#my bloody valentine fanfiction

[thebiggerbear]

Tom Hanniger x Reader - Prompt Response - "Sleep. I'll keep you safe."

Summary: Tom has taken you hostage. This is not the Tom you knew and fell in love with. Unable to escape, can you get him to trust you and maybe even reach him?

Pairing: Tom Hanniger x Female!Reader

A/N: Prompt from @thelonelyempath. So, just out of the gate, not gonna lie, this is one of the most fucked up things I've ever written and probably the darkest. Story wise I mean. There's something about Tom and that world from the movie that I love exploring. Before I knew it, this was nearing 18K and I was like "Crap, time to wrap this up!" I still enjoyed the exploration of Tom and the reader though in the dynamic they're in during this one.

I tried my best do my research and be respectful in regards to DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) but also keep this a few years post-movie (2009) while also staying within the context the movie provided but also explore a bit, if that makes sense. Please note I do not work in the psychiatry, psychology, or medical fields. If I got anything appallingly incorrect about this disorder, its symptoms, its treaments, anything, please let me know. Also, I think it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway), not every single person who has been diagnosed with DID is violent or a threat to others nor are their alters violent or a threat to others. Obviously, this is just a work of fanfiction based on a fictional story where the main character had an alter that was violent and a threat to everyone. No harm or disrespect is intended with this fanfiction at all.

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Warnings: explicit violence; hostage situation; mentions of knives; dubcon; sex (smut-light); explicit descriptions of murder; mentions of burying a body; explicit threats of physical violence; explicit threat of sexual violence; explicit threat of neonaticide (I highly recommend looking this word up if you don't know what it means so you can decide if you still want to read from there; I didn't feel comfortable spelling it out here to be honest); physical threat of neonaticide; explicit threats of murder; mention of past sexual violence; mention of past sexual assault; implied past domestic abuse; misogynistic language; language

Word Count: 18k+

Tom Taglist: @heartlessdelusions; @nancymcl

"Sleep. I'll keep you safe."

Soldier Boy version | Beau version | Dean version | Jenny version | Jason version | Anael version | SDV Alex version

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When you came to, you glanced around the cabin you were currently tied up in. Tears blurred your vision, strands of your hair matted to your face, and you could feel the gag cutting tightly into the sides of your mouth. You didn’t bother trying to yell or make noise. You knew the cabin you were in since Tom had brought you here once to see it; there was no one and nothing around for miles. The next town over where Tom could get supplies was the closest thing and that was about an hour’s drive. 

How had things gone so wrong? You tried to be a good person, you always tried to do the right thing…so how did you end up here?

You already knew the answer to that, though. Because you let him in. Literally, right through your front door.

As if your thoughts summoned him, Tom appeared from the kitchen with two plates in hand and a huge grin, despite a black eye and cut lip he was sporting. He laid yours down in front of you and you could see chicken parmesan, your favorite, surrounded by linguini and green beans. He then placed down his own plate in front of his empty chair before turning back to you with a look of determination. “Alright. Let’s get this off you. No screaming, okay?” He asked, using a softer tone than you’d heard from him all day. “No struggling. And no running.” As if there was any point in screaming or running; no one would hear you and he’d catch you before you made it ten feet. He loosened your gag and pushed it down past your chin to hang around your neck. When you didn’t scream, he graced you with a warm smile. “Good girl,” he murmured as he began working on the ropes tying your hands to the chair. When he moved down to the ones on your legs, you rubbed at your sore wrists, noting a few surface cuts around your arms. He noticed and a frown formed on his face. “Sorry, I won’t tie them as tightly next time,” he promised. You didn’t know what else to do but nod.

When he was finished, he sat up and his fingers gently gripped your chin, forcing your eyes to meet his. His green gaze bore into yours and he tenderly trailed the backs of his fingers against your cheek, almost watching you in some sort of odd reverence that you had no idea existed until the last couple of months. He began to lean in, presumably to try and kiss you like he had earlier, but he must have thought better of it and stopped, digging his teeth into his bottom lip as he got to his feet. While you were grateful he hadn’t connected his lips to yours, you had to wonder what deterred him and that made you worry. He studied you for a moment and, just as you feared, he then made his way over to the other chair being used, his soft expression immediately hardening and his warm eyes icing over as they settled on your estranged husband.

He grabbed the back of the chair and dragged him away from the table, choosing to dump him in a corner on his side, making Miles groan in pain. Tom kicked him for good measure and you heard Miles yell out against the gag in his mouth. 

“Please,” burst out of you. “Please, Tom, don’t!”

Tom’s glare snapped up towards you. “After everything he’s done to you, don’t tell me you’re still protecting him.”

You knew you had to act quickly, to cajole Tom so you could draw his focus away from Miles. You were the only reason Miles wasn’t dead yet, you knew that without a doubt. “I’m not,” you soothed. “I just want to eat the dinner you went to the trouble of making for me. It’s been hours since I last ate and I really need to eat. I’m sure you’re hungry, too. Please, just come and sit down.”

Thankfully, Tom’s eyes softened a little at your pleading but he still gave Miles one more good kick that made you flinch before he came over to join you. He pulled a knife out of his jacket which made your heart start to pound a little faster but he simply smiled as he also produced a plastic fork. He leaned down and began to cut your chicken into bite size pieces for you. “I, uh, I’ve never made chicken parmesan before so I hope it’s alright,” he told you, a shy smile on his face. You marveled at how he could go from being the scariest thing you’d seen in your life one minute to being the sweetest and most humble guy you’d ever met in the next. “And I know green beans aren’t what would usually go with this dish but I didn’t really have anything else.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, chuckling nervously.

“I’m okay with green beans,” you quietly assured him.

He dropped his hand and smiled, looking relieved and leaning in to tenderly kiss you. You tried your best not to tense up as he did. Tom then made his way over to his seat, leaving you the fork but not the knife. Not only did he not want to chance you using it on him but he most likely didn’t want you using it on yourself either. You never would but he obviously wasn’t too sure about that. You watched as he poured both of you a glass of sparkling cider and sat down a few battery-operated candles between you.

When he handed you your glass, you were disappointed to find it was plastic. He really had thought of everything. He misread your expression and assured you, “I know it’s not the best but I wanted something nice for you for dinner. I’ll get something better though, next time I’m in town. I promise.” You offered up a thin-lipped smile and a nod which seemed to placate him for the time being. So he planned to keep you for a while then. You only hoped Miles would keep his mouth shut and that you could get Tom to start trusting you as you waited for an opportunity that might come your way with the aforementioned trip to town.

Tom took the seat across from you, smiling, and reached over to touch his glass to yours. You watched as he took a sip and after a moment, you joined him, making him grin happily.

As hungry as you were, you weren’t in a rush to eat anything that he had prepared for you out of sight. What if he was intent on drugging you? You weren’t even sure if he hadn’t before. You barely remembered how you got here. All you knew was Miles showed up, having found you, and Tom reacted, then nothing until you woke up here. The only other thing you remembered was blonde hair and so much blood— You tried to shut that thought out. Thinking about Tom again, If he planned to keep you here for a while, he’d have to sleep at some point and he could be planning to drug you then, like right now. And God only knew what he planned to do with Miles; you prayed you could somehow convince him to let the man go while you stayed behind (even though that would be just as dangerous for you). Though Tom hadn’t been wrong; Miles didn’t deserve your compassion. But that didn’t mean you wanted to watch the man you’d once shared a life with die brutally either. If Tom’s distaste for your husband was anything to go by, if he decided to end Miles, it would indeed be brutal.   

“Something wrong?” 

The question snapped you out of your reverie. You glanced up to find Tom watching you worriedly. You forced a reassuring smile onto your face. “No. Of course not.”

“I thought you needed to eat.” His eyes bored into you, flicking back and forth from the plate to you.

“I will. I’m just…taking it slow.”

He frowned at your food. “It’s not that good, is it?”

“What? No. No,” you worked to reassure him. “It’s just that…” You didn’t want to voice the words and chance angering him.

“Just what?” When you couldn’t think of a way to phrase it and kept quiet instead, he urged you in a softer tone, “Eat, sweetheart.”

You realized then that you had no choice but to take a few bites if you didn’t want to do anything to anger or upset him. You hoped to God that there was nothing in it.

Almost as if he read your mind, his jaw tightened as he went to spear more chicken with his fork on his plate. “There’s nothing in it if that’s what you’re worried about. I wouldn’t do that to you.” His eyes lifted to yours, that soft reverence back in them. “To either of you.” He flicked them to your round stomach in meaning and then back to you again.

You wanted to believe him, especially when he looked at you like that, but wouldn’t it be easier for him to be rid of the child that wasn’t his? Then again, he hadn’t killed Miles yet and he fancied himself in love with you, and you were currently housing said child… Perhaps he truly didn’t mean your baby harm, while it was in utero at least.

Tom let out a heavy sigh and dropped the fork, making it clatter against his plate. He was now scowling over at you, clearly displeased at your show of distrust in him. Uh oh.

Now definitely without a choice, you took a forkful of chicken and slowly bit into it. He seemed pleased with the action and after a moment, continued to eat himself. As you quietly chewed, you realized that it wasn’t half bad, and you were starving. As scared as you were, you knew you would need to keep up your energy for any opportunity to escape, to get you and your baby to safety, and truthfully, you needed to take any chance at a meal that you could. Tom smiled to himself as you really dug in. 

You had halfway cleaned your plate when you heard “So it’s okay?”

You stopped to see Tom sitting there, leaning forward and watching your every movement, the biggest grin on his face. You swallowed down the chicken you had just stuffed into your mouth and held a hand over your lips self-consciously. “Good,” you admitted quietly. “Very…good.”

Satisfied with that answer and himself, he sat back in his chair and continued to smile over at you. Though it was unnerving, you continued to finish your meal, your goal being to keep your strength up for your baby. When you were done, he got to his feet and grabbed his plate, slowly making his way over to you. Your heart pounded with each heavy footstep and it nearly stopped when he reached you. 

Tom grabbed your empty plate and slid his still half-full one in front of you, placing your fork onto it. When you turned a puzzled expression up towards him, he leaned down and pecked your lips, murmuring to you, “You two need it more than I do.” He kissed you one more time before he walked away, heading into the kitchen. You watched him go in shock, thoughts racing in your mind. Knowing he had eaten some of the food and remembering his promise, after mulling it over for a minute or two, you then dug in, your focus on the chicken and green beans. You needed as much energy as you could get.

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He spooned you that night after insisting you take the only bed in the place — his bed. You felt him press a tender kiss to the back of your neck every few minutes and while that made you uncomfortable, his hands gently rubbing your belly had you absolutely terrified. You imagined all sorts of horrible things as you laid there in the dark, with only a shaft of moonlight sneaking into the room through an opening in the curtains. You kept expecting a knife to be pulled, a fist to collide with your bump, to feel the stab of a hypodermic needle — something. It got so bad that you started to shake and Tom, thinking you were cold, moved the blanket over you both a little higher before resuming his ministrations. You wanted nothing more than to throw his hands off of you and get out of the bed, moving away from him. It was one thing for him to have his hands on you, though now it made your skin crawl in the worst way, but your baby…you would give anything to keep him away from the one person you’d do anything to protect.

You were frozen in fear despite the tremors of your body. You felt the baby move and while that should have overjoyed you like it usually did, it caused tears to start rolling down your cheeks, soaking the pillow beneath you. How much longer would you get to feel that? How much longer would Tom allow you to keep your baby?

“Oh,” he exhaled against your neck. “She’s kicking.”

You closed your eyes, forcing more tears to fall, as your lips trembled. You thought back to the first time he’d come into contact with your baby this way. You had been such a fool — such a blind, trusting, naive fool. 

You were cleaning a wooden frame of a painting with a rag when you felt the familiar movement within your tummy. “Oh,” you chuckled, holding a hand to the side of your stomach. 

“Are you okay?” 

You glanced up to find Tom up on a ladder, watching you with furrowed brows. You gave him a bright smile. “Yeah, of course. The baby’s kicking. Come down here, quick.”

Still looking worried, Tom hurried down the ladder and approached you. 

“Give me your hand.” You grabbed the hand he offered up and placed it right where you had just felt movement. Tom glanced back and forth between you and your stomach, looking unsure for what he should be feeling.

A moment later, the baby kicked again. “There! You feel it?”

You knew he must have because an expression of surprise and awe came over his handsome face as he stared down where you held his hand. 

Another kick happened and it made you laugh. “Oh, she’s very active today.”

Tom smiled over at you. “You’re having a girl?”

“Well, I don’t really know what I’m having yet but,” You grinned, feeling yet another kick. “I hope it is.”

“Then I hope it is, too.” You glanced up to find him watching you with that soft look you’d seen before. You gently squeezed his hand in thanks and then focused again on your bump. 

Tom had been helping you restore the old house you’d moved into. You felt comfortable around Tom, he put you immediately at ease when you met. He’d been a huge help to you and when you had moments like that, you just chalked it up to him maybe having a little crush on you. At least that’s what Cindy, a new friend of yours (and the realtor who’d helped you find the place), said the first time she’d seen you two together when she stopped by to see how you were doing and how the house was coming along. But you never thought anything more of it. Tom never made a move or asked you out. He also never encroached on your personal space without invitation or pushed past your boundaries. He never did anything to make you uncomfortable. As you got to know him, you began to trust him.

But now, you wondered how you could have ever been so stupid.  

“You feel that, Y/N?” He breathed, grabbing your hand and holding it to your stomach. “She kicked again.” His tone was so full of wonder and happy surprise that you immediately started to cry. His hand traveled from your stomach up to your hair, smoothing it away from your face. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain?” You could hear the sudden concern. 

“Are you going to kill my baby?” You choked out on a sob.

You felt him turn you onto your back so he could look down at you. He looked less than pleased but he murmured, “No. I told you, I would never hurt either of you. I love you.” He inclined his head towards your stomach. “And her. Everything I’m doing is for you both. I wish you would believe me, Y/N.”

“I really want to,” you cried.

He wiped at your tears and stroked your cheek, before leaning down to kiss you. This time, you opened up for him when he sought entrance beyond your lips and you knew he was pleased by the little groan he let escape into your mouth. You didn’t protest when his hands roamed all over your body, thankfully steering clear of your stomach. You didn’t say a word when he stripped you of your clothes, whispering “Beautiful” as he uncovered every inch of your skin. You didn’t fight when he urged you to open up for him and his tender touch brought you to heights you had never reached before with a partner other than him that left you gasping for air. As you shivered and shook, unable to keep from crying out, and dug your fingernails into his arm, he smiled lovingly down at you. While you came back down, he pressed kisses to your hair, face, and lips. He watched you, almost if he was waiting for something, so you hesitantly reached out for the button on his jeans, thinking you now needed to return the favor, when he stopped you.

“This was about you,” he murmured before kissing you. “It’s been a long day. You should get some rest.”

You nodded, not wanting to disagree in the slightest. He pulled the blankets up over your naked form and urged you onto your side again, away from him. He spooned you once more and placed a kiss to the back of your neck. “Sleep, sweetheart,” he murmured. “I’ll keep you safe.” His hand then cupped over your belly protectively. “Both of you.”  

You bit your lip to keep the tears from starting up again. God, you hoped that was true.

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The next morning, you woke up alone, feeling groggier than usual. You panicked for a moment, thinking Tom may have drugged you after all, but you remembered you hadn’t eaten or drunk anything before you went to sleep. You also didn’t find any obvious injection sites when you searched your body in the bathroom, using both mirrors to your advantage. You chalked it up to everything that happened yesterday. It had been taxing on you, mentally and physically. You were just exhausted and needed more sleep. You might even need a nap today, if only you could relax enough to take one. Though you didn’t see that happening anytime soon. You dressed and made your way out to the main room, worried about where Tom was, though you felt a little relief seeing Miles in the room, still breathing. 

You found Tom in the kitchen, making you breakfast, and he gave you a big smile when he saw you. “Morning, Beautiful.” He leaned down and pecked your lips, giving a gentle stroke to your belly with his free hand. “My two beautiful girls.” You forced a smile and hugged him from behind, laying your head against his back, just like you used to do. You hoped that the gesture of affection would keep him just like this, a semblance of the Tom you’d known before Miles ever showed up. It must’ve worked because he squeezed your arms with his free hand and continued cooking.

Thankfully, this time when you sat down at the table, he didn’t tie you to the chair. Instead, he smiled at you as he placed the plate of eggs in front of you and pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “Eat, sweetheart,” he urged. “And then I want to show you something.”

You nodded, immediately digging in and not wanting to displease him. 

His smile grew as he watched you and he leaned down once more to kiss your temple. “That’s my girl,” he murmured. His hand slipped down to your belly and gave it a rub. “My girls,” he corrected, before walking back into the kitchen. 

Miles, who was still gagged and tied to his chair, glared over at you from the corner of the room. At some point before you came out of the bedroom earlier, Tom had righted his chair so now he could watch every single thing you and Tom did. You weren’t exactly sure what Tom was planning but you didn’t like it. You especially didn’t like that the man who had terrorized you for years was currently staring at you with pure hatred, as if he’d like to kill you, as if all of this was somehow your fault. In a way, you supposed it was because had you not let Tom into your life in the first place, this wouldn’t be happening. But then again, had Miles left you alone and not coming looking for you, Tom wouldn’t have snapped. At least, you don’t think he would have. And Cindy would still be alive.

“Fucking crazy bitch.” Your eyes snapped to Miles who was still scowling at you. Whatever he said was usually muffled by his gag but you could hear it clear as day. You frowned and went back to your food. 

Tom reappeared just then and placed a bowl of cut up fruit in front of you. 

“Thank you,” you whispered. 

He gave you a nod, seeming pleased, until he noticed Miles glaring over at you. You watched the change happen within his expression and suddenly you knew you needed to intervene and quickly. Before he could move, you reached out and grabbed his hand, prompting him to look down at you. 

“I need to get exercise. For the baby. Will you take me for a walk after I’m done?”

His eyes briefly softened while the rest of him did not. “Of course.” He dropped your hand and moved around the table, coming to a stop in front of Miles. “You keep looking at her like that and I’ll cut your eyes out and feed them to you,” he threatened with a menacing edge to his tone. “Don’t forget, the only reason you’re even still breathing is because of her.” Tom straightened up, a terrifying smirk on his face, before he punched MIles. You winced, dropping your fork to your plate.

Miles turned back to glare up at Tom, more blood seeping into his gag. “Fuck you, you piece of shit! Fuck you and that fucking crazy whore!” He yelled against the gag. Tom gave him one more punch for good measure, causing Miles to yell out in pain, before he walked away, that smirk still on his face. You watched as Tom sat down across from you and tucked into his own breakfast, seemingly unbothered by what just occurred. You quickly glanced over at Miles, seeing him still glaring but blood coming out of his broken nose.  

“He doesn’t deserve your sympathy.”

You quickly looked back at Tom to find him watching you, not glaring so much but also not seeming pleased.

You gripped your fork tightly but forced yourself to keep a smooth expression. “It’s not sympathy, but pity. Pity that he doesn’t know when to shut his mouth.” You turned a glare over on your husband who more than gladly returned it.

When you turned back to Tom, he was studying you, smirking. “Finish your breakfast, sweetheart, so I can show you my surprise and then we can go for that walk.”

You did as he instructed, digging into the fruit, not wanting to displease him any further. Thankfully, though, he seemed to be mollified, for now.

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You stared around you in horror, your knees feeling weak. You held onto the wall for support.

Tom had taken your hand and led you to a small room in the back of the cabin that you had no idea existed, near the bedroom you had spent the night in. He smiled at you and told you to shut your eyes when you arrived at the closed door. You did as he instructed, not wanting to make him angry. He opened the door, led you into the room with his hands over your eyes, and then asked if you were ready. You nodded and he dropped his hands as you opened your eyes and looked around you, your jaw dropping. 

“Surprise,” he crowed. “What do you think?”

You were thinking you were going to be sick. You were staring at an exact replica of the nursery you and Tom had put together back in your house, right down to the crib sheet, mobile, paint colors, and night light. Everything you had purchased for your nursery, he had obviously gone and bought a double of to place here. You even spotted the same rocking chair in the corner, the same changing table, and the same toys and books you’d decorated the room with. The same stuffed animals sat in the crib. Even a double of the breast pump machine you’d bought was sitting on the changing table. 

“What do you think?” Tom asked happily as he glanced around. “Is it just like the one we put together back at your place?”

You robotically walked to the changing table, opening the cabinets underneath, and you saw the same outfits you’d bought, folded and arranged in the exact same way. You held a hand to your mouth; you felt the urge to scream but you couldn’t let it out. You started to shake. How long had he been planning this? To kidnap you and your baby and bring you both here?

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said from behind you, forcing you to tense up and drop your hand, schooling your features before you turned to look up at him. He was watching you worriedly. “I only did this as a back-up. In case we ever had to come out here. If that bastard out there ever tracked you down and we had to leave quickly, I wanted to make sure you and our daughter had everything you needed.”

Our daughter. It felt like you were falling into an endless void and you would never wake up from this nightmare. “Why didn’t you tell me?” You managed to ask.

He framed your face with his hands. “I didn’t want to worry you. And I figured it would be a nice surprise if we ever did have to come here. A little piece of home.” He gave you a soft smile. “Do you like it?”

You nodded, not sure what else to do, not able to say anything right then. He grinned and kissed you, happy that you liked the surprise. You thought you’d been in trouble before when he tied you up and brought you out here where no one could hear you scream. Now, you realized, you were in so much more trouble than you’d even imagined.

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Tom held your hand as you both walked the property. Thoughts were racing through your mind but you did your best to pay attention to every inch of the land that he took you to. 

“You’ve been quiet.” If you closed your eyes, you could swear you could hear the Tom that had become your friend and confidante over the months you’d worked on your house together. 

“Just…overwhelmed. And tired.”

Tom stopped in his tracks and your heart rate picked up, worried you had somehow said something wrong.

He turned to you, staring into your eyes, a layer of concern shadowing his expression. “I know this has been a lot and it’s an adjustment. But I promise you, Y/N, all I want is for our family to be together. Without having to worry about sick fucks like the one in there,” He inclined his head back towards the cabin. “Who want to threaten that, who want to hurt you.”

Tears began to well up in your eyes. “And Cindy?”

His jaw tightened and he looked away. “She wasn’t your friend.”

“She was,” you choked out. “And she was a good one.”

His gaze snapped back to yours and he lifted his free hand to your cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “No, she wasn’t, sweetheart. How do you think he found you?”

You shook your head, shaking a few tears loose. No, you refused to believe it. He was just trying to trick you into believing it so you would see things his way. “No. She wouldn’t do that. No.” 

Tom wiped your tears away and you could see pity staring back at you. For a cold-blooded killer, it threw you for a loop that he could feel anything like pity or worry for you or concern for the baby or any other emotion besides anger, jealousy, and hatred. “When he showed up in her office, he asked where you were and she told him, point blank. No hesitation, just ‘here’s the address’. He even admitted it.”

“No, he lies. He probably showed up in uniform and that’s why she—”

“She knew better. You told her that was a possibility, you told her his name so she could be on the lookout. And still, she didn’t think twice about it and sent him over to find you.”

“No, she would’ve called me to warn me if that happened, if she had no choice. Maybe that’s why she was there…to warn me.”

He gave you a look. “She wasn’t your friend, Y/N. She gossiped about you behind your back. She came onto me at the Christmas party, though I had gone there with you.”

That revelation surprised you but honestly, you didn’t know what was up or down anymore, never mind the truth.  “We went as friends. We weren’t together then.”

“She knew I liked you, that I wanted to be with you.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against the corner of your mouth.

You waited until he straightened back up. “That’s still no reason to kill her,” you gritted out, a tear rolling down your cheek. 

He looked at you sadly, wiping the tear away. “I know.”

Your brows drew together in confusion. You hadn’t expected that response. 

Tom pressed a kiss to your forehead and tightened his grip on your hand. “It’s pretty cold out. Let’s get you back inside where you can get warm.”

You let him lead you back to the cabin, turning that last part of the conversation over and over in your mind. From the sound of it, he knew his killing of Cindy had been wrong. A spark of hope started up in your chest though you were afraid to trust it. He still had you and Miles captive here, after all.

<-->

That night, as he spooned you from behind in his bed, he was kissing your neck, his hands moving all over your body. You could feel his erection digging into your back. “I love you so much,” he murmured to your skin. “It’s just you and me, sweetheart. You and me. And our little girl.” He placed his hand on your belly, trailing his lips up to your jaw. You closed your eyes, tears rolling down your cheeks, and you tried to imagine the Tom who had first made love to you nearly a month ago, who had sweetly kissed your baby bump every time he left the house and every time he came home. You held onto that Tom in your mind as he undressed you, then himself, probed you to make sure you were ready, and slid into you from behind, sighing happily into your neck as he did. He gently pumped his hips into yours and you could feel his hand making its way down between your legs, touching you in a similar way to how he had touched you last night, with complete tenderness. “We were meant to find each other,” he grunted into your ear as you arched your back and laid your head against his shoulder, reacting to his touch. “Be a family.” You tried to ignore his words and only focus on the pleasure coursing through you. He’d said these things to you before, back when he was your Tom, and you’d believed him. 

You could hear the old bed creaking beneath you and you could feel his rhythm increasing, the moans and sweet whispers in your ear picking up in frequency. You knew he was close and you squeezed your eyes shut harder, trying to imagine you and him back in your bed at your house, as if nothing had changed between you. That image helped bring you closer to the edge and you reached an arm back, gripping his hair, crying out as you got even closer and closer. His pace increased and the headboard was knocking against the wall now, his groans sounding out in rapid succession, almost tangling with your cries in midair, joining together in an almost impassioned chorus. Lost in your fantasy and the sensations you were feeling, you moaned out, “Kiss me.” Tom’s mouth was on yours, his tongue sweeping against your own, and that pushed you over the edge. You stiffened and he swallowed your cries, grunting loudly himself and intertwining his fingers with yours, squeezing as he fell over his own edge. You were still shaking a couple of minutes later when he slipped out of you and gently rolled you onto your back as you caught your breath. 

You could see him beaming down at you, still panting himself, his hair messy from your fingers, eyes bright and full of adoration for you. The same way he’d looked the other times you’d had sex in the past. It made your heart soar but also break mid-flight. “I love you.” You saw how much he meant it and your heart completely shattered.

Your eyes filled with tears as you reached a hand up to stroke his cheek. “I love you, too,” you whispered. And you did, this version of Tom, anyway. His smile grew and he laid his head down on your chest, sighing in contentment as you ran your fingers soothingly through his hair. Tears dripped down your cheeks as you held him, wondering how the universe could be so cruel as to send someone to you that loved you and your baby so much only to have him turn out to be a cold-blooded killer. 

<-->

You woke up alone again, even groggier than the day before. At this point, you wouldn’t be surprised if Tom was actually drugging you in some way once you fell asleep. You had held him until he fell asleep himself last night but obviously, at some point, he must have woken up after you passed out.

You felt irritable, which was most likely a side effect of the grogginess you felt and possibly whatever Tom was drugging you with, as well as typical pregnancy hormones. It was so bad that you couldn’t even be bothered to drum up a smile for Tom who was looking at you like you were the best thing that existed on the planet. You took the food he gave you and dug in, not even thanking him like you usually made sure to do.

You felt off and when he spoke softly to you, “Eat, sweetheart, and then we’ll go for another walk”, you nearly snapped at him, demanding to know what he’d been drugging you with and why. You’d only just held yourself back, reminding yourself you weren’t supposed to say or do anything that would anger him.

Miles, though, was fair game. 

He had called you names, though muffled by the gag, the minute Tom stepped out of the room. You ignored him as best you could, though it still got under your skin. Who the hell was he to sit there and call you things like “whore” and “slut”? Even if he had heard you and Tom together last night? Was he so stupid that he didn’t realize the predicament he was in, that you all were in? Had Tom’s threats and beatings not made it clear enough? When Tom got up to get you more decaffeinated tea, Miles threw more insults your way and you decided, yes, he really was that stupid. Nothing you hadn’t already known, you supposed.

Tom placed the tea in front of you and you gave him a nod. His brows drew together for a moment before he smoothed them out, taking his seat once more. He glanced between you and Miles. “Everything okay?”

“Terrific,” you snapped. It didn’t hit you until you said it what you had done. You quickly glanced up at Tom who didn’t look displeased at your attitude (thankfully) but was studying you intently. “Sorry,” you offered more gently. “I’m not having a good morning.”

He nodded, his brows still drawn together. “Well, finish up and we’ll get out of here for a while, stretch our legs, and get some fresh air.” He gave you a patient and understanding smile.

You gave him a wan smile in return, realizing how lucky you were that he was being so understanding and hadn’t gotten angry with you. You were picking up the plastic butter knife to spread jam on your toast when Miles said something nasty to you both, once again muffled by his gag. 

At that point, you’d had enough. You dropped the knife and pounded the table with your fist, making the plates shake. “Shut. Up!” You yelled over at him. He scowled at you but did indeed shut up. You realized what you’d done and you worriedly glanced back at Tom. His eyes were flicking back and forth between you and Miles before getting to his feet. Your heart leapt into your throat. Oh no. Now you’d done it.

He made his way over to you, glaring at Miles as he did. When he stopped in front of you, he held out his hand which you warily took. He pulled you to your feet and gripped your chin between his fingers. “I think we should go for that walk now. Okay?” You nodded, not exactly sure what was going to happen but you noticed him shooting a terrifying glare in Miles’ direction. You remembered you needed to keep your strength up so you picked up the piece of toast you had been intent on eating and took it with you as he led you to the door. He saw and chuckled, squeezing your hand, as he opened the screen door for you both to walk through.     

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“You feeling a little better?”

You turned to look at him, wondering how to answer that. Yes, you weren’t as edgy, but no, you didn’t exactly feel better. You finally settled on “A little.”

He gave you a hint of a smile and nodded, averting his gaze to the path in front of you. 

After a minute, he spoke. “You know, if he’s becoming a problem, I can take care of it.”

You froze, stopping in your tracks, your eyes wide. This was exactly what you didn’t want.

He noticed you had stopped and glanced back at you over his shoulder with furrowed brows. 

You didn’t want to anger him but maybe you were too tired, too scared, or too irritated — you couldn’t help but finally speak your mind. “I don’t want you to kill him.”

Instead of angry, he appeared confused as he spun around to fully face you. “Why? He’s obviously upsetting you, which isn’t good for the baby or you, he’s stinking up the place, he refuses to eat anything. Hell, he doesn’t even deserve to live after what he’s done to you. No one’s even going to miss the guy. Not to mention, it would keep you and our daughter safe... What’s the point of keeping him around?”

Tears started to blur your vision as you finally admitted the truth. “I can’t… I can’t kill someone, even him.”

Tom stared into your eyes before licking his lips and looking away. “That’s why I’m offering to do it.”

It terrified you to say this next part but you had to say it. “If this is going to work with us, as a family…you can’t kill anymore people, Tom.” His eyes snapped to yours and your heart began to pound harder in fear. “You can’t kill and I can’t order someone’s death. Even his.” Tears made their way down your face and his gaze softened a little, seeing them. 

He reached up and wiped them away with his thumbs before pulling you into him, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of your head. “Okay,” he murmured to you. “Okay. We’ll figure something else out for him.” He embraced you tightly and you closed your eyes, relieved. “And then it’ll just be us, the three of us, our family.”

You nodded against him, though you secretly knew you still had to figure out a way to escape. Perhaps once you were able to figure out what to do with Miles, then that would leave just the two of you. And then either Tom would be forced to take you into town for supplies which gave you more of an opportunity to escape or get help, or he’d be forced to leave you here. Based on the two walks you had so far, you were starting to get to know the property. Even though there was nothing but woods surrounding you, perhaps you could make your way at least to the property line. From there, you could figure out your next move.

He released you, kissed you, and took your hand again to start heading back. 

“And Tom?” 

He glanced over at you. 

You didn’t want to push your luck but since you had already spoken up about Miles and the killing, you were going to speak up about this, too. Especially since your child was at stake. “Whatever you’re drugging me with at night, you have to stop. It could be hurting the baby.”

He furrowed his brows again. “Sweetheart, I’m not drugging you. I told you, I would never do anything to hurt her. Or you. I would never put either of you at risk like that.”

You wanted to believe him but you also knew what you felt. “Then why do I feel so groggy when I wake up in the morning? And it’s gotten worse each time?”

He studied you, looking as if he wanted to say something, when a sudden realization dawned on his face. A smile crept along his face. “You’re probably tired because I’ve been keeping you up at night. You probably just need a good night’s rest, that’s all. I’ll tell you what, tonight you take a nice, hot shower, we’ll go to bed a little earlier, and we’ll just sleep. How does that sound?”

You didn’t want to appear too eager for him not to engage in any sexual activities with you so you just nodded and hugged his arm, whispering, “That sounds good, thank you.”

He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you into him, leading you both back to the cabin. His smile turned sheepish. “Sorry, sweetheart. I just couldn’t resist you, but don’t worry, I promise to keep my hands to myself. Your rest is more important, especially for her.” He laid a hand over your bump, patting it gently, and you tried not to cringe under his arm.

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Two weeks had passed and truth be told, you were surprised no one had come looking for you yet, considering you, Tom, and Miles were missing, you were pregnant, and Cindy’s dead body had been left in your house. Your due date was little more than a month away, and you were starting to worry you might have to deliver at the cabin if you weren’t found soon. 

Miles was still with you both, alive, as cantankerous as ever. He eventually started to eat the small amounts of food Tom let him have when he realized Tom wasn’t going to kill him and he obviously wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He still threw insults at you every chance he got but for the most part, you ignored him to the best of your ability. If Tom overheard, which was rare, he beat the crap out of Miles until either you begged him to stop or Miles lost consciousness. You and Tom were still trying to figure out what to do with him, but short of taking him somewhere deep in the woods and dropping him off there with the hopes that a bear might get him, you didn’t really have any options. And since you asked Tom not to kill him, a hostage Miles remained.

Tom had kept his word and kept his hands to himself at night. He still spooned you, still kissed you and caressed your bump, but he let you sleep. You still woke up groggy sometimes, as if you hadn’t slept a wink, but it had gotten a little better. Tom blamed those mornings on the old mattress. He swore he’d buy a new one the next time he was in town (which thankfully was coming up soon). You had taken to showering before bed every night, hoping the hot water would relax your body enough that you would drift off into a deep, restful sleep. You had actually gotten used to Tom cuddling you and you no longer feared for your child’s life when he touched your belly. He talked to the baby sometimes, something you heard while you were falling asleep, and his tone was so gentle and loving and reverent, that you couldn’t help but think he really meant it when he said he wanted all of you to be a family. He had even taken to kissing the bump again throughout different parts of the day or if he had to go outside to chop wood. He cooked for you every day without complaint, though you’d offered to pitch in to help (hoping he would trust you completely and you could get access to knives and other cooking tools that could be weaponized at some point if needed). He’d given you a knowing smile and thanked you but told you that he was fine with the arrangement, he didn’t mind. You mentally cursed yourself at being so transparent but you were also thankful he hadn’t gotten angry. 

For the most part, though, you’d settled into a sort of routine with Tom every day: breakfast, walk, you were free to move around the cabin as he chopped wood for an hour, he’d take you into the nursery to sit in the rocking chair for a bit to either go over possible baby names or to sit and read to the baby or to play music (he had gotten the same pair of fetal headphones you did), lunch, a nap he insisted you take each day to help you rest better while he fixed things up around the cabin, a free couple of hours to do whatever you wanted, dinner, another walk, shower, and then bed. 

You were following this routine one such day when Miles appeared to have finally lost his mind altogether. 

It was dinnertime and you had come into the main room with a book in your hand. When setting up the nursery here, Tom had bought the same books you had to prepare for the pregnancy. You were able to pick up where you left off in What To Expect When You’re Expecting. You sat down as Tom came in with a plate of carrots for you to snack on. He smiled when he saw your nose in the book, mindlessly reaching out for a carrot, and dropped a kiss on your head. “What chapter are you on?”

“Still on the eighth month,” you answered without looking at him, taking a bite out of the carrot. 

“Mmm,” he hummed against your hair. “Maybe you’ll finish it by the time we eat. I’ve got about ten more minutes left and then we’re good to go.” 

“That’s fine. I’ve got carrots to munch on and plenty to read in the meantime.” You held the book up in gesture. 

He chuckled and dropped another kiss to your head before walking away. You immediately got back to reading. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tom loosen Miles’ gag and then shove two pieces of white bread in his mouth. “Here, dipshit.” He slammed a small plastic cup of water on the arm of his chair, spilling most of it and not really caring. “Enjoy.”

Tom left the room with a glare over his shoulder in Miles’ direction. 

Miles spit out the bread and turned furious eyes on you. You ignored him, choosing to go back to your chapter. 

“You stupid, crazy fucking whore.”

Your jaw tightened but you remained silent, picking up another carrot to snack on.

“You hear me? You’re so desperate for dick you’re playing house with that crazy fucker.”

You could feel yourself tense up but you simply turned the page. 

“You’re a stupid fucking crazy whore and I always knew you were.”

You rolled your eyes. “Careful, Miles, you’re starting to sound like a broken record.”

That had been a mistake to say. A shark-like grin appeared on Miles’ face — well, as much as it could with his face beat to hell. “You want to hear something different? Alright, how about this? When I get outta here and I will get outta here, I’m going to kill that motherfucker right in front of you. I’m going to bash his skull in while you watch. Then when I’m done with him, I’m going to come for you.” You tried not to show it but you could feel an age-old fear creeping up on you. “Since you’re such a whore, I’m gonna use you like the whore you are, over and over again, until you’re crying and begging me to stop. And just like old times, I won’t.” You could feel the tremors starting up. “I’ll even fuck you right next to his corpse so you can cry all over his brains on the ground. And then when I’m finished with you, good and finished, I’m going to beat the hell out of you but not before I cut that baby out of you and strangle it with its own cord right in front of you. Then if you’re somehow still alive after all that, I’m gonna kill you. And I’m gonna get a medal for it. ‘Hero cop stops modern-day Bonnie and Clyde from continuing their killing spree.’ You just wait. The governor will be shaking my hand and I may even get a call from the goddamn President, thanking me for my service. I put down three rabid dogs, all for the price of one, the one I was tracking down in the first place. I’m gonna be a goddamn hero for this, for ripping you and your evil spawn from this world. How’s that for a new record, you crazy whore?”

A tear slipped down your cheek and he laughed. 

“I should’ve fucking gotten rid of you when I had the chance. Now, I’ll have that chance and I’m going to enjoy it.” He laughed again.

You wiped your cheek just in time for Tom to walk in with a bow of mashed potatoes. You noticed that for all of Miles’ bravado a moment earlier, he sure got quiet when Tom walked into the room. 

Tom placed the bowl down on the table. “Just give me five more minutes.” He glanced up and immediately knew something was off. “What’s wrong?”

You gave him a thin smile. “Nothing,” you assured him. “Looks like I’m not going to make it to the ninth month chapter after all.” You placed the book down; you had lost your appetite for both knowledge and for food. “I’m actually not feeling well so I think I’m going to go to bed early.”

He tilted his head, confused. “But you were feeling fine a few minutes ago. Was it the carrots? Or something else…?”

You shook your head, ignoring Miles’ chuckling under his breath. “I just need to lay down. I’m sorry, I know you worked hard on dinner. Can you save me some for tomorrow?”

Tom’s eyes darted to Miles, his jaw tightening. “Of course. Get some rest and feel better, sweetheart. I’m here if you need anything.”

“Thanks.” You turned and left the room, wincing when you heard Miles yelling out in pain presumably from Tom hitting him but you refused to turn back and look.

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When you got out of the shower and dressed in the sleeveless maternity nightgown Tom had thought to buy for you, you wiped the condensation off the mirror with a hand and stared into it. You couldn’t believe the things Miles had said to you but then again it was Miles, so you could. A part of you wondered if Tom was right; would it be safer for you and your baby if Miles was gone for good? You shook the thought from your head, not even wanting to entertain it. No matter how horrific Miles was, no matter how dangerous, you weren’t a killer. Even if he was killed by some other means, you didn’t want to be the one responsible. You were better than that, a better person. You wouldn’t become like Miles and let him win.  

You heard a soft knock on the door. “Y/N?”

You nervously licked your lips and went to open the door. You hoped Tom wasn’t upset with you for missing dinner. But when you opened it, all you saw was concern and worry staring back at you.

He ducked his head, meeting your eyes. “Are you feeling any better?”

You tried to smile but it probably came out as a grimace. “Yeah.”

Tom studied you for a moment and then held out his hand which looked remarkably clean considering what he had done to Miles recently. “I want to show you something.”

Thinking it might have to do with Miles, you started to shake your head. “No, I don’t—”

“It’s for the baby,” he soothed. “I have it right here on the bed.”

You let out a quiet breath of relief and took his hand. He kissed your forehead and led you over to the bed where a box sat on top. He urged you to get closer and take a look at it, releasing you. 

You gazed down at the box, picking it up and looking it over. “A home fetal heart monitor?”

“Yeah.” He sat down on the bed, taking the box from you and opening it. “I know you haven’t been able to go for your usual checkup due to our…situation at the moment.” He pulled everything out and laid it on the bed. “I bought this long before we came here, in case we needed it. You said the baby is pretty active every day so I didn’t think it was needed. But, you know what, maybe it’s not a bad idea to check in on her. What do you say?”

You were honestly floored at the gesture and you wondered if he had gotten Miles to confess what he’d said or if he overheard again. Either way, you were touched. “Um…” You bit your lip, trying to keep from crying. Damn these pregnancy hormones sometimes. “Yeah.”

“Yeah?” He grinned.

“Yeah,” you laughed, a tear slipping out as you reached for the wand. 

He read the instructions and you both figured out how to use it. He urged you to sit back against him as he lifted the hem of your nightgown over your belly. He applied the gel and you used the wand, moving it around until your baby’s heartbeat started to sound from the speaker. You couldn’t help but smile.

“There she is,” Tom whispered into your ear in awe. “There’s our little girl.”

You felt your eyes welling up again, joy and relief flooding through you as you listened to your baby’s steady heartbeat. You turned your head to look at Tom, seeing the same emotions reflecting back at you. “Thank you,” you whispered, leaning in to kiss him. Somehow he knew just what you needed. The louder and steadier your baby’s heartbeat was, the more it drowned out Miles’ words. 

You felt completely at peace and able to drift off to sleep soon after, with Tom wrapped around you. Your baby was okay and she was going to be safe.

Perhaps Miles was right. Maybe you were kind of playing house with a “crazy fucker” as he claimed. But you’d take that crazy fucker over Miles anyday. That crazy fucker cared more about your child than he, the biological father, did. Tom cared about her, wanted her, and would do whatever it took to keep you both safe while Miles had threatened to hurt her, hurt you both. So yeah, you’d take the “crazy fucker” any day of the week.

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A scream startled you awake. You sat up as best as you could, glancing around the dimly lit bedroom. You could see the first shafts of morning light peeking through the windows. You were alone in the bed. “Tom?” You called, scared when you didn’t see him. You didn’t know what you’d heard but you were frozen in terror.

Another pained scream erupted out of nowhere and it sounded like it was coming from outside. Miles’ words came back to you and you hurriedly got to your feet, realized you were nude (Tom must have taken your nightgown off to be skin on skin again; he liked that), and dressed. Your hair was still damp from your shower last night but you had no time to throw it up in a bun or ponytail. You felt sore and you noticed a few cuts on your fingers. The sight terrified you especially given how sore your body was and how you had woken up nude but Tom was nowhere to be found. Especially when you remembered Miles’ threats. “Tom?” You cried but you still got no answer. 

You made your way to the main room and gasped when you saw blood in the corner where Miles had been, partially covered by a sheet. You noticed there was blood spatter all over the walls, in almost every nook and cranny. Some of it had even landed on the table, the opposing wall, and the area of floor you were about to step on. “No. No!” You weren’t sure if you were more scared of Tom at this moment, or for him. You belatedly realized he must have overheard Miles threatening you and the baby last night and that was definitely why he brought out the fetal monitor to assure you. You’d had such a sweet moment with it; how did you go from that to this within a matter of hours?

You ran out the door, the screen door slamming back against the house. You didn’t see anything or anyone in the distance. You heard the screaming again and it seemed like it was coming from the surrounding woods to your right. 

“Tom!” You screamed. 

You ran back inside, looking for anything you could use as a weapon, maneuvering as best you could with your stomach but not finding anything, and hurried back out to the porch. You had to stop Tom. Miles had been horrific to you and didn’t deserve your intervention but you couldn’t let this happen to him. He was a human being, a horrible disgusting human being, but a human being nonetheless. You were about to hurry down the stairs when a bloody Tom appeared in front of you, a pickaxe in his hand. 

You froze, unsure if you should run back inside or if that would even make a difference. You held a hand over your mouth and your eyes filled with tears when you noticed something hanging from one side of the pickaxe’s blade that looked suspiciously organ-like.

He came to a stop in front of you, near the bottom of the stairs, and you felt like you couldn’t breathe. “Is it the baby?” He asked worriedly, panting. 

You shook your head, biting your lip to keep from yelling in terror. You couldn’t keep the tears from spilling down your face, though. 

He saw and his brows drew together until realization dawned upon his face. He dropped the pickaxe to the ground and spoke gently. “I’m okay, sweetheart. This isn’t my blood.”

Tom actually thought you were worried about him, that somehow Miles had gotten a hold of him like he’d threatened and was doing horrific, unspeakable things to him. A voice deep down told you to play along. “Will you please come inside then and let me clean you up?” You fought hard to keep the wobble out of your voice.

His eyes softened and he climbed the stairs to stand before you. The sight of so much blood made you want to vomit. You weren’t squeamish by any means but the amount of blood covering Tom from head to toe… If Miles wasn’t dead already, he soon would be. 

Tom went to reach out a hand to your cheek but then saw the blood and thought better of it, dropping it to his side. 

“Y-You promised,” you forced out.

“I did.”

“Why then? W-Why did you break it? We were…we were doing so well,” you sobbed out.

His jaw tightened but his eyes saddened. “We still are. Let me go finish…that. I’ll come back, clean up, and then we’ll talk.” He said it as if he was simply going to finish chopping firewood and then come back for lunch. 

“Tom,” you gasped, trying to breathe through the sobs tearing out of you. “If you continue ro torture him, I can’t be with you.”

His brows furrowed again and you waited for the terrifying expression you’d seen all too often to make a reappearance. Instead, he looked more confused than ever. “I’m not torturing him, Y/N.”

“Yes, you are. I heard him screaming.”

His lips parted in shock and he went to reach out for you again. This time, you flinched and moved backwards on reflex. He dropped his hand and curled it into a fist. You were scared that you angered him but God, how could you live with yourself if you let him go continue killing Miles slowly and brutally? 

“Sweetheart,” he spoke gently. “No one was screaming. Except you.”

“I know what I heard, Tom!” Was he seriously trying to gaslight you right now into believing you had been hearing things? The bloody pickaxe was still on the ground, with whatever attached it, for crying out loud. “It woke me up!”

His eyes softened then. “Miles was dead before I dragged him out here. You saw…inside…no one could have survived that.”

You felt like your heart stopped. The way he talked about murdering another human being so casually made your blood run cold. 

He took another step closer and you took another step backwards. He held out a placating hand but all you could see was the blood caked on his skin. “Y/N, look at me.” You lifted your gaze to his and only then did you notice how badly you were shaking. “I need you to take some deep breaths and relax.”

“Relax?” You laughed. “Are you kidding me?”

“You need to stay calm for the baby.”

You huffed out a snort in disbelief but after a moment, you realized he was right. The last thing you needed right now was for labor to start early or for there to be any complications when you were this remote. You forced yourself to take deep breaths. 

“Good.” He gave you a tiny smile. “Now, I need you to listen to me.”

You focused on your breathing, not wanting to listen to him but you had no choice.

“I need you to go inside and pack your things. There’s a bag under the bed you can put your clothes and the baby’s clothes in. When I’m done, I’ll come in, clean myself up, and get the rest of what we’ll need.”

Your jaw dropped. “You’re taking me somewhere else? Are you serious?” You felt like your mind was unraveling. “What about— What about the nursery?” You could care less about the nursery right now but it was what your mind grasped onto, trying to make sense of everything that was happening. 

“We’ll take most of it with us. Don’t worry. I can recreate it in the new place. Quickly, too, before she comes.”

“Another remote cabin?” You snapped.

He shook his head. “A home. For us, for our family. There’s a swingset in the backyard and everything.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Just how long have you been planning this? First this cabin? Now a house? How long, Tom?” You demanded.

He seemed unsure how to answer but he said, “As long as I’ve had to. Now, please, go inside and pack. If you hear anything, just know I’m okay and he’s already dead. Alright?”

You kept focusing on your breathing, not answering him.

“I promise I’ll explain everything once we’re on the road.”

The road? Depending on which road he planned to take, there may be other cars on that road, places he needed to pull over for gas — people. You could possibly flag someone down for help or even make an escape attempt that might be successful. The road was good. It meant opportunity. 

You took another deep breath and nodded, opening the screen door and walking inside, refusing to look back at Tom or the massacre-decorated corner of the main room. 

<-->

You had packed everything Tom had told you to: your clothes, the baby clothes, your book, any necessities. After a while, Tom had come back, spent a few hours attempting to clean the blood from the main room which he urged you to keep the bedroom door shut for with the bedroom window open in case, jumped in the shower, and then urged you out the door. He packed everything else up into his truck. He’d even disassembled the crib and tied the rocking chair down securely in the truck bed. The changing table was being left behind as well as the cubbies he’d stored the books and toys in but everything else came with. He also managed to quickly pack a cooler of food and drinks, and took whatever he could from the cupboards. It was an odd sensation, standing by the truck as he did all of this, not offering to help. A part of you wanted to but the other part was still angry with him for killing Miles and breaking his promise to you. Another third smaller part was scared to death that you were about to share the same fate, or at least you would once the baby was born. Tom wanted your baby; that was crystal clear to you now as you noticed the larger percentage of what was packed had more to do with the baby than anything else. While he had told you he wanted you all to be a family, perhaps he was just waiting for you to give birth and then that would be it. For you.

You focused on maintaining your breathing and told yourself you would get away long before that could happen. 

Once everything was packed up and the cabin was closed up, Tom opened the passenger door for you and helped you up into the seat. You wouldn’t have accepted his help if you thought you could get up there yourself but a very big belly tended to offset everything. He got into the driver seat, slipped a baseball cap on, and pulled away from what had been your temporary home for a few weeks. 

It was about fifteen miles on the highway or so, with nary a car in sight, that you finally turned to Tom (who you had been ignoring this entire ride so far) and asked the question that had been sitting in the back of your brain. “You heard him last night, didn’t you?”

Tom turned a confused expression onto you. 

“When he threatened me.”

His eyes hardened and his jaw clenched, turning back to the road ahead. “No. I didn’t. I knew he had probably said something to upset you but I didn’t know he did that. Had I, I would’ve…” He shook his head, angry, clenching a fist. “Makes sense, though.”

“What makes sense?”

He nervously licked his lips and reached over to pick up your hand. You went to yank it back but he tightened his grip and placed a kiss to your skin. “I promised I would tell you everything and I will.”

“Now seems like a good a time as any,” you seethed, still trying to pull your hand back but he wouldn’t let you.

“Let’s get some driving out of the way first. We’ve got a ways to go and I’d rather we put as much distance as we can between us and that cabin.”

“Yeah, I bet,” you muttered. 

He seemed displeased with your reaction but he let your hand go and continued focusing on the road. And for the first time since this whole thing started, you couldn’t be bothered to give a damn. That worried you a bit because you should be trying to keep him happy, calm, trusting, and instead you were doing the exact opposite. But the anger and betrayal you felt seemed to be overriding everything at the moment.

<-->

“Hey. Y/N.”

You were being gently shaken awake and you opened your eyes, glancing all around you. You were still in the front seat of the truck and the sun was starting to go down. You turned to see Tom rubbing your shoulder. 

“You need to use the bathroom, sweetheart?” He murmured. 

Almost as if on cue, your bladder started to hurt. You nodded, rubbing your eyes. 

“Okay.” 

He jumped out of the truck and made his way over to your side. He opened your door and lifted you to the ground, grunting in the effort. Had he been someone else, you would’ve felt bad for the strain he was putting on his body in doing so. 

You were at a rest stop where other cars surrounded you. You saw families milling about, couples, friends traveling together — people.

He grabbed your hand and gripped it tightly. “Stay close to me.” Of course he wanted you to stay close to him. He didn’t want you running off for help after all.

You let him lead you into the building as you tried to formulate a plan to escape him. He held you closer as he pushed his way through people waiting in line for the various food vendors available and brought you to the women’s bathroom. Thankfully, there was no line. You were just waiting to get in there and lock the door behind you. But as luck would have it, he opened the door himself and ducked his head in. When he determined it was clear, he urged you in ahead of him and locked you both inside.

“I’ll be right here if you need me.”

You glared at him and went to find a stall, realizing he’d already anticipated your plan. When you found one, you relieved the pangs of your bladder and tried to think of a new plan. You heard him checking the other stalls around you as a precaution. 

Technically, there were a lot of people around. If you screamed in the middle of the crowd, he couldn’t do anything about it. You smiled to yourself. Yeah, you liked that plan.

You finished doing what you needed to do and exited the stall to wash your hands. While you were drying them, arms came around you, a hand tenderly placed against your belly, and you heard Tom whisper in your ear, “I love you. I love both of you. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost either of you.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t know what he said. If I had, maybe I could’ve done something to keep this morning from happening.”

You refused to look at him, in the mirror or next to you. Too little, too late. “You broke your promise to me, Tom.”

“I didn’t break my promise to you, sweetheart.”

“Really?” You spun around, glaring up at him. “And what do you call this morning? Look, Miles was a despicable human being who did the most horrific things to me a long time ago and threatened to do even more horrific things if he got loose, but he was still a human being. You know what? It’s not even about him. I didn’t even ask you not to kill him for him, I asked you not to kill him for me. Not because I cared in the slightest what happened to him, but because I can’t be with someone who just goes around killing people because they can! I have a baby to think about, Tom! What if she cries too loudly or she doesn’t put her toys away when we tell her to? What then?”

With each word you said, he looked more and more pained. “I’m going to be a good father to her, Y/N. I’m really doing the best I can to keep…certain impulses in control. It’s not easy. Even when there are certain risky things going on that are tempting those impulses.”

“What?” What was he talking about?

“I didn’t want to have this conversation until we got to the house but if you need to hear it now so you know how much I love you and the baby, then so be it. Y/N, I—”

A loud pounding sounded on the door. “The door’s locked!” Some woman yelled. 

“Shit,” he muttered before turning to look down at you pleadingly. “Look, I get that you can walk out that door, scream for help, I would have to run, and then you’d never see me again. But Christ, Y/N, I’m asking you to please give me a chance to explain. Just one. If you don’t want to be with me after that or allow me to be her dad,” He swallowed compulsively at that part. “Then you two can stay in the new house and I’ll move on. I promise.”

“Hey, some of us have to go to the bathroom, too! Open up!”

You gritted your teeth and glanced up at him skeptically. “Another promise?”

 “I haven’t broken the last one I made to you yet.”

You shot him a look. 

“Open up or we’re going to report you!”

“Report me to who?” You snapped at the door. “The bathroom police? Please.” You turned back to Tom who was smirking down at you. “What?”

He only smirked wider and offered you his hand. You realized you must definitely be nuts because after a moment, you took it. He leaned down to kiss your nose, whispering, “Thank you.”

A second later, he gripped your hand tightly. “No matter what, we keep our heads down and just get back to the truck. Deal?”    

You gave him a hesitant nod and moved closer to his back, so he could break through the crowds for you both.  

He unlocked the door and opened it, rushing past a couple of women standing sentry at the door. The loud one yelled at you as you passed, “Really? That’s what we were waiting on? Disgusting! I should report you both!”

You had the strongest urge to yell something back but Tom squeezed your hand and hurried out of there, ignoring any onlookers. 

You were just about to step into the parking lot when you heard a feminine giggle to your right. You glanced over and saw a young woman flirting with a young guy. She was touching his jaw with the tip of her finger, and he was smirking down at her.  

She giggled again and the images in front of you began to swim. Suddenly, another image overtook it. 

You were back in your house, at the top of the stairs, watching as your friend Cindy was all smiles at Tom. He was coming down off of the ladder from installing the light at the top of the foyer. He gave her a polite smile and when she asked where you were, he said you were upstairs resting, the baby had been really active that morning.

Cindy watched as he wiped his hands on a rag and she sidled up to him. “Tom, what are you doing? Playing house with the new weird pregnant girl who won’t tell anyone where she’s from, and stepping in as Daddy? It doesn’t suit you. You’re young and strong and full of life. Don’t let her suck it out of you.” Your grip on the railing tightened.

Tom had politely pushed her away. “I love her, Cindy. I love them both. They’re my life. Now, if you can’t accept that or even speak nicely about her in her own home, then I think it’s time for you to leave.” He gestured towards the door.

Cindy tried once more. “But, Tom, we had some fun times together, didn’t we? Wouldn’t you prefer that to whatever this is?” She gestured around the foyer in disgust.

“Yes, we did. And no, I don’t. Like I told you at the Christmas party, I’m not interested. So, please leave.”

“Ugh, fine. Call me when you get bored of the fake family routine.” She was walking towards the door finally. You could see Tom’s jaw tighten as he watched her go, his hands clenched in fists at his sides.

You quietly hurried down to the last few steps, plastering a big smile on your face. “Cindy, is that you?”

Tom’s gaze snapped over to you and Cindy spun on her heel with the biggest fake smile. “Y/N! I was just asking after you. Tom told me you were getting some rest so I figured I’d drop by later to see how you were doing.”

You made your way down the stairs, Tom holding out a hand to help you. You gave him a smile of thanks and laid a hand on your belly, rubbing. “Yeah, she was being a little overactive this morning and tired Mommy out.” You then placed your hands on your belly as if you were blocking the baby’s ears. “Usually happens after a great night of sex,” you said in a more conspiratorial tone.

Tom grinned down at you. “Damn right it does.” He pulled you to him, kissing you.

You chuckled against his lips, playfully pushing away from him, your cheeks warm. “Tom, we have company.” You inclined your head in Cindy’s direction who still had the fake smile going. 

Tom shrugged. “She was just leaving.” He leaned in to kiss you again when you laughed and turned to let him kiss your cheek instead. 

“Oh my word, you two are just too cute together. Like a Christmas card without all of the…Christmas,” Cindy let out in a laugh.

Tom moved and slipped his arms around you from behind, pressing kisses to your cheek as he rubbed at your belly. 

“So, Cindy, what did you drop by for?” You asked, playfully slapping at Tom’s hand that was subtly moving above your belly. He snickered into your ear before nibbling on it.

“You know what, you seem a little busy right now, hun. I’ll drop by later so we can talk.”

You gave her a bright smile. “That’d be great. I’ll put coffee on for you and tea for me, and we’ll chat then.”

“Absolutely! See you then!” She wiggled her fingers in a goodbye and then was out the door.

Your smile dropped as soon as the door closed. Tom saw and placed his lips at your ear. “I take it you heard all of that before you came down?”

You turned a stone cold expression on him. 

He sighed and laid his forehead against yours. “I love you and want to be with you. Only you. You know that.”

“But you’ve been with her?”

“It was only a couple of times, purely casual. It was done before you even came to town.”

You gripped his chin tightly. “Are you sure you want to give up fun times together and play Daddy?”

His brows drew together, studying you. “Yes. Sweetheart, if I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t be here.” 

Your expression softened and you released him. “You mean that?” You whispered.

He gave you a soft smile and kissed you. “We could be up in the mountains somewhere, just the three of us, and I’d be happy. So, yes, sweetheart, I mean it. We’re a family and nothing is going to threaten that. I promise.”

You hugged his arms around you and leaned back against him, relaxing and smiling. You really had no idea what you had done to deserve Tom coming into your life when he did. 

Which is why you were so desperate to keep him with you, to keep your family together. When Cindy walked into your kitchen a few hours later, you were determined to lay down the law. To let her know that you overheard her earlier and while you appreciated her helping you find this house (and Tom by extension), she was no longer welcome in it. Instead, though, she ended up dead. She made a comment to you about Tom that was heavy with implication and before you knew it, you attacked her. Multiple stab wounds to the body after a smashed coffee pot over her head that caused third-degree burns. She just wouldn’t stop screaming.

Tom arrived back from a trip to the store and found you in the kitchen, still stabbing her long after she finally stopped screaming, his eyes wide. He wrestled you for the knife and tossed it before gripping your face and staring into your eyes. “Y/N, it’s me! Look at me! Y/N!”

You both heard your backdoor opening, and in walked your estranged husband who you had been running from. Miles’ eyes were wide as he took in the bloody scene in front of him and he whistled, chuckling. “Always knew you were a crazy whore.” Tom immediately recognized him from the picture you’d shown him and he let you go, fury filling his expression. 

Tom attacked him and they fought. Miles had somehow managed to best Tom at one point and he was about to go to town on him when you hit him with a frying pan. It gave Tom the opportunity he needed to get out from under him and before Miles could even try to attack you once he recovered, you held a knife to his throat as Tom grabbed another one, that same fury in his eyes.

“Ah, ah, ah,” you told Miles. “One move and you die.”

“You stupid bitch, I’ll fucking kill you,” he spit. You pressed the blade into his neck a little more. 

Tom rushed him, ready to kill him when you held a hand up, stopping him. “No. He lives.” Tom glared up at you, unsure of why you were stopping him. “We take him with us, make him watch and hear everything, and we have some fun.” You gave Tom a wicked smile and he returned it, turning it down onto Miles who was bleeding from where you’d cut him. “Do you know a place?” You asked Tom.

“Yeah.” He glanced once again at Miles, his smile widening. “I know a place.”

You were suddenly at the cabin, waking up in the middle of the night. Not caring if you were dressed or not, you slipped out of Tom’s arms and padded into the main room. You stood there, watching as Miles slept, or if he was awake like he was the night you and Tom had sex, you stood there with a knife, fucking with his head. Would you kill him? Would you not? You made sure to let him know the child you carried was biologically his but he would never see it born. Tom was its father now and he was much more of a man than Miles, as he must have heard earlier. There was even one night where Tom woke up and found you in the kitchen in the dark, holding a knife over your belly, as if you were going to stab yourself. He knocked the knife out of your hand and asked what you were doing. You said it was Miles’ child and you wanted Miles out of you. Tom held your face in his hands and assured you that the child was his and his alone.

“No, it’s not,” you murmured. 

“Yes, it is. Listen to me, that’s my little girl inside of you. She’s both of ours. He has nothing to do with it. Y/N, I don’t know if you can hear me, but you love this baby and you love me. You want our family to stay together. You told me that! Please! Don’t let her hurt our baby!”

“It’s our baby?” You asked in a tiny voice.

“Yes, sweetheart, it’s ours. Just ours.”

You allowed him to carry you to bed and hold you there, shushing you soothingly and rubbing your belly, using your hands with his.

And then came the night Miles threatened you. This time, you stood over him with the knife.

“You dumb whore, you don’t have it in you to kill me. You won’t even let your crazy boy toy do it.” 

“Yeah, because I want to be the one to do it.” A big smile spread across your face and you slashed at his cheek, making him curse.

“Go ahead then! Even if you kill me, you’ll never be rid of me. I’ll always be a part of you, inside you, in that kid. Know that, you stupid bitch. I should’ve fucking killed you when I had the chance!”

You started slicing and then forcefully stabbing and never really stopped. You took pieces off of him (including what could be construed as what he thought was his manhood) and he screamed, and screamed, and screamed. Tom woke up when the screaming started but you didn’t stop. He tried to get you to, telling you he would take care of the rest for you, that he didn’t want you to hurt yourself or the baby, but you told him no, you wanted to do this yourself. You’d earned it. Instead, he stood there, waiting, in case you needed him. He nervously watched as you took Miles apart, his eyes repeatedly flickering to your stomach. At one point, though, you could have sworn you noticed a faint smirk on Tom’s face when Miles screamed particularly loudly and his eyes were hard but proud. Only when you were done, though Miles had been dead for a while by this point, did you turn to go back to the room. Tom stopped you with a hand on your shoulder.

“Are you hurt?” You shook your head. “Our baby?” Another shake. He let out a huge sigh of relief. “Why don’t you go take a shower and then get into bed? I’ll clean this up.”

“Thanks, baby,” you’d whispered, gripping his face and lifting up on your toes to kiss him. You left Miles’ blood all over his cheeks but he still looked at you with that same reverence he always had. Once you were out of the shower, he was there to run clean hands over your belly, checking for any injuries but not finding any. You’d smiled and kissed him, not caring about the dried blood on his face when you’d crawled onto his lap and urged him to take off his shirt.

You saw more flashing Images of you in his lap, arching your head up in pleasure, him kissing down the column of your neck, some of the blood from his face transferring onto your skin.   

The screams and moans echoed in your ear as you came back to yourself. You felt as if you were losing your balance and you started to fall until Tom caught you in time.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

You shook your head, not looking at him, tears streaming down your face. 

“Hey, she alright, man?”

“You need me to call for an ambulance?”

“No,” Tom assured the onlookers. “Thank you but she’s fine. She has low blood sugar and this happens when she forgets to eat. Let me get her back to the car so I can give her a juice box. Thank you but she’s okay.”

He lifted you in his arms, grunting, and slowly began the trek to the truck. “I thought we had a deal, sweetheart. But you’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’m not gonna leave you or our little girl behind at a rest stop. Not happening.”

‘Tom, I… I killed them,” you sobbed, staring up at the sky. 

He stopped short for a second but then kept moving. “Shhh. Just hang on, sweetheart. We’re almost there.”

“I-I-I killed them.” You started to break apart. “I even threatened my baby.”

Tom picked up speed slightly and did his best to get you both back to the truck. Once there and he had you in the passenger seat, you were already hyperventilating. He gripped your face and forced you to meet his eyes. “Sweetheart, we need to get your breathing under control. Let’s slow it down together, okay?” He took your hand and placed it on his chest and he placed a hand on your chest. “Follow me.”

He eventually got you to calm down a little, taking nice deep and even breaths, but it wasn’t enough to make you forget what you had seen, what you had done. You thought back to what you had said to Tom. “I can’t be with someone who just goes around killing people because they can!” “If this is going to work with us, as a family…you can’t kill anymore people, Tom.” You’d blamed him for Cindy’s and Miles’ deaths!

“What do you say we go someplace and have that talk now?”

You nodded, more tears falling down your face at the action. He wiped your cheeks with his thumbs and kissed you before settling you into your seat. Within two minutes, you were back on the road again, his hand in yours, and you stared blankly out the window. You were a killer and Tom, even your own baby — they weren’t safe. 

<-->

“I’m so sorry, Tom.”

He turned an inquisitive gaze on you. 

“I blamed you when it was me.” You wiped a tear away. “I’m sorry.”

You both were sitting at a picnic table in a nice parking area off the shoulder of the highway that he had managed to find. Thankfully, no one was really around. The stars beginning to come out might have something to do with that. 

He took your hand in his and intertwined your fingers, kissing your skin. “I knew why you were saying it. You didn’t remember what you’d done. Truthfully, I didn’t want you to remember it.”

“It’s no excuse,” you choked out. “And my baby…” Your eyes welled up again. “Even she’s not safe with me.” 

He cupped your chin with his free hand and turned you to look at him. “Yes, she is. Your ex was the trigger. Now that he’s gone, that lessens the trigger.”

“But what if she looks like him? Or sounds like him? Or what if she does something like Cindy did and says something to trigger me? Or what if like I told you, she cries too loudly or doesn’t put her toys away? She’s not safe.” Your eyes hurt from how much crying you’d been doing, you were surprised there were any tears left, but there were. You cried over Cindy. Sure, you didn’t care for her after overhearing her that day and finding out she’d been with Tom, only teasing you about his supposed crush on you because she never thought he’d give you the time of day and it allowed her to tease and flirt with him as well. But she didn’t deserve to die over it and certainly not like that. You didn’t cry too much over Miles but what you’d done. No human life deserved to be taken the way you had taken his. But you cried the most over what you’d almost done to your baby, what it meant, and how you’d have to let her go once she was born — if she was born. 

“Listen to me, I’m going to keep you both safe, okay? Just like I promised.”

“And you,” you sobbed. “Why would you want to be with a murderer? A cold-blooded killer like me? What if I’d killed you? Or what if I do kill you? Tom, what I’ve done is bad enough but if I did something to you, I don’t think I’d ever come back from that. Or if I did something to my baby.”

He pulled you into his arms and you cried against his shirt. He moved in and gently nuzzled you despite the wetness and sniffling. “Because I know what it’s like.”

“What are you talking about, you know what’s like? Fearing going to sleep that you may not wake up from because your significant other might kill you? I know all too well what that’s like and I don’t want that for you.”

His jaw tightened but he shook his head, bumping his nose gently into yours. “No. I mean, I know what it’s like to have a trigger and not remember what I’ve done half the time, while leaving bodies trailing behind me.”

You hiccuped and pulled back to look at him. “What do you mean?”

He placed his forehead against yours. “Remember I never wanted to talk about my past?”

You nodded. “Yeah, you said it was too painful and I didn’t want to push.”

Tom let out a heavy sigh. “Yeah. But I’m going to tell you everything, even when you don’t want to hear certain parts. I don’t remember a lot but I’ll tell you what I can. And I’m only going to gloss over my trigger, not go into full detail. I’m sure it would be fine, but I don’t want to even risk it. Okay?” 

You took in a ragged inhale and buried your fingers into his shirt. “Okay.”

He smiled at you reassuringly and tenderly brushed hair out of your face. “Okay.”

<-->

Tom kept an eye on you while you slept, hugging onto his arm. Today was a big day for you in various ways and he wasn’t quite sure if you’d be triggered again.

He’d been completely honest with you, opening up to you about Harry and how trauma led to this other identity he had no control of. Truthfully, he’d been scared to even mention the name, afraid it would draw the other side of him out. During this whole time with you, from him finding you stabbing Cindy to death in your kitchen to now, he’d felt as if Harry was fighting to come to the surface and join in the fray. Of course, that was something the therapists he’d seen had told him wasn’t possible, but even burying Miles’ mutilated corpse and using the pickaxe again felt as if he were approaching a very dangerous line. 

At some point after Harmony, he wasn’t quite sure how long, but he was in control again and Harry was nowhere to be found. He had a healing bullet wound as well as other scrapes on his head and face. He knew he could never go back to Harmony or even be Tom Hanniger again (especially after one internet search on a library computer), so he was forced to become someone else: a different Tom. He probably should have changed his first name, too, but he already had another identity waiting in the wings to take over again, he didn’t want another one he needed to worry about becoming, too. Even if it was only for paperwork reasons.

He moved to a new small town, far away from his old life, and began again. He stayed mostly to himself, kept under the radar as much as he could. He was able to find work, doing small odd jobs at first, and then finding work in basically being a handyman of sorts. He had gotten to know the townspeople that way as well as the town itself. He’d even sought help from a local therapist in the next town over whose resume boasted they specialized in DID. There, the therapist was able to help him understand the disorder better than any doctors in the institution had. He learned about triggers, working to reduce switches (as they called it), and how to overall take control of his life in more ways than one. He had been doing much better and there were no instances where he felt like he was missing time or there was something on the edge of his memories that he couldn’t quite remember. 

And then he’d met you, completely by accident. He’d bumped into you in the hardware store, literally. You’d dropped what had been in your hands and seeing the slim curve of your stomach, he’d immediately crouched down to pick them up for you. He locked eyes with you and he could swear you were one of the prettiest girls he’d ever seen. He cleared his throat when he realized he’d been staring at you a little too long. He immediately apologized for bumping into you and you apologized, too. He noted what you had in your hand: spackle.

“If you don’t mind me asking, you’re not planning on doing any painting, are you?” 

You glanced at the container in your hands. “Oh, this? Oh no. I can’t.” You gestured to your stomach. “But I read on a forum online that spackling is okay.”

He arched a brow at you. “Forum online?”

Your cheeks turned adorably pink. “Yeah,” you defended. “As long as it doesn’t have high VOC’s I think it said, I should be fine. Plus, I plan to wear a mask and open all the windows, air it out properly.” 

“Uh huh,” he chuckled. At your frown, he held up a placating hand. “Sorry, I just…can’t your husband or boyfriend do that for you? So you don’t have to?”

Your cheeks turned red now. “Are you saying that I can’t do what they can?” You challenged.

“Nope. I’m implying that there are certain things you shouldn’t be doing while pregnant. That’s all.” You went to say something else but he cut you off. “I’m the local handyman, a fixer upper basically. If your other half is too busy, I can swing by and help you out.” 

“Oh.”

He handed you his card, noting no ring sitting on your finger. That answered that particular question. “My cell phone number’s on there so call me anytime, day or night, and I’ll come by. Are you new in town?”

You studied his card. “Is it that obvious?”

He chuckled and held out a hand. “I’m Tom.”

You took it, smiling, and shook it. “Y/N.” Not only did he suddenly love that name but he loved the feel of your soft skin against his. “Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

You ended up calling him two days later to ask him about the spackling and his rates. Ever since your conversation with him in the store, you couldn’t get what he said out of your head and now you were worried the online forum was wrong. What he didn’t tell you is that he couldn’t get your conversation with him out of his head, but for a whole other reason.

After an agreed rate over the phone (he’d given you a break, calling it the newcomer discount so you wouldn’t question it or feel badly), he stopped by your house and you showed him where you needed the spackling done. There was a large crack in one of the walls of the living room high up. He couldn’t imagine you on a ladder with a mask trying to get this crack spackled — more like he didn’t want to imagine it. Cindy had been there, shooting him flirtatious smiles every time you turned your back, which he ignored. Cindy had been fun a time or two but he wasn’t interested in anything more than that, something he’d already told her long before he met you. Besides, he’d trade twenty of those flirtatious smiles for one of your warm genuine ones anyday. He’d thought you very pretty in the store but now he knew he’d been wrong; you were beautiful. And living all alone in this big, old house. It seemed like a crime to him though he was a little happy that you were single. 

He got vibes early on that there was something in your past that you were running from. You were jumpy, slow to trust, and he could tell it took a little bit for you to feel comfortable with him alone in the house. He didn’t push and he appreciated your not pushing either when it came to his own past. But he liked being around you and he definitely liked you. It took some time but you eventually got to know one another and he was helping you slowly restore your home (mostly for free at this point, what he referred to as the friend rate which made you smile and shake your head, still insisting on paying him which he would refuse). You never talked about who the father of your baby was or where he might be, but it was obvious you were going about things on your own. He admired you for that and he loved watching you walk around, lovingly rubbing your bump that was getting bigger each week.

And then, on New Year’s Eve, after circling each other for months, you kissed him. From then on, he was yours. Even when you opened up to him about your past, all he wanted to do was protect you and the baby, be good to you, and be there for you both. He loved you well before he said it, which was after you had said it first because he hadn’t wanted you to feel any pressure whatsoever. Soon enough, you both had started talking about the future — particularly, the very near future. Tom wasn’t sure if he was ready to be a parent or if he’d even be a good one but he knew one thing: he loved you and your little girl very much. He’d do anything for you two and that was good enough for him.

Then came the day Cindy made the fatal mistake of setting you off. He still wasn’t sure if it was what Cindy said in the foyer or if she said something else to you when she came by later, but something caused you to snap. Tom had returned from the hardware store and had been shocked to find you covered in blood, violently stabbing the woman who appeared to already be dead. You weren’t a violent person by nature. You two hardly ever argued and if you did, it was resolved within minutes. He’d never seen you argue with anyone else. Even when you got moody occasionally, sure, he knew to tiptoe around you, but you didn’t even get mean. So he had no idea where the hell this had come from. But before he could get through to you to find out if you and the baby were okay, your piece of shit ex showed up. That had been the first night Tom had felt Harry swimming dangerously close to the surface, waiting to take over. No matter what any therapist said; he knew Harry was there, he could feel him, doing his best to take over though Tom fought it. If Harry took over, he would kill every living being in the room, and that Tom would not allow to happen. Especially not when you and the baby were in the same room.

Tom let you make the call on your ex (even though he didn’t completely understand it) and got you out of there. Later that night, when you passed out, he’d checked you for injuries as well as the baby. He didn’t find any except some shallow cuts to your arms. He gently cleaned them and he was determined to keep a close eye on you. When you finally came to the next day, he’d had no choice but to tie you up much like your ex to wait and see what you would do. He noticed you were you again though you were looking fearfully at him. He hated to see it but he also knew it could only mean one thing: you hadn’t remembered what you did. He didn’t need to be a therapist to realize that you might possibly have the same situation going on that he did. When you accused him of killing Cindy, it confirmed it, though he wondered how you knew she was dead. He chalked it up to you starting to switch back and seeing the carnage before he’d been able to get you out of that house.  

So while Tom wasn’t a fan of it, he dangerously walked the line between himself and who he knew Harry to be. Your ex got the worst of Harry’s qualities: the violence, the ruthlessness, and the fury. You got the lower end of a few displeased glares and the raised volume of his voice once or twice. He didn’t know what he was dealing with just yet, though he suspected, and he hoped if he kept you you, even if you were fearful of him, he’d be able to figure out how to help you.

He didn’t agree with keeping Miles alive, especially since Miles was a threat to you and your baby and he had also seen what you’d done to Cindy. It was better to take care of him before he became an even bigger problem. While Tom didn’t relish taking a life, and he didn’t want to wake up Harry, it was clear that Miles needed to go. It was obvious that he was a trigger for you.

While he had been confused at your claims of grogginess, it soon became clear why you were really tired. You’d worried Tom the nights he’d woken up in bed, alone, and found you either hovering over Miles, taunting him, or watching him sleep. You’d even insisted he sit Miles up from where he’d left him in the corner the first night so the asshole could watch and listen. Watch and listen to what Tom hadn’t been sure of but when you told him to make love to you the next night, to be loud while loving you, he got a pretty good idea on what the listen part was. The following morning, he realized you wanted Miles to watch what was happening before his very eyes: you were being well taken care of, you were creating a family, and you were loved. EVen though you didn’t remember it most days, he tried to do right by you — both of you. The other side of you hadn’t told him her name yet, but he was waiting for it. The switches were only too obvious now. 

You’d scared the hell out of him, though, the night he found you holding a knife over your stomach. He had already been assuring you that he loved your baby and you, that you would be a family, that your little girl was his. After that, he stepped it up while also hiding all of the sharp objects and anything that could be used as a weapon against yourself (or him) all over the cabin. Each morning, you’d never remember these incidents, though you’d held clear conversations with him and sometimes your ex.

Then you’d brutally killed Miles that night, another night Harry had been simmering on the edge. As he watched you take your revenge, when you kissed him, covering him in blood, then making love to him — that had been the closest Harry had come to breaching the surface since the night Miles showed up in your kitchen. The only thing that kept Harry back, Tom believed, was the recurring thought of you and the baby. 

Miles being dead forced him to move up his timeline. He had this cabin for a while, only bringing you once to show you around, in case he had to ever grab you and run if your ex showed up (though he didn’t tell you that because he didn’t want to worry you). That was why he had replicated the nursery down to every single detail. You had worked so hard on that nursery, you were so excited when it was finished, that he hated for you to lose it should you have to run. So he slipped up to the cabin a couple of days a week when you weren’t with him, and worked on getting it set up. He had even stocked the kitchen in case (only buying perishables on your second trip up there when you were truly on the run). He’d also made sure to put a down payment on a small house some ways away in case you both needed a fresh start elsewhere. And that was where he was driving you now.

He’d meant what he said, if you wanted him gone, he would be, but he hoped you’d keep him with you. He was already worried about your breakdown from earlier today and your constant worry for your baby’s safety. Not to mention, your ex had been a cop. While they would most likely never find his body, they would associate his disappearance with you and you would always be sought after. And since Tom had disappeared with you, they’d either think you killed him as well or that he’d helped. So he’d alway be sought after as well. That had been one of the reasons he wanted to get out of Dodge as soon as possible but also, he wanted you as far from your main trigger as possible. And he also wanted to get you help, the same help he’d gotten (though he’d have to find another therapist now). Though he was pretty sure the baby was safe, like he kept assuring you, it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion, an official one. 

He glanced down at you, his eyes softening as he took you in. He loved you deeply and he wanted to be with you. He loved your baby and he wanted to be there for her, stepping in as her dad if you’d let him like you had both originally planned. You had one more month to go until the baby arrived. He hoped this new house, this new life he was bringing you to made you happy. He was going to set up the nursery again for you and this time you’d have a real living room and dining room. The kitchen wouldn’t be so cramped or outdated and you would have a nice, comfortable mattress to sleep on at night. It may not be what your old house was but he would still make it as nice as possible for you. Once he sorted out your paperwork through an old contact of his, you would have access to doctors, the hospital — whatever you needed. The house had a nice backyard for kids to run and play in and the swingset came with the deal which was nice. Tom had even checked to make sure it was in a good school district and a safe neighborhood.

You moved in your sleep, cuddling his arm more and murmuring something he couldn’t make out. He smiled down at you and leaned over to drop a kiss onto your head before glancing back at the road.  

He was going to take care of you. Both of you. And the baby. He would keep you all safe. Just like he’d promised.

[aceghosts]

Be Mine Forever

Summary: On Valentine's day, you reminisce about your former lover, Albert Wesker. A series of memories set through your time at S.T.A.R.S. Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death; Canon Typical Violence; Sexual Harassment (Very brief and the dude gets what's coming to him), Grief/Mourning, Boss/Employee Relationship, and Possessive Behavior. Let me know if I need to tag for anything else. Words: 3.8 k Author's Note: This is a gift for @mydisenchantedeulogy as part of @carlosoliveiraa's My Bloody Valentine's Day Gift Exchange! Amanda, thank you for letting me participate! Sugar, I really hope you like this! I had a lot of fun writing this.

AO3

Snow crunches beneath your boots as you head home from your late shift at the police station. Your breath comes out in misty puffs in the cold February air, gloved hands shoved in your pockets. A gust of wind blows, shivering as it tosses your hair in your face. You brush your hair out of your face, lamps lighting your way home as you walk along the crowded city sidewalk. Passing by a local restaurant, you catch sight of happy couples through the window, enjoying romantic candle-lit dinners. Stepping out of the way of other strangers on the sidewalk, you stop, an overwhelming sadness encompasses you. Those couples look so happy, so in love, especially the pair closest to the window. He gazes into her eyes, full of adoration, holding her hands with no regard for others around them. That should have been you and him. You should have been gazing lovingly into his cold blue eyes, holding his hand as he talked. Just the two of you together. Why couldn’t this be you and him?

Because he had chosen another path, one where you could not follow him.

Letting out a mournful sigh, you begin your journey home once again. Valentine’s Day, a holiday you once merely tolerated, was now a day of pain. All because of Albert Wesker. You hear his voice in your head, shaking it off. It was no use thinking of him; Albert was dead, and even worse, he had betrayed S.T.A.R.S., you included. When you spoke with your former team members, you pretended to be angry, yet that anger came from a real place, a different place. They were angry because of his betrayal. You were angry that he chose death over you. He chose ambition and power games over you. Yet, your heart longs for him, wishing to feel the warm comfort of his arms around you once again. You couldn’t help but mourn the man you loved; mourn the future you envisioned with him.

“Why Albert? Why?” You ask quietly, knowing no one will answer you. As you walk, memories of your days with Albert and S.T.A.R.S. play out.

—

A position on the S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team was something you dreamed of and fought like hell for. Irons thought you didn’t deserve to be on the team, but Enrico vouched for you, asserting that you were the right fit, that you could carry your weight. Wesker, your Captain at the time, accepted you as a member of the team reluctantly. He would later admit, when it was just you two in bed late at night, that letting you on the team was one of the best decisions that he ever made. He would pick you to be a part of the team, again and again. Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same way.

Paul was a pain in your ass from the moment you met him, a bully to everyone around him. He hated you the most, believing you stole his spot on the Alpha team.  Fortunately for you, he was terrified of Wesker, slinking away whenever he saw the Captain. Paul would also back off (albeit reluctantly) when Barry or Chris stepped in. As you hit the punching bag, alone in the station gym late at night, you hear a familiar annoying voice. “Hey!” You stop, turning to find Paul striding towards him. You give him your best glare, one that would frighten most. “What? A fellow officer can’t say hello?”

“What do you want?” You really wish Wesker was here. Or Chris. Or Barry. Hell, you would even settle for Brad, who was slightly intimidated by Paul.

He sneers, crowding into your space. You step back, knowing there is limited room between you and the bag. “You too good for the rest of us now, huh? Being part of S.T.A.R.S. has really gone to your head.”

You don’t think you’re too good for anyone. (Well, you might be better than a few people, Paul included.) “I am, or at least, I know I’m better than you, Paul. I earned my spot on the team.” You really shouldn’t push Paul’s buttons, but God, does it feel so good. 

“Fuck off,” He says, hands clenching into fists, “You probably had to sleep your way onto the team, huh? You sleep with Wesker to-.” Red colors your vision, anger flaring in your chest. Wesker might be a hardass, but you respect the hell out of him, and you won’t let anyone besmirch his name.

Without thinking, you throw a punch, catching Paul in the stomach. He coughs, doubling over with a wheeze of pain. As he stumbles back, he curses, “you fucking asshole, I’m going to-.”

“You are going to what?” A familiar, cold voice cuts in, and as you look over to your left, you find Wesker watching the both of you intently. His posture is a little tense, compared to the normally controlled discipline. You feel something radiating off him, something akin to a frosty rage.

Paul straightens up quickly, playing the victim. “Captain Wesker! I was just asking them what they were doing here, and they attacked me!”

Wesker smirks. “Is that what happened?” He asks, coming next to you, “From where I was standing, you were harassing one of my officers. What was it you said? That they had to sleep their way on the team?”

Color drains from Paul’s face.  “I-I wasn’t-.”

He holds his hand up, cutting Paul off with a sneer on his face. “I think it’s time I made something very clear: you never had a spot on the Alpha team. You were never considered for a number of reasons, and,” Wesker places a hand on your shoulder, “They have proven themself to be a true asset to the team. I am proud to serve as their captain. If you were on my team, I would quit.” Wesker’s hand leaves your shoulder as he steps closer to Paul. “Now, are you going to leave them alone? Or do you need more encouragement?”

Paul nods, swallowing fearfully as he backs away. “Yes, Captain,” He says, before turning tail and fleeing.

Letting out a relieved sigh, you say, “Thanks for helping. Paul’s been a pain in my ass since I started.”

Wesker nods. “Why did you punch him?” He asks, a note of genuine curiosity. You notice he is more relaxed now that Paul is gone.

Your cheeks heat up, feeling slightly embarrassed. “He insulted you by saying that you slept with me for my spot on the team.”

“Not for yourself?”

Shaking your head, you say, “I really like you as a Captain. I’ve learned a lot being a part of Alpha team, more than anywhere else. I respect you a lot.” It’s more than respect, but you aren’t about to admit that. You swear you catch a look of delight on his face as you pause for a second, before asking, “Did you really mean it when you said that I’m an asset to the team?”

Wesker nods. “I do,” He says, giving you an approving look, “You’ve proven yourself to be a fine officer. I had my doubts when Enrico suggested you, but you continue to surpass my expectations everyday.” His words surprise you, but delight you, especially the surpassing expectations part. Smirking, he adds with a rather teasing tone, “I look forward to you continuing to do so, but please don’t punch anyone else on my behalf.”

You nod, letting out a small laugh. No more punching anyone on Wesker’s behalf, but you’ll still defend his honor verbally. Never said anything about putting someone in their place with a well-timed tongue-lashing.

A few weeks later, Paul disappears. You hear something about him accepting a job at another police station, wishing his new coworkers the best.  

—

At S.T.A.R.S., you continue to make Wesker proud, determined to be the best you can be. You work harder than you ever have, putting in blood, sweat, and tears. Wesker demands so much more of the team and more. His training is rigorous, but you feel prepared for whatever may come your and Alpha Team’s way. And as much as you loathe to admit, a part of you yearns for praises from Wesker. When he tells you that you’ve done well with a slightly approving tone, a rush of pride overwhelms you, a faint heat on your cheeks. And you swear that you’ve caught him smirking at that once or twice, especially in after-hours training where he’ll lean down, speaking the words of praise into your ear. It always sends a shiver of pleasure down your spine. And, it definitely doesn’t help with that tiny crush you have.

One night, late after the rest of your teammates have gone home, you return to the station to pick up the book you were reading, left in the top drawer of your desk. As you reach the door of the S.T.A.R.S. office, you find Wesker alone, his office door open. He looks frustrated as he stares down at the paperwork, sunglasses on his desk. His hand runs through his hair, a few platinum blond strands falling loose. Wesker sighs, and your heart twinges a little. You can’t do Wesker’s paperwork for him, but you want to help in whatever way you can. A thought pops into your mind, and you head to the staff break room, ready to put your plan into action.

“Wesker?” His head snaps up, looking at you with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.   

“What brings you to the station this late at night?” Wesker asks, placing the pen down as his gaze lands on the cup of coffee in your hand. He snorts. “Surely, the station coffee can’t be that good…”

You shake your head. “I came back to pick up my book, but I saw you, and…” you trail off slightly, feeling slightly shy, “I thought you could use a cup of coffee.” You hold out the Styrofoam cup of coffee for Wesker to take.

Suspicious, Wesker looks between you and the cup in your hands, eyes narrowed as if you might have poisoned it. Eventually, he relents, taking the cup from your hand. His fingers briefly make contact with your fingers, sending a spark of pleasure through you. Taking a sip of the coffee, Wesker looks pleased, raising an eyebrow. “This does not taste like the normal sludge that comes from the break room.”

“I know where all the good creamers and coffee are hidden,” You say proudly, taking a seat at Wesker’s desk.  

Wesker smiles, taking another sip of coffee. “A hidden talent perhaps?’

“I have many hidden talents,” you flirt, a devilish smile on your lips, “Maybe, I’ll show you sometime.”

He smiles, a darkly hungry look in his eyes. “Perhaps, you will.”

That damn man. How unfair he make you feel this way. One of the loose blond strands of hair briefly falls in his face, and you’re struck with the need to push it back for him. Impulsively, you rise and lean over the desk, your hand reaching towards him. You gently push his hair back, your fingers grazing his skin softly. Wesker grabs your wrist tightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to hold you in place. His lips are slightly parted, pupils wide. “I’m sorry,” You apologize, hoping you didn’t cross a line, “I wanted to help.”

Wesker releases your wrist, allowing you to draw your hand away, the ghost of his touch still haunting you. “Don’t apologize.” Sitting back down in your seat, you’re relieved to see that Wesker isn’t upset. Rather, he seems delighted by your touch. “I did not expect it, but,” he emphasizes that word, “That does not mean I did not like it.”

Your heart leaps at those words, butterflies in your stomach. “Good,” You say softly, before deciding to change the subject, “Do you need help with something else?”

“No,” He says, shaking his head, “I should be done soon, especially thanks to your coffee.” You straighten up with pride, always hungry for the tiniest bits of praise. “You should go home for the night.”

Heeding his advice, you get up from your chair. “Have a good night, Wesker.”

“You as well,” He replies, a teasing smirk on his face, “Sweet dreams.” What a cruel man. Like that isn’t going to haunt you for the rest of the night.

—

You sip your beer, watching Jill lineup her shot as you lean against the bar. Tonight, you’re at one of the local bars in Raccoon City with the Alpha and Bravo team, watching your teammates play Pool.  It’s not a bad way to spend a Friday night; you actually like the rest of your team and don’t mind spending a Friday night with them every once in a while. Even better, Wesker is here with the rest of you at the bar tonight, a rare occurrence.

Someone leans against the bar next to you. Looking over to your right, you realize it’s Wesker, beer in hand as he asks, “No interest in Pool?”

You shake your head. “I have fun playing Pool, but I thought I would sit this round out.” He nods, the silence settling around you two. You can’t help but wonder why Wesker is here. He always seems so busy, like he’s got something that he is hiding from the rest of you.

“You seem like you have something to ask,” He says, taking a sip of his beer.

Letting curiosity get the best of you, you ask, “Why are you here? You don’t normally join us,” before adding quickly a moment later, “not that anyone is complaining.” Well, that’s a lie. A few people did complain, namely that they would have to be on better behavior since Wesker was there. You definitely weren’t complaining; you were very happy to see him.

“I wanted to be here.”

Tilting your head, you wonder why Wesker would want to be here. No offense, but the cheap dive bar that Alpha and Bravo teams hung out at never seemed like his type of place. Wesker always stood out, like this was all beneath him. “Really?”

He nods. “Are you surprised?”

You shrug. “Kinda. I thought you might have something else to do. Or maybe, someone waiting for you at home.”

“There is no one waiting for me at home,” he slides closer, your breath catching in your throat, “And you? Is there someone waiting for you?” 

Shaking your head, you reply, “No, I’m single.” Since you met Wesker, most potential partners hadn’t measured up to him. Maybe it’s the beer or maybe it’s being so close to him, you decide to take a chance. “But there is someone that I’m interested in.”

“Do tell.”

You swallow nervously, your heart pounding. “Well, he works at RCPD with us.”

Wesker groans. “Please tell me it isn’t Redfield.”

“It’s not.” Chris was a good friend, nothing more. “He is a member of S.T.A.R.S.,” Wesker raises an eyebrow, “Everyone thinks he standoffish, but I think they’re wrong. He expects the best and settles for nothing less. I find that very attractive in a man.” He takes another sip of his beer, but you get the feeling that Wesker has already caught on, with that knowing twinkle in his blue eyes. “But I can’t ask him out.”

“Why would that be?”

“I don’t know if he would say yes,” You admit honestly, finding Wesker difficult to read at times, “And he’s my boss.”

 “Would you like to get out of here with me? Perhaps dinner?” He asks, placing his beer on the bar as you watch him with eyes wide. Was he really-?

“Yes,” you nod your head, excitement rising in your chest, “Yes, I would love to.”

“Good. I’ll leave first. Leave fifteen minutes after I do; I will be waiting for you outside.”

You watch him leave, on cloud nine. Holy shit, this was happening; this was really happening.

—

Your breath catches in your throat, your heart cracking into pieces. Albert, your Albert, was a plant for Umbrella. Or he used to be one. Apparently, Albert was moving on to bigger and better things. But he only had one problem: S.T.A.R.S. He lured you and the rest of S.T.A.R.S. to Arklay, to die here, your fates unknown to the rest of the world. You tremble, taking shaky breaths as you blink back tears. Was your whole relationship a lie? A helpful cover to make Albert seem normal? “Albert…” His name slips from your lips.

Albert focuses on you, a sneer on his face. “Sorry, you had to be here for this, Dearheart. Perhaps, things would have been different for us in another life.”

Bullshit. The way he says it so flippantly makes you angry, red coloring your vision. “Fuck you,” You snarl, “You can make things different now. You don’t have to do this!”

“I don’t want to, Dearheart. It was always going to happen this way.” You wince, the words cutting deeply. Behind Albert, the glass splinters, the giant tyrant behind him awake. With a swift swipe, its long claws bury themselves directly into Albert’s chest. He gasps in pain, his eyes still on you. You see the fear in his eyes, and maybe due to a little wishful thinking, you see something like regret. Albert coughs up blood, dribbling down his chin onto his shirt. His hand twitches, slightly in your direction. That thing simply tosses him aside like a piece of garbage.

“ALBERT!” You scream, a painful howl of grief and anger. You step towards him, attempting to run for him. Despite everything he had done, he was your Albert, and you still loved him.

Jill grabs your shoulders roughly, holding you back from Albert. You try to scramble from her grip, but she holds tight as you scream. “Don’t! He’s dead!” She says, her fingers digging in as she tries to pull you back. Logically, you know Jill is right, but your heart desperately wants you to go to him, to run towards him. Maybe, Albert really isn’t dead. Maybe, you still have a chance to save him. “Barry, get them out of here.”

Barry nods, pulling you away from Jill. “Come on, we need to get out of here.” He looks over to Jill, who is only focused on the tyrant, her face determined.

“I’ll take care of this guy and meet you upstairs.”

He guides you away from Jill and the tyrant, back towards the door. “Be safe, Jill.” Your eyes are still on Albert, lifeless and motionless in a puddle of blood on the floor. His eyes are hollow, devoid of the intense storm of emotion you saw in his eyes. Why? Why did he have to do this? To leave you alone?

As Barry pulls you out of the lab, all you can think is: Is there some way you could have changed this?

—

Opening the door to your apartment, you let out a relieved sigh, stepping into the darkness. Flicking on the hallway light, you close the door behind you, dropping your keys into the bowl. You hang up your coat and scarf before eventually discarding your gloves on the table beside the bowls for your keys. Heading towards your kitchen, you glance over towards your living room. Stopping dead in your tracks, shock washes over you as your heart pounds loudly in your ears. That-that couldn’t be….

“Hello Dearheart,” Your former boss and lover says, sitting in your oversized armchair. He stands, shrouded in the dark of your apartment.

“This-This isn’t real…,” You try to rationalize it, tears welling in your eyes, “We watched you die. I watched you die.”

“I’m very real, Dearheart. Would you like to see for yourself?” He holds out his gloved hand for you to take.

You approach him cautiously, fearful that this might be your lonely heart playing a trick on you. Yet, this vision looks so much like your Albert. Sounds so much like him. You place your hand in his, allowing Albert to draw you close. He feels real as his other arm wraps around your waist, a familiar smirk on his face. He feels so much like your Albert. “Albert, is that-is that you?”

“Yes, I promise I am myself, Dearheart,” He replies, releasing your hand. His hand comes up to your face, gently wiping away tears that you didn’t know were falling. If this is a dream, you don’t ever want to wake up, even if he was a goddamn asshole who betrayed you. You want to stay here with Albert forever. Yet, something about him still feels off, not quite right. You need to see his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes. Your hands reach up, gently taking his sunglasses off. Your breath catches in your throat as you stare into his eyes, once blue, now a molten gold against a burning red. His eyes are feline-like, reminding you of a panther. They’re so inhuman, yet something about them is divine. “Scared, Dearheart?”

“No.” You shake your head. You should be, but you aren’t. Albert is back, and you don’t care if some things about him are different. And you like the way he looks at you, utterly possessive, utterly adoring. “Is this why you’re still alive?”

He nods. “One of the few to survive the process.”

Another thought comes to you. Why come back? He was content to let you think he was dead for so long. Why come back to you now? “Why come back for me, Albert? I thought I didn’t matter to you.”

“I believed I did not need you, Dearheart, but I was wrong. I want you; I need you.” The words roll off his tongue naturally, sounding so believable. You so desperately want to believe him, to believe that he came back for you. “You belong to me, Dearheart. I always come back for what belongs to me.”

“Is that your way of asking me to come with you? To leave everything behind?”

He nods. “Come with me. Be mine forever.”

“Yes.” You don’t need to think about it; you want Albert-you always have. You drop his glasses, taking his face into your hands as you kiss him roughly. With both of his hands on your waist, he pulls you against him, eagerly returning the kiss. Albert is overwhelming, your head dizzy and your legs slightly weak. He bites your bottom lip, your mouth opens for him. You missed this; you missed him so much.

You whine as he pulls away, desperate and in need of him. “We will have time for that later, Dearheart, but we need to leave. Now.”

And you don’t look back, allowing Albert Wesker to whisk you away to a new life.  

[internet-sadass]

My Bloody Betrayal (Harry Warden x female reader)

Blurb: Your boyfriend, Joel, takes your joke about having a date in the mines a little too seriously. You turn up for your date and encounter who you believe to be Joel, dressed up in full mining kit. The date goes to plan, and you end up getting down and dirty in a mine shaft, but do you really know who it is gripping your throat and touching your body?

(this is a terrible description but tldr: you accidentally bang Harry Warden)

Warnings: smut, p in v sex, dubious consent (reader is tricked into having sex with someone), accidental cheating, outdoor sex

A/N: I'm down so bad for Harry Warden, he's so AUGHH therefore I had to bash out a fic about this lovely masked man <333 If this is terrible and confusing, I am sorry, it is a very odd plot and I doubt I pulled it off well. 

Pulling your jacket closer around your shoulders, you walked into the rickety (and definitely not up to current safety standards) lift and pressed the button. It cranked into action and began the 2,000-foot descent into the mines.

‘I wish Joel wouldn’t take my jokes so literally’. You thought, pulling at your hair, trying to fix it now the damp night air had started to make it frizz up. ‘ I bet he thinks this is a real smooth way to get some loving out of me’. 

Joel, after deciding that your joke about a ‘spooky’ date in the mines was a legitimately good idea, had added his own twist. With a dumb smile painted across his face, he’d told you that the first one to get spooked when they were exploring the shaft where Harry Warden and the other four miners had been trapped all those years ago had to give the other whatever they wanted. In Joel’s case, that meant getting to do more than just kiss you and fondle your breasts through your blouse. You had no objections to him going further than kissing and touching. Joel wasn’t the only one desiring more than just tame petting. However, you wanted your dear boyfriend to work for it. If that meant playing along with his ‘if you get scared, then I get to see you naked’ scheme, then so be it. 

Entering the shaft, you peered into the darkness. Joel had said to meet him down there, and then he’d show you around the vast warren of tunnels he called his workplace. 

“Joel?” 

A light flickered to life, illuminating the narrow tunnel you were in. You blinked a few times, letting your eyes adjust. In the center of the tunnel, illuminated by the single bare lightbulb above, was a figure kitted out in the mining gear and gas mask you’d seen Joel wear on the few occasions you’d picked him up from work. The figure tilted its head at you.

Cogs whirred in your head, and it didn’t take you long to piece together an explanation for whom this figure was. After all, there was only one logical answer.

“Oh ha ha, very funny, Joel. You thought I’d see you and think, ‘shit, that’s Harry Warden’ and start screaming the moment I set foot down here?” Walking up to the masked figure, you ran a hand up his arm, then pressed your hand to his chest, feeling the solid body hidden under the layers of rough fabric. “You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to spook me.” 

A deep chuckle came from within the mask, vibrating along the tube. The figure, which you had decided was definitely Joel, ran a hand down your back and over your backside, squeezing it.

“Mm, good to see you too. But don’t get my dress dirty, Jesus!” You scolded him, looking over your shoulder and down at your body to see if any dust or dirt from the mining suit had stained your pretty red dress. 

The masked man backed away slightly, taking his gloved hand off our body and instead offering it to you to hold. You couldn't help but grin, feeling a little giddy and lovesick at your boyfriend being romantic and sweet while geared up in an objectively creepy-looking outfit. As ridiculous as this whole date idea was, it was just a bit of fun that both of you needed in your dull adult lives. The pair of you set off into the mines, Joel leading the way, the light on his helmet illuminating the narrow walkway, his hand firmly clasping your own.

***

The whole ‘not speaking’ schtick Joel was doing bothered you less and less as time passed. Sure, it was a bit disconcerting or even annoying to say something to him and get a muffled ‘mm’ or a deep chuckle, but you admired his dedication to making this date ‘spooky’ by playing a role. Once the two of you had finally reached the fabled shaft where the miners had died, Joel stopped and pointed at the closed-off shaft. 

“This the one?” 

A nod was your answer.

You looked at the shaft, which had since been repaired and was in use. It wasn’t all that creepy unless you thought too hard about the lore behind it. 

“Oh wow, Joel, I’m so scared of this shaft that looks identical to all the others we have passed.” You teased, grinning at your boyfriend. There was a ‘hmph’ from within the mask, and he shook his head, pointing again.

“You want to go in there?”

Another nod.

“Alright.” You said with a shrug, taking the lead this time and entering the shaft. Joel followed, his hand still holding yours. Once inside, you stopped, facing him, looking up at the two dark goggles that hid his eyes.

 “I think your plan failed. Guess you’ll be doing what I want since I didn't even flinch, let alone scream the whole time.” You guided his hands to your waist, no longer concerned about your dress getting dirty, and pressed yourself close to him.“You know what I want?” 

A tilt of his head told you to explain.

“I want you to fuck me, Joel.” You whispered harshly, annunciating the ‘fuck’ by pressing your thigh against his crotch. A groan rattled along the tube, the hands on your waist squeezing your sides before pushing you against the wall. His gloved hands roamed over your body, squeezing your thighs, the plush of your lower stomach, your tits, exploring the curves and contours as if he was mapping out unchartered territory. The hem of your dress was pushed up, exposing the meat of your thighs and your soft cunt to him. The coarse fabric of the gloves had you twitching as he ran his hands up your thighs, caressing the insides of them, letting his thumb brush over your clit, giving you the slightest hint of pleasure. You felt yourself clench in anticipation.

As sensual as it was to have scratchy gloves wandering all over your body and to have your boyfriend pretend to be some silent, dominant beast of a man, you wanted to see his face, to kiss his lips and his neck. You made a move to remove the gas mask, curling your fingers under the base of it. 

Joel jerked his head away from you and let out a firm ‘no’.

“You want to keep it on?” You asked, confused as to why he wanted to keep his face covered and, on a more practical note, how he was going to fuck you properly while wearing a clunky gas mask. 

He nodded, bringing his hand up to cup your check. You leaned into his touch, placing your hand over his. The hand on your cheek ran down your jaw and throat, giving it an experimental and light squeeze before resuming its incessant caressing of your body.

Those hungry gloved hands guided you to turn to face the wall. Joel fumbled with the zip on the back of your dress before finally getting a grip on the zipper and freeing you from the red fabric. The dress slid off your body, falling to the ground around your ankles.

“I really thought you were going to rip my dress off, but you’ve got a lot more self-control than I thought you had.” You mused, still facing the wall. You glanced over at Joel, who stood motionless for a second before he lunged at you, wriggling his fingers under your bra and yanking at it until the clasp gave way.

“H-hey, don’t break that, it’s my-”

As soon as your ruined bra started to fall off the front of you, your panties got the same treatment, being torn off your body and discarded. Heavy breaths rattled through the tube, and his chest heaved as he panted, exhilarated at tearing the remainder of the clothes from your body. You quickly forgot all about your favourite bra being destroyed when Joel pressed his body against yours, the firm rod of his erection solid against your ass and lower back. A growl reverberated down the tube. 

“I didn't know you wanted to play it rough. You wanna be rough with me, baby?” Your voice was husky and dripping with lust. The cool air of the mine against your slick lips made apparent how wet and needy your cunt was. A fresh trickle of arousal coated your lips. You felt Joel crouch behind you, his hands spreading you open so he could get a better look at what his presence and touch had done to you. He rubbed his thumb dangerously close to your opening, tugging at your flesh to peak at your pink insides. A low rumble of approval came from his crouched form.

Tugging his gloves off, Joel sunk two fingers into you without warning. You gasped and tried to turn your body away from his touch. This annoyed him, as his free hand clamped down on your hip, holding you in place and preventing you from squirming away. His two fingers probed you, curling up to tickle your G-spot, scissoring to stretch out your hole. The shaft was filled with your moans and the sound of your glistening cunt being played with by your curious boyfriend, the noise bouncing off the walls and echoing through the rest of the empty mine. 

The sensation of fingers up inside of you was joined by two more fingers rubbing circles on your clit, as Joel removed the hand holding your hip and repositioned it over the front of your crotch. You’d stopped resisting him now, so there was little point in trying to hold you in place, not when that hand could draw more pathetic whimpers out of you. Both his hands worked at different paces; the thrusts of his fingers inside you were slow and drawn out so he could caress every velvety inch of your walls, whereas he rubbed your clit at a feverishly fast pace. You were quickly coming undone, gripping at the grimy walls as you felt the pressure building in your belly.

“J-Joel, please don’t fucking stop. Please - ah god, fuck - you're so good at this.” Your words came out in an incoherent mess as you bucked back against him, almost knocking him over. 

Joel got up, removing his fingers from you for a moment, only to pull you against him, his head on your shoulder as he plunged two fingers back into you, using his thumb to stimulate your achingly sensitive clit. Now you were so close to him, you could hear how heavy his breathing was, even through the mask and the respirator tube. Arching against him, you keened as he kept pumping you, kept playing with your clit. The tension broke, and you felt yourself clench around his fingers, trapping them inside you as you practically wailed in satisfaction. You leaned your body weight against him as your legs trembled, all your strength leaving you as you came down from your orgasm. You flopped in his arms like a rag doll, held up only by the arm he’d wrapped under your breasts.

You were only given mere moments to regain your composure before Joel took your hands and placed them against the wall, forcing you to resume the position you had been in before. His breathing was ragged as he hurriedly undid just enough buttons on his boiler suit so he could slip his cock out. The crown was angry and red, leaking pre-cum as Joel gave it a pump and lined it up with your entrance. He slammed into you, shoving his full length in until his hips pressed firmly against your ass. A hand joined yours against the wall as he leveraged himself before starting to rut into you, drawing his cock out until only the tip remained submerged inside you before ramming it back in. His pace was relentless as he drilled into you, the drag and friction of his solid cock against your gummy walls making you moan and whine his name. You’d never expect that Joel would fuck like this, like some animal turned half-mad, driven only by the need to dump its seed into whichever mate would take it. Although the gas mask distorted his breathing and groans, you could just about make out the fact he was cursing to himself with every thrust. A hand grasped your throat again, squeezing it in time with the clench of your cunt, as if he was trying to show you how your tightening walls felt around his length. At this point, your head had turned to mush and you couldn't do much more than moan and stutter his name out over and over. 

Joel’s end was so close that he could feel his balls spasming as they got ready to unload. He slowed himself, trying to eke out more pleasure from the vice-grip of your cunt, drawing himself out all the way and then forcing himself back into you until his tip prodded at the innermost point of your core. His fingers gripped uselessly into the crumbling wall, and he pushed himself in as far as he could, holding himself in your heat until he felt his cock throb one last time. Viscous arcs of seed spurted out his slit, and he grunted in relief as he filled your womb and your hole with a load he’d been holding back for far too long.

The pounding of footsteps brought you to your senses as you struggled, trying to push yourself up off the wall and grab your clothes before whoever was out there could come in and see the state of you. The solid body of the man who’d just fucked his load into you stopped you from moving, his hand still caging your throat.

“Joel!” You hissed, trying to twist around to face him. The hand on your throat kept you immobile. “We need to go or hide. If someone sees us down here, the whole town is gonna think I’m-”

Joel had heard voices coming from the shaft up ahead. He’d been wandering about the mine for the last hour, desperately trying to find his girlfriend, cursing himself for being so stupid as to instruct her to get down and meet him there. His car had broken down, so he’d entered the mine twenty minutes after the arranged rendezvous time. He knew she had to be down here somewhere since he’d seen her car parked on the lane outside the mining site. 

He called out her name, hoping to hear an answer. All he heard was a hushed whisper that suddenly stopped. That single sound was enough to guide him to the shaft he’d intended to bring his girlfriend to earlier to spook her by playing a prank on her. He’d intended to get a scream out of her by pulling on a gas mask and pretending to be Harry Warden. In retrospect, he felt that this whole idea of a date in the mines was incredibly stupid.

Joel was about to call his girlfriend’s name again when he shone his torch into the shaft, only to be met with the sight of his girlfriend, naked and bent over, with a man dressed head to toe in protective mining gear grasping her throat, his hips pressed against the plump flesh of her ass. Horrified, Joel froze, staring at his girlfriend as the man let go of her throat and stepped back, sliding his half-soft cock, which was glistening with cum, out of her.

You looked from Joel, who stood at the entrance to the shaft, and the man behind you. If Joel wasn’t the one in the gas mask, the one who had led you into this shaft and fucked you against the wall, then there was only one other person it really could be.

Harry Warden.

You’d just fucked Harry Warden.

[mlmxreader]

Just a Bad Dream | Tom Hanniger x m!reader

『••✎••』

↳ ❝ Rest your head, here's a lullaby

- Male reader with Tom Hanniger ❞

: ̗̀➛ Tom has a nightmare, at least, he hopes that was what happened.

: ̗̀➛ mild injury, blood, swearing, threats of violence, mentions of murder, psychological abuse (manipulation, gaslighting, etc)

•───────────────★•♛•★──────────────•

"Rest your head, here's a lullaby."

Those were the last words you had spoken to Tom before he had drifted off to sleep. It had taken him so long to get over the events of what had happened in his hometown on Valentine's Day; being manipulated and gaslighted by Axel into believing that he was a killer. False memories planted in his head, purposefully attacking his delusions to make it even worse for him.

Yet you had stood firmly by him, you were the only one who didn't believe that Tom was a killer; like everybody else in the world, Tom was capable of it if pushed far enough - but he wasn't a serial killer by any means, and he wasn't guilty for what had happened at all.

You stood by his side every moment, drove him to the psychiatrist's office, helped him out as much as you could when he wanted reality checks and for you to double check things for him to make sure that he wasn't hallucinating.

Nobody else had ever done such a thing for him.

A new town, a fresh start; he did what he did best, he worked in the mines. It was long hours, but he enjoyed it there and he made a fair few good friends.

Now he was all alone. Wandering around an old and worn down hospital that looked like it had not been used for at least seventy or so years.

He called and called, but nothing answered; he searched and scoured every room, fighting cobwebs and dust and rodent droppings to find something, anything that would give him a clue as to where he was and why. But he couldn't find anything.

However, just as he prepared to head down a particularly dull and dark green corridor, he saw someone; a man hunched over a mop bucket, squeezing water out of a long handled mop. He wore a red and green striped jumper, dark brown trousers and matching boots, and a dark brown fedora just to stop it all off.

Relieved, Tom let out a long sigh.

"Oh, thank fuck - hey! Hey, Mister!"

The cleaner turned to him, and waved with a hand that looked like it had knives on the end of it, but surely it was just protective gloves.

Tom didn't think so much of it as he took a few steps forward and gently tapped the man on the back.

"Am I glad I found you!"

The man stood up, glaring up at Tom with piercing light eyes; his skin was burned, stretched and scabbed all over his face and neck. He offered Tom a toothy grin. "I have an axe to grind with you, kid."

Tom furrowed his brows as he took a step back. "Huh?"

"You stole my thunder," the cleaner accused, pressing the knives into Tom's chest enough to make a point. "They don't fear me anymore - they fear you."

"Me?" Tom scoffed. "Why me? What the Hell did I do?"

"That stunt you pulled in Harmony," the cleaner growled. "Everybody fears the miner now - not me! And without fear, I can't keep doing my job!"

"That wasn't me!" Tom hissed, shaking his head. "I didn't do it! I didn't kill those people!"

"No, but people think you did, and that's good enough… so I'll cut you a deal - you get them to fear me again, and maybe, just maybe, I won't play a nice game of slice and dice with your boyfriend."

"You touch him," Tom snarled as he shoved the man against a wall, holding him by the collar of the jumper. "You so much as look at him, and I will kill you!"

The man pressed his glove into Tom's stomach, only enough to make his point clear. "Then do what I want, and I'll leave him alone… c'mon, pretty boy."

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Name's Freddy," he grinned, shoving Tom off of him and grinning. "Freddy Krueger."

"You're the sick bastard who killed all those children," Tom breathed out, shaking his head. "You're dead! They burned your sorry ass to a crisp!"

"And yet, I'm their worst nightmare," Freddy chuckled. "C'mon, Tommy, you know what you have to do to protect your boyfriend… just put on the miner costume, head to Springwood, Ohio, and create a little fear in my name."

"And you'll leave my boyfriend alone?" Tom asked quietly.

Freddy nodded, using his knives to gently nick Tom's chest. "Do we have a deal?"

"Fine."

Sitting upright, Tom gasped loudly; his chest was heaving, his eyes wide and wild as he frantically looked around the room, not quite sure where he was for a moment until he laid eyes on you.

Sound asleep beside him, cuddled into his side and wearing one of his old zip up hoodies. Gently, Tom traced your jaw, and hummed as he spent a moment to calm himself down; it must have just been a bad dream, surely. He checked his chest, and when his fingers came away with slick red blood, he winced a little.

"Tom?" You murmured quietly, wearily looking up at him.

"I'm okay, baby," he said softly, gently kissing your forehead as he snuggled back down. "Just a little nightmare, that was all."

You hummed, cosying up to him as you yawned quietly. "You wanna talk about it?"

"I'm good," he told you, shaking his head. "Thanks…"

As he looked at you, Tom knew that he had to do everything possible to keep you safe and to protect you; he could already feel bile in his throat as he swallowed thickly, passing it off as a suppressed yawn. Fuck.

He felt awful already, knowing what he had to do, knowing that the only way to keep you safe was to become the very thing he swore he would never be.

But then… maybe it was just a nightmare, and maybe he just accidentally scratched himself while he was asleep and itched too hard. That was probably it. It was just a bad dream, and he had accidentally knocked himself a little.

"Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," you told him. "I wanna marry you."

[dunbonnets]

MY BLOODY VALENTINE, a teen wolf fanfic.

and there, written in ink were the words, roses are red, violets are blue, many are dead, and you will be too!

available to read on wattpad & ao3

[riley-beautrelle]

This will be a little cheat 😅😅

My next chapter of #BloodyValentine challenge is a loose mixture of prompts.

It is divided into two parts (at least that's my intention 🤭)

Prompts used:

day 3: The drum was my heart

day 7: Love you to death

day 13: Destined

@vampirefest

Part II is here 🥰🥰🥰

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 45 - Reviving Shitennou

This week’s post is about bringing Shitennou back into the fold of the team. I wish that had happened in the manga / anime and am a little disappointed we did not get that in Cosmos. BUT that is what fanfiction is for! (To help us collectively right the wrongs / misses in original materials).

We are exactly ONE week away from @usamamoweek2023! Are you excited? Because I am very excited and am trying to finish my own submissions for this year's prompts

@smquickies2023 prompts are out too - that event is taking place August 6-12 (and is open to any SM pairings).

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

Deal Breaker - ninashtia

Keeping his shitennou being alive and well as a secret from his princess is bound to backfire on Mamoru. But not in the way he had expected.

Reunion - bashfulglowfly

In this story we get to witness the aftermath of the Dark Kingdom arc, but in an AU where Usagi didn't fight alongside our senshi and Tuxedo Mask in Tokyo (she still participated but from halfway across the world).

Embrace the Chaos - @serpentinred

Ami is thrust into keeping secrets and weighing possibilities, when her supervisor introduces her to someone who looks suspiciously like Kunzite. I love the art that @smokingbomber did for this one!

all things that are dark - @fated-addiction

Although this is technically just the first chapter of a fic that will hopefully get finished one day, it could stand as a one-shot as well. It gives glimpses of post-Galaxia thoughts Usagi has as she readies for the future.

The Shitennou Return! A Trip to the Beach in Peril - @chuplayswithfire

Mamoru has been keeping a secret from Usagi, something that she takes in stride and decides that a beach-day together with the girls would be the best way to get everything out in the open and see how it could all work. This fic has art by @mochibuni!

all my friends are dead and they bloody haunt me - @smokingbomber

Usagi, noticing some strange behaviour from Mamoru, takes a peek at what he could be up to. And decides that she can help fix everything.

---

That's it for this week. Reminder - no post next week since it will be UsaMamo Week. We will return to regular posts on July 31st with "Tutoring"

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

Week 36 - Sex Pollen

Week 37 - Psychometry

Week 38 - What If

Week 39 - Missing Scenes Part I

Week 40 - Green Jacket

Week 41 - Dr Chiba

Week 42 - Birthdays

Week 43 - Fluff

Week 44 - First Kiss

[thebiggerbear]

Tom Hanniger x Reader - Prompt Response - "I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that."

Summary: You went to visit Tom in the mines for a little Valentine's Day fun. Who knew that one decision would lead to everything that's happened? Will you be able to help Tom or will he be lost to you forever?

Pairing: Tom Hanniger x Female!Reader; Tom Hanniger x Sarah Mercer; implied past Deputy Martin x Female!Reader

A/N: Prompt from @creativepromptsforwriting (#941). This was so much fun to write. I just love this character and there is so much to explore with him. I also really love the dynamic between him and the reader in this one. Hope it came out alright.

I decided to give Deputy Martin a name. He deserves one. Also, I loved Tom and Sarah at the beginning of the movie. I had actually been hoping Sarah would leave Axel and be with Tom again until it was revealed that he was the one doing the killings. That grocery store scene when they see each other again for the first time after a decade...it broke my heart in the best way. Jensen and Jaime did a great job (Kerr too though I hated his character the entire time lol). So I kind of feel a little guilty here but I had to throw in the Sarah factor; not trying to crap on their relationship, I promise.

I tried my best do my research and be respectful in regards to DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) but also keep this a few years post-movie (2009) while also staying within the context the movie provided but also explore a bit, if that makes sense. Please note I do not work in the psychiatry, psychology, or medical fields. If I got anything appallingly incorrect about this disorder, its symptoms, its treaments, anything, please let me know. Also, I think it goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), not every single person who has been diagnosed with DID is violent or a threat to others nor are their alters violent or a threat to others. Obviously, this is just a work of fanfiction based on a fictional story where the main character had an alter that was violent and a threat to everyone. No harm or disrespect is intended with this fanfiction at all.

There is a note at the end.

This takes place pre-movie, all throughout it, and post-movie.

Unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine.

Warnings: violence; description of injuries; blood; sex (smut-light); angst; mentions of murder; semi-hostage situation; threats of harm/murder; psychiatric hospital treatment (I'm not sure if that's an actual warning or if it should be but I'm putting it in case)

Sidenote: I'm sure we all know this but I'm putting here in case anyway: if you ever go into any mines or similar underground structure, please always wear your hardhat and do what your guides/experts tell you/follow the rules to stay safe.

Word Count: 11k+

Tom Taglist: @heartlessdelusions; @nancymcl

"I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that."

Soldier Boy version | Beau version | Dean version | Jenny version | Jason version | CJ version | Rachel version | Anael version | SDV Leah version | Alec version

<-->

You pulled up outside of Tunnel 5 in your car, your friends laughing and cheering as you parked. You weren’t as excited to be here but they managed to talk you into it. 

A Valentine’s Day party was happening in Tunnel 5 and most people your age were going to be there. Why they had decided on a tunnel in the Hanniger mines as the primo party spot you had no idea. If there was one thing you had learned in your life so far, people were weird and most college-aged kids would party wherever, whenever. Especially in a small town like this one.

You got out of the car, heading towards the trunk, ignoring the dibs your friend Destiny was calling on every hot single guy to your other two friends, Carina and Taylor. You handed six packs of beer out to each of them before grabbing the last one and shutting the trunk lid.

“You okay, Y/N?”

You glanced up to find Carina watching you while Destiny and Taylor were waiting impatiently to get to the party. You forced a smile. “Yeah, I’m okay, Rina. Promise.” She knew how hard this might be for you and you appreciated her checking in with you. She returned your smile and turned to follow your two other friends, with you close behind her. 

You passed a few cars until a familiar tall figure entered your vision, sans his usual ball cap. You watched as Tom Hanniger opened the back door of his truck, searching for something. You moved a little closer to Carina and discreetly handed her your six-pack. “I’ll catch up,” you whispered.

She glanced over to where you were staring and gave you a look. “Y/N…”

“I’ll be fine, Rina. You go ahead. I’ll catch up with you guys in a few.”

She seemed uncertain but nodded, doing as you asked. You watched her hurry to catch up to Destiny and Taylor, and then you turned your attention back on Tom. You waited for two people to pass by before you made your way over to him.

He had a six-pack in his hand but he was standing stock still, almost as if he was lost in thought. You then watched as he put the beer back down, holding a hand to the side of his car, and you could tell he was taking a deep breath. Your heart broke for him a little. This couldn’t be easy for him, being here, and being back here especially. You wondered what had prompted him to come here and then you realized, your heart breaking a little further: Sarah.

You pressed your lips together and decided to get this over with. “Hey, Tom,” you called softly.

He spun around, surprised to see you. “Y/N…hey.”

You took him in and you hoped your pain wasn’t showing through. He looked good for the most part, still handsome, still tall and statuesque, his figure being cut from playing football. The only difference you could make out was the nerves that were plain as day though he tried to hide them from you. “How are you?”

He shrugged. “I’m doing alright, I guess. How about you? I hear congratulations are in order. You got into med school. I always knew you would.”

“Thanks,” you whispered. You had worked hard in school, filled up your interim semesters with classes to help you get closer to graduation, studied like hell for the MCAT, and got into the med school of your choice — well, one of them — just like you’d been hoping for the longest time. “Are you here alone?”

“No, uh, I’m here with…” He gestured back towards the tunnel.

“Sarah,” you supplied.

“Yeah.” You could see some of his discomfort showing through. “Sarah.”

You attempted a smile. “That’s good.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes trained on the hat in his hand.

You wished things weren’t so awkward now between you. They never used to be.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, his eyes lifting to yours. “For how things turned out. I never meant— I never meant for any of this to happen.” You could see the regret in them, an echo of some of your own regret.

“I know,” you whispered, your eyes burning at the corners. “I’m sorry, too.”

And you really were. Perhaps if you had been a better girlfriend a year ago — a better person even — you both wouldn’t be here now, feeling as if the blood on your hands would never wash away.

It was Valentine’s Day and you knew Tom was working in the mines all day. He still promised to take you out afterwards, once he’d gotten a chance to shower and clean up. You were looking forward to it.

You had no idea when the thought popped into your head but once it did, it took root and stayed there. Until you found yourself visiting him at the mines. Of course, you’d gotten a lot of dirty and suspicious looks as you dressed in a miner’s uniform and plopped a hard hat on your head (it was the rules). Some guy you forgot the name of the second you’d been introduced to took you down in a cart. While you weren’t crazy about going further underground, you told yourself that once you were with Tom, you would be safe. And it would all be worth it once he saw the present you had for him. 

You got to your stop, the guy called for Tom to come down and mentioned he had a visitor, and not too long after, Tom appeared. You grinned at him when you saw the look of surprise on your boyfriend’s face. 

“What the— What the hell are you doing here, sweetheart?”

“Surprise!” You hugged him as fiercely as you could with his equipment on him. 

He shook his head, smiling as he took in your outfit. “You came all the way down here just to surprise me?”

“Of course I did.”

“But sweetheart, it’s not safe.”

“Don’t tell me that, Tom. I worry about you enough being down here as it is. And don’t worry, I won’t be long.” You smirked up at him and he immediately got your meaning. 

He uncomfortably cleared his throat. “I can take it from here, Fred. I’ll call a cart down when she’s ready to go back up or you if you’re still around. Thanks.”

Fred shook his head, most likely knowing what you two were up to. “I’ll be over in 3 if you need me,” he gruffed out. You both watched as the cart disappeared down the shaft.

“Sweetheart, you really shouldn’t have come down. It’s not safe,” Tom told you but you could feel his hand resting on the seat of your uniform. 

“I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” He smiled. “What kind of surprise?” 

“You’ll see,” you teased. “Is there somewhere we can go?”

He glanced around quickly before taking your hand. “Yeah, there’s a place. Come on.” He led you back up the shaft a little ways and into a pocket, hidden from view. He whisked off his hard hat and yours before eagerly pulling you to him, making you giggle into his mouth. 

“I’ve never had a girl visit me at the mines before,” he murmured, kissing your jaw. 

“And you better never have any girl other than me coming to see you.” You playfully poked his chest in warning.

“No other girl for me,” he whispered to your lips before kissing you again. “You’re it. Always.”

“Awww.” You began to unzip your uniform, wanting to give him his present already. Something sweet like that deserved a reward. 

He pulled back to help you and once the top half was off, his brows drew together in mock confusion. “My surprise is your jogging sweats? I really appreciate the thought, sweetheart, but you could’ve given that to me later tonight and not risked coming down here.”

You swatted at his shoulder, making him snicker, as you slowly unzipped your top half. His eyes followed the trail of the zipper and they widened when you opened the shirt and pushed it back to your shoulders. You smirked, seeing his reaction. He wasn’t laughing or making fun now.

Underneath your sweats, you wore new lingerie you had bought just for this moment. It was a red and white lacy bra that had hearts all over it, ending in a cut-out heart design over your breasts, with a little bow holding it altogether. “You like?”

“I like.” He trailed a finger along the edge of the cut-out heart. “I like it a lot.” He twirled the ribbon over his finger, smirking over at you. “Do I get to unwrap you?” He teased.

You shrugged. “It is your present. Don’t forget about the bottom half, too.” You pushed down your uniform and sweats to reveal similar looking underwear. “But the tie’s at the back.” You leaned forward slightly so he could see. He grinned as he ran a hand over the cut-out heart shape back there, tugging at the ribbon playfully. “So you like your surprise?”

“I love my surprise.” He kissed you as he untied the underwear and let them fall forward into his waiting hand. He stuck them into the pocket of his mining uniform and you felt him begin to touch you in the way he knew you liked. He groaned into your mouth when he felt you. “You’re all ready for me.”

“Of course,” you hummed. “I never half-ass a present.”

He brought his hand down on your bare ass cheek in a slap, making you squeal, and squeezed it. “No, you do not.” He stuck his tongue back into your mouth and you worked to get his uniform unzipped and off of him. He had untied your bra and he broke away from you to take one of your nipples into his mouth. You gasped and arched your head back, your fingers gripping the back of his hair to hold him to you. You let out a moan while he nibbled away at you. He had you on the edge already and he’d barely touched you.

You pulled him back up to you, kissing him deeply, as you started working on his belt. You had just worked his jeans down enough so you could pull him out to stroke him when his hand stopped you. “Sweetheart, wait, wait.”

You pouted. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t have a condom.”

You smirked. “Is that all?”

“Is that all? Uh, yeah, and that’s a problem. My wallet’s in my locker up top. I know we usually just…you know, if we don’t have them, but uh, I’m not going to lie, I really want to enjoy my present right now,” he ended with a nervous laugh. “Every inch of it.” He slapped your ass cheek again and leaned forward, nipping at your breast before kissing the sting away.

“Well, then it’s your lucky day that I’m the world's most amazing girlfriend, Tom Hanniger.” You reached into the pocket of your jacket and pulled out two condoms, holding them up in front of his face. 

He glanced up at you in awe. “You really are.” He snatched the condoms from you, putting one into his pocket and opening the other. You leaned in and kissed the spot underneath his ear while he got ready for you. “I told you,” you murmured. “I never half-ass a present. Happy Valentine’s Day, baby.”

He turned to look at you, holding you steady as he made sure your uniform was covering your back. He began to slip into you and you both groaned by the time he bottomed out, he was a few inches above your lips, smiling. “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetheart.” He then kissed you and began to give you what you both wanted.

It was quick, hurried, frenzied even. As much as you loved each other, this wasn’t the time or place to take your time. You both could be caught at any moment, it was dangerous like Tom said… You could take your time with each other later. 

Tom had to cover your mouth when you came and you’d had to cover his when he crossed the finish line. You’d felt every grunt sound he made against your palm and it only turned you on more. You almost wished you had forgotten the condoms but you knew Tom wouldn’t be deep inside you right now if you had. Tom was adamant about protection, just like you were, but you loved him and trusted him. Plus, you had been on the pill for years but you knew Eli Hanniger had drilled it into his son’s head to always cover it up unless he wanted some girl to put him in a position someday where he’d be trapped into a marriage and forced to share half his money. You tried not to take it too personally when Eli had looked over at you after that little nugget of his own brand of wisdom on one of the many nights Tom had to pick his drunken dad up from the local bar. 

Eli couldn’t have been more wrong. You loved Tom but you also had your own goals in life that you didn’t want deterred by parenthood earlier than expected. Not to mention, Tom could be the poorest guy in town and you would still love him and want to be with him. You’d loved Tom since you were five, ever since he’d seen you crying because all of the markers were gone in kindergarten class and everyone was making a picture but you. He came over to give you the red one he’d been using with a cute smile that was meant to reassure you. You’d smiled back at him, sniffling, your face wet, as you both worked together to make a picture. You’d been close ever since. 

Once you were in high school, things changed between you. You’d had to watch as he dated girl after girl until finally junior year came. You changed up your look a little, didn’t have your nose stuck in a book every other minute, and the guys began to slowly take notice of you. Tom had been jealous when you told him you were going on a date with one of his teammates. You two had been arguing in his car when he leaned over and kissed you out of the blue. Needless to say, you had canceled that date and Tom stopped hooking up with one of the cheerleaders he’d been casually seeing at the time.

You both were happy. You both attended the same university and you spent the holidays together with your families. Well, you and Tom spent the holidays with your family; Eli wanted no part of it. It was almost as if because you weren’t a mining family or a well-off family, you weren’t good enough for him to bother gracing you with his presence at your dinner table. Just like you weren’t good enough to be dating his son, unlike Sarah Mercer whose parents owned the grocery store in town. That was who Eli kept pushing Tom towards but Tom told his dad he didn’t have eyes for anyone but you. He loved you and someday, he wanted to marry you. Your heart warmed when you overheard him say that. Which immediately hardened when you heard his dad then say “You’re a fool. That girl just wants your money! Sarah’s an actually decent hard-working girl. You’d be better off with her than that other one.” Tom didn’t say anything else and you had gone back to the book you were reading, pretending to be caught up in it, when he came out, hurrying to take your hand and get out of there. You never let on that you’d heard what he said…and what he didn’t say. 

And you may have taken the initiative to show him how much you loved him and wanted to keep you with him. Which is why you had risked coming down here to have semi-public sex in a dangerous mine, wearing a lingerie set you would usually never be caught dead in. You had already planned to go all out that evening once you made it to the hotel room you’d reserved in town, but you also wanted to give him something to remember, something he’d never ever forget. Now, you would always be in his mind, having made your mark, no matter what might happen with your relationship. You just hoped you made a mark on his heart, too, at some point while you’d been together, and that he didn’t let his dad’s obvious prejudice against you and your family sway him away from you.

Tom’s head dropped to your shoulder as he attempted to come down from his high, trying to catch his breath. You kissed the side of his head, not caring about the damp sweat or coal mine smell coming off of him. You leaned your head up next to his ear. “I love you, Tom. I’ll love you forever,” you whispered. You knew he heard you when he squeezed you, still panting harshly against your skin.

“Always,” he whispered back to you.

You hugged him tightly then.

A little while later, you were both redressed, hardhats back on your heads as you waited for Fred to arrive with the cart to take you back up top. Tom had called Tunnel 3 to ask him to come back for you. He had his arms around you from behind and he was smiling down at you. “Thank you for my present,” he murmured. Unable to really kiss you or nuzzle you thanks to the hardhats, he pressed a kiss to your shoulder and tightened his arms around you. 

“I’ve got another one for later.”

He turned to look at you quizzically which then turned into a glimmer of hope.

You couldn’t help but laugh. “I bought another set. Deep red and more ribbons.” You wiggled an eyebrow playfully at him.

“I fucking love you.” His smile was bright as he carefully leaned in to kiss your neck, making you giggle. 

“Hey, lovebirds!” You both looked up to see Fred turning the corner a little further down the shaft, having a clear view of the two of you. “Break it up! I haven’t had my lunch yet and I don’t want it spoiled!”

Tom rolled his eyes but let you go. “Ha ha, Fred. Very funny.” 

Fred came to a stop in front of you, scowling at both of you. “Time to go.”

You hugged Tom quickly and then climbed into the cart. He had his hands out around you, ready to assist you if need be. Once you were settled inside, Tom hurriedly took his hat off and leaned in to kiss you. 

“Hey, hey! Put your hat back on, Tom! Don’t be even more of an idiot! This whole thing could come down at any time, you know.”

Tom kept peppering your lips with kisses, making you laugh and him smile, before he finally heeded Fred’s warning. He straightened up and slipped his hardhat back on, grabbing your hand and kissing it. “Take care of my girl, Fred. Get her back safe.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Fred muttered and started up the cart. 

Tom walked beside you, still holding your hand. “I can’t wait for later.”

You smirked. “I know you can’t.”

His cheeks darkened a little and he gave you a sheepish smile, letting out a laugh. “That, too, but I was talking about our date. I think you’re really going to love the place I picked out for us.”

Your smirk melted into a genuine smile. “I know I will because I love anything that comes from you.” You heard Fred snort next to you but you couldn’t care less. So what if you were being cheesy? It was Valentine’s Day and you meant what you said.

Tom’s smile grew and you could see it reaching his eyes. “I love you.” You both noticed you were about to make a turn that he couldn’t follow you down. He kissed your hand one more time and let you go. “See you tonight.”

“See you then. I love you, too,” you called back to him. You watched as he got further and further away, the last thing you saw being him holding his hand up in a wave as he smiled. You waved back before the cart completed the turn and he completely disappeared from your view. 

The date didn’t end up happening due to the collapse that happened later. Word of it spread fast once it happened and even though you knew Tom should be home by then, you still worried. Thankfully, he returned your call ten minutes later and told you what happened. You rushed right over to be with him, all plans for the night forgotten, though Eli was less than pleased. Apparently, word of your visit had spread around the mines well before you had made it to the top. 

“That girl is a problem!” Eli yelled. “She’s reckless! And now she’s made you reckless!”

Tom let go of your hand and jumped to his feet. “Don’t talk about her like that!”

You got up and hugged Tom’s arm, rubbing his shoulder soothingly. “Shhh,” you murmured. “Don’t. It’s not worth it. Okay?”

Eli didn’t like seeing that. His face got red and he was louder than before. “It’s like I’ve been telling you! That girl is only after one thing and that’s your money! When are you going to wake up, start using the other brain God gave you, and see it for yourself?” He threw his glass of Scotch at the wall, making you wince at the shattering sound, and left in a huff.

Tom went to follow him, to yell back at him, but you kept him there. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine. He’s upset. Here, sit with me.” Tom did as you urged and you rested your chin on his shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He glanced over at you, his eyes glassy. “I think I really fucked up, Y/N.”

“What do you mean?”

“After you left, I went back to work. I was in the cage, adjusting my gear, when the condom and your underwear fell out. I forgot I had them. I picked them up as fast as I could and stuffed them back in but Harry Warden saw.” He shook his head. “He gave me a hard time about doing my job and I told him I had it, I knew what I was doing. They now think he’s one of the miners trapped. He’s unaccounted for.” He compulsively swallowed and turned to look at you, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I forgot to bleed the lines,” he whispered.

Your eyes couldn’t get any wider if they tried. You reached out to wipe his tear away as you tried to rein in your reaction. 

“I was thinking about our date tonight, about you, and I got distracted. I forgot to do the one thing I’m supposed to do every day before I leave. This collapse happened because of me,” he choked out before breaking down. You pulled him into you, holding him and shushing him, whispering reassurances to him. All while the heavy truth settled down around you and began to constrict your chest. It wasn’t Tom’s fault; it was yours.

It didn’t surprise you one bit a few weeks later when Tom broke up with you. He explained it as there was a lot happening, he was being blamed for the murders of the other miners that Harry committed, and his dad told him he just needed to continue working and keep his head down. No distractions. Which meant no more you, though Tom never actually said it but you knew that’s what he was implying Eli had told him.

It broke your heart when he broke it off between you but you understood. Tom had basically become a pariah overnight. Once he admitted to the investigators that he forgot to bleed the lines, the town he’d lived in his whole life turned against him. Harry may have done the actual killing, but it was Tom who’d put Harry in that position in the first place, or so they’d said. Some folks even gave you dirty looks in town as well but it was nothing compared to how Tom was treated. While you loved him and wanted to stay together, you could understand if he needed some space. You let him go with a hug, telling him you were still around if he needed a friendly ear, trying your best not to let any tears fall so you wouldn’t make him feel worse. His jaw had clenched but he nodded, choked out a “Thanks”, and walked to his car. You watched as he left, remembering back to the image of him getting further and further away from the mine cart you were in. Once he disappeared down the street, you finally let out the tears you’d been holding onto. A sob tore its way out of your throat when you remembered he had held up his hand in a wave, smiling, while you smiled and waved back. Because all you could think about was what you thought in that moment: Let this be the last time we separate like this. 

And as luck and Eli Hanniger would have it, in the next month or so, rumors spread that Tom Hanniger was now dating Sarah Mercer. You didn’t want to believe them, to believe that he’d finally pushed you aside for one of the girls you’d both grown up with who always had a gooey-eyed expression for Tom, the girl his father had wanted him to date in the first place. You didn’t want to believe that he would be so quick to throw away what the two of you had just to make his father happy. But deep down, you knew it was true. Tom had always wanted to get his father’s approval and he always had a soft spot for Sarah so why wouldn’t it be true? You could even understand a little, considering what had happened and Tom was in the hot seat with every resident of Harmony, thanks to you. But it still hurt like hell. You still loved him enough, though, to hope that he was happy. 

You pushed those thoughts out of your head. No use in continuing to blame yourself now. It didn’t change anything. “Are you okay…being here?”

He seemed a little caught off guard at the change of subject but then he glanced back at the tunnel entrance. “Yeah.” He turned back to you. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

You nodded and dropped your gaze to the ground, not sure what else to say. 

“Did you bring your hardhat this time?”

Your head snapped up and he was giving you half a smile, his eyes having that familiar teasing gleam in them. You couldn’t help but smile back, appreciating the attempt at levity and familiarity. “Did you?”

He snickered and shook his head, biting at his lip.

You chuckled and took a step closer. “How are you really, Tom?”

His smile faded. “Better.” He then briefly dropped his eyes. “Sarah. She helps.”

Your smile dropped altogether and you could feel that stinging sensation in your eyes again. “Oh.” You bit the inside of your cheek to keep tears from welling up. You didn’t even know what to say to that. “I’m glad, I guess.”

His expression fell and he took a step closer. “I didn’t mean—”

You took a step backwards, your hand up. “It’s okay. Really. I’m happy that she’s able to do that for you.” You took a breath. “I should go. Rina and the girls are waiting on me, so… Good to see you, Tom. I’m glad you’re doing well.” You gave him a wan smile and turned to leave.

“Y/N, wait. Y/N.”

You continued walking, eager to put some distance between you two until you could rein in your emotions. While Tom and Sarah might go off in their own section of the mine, you also might have to see them together. And you needed to prepare for that, especially with your last memories of the time you were here and all that occurred after. 

You were halfway to the entrance when you heard a scream. You stopped short, wondering if it had just been someone fooling around and having fun though it sounded terrified. You heard it again and before you knew it, people were running out of the tunnel at a fast speed, hurrying to their cars. “Oh no,” you gasped when you realized something was wrong, thinking another collapse must have happened. “Rina.” 

You were just about to run towards the tunnel when a strong hand gripped your arm, whipping you around to face Tom. “I don’t know what this is,” he said. “But get out of here. Go back to your car and get the hell away. As fast as you can.”

“What? No! I can’t leave! Rina, Taylor, and Destiny are in there! We came together!”

He framed your face with his hands. “Y/N, listen to me. You need to go. It could be another collapse.” He released you and urged you to go.

“No! I told you, I—”

Just then there were more screams as more people ran out. Tom turned back to you. “I have to go get Sarah. Run back to your car, Y/N! Do the same as these people! I’ll catch up with you later!”

Your eyes widened. “What? No, Tom! If you’re telling me not to go in, you’re not going, either!”

He went to answer you when a guy running past you yelled, “There’s some crazy guy in there killing everybody! Run!”

You and Tom glanced at one another, both shocked. Neither of you knew who the guy was talking about or why this was happening. But that didn’t matter. Screw holding your tears back. “Tom,” you sobbed. “I can’t lose you, okay? I know you want to go save Sarah but she’s probably hiding somewhere with Rina and the girls and they’ll be safe, okay?” You knew that probably wasn’t the case and it was wrong of you not to let him run in to help but you were terrified of losing him. “Please, don’t go in! Please!”

“I’ve got to go! I’ve got to get her! I’m sorry!” He yanked his arm out of your grip and turned to leave.

“I’m going, too! I can help!” 

You didn’t make it two feet until you were picked up and placed back down in front of Tom who was ducking his head to look you in the eye. “I can’t lose you, either, okay? I need to know you’re safe. Please, sweetheart, go get in your car and drive out of here.” He picked up a flashlight someone had dropped while running. “I’m going to get Sarah and get out of here myself. If I see Rina and the others, I’ll grab them, too. I’ll meet you at the hospital. There’s probably going to be a lot of people who need help.”

“That’s why I should stay. I may be pre-med but I can—”

He huffed out a breath and leaned down to kiss you. As he had probably planned, it stunned you. He placed his forehead against yours. “Go, baby,” he murmured. “To the hospital. We’ll be right behind you.”

Before you could say anything else, he hightailed it down to the tunnel, running past people who were still spilling out of the entrance but in fewer and fewer numbers. The last thing you saw was him disappearing inside before you turned and ran back to your car. You didn’t feel right leaving, especially with your friends and Tom still in the tunnel, but you would do as he asked. You’d already selfishly distracted him once; you wouldn’t do so again.     

<-->

You rang the bell of the Hanniger household for the third time, feeling impatience and worry gnawing at you. 

You shouldn’t have been surprised when a swaying Eli finally opened the door or that it was only 1:00 in the afternoon yet he was this inebriated. If he were a better man — a better father even — you might feel sorry for him. His mines weren’t doing too well these days. 

“What do you want?” He slurred out.

You lifted your chin. “I’m here to see your son.”

He snorted. “You mean my fuckup of a son?” He held the door wider in invitation.

You stepped in before he could change his mind. “No, your son. Not his fuckup of a father,” you spat before storming off to find Tom. 

“Sure, come into my house and talk to me like that! You kids have no goddamn respect these days!” He yelled.

You spun around and yelled back, “Go and get another drink, Eli! That’s all you care about anyway!”

“You little bitch!”

You ignored him and ran upstairs to Tom’s room. You found the door closed and you gently knocked. “Tom?”

No answer. 

You knocked again. “Tom, it’s me.” You briefly closed your eyes, remembering things were different than they had been the last time you were here. “Y/N.”

A moment later, Tom opened the door and stood there. He did not look well. He had deep, dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn’t slept since what happened. His face was drawn, pale, and it was obvious he hadn’t shaved for a bit. His hair looked as if he had just recently run his fingers through it. He was in a hoodie, sweat pants, and socks. It was hard to tell in this light but it looked like he had lost a little weight.

“Hey.” His voice sounded rough, as if he either hadn’t been using it for a while or he had been yelling and near losing it. You hoped it was the former. If it was the latter, then that could mean possible night terrors and you didn’t want that for him. 

“Hey. Is it okay if I come in?”

He nodded and walked away, leaving the door open. After you closed it behind you, you noticed he was trying to cover the messy bed with the blanket. You noticed a stale smell, as if a window hadn’t been opened in some time, and you spied dirty plates spotting the landscape of his room. You also took note of a half-empty bottle of liquor on his desk. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting company.”

“That’s okay. Don’t worry about it” You laid a tentative hand on his back as he moved and was pleased to see him not immediately shirk it off. After what happened with Harry Warden in the tunnel, for a while he hadn’t wanted anyone touching him. “I just came to see how you’re doing.”

“Not great,” he muttered, turning to sit on his bed. You took a seat next to him, waiting for him to elaborate. “I don’t know what to do, Y/N,” he eventually confessed. “I see him everywhere. I see him when I sleep, I see him when I’m awake. I see him everywhere I go, no matter who’s around, night or day. I don’t know what to do.”

Harry had woken from his coma that night and gone on a killing spree. First at the hospital and then at the mines. Right to the Valentine’s Day party that was being thrown. He didn’t care who he came across, Harry killed them one by one. Sadly, Destiny and Taylor hadn’t made it. Rina had; she was injured but she’d survived. Sarah, Axel, and Irene made it, too, though they were traumatized. They were all traumatized, just like Tom. Tom, who had gone back for Sarah, urged her to run out of there with Axel, and had nearly gotten killed for it. When you thought about how close you came to losing him… You really didn’t want to think about it.

You carefully placed a hand on his bicep and when he didn’t tense, you rubbed your thumb back and forth soothingly. “Have you given any more thought to seeing someone…and talking about it?”

He pulled away from you and ran a hand down his face. “They’re just going to think I’m crazy and want to throw me on meds.”

“Maybe not,” you whispered. “You’ve been traumatized, Tom. They might give you medication to help you sleep but trauma isn’t something that has a magic cure all. I’m not a doctor but I would think that they’ll probably recommend therapy. I mean, is Harry…talking to you when you see him?”

“No, Y/N, I’m not hearing voices in my head if that’s what  you’re asking,” he snapped before getting up and walking away.

“Tom, that’s not what I— I’m sorry, I know you’re not hearing voices. I was only trying to make you feel better by ruling it out. That’s all.”

He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. He glanced down at you, his jaw tight. “I’m glad you came here today. You should know, I’ve decided to leave town.”

You were immediately on your feet. “And go where?”

He shrugged. “Wherever that isn’t here.” He moved over to the bed and threw off one corner of the blanket to reveal a bag he had been packing. “I can’t stay here, Y/N. It’s too much. Maybe if I can get far enough away…”

“He won’t follow you,” you finished, still staring at the half-packed bag. You almost had to wonder if he would have told you if you hadn’t shown up today. He hid the bag from you for a reason; he knew you wouldn’t want him to leave.

You should’ve known it was coming to this or Tom would have a full on breakdown. First, he broke up with Sarah. Then he withdrew from the public altogether. Now, he was holed up in his room, never leaving it, and repeatedly being terrified and thus re-traumatized each time he saw Harry. Something had to give; he needed to get out of here. 

You felt a lump forming in your throat at the idea of him leaving but you swallowed it back down just as fast. This wasn’t about you. If this was what Tom needed, you would support him. You met his gaze. “Will you call me once you get to where you’re going? Just so I know you made it safely and that you’re okay?”

His eyes softened and he came towards you, cupping your face. “You’ve always understood me. Better than anyone else in this goddamn town.” You noticed he didn’t answer your question and you had a feeling that he planned to leave permanently, never looking back. This time, you couldn’t prevent the lump from forming in your throat or the tears building in your eyes.

“Are you going to be okay?” You nearly winced at the breaks in your voice.

“I will be,” he whispered before pulling you into him and pressing a kiss to the side of your head. Sighing into your ear, he hugged you tightly. “I will be.”

You burrowed into him further, whispering against his shirt, “I love you, Tom. I’ll love you forever.”

You knew he heard you when he murmured back to you, “I love you, too, sweetheart. Always will.” You could hear the breaks in his own voice but still, you smiled. As painful as this was going to be, as heartbreaking as it was, Tom still loved you, just as much as you loved him. Always…and forever.

<-->

You were just finishing up notes in a patient file when someone knocked on your open door and stuck their head into your office. You glanced up to find a familiar face and smiled.

“Well, if it isn’t Dr. Y/L/N,” he said, waltzing in.

You closed the file and took off your glasses. “Well, if it isn’t Deputy Martin,” you laughed. He handed you a cup of coffee. “Aww, thank you. You don’t know how much I needed this.” 

“No problem. You still take it that way, right?”

You took a sip. “I do,” you smiled. 

“So, how’s things in the world of psychiatry?” He took a seat on the edge of your desk.

“Interesting. As always. How about you? How’s things in the law enforcement world?”

“Interesting. As always.”

You chuckled and took another sip of your coffee. “So, what brings you to my side of the hospital? And bearing gifts, no less?”

He shrugged. “I was in the neighborhood and figured I’d check in.”

“Oh? That’s nice.” Chris pressed his lips together and you tilted your head at him, knowing what that little tic meant. “Uh oh. What’s going on?”

He smirked, shaking his head. “I hate it when you do that.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Then don’t be so obvious. I know you too well, Chris. Come on, tell me. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just… I was wondering if you knew that Tom was back in town.”

Your smile immediately dropped and you placed the coffee down. You put your glasses back on and opened the file back up, holding the pen in your hand as you glanced over your notes. “Yeah. I heard he was here.”  

How could you not? It was a small town after all. News and gossip spread faster than wildfire here. The word on the street was that Tom was back to sell the mines and no one was happy about that.

When you didn’t hear anything else, you glanced up to find Chris giving you a knowing look. “What?”

“Has he been by to see you?”

Well, that hurt. You knew Chris wasn’t asking you that to hurt you but it didn’t mean the question still didn’t cause you pain. You shook your head and went back to your file. “No. And I don’t expect he will be.” 

Ben had already complained down at the local bar, before Tom even showed up, that the damn kid was going to sell the mines and Eli would be turning over in his grave if he knew. He was only coming into town to sign the paperwork and then he’d be off again to God knew where. He’d even assured everyone he switched the paper signing until the Monday following Tom’s arrival, in hopes that he could get him to change his mind. 

When you heard Tom was coming back, you didn’t get your hopes up though your heart lightened at the news. You hadn’t seen or heard from Tom in ten years. He’d literally pulled a disappearing act. While you expected it, it still hurt that he never once called or wrote to you to let you know that he was still alive. Not once.

Besides, you already knew who he’d dropped in to see the minute he hit town. You supposed one needed groceries and toiletries, that sort of thing, if they were going to stay for a weekend they hadn’t initially planned on. And the fact that Sarah now ran the store and was there practically all day every day was just a coincidence.

You knew better of course and you couldn’t pretend like it didn’t break your heart just a little more. So, no, you didn’t expect to see him at all. And as much as it hurt to admit it to yourself, it was probably for the best. 

While a part of you still loved Tom and always would, you now had the benefits of maturity, age, and experience. When you looked back on your relationship, it had been one of intense young love and folly for you, first love even. And while you had more compassion and understanding along with a more detached view of things through a different lens now, you could admit there were some things that occurred that weren’t so great. For example, your decision to surprise him in the mines for a Valentine’s Day quickie, all because you loved him so much and was desperate to do whatever it took to keep him with you. You’d put both of you at risk and while Tom was an adult who was responsible for his own decisions, you still took responsibility for being the one to initiate the whole thing. It had been your idea after all. Then there had been his breaking it off with you and choosing to date Sarah not even a month later. While he was single and an adult, free to make his own decisions, the fact that he did it partially to please his father was not an okay reason in your book to hurt you and toss you aside as if you meant nothing. As the adage went, hindsight was truly 20/20. You were no longer that young, foolish girl anymore. If Tom wanted to see you, he would see you. If he didn’t, then he didn’t. It was that simple. You weren’t going to sway things one way or the other.

“Come on, Y/N. I know you just as well. You’re telling me, you don’t hope he stops by before he skips town again?”

You smiled up at Chris. “Not in the slightest.”

<-->

You threw on your lab coat, lifting your hair out of the neckline. You twisted your hair up into a bun and stuck a pen through it. You placed your stethoscope around your neck and then traded your heels for the nurse’s shoes you kept in a desk drawer for situations like these.

There had been an explosion at the mines and it was an all hands on deck situation in the ER. So far, two survivors had been found and were being brought in. They were still clearing the mines to make sure no one else had been hurt. You were getting ready to lock up your office and head down to see what you could do to help. 

You were grabbing pens to put in your pocket, tossing a red pen back into the drawer, when out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a figure in the doorway.

“Doc,” a man gasped.

“I’m sorry. I’m about to run down to the ER. There’s been an emergency in town and all doctors are needed. I can find you a nurse if you—”

You dropped the remaining pens in your hand when you glanced up to find a bleeding Tom Hanniger standing in your doorway, holding onto his side. “Tom,” you gasped, frozen. 

His pained glare suddenly transformed into one of the most terrifying smirks you had ever seen in your life. “Guess again.” He then shut the door behind him, locking it, before he started making his way over to you. 

<-->

You rushed off the elevator, hurrying over to where a bloodied Sarah was nervously pacing in the surgery waiting room. You noticed Chris was with her as was Deputy Ferris. Sarah’s little boy, Noah, was sitting on one of the seats behind her, playing quietly with his toy.

“Sarah,” you called.

She turned to see you approaching and immediately hurried over to you, throwing her arms around you, beginning to cry. You rubbed her back soothingly and shushed her. “You’re alright now.”

Sarah pulled back out of your embrace. “Tom, he’s… He’s gone.”

You pressed your lips together, your eyes tearing up. “I know,” you choked out. Based on what you had just seen and heard, you knew she was speaking the truth.

She hugged you again and you embraced her back tightly, tears rolling down your cheeks as you saw Chris watching you both. You squeezed your eyes shut and let out a quiet sob when you heard Sarah crying again. You both held each other as you both quietly mourned the Tom you both had loved.

<-->

You unlocked your office door and stepped inside before locking it again. You began to empty your pockets of the supplies you’d nabbed when a figure moved from behind a filing cabinet in the far corner and appeared in your vision, making you quietly gasp.

There stood Tom, still holding his wounded side. “What took so long?” He demanded.

Your jaw tightened as you remembered who you were dealing with now. “Sorry, Harry. I had to get supplies without causing any eyebrows to raise. That takes time. Now, come sit down.”  

He warily approached and sat down on the edge of the desk as you directed. You snapped gloves on and he moved his hand away from his side when you prompted him to. He hissed in pain as you began to prod at the bullet wound.

“Can you fix me up or not?” He growled.

“Well, Harry, as I told you, I’m not a surgeon. But I will do my best.” You began to gently wipe away the blood, from both the entry and exit sites. “The good news is it looks like the bullet went straight through.”

“I told you that,” he snapped.

“Yes and I’m confirming it,” you snapped back. It was very strange to have someone you hated so much inside of the body of the person you loved most. 

“Just do your goddamn job, Doc.”

You snapped up straight and looked him right in the eye. “Let’s get something straight, the only reason I’m helping you right now is because of Tom. I could care less what happens to you, you son of a bitch.”

He gave you that smirk again that made your blood run cold. “And let’s get something else straight. If you don’t fix me up, I’ll kill you. Got it?”

You didn’t answer him. Instead, you grabbed a pad of gauze, dumped some of your finest alcohol on it, and slapped it onto the injury site, making him yell out in pain. You smirked in satisfaction though inside you felt guilty. Sorry, Tom. You really wished you could expel Harry from him, like he was some sort of demon you could exorcise. 

“Sorry about that.” You were anything but. “I have to clean the site before I inspect it for further damage.”

His chest was heaving and he was glaring at you. “Just do your job, bitch. Or you’re dead,” he grunted.

You huffed out a snort and repeated the process with the exit site, making him grit his teeth, a pained yell straining against them. You proceeded to make sure there wasn’t any critical damage that you could see and then went about starting to suture the wound. You ignored the grunts and gritting of his teeth the entire time and just focused on falling back on your training. You’d barely flinched when he started drinking your booze. (it was his fault he wouldn’t let you use any needles to apply local anesthetics) When you were done, you snipped the loose tail of the sutures and then bandaged up the area. You quickly cleaned and bandaged the wounds on his face and treated any burns he might have. The entire time you did, you felt pain and remorse for Tom for each wound you found that would now scar his body. Though you supposed scars were a small price to pay considering the explosion he’d been in that could have killed him. Your jaw clenched at the thought and you hated Harry even more. 

You finished cleaning him up and threw out the last bit of bloody gauze. “It’s probably a waste of time to say this to you but you need to take it easy with that bullet wound, keep the area clean, and come back in two weeks to have the sutures removed. If any extreme bleeding occurs, you should get to the ER immediately. If the sutures pop out, you should do the same. If you start to develop a fever or other—”

“Yeah, Doc, I got it.” He slowly got to his feet and held a hand to his side. “Not bad.”

You took off your gloves and threw them to the side, crossing your arms. “Am I free to go now?”

His eyes snapped over to you and you could swear you could see a whole other person. In Tom’s eyes, the eyes you loved, you saw Harry, and they were darker and harder than Tom’s green could ever be. Tom clearly wasn’t the one in the driver’s seat, even if his behavior and personality right then weren’t already making that obvious. “For now. But if you screw me over, I’m coming back for you.” A hint of a smirk appeared on his face as if he enjoyed that idea, almost hoping you would give him the excuse. 

You knew he was waiting for you to tremble in fear at his threat but you didn’t. “Truly, Harry, I hope I never see you again.” With that, you walked out of your office and you refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back.

<-->

You knocked on the open room door and stuck your head in. “Hey,” you greeted with a small smile.

Axel and Sarah both glanced over and saw you.

“Hey.” Axel faintly smiled. 

Sarah got up and gave you another hug. You rubbed her shoulder as she returned to her seat next to her husband and you came to a stop at the foot of the bed. “So, how’s the patient?”

“He’s doing well.” Sarah smiled as she took Axel’s hand in hers. “He’ll be in here for a little while but then he can come home.” Axel turned his smile onto her. You glanced back and forth between them. Apparently, that marriage was no longer on the rocks. You were glad for Sarah’s sake, though you still thought she could do better. Despite how things went with Tom, you didn’t blame her or hold her responsible. She had always been kind to you, good to Tom, and you knew she was a decent person. You could almost understand why Tom had loved her so much.

You forced a smile onto your face. “Glad to hear it.”

Another knock on the door garnered your attention. You turned to see Chris walk in. He came to a stop next to you. “Hey, Sheriff. Sarah. Y/N.”

“Hey,” Axel greeted. You gave him a nod and Sarah gave him a smile.

He turned to look at you but you were already steps ahead of him. “Did you do as I asked?”

He nodded. “Picked him up about an hour ago. Had to ask for that town’s sheriff to help but we got him. And he doesn’t know it has anything to do with you. We purposely mentioned in front of him that a store owner from that town called it in after recognizing him from the news.”

“Thanks.” He gave you another nod.

“Wait, what are you two talking about?” Axel asked. Sarah looked just as curious while also fearful.

You pressed your lips together and Chris turned to face his boss. “We picked up Tom Hanniger in the next town over. We have him in custody and we’re starting processing.”

Both of their eyes went wide. “Tom’s alive?” Sarah gasped.

The deputy exchanged glances with you. “In a way but he goes by Harry now.”

“Shit,” Axel breathed. “You need to call in every reinforcement. We don’t have the manpower to hold him.”

Chris held up a placating hand. “It’s already done but trust me, we’ve got him locked down. As it is, the DA and the Judge are deciding what to do with him.” He looked over at you.

“Deciding what to do with him? What does that mean?” Axel’s eyes were on you, too.

“Harmony isn’t the place for Tom to be right now. It’s his trigger and that’s why Harry is currently in control. I’ve asked for a meeting with the DA and Judge Harrison as well as the Chief of my department to discuss Tom’s case.” You took a breath, knowing this next part wasn’t going to go over well. “We’re looking to get him moved to a maximum security psychiatric hospital up North.”

“Are you kidding me?” Axel started to sit up but grunted in pain. 

Sarah got up and gently pushed his shoulder down. “Axel, be careful. You just had major surgery yesterday.”

“Sheriff, easy. You’re still healing,” Chris chimed in. 

He ignored both of them. “After all of the people he’s killed? People are going to want justice and to see it done here in Harmony.”

You could feel an age-old anger welling up inside of you but you tried to tamp it back down. “He’s not mentally competent to stand trial, Axel.”

“Not mentally competent? Really? That’s the excuse we’re going with here? He was mentally competent when he killed those people! When he lied about it and tried to cover it up and blame me! When he attacked me and my wife, about to kill us! When killed Rosa and came for my son!” He gripped onto Sarah’s hand.

“I understand that. But the law states—”

“No offense, Y/N,” Axel interrupted. “But you’re not an expert on the law. Leave that to people like Judge Harrison who actually know the law.” Well, so much for you keeping that anger and resentment in check.

“None taken. And no offense, Axel, but you’re not an expert in psychological disorders, either. Leave that to people like myself who know what we’re talking about,” you snapped.

Chris laid a gentle hand on your shoulder and held up his other hand in Axel’s direction. “Hey, hey, now. We’re all on the same team here. We all want the same thing.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Do we?” He dropped his hand. You then glared over at Axel and Sarah. “Let’s not pretend like you two and Irene didn’t leave Tom there to die back when Harry was on a killing spree which severely traumatized him and that’s why all of this happened in the first place! That’s what started this whole thing!”

Sarah looked ashamed and stayed quiet. Your ire wasn’t really for her anyway. You knew she had been wanting to go back to help Tom before Harry threw that pickaxe. Axel, on the other hand, saw red. “Are you kidding me? We were about to be killed! I had to get her and Irene out of there! Tom would have done the same had it been him and it would’ve been the right thing to do! Regardless, it doesn’t excuse anything that Tom or Harry or whatever the fuck he calls himself now did! And us leaving him alone started this? No, let’s talk about really started this whole thing off! You decided to go down into the mines to give your boy toy a little nookie, he got distracted and forgot to clear the lines, then boom! The mines collapsed on top of Harry Warden and the others and that’s what really started this off! Because Harry wouldn’t have been in the mines a year later, killing people, and nothing would have happened to Tom or any of us! So you want to play the blame game? Look in the mirror, Y/N!” Sarah was softly telling him to stop but he ignored her. “Oh, and let’s not pretend that you’re not doing anything but trying to make excuses for the guy you’re still hung up on after all these years who didn’t give a fuck about you and dropped you like a bad habit the minute his daddy told him to! Who left you behind to rot!”

Your left eye was starting to twitch, something that only happened when you were either very stressed or very angry. Right then, it was definitely the latter. Sarah’s gaze was trained on her hand covering her husband’s and Chris was looking down at the footboard. You forced yourself to speak calmly but firmly. “That has nothing to do with this. It has to do with helping someone who needs help. I’m simply doing my job and the right thing at the same time. When was the last time you could say the same for yourself, Axel?” His jaw clenched but he stayed quiet and you gave him the worst glare you could summon up. “Get well soon.”

You turned and walked out of the room. You were right about one thing; Sarah could do better.

You were waiting for the elevator when you heard Chris come up behind you, laying a hand on your shoulder to stop you. “Hey, hey, hey.” You spun around to face him and he rubbed his thumb back and forth over the fabric of your coat. “Are you okay?”

You unclenched your jaw long enough to say, “I’m fine.”

He nodded and lowered his hand. “You know, it’s no excuse for the things he said but Axel’s in pain right now, he’s not thinking straight, and they just went through another traumatic experience of their own. And they have their son, who was there when Rosa was killed. He’s just dealing with a lot.”

“I get that, Chris. I do. But Tom didn’t do those things, Harry did.”

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. “Y/N, I’m not disagreeing with you but Tom did lie, he covered it up. Like the motel killings. Did Harry drive away from the scene, ignoring the trucker’s dead body in the lot, before we arrived or did Tom?” 

You shook your head, looking away from him.

“I know Tom means a lot to you and I respect that. I know you have history and you want to help him.” He cupped your chin and forced you to meet his eyes. “But I also care about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt. There’s a possibility that Tom himself may not be who you actually think he is. Who any of us thought he was growing up.”

You gently lowered his hand. “Chris, I appreciate your concern and I know we had…something between us for a while. And I’m grateful that you helped me earlier, I really am. But I know Tom. He’s not a killer. He’s not Harry. Harry only exists because of the trauma he suffered. He doesn’t even know who he’s killed or what’s happened. I need to get him out of this town so I can begin working to get him back.”

Chris sighed and studied you for a moment. “Then how did he know about Megan and the words written above her body?”

“He got it from the card she wrote. You told me that yourself, Chris, because Sarah told you about it.”

“No, I mean, if Tom saw the card and Harry killed Megan and wrote those words in her blood, then how did Tom know they were written above her body?”

You realized he was making a good point but that didn’t change your mission. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” You then got onto the elevator that had just arrived, you and Chris watching each other as the doors closed.

<-->

Tom didn’t remember how he got here. He didn’t even remember waking up. One moment, Harry was about to attack him and Sarah wouldn’t save him, again. The next moment, he was in a white t-shirt and white pajama pants, stuck in a cell that looked strangely familiar. Had he dreamt all of it? Going back to Harmony, seeing Sarah again, dealing with that asshole Axel, trying to figure out who the killer was — all of it —had it all been one big nightmare?

He soon realized that wasn’t the case. His lawyer came to see him and informed him of the things he’d been accused of (after the man had been contacted to come back and speak to his actual client). As of right now, he was found to be mentally unfit to stand trial thanks to an impassioned argument by his doctor as well as himself. But that could change at any time. Tom insisted he hadn’t done those horrific things, that Harry Warden did, but nobody seemed to believe him or was even listening.

For the first few days, Tom had been desperate. A doctor came in and met with him, asked him how he was feeling, and then fully explained the disorder he had been diagnosed with. It turned out that he had been misdiagnosed in the last institution he had been in and improperly medicated. That was why the medication never worked. They had been treating him for delusions when in reality he had Dissociative Identity Disorder. He was going to be starting a therapy regimen as soon as possible. Harry had already been involuntarily involved in the program since his arrival here. The doctor also informed him that they had to keep Harry heavily sedated but depending on how things went with Tom, they might not have to do the same with him.

Tom had been completely dumbfounded. It was bad enough that he still carried the trauma of what happened back in ‘98 and it had followed him around for a decade, literally, but now Harry had become a permanent part of him? He would now never be able to outrun Harry. Not to mention, he was now officially on the hook for multiple murders thanks to the surly son of a bitch, even after what happened in 1997 and then a year later when he woke from his coma. Tom’s body count was extensive and he himself hadn’t even done anything. Well, except forget to bleed the lines that one time which led to the collapse that then started all of this, he supposed. So maybe he truly was responsible for all of those people’s horrific deaths, whether he swung the pickaxe himself or not.

One morning before the therapy began, they came to get him and brought him to a room that looked strikingly similar to a police interrogation room, with the two-sided mirror and everything, though there was white padding on the walls. He protested when they strapped him into a straitjacket but they told him it was for his own safety as well as the doctor’s. As if that weren’t enough, two large orderlies picked corners of the room to stand in, watching his every move. 

Someone popped their head in to tell Tom his doctor would be meeting with him shortly, they were just finishing up with another patient. All Tom could do was nod. “Thanks,” he muttered.

A few minutes later, the doctor he’d been waiting for walked in. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw it was you. You gave him a small smile and took the seat opposite him. “Hello, Tom. I’m Dr. Y/N Y/L/N. How are we feeling today?”

“Um…okay.” He was still trying to recover from the shock of seeing you there. He hadn’t seen you since that night all of those years ago, right before he left town. He also thought you were working at Harmony Memorial last he heard, a pit stop he planned to make once he’d signed the papers to sell the mines. That is, before everything went to shit. “Y/N? What’s going on?”

“It’s Dr. Y/L/N,” you corrected. “And nothing’s going on. I’m here to evaluate you before we start your therapy regimen.” You opened a file and began glancing at the papers within. “The court requires it.”

Tom felt so lost. It had been hard enough waking up to what he did but now you were here? Clearly his doctor? And you were pretending not to know him? He didn’t know what to think or where to stick his head. “This can’t be real,” he said to himself and shook his head. “This can’t—”

“Shhh,” you soothed. “It’s okay, Tom. This is very real and we’re going to help you.” You clicked your pen and began making notes in his chart. 

“Yeah, but you— You’re— And you’re pretending like— This can’t be real.”

Your eyes snapped up to his and you stopped writing. He didn’t know what you saw but you got to your feet and circled the table. You snapped your fingers and both orderlies looked away. “Actually, Tom, there’s something I forgot to mention.” You came up behind him and his nerves began to spike. Was he about to be drugged? Attacked? Would he finally wake up from this nightmare? Maybe he’d wake up to you; he’d give anything to have that happen. 

He jumped a little when he felt your lips at his ear. “I’ll love you forever,” you whispered.

Automatically, the corner of Tom’s lips tipped up in a smile. Hearing that from you brought back so many good memories of your times together, of your relationship. He didn’t instantly relax but he felt a little lighter than he had a moment ago. 

“Welcome back, Tom. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too, sweetheart,” he whispered back to you.

His smile grew when he felt you brush a tender kiss to the side of his head before you straightened up and made your way back around the table. You snapped your fingers again and the orderlies were now facing forward, watching you both intently. 

You sat back down and picked up your pen, giving him a genuine smile. “Now, Tom, shall we get started?”

He wished he could reach across the table and take your hand in his. You still looked at him as you did all of those years ago, like he didn’t have a murderous personality that left pain and suffering and dead bodies in its wake. You still looked at him as if he was the same guy you’d given your heart and body to back in high school. The same guy you’d once told that after you finished med school (when you got in), that you’d want to settle down with him and eventually start a family with him. The same guy you said you’d move wherever whenever for him if he didn’t want to stay in Harmony, if he didn’t want to take over for his dad one day. The same guy you looked at with complete devotion, affection, and reverence that he knew he didn’t deserve. And with you looking at him just like that right now, he knew he still didn’t deserve it but God did he love you for it. You still loved him; it was clear as day in your eyes. He realized then that you had meant back then every single word of what you just said; you would love him forever. He had meant what he said to you back then, too. Though he never should’ve given you up when his old man demanded it. What the hell had he been thinking?

You arched your brows at him expectantly, almost as if you knew what he had been thinking. 

He leaned forward a little and gave you a soft smile, hoping you would understand what he was trying to tell you. “Always.”

You returned his smile, giving him a wink. You’d heard him. He began to relax and your smile then turned into a more professional one. “That’s what I like to hear. Alright, Tom. Let’s begin, shall we?”

A/N: For the record, I highly doubt Y/N could have been Tom's doctor, especially since a prosecutor could have argued that it was a conflict of interest and possibly gotten any records she'd made inadmissible. I think, anyway. But it was too fun an idea not to explore. Plus, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that someone who has been diagnosed with DID is not incapable of being tried by the law for crimes committed, even if it was committed by one of their alters and they are completely innocent (I think). But I couldn't just have Tom go straight to jail in this one or even to trial. I wanted to focus on him coming back and Y/N helping him as well as their sort of reunion.

[vcsource]

Dear fandom creators!

We're excited to announce that vcsource is hosting a Bloody Valentine fandom event for entire the month of February!

💌 To participate, use the prompt list below the cut to create new works between February 1-28 and tag your creations with #vcvalentine2023

✔︎ ALL types of creations are welcome, including: fanfiction, gifsets, graphics, fanart, cosplay, video edits and more! ✔︎ All Vampire Chronicles media is welcome (tv show, movie, books, etc) ✔︎ Choose 1 or more prompt for each week that you participate (combine and/or interpret them as you like!)

WEEKLY PROMPTS UNDER THE CUT ►

► Feb 1-7: A song for you / Vampire love language / Roses are red, violets are blue … / Say my name / Heart eyes

► Feb 7-14: Date night / Three's company / Three's a crowd /Take me to church / Seduced the seducer

► Feb 14-21: Til death do us part / Death becomes her / Damn your love, damn your lies / I can’t make you love me / Crazy for you

► Feb 21-28: Eternally yours / Forever young / Cross my heart and hope to die / In the still of the night / Color my world

[thekingwhereitallends]

MitsuSara One Shot: Tsukuyomi x Amaterasu

Summary:Sarada crosses Mitsuki's path and aims to stop him from embracing darkness.

Main Pairing:Mitsuki x Sarada Uchiha

Genre:Fantasy,Sci-fi,Angst

*This is a fanfiction i finished and published on ao3 for valentine's day but since i doubt you clicked on the link to read the first chapter back then two months ago in christmas, i thought of uploading this banger here.

Don't be afraid of commenting. Likes and reblogs are appreciated.*

"The artwork is a christmas gift for me drawn by @scarletofspring . Do not steal/repost/use it without permission!*

Date:Nov.27th 2042

Primordial World

On the endless planet that exists in centre of the boundless creation, There is a boy praying for gods to lend him a power surpassed by no mortal, but those who know this boy are not certain if he is planning to be a savior or bringer of apocalypse. Mitsuki often wonders if he could really fight off the forces of darkness or not.

"Right on time." Mitsuki says an instant after finishing his prayer. Mitsuki looks back over his shouder to meet a person he cherishes more than any other. "I hoped it's Sumire who follows the traces and reaches me. But of course you will be the one who seeks me out."

"Mitsuki..." Sarada stands around 20 meters away from her friend, staring at her friend with crimson eyes that aim to penetrate the heart of the person in front of them in search of answers but fail miserably as the bearer of those eyes is hesitant.

"Been a while,Sarada." Mitsuki turns back. "I missed you dearly." Mitsuki wears a smile but Sarada can clearly feel the sadness that has shook her soulmate to the core.

Sarada wishes to pull Mitsuki in for a warm hug above all else, to weep bloody tears together with him and finally find solace in each other's arms. However, between Mitsuki and her there is an imperceptible barrier that prevents Sarada from reaching for Mitsuki.

Sarada can sense Mitsuki's dangerous thoughts but she knows Mitsuki will never lie to her.

"I felt a void with your absence for so long as well." Sarada looks away,but why?

"Once a person achives great chakra control, they are able to perform astonishing feats. For instance children will surpass adults, the shinobis will become highly resistant to genjutsu and the ninjas would last much longer than their peers with average chakra control. They can also do this..." Mitsuki snaps his fingers, Sarada finsa herself in a peaceful environment with Mitsuki. The seemingly endless dimension that constantly changes colors.

"The ability to enter Astral Plane. Over two thousand years ago, Hagoromo and Hamura Otsutsuki were became the very first individuals to learn perfect understanding on mechanism of chakra which allowed them to evolve in extremely short amounts of time. By the age of 18, they were already 7th dimensional entities with limitless potential who kept ascending until they transcended the boundless creation. They left immeasurable avatars of themselves in each universe, to teach ninshu to all societies. The people learnt to enter this plane and by spending time together, came to settle all the matters and that resulted in global peace in so many worlds. Many of those worlds are free from evil and corrupted, and many other abandoned their beliefs." Mitsuki continues.

Mitsuki approaches Sarada, touching her chest where the heart is located with his index finger. "I don't even need to touch you here if my wish is to reach your heart. I can read all your emotions like an open book if i will it. But let me ask you one thing..." Mitsuki takes Sarada's hand in her's and places it on his chest. "Are you brave enough to put aside all those fears and do what you must do?"

Sarada closes her eyes to concentrate. Mitsuki realizes Sarada is ready to embrace her true feeling therefore he makes it easier for Sarada to read his emotions.

'Sorrow,Grief,Regret,Despair,Relief...and Jealousy...' Sarada thinks, resting her forehead on Mitsuki's chest, shivering as she can feel Mitsuki's feelings to a great degree. "Why?"

"I'm not the only person whose memories had been lost." Mitsuki speaks,which takea Sarada by surprise. "Let me show you what you have forgotten." Mitsuki's right hand finds it's way up to Sarada's left arm, lifting Sarada's chin up with his left hand's forefinger. "There..." Mitsuki points at his right side.

"That's..." Sarada watches a little girl wearing white buttoned shirt, red tie, red skirt and black sandals approaching a healing chamber filled with water, in a room drowned in dim dark blue light. Inside the chamber, there is a naked boy. The girl covers her eyes.

"Why don't you have anything on?" The little girl with red glasses cries as she covers the slight blush on her face.

Sarada's expression turns into an annoyed one as he witnesses that particular scene, dropping her shoulder. "Did you bring me here to piss me off?" Sarada gives Mitsuki a side-eye, which is funny to Mitsuki who chuckles seeing Sarada like this. "Yeah,that was intentional. Showing me my embarassing younger self."

"Just keep watching." Mitsuki utters, patting Sarada on top of her head. Sarada turns her attention to the tiny version of herself.

The little Sarada lowers her hands to see the boy out of sheer curiosity. "Woah..." Little Sarada murmurs, mesmerized by the sight of Little Mitsuki inside the water tank. His pale skin shining, captivating Sarada. 'He reminds me of Sai-san with this snow white look of his. But that white hair...gosh, i wanna fondle with his silky white hair so bad.'

Sarada and Mitsuki each raise an eyebrow when looking at each other. Sarada frowns, Mitsuki smirks.

"Please don't tell me i wasn't the only one who heard those words?" Sarada frets, which has Mitsuki roll in the aisles. Sarada too cracks up the instant she sees Mitsuki being greatly amused

"I always wondered if someone ever liked to play with my hair. That's one of reasons why i let it grow this long because i surmised you would be attracted to me. It seems the old you would've loved to bury her face in my hair." Mitsuki bubbles as he gently punches Sarada on the arm.

"Come on,you look fine as heck!" Sarada insists. "Honestly, i was searching to find the shampoo you use but i could never find it. I bet it is especially made for you, right?" Sarada continues, pinching Mitsuki on arm as she is laughing.

"I asked my parent to make me a super nutrient shampoo with the sweetest scent and after a few days, they came up with the proper formula. That's the whole story." Mitsuki responds. "Now now, don't let all distract you."

"Right." Sarada said.

"What are you looking for,Sarada?" Sasuke says, jumpscaring his little daughter.

"Gah...you know i am unable to sense your presence and keep doing this over and over again." Little Sarada yells, pouting as she folds her arms.

Little Mitsuki opens his eyes, gaining Little Sarada's attention as a result. Staring at Sasuke with his amber eyes, Mitsuki's gaze is devoid of any positive emotion but also not showing any sign of negative thoughts. 'Sasuke...san...'

"It seems this kid could do what you fail to do." Sasuke teases his daughter.

"You mean he woke up because he could sense your aura?" Little Sarada asks her father.

"Yes." Sasuke responds.

"Is he Orochimaru-san's son?" Little Sarada asks her father as he lifts her from the ground to hold her in his arm.

"That's right." Sasuke answered.

"Why is he inside this water tank?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

"How long has he been inside there?"

"Ever since he was born. He can only stay outside of the healing chamber for less than a day and then spends the next couple of days inside it."

"That is awful."

"But it's good for his own sake."

"..."

Sasuke watches her daughter as she reaches for the glass to touch it. Little Mitsuki does the same, pressing his hand against the part of glass where Sarada's hand is touching it.

'What is your name?' Little Mitsuki thinks? interested in the girl who apparently does feel for him.

"When you were born,you too became sick. Your body couldn't handle the powerful chakra you inherited from me. Sakura and I decided to bring you to Orochimaru, who saved your life. You were here, inside the healing chamber. After four months, this boy was born therefore you had a company on your right." Sasuke tells her daughter what he remembers about Mitsuki's birth.

"And?" Sarada turns to Sasuke, with eager eyes waiting for Sasuke to finish his story.

"The kid carries a power matched by none of those in his generation...in your generation. It doesn't mean that you don't have the potential to reach his level, just that he's now a few steps ahead of you and your friends."

"But why has he inherited such absurd level of power?"

"Well,i'm not sure if i can answer this question. It's up to him to decide what to do with this unfathomable might of his. It could be a blessing for the people he comes to love and himself, or a curse that will only bring pain and suffering for everyone he knows. If you are lucky enough, he may end up befriending you."

"Hm..." Little Sarada starts to ponder.

"What do you think,Sarada?" Sasuke asks his daughter in a gentle tune.

'Sarada,huh?' Mitsuki thinks, grateful that he doesn't have to wait for a long time to find the girl's name and that he had learnt some speechreading in the past. 'Why do i care?' He was surprised at himself for being intrigurd after seeing the girl infront of him.

"I think i'd like to spend some time with him. He gives me the vibes of a cool boy. That's my first impression of him, mind you that no other boy seems like him to me."

'She thinks i am cool.' Mitsuki thinks, the words that just came out of Sarada's mouth relieves him.

"Don't you want to know his name?" Sasuke asks his daughter.

"You refused to reveal his indentity, how bold of you to ask me this question." Little Sarada replies, poking on Sasuke's forehead repeatedly which makes Sasuke chuckle. "No,thanks. I will ask the boy the next time i see him outside of the healing chamber. You keep in touch with Orochimaru-san, and then bring me here to see if the boy is as good as he seems or not."

"Fair enough." Sasuke responds. "Shall we leave?"

"Yeah." Little Sarada said as she wrapped her arms around her father's arms who started to walk away from Little Mitsuki's healing chamber. She waves hand at Mitsuki as she begins to carve the lonely boy's image into her mind. 'We will meet again,i promise.' Sarada thinks and the closes her eyes with a sad expression on her face.

"December 29th 2031. A couple of days later..." Mitsuki swings his sword and the thought vanishes to be replaced with another one.

"Ready?Fight!" Karin shouts, declaring the start of Mitsuki's and Sarada's sparing match against each other. The kids charg at each other, five hundred of times faster than speed of light.

Suigetsu is sitting in a corner chewing his fingernails, terrified of of what might happen to Sarada. 'If Mitsuki accidentally messes Sarada up, Sasuke will surely fuck Orochimaru up and we all may be fucked amidst that scary battle which looks more like a massacre to me now that i think of it...'

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk..." Karin is utterly disappointed to see Suigetsu in that condition until she figures what her husband may be thinking at that moment. 'Oh shit!' Karin freaks out.

Yoruza, Suigetsu's and Karin's red haired, pale skinned daughter with violet eyes is sitting close to her father, resting her chind on the palm of her hand. "Dad,get out of this drama king mood of your's and be the badass man you usually are."

Seina Shakudo; Orochimaru's red-haired of fair complexion with beautiful aquamarine eyes companion is standing on The Lord of Darkness' rightt side, drinking her her cup of tea. Not really amused by the sight of children fighting each other.

And then there is Jugo who finds all that is happening to be peak of entertainment. Birds taking seats on his shoulders, chilling with the peace-loving and kind-hearted beast. "You all better stop being so dense and enjoy these moments."

"I admire your spirit,Jugo. But as a mother who has not clue how this boy has been trained to fight, it's only natural for me to be perturbed." Sakura says.

"After the conversations i've had with my dear child, i deduced that someone has had an impact on his mindset. I'm afraid it will cost my son the inevitable victory. And i have no one to blame..." Orochimaru stops talking as they sees Little Sarada on top of Little Mitsuki "But Sasuke-kun." Sasuke's daughter punches Orochimaru's son in the face.

"OUCH!" Little Sarada lets out a groan. "What are you made of?!?"

"I...uh..." Little Mitsuki panicks as he sees his rival broke her hand and wrist because of him. "Sorry..."

"I told you that you all have a screw loose." Log yells at everyone else.

Sarada is left jawdropped agyrt seeing how her younger self was humiliated. "That was embarassing."

"Fastforward to the important part." Mitsuki says.

"It's okay. It was expected, you know. My mother healed my hand. Everything is fine now." Little Sarada telss Little Mitsuki as she putsbher hand on his shoulder.

"I promised your father i will never hurt you. That i will always protect you from anything that threatens your safety." Little Mitsuki says, his head buried between legs.

"Look,i don't plan on becoming a damsel in distress. I appreciate your concern but you don't have to feel guilty for what happened to me. I should've trained much harder and become stronger than everyone else, including you." Sarada asserts.

"Why?" Little Mitsuki asks

"Because my dream is to become the greatest hokage of all time, silly." Little Sarada said and booped Little Mitsuki's nose, the latter blinks after she did that to him.

"You sound incredibly passionate..." Little Mitsuki sighed.

"What's your dream?"

"Me?"

"Yes. You. Who else do you think is supposed to answer this question?"

"I don't have any dreams."

"Come on, don't be ridiculous. That life you're living is so boring if you have no purpose."

"I have been told that my birth was the will of gods. I guess you will have to be waiting till i find the answer you're eager to hear now."

"That's not what i wished for but i suppose it's still cool to know you too are going to have your own adventures. Why aren't you excited?"

"Perhaps the reason for that is i have yet to have a dream of my own.

"Oh...that...actually makes sense."

"Yeah..."

Little Sarada wrapped her arms around Little Mitsuki's arms and leaned onto his shoulder.

"I almost forgot... What is your name?"

"Mitsuki."

"I am Sarada."

"I know."

"I thought you were a cool guy."

"Did i disappoint you?

"Yes."

"Sorry."

"You may be even cooler than my papa."

"What?"

"I should be hating on you but i can't. I am angry at myself for that."

"Hmph..."

And then Mitsuki and Sarada come back to primordial world.

"Ada rewrote the history to alter my memories. Because of Kawaki, i was rubbed of so many precious memories but there was one constant in my life that didn't fade away:You." Mitsuki utters as he is unbuttoning his black and dark blue trenchcoat. "My brother made me think that Boruto is my sun. Boruto,son of Naruto Uzumaki who saved the shinobi world. Beacon of hope, child of prophecy, he has been given multiple aliases. Log thought that Boruto was the right person to guide me for he would never fall to darkness. Ada altered almost everyone's memories and in my mind, Kawaki was the person Boruto was supposed to be. Kawaki messed up, which made me question the nature of reality and i came to realize a subtle truth."

Mitsuki transports his trenchcoat into a dimension in which Mitsuki stored his weapons and tools using the summoning tag wrapped around his left wrist under the separate arm sleeves.

Showing off his shredded upper half, It's the first time to see Mitsuki with six tomoe marks on his chest. Mitsuki also wears a crescent moon necklace made of moonstone and silver that Sarada gifted him on his 13th birthday.

"The bond Boruto and I formed was never as strong as i believed it was. He was indeed a bright child who encouraged me at times and i considered him a dear friend of mine's, but he was living in his own world. He often didn't exist in my life. Boruto was never the sun to my moon because i never really idolized him, always made sure he learnt from his mistakes." Mitsuki asserts.

"But there you were. Perhaps i was drawn to you because of the genes i inherited from my parent Orochimaru who was always obsessed with Uchiha. But ever since we met and were put in the same team, i looked up to you and unconsciously followed your footsteps. You were the one who was guiding me all along. You were there for me when nobody else was. You loved to hang out with me not just to know me better but also to help me become independent. You wanted to be by my side because you found peace when we were together. Think about it..." Mitsuki continues.

Sarada shut her eyes, trying to make a sense out of all that came out of Mitsuki's words. Sarada never hated symbolism and metaphors,but rather that she believed Mitsuki was obsessed with them to no end. She hypothetized that the reason for that could be the loose sense of identity or lack of a defined purpose in life. However, after what she heard a few moments earlier,it seemed to her that Mitsuki had finally realized what his goal is.

"It doesn't matter if i truly am your sun or not. I'll make sure to become one to save you from the limitless void you are trapped in. That's my promise,Mikki." Sarada asserts,with a bright smile on her face.

"That's what i was talking about." Mitsuki shuts his eyes,wearing a half-smile.

"One thing that bothered me in this last four years was that everything was about Boruto and Kawaki. You distanced yourself from me and no matter how much i tried,i could not really figure out if you chose one of those idiots over me. Not that it makes much of a difference now. Had you not chosen separation,you wouldn't be here prepared to beat me into a pulp if that's what it takes to bring me back to the village." Mitsuki glowers.

"You know that's not true! Boruto is there fighting for his life and doesn't really have anyone out there to back him up if bunch of bastards decide to hunt him down!" Sarada insists.

"Boruto was far more powerful than you when he left and he had Sasuke-san on his side! You were only risking your life and almost got yourself killed because of Kawaki! There was no sane for you to do what you did in all those years! You should've had faith in Boruto and valued your life because without you,all hope will he lost!" Mitsuki yells at Sarada.

"What are saying..?"

"The cloud of optimism has blinded your judgement. You may be able to reason with so many people,but there will come a day you will not be capable of empathizing with someone. Either because they are irredeemable or that they don't wish to be saved...You can't save everyone,Sarada. It doesn't worth to risk your life in doing so,because it's upon Boruto as the man who is slowly beginning to truly understand Kawaki's pain."

"I highly doubt that you plan to spare Kawaki."

"Kawaki is much too dangerous to be left alive. I have to get rid of him before he manages to fully masters his powers. He is unhinged and unpredictable,i won't allow him to take the lives of my loved ones or any other living being."

"Mitsuki..."

"What did Ada do to deserve such a horrific death?"

Tears falling from his cheeks,Mitsuki covers his eyes. "Neither Code nor I could save her. I could only just to see how she lost the single ray of hope she had kept in her heart for all her life."

"It's never too late. We may be able to fix it all."

"Only if you follow my lead this time around."

"What is your goal?"

"My goal...is to achive true peace. Not just for humans but all living beings. That includes Otsutsukis as well. This is an ambitious goal. A revolution on multiversal scale."

"Are you out of your right mind? Humans, Otsutsukis and Tenkajoyos have antagonized each other for billions of years! There is no way you can put an end to this conflict so easily! There will be an interdimensional war like no other and countless lives will be lost!"

"What if the one who wishes to settle all the matters shares the same blood with the three species?"

"No way..."

"A hybrid with royal blood of three supreme species flowing in his veins shall be given the authority to rule over the creation itself. But before that,a sacrifice must be made."

"That's why you came here,huh?"

"You always wished to know about my heritage. You asked me if i had a mother or if it was my parent Orochimaru themself who gave birth to me and that i am not really a clone? You came up with so many theories and to be honest,they were weird but interesting nontheless."

Mitsuki summons his 2 meters long sword. Muramasa sword which is in it's sheath that is decorated with jewels and a kanji sentence "Seikyo no Kishin" written on it which translates to "Demon Death God".

"Everything you know about the nature of my birth is true, although it's half of all you should be aware of. I am a synthetic human whose genetics were modified to be perfect in order to carry the power of gods. I am a partial of clone of Toneri Otsutsuki,therefore i descend from Hamura and Mirina Otsutsuki. For your information,Mirina Otsutsuki was a princess but considered to be an abomination for mere fact that she was daughter of Otsutsuki King and Dragon Queen. Two thousand years ago she came to our universe in order to reclaim Kaguya's chakra but fell in love with Hamura who guided her to the path of righteousness and became one with her. The source of Mirina's power is from an ancient god that Tenkajoyo clan worshipped. He is called Ryujin,and in the last two eons ever since Hamura and Mirina,no one was ever able to draw power from that god. I am the first person since my paternal ancestors to muster the true might of both Otsutsuki and Tenkajoyo clans as a human being."

"You said paternal? Does that mean you have a biological mother?"

"Yes. Sometime before the birth of Boruto, my father Toneri became ill for a short period of time. Hinata-hime learnt about it and rushed to his side,and healed his wounds. My Father kept Hinata-hime's chakra inside himself for it was his share of the woman he unconditionaly loved, which partially transforming his genes just like your father whose life was saved by Karin-san and that became one of main two reasons you are wearing glasees."

"..."

"Listen to me, back then i always told you that i will always support your dream to become hokage but i learnt to see the whole picture. You should never be a hokage."

"Mitsuki,i know where you are coming from but i genuinely believe i can change the shinobi system!"

"Just like Naruto-san did,right?" Mitsuki mocks Sarada.

"What?" Sarada is caught off guard.

"This shinobi system is founded by a man driven by fears and ready to terminate whole bloodlines if that's all it takes to protect his nation. Let me tell you the story of a boy whose dream was to become the most powerful ninja of all time,to be a hokage who puts an end to all the war and conflict. Do you know what led to Uchiha Downfall?"

"My uncle Itachi slaughtered his clan because he was tired of shedding blood and sweat for them. He left the village and turned into a rogue ninja who shortly afterwards joined Akatsuki."

"It seems your father didn't tell you the truth. It was the government who ordered Itachi to eradicate Uchiha off the face of earth. Fourty years ago, it was masked man who summoned kyuubi and because of that person, thousands of civillians and shinobis were killed. Danzo speculated Uchiha clan were responsible for the tragedy,but he didn't know it was an outsider who did that. Obito was a chunin of the village,who was said to have given his life to save his friend Kakashi. He was saved by a mysterious man and became his shadow. Obito was Madara's puppet who aimed to destroy the village. The Uchiha inside were deemed guilty and were oppressed and ostracized,while Obito manipulated your grandfather's subordinates for his own benefit. Uchiha plotted a coup d'etat to overthrow Konoha government for treating them fairly,and there was Itachi who was a conflicted double spy forced to make the toughest decision one could possible make. Itachi did what he did to prevent a world war and deaths of millions of innocent children."

Sarada freezes.

Mitsuki has been staring at the ground and now turns his gaze to Sarada.

She is on the verge of crying.

"There is no need for me to tell you what our Tsubasa-sensei and Boruto went through. As long as this shinobi system exists, there will be child soldiers who have to make sacrifices. Races to be eradicated. Nations start wars because of difference in religious views, pillaging other territories for money, invading other regions to gain more influence, killing people out hatred or for revenge. Many do it just to enjoy seeing their victims perish. This cycle of suffering shall not end until someone stands up in the face of injustice and cruelty to fight back. I shall be the one who crushes the corrupted systems of all worlds. You have no place in such world. I won't allow you to serve a system founded on blood of countless innocent lives."

"What is the difference between you and Kawaki?

"I will not commit genocide. Kawaki's mindset is hypocritical in essence as he is ready to kill whoever stands in his way while be pretends he is only trying to save the village."

"But what if you die fighting for your ideals?"

"You and I are the same regarding that matter. I am not a suicidal maniac,but if my sacrifice is all it takes to turn my ideals into a reality then i will gladly give my life knowing everyone will be happy and safe."

"You know that i am not gonna let you do that,right?"

"Then join me,Sarada. Together,we can do anything. There is no need for you to oppose me."

"I can't do that unless i betray my ideals."

"I see..."

Mitsuki draws out Muramasa out from it's sheath. The scarlet-colored sword starts to shine,thirsting for blood. "It's said that Muramasa is a cursed sword that corrupts the wielder as the time passes,slowly turning them into ruthless murderers. But if the one is mentally strong enough,they are able to resist the temptations and use this weapon for justice. This is a weapon that bypasses indestructible defenses and targets the soul to erase the impurities. Before ascension, i have to get rid of the unnecessary thoughts and emotions to become a perfect vessel to host the powers of gods."

"Are you sure that's what truly wish for?" Sarada says as she activates her mangekyou sharingan.

"Those who wish to hurt you...I shall crush their dreams...no one has the right to take you away from me..." Mitsuki says as he stabs himself in the heart In order to break the seal that prevents him from reaching his fullest potential.

"Mitsuki!" Shouts Sarada as she leaps toward Mitsuki.

A torrent of water wraps itself around Mitsuki's body,the drops of water burn through Sarada's flesh,forcing her to jump back as she figures the water is not harming her friend.

"Curse the fate for this unforgivable plot!" Mitsuki utters,and the torrent of water pulls him inside the endless ocean of primordial world.

Sarada summons her Crimson Red Perfect Susanoo and reaches for Mitsuki only to stop in middle of air as she hears a warning in the back of her mind.

"That rivers of abhorrence, concealment, woe, lamentation and fire enter that ocean. If someone like you jumps into that,the best case scenario is they will be erased from the timeline instantly. Direct contact with that ocean in this place will be your doom." Says Katsuyu.

"What is Mitsuki planning to do,Katsuyu-san?" Sarada asks her mentor.

"I remember my grandfather telling me story of a mythological spear that was used to create worlds. Based on what i witnessed here,it seems the tale was a legend based on the weapon Hamura Otsutsuki created eons ego and buried it deep inside the cosmic ocean. It's said that the weapon can turn one into an omnipotent entity. If a person with dangerous ideology finds it,they shall gain the ability to shatter the very fabric of reality itself on a really vast scale. Ameno Sakahoko is the name of that spear."

"Are you implying that Mitsuki is destined to claim ameno sakahoko for himself?"

"Indeed. He is now bonding with the ocean and ameno sakahoko will become part of his identity, thus no one shall be able to steal it from him even if he dies. But even someone as talented as him should train three years to gain full control over such weapon."

Sarada senses a danger coming and flies backward.

An impact from the deepest pits of cosmic sends shockwaves that shake the entire planet, Mitsuki awakens and flies toward the sky, charging toward Sarada, breaks through her susanoo, wraps his arms arounds around Sarada's body.

In less than an attosecond, Mitsuki crosses three hundred sextillion kilometers to protect Sarada from running out of lifespan and falling to madness due to being so close to the ocean.

Mitsuki let's go out of Sarada and as he is falling on his knees, Sarada finds herself in another dimension. Not the universe they belong to. That seems to be a creation of ancient sages to her.

This was the plan to get out of the primordial world because it's environment puts devastating toll on Sarada's body due to unique laws of physics and metaphysics.

"Mitsuki..." Sarada says as he reaches for her friend.

As soon as Mitsuki's hands touch the ground, he enters his dragon sage mode. His new body adapting as he is summoning the strength of mayhem. The aura he releases so intense it could effortlessly shatter the fabric of reality. It only leaves a crater on the ground, rupturing the planet that is thirty times larger than earth.

'Mitsuki's chakra pool is comparable to Prime Juubi level in terms of potency. He is not joking around...' Sarada raises on her feet, levitating in air as the byakugou seal spread over her body and summons a body sized perfect susanoo.

Black clouds forming in the sky, bolts of lightning striking the ground as Mitsuki stands on his feet. Now looking more like a feral beast than a human being. Locking gazes with Sarada with determination.

"Time to settle this..." Says Mitsuki, as the heavenly jeweled spear appears in his left hand. "Sarada."

"If you say so..." Sarada summons Ameno Murakumo as well,prepared to go all out.

"I will never leave you alone. Not again." Sarada asserts.

Sarada leaps toward Mitsuki and targets his left shoulder, Mitsuki stands still,raises his left arm to block Sarada's sword attack and at the mean time waving hand signs. Sarada notices that and right when she thinks of flying away, a hand grabs her collar which shocks her. 'Shadow clone..!' Mitsuki's shadow clone slams her into the ground and drags her for thousands of kilometers till Sarada turns the tides and punches Mitsuki, a brawl starts in midst of air and the fighters exchange blows till Sarada's fist and Mitsuki's leg connect. Sarada uses her feet to slow down and finally stop her from moving any further. Mitsuki's shadow clone uses his claws to achive the same and charges at Sarada similar to a hungry predator.

Sarada weaves seals using her left hand to create four shadow clones of her own. Her clones corner Mitsuki's clone while she turns back to react on time to block a punch from Mitsuki, who flips on Sarada's shoulder and kicks her on the back and jumps up to the sky. Sarada turns around and figures Mitsuki's waving hand signs again. 'Dammit...he is too fast...'

'Water style:great water dragon jutsu!' A sea of water taking form of a dragon and roaring as it attacks Sarada. Sarada leaps backward and waves tiger hand sign. 'Fire style:majestic destroyer flame jutsu!' The two jutsus of opposing elements collide and cause steam to cover a vast area.

'Summoning art:shadow snake assault jutsu!' Serpents start raising from under the ground to grab Sarada by her feet. Sarada flies away and slashes through several hundreds of them. 'Lightning style:Chidori senbon!' Sarada shoots a rain of blades down on the snakes and then targets Mitsuki's using the same jutsu.

'Not bad...' not bothering to dodge, Mitsuki's clone allows chidori senbons to hit him and Sarada witnesses how all of them shatter and turn to dust. Mitsuki's clone smirks and creates a bow made of purple lightning with his left hand and with his right hand creates a purple arrow,aims at Sarada before she gets to chance to charge toward him and prevent him from using this technique. 'Lightning style:rain of death!' The arrow flies at an incredible speed and Sarada is left with no chance but to flee and hide behind the planets nearby. Mitsuki's uses shadow clone jutsu to turn that arrow into twenty thousand unstoppable blades that penetrate stars and planets, causing a series or catasthropic events in the solar system.

Sarada stops moving in midair, shields her body with her susanoo's wings and releases a massive shockwave that obliterates all the incoming purple lightning blades along with the solar system Mitsuki and her were in.

'Yasaka no magatama!' Sarada summons eight extremely dense crimson tomoes, and fires them at Mitsuki's clone.

The dragon sage substitutes himself with his clone after dealing with Sarada's shadow clones, catching the uchiha prodigy by surprise.

Mitsuki swings ameno sakahoko seven times and one by one, the yasaka no magatama disappear and that leaves one. Mitsuki slices through the fabric of space infront of himself, opens a portal infront of himself and bridges it to another spot in space behind Sarada's back, the last tomoe connects with Sarada's body and leaves a massive explosion, sending her toward Mitsuki.

Mitsuki charges at Sarada and delivers a roundhouse on her chest just to see her turn into a large murder of crows. 'Itachi-san must be proud of her.' The crows start engorging then their eyes turn red, and they blow up at the exact same time.

Mitsuki flies toward Sarada at a blinding speed but Sarada is able to react on time and catch his hands before he can land a hit on her. "You can't gain the upper hand on me using distractions,Sarada."

"About that..." Sarada leans back a bit, gathering a chunk of chakra in her head then headbutts Mitsuki on his forehead, cracking his horn as a result and knocks him back, forcing him to retreat and get a few meters away from Sarada.

"Tch." Mitsuki grunts, his horn is healed instantly. "Not bad." Mitsuki admits.

"You used hand signs three times before casting those jutsus. I was paying attention to see if i can find slightest distortion in flow of your chakra. It appears that you no longer need to wave hand signs at all." Sarada deduces based on what she witnessed earlier in the fight.

Mitsuki smirks. "Show me why Sasuke-san is so proud of you."

An explosion.

An instant later, Sarada sees an ocean of water beneath her feet, several hundred kilometers away from Mitsuki and her.

Just as Sarada's intuition warns her to move away, a gigantic serpent made of water grabs her and tries to bite and penetrate her thick susanoo armor just for the watet serpent to break it's fangs. The serpent slams Sarada into the ocean.

Mitsuki raises his right arm and starts spinning ameno sakahoko above his head right as his water serpent catches Sarada. In the empty void, Mitsuki generates an astronomical dragon made of purple lightning that dwarfs the sun in Mitsuki's and Sarada's timeline. "It's gonna sting, Sarada."

Not allowing Sarada the chance to break free from hold of water serpent, Mitsuki's dragon roars and dives into the ocean. The temperature is so high that all the water gets vaporized shortly upon impact. The absurd electric current that reaches twelve orders of magnitudes passes through Sarada's body.

Mitsuki watches as Sarada heals from the mere flesh wounds, showing no sign of fatigue or dizziness. Mitsuki can sense that Sarada is only annoyed, glaring at him with her cursed crimson eyes that are beacon of hope.

The anger fuels Sarada's motivation and makes her chakra more potent than before. Sarada claps her hands and summons an asteriod with density of trillion kilograms per meter and around the same size as the moon. The asteroid hits Mitsuki on the back and Sarada flies upward and charges toward Mitsuki to punch him in the chest so hard that he is sent flying backward and the asteriod gets obliterated.

Mitsuki enters a blue star and starts to manipulate it's core, absorbing all elements except for iron. Boosting the speed of chemical process and breaking the balance between radiation and gravity inside the core of the blue star, Mitsuki forcefully causes a supernova explosion that lays waste to the entire solar system.

A feat impossible for normal shinobis. In fact, one has to possess extraordinary imagination prowess and genius intelligence along with chakra reserves on par with kurama.

Mitsuki then concentrates all the mass in surrounding space into a single spot, creating a singularity with infinite density, giving birth to a black hole using his incredible mental prowess and chakra control. The black hole quickly grows bigger than the planet they landed on after leaving the primordial world. Mitsuki kicks the black hole and shoots it at Sarada.

'Dammit...' Sarada takes a deep breath, draws ameno murakumo from it's sheath and coats it with golden lightning. She swings it and sends a barrage of lightning bolts inside of the black hole.

The particle-antiparticle pairs inside the black are pulled outside of it as Sarada commands it. Sarada prevents the destruction of those pairs, therefore black hole starts to shrink and loses mass rapidly. An event that would usually takes gogols of years to happen, occurs in matter of seconds. The bearers of chakra and those who can mold nature energy in their body are able to bend the laws of physics, and that way a bolt of lightning can be shot faster than light. For instance, Hagoromo was able to travel infinite distance in a mere instant using no space-time jutsu, relying only on sheer speed gained after rigorous training and perfecting his chakra control in his teenage days.

Evaporation of black hole. The tremendous dark sphere dies in a blaze of glory, and it's destruction serves no purpose other than releasing all the energy it absorbed just moments earlier.

It appears that not even the cosmic radiations have any sort of effect on Mitsuki and Sarada. If ordinary ninjas with limited knowledge on the capacity of potential of carrier of chakra were to witness clash of dragon sage and uchiha prodigy, they would think they are looking at two invincible gods who will fight to the end of eternity.

However, Mitsuki and Sarada are fully aware of each other's capacity. The battle's only just getting started.

Mitsuki tilts his head to crack his neck, shrugging his shoulders as ameno sakahoko disappears.

Sarada pulls out her susanoo's twin katana from the sheaths on her back and sets them on fire. Not any ordinary fire but holy fire that is summoned from heaven itself. Sarada is the first uchiha who gained possession of this divine blessing unlike her predecessors who could only wield inferno flames.

"Just as i expected." Mitsuki grins, and makes his own twin katanas with ice style. "You truly are different from the rest of the uchiha."

"Come!" Sarada declares.

Mitsuki and Sarada let out their battle cry that shake the sky, charging toward each other.

The swords connect and release a shockwave that crush the universe to oblivion. They start exchanging strikes as they move and cross different corners of the cosmos.

After three minutes, Mitsuki manages to lock one of Sarada's flame swords with his ice swords. Sarada aims to pierce Mitsuki's abdomen. Mitsuki absorbs the holy fire.

'What?' Sarada is surprised to see that.

'Of course he can do that.' Lady Katsuyu says in spiritual plane shared between her and Sarada.

'What is that supposed to mean?!?'

'You see, the otsutsuki may not be safe from your holy fire, neither are the tanjoyoko. Mitsuki breaks the rule because he not only bathed in ocean of primordial world, but also awakened his divine genes passed down to him by Hamura Otsutsuki who is the supreme ruler of not just primordial world but also heavens too.'

'You mean he's...like what...fireproof now?'

'I guess that'll be a correct way to describe his current state.'

'Amazing..! Do you know anything else about the abilities he may have gained after using cheat code?'

'Luckily for you, he didn't have enough time to obtain invulnerable body. He can't summon water from primordial water nor can he open a portal to that place.'

'That means i have to beat him or i'll look like a total fraud if i lose and...'

'...'

'Forget it.'

"Too dull!" Mitsuki murmurs and then starts kicking Sarada on the chest, first right foot then left foot then right foot again. Mitsuki finishes the combo by doing a side flip kick and moves toward Sarada for another combo.

Mitsuki delivers a raising uppercut on Sarada's jaw with his left fist and hits her with another side flip kick.

Mitsuki turns his katanas into a warhammer and smashes it into Sarada's chest, sends her flying to other side of universe. Sarada crashes into the barrier that separates this universe from the void of multiverse.

The left side of Sarada's jacket is torn apart after the attack, and six of her lower ribs broken. Sarada takes her jacket off and throws it away. Mitsuki flies toward him and the moment he sees Sarada's necklace, he freezes in midair.

"You didn't think that i forgot about this,did you?" Sarada grunts as she heals her broken ribs, with a sad expression on her face.

"I always preferred to believe that it was the most precious gift you have ever received from anyone." Mitsuki responds, a glum smile appears on his face.

"Like the necklace you are wearing,huh?"

"Yeah..."

Date:Mar.28th 2039

Over fourteen months has passed since the day Kawaki sealed Naruto and Hinata inside Isshiki's timeless dimension. So many people are still unable to cope with the fact that their lord seventh and byakugan princess were killed in their own village, at the hands of the boy they adopted and cherished as if he was their flesh and blood. That is what the leaf village believe to be the reality, for majority of them that is the case.

The streets have not been so unwelcoming and gelid for those who mourn the death of their beloved heroes.

And then there are certain individuals whose hearts are filled with sorrow and regret for different reasons. Those who remember what truly happened, those who can see the true enemy.

'For how long am i supposed to pretend that i don't want to knock Kawaki's teeth out? I don't even know if dad is doing well? I hope that idiot Boruto isn't annoying dad with his foolish antics. Gah, i hate worrying about that heedless gremlin of all people while i should be keeping an eye on the sassy emo boy.' Sarada thinks as she walks down her path to home with hands in her jacket's pockets, looking down, not paying attention to her surroundings.

A boy wearing dark out fit approaches Sarada that brings her out of her thoughts with his cold but stable aura. Sarada is not a sensor but there is one presence she's quite familiar with. Each and every single fiber in Sarada's body are sensitive to the chakra that belongs to the person she spends the most of her free time of duty period: Mitsuki.

To Sarada, it seemed like Mitsuki was gonna walk past her but he stands on her right side and stays still, not saying anything nor looking at her at all.

"Your ears." The first words that come out of Mitsuki's mouth.

"Oh, the earring holes... My mother asked me if i wanted to pierce my ears and wear earrings, i thought it wasn't a bad idea." Sarada says. "Sharp eyes."

"I assume Sakura-san's already have something for you as she came up with this idea days before you celebrate your birthday." Mitsuki speculates. 'Sasuke-san is the one who gifts you a pair of earrings, i suppose...' Mitsuki thinks, refuses to say that to Sarada as that will only upset her.

"I guess you are right." Sarada replies. "That dark purple nail polish looks good on your hands."

"You can thank my parent later if you ever met them again."

"Orochimaru-san really is a classy one. You sure have inherited that fashion sense from your mysterious parent."

"I wish that means you are one of few who don't hate my parent."

"There's no reason for me to be scared of the current Orochimaru-san. I'm just wary of them because...well...they seem to be overly secretive and tight-lipped."

"Hmph. Is that so?" Mitsuki asks, then wears a mischevious grin.

"In their defense, they probably act this way to appear charming in people's eyes." Sarada replies, raises her hands in air and shrugs her shoulders.

"Just like me, right?" Mitsuki asks as he puts his left hand on his hip and leaning a bit to the left side

"Yes." Sarada says, smiling.

"Ada is waiting for me. I wished they would give us a break, but crime never sleeps."

"Do you two weirdos get along with each other?"

"If it continues like this, i guarantee you will eventually be jealous of Ada."

"Don't you dare replacing me with that ticklish damsel, Mikki."

"Now that you mention it, i don't see Sumire around. You two are always supposed to be stuck. Strange to see you here walking around all by yourself without your new bestfriend."

"..."

"..."

Sarada scratches back of her head, unable to come up with a cool comeback. Mitsuki pats her on shoulder and starts to walk away.

"See you around." Mitsuki waves hand.

"Take care." Sarada says loudly.

 

Date:Mar.31th 2039

Sarada's birthday party was oddly pleasant for everyone excluding Ada who was uncomfortable in public, and Mitsuki who has began to get annoyed by loud noises.

Sarada picked up and put all the gifts she received in her bedroom with help of Mitsuki decided to be the last person leaving.

Sarada and Mitsuki come out of the room, seeing Sakura who has finished cleaning the house.

Sakura has her back pressed against the wall and staring at the teenagers, arms folded infront of her chest.

"Sakura-san, may i borrow your daughter for a couple of minutes?" Mitsuki asks Sakura who raises an eyebrow.

"Where are your manners, Mitsuki?!" Sarada asks Mitsuki and grabs his wrist, her eyes twitching.

"...Please."

"That feeling of objectification has not faded away, you know."

"That was a figure of speech, Sarada."

"You better watch your tongue the next time."

"I'll try."

"That's not enough."

"Deal with it."

"You-"

"Oi!" Sakura lets her voice be heard.

"Yes, ma'am." Mitsuki and Sarada say that at the same time.

"You better hurry up, or you'll have to feel the wrath of strongest kunoichi in konoha."

"Gotcha!" Mitsuki wraps his arm around Sarada and teleports away.

"Silly kids..." Sakura sighs.

Mitsuki's destination is hokage rock and he lands on top of Minato's head.

"I admit that you are hella fast." Sarada says as she turns to Mitsuki.

"Save that for later. Close your eyes."

"You better not be planning to steal my first kiss, Mikki." Sarada says, pouting.

"Haha, we laughed mad loud for a bit." Mitsuki responds in a mocking tone. "I'm barely thirteen, uchiha-san." Mitsuki pokes Sarada on forehead.

"Ouch." Sarada rubs her forehead. "That was me being sarcastic."

"And that poke was to show you i have class." Mitsuki takes Sarada's hands in his own hands and covers her eyes with the palms of her hands. "No peeking."

"Let's see what you've got for me." Sarada says, a shade of sarcasm apparent in her warm and loud voice.

"You are allowed to open your eyes now."

"Uh-oh..." Sarada slowly lowers her hands and gradually and hesitantly opens her eyes, her heart pounding so hard she feels like it will explode. She is embarassed at herself for being unbelievably excited. 'Future hokage? Puff, jokes on me. I am nothing but a baby.'

"So?" Mitsuki asks, now with a gentle tone.

"Just like what Tsubasa-sensei is used to say: Magnificent!" Sarada responds as she reaches for the marvelous treasure in Mitsuki's hands.

Mitsuki's gift is a necklace. Thin gold chains with a eight-pointed star shaped symbol made of sunstone in red color. It is certainly not the most expensive gift Sarada has received, but probably her favorite after the earrings she is wearing that are created by her father.

Mitsuki goes behind Sarada and clips the necklace around Sarada's bare neck. Sarada shakes uncontrolably at touch of the metal but soon a phenomena catches her onyx eyes.

After Mitsuki finished putting the necklace on Sarada's neck, the star shaped gem starts shining bright. It really does fascinate Sarada.

"Let me guess,you made this cutie yourself." Sarada assumes.

"Yes." Mitsuki says, smiling.

"Did you use yin-yang release method or..."

"I mastered the craft. It took me two days but it seem it did worth it."

"You kidding? I fricking love it so much."

"You're welcome."

"Oh...you used this symbolism again..."

"..."

"Don't get me wrong, i know my mangekyou sharingan has the same shape as this symbol, but still....i...i just...i dunno."

"No,you are right. Your eyes inspired me. Nothing more, nothing less."

There comes a suffocating silence. The wind blows Mitsuki's hair, hiding his golden eyes from Sarada.

Sarada runs her fingers through Mitsuki's hair and slides it to side so she could see his beautiful face. Sarada caresses Mitsuki's cheek, wrapping one arm around his neck and one around his waist, pulls him into a hug, embracing his cold body in her toned arms.

"Thank you...for everything." Sarada says as she holds Mitsuki tighter.

Mitsuki doesn't move, just rests her chin on Sarada's shoulder.

Date:Present Time-Nov.27th 2042

Mitsuki remembers some moments from the past he cherishes, losing focus on the battle, allowing Sarada to gain the opportunity to wave hand signs needed to cast shadow clone jutsu.

Ten shadow clones surround a distracted Mitsuki and jump on him and start beating him up for mere seconds until Mitsuki uses substituition jutsu and gets in iajutsu stance after summoning ameno sakahoko.

"Eliminate all!" Mitsuki disappears from Sarada's sight.

Nearing infinite speed, Mitsuki flies around the universe and slashes through Sarada's shadow clones in a omnidirectional series of attacks, slicing through space itself and disregards their durability, watching Sarada's shadow clones vanish one by one in matter of an instant.

Sarada summons her perfect susanoo again along with gunbai before Mutsuki could cast Wind Style: Great Wind Whirlwind jutsu, expelling the chakra she kneaded in her body into holy fire and uses the chakra of Mitsuki's own attack to cast Fire Style: Great Fire Whirlwind jutsu, creating three enormous whirlwinds that knock Mitsuki back.

Sarada appears behind Mitsuki, strengthening the force of her punches by casting Earth Style: Ultra Added-Weight Rock jutsu and concentrating tremendous amount of chakra that she has been storing in byakugou seal in the last two years, into them and strikes Mitsuki in stomach so hard he crashes through the barrier of universe that shatters.

Mitsuki has no time to recover as his back hits the barrier of another universe.

"Channaro!" Sarada begins to deliver a remorseless and devastating flurry of punches as she shouts angirly at the friend who does not regret leaving her. Sarada screams because she can't forgive herself for hurting Mitsuki, for all there is that she can do is to try beating some sense into her beloved companion. Sarada has to convince Mitsuki what he is doing is wrong, because if she fails to do that, there is a strong chance he will die.

Sarada is afraid of that possiblity and she will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.

"GIVE UP!" Sarada yells at Mitsuki, striking him with the palms of her hands, sends him flying until he freezes in midair, gasping for a few moments and starts coughing blood, covering his mouth with his hands as he transforms back to the first stage of dragon king sage mode.

The hanging crescent moon necklace brings back Sarada to three years ago...

 

Date:Jul.25 2039

It's early in the morning, everyone is asleep while the sensory division are watching over the village. Nothing can be heard but the dawn chorus of birds.

'Is there something wrong?' Kohan asks Mitsuki telepathically using mind body transmission technique and chakra transmission communication device that expands the range of yamanaka clan's hiden jutsu and allows the sensory division to make contact with those who are fifteen kilometers away from the leaf village.

'No. Everyone's sleeping.' Mitsuki responds, standing in Ada's bedroom, barely a couple of feets distance between them.

'The night shift is over. You may leave now. I will make contact with Sarada and Sumire.'

'Yes, sir.' Mitsuki approaches Ada who has wrapped arms around a pillow, and puts a blanket over her. Mitsuki caresses Ada's cheek with back of his fingers.

Mitsuki is assigned to this mission not to befriend Ada and Daemon literally but to pretend that he loves to spend time with them and genuinely likes them.

Perhaps Mitsuki isn't of the kind who considers not hurting feelings of the people as he is logic-driven and blunt, that doesn't indicate he lacks empathy for certain individuals who share similar experiences with him.

Ada is a conflicted person and her thirst for love is something Mitsuki relates to. Mitsuki often thinks that he is alone in the world, and he can see that Ada is dealing with the very same irritating sense of melancholy.

Ada is skeptical but also optimistic at the same time. She claims that keeping silence is a wise move but when she is with Mitsuki, she becomes chatty and can go on and on for hours. Ada says she hates fighting but won't bat an eye if someone were to be killed for opposing her.

Mitsuki perceives Ada as a paradoxical existence who reminds him of not just himself but also Tsubasa Emiya, his genius mentor.

Mitsuki was able to bond with Ada because he truly believed that she deserves to be given a chance. He wishes happiness for Ada and considers her to be his companion.

At first, Mitsuki was yet another "cool guy" for Ada but shortly after she started to fraternize with him, Mitsuki grew on Ada. Ada tends to refer to Mitsuki as her Darkest Knight, and prefers keeping company with him than anyone else in konoha as he understands her the best and is always frank without being rude.

Mitsuki walks out of the bedroom, mentally stressed.

Mitsuki comes out of the house and spots Sarada who has her hands behind, Mitsuki knows that she is hiding something from him that will only just confuse him.

"You like to keep me waiting. I don't." Sarada approaches Mitsuki with firm steps and an awkwardly fierce look on her face.

Sarada stands close to Mitsuki, her chest almost touching his, gazing into his eyes.

"Okay..." Mitsuki murmurs.

Sarada is glad that Mitsuki can read her mind and save her the trouble of explaining herself and what she wants to say most of the time. And now Mitsuki shuts his eyes, without even being told to do so.

Sarada gently puts on a necklace on Mitsuki's neck and then pokes on his forehead.

"Here you go." Sarada says with enthusiasm, grinning.

Mitsuki lowers his head to look at the necklace Sarada gifted him.

Thin silver chain and a crescent moon shaped symbol made of moonstone that is glowing.

"I saw it coming and it still baffles me." Mitsuki says, looking at Sarada with a curious expression on his face.

"At first, i was really not interested in that sun and moon symbolism you are so obsessed with. But after my birthday, i don't really mind it." Sarada asserts, Mitsuki raises an eyebrow hearing that. "Because you are the moon. Don't waste your time on Boruto and Kawaki, you are my moon."

Mitsuki is left speechless, drowned in a sea of thoughts and doubts. Mitsuki hates when he can't find a proper answer.

Sarada leans forward and marks Mitsuki's left cheek with a gentle kiss.

Mitsuki presses his forehead against Sarada's with his eyes closed. Sarada interlocks fingers with Mitsuki's to comfort him. From time to time, Mitsuki forgets just how desperate he is for the warmth in Sarada's touch.

"Happy Birthday, Mikki."

"Yeah."

"You love it, right?"

"Absolutely."

 

Present Time

Mitsuki stares at his bloody hand in disbelief.

"You are pound-for-pound the single strongest person i have ever fought." Mitsuki admits and then covers his face with his left hand, his body still trembling because of the damage inflicted onto him.

"Hehehehehe..." Mitsuki starts laughing in a hair-raising manner, shaking Sarada to the core. "HAHAHAHAHAHAH"

Mitsuki's laughter is no longer sweet or genuine. It is sinister, twisted. He has finally snapped.

"THIS ENTIRE TIME YOU COULD'VE MOPPED THE FLOOR WITH SO MANY BASTARDS BUT YOU CHOSE TO WAIT JUST TO GO ALL OUT AGAINST ME?!?" Mitsuki shouts at Sarada, making her break into sweats.

'The ritual is now showing it's side effects.' Katsuyu says in the mental plane.

'Since Mitsuki couldn't fully rewrite his DNA, his mind is unable to withstand the pressure of the incomplete power of primordial ocean bestowed upon him. Is that what you were gonna say, Katsuyu-san?' Sarada says, clenching her fists.

'You have to put an end to this fight. Mitsuki is unhinged, far too dangerous than he has ever been.'

'Are you done?'

'Yes.'

'Good.'

Sarada returns back from mental plane and sets her eyes on Mitsuki.

"I will save you, Mitsuki." Sarada insists.

"I don't want you to save me, Sarada." Mitsuki asserts.

Sarada forms a rasengan in her right hand, and makes it bigger than planet earth itself.

Mitsuki gathers chakra in his left hand and transforms it into stream of black electricity.

Sarada attacks with her ultra big-ball rasengan, Mitsuki quickly flies towards it and tries to deflect the planetary sphere using his dark chidori as he lets out a cry of rage.

Mitsuki releases an electric discharge from his left hand, cancelling Sarada's rasengan as a result.

Mitsuki spots Sarada who shots an arrow after amplifying it's speed with wind style, using a red bow that is her perfect susanoo's special weapon, it travels so fast space around it is distorted. Mitsuki summons muramasa sword and cuts the arrow in half, and the two halves of arrow melt away instantly.

Mitsuki cuts his forearm open with muramasa sword before it starts to thirst for Sarada's blood, boosting his physical prowess and strengthening his chakra by boiling the energy flowing within him, Mitsuki transports back muramasa sword to the spiritual plane and charges at Sarada.

Sarada tries to defend herself from Mitsuki's punch with her bow, but the dragon sage's claw breaks it apart. Mitsuki punches Sarada on abdomen, then on face, then uppercuts her and at last delivers a knee kick.

"What is it that motivates you? Is it the urge to prove that you are not powerless and can save everyone around you? Or the overwhelming guilt you feel because Ada was killed and i went rogue?" Mitsuki yells at Sarada as he is grabbing her arms.

"Cut it out!" Sarada shouts at Mitsuki as she digs her fingernails into his neck and shoulder.

"Why are you so obsessed with Boruto and Kawaki?!"

"WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH ME?!?"

Mitsuki grits his teeth upon hearing that question and lets go of Sarada.

"Back then, you were worrying about Boruto the whole time, always told me that Hinata-san asked you to look after her reckless son. Kawaki came, and your desire to mimic seventh hokage became a reason for you to befriend Kawaki. You know that he regrets nothing at all, and you still wish to believe that there is still good in him." Mitsuki says, with a devastated look on his face.

"You said it yourself the best. If i lose my grasp on hope, i'll be nothing but a shell of my true self. Kawaki can pretend that he is all tough and merciless, but deep down he is the same broken child desperate for slightest bit of parental affection. His ideals are twisted but with Boruto's help, he can change for the good." Sarada claims, her lips curle into a smile , wearing a saddened expression.

"Ridiculous."

"You are so difficult."

Mitsuki and Sarada fly away in opposite directions without turning their back on each other.

Mitsuki and Sarada puff steam breaths, the first being of ice and the latter of fire.

"Who would've thought we would use those two techniques on each other?" Mitsuki says, releases tremendous amount of dark energy that takes form of an endless cold steam reaching thermodynamic temperature to absolute zero.

"You did, didn't you?" Sarada asks Mitsuki, as she expells gigantic amount of light energy that spreads around the space behind her, transforms into holy fire reaching the planck temperature.

 

Date:Sep.11th 2040

Ada is in the hall, sitting on the nine seater, drinking apricot banana smoothie through a straw.

"Here, have a sip." Ada offers Mitsuki to take a small mouthful of her drink.

"You don't have OCD?" Mitsuki asks Ada.

"I'll make an exception this time around." Ada says, outstretches her right arm and rests it on top of the sofa's frame.

Mitsuki leans in, tucks his hair behind his ear and puts his lips on the red straw, drinks a sip of the smoothie.

"Very appetizing." Mitsuki confesses, licking his lips.

"I might open my juice bar one day. Who knows maybe you will be there to lend me a hand in work." Ada says, giggling.

"If only thery was no tension in this world..." Mitsuki says, sighing.

Mitsuki outstretches his left arm and rests it on the top of sofa's frame.

Mitsuki and Ada put on one leg over the other at the same time, sitting crosslegged.

"That's what happens when you are together." Daemon says loudly as he jumps on the sofa and sits next to Ada. "You should never be left alone all by yourselves."

Then appears a man infront of the teens, jumpscaring Daemon.

"You-" Daemon is cut off as another one pops up out of nowhere.

"Your progress is awe-inspiring, Houki." Tsubasa says. "Keep it up and you will surpass some of your predecessors."

"That is only possible because of you, Tsubasa-sensei. You have my sincerest gratitude." Houki says.

"Hello everyone." Tsubasa says, patting Houki on his back.

Daemon disappears, sticks to the roof and leaps toward Tsubasa to hit him just to phase through his body.

"Are you a wizard or something?" Daemon asks Mitsuki, frowning.

"I am a sage of six paths." Tsubasa replies to the kneeling boy. "Ada."

"Handsome." Ada responds to Tsubasa.

"Keep this mini goblin away from me." Tsubasa asks Ada.

"Come here, Daemon." Ada tells her little brother who turns to Ada and then looks back at Tsubasa.

"I'll get my hands on you one day, pretty boy." Daemon says.

"You can't even achive that goal in your dreams. There is no shinobi on earth who stands slightest chance of victory against Tsubasa-sensei. Likes of Kakashi-senpai have stated that Tsubasa-sensei might be the single most powerful being in existence. You can consider him our failsafe asset." Houki states as he sits on other edge of the sofa.

"BS! There ain't no way this edgelord can defeat me!" Daemon shouts.

"You can brag about it all you want. I can't care less about spoiled brats with an ego the size of the universe." Tsubasa says.

Someone throws arms around Tsubasa's waist from back and hugs him tightly.

"I missed you dearly, sensei." Sarada says.

"You have grown stronger." Tsubasa says, knowing well that Sarada always hugs him to lighten his mood.

Sarada unwraps her arms around Tsubasa and goes to sit next to Mitsuki.

"You sit here hand in glove with Ada. My god, Mitsuki..." Sarada whispers in Mitsuki's ear, Ada hears her and nods her head.

"I hope all is well, Tsubasa-senpai." Sumire says as she gets past Tsubasa and sits beside Sarada.

Tsubasa spots a frozen Himawari behind him. Himawari's cheeks glistening with blush, gazing at Tsubasa with heart eyes.

Tsubasa approaches Himawari, lifts her up and puts her on sofa next to Houki while everyone are analyzing his each and every single movement.

"Hima." Tsubasa says, snapping fingers infront of Himawari's face.

"Are you an angel? If not then why are you so pretty?" Himawari asks Tsubasa, who turns to Houki and both roll their eyes and facepalm themselves.

"Whatever." Tsubasa says, patting Himawari on top of her head. "Sumire asked me to come here to share a piece of knowledge with you. My gosh i hate being a teacher to death. So boring." Tsubasa continues with his tongue in cheek.

"Then why on earth you waste your time mentoring these goons for two years?" Daemon asks Tsubasa who frowns after hearing her.

"Tragically, i have been cursed with this sense of responsiblity that pushes me to do what annoys me to death." Tsubasa responds. "Not like you would understand what it means. Anyway, it's history class time! Let's talk about ancient times."

"Aw man, you want to babble on and one and give me irks.

"And ancient gods."

"For real?!?"

"No for fake."

"That doesn't sound too bad, you know." Daemon says, his cheeks blooming.

"In the seventh century and after the death of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the cosmos became battleground of two demi-gods. They were the sage of six paths' sons: Indra and Ashura Otsutsuki. Indra was an outstanding prodigy among his peers, never surpassed by his descendants nor successors. Indra was an individualist who believed he could bring justice and order through force, and never relied on people. Hagoromo saw that and thought that Indra is not worthy to be the next leader of ninshu. Therefore on his deathbed, Hagoromo passed on his powers to Ashura, the younger son who wasn't particulary talented reached enlightenment. Overwhelmed by rage and hatred, Indra rebelled and waged war on followers of Ninshu all by himself."

"Indra was a real one for that. That is peak badassery." Daemon says, everyone turn to him and look at him with mixed feelings of disappointment and shock. "What?" Daemon folds his arms. "You can't change my mind."

"He battled Ashura for years but he failed to taste victory. Indra grew tired and decided to retreat. Indra sought to awaken his father's dojutsu, the rinnegan. But how?" Tsubasa continues, approaching Ada and bending over, waiting for an answer from her.

"He needed to mix both yin and yang chakra inside his body. After an indefinite period of time, knowing that Indra was a bearer of mangekyou sharingan, his eyes would evolve and transform into a single or a pair of rinnegan." Ada states.

"Bravo." Tsubasa pats Ada on shoulder. "You better take your taijutsu training seriously. You have untapped potential."

"If you say so." Ada says.

"Indra had absorbed a small portion of Ashura's chakra, and spent months on deep meditating, multiplying that chakra and then mixed it with his own chakra. After that, he could manifest fantasy and created a perfect avatar of himself, transplanting that avatar's mangekyou sharingan, activating eternal mangekyou sharingan as a result." Tsubasa goes on.

"That is cruel." Himawari says.

"Maybe. Who are we to judge?" Houki says.

"Indra finally attained a pair of nine tomoe rinnegan. Ashura had forseen that, thus he perfected his mastery over six paths sage mode, pushing himself to reach Indra's level." Tsubasa continues.

"We are lucky that things went down they way they did." Sumire says.

"I think not." Mitsuki responds.

"Tsk tsk tsk tsk." Sarada utters.

"Indra is not just ancestor of Uchiha, Emiya and Chinoike but also the creator of all forms of ninjutsu. He was a super genius and casually invented complex techniques and experimented on the environment to gain a proper understanding of reality. That is when he created a pocket dimension. Indra wanted to see what happens if space reaches it's boiling point. Indra released the inferno flames inside the pocket dimension and increased it's thermodynamic temperature until the interesting stuff appeared in a certain point." Tsubasa says.

"Planck temperature." Ada says.

"That's my girl." Tsubasa says, making Ada feel proud of herself and sees her cheeks redden. "Planck sized black holes started to form and flooded the cosmos with radiation and particles, triggered a big bang event."

"He was a nerd." Daemon pouts.

"Is there a problem?" Mitsuki turns to Daemon.

"Eh... in this case, i guess he is just way cool for me to slander him." Daemon says.

"Originally, there were two sages of six paths. Hamura was the co-inventor of six paths sage mode who landed on moon and decided to live there. He married a hybrid otsutsuki named Mirina Otsutsuki who bore him a daughter: Meigetsu Otsutsuki. A demi-goddess whose talents were said to surpass even that of the legendary Indra Otsutsuki, Mirina invented a fearsome technique that inspired Indra centuries later." Tsubasa explains.

"Sensei, you should tell me more about Meigetsu Otsutsuki." Sarada says.

"I will." Tsubasa says. "Mirina aimed to find the lowest possible negative thermodynamic temperature, thus she used her ice release and reached absolute zero temperature. The disorder disappeared at that point, all motion stopped which means time could no longer flow, and matters were obliterated on a subatomic level."

"What were the names of those jutsus?" Himawari asks Tsubasa.

"The first was called Genesis and the latter... Nemesis." Tsubasa answers Himawari.

 

Present Time

'I need more!' Sarada shouts.

'Roger that!' Katsuyu says.

In mere moments, Katsuyu channels immeasurable amount of nature energy into Sarada's body, enough to match Mitsuki's rather unparalled energy pool.

'I owe you one.' Sarada says.

'Don't mention it.' Katsuyu responds.

Mitsuki's dark energy enters nigh-infinite number of universes, crushing everything to oblivion.

Sarada's light energy also melts everything to other side, giving birth to infinite planck sized black holes.

Mitsuki concentrates all the concentrated energy he absorbed from the destroyed timelines and suppreses it into a form of blue moon.

Sarada does the exact same thing but instead of creating a moon, she manifests a star that is around twenty four times bigger than the lunar sphere Mitsuki made.

"You are the only one who can rival me, Sarada." Mitsuki asserts.

"I didn't want it to be this way." Sarada utters.

"It's over now."

"Forgive me, Mitsuki."

'Demonic Arts:Ice Style:Nemesis!'

'Divine Arts:Fire Style:Genesis!'

The warriors scream as they shoot the astronomical spheres at each other, pushing their bodies to their limits.

Mitsuki figures that Sarada's technique is overpowering his own, and chooses not to evade this attack from point blank range, embracing destruction to repent for the injuries he inflicted on Sarada during this fight.

Boom!

Mitsuki floating in space, knocked out of his sage mode, surrounding by newborn planets.

One instant, Mitsuki's body glows and the other it doesn't. Mitsuki has not accepted defeat, not yet.

Sarada watches as Mitsuki is regaining his consciousness, bloody tears coming out of her right eye after overusing the ameno uzume ability of her mangekyou sharingan which allows her to summon holy fire.

"You just won't stay down." Sarada mutters.

And a bloody tear falls from her left eye.

This is what kept Sarada safe from big bang's harm.

Amano Iwato.

Sarada transported her body to her personal domain before the explosion was triggered.

Sarada replaces the surrounding space with her dimension.

Chains are created from naught and bind Mitsuki to a torri gate.

"Impossible...how could i...lose..." Mitsuki drops his head out of shame.

 

Date:Feb.14th 2042

"He didn't came, right?" Mitsuki asks the girl who is sitting on bed, burying her face in the pillow she is hugging.

"I hate to say it, but it seems like Kawaki's heart is made of stone." Ada , throwing the pillow away and jumps out of the bed.

"How many times did i tell you Kawaki doesn't deserve your love, Ada?" Mitsuki utters, rubbing Ada's arms.

"This damn attraction won't let go of me." Ada murmurs, putting his hand on Mitsuki's chest.

"You cling to this bond because you think Kawaki feels lonely in this world just like you, yes?"

"There's a single dim ray of hope in my life, and it's the slim chance that Kawaki will love me back. I can still wait but i don't know exactly when i'll grow sick of this." Ada wraps her arms around Mitsuki, who runs his fingers through Ada's hair.

"You're risking everything."

"Even if that's true, You'll be there for me, my darkest knight."

Mitsuki says nothing just kisses Ada on top of her head and wraps his arm around her shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"You can count on me."

 

Date:Present Time

"I lied...again...and again...i failed..." Mitsuki mutters as cold tear stream down his face.

Sorrow, regret, humiliation, powerlessness, hate and rage.

Overwhelmed with negative emotions, Mitsuki snaps as he begins to absorb nature energy from Sarada's dimension.

"No..!" Sarada mutters as Mitsuki regains the strength he lost.

Mitsuki lets out a deafening roar that finds way to gates of heaven and hell, showing he is not bound by the laws of Sarada's domain.

Mitsuki generates enormous amount of lightning from himself, flooding Sarada's space-time, shattering the fabric of reality.

Mitsuki escapes Sarada's dimension, spots his opponent hyperventilating and severly fatigued, her body couldn't withstand the absurd level of energy it received, could barely even move or mold chakra.

Mitsuki flies toward Sarada who throws a weak punch, easilly grabs her hand and pokes her on forehead.

"Forgive me." Mitsuki says as Sarada loses her unconsciousness.

Mitsuki casted a special seal on Sarada which traps her conciousness in realm of dragon king for a short period of them.

Mitsuki's plan was to weaken Sarada to such an extent she will be unable to resist or break out of the realm quickly.

Mitsuki spent most of his remaining chakra to perform this technique. He summons ameno sakahoko to open a portal and passes through it just to fall on ground with Sarada's in his arms.

Mitsuki looks at Sarada's necklace that emits a dim light, and holds Sarada tighter.

Mitsuki stands up with Sarada in his arms and lays her next to another dear friend of his...

Code.

"I assure you, the victory will be our's." Mitsuki asserts.

[archerygun]

Wowee. This is a bit of an emotional one. Just warning you now.

I’ve been watching Ghosts pretty much since it came out. My dad surprised me with the first episode and refused to let me know what we were watching until I saw Ben Willbond’s face and was like “HOLD ON.”

(Nobody asked, but my favourite has always been the Captain because I’ve been obsessed with the Second World War since I was 7. My dad’s favourite is Robin, my mum’s is Kitty and my sister likes Pat).

It wasn’t niche then by any stretch of it. It’s always been popular, but it certainly wasn’t something your teachers plus the whole internet were cracking out the good wine for. (I proceeded to annoy everyone in my life by talking about it, little did they know that 3 years later they’d become equally obsessed by it).

And that doesn’t sound too special, but like. When Ghosts came out, I was in Primary School. Now I’m sitting my GCSEs. That’s fucking insane. Not even mentioning how it singlehandedly carried me through lockdown when I was dealing with a bigger workload than ever (online school just means strictish parents get to cross over into actually strict) and only had one friend to communicate with.

The first (and last) time I read proper fanfiction was when I was like 12 and looking through the Ghosts fandom because I was having a really, really bad time with paranoia and couldn’t sleep.

When we had our Year 10 mocks, my friend showed up half an hour late to our Chemistry exam after doing zero revision because she was bingewatching every episode of Ghosts to cope with exams. She gave me a rose for valentine’s this year with “I’m from Yorkshire mate, I’m practically made of tea.” on it. Her Yearbook quote is gonna be “I’m going to drown myself in the lake! I mean it!”

My Media Studies teacher found out I watched the show and started enthusiastically taking me through all of her theories about it before Season 4 came out. (She’s like sixty and her favourite show is Line of Duty by the way). Before Season 5 came out I asked her how she felt and she gave me a very excited “We’re getting out the good wine!!!”

So. My grandad died in 2022. Just before Christmas. They thought he’d make it to celebrate Christmas with us, but they’d overestimated. He had lung cancer, caused by working around asbestos as an industrial electrician. I genuinely cannot describe how much of a wonderful man he was. He was the best person I ever met, and more of a second dad than a grandad.

The last thing my grandad watched with us (we put a lot of importance on watching things as a family, at least in my family. Not sure if this is the same for everyone) was an episode of Ghosts. We thought it would be a laugh, because his end of the family are all from Sheffield and they’d introduced Maddocks. He was very out of it, and on an oxygen drip. He couldn’t really pay attention but he insisted on trying because he wanted to make us happy.

He died that week, on the day we had to leave. We were in the house when he started failing and all we could do was drive back down to London.

(Ghosts actually got a shoutout in the funeral. We’re a family with a sense of humour, and my grandad was the kind of man that results in a family debate about whether Ça Plane Pour Moi is an appropriate song for a funeral).

The Christmas episode that year broke me. In a good way. When they played Pat’s video tapes, I saw every photo of my dad’s family in the eighties in Yorkshire. It can’t be too hard to capture the energy, I’m sure, but I’ll tell you this. There wasn’t a dry bloody eye in the sitting room. My aunt even got their Christmas pictures out afterwards. My Sheffield family saw their childhoods on the screen and my London family saw my grandad.

It’s funny how things can end up being an accidental allegory or feel cosmically intentional.

I’m not saying this for pity, or to one-up anyone about my connection to the show. I just feel like if I don’t describe every detail, Ghosts’ impact on my life is going to be understated. And I’m more than happy that it will impact so many more people.

So, yeah. Thank you, Ghosts. I can’t think of a single piece of other media that’s been as impactful on my life. Thank you for being made with care and love and attention to detail and terminal levels of Britishness. Thank you for dealing with death and grief and healing in an entertaining way.

Thank you. For everything.

[wutheringmights]

Chapter 19: The Desperate Duel & The Ticking Temple Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Additional Tags: Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Alternate Universe, Character Study, War, world building, Trauma, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Political Intrigue, Found Family, Angst and Humor, Warriors is a very complicated person, Warriors also does not know Time is Mask, Warriors (Linked Universe)-centric, Canon-Typical Violence, Heavy Angst, Manipulation, Morally Ambiguous Character, Please read content warnings before each chapter, Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Physical Abuse, Implied Sexual Content, Power Imbalance, Implied/Referenced Torture, Blood and Injury, Disabled Character

Summary: “You are going to hear a lot of terrible things about me. Most of it is going to be true.”

Being the hero who saved Hyrule from a bloody war was a thankless job that left Warriors with more regrets than he cared to remember. He only started to heal after meeting his fellow heroes from across time and joining them on their quest to defeat the black-blooded monsters.

But when his time-hopping journey takes him back home, he finds his kingdom on the brink of war once more. This war threatens to ensnare not only Warriors, but his newfound family as well.

Warriors will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if that means becoming a traitor to the kingdom he gave up everything to save. But the harder Warriors works to protect his family, the more the secrets of his dark past come to life. Who is Captain Link Walton, the Hero of Warriors? What happened to the two other heroes he had once fought alongside all those years ago?

When this is over, will Warriors even have a family left to save or is he doomed to repeat his past mistakes?

(Once, there were three brothers: the captain, the engineer, and the child. Their story did not have a happy ending.)

It's been so long since I last updated! Luckily, I got this one up in time for *checks notes* Valentine's Day?

Sure. Okay.

Let's celebrate all forms of love with this story about a guy who is just... incredibly terrible at love.

In this incredibly long installment of my very niche fanfiction:

The Brothers Are Fighting!!!!!

We hold a funeral while Warriors copes with his new disability

Our remaining heroes try to figure out where they should go from here

➡READ IT HERE⬅

[bosinclairsgff]

Requests Rules <3

Hey everyone, I want to get back into writing fanfiction and stuff like that! So here are my request rules and other important things to know! (I used to only write on Wattpad so I'm new to using Tumblr pls be nice <3)

Requests: open

Will do

Hurt x comfort

Fluff

Head cannons

Sometimes mentions of abuse, kidnapping, murder or sh (there will be trigger warnings)

Light angst

Drabbles

Characters hurting the reader (there will be a tw)

Reader with depression or anxiety

Won't do

Pregnant reader

Child reader

Parent reader

x male, ftm, mtf or poly reader (I am not qualified to write about those as I have no experience involving them)

Characters I will write for

Halloween: RZ Micheal Myers, Corey Cunningham

Amusement: The Laugh

The Boy: Brahms Heelshire

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Nubbins Sawyer, Bubba Sawyer, Thomas Hewitt, Chop Top Sawyer, Drayton Sawyer, Vilmer Sawyer

Scream: Stu Matcher, Billy Loomis, Amber Freeman, Sydney

Friday The 13th: Jason Voorhees

House Of Wax: Bo Sinclair, Lester Sinclair, Vincent Sinclair

Saw: Amanda Young, Mark Hoffman

House Of 1,000 corpses: Otis Driftwood, Baby Firefly

American Psycho: Patrick Bateman

Child's Play: Tiffany Valentine

The Black Phone: The Grabber/Albert Shaw

The Collector: Arkin

Silent Hilld/DBD: Pyramid Head

Carrie: Carrie White

Ghost Ship: Jack Ferriman

Thirteen Ghosts: Dennis Rafkin

The Shining: Jack Torrance, Wendy Torrance

The Invitation: Walter Deville

Midnight Mass: Father Paul

The funhouse massacre: Doll face

A nightmare on Elm Street (2010) : Quentin Smith

My Bloody Valentine 3-D: Tom Hanniger

Don’t breathe: Norman Nordstrom

The Purge Anarchy: Leo Barnes

Midsommer: Pelle

Thanksgiving: Sheriff Eric Newlon

Leather face (2017) : Jedediah Sawyer

American horror story : Kai anderson, kit walker

Jennifer’s Body : Jennifer Check

You : Love Quinn

Resident Evil (movies): Dr. Isaac, Alice, Jill Valentine

Re- animator: Herbert West

Urban Legend: Brenda

DO NOT INTERACT WITH MY ACCOUNT IF YOU ARE

Homophobic

Fatphobic

Transphobic

Racist

[hologramcowboy]

Interesting tidbits from my deep dive:

• rumors about Danneel being banned from SPN set dating as far back as 2008

• Neil Patrick Harris hated Danneel, apparently she was a huge bitch behind the scenes on both How I Met Your Mother (she was in one episode, s4e5, which aired in 2008) and the Harold and Kumar movies (she played Kumar’s girlfriend and had a small role in all three movies)

• Danneel bullying extras and other cast members (only girls of course) on the set of OTH. These rumors date all the way back to her very first appearance (season 3) in 2005, so pre Jensen meaning her stans can’t really attribute the rumors to jealousy

• Rumors about Danneel hating Gen // being jealous of her dating all the way back to 2009. Not shocking given that neither of them attended each others wedding and didn’t really start interacting until J+D moved to Austin, but I was a little surprised because for a few years (2015/16 until the end of SPN) it seemed like people were dead set on the narrative that they were friends

• Finally found those lesbian rumors! Dating back to 2008, people were convinced that she was dating Elizabeth Harnois because she brought EH with her everywhere (notably to the My Bloody Valentine Premiere and on a trip to Australia with Jensen) and EH has been a rumored lesbian for a very long time. Found a taptalk board about closeted lesbian actresses from 2013 and EH was a very big topic (and beloved by lesbians apparently). I wasn’t even aware that EH was famous enough to garner that kind of attention

And weirdly enough, the most interesting tidbits didn’t involve Danneel at all. The first is pretty relevant given how often Jensen has been speaking about all the opportunities he missed due to SPN, and the answer is apparently not that many. He wanted to break into the movie scene and film during SPN’s break from filming, but was unsuccessful and not happy about it. Would try out for things/have his name thrown out there, and wasn’t getting anything back which caused a rift between him and his agent. Jared on the other hand apparently had a decent amount of offers, specifically for action movies. Notable roles were lead role in Conan the Barbarian (2011) and Poseidon in The Immortals (2011). Inclined to believe this rumor based on a few factors. The rumor about off season work for J2 was posted back in 2009, and the poster claimed to work for the CW. All of their other posts (mostly about Gossip Girl and Dawn Ostroff who was the president of the CW at the time) have proven to be true, so I don’t think they would randomly lie about this one thing. Then you have Jared himself, who really bulked up in seasons 4-6 of SPN and had the perfect action hero physique. Why put in all that work unless you’re prepping for potential roles?

The second rumor is something that I had never heard before, and it’s about Jensen. It’s something that I think a lot of people don’t want to hear/are going to push back against, so I want to do a bit more research before bringing it back out of obscurity. The Ackles really do love to bury things…

A little disclaimer, all of this is obviously gossip and with all gossip we have to take things with a grain of salt. And for those that are curious, I found all of this information on old livejournal boards, datalounge threads, now defunct fan forums and blogs. Obviously these places aren’t great sources and won’t be passing any academic scrutiny, but gossip isn’t the most regulated field. I had to sift through a lot of J2 timhatting and obvious fanfiction, but there were some gems. My process for whether or not something was legitimate enough to include was how often it’s been mentioned throughout the years, what point in the timeline it was introduced, if someone was claiming to have insider have their claims been proven true in the years leading up to now, if any proof was attached, how biased the post was (if it was clearly a Jensen/Jared stan trying to discredit or take down the other I wrote it off), and my own discerning eye for potential truths (I’ve worked in archives, have a degree in history, am currently working on my masters and have been honing my gossip researching/lie detecting skills since I read my first tabloid as a preteen).

Her set track record matches her lack of credits currently. People don't want to work with arrogant actors. My guess is she burned a lot of bridges by acting like a b and also by acting badly, let's face it she has no talent and no technique so her career only went as far as her fake boobs took her.

Really curious about the Jensen part now, if you feel like sharing please know I can keep the secret.

Thank you for sharing all of that, I loved reading it and I love how you wisely added a disclaimer to it as well.

[wearingaberetinparis]

Snippet Upcoming Jily AO3 AU

@wonderfullyweirdd this one is for you and I hope it will make you feel so much better after your terrible day. All credits for this idea go to @annabtg who wrote a wonderful fic called AO3 Is Down (read it if you haven't yet). All encouragement of me pursuing this goes to (again) @annabtg, @annasghosts and @practicecourts! Thank you, sweethearts! Anyway, I am naming this oneshot after yet another Taylor Swift song, because I can: everybody is a sexy baby, and i'm a monster on a hill.

andytonks OMG!!!!!! prongs updated Mischief Managed and do.not.call.me.lilyflower dropped a new AU oneshot at practically the same time! *Shocked emoji* Did I die and go to heaven?! *Pinching herself.*

alice.in.wonderland It’s supposed to be Friday the 13th, right? I was preparing myself for the absolute worst and now my two absolute faves prongs and do.not.call.me.lilyflower updated on the same day?! I could cry actual tears of joy! The only thing that would be better is if they would actually collab.

andytonks OMG!!!!!!!!! I would pay to see them paired up. @notmaryberry work your magic with next month's challenge will you?

notmaryberry I shall take it under advisement. *Thinking emoji* Joking, on it already. *Grinning emoji* They both signed up for the Valentine's one. I mean... could it be any more perfect?! *Heart emoji* But also: nooooooooo!!!!!! I’ve got to bloody work late today and there is no way I’ll be able to read anything before I get home tonight and it’s been such a shitty day that I fear I might not be able to stay up past ten. Why do I have to be a functioning adult while I could read fanfiction all day…? andytonks Babe!!!!!!! That’s so sad!!!!!! But also... you are evil. Pairing them up for Valentine’s… Just let me know where I transfer the money I owe you. *Winking emoji* notmaryberry *Mwah* It's completely free of charge, love. It’s not as if I wouldn’t benefit here immensely myself. I think, actually, that I’m doing the entire community a service. padfoot Look at you ladies scheming without me… I taught you well alice.in.wonderland I feel like Charlie’s Angels. We should do the whole: “Hi Charlie!” whenever you pop up. padfoot *Shudders* I’m so not a Charlie If you’d seen me in real life you’d think I’m too cool for fandom any way Alas My best mate dragged me down notmaryberry @padfoot do you reckon we can make prongs and do.not.call.me.lilyflower pairing up for the V-day challenge look like a coincidence?! padfoot Ha! prongs would immediately suspect anyone who would do such a thing of foul play You know how he gets when anyone mentions she-who-must-not-be-named around him notmaryberry Oh well, he can just voice his complaint and I’ll calm him down. I’m not a teacher for nothing. I’ve got experience with dramatic temper tantrums! (Had to resolve four today, can you believe I teach in secondary?!) Plus, I can just say that I wanted to have two of our most esteemed writers working together, so the fandom could enjoy the magic they create. I wouldn’t even be lying. *High five emoji*

andytonks I’m so confused as to why they don’t like each other?! Like… They are both insanely talented, write for the same fandom and they just full on ignore the other. I’ve never seen either so much as tag the other or reblog the other’s works and the fandom is SMALL!!!!!!

notmaryberry Oh, I keep forgetting that you weren’t around for *the incident*.

alice.in.wonderland Those were dark, dark, dark days… I think it’s tragic to be honest. It’s been… two years by now, I think, right?

notmaryberry Roughly, I think. It's so stupid. It was clearly a misunderstanding. If only @snake.boy hadn’t butted in and made prongs seem as if he was antagonising her…

andytonks Oh, right! Didn’t prongs say that he didn’t like AUs or something?! Or that he thought that non-magical fics were a waste of time?!

padfoot Gross misinterpretation of his words He said he didn’t like *writing* non-magical fic He never said he doesn't like reading it Plus he never once mentioned do.not.call.me.lilyflower That was @snake.boy tagging her in his post and causing hellfire to nearly break up the fandom as a whole

notmaryberry True! Of course, everyone butted in with their two cents and then prongs and do.not.call.me.lilyflower were on opposite ends of a conflict that neither of them started. They’ve been rivals ever since.

alice.in.wonderland I wouldn’t say rivals so much. They just pretend the other doesn’t exist.

padfoot Believe me He knows she exists all too well He seethes in his room over her talents and complains about her imagery, similes and metaphors I caught him reading her works so many times He even has a separate AO3 account where he bookmarks her fics and leaves comments on them He says he’s merely investigating what she’s up to but who is he kidding?! As if this isn’t fanfiction we’re talking about

alice.in.wonderland Hey! Don’t act as if fic isn’t what we actually live and breathe for!

padfoot Course it is It's just that I like prongs to think he’s pathetic for it all Remember that he doesn’t know I’m IN the fandom and that I read his and her work as religiously as some might read LOTR or the Bible

andytonks Honestly, I love you, but you’re such a prick.

padfoot that’s what most people that know me say Except for my mother She would never have said the first