always had Bobby’s place to run to when things got rough. He’d been a friend of your uncle’s, who was estranged from the family. Once you’d connected with him, you’d realized the only reason he was estranged in the first place was because he was much saner than the rest of your family. It was a shame a ghoul had done him in years ago. You just hoped both he and Bobby were in a better place now.

Your phone vibrated next to you, making a rattling sound on the wood of your bedroom floor in the bunker. You jumped at the noise and looked to see a new message from Sam: Still hunting?

No, you typed. Just got back. Heading to bed now.

At 7pm? Sam asked. You ignored it. You hadn’t actually been hunting, you’d been with your family for Thanksgiving dinner. The reason you didn’t tell the brothers was because you knew they would’ve given you a lecture about it. Neither of them liked your family and had even gone so far as to call them abusive. Sam had mentioned narcissistic personality disorder multiple times while describing your mother. Especially since the two of you had gone to Stanford together for a little while and he’d met them multiple times. Dean had only met them once when there had been a hunt in your hometown, but that was enough for him to decide your mom was “a douche” and your dad was only enabling her. However, you still wanted a relationship with your dad and as much as he worshipped your mom, it was either cut both of them off or cut neither of them off. You tried to stay as low contact with your mom as possible, but it was hard. For so long, she’d been your entire social life, since she didn’t really allow you to have many relationships outside of her. The few you developed were either from school when she wasn’t around, or when you snuck out. It was especially hard to believe her behavior wasn’t normal, or that the horrible things she’d said to you weren’t true, when she’d been the only voice in your ear for nearly two decades. She had trained you to need her, but never to rely on her. Hence why you’d felt obligated to show up to family Thanksgiving. Now sitting on your bedroom floor completely drained of both feeling and tears, you’d wished you hadn’t.

Your stomach growled and you groaned. Your anxiety had been so bad the entire time, it had given you an upset stomach. You’d barely eaten anything in the last few days, since eating while your stomach was churning was never a good idea. Deciding you should at least have a nice hot shower and maybe something light, like crackers, you hauled yourself up off your floor, grabbed your bathroom things, and headed to the showers.

~~~

You’d thought you were drained of all possible tears, but you were wrong. It had been impossible to tell which was the water from the shower on your face and which was the tears. Your stomach continued to twist in knots and your anxiety was now so bad that you’d had to make a run for the toilet about every fifteen minutes. Why must your bowels betray you now, too?

You were starving, but nothing sounded good except maybe some applesauce and crackers. At least you felt nice and clean as you shuffled your way into the kitchen, sniffling and rubbing your tired eyes, wearing your comfiest pair of PJs with the hood up over your head like a hug. You could definitely use one of those right now, but both of the boys’ doors had been shut and you didn’t want to bother them. They rarely got a day off, much less the full week they’d been taking—and never on a holiday. You doubted they’d really celebrated Thanksgiving the way most people did, but you still wanted to make sure they had their downtime. Besides, you bothered them enough whenever you needed something—which seemed like a lot.

You sighed as you pulled out the jug of applesauce you kept in the fridge, grabbing a spoon and just eating directly out of the jug. You plopped down on the island stool with your water bottle and closed your eyes, swinging your feet as you did so—at least, until your foot bumped into a lump.

“Ow,” a gravelly voice mumbled beneath you. Your eyes shot open to see Dean Winchester sitting on the floor next to your feet. “Why are you kicking me?”

“Why are you on the floor?” you asked around a mouthful of food.

“It’s a free bunker.” He hauled himself to his feet using the bar stool next to you, groaning all the while.

“Old man,” you mumbled.

“Whatever. You ain’t that much younger than me, kid.”

“Then why do you still call me kid?”

“’Cause…free bunker,” he muttered, plopping down next to you with a sigh, his beer bottle clunking on the table.

You snorted and shook your head, just enjoying his company. Although you’d had a crush on him since you were a teenager, you knew the type he went for. Ever since you’d joined them on hunts years ago, you’d had to watch him go after numerous women in bars who looked nothing like you. Attractive, for example. Your mom constantly reminded you every time she saw you how you needed to “lose weight.” Although you and Dean had become practically inseparable over the years—eating burgers together, watching dumb horror movies and rocking out to Metallica in the Impala—there was no way he saw you as anything more. If he had, he would’ve said something, right? Either way, you would take whatever affection from him you could get, even if it was just platonic.

“You feeling okay, kid?”

You nodded. “Just a little queasy.”

It was quiet for a moment before Dean finally said, “You weren’t really on a hunt, were you?”

You finally looked over at him. You were about to deny it, but one look in his probing green eyes told you there would be no getting away with it. “I’m really not in the mood for a lecture right now, Dean.”

He held his hands up in a surrendering position. “I wasn’t gonna lecture you. I just want you to feel like you can come to me with this stuff.”

“How’d you find out?”

“Guess your mom was having trouble getting a hold of you, so she called Sam ’cause she knows you two still talk.”

You sighed and closed your eyes, pushing the applesauce away from you. “Why did he pick up?”

“He got that new phone last month and didn’t transfer her number, so I guess he didn’t know who it was. Thought it might be another hunter.”

You groaned. “I’m sorry he had to deal with her.”

“I don’t get why you still deal with her.”

“Dean—”

“Listen, I’m not here to lecture you, okay? I’m just saying, I know you come home from being with them and feel like shit about yourself, and I don’t want you to feel like shit about yourself.”

You glanced over at him to see his face softer than you were used to.

“You’re pretty frickin’ awesome, kid.”

“I don’t know…”

“Well, I do. So does Sam and everybody else in our family. Jody and Donna love you like their own kid, Claire thinks you’re the best thing that happened, which is pretty high praise coming from her.” He paused. “I know I’m not so good at the whole talking about our feelings thing, but I’m here if you need anything.”

You swallowed. “What if…what if I’m just a crybaby and the stuff my family does is normal?”

“Trust me, kid, that ain’t normal. I’m an expert in not-normal, and your family definitely qualifies.”

You snorted, grabbing his beer and taking a mouthful.

“Hey!” he cried.

“Sharing is caring.”

“Okay, then, you won’t mind if I do this.” He stuck his tongue out and leaned towards your applesauce.

You couldn’t help but laugh at his face. “Back off, Winchester.”

He smiled. “There’s the smile.” He surprised you by reaching out and rubbing your back. “Glad to have you home, kid. If you need anything, you know where to find me.” He yawned, chugging the rest of his beer and heading towards the door. He ruffled your hair before making his way out of the kitchen, the beer bottle crashing against the others in the trash can on his way out.

~~~

It had been a few weeks since the disaster that was Thanksgiving dinner with your family. You tossed and turned in your bed fitfully as you thought about the text your mother had sent you just a few hours ago: We want you to sleep over Christmas Eve, so we can all be together Christmas morning to open gifts like we used to when you were little. When you asked if anyone else was sleeping over, she’d merely said she didn’t know, but if they didn’t, we can always have some mother-child bonding time. You shuddered at the thought.

Eventually, you fell asleep sometime around two in the morning. Not even an hour later, you bolted upright in bed, sweating and panting. You’d dreamed Sam and Dean had finally had enough of you and kicked you out of the bunker. Before you’d even been able to blink, Castiel had transported you and your belongings to your parents’ house, where your mom hadn’t even given you space to breathe. When you tried to explain you just wanted to be alone for a little while to grieve your relationship with the Winchesters, she’d gone off on you, even going so far as to chain you to the kitchen table leg while laughing maniacally. You’d tried to call out to your dad for help, but he just shrugged, saying he didn’t see what was abnormal about the situation and how you should be more “grateful” to your mother.

You clutched the blanket beneath you and frantically looked around your room. You were in the bunker with the Winchesters, and you were safe.

Before you even realized what you were doing, you found your feet carrying you to Dean’s bedroom door. You hesitated. It was three in the morning. Dean needed all the sleep he could get. However, something in you pulled you to slowly crack his door and peek through. The light from the hallway shone on his sleeping face. His mouth ajar with soft snores pouring out, his hair sticking every which way and his long lashes brushing his cheek made it hard for you to pull yourself away. He stirred and frowned before rolling over away from the light. You quickly backed out of the doorway, closing it shut behind you quietly.

You fell against the wall, hiding your face in your hands as you took a shaky breath. You were enough of a burden. You didn’t need to give them a reason to really kick you out. You loved Sam and Cas like brothers and Dean…after years hunting with him, you’d come to really be in love with him. You couldn’t ruin things by letting your heart get in the way of your head. He wouldn’t feel the same, things would get awkward and then you really would have to leave the bunker—

“Y/N?”

You jumped, looking up to meet Dean’s eyes. You hadn’t even heard him come out of his room. He looked even more adorable as he rubbed some sleep from his eye, his hair full hedgehog-mode, making your heart ache even more. You couldn’t help but glance down at the way his boxers hugged his hips, butt and…other things. You quickly looked away, sniffling as something wet ran down your nose. You hadn’t even realized you’d been crying.

Before you could reach up to wipe them away, Dean gently turned you to face him. His hands rose, hesitating in midair as he stared at you. You were surprised by the slight fear you saw there. When you made no move to pull away, the rough pads of his thumbs gently wiped the tears from your cheeks. You bit your lip as you felt more tears forming before collapsing against his chest. You hugged his middle tightly as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders, pulling you close and burying his face in your hair. After a few minutes, you felt his fingers gently massaging your head, his fingers carding through the soft strands. You melted against him.

You stayed like that for several more minutes before he pulled away, his hand gently running down your arm to grab your hand. “Come on,” he mumbled, tugging you gently towards his bed.

You paused next to his bed, feeling awkward as you watched him climb under the covers. He threw the covers next to him back and patted the empty side of the mattress. “C’mere, sweetheart.”

Your heart leaped at the nickname. It wasn’t like he’d never used it before, but this felt different. He was using it to invite you into his bed. But not like that, you told yourself, he’d never invite you in like that. You glanced at his open arms before quickly accepting the invitation, settling your head against his chest and falling into a peaceful sleep with his heartbeat thumping in your ear and a hand gently massaging your scalp.

~~~

A rough pounding on your door woke you up. You jolted awake, looking at the clock on your nightstand to see it read eight in the morning.

“Up and at ’em!” Dean’s voice called from the other side of the door. You smiled at the childlike excitement evident in his voice. With the support of the two brothers, you’d been able to find the strength to tell your mom that you wouldn’t be sleeping over for Christmas. Instead, the Winchesters had insisted they take the week off and you, the brothers and Cas would celebrate Christmas together. She’d thrown a fit about and tried to call you multiple times, eventually causing Sam to block her once she started calling him nonstop as well. You’d almost picked up multiple times, but Dean had been your rock throughout the entire situation. He’d rarely left your side the past few weeks and had slowly started becoming more physically affectionate, making you wonder if maybe he did feel something for you. He always made you feel better, but the past few weeks, it had seemed like his mission to make you feel like you were on top of the world: buying all your favorite foods on supply runs, marathoning movies with you and even insisting you start spending the night in each other’s rooms more often. Although it was usually his room. Who could resist that memory foam mattress (and how everything smelled like him, but of course you didn’t tell him about that part)? One night that was particularly bad, Dean had even had a dance party with you in the kitchen—music provided by Metallica, of course.

You swung your legs out of bed and threw your bedroom door open as his knocking became more intense. He had a stupid grin plastered across his face that you couldn’t help but mirror. He was practically vibrating in excitement.

“Well, someone’s excited,” you laughed.

“You kiddin’? You know when the last time we actually celebrated Christmas was?”

Your smile became wider, if that was possible, as he grabbed your hand and tugged you towards the man-cave, which had apparently been decorated, but you’d been forbidden from stepping foot in there. Dean said he wanted it to be a surprise.

“Cas, we’re coming in!” Dean yelled before skidding to a halt with you in the doorway. His face fell and you burst out laughing at the scene in front of you. “Cas, when Sam suggested ‘simple banners,’ I don’t think this is what he meant…”

Cas tilted his head in confusion, still holding onto one of the many plain white banners with the words “Merry Christmas” typed on it in large Times New Roman font. Although it looked ridiculously out of place next to the lights hung up on the walls and the Christmas tree groaning with the weight of too many ornaments on its branches, a small model Impala on the top in lieu of a star, it was 100% Cas. “Is this not satisfactory?”

You tried to contain your laughter. Dean ran a hand down his face in frustration as you said, “No, it’s great, Cas.”

Sam appeared behind you with two mugs of coffee in his hand. “You’d think I’d remember how literal he takes everything by now.” He handed you and Dean the mugs before helping Cas hang the final few banners.

You sipped your coffee, your eyes growing wide as you noticed all the presents under the tree. You recognized the wrapping paper you had used for the gifts you purchased for the boys, but the pile with your name on it was a little bigger than you expected.

As everyone sat around laughing, talking and opening presents—and of course, roasting each other—you were in Heaven. This was the most stress-free Christmas you’d ever had. Sam had gotten you several books you’d been wanting to read, Cas had gotten you some cozy PJs and some more coffee mugs and thermoses, and now only the presents Dean had gotten for you lay unopened. There was an uncharacteristic shyness in Dean’s smile as he pushed them towards you. You gave him a reassuring smile back as you ripped the wrapping paper away.

He chuckled at your noise of excitement as you opened the bag of your favorite candy, shoving several in your mouth. The second present contained the complete box set of your favorite TV show. But the third was what really got to you: a small framed bulletin board full of pictures of you and the Winchesters. Pictures of you and Dean together dominated the board and the word “family” was written across the top and bottom of the frame.

You felt your eyes fill with tears and looked up to see Sam and Cas had disappeared, leaving you and Dean alone sitting by the Christmas tree. “Did you make this?”

Dean nodded. “I know your family kinda sucks, so I thought you could use a reminder that you’ve always got a family here with us. I know you don’t wanna go no-contact and if you never do, me, Sam and Cas will support you. But I just thought you could use a reminder that you’ve got a family who thinks you’re pretty damn awesome just the way you are, kid.”

You laughed. “Look at you, getting all chick flick-y.”

“Shut up,” he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink as he looked away.

You leaned over to hug him. “Seriously though, thank you. I love it.”

Dean pulled you as close to his chest as he possibly could. “You’re welcome, kid.” He adjusted his legs beneath you as he pulled you into his lap, burying his face in your hair. It had become your new way to hug.

You weren’t sure how long you stayed like that, just enjoying the feeling of being in Dean’s arms, but a crash from the kitchen made you jump. Cas’s voice carried from the kitchen, “Sam, somehow I don’t think this is the customary way to make pancakes.”

Dean groaned and you giggled just as you turned your head to look at him. He turned his head at the same time and you froze as your lips brushed against his. The two of you stared at each other with wide eyes for a moment, and you couldn’t help glancing at his full lips. You yanked your eyes back up to meet Dean’s green orbs to find him staring at your lips as well. Wait, did he—

“Fuck it,” he mumbled before crashing his lips into yours.

You made a noise of surprise and tensed. If there was anything you were expecting from Christmas morning, it certainly wasn’t this. You were frozen in shock and after a minute, Dean tensed beneath you as well. Afraid he would misread the situation and pull away, you relaxed in Dean’s arms, your hand going to the back of his short hair and scratching his scalp with the blunt ends of your nails. He relaxed in turn and let his hands wander all over your body. You leaned into him, unsure how you’d enjoyed anyone else’s kisses up until now. You always knew Dean was a ladies’ man and was probably a good kisser, but now realized how your imagination paled in comparison. “You’re gorgeous,” he mumbled in between kisses.

Just as his tongue gently ran over your bottom lip as he pulled you impossibly closer, his hands making their way to cup your ass, Sam’s voice boomed behind you, “About damn time!”

You jumped and pulled away to see the younger Winchester with an annoyed but amused grin on his face in the doorway.

Dean cleared his throat, moving his hands back up to your hips. “A little privacy, Sammy?”

Sam’s face fell. “Um, so the pancakes kind of exploded…”

“What?” Dean cried as you howled with laughter. “How the hell do you make pancakes explode, Sam?!”

“Cas did it!”

“That is an inaccurate statement!” Cas yelled from the kitchen.

Tears leaked out of your eyes from laughter as Dean groaned and buried his face in your shoulder.

“I’ll just—go—clean things…” you heard Sam sprint back down the hallway.

Dean sighed. “All right, let’s go teach Dumb and Dumber how to cook without destroying the bunker.”

Before he could move, you rubbed your nails across the back of his neck one more time. He immediately relaxed at the action. “Dean, seriously, thank you.”

He smiled. “You just seemed to have such a shitty Thanksgiving, I wanted to make sure Christmas was awesome.”

“It was the best I’ve ever had.”

He kissed you again, leaning towards you as you started to pull away. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

You beamed. “Merry Christmas, Dean.”

#dean x reader #supernatural #supernatural imagine #dean winchester imagine #dean winchester #sam winchester #castiel #dean x non-descript reader #holiday fluff #tw: abusive family #tw: self-deprecating thoughts #tw: self-hatred #trigger warning

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scullyeffect · 4 years

Text

sorry this is so long but i need to Go Off

you know what i’m mad at anyone who thinks being a nanny isn’t a real job because bitch i work ~35hr work weeks (factoring in one babysitting job on a weekend which isn’t every week but definitely twice a month) during which i can’t really take my eyes off two kids (two families i’ve worked for had 3), we use very busy public transport daily, i have to cook for two (i like cooking and know how to do it but i never use pre-made stuff or frozen stuff other than rice or pasta, also for the family i currently work for i make my own shopping list for what i’ll need for their kids, do the grocery shopping, and get reimbursed later) AND MOST IMPORTANTLY because i’m not the actual parent i can’t discipline in the same way!!! @ parents out there: would you want your kids to say “our nanny is mean she yells at us and never plays with us and doesn’t give us a snack after school!” or “our nanny is nice and plays with us and dinner is really good and we love her”. like be honest you’re not always angels with your kids, and that’s relatively normal (i rationalize) because you’ve got another full-time job and taking care of kids is a lot, sometimes you might just be like “SHUT UP AND PLAY BY YOURSELVES”, which i really can’t do without being labelled as mean.

if there’s a teacher strike (there’s one off and on right now because this is france and everyone is striking but most importantly the bulk of the public transport we normally take, so either we’ve got to walk a couple kms or take the one bus that MIGHT be running to a stop that’s still 20 minutes from home) also i’m often the one who’s dumped with the kids when they’re sick. “can you come over? kid 1 is sick!” so that means i’m basically on full alert because that could mean a) going straight over to their house and taking care of kid 1 and having to take kid 1 on busy public transport to pick up kid 2 and take public transport back, b) picking up kid 1 from school early and repeating above, c) taking kid 1 to the doctor whose office may be across town (one time i took a vomiting kid with a fever of 102 to the hospital as per the mom’s request TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR AN HOUR BC THERE’S NO CAR...let’s just say we brought a bowl with us and it wasn’t pretty)

oh! how could i forget school vacation! IN FRANCE (no idea about other countries) full time workers ( 35 hours a week, no paid overtime allowed) are given 5 weeks of vacation, plus a dozen public holidays. school vacations during the year amount to ~6 weeks! if you don’t have grandparents who’ll take the kids for a couple weeks every two months, or some kind of other childcare you’re using (but why would you, you have a nanny!), guess who’s not either paid vacation OR full vacation! (often parents i’ve worked for will take one week off each school holiday, leaving me to do the other week (with pay, but not extra!! same 80-100 euros!), OR send their kids to their grandparents’ houses for the two weeks and not pay me)

also never having a consistent schedule because the parents might have something to do (long commute that’s time-dependant because of traffic, a meeting, the mom i work for now has a boxing class on tuesdays). my friends tend to have normal 9-6 jobs, so they’re often asking if i want to do something after work and i’m like “yeah i get off anywhere between 8:30-10:30 and after that all i want to do is go home and chill). also the parents i work for are separated and one lives an hour from the school and the other lives at a walkable distance (2km) (both are 5th floor walk-ups)

i get paid 80 euros ($89 USD) a week

regarding above: i LOVE kids, i love my job even though sometimes it’s emotionally a little difficult (whereas my other jobs have been like...physically difficult like being on my feet all day and cooking) and stressful, i love cooking, i like playing games, i’m pretty entertaining, and i enjoy cooking. so in all honesty i picked a GOOD JOB, but i get a lot of side-eye for saying i work as a nanny because people (esp my age) don’t think of it as a Real Job.

try doing this job if you don’t enjoy the bulk of what i said above. i hear so many people saying “i hate kids” point blank, then complain about their job with regular hours you can plan your life around

also @ parents: i’ve worked for great families who were respectful of my time, etc, but even they sometimes took advantage of the fact that i didn’t have a “day job” and would stick me with their sick kids, or asked me to do things that didn’t at all fall under my job descriptions (go pick up the kids’ new textbooks, they need gloves can you buy some under 10 euros on the way back from school i’ll pay you back later, the electricity guy is coming at 3pm can you let him in and lock up after, can you pick up the stuff from the dry cleaner’s, i have to go to work early can i drop the kids with you at 7:30 and you take them to school instead, for one family i had to clean the kids’ rooms and the kitchen, for another i had to walk their dog)

parenting isn’t easy but in my opinion nannying your kids, as wonderful as you think they are, isn’t easy either, ESP when you’re trying to maintain the “nice, helpful, TRUSTWORTHY, good nanny/employee” vibe. also, the highest salary i’ve gotten paid for this job was 100 euros a week, they provided a transport pass (other jobs i’ve shelled out 22 euros a week for transport with no reimbursement) and a paid phone bill (here in france adding me to their plan was 2 euros a month). to be fair, i did get to live with the family (but that isn’t always easy either! and probably not always easy for the parents either, sort of unconsciously like having another kid, an extra person to cook for if they’re cooking that night, making space in their home, etc!). and this time they pay for a little apartment which is amazing of them (it’s 15m carrées / 160 square feet)

i grew up with a single mother who didn’t get paid child support and rarely even had a babysitter, so i really don’t know how other kids with married or divorced parents grew up in the US. i know being a single mother for my mom was extremely hard (she’s very vocal about reminding me of this every time i complain about my job tbh). now i technically work for two single parents. but wow...not all single parents/divorced parents can afford what basically amounts to a second parent. that’s what i feel like and have felt for all of my nannying jobs. a second/third parent. truly.

so parents...if your kids are telling you their nanny is wonderful, and you think she’s great too, keep in mind that that wonderfulness is the result of a LOT of hard work that you don’t see, and that if you’re relying on her for any or all of the stuff i’ve listed above, hiring a nanny is basically hiring a second/third parent. think about that when hiring someone.

when you hire a nanny who works ~30 hours a week for you, you are hiring a second/third parent. that’s what this job is. you wouldn’t just trust anyone with your kids. if your co-parent is doing a great job, THINK ABOUT MAYBE PAYING HER A LITTLE MORE AT CHRISTMAS OR SOMETHING.

#god i really couldn't spell square...what a weird word...look at it

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wiggly-blue-shite · 5 years

Text

Chapter 18 From the Top!

(Prof H X Ted)

Ted was meeting Paul at Northside diner for his birthday. Ted had brought his gift with him. Paul's either going to love it or fucking hate it.

"Hey Ted," Paul was on time for once!

"Happy birthday man." Ted pulled paul into an awkward bro hug.

"Thanks" paul pushes open the door to the diner.

"Paul! Happy birthday!" Rosie already had paul in a bear hug. "You're table is open. You're order is being made now."

Ok so Paul an Tad might go there a lot. Rosie is family to Ted. There's not a problem with going to one restaurant a lot.

"Thank you Rosie." Paul and Ted headed over to there corner booth.

"You having a good birthday?" Ted wanted his friend's birthday to be nice. There is nothing wrong with that.

"Yeah everything's been great."

Rosie brought two sodas to their table.

"You're a saint!" Ted called out to Rosie as she walked away,

"Can I open my present now?" Paul picked at the box. Ted really hoped that Paul would like it.

"Go for it."

Paul tipped open the wrapping paper like a little kid on Christmas.

Ted had gotten paul a mug with the Beanies logo on the side. They didn't actually ever sell mugs at beanies, and everyone who had any real authority in the business is dead. So Ted had to go to there old website, screenshot the logo and get it custom made.

"Just something to remind you of how you and Emma met." Ted shrugged.

"I love it." Paul smiled at the mug.

Rosie came back with their burgers.

"Thank you Rosie!" Paul smiled Rosie as she set down the food.

"Paul your meal is on me," Rosie turned to Ted, "you still have to pay. By the way who was that man you brought in here last week. He was handsome. Way out of your league." Rosie laughed.

Paul raised his eyebrow. Cheeky bastard.

"Just a friend." Ted didn't really want that to be true but whatever.

"Based on the way he was blushing I don't think that's true." Rosie got back to work.

"Soooo" paul smirked.

"Fuck off" Ted started eating his fries.

"Does our little Theodore have a boyfriend?" Paul was a little to proud of himself.

"Don't call me Theodore." He was barely ok with Henry calling him Theodore.

"It was Henry right?"

"Yes." What does he gain if he lies about this?

"Soooo" Paul faked innocence.

"So what?" Ted was not about to give him the satisfaction of being embarrassed.

"Tell me more about him." Paul had gone full little kid at this point.

"He's a talented guy. I don't know we just out for dinner after a class a couple of times." Keep it vague.

"A couple of times!" Paul was way to excited.

"Twice." Ted loves paul like a brother, but like an annoying little brother who you want to kick but you're not allowed to.

"So were they dates?" Paul was smiling sweetly. What an asshole.

"One if them was, one of them technically wasn't." Ted liked talking about it but you know he's not gonna let paul know that.

Paul was smiling really wide.

"So when's the wedding." Paul acted like this was the best line since Shakespeare.

"I could ask you the same question." Throw the smug back at him.

"Ted it's only been four months." Paul suddenly grew serious.

"I'm just joking, damn." Ted wasn't really expecting that reaction.

"Happy birthday to you" Rosie walked up holding a small cake with a single candle on it.

"Happy birthday to you" Ted joined in with the singing. Paul looked pretty uncomfortable.

"Happy birthday to Pa-ul,

Happy birthday to you!" Rosie placed the cute little cake on the table.

"You're the best Rosie." Paul smiled at Rosie.

"You need to bring your girlfriend round here sometime. I need to meet her." Rosie immediately went into mom mode.

"She doesn't like diners! I've tried to make her go here." Paul shrugged. Rosie picked up their empty plates.

"Ok ok. Tell me how you like that cake it's a new recipe." Rosie walked off.

It was a fucking delicious cake.

They said goodbye to Rosie and were out the door. Paul texted Emma.

"Oh you're good friend Henry is there." Paul was way to smug.

It's going to be nice to see him again. But today is about paul. There will be plenty of time to hit on Henry.

"You know I think he's actually really good for you." Paul switched from smug to genuine.

"Yeah ok." Ted didn't want a lecture from mister healthy relationship. He really liked Henry but he didn't need paul to tell him why.

"No seriously, he'll make you branch out and open up." Paul patted Ted on the back, "Never in my wildest dreams did I think you would ever take singing and dancing lessons." Paul chuckled.

They arrived at the apartment after a short train ride. Thank god for public transportation.

"Hey babe." Paul and Emma immediately kissed as they walked in the door.

"Wow that is quite the sign." Ted's eyes were immediately drawn to the most glittery sign he's seen since kindergarten. Did they just spill glitter glue on it?

"That's what I've been saying." Oh Henry. Ted's heart skipped a beat. It's not like he had been thinking about Henry nonstop since the date. It's just really nice to see him.

"Well I like it." Paul smiled at Emma. Ted sometimes couldn't stand being around there cute couple shit.

"Thank you." Emma flipped off Henry.

"So what do you have in store?" Ted wanted to get down to doing things. It'll be easier to resist Henry's attractiveness if he's doing things.

"We could watch a movie." Not the most exciting birthday activity but whatever.

"Sure" Paul shrugged.

"Well the birthday boy should choose the movie." Ted patted paul on the back.

"Oh uh, I don't know like Casablanca I guess."

Ted had never seen it but based on the fact that Henry looked pleased by that decision, Ted assumed it would be a good movie.

Paul and Emma set up things for the movie while Ted and Henry got comfortable on the couch.

Holy shit there's a lot of music in this. Ted was really surprised that paul chose this movie.

Henry was sitting very close. So Ted's only real option was to put his arm around Henry. Ted made sure not to look in paul's direction knowing he would be smug. Ted just glanced at Henry every once in a while.

"You must remember this

A kiss is still a kiss" Fuck you movie!

"A sigh is just a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by" it's a good song though. Sounds familiar. Oh Sinatra did a cover of this song of course.

"And when two lovers woo

They still say, 'I love you.'" Ted instinctively looked at Henry. He thought about how he feels for Henry. It's to soon to tell if he's falling in love or if it's just lust. Ted wished he knew. Ted wished he didn't start thinking about this n

"On that you can rely

No matter what the future brings

As time goes by" the song in the movie played. Really a great song.

"I want to learn this song next." Ted whispered to Henry. Henry's cheek grew a little red. God this man. Henry leaned into Ted.

"It's still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers

As time goes by."

#starkid #tgwdlm #tedgens #from the top!#fanfic

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flightfoot · 6 years

Text

Continuation of discussion on Olympian Pain Ch.4

flightfoot

Yeah, I noticed that you actually said Tartarus after I wrote that. …Honestly I think that Zeus being tossed to earth and having to take Apollo’s place on his quest would probably be a better punishment, but in his case, he’d probably be left there until he dies. I really like the idea of Zeus having his own redemption arc where he has to live out three mortal lifespans as a demigod with no memory of who he really is, and achieve Elysium each time. I’d like that even if Apollo doesn’t die or get dissolved, actually.

I’ve had this little imagining in my head for awhile where Apollo dies fighting Python while protecting Meg, and his godly essence nearly sputters out, but Meg manages to get ahold of it unknowingly as he’s dying (kinda like how gods can possess godlings in the Kane Chronicles). Zeus transports Meg up to Olympus, blames her for Apollo’s death (because someone has to take the blame, and you know it won’t be Zeus), and she just TEARS him a new one… and then he incinerates her. The other demigods who were present at the battle and were also called to Olympus immediately start attacking Zeus, and their godly parents help. Meg manages to bring herself back as the god redemption and rebirth (she’s got dryads in California who seem to worship her, that might be enough to obtain godhood. Plus she has Apollo’s essence still with her, and there’s no WAY she’d let him be disintegrated completely) and is able to bring Apollo back with her. He’d probably be a baby though, since those reincarnated dryads still started out as saplings. Plus his essence was almost completely gone, it would take a while to recover from that. She dishes out her punishment: Zeus would be reborn three times on earth as a demigod, with no knowledge of who he is and only with the powers a demigod of his parentage would be expected to have. Meg would be the only one who would know when and who he’d been reborn as, to keep things fair. Upon his third death, the council would reconvene and decide whether to give him his powers back.

In this little idea I had, Apollo would become Camp director for Camp Half-blood once he had recovered, so he’d know Zeus well in each of his lives… especially his last one, where he’d be reborn as Apollo’s son. Apollo would bond with Zeus closely, like he would with his other children, and would confess that Meg had told him that Zeus was on his last lifetime. He’d talk about how nervous he was about facing his father again, how he used to punish Apollo brutally and blame it on his lightning bolt, of how Zeus reminded him of both Nero and Caligula, and how furious and scared he was when he learned that Zeus had vaporized Meg. Zeus (in mortal form with amnesia of his true identity) would be furious at Zeus for inflicting such pain on Apollo, and shout about how he would fight against Zeus if he tried to hurt Apollo, even if it meant his own death - which Apollo isn’t happy about, but Zeus is stubborn regardless of form. Then he dies and remembers that HE’S the one who committed all those wrongs.

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authorgirl1111

If it helps I’ve thought it a ridiculous amount of times about Apollo succeeding Zeus as king.

I have a story both on tumblr, DeviantArt and A03 about what could happen the final chapter of if the final book in the TOA series and in it, a new prophecy is uttered that basically says that Zeus is going to be kicked off the throne. I wrote an essay on why I think Apollo would succeed Zeus as king. (It’s not that good. I published it but it’s not that good.)

I think there’s a story (not finished) on this sight, About Zeus becoming human except he doesn’t have amnesia.

“I’ve had this little imagining in my head for awhile where Apollo dies fighting Python while protecting Meg, “ Yeah cause actually blaming Python or the Triumvirate would actually make sense yeah? LOL Zeus never makes much sense.

Huh, actually that would be interesting. Would Apollo age quickly too? Like he first did when he was first born?

Meg getting incinerated given her mouth actually makes sense. (Though Zeus has never incinerated Percy…. then again I don’t think Percy ever mouthed off to him in such close proximity. I don’t know about the worship of dryads would give her immortality, I always thought it was the worship of humans that determined immortality in riordanverse… ehh it could probably still work.

Three times? Why? Cause Zeus is just worse then Apollo? I wonder how meg would know though. She has power over plants not the dead… or maybe Hades tells her?

ooh that would be awkward his father reborn as his son? Yeesh.

That would probably grant him a healthy dose of guilt wouldn’t it? Yeesh.

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flightfoot

Apollo succeeding Zeus as king WOULD be an appropriately climatic end to his character arc, though I think we’d have to have a second book series to get him to the point where that would make sense. It would be kinda tricky to pull off convincingly - I doubt a lot of the other Olympians would just agree to go along with Apollo being the ruler without a good reason, plus it wouldn’t feel right if him becoming king came across as just being a reward for getting to the end of his trials - but it would be much better for the PJO universe as a whole. Zeus is a REALLY sucky ruler.

Oh, I’ve read both your story, and that “Zeus turns mortal” story. I like the general idea of yours, but the prophecy needs to be WAY less obvious. It basically just sounds like Apollo will become king because destiny says so, and because he becomes strong enough to dethrone him. But part of Apollo’s character arc is about learning what it’s like to be weak, and needing to rely on others, and make friends. I want him to become king kinda the same way Percy became the leader in The Last Olympian - because everyone respects him and most people like him, not simply because he’s stronger than everyone else.

I do really like the rest of your fic, though. Apollo just kinda folding Nico into his brood of children will never stop being adorable and heartwarming! Plus him continuing to comfort Meg was great, really showed that he was still the same person, even after having his godhood restored.

As for that “Zeus turns mortal” fic (It’s on wattpad, btw)... I like the concept, but not the execution. It came off as very mean-spirited to me. Even when I agreed with the Olympians that Zeus deserved the punishment, the way they talked about it made me dislike them, ESPECIALLY Apollo. Plus the author put in a bunch of swear words in ways that were just awkward and uncomfortable.

Zeus managed to blame Apollo for the Giant War, when his only real contribution to it was not discouraging Octavian. Zeus insisting on keeping Gods and demigods apart was far more harmful, but he never owned up to his own mistakes and deflected almost all of it onto Apollo, even blaming him for things that weren’t remotely his fault, like saying that him allowing the Prophecy of Seven to be spoken by Rachel helped to trigger it, even though the Romans had had that Prophecy for millennia. With Apollo’s death, he’d be ESPECIALLY eager to deflect blame away from himself, since HE would be responsible for Apollo being put in that position, and not receiving any help. If he didn’t just blame Gaea and the Giants for the Giant war, then I doubt that blaming the Triumvirate and Python for Apollo’s death would be sufficient.

I figure he’d age at an accelerated rate, but not as fast as he did when he was first born. Apollo and Artemis both gestated quite a bit longer than they should have because of Hera, so they were more developed when they were born than most gods are. Plus Apollo would need to recover from almost having his essence snuffed out. I figure he’d age at the rate of maybe a week per year, until he reached maturity around 16~17, so at about 16 weeks. And in the meantime he could visit his various friends while he’s still growing up. I REALLY want a little 5-year-old Apollo to stay a night at the Waystation while there’s a furious thunderstorm going on outside, and for him to be unable to hide how scared he is of it (since his physical form does somewhat impact his mind), and for the residents of the Waystation to comfort him, and be horrified about how Zeus used to hurt him. I want Calypso to sing him a lullaby, Jo and Emmie to tell him what Zeus did was wrong, and for little Georgina to offer him a stuffed animal and some advice for what her moms used to tell her when she got scared of thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, Lityerses is just kinda hiding because he figures that mentally, emotionally, and physically, Apollo is five right now, and would be scared of him. But Apollo has none of it, seeks him out quickly, says he trusts him and he’s happy to see him again, and snuggles up in Lit’s lap for a nap. And Lit just sits there with tears in his eyes, stroking Apollo’s hair while he sleeps, not seeming to believe that this little kid who he once tried to behead, now trusts him and loves him so much. He still can’t believe that ANYONE loves and trusts him, much less someone he used to enthusiastically talk about murdering.

Oh, and back at Camp Half-blood, the whole camp would basically adopt Apollo, and Harley would decide that he’s his little brother. And he’d still insist on that fact even when Apollo became an adult again.

Eh, Riordan has been making it fairly easy to become a god lately, if simply instituting mandatory worship is enough, even in cases where the whole nation hates them and doesn’t respect them, like with Commodus. And he never says that humans have to be the ones worshipping, so I’m going with it for now.

Poseidon’s also generally considered more powerful than Demeter, and would DEFINITELY be REALLY pissed if Zeus harmed Percy. We don’t really know Demeter’s feelings on Meg, on the other hand. I mean, she’s never bothered to communicate with Meg. She claimed her so she definitely knows Meg exists now, but she still hasn’t visited her, even in a dream. Plus, yeah, I think Meg would mouth off more in close proximity to Zeus, and his temper would already be running high with stress from Apollo dying, and a desire to deflect blame to save his own skin, so he’d be raring to punish Meg anyway.

Partly because he’s worse and has been so terrible for so long. I don’t think he actually learned anything from when Apollo, Poseidon, Athena, and Hera tied him up to try and tell him to be a better king. But there’s another reason too. Managing to achieve Elysium three times in a row and achieve entrance to the Isles of the Blest is considered like winning the Good Person Lottery. If Zeus managed to fulfill those same requirements, It would be a good sign that he really HAS changed,and won’t simply revert, like how he reneged on his promise to be faithful to Hera.

My thought is that Meg would become a full goddess, with actual powers and a Sphere of Influence. She’d be dead and would feel that Apollo’s essence was with her, but was slipping away, and if she went to the afterlife like she was supposed to, he’d be gone for good. So she holds onto his essence and desperately tries to avoid going to the Underworld, and then notices that there are some thin little cords connecting her to the mortal world, connected to the dryads that worship her. She follows them back, hard though it is. Those cords will let her return, but not Apollo - and that’s unacceptable. But she refuses to give up. She’s not quite sure what all of this is, what all is going on, but she feels like she can do SOMETHING. Apollo’s essence is like a seed, she thinks. He needs a casing to protect him. She feels around for something to keep him safe and comfortable, and senses something. Her dress. A present from a mother, a kind stranger, who only wanted to help make her comfortable. A present that had gotten ruined many times, but that she still insisted on getting repaired, because of what it meant to her. The dress may not be physically here - it was incinerated along with her body - but the feelings embodied by the dress, the essence of it, remains. She “tears” off a portion of the dress, and wraps Apollo’s essence in it. This time, the cords acquiesce.

Meg materializes in the throne room on Olympus, right where she was incinerated. A chia plant and a yellow daisy spring up at her feet. She’s holding a small green bundle tight against her chest. The throne room had clearly just been through a massive battle. Thrones were damaged, there were scorch marks everywhere, and the gods and demigods she could see all looked tired. Zeus was tied up in a celestial bronze net on the floor. Everyone just GAPED at her, not believing their own eyes. She’s still not entirely sure what happened, but at least Apollo’s safe. She unwraps his head and turns him towards the others, so everyone can see him. Artemis knows who it is immediately - how could she not recognize her baby brother? She delivered him, for Gods’ sake! She rushes over to them and breaks down sobbing as Meg gently transfers the baby Apollo into her arms, just glad that he’s back in SOME form, even if she’s not sure whether he retained his memories. At least he’s HERE, and SAFE. The tension breaks, and all the demigods plus most of the Olympians rush over to Apollo, Artemis, and Meg. Hades, Poseidon, and Hera remain with Zeus. Hades and Poseidon to make sure that Zeus stays trapped, and Hera because she really doesn’t care for Apollo.

After reassuring herself that Apollo is safe and protected, Meg approaches Zeus. She senses that she can cause Zeus to be reborn, kinda like how she just seemed to know how to summon a satyr. As the one who was just now wronged by Zeus, she floats the idea that Zeus should be sent to Earth, to be reborn, without his memories. If Apollo could learn so much from his stay on Earth, perhaps Zeus could as well, and finally become a better person. Hades suggests (with no small amount of glee) that Zeus should be reborn three times as a mortal, and have to achieve Elysium each time. If he can prove worthy of the Isle of Blest, then he may prove worthy to be a god again. If he fails... well, the council can decide on his fate if it comes to that. Meg agrees, with the stipulation that only she would know who Zeus was in each lifetime. She didn’t want the other gods to interfere, and potentially sabotage him. She also stipulates that Zeus will be unable to be granted immortality while Zeus curses and shouts at them, but to no avail. Meg sends him to be reborn.

Time passes. Apollo grows up again and becomes Camp Director. Meg hangs around Camp Half-blood most of the time. Even if she’s a goddess now, she still behaves like Meg. Zeus is reborn. First time he’s born as the son of a minor Greek goddess. Apollo spots him from the sun chariot, and escorts him safely to camp. He’s weirdly bristly with Apollo at first, and even he’s not sure why. He warms up eventually though. When he hears about Luke, he considers him a hero for making sure the minor gods got recognized. He’s quite cocky, but he still dies a heroic death, and is granted Elysium. As soon as the judges give their decision, he vanishes, immediately reborn. This time he’s reborn as a legacy of Jupiter in New Rome. He has few powers, but he’s still a valuable member of the legion. He grows up hearing of the brave son of Jupiter who led the charge on Mount Orthys, a member of the Seven who took down Gaea, and who died protecting his comrades. He wishes he could meet Jason or Jupiter, get to know those members of his extended family, but Jupiter’s been sentenced to some punishment which most of the campers don’t know the details of. He eventually meets Thalia and asks her to tell him about her father and brother. After hearing from Thalia’s perspective, he wishes he could meet Jason more than ever, but he’s kinda glad that Jupiter has been sentenced to live out three mortal lives. Any asshole who would murder an innocent twelve-year-old just to try and deflect blame deserves a long punishment. If anything, he thinks it’s too lenient.

In this second life, Zeus dies defending his comrades, and once judged, is immediately reborn for the last time - this time, as Apollo’s son. While he’s raised by his mother, he often gets visits from kind men. He knows they’re secretly the same man, since they all have the same smile, even though they look different. He goes along with it, though, and pretends that the disguises fool him. He’s a little kid, cheering him up when some kids pick on him at school. He’s a street musician, who first coaxes Zeus into singing in public. He’s even a teacher’s aid once, who sits with Zeus and helps teach him how to read, even though his dyslexia makes that difficult.

Then one day, when he’s about ten, Zeus sees his first monster. He panics and runs and prays that someone will help him. A moment later, an arrow is sticking out of the beast. It crumples to the ground and vanishes. Zeus looks at the man who shot the beast and recognizes him as the same man he’s encountered throughout the years. The man introduces himself as Apollo, explains that if he had stayed with Zeus and let him know who he was earlier, then monsters would have been able to find Zeus earlier as well. It was a moot point now, though, so Apollo drove Zeus to camp in the Sun Chariot.

Zeus is swarmed by his half-siblings upon entering camp. Apollo had told them that he was gonna have to retrieve him soon,and they’d been looking forward to meeting him. Apollo didn’t have children nearly as often as he used to, but he made sure to pay attention to each and every child, and they were all excited to welcome someone else to the family.

Zeus gets to experience a happy family life, staying with his mother most of the year, but spending summers at Camp Half-Blood. He bonds with Apollo quite closely over the years. At one point, when he’s around fourteen, he sees his father looking worried and scared, and coaxes him into opening up. Apollo confesses that Meg told him that his own father, Zeus, was on his third life, and may die and have his divinity restored in the next few years. Apollo doesn’t really know how to deal with that. Zeus will have proven himself a good mortal, achieving Elysium three times in a row, but this was still the man who liked to electrocute Apollo, who tried to murder Meg and even sorta succeeded. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face him. Mortal!Zeus got pissed at Zeus, and silently promised himself that until Apollo could talk about Zeus with no fear on his face, that he wouldn’t forgive Zeus.

Mortal!Zeus dies about a year later. Apollo’s devastated. He escorts his son down to the Underworld, and watches as he’s judged. As soon as they declare him worthy of Elysium, sparkles surround Mortal!Zeus, and he transforms back to his regular divine state, receiving all the memories that had been taken from him. Both Apollo and Zeus are shocked. Zeus remembers everything he’s done to Apollo, and done to other gods and mortals over time, and teleports away to sort out the immense guilt he feels. Apollo stumbles around, trying to figure out WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED.

They later reconcile, Zeus apologizing for everything he’s done, admitting that saying sorry isn’t really enough to make up for his actions over the years, and that he’ll stay away from Apollo, if that’s what he wants. He has to let Apollo know first though, that he was the best Dad he could ever ask for. Apollo tells him not to stay away, and pulls him into a hug, Zeus crying all the while. It’s still super awkward, but they would make it work.

Well that kinda turned into a fanfic there. I think Meg becoming the goddess of rebirth and redemption would make sense, since agriculture is often associated with rebirth. The redemption part is because Meg has seen how people can be redeemed, people like Apollo, Lit, Crest, and even herself. There is no god of redemption currently, so she will become one. It kinda goes along with rebirth, anyway.

#fanfiction #authorgirl1111 #flightfoot #toa #trials of apollo

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calliecat93 · 3 years

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ST: TNG S4 Watchthrough Episodes 10-13

The Loss: They did it again guys! They made a good episode about the female character! This time for Troi, yay! I love the woman, but her focus episodes have just been… let’s just say not up to par. But this time? A strange anomaly causes Troi to lose her empathic abilities, and… well, she doesn’t take it well. She tries to take it well, but when one loses a part of themselves that they’ve had their whole lives and rely on for not only their job but to go about their day? You’re not just okay. Deanna tries to just live with it and deny that it’s an issue. All it does is cause her frustration to build up and lash out. If this was an episode meant to focus on disabilities… well while I don’t have one, Troi’s reactions make perfect sense. She gets rather harsh, but I’d be more concerned if she didn’t cause… yeah. Everyone tries to be sympathetic, but all it does is make her feel like they’re pitying/acting condescending towards her. Again, understandable. Everything that she is feeling is perfectly understandable and I just want to hug the poor woman. I feel like there are some issues like Riker, while I can tell that he was using a tough-love approach t get her o get int ouch with her human half, was a huge asshole when comforting Troi the second time cause saying she acted like her Betazoid abilities made her superior to humans when she never did and is having a hard time adjusting to a major loss? Yeah… dude WTF? Also felt like Geordi shoudl have been utilized cause he’s also disabled and already figured out how to go through life with it. Even if Troi didn’t want his help, it would have been nice to mention. Also kind of conflicted on Troi getitng her powers back. I’m glad that she did, but I think it would have been much stronger if she hadn’t since she proved that she can still do her job without it, or have to regain it over time. Nevertheless, it’s still a really nice episode with Marina Sirtis doing an excellent job here, and again, Troi FINALLY got a good episode. Now keep it up TNG cause she deserves the best~! 4/5.

Data’s Day: We get a pretty unique approach for this episode. We follow Data as he is making a log to send to Maddox, who I guess had an epiphany since The Measure of a Man to not be a discriminatory asshole. Data logs what is, to him, an ordinary day on the Enterprise. We see him perform regular tasks, deal with problems, and his role in solving the Problem of the Week that would normally be the main focus. We get Data’s narration throughout, which allows his personal perspective on the matters. Also on this particular day, Transporter Chief O’Brien and a woman named Keiko are getting married… and Keiko gets cold feet and thus the whole situation becomes a lot more complicated with Data, who more or less got the two together, stuck in the middle. I really enjoyed this new approach! Not only is the episode still eventful to keep our interest, but it’s very much an episode that we haven’t had either here or in TOS. Just a day in the life of one of the characters, which with all the issues they get into once a week leaves plenty to over. We have a good balance of the Romulan/Vulcan Ambassador plot and the wedding and Data’s part in it. Seeing and hearing his perspective and things like getting Crusher to teach him to dance since he’s filling the ‘father handing off the bride’ roll for Keiko… it was just so fun. But the most important part of this episode… DATA HAS A KITTY! FINALLY WE SEE THE KITTY! I LOVE IT SO MUCH, IT’S SO FLUFFY~!!! The ending with the wedding was also just so heartfelt and I already love this O’Brien/Keiko pairing a lot~! When O”Brien gets promoted to main character status in DS9 they better give me all the domestic fluff! 4/5.

The Wounded: And speaking of DS9, while I won’t be watching that one until TNG is wrapped up, I do know that the Cardassians are a big deal within it. Guess it’s appropriate for O’Brien to get some focus in this one, I guess they were predictig the future here XD So here we have a Starfleet Capain named Maxwell who has gone rogue and blown up a Cardassian ship despite the Federation having a treaty with them. Why? A few things, but the short version is War is Hell and even when a war ends, the hate/prejudice formed against the enemy after years of kiling each other doesn’t just go away. O’Brien, while not murderous, served under Maxwell during that war and with the Cardassians on board the ship… yeah he’s got some issues. So first… I reaffirm what I said above, O’Brien/Keiko is freakin’ precious! I am SO happy to see a happy, healthy couple in something and they’re just so lovely~! Can we get more of this in the media? Please?! Second… just damn. Maxwell, while very much not protrayed as in the right and his actions nearly caused a war to reignite, feels very much like. traumatized man who never got over the horrors that he endured nor gotten proper help, and it lead to his hatred taking over and causing the deaths of hundreds. While we find that he did have some right to be paranoid, he still did it for vengeance and didn’t have legit proof to justify the provication (and even then that doesn’t justify the body count), but it still feels utterly tragic. O’Brien going to him at the end and talking him down from continuing the onslaught… damn man. IDK if they were planning DS9 when they made this episode, but if it’s anything like this one then I’m expecting some good quality! The trauma of war and how it lingers, what happens when you allow yourself to get comfortable in one’s hatred, and considering that O’Brien is a B-Team character the same way everyone not The Triumvirate was in TOS, I like the focus and development for the character and I’m so excited to see how it continues when DS9 comes along~! 4.5/5.

Devil’s Due: Okay first, the Christmas Carol simulation in the beginning is hilarious considering that Patrick Stwart himself would later play Scrooge. His is my mom’s favorite adaptation actually (Michael Caine will always be the true Scrooge to me though). Okay, the actual episode… it was alright. Honestly, it feels more like a TOS episode, albeit it’s not as frustrating to me as their attempts in the past. But we have a very attractive woman claiming to be The Devil romantically hovering over the Captain. Almost makes me think of Sylvia from the Catspaw episode. Kudos to the actress for Ardra, she really made what would otherwise be another sexualized, evil female character essentially forcing herself on the hero like in every other TOS episode with Kirk fun. She’s not intimidating, coming off more like a diet, far less complex female version of Q, but still fun. Otherwise, it was just okay. Not great, not horrible. Just kinda ‘watchable but indifferent about’ kind of episode. But after a more intensive episode like the last one, having something a bit more light-hearted without any serious introspection, politics, and trauma is honestly pretty welcomed. Also, Picard getting teleported to the planet in his pajamas and Worf just being so confused was the funniest scene all episode though Data as the judge in the court battle (just go with it) was also amusing XD 2.5/5

S4 has just been delivering hard thus far! Event he last one, while he lowest rated so far, was still fun. We’re about halfway through and I can’t wait for what else awaits~!

#st watchthrough

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meshugana1 · 6 years

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How about a bitchy teen girl embarrassed by her dorky uncool mom until she turns into her mom's even dorkier older sister, a curvaceous middle aged auntie!

Barbara excitedly looked through the selection of clothing at the thrift store in the shopping center while her daughter just crossed her arms and did her best to imagine she was at her friend’s party instead of being forced to spend time with her lame mother. Amy’s mother always made unintentionally humiliating her daughter a simple task and exercised the skill at every opportunity since Amy did not have any mode of transportation of her own and relied on her mother to go anywhere enjoyable in the small town she was forced to live in since her father had abandoned them. Amy was convinced he did so because of her mother’s constant obliviousness and awkward behavior, it was enough to make her want to leave at least.

Barbara was in a state due to the ten percent off sale the thrift store almost always had going and she insisted on looking at every individual item she liked, even its duplicates, in case the stitching looked better on one or a button was off on another and of course stopped everything if she found something that looked ‘cute’ on her daughter. “Oh, how about this one baby? It’s got that super cute guy on the front you like,” Barbara said. Amy looked at the shirt and it was a plain white piece of cloth that had the face of Justin Bieber on it from at least ten years ago plastered over the entire front framed in the words “Bieber fever”.“Are you freakin’ kidding me? Justing Bieber, Babs? That’s just pathetic, nobody likes that loser anymore. Would it kill you to read a magazine from this century?” Amy said.“Sorry, I just thought you’d like it.”“Well, I don’t so please don’t keep bringing it up,” Amy said in a huff and walked off. Barbara didn’t understand her daughter at all which was quite ironic to her considering she was almost exactly like her daughter was at that age, they even shared many of their looks such as the chestnut hair and their short heights. Amy was not lucky enough to inherit the curves from her side of the family but she was very beautiful nonetheless. As usual, Barbara thought that was the route of their problems and she was mostly right but talking to a teenager was nigh impossible so she simply allowed the girl’s rebellious nature to run its course.

She caught up with her daughter after she completed the large purchase she had in mind along with a few selections for Amy she knew she would grow to like or at least thought was sensible, her daughter was sitting on the bench that ran along the wishing fountain at the center of the mall. She thought fondly of all the times they would make wishes together. “Hi sweetie,” Barbara said much louder than was either polite or necessary, “I finished up at that store and I even got a few things for you! And you’ll never believe it but they had a matching outfit set on sale and I just had to get it for us. It’s this super cute leopard print stuff I just know your gonna love it!” Amy sat there grinding her teeth and doing her best to will herself out of existence. Barbara set the bags down and sat next to her daughter, wrapping her arm around her shoulder only to have Amy shrug it off.

“Hey sweetie, how about we make a wish at the fountain like we always used to, I’ve got two pennies right here. Remember? I think I’m gonna wish that you and I could be best friends forever. I remember that time you wished for a teddy bear and I just thought it was so cute and we went to the toy store right after and got you one and you were so excited that you tinkled in the store and—”“Oh my god shut up!” Amy shouted loud enough for the whole mall to hear, “I cannot freaking believe you are so lame! How do people turn out like you?” She snatched the pennies from her mother’s shocked hand, “You know what I wish for mom? I wish I wasn’t your kid!” She threw the pennies with as much malice as she could muster and they caught on a lip of concrete. Amy sighed in frustration and stormed off, her mother followed shortly after. Nobody nearby paid any attention to the pennies after she threw them but a warm breeze from outside had drifted in and brushed past an old man on a walker, blew the hair out of a little girl’s eyes and struck the pennies and cast them into the water below. They struck the water at exactly the same time and formed a single ripple that made contact all around the rim of the fountain before it faded away.

Amy never was good at restraining her emotions and briskly walked to her usual hiding place when she was angry, the bathroom. She entered the single disabled bathroom and locked the door. She couldn’t explain why but she just felt so angry at her mother even though she didn’t hate her. She grabbed the sink and stared at her self in the mirror, her body was hot and she could feel a headache coming on. She winched and held her forehead, closed her eyes and did her best to calm down. The heat in her face and the rest of her body refused to die down though and she just rode it out, she must’ve been really agitated because she could feel her clothes getting tighter and she didn’t feel like she was flexing or anything.

Her headache was starting to ease and she opened her eyes to see herself in the mirror looking very much different. Her chin looked just a little straighter than it had this morning and her eyes had actually changed color from their usual green to a hazel color like her mothers. One of the few flaws she hated about her face was the slightly crooked nose she got from her father but now it looked like a cute button, it was odd but she thought it looked a lot like her great grandmother’s nose. She was almost too absorbed in her face to notice her bra pinching into her skin but the pain drew her eyes there and she saw her meager breast flesh begin to grow and spill around the sides of her bra and she frantically tried to remove it but the tension was too great, thankfully the problem solved itself a moment later and she watched her bra snap off and fly into the wall. Her breasts continued to grow and became much more than a handful before they stopped. She starred in amazement at the whoppers she new had on her that had to have been even larger than her mothers.

She felt a similar pressure in her ass and thanked god she had decided to wear a loose skirt today as she watched the hem slowly crawl up from the added mass of her ass and thighs and stop just a few inches below her new cheeks. She looked down at herself and was flabbergasted by what had just happened. She looked up into the mirror again and saw her face had changed once more but not as drastically, she now looked more elegant and mature. She had felt like she’d seen this face before and then she remembered that she now looked like her great-grandmother did in her late twenties. She was always jealous of her sister getting all the T&A in the family but now she finally had her own! She paused at that, did she think sister? That was weird, she didn’t have any siblings but that fact was slowly losing its hold as her altered reality started to take root.

She remembered becoming a sophomore last year, but she also remembered getting a new job last year as a secretary. She could remember going to see The Force Awakens with her friends a few years ago but she also remembered seeing Star Wars with her mom and dad in the theater, no her grandparents. She remembered losing her virginity to Johny Whaler in 1987 but she hadn’t even been born yet. The two realities were fighting for ground and her headache was growing worse until the new memories started to overtake her. She stumbled backward and tripped, falling on her fat ass but the weight of this change was too much and she fainted.

Amy woke alone in the bathroom, confused and feeling a little worn out for some reason. She couldn’t quite remember what she was doing here but then her little sister Barbara entered the room, her arms were laden with bags and without a word the two embraced in a warm hug. “Hey, big sis! You’ll never believe what I found for you at the thrift store!” Before she could say anything Babs pulled out a white T-shirt that was emblazoned with Justin Bieber’s face and was encircled by the phrase ‘Bieber Fever’ repeating endlessly. Amy loved it immediately and was so excited she began hopping in place causing her huge breasts to jiggle wildly. “Oh my god I love it! He’s so cute! I’m gonna put it on right now!” She snatched away the shirt and stripped the top of herself naked, she struggled to get the small shirt over her large chest but determination won out and she managed to squeeze herself into it.

The shirt was far too small and it rode high on the forty-five-year-olds chest exposing almost all of her midriff and squashing her breasts together. “Mmmm, this might get a few boys’s attention,” you say holding your hand up and mimicking a scratching motion accompanied by a growl. “Geez big sis, you’d think you’d’ve heard of modesty by now,” Barbara said playfully. “What? Not all of us have a man at home or our own bun in the oven mind you,” Amy said poking her pregnant little sis in her tummy. “Well with that on it’s not gonna take you long, haha!” The two sisters walked out like that, laughing together. Amy spent most of the day checking out the cute younger guys and helping her sister pick out cute maternity clothes. She couldn’t wait to be an auntie for her niece. Babs even said she was gonna name her Amy, how cute is that?

The end. Hope Y’all like it!

#breast expansion #ass expansion #age progression #reality alteration #cougar tf #request

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yournewapartment · 7 years

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can u think of anyway to make money from home as someone who is under 18?:( mom wont let me get a job and shes kicking me out when im 18

Unfortunately there isn’t really a way to make money from home if you don’t have a viable job already. I know some survey sites that do work, but the amount of money per effort you make is so not worth it.

My advice to you is to look for a job near your home. You don’t need a car to get to work, you just need to be able to walk or use public transportation. I’m also going to include my “My Parents Are Kicking Me Out” post. I hope you find it helpful! Stay strong, you’ll get through this, and you’ll be a better person for it.

My Parents Are Forcing Me To Move Out- What Can I Do?

I get a lot of questions about this. Here are some steps that you can take while still living in your parents house, steps that will help you work towards getting a place of your own. Stay strong! You’ll get through this.

1. Important Documents. Get as many of your important documents (social security card, birth certificate, tax forms, etc) as possible while you’re still living with your parents. You will need this information when you move out, and it may be harder for you to get these documents after you’ve moved out.

2. Get a job. If you’re still in school, limit yourself to a part-time job that can become a full-time job when you finish your education. You can’t save up money if you don’t have a job, and this will just force you to be dependent on your parents financially.

3. Get transportation. Get yourself a mode of transportation that does not rely on your parents. Biking, walking, and using public transportation are all ways that you can get where you need to be without their help. You cannot rely on any car that’s in their name (even if they call it “your” car). I’ve had multiple friends dealing with difficult parents have their cars taken away from them in an attempt to further control their lives.

4. Start saving money. Even if this just means saving $100 every two weeks, this is still a great start!

5. Separate bank account. Speaking of saving money, get yourself a bank account that your parents don’t have access to. A friend of mine tried to move out of her home and her parents literally moved all her money into their account because they had joint access. If you cannot get a separate bank account, start saving money in cash in a good hiding spot.

6. Start paying for your own devices. You do not want your parents to be able to threaten to take your phone away if they don’t like the choices you’re making. You should also change any passwords on devices that your parents may know.

7. Utilize resources that get you out of the house. There are lots of spaces that you can hang out after school for free, including public parks and libraries. Join clubs and volunteer your time if you can’t stand being home.

8. File as independent on your taxes. We’re a while away from tax season, but remember to file as independent on your taxes. This means that your parents can no longer claim you as a dependent and will no longer receive a tax break from the government for housing you. What it means for you, is that you will no longer be considered part of their tax bracket. This means you’ll have a better chance at applying for financial aid, health insurance, car insurance, etc.

9. Involve your college. If you’re looking to go to university sometime in the future but are afraid you can’t afford it, find out if your college has any programs for independent students. Many SUNY schools have what is called the EOP Program and the Independent Student Program, which will pay for your college tuition based off your independent tax status. You cannot rely entirely on FAFSA to pay for your tuition! Talk to a school counselor and find out what is offered. PS: Many of these programs are first-semester admit only, so take that into consideration.

10. Keep your housing search a secret. I hate to generalize with parenting, but if your parents are threatening to throw you out or are forcing you to move out, it’s probably not a good idea to let them know that you’re going to move out. Oddly enough, two of my friends who have been in this very same situation got ready to move out of their respective homes, only to have their parents freak out. Even if your parents are saying that they’re going to force you to move out, they may not believe that you actually can and will do it. They may try to stop you or use emotional tactics to control you and keep you home. When you do move out- do not under any circumstance tell them your address.

11. Build your support system. Tell as many trustworthy people as you can what is happening, so that they can be there to support you during this time. You’ll have places to crash in if you need to, so your parent’s house isn’t your only option. I would try to tell at least one “Adult” in your life- a teacher, a counselor, your employer, etc. Obviously you don’t want them talking to your parents, but they may be able to offer support and confidence.

12. Decide on an apartment budget. Decide what you can afford, based off of how much money you’re making. Find out if any of your friends are going to get their own place, and see if you can find a roommate. This will save you so much money and headache in the long run. If you can’t find a roommate and can’t afford an apartment, look into renting a room in a house or shared space.

13. Learn some life skills. Cooking, cleaning, sewing, basic repair, car maintenance, laundry, etc are all useful skills that you will need when you move out. Start mastering them now, and you’ll feel more confident when on your own.

14. Discount stores. Get familiar with shopping for yourself at discount stores. While shopping at the Dollar Store may not be ideal for you, I recommend that you buy all your starter groceries and household supplies there. Off-brand items will save you $$!

15. Make plans for pets. Do not leave your pets at your parent’s house. If you can’t move them into your new place, find a friend who can pet sit until you find a more comfortable situation. Do not let your parents hold your pets over your head as emotional leverage!

16. Be prepared to buy new furniture. Your parents may not allow you to take any furniture with you when you move. Be prepared to spend some money on things like mattresses, tables, cooking supplies, etc. Peruse local yard sales and bargain bins to see if you can scavenge any supplies. Hit up your friends and coworkers to see if they have any furniture/supplies they’re not using. Honestly this is how I got half of the furniture in my apartment.

17. Try to keep it positive. Throughout all of this, please remember that your parents do love you, even if they’re not expressing it in a positive way. Be above toxic behavior and any emotional bullying they may throw your way, and when you do move out try to let them know that you love them and hope they will support you. They may ignore you or refuse to talk to you for some time after you move out, and this is okay. They will eventually get to the point where they miss your contact, and you should be prepared for that opportunity to start fresh. I’ve known people whose relationship with their parents has improved 100% after they move out. Some personalities are just not meant to live together. Give them the time they need to adjust, and be proud of yourself for everything you’ve done!

#my parents are kicking me out #my parents are forcing me to move out #leaving home #moving out #moving alone #first apartment #new apartment #adulting

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poweredbycoffeeandwine · 7 years

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All a Blur

I was having all of the Liam feels. I love that guy! So, here, have a fic featuring him and my female Ryder Camille. Pre-relationship because that is my jam. Borrowed some in game dialogue, and ran with it. Teeny- tiny spoilers if you havent’ made it very far in the game. Thanks to my hubs for reading and making room for my fictional infatuations.

Trigger warnings: Survivor’s guilt

All a Blur

Camille Ryder never knew what to do with nervous energy. She hated the knots in her stomach that had developed so shortly after being made Pathfinder. There was so much to do and so many relying on her. During the day cycle she kept so busy there was no time to notice how lonely she felt. Since birth she had her brother Scott. With him on the Nexus it was like a piece of her was missing. She hated that she was angry at him for not being with her, to help her overcome the grief of losing their father. Her mother had only just been taken from them much too soon, and now she was the lone Ryder in a strange sea of stars.

Once the night crept in her emotions were hovering, all too ready to crash against the walls she had carefully constructed so she could cope and fake the confidence to lead during the day. That she had been assigned a room on the Tempest that rightfully belonged to her father only made matters worse. How she wished he hadn’t always been so damn noble. Of course he would gallantly throw away his life, so full of desperately needed experience, to save his child from death.

With the limited space available on the ship, she felt so guilty that she couldn’t even bring herself to sleep on that beautiful, wonderfully soft bed since that first night. She had tossed and turned so long hating that she was in his place. She really wanted to offer the bed to someone, but Cora would certainly spout protocol. PeeBee would get that panicked look on her face and run for good thinking she was attempting to trap her. She didn’t know Vetra well enough to presume she would bunk with her, and she doubted Lexi would be happy to hear that she had been sleeping on the cream colored sofa out of a warped sense of loyalty to her dead father. Drack would assume she was taking pity on him, and likely headbutt her instead of saying no. If she offered the spot to Jaal, how could she possibly know that she wasn’t treading on a custom of the Angara? What if it meant something crazy like marriage? Definitely best to save that sort of offer until she knew more about the Angara as she hadn’t gotten very far into the datapad she had picked up from the Arbiter.

She might be able to convince Kosta to sleep on the bed. He might feel bad at first, like he was taking advantage of her somehow, but she was certain he would get over it. Most likely after he saw it. Her mind made up, Camille sprung off the couch, set her data pad down, and pulled a hoodie over her Blasto tank. She had been the subject of ridicule the first time she left her quarters wearing the oversized Blasto shirt. She had taken it from Scott, and she wore it now mostly for a small measure of comfort. The doors to her cabin silently slid open, and she couldn’t help but focus on how eerie and oppressive the ship felt to her at night with hardly any sounds. She made her way to the small hold in the cargo bay that Kosta had taken for his own, but she hesitated outside the door. It was very late, and she had no reason to believe that he would be awake at this hour. Still, she had come, and it couldn’t hurt to try.

She gave a soft tap at his door, flinching as it broke the silence. On the other side of the barrier, she heard a series of grunts, and something that sounded like an invitation to enter. Taking cautious steps inside she started when she realized that Kosta was not only in the middle of what must have been an epic set of pushups, but he was doing them shirtless, pants riding low on his hips. The muscles on his back and his arms rippling with each movement. She tore her eyes away, feeling like a leacher. “Liam? Don’t I work you enough on the ground? How can you possibly still have enough energy to exercise?”

“All the time. Run us ragged you do. Got a lot on my mind, you know. Can’t seem to keep still.” He said as he stood picking up a towel to wipe at the sweat coating his face. “What has you up instead of taking advantage of the Pathfinder’s quarters?”

“Funny you should ask,” Ryder fired back. “It’s actually why I am here. I wanted to ask you something, but I need you to hear me out. No judgement or interrupting, ok?” She suddenly didn’t know where to look. Asking him to be her roommate had sounded like a good idea, but standing in front the idea was suddenly absurd. She didn’t want to be that girl, but the sweat beading down his neck, traveling over his clavicle, and down to his chest reminded her just how male he was.

She knew the pause in the conversation had to have been too long, so she looked up and noticed the concern in his eyes, “Sure, Ryder. Think I can manage. What do you need?”

“Well, like you said, the Pathfinder’s quarters are just so big. I hardly need all of that space to myself, and I know there isn’t quite enough space for everyone.” She knew she had begun to ramble, but she couldn’t begin to make herself come to the point. It would be much better to have stayed quiet rather than face his rejection. There was no way he would ever agree to such an arrangement. She didn’t even know why his pending refusal made her want to crawl into a hole and die. She forced herself to forge on adding, “So I was thinking that maybe you could take the bed, and I can keep sleeping on the sofa. Or possibly you and GIl or Kallo could have the room and I could take this one.”

Liam stayed quiet for a beat or two glancing from her face to the door. The waiting made her nervous and she began to shift in place. “Look, I didn’t mean to offend, and really I am not trying anything sneaky or underhanded. I really just can’t be in there alone anymore.” With a deep sigh she dropped the facade she was holding in place and let herself feel everything she had been fighting. Shoulders slumped, brows creased, she wandered to his ratty old couch and sat down hands over her face.

The weight of him caused the couch to dip, and her body to press against him, she felt the pressure of his hand on her shoulder. “Ryder,” he softly called to her, “what is going on in that head of yours? Not a bit put off, I swear it. Just shook is all. You have to know that sounds daft, right? We would be terrible flatmates, I would watch movies you hated, and you would eat all of my snacks. I bet you snore. Plus, I would have to pretend to hate your Blasto shirt, but really we would both know I was just jealous.”

She giggled, and when she realized that he had turned her emotions around again, she couldn’t help but give him a playful punch on his arm. “I knew it! Blasto is the only reason you are nice you me. You’ll have to fight me for it.”

With a small cough he replied, “You’ve got me, Pathfinder. Now that you know my secret I’ll just have to let a Kett frag you in the back so I can get my mitts on your shirt. Been at your back watching you fight remember. No way I could take you.” After a moment he put a curled knuckle under her chin, lifted it and asked, “Really, what’s eating you, and what’s this about sleeping on a regular couch when you have a proper sized bed?”

She decided to tell him everything. How she felt abandoned by Scott and her father despite them not having a choice in the matter. Knowing full well they would both have literally done anything to be with her. Causing her to feel even worse that she was being unfair to them, and the deep pit in her stomach and ball in her throat at the sheer thought of enjoying the bed meant for someone who could actually lead them. “It would have been so much better for everyone if my dad had just made the right decision and let Habitat 7 claim my life. The Initiative doesn’t need a poor man’s Alec Ryder,” Camille said through small sniffles. She had already embarrassed herself, she wasn’t going to cry in front of him, too.

When he next spoke she couldn’t help but think he sounded angry, “What do you mean you should have died? Listen, I get you aren’t the old man. Nobody could be, and we never asked you to be. But you lead us. We found that facility on Voeld, kicked them in the teeth. Great. But the Kett steal what people are. Even with your dad we might not have pulled it off. You managed.” Liam huffed, and raked a hand through his hair, “Look, I get it. Survivor's guilt, I don’t completely understand, but you’ve been through the ringer. He chose you, and I believe you can do this.”

He activated his Omni-tool and put it between them. He told her about his family, and the project car they worked on together. The hours, time and love they poured into it for no reason at all other than that they could. Just something for them to spend time together doing. She marveled at his story, it should have occurred to him that he had a past. Parents that loved him, and he loved fiercely in return. She had been so selfish wallowing in her own misery, that she forgot that almost everyone else was suffering just as much or more. His car packed into a borrowed transport slowly passing through space being the only tangible link to his mom and dad so far away made her indescribably sad but also gave her hope. “I know I’ll never see it again, it will take two point three million years at standard light speed to even get close to Andromeda,” his voice took a shaky quality, “but the important thing is that it’s coming, and always will be.” He stopped shook his head and continued brokenly, “I don’t know what that means.”

He glanced down and Camille knew that defeated pose. It was one she mirrored too often, always alone. Her heart cried for him, and as much as she struggled to go forward each day, she understood that he was doing the same. To move past all the could-have-beens and just push for a better tomorrow. Up until this very moment he had done a much better job, he was always trying to bridge the gap, and make friends out of strangers. How much she had taken his insight and training for granted.

She leaned over to him cupping his cheek in her hand. The stubble on his face somehow feeling both prickly and soft, and strangely right. She pressed her forehead to his, and discovered his hand finding purchase in her hair at the back of her head. She closed her eyes after the blurring vision behind tears she had held in check for too long threatened to overwhelm her. LIam pulled her into a firm hug, hand stroking her back giving the comfort that she didn’t realize she had needed so badly. She returned the favor; he was just as lost. After a few moments, they leaned back into the sofa her head cradled against his shoulder and bicep, his hand still in her hair. Liam started rubbing circles on her scalp with his fingertips, and put his cheek against the top of her head.

Camille didn’t know how long they sat, but when she woke with a start, leg trapped between his, arm slung across his still naked chest, she couldn’t help but be pleased at actually getting uninterrupted sleep. She didn’t even care that it might get awkward in the morning, or that their crewmates might read more into the situation than there was. It had felt like ages since she woke with a clear head, and after all they had been through she deserved rest. Liam must have felt her stirring as he stretched a bit, and pulled her back in close. Before falling back asleep he whispered into her hair, “After tonight, you go back and face your quarters like a big girl. You are more than the ghost of the old man. I’ll help, if you need it, but you can’t give up your space. No more of this posh about giving the bed up, got it?” She nodded and couldn’t agree more, but right at that moment she didn’t care about anything else but finding a few more hours peace in the arms of her friend.

#mass effect andromeda #liam kosta #female ryder #liam x fryder #me fanfic #me:a #camille x liam #camille ryder #survivor's guilt #pre relationship #steph did a thing #my fic #mass effect fic #me:a fanfic #rydam #frydam

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debtfreeinthree · 7 years

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6 Grocery Saving Tricks That Will Save You Hundreds

Since starting this blog, I’ve also become a financial coach. I help people figure out their goals, determine what they need to do to get there and create a plan for them to follow. I love coaching and motivating people. Personal finance is so taboo that many people don’t know where to go for good advice.

Usually what I do with my coaching clients is have them go over their expenses for a couple months and write down how much they spend. Then, we divide the expenses into categories and see how the math adds up.

Inevitably, they’re surprised by how much they spend. When you bring home $2,000 a month, it’s hard to fathom spending it all. That’s why tracking your expenses is so important – it’s the only way to see where the leaks are in your budget.

A major reason for all those leaks? Grocery shopping.

Why Groceries Matter

There are two types of expenses in your budget – fixed and variable. Fixed expenses stay the same every month; these include your rent, internet bill and car insurance. No matter what happens, your rent will be the same next month and the month after that.

Variable expenses change based on your usage and the time of the year, like utilities, gas and of course, groceries. It’s easy to plan ahead for some variable expenses. For example, the amount of gas I use doesn’t change that much month-to-month. I use budget billing for my heating and electricity, so I get the same bill every month, and I also use an HSA that I contribute to monthly and pay any medical bills out of that.

But groceries? Groceries can fluctuate by as much as $200 a month. I’ve had months where I spent $100 for one person and months where my husband and I dropped $600 on food.

When you’re on a tight budget and are paying off student loans or credit card bills, every extra dollar matters. The less you spend on groceries, the faster you can be debt free.

For most people, groceries are their biggest category after housing, transportation, and insurance, and when you change how much you spend on the biggest category, you see the biggest results.

The Biggest Way to Save on Groceries

Meal Plan Ahead of Time

It won’t surprise you that the biggest way to save on groceries is to meal plan before you shop. Meal planning lets you create meals based on what you already have, so you’re not buying all your ingredients from scratch. For example, if you already have chicken thighs in the freezer, why make spaghetti and meatballs? If you already have green peppers and tortillas, why not make fajitas?

It’s like buying clothes: when I buy a new shirt, I run through what I already own. Will this shirt match any of my pants or skirts? Can I wear it for multiple occasions? If it fails the closet test, I put it back. That’s because if I buy a shirt and don’t have anything to match it with, I won’t be able to wear it or I’ll have to buy a set of pants to match. That’s wasteful and inefficient.

Groceries are the same. Plan your meals around what you already have and then go grocery shopping for the rest. I am really, really bad at meal planning, but my husband is a whiz at it. He can scan through our freezer and quickly decide what kind of meal he can make while not buying a ton of new ingredients.

If you’re more like me, then meal planning is scary, overwhelming and BORING. And when something is overwhelming, I tend to avoid it. That’s why I recommend the $5 Meal Plan Service from my friend Erin Chase. She’s a mom of four boys and has created meal plans where each meal costs less than $2 per person.

&lt;img src=”https://s3.amazonaws.com/5dollarmealplan-affiliate/5DMP-728×90-cheaptastymealplansmadesimple-learnmore.jpg” alt=”See Cheap Tasty Meal Plans!” border=”0″ /&gt;

Even though I’m not a mom, her recipes still work because they’re quick, good and easy-to-understand. Plus, you can customize by specific requests (vegetarian, gluten free, etc) and even type in what you have to get recipe suggestions. Erin also offers slow cooker meals, 20-minute meals and slow-cooker meals – you get 8 total meals for $5 a month.

If you don’t want to pay or are a little more carefree in your meal planning, there’s other sites that can help you, like Foodily. You type in the ingredients you have and the site spits out recipe ideas. I used to use sites like these ALL THE TIME when I lived alone, because I hated spending a lot of money on groceries and I didn’t want to waste the food I already had.

For example, if I have potatoes and carrots chillin’ in my fridge, I can type those ingredients into Foodily and it’ll spit out some recipe ideas. How cool is that? Seriously, this site rocks.

In general, we always decide what to cook based on what we already have, whether that’s something in the fridge, pantry or freezer. Starting there will always be cheaper, more efficient and less wasteful.

Take Stock of What You Already Have

Unless you regularly cycle through your pantry, you probably have some food you’ve forgotten about. Case in point: in college, I had a bad habit of buying brown sugar. Every time I went to the grocery store, I convinced myself that I didn’t have any brown sugar at home, so I’d buy a box. At the end of the semester, I had five boxes of brown sugar that had gone stale.

Before you go to the grocery store, take stock of what you already have. Why? Because today I accidentally found some cous cous in the pantry, enough for at least two meals. I also forgot about some falafels and turkey meatballs I have in the freezer. When you shop on a regular basis, it’s hard to remember if you’ve used up everything from your last visit.

Every time my husband and I get ready to go to Costco, we take a quick scan of our cabinets, so it’s rare we buy something already in our pantry. I don’t have to wonder if we have canned tuna, because I checked the house before I left.

Eat from the Freezer

How often do you look inside the freezer to see what you already have? Seriously. Every time I have to dig around in the freezer for ground beef or leftover pasta sauce, I end finding something I’d forgotten about.

My husband and I freeze a lot of stuff and every couple of weeks, we take a couple days to defrost and eat few meal’s worth of leftovers. It’s not as exciting as a hot meal straight from the stove, but it saves us time and money. Plus, there’s no big pile of dishes to clean up afterwards!

Food stored in the freezer doesn’t go bad as quickly, so it’s easy to forget about it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stored away something only to find it right before I moved out.

Shop with a Plan

Have you ever gone grocery shopping without a list? I once did this at Target. I assumed I’d wander the aisles until I remembered what I needed it. It was a disaster. I tried to walk around each aisle, staring intently at plastic wrap and deli meat and wondering if I needed them.

Never shop without a plan. I try to keep a notepad near the fridge where I can quickly note what I need, so when I do go to the store, I’m only buying the essentials. My husband and I also keep a list of what we buy from Costco so when we go there, we just shop based on what the list says. You can do this using a notetaking app or with a physical list – just try a couple of methods to see what works for you.

Be Wary of Sales

Do you ever notice how excited you get when something is on sale? It’s like I can feel the dopamine rushing to my brain when I see a great deal. “Oh my god, I have to get this – it’s on sale!!” I think to myself.

But sometimes the sales are how I get tricked into buying something I don’t really need.

Once after Thanksgiving, I was visiting my then-boyfriend at Whole Foods, where he worked at the time. He told me I should look around the store for any special deals on Thanksgiving-related foods, since they were heavily discounted. I wandered around until I found frozen turkey legs at a huge discount.

Of course, I didn’t really know what I was going to do with frozen turkey legs. I mean, does anyone actually buy raw turkey outside of Thanksgiving? No, they don’t. That’s why the turkey was on sale. Those frozen turkey legs sat in my freezer for months until I finally tossed them.

Don’t get excited just because something is on sale. If it’s an item you love, like Rocky Road ice cream, sure, stock up on a few. But if it’s something you don’t really care that much about, like turkey legs, let it go. It’s better to spend $20 on your favorite meal than $10 on food you hate.

Find Cheap Recipe Ideas

After I graduated from college, I spent a summer interning at a magazine and working part-time at a call center. My internship was unpaid and since I was trying to be an adult, I promised my parents I’d pay for all my expenses myself. It finally hit me that I had left the comforts of university life for the uncertainty of the real world. To that end, I started really looking at my budget, especially my groceries.

I relied on blogs like Budget Bytes for cheap recipes. Some of them were a miss, but most of them I really liked it. Finding recipes is such a chore, and it can be hard if you don’t want to buy a bunch of expensive spices and ingredients.

6 Grocery Saving Tricks That Will Save You Hundreds was originally published on Debt Free After Three

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penthony · 7 years

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About for Laura Anderson

Character Chart Character’s full name: Laura Elizabeth Anderson Reason or meaning of name: Her mom just liked it, and i think Elizabeth is the name of her paternal grandmother, not that she’d know that. Character’s nickname: Laur Reason for nickname: It’s half of her name, plus she likes it better for some reason. Birth date: August 8th, 1994. Physical Appearance Age: twenty-two How old does he/she appear: She could pass for 18, maybe younger depending on what she’s wearing and if she has make up on. Weight: 110lbs Height: 5′6 Body build: Petite/Slender Shape of face: Oval Eye color: Brown Glasses or contacts: Neither Skin tone: white/caucasian Distinguishing marks: scar on her hip Predominant features: Strong jaw, eyebrows, and a bright smile. Hair color: Dark Brown Type of hair: Wavy Hairstyle: Long Voice: Melodic, but young sounding. Overall attractiveness: Pretty attractive. Physical disabilities: n/a Usual fashion of dress: leggings, a bandeau and a teeshirt, or an oversized sweater. sometimes jeans, a tee and a leather jacket. Favorite outfit: boyshorts and an oversized teeshirt. Jewelry or accessories: a ring on her right hand and a pair of earrings depending on her mood. Personality Good personality traits: determined, helpful, caring, somewhat maternal Bad personality traits: easily offended, choleric, stubborn, prone to distrust. Mood character is most often in: a sarcastic one. Sense of humor: inappropriate to say the least. Character’s greatest joy in life: sex, sleeping, pie, pizza & beer. Character’s greatest fear: Being abandoned, or never finding love. Why? Her mother abandoned her a lot, and she never really saw a healthy relationship around her. What single event would most throw this character’s life into complete turmoil? her mothers death - which just happened Character is most at ease when: probably when she’s on her couch watching something, or with blaine or eli. Most ill at ease when: in a high stress situation, or when drugs are present Enraged when: someone calls her a whore, when someone doesnt help themselves to what they need, or when someone gets in her business without asking. Depressed or sad when: thinking about her future Priorities: not falling apart. Life philosophy: fuck it. If granted one wish, it would be: to start over. Why? because she just is a very sad puppo. Character’s soft spot: her soft spot is for the people she’s closest to, they’re really the only people she trusts. Is this soft spot obvious to others? not always, but it’s coming more and more clear. Greatest strength: the fact that she is very prone to sticking up for others Greatest vulnerability or weakness: she tends to run away from her own emotions Biggest regret: not going after her mom when she had the chance Minor regret: getting into porn Biggest accomplishment: taking care of herself after her mom disappeared Minor accomplishment: actually allowing people to start to get close to her Past failures he/she would be embarrassed to have people know about: i wouldn’t say failures, but i would think that she might be embarassed about one day maybe being a mom and people knowing about her porn history. Why? porn ruins lives, folks. Character’s darkest secret: oh god, she’s got way too many of those. Does anyone else know? the person who was involved other than her? Goals Drives and motivations: her friends and cousin are her motivators right now, other than that her drive in life is her inner clock I suppose. Immediate goals: to get through the celebration of life party on friday. Long term goals: to try and get her life on track, go to school, get a job, try and be a better person? maybe. How the character plans to accomplish these goals: she wants to drink on friday, and as for the rest... she has no clue where to start. How other characters will be affected: oh jesus, i dunno. Past Hometown: Lima, Ohio. Type of childhood: Not a very good one. Pets: None, but i kind of want her to get a dog. First memory: Of her father walking out on her and her mom. Most important childhood memory: seeing her mom on the floor in the bathroom overdosed on heroin. Why: because that was traumatic for her. Childhood hero: she didnt really have a hero. Dream job: n/a Education: She finished highschool thats it. Religion: She knows that her father was jewish, but never really practiced any faith. Finances: back then her finances were null, her mom spent most their money on drugs, and when she was sober it was to pay the bills. she went withotu food a lot. Present Current location: Havenoaks, Oregon Currently living with: No one Pets: n/a Religion: n/a Occupation: Porn Star Finances: Comfortable Family Mother: Jane Anderson Relationship with her: Not good Father: ??? ??? Relationship with him: hes not around Siblings: n/a Relationship with them:n/a Spouse:n/a Relationship with him/her:n/a Children: n/a Relationship with them:n/a Other important family members: the only family member she likes is blaine. Favorites Color: I want to say blue, but red is a close second Least favorite color: Yellow. Music: HipHop/alt/edm/indie Food: anything Literature: the classics Form of entertainment: tv, video games Expressions: what the fuck - that’s a favourite of hers. Mode of transportation: car (ford explorer) Most prized possession: her apartment, she bought and paid for it herself, along with her car. Habits Hobbies: sleeping, dancing, singing (although she’d never admit to that) Plays a musical instrument? guitar, and some piano. Plays a sport? used to play soccer in school How he/she would spend a rainy day: probably sleeping, or working depending on the day. Spending habits: she’s very careful with her money Smokes: it’s a very seldom occurance that she smokes, cigarettes were never her thing, pot was, but she doesnt really do that anymore. Drinks: socially/occasionally. Other drugs: she was big into pot and some other things back in the day, but is sober now. What does he/she do too much of? probably has too much sex or crying. shes a mess. What does he/she do too little of? oh god... self loving/ Extremely skilled at: well she’s good in the sack, but she’s also a pretty good cook. Extremely unskilled at: she cant fucking paint worth a damn. she had to hire someone to paint her apartment Nervous tics: she taps her foot when nervous, or picks at a label Usual body posture: slouched, or curled up. Mannerisms: she talks with her hands sometimes, but tends to be avoidant with eye contact Peculiarities: she’s just a peculiar person. Traits Optimist or pessimist? pessimist Introvert or extrovert? extrovert Daredevil or cautious? daredevil (shes beginning to be a little cautious) Logical or emotional? emotional, definitely. Disorderly and messy or methodical and neat? methodical, she cant stand a mess. Prefers working or relaxing? relaxing Confident or unsure of himself/herself? she’s a mix of both. she exudes an air of confidence for sure, but I think she’s really unsure of herself deep down. Animal lover? YES Self-Perception How he/she feels about himself/herself: she hates herself One word the character would use to describe self: lost One paragraph description of how the character would describe self: in first person - “I’m someone who was never taught to love, never really taught how to properly deal with things other than rely on something like drugs or alcohol. I tend to run away from my problems and emotions, and I do that so that I can’t get close to anyone. I’m a bitch, and am a commitment-phobe. So sue me.” What does the character consider his/her best personality trait? her helpfulness What does the character consider his/her worst personality trait? her temper What does the character consider his/her best physical characteristic? she likes to think she has nice legs, and a nice ass. What does the character consider his/her worst physical characteristic? shes very self concious about her boobs. How does the character think others perceive him/her: she thinks everyone hates her, and likes to think that shes okay with that when shes not. What would the character most like to change about himself/herself: she probably would want to be percieved as a better person, but that can be hard for her to admit. Relationships With Others Opinion of other people in general: she just doesnt like many people Does the character hide his/her true opinions and emotions from others? fuck no Person character most hates: probably her mom - as messed up as that is. Best friend(s): Stella, Blaine, Kivrin, Ezra & Elijah Love interest(s): elijah herself Person character goes to for advice: Elijah, Blaine, or Ezra. Person character feels responsible for or takes care of: Blaine Person character feels shy or awkward around: Elijah Person character openly admires: Stella, Blaine Person character secretly admires: Elijah (sorta she’s been inda vocal of how awesome he is, but ya............) Most important person in character’s life before story starts: probably her mom. After story starts: TBD

#character: laura anderson #tw: drugs #drug tw #alcohol tw #tw: alcohol

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emma-what-son · 7 years

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Cover Story: Emma Watson, Rebel Belle

From Vanity Fair Feb.2017: Since her years as Hermione ended, Emma Watson has fought to assert her own identity. Now that she has found her voice—most notably as a U.N. ambassador—she’s revamping a classic stereotype, the Disney princess, in Beauty and the Beast, the live-action musical coming out in March. Watson talks to Vanity Fair about her metamorphosis from child star to leading woman.

by Derek Blasberg

Photographs by Tim Walker

Styled by Jessica Diehl

Omg this is so LONG! I’m gonna take a Sam approach with this one and pepper comments all through the interview.

Emma Watson and I are standing on the 23rd Street platform of an uptown-bound E train in New York City and we’re littering. Literally. And literature-ly. The 26-year-old actress is scattering hardcover copies of Maya Angelou’s book Mom & Me & Mom throughout the station—tucking them between pipes, placing them on benches, atop the emergency call box—in hopes that New York commuters will pick them up and put down their smartphones. This display of civil disobedience was conceived by Books on the Underground, a London-based organization that plants books on public transportation for travelers to discover. “We’re being ninjas,” she says with a conspiratorial grin as she digs in a big black rucksack of books. “If there were anyone to be a ninja for, it’d be Maya Angelou.”

Watson is one of the most famous women in the world, the child star who skyrocketed to global fame at the age of 11 playing brainy Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies. Next month, she’s back on the big screen as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the big-budget live-action musical—she sings too!—which broke the record for most viewed new movie trailer. (That’s 127 million views in its first 24 hours, beating Fifty Shades Darker’s record.) But today she’s makeup-free, her hair shoved into a bun, and she’s wearing a nondescript dark wool coat over a baggy black sweater, completely blending in with New York’s distracted mass-transit masses.

“It’s good that we’re spreading a little bit of love,” she says. As she removes the last book, a train pulls into the station. She hops in, places it on a seat, hops out, and watches from the platform as the doors close and a young man inquisitively picks it up.

Yes and get some good publicity along the way. Don’t forget to mention this in my Vanity Fair interview Derek.

Aboveground, over coffee at a nearby café, Watson explains why she thinks reading is “sacred.” There’s the obvious, professional reason: Harry Potter was a literary sensation before becoming the blockbuster franchise that made her famous and a millionaire many times over. But books are also rooted in her deepest personal experiences. “Books gave me a way to connect with my father,” she says. “Some of my most precious and treasured moments . . .” She trails off and, unexpectedly for someone who is known for her composure, tears up. Her parents divorced when she was young. “I just remember him reading to me before bed and how he used to do all the different voices. I grew up on film sets, and books were my connection to the outside world. They were my connection to my friends back at school because if I was reading what they were reading we’d have something in common. Later in life, they became an escape, a means of empowerment, a friend I could rely on.”

All this would be nice if it didn’t reek of pretentiousness.

I first met Watson, Hollywood’s latest exception to the rule that all child stars inevitably flame out, during Paris Fashion Week more than a decade ago, when she was still a teenager and filming the fourth of the eight Harry Potter films. It was both a homecoming for the actress—she was born in Paris to British parents, both lawyers, and lived there until she was five—and a symbol of her maturity on-screen. She was there to attend her first-ever fashion show, at Chanel, which was a big deal considering that up until then she had shopped in the bridesmaid section at Harrods or borrowed dresses from her stepmother for movie premieres.

She was a shy teenager, but friendly, intelligent, and down to earth. Watson is described as much the same today: “She’s way more like a real person than a movie star,” according to Gloria Steinem, who became a friend when Watson reached out to discuss the changing face of feminist activism. (More on that later.) Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who met Watson backstage at a performance of the musical, sums it up: “She played this very smart, conscious, noble wizard—and then somehow we had the good fortune that she became a smart, conscious, noble woman.” (They did a video together—Miranda freestyling, Watson beatboxing—to raise awareness for International Women’s Day. It got more than six million views.)

Of course they asked Lin Manuel Miranda questions for this interview. He can’t really say anything about her personality, but you know... Hamilton.

Emma and I got to know each other, and I visited her on the sets of the last two Harry Potter films. But as the Potter train pulled into its last station, I noticed the clouds of melancholy forming over her fairy-tale life. “I’d walk down the red carpet and go into the bathroom,” she remembers of the last few premieres. “I had on so much makeup and these big, fluffy, full-on dresses. I’d put my hands on the sink and look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘Who is this?’ I didn’t connect with the person who was looking back at me, and that was a very unsettling feeling.”

I’m sure I remember her a few years after HP saying that she was still figuring out who she was and that in Oct 2011 she said in her Elle UK interview: "I'm going to go travelling – a sort of gap year, condensed into a few months. Don't think I'm going off to find myself, though. I already know who I am," she told Elle. And that was a few months after the last HP movie released.

What few people knew when she enrolled at Brown University in 2009 was that she had a desire to give up acting and walk away from Hollywood altogether. “I was finding this fame thing was getting to a point of no return,” she remembers. “I sensed if this was something I was ever going to step away from it was now or never.” She loved performance and telling stories, but she had to reckon with the consequences of “winning the lottery,” as she calls getting the part of Hermione, when she was nine years old and literally still losing baby teeth. As an adult, “it dawned on me that this is what you’re really signing up for.”

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So she’s saying that she wanted to stop acting, right? That was the decision she made when enrolling? And yet in 2009 (a few months before she eent to Brown):

Paste: And studying will mean that a film career is put on the back burner for a while?

Watson: Not entirely, no, there are end of term breaks where I could do something if someone asks me, and I liked the idea. It all depends, doesn’t it? Acting and studying are in no way mutually exclusive, are they? Going there will mean a bit of “normality” for a while. It certainly doesn’t mean that I will never act again, that’s not true. There’s been a lot of confusion in the media about that, and most of it is ill informed—I seem to have managed pretty well up to this point! And also don’t forget that I’m also very interested in fashion, and in modeling, which I enjoy. I enjoy photo shoots, because there it seems that the cameramen (or camerawomen) look at me very differently. X

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The question most people ask when a celebrity moans about being famous: If you hate the fanfare so much, why keep making movies? Watson asked herself that all the time. “I’ve been doing this since I was 10 or 11, and I’ve often thought, I’m so wrong for this job because I’m too serious; I’m a pain in the ass; I’m difficult; I don’t fit,” she says. “But as I’ve got older, I’ve realized, No! Taking on those battles, the smaller ones and the bigger ones, is who I am.”

Well at least she openly admitted that she’s difficult. Whether her fans take it that way or not.

She recently found the courage to say no to selfie-seekers. “For me, it’s the difference between being able to have a life and not. If someone takes a photograph of me and posts it, within two seconds they’ve created a marker of exactly where I am within 10 meters. They can see what I’m wearing and who I’m with. I just can’t give that tracking data.” Sometimes, she’ll decline a photo but offer up an autograph or even a chat—“I’ll say, ‘I will sit here and answer every single Harry Potter fandom question you have but I just can’t do a picture’ ”—and much of the time people don’t bother. “I have to carefully pick and choose my moment to interact,” she says. “When am I a celebrity sighting versus when am I going to make someone’s freakin’ week? Children I don’t say no to, for example.”

I’m sure she’ll regret saying that when fans will actually start asking HP questions.

I tell Watson I’ve watched other actors, like Reese Witherspoon, walk down the street and happily pose with fans—and suddenly it becomes clear that the fans of Sweet Home Alabama are different from Harry Potter fans. For mostly better and occasionally worse, the Potter books and films not only captured the imagination of millions of people but, for many of them, changed their lives. It’s something Watson is deeply aware of. “I have met fans that have my face tattooed on their body. I’ve met people who used the Harry Potter books to get through cancer. I don’t know how to explain it, but the Harry Potter phenomenon steps into a different zone. It crosses into obsession. A big part of me coming to terms with it was accepting that this is not your average circumstances.” (Since the first movie premiered, in 2001, when Watson was 11, there have been numerous incidents with stalkers.) “People will say to me, ‘Have you spoken to Jodie Foster or Natalie Portman? They would have great advice for you on how to grow up in the limelight.’ I’m not saying it was in any way easy on them, but with social media it’s a whole new world. They’ve both said technology has changed the game.” When she was at Brown, Watson went to a Harvard football game and The Harvard Voice, a student magazine, live-tweeted as its staff stalked her at the stadium. I remember at Watson’s 18th-birthday party in London, the photographers outside had a bounty on who could get a picture taken up her skirt. She’s not exaggerating her security concerns, either. She purchased her house sight unseen over a Skype call with a real-estate agent because it had a paparazzi-proof entrance. “Privacy for me is not an abstract idea,” she says.

The stalking thing is a serious subject and I sympathize, but do we really need a play by play about HP, Brown and her quitting acting in interviews every few years?

Watson has a boyfriend, though she adamantly, vehemently refuses to expound on him. (The Internet says he’s called Mack, he’s handsome, and he works in tech in Silicon Valley.) “I want to be consistent: I can’t talk about my boyfriend in an interview and then expect people not to take paparazzi pictures of me walking around outside my home. You can’t have it both ways.” She sits back and wonders if she should finish this thought, and eventually she does: “I’ve noticed, in Hollywood, who you’re dating gets tied up into your film promotion and becomes part of the performance and the circus. I would hate anyone that I were with to feel like they were in any way part of a show or an act.”

Don’t get me started on the PR pics when she first started dating Matt.

Back in college, Watson was like most 20-year-olds, struggling to carve out her own identity, only she did it in front of a rabid fan base and a never-ending celebrity-news cycle. She made international headlines when she chopped Hermione’s long locks into a closely shorn pixie. We don’t need Sigmund Freud to read into the symbolism of that haircut, and to this day Watson declares, “It’s the sexiest I’ve ever felt.”

Ah the haircut talk makes a comeback. I didn’t think it was possible, but they managed it.

She got into yoga and meditation; being the Type A person she is, though, she wasn’t content just doing it. “Typical Emma,” says Harry Potter producer David Heyman, who has remained a close friend. “She had to become a certified meditation teacher.”

Watson shied away from doing additional big-budget studio films and instead focused on smaller movies, like Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and sought out auteur directors, like Sofia Coppola with The Bling Ring (2013) and Darren Aronofsky with Noah (2014). She turned down big offers: from lucrative cosmetics deals to critically acclaimed scripts. (Emma Stone’s role in La La Land was reportedly developed for Watson.) “There have been hard moments in my career when I’ve had an agent or a movie producer say, ‘You are making a big mistake,’ ” Watson says. “But what’s the point of achieving great success if you feel like you’re losing your freakin’ mind? I’ve had to say, ‘Guys, I need to go back to school,’ or ‘I just need to go home and hang out with my cats.’ People have looked at me and been like, ‘Is she insane?’ But, actually, it’s the opposite of insane.”

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Really? REALLY? The role was made for Watson? REALLY?

Damien Chazelle: When I was first writing it back in 2011, I guess Ryan and Emma (Stone) were these pie in the sky ideas that I actually had for the casting, but it just didn’t seem like it would ever happen. And years passed where we were trying to get the movie off the ground with no success. And during those years there were actually many casting permutations, it was Miles and Emma Watson for a moment. It was other people in other moments, and what wound up happening was the movie kept falling apart. X

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What ultimately helped clarify her purpose was—you guessed it—reading. Last January, Watson started Our Shared Shelf, her bi-monthly online book club. She used Twitter (more than 23 million followers) to crowd-source the name, and chose Gloria Steinem’s book My Life on the Road as her first selection. All About Love: New Visions, by Bell Hooks, was Watson’s March 2016 book-club selection. Watson traveled to Berea, Kentucky, near the Appalachian Mountains, to meet Hooks, and the two quickly struck up a friendship based on, in the words of the writer, “the belief in the primacy of a spiritual foundation for life.”

“In so many ways she’s not like we think of movie stars,” Hooks told me. “She’s [part of] a very different, new breed who are interested in being whole and having a holistic life, as opposed to being identified with just wealth and fame.” In early 2014, U.N. Women, the United Nations’ department of gender equality, contacted Watson about becoming an ambassador. Everything clicked: she could focus the prying eyes of the world onto causes that she was passionate about, namely a new initiative called HeForShe, which aims to get men to co-sign on feminist issues. I was in the audience at the General Assembly on September 20, 2014, when Watson, elegantly and discreetly wrapped in a simple silver-gray Dior coatdress, stepped onto the podium and spoke passionately about women’s rights for a little more than 10 minutes. Her battle cry ended with: “I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen, and to ask yourself, If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Which was first said by Rabbi Hillel the Elder. Aren’t we giving credit anymore?

“I used to be scared of words like ‘feminism,’ ‘patriarchy,’ ‘imperialist.’ But I’m not anymore,” Watson says. “It was not typical for U.N. Women to have a celebrity give a keynote address,” says Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of U.N. Women. “We needed a new messenger to break new ground for us. We didn’t want to just speak to the converted.” Watson blushed at the standing ovation and beamed as then secretary-general Ban Ki-moon became the first person to officially sign on to HeForShe. The U.N. Women Web site crashed in the aftermath of the media blitz that followed—“A good problem to have!,” Mlambo-Ngcuka says—and her speech made headline news around the world, from CNN to fashion blogs. Men like Hugh Jackman, Jared Leto, Harry Styles, Russell Crowe, and Eddie Redmayne aligned themselves with HeForShe. Feminists worldwide heralded their newest spokesperson: “For a time, there was a conversation about whether ‘feminism’ was a good thing or a bad thing,” Mlambo-Ngcuka says. Watson’s speech “gave us the word back.”

The first time Watson saw the final cut of Beauty and the Beast she took along her mother, Jacqueline, and Gloria Steinem to a screening in London. She wanted her mother’s approval, but she needed Steinem’s. “I couldn’t care less if I won an Oscar or not if the movie didn’t say something that I felt was important for people to hear,” Watson says.

Who is she fooling?

Specifically, she must have wanted assurance that her portrayal of a Disney princess, in the Bill Condon-directed film, didn’t conflict with the ideals of a feminist, and who better than Steinem to give that stamp of approval? She got it.

“It was fascinating that her activism could be so well mirrored by the film,” Steinem says, noting that Belle uses—you guessed it, again—reading as a way to expand her world. “It’s this love of literature that first bonds the Beauty to the Beast, and also what develops the entire story.”

This is a new Belle, much of it by Watson’s design. “I was like, ‘The first shot of the movie cannot be Belle walking out of this quiet little town carrying a basket with a white napkin in it,’ ” she says. “ ‘We need to rev things up!’

Why not? Why can’t she carry a basket? I don’t get it!

” In the original Disney movie, Belle is an assistant to her inventor father, but here she’s a creator in her own right, developing a “modern washing machine that allows her to sit and read.” Watson worked with costume designer Jacqueline Durran to incorporate pockets in her costume that are “kind of like a tool belt.” Another thing: in the animated version, Belle is on and off horses yet wearing a long dress and silk slippers, which didn’t sit well with Watson. Bloomers were created and Belle’s first pair of riding boots. “The original sketches had her in her ballet shoes,” Watson says, “which are lovely—don’t get me wrong—but she’s not going to be able to do anything terribly useful in ballet shoes in the middle of a French provincial village.”

The original Belle may have been an assistant inventor, but Emma was an assistant costume designer for this movie it seems.

Maturing from Hermione to Belle is a true coming-of-age story for her. “When I finished the film, it kind of felt like I had made that transition into being a woman on-screen,” she says. Belle is “absolutely a Disney princess, but she’s not a passive character—she’s in charge of her own destiny.” What’s more intriguing, however, is how Watson observed a similarly strict code in her real life, too, from what parts she plays to what she reads in bed at night and what clothes she puts on in the morning.

“Emma has an incredible sense of integrity,” says Livia Firth, the founder of Eco-Age, a sustainable-fashion consulting firm. “You can’t marry activism and then do something in your life that is not in agreement.” Firth praises Watson’s choice of dress for last year’s Met Gala: it was designed by Calvin Klein and made almost entirely from recycled plastic bottles. For her Beauty and the Beast press tour, Watson created a PowerPoint presentation that her stylist sent fashion designers. It included a questionnaire about how their garments are produced, what their impact is on the environment, and the moral reason why she should wear one on the red carpet.

Wow.

As Steinem honors Watson’s high moral standards and relentless activism, I ask her if there’s a risk of becoming, well, annoying to the general public. Is she too much of an ethical Goody Two-Shoes? After all, what other starlet assigns fashion designers homework before she wears their clothes? Steinem is not amused. “Let me ask you something: If you did a story on a young male actor who was very private and involved in activism, would you think he was too severe or serious? Why do women always have to be listeners? Emma is interested in the world, she is caring, and though she is active she is also joyous and informed.” At this point I’m backpedaling—“I think she’s wonderful!”—but Steinem still digs in. “It’s possible to be both serious and fun, you know. That response is why men will ask a woman, ‘Why don’t you just smile, honey?’ ”

The actor Kevin Kline, who plays Belle’s father in Beauty and the Beast, agrees with Steinem. “When someone has a feminist point of view, we tend to think she’s no fun at all,” he says. “But a feminist can be feminine, delicate, vulnerable, sweet—and still demand to be taken seriously. Emma fits the bill perfectly.” A big grin forms on his face as he asks, “Has anyone told you about the dancing scene yet?” In the film, there’s an over-the-top ball, which required the entire cast and scores of extras to waltz in period costumes for hours and hours. “Ater a long, long day, suddenly Pharrell Williams’s song ‘Happy’ comes on, blasting, and everyone just starts jumping around,” Kline recalls. “It became kind of a wrap party, really celebratory. And I asked, ‘Who did that?’ It was Emma.”

#interview

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