#lower Lena lake

[tarasthesauceboss]

Lower Lena Lake, Olympic National Park, WA, USA

[pwlanier]

Today in Great Lakes shipping history. June 9th.

1900: TASHMOO (steel side-wheel excursion steamer, 308 foot, 1,344 gross tons, built in 1900, at Wyandotte, Michigan) hosted Admiral George Dewey on her inaugural trip from Cleveland, Ohio, to Detroit, Michigan, on 09 June 1900. Admiral Dewey had just returned from his conquest of the Philippines during the Spanish American War and was a national hero. TASHMOO entered regular service for the White Star Line two days later.

1909: ASSINIBOIA and CRESCENT CITY were washed through the Canadian Lock at Sault Ste. Marie when the upbound PERRY G. WALKER struck the lower gate. All three ships were damaged but were repaired and returned to service.

1938: The GOVERNOR MILLER (Hull#810) a sister ship to the WILLIAM A. IRVIN, began her maiden voyage, leaving Lorain, Ohio. The GOVERNOR MILLER was only the second Great Lakes vessel to be powered by a steam turbine with a direct drive to the propeller shaft via reduction gear.

1963: The newly built SILVER ISLE of Mohawk Navigation and the PRINS ALEXANDER of the Oranje Line, collided in fog and rain on the St. Lawrence near Kingston. Both ships required repairs.

1979: The French freighter MELUSINE first came to the Great Lakes in 1962 and returned as b) LENA in 1978. It sank the French fishing vessel ANTIOCHE III in the English Channel with the loss of 4 lives on this day in 1979. LENA was scrapped at Ferrol, Spain, in 1982, after suffering engine damage on a voyage from Bilbao, Spain, to Detroit.

2023: The sun rises over Lake Superior as Mesabi Miner arrives to load ore.

Boat Nerd

[thornedrose44]

Broken Hearts Make Broken Worlds

Read on AO3

She stumbled upon the oasis after a month of walking.

The cracked earth giving way to softer soil, the brown monotone giving way to flickers of green; the only warning of the blinding vibrancy to come. The blades of grass turned from individuals into a lush fur that made Lena whimper, her callused and hardened soles lovingly stroked with each step. Colours came fast and quick, popping pinks, intimidating purples, royal blues and burnished golds patterned the landscape. 

Lena knew after spending her entire life in the Shadowlands - where the only brightness came from the flash of white teeth set between snarling lips and the drips of crimson that followed from whoever had faced her brother’s twisted smile - that she would never get used to the vividness of this new world she had stepped into. 

She came upon the lake after four days; pale, grubby fingers with chipped nails having tenderly touched each new plant and piece of life that wouldn’t recoil from her dark semblance. She’d gratefully licked the moisture from leaves and sucked the nectar from the fruit that had fallen. She tried not to take anything more than she needed; she knew the cost that would inevitably follow and she’d learnt from a young age to keep her debts low else face having to bargain with the little she had to her name. 

It was hard though, the entire oasis was a symphony of sirens, offering her safe shelter under wide leafed trees, and unbroken earth to sleep on. 

The lake was the most tempting thing of all. The water clear and cool, but not glacial. A place to truly quench her thirst and try to wash away the lifetime of stains that marked her. She slipped off the ragged cloak she’d been wearing eagerly, dark breeches and loose shirt following after until she was bare under the sun that previously was unforgiving but was now warm and invigorating. She slid into the water, feeling the marrow-deep ache lessen and the burdens that weighed her down float harmlessly alongside her. 

The dirt in her hair and skin coalesced, leeching to freedom but marring the clarity of the water. She laid back, allowing buoyancy to raise her worn body to the surface, saturating in the sun. She stayed there, watching her once enemy move across the sky, until her skin shaded pink and the dangers of sleeping came close to being realised. She lowered her feet to the underbed, hair slicked back out of the way as she turned to the shore.

There was a figure standing by her discarded clothing, someone bright and shiny to match the world she’d fallen into.

Lena shoved down the fear that rose in her chest, clawing up her throat and trying to seize control of her tongue. 

This was not a cracked and broken world. 

This was not the Shadowlands where each crevasse you created by destroying the lives of others was an emblem of victory and distinction.

This was not her once-home where she slept between scars of the earth and was expected to add to her family’s trophies.

The fear retreated back and her screams went unvoiced. Her body moved on instinct, arms cutting through the undulating water, head dropping down between each stroke. Upon reaching the shore, she found herself alone.

Her clothes were untouched.

Instead, there were replacements. Brown trousers, loose and fitting, light and quick to dry. A shirt crisp white - an impossible achievement in the Shadowlands, scarlet seeping into and overwhelming any flash of purity. There was even a cloak, green and embroidered by a delicate hand.

She considered the offering, hesitant to use the term gift. 

Gifts were a myth; a dream the Shadowland disabused you of quickly enough. 

A gift requires no payment and no such thing existed in Lena’s once home.

The new clothes were high-quality, and her old ones would not last much longer. 

She’d already indulged in the oasis and would be charged, adding the clothes seemed paltry in comparison to how it had saved her life and fed her spirit. She pulled them on, letting out a helpless sigh of appreciation as she wrapped the cloak around her shoulders. 

Once dressed she used the rags that were her old clothes as kindling to make a fire by the lake-shore, aware that her visitor would likely return once she was settled.

She didn’t have to wait long.

A fish - still flopping and gasping for breath - in a well constructed basket was placed by her side.

“Hungry?” Asked the oasis keeper, voice melodious and cheerful with the barest hint of melancholy.

There is nothing more beautiful than something damaged, Lex’s voice whispered inside her head.

“Always.” Lena replied far too honestly - this place had bared itself to Lena, it only felt honourable to bare herself in return. Not that Lena knew much of honour, having to carve out her sense of morality by reaching into the unknown, taking roads no one in the Shadowlands would ever consider treading on.

“Well, that won’t do.” The oasis keeper hummed, stepping into the light cast by the fire, providing Lena her first true glimpse of the woman.

If the oasis could take human form, there is no doubt it would be this woman’s handsome appearance it would claim. 

She was tall, with eyes like the brightest summer day and hair like the gleaming rocks her family would demand poor souls retrieve from the caverns of night. She stood at ease, safe in her surroundings and unafraid of what could be lurking in the darkness - a confidence that could only come from someone who had never seen monsters or had vanquished more than her fair share of them. She smiled quickly, there was an earnestness to her defined features that her brother would have paid an arm and a leg for - there is nothing more dangerous than a trustworthy face. 

Lena pulled the cloak tighter around herself, wariness keeping her on edge - the woman was too beautiful to be real and too handsome to be kind.

The oasis keeper kept her distance as she gutted the fish with practised ease, pulling a sharp blade from beneath her blue cloak. She didn’t watch Lena, or even shoot her furtive glances, she turned her back without fear of reprisal whilst Lena’s hands clenched into fists at her sides awaiting a sudden strike.

The fish was cooked to perfection and Lena consumed it without care for formality, finally dropping her gaze away from the other woman to grant her unfettered attention to the fulfilling meal.

“Here.” 

Lena glanced over, the oasis keeper was watching her with a curious expression, holding out the other half of the fish. 

“Eat it.” The oasis keeper gently insisted when Lena hesitated.

Lena wasn’t strong enough to refuse, grabbing the offered flesh with both hands, consuming each edible flake. Her stomach felt distended and heavy afterwards and her eyes drooped without prompt.

“Thank you.” Lena mumbled quietly as the oasis keeper poked at the embers of the fire, stoking life back into it and encouraging it to catch on the newly added logs.

“You’re welcome.” The oasis keeper said simply.

Lena wanted to curl up, pull her new cloak around herself and drift off into what will inevitably be the best slumber of her life; but whilst her guard was down, it was not entirely absent. She eyed the oasis keeper, wanting them to either lay out the terms of her indenture or leave her in peace until the morrow.

She did neither. The oasis keeper merely continued to tend to the fire.

xxx

She woke the next morning to another refreshingly bright day, having unintentionally fallen asleep the previous night; the ashes of her fire were still glowing with residual heat indicating that it had only recently died. There was a parcel of food, fresh fruit and nuts to break her fast placed by her head. 

There was no sign of the oasis keeper, so Lena spent the morning getting to know the surrounding area. She ventured around the lake, but it was so wide she could not see the other side nor how far it extended. If the water hadn’t been fresh and free from salt, she would think she had discovered the ocean that her father once claimed to have raised a tsunami from by killing a woman who was so dearly loved by an entire clan that a canyon inadvertently cleaved the sea bed to contain the grief. 

With survival no longer her only motivation, Lena could explore and study until her heart’s content. She made note of the trees, the conditions that they seemed to thrive in, which ones grew closer to the lake shore and which preferred more sheltered inland locations. She returned to her once-fire late in the afternoon, mind buzzing with new knowledge to find flames already rising and the oasis keeper standing up to the waist in water nearby, cloak abandoned, and shirt sodden - clinging to defined musculature as a curved, rigid arm held a spear aloft.

Lena felt a rush of heat that the fire could claim little responsibility for. Her cheeks pinkened with the realisation and she hurried to pile up a stack of kindling whilst the oasis keeper caught them another meal.

The oasis keeper returned, two large fish in hand, and a proud smile lighting up her face.

Lena took over cooking this time, keen to chip off a small part of her debt even if it barely impacted the total.

“Do you have a name?” The oasis keeper inquired, as Lena half watched the cooking fish and half watched the stranger.

“Names are dangerous where I come from.” Lena answered, pressing her lips into a flat-line.

A crease, far prettier than those that tore up the ground, appeared between eyebrows. “Why?”

“Names can be used to identify attachments. They show familiarity. Affection.”

Lena remembered a man with flaming hair, a traveller who sang pretty songs and told tall tales, he’d made a joke at her brother’s expense. One of many over a long evening, and the only one directed at Lex was so minor it would have barely prickled at anyone else’s pride. But it was a slight, and even a pinprick of a needle required extreme retribution by the King of Shadows. He’d tortured the traveller, his screams echoing into the litany of crevices. He held tight to his name for longer than most but gave it up like everyone else eventually. It was all Lex needed; seekers traced the name back to a village, back to a woman with two sons with flaming hair. The shadowlands grew in size that day and Lex added another piece of broken earth to his fearsome reputation.

“What if I gave mine in exchange?” The oasis keeper asked seriously.

“Why would you do that?” Lena paused, gaze narrowing as she tried to parse the hidden reasoning. “You could demand mine and I would still not have paid off half of the debt I have incurred.”

“What debt?” The oasis keeper murmured, the crease deepening to a crevasse which would have made Lena’s family consider her worthy enough to take her back.

“What debt?” Lena repeated, jaw clenching and attention fully removed from the food.

The oasis keeper nodded.

“Your land has provided me with nourishment and shelter when I was on the verge of extinction.” Lena explained, chin raised as she laid out the items she had bought without care for the price. “You have clothed me and allowed me to bathe. This oasis has expanded the horizons of my mind, where it once was pressed against tight walls. I owe you a life debt.”

“This land is as much yours as it is mine.” The oasis keeper said with a dismissive wave of the hand. “I do not own it, its gifts are available to any to claim.”

Lena breathed harshly through her nose. “That’s not how it works.”

“Maybe it is in the Shadowlands, but not here.”

Lena flinched; the oasis keeper raised an eyebrow at her.

“Did you think I do not know what exists beyond this place?” The oasis keeper asked. “That I have been eternally sheltered here?”

Lena pressed her lips tight together, keeping her expression blank.

“I know the horrors out there.” The oasis keeper whispered. “My grief has split the Earth asunder and left behind bottomless pits.”

Lena inhaled sharply as blue eyes shifted to reflective chasms.

“If anyone owes this place a debt it is I,” The oasis keeper confessed, “and yet… I find this place continues to give without a single request for something in return. You owe me nothing, I can assure you.”

“Not even for the clothes?”

The oasis keeper’s mouth ticked up at the side in amusement, “They were too small for me anyway.”

Lena bristled at that which merely made the oasis keeper release a chuckle - a sound that Lena could live off if allowed to.

“Clearly you have developed kinship with the plants and learnt to gain height with the aid of the sun.” Lena remarked.

“If you are to mock me, do me the kindness of using my name as you do so.” The oasis keeper requested, still smiling broadly. “My name is Kara.”

There is danger in a name, but that is only because you wish to grasp it despite the barbs that encompass it, and Lena wanted to hold on with both hands - one syllable in either fist.

“Kara.” Lena repeated, tasting it in her mouth, how her tongue formed it like it had been saying it for decades. “Lena.” She offered once the sweet taste of Kara’s name had started to fade.

“Lena.” Kara whispered, and Lena couldn’t help but hope she was savouring it too. “You are burning our dinner, Lena.”

Lena jolted, head snapping round to discover the truth of the declaration.

They ate their fish accompanied by a bitter, ashy aftertaste. Kara made no comment on the less than satisfactory cooking but Lena was acutely aware of her puckered lips which revealed her distaste.

“If I offered you a roof and a bed would you insist on unnecessarily paying me back?” Kara asked once dinner had been consumed.

“No, especially considering you could have offered it to me the previous night.” Lena shot back, earning her a bark of laughter as Kara stretched and got to her feet.

“You’re not the only one wary of strangers.” Kara explained simply.

“And we are no longer strangers now?” Lena questioned, accepting Kara’s hand - their rough palms brushing together with pleasant friction - as she was tugged to her feet. 

“We have exchanged names.”

“And that makes me trustworthy?” Lena mused, raising an eyebrow as she found herself standing within Kara’s personal space, breaths almost mingling.

“Well, I can’t imagine you hurting me any worse than your cooking.” Kara smirked.

Lena frowned but held her tongue… for now anyway.

Kara’s home was a short walk from the lake, nestled on a hill. It was clean and well-built. There were two mattresses filled with straw and an array of blankets to stave the chill that would inevitably come with winter. A small chimney was nestled into the corner of the one-room abode and there were trinkets tucked here, there and everywhere, allowing the colours of the oasis to seep in the under dour construction materials. 

“There’s a village nearly a day's walk away from here, I trade with them for the little I need.” Kara explained when Lena eyed the fabrics and tools.

“I’m surprised more people don’t live near the lake, taking advantage of the oasis’ bounty.” Lena remarked. 

“It’s relatively new.” Kara replied, moving to straighten the blankets on the mattresses.

“The village?”

“The oasis.”

Lena’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “It… underwent rapid expansion?”

Kara hummed, “Rapid, indeed. I was stumbling through the desert and collapsed, when next I opened my eyes I found my feet dipped in the shallows of the lake, and a bed of green beneath my head.”

“That’s impossible.”

Kara turned to face her, “You live in a world where the Earth shatters itself in sympathy when a heart is broken. Is it so absurd to think that it can blossom to show its compassion?”

“Yes.” Lena said simply.

“Why?”

“Because…” Lena licked her lips, thinking about a traveller who begged for death if it meant saving his sons, about a mother who sent her children away before they could be used as weapons against her and about a brother that sneered at his sister who was yet to make a single chip in the ground. “Why would sympathy extend to everyone but compassion to only a few?”

Kara deflated at the question, shuffling towards the mattress that was clearly her own and sitting down, “I don’t know.”

Lena sighed, claiming the unoccupied bed, and slipping under the blankets - her entire body losing years worth of tension as she settled in.

“Kara?” Lena murmured, as Kara readied herself for bed.

“Hmm?”

“I’m glad it showed compassion to you.” Lena declared, causing Kara to go still.

“Goodnight, Lena.” Kara said eventually.

“Goodnight, Kara.”

Continue on AO3

[beardedmrbean]

People have worked for a century to make California’s Tulare Basin into a food grower’s paradise. That pastoral landscape now looks more like the Pacific Ocean in many areas.

Months of atmospheric river storms have pummeled the area and saturated the basin’s soil, which sits about halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, not far from Fresno. The rains have led to floods that damaged towns and deluged farms and have begun to refill what was once a sprawling lake.

The floods have pitted neighboring property owners against one another and raised tensions over how to manage the flows, which have damaged hundreds of structures. And more water is on the way.

Experts say a monthslong, slow-burning crisis will play out next: A historic snowpack looms in the mountains above the basin — as it melts, it is likely to put downstream communities through months of torment. The flooding, which follows several years of extreme drought, showcases the weather whiplash typical of California, which vacillates between too wet and too dry. The influence of climate change can make the state’s extremes more intense.

“This is a slowly unfolding natural disaster,” said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Water Policy Center of the Public Policy Institute of California. “There’s no way to handle it with the existing infrastructure.”

The re-forming Tulare Lake — which was drained for farming a century ago — could remain on the landscape for years, disrupting growers in a region that produces a significant proportion of the nation’s supply of almonds, pistachios, milk and fruit. High-stakes decisions over where that water travels could resonate across the country’s grocery store shelves.

In the farming communities that dot the historic lake bed, accusations of sabotaged levees, frantic efforts to patch breached banks and feuds — common occurrences during flood fights in the area — have started already, said Matt Hurley, a former water manager for several water districts in the Tulare Basin.

n the nearby town of Allensworth last month, a dispute over a culvert caused anxiety and friction with the railroad that sends trains through town. Residents worked into the night to plug a culvert — a drain under Highway 43 — with plywood and sandbags in a desperate effort to keep floodwater out of town.

But later that night, workers with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad unblocked the pipe, which left some Allensworth residents fuming as water flowed closer.

The residents had used BNSF materials without permission, said Lena Kent, a railroad spokesperson. Damming the culvert threatened the highway — the only access point to Allensworth at the time — and the rail tracks that run parallel to it.

Stress levels could remain high for months.

“The problem this year is it’s just begun. We may have water running at or near our flood level — in all of our streams, through August or September,” Hurley said. “This impending monster — a 50-foot-plus deep snowpack that we haven’t seen in 75 years —  is sitting up there, and we just don’t know how fast it’s going to turn into water and come out of the mountains.”

The Tulare Basin is at the southern end of California’s San Joaquin Valley — and in essence, it’s a massive bowl. Before irrigators dug canals and rerouted water for farming in the late 1800s, Tulare Lake filled the bowl’s lower reaches. Shallow water stretched across the landscape, and the lake was the largest body of freshwater west of the Mississippi.

Several rivers — Kings, Tule, Kern and Kaweah — historically dead-ended at the lake and replenished its water levels every spring, but farmers have diverted and rerouted so much water that the lake bed is now usually dry. It’s among the most fertile farmland in the country.

Today, the irrigation system is designed to “use every single drop of water” that flows into the basin, Mount said.

In fact, through aggressive groundwater pumping, farmers collectively use more water than what would flow to the lake every year. Pumping has caused the land to sink dramatically — it has subsided in parts of the San Joaquin Valley by as much as 28 feet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey — deepening the bowl.

This season, far more water is flowing than can be used.

For about two weeks, farmers and emergency workers have been scrambling to plug levees and prevent the worst as the ground became saturated and rivers swelled after a seemingly endless series of atmospheric river storms battered California.

The flooding has breached dozens of levees, forced rescues, swamped construction sites at California’s high-speed rail project and seeped into several communities, including Allensworth, a historic community that in 1908 was the first settlement west of the Mississippi to be founded and governed by Black Americans.

“What you’re seeing now more than anything else is traditional flood problems,” Mount said. “All of that water is making its way into the bottom of the bowl and starting to fill the bowl.”

What could come next is more unusual — and worrisome.

The Sierra Nevada mountains, above the Tulare Basin, are storing two to three times as much water as snowpack as is normal. If the snow melts quickly, it will send floodwater churning toward the lake bottom.

Tulare Lake refilled in 1997 and 1983 during very wet seasons. The snowpack is larger this year.

“If we use 1983 as an example: They had more than 80,000 acres of land underwater. If it’s bigger than that, it could be as much as 100,000 acres underwater,” Mount said.

Tulare County ranked second in the country for agricultural market value, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture. The region produces almonds, oranges, pistachios, wine grapes, milk and cheese.

“This has a ripple effect on the nation’s food supply,” Mount said.

California officials have geared up for a long fight against flooding. Nearly 700 people were assigned to help with the emergency response just in Tulare County, where floodwater has damaged more than 900 structures so far.

But sandbags and helicopter-delivered super sacks — bulk bags filled with rocks and other material — can do only so much.

“At some point, you know, we do realize that there’s too much water, there’s more water in the Sierra than these facilities can handle,” Karla Nemeth, the director of the California Department of Water Resources, said at a recent media briefing. The agency will do the best it could to help mitigate damages, Nemeth said.

Once water makes it to the historic lake bed, there will be few options to remove it, other than to wait for it to evaporate or to try to move it through canals and pump it away.

Pumps are expensive and inefficient over such sprawling terrain. Differing levels of subsidence along the lake bed have changed the geometry of canals, which could complicate efforts to move water away.

In 1983, remnants of Tulare Lake remained on the landscape for about two years, Mount said. Hurley estimated that if it floods again, the expense required to return the landscape to growing crops would be in the billions.

The flooding could also spell disaster for farmworkers and those who live in the rural communities that dot the Tulare Basin.

“This is a low-income community. People are not out here stocking up food. They go paycheck to paycheck in a lot of cases,” said Kayode Kadara, of Allensworth, a community organizer. “All we’ve heard so far is with this unprecedented snowfall, what we’ve seen so far is a baby flood.”

For now, the best everyone can hope for is a cool summer — with a steady, manageable melt — and as much cooperation as they can muster.

[seventhell]

  Ⅰ.   𝙰  𝙼𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙰𝙶𝙴  𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼   …   𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯  𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘦𝘯𝘺𝘳𝘢  𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘦𝘯,   〈   WATERFALL   ⸺   after  taking  a  midnight  swim  together  in  a  secluded  lake,   the  sender  &  receiver  notice  a  nearby  waterfall,   and  things  proceed  to  get  frisky  while  they  explore  it  &  each  other  together .   〉      𝘧𝘰𝘳  𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘢  𝘱𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘺 .

            a short trip to survey the island led them astray ⸺ in to a small rowboat over the side of her ship. & on their impromptu voyage they made their way to a large open clearing of water, a lake that's mouth lay hidden behind dense foliage: that marlena had found on her very first trip around the island of dragonstone. they slow closer to the center, steep cliffs surrounding them on all sides, and when the boat finally begins to float to a slow stop, rhaenyra is the first one to make a move. the queen stands, & quickly with practiced fingers she is rid of her extravagant gown and diving headfirst into the water below them. it happens in a blur, leaving the pirate alone with a wistful smile on her face. it takes marlena significantly longer to come to her senses and disrobe, and once she has nyra is already halfway towards the rocky outcropping beside the roaring waterfall on the opposite side of the caverns opening.

⸺ the pirate pulls herself up alongside her queen not long after her, gaze wandering her curves, counting the drops of water beading on soft skin, pale against the dark stone shore. & again, rhaenyra is the first to act. not for a lack of confidence on lena's part ⸺ in the name of love & taking action, she was no stranger . . . though circumstance had brought her face - to - face with royalty, that was a first. at once she's on her, hands on the side of the redhead's face, lips pressed tightly against one another. there's shock ― a heartbeat of hesitation ― and then marlena is reciprocating, mouth opening wide to allow the other's tongue to explore her own, one hand raising to brush through silver - white hair while the other falls to the small of rhaenyra's back, urging their bodies even closer together.

⸺ ❝   my  queen,   ❞ pause comes as marlena's hand raises ⸺ barely brushes her fingertips over the soft skin covering the other's stomach, up her side . . . around the curve of her breast & up to the base of her throat. palm presses flat against the column of her neck, mouth finding the skin beside her fingers there, hungry for as much of her as she was allowed to take. ❝   tell  me  where  you  want  me  t’touch  you,   @hrtached.   ❞ voice is just above a whisper, gravely & deep, breath hot against the dragon's ear. marlena's opposite palm finds rhaenyra's cheek, then, pulling her face towards her own to lock their lips in another deep kiss. she doesn't wait for an answer ⸺ instead, the hand that held the side of her face travels down the queen's side again, thumb brushing over her left breast's nipple, before fingers find their way to the warmth between her legs, the soft flesh of her inner thigh.

⸺ the two fall to their knees carefully, bodies maneuvering to a more comfortable position with lena hovering over rhaenyra, peppering kisses into the side of her mouth, over her chin, down to her chest. she exhaled once, a warm, humid breath against sensitive flesh before marlena's lips wrapped around her. moans were music to the pirate's ears, emboldening her to curl her tongue around her nipple, to hollow her cheeks with a light suck inwards. cupping her other breast in her hand, she kneaded the swollen flesh, relishing in the way the other writhed beneath her. rhaenyra's body responded readily, her back arching up into marlena's touch.

⸺ fingers leave soft flesh, hungry mouth pulling away to move lower, to rake fingernails along her navel and slide on her knees back, until she was bent between her legs. knees parted without a word, marlena opted to lift one and drape a sleek thigh over her shoulder. she could hear rhaenyra's breath hitch, chest heaving with rapid breaths as she looked down at her, eyes half - lidded, kiss - swollen lips parted. the queen's hips lifted towards lena's mouth, and it took everything within her to bite back a growing grin. in response, rhaenyra lifted her remaining leg to mirror the other. in her glory, marlena's eyes scanned over the other's sex, hesitant fingers raising to prod gently at her folds. her face hovered closer, tongue pointed to trace the delicate ripples before circling the sensitive tip of her clitoris. a deepened kiss, her head tilts as she licks deeper into the tissue, excruciatingly slow. one of rhaenyra's hands tangled itself in marlena's matted hair, taking a fistful as a throaty moan echoed against the stone around them.

⸺ the noises that came from her only urged marlena to quicken her pace, grown ravenous as she drinks in her taste and the sounds that she made. rhaenyra's spoken words were a jumble of moans and breathlessness, but within them marlena could make out a handful of words, mostly curses, and pleas for her to continue. more, more, more . . . a smile grows, and there is a pause, a thought to pull back altogether and watch her writhe that she dutifully ignores. lena instead licks along her drenched slit, punctuated with an open - mouthed kiss to the queen's clitoris. the first fluttering of a climax rippled through the queen as marlena stroked the flat of her tongue over that very bud, and rather than let up, the pirate opted to slide two fingers into the tightened warmth of her sex.

⸺ the waterfall beside them drowned out the raising volume of rhaenyra's cries of pleasure, allowing her full release of whatever it was that had been so pent up inside. she needed this, marlena thought, and so she did not ease up. the delicate inner muscles of the queen tugged at her pumping fingers, matching the cadence of her merciless tongue. movements unrelenting, spurring her queen to another orgasm before the first had fully eased its grip on her. she screamed when she came, and lena instead opted to push a third finger in with the others. she rakes the edge of her teeth lightly over the crowning knot of nerves, driving rhaenyra to another climax so easily on the heels of her second. she was relentless in her need to satisfy her completely, willing to continue endlessly had it not been for nyra's breathless pleas for an end, a reprieve at the least. when she finally concedes, lena pulls her soaking fingers from the queens warmth slowly, all while she presses soft kisses against the inside of her thighs.

[thelenazavaroniarchive]

14th August 2024.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕. Lena appeared in episode 5 of Hi! Summer, broadcast in ITV 7.15pm - 8.00 pm.

Lena opens the show with the cast in the Studio, and then at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre, with a song and dance version of the Hi Summer theme song. For her first song she is paddling a canoe in the Dinosaur section of the Lower Lake of Crystal Palace Park, singing I Had A Brontosaurus. Later she performs I’m Gonna Run Away From You whilst skipping, and ends the show getting a piggy back ride from Leslie Crowther, as the cast say goodbye.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕. The Sunday Mirror had Hi! Summer as one of it’s picks of the day.

𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟕. A reader wrote in to the Sunday Post praising Lena for her part in Hi! Summer.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟎. In it’s feature on the 1980 summer season, The Stage mentions Lena for her Sunday shows, both in Blackpool and Bournemouth.

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟐. The Liverpool Echo reported that since she turned eighteen, Lena had come into one million pounds ( nearly £ 4.5 million in today's money) and had bought a sixty thousand pound house, yet she only paid herself fifty pounds a week.

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟐. The Bexhill on Sea Observer reviewed The Lena Zavaroni Show at Black Rock Pavilion, again mentioning the loud volume and the high quality of the support acts, though they were a bit kinder to Lena.

They also advertised Lena opening The Pestalozzi children's village open day on the 21st.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟔. In it’s On Next Week section, The Stage listed Holiday Startime at the Princess Theatre, Torquay.

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟑. In the Daily Mirror, there was a photograph of Lena along with a readers letter about her appearance on Summer Praise.

Wednesday 14th August 2024. A bit of useful exposure for Lena on medium.com

[pnw-forest-side]

Lower Lena Lake - Olympic National Forest

[frommylimitedtravels]

Lower Lena Lake

[pippytmi]

Supercorp + Hogwarts AU + meet messy + "is that the best you can do?"

“Hey, do you guys want to see a muggle magic trick?”

Kara doesn’t have to look up to know Alex and Kelly are exchanging glances over Nia’s head. Nia is the best witch in the fifth year hands-down, but her grasp of muggle illusions leave a lot to be desired.

“Sure…” Kelly agrees, politely but unsurely, while Alex shakes her head.

“If this is that stupid coin trick again, Nia—” she starts, but Nia is already squeezing between them on the grass, unfolding a pack of muggle playing cards.

“It is not,” Nia says. “Prepare to be amazed! Yvette says I’m really good at this one.”

“Oh, joy,” Alex mutters under her breath, which turns into a pained yelp when Kelly elbows her in the ribs.

Kara finally raises her gaze from the newspaper she’s been half-reading, fully prepared to commit to Nia’s trick, but then she catches a glimpse of dark hair and a brisk pace. It’s Lena Luthor, notorious loner, actually sitting outside by the black lake with her books.

It’s odd—Lena never sits outside. People talk; Lena doesn’t have many friends (someone even started a rumor that Lillian Luthor pays Jess, another sixth year, to hang out with Lena). In fact, the only time anyone really sees Lena is in class, or in the Slytherin common room when Jess is also there. Kara sees her even less (only when Slytherin and Gryffindor share classrooms), but that doesn’t make the hopeless crush she’s fostered on her since they were eleven any less potent.

Kelly starts clapping suddenly, reluctantly dragging Kara’s eyes from Lena (who is reading a book; Kara is wondering just what kind of book it is). “Aw, Nia, that was good!” she says. “Do it again!”

Even Alex is curiously lifting up the cards one by one, as if trying to determine the trick herself. “Did you use actual magic for this?” she asks.

“I’m just that good,” Nia brags, though the way she tries to expertly shuffle the cards right back into their box suggests otherwise; half of them spill onto the grass. “Oh man!”

“I’ve got this,” Kara says, absentmindedly reaching for her wand. “Accio—”

“Kara, no!”

Oh, that’s right, Kara thinks belatedly. My wand is broken. It had been an unfortunate event on the Quidditch pitch involving an overzealous Hufflepuff seeker (Winn is still very apologetic about it, but it can’t be helped now). Unfortunately, Kara never seems to quite remember that magic is off-limits until it can be fixed.

And even more unfortunate is the fact that her mind and her words have begun to converge; she’s thinking about the book Lena is reading while glancing at the cards, and her mouth is forming silent words, and really it’s not a surprise at all when said book rockets out of Lena’s hands and aims right for Nia’s head.

No one dies, though, nor do they have to make the unpleasant trudge to the infirmary—Kelly is far quicker than any of Kara’s botched magic, and the book explodes into nothing when she mutters a firm, “Evanesco.”

“Kelly!” Kara forgets, for a second, about the whole Nia-about-to-break-her-face thing; her heart drops to the pit of her stomach at the thought that something of Lena Luthor’s has been reduced to figurative dust. What if that book was personal? What if it was special? What if it was—

“Excuse me,” says a quiet, sudden voice, and Kara just about falls over in the grass at the sight of Lena Luthor standing there. “I think you summoned my book.”

Kelly winces. “Oh, actually—”

“I destroyed it,” Kara blurts out, because really, this is her fault and Nia still has a face so the least Kara can do is take a fall for a friend. “I’m sorry. My wand is broken, and I was trying to summon some cards, but I was looking at you and thinking about your book and it just…I’m sorry. Again. I can pay for it?” She immediately begins digging into the pockets of her robes, but all she manages to scrounge up is a broken sugar quill and a drawing on a torn sheet of paper that depicts Professor Grant as a dragon.

For a moment, all Lena does is stare down at Kara in a peculiarly quizzical way. She doesn’t seem mad or anything, just perplexed. A second later she says, “You were thinking about ‘Voyages with Vampires’ strongly enough to summon it? I don’t really enjoy Gilderoy Lockhart books myself.”

“To be fair,” Kara’s quick to defend herself, “I couldn’t read the title from this far.”

“Right. You decided you wanted to snatch my book from me because it was mine.” And just like that, the curious expression on Lena’s face drops entirely, twists into something resigned and exhausted. “Is that the best you can do? Petty little child games?”

“What? No, I would never—”

“Because last week Eve Tessmacher hit me with a furnunculus curse that was far more clever than this,” Lena all but sneers. “It’s always the pig-headed Gryffindors that aim out of their league.”

“You wanna say that again?” Alex is jumping up, her wand brandished out, and Lena glances from her to Kara to Kelly to Nia, as if just realizing how potentially outnumbered she could be.

Except, well, that’s so not the issue. Kara hastens to stand between Alex’s wand and Lena’s body, nearly knocking her sister over in the process. “No! No, I didn’t do that as a prank, I—” She pauses, feels her cheeks go hot, and then rushes out, “Ijustthinkyou’rereallypretty!”

Alex lowers her wand; Kara can tell, because Alex uses it to jab her in the ribs. “Oh, bloody hell,” Alex grumbles, and she nudges Kelly to join her. “I think that’s our cue. I’d rather study for Potions than watch this.”

Kelly obligingly drags Nia along, who looks like she wants to protest, but eventually Nia caves in—though not without trying to wink conspiringly at Kara, which doesn’t work because Nia “winks” with both eyes.

“But—” Kara watches as her friends scatter, and then she is left with the heavy, accusatory gaze of Lena Luthor. She tries to smile, but imagines her attempt is more of a wince than anything. “Did I mention that I’m sorry?”

Lena takes a step forward. She raises her chin in the air, no less guarded, but her eyes convey a tiny bit of that earlier curiosity all the same. “You’ve already had your fun, Kara Danvers,” she says. “But I will give you credit, no one has played the ‘I have a crush on you’ prank yet.”

Kara frowns. “Do people really play pranks on you so much?”

“I am the weird little sister of a boy who tried to blow up Hogwarts,” Lena all but deadpans. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re way more than Lex Luthor’s sister, and that’s just...really mean,” Kara says, words bursting out before she even pauses to rein them in. “I mean, you are so smart! Last year you saved a bunch of first years who wandered into the Forbidden Forest. A-and you never tried out for Quidditch, but sometimes you fly with Jess on the pitch and you’re so fast you could easily run circles around anyone on the Slytherin team. You’re the coolest person ever. Even when you were eleven, you—” Finally, her brain starts to catch up with her mouth, and Kara flushes hotter than she ever thought possible. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry. I swear, I didn’t mean for that to sound…stalker-y. I only know about the first year thing because Professor Grant’s son was new that year and I was supposed to be babysitting him. And then the flying, well, sometimes I go to the pitch with Winn whenever he wants to practice—”

“Kara. You can breathe any time you want,” Lena prompts, and Kara pauses to do exactly that.

“Sorry,” Kara adds, again, after she’s let her lungs rest a bit. Her whole body feels shivery from head to toe, like she is seconds away from fainting, and honestly? She just might. “Anyway. Um. I can replace that book if you want. Or I can give you the money and you can pick out a better one, since you said you weren’t a fan? Whatever you want.”

Lena is quiet for a beat. “What were you going to say before? About when I was eleven?”

Kara bites her lip so hard she knows she will inevitably have to ask Kelly to heal it later. “Oh, that,” she says evasively. “I meant, when you were eleven, and I walked face-first into the wrong wall trying to get to platform nine and three quarters, and you didn’t even laugh at me. You just...helped me up, and promised you would walk with me to the train until I found my family again.”

“I remember,” Lena says, and her voice is softening, as is her expression. “You somehow got lost between platforms seven and eight. Your sister was furious when she caught up with us.”

“Yeah.” And Kara finds herself smiling at that memory; this time it’s a real smile, and she couldn’t stop it if she tried. “That was really nice.” She wants to mention more—how even when Lillian Luthor scowled at Kara’s hand-me-downs, Lena complimented her right away on the shirt that had once been Alex’s—but all Kara does right now is step back. “I’ve bothered you enough, I think. Will you…let me know? About the book?”

“I don’t care about the book,” Lena says, and she swallows, loud enough that Kara can hear it. “Do you mean it?”

“That you’re...nice?”

“Yes.” Lena’s cheeks are a faint pink color, and Kara’s entire mouth goes dry.

“Well, yeah,” Kara says, and in that moment—with Lena blushing, and Kara’s chest tightening—they both know that she’s confessing to so much more than thinking Lena is nice. “So. Um.” She squares her shoulders, and prepares to be brave enough to live up to the Gryffindor name: “Can I buy you something that’s not a book? Sometime? Maybe on our next trip to Hogsmeade?”

“Like a date?” Lena asks, so impossibly soft, and Kara nods.

“Exactly like a date,” Kara says, and honestly, she should demand ten points to Gryffindor herself because her voice does not waver once.

And Lena Luthor smiles, just cautious enough to show how unsure she is, but still warm enough that Kara’s heart skips a beat. “Okay,” she says. “But on one condition: I’ll handle any magic until then.”

“Deal,” Kara agrees, and it’s official; breaking her wand might have been the best thing that has ever happened to her, ever.

[frenchpuppycormier]

HI ZOË!!! angst #16 for that sentence starter post if you're still up for some writing. i love getting my feelings hurt 🤡

"Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Then why are there bruises all over your face?"

—

Kara doesn't have a mean bone in her body.

She waves at every animal she sees on her daily walks and patrols at night. She gives and gives to people without expecting anything in return. When someone is having a bad day or just really needs to talk, she listens, even criminals. Most of them aren't any different than the average person, they simply were dealt the wrong hand. She's extremely loyal and doesn't take anything personally. One time, Kara saved a fly that was trapped in a spider's web.

So yeah, Kara doesn't have a mean bone in her body. Which is why today is such an anomaly.

She's in the kitchen still dressed in her navy chinos and baby pink button up with palm trees from when she came home from work. Andrea made her rewrite an article thrice, Jeremy from accounting had broken the copier machine and politely asked for her help in fixing it, she stopped a bank robbery a few blocks down from CatCo when she realized the police wouldn't get there in time, and to top it all off she unwillingly skipped lunch after someone stole her sandwich from the staff fridge.

To say she was exhausted and starving was an understatement. Changing into her pajamas meant she had to walk all the way to the bedroom and Kara was too lazy, even for superspeed.

As she stirs her homemade tomato sauce she taps her phone screen and checks the time. 6:35 pm. Frowning, Kara doesn't see any missed messages or calls from Lena letting her know she's going to be late.

She shrugs to herself and thinks Lena must've gotten caught up in her lab and lost track of time. It happens more often than not, and Kara doesn't think it'll ever change, much to her chagrin. It's bad enough Lena forgets to eat lunch most days, but to continuously forget her phone and watch in her office? Kara knows her wife's a workaholic, but she wasn't aware until now, the fourth night this week, that it was getting this bad.

Kara strains the pasta and cuts the garlic bread while periodically stirring the sauce and checking her phone. She decides to finally turn on some music when the silence of the penthouse becomes too stifling and daunting.

She's in the middle of dancing to ABBA and plating the food when she hears a familiar heartbeat walking down the hall. Kara tries not to listen to it too often—she doesn't want Lena to feel like her privacy has been invaded—but sometimes she can't help it. Her wife's heartbeat is one of the most soothing sounds she's ever heard, and ever since she heard it for the first time, she's just been naturally drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

Kara smiles as she hears it get closer until Lena's opening the door and walking through. "Hey, babe! I'm in the kitchen!" she yells, her energetic voice reverberating throughout the house.

There's no verbal response like there usually is, which is the first warning sign. The second is when Lena walks by—she has to in order to go to their room—it's with quick steps and careful avoidance. But Kara's been able to read her like a book since they've known each other, and she knows something's amiss by the way Lena doesn't even greet her with a kiss. She always does.

"Lena?"

Her wife stops frozen in her tracks, head angled down, hair covering her face like a curtain. Lena's heart ticks up a beat, leaving Kara wildly concerned.

"Lena?" she steps around the island and stands in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbles.

Kara tilts her head to make eye contact, but Lena moves her head so she can't. "Then why won't you let me look at you?"

"It's nothing, I-I'm fine."

"And why does that not convince me?" Kara sighs. Lena doesn't move a muscle and she keeps quiet. "Are you hurt?"

"No." She still shows no signs of moving. It's like she's decided her next career move is becoming one of those marble sculptures at the museum people love to gawk at.

"Lena...you're scaring me." She tentatively reaches out and grasps Lena's fingers, tremendously thankful when she doesn't pull away. If there's one thing her wife is bad at, it's letting people in. But she also knows when she's feeling stressed or overwhelmed that holding her hand relaxes and grounds her. "Please..."

Finally, after standing there in an awkward and probably painful way with the way Lena's neck is positioned, she slowly looks up. Kara audibly gasps when she sees her, and what she sees ignites a fire in her chest and a fury in her eyes. "If you're not hurt, then why are there bruises all over your face?"

"Kara.."

"Lena," she breathes and lifts her hands to gently cup her face, tears pooling in her eyes. Her breathing is significantly more ragged than before, and she mentally takes note of why that is. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," she repeats.

Kara frowns and backs away, crossing her arms. "Who did this to you?"

"Please, Kara. I don't want to make a big deal—"

"Who?" her voice is lower and angrier, sending chills down Lena's back. She grits her teeth, "Lena, tell me who did this to you now, so I can kill them."

"Kara, this isn't you," she reaches forward to calm her down, but Kara starts pacing.

"The hell it isn't!" Kara exclaims, fists clenching at her sides. "My wife was beaten for all I know, and she's acting like it's just another day at the office!" she gestures at Lena, exasperatedly. "How would you expect me to act?"

Lena flinches at her tone.

Kara notices, because she always notices when Lena's in distress, and she deflates. "Lena, you're the love of my life, my person, and when you're hurt I can't help how I act. I'm sorry if I seem like I'm overreacting or if I'm yelling, but it's you." She walks back into her space and places her hands over Lena's face, thumbs lightly grazing her cheekbones, careful not to bump her wounds. "It's you," she whispers.

Lena swallows thickly, and when she speaks her voice is soft and afraid. "It was an accident."

"Did someone do this to you?" Kara's jaw clenches as she lets go. She doesn't stray far though, crossing her arms in front of her chest to try and calm down.

"Kara, no," Lena sighs, tears pooling in her eyes. "I...I did it to myself."

"What?" Kara's arms drop to her sides. "What are you talking about?"

"I was in a board meeting," she clears her throat. "Um...I was presenting a new prototype for...for," Lena shakes her head and frowns tensely. She rubs her eyes with tight fists and with a shaky breath, she cries, "Kara, I—I can't remember!"

Kara steps forward and grasps her hands. "Hey, it's okay. Take your time." She rubs soothing circles over her knuckles with her thumbs.

Lena takes a deep breath and tries again. "I was in a board meeting, and I vaguely recall getting a terrible migraine. Everything after that is fuzzy," she sniffles and takes her hands back to wipe her eyes. "Jess said I fell and hit my head on the table on the way down."

Kara inhales shakily, "What?"

"I had a seizure, I guess," she says it with a slight lilt at the end like it's a question she doesn't want answered. "Uh, it lasted about five minutes until the paramedics arrived. They said I was lucky I wasn't doing something else, like driving. It could've been a lot worse."

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone call me?," Kara looks at her with pleading but sorrowful eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry."

"We promised each other, remember?" squeezes her hands. "For better or worse," she says with all the conviction she has. Kara kisses her knuckles and asks, "What did the doctors say?"

Lena sniffles and bows her head. "They ran all these tests on me, but couldn't find anything serious as to why I had a seizure. It could be any number of things, but they can't really do anything for me until I have another one," she looks up at her wife, lips wobbling.

"Kara, I'm scared," she whispers. "This is—" her words catch in her throat, and it's hard for her to breathe. "This is—my mom," she cries hysterically, covering her mouth with her hands, "This is how my mom died, she—she had a seizure while she was in the lake and she drowned. I can't—I can't believe this is—this is happening," she hiccups into another sob.

"Shhh," Kara envelops her in a hug and rubs soothing hands along her back. Lena bawls uncontrollably into her neck, hands gripped tightly to the back of Kara's shirt. "I'm so sorry, Lena," she kisses her on the head and murmurs into her hair, "We're gonna figure this out, I promise."

"What if I have what she had?" Lena questions, voice muffled and watery. "Kara...I don't wanna die," her mind begins to fill with thousands of different scenarios and she spirals into a panic, her whole body shaking, "I don't wanna die, Kara!"

"Honey, no," Kara hugs her tighter, as much as she can without harming her, then pulls back and kisses her on the forehead. She pointedly looks into her eyes when she says, "You're not dying. Okay? Not today, not anytime soon, alright?" Lena's face is red and splotchy. She tries to reign in control of her emotions, and she exhales a shaky breath while managing to give a slight nod. "Good. We'll figure out what's wrong with you, and if we can't do that here, then...we'll go to Argo. Their advances in science are way ahead of Earth's, and if that's not enough then I'll personally travel to other earths or other planets until I find a solution. You're not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it."

"Promise?"

Kara palms the underside of her jaw and rests their foreheads together, Lena's puffs of breath hitting her lips. "I promise," she presses their lips together in a chaste kiss and mumbles, "I love you." Kara kisses her again, "More than anything."

"I love you, too," Lena replies and buries her face in Kara's chest, her arms wrapped around her waist tight and what would be restricting if not for Kara’s invulnerable body. A calming minute passes for them in the aftermath of Lena's breakdown, when Lena quietly asks, "Is something burning?"

Lena feels her wife stiffen in her arms. "Shit!"

She pulls back and raises her eyebrows curiously, an amused glint in her eyes as she asks, "Did you just swear?"

Kara extracts herself from Lena's hold and stutters, "N-no, I said sh-sheet," she fumbles over to the stove and turns off the burner. Kara leans over the pot and frowns at the wreckage.

Lena chuckles with such fondness it's almost like their previous conversation has been forgotten. Kara beams at the sound, one of the reasons she fell in love with Lena in the first place; that girl can make laughter sound like music. Even her out-of-control snort laughs are adorable. At least to Kara's ears.

"There's no point in denying it, love, I heard you loud and clear," Lena smirks and joins her in the kitchen, poking her in the side. Kara squeals and feigns hurting by falling to the floor dramatically.

Lena playfully rolls her eyes and holds out her hand. "Baby, get up, the floor is a mess." Kara easily obeys and jumps to her feet with barely any help from Lena. "I married a weirdo," she shakes her head.

"Do you regret it?"

"Never," Lena states firmly. "You're my weirdo, forever."

"I like the sound of that," Kara blushes. Even after being married for five years, and knowing each other even longer, Lena still possesses the ability to fluster Kara on a daily basis.

"C'mon, let's order Chinese."

"You're speaking my language!" Kara kisses Lena on the nose and watches with pure affection as it scrunches. She grabs the takeout menu from the junk drawer before twining her fingers through Lena's and snuggling with her on the couch.

No matter her diagnosis, not matter the outcome, Lena will be more than okay with Kara by her side.

[6rookie-writer0110]

The stars are our safe haven

Lena Luthor x Reader

Summary - Lena and Reader for the first time in real life.

Lena is in her office and it's been a long day. She has been dealing with a lot and she is feeling stressed out. She looks at the time and it's late, Lena grabbed the Obsidian North's contact lenses and puts them on. She looks around and she is in the same location... She is at a cabin by the lake and she starts to set the chessboard.

“You are on time,” Lena said.

“It's rude to be late for our game. Should we start?” You said.

You and Lena never met in real life, you met her through Obsidian North online. You never played chess in real life because it didn't interest you. But when you met Lena that changed. She always beat you in chess and she would explain how she won.

Lena never saw your face because you have a mask on, she doesn't. Every night and on the weekends, you meet up with Lena to play chess and just talk. You never once took off the mask and she doesn't pressure you but she is curious how you look.

“You weren't online for long yesterday. Is everything okay?” You said.

Lena sighed “Too much is going on. I needed a break and I came here”

“We don't have to play chess if you don't want to. I know you would be scared to play against me” You said.

You made Lena laugh and she rolled her eyes at you.

“Y/n, you do know I beat you 59 times and you haven't won one game,” Lena said.

“That's not how I remember,” You said.

She laughed again.

“Let's start the game, y/n,” Lena said.

You only told Lena your first name. She does know that you know about her family drama, but you never once asked for a favor or blackmailed her. You and Lena feel comfortable around each other and have deep conversations with each other. Lena hasn't opened up to anyone in a long time.

You and Lena start to play chess, and she won the first game. Lena does know about your family and your life. Lena has developed feelings for you, she does wonder now and then if you would feel the same way as her. Sometimes she would doubt that you won't like her because of family and other things.

“How’s your work,” Lena said.

“They cut my hours... So I'm learning less and my rent went up” You said.

“Oh... That must be rough” Lena said.

“It’s life. It was my mom’s birthday so we bought her gifts and a cake” You said.

“Last time, I celebrated my birthday was when I six years ago when my mother passed away. The Luthors are not really into celebrating together as a family unless it's an evil plan” Lena said.

Lena won the game the second time. You and Lena play again, but this time you set the board.

“Wow, now that's rough,” You said.

“We can play one more game. So... Um dating anyone?” Lena said.

“Nope. I was interested in someone but it wouldn't have worked out. You?” You said.

You look at the board and you think about what to do.

“I am interested in someone... But I don't know” Lena said.

Lena beat you in three moves.

“How the hell did you win?” You asked.

She laughed and she starts to explain.

---

A couple of days later...

You had a rough day and you put on the contact lenses. Lena is there, she can sense something is wrong by the look of your eyes. Lena hugged you and waited for you to say something. You like Lena’s arms around you, you felt safe.

“I won't pressure you to talk about it. When you want to talk about it, I will listen” Lena said.

“Thanks. I'm not ready to talk about it but yeah, I had a rough day” You said.

She kissed your head, she isn't sure why she did it. But she thought you would get angry about it but you didn't. After the hug, you and Lena talked about something else.

“Y/n, I was thinking maybe we can meet in real life?” Lena asked.

“Are you serious?” You asked.

“Yes. But only if you want to, I don't want to force you into something that you're uncomfortable with” Lena said.

“Can I think about it?” You asked.

“Of course,” Lena said.

You nod and she gave you a small smile.

✬ ✫ ✯ ✫

You have been thinking about what Lena said about meeting in person. You start to get ready for work, put on your headphones, and left your apartment. You start to listen to a podcast on how to get better at chess. You have strong feelings for Lena, but you doubt yourself and think you're not good enough for her. You always feel comfortable around her. You are having a hard time, thinking about meeting Lena in person.

You put on the contact lenses, she smiled. You asked Lena about her day and she asked about yours.

“Lena, I think we should meet in person,” You said.

“Are you sure, y/n?” Lena asked.

“Yeah, I'm sure. We have been friends online for almost five years. Maybe... We can meet somewhere in public at a cafe shop?” You said.

Lena smiled “yes, we can meet at a cafe shop. How I will know it's you?”

“I will wear a plain blue shirt,” You said.

“Okay, we will meet at The Jolly Goat Coffee Bar, tomorrow at four?” Lena said.

“Sounds good to me, Lena,” You said.

You and Lena smiled at each other.

---

The next day...

You are at the cafe shop. You're freaking out and Lena hasn't arrived yet. You keep looking at the time on your phone over and over. A few minutes later, you felt a hand on your shoulder and you looked up.

“Y/n?” Lena asked.

“Hey L-Lena,” You said.

She sits across from you. She is feeling nervous and she bites her bottom lip.

“Sorry, I'm late the meeting went longer than expected,” Lena said.

“It's okay. I'm feeling really nervous right now” You said.

“Me too. But I'm happy that you wanted to meet and I got to see how you look” Lena said.

“I knew eventually the mystery wasn't going to last long,” You said nervously.

She nods.

“Should we order? My treat” Lena said.

“Yeah, let's order,” You said.

You and Lena are starting to feel less nervous. You love her green eyes and she can't stop smiling at you. You and Lena stayed at the cafe shop for a while, then left and walked around the park for a little bit.

✬ ✫ ✯ ✫

Since that day, you and Lena did meet up in person now and then. But other days, you meet her online. You and Lena still play chess together. Tonight changed everything

“Wow, y/n I can't believe you finally won a game,” Lena said.

You have a big smile on your face.

“To be honest, I have been reading books about chess, listening to podcasts about chess and I wanted to impress you,” You said.

“You wanted to impress me by getting better at chess? That is cute. Well, I'm glad I lost to you” Lena said.

“We will keep playing chess?” You asked.

“We would still keep playing, y/n,” Lena said.

You smiled but the next game you lost again. But you are still feeling hyped about the game you won.

----

Today is Lena’s birthday and you wanted to do something special for her. For her, it's just another normal day and she only told you when is her birthday. You bought a small cake, a cute gift and you surprise Lena at her loft.

You have been to her loft before, she gave you the code to the keypad. She didn't know that you were coming over but she is happy to see you. You follow Lena to the kitchen, she is drinking wine and working on her laptop.

“Close your eyes, Lena,” You said.

“Okay,” Lena said.

Lena closed her eyes. You take out the cake, place the candles then light the candles with a lighter.

“Okay, Lena open your eyes,” You said.

Lena is surprised by what you just did for her.

“Oh y/n, you shouldn't have,” Lena said.

“Lena happy birthday. I wanted to surprise you, hope you like it” You said.

“I love it. Nobody has ever done this for me” Lena said.

Lena hugged you tight and she can't stop smiling. She stares into your eyes and you feel her lips on yours. You kiss her back, she pulls away and she apologized.

“Y/n, I am so sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Y/n, I like you as more than a friend... I have liked you for a while and if you don't feel the same, I hope we can be friends I don't want you out of my life” Lena said.

You are speechless about what she said. You try to say something but you just stutter.

“Lena... Lena, I do feel the same way I like you so much. But I feel I'm not good enough for you. I have a dead-end job, I can't take you to a expensive restaurant and I still live with my family... I can't afford to live on my own and I have two jobs” You said.

She gently grabs your hand.

“Y/n, I like you for who you are. What you did right now, I love it that you surprised me with a cake for my birthday. It doesn't bother me that you live with your family” Lena said.

You gave her a small smile.

“You should blow out the candles before the wax gets on the cake,” You said.

Lena kissed your cheek and she blows out the candles. You and Lena sit on the couch and eat cake together.

“Do you want to make it official?” Lena asked.

“Yes, I want to make it official. Like the cake?” You said.

She nods “its really good cake. Thank you, y/n”

You stay the night, later you and Lena cuddle in bed and watch Disney movies. During the movie, you and Lena start to make out but it doesn't go further. You feel her hand under your shirt on your lower back, she smiled and she keeps kissing you.

[mirclealignr]

🌙 hey Lena! Congrats on 1K! I was wondering if I could request a Bill Weasley x reader blurb that’s maybe got some sneaking around just overall cute and maybe a bit steamy? Idk whatever you want haha and congrats again!!!

wow, this is incredibly late i’m so sorry. But thank you so much!!! 💖 i hope this is okay? i’ve never written for bill before but we’ll see? 😌

A Tease | b.w

word count; 300+

“Shhh!” Bill whispers, pushing his finger to your lips as he peeks around the corner.

A strand of hair falls over his eyes and he shakes his head to try to rid himself of it. Absentmindedly you lift your hand to lightly brush it out of the way and tuck it behind his ear. He looks back at you, a smirk playing on his lips before pushing you back into the wall.

“I thought we were going to the lake,” you whisper breathlessly, his large form comfortably caging you between himself and the stone wall.

“I changed my mind,” he mumbles, his mouth inching closer to yours.

Just as you’re about to collide, he dips his head to your neck - his breath tickling the sensitive skin there. Grazing his lips over yours, you sigh wishing for more contact but he doesn’t concede. He’s very content with simply teasing you. He pushes his body further against yours, forcing you to feel the contrast of his warmth with the coolness of the wall. One hand against the wall and level with your head, keeping you from moving, and the other is slipping lower into your back pocket.

“Bill,” you whisper, needing more.

He smiles, quite happy with himself. As he’s about to give in, you hear footsteps coming down the corridor. A reflection in the window panes shows Professor McGonnagall making her rounds. With both of your eyes alert with fear, Bill grabs your arm and pulls you away as fast as he can before running into the nearest broom cupboard and quietly shutting the door.

“This is even bet-“ you begin, before being cut off by Bill’s lips firmly pressing against your own.

His tongue glides over your lower lip and his hands roam your thighs and torso, wanting to touch every inch of you that he possibly can. You melt into him, finally receiving the connection you’d been craving. But just as quickly as you’d received it, he takes it away again.

“You were saying?” He asks, abruptly pulling away, making you pout from the loss of touch.

“Nothing,” you say, pulling him eagerly back against you.

[trixicbean]

"That one," Kara had whispered under her breath when they were out on a walk.

"What?" Lena had turned to ask her.

"Oh, I always play a game with myself when we are surrounded my beautiful houses," Kara had smiled, "I pick the one I would buy if I had infinite money so that one," Kara had shrugged pointing at the house.

It was cottagecore in a nutshell in the middle of nowhere on the outksirts of California and Lena could see why Kara loved it. It was close to Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, a towering green valley and stunning lake with beaches, you couldn't really beat the views anywhere else. Lena had turned to look what the view might be the from the house and let out a small gasp when she did see the view.

"Lena?" Kara's voice had been filled with concern, "Are you okay?".

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lena had answered absentmindedly as she had looked back at the house. She could see her life there.

She still could when she had snuck back a week later to have a proper look.

It was the only house for a half a mile but it was still close to a school and supermarket.

The roof wasn't thatched but tiled, kind of a Tudor style home with the faded black and white striped pannelling that ran around the house, the stripes perpendicular to the floor. The top floor lying out on a overhang to the bottom and around three or four chimneys. Ivy grew up part of the front along side a rose bush but it had been trimmed back to frame the door and window. The door had already been framed by a porch to with two steps up from the huge gravel driveway. The garden was covered in flowers, all neatly trimmed and it was huge, spanning a lot of the countryside it was surrounded by.

At the bottom of the garden there was a shed, overrun by plants and almost in disrepair but it could be something. Lena could see her and Kara working in there as a break from the house. Maybe even a lab or a play area for kids. Maybe Lena was thining for far into the future.

She had noticed the for sale sign outside though. One call to the estate agent and week later she had been going back, under a fake name, looking around inside.

It didn't disappoint There were bookshelves built into almost every wall. The kitchen had an aga as well as a new stove and it was huge with a dining room in the same area and windows which opened up into a garden and just through a door was the living room, stretching from one side of thr house to the other with windows on both sides. There could be room for so much. To the back of the kitchen was a utility room which led into the garage. Off the hallway, through the door under the stairs, was a study too as well as a toilet. Upstairs, there were five bedrooms and three bathrooms as well as a small balcony off the master. She also discovered the pond at the bottom of the garden which was fed by a small waterfall Lena was in love.

She'd bid on it the next day anonymously and soon it was in her name. She didn't tell anyone and only maintained herself until a year and a half later when she and Kara had married.

She and Kara had been talking about upgrading for a while but they had never done it. So after there honeymoon she had bundled Kara into a car and driven out, claiming it was a surprise and throwing a blindfold on her wife as soon as they were close.

Now, she was just sitting there, her car parked, overthinking.

"Are we here?" Kara's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Yeah," Lena smiled, relief filling her as she looked over and saw Kara's smile, "Let me just help you out of the car, one sec," she got out herself and went to Kara's door opening it and offering her hand to help her wife out.

"Where are we?" Kara asked as she climbed out holding Lena's arm tightly.

"Just trust me for one more second," Lena smiled.

"Always," Kara flashed Lena a dopey smile as led Kara around the car so she could stand her so she looked directly at the house.

"Okay," Lena breathed, "You can take the blindfold off,".

Kara was quick and she gasped as she looked at the house before her face morphed to confusion and she turned to look at Lena.

"Why are we at a dream house?" she laughed nervously.

"A couple of years ago we were walking near here," Lena took a deep breath as she spoke.

"I remember," Kara smiled.

"Well, you might not remember that you pointed at this house and whispered 'that one' before explaining the dream house game to me," Lena continued and Kara's smiled widened.

"How do you remember that?" she laughed before the laughter stopped and she looked between Lena and the house a few times, the realisation coming over her.

"It was for sale," Lena shrugged, "So I bought it,".

Kara stood there speechless for just a second before Lena found herself being picked up and spun around as the sound of Kara's laughter filled the air.

"I can't believe you did this," Kara whispered as she slowly lowered Lena to the ground again, their faces inches away from each other.

"Of course I did," Lena smiled, "Like you said it's a dream house,".

"Rao, I love you," Kara laughed as she met Lena's lips in a kiss.

"I love you too," Lena smiled as Kara pulled away to look at her again, her eyes filled with the familiar love. Lena reached into her back pocket and grabbed the set of keys, handing them to Kara.

"Rao, I can't believe you," Kara murmured as she looked at them.

"Look inside," Lena smiled excitedly, pushing Kara toward the door.

"Okay," Kara laughed, grabbing Lena's hand and pulling her with her, looking around at the surroundings as she did.

"Do we have any neighbours?" Kara asked.

"There's a village with a school and supermarket that way," Lena pointed to the East.

"A school, huh?" Kara teased as she slid the key into the lock. (Their kids did end up going there.)

[owl-with-a-pen]

Here to request again! Brainy and Nia ice skating, cute date prompt

- I'm sorry this is so late! But I hope you enjoy! x

It was official, Kara freezing over a whole lake was by far the coolest thing Nia had ever seen her use her ice breath for.

After the stresses of the last few weeks had finally accumulated to unbearable levels, it had become clear that the Super Friends were in need of a serious break. Somewhere that they could all go out and just relax. No Tower, no emergencies, no crime fighting and certainly no Super Friends. Just friends. Hanging out. Having a good time.

Everyone had agreed that they didn’t want to be cooped up indoors anymore, so karaoke or game night had been quickly removed from the equation. But, with the weather growing gradually colder, Kara had suggested a fun, day-time alternative.

In all honesty, Nia hadn’t expected that suggestion to be ice skating - and she really, really hadn’t expected there to be no rink involved.

She hadn’t exactly skated much in her life. Roller blading, sure, but Parthas hadn’t had a rink, and the only time she’d ever ice skated had been at a friend’s birthday party out of town.

If memory served, she’d fallen on her ass a graceful count of twelve times.

But, that was years ago. Besides, she was Dreamer, now, right? If she could master combat training with Brainy, or throw electrified energy across a room, then how hard could skating be?

The second she’d stepped foot on the ice, she got her answer.

“Don’t let go, okay?” Nia asked for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

She’d been circling with Brainy around the outskirts of the lake for about an hour now, though with the little progress she’d made, it felt way longer than that. The grassy verge was right by her feet, and if she lost her balance, she knew that it’d be right there to cushion her fall, but she didn’t want to give up.

Alex and Kelly had been skating a little ways away, passing Nia and Brainy by every so often, holding hands, smiling and laughing, looking all couple-y. They could both skate well enough that neither one relied on the other to remain upright.

Nia couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened by that.

As she’d expected, Brainy was a natural when it came to ice skating. A skill that took balance and perfect form to master should have been a dead giveaway that she’d be skating with a pro; but, of course, he couldn’t exactly showcase those talents while he was stuck at her side, acting as the stabilisers to her proverbial bike.

And, Kara? Nia should have known that Kara would have been an expert at this, too. Although, Kara was spending less time on the ice and more of it trying to encourage Lena to come out and join them. Lena, however, had insisted she was perfectly happy to watch from the side lines, book sat comfortably across her lap.

Nia half wished she’d done that, too. But, now that she was out on the ice, she was not getting off until she’d at least figured out how to move in a straight line without risking serious injury.

Not that she was worried about getting injured. Brainy’s hand had remained on the small of her back the whole time she’d been on the ice, holding her posture in place, the warmth of his fingers secure against her spine. His other hand held tightly to her arm, helping to guide her forward, encouraging her to drag her feet in more natural motions to the ones she’d started out with.

“You’re improving,” Brainy noted with clear approval, a gentle smile in his voice. “Soon, you won’t need my guidance at all.”

Nia forced a smile of her own, trying her hardest to keep focused on the ice ahead of her. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet,” she muttered.

“Are you sure?”

And, just like riding a bike, Brainy let her go.

Panic ignited in Nia’s chest the second she watched him disappear from her peripheral.

“What?” she squeaked. “No, no, Brainy, don’t let go! Don’t let go! Brainy!”

Nia threw her arms out ahead of her, which she realised a second too late was not a good idea. The whole action only threw her already teetering balance to the precipice of disaster. In vain, she tried to hold herself in the posture Brainy had been teaching her, locking her knees together at the last moment to keep from tripping face first into the ice. She was half inclined to use a bubble of dream energy as an emergency stopper.

She needn't have worried. Before she could even summon her powers, Brainy had swooped in around her again, using his ring to lift himself from the ice just enough that he effortlessly caught up to her, landing just inches ahead.

Nia made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a squeal as she knocked into his front – her own personal braking system.

She grabbed a hold of his chest, laughing into the fabric of his sweatshirt. “That was low,” she said.

“It worked, did it not?”

“Yeah! If by worked you mean nearly gave me a heart attack.” She laughed again, still feeling a little giddy from the adrenaline rush. Out of curiosity, she turned her head, quirking an eyebrow at the ground she’d covered. “Well, hey, look at that. At least I conquered straight lines.”

“Would you like to continue?” Brainy asked seriously. His hands slotted around her back, securing her to the spot when her foot slid a little too far out from under her. He lowered his voice. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Do you want to?” Nia asked dubiously, glancing back towards him. “I’m guessing it’s not that much fun being my instructor.”

“On the contrary,” Brainy said, squeezing her tight. “I find it very fun.”

Nia looked up at him then, so taken by the sudden warmth in his eyes. She’d been so worried that Brainy hadn’t been enjoying himself that she’d nearly missed it, that excited look he got whenever he taught her a new move in combat or witnessed her improve upon a dream ability in real time.

He really was enjoying himself. Just by being by her side.

That realisation caused something to stir in Nia’s chest, swarming inside her stomach like butterflies. Maybe it was the chill of the ice talking, but something was telling her to lean in just a little closer - enough that she could feel Brainy’s breath graze her lips, so warm and inviting against her skin.

She closed her eyes, digging her fingers into Brainy’s sweatshirt, feeling his own hands tighten against her in response.

“Guys, if you’re going to make out, please do it somewhere you don’t get in the way!” Alex called out, jerking Nia from the moment all at once.

Alex was stood behind them, the whole rest of the lake totally empty had she really wanted to get past. Nia gritted her teeth, spinning around to glare at her. Alex only smirked, raising her hands in fake surrender.

“Oh, like you weren’t doing that with Kelly, like, five minutes ago!” Kara said as she shot past Alex on the lake, dousing Nia in an icy chill. “Do you know how difficult it is skating around you two? At least Brainy and Nia keep to the sides!”

Alex stuck her tongue out at her sister, of which Kara returned with matched enthusiasm.

Nia rolled her eyes, turning back to her boyfriend. Brainy still looked a little flushed, and from the heat still warming her cheeks, she figured she wasn’t doing much better.

She glanced down, taking Brainy's hand in hers, squeezing tight. “Alright, Wildcat. I’m ready,” she announced. “Let’s keep going.”

And hey, if Brainy could help her explore further from the lake's edge, maybe they could find a spot that would be way harder for Alex to intrude on.

[snarky-badger]

It All Started With A Barfight Blitz - Chapter 4

“The last person Lena expected to enter her life was Spectre Nihlus Kryik. It's one of those 'he walked into my bar and into my heart' stories that she used to read as a teenager and thought too sappy for words. Now it's her new reality. She's juggling work, planning a bartending gig at an upcoming Asari Bonding Ceremony, putting up with an over-protective Krogan and somehow managing not to make a fool of herself while dealing with a smooth-talking, flirtatious, Turian Spectre.

She thought things complicated enough. But now there are rumours that Cerberus is slinking around the Citadel, planning to ruin the Ceremony, and she's caught in the middle of it.”

Nihlus Kryik x Female OC |  Pre-ME 1 | Rated M

Chapter 4

.

.

.

Visiting the Presidium was always a bit of a shock to Lena. 

Gone were the busy Wards, where the bulk of the Citadel's population lived and thrived, going along their lives, either forgotten or ignored by the more elite.

Unlike the tightly packed Wards, the Presidium was all open space, the buildings encircling a huge forest-encircled lake. There were even clouds in the faux blue 'sky' above. It was beautiful, she wouldn't deny it. But it was also somewhat disturbing. Only the elite lived and worked there, the councillors, the politicians, ambassadors and other government officials taking up most if not all of the apartments.

There was no cloudy blue sky in the Wards, no lakes. Sure, there were tiny parks around, but nothing as expansive as the Presidium. Just tightly packed businesses and markets. The lower wards were even worse.

It kind of rankled her, the massive differences between the Citadel's levels.

It wasn't until Nihlus made a curious hum and reached out to lay his right hand on her left, where she'd clenched it into a fist, that she forced herself to relax, mustering up a smile as she turned her head to meet his curious gaze. "I'm okay. I'm just... thinking."

His subvocals rumbled concern. "Dangerous pastime."

"Yeah." When it was obvious that he was waiting for her to continue, Lena sighed. "It's just... Why don't the Wards get trees and clouds and lakes? I know that, people like me, aren't important enough to live here, we're not diplomats or ambassadors, and I get it, I do. But it doesn't mean that I don't wish that things were different."

Frowning, Nihlus lightly brushed his thumb across the back of her hand. "You're not wrong," he admitted, looking out of the shuttle as they passed over part of the lake. "At least about the imbalance of things. But things always seem to end up like this - the most important on the political scale, the more luxurious things become. Somehow, I can't see Udina in the Wards."

"God, if there was one man I'd personally kick out of my bar it'd be him," Lena laughed, sobering afterwards. "I was born on Earth, you know. In Vancouver. My house was by the sea. We were surrounded by trees and wildlife all the time, living under blue skies. I miss it sometimes. The smell of the ocean, the sounds of songbirds in the early mornings. I think that's why I find this unfair... On Earth, we fought to keep the planet green, clean and alive. There were always green parks around, even in the middle of a city, trees down every street..."

"The Wards must have come as a bit of a shock."

"Yeah. Don't get me wrong, I love the people, the hustle and bustle and the markets and all that. But sometimes looking at the Wards really makes me miss Earth," she admitted, meeting his emerald gaze afterwards. "Do you miss it? Palaven?"

Nihlus frowned. "To be honest, I wasn't born there. Or even in Hierarchy space. I've only been to Palaven on Spectre business, and I didn't have time to sight-see."

Lena carefully inter-laced her fingers with his, smiling a little when he blinked in surprise, a sort of happy trill escaping him. "You should make a bucket list."

"A... A what?"

A laugh left her at the absolutely baffled tone to his voice. "A bucket list. A list of things you want to do, or see, before you die and 'kick the bucket'."

"Bucket list," he muttered, shaking his head with an amused flare of his mandibles afterwards. "You humans have the weirdest sayings."

"But they're fun sayings," she countered with a grin, listening to the deep rumble of laughter that left him. "Besides, it keeps you on your toes."

"See? Again! What does that mean?"

"It means that you should stay alert and be prepared to deal with any problems that come your way."

"Then why don't you say that?"

"I just did! It's just... condensed."

"Condensed."

"Oi, don't give me that look. Humans are not the only ones with horrible sayings. I heard a turian try to pick up an asari by promising to 'show them the might of the hierarchy'."

"The might of the..." Nihlus groaned and rose his free hand to rub at his temple. "Oh that's just downright bad."

"I know!" Laughing, she leaned back in her seat and squeezed his hand. "I have more. Want to hear more?"

"No, thank you! I think that's quite enough," chuckling, he rose her hand, using his mouth plates to lightly nip at her knuckles before reluctantly releasing her. "Besides, we're here."

Shivering a little from the nip, Lena looked out of the shuttle as it started to descend towards a designated landing pad, inwardly wondering if she could convince Nihlus to go for a walk along the lake after lunch. 

The view of the lake and the trees surrounding it was beautiful, but as the shuttle landed, the doors opening, the lack of bird song or the sound of wind was a little jarring for her. Though, considering that there wasn't full atmosphere above seven metres, having a breeze was impossible, but she still missed it.

Nihlus was up and out of the Skycar before her door even finished opening, and she smiled in amusement as he moved to stand in front of her, offering her his hand. She took it without hesitation, allowing him to gently tug her to her feet.

"The restaurant isn't far," he told her with a smile, offering her his arm and purring when she took it, looping her arm through his. A disapproving rumble from his left had him bristling, but he ignored the subvocal noise of disgust, choosing instead to lead Lena towards the nearby establishment.

Though she must have felt him tense, because she looked up at him, those pale blue eyes worried and questioning.

Huffing, he leaned down to her, keeping his voice low. "There are still prejudices rampant, even here on the Citadel," he warned her, following her gaze when it flit across the people around them. "Don't worry. None of them have the teeth to actually say anything."

"At least not in my level of hearing?" she guessed, seeing the alert sharpness of his eyes soften as he met her gaze and nodded. Having her hunch confirmed made her more wary of the turians around them, wondering what their subvocals were telling Nihlus. "Did you want to leave?"

He scoffed, tucking her closer to his side. "And let them ruin our date? Never. You?"

Lena grinned. "Hell, no." 

"Good. We can make the miserable bastards jealous together."

It was a good thing that no one else made any snide comments as they walked to the restaurant. Despite her bravado, Lena was wary, and her worried, tense, posture had him tamping down on his subvocals before any other turian within earshot heard the protective tone to them.

But she seemed to relax quickly, or maybe she was just that experienced in pretending that she was alright, because by the time they reached the restaurant, Lena was calm again, smiling at the hostess that came to guide them to the table Nihlus had reserved the day before.

"This place is beautiful," Lena said as he held the chair out for her before he went to seat himself, his back to the wall, those emerald eyes of his scanning the room before he relaxed again.

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled, rumbling thanks to the asari waitress when she brought them menus, a dextro one for him and a levo for Lena. "I wanted to bring you somewhere special."

She was blushing again, Lena could feel it. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," Nihlus chuckled, reaching out to tap her menu with a gloved talon when she visibly hesitated. "Go on, order whatever you'd like, it's my treat."

His treat or not, she wasn't about to go all out. Ignoring the more expensive items - how the hell did they get filet mignon on the Citadel? - Lena weighed some pros and cons, then settled on a dish with asari noodles, various vegetables and authentic Earth shrimp.

She didn't recognize what Nihlus ordered when the waitress came back, though when he ordered himself an turian brandy to go along with it, she caved and asked for a glass of white wine.

"Have you been here before?" Lena asked once they'd gotten their drinks. The wine she'd ordered was sweet and light on her tongue as she sipped at it, and she smiled a little at the taste. 

"Actually, no. I don't usually have a lot of downtime. Or at least, I don't take a lot of downtime," Nihlus answered with a shrug as he swirled his drink in his glass. "Spectres are expected to be ready to head out at a moment's notice. We're tasked with preserving the galaxy's stability. I've dealt with everything from wiping out a new terrorist organization to quelling a civil war."

"Situations that the general public aren't meant to know about, else it would cause panic?"

He nodded. "Exactly. Fear can bring out the worst reactions. I can't tell you how many times some lie or fake news has almost brought about the end of a planet's governmental balance."

"I'm... not surprised, actually. My grandfather told me stories about the chaos that happened before Shanxi, all the rumours and lies and downright insane theories. It's kind of a miracle that you and I are even sitting here right now, isn't it?"

"Let's just say that it's a good thing that the Council stepped in when it did. Otherwise the bloodshed from both sides would have stained the galaxy," he murmured, reaching out to lay his hand on hers. "But forty years can change a great many things. Can they not?"

A smile tugged at her lips as she met his gaze, seeing the hopeful look he was giving her. "Yes. Yes, they can," she murmured as she carefully slotted her five fingers with his three. "Though you should know that my family has always been the more liberal kind - my grandfather tried to resign in protest over the plans to retake Shanxi. He thought that we'd overstepped by touching something that wasn't ours and wanted to try diplomacy. Obviously he was ignored."

"Really?" Blinking, Nihlus tilted his head at her, curiosity making his subvocals vibrate. "You never did tell me what your family name was."

"Cardell."

"Cardell... That does sound..." He frowned for a moment, before his mandibles flared in shock. "You're Samuel Cardell's grand-daughter?!"

Lena smirked. "Yup."   "He was key in helping with negotiations during the peace treaty! He was almost named ambassador for your people with the Council. And he ran a bar?"

"Well, the negotiations took a lot out of him. He was constantly hounded by other politicians and higher-up in our military. They made his life hell because of his belief that humanity still had a lot to learn and that we should take things slow in joining the galactic comminuty." A sigh left her as she took a sip of her wine, shaking her head afterwards at the memories. "He left the political stage after the peace treaties were signed, to protect his family from the onsaught of hatred and just downright stupidity. Moved here to the Citadel, and opened his bar. He loved interacting with people, no matter the species. He told me that some of the best moments of his life happened during his time on the Citadel while running the bar."

The sadness in her voice made Nihlus give her left hand a reassuring squeeze, a soft trill of worry escaping him as he did so. "When did he pass?"

"Five months ago. Died in his sleep. He... he left the bar to me in his will." She took another sip of her wine when her voice cracked, the sound pulling another concerned croon from Nihlus. "I miss him. He raised me, he and Rkar."

Wary that he was treading on dangerous ground, Nihlus let another trill of worry leave him. "What about your parents?"

"Mom died when I was little. Dad went a little crazy I think. Left me with granddad and went off to do..." Lena paused and sent him an amused look. "Something that I'm sure he wouldn't want a Council Spectre to know about. I still hear from him, he sends letters."

His mandibles clamped tight to his face. "He's a criminal?"

"Oh, god no. He's... well, he's a mercenary. But not like, a Blue Suns or anything. He takes jobs like returning kidnapped people to their families, infiltrating crooked organizations, leaking information to the authorties, that sort of thing. He's not evil, Nihlus. I promise you. You might have heard of him? He goes by 'Ronin' in most circles."

"By the spirits." A low chuckle left him as Nihlus shook his head, giving her hand a final pat before he pulled away and reached for his brandy, taking a long drink before regarding her again. "I do know of him. He's... unorthodox. A rogue, in every sense of the word. But with an... interesting sense of honor."

Nervous, Lena played with the edge of her napkin. Nihlus was giving her an odd look, his emerald eyes sharp again, like when he'd given the restaurant a critical eye. He was all Spectre in that moment, all trace of the flirtateous turian gone.

"Is... is this a deal breaker?" she whispered, anxiety forcing her to speak around the lump in her throat. "Because I like you Nihlus, I really do, but if my insane family history is too much, I mean, I'd understand if you didn't want to--"

"I didn't say that," he blurted, rushing to reassure her when he saw the very real fear in her eyes. Frowning, he shuffled his chair over until he was sitting perpendicular to her, daring to smooth his left hand up and down her arm. "No, Lena. This isn't a deal breaker. It's just... complicated."

"Complicated... bad?"

"Not nesscesarily." He smiled a little, flaring a mandible out. "Though I doubt he'd be happy to learn that you're dating a Spectre."

"I mean... I don't have to tell him?" she said with a small shrug. "There's a saying - it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission."

Nihlus chuckled. "I like that one."

"Thought you would," she smiled, albeit hesitantly. "Are we okay? Is this going to interfere with your work?"

"We're okay," he assured her with a soft rumble to his voice. "And no. I keep my personal and professional lives seperate. Unless your father catches the attention of the Council for some reason, then I don't see why they even have to know of his existance... or your ties to him."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Nihlus."

He purred and reached out to tuck a lock of her long hair behind her left ear. "You're very welcome. Families are... complicated."

"Personal experience?" Lena asked softly.

"Hm. I never knew my father. I grew up on a small mercenary outpost, were my mother and I had to fight to survive. Wasn't until I was sixteen that she had me join the turian military. After that... well... I caught Saren's eye, and he mentored me until I was picked to be a Spectre."

She squeezed one of his hands. "Sounds lonely."

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't. I've had previous, ah, partners, but nothing serious."

"So... what changed?"

A sub-vocal hum of amusement escaped him. "Well, I'm older, wiser, and entirely dashing," he grinned at her when she rolled her eyes, "and I stumbled across this crazy human that's like no one else I've ever met before. So I decided that while stress relief is fun, that maybe it's high time I change tactics and try for something more... permanent. If she'll let me, of course."

"Is that so," Lena smiled, hiding a shiver when he reached out to trail the curve of a gloved talon along her jaw. "And what does she think of all this?"

"Oh, I think she's interested," he purred, only pulling away when a polite noise from the waitress announced their food's arrival. "After all, I'm quite a catch."

She laughed at how he preened a little. "And humble too." Grinning at the amused smirk he gave her, Lena took in her meal as the plate was set in front of her. The delicate asari noodles were piled with care, cuts of vegetable and pieces of shrimp visible. 

Nihlus' meal was intriguing. Some sort of purplish meat with some tubers and mixed vegetables in various rainbow colours. It smelled interesting, like some sort of spice that she'd never known existed.

He caught her looking, and quirked an eye ridge at her. "Are you allergic?"

"Nope. I got tested when I was a kid, even tried turian candy when I was in school - by mistake of course," she added with a grin.

He chuckled. "Of course. Here, try this then." 

Curiosity took over as she lifted her fork and carefully speared the orange vegetable he'd gestured to. It smelled alright, almost like a mix of a turnip and a sweet potato, with some sharp herb mixed in. It was crunchy when she bit into it, the odd texture not too off putting. The rich flavor had her eyes widening in delighted surprise though. 

"Oh, wow. That's really good!"

"It's a type of... I guess the closest descriptor is a 'potato'. It's meant to accent our usual meat-based diets. Ah, don't try the blue one, though. I've heard humans describe it as a 'jalapeno on crack'? Whatever that means."

"It means they found it very, very, spicy." Humming, she picked up a shrimp on her fork. "Are you allergic?"

"Very mildly. But, I might have started a powerful regimen of allergy medications fairly recently," Nihlus told her, chuckling when she smirked. "I should be alright. What is it?"

"Shrimp. An aquatic crustacean from Earth's oceans. Usually paired with spices, or like now, vegetables and noodles." She watched as he plucked it off her fork with his own, two tined utensil, before popping it into his mouth. Turian teeth weren't made for chewing, so it didn't surprise her when he merely savoured it before swallowing.

"Hm. It's something akin to one of the fish on Palaven. Though the fish is about ten times the size and heavily armoured. Our ancestors used to use the scales as weapons."

"I didn't think turians liked the water," she murmured as she twirled her fork in the noodles.

"So long as it doesn't go over our heads, we're generally alright. Otherwise, our bodies are too compact, our plates too heavy. We're not buoyant like other species." Nihlus used his knife to cut into his meal as he spoke. "But it doesn't mean we can't lure fish into shallower waters to harvest."

"True. So I take it that being on the boat in the middle of the ocean is a big 'no'?"

"Depends on the size of the boat. And the backup boat. And the backup, backup, boat. Also is it true there are predators in your oceans bigger than a shuttle? I heard someone talking about them once. What did he call them...?"

"Sharks?"

"Yes! Sharks."

"Yeah, they get big. The biggest one that's a potential threat can be over twenty-feet."

"Spirits, and you go in the water with that?"

"Hell, some people see it as a tourist attraction. You can go cage diving - the cage is to protect you from the shark - and see them in their element."

"They want to voluntarily go into the water, in a top predator's territory, and all you have to protect yourself from being eaten, is a metal cage?" When she grinned and nodded, Nihlus shook his head, one mandible flaring out in an amused smirk. "Your species is insane."

Lena snickered. "Wait until I tell you about bungee jumping. Or sky-diving."

"Insane."

.

.

.

tbc

Like my writing? Please consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi!

[saiilorstars]

Falling in Temptation

Previous chapters • Sequel to Stars Dance •  Fairy Tale Memoirs (Companion story)

Ch. 27: Out of Time

Fandom: Doctor Who // Pairing: 11th Doctor x OFC

Chapter summary: Avalon does what she can to conduct her search for the Doctor before he reaches Lake Silencio. In it, she recruits an old friend of hers and the Doctor's. Even River Song comes into play, although she has other intentions when it comes to handling her daughter. One thing's for sure, they're all on a clock and the clock is about to strike.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother​ @anotherunreadblog​ @maaaaarveeeeel​​ @stareyedplanet​ @perfectlystiles​

[If you’d like to be added to this specific OC’s stories/edits, send me a message!]

Amy came down the stairs on a fine morning, only to sigh when she saw Avalon sitting with her legs up on the couch, a blanket draped over her while she slept all awkwardly and shifty. As Amy moved towards the couch, Rory walked in from the kitchen, having already awoken and was even having a drink of tea.

"Did you do this?" Amy looked at her husband in assumption.

"Yeah," Rory nodded, "I came down last night for water and...she'd fallen asleep this time. I didn't want to risk waking her up by moving her so I just...put a blanket and..." he sighed.

Amy looked down at Avalon and gently pulled the blanket more up, "At least she fell asleep this time," she tried to cautiously move Avalon's head to the couch arm to give her more comfort.

"Yeah, 'at least'," Rory shook his head and turned back for the kitchen.

Amy gave a small sigh as she tried to make her granddaughter as comfortable as possible without disturbing her much needed sleep. But Amy knew that no amount of sleep (however much needed) would make Avalon feel better. It had been a few weeks since the Doctor left them on Earth and it seemed like it would be a long, long time until he decided (if he ever would) to come back.

~ 0 ~

Lena watched her sister make hasty strides in her bedroom, gathering things she would need to take to Amy's and Rory's. Lena couldn't believe the Doctor had left them all back on Earth but after hearing Amy's explanation, she understood why. It made sense. At least her father said it out loud.

Ryland applauded the Doctor for making the sacrifice, something that infuriated Avalon. She swore she wouldn't talk to him in her life if he ever said that again. Nothing justified the Doctor leaving them so he could go die. Lena argued for both sides and since Avalon would never yell at her, she got away with it.

"How long are you going to stay with Amy and Rory now?" Lena crossed the room to help Avalon close the suitcase on the bed.

"Until that idiot Fairy Tale Man comes back. I can't have him sneaking a visit to them and not have me there," Avalon muttered and turned back. "He doesn't want me to find him, ha. It's like he didn't even know me. What I want, I get. And I refuse to let him die."

"But Avalon, what are you going to do?" Lena was genuinely afraid of what Avalon would come up with to get the Doctor back, or to at least catch his attention.

"I don't know but I've made some calls, I'm going to get leads," Avalon stopped by her writing desk, practically swiping a hand over it to dump her writing tools into a small duffel bag.

"From where?" Lena asked.

Avalon didn't answer with words. She just smiled and sealed her duffel bag. "You can come with me if you'd like."

"What, to Amy's and Rory's?"

"No. To meet him."

Lena raised an eyebrow at Avalon. She was scared. Avalon on her own was already chaotic but now that the Doctor had thoroughly pissed her off, Avalon was a force to be reckoned with and there was no stopping her. God help him when he came back.

~ 0 ~

"Who are we meeting?" Lena asked Avalon when they entered her favorite coffee shop.

"A friend," Avalon found an empty table by the glass wall. "Sit." She patted the empty chair beside her and decided to order something while they waited.

"Avalon, I know you're upset-"

Avalon made a noise. "Oh, I am not upset. There is no word to describe what I'm feeling right now."

"My big brother just wanted to protect you…"

"I know that. I understand him, I love him for that...but he should not have to die, alright? I know that if he doesn't figure out a way to stop the Silence he's going to sacrifice himself. I won't be the reason he dies, and I most certainly will not let Kovarian win like that."

"I'm sorry Avalon but what are we supposed to do against the Silence? Truth be told, the Doctor is the only one who can defeat them."

"I want to keep him from doing something stupid," Avalon put her bag on the table. She was deeply terrified of what the Doctor could do on his own when he felt like there were no more options. She wasn't angry that he left her, she was angry that he thought it was the best option. She was so tired of having everyone trying to protect her. If something bad was going to happen to her, it would happen regardless of who was around her. Right now, she just wanted to get back to the Doctor and help him search through all the options he had. She wanted to fight at his side. The Silence had hurt her and her friends and she wanted to hunt them down for it.

"Hello ladies," Lena heard a familiar voice, a flirty voice. She knew who it was even before she looked up.

Captain Jack Harkness stopped in front of the table with his signature smile. Avalon rose up from her chair and hugged him. "Hi Jack."

"Oh my big brother would be having a heart attack right now," Lena mumbled her breath while she watched them hug.

"It is really good to know that you're back," Jack patted Avalon's arms and sighed. "You have no idea how bad the Doctor was when he called me."

"Of course he would find me," Avalon shrugged. "And now I need you to help me find him."

"What?"

Avalon motioned him to grab a seat as she sat back down herself.

"What's happened?" Jack asked, eyes flickering to Lena who seemed more nervous than ever.

"I'm assuming you know all about the Silence now, right?" Avalon asked.

"Yeah, sort of came up when the Doctor called me."

"There's a date that's coming up. April 24, 2011. According to some all mighty future news, that's the day the Doctor dies."

"Come again?" Jack made a face. "He doesn't die."

"He will, because we've seen it happen before," Avalon glanced at Lena. The latter sighed and nodded to confirm the story. "On that day, a future version of the Doctor will invite earlier versions of ourselves to meet him in Utah. We'll have a picnic by Lake Silencio and then a mysterious astronaut will rise from the lake...and she'll shoot him."

"She?" Jack caught on.

"She doesn't know," Lena said before Avalon could open her mouth. As soon as she did, Avalon threw a glare at Lena.

"I do know," Avalon reiterated despite the numerous arguments she had with Lena, Amy, Rory and even Ryland.

"What?" Jack felt like a broken record but until he got more information, that's all he had.

Avalon sighed and looked at him. "I've been going round and round in my head about who that astronaut is and every time I end up thinking it's me. I don't know what version of me it is but I think it's me."

"Avalon, I hardly thinking-"

Avalon knew he was about to side with Lena and, thus, everyone else, so she cut him off. "Jack you have to listen to me. Everyone else thinks I'm crazy but you...you know a thing or two about memory wipes and timelines…"

Lena cleared her throat and mouthed a quick 'She still doesn't know' to Jack before he decided to let it slip who her mother was.

"Kovarian wiped some of my memories when she had me kidnapped. I've thought long and hard about this and I think I finally realized why she would do that. What if…" Avalon paused. It still made her stomach churn thinking about the possibility. She leaned forwards on the table, lowering her voice so that only Jack and Lena would hear her. "What if Kovarian made me do something so terrible that the only way she could send me back without ratting her out was to wipe my memories first?" Jack opened his mouth to respond but Avalon quickly shushed him and begged him to really think about it. "She didn't have to wipe my memories but she did. Why?"

It was the age old question that no one could answer. Even the Doctor had been left blank when they talked about it.

"I...I admit that there is a truth behind those words…" Jack began, "But don't you think you would've been sentenced to jail?"

"Not unless she covered her tracks. How do I confess to a crime I don't remember doing? How do I rat my allies out if I don't remember anything? Who's to say that she didn't kill any loose ends before wiping my memory clean?" Avalon thought she was making some very good points...and Jack might believe that she had.

"Avalon, even if this was true...what about it? What do you plan on doing?"

"Well, first I want to exhaust all my options before I go with the obvious. I want to find the Doctor and I want to help him fight the Silence. I want to know why they took me, why they targeted him. And above all, I don't want the Doctor to be alone." Avalon's gaze lowered to the table. "Because when he's alone, he starts to let all the guilt come through and there's no one to remind him that he's not at fault for what happened to me, to River, to Amy...and if he lets that happen, he'll do something stupid." When Avalon raised her eyes to Jack, they were glimmering with tears. "I can't let that happen. He's helped all of us so many times. It's our turn to help him."

Jack could get on board with that. He smiled at her. She sounded just like anyone who'd had the fortune of travelling with the Doctor. Of course, seeing her determined face told him it was far beyond what the Doctor's other friends felt for him. "You love him, don't you?"

Avalon sighed. "Yes, but please don't downplay everything I said before. I'm not doing it because I love him, I'm doing it because he deserves someone to fight for him."

"I agree with that," Jack straightened up in his chair, giving her a mock salute. Avalon smiled. "What do you need from me, ma'am?"

Avalon beamed. She glanced at Lena with newfound excitement. Lena could only inwardly sigh. This could either end really well or really bad.

"Alright, I know that Torchwood's closed down but you have ways of getting to the 51st century, right?"

"Yeah, vortex manipulator. Don't tell the Doctor I got it working again. He'd take it from me."

Avalon thought for a moment before saying, "Hm, maybe I should just stick you to the bottom of a fish hook with the manipulator and just wait for the Doctor to come."

Jack laughed at her. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me!" Avalon smirked.

"Oh Avalon, it's good to see you again," Jack said as he sobered from his laugh.

"Yeah," Avalon said quietly, her smile falling short but still a smile nonetheless. It was good to see an old face, even if said face had been on the receiving end of many, many screams. She'd make that up to him later on.

~ 0 ~

Several days passed by and in those days Avalon had heavy contact with Jack about possibly sightings of the Doctor. She even wanted to start looking into Kovarian's sightings...and that's where the Ponds had to draw the line. How they would deal with it had to be an extra type of smart because otherwise Avalon wouldn't listen to them. So they went about in a whole different way.

"River?" Avalon was puzzled with her appearance but then she realized she must have come visit her parents. It was only natural. Avalon let River into the Ponds' home and took a quick peek outside into the street...just in case. "Amy and Rory are at work."

"Ah, Amy found a job?" River asked, though Avalon presumed it was just a formality seeing as this was an older version coming to visit.

"Yeah," Avalon shut the door behind them. "Something about perfumes. Got lucky."

"Hm," River came straight into the living room like she knew there was something there. Avalon's work had been spread around the coffee table and the couch itself was buried under more of it. "Seems to me like you've been pretty busy yourself."

Avalon followed her and folded her arms, susiciously eyeing River. "Where are you from?"

With a smile, River turned to her. "Couple months after I visited you all at Demon's Run."

"So then you know exactly where I am," Avalon said quietly, watching River's smile fade. "And you know what I'm trying to do."

"Yes, I do."

"You didn't come to visit your parents, did you?"

"No, I did not." River picked up a random paper off the couch and gave it a quick skim. "Avalon, you are a wonderful writer but all this needs to stop. You can't go looking for the Doctor and much less Kovarian herself."

"I would think that you of all people would understand why I'm doing this," Avalon came forward and snatched the paper out of River's hand. "He's out there, River, on his own. He knows that he's supposed to die and I just know that he will try to sacrifice himself for us."

"I know very well how the story ends, Avalon, and for that reason I beg you to stop. You don't know how deep this goes-"

"Excuse you, I was kidnapped by Kovarian. I think I know just how deep it goes!"

"You spent a few months with her, I spent my entire life with her!" River snapped, quieting Avalon for the next few minutes. "I know exactly what Kovarian planned and how she did it, because where I stand she's already done it. Trust me when I say that you cannot change these events. They must happen."

"Why!?"

"Because they need to, because if they don't, very important people cease to exist," River swallowed hard as she thought back to those moments. They weren't always good but just looking at her daughter made it all worth it. Avalon had no idea what her future was like and it all depended on the Silence's interference. It was a twisted story but it was sadly the reality.

"What?" frowned Avalon, understanding even less of what was going on. "The hell are you talking about?"

"Spoilers my dear," River sighed. "But please listen to me. I know how hurt you are but I promise you that I know what I'm talking about. If you interfere in any way, you will jeopardize the timelines."

"River, with all due respect, I don't give a damn," Avalon declared and turned away, striding out of the living room.

River shook her head at her. "Oh, you are definitely my daughter," she mumbled. "Avalon!" She called after the woman and stormed after her. "You need to listen to me!"

"I really don't," Avalon was in the kitchen trying to find something to snack on from the fridge. "I don't listen to anyone."

"I admire your bravery - or stupidity - but this is not what the Doctor wanted when he left you here."

"Well, I wouldn't know, would I?" Avalon slammed shut the fridge door, ignoring the quiet thud it gave, and turned to River. "Because he hasn't even tried talking to me in these last months! I've had to make do with what I have here and it's not exactly a picnic! I don't know if he's okay, if he's hurt, if he's...moved on." Avalon let a shuddering breath out.

"Moved on?" River repeated, now looking at her daughter like she was the crazy one. "You think he could do that? Oh sweetie, you have no idea. This is what I mean when I say we can't interfere with the timelines. There are important things that happen - people, Avalon - that will be there because we let things happen the way they're supposed to. I swear to you that the Doctor could never get over you."

Avalon seemed to lose the fighting mode she had on - she'd been needing it against everyone lately - and moved over to the table. "Kovarian said some things when she, um, when she had me watching the Doctor's history. She mentioned that one day the Doctor would leave us - Amy, Rory...me - and that we would just be another bunch in his long list of companions."

River silently grabbed a char next to her. "That's not true."

Avalon used to believe that before the Doctor dropped her off like nothing. "How would we know? We're not with him, are we?"

"I just do. I'm from the future, right?"

"Kovarian said there was a girl after us," Avalon went on, clearly discarding River's last words, "She's the one who brings the Doctor to wherever it is that terrifies the whole Silence. The Doctor moves on from us, forgets us…"

"That's not true," River shook her head. "You know it's not."

"I don't know anything, River," Avalon sighed heavily as she placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. "Not anymore. I don't know where my Fairy Tale Man is, I don't know what he's doing. For all I know, he's figured out a way to stop everything and he's just...moved on. The story with Avalon Reynolds finished for him."

"Now stop that!" River actually scolded, letting her mother side slip out. "You know that's not true. Kovarian wanted to mess with your head and I'll be damned if that happens. You have to listen to me, Avalon. The Doctor is just trying to keep you safe from the Silence and it would break his hearts if you got yourself hurt trying to look for him."

Avalon met her look with a pretty serious one. Everyone seemed to think she was doing this blind, like she had no logical reasons for it. Yes, she was afraid that perhaps the Doctor really was done with her, but she really did want to help. It was just the longer it took to find him, the more crazy ideas her mind started coming up with. But in the end, there was one sad reality that she carried with her every day. "He's already hurt me, he broke my heart leaving me here." What was worse is that he had still kept his promise to her. He would be with her until the day he died. She would be there, just not her current self.

River had nothing to say to that and even as Avalon got up to leave, she couldn't think of anything comforting to say.

~ 0 ~

More months passed by and despite Avalon's heavy insistence for River to stay away if she was going to be against her work, River kept stopping by. Amy and Rory were thankful for her visits because they had thoroughly given up trying to stop Avalon's search. She was going to get herself into trouble that they wouldn't be able to pull her out of. She'd already given them scary moments as it was.

They'd been particularly terrified when Avalon disappeared for days. They thought maybe the Silence had found her instead but then she reappeared with River who had brought her back nearly by the ear. Amy and Rory had never seen River act like such a mother at that moment. She had found Avalon lurking through a planet known to have a church filled with Silence. River knew exactly what that church was and while it was one of the benign sects of the Silence she didn't trust that there wasn't one traitorous Silent amongst them. In another moment, she would commend Avalon for even finding out about that place but for the current moment, she was furious that Avalon had gone in there on her own.

"I HATE YOU!" Avalon stalked up the staircase when River let her go. Amy and Rory had long ago set up a room just for her and now she would be using it to lock herself away.

"I'm taking this," River waved a familiar vortex manipulator in her hand. "Avalon knicked it off Jack. He was proud that she'd been able to sneak it off him but I'm not sharing the sentiment."

"She's definitely acting like versions of you," Rory mumbled.

Amy agreed with a nod. "What are we going to do with her? I don't think the Doctor planned on her being this...this determined."

"No, no, he planned for it," River hated to admit it. "He knows exactly who Avalon is and that's why he's been extra careful not to make outstanding appearances."

"Have you talked to him?" Rory eyed River suspiciously. He wouldn't put it behind the two to have secret meetings about all this timeline and Silence stuff.

River looked at her father for a long minute before completely glossing over the answer. "He's keeping an eye on her but...we all have to pitch in."

"Thing is, Avalon's not a child. She's got feelings and she's pretty damn smart," Amy folded her arms and glanced at the staircase. "She's able to trick us with minimal effort."

"We just have to keep trying," River said, shrugging her shoulders. "I've done a lot to keep my daughter safe, this is just another of those moments."

From that point on, everyone agreed to keep a heavier eye on Avalon. As annoying and frustrating as it was, Avalon wouldn't try to hurt them. She knew they were trying to help but she would keep doing her search no matter what.

~ 0 ~

It would be one day that somewhat calmed Avalon for a moment. It was no ordinary day and that's why it managed to ease her.

She sat on the couch with a tattered blanket over her legs - an old childhood blanket - and gazed at a beautiful rose gold rose with bright green leaves in her hand. It shined as if it were metal but each time she touched one of its petals, a soft pink dust sprinkled from it...like fairydust. As hurt as she felt, she couldn't help but smile each time the dust would fill the air.

"Happy birthday Avalon," she heard from behind. Avalon shifted a bit to see River coming in with a tempting gift in her hands. "Big 24!" She leaned down and kissed the top of Avalon's head.

"Has it really been 2 years since America?" Avalon shook her head. That really seemed like a long time ago.

River scooted Avalon's legs so she could sit on the couch. "Oh, do you remember the last time we celebrate your birthday? What was it? You're 21st? Oh, what fun that was!"

"Yeah, I got so drunk that, that night is very blurry," Avalon sighed but with a content smile. It had been a fun night.

"Still, I know there's a small get together Amy's fixing up in the backyard for you!"

"I'm not really up for the celebration but I'll just let it happen for them. They've been so nice letting me stay over even when my house is just a couple blocks down."

River smiled lightly. "That's a good girl. Here, open my present!" She handed the gift to Avalon and motioned her to unwrap it.

Avalon set her rose on her lap then pulled the wrapping paper off the gift. Her eyes widened when she found a porcelain doll. It had bright orange hair like she had, curly too, and dark eyes. It had a green period dress and a small tiara over its head. "Oh my God…"

"Do you like it?" River had to control herself so she didn't look so eager for her reaction.

Avalon looked up with twinkling eyes. "You remembered!"

"That you always wanted one of those dolls but never got them because Lena was scared of them," River laughed. "I figured Lena's old enough to understand not to go into your room."

Avalon had to laugh at that. "Right." She fixed some of the orange strands of the doll's hair and smiled. "Thank you, River. I love it."

"Happy birthday, sweetie," River leaned over to hug her tightly. "I know it's been a rough year but you are so strong. You'll make it through this."

Avalon would love to believe that but the truth was this year was kicking her ass. She set her new porcelain doll to the side and picked up her rose-gold rose again. "I got this in the morning."

River raised an eyebrow at it. "Oh, that's fancy." Avalon brushed her fingers over the petals and allowed for River to see the sprinkles of 'fairydust' fly from it. "Ah," River's eyes widened. "That's from Aurals." Avalon gave her a puzzled look, obviously not in the loop about the place she spoke of. "It's a planet. You'd love it. They're the only planet to grow those types of flowers. They look like they're fake but they're actually very real. Where'd you get that from?"

Avalon said nothing as she reached for a white card on the coffee table. She opened it up and reread the letter she'd practically clung to earlier in the morning. 'Happy birthday my Ava. I'm afraid that by now you either hate me or, well, you're hunting me down to kill me.'

River snorted, nearly laughing. "That man…"

'I know that you're very upset with me but please understand that I did not 'leave' you, I had to give you up. I was trying to save you one last time by letting you live in peace while I search for those bad people who hurt you. But today is your day, Ava. Twenty four years ago, a little princess was born and she took life by storm. I love you Avalon, please remember that. Never doubt that. Happy birthday my love."

Avalon looked up with teary eyes. "Signed by 'Your Fairy Tale Man'." She drew in a deep breath, controlling those tears that wanted to come out. She'd cried earlier and she wasn't interested in doing it again. "He was here, River. He was here at some point and he left me this...but he didn't' even talk to me."

"I suspect he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave anymore," River said. She didn't need to be from the future to know that.

"Well, I wouldn't let him leave," Avalon sniffed. She held her rose close to her chest.

"Oh c'mon, no pouty face," River pointed at her. "That's not what the Doctor wanted from you, especially today. It's your birthday!"

Avalon sighed and looked at her rose. "Yeah, it is…" Maybe she should look at things from a different angle, at least for today, and focus on the part where the Doctor actually came back. Even if it was just for a moment, he had been there for one moment and just for her.

She might still be a little special.

~ 0 ~

"Why are you so happy today?" Amy asked then suddenly received an elbow on her side. Rory passed by with a sharp look on his face. She shouldn't question why their granddaughter was so happy, not unless they were looking for Avalon to do the opposite.

Avalon ignored the little moment as she planted her bag on the kitchen table. "I...sort of got a job," she announced. She expected their similar surprised states but she didn't expect them to look so funny. "It's not the end of the world if I get a job, is it?"

"No, no, but…" Rory said, clearing his throat, "We just didn't expect you to...get one."

"Yeah, you hate Leadworth," Amy leaned against the counter, eyeing Avalon suspiciously.

"I do," Avalon made sure to clarify first. "But I figure it's time to stop being a freeloader. Plus, remember that little girl that loved my public reading I did last year? Aurora?" They both nodded. Avalon hadn't stopped talking about that little girl after the event. It truly warmed Avalon's heart to know that a child loved her story so much. "Well, she's six now and I bumped into her in Mrs. Kepner's bookstore. She recognized me and she started going on about how much she would love for me to read more of my stories. Mrs. Kepner thought it was a good idea and so she offered me a job at the store. I'll be doing the public readings with the kids and if I happen to come up with new stories, I'm more than welcomed to read those too."

"Avalon, that's great!" Rory exclaimed, rushing over to hug her first.

"Yeah," Avalon chuckled. "I figure I might as well do something productive while I search for the Doctor."

Amy would gladly take the compromise. She came next to hug Avalon. "I'm really happy for you. It'll be good for you."

"We'll see," Avalon shrugged. "At the very least it'll keep from going crazy and murdering people." Because, oh yes, she remembered exactly what kind of people lived in the town. It was why she barely left the house. At least in the bookstore there'd be more kids and teenagers, people that weren't aware of her reputation. Though she would inevitably have to deal with adults, she knew it would just be for a small time.

"Well hey, how about we celebrate by going into the city?" Amy asked suddenly. "We can have lunch over there and maybe do a little shopping-"

"Ooooh, I could do some shopping," Avalon nodded fast. Both gingers missed the way Rory scrunched his face. Those two at a mall would take bloody forever. "I really miss the wardrobe the TARDIS had for me."

"C'mon!" Amy exclaimed. "Rory, get the credit cards!"

"Yay," Rory muttered as he followed the two women out.

"We should call River," Avalon said, making him groan.

"God no, I'm staying behind!"

"No, you're not," Amy said and so it was.

~ 0 ~

"Jesus, Avalon, did you leave anything for the store?" Rory struggled to carry the new bags Avalon came out with.

"You're over-exaggerating," she patted his cheek and looked around. "Where's Amy and River?"

"They went into the department store," Rory said, nodding towards the store at the end of them. Both his hands were occupied with her bags, Amy's and even River's.

"Yay! C'mon!" Avalon grabbed one of his arms and pulled him towards the store.

"No, no more! My arms are going to fall off!"

"Oh, you're over-exaggerating!"

"I'm really not! I haven't felt my right arm in over an hour!"

Avalon rolled her eyes and led them into the store. It was pretty crowded but they eventually found Amy and River near the perfume area.

"Oh, is that your perfume!?" Avalon practically shrieked, attracting the attention of several of the customers. She ignored them all as she ran towards the glass counter. She grabbed the purple perfume from River's hands and sprayed herself.

"It's a sample, Avalon," Amy said and snatched the bottle from her before she used up the entire thing.

"But it smells so good!" Avalon exclaimed, trying to take it back from her. "For the girl who's tired of waiting! Killer slogan!"

"Yeah, that's quite a real line for us," River said quietly. Amy looked over Avalon with an agreeing nod.

"Oh! Amy!" They heard Rory's shout. He had dropped half the bags he was carrying and things were rolling.

"God, he's helpless," Amy sighed and handed the perfume back to River to go help Rory.

"You go help too!" Avalon plucked the perfume from River's hands and motioned her to 'run along'.

"I think not!" River forced her to put the perfume down on the counter. "C'mon, maybe we can find a nice present for Lena. Her birthday's coming up, remember?"

"I know," Avalon rubbed the side of her head. "I'm clueless on what to give her."

"So then let's look," River whistled for the saleslady to come help them.

~ 0 ~

Two hundred years later would find the Doctor posing as a department store employee and handling a visit with Craig Owens and his new baby son. In all his time of existence he never thought he could end up in a place like that and he'd gotten around plenty of times. Unfortunately, trouble always seemed to follow him as well, no matter how old he got. There were Cybermen in hiding and he had to discover where they were before things got bad, even if that came at a price of dealing with an irritated Craig. But sometimes he had little lucky moments in which something good happened. Right now, as he gazed upon his former companions, Amy and Rory, he knew it was one of those lucky moments.

They'd been picking up shopping bags that Rory had dropped - he wondered why Rory had that many bags in the first place - and then suddenly, a little girl had come up to Amy asking for an autograph. It took the Doctor a few seconds to realize that somehow that Pond had gotten herself a perfume after her.

"For Ellie," Amy smiled and handed the notepad back to the girl, "I like your hairband," she remarked as she stood straight again.

Ellie touched her headband and beamed, "Thank you," she said as she returned to her mother only a couple feet away.

"Can we take a rest...please?" Rory asked Amy and held his arms out with the shopping bags, making Amy laugh. "I can't feel my arms!"

"Yeah, alright," Amy decided to take pity on his misery. "But that's what happens when you get a daughter and a granddaughter. We outnumber you." Rory rolled his eyes but he was mighty better when Amy gave him a kiss. "Avalon! River! Time to go!"

"In a minute!" came the irritated response from Avalon.

The Doctor's hearts nearly stopped when he caught sight of Avalon by the perfume counter. It'd been 200 hundred years since he last saw her. He didn't know how he could've made it this far but he knew it was because he hadn't seen her. It took every last bit of his will not to come get her from Leadworth. He had to remind himself that he needed to keep her safe and search for the Silence, but that search had come to an end a while back. Now he was just drifting through until the moment came. It was why it'd become even more difficult to stay away. He knew his end was coming, there was nothing he could do to change it, so why not spend his last moments with Avalon? He didn't want to hurt her. The Silence had done enough of that. But it seemed like the universe was giving him one last gift before his end.

"God, River, you have terrible taste in perfumes!" Avalon had just sent the saleslady away.

"Excuse you and that mouth of yours!" River huffed. "I do not!"

Avalon raised the bottle she was eyeing and sprayed it to the side. "Dogs wouldn't walk through that."

River's face almost made the Doctor laugh and give himself up. He'd never seen her like that and he was sure that the only reason she was holding back was because it was Avalon on the receiving end.

"You are rude," River finally spoke after a few moments of silence.

"Tell me something I don't know," Avalon shrugged. She tucked some hair behind her ear, allowing the Doctor to see she still wore his watch on her wrist.

He swallowed hard. All he had to do was take a step towards her and she would see him. He was aware that she'd done everything to find him, even going as far as calling in Jack Harkness to help her (that might have made him a bit jealous, just a bit), and while it was tempting to go back to her...he couldn't do it. He was dying, that was the truth. He had to die in order for the world to keep going. If the world kept going, then Avalon would be safe. If he died, the Silence would leave her alone. That's the reason he kept away in these last days.

~ 0 ~

It was late when the Ponds got back to Leadworth. Rory happily let each woman take their bags into the house while he went to grab himself some wine. Yeah, he deserved that.

"You're so mean, Rory!" Avalon shouted from the foyer.

"Yup," he agreed as he searched for the wine glasses in the cabinets.

Amy dumped her bags on the living room floor, not even trying to make it to the stairs. "Okay, I'm so tired."

"I can keep these here, right?" River gestured to her own pile of bags behind the couch. "Stormcage doesn't exactly allow for all this stuff."

"Oh, but they allow you to escape every now and then?" Avalon arched an eyebrow at her.

"Your mouth is on an extra one today," River wagged a finger at her.

Avalon cheekily smiled and moved to gather her stuff from the table. She heard her phone buzz in her bag a moment later. She left the papers in a somewhat neat pile and pulled her phone out of the bag. She read the quick text she'd gotten and gasped so loudly that she worried her grandmother and mother.

"What, what was it!?" River quickly hurried around the couch to meet her.

"I, uh, I got myself in contact with some people on New Earth. They're like your version of detectives and they just got word of a possible sighting of a Silent."

"What? That's stupid," Amy frowned. "How would they even remember them?"

"Because I told them about the chip that Kovarian used on me. They've made their own version - that's not the point! I have to go!" Avalon only made it two steps towards the doorway before River held her back.

"Are you deranged!? You can't go hunt down the Silence!"

"It's just one!"

"It doesn't matter! You can't go there!"

"Yes I can!" Avalon wrestled free from River's arms and turned around to face her. "And you're not stopping me! Nobody is!"

"Avalon, you need to understand this! We've been over this! The timelines-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Avalon screamed. "I don't give a crap about timelines, not when it can stop the Doctor from dying!"

"The people, Avalon. The people that I'm talking about would cease to exist!" River was now fully terrified that this time she might not be able to stop Avalon from going off in search of the Silence. Amy could see that fear from her spot too.

"What people, dammit!? You always say that but you never say who! For all I know you could be lying!" Avalon shook her head. "I'm Gmgoing to New Earth and there is nothing you can do nor say to stop me!"

River watched her turn and leave. Her mind was spinning, everything was spinning actually, and the only thing she heard was 'Don't tell Avalon, don't tell Avalon, don't tell Avalon!'. She couldn't let Avalon near the Silence, it was the biggest task she had and it was the only thing she could do for her daughter in a life that hadn't exactly allowed her to be a Mother. But right now Avalon was going straight into danger and she could not allow it.

"Avalon, stop it! Come back!"

"No!"

River hurried out of the living room with Amy hot on her trail.

"What is going on?" Rory emerged from the kitchen to see Avalon practically sprinting towards the door.

"Avalon, stop! You can't go to New Earth!" River continued to call after her. Amy came rushing after her and now with Rory.

"Why not!?"

"Because I know how everything ends! I know what happens and what must always happen!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not listening to anymore of this!" Avalon grabbed the door knob.

"You need to listen to me because I'm your Mother! I know what I'm talking about!" River actually felt like she would combust in that moment. Everything was on fast mode and she didn't register all the words she'd said until after she had.

But Avalon had heard the very moment she said it. Her hand had frozen midway as she turned the door knob. She turned her head towards River, catching sight of Amy behind them. "What?"

River brought a hand to her forehead. This wasn't how she pictured this moment but she had to do it. Anything to keep her safe. "I'm...I'm your Mother, Avalon. I-I know it's hard to understand but it's true. I'm your mother, I know exactly what the Silence is planning because they planned it around me...around us. And I'm so sorry but everything has to happen the way it already has...otherwise you cease to exist."

Avalon didn't say anything. She couldn't. Nothing was making sense right now. River couldn't be telling her the truth. She looked at Amy and Rory for some help, but they had these weird faces. She wanted them to tell her that River was lying, that she was just saying the first thing that popped into her head to stop her from leaving...but they kept quiet. In fact, they were looking at her with sympathy.

"Oh my God," Avalon felt sick to her stomach. "You're not...you're not lying…"

"No, no, I'm not lying. I'm so sorry," River said, taking a step towards her but she saw the exact moment the anger crossed Avalon's face.

"You abandoned me!" She pushed River away. There was a part of her that told her this was all familiar. The sick feeling in her stomach felt like it'd already been there for the exact same reason.

"No, no I didn't!" River reached out for her, wanting so desperately to touch her daughter.

"You left me with my uncle! You have no right to tell me what to do! You've…" Avalon brought her hands to her face as a sour laugh slipped through her lips. "Oh my God, now it makes sense. Now I get why you were always so determined to be around me, to...to make me stop this search." She dropped her hands but pointed a menacing finger towards River. "How dare you come into my life like you didn't abandon me! And how dare you try to tell me what to do! You have no right, none at all, to tell me anything!"

"Ava, how about you calm down and let River explain everything?" Rory thought he could use his special relationship with her to bring her away from the door. He was right. For a second, Avalon faltered. "I'm sure this isn't how she wanted to tell you."

"It wasn't," River agreed quickly.

"Look, I'm not mad at either of you," Avalon said to him and Amy. "I told you not to tell me anything. And would you like to know why?" She flashed a glare at River. "Because I thought it was unfair how my 'mother'-" she did quick air quotations with her hands, "-left it all with you two and the Doctor. None of you deserved to carry that burden." There were tears pooling in her eyes and she fought against them with everything she had not to let them out. "My mother was supposed to tell me that herself but then again she wasn't supposed to abandon me."

"I didn't abandon you, Avalon," River tried to say again without getting interrupted. "I had to give you up."

"Oh my God, if I had a penny for every time I heard that…" Avalon shook her head, quickly wiping off some stray tears.

"I know, I know it's all difficult and you're angry but if you would just come back I can explain everything."

"No, it's too late," Avalon warned River to stay right where she was. "I am 24 years old and how old are you? Far from the age you were when you had me, I'm sure. You never said a word to me! You are not my mother! Emmalina Reynolds is." She quickly pulled the door open and ran out before anyone could stop her.

"What are we going to do? Are we going to let her leave?" Rory hurried towards the door.

"She's not going anywhere," River cleared her own tears off her face. "The manipulator is with Ryland. I'll give him a quick call…"

"River, I'm so sorry," Amy hugged her daughter. She wished she could've done more than just stand there but it felt like it was something River had to do, no matter how painful it was.

"It's fine, I'm…" River wouldn't bother finishing the sentence. She had to act fast. "I have to call Ryland...and maybe someone else too. Scuse me." She sidestepped Amy and went back into the living room.

~ 0 ~

Avalon wandered - stumbled - through the park. She'd barely made it back to her house when all of a sudden she was bombarded between Ryland and Lena. No doubt River had called them in advance to tell them what happened...and to tell them not to let her have the manipulator. She was essentially stuck on earth because of River. She was confused, weren't 'mothers' supposed to want the best for their kids? River failed in all aspects.

She'd began to remember the same moment happening a long time ago with Kovarian. She'd already known this information - Kovarian had told her right in the beginning that River was her mother - but she was made to forget. She had all those pictures of River throughout her life and none of them showed a shred of someone who was a mother. She never came for her daughter.

"You never cared…" Avalon drew in a breath as she came to a stop in front of the duck pond. The ducks were idly swimming by like nothing.

River abandoned her as a newborn. What right did she have playing the 'mum' card now? Here she was trying to make her life better after all the crap she'd been through and River just waltzes in and tries to dismantle it?

Avalon stifled a sob. She shouldn't cry for that woman, but maybe the tears weren't all for her. The past two years had been terrible. So many things had happened. This was the tip of the iceberg and the worst part is that she didn't even have the Doctor around.

She let herself slowly fall to the ground to sit against the rock wall of the pond. She brought her knees up to her chest and sniffled. She just sat there for God knew how long, thinking about everything that had gone wrong in her life. How could one person have this much misfortune? She didn't understand...or maybe she did. Maybe this was her punishment for the way she was when she was younger. Maybe if I'd grown up with my actual parents I would've turned out differently, she bitterly thought. How would her life be if she'd grown up with Oliver Reynolds and River Song?

Her thoughts were cut off when she heard a wheeze in the air. There was even a light breeze to accompany it. She raised her head, staying completely still before her mind thought things that weren't true. She was so angry, so sad, that her mind wasn't completely there. But she'd heard right. Her ears were working perfectly and were her eyes. The TARDIS had materialized across her and slowly, the Doctor emerged from it. The look on his face told her everything.

Somebody had called him. Avalon closed her eyes. That meant River could have always called him.

"She is a goddamn liar," she spat with all the hatred she could muster.

"My Ava…" the Doctor cautiously approached her. He didn't want to get too close to her because this was his last stop and he would have to leave again. She was crying, though, how could he resist?

"When did you first find out?" Avalon asked quietly. She flinched away from him when he sat down beside her. She'd spent a whole year searching for him and now to have him next to her felt odd.

"On Demons Run," he answered just as quietly. "I thought you were Amy's and Rory's child but it turned out the Silence had your files because you were River's daughter."

"I may be her daughter but she is not my mother. Mothers do not abandon their child, they do not lie to them…"

"Avalon, none of us know why River gave you up, but I can imagine it wasn't because she wanted to."

"How would anyone know that?" Avalon finally looked at him. The moment she did she had to take a moment just to remind herself that he was actually there.

He looked at her as well and offered her a small smile. "Because I was once a father and I know the look a parent has when they know their child is hurt. I don't know why River gave you up to Ryland but she didn't do it because she didn't love you. Quite the opposite, actually."

"I don't believe it," Avalon took in a breath. "If I had a child, I would never leave them."

"Even if it meant they would be completely safe?" The Doctor knew the challenge the question posed and he imagined it was the same challenge River had to have faced in her past. "Avalon, you don't know what it's like being a parent. There's this drive in you - an instinct - to keep your child safe no matter what. I had that, Amy had that on Demons Run, Rory had it while we searched for Amy and Melody. I'm guessing River had that the day she gave you up. But you know, all we can do is speculate until you go and talk to her."

"No," Avalon said on the spot. "I saw the pictures Kovarian had of her. She didn't look like she missed me a lot."

"What do you mean?" frowned the Doctor. "Kovarian told you this?"

"She did, and then she wiped it away like the rest of my memories. She had all these pictures of River having the time of her life without me. I don't want her - I don't want her to be my Mother." Tears flowed from Avalon's face. "Please don't make me go back there. I don't want to see her." She practically threw her body over his for what she intended to be a hug.

Still, the Doctor held her in their awkward half-lying positions and held her tight. Two hundred years was a long time to go without touching her. "I am very sorry, Avalon. No one should have to suffer the way you have."

"Just say you won't leave me again." She was holding him like her life depended on it, her eyes screwed shut. "Say you won't, please."

"You know I can't do that, Ava. I love you but...Time says I have to die. If I die, then the Silence leaves you and your family alone. They just want me."

Avalon pulled away to look at him. She studied his eyes - as much as she could with her blurred vision - and saw something new in them. Resignation. "How...how long has it been?"

"Ava…" He preferred not to look at her right now.

"I deserve the truth, dammit. Tell me!"

"I'm 1,103," he answered quietly.

Avalon let out a noise of horror. She slowly picked herself up from the ground, prompting him to do the same. New tears had filled her eyes as she studied him. He looked so tired. "I said I wouldn't let that happen. I wouldn't let you be on your own, especially for that long."

"It wasn't on you to stop anything, Avalon. I had to do it." He couldn't help himself. He had to touch her again. He reached out for her body and was relieved that she'd let him. He was able to wrap an arm around her waist and bring her body to his. He rested his forehead against her, taking a moment to smell her lavender scent again. "Do you know that in a thousand years, I've never really had anyone affect me the way you have?"

"I make everyone sick eventually," Avalon sighed.

"No," he managed to chuckle. She would say something like that. He brought his free hand up to her chin, taking a gentle hold of it. Her skin was still just as smooth and warm as he remembered it. "You're the only one who's ever kept up with me even when I was unbearable. And I've had my moments." Now it was Avalon's turn to smile, even if it was through her tears. "You remember our heist?"

"Yeah," she felt a rush of heat when she remembered their insane snog session in the middle of it.

"You and I...we've had the best adventures together. Make that into a story, will you? Maybe it'll inspire some other person to sweep their loved one off their feet."

"I don't want to write about you as if you were gone," she sniffled. "Please don't go." She curled her hand around his arm that was touching her face. "I don't want to lose you a second time. Watching you die was the most painful moment of my life. Please don't go to that place."

"You have no idea how much I would rather stay here with you, with my Ponds, but I have somewhere to be, somewhere Time needs me to be," he pushed a few strands of her hair out of her wet face. "I just needed to come and say goodbye properly."

"I promised myself that I wouldn't let you go to that place. I tried doing my best to keep you from going there…"

"You did everything you could and you have no idea how much that means to me, but it's time to stop. It's okay to stop. I figured everything out, darling. I know that I have to be there."

Avalon felt her heart breaking all over again and she was getting tired of it. Nothing seemed to work right. He was just giving himself up like that, like he had to...like he had to go face that astronaut. "Do you...do you know who the astronaut is?" She whispered.

The Doctor lowered his head for a moment. He had worked it out after his long search, after his long talks and research, but there was just one thing he still never figured out. The letter. That damn letter that warned Avalon of what was coming, no one had the answer to it.

"Doctor?" Avalon called, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Did you?"

"Yes," he ultimately said. "But I can't tell you, I'm sorry."

Avalon sighed. "That's a shocker. No one can tell me anything, no one can tell me the truth...can anyone tell me anything?"

"I love you," the Doctor said, offering her his best smile, as if they were in the middle of another date. He loved that it still made her smile. He stroked patterns over her cheek. "It's been 200 hundred years and you have no idea how much I've wanted to tell you that in person again. I love you my Ava."

Avalon leaned into his touch. "I love you too."

"I do have to go, though. I just wanted to say that one more time," the Doctor swallowed hard and looked her in her sad, teary eyes.

"...there's nothing I can do to stop you anymore?"

"I have to, I'm sorry."

Avalon was scared out of her mind but it seemed like he had made his choice. She just had no idea how she was supposed to let him walk away again. "There's so many things we could've done together. You said you were taking me to, um, Akhaten?"

"Right," the Doctor nodded. "You would've loved it."

"We could've pulled another heist," she bit her lip and leaned on him.

"And watched Rory have a heart attack?"

Avalon smirked. "We would've won this time." She let her fingers tap over his chest, something she missed doing too. "We would've been on the same team this time, you and I...we would've won the whole thing."

"Yeah we would've," the Doctor grinned at the image of them pulling a second heist with the worst shenanigans they could come up with. He pulled her hands off him and held them tightly in his. He stared at her smirking face and felt the air leave his body. She was insanely beautiful and she had been with him. For a short moment in his life, she had been with him and they'd been happy.

Timetogotimetogotimetogo. He needed to get out of there because he was one second away from whisking her off into the TARDIS to kiss forever.

He let one of her hands go and snapped his fingers. The TARDIS doors opened up but instead of walking straight for them, he needed to do something first. He was going to leave but he had to do it right this time. He couldn't sneak off like the last time. Avalon didn't deserve that.

"Would you dance with me?" He asked her. She blinked at him, naturally expecting him to say anything but that. She took her hands out of his. "Would you dance with me, Ava?"

"Dance?"

He nodded. "I'm going to die, but I have to dance with my princess first. Can't imagine leaving without one."

New tears came to Avalon's eyes. He was really going to do it. Don't waste your last moment, the voice in her head warned. She couldn't waste it. These were her last moments with him that she would remember forever. She took his hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Play us something sweet, will you?" The Doctor called to the TARDIS, or so it seemed. A few seconds later a familiar tune started playing.

Avalon laughed lightly. "Once Upon a Dream."

"Our first dance together," the Doctor reminded her, not that she needed to be reminded. It was their first dance as friends and their first dance on their first date. As if she would ever forget that. He put an arm around her waist again and started to sway to the song.

Little by little, Avalon let go of his hand and brought her arms around his neck. She rested her head against his chest, wanting to be as close as possible to him. "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you! The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam. Yet I know it's true, the visions are seldom all they seem…"

The Doctor laid his cheek over the top of Avalon's head, smiling contently for the first time in a long time. He would always love her beautiful voice.

"...but if I know you, I know what you'll do. You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream," she sniffled. "Do you ever sing?"

The Doctor hummed. "That...would be a no. I don't sing."

"I wish you would," Avalon looked up at him. "We could, um-" she forced herself to smile, "-we could've sang 'A Whole New World'. That would've fit us, huh?"

"I think so, yeah," the Doctor chuckled. They just didn't have the time anymore. Time's up. He brought a finger under her chin then leaned down and kissed her. She quickly kissed him back.

A whole year waiting and searching for him had seemed to lead them to this moment. She wished they could do this forever and ever. Their arms wrapped around each other so tightly there was no chance of moving. Avalon remembered all the sappy movies that had those really long, passionate kisses and she would make fun of them all the time. Who knew that she'd end up having one of her own? It was a terrible moment when they had to end it. They pulled away what was necessary to look into each other's eyes, silently saying goodbye to each other.

"You have been my best story," Avalon whispered, having to bite her lower lip to keep herself from bursting into sobs right there and then. "Is there not another story?"

"The next story will be you living happily. Maybe writing a couple stories here and there...and going back to that sweet family who loves you so much," the Doctor tapped her nose. "Try to talk to River, okay?"

"Try to stay alive?" Avalon played her final card which was just to ask. River did say to her that he was never able to say 'no' to her. Let's see if she lied about that too. She cupped his face and leaned closer to his lips. "For me?"

The Doctor swallowed hard. She was far too close for him not to try and kiss her again. The TARDIS wasn't that far away from them, was it? Out of time! Right. He had to focus...but she was looking at him, pleading with him to listen to her.

Maybe…

Avalon pressed one final kiss to his lips. "Goodbye, Fairy Tale Man."

"Goodbye, my Ava," he smiled softly...with tears in his eyes. He forced himself to step away from her, one of the hardest things he had to do. He looked at her one last time, shuddering a breath that wanted to lead to more tears. He turned away and walked back to the TARDIS.

Avalon hugged herself as she watched the Doctor disappear inside the TARDIS. Seconds later, she heard the wheezing noise as the box started disappearing. Her eyes might as well have been water wells by that point. She would've let herself cry right there and then if she hadn't noticed a figure standing behind the de-materializing TARDIS. It took her a few minutes to realize what it was…who it was.

"Hello Mother," the adult Sapling smiled at her and waved with one hand.

Avalon's eyes widened, immediately figuring he must have hitched a ride with the Doctor. Those two had played such a sneaky surprise on her. She ran up to him, throwing her arms around his much taller figure now that he was an adult. "Oh my Sapling! You've come back!"

"I had to," the Sapling hugged his mother tightly. "Father said you would need me."

Avalon could only nod against his wooden chest.

~ 0 ~

51st century, Luna University.

A very young River Song sat in a study with a table full of books and several official files in front of her. With a hand over her stomach, she dropped one of the files and picked up her opened diary to see a date written in one of the pages. She had looked it over at least a thousand times, along with the research she'd done, and she just couldn't figure it out.

"Tick, tock, goes the clock. And what now shall we play?" She heard a strange voice in the room say, "Tick, tock, goes the clock. Now summer's gone away."

"Hello?" River called. "Oliver? Are you playing a game on me? I don't like them."

Kovarian appeared from the shadows of the room flashing a smug smile at River. "Such a lovely old song. But is it about him?"

"You know about the Doctor?" River raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the strange woman. She thought she seemed familiar but...her mind was a bit fuzzy sometimes.

"So very well," Kovarian nodded and smirked at the long stare River was giving her, "Don't try and remember me. We have been far too thorough with your dear little head. I brought a gift, though" she informed as she reached across the table to take River's diary. "Well...gifts."

"A...what?" River blinked.

Kovarian smirked again as she came forwards and picked up River's diary off the table. "So they made you a doctor today, did they? Doctor River Song. How clever you are. You understand what this is, don't you?" She turned the diary around for River to see.

"According to some accounts it's the day the Doctor dies," River answered quietly. "But that's what they are, just 'accounts'. Rumors."

"By Silencio Lake on the Plain of Sighs an impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike the Time Lord dead," Kovarian recited with a great smile, as if it were her favorite story...and perhaps...

"It's a story, that's all," River shrugged, though she seemed nervous.

Kovarian sighed casually and set the diary back on the table, "And this is where it begins," she informed, "My gifts to you," she snapped her fingers and immediately a door opened from behind where two of the Silence entered holding a very familiar woman.

"What the hell is that?" River's eyes widened at the sight of the Silence.

"Your owners and, currently, hers," Kovarian gestured back.

"You let me go! Let me go right now!" Avalon kicked and stomped as she was brought in by the creatures. When she saw River she paused but then a deep fury marked her face. "YOU!" She tried going for her, shocking River until Avalon started to yell, "You're not my Mother! I don't want you!"

River swallowed thickly. "How did…?"

"Oh, shush child," Kovarian waved the ginger off and focused on River. "I'm about to make a deal with Mummy."

"Let her go right this instant," River ordered but dared not stand up at the moment.

"Here is the deal, Melody Pond," Kovarian set her hands on the table and leaned forwards, "Those stories of Lake Silencio are all true. The Doctor will be there and he will be shot. An astronaut is to rise from Silencio Lake and it will. The only thing I haven't decided is which one of you will it be? You...or your daughter?"

"I don't understand, how do you know who I am? And how do you have Avalon? I watched the Doctor take her into the TARDIS. She's safe!"

"Ah, time travel my dear. This is just before Berlin. I have your younger self waiting for orders in Leadworth," Kovarian's lips curled into a devilish smile. "I made you what you are and I also prepared a back up. I have trained your daughter to do the task, brainwashed her, everything I need to get this right."

"I am not her daughter!" Avalon still fiercely yelled. "You left me!"

"I didn't do anything," River weakly argued, much too confused to put up a proper defense. As far as she knew, she hadn't left her daughter all.

"Yet!" Avalon snapped. "You abandoned me!"

"I haven't!" River slammed her hands down on the table as she got up from her chair, letting Avalon see that she really hadn't.

Avalon went into shock and fell silent. River was pregnant, very pregnant. She hadn't done anything yet, none of the things Kovarian had shown her. "Oh my God…"

River settled a hand over her stomach. "I'm almost due," she said with a half smile. "And I will never abandon my child."

Before Avalon could say anything, Kovarian stepped around the table for River. The woman quickly backtracked the same step. "Someone is getting into that astronaut suit and doing the deed. I allow you mercy by giving you the freedom to choose who will do it. You can climb into the astronaut suit and shoot the Doctor dead, sparing your poor daughter the atrocious act of killing her love. However, if you decide to keep your baby daughter - I won't judge - then I will have that one-" She pointed back at Avalon who couldn't be more terrified at the prospect, "-be in the suit. She shoots the Doctor and then she's off to Stormcage. I'm sure you could arrange visitations."

River felt a deep fury fill her insides, something she had to be truly careful about given her state. "You will not touch my daughter!"

"Ah, so is that your choice then? You take her place?"

"N-n-n-n-n-no! No!" Avalon started once she got the idea. "She doesn't accept anything! And neither do I! I would rather die than kill the Doctor! Shoot me right now!"

"I would but I'm not interested in finding out how many regenerations you have right now," Kovarian dismissed her and continued on with River. "Well then? I don't have all day, and neither does the Doctor actually. You or her?"

"I won't do it," River said, nearly making a promise to Avalon there and then. "I'm not killing him..."

This did not settle well with Kovarian. "Perhaps another persuasion tactic is needed - my second gift. Bring him in!"

Two more Silence walked into the room dragging in a young ginger man. Avalon and River immediately recognized him.

"Let me go! What the hell are you anyways!?" The man angrily pulled and pulled against their claw-like hands.

"Uncle Oliver?" Avalon struggled against the Silence holding her. "Why-why are you here? Why is he here!?" She threw a glare at Kovarian.

"Oliver?" River had recognized him perfectly, and now looked even more terrified than before.

"Make the decision, Melody Pond," Kovarian began to warn again.

"R-River they're crazy!" the man, Oliver, was struggling hard. "They're talking about murder and our daughter and I-"

"Daughter?" Avalon repeated just before Kovarian's roaring voice went over hers.

"MAKE THE DECISION!"

"NO!" River exclaimed.

Once again defeated, Kovarian struck with another strategy. With one swift move she had pulled out a gun and shot Oliver on the chest. The man collapsed on the ground.

"NOOO!" River nearly lunged forwards as she saw this happen. The tears were quick to fill her eyes and spill down.

Avalon had gasped with horror. "No, no! You didn't have to do that! Why - why would you do that!?"

River tried reaching Oliver but Kovarian blocked the way. "Please…" River begged her. "He's dying…"

"Yes, what a terrible thing you just did," Kovarian said flatly. "How will she ever forgive you?"

River swallowed hard as she looked over to Avalon. "Please...that's her father. Let her be with him. It's his last moments."

"My father…?" Avalon repeated. Her head was spinning and this time it wasn't because of all the electric shocks she'd gotten recently. "He's my…" She met River's teary gaze and watched her nod. "Oh my God!" She wrestled free from the Silence to run to Oliver. She fell to her knees beside him. "I-I...I don't know what to do, I'm sorry…"

Oliver had very little energy left but he had enough to recognize her. He had seen her already before, once. "My Avalon…"

She swallowed hard and nodded her head. "They say...they say you're my Dad. Is that...is that true?"

Olivia struggled to smile at her, hoping to answer her question. "You have my hair."

Avalon leaned closer to him and nodded again. "I...I guess I do?" Oliver groaned and shuddered a breath. Avalon barely understood what was happening but her eyes were giving out tears. She was so sad; sad over him. "You're my father and you're dying. I've killed you!"

"No, no," Oliver reached out as if to hug her so Avalon cradled his body as much as she could. "My beautiful Avalon. You grow up, you'll be safe...and happy…"

"No, no, no, don't talk like that. If it's all true then-then that means we have a lot of catching up to do. Stay with me please," Avalon pressed a kiss to his cheek, feeling a faint tickle over her skin from his light beard. "You're my Dad, you have to stay with me." Oliver smiled at her one more time before his eyes fell shut. "No! C'mon! No!" Avalon called for him to wake up, pleaded him to, but he was completely still.

River was despondent as she looked over her desk to see Oliver still and eyes shut. "He had...nothing to do with this..." She said to Kovarian in a frail whisper.

"I wouldn't have had to do that if you had just obeyed," Kovarian glowered. "You know the rules. You listen to me or else. Who I shoot next is all up to you."

River's eyes flickered to Avalon beside Oliver. She was crying so terrible it broke her heart. Her daughter had just watched her father die, held him. "What happens to her? If I obey, what will happen to my daughter?"

"I'll wipe her memories of everything that happened to her in these last months then I'll send her to Leadworth where she'll meet your younger self. I hear you guys had a blast in Berlin," Kovarian smirked. She knew that no matter what happened she had already won. Berlin had already happened.

The door flung open again and this time several soldiers stormed in with the famous white astronaut suit. Avalon actually screamed at the sight of it, already terrified from what happened and what she already watched happen.

"Not that! Please, not that!" She held her father's body closer to her, as if somehow he would still be able to protect her. "Not that!"

Two soldiers came to rip her away from her father's corpse and for the suit. River screamed at them to stop while Kovarian laughed. "It's time to choose Dr. Song, we've simply run out of time!"

Author's Note:

It's all going down in the next chapter ladies and gents! So excited to see your reactions! It goes without saying that things will be very different from the show and of course it'll be angsty. Also, just a clarification for the time the passed by. When Avalon says it's been 2 years for her, she means in the TARDIS. Obviously in Leadworth it's still 2011 but for her, it's been 2 years since the beginning of this story!